Giveaway – A Parfait Crime by Maya Corrigan @dollycas


A Parfait Crime (A Five-Ingredient Mystery)
by Maya Corrigan

About A Parfait Crime


A Parfait Crime (A Five-Ingredient Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
9th in Series
Setting – Chesapeake Bay
Kensington Cozies (October 24, 2023)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496734599
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496734594
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BT8P2FYK

A granddaughter-grandfather sleuthing duo take on a perplexing new case in the latest culinary cozy mystery, sure to appeal to fans of Diane Mott, Joanne Fluke, and Katherine Hall Page.

At the site of a fatal blaze, Val’s boyfriend, a firefighter trainee, is shocked to learn the victim is known to him, a woman named Jane who belonged to the local Agatha Christie book club—and was rehearsing alongside Val’s grandfather for an upcoming Christie play being staged for charity. Just as shocking are the skeletal remains of a man found in the freezer. Who is he and who put him on ice?

After Val is chosen to replace Jane in the play, the cast gathers at their house to get to work—and enjoy Grandad’s five-ingredient parfaits—but all anyone can focus on is the bizarre real-life mystery. When it’s revealed that Jane’s death was due to something other than smoke inhalation, Val and Grandad try to retrace her final days. As they dig into her past life, their inquiry leads them to a fancy new spa in town—where they discover that Jane wasn’t the only one who had a skeleton in the cooler . . .

Includes delicious five-ingredient recipes!

About Maya Corrigan

Maya (Mary Ann) Corrigan writes the Five-Ingredient Mysteries featuring café manager  Val and her live-wire grandfather solving murders in a Chesapeake Bay town. Each book has five suspects, five clues, and Granddad’s five-ingredient recipes. In the 9th book of the series, A Parfait Crime, Val and Granddad rehearse an Agatha Christie play with a cast that includes murder suspects. A Virginia resident, Maya has taught college courses in writing, detective fiction, and literature.  When not reading and writing, she enjoys theater, travel, trivia, cooking, and crosswords. Visit her website — https://mayacorrigan.com — for book news, easy recipes, and mystery history and trivia.

Author Links 

Purchase Links – Kensington Paperback  – Kensington E-BookAmazonB&NKobo 

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Giveaway – Death By Theft by Abigail Keam @dollycas


Death By Theft: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery
by Abigail Keam

About Death by Theft


Death By Theft: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery
Cozy Mystery
19th in Series
Setting – Kentucky
Worker Bee Press (October 30, 2023)
Number of Pages ~200
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BVJSY15M

MY REVIEW

I do enjoy a good cozy mystery now and then and have read some of Abigail Keam’s work. I enjoyed her writing, so when I saw Death By Theft, about a foal being stolen, I wanted to check it out for myself.

I really liked Asa, a complicated character that doesn’t seek out danger, but can be counted on to find out answers, especially when her family and friends have a problem. Josiah is a bit on the nosy side and dead bodies seem to appear whenever she is around.

I’ve mentioned the characters that stood out to me, but there are plenty more that have their place, adding depth to the story. After all, the more, the merrier, right?

Are the theft of the foal and the murder of Juan Gomez connected? Seems logical to me that they would be. But why? As the mystery unfolds, we have enough suspects to muddy the waters and things are not always as they appear to be.

When the Last Chance Mote in Key Largo is mentioned, I do remember a trip I took there, in The Mermaid’s Carol…and I enjoyed it very much. It is a magical place where you can relax and rejuvenate. Asa and her mother need it, after solving the mystery of the theft of the foal and the death of Juan Gomez.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Josiah is happy for her pals Lady Elsmere and Shaneika Mary Todd when broodmare Jean Harlow gives birth to a male foal sired by Comanche. The owners of both horses have high hopes the foal will become a stakes winner—maybe even win the Kentucky Derby. The foal has a broad chest, indicating significant lung capacity—important for winning races, but just like his daddy, the foal is ebony with a bad attitude.

