COFFEE COZY CLUB

CLEO, I AM TRY TO START A ONCE A MONTH COFFEE COZY CLUB, WHERE WE MEET AT MY HOUSE AND HAVE COFFEES AND DESSERTS AND TALK ABOUT MYSTERY BOOKS. ANY IDEAS WOULD REALLY HELP!

THANKS,
JAMIE FROM CONNECTICUT

Cleo's reply:

Hi, Jamie. Generally speaking, the people who start reading clubs begin looking for participants withing their own groups of friends, co-workers, and club or organizational memberships. That's what I'd advise you to do.
      A local bookseller or library may help you with this by posting public notices of meeting days, times, places, with an e-mail address or phone number for questions, etc. BUT if you decide to make this a public club, I would strongly suggest that you not have complete strangers come to your house. Try to arrange meetings at a local coffeehouse, library, or another public place for everyone's safety and comfort level (at least until you get to know the people and they get to know you).
     You might also try to contact a club that's up and running for advice. They may have good suggestions for you. (See below...and good luck!)

The Killer Coffee Club holds its meetings,
at the Ithaca Barnes & Noble:

Tops Plaza, 614 South Meadow,
Ithaca, NY 14850
For more information,
visit the reading group’s web site: www.killercoffeeclub.com    

 Or contact the Killer Coffee Club at
 mysterybuff@hotmail.com

Anxiously Waiting

Good Morning!

I have finished Holiday Grind and now anxioulsy await Roast Mortem. I have thoroughly enjoyed each one. Will begin reading the Haunted Bookshop series as well. Thank you very much

Cleo says: You are welcome very much. Thank you for reading my books. :)

A CTRR Reward for Holiday Grind – A Coffeehouse Mystery

 Per my recommendation, your book has received a CTRR (Coffee Time Reviewer's Recommend Award) from Coffee Time Romance & More. This award recognizes outstanding writing styles in all book types and genres. Your book has received this award because I feel it is above and beyond a 5 Cup Rating. You can see this by clicking here.

   We have announced this in our weekly newsletter, on our blog, and put the CTRR Award on your actual review on our site. It will stay there permanently.

~ Matilda

Cleo's reply: Hello, Matilda! Thank you so much for telling me about this award. I am always pleased when any reader tells me that he or she enjoys my books, and I'm so very happy to hear that you felt Holiday Grind was worthy of five cups! Woot! The Coffee Time site is lively and fun, and I'm so very honored to have a special place on it with Holiday Grind thanks to your generous recommendation. Thank you!

Drink with joy!
~Cleo

woohooo! Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday from your #1 fan in Texas!

Cleo says:
Thank you!

Haaapppyyy BBirrtthhddaaayy to yooooouuuuu!!

Playing on Alice (snicker) in Wonderland's Mad Hatter Tea Party song.. "A very merry Birthday to you, to you! A very merry Birthday to you, to you! 364 days that aren't special to you so a very merry Birthday to you!"

~~Nurse JudyMac

Cleo says: Sweet! Thank you!

The only Good Snow

Howdy, Cleo!

We tried your recipe for the White Chocolate Latte. I refuse to link it to snow being as we're snowed in at the moment! Crystal followed the recipe precisely. Well, except she kinda subed the vanilla. She used DaVinci Gourmet French Vanilla Syrup for that. We didn't take pictures, but the fourth step looked amazingly the same. Smokie said we have ta make it again soon 'cause she didn't get any! Seems there was none left. Opps.

Catherine Lane
of Amarillo, TX

Hi Catherine: Thank you for your post! Cleo will respond to you very soon. Check back right here for her reply...

Drumroll Please!!

Hey Cleo!!!

It's Hannah again! I don't know if you remember me, but I certainly remember you. Quite some time ago now, I finished On What Grounds. Fantastic! And it left me craving more.... I am currently reading Through the Grinder. About halfway through (lol! Through *wink*....eh....bad joke...) and I am so pleased to report that it's just as good as the first.

I had a really great idea. You should open up a Village Blend! It would be super cool! Or at least there should be a movie. I mean, I'm almost surprised there isn't one already, aren't you?! There could easily be one. Okay, I'll talk to you soon!

