Camp Wildcat Reenactment and Giveaway!

***GIVEAWAY OVER***
CONGRATULATIONS TO Gina Johnson!!

Hi there! I'm so glad you're visiting our little town of Normal. Right over there is where the Camp Wildcat happened between the north and the south on the morning of October 21, 1861.

I'm Queenie French the Foundation of Camp Wildcat president. We've been doing the reenactment for years and this year is going to be the best yet. 

If you take a gander at the map, you'll see you're standing where the red star is located. 

I know the battle was in the fall, but Colonel Theophilous Garrard had started to form his unit in the spring of 1861. 

Besides, the weather in Kentucky in the fall is so wonky and unpredictable, I asked the committee to change the reenactment to the spring. Plus, look at this weather. Gorgeous!

Granted, the outcome of the reenactment is the same year after year, but I have to say that the actors I've picked this year will be fantastic and on their mark. It takes a lot of skill to drop dead and lay there for an hour or two until the reenactment is over. 

I know of few of my actors are a little. . .um . . .nervous since Greaser Gadie has escaped prison and they were on the jury. I'd be nervous too if I was a juror and he turned to me and say, "I'm taking a minute to remember your face so when I get out of here I'm going to find you and kill you."

But I'm sure he's long gone by now.

Right? I mean, if I escaped from prison, I wouldn't hang around to make good on a silly promise. . .would you???

A Camper and Criminals Cozy Mysteries are bestselling

camp mysteries set in the Daniel Boone National Park,

 and each of the books includes the 

added bonus of recipes and camping hacks.

BUY MOTORHOMES, MAPS, & MURDER BY CLICKING HERE!

CAMPFIRE BANANA BOATS

Ingredients
4 small bananas
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

Directions:

1. Leaving skin on, cut the banana down the middle without cutting through the bottom of the skin.

2. Open the banana like a taco and add some chocolate chips and miniature marshmallows.

3. Wrap the stuffed banana in foil.

4. Sit the foiled banana on a grate over the open campfire.

5. Check the banana in five minutes and continue to check until the marshmallows and chocolate chips have melted to desired taste.

Click here to download the recipe!

QUESTION:
HAVE YOU EVER GONE TO A REENACTMENT? LEAVE A COMMENT TO WIN THE PRIZE PACK BELOW! ALSO~ PUT YOUR EMAIL IN YOUR COMMENT
*ARC COPY OF DESERTS, DRIVING, & DERELICTS
*COOLER TOTE
*IT'S A SOUTHERN MYSTERY Y'ALL JAR OPENER AND MEASURING SPOON
* MUCH MORE!!!
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED AND CHOSEN ON FRIDAY!

Welcome to the Bee Farm

Welcome to the Bee Farm! I'm Kayla Noro. Me and my husband, Andrew, have been here a long time. We don't have no youngins' between us. These bees are our babies.
I hope y'all had a great ferry ride over and Big Bib wasn't too much of a grump. He can be that way sometimes.
Anyways, as you know, we are a little island off the main land of Honey Springs. We are a working. . .um. . .I'm sorry, I get a bit misty eyed when talking about the place.

You see, I love this farm. I love all the bees. And as you walk around and take a tour, you'll notice a few of our bee houses are vacant. The upkeep of a house costs up to $400 each and sometimes these winter months do a number on them, though we do all we can to survive.
I hate to bring it up, but if you like what you see, we are actually taking donations to help fund the Bee Farm.
There's a jar inside of the gift shop next to the register. You know Christmas is coming, so if want to gift someone a jar of honey, we are doing free shipping. So buy several jars.


If you see Andrew out there, he's probably fiddlin' with some bees. Stop by and say hello. He loves to answer questions.
What is something you love to eat with honey in it?

***(YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT THE BEE FARM AND ALL IT'S PROBLEMS ALONG WITH A DEAD BODY TIED TO THE RUMBLINGS IN DECAFFEINATED SCANDAL, THE FIFTH BOOK IN THE KILLER COFFEE MYSTERY SERIES >>>>>>> https://amzn.to/2pylHdL ***

Buy it here!

