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Hi Everyone. I’ve done a lot of blogging this week, because Mr Wonderful was out of town, at his mother’s house. He is due back today, Wednesday. I do enjoy my alone time very much, but that will be ending shortly. Not only is he coming home, but his mother, brother and sister in law will be visiting. I know it sounds terrible, but I am not looking forward to it. It will be nice to see them, but I know the house will be in turmoil. I have only left the house once in I don’t know how long and that was to the pool store. Needed chemicals to get the pool in perfect running condition. I have not been around people in a year and they will be at MY house. I have my fingers crossed for nice weather so we can be outside a lot. Maybe do a cookout or two and laze around the pool. It is refreshing, yet warming up a little day by day. Fingers crossed for nice weather. Hope you have a good week.
I got the idea and the motivation to start doing Tackling The TBR from All The Book Blog Names Are Taken.
It has helped me to keep track of my reading shelf as far as current
events and I also started doing a post for Books From The Backlog,
from Carole’s Random Life in Books,
to tidy up my shelves. I feel better about my out of control TBR and
have even knocked off a couple of those old ones that had been
hanging around for years.
COME ON….JOIN IN.
Previous Total: 2349
Currently Reading
Most of the time the books on my currently reading shelf contain review books.
Books Read
Books Added
I am trying to control myself when it comes to addidng books, so I can knock off some of those that have been waiting….patiently….to have their turn. However, I can’t turn down a free vampire story.
Chief of Police Jane Hardy plunges into the investigation of a house fire that claimed the life of a local woman as well as one of the firefighters. It’s clear the woman was murdered. But why? The unraveling of Jane’s personal life only makes the answers in the case more difficult to find.
Her son’s arrest.
Then Jane’s fifteen-year-old son is accused of a horrific crime, and she has to decide whether or not she can trust her ex, Reid, in the attempt to prove Will’s innocence—and whether she can trust Reid with her heart.
Her stolen memories.
Three days of Jane’s past are missing from her memory, and that’s not all that has been stolen from her. As she works to find the woman’s murderer and clear her son’s name, finding out what happened in those three days could change everything. It all started with one little lie. But the gripping truth is finally coming out.
Book Details:
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller Published by: Thomas Nelson Publication Date: April 6th 2021 Number of Pages: 352 ISBN: 0785228543 (ISBN13: 9780785228547) Series:Pelican Harbor #3 || These books are Stand Alone Mysteries but are better if read as a series! Purchase Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook.com | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
“I know what you did.”
The muffled voice on her phone raised the hair on the back of Gail Briscoe’s head, and she swiped the perspiration from her forehead with the back of her hand. “Look, I’ve reported these calls. Don’t call me again.”
She ended the call with a hard finger punch on the screen and stepped onto her front porch. The late-May Alabama air wrapped her in a blanket of heat and humidity, and she couldn’t wait to wash it off. She should have left the light on before she went for her predawn run. The darkness pressing against her isolated home sent a shudder down her back, and she fumbled her way inside. Welcome light flooded the entry, and she locked the door and the dead bolt with a decisive click that lifted her confidence.
She stared at the number on the now-silent phone. The drugstore again. Though there weren’t many pay phones around anymore, the old soda shop and drugstore still boasted a heavy black phone installed back in the sixties. The caller always used it, and so far, no one had seen who was making the calls. The pay phone was located off an alley behind the store by a Dumpster so it was out of sight.
The guy’s accusation was getting old. Counting today, this made seven calls with the same message. Could he possibly know about the investigation? She rejected the thought before it had a chance to grow. It wasn’t public knowledge, and it would be over soon. She clenched her hands and chewed on her bottom lip. She had to be vindicated.
But who could it be, and what did he want?
Leaving a trail of sweaty yoga shorts and a tee behind her, she marched to the bathroom and turned the spray to lukewarm before she stepped into the shower. The temperature shocked her overheated skin in a pleasant way, and within moments she was cooled down. She increased the temperature a bit and let the water sluice over her hair.
As she washed, she watched several long strands of brown hair swirl down the drain as she considered the caller’s accusation. The police had promised to put a wiretap on her phone, but so far the guy hadn’t stayed on the phone long enough for a trace to work. And it was Gail’s own fault. She should have talked with him more to string out the time.
She dried off and wrapped her hair in a turban, then pulled on capris and a top. Her phone vibrated again. She snatched it up and glanced at the screen. Augusta Richards.
“I got another call, Detective. Same phone at the drugstore. Could you set up a camera there?”
“I hope I’m not calling too early, and I don’t think that’s necessary. The owner just told me that old pay phone is being removed later today. Maybe that will deter the guy. It’s the only pay phone in town. He’ll have to use something else if he calls again.”
“He could get a burner phone.”
“He might,” the detective admitted. “What did he say?”
“The same thing—‘I know what you did.’”
“Do you have any idea what it means?”
Gail flicked her gaze away to look out the window, where the first colors of the sunrise limned the trees. “Not a clue.”
“Make sure you lock your doors and windows. You’re all alone out there.”
“Already locked. Thanks, Detective.” Gail ended the call.
Ever since Nicole Pearson’s body had been found a couple of months ago, no one needed to remind Gail she lived down a dirt road with no next-door neighbors. No one wanted to buy the neighboring place after such a lurid death, so the area remained secluded other than a couple of houses about a mile away and out closer to the main road.
She stood back from the window. It was still too dark to see. Was someone out there?
Pull back the reins on your imagination. But once the shudders started, they wouldn’t stop. Her hands shaking, she left her bedroom and went to pour herself a cup of coffee with a generous splash of half-and-half from the fridge. She had a stack of lab orders to process, and she couldn’t let her nerves derail her work.
The cups rattled as she snatched one from the cupboard. The coffee sloshed over the rim when she poured it, then she took a big gulp of coffee. It burned all the way down her throat, and tears stung her eyes as she sputtered. The heat settled her though, and she checked the locks again before she headed to her home office with her coffee.
No one could see in this tiny cubicle with no window, but she rubbed the back of her neck and shivered. She’d work for an hour, then go into the lab. The familiar ranges and numbers comforted her. She sipped her coffee and began to plow through the stack of papers. Her eyes kept getting heavy. Weird. Normally she woke raring to go every morning.
Maybe she needed more coffee. She stretched out her neck and back and picked up the empty coffee cup.
Gail touched the doorknob and cried out. She stuck her first two fingers in her mouth. What on earth?
The door radiated heat. She took a step back as she tried to puzzle out what was happening, but her brain couldn’t process it at first. Then tendrils of smoke oozed from under the door in a deadly fog.
Fire. The house was on fire.
She spun back toward the desk, but there was nothing she could use to protect herself. There was no way of egress except through that door.
If she wanted to escape, she’d have to face the inferno on the other side.
She snatched a throw blanket from the chair and threw it over her head, then ran for the door before she lost her courage. When she yanked it open, a wall of flames greeted her, but she spied a pathway down the hall to her bedroom. Ducking her head, she screamed out a war cry and plowed through the flames.
In moments she was in the hall where the smoke wasn’t so thick. She pulled in a deep breath as she ran for her bedroom. She felt the cool air as soon as she stepped inside and shut the door behind her. Too late she realized the window was open, and a figure stepped from the closet.
Something hard came down on her head, and darkness descended.
***
Excerpt from Three Missing Days by Colleen Coble. Copyright 2021 by Thomas Nelson. Reproduced with permission from Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Colleen Coble is a USA TODAY bestselling author and RITA finalist best known for her coastal romantic suspense novels, including The Inn at Ocean’s Edge, Twilight at Blueberry Barrens, and the Lavender Tides, Sunset Cove, Hope Beach, and Rock Harbor series.
Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!
Giveaway!:
This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Colleen Coble and Thomas Nelson. ONE (1) winner will receive ONE (1) physical set of the first three books in the Pelican Harbor series. (U.S. addresses only). The giveaway begins on April 5, 2021 and runs through May 2, 2021. Void where prohibited.
Finding themselves in a slave community hidden within the Great
Dismal Swamp, Will Rees and his wife Lydia get caught up in a dangerous
murder case where no one trusts them.
September 1800, Maine. Will Rees is beseeched by Tobias, an
old friend abducted by slave catchers years before, to travel south to
Virginia to help transport his pregnant wife, Ruth, back north. Though
he’s reluctant, Will’s wife Lydia convinces him to go . . . on the
condition she accompanies them.
Upon arriving in a small community of absconded slaves hiding within
the Great Dismal Swamp, Will and Lydia are met with distrust. Tensions
are high and a fight breaks out between Tobias and Scipio, a philanderer
with a bounty on his head known for conning men out of money. The
following day Scipio is found dead – shot in the back.
Stuck within the hostile Great Dismal and with slave catchers on the
prowl, Will and Lydia find themselves caught up in their most dangerous
case yet.
Kuhns’ vivid portrayal of the community that developed inside the
swamp captures a group of naturally cunning and vigilant people who
provided a family for one another when most had none. . . the story
shines for its historical backbone and atmospheric details.
~ Booklist
Book Details:
Genre: Mystery, Thriller Published by: Severn House Publishers Publication Date: January 5th 2021 Number of Pages: 224 ISBN: 0727890239 (ISBN13: 9780727890238) Series: Will Rees Mysteries #8 Purchase Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Author Bio:
Eleanor is the 2011 winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of
America First Crime novel winner. After working as a librarian, she
transitioned to a full time writer. This is number eight in the Will
Rees Mystery series.
(Story Ballads Book #2) by: Mia Kerick Genre: YA Coming of Age Gay Romance Release Date: March 3
Summary: Kyle is a swaggering bully; Lenny strives to be invisible.
Kyle has been left alone in the world; Lenny is the world’s biggest loner.
When Kyle saves Lenny from drowning, their lives will never be the same.
After a brutal encounter with school bullies, Lenny swims out into the ocean, determined to let the current whisk him away. Next thing he knows the meanest kid in town is pulling him from the waves, promising to be his Dead Sea, and to never let him sink.
All Kyle wants is to get out of beach cleanup, is that too much to ask? So he goes for a swim, only to come upon the most epic “nobody” in the senior class drowning in a riptide. Lenny’s haunted gaze grips him, and Kyle makes the impulsive decision to save his life or die trying. And through this ordeal, Kyle and Lenny are transformed.
Kyle’s heroic act sets him on the straight and narrow, and he opens his heart to the young man he dragged from the ocean. Lenny changes too but is still unable to reveal the truth of his pain. While drowning in a sea of secrets, the reformed bully and wary victim fall in love. But staying afloat in the Dead Sea is not as simple as it seems.
Award-winning gay romance author, wife, and mother of four, Mia Kerick, knows that a satisfying romance novel is riddled with challenges. For true love to prevail, the leading men are going to have to put in some effort. But the HEA is oh, so rewarding.
From Jane Eyre’s Mr. Rochester to Brokeback Mountain’s Ennis and Jack to Twilight’s Edward, Mia has a great affinity for the tortured hero in literature. Her contemporary gay romance focuses on such tropes as coming of age, hurt/comfort, and forbidden love. She firmly believes that sometimes you have to break his heart to save him. In Kerick’s books, the course of true love truly never does run smooth.
Mia’s books have been featured in Kirkus Reviews magazine. They have won a 2019 IPPY GOLD award for Juvenile/Young Adult Fiction, GOLD award for Juvenile/Young Adult Fiction, a 2018 YA GOLD MOONBEAM Children’s Book Award, a YA Readers’ Favorite Award, several Gold Rainbow Awards in YA and adult categories, a Reader Views’ Book by Book Publicity Literary Award, the Jack Eadon Award for Best Book in Contemporary Drama, a YA Indie Fab Award, a First Place Royal Dragonfly Award for Cultural Diversity, a First Place Story Monsters Purple Dragonfly Award, and more.
Mia cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those
neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything
like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in
your stacks.
Murder victim Bart Bagley is not content to merely roll over in his grave. He wants his murderer caught and he wants teenage ghost whisperer, Indigo Eady, to help him.
It becomes obvious that Bart’s temper led to more than one disagreement, but is it enough to want him dead? With nothing but a cold trail and a hot list of “friendly” suspects, Indigo and her friends race to find the killer before they become the next victims.
An Indigo Eady Paranormal Mystery
Indigo Eady is not clumsy. At least, that’s what she keeps telling everyone. Can she help that the overactive spirit community of Sabrina Shores causes her psychic abilities to short-circuit? It’s unfortunate that her cute new friend Badger is often on the receiving end of her mishaps. At times, she is positively hazardous to his health. Even so, sparks start to fly in more than one direction…
I added Givin’ Up The Ghost by Gwen Gardner to my TBR on 11.30.12. I love a good ghost story and I’m hoping I have one here. I couldn’t find this exact book, unless you want to pay $999.00 for a paperback. Amazon…I do have an ebook on my Kindle though, so I’m good with that.She does have a lot of other books available, so you may want to check those out.
I have been reading Ken La Salle’s work for some time now and he never ceases to amaze me with his creativity and ability to spin a tale…and some of them are pretty far out there. LOL And I love it.
I was very curious about the cover, because I knew Ken La Salle just couldn’t find the right thing, so I asked him to write up a guest post and share his thoughts about it. The story is very original, unique and…well, it’s very hard to describe, but if you like something that can shock you and make you stretch your mind, this could be for you.
So….welcome Ken.
IN HIS OWN WORDS…
“Seat
of the pants” is much more than a style of writing; it really is a way
of life. And this is especially true in the writing world where book
release dates and cover reveals are just as strategic as the handsome
stranger entering in the third act.
For
me, though, strategy can get boring sometimes. I was working on Heaven
Enough when I was first captured by this strange notion of art as
torture, which was only my first glimpse into the world of Little Mike.
As strange as this notion was, I knew I couldn’t create a traditional
outline or structure – or anything. Little Mike revealed itself much
like a sculpture locked in stone, freed by the tiniest chips.
Because
Little Mike was such a different kind of book, I talked up the idea
with some friends just to see their response to some of the ideas
presented and, after I wrote the novel, I managed to corral my first
beta readers. I knew there would be pushback to some of my ideas but I
was pleased to see the story connect in such a powerful way.
Agents
and publishers turned Little Mike away in droves, however. Still, I had
to believe that the reactions of my readers meant far more than the
publishers and agents who turned their noses up at the mention of a
Muslim prostitute. This was, of course, before my editor asked, and I’m
paraphrasing, “Are you sure?” This was before two cover artists told me
the cover was impossible to create and a third cover artist told me he
couldn’t “draw funny.” (Not that anyone asked…)
Seat
of the pants style, my wife and I bought a doll, found a place to shoot
the cover, and brought Little Mike to life ourselves.
“Seat of the pants” is not a guaranty of success; it is an offer of adventure, a ticket to unexpected destinations. I hope Little Mike takes you someplace unexpected, just as it did for me.
You accomplished your mission, Ken. You definitely took me somewhere I couldn’t have gotten on my own and I LOVE IT!Keep up the great work.
“The country needed more pollution and dumber children, I guess.”
WOW! I mean…WOW! Ken La Salle blew me away with this grotesquely hilarious glimpse of what our future could behold.
Ken La Salle writes some of the most wildly entertaining, unique, and creative stories I have ever read and Little Mike hits all the marks.
I love the simple cover and it sure doesn’t give anything away. He worked on the cover for quite some time.
Ken La Salle’s version on the have and have nots, and the decline of the human race is…
BEWARE: There is graphic violence and his version of the end of the world, man, oh man…bereft of all hope, surviving while waiting to die…sure don’t see much to live for.
Perversion, depravity. Totally twisted. Laughs and disgust. Need a strong stomach…and maybe a puke bucket. LOL
A satire on the state of the union and what the future could hold for us. Think you have it bad…these characters show that it can always be worse.
Who is better off? An optimist? A pessimist? A realist?
Thought provoking. Soul crushing. Hopeless and hopeful. Had me questioning myself and my responsibilities towards the world we live in.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of Little Mike by Ken La Salle.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
He’s come to destroy the world. We beat him to it. Welcome to a world where you have to suck the KKK for breakfast and people fight for the right to be warehoused. Welcome to a world where television is free just as long as you never turn it off, where opioids are delicious and safe, mostly, where the streets are filled with the bodies of the dead, worms are blessed, and children are tortured for the sake of art. And into this world awakens Little Mike. Little Mike is a doll. Little Mike doesn’t know why he’s woken up. He doesn’t know that he means the end of humankind. He’s too busy being traded for sexual favors, watching Reality TV, and searching for the last shreds of human hope in the same landfill where they’d deposited their decency and their intelligence. Dystopia is a word that gets thrown around a lot but what do you call a world where the future has been stripped of its meaning? Where the petty greeds of humanity eclipse survival? Where corporations have data-mined the human heart… and no one can see beyond the latest distraction… and human history culminates in silent surrender? You’d call that the world of Little Mike. It only sounds like the world where you live.
ABOUT KEN LA SALLE
Born on an 18th century mining ship, Ken La Salle is not his name. He just likes it. He writes about whatever he damn well pleases, hoping to build more of a cult following than a readership just for a cut on the robes. Looking for the mainstream but sticking to the shore, you can find out more about Ken La Salle at the imaginatively named www.kenlasalle.com.
GIVEAWAY
Want a glimpse into Ken La Salle’s world? Now is your chance. Ken is offering 3 ebook copies of Little Mike. Entry is easy peasy. All you have to do is leave a comment answering the question and leaving your requested format and email:
WOW! I was expecting a great read when I opened Stolen Daughters by Carolyn Arnold, but I got more than I expected. I find that amazing, because I have been reading her work for some time now and loving it, so for her to write a novel that has me saying to myself (and you), “WOW, this is the perfect story for me.”, it hits all the spots.
Amanda Steele reminds me of Clarisse on the new TV show. I guess that shows how I feel about Carolyn Arnold’s work. It is suitable for the visual media, whether on TV or the movies. Who knows?
The romance is there, but not, and that is fine with me, because I was so involved with the characters I was reading about, I never really missed Logan. He did drop in for a minute or two here and there, just enough to let us know he is waiting….
I love that Amanda doesn’t jump into a relationship with Logan too quickly. I kinda like the one they have right now, taking their time to let it develop naturally, if that is possible in the world they live in. Danger is all around, and they never know when it will find them.
Carolyn Arnold does police procedurals proud. She gives the investigative details in a clear, concise manner, not slowing down the story in any way.
We have a lot of things going on in Stolen Daughters. Logan is trying to hook up with Amanda, but she is too busy trying to help her mother, find out who killed the girl in the fire and deal with her own personal issues.
I love when I can have empathy for the villain, but that does not excuse his actions. He knows right from wrong, he just loves doing wrong. The past is the past and I feel no one can use that for an excuse for their behavior, and when I remember his victims, well…you’ll have to read the book and then I think you may know what I feel.
I love when a fictional novel can draw me so far into it that I, at times, forget I am reading fiction. I had a bunch of notes, but after rereading the blurb, I had to wing it. I didn’t want to give anything away. I want you to experience it for yourself. It is well worth it.
I ignored everything going on around me and stayed up late to finish Stolen Daughters, so to say it was unputdownable is not doing it justice. When IT hits the road, Amanda Steele puts the pedal to the metal, no looking back and no second guessing.
I voluntarily reviewed and ARC of Stolen Daughters by Carolyn Arnold.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The girl looked so peaceful, she could have been asleep. Except her eyes were open, blankly reflecting the flickering flames spreading towards her…
When firefighters discover the body of a teenage girl at an abandoned house, Detective Amanda Steele hurries to the scene. Dumfries, Virginia is a small town, yet no one seems to have any idea who the dead girl is until Amanda finds a dragonfly pin with the name Crystal engraved on it.
Working tirelessly, Amanda traces the pin to Crystal Foster, a thirteen-year-old who disappeared three years ago from her wealthy parents’ home. Breaking the news to the distraught parents won’t be easy, but the loss of her own daughter still haunts Amanda, and she knows this will bring them closure. But when Amanda goes to see the Fosters, they do not recognize the girl. She isn’t Crystal.
Before Amanda can react to this new development, she gets an urgent call. A fire has consumed another vacant house, and the remains of two more girls have been found. Who are these girls, and why are they being picked off? Amanda must stop this killer before the pattern continues, and the death toll climbs.
When Amanda receives a taunting note from the killer, she realizes that she holds the missing piece of this puzzle. The victims are connected to Amanda’s past, to a case she can never forget, and which almost claimed her life. As she follows the clues to their deadly conclusion, can she save more innocent lives… even if it risks her own?
An unputdownable, pulse-pounding mystery. Fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan and Robert Dugoni will be gripped.
CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning
author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She
has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon
Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has
written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers
everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action
adventures.
Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised
by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading
her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT™.
Carolyn was born in a small town and
enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big
city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive
imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch
the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and
empower.
She currently lives just west of Toronto
with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada
and Sisters in Crime.
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 HERE
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Hi Everyone. You know it’s spring, when the azaleas are blooming. This week’s weather has been hit and miss, but I am so happy that I have been able to work out in the yard, doing a lot of weeding and spring prep. Hope to get some fertilizer and insect killer down this week. I got in the pool…and it is still a bit chilly. Love it anyway. During March, the oak leaves fall and create a battle of the leaves. Then we have the little seed pods, so I have to keep emptying the robot and skimmers. I sure do love my robot. Saves me a ton of time to do something else. Mr Wonderful got his second dose of the vaccine and all looks good. For me, it still doesn’t change anything. The Mullet Toss is coming up at the end of April. It takes place at the Redneck Riviera, Florabama and I will be missing another year of it. It’s disappointing, but even with the vaccination, I don’t see myself partying with a bunch of people from all over the country, maybe the world. With the relaxation of all the Covid rules, I feel even less confident on being around anyone. But, we have some friends and family that are coming down for it and I am conflicted. Mr Wonderful has invited them over, but after them going to a wet Tshirt contest and drinking all day at the Floribama, I don’t feel good about it. And, I sure don’t want them staying with us. I haven’t done enough research of my own to know what happens after your vaccination. I mean…are we 100% safe to go out and do anything and everything? Hope you had a good week and another coming up.
