Here it is. Friday the 14th with only a little over a week for Christmas shopping. Thankfully mine is done. I'm not bragging just needed to have it done early so we can travel. I thought you might need an idea or two or three so I'm listing my own books as ideas for last minute gifts. There's still plenty of time to get them delivered from your favorite online bookstore.
Of course top of the list is In A Pickle especially if you want to give some humor mixed with tender moments and a little suspense. Here's the back cover blurb:
Annie Pickels, a 65 year old
widowed pickle entrepreneur is in real trouble. One of her city farmers is
growing marijuana on his rented plot of land. Annie, thinking it is marjoram,
uses it as a secret ingredient in her pickles.
Insisting Tommy is a nice young
man, Annie discovers his beloved Mary Jane is not the name of his girlfriend after
Annie is arrested for cultivation and sale of marijuana. But Annie knows God
always takes care of her. On a cruise aboard the Queen Mary 2, Annie meets the
man who might solve her impending legal dilemma, Arnie.
Elma, Annie’s best friend, knows
that Arnie is just what Annie needs in her life. But is he?
Annie’s niece thinks Arnie is out
to fleece her aunt. Is she right? Or is Arnie the one who can get Annie out of
the pickle she’s in?
And here is what some are saying about In A Pickle:
"Confession, forgiveness, subtle wit, love, mystery, and humor are mixed together in this delightfully tasty read."~Brenda Nixon
"Annie Pickels reminds me SO much of my own grandmother, for better or worse... Which is to say that, while overall Annie Pickels is very lovable, there were parts where her thoughts or actions were endearingly annoying, in the way our own families can sometimes be. This book left me longing for my own family... and lots of pickles!"~Toni Stutler
" I left my copy on the table at work and the other girls were reading it behind my back till they just had to tell me how much they were enjoying it."~Adele Yuncker
"If you are looking for a simple, feel-good story that you can pick up at anytime, this is the book for you!"~Hillary Cerny
Is there someone on your gift list who enjoys cozy mysteries? They might enjoy the first book in my Casey Stengel Series, Murder Among The Orchids. Here's the back cover blurb:
Kathleen Catherine O’Shaughnessy
Stengel, or Casey as she is called, is a Household Manager not a housekeeper
as many would label her. Her only resemblance to baseball’s Casey
Stengel is her love of the game. One morning, she
discovers her employer, Mr. Popelmayer, sprawled across the potting bench in
his greenhouse full of orchids. He is obviously dead. Casey calls 911
and quickly finds herself involved in a homicide investigation.
What killed Mr. Popelmayer, her employer, is bizarre. South
American Dart Frog poison. But who gave it to him in his coffee?
Even
more bizarre is the appearance of his ex-wife at the reading of the will. She
was supposed to be dead. Along with her is a grown son, Jake, whom she claims
is another “object of his natural bounty” and she wants him to receive his
inheritance.
The list of suspects grows as Casey and her new detective
friend, Max Dugan, struggle to put the clues together. Is the murderer
Priscilla, Mr. Pop’s second wife who seems to be quite familiar with the family
lawyer? Or his daughter, Cattelya whose boyfriend is of questionable character?
Or perhaps Garo, the son with the gambling addiction?
Casey and Max discover the real value of Mr. Popelmayer’s
bounty was in the orchids he so dearly loved. One of them was cause for murder.
Here's what readers say:
"I really enjoyed "Murder Among the Orchids" and look forward to more by Karen Robbins. It was a read from start to finish!"~Sheila Burrows
"I enjoyed this book! The characters were well defined and the story line was easy to follow. My only complaint is that I didn't want it to end."~Diane Sheffer
And finally, for those who enjoy beautifully illustrated pages of heartwarming stories, recipes and holiday tips, consider A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts, the book I coauthored with five writing friends. Those who read it commented that it was delightful, creative, heartwarming, unique. It is designed as a scrapbook and would be a wonderful addition to a coffee table and/or a bookshelf.
Happy Shopping!!
All this week there is a special countdown deal at Amazon for my Casey Stengel mystery collection. The price starts out on Sunday, 7/22, at 99 cents! But if that passes you by, there is still time to get a discounted price. You need to hurry though. Each day that goes by the price increases by one dollar until it is back to the original price of $5.99.
