I got the idea and the motivation to start doing this post 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 to
tidy up my shelf. 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 TBR Total: 2482
Currently Reading
Books Read
Books Added to TBR
The books in the highlighted list were free at time of posting
Join us for this tour from July 13 to August 11, 2020!
Book Details:
Book Title: Folly at the Fair (An Annie Oakley Mystery) by Kari Bovee Category: Adult Fiction (18 + yrs), 322 pages Genre: Historical Mystery Publisher: Bosque Publishing Release date: June 2020 Tour dates: July 13 to August 11, 2020 Content Rating: PG-13 for some swearing, violence, and mature themes.
Book Description: She
never misses a target. But unless she can solve this murder, she’ll
become one… Chicago World’s Fair, 1893. “Little Sure Shot” Annie Oakley
is exhausted from her work with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. But when a
fellow performer scuffles with a man who threatens her harm, she has to
keep her eyes peeled. And when the heckler is found dead under the
Ferris Wheel, Annie won’t rest until she proves her defender is
innocent. Before she can rustle up any clues, an old friend asks Annie
to protect her young daughter. And as more bodies turn up around the
grounds, she’s going to need all her sharpshooting skills just to stay
alive. Can Annie live up to her reputation and put a bullseye on the
killer? Folly at the Fair is the third book in the Annie Oakley Mystery
historical fiction series. If you like strong heroines, Wild West
adventures, and suspenseful twists and turns, then you’ll love Kari
Bovee’s fast-paced whodunit.
When she’s not on a horse, or walking along the beautiful
cottonwood-laden acequias of Corrales, New Mexico; or basking on white
sand beaches under the Big Island Hawaiian sun, Kari Bovee is escaping
into the past—scheming murder and mayhem for her characters both real
and imagined, and helping them to find order in the chaos of her
action-packed novels. Empowered women in history, horses, unconventional
characters, and real-life historical events fill the pages of Kari
Bovée’s articles and historical mystery musings and manuscripts. An
award-winning author, Bovée was honored with the 2019 NM/AZ Book Awards
Hillerman Award for Southwestern Fiction for her novel Girl with a Gun.
The novel also received First Place in the 2019 NM/AZ Book Awards in the
Mystery/Crime category, and is a Finalist in the 2019 International
Chanticleer Murder & Mayhem Awards and the International Chanticleer
Goethe Awards, as well as the Next Generation Indie Awards. Her novel
Grace in the Wings is a Finalist for the 2019 International Chanticleer
Chatelaine Awards and the International Chanticleer Goethe Awards. Her
novel Peccadillo at the Palace is a Finalist in the 2019 International
Chanticleer Murder & Mayhem Awards and the 2019 International Goethe
Awards, as well as a Finalist in the 2019 Best Book Awards Historical
Fiction category. Bovée has worked as a technical writer for a Fortune
500 Company, has written non-fiction for magazines and newsletters, and
has worked in the education field as a teacher and educational
consultant. She and her husband, Kevin, spend their time between their
horse property in the beautiful Land of Enchantment, New Mexico, and
their condo on the sunny shores of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
Catch the sparks you need to conquer writer’s
block, depression, and burnout!
When Chrys Fey shared her story about depression
and burnout, it struck a chord with other writers. That put into perspective
for her how desperate writers are to hear they aren’t alone. Many creative
types experience these challenges, battling to recover. Let Keep Writing with
Fey: Sparks to Defeat Writer’s Block, Depression, and Burnout guide you
through:
· Writer’s block
· Depression
· Writer’s burnout
· What a writer doesn’t need to succeed
· Finding creativity boosts
With these sparks, you can begin your journey of
rediscovering your creativity and get back to what you love – writing.
When I shared my story
about depression and writer’s burnout, I received many emails, comments, and
Facebook messages from other writers thanking me for my bravery and telling me
about their own trials. That really put into perspective for me how many people
suffer from depression and/or burnout in silence. I had no idea those
individuals were impacted by these things, just as they hadn’t known that I
was, because my outward presence to others was always happy and smiley and
bright.
After the supportive
response and upon realizing how many writers in my online circles were
struggling, too, I wanted to do something to help. I was candid with my
experiences and blogged about the things that assisted me through the rough
times in the hope that it would aid others.
