A DETECTIVE AGENCY WITH HEART. AND A WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!
Super sleuth, Lee Alvarez, finds a dead
man wearing a tuxedo in a friend’s bathtub during a soiree for San
Francisco’s VIPs. And not just any friend, but an internationally
acclaimed actress who recently came to live in San Francisco. And not
just any bathtub, but a bathtub residing inside one of Alamo Square’s
famed Painted Ladies, recently bought by said actress.
The police believe it’s the actress
friend who done the man in. After all, it’s her house and her tub. And
another man died under suspicious circumstances around her recently.
Both romantic encounters, doncha know. The actress must be guilty.
Or is she?
For ace detective Lee Alvarez, the
timing couldn’t be worse. She is supposed to go off in celebration of
her 6-month wedding anniversary with her hunky hubby. Paris is calling!
Or is it?
Her long-time friend, plus her mother –
She Who Must Be Obeyed – thinks she should stick around and find out who
the real killer is. So Lee, family, handsome hubby, and Tugger, the
cat, are on the job. But Lee’s nose is itching. Which means not one of
the suspects is telling the truth.
Or not all of it. Lee soon uncovers
threatening letters, sullen playwrights, dead bodies, and a criminal web
of jewel thieves, all treading the boards of her friend’s latest
musical. This is showbiz?
Author Haven pulls out all the stops in a
cozy fan’s delight about a charming, and unconventional Palo Alto
detective family who get their man or woman, as the case may be. Book
Seven follows its tradition of the Bay Area’s favorite PI, who rolls
over with all four paw in the air when it comes to her darn near perfect
mother. But with the help of her computer geek brother and handsome
hubby, Lee works to solve the case in time to celebrate her own 6-month
wedding anniversary.
About Heather Haven
Heather moved to the Bay Area and
studied creative writing at Stanford University. Previously, several of
her comedy acts and plays were performed in NYC. Her novels include the
humorous Silicon Valley-based Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries,
Manhattan-based Persephone Cole Vintage Mysteries, Love Can Be Murder
Novellas, Snow Lake Romantic Suspense Series and standalone mystery
noir, Murder under the Big Top, based upon her mother’s stint as a performer with Ringling Brothers’ Circus. There is also her anthology, Corliss and Other Award-Winning Stories. Her favorite protagonist is in Corliss, one of the featured short stories, but don’t tell anyone!
h3>Farm For Sale. 360-acre lot with ranch-style home. Refurbished barn. Corpse not included.
To find her missing aunt, she has to unearth the secrets of the past. But lies and deceit run through the very heart of their town…
What started out as a promising relationship with adventurer and tycoon Alec Zavos has fizzled into an uncertain future for antiquities expert Annalisse Drury. Returning to Walker Farm in Upstate New York to see her Aunt Kate should have been a welcome homecoming and distraction. Instead, she finds the childhood home she expected to inherit is for sale, without her permission. What’s worse, Kate’s ranch manager makes a gruesome discovery in the barn: the body of an unidentified man, dead by foul play.
Annalisse turns to Alec for help. She and her aunt shelter on his estate in the Catskills while the authorities canvass the scene. But when Kate herself disappears without a trace, Annalisse fears the worst: that one of the many secrets of her hometown has ensnared her family—a secret someone is willing to kill for to keep hidden.
Book Details:
Genre: Mystery Published by: Ewephoric Publishing Publication Date: December 11th 2019 Number of Pages: 378 ISBN: 0999539426 (ISBN13: 9780999539422) Series: Annalisse Series #2 || This is a Stand-Alone novel but the reader may gain more about the character’s past if they pick up the first book. Purchase Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
…from chapter fifteen
She caught a glimpse of Bill’s scarred neck and considered prying. “May I ask a personal question?”
“Sure.” He steered the next turn. “I’ll answer if I can.”
“Did you get burned?”
He rubbed the side of his neck as if to soothe a haunting memory. “I used to be a fireman. Got caught in a seven-story roof collapse. Almost bought it.” He tapped cruise control and slid his shoe off the accelerator.
An injured fireman with a near-death experience turned private investigator made more sense to her now. Bill didn’t fit the cookie-cutter-investigator type.
