tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17126237237793083902024-03-13T03:28:33.624-07:00The Tea Cozy Mysteries 1890s-1950s book series by Miss J.S. DevivreUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-32688580811229802752019-06-01T08:53:00.005-07:002019-06-01T08:53:54.812-07:003rd time's a charm?It's coming down to the wire. We're headed toward the last couple of chapters of <i>NO SCONE LEFT UNTURNED</i>, the final novel in the 5-part <i>TEA COZY MYSTERIES</i> series. After several false starts, it's wedding day for our protagonist Penelope. Surely nothing could go wrong ...<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E8xvU2Os30E/XPKfeSw_PoI/AAAAAAAAi0Q/mt0l4Ig7ofsrLiJqm-6PCQoBknqWhL1eQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/1920s%2Bbride%2Bcathedral%2Btrain.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E8xvU2Os30E/XPKfeSw_PoI/AAAAAAAAi0Q/mt0l4Ig7ofsrLiJqm-6PCQoBknqWhL1eQCK4BGAYYCw/s640/1920s%2Bbride%2Bcathedral%2Btrain.jpg" width="504" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-51055521983907258222018-12-19T08:22:00.002-08:002018-12-19T08:22:55.947-08:00Betas for book #4Greetings, readers! Want the inside scoop on <i>Esprit de Corpse</i>, book #4 in Penelope Price's <i>Tea Cozy Mysteries</i> story? If you're up to scratch on the first 3 books in the series, simply email CupOfMystery@gmail.com to ask for a PDF to peruse. Your feedback will help shape the story!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XxVvFJ32AGA/XBpwLtNoV8I/AAAAAAAAceQ/8Fd9acrAovA01m9iTEGdK_FxzC_9GD8FACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/4-edc%2BBETA%2Breader%2Bcall.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XxVvFJ32AGA/XBpwLtNoV8I/AAAAAAAAceQ/8Fd9acrAovA01m9iTEGdK_FxzC_9GD8FACK4BGAYYCw/s640/4-edc%2BBETA%2Breader%2Bcall.jpg" width="556" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-2741713841183058562018-11-04T17:36:00.002-08:002018-11-04T17:36:25.728-08:00In the pink<div style="text-align: center;">
Zara suggests a frock for Penelope to wear at the evening's reception at the Hôtel de Pontalba in Paris in <i>Esprit de Corpse</i>, book #4 in our series.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-86882958078361712082018-11-02T18:52:00.000-07:002018-11-02T18:52:11.041-07:00Hanging out with Hank<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">A sitting room at Hank's Park Avenue pad in Manhattan </span></div>
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[in <i>Esprit de Corpse</i>, tea cozy mystery book #4]
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-8887454959727417902018-10-24T17:03:00.003-07:002018-10-24T17:03:21.086-07:00The latest in kitchen technology<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Penelope shows Zara the new Kelvinator </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iQHIBXBxmRA/W9EIN0KjrhI/AAAAAAAAbt0/zebniU_i38ocleIk3QFXNbmsWEtkIlRiACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/kelvinator%2Billustration%2B01.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="612" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iQHIBXBxmRA/W9EIN0KjrhI/AAAAAAAAbt0/zebniU_i38ocleIk3QFXNbmsWEtkIlRiACK4BGAYYCw/s640/kelvinator%2Billustration%2B01.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-68939265876628338492018-10-10T15:56:00.000-07:002018-10-10T16:02:23.289-07:00The perils of picnicking<i>1920s Party - "Correct Behavior on a Picnic"</i><br />
<b>by Donald Ogden Stewart </b><br />
from the 1920s etiquette book, <i>Perfect Behavior, A Guide for Ladies and Gentlemen in All Social Crises</i>.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mVePNzJU-w4/W76C59zJ6iI/AAAAAAAAbpY/tYULy3g_EQIB5amopbzpfNb5zfCmZkKbQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/01%2Bpink%2Btea%2Boutdoor%2Blemonade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mVePNzJU-w4/W76C59zJ6iI/AAAAAAAAbpY/tYULy3g_EQIB5amopbzpfNb5zfCmZkKbQCK4BGAYYCw/s400/01%2Bpink%2Btea%2Boutdoor%2Blemonade.jpg" width="400" /></a>There often comes a time in the life of the members of "society" when they grow a little weary of the ceaseless round of teas, balls and dinners, and for such I would not hesitate to recommend a "picnic."<br />
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A day spent in the "open," with the blue sky over one's head, is indeed a splendid tonic for jaded nerves. But one should not make the mistake of thinking that because he (or she) is "roughing it" for a day, he (or she) can therefore leave behind his (or her) "manners," for such is not the case. There is a distinct etiquette for picnics, and anyone who disregards this fact is apt to find to his (or her) sorrow that the "shoe" in this case is decidedly "on the other foot."<br />
