Giveaway – The Legacy by C L Tolbert @partnersincr1me @cltolbertwrites

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The Legacy

A Thornton Mystery

by C. L. Tolbert

November 20 – December 15, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

The Legacy by C. L. Tolbert

A quiet tree-lined street in New Orleans erupts in panic when the body of Sally Wilcox is discovered by her landlord. Sally had been stabbed, and she was clutching a kitchen knife in her hand at the time of her death. Later, police discover evidence at the scene which implicates Sally’s son, Jeremy, in her murder. He was arrested the next day.

Law school professor Emma Thornton is convinced by a friend to take Jeremy’s case. She begins her investigation into Jeremy and his family, and the facts surrounding the night of the murder. Layer after layer of family secrets slowly reveal themselves, as the numbers of murders and kidnappings multiply.

Holding the key to the killer’s trail and the case’s final resolution, Emma’s success depends on whether she can maintain control over her own reckless impulses.

Praise for The Legacy:

“Fearless, relentless, compassionate, and driven by an unyielding sense of justice, law professor Emma Thornton battles mounting evidence in a race to save a mentally ill young man from a presumption of guilt in the gruesome murders of his parents.”
~ Roger Johns, a Georgia Author of the Year and author of the Wallace Hartman Mysteries

“Fearless Law Professor Emma Thompson returns to defend a young man with schizophrenia accused of murdering his mother. Faced with a second murder, an unscrupulous prosecutor, a family with mental health issues, a pusher of pain meds, and a Gitanes-smoking stalker, Emma finds her marriage in jeopardy and her life on the line. Author C. L. Tolbert proves the Big Easy has never been easy, especially for a fighter like Emma whom I would follow anywhere.”
~ Valerie J. Brooks, award-winning author of the Angeline Porter Trilogy

“Unwavering in her conviction, law professor Emma Thornton must navigate a labyrinth of lies and deception to arrive at the truth and vindicate a disturbed young man wrongly accused of murder. Not only a suspenseful story, The Legacy represents the triumph of the human spirit to persevere in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.”
~ Lawrence Kelter, International bestselling author of the Stephanie Chalice Mystery Series

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: November 2023
Number of Pages: 260
ISBN: 9781685124267
Series: A Thornton Mystery, #4
Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

CHAPTER ONE

March 19, 1997

Sally Wilcox wiped her hands on the dish cloth and folded it neatly before placing it on the kitchen counter. It had been a long day at the shop. Two funerals down and they had already started preparing for a weekend wedding. She loved working with flowers, but the job triggered her sciatica. She could hardly stand by the end of the day. She was glad to be home.

She hobbled to the TV room, and sat down on the couch, the pain in her body immediately eased by the down-filled cushions. She bumped into the table next to the couch and knocked over her favorite photograph of her kids, Jeremy and Becky. She placed the frame back on the table and stared at it for several seconds. She missed them so much.

The cat curled into a circle on her lap as she propped her legs up on a fluffy ottoman. Comforted by her surroundings, she dozed off almost immediately.

Three hours later she was awakened by the sound of static from her television. Channel Six had signed off for the night and refrains from the national anthem had just begun. An American flag fluttered across the television screen. It was just past midnight. She moved the cat from her lap, turned off the television and all the downstairs lights, and began making her way up the stairs, toward her bedroom.

She stopped when she heard something that sounded like a restrained step. The cat’s ears twitched in the direction of the noise. Could someone, a stealthy burglar or worse, be creeping around the house? She almost laughed out loud, amused by her own foolishness. She was such a worrier. Of course, it had to be Charlie the parrot ruffling his feathers. She couldn’t remember if she draped the cloth over his seven-foot-tall cage.

Still, she waited, and listened, not moving for several seconds. Then she froze as she heard a thump. She glanced out of a nearby window and could see wind blowing in the trees. Thinking that a branch must have bumped against the roof, she stood on the stairs for a few more seconds. Just to be sure. Hearing nothing, and convinced everything was okay, she continued up the stairs. Six a.m. came early.

In her bedroom, she changed into her favorite nightgown, the silk one that felt like butter on her skin, cleaned her face, and flossed and brushed her teeth. No matter how exhausted she was, she always completed her nightly routine. Her mother had insisted on it when she was young and still at home, pointing to an aunt’s ravaged face as an example of what could happen if she didn’t comply. The practice had become her only indulgence.

