Sunday, March 31, 2024

Fast Times, Big City by Shelly Frome ~ @shellyFrome #Crime #AmateurSleuth

 

Fast Times, Big City by Shelly Frome

About Fast Times, Big City:

 

Fast Times, Big City

Publisher ‏ : ‎ BQB Publishing (February 27, 2024)

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 284 pages

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8886330267

Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C92RW97K

Like most people, Bud Palmer felt this was just another day. Though the era was drawing to a close, he assumed his life as a sports columnist in the subtropics, in keeping with the benign fifties itself, would go on as predictable as ever. But that particular autumn morning he was thrust into a caper that was totally beyond him, forced him to leave Miami and take the train to Manhattan, and suddenly found everything in this restless "Big Apple" was up for grabs, on the brink, at a dicey turning point.
Read an Excerpt:

The looming billboards were so massive, in contrast the Times Square sign jutting out of the lamppost was totally eclipsed. As if it might have been a relic from a long-ago era before everything had given way. Here, high above the rooftops to Bud’s right, was a massive Pepsi bottle doing its best to block out the sky, not to be outdone by an equally outsized bottle top on its side. Further ahead as the Square verged into a tip of a triangle, other billboards joined the fray, starting with a domineering Admiral Television and Appliances sign, topped by a Canadian Club whiskey sign, topped by a Chevrolet sign. All but eclipsed, a lesser billboard around the corner advertised the musical West Side Story—the very same black-and-white logo with the girl ecstatically racing by the tenements pulling her boyfriend along. Other logos and marquees took part by marking the street entrances to buildings so that the Statler Hotel sign didn’t stand a chance.

At the same time, fighting off the prospect of becoming overwhelmed, Bud couldn’t help wondering if Amy had been among the rushing pedestrians who had gotten off the buses and trains. Had they too gotten wind of small town dreams—that legendary call of the lady carnival barker promising never-ending opportunities?

About Shelly Frome:

Shelly Frome is a member of Mystery Writers of America, a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at UConn, a former professional actor, and a writer of crime novels and books on theater and film. He also is a features writer for Gannett Publications. His fiction includes Sun Dance for Andy Horn, Lilac Moon, Twilight of the Drifter, Tinseltown Riff, Murder Run, Moon Games, The Secluded Village Murders, Miranda and the D-Day Caper and Shadow of the Gypsy. Among his works of non-fiction are The Actors Studio: A History, a guide to playwriting and one on screenwriting, Fast Times, Big City is his latest foray into the world of crime and the amateur sleuth. He lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

March 25 – Christy's Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
March 26 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT 
March 27 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
March 28 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT 
March 29 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT 
March 30 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
March 31 - Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 1 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
April 2 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT
April 3 – Ruff Drafts - SPOTLIGHT
April 4 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
April 5 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
April 6 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
April 7 – Teatime and Books – SPOTLIGHT a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Saturday, March 30, 2024

Cats, Carats and Killers (Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries) by T. C. LoTempio ~ Cozy Mystery @RoccoBlogger

 

Cats, Carats and Killers (Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries) by T. C. LoTempio

About Cats, Carats, and Killers:

 

Cats, Carats and Killers (Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries)

Cozy Mystery

4th in Series

Setting - Connecticut

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Beyond the Page Publishing (March 19, 2024)

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 182 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1960511556

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1960511553

Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CVQWT72R

There may be honor among thieves, but a long-ago diamond heist might hold the secret to a man’s murder . . .
Pet shop owner Shell McMillan is thrilled to see everyone in Fox Hollow flocking to the local animal shelter’s fundraiser, where they can get their old keepsakes and collectibles appraised and maybe even sell them for a tidy sum. But the event has drawn some shady characters as well, including Pete Martin, who seems determined to get his hands on a beat-up old jewelry box at any cost. Then Martin is found murdered, and Shell has to go from fundraising to finding a killer. It doesn’t take long for Shell to figure out that the jewelry box was concealing diamonds from a long-ago heist, and that Martin wasn’t the only one trying to get his hands on the stash. But to figure out who wanted him dead, she’ll have to uncover who was behind the original heist and who knows where the rest of the gems are hidden. It’s as dangerous a case as Shell has ever faced, and if she’s not careful, her search for the missing stones will leave her stone-cold dead . . .

