Happy Days & a Giveaway

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News Flash: Congratulations to Margo Sue and Kay Garrett, winners of my ARCS (picked by random.org). Please check your email, ladies. I wish I had a copy for everyone!

Edith here, with lots of happy  news: two family weddings and books to give away. What’s better than that?

I took a real vacation in the first half of the month. Hugh and I traveled to one of my favorite parts of the world, New Mexico. We toured Tijeras, Santa Fe, and Taos, and gaped at the Rio Grande Gorge from the bridge six hundred and fifty six feet above it. I love the dry air and subtle shades of grays and browns in the landscape out there, and the lovely (and energy-efficient) adobe construction.

GorgeSouth

SantaFeAdobe.jpgBecause I grew up in the shadows of six-thousand foot high mountains, I’m never happier than when I see real mountains on the horizon. The Sangre de Cristo range is stunning in its beauty.

SantaFeSunset

We were at around seven thousand feet in elevation in New Mexico, and did pretty well with the altitude. But the impetus for the trip was niece Emily’s wedding in Crested Butte, Colorado. We headed north and crossed the Great Divide.

Divide

Going up another two thousand feet really took our breath away. The old mining town is in a valley literally surrounded by much higher mountains.

The aspens on the slopes had turned and the vistas gobsmacked me over and over.  Our family get-together was happy and filled with conversation and laughter.

weddingparty.jpg

I had a less than a week at home, and am now ensconced half a mile from my older son’s home in Maryland helping the couple get ready for their wedding on Saturday! I’m so very happy for Allan and his bride, Alison, who are just perfect for each other. It’s awesome having my other son in from Puerto Rico, too, and I’m excited to see my own sisters and brother at the weekend celebration.

Engaged
Alison and Allan about an hour after she said Yes in 2017.

MURDER ON CAPE COD with sticker 1.5Speaking of celebrating, I have pile of red-hot advance copies of Murder on Cape Cod burning a hole in my office floor at home. It releases December 18 in a paperback exclusive from Barnes & Noble and is available for pre-order now.

Mackenzie Almeida’s only experience with murder investigations is limited to the cozy mysteries she reads on Cape Cod with her local book group, the Cozy Capers. But when both she and her brother become suspects in a murder, Mac summons help from her Cozy Capers co-investigators and a library’s worth of tips and tricks. This is one mystery where Mac is hoping for anything but a surprise ending…

I’ll give away two copies – one to celebrate each wedding!

Readers: What’s the latest celebration you have been part of? How did you celebrate?

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Published by Edith Maxwell

Agatha Award -winning author Edith Maxwell writes the historical Quaker Midwife Mysteries (Beyond the Page) and short crime fiction. As Maddie Day she writes the Dot and Amelia Mysteries, the Country Store Mysteries series, the Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries, and the Cece Barton Mysteries (all from Kensington Publishing). She lives north of Boston in an antique house with her beau and cat Martin, where she writes, gardens, cooks, and wastes time on Facebook.

201 Thoughts

  1. Our latest celebration was a baby shower for a favorite niece. This is my Sisters first grandchild and everyone is over the top with excitement. We made cookies in the shape of a crawling baby and had a well of learning (everyone deposited a book). The family and friends had a wonderful time and we are looking forward to December for the blessed event. The arrival of our new grand niece will be great. Bobbi Makuch

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  2. Congrats on the weddings. Your trip sounded lovely on Facebook, and I hope this coming wedding is just as wonderful.

    My own ARC of this book is sitting in my TBR pile. Can’t wait!

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  3. Last celebration was for our great-nephew’s 8th birthday. For me it was being there for hubby he joined the Nerf gun war that everyone could take part in. We had a real good time.

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  4. Your trip sounds fabulous! I attended a wedding last summer that was very low-key. It was a church service followed by a potluck in the park across the street. It was casual but every bit as lovely as a fancy reception.

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  5. Most recent celebration was a 4th of July party at the home of my daughter’s in laws. Plenty of family, friends and food plus lots of fireworks!

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  6. Our latest celebration was a trip to Yellowstone and the national parks of Utah to celebrate my husband’s retirement. It was awesome!

