Giveaway – The Wedding Crasher by Nikki Stern @realnikkistern @partnersincr1me

Posted on June 30, 2019 by fundinmental

The Wedding Crasher

by Nikki Stern

on Tour June 1-30, 2019

The Wedding Crasher by Nikki Stern

Synopsis:

A brunette in a bridal gown turns up in Pickett County, Tennessee, throat slit and ring finger missing. She’s the latest victim of the Wedding Crasher, a serial killer who murders women just weeks before their weddings.

Samantha Tate is Picket County’s yoga-loving, poker-playing new sheriff, a former Nashville homicide detective who struggles with her inner demons. To catch the meticulous murderer, Sam will have to follow her instincts and ignore her worst impulses. Can she stop the Wedding Crasher before another bride-to-be dies?

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery
Published by: Ruthenia Press
Publication Date: May 8, 2019
Number of Pages: 340
ISBN: 978-0-9995487-3-8
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

The dead woman lay in the clearing like a macabre version of Sleeping Beauty. She was dressed in a long-sleeved, high-necked ivory gown, set off by luminescent pearl drop earrings and a matching necklace that almost hid the dried blood around her throat. Her head rested on a satin pillow, her silky walnut hair spread behind her like a fan. The right hand held a bouquet of wilted flowers and rested on her chest underneath the left, absent the fourth finger. The ring finger.

Sheriff Sam Tate stood to one side of the grim tableau, arms folded, and took it all in: the victim; the tall white-haired man who knelt by the body; the deputy who walked the scene in throwaway boots, snapping pictures; the pale young man in running gear sitting on a rock, head almost to his knees; the uniformed officer who squatted beside him.

Sam had dressed in her standard uniform of pressed black slacks and a spotless white shirt. A shaft of early-morning sun bounced off the polished badge at her left breast pocket. On her right wrist, she wore a utilitarian watch. Three small studs twinkled along one earlobe, her single visible concession to a rebellious streak. She’d pulled her unruly dark locks into a tight braid. Ray-Bans shielded her green eyes, though not the line that formed between her brows.

One of the victim’s low-heeled white pumps had dropped off to reveal a slim ankle in hosiery. Stockings, not pantyhose, held up by an old-fashioned garter. Sam didn’t need to look.

He’s back, she thought, adding a curse for good measure.

***

Author Bio:

Nikki Stern

Nikki Stern is the author of the inspirational HOPE IN SMALL DOSES, a 2015 Eric Hoffer Montaigne Medal finalist, and the thriller THE FORMER ASSASSIN, a 2018 Kindle Book Review category finalist. Her essays are included in three anthologies and she co-authored the interactive Café Noir murder mystery series, published by Samuel French. Eight of her short stories have been published in various online journals and she was a Mark Twain Royal Nonesuch finalist for her short story “Long Away and Far Ago.” Nikki is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America.

Catch Up With Nikki Stern On:
nikkistern.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Twitter, & Facebook!

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

Enter To Win!:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Nikki Stern. There will be 2 winners of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card each. The giveaway begins on June 1, 2019 and runs through July 2, 2019. Void where prohibited.

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Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

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Giveaway – The Wedding Crasher by Nikki Stern @realnikkistern PartnersInCrimeTours @partnersincr1me

Posted on June 22, 2019 by fundinmental

The Wedding Crasher

by Nikki Stern

on Tour June 1-30, 2019

The Wedding Crasher by Nikki Stern

Synopsis:

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery
Published by: Ruthenia Press
Publication Date: May 8, 2019
Number of Pages: 340
ISBN: 978-0-9995487-3-8
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

One of the victim’s low-heeled white pumps had dropped off to reveal a slim ankle in hosiery. Stockings, not pantyhose, held up by an old-fashioned garter. Sam didn’t need to look.

He’s back, she thought, adding a curse for good measure.

***

Author Bio:

Nikki Stern

Catch Up With Nikki Stern On:
nikkistern.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Twitter, & Facebook!

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

Enter To Win!:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Nikki Stern. There will be 2 winners of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card each. The giveaway begins on June 1, 2019 and runs through July 2, 2019. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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’.
I am an amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway – Dating By The Book by Mary Ann Marlowe @maryannmarlowe @XpressoTours

Posted on June 21, 2019 by fundinmental

Dating by the Book
Mary Ann Marlowe
Published by: Kensington
Publication date: June 25th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Is love just something you find in books?

