Christmas Thrills – Dashing Through The Fear by Amanda Siegrist @amanda_siegrist

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Welcome to Sleighville. Where you are sure to have a holly, jolly time.

Sure, the title for Dashing Through The Fear by Amanda Siegrist gave me that shivery feeling of trepidation, but the cover added the extra ‘dash’. Not just with the content, that gave me a warm, cozy feeling, mixed with fear, but the font was a perfect fit.

I do love small towns, where everyone knows your business. Some of the time it adds a fun element to the story, other times it gives a character others to turn to in times of trouble…and ‘Eve’ will need all the help she can get. First, with a place to live, then a job.

She, literally, runs into Griffith and she will find it hard to avoid him, since he lives next door and is the chief of police of Sleighville. Who would imagine a hunkalicious guy like him would have a pet like Walter., but they are a great fit. Walter is a cat with one eye and half a front paw. Critters add a little something extra to every story, for me.

No one knew why the rental property had such a high turnover rate. Hmmmm…

Eve’s job search is a success, getting hired at Noel’s Cafe. She had worked in a bakery before, so I have a feeling this, along with other things, will be a perfect fit.

Mystery, suspense, thrillers like Dashing Through The Fear by Amanda Siegrist is predictable, but she always manages to create characters that wiggle their way into your heart and a surprise or two along the way. Gaslighting and psychological warfare are only two of things that Eve will have to deal with. There is also the past that she so desperately tried to leave behind. I love how she, eventually, solves the problem. Very nice, Amanda.

I love that we have two mysteries going on at the same time and I didn’t realize it…until Amanda Siegrist showed me, though it was right in front of my face. That’s always a good sign of a well written story., keeping me so busy reading, I forget to try and solve the crime. Actually, those two mysteries apply to Eve, while Griffin has his own issues that hit very close to home. I love that miscommunication never reared it’s ugly head. Will they come together, healing each other? Of course. It wouldn’t be a great romance if they didn’t. I don’t feel like I’m spoiling anything, because it’s pretty easy to figure out in romance novels…unless we don’t have a happy ending and Amanda doesn’t write those. LOL

A fun note – I was reading along…and there was my name, Sherry. It’s always fun to see my name in a novel, even if I am only a minor character. 🙂

Normally, a story like Dashing Through The Fear by Amanda Siegrist is predictable, and, yes, some of it was, but there is a sense that something is coming. It’s just a matter of what and when, keeping a sense of trepidation lurking throughout the pages. Thanks, Amanda, for another very entertaining story.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

From USA Today bestselling author Amanda Siegrist comes a brand new series. An intense holiday romantic suspense that will make you swoon and hold you on the edge-of-your-seat until the very end.

Welcome to Sleighville. Where you are sure to have a holly, jolly time.

Running is her only option. He made sure of that. Where better to run to than the last place he’d ever think to look for her. Sleighville. A small, quaint town that celebrates Christmas—every. Single. Day. Just the thought makes her want to puke, but she’s out of options. Nothing prepared her for small-town camaraderie. Everyone knowing everyone and everything. Where she lives, where she works, and worst of all…they know something is off. That she’s not who she claims to be.

Griffin isn’t sure what to make of his new neighbor, but one thing he does he can’t resist a puzzle. She’s skittish, wary, and one of the most beautiful women he’s ever met. It’s not hard to fall for her, which is bad. He has no doubt she’s hiding something—or hiding from something. If only she’d let him in, trust him with her secrets. No amount of Christmas cheer is going to sway her his way, but patience and time might. Problem is, he fears he doesn’t have much time. She’s one step away from running. No doubt not her first time, but he’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she stays right where she is. In his town, and in his arms.

  • Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
  • 236 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication December 12, 2023
  • Series: A Sleighville Novel, Book I

ABOUT AMANDA SIEGRIST

Amanda Siegrist

Love! Gimme some love and heaps of romance. I have a sappy heart that just loves two people meeting, going through the cycles of a relationship, and ultimately, falling in love. Give me a good book like that and I’m a happy camper:)

I write contemporary and romantic suspense, but I am partial to suspense. I just love a good mystery.