Josiah and Shaneika visit dam Jean Harlow early one morning and are shocked to find the prized foal is missing. They frantically search Lady Elsmere’s and Josiah’s farms without success. It’s urgent they find the foal fast as he is not yet weaned and is too young to be separated from his mother. Who would snatch the feisty foal from his mother’s care? And equally important, why?

Death By A HoneyBee
Death By Drowning
Death By Bridle
Death By Bourbon
Death By Lotto
Death by Chocolate
Death by Haunting
Death By Derby
Death By Design
Death By Malice
Death By Drama
Death By Stalking
Death By Deceit
Death By Magic
Death By Shock
Death By Chance
Death By Poison
Death By Greed
Death By Theft

About Abigail Keam

Abigail Keam is an award-winning and Amazon best-selling author who writes the Josiah Reynolds Mystery Series about a Southern beekeeper turned amateur female sleuth. Besides loving history, Kentucky bourbon, and chocolate, Abigail loves honeybees and for many years made her living by selling honey at a farmers’ market like her protagonist, Josiah Reynolds. She is an award-winning beekeeper who has won many honey awards at the Kentucky State Fair including the Barbara Horn Award, which is given to beekeepers who rate a perfect 100 in a honey competition.

Miss Abigail has taken her knowledge of beekeeping to create a fictional beekeeping protagonist, Josiah Reynolds, who solves mysteries in the Bluegrass. While Miss Abigail’s novels are for enjoyment, she discusses the importance of a local sustainable food economy and land management for honeybees and other creatures.

She currently lives on the Kentucky River in a metal house with her husband and various critters. She still has honeybees.

AWARDS
2010 Gold Medal Award from Readers’ Favorite for Death By A HoneyBee
2011 Gold Medal Award from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Drowning
2011 USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books List of 2011 as a Finalist for Death By Drowning
2011 USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books List of 2011 as a Finalist for Death By A HoneyBee
2017 Finalist from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Design
2019 Honorable Mention from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Stalking
2019 Top 10 Mystery Novels from Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A Blue Moon2
2019 Honorable Mention from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Stalking: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery
2019 Top 10 Mystery Novels from Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A Blue Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery
2020 Imadjinn Award for Best Mystery – Death By Stalking: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery
2022 Finalist in Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Finalist for Best Historical Category – Murder Under A Full Moon
2022 Finalist for the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for Best Historical Category – Murder Under A New Moon
2022 Death By Chance: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Finalist for Best Cozy Mystery
2022 Top Ten Mystery Novel by Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A Bridal Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery
2022 Top Ten Mystery Novel by Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A British Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery

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Giveaway – In The Key Of Dead by Zaida Alfaro @dollycas


In the Key of Dead: A Miami Music Mystery
by Zaida Alfar

About In the Key of Dead

In the Key of Dead: A Miami Music Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Florida
Cozy Cat Press (July 17, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 206 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 195257966X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1952579660
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CDHHNMBP

Killer songs and a killer voice land Vy in yet another melodic murder mystery. Interlude Records has signed Vy to a long-anticipated record deal after years of rejections, but she never thought that murder would be part of the deal. Now, Vy finds herself, yet again, at the center of a murder investigation that may change the course of her music career.

It seems that someone doesn’t want Vy to record her album, and is doing everything to sabotage the release date, including murdering a key member of the production team. So Vy and her sister, Alexia, are back at it again—detecting in their own way. This time they’re using their quick-witted banter, and super sleuthing skills to ensure that Vy’s record makes it to the Billboard Top 100 list before the murderer makes it to the Miami Beach Police Department’s most wanted list.

They say the music industry is cutthroat, but Vy has never taken that statement literally. Could this be the strum of Vy’s guitar playing her last note IN THE KEY OF DEAD?

About Zaida Alfaro

The Miami Music Mystery series’ main backdrop, the amazing city of Miami, Florida, is beloved and well-known to me. I was born and raised in Miami, and like the novel’s main character Vy, I am a singer/songwriter, Grammy-considered, independent artist. All things relating to music or literature are my passion.