Six months ago, writer and bookstore owner Maddie Hanson was left at the altar. Since then, she’s had zero interest in romance—despite the fact that she runs a book club full of sexy eligible bachelors. But when her latest novel is panned by an anonymous blogger who goes by the name Silver Fox—and who accuses her of knowing nothing about passion—she decides to prove her nemesis wrong by seeking a romance hero in real life . . .

There’s the smoldering rock musician, the bookish college professor, and her competitive childhood friend who may want to steal her bookstore more than her heart. Even Silver Fox is getting in on the action, sending Maddie alarmingly—and intoxicatingly—flirtatious emails. And that’s not all. Her ex wants her back.

Now Maddie is about to discover that like any good story, life has twists and turns, and love can happen when you least expect it—with the person you least expect . .

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

—

EXCERPT:

The cry of You’ve got mail! broke the silence, and I made the mistake of checking my phone. The preview showed me an incoming email from Silver Fox. I steeled my nerves for the inevitable sting and clicked the link with one eye closed, bracing for a deadly attack. Here he was a total stranger, and the prospect alone of what he might say had my heart racing worse than a Stephen King novel.

I bounced my foot on the spindle of the stool and dove headfirst into what I was sure would be a flogging.

Ms. Kincaid,

I don’t know why I’m responding to you, but I confess that I keep arguing with you in my head, so I’ve finally decided to tell you a thing or two.

First, you’re wrong if you think reviewers don’t hear from authors. We hear plenty, and trust me when I tell you that responses can be pretty vicious. I sometimes ignore them, but believe it or not, I do realize that authors are people, too, which is why I find myself wanting to mentor you to a better mental place. My main argument is that you shouldn’t respond to reviewers because your opinion is no longer valid. Or let me rephrase it—your opinion is no more valid than mine.

Second, I find myself once again in the position of defending my own personal situation. While I do enjoy video games as much as anyone of my generation, it’s not my primary occupation. In fact, writing reviews is my hobby. I may do this in my underwear, but not simultaneously at my mother’s house.

Third, I do have a healthy imagination, and I can read between the lines. You may have romantic experience, but I suspect you’ve forgotten what it feels like to truly be in love. Unfortunately for me, love is a feeling I’m all too familiar with, and I recognize when someone is faking it. If I could offer you some free advice, I’d urge you to get out and get more experience—romance, sex, heartache. Live a little. If you haven’t felt your stomach flip when your hand brushes someone else’s, if your spine doesn’t tingle when you think back on your first kiss, you can’t bring those feelings to your readers.

Or ignore me. I’m sure there will be plenty of readers who don’t care about the romance anyway. You can write for them.

Heartache? He wanted me to intentionally fly into that turbulence again? It had taken me six months to nurse myself from the depths of the abyss before I could sink my fingernails into the ledge and heave myself up and out. Silver Fox expected me to just do it again? Sure.

But what if he was right? What if the cocoon I’d wrapped myself in was preventing me from writing a genuine relationship? Worse, what if it was preventing me from moving on with my life?

I poked at my bruised heart and didn’t recoil in agony. Had it dried up and died?

“Live a little.” Like that was so easy.

I made a fresh latte and walked over to sit with fellow romance-phobe Charlie.

“What are you working on, Charlie?”

“Reading.” He closed his laptop and stretched. “Why do you think so much of literature is about waiting? Why can’t it all just be the good parts? Why do I have to wade through hundreds of pages lost in the mines of Moria before getting to some real action?”

“Are we talking about Tolkien?”

“It’s just a metaphor. So much wandering around. My patience grows short.”

“Sounds like my life. I strayed from the path in Mirkwood forest and can’t find my way back.”

“Have you considered flipping pages?”

“Of my life?” I laughed, trying to imagine how that would work.

“Why not? Choose your own adventure.” He pointed his index finger toward an invisible lightbulb. “Stuck in the mines? Go over the mountain.”

“Madness.”

“Maybe, but it’s still a choice. Or just go to the next chapter. It can’t be that hard.”

I considered his premise. “But what if you skipped over all the boring or hard parts of life? You’d go straight to your death bed!”

“Hmm. I think you can always choose to stray from the path.” He stirred his coffee. “And with that in mind, I’m going to make a monumental decision to start a new book.” His eyes sharpened with sincerity. “You could, too.”

Charlie the Chronicler had struck again.

“Choose your own adventure . . .”

Peter wasn’t even in this chapter of my life. How long was I expected to wait for the return of the king? Did I have to return to the original path? Did I have to wait for Peter to come back around?

Or could I consider other avenues?

What if, instead of sitting in my own self-pity, I took a chance on a perilous quest fraught with messy complications, whose successful completion seemed impossible? It wasn’t like there was safety hiding in the mines anyway. I’d already spent six months in the dark, chased by a cave troll of emotional destruction. I might not die of heartbreak, but loneliness rose up like a flaming Balrog from the depths of hell, and only I could choose to fly to higher ground.

I wanted to emerge as the heroine of my own adventure. A badass heroine controlling her own destiny.

Author Bio:

Some Kind of Magic is Mary Ann Marlowe’s first novel. When not writing, she works by day as a computer programmer/DBA. She spent ten years as a university-level French professor, and her resume includes stints as an au pair in Calais, a hotel intern in Paris, a German tutor, a college radio disc jockey, and a webmaster for several online musician fandoms, plus she has a second-degree black belt. She has lived in twelve states and three countries and loves to travel. She now lives in central Virginia where she is hard at work on her second novel. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.maryannmarlowe.com, on Facebook, www.facebook.com/marlowemaryann/, and at twitter.com/maryannmarlowe.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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Giveaway – Knightmare Anarchist by Shami Stovall @GameOverStation @GoddessFish

Posted on June 18, 2019 by fundinmental

KNIGHTMARE ARCANIST by Shami Stovall

GENRE: Young Adult Fantasy

BLURB

Magic. Sailing. A murderer among heroes.

Gravedigger Volke Savan wants nothing more than to be like his hero, the legendary magical swashbuckler, Gregory Ruma. First he needs to become an arcanist, someone capable of wielding magic, which requires bonding with a mythical creature. And he’ll take anything—a pegasus, a griffin, a ravenous hydra—maybe even a leviathan, like Ruma.

So when Volke stumbles across a knightmare, a creature made of shadow and terror, he has no reservations. But the knightmare knows a terrible secret: Ruma is a murderer out to spread corrupted magic throughout their island nation. He’s already killed a population of phoenixes and he intends to kill even more.

In order to protect his home, his adopted sister, and the girl he admires from afar, Volke will need to confront his hero, the Master Arcanist Gregory Ruma.

A fast-paced flintlock fantasy for those who enjoy How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell, Unsouled (Cradle Series) by Will Wight, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPTS

I outlined a fresh grave for the cemetery as bells rang from the isle’s tower, signifying the start of the celebrations. The soil reeked of ammonia and rot, but the crisp morning breeze washed the scent away, dispersing it over the ocean. I removed my shirt, allowing the wind to cool me while I worked.

Every ten years, the people on the Isle of Ruma gathered to watch the fledgling phoenixes bond with a few chosen mortals. Lamplighters did their duty despite the glorious sunshine, each lamp’s fire representing the flames of phoenixes. Merchants cleared their horses and carts from the main road in anticipation of the crowds.

This was my second Day of Phoenixes. A decade ago, on my fifth birthday, I missed the bonding ceremony to attend my father’s trial. He was convicted of murder, but because he hadn’t been born on the island, he was taken to the mainland for final judgement. That was the last time I saw him.

Although the last Day of Phoenixes had been inauspicious, I intended to change that. Once I had finished digging a shallow grave, I would make my way into town.

I slammed the shovel’s head into the dirt and scooped deep. The cemetery sat near the edge of the island, far from those gathering to observe the hopeful students trying to win the favor of the phoenixes.

Tradition stated that anyone who handled sewage, waste, and dead bodies wasn’t allowed to attend the bonding ceremony, which was just my luck. After my father was sent away, I could’ve been given to any profession for apprenticeship. I could’ve gone to the carpenter and learned the craft of woodworking, or I could’ve gone to the silversmith and learned the art of fine metal work, but misfortune hounded me like a shadow. I was given to the gravekeeper, slated to dig corpse-holes until the end of time, forever exiled from the festivities.

I still intended to go. Even if it meant ignoring the traditions of the isle—something unheard of on our tiny spit of land—no one could stop me from proving myself to a phoenix. No one.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Shami Stovall relies on her BA in History and Juris Doctorate to make her living as an author and history professor in the central valley of California. She writes in a wide range of fiction, from crime thrillers to fantasy to science-fiction. Stovall loves reading, playing video games, entertaining others with stories, and writing about herself in the third person.