Besides writing, I love baking, crafts, and baseball…oh, and meeting new people. *smiles*

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The Innocence of Children – Island Santa by Owen Thomas @OTFiction

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Island Santa by Owen Thomas is a cute, coming of age, holiday story about a child’s wishes, dreams and the innocence of her belief, at twelve years old, that Santa is real and how will he find them on vacation in Hawaii.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The Nelson family is spending Christmas in Hawaii, a dubious proposition for Peter and his ten-year old sister, Katie.

Katie still believes in Santa Clause. Embarrassing, but true. Having finally come to grips with the tragic “extinction” of unicorns and the senseless exile of the Tooth Fairy, little Katie now clings to Santa with a tenacity so grim and so combative that her older brother and her parents can only exchange worried looks across the dinner table. Someone should talk to her about the real world.

But no one quite seems to have the courage.

Needless to say, the idea of running off to Hawaii just as Santa is loading up his sleigh is met with more than just a little resistance. After all, how is it reasonable to expect that the red-suited fat man will know to look for them in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? What will he think when he parks his reindeer atop their dark and empty home?

Peter, fourteen, has his own concerns, less about Santa than the sacrifice of holiday tradition. What about the snow and stringing the house with Christmas lights? What about the first-person-shooter zombie video games at the neighbors’ Christmas Eve party? More importantly, how can a Christmas away from home not have a devastating impact on the volume of Christmas-morning loot?

Not that the Nelson kids have any real say in the matter. The tickets have been purchased. The bags have been packed. Peter will have to console himself with the belief that his friend Cody is right: that the Islands are teeming with topless women. Katie, meanwhile, will just have to trust that Santa is capable of adapting to rapidly changing circumstances.

Neither of them is prepared to understand why their father seems to have forgotten his true age, or why their mother is calling him a sex pony, or even why he pushed for the trip to Hawaii in the first place.

In the end, everyone is going to believe what he or she wants to believe about the world.

It’s going to be an interesting Christmas.

  • Genre: Christmas, Comedy and Humor, Coming of Age, Fiction, Holiday, Novellas and Short Stories
  • Format: 69 Pages, Kindle
  • Published: November 25, 2014 by BookBaby

ABOUT OWEN THOMAS

Owen Thomas is a life-long Alaskan living on Maui because life is too short for long winters. He has written six books: “The Lion Trees” (which has garnered over sixteen international book awards, including the Amazon Kindle Book Award, the Eric Hoffer Book Award, the Book and Author Book of the Year, the Beverly Hills International Book Award and, most recently, a finalist in the Book Excellence Awards); “Mother Blues,” (a novel of music and mystery set in post-Hurricane Harvey Texas); “Message in a Bullet: A Raymond Mackey Mystery,” (the first in a series of detective novels); “The Russian Doll” (the second installment in that series); “Signs of Passing” (a book of interconnected short stories, and winner of fourteen book awards, including the Pacific Book Awards for Short Fiction, also named one of the 100 Most Notable Books of the Year by Shelf Unbound Magazine); and “This is the Dream,” (a collection of stories and novellas that explore that perplexing liminal distance between who we are and what we want). Owen maintains an active fiction and photography blog on Facebook, Tumblr and on his author website at www.owenthomasliterary.com.

For the ninth consecutive year since he has been measuring his commercial success as an author, Owen has not won the Orange Prize for Fiction. Also, to great acclaim, he has not won the Man Booker Prize. Most recently, in April of 2020, Owen was not nominated for a Pulitzer.

Owen makes his home in Alaska and Hawaii. When he is not writing, Owen can be found recreating and taking photographs in the grandeur of these wonderfully picturesque locations. Some of these photos are posted on Owen’s photo blog, 1000 Words per Frame.

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Giveaway & Review – Santa’s Magical Reindeer by Michele Monaco @ireadbooktours

 



Book Details:

Book Title:  Santa’s Magical Reindeer: Becoming Pen Pals by Michele Monaco
Category:  Children’s Fiction (ages 3 to 7), 38 pages
Genre:  Children’s Book
Publisher:  Mascot Kids
Release date:   Nov 7, 2023
Content Rating:  G.  Suitable for everyone.

