Giveaway for Kiss of a Stranger by Lily Danes and Eve Kincaid @goddessfish

Posted on February 9, 2016 by fundinmental

SBB_KissOfAStranger_Banner copy

Kiss of a Stranger is a romantic suspense novel that takes place in Lost Coast Harbor.

I love a good suspense novel with a little romance, add a place called Lost Coast Harbor and I am unable to resist.

Be sure and enter the giveaway at the end of the post.

MediaKit_BookCover_KissOfAStrangerEbook

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Kiss of a Stranger by Lily Danes & Eve Kincaid

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GENRE: Contemporary Romantic Suspense

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BLURB:

Maddie Palmer lost everything when her ex-husband betrayed her. Years later, she’s rebuilt her life. It’s safe and stable—everything she thought she wanted. Until a dangerously sexy ex-con appears in Lost Coast Harbor…

Gabriel Reyes just did six years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit. Now he’s returned, determined to expose the men who set him up. His best chance at redemption is seducing the straight-laced woman working for the enemy…until he realizes he’s the one being seduced.

As passion ignites, Gabe and Maddie find themselves drawn deeper into the corruption behind the town’s richest family… even while facing the greatest danger of all—losing their hearts.

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EXCERPT:

“I had a lovely night, not that it’s any of your business.” The lie rolled off her tongue.

Gabe didn’t move. “I’m sure he was everything a date could be. Polite. Clever. Though it’s hard to take a man seriously when he orders the butternut squash ravioli at a restaurant that serves steak.”

“He’s a vegetarian,” she said absently, before the full meaning of his words settled on her. “Wait a second. You watched me? You spied on my date?” Her voice rose with every word, and only her desire not to wake the neighbors kept her from shouting.

Gabe shook his head. It was a rueful motion, directed more at himself than her. “I started to. Then I remembered that was creepy as hell and went to the diner. Where I ordered steak and eggs, by the way.”

“Still, the fact that you thought that was okay, even for a second…”

He stood, the movement fluid and hypnotic, and she couldn’t take her eyes off him as he prowled toward her. “Don’t fool yourself, Maddie. I’m not okay. I forgot how to be okay long ago. That’s what you’ll get with me, but I’ll do my best to make it worth your time, if you feel like taking a risk.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Like so many good ideas, Lost Coast Harbor was inspired by a few rounds of margaritas. One sunny afternoon, Lily Danes and Eve Kincaid went to a Mexican restaurant for snacks and tequila and left with the idea for a new series. Inspired by their love of noir movies and 1940s crime novels, they imagined a gritty small town full of crime and corruption, where intrigue and mystery can lead to love and passion.

www.lostcoastharbor.com

www.lilydanes.com

www.evekincaid.com

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GIVEAWAY

The authors will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER HERE

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Release Day Giveaway – The Medusa Files @melaniecard

Posted on February 8, 2016 by fundinmental

It’s release day for C.I. Black’s The Medusa Files, Case 8: Cut From Stone. I am so excited to share this great new urban fantasy with you! C.I. is sharing an exclusive excerpt and a giveaway with you! Grab your copy and check it all out now!

The Medusa Files, Case 8: Cut From Stone Synopsis:

This disaster could destroy everything she hadn’t realized she needed.

While Gage might be out of human custody, the Kin High Council remains suspicious of him and the team, and Lachlin is now even more determined to force Morgan to quit. The only person Morgan can trust is Gage, but her attraction to him has made her powers dangerously uncontrollable.

When someone sets off a bomb at a Kin high society party and releases a contagion that turns Kin into humans, the team must put their difference aside and stop their most dangerous threat yet.

If you haven’t started the series yet, you can get the first book, The Medusa Files, case 1: Written In Stone, for FREE!

Buy Links: Get the release day price of .99 Now! The Medusa Files, Case 8:

Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Kobo

Catch up on the series with book 1, free now. The Medusa Files, Case 1:

Amazon | Kobo | iBooks | Nook

Exclusive Excerpt:

His expression darkened even more, and invisible lightning snapped across Morgan’s skin. The bathroom was too small for both of them and his magic. Another snap of lightning and her newly manifested gorgon powers exploded over her eyes, rushing out of control across her cheeks.

