tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43070742963050972882024-03-16T19:52:36.075+01:00A COZY MURDER IS ANNOUNCEDHi, my name is Ramla Zareen. I'm a beta reader and an author of light-hearted, romantic fiction, set in modern-day Pakistan. The main objective of this blog is to recommend wonderful authors of Golden-Age Mystery and Cozy Mystery, though there is also a small section for those who indulge in the genre of Romance. Hope you enjoy. Thanks for visiting!Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-39392971547238765702016-10-06T20:22:00.001+02:002016-10-06T22:32:29.524+02:00AGATHA CHRISTIE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeR2Y3NhrGAdr8CP5pzY2bUFzZfKBGHAkTBZ0woYwPsN99bIdZdMwHHfkR8xSCiQMorW-U7kAzFmXiReC6NY0zE8oQifq_Sjfftjq3xDleaCK-OeiQloR5Vgo3BBv4PL9RVeS-GYUPtFmN/s1600/Agatha_Christie-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeR2Y3NhrGAdr8CP5pzY2bUFzZfKBGHAkTBZ0woYwPsN99bIdZdMwHHfkR8xSCiQMorW-U7kAzFmXiReC6NY0zE8oQifq_Sjfftjq3xDleaCK-OeiQloR5Vgo3BBv4PL9RVeS-GYUPtFmN/s1600/Agatha_Christie-1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">"Agatha Christie" </span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">(1890-1976) was born "Agatha May Clarissa Miller", in Torquay, Devon, England. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">She was the youngest of three children in a conservative, well-to-do family.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Taught at home by a governess and tutors, as a child "Agatha Christie" never attended school. She became adept at creating games to keep herself occupied at a very young age. A shy child, unable to adequately express her feelings, she first turned to music as a means of expression and, later in life, to writing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">In 1914, at the age of 24, she married Archie Christie, a World War I fighter pilot. While he was off at war, she worked as a nurse. It was while working in a hospital during the war that "Agatha Christie" first came up with the idea of writing a detective novel. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Although it was completed in a year, </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">but she was initially unsuccessful at getting it published. </span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">However, in 1920 The Bodley Head press published her novel "The Mysterious Affair at Styles", featuring the character of "Hercule Poirot." </span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">This launched her literary career.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">In 1926, Archie asked for a divorce, having fallen in love with another woman. "Agatha", already upset by the recent death of her mother, disappeared. All of England became wrapped up in the case of the now famous missing writer. She was found three weeks later in a small hotel, explaining to police that she had lost her memory. Thereafter, it was never again mentioned or elaborated upon by "Agatha Christie".</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">She later found happiness with her marriage in 1930 to Max Mallowan, a young archaeologist who she met on a trip to Mesopotamia.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">"Agatha Christie" ultimately became the acknowledged Queen of the Golden Age. In all, she wrote over 66 novels, numerous short stories and screenplays, and a series of romantic novels using the pen name Mary Westmacott. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Several of her works were made into successful feature films, <span style="line-height: 34px;"> Her work has been translated into more than a hundred languages. In short, she is the single most popular mystery writer of all time.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">In 1971 she was awarded the high honour of becoming a Dame of the British Empire.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">HERCULE POIROT MYSTERY BOOKS</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">1) The Mysterious Affair At Styles (1920)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">2) Murder On The Links (1923)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">3) Poirot Investigates (1924)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">4) The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd (1926)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">5) The Big Four (1927)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">6) The Mystery Of The Blue Train (1928)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">7) Peril At End House (1932)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">8) Lord Edgware Dies (1933), aka: Thirteen At Dinner</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">9) Murder On The Orient Express (1934)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">10) Murder In Three Acts (1935), aka: Three Act Tragedy</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">11) Death In The Air (1935), aka: Death In The Clouds. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">12) The A.B.C. Murders (1935)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">13) Murder In Mesopotamia (1936)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">14) Cards On The Table (1936) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">15) Dumb Witness (1937), aka: Poirot Loses A Client</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">16) Death On The Nile (1937)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">17) Dead Man's Mirror (1937) aka: Murder In The Mews And Other Stories</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">18) Appointment With Death (1938)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">19) Hercule Poirot's Christmas (1938), aka: Murder For Christmas, aka: A Holiday For Murder</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">20) The Regatta Mystery And Other Stories (1939)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">21) Sad Cypress (1940)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">22) The Patriotic Murders (1940), aka: One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, aka: An Overdose Of Death</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">23) Evil Under the Sun (1941)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">24) Murder In Retrospect (1943), aka: Five Little Pigs</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">25) The Hollow (1946), aka: Murder After Hours</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">26) The Labours Of Hercules (1947)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">27) There Is A Tide (1948), aka: Taken At The Flood</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">28) Witness For The Prosecution And Other Stories (1948)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">29) Mousetrap And Other Stories (1950)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">30) The Underdog and Other Stories (1951)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">31) Mrs. McGinty's Dead (1952)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">32) Funerals Are Fatal (1953), aka: After The Funeral</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">33) Hickory Dickory Death (1955) aka: Hickory Dickory Dock</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">34) Dead Man's Folly (1956)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">35) Cat Among The Pigeons (1959)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">36) The Adventure Of The Christmas Pudding (1960)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">37) Double Sin And Other Stories (1961)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">38) The Clocks (1963)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">39) Third Girl (1966)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">40) Hallowe'en Party (1969)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">41) Elephants Can Remember (1972) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">42) Hercule Poirot's Early Cases (1974)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">43) Curtain: Poirot's Last Case (1975)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">MISS MARPLE MYSTERY BOOKS</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">1) Murder at the Vicarage (1930)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">2) The Tuesday Club Murders (1932), aka: The Thirteen Problems</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">3) The Regatta Mystery And Other Stories (1939)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">4) The Body in the Library (1942)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">5) The Moving Finger (1943)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">6) Mousetrap & Other Stories (1950)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">7) A Murder is Announced (1950)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">8) Murder with Mirrors (1952), aka: They Do It With Mirrors</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">9) A Pocket Full of Rye (1953)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">10) What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw (1957), aka: 4:50 from Paddington</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">11) The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (1960)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">12) Double Sin & Other Stories (1961)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">13) The Mirror Crack'd (1962), aka: The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">14) A Caribbean Mystery (1964)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">15) At Bertram's Hotel (1965)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">16) Nemesis (1971)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">17) Sleeping Murder (1976)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">18) Miss Marple Final Cases (1979)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">19) Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories (1985)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">SUPERINTENDENT BATTLE MYSTERY BOOKS</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">1) The Secret Of Chimneys (1925)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">2) The Seven Dials Mystery (1929)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">3) Cards On The Table (1936)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">4) Murder Is Easy (1939), aka: Easy To Kill</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">5) Towards Zero (1944), aka: Come And Be Hanged</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">TOMMY AND TUPPENCE MYSTERY BOOKS</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">1) The Secret Adversary (1922)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">2) Partners In Crime (The Collection Of Short Stories) (1929)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">3) N or M (1941)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">4) By The Pricking Of My Thumbs (1968)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">5) Postern Of Fate (1973)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">OTHER MYSTERY BOOKS</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">1) The Love Detectives</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">2) The Christmas Tragedy</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">3) The Jewel Robbery</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">4) The Incredible Theft</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">5) The Man in the Brown Suit (1924)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">6) The Mysterious Mr. Quin (1930)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">7) The Sittaford Mystery (1931), aka: The Murder at Hazelmoor</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">8) Why Didn’t They Ask Evans (1934), aka: Boomerang Clue </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">9) Parker Pyne Investigates (1934), aka: Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">10) The Regatta Mystery And Other Stories (1939)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">11) And Then There Were NoneTen Little Indians</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">12) Murder Is Easy (1939), aka: Easy to Kill</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">13) Sparkling Cyanide (1945), aka Remember Death</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">14) Death Comes as the End (1944)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">15) Crooked House (1949)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">16) They Came to Baghdad (1951)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">17) Destination Unknown (1954), aka: So Many Steps to Death</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">18) Ordeal By Innocence (1958)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">19) The Pale Horse (1961)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">20) Endless Night (1967)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">21) Passenger to Frankfurt (1970)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">22) The Golden Ball and Other Stories (1971)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">23) Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories (1997)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-5313771026331976412016-10-02T18:58:00.001+02:002016-10-02T18:58:45.785+02:00BOOK EXCERPTS (PART 2 --FROM P.G. WODEHOUSE BOOKS)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfOxVft_lKkmracuNxL4PfcaCwXSILby3EwOQzrCHsLmAJbVhZCixigc3tr8iDkszlaVrAOdRW3KhLsYYbdqtjXnw0zDBJwdl2cLrU4HUfRnY26Qi2Ptu-aiXNF3fMCY2pCQ2X9weGYnZ/s1600/7963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfOxVft_lKkmracuNxL4PfcaCwXSILby3EwOQzrCHsLmAJbVhZCixigc3tr8iDkszlaVrAOdRW3KhLsYYbdqtjXnw0zDBJwdl2cLrU4HUfRnY26Qi2Ptu-aiXNF3fMCY2pCQ2X9weGYnZ/s1600/7963.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">P.G. Wodehouse is one author whose books never fail to make me laugh. Hope you also enjoy the following excepts from his books, thanks!</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVwFkldtijgaz8xTaS0JMDlOTs36boS0iT3Rw73BGOH50Rr7R7DtNN1R8JrB24GvHkNx2ZXhm2JxB-9hUa1S6bt_zdcbLrVqK7N3le2jaGc1vyfpT_T8QpzI6iyjVimOZiPIkrclROLMc/s1600/1983939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVwFkldtijgaz8xTaS0JMDlOTs36boS0iT3Rw73BGOH50Rr7R7DtNN1R8JrB24GvHkNx2ZXhm2JxB-9hUa1S6bt_zdcbLrVqK7N3le2jaGc1vyfpT_T8QpzI6iyjVimOZiPIkrclROLMc/s320/1983939.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">“Love, Miss Halliday, is a delicate plant. It needs tending, nurturing, assiduous fostering. This cannot be done by throwing the breakfast bacon at a husband's head.” </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-UKlJZE2OJsqI34VG02Pw67_-RuZger_oD4NFf46_tE0XXzF5T3ng8Ysl1vS1hTjMMWN8G68l-vFk0hJ5QPKZeFXPFf60H7d19uSG95ggc6XF8eUWZzTQ-WCj8yfEi7TTtUTKlXxroEhV/s1600/2204005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-UKlJZE2OJsqI34VG02Pw67_-RuZger_oD4NFf46_tE0XXzF5T3ng8Ysl1vS1hTjMMWN8G68l-vFk0hJ5QPKZeFXPFf60H7d19uSG95ggc6XF8eUWZzTQ-WCj8yfEi7TTtUTKlXxroEhV/s320/2204005.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"He wore the unmistakable look of a man about to be present at a row between women, and only a wet cat in a strange backyard bears itself with less jauntiness than a man faced by such a prospect."</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15tV5mXg835tOBnqZcZMO6ulaCWFVAzQtexMWB53wxwpKjDDDgKORpsPHcy3HK2nXVFp9lc1VKE54A6mOJKL0w8nWLOcql0iqezvXZpXSvXhHkJ4n-7zqSZcxpmjyNEPUnJqWoru93WdN/s1600/51DbN5mhKgL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg15tV5mXg835tOBnqZcZMO6ulaCWFVAzQtexMWB53wxwpKjDDDgKORpsPHcy3HK2nXVFp9lc1VKE54A6mOJKL0w8nWLOcql0iqezvXZpXSvXhHkJ4n-7zqSZcxpmjyNEPUnJqWoru93WdN/s320/51DbN5mhKgL._SY400_.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"I mean to say, when a girl, offered a good man’s heart, laughs like a bursting paper bag and tells him not to be a silly ass, the good man is entitled, I think, to assume that the whole thing is off."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIa0wuj-1Ji5Gk7M4rArfNbr3ahNB-T84DKG8v9Udpnns1yEn8Y736uRR5J7M0wFL6P7p3dLfvGPwT6AFpp2ItQEuRUf_gLrteAAgJvDdegWp_EpDIHXg0p42W19Bd88nt0U5dZmOzO6Eh/s1600/1979794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIa0wuj-1Ji5Gk7M4rArfNbr3ahNB-T84DKG8v9Udpnns1yEn8Y736uRR5J7M0wFL6P7p3dLfvGPwT6AFpp2ItQEuRUf_gLrteAAgJvDdegWp_EpDIHXg0p42W19Bd88nt0U5dZmOzO6Eh/s320/1979794.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"My scheme is far more subtle. Let me outline it for you."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"No, thanks."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"I say to myself--"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">"But not to me."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"Do listen for a second."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"I won't."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"Right ho, then. I am dumb."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"And have been from a child."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIa0wuj-1Ji5Gk7M4rArfNbr3ahNB-T84DKG8v9Udpnns1yEn8Y736uRR5J7M0wFL6P7p3dLfvGPwT6AFpp2ItQEuRUf_gLrteAAgJvDdegWp_EpDIHXg0p42W19Bd88nt0U5dZmOzO6Eh/s1600/1979794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIa0wuj-1Ji5Gk7M4rArfNbr3ahNB-T84DKG8v9Udpnns1yEn8Y736uRR5J7M0wFL6P7p3dLfvGPwT6AFpp2ItQEuRUf_gLrteAAgJvDdegWp_EpDIHXg0p42W19Bd88nt0U5dZmOzO6Eh/s320/1979794.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">"Beginning with a critique of my own limbs, which she said, justly enough, were nothing to write home about, this girl went on to dissect my manners, morals, intellect, general physique, and method of eating asparagus with such acerbity that by the time she had finished the best you could say of Bertram was that, so far as was known, he had never actually committed murder or set fire to an orphan asylum.” </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDNhfeIsblY-eIpoIZNF3Ol8I7Id1ujRsDEk5Zr8NpGkiFMLf90cpGhjRZGybQvZOOoVLKJgftHBx6eFMaJzmCKAJASPUyN8e_bVcxBsSfGuC_rStcPfsMQMzjNZ9aZdMKGB0iBYD2AI2/s1600/1979794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDNhfeIsblY-eIpoIZNF3Ol8I7Id1ujRsDEk5Zr8NpGkiFMLf90cpGhjRZGybQvZOOoVLKJgftHBx6eFMaJzmCKAJASPUyN8e_bVcxBsSfGuC_rStcPfsMQMzjNZ9aZdMKGB0iBYD2AI2/s320/1979794.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">"You know how it is with some girls. They seem to take the stuffing right out of you. I mean to say, there is something about their personality that paralyses the vocal cords and reduces the contents of the brain to cauliflower."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-p3i9Jj2aRVY2QJ1WhgaoUSJZYcOKuDaeNHFxXQ3LcLGzNIOfLLXZae4-6ZrOahnRdAXzODFuqwDbE31KrEWoIZto4KupU4_CG4BGzA5rjCWWxF0J_rJfFv5cIuEwexya_xcF_boZPPTa/s1600/3090992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-p3i9Jj2aRVY2QJ1WhgaoUSJZYcOKuDaeNHFxXQ3LcLGzNIOfLLXZae4-6ZrOahnRdAXzODFuqwDbE31KrEWoIZto4KupU4_CG4BGzA5rjCWWxF0J_rJfFv5cIuEwexya_xcF_boZPPTa/s320/3090992.