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A young man, for example, is often asked by a young lady to accompany her on a "family picnic." To this invitation he should, after some consideration, reply either "Yes" or "No," and if the former, he should present himself at the young lady's house promptly on the day set for the affair (usually Sunday).<br />
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A "family picnic" generally consists of a Buick, a father, a mother, a daughter, a small son, beef loaf, lettuce sandwiches, a young man (you), two blow-outs, one spare tire, and Aunt Florence.<br />
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The father drives with his small boy beside him; in the rear are the mother, the daughter, Aunt Florence, the thermos bottles, the lunch baskets and you. As you take your seat you must remember that it is a distinct evidence of bad breeding to show in any way that you are conscious of the fact that the car has been standing for the last hour and forty-four minutes in the hot July sun. "We're off!" cries father, pressing his foot on the self-starting pedal. Thirty minutes later you roll away from the curb<img height="16" id="t4cpe912sser" src="data:image/gif;base64,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" width="16" /> and the picnic has begun. The intervening time has, of course, been profitably spent by you in walking to the nearest garage for two new sparkplugs.<br />
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It should be your duty, as guest, to see that the conversation in the rear seat is not allowed to lag. "It's a great day," you remark, as the car speeds along. "I think it's going to rain," replies Aunt Florence. "Not too fast, Will!" says mother. "Mother!" says the daughter.<br />
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Ten minutes later you should again remark, "My, what a wonderful day!" "Those clouds are gathering in the west," says Aunt Florence, "I think we had better put the top up." "I think this is the wrong road," says mother.<br />
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"Dear, I know what I'm doing," replies father.<br />
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The secret of good conversation lies in discovering the "hobby" of the person with whom one is conversing, and a good talker always throws out several "feelers" in order to find out the things in which his partner is most interested. You should, therefore, next say to mother, "Don't you think this is a glorious day for a picnic?" to which she will reply, "Well, I'm sure this is the wrong road. Hadn't you better ask?" The husband will answer nothing, but Aunt Florence will murmur, "I think I felt a drop of rain, Will. If you don't put the top up now, we'll all be drenched."<br />
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The husband will then stop the car, and you and he will proceed to put up the top. In doing this, it is customary for the guest to get the second and third fingers of his right hand so severely pinched that he can not use the hand for several days. As soon as the top is up and the rain curtains are in place the sun will come out and you can at once get out and put the top down, taking care this time to ruin two fingers of the LEFT hand.<br />
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No good conversationalist confines himself exclusively to one subject, and when you are once more "under way" you should remark to the mother, "I think that motoring is great fun, don't you, Mrs. Caldwell?" Her answer will be, "I wish you wouldn't drive so fast!" You should then smile and say to Aunt Florence, "Don't YOU think that motoring is great fun, Mrs. Lockwood?" As she is about to reply, the left rear tire will blow out with a loud noise and the car will come to a bumping stop.<br />
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The etiquette of changing a tire is fairly simple. As soon as the "puncture" occurs one should at once remark, "Is there anything I can do?" This request should be repeated from time to time, always taking care, however, that no one takes it at all seriously. The real duty of a young man who is a "guest" on a motor trip on which a "blow-out" occurs is, of course, to keep the ladies of the party amused during the delay. This can be accomplished by any of the conventional methods, such as card tricks, handsprings, and other feats of athletic agility, or making funny jokes about the host who is at work on the tire.<br />
