Tag Archives: Pumpkin

Book Review & Giveaway ~ Halloween is Murder by Carolyn Arnold

My Thoughts & Review

I have read several of Carolyn Arnold’s books, mostly in the Brandon Fisher series, but this is my first in the McKinley Mysteries series. Since I have thoroughly enjoyed her other books, I had no doubt I would like this one … I was correct ?

While this series is very different from the BF series, I enjoyed that is was a fun, cozy who-done-it without intense descriptions of gruesome crime scenes. Halloween is Murder involves a TV reporter that is found dead shortly after taping a segment about a Haunted House. The interview was with the owners of the haunted house, who just happen to be private investigators. I love to try to solve the mystery along the way as clues are interspersed through the chapters. This one took an unexpected turn right near the end, but totally made sense. I also liked the playful chemistry between Sean and Sara, and how well they worked together as a team in their professional as well as in their personal lives.

This is a fun, easy read to help get you in the Halloween spirit !

NEW RELEASE…

Beware of all that goes bump in the night…

Sean and Sara McKinley are excited about the haunted house they’ve set up as a Halloween charity fund-raiser, but things take a ghoulish turn when the reporter covering their story is found dead. With the media keeping mum about how she died, Sara’s curiosity is piqued, and she convinces Sean to take on the investigation through their PI firm.

But this case is not without its challenges. The police are actively investigating it, as well, and it’s not even clear that the woman was murdered. It will take a little cloak-and-dagger, dress-up, and finesse for the McKinleys to get to the bottom of it, but they aren’t the kind to give up.

As they troll for leads and work through the skeletons in the reporter’s closet, they unearth a few suspects, but they’ll need to carve out the whole truth if they’re going to find her killer. If they do so fast enough, there might even be time for a little trick-or-treating.

Available to buy from…
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What to expect from the McKinley Mysteries:

Romance. Humor. Murder. Are you looking for a murder mystery without all the graphic violence and foul language? Something that you can enjoy in an afternoon and walk away feeling good about afterward? How about a dash of humor and romance? If so, meet former detectives Sean and Sara McKinley. When a billionaire leaves them all his money, they no longer have to work, but they find themselves sticking to what they’re good at—solving murders. Undercover, off the books, and around the world, they’ll get to the bottom of things…and romance it up along the way.

Read an excerpt

About the author
CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international best-selling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures.

Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.

She currently lives just west of Toronto with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada.

Find the author on the following sites…
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I received this book through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.

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Fall Favorites

What is your favorite season? Mine is the Fall !

While I actually like all the seasons, Fall is my favorite. I love the beautiful colors of the leaves. I love all the hues of the autumn color palette, from the golden yellows to the burnt oranges to the deepest maroons. Some trees are like a magnificent work of art 🙂 I also love the weather – warm sunny days; crisp cool evenings; low humidity … what’s not to love ? Unfortunately, my sinuses aren’t a huge fan of the barometric pressures the change of seasons brings, but the rest of me loves the Fall weather.

Another thing I love about Fall is comfort food. The cooler temps have me yearning for big pots of soup with warm crusty bread. I love serving hearty dishes like beef stew and chili. This time of year also gets me craving baked goods, warm from the oven. I’d say it’s a tie between Apple Cinnamon and Pumpkin as my favorite flavor of Fall. I like pumpkin everything … pumpkin bread, pumpkin spiced lattes, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkins seeds … btw, did I mention that I love pumpkin ?? However, I also love apple cinnamon everything too! Pretty much anything apple flavored from the bakery – apple pie, apple crisp, apple strudel, apple slice … Yum! And let’s not forget hot apple cider 🙂

I also enjoy the great outdoors during the Fall. I love going on long walks in the forest preserves, going to a pumpkin farm, getting turned around & lost in corn mazes, going apple picking, taking a hayride, and going camping. I love sitting around a fire enjoying a warm (or warming) beverage and having long talks while gazing into the mesmerizing flames. I love when the wood pops and sends up sparks; I just love the scent of the burning logs 🙂

Just so the other seasons don’t feel left out, here’s what I like about them:

Winter ~ Freshly fallen snow and Christmas (just wish that it wasn’t so bitterly cold and last so long)
Spring ~ Nature coming back to life, trees / plants turning green again and the weather starting to warm up
Summer ~ Longer hours of daylight and being outdoors more (if only there wasn’t so much humidity)

So, you see, I do actually like all the seasons, but Fall is still my favorite! Please share what your favorite season is and why …

Bucket List Ideas for Fall Fun

Fall is my favorite season. In my opinion, the weather is perfect … warm, sunny afternoons and cool, crisp evenings. I think it’s the best season for outdoor activities. There are some activities that are occasional for me, but others, like the Pumpkin Spice Latte I’m sipping as I write, are seasonal musts 🙂

Here is a list of some of my favorite (both past & present) Fall activities:

Take a long walk in the woods admiring all the beautiful foliage
Go apple picking; make sure to enjoy an apple cider donut with a cup of hot apple cider 🙂
Have a bonfire with all your friends
Navigate a tricky corn maze
Go to your local high school homecoming football game … amazing ambience
Go to a pumpkin farm and choose the absolute best pumpkin … don’t settle for less 🙂
Go on a hayride
Visit some of the many outdoor fall craft fairs
Go to a haunted house
Have your friends over for a leaf raking party … have fun jumping in the huge piles before bagging them
Bake an apple and/or pumpkin pie … yumm, plus your whole house smells wonderful

I hope some of these ideas inspire you to get working on whatever is on our Fall Fun Bucket List. Do you have a favorite activity that I missed? Please share the fun 🙂

Tracy Helps You’s Thankful Thoughts for Today ~ 11/16/14

November 16, 2014 ~ Today I am thankful for pumpkin … everything 🙂 Autumn is my favorite season for lots of reasons … the warm sunny days followed by crisp cool evenings, the spectacular colors of the changing leaves, and of course, pumpkin flavored treats. From Labor Day til Thanksgiving, its pumpkin season … and I’m very thankful!

Pumpkin Spice Latte may be my favorite. This year I found a recipe on Pinterest and made it at home ~ I actually liked it better than you know where. Saving money was nice too! I love pumpkin bread warm from the oven and pumpkin cheesecake with whipped cream. Last night, I had pumpkin ice cream drizzled with warm caramel and pecans … yum … and I’m looking forward to a big slice of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving 🙂

♥ Today I am thankful for pumpkin … everything ♥

Tracy Helps You’s Thankful Thoughts for Today ~ 11/8/14

November 8, 2014 ~ Today I am thankful for Nugget, a.k.a., my “practice” grandchild. What started out as a homeschool Child Care elective class for my daughter when she was in high school, has since turned into a very special relationship.

A friend with a 3 month old baby needed ongoing childcare every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. Since my daughter didn’t drive yet, I stayed with her and used it as a “teaching time”. She learned hands on feeding, burping, diapering, etc. Needless to say we both fell in love at first sight … and the rest, as they say, is history 🙂

My daughter still takes care of her occasionally, but I now only get to see her at birthdays and holidays. I just love our little Nugget, she is growing into a beautiful little lady ~ on the inside (where it counts most), as well as, the outside ♥

♥ Today I am thankful for Nugget, a.k.a., my “practice” grandchild ♥

Memories of Halloween

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!!

Halloween was different when I was growing up. It wasn’t so commercialized ~ it wasn’t “big business” back then. Decorations, costumes and candy went on sale a couple weeks beforehand. At the store, there was a special Halloween display set up at the end of an aisle. This display did not take over multiple aisles in the store for months ahead of time. It was a much simpler time.

It was here that you could by your decorations which mainly consisted of printed cardboard jack-o-lanterns, witches and ghosts that got thumb-tacked to the wall or taped on the window. The main decoration was your hand carved jack-o-lantern – carved with a sharp knife and the pumpkin guts were scooped out by hand – no fancy sawing tools or scrapers. It took a lot of skill to scrap the bottom of the pumpkin flat so the (real) candle would stand up straight with the help of the pile of melted wax dripped in from the opening. I used to love the smell of the pumpkin while the candle was burning. There was always a big black burn mark on the lid. Continue reading →

10 of My Favorite Fall Activities

It’s Fall … or do you call it Autumn ? Either way, it’s my favorite season !

While I do like summer, heat and humidity are not my friends. I think what I like the most about summer is the longer hours of daylight and the relaxed, more laid back schedule.

I really enjoy Fall weather … warm, sunny afternoons with crisp, cool mornings and evenings. To me, Fall weather is perfect for outdoor festivals and activities.

Here are some of my favorite things to do:

1) Walking or driving through a wooded area (like a state park or forest preserve) to see the magnificent colors of the changing leaves.

2) Going apple picking at a local orchard. I love picking an assortment of varieties ~ they all taste so good. Speaking of tasting good, many orchards have bakery goods for sale … apple cider donuts … Yum 🙂

3) Going to a football game ~ NFL or a local college (more budget friendly and, I think more fun). The atmosphere is fun and exciting … and tailgating is so much fun.

4) Visit a pumpkin farm … most of them have fun activities like hayrides and corn mazes, besides picking out the very best pumpkin for Halloween.

5) Spending an evening sitting around a fire toasting marshmallows and sipping hot apple cider.

6) The weather is usually great for going to an outdoor Arts & Crafts show … I’ve been known to start picking up some Christmas gifts at these shows.

7) The cooler weather calls for comfort foods and freshly baked goodies … I just love anything made from pumpkin or apple cinnamon 🙂

8) Spending the afternoon raking all the leaves into piles with your family and friends and then jumping into them … then doing it again and again.

9) Fall Festivals are fun because it gives you one last opportunity for taste all the “fried everything” festival type food and ride some carnival rides before the snow blows and we have the long wait til next summer.

10) Handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters on Halloween … especially to the little ones … they’re just soo cute 🙂

What is your favorite thing about Fall ?

Tracy Helps You’s Thankful Thoughts for Today ~ 11-28-13

November 28 ~ Today I am thankful for traditions. It’s Thanksgiving Day … a day set aside for expressing gratitude for your many blessings. It’s also a day full of traditions with family and friends.

Like most American families, we indulge in a huge feast of turkey “with all the fixins”. Turkey, stuffing, and casseroles, oh my … and let’s not forget pumpkin pie with whipped cream 🙂

This big meal is the backdrop for families as they gather around a heavy-laden table and share their heartfelt gratitude. It is a day filled with love for family and friends.

Many families have certain traditions that they continue from year to year … grandpa always carves the turkey, watching football, the after dinner nap, or go to see a movie. Some families exchange names for Christmas gift grab bags or scour the ad papers for Black Friday specials 🙂

There are many different traditions, but what’s important is that traditions bind families together and are passed down from generation to generation. Traditions make memories … HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!!

♥ Today I am thankful for traditions ♥

photo by: Ruocaled

Tracy Helps You’s Thankful Thoughts for Today ~ 11-18-13

November 18 ~ Today I am thankful for changing seasons. I’m blessed to live in an area of the country where the seasons actually change. The weather in the Chicagoland area often gets a bad rap. It seems we have every extreme known to mankind (slight exaggeration … maybe). From hot & humid to frostbite below zero wind-chill temps … from drought, Smokey the Bear warnings dry to flash flooding … and throw tornadoes and blizzards into the mix and well, you get a pretty good picture 🙂

Along with the multitude of weather scenarios, we get all four seasons. Fall is my favorite … I just love the gorgeous color of the leaves, and pretty much anything pumpkin flavored 🙂 I count it a blessing to live in an area where we get to experience the change with each season.

♥ Today I am thankful for changing seasons ♥

Autumn / Fall Decorating ~ Halloween or Thanksgiving ?

It’s Fall ~ I just love Autumn ! The past week or so has been gorgeous weather in the Chicago area … warm sunny days in the low 70’s and cool crisp evenings in the low 60’s — Everywhere you go, you see apples and pumpkins … it’s so fun spending an afternoon apple picking; enjoying the activities at a local pumpkin farm; or going for a hayride. I love laid-back evenings just sitting by a relaxing bonfire sipping hot apple cider 🙂

I also love the autumn color palette; so many shades of gold, orange, rust, red and brown. The garden centers and pumpkin farms are stocked with harvest inspired decorations.

Do you decorate in the fall?? Indoors or out?? Do you decorate for Halloween or Thanksgiving or both?? Continue reading →

photo by: jmd41280