Cozy Moment Friday: The Tea Box

"The Tea Box"

I always find the days right after hitting the "publish" button and sending a book out into the world to be strange and sort of difficult. I'm not sure why, but I guess it's a lot like going from 100 to 0 in the matter of a few minutes. Getting a book ready for publication takes so much work, and then, when you finally get it done and publish it, and you've done everything you can possibly do, a strangeness settles in when you realize that now is the time to relax and let go of it. It's kind of like a post-book malaise of some sort, and it usually lasts a couple of days where you walk around too exhausted to really do anything, but antsy as can be to do something. 

Anyway, right after publishing Bulldogs & Bullets this week, I found myself in that strange feeling. One day, I got all ready to go down to the plaza to walk around, but found that the process of getting ready exhausted me so much, that I just lay on the sofa instead! 

But later that afternoon, I went to go check the mailbox and I was surprised to find a package waiting for me there. I brought it back, opened it up, and was pleased as pie to find not only a beautiful, delicious loaf of banana bread, but also this other amazing item: 

This beautiful tea box was specially made for me by my sister, the wonderfully talented woodworker who goes by The Lumberjill. She made it out of reclaimed fence wood that I helped her transport to her shop one day a few months ago. The box not only has little compartments for tea, but it also has my initials wood-burned onto it!

Needless to say, I was totally blown away by the thoughtful gift, and I felt myself yanked out of that post-book malaise and into a much better feeling (the banana bread helped with that also ;) It always amazes me when my sister turns something like a pile of old fencing - something that nobody would want - into a beautiful piece of art. It reminds me that everything is beautiful. Sometimes you just have to get beneath the rough exterior to see that :).  

That was hands-down my cozy moment of the week. Now I have a wonderful place to store my tea collection, and a special piece that I'll always treasure. And what about that loaf of banana bread, you say? Well, I would love to show you a picture of that too, but I'm afraid it couldn't make it to the photo shoot ;)

What about you? What was your cozy moment this week? Leave a comment below for a chance to win a digital copy of my newest book, Bulldogs & Bullets! 

Bulldogs & Bullets Now Available on Amazon!

Dear Readers, 

Bulldogs & Bullets, the second book in the Dog Town USA Cozy Mystery series, is now available on Amazon! It will be $2.99 until Friday, so be sure to get in on the deal!

Buy on Amazon

And if you do end up enjoying the book, reviews left on Amazon are always appreciated by the author!

Thank you so much for your support. :) And Happy Reading!

Sincerely, 

MM

Bulldogs & Bullets Description

Dear Readers, 

Today, I just wanted to share the description for Bulldogs & Bullets, the second book in The Dog Town USA Cozy Mystery series. The book is coming out May 24, and I can't wait! In the meantime, here's the description. I hope you find it intriguing!!!

 Ace reporter Freddie Wolf is in the dog house. 

After turning down the crime beat at her small town Oregon newspaper because of a conflict of interest, Freddie’s editor at The Dog Mountain Chronicle demotes her back down to the dog beat. Which means covering more boring pooch parades, pet profiles, and canine puff pieces than any serious reporter could handle without losing her doggone mind. 

But when Freddie’s friend Mindy Monahan goes missing just hours before the local school teacher was due to expose a ring of law-breaking dog owners, the journalist decides she won’t heel and stay within the lines of her beat. 

With the help of her police lieutenant boyfriend and her puppy, Mugs, Freddie launches her own investigation into Mindy’s mysterious disappearance. But little does Freddie know that by trying to sniff out the mystery, she’s walking right into a deadly trap.

Because it’s a dog-eat-dog world out there. And Freddie Wolf is about to learn that lesson the hard way…

Bulldogs & Bullets is the second book in the Dog Town USA Cozy Mystery series, and is preceded by Mutts & Murder.

Cover Reveal: Bulldogs & Bullets

Dear Readers,

Bulldogs & Bullets, the second book in the Dog Town USA Cozy Mystery series, will be out May 24. In the meantime, here's the cover - hot off the press!!! Thanks so much to The Lumberjill for designing this incredibly awesome cover!

#CozyMoment Friday: A Cozy Welcome

"A Cozy Welcome"

Lately, I've been splitting my time between my home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and my sister and brother-in-law's lovely house in Colorado. I'm lucky to be able to have a job that allows me to travel so frequently like that. But often times when I travel, I find it hard to buckle down and get to work. There's just something about being away from the Santa Fe home office that makes me want to do just about anything but work. I swear - my mind actually seeks out distractions to keep me from writing! 

However, I've been getting some great work in during this visit to Colorado. And much of that is because of this wonderful desk area my very thoughtful sister has set up for me here in the office of her house. It has a window with a view of several flowering trees outside in the backyard -- and a view of all the wind, rain, sun, and snow that has descended upon Denver this past week, too. The work space also has a vase of fresh orange tulips and a beautiful handmade wooden planter filled with bright green succulents. It's such a serene and peaceful area, and I've been able to enjoy all the beauty of spring while I write. And consequently, I've been zipping along on my next book, Bulldogs & Bullets!

It's really special when somebody's so thoughtful and makes you feel so welcome in their home. It's been a highlight of the past few days for me, and that's why I've entitled this week's cozy moment "A Cozy Welcome." 

What about you? What was your cozy moment this week? Comment below or on my Facebook page, and enter for a chance to win a free copy of Menace in Christmas River, the most recent book in the Christmas Cozy Mystery series! Winners will be drawn at random, and will be announced on Monday. Good Luck!