Happy Tuesday!!
Y'all have really been so kind and awesome with all the emails and messages about Scooter. I'm not posting any photos of him with his stitches because some of you might get a little woozy. I have to admit that no amount of preparing myself with looking at other pups who had the surgery, I was still not prepared. Though I'd like to say he's is perfect and free of pain, I can't. He's in pain from being cut on and we are taking it day by day. He is eating and as you can see, I've had to put up the leg gate so Charlie can't get to Scooter's food.

His spirits were so lifted on Saturday when the boys came home (photo minus Brady because he had to go to work) and Aunt Tracy came over. The boys were a little upset and for sure weren't prepared. I will put together a photo album of Scooter's progress in next week's newsletter where you can actually click the link if you do want to see what he looks like and continued progress. I've documented it all and have posted to a few sites to help others in our situation.

Oh! Cody turned 25!!! We are just so shocked!! He is such a great boy. He goes to a private college where he played college soccer as the goalie. That was a lot of fun watching him. He even had a trip to Spain. He will graduate in December in a business degree and we couldn't be more proud.

Are you on Instagram??? I post daily photos of the dogs and the rest of my life....Come on by and join me!! Click here>>>>https://www.instagram.com/tonyakappes/

If you'd like to keep up daily with me, please join me on Facebook by clicking here! 
Don't forget about the Cozy Krew on Facebook where we have weekly giveaways just for my readers! Plus we have the daily themes that are very popular. It's a place just for readers. Click here to join! We'd love to have you! Above is what I gave away last week on the page!

Eddy worked hard over the weekend on the SHE SHED. Hahhaa!! It's literally under tin roof now, but I took this over the weekend. He's truly talented and I can't wait until you see the finished product.
I'll be updating you next week.

Look at these kittens!! Now they will eat while I'm sitting there. They will also let me pat down their backs. They are so cute!!!













Be sure to pre-order the third book in the Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery Series. 

Forests, Fishing & Forgery

This week only!!! click here>>>> https://amzn.to/2ulbzYy

Reader of the week:

Candy Albright Kennedy 
"I love  your nice reads that I can connect to characters and laugh, and relaxing."

CAKE AND PUNISHMENT FOR ONLY $1.99!!

I'm beyond thrilled Crooked Lane Publisher has put the first book in my SOUTHERN CAKE BAKER SERIES under my pen name, MAYMEE BELL, on sale! This is VERY rare and I hope you grab it while you can get it for only $1.99. 

YIPPPPPEEEE!!
Cake and Punishment is on sale for $1.99!!!
Be sure to grab your copy while you can.
https://amzn.to/2yVEIOR

In the first of a delectable new Southern-set baking cozy series, Sophia Cummings, pastry chef extraordinaire, must craft the perfect cake for an old friend’s wedding while sifting through the suspects in a murder. Bucolic Rumford, Kentucky has glowing fields of bluegrass, a fine selection of bourbons, and now a professional pastry chef. Broken-hearted Sophia Cummings has come home from New York City. She’s not there a minute before she’s charmed into making her high school friend Charlotte’s wedding cake. The kitchen at the Rumford Country Club seems perfect until Chef Emile’s body is discovered, sprawled near the stove, a cast iron skillet on the floor close by. With one look at the shiny, new frying pan, Sophia knows it’s not Emile’s. She offers her knowledge to Sheriff Carter and her talents to Evelyn, the manager, who needs an interim chef. The mood in the country club is grim: Emile’s peppery personality had burned members and staff alike. Sophia wonders which one of them burned him?

The winner last week was Congratulations to last week's TUESDAY COFFEE WITH TONYA for the Amazon Gift Card........Joyce Nickerson Aiken. The gift card was already sent. That's why I ask for your email. Good luck!! <3

Click here to enter to win the $10 Amazon Gift Card! 

CAKE AND PUNISHMENT IS ON SALE!!!

YIPPPPPEEEE!!

Cake and Punishment is on sale for $1.99!!!
Be sure to grab your copy while you can.

https://amzn.to/2yVEIOR

In the first of a delectable new Southern-set baking cozy series, Sophia Cummings, pastry chef extraordinaire, must craft the perfect cake for an old friend’s wedding while sifting through the suspects in a murder. 

Bucolic Rumford, Kentucky has glowing fields of bluegrass, a fine selection of bourbons, and now a professional pastry chef. Broken-hearted Sophia Cummings has come home from New York City. She’s not there a minute before she’s charmed into making her high school friend Charlotte’s wedding cake. The kitchen at the Rumford Country Club seems perfect until Chef Emile’s body is discovered, sprawled near the stove, a cast iron skillet on the floor close by. 

With one look at the shiny, new frying pan, Sophia knows it’s not Emile’s. She offers her knowledge to Sheriff Carter and her talents to Evelyn, the manager, who needs an interim chef. The mood in the country club is grim: Emile’s peppery personality had burned members and staff alike. Sophia wonders which one of them burned him? 

Run for the Roses!

And they’re off!

The Kentucky Derby is an official holiday in Kentucky. As a born and bred Kentuckian all my mysteries are set in the bluegrass state.

The official flower of the Derby is the rose. How pretty!

Before 1896 every woman who attended any Derby party or the Derby itself was presented with a long-stem rose. The roses were such a sensation, that the president of Churchill Downs, Col. Lewis Clark, adopted the rose as the race's official flower in 1896.

Every year after that while the owners of the horse lift up the trophy high above their heads, the horse is draped with a blanket of deep red roses that consists of 400 handpicked roses out of 7,000 roses. After the roses are picked, it takes over seven hours to make the blanket and add seal of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The blanket is 122 inches long, 22 inches wide, and weighs nearly 40 pounds! WOW!

It wasn’t until 1925 did the catch phrase A RUN FOR THE ROSES get picked up.

If you could pick the flower for the Derby, what would you suggest?

Synopsis:

And they're off! 
Gambling on horse racing is Kentucky's number one sport but when Kentucky Derby Thoroughbred picked to win the Derby, Rails and Nails, ends up poisoned, SKUL special agent Mick Jasper and rookie witch Maggie Park, who keeps her witch powers a secret, are called in to investigate a world of illegal gambling where a run for the roses can prove to be deadly.

Purchase links:

Amazon

Author Links:

Twitter: twitter.com/tonyakappes11

Facebook: facebook.com/authortonyakappes

Website: tonyakappes.com
Blog – http://tonyakappes.blogspot.com/
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4423580.Tonya_Kappes

Tonya has written over 35 novels and 4 novellas, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists including USA Today. Best known for stories charged with emotion and humor, and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband, two very spoiled schnauzers in northern Kentucky and grew up in the small southern Kentucky town of Nicholasville. Now that her four little boys are all grown men, Tonya writes fulltime but can be found at her Old Kentucky Home with a sweet tea or coffee in hand while rockin’ on her front porch.

Be sure to check out the exclusive website for the Kenni Lowry Mystery Series where you can take a virtual vacation in Cottonwood. Check out the recipes and adult coloring sheets! There’s so much fun in Cottonwood. Click here!

There are so many ways to be involved and connect with Tonya!

Facebook at Tonya Kappes Author:

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Cozy Krew Group:

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Goodreads Tonya Kappes Author:

 https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4423580.Tonya_Kappes

Twitter Tonya Kappes Author: https://twitter.com/tonyakappes11

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Bookbub Tonya Kappes Author Page:

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Email: Tonyak11@yahoo.com

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Cover Reveal

Add Ax To Grind 

to your Goodreads

Southern Mystery Shelf

here!

How adorable is this book cover? I think Henery Press publishers does such a great job with my Kenni Lowry Mystery Series!

Here is the blurb:
Bestselling author Berlye Stone, the most famous citizen to ever come out of Cottonwood, Kentucky, has died and put all her worldly possessions up for auction, but not without leaving one more manuscript behind. A hidden tell-all about Cottonwood that’s got more gossip than a ladies’ luncheon.

When Beryle’s assistant turns up with an ax in her back and the only witness is in a coma, Sheriff Kenni Lowry reckons someone in town will do anything to keep the manuscript from seeing the light of day. Her poppa’s ghost returns to help piece together the life of the Beryle he once knew, but his memory’s a little foggy, and any misstep could cause them a world of trouble. With the help of Deputy Finn Vincent, can Kenni sort through the secrets buried in Beryle’s books, or will this be her final chapter?

Books in the Kenni Lowry Mystery Series:

FIXIN’ TO DIE (#1)
SOUTHERN FRIED (#2)
AX TO GRIND (#3) September 19, 2017
SIX FEET UNDER (#4) Spring 2018  

Grab your copy of Fixin' To Die and Southern Fried here!

WHAT HAPPENED?

This week for baking class we had to bring a double layer cake that was already iced so we could go straight into decorating it.

I have a couple of friends who are taking the class with me. The instructor wants the icing to be stiff icing. Yep...there are levels to icing. <<<This is why I'm taking the class. Not that I'm going to teach my readers to make stiff icing but it might be something like this...

The thought of Carter being a murderer weighed heavily on my mind. With each turn  of the mixer, my mind swirled with possibilities that I might not be able to help my friend from himself from this one. I poured in another couple of teaspoons of water into the icing to thin it out a little bit. It was much to stiff to use on the vanilla bean cupcakes that Carter liked. I had to take the  perfect dessert to him....

Totally just made that up, but you get the idea....

One of my friends came over to to bake her cake and make our icing because we were going to use the same colors to design our cakes during class. She was in charge of the icing. There's a recipe we use...but our icing was still to thin for icing a double cake. She swore she used the recipe.

In the middle of the night it dawned on me...I bet she put in tablespoons of water instead of teaspoons. When I saw her at the class, I asked her about the teaspoon/tablespoon thing. I WAS RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can see the dark spots on my cake at the round and it's a little shiny....but it still turned out okay.

Have you ever added too much of this and  that to your cooking/baking?

Happy 18th!!

I just can't believe that my baby is 18 years old today. He's a spitfire full of life and has never met a stranger. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK!!!

Multitasking

I've always prided myself in being a GREAT multitasker! Is that a word?? It is now...
Anyways, I raised four boys, married, two dogs, a sweet Kitty Kappes, held down two jobs and kept a house (which involves all the cleaning and cooking and laundry and taxi service). I really took pride when people would say "I don't know how you do it."

I just did it and I never thought twice about it.

Now that I'm a weeeeee-bit older and almost empty nest, down to two dogs and only one job (writing), the house hold work has really slowed down, I can tell you that I'm not great at multitasking and I think back to that woman I was and think "how in the heck did I do that?"

My current work situation is editing three books. I've never ever had to do that. I've always written one book and edited it before I started a new one. Those were the beginning days of writing. I'm not complaining that I've got work. I'm beyond grateful, but three different books, three different dead people and three different murderers. I was beginning to get them mixed up.

I had to come up with something. As y'all know, I'm a huge planner and to-do list maker. My lists have vastly changed. Now my to-do list has times and task. It looks something like this:
6 a.m.-business stuff (blog, social media, emails etc)
7:30 a.m.- get ready for jazzercise and feed dogs
8-10 a.m.- jazzercise, shower, walk dogs and get ready for the work day
10-11 a.m.- edit one chapter (print) and type it in.
11-12 p.m.- work on development Kenni Lowry #3 edits
12- 1 p.m.- work on edits Kenni Lowry #4
1-2 p.m.- lunch and watch Days of Our Lives (stop judging!)
2 - 3 p.m.- write 2k words on Killer Coffee #2
3-4 p.m.- read
4 p.m- Eddy and kiddo home stop working

I have to literally lay out my day in order to keep me on track. Good news....I have a two month break in the summer, though I'll still be writing!

What about you? Do you multitask?

The Last One

Y'all know I've got four boys. I guess you could call them men because the fourth, Jack, will turn 18 this week. The rest are in college and out of the house during the year.

If you've been following me for long, you've seen stacks of shoes by the door, food upon food all over the house, nerf wars, cars, cars, and more cars, not to mention all the sporting events I've attended over the past twenty years.

