Do you enjoy a good cozy mystery, that takes place on the beach and includes lots of dogs and fun characters? If so, you will not want to miss Karen C Whalen's latest book Washed up at Sea Oaks Beach.
Do you enjoy a good cozy mystery, that takes place on the beach and includes lots of dogs and fun characters? If so, you will not want to miss Karen C Whalen's latest book Washed up at Sea Oaks Beach.
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My Favorite Mug for My Favorite Drink |
I love Dr Pepper and for the past 60 years I have had a cup of "hot Dr Pepper" most every morning. I started when I was a teenager and saw the ads for hot Dr Pepper. Back then I would pour my Dr Pepper in a saucepan, add a slice of lemon and heat it. I would then pour it into a cup and enjoy. In today's microwave world, I pour my Dr Pepper into a mug and heat it for 2 minutes. I then add either a slice of lemon or lime. Delicious!! I don't drink coffee or tea so it is Dr Pepper that helps me to fully wake up each morning.
1. First of all, would you tell our readers a bit about your background.
I didn’t begin writing fiction manuscripts until 2017, and my first book, Sunflowers Beneath the Snow, launched in January 2022. However, I was not completely new to writing. I started my own business in 2000 helping small companies with their online presence by writing website copy, newsletters, and even email campaigns.
Although I wanted to write fiction, I was too afraid. At the time, I was living in an emotionally abusive relationship, and I couldn’t handle more rejection. However, when I finally left that relationship in 2017, the words started flowing from me and haven’t stopped.
Since the first book, I’ve also written An Enemy Like Me (Jan 2023) and Daughters of Green Mountain Gap (Jan 2024). As of February 14th, 2025, my fourth book, 10 Little Rules for a Double-Butted Adventure, launched.
2. I found this book to be very inspiring. What motivated you to share this adventure with your readers.
My husband and I chose to ride across the United States on a tandem bicycle to raise money for Toys for Tots. But that was not my only reason. After getting out of that bad relationship, I didn’t feel like I had any worth, value, or anything to contribute. I decided I wanted some kind of adventure that would prove to the world that I wasn’t done living. It turns out that I was the one who needed that lesson!
As we rode mile after mile for 3102 miles, I began to heal. I also began to see life lessons in the journey we were on. Because I love to mentor others, especially women and teens struggling to find their worth, I felt my experiences could be helpful to others – and 10 Little Rules for a Double-Butted Adventure was born.
3. I have noted that this is your fourth book and the first three were written after the Double-Butted Adventure featured in this book. In what way did your adventure inspire you to write the books?
I’m so glad you asked this question because the answer is “in all ways!” Let me explain.
As we were finishing up the last half-mile of our journey, my husband pointed up a hill to a flag. He told me it was the flag to the Marine Corps Memorial where we would end our ride. I started to cry. Then laugh. Then cry again.
At that moment, I realized something staggering. I, Teri M Brown, non-athlete, had successfully ridden across the United States on a tandem bicycle. I could do anything I put my mind to. It wasn’t a matter of “if I could do something.” Instead, it was a matter of “what did I want to do?” I knew the answer. I wanted to be an author.
As soon as we got home, I got to work. Fourteen months later, I held my first novel in my hand.
4. What is the main thing you would like your readers to remember from this book?
You don’t have to be something special or extraordinary to do something big and bold and adventurous. Everything you need to succeed is already inside. All you have to do is want it and then start working toward the goal.
5. Do you have any plans in the works or future books?
I’m currently finishing up a children’s book called Little Lola and Her Big Dream with illustrations by Lorri D Perini. I hope to have this out by early summer. I’m also working on a humorous contemporary novel about a woman going through menopause. Finally, I have an idea for another historical fiction, though it seems to have a mystery or suspense flair to it!
6. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions for our Review This readers. Is there anything else you would like them to know about your books?
Although I cross genres – historical fiction, short stories, flash fiction, children’s books, creative non-fiction, and contemporary humor – all my books have one thing in common and that’s strong characters. I tell everyone I love to introduce readers to characters they’d love to invite to lunch.
If you enjoy character-driven fiction, I’d love to connect. Head on over to my website at www.terimbrown.com. There, you can connect with me on social media, join my twice-monthly newsletter, listen to my podcast Online for Authors and pick the next book on your TBR, purchase signed copies of my books, and/or reach out on my contact page.
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Food Warming Tray For Christmas this year, I received a new food warming tray. This warmer is so very practical. It is easy to use, easy to clean, and takes up very little storage space. As you can see the tray fits nearly flat on the counter so it takes up very little extra space. Easy to UseThe warming dish features rapid warming at temperatures anywhere from 122 degrees F to 212 degrees F. The temperatures are in 6 different stages. There is also a timing device that allows you to set an hourly timer anywhere from 1-6 hours. To use the tray, you place it on the counter, put the plug into the side of the tray and into an outlet. You then hit the power key on the tray and adjust the temperature and the timer to your desired settings. The tray is big enough to put multiple dishes on it at once, so you can keep all of your hot dishes hot. Easy to StoreOne of the great features of this tray is how easy it is to store. Because it is silicone you can easily roll it up and attach the band that comes with it to hold it in place. You then just slip it into the bag that comes with the tray and pull the bag shut. It can stand or lay in very little space in a corner of your cabinet or pantry. Easy to CleanThe tray is very easy to clean. You just take a soft wet cloth and wipe the surface of the product and store it once it is dry. If there is oil on the product then you would wipe it with a mild detergent and a soft cloth until there is no residue let. You should never rinse the product or immerse it in water. Order from AmazonThe warming tray can be ordered on Amazon at the following link. Food Warming Tray On Amazon you will find many similar products so you can pick one with the features that work best for you. In this photo I am keeping a dish of cranberry chutney warm to go with the meal. At Christmas we had three different dishes on the tray at once. Keeping the food warm and safe for our buffet. |
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Holiday Decorations by mbgphoto |
Today is a day of Thanksgiving in the USA and I wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving on behalf of the entire staff of Review This.
I have many things that I am thankful for, but on this post I'd like to share my thanks for my hobby of photography by sharing with you several of the photos that I have taken this fall. I always see Thanksgiving as the end of the colorful fall colors and the start of the winter holidays.
1. Tell us a bit about your background.
I worked as a paralegal for 30 years, but always had a love of writing. I wrote for paralegal magazines for a long time, including a regular column for The National Paralegal Reporter magazine.
2. What made you decide to write novels and why did you choose the mystery genre?
Writing a novel has been one of my goals for as long as I can remember. I love to read cozy mysteries. Joanne Fluke and M.C. Beaton are two of my favorites. An idea came to me to center a mystery around a dinner club, so I got up at five each morning and wrote for two hours before leaving for work. I wrote on weekends. Evenings have never been a high-energy time for me, so I didn’t write at night. I wrote Everything Bundt the Truth in about six months. That was my first published novel and it came out in 2016.
3. I love the way you make your characters come to life and Delaney in particular is delightful. What is your secret?
I’m glad you like Delaney. I like her, too. The law firm where I worked represented tow truck companies. These car haulers are an under-appreciated, crazy breed, with interesting stories to tell and characters bigger than life. People I will never forget. That all of the tow truck drivers I met were men made me wonder…women in the industry would need to be tough to compete in a man’s world. But what if a woman owned her own towing business? What if the woman was young and inexperienced? What if she wore high heels to set herself apart from the all-male car haulers in town? Oooh, sounds fun, amiright? Delaney is a female version of those characters, but she comes up with her own stories.
4. Do you know the outcome of your book when you start writing or do you create the story as you go?
A little bit of both. I do love plotting, and I come up with thirty scenes as recommended by the books on the craft. But in between those scenes, I let the pantser in me take over—that means writing by the seat of your pants.
5. What would you like your readers to come away with from Booty in the Backseat?
The tow truck business dropped into Delaney’s lap (and dead bodies have a way of turning up, too) and she encounters many oppositions, from learning the business to customers who prefer a male tow truck driver. But she makes a proactive decision to master the process, overcome the prejudice, and become the best high-heeled tow truck driver around. The tow truck business may have been a twist of fate, but she’s in charge of her own path now.
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Skeleton Photo by mbgphoto |
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St. Louis Gateway Arch Photographed by Mary Beth Granger |
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