Thursday, June 28, 2018

Cover Reveal ~ Flygirl by R.D. Kardon ~ Commercial Fiction/Historical Fiction/Womens Fiction @rdkardon @RABTBookTours


Flygirl
R.D. Kardon


Commercial Fiction/Historical Fiction/Womens Fiction 

Date Published: January 15, 2019


About the Book:

It’s 1997. Women stand beside men in combat and fly fighter jets. Pilot Tris Miles is not content with her job as a First Officer for tiny Clear Sky Airlines. She wants to be a Captain—the only way she knows to prove her worth as a pilot and atone for a deadly mistake. 

To further her career, Tris accepts a prestigious job with Tetrix, Inc. But her dream of becoming pilot-in-command twists into a nightmare.

As the company’s first woman pilot, she encounters resistance, marginalization and harassment on a daily basis. Fortunately Tris has one thing her co-workers can’t deny—skill.

When Tris finds herself in a crippled airplane thousands of miles from home she must prove she can lead. With her career on the line, can Tris earn the respect she’s been craving? And if this is the end, can she find the strength to forgive herself?

Advance Praise:

Tris Miles is a heroine for our times. Set in the late 1990s, "Flygirl" by R.D. Kardon examines one tenacious woman's struggle to survive in a vocation dominated by men who want nothing more than to see her fail. Readers will fall in love with Tris who is a force to be reckoned with. Based on Kardon's own experiences as a female pilot, "Flygirl" is written with both authenticity and heart. -- T. Greenwood, author of "Rust & Stardust," "Where I Lost Her," and "Two Rivers"

In R.D. Kardon's debut novel, she has created an inspirational character in Tris Miles. "Flygirl" is vivid, energetic and fast-paced. It is a story about striving to reach for your goals despite astronomical odds. -- Jill G. Hall, author of "The Black Velvet Coat" and "The Silver Shoes"

"Flygirl" is an astounding peek behind the scenes of pilot life. You’ll have to fasten your seat belt when you read this riveting story as Tris Miles captivates and lifts you high above ground. -- E.P. Sery, author of "The Scent of Heat"

About the Author:

Robin “R.D.” Kardon is a native New Yorker, educated in the New York City public school system. She attended New York University where she earned a B.A. in Journalism and Sociology, magna cum laude, and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

After college, Robin went to law school at The American University, Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. There, she was a Moot Court champion and earned her J.D. Thus began her ten-year career as a commercial litigator.

Disillusioned with the law, Robin sought out another career and started training to become a pilot in 1991. She eventually earned her Certified Flight Instructor ratings, quit practicing, and started teaching to build flight time. Eventually, she worked as both a corporate and airline pilot, and has flown all kinds of aircraft from single-engine Cessnas to the Boeing 737 all over the US and the world. Robin has an FAA Airline Transport Pilot certificate with three Captain qualifications (type-ratings) and is also a Commercial/Instrument-rated helicopter pilot.

The tragedy of September 11, 2001 decimated the aviation industry. Unfortunately, Robin was furloughed from the airline job she held on that date, and her career never recovered from the blow. She left aviation voluntarily in 2004, and began a career as an executive search consultant specializing in helping companies hire in-house attorneys. 

Flygirl existed for twenty years as 83 pages printed in WordPerfect on blue notepaper until Robin decided to finish the novel in 2015. After so many drafts and revisions she’s lost count, Flygirl enters the world on January 15, 2019 via Acorn Publishing, a hybrid imprint.

Contact Links:






Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Book #Review: Silence of the Flans (Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery, Book #2) by Laura Bradford #CozyMystery


Book Information:

Print Length: 300 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: March 7, 2017
Sold by: Penguin Group (USA) LLC
ASIN: B01H17UCGG


About the Book:

Baker Winnie Johnson does her best work when the heat is on. As owner of the Emergency Dessert Squad, she has a deft touch in the kitchen and a soft spot for lost causes. So when her business professor beau, Jay Morgan, expresses misgivings over having to fail one of his fourth-year students, Winnie cooks up a sweet solution. 