Many years ago, I became an avid reader of cozy mysteries. The storylines were intriguing, engaging, and funny at the same time. I was so inspired by the authors, that I then decided to take my musical experiences, and put it on paper. I published my first novel, The Last Note, a Miami Music Mystery. Now, I have brought my characters back to life, in the sequel, In the Key of Dead, a Miami Music Mystery. The phobias, the dream sequences, and the quirkiness of the main characters, are all based on facts. I hope that I was able to, once again, show the readers of my novels, the love I have for Miami, the Cuban culture, my family, and music. For more information, visit www.zaidamusic.com

Author Links

Purchase Links – Amazon Kindle    Amazon Paperback

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Giveway & Review – Finding Fionn by M J Evans @ireadbooktours


 

Book Details:
Book Title:  Finding Fionn – A Mystery Inspired by the Kidnapping of the Irish Racehorse Shergar by M. J. Evans
Category: Young Adult Fiction (Ages 13-17)
Genre: Mystery/Crime
Publisher:  Dancing Horse Press, 310 pages
Release date:  October 17 2023
Content Rating:  Rated G – Completely clean

MY REVIEW

I love books based on true events and animals, so when I got a chance to get my hands on Finding Fionn by M J Evans, I had to have it. Finding Fionn is a mystery based on the kidnapping of Shergar, an Irish thoroughbred who had an amazing winning record.

Before I even cracked open the book, I was surfing for information on Shergar, the horse the book was based on. My biggest takeaway was how thought provoking the story was. Could there be some truth to the fiction?

M J Evans explains the IRA position in a simple to understand manner for such a complex situation. I have read other books where the IRA made an appearance and it was always hard for me to understand…why the conflict? Also, once their first kidnapping, to finance their war, was successful, why would they quit there? But a horse?

Fionn MacCool was a very successful racer and quickly put to stud. Patrick McCallin was the lucky, young jockey who got him there. It had been Patrick’s dream to be a jockey and when Fionn was taken, he was not going to stand by and watch as they closed the case.

It’s fun when a group of young people come together to solve a mystery. We have danger, betrayal and greed…the things people will do for money, never satisfied with what they have.

Finding Fionn is a wonderful story of a boy’s love for horses and his desire to be a jockey. I love the thought provoking conclusion and I think I will make my own conjecture on what really happened to the horse, Shergar, that the story was based on. I love that we have a happy ever after for Fionn MacCool, not so for Shergar.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

A fast-paced story that will have mystery fans and horse lovers thoroughly captivated.  – Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Reader’s favorite

Book Description:

The excitement felt in the Winner’s Circle vanishes when the jockey’s beloved horse disappears from his stall in the dark of night. Patrick McCallin is a young Irish lad growing up in the 1980’s when all of Ireland is groaning under the weight of The Troubles. Born to ride, he pays little mind to the political unrest going on around him. He dreams only of becoming a jockey. Patrick’s dream comes true when he is selected to ride an up-and-coming Thoroughbred, named Fionn MacCool, in the biggest races in England and Ireland. Race after race ends with Fionn and Patrick in the Winner’s Circle. The pair captures the heart of all Ireland. But the dream becomes a nightmare when Patrick’s beloved horse is kidnapped and held for ransom. When the horse’s owner refuses to pay and the Irish Garda closes the case, Patrick and his best friends, Ronan and Maddie, have no choice but to find Fionn themselves.
Buy The Book:
Amazon ~ B&N

add to Goodreads


Meet the Author:

M.J. Evans is the author of more than twenty award-winning books for middle-graders, young adults, adults, and even a few picture books. Most of her titles are about horses or horse fantasy creatures. Ms. Evans is a graduate of Oregon State University and a former teacher of middle school and high school students. She is the mother of five and the grandmother of twelve. She and her husband live in Colorado.

connect with the author: website ~ instagram ~  facebook ~ goodreads ~ pinterest
Enter the Giveaway:
FINDING FIONN Book Tour Giveaway




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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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The Spotlights Is On Murder By The Stroke by C S McDonald @ireadbooktours @CSMcDonald7


 

Join us for this spotlight tour from Oct 2 to Nov 2, 2023!

