Books a Plenty Book Reviews: Blog Tour, Character Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway for Fleece, Navi, Dead by Joanna Campbell Slan

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Blog Tour, Character Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway for Fleece, Navi, Dead by Joanna Campbell Slan

Fleece, Navi, Dead: A Celebration of Two Cultures

By Kiki Lowenstein-Detweiler

My name is Kiki Lowenstein-Detweiler. That’s a mouthful, isn’t it? I’m cool with people simply calling me Kiki. I know who they mean.

As the mother of three kids and the owner of a crafting store, Time in a Bottle, I go a little nutty every December. In our home, we celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah. It’s so much fun! But there’s also a lot of preparation, because I don’t want my kids to think this is all about the presents. There’s so much more to the holidays.

Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, celebrates a miracle. The name itself means “to dedicate.” After the Jews recaptured their temple from the Seleucid soldiers, there was only enough sacred oil to keep the lamps burning for one day. Runners were sent to the nearest village in the hopes that they would bring back enough oil to refill the sacred eternal flame. Sadly, the trip would take four days there and four days back. The runner must have felt despondent as he ran, knowing the amount of oil on hand and blessed by the rabbi was too little to keep the flame fueled. Imagine running for four whole days, grabbing a sealed container of sacred oil, and turning around to run home! Yet that’s exactly what the runner did, only to find that the flame still burned brightly upon his return.

Since my first husband, George Lowenstein, was a Jew, we raised our daughter, Anya, in that religion. After George died and I remarried, we adopted Erik. Although he isn’t a Jew, Anya had decided she wanted to teach him all about her religion.

As far as I’m concerned, any activity that my children can share—and bond over—is a good idea. Anya has been incredibly patient, teaching him to say the prayers in Hebrew. The real incentive, for Erik, is getting to use the shamus candle to light its eight friends as they stand in the menorah, the Jewish candelabra. To a little boy of seven, getting to handle a burning candle is definitely big-time exciting!

In the dreary month of December, the warmth of candlelight and family are welcome comfort. I hope you’ll give Fleece, Navi, Dead a chance. Other readers have unanimously given it five out of five stars (at the time of this writing).

About Fleece, Navi, Dead

Fleece, Navi, Dead: Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series

Cozy Mystery 16th in Series

Setting - Missouri

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Spot On Publishing (October 31, 2021)

Number of Pages: EST. 320

Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09D9T6WLF

The BIGGEST Kiki book yet! Introducing the Miss Fits, ordinary women who do extra-ordinary things! Every holiday season, Kiki Lowenstein plans 12 days of classes, her Holiday Craft Extravaganza. And every year, it nearly kills her.
This year is no exception. As the holiday season approaches, Kiki over-schedules herself and winds up running herself ragged. To make life even more stressful, she must fend off a stalker, a man determined to possess the object of his affection. But that's only one problem.
Kiki's ace full-time employee, Clancy, has HUGE decisions to make. How do you put aside your hurt and disappointment when you've been betrayed? Why should you upend your whole life because of another person's mistake? Is it selfish to think of yourself first? As Clancy ponders questions, Kiki stands on the sidelines, knowing this is not her choice to make. And yet...Kiki feels Clancy's agony.
Meanwhile, both of Kiki's older kids are having problems with teachers. Kiki wonders, "At what point does being an involved parent tip over into being a helicopter parent?" There's also a staff shortage that leaves Kiki in the lurch, both at home and at the store. Kiki might have found an answer to that dilemma when a mysterious woman applies for a job. Her name is Nona, and she claims to be an old friend of an old friend. But is she?
Nona seems too good to be true. Sadly, that might be the least of Kiki's problems with the woman. Because Nona isn't what she seems to be. Nona is a Miss Fit.

REVIEW

*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

This just might be the best Kiki book so far. The holidays are coming which is always a busy time but thanks to some staffing issues this one just might be the busiest. It just seems like one problem after another for her to deal with as more is added to her already busy schedule. Definitely some emotional ups and downs as it all plays. It was nice to catch up with some past characters while also meeting new ones like Miss Fit who is definitely unique. This makes for quite the fun read that will keep you entertained as it all plays out. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.

About Joanna Campbell Slan

Joanna Campbell Slan is an Award-Winning, National Bestselling, and USA Today Bestselling author. Her personal essays appear in five of the New York Times Bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and one was adapted as a television segment for the PAX TV network. Joanna has penned seven scrapbooking technique books, and she has written for Creating Keepsakes, Memory Makers, and PaperKuts magazines. Joanna has traveled around the world to teach scrapbook journaling.

Joanna has also written more than 30 works of fiction. RT Reviews has called her "one of mystery's rising stars." Her first mystery in the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series—Paper, Scissors, Death—was shortlisted for the Agatha Award. Joanna's series featuring Charlotte Brontë's classic heroine Jane Eyre began with Death of a Schoolgirl, which won the 2013 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence for historical romantic suspense. As the editor and publisher of the Happy Homicides anthologies, Joanna has been on Amazon’s list of Top 100 Mystery Authors.

Joanna’s college textbook—Using Stories and Humor—has been endorsed by Benjamin Netanyahu's speechwriter as his favorite resource and has been endorsed by Toastmasters.

The Public Relations Society of America honored Joanna with a Silver Anvil (their highest award) for her work on the first FarmAid. Joanna has been accredited by PRSA as a professional public relations practitioner. She is a certified teacher of Zentangle® and certified in Personal Profiles. Slan founded the Best of British Scrapbooking and Cardmaking contest.

In her past life, Slan was a television talk show host, an adjunct professor of public relations at Illinois State University, a sought-after motivational speaker, and a corporate speechwriter. Sharing Ideas Magazine named Joanna "one of the top 25 motivational speakers in the world." She has spoken in Australia, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and all over the United States, to audiences of all sizes.

Joanna is married to David Slan, CEO of Steinway Piano Gallery-DC and Steinway Piano Gallery-St. Louis, and a professional poker player. The Slans have one son, Michael, and a daughter-in-law, Chelsea Edwards. They live with their Havanese puppy Jax on Jupiter Island, Florida.

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