Tag: animals

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 One Paw at a Time: A Tail of Recovery Blog Tour

Reba before her accident

Book Title: One Paw at a Time

Book Blurb: How would you cope if your dog suddenly became disabled after an accident? This is the situation Jo Sellers found herself in when her beloved dog Reba ran into a tree in her garden in the dark. She found herself in her worst nightmare, with her dog hanging onto life by a thread, with a broken neck making her body unresponsive. From that moment, her world turned upside down and she has chronicled her emotional journey from the moment of the accident, the surgical interventions, and the long process of helping her dog heal not only from the physical injuries, but the emotional ones too. She is an expert in canine separation anxiety, but had never had to nurse a dog back to health before. Follow Jo through the steps she took to adapt to her dog’s changing needs, how she helped to teach her dog to stand and walk again, and how you can find inspiration from any similar situation of rehabilitating a dog after spinal injury.

Number of Pages: 156 including images

Book Links/Buy Links: https://amzn.to/409JvXg

MY THOUGHTS

I am a real animal lover. I am even a vegetarian. Having read many nonfiction animal books with sad endings I haven’t read a nonfiction animal book in years as I am very hesitant to read them and get sad. But……….. for some reason I was drawn to this book. Little Reba is adorable, and I really couldn’t resist reading her story.
After Reba’s accident her owner is highly dedicated to her. And we follow along on her journey to wellness through many sleepless nights for owner and her dog both. It made me happy to see the devotion the owner has to her dog through good days and bad. This little dog is so smart and gave it her all trying to heal and get back to normal. Very encouraging book! Highly recommended book, I just loved it!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Jo Sellers and beloved pet Reba at home in Surrey.©Russell Sach – 0771 882 6138

Name of Author: Jo Sellers

Twitter/X Handle: @greencatbooks

Instagram Handle: @greencatbooks

Facebook Handle: @greencatbooks – her facebook profile is https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=574025244

Author’s Website: http://www.greencatbooks.com/jo-sellers

Genre: NON-FICTION

Author Bio:

Jo Sellers is an award winning ABTC Accredited Trainer and a Certified Separation Anxiety Behaviourist.

Pippin Pets Dog Training was established in 2015 at the same time her dog Reba joined the family. This cheeky Cocker Spaniel/Bichon Frise crossbreed led her to specialise in Separation Anxiety after helping Reba overcome her fear of being home alone.

Helping dogs overcome Separation Anxiety is now the principal part of her business and online support for other trapped at home owners, and she has helped hundreds of other dogs and owners.

In 2024, Reba’s freak accident shook her world, and a long road of recovery loomed ahead.  She took on the challenge, learning about dog’s biology and motion, the various rehabilitation therapies, and alongside the many specialists, helped her dog to learn to walk again

Jo regularly studies and learns from other amazing professionals to keep up to date and learn new skills and techniques in order to provide her clients with the best support and guidance.

Thank you for stopping in. I hope you are having a lovely day.

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cover reveal

The Matchmaker’s Mare by Hywela Lyn cover reveal

he Matchmaker’s Mare 

When Megan Johnson inherits an old cottage in the Welsh countryside, she seizes the opportunity to cut ties with her past life, after a broken romance. Her nearest neighbour, a horse trainer, is also something of an enigma. Single dad Glyn Phillips does his best to balance his love of horses and hard work, with his devotion to his son. When he meets his new neighbour, he knows he should resist any attraction. A feisty pony mare which mysteriously appears on his land adds to his problems, but another, larger problem lies ahead. Two matchmaking spirits find their carefully laid plans may not go as smoothly as they hope. 

Pre-order Links  

Publication Date: 5th May 

Author Bio –  

Award-winning author, Hywela Lyn spent most of her life in Wales, whose beautiful landscapes and wealth. of myths and legends inspired her to write. A horse and dog lover, she weaves romantic Science Fiction adventures and fantasy romances set in Wales, past and present. She loves dreaming up characters who overcome the odds, and go on to find deep and enduring love. However difficult the journey, in the end love will always win. She  hopes her stories will truly take you ‘out of this world’. 

Her penname, Hywela Lyn is a combination of her first two names. (She has always been known by her second name ‘Lyn’ and thought it was time her Welsh first name was used as well!) She is a member of The Romantic Novelists’ Association, and her local writing group, Chiltern Writers. Beloved Enemy, the third book in her Destiny Trilogy, was shortlisted in the Paranormal category of the prestigious Romantic Novelists Association RoNA awards and was a Runner up in the RONE Awards in 2017. When not writing or reading, she can usually be found outdoors with horses or her little dog – or just eating chocolate! 

Social Media Links –  

Website: Https://Hywelalyn.co.uk 

Blog: Https://hywelalyn.blogspot.com 

X: https://x.com/Hywela_Lyn 

https://www.instagram.com/hywela.lyn/

Goodreads:   https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1422651.Hywela_Lyn  

I hope you are having a lovely day. Thank you for stopping in.

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Blog Tour

Blog Tour for Summer Secrets at Duck Pond Cottage by Della Galton

ABOUT THE BOOK

Summer Secrets at Duck Pond Cottage

Can love conquer all?

Jade and Finn are idyllically happy in their little corner of rural Wiltshire. A rescue centre jampacked with animals keeps them super busy. With Finn’s art going from strength to strength, Jade can’t believe they’re living the dream until an arrogant property developer with questionable motives jeopardises their perfect lives and the future plans of the rescue centre.

Jade and Finn both have trust issues and they’ve promised there’ll be no more secrets. But keeping promises is harder than either of them imagined, especially where Finn’s past is concerned.

Living with Mr Spock the potty-mouthed parrot and Mickey the dog who barks at TV baddies there’s never a dull moment at Duck Pond Rescue. But will the humans get their ‘happy-ever-after’ too?
Can they lay the ghosts of the past to rest and find a bright new future together?

MY THOUGHTS

Simply fantastic. This is a series I try not to miss any of the stories in it and I’ve read quite a few by this author. I’ve read quite a few romance books and though this is one, I love that this series focuses on animal rescue as I am a big animal person. I really hope this series inspires others to help animals in some way even if by volunteering, donating goods, time or money, or even adoption or fostering animals.


We have our lovely couple Jade and Finn living in rural Wiltshire. Each are settled in with their own things to keep them busy, he’s an artistic painter, she runs the animal rescue with the help of some lovely volunteers and Finn as well.


I do have to say I did find humor in Mr. Spock; the rescue center resident parrot who would say things at the most inconvenient times.
Jade and Finn promised each other no more secrets but things have come up they’ve found hard to talk to each other about.


As the book progresses, we are introduced to some quirky characters and a turn happened I just didn’t see coming. Heartwarming and emotional I greatly look forward to reading more by the author.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/summersecrets

MEET THE AUTHOR

Author Bio –

Della Galton writes short stories, teaches writing groups and is Agony Aunt for Writers Forum Magazine.

Social Media Links – 

Facebook: @dailydella

Twitter: DellaGalton

Instagram: dellagalton

Newsletter Sign Up: http://bit.ly/DellaGaltonNewsletter

Bookbub profile: @dellagalton

Have a pleasant day. Thank you for stopping in.

Categories
historical fiction

Cloaked in Beauty: (A Christian Western Historical Romance Fairy Tale Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty) (Texas Ever After) 

352 pages Bethany House Publishers December 17, 2024 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

Trust no one in the shadows of the piney woods . . .

Letty Hood has spent the last fifteen years of her life hidden away with her grandmother in the backwoods of east Texas to escape the deadly schemes of an uncle who wants her dead. Now, with her twenty-first birthday on the horizon, she is forced to accept the escort of a stranger and return to Houston in secret so she can claim a birthright that will make her one of the wealthiest women in Texas. If she lives long enough to inherit.

Pinkerton agent Philip Carmichael has one duty: get the Radcliffe heiress home alive. Expecting a spoiled girl, Philip is surprised to encounter a woman of rare strength with a kind soul and keen wit. As they journey together, Letty’s resilience wins his admiration, breaking through his hardened cynicism. Yet the threat to her survival grows more menacing with every mile, and Philip fears that keeping Letty out of harm’s way may be just as impossible as keeping her out of his heart.

MY THOUGHTS

Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer is the author’s retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood story. I’ll admit I liked her version much better, with the author’s usual laugh out loud humor added her quirky characters and we can’t forget the wolf (Rusty) is it okay to have a wolf as a favorite character and the fairytale like settings the story is magical. From the mansion to going into hiding and the magical forest to roam in with her wolf I was totally captivated.


I think we all need a Philip Carmichael in our lives, a Pinkerton agent he is tasked with finding Letty after she has been in hiding for many years and escorting her home safely. Though he tries not to show it he is captivated by Letty and will do everything in his power to keep her safe.

As the danger unfolds mile after mile with their perilous journey the only one who can keep them safe is letting God take control of this situation.
Will Phillip be free to admit his feelings for Letty or will his formal training keep them apart?