Those days are starting to really slow down. Cody plays college soccer. This is his last year and unfortunately, he has his fourth concussion. He's going to have to forfeit his last year. I'm saddened for him, but we all know that his health is way more important.

Jack is graduating from high school, but his transition to college has been much easier because he already goes to the local university two days a week and high school three days a week. He's also the manager of Northern Kentucky University basketball team. Not only do we have season tickets (plus Jack gets a few tickets), my sister and her family have season tickets, and my parents. We're going to be busy going to their games.

But this weekend was the last prom I'll ever get one of my boys ready for. Jack and his buddies (girls included) decided to go as a group. It was so fun. Four years ago I took the top photo. The bottom photo was this weekend.

We've been blessed with Jack's group of friends. They are such good kids and all of them will be going their separate ways in the fall. They had a really good time. 

Sunday I had a lot of fun driving back to my hometown of Nicholasville, Kentucky for a baby shower for a very, very special dear to my heart. 

My sweet little Andrea. She's no longer a baby, but she was my neighbor when I was a teenager. I took her everywhere with me and her parents were so much fun. She even stayed in the sorority house with me in college as a bity little girl. Now she's going to be a mommy to a little boy, Lex Wilson Lutton.

Isn't that the cutest name? Andrea's middle name is Wilson. It's a family name and it's so fitting. 

Just a little back story about her parents. When I was student teaching in college I had a small apartment in Lexington. I had zero furniture. They came to see me. The next day a moving truck showed up at my apartment. They felt so sorry for me that they went home and bought all new furniture and sent me their old furniture, which was in amazing shape! I still have the furniture to this day. 

Their generosity didn't stop there. They were always there to talk and they came to everything I ever did. So, Andrea is super special to me and it was so much fun to get to spend the day with my parents, Andrea, her parents and my long time friends. 

How was your weekend?

Coupler...huh?

Oh my oh my...
Last year my agent called me in November and asked me if I would be interested in writing a veterinarian cozy mystery because she'd been approached by the publisher. I jumped at the chance because I love animals!

After a couple of hours and a fresh murder mystery series in my head, she called back and said to scratch that idea because they had a better one for me...SOUTHERN BAKING MYSTERY SERIES.

Southern, check! Baking....oh no....

Okay. I can bake. I just can't decorate. No joke! I'm the one with the chocolate cake that is supposed to have white icing and the cake has mixed in with  the  icing when I'm spreading the icing so it looks gross.

The publisher loves my southern voice and as we all know we southerners love food, especially our sweets.

Fear ran through me as I stepped out of my comfort zone and tip-toed (not jumped) at the chance to write the series. The reason I agreed to  it was to go outside of my comfort zone and learn something new.

Again, it wasn't the baking that I needed to know, it's the decorating.

(Hahhaaa! We had to bake and bring six flat cookies to our first class. Tracy, my sister, made personal pan cookies...it was so funny!! Hahhaa! My little cookie compared to her big cookie. The instructor couldn't stop laughing.)

I called up my sister (who is always my partner in crime) and my good friend Janice to tell them about my new adventure. Not only did I make it sound like so much fun, but I'd talked them into going to a local bakery where the owner was going to teach us how to decorate!

This week our class started. After the first hour, there were new terms in my head that clashed into each other. I spent most the time with my brows furrowed wondering what I'd gotten myself into. Not only can I not decorate with tub icing in the baking aisle from my local grocery, but I've got to buy special butter that's not yellow because it will turn my icing yellow, I can't use PAM to bake my cakes and I've got to make some sort of other thing....

Literally, that's not just the icing on the cake. There's all these tips, bags, and the couplers. The what??? Needless to say, I can make stars...

The instructor asked me at the end of class what I'd taken away from the first class to use in my book. Interesting enough, I did have my notebook with me and the ideas were coming...only it wasn't baking or murder. I came up with a fun, romantic scene in the kitchen between my protagonist and the local sheriff....yeah...there's a romance.

SQUEE!! Until next week! Don't miss a blog post. Subscribe to the free feed in the sidebar >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Do you have a fun recipe to share or baking story? I'd love to hear it.