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When the damage has been repaired and the car is once more speeding along, leaving behind it mile after mile of dusty road as well as father's best "jack" and set of tire tools, the small boy will suddenly remark, "I'm hungry." His father will then reply, "We'll be at a fine place to eat in ten minutes."<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-59v8UYR3pP0/W76E760TmHI/AAAAAAAAbqU/6QeVByYffa4j3-6WtvNZMVlVidxP1GSyQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/01%2Bpicnic%2Bbasket%2Bon%2Bcar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-59v8UYR3pP0/W76E760TmHI/AAAAAAAAbqU/6QeVByYffa4j3-6WtvNZMVlVidxP1GSyQCK4BGAYYCw/s400/01%2Bpicnic%2Bbasket%2Bon%2Bcar.jpg" width="400" /></a>Thirty minutes later mother will remark, "Will, that looks like a good place for a picnic over there." The father will reply, "No--we're coming to a wonderful place--just trust me, Mary!" Twenty minutes later Aunt Florence will say, "Will, I think that grove over there would be fine for our lunch," to which the husband will reply, "We're almost at the place I know about--it's ideal for a picnic." Forty minutes after this, father will stop the car and point to a clump of trees. "There," he will say, "what do you think of that?" "Oh, we can't eat THERE!" will be the answer of mother, daughter and Aunt Florence. "Drive on a bit further—I think I know a place."<br />
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Three hours and thirty minutes later (i.e. four hours past your normal lunch hour) there will be another puncture and as the car stops beside a wheat field it will begin to rain, and the daughter will sigh, "Well, we might as well eat here." The "picnic" will then be held in the car, and nothing really quite carries one back to nature and primeval man as does warm lemonade and a lettuce sandwich in a Buick with the top up and side curtains on.<br />
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After lunch it will be time to return home, and after you and father have ruined your clothes in repairing the punctures, the merry party will proceed on its way. The next morning, if you have not caught pneumonia, you will be able to go to your work greatly refreshed by your day's outing in the lap of old Mother Nature.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-30554995722917960402018-10-09T09:28:00.000-07:002018-10-09T09:28:24.718-07:00Embarking on le voyage<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Penelope & Zara will be stopping overnight in Manhattan before boarding the SS Paris bound for the city of light. Any requests regarding their antics or places to visit?</b></div>
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(Thus far they're scheduled to stop by B. Altman's, dine at Delmonico's, stroll around Central Park, and stay in "The Attic" at the Plaza if that helps)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poster for Cie Gie Transatlantique's French Line</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-84857422867624925752018-09-03T09:58:00.002-07:002018-09-03T09:58:41.056-07:002020 will be here before we know it!<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">By request, I'm starting to work on our January 2020 "No Scone Left Unturned" train trip to NorCal. At the moment I'm checking out B&Bs near Hearst Castle. So fun!</span></b></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-86355311270373761062018-07-26T07:22:00.002-07:002018-07-26T07:22:20.245-07:00Tea Cozy Mysteries Tea at Paris in a Cup<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Take tea with JS Devivre, author of the 1920s <b><i><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.teacozymysteries.jsdevivre.com/&source=gmail&ust=1532700982337000&usg=AFQjCNGnqwEq5gSW6CMVKKz5P9FjAKf7Jg" href="http://www.teacozymysteries.jsdevivre.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Tea Cozy Mysteries</a> </i></b>& the whodunnits hosted at Paris In A Cup</span></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><b>Sunday, September 16th at 2:30pm</b></span></div>
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<b>$49.95</b> inclusive</div>
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<br /></div>
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Joy will catch readers up on the first three books, <b><i>One Lump of Two</i></b>, <b><i>Reading Between the Leaves</i></b> & this year’s release <b><i>Objets d’Artifice</i></b>, discuss upcoming activities and trips associated with the series, answer ‘non-spoiler’ questions, and let drop a few hints about <b><i>Esprit de Corpse</i></b>, the fourth installment that takes the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.teaandsympathy.jsdevivre.com/p/home.html&source=gmail&ust=1532700982337000&usg=AFQjCNHQDzOBSwphINLHQv80eauplXXmig" href="https://www.teaandsympathy.jsdevivre.com/p/home.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Tea & Sympathy Investigative Agency</a>to Paris!</div>
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And you can join your sleuthing sisters in the City of Light as part of <b><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.paristrip.teatravellerssocietea.com/&source=gmail&ust=1532700982337000&usg=AFQjCNGFMKw6hMkRMbEVBO8a9EB0aEcHwA" href="https://www.paristrip.teatravellerssocietea.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Une Tasse de Paris</a></b>, a weeklong vacation sponsored by Paris In A Cup. </div>