I loved this retelling and greatly look forward to more books in the series.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Voted #1 Readers’ Favorite Christian Historical Author in 2023 by Family Fiction Magazine, Karen is a multiple award-winning author and a firm believer in the power of happy endings. She is an avid cross-stitcher, tea drinker, and family board game player who makes her home in Abilene, TX with her heroic husband who vanquishes laundry dragons and dirty dish villains whenever she’s on deadline. Learn more about Karen and her books at http://www.karenwitemeyer.com.

Thank you for stopping in. Peaceful dreams.

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First Line Friday

Happy Friday & welcome to First Line Friday hosted at Reading is my Super Power! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today I’m delighted to feature Mishka by Edward van de Vendel; Anoush Elman.

    Reading age 7-10 years 153 pages Levine Querido publisher Publication date November 12, 2024

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    Winner of the national book award for children’s literature in the Netherlands — a sweet and tender story of a girl refugee finding a new home!

    Roya, her three brothers, and their parents have a new family member — Mishka, a bunny rabbit. He soon becomes a beloved part of their new home and gradually, the rabbit — and also Roya — get to hear the story of the family’s journey from Afghanistan to the Netherlands. Told from different perspectives every time: big Bashir, gentle Hamayun, tough Navid, and sometimes Mom and Dad. Mishka and Roya listen.

    Anoush Elman and Edward van de Vendel became friends upon Elman’s arrival in the Netherlands, and fifteen years later, they decided to write a story for younger readers about his family’s experience. This gorgeous chapter book — illustrated throughout in full color — is a tender, lyrical story of a young girl processing a new country, new school, and new friends — and a bunny escape! — in a story readers and parents will treasure.

    About the Author

    Edward van de Vendel has been a school principal, founder, and teacher. He has been nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Prize, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and received the German Jugendliteratur Prize; in 2023, he received the highest honor for children’s books in the Netherlands: the Gouden Griffel, for Mishka. Edward lives in Amersfoort, and travels widely.

    Author residence: Netherlands

    Anoush Elman was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. When he was twelve he came to live in the Netherlands with his parents, brothers and sister, where the family had to wait seven years before receiving their residence permit. After high school he studied applied psychology, took a job as senior researcher at Pharos, the Dutch Center of Expertise On Health Disparities, and obtained his doctorate in 2022.

    Author residence: Netherlands

    Annet Schaap is a children’s book illustrator and in 2017 made her debut as both writer and illustrator for Lampje, which won the Gouden Griffel, the British Carnegie Medal, and the Premio Strega Ragazze e Ragazzi, and has been translated into 22 languages.

    Illustratorresidence: Netherlands

    Nancy Forest-Flier is an American-born translator and editor living and working in the Netherlands. She has translated several adult and children’s novels from Dutch to English as well as books of historical non-fiction. She has also translated for numerous Dutch museums and institutes including the Anne Frank House. She has six children and ten grandchildren.

    Translator residence: Netherlands

    FIRST LINE(S)

    It was the first evening in our new house. My three big brothers were all talking over each other and I was staring at the dinner plate on the table in front of me. Then I looked at the big window and the walls.

    Amazon link here

    Let me know in the comments below the first line of the book you are currently reading.

    Thank you for stopping in and stay warm. We have a storm coming Monday and our current weather is flurries and feels like 4 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Categories
    Cozy Mystery

    A Treacherous Tale: The Cambridge Bookshop Series

    282 pages St. Martin’s Paperbacks August 23, 2022 publication date

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    Lately, Molly has been feeling that she might have fallen into a fairy tale: she’s reinvigorated the family bookshop Thomas Marlowe—Manuscripts and Folios, made friends in her new home of Cambridge, England, and is even developing a bit of a romance with the handsome Kieran—a bike shop owner with a somewhat intimidating family pedigree.

    Having recently discovered The Strawberry Girls, a classic children’s tale, Molly is thrilled to learn the author, Iona York, lives nearby. But while visiting the famous author at her lovely cottage in nearby Hazelhurst, an old acquaintance of Iona’s tumbles off her roof to his death.

    Then, when one of Iona’s daughters—an inspiration for the original Strawberry Girls—goes missing, Molly begins to worry this story might be more Brothers Grimm than happily-ever-after. Especially after Molly learns about the mysterious long-ago death of Iona’s husband and co-author of The Strawberry Girls…could past and present crimes be linked? Molly must put the clues together before someone turns this sweet tale sour.

    MY THOUGHTS

    This is the second book in the Cambridge Bookshop series.
    Ever since discovering cozy mysteries a few years ago I’ve been on a roll with them and like them more than just regular mysteries.


    Set in an English bookshop and you can’t go wrong there.
    Molly and her mother come over to England to help her aunt run the bookstore.
    Molly enjoys life abroad with a new boyfriend, Kieran owner of a local bike shop.


    Excited about running the bookshop Molly invites a local author to speak. While visiting the author’s house to finalize plans a body is discovered and a girl goes missing.


    Enjoyed the plan Molly put together to help solve the mystery. Whimsical and nostalgic with an engaging plot.

    I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
    All opinions expressed are my own

    MEET THE AUTHOR

    Elizabeth Penney is the author of the Apron Shop Series and the Cambridge Bookshop Series, both from St. Martin’s Press. She is also the author of women’s fiction and mysteries for Annie’s Fiction and Guideposts.

    Now living in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, she pens novels and tries to grow things. Elements that often appear in her novels include vintage everything, past/present mysteries, historic houses, and the arts. Oh, and usually a very cool cat.

    Visit her website at http://www.elizabethpenneyauthor.com to learn more.

    Categories
    Uncategorized

    We’ll Prescribe You a Cat 

    304 pages Berkley September 3, 2024 publication date

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    A cat a day keeps the doctor away…

    Discover the award-winning, bestselling Japanese novel that has become an international sensation in this utterly charming, vibrant celebration of the healing power of cats.

    Tucked away in an old building at the end of a narrow alley in Kyoto, the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul can only be found by people who are struggling in their lives and genuinely need help. The mysterious clinic offers a unique treatment to those who find their way there: it prescribes cats as medication. Patients are often puzzled by this unconventional prescription, but when they “take” their cat for the recommended duration, they witness profound transformations in their lives, guided by the playful, empathetic, occasionally challenging yet endearing cats.

    Throughout the pages, the power of the human-animal bond is revealed as a disheartened businessman finds unexpected joy in physical labor, a young girl navigates the complexities of elementary school cliques, a middle-aged man struggles to stay relevant at work and home, a hardened bag designer seeks emotional balance, and a geisha finds herself unable to move on from the memory of her lost cat. As the clinic’s patients navigate their inner turmoil and seek resolution, their feline companions lead them toward healing, self-discovery, and newfound hope.

    MY THOUGHTS

    This book was originally published in Japanese then translated into seventeen languages. These are vignettes intertwining and strung together.
    This is unlike any book I’ve ever read before.


    As a cat owner of three, I do believe cats have healing properties, who can refuse a cat snuggling up against you? You’ll instantly start feeling better as your depression lifts and your calmness comes about.


    In We’ll Prescribe You a Cat, there is a medical clinic that only those who really need it can find. No matter the ill a cat is prescribed with the rest of the prescription to be picked up at the nurse’s desk.


    There is a quite a bit of magical realism present in the book, which I wasn’t aware of when I decided to read it. This isn’t the type of book I normally read but it really worked for me.

    Light and easy read we see the healing the cats bring to the people mentally as they leave with a more positive outlook on life. Some of this is nonsensical and whimsical. I think this is an uplifting book most cat lovers would enjoy.

    I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
    All opinions expressed are my own.

    About the Author

    Born in 1975 in Kyoto, Syou Ishida began writing fiction while working at a telecommunications company. We’ll Prescribe You a Cat has been a runaway bestseller in Japan and is due to be published in seventeen languages.

    Completely free clipart of a cat
    Categories
    Cozy Mystery

    Public Anchovy #1: A Deep Dish Mystery (Deep Dish Mysteries Book 3) 

    316 pages St. Martin’s Paperbacks December 26, 2023 publication date

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    Public Anchovy #1 is the third book in Mindy Quigley’s delectable Deep Dish Mystery series, set in a Wisconsin pizzeria.

    While Geneva Bay’s upper crust gets ready to party down at a Prohibition-themed fundraiser, pizza chef Delilah O’Leary is focused on seeing her struggling restaurant through the winter slow season. The temperature outside is plummeting, but Delilah’s love life might finally be heating up, as hunky police detective Calvin Capone seems poised to (finally) make a move.

    But Delilah’s hopes of perfecting a new “free-from” pizza recipe for a charity bash are dashed when a dead body crashes the party. Soon, Capone, Delilah, and her entire staff are trapped in an isolated mansion and embroiled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

    To catch an increasingly-desperate killer, Delilah will have to top all of her previous crime-solving accomplishments, and a few pizzas, too.

    MY THOUGHTS

    Though this is book three in the series it is my first read of the Deep-Dish mystery series. I will be going back and reading the others in the series very soon.


    Geneva Bay’s pizza chef Delilah O’Leary is doing a fundraiser at a swanky mansion the upper crust is attending. All is going well until a distraction is caused by a need to change the pizza recipe to accommodate dietary restrictions.