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  7. We just celebrated my brother’s birthday. We were going to meet at a restaurant but decided it would be more fun to eat at home and spend our time talking and laughing for as long as we wanted.

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  8. The latest celebration was my nephew’s wedding – got the chance to reconnect with people I haven’t seen for fifteen years.

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  10. We just celebrated my MIL’s birthday with a nice family dinner. Congratulations on your expanding family and upcoming release. Thank you for the chance to win.

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  11. I’m getting ready to celebrate my little sister’s birthday which puts her 1 year closer to retirement so we can travel.

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  12. My last celebration was a baby shower. Games, food, gifts, and lots of laughter. Congratulations on your son’s upcoming wedding! I’m looking forward to reading this book.

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  14. I was a part of celebrating my one and only granddaughter’s 8th birthday! It was so much fun! It was a bowling party & her first time to bowl. I love the title of your book!

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  15. I have always wanted to visit New Mexico. I think the American southwest is so beautiful. Earlier in the month, my sister and my new BIL got married at my parents home out in the country. It was an intimate affair with about 20 friends and family members in attendance. It was great! I’m looking forward to the new series. Thankfully I have a B&N close by so I can pick it up. 🙂

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  17. I have always wanted to visit New Mexico. I think the American southwest is so beautiful. Earlier in the month, my sister and my new BIL got married at my parents home out in the country. It was an intimate affair with about 20 friends and family members in attendance. It was great! I’m looking forward to the new series. Thankfully I have a B&N close by so I can pick it up. 🙂 (Ignore my earlier comment…I was logged into a work account….need to delete!)

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  18. Our last celebration was my husband’s grandmother’s 98th birthday! She is so spunky and sweet and truly one of the most wonderful people I’ve ever known!

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  20. Congratulations on your son’s upcoming wedding. I recently attended the wedding of my BFF’s daughter. It was a beautiful day and beautiful celebration of their love.

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  22. On September 2, we celebrated the marriage of a very special young couple. My cousin’s daughter, Abbie met a very nice young man, Kyle while both of them were working in California, on a special church mission project. The wedding took place in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The ceremony was very spiritual and romantic. The reception afterwards was a blast.

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  23. Sounds like you had a wonderful time, I’m getting ready to celebrate my daughter and son in laws birthdays, they are one week apart lol , so we always have a great big family get together so much fun. Cape Cod is one of my favorite places , hoping to move up there in near future , would love to win/read this book

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  24. Nothing is better than a ‘real’ vacation and celebrating a wedding! We celebrated my cousin’s wedding last December and it was beautiful and meaningful. The family was out in full force and I find nothing is more restorative than checking in and hanging out with those that have known you the longest! Thanks for the chance to win!!

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  26. My most recent celebration was for my granddaughter’s birthday. We do make a big deal about birthdays and always have such a good time. The honoree gets to choose the menu and a special cake. This last time she wanted a pineapple upside down cake! She not only provided me with the cast iron skillet – hard to believe I don’t own one – and even the recipe. This is a teenager who certainly knows her own mind!

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  27. Congratulations on the family weddings! The most recent celebration was the birthday party of our great-niece. About the same time was our youngest granddaughter’s and youngest grandson’s birthdays. Summers are busy and blessed! Would love to read this!!

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  28. Just celebrated our 1st granddaughter born August 1! Went up to visit after two weeks. The rest of the family had rushed in right away and gave the mother so much stress! She was VERY happy that we had waited. We took our son a flat top grill (we bought a new one) that was only 6 months old. Then we proceeded to grill up some really nice steaks and made some coleslaw to a great meal! My little Emma is already growing so fast so we need to make another trip and have a shrimp boil to really welcome our new little family in correctly! lol
    I love reading great cozy murder mysteries since I no longer work and find there is more time than things to do!

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  29. Congrats on the wedding and the book release coming up. Thank goodness (for me) we are all done with weddings and no children being born for a long time now. So for me I guess the last celebration for us would have been a holiday where the whole family came together. Thankfully almost all of us live near enough that each holiday we can get together for a great meal and great together time. Thank you for the chance to win a copy of your new book. Long wait for me since I buy my books on Amazon

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  31. Wedding 2 weeks ago. The bride was a newborn when the family moved in next door. Beautiful outdoor wedding alongside a stream. The wonderful eastern Sierra mountains were the backdrop.

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  32. It was my birthday on September 10th, and my daughter made me one of her wonderful cakes. The best celebrations include as many loved ones as possible.

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  33. Congratulations on your family weddings. My latest celebration was actually my nephew’s wedding and reception Friday evening. Lots of fun, some reminiscing and good food. But oh, knowing that now I am part of the older generation!!! lol

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  35. We will be celebrating my cousins wedding next month. And celebrating my wedding anniversary and bday, also next month.

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  36. My last celebration was the Girlfriends Getaway 2018 in Sugarcreek Ohio which brought around 80 women from across the US together to celebrate Amish Authors. It was incredible

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  37. Edith, I really enjoyed following your vacation pics on FB, and weddings are such great fun, especially when it’s your son. My daughter is married and has kids, but my son seems to be taking his own sweet time, so I’m still looking forward to a son wedding, too. The last celebration was my mother-in-law turning 90. She still lives by herself and could probably work us all under the table. I would love to help you with that problem of the Murder on Cape Cod ARCs burning a hole in your floor by taking one off your hands. Hahaha!

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  38. Congratulations to your son on the occasion of his wedding. Your photos of your trip out West were amazing.
    The latest celebration for our family was my husband’s sister’s wedding over Labor Day weekend. She and her husband and the guests rode to the top of Wildcat Mountain in NH on gondolas and were married on top of the mountain. It was a three day celebration with almost the entire Blain family and friends that live far away so it was extra special as you, too, experienced, Edith.

    I’d be honored to receive your book. I enjoy your writing so much. Thank you for the opportunity to be entered.
    Cynthia

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  39. We went to a wedding celebration as one of my best friend’s daughter was getting married on September 15. Hurricane Florence intervened so they had a civil ceremony at home and we were invited over after! They rescheduled the wedding in the church and reception for October!

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  40. Our last celebration was my dad’s 82nd birthday. He wanted it low keyed with immediate family. We honored his wish. Just family enjoying family

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  41. Our godchild got married in New Orleans in May, and we celebrated for four days at a brewery one night, a crawfish boil in Audobon Park one afternoon, visits to the French quarter, the wedding at a marina, and even a little dancing in the streets. Let the good times roll!

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  42. My latest celebration was my youngest, great-niece’s 1st birthday party. We celebrated with a barbecue, swimming, dancing, horseshoe throwing, cake eating shindig! It was lots of fun!

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  43. I guess Christmas was our last celebration. Put a tree up for the 1st time in years. We live in a MH Park & every year I make up little goody bags for the neighbors because most of us don’t have family. Just a card, candy & dog or cat treats so they feel like somebody is thinking of them. I’ve been doing this wherever we’ve lived for about 20 yrs.
    After Irma last yr. we did celebrate getting the power back on. Nothing formal, just a lot of high-fiving & everybody heading in to enjoy some A/C.

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  45. We celebrated our niece’s wedding outside of Houston in April. Lovely time by all. We were honored to help decorate.

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  46. Congrats on release! Our last celebration was July 4th with a cookout and watching fireworks! I hope you enjoy the wedding!

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  48. On Sept. 22nd. we celebrated our 11th anniversary by going to a local restaurant that also has a jazz band playing while you eat/have a cocktail. Had a great time. I asked them to play something special for us and they played my favorite Elvis song “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” and had us go up and dance.

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  49. Our most recent celebration was last Saturday when it was a Celebration of Life for my mother who died earlier in the month. Both children, all the grandchildren and spouses were the and all the nieces, nephews and some great-nieces. A great time of sharing memories and making new ones.

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  50. Our family celebrates EVERYONE’S birthday in a big way. A meal of choice, decorations, theme cakes, ice cream and presents of course. Our last celebration was my birthdayin August. I happen to be an overgrown kid at heart and my theme is always a character from some Disney movie or another. My cake topper is always a new Hallmark Disney ornament for my Disney Christmas tree. Like I said overgrown kid!

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