Modern Day Cowboy by Nathaniel Sheft + Giveaway + Excerpt

Modern Day Cowboy
Nathaniel Sheft
(The Modern Gunfighter Chronicles, #1)
Publication date: September 2016
Genres: Young Adult

The Organization or O.W.A, (Organization of Wealthy Advocates) controls everything. Hundreds of millions of dollars are bet daily via the internet on the ultimate form of gambling. Today’s fighter pay will start at $300,000, and all fights are listed as high-noon types. Only .45 caliber old Western handguns are allowed. Each fighter will take their respective corner and the countdown will begin. The first fight on today’s schedule will be in the woods, somewhere in Minnesota. Two top fighters will be featured: The Housewife, who is in pink hair rollers and wearing a floral bathrobe; against The SoCal Bunny, a former Southern California Playboy bunny. The second fight will come live from Park City, Utah. It will feature local favorite, Reese, the ex-actress whom most know as Sundance.— Against Amy, known as Aim, a former company exec with a long list of kills. The third fight…

Mattie Pilson had just graduated from high school with no direction in her life. She preoccupied her time with baby sitting Maurice, a mentally challenged kid. Then one terrible day it happened, Maurice was gunned down while under her care. Come to find out, it was a declaration of war from some unseen enemy. Someone set up a row of dominoes and then pushed the first one. At first, all she could do was watch; then one day her boss at the gun shop, Rusty, asked an unorthodox question.—Would she like to be trained as a gunfighter?

Seems she had a lifelong enemy before she was even born. Why? Because enemies are often born at the same time as the other part of one’s soul.—A personal taunt by the universe. Her enemy has wealth, nobility, and power; she holds dreams in her hand. Mattie is simplistic, just a nuts and berries type of girl. Despite her enemy having an entire continent at her whim, she desired the one thing Mattie had yet to appreciate, David.—So she went after Mattie’s prize, with a white wedding dress.

Goodreads / Amazon.com / Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

She hears her voice talking, “I feel dark, gloomy, like the other creatures of the night are waiting for me to arrive. Think I’m over-dosing on death. My sickle is a .45 caliber metal sheath. One swoosh, and it’s all over. I am dressed in a dark hooded robe, reminiscent of an ancient Celtic priest cultivating a fire. My rod of spinning magic consists of gunpowder to cast small metal spells in the chest of victims. Slow motion sonic waves of jet propulsion that are aerodynamically sound through mathematical equations of why people die upon contact. I squeezed the damn trigger. Click, pow!” Mattie sits right up, eyes wide, was it a dream?

Sweating, panting as she tries to catch her heartbeat, talk it down from its hyper thought patterns. Her eyes are watered, carrying a certain sleep wetness like babies with bad dreams. Now she’s rambling, trying to make sense of this moment.

     “I killed a cancer patient, I let Maurice die, and if it were night I would have an afterglow of guilt,” blurts out in panic mode. “Where in the hell am I? How did I get in the woods? And why are there  leaves in my hair?” rattles off as she reaches up as if turning on the bedroom light. “Wait… I was in a hotel room last night, what happened?” She looks down, “There’s blood on the leaves… oh shit, there’s blood on my shirt.” Her phone rings almost in sync, she spins alarmed by the sudden sound, searches for the phone.

“What did you do?” David says with a heightened sense of alarm.

“I don’t know,” darts out as she stands while brushing herself off.

Leaves are torn from trees, broken bark is ruthlessly misplaced and painted blood is part of the scenic landscape. Scuffle marks, torched branches, staring woodland creatures. A squirrel is reading from a prayer book as birds sing dirges. A section was cleared violently. In the distance the sound of a motor is running as faint fumes dangle nearby. Delilah is still warm and in her holster. She’s armed, why is she armed? It isn’t her blood as she feels around reluctantly.

“You killed three chicks last night,” said with the intonation of shock and awe.

“What?” to a state panic.

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Dissatisfied by Ksenija Nikolova

Dissatisfied by Ksenija Nikolova
Published by Kingsley Publishers today, the 29th April 2022.

How I got this book:

Received a review copy via Rachel's Random Resources

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

Who is to be blamed for a woman's unhappiness?

Margot's unhappiness is contrary to what you might expect, considering that she lives in Paris and is married to a handsome, successful man she loves. However, as time passes, she feels more certain about her emptiness and realizes how little time her husband Arthur has for her. Finally, she decides to leave him, but then something changes. Not only does Margot not know her husband as well as she thought she did, but she also comes to see that she didn't even know herself that deeply.

Margot's life starts changing when she discovers countless new things about her marriage, which also reawakens old traumas.

But have these signs always been there?

Has Margot's journey been waiting for her long before she became aware of it, and can her marriage be saved?