The cat had already curled up on top of the coverlet when Sally pulled back the sheets. Then she heard another sound. A muffled bump.

She grabbed a robe and stepped into the upstairs hallway. The staircase and the light switch were only a few feet from her bedroom door. She found the switch and flipped the toggle up, but nothing happened.

“What the…,” she whispered.

The cat rubbed up against Sally’s legs, and she jumped.

Then she heard another sound, and glanced out of the window at the end of the hall. The trees were still blowing fiercely. She tip-toed down the first two steps and peered over the banister, unable to see anything in the dark. She continued down the staircase, stopping every few feet to listen.

When she was at the second step from the bottom she stopped.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” Her voice quavered.

“Youuu Whooo!” Charlie was awake now.

She still couldn’t see anything but didn’t hear any unexpected sounds in the house. She shook her head, embarrassed by her over-reaction. The sounds had to be from Charlie, or maybe it was the wind in the trees. But just to be safe, she fled to the kitchen, feeling her way in the dark, and grabbed a knife from the block on the counter. Then she stopped, making certain all was well, and turned to retrace her steps back to her bedroom.

Seconds later she felt a sharp punch in her stomach. She swung the knife she clutched in her hand, wildly stabbing into space until she felt a resistance. She’d nicked something. She turned, and raised her hand, stabbing blindly, then felt another punch in her stomach, and one in her chest. Then another and another. A warm liquid flowed down her legs. Her hand flew to a spot on her chest where she felt piercing pain and she realized that blood was pouring from her body. Something had happened. Someone was in front of her. She could sense their presence. Hear their breathing. She’d been stabbed.

Her robe was wet, and blood was beginning to drip onto the floor. She felt dizzy. Her legs were on fire, as if a thousand needles had been jabbed into her shins. Then her legs started to shake. She collapsed, falling to the ground on her knees.

Then a swift rush of air. She wasn’t certain what it was until it was too late. She saw

the knife this time. And a dark figure.

Charlie squawked, “Youu whooo!”

The last thing she felt was a crushing pain in her chest. Her heart, already broken, had stopped.

***

Excerpt from THE LEGACY by C.L. Tolbert. Copyright 2023 by C.L. Tolbert. Reproduced with permission from C.L. Tolbert. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

C.L. Tolbert

Licensed in Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi, Cynthia Tolbert retired after thirty-five years of practicing law and began writing full time. After winning the Georgia State Bar Fiction Writing Contest, she developed the winning short story into the first novel in the Thornton Mystery Series, OUT FROM SILENCE, published in 2019. Two additional mysteries in the series have also been published, THE REDEMPTION, in 2021, and SANCTUARY, published in 2022. The fourth book in the series, THE LEGACY, will be published in November of 2023.

Cynthia taught at Loyola Law School for several years where she directed a homeless clinic, and worked with third year law students in actual cases. All of these experiences have informed her fiction.

She is an avid reader, a mother of two, and a grandmother to three beautiful girls. She lives in Austin, TX with her husband and schnauzer, Yoda.

Catch Up With C.L. Tolbert:
www.CLTolbert.com
Goodreads
Instagram – @cltolbertwrites
Twitter/X – @cltolbertwrites
Facebook – @cltolbertwriter

 

 

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Giveaway – Precious Burdens by Avery Sterling @PumpUpYourBook @AverySterling17

Title: Precious Burdens

Author: Avery Sterling

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Pages: 324

Genre: Historical Romance

BOOK BLURB

Sarafina di Ramonicci sets sail for America as the promised bride in an arranged political marriage.
Taken prisoner at sea, she clashes with her captor and demands freedom, only to discover he is planning her future husband’s demise, with her as a pawn in their deadly feud. The challenge of escape tests her loyalty to family, human decency, and love.

Captain Nye Tarquin is a dangerous man. Left to die on the streets of New Orleans, he swears retribution on the man responsible. When he makes Sarafina part of his plan, he isn’t prepared for the fiery vixen aboard his ship, nor his desire to claim her as his own. When passion overtakes honor, he’s torn between his heart and his need for justice.

EXCERPT

A grin formed on his lips. “She belongs to me now,” he said, his voice was as cool as his expression. “And when Cornell comes for her, I’ll be waiting to return the favor… only I’ll succeed, where he did not.”

