A Cuppa Trouble (The CafFUNated Mysteries #2) by Angela Ruth Strong

Kindle Edition, 235 pages

Published July 1st 2019 by Mountain Brook Ink

Can a couple of baristas chase down a car thief without spilling a drop of their favorite drink?

Plans for a Valentine's Day grand opening of a small town coffee shop go awry when the first customer is killed. Evidence points toward the victim being mixed up in a car theft ring, but shop owners Tandy and Marissa have reason to believe he was framed. An assortment of suspects--from a pink-haired heir to Tandy's charming ex--all seem to know a little too much about grand theft auto.

Without approval from either their boyfriends or the gum-chewing FBI agent in charge, the shop owners go on stakeouts, plan stings, and pursue justice in a high-speed car chase. If they don't find the killer soon, it might be more than their love lives in trouble.

Captions by Roderick Field read: 

"Tea is the finest solution to nearly every catastrophe and conundrum that the day may bring." 

"The first coffee of the day is a stalwart companion in the face of an unreasonable world."

My Review

4 STARS!!!

“Choosing to be vulnerable in a relationship was about as scary as being captured by a killer.”

Strong never disappoints me with her stories. Her contemporary novels and novellas always have plenty of charm, wit, mystery, fun and camaraderie between the characters.

A Cuppa Trouble is the second book in Strong's CafFUNated Mysteries and as ridiculous as Marissa is (she is a big-time klutz!), I couldn’t help shaking my head and chuckling at some of the crazy predicaments this girl gets herself into. And Connor, her boyfriend, is a saint. He’s steady (literally for her at times…haha), dependable, not without his tiny flaws but such a great partner for her that I adore him more with each book.

Tandy just gets better and better to me. Her character development is coming along nicely and she’s becoming my favorite. Greg, her new love interest, is rock solid and a nice man. It’s good to read a book where the guy is not some reformed rogue with a horrid past. At least, that’s not what Greg is yet. ;-)

The story, while it is a cozy mystery (it’s good and a bit predictable), is really more about Marissa and Tandy and their relationship. They discover a few things about each other in this book that reveals their inner insecurities and helps deepen their bond of friendship. Overall, I really liked this second offering and look forward to reading the next book.

I received a digital copy from the author. I was not required to write a review. No compensation has been received.

COVER REVEAL!!! A Cuppa Trouble by Angela Ruth Strong + Giveaway!!!

Angela Ruth Strong sold her first Christian romance novel in 2009 then quit writing romance when her husband left her. Ten years later, God has shown her the true meaning of love, and there's nothing else she'd rather write about. Her books have since earned TOP PICK in Romantic Times, been optioned for film, won the Cascade Award, and been Amazon best-sellers. She also writes non-fiction for SpiritLed Woman. To help aspiring authors, she started IDAhope Writers where she lives in Idaho, and she teaches as an expert online at WRITE THAT BOOK.

From Goodreads: Plans for a Valentine's Day grand opening of a small town coffee shop go awry when the first customer is killed. Evidence points toward the victim being mixed up in a car theft ring, but shop owners Tandy and Marissa have reason to believe he was framed. An assortment of suspects--from a pink-haired heir to Tandy's charming ex--all seem to know a little too much about grand theft auto.

Without approval from either their boyfriends or the gum-chewing FBI agent in charge, the shop owners go on stakeouts, plan stings, and pursue justice in a high-speed car chase. If they don't find the killer soon, it might be more than their love lives in trouble.

Isn't this cover cute???

Have you read any of Angela's books? I've read several and enjoyed them all. 

Her voice is fresh and feisty and fun!

The first book in this series, A Caffeine Conundrum, was a 5 star read for me last year 

and made my Top Ten Reads in 2018!! If you have Kindle Unlimited, it's FREE to read on there and you'll be all ready for Tandy and Marissa's latest adventure in 

A Cuppa Trouble, releasing July 1st!!!. ☺

And guess what today is??

 National Beverage Day!!!

I'm a tea and coffee drinker.  

What about you? Do you prefer tea or coffee? Or maybe you enjoy soda more than hot drinks. 

Let's chat beverages and books in the comments. 

I'm giving away a Kindle copy of A Caffeine Conundrum  (The CafFUNated Mysteries Book 1) Kindle Edition

to get one of my readers started on this series. Be sure and leave your email address in a non-spammy format (jane at doe dot com) and follow the blog thru GFC in the right sidebar. 
Ends May 10th!