MY REVIEW

Michele Monaco and illustrator, Prabir Sharkar have created an entertaining fantasy of magical reindeers visiting three young girls, wanting them to be pen pals. The illustrations for the oversized book are colorful and fun, on heavy, slick pages for the youngsters to touch. The story may encourage the young to pick up pencil and paper and write to..anyone. There are a list of questions at then end for the kiddies to ask their favorite reindeer, Santa, or any pen pal they choose. I love books that encourage children to communicate in any form and stretch their imagination. Sure to entertain the child hiding in all of us.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars
Book Description:

Right after Thanksgiving is the busiest time of year for Santa and his crew of eight famous reindeer! Every year, the Famous Eight sleigh team from the North Pole eagerly helps Santa by going on a quest to find kids who believe in Christmas magic. In Santa’s Magical Reindeer: Becoming Pen Pals, Prancer, Vixen, and Dasher go on an adventure in search of eager pen pals. On their journey, they find three rambunctious girls who eagerly exchange letters with them and become lifelong friends.
Buy the Book:
Mascot Books

Amazon B&N
add to Goodreads
Meet the Author:

Michele Monaco has a great love for the Christmas season. She embraces the Christmas spirit all year round by remembering to look at life through the eyes of a child. As a mother of three beautiful and exuberant daughters, she believes in the magic that the holiday brings. Michele lives in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and enjoys traveling, reading, running, and enjoying the outdoors.

connect with author: website facebook ~ instagram 


Enter the Giveaway:

Santa’s Magical Reindeer: Becoming Pen Pals Book Tour Giveaway




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Giveaway – Christmas In The Crosshairs by Deena Alexander @dollycas DeenaAlexanderA


Christmas in the Crosshairs (Love Inspired Suspense)
by Deena Alexander

About Christmas in the Crosshairs


Christmas in the Crosshairs (Love Inspired Suspense)
Inspirational Romantic Suspense
Setting – Seaport, Long Island, New York
Love Inspired Suspense (November 28, 2023)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1335597794
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1335597793
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BTJ3BSJW

A baby in need of protection—

and a hitman in pursuit.

After evading an attack, defense attorney Adam Spencer is on the run from a dangerous hitman. The killer’s wife is Adam’s only hope at apprehending the criminal—until she lands in the hospital. Now he must depend on her twin sister, Jaelyn Reed, to find the answers they need…all while protecting the baby niece Jaelyn didn’t know she had. But with threats at every turn, trust may be the deadliest trap…

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

About Deena Alexander

Deena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, where she met and married her high school sweetheart. She recently relocated to Florida with her husband, three kids, a son-in-law, and four dogs. Now she enjoys long walks in nature all year long, despite the occasional alligator or snake she sometimes encounters. Deena’s love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night, and she now works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor.

Author Links

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Christmas Cheers – Scrapper’s Christmas Story by Maria J Andrade @birdchat @pumpupyourbook

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

A wonderfully illustrated story about a small dog with a big heart and a man with an even bigger one. I loved it. The illustrations are colorful and detailed. I feel a child would love to reach out and touch them. A story that is sure to capture anyone’s heart and spread the Christmas spirit.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

An Angel tells the story of a good hearted street dog named, “Scrapper,” who longs to find a love and a home. An amazing turn of events makes his dream come true on Christmas Day!

  • Format 36 pages, Paperback
  • Published November 18, 2022 by Clara Publishing
  • ISBN 9781734290004 (ISBN10: 1734290005)

ABOUT MARIA J ANDRADE

Maria Andrade is a Latinx author of adult and children’s books. She was born in the middle of the earth in Ecuador South America and raised in NY. and California. She was a licensed psycotherapist for thirty years.. She traveled with the Four Winds Society where she studied and was initiated into Andean shamanism in 1990

As a psychotherapist she specialized in relationship and women’s issues and founded the Wise Women’s Circle a ritualistic and transpersonal study group where women support each other in healing and growth of mind, body, and spirit. It is still active today.

Some of Maria books for children and adults are translated into Spanish.www.booksasfriends.com
Like her Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/mariaandrade…

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Romance and Happy Ever After – A Cowboy This Christmas: A Sweet Romance Antholgy by Roxy Boroughs @RoxyBoroughs

cowboy holiday romance
cowboy kissing beautiful woman at Christmas
cowboy kissing beautiful woman at Christmas
https://amzn.to/49b8xbn

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The wonderful thing about anthologies is meeting so many new authors at once. Are you looking for some cowboy romance? Some good, clean, fun. holiday reading, sure to put a smile on your face and maybe find some new authors to add to your reading list.