   Sarafina’s fingers curled around her goblet. “What makes you think he’ll come for her?”

   “He has several reasons to take the bait. Cornell will demand satisfaction for his humiliation.”

   “His humiliation?” She sat up straighter. “What about hers? Do you understand what people will think when they find out she was held hostage here? If her intended is murdered and she’s left stranded, this will leave her utterly alone. What will become of her, then?”

   “She’ll marry someone better than the likes of Cornell, I hope,” he replied dryly.

   She slammed her goblet down and flew to her feet. “And who would want her?”

   He remained seated. “I’m doing her a great service,” he said calmly, leaning on the arm of his chair. “You have no idea the kind of life she would’ve been subjected to.”

   “So, you’re her savior now?”

   The captain pushed off his chair, and straightened to his full height. She kept her glare locked with his, but keeping it steady was becoming as difficult as her breathing. “Maybe,” he said.

   “That’s an absurd notion,” she replied.

   “Is it?” he asked. He stepped towards her, and she stepped back in unison, until the back of her legs hit the chair.

 ABOUT AVERY STERLING

Avery Sterling’s love for the romance genre began in her teen years when she picked up her first novel. She was captivated by the sweeping scale of emotions brought about by the words. The experience catapulted her towards learning the art of wielding a breathtaking adventure, with a love that felt authentic. Wanting to inspire people with her own thoughts and words, she finished her first novel at sixteen. It was a step towards understanding the essence of what she wished to create.

Most of her youth was spent traveling, searching out the romance and beauty in her everchanging world. From the waves that crashed against the rocky shores of Downeast, Maine, to the warm breezes of the Caribbean, she discovered that love was universal, apparent in its grandest and simplest of forms. Her goal is to write novels an audience can relate to, one that conveys the truth and nature of love… with all that steamy romance.

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Giveaway – Bewitching The Vampire by Brooklyn Ann @XpressoTours

Bewitching the Vampire
Brooklyn Ann
(Brides of Prophecy, #9)
Publication date: July 21st 2023
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

The Lord Vampire of New Orleans meets his match in the leader of the local witch coven.

Magic is returning to Earth, and Raina Callahan’s witch coven is growing more powerful. She’s been warned to be wary of catching interest from dangerous people, and sure enough, she discovers that someone is following her. Her stalker turns out to be the owner of a vampire-themed club—who really is a vampire. And although he is dead sexy and charming, Raina is not okay with his surveillance or his intent to claim her as his. She will use every means of magic at her disposal to thwart him.

Valentin St. Scarasse, Lord Vampire of New Orleans, has a weakness for voluptuous women with magic in their blood. Just when he has his sights set on what promises to be a delicious meal—and maybe a few passionate nights in bed—the Thirteenth Elder commands him to watch over the witch and her coven and keep them safe. But when Raina catches Valentin spying on her, the witch and the vampire embark on a battle of wills that will only end if they surrender to the heat between them.

As the Evil One’s cultists invade the city, Raina and Valentin must learn to trust each other and together, help their communities form an alliance that both sides swore would never happen.

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EXCERPT:

The sun had set by the time they left the restaurant. Raina groaned to see Valentin leaning against her car. “Did you even have time to feed?”

The vampire smirked and put his hand over his heart. “I’m touched that you care.”

“I just want to make sure that you aren’t planning on biting one of us.”

“And now you wound me.” Valentin gave her an unfairly sexy pout. “Ms. Callahan, I told you that your safety is of utmost importance to me. Now, may I have a ride, or will you make me walk?”

“Can’t you fly?”

His laughter held the texture of roughened velvet. “That is a rare ability with my kind.”

Raina wanted to ask more about what he could do but held her face in an impassive mask. “I guess you’ll have to take an Uber, then.”

With that, she and Alma got in her little Nissan Leaf and drove home. But when they pulled into the narrow driveway, Valentin was waiting on the curb, just outside the protective wards.

Raina glared at him as she got out of the car, noting that he remained outside the barrier. “I thought you couldn’t fly.”

“I can’t.”

“Did you turn into a bat then?” Alma asked him. “Or teleport?”

“I have my ways.” Valentin stood and dusted off his jeans. “You may as well invite me in.”

“Hell no,” Raina said as she shut her car door. “I’ve seen enough movies.”

The vampire laughed. “I don’t need an invitation to go inside your house. I’ve been in there before. You both have interesting taste in art. I especially like the movie posters. I’d just appreciate it if you to let down your ward.”

“No.”

His pout twisted things beneath her ribs. “I am tired of being outside.”

“Then go home.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

Raina threw up her hands in exasperation, and she and Alma went into the house. They tried to ignore the fact that a vampire was lurking outside and watch a movie, but ended up turning it off and going to bed early. Despite her exhaustion, Raina tossed and turned for an hour, countless questions burning in her mind. She gave up on sleep, put on her robe, and went outside. Valentin was still sitting on the curb, reading a book.

He looked up with a smirk. “I’m glad you’re here to alleviate my boredom.”

“Who is Xochitl’s uncle?” Raina demanded, marching up to him.

Valentin’s eyes widened, and he visibly shuddered. “Probably one of the most terrifying beings in existence. I don’t know how much I’m allowed to tell you about him.” He sighed. “I honestly am sorry. I hate all these unknowns and uncertainties.”

“Me too.” She thought of her own concerns with the Nightwatch Society visitor and Xochitl’s email that gave her more questions than answers. Remembering the email, she found herself blurting, “Xochitl said you were watching me during the backstage meet and greet back in February. She said you looked like you wanted to eat me. What did she mean by that?”

The vampire’s lips curved in a wicked smile. “Exactly that.”

“But what—”

Suddenly, he stood behind her. Too late, she realized she’d stepped passed the protective barrier. Valentin’s fingertips swept her hair to the side, and his lips grazed her neck as he whispered, “If you’re asking if I want to sink my teeth into your pretty neck and taste your powerful blood, the answer is yes.”

Before she could respond, he appeared in front of her, his green eyes glowing like dark emeralds. “Or, if you’re asking if I want to part your luscious thighs and plunge my tongue into your plump pussy until you scream my name in pleasure, the answer is also yes.”

Raina shivered uncontrollably as the mental picture he painted sent frissons of arousal jolting between her legs.

“Of course, I will not do either unless you ask me to,” he finished while his eyes continued to blaze emerald flame.

Finally, her faculties recovered enough for her to pull away and step back into the safety of her barrier. “Just because I’m fat doesn’t mean I have low enough self-esteem to fall for your attempts to flatter me.”

Valentin’s eyes hardened. “Just because society often lauds thinner women as paragons of beauty doesn’t mean I have to change my own personal tastes. Nor does it make you any less beautiful. Furthermore, I’ve never felt the need to feign attraction to someone. My flirtations are sincere. It’s one thing if my advances aren’t welcome, but quite another if you think I’m a liar.”


Author Bio:

Formerly an auto-mechanic, Brooklyn Ann thrives on writing romance, urban fantasy, and horror novels featuring unconventional heroines and heroes who adore them. Author of historical paranormal romance in her critically acclaimed “Scandals with Bite” series, urban fantasy in the cult favorite, “Brides of Prophecy” novels, rockstar romance in the award-winning, “Hearts of Metal” series, and horror in the “B Mine” series, horror romances riffing on the 1970s and 1980s B horror movies that feature a Final Couple instead of a Final Girl.

She lives in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho with her gamer son, rockstar/IT Guy boyfriend, three cats, a few project cars, an extensive book collection, and miscellaneous horror memorabilia.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter


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The Spotlight Is On Murder At The Pontchartrain by Kathleen Kaska @dollycas


Murder at the Pontchartrain by Kathleen Kaska

About Murder at the Pontchartrain

Murder at the Pontchartrain
Cozy Mystery (Humorous)
6th in Series
Setting – New Orleans, Louisiana
Anamcara Press LLC (June 15, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1941237940
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1941237946

Synopsis

Private detective Sydney Lockhart and her boyfriend/partner, Ralph Dixon, are headed for New Orleans to tie the knot—again. Having been stalled on their first attempt by some unfinished business dealing with their last case, Sydney and Dixon are now in the Pontchartrain Hotel in the Big Easy. While their marriage license rests at the courthouse for its 24-hour waiting period, they stroll to the French Quarter to visit Rip Thigbee, Sydney’s friend from her previous investigation. Rip owns Finder of Lost Souls, a detective agency dealing with the spirits of murder victims whose cases remain unsolved. 

           When Sydney and Dixon are at Rip’s office, they learn he went missing after investigating the disturbance of local businessman Frank Threadgill’s crypt. Voodoo Queen Frida Mae, whose shop is located next to Thigbee’s, fears that bad juju led to Threadgill’s death and has now infiltrated Rip’s business. Upon returning to their hotel room, to plan their next step, they find Threadgill’s wife, Mildred, waiting for them. Unfortunately, Mildred has been murdered. The police haul the couple down to the station. Their alibi checks out, but they are told to stick around for a few days. Soon a hotel housemaid is murdered, and this time Dixon is arrested, and Sydney is on her own to find the killer.

           Hearing of their predicament, Sydney’s bubble-headed cousin, Ruth, and Sydney’s young charge, twelve-year-old Lydia LeBeau, show up to lend an unwelcome hand. Ruth goes undercover as a chef at the hotel. Lydia, who can talk the Pope into letting her assist in saying Mass, talks her way into the famous Pat O’Brien’s bar, where the locals are eager to share what they know.

           After interviewing Mildred Threadgill’s family, Sydney begins her investigation by delving into Frank Threadgill’s mysterious past and discovers that he isn’t who he claims to be. The business he once owned was a cover involving an organization of WWII war criminals and the local Ku Klux Klan. As Sydney gets closer to the truth, she is attacked and left for dead in a nearby swamp. With the help of a few jaunty Cajuns, Sydney makes it back to the city with enough evidence to get Dixon released. Ruth thinks she knows who the killer is. Lydia has her own theory and is convinced Ruth is wrong. Sydney doesn’t know who to trust, convinced that every witness she’s interviewed has lied. But her most shocking realization is that the biggest liar is her own future husband.         

Excerpt from Murder at the Pontchartrain

  Dixon and I were sitting in the interrogation room in the downtown police station when we got word that the dead woman was Mildred Threadgill. Dixon explained our interest in Mrs. Threadgill, as well as the damage done to her husband’s tomb, and that our friend Rip Thigbee was missing and last seen with Mrs. Threadgill. None of which made a rat’s ass difference to Detective Bergeron who was questioning us. Luckily, our alibi checked out. The people staying in the room next to ours said they heard a commotion and then a scream at the time we were talking to the attendant at the cemetery. Nevertheless, the woman was killed in our room. There was a knife missing from our breakfast tray, possibly the murder weapon. The only person in New Orleans who knew we were staying here was Betsy Radley. We were released, but told to stick around.

            “Are we on a case?” I asked.

            “We’re on a case. What choice do we have? Deal with a murder today. Get married tomorrow.”

            “Does that marriage license have an expiration date?”

            “It’s good for two weeks. Maybe we should have kept the rental car.”

Betsy was a little more forth coming with information when we returned to Rip’s office to tell her that Mildred Threadgill had been murdered.

            “Oh, my,” Betsy said. “Mrs. Threadgill was here after you left, demanding to see Rip. I told her I didn’t know where he was and that the last time I saw him he was with her. She became livid. She said he was supposed to call her a couple of days ago.”

            “And you sent her to us?” Dixon asked.
            “She wouldn’t leave,” Betsy said. “I didn’t know what else to do. You said you’d help, so I told her where you were staying.”

            “Any idea who would kill her?” Dixon asked, adding a hardness to his voice. When he did that, I knew he was losing his patience.
            “I . . . I don’t know,” Betsy stammered.
            “I’ll look through Rip’s notes again,” I said.
            “So the last time you saw Rip he was headed to the cemetery with Mildred Threadgill, and you haven’t seen or heard from him since?”

            “Yes, yes that’s right,” Betsy whispered.

            “You’ve been here all week and you haven’t heard from anyone? No one’s called or come in? Just Mrs. Threadgill after we left?”

            Betsy began blubbering, which turned to sobs, then to hiccups. Finally, she managed a vigorous shake of her head.

            “I want Rip’s home address,” Dixon said.

            “He lives upstairs in the apartment on the left. I don’t have a key, but Frida Mae is the landlady. She has one. Wait here. I’ll get it.”

We walked into Rip’s apartment. You wouldn’t think a single guy, an ex-bouncer to be so immaculately neat. Rip didn’t own a lot of possessions, but what he had was clean and orderly. A stack of dinner plates sat on the kitchen counter next to two coffee cups in perfect alignment. Clean silverware stood in a drinking glass. The toaster, minus crumbs, shone like a beacon. Two spotless sauce pans and a skillet were arranged on top of the icebox. What little space he had in the kitchenette he made good use of. The cabinet held a can of sardines, a can of pinto beans, and a box of Wheaties. On the top shelf inside the icebox, sat a package of bacon, carton of eggs, and a stick of butter. The lower shelf held a case of Falstaff beer cans, also aligned with each label showing out. I looked over to find Dixon staring off into space.

            “What is it?”

            “Betsy’s lying. She knows more than she’s telling.”

            “She’s scared. You should have pushed her harder.”

            “Let her stew for now. Was Rip in the military?”
            “Not that I know of. Why?”

            “I can’t find one wrinkle in his bed sheets. His pillow case smells freshly laundered. There’s no dust on the floor under the bed. His dresser contains the usual undershirts, socks, underwear, and handkerchiefs.”

Dixon opened the closet door. Two dress shirts, a pair of slacks, a sport coat hung neatly, each in their proper category. “Look at this. A pair of scuffed cowboy boots.”
            “Don’t sound surprised. Any self-respecting Texan has scuffed cowboy boots, even me.” I looked down at his wingtips.

            “What?”

            “This entire time I thought you were perfect, but I just realized you’re not.”

            Dixon straightened his tie. “You’re questioning your assessment of me?”

            I held up Rip’s boots.
            “Wait. I’m not ever going to wear cowboy boots. I don’t have to, I’m not a Texan.”
            “You will soon be one by marriage. I suggest black boots, slightly rounded toes, modicum amount of stitchery. I’ll shop around.”

            “No.”
            “At least you can wear them around the house.”
            “No.”
            “Wearing nothing else, just your boots.”
            “Well, maybe.”

About Kathleen Kaska

Kathleen Kaska is the author of the awarding-winning mystery series: the Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series set in the 1950s and the Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Mystery Series. Her first two Lockhart mysteries, Murder at the Arlington and Murder at the Luther, were selected as bonus books for the Pulpwood Queen Book Group, the country’s largest book group. She also writes mystery trivia. The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book was published by Rowman & Littlefield. Her Holmes short story, “The Adventure at Old Basingstoke,” appears in Sherlock Holmes of Baking Street, a Belanger Books anthology. She is the founder of The Dogs in the Nighttime, the Sherlock Holmes Society of Anacortes, Washington, a scion of The Baker Street Irregulars. Watch for Murder at the Pontchartrain: the 6th Sydney Lockhart Mystery in June 2023.

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Giveaway – Grumpy Beignet Boss by Melissa Chambers @XpressoTours

Grumpy Beignet Boss
Melissa Chambers
(Broussard Brothers, #1)
Publication date: February 7th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

He’s betrayed her before, but she won’t fall into his trap again…

After the seventh loan denial, Peyton Boudreaux knows she’ll never get the money to start her own healthy junk food restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She’s left with no other choice than to trudge back home to New Orleans to claim her trust fund with her tail between her legs. But before the money is hers, she’s got to complete the required hours, cleaning grease traps and mopping floors at Boudreaux’s: Home of the Chocolate Hazelnut Beignet. On top of that, she must face the CEO of the dual family business – former love of her life, Braxton Broussard, Traitor. He shot her down both romantically and professionally years ago, and now he’s the one whose butt she’s got to kiss.

Not even the ten years Braxton has spent apart from Peyton have been enough to shake the brown-eyed girl from his fantasies. As much as he loves to see her dressed as a fairy, sitting in his office on Mardi Gras day, he was really hoping he could get the money back into her faux trust fund before she came home to claim it. He can’t let her know her deceased father gambled her cash away. He’s got to find another way to get her the money she’s owed. But more importantly, he’s got to work his way back into her heart, because now that she’s home, he never wants her to leave again.

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EXCERPT:

He held eye contact with her, but she was too chicken this time to be the last one to look away. She contained her grin and reached for his drink. “What’s this? Whiskey?”

“Yep. Bourbon,” he said.

She nodded. “Big boy drinks. Last time I saw you with a drink it was the King of Beers.”

She took a sip, trying like crazy to keep her face stoic while the liquor assaulted her throat. She never drank liquor.

“I still drink that, too,” he said. “What about you? What do you drink up in Manhattan?”

“Brooklyn.”

“Brooklyn,” he confirmed.

She shrugged. “Wine. Beer. Cocktail of the hour.”

He furrowed his brow. “What is that now, something with bitters or ginger beer?”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re so two years ago, Braxton. It’s the Boudreaux Booty. Everyone knows that.”

A grin stretched across his face, causing her core to light up like a firecracker. “What’s in it?”

She bit her lip, looking to the sky. “Oh, a little bit of vodka, cranberry juice, OJ, and peach schnapps.”

He furrowed his brow. “I think that’s a sex on the beach.”

She put her hand to her chest. “Is it? I’ve never had that. Have you?” This cheesy flirting was so far out of the realm of the two of them, and Peyton was loving every second of it.

He chuckled, and then shrugged. “Maybe. I can’t really remember. It’s been a while since I…had a cocktail.”

She loved his implication. “Oh, yeah? I had one somewhat recently.”

He lifted an eyebrow, and she could swear his lip curled a little. “You did?”

“Yeah. In Manhattan, actually. I was there for an event. Fleet Week. I had lots of cocktails that night.”

He let out a huff, crossing his arms over his chest. “Sounds like a good time. I hope you were safe…didn’t have too many cocktails.”

“Oh, yes. I’m always safe.” She ran her finger around the rim of his glass. “But you wouldn’t know that about me. We never drank cocktails together before.”

His biceps flexed. “No, we haven’t. I’m a few years older than you, ya know.”

Her chest stung. “I do know.”

“You were never really old enough to have a cocktail with me, were you?”

She shrugged. “Depends. Sometimes people don’t wait until they’re twenty-one to have their first drink.”

He stared deep into her gaze. This time she wouldn’t have let go to save a drowning puppy.

“If we would have had a cocktail together on your prom night,” he said, “before you were twenty-one, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have been able to stop.”

She would have traded no ice cream for the rest of her life to hear those words all these years. She nudged his arm with hers. “Maybe that wouldn’t have been the worst thing in the world. Cocktails for months. At least until you went back to Vanderbilt and had cocktails with someone else.”

She stood close to him now, her feet inside his legs, loving using her sexuality in a way she never could have when they were younger.

He uncrossed his arms and tugged on her skirt. “Maybe I was afraid if I had cocktails with you, I’d never want to have them with anyone else.”

She closed her eyes, inhaling hard at his words, which tickled every inch of her body. She leaned in closer. “I guess that would have been hard…staying sober at Vandy for four years.”

He shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

She opened her eyes, and met his gaze, moving close to his mouth. She hovered there, their lips almost brushing. “I guess we’ll never know, will we?”

She stepped backward and then turned and walked toward the house.


Author Bio:

Melissa Chambers writes contemporary novels for young, new, and actual adults. A Nashville native, she spends her days working in the music industry and her nights tapping away at her keyboard. While she’s slightly obsessed with alt rock, she leaves the guitar playing to her husband and kid. She never misses a chance to play a tennis match, listen to an audiobook, or eat a bowl of ice cream. (Rocky road, please!) She has served as president for the Music City Romance Writers and is the author of the Love Along Hwy 30A series, the Before Forever series (YA), and Courting Carlyn (YA).

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Giveaway – The Physicists’ Daughter by Mary Anna Evans @maryannaevans @dollycas

The Physicists’ Daughter: A Novel by Mary Anna Evans

About The Physicists’ Daughter


The Physicists’ Daughter: A Novel
Historical Fiction
Poisoned Pen Press (June 7, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1464215553
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1464215551
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09TGB4BVK

The Nazis are no match for the physicists’ daughter.