They hit smooth asphalt in the cross into Sullivan County. Annalisse relished the soothing hum from the roadway. At the county border, they passed a renovated eighteenth-century church refurbished into a modern brick farmhouse. The original belfry and bell sat atop the gable roof at the midpoint, with a new masonry chimney erected on one side near the redwood decking. She hadn’t noticed it the first time with Woody.
“What a horrible experience for you, Bill. I’m sorry. Alec didn’t mention it.”
“We don’t talk about it much. For a bunch of reasons.” Bill fiddled with a tabloid-size newspaper wedged next to the console. “My hours are better now anyway.” He chuckled, rolling the newsprint into a tube and blowing into it.
“A gossip rag? Haven’t read any juicy dirt in a while. I could use a laugh.” She reached for the paper, expecting him to hand it to her.
“Boring issue.” Bill tossed the roll over the headrest, wiping newsprint from his fingers to the seat.
That was strange.
She tried to grab it, but it landed just out of her reach.
Annalisse unbuckled and twisted for a closer look at the huge headline, reading aloud, “THE HOUND CHASES ANOTHER FOX. Please people. Such original journalism. Who this time?” She laughed as she lunged for the paper.
Bill’s arm moved in like a slingshot and bumped her sore cheek, blocking her.
“Ow. Watch the road,” she exclaimed and bounced backward. “Walking wounded here. Just drive, Bill. Allow me to revel in someone else’s grief for a while.”
He touched her elbow. “Please don’t.”
Bill wasn’t smiling, and his skin had morphed to ashen of the dead. He had the look of a man who’d just lost his best friend and was about to lose his faithful dog too.
It clicked. “What don’t you want me to see what thousands of other people have already seen?”
“Wait till we get to Brookehaven so he can—”
“Who can?” Annalisse hung over the seat and stretched her sore body far enough to snag the tabloid with her fingertips. She braced herself—the photo had to be disturbing.
“The timing is bad. Really bad.” Bill stared at the road and in a low voice added, “I’m so sorry.”
The pang of the unknown boomeranged through her heart, and she looked down at the front page of Reveal Reality.
A couple with their backs to the camera, overlooking an ocean at sunset at some kind of event. She wasn’t sure where but expected the piece would say. The paparazzi photographer had zoomed in on a brunette in a skimpy, backless sundress leaning into a man with his elegant hand cupping her barely covered butt cheek. His chiseled profile and windblown curls were unmistakable.
Say bye-bye to the mysterious, green-eyed Annalisse! Italian starlet Monica Corsetti on Italy’s Riviera with Greek magnate, Alec Zavos of the Signorile Corporation. They were…
She covered her mouth.
“Pull over, Bill. I’m gonna throw up.”
***
Excerpt from Spent Identity by Marlene M. Bell. Copyright 2020 by Marlene M. Bell. Reproduced with permission from Marlene M. Bell. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Marlene M. Bell is an award-winning writer and acclaimed artist as well as a photographer. Her sheep landscapes grace the covers of Sheep!, The Shepherd, Ranch & Rural Living, and Sheep Industry News, to name a few.
Her catalog venture, Ewephoric, began in 1985 out of her desire to locate personalized sheep stationery. She rarely found sheep products through catalogs and set out to design them herself. Order Ewephoric gifts online or request a catalog at TexasSheep.com.
Marlene and her husband, Gregg, reside in beautiful East Texas on a wooded ranch with their dreadfully spoiled horned Dorset sheep, a large Maremma guard dog named Tia, along with Hollywood, Leo, and Squeaks, the cats that believe they rule the household—and do.
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 Marlene M. Bell. There will be 4 winners. Two (2) winners will each win one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. Two (2) winners will each win a set of autographed books, a notebook, and silver jewelry. The giveaway begins on August 1, 2020 and runs through September 2, 2020. Open to U.S. and Canada addresses only. Void where prohibited.
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.
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.
Bea Collins is desperate. Her fiancé, Dean has disappeared and Bea is sure that he didn’t just walk out on her. In comes the troubleshooter, Hannibal Jones who is skeptical until he finds the missing man who is dazed, confused, and accused of a coworker’s bloody murder. Suddenly, Hannibal has a new mission: to prove Dean’s innocence. All evidence points to Dean but he can’t seem to remember what happened. To find the truth, Hannibal travels through Dean’s past where he stumbles on evidence linking him to yet another murder. These deaths have destroyed the lives connected to them, and it soon becomes clear that Hannibal will have to solve all three cases in order to save Dean from the death penalty and to prevent further bloodshed.
