Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Blog Tour: A Tale of Two Biddies by Kylie Logan (Review/Guest Post/Giveaway)



About the Book

A Tale of Two Biddies
(League of Literary Ladies)
2nd in Series
Cozy Mystery
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley (February 4, 2014)
ISBN-13: 978-0425257760
E-BOOK ASIN: B00DYX9KJ2



Synopsis

When it comes to solving mysteries, these ladies are in a league of their own…

Summer can be the best of times or the worst of times for the resort town of Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie. For Bea Cartwright, business is booming as guests storm her B and B for the Bastille Day celebration. In honor of the holiday, the League of Literary Ladies is reading the Charles Dickens’ classic, A Tale of Two Cities. It would be hard to make a more apropos selection—especially when they have their very own Defarge sisters, elderly twins Margaret and Alice, who run the local knitting shop.

On Bastille Day, the head-banging rock band Guillotine shows their chops for the tourists—but the celebration is soon cut short. With something needling the Defarge dowagers and secrets that lead to murder, solving this mystery will be a far, far better thing than the Literary Ladies have done before. They’ll just have to make sure to keep their heads while they try to stop a killer’s reign of terror…

Purchase Links:
 
AMAZON          Book World               B&N


My Review

It’s Bastille Day in Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie, but things take a really nasty turn when a local man is found dead. Just Bea’s luck, she’s the one to find the dead body of Richie, a man not very well-liked. Obviously someone hated him even more than everyone else did. Afraid this will hurt tourist season and the Bastille Day celebration, Bea decides to investigate the situation herself. With the help of her fellow “League of Literary Ladies”, Bea sets out to find a killer.

I loved the first book in the series and enjoyed this one even more. I love the small town feel and the zany characters. The first book was based on Murder on the Orient Express, which I knew very well. This one is a Tale of Two Cities, which I don’t think I ever read. If I did, it was in school, not recently. It didn’t matter, though, since I enjoyed this one anyway. I even loved the Charles Dickens’ look-alikes. Too funny!

This series is perfect for a cozy mystery. It has everything from a mysterious storyline to a town filled with eccentric characters to a small town setting. Those are the ingredients that make for a memorable cozy series. At least it does for me. I really don’t think you have to read the first book in order to read this one. Readers can jump right into the series with this book, but I’m pretty sure they will want to read the first one too. They are just so enjoyable.

I’m fast becoming a huge fan of this author. I need to get involved in her other cozy series as well. For now, I’m anxiously awaiting book #3 in this series.




For reading challenges:
2014 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge
2014 ARC Reading Challenge
Where are you reading? challenge (Ohio)
Cruisin’ Through the Cozies

FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review for this blog tour. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.


About the Author


Kylie Logan has loved mysteries since she was a kid. Her dad was a Cleveland Police detective and he introduced her to Sherlock Holmes stories and gave her investigating experience when on his days off, they’d pile into the car and hit the streets to look for stolen cars. When he retired from the force, Dad became head of security for the Cleveland Public Library.

Crooks and books! Kylie comes by her love of mysteries honestly.

Kylie began her career writing historical romance and her book, “Devil’s Diamond,” was nominated for a RITA award as historical romance of the year by Romance Writers of America. She’s also written contemporary romance (as Connie Lane), young adult horror (as Zoe Daniels and Connie Laux) and she writes the popular Pepper Martin mysteries as Casey Daniels.

Kylie is currently writing three different mystery series: the Button Box mysteries (newest book is “Panic Button”), the League of Literary Ladies mysteries (“Mayhem at the Orient Express”) and now, the Chili Cook-Off mysteries. She can’t pass up an antique shop…there might be buttons in there! She can’t put down a classic book . . . even if she already knows the story. And she can’t say no to a good bowl of chili. Luckily, her husband is the world’s greatest chili maker.

When she’s not writing, she’s usually with her family and their two dogs, Ernie, an adorable Airedale, and Oscar, a rescued Jack Russell who came for a short-term stay and ten years later, is still around. Kylie says that those of you who have ever met/lived with/had dealings with a Russell will certainly understand how knowing him has increased her propensity for murder.

Webpage: www.kylielogan.com Also, www.caseydaniels.com

Author Guest Post

Sending Summer Sunshine

by Kylie Logan

I don’t know about where you are, but here in Ohio, winter is making its presence known. We’ve had record cold temperatures and plenty of snow.

Maybe that’s why in spite of the howling wind, the biting cold and all that snow, I’d like to talk about summer. What could be a better antidote to all this nasty weather than a little warmth and sunshine!

That’s exactly what I’m promising in "A Tale of Two Biddies," book #2 in my League of Literary Ladies mystery series that will be on store shelves on February 4. The book tells the story of what happens on South Bass Island (the Key West of Lake Erie) during the Bastille Day celebration. Bastille Day on South Bass? Of course it’s not an official holiday, but the chamber of commerce is always looking for ways to bring tourists to the island. The celebration is complete with a rock concert from a band called Guillotine, a Charles Dickens look-alike contest and oh yes, a murder.

Have no fear, the League of Literary Ladies is on the case! The League consists of four island residents: Bea Cartwright, new to the island who owns an upscale B&B, Chandra Morrisey, the island kook and tarot card reader, Kate Wilder, who owns the local winery, and Luella Zak, senior citizen and fishing boat captain.

When the ladies meet in book #1 of the series ("Mayhem at the Orient Express") they are feuding neighbors. The local judge gets tired of them taking each other to court and decides they need to talk and get to know each other better. He sentences them to be a book discussion group and while they’re reading Agatha Christie’s classic "Murder on the Orient Express" they not only learn that they’re pretty good at investigating, but they become fast friends, too.

Now in honor of Bastille Day, the Ladies are reading "A Tale of Two Cities," the Charles Dickens classic about the French Revolution, and they’re prepared for whatever comes their way!

Well, maybe not for the guillotine Bea finds on her front porch.

Or another visit from Jerry Garcia, her neighbor’s nasty cat.

Truth be told, the Ladies of the League probably aren’t prepared for who the guys of Guillotine used to be, either, for their fans who show up in droves, or for the secrets that reveal a whole dark side to their island paradise.

So get ready to sit back, sip a lemonade and pretend it’s summer as you enjoy a story Romantic Times magazine says has all the making of "a great mystery."

This time of year, we could all use a little sunshine!

BOOK GIVEAWAY!!!!

Now you can win a paperback copy of A Tale of Two Biddies by Kylie Logan? Thanks to the author and publisher, I have one paperback to giveaway to one lucky winner.

Just a few simple rules...

1) You must fill out the form below.

2) US Residents Only

3) For an extra entry: Follow this blog

4) For an extra entry: Follow me on Twitter

5) For an extra entry: Follow me on Goodreads

6) For an extra 2 entries: Post this giveaway on your blog.

7) For an extra 2 entries: Tweet about this giveaway.

8) For an extra 2 entries: Like one of my reviews on Amazon.

9) For an exra 2 entries:  Leave a comment for the author.

The giveaway begins on January 29th (midnight est) and ends on February 5th (midnight est).

The winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to respond, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

Good luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

20 comments:

  1. Oh, it looks great; I need to read it! Thank you for the chance to win it :)

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  2. Sounds like a great book, I've added it to my read list.

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  3. Love those kitties

    libbydodd@comcast.net

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  4. Great review! =)
    I really enjoy this series also! ( I have a copy of this book..so I wont be entering the giveaway ) =)

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  5. This book would be enjoyable and lovely. Thanks. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  6. The cover of this book is adorable! I'll add this giveaway to my blog's sidebar. Yvonne, this sounds like a fun book. I hope Ohio warms up a bit!

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  7. Love those five kitties! And so glad you enjoyed "Biddies." It sure is fun to think about summer on a cold day like this.

    Kylie

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  8. I'm sorry to say that the first book in this series is still a ways down my main TBR pile. I have 4 piles in all. If I win the book I'll jump the first one to the top and then read both in order.

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  9. It sounds really good. I just love cozy mysteries. Thanks for having the giveaway.

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  10. Love the title and the cover. Eager to read it.

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  11. The first is sitting on my to be read pile. I really must make time to read it.

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  12. cannot wait to read this!!
    good luck & continued success to Kylie!!!

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  13. Absolutely cannot wait to read it!!! Have been waiting anxiously since the day I finished Mayhem..:)

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  14. The first book caught my attention when it came out, but I missed getting a copy at the time. I think I need to pick up both of these!

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  15. Looks good. I love any book that has a cat in it.

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  16. Loved the first one in this series. I can;t wait to get this one. Thanks for the giveaway! Fingers crossed. :)

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  17. I don't know why but this title makes me smile. It sounds like a great book

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