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{Trip runs September 7-13/15, 2019}</div>
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Books and detective kits will be available for purchase.</div>
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Participating investigators will have the opportunity to pick up another ‘clue.’ </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-48402789047703893892018-03-23T18:41:00.001-07:002018-03-23T18:41:06.069-07:00Enjoying the artifice<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b><i>Objets d'Artifice</i>, book III in the Tea Cozy Mysteries series, awaits your perusal in both <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Objets-dArtifice-Cozy-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B07879GCG" target="_blank">Kindle</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Objets-dArtifice-Tea-Cozy-Mysteries/dp/1979998183" target="_blank">paperback</a> formats.</b></span></div>
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<b><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4kk9uAKVxA/WrWscj13aaI/AAAAAAAAags/gYKeqPS4bfcXD0Xd05Y_ysamS3vh4h2QwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/5-star%2Breview%2Bstars.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="24" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A4kk9uAKVxA/WrWscj13aaI/AAAAAAAAags/gYKeqPS4bfcXD0Xd05Y_ysamS3vh4h2QwCK4BGAYYCw/s320/5-star%2Breview%2Bstars.png" width="100" /></a>“While I sometimes cringe watching late bloomer Penelope make the mistakes most of us made when
we were still wearing braces, that’s what makes her so relatable and enjoyable to follow. She and Zara are perfect foils and always entertain. This was my favorite story in the series so far. I can’t wait to see what happens next when they go to Paris.”</b> Tracey G., financial analyst
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-InLm8oRADk8/WrWrgiVjhUI/AAAAAAAAagg/HSgIBQYT-GENJSJ99JRsKnTU2ZQgvkotQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/objets%2Bdartifice%2B03%2Breverse%2Bstamp%2Bonly%2B-%2Byes.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-InLm8oRADk8/WrWrgiVjhUI/AAAAAAAAagg/HSgIBQYT-GENJSJ99JRsKnTU2ZQgvkotQCK4BGAYYCw/s640/objets%2Bdartifice%2B03%2Breverse%2Bstamp%2Bonly%2B-%2Byes.jpg" width="494" /></a></b></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-64965937634659028522017-07-09T06:14:00.002-07:002017-07-09T06:14:46.874-07:00Now you too can read between the leaves<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: x-large;"><b>At last, <i>Reading Between the Leaves</i> is available for your reading pleasure.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: x-large;">Get yours now in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Between-Leaves-Cozy-Mystery-ebook/dp/B071HNSKB2" target="_blank">Kindle</a> or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Between-Leaves-Cozy-Mysteries/dp/1546698205" target="_blank">paperback</a> format.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_EiYCRiH9Q/WWIpyI58kCI/AAAAAAAAZao/zSyfNuDIgbYQmzVbySat43H0DwifVbmXwCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/reading%2Bbetween%2Bthe%2Bleaves%2Blogo%2B01.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p_EiYCRiH9Q/WWIpyI58kCI/AAAAAAAAZao/zSyfNuDIgbYQmzVbySat43H0DwifVbmXwCK4BGAYYCw/s640/reading%2Bbetween%2Bthe%2Bleaves%2Blogo%2B01.jpg" width="496" /></a></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-29870027787252780572017-04-28T08:26:00.001-07:002017-04-28T08:26:34.920-07:00It's Beta reading time<div style="text-align: center;">
It's that time again ...</div>
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Looking for <b>BETA READERS</b> for <i><b>READING BETWEEN THE LEAVES</b></i>, </div>
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part 2 in the 1920s Tea Cozy Mystery series.</div>
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Any takers? :)</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6cmC-3qUdNA/WQNfAZYOwyI/AAAAAAAAZFU/aRlPFjAfRXUtE-Rn6JCJ_VTJZk6GDmFqgCK4B/s1600/marjon%2Bmatkassa%2Breading.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6cmC-3qUdNA/WQNfAZYOwyI/AAAAAAAAZFU/aRlPFjAfRXUtE-Rn6JCJ_VTJZk6GDmFqgCK4B/s640/marjon%2Bmatkassa%2Breading.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-32314796220847319042017-04-07T07:19:00.002-07:002017-04-07T08:21:41.488-07:00Tea trip in the offingJoin us as for our first ever tea trip to NorCal where we'll scope out some of characters Penelope's and Zara's favorite haunts. Click on the aptly named "<a href="http://theteacozymysteries.blogspot.com/p/norcal-tea-trip-2018.html" target="_blank">Walk in the footsteps NorCal tea jaunt 2018</a>" tab at top for details.