About T.C. LoTempio:

T. C. LoTempio is the award-winning, national bestselling author of the Nick and Nora mystery series. Her cat, Rocco, provides the inspiration for the character of Nick the cat. She also writes the Urban Tails Pet Shop Mystery Series, as well as the Cat Rescue series and the Tiffany Austin Food Blogger series. Check out her and Rocco's blog, www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com, and visit her website, www.tclotempio.net, for more information.

Social Media Links:

Twitter/X: @RoccoBlogger

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

March 19 – Maureen's Musings – SPOTLIGHT
March 20 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
March 21 – Bigreadersite – REVIEW
March 21 – Read Your Writes – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
March 22 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 22 – Angel's Book Nook- SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
March 23 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
March 23 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
March 24 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
March 25 – Reading Is My SuperPower – AUTHOR GUEST POST
March 26 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 27 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW
March 28 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT
March 29 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
March 30 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
March 31 - #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
April 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
April 1 – Christy's Cozy Corners – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT 
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Friday, March 29, 2024

The Eddie Shoes Mysteries by Elena Hartwell ~ Private Eye Mystery ~ @Elena_TaylorAut @partnersincr1me

The Eddie Shoes Mysteries by Elena Hartwell Banner

The Eddie Shoes Mysteries

by Elena Hartwell

March 18 - April 26, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

 

One Dead, Two to Go

One Dead, Two to Go by Elena Hartwell
Get Your Copy:
Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

Book One in the Eddie Shoes Mystery Series

Private Investigator Edwina “Eddie Shoes” Schultz’s most recent job has her parked outside a seedy Bellingham hotel, photographing her quarry as he kisses his mistress goodbye. This is the last anyone will see of the woman … alive. Her body is later found dumped in an abandoned building. Eddie’s client, Kendra Hallings, disappears soon after. Eddie hates to be stiffed for her fee, but she has to wonder if Kendra could be in trouble too. Or is she the killer?

Eddie usually balks at matters requiring a gun, but before she knows it, she is knee-deep in dangerous company, spurred on by her card-counting adrenaline-junkie mother who has shown up on her doorstep fresh from the shenanigans that got her kicked out of Vegas. Chava is only sixteen years older than Eddie and sadly lacking in parenting skills. Her unique areas of expertise, however, prove to be helpful in ways Eddie can’t deny, making it hard to stop Chava from tagging along.

Also investigating the homicide is Detective Chance Parker, new to Bellingham’s Major Crimes unit but no stranger to Eddie. Their history as a couple back in Seattle is one more kink in a chain of complications, making Eddie’s case more frustrating and perilous with each tick of the clock.

Two Heads are Deader Than One

Two Heads are Deader Than One by Elena Hartwell
Get Your Copy:
Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

Book Two in the Eddie Shoes Mystery Series

Private Investigator Eddie Shoes is enjoying a rare period of calm. She’s less lonely now that Chava, her card-counting mom from Vegas, is sharing her home. She also has a new companion, Franklin, a giant dog of curious ancestry.

Hoping for a lucrative new case, Eddie instead finds herself taking on a less promising client: her best friend from her childhood in Spokane. Dakota has turned up in Bellingham, in jail, where she is being held on a weapons charge. Eddie reluctantly agrees not only to lend her friend money for bail but to also investigate who is stalking her.

Soon after Dakota is freed, she disappears again, leaving Eddie to answer to the local cops, including her ex-boyfriend Chance Parker. Has Dakota been kidnapped? If not, why did she jump bail? What are Eddie’s business cards doing on the bodies of two murder victims?

The key to these mysteries lies in Dakota and Eddie’s shared history, which ended when Eddie left home after high school. As a person of interest in both murder cases, Eddie is forced to go in search of the truth, digging into the past and facing her own demons.

