Ok so with the new Kindle came a renewed wish to hunt down the new series out there… and after a rather difficult week or two a lonely Lisa was spoiled by her darling husband with the ok to spend a few dollars  to get some books. I lucked out with this Tonya Kappes Kindle version of the first book in her Magical Cures Mysteries, this first book is only 2.99, as is the second with a 99 cents novella to round off what is available right now.

June is an orphan at this point in her life, continuing on her mother’s dream of creating herbal cures and selling them at a local flea market. Along with her rather unusual cat Mr. Prince Charming she lives in her mother’s house while creating her cures in the shed in the backyard… that is until the shed blows up and a chain of seemingly unconnected experiences leads her to a new town… Whispering Falls. A town full of eccentrics, but also a town full of her past.

Darla, and she was always know as Darla, was June’s mother and the catalyst for everything. With a father she can’t remember and a best friend named Owen who was instrumental in her moving out of her home and into adventure there is so much to realize in this book. The murders are not overly grisly, the characters are endearing and the trail to the solution of it all full of twist, turns… and ding dongs… June’s favourite and much mentioned desert. Oh and did we mention June is a spiritualist and she didn’t know it??

There is so much for June to learn, so many people for her to talk to and an adorable location to discover. I especially enjoyed Mr. Prince Charming. His antics and quirks lend so much to the story. So if you are interested in a quirky series of characters, a good mystery, some magic and of course a cat with attitude A Charming Crime is the book for you… and as for me, well I have the second in the series lined up to read next! So check back for THAT review!

A Charming Crime

This short story by Gemma Halliday is a part of the High Heels Mystery series. I have yet to read the series itself and came across this as a freebie in the Amazon Kindle bookstore. Basically you are hanging out with the main character – Maddie and her yummy homicide detective boyfriend Jack Ramirez on Christmas Eve. Their first together, well their first where Jack has not been called off to some murder or other. 

With a phone ringing off the hook and a doorbell that is continuously in use you get a bit of a parade of what I assume are regular characters. And really they ARE characters. You get a glimpse of the romance, a giggle at the various visitors and callers and and ending that is just plain sweet. Personally, I am thinking I will have to hunt down the other books in the High Heel Mysteries and see if they are as entertaining in a full story as they have been in this short. 

Christmas in High Heels

October 26-27

I am living a life in fast forward some days… and when you sleep in due to a scratchy throat it feels even faster! Add to that TWO interviews for Ken at two different companies and you have a half day of running solo. Good practice for when he is employed again (God willing hopefully VERY soon).

Showing off some Alumni pride

Anyway… even with a late start we managed to do our every day stuff and then move onto TWO chapters of our book with mini pictures and one sentence summaries and then HALLOWEEN COLOURING! Gotta get in the spooky and silly pictures in spades. You can find some terrific printouts on the Activity Village site right HERE.

Our monsters in the fridge

Halloween stories in a tent (Zander)

As is our pattern in regards to our dinosaurs Friday was NOT a new dinosaur day. Instead Emanuel drew his FAVOURITE so far – the Plesiosaur. 

Well done Emanuel!

Echo has become quite the little techno whiz. She knows how to turn off Baba’s Kindle and play a drawing app as well as watch the fishies. She knows where ALL the electronics are hiding and is very happy playing with them

Hard at work

Saturday was a double whammy for activity. We started at Toys ‘r Us for their special free Lego activity. The kids got to QUICKLY make a castle out of the new Legos and then were each given a little package that has a Lego skeleton, bats, spider, web, etc. They had a VERY limited quantity and even with getting there early we were like 6th in line. So no Lego for Echo but 4 very happy big kids! 

Creating

Some of the freebies

Ken had dropped us off at the store and then ran to get gas so he was VERY surprised that we were able to get through the line and the activity so quickly, even before he got back! But they were PACKED so we rushed.

Zander’s castle

Trinity’s (with Mommy’s help)

Gavin’s

Emanuel’s (using one of his brother’s bases to add to)

After all that excitement it was  time for even MORE with a first for our family – a birthday party for our nephew Zachary. Our first cousin birthday here in the states. There was our family and the cousins from my sister-in-law Faith’s family. As usually ours is the largest. BUT beyond our niece Gabriella we have the only girls!

Baba and his girls

Apparently Zachary is a HUGE Angry Birds fan… cake, decorations, the goodie bags… all according to theme.

CAKE

Note the decoration theme

There was toys in the basement, playing in the backyard and of course cake and ice cream in the dining room. The kids had a blast.

Playing games

All of Gabriella and Zachary’s cousins (both sides)