New Orleans, 1944

Sabotage. That’s the word on factory worker Justine Byrne’s mind as she is repeatedly called to weld machine parts that keep failing with no clear cause. Could someone inside the secretive Carbon Division be deliberately undermining the factory’s war efforts? Raised by her late parents to think logically, she also can’t help wondering just what the oddly shaped carbon gadgets she assembles day after day have to do with the boats the factory builds…

When a crane inexplicably crashes to the factory floor, leaving a woman dead, Justine can no longer ignore her nagging fear that German spies are at work within the building, trying to put the factory and its workers out of commission. Unable to trust anyone—not the charming men vying for her attention, not her unpleasant boss, and not even the women who work beside her—Justine draws on the legacy of her unconventional upbringing to keep her division running and protect her coworkers, her country, and herself from a war that is suddenly very close to home.

About Mary Anna Evans

Mary Anna Evans is the author of The Physicists’ Daughter, the first in her series of WWII-era historical suspense novels featuring Rosie-the-Riveter-turned-codebreaker Justine Byrne. Her thirteen Faye Longchamp archaeological mysteries have received recognition including the Benjamin Franklin Award, a Will Rogers Medallion Award Gold Medal, the Oklahoma Book Award, and three Florida Book Awards bronze medals. She is an associate professor at the University of Oklahoma, where she teaches fiction and nonfiction writing, including mystery and suspense writing. Her work has appeared in publications including Plots with Guns, The Atlantic, Florida Heat Wave, Dallas Morning News, and The Louisville Review. Her scholarship on crime fiction, which centers on Agatha Christie’s evolving approach over her long career to the ways women experienced justice in the twentieth century, has appeared in the Bloomsbury Handbook to Agatha Christie (coming September 22, 2022), which she co-edited, and in Clues: A Journal of Detection. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Rutgers-Camden, and she is a licensed Professional Engineer. She is at work on the second Justine Byrne novel, The Physicists’ Enigma.

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Music Monday – Shut Up And Dance by Walk The Moon #MusicMonday @WALKTHEMOONband

Happy Monday everyone and welcome back to Music Monday! Let’s share some songs we’ve been enjoying lately!  If you would like to play, and I really hope you do, please see the rules and link up below.

Rules:

Every Monday share a few songs you’ve been enjoying lately.  It doesn’t have to be a specific genre, new, or one of your favorites – just something you’d like to share with others.  If possible, share a music or lyric video of the song and your thoughts on the song(s), artist(s), and/or music video(s).

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I was so fortunate to be able to see them live for New Year’s Eve 2017. And we danced all night, because it was -35 on the waterfront in New Orleans. It was part of the Allstate Fan Fest that was aired live on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest. They appeared with Imagine Dragon, which has become one of my favorite bands.

The video below is the official version of Shut Up and Dance With Me by Walk The Moon

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Sherry’s Shelves #188

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Sherry’s Shelves #188 is my weekly update from 5.12.19 – 5.18.19.

LATEST HAPPENINGS

Hello. Welcome to another edition of Sherry’s Shelves. I’m binge watching movies on Hulu, which I got for $10 a year, and Amazon Prime, which my husband’s cousin shared with us on his last visit. I’ve watched more movies in the past couple of weeks than I have in several years combined.

We had to get a new critter for the pool…

Image may contain: tree, sky, pool and outdoor

BUT…A gust of wind picked the poor flamingo from the pool right into the yucca plant…and that’s all she wrote…

Image may contain: one or more people, tree, plant, shoes, grass, outdoor and nature

SO…

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We adopted an even bigger one…and tied this one down. I do plan on spending a lot of quality time with….Hmmm…gotta figure out a name. Any suggestions?

We made it to the 50th Jazz Festival in New Orleans. Unfortunately, I was not feeling my normal self, still having trouble with my arm Physical Therapy is helping, though it is a long and slow process. Here are a few photos from Mr Wonderful. I haven’t been able to shoot photos for months now and I do miss it.

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I couldn’t miss this…Welcome aboard you Parrotheads!

Image may contain: 1 person, smiling, playing a musical instrument and guitar

A good time was had by all.

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Sooo, do you have any plans for this weekend?

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COMING UP ON fundinmental

  • Sherry’s Shelves
  • Giveaway – Murder By Muchausen Trilogy by M T Bass
  • Hard Choices To Make in Dark Consequences by Amanda Siegrist
  • Alone and Targeted – Absolution by D V Berkom
  • Giveaway – The Divorce Planner by Angela Lam
  • Giveaway – Game of Revenge by Charlotte Larsen

I will be adding more, so be sure and stop in or follow me to see what comes next.

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