Book Details:

Book Title:  Murder by the Stroke (A Fiona Quinn Mystery) 
Author:  C.S. McDonald
Category:  Adult Fiction, 260 pages
Genre:  Cozy Mystery
Publisher:  McWriter Books
Release date:  Nov 2023
Content Rating:  G. C.S. McDonald’s books are appropriate for YA readers as well as adults–no bad language or sexual content.
Book Description:

Detective Landry’s old flame is drop-dead gorgeous, and so are her paintings!

Pittsburgh’s most influential cultural enthusiasts are overjoyed when famous artist, Vashti, has scheduled a gala followed by a weeklong exhibit of her latest works. On the other hand, Detective Nathan Landry isn’t so excited about the invitation he has received to the gala. Back in the day, he and the renowned painter were lovers. That is, when her name was Sadie Jensen, or as Nathan’s sister liked to call her, “Psycho Sadie.”

Art experts, and collectors alike, have been intrigued by a tiny brush stroke, known as an 
invisible stroke. So subtle and out of place is the technique, that Vashti’s elusive stroke has become as famous as a Where’s Waldo search.

Meanwhile, Fiona finds herself captivated by more than Vashti’s flair for the obscure. Rather, she is far more interested in the gorgeous artist and Nathan’s past. Against his wishes, Fiona, her mother, and her mother-in-law attend the exhibit.

Indeed, Vashti’s paintings are killing it in the art world, and in more ways than one.
Buy the Book:
(available for pre-order)
Amazon 

Meet the Author:

For twenty-six years C.S. McDonald’s life whirled around a song and a dance. Classically trained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, The Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, and many others, she became a professional dancer and choreographer. During that time, she choreographed many musicals and an opera for the Pittsburgh Savoyards. In 2011 she retired from her dance career to write. Under her real name, Cindy McDonald, she writes murder-suspense and romantic suspense novels. In 2014 she added the pen name, C.S. McDonald, to write children’s books for her grandchildren. In 2016 she added the Fiona Quinn Mysteries to that expansion. She decided to write the cozy mystery series that everyone, including teens and tweens, can read and enjoy. Presently, the Fiona Quinn Mysteries includes nine books with a tenth slated for 2021. The books are also available on audio, narrated by Maren Swenson Waxenberg.

Cindy’s newest venture is The Owl’s Nest Mysteries. Once again, she has set her cozy mystery in Pittsburgh and the female protagonist, Alexa Owl, is much different from Fiona Quinn. The Owl’s Nest Mysteries has a little grit, a little time travel, a little romance, and a whole lot of cozy!

Ms. McDonald resides on her Thoroughbred farm known as Fly by Night Stables near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Bill, and her poorly behaved Cocker Spaniel, Allister. 


Connect with the author:  Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook ~ Instagram




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  • Giveaway – A Nutcracker Nightmare by Christina Romeril @dollycas @RomerilChris

    A Nutcracker Nightmare (A Killer Chocolate Mystery)
    by Christina Romeril

    About A Nutcracker Nightmare


    A Nutcracker Nightmare (A Killer Chocolate Mystery)
    Cozy Mystery
    2nd in Series
    Setting – Montana
    Crooked Lane Books (October 17, 2023)
    Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
    ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639104917
    ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639104918
    Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BSKRF471

    Perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke and Laura Childs, when twin sisters Hanna and Alex help out at the local high school reunion, volunteering takes a turn when they find a former classmate’s dead body.

    Hanna and Alex, owners of the Murder and Mayhem book and chocolate shop, are busy preparing for the Harriston High School’s reunion weekend. Neighbors will connect with old friends and perhaps try to avoid old foes. One person no one can avoid is Kyle, the former star quarterback, who is busy using his entire playbook to try and score with Hanna, even threatening her if she doesn’t play nice. At the reunion, Alex glimpses more drama than nostalgia as insults are flung around like a football at a Friday night game. The party is put on hold when Alex finds the dead body of none other than Kyle himself, bludgeoned to death by a nutcracker that the sisters admired earlier in the night.

    Hanna quickly becomes the prime suspect—someone saw her slap Kyle in the face at the reunion dance. She’ll need her sister, their sleuthing canine, Watson, and their old friends and colleagues to help break this case wide open. While looking through old yearbooks and taking a stroll down memory lane, Alex uncovers a few secrets about Kyle, now, it seems like everyone had a motive to kill him.

    But when the suspects start becoming the victims, Alex and Hanna know that they can’t melt under the pressure—they must find the killer before they become just another yearbook memory.

    About Christina Romeril

    Christina Romeril is the author of the Killer Chocolate Mystery series. The series is set in Montana at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, one of her favourite places to visit. She and her husband live a few hours away in a small village in Southern Alberta. When Christina isn’t writing she loves to hike in Waterton Lakes National Park, or just hang out there eating gourmet hot dogs and ice cream. When the former banker isn’t enjoying nature, she loves to create and consume chocolate confections. Not necessarily in that order.

    Purchase Links – AmazonB&NKoboBookshop.org 

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    Sanctuary Motel by Alan Orloff #SanctuaryMotel #NetGalley

    I want to thank NetGalley and Level Best Books for the opportunity to read and review Sanctuary Motel by Alan Orloff.

    Amazon / Goodreads

    MY REVIEW

    Sanctuary Motel by Alan Orloff caught my eye because of the colorful cover and the title. What kind of sanctuary? When I read the blurb, I loved the premise. He’s not rich and powerful, but what he does have, he is willing to share with those who are less fortunate and in need of a helping hand.

    Many, like his parents and uncle, may think he really is a Mess, but Mess marches to the beat of a drummer they can’t understand. With the help of Cesar, who keeps the place running, and a few other unique friends, they are willing to put their life on the line when a woman and her teenage son come to stay. They never anticipated it would be as complicated as it became and the danger level rises with each turn.

    The description of Sanctuary Motel by Alan Orloff being a noir crime novel fits to a T. It’s more than a cozy and less than a suspense/thriller.

    Myself, I love staying in motels. Sure, they may not be the best accommodations, but I love that you can park your car right outside your door. No muss, no fuss getting to your room. They can have everything hotels have, just easier access to it. And….if they had an owner like Mess, it sure would make it interesting.

    The story, for me, was Mess. A man that goes above and beyond. A man who gives more than he gets. Isn’t that outside the norm we hear about? Sure, it may seem like he lacks ambition, but I think he’s on hold until his true ‘mission’ in life appears. Could it be in the form of a woman? We shall see, since this is Book I in the Mess Hopkins series.

    There is nothing wrong with Sanctuary Motel. It has all the elements for a good mystery. For me, it seems, well, not enough. I do enjoy a lighter story, a relaxing read, but I revel in white knuckled, life or death urgency that makes it impossible for me to put the book down. All that being said, I will have my eye on future Mess Hopkins novels.

    Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
    3 Stars

    GOODREADS BLURB

    Mess Hopkins, proprietor of the seen-better-days Fairfax Manor Inn, never met a person in need who couldn’t use a helping hand—his helping hand. So he’s thrown open the doors of the motel to the homeless, victims of abuse, or anyone else who could benefit from a comfy bed with clean sheets and a roof overhead. This rankles his parents and uncle, who technically still own the place and are more concerned with profits than philanthropy.

    When a mother and her teenage boy seek refuge from an abusive husband, Mess takes them in until they can get back on their feet. Shortly after arriving, the mom goes missing and some very bad people come sniffing around, searching for money they claim belongs to them. Mess tries to pump the boy for helpful information, but he’s in full uncooperative teen mode—grunts, shrugs, and monosyllabic answers. From what he does learn, Mess can tell he’s not getting the straight scoop. It’s not long before the boy vanishes too. Abducted? Run away? Something worse? And who took the missing money? Mess, along with his friend Vell Jackson and local news reporter Lia Katsaros, take to the streets to locate the missing mother and son—and the elusive, abusive husband—before the kneecapping loansharks find them first.