Shit.

She squeezed her eyes shut and jerked to face the shower stall, away from Gage. Fiery tears threatened to seep from beneath her lashes, and every muscle grew tight with the effort to hold it back. Shit shit shit.

“That was Loric on the phone,” Gage said. His voice sounded so far away and hushed against the rushing in her ears. “We have to report to the Council.”

“Okay.” She sucked in a ragged breath. One of the tears inched closer to release.

“You all right?” He stepped close. The heat from his body and the tingle from his power brushed her senses, and her hold on her powers trembled.

“Fine.” The tear broke through and traced a searing line down her cheek. She caught it in her palm before it hit the floor and exploded into a drop of granite dust.

“Morgan?”

“Just give me—” She forced her shoulders into a roll, trying to loosen the muscles. Logically she knew if she relaxed so would her powers, but the other part of her — probably her human part — screamed with panic. Don’t kill anyone. Again.

“Focus on my voice,” he said, his tone softening. “Draw in a slow breath.”

She inhaled.

“That’s it. Relax, Morgan.” His tone shifted — or was that her imagination changing it? It was now sensual, slick, sexually charged. “Relax, Morgan.”

Desire shuddered through her, and Lachlin’s unwanted fae charm billowed, achy and needy inside her. Her powers flared again. Gage stood so close, too close.

“Morgan.”

Another shudder and burst of power. Two more tears slid from her lashes. She wiped them away. She was going to kill someone or destroy the building they were in, and Gage wasn’t helping. “Please. Just step back.”

“You can control it.” He slid a hand up her back.

Her muscles contracted. Desire and fire roared through her. It forced her eyes open, burst through her sunglasses, and slammed into the shower door. It flash-froze to stone and cracked. She wrenched her glasses off and pressed her palms to her eyes before the door exploded. When her power was this out of control, things tended to erupt into granite dust, not just turn to stone. She’d gotten lucky with the door.

Gage’s fingers tensed on her shoulder, and her powers seared her hands.

“Stop touching me.”

His hand and the sense of him vanished.

“You’re getting stronger.” It sounded like his voice was all the way across the room. “And unstable. Your powers shouldn’t be this unstable.”

C.I. Black Bio:

CI Author photo

C.I. writes fast-paced, thrilling, and sexy urban fantasy and paranormal romance. She is the author of the Dragon Spirit series and the Medusa Files series.

Always having been drawn to storytelling, C.I. can’t remember a time when she wasn’t creating a story. Her early tales were adventures with fairies, dragons, and sword swinging princesses.

Today she continues to spin tales of magic in lands near and far, while her cat sits on the edge of her desk and supervises. When she’s not writing, you can find her pretending to be other people with her local community theatre groups.

Links: Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / CIBlack.com

Enter C.I.’s Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Friday 56 #70 & BB #46 – The Scarpetta Factor @1pcornwell

Posted on February 5, 2016 by fundinmental

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The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

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Next up on the list is The Scarpetta Factor by Patricia Cornwell.

I have been a huge fan of Patricia’s for many years and I couldn’t resist grabbing this. I cannot give it a rating because, quite frankly, I read it some time ago.

There are so many books and so little time, whether I will reread this again or not…

MY FRIDAY 56

The card’s red envelope was blank, nothing on it, not Benton’s name or Scarpetta’s or Dodie Hodge’s.

(page 56 in hardcover)

MY BOOK BEGINNINGS

A frigid wind gusted in from the East River, snatching at Dr Kay Scarpetta’s coat as she walked quickly along 30th Street.

I must say, I am disappointed that neither the 56 or the book’s beginning did anything for me, but here they are. I hope you will check it out anyway.

GOODREADS BLURB

It is the week before Christmas. A tanking economy has prompted Dr. Kay Scarpetta-despite her busy schedule and her continuing work as the senior forensic analyst for CNN- to offer her services pro bono to New York City’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. In no time at all, her increased visibility seems to precipitate a string of unexpected and unsettling events. She is asked live on the air about the sensational case of Hannah Starr, who has vanished and is presumed dead. Moments later during the same telecast, she receives a startling call-in from a former psychiatric patient of Benton Wesley’s. When she returns after the show to the apartment where she and Benton live, she finds an ominous package-possibly a bomb-waiting for her at the front desk. Soon the apparent threat on Scarpetta’s life finds her embroiled in a surreal plot that includes a famous actor accused of an unthinkable sex crime and the disappearance of a beautiful millionairess with whom Lucy seems to have shared a secret past.

Scarpetta’s CNN producer wants her to launch a TV show called The Scarpetta Factor. Given the bizarre events already in play, she fears that her growing fame will generate the illusion that she has a “special factor,” a mythical ability to solve all her cases. She wonders if she will end up like other TV personalities: her own stereotype.

The Scarpetta Factor, the seventeenth in the series, finds the familiar cast of characters together again in New York. Marino is working for the NYPD; Benton Wesley uses his forensic psychological expertise at Kirby and Bellevue; and Lucy continues to dazzle with her expertise in forensic computer investigations as she works yet another case with NY prosecutor Jaime Berger.

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I am a “cover girl”.

Jacket Design by Richard Hasselberger

What does the cover say to you?
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Cover Reveal Giveaway for Forbidden Valentine

Posted on February 4, 2016 by fundinmental

FORBIDDEN VALENTINE
by J.C. Valentine
Forbidden, #4
Publication Date: February 16, 2016
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance

Synopsis: Ever wondered if Ransom Scott would get his happily ever after? Find out February 16th!

It started with a drink.

It turned into a promise.

Ransom Scott lost his heart the day the woman he loved chose another man. Or so he thought. Estranged from his brother, distancing himself from the world, he’s been drowning his sorrows in cheap booze and women…determined to forget.

His world is falling apart, until a beautiful woman decides to take a chance on him.

Dani Deviche is as bewitching as she is innocent. Full of youth and vitality, she captivates him. Challenges him. She’s everything Ransom never thought to look for in the opposite sex, and he can’t get enough.

When a promise of friendship turns into something more, can Ransom fulfill his end of the bargain, or will a secret from Dani’s past destroy his last chance at happiness?

**Author’s Note** This book was written as a compliment to the Forbidden Trilogy. However, it can be read as a standalone.

FORBIDDEN VALENTINE

EXCERPT

Dani couldn’t catch her breath. Ransom was insatiable, devouring her mouth like a man starved. She curled her arms around his neck, throwing herself into his dark kiss, exhilarated by his need for her, and hers for him.

Of the few boyfriends she’d had, none had affected her like this man—a near stranger. Someone who was, as far as she could tell, damaged. And not an average, run-of-the-mill kind of damage that nearly everyone in the world experienced.

This was soul-deep. His heart hadn’t just broken. It’d been shattered. And it was obvious to her that he was desperately searching for something to numb the pain. Help him forget. He’d chosen booze, and because of her own past demons, she hated it. Which was why, when he’d confessed his affliction, she’d drawn a line, putting an end to his self-abuse.

Her need to help, to fix, was in full-effect. Her ex always said it was her worst quality. Told her on numerous occasions that she was a fool for caring so much. That it would be her downfall.

Maybe she was and maybe it would be, but at least she would know that, in whatever small way, she’d helped.

And even if Ransom didn’t know it yet, he needed her.

But maybe not in the capacity he was currently aiming for.

As much as Dani loved the feel of his mouth on hers, his tongue dipping and diving into every unchecked corner, stoking a fire inside that threatened to blaze out of control, she knew if she allowed this to continue, she’d be taking advantage.

“Ransom.” With regret, she broke the sensational kiss, determined to end this before it went too far, but Ransom only detoured, licking and nibbling a path down the side of her neck that made her shiver.

“You taste so good,” he murmured against her heated skin. “So sweet. And you smell like heaven.”

Obsession, actually. She’d picked up a bottle on clearance following the holidays…What the hell was she going on about? She needed to put an end to this madness before it got out of control. And with the way her body was responding to his every touch and caress, that moment was fast approaching.

