Yep

This about sums up my wild and crazy plans for tonight. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Definitely

Um, yes. This. And I think Baby Girl is even worse than I am. She'd be up in the tree, tossing the frying pan down... :)

Hmm

While planting bulbs in an area of the yard we call the "pit of despair" I saw some duct tape sticking out of the ground. Where no duct tape should ever be. I left it, but I'm kind of curious... To pull or not to pull?

Happy

So incredibly grateful for all the wonderful reviews and giveaways for ONE POTION IN THE GRAVE.

The latest comes from Debbie's Book Bag:

"Readers will be thrilled to return to this enchanting small town, where the mystery is almost as captivating as the southern drawl of the characters. Blake continues to draw readers in with strong character development and a ton of humor. This is a series that paranormal cozy fans can not afford to miss. A great addition to the series!"

 Thank you so much, Debbie!

AND, she's graciously hosting a giveaway of the book. Even if you've gotten your copy already (THANK YOU!), you could win a copy for a friend. The more readers we can get hooked on this series, the better. :)

Just follow the link above to enter.

Reveal

Take a look-see at the cover for the upcoming SOME LIKE IT WITCHY! Isn't it a beauty? So thrilled with what artist Bella Pilar does with my vague ideas for cover art.

May 2015 

Wishcrafter Darcy Merriweather can charm desires into reality, but as the national bestselling Wishcraft mysteries continue, she won’t be able to magically avoid trouble when death holds an open house….

The Enchanted Village is abuzz when the old Tavistock house finally goes up for sale. Darcy’s friend Curecrafter Cherise Goodwin is hoping she will have the winning bid on the home, but Darcy can’t shake the feeling that something bad is about to happen—and her magical instincts are usually right.

Sure enough, while Darcy and Cherise are looking at the property, they discover real estate agent Raina Gallagher stone-cold dead on the floor. Clutched in her hand is a gemstone amulet and, on the wall above her, a large red A. While Raina had no shortage of enemies, there’s also a dark legend about the house itself. To track down the killer, Darcy must unlock the secrets of both the deceased and the estate—and she’ll need to act fast, because revenge is a deal that never closes.…

Happy

I'm meeting an old friend (friendship is old--not her, LOL) that I haven't seen in a long time for breakfast, and can't wait to catch up. I miss her smile. Sometimes it's the simple things in life that make me happiest.

Winner!

Congratulations to Connie K-F for winning the Witchtastic Giveaway! Connie, check your email. :)

A big THANK YOU to all of you who participated. Stay tuned for more fun giveaways.


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Spooktacular

I'm so grateful to Lori's Reading Corner for donating a set of Magic Potion books to the Spooktacular Giveaway hop.

It's so easy to enter, and if you haven't tried the books yet, it's a chance to get them in one fell swoop. There are 9 days left to enter!

Check out the details here:

Lori's Reading Corner - Spooktacular

And while you're at Lori's, be sure to check out all the other giveaways going on. It's a great time for giveaways!

Purr

Really fun guest blog today over at Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries & Meows! It's a conversation between Roly & Poly, from the Magic Potion books, and me. They're, ah, a bit disgruntled.

Melissa is also offering a giveaway for ONE POTION IN THE GRAVE. Can't go wrong with that. :)

Click here to check it out: Melissa's Mocha's Mysteries, & Meows

AND

Tomorrow is the last day for the Witchtastic Giveaway! It closes at midnight tomorrow night, so be sure to enter if you haven't already. I hope to get the prize pack in the mail on Thursday so the potion bottle candle holders (SO CUTE) can be used before Halloween. Good luck!

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Peculiar

Today Carly Bell Hartwell and I are over at Dru's Book Musing, talking about how desperate times lead to desperate measures. Carly's, ah, kind of in over her head in ONE POTION IN THE GRAVE.

Check it out here: Dru's Book Musing

Dru is also giving away a copy of ONE POTION! The giveaway runs through 10/23. See the post for details.

PS: You'll get why this post is titled peculiar when you read the guest blog. :)

Courage

Love this quote. Wishing everyone a great weekend!

PS: Where did I get the plot for ONE POTION IN THE GRAVE? Check out Marie's Cozy Corner (and there's a giveaway going on, too!).

Paint

I'm going to paint mine in jewel colors. Bold amethysts, stunning emeralds, bright sapphires and a hint of ruby.

Reminder

The Witchtastic Giveaway is still going on and runs until 10/23! There are many ways to enter. Choose one, choose them all--it's up to you. More options = more entries. :) 

Good luck!

ONE POTION IN THE GRAVE Witchtastic giveaway! 

Win a set of “Cast a Spell” measuring spoons, a set of three Yankee Candle potion bottle tea light holders, a Lego minifigure witch, and a $20.00 gift card to Barnes & Noble -or- Amazon (winner's choice).

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Geeking

Saw these at Michael's yesterday. As I'm a total Sharpie addict, and a child of the 80s, I must get these. I will, however, wait until I get a Michael's coupon (that price tag hurts!).

Wisdom

Ah, if only everyone in the world followed this wisdom.

PS: I'm over at Thoughts in Progress today, talking about Southern comfort foods. Come on by and say hi!

PPS: My newsletter launched this morning, so if you're signed up and didn't receive it, please check your spam boxes.

Disclaimer

How funny is this ad I screen-shot from Pandora? Made me laugh.

Btw, how awesome is Pandora? Love it.

Twang

One of my favorite things about writing the Magic Potion mysteries is learning all about the South and Southern culture. So fun.

I have a whole Pinterest board about the Magic Potion books that has Southern sayings, character and house inspirations, and lots of other fun stuff. You can check it out here: Potions on Pinterest.

Oh, and you can read all about why I chose Alabama for the setting of the books here: Stuff and Nonsense (and there's a giveaway for ONE POTION IN THE GRAVE going on until 10/22!)

Thief!

I totally flaked on telling you about my guest post on Lori's Reading Corner yesterday. Please go and read all about my stint as an unintentional library book thief. It's a good post--I promise.

Lori's Reading Corner

A snippet:

The first two on that list were the initial books that most influenced my love of mysteries. The Hound of the Baskervilles gave me my first book hangover. Reading it was a 10^th grade English assignment, and though the class was only supposed to read one chapter for homework over the weekend, I was hooked. It was the first book I stayed up half the night to finish. I had to know whodunit.

A Cry in the Night was the book that cemented my love of the genre. I borrowed it from my high school’s library in May of 1990 and devoured it. Apparently, I loved it so much…I kept it.

That’s right. I. Kept. It.

:::hanging head in shame:::

Click the link above to read the rest...

Hurrah!

It's here, it's here!

Kudos for One Potion in the Grave

"Blake is unstoppable! She crafts a story that pulls readers into the book as if they are part of the cast. The characters are so real and the situations so well written that readers will have a hard time putting this book down. Add in the quirky townspeople and Carly’s three aunts, the Odd Ducks and you have a funny take on them solving the mystery."  -Jennifer Wilson, 4 1/2 stars, Top Pick, RT Book Reviews 

"The residents of Hitching Post, Alabama remind me of the characters in Steel Magnolias -- absolutely unique and unpredictable, completely lovable, and larger-than-life. I look forward to visiting them again soon." -Marlyn @ Stuff and Nonsense

Indiebound | Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Nook | Kobo | iTunes

A Magic Potion Mystery

October 2014 (NAL/Penguin/Obsidian)

Carly Bell Hartwell’s love potions are always in demand in Hitching Post, Alabama, the wedding capital of the South.…

When Katie Sue Perrywinkle walks into the Little Shop of Potions, Carly is surprised and delighted to see her old childhood friend. Katie Sue fled her hometown and a troubled family over a decade ago. But she’s not back for a social visit. She’s come to settle a score with Senator Warren Calhoun, who is in town for his son’s high-profile wedding.

But before Katie Sue has a chance to voice any objections, she’s forced to forever hold her peace. After finding her friend dead, Carly vows to find her murderer. Were the corrupt Calhouns willing to go to any lengths to avoid a scandal? Did Katie Sue’s family take the term “bad blood” to a whole new level? And why did the bride-to-be come to Carly for a love potion? As Carly gets closer to the truth, a killer is planning a very chilly reception.…

**

PS: I'm at Fresh Fiction today, telling you how I came up with the idea of the Magic Potion shop mysteries! How did I come up with the Magic Potion Shop mysteries?  http://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=6341

Beauteous

It's damp and a little dreary outside yet the fall colors are still vibrant.  So beautiful.

And you know what damp means, right? No raking today! Hurrah. So. Many. Leaves.

**

PS: I'm over at the Qwillery with Carly Bell Hartwell. She's telling you all about Halloween in Hitching Post, Alabama. Let's just say it's haunting. :) Oh, and there's also a chance to win a copy of ONE POTION IN THE GRAVE. Good luck!

Freebies

Today my publisher, Penguin-Random House, will be giving away three copies of ONE POTION IN THE GRAVE on Twitter from 10-3 EST. Just go to @penguincozies and follow the instructions on their tweet. Good luck!

Life

Story of my life, really.

Reminder

My favorite show of all time, Gilmore Girls, is available to stream on Netflix this month. Although we own the DVD series, Baby Girl has hijacked them, taking them off to college with her. Now I can watch all I want. Mwa-ha-ha!