    Chef O’Leary’s cat stows away in a mixer box and so we’re treated to its presence the whole story through. With cat like accuracy, we don’t get much out of the cat as far as listening but when it’s time to eat and shenanigans are to be found you know that cat is involved.


    With a heavy storm happening and the generator not kicking on the lights not working lead to the atmosphere of suspense with a body found at the mansion where all the staff are trapped because it’s unsafe to leave. A cat and mouse game as the suspense mounts and then another body is found. Kept me guessing right til the end as I wouldn’t have suspected the suspect or the reason for it either.


    I’m excited to try the gluten free pizza crust recipe for my daughter who has this food restriction. There are many recipes included, and I am going to try a few others as well. The descriptions of the foods sound so yummy. Looking forward to reading more in this series soon.

    I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
    All opinions expressed are my own.

    THE AUTHOR

    Mindy Quigley is the author of two cozy mystery series. Her most recent, the Deep Dish Mysteries (St. Martin’s Press), has been featured in Parade, Woman’s World, and Kirkus Reviews.

    Mindy’s non-writing career has been stranger than fiction, taking her from the US to the UK, where she worked as the personal assistant to the scientist who cloned Dolly the sheep, and as project manager for a neurology research clinic founded by the author J.K. Rowling.

    She lives in Virginia, with her Civil War history professor husband and their children.

    Enjoy your day and have a slice of pizza. 🙂

    Categories
    Uncategorized

    First Line Friday

    Happy Friday & welcome to First Line Friday hosted at Reading is my Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today I’m delighted to feature A Corpse Among the Carolers by Debra Sennefelder a book published in November of this year. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to read it soon.

    276 pages November 12, 2024 Beyond the Page Publishing

    First Line

    Food Blogger Hope Early always gets a hearty holiday laugh knowing that the weeks leading up to Christmas are as frantic as they are festive.

    Would you want to continue on with reading this? I probably would just based on the adorable cover alone. You’ve got to love Beagles.

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    Hope Early is fully immersed in the spirit of the Christmas season, until the sounds of joyful carolers are silenced by the words “Ho-ho-homicide” . . .

    Food blogger Hope Early always gets a hearty holiday laugh from knowing that the weeks leading up to Christmas are as frantic as they are festive. But in spite of everything she has to do, the one thing she always has time for is the annual Jingle Bell Stroll, a night when the community gathers to sing their hearts out and enjoy each other’s company. This year’s caroling feels especially heartwarming, until the final note lands with a thud when Hope finds the body of the man who’d volunteered to play Santa, a knife plunged into his back.

    With virtually the whole town present at the caroling, the list of suspects seems endless. It doesn’t take long, though, for both Hope and the police to turn a sharp eye on the victim’s bitter and vindictive ex-wife, along with his new wife, who may have been after his money. Then Hope unearths a clue that suggests the dead man may have been hiding a sordid past and connections to unseemly characters. But as she closes in on the killer, they’re determined to wring her neck before she can ring in the new year . . .

    Includes tasty and toasty holiday recipes!

    About the Author:

    Debra Sennefelder lives and writes in Connecticut, where she shares her home with her family and slightly spoiled Shih Tzu. An avid reader across a range of genres, mystery fiction is her obsession. Her interest in people and relationships is channeled into her novels against a backdrop of crime and mystery. She’s the author of the Food Blogger Mysteries, the Resale Boutique Mysteries, and the Cookie Shop Mysteries. When she’s not writing, she’s either baking or reading. To learn more, visit her on the web at debrasennefelder.com.

    Categories
    Uncategorized

    Robins in My Kitchen-Nonfiction

    96 pages nonfiction adult book November 28, 2024 The Book Guild publisher

    Version 1.0.0

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    MY THOUGHTS

    Robins in My Kitchen is a lovely diary style nonfiction book about the author’s daily life with robins that have set up a nest in her kitchen. The mother bird fearlessly brings moss, twigs and other building materials into the woman’s house through an open kitchen window and builds a nest for her babies on a dish shelf. Mr. Robin also comes in to help.


    Eventually the eggs hatch and we see Mr. and Mrs. Robin sharing the parental duties of feeding the babies. I loved reading the daily progress of the fledglings and how descriptive it was.


    Black and white illustrations add to the nostalgic feel of the book.
    Reading this book was a true treat and made me feel closer to nature. What a joy to be chosen by the robin family to have a nest in their house.

    I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
    All opinions expressed are my own.

    Have a wonderful day. Thank you for stopping in.