Website: https://sastovallauthor.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GameOverStation/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAStovall/

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Giveaway – Come A Little Closer by Chrissy Brown @Thechrissybrown @GoddessFish

Posted on June 13, 2019 by fundinmental

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Chrissy Brown will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Sophie was the love of my life. Okay, we were twelve the last time I saw her but still. I’ve tried everything to move on—whiskey, women, weed. Nothing seemed to fill the void. Now, ten years later, she shows up out of the blue. The problem, I’m not the boy she used to know. I have a reputation that could ruin everything. Still, I have to try. Even if nothing happens between us, having Sophie in my life as a friend is better than not having her at all. Come A Little Closer is the second installment in the Georgia Boys Series. It can be read as a standalone novel.

Read an Excerpt

Kevin shrugs. “It’s morning Soph. What do you expect?”

What do I expect? Well for starters I don’t expect my leg to be assaulted by your massive…Oh. Em. Gee. My eyes flick down to his boxers. It’s huge! Eve covered by a thin piece of fabric, and it’s enormous. My cheeks burn hotter. How did I not notice it last time he slept over? Maybe because last time he didn’t give me a naked hug.

Keep it together, Sophie! It’s just a penis. You’ve seen a penis before. Hell, you even touched one…once.

About the Author: Chrissy Brown lives in Fort Myers, Fl with her hubby, two beautiful girls, one dog who loves to cuddle and another dog who pees on everything. She enjoys going to hockey games, reading romance novels and having “Netflix and Chill” nights.

She’s addicted to everything related to the amazing emotion of love, and has been referred to as a “hopeless romantic” which she took as a compliment. It may not have been and she’s okay with that.

Her Georgia Boys Series is New Adult romance that has three novels published in 2018. She has a young adult romance standalone in the works as well as an erotic New Adult standalone started. She’s a busy writer, but she loves it.

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Come-Little-Closer-Georgia-Boys-ebook/dp/B07MF9BVY1/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0

https://www.facebook.com/chrissybrownauthor
https://twitter.com/Thechrissybrown
https://mobile.twitter.com/Thechrissybrown>
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18213007.Chrissy_Brown
https://www.chrissybrownauthor.com

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Giveaway – In the Crossfire by L P Dover @LPDover @XpressoTours

Posted on June 7, 2019 by fundinmental

In the Crossfire
L.P. Dover
(Circle of Justice, #4)
Publication date: May 28th 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Secrets.
Lies.
Betrayal.
Murder.

I’ve gotten away with it all, but that won’t last forever.

I’m Bryce Chandler, FBI agent and member of the Circle of Justice, a covert organization that metes out retribution to those who’ve escaped the system without punishment. For the last year I’ve been deep undercover, doing unspeakable things to secure my place in the mafia world. These days I barely recognize the man in the mirror, but Anthony Corsino is finally in my crosshairs.

He’s entrusted me with the one thing he loves most—his daughter, Layla. She was just another detail of the mission, until she was suddenly so much more. I never meant to fall for the enemy, but I couldn’t resist. I’m in too deep. My brothers are determined to get me out, but I can’t let them interfere. It’s my job to put down the target. However, when I do, I’ll lose the only woman I’ve ever loved and the only good thing left in my life. If I don’t, I’ll lose myself.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords / iBooks

—

EXCERPT:

Rushing out of the media room, I ran through the foyer and up the stairs to Layla’s room. I knocked hard on the door and listened. There was no sound or movement that I could hear. “Layla, open the door.” Still, there was nothing. When I opened the door, her closet was open, and it’d been cleaned out, along with her dresser. “Motherfucker,” I huffed. “Layla!”

The sound of a door slammed downstairs, so I took off out of her room. How the hell could I not see her on the cameras? I ran down the stairs and out the patio door. There were a line of trees blocking my sight of the driveway, but I could see the top edge of one of the open garage doors. As I drew closer, I could see her tossing her luggage in the back of a silver SUV. She’d changed out of her green sundress from earlier into a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt.

“Where do you think you’re going?” I called out as I stepped away from the trees. Layla jerked around, eyes blazing like fire as she grabbed the gun at her waistband and pointed it straight at me. I stopped and held up my hands. “Whoa. What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m leaving. And if you try to stop me, I’ll blow off your balls.”

