Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Feb 6, 2012, 9:38 am
This is the first Monday of the month but we will not be having the Mystery and Crime Fiction Blog Carnival since there weren't enough entries this month.  Please spread the word about the blog carnival.  I truly believe it is a win-win situation for bloggers. Submit your blog entry for next month...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Feb 2, 2012, 3:00 am
I was drawn to this book from the blurb on the cover and the wilderness setting in Utah, but I was very surprised by what I found.  Join me for a trip to Utah's beautiful wilds for a suspenseful tale. Author: Pamela Beason Copyright: December 2011 (Berkley) 320 pgs Series: 1st in Summer Westin Mys...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Jan 30, 2012, 3:00 am
I reviewed Chris Morgan Jones' debut novel, The Silent Oligarch, Saturday but today is my day for his blog book tour.  I wanted to share more about Chris himself. Chris was born in Bromsgrove, a town in Worcestershire, England, and studied English Language and Literature at St. Catherine's College...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Jan 28, 2012, 2:40 pm
Monday M&MM is hosting the book blog tour for Chris Morgan Jones who has his debut novel out this January.  Please be sure to stop by on Monday see what he has in store for us!!  His first book takes us inside Russia and corporate money laundering networks.  Below is the review and it is surprisi...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Jan 19, 2012, 11:02 pm
Let's combat the winter cold and snow with a book set in the sweltering heat of Texas.  This week we review a book in small town Texas to spent some time with a mulch-generational family that will bring a smile to your face and lift you out of the winter doldrums. Author:  Melissa Bourbon Copyr...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Jan 16, 2012, 3:00 am
Self publishing has had a bad reputation and I wonder if it is fully warranted.  The standard idea is that if a traditional publisher doesn't want a person it must be because they just aren't that good.  Yet we all know that the publishing houses have been hit hard, retail book stores have been cl...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Jan 11, 2012, 10:23 pm
Do you enjoy the Antiques Road Show or like to stop in antiques stores? This week we review a new cozy with the owner of an antiques show as the sleuth and a massive outdoor antiques show with crowds of hundreds of thousands of people as the setting. Author: Mary Moody Copyright: July 2011 (Signe...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Jan 5, 2012, 3:00 am
It is a brand new year and the endless stacks of books to read have not gone down any.  I found this book offered for review on LibraryThing and have finally gotten to it.  This is a historical mystery set during WWI with the story developing in both England and even France's battlegrounds. Autho...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Jan 2, 2012, 10:09 pm
It is the first Monday of the month - time for another highly anticipated Blog Carnival.   Click on the title or author's name to go to that link.  Last month we skipped having a carnival due to few entries.  Please pass the word of this blog carnival along so it is a win-win for all blogs to ge...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Dec 29, 2011, 9:14 pm
Thanks for all the participants in the Mid Winter's Blog Hop.  Here are the winners for the book giveaway:   Kara D, kswederski, Jenna C, SHartl, Mona, Michelle @ The True Book Addict.  You will be notified by email to supply me with your mailing address.  Today I review one of the books in th...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Dec 22, 2011, 4:41 pm
There is snow here in the Rocky Mountains. Hot cocoa with a fun book is the perfect mix.  I am jumping into the Flavia de Luce momentum with the holiday offering.  Join me and a rascally eleven year old chemist for a 1950s English Estate murder mystery.  The  Mid-Winters Eve Blog Hop is below th...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Dec 21, 2011, 12:01 am
If you are looking for the Mid-Winters Eve Blog Hop, you are in the correct place and thank you for stopping by.  We celebrate everything mystery and suspense here - no doubt you can find something of interest!   We have six individual books available to win, with four of them having a holiday th...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Dec 19, 2011, 3:00 am
If you like to read books that coincide with the season or holiday I wanted to help with offering up some holiday reads.  I am hoping that readers will add other holiday mysteries in the comments. Fleece Navidad by Maggie SeftonHoliday Grind by Cleo CoyleThe Christmas Thief by Mary Higgins ClarkDas...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Dec 15, 2011, 3:00 am
My neighbor Ken is back with another book review for us.  This time we look at a psychological thriller that has been described as creepy.  Let's see what Ken thought of it. Author:  Grant Jenkins Copyright:  Nov 2011; Berkley; 300 pages Sensuality:  Violence, Language, May be disturbing to som...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Dec 12, 2011, 3:00 am
The holidays mean different things to different people and there are scores of holiday traditions.  For many, baking is a cherished memory associated with this time of year.  Cookies seem to be high on the list for a baking tradition.  Also part of this time of year is to remember those less fort...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Oct 31, 2011, 3:00 am
Sarah Zettel is an award-winning science fiction and fantasy author.  She has written eighteen novels and multiple short stories over the past seventeen years.  She has begun a new paranormal cozy mystery series called the Vampire Chef Mysteries - my review of "A Taste of the Nightlife" is here (c...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Oct 27, 2011, 3:00 am
If you are looking for the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop, you are in the correct place and thank you for stopping by.  Please scroll down to the post before this one for the giveaway.   Today we continue with our paranormal mystery book reviews with a paranormal cozy featuring vampires.  I know, coz...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Oct 24, 2011, 12:01 am