Tunneling her fingers through his hair, Dani formed a tight grip, intending to pull him away, only to hold him closer as his warm, wet mouth found the top of her breast. The way he lavished her body with attention, feasting on every inch of her flesh with an almost feral passion, was addictive. Dani had never had a man react to her that way. It was as if he couldn’t get enough. His hands gripped her hard, one around her hip, the other her right butt cheek. His mouth skated across her cleavage, worshiping her as he forged a path toward her hardened nipples. And his body—hard in all the right places—pinned her in place, demanding fealty that she was tempted to give.

Her back hit a wall, rattling a painting, and his knee wedged between her thighs. Heat seared her, clenching her core, and Dani moaned. As his hand left the curve of her ass and slipped around her thigh, her head began to lighten, her thoughts growing foggy.

The only noise between them was that of heavy breathing and the soft lapping of his tongue. When she felt his fingers pass over the top of her thigh and sweep up the center, painting a vivid picture of what he planned to do to her, she clenched her eyes shut and hated herself for what she was about to do.

#ForbiddenValentine

#RansomsAphrodite

**DON’T MISS REBEL’S EPIC, EROTIC LOVE STORY IN THE FIRST 3 BOOKS IN THE FORBIDDEN SERIES**

#FREE with #KINDLEUNLIMITED: AMAZON

ABOUT J.C. VALENTINE

J.C. Valentine is the USA Today and International bestselling author of the Night Calls and Wayward FightersSeries and the Forbidden Series. Her vivid imagination and love of words and romance had her penning her own romance stories from an early age, which, despite being poorly edited and written longhand, she forced friends and family members to read. No, she isn’t sorry.

J.C. earned her own happily ever after when she married her high school sweetheart. Living in the Northwest, they have three amazing children and far too many pets and spend much of their free time together enjoying movies or the outdoors. Among the many hats she wears, J.C. is an entrepreneur. Having graduated with honors, she holds a Bachelor’s in English and when she isn’t writing, you can find her editing for fellow authors.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Pinterest • Google+ • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

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If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.

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Teaser Tuesday #59 – Heaven Enough @KenLaSalle

Posted on February 2, 2016 by fundinmental

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TeaserTuesdays-ADailyRhythm3 Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of adailyrhythm.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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I will be reviewing Heaven Enough by Ken La Salle on Friday so be sure and check it out. This is a heartbreaking, yet uplifting novel. The ending blew me away!

Check out the cool cover.

How does it make you feel?

MY TEASE

And something deep inside of his chest broke.

(1% on Kindle)

I thought Heaven Enough would be just another love story, but I have enjoyed Ken La Salle’s writing so I thought I would give it a shot. Even though there are no supernaturals or murder, it kept my attention. Heaven Enough is full of things that made me think this could be someone’s real life story. If you want to laugh, cry and rage at the world, this book is for you.

GOODREADS BLURB

Is a poem about longing, about wishing for something more. “What would it be like if I had heaven enough?” it reads.

Matt Murphy reads these words for the first time at his wife’s funeral. After a death shrouded with mystery, it is the first time he learns that she wrote poetry. He and Diva were married for nearly twenty years, yet he did not “know” her. A poet and lover of culinary delights, she is struck by a car and killed instantly—randomly—on the wrong side of town.

When her brother, the “monk,” appears for the funeral, Matt is set on an unprecedented course. The two find Diva’s computer filled with preparations to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Over 2600 miles from Mexico to Canada…and she was leaving without her husband.

Matt takes it upon himself to hike the trail and sprinkle her ashes along the way. What happens in the first two hours is dumbfounding.

What happens next changes his life forever…

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Saturday Shorts – Come to the Cemetery by Jackson Dean Chase

Posted on January 30, 2016 by fundinmental

Come to the Cemetery by Jackson Dean Chase is a ghostly tale of love and revenge.

Does this cover make you afraid?

Well…I will tell you…DON’T GO INTO THE CEMETERY.

It could be hazardous to your health.

Add me to Goodreads

MY BOOK REVIEW

All Cara’s friends are dropping dead and are found in the cemetery.