Glancing down at her gun, I couldn’t help but notice how perfect her stance was. She looked like she knew what she was doing. “I don’t doubt it,” I replied cautiously. “Where’d you get the gun?”

Her eyes narrowed, but she kept the gun pointed at me. “My uncle.”

Still holding my hands in the air, I slowly took a step forward. “Did he teach you how to shoot as well?”

The muscles in her jaw tightened. “Yes. Believe it or not, I’m not the helpless princess everyone thinks I am.”

“I never said you were, Layla.” I nodded at the video camera just above the garage door. “How did you get out here without me seeing you?”

She lifted her chin, her lips tilting up in an evil grin. “You’re not the only one who knows how to manipulate a camera. How else was I supposed to sneak out as a teenager?”

Now I was impressed. “Guess we all have our secrets. Can anyone see us right now?”

She shook her head. “No.” I took another step closer, and her body tensed. “Dammit, Bryce, don’t test me. I already know my father told you to stop me. No matter what he says or what you do, I am going to get out of here.”

“And go where?” I asked. “To the city to find out the answers?”

“If that’s what it takes. I’m not returning until he tells me the truth.”

There was nothing but sheer determination in her eyes. The woman was so goddamned stubborn she’d get herself killed in the process. We were only about six feet apart, with the gun still pointed at my chest. There was only one thing left to do. I wasn’t about to underestimate her.

“What if I told you what you want to know?” I said, hoping she could see the truth in my eyes.

Her lips pursed. “Why should I believe you?”

“Because you said it yourself—you’re not going to stop until you find out the answers. This is the only way to keep you safe.” It was also the way to test her. I had to know how far her loyalty went with her father. It might be what I had to do to finish my mission. Anthony would surely try to come after me, but he’d have a hell of a time trying to find me.

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Before she began her literary journey she worked in periodontics, enjoying the wonderment of dental surgeries.

She loves to write, but she also loves to play golf, go on mountain hikes and white-water rafting, and has a passion for singing. Her two youngest fans expect a concert each and every night before bedtime, usually Christmas carols.

Dover has written countless novels in several different genres, but her favorite to write is romantic suspense. However, she has found a new passion in romantic comedy, especially involving sexy golfers. Who knew the sport could be so dirty and fun to write about.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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Giveaway – A Cloud of Fraud by Linda Ferreri @LEFerreri @partnersincr1me

Posted on June 4, 2019 by fundinmental

A Cloud of Fraud

by Linda Ferreri

on Tour June 1-30, 2019

Synopsis:

A Cloud of Fraud by Linda Ferreri

A man is shot dead in front of City Hall in Philadelphia where his family is tangled in a bitter lawsuit. One brave woman, drawn there by a work of art, finds herself following a twisted trail to the hills of Le Marche in Italy to learn why. All the while, the cloud of fraud grows thicker and darker around her. But, as C. S. Forester said, perhaps the scandal of fraud enhances the flavor.

This thrilling story grabs and holds the reader from the first chapter through unexpected twists all the way to the richly satisfying ending. Art expert Claire Bliss and police Comandante Baldo are joined and antagonized by unforgettable characters in both Philadelphia and Italy. The authenticity of Ferreri’s players and their territories give special vibrance to the novel.

Lovers of the Renaissance will be drawn in immediately by the book’s cover, a painting of Mary Magdalene by Carlo Crivelli (ca. 1480) in the Rijksmuseum. Inside the book, a great art crime story unfolds together with a gem of a murder mystery.

A Cloud of Fraud is colorful, fast-moving entertainment.

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Published by: Linda Ferreri Trustee
Publication Date: May 7, 2019
Number of Pages: 315
ISBN: 978-0-578-47624-7
Purchase Links: Amazon | Kindle | Apple Books | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

Early on in the Hard-heads case, at one of the bar association luncheons, Judge Pirandello had positioned himself next to one of his former clerks who was now a successful litigator in the Probate Court. Biggers, by name. There was the introductory chat about the wellbeing of their family members and the joke about the latest case here or there. The dialogue was familiar to both of them. The Hard-heads plaintiff was a problem person, the judge had learned, and he needed to be squashed to put an end to mostly frivolous claims, driven by greed. Everybody in the family knew it, the judge heard. He knew the type. The Probate Court was littered with greedy relatives, angry children with buxom young stepmothers wearing expensive jewelry their fathers had bought. He knew it all. The judge wanted rid of this case, and so he was pleased to learn that it was not worthy of His Honor’s dignified much less close attention. The Hard-heads case had to go.