During this time, I
recognized the need for writers to receive support, guidance, tips, reminders,
and encouragement during their writer’s block, depression, and burnout. That’s
how I got the idea for this book. A book not just about depression or only
about writer’s block, but both, and much more.
Since you have picked up
this book, that means you may need assistance with one or all of these areas,
and I sincerely hope you find what you need here…that tiny spark to get you
through whatever you are going through.
I found Kathryn Meyer Griffith through blogging and once I started reading her work, I never looked back. Be sure and check out all my reviews below and don’t forget to read this one. It’s another fun trip to Spookie town.
Oh man, it’s good to be back with Abigail, Frank, Myrtle and the gang in Spookie Town. Not only do we have a murder mystery, but we have a little bit of the supernatural going on. Is it good or bad? I’ll leave that for you to find out for yourself.
Myrtle is an eccentric (?) who sees ghosts and I love how she pops in and out of Abigail and Frank’s life. Abigail and Frank are a couple, but they have yet to make that final decision, to live together. Abigail has two children that she took in when they were orphaned. You can find the details out in All Things Slip Away and it is a wonderful story.
Abigail got up in the morning and as soon as she stepped outside felt something…was in the air…and it didn’t feel good. Myrtle comes to Abigail with a request. Will she help her neighbor, who is being haunted by a ghost? Bumps in the night doesn’t begin to describe what she is going through.
They are not ghost whisperers, ghost busters, or ghost hunters, but they will get to the bottom of the mystery of the burglaries, hauntings, missing people, and dead bodies. Just because they are older and quickly dismissed by the small town police, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening and someone must step in before something else happens.
Are the police just inept, lazy and useless, or are they part of the problem? That is one of the things I love about small towns, the unique, fun, and interesting characters that add as much to the story as the mystery we are here to solve.
BUT, also in a small town:
“You’re one of us. Remember I told you, we take care of our own in Spookie. That’s what we do.”
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Ghosts Beneath Us by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Someone is terrorizing the elderly in a certain neighborhood in Spookie and vandalizing their homes. As usual, Abigail Sutton, a freelance artist, and her boyfriend Frank Lester, a retired homicide detective, are called in to help find out who’s doing these awful acts. The two seem to have an uncanny knack for unraveling mysteries and getting to the bottom of such strange happenings. Some of the old people think it’s ghosts in their basements, in their homes, doing these destructive deeds but Frank doesn’t believe in ghosts; while Abigail isn’t so sure. Then the old folks begin to disappear one by one or to die suspiciously and Frank thinks there’s a sinister plan behind the crimes and is determined to uncover who or what is responsible. In the end, they, with a little help from their friend eccentric old Myrtle, must solve the mystery or more of the old ones in town might end up dead. Sequel to Scraps of Paper (Spookie Town Murder Mystery #1) and All Things Slip Away (Spookie Town Murder Mystery #2)
ABOUT KATHRYN MEYER GRIFFITH
Kathryn Meyer Griffith has been a writer
for over forty-nine years now and has had twenty-nine novels and thirteen short
stories published since 1984. She began her writing career as a paperback
horror author in 1984 with Leisure and Zebra Publishing, but has since moved on
to write paranormal horror, romantic historical time-travel, suspense, romance,
thrillers, and murder mysteries. Her horror novel The Last Vampire, and her
thriller Dinosaur Lake (now a best-selling five book series), were both Epic
eBook Awards Finalists in 2012 and 2014. Kathryn Meyer Griffith rdgriff@htc.net
NOVELS: Evil Stalks the Night, The Heart
of the Rose, Blood Forged, Vampire Blood, The Last Vampire (2012 Epic
eBook Awards Finalists in their Horror category), Witches, Witches II:
Apocalypse, Witches plus Witches II: Apocalypse, The Nameless One erotic
horror short story, The Calling, Scraps of Paper (1st Spookie Town
Murder Mystery), All Things Slip Away (2nd Spookie Town Murder Mystery),
Ghosts Beneath Us (3rd Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Witches Among Us
(4th Spookie Town Murder Mystery), What Lies Beneath the Graves (5th
Spookie Town Murder Mystery), All Those Who Came Before (6th Spookie
Town Murder Mystery); soon, a 7th, When the Fireflies
Retuned, out in December 2020, Egyptian Heart, Winter’s Journey, The Ice
Bridge, Don’t Look Back, Agnes, A Time of Demons and Angels, The Woman
in Crimson, Human No Longer, Four Spooky Short Stories Collection,
Forever and Always Romantic Novella, Night Carnival Short Story,
Dinosaur Lake (2014 Epic eBook Awards Finalists in their
Thriller/Adventure category), Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising,
Dinosaur Lake III: Infestation and Dinosaur Lake IV: Dinosaur Wars,
Dinosaur Lake V: Survivors, Memories of My Childhood, and a biographical
short story Christmas Magic 1959.
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.
They found him in the South Ofrann Desert, where everything evil lived. No one knew what he was. Most called him a demon. One leader thought this stranger-without-a-past held the key to tribal peace and prosperity. That leader’s enemies saw an opportunity to gain control of the nation.
I was probably lured into grabbing Moons’ Kiss by Kimberly K Comeau by the colorful cover. I am such a sucker for a pretty one and I do enjoy science fiction. I added Moons’ Kiss by Kimberly K Comeau to my Goodreads TBR on 10.6.20. Do you read science fiction? What is your favorite genre?
I am so happy to be back in the RV with Walt and Betty and this time we will be hiking the trails and solving a mystery in the shadow of the Superstition Mountains in Arizona.
I love the play on their name Rollin…pronounced as if saying rolling down the road.
Betty is the Jessica Fletcher of the RV world.
Their son had died and Betty could not let it go. She needed to know why. Had to have answers, but there were none. They sold everything, bought an RV and began to travel. Maybe that is why she is persistent in her need to know what’s going on right under her nose, like the dead man and two missing people.
I do like that the characters talk about their surroundings, the weather, and the people they meet. They love to people watch, trying to guess what was going on in their lives. They talk about RVs and what it means to be a permanent traveler. It lends an air of authenticity and reality making it easy to put myself in their shoes. She even throws some history in the mix.
The Superstition Mountains were given their name because the Pima and Apache Tribes were superstitious about the mountains and the settlers gave them their name. It is also the home of the Lost Dutchman’s mine.
Could there be a hidden gold mine with riches waiting to be discovered? Does that explain the brief flashes of light Betty has seen?
If you are looking for an easy reading cozy mystery with some travel and local history of the locations the characters visit, meeting some interesting people and solving crime, this is a series for you. Each book stands alone and takes place in a different state in the US.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Superstition Victim by Ellen Behrens.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
A rustic campground in the shadows of Arizona’s Superstition Mountains is anything but peaceful for Walt and Betty Rollin, full-time RVers hoping for tranquil hiking and a good deal on a new RV. What they find instead are secrets buried deeper than the Lost Dutchman’s legendary treasure… secrets so valuable someone is willing to kill to keep them. Local law enforcement seems unable to help, leaving Walt and Betty to do all they can–no matter what it takes.
This is the third installment in the Rollin RV Mystery series which RVers and non-RVers alike have called “page-turning,” “engrossing,” and their favorite way to stay up past bedtime.
ABOUT ELLEN BEHRENS
Ellen
Behrens’ short stories, articles, essays, and reviews have been widely
published. Her published books include the novels “Pea Body,” “None But
the Dead and Dying” and the short story collection “Road Tales: Short
Stories About Full-Time RVing.” She is former fiction editor of
Mid-American Review and the recipient of an Ohio Arts Council Individual
Artist Fellowship. She and her husband have been living the
“full-timer” RV lifestyle since 2009.
I have been reading Azaaa Davis’ Nadira Holden series and loving it. To see this gorgeous cover for her new Never Marry a Shifter series only makes me want to read the book more.
Jilted is the first of two books in the Never Marry A Shifter duology.
The Never Marry A Shifter (NMAS) duology is a thrilling blend of romance and horror, landing in the paranormal romance genre.
Jilted – Book Description:
Administrative assistant by day and boss lady on social media by night, Theresa enjoys sharing her charmed life with half-million followers. The only thing she loves more is being engaged to the hottest doctor at the clinic where they both work. Cementing her fame by reaching one million followers would be the icing on her wedding cake.
Life stops running smoothly when her husband vanishes on their wedding night and a leaked photo of a barely-dressed Theresa yelling at the police sparks a viral sensation. With everything at stake—love, reputation, followers, and job—she embarks on a reluctant voyage of discovery. Follow Theresa as she stumbles over her new husband’s secrets and develops her own inner strength.
A thrilling blend of romance and horror, Jilted is a novella exclusive to the Soul’s Day Boxset for a limited time and releases October 2020.
***
Soul’s Day Boxset – Book Description:
Old Hallows Eve, when things go bump in the night,
Children come to play, and the witches provide the fright.
For 20 authors, USA Today and international bestselling,
The Halloween tales become more than this foretelling.
In the Soul’s Day Boxset, a mansion feeds on souls,
A gargoyle captures them, and a demon dungeon master makes the calls,
Campers gets picked off one by one,
The Karnaval’s corn dogs are less than fun,
Ghosts lurking around every bend,
‘I do’ at the wedding is certainly the end.
A boxset of chills and thrills to keep you up at night,
One-click pre-order to snap your copy filled with fright.
On old Hallow’s eve when creatures come to play,
With this spine chilling pages, it’s where you’ll want to stay.
Azaaa Davis is an American author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels.
She fell in love with reading as a high school freshman and continues to read, write, and draw today. Her background in social work helps her portray realistic characters in otherworldly–and sometimes terrifying–situations. A New York native, Azaaa currently lives in New Hampshire (USA) with her husband and daughters.
She debuted with This Time (book one in the Nadira Holden, Demon Hunter series) in 2018. A novel about demon hunters, family ties and the magic of love.
I have read other books about the Lost City, so I am eager to see D V Berkom’s spin on it. I do love traipsing through the jungle, with danger lurking, looking for lost treasure.
Martin is concerned about keeping the discovery quiet and the location secret, to protect it from those who would endanger the site and the people who live around it. Nancy, his daughter, is more interested in academic pursuits, wanting to share it with the world, which opens them up to those who want it for themselves.
She drank the Kool-Aid.
Enter Leine Basso…a kickass ex-assassin that takes name and leaves no prisoners. She is pulled from her comfy cozy bed, where she was nestled with Santa, her detective boyfriend, in Los Angeles and on her way to the jungle deep in the heart of the Amazon.
The head bad guy betrays anyone and everyone to get what he wants and I hope and pray he gets a healthy dose of Karma.
I am loving Shadow of the Jaguar and the Indiana Jones vibe I’m picking up. We have action and adventure, loyalty and betrayal, treasure found, and lives lost.
I love books that add the ecological aspects that would accompany a discovery such as this, including theft, clear cutting, eco terrorism and things that would damage the jungle and the people who live there. To me it adds a realistic aspect to the fiction.
The pacing flowed smoothly, making it easy to read on, totally captivated by the characters, trying to figure out who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. I was worried and I wonder…could a good guy do a bad thing and still be a good guy?
I love that D V Berkom has Leine and her daughter on the adventure together. They both work for SHEN, which is an organization that deals with human traffickers and there is never a dull moment. They are well equipped to handle whatever gets thrown at them and it is a pleasure to be along for the ride.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Shadow of the Jaguar by D V Berkom
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Leine Basso is back in Shadow of the Jaguar, an edge-of-your-seat, page-turning action-adventure thriller.
A lost civilization. A woman’s abduction. The promise of unimaginable treasure.
Deep in the heart of the Amazon, an expedition finds evidence of a fabled lost city of gold. It isn’t long before a ruthless drug trafficker learns of the possible find and kidnaps an expedition member, threatening to kill her and the rest of the expedition unless he’s given the coordinates to the city.
Former assassin Leine Basso and her daughter are called in to rescue the kidnapped woman, who also happens to be a good friend’s niece. But in the jungle, danger lurks at every turn, and nothing is as it seems…
ABOUT D V BERKOM
DV Berkom is a slave to the voices in her head. As the author of two
popular thriller series (Leine Basso and Kate Jones), her love of
creating resilient, kick-*ss female characters stems from a lifelong
addiction to reading spy novels, mysteries, and thrillers, and longing
to find the female equivalent within those pages.
Raised in the Midwest, she received her
BA in political science from the University of Minnesota and promptly
moved to Mexico to live on a sailboat. Many, many cross-country moves
(and several years) later, she now lives just outside of Seattle,
Washington with the love of her life, Mark, an ex-chef-turned
contractor, and writes every chance she gets.
For more information, please visit her website at www.dvberkom.com.
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
Yeah by Usher and this song reached #1 on the Billboard Chart in 2004.
And I had to share the video below that I saw on his Youtube page.
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