#SaturdaySpotlight is on Marilyn Leach & Christmas Greedings!

Good Morning, Happy New Year and Welcome to the First edition of Saturday Spotlight 2026 and the Last of our All Christmas Thur Christmas posts!

Our guest today is no stranger to our blog and she's sharing her brand new release with us. Take it away, Marilyn...

Thanks, Pam. It is my pleasure to be back on your blog with my latest book, Christmas Greedings.

After spending a beautiful and enriching Christmas season in England with my special friends who live there, I knew I had to write a Christmas mystery that centered around a rural tea shop. From the decorative elements of natural flora and fauna to twinkling fairy lights, from Christmas Pudding to individual mince pies, from close friends and family to a pub sing-song, from quiet thoughts to a joyful Christmas Eve Carol Service, I had to share an English Christmas with readers. 

The mystery is a holiday brain tickle that bounced around in my creative sphere until I just had to get it down in words, about 60,000 of them as a matter of fact. Of course, I had to wrap the story in bright red ribbons that tie up misdeeds with justice winning, and a romantic edge makes the perfect bow on top. I believe it’s a terrific read for what some call the “lost week” of Christmas. In Europe, December 25 to January 5 are the 12 Days of Christmas. So, snuggle into your comfy chair with a hot cuppa at hand, as well as a few gingerbread men, and be a welcome guest of Poppy Ellis and zany villagers at Tibbyhill Lane’s Tea Shop where cozy mysteries abound.

Here's the Blurb: Tibbyhill’s season of peace is being stolen, piece by piece.

When a woman many consider barmy asks Poppy Ellis, busy with her teashop, to find her miniature Christmas village piece that’s gone missing, Poppy passes it off until best friend, Emma, persuades Poppy to help the widow. Her investigation turns up some mind-baffling clues. Who steals a single miniature village piece from an entire set? It’s too odd to be true until one of Poppy’s tearoom customers has the same situation happen. Thinking it’s a childish prank, she dives deeper into facts that lead her to believe something far more sinister is at work. As more pieces vanish, the church’s Christmas Market appears to be the seed bed of growing thefts. How will Poppy solve this peculiar crime wave and restore village life harmony? For the dead of winter, it’s a cozy mystery.

Join Poppy and best friend Emma, Rick the village vicar, Poppy’s love interest and solicitor-in-the-law Andrew St. John, her zany aunts, and eccentric villagers to catch the thieves plus reinstate Christmas goodwill. 

And an Excerpt: A tingling of the bell on Poppy Ellis’s tea shop door was followed by an unknown woman blasting herself inside the tearoom like a fired cannon ball.

The crash of a laden tray added to the commotion when Poppy’s sensitive Aunt Glory jumped, sending full tea cups clattering and Sticky Cinnamon Buns tumbling down to the floor. 

“Miss Ellis,” the stranger shrieked, “you must help me, please.” Slamming the door shut behind her, the woman’s thin legs wobbled, and her light grey eyes bulged with fright. White disheveled hair peeked out from under a bright red knit cap, pulled down over her ears.

Tearoom customers gasped, gaped, and drew back.

Poppy sized up the situation, as she came to the woman’s aid. There was no blood, no facial bruising, the woman’s appendages worked so nothing seemed broken, although the bulky coat she wore could disguise something. Poppy’s glance out the tea shop’s bow window didn’t reveal any chasing culprit. “Are you hurt?”

“Hurt?” came out like a bullet. The woman appeared to be shocked.  

 “Calm down,” Poppy’s past training as a volunteer police special constable had kicked in. “You’re in a safe place.” She took the woman by the elbow. “Come sit down and we’ll get you some hot tea.” 

The woman timidly nodded as Poppy guided her to a nearby table and chairs. The stranger plopped into a seat. Everything about this poor creature seemed contrary to cheerful Christmas holly and evergreens that decorated Poppy’s shop.

“Flowerday,” the woman said nervously.

“Sorry?” Poppy was thankful this cannon ball settled some, but where, by all that’s good, was this woman coming from? “Flowerday?”

“Lizzy Flowerday, That’s me.” She spoke the words unevenly. “And I desperately need your help.”

Christmas Greedings can be found at Amazon (FREE in KU!).

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Wonderful, Marilyn! Please give us your bio and links to connect with you.

Here you go...

Taking tea is one of my favorite things to do. Whether the first cup of the morning, (oh my it's grand), a happy four o'clock cuppa, or out with friends, it refreshes and adds delight to the day. My travels with dear friends in England, no matter what part of the country we're in, always include "a spot of tea" somewhere in our day. We've enjoyed cream teas at Kensington Palace's L'Orangerie, a bracing cuppa at the local shop on Woodley Square, tea and cakes at a tiny tearoom in Abbotsbury, Dorset, and Border Cake at Bambrough Castle way up North. All of it has fed inspiration into my latest mystery series, Tibbyhill Lane Tea Shop Mysteries, that centers on a rural English teashop.

Though my home is lakeside, near the Front Range of Colorado, my passport is ready to fly at any moment. Cheers.

Find, Follow and Connect with me through my Website, Amazon Author Page, Facebook, BookBub, GoodReads and X.

Wonderful! Thanks again, Marilyn. Wising you the best of luck and God's blessings in 2026!

Hope you enjoyed Marilyn's visit as much as I have, Friends. You can find her previous appearances on the blog HERE.

Until next time take care and God Bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Maureen (ML) Bonatch & Magic, Mimosas & Mistletoe!

Good Morning,

I'm pretty much done with my Christmas shopping. How about you? While you're taking a break, please enjoy this week's All Christmas thru Christmas feature with Maureen (ML) Bonatch and her cozy mystery Christmas book, Mimosas & Mistletoe!

Marissa Hale is excited to visit her friend Grace’s new Inn. But the twinkly lights attached to the inheritance are frightful, and finding a dead body in the poinsettias resembling one of Santa’s fabled elves is not delightful. The death of Grace’s aunt was already suspicious, is someone trying to scare Grace into selling the Kringle Inn? 

Grace’s bloodline is the magic mainline for keeping the yuletide spirit alive, and losing the Inn could mean the end of Christmas. The clues to both deaths may reside with the spirits of the Inn, but Marissa’s dog is the only one who can see them.

Does Marissa stand a ghost of a chance of solving this mystery to save Christmas?

Magic, Mimosas & Mistletoe is the high-spirited third book in the Charmed Cocktail Cozy mystery series. If you like ghost mysteries with holiday slaying, you’ll love M.L. Bonatch’s festive read!

Buy Magic, Mimosas & Mistletoe to cheer your holiday spirit today and all year!

Excerpt:

 “Have you ever met an elf?” I threw out the question to distract her from dwelling on our current situation. Part of me really wanted her to say she had. My disdain for the Christmas holiday had started when other kids mocked me for clinging to what many considered to be childish beliefs for years longer than most.

“An elf? I don't know. I can't say I ever met one,” Grace said.

The small glimmer of hope squelched within me. I wouldn’t go through that humiliation again. Beliefs of elves,Santa, and flying reindeer were stories for children, not for anadult witch who should know better. 

Finally, a police officer arrived in the small lobby. “It took him long enough,” I said. The casual attire didn't confirm the man's profession, but the flash of a badge clipped to the waist of his pants and the collective sigh of relief from the staff did.

I stood. “Finally, someone who can confirm that this is a crime scene.”

“We don't know that yet, Marissa. Don't jump to conclusions. It's like you look for trouble.” Grace closed her eyes and leaned back against the cushion.

A response was unnecessary; Grace knew I excelled at jumping to conclusions, and I couldn't help it that trouble usually found me.

M.L. Bonatch believes music can be paired with every mood, laughter is contagious, and caffeine and wine are essential for survival. When she’s not doing the bidding of a feisty Shih Tzu, she’s a mom to twin daughters, exploring the beautiful woods of PA with her hubby and dancing as much as possible. She writes paranormal cozy mysteries as  M.L. Bonatch, urban fantasy, paranormal romance and other genres as Maureen Bonatch.

Find out more about Maureen and her writing by visiting her Website, Bookbub, Bookbub2, or Amazon Author Page, Twitter or Facebook. Sign up to receive her newsletter and get a free story!

Check out Maureen's previous visits to our blog Here and Here.

Magic, Mimosas & Mistletoe sounds like a really cute read, Maureen. Thanks for sharing. Good luck and God's blessings with it.

Hope you enjoyed another week of Christmas books friends and that you'll check back for more as this feature will go on through Saturday Dec 31st.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT