In My Mailbox: The Pig and Me by Lindsay Frucci

Back when I started Weight Watchers (which by the way is the best diet out there!) I had to severely restrict all of my most favorite sinfully delicious treats – including chocolate brownies. It was incredibly hard – dare I say almost impossible – to swap out a sugary confection for a piece of fruit. But thanks to No Pudge Brownies, I didn’t have to go cold turkey! So you can imagine my excitement when the creator of these delectable treats offered to send me her new book! Even if you’re a skinny-minnie who can eat fat-laden goodies without permanently gluing a stick of butter to your hips -  this book is a great read for anyone interested in inspiring stories about fearless women who rise up and conquer in defiance of adversity – Ya Ya sisters!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by the Story Siren.

Here’s a synapsis:

When a personal bankruptcy robbed her family of financial security, Lindsay Frucci decided the way back to marital and family bliss was to start a business that would make gobs of money. Out of the mantra “there must be something I can do” and a passion for fat-laden, fudgy brownies that made it hard to zip her jeans, an idea was born: healthy brownies for the masses. In a leap of faith borne on the wings of innocence and naiveté, she founded No Pudge! Foods, Inc., and began an epic journey of unexpected personal growth and discovery. Frucci owned No Pudge! for ten years, and when she sold it, her Fat Free Fudge Brownie Mixes were sold in every major grocery chain in the United States. The fairy tale is an enviable, business success story. The reality is the story of a woman who was raised hearing “you can’t” and found, to her surprise and great satisfaction, she could – and then some.

Fever Moon by Carolyn Haines

Legend has it the loup-garou, a shape-shifting fiend with a human body and the head of a wolf, prowls the swamps of Louisiana looking for its next meal.

Sure, the concept of a flesh-eating Cajun werewolf may seem far-fetched, but for the people of New Iberia parish, the legend is something to be feared.

The story begins when Deputy Ramond Thibodeaux stumbles upon the gruesome scene of Adele Herbert, the town outcast, crouching over the ravaged body of Henry Bastian, a wealthy plantation owner.

In all the horrors he witnessed while fighting in the war, he’d never seen anything that chilled him so deeply.

“For one long moment he stood and stared at the woman. At what lay at her feet. At the blood glistening in the moonlight on her hands and face and the rivulets of it tracing the path of the rain along the dirt road. At the long, twisted ropes of intestines that had been pulled from  the savaged abdomen of the dead man.”

And so begins Haines’ chilling story of murder and mysticism in post-World War II Louisiana. With the townsfolk in a panic about the loup-garou on the loose, Raymond is determined to restore order. Although his neighbors believe the woman is a mythical were-creature, Raymond suspects she was set up.

Tormented by the atrocities of war, Raymond feels a strange connection to Adele. After the death of her twin boys and the suicide of her sister, she lost everything, including her sense of reality. Haunted by guilt and wartime flashbacks, Raymond knows his only salvation is to prove Adele’s innocence and possibly give her a chance to rebuild her life.  

When a child goes missing and Adele breaks loose, the town spirals into a frenzy. And Raymond is forced to seek out the killer before it’s too late. With some help from a mystical healer and the town mistress, Raymond pieces together the clues and discovers something far more sinister than a loup-garou is at work.

Will Raymond prove Adele’s innocence before the townsfolk burn her alive?  What twisted secrets lie behind the walls of the Bastion plantation home? You’ll have to read to find out!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of Haines’ cozy Bones mystery series, but I love it when she takes a spin on the dark side! Just like James Lee Burke and Joe Lansdale, she has a real talent for creating a deliciously atmospheric Southern mystery filled with complex characters.  

Whether her books are dark and spooky or cozy and warm, Haines knocks it out of the ballpark every time.  Keep ‘em coming Carolyn!

Want to know about this talented author? Well then check out her Q&A.

In My Mailbox: Chihuahua of the Baskervilles

 

I’m super excited to crack open this fun little mystery filled with adorable Chihuahuas, ghosts and quirky Scooby-Doo- like ghost-hunting travel writers! Since I’m a fan of mysteries involving quirky sleuths and their crime-solving pets, I’m sure I’m going to get a lot of enjoyment out of this book! Gizzy isn’t all too pleased about me reading two dog-themed books in a row, so I’ll have to make it up to him by reading a couple of Sophie Kelly’s Magical Cats Mysteries.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by the Story Siren.

Check out the summary from GoodReads:

When the glowing form of a beloved deceased Chihuahua appears, is it a ghost, or is someone teaching a dead dog new tricks – like murder?

Tripping Magazine is a quirky low-budget magazine that reports on travel destinations for believers in the paranormal. A few fake ghosts away from throwing in the towel, the Tripping staff get the tip of a lifetime when they get a call from Charlotte Baskerville, the rich founder of a clothing company for small dogs. Charlotte thinks that her Chihuahua, Petey, has come back from the dead, and she’s desperate for someone to come verify his appearances.

 The magazine’s three-person reporting team travels to Manitou Springs, Colorado, sure that the ghostly dog will be a work of fiction. But, when they arrive, they see evidence of Petey with their own eyes. And he’s not just floating by – he’s howling advice and spelling out threats with tiny paw prints. Is the ghost real, or is the whole phenomenon an elaborate ruse?

 The Tripping team must navigate the kooky world of coffin races, scheming husbands, and doggie fashion to solve the mystery – and get their story written at the same time. Uproariously funny and a great mystery to boot, Chihuahua of the Baskervilles is sure to leave you in stitches.

For more about this charming little mystery, check out Esri’s guest blog on Cozy Chicks.

Welcome to My Pity Party

Well this sucks. I have been counting down the days until the Austin Teen Book Fest like a little girl waiting to get her Barbie dreamhouse on Christmas day. But just as luck would have it, I woke up this morning with a nasty cold-like virus.  Really?!?!  Why couldn’t this thing ravage my body during the workweek so I could legitimately stay home and watch Lifetime movies?  This is almost as bad as that hangover last Thanksgiving after I tried to drink my Uncle John under the table at the Broken Spoke.

So while I was chugging Nyquil and drifting in and out of consciousness, I missed out on hanging out with my fellow book blogger chums and meeting some fabulous YA authors.  I was especially excited about meeting Alyson Noel and Rosemary Clement Moore.  These are the books that I planned on having them sign today…life is so unfair.

Evermore by Alyson Noel
Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch.   Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen  Auguste . . .

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition.  He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets.  Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head.  She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is.  Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement Moore
Amy Goodnight’s family is far from normal. She comes from a line of witches, but tries her best to stay far outside the family business. Her summer gig? Ranch-sitting for her aunt with her wacky but beautiful sister. Only the Goodnight Ranch is even less normal than it normally is. Bodies are being discovered, a ghost is on the prowl, and everywhere she turns, the hot neighbor cowboy is in her face.

Oh well, at least I can still look forward to the Austin Book Fest this month. I’ll get myself a flu shot just to make sure I won’t be bedridden that day.