Thanks!!
~ Hannah

Thank you for your post, Hannah! Cleo will respond to you very soon. Check back right here for her reply...

Haunted Bookshop Series

I would like to know where I can get a hold of your Haunted Bookshop series. I have been everywhere. I just started reading your coffeehouse mystery book series and am getting hooked.

~ Donna
Sanibel Island, FL.

Donna: Thank you for posting. Cleo will respond to your note very soon. Please check back to see her reply...

I'll live through winter but I won't enjoy it!!

Apparently whining and complaining does generate body heat because I survived the deep freeze a couple of weeks ago (large infusions of coffee helped), and I survived the typical January thaw with its large infusions of mud and rain. Now it's snowed again and cold...sigh...can I get some cheese to go with my whine? Anyway, Cleo you wicked person you, I have pre-ordered your new book AND while I was on Amazon, I found a new Earlene Fowler book to pre-order. This means I have to go to work to pay for my horribly addictive habit of reading, which means going out into the snow and cold and IT"S ALL YOUR FAULT! BTW, could you hurry up with the next Haunted Bookshop book? I think I can shake the couch down for enough dough to cover it. Being totally fed up with winter and darn proud of it.

~~Nurse JudyMac

NJM: Thank you for posting. Cleo will respond soon. Please check back to see her reply...

I Love Your Books!

Dear Cleo,

Just wanted to drop a note and say I love your books! They are warm and funny and interesting, and since I no longer live in the NYC area, each one is like a trip home for me. I am a tea drinker, by the way, although I do love coffee ice cream. Do you think there the Village Blend will ever sell tea???

Thanks for all the great books,
Florence

Thank you for posting, Florence! Cleo will respond to your note very soon. Please check back to see her reply...

New book club...what would be the best book to read first??

Hi, Cleo,

it is my turn to pick the book for our bookclub this month and I'd like to start the coffeehouse mysteries. Do you have a suggestion as to which book would be the best to start with, or should we just start w/ On What Grounds since it was first?

Thanks for answering!!

Thank you so much for your comment! Cleo's reply will be posted here this week. Check back again.

Love Your Books!!

Just finished Holiday Grind. I read all the Coffeehouse Mysteries in order and am truly hooked. I am now going to start the Haunted Bookshop Mysteries.

Two of my three favorite things: coffee and mysteries. The third favorie is wine, maybe you could incorporate it into one of your next mysteries?!? I also love NY, I have been there afew times over the last few years. About five years ago, I visited a bookstore called "Murder Ink", it was filled with great mysteries.

Thanks for the great reads. I will check back soon.

~ Kathy
(Brighton, MI)

Kathy: Thank you for your comment! Cleo's reply will be posted right here later this week. Be sure to check back again.

Book Club loves a good Mystery! + Coffeemaker Question

Cleo,

I belong to a mystery book club and chose the first book,THE GHOST AND MRS MCCLURE, in the haunted bookshop series when it was my turn to introduce a new book and author. We all loved it!

Everyone wants to now read the series along with the Village Blend books. We meet monthly on the first Monday, mid- morning for coffee and treats which brings me to my question.

I am in the market for a new coffee maker. I just want an everyday drip version. I have plenty of the 'fancy' types--french press, espresso, etc. and don't want to break the bank! Do you or any of your readers have any suggestions? Thanks for 2 great series and the help!

~Pam in Nebraska

Cleo's reply: 

HELLOOO,
NEBRASKA!

Hi, Pam,

Thank you for posting. I am very happy to hear that your book club is enjoying my books. Please wish them a Happy New Year from me!

     OK - Here is an answer to your question about drip coffeemakers...

     With the understanding that I am not officially endorsing any products and the understanding that no drip maker is perfect, here is what I can tell you...

     We buy economical drip coffeemakers in our house--because my husband and I are writers and not investment bankers, LOL :). FYI - this is why Clare's "democratization of luxury" philosophy is a lot like ours. Murder Most Frothy and French Pressed are the books in which she speaks about this the most: When folks can't afford a $5,000 trip to the South of France, they take a $5.00 trip to a cozy coffeehouse to enjoy an excellent coffee drink. And that's what the coffeehouse experience is really all about: an oasis in the middle of a hectic day; a place to relax and rejuvenate for people who cannot afford the time and money for a full body massage at a day spa!

     Okay, so the brands we use (at the moment) to make our drip coffee are Cuisinart and DeLonghi. Both coffeemakers sit side by side on our counter. The Cuisinart (12-cup, model DCC-1200 series) is for larger pots. This pot has an automatic turn off, a good and safe feature. It also beeps you when the coffee is ready and when the burner is about to turn itself off. We also use a DeLonghi (Twenty Four Seven model). This is a 4-cup maker for very small pots. This model does NOT have an automatic turn off so you have to remember to turn it off yourself. But it's great for a small pot of joe.

     Just like you, we have other methods of making coffee: French press, Moka express pot, but you were asking about drip.

     We have also used Braun and Krups brands in the past and were happy with both of them. We don't think the expense of a thermal pot or grind-and-brew combo is worth it for us. We like to grind our coffee separately with a burr grinder. A burr grinder, by the way, (and not a blade grinder) is the very best way to grind whole bean coffee. Whole bean is the only kind we make because after coffee is ground in rapidly loses its flavor and aroma.

     Anyway, what concerns us most when we shop for a drip coffeemaker is the SHAPE of the filter. A CONE filter is a more economical way to make premium coffees and that's what we use. Flat-bottomed filters do not concentrate the flavor as well and you end up using more coffee to get the same strength as you'd get with a cone filter. Pot after pot, using more coffee adds up, so a cone filter is more economical. Both our Cuisinart and DeLonghi brand drip makers have cone-shaped filters.

     You can also look into "pour-over" methods for economical drip coffee making. This is when you heat the water yourself, then pour it over a cone-shaped filter and the coffee drips down into the carafe. Two popular pour-over brands are Mellita and ChemEx.

    You can always check out the Consumer Reports run down of drip coffeemakers. Here is a link for you if you're interested...

Consumer Reports often gives
ratings on coffeemakers.

CLICK HERE to read their
general buying guide,
which will give you an overview
on the brands and types
of features on today's coffeemakers.

NOTE: Consumer Report ratings are for subscribers only, but their very informative general buying guide is freely posted
on the Web. CLICK HERE

Thank you so much for posting, Pam, and especially for reading my books...

Java joy to you and your
Mystery Book Club
in beautiful Nebraska!

~Cleo

Village Blend Website Rocks

Village Blend website rocks! Coffee, Mysteries, Cats - life is great! Love it all - my local Starbucks knows me - I walk in with my Coffeehouse Mystery book, get my coffee, settle in with both, and chill - no pun intended - winter time, 'ya know!

Cleo - Keep on brewin'!!

~ Michelle
in Antioch, California

My own remedy to winter

My own remedy to winter...

1.) Thermal underwear- check!

2.) Polar fleece pajamas- check!

3.) Sweat shirt and pants- check!

4.) Down comforter- check!

5.) Leave all of these behind and go to the Bahamas- CHECK!!!

~~Nurse JudyMac

Thanks for the jolt I've been looking for...

I LOVE your books. I so want to spend a day with Clare Cosi. I have found a new interest in coffee again. I've even created some new coffee drinkers!

While I was a 2nd grade writing teacher for six weeks, my lunch consisted of coffee and about two or three chapters of Holiday Grind to get me through the day. I even got some other teachers hooked, and or they bought your first book in the series for Christmas presents. Thanks a-latte!

Addicted to the Village Blend,
~ Rebekah

Cleo's reply:

Dear Rebekah:

I have such respect and admiration for teachers. I grew up as a working class, public school kid. Without the amazing dedication of my teachers, I doubt very much I would have been able to become a professional writer. 

I am so happy that you posted. In thanks to you for stopping by my *virtual* coffeehouse, I whipped you up a *virtual* doughnut to enjoy with your next hot cuppa joe!

Cheers! Happy New Year...
and Keep in touch!

~Cleo

Ode to Winter

Sing to the tune of Patsy Cline's "Crazy"

"I'm freezing, freezing 'cause I am so co-old! I'm freezing, my fingers and toes are so blue!"

Okay, all of you who's fingers are still warm enough to type, add your own verses! ~~Desperately seeking global warming...

~Nurse Judy Mac

Cleo's reply:

My solution? Baking. Roasting. All day.(Excuse for oven to be on, thus warming little kitchen and entire second floor of our row house.) And my cheap fireplace DVD on the TV at night. Tricks my brain into thinking (via that primeval DNA strand)...fire, good, warmth, ah...

Warm hugs to you NurseJudy,
from the the Big (chilly) Apple!
~Cleo

Holiday Grind

I enjoyed Holiday Grind as I have all the other books....

Adicted to Coffee House Mysteries

Your mysteries are (almost) as potent as caffeine! Each book is good to the last drop! I've read every one of them and can't wait to read the next installment. Please keep them coming.

a Holiday Treat!

I saved my copy of Holiday Grind for the holiday. It indeed was a holiday treat. Loved the story, the characters, and the chemistry between Mike and Clare! You have done it...again !!

~ Mary T
Appleton WI

Holiday Grind

Dear Cleo:

I have read all of your books. This is the best one yet! I'm looking forward to Clare's next adventure. She is GUTSY LADY for sure. The Village Blend Staff are interesting characters also. Next to Clare, I admire Madame the most. Now there's a lady who knows how to live.

I live in New England, Massachusetts, to be specific, although I was born in Maine and my heart will always be there. We're having a great winter. Snow and wind; can't beat that combination, especially along with freezing temperatures. Looking forward to hearing from you.

~ Snow Lady

my bday surprise

the keg brought me a piece of mocha ice cream cake with chocolate cookie crumb crust with a candle in it :-) it was yummmm

Cleo's reply: I'm sure that it tasted better than my *virtual* cake (see below)! LOL! Happy Birthday again to my girl up North!

~ Cleo

The Big Three OH!!!!

aaaaah! my bro says I'm Now officially an Adult. I turned thirty today (the 30th of dec) and after going to the gym for the first time in years yesterday, I can feel every last second of the last 30 years! lol

hope you had a great christmas, was Java Claus good to you? My mom copied some recipes from HOLIDAY GRIND and she made the apple cider syrup up as a christmas present for someone. Tonight My bf will take me to the Keg for dinner. Do you have that over there? (it's a very nice steakhouse for those of you who don't know)

Happy New Year, Cleo...

P.S. Will Jack pay us a visit again in the coming year?

Chelle - feeling older than the mountains but younger than the sea! lol

Cleo's reply:

HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY TO MY FAVORITE CANADIAN READER! CHELLE!!

I guess I'm too far away to bake you a birthday cake, so I'll have to resort to a virtual one...

 Wishing you every good thing for your birthday, for the New Year, and the New Decade!

~ Cleo

P.S. Thrilled to hear that your mom made a recipe from HG! Woot! And as to your question about "the ghost" - Never fear, Jack is near, and will be here, later this year!

Coffee Primer

Here's a good (and funny) coffee facts primer for your fans:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/coffee

~ Sharon
from Austin

Cleo's reply: Thank you, Sharon, for a fun link to a fantastically clever java Web page (java as in coffee, not software, lol).

Cheers &
Happy New Year!

~ Cleo

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, yada yada yada

Cleo-

I'm glad you enjoyed the 12 days of Christmas, java style. My pentameter was off a little on some of them but it's the love of coffee, and your books, that counts, right?

Merry Christmas
from one of your biggest fans

~~Nurse JudyMac

On the twelfth day of Christmas...

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
12 pounds of Kona!
11 espresso con pannas,
10 frappuccions,
9 mocha muffins,
8 Irish coffees,
7 caramel lattes,
6 macchiatos,
5 CUPS OF JOE!
4 cappuccinos,
3 french presses,
2 doppios,
and a new
Coffeehouse mystery!

~ Nurse JudyMac
(Thank you, my true love, for the wonderful presents. I'm vibrating like a tuning fork, I haven't slept in 3 days, and I'm living in my bathroom, but I have lots of great reading material! Next year, let's talk diamonds!)

Cleo's Reply: An awesome and witty Christmas gift, Nurse Judy. I have been eagerly anticipating your posts every day for the last twelve!

Thank you!

Merry Christmas & Java New Year
to you, your family, and especially...
that true coffee lover
of yours!

~ Cleo

On the eleventh day of Christmas...