    • Genre: Fiction, Noir Crime, Suspense, Thriller
    • Format; 301 pages, Kindle Edition
    • Expected publication: October 24, 2023 by Level Best Books
    • Language: English

    ABOUT ALAN ORLOFF

    Before Alan stepped off the corporate merry-go-round, he had an eclectic (some might say disjointed) career. As an engineer, he worked on nuclear submarines, supervised assembly workers in factories, facilitated technology transfer from the Star Wars program, and learned to stack washing machines three high in a warehouse with a forklift. He even started his own recycling and waste reduction newsletter business. Now he writes fiction.

    His debut mystery, DIAMONDS FOR THE DEAD, was a finalist for the Best First Novel Agatha Award. He writes the Last Laff Mystery Series: KILLER ROUTINE (#1) and DEADLY CAMPAIGN (#2), and has three e-book originals, THE TASTE (horror/thriller), FIRST TIME KILLER (thriller), and RIDE-ALONG (suspense).

    He wrote the thrillers RUNNING FROM THE PAST and PRAY FOR THE INNOCENT (winner of the ITW Thriller Award for Best E-Book Original).

    His novel, I KNOW WHERE YOU SLEEP is a Shamus Award finalist for Best First P.I. Novel.

    His YA thriller, I PLAY ONE ON TV, comes out July 19, 2021 from Down & Out Books.

    His short fiction has appeared in numerous publications, including JEWISH NOIR, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, CHESAPEAKE CRIMES: STORM WARNING, Mystery Weekly, NOIR AT THE SALAD BAR, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, five consecutive issues of the BEST NEW ENGLAND CRIME STORIES, THE NIGHT OF THE FLOOD, MICKEY FINN, and MYSTERY MOST GEOGRAPHICAL.

    His story, “Rule Number One” (SNOWBOUND, Level Best Books), was selected for the 2018 edition of THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES anthology, edited by Louise Penny.

    His story, “Dying in Dokesville,” won a Derringer Award, and his story “Rent Due,” is an ITW Thriller Award finalist.

    Alan recently moved to South Florida. He loves cake and arugula, but not together.

    For more info, please visit his website: www.alanorloff.com

    Alan is sorry he wrote this bio in the third person.

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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

    Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Newsletter


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    Giveaway – The Water Tower by Amy Young @parternersincr1me @authoramyyoung

    The Water Tower by Amy Young Banner

    The Water Tower

    by Amy Young

    October 9 – November 3, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

    Synopsis:

    The Water Tower by Amy Young

    Josie Ashbury was a successful Hollywood actress with a booming career—until an on-set breakdown sends her back to her small Ohio hometown to recover. Taking a job teaching at her old high school, Josie is beginning to put the pieces of her life back together when one of her students dies under suspicious circumstances. The police close the case quickly, without any real answers. Josie is determined to find the truth behind the girl’s death.

    At the same time, Josie is battling demons of her own. As she faces debilitating insomnia that leaves her with gaps in her memory, she dives into the tangled secrets surrounding the investigation. When she finally unravels the web, she discovers that the truth lies much closer to home than she could have ever imagined.

    Praise for The Water Tower:

    “Start with a suspicious death of a beloved student, add a devoted former starlet turned drama teacher, and a dash of the police closing the case far too quickly, and you have the makings of a twisting and propulsive mystery. Amy Young’s The Water Tower will keep you flipping the pages to find out who killed the politician’s young daughter, and then have you checking if your teenager is where they should be tonight.”
    ~ Mary Keliikoa, multi-award nominated author of HIDDEN PIECES and the PI Kelly Pruett mystery series

    The Water Tower is an electrifying work of suspense that depicts a wonderful hometown setting. This slow-burn mystery with sparkling prose has a well-crafted plot that is at once engrossing and fully realized from beginning to end. I highly recommend this engaging mystery.”
    ~ David Putnam, Bestselling author of the Bruno Johnson series and Dave Beckett series

    Book Details:

