Sunday, November 27, 2016

The Season for Spice -- #bookgiveaway




By Pepper Reece, from the Spice Shop Mysteries by Leslie Budewitz

Leave a comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of KILLING THYME and an adorable gingerbread man tea infuser!

I love the holidays in the Market. Yes, this is Seattle’s rainy season, but all the warmth around us makes up for the chill. Warm cinnamon rolls, hot lattes and chai, even warm ginger beer drinks and ciders! And of course, our hot spice tea.

When customers come in for a gift, I love showing them our boxed spice sets—grilling rubs, international blends, and so much more. Salt and pepper grinders. Teapots, mugs, and aprons. Oh, the gift-giving possibilities!

But we all like giving what we like receiving, right? So for me, the perfect gift is a book.

When I bought the Seattle Spice Shop—just over two years ago, can you believe it?—we had a shelf of books on herbs and spices, and another on cooking. That was not enough. Heck, I owned twice as many cookbooks as that! The staff and I put our heads together and expanded our stock—and boy, am I glad we did! Sandra, no surprise, loves chef lit and food memoir. Kristen is a big fan of foodie fiction. And my pal and former law firm staffer, Jenn, now runs the Mystery Bookshop and turned me on to foodie mysteries. With her blessing, we’re selling scads of them—it’s been a treat to turn my customers on to mysteries with characters as obsessed with food as they are!

And I’m thrilled to have a stack of new releases for their holiday gift-giving. A few I’m looking forward to:


EGG DROP DEAD, by Laura Childs, in her Cackleberry Club Mysteries. Deliciously good fun!

MURDER ON ST. NICHOLAS AVENUE, by Victoria Thompson -- new in paperback. My mother, Lena, turned me on to these historical mysteries on her recent visit. Not foodie fiction, but I snuck a few copies into the store's order just because I love them!

And of course, KILLING THYME by Leslie Budewitz. Set in a spice shop -- how could I possibly resist?

PS – We’re also carrying these adorable gingerbread man tea infusers. Pair them with a box of our Spice Tea for the perfect stocking stuffer!

What books are on your holiday gift list—to give or receive? 


Leave a comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of KILLING THYME, my third Seattle Spice Shop Mystery, AND a gingerbread man tea infuser! The winner will be chosen on Tuesday, November 29. (US and Canadian addresses only.)

From the cover of KILLING THYME, Spice Shop Mystery #3 (October 2016).  

At Seattle Spice in the Pike Place Market, owner Pepper Reece is savoring her business success, but soon finds her plans disrupted by a killer…

Pepper Reece’s to-do list is longer than the shopping list for a five-course dinner, as she conjures up spice blends bursting with seasonal flavor, soothes nervous brides fretting over the gift registry, and crosses her fingers for a rave review from a sharp-tongued food critic. Add to the mix a welcome visit from her mother, Lena, and she’s got the perfect recipe for a busy summer garnished with a dash of fun. 

While browsing in the artists’ stalls, Pepper and Lena drool over stunning pottery made by a Market newcomer. But when Lena recognizes the potter, Bonnie Clay, as an old friend who disappeared years ago, the afternoon turns sour. To Pepper’s surprise, Bonnie seems intimately connected to her family’s past. After Bonnie is murdered only days later, Pepper is determined to uncover the truth. 

But as Pepper roots out long-buried secrets, will she be digging her own grave?



Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries—and the first author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction. The president of Sisters in Crime, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat Ruff, a cover model and avid bird-watcher. 

Swing by my website and join the mailing list for my seasonal newsletter. And join me on Facebook where I announce lots of giveaways from my cozy writer friends.



104 comments:

  1. Looks like a great book!

    [email protected]

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  2. Sounds like a interesting book! I would like to read it. The infuser is really [email protected]

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  3. I've put the Seattle spice shop books on my Christmas list that I sent to Santa.
    [email protected]

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    1. And I'm sure he knows you've been nice!

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  • Spicy tea....that sounds so good! I'm mostly a cozy reader, but also enjoy the Golden Age books, and some high action as well! As for what title(s) I'm looking forward to buying myself, well, that's hard. There are so many good books out there!

    Anne

    mysandycat (at) aol (dot) com

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    1. And more every month! Don't we wish Santa could bring us more time to read?!