I enjoyed meeting each and every character, spending time in their world in or near Alberta, Canada. Each story is a novella that ends in a happy ever after. There was sadness and tears, and love and laughter. Some I cared for more than others, but each gave me something to take with me when I finished the story.

The first story I started with was Lawna Mackie because she is the only author I was familiar with and have enjoyed reading her stories.

Silver Belle’s Christmas Cowboy

…life in Alaska was what she wanted. Right?

Silver Belle is an ecologist with a degree in Zoology, caring for nine reindeer in Alaska. She’s working on her thesis, studying the reindeer. Problems arise and she may need to steal the reindeer to keep her promise. Yes, we do have a blizzard. That always adds a little extra to the story, especially when Jace Newman comes to the rescue. She has a heart as big and wide as the countryside and will stop at nothing to make a little girl’s dream come true for Christmas. A wonderfully magical Christmas story.

Another story that stood out for me was:

All I Want For Christmas by Victoria Chatham

Luke Evans is a rancher and plans to spend his Christmas alone with his trusty sidekick, Chloe, a Golden Retriever. A snowstorm delivers Kate Cooper and her five year daughter, Alice Cooper to his doorstep. Alice Cooper does not take after her namesake, rock and roll legend, Alice Cooper. She is sweet as molasses.

‘Christmas is better with snow.”

“Like cake with icing, Alice chimed in, pushing her way between them, pressing her nose against the windowpane, then looking up at him. “Why haven’t you got decorations?”

There are many adorable moments, with the innocence of Alice taking center stage, and the cute dialogue that only children can supply.

"I love all my presents....But really, all I want for Christmas is a daddy."

The happy ever after brought a tear or two to my eye.

My overall rating is a solid four and I highly recommend A Cowboy This Christmas for some Christmas novellas that are sure to put a smile on your face.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Limited time price offer!

At Christmas, even the loneliest cowboy can find true love, whether it arrives with the subtle fragrance of evergreen or the kick of a wild stallion. Celebrate the holiday season with these nine, short, sweet, and heartwarming contemporary romances.

The Cowboy’s Comeback Christmas – by Jan O’Hara, USA Today Bestselling Author
The woman formerly known as Shrinking Violet is back, bearing a new no-nonsense attitude and a deadline for leaving town. Five Christmases ago, Russ broke both their hearts. Can he prove he’s a changed man and convince her to stay?

Capturing the Christmas Cowboy – by Roxy Boroughs, Amazon Bestselling Author
To secure her job with an advertising company, an L.A. photographer travels to the wilds of Montana, searching for a rugged cowboy to peddle cheap cologne. There she meets a down-on-his-luck, camera-shy rancher, who wants to give his little brother a homespun Christmas – just like the ones they knew before they lost their parents.

A Rocking Horse Christmas – by Raine Hughes, Amazon Bestselling Author
Recovering from a life-changing injury, a bronc buster drives across Canada with his young sons to work as a ranch foreman. Heart-sore owner, Sally, hides a wariness of being touched with a warm, hopeful smile. Will the miracle of Christmas help them find true healing love?

Candy Cane Cowboy – by A.M. Westerling, Amazon Bestselling Author
Mandy Robinson, a server in a country diner is puzzled when her encounters with the new short order chef, injured bull rider, Chay Burton, seem to mirror events as chronicled over a hundred years ago in her great grandmother’s diary. Romance blossoms as Christmas approaches but should she trust the journal that hints of eventual heartbreak or a cowboy who only has his love to offer?

All I Want for Christmas – by Victoria Chatham, BWL Bestselling Author
Rancher Luke Evans expects to spend Christmas alone. When a snowstorm strands Kate Cooper and her five-year-old daughter Alice, that changes. While the child’s smile warms his heart, will widowed emergency nurse Kate dare to love again? Could she and Alice become the family Luke always wanted?

Silver Belle’s Christmas Cowboy – by Lawna Mackie
Being the caregiver to nine reindeer in Alaska has many challenges, including a promise Silver Belle Delaney intends to fulfill. Granted, there are a few hiccups. Steal her employer’s reindeer…oh, and his truck and trailer, drive through a blizzard, then hope and pray the handsome, wealthy rancher doesn’t throw her in jail on Christmas Eve.