Margot is surprised to discover Arthur knew her much better than she ever thought possible.

Dissatisfied is the second of Ksenija Nikolova's novels I have read. After enjoying All Men Love Leah, I was keen to read more of her writing and jumped at this chance to review Dissatisfied. The book is written as a series of letters from Margot to her aloof husband, Arthur, most dated during one August. I felt this letter format worked really well with the premise of the novel. It means we only get to see the world through Margot's eyes, but as she gradually becomes more aware of her circumstances, so do we. I didn't particularly like Margot as a person, but her character is undoubtedly compelling to read about and this kept me hooked even while I found other aspects of Dissatisfied to be somewhat irritating. I did feel that Dissatisfied was paced very well, even while the short timespan during which its events take place seemed fast. Could someone turn themselves around so swiftly?

Unfortunately I didn't get on well with the dialogue which I thought often felt forced in the meaningful speeches, or too much like padding when the topics were inconsequential. This is a shame as it detracts from the claustrophobic atmosphere Nikolova builds up alongside these conversations. I'm not sure whether the original dialogue reads in a similar fashion or if it is the English language translation which is clunky. That said though, the psychology and relationships between the four main characters feel genuine with a strong sense of how their shared history impinges on their present day predicament. Overall I think that Dissatisfied is a worthwhile read with a lot to say about how we take responsibility for our own lives.

 

Meet the Author

Ksenija Nikolova is a Macedonian fiction author. She is the author of six books, and this is her second novel translated into English. Her work is also translated into Bulgarian and Russian.

She says people inspire her, and she thinks of art as an ice breaker that pushes boundaries and changes the way they see things. The world has become very judgmental and ignorant, and Ksenija believes that writing stories that smash discrimination and stereotypes can make us better and happier.

Ksenija is currently working on a new novel she is very excited about. She is writing it in English, and she is enjoying every step of the process.

Social Media Links

AUTHOR:

Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Twitter

PUBLISHER:

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Ice Floe by Melissa Birling + Giveaway + Excerpt

Ice Floe
Melissa Birling
Publication date: April 28th 2022
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult

SECRECY IS SAFETY. SISTERHOOD IS EVERYTHING.

Seventeen-year-old Glacia didn’t plan to track a kidnapper, stick a middle finger to the government, and fall into a forbidden summer fling. This is simply what happens when you’re the resident odd girl out, in a shoal of all-female mermaids whose values are a little cracked. Or a lot cracked, if you consider government-endorsed murder and the seizure of male infants to be an issue.

When society rules, family, and romance collide, Glacia fights back the best way she knows how: by taking the matter into her own combat-trained hands and kicking some tail. The problem is, no amount of training can prepare Glacia for the crime circle she discovers, secrets she unveils, and human guy she can’t get out of her head. Glacia finds herself at a crossroads where she must decide whose rules to follow. Who she can trust. And ultimately…who lives and who dies.

Goodreads / Amazon.com / Amazon UK

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EXCERPT:

We’ve been sitting on the ledge a while now, mostly staring at the view. I steal occasional glances at Tucker. I can’t shake the feeling that there’s a force between us. Energy. A pulse. A magnet. Something. Every time I focus my thoughts elsewhere, he pulls me back in. It’s distracting.

“You ready to head down?” he asks.
“You might as well get started. I can’t climb down with all your equipment in the way.” “I have an extra harness. You should come down with me.” He reaches for his pack and stands up.

I jump up to join him. “No way. I’m not hooking myself into that death trap.” “Glacia, come on. This cliff is super challenging, and it’s way more difficult to climb down than up,” he says, his voice growing louder. Here we go again.
“I’ll be fine once you get your stuff out of the way.” I raise my volume to match his. “It’s not safe. I would feel horrible if I let you climb down and you got hurt.”
“Let me?”
“Not let you. It’s your choice.”
“I choose NO.”
He clenches his jaw tightly and grinds his teeth. I take a few steps back in preparation.

There’s enough room up here to land a solid kick to the face. That should knock him out, then I’ll have to figure out a way to climb down his cat’s cradle setup. Tucker crosses one arm over his chest and raises a hand to cover his mouth. We glare at each other – at an impasse.

“Let’s make a deal,” he offers. “You climb down with me using a harness and rope, and I’ll take you on a boat ride.”

This catches my attention.

“That’s right, I saw you light up when I mentioned my dad’s boat shop,” he continues with a cocky air.

He’s more perceptive than I gave him credit for. Volatile and perceptive. A hefty combination.

“Have you ever been on a boat?” he asks.

I shake my head. I would love to go on a boat. Tucker knows how to fix them and can teach me everything a trainer could, plus more. What am I thinking? This is crazy. I can’t go on a boat with a human. What excuse would I give if I got caught? I can’t pretend I’m seducing. Everyone knows that’s not high on my priority list, and you’re not supposed to seduce alone. Maybe I could say that I’m collecting information to share with the girls I teach… Hmm. That’s almost believable, given my dedication to the studio.

Tucker can tell I’m on the fence about it and ups the ante. “I’ll teach you to drive the boat.”

Unfair. Of course, I want to learn how to drive a boat. That’s a beyond useful skill in my back pocket. I peek down the cliff face to assess the reliability of Tucker’s wedge-rope system. Stupid. Like I know what I’m looking for.

“Fine,” I agree. “We need to be hooked together, so if I die, you die.”
“Seems reasonable.”
“AND I get to drive the boat.”
“Deal. Let’s see, today is Monday, and I already have plans tomorrow. Wednesday?” “What time?”
“Eleven a.m. on the Ula pier.”
“I’ll meet you there.”
Tucker flips his pack around, unclips a belt, and offers it to me. “Do you know how to wear a harness?”
I snatch it from him, compare it to his gear, and step into the leg holes. When I have it all clipped in, I throw my hands on my hips. “Now what?” I ask.

Tucker leans in toward me, rope in hand, then pulls back and reconsiders. “That’s not quite right,” he says haltingly. “Can I fix your harness?”

“I already agreed to this mess, didn’t I?”

He rolls his eyes. “I think that’s a yes. Pull the harness up – it has to sit higher on your hips.”

I follow his instructions, and he flops the rope over one arm. He moves in closer and bends down to reposition the harness. His fingers wrap around the loop against my leg as he pulls it up below my hip. My heart beats faster and my insides twists. I evaluate the top of Tucker’s head in an effort to distinguish these sensations from other emotions. He secures the loop and raises his gaze to meet mine.

“Is that too tight?” he asks. His hazel eyes penetrate mine. The edges are a deep brown that blend into a murky green with an amber starburst around the pupil.

I shake my head and look away. I hope he can’t tell how disoriented this is making me. “Pull the tabs on your waist tighter,” he instructs.
I cinch the waist while he rearranges the other loop on my leg. Why is this making me so agitated? He’s only fixing my gear so I don’t fall to my death. Tucker gathers the rope into his hand and reaches out to tie it to the front belt loop. As he does, his fingers brush my skin just below my belly button. A jolt of electricity shoots through my body. I take in a small gasp of air and hold my breath. He freezes, his fingers lingering on my stomach. Did he feel that too?

Author Bio:

Melissa Birling strives to experience life from a “both and” rather than “either or” perspective. She enjoys living in metropolitan cities and on a small farm. She appreciates burn-your-tongue Mexican cuisine and delicious London pub food. Lately, Melissa spends her time engaging with cyber security professionals and mermaids. Not actual mermaids, although if you know any, she’d love to meet them.

The revelation that one can be both a successful corporate consultant and a fantasy author who writes about mermaids, encouraged Melissa to finish her debut novel, Ice Floe. The emotional high of typing “The End” at the completion of her first draft, triggered a writing spree that hasn’t stopped since. On any given Saturday or Sunday, you will find Melissa writing. She won’t respond to any attempts at human engagement, because she’s “at a good part,” but you’ll find her typing away, nevertheless.

Melissa lives with a ceaselessly supportive husband and their dog who enjoys hunting neighborhood skunks.

Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

Win a $25 Amazon gift card.
Open internationally until the 5th May
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Kai the Dancing Butterfly by Crystal Z. Lee + Giveaway + Author Interview

Join Us For This Tour From:  April 11 to April 22 
Book Details:

Book Title:  Kai the Dancing Butterfly by Crystal Z. Lee
Category: Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7), 38 pages
Genre: Children's Fiction
Publisher: Balestier Press
​Publication Date: February 2022.
Content Rating: G

 

Book Description:

Kai and Ami are dancing butterflies from Taiwan! They have a performance coming up at the Winter Festival dance show in the southern part of the island. They are currently in northern Taiwan, so they need to hurry and start flying south. That's far for a butterfly! Kai is worried about the long journey, and about the big show too. Can Kai step up to the challenge?

Kai the Dancing Butterfly celebrates Taiwan's natural scenic wonders, amazing animal species, and incredible Indigenous cultures. This children's book is a marvelous read for all those who love Taiwan, or for those who'd like to learn more about Taiwanese culture. This elaborately illustrated picture book makes an ideal gift:

*Real locations in Taiwan make for an inspiring geography, history and cultural lesson

*Storyline sparks dialogue around empathy, kindness, courage, faith, perseverance, friendship, and the support between siblings

*Exquisite illustrations of Taiwan's majestic animals and endangered species fosters learning around ecological conservation and habitat protection

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon.com ~ Amazon UK ~ B&N 
IndieBound ~ BAM ~ Book Depository
add to goodreads

Author Interview:

Q: What was your inspiration for Kai the Dancing Butterfly? Why butterflies?

