Cozy Wednesday - Welcomes Paige Shelton (Includes Review & Giveaway)

If you are a follower of this blog you know I love Cozy Mysteries!! This year I hope to have at least one cozy author guest post here each month at Dollycas's Thoughts. The post will also include a giveaway! The post will usually be on the Wednesday right after New Release Tuesday, but I am trying to leave Wednesdays open for guest posts so that I can work around the author's busy schedules.  Don't worry if there is not a guest post the Wednesdays will then be filled with a Book Review and maybe even a Giveaway. You know I love surprises!


It gives me great pleasure to Welcome Paige Shelton. Her 2nd book in the Farmer's Market Series, Fruit OF ALL EVIL was released yesterday. I am so glad she is here with us today.  You will find my review and the giveaway entry form after her wonderful post.
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Thank you for stopping my to visit today Paige.

Thanks Lori for inviting me.

I don't know about you, but I'm so ready for warmer weather! Though it's always shocking to see my arms again, I can't wait for that first daring moment of putting on short sleeves instead of long. I can't wait to be outside for longer than it takes to get to and from the car. To be fair, it has warmed up a bit, but not enough for my taste. 

Most of the country has had a long and rough winter. Even if it hasn't been rough, it's been unusual; snow in Texas, freezing temperatures in Phoenix, etc. Crazy. 

Of course, one of the main reasons I love the warming weather is the opening of my local farmers' market. My mouth is already watering at the thought of extra-fresh fruits and vegetables. I eat so much watermelon during the summer that I slosh when I walk. Last year, I discovered how wonderful squash can be (I was shocked!) - I can't wait to try more squash recipes. Toward the end of last summer, I had some of the best peaches I've ever eaten. I know I'll be looking forward to those again. 

We don't have a lot of space for gardening, but we always plant tomatoes and peppers of some sort. My husband picks the tomatoes off the vine and eats them like apples. I prefer to slice them up and add a little salt (come to think of it, I do that with apples too). We mix the peppers into our grilled hamburgers - oh, and I can't wait to fire up the grill again! 

Last year, we also planted lemon cucumbers. They are round, yellow-skinned cucumbers. I expected them to have a lemony flavor; they didn't, they just look like lemons but taste like cucumbers. We'll probably plant them again.

Husband recently shared an interesting gardening fact with me. He said that he's going to bury a fish in the garden this year. He went on to explain that the dead fish is a great fertilizer. In fact, he continued, many companies manufacture fertilizer made with fish. I looked it up on the Internet and he wasn't pulling my leg, but I still think he's just looking for a good reason to get out the poles and drop a line somewhere. 

I suspect that while he's gone fishin', I'll probably be gone farmers' marketing. I can't wait! 

Happy spring and summer to you all, and thanks so much for letting me be a part of this terrific blog! 

Paige


I agree Paige, I am so sick of snow and cold weather, I can't wait until Spring has sprung.  I love sitting in my porch swing with a good book. We also try to frequent the farmer's markets as we no longer have a garden.  We used to have a huge strawberry patch years ago, (no buried fish there though) and those berries were so good and sweet.  Makes me understand Becca's passion in your wonderful series.

Cover Illustration
by Dan Craig
Interior Text Design
by Kristin del Rosario

We were introduced to twin sisters Becca and Allison and Bailey's Farm Market in Farm Fresh Murder last April and "I LIKED" that debut so much I could hardly wait to get this new book in my hot little hands.  That is also why I was so happy Paige agreed to visit Dollycas's Thoughts today.

I was so excited when my advance copy of of Fruit OF ALL EVIL arrived.

In this installment Becca agrees to be Maid of Honor for her friend Linda who sells scrumptious pies at Bailey's.  Becca thinks helping Linda plan the Farm Market themed wedding "will be as easy as pie".  That is until until the mother of groom is found murdered just days before the wedding date.  It is then that Becca meets all the groom's relatives and while most are cousins, they are more like the crazy uncle everyone seems to have in their family that no one talks about.  Could any of these relatives actually be crazy enough to kill the designated matriarch of the family?  Becca seems to find herself "in a bit of a pickle" as she tries to solve the murder so the impending nuptials can take place before the groom has to leave on "special assignment."

I am absolutely in love with everything about this book. The setting, the characters, the  main mystery, the off shoot mystery, the budding romance, the wedding plans, the recipes, every part of this story.

Becca's romance is moving forward with Ian with a little trepidation at first.  The wacky family of the groom that has been introduced adds not only humor but the perfect slice of intrigue. I just know Linda's groom Drew's "special assignment" has a story all it's own. Our favorite characters from the first book are back trying to make the perfect wedding for their friend. 

I have to add that I read this book on a snowy, chilly Wisconsin day, but through the author's words was transferred right into some wonderful warm weather and could almost smell the wild flowers and taste the berries.  It makes me anxious for Spring to get here, just as Paige said in her guest post.

This is a perfect story to get you out of those winter doldrums and start planning for the garden season that will soon be here. I hope you will all rush out to get this book today so your can enjoy your own slice of FRUIT OF ALL EVIL!!

Also be sure to check out Paige Shelton's web page for some exciting news coming in January 2012.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Now thanks to the wonderful people at Berkley Prime Crime we have two copies of Fruit OF ALL EVIL to giveaway.  Just fill out the form below to enter!

U.S. & Canadian Residents Only

You do not have to be a follower to enter or win 

but followers will be given an additional entry.

You can also earn an extra entry for 

showing Paige some love ♥ and 

leaving her a comment below.

Contest will end on March 16, 2011 at 11:59 p.m.

Winners will be chosen using Random.org