My Cowboy, Until Christmas – by Shawna Mumert, Debut Author
Desperate to keep her ranch, Caroline Bailey, a young widow, hires Trace Morgan, a drifter, to help her until Christmas Eve, when the final ranch payment is due, but working together changes their dreams and their lives.

Come Home for Christmas, Cowboy – by Amy Jo Fleming
Jolene, a young widow, needs to sell the ranch that she loves. It’s the only home her son Cody has ever known. There’s a catch. Her late husband’s cousin owns half the property. Devon will be home for the holidays and Jolene needs to convince him to sell before Christmas. Will those old feelings that Jolene and Devon once shared ruin her plans?

A Heart Creek Christmas – by Joanie Wilde, Debut Author
A kind-hearted equine osteopath lands her dream job – and possibly the love of her life in a broken-down cowboy. Can they move past their personal barriers to find love in time for Christmas?

This anthology is the work of nine independent-minded women who live in or near cattle country, Alberta.

  • Genre: Anthology, Cowboys, Romance
  • 560 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication November 2, 2023

Devour these 9 short, sweet romances along with your shortbread

Tropes include, but are not limited to:

  • second-chance romances
  • country Christmas and small town settings
  • important secrets
  • opposites attract
  • city versus country
  • forgiveness and redemption
  • wackadoodle BFFs
  • and of course, 9 happy endings!

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Giveaway – Holly Baubles And Murder by Victoria Tait @dollycas


Holly, Baubles and Murder:
A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Amateur Sleuth
(A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery) by Victoria Tait

About Holly, Baubles and Murder

Holly, Baubles and Murder:
A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Amateur Sleuth
(A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery)

Cozy Mystery
8th in Series
Setting – Yorkshire, England
Kanga Press (October 20, 2023)
Number of Pages c. 240
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C9NXPJ1Xchirs

A joyful Christmas festival turns deadly when a corpse ends up as the chilling centerpiece. Can an amateur sleuth unwrap the tinsel-tangled mystery before the merry cheer melts away?

Talented antique enthusiast, Dotty Sayers, is thrilled to be organising a Christmas display at a Yorkshire country house. She enjoys decking the halls, but the season is far from jolly when the chief guide is found dead, her body as cold as ice.

When cops dismiss the death, Dotty turns to her prickly American colleague, only to learn he has his own secrets to solve. But when he disappears, this amateur detective fears the festive charades have become far deadlier.

Can Dotty string together the clues and bring to light the killer?

About Victoria Tait

Victoria Tait was born and raised in Yorkshire, England. After following her military husband around the world, she drew on her life’s experiences, and a love of Agatha Christie, Father Brown, and Murder She Wrote, to write British-based cozy mysteries.

Her determined female sleuths are joined by colourful and quirky teams of helpers, and her settings are vivid and realistic. As you’re compelled to keep turning the pages, you’ll be irresistibly drawn into a world where you’ll experience surprises, humour, and sometimes, a tug on your heartstrings.

Do you like tea, mysteries, and books? Then why not join Victoria’s TeaCozy Club for regular news and updates, and download the free prequel to the Dotty Sayers Antique Mysteries series as a gift by visiting VictoriaTait.com

Who doesn’t like tea, cake, and a slice of murder?

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Giveaway – A Patch Of Romance by J C Valentine @xpressotours

A Patch of Romance
J.C. Valentine
(A Coffee Break Mystery, #4)
Publication date: October 25th 2023
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Romance

Callie’s status as a single mom is about to end when she meets up with local dad, Scott Prince, at the pumpkin patch. Love is definitely in the air…or is that just pumpkin spice? Either way, Callie is about to embark on a seriously satisfying journey. That is, until the mystery knocker comes knocking. Is it just a Halloween prank, or is someone trying to send her a message—the deadly kind?

As Callie and Scott traverse the dating life with one another and ring in the holidays with the hope of uniting them all as one big, patchwork family, the lingering question of who keeps knocking and what they want looms in the shadows, waiting to be answered. Will Callie and Scott reveal the truth behind the eerie knocking before something it’s too late? And will they ever get their happily ever after?