On the eleventh day of
Christmas, my true love gave
to me 11 espresso con pannas,
10 frappuccinos,
9 mocha muffins,
8 Irish coffees,
7 caramel lattes, 6 macchiatos,
5 cups OF JOE!
4 cappuccinos, 3 french presses,
2 doppios, and a new
Coffeehouse mystery!

~Nurse JudyMac

On the tenth day of Christmas...

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
10 frappuccinos,
9 mocha muffins,
8 Irish coffees,
7 caramel lattes, 6 macchiatos,
5 cups of JOE!
4 cappuccinos, 3 french presses, 2 doppios, and a new Coffeehouse mystery!

~ Nurse JudyMac
(with this much caffeine on
board, I don't think I'll sleep
until New Year's!)

On the ninth day of Christmas...

On the ninth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
9 mocha muffins, 8 Irish coffees,
7 caramel lattes, 6 macchiatos,
5 cups of joe!
4 cappuccinos, 3 french presses,
2 doppios, and a new
Coffeehouse mystery!

~Nurse JudyMac
(the midnight punster)

 The above photo of Cleo Coyle's Cappuccini Muffins is courtesy of and copyright (c) to Brandi Evans of Branappetit blog. Click here to visit her post on making Cleo's muffins...

On the eighth day of Christmas...

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
8 Irish coffees,
7 caramel lattes,
6 macchiatos,
5 cups of joe!
4 cappuccinos,
3 french presses,
2 doppios,
and a new
Coffeehouse mystery!

~Nurse JudyMac
(no, really, officer, I was only
speeding 'cause I REALLY need
to find a bathroom!)

My holiday treat!

I have been saving the reading of Holiday Grind as my very special holiday treat...to myself.

My plan is to settle in this weekend...with coffee of course....and enjoy the book.

Happy holidays to all!

~ Mary T
Appleton WI

Cleo's reply:

HELLOOO
WISCONSIN!

Thank you for dropping by, Mary! And thanks again to you and your daughter for recommending Gimme! Coffee, my fall coffee pick. I hope you enjoy my latest Coffeehouse Mystery.

Wishing you and your family
a Very Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year!

~ Cleo

On the seventh day of Christmas...

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me 7 caramel lattes, 6 macchiatos, 5 cups of joe! 4 cappuccinos, 3 french presses, 2 doppios, and a new Coffeehouse mystery!

~ Nurse JudyMac
(the overly caffeinated
midnight punster)

Struffoli

I was hoping you would have the recipe for making struffoli—I lost my mother's and no other recipe tastes like hers.

Thanks

Cleo's reply:

I am looking forward to posting the Struffoli recipe! Check back again in the coming weeks or subscribe to my free e-newsletter so I can let you know when it goes live on this site.
     The writing life being what it is, I don't think I'll be able to get that recipe posted before Christmas.
     (I'm under a tight writing deadline at the moment and I have other bonus recipes ready to go first.)
     But...as I explained on my "Get Cleo's Recipes" page (click the coffee cup in the left column to go to that page), I will be posting all of my promised bonus recipes over time right here. My seasonal e-newsletter is your best bet for not missing the chance to get them when they go up. 
      I don't keep recipes posted indefinitely. New ones go up and then old ones go down as I need the  space on my site.
     I absolutely know what you mean about a mother's recipe. I can only hope what I finally post will comes close. If not, you should definitely drop back and let me know what you would do to change or improve it!

Cheers, Happy Holidays, and thank you so much for dropping by and posting your question...

~ Cleo

On the sixth day of Christmas...

On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 6 macchiatos, 5 cups of joe! 4 cappuccinos, 3 French presses, 2 doppios, and a new Coffeehouse mystery!

~Nurse JudyMac,
the midnight punster
(I'm getting a caffeine buzz
from typing this!)

On the fifth day of Christmas...

On the fifth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me 5 cups
of joe! 4 cappuccinos,
3 french presses, 2 doppios,
and a new Coffeehouse mystery!

~Nurse Judymac
(aka the midnight punster)

No Problem...

