The Good, the Bad, and the Guacamole
by Rebecca Adler

I love a good cozy mystery and this is a great read…I really enjoyed how this involves country music and food. Two of my favorite things.
~Books, Dreams, Life

I always love a good mystery with a southern flare. And this book was more than chips and salsa. The Good, the Bad and the Guacamole, gives you an entire mystery that is so well written that you can’t put it down…
~Bibliophile Reviews

The Good, the Bad and the Guacamole
(A Taste of Texas Mystery)

Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Berkley (November 1, 2016)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425275948
E-Book ASIN: B01BK0SQ72

Synopsis

Tex-Mex waitress and part-time reporter Josie Callahan is about to serve up some Lone Star justice in this spicy Taste of Texas Mystery from the author of Here Today, Gone Tamale.

Tourists are pouring into the town of Broken Boot for the annual Homestead Days Music Festival. Opening the celebration at Two Boots dance hall is smooth-talking country singer Jeff Clark, the ex-boyfriend of Josie’s best friend, Patti Perez. When the charming Clark woos Patti onstage in an attempt to rekindle some sparks with his old flame, Josie fears her friend will end up as just one more notch on the singer’s guitar strap.

To impress her editor at the Broken Boot Bugle, Josie and her Chihuahua, Lenny, pursue the singer to Patti’s house, hoping for an interview. Instead, they discover Clark facedown in a bowl of guacamole with a bloodied guitar at his side. With Patti suddenly a murder suspect, Josie must use her reporter skills to find out who had a chip on their shoulder—before the killer double dips….

INCLUDES TEX-MEX RECIPES!

About The Author 

Rebecca Adler grew up on the sugar beaches of the Florida Gulf Coast. Drawn to the Big Apple by the sweet smell of wishful thinking, she studied acting on Broadway until a dark-eyed cowboy flung her over his saddle and hightailed it to the Southwest.

Prior to writing women’s fiction, Gina always found a way to add a touch of the dramatic to her life: dinner theatre in Mississippi, can-can club in Florida, and playing a giant Furskin in the New York Toy Fair, plus the occasional play and musical.

She’s currently content to pour her melodramatic tendencies into writing her Taste of Texas culinary mystery series. Set in far West Texas, her humorous stories are filled with delicious suspense and scrumptious Tex-Mex recipes. Her alter ego, Gina Lee Nelson, writes sweet contemporary romances with a sweet, Southern-fried flavor.

Author Links

Webpage: www.AuthorRebeccaAdler.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRebeccaAdler/

Twitter: @CozyTxMysteries

GoodReads: http://tinyurl.com/GoodReads-RebeccaAdler

Purchase Links

Amazon   Barnes and Noble

KOBO      Apple

Hilarious. Funny. Witty. Charming. Great location. Over the top exceptional characters. Those are a few words that quickly came to mind as I read this book. The characters are a hoot and boy do they have attitude. They sure love their Mexican food and I believe I heard a plate of beef fijitas sizzling on the plate in the background. The author really brought this cozy little out of the way town to life with a band trying to make it big. I loved  the town name of Broken Boot and thought it was perfect for the setting. Now it's time to get your boots on, grab something to eat and let's solve this mystery.

Josie is a no nonesene kind of gal who tries so hard to make it big in the newspaper business. With her sidekick, the adorable Chihuahua named Lenny they hope to interview Jeff Clark . He is smooth around women and sings like an angel. Well that's how some people describe him. Josie  is anxious  to interview Jeff when the unthinkable happens. I laughed so hard when I read that Josie found  poor Jeff face down in guacamole. I can picture the scene so vividly and thought the creativity of the author was down right awesome. Now who says "Dad gum it" anymore? Well that is just the way our main character Josie expresses herself. After all she is a country girl at heart.

Things really start heating up as the investigation into Jeff's death seems to have suspects coming out of the woodwork. Was one of his band members  jealous of him? Did he owe some gambling debts?  Perhaps he was seeing someone who was married? Well the possibilities are endless and the story is a real page turner. I tip my hat to the author for her wonderful writing that kept me guessing. Get ready for a real honest to goodness Texas mystery that will have you laughing all the way to the end .

I received a copy of this book from The Great Escapes Book Tour. The review is my one opinion and I was not compensated for it.

Tour Participants 

October 24 – Sleuth Cafe – CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 24 – Books,Dreams,Life – REVIEW

October 25 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT

October 25 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW  

October 26 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST, SPOTLIGHT

October 26 – Grace. Gratitude. Life. by Marie McNary – REVIEW

October 27 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 28 – Shelley’s Book Case – SPOTLIGHT

October 28 – A Blue Million Books – INTERVIEW

October 29 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 30 – Cozy Up With Kathy – INTERVIEW

October 31 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW

October 31 – Readeropolis – REVIEW

November 1 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW

November 1 – A Holland Reads – REVIEW, GUEST POST

November 2 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW

November 2 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – REVIEW

November 3 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW

November 4 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW

November 4 – Varietats – GUEST POST

November 5 – Community Bookstop –  REVIEW

November 6 – MysteriesEtc – REVIEW

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DREAM NOTES

When I received this journal I was anxious to start using it. The cover is beautiful and makes me feel peaceful. Inside is beautiful lined pages waiting for your thoughts. I use journals to take notes on books I'm reviewing and scriptures I want to go back to later. I also like to jot down my goals and things I'm praying about. Open the pages and let your imagination flow as you enjoy this softcover journal.