She'll offer an extra credit opportunity in exchange for a little help with her growing business. But when her protege's first dessert delivery poisons a student journalist, the publicity threatens to burn Winnie's business to a crisp. Now the entrepreneur-turned-detective must uncover the ingredients behind a recipe for murder before she crumbles under pressure... 

RECIPES INCLUDED


Silence of the Flans is about a murder that threatens to shut down the Emergency Dessert Squad. When one of Winnie Johnson's desserts is used as a murder weapon to poison a student she must figure out exactly what happened. The continued success of her business depends on it!

The Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery series has a most unique concept. Winnie uses a vintage ambulance as a dessert delivering service in what is a wonderfully different cozy setting. I was pulled in from the very beginning and kept thoroughly engaged in the story and it's cast of multifaceted characters. Winnie is a very determined sleuth, especially since her livelihood depends on her being able to prove that her food isn't toxic. 

The world building and character development is done really well. I love all of the characters, main and supporting. They are written with realism and are believable. I enjoyed getting to know the entire cast. The concept behind the Emergency Dessert Squad is clever and the dessert names are awesome! I applaud the author's creativity.

I love everything about Silence of the Flans and the Emergency Dessert Squad series.

My review copy came from the library.

My Rating:


Book Spotlight & #Giveaway ~ Within the Walls by Dre Keeton ~ Paranormal Romance, Dystopian



Within the Walls
by Dre Keeton
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Dystopian

Perfect opposites in a far from perfect world.

Jackson and Lenah are from two different worlds. Lenah is among the elite in Sundale City. Jackson, on the other hand, is broke, Psycho Infected and has a criminal record growing by the minute. It’s safe to say, in another life, the two would never have crossed paths.

But when Jackson is assigned to work for Lenah in an effort to use his PI abilities for something productive, things get complicated.

As their worlds collide, they realize how much they’ve both suffered and struggled with the darkness the infection brought the world.

But the closer they become, the more dangerous things get. It isn’t just that PI and human relationships are forbidden, but Lenah's powerful fiancé has no intention of letting her go. And as people in the American Walled Cities start disappearing, Jackson and Lenah discover there's something even more sinister at play than her pending nuptials.

Add to Your Shelf on Goodreads * Purchase from Amazon



Dre Keeton is the oldest of three children, a tequila enthusiast, and fueled by plants. One of her favorite things, aside from chatting with her dog, is creating fictional worlds that seem likely. Dre is an avid promoter of diversity in literature and seeks to mirror that in her own work.



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Cover Reveal ~ The Pre-Programming (Circo del Herrero, The Blacksmith’s Circus, Vol. 2) by B.L.A. and G.B. Gabbler ~ Mythpunk, Urban Fantasy @CircoFootnotes


The Pre-Programming
Circo del Herrero
(The Blacksmith’s Circus)
Vol. 2
B.L.A. and G.B. Gabbler

Genre: Mythpunk, Urban Fantasy

Publisher: SOBpublishing

Date of Publication: October 2018

Number of pages: 421
Word Count: 143,700

Cover Artist: SOBpublishing

Tagline: Vulcan’s ancient Automata find their purpose rebooted in the second installment of the CIRCO DEL HERRERO series.

About the Book:

The crippled god of metallurgy, fire, and alchemy has many names and many faces—sometimes Hephaestus, Ptah, or Vulcan. He changes to suit his needs. And just like his names, his creations have gone through countless revisions. This time, he’s finally onto something—his Automata have turned the heads of other gods. They’ve noticed their pre-programmed potential. There’s a reason Vulcan didn’t scrap the Automata—a reason he left them in the care of humans all this time. They were just the beta testers for his most intricate windup toy yet…

Vulcan’s ancient Automata find their purpose rebooted in the second installment of the CIRCO DEL HERRERO/THE BLACKSMITH’S CIRCUS series. Their immortal human Masters will drop like flies—superfluous in the next round as the gods shuffle in a new deck of fateful cards. The Masters can choose how and when, but they will all die to free the Automata of their earthly chains. Odys and his Automaton, Maud, struggle to protect his twin sister from the plotting of his dual-bodied adversaries. But his sister, Odissa, finds herself a willing participant in The Blacksmith’s latest exhibition—could she be the missing cog to the god’s tightly wound machine all along?

In this thrilling sequel to THE AUTOMATION, the Narrator and Editor drag readers deeper into the dark history and even darker future of Automata. When the subterranean god emerges with his postlapsarian blueprint, so will the truth about B.L.A. and G.B. Gabbler. Ideal for fans of Scott Hawkin’s The Library at Mount Char, Jo Walton’s The Just City, and all the way to Homer’s The Odyssey, THE PRE-PROGRAMMING is a literary outrage that dares you to keep reading between the lines and the footnotes.


The Automation 

Book One in the Circo del Herrero Series 

Available at

Amazon      Smashwords      BN



Read an Excerpt:

‘“Why did you call me Dorothy?” Odissa seized the sides of his face, as if she had Dorian trapped now.
“Why? Do you not like this yellow brick road I’m escorting you down?” He sunk lower into the tub, angling her grip on him. Her fingers slid a little on his wet skin. His hair touched the water and fanned out like an aura. He wanted to make sure her hands were still playing nicely.
“That’s not a real answer, Dorian.” She leaned into him.
He floated away from her. He spread out his arms along the tub. His grey eyes closed, readying himself. “I suppose you have a right to know. Odys will tell you eventually, I’m sure. He couldn’t keep his mouth shut.”
“About what?”
He rubbed a finger over his pink upper lip at a false itch. “I knew your real parents, Odissa. At least, I think I did. But I won’t tell you more than that.”
“Why not?”
“Not only would your brother hate me for it, but…” He trailed off.
“Since when do you care what my brother wants? I think he’ll be too distracted about the other stuff we’ve done to care if you tell me. And does this mean he knows? Why does he know but I don’t? It isn’t fair.”
“Your brother knows as much as I do. And believe me, that means he’s not sure of anything.”
“Not sure of what, Dorian?”
He merely smiled. “I’m going to make the others adore you, Odissa. Just you wait. I need to warn you that when they start arriving they might be a little suspicious about what we’ve been up to. They might not understand. Don’t worry. I’ll handle it. They’ll love you. They’ll let me save you.”
“Save me?”
“When we find Madus, he’ll be perfect for you. A twin for a twin.”
She had no idea what he was talking about.
“Then Leeland will never get to you. No one will ever take you away from me again.” He was smiling to himself once more, his finger back at that lip.
“Exactly how many times have I been taken away before?”
“Once, in the past. But an Automaton will keep you here with me forever. You understand? Maybe then—once you have an Automaton—you’ll understand what happened to your parents, why I did what I had to. The Automaton will explain everything.”
“What did you do to my parents, Dorian?” Her heart was making the water ripple despite her body remaining still. “I don’t want an Automaton.”
“Your brother wants you to have one too.” To himself, “That’s why he went so willingly to Rosemund.” 
Not sure what he meant, “He won’t give me one if I do not want one.”
“None of us were really given a choice, Odissa. You think you will be? And the others will want to make me happy. I will win them over. I will gain their votes. Why wouldn’t you want an Automaton? You either become one of us or we get rid of you eventually. Why not finalize the deal? You have no life to go back to.”
“You’ve made sure of that, haven’t you?”
He licked his lip, wondering why she was so obstinate. Could she not see what he meant? Surely—for she could see everything else.
“Then let me know why you won’t tell me. Why can’t you tell me why I’m Dorothy?”
His jaw clenched. He did not like her persistence. “You would hate me, that’s why.”
“What if I promised I wouldn’t? Why would it change so much between us? Aren’t we destined to be in love with each other?”
“No. I’m destined to be in love with you. The gods promised us nothing about your love.”
“You were angry with me when I didn’t say I was married. Now you’re the one hiding the truth.” 
The water rippled as he huffed. “Leeland has leverage—family members, pets, friends. He uses leverage to try and get our Automatons. He had leverage on me, but…I still have an Automaton, Odissa. You understand what I’m saying?”
He heard her try to swallow.
“Do you understand, Odissa?”’

About the Authors:

BLA and GB Gabbler [really just a pen name – singular] are the Editor and Narrator behind the Circo del Herrero series. THE AUTOMATION, vol. 1 of the series, is a mythpunk novel that puts a postmodern spin on how we interpret myth and literature. Gabbler’s work typically explores ways in which robots and religion intersect. You can read more of their work on the Fanzine. Their second volume, THE PRE-PROGRAMMING, is scheduled for release in 2018. You can read the first volume for free.

Find out more at:






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Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Book Review: A Brush with Shadows (Lady Darby Mystery #6) by Anna Lee Huber #Mystery #Historical @BerkleyPub @BerkleyMystery


Book Information:

Series: A Lady Darby Mystery (Book 6)
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Berkley 
Release Date: March 6, 2018
ISBN-10: 0399587225
ISBN-13: 978-0399587221


About the Book:

Sebastian Gage returns home to battle the ghosts of his past and prevent them from destroying his future with Kiera in the latest exciting installment in this national bestselling series.

July 1831. It's been fifteen years since Sebastian Gage has set foot in Langstone Manor. Though he has shared little with his wife, Lady Kiera Darby, about his past, she knows that he planned never to return to the place of so many unhappy childhood memories. But when an urgent letter from his grandfather reaches them in Dublin, Ireland, and begs Gage to visit, Kiera convinces him to go.

All is not well at Langstone Manor. Gage's grandfather, the Viscount Tavistock, is gravely ill, and Gage's cousin Alfred has suddenly vanished. He wandered out into the moors and never returned. The Viscount is convinced someone or something other than the natural hazards of the moors is to blame for Alfred's disappearance. And when Alfred's brother Rory goes missing, Kiera and Gage must concede he may be right. Now, they must face the ghosts of Gage's past, discover the truth behind the local superstitions, and see beyond the tricks being played by their very own eyes to expose what has happened to Gage's family before the moors claim yet another victim...


In the sixth book of the Lady Darby Mystery series, Sebastian Gage (henceforth known as Gage) and his wife, Kiera, are summoned to Sebastian's childhood home. He hasn't stepped on Langstone Manor property for at least 15 years so to say he's not looking forward to going home is an understatement. However, his grandfather has grown terribly ill and one of Gage's cousins has disappeared. Known to be flighty, Gage doesn't take Alfred's disappearance to seriously. Kiera, however walks right into the mysterious disappearance of Alfred from the get-go. Gage quickly changes his tune when his other cousin Rory also disappears from the Manor. 

As Gage and Kiera become more involved in the mysterious disappearances, they discover that all may not be what it seems at Langstone Manor. Family secrets, jealousies, lies, and tight-lipped family members make searching for Alfred, and then Rory, too, pretty difficult. There are a number of twists and turns throughout A Brush with Shadows. I thought I had the mystery figured out when all-of-a-sudden the author shattered my story board and made me rethink my choice. 

The relationship between Kiera and Gage was sweet and I thought their characters were well written. The author did a wonderful job with the world building in the novel. I felt like I could picture the manor, the moors, and the characters based on her descriptive imagery. I enjoyed Kiera's empathy toward Gage during the difficult decision to go home and face his family and her empathy toward his grandfather. There are things that went on the past that are not loving or caring, yet she put those things aside and helped care for the gravely ill man. 

This is my first experience with Anna Lee Huber and her Lady Darby Mystery series. I was able to jump right into the story without having read the other books. As a reader, I found that Ms. Huber provided enough backstory and other historical information to allow me to enjoy the story without wondering what she was talking about. Despite the ability to read the story without having read the previous five books, I found that I wasn't really engaged in the story. The story didn't really jump out at me. Parts of the story fell flat for me and I was able to put the book down without feeling that eagerness to get back to it as soon as possible. This doesn't mean the book is bad or that I didn't like it; it just means that I wasn't able to become engrossed in the book at any point. I did enjoy the mystery. That twist at the end? Wow! 

I was given a paperback copy of the book.

My Rating: