Giveaway & Review – Wasp’s Nest by Gabriel Valjan @GValjan @NouveauWriter

roma-series-horizontal-befunky-collage      I was drawn into the Roma Series because of the fabulous covers and the storyline.

It made me think of Kathy Reichs and the the TV series, Bones, with her forensic anthropology, only for a character that specializes in forensic accounting.wasps-nest

 Amazon  /  Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Bianca is back in the Wasp’s Nest by Gabriel Valjan, the second book in the Roma Series. She has returned to the States and is working for Rendition…again. I wonder if she may regret it. She is a loner and distrustful. She walked away from love, but she cannot forget him. Will he come back into her life?

A scientific element arises when Bianca investigates Nason Pharmaceutical and wasp DNA. Will it be used for a cure or a weapon? In this twisted world, who can say.

As the story grows and develops into more than one mystery to be solved, I wonder how safe any of the characters are. An assassin, corruption and greed…can anyone be trusted?

It is difficult for me to understand some of the scientific and technological references, but I do understand conspiracy, greed, betrayal and murder. The heavier reading sometimes seems like a school lesson, but I do want to know and understand, so my pace is slower than usual.

In Wasp’s Nest we are becoming more serious, more involved in the mysteries and there is less eating and traveling and more investigating. Italians do have a passion for food and their needs are a celebration of taste so I think it is a valuable component to the story. The suspense has ramped up, with danger around every corner. I was worried Bianca’s band of merry men may pay a fatal price. I have become very fond of her gang, each with their own personalities, desires and motives.

If I gave half stars, I would give Wasp’s Nest 3 1/2. The story is much better, with more action, for an action junkie like me. There will be more in this five book series and I look forward to following the gang to the very end.

I received Wasp’s Nest free of charge from the Gabriel Valjan.

You can see my review for Roma: Underground, Book I, by Gabriel Valjan HERE.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

WASP’S NEST (Book #2)

In the highly anticipated sequel to Roma, Underground, Bianca returns to the U.S. for her former employer, the covert organization Rendition, to investigate Cyril Sargent and Nasonia Pharmaceutical. Although ambivalent about the assignment and uneasy about her online “friend,” Loki, she is enticed into researching what Sargent is doing with insect genetics that might upset the world of cancer research and treatment. Old friends Farrugia and Gennaro uncover a twisted conspiracy from their past and join Bianca in Boston where they will experience conflicted loyalties, question allies, and confront uncertain enemies, as they’re drawn into the wasp’s nest.

“Again, Valjan successfully conflates multiple sophisticated narratives that bring the past and present together, which the archaeological theme of the last novel also helps accomplish . . . Black is back and just as entertaining as ever.”

—Kirkus Book Reviews

“…a compelling reading, action-packed and with intriguing characters. The plot had plenty of twists and turns, some surprising secrets, and it kept me on the edge of my seat, guessing until the very end.”

—The Book Junkie

ABOUT GABRIEL VALJAN

gabriel-valjanGabriel Valjan lives in Boston, Massachusetts. He is the author of the Roma Series, available from Winter Goose Publishing. Gabriel has also written numerous short stories and essays found online and in print.

Connect with the author:  Website ~Twitter  ~ Facebook

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GIVEAWAY

  • 5 winners get a paperback copy of CC
  • 5 winners get an ebook copy of CC
  • 1 winner gets whole set of Roma series in paperback (signed)
  • 1 winner gets whole set of Roma series in ebook format
  • 12 winners total
  • Print copies open to USA and ebooks open international
  • Giveaway ends Dec 17

a Rafflecopter giveaway

  • You may see my Giveaways HERE.
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You can see my review for Roma: Underground, Book I, by Gabriel Valjan HERE.

 

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Giveaway – Deceiving Bella by Cate Beauman @CateBeauman @GoddessFish

bbt_tourbanner_deceivingbellaI love Cate Beauman’s work, so when I saw the chance to share Deceiving Bella.

The devil made me do it. 😈

I can hardly wait to cross that bridge, enter the city, and find out what’s coming next!

mediakit_bookcover_deceivingbellaDeceiving Bella by Cate Beauman

GENRE:  Romantic Suspense

BLURB

Isabella Colby has always yearned for normalcy. Now that she’s settled in LA, she finally has it. Good friends, a pretty home, and her thriving career as the Palisades’ top skincare specialist are a dream come true. Bella is content until she meets her hunky new neighbor, but her attraction to the blue-eyed cutie is the least of her worries when contacting her long-lost father threatens to destroy her happy life.

Reed McKinley is more than ready to forget the past. His seven-year stint as an NYPD detective nearly got him killed. His wounds have healed and he’s starting over as Ethan Cooke Security’s latest recruit. With sixty-hour workweeks and little time to himself, the last thing on his mind is a relationship. Then he bumps into the gorgeous woman next door.

Reed and Bella become fast friends. Before long, Reed discovers that Bella is keeping dangerous secrets. Bella may have the answers to decades-old questions he’s been searching for. Reed will risk it all to uncover the truth, but he soon realizes that the deeper he digs, the direr the consequences.

*NOTE: While reading the series in order is recommended, it is not necessary. Each story is a stand alone title featuring new primary characters with limited overlapping secondary characters.*

EXCERPT

Bella drew a heart on the back of a pale pink envelope while she sat at the small table tucked in the corner of her room. Smiling, she set down her lilac crayon, pleased that the shape of this heart hardly looked wobbly at all. She studied the assortment of stickers Mommy had given her to decorate her invitations with and picked the glittery fuchsia ones for the corners. Locking her ankles, she kicked her legs back and forth and hummed along with the music on the CD player, trying to ignore her parents shouting in the living room. “Here is my handle, here is my spout,” she muttered, sealing the envelope closed with a puffy star sticker. “Tip me over and pour me out.”

The yelling suddenly stopped, and footsteps stormed down the hall. Bella jumped when Mommy and Daddy’s bedroom door slammed shut. Pausing, she listened to the quiet, then picked up the next envelope and smiled again when she recognized the letter ‘M.’ “Mary Rose.” She snatched up the sheet of silly smiley faces and put one right below Mommy’s pretty handwriting, certain her best friend would love it.

“Bella Boop,” Daddy called, giving a quick knock on her door.

“I’m in here.”

The knob turned and Daddy walked in dressed in jeans and one of the grease smeared white T-shirts he always wore to work.

Bella picked up a sky-blue crayon. She paused as she met Daddy’s gaze and realized his brown eyes were red, the way hers looked when she scraped her knees or got shots at the doctor’s office and cried. “Are you and Mommy mad at each other?”

Daddy sat on the bed, wrinkling her Hello Kitty comforter with his weight. “No. We’re not mad at each other.”

“Mommy yelled at you. Did you leave the toilet seat up again?” She frowned, remembering the cold water she’d fallen into the other morning. “I don’t want my tushy to get wet again when I sit down.”

He closed his eyes as he laughed, but it wasn’t his regular laugh that always made her giggle.

“No, I didn’t leave the seat up.”

“Good,” she said with a decisive nod and got back to work.

“What are you doing in here?” he asked.

“Coloring my invitations. Mommy said we can bring them with us to school in the morning. Everybody gets to have one—even the boys—so we don’t hurt anyone’s feelings.”

“That’s my girl.” He winked.

She handed over one of the envelopes in her finished pile for Daddy to admire. “This one is for Clara. See how it has a letter ‘C’? That’s how I know.”

“What’s this?” Daddy pointed to the next letter in Clara’s name.

“An ‘L.’”

“Smarty-pants.”

She grinned, always loving it when he called her that. “Clara’s going to be five too. Her mommy’s bringing brownies to school next week when it’s her birthday—just like you brought in the cupcakes for me to share yesterday. Everyone liked them. Pink frosting is the best kind.”

“With purple sprinkles, right?”

“Right.” She took the invitation back and continued decorating Mary Rose’s.

“I can’t believe my girl’s almost five. You’re not a baby anymore.”

“I’m a beautiful young lady now, right?”

He sighed. “Somehow you are. Not all that long ago, I was rocking you to sleep.”

“Beautiful young ladies have pierced ears and paint their nails.” She beamed at him, thrilled that she had both after a trip to the mall and a visit to the nail painter woman Mommy knew. “And young ladies go to kindergarten when the leaves fall off the trees, right after the summer is over.”

“I guess they do.” He blew out another breath. “Will you come sit with me for a couple of minutes?”

She hesitated as she glanced from the stickers to Daddy’s sad eyes. “Okay.”

He grabbed her under the armpits of her favorite Hello Kitty pajamas and boosted her up, settling her on his thigh. “Here we go.” He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight.

She returned his embrace, breathing in the familiar oil smell of the garage where he fixed cars. “Is your tummy sick?”

“No, baby.” He played his hand through the curls Mommy had made at the end of her long ponytail this morning.

“Did you get a boo-boo at work?” She picked up his stained black fingers, checking for a cut.

“No, honey.” He clenched his jaw. “I have to go on a trip.”

She gasped her excitement and clapped. Daddy always took her on the best adventures. “Can I come?”

He shook his head. “Not this time.”

“We could get ice cream at the Dairy Stop,” she said in a singsong voice, hoping that would convince him to change his mind.