Three Strikes, You’re Dead

Three Strikes, You’re Dead by Elena Hartwell
Get Your Copy:
Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

Book Three in the Eddie Shoes Mystery Series

Private investigator Eddie Shoes heads to a resort outside Leavenworth, Washington, for a mother-daughter getaway weekend. Eddie’s mother, Chava, wants to celebrate her new job at a casino by footing the bill for the two of them, and who is Eddie to say no?

On the first morning, Eddie goes on an easy solo hike, and a few hours later, stumbles over a makeshift campsite and a gravely injured man. A forest fire breaks out and she struggles to save him before the flames overcome them both. Before succumbing to his injuries, the man hands her a valuable object. He tells her his daughter is missing and begs for help. Is Eddie now working for a dead man?

Eddie wakes in the hospital to find both her parents have arrived on the scene. Will Eddie’s card-counting mother and mob-connected father help or hinder the investigation? The police search in vain for a body. How will Eddie find the missing girl with only Eddie’s memory of the man’s face and a photo of his daughter to go on?

Praise for The Eddie Shoes Mysteries:

"ONE DEAD TWO TO GO is a well-written fast-paced story that kept me fully engaged from beginning to end. It’s one of those stories where you get to the end of a chapter and think, “Okay, just a few more pages.” And the next thing you know, you’ve read three more chapters."
~ Mayor Sonni, Readeropolis

"…an engaging mystery that will keep you stumped to the very end."
~ Susan Sewell, Readers’ Favorite

"THREE STRIKES, YOU’RE DEAD gives us another vivid adventure with the quirky, genuine private eye Eddie Shoes. As usual, author Elena Hartwell’s characters are so real you feel like you could run into them at your local dive bar. Three Strikes takes us even deeper into Eddie’s complex family relationships with her charming-but-deadly father Eduardo and hilarious mom Chava, giving us further insight into Eddie’s psyche. The laugh-out-loud moments are many in this vital third installment, and you’ll find yourself wishing you could stay longer in the world of Eddie Shoes."
~LS Hawker, USA Today bestselling author

Book Details:

Genre: Private Eye Mystery
Published by: Open Road Media, March 2024
Series Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Read an Excerpt from One Dead, Two to Go:

CHAPTER ONE

Call me Eddie Shoes.

Not a very feminine moniker, but it suits me. My father’s name was Eduardo Zapata. In a fit of nostalgia, my mother Chava named me Edwina Zapata Schultz, even though by the time I was born she hadn’t seen my father in seven months. Edwina was a mouthful to saddle any child with, so at the ripe old age of six, I announced that I would only answer to Eddie. I didn’t have any nostalgia for a guy I’d never met, so Zapata just seemed like a name no one ever spelled right the first time. Chava wasn’t particularly maternal in any conventional sense, so not a lot of nostalgia for Schultz either. At eighteen I legally changed my name to Eddie Shoes.

It said a lot about my sense of humor.

Chava and I had come to an understanding. She stayed in my life as long as our contact was minimal and primarily over email. It was just enough to allay her guilt and not enough to make me crazy, so it worked for both of us. She’d always been down about my choice of career, but what did she expect from a girl who called herself Eddie Shoes? If I hadn’t become a private investigator, I probably would have been a bookie, so she should have been a little more positive about the whole thing.

My career was the reason I sat hunkered in the car, in the dark, halfway down the block from a tacky hotel, clutching a digital camera and zoom lens, waiting to catch my latest client’s husband with a woman not his wife. I’d already gotten a few choice shots of the guy entering the room, but he’d gone in alone and no one else had arrived. I assumed the other woman was already waiting for him. After tailing the guy for a few days, I had a pretty good guess who the chippie would turn out to be. I didn’t think he’d hired his “office manager” for her filing skills, and sleeping with the married boss was a cliché because it happened all the time. I could already prove the man a liar. He’d told his wife he played poker with the boys on Wednesday nights, and I didn’t think he was shacked up in this dive with three of his closest buddies, unless he was kinkier than I imagined.

But then, people never ceased to amaze me.

December in Bellingham, Washington, often brought cold, clear weather and that night was no exception. Starting the engine to warm up sounded tempting, but I didn’t want anyone to notice me sitting there. Nice it wasn’t raining, but if the thermometer had crept much over twenty, I hadn’t noticed. To make matters worse, I’d scrunched my almost six-foot frame down in the driver’s seat for more than two hours. Even with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders, I was half frozen, and desperately hoped my mark didn’t have more stamina than I’d pegged him for. All I wanted was to go home and go to bed.

And at some point, I would need to pee.

Up on the second floor, the door of the hotel room I had my eye on finally opened. I brought my camera up, ready for the money shots. My earlier pics proved that the dirty white stucco on the side of the building bounced the pale glow from the minimal exterior lights enough for pictures to be clear without a flash. Even from this distance, there was a nice unobstructed view of the location. The only barrier between someone standing on the narrow walk and my camera lens was a flimsy, rusty-looking, wrought-iron railing. The balusters looked too thin to stop anyone from falling the height of the first floor to the asphalt parking lot below. I doubted anything at the tawdry place passed code.

But what did I care? I wasn’t going to stay there.

The “liar”—I have always been creative with nicknames—stepped out, straightening his tie. I snapped a few pictures and held my breath, hoping the other woman would come out behind him. Even if I took pictures of her exiting a few minutes later, the husband needed to be in the picture with her. A surprising number of wives would argue with me about what actually took place in these various, if interchangeable, hotel rooms. For some reason they would rather believe the info about their husband cheating was fake than admit he strayed, which confused me because I got paid either way. It felt especially crazy when they must already know the truth, otherwise they wouldn’t have hired me in the first place. But I knew better than to look for logic in the ways of the human heart and got the best evidence possible.

The man turned sideways. Light from the room behind him threw his face into silhouette. He had an exceptionally generous head of hair, which made him very recognizable even in bad light. Mid-forties, and mostly in good shape, he appeared athletic as long as he didn’t unbutton his sport coat. I could see why women were attracted to him, though he didn’t do a thing for me. I preferred men a little more honest.

But then, I’d never been married, so what did I know?

A figure moved from behind him into the shadow of the doorway.

“Come on, honey, step out into the light.” I held the camera to my eye. “One more step, so I can see your face.”

The woman obliged by leaning into the cold blue glow cast by the old style, energy inefficient streetlights, her cheeks stained red in the flash of the vacancy sign. I happily clicked away as the “office manager” wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered sweet nothings in his ear. She clearly wore nothing but lingerie. She must assume no one else would be out this late on such a cold weeknight. Or maybe she enjoyed having people see her, a bit of an exhibitionist in the happy homewrecker. Whatever the cause, she had him in the perfect spot for the best pictures.

I loved it when guilty people made my job easy.

My photos might not be art, but they were gold in my book. No way the wife could believe this was anything other than what it looked like.

Several photos later, the husband extricated himself from the mistress and she ducked back into the room and closed the door. He walked briskly toward a shiny red Chevy Camaro. The guy owned a GM dealership and drove a new car every day. He lit a cigarette, which he puffed on for a few drags before he tossed it into the gutter. Not just a cheater, a litterer. The bastard. The cigarette stench backed his poker party story and covered the smell of another woman, killing two birds with one cancer-causing stone.

As soon as he pulled out onto the street, I stretched back up to full height, relieved to still feel my feet. I started up my ancient green Subaru Forrester, cranked my heater, and headed for home, relieved I didn’t have to wait around in the cold for the mistress to reappear. Whatever she did next wasn’t my concern. Having the two of them in the pictures together convinced me my work was done.

The hotel was located downtown—the blue-collar north end, not the high-priced, brick, historical south end, so I dropped down to Lakeway Drive, scooted under the freeway, and wound through the streets that curved around Bayview Cemetery. Traffic at ten o’clock on a midweek winter night was light, and I arrived at my little house by ten-thirty. I downloaded the photos from the hotel onto my computer, wrote up a final bill for my client, and went to bed content.

What could possibly go wrong with such an easy case?

***

Excerpt from One Dead, Two to Go by Elena Hartwell. Copyright 2024 by Elena Hartwell. Reproduced with permission from Elena Hartwell. All rights reserved.