    Genre: Mystery
    Published by: Level Best Books
    Publication Date: June 20, 2023
    Number of Pages: 290
    ISBN: 9781685122775
    Series: The Lakeview Mysteries, Book 1
    Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads

    Read an excerpt:

    Chapter 1

    She stood on the water tower, looking at the skyline she had only observed from the ground. You really could see the whole town from up here. Funny how your whole life can fit into one 360-degree glance. Peering down at the ground, she was no longer able to see individual blades of grass, all of them blurring into a sea of perfect emerald green. To her right was the roof of Lakeview High School, looking small from this vantage point. She felt as though if she leaned over far enough, she could almost touch it. But that was ridiculous; the school had to be several hundred feet away. Her vision came in and out of focus as she swayed, thinking about her life, her past, her future.

    In her three years at the school, she had never been up on the tower. No one she knew had been up here, either. Most students wouldn’t dare to scale it. Too scared of getting caught, too scared of breaking the rules, too scared of living. When she looked down at the ground, she thought she could see movement, like little grass men dancing and hopping around through a crowd of their peers. Kind of like high school. More like, exactly like high school. Everyone looks the same; maybe some are a bit taller, a bit shorter, a bit wider, but everyone dressed in essentially the same uniform, hopping over one another, trying to make their mark.

    How many feet above the ground was she—50, 60 feet? Was that high enough to kill you, or maybe just break a few bones? It would probably depend on how you hit the ground. Here she was, high above the town, pondering the angle at which you might hit the ground and live through the fall, the velocity at which an object might fall from here.

    Her body felt warm all over, despite the crisp air of late fall, and she took off her jacket and threw it aside. She leaned against the rail and spread her arms, allowing the breeze to blow through her, inhabiting every cell for just a moment, before moving off in another direction to go dance with someone else. Her 17 years had all been spent here, in this one place, in this small, boring town where, it seemed, nothing was all that was destined to happen.

    The clock tower chimed; it was 11:00. She felt she had eternity in front of her, the rest of this night, the rest of her life, stuck here in this town. Would she ever get out? Did it even matter if she did? She thought about the college catalogs arriving at home, the hundreds of pages of sales pitches clamoring for her family’s money. The sprawling campuses, the smiling students, the serious, but friendly, professors—what was the point? She would just end up back here, raising the same family as her friends, living the same life that her kids would eventually live.

    Reaching out her slender arm, she twirled her wrist. She could hardly wait for graduation when, everyone said, “real life” would begin. “I can’t wait to get out of here,” her friends exclaimed, dreaming of big cities and even bigger lives in far off places: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, anywhere but here. But she knew they would return, just like their parents, raising 2.5 kids with a Labradoodle and a balding husband in one of the best-little-suburbs in the country. Was it really so bad? She watched all these super-educated women who had given up their careers to stay home and clean up after the kids and drive to soccer practice, instead of changing the world as they’d so hopefully planned when plotting their escape years earlier. Was that her fate? Was that what awaited her now? Dozens of similar thoughts swirled and crashed like waves in front of her, mixing in a fantastic spray of colors, lights, and sounds.

    She was dead before she hit the ground.

    ***

    Excerpt from The Water Tower by Amy Young. Copyright 2023 by Amy Young. Reproduced with permission from Amy Young. All rights reserved.

     

     

    Author Bio:

    Amy Young

    Amy Young is an author, comedian, and actor based in Cleveland. After spending a decade in Los Angeles working in the entertainment industry and writing her debut novel, The Water Tower, she returned to Ohio to be closer to family. Amy is working on her second book, a thriller, and in her free time she enjoys going to the theatre, bingeing reality TV, and spending time with her husband and many, many cats. She has a B.A. in English from Kenyon College.

    Catch Up With Amy Young:
    AuthorAmyYoung.com
    Goodreads
    BookBub – @authoramyyoung1
    Instagram – @amypcomedy
    Twitter – @authoramyyoung
    Facebook – @authoramyyoung
    TikTok – @amypyoung1

     

     

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    • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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    • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
    • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
    • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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