Hey! Lol, just responding back to you again : ) It is absolutely NO problem reading your books (I now know)! I am really enjoying it. Everyone keeps asking me, "What's this?" and I go off on a huge tangent about it! It's pretty suspensful. Definitely not sure what's gonna happen next (with Matteo!?)... Thanks for writing so creatively! I'm hoping my friends might get the hint of what to get me for Xmas this year ; D

Talk to you later,
~ Hannah

Cleo's reply: Thank you, Hannah.
LOL! and...

This is my version of :)   ------ >

~ Cleo

A Bit of Heaven ~ Chocolate & Orange

Looks like I can now make my favorite candy too. Will dip the orange peels in some dark chocolate and then I'll be in heaven.

All of your yummy pictures make me want to cozy down with some coffee, an afghan and the lastest, Holiday Grind, of course. Also looking forward to more about Pen and Jack too. Wishing all of you and your characters a most Merry Christmas and the best new year ever!

COL Sandy
(chocolate orange lady)

Cleo's reply:

Thanks again, Sandy!

Merry Christmas to you
and a Java New Year!!

I'm back!

Hey, Cleo!

I left a message for you last month...

{Click here to see Hannah's original message}

...I was asking if you thought the books were good for high schoolers. Well, I started On What Grounds 2 days ago and am almost halfway through it!

I LOVE it!! Love the coffee tips too, by the way. I have been passing them onto my mom. I have (now) added them to my Xmas list and bragged about them to my friends!

Thanks!

Cleo's reply:

Hi, Hannah! Just other day, I was wondering whether you decided to give my books a try. I am so happy to learn that you did. BTW: That is the absolute best holiday gift that you can give to an author: read her book! LOL!

Thank you for dropping by to let me know. I'm delighted to hear that you are enjoying my first Coffeehouse Mystery (so far, anyway)! :-)

Keep in touch and... Happy Holidays to you, your mom, and all of your friends and family...

~Cleo

On the fourth day of Christmas...

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:
4 cappuccinos, 3 French presses,
2 doppios, and
a new Coffeehouse mystery!

~ Nurse JudyMac

Gingersnap Latte!

Hi Cleo,

Blizzard warning here in Michigan today, so a perfect time to try one of your Fa-la-la-la latte recipes. I made the Gingersnap Latte with your homemade gingersnap syrup--perfect! It's not too sweet, with just the right amount of spice. I'm not usually a fan of sweetened lattes, but this one is delicious.

Thanks!
~ Judy

Cleo's reply:

Judy! I am THRILLED to hear that you liked my Gingernap Latte recipe...(for anyone who wants to try it, you can find it in the recipe section of Holiday Grind, my latest Coffeehouse Mystery).

I so enjoy baking gingersnap cookies at this time of year and a "Gingersnap Latte" just made sense to me. Developing the syrup was a lot of fun. Thank you for letting me know you tried it and enjoyed it.

Stay warm, now and Happy Holidays to you and your family!

~Cleo

Even the Cats liked it!

Hi Cleo,

My sister sent me a picture via my cellphone so I Can't post it for you unfortunatly, my cell won't do that for me. While she was reading the copy of Holiday Grind I lent her from the library, she left it on her bed to go do something, When she came back her cat (Nike) was cuddling with it, his head in the pages lol. and her other cat (Meowf) was cuddling with Nike.

:-) Chelle

On the third day of Christmas...

On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 3 French presses, 2 doppios, and a new Coffeehouse Mystery!

~ Nurse JudyMac

Happy Holidaze

I enjoyed Holiday Grind. Thanks for a great read. Have a great holiday and enjoy your feast of seven fishes.

In our house, we do the "feast of seven porks" since I dropped a pan of stuffed calamari between my apron and bare skin a few years back. My friends enjoy all the salami, capicola, speck, coppa, proscuitto, sopressata di Calabria, and mortadella with buffala de mozzarella and other traditional cheeses, breads and salads while vegan me eats the veggies.

Hoping that the new year brings you more success and me more of Jack and Pen. (please)

 Cleo's reply: LOL! Love the fishy tale. Thank you for sharing. And as to the next Haunted Bookshop mystery...

Never fear,
Jack is near
and will appear
in the New Year!

~Cleo

Can't Wait for Christmas

Hi Cleo, I asked "Santa" (my hubby) for Holiday Grind for Christmas. Glanced through a copy at the book store. Can't wait to settle down with your latest story and a cup of Southern Comfort coffee as well as absorb all of your coffee goodies in the back.

Your loyal Chocolate Orange lady,
~ Sandy

P.S. Your cappuccino and biscotti looks wonderful. ~ COL (chocolate orange lady)

Cleo's reply: Shout-out to my Chocolate-Orange Girl! I am honored and flattered to be one of your asked-for Christmas gifts! Thank you! And I hope you enjoy my latest.

Happy Holidays to you and your family,
~ Cleo

P.S. I actually thought of you and smiled as I worked on the final recipe in this book. When you get the book, just turn to the last recipe and you'll see what mean! LOL!

On the second day of Christmas...

On the second day of
Christmas, my true love
gave to me 2 doppios
and a new
Coffeehouse Mystery!

~ Nurse JudyMac
aka the Midnight Punster

CAPPUCCINO MUFFINS!!!

CLEO'S
CAPPUCCINO
MUFFINS!

The above gorgeous photo of my Cappuccino Muffin with Sweet Frothy Top is courtesy of and copyright (c) 2009 by Brandi Evans of
http://branappetit.wordpress.com/
who also baked my muffins and posted the following message to my board...
~Cleo Coyle

Hi!

I have a food/healthy living blog and I made your Cappuccino Muffins today out of one of your Coffeehouse Mystery books. They turned out wonderful! ...

Best,
Brandi
http://branappetit.wordpress.com/

Cleo's reply:

Thanks, Brandi! I am so glad that you liked the recipe. For anyone interested in making my Cappuccino Muffins with Sweet Frothy Tops, Brandi used the recipe out of my 5th Coffeehouse Mystery: Decaffeinated Corpse.

BTW: Clare served these muffins to a character just before interrogating him. (Yeah, I'd say these muffins are just about good enough to make anyone talk. :-)

To read Brandi's post about making my Cappuccino Muffins, including some amazing step-by-step photos, CLICK HERE, and you will jump to her recent "mysterious muffins" post at her delightful "Branapetit" blog.

Java joy you, Brandi!
Thank you again not only for
making my muffings but also
for blogging about them! Woot!

~Cleo

On the first day of Christmas...

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a new CoffeeHouse Mystery!

Cleo's reply:  (emoticon smile)

:-) 

Merry Christmas, and a happy new book to me! :-)

Hi Cleo,

I just got Holiday Grind from the library and as soon as I finish typing here, I'll be hunkering down under a blanket by the light of my little christmas tree and the flickering of my fireplace DVD to read it.

     Going to visit my sis at work tomorrow to give it to her to read when I'm done, will get two reads for the length of one check out period at the library :-) all that's needed is some snowflakes to complete the mood in here. We're having those cold, nippy, bright blue winter days that start with Jack Frosts art everywhere in the mornings right now. My Presents are Wrapped, My decorations are up, stocking is hung and my cards are all mailed too! Aren't I disgustingly efficient this year?

Merry Early Christmas
~ Chelle

Cleo's reply:  Chelle! My favorite Canadian reader! Thank you for the lovely post. (I added some snow f/x for you!) I hope you enjoy Holiday Grind and...

Happy (early) Christmas
to you, your sister, and family! Stay warm now,

~Cleo

HOLIDAY GRIND

I got your latest book from our library and finished it in three days . .. I love your books....

~ Minnesota

Cleo's reply: Helloooo Minnesota!! Thank you for your comment. (I will be happy to reply to the deleted portion of your query via e-mail -- it was not appropriate for this board.) You can e-mail me by sending a "NOTE TO CLEO" at VillageBlend@aol.com Thank you for reading my books and for stopping by my *virtual* coffeehouse.

Cheers!
~ Cleo

A german reader

Hey, my names's Kerstin and I love your books their just great!! I saw them the first time on a trip to America, loved it and read every one of them since :-). thanks

Cleo's reply:  Danke, Kerstin! I am honored and flattered to hear from a German reader. Your country is so beautiful with such a rich history. I am so happy that you found my books as well as my website. You are very sweet to let me know that you have enjoyed my mysteries. And in thanks for stopping by my *virtual* coffeehouse, I am *virtually* pouring you a latte...with latte art, of course!

Drink with joy and keep in touch!
~Cleo