 

 

Meet the Author:

Elena Hartwell

Elena Hartwell spent several years working in theater as a playwright, director, designer, and educator before turning her storytelling skills to fiction. Elena is also a senior editor with Allegory Editing, a developmental editing house, where she works one-on-one with writers to shape and polish manuscripts. If you’d like to work with Elena, visit www.allegoryediting.com.

Her favorite place to be is at Paradise, the property she and her hubby own south of Spokane, Washington. They live with their horses, Jasper, Radar, and Diggy, their dogs Polar and Wyatt, and their cats Coal Train and Cocoa. Elena holds a B.A. from the University of San Diego, a M.Ed. from the University of Washington, Tacoma, and a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.

She also writes as Elena Taylor, to learn more visit www.ElenaTaylorAuthor.com

Catch Up With Elena Hartwell:
www.ElenaHartwell.com
TheMysteryOfWriting.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @elenahartwell
Instagram - @elenataylorauthor
Twitter/X - @Elena_TaylorAut
Facebook - @ElenaTaylorAuthor

 

 

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Come to Me by Jenna Harte ~ #CometoMe #JennaHarte #smalltownromance #oppositesattract #coverreveal

Jenna Harte is excited to share an excerpt from her upcoming small town romance, Come To Me! Check it out and be sure to pre-order your copy today!

Title: Come To Me

Author: Jenna Harte

Genre: Small Town Contemporary Romance

Release Date: May 17th

About Come To Me:

In a tug of war between family duty and true love, which will win?   Dr. Patrick Andres has it all – handsome looks, mega wealth, and professional success…or does he?   

Suffocating under the weight of guilt and failure both personally and professionally, Patrick seeks an escape at a quaint lakeside resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains to sort out his life. His plan quickly backfires when a flat tire leaves him stranded in the heat and humidity without phone service, and a spirited woman wearing red Converse sneakers and red lipstick offers him a helping hand he stubbornly refuses.   

Michaela is amused by the handsome, disheveled, out-of-place man at the side of the road who refuses her help. But that’s okay. She has her hands full trying to keep her family’s lakeside resort from going bankrupt, assisting her ailing father, and helping her nephew deal with the loss of his mother.   

Patrick quickly learns that he's not suited for the mountains. Luckily Michaela is there to help him, and while they come from different worlds, it doesn't take long for them to discover one thing they have in common—a burning mutual attraction. And what better way to distract from life’s challenges than a short-term, no-string-attached fling?   

Patrick is supposed to be finding himself but instead he can’t keep his mind or his hands off the sexy southern beauty. Michaela just wants a distraction from the challenges of life, but finds herself consumed by the sexy city slicker’s sweet kisses and hot caresses. As the summer heats up, their fling blooms into something more.   

But when a family emergency pulls Patrick back north, he has to decide if he’s going to obey family duty or follow his heart.   

This small town romance novel is ideal for readers who enjoy reading HEA contemporary romances with strong independent women and billionaire men who fall hard despite their best efforts not to. This southern romance is part of the Southern Heat series that takes place in rural Virginia but can be read as a stand-alone.  

Pre-Order Your Copy!

Catch Up with the Series on Amazon:

Drawn to Her

Meant to Be

Wed to You

Exclusive Excerpt:

Michaela turned to walk out the door and an uncontrollable need to keep her there had Patrick saying, “Ms. Kincaid?” 

She gave him that bright sassy smile. “I think we can go back to Micki.” 

“Michaela,” he said, noting the same slight blush to her cheek that he’d seen the night before when he called her by her given name. It must have been what had him moving toward her. He was like a moth enraptured by the fire in her eyes. “Am I really an enigma?”

She narrowed her eyes, studying him. “A little. You’re more like a wrapped box. I’m dying to know what’s inside. What about you? Am I an enigma?”

He took a chance, gently tugging on a loose dark curl. “A little. Mostly I’m fascinated by you.”

She gave him that bright smile again like he’d given her gift. “Really? I’m just a country girl. Not much to be fascinated by.”

“I disagree.” His gaze drifted to her lips. Those red, ripe lips that his mouth salivated to taste. What would she do if he kissed her? But Patrick was nothing if not a gentleman, so he tore his gaze away back up to her blue eyes shining at him with intrigue.

“Do you want to kiss me, Dr. Andres?” 

Her boldness surprised and thrilled him all at once. “It’s Patrick. And yes, I want to kiss you, Michaela.” Taking another chance, he moved closer to her and was relieved that she didn’t move away. “Do you want me to kiss you?”

She shook her head and all the sensual sensations drained from his body. Before he could step back, she gripped his shirt. “I want to kiss you, Patrick.”

It took him a second to compute her words. When they registered, all the heat and titillation returned.

“Is it a competition?” he asked, setting his hand on her waist.

“No.”

“Perhaps we could kiss each other then?” He’d never been one for banter, so he wasn’t sure where this was coming from. All he knew was that he was feeling things he hadn’t felt in a long time. Excitement. Surprise. Attraction. Happiness.

“I like that idea. Should we start soon, or do we need to schedule a time?”

Ah the things that came out of her delectable mouth. He decided no words were needed. Instead, he dipped his head, closing the distance between them.  

About the Author:

Jenna Harte is a die-hard romantic writing about characters who are passionate about and committed to each other, and frequently getting into trouble. She is the author of the Valentine Mysteries, the first of which, Deadly Valentine, reached the quarter-finals in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award in 2013. She entered into a three-book deal for a romance series, Southern Heat, with Penner Publishing in 2015, but recently got the rights back to those three books and self-published them.   

At the urging of her agent, she penned a cozy mystery, the first of which, Death of Debtor, came out in 2019. Death of a Coupon Queen released in July 2021, and she’s finished the third book, Death of a Miser should release in 2022. The Sophie Parker Coupon Mysteries are ideal for cozy readers who like quirky characters and humor in their mysteries.   

She has a bundle of stories filled with romance, mystery, and even time travel rattling around in her head, and is eager for the day when a device is invented allowing her to download what’s in her brain onto her computer.   When she’s not telling stories, she works by day as a romance ghostwriter and online entrepreneur. She lives in central Virginia with her husband and a nutty cat.  

Connect with the Author:

Amazon | Email | Facebook Fan Page | Pinterest | Goodreads | Instagram

 

The Gnome and Threat to the Forest by Marilyn Slaughter ~ @gobthegnome @RABTBookTours #RABTBookTours #GobtheGnome #MarilynSlaughter #ChildrensBook

 

Illustrator: Angel Neha


The Gnome and Threat to the Forest by Marilyn Slaughter

Children's Book

Date Published: February 27, 2024

Publisher: Mindstir Media


 

About the Book:

This short story is about a mother wanting her children to enjoy the outdoors. The story takes Nathan, Iris, and Mommy on another trip to the national park. Nathan and Iris are extremely excited to visit with their new friend, Gob the Gnome again. Gob takes Nathan, Iris, and Mommy on a short tour of park and Nathan sees a large empty area of the park. Gob explains to Nathan, Iris, and their mom the unfortunate realities of what happens in some parks due to human interference and natural occurrences. Gob also introduces the family to some of the animals and explains how they suffer through deforestation, tornados, and storms. In this story Iris comes to age by using what she learns from Gob to defend the forest.

Since the 1400s, folklore has described gnomes as guardians of treasure and the protectors of Earth. Gnomes represent stability, growth, and good luck. This is the second book of the six-book series about Gob the Gnome. The six books in this series all revolve around Gob, the protector of a local forest, who becomes friends with Nathan and Iris and helps to educate them on the importance of caring for the environment.


About the Author:

 Marilyn Slaughter is an educator with experience teaching second through fifth grades, middle school science, and social studies. She now spends time authoring books for children and adults for engagement, learning, and entertainment. Marilyn’s first six books are a set with the theme of children, with their families enjoying the outdoors; and with teachers and classmates learning about the environment. The children are introduced to a magical and mythical being in the forest and they work to save the local forest. Her goal is to provide a fun read with an entertaining way for children to learn about science.

 

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Website

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Book Blitz ~ Once We Were Witches by Laura Daleo ~ @AutLauraDaleo @RABTBookTours #RABTBookTours #OnceWeWereWitches #LauraDaleo #Supernatural



Immortal Kiss Series, Book 4


Once We Were Witches by Laura Daleo

Supernatural Fiction

Date Published: 03-08-2024

 

 


About the Book:

The mysterious world of witchcraft, murder, and mystery thrusts Raven Sagestone into an adventure whose main goal is to unlock the secrets of her powers. To do this, she teams up with Brandon Cass, an outsider with knowledge of the supernatural world. Raven is introduced to Eve, a psychic who reads destinies. Despite this, Raven is protected by a strong magic barrier, preventing Eve from seeing her. Brandon and Raven search for the truth at Bloodthirst, a vampire club. Visiting The Council's haven with Margarete and Caleb is Raven's chance to find answers to the questions that have plagued her.


About the Author:


LAURA DALEO is a multi-genre author, specializing in Dark Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural/Paranormal fiction, Science Fiction, and Young Adult Fiction. Immortal Kiss, her best-known vampire series, explores the Egyptian pantheon that gave rise to vampires. Currently, she is working on her eighth book, I am Wolf, an urban fantasy.

A native of San Diego, California, Laura now lives in Tucson, Arizona with her two dogs, Rose and Cooper.

Contact Links:

Website

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Purchase Links:

Amazon Kindle - on sale for $0.99

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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Battered and Buried (An All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery) by Lena Gregory #CozyMystery @LenaGregory03 **Another 5-Star Addition to the Series**

 

Battered and Buried (An All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery) by Lena Gregory

About Battered and Buried:

 

Battered and Buried (An All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

7th in Series

Setting - Florida

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Beyond the Page (March 19, 2024)

Paperback ‏ : ‎ 188 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1960511580

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1960511584 

Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CW18PPSQ

The best-laid plans may go awry, but the best-laid clues could frame a man for murder . . . Never one to let a day off work go to waste, café owner Gia Morelli and a friend head out for a blissful kayaking trip through the local national forest. But the peacefulness of the day is soon shattered when they come across Cole, her head cook, standing over a dead body. Worse still, the victim was a lifelong enemy of Cole’s, and clues found on the body point to the cook as the culprit. When the police take Cole in and subject him to an intense grilling, Gia vows to do everything she can to prove his innocence. As even more incriminating evidence surfaces—including when the murder weapon itself is found hidden at the café—Gia knows she’s up against someone brutal enough to kill and devious enough to frame Cole for the deed. With the police ready to make an official arrest and wrap up what they consider an open-and-shut case, Gia turns for help to an old friend who’s not above breaking the law himself. Because if she can’t find the killer, Cole may go from serving up hot dishes to serving a life sentence . . .

My Review:

Battered and Buried is the 7th book in the amazing All-Day Breakfast Cafe Mystery series. Gia finds her head cook embroiled in the murder of an unpleasant newcomer. The evidence against Cole continues to stack up but Gia knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's not guilty. Proving it, however, has become a full-time job.

I really enjoyed Battered and Buried. The book is perfectly paced - not too fast and not too slow. I was pulled in from the very beginning and engaged in the plot. The character development continues, and we learn more about the characters and learn backstory without being bogged down with useless filler. The story was fun, exciting, suspenseful, and full of twists and turns. I had a wonderful time trying to figure out just what happened and who was responsible. The continued world building is great, and I was able to visualize the story.

Gia came from New York one person and has since evolved into another as she gets used to the differences in Florida. Gia is a very strong character and I enjoy the books about her world. I love that the author does not, at any time, write her as weak or unstable. She's just had a very rough past that she thought she would escape by moving away from her former life and completely starting over. Samantha and Hunt are stability characters for Gia. Savannah is a wonderful best friend and Hunt is an excellent partner.

The characters are all likeable, the setting in Florida is nice. The chemistry between Gia and Hunt is sweet and believable. I prefer a little bit of soft romance in my cozy mysteries. I really enjoy the author's writing style and love her Bay Island Mystery series.