A: Taiwan has over 400 species of butterflies, 50 of which are endemic to the island! Taiwan is also home to the beautiful purple crow butterfly population, which makes up one of the planet's largest butterfly migration overwintering congregation. My children and I adore butterflies, so I was inspired to write a children's book about this unique butterfly species from Taiwan, where I grew up as a child.

Q: What was it like collaborating with the illustrator for Kai the Dancing Butterfly, compared with the one for your last children's book, A Unicorn Named Rin?

A: Allie Su, the illustrator for Kai the Dancing Butterfly was partially based in New Jersey and Taiwan during the collaboration. Li Liu, the illustrator for A Unicorn Named Rin was based in France. It was a pleasure working with the both of them, even through all the international time zone differences. I'm such a fan of their own unique illustration styles. 

Q: We noticed that in both of your children's books, Kai the Dancing Butterfly and A Unicorn Named Rin, the focus is on animal characters rather than human characters. What is your thinking behind that?

A: I'm also a novelist and the stories for my older readers are all written from the point-of-view of human characters. Therefore for my children's books I wanted to explore a different perspective. I also love animals and it was so fun writing about the various animal species. 

Q: Why was writing this book so important or personal for you?

A: I grew up in Taipei and had always dreamt of sharing the interesting sights and facets of Taiwan in a book. There are some excellent children's books about Taiwan out on the market right now, but most of them focus on holidays, relatives, or food. I love all of these aspects too, but wanted to highlight Taiwan's natural scenic wonders and amazing animal species!

Q. Do you have advice for aspiring children's book writers?

A. Spend time with children, and with children's books! I think writing for kids takes a lot of empathy. It's important to put ourselves in their shoes and see the world from their eyes. My kids help me with that!

Q. Can you reveal what sort of writing projects you're working on now?

A. I'm working on a novel based in Taiwan, and another children's book. 

Meet the Author:

Crystal Z. Lee is a bilingual writer who grew up in Taiwan and California. She has called many places home, including Taipei, New York, Shanghai, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Crystal is also the author of the children's book A Unicorn Named Rin, and the novel, Love and Other Moods. 

​connect with the author:  instagram ~ goodreads
​

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Meet the Illustrator:
Allie Su was born and raised in Yunlin county, Taiwan. She attended Nanhua University in Chiayi city, majoring in Visual Arts. She is a professional illustrator, specializing in oil painting and ink painting. 

 

Tour Schedule:

April 11 – Working Mommy Journal – book spotlight / giveaway
April 11 - Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 11 - Rockin' Book Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 11 - My Reading Getaway – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 12 – Bookworm for Kid – book spotlight / giveaway
April 13 – Kam's Place – book spotlight / author interview
April 14 – A Mama's Corner of the World – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 18 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 19 – Library Lady's Kid Lit – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 20 – GIna Rae Mitchell – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 21 – fundinmental – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 22 – Writer with Wanderlust – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 25 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 26 – I'm Into Books – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 27 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 28 – The Phantom Paragrapher – book spotlight / giveaway
April 29 – Lisa's Reading – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:

Win two physical books: KAI THE DANCING BUTTERFLY & A UNICORN NAMED RIN (two winners) (open internationally) (ends May 6)

KIA AND THE DANCING BUTTERFLY Book Tour Giveaway

 

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	Dancing Butterfly  wind chimes by By Liv Cornwall Click pic to visit Etsy Shop

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The Murders At Astaire Castle by Lauren Carr + Giveaway

"So much fun to read!  The castle seemed foreboding. The rumors of the ghost dog, werewolves, and more made more plausible in light of the murders. Is it enough to make even detectives reconsider?  Is it all about the missing book or is the real motive money?" - review by Mystery Suspense Reviews

 

Book Details:

Book Title: The Murders at Astaire Castle by Lauren Carr
Series:  A Mac Faraday Mystery (Volume 5)
Category:  Adult fiction (18+), 281 pages
Genre:  Murder Mystery
Publisher:  Acorn Book Services
Release date:  July 18, 2013
Content Rating: PG-13 - Lauren Carr's mysteries are murder mysteries. Sometimes, the murder does happen on-stage. There is no graphic violence or explicit sex.There is some very mild language (hell or damn, very few and far between) No F-Bombs!

 

 Book Description:

Never tell Mac Faraday not to go someplace.

Spencer’s police chief, David O’Callaghan, learns this lesson the hard way when he orders Mac to not go to the south end of Spencer’s mountaintop —even though he owns the property. It doesn’t take long for Mac to find out what lies on the other side of a stone wall and locked gate with a warning for visitors to keep out.

Topping the list of the ten top haunted places in America, Astaire Castle is associated with two suicides, three mysterious disappearances, and four murders since it was built almost a century ago—and Mac Faraday owns it!

In spite of David’s warning to keep out, Mac can’t resist unlocking the gate to see the castle that supposedly hasn’t seen a living soul since his late mother had ordered it closed up after the double homicide and disappearance of Damian Wagner, a world-famous master of horror novels.

What was supposed to be a quick tour of a dusty old castle turns into another Mac Faraday adventure when Astaire Castle becomes the scene of even more murders. Mac is going to need to put all of his investigative talents to work to sort out this case that involves the strangest characters he has run into yet—including a wolfman. No, we’re not talking about Gnarly.

Buy the Book:   
 Amazon.com ~ Amazon UK
B&N ~ BookBub ~ The Book Depository
Add to Goodreads

The Murders At Astaire Castle is a fun Mac Faraday mystery with a lighthearted horror vibe that was inspired, so we are told in the introduction, by Halloween festivities. Although I didn't actually read this book during an October, I can imagine that it would have been even more atmospheric at that time of year - perhaps for an all night readatgon on All Hallows Eve itself! Lauren Carr manages to include a number of spooky staples - such as a haunted castle, a possible werewolf and lots of ghostly activity - whilst also giving us readers the kind of interestingly complex murder mystery that I have come to expect from this series.

I did initially find it a little beyond possibility that no one had previously let slip to Mac that the infamous Astaire Castle was just over the hill from The Spencer Inn, particularly with the delight that Hector took in divulging its ghastly history to him, however that aside, I really enjoyed getting into this story. Police chief David O'Callaghan is a great foil to Mac's impetuous character and I loved seeing Gnarly meet his match in the very prim and proper Molly! The Murders At Astaire Castle has a vintage crime feel to it that reminded me of classic authors such as Henrietta Hamilton and Helen McCloy. As the main narrative is a standalone story, this novel especially can be read without knowing the earlier books in the series.

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Meet the Author:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Thorny Rose, Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries, and Nikki Bryant Cozy Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across five fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor. 

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, and virtual book tour coordinator for independent authors.  

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. 

She lives with her husband, and two spoiled rotten German shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV. 

connect with the author: website  ~  facebook  ~  instagram ~ pinterest ~ bookbub ~ goodreads

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Tour Schedule:

March 28 - Mystery Review Crew - book series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
March 28 – Cover Lover Book Review – book series spotlight / giveaway
March 29 - Rockin' Book Reviews - book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / guest post / giveaway
March 29 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of IT’S MURDER, MY SON / giveaway
March 30 – Literary Flits – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
Mar 30 - Olio by Marilyn – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
Mar 30 - Olio by Marilyn – book spotlight of SHADOW OF MURDER / author interview / giveaway
March 31 – My Reading Journeys – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
April 1 –  Kam's Place – book spotlight of SHADOW OF MURDER 
April 4 –  Kam's Place – book spotlight of IT’S MURDER, MY SON 
April 4 – Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of IT'S MURDER, MY SON / giveaway
April 5 – Literary Flits – book review of SHADES OF MURDER / giveaway
April 6 – Leels Loves Books – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
April 7 –  Kam's Place – book spotlight of OLD LOVES DIE HARD, SHADES OF MURDER, BLAST FROM THE PAST 
April 7 – Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of OLD LOVES DIE HARD / giveaway
April 8 – Nighttime Reading Center – audiobook review of SHADES OF MURDER / giveaway
April 11 – Kam's Place – book spotlight of THE MURDERS AT ASTAIRE CASTLE, THE LADY WHO CRIED MURDER, TWELVE TO MURDER 
April 12 – Book Corner News and Reviews - book series spotlight / giveaway
April 13 –Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of SHADES OF MURDER / giveaway
April 14 – My Reading Journeys – book review of TWELVE TO MURDER / giveaway
April 15 – Library of Clean Reads – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
April 15 – Kam's Place – book spotlight of A WEDDING AND A KILLING, OPEN SEASON FOR MURDER 
April 19 – Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of BLAST FROM THE PASST / giveaway
April 20 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of OLD LOVES DIE HARD / giveaway
April 21 – My Reading Journeys – book review of A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway
April 21 - Rockin' Book Reviews - book review of THE MURDERS AT ASTAIRE CASTLE / giveaway
April 22 –Book Corner News and Reviews - book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / guest post / giveaway
April 26 –Literary Flits – book review of THE MURDERS AT ASTAIRE CASTLE / giveaway
April 27 - Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of THE LADY WHO CRIED MURDER / giveaway
April 29 – Nighttime Reading Center – audiobook review of THE LADY WHO CRIED MURDER / giveaway
May 3 – Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway
May 4 - Kam's Place – book spotlight of THREE DAYS TO FOREVER 
May 4 - Literary Flits – book review of TWELVE TO MURDER / giveaway
May 5 –Kam's Place – book spotlight of CANCELLED VOWS 
May 6 – Kam's Place – book spotlight of CANDIDATE FOR MURDER and CRIMES PAST 
May 9 – Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of OLD LOVES DIE HARD / giveaway
May 10 – Celticlady's Reviews – book series spotlight / giveaway
May 11 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of THE MURDERS AT ASTAIRE CASTLE / giveaway
May 12 - Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of TWELVE TO MURDER / giveaway
May 16 – Hall Ways Blog - audiobook review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
May 17 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway
May 18 – Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of OPEN SEASON FOR MURDER / giveaway
May 19 – Deborah-Zenha Adams – book series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 19 - Library of Clean Reads – book review of OLD LOVES DIE HARD / giveaway
May 20 – Nighttime Reading Center – audiobook review of A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway
May 20 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of BLAST FROM THE PAST / giveaway
May 23 – Rockin' Book Reviews - book review of A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway
May 24 – Mostly Mystery Reviews – book review of IT’S MURDER, MY SON / giveaway
May 25 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
May 26 – Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of CANCELLED VOWS / giveaway
May 27 –Bound 4 Escape – book review of THE LADY WHO CRIED MURDER / giveaway
May 31 –Jazzy Book Reviews - book series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
June 1 – fundinmental – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
June 2 – Mostly Mystery Reviews – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / guest posts / giveaway
June 3 – Rockin' Book Reviews - audiobook review of OPEN SEASON FOR MURDER / giveaway
June 6 –Bound 4 Escape – book review of  TWELVE TO MURDER / giveaway
June 7 – Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of SHADES OF MURDER / giveaway
June 8 – The Page Ladies – audiobook review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
June 9 – Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
June 9 - Bound 4 Escape – book review of  A WEDDING AND A KILLING / giveaway
June 10 – Nighttime Reading Center – audiobook review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
June 13 - ​Rockin' Book Reviews - book review of CANDIDATE FOR MURDER / giveaway
June 14 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of  OPEN SEASON FOR MURDER / giveaway
June 15 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
June 16 –Literary Flits – book review of THREE DAYS TO FOREVER / giveaway
June 20 – Splashes of Joy – audiobook review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
June 24 – Adventurous Jessy – book review of SHADOW OF MURDER / giveaway
June 24 - Rockin' Book Reviews - book review of CRIMES PAST / giveaway

 

Enter the Giveaway:
Win a $50 Paypal gift card. Open internationally until the 1st July.

SHADOW OF MURDER (Mac Faraday Mysteries) Tour Giveaway

 

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Bridges by Linda Griffin + Giveaway + Excerpt

Bridges
Linda Griffin
Published by: The Wild Rose Press
Publication date: April 25th 2022
Genres: Adult, Historical Romance

In 1963, Neil Vincent, a middle-aged World War II veteran and “Christian atheist” is working at Westfield Court as a chauffeur. He spends most of his spare time reading. Mary Claire DeWinter is a young, blind, Catholic college student and reluctant heiress. To secure her inheritance, she has to marry within a year, and her aunt is pressuring her to marry a rich man who teased and bullied her when she was a child. Neil and Mary Claire shouldn’t even be friends, but the gulf between them is bridged by a shared love of books. Can they cross the bridge to more?

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EXCERPT:

On the drive to Brierly Station, he didn’t speculate about who Miss DeWinter might be. It wasn’t his job to know who she was, only to meet her train and take her safely back to Westfield Court. She wouldn’t be the last of the friends and relatives who would gather as the old man’s life came to its long-awaited and peaceful end.

Brierly was bustling today, as restless as the St. James household. He was in plenty of time for the train and sat in the car reading. The car was a Bentley Mark VI, as well-maintained and highly polished as it was the day it was purchased. The book he was reading was Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native.

When the train rumbled in, he got out of the car. He stood patiently on the platform as the passengers disembarked, holding up a small slate on which he had chalked DEWINTER in large capitals. There weren’t many passengers, but they were briefly delayed while the conductor helped a blind woman navigate the steps. Neil’s gaze fell expectantly on a woman in her thirties, with an awful hat, but she was immediately met by a portly man and a teenage boy. No other likely prospects appeared, and he waited for someone to respond to the sign. No one did.