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">“One of the advantages a sister has when arguing with a brother is that she is under no obligation to be tactful. If she wishes to tell him that he is an idiot and ought to have his head examined, she can do so and, going further, can add that it is a thousand pities that no-one ever thought of smothering him with a pillow in his formative years.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdl4OWN6rwep-_zT1tUJK6CxhVjg5M5NVOz86iN_zQuRIyKPi6NwRj1hDBfn123KQTd_m82KH2rsTegj2U6ik_w6pn_cCrAFvMhWCyGT4mtV4EovbADgFM9vTKayGs6V0HJza1g3XqgkOV/s1600/770674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdl4OWN6rwep-_zT1tUJK6CxhVjg5M5NVOz86iN_zQuRIyKPi6NwRj1hDBfn123KQTd_m82KH2rsTegj2U6ik_w6pn_cCrAFvMhWCyGT4mtV4EovbADgFM9vTKayGs6V0HJza1g3XqgkOV/s320/770674.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"And she's got brains enough for two, which is the exact quantity the girl who marries you will need."</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKqFDQITvndRQi0ThiseVHMC-6Nz7V-8qTqRZHfPcOyaBI3hgK9FKuQ9eiM-J1nhI6k_i_LsJ6ONqUoZRKZ8Q-mSG7Xx9g_f5af_nOJQZjfAMzpQTGcheNd0AJPlK5ai0bd1Ns4nghp5X/s1600/4323604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaKqFDQITvndRQi0ThiseVHMC-6Nz7V-8qTqRZHfPcOyaBI3hgK9FKuQ9eiM-J1nhI6k_i_LsJ6ONqUoZRKZ8Q-mSG7Xx9g_f5af_nOJQZjfAMzpQTGcheNd0AJPlK5ai0bd1Ns4nghp5X/s320/4323604.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"It was a confusion of ideas between him and one of the lions he was hunting in Kenya that had caused A. B. Spottsworth to make the obituary column. He thought the lion was dead, and the lion thought it wasn't.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLpzGBE8nCbRBsnuaiNH-oab9aF6uJhg5ztwuVldOtWwKkHFAL1rBE2v9sZppGvamjeRPoGRHoPBuf7ZmWldH1pAwXXB7s6nz7XC_NAZDJjVXC08Eery96A28HkjQk3YfiSGYY1czpTLWm/s1600/2924467._UY200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLpzGBE8nCbRBsnuaiNH-oab9aF6uJhg5ztwuVldOtWwKkHFAL1rBE2v9sZppGvamjeRPoGRHoPBuf7ZmWldH1pAwXXB7s6nz7XC_NAZDJjVXC08Eery96A28HkjQk3YfiSGYY1czpTLWm/s320/2924467._UY200_.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">'But then everybody says that, though you have a brain like a peahen, you're the soul of kindness and generosity.'</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">Well, I was handicapped here by the fact that, never having met a peahen, I was unable to estimate the quality of these fowls' intelligence, but she had spoken as if they were a bit short of the grey matter, and I was about to ask her who the hell she meant by 'everybody', when she resumed.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwaTOf4tFzKZJ5pHT3N_05VzGXZ2EjjK6yU74tPesvkRDcpFXa9yS7t3jpWjDtIKg0J_QmlxZX-c-WnbWumLzzExwhhwbi5EHVnTObbGoShSN4t_E6GNEaZDURfqQo_h2YqChDcpssxvUv/s1600/4323610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwaTOf4tFzKZJ5pHT3N_05VzGXZ2EjjK6yU74tPesvkRDcpFXa9yS7t3jpWjDtIKg0J_QmlxZX-c-WnbWumLzzExwhhwbi5EHVnTObbGoShSN4t_E6GNEaZDURfqQo_h2YqChDcpssxvUv/s320/4323610.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">...And there on the path, as if they had been waiting for me by appointment, stood a policeman and a parlourmaid.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"How did you get in?"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"Through the window. Being an old friend of the family, if you follow me."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"Old friend of the family, are you?"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"Oh, very. Very. Very old. Oh, a very old friend of the family."...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"I've never seen him before," said the parlourmaid.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">I looked at the girl with positive loathing.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"No," I said. "You have never seen me before. But I'm an old friend of the family."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"Then why didn't you ring at the front door?"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"I didn't want to give any trouble."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"It's no trouble answering front doors, that being what you're paid for," said the parlourmaid virtuously. "I've never seen him before in my life," she added, perfectly gratuitously. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">A horrid girl.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">“But I say, really, you know, I am an old friend of the family. Why, by Jove, now I remember, there's a photograph of me in the drawing-room. Well, I mean, that shows you!"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"If there is," said the policeman.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"I've never seen it," said the parlourmaid.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">I absolutely hated this girl.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"You would have seen it if you had done your dusting more conscientiously," I said severely. And I meant it to sting, by Jove!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"It is not a parlourmaid's place to dust the drawing-room," she sniffed haughtily.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"No," I said bitterly. "It seems to be a parlourmaid's place to lurk about and hang about and - er - waste her time fooling about in the garden with policemen who ought to be busy about their duties elsewhere."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"It's a parlourmaid's place to open the front door to visitors. Them that don't come in through windows."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">I perceived that I was getting the loser's end of the thing.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkNlPQUwtCN81fv1BOlQm_EwWEHL6VjCuAbSg_nwsakjpdEb3ca7G_O0OU_Ic-cu6Uo_viEAETEQmiY3e2bzNXL4U0QyeJXrhTsm0_tS1X4v6Y8rUu6aHbgQxrSwa_aojUZ1RIOws-nl7/s1600/4323610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikkNlPQUwtCN81fv1BOlQm_EwWEHL6VjCuAbSg_nwsakjpdEb3ca7G_O0OU_Ic-cu6Uo_viEAETEQmiY3e2bzNXL4U0QyeJXrhTsm0_tS1X4v6Y8rUu6aHbgQxrSwa_aojUZ1RIOws-nl7/s320/4323610.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">Don't leave me, Bertie. I'm lost.'</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">'What do you mean, lost?'</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">'I came out for a walk and suddenly discovered after a mile or two that I didn't know where on earth I was. I've been wandering round in circles for hours.'</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">'Why didn't you ask the way?'</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">'I can't speak a word of French.' ...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">'Well, why didn't you call a taxi?'</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">'I suddenly discovered that I've left all my money in my hotel.'</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">'You could have taken a cab and paid it when you got to the hotel.'</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">'Yes, but I suddenly discovered, dash it, that I'd forgotten it's name."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">We drifted to one of the eleven cafes which jostled each other along the street and I ordered restoratives.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">'What on earth are you doing in Paris?'</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">'Bertie, old man,' said Biffy solemnly, 'I came here to try and forget.'</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">'Well, you've certainly succeeded.'</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-71014302675060029262015-12-10T20:25:00.001+01:002016-10-01T21:46:56.349+02:00ON 'HAPPY ENDINGS' IN BOOKS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdFJ99UOiQXTyZDKMBUq33NIJT4ada41KTSZPNaWP84CtHnBobgdoLf-7AJzxdSXtTtiDIOJewIvc8ihyphenhyphenZ5KDrKY4CGBWIm4omoOv4JEBd-INKThkA3UCYBAyy1luWRtsY18qWW8OQyVl/s1600/A+COZY+MURDER+IS+ANNOUNCED_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdFJ99UOiQXTyZDKMBUq33NIJT4ada41KTSZPNaWP84CtHnBobgdoLf-7AJzxdSXtTtiDIOJewIvc8ihyphenhyphenZ5KDrKY4CGBWIm4omoOv4JEBd-INKThkA3UCYBAyy1luWRtsY18qWW8OQyVl/s400/A+COZY+MURDER+IS+ANNOUNCED_5.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">I am a fan of happy endings in books and this is one of the reasons that two of my favourite genres are Cozy Mystery and light-hearted Romance ☺</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">While reading a Mystery, I enjoy the mental stimulation that comes with trying to solve the Mystery along with the sleuth ☺ </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">But I don't crave strong excitement or deep contemplation while reading books. I get more than enough opportunities to ponder over serious issues in real-life and so when I get a chance to temporarily escape into the wonderful world of fiction, I prefer my reading experience to leave me feeling happy and relaxed ☺</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">With Mystery books, I like the resolution to be logically satisfactory and morally pleasing ☺ </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">In both Mystery and Romance books, even if some secondary positive characters must face sorrow, loss or death, for the right cause ...but it's my preference that the main positive characters in a book manage to achieve happily ever after ☺</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">As far as the negative characters are concerned, well, if they are sincerely remorseful and there is no permanent damage done then they could be forgiven. But in my opinion, extremely offensive characters, like murderers, don't deserve happy endings. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">Basically, I prefer such stories that end on a positive note and convey the message that if people possess wonderful qualities like faith, optimism, courage, honesty, fidelity, loyalty, tolerance, decency, courtesy, compassion, forgiveness etc then they do eventually get blessed with happiness ☺</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">This motivates me to incorporate such qualities in my own personality ☺</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">Such endings may not always happen in real-life, however, here I would like to reiterate that as far as I am concerned, I actually do not wish that the books that I read greatly resemble reality, since to me, reading fiction is like going on a vacation to a wonderful world, which is preferably different from the real world, where I can just relax and unwind ☺ </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">Reading such books provide me immense happiness and a sense of deep comfort ...and afterwards, I am prepared to face the responsibilities of real-life with strengthened faith, renewed hope, rested mind and fresh enthusiasm ☺</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">What is your favourite type of ending in books ...and why?</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Those interested are welcome to answer this question through their comments, thanks! ☺</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Those interested can also check out the discussion on this topic on Goodreads by clicking ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/17579060-what-is-your-favourite-type-of-ending-in-books-and-why" target="_blank">here</a>...! Thanks! ☺</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-11339949911472454972015-11-19T21:09:00.001+01:002016-10-01T21:45:57.533+02:00CARTOON (NO. 4)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9-tHkDcpZT2oBBqGCMwe6Qrerph-VjhX1FL-a3evcynAOwKqpmJYyzmjCuN7cBaG6be6D-Wa3yHPAKfVpnUs6m2uendoK6GrvIxgaMst9RO8qdV5sPi1w2rEx2C92FibbLW7hmC17Ac6/s1600/11855674_10207565046784594_8766257614580259963_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9-tHkDcpZT2oBBqGCMwe6Qrerph-VjhX1FL-a3evcynAOwKqpmJYyzmjCuN7cBaG6be6D-Wa3yHPAKfVpnUs6m2uendoK6GrvIxgaMst9RO8qdV5sPi1w2rEx2C92FibbLW7hmC17Ac6/s320/11855674_10207565046784594_8766257614580259963_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm not ignoring you. You just aren't in the world I'm currently habitating. </span></div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-26158079243399813832015-10-08T10:46:00.000+02:002016-10-01T21:45:20.065+02:00BOOK EXCERPTS (PART 1 --INCLUDES DETAILS ABOUT MY FAVOURITE MALE-PROTAGONISTS IN ROMANCE BOOKS)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZN8Qdpu-WRSPVpqNAKHbzQk_EnHB-OBRfboeBZEIrWvjyioxXu6xgnFe_fFCF_teCAUv0BoL2wVtBfxwKMxchjmNeLaOfieXviA9XL940GIGweklk68zMmPNdYRxWms11-9PQnAuJPpXJ/s1600/Book+Excerpts_0-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZN8Qdpu-WRSPVpqNAKHbzQk_EnHB-OBRfboeBZEIrWvjyioxXu6xgnFe_fFCF_teCAUv0BoL2wVtBfxwKMxchjmNeLaOfieXviA9XL940GIGweklk68zMmPNdYRxWms11-9PQnAuJPpXJ/s400/Book+Excerpts_0-2.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Today, not only am I going to post excerpts from two of my favourite books, but </span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">I would also like to write about my favourite 'male protagonists' in ROMANCE books.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">One is "Matthew Farrell", from "Paradise", a CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE novel, written by "Judith McNaught".</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">The main reason that "Matt" appealed to me was that his love for Meredith (the female protagonist) was completely selfless and unconditional. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">For example, when, during their period of separation, Meredith told "Matt" that one of the reasons why they should not remain married was that she might be unable to have children, he still pushed for reconciliation and wanted to continue their marriage. Not out of sense of obligation, compromise, or ulterior motive but only because he loved her. He was willing to lead a childless existence as long as she was in his life.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">Towards the end of the story, when she discovered that there was a hope of her having a baby, though with a slight risk to her life, he was adamant that she shouldn't take even that very small risk. Her love and companionship was all that he wanted from her. Her life meant more to him than any child that they might have. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">Eventually, he only agreed to let her try for the child because she felt that it was necessary for her happiness...and Meredith's happiness was the important thing for him.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">The other is "Ian Thronton", from "Almost Heaven", a HISTORICAL ROMANCE novel, also written by "Judith McNaught".</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">One great reason for liking "Ian" was the honesty and courage he displayed by acknowledging his love for Elizabeth (the female protagonist), both to himself and to her, right from the very beginning.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">One more impressive quality that both "Matt" and "Ian" shared, was that they were self-assured and confident men, with their egos strongly intact.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">They felt no compulsion to either intimidate others or ingratiate themselves, to prove their superiority and prowess, nor were they threatened by the abilities of other people.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">For example, when, at some point in the story, both of their respective 'heroines', expressed feelings of inadequacy, both men actually tried to build up their self-esteem by showing how "Meredith" and "Elizabeth" had great power over "Matt" and "Ian", respectively. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">It was also their love, and faith that their love was sincerely reciprocated, respect for the qualities and abilities of the women they loved, and trust on their innate goodness that they won't take unfair advantage, that allowed both men to behave like this.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">Moreover, the same highly intelligent minds that contributed to "Matt's" and "Ian's" professional success provided them with an insight that their wives's self-confidence would eventually benefit their life together, and also, their innate integrity enabled them to motivate rather than disparage.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"Matt's" underlying sensitivity beneath his valiant ambition and aloof demeanour, a sensitivity that was often depicted by his instinctive smartness and intuitive compassion, endeared him to me as much as his sense of humour, that was at times naughty, usually disarming, and always attractive.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">Trying to seduce his wife, Meredith, in an attempt at reconciliation, when they were officially separated and living independently...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdABvOgbM9nyMn-gGgGmxQ9I78M2oKfLxW_uLJpOUod3UkKf8_fSRuEeUV2Zxein2Az7mKxE4reT8yK-g3G_1Kbk6MmfzwLtDohi1VNY-L0vEby2eOpTdxKj3iCOTpbZZzAEbqiF8WASLy/s1600/16006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdABvOgbM9nyMn-gGgGmxQ9I78M2oKfLxW_uLJpOUod3UkKf8_fSRuEeUV2Zxein2Az7mKxE4reT8yK-g3G_1Kbk6MmfzwLtDohi1VNY-L0vEby2eOpTdxKj3iCOTpbZZzAEbqiF8WASLy/s320/16006.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">"I know you want to kiss me back, I can feel it. Why not indulge the impulse," he invited her huskily. "I'm more than willing and completely available..."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">To her horror, his teasing statements doused her anger and gave her simultaneous impulses to giggle and to do exactly what he suggested.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">"If I die in an accident on the way home tonight," he cajoled softly, his mouth sliding over her cheek towards her lips again, "think how guilty you'll feel if you don't."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggvOpdvf6_ktzd1DmCYwf3FYPs0ld1faiyQCAD4eAjBwIP8lRUY_GUFZXX92RUnWpX-ChtM2IPNyJVq_LeGl1QDh794g7v4u5miXY41yUS1UEx7OEKdUl5vcssr9Q_zKjnLjAU56jdPU1E/s1600/51CHhFy60KL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggvOpdvf6_ktzd1DmCYwf3FYPs0ld1faiyQCAD4eAjBwIP8lRUY_GUFZXX92RUnWpX-ChtM2IPNyJVq_LeGl1QDh794g7v4u5miXY41yUS1UEx7OEKdUl5vcssr9Q_zKjnLjAU56jdPU1E/s320/51CHhFy60KL._SY400_.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">As for "Ian", it was the streak of vulnerability that came through at unexpected moments, that touched me:</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">"You can do this, calculate all those figures in your mind? In moments?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">He nodded curtly, and when Elizabeth continued to stare at him warily, as if he was a being of unknown origin, his face hardened. In a clipped, cool voice he said, "I would appreciate it if you would stop staring at me as if I'm a freak."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">Elizabeth's mouth dropped open at his tone and his words. "I'm not."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">"Yes," he said implacably. "You are. Which is why I haven't told you before this."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">Embarrassed regret surged through her at the understandable conclusion he'd drawn from her reaction. Recovering her composure, she started around the desk toward him.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">"What you saw on my face was wonder and awe, no matter how it must have seemed."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">"The last thing I want from you is 'awe'," he said tightly, and Elizabeth belatedly realized that, while he didn't care what anyone else thought of him, her reaction to all this was obviously terribly important to him.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">Every great author usually has an expertise in some specific aspect of writing. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">For example, though most of my favourite ROMANCE authors, in my opinion at least, are about equally talented in delightfully </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">addictive writing, witty dialogues, humorous situations, intricate plots, interesting stories, emphasizing important qualities in relationships, skilful characterisation, inventing lovable protagonists, and weaving superb romance, including both 'ideal love' and 'physical chemistry', between them. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">However, I prefer "Georgette Heyer" for her entertaining escapades, authentic period details and slang, and most importantly, for her ability to maintain decency by exquisitely manipulating words to imply physical attraction between the lead characters, without going into intimate details, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">...whereas, "Judith McNaught" is my favourite for invoking emotions, developing empathy and emotional attachment with characters, and above all, for her flair for creating, extremely wonderful and absolutely enthralling, male protagonists! ☺</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">For this reason, I can go on and on describing the adorable qualities of both "Matt" and "Ian" ...but I think that I should better stop gushing about them otherwise some of you might start thinking that I have developed a crush on these fictional characters ☺</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQv4Yivc37DnQU5Pe3g-8dKHh3cK_DcX2f-PwBJMGK3DWxhCi1xZiJovTXHvd0P9QXk_XX4NNBzwTYNIsaOBFBVwx4_FxNlTlJegvFBBYgUL5erecphmkKWflTuq1QzSkpuc23JD3PGyb0/s1600/hearts-book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQv4Yivc37DnQU5Pe3g-8dKHh3cK_DcX2f-PwBJMGK3DWxhCi1xZiJovTXHvd0P9QXk_XX4NNBzwTYNIsaOBFBVwx4_FxNlTlJegvFBBYgUL5erecphmkKWflTuq1QzSkpuc23JD3PGyb0/s320/hearts-book.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Romance readers and authors are welcome to join my group:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">HAPPILY EVER AFTER | GOODREADS</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/161133-happily-ever-after" target="_blank">http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/161133-happily-ever-after</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">HAPPILY EVER AFTER | FACEBOOK</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/happilyeverafter.gr.group/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/happilyeverafter.gr.group/</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Thanks! ☺</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-72166229819579892042015-09-10T08:17:00.001+02:002016-10-01T21:44:20.591+02:00CARTOON (NO. 3)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRT42a982Jz_cBiALeqXvLDhOZj8dG8jV_4cZ6m1KIIPpQRcnoyS6E79THmxbtojFzaPNtQlAsJTn3iS10ZezTNOuxFjNs85vVQU_JiSFsXHpCVVZt3B1Up39GY8scAVFQtAJ8fgBxIae/s1600/QUOTATIONS_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRT42a982Jz_cBiALeqXvLDhOZj8dG8jV_4cZ6m1KIIPpQRcnoyS6E79THmxbtojFzaPNtQlAsJTn3iS10ZezTNOuxFjNs85vVQU_JiSFsXHpCVVZt3B1Up39GY8scAVFQtAJ8fgBxIae/s320/QUOTATIONS_5.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Whoever said money can't buy happiness has obviously never been inside a bookstore."</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-35045567328318489402015-08-13T21:28:00.000+02:002015-08-14T16:13:31.611+02:00DENISE SWANSON<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnT5nA6pSDss1HU_DwtCH7WeNr0O4jhxvC9SvUtB1ki319VZm_EVp82aIn3t5Ufg-MQQz-vxrFmEFEN93YbWLmsZaFwzGzlLmdiEx_xCMLXBkqhlJ7lxBM3JO02Ob-dWvh4fhFVQNS9LBK/s1600/2015-08-13-13-52-16-176917267.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnT5nA6pSDss1HU_DwtCH7WeNr0O4jhxvC9SvUtB1ki319VZm_EVp82aIn3t5Ufg-MQQz-vxrFmEFEN93YbWLmsZaFwzGzlLmdiEx_xCMLXBkqhlJ7lxBM3JO02Ob-dWvh4fhFVQNS9LBK/s320/2015-08-13-13-52-16-176917267.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Denise Swanson is an American mystery writer. She is the author of the SCUMBLE RIVER MYSTERY SERIES, which is set in a fictional town in Illinois as well as the DEVEREAUX'S DIME STORE MYSTERY SERIES, which is situated in a small fictional town in Missouri.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">She lives in Illinois with her husband, classical composer David Stybr and their cool black cat Boomerang</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">SCUMBLE RIVER MYSTERY SERIES</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">The Scumble River Mystery Series features </span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Skye Denison, a school psychologist in Scumble River, Illinois.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">This series fulfils my requirements for what makes a wonderful <a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/introduction.html?m=0" target="_blank">Cozy Mystery</a>, such as quality writing, decent language, enjoyable humour, stimulating mysteries, interesting characters and positive ambience. It's true that the romance factor remained unstable for quite a long time but the issue eventually did get satisfactorily resolved by around book 9 or 10 in the series.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">BOOKS IN THIS SERIES:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">1) Murder of a Small-Town Honey</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSE2bt3fUXMM4A7bPoqmfv9bTrwUGT-jJF5tnJnqpwDNCdBbvnuslGueyFkRGRV1Uc4IwxaRRSCbyK5xptEFeRKQ_580L3wFs-prp2WFaRsKPm6nKEu9roq2OZLuOG7gH8lGpvAODaDp8/s1600/219646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSE2bt3fUXMM4A7bPoqmfv9bTrwUGT-jJF5tnJnqpwDNCdBbvnuslGueyFkRGRV1Uc4IwxaRRSCbyK5xptEFeRKQ_580L3wFs-prp2WFaRsKPm6nKEu9roq2OZLuOG7gH8lGpvAODaDp8/s320/219646.jpg" width="193" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Story Plot:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When school psychologist Skye Denison left Scumble River after high school, she swore she would never return to such a small minded town. But when credit card and boyfriend trouble caused her to slink home, she tries to blend in unnoticed. However inconspicuous has never been one of Skyes attributes, as the small-town busybodies try to bring her out in the public eye whenever they can. When she stumbles upon a dead TV personality, the police accuse her brother and she is forced to prove him innocent. This proves to be a daunting task, but Skye is up to the task. She is bright, persistent, gutsy and the perfect amateur sleuth.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">2) Murder of a Sweet Old Lady</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">3) Murder of a Sleeping Beauty</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">4) Murder Of A Snake In The Grass</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">5) Murder of a Barbie and Ken</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">6)Murder of a Pink Elephant</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">7) Murder of a Smart Cookie</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">8) Murder of a Real Bad Boy</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">9) Murder of a Botoxed Blonde</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">10) Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">11) Murder of a Royal Pain</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">12) Murder of a Wedding Belle</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">13) Murder of a Bookstore Babe</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hZYpfwEwxUsfCs2TANfc3Hl97_1LKXDbIPoHGN-CM_KsDmTJH706I8KcKHK6Ex0GZRgjqtpdVlWNOfMKi3QFABFCz7sda9Yp9y51gqLui6TzsHDWxkPxV9YymEKWdfcXcW0Lw-MZPQv1/s1600/8473024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hZYpfwEwxUsfCs2TANfc3Hl97_1LKXDbIPoHGN-CM_KsDmTJH706I8KcKHK6Ex0GZRgjqtpdVlWNOfMKi3QFABFCz7sda9Yp9y51gqLui6TzsHDWxkPxV9YymEKWdfcXcW0Lw-MZPQv1/s320/8473024.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><i>Story Plot:</i></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When school psychologist Skye Denison discovers a body crushed by a toppled bookcase in Scumble River's new bookstore, she has to read the clues before she becomes the killer's next work-in-progress...</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><i>An Excerpt: </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">It was Skye's favourite: chocolate with vanilla buttercream icing. What a shame that it was Pru Cormorant's birthday cake, and that Pru was the person Skye liked least of all her collegues. Still, Skye refused to let that deter her. When her conscience insisted it was wrong to eat cake honoring someone she detested, and who detested her, she promised the annoying little voice a pink-frosting rose to shut up.</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">14) Murder of a Creped Suzette</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">(BOOKS NOT YET READ)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">15) </span><span style="font-size: large;">Murder of the Cat's Meow</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">16) Murder of a Stacked Librarian</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">17) Murder of a Needled Knitter</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<br /></div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-58771153255537608832015-07-09T19:43:00.000+02:002016-10-01T21:43:40.702+02:00ON 'QUALITY WRITING VERSUS GOOD STORY' IN BOOKS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOvgYdMBr1guoGhsUPOC3GMk_zh9-L9cvnCWg5tcdhTKjpNPoeLB48Q8OagIghlgKbXlBDJTGaVN5TvBDfMo7ZPaRrmKR4O1MOZNBcO6-gSo30m_CLa7J4RV_qau57Ab6W9biidhwDpI2/s1600/A+COZY+MURDER+IS+ANNOUNCED_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOvgYdMBr1guoGhsUPOC3GMk_zh9-L9cvnCWg5tcdhTKjpNPoeLB48Q8OagIghlgKbXlBDJTGaVN5TvBDfMo7ZPaRrmKR4O1MOZNBcO6-gSo30m_CLa7J4RV_qau57Ab6W9biidhwDpI2/s1600/A+COZY+MURDER+IS+ANNOUNCED_5.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">For me one of the most important thing in a book is for the writing to be addictive, engrossing, polished, decent, appealing, entertaining and witty. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">In my experience, if the book fails to retain my attention and interest, and does not provide me pleasure, then usually it is not a problem with the story, but it is the way the story is written, that makes it boring.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">No matter how unique the idea is, but if it's written in a dull and monotonous way then it fails to make for an enjoyable read. On the other hand, even an average story can come across as entertaining to me if the writing style is wonderful.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Also, in my opinion, characters are usually as vital as the story, as it's important to get mentally and emotionally involved not just with the story itself but also with the people living that story, and good characterisation depends on good writing skills. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Moreover, while I can usually manage to suspend belief if the storyline is somewhat flawed and unrealistic, but it's </span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">difficult not to get distracted when there are too many writing inconsistencies, continuity issues, typing errors, spelling inaccuracies and grammatical mistakes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Of course, an ideal situation would be that both the writing and the story be excellent. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Especially, when I consider the genre of "Mystery" then I think that the story concept and the story plotting play as important role as the story execution, that is, the writing.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">However, </span><span style="line-height: 34px;">I have read several "Romance" books by various authors that contained similar story plots but the way the different authors executed, that is, wrote, the stories, made a tremendous difference in my level of enjoyment of those books. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">So if I have to chose between the two, then I would have to say that it is the quality of the writing, rather than a good story, that contributes in making my overall reading experience enjoyable.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><i>What are your thoughts and feelings on the 'quality writing versus good story' in books?</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Those interested are welcome to answer this question by commenting on this post. Thanks! ☺</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Moreover, those who are interested can also check out the discussions on this topic on GOODREADS by clicking ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2246800-what-makes-your-reading-experience-more-enjoyable-quality-writing-or-a" target="_blank">here</a> ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2319152-how-much-do-bad-writing-typing-errors-spelling-inaccuracies-and-gramma" target="_blank">here</a> ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2334504-how-much-do-bad-writing-typing-errors-spelling-inaccuracies-and-gramma" target="_blank">here</a> ...and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/17448072-writing-style-versus-story-plot" target="_blank">here</a>...! Thanks! ☺</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-12110472137872200042015-06-25T19:02:00.000+02:002016-10-01T21:42:50.099+02:00COZY MYSTERIES (JUNE, 2015)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QQD1gT1pb-KPeE5CLbB1vvE21DeLCiuAlYf2Q0yWIez8_7EcZwS2OFJhLl8huYlB579wFqMBrxUW4w55Qq22aFnckE2K68sil4VCEwC32ugcPJgVzmP8V-rEAXAgR2NSD8Z8MXQVqyqP/s1600/images-10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QQD1gT1pb-KPeE5CLbB1vvE21DeLCiuAlYf2Q0yWIez8_7EcZwS2OFJhLl8huYlB579wFqMBrxUW4w55Qq22aFnckE2K68sil4VCEwC32ugcPJgVzmP8V-rEAXAgR2NSD8Z8MXQVqyqP/s400/images-10.jpeg" width="299" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">For information about "<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/introduction.html?m=0" target="_blank">Cozy Mystery</a>" books that were released in June 2015, please click ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/12046160-june-2015" target="_blank">here</a> (Goodreads) and ...<a href="http://www.cozy-mystery.com/blog/june-2015-mystery-book-new-releases.html" target="_blank">here</a> (Cozy-Mystery.Com). Thanks...! ☺</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">What are your feelings and thoughts when a 'new' book from one of your favourite authors is released? </span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">To answer this question, and to discover my own feelings and thoughts on this topic, please click ...<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/on-new-books.html?m=0" target="_blank">here</a>. Thanks...! ☺</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-57264044180111803622015-06-11T15:08:00.000+02:002016-10-01T21:42:08.523+02:00SOME OF MY FAVOURITE 'FIRST LINES' IN BOOKS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">It was a dark and stormy night. </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVXVG0nbqoViaLKnI8Shkp1oI-kABReB_cc1lOwsCajmeoXPOCoH2kg5hMESu5BPSMbdfceA8siZP65D_OtcpnwMH2tCkKzJzTtWEaI-CR51BojIDiYQlqdnBQSSwimKftq0i2R5EDfyK/s1600/snoopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVXVG0nbqoViaLKnI8Shkp1oI-kABReB_cc1lOwsCajmeoXPOCoH2kg5hMESu5BPSMbdfceA8siZP65D_OtcpnwMH2tCkKzJzTtWEaI-CR51BojIDiYQlqdnBQSSwimKftq0i2R5EDfyK/s1600/snoopy.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">For me one of the most important thing in a book is for the writing to be addictive, engrossing, polished, appealing, entertaining and witty. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Hence, the 'first lines', or at least, the first few pages of the books, are more likely to influence my reading decisions as compared to, say, covers and titles. (For my post on that topic, please click <a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/03/on-sighting-books.html?m=0" target="_blank">here: On 'Sighting' Books</a>).</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Anyway, the following are some of the 'first lines' in books that were intriguing enough to immediately capture my attention:</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MjJkF0mWZ53_22t5Ig5ZtACiqt-M8LcOFM9uvpS01O6owEttcpxLY5Z1VNqeF1J21DviNRLl5mceNZWqCPPCboN-DhBKhU2l_oBxKk5QpwsyQGgYW7XnBlAfZAmt61c7apKLW9neYB23/s1600/51QuBFukpSL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8MjJkF0mWZ53_22t5Ig5ZtACiqt-M8LcOFM9uvpS01O6owEttcpxLY5Z1VNqeF1J21DviNRLl5mceNZWqCPPCboN-DhBKhU2l_oBxKk5QpwsyQGgYW7XnBlAfZAmt61c7apKLW9neYB23/s1600/51QuBFukpSL._SY400_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">("Pride And Prejudice", Jane Austen)</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRrUTF6obq0XCUCARAGZ69BvHjIrzSF1NRIx0g5tHYclSH0j1_xYCAW5GRxe1urh7IeSZ-sN4XLLxkx6iPGJfoSxIfBbyqJ1rmQ_iYhcYPyOs4FoEdwUPxuHZpRc6wRwxjwikexuzAbsf/s1600/41123DB8MKL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRrUTF6obq0XCUCARAGZ69BvHjIrzSF1NRIx0g5tHYclSH0j1_xYCAW5GRxe1urh7IeSZ-sN4XLLxkx6iPGJfoSxIfBbyqJ1rmQ_iYhcYPyOs4FoEdwUPxuHZpRc6wRwxjwikexuzAbsf/s1600/41123DB8MKL._SY400_.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">I'm not absolutely certain of my facts, but I rather fancy it's Shakespeare --or, if not, it's some equally brainy bird --who says that it's always just when a fellow is feeling particularly braced with things in general that Fate sneaks up behind him with the bit of lead piping.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">("Jeeves And The Unbidden Guest", a short story in, "Carry On, Jeeves", P.G. Wodehouse)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9h9K-lErdfvZm2c7Fc1_WrmrUzk6zlcIdZKLCpFSnJf0DgMrw0rueV8goMIKcmLavXZRZ7NWI6uPeItRhtnmzwErUG0nClns0eXNUzVdxQsSabGWVua8QKx6u6gS2gNHJBcZIQyVgSBN/s1600/twenties_girl-9780552774369_xxl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9h9K-lErdfvZm2c7Fc1_WrmrUzk6zlcIdZKLCpFSnJf0DgMrw0rueV8goMIKcmLavXZRZ7NWI6uPeItRhtnmzwErUG0nClns0eXNUzVdxQsSabGWVua8QKx6u6gS2gNHJBcZIQyVgSBN/s1600/twenties_girl-9780552774369_xxl.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">The thing about lying to your parents is, you have to do it to </span><i style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 34px;">protect </i><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">them.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">("Twenties Girl", Sophie Kinsella)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0wYgRs1fhv9ptDH7FZkc92meBJ2skQpjYbfzrTPvuck47s0KZAXKl21DybzxMMS1cuXM0ipr6y9HLJS4l6Xh4cRyu6jo51hWyB5pXLfjkC6x07AqC2EvhQFARpZpmL7-vjQTlCsV7oiY/s1600/51PJi98bSfL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0wYgRs1fhv9ptDH7FZkc92meBJ2skQpjYbfzrTPvuck47s0KZAXKl21DybzxMMS1cuXM0ipr6y9HLJS4l6Xh4cRyu6jo51hWyB5pXLfjkC6x07AqC2EvhQFARpZpmL7-vjQTlCsV7oiY/s1600/51PJi98bSfL._SY400_.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Dear Sophie, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">My fiancé's former girlfriend showed up at our engagement party uninvited and released four dozen white mice.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">("The Diva Takes The Cake", Krista Davis)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3psXkXud3NYdkaJeMOLq3WlL7_DX3kt3cu9hY_c41WOwLtWzhAMJfbAZzE36bKdyxqjlkGliXrXR6eTKu7ovP5jfSORA2o0BRhVkMpFwcVgvmPt-tAy7gnhvO3QswQ95aPSwjPZYSgN79/s1600/515wyuTXycL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3psXkXud3NYdkaJeMOLq3WlL7_DX3kt3cu9hY_c41WOwLtWzhAMJfbAZzE36bKdyxqjlkGliXrXR6eTKu7ovP5jfSORA2o0BRhVkMpFwcVgvmPt-tAy7gnhvO3QswQ95aPSwjPZYSgN79/s1600/515wyuTXycL._SY400_.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">The typist nodded. It was finished, as neat a design for murder as could be envisioned.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">("Design For Murder", Carolyn G. Hart)</span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3agbkQpP8n79XDBaR9pL9X9UqozN3TNKkNKvSTuQCj4XhrDRl-W0CCy6YyrNZk_QUe8vYQF6xDML9Hcf1u6EztS9iopGMgUihS2A9ySkaBYernGzVUgAzf1dFK-ZkH-K1HF0BP-qKkxX/s1600/51tOBD8NI+L._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3agbkQpP8n79XDBaR9pL9X9UqozN3TNKkNKvSTuQCj4XhrDRl-W0CCy6YyrNZk_QUe8vYQF6xDML9Hcf1u6EztS9iopGMgUihS2A9ySkaBYernGzVUgAzf1dFK-ZkH-K1HF0BP-qKkxX/s1600/51tOBD8NI+L._SY400_.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Captain Crosbie came out of the bank with the pleased air of one who has cashed a cheque and has discovered that there is just a little more in his account than he thought there was.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">("The Came To Baghdad", Agatha Christie)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdphaRKRPTqlwRxk0gns3QBPqqxyrQzvcdO3ilAXhLOHoWgK3i5I4-rsXEnJd_rd51sndoBQT3awZw-UD9A-LDqNvjtAwuq00NGwJEfmSM98pbap32mK77UCr46yno3jDD8qaZCjUz7bW/s1600/51XXmha90mL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdphaRKRPTqlwRxk0gns3QBPqqxyrQzvcdO3ilAXhLOHoWgK3i5I4-rsXEnJd_rd51sndoBQT3awZw-UD9A-LDqNvjtAwuq00NGwJEfmSM98pbap32mK77UCr46yno3jDD8qaZCjUz7bW/s1600/51XXmha90mL._SY400_.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">("Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone", J.K. Rowling)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqboBwdPUARKqF_Lcz685shtim-28ikIpC-VCl1H7uU8T7s0QGSqTxezls0UM2QtE67Sg4Fyh7sS5eie7QNUu9MnG-YudBEhdqM-aj1zO5pVpF4sb1am-RZEgGvgxeFp8_5hkapJvExaw-/s1600/515i4WCNy7L._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqboBwdPUARKqF_Lcz685shtim-28ikIpC-VCl1H7uU8T7s0QGSqTxezls0UM2QtE67Sg4Fyh7sS5eie7QNUu9MnG-YudBEhdqM-aj1zO5pVpF4sb1am-RZEgGvgxeFp8_5hkapJvExaw-/s1600/515i4WCNy7L._SY400_.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">When the phone rang, Parker was in the garage, killing a man." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">("Firebreak", Richard Stark)</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1f4rNVMUxLanrWVWDicMIfgRDSpPQxu9mNZcljhFC_Ji0R0C9N3mlt9LOBJ1VbEL9QVq3nI6TafRaUsA7poIjPznBaqSfevvj6yU-TcaT1M6bbLusVpemGv6hMn99h1RI-0j2KjVv0NEJ/s1600/51l2McXbAYL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1f4rNVMUxLanrWVWDicMIfgRDSpPQxu9mNZcljhFC_Ji0R0C9N3mlt9LOBJ1VbEL9QVq3nI6TafRaUsA7poIjPznBaqSfevvj6yU-TcaT1M6bbLusVpemGv6hMn99h1RI-0j2KjVv0NEJ/s1600/51l2McXbAYL._SY400_.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">("<span style="line-height: 34px;">A Tale of Two Cities", Charles Dickens)</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>What are your favourite 'first lines' in books?</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Those interested are welcome to share by commenting on this post. Thanks! ☺</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Those interested can discover some interesting 'first lines' in books by clicking</span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"> </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2252146-what-are-your-favourite-first-lines-in-cozies" style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 34px;" target="_blank">here</a> ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2252452-what-are-your-favourite-first-lines-in-books" style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 34px;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"> ...and </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/12061463-what-are-your-favourite-first-lines-in-books" style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 34px;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">. </span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Thanks! ☺</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-67097393964616827552015-05-28T09:56:00.000+02:002016-10-01T21:41:19.142+02:00COZY MYSTERIES (MAY, 2015)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6fTve0I36l31p8Qq6WXrfLB2LVd7lruDncQhIONzxtJVgqrg2uynboBv56NwIccNAJNQhC2yMCAqyEsvKd-mXTQMJEAVmWsa0vKDgXuo8slDmaicr1qk3owE5tBdr7PWvLsSXgvaXATu/s1600/images-10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6fTve0I36l31p8Qq6WXrfLB2LVd7lruDncQhIONzxtJVgqrg2uynboBv56NwIccNAJNQhC2yMCAqyEsvKd-mXTQMJEAVmWsa0vKDgXuo8slDmaicr1qk3owE5tBdr7PWvLsSXgvaXATu/s400/images-10.jpeg" width="299" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The following are the "<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/introduction.html?m=0" target="_blank">Cozy Mystery</a>" books released in May, 2015. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23281871-don-t-go-home" target="_blank">DON'T GO HOME</a> ("A Death On Demand Mystery # 25" By "Carolyn G. Hart")</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi364csBmd-vqnGfa1xdI82l9zY4N-usLlzI2eKjPD8pGh0D4bI5eXia5Og6jRyD1ARH27ZEP6d_F0W5JyfEgip0fcI6BTdCRgkopfgJPjqc9l9BxtmF96Je70LkHEJ-ufWIATwY2DDtl5Y/s1600/23281871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi364csBmd-vqnGfa1xdI82l9zY4N-usLlzI2eKjPD8pGh0D4bI5eXia5Og6jRyD1ARH27ZEP6d_F0W5JyfEgip0fcI6BTdCRgkopfgJPjqc9l9BxtmF96Je70LkHEJ-ufWIATwY2DDtl5Y/s320/23281871.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For more information on "Carolyn G. Hart" and her "Death On Demand Mystery Series", please click ...</span><a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/carolyn-g-hart.html?m=0" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: large;">...! Thanks...!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23281852-flourless-to-stop-him" style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 34px;" target="_blank">FLOURLESS TO STOP HIM</a><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"> ("A Baker's Treat Mystery # 3" By "Nancy J. Parra") </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybpuvyBolF8SOtfnEHiSJyBr7APUTpg-ncGddmlgnSnebmflMS0aYJkzk2UiAt4cCR-60EDZ3B-8kGfdEdQbSd-tlSw0bxKVSAxtWJq1oaq5UkvEiA4nlzPM0qr9z-pd3kB0y4Hg187AI/s1600/23281852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhybpuvyBolF8SOtfnEHiSJyBr7APUTpg-ncGddmlgnSnebmflMS0aYJkzk2UiAt4cCR-60EDZ3B-8kGfdEdQbSd-tlSw0bxKVSAxtWJq1oaq5UkvEiA4nlzPM0qr9z-pd3kB0y4Hg187AI/s320/23281852.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23012479-tail-gait" target="_blank">TAIL GAIT</a> ("A Mrs. Murphy Mystery # 24" By "Rita Mae Brown") </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBFo9nslAfwj9JcWIxNArGBM3GE_aBmTqlmqPoLvBInok9yBSoO2nWw47P96VEPR4-bdoM6cPoJfqu80t-ZpXJb3hl3RHYx1iibfQeBiGB0bkACDre0o_3tnNMKO9dgKjk3et8LoJ4MIh/s1600/23012479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBFo9nslAfwj9JcWIxNArGBM3GE_aBmTqlmqPoLvBInok9yBSoO2nWw47P96VEPR4-bdoM6cPoJfqu80t-ZpXJb3hl3RHYx1iibfQeBiGB0bkACDre0o_3tnNMKO9dgKjk3et8LoJ4MIh/s320/23012479.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">To obtain more details on the above-mentioned books, including story plots and reviews, please click on the individual names of the books. Thanks!</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">The above books are by:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">--either <a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/my-favourite-mystery-authors.html?m=0" target="_blank">MY FAVOURITE 'MYSTERY' AUTHORS</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">--or <a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/my-liked-mystery-authors.html?m=0" target="_blank">MY LIKED 'MYSTERY' AUTHORS</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">For information about more "<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/introduction.html?m=0" target="_blank">Cozy Mystery</a>" books by other authors, that were released in May, 2015, please click ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2352676-may-2015" target="_blank">here</a> (Goodreads) ...and <a href="http://www.cozy-mystery.com/blog/may-2015-mystery-book-new-releases.html" target="_blank">here</a> (Cozy-Mystery.Com)...! Thanks!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><b>What are your feelings and thoughts when a 'new' book from one of your favourite authors is released? </b></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">To answer this question, and to discover my own feelings and thoughts on this topic, please click ...<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/on-new-books.html?m=0" target="_blank">here</a>...! Thanks!</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-30633624261725784952015-05-14T10:01:00.001+02:002016-10-01T21:40:06.169+02:00ON LOVE-TRIANGLES IN COZY MYSTERY BOOKS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAnpoNIYX3IJ7KDNo0OpFtoa8fP7BlHKjUBh-w5c_EQcGyVdP5NH5GCvjYqgkbgZiz7zNe4t7_q3XReYcFlH-bJFdkcP3J5kY6ZLenFDOiD83iYayE9iNO1CbHW4zbdfqk_mKVo-RIalF/s1600/A+COZY+MURDER+IS+ANNOUNCED_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAnpoNIYX3IJ7KDNo0OpFtoa8fP7BlHKjUBh-w5c_EQcGyVdP5NH5GCvjYqgkbgZiz7zNe4t7_q3XReYcFlH-bJFdkcP3J5kY6ZLenFDOiD83iYayE9iNO1CbHW4zbdfqk_mKVo-RIalF/s1600/A+COZY+MURDER+IS+ANNOUNCED_5.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">In Cozy Mysteries, the various characters and their relationships with one another are an important aspect in the stories ...which often makes a romantic sub-plot inevitable.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">While I enjoy the romance element in Cozy Mysteries, but</span><span style="line-height: 34px;"> I very much appreciate it when an author is able to maintain decency by exquisitely manipulating words to imply physical chemistry between the lead characters, without going into intimate details.</span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Moreover, I usually desire the protagonist to be happily involved with a steady partner ☺</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">If the protagonist is not a part of an established couple right from the first book of the series, then I prefer the romantic aspect in the Cozy Mystery series to make natural progression, from initial interactions, between the protagonist and a single member of opposite gender, to gradual friendship, to romantic relationship, to marriage etc. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">It's true that some romantic tension in all of these phases can add to the enjoyment and that's perfectly acceptable to me! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">However, </span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">the overall trend should always be to move forward ...and for the relationship to develop, grow and become stronger ☺</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">I strongly hesitate to get involved in those series where I sense a prolonged 'love-triangle'. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">I think this is mainly because, to me, 'love-triangles' create uncertainty and diminish the sense of comfort and pleasure that I usually get while reading Cozy Mysteries ...basically by creating a doubt in my mind whether the protagonist will be able to achieve a 'happily ever after' with the 'right person for him/her', or not! </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">When the protagonist spends a lot of time, that is, more than 6 to 8 books in the series, in trying to resolve this issue, it can sometimes make him/her seem stupid and immature ...and it also makes me feel bad if it turns out that I had been rooting for the one that the protagonist doesn't chose! </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Negative emotions are also invoked in me when a 'love-triangle' is introduced after a couple is already established, especially if I happen to be fond of the original couple ...and this can also at times make the protagonist come across as a fickle person.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">All this further reduces some of the joy and comfort of reading a Cozy.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Moreover, often much attention has to be given for the protagonist to resolve the issue of 'love-triangle' ...and this prevent the main focus to remain on the mystery! </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Whereas I feel that though the romance should definitely be present, as it adds to the reading pleasure, but it should be in the background, as a secondary part of the story.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Having said all this, I think that it's only fair to mention that while it's true that I usually find 'love-triangles' annoying but I sometimes do manage to ignore them ...if the other factors, such as writing, mysteries, characters, humour, setting, ambience etc are especially well done. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">However, I would like to emphasize, that in such cases, I read the books in spite of the 'love-triangles' ...not because of them!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">So my respectful and sincere request to Cozy authors is that instead of the 'love-triangles', please use the 'mystery plots' to create the suspense ...and depend on the quality of writing to entice the readers to read the next book in the series. To implement romantic tension in order to make the stories more interesting, please employ other methods. If </span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">there is still a strong need to incorporate 'love-triangles', then at least please try not to prolong them too much! Thanks! ☺</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><i>What are your feelings and thoughts on 'love-triangles' in Cozy Mysteries? </i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Those interested are welcome to answer this question by commenting on this post. Thanks!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Those interested can also check out the following discussions on this topic:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">On GOODREADS, by clicking <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2240555-how-much-do-the-love-triangles-in-the-series-influence-your-reading-de" target="_blank">here</a>...! Thanks!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">On Marja's Mystery Blog, by clicking <a href="http://marjamcgraw.blogspot.de/2015/04/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html?m=0" target="_blank">here</a>...! Thanks!</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-54173700158008653172015-04-30T10:47:00.000+02:002016-10-01T21:37:40.716+02:00COZY MYSTERIES (APRIL, 2015)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xLEid9ZvDXL0diBTrAr6Zf9_fqMpm5vp5-b3sXCoACMgX8z2HsOb3eK5U5tdoQ_gTfs7zT6B_p2gVZOmwhJ4N_WXJ1tL1m7NBuLE9XGtiACGYlgsVByD2MuRsvkwzH5EBhhS_KobXj1M/s1600/images-10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xLEid9ZvDXL0diBTrAr6Zf9_fqMpm5vp5-b3sXCoACMgX8z2HsOb3eK5U5tdoQ_gTfs7zT6B_p2gVZOmwhJ4N_WXJ1tL1m7NBuLE9XGtiACGYlgsVByD2MuRsvkwzH5EBhhS_KobXj1M/s1600/images-10.jpeg" width="298" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The following are the "<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/introduction.html?m=0" target="_blank">Cozy Mystery</a>" books, released in April, 2015.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22668752-dark-chocolate-demise" target="_blank">DARK CHOCOLATE DEMISE</a> ("A Cupcake Bakery Mystery # 7" By "Jenn McKinlay")</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjtK6cGs_XxrU8WTYNwhTnvFC0h-Dn8Mi9RtJG-AC7roYKkX8H3U3E4OJ0dmlZ1nB2NJAB3_z3QJzzX5l8MnKfQ0l9Ht0Q2Dap0OQGDNDiwsvZXPwEPeoQPFKoHDOgExV9hNA1A-0bPyzR/s1600/51wmo7U5TEL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjtK6cGs_XxrU8WTYNwhTnvFC0h-Dn8Mi9RtJG-AC7roYKkX8H3U3E4OJ0dmlZ1nB2NJAB3_z3QJzzX5l8MnKfQ0l9Ht0Q2Dap0OQGDNDiwsvZXPwEPeoQPFKoHDOgExV9hNA1A-0bPyzR/s1600/51wmo7U5TEL._SY400_.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">For more information on "Jenn McKinlay" and her "Cupcake Bakery Mystery Series", please click ...<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/jenn-mckinlay.html?m=0" target="_blank">here</a>...! Thanks...!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22668777-lemon-pies-and-little-white-lies" target="_blank">LEMON PIES AND LITTLE WHITE LIES</a> ("A Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery # 4" By "Ellery Adams")</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisShO27JtHMEYMFH3WrdXQwbNZCpG77g2Ra8DODmUEfbrwT2wb7z2__rAUlPyr1YDDfs6XSpC6877I5a7kMOPO0RuGGX9MKty_MRSuAAWT017Iy_h6Uk4MFKQomPblMeyfToPU3xnY78EJ/s1600/51Chu9LVDjL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisShO27JtHMEYMFH3WrdXQwbNZCpG77g2Ra8DODmUEfbrwT2wb7z2__rAUlPyr1YDDfs6XSpC6877I5a7kMOPO0RuGGX9MKty_MRSuAAWT017Iy_h6Uk4MFKQomPblMeyfToPU3xnY78EJ/s1600/51Chu9LVDjL._SY400_.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22891375-the-readaholics-and-the-falcon-fiasco" target="_blank">THE READAHOLICS AND THE FALCON FIASCO</a> (</span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">"A Book Club Mystery # 1" By "Laura DiSilverio")</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7HEpwX42f3qewYavVG1rZCMcVG02knnIuXMAylC18FbWWF4ExPNEWw8osmXSVHXzkeFNSQn1SI9D8QIPuK3Kq4ML2K28UwoANCX2-1-O0Fm0j1TyoTSmmSJ1F48lbxUUr0yc-e5CQCgs/s1600/61+4zgoWsvL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7HEpwX42f3qewYavVG1rZCMcVG02knnIuXMAylC18FbWWF4ExPNEWw8osmXSVHXzkeFNSQn1SI9D8QIPuK3Kq4ML2K28UwoANCX2-1-O0Fm0j1TyoTSmmSJ1F48lbxUUr0yc-e5CQCgs/s1600/61+4zgoWsvL._SY400_.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22715925-oh-say-can-you-fudge" target="_blank">OH SAY CAN YOU FUDGE</a> ("A Candy Coated Mystery Series # 3" By "Nancy CoCo")</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTatyqGGj3f6JfPimHa_CsoIaBz5ScOYs_DcinXRa2m6RWXYAv-DqxTHagfzU5D4yzJti5sk4LpjeHfXzyi0IdJCMJQT6-8rqhaAO5kylg0v4R9bEtqhmhhiNJXX3A13UboIbuej5TegD/s1600/51Q+1VfWByL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTatyqGGj3f6JfPimHa_CsoIaBz5ScOYs_DcinXRa2m6RWXYAv-DqxTHagfzU5D4yzJti5sk4LpjeHfXzyi0IdJCMJQT6-8rqhaAO5kylg0v4R9bEtqhmhhiNJXX3A13UboIbuej5TegD/s1600/51Q+1VfWByL._SY400_.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">To obtain more details on the above-mentioned books, including story plots and reviews, please click on the individual names of the books. Thanks...!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">The above books are by:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">--either <a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/my-favourite-mystery-authors.html?m=0" target="_blank">MY FAVOURITE 'MYSTERY' AUTHORS</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">--or <a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/my-liked-mystery-authors.html?m=0" target="_blank">MY LIKED 'MYSTERY' AUTHORS</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">For information about more "<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/introduction.html?m=0" target="_blank">Cozy Mystery</a>" books by other authors, that were released in April, 2015, please click ...<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2274175-april-2015" target="_blank">here</a> (Goodreads) ...and <a href="http://www.cozy-mystery.com/blog/april-2015-mystery-book-new-releases.html" target="_blank">here</a> (Cozy-Mystery.Com)...! Thanks...!</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 34px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What are your feelings and thoughts when a 'new' book from one of your favourite authors is released?</b></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">To answer this question, and to discover my own feelings and thoughts on this topic, please click ...<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/on-new-books.html?m=0" target="_blank">here</a>...! Thanks...!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-26884981398526210482015-04-23T07:00:00.000+02:002016-10-01T21:37:21.955+02:00JULIE MULHERN<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGac1dy6nfgtl89Ne1_Qo_c8knXnN8GfuTeDTPLc00ulqbzUhXdxU7bQurEgfYlSpv2uECu1bLlwgAy2QgDyZRHXWpPJQxF9wRyt-9lWI_zT5PbWD5Fca2ELqzdL9B9w9DkMwCTkYrAah/s1600/2015-04-23-06-13-50--1454383358.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGac1dy6nfgtl89Ne1_Qo_c8knXnN8GfuTeDTPLc00ulqbzUhXdxU7bQurEgfYlSpv2uECu1bLlwgAy2QgDyZRHXWpPJQxF9wRyt-9lWI_zT5PbWD5Fca2ELqzdL9B9w9DkMwCTkYrAah/s1600/2015-04-23-06-13-50--1454383358.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">Julie Mulhern is a Kansas City native who grew up on a steady diet of Agatha Christie. She spends her spare time whipping up gourmet meals for her family, working out at the gym and finding new ways to keep her house spotlessly clean—and she’s got an active imagination. Truth is—she’s an expert at calling for take-out, she grumbles about walking the dog and the dust bunnies under the bed have grown into dust lions. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">She always wanted to be a writer. She spent her childhood creating pen names and dreaming of exotic, mysterious, romantic places. To that end, she went to Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia (because, when you’re from the Midwest, the South is both exotic and romantic). There she earned degrees in politics and French. She even spent a year living in Paris. But the Midwest beckoned and she returned home. Now she lives with her husband, two daughters and a dastardly dog. It might not be exotic or mysterious but it is romantic. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">She has achieved her dream of becoming an author and writes both romance and mystery novels.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">She is a 2014 Golden Heart® Finalist. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">"The Deep End" is her first mystery and is the winner of The Sheila Award. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">COUNTRY CLUB MURDERS SERIES:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">This series is set in 1970's Kansas City, Missouri. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">It features Ellison Russell, whose life revolves around her daughter and art, and who offers us a glimpse of life behind the scenes in the Country Club set.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">I added Julie Mulhern among MY LIKED "MYSTERY" AUTHORS LIST immediately after reading "The Deep End", the first book in the "Country Club Murders Series" ...mainly because of the writing style which was both engrossing as well as entertaining...!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">Moreover, other factors such as mystery, characters and setting were also good ...though in my opinion, the romance element would have been better without the presence of the annoying 'love-triangle' ...which I very much hope soon gets resolved.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">Here I must also mention, that there were few aspects of the story, including some details regarding certain intimate activities, as well as the last encounter between the protagonist and the murderer, that came across as slightly stronger than my usual preference in a <a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/introduction.html?m=0" target="_blank">Cozy Mystery</a> ...however, for the most part, the book was definitely an enjoyable read :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">BOOKS IN THIS SERIES</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">1) The Deep End</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78MovZnZuoL9xL5PawrD2TSsiDIfBZiZS-UxZvDnzzxbdxEZWcuBiBlYOQoaHxkvKzZDCfmiH4GWqMxiKcTSf4Z0-NUlXvwjTKUt2R1MJ3Ac7BJ8P1vmMRN3wHUzBmZtYEHeFScAlfl-U/s1600/the_deep_end_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78MovZnZuoL9xL5PawrD2TSsiDIfBZiZS-UxZvDnzzxbdxEZWcuBiBlYOQoaHxkvKzZDCfmiH4GWqMxiKcTSf4Z0-NUlXvwjTKUt2R1MJ3Ac7BJ8P1vmMRN3wHUzBmZtYEHeFScAlfl-U/s1600/the_deep_end_0.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">Swimming into the lifeless body of her husband’s mistress tends to ruin a woman’s day, but becoming a murder suspect can ruin her whole life.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">It’s 1974 and Ellison Russell’s life revolves around her daughter and her art. She’s long since stopped caring about her cheating husband, Henry, and the women with whom he entertains himself. That is, until she becomes a suspect in Madeline Harper’s death. The murder forces Ellison to confront her husband’s proclivities and his crimes—kinky sex, petty cruelties and blackmail.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">As the body count approaches par on the seventh hole, Ellison knows she has to catch a killer. But with an interfering mother, an adoring father, a teenage daughter, and a cadre of well-meaning friends demanding her attention, can Ellison find the killer before he finds her?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-43906605303170538772015-04-23T06:52:00.000+02:002016-10-01T21:37:06.173+02:00MY POSTS AS A GUEST WRITER ON OTHER BLOGS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmAvHUR6Ss7Y6PHKTMPPMY8KxEztLr8GmYQnNtQTy84CGLr6Evjn2pe7tlGW3VfZZJ7L5fS89gl-Q4KIXFZ4nMihdsmGDf2SRniuL5RW67BTmkBctLHG0rWeUzxUsyg8AsyabmQMPlZMC/s1600/IMG_0743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmAvHUR6Ss7Y6PHKTMPPMY8KxEztLr8GmYQnNtQTy84CGLr6Evjn2pe7tlGW3VfZZJ7L5fS89gl-Q4KIXFZ4nMihdsmGDf2SRniuL5RW67BTmkBctLHG0rWeUzxUsyg8AsyabmQMPlZMC/s1600/IMG_0743.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The following are my posts as a guest writer on other blogs:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">1) <a href="http://marjamcgraw.blogspot.de/2015/04/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html?m=0" target="_blank">ON 'LOVE-TRIANGLES' IN COZY MYSTERIES</a> (On Marja's Mystery Blog)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">2) <a href="http://apps.susanbernhardt.com/Blog/?e=91230&d=05/03/2015&s=Blog%2057%20%2D%20ON%20%27RE%2DREADING%27%20BOOKS%20%2D%20By%20Ramla%20Zareen%20Ahmad%20%2D%20May%205%2C%202015" target="_blank">ON RE-READING BOOKS</a> (On Susan Bernhardt's Blog)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">3) <a href="http://shumailsbeautyandstyle.blogspot.de/2016/07/guest-post-my-favourite-pinkish-brown.html?m=0" target="_blank">MY FAVOURITE "PINKISH-BROWN" LIPSTICKS! :-)</a> (On shumailsbeautyandstyle)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-9272756183054213092015-04-23T06:51:00.000+02:002016-10-02T19:46:45.821+02:00POSTS BY AUTHORS (ON MY BLOG: THE MAGAZINE AT BLOGSPOT)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZX6lzT-MCSRqtdJrONVEYeZw3-fNLxQPtAA6j9WO40AOmEqMMM32yYR_FLWJ4JiguOYM3O3Ehi6ixOOZ7h-WB817FLRctt3bhv4fjSf8rwh5I2Oti5ZgOT_v3Lrcxas09MqX06QCpTN02/s1600/My+Love+Affair+With+Perfumes_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZX6lzT-MCSRqtdJrONVEYeZw3-fNLxQPtAA6j9WO40AOmEqMMM32yYR_FLWJ4JiguOYM3O3Ehi6ixOOZ7h-WB817FLRctt3bhv4fjSf8rwh5I2Oti5ZgOT_v3Lrcxas09MqX06QCpTN02/s1600/My+Love+Affair+With+Perfumes_1.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The following are the posts contributed by various authors, as guest writers on my blog: <a href="http://the-magazine-at.blogspot.de/2015/03/contributions-by-guest-writers.html?m=0" target="_blank">THE MAGAZINE AT BLOGSPOT</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">1) <a href="http://the-magazine-at.blogspot.de/2015/04/contributions-by-guest-writers-relating.html?m=0" target="_blank">Relating Books To Lifestyle (By Marja McGraw)</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">2) <a href="http://the-magazine-at.blogspot.de/2015/05/about-my-writing-by-susan-bernhardt.html?m=0" target="_blank">About My Writing (By Susan Bernhardt)</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">3) <a href="http://the-magazine-at.blogspot.de/2015/07/writing-cozy-mystery-by-joyce-ann-brown.html?m=0" target="_blank">Writing A Cozy Mystery (By Joyce Ann Brown)</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>*****</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Hello everyone,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Those of you who are interested to contribute as guest writers on THE MAGAZINE AT BLOGSPOT are most welcome to get details by clicking <a href="http://the-magazine-at.blogspot.de/2015/03/contributions-by-guest-writers.html?m=0" target="_blank">here</a>...! ☺</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">However, before you leave this page please let me mention that though the invitation to contribute as a guest writer is not limited to authors ...but in this particular section, only those posts will be listed that are contributed by the authors of various genres.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Thanks ...and all the best with your writing endeavours ☺</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">--Ramla Zareen</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">My Website:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><a href="http://ramlazareen.blogspot.de/?m=0" target="_blank">http://ramlazareen.blogspot.de/?m=0</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-19376467929025704392015-04-16T11:18:00.000+02:002015-04-16T11:18:06.129+02:00SUSAN BERNHARDT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsylcayQOdovca_7r2SO-QpL3OJbwIa1ISi9q9PaafDOu93_lbgYxpa60S0mkDSpYJDsjnisSybQFL68hmGMsO2aCAm2ob-cVkfscyi8cABtTjy_d-ziRAS72DXoku5MyHB97e3hkpXqE/s1600/TheGinsengConspiracySusanKBernhardt.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsylcayQOdovca_7r2SO-QpL3OJbwIa1ISi9q9PaafDOu93_lbgYxpa60S0mkDSpYJDsjnisSybQFL68hmGMsO2aCAm2ob-cVkfscyi8cABtTjy_d-ziRAS72DXoku5MyHB97e3hkpXqE/s1600/TheGinsengConspiracySusanKBernhardt.jpg.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Susan Bernhardt is an author living in Wisconsin. Like Kay Driscoll in her cozy mysteries, The Ginseng Conspiracy and Murder Under the Tree, Susan is a retired public health nurse who volunteers at her local free clinic. </span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">An avid reader of mysteries, she is a member of Sisters in Crime, Inc. and the Wisconsin Writers Association. Her other published works include "October 31st", "Midsummer", and "John and Madeline."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Susan's town in northern Wisconsin was an inspiration for the quaint setting of her novel. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">She lives with her husband, William, and has two sons, Peter and David.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">When not writing, Susan loves to travel, bicycle, kayak, and create culinary magic in her kitchen. She works in stained-glass, daydreams in her organic garden, stays up late reading mysteries, and eats lots of chocolate.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">Susan's blog is at <a href="http://www.susanbernhardt.com/" target="_blank">http://www.susanbernhardt.com/</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">KAY DRISCOLL MYSTERY SERIES</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This series features Kay Driscoll, a retired public health nurse, and the books are set around different holiday seasons.</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">1) The Ginseng Conspiracy</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPAZZUl6c0lomMfCpMW-Hsycl6ZyrWeLhALwoGhN93FaOwWBfuevCaWEXFx8t8jfJSfL37-bfOOMsjeLcsHMxl2WiWnweA-kPTFE3IRhRet5YGWK_68NPxQKr-5otqnsHtFDFW7prUVfGg/s1600/20437721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPAZZUl6c0lomMfCpMW-Hsycl6ZyrWeLhALwoGhN93FaOwWBfuevCaWEXFx8t8jfJSfL37-bfOOMsjeLcsHMxl2WiWnweA-kPTFE3IRhRet5YGWK_68NPxQKr-5otqnsHtFDFW7prUVfGg/s1600/20437721.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span style="line-height: 34px;">On her way to attend a Halloween Ball, Kay Driscoll, a newcomer to town, witnesses the murder of a local professor. When the official coroner's report rules the cause of death to be accidental and the community accepts the judgement, Kay decides to uncover the truth for herself. Through her personal investigations, Kay exposes a complex conspiracy, woven deep within the thriving local ginseng industry, that involves some of the more prominent figures and families of Sudbury Falls. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">With her new friends, the free-spirited herbalist Deirdre and the untamed modern woman Elizabeth, Kay discusses new clues over tea and pastries at Sweet Marissa's Patisserie, their crime-fighting headquarters. As Kay gets closer to the heart of the conspiracy, additional murders happen in quick succession. Before long, Kay learns that the villains are gunning for her, too. Phil, her musically talented but preoccupied husband, determined to keep her safe, withholds from her the one thing she needs most: the truth. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">2) Murder Under The Tree</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUGnBoePt8EDv7coA5Sqy2D14iZ5_yS1kTgVsWK_pjtc4tHCtK5OLnnJBRhoLS5MyQfCKD6VVt-TkspOVc4dmhyphenhyphenZp-TZOOC0Oce1G6HKkakd0Sevj0j76RIC5n-xzbx1NplIL4-MLm-NL/s1600/23486066-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUGnBoePt8EDv7coA5Sqy2D14iZ5_yS1kTgVsWK_pjtc4tHCtK5OLnnJBRhoLS5MyQfCKD6VVt-TkspOVc4dmhyphenhyphenZp-TZOOC0Oce1G6HKkakd0Sevj0j76RIC5n-xzbx1NplIL4-MLm-NL/s1600/23486066-1.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">While Kay attends a Christmas tea at Hawthorne Hills Retirement Home, a beloved caretaker dies from an allergic reaction to peanuts. When the official coroner's report rules the cause of death to be accidental, a small group of residents suspect foul play and call upon Kay to investigate.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Kay uncovers sinister plots of fraud, revenge, and corruption at the Home. During this season of peace on earth, good will to men, additional murders occur. Despite multiple attempts on her life, and with the support once again of her best friends, Elizabeth and Deirdre, Kay continues her quest for bringing justice for the victims. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Kay's first Christmas in Sudbury Falls is an unforgettable one, with equal amounts of celebration and danger. Tis the season to be sleuthing!</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">3) Murder By Fireworks (expected in 2015)</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-86736666740055371252015-04-09T08:44:00.000+02:002015-04-09T21:01:04.997+02:00ON 'SAVING' BOOKS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKKT3Z07KD-fhl7KTCSodIZ4_KNLyhnxW5FzSg86SEAYrzktbLfJdQ7fzlw02JIBdILBtHmmNXRP0XQWldHWZwNtf2FCPCCsMwsH9G0BYSdpfuxJfwedEW7EAWqVtzjO3clHcVsMsYmh_/s1600/A+COZY+MURDER+IS+ANNOUNCED_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKKT3Z07KD-fhl7KTCSodIZ4_KNLyhnxW5FzSg86SEAYrzktbLfJdQ7fzlw02JIBdILBtHmmNXRP0XQWldHWZwNtf2FCPCCsMwsH9G0BYSdpfuxJfwedEW7EAWqVtzjO3clHcVsMsYmh_/s1600/A+COZY+MURDER+IS+ANNOUNCED_5.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">It's a very comforting knowledge to me that there still exist delightful books by wonderful authors that I haven't as yet read...! :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">While anticipating a good book is part of the fun in the reading process for me, but </span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">I don't like the suspense of waiting for the next book in the series to be published ...as I prefer the joy and comfort of knowing that there are at least some new books by my favourite authors available for me to read them whenever I wish to...! :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">For this reason, I often tend to 'save' books. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">Though in my opinion, it would be more accurate to say that I 'savour' books...!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">That is, whenever I feel that a certain series is becoming one of my favourites, I stop reading when there are still few books left in that series ...and keep them to be enjoyed later as a special treat ...but not until new books are added in that series...! :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Another advantage is, that by keeping the books in reserve like this, it makes it easier for me to maintain my composure when one of my favourite authors contemplates the retirement of that particular series.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">Moreover, whenever an author adds yet another new book to one of my favourite series, my pleasure is immense... </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">...and the longer my 'books-to-read' list grows, the happier I get...! :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-11197493525533715702015-04-02T10:10:00.000+02:002015-04-02T10:10:46.710+02:00LESLIE CAINE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwK0EuNtGytAzw2BNg5ykJQ5J4xnc0JoyM2KpWV4YBSbVLXyKA0ZWOrqA7Ux32MktPk1njgtVwlGUwQmiSX336tDieoDQ7jziUiCH65uLO6sjrSu7bTsLM7QOp8NEukX27StMwZhe1Pfn_/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwK0EuNtGytAzw2BNg5ykJQ5J4xnc0JoyM2KpWV4YBSbVLXyKA0ZWOrqA7Ux32MktPk1njgtVwlGUwQmiSX336tDieoDQ7jziUiCH65uLO6sjrSu7bTsLM7QOp8NEukX27StMwZhe1Pfn_/s1600/images.jpeg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Leslie Caine, aka Leslie O'Kane, is an author of four mystery series: Domestic Bliss, Allie Babcock, Molly Masters and the Soul Shifters.<span style="line-height: 34px;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">She is a certified interior decorator and lives in Colorado with her husband, two teenage children, and a cocker spaniel. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">DOMESTIC BLISS MYSTERY SERIES:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">The "Domestic Bliss Mystery Series" features </span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Erin Gilbert and Steve Sullivan, who are initially rival interior designers in Colorado, but then become partners, both in business as well as in life...!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">This series fulfils my requirements for what makes a wonderful <a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/introduction.html?m=0" target="_blank">Cozy Mystery</a>, such as quality writing, decent language, stimulating mysteries, enjoyable humour, delightful atmosphere, interesting characters and satisfying romance.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">BOOKS IN THIS SERIES</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">1) Death by Inferior </span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Design</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNy2a3G3u13Tyui7JLFpbXvPgVgyvH4F5HTFZPak2gmq_Lf48OP60wu7MOJIq49PqqnpFbGUDrv848Eh63sLLJuoRU6vBIC-_f0hnooyCWsCxXNo2eV22zataChNPMFrY6zUrsXZTZFJ0/s1600/51n5JmspCZL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNy2a3G3u13Tyui7JLFpbXvPgVgyvH4F5HTFZPak2gmq_Lf48OP60wu7MOJIq49PqqnpFbGUDrv848Eh63sLLJuoRU6vBIC-_f0hnooyCWsCxXNo2eV22zataChNPMFrY6zUrsXZTZFJ0/s1600/51n5JmspCZL._SY400_.jpg" height="320" width="194" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">A PERFECT DESIGN...FOR MURDER</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">It was a great opportunity, a beautiful day, and a perfect setting: home designer Erin Gilbert was headed to a lovely Crestview, Colorado, neighborhood to engage in a friendly little design contest with her nearest and less-than-dearest competitor, the unspeakably handsome Steve Sullivan. Erin would do a room in one home. Across the street, Steve would do another. Between Gilbert and Sullivan, may the best eye win.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Neither designer could suspect that rearranging two spaces on a winter weekend would set off an uproar in the neighborhood--of quirky homeowners, passionate secrets, and marriages in need of extreme makeovers. Looking for a friend in this perilously unhinged environment, Erin wants to think that Steve might turn from competitor to ally...But somewhere between her faux wall finish and her custom window treatments, Erin is in for a shock: It seems that a killer has created this designing job just for <i>her</i>!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">2) False Premises </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">3) Manor of Death </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">4) Killed by Clutter</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">5) Fatal Feng Shui </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">6) Poisoned by Gilt </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">7) Holly and Homicide</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">(Books Not Yet Read)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">8) </span><span style="line-height: 34px;">Two Funerals and a Wedding</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-63438553443885122372015-03-26T10:56:00.000+01:002015-03-30T20:05:08.324+02:00COZY MYSTERIES (MARCH, 2015)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8q95I3RIZae14r0Oq1c6paVs4c3Q-1lrwXMdYGbPFrWhir3Xx3C05ZRfOKeExmGqBqdmVYup7QXRTT6LDZ4Zu3AJC7qwDRdcFfpK84Zm4NjcFGH_dPm_-lLSv9-pMkhhj-9B-B56tAwy8/s1600/images-10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8q95I3RIZae14r0Oq1c6paVs4c3Q-1lrwXMdYGbPFrWhir3Xx3C05ZRfOKeExmGqBqdmVYup7QXRTT6LDZ4Zu3AJC7qwDRdcFfpK84Zm4NjcFGH_dPm_-lLSv9-pMkhhj-9B-B56tAwy8/s1600/images-10.jpeg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">The following are the "<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/introduction.html?m=0" target="_blank">Cozy Murder Mystery</a>" books, released in March, 2015.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22859792-dying-for-a-cupcake" target="_blank">DYING FOR A CUPCAKE</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">("Devereaux's Dime Store Mystery # 4" By "Denise Swanson")</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztP9Plm8-Zvi_N43z7QVfTOXaQ02YPCrCjnExhjjoTB3npBU9YJtIq2GSerag8TQS9680XcckKeduvrcBLfupjzDKeGtdxr1FdugdOhK1rdGPTq_1wk9Y1RurYsehiAoVkPin46qMcFjh/s1600/51B4ItRNoEL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztP9Plm8-Zvi_N43z7QVfTOXaQ02YPCrCjnExhjjoTB3npBU9YJtIq2GSerag8TQS9680XcckKeduvrcBLfupjzDKeGtdxr1FdugdOhK1rdGPTq_1wk9Y1RurYsehiAoVkPin46qMcFjh/s1600/51B4ItRNoEL._SY400_.jpg" height="320" width="198" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22545460-the-edge-of-dreams" target="_blank">THE EDGE OF DREAMS</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">("Molly Murphy Mystery # 14" By "Rhys Bowen") </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6B9e1vbqhknOlQzZf9kmKCI77l29UAuB0madlwur5jJI-anOFqbjr6r-2xOuki-pU6M9QLWhGJFCc6JQ1LbwflnY0_6vIgGZmfH8m8XHnlzeAZ7zAPKW_qeBPvAaBt5FLN_EoAal8GFAy/s1600/51GejlAcUgL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6B9e1vbqhknOlQzZf9kmKCI77l29UAuB0madlwur5jJI-anOFqbjr6r-2xOuki-pU6M9QLWhGJFCc6JQ1LbwflnY0_6vIgGZmfH8m8XHnlzeAZ7zAPKW_qeBPvAaBt5FLN_EoAal8GFAy/s1600/51GejlAcUgL._SY400_.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22557301-tails-you-lose" target="_blank">TAILS, YOU LOSE</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">("Witch City Mystery # 2" By " Carol J. Perry")</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWHFWut1eJCgcXgainmfNv0A9Ea3RtDzawfK6IzJ0SAqBkzlYdqzP66eBjutmdFzxNEzFuot1EisfTgyHONKQPwBVZ5jYeG8DakNSL4mmVX-OLxB0x4hWRe-VI_U1vs0ur4QrgQLIJbBr/s1600/5130HmODWvL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWHFWut1eJCgcXgainmfNv0A9Ea3RtDzawfK6IzJ0SAqBkzlYdqzP66eBjutmdFzxNEzFuot1EisfTgyHONKQPwBVZ5jYeG8DakNSL4mmVX-OLxB0x4hWRe-VI_U1vs0ur4QrgQLIJbBr/s1600/5130HmODWvL._SY400_.jpg" height="320" width="194" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22571666-mrs-jeffries-serves-at-six" target="_blank">MRS. JEFFRIES SERVES AT SIX</a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">("Mrs. Jeffries Mystery # 16-18" By "Emily Brightwell")</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKYX8dIlmC9vnpdnShwlfR4mcLY0b6duSzWnrbAWUvqEk6M3Au79_aiOtKzuOXVtdBqwY1gwgx1tNu65B_xJyuKaq5dZ9FrS9xWlZIGU8v90eSiKzQOs5asmLTzxW8QN8oE0isba355iC/s1600/61uuRSwcSTL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKYX8dIlmC9vnpdnShwlfR4mcLY0b6duSzWnrbAWUvqEk6M3Au79_aiOtKzuOXVtdBqwY1gwgx1tNu65B_xJyuKaq5dZ9FrS9xWlZIGU8v90eSiKzQOs5asmLTzxW8QN8oE0isba355iC/s1600/61uuRSwcSTL._SY400_.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">To obtain more details on the above-mentioned books, including story plots and reviews, please click on the individual names of the books. Thanks...!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">The above are the "<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/introduction.html?m=0" target="_blank">Cozy Murder Mystery</a>" books by authors that are mentioned in this blog, "<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/?m=0" target="_blank">A COZY MURDER IS ANNOUNCED</a>". </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">For information about more "<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/introduction.html?m=0" target="_blank">Cozy Murder Mystery</a>" books by other authors, that were released in March, 2015, please click <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2231718-march-2015" target="_blank">here</a> (Goodreads) ...and <a href="http://www.cozy-mystery.com/blog/march-2015-mystery-book-new-releases.html" target="_blank">here</a> (Cozy-Mystery.Com). Thanks...!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><i>What are your feelings and thoughts when a 'new' book from one of your favourite authors is released? </i></span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">Those interested in answering this question, and in discovering my own feelings and thoughts on this topic, are welcome to visit the following post of my blog. Thanks...!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/on-new-books.html?m=0" target="_blank">http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/on-new-books.html?m=0</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR COZY LOVERS...!!!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Deadly Diamonds, the first book in "The Jeweltown Murder Mystery Series", by Denise Rodgers, featuring jewelry designer Bella Blumer, will soon be available...!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEI7OmEbHYbZvtFNmM7c46mnq4liDxdx6wLkscJfcMBKKMEtuFho5vKzr8hNq1RG5j1hiPos3h35qnAQD6baxOZ0h_LpdZSW7-OE0Z5iu_9V2eRtey-J8BrjQbID2w5iSXRjYgGwQccKi/s1600/DD-proofFront+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEI7OmEbHYbZvtFNmM7c46mnq4liDxdx6wLkscJfcMBKKMEtuFho5vKzr8hNq1RG5j1hiPos3h35qnAQD6baxOZ0h_LpdZSW7-OE0Z5iu_9V2eRtey-J8BrjQbID2w5iSXRjYgGwQccKi/s1600/DD-proofFront+(1).jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">What do you do when your husband leaves you for a "scruples-free, low-life tart" who looks a lot more like your old Barbie doll than you do? If you're Bella Blumer, you complain to every friend, relative and customer that has at least one working ear to their name. And if you do this for a year, and your ex shows up dead on the anniversary of your divorce? Well, chances are, even if you are innocent (of murder, anyway), the world will assume you're guilty. With no time to spare, jewelry designer and store owner Bella must deal with the local detective who used to be her secret crush in junior high, a mother who is determined to fix her up with a nice young man (anyone under sixty qualifies), a love-crazed suitor (one of her mother's fine choices), one lawyer who thinks she's guilty and another who's ready to get serious – all while working like crazy to clear her name.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">For more details please visit the following website:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><a href="http://www.deniserodgersbooks.com./" target="_blank">www.deniserodgersbooks.com.</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Readers can sign up for the author's email newsletter and get the first ten chapters of the book, free. Also, they will be notified when the book is available this spring...!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Thanks ...and Happy Reading...! :-)</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-82730902502851157852015-03-19T08:21:00.000+01:002015-05-18T11:51:32.114+02:00ON 'SIGHTING' BOOKS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3RIrQbL2kEgZbZcQg9V8xmzkoWhMz_aEu-3ySKNQddqZZHD3MhyswxOGzH2GZYgBxAeTXYNOsKo3ueHcaabs2mYnhbzX5KLwsqM8qwnFbB89XIMUfrGxqqNIp4NaJRa_bWpd0fd2hl21/s1600/A+COZY+MURDER+IS+ANNOUNCED_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3RIrQbL2kEgZbZcQg9V8xmzkoWhMz_aEu-3ySKNQddqZZHD3MhyswxOGzH2GZYgBxAeTXYNOsKo3ueHcaabs2mYnhbzX5KLwsqM8qwnFbB89XIMUfrGxqqNIp4NaJRa_bWpd0fd2hl21/s1600/A+COZY+MURDER+IS+ANNOUNCED_5.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">For certain people, sometimes even a cover or a title can be enough temptation to read, or compulsion to avoid, a particular book...!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">For example, images of animals, desserts, flowers, or anything that especially appeals to someone, on the covers, may tempt that person to get those books ...without knowing exactly to which extent these things are actually featured in the stories.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">While some particularly attractive cover, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">for example, something like one of these,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Q1GLAQ73f94D8kLSjY1W8hKymoZbjh78WyVYLNzc6dwT46e9Gpi-7n8BIN6aqnLlvcg_YLzj1OXCYJzi7QT4te3Ama-duc40LR7RAyKz7PdkzjdJSj10ZOi3DmOEPc3DoShi_0xlN1z-/s1600/51YAhDC9gzL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Q1GLAQ73f94D8kLSjY1W8hKymoZbjh78WyVYLNzc6dwT46e9Gpi-7n8BIN6aqnLlvcg_YLzj1OXCYJzi7QT4te3Ama-duc40LR7RAyKz7PdkzjdJSj10ZOi3DmOEPc3DoShi_0xlN1z-/s1600/51YAhDC9gzL._SY400_.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKkZWpydnnk-gr5BWR4h6y7KMs2ke1DCuDLFAOUB6xbH5ir3eoYbfQ65VOFBcFmeLAclqRyme7NcvYb9T7YNpl0UnpiElGahQqH8iOpcU9-YV3O0HIHOQxViQvb6osfrn_7M6FrxieYBI/s1600/51hX8d03zuL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKkZWpydnnk-gr5BWR4h6y7KMs2ke1DCuDLFAOUB6xbH5ir3eoYbfQ65VOFBcFmeLAclqRyme7NcvYb9T7YNpl0UnpiElGahQqH8iOpcU9-YV3O0HIHOQxViQvb6osfrn_7M6FrxieYBI/s1600/51hX8d03zuL._SY400_.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_oENoKesrog6qDzTiLIqhaBOmrTO3bwgkf67XMq7_pXgifeDtyduMQAjJmXIckL4gkmKGb2tsrSUmx63WadCMefGOkWvYn9ucXioeZr7tD3ACGxhnGBJYlXwx5Cq9nO3W3vT-Oc-5zCy/s1600/51Sn7iOcntL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_oENoKesrog6qDzTiLIqhaBOmrTO3bwgkf67XMq7_pXgifeDtyduMQAjJmXIckL4gkmKGb2tsrSUmx63WadCMefGOkWvYn9ucXioeZr7tD3ACGxhnGBJYlXwx5Cq9nO3W3vT-Oc-5zCy/s1600/51Sn7iOcntL._SY400_.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fGeYyvA9g4r-0Rf5tt09PjSeUJr3LrdvyxQeREixLOenOfMZaalTJKM5UtNmx7AdNeSOy4w1p0bDm7_GH8x6yMDZQcGVuFAo_FbA-_KCYgvz_HxMuO7MFAfX5SPnyHZhw559L7Fy8z02/s1600/51bXvTJAXiL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fGeYyvA9g4r-0Rf5tt09PjSeUJr3LrdvyxQeREixLOenOfMZaalTJKM5UtNmx7AdNeSOy4w1p0bDm7_GH8x6yMDZQcGVuFAo_FbA-_KCYgvz_HxMuO7MFAfX5SPnyHZhw559L7Fy8z02/s1600/51bXvTJAXiL._SY400_.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2W8ePkRikBhXbXy3B31yeY6WZ6qNeKjyewbGVBN8oGW6jTF3srcDgEimN308uUY04TAhjif_EvAsZzfaEpXfDjrZbpjTeJO51q9DBe_aPb8c7N0PjVh_Frlp0bJM1YAlgeIK1Smv9kSu7/s1600/61+4zgoWsvL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2W8ePkRikBhXbXy3B31yeY6WZ6qNeKjyewbGVBN8oGW6jTF3srcDgEimN308uUY04TAhjif_EvAsZzfaEpXfDjrZbpjTeJO51q9DBe_aPb8c7N0PjVh_Frlp0bJM1YAlgeIK1Smv9kSu7/s1600/61+4zgoWsvL._SY400_.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4x7LZay0625d9HJrGnvuCk7I-yQ2qmBMrJ89z3vv2YGMLN1QjEc8HFdGnU28m6T3581QCV_wXaQqjPEQEKyi5KJhycgAjnTyce_QnU6KNtHuZRrR4cRTKH7h8bfN87KU7u05PJAGd1rRd/s1600/51HcUV8cNEL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4x7LZay0625d9HJrGnvuCk7I-yQ2qmBMrJ89z3vv2YGMLN1QjEc8HFdGnU28m6T3581QCV_wXaQqjPEQEKyi5KJhycgAjnTyce_QnU6KNtHuZRrR4cRTKH7h8bfN87KU7u05PJAGd1rRd/s1600/51HcUV8cNEL._SY400_.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixO9PBs5mE_50BfAR7K6y4DrRDYdsTWzkm_dihl5YkNXMA5dGdmWassxVSRf_3e1QNwQIauqKAF1Y5MK0bxy-btIwyXaj1CEJpq9PB3AZ8jA7N5vd0uZIL6hyphenhyphenQUCN2BvuMotAV-2Li-Fmz/s1600/51YP28bOd0L._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixO9PBs5mE_50BfAR7K6y4DrRDYdsTWzkm_dihl5YkNXMA5dGdmWassxVSRf_3e1QNwQIauqKAF1Y5MK0bxy-btIwyXaj1CEJpq9PB3AZ8jA7N5vd0uZIL6hyphenhyphenQUCN2BvuMotAV-2Li-Fmz/s1600/51YP28bOd0L._SY400_.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdaKYyVaRY-LcZXKpNOa4EslPyDNarH61q5y7INQSSIdUO1SgzqNFMgNU5TwRRwkkR689eYPOv0Q1MB5x4W67ODeSCGUwPSAkxpgNs-0BY34SXTmN0QHwYaVycVgv1BuZCxepT_m2z2F-/s1600/51+qgiNhECL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdaKYyVaRY-LcZXKpNOa4EslPyDNarH61q5y7INQSSIdUO1SgzqNFMgNU5TwRRwkkR689eYPOv0Q1MB5x4W67ODeSCGUwPSAkxpgNs-0BY34SXTmN0QHwYaVycVgv1BuZCxepT_m2z2F-/s1600/51+qgiNhECL._SY400_.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_dVQmTk-Vo2si2hyphenhyphenPb5-lac2mNQsOlFNV5D5JGa48LAuzYsF_zAWACwCOU9qJiFx05zTc6KO1Bd2FeVqhX-BUdfdeAKs2tU7aHZcMWgK2J37aVzybEbShy9KVQu-0h5IjIDyhBEPOloj/s1600/515PK9P8l0L._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_dVQmTk-Vo2si2hyphenhyphenPb5-lac2mNQsOlFNV5D5JGa48LAuzYsF_zAWACwCOU9qJiFx05zTc6KO1Bd2FeVqhX-BUdfdeAKs2tU7aHZcMWgK2J37aVzybEbShy9KVQu-0h5IjIDyhBEPOloj/s1600/515PK9P8l0L._SY400_.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD99Z913J4b3jq5B7B8MIVWFlk6XwlmtkZY45ivnjQ9u2kqeuFjXzihrKpuDJSk_JtuGkxspKQWLh9ePfVrAUzN3ATkmnQsyF6rAz-gwETIyBgI4tYxuWMArk_x31vCxhirMG7OKv6MORr/s1600/51VB1L6WM4L._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD99Z913J4b3jq5B7B8MIVWFlk6XwlmtkZY45ivnjQ9u2kqeuFjXzihrKpuDJSk_JtuGkxspKQWLh9ePfVrAUzN3ATkmnQsyF6rAz-gwETIyBgI4tYxuWMArk_x31vCxhirMG7OKv6MORr/s1600/51VB1L6WM4L._SY400_.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">...or interesting titles like:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 34px;"><b>Glazed Murder, Fatally Frosted, Sinister Sprinkles, Evil Eclairs, Tragic Toppings, Killer Crullers, Drop Dead Chocolate...</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">...might tempt me to pick the book up and try to find more information about it, but with so many talented authors frequently providing wonderful books and the various responsibilities of life making reading time limited ...an appealing cover or title alone cannot entice me to read the book...!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Especially, in case of <a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/introduction.html?m=0" target="_blank">Cozy Mysteries</a>, I try to do some research before getting involved in a certain series.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Moreover, an unappealing cover or title won't prevent me from starting a series if I think that I will enjoy it ...and once involved, nor will it stop me from reading the next book in that series...!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">In any case, there are other factors, like, writing, humour, mystery plot, story, characters, romance, setting, ambience, and potential reading enjoyment etc that play a far more important role in helping me decide whether to read or avoid a certain book.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">For example, the titles that I mentioned above are from a series whose books I still haven't read, mainly because, even though the titles appeal very much to me, and the books are in my TBR list, but according to my research so far, this series is somewhat lacking in few of the other factors that are much more essential for me than a cover or a title...!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">My experience</span><span style="line-height: 34px;"> has also taught me that book covers are not always accurate representatives of the stories or the characters.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">For example, by looking at the following cover,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxsoGKvO7c5uCwu5S1CyiIFqOMJHvPJHgD29n3Z3x0dfoGNqpPhYwL0_W-iUYeciZLdofegOeI9j_nwYgoFHkaDQw45p3JTORItUlMTGYZzjo4arWnaq3SoPFPhs_zad7i_VPHHaWzLoc/s1600/518Aj5OMIWL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxsoGKvO7c5uCwu5S1CyiIFqOMJHvPJHgD29n3Z3x0dfoGNqpPhYwL0_W-iUYeciZLdofegOeI9j_nwYgoFHkaDQw45p3JTORItUlMTGYZzjo4arWnaq3SoPFPhs_zad7i_VPHHaWzLoc/s1600/518Aj5OMIWL._SY400_.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">the viewer gets an impression that the protagonist would be tall and thin, even though, anyone who has read the books in this series knows that she is, in fact, short and buxom. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Here I should mention, that such inconsistencies do not prevent me from reading the books ...or enjoying them...!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">However, they do emphasize the point that it's better not to trust a cover while making a reading decision.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Still, it gives me pleasure to look at wonderful covers, especially those that contain shades of blues and greens ...or those that feature: natural sceneries, picturesque houses, books, snacks or desserts, ...similar to the ones I added above...! :-) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Moreover, I delight in the creative titles with clever wordplay ...and there are many <a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/introduction.html?m=0" target="_blank">Cozy Mystery</a> Series, whose interesting titles enhance my reading enjoyment...!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">For example:</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">1) "Jane Jeffry Mystery Series" by Jill Churchill</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Some titles: <b>Grime and Punishment</b>, A Farewell to Yarns, A Quiche Before Dying, The Class Menagerie, <b>A Knife to Remember</b></span><span style="line-height: 34px;">, <b>War and Peas</b>, A Midsummer Night's Scream...</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">2) "Flower Shop Mystery Series" by Kate Collins</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Some titles: Mum's the Word, Slay It With Flowers, <b>Dearly Depotted</b>, Snipped in the Bud, <b>Acts of Violets</b></span><span style="line-height: 34px;">, <b>To Catch a Leaf</b>, <b>Seed No Evil</b>, <b>A Root Awakening</b>...</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">3) "Domestic Bliss Mystery Series" by Leslie Caine</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Some titles: Death by Inferior Design, False Premises, Manor of Death, <b>Killed By Clutter</b>,<b> </b><b>Poisoned by Gilt</b></span><span style="line-height: 34px;">...</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">4) "White House Chef Mystery Series" by Julie Hyzy</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Some titles: <b>State of the Onion</b>, Hail to the Chef, <b>Eggsecutive Orders</b>, Buffalo West Wing,</span><span style="line-height: 34px;"> <b>Affairs of Steak</b>, Fonduing Fathers...</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">5) "Book Collector Mystery Series" by Victoria Abbott (I haven't started this series yet, but it is in my TBR list)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Some titles: <b>The Christie Curse</b>, The Sayers Swindle, The Wolfe Widow, The Marsh Madness...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">6) "Bed-and-Breakfast Mystery Series" by Mary Daheim (I haven't started this series yet, but it is in my TBR list)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Some titles: </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Just Desserts, Fowl Prey, Holy Terrors, <b>Dune to Death</b>, The Wurst Is Yet to Come, <b>Here Comes the Bribe</b>...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">7) "Den Of Antiquity Mystery Series" by Tamar Myers (It's been a while since I read a book in this series so I forgot to mention it before,</span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"> ...but one of the comments on this post has reminded me, so I am adding the titles)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Some titles: Larceny and Old Lace, </span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Gilt By Association, </span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">So Faux, So Good, <b>A Penny Urned</b>, </span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Nightmare in Shining Armor, <b>Tiles and Tribulations</b>, <b>Poison Ivory</b>, </span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">The Glass is Always Greener...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">8) "Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery Series", by Tamar Myers (I haven't started this series yet, but it is in my TBR ...and again, a comment on this post reminded me about it, so I am adding the titles)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Some titles: <b>To Many Crooks Spoil the Broth</b>, <b>No Use Dying Over Spilled Milk</b>, Just Plain Pickled to Death, <b>Between a Wok and a Hard Place</b>, Eat, Drink, and Be Wary, <b>The Hand That Rocks the Ladle</b>, The Crepes of Wrath, Gruel and Unusual Punishment, Hell Hath No Curry...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Few more Mystery books whose titles intrigued me:</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">1) <b>A Murder Is Announced</b> by Agatha Christie</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">2) <b>Why Shoot A Butler? </b>by Georgette Heyer</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">3) <b>Death On Demand</b> by Carolyn G. Hart</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 34px;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Here I would like to add, that while I usually find the titles with desert themes particularly appealing, but the titles in "Hannah Swensen Mystery Series" by Joanne Fluke, fail to intrigue me ...because I feel they are somewhat lacking in creativity ...as only the word 'murder' is added in front of the desserts' name:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><b>Chocolate Chip Cookie</b> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><b>Murder</b>, Strawberry Shortcake <b>Murder</b>, Blueberry Muffin <b>Murder</b>, Lemon Meringue Pie <b>Murder</b>...</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Whereas the titles in the "Donut Shop Mystery Series" by Jessica Beck:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><b>Glazed Murder, Fatally Frosted, Sinister Sprinkles, Evil Eclairs...</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">...as well as the titles in the "Cupcake Bakery Mystery Series" by Jenn McKinlay:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><b>Sprinkle with Murder, Buttercream Bump Off, Death by the Dozen, Red Velvet Revenge...</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">...not only reflect the dessert theme of the stories, but it's also obvious that some imagination is used while creating them ...and this is what I especially appreciate about <a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/introduction.html?m=0" target="_blank">Cozy Mystery</a> titles...! :-) </span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Now, coming back to covers, I would like to conclude by admitting that violent and indecent images on covers can make me hesitate to read the books and that there was one time when I almost didn't buy a book, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcc8Rr565y4G2AN774HRQh7XK0-pCmNqGYYvw1S1XhB5Uobo0WD3U5PQw9IChULJe12QD17-UGTuEH1f5iQb7WPHxCO4bmE1fI99pJOOQW-15J2XFuhjWNwwafK1749SrK8x022RKArk30/s1600/51y6W93dOBL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcc8Rr565y4G2AN774HRQh7XK0-pCmNqGYYvw1S1XhB5Uobo0WD3U5PQw9IChULJe12QD17-UGTuEH1f5iQb7WPHxCO4bmE1fI99pJOOQW-15J2XFuhjWNwwafK1749SrK8x022RKArk30/s1600/51y6W93dOBL._SY400_.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">though eventually did so as I was sure that the reading experience would be enjoyable, </span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">...because the book spine contained an image of an insect...! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMV0rXj2BVE8mFAa89LXmFzpW1akoSxlezumV_XI7pjSQdcP-Zx_XcpJmZ1dUmyQDFPsjii2or8cwRiKZA_6kzHrm22LghPfpSew43CI3DAQh64wwbgb2tOTIVDen8hQRGeKORWcc7m70/s1600/images-29.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMV0rXj2BVE8mFAa89LXmFzpW1akoSxlezumV_XI7pjSQdcP-Zx_XcpJmZ1dUmyQDFPsjii2or8cwRiKZA_6kzHrm22LghPfpSew43CI3DAQh64wwbgb2tOTIVDen8hQRGeKORWcc7m70/s1600/images-29.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What role does the 'Book Cover' play in influencing your reading decisions?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">What are your favourite colours and images on 'book covers'?</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">What role does the 'Book Title' play in influencing your reading decisions?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">What are your favourite 'book titles'?</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Those interested are welcome to answer these questions by commenting on this post...! Thanks...!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 46px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Those interested can also check out the discussions on these topics on GOODREADS, by clicking <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2254644-what-role-does-the-book-cover-play-in-influencing-your-reading-decisio" target="_blank">here</a> ...and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2257195-what-role-does-the-book-title-play-in-influencing-your-reading-decisio" target="_blank">here</a> ...and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2334476-how-much-do-book-covers-and-titles-influence-your-reading-decisions" target="_blank">here</a>...! Thanks...!</span><span style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 46px;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span></div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-57585403865738800542015-03-12T08:34:00.000+01:002015-03-12T21:07:20.923+01:00MADDY HUNTER<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPW4XqeFeobSTcgYc-KwrouAP2dIpXhFiBrnCI4rXNjE3T3n_hpR3BiF4pPTdu_HnoPWJACYzn0zhyg6JDbwtKPcpDao4KEjX1-miTm0jPwUV3RYNQdZKTy4OMOIW6o6-Kn7YRsLNuCAPB/s1600/7609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPW4XqeFeobSTcgYc-KwrouAP2dIpXhFiBrnCI4rXNjE3T3n_hpR3BiF4pPTdu_HnoPWJACYzn0zhyg6JDbwtKPcpDao4KEjX1-miTm0jPwUV3RYNQdZKTy4OMOIW6o6-Kn7YRsLNuCAPB/s1600/7609.jpg" height="320" width="251" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">Maddy Hunter has endured disastrous vacations on three continents in the past five years. Despite this, she aspires to visit all seven continents in the future.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">"Alpine For You", the first novel in her critically acclaimed, best-selling "Passport To Peril Mystery Series", was an Agatha Award nominee for Best First Mystery.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">She lives with her husband in Madison, Wisconsin.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">PASSPORT TO PERIL MYSTERY SERIES</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Reading the books in this series provide me enough pleasure as to add Maddy Hunter among MY LIKED "MYSTERY" AUTHORS...!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">This series features Emily Andrew-Miceli, a travel escort for seniors. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">In my opinion, the entertaining humour, fun travelling adventures, wonderful romance, and delightful atmosphere, generally make the books in this series an enjoyable read. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">Though I guess I should mention that there are times when the writing is not quite as polished, and the focus on the mystery element is not as great, as I could have wished. Also, the senior characters, though usually interesting, sometimes come across as a bit too exaggerated to me. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">BOOKS IN THIS SERIES:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">1) Alpine For You</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgrp3L3vKAhkCeqq4cB2GVbm-TQKECvqm2lQZrga8ZbQmrSWj28D5-bWoWptlej_brDxN621TlR0giLPYRCvWZOPc0or61_AIw2ZK76aUUY2D4Ba07yS3XQvZSQNvOswOegiqoS_DFYBtw/s1600/51MOXHKVS1L._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgrp3L3vKAhkCeqq4cB2GVbm-TQKECvqm2lQZrga8ZbQmrSWj28D5-bWoWptlej_brDxN621TlR0giLPYRCvWZOPc0or61_AIw2ZK76aUUY2D4Ba07yS3XQvZSQNvOswOegiqoS_DFYBtw/s1600/51MOXHKVS1L._SY400_.jpg" height="320" width="188" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">A Trip To Die For...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Accompanying her grandmother on a seniors tour of Switzerland, Emily Andrew had envisioned a vacation straight out of a travel brochure: spectacular scenery, great food, and a classy European hotel, all worlds away from her rural Iowa hometown. But her dream trip quickly snowballs into mayhem when smooth-talking tour escort Andy Simon is found dead. To be sure, Andy was as randy as a mountain goat on Viagra, hitting on every miss -- Swiss or otherwise -- within striking distance. His constant advances were driving Emily cuckoo -- but had someone orchestrated his untimely death? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">For savvy, resourceful Emily, leading the tour in Andy's place is only natural. But she can't remain neutral when a fellow traveler takes a fatal plunge -- she's convinced a murderer lurks among them. With precision timing, sexy Etienne Miceli steps in to investigate, and Emily warms to the suave detective. Still, with the group roster suddenly sprouting more holes than the local cheese, Emily wonders: is there a safe haven anywhere in the shadow of the Alps?</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">2) Top O' The Mournin'</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">3) Pasta Imperfect</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">4) Hula Done It</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">5) G'Day To Die</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">6) Norway To Hide</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">7) Dutch Me Deadly</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">8) Bonnie Of Evidence</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2d33wnccH6Ywa0eD-iRr0fmEZthYJFtVkDeRzQbtyhROxdeM7Gmn9aXv0SGBJrzepnc82pvaHQYu3CLAGix_jBrB69tG7DmbhZ097DkkpCot1S7O9VeKtry60kbVFuO5oJbj02KT-9rB/s1600/51YAhDC9gzL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2d33wnccH6Ywa0eD-iRr0fmEZthYJFtVkDeRzQbtyhROxdeM7Gmn9aXv0SGBJrzepnc82pvaHQYu3CLAGix_jBrB69tG7DmbhZ097DkkpCot1S7O9VeKtry60kbVFuO5oJbj02KT-9rB/s1600/51YAhDC9gzL._SY400_.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Who kilt Isobel Kronk?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Emily Andrew-Miceli, travel escort extraordinaire, is leading a group of Iowa seniors on a tour of Scotland. And to make the trip even more fun, Emily and her foxy husband, Etienne, have organized a high-tech scavenger hunt. But when one team's underhanded strategizing brings a cursed dirk into their hotel on Loch Ness, Isobel Kronk -- a member of the tour group -- ends up dead. Was it the curse of the dagger, as hotel proprietor Mrs. Dalrymple believes? Was it an allergic reaction? Or is there a flesh and blood killer on the loose?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">*****</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">"They were having a shoppers' special on bottled water in the hotel gift shop," Nana told me as we approached Wick the next day. "Buy one, get two free."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">I frowned. "But why did you pay for water when you can get it free on the bus?"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">"'Cuz the water in the hotel was on sale, dear. Gettin' somethin' for free don't got the same buzz as gettin' it dirt cheap."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">*****</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">It was a knife. A very old and possibly bloodstained knife. Bad luck could not hitch a ride on an inanimate object by order of a man who'd been dead for over three hundred years. I mean, even if the whole curse thing had been powerful enough to actually frighten clansmen to death three centuries ago, the twentieth century had introduced a concept that people took far more seriously than ancient curses.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">Expiration dates.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">Everything expired these days-- driver licenses, passports, anti-aging eye creams. Shouldn't curses follow suit?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">I shot the knife a defiant look. "I'm revoking your active status and placing you on the inactive list. What do you think of that?"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">I paused for a moment's reflection... and hung my head.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">Oh, God. I was talking to a knife.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">*****</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">9) Fleur De Lies</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<br /></div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-12577199855472187142015-03-05T00:52:00.000+01:002015-09-16T09:16:28.087+02:00ON 'DISCONTINUING' BOOKS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg63nqBJtdyWS4petqwvSvUP0RXbxp2D72QE0w9xyxR6zR8UG6weJCXh3N1Xx7Mbc8mTU5tBJAalGZyhRstxIivFxY-cKGbxtEVDy-5o94Or6HqXX5R3eCI9vtCZANceU7g4IKzq0yu3AP/s1600/A+COZY+MURDER+IS+ANNOUNCED_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg63nqBJtdyWS4petqwvSvUP0RXbxp2D72QE0w9xyxR6zR8UG6weJCXh3N1Xx7Mbc8mTU5tBJAalGZyhRstxIivFxY-cKGbxtEVDy-5o94Or6HqXX5R3eCI9vtCZANceU7g4IKzq0yu3AP/s1600/A+COZY+MURDER+IS+ANNOUNCED_5.