Wednesday, September 26, 2018

BLOG TOUR: After The Fall, Brad Graber

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AFTER THE FALL
BOOK INFORMATION
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
  • Paperback: 318 pages
  • Publisher: Dark Victory Press (May 9, 2018)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0997604220
  • ISBN-13: 978-0997604221


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Synopsis: Rikki, a teenager being raised by her grandmother, has a secret. She can’t remember her mother. Whenever Rikki asks the older woman a question, Rita falls apart and refuses to discuss the matter. Desperate to learn the truth, Rikki finds a hidden family album. Is the boy in the photograph with her mother a long lost uncle? Determined to solve the mystery, Rikki embarks on a journey from New York City to Toledo, then on to Detroit and Phoenix to meet Harry, a writer who is struggling with his own issues of identity.

From the award-winning writer of The Intersect, come After the Fall, a fast-paced, engaging read, with twists and turns that will surely surprise. After the Fall: an emotional roller-coaster of a mystery packed with personality and charm. Once you begin the journey, you won’t be able to turn back. 
Review: This was a book full of surprises, both for the main character and the reader. When I realized what had actually happened to Rikki's mother, it was heartbreaking. 

Nearly all of the characters in this story were dealing with some sort of loss, and the author does a fantastic job of showing different ways we handle that situation. While I may not have agreed with some of the ways, they are portrayed extremely realistically. 

The story is presented from multiple points of view, as well as with some flashback scenes, but it is all presented in such a way that the reader is never left confused. The book deals with very timely issues and events in a realistic, compassionate way.

Along with all the stories about the humans, there is a bittersweet subplot woven in about Harry's senior dog, Beetle, which got to me almost as much as the other traumas and tragedies.
Rating: Four stars
About the author
Brad_Headshot_BW_Web_by_Yucel_Photo_Dec2015_7009_2
Brad Graber writes novels because he grew up in a family where no one ever listened to him - so he made up stories about them.
Born and raised in New York City, Brad obtained a B.A. in Biology from the State University of New York at Buffalo and an M.H.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. A former healthcare executive, Brad has held a number of management positions and been a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a Certified Medical Executive through Medical Group Management Association. Though he no longer works in healthcare, he continues to volunteer with local non-profits.
After the Fall is Brad’s second novel. His debut novel, The Intersect, released in 2016, has won multiple awards and garnered rave reviews.
Brad has lived in Highland Park, a suburb of Chicago; West Bloomfield, a suburb of Detroit; and Mill Valley, a suburb of San Francisco. He currently resides in Phoenix on the grounds of the Arizona Biltmore with his husband Jeff and their dog Charlie.
Twitter: @Jefbra1
Facebook: bradgraberauthor

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

BOOK BIRTHDAY BLITZ: Three Bloody Pieces (Caitlyn #1) by Elizabeth Davies

Three_Bloody_Pieces
BOOK INFORMATION
Genre: Fantasy
  • Series: Caitlyn (Book 1)
  • Paperback: 328 pages
  • Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform  
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1539602362
  • ISBN-13: 978-1539602361

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SYNOPSIS: A dead king, a queen who is more than she seems, and a witch who uses the dark arts to entrap her.
Queen, widow, beggar – Lady Caitlyn is all three, and now she can add murderer to the list.
When death and treachery propel her south to Normandy, to seek sanctuary with the exiled Prince Alfred, visions of a woman with ancient eyes travel with her.
Herleva is a woman filled with ambition and greed. A woman who intends to be more than a commoner. A woman who gets what she wants by whatever means possible, even if she has to practice the dark arts to achieve her goals.
A woman who is a witch.
Caitlyn finds herself caught up in a magic which changes her very being. A magic which produces a king to change the lives of every man, woman, and child in England.




REVIEW: This is the first book of the Caitlyn series--and I look forward to reading the rest of it! The first paragraph is graphic and draws you directly into the story:
"My husband lay at my feet, in three bloody pieces, his torso severed from left shoulder to right hip. The third piece was his head."

There were several plot twists in this story that I didn't see coming. What happens to Caitlyn because of Herleva was the biggest one, and was a little hard to swallow at first, but the writer does a great job with the character both before and after that, and I found myself continuing to enjoy the story.

While the book is primarily fantasy, it is full of history and as much fact as can be known about this ancient time. The writer has done a wonderful job of marrying the two into this amazing story.

RATING: Four stars
Three_Bloody_Pieces_Author_Photo_Aug_16
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Elizabeth Davies is a paranormal author, whose books have a romantic flavor with more than a hint of suspense. And death. There's usually death...

Social Media Links 
Twitter - @bethsbooks

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Friday, September 14, 2018

BOOK TOUR: Fatal Flip (Home Renovator Mystery #1) by M.E. Bakos



Fatal Flip: A Home Renovator Mystery by M. E. Bakos

About the Book


Cozy Mystery 
1st in Series 
Cozy Cat Press (October 27, 2017) 
Paperback: 220 pages 
ISBN-10: 194606341X 
ISBN-13: 978-1946063410 
Digital ASIN: B077WRRMH6
Flipping houses can be fatal! When Katelyn finds a dead body in her first home renovation project, she seriously doubts her decision to “follow her bliss.” After getting fired from her steady job, her plan to flip houses takes a hit when she becomes a suspect. After all, possession is nine points of the law, isn’t it? Especially, when it’s a dead body.
To keep herself in pizza, peanut butter, good coffee, and her stray cat, Boots, in kitty chow she takes survival jobs as a wine sample hostess and market researcher. Meanwhile, Sheriff Don is kind of hunky, and her ex-husband, Eddy (it’s complicated) is back in her life sleeping on her sofa. How’s a girl supposed to solve dead body mysteries, make a living, and find love?
Review: The first book in a new cozy mystery series. Katelyn Baxter, the main character, has just started her new career as a house flipper. Having a body found in the attic of her first house puts a damper on selling it, which leaves her strapped for cash. That leads to several part-time jobs, worked around her sleuthing with her friend/mentor Myra. We also meet Kate's neighbors and friends, and the good-looking Sheriff Don Williams.

There is more than one story being told in this book, but they all wind up being connected. There is nearly non-stop action, and a few unexpected twists. There is also just enough humor to keep things from getting too intense.

I look forward to more adventures from this great group of characters.

Rating: Four stars

About the Author


M.E. Bakos has published several short stories in national women’s magazines. Her love of mysteries has led to writing cozies. Her first mystery short story, “Carpe Diem or Murder at the Carp Fest” appeared in the Festival of Crime, a SINC Anthology. Her second, “Perfect Storm . . . Perfect Murder” will be in Dark Side of the Loon, May 2018 also a SINC Anthology.
Her first cozy, FATAL FLIP, A Home Renovator Mystery has several home improvement tips for the reader.
Mary is a member of Twin Cities Sisters in Crime, the SINC Guppies Group, and an alumna of the University of Minnesota. She is a lifelong resident of Minnesota and resides in Minneapolis with her husband, Joe Sebesta, and their spoiled Morkie.
Website -  Mystery | M. E. Bakos, Author

Purchase Links  Amazon  B&N  


TOUR PARTICIPANTS
September 12 – Maureen's Musings – REVIEW
September 12 – Mallory Heart's Cozies – REVIEW
September 12 – Babs Book Bistro - HOME IMPROVEMENT TIP POST, GIVEAWAY September 12 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW
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September 16 – Here's How It Happened – REVIEW

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Thursday, September 13, 2018

BOOK TOUR AND GIVEAWAY: A Fatal Obsession (McCabe and Savage Thriller #6) by James Hayman

A Fatal Obsession

by James Hayman

on Tour September 1 - 30, 2018

Synopsis:

A Fatal Obession by James Hayman
"James Hayman’s edgy, ingenious novels rival the best of Lisa Gardner, Jeffery Deaver, and Kathy Reichs. A Fatal Obsession is his finest to date: a ferocious live-wire thriller starring two of the most appealing cops in contemporary fiction." —A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
Zoe McCabe is a beautiful young actress on the verge of stardom who has been basking in the standing ovations and rave reviews she’s been getting from critics and fans alike for her portrayal of Desdemona in an off-Broadway production of Othello. As she takes her final bows, Zoe has no idea that, seated in the audience, a man has been studying her night after night, performance after performance. A man whose carefully crafted plans are for the young actress to take a starring role in a far deadlier production he has created just for her.
Portland, Maine detectives Mike McCabe and Maggie Savage are settling into the new rhythm of their relationship when McCabe gets a late night call from his brother Bobby that Zoe, McCabe's favorite niece and Bobby’s daughter, has suddenly disappeared. The NYPD is certain Zoe's abduction is the work of the man the tabloids have dubbed “The Star Struck Strangler,” a killer who has been kidnapping, abusing and finally strangling one beautiful young performer after another. Bobby begs McCabe to return to the New York City crime beat he’d left behind so many years ago, to work his old connections, and to help find Zoe before her time runs out. The stakes for McCabe and Savage have never been higher. Or more personal. And suddenly the race is on to stop a vicious attacker, before the McCabe family is torn apart beyond repair.

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Published by: Witness Impulse
Publication Date: Aug. 21, 2018
Number of Pages: 432
ISBN: 9780062876676
Series: McCabe and Savage Thrillers #6
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Review:  This is my first book to read in this series, but it was easy to follow as a stand-alone novel. I enjoyed the professional and personal relationships between Michael McCabe and Maggie Savage--they make a great team in every sense of the word.

The story is very suspenseful, with a few twists that I didn't see coming. It's a personal case for McCabe, as his niece has been kidnapped by a serial killer. We get to see the story from two perspectives--we follow Zoe during the events she is going through, as well as following the search for her from McCabe's point of view.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would be interested in reading more of the series.

Rating: Four stars

Read an excerpt:

Prologue
The worst thing about the rage was its randomness. Tyler Bradshaw never knew what might trigger one. A tone of voice. A look. An innocent or perhaps a not so innocent remark. Tonight he could feel it starting to build just seconds after he’d begun walking down the center aisle of the small McArthur/Weinstein Community Theater on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
Having attended all eleven previous performances in this limited-run production of Othello, Tyler knew exactly where he wanted to sit for tonight’s finale. The same seat he’d occupied for every performance so far. The same seat he was going to sit in tonight no matter what. A12. On the aisle. Front row. Right-hand side. By far the best seat in the house in terms of offering him the most intimate view of the death of Zoe McCabe, the young actress cast in the role of Desdemona.
This would be Tyler’s last chance to watch the woman he wanted so desperately, the woman who’d been haunting his dreams for months, meet death at the hands of Randall Carter, the well known black actor who was playing Othello the Moor. And if all went according to plan, this closing night would become opening night for a much more intimate relationship.
But Tyler had taken only a few steps down the aisle when he was stopped short by the sight of some son of a bitch sitting in his seat. The theater was practically empty, and some asshole had actually had the nerve to plant his butt in the seat Tyler claimed as his own. He stood for a few seconds watching the guy as the anger grew. Some skinny twerp with a shaved head and black-framed hipster glasses leaning over and talking to the woman next to him as if unaware of his transgression. Tyler barely managed to suppress an urge to run down the nearly empty aisle to the first row, pull the guy up by his ears and kick the shit out of him right then and there.
Take it easy, Tyler told himself. Don’t start a fight. Don’t cause a scene. Don’t get your ass thrown out of here. Do that and you’ll miss Zoe’s final death scene, and you really don’t want to do that. Still, when something he so desperately wanted was denied him, when something he considered rightfully his was withheld or taken away, Tyler found it nearly impossible to suppress the anger filling his brain. But he knew he had to try. Taking a deep breath, he managed to walk at a measured pace the rest of the way down the aisle. He stopped and stood directly in front of the guy in A12. He looked down. “Sorry, buddy,” he said in a voice filled with no more than a hint of threat, “you and your girlfriend are gonna have to move. This seat’s taken.”
“I beg your pardon,” the guy said in what Tyler thought was a condescending tone. Tyler hated it when people condescended to him. New York was full of them. It was one of the reasons he really didn’t like spending time in the city even though he’d been born here. Even though he still kept an apartment here. Even though he’d worked three years at his uncle’s fancy Wall Street law firm. That job had gone down the crapper the day Tyler totally lost it when one of the other associates had condescended to him. Told Tyler in front of like ten other people that the only reason the firm had hired Tyler was because his uncle happened to be managing partner. Tyler reacted by slugging the guy right then and there in front of six other lawyers. Knocked the bastard flat on his ass. Then followed up with a kick to the gut. A deliciously satisfying kick even though it marked the end of his legal career. The only reason Tyler hadn’t been charged with assault was that his uncle convinced the other guy his own career would go much better if he simply forgot about the whole thing. Tyler still got pissed off when he thought about that asshole.
“You heard me,” Tyler said to the guy who’d taken his seat, making sure he kept his voice quiet and controlled. “You’re sitting in my seat. This has been my seat for the last two weeks. The entire run. And it will continue to be my seat for tonight. That means it’s time for you to tell me how sorry you are and get up and move.”
Condescension changed to huffiness. “I don’t know who you think you are but there’s no reserved seating in this theater. We took these seats first. That means they’re ours. There’s plenty of empty seats all over the place. Just take one of those and leave us the hell alone.”
“This is my seat and you are going to have to move.”
For exactly twenty-three seconds the guy said nothing. Tyler knew it was twenty-three without having to consult his watch. It was this brain thing he’d had ever since the so-called accident. He always knew precisely to the second what time it was and precisely how much time was passing. Just as he knew how many steps it would take to get from one place to another without having to think about it. It hadn’t always been that way. Just since his old man had tossed him headfirst into the shallow end of the swimming pool at their country place when he was fourteen and he’d bashed his head against the concrete. That’s when the rage problems started as well.
For the entire time, the guy just sat where he was and looked up at Tyler. Maybe he was debating whether to challenge someone who, at six foot three and two hundred and twenty pounds, was way the hell bigger than he was.
Tyler was getting closer to hoisting the guy out of the seat and tossing his skinny little ass out into the aisle. Which would have ruined everything. Thankfully, one second before he would have done just that, the guy’s wife or girlfriend or whatever she was, broke the impasse.
“Come on, Richard,” she said. “Let’s move. I don’t like being this close to the stage anyway.”
“I oughtta call the police,” said Richard.
“Call whoever the fuck you want, Richard. Just get your ass out of my seat.”
“Richard. Please,” said the woman. “This guy’s unhinged.”
“Yeah, Richard, I’m unhinged,” said Tyler, putting as much menace in his voice as he could.
“And if you want to know the truth, I’m getting more fucking unhinged by the second.”
The woman rose, took Richard’s hand and pulled. “Please,” she said.
The guy finally stood. No doubt relieved not to have to confront someone as big and angry-looking as Tyler. But, Tyler figured, also ashamed that he lacked the cojones to stand up to the bully who’d shamed him in front of his girlfriend. A lot of people responded to Tyler that way. He usually enjoyed it when they did. He especially liked it when people backed down and did exactly what he told them to. Which was most of the time. Most people were too chicken-shit to stand up for themselves.
Tonight was no different. The guy named Richard picked up a canvas messenger bag from the floor and let the woman lead him across to the other side of the small auditorium, where they found seats a couple of rows back. Tyler watched them go. Neither looked back at him. Neither noticed the small, satisfied smile he threw at them. Confrontations that ended like this and the adrenaline rush that came with them always made him feel better.
Before sitting down, Tyler unzipped his backpack, pulled a pair of latex gloves from the package he’d put in there, and put them on. Then he took out a packet of antibacterial wet wipes and used three of them to wipe down the seat, the backrest and the arms before easing his large frame down into seat A12. His seat. That done, he closed his eyes and focused on breathing deeply in and out. Pictured the rage that had come from the confrontation slowly dripping out of him, drop by drop, like water from a leaky faucet. That’s what Dr. Steinman, the therapist he started seeing a year after the swimming pool incident, had taught him to do when he felt this way. He watched the drops falling . . . exactly one drop per second . . . and knew without counting that one hundred and forty-four drops had fallen before he’d totally emptied himself of the anger and felt calm enough to open his eyes.
Tyler had another twenty-one minutes and twelve seconds to wait before scheduled curtain time. Maybe even more minutes and seconds before the curtain actually went up, because they never seemed to get the timing right. To pass the time he popped a couple of sticks of Juicy Fruit gum in his mouth and started chewing. Then he pulled a week-old copy of the New York Daily News from his backpack and unfolded it. He stared for what had to be the hundredth time at the banner headline, the big black letters seeming to leap out at him from the front page. StarStruck Strangler Strikes Again. He wondered if that was just one headline or if that was the nickname they were going to give the killer. He wondered if the name would stick. Tyler thought about it. Star-Struck Strangler wasn’t nearly as interesting as, say, Son of Sam. Though it was, he supposed, equally alliterative. Both had multiple S’s, which had always been one of Tyler’s favorite letters. He repeated the headline to himself. Star-Struck Strangler Strikes Again. Four ST words in a row. Tyler preferred S words when they were followed by L’s. Words like slasher. Slimy. Sleazy. Slippery. Slinky. Slick. Slutty. Yes, SL words were much better than ST words. His favorite SL word, slithy, wasn’t a real word at all. Just something made up by Lewis Carroll. ‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves / Did gyre and gimble in the wabe. Wonderful creepy-crawly sounds.
Beneath the headline that dominated the front page was a subhead set in slightly smaller black type. It read, Missing Ballerina Found Murdered on Beach. No alliteration there unless you counted the M’s in Missing and Murdered and the B’s in Ballerina and Beach, and Tyler didn’t think that really counted. Tucked next to the headline and subhead was a color photo of an attractive young blonde, her hair pulled back in a bun, smiling at the camera. A happy smile, he thought, for a woman who’d turned up dead over a week ago. Tyler flipped open the tabloid and read full the story once again:
Friday, October 2, 2015. The body of 21-year-old Sarah Jacobs, a dancer with the New York City Ballet who had been reported missing two weeks earlier on September 15, was discovered late last night lying in a shallow, sandy grave on a stretch of beach in Sherwood Island State Park., The beach is located on the Long Island Sound in the affluent suburb of Westport, Connecticut.
Investigators say Ms. Jacobs’s body was discovered at approximately six a.m. by Westport resident Edward Todd. Todd told police he was walking his dog on the beach as he does every morning, when the dog raced ahead and started sniffing at something in the sand. When Mr. Todd was close enough to see it was the remains of a human body, he immediately dialed 911 on his mobile phone and informed Westport police, who arrived moments later. After identifying the body, Westport detectives notified the NYPD, which had been searching for Ms. Jacobs since her disappearance.
The victim, Sarah Jacobs, was a well-regarded dancer who was considered a rising star with the New York City Ballet. According to police sources, the victim’s body, when found, was wearing a black leotard and black ballet slippers, an outfit identical to the one she wore on stage during her last performance at Lincoln Center on September 12, three days prior to her disappearance. Her hair was also arranged identically to the way it had been during the performance.
Ms. Jacobs was the daughter of prominent Broadway producer Frederick Jacobs and Chelsea art dealer Marjorie Hanscomb Jacobs. Both parents refused to comment on the discovery of their daughter’s body. André Komar, the company’s ballet master, told reporters, “Sarah was an exceptionally gifted young dancer with a bright future ahead of her. All of us who knew and worked with her here at the New York City Ballet are grieving along with her parents. This is a real tragedy and we will all miss her enormously.”
Assistant New York City Medical Examiner Dr. Peter Weisman told reporters the apparent cause of death was strangulation. He also said the body was badly bruised and there were clear signs that Ms. Jacobs had been sexually assaulted prior to death. Her body is scheduled to be autopsied by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine, among other things, time of death and if strangulation was indeed the cause.
The victim has been the subject of an intense New York Police Department manhunt ever since her disappearance. She was last seen leaving a private party at the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan on the evening of September 15th. Her father told reporters she left the party early after complaining of feeling “queasy” and said that she was going to take a cab home to her Greenwich Village apartment.
Ms. Jacobs is the third young member of New York’s performing arts community to have disappeared from Manhattan since the beginning of the year. The body of an earlier victim, Ronda Wingfield, 28, an actress who appeared frequently in musical productions in Manhattan and elsewhere, was discovered last May 19th in a wooded section of Manhattan’s Highbridge Park.
A third performer, actress Marzena Wolski, who also lived in Manhattan and who, for the last two years, had a starring role in the TV crime drama Malicious, was reported missing September 28th. Police have reportedly found no clues as to Ms. Wolski’s whereabouts.
When asked if police believed the three kidnappings and two confirmed deaths were the work of a serial killer, the NYPD’s chief of detectives, Charles Pryor, told reporters, “While we can’t be absolutely sure at this point in the investigation, given the obvious similarities in the choice of victims, all of whom performed on television or on stage, as well as similarities in the cause and manner of death of the two victims found so far, we are fairly certain that that is the case.” Pryor added, “There are currently no suspects but we are hopeful that the discovery of Ms. Jacobs’s remains will provide some relevant leads.”
Tyler reread the article a couple of times even though he already knew it pretty much by heart, as he did just about everything else that had been published about the kidnappings and murders. He then turned back and examined the front-page photo of Sarah Jacobs. With her long, narrow face, Sarah wasn’t really all that pretty. At least not compared to Zoe McCabe. For Tyler Bradshaw, there was no one who could compare to Zoe.
Tyler finally returned the paper to his backpack, relaxed in his seat and waited patiently until the curtain rose, and Roderigo and Iago entered a bare-bones version of a sixteenth-century Venetian street. Tyler watched the beginning of the play with minimal interest. It wasn’t Iago or Roderigo he’d come for. Tyler’s only reason to sit through this part of the play over and over again was to make sure he got the right seat to feel the closeness of the woman he so desperately wanted. His gaze never strayed from her from the moment she first came on stage in Act I, Scene III, until she was finally done to death in Act V, Scene II, bloodlessly smothered by the actor who played the title role. When the play got to that point, Tyler whispered Desdemona’s last words to himself, doing his best to mimic the way Zoe spoke them.
That death’s unnatural that kills for loving.
Alas, why gnaw you so your nether lip?
Tyler sometimes practiced gnawing his nether lip when Zoe said the lines. She was right. It didn’t seem natural. Still, the most famous writer who ever lived had written it that way.
Some bloody passion shakes your very frame:
These are portents; but yet I hope, I hope
They do not point on me. . . .
A guiltless death I die.
Oh yes, my love, he whispered to himself, a guiltless death you die. But not too soon I hope. For I’m quite sure I want you with me for a much longer time than the Star-Struck Strangler had allowed either of the others.
And then, when it came time, he mouthed the famous lines spoken by the Moor.
When you shall these unlucky deeds relate,
Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate,
Nor set down aught in malice: then must you speak
Of one that loved not wisely, but too well . . .
Tyler had fixated on these words since he’d watched the first performance two weeks ago, for he believed they precisely defined who he was. They were his lines because he believed that he too was one who loved not wisely but too well.
When the play finally ended and the curtain fell two hours, twenty-seven minutes and thirty seconds later, it was the third longest of the twelve performances he had attended. It irritated Tyler that the actors couldn’t do a better job of getting the timing right. Yes, in one performance, the actor playing Iago had even screwed up one of his lines and Othello had to ad-lib filler dialogue until Iago got his brain back on track. But that was the only time they had an excuse.
He let the irritation go when Zoe and the rest of the cast stepped in front of the curtain to take their bows. He stood with the audience and applauded as loudly as, if not more so than, anyone else in the theater. Took the overchewed ball of gum from his mouth and whistled loudly.
Of course, Tyler’s applause was only for Zoe. His gaze fixed only on her. Her dark and penetrating eyes. Her glorious smile. The slender perfection of her figure. At last, when the curtain calls were finally finished and the actors gone from the stage, Tyler slung his pack around one shoulder and walked out, once again practically the last to leave the theater. For the first time, his mind was finally and truly made up. He could wait no longer. He pulled a crushable Aussie outback hat from his backpack and put it on. Kind of goofy-looking, but what with all the damned surveillance cameras on the streets these days, the wide brim did a good job of hiding his face. And on a cold, drizzly night like this, it wouldn’t even attract much attention. Tyler left the theater by a side exit, crossed the street and stood in the shadows of a darkened computer repair shop, waiting for Zoe to emerge from the stage door dressed in her own street clothes.
When she finally walked out, she wasn’t alone. She was with Randall Carter, the big black dude who played Othello. They stood together on the sidewalk talking. Tyler felt rage once again building as they talked. Especially when Carter leaned down and kissed Zoe on the lips. Nothing passionate. Nothing sexy. But still. The woman Tyler considered his own kissing some hotshot Hollywood bastard? A black hotshot Hollywood bastard no less, which made it even harder to take. Tyler could barely keep his rage from roaring back, barely restrain himself from rushing across the street and kicking the shit out of Carter. While he stood there seething, a black Lincoln SUV pulled up. Randall Carter got in. Zoe waved. The car drove off. Zoe pulled up the hood on her rain jacket and started walking by herself along the street. Tyler watched and waited until she was a little ahead before following.

***
Excerpt from A Fatal Obsession by James Hayman. Copyright © 2018 by James Hayman. Reproduced with permission from Witness Impulse. All rights reserved.

Author Bio:

James Hayman JAMES HAYMAN, formerly creative director at one of New York’s largest advertising agencies, is the author of the acclaimed McCabe and Savage Thriller series: The Cutting, The Chill of Night, Darkness First, The Girl in the Glass, The Girl on The Bridge, and A Fatal Obsession.

Catch Up With James Hayman On: jameshaymanthrillers.com, Goodreads, Twitter, & Facebook!


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This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Harper Collins/Witness Impulse and James Hayman. There will be 3 winners of one (1) copy of The Cutting by James Hayman (eBook). The giveaway begins on September 1, 2018 and runs through October 1, 2018. (FOR BOOKS Open to U.S. addresses only). Void where prohibited.
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Tuesday, September 11, 2018

BOOK BLAST: A Crafter Knits A Clue (A Handcrafted Mystery) by Holly Quinn


  

Book Blast

A Crafter Knits a Clue: A Handcrafted Mystery by Holly Quinn

About the Book


NEW COZY MYSTERY SERIES SET IN WISCONSIN 
Crooked Lane Books (October 9, 2018) 
Hardcover 
ISBN-10: 1683317718 
ISBN-13: 978-1683317715 
Digital ASIN: B078LZ5ZM5
For fans of Betty Hechtman and Maggie Sefton, the latest craft frenzy is Holly Quinn’s Handcrafted series debut.
Sammy Kane just moved back to her hometown to run a craft store. But when the owner of a nearby yarn shop is murdered, Sammy will needle little help finding the killer.
When a heartbroken Samantha “Sammy” Kane returns to her hometown of Heartsford, WI, for her best friend Kate’s funeral, she learns that Kate’s much-loved craft store is in danger of perishing with its owner. Confounding all her expectations of the life she would live, Sammy moves back home with her golden retriever and takes over Community Craft. A few doors down Main Street, fellow new arrival Ingrid Wilson has just opened the Yarn Barn, a real “purl” of a shop. But when Sammy strolls over to see if Ingrid could use a little help, she finds Ingrid’s dead body—with a green aluminum knitting needle lodged in her throat.
Detective Liam Nash is thrown for a loop as every single citizen of Heartsford seems to have a theory about Ingrid’s murder. And nearly everyone in town seems to be a suspect. But the last time Sammy did any sleuthing was as a little moppet. And this is not fun and games. Sammy is eager to help the handsome Liam—who seems to be endlessly inventive in finding reasons to talk with her—and when Liam arrests affable woodworker Miles Danbury, Sammy puts everything on the line to help clear Miles.
As the case comes dangerously close to unraveling, Sammy must stitch the clues together. But the killer has other plans—and if Sammy’s not careful, she may wind up in a perilous knot in A Crafter Knits a Clue, the first warm and woolly yarn of Holly Quinn’s new Handcrafted mysteries.

About the Author

Holly Quinn is both an avid reader and crafter. Holly sells her artistic creations locally and dreamed of one day opening a gift shop to sell local artist’s handiwork. Instead, she began writing about it and thus her journey of the Handcrafted Mystery series was born. Visit her @ www.authorhollyquinn.com Author Links -  Website - www.authorhollyquinn.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HollyQuinnbooks/ GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7940795.Holly_Quinn

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Sunday, September 2, 2018

BLOG TOUR: I Give You My Heart by SarahJane Ford



I Give You My Heart
  BOOK INFORMATION
Genre: Contemporary Romance
         Hardcover: 314 pages

  •                               Publisher: Hearts and Minds Publishing Limited (September 1, 2018)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1999588509
  • ISBN-13: 978-1999588502
                   
I_Give_You_My_Heart_Cover
 𝗔 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀. 𝗔 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲-𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲. 𝗔 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁.
Alice Richards looked forward to watching the seeds of love she and her husband planted bloom and grow well into their old age. But her plans for the future shrivel up and die when she learns she has an inoperable brain tumour.
Determined that she won’t die in vain, she decides to become an organ donor. With a few precious months left, Alice begins documenting her fairytale romance—from their first meeting to the children they dreamed of having. She’ll pass on every detail to her heart’s next owner… along with careful instructions to send her husband reminders of her undying love. Before her time runs out, Alice must find the perfect candidate to guide her husband through unimaginable grief and hold the memory of their love in her heart.
I Give You My Heart is an emotional romantic fiction novel with an uplifting message. If you like strong-willed women, undying love stories, and honest portrayals of coping with a terminal illness, then you’ll love SarahJane Ford’s heart-warming epic.
An unmissable love story full of warmth, beauty and with a huge, beating heart. Perfect for fans of Cecilia Ahern’s ‘P.S. I Love You’ and Jojo Moyes’ ‘Me Before You’.

Review: Alice is one of my favorite book characters this year. This is an emotional, heartbreaking story and Alice is a strong, confident woman as she goes through so much. She's in love with her husband Alex, she knows she's dying, and she wants to donate as many organs as possible, including her heart. The catch is, she wants her heart to go to a woman handpicked by her gay best friend Ryan, and provide her with a manual for continuing to show Alice's love to her husband.

You will laugh, you'll cry, you won't want to put this book down until you finish it. All of the characters are well-defined, so that you feel you really get to know them by the end of the book. The relationship between Alex and Ryan is written in a very realistic way--they both love Alice, but they have moments where you can tell there is some jealousy/dislike between them as well.


This is an amazing debut novel, and I can't wait to see more from this author.
Rating: Four stars
About the author
author_photo_1
SarahJane is the debut author of ‘I Give You My Heart’ which is due to be published on September 1st 2018.
SarahJane was born in Scotland but grew up in the Cheshire countryside, which is home to her. After a few years living in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, where she went to secondary school, she has now settled back in Cheshire in a quirky flat surrounded by trees, birds and rolling fields.
A marketing professional since finishing her formal education SarahJane is delighted to be following her writing dream. She still works part-time as a Marketing Manager, whilst furiously penning her second novel.
Harbouring an adventurous spirit, SarahJane loves to travel, be surrounded by the wilderness or be riding Cornish waves.
SarahJane loves to read (ideally by the sea!). She was raised on the greatest love stories, which is where her romantic soul comes from. She is in love with love...Mr Darcy's brooding looks in Pride and Prejudice; Julia Roberts and Richard Gere's arresting chemistry in Runaway Bride; the intensely emotional Titanic; going weak at the knees for Danny Zuko in Grease; Cecilia Ahern's heartbreaking P.S. I Love You and Patrick Swayze's mega moves in Dirty Dancing. 
Social Media Links – www.facebook.com/sarahjanefordauthor/

Saturday, September 1, 2018

2018 Literary Escapes Challenge--August Update

2018 LITERARY ESCAPES CHALLENGE new
(Titles in parentheses are still to be read)


Alabama--This Is Where It Ends, Marieke Nijkamp
Alaska--  Before I Let Go, Marieke Nijkamp
Arizona-- Wedding Cake Crumble, Jenn McKinlay
Arkansas--Shakespeare's Landlord, Charlaine Harris
California--The Big Job, Libby Kirsch
Colorado--(Needled To Death, Maggie Sefton)
Connecticut--Autumn Of Fear, Glede Browne Kabongo
Delaware--(She'll Never Tell, Hunter Morgan)
District of Columbia--Unified, Trey Gowdy and Tim Scott

Florida--Ambushed In Paradise, Deborah Brown
Georgia--Ginger Snapped, Gail Oust
Hawaii--(Blood Orchids, Toby Neal)
Idaho--(Blue Heaven, C.J. Box)
Illinois--The Good Liar, Catherine McKenzie
Indiana--Biscuits And Slashed Browns, Maddie Day
Iowa--(The Weight Of Silence, Heather Gudenkauf)
Kansas--Blood And Salt, Kim Liggett
Kentucky--(Cake And Punishment, Maymee Bell)
Louisiana--(The Gilda Stories, Jewelle Gomez)
Maine--(All The Blue-Eyed Angels, Jen Blood)
Maryland--(Baltimore Blues, Laura Lippman)
Massachusetts--The Storied Life Of A.J. Fikry, Gabrielle Zevin
Michigan--The Orphan Daughter, Cari Noga
Minnesota--Fatal Flip, M.E. Bakos
Mississippi--(Mudbound, Hillary Jordan)
Missouri--No One Ever Asked, Katie Ganshert
Montana--Rules of Rain, Leah Scheier
Nebraska--(Thorns Of Rosewood, G.M. Barlean)
Nevada--Panty Raid, Diane Vallere
New Hampshire--Nineteen Minutes, Jodi Picoult
New Jersey--Hummus And Homicide, Tina Kashian
New Mexico--(Deadly Gamble, Connie Shelton)
New York--The Hamilton Affair, Elizabeth Cobbs
North Carolina--To Be Where You Are, Jan Karon
North Dakota--(Badlands, C.J. Box)
Ohio--Devil In Ohio, Daria Polatin
Oklahoma--(Loved, P.C. Cast)
Oregon--Homecoming By The Sea, Kathi Daley
Pennsylvania--Pawprints and Predicaments, Bethany Blake
Rhode Island--(Spellcaster, Claudia Gray)
South Carolina--The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead 
South Dakota--By The Shores Of Silver Lake, Laura Ingalls Wilder
Tennessee--(Funeral Dress, Susan Gregg Gilmore)
Texas--The Pajama Frame, Diane Vallere
Utah--(The 19th Wife, David Ebershoff)
Vermont--House Rules, Jodi Picoult
Virginia--(Crazy, VA, Shannon Hill)
Washington--Farewell To Felines, Kathi Daley
West Virginia--(Miranda Warning, Heather Day Gilbert)
Wisconsin--Survival Of The Fritters, Ginger Bolton
Wyoming--My Friend Flicka, Mary O'Hara



International Settings
Israel--Jerusalem Rising, Barbara Britton
England--Beginnings, Helen Christmas
Turkey--Searching For Gertrude, D.E. Haggerty
The Netherlands--The Dinner, Herman Koch
Scotland--The Whisperer, A. Ireland King

2018 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge--August Update

alphabet 2018
(Titles in parentheses are still to be read)

A--Ambushed In Paradise, Deborah Brown

B--Beginnings, Helen Christmas

C-- (The)Celebration, Wanda E. Brunstetter

D--Devil In Ohio, Daria Polatin

E--Everything Happens For A Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved, Kate Bowler

F--Fifth Night, Kathi Daley

G--Ginger Snapped, Gail Oust

H--Happiness For Humans, P.Z. Reizen

I--I Like Church But, Dan Lupton

J--Jerusalem Rising, Barbara Britton

K--((The) Kennedy Wives: Triumph and Tragedy In America's Most Public Family, Amber Hunt)

  

L--Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng

M--#MeToo: Essays about How And Why This Happened, What It Means And How To Make Sure It Never Happens Again, Lori Perkins

N--No One Ever Asked, Katie Ganshert


O--(The) Orphan Daughter,  Cari Noga

P--(A) Passionate Hope, Jill Eileen Smith

Q--(Mrs. Queen Takes The Train, William Kuhn)

R--Rules Of Rain, Leah Scheier

S-- (The) Storied Life Of A.J. Fikry, Gabrielle Zevin

T--This Is Where It Ends, Marieke Nijkamp

U--Unafraid, Adam Hamilton

V--Visions, Helen J. Christmas

W-- What She Left, Rosie Fiore

X--Xenophobe's guide to the Germans,  Stefan Zeidenitz, Ben Barkow

Y--(The) Year Of Living Biblically, A.J. Jacobs

Z--Zip It: The Keep It Shut 40 Day Challenge, Karen Ehman