Join us for this tour from June 22to July 10, 2020!
Series Details:
Book Title: The Annie Oakley Mystery Series by Kari Bovee Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 83 to 332 pages Genre: Historical Mystery Publisher: Bosque Publishing Release dates: Shoot Like a Girl (2019); Girl With a Gun (April, 2020); Peccadillo at the Palace (April 2020); Folly at the Fair (June, 2020) Tour dates: June 22 to July 10, 2020 Content Rating: R for some swearing, violence, and mature themes.
Book Details:
Book Title: Shoot Like a Girl (A Pre-quel Novella to Girl With A Gun) by Kari Bovee Category: Adult Fiction (18 + yrs), 84 pages Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Bosque Publishing Release date: November 2019 Tour dates: June 22 to July 10, 2020 Content Rating: R for Mature themes and some violence. No bad language.
Book Description: Shoot like a Girl
depicts the historically fictive tale of a young Annie Oakley’s
struggles before she becomes the most famous sharpshooting woman of all
time. After the death of her father, Annie is sent to the Drake County
poorhouse where she learns to cook, sew, and keep house for other
families to help her mother make ends meet. Annie ends up at the
McCrimmons, a couple whom she comes to refer to as “the wolves.” Cruel
and neglectful, the McCrimmons push Annie to the brink of despair. The
only bright spot in her dreary existence is Buck, a beautiful
buckskinned horse, and the two form a bond. Despite her resolve to help
her family, Annie loses hope of ever seeing them again, as life at the
McCrimmons’ becomes more oppressive, and she is cut off from all outside
communication. Physically and emotionally weak from illness, hunger,
and abuse, Annie resigns herself to a life of servitude to the abusive
couple. But, when Mr. McCrimmon’s continued cruelty to Buck finally
threatens the horse’s life, Annie takes matters into her own hands and
formulates a plan for escape.
Book Title: Girl with a Gun (An Annie Oakley Mystery) by Kari Bovee Category: Adult Fiction (18 + yrs), 316 pages Genre: Historical Mystery Publisher: Bosque Publishing Release date: April 2020 Tour dates: June 22 to July 10, 2020 Content Rating: R for one explicit sex scene. There is some swearing, violence, mature themes.
Book Description: In an exciting new
historical mystery series, award-winning author Kari Bovee brings the
beloved American icon, Annie Oakley, into the world of mystery and crime
as a plucky, amateur sleuth. Fifteen-year-old Annie Oakley is the sole
supporter of her widowed mother and two younger siblings. An expert
markswoman and independent spirit, she hunts game to sell to the local
mercantile to make ends meet instead of accepting a marriage proposal
that could solve all her problems, including the impending foreclosure
of her family’s farm. After a stunning performance in a shooting contest
against famous sharpshooter Frank Butler, Annie is offered a position
in the renowned Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Finally, she has a chance
to save her family’s farm–and make her dreams come true. But after her
catapult to fame, a series of crimes takes place in the Wild West Show,
including the death of Annie’s Indian Assistant. The coroner claims the
death was due to natural causes, but Annie is unconvinced. Then her
prized horse, Buck–a major part of her act–is stolen, and she realizes
that someone is out to get her. With the help of a sassy, blue-blooded
reporter, Annie sets out to find her horse, solve the crimes, and clear
her good name–before everything she’s worked for is destroyed.
Book Title: Peccadillo at the Palace (An Annie Oakley Mystery) by Kari Bovee Category: Adult Fiction (18 + yrs), 332 pages Genre: Historical Mystery Publisher: Bosque Publishing Release date: April 2020 Tour dates: June 22 to July 10, 2020 Content Rating: R for some swearing, violence, and mature themes.
Book Description: In this second book in
the Annie Oakley historical mystery series, award-winning author Kari
Bovee brings back the lovable character, Annie Oakley, as an amateur
sleuth. It’s 1887, and Annie and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show are
invited to Queen Victoria’s Jubilee celebration in London, England. But
their long journey across the Atlantic takes a turn for the worst when
the queen’s royal servant ends up dead and Annie’s husband, Frank
Butler, falls suspiciously ill. Annie soon discovers that the two events
are connected–and may be precursors to an assassination attempt on the
queen. In London, it becomes clear that there is rampant unrest in the
queen’s kingdom–the Irish Fenian Brotherhood, as well as embittered
English subjects, are teeming in the streets. But amid the chaos, even
while she prepares for the show, Annie is determined to find the truth.
With the help of a friend and reporter, Emma Wilson, the renowned poet
Oscar Wilde, and the famous socialite Lily Langtry, Annie sets out to
hunt down the queen’s enemies–and find out why they want to kill
England’s most beloved monarch.
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: June 22 to July 10, 2020 Content Rating: R 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.
Kathryn Meyer Griffith is a prolific writer and her Spookie Town Murder Mystery series has been a big hit for her. She is currently working on Book 7. Woo Hoo. Congratulations Kathryn.
Interview with Kathryn Meyer Griffith
What’s
next for you as a writer?
I am in a very different place than most
younger writers. I’m at a different part of my life and my writing career. I’ve
been writing now for over 48 years (that’s not my age…that is how long I have
been actually writing) and I’m slowing down. The feverish obsession to write
has faded some and I am very aware of the preciousness of time in a person’s life.
I’m almost 70 now and I want to enjoy my everyday existence as well as play in
my make-believe worlds. So…will I write my 30th novel, or 14th short story? I
do not know. If God allows me to, I will. I have been writing Dinosaur Lake and
Spookie Town Murder Mysteries now for over 10 years and I do miss my horror.
Perhaps I’ll write one more really scary vampire/witch/demon/ghost book before
my curtain comes down. Perhaps.
What
is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up. Keep writing. Write what you love to read.
Read. But…make time in between your writing to LIVE your life, make friends,
have fun. Believe me, life goes so quickly.
Anne Rice
Stephen King
Dean Koontz
Peter Straub
Michael Crichton
Jane Austen
Ray Bradbury
Robert Heinlein
Do you have
any unusual writing habits?
I love to write on my couch, on my laptop, with the TV on
and a cup of coffee or chocolate coffee to drink, or snacks. Some writers can
write with music playing…I can’t. But TV, yes.
What is the
name of your latest book and what inspired it?
All Those Who Came Before…is my 29th novel and the sixth
of my Spookie Town Murder Mysteries. People seem to love my quirky town cozy
murder mysteries so I just keep writing them, even though I am actually a horror/thriller
writer.
If you were
going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with
you what books would you bring?
The Bible
The newest Stephen King book
The newest/best-selling Murder Mystery
Newest best-selling SF book
What’s next
for you as a writer?
I am in a very different place than most younger writers.
I’m at a different part of my life and my writing career. I’ve been writing now
for over 48 years (that’s not my age…that is how long I have been actually
writing) and I’m slowing down. The feverish obsession to write has faded some
and I am very aware of the preciousness of time in a person’s life. I’m almost
70 now and I want to enjoy my everyday existence as well as play in my
make-believe worlds. So…will I write my 30th novel, or 14th short story? I do
not know. If God allows me to, I will. I have been writing Dinosaur Lake and
Spookie Town Murder Mysteries now for over 10 years and I do miss my horror.
Perhaps I’ll write one more really scary vampire/witch/demon/ghost book before
my curtain comes down. Perhaps.
Do you have
any advice for new authors?
Never give up. Keep writing. Write what you love to read.
Read. These days…advertise, advertise, advertise!
What is the
best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up. Keep writing. Write what you love to read.
Read. But…make time in between your writing to LIVE your life, make friends,
have fun. Believe me, life goes so quickly.
THE HISTORY OF MY 5 BEST-SELLING DINOSAUR LAKE BOOKS:
I started the first DINOSAUR LAKE over 28 years ago and it
(stupidly titled back then as Predator…a title I fought with my publisher to
change, but they wouldn’t) and Zebra Paperbacks was supposed to publish the
first one in 1994. Last minute, though, after it was slated to go on the stands
in 6 weeks, covers printed and final editing done, they dumped it; dumped a lot
of their so-called horror authors and my book (which was to be my seventh
published novel; fourth with Zebra). Zebra said “no one wants to read
about a dinosaur.” Yeah? Jurassic Park came out soon after that. Oh well.
Anyway, disgusted at that time with publishers and everything to
do with writing I stuffed the manuscript into a drawer. Then in 2012 I decided
to try self-publishing and remembered that old manuscript. I took it out, rewrote
it and used it as an experiment in self-publishing. And boy did my readers love
it and buy it. So, over the next eight years I wrote 4 sequels: Dinosaur Lake
II: Dinosaurs Arising, Dinosaur Lake III: Infestation and Dinosaur Lake IV:
Dinosaur Wars, and Dinosaur Lake V: Survivors. They are still among some of my
best-selling and beloved books; second only to my 6 Spookie Town Murder
Mysteries. Want to read more about my dinosaur books, look here: tinyurl.com/ycp5gqb2
The Prologue for All Things Slip Away filled me in on the highlights of the Spookie Town Murder Mystery Series Book I, Scaps of Paper, and thank goodness. It has been a while since I read it, so I needed a refresher. You could begin reading here, but I am loving this series so much, I would highly recommend beginning at the beginning. 🙂
NOW…it’s ten years later and Frank Lester, a Chicago Homicide detective that moved to Spooky town, has found the serial killer he thought he had taken out is back, and he is on the hunt…for revenge.
I read a lot of Young Adult novels, so it is refreshing to be meeting some older characters that carry baggage and memories, and lust does not override their emotions. The romance is a slow burn, but smolders throughout the pages.
There is so much more to the killer than meets the eye. He has his own issues and problems that he cannot overcome. He is driven to seek revenge. The villain is one of those bad guys that can evoke a moment of sympathy for him.
Abigail is Frank’s love interest, but he is not alone in his desire to date her.The sheriff has his eye on her too. Myrtle is a neighbor and she is quite the character. She gave me some laughs and I love some humor with my murder. My heart went out to Laura and Nick, and the rest of their family, two children whose mother is ill and they struggle to even feed themselves. The two kids broke my heart, yet put a smile on my face.
The suspense is ramping up as the pacing takes me to the next event and I am eager, yet apprehensive about HIS and Frank’s next meeting.
Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s has an ability to draw me into the story so deep that I feel like I am walking in Abigail’s shoes, being stalked, feeling like someone is following me, watching me, having me looking over my shoulder, ‘hiding out’, keeping low.
I love that Kathryn can stretch the story, all the while keeping me on edge. It has been months since HE has been seen…life goes on…but, we all know it isn’t over. The tension builds as I wait, wait for the explosion that is about to come.
Well, I guess you can tell how much I loved All Things Slip Away. The story is fabulous and kept me totally engrossed, the characters came to life on the pages through Kathryn’s words and I fell in love with them. The peripheral characters became just as important to me as the main ones. The mystery, yeah, we know who he is, sorta but that does not take away anything from the story.
I highly recommend any of her work. Kathryn has never disappointed me.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of All Things Slip Away by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Ten years ago Frank Lester, a Chicago homicide detective, thought he had rid himself forever of the Mud People Killer who’d kidnapped and murdered six people. Frank had shot him as he’d fled through a snowy night; had killed him, he believed, though a body was never found. But the killer wasn’t dead. He’d only been waiting to take his revenge on Frank and those he cares about now…ten years later. Frank retired early and is living back in his hometown of Spookie when the killer resurfaces to take up where he left off. Kidnapping more innocents and tormenting Frank and the people he cares about. Unless Frank and his artist girlfriend, Abigail Sutton, can find and stop him before he kills more people and perhaps both of them.
SPOOKIE TOWN MURDER MYSTERIES: FROM THE AUTHOR for Author Central:
I started writing this SPOOKIE TOWN MURDER MYSTERY (I called the town Spookie as a tip-of-my-hat to my horror roots…I began my career in 1984 as a Leisure & Zebra horror paperback writer) series way back in 2003 (that is why there are no iPhones and laptops in the first few books…I wanted to keep the timeline pure) for Avalon Books as hardcovers and since then, because people loved the stories so much, I have written six more and self-published them all in eBooks everywhere, paperbacks and audio books. Scraps of Paper (The First Spookie Town Murder Mystery), All Things Slