Spotlight on CLEO COYLE'S HAUNTED BOOKSHOP + DOUBLE #GIVEAWAY!

 

From Cleo Coyle: Some characters haunt you long after a book is done, especially when they’re ghosts. Here are 5 reasons why we think you’ll enjoy being haunted by the characters in our new Haunted Bookshop Detective Mystery, recently honored as a *Star Reviewed Library Journal Pick of the Month! 

 OUR FIRST GIVEAWAY...

Before we continue with today's Spotlight post, we'd like to tell you about the first of our two giveaways. CLICK HERE or see the link below to jump to the prize package giveaway we're running for our Cleo Coyle Newsletter Subscribers to celebrate last week's release of our new Coffeehouse Mystery...

Cleo's Eat, Drink, and Get Buried 

Prize Package Giveaway 

Winner will receive:

> A signed copy of Cleo Coyle's New Coffeeouse Mysery Eat, Drink, and Get Buried in it's beautiful first edition hardcover format

> A Sturdy, Canvas Coffeehouse Tote Bag

> A Set of Glossy Cleo Recipe Cards, and...

 🍀 A bone china Irish Blessing  coffee mug from Royal Tara's "Clara" line of Irish gifts.

Jump to our first Giveaway 

by Clicking Here

Now for the 5 reasons why we think you’ll enjoy being haunted by the characters in our new Haunted Bookshop Detective Mystery...

Reason #1 PENELOPE, THE BOOKSELLER

A young widow with a growing son and busy life, Penelope Thornton-McClure didn’t believe in ghosts. Oh, sure, she knew locals gossiped about her family’s shop being haunted, but she never believed it, not until one horrible night when everything went wrong and she was under a great deal of stress. That’s when he spoke to her. The Ghost. From then on, Jack speaks to Pen at will—his will, not hers—blowing in and out of her head like a blustery gale. Despite his troubled spirit, Jack has a wicked sense of humor, and…after everything they go through together, Pen is amazed at the strangest irony of all, one that uplifts her own spirit: The Ghost believes in her...

Reason #2 JACK, THE HARDBOILED GHOST

A tough PI with an acre of shoulders and an iron jaw, Jack Shepard lived a hard, whiskey-swilling life on the meaner streets of New York City. His death (in 1949) was no picnic, either. Gunned down in a Rhode Island bookshop while following a lead in a case, he found his spirit locked in the fieldstone walls of that bookshop, unable to communicate with anyone—until his breakthrough with the prim young widow. While he has little patience with being stuck in this “cornpone” backwater town, he can’t deny the auburn-haired bookseller has improved his intolerable existence. Yeah, the broad is one of those annoying “do-right, fair-play Jane” types, but he secretly admires her character. Now he feels lucky that his purgatory has come with an angel, a doll he can't stop watching or watching over...

image courtesy giphy

#3 THEIR QUAINT RHODE ISLAND TOWN

Pen’s charming hometown of Quindicott, Rhode Island, is a character all its own. Not far from the Atlantic coast, it may be smaller and less posh than nearby Newport, but its residents are proud of its revived Cranberry Street business district and renowned Victorian B&B. Fresh ocean air, amazing seafood, and a neighborly community make it one of the area's most pleasant places to live—even if you happen to be dead...

Pen's Bookshop Cat "Bookmark"

#4 THE QUIBBLERS IN THE BOOKSHOP 

The "Quibblers" are a quirky group of folks who make up the local Quindicott Business Owners Association. They meet regularly in Pen’s charming old bookshop, guarded by mouse-hunter Bookmark, the cat. There's Fiona Finch, the fastidious co-owner of Finch Inn, who has a penchant for True Crime books and "happening to overhear" conversations between guests. Seymour, the outspoken mailman who moonlights as an ice cream truck driver, collects vintage pulp fiction, and likes to ghost hunt at midnight. And many more oddball characters, people Pen dearly loves—and her hard-boiled ghost barely tolerates.

#5 THE MYSTERY OF THE DEAD LIBRARIAN 

Join our earnest bookseller as she teams up with her hardboiled ghost to catch the cunning killer of Dory, a beloved local librarian in our new release THE GHOST AND THE DEAD LIBRARIAN. We truly love our characters, and we hope you will thoroughly enjoy visiting their Haunted Bookshop world.

Coming this Tues. 9/29

To Pre-Order Now: 

Amazon

B&N

Bookshop.org

+ Many more buy links

CLEO COYLE (cleocoylebooks.com) is the New York Times bestselling pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, collaborating with her husband, Marc Cerasini. With more than 1 million copies of their books sold, Alice and Marc have gained an enthusiastic following. THE GHOST AND THE DEAD LIBRARIAN, a *Star Reviewed Library Journal Mystery Pick of the Month, marks the launch of an exciting new spin-off series in Cleo's beloved "Haunted Bookshop" world. Cleo also writes the long-running Coffeehouse Mysteries with its 22nd entry, EAT, DRINK, AND GET BURIED, just released and already a #1 Amazon Category Bestseller with more titles to come. Cleo’s novels have been translated into Spanish, Japanese, and Czech; earned starred reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus; received Best of Year selection honors from multiple reviewers; and have been recommended by Booklist as among the best culinary mysteries for core library mystery collections. Alice and Marc have also created bestselling tie-in properties for NBC, Lucasfilm, Disney, Fox, Imagine, Toho, and MGM. When not haunting coffeehouses, hunting ghosts, or wrangling their rescued stray cats, they cook like crazy, drink a lot of java, and write independently and together.

Visit Cleo's online home here.

Follow Cleo at: Facebook | Twitter | Bluesky 

Instagram | Newsletter | Pinterest  

Bookbub | Goodreads

OUR SECOND GIVEAWAY...

Enter to win an autographed copy of THE GHOST AND THE DEAD LIBRARIAN in its beautiful first edition hardcover format by leaving a comment on this post with your email address. If you win our random drawing, that's how we'll contact you, so don't forget to include your email!

Our favorite PI ghost is back in time for Halloween Season! Be sure to subscribe to our Free Cleo Coyle Newsletter so you don't miss the upcoming Haunted Bookshop parties and giveaways. 

Good luck in our Eat, Drink and Get Buried 
& Haunted Bookshop Giveaways, and... 

Happy Haunted Reading, 

Everyone! 

~ Cleo

Super Easy Flatbread recipe from Molly MacRae

 

 

Making flatbread is fun. There are some that you pat flat with your hands, some that you make in the palm of your hand, and some that you roll out or flatten in a press. However their made, forming flatbread reminds me of playing with playdough. The result of flatbread forming fun, though, is something delicious to go with your meal, or the base for an open face sandwich or pizza.

The recipe doesn’t call for seasoning beyond salt, but I added a sprinkle of za’atar to each flatbread before rolling it out. Za’atar is a blend of warm and toasted spices. The exact proportions, and the spices, depend on the variety you buy. It’s easy enough to make your own, too. Here’s a link to the za’atar recipe I used.

If you’re new to making flatbread, then this Super Easy Flatbread recipe is great place to start. Mix the dough, grab your rolling pin or a cylindrical drinking glass, and have some roly-poly fun.

 

You’ll find a free, downloadable, printable pdf of the recipe below the cooking directions.

Super Easy Flatbread

Adapted from Bob’s Red Mill 

Ingredients

1 cup plain Greek yogurt (plus more as needed)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups flour (I used whole wheat but all-purpose white or a mix of the two is fine)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional: 2-3 teaspoons of a seasoning mix of your choice.

3-4 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or olive, for cooking

 

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients (all but except the 3-4 tablespoons of neutral oil for cooking). Mix until a soft dough forms. If your dough feels dry, or cracks at the edges, add more yogurt, a tablespoon at a time, until it’s smooth and pliable.  

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 8 equal portions and roll each into a ball. Working with one ball at a time, flatten each (and sprinkle with seasoning mix, if using) then roll it into a circle about 5 inches in diameter. Dust your surface and rolling pin with more flour as needed.

Over medium-high, preheat a griddle, cast iron skillet, or nonstick pan. Add a small drizzle of neutral oil to the pan and cook one flatbread at a time, flipping once, until both sides are golden brown and speckled, 1 to 2 or 3 minutes per side. Adjust heat as needed. Transfer cooked flatbreads to a wire rack.

Serve warm. Store leftovers in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a warm skillet or microwave before serving.

click here for a free, downloadable, printable pdf of this recipe

 

 Out now!

All Shell Breaks Loose

Book 3 in the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries!

 

On North Carolina’s Ocracoke Island, Maureen Nash sells exquisite seashells to locals and tourists—with Bonny the shop cat and the ghost of a Welsh pirate for company. And when needed, she steps in to help the police solve a murder . . .

Dr. Irving Allred is boasting around town that he’s about to get his hands on an authentic haunted sword. But minutes after Maureen hears the story, a woman walks into the Moon Shell, sword in hand. She found it while walking her bulldog on the beach—and its blade is stained with what looks like blood. Looks like it’s time to call the sheriff’s department.

Allred is furious that his prize is now in police custody—and even more agitated that an unknown buyer was trying to outbid him. He’s convinced the sword will lead him straight to the ghosts he’s been hunting. He’s not the only one on the Outer Banks who’s been searching for spirits, though. An odd visitor also showed up at Maureen’s shop claiming the ability to sense them . . . though somehow she didn’t seem to notice Maureen’s spectral friend hanging about.

When a man who’d been camping nearby is found cut down along the shore, Maureen starts providing some unofficial assistance to Captain Rob Tate by digging into the island’s maritime history. But it’s not the only mystery she’s facing—because the shop’s resident ghost is seeing ghosts himself . . .

 

Writing as Margaret Welch

Happy reading! 

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries, the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries, and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Instagram or Bluesky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicken with Tomatoes and Garam Masala @MaddieDayAuthor

MADDIE DAY here, with an easy Indian-flavored chicken dish. 

I still have lots of garden tomatoes, plus some greens, and we always have chicken in the freezer. 

Chicken with Tomatoes and Garam Masala

I adapted this recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery, one of two favorite cookbooks by her that are well-loved in my kitchen.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 tablespoon grated ginger

6 cloves finely chopped garlic

Six medium tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon curry powder

1-3 inches cinnamon stick

2 chicken breasts, cut into 3-4 chunks each

2 cups chopped greens such as kale, Brussels sprouts leaves, or Asian cabbage

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garam masala

Directions

Heat oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Saute onion until tender. Add ginger and garlic and stir for one minutes. Stir in tomatoes, spices, and chicken.

Note: Original recipe calls for whole cumin, cardamom, and black peppercorns. I live with someone who gets seeds caught in his teeth, so I use ground versions of the spices.

Stir to mix. Add greens and bring to a simmer. Cover tightly and simmer for about 25 minutes or until chicken is tender, stirring several times.

Remove lid and raise heat to medium. Sprinkle in salt and garam masala, stirring gently for about five minutes. Remove cinnamon stick. 

Serve hot over rice.

Readers: How do you like to use fresh tomatoes when you have an excess?

🍅🐔🍅

Murder at the Toy Soldier, Cozy Capers Book Group #8, is out and available wherever books are sold!

My most recent releases are:

A Poisonous Pour, Cece Barton #3,

Murder at Cape Costumers,

Scone Cold Dead, #13 in the Country Store Mysteries,

and A Case for the Ladies.

Check out all my writing.

We hope you'll visit Maddie and her Agatha Award-winning alter ego Edith Maxwell on our web site, sign up for our monthly newsletter, visit us on social media, and check our all our books and short stories.

Maddie Day (aka Edith Maxwell) is a talented amateur chef and holds a PhD in Linguistics from Indiana University. An Agatha Award-winning and bestselling author, she is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and also writes award-winning short crime fiction. She lives with her beau and sweet cat Martin north of Boston, where she’s currently working on her next mystery when she isn’t cooking up something delectable in the kitchen.

Taco Pasta Salad #recipe @vmburns

 VMBURNS:  A friend gave me a recipe for a Taco Salad that feeds an army. I found a Taco Pasta Salad recipe that was really similar. I combined. I tweaked. And, I came up with a recipe that still feeds an army, but is equally tasty.

My friend's original recipe included an entire head of lettuce, but given recent events, I'm avoiding lettuce. She also included tomatoes, avocadoes, and black olives in her version. I don't like those, so you don't see them in my version. But if you like them, feel free to add them. I did add black beans, which were yummy. Although, I added them after the fact, so they didn't make the ingredient photo. 

Next time, I will use red onions instead of yellow. I might also add green bell peppers just to see how it tastes. NOTE: The Catalina Dressing will make the  Doritos soggy. If you aren't feeding an army, then add the Doritos for crunch before serving.  

• 
  

• 
  
  

  TACO PASTA SALAD

• 
  
  
  
  
  

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 1 Packet Taco Seasoning
• 8 oz. Rotini pasta
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 1 can Corn, drained
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 Red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 Medium onion, finely diced
• 2 Cups mild Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 Cup Catalina Dressing
• 1 Bag Doritos, crushed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet until no longer pink.
   
   
   
2. Follow the instructions on the packet of taco seasoning, and add to the ground beef.
   
   
   
3. Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain.
4. Combine all of the ingredients, pasta, jalapeno, corn, black beans, onion, red bell pepper, cheese, taco meat, and Catalina dressing.
   
   
   
   
5. When ready to serve, add the crushed Doritos and toss to combine.

• READERS: Some of the ingredients in this pasta salad are unconventional (i.e. Doritos). Are there any unusual ingredients you like in your salads? Let me know in the comments below. 

MURDER AT FIRST SLICE 

As Maddy’s wedding day approaches, friends and family descend on the little town of New Bison, Michigan, to celebrate—so much so that Maddy wonders if there might be another happily-ever-after in store for her widowed father and innkeeper Mrs. Law. Unfortunately, she also has to deal with an unhappy couple: feuding cousins Hannah and Dorothy, who haven’t spoken in decades. Maddy can only hope the spectacular wedding cake crafted by her head baker doesn’t wind up as ammunition in a food fight.

But she doesn’t have to wait long for a wedding disaster to strike. When the imperious Dorothy crashes the rehearsal dinner—with several uninvited guests in tow—and starts battering everyone with constant complaints, the drama reaches reality-show levels. And the next day, Dorothy is dead . . . with Hannah standing over the body, bloody rolling pin in hand.

Nobody in town believes Miss Hannah could commit murder. But a detective newly relocated from New York doesn’t know the sweet, memory-challenged Hannah the way the locals do—and the evidence seems open-and-shut as an oven. Now, with her sous-sleuths the Baker Street Irregulars, the bride-to-be is busy digging into Dorothy’s past to catch a killer before she cuts the cake . . .

BUY LINK