This would be a great product to use in a bible study. All your notes are in one  place so you can easily go back to them. It's lightweight and easy to carry . If you are thinking about writing the next great novel, why not start your story in this journal? I like that at the bottom of every page is a place to put the date. Now as you go back, you can see when you wrote about something and remind yourself of dreams , hopes and visions you had. Pick up a copy today and grab another one for a friend.

I received a complimentary copy of this journal from The Bethany Blogging Program. The review is my own opinion and I was not compensated for it.

The Angel of Forest Hill

An Amish Christmas Romance

Cindy Woodsmall

Category: Fiction

•  

  Hardcover

  $14.99

  Oct 4, 2016 | 208 Pages
  ISBN: 9781601427052
•  

  Ebook

  $9.99

  Oct 4, 2016 | 208 Pages
  ISBN: 9781601427069

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About The Angel of Forest Hill

A time of anticipation. A season of miracles.
Because of Joel’s impossible situation, twenty-one-year-old Rose must sacrifice everything. As days pass into years in the midst of the beautiful hills, the laughter of children, and God’s providence—is it too much for Rose to hope for love in return?

An amazing journey toward love and belonging, filled with the wonder of the season of Christ’s birth.

When Old Order Amish Rose Kurtz is asked to leave her family, travel deep into West Vir­ginia, and help Joel Dienner with his children in the wake of tragedy, the quiet young woman recognizes a home where she might find kindness instead of criticism and hope replacing harsh words. She agrees to stay in Forest Hill and become Joel’s wife for the sake of his family needs, but their marriage is to be a partnership, one built from need, not love and affection.

As the years pass, Rose continues to beckon Joel to join life again, to take joy in his growing children, and to awaken his heart to the possibility of new love. Joel hopes that Rose can move beyond deep-rooted hurts to see the beautiful Christmas ahead, their season. But will the arrival of a beautiful widow and a series of misunderstandings reverse how far Rose and Joel have come.

Product Details

208 pages | Published by WaterBrook

On Sale Date: Oct 4, 2016

Trim Size: 5-3/16 x 8

Carton Quantity: 12

Sneak Peek

Click Here to download the first chapter of The Angel of Forest Hill by Cindy Woodsmall About The Angel of Forest Hill by Cindy Woodsmall When Old Order Amish Rose Kurtz is asked to leave her family, travel deep into West Virginia, and help Joel Dienner with his children in the wake of tragedy, the quiet young woman recognizes a home where she might find kindness instead of criticism. Hope replacing harsh words. She agrees to stay in Forest Hill and become Joel’s wife for the sake of his family needs, but their marriage is to be a partnership, one built from need, not love and affection. As the years pass Rose continues to beckon Joel to join life again, to take joy in his growing children, and to awaken his heart to the possibility of new love. Joel, too, hopes that Rose can move beyond deep-rooted hurts to see the beautiful Christmas ahead, their season— and Joel’s longing for more than friendship. But will the arrival of a beautiful widow and a series of misunderstandings threaten to reverse how far Rose and Joel have come? Filled with deep emotion and the wonder of the season of Christ’s birth, The Angel of Forest Hill invites readers experience an amazing journey toward love and belonging.

News

Enter to Win a Signed copy of THE ANGEL OF FOREST HILL!

October 19, 2016

What’s better than winning a free book? One signed by the author! Enter to win a signed copy of Cindy Woodsmall’s The Angel of Forest Hill! (Plus we’ll include the perfect recipe card to go along with it!)

You can enter to win here!

Can you imagine being one of twelve children in a family? What if you were the only girl in the Amish family? You would be working long hours helping with the laundry, dishes, cooking and cleaning .   Rose has not had an easy life and  her relationship with her mother is quite strained. Rose is a sweet character with a heart of gold. Her mother however seems to criticize everything she does.

Joel has just lost his wife and is now  left alone with three small children to raise. He is grieving and trying to do the best he can to keep his family together. I liked his character and thought he was a great father. He always put his children's needs first. Looks like help is on the way for Joel and his family. The Bishop has asked for Rose to go help Joel out. I wonder what Rose was thinking as she packed her bag to leave? What would the children be like? Would Joel be willing to let her help him?

After her arrival there is a quick marriage between the two. I'm sure it must have been awkward for  both of them. I loved how Rose took to the children and treated them as her own . The story is emotional at times but it is a great reminder that love does conquer all. There were some disagreements along the way that really made the story so real. I loved the slow attraction between Joel and Rose.

What happens when Rose returns home  after four years for a visit? Can she repair her relationship with her mother? I think I loved this part of the story especially because it was so honest and really showed how saying you were wrong is ok. Be sure you pick up a copy of this lovely Christmas story and fell the warmth and love of family .

"If you're broken but together, you can mend together."

I received a  complimentary copy of this book from Blogging For Books. The review is my own opinion and I was not compensated for it.

About Cindy Woodsmall

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times and CBA best-selling author of numerous works of fiction and one of nonfiction. Her connection with the Amish community has been featured widely in national media. She lives in the Foothills of the North Georgia Mountains with her family.

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https://handoff.tyndale.com/w/o9WjVRPShUu43tNeV4p1-w

CROSSING THE WATERS by LESLIE LEYLAND FIELDS

I have always wanted to visit Alaska. I have heard it is beautiful there but it can also be extremely cold. Some of the living conditions are uncomfortable and the people work dangerous jobs. As I began to read the book, the author took me on an adventure that I will never forget.

I loved how the author shared her journey as a fisher woman and intricately told of the disciples. The vivid descriptions and  connections to the Bible was breathtaking . It  really made me dig deep into my understanding of commercial fishing and how hazardous it can be. Along the way she weaves truths and understanding on how much Jesus depended on his disciples. We are His disciples and He has called each of us to share His word. I felt like I was in the boat listening to Jesus talk as the waves crashed over us.

Grab this book and be taken to the boat where Jesus  was with His disciples. Listen as the author recounts the story and shares her own journey as she travels with her family , much like the disciples did with Jesus. It is very powerful and eye opening.

"Above all, love each other deeply , because love covers over a multitude of sin."

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale Blogger Program. The review is my own opinion and I was not compensated for it.

CHOOSE AND CHOOSE AGAIN by J. KEVIN BUTCHER

From the very first story , I knew I would be in an emotional journey that would feel my heart with compassion and understand the hurt these people have gone through. Everyone has a story . Some may  be hard to hear, but the stories are real and bring people to their most desperate moments. What really struck me hard was , am I showing Gods  love to everyone? Do I have the compassion that Jesus has for everyone ?

 The book is heart wrenching at times but really opens my eyes to struggles that people face everyday. One of the subjects that the author talks about is forgiveness. It is one of the hardest things for someone to do. Why do you have to forgive the person who beat you, abused  you and made you feel worthless? How can God forgive us for messing up and falling so low that we can't get up? "We long to be forgiven because we sense that if we aren't forgiven, we can't be loved. We're so afraid it's impossible to be both forgiven and loved-by God."  When you feel unconditional love it is  being set free.

Each story in this book is a testament to what God can do for each of us. I loved that the author reached out to hurting people and helped them to find freedom from pain and introduce them to God. I see homeless people everyday living on the streets, begging for food and trying to survive. This book made me understand that I need to do more than just look at them as I drive by. We all can do something to show others they are loved and accepted. It is never to late to ask forgiveness and release the chains that have bound us for so long.  It is time to get out of the church, look at our community and share our story.

I had a hard time not crying throughout the entire book. Each story that is shared is real, hard to read at times but showed me that there are so many people that have been changed by the love of God. I hope you take this book, read it slowly , pause and pray and ask God to show you how to be His  hands and feet. Lead me everything to the hurting, the lost and the ones who have drifted away. Allow me to be the vessel that shows them they are loved and forgiven. Teach me to reach out and not be afraid.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale Blogging . The review is my own opinion and I was not compensated for it.

FATAL FROST by NANCY MEHL

The story opens with an intense raid on a known drug dealer . My heart raced as I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. The author explodes with action and takes readers on a journey that will send shivers down your spine. I could feel the tension in the van as the team prepares for their dangerous mission. There was no noise, only the smell of determination among the group.

Mercy is with the Marshall's office and is on high alert as the raid starts. She is tough as nails and is ready to defend herself against criminals.  Mercy has some underlying issues with her father Nick . What did her father do to make her so bitter towards him? Will she ever be able to forgive him? I really liked the authors description of Mercy's father. I could picture his good looks and his desire to make amends to his daughter. What distracts him as they are eating lunch together one day?

The book continues with surprises and twists that kept me glued to the story. When a tragedy hits close to home for  Mercy will she be able to hold it together? Her father was on the gang task force and the author does  an excellent job of instilling how dangerous his work was. Did Nick know something that could place Mercy in danger? The gangs depicted in the story is well written with accurate detail and gives readers a sense of how powerful they can be.

The turmoil Mercy has with believing in God was such a great peek  into her past. She has always  struggled with her faith coming from a not  so great childhood. As she is sent on a mission by her boss to check on someone , she is accompanied by her best friend Tally and her ex boyfriend  Mark. The story continues with suspense and action that will leave readers wanting more. The author has written a book that reminds me of the intense tv shows that keep your heart racing wondering what will happen next. I was so fixed on reading the book, I blocked out the world around me. The plot is brilliant and shows how exceptional a writer the author is. The author took me right into the action with twists that shocked me  with undercover cops, and gangs ready to do anything to get what they want.   What  damaging evidence does the cartel think Mercy was given by her dad? The suspects are piling up as Mercy is not sure who to trust. Get ready for a story that will keep you guessing with a powerful and shocking ending.  The author is at the top of her game in this thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion and I was not compensated for it.