“I wish we could, Bella. I have to go on this trip by myself.”

She pressed her cheek to his chest. “I don’t want you to go unless I get to come too. I always come too, Daddy.”

His fingers moved through her hair again. “I know.

“You can stay right here with me.” She leaned forward and picked up her favorite book from the pile on the nightstand. “We can read instead.”

He nuzzled his chin on top of her head, keeping her close.

She clung to him as her stomach started to hurt. Daddy never went away. He and Mommy always read her books together and took turns bringing her to school after breakfast. “Will you come back soon?”

He shook his head. “Not for a long time. Not till you’re an even bigger young lady.”

Her lips trembled as her eyes filled. “But I’ll miss you so much.”

“I’ll miss you too. I’ll think of you every day.”

“Daddy.” She sniffled. “I want you to stay.”

“I have something for you.” He grabbed something from behind his back she hadn’t noticed when he walked in and held up a small snow globe.

She took the delicate glass and studied the pretty two-story house surrounded by pine trees in the center—much bigger than the home she lived in now. “It’s so nice.”

“When you look at it, you can think of me.”

“You’ll live in there?”

He looked at the ceiling as he swallowed. “Something like that.”

She stared at the lights on in the cheerful home as the snow fell to the ground. “Will you come out for my party in a couple of days and sing ‘Happy Birthday’?”

“I can’t.”

Her shoulders sagged. “But you can come out at night and read to me and tuck me in?”

He shook his head.

Her lips trembled again, and she blinked as tears fell.

“Don’t cry, Bella.” He wiped her cheeks with his thumbs, like he always did. “If there was any other way… If I could be sure you and your mom would be safe, I’d take you with me.”

“We could call the policemans. They’ll make us safe.”

“That’s an idea.” He swiped another tear away. “How about I tuck you in and we’ll read?”

She nodded. “Can I sleep with this?” She gestured to the globe.

“How about we put it right next to you on the table? I don’t want it to break and cut you.”

“All right.” She leaned over and set it next to her lamp. “There.”

Daddy stood, lifting her with him, and pulled back her covers, then settled her in bed. “Here we go.” He tucked the blankets around her and read the story she and Mommy had picked out at the library.

She giggled when the silly puppy got into mischief and yawned, struggling to keep her eyes open as Daddy turned to the last page.

“The end.”

“That’s a good one.” She yawned again. “Maybe we can get a doggy like the girl in the book.”

“Someday.”

“I love doggies.”

“I know you do.”

She rubbed her tired eyes. “Let’s read it some more.”

“You need to get some rest.” Daddy stood from his chair. “Snuggle up.”

She rolled on her side and nestled her cheek on the pillow. “Night-night, Daddy. I love you.”

“I love you too.” He knelt down and hugged her tight, his breath shuddering in and out next to her ear. “I love you, Bella.” Clearing his throat, he eased back and smiled. “I love you.”

She smiled too. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

He shut his eyes, swallowing several times. “Okay.” Standing again, he turned off her light. “Bye, baby.”

“Bye, Daddy.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

International bestselling author Cate Beauman is known for her full-length, action-packed romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County. Her novels have been nominated for the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, National Indie Excellence Award, Golden Quill Award, Writers Touch Award, and have been named Readers Favorite Five Star books. In 2015, JUSTICE FOR ABBY was selected as the Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Gold Medalist, while SAVING SOPHIE took the Silver Medal. SAVING SOPHIE was also selected as the 2015 Readers Crown Award winner for Romantic Suspense and FALLING FOR SARAH received the silver medal for the 2014 Readers’ Favorite Awards.

Cate makes her home in North Carolina with her husband, two boys, and their St. Bernards, Bear and Jack. Currently Cate is working on Deceiving Bella, the eleventh novel in her popular Bodyguards series.

For information on Cate’s new releases, monthly giveaways, and upcoming events, sign up for her newsletter at: http://www.catebeauman.com/author/home.html#!newsletter-sign-up/c9td

Cate can be reached at www.catebeauman.com and www.facebook.com/catebeauman.

You can follow Cate on Twitter @CateBeauman

Contact Cate:  Amazon Author Page  /  BookBub

Social links:

Twitter: @CateBeauman

www.catebeauman.com

www.facebook.com/CateBeauman

www.goodreads.com/catebeauman

www.instagram.com/cate_beauman_author

 GIVEAWAY

Cate Beauman will be awarding $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found HERE.

 

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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My Cate Beauman Reviews

To read in order:

While reading the series in order is recommended, it is not necessary.  Each story is a stand alone title featuring new primary characters with limited overlapping secondary characters. Click the highlighted link below to check them out:

Book Eleven: Deceiving Bella, the story of Isabella and Reed (In production)