W Is For Heather Webber

Heather Webber, aka Heather Blake, is the author of more than twenty novels, including the popular best-selling romantic mystery series featuring Lucy Valentine, the humorous Nina Quinn landscaping mysteries, and the best-selling Darcy Merriweather Wishcraft mysteries and the brand-new Potion Shop mysteries featuring Carly Hartwell. Heather loves to read, watch reality TV (especially cooking competition shows), drink too much coffee, crochet, bake (mostly cookies), and occasionally leave the house to travel to the beautiful mountains in the northeast. She grew up in a suburb of Boston, but currently lives in the Cincinnati area with her family.

The Nina Quinn series began in 2004, and takes place in Ohio. Nina owns a landscaping firm called "Taken By Surprise" which specializes in surprise garden makeovers that are completed in one day. She is divorced and lives with her stepson Riley.

The Lucy Valentine series began in 2010. Lucy has taken over her parents' matchmaking service in Boston. She comes from a long line of psychics who can see auras and make a match. However, Lucy was caught in an electrical surge when she was younger, so her only ability is to find missing objects.

The Wishcraft series began in 2012, and features Darcy Merriweather. It takes place in Enchanted Village, which is part of Salem Massachusetts. Darcy and her sister Harper are surprised to learn, from their Aunt Ve, that they are Wishcrafters (witches who can grant people's wishes with a simple spell). They move to Enchanted Village to hone their skills and solve murders.

Heather's newest series is the Potion Shop series, which began in 2013 and is set in Hitching Post, Alabama, the wedding capital of the South. Carly Hartwell is a white magic witch, a healer who uses her ability as an empath (and some very special drops) to make a variety of potions. She is also something of a relationship expert, as well as an amateur sleuth.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

What I read last week:
1) The Rhyme Of The Magpie (A Birds Of A Feather Mystery) by Marty Wingate
2) First Frost, by Sarah Addison Allen
3) The Ruby Circle, by Richelle Mead
4) A Determined Mind, by Corinne Leigh Donovan
5) The Curse, by Kathi Daley

What I listened to last week:
1) Night Night Sleep Tight by Hallie Ephron

What I'm currently reading:
1) Booker: Tap That, by John W. Mefford
2) Left Neglected, by Lisa Genova
3) We'll Always Have New York, by Jill Knapp

What I'm currently listening to:
1)  A Necessary End, by Peter Robinson

What I plan to read this week:
1) Beyond A Doubt, Nancy Cole Silverman
2) Liar's Bench, Kim Michele Richardson


What I plan to listen to this week:
1) In Some Other World, Maybe, by Shari Goldhagen
2) The Hanging Valley, by Peter Robinson

March Releases Clash

Welcome to our March release Clash!
Spring is coming, and we have some amazing backyard patio reads for you. Take a look at the compelling covers below and answer one question: Which one is a MUST for your to-be-read pile?

Go ahead and vote below. Be sure to check back for the winner on Thursday, April 30!
Follow the Amazon link below each book if you want to learn more or purchase a book. Don't we have some amazing titles this month?

And on with the clash!

The Tomb, a Novel of Martha

by Stephanie Landsem

Everyone in Bethany admires Martha, the ideal Jewish woman, but only she knows the price she's paid for her perfect reputation. You'll never see the story of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus the same way again.

Find it on amazon

Andrea and the Five Day Challenge

by Cindy K. Green

A Bible Study Challenge, a Prayer Journal, and Homecoming, the combination just might change her life.

Find it on Amazon

Nila's Hope

by Kathleen Friesen

She has survived years of abuse. Can an apprentice carpenter's faith overcome the danger now stalking her?

Find it on Amazon

Broken Silence

by Annslee Urban

SHE'S HIDING A DEADLY SECRET…and someone wants to make sure Amber Talbot never reveals it. The person charged with protecting her is police detective Patrick Wiley—the fiancé she walked away from but never forgot and now he must save her from an unknown attacker from their past.

Find it on Amazon

The Hawk and the Dove

By Penelope Wilcock

A young girl learns the stories of a group of monks in fourteenth century Yorkshire. They lived six centuries ago, yet their struggles are our own—finding our niche; coping with failure; living with impossible people; and discovering that we are the impossible ones.

Find it on Amazon


Create your own user feedback survey

V Is For Diane Vallere

Diane is the daughter of a seamstress and a scientist, so naturally she likes fashion, fabric, and figuring things out. In her spare time she daydreams about owning a time capsule mid century modern ranch. She spent over twenty years in the fashion industry, where she was lucky enough to travel the world for runway shows, shoe markets, and lingerie fairs. Now she is lucky enough to stay home and write! 

Diane is a Pennsylvanian at heart, but currently lives in Southern California, where she set my Material Witness Mystery Series. The first, SUEDE TO REST, came out in November 2014. 

Her other series include the Style & Error Mysteries, featuring crime solving fashionista Samantha Kidd, (set in Reading, PA), and the Mad for Mod Mysteries, featuring Doris Day-loving interior decorator Madison Night (set in Dallas, TX). 

Pre-Order and Cover Reveal Blitz: Voices by Clarissa Johal

"Sometimes the ghosts from your past…are real."

Welcome to the Pre-Order and Cover Reveal Blitz 

for VOICES by Clarissa Johal

Book Details:
Title: VOICES
Genre: Paranormal Psychological Suspense
Author: Clarissa Johal
Editor: Bobbie Metevier
Published by Permuted Press May 19, 2015
ISBN: 9781618685698
ASIN: B00WAH55JW
Pages: 264

About VOICES:

Sometimes the ghosts from your past…are real.    

    

Moira Flynn is arrested for attacking a door-to-door solicitor with a knife. She claims a voice told her the man was intent on assaulting her. The trouble is, she was the only one that heard that voice. Moira strikes a plea bargain and is sent to a psychiatric hospital for voluntary treatment. Dr. Richard Cassano is hesitant to treat her as schizophrenic, as she does not show the standard symptoms. As their sessions progress, Moira confesses there are two voices—and they aren’t voices in her head, but the voices of ghosts. Are they imaginary? Or are they actual spirits, attached to her for reasons of their own? As Moira’s doctor uncovers more of her past, he begins to realize that her ghosts are real. And one of them is determined to drag Moira into the afterlife with him.

Excerpt from VOICES:

Moira choked down a congealed glob of oatmeal. Bland, like all the food here. She picked up her plastic knife and smeared margarine onto a piece of dry toast. Patients were only given plastic utensils. She washed the toast down with a gulp of tepid decaf coffee and sat back, miserable. “I hate this place, I want out.”

“At least your session was cancelled for tomorrow,” Jack said. “One less thing I’ll have to sit through.” 

Dr. Cassano didn’t say why, either, Moira worried. He seemed nervous about cancelling too.

“We’ll get out.”

“Not we, Jack, me. I want out.” She stared mournfully at the food on her tray. “I don’t care what happens to you.”

“That’s not nice,” Isabella said. 

“I don’t care what happens to you, either.”

“You’re mean!” She retreated to the corner of the room to pout.

“Don’t be mean, Moira,” Jack reprimanded. “Isabella’s just a child.”

She let out a sound of frustration. They both knew Jack didn’t care the slightest about Isabella. “I wonder why Dr. Cassano cancelled it.”

“Why do you care?” 

Moira turned away pointedly and undid her braid, hoping to dissuade the headache coming on.

“Don’t ignore me,” Jack said, his voice hardening. “I didn’t like the way he looked at you this morning.” He grabbed her arm.” I don’t like the way you look at him either. I see the way you look at him.”

She shook him off. “You’re paranoid, Jack.”

“You know what I’m talking about, don’t play dumb.” He sat back, his eyes watchful. “Don’t trust him, Moira. Who knows what he’s planning?”

“If you do anything, Jack, I mean anything. They’ll lock the door and throw away the key.” She moved away from his presence. “And don’t think they wouldn’t medicate me with a dozen different pills, all guaranteed to make you go away forever.”

“You know pills won’t make me go away, Moira,” Jack bit out. “They might make you sleep, but they won’t make me go away.”

Silence filled the room. Moira picked up her brush and started brushing out her hair.

“It would be his word against yours, if he ever tried anything.”

“Just drop it, Jack,” Moira said.

Jack narrowed his eyes. “He’d medicate you so you’d never remember it, either.”

She shook her head in disgust.

“Maybe you could bust out of here!” Isabella jumped up. “I’ll bet you could open the window with that knife.” She ran over to the window and pushed against it.

“It’s completely sealed, Isabella.” Moira watched her, feeling helpless to the noise from her efforts. “Stop banging on it! You’re going to get me into trouble.”

“You could cut through the walls!”

“Hello? Plastic knife, it can’t cut anything.”  

“It can’t?” Jack asked. “Have you tried?”

She caught his look and quickly turned her attention to Isabella, who was still thumping on the window. “I’m not breaking out of here, Isabella. Do you want me to go to jail?”

“But what if they keep you in here forever?” Isabella asked.

“They’re not going to.” 

“But what if they do?” Isabella jumped up and down. “What if they keep you here until you’re old and grey and all your teeth fall out?”

“It would be awful to be stuck here forever,” Jack said quietly. “Wouldn’t it, Moira? Just awful.”

“They’re not going to keep me here forever!” Moira said. “Isabella, stop it!”

The door opened. “Problem?” the nurse asked.

She glanced over at Jack. A slice of a smile crept across his lips. “No. No problem. Just…thinking aloud.”

“Finish up your breakfast, then,” she said briskly. She shut the door again.

Moira picked up her carton of juice and took a sip.

Jack pushed her hand upwards, sloshing juice into Moira’s face and down her T-shirt.

Whoops!” Isabella giggled.

“Asshole,” she muttered. She went into the bathroom with Jack trailing her. Their eyes connected in the mirror.

“Looks like you’ll need another shower,” he murmured.

She pressed her mouth in a straight line and turned her back to him.

***

VOICES Pre-Order Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

KOBO

Smashwords

About the Author:

Clarissa Johal has worked as a veterinary assistant, zoo-keeper aide and vegetarian chef. Writing has always been her passion. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s dancing or taking photographs of gargoyles. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters and every stray animal that darkens the doorstep. One day, she expects that a wayward troll will wander into her yard, but that hasn’t happened yet.

*Member of the Author's Guild

VOICES

(May 2015) Permuted Press

STRUCK

(January 2014) 1^st Edition Musa Publishing, LLC (March 2015) 2^nd Edition Clarissa Johal

*Second place in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2014 *Winner of the Indie Book of the Day Award

BETWEEN (December 2012) 1^st Edition Musa Publishing, LLC (March 2015) 2^nd Edition Clarissa Johal *Second place in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2012 *Paranormal Reads gives BETWEEN 4 out of 5 Bats

PRADEE (2010) Clarissa Johal *Second round finalist in Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award Contest 2012 

Find Clarissa Online:

Author Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Amazon Author Page

Pinterest

Tour Hosted by Sapphyria's Book Promotions:
 
http://saphsbookpromos.blogspot.com/ 

Follow the Tour:

A Bookaholic's Fix: Feeding the Addiction: http://www.bookaholicfix.wordpress.com

Author Carole Browne: http://authorcarolbrowne.wordpress.com/

Babs Book Bistro: http://www.babsbookbistro.net/

Book Babble: http://memesandfiction.blogspot.com

Clarissa Johal: http://clarissajohal.com/

Drue's Random Chatter: http://www.druesrandomchatter.com/

Lynn's Romance Enthusiasm: http://lynnromanceenthusiast.blogspot.com

Marie's Cozy Corner: http://mariescozy.blogspot.com

The MissPhyre Library: http://themissphyrelibrary.wordpress.com

Sarah Daniel Romance Author: http://saradanielromance.blogspot.com

Sapphyria's Book Promotions: http://saphsbookpromos.blogspot.com/

Sapphyria's Book Reviews: http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/

Alicia Joseph: http://aliciajoseph.com/

Lakeview Times Online: http://www.lakeviewtimes.com (Will be posted on Wednesday, April 29, 2015) 

U Is For Roberta Updegraff

Roberta Updegraff is the author of six  Church Choir mysteries with Guideposts Books, and was featured in their compilation Prayers for Every Need. She writes regularly for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance's Mission Mosaic and her photographs have been featured on the cover. Her work has appeared in both Christian and general market publications, including Christianity Today and Focus on the Family. She has written for World & I, published by the Washington Times, and numerous trade journals. Her slice-of-life essays inspire hope and have appeared in several anthologies.

Roberta and husband Mark enjoy time away at their beach house in the Bahamas, as well as visiting their children and grandchildren scattered between east and west coasts in Rochester, NY, New Orleans, and Tucson, Arizona. They continue to support Hogar de Niños Renacer (Home of Reborn Children), an orphanage in Honduras where Roberta volunteers several weeks each year. She enjoys reading, quilting, and researching genealogy. The Updegraffs live in north central Pennsylvania.

T Is For Gayle Trent

Gayle Trent (and pseudonym Amanda Lee) writes the Daphne Martin Cake Decorating series and the Embroidery Mystery series. The cake decorating series features a heroine who is starting her life over in Southwest Virginia after a nasty divorce. The Embroidery Mystery series features a heroine who recently moved to the Oregon coast to open an embroidery specialty shop.

The cake decorating series features a heroine who is starting her life over in Southwest Virginia after a nasty divorce. The heroine, Daphne, has returned to her hometown of Brea Ridge to open a cake baking and decorating business and is wrestling with the question of whether or not one can go home again. She enjoys spending time with her sister, nephew, and niece, but she and her mother have a complicated relationship that isn't always pleasant. Daphne has also reconnected with her high school sweetheart and is pursuing a rekindled romance while desperately trying to put her past behind her. Kerry Vincent, Hall of Fame Sugar Artist, Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show Director, and Television Personality says the series is "a must read for cake bakers and anyone who has ever spent creative time in the kitchen!"

Gayle Trent lives in Virginia with her family, which includes her own "Angus" who is not an Irish wolfhound but a Great Pyrenees who provides plenty of inspiration for the character of Mr. O'Ruff.