Her parents said she would be okay. YEAH. RIGHT.

Is she cursed? Would she be next?

She didn’t shy away from the problem and went looking for answers. I like her gumption and determination.

Jake, thank God for Jake and his love for her.

A scary short story that tells me don’t listen to the voices from the beyond. I will think twice before making love in the cemetery, especially on a grave.

I enjoyed this ghostly tale of a misguided…or evil?…love.

The story is predictable, but scary with a romance and mystery.

3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

A weird tale of ghostly love and revenge!

All of sixteen-year-old Cara Jones’s friends are dead. Their bodies were found lying atop the same grave in Duskhaven Cemetery. The coroner’s report lists the girls’ cause of death as “massive cerebral hemorrhage,” but Cara doesn’t believe it. She knows something strange and terrible is happening.

When Cara hears a voice in her head commanding her to “Come to the cemetery,” she knows time is running out. With no one else to turn to, Cara asks her secret crush, Jake Rogers, for help. As they begin to put together clues, the mysterious voice gets louder and it feels like she’s losing her mind…

Can Jake and Cara unravel the ancient secret before she joins her friends in death?

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Giveaway – Paradise Cove @PatriceWilton

Posted on January 27, 2016 by fundinmental

Paradise Cove

by Patrice Wilton

Series: Paradise, #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Dreamscape Press

Release Date: January 6, 2016

A new series by Patrice Wilton, New York Times and USA Today best selling author. This new heart-warming contemporary romance takes place in the Florida Keys and promises romance/passion, family values, and plenty of adventure.

Cardiac surgeon Sean Flannigan lost his daughter to a rare form of leukemia; he can mend broken hearts, but his is beyond repair. Kayla Holmes, along with her sisters, inherited guest cottages in the Keys after their stepfather died. Their high spirits and positive energy are a beacon of light that directs Sean’s sailboat into Paradise Cove. Can Kayla’s compassion find a crack in Sean’s armor? Sometimes love isn’t enough to heal a wounded heart.

Patrice Wilton is a NY Times and USA Today best selling author. She has written more than 20 books–heart-warming contemporary romance stories and her fun romantic comedies.

She is the proud mother of two, and has a total of ten grandchildren, with the wonderful man at her side. They live in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he teaches her golf, and she teaches him patience.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Book Blitz Giveaway for Cold Blooded by Lisa Regan

Posted on January 13, 2016 by fundinmental

Cold-Blooded

by Lisa Regan

Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Cover Designer: Forward Authority Design Services

Release Date: December 10, 2015

Fourteen years ago, high school track star Sydney Adams was gunned down in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park. The investigation yielded useless clues, and the case went cold. But homicide detective Augustus Knox never gave up on finding Sydney’s killer. Now, retired from the police force and with only months to live, he enlists the help of private investigator Jocelyn Rush to clear the case once and for all.

Armed with little more than a theory as to who murdered Sydney, Jocelyn tries to lure a killer into the open. But unraveling the mystery means facing-off against a cunning psychopath whose ruthlessness knows no bounds. When more bodies start to pile up, Jocelyn has to decide just how far she’s willing to go to catch a cold-blooded killer.

Lisa Regan is an Amazon bestselling crime/suspense novelist. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master of Education Degree from Bloomsburg University. She is a member of Sisters In Crime, Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and daughter. Her debut novel, Finding Claire Fletcher won Best Heroine and was runner up in Best Novel in the eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook Awards for 2013. Her second novel, Aberration won Best Twist in the 2014 eFestival of Words Best of the Independent Book Awards. Her third novel, Hold Still was released by Thomas & Mercer in 2014 and has been translated into German. She is at work on her fifth novel. Find out more at www.lisaregan.com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Aria Glazki’s novel Mending Heartstrings Has a New Cover

Posted on January 11, 2016 by fundinmental

I am very excited to share Aria Glazki’s new cover for Mending Heartstrings.

What do you think? I think it’s great.

I have read this romance and will be sharing my review on 2/8/16, so be sure and stop by to check it out.

Share your thoughts in the comments, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Cover design: Christa Holland at Paper & Sage

Publication date: February 9, 2016

Kane’s a country singer who’s tangled with too many deceitful women. He’s learned his lesson: girls are for flirting and fun; emotions are for his music. But after spending a night with an earnest woman unlike any he’s known, he can’t force her out of his mind. So he goes in search of the woman he knows only as “Elle.”On her last night in Nashville, the staunchly pragmatic Sabella found herself in a situation more suited to a romance novel than reality. Swept away, she ignored her rigidly self-imposed rules, succumbing to the fantasy just this once. But she knows real-world relationships have nothing in common with their fictionalized portrayals. When Kane unexpectedly shows up at her Portland apartment, she must choose between the practical truths she has learned and the desire for a passionate love she has struggled to suppress.

Despite the distance, Kane’s tour schedule, and their meddling friends, both are drawn to the chance for a romance neither quite believes is possible.

Preorder Your Copy!
Amazon US – UK – CAN | Smashwords | iBooksAbout Aria:

Aria’s writing story started when her seventh-grade English teacher encouraged her to submit a class assignment for publication. That piece was printed, and let’s just say, she was hooked!

Since then, Aria has run a literary magazine, earned her degree in Creative Writing (as well as in French and Russian literatures), and been published here and there. Though her first kiss technically came from a bear cub, and no fairytale transformation followed, Aria still believes magic can happen when the right people come together—if they don’t get in their own way, that is.

Other than all things literary, Aria loves spending time with her family, including her two unbearably adorable nieces. She also dabbles in painting, dancing, playing violin, and, given the opportunity, Epicureanism.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

GIVEAWAY

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Release Day Blitz and Giveaway ~ White Light by Anna Simpson

Posted on December 25, 2015 by fundinmental

White Light

by Anna Simpson

Publisher: Three Worlds Press

Genre: Cozy

Synopsis

Emma never dreamed of being a super-sleuth. In her mind, she’s more Scooby Doo than Nancy Drew and when her nosy neighbor, Mrs. Perkins, drags her to an anniversary party to solve a mystery, she rolls her eyes, buys a box of chocolates and hops in the car.

What’s a party without an attack on its host—or more accurately on the host’s grandson, sparking an allergic reaction and moving the party to the hospital waiting room. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect. Emma and Mrs. Perkins, along with Great Aunt Alice (a spirit with boundary issues who keeps stepping into Emma’s body like a new dress and playing matchmaker), dive into an investigation that almost gets Emma killed along with the man they are trying to protect. With so many reasons to kill him and so much to be gained if he died, Emma and Mrs. Perkins must unravel the tenuous ties that point to every member of his family as potential killers.

Even if it means going back to the psych ward, Emma will protect her friend and this innocent man. What good is freedom if it’s haunted with guilt?

AMAZON

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Enjoy this peek inside!

To stay free, I perform a ritual every morning. It begins with stepping outside, where dawn streams through the leafy branches of my maple tree, landing, shifting, and dancing on the flowerbeds at my bare feet. A steaming cup of coffee warms my hands. The fragrant air fills my lungs. I sip, leaving the liquid on my tongue to capture a moment of rich goodness.

My name is Emma, and I need to stay grounded and calm. It’s important for my health, so I walk along the fence and let the cool blades of grass tickle my toes and dewdrops cling to my skin. For fun, I kick a ball of dandelion fluff. Little parachutes take flight catching the same breeze moving the leaves above my head. The seeds float up, and up, over the fence to land on Mrs. Perkins’ perfectly tended lawn. Not a dandelion or mat of moss to be seen.

In a half acre of green sits one flowerbed, brimming with Lily of the Valley. I remember the first time I saw them over fifteen years ago. The delicate white bells could only be fairy hats. Today, the round base of cemented river stone is still full of waxy green spear tips. I don’t see fairy hats anymore. No, now I enjoy the effects of nature—its simple perfection.

Mrs. Perkins does it best. In fact, everything around Mrs. Perkins is perfectly cared for—her home, her yard, her car—all perfect.

But not today. A dark line sits between the jamb and the edge of the door.
A few inches of shadow drives my calm away and prickles the long blonde hairs at the nape of my neck. Butterflies in my stomach tell, no scratch that, demand I find my phone and go next door.

Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not a snoop.

Mrs. Perkins, a wiry old bird, did everything herself. I’m not sure if it is because she’s the independent sort or if she has no one else to help her. Either way, when she suggested we watch out for one another, I agreed.

I’m also alone. It doesn’t bother me unless I catch the flu or something. Then I wonder if I will die and no one will notice. It’s a thought, or fear, I can’t shake. Mrs. Perkins’ house has my full attention, and within it sits the same worry. I’ll check on her because she would do the same for me.

I crash into my kitchen, slopping my coffee onto the counter as I slam the mug down. My phone could be anywhere. My gaze travels from the pine tabletop to the gray marble counter. It’s not here. I push through the swinging door to the living area, run my fingertips between the couch and chair cushions, scan the smoked-glass coffee table through my veil of long blonde hair, and sneak a peek under my overturned book on the throw rug. Desperate, I check around the bowl by the door where I toss my keys as I pass the spiral staircase to the loft. Still nothing.

Down the short hallway, I rush to my bedroom. I tug the midnight blue duvet off the bed and shake it. My pulse speeds up as something thuds on to the carpet. I pick up my smartphone and check the battery. Half power.

Excellent. I dash through my front door, across the lawn and unlatch Mrs. Perkins’ white picket gate. Her shiny yellow front door looks as solid as stone. I follow her path to the back wondering if danger lurks.

I gasp as I near the door. It’s like living a moment in a crime drama. I mimic what I have watched on television and bring up my phone to take a picture. Inching forward, heart pounding, I wonder if poor Mrs. Perkins is sprawled out on the bathroom floor, from a stroke, heart attack, or a butcher knife.

Don’t worry, Mrs. Perkins. I’m coming.

I pull my cotton sleeve over my hand and push the door wider. Her kitchen looks untouched as if it’s sterilized or newly installed. Tiles cool my bare feet with each step. Fear scratches at my nerves, “Mrs. Perkins? It’s Emma from next door. Are you okay?”

Silence.

I raise the phone to call for help.

A small sound carries from deeper in the house. I should stop, leave, and make the call.

Following the sound might be dangerous or, worse, plain stupid. And I’m scared. So scared, my breathing is all I hear over the pounding of my heart.
I’d look stupid if I’m wrong. Ravenglass Lake is so small-townsville, and Benny the bully is like no cop I’ve ever met. He would be no help. Worst of all, they’d call me crazy for sure. I slip the phone back into my denim pocket, quietly open her knife drawer, and pull out a meat cleaver. Armed, I creep forward.

Thank goodness Mrs. Perkins likes an open airy room. Evil housebreakers have nowhere to hide in the dining room.

A small thump like a cat landing on carpet makes me jump. But Mrs. Perkins doesn’t have a cat…or carpet—only allergies.

I tighten my grip on the cleaver as I stick my head into the living room. All is quiet and undisturbed. I enter the corridor to the front door. To my right are stairs to the upper floor. Farther ahead is a hall closet and nook where she keeps a desk and a small bookcase. Nothing seems touched.

I glance up at the glittery ceiling, swallow, and pull my phone from my pocket. The sensible thing is to dial 911. I sidestep for the front door, but in my mind’s eye Mrs. Perkins, wiry but frail, shakes her head. Her arm outstretched urging me not to leave.

Thump, I freeze. The noise is right beside me coming from the hall closet.
Without thinking, I open the door and find Mrs. Perkins tied up with duct tape across her lips. Her green eyes, round and unblinking, grow wide, and her usual perfect curls are mussed. I drop the cleaver. It clatters on the floor, and I pull the tape free.

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About Author Anna Simpson

Anna Simpson lives near the Canadian-US border with her family. Even though she’s lived in several places in British Columbia, her free spirit wasn’t able to settle down until she moved back to her hometown.

She is easy to find though, if you know the magic word — emaginette. Do an internet search using it and you’ll see what I mean.

Author Links:

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