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">For me one of the most important thing in a book is for the writing to be addictive, engrossing, polished, appealing, entertaining and witty. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">If the writing fails to retain my attention and interest, and does not provide me pleasure, then I will not read the further books by that author.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Other compelling reasons for discontinuing a book or a series would be too much profanity, indecent humour, graphic sexual scenes, vulgar descriptions, gruesome details, prevailing cruelty and nastiness, abusive behaviours, and focus on violent incidences. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Here I should mention, that I don't mind if there is a little profanity sprinkled here and there throughout the book ...as long as it's not very frequent.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">Moreover, I can also accept few intimate scenes, as long as they are not very descriptive and prolonged, and there are not too many of them ...</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">though I very much appreciate it when an author is able to maintain decency by exquisitely manipulating words to imply physical chemistry between the lead characters, without going into intimate details.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">In any case, it's basically when the overall ambience becomes unpleasant and uncomfortable for me ...</span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">that I will stop reading a certain book and will avoid other books by that author. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>What would be the most compelling reason for you to stop reading a certain book?</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px; text-align: center;">Those interested are welcome to answer this question by commenting on this post...! Thanks...!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">Those interested can also check out the following discussions on GOODREADS by clicking on the questions...! Moreover, those interested are welcome to share their own thoughts and feelings on these topics by commenting on this post...! Thanks...!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">--<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2339322-what-would-be-the-most-compelling-reason-for-you-to-stop-reading-a-certa" target="_blank">What would be the most compelling reason for you to stop reading a certain book?</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">--<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2339367-how-much-do-the-main-characters-in-the-books-influence-your-reading-deci" target="_blank">How much do the main characters in the books influence your reading decisions?</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 46px;">--<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2241478-what-would-be-the-most-compelling-reason-for-you-to-stop-reading-a-parti" target="_blank">What would be the most compelling reason for you to stop reading a particular cozy mystery series?</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">--<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2239004-how-much-do-the-main-characters-in-the-series-influence-your-reading-dec" target="_blank">How much do the main characters in the series influence your reading decisions?</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">--<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2240555-how-much-do-the-love-triangles-in-the-series-influence-your-reading-de" target="_blank">How much do the 'love-triangles' in the series influence your reading decisions?</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">--<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2270110-animals-in-cozies-essential-preferable-or-negligible" target="_blank">Animals in Cozies: Essential, Preferable or Negligible?</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">--<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2284231-mothers-in-cozies-endearing-or-annoying" target="_blank">Mothers in Cozies: Endearing or Annoying?</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">--<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2334756-how-much-do-profanity-intimate-details-and-graphic-violence-influence-y" target="_blank">How much do profanity, intimate details and graphic violence influence your reading decisions?</a> (No. 1)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">--<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2334548-how-much-do-profanity-intimate-details-and-graphic-violence-influence-y" target="_blank">How much do profanity, intimate details and graphic violence influence your reading decisions?</a> (No. 2)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">--<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2319152-how-much-do-bad-writing-typing-errors-spelling-inaccuracies-and-gramma" target="_blank">How much do bad writing, typing errors, spelling inaccuracies and grammatical mistakes influence your reading enjoyment?</a> (No. 1)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">--<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2334504-how-much-do-bad-writing-typing-errors-spelling-inaccuracies-and-gramma" target="_blank">How much do bad writing, typing errors, spelling inaccuracies and grammatical mistakes influence your reading enjoyment?</a> (No. 2)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">--<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2246800-what-makes-your-reading-experience-more-enjoyable-quality-writing-or-a" target="_blank">What makes your reading experience more enjoyable: quality writing or a good story?</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">--<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/17448072-writing-style-versus-story-plot" target="_blank">Writing Style Versus Story Plot? </a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-67196469054583928262015-02-26T16:11:00.000+01:002015-02-26T16:11:31.134+01:00Rebecca Douglass<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4234SF9i2PhExkH3s3zGKRoIVIFLCoNWYOhaS_d-dZJBFhql2MRByZjo1N-AT3DMYzikGvxtMkYQsDLCcAMJ1kw_G_DEtOq4SYONJa1OEqDoUeoMzzHOzLNuaUJg52BrEje_opo2Y6_-/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4234SF9i2PhExkH3s3zGKRoIVIFLCoNWYOhaS_d-dZJBFhql2MRByZjo1N-AT3DMYzikGvxtMkYQsDLCcAMJ1kw_G_DEtOq4SYONJa1OEqDoUeoMzzHOzLNuaUJg52BrEje_opo2Y6_-/s1600/photo.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">Rebecca Douglass grew up in Idaho, Arizona, and Washington states, and now lives near San Francisco. Her passions include backpacking, hiking, books, and running and biking. She works at the library, volunteers in the schools, and is hard at work on her next book.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">She is an author of "Ninja Librarian Series" and </span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">"Pismawallops PTA Mystery Series"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">PISMAWALLOPS PTA MYSTERY SERIES</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">This series features JJ MacGregor, a member of the Pismawallops PTA. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">I found the entire reading experience of "Death By Ice Cream", the first book in the "PTA Pismawallops Mystery Series", enjoyable enough to immediately add "Rebecca Douglass" among my LIKED "MYSTERY" AUTHORS...!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">The mystery element was good, the romance part adequate, the characters interesting, the setting pleasant, the humour entertaining, and though there were times when I would have preferred the writing to be even more polished, but overall it was a fast paced and an enjoyable read.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">BOOKS IN THIS SERIES:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">1) Death By Ice Cream</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWvrJsKSZ-jq2m3KHNE_RtOqoY4EH4PsWJKtyXerAOul0G1QTiFY09zGx88KKX2BET2sb5blvMAGBYmiml-KAdHt79fip2bev0_In6VoUudJeBl8E6mZUj4hyLpsz_-WiFl3p4w9aLLCZ/s1600/51HzbZxIXML._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWvrJsKSZ-jq2m3KHNE_RtOqoY4EH4PsWJKtyXerAOul0G1QTiFY09zGx88KKX2BET2sb5blvMAGBYmiml-KAdHt79fip2bev0_In6VoUudJeBl8E6mZUj4hyLpsz_-WiFl3p4w9aLLCZ/s1600/51HzbZxIXML._SY400_.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">What do you serve when all you have in the freezer is an ice-cold corpse?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;">JJ MacGregor and her best friend Kitty Padgett struggle to hold the Pismawallops PTA together, and new volunteer Letitia LeMoine isn’t making it any easier. But when Letitia’s strangled corpse turns up where the ice cream bars should have been, things get a whole lot worse. JJ has to shoehorn in a search for the killer along with all her other problems: divorce, a 15-year-old son with his first girlfriend, a desperate race to complete the Yearbook on time, and her own tendency to get all wobbly-kneed around the Chief of Police. JJ just can’t help asking a few questions. But a loud mouth and insatiable curiosity can be a dangerous combination. Especially when someone wants her stopped.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
</div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307074296305097288.post-16084124874196137732015-02-26T09:15:00.000+01:002015-03-25T14:21:16.832+01:00COZY MYSTERIES (FEBRUARY, 2015)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVVmVTw2vAlgSdjxqK_P3c9FbUb6SWnn3Aw6yKYBDqAZ_Nkq_wanRvBXUz08GDbghJjOmy-gnSBeAAB9Jc9A7XAtBjBQTjkCv4URNjA-qodiIyyjWrr0KjeJ-63MeTKxYA5ImG_ctOTVr/s1600/images-10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVVmVTw2vAlgSdjxqK_P3c9FbUb6SWnn3Aw6yKYBDqAZ_Nkq_wanRvBXUz08GDbghJjOmy-gnSBeAAB9Jc9A7XAtBjBQTjkCv4URNjA-qodiIyyjWrr0KjeJ-63MeTKxYA5ImG_ctOTVr/s1600/images-10.jpeg" height="400" width="299" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The following are the "<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/introduction.html?m=0" target="_blank">Cozy Murder Mystery</a>" </span><span style="font-size: large;">books, released in February, 2015.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21398039-a-root-awakening" target="_blank">A ROOT AWAKENING</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">("Flower Shop Mystery # 16" By "Kate Collins")</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUJ5z20qTRSJILh9u7qTdoVpkpokRNbvMPNNen_Nxj396-5d6hA8RXUhquyi0lZa-wsHL2Sht-4gXNZ4WJaaDVO_AvgvR8zx-801jCofpa9-jMowiV0FSZC5NCfaf_imlhK2Fy1q74hFZ/s1600/51qmEsaEj7L._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUJ5z20qTRSJILh9u7qTdoVpkpokRNbvMPNNen_Nxj396-5d6hA8RXUhquyi0lZa-wsHL2Sht-4gXNZ4WJaaDVO_AvgvR8zx-801jCofpa9-jMowiV0FSZC5NCfaf_imlhK2Fy1q74hFZ/s1600/51qmEsaEj7L._SY400_.jpg" height="320" width="197" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For more information on "Kate Collins" and her "Flower Shop Mystery Series", please click </span><a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/kate-collins.html?m=0" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: large;">...! Thanks...!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22668722-at-the-drop-of-a-hat" target="_blank">AT THE DROP OF A HAT</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">("Hat Shop Mystery # 3" By "Jenn McKinlay")</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYeRrnkb5yY6UXWlcxha5rj5sEWYhZZMk4IVb33ECJNPPaHijROByyEvN-EacLt4z8HuLYpKieXybpSLcvWAJobs7yJJwZQfz2pTfTGu7dzOIHMBeZaOJtw_Y6WWSWn2Qil1LIuNY-Non4/s1600/51mkb5jPQuL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYeRrnkb5yY6UXWlcxha5rj5sEWYhZZMk4IVb33ECJNPPaHijROByyEvN-EacLt4z8HuLYpKieXybpSLcvWAJobs7yJJwZQfz2pTfTGu7dzOIHMBeZaOJtw_Y6WWSWn2Qil1LIuNY-Non4/s1600/51mkb5jPQuL._SY400_.jpg" height="320" width="198" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For more information on "Jenn McKinlay" and her books, please click </span><a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/jenn-mckinlay.html?m=0" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: large;">...! Thanks...!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22668773-an-early-wake" target="_blank">AN EARLY WAKE</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">("Country Cork Mystery # 3" By " Sheila Connolly")</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hCh_NhjPXqYUmN3W-lo35DkJ2rP4hjpjAFSy7RLA0D-a9FnG-t2XPSk3ktPpRPf0sGMdjZ9YjO8koxoATU-hsa-RwlrIqpXqNLRT21AWVuifEVUBN_N6HrC5HrzFfKnraQ_UYxpc2KO4/s1600/51rSVfzG+LL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hCh_NhjPXqYUmN3W-lo35DkJ2rP4hjpjAFSy7RLA0D-a9FnG-t2XPSk3ktPpRPf0sGMdjZ9YjO8koxoATU-hsa-RwlrIqpXqNLRT21AWVuifEVUBN_N6HrC5HrzFfKnraQ_UYxpc2KO4/s1600/51rSVfzG+LL._SY400_.jpg" height="320" width="198" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For more information on "Sheila Connolly" and her books, please click </span><a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/sheila-connolly.html?m=0" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: large;">...! Thanks...!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24952159-how-now-purple-cow" target="_blank">HOW NOW PURPLE COW</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">("The Bogey Man Mystery # 5" By "Marja McGraw")</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIv55aqHCRPqkWTWbPIRh_JT_ch3wVIFEh0XrjLb6DSEUuia0icuzS50nHy-sAGHzFUmNG-XWuXOUCz0DvJ1PfFBM1UD2vNb3BFgz-rChoi1Tfh6ZSmtxd0-21Opv4RYziygdFL5cfp_l/s1600/51ntEm2bwDL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIv55aqHCRPqkWTWbPIRh_JT_ch3wVIFEh0XrjLb6DSEUuia0icuzS50nHy-sAGHzFUmNG-XWuXOUCz0DvJ1PfFBM1UD2vNb3BFgz-rChoi1Tfh6ZSmtxd0-21Opv4RYziygdFL5cfp_l/s1600/51ntEm2bwDL._SY400_.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">For an interesting background information on how the story and the title of "How Now Purple Cow" was created, please click </span><a href="http://marjamcgraw.blogspot.de/2015/02/heeding-call.html?showComment=1424422541124&m=1#c4611986703810561334" style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 34px;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;"> (Marja's Mystery Blog)...! Thanks...!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For more information on "Marja McGraw" and her books, please click <a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/02/marja-mcgraw.html?m=0" target="_blank">here</a>...! Thanks...!</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22544406-double-fudge-brownie-murder" target="_blank">DOUBLE FUDGE BROWNIE MURDER</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">("Hannah Swensen Mystery # 18" By "Joanne Fluke")</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlrloEYUa7IXzq8En-kDbVNcPv9fTUts9LDP5Ygt59j3IZdZUdPVr_E9stojsDdEjt-x9joAlAl4aDaavcKepP2pi5BFYudyPhnrL_U4LqYGhBC3ieo9PQf3mtGbzyQLSsWXyOjTk6UYH/s1600/5174Gpvh8hL._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlrloEYUa7IXzq8En-kDbVNcPv9fTUts9LDP5Ygt59j3IZdZUdPVr_E9stojsDdEjt-x9joAlAl4aDaavcKepP2pi5BFYudyPhnrL_U4LqYGhBC3ieo9PQf3mtGbzyQLSsWXyOjTk6UYH/s1600/5174Gpvh8hL._SY400_.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23250053-the-deep-end" target="_blank">THE DEEP END</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">("Country Club Murder # 1" By "Julie Mulhern")</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZ8r1HbWcwQDZW5Huw35QNJlO_e1ytlSx3LwpKTZFhGMSDhRK0HyrgLW8qFG54ILG0j-wbA-df4Momsg6g629o_2G9JmkamOvSiUB5lTgydBB6XlcXFEAVIbLQggCoj2EXReOs3ircygO/s1600/51WRQzkqE5L._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZ8r1HbWcwQDZW5Huw35QNJlO_e1ytlSx3LwpKTZFhGMSDhRK0HyrgLW8qFG54ILG0j-wbA-df4Momsg6g629o_2G9JmkamOvSiUB5lTgydBB6XlcXFEAVIbLQggCoj2EXReOs3ircygO/s1600/51WRQzkqE5L._SY400_.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22901199-license-to-dill" target="_blank">License To Dill</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">("Pickled And Preserved Mystery # 2" By "Mary Ellen Hughes")</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6B3hak5QNXSnJh4O95qmhIBKZd5HlOpG3ByuFCQnHlCK-Ja5VkwOMspA5dgQB_8bSGI5Qp4WEcV5xqgnChdF27kRMJS78RzDmlq6DYPDHUHeAAdqVucAO_nnYvlkniG64RahWmhXLQNUy/s1600/61DLHLkp37L._SY400_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6B3hak5QNXSnJh4O95qmhIBKZd5HlOpG3ByuFCQnHlCK-Ja5VkwOMspA5dgQB_8bSGI5Qp4WEcV5xqgnChdF27kRMJS78RzDmlq6DYPDHUHeAAdqVucAO_nnYvlkniG64RahWmhXLQNUy/s1600/61DLHLkp37L._SY400_.jpg" height="320" width="198" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: normal;">To obtain more details on the above-mentioned books, including story plots and reviews, please click on the individual names of the books. Thanks...!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;">The above are the "<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/introduction.html?m=0" target="_blank">Cozy Murder Mystery</a>" books by authors that are mentioned in this blog, "<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/?m=0" target="_blank">A COZY MURDER IS ANNOUNCED</a>". For information about more "<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/introduction.html?m=0" target="_blank">Cozy Murder Mystery</a>" books by other authors, that were released in February, 2015, please click <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2180796-february-2015" target="_blank">here</a> (Goodreads) ...and <a href="http://www.cozy-mystery.com/blog/february-2015-mystery-book-new-releases.html" target="_blank">here</a> (Cozy-Mystery.Com) ...and <a href="http://www.cozychicksblog.com/2015/02/the-february-2015-report.html?m=1" target="_blank">here</a> (The Cozy Chicks)...! Thanks...!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i style="line-height: 34px; text-align: center;"><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><i>What are your feelings and thoughts when a 'new' book from one of your favourite authors is released?</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 34px;">To answer this question, and to discover my own feelings and thoughts on this topic, please visit the following post of my blog:</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/on-new-books.html?m=0" target="_blank">http://acozymurderisannounced.blogspot.de/2015/01/on-new-books.html?m=0</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Thanks...!</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 34px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Ramla Zareenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06576782069649525567noreply@blogger.com2