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  • Killing Thyme sounds like a winner. I have it on my list. That is such a cute infuser. Thank you for this opportunity to win.

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  • Veronique BoudreauNovember 27, 2016 at 9:16 AM

    Sounds like a great read to me!thank you for sharing!

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  • My friends know I love cozy mysteries so I just ask them every year to get me any that sound like a fun read.
    Sometimes I receive a bunch of books purchased from our local library book Drive and some are new. It's so much fun to go through each and every one.
    Out of all the books I received I only received one duplicate and I gave it to my other friend who was a cozy lover. It's so much fun!

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    1. What fun! A friend gave me a bag of mysteries from the thrift shop a few years ago -- she had no idea that most of them I had donated! (Don't tell her!)

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  • Killing Thyme tops my list to receive. bobbipad at gmail dot com

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  • One of my granddaughters loves to read as much as I do, so gifting back and forth with her is fun. I love to read almost everything so any book is always a welcome pleasure. Thanks for the giveaway.
    sallycootie(at)gmail(dot)com

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  • I'm always looking for new series of cozies.
    I get a book and then pass it on to my daughter
    and granddaughter, then it goes to the library
    as a donation.
    thanks for the chance to win a book from this series.
    Mary Lou at txmlhl(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  • Thanks for all the delightful comments, even though I can't respond to them all! Keep 'em coming!

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  • Find food mysteries most enjoyable for reading during food breaks. Appreciate your gifting at this time of year. laughlincat(at)gmail(dot)com

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  • Have yet to read any of these books, so I am hoping this will be a start. Spices have long been a favorite. Our food choices are limited. So spices are a must. That is what they meant when they said "Variety is the Spice of Life" Took ages. But have finally found the right mix for a bouquet garni that goes with just about anything and is delicious. And many. Like thyme. Smell so heavenly. Perfumes the whole house. Do appreciate the chance to get the book. Sooner. Rather than later. Della at deepotter (at) peoplepc ((dot) com

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  • Love all your books! I'm on killing Thyme now and love it as well! The above recommended books look great too! I going to look into them. Happy holidays! Aspen
    [email protected]

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  • I am a big fan of these oops and authors. For gift-giving I am looking at friends' and family's hobbies and talents. Do I send a culinary-themed book to my sister? Do I send a paranormal-themed book to my BFF? Do I send another Tea Shop book to mom? I have a huge list of possibilities....I am sending out my own 'Dear Santa, I want books...' letter to all.
    [email protected]

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  • Killing Thyme looks like a winner. And, the gingerbread tea infuser is so cute! Thanks so much for the opportunity to win. choirlady27(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  • I've got the spice shops books on my Christmas list as well as a couple of the Caprice Deluca mysteries by Karen Rose Smith.
    [email protected]

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  • This book has a spot on my TBR list and I love the cover. The little tea infuser is adorable. Thanks for the opportunity to win!! [email protected]

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  • Appealing, as always
    I'd love a shop like this near me.
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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    1. LOL, Libby -- me, too! That's why I had to write one, so I could visit any time I want!

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  • I am reading Killing Thyme right now (I know, I know it has been on my shorter TBR pile for a while) and am enjoying it a lot, Leslie! Each Spice Shop mystery gets better and better. And the tea infuser is so cute. Thank you for this giveaway. If I win, I will give this copy of Killing Thyme to a friend. grace dot koshida at gmail dot com

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    1. Thank you, thank you, Grace, for the kind words -- so glad you're enjoying Killing Thyme!

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  • Thanks for the opportunity.
    Katrina kkat(dot)edwards(at)gmail(dot)com

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  • Elizabeth MacGregor-KirkcaldyNovember 27, 2016 at 1:00 PM

    The perfect gift for me is a book as well, and I have added the Spice Shop Mysteries to my TBR List. 'Killing Thyme' sounds like a wonderful read and the cover is lovely. Love the adorable gingerbread tea infuser. Thank you for this wonderful chance and wishing you a Happy Christmas... Happy reading and writing. ☕️📚🎄

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    1. Aren't the covers fun? Berkley hired the same cover artist for both my Spice Shop and Food Lovers' Village Mysteries, and I'm delighted to say that Midnight Ink, which will be continuing the Village series, hired him as well, so "the look" will continue!

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