It would have gone long before now, the judge was thinking to himself as he growled into the cup of black tea, but these damned people had refused to take the hint, refused to be cowed or put in their places. Here and there at the few hearings he had conducted over this motion or that, he had seen a shrug of the shoulders by one or another lawyer.

“What could we do?” They might as well have said that out loud. The judge understood.

His knee was throbbing, but Judge Pirandello refused to have it replaced. The fact that cold weather was coming on made it worse. The goddamned orthopedic surgeon was another money-grubber. Were there no professionals left in his world who were not money-grubbers? He stretched his corpulence forward over the edge of his chair to reach for his footstool, then winced as he elevated the bad leg. He yelled out for Mary to bring him another cup of tea. Then, he opened the enormous file on the small table beside his chair.

In Re the Estate of Seri. He hated even the name. Italian people should not behave in this fashion, he thought. His own father would have come back from the dead to beat the daylights out of his heirs if they had behaved as these people were behaving. Suing one another. Claiming fraud. All of it. Disgraceful, he thought. They were each poised to receive a generous amount of money but no, that wasn’t good enough. As with errant children, the Judge was both angry with and ashamed of the parties.

***

Author Bio:

Linda Ferreri

Linda Ferreri is the author of several art crime novels as well as witty illustrated iBooks. She is a highly respected international art law expert who divides her time between the United States and Le Marche in Italy.

Sometimes she says her most amusing book was her first, The King of UNINI, a sophisticated little romance set in Paris.

Catch Up With Linda Ferreri On:
acloudoffraud.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Twitter, & Facebook!

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

Enter To Win!:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Linda Ferreri. There will be 1 winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on June 1, 2019 and runs through July 2, 2019. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
;

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

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Giveaway – Crashing Together by Lyssa Cole @lyssacolebooks @XpressoTours

Posted on June 1, 2019 by fundinmental

Crashing Together
Lyssa Cole
Publication date: May 30th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

It’s an age old story….

A summer fling….
A temporary thing…

His name was Cole and I couldn’t resist him. He was everything a girl could want in a summer romance. A hot, tanned, surfer with blonde hair and blue eyes… oh and let’s not forget about all those muscles and the six-pack I couldn’t stop staring at.

We agreed to just sex. Lots of sex. Lots of fun. No titles, no relationship, and certainly no love.

Until the sex started to feel like something else.

Something more..
Something way more…

But for him?
It was still just sex.
Until it wasn’t.
Until everything we didn’t mean to build unraveled in a heap of secrets, lies, and broken trust.

We came crashing together but will our summer fling survive the waves?

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Addi

“You’re in over your head and you know it.” Leigh lifts her frozen margarita to her lips and eyes me over the sugar rim.

“I am not.” I roll my eyes and look around the smoky bar. I don’t know why I even let Leigh talk me into coming here. It’s dark, a little sketchy, and the millions of fog machines fill the place with smoke so thick you’d think they allowed cigarettes in here.

“You’re in denial, Addi. You can’t even look at me.”

I snap my eyes back to her. “It’s hard to see with all this smoke.” I wave my hand around for dramatic effect. I’m so in denial but she doesn’t need to know that.

Leigh laughs and rolls her eyes. “Yeah okay girl, whatever you say.”

“The drinks are delicious though.” I raise my glass before bringing to my lips to it, licking the sugar rim.

It’s as if a storm is brewing, ready to take over at any minute, inside my belly. Awake at night, I stare at the ceiling as it flips and twists, growing worse.

The storm named Cole.

He fills my bloodstream, running through my veins, and follows me everywhere I go. No matter what I do, I can’t stop it.

I was a fool thinking I could and I’m a fool now as I sit here and let it happen.

I’m falling hopelessly in love with Cole.

It’s unreal, consuming, and lighting me on fire from within.

I’ve never felt anything like it before. The more I see him, the more I want. And Leigh is absolutely correct.

I’m in over my fucking head.

Author Bio:

Lyssa Cole has been in love with books for as long as she can remember. Escaping into a story is her favorite pastime. Wanting to be a writer for a couple years, she is now crafting her own stories. She loves to write sweet & sexy romance with lots of heat and some suspense to keep you guessing and wanting to turn that page! She lives in Southeastern Mass with her two kids and two dogs. Lover of coffee, all things chocolate, & always the avid reader, you can keep up with Lyssa Cole by subscribing to her newsletter here: https://www.lyssacolebooks.com/bio.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Newsletter

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Giveaway – That Guy and That Girl by Natalia Albrite @NAlbrite @GoddessFish

Posted on May 31, 2019 by fundinmental

I am a cover girl, so having Natalia Albrite sharing her thoughts on book cover is very appropriate. Welcome to fundinmental and let’s get started.

How do you choose a book cover and what importance do you place upon a book cover?

The Importance of Book Covers by Natalia Albrite

I place HUGE importance on a book cover and here’s why:

I only get one chance to make a first impression. Fair or not, we are a visual people who make all sorts of judgements based on looks. In the realm of personal interactions this can be very unfair. In the realm of professional work, it can still be unfair but fighting the reality would not be a good use of my time. The fact is that potential readers will make a judgement call about the quality of my work based on the cover of my book. I only get their attention for a few seconds and I want to entice them to stick around.
My covers need to reflect my brand. I strive for consistency across all platforms. I want to create a seamless experience for readers who look further into me and my work. I want them to explore freely without any jarring moments of, “oh that doesn’t fit.” I know that my books and I are not for everyone but if we are for you, I want you to stay and get comfy in my little corner of the romance world!

How I choose a book cover:

I use my gut. I decided to skip past any trend research. I picked something that I liked and reflected a larger sense of me. I want to sustain this career and I know that if I choose according to trend or market, that will wear me out in the long run. I would have a hard time staying excited about what other people like.
I want to be inspired. I sought custom cover design for That Guy and That Girl while still early in the revision process. I found my choice to be incredibly inspiring! I was inspired to make the best book I could so it would match up to a great cover!
I value the services of a professional. I love my writer’s lane and I respect the graphic designers’ lane. I like to think that I have a great sense of what I like but making it come to life visually is not a skill that I currently have. Fortunately, I had some savings that I set aside to hire a professional. I was so grateful for the work of Robin Vuchnich of mycustombookcover.com

What are your favorite covers? What catches your eye when you explore new authors and their books?

That Guy and That Girl by Natalia Albrite

GENRE: New Adult Contemporary Romance

PLEASE NOTE: this book will be $0.99 during the tour.

BLURB

Olivia Meadows is excited to finish her senior year of college as a volleyball national champion beside her teammates and best friends. A complication arrives in the form of John Hunter, that guy, her brother’s best friend whom she has had a secret crush on since she was eleven years old. Effortlessly charming and handsome, with a body honed by years of playing football, John initiates his charm offensive and Olivia finds herself unable to resist him.

John Hunter is pumped to finish his senior year of college as a football national champion beside his teammate and best friend. The only thing missing is that girl, Olivia Meadows, his best friend’s little sister. He needed to sow some wild oats before settling down with Olivia but now he is ready for something serious with the girl he has always admired.

Be careful what you wish for. John and Olivia find themselves dealing with adult consequences very quickly and wondering if their young love can endure the pressures of adulthood. Will they find deeper love or implode from the pressures of their own making?

EXCERPT

I spot Marcus in my dad’s hand-me-down Maxima with John in the front seat next to him. Oh jeez. John Hunter. He’s that guy. He’s the stuff of young girls’ dreams and I gave him up long ago by trying to turn my eyes to other guys. The way I see it, it’s like this: 1) he’s Marcus’s best friend and I have no interest in messing up their friendship; 2) he’s not an intentional player but he’s a player just the same; and 3) thank you, but I’ll skip the broken heart, please. I’ve grown up in proximity to this handsome devil for most of my life and he still manages to make my stomach drop when I see him.

It’s such a cliché to say that he’s tall, dark and handsome but clichés work for a reason—they’re inescapable kernels of truth. John is tall at a striking six feet and four inches. He’s dark with his almost-black hair and deep brown eyes. I can’t forget the handsome with his perfectly structured jaw line. Ridiculous. Just by looking at him, I can feel my adrenaline kicking in and the sweat gathering. Great.

I plaster an annoyed look on my face because that’s how we interact with each other. That’s part of our unwritten script. He plays the charming rogue and I play the cynical wallflower who is suspicious of all his kind gestures. He jumps out and does a half-bow. “Madame, your chariot,” he says as he gestures to the front seat.

Natalia is a lifelong reader and lover of romance novels. Before finally tapping away at her keyboard to create her own stories, she tried all sorts of professions: elementary school teacher, barista, seller of make-up, baker, and the list goes on. When she isn’t pursuing the arts, she’s hanging out with her husband, two wacky children, and full-figured Corgi.

Website: www.nataliaalbrite.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NAlbrite
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD-cYs7QgaRDMJMSy2QimNA
Instagram: http://instagram.com/nataliaalbrite
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nataliaalbrite/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Encourage your readers to follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better their chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2019/04/vbt-that-guy-and-that-girl-by-natalia.html

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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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Giveaway – The Lady Raven by Rebecca Henry #RebeccaHenry @XpressoTours

Posted on May 27, 2019 by fundinmental

The Lady Raven: A Dark Cinderella Tale
Rebecca Henry
Publication date: December 5th 2017
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

In The Lady Raven, Rebecca Henry tells the tale of Zezolla, a little princess abandoned by her father into the hands of her evil stepmother and wicked stepsisters. A familiar fairy tale you may think but all is not as it appears. The reader is soon drawn into a web of witchcraft, lies and deceit, and gradually realises that this is no typical fairy tale but a dark and macabre take on one. Zezolla is treated with the utmost cruelty, neglected and vilified, and left to live in the damp cellars of the castle. The only friends Zezolla has are her beloved raven and her pet wolf. Her only comfort lies in the loyalty of the creatures of the forest and her mother’s hazel tree. Will Zezolla have the power to escape her torment and ultimately save herself from the unscrupulous clutches of the king? The Lady Raven is a compelling tale and one that is not for the faint-hearted.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Baldric bent down, whispering into his wife’s ear. “I am going to drown you in the river, my love. I want you to hear my words and know that it is I who will kill you. Do not think that I do not know what you did.” Before Avelina could protest, her face was plunged into the icy water. She tried pulling her head up, but Baldric was too strong. She began to buck her legs around like a mule, desperate to make contact with Baldric, anything to weaken his grip. Baldric climbed on top of her and pinned her body beneath his. “Die, Avelina.” he growled. Hands were flying all around him as he drowned his wife, the only woman he ever loved. Princess Avelina was a fighter and she determined to stay alive, but it was to no avail.

Baldric kept her head under the water well after her body stopped moving. Avelina’s betrayal caused Baldric’s love to turn to hate, just as water turns to ice in the frozen kiss of winter.

“Die, you lying witch. Die! You do not deserve the life you have. You do not deserve me. You have taken everything I’ve loved away and now I will take everything from you.” Baldric’s hands trembled with rage as he dismounted his wife’s limp body. Baldric arose, looking around the grounds to ensure that no witnesses could testify to his crime. Still, he would not suffer the consequence of murdering his wife. To seal his innocence, he gathered heavy rocks from the bank and shoved them in Avelina’s robes.

“They will think it a suicide and my hands will never be traced to her death.” He bent down to see her face one last time before kicking her corpse into the lake.

“I loved you mind, body, and soul. I would have loved you until my dying breath, but I will never think of you again. From this day forth, you no longer consume my heart. May you rest in hell, my love.” He watched her body sink; he was triumphant, sentencing her to the punishment that fitted the crime: death.

Before her body disappeared into the ultramarine water, he spat on her. One final act of defiance.

Author Bio:

Rebecca Henry is a newly published author. Her debut novel is The Lady Raven, A Dark Cinderella Tale, which was published in 2017. The Lady Raven, is for those who have an affinity for fairy tales retold with a link to witches, magic and the macabre. Her second novel, Louisiana Latte, a chick lit comedy was released February 28th 2019. Louisiana Latte, is a feel good comedy that focuses on the bonds of sisters, and how audacious life can be when you have a diva for one! Both books are available on amazon as well as Barnes & Noble.

Rebecca Henry is a world traveler living abroad in England. Besides being an author of two published books, Rebecca is also a podcast talk host on the show The Latte Talk. The podcast was inspired by her latest novel, Louisiana Latte and her diva sister Deb. She is a serious vegan, gardener, crafter, wife and mom who practices yoga. She loves to laugh, her drug of choice and loves all things witchy with a hint of the macabre. Her favorite holiday is Halloween and her favorite movie of all time is Practical Magic.

Website / Instagram / Goodreads

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