If you are looking for the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop, you are in the correct place and thank you for stopping by.  We are #31 on blog hop list.  We celebrate everything mystery and suspense here - no doubt you can find something of interest!  This month we have been spotlighting paranormal myster...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Oct 20, 2011, 3:00 am
I have reviewed the last few books in the series before this one,  Divine Circle of Ladies Playing with Fire (click here), Divine Circle of Ladies Rocking the Boat (click here), and the Divine Circle of Ladies Tipping the Scales (click here).  The author gave me an interview as well (click here).Â...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Oct 17, 2011, 3:00 am
This week we interview the author of the portrait of crime mysteries that mixes a former police sketch artist with a wild west Marshal's ghost.  I reviewed the first book in the series, Sketch Me If You Can (click here) and the second To Sketch a Thief (click here.)   Do you start your next myst...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Oct 13, 2011, 3:00 am
Our second entry for the paranormal mystery books features a badly haunted house!  I reviewed the first in this new series, "If Walls Could Talk" (click here) and I couldn't wait for the next book to be released. Ms Blackwell was also one of the first authors to give me an interview (see that here...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Oct 10, 2011, 3:00 am
This week we have the author of the popular Pepper Martin series joining us for an interview.  I have reviewed the two most recent books in the series, Tomb with a View (click here) and A Hard Day's Fright (click here).  A Hard Day's Fright will be up for give away at the end of the month during t...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Oct 6, 2011, 3:00 am
Today we kick off our month of paranormal mysteries with the newest Pepper Martin book.  I reviewed the book just prior to this one in the series (click here.)  Also this book will be part of the giveaway hop at the end of October, so if you haven't read this one yet, you will have a chance to win...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Oct 3, 2011, 3:00 am
It is the first Monday of the month - time for another highly anticipated Blog Carnival.  Autumn is definitely in the air.  Do you notice the Autumn first from how the air feels and smells different?  I love that.   Anyway, back to the carnival, below is the line-up.  Click on the title or aut...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Sep 29, 2011, 3:00 am
This week we make a trip to Port Chatham Washington for a murder in the current and in 1893 that are somehow connected. Author: P. J. Alderman Copyright: February 2011 (Bantam) 368 pgs Series: 2nd in Port Chatham Mysteries Sensuality: historical brothel and mention of occurrences, sprinkled c...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Sep 26, 2011, 3:00 am
This year's Banned Book Week has a great idea that I hope takes off.  It is called the Virtual Read-out and it encourages participation during the week virtually.   I love incorporating video with the blog and this idea of a virtual community exercising their freedom to read joins people from all...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Sep 22, 2011, 3:00 am
This week I review the newest book in the Royal Spyness series set on the French Riviera complete with a French Marquis and Coco Chanel thrown into the mix.  I was looking forward to reading this addition to the series and it does not disappoint.  I don't think I have ever referred to a murder mys...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Sep 19, 2011, 3:00 am
Today I am spreading the word of a situation that blogger Kate Messner alerted her readers to. This news has even made it to NPR.  Hurricane Irene did a lot of damage and has left many families worse for the experience. Irene also caused severe damage to small rural libraries - the children's sect...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Sep 15, 2011, 3:00 am
This week Ken reviews a rather hard boiled Mike Hammer meets Dragnet mixed with the paranormal.  In this reality vampires, ghouls, goblins, werewolves, and witches all exist and have legal rights.  Ken really got into the spirit of the book (no pun intended) as you will find out. This is a gritt...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Sep 12, 2011, 3:00 am
I am a firm believer in children reading books.  I loved books as a child so I always had a book.  But reading is a challenge for some and they need extra encouragement and nurturing in this area.  There have been many studies done and research on how being a reader makes for a better student, no...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Sep 8, 2011, 3:00 am
Welcome to September, back to school and fall is approaching (at least in these parts).  Today we are time traveling to Regency England for a mystery featuring a unique heroine and lots of chocolate! Author:  Andrea Penrose Copyright:  April 2011 (Signet) 336 pgs Series:  1st in  Lady Arianna ...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Sep 5, 2011, 3:01 pm
It is the first Monday of the month - time for another highly anticipated Blog Carnival. Happy Labor Day to all you hard working folks, enjoy a day intended to draw attention to the working person and acknowledge your invaluable contributions. My heart goes out to all of the multitudes of unemploye...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Sep 1, 2011, 3:00 am
The "roaring twenties" were an era that, while brief, left an enduring image in our minds.  New York was the epitome of this madcap time with speakeasy bars, fashion, literary celebrities, corrupt cops, mobsters with panache and the glamor of Broadway.  Even the language was rife with hip lingo an...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Aug 29, 2011, 8:05 pm
One sentence stories, or one sentence flash fiction is to tell a story in just one sentence.  One sentence doesn't give room for character building or a three act plot structure.  There is no building up towards a climactic confrontation with a killer.   It is immediate, a picture in time that g...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Aug 25, 2011, 3:00 am
This week Ken reviews a historical mystery that takes place in King Arthur's Britannia.  The enduring legend of Arthur is mixed with political intrigue and a serial killer for a suspenseful medieval tale. Author:  Tony Hays Copyright:  2011; Tom Doherty Associates, LLC (A Forge Book); 395 pages ...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Aug 22, 2011, 3:00 am
It is sad to say, but it seems that literary events such as author talks or book signings don't typically draw huge crowds.  Our culture doesn't make authors famous very often.  The Anne Rice or Tom Clancy phenomenon is rare.  BookTV does not command a huge viewership compared to a Sitcom or Desp...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Aug 18, 2011, 3:00 am
Have you ever wondered what sort of a child - or better yet - what kind of teenager Sherlock Holmes must have been to develop into the master detective that he became?  The first Sherlock story has him at thirty-three years old and very little was revealed about his growing up.  What kind of paren...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Aug 15, 2011, 3:00 am
This week we have an interview with Sara Sue Hoklotubbe.  I reviewed her Cherokee mystery "The American Cafe" featuring Sadie Walela here.  Sara is a Cherokee tribal citizen who grew up on the banks of Lake Eucha in northeastern Oklahoma, and uses that location as the setting for her mystery novel...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Aug 11, 2011, 3:00 am
My kind and wonderful neighbor Ken gives us another review this week.  Join us for the latest Steve Berry novel that combines spies and a American history to weave a thriller of grand stature. Author:  Steve Berry Copyright:  2011; Ballantine Books; 451 pages Series:  #7 in the Cotton Malone adv...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Aug 8, 2011, 3:00 am
This Monday it is time for a question.  In the mystery genre there are many series mysteries and they gather a following.  Some have 10, 20, or more books in the series with the same main character.  Typically these are fun because we like the characters and enjoy reading about their adventures e...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Aug 4, 2011, 3:00 am
I saw this book somehow somewhere and just had to read it. If you have followed this blog for very long you know I enjoy Native American mysteries so this series got my attention.  Let's go to Oklahoma to join Cherokee amateur sleuth Sadie Walela. Author:  Sara Sue Hoklotubbe Copyright: April 2011...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Jul 31, 2011, 11:34 pm
It is the first Monday of the month - time for another highly anticipated Blog Carnival.   Here are some books that have been reviewed around the web to help you stay cool in the summer heat. Below is the line-up.  Click on the title or author's name to go to that link. Police Procedural / PI Bo...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Jul 28, 2011, 3:00 am
I hope you enjoy my neighbor Ken's book reviews because he is back with a cozy this week.  Ken loves mysteries and like me, he enjoys anything from suspense to cozies.  We go to South Carolina this week for our mystery - please join us. Author:  Leann Sweeney Copyright:  April 2011; Obsidian (Pe...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Jul 25, 2011, 3:00 am
The Crime Writer's Association has announced the winners of the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award earlier in the year. According to the website:The Diamond Dagger, awarded for sustained excellence in crime writing, was presented to bestselling historical author Lindsey Davis during a glittering champagn...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Jul 22, 2011, 12:09 am
I had reviewed the first novel in this new series just last month (click here.)   I simply could not wait any longer to read the second book and share it with you.   Author:  Sharon Pape  Copyright:  June 2011; 293 pages Series: 2nd in the Portrait of Crime Mysteries   Sensuality:  n/a...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Jul 18, 2011, 3:00 am
Let's try another game this week. I am going to list partial titles and you try to fill in the blanks.  All the books are by the same author which is a clue. At the end of the titles, supply who the author of all the books was. I will give you a hint that these are not new books - they have been ou...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Jul 14, 2011, 3:00 am
My book-loving neighbor is back with another review.  Welcome "neighbor Ken" back to share about a novel full of intrigue and suspense.  Sounds like this is a great book. Author:  Victor Ostrovsky   Copyright:  May 3, 2011; 452 pages    Sensuality:  Violence   Mystery sub-genre:  Suspe...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Jul 11, 2011, 3:00 am
Today we have award winning author Toni Kelner joining us for an interview.  Ms. Kelner gives us a peek into her writing world and big news concerning her mystery series.  Please welcome Toni Kelner. - Do you start your next mystery with the killer, the victim or a plot idea? None of the above. ...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Jul 7, 2011, 3:00 am
This week we go to San Francisco for murder with a snake motif.  I have reviewed the first in this series "Secondhand Spirits"- click here, the second "A Cast Off Coven" - click here, and interviewed the author - click here.  Author: Juliet Blackwell Copyright: June 2011 (Signet) 314 pgs Series:...
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Ariel Heart posted an article on Mysteries and My Musings - Jul 4, 2011, 10:19 pm
It is the first Monday of the month - time for another highly anticipated Blog Carnival.    It is also the Fourth of July holiday in the U.S.  I hope everyone's holiday was fun and safe.    Below is the line-up.  Click on the title or author's name to go to that link. Police Procedural / PI ...
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