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zuy2fFqX8M8/WOeudnbR6CI/AAAAAAAAY5U/yLCnz0k5dF8ccdrDvpqryat_yS0QTpN2gCK4B/s1600/sf%2Bpainted%2Bladies.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zuy2fFqX8M8/WOeudnbR6CI/AAAAAAAAY5U/yLCnz0k5dF8ccdrDvpqryat_yS0QTpN2gCK4B/s640/sf%2Bpainted%2Bladies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-34241369016749145022016-10-17T16:44:00.000-07:002016-10-17T16:44:09.470-07:00Testing tasseography<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_ssdDt6w7F0/WAQQtzvd6lI/AAAAAAAAXbc/Vxkr9zid2w8paloiqdzcBdRi8hrgL1ZiQCK4B/s1600/zara%2Btea%2Bleaf%2Breading%2Bcorner%2B01.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_ssdDt6w7F0/WAQQtzvd6lI/AAAAAAAAXbc/Vxkr9zid2w8paloiqdzcBdRi8hrgL1ZiQCK4B/s640/zara%2Btea%2Bleaf%2Breading%2Bcorner%2B01.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When the time for the Summer Solstice Celebration came, a corner of the tea parlour had been transformed for the occasion. Walter had enlisted his officers to transport a fainting couch and velvet carved armchair from Penelope’s home to the shop, and Zara draped one of the tea tables with scarves and hung a festooned mosquito net over the table from the ceiling. She’d even acquired a tasseography cup for use in her divinations. All in all, the setup looked suitably mysterious and bohemian. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Zara herself was decked out in layers of shawls and scarves, with belled anklets jingling above her bare feet, and gold hoop earrings that kept getting stuck on her heavy jeweled necklace. She begged to black out one of her teeth to appear like a wise old crone, but Penelope forbade it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">By the time the pupils of Pacific Grove Elementary had assembled at the Jewell Park Gazebo and shown off their commemorative choreography, Zara was stationed in her fortune-telling corner, seasonal treats had been assembled on the buffet table, Stella was pouring the last bit of bubbling hot water into her waiting teapots, and Penelope was all smiles, standing at the tearoom’s entrance, ready to greet the guests. She’d even printed up small How to Read Tea Leaves leaflets for the visitors, bursting with zealous anticipation at the thought of mentioning the leaflet pun when the time came to hand out the pamphlets. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">That was to be the last time she would smile on that unforgettable day.</span><br />
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[Excerpt from Reading Between the Leaves, book 2 in the Tea Cozy Mysteries series]<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UKBhDkb81aw/WAQQo2Ki5eI/AAAAAAAAXbU/cCxlcU3G10ovUHcmuwq2tF1XYcCGP7l4ACK4B/s1600/tea%2Bleaf%2Breading%2Bchart.gif" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UKBhDkb81aw/WAQQo2Ki5eI/AAAAAAAAXbU/cCxlcU3G10ovUHcmuwq2tF1XYcCGP7l4ACK4B/s640/tea%2Bleaf%2Breading%2Bchart.gif" width="515" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-32548620749975466052016-10-16T10:31:00.000-07:002016-10-16T10:31:01.042-07:00The Jewell Park GazeboAs if Pacific Grove wasn't cute enough! This is the town's Jewell Park Gazebo, site of a Summer Solstice Celebration on WIP Reading Between the Leaves, book 2 in the Tea Cozy Mysteries series.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SjJoxxCyWt8/WAO5QtUSBTI/AAAAAAAAXbE/adsgU49oOPgK-H0qfmjwlXJSkzT876oLQCK4B/s1600/jewell_park.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SjJoxxCyWt8/WAO5QtUSBTI/AAAAAAAAXbE/adsgU49oOPgK-H0qfmjwlXJSkzT876oLQCK4B/s640/jewell_park.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-36748107382362252312016-10-13T12:15:00.003-07:002016-10-13T12:16:02.439-07:00Clockworks<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lv5PgY3Um8k/V__dUVohteI/AAAAAAAAXac/Yyk2FCadMowqnVN1Vijdp_hK1U3eWlxgACK4B/s1600/antique-swiss-gilded-wall-clock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lv5PgY3Um8k/V__dUVohteI/AAAAAAAAXac/Yyk2FCadMowqnVN1Vijdp_hK1U3eWlxgACK4B/s400/antique-swiss-gilded-wall-clock.jpg" width="400" /></a>Several times that following day, Penelope took the clock off the tearoom kitchen wall and shook it, convinced it had stopped. Never had a day dragged by so slowly and never had she been more irritable. She just wanted to get home and get ready for her date. Was that so much to ask?<br />
<br />
When at last she arrived at the Victorian, she dashed upstairs to bathe, wanting first and foremost to rid herself of any hint of cucumber, egg salad, curried chicken, or scones. While smelling liked baked goods could be advantageous under certain circumstances, this was not one of them.<br />
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She dressed efficiently and was relieved that for once her hair had decided to play nice and do her bidding. With a full twelve minutes to go before Hank was due to arrive, crisis struck . . .<br />
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[Excerpt from the upcoming Tea Cozy Mysteries sequel, Reading Between the Leaves]<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-60497761455225092812016-10-12T12:29:00.003-07:002016-10-12T12:31:30.405-07:00The First Date Faces the Mask of Zorro<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yLVh5o-k2v0" width="560"></iframe></div>
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A few minutes later, they found their way blocked by a line of people queuing up in front of the Lighthouse Cinema for the first showing of The Mark of Zorro, a motion picture Penelope had been anxiously waiting to see. Hank stopped and stood in silence.<br />
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“I’m sure we can get around them,” Penelope said, pulling his arm gently, around which hers was once again wrapped.<br />
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“I’m sure we can too,” Hank said, trying not to grin or look at her.<br />
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“I don’t understand.”<br />
<br />
He lifted an eyebrow and looked at her.<br />
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She gasped. “You mean? … Really?”<br />
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“Really,” he said. “Zara said you’re mad for motion pictures and for weeks have talked about nothing but Douglas Fairbanks and masked men swishing swords.”<br />
<br />
“Well … I don’t know about that.”<br />
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“Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy the picture … and everything else as well. You have Zara to thank for all of it. She clued me in as to all your favorite diversions.”<br />
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“It’s you I have to thank, Henry,” she said, rising onto her toes to give his cheek a peck.<br />
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As she lowered back down on to her heels she felt her face instantly go red-hot with embarrassment. “I … I apologize … I don’t know what came—”<br />
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Hank cut her short by pointing to his other cheek, masking his own amorous embarrassment. Her mouth dropped open in surprise at the invitation, then, her bashfulness giving way to playfulness, she dutifully obliged.<br />
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“Now, what should I know about this Zorro fellow?”<br />
<br />
Penelope dove into a litany about the masked hero, complete with mimed swordplay. Before they knew it, the line had started to move. Hank adjusted an errant lock of her hair, and she breathed hard from her animated exertions.<br />
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“Popcorn?” Hank asked as they entered.<br />
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“Pie,” Penelope answered, shaking her head.<br />
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“Good idea … but can you wait that long?”<br />
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“Hard to say. Depends how good the picture is, I suppose,” she said, growing ever bolder with him.<br />
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The couple took their seats in the crowded hall, sandwiched between a man who Penelope was sure was the loudest popcorn eater on the planet and a woman who was hard of hearing and felt the need to engage in loud and constant conversation with her companion. When the lights dimmed, Penelope shifted in her seat for maximum comfort, and placed her gloved hands in her lap. Hank gently lifted one of her hands and held it in his own atop the armrest that separated them. She breathed deeply. Yes, there was no doubt this had been the best day of her life.<br />
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[WIP excerpt: Reading Between the Leaves, book 2 in the 1920s Tea Cozy Mysteries series, set to release early 2017]<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-29082651983053355802016-10-10T19:54:00.000-07:002016-10-10T19:54:40.818-07:00It's time to start reading between the leaves<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chapter One</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">She knew she shouldn’t have worn a corset, but she couldn’t resist, given the auspiciousness of the occasion. Of all the moments in her life, this was the one to which she’d looked forward most. In the few months since arriving in Pacific Grove she’d gone from having never dared dream of running her own business to spearheading two or three, depending on how one looked at them; and all were about to celebrate their opening day. Not bad for a gal who just a few weeks prior was living in a jail cell—a fabulously decorated jail cell, mind you—on suspicion of murder.</span><br />
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[so begins (at present) the rough draft of Reading Between the Leaves, book 2 in the Tea Cozy Mysteries series, to be written as part of November's National Novel Writing Month]Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-74567813580792816052016-08-07T17:34:00.001-07:002016-08-07T17:39:28.982-07:00Success!<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">The ensuing fortnight was a whirlwind of gaiety for the new business-owner-cum-novice-dater. Now that AntiquiTeas had successfully launched with nary a corpse in sight, Penelope was able to go full steam ahead with her new life. She and Zara quickly settled into a comfortable routine at the stately Queen Anne Victorian home they shared.</span></blockquote>
Excerpt from<i> Reading Between the Leaves</i>, part 2 of the Tea Cozy Mysteries series<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pVFaFd6Ki8o/V6fTeVzI18I/AAAAAAAAW6E/BbZvAfZP_wk53XktKIqGUQsDWod8CvXzACK4B/s1600/pic_lg_11.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pVFaFd6Ki8o/V6fTeVzI18I/AAAAAAAAW6E/BbZvAfZP_wk53XktKIqGUQsDWod8CvXzACK4B/s640/pic_lg_11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-41638640476172142392016-05-20T08:40:00.000-07:002016-05-20T08:40:10.947-07:00BACKING OUT<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cZraas3taCk/Vz8vtOoel3I/AAAAAAAAWck/WFw4I5CX42Iw-3UQUwVZF1trY4DjNVeRgCK4B/s1600/Jensen1000WattSmile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cZraas3taCk/Vz8vtOoel3I/AAAAAAAAWck/WFw4I5CX42Iw-3UQUwVZF1trY4DjNVeRgCK4B/s200/Jensen1000WattSmile.jpg" width="166" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">He held the door open and flashed his most charming smile. The woman melted at the sight, bowing out of the shop backside first and keeping him in view as long as she could. Hank closed and locked the door behind her, waving as she backed down the street. She responded with the smile of the besotted. </span></blockquote>
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[Excerpt from work-in-progress Reading Between the Leaves by JS Devivre -- current status: 25K words penned]Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-35537937807293214972016-05-10T13:25:00.001-07:002016-05-10T16:27:23.487-07:00PACIFIC GROVE'S BLOODY UNDERBELLY <i>Excerpt from </i>Reading Between the Leaves<i> - a tea cozy mystery in progress </i><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RG1NKNNoY2U/VzJDbPh-LnI/AAAAAAAAWW8/-4nzLSnW_hsvLFFLEs00KA9DPyQeXMmAACLcB/s1600/dark%2Balley%2Bfigure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RG1NKNNoY2U/VzJDbPh-LnI/AAAAAAAAWW8/-4nzLSnW_hsvLFFLEs00KA9DPyQeXMmAACLcB/s400/dark%2Balley%2Bfigure.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
J.J. was enthralled by the tales of villainy and mayhem Rankin described. The career criminal took particular pleasure in relating the gorier aspects of the killings for which he’d been charged, but never convicted. Though he’d done time for grand larceny – stealing and driving a getaway car, to be exact – he’d always managed to avoid the noose thanks to high-ticket legal counsel supplied by his mob contacts. Rankin was a valuable asset in the organized crime community, and those who pulled the strings wanted him out on the street in order to promote their own interests.<br />
<br />
Rankin’s accounts always began with the word ‘allegedly’ and ended with the words ‘of course they couldn’t prove any of it, cuz I’m innocent.’ Then the thug would flash a sinister grin exposing one shining gold bicuspid among the jumble of ochre teeth that filled his foul mouth.</blockquote>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-68072585655105302792016-04-28T17:55:00.001-07:002016-04-28T17:55:36.860-07:00The Suffragette CookbookThe upcoming Reading Between the Leaves (set in the summer of 1920) features a mysterious suffragette known to the faithful as Rebel Black who (fictiously) contributed to the Suffragette Cookbook. Here is a snippet about that mighty tome from NPR:<br />
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<b>Give us the vote and we will cook</b> </blockquote>
