Carol's Notebook – Page 231

Mince Pies and Movies by Kiltie Jackson, author of A Rock ‘n’ Roll Lovestyle

November 20, 2017November 24, 2017 by Carol2 Comments

Today, I've got a wonderful guest post by Kiltie Jackson, author of A Rock ‘n’ Roll Lovestyle. There's also a giveaway; the rafflecopter's at the bottom of the post. Mince Pies and Movies by Kiltie Jackson Sukie McClaren, the leading lady in my novel A Rock ‘n’ Roll Lovestyle, is over the moon when she is sent to Salzburg on a business trip. The reason for this being, that she has a very deep love for the film ‘The Sound of Music’. She has fond memories of her childhood Christmas’s being spent sitting on the sofa with her mum, eating either mince pies or working their way through a tin of sweets, while the movie played out in front of them. This got me to thinking about my own Christmas movies and mince pie traditions. We’ll start with the mince pies. Mr Mogs and I are still working on finding the perfect mince pie. We believe the best thus far can be found in a...

Saturday Snapshot – Wheeling Fantasy in Lights Parade

November 19, 2017 by Carol4 Comments

We went to the Wheeling Fantasy in Lights parade on Friday, mostly because the high school band was playing. Well, solely because they were playing, since we left just a minute or two after they passed, which is why you don't see a picture of Santa. Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda at West Metro Mommy Reads....

Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge

November 17, 2017November 17, 2017 by Carol2 Comments

In case you couldn't tell from my last couple of posts, I'm already in the mood for Christmas reading, so of course I'm joining the Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge that starts Monday. It's hosted by Michelle at Christmas Spirit. From Christmas Spirit: Challenge will run from Monday, November 20, 2017 through Saturday, January 6, 2018, Twelfth Night (or Epiphany for the Christians among us). Cross over with other challenges is totally permitted AND encouraged! These must be Christmas novels, books about Christmas lore, a book of Christmas short stories or poems, books about Christmas crafts, and for the first time...a children's Christmas books level! I'm signing up for the Christmas Tree level which is 5 or 6 books. And, since it lines up so well, I'm also joining Michelle's Christmas Spirit Readathon hosted at Seasons of Reading, which also starts Monday. From Seasons of Reading: Read-a-Thon dates: Monday, November 20 at 12:00am CDT until Sunday, December 3 at 11:59pm CDT (adjust your time zone accordingly...there's a time zone...

Killer Holiday by Amy Korman

November 17, 2017November 17, 2017 by Carol7 Comments

Killer Holiday is a fun, slightly silly romp of a mystery. Kristin and her friends are a hoot and I wish I had read the series in order, so I could feel like I knew them better. They're all introduced well here, but I felt like I was missing some insight into their relationships. It's a large cast, too, and knowing them better would have made it easier to keep track of who was who. As far as the mystery goes, it's pretty straightforward. Once the crew meets Eula's new boyfriend there's little doubt who stole the luggage, but who kidnapped Chip is still a question. It's actually nice to have a mystery that involves theft and kidnapping, but no murders. It's light-hearted and has enough Christmas cocktails, decorations and parties to make it a true holiday read. Read an excerpt from Killer Holiday: Chapter One Bootsie McElvoy burst through the front door of The Striped Awning, a bag of ice in her right...

Double Deck the Halls by Gretchen Archer

November 16, 2017November 16, 2017 by Carol4 Comments

I love reading holiday short stories and novellas, sometimes stand-alones and sometimes ones that fit into series that I may or may not have read. I haven't read any of Archer's Davis Way Crime Caper series, but if "Double Deck the Halls" is a good example of her style, I definitely want to give it a try. Granny Dee is the main character in this one, at the casino for the Winter Wonderland Senior Slot Tournament. I loved her. She is tough and funny and has a lot of life stories. The baddie is dressed up like an elf and is holding Bianca, the casino owner's wife, hostage, complete with a bomb strapped around her middle. Granny stumbles into the situation, but takes control. Bianca seems like she might be an interesting character, a bit snobby, but adores her kid and the interactions between her and Granny made me smile. It was laugh-out-loud funny, and I just liked the attitude of the story,...

My Favorite . . Fairy Tale

November 15, 2017 by Carol12 Comments

My Favorite.. is a weekly meme hosted by Maureen’s Books. In this meme we share every week something we love with each other. Because let’s face it.. The world can be a dark place and it’s time to share something positive. For more info: My Favorite Meme. I have read a lot of fairy tales over the years. One of my favorites is a lesser known Grimm tale, Maid Maleen. Maid Maleen was in love with a prince, but for whatever reason her father wouldn't let them marry. When Maid Maleen said she wouldn't marry any one else, the king had her and her waiting-woman locked up in tower, for seven years, with just enough food. When the food runs out, the princess and her maid realize no one is coming to let them out, so they use a bread knife to scrape through the mortar and rescue themselves. When they finally managed to break free of the tower, they found the kingdom...