Finally, only two passengers were left on the platform—a small, homely man and the blind woman. Blind girl, really. She couldn’t be more than twenty. She had a jointed white cane, and her large sunglasses didn’t cover the edges of the scars on her face. She would not have been beautiful even without the scars—too thin, for starters, of average height but with small bones. On the other hand, her face might once have been pretty, and her hair was clean and shining, raven black, and well brushed. She was too pale, and the scars around her eyes were red and ugly. She looked a little lost.

Feeling foolish, he lowered the slate. “Miss DeWinter?” he asked as he approached her.

“Yes,” she said, turning toward his voice with a smile.

“I’m Vincent,” he said. “The St. James chauffeur.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Vincent,” she said. “Thank you for meeting me.” Her voice was soft, her enunciation perfect.

The porter fetched her luggage—a single gray vinyl suitcase with a flower decal—from the depot and turned it over to Neil with a cheerful nod. Jane would be disappointed, especially if the girl’s other clothes were as plain as what she wore, a simple dark dress with long sleeves and an unfashionable, below-the-knees hemline. “Would you take my arm?” he asked, positioning himself so she could place her hand in the crook of his elbow, which she did with easy confidence.

“Do you have a Christian name?” she asked.

“Yes, miss. It’s Neil.”

“That’s a good name,” she said. “Mine is Mary Claire. How is my grandfather, do you know?”

Neil, who hadn’t known the old man had any grandchildren, said, “Hanging on, miss.”

He opened the car door and helped her into the back seat.

“You don’t have to call me ‘miss’ all the time,” she said. “Please call me Mary Claire. Or my friends at school call me Sunny.”

“Yes, miss,” he said automatically and closed the door.

Author Bio:

For more information, visit my website, sign up for my newsletter, and claim a free autographed copy of Stonebridge: https://www.lindagriffinauthor.com/

I was born and raised in San Diego, California and earned a BA in English from San Diego State University and an MLS from UCLA. I began my career as a reference and collection development librarian in the Art and Music Section of the San Diego Public Library and then transferred to the Literature and Languages Section, where I had the pleasure of managing the Central Library’s Fiction collection and initiating fiction order lists for the entire library system. Although I also enjoy reading biography, memoir, and history, fiction remains my first love. In addition to the three R’s—reading, writing, and research—I enjoy Scrabble, movies, and travel.

My earliest ambition was to be a “book maker” and I wrote my first story, “Judy and the Fairies,” with a plot stolen from a comic book, at the age of six. I broke into print in college with a story in the San Diego State University literary journal, The Phoenix, but most of my magazine publications came after I left the library to spend more time on my writing.

My stories have been published in numerous journals, including Eclectica, Thema Literary Journal, The Binnacle, The Nassau Review, Orbis, and Avalon Literary Review, and in the anthologies Short Story America, Vol. 2, The Captive and the Dead, and Australia Burns. Four stories, including one as yet unpublished, received honorable mention in the Short Story America Prize for Short Fiction contests.

Member of RWA, Authors Guild, and Sisters in Crime

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GIVEAWAY!

Win a $25 Amazon or B&N gift card.

Open internationally until the 5th May.

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Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
Published by Little, Brown and Co in September 2013.

One of my WorldReads from Australia

How I got this book:

Borrowed the paperback from my partner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

The Book Depository / Waterstones

Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution.

Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution. 

Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. But as Agnes's death looms, the farmer's wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they've heard. 

Riveting and rich with lyricism, Burial Rites evokes a dramatic existence in a distant time and place, and asks the question, how can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others?

Every once in a while I read a novel that manages to completely transport me to its era and location and I am delighted that Burial Rites by Hannah Kent did just that. Set in 1820s Iceland, Burial Rites weaves a fictional narrative around the historical truths of the life of Agnes Magnusdottir, the last woman to be executed in Iceland.

We visited Iceland a few years ago so I could picture the types of landscape within which the story takes place, but even without this experience Kent's wonderful rich descriptions make the desperate rural lives easy to imagine. I could even feel the cold! While Kent has imagined details of houses and clothing, this imagination is obviously rooted in extensive research and historical fact. She has brought Agnes out from being a semi-mythological monster into a real living and breathing woman with a poignant tale to tell. The Icelanders' customs and religious practices are fascinating to learn about as they are familiarly Christian yet shaped by the extreme circumstances of living with the ever-present natural dangers of Iceland. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Burial Rites, even though it is not by any means a happy story. Simply brilliant writing.

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A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain

A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain
Published by the American Publishing Company in 1880.

How I got this book:

Swapped for at a book exchange

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Amazon UK / Amazon.com

The Book Depository / Waterstones

A Tramp Abroad is a work of travel literature, including a mixture of autobiography and fictional events, by American author Mark Twain, published in 1880. The book details a journey by the author, with his friend Harris (a character created for the book, and based on his closest friend, Joseph Twichell), through central and southern Europe. While the stated goal of the journey is to walk most of the way, the men find themselves using other forms of transport as they traverse the continent. The book is the fourth of Mark Twain's six travel books published during his lifetime and is often thought to be an unofficial sequel to the first one, The Innocents Abroad (1869). (Wikipedia)

A Tramp Abroad is my first 'factual' Mark Twain book and I'm not completely sure how I feel about it. Initially difficult to get into, the first few chapters are an odd blend of observations, hearsay, retelling of local myths and flannel. Once the style settles down, I thought the book flowed more but it's still quite hit and miss - a bit like watching a Monty Python episode. There are very funny anecdotes that are probably greatly exaggerated or mostly made up but with satirical grains of truth that I enjoyed. These are entertaining to read and raised a chuckle. However they are interspersed with other passages that are either bizarrely odd or simply dull. A mountain climbing expedition is so overegged that it becomes boring, but an American trying to strike up conversation on a boat trip made me giggle.

For a foot tour of Europe, Twain only actually visits Germany, Switzerland and Italy, and most of the book is Germanic travel. He obviously is a walker as several of his reminiscences are understanding of the activity and its way of promoting thought and conversation, but if there is a chance to go by any other method, he seizes it every time. I can't say that any of Twain's travelogue has inspired me to follow in his footsteps and I had hoped it would. Perhaps this is a poorer example of his non-fiction writing or perhaps I should stick to reading his fiction. 

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Travels With Maurice by Gary Orleck + Giveaway

 

Join Us For This Tour From April 12 to May 2

 
Book Details:

Book Title:  TRAVELS WITH MAURICE AN OUTRAGEOUS ADVENTURE IN EUROPE IN 1968 by Gary Orleck
Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18+), 250 pages
Genre: Travel Memoir
Publisher: TOUCHPOINT PRESS
​Publication Date: April 5, 2022.
Tour dates: April 12 to May 2
Content Rating: G

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"Travels with Maurice is a gem of a book that just sneaks up on you with its greatness. While the title makes you think it’s a travelogue or road trip book (and we’ve all read enough of these), Travels is so much more." - Michael Berman

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Book Description:

“Every Woman Wanted to Be with Him, Every Man Wanted to Be Him.”― Gary Orleck

 
A simple “thank you” led to the trip of a lifetime, along with an unbreakable friendship of two opposites. See them come of age while rubbing elbows with the rich and famous like the Shah and Queen of Iran, The Who, Paul McCartney, Brigitte Bardot, and even Shirley Temple Black. An unbelievable story, yet it’s true because nobody could make this story up. Find out things the rich and famous do not want you to know.

 

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Meet the Author: 
​ 

I grew up in Lincoln, R.I. which is a blue-collar town, went To Babson University School of Business, and graduated with a BSBA in 1966. I worked my way around the USA for six months.

Two years later, I traveled with the son of the richest man in the world - covering 19,988 miles, twelve countries, and ten weeks.

Then, I went to work at Broadway Tire Inc. Twenty years later, I bought the business. I then owned and operated it for thirty more years before retiring in 2016!

In Between, I met and married my wife Ronna and had two beautiful children, and now I have five grandchildren!

The love of travel remained with me, and I've been fortunate enough to have visited 75 countries - each in a unique style - all my own way, using much of which I learned in my travels with Maurice in 1968. 

connect with the author:  website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ pinterest ~ goodreads

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Tour Schedule:

​April 12 – Working Mommy Journal – book spotlight / giveaway
April 12 - Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / giveaway
April 12 - The Official Blog of Amy Shannon - book spotlight
April 13 - Book Corner News and Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 13 – Novels Alive – book spotlight / giveaway
April 14 – Splashes of Joy – book spotlight / giveaway
April 14 - Rockin' Book Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 15 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / giveaway
April 18 - Kam's Place – book spotlight
April 19 – Westveil Publishing – book spotlight / giveaway
April 20 – Books are a Blessing – book spotlight / giveaway
April 20 - Sadie’s Spotlights - book spotlight / giveaway
April 21 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 22 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
April 25 – Mostly Mystery Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
April 26 – Captive Dreams Window – book spotlight / giveaway
April 27 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway
April 28 – Books for Books – book spotlight
April 29 – 30-something Travel Blog – book spotlight / giveaway
May 2 - Pick A Good Book – book spotlight / giveaway

 

Enter the Giveaway: 

Win an ebook copy of Travels With Maurice. Open internationally until the 9th May.

TRAVELS WITH MAURICE Book Tour Giveaway

 

 

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