Follow Callie and Scott’s journey from wary strangers to soulmates in this feel-good holiday romance. With a friends-to-lovers romance, family bonding moments, cozy Christmas traditions, and a found family trope, this wholesome love story will get you in the holiday spirit. Curl up with a mug of hot cocoa and let the magic of the season bring this unlikely pair together one knock at a time.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

“Okay, you wild banshees, costumes are ready to go!” I called up the stairs. Instantly, I heard the pounding of little feet as Lily and Ethan raced down the stairs, with Lily predictably in the lead, eager to transform into their Halloween alter-egos.

“Beware the Headless Horseman!” Lily cried, tossing her hooded cape dramatically over her grinning face. Next to her, Ethan was assembling his white boxy Minecraft costume, complete with pixelated foam sword.

I knelt down and made the final adjustments, securing Ethan’s headpiece and Lily’s belt, then ushered them toward the door. “Let’s hit those sidewalks before all the good candy is gone!” I declared.

It was still light outside when we stepped out onto the porch. Ghosts, superheroes, princesses, and witches were already parading up and down the street as families got the trick-or-treating underway. The crisp air twinkled with magic and excitement as neighbors called out compliments on costumes, and I inhaled the heavenly, smoky scent of burning wood that several people were using to keep warm as they passed out candy.

We weren’t far into our route when I heard rapid footsteps approaching. Lily and Ethan’s faces lit up as Scott and his son came into view dressed in matching blow-up dinosaur costumes. I couldn’t help laughing as I watched their giant dino heads bobble to and fro as they swished toward us.

“Hey, guys!” Scott greeted, slightly out of breath. Since our pumpkin carving hangout, we’d been planning for the kids to do Halloween night trick-or-treating together too. I was relieved he was making it easy for me to take this second opportunity with no strings attached.

“Dad, can we go show Ms. Molly our costumes?” Lily asked eagerly.

I nodded indulgently, enjoying seeing my kids having a good time. After waiting a few moments for Lily, Ethan, and Stanley to run up the walkway to show off their costumes to their principal, we began a slow, easy walk from house to house, stealing pieces of candy here and there, as the kids ran back and forth down driveways and bonded with each other more.

Author Bio:

J.C. Valentine is the USA Today and International bestselling author of the Night Calls and Wayward Fighters Series and the Forbidden Trilogy. Her vivid imagination and love of words and romance had her penning her own romance stories from an early age, which, despite being poorly edited and written longhand, she forced friends and family members to read. No, she isn’t sorry.

Living in the Northwest, she has three amazing children and far too many pets. Among the many hats she wears, J.C. is an entrepreneur. Having graduated with honors, she holds a Bachelor’s in English and when she isn’t writing, you can find her editing for fellow authors.

Sign up for J.C.’s newsletter and never miss a thing! http://bit.ly/1KxXWWB

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HMMMM – Twas The Bite Before Christmas by David Rosenfelt #netgalley #twasthebitebeforechristmas

I want to thank NetGalley and MacMillan for the opportunity to read Twas The Bite Before Christmas by Davidrosenfeld. This is book 28 in the series, so I thought I couldn’t go wrong.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Okay, before I get into the story, I will tell you, it was the cover and title that hooked me. Yeah, I read the blurb and all, but I still ended up feeling a bit disappointed and misled. Sure, the dogs are there, but they don’t do like the ‘normal’ animals in a cozy mystery. And bite in the title?

Derek Moore is revealed as being in the witness protection program, when he is arrested for murder. As his friend, lawyer Andy Carpenter is on the case. Seeing this is book #28 in the series, I expected big things.

Sure, we have a mystery, but at times, it felt like a police procedural or a legal mystery. I did enjoy the story, but I doubt I would actively seek out another Andy Carpenter series book. With David Rosenfeld having such a huge collection of books, others may enjoy the books much more than I did.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

In National Bestseller David Rosenfelt’s ‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas, all through the Carpenter house, five dogs are stirring, and not even Andy can get out of working this latest case at his door.

Reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter is at the Tara Foundation’s annual Christmas party. The dog rescue organization has always been his true calling, and this is one holiday tradition he can get behind because every dog that’s come through the rescue—and their families—are invited to celebrate.

This year’s party is no exception. But before the stockings can be hung by the chimney with care, homicide detectives ruin the evening. Derek Moore, one of the foundation’s best foster volunteers, is arrested for murder.