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<b></b><b>The Better for a wide outlook</b> </blockquote>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XH5eK2qHfrI/VyKw2cOEeBI/AAAAAAAAWR4/3cKxOHBpjMEtCI3TVKqO755LUBMODlPnQCLcB/s1600/book43_cover_custom-b9ce0dc3eac54f9c7c18ffe409a2667cfc654be4-s600-c85.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XH5eK2qHfrI/VyKw2cOEeBI/AAAAAAAAWR4/3cKxOHBpjMEtCI3TVKqO755LUBMODlPnQCLcB/s400/book43_cover_custom-b9ce0dc3eac54f9c7c18ffe409a2667cfc654be4-s600-c85.jpg" width="258" /></a>On Dec. 13, 1886, America's first suffragist cookbook, The Woman's Suffrage Cook Book, was launched on a drizzly but sold-out evening at a fundraiser at the Boston music hall. The hall was decorated with a white banner bearing the Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association motto, "Male and female created He them, and gave them dominion." </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Members included the novelist Louisa May Alcott, who would become the first woman registered to vote in Concord. Though she hadn't contributed a recipe, Alcott had just published Jo's Boys, the final book of her Little Women series, into which she had slipped in a droll description of a statue of Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, sporting a "Women's Rights" slogan on her shield and a helmet ornamented with "a tiny pestle and mortar" — a divine nod to the compatibility between cooking and voting. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Recipes were contributed by regular housewives who carried a "Mrs." before their name, as well as a parade of prominent suffragists who didn't.</blockquote>
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Visit <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/11/05/454246666/how-suffragists-used-cookbooks-as-a-recipe-for-subversion" target="_blank">this link</a> for the full articleUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-48827929793238282242016-04-27T07:43:00.000-07:002016-04-27T09:13:46.695-07:00The Doused Date<b><i>Excerpt from the upcoming 1920s era </i>Reading Between the Leaves<i> by JS Devivre</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hbLwM3617sU/VyDP32p_fJI/AAAAAAAAWRU/kC_lSD6A9Mc3p3iDNljpHK1q-BZpJ12TgCK4B/s1600/turtle%2Bsprinkler%2B01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hbLwM3617sU/VyDP32p_fJI/AAAAAAAAWRU/kC_lSD6A9Mc3p3iDNljpHK1q-BZpJ12TgCK4B/s400/turtle%2Bsprinkler%2B01.jpg" width="400" /></a>Owing to the fact that he was a foot taller than she, she craned to meet his lips, going up on her tippy toes to bridge the gap. She was still several frustratingly distant inches away from kissing contact. Undeterred, she made the quick decision to step up onto the cast iron turtle lawn sprinkler next to her foot. The extra height did the trick and as the warmth of Hank’s breath approached her waiting mouth she closed her eyes and prepared to melt into her first kiss. This would be a night to remember.<br />
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She immediately drifted off into a depth of bliss beyond her imaginings, and felt as if she were falling. In fact, she was. The toe of her right shoe slipped off the turtle’s back, activating its sprinkler head and shooting an emphatic jet of water right up her skirt. She stood screaming and holding her hands out to keep the blast from assaulting her face as opposed to simply backing away from the geyser. Hank quickly bent down to turn the device off, braving a faceful of water and overall dousing in so doing.<br />
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Penelope stood gape-mouthed and dripping from every follicle and pore. Hank straightened his shoulders, pulled down sharply on his lapels and shook his head wildly like a playful pup, sending a light spray onto both Penelope and the house’s windows. The pair stared at each other for a moment, then burst into laughter, rousing neighbors who turned on their lights in response. When Penelope’s own front door opened and she heard the words, “Who’s there? I warn you, I’m armed,” and saw Stella standing in the doorway brandishing a rolling pin, she dissolved into another fit of the giggles – as did Hank.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-63519774353106747482016-04-25T13:34:00.002-07:002016-04-25T13:34:26.729-07:00The Chordettes live on this Music Monday<div style="text-align: center;">
It's another Music Monday, today featuring a favorite of Patsy Charleville's </div>
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(our protagonist in the Social Bluebook Dispatches)</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VNUgsbKisp8" width="420"></iframe></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1712623723779308390.post-86562955904421693362016-04-24T11:27:00.003-07:002016-04-24T11:27:36.160-07:00Counting leavesLet's see, according to the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) site, I divine that at the rate I'm going, Reading Between the Leaves (book 2 in the Tea Cozy Mysteries series) should be done by Sept 5th of this year ... not sure if that's good or bad :/<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TBSkCAwTjNI/Vx0P_GgxIQI/AAAAAAAAWOs/OUMwhk7KeuMbIYdSu5WQdqhJOvWjpVkSQCK4B/s1600/TeaLeaves_1500.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="553" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TBSkCAwTjNI/Vx0P_GgxIQI/AAAAAAAAWOs/OUMwhk7KeuMbIYdSu5WQdqhJOvWjpVkSQCK4B/s640/TeaLeaves_1500.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com