Open internationally if you think you can retrieve the book! 

My Box of Goodness From The 12th Teacup & Mug Exchange

I recently participated in the 12th Tea Cup andMug Exchange hosted by Stephanie @ The Enchanting Rose. It is always a pleasure to make new friends and through this exchange I have met some lovely ladies in years past that I am blessed to call ‘friend’.

I was delighted to receive these gifts from Jody! My box full of goodness came with a beautiful mug in my favorite color and it has Scripture on it too! 

Jody sent me a box of my favorite Plantation Mint tea and hot cocoa, along with the most awesome tasting Pretzel! Seriously, this pretzel was over-the-top good and it was made locally where Jody lives. Also, she took time to peruse my blog and saw that my husband and I had visited her town (Lititz PA) a few years ago and enjoyed a visit to Wilbur Chocolates so she graciously included a bag of scrumptious chocolate drops and a couple of chocolate coins. Mind you, I didn’t see both coins other than when I took them out of the box. One was absconded by my 21 year old ;)

This jar filled with delicious Lemon Curd is going to be perfect on scones!

Along with all of these tantalizing treats is a tote bag (boy, can I use this bag for books!), and a package of pretty napkins that I have already put to use. Just not in the ordinary way.

I have wanted to decoupage this little plant stand with a decorative paper napkin ever since I saw a lady do this on YouTube. When I opened my package and saw the napkins, I knew one of them would be perfect for this project! I had fun doing it and I'm pleased with how it turned out.

Thank you, Jody, for your sweet gifts that were so thoughtfully chosen! The card couldn't have been more perfect with the Violas in a teacup. :) I look forward to getting to know you better.

It's not what we have in life, but who we have in our life that matters. ~ Unknown

 I sent a package to Allison and had a great time filling it with things that I thought she would enjoy. Allison wrote me a lovely email and sent me the most amazingly gorgeous handmade card! 

Last but not least, I want to say Thank you, Dearest Stephanie, for your friendship and love to all of us!!! You rock, girlfriend! May God bless you!!!

If you made it this far reading, yay!!! Now tell me what your favorite tea or beverage is to relax with whilst delving into a good book or during your personal devotional time.

You know what mine is...Plantation Mint Tea or Regular Coffee. :-)

9th Tea Cup and Mug Exchange Reveal

“I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let’s face it, friends make life a lot more fun.” – Chuck Swindoll 

On arrival of my box, I was so excited to see what was inside! Kim blogs over at Wisdom with Needle and Thread, and gifted me with a gorgeous infuser mug along with an entire box of my favorite tea, some pretty stickers for my scrapbooking/journaling, and a sweet card tucked inside a lovely vellum envelope!!!

 I adore the delicate floral pattern in soft blues and greens with sweet pops of yellow and orange on my mug. It's rimmed in gold too. I love the fact that it is an infuser mug! I have never had one of these. As soon as I saw it, I immediately washed it up and made a cup of my favorite tea, Plantation Mint! 

Thank you, Kim, for the lovely gifts! I use my tea mug often and love it!!!
:::

I sent my package to Rainey, who is also a blogger over at Flower Lady's Musings and just happens to live about an hour from my sister! We've exchanged several emails. Rainey is SUPER at correspondence and I have loved learning more about her life in S FL. I have gotten interrupted every time I sit down to write Rainey and end up sending out a fairly quick and short note. It drives me crazy! I'm so sorry about that Rainey! Please don't give up on me. I have truly enjoyed getting to know you and sincerely hope we get to meet one day.

One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood. Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/luciusanna155059.html?src=t_friendship

 One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood. Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_friendship.html

 :::

This has been another fabulous exchange!

I want to thank Stephanie for all of her hard work in bringing so many ladies together from all over the world to enjoy sharing gifts and making new friends!

Hop on over to The Enchanting Rose and see what everyone received. Hopefully, you'll be inspired to join us in the next exchange.  


Blessings to all!

Friends and Tea Cups

The only way to have friends is to be one. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The great thing about having a long time friend is discovering something new after knowing each other for almost 15 years. My friend Pat and I did just that this week.While I was over at her home for some crafty play time, I was admiring a set of lovely tea cups in one of several cabinets that adorn her dining room. She was telling me a little of the history of the cups and I mentioned that I collect tea cups and have been in involved in a couple of tea cup exchanges online. Well, she immediately took this gorgeous cup out of the cabinet and presented it to me. I told her I couldn't possibly take the cup but she insisted. My heart was, and still is, overwhelmed with her generosity.  You see, this tea cup and saucer are part of a set that belonged to her husband's grandmother and was made in Occupied Japan (1945-1952) after WWII. 