My Rating:

About Lena Gregory:

 

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.

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Chasing The Dragon by Mark Towse ~ @MarkTowsey12 @RoxanneRhoads ~ Horror, Thriller, Crime, Fantasy, Romance, Comedy


Chasing The Dragon
Mark Towse

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Crime, Fantasy, Romance, Comedy

Publisher: Eerie River Publishing
Date of Publication: 23rd March 2024
ISBN: 1998112268
ASIN: B0CR6PNZLQ
Number of pages: 234
Word Count: 68,650

Cover Artist: Tom Brown

Tagline: The town needed a hero… it got Reformo.

About the Book: 

A town on its knees, dread's bony fingers wrapping around its throat and squeezing, death rattles soon to follow.

Drugs, filth, and a lack of human decency are starving it of hope.

Introducing Simon Dooley, our trauma-driven wannabe superhero, the relentless voice of his dead mother pleading with him to "end the chaos." Dressed in a leotard and armed only with a dozen dog poop bags, Simon's plight will find him falling in love and going head to head with the seediest characters walking the streets.

The town needed a hero... it got Reformo.

Purchase Links:  Amazon     Books2Read


Watch the Book Trailer: https://shorturl.at/fiSY1


About the Author: 

Mark Towse is an English horror writer living in Australia. He would sell his soul to the devil or anyone buying if it meant he could write full-time. Alas, he left it very late to begin this journey, penning his first story since primary school at the ripe old age of forty-five. Since then, he's been published in over two hundred journals and anthologies, had his work made into full theatrical productions for shows such as The No Sleep Podcast and Tales to Terrify, and has penned fourteen novellas, including Nana, Gone to the Dogs, 3:33, and Crows. Chasing The Dragon is his debut novel.







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The Rainbow Diary by Mitch Maiman ~ @MitchMaiman @RABTBookTours #RABTBookTours #TheRainbowDiary #MitchMaiman #Drama

 

Embracing Life's Final Colors: A Heartfelt Journey through Loss, Redemption, and the Unknown


The Rainbow Diary 

by Mitch Maiman

Drama

Date Published: February 20, 2024

Publisher: Palmetto Publishing


 


About the Book:

In the tender pages of The Rainbow Diary, embark on an extraordinary odyssey that transcends the boundaries of life and death. This poignant tale weaves a tapestry of love, loss, and redemption, resonating deeply with anyone who has felt the sharp ache of losing a loved one or grappled with the haunting anxiety of mortality.

Meet Kenneth Talbot, a man on the precipice of his final journey. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he confronts the fragility of his existence. As the sands of time slip away, Kenneth's reflections paint a vivid portrait of human emotion. His story becomes a mirror, reflecting the joys and regrets, the triumphs and heartaches that define us all. Amidst the pain, Kenneth finds unexpected solace in the most unlikely places. His bond with his teenage son, Brian, becomes a source of profound reconciliation, a testament to the enduring power of familial love. The gentle presence of MaryAnn, his devoted nurse, becomes a beacon of hope, guiding him toward acceptance.

The Rainbow Diary is more than a novel; it is a sanctuary for the soul. It delicately explores the complex nuances of life's final moments, offering a glimpse into the afterlife that is both imaginative and comforting. Through Kenneth's introspection, readers are invited to confront their own fears and anxieties, finding solace in the shared human experience. This book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a celebration of the enduring power of love that transcends the boundaries of time and space.

Immerse yourself in this extraordinary narrative, and let The Rainbow Diary be your guiding light through the labyrinth of life, death, and everything in between.

About the Author:

Dr. Mitchell Maiman became a physician at age twenty-four and is now retired. As a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology and sub-specialist in Gynecologic Oncology, he has had a distinguished academic, clinical, and research career in medicine and served as both a Director of Gynecologic Oncology and Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at major New York City-based university hospitals. He has been recognized for his numerous educational contributions in the field and his devotion and commitment to the teaching of residents and fellows. 

Mitch lives with his wife, Dr. Judy Levy, in Long Island, New York, and is an avid tennis player and practitioner of yoga. They first met during their residency training. This is his first novel.

 

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