Andy discovers Derek—whose real name is Bobby—is in the witness protection program after giving evidence against his former gang. The police believe Bobby murdered a member. But Bobby swears to Andy he didn’t do this. He’s built a new life, a new business, has two new dogs after being a double foster-failure.

There isn’t much Andy likes about this case, but he likes Bobby. If he’s innocent, Andy wants to help. Before Andy can settle down for his long winter’s nap, he has a client’s name to clear, a murderer to catch, and two new dogs to look after: a golden and a Dalmatian. Andy’s golden retriever, Tara, will have to adjust to not being the only golden at the house while Andy gets to the bottom of this one…

  • Genre: Christmas, Cozy Mystery, Holiday, Mystery,
  • 304 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication October 10, 2023 by Minotaur Books
  • Language: English
  • Series: Andy Carpenter #28

ABOUT DAVID ROSENFELT

I am a novelist with 27 dogs.

I have gotten to this dubious position with absolutely no planning, and at no stage in my life could I have predicted it. But here I am.

My childhood was relentlessly normal. The middle of three brothers, loving parents, a middle-class home in Paterson, New Jersey. We played sports, studied sporadically. laughed around the dinner table, and generally had a good time. By comparison, “Ozzie and Harriet’s” clan seemed bizarre.

I graduated NYU, then decided to go into the movie business. I was stunningly brilliant at a job interview with my uncle, who was President of United Artists, and was immediately hired. It set me off on a climb up the executive ladder, culminating in my becoming President of Marketing for Tri-Star Pictures. The movie landscape is filled with the movies I buried; for every “Rambo”, “The Natural” and “Rocky”, there are countless disasters.

I did manage to find the time to marry and have two children, both of whom are doing very well, and fortunately neither have inherited my eccentricities.

A number of years ago, I left the movie marketing business, to the sustained applause of hundreds of disgruntled producers and directors. I decided to try my hand at writing. I wrote and sold a bunch of feature films, none of which ever came close to being actually filmed, and then a bunch of TV movies, some of which actually made it to the small screen. It’s safe to say that their impact on the American cultural scene has been minimal.

About fourteen years ago, my wife and I started the Tara Foundation, named in honor of the greatest Golden Retriever the world has ever known. We rescued almost 4,000 dogs, many of them Goldens, and found them loving homes. Our own home quickly became a sanctuary for those dogs that we rescued that were too old or sickly to be wanted by others. They surround me as I write this. It’s total lunacy, but it works, and they are a happy, safe group.

Website / Facebook / Macmillan

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Delicious Delights Review for Bewitching Brews and Devilish Desserts by Roxanne Rhoads @RoxanneRhoads

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MY REVIEW

I love the amazing cover for Bewitching Brews and Devilish Desserts edited by Roxanne Rhoads. I have read a lot of books, especially cozies and some vampirish novels that have recipes for food and drink. I wanted to start the Halloween season off with some suggestions for your horrolicious season.

You may even find a new or familiar author to follow, a book to read, or a favorite cocktail and dessert. They witchly delights are sure to add a little something extra to your repertoire.

Some of the authors you will find in the book that shared their devilish delights: Roxanne Rhoads,Sharon Bayiss, Ami Blackwelder, Cassandra Lawson, Susannah Sandlin, Cherrie Mack, Maggie Mundy, Suzanne Johnson, Katalina Leon, and Kay Dee Royal.

I highly recommend grabbing a copy for your collection.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Stir up a little magic from our cauldron full of cocktails and desserts.

The authors of Bewitching Book Tours conjured a collection of delicious potions inspired by their books and characters.

Grab your wand (or spoon) and cast one of these spellbinding recipes today.

  • Witches
  • 50 pages, Kindle Edition
  • First published October 28, 2014 by Roxanne Rhoads

ABOUT ROXANNE RHOADS

Roxanne Rhoads is an author, book publicist, mixed media crafter, and lover of all things spooky.

Roxanne is the owner of Bewitching Book Tours, a virtual book tour and social media marketing company, she operates Fang-tastic Books, a book blog dedicated to paranormal and urban fantasy books, and she runs the blog, A Bewitching Guide to All Things Halloween, which is dedicated to everything Halloween related. Roxanne’s sells handcrafted jewelry, art and home decor through Bewitching Creations.

When not reading or writing, Roxanne loves to craft, plan Halloween adventures, and search for unique vintage finds.

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