Sundays In Bed With... Pies and Prejudice

Welcome to my Sundays In Bed With... Meme! The meme that dares to ask, what book has been in your bed this morning?  Come share what book you've spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

Here's the book I'm spending some time with today:

 Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams

It's a cozy mystery with a bit of magic, which I'm digging.  I'm a fan of magical realism, I even have the shirt (no, I don't, but I would buy one if I ever found one).

So what book are you, or wish you could, spending time reading today?  Link up below, and if you can, take a picture of the book in your bed!  Can't wait to see what ya'll are reading!

Sundays In Bed With... Deadly Pies?

Welcome to my Sundays In Bed With... Meme where we share what book we're currently curled up in bed reading (or just the book we wish we had time to spend reading in bed!).

Yesterday I went to a author signing at Barnes and Noble.  Both Ellery Adams and Maggie Sefton were there, and Kim and I got to spend quite a bit of time talking to them!  Both writers are known for being cozy mystery authors, although Maggie Sefton's new book is a darker mystery called Deadly Politics- set in Washington, DC!  It's a political thriller, and trust me, I much prefer reading about fictional dirty politics then real life politics any day! Plus I grew up in Northern Virginia, so I love, love, love reading books or watching tv shows set in that area. 

Ellery has a new series out, and I picked up the first (and newest) one, Pies and Prejudice.  Which is awesome, because I like both pies and Pride and Prejudice, so I can't see this not being a great read. I also chatted with Ellery about her elaborate plans to teach her son's class about Egyptian mummies, and I might ask her to do a guest post about it, because it is truly amazing.

So here's what I'm in bed with today:

 Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams and Deadly Politics by Maggie Sefton!

On the left hand side is my Kindle cover- which they signed!!!!  I am so excited about that, and they both have crazy gorgeous signatures... which is probably why I'll never be an author, but if I ever get over my distaste for math and sciences, my signature and hand writing would put me in good stead to be a doctor.  Also, Maggie gave me a bunch of post cards for Deadly Politics, so if you want me to send you one (they make wonderful bookmarks!), just leave your email in the comments below and I'll get your address later- and Steph and Bittner, I'll definitely send you yours- you too Cindy!

Now it's your turn, what are you reading today? Add your link below!

A Deadly Cliche Review

 A Deadly Cliché 
by Ellery Adams
From Goodreads:

 While walking her poodle, Olivia Limoges discovers a dead body buried in the sand. Could it be connected to the bizarre burglaries plaguing Oyster Bay, North Carolina? At every crime scene, the thieves set up odd tableaus: a stick of butter with a knife through it, dolls with silver spoons in their mouths, a deck of cards with a missing queen. Olivia realizes each setup represents a cliché. And who better to decode the cliché clues than her Bayside Book Writers group?

My Thoughts:  I am totally a fan of cozy mysteries now, and the first book in the Books By The Bay Mystery series was one of my first ever cozy reads (and a book club selection).  I got to meet Ellery Adams recently, and I got a copy of her third book since I downloaded A Deadly Cliché over a year ago.  I can't believe I waited so long to get to it!  Major book fail, midnighters.  I apologize. 

I probably liked this even more than a second book because Olivia opens up a bit more in this second installment.  Olivia is such a different type of person from me, and because she's so independent, that I felt that I was kept at an arm's length from her. But as A Deadly Cliche unfolds, Olivia does too.  She's made good friends, and she's learned to share herself with them.  I thought the way her love interests played out in the novel was very fitting to how she's... not necessarily changing, but becoming more herself.  Oh, Olivia still feeds Captain Haviland food fit for a king, but she also gets her hands dirty to help her town and her friends. 

I found myself drawn, once more, to the supporting characters.  I really love Laurel and her story line, and I want to see more!  The way Olivia supports her friends, from Laurel to Harris, is truly heartwarming.  It makes me want to move to Oyster Bay!  Again, I loved reading the excerpts from the writer's group's books.  I think Adams has a career in crossover genres if ever she decides to change things up.  I would totally read Millay's book!

I enjoyed the murder mystery part of the book too, the cliches left at the scenes of the crime were clever- oh, that's right, I love a good cliche!  But I honestly liked Olivia's personal drama, and Laurel's new intrepid reporter role even more.

Looking forward to reading book 3 whilst I'm at the beach this week!

A Deadly Cliché gets a Midnight Book Rating of:

**I own a copy of this book on my Kindle**

3.25.11 Sundays In Bed With...

Sorry this is so late, but allergies kept me in bed with... Sleep!  But with no further ado, I'm spending this Sunday In Bed With...

Cozy Mysteries!

Okay, bear with me while I gush a little.  Friday was a very busy, hectic day for me, but I was determined to go to my first ever author signing, so I met up with Kim from On The Wings of Books at the Short Pump Barnes and Noble to meet Ellery Adams and Lorraine Bartlett/Lorna Barrett/LL Bartlett.  Ellery Adams is also one half of Lucy Arlington (the other author that makes up Lucy Arlington lives in Bermuda), whose first book is Buried in a Book.

Lorna Barrett is on the left, and I was excited to pick up the first in her new series A Crafty Killing, as well as the second book in the Booktown series, Bookmarked for Death.  It turns out Lorna is writing powerhouse- she writes more on vacations then most people write in a lifetime.  In addition to the 3 known aliases she writes under, there's a 4th mystery one she won't, and probably can't, reveal.  Which is kind of cool for a mystery author.  

Ellery Adams is on the right, and she was so amazing and funny.  Kim and I were pretty nervous, but she completely set us at ease, and it was fun hearing her talk about fellow authors that have been to the Virginia Festival of the Book (sadly, it was too late for Kim and I to attend, but we are so on board next year). I picked up The Last Word, which is the 3rd book in her Books by the Bay series, and picked up Buried in a Book that she helped co-author.  We'd actually read her book A Killer Plot for book club last year, so I can't wait to tell the other book club members this upcoming weekend about the book signing.

I'm so glad I went to this book signing!  I'm also really glad it was authors that I've actually already read and enjoyed.  I feel so much more relaxed about going to BEA and meeting authors there, since Lorraine and Ellery were so... normal.  Well, normal by book lover's standards. I don't know what I was expecting, but it was definitely better that I could have imagined.  Plus we got swag bags full of cool book marks, buttons, and more.  My cat Riley particularly liked the ribbon on some of the plastic bags....

Speaking of Riley, he's gone all Career Tribute on me, and this is what he's spending his Sundays In Bed With:

Should I be worried?  

So what book's in your bed this Sunday?  

Comment below, or link to your own Sundays In Bed With post! 

A Killer Plot Review

A Killer Plot (A Books by the Bay Mystery #1)
by Ellery Adams
From Goodreads:

In the small coastal town of Oyster Bay, North Carolina, you'll find plenty of characters, ne'er-do-wells, and even a few celebs trying to duck the paparazzi. But when murder joins this curious community, the Bayside Book Writers are there to get the story...

Olivia Limoges is the subject of constant gossip. Ever since she came back to town-a return as mysterious as her departure-Olivia has kept to herself, her dog, and her unfinished novel. With a little cajoling from the eminently charming writer Camden Ford, she agrees to join the Bayside Book Writers, break her writer's block, and even make a few friends...

But when townspeople start turning up dead with haiku poems left by the bodies, anyone with a flair for language is suddenly suspect. And it's up to Olivia to catch the killer before she meets her own surprise ending.

My Thoughts: This was my very first official Cozy Mystery! And I have to say it was a great introduction into the genre. I'm intrigued by Olivia, love Haviland (despite the fact that I rarely enjoy poodles of any size), and was genuinely interested in not only the book writer's club members, but the stories they are working on (hello, Millay's YA book would sell like hot cakes in today's market!). I loved Dixie, Michel, Camden and Sawyer, and even  Flynn is okay- though he get's major points for his Through The Wardrobe book store. I really got a great sense of what Oyster Bay looks like, and it's clear what a book lover Ellery Adams is.

Another plus? Adams lives here in VA, so not only did I get to read a really good mystery but I also got to support a local author. I already have the second Books by the Bay Mystery awaiting me on my Kindle, and I can't wait for more! I think by the end of this year I'll be a total cozy-mystery lover!  I've since read several cozies, and while I won't ever be exclusive with the genre as I enjoy so many different types of books, a good cozy is quickly becoming my favorite rainy day kind of read.  A Killer Plot is a book to curl up with, a glass of wine or a cup of coffee in hand, and to get lost in the plot.  It's a chance to play at being Nancy Drew, and isn't she a part of all of us?


A Killer Plot gets a Midnight Book Rating of: