Brownies & Broomsticks (Magical Bakery Mystery #1), by Bailey Cates (author), Johanna Parker (narrator)

Tantor Audio, March 2013 (original publication May 2012)

Katie Lightfoot has had a bad breakup with her fiancé, and needs a big change. So she's taken her pastry school education and her experience working in an Akron bakery to Savannah, Georgia. Her Uncle Ben and Aunt Lucy are starting a bakery there, and she's bringing her business and baking experience to the project.

What she doesn't know is that Aunt Lucy has a family secret to share with her--one her own parents have been keeping from her.

Katie's father and mother, her mother's sister Lucy, and Katie herself are all witches. Specifically hedge witches, gifted in the use of herbs and related matters.

The Kong Rocket--for your "mad about fetch" dog

Recently The Kong Company sent me a free sample of the new Kong Rocket to try out with my dog.

The Rocket is a ball launcher, about two feet long, and able to hold balls from about two inches to about three and a half inches in diameter. Two balls, a larger one and a smaller one, are included, and both balls have squeakers.

The Rocket has makes it really easy to get more distance, power, and accuracy with your throws. And when your dog brings the ball back and drops it at your feet, with the Rocket you can easily pick it up again--without touching the now-slobbery ball with your hand.

Sadly, my little dog is only slowly adjusting to this, in her eyes, Unnatural way of playing fetch. However, I'm confident that this is not a case of the human thinking something is really cool while dogs think it's boring. That's because I had a friend try it out with her fifteen-week-old Briard puppy. He's not quite down on the rules of Fetch, yet, but he loved chasing the ball!

I'm disappointed that my dog is not taking to the Kong Rocket more readily, but I'm confident that this is going to be a real hit with the ball-crazy crowd, the retrievers and spaniels and herders--and of course their owners.