I am a huge fan of Cleo Coyle’s Coffeehouse Mystery series so I was very excited to read the new one, Brewed Awakening. Every time I read one of these books, I feel like I’m visiting my favorite coffee shop, and spending time with friends. I can almost smell the coffee!
December has turned into a brisk month for adoptions. September and October were absolutely dead. We hardly moved any cats at all. Between the shelters taking in animals from all the areas hit by the fires, two of the rescues we work with had to deal with major hoarding situations which filled all available spaces. Thanksgiving is approaching and we finally got the call.
Aspen Adams has custody of her niece, Candace. Becoming an instant mother to a teenage girl is hard to get used to. What is too strict, and what is too lenient? It’s time for school to get out for summer vacation. Fourteen is too old for camp but too young to be left on her own. Luckily, she has a friend whose mom can chaperone and chauffeur.
This time of year we seem to think even more about those in need, so we at KRL like to feature some of the groups that help people in need in various ways. This week we are taking a look once again (we first interviewed them in 2013) at the amazing work of Westside Rescue in Fresno, whose mission is to serve the homeless pet owners of downtown Fresno by providing supplemental pet food, preventative vaccines, and spay and neuter services for their companion animals.
BFF Josie gives Sally an early gift meant also to recognize Sally’s greatly improved baking abilities: an engraved “six-inch serrated silver cake server.” Ok, I know my cozies; this is incriminating evidence in the making! Sally is also pregnant with her first child, and although her due date has come and gone and she’s feeling clumsy, she is still in good spirits.
Laurel McKay was only supporting her friend Stan when she agreed to dress up in an old western calico dress and be an extra on a film in the nearby town of Coloma, California. Her former coworker at Hangtown Bank was hoping to make his big break in show businesses by dazzling the crew of The Gold River Gang, a sexed-up western starring Brittany Abbott and Deke Hardesty.
Chocolate. Ooohhh, yes. This delicacy has been around for over two-thousand years, and it’s as powerful as it ever was. Just the word alone conjures up all kinds of imagery, doesn’t it? Maybe it’s the miniature candy bars in your trick-or-treat bag on Halloween or a big bunny in your Easter basket. It has been featured in literature and film: a sensual pleasure in Chocolat, concealing a hidden treasure in Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and administered as medication in the Hogwarts infirmary in the beloved Harry Potter series. Ancient civilizations used it for currency and as components in rituals. This delicious treat is also one of the most frequently given gifts for Christmas. I’m not surprised – are you?
Before she begins traveling across the country selling her art wherever she can, Celeste Cabot has parked her trailer in front of her family’s home in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. She and her adorable Chihuahua Van Gogh may be the most normal members of the Cabot family, that includes overbearing big brothers, a stubborn father, and a giftwrap-loving mother who does her best to keep them all in line. Celeste is thrilled to be starting her new career with the four-day annual Summer Arts and Craft Fair, where she plans to sell her painted portraits.
Party animals Armand, Gaston, and Pliny give us some holiday inspiration in the below story from Rattie Ratz volunteers Anne and Charles.
Here is your weekly reminder that there are also new articles up on our other website KRL News & Reviews! Every week there will be book reviews and giveaways, plus sometimes pet articles, theatre articles, and more! And listen to our new podcast!