Any advice on how to go about identifying it? Does anyone recognize it? 

: : : : :

And now that I have shared my love of collecting tea cups with Pat, and my excitement about the upcoming tea cup exchange being hosted by Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose, I think she is going to sign up to participate in the exchange!

If you're interested, just click on the graphic and it will take you straight to Stephanie's where you can read about how to participate, too. It's a great way to meet new people and make new friends. And this time it is open internationally!

Sharing with

Tea Cup Tuesday

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Tea Time Tuesday

Journal52 Week 2: Somewhere, A Simple Place

Allow yourself to feel the wonder, to drink in the beauty and to experience the special time and place where you are.

- Ralph Marston

The prompt this week was to think of some thing or some place we love whether it is home, in the kitchen, at a library, a favorite vacation spot, just a place we enjoy being.

Thinking of that place wasn't what was difficult for me. Putting it on paper was agonizing! I was ready to quit but decided I am not going to give up. I will persevere through this in the hopes that I learn some new techniques, and maybe even how to draw a little bit. 

My first step was covering the page with Gesso by using a plastic card and hoping I was actually giving it some texture. My sister gave me some advice on how to use watercolors I bought at Walmart. After I borrowed some brushes from my son (who is a real artist), I swished those on,  stamped a floral design all over, then painted around the border with some acrylic paint, and applied a cardstock embellishment for a frame. I searched across the internet for whimsical line art and found some of teapots, cups and books. I sat with my watercolor sketch pad and, using the clipart as a guide, sketched out my own pieces. Next, I applied watercolors then sketched back over the outlines using a black pen. After cutting them out, I adhered them with Tombow Mono (it rocks!). I also used some rub-ons I had in my scrapbooking stock that incidentally matched my whimsy theme pretty good. The flowers are gel-like in substance and I outlined them with a black sharpie so they would stand out.

Obviously, a simple place to me is anywhere that I can have a cup of tea and read one of my favorite Regency Era books, which I wrote on the covers and tried to decorate. Not being very good at doodling, I made some weird doodles and that's the one thing I hope to really learn how to do this year. I ordered a Zentangling book for beginner's so I'm looking forward to trying my hand at that. *pun intended ;) 

Our Journal52 group gained some new members this week, so it's not too late to join in the fun!

So tell me.. 

Where is your 'Simple' place?

Have a blessed day in the Lord!

Dreary Days & Sunshine

It has been rainy and cold for days. 

Not too many opportunities to take pretty pictures. 

But then again, there is not much pretty to look at in the winter where we live unless it snows. 

And so far, no snow. Just rain. 

I feel like this plant. Withered. I need some sunshine!

So I made my own! 

A nice cup of Earl Grey Tea in my own personal tea pot, given to me by sweet friend, Carrie. 

A little Radiant Glow effect from Picmonkey and there you have it. 

Tea, on the porch, in the sunshine.

Yep. That's the same plant sticking up there in the middle of this picture. 

I didn't see it until I was editing. 

Go figure.

 I hope you're having sunny days. 

Have a blessed day in the Lord!

Christmas Ornament Exchange

I couldn't resist participating in the Christmas Ornament Exchange,  hosted by Vicki, over at Life On Willie May Lane.  Some of the participants were agreeable to sending ornaments around the world. 

The big question for each of us was, "Where will my ornament come from?" 

I was so excited when mine arrived and it came from the U.K., Truro to be exact!
The lovely Barbara over at Cornish Cream gave me some very special gifts.
The heart ornament is made from Thai Silk that she purchased on a trip to Thailand and embellished it with beautiful gold ribbon and poinsettias!

Included is a lovely lavender scented sachet, two Afternoon Teas, a delightful handmade gift tag (which will not find its way on anyone's gift because it is too pretty! I think I will use it as a bookmark.), and a sweet note from Barbara, written on a gorgeous handmade card! 

We have corresponded a coupe of times already and I am so happy to have a friend in the U.K.! I'm looking forward to getting to know Barbara even better in 2014.

I want to thank Vicky for hosting this exciting exchange! I'm sure there's a lot of work that goes into organizing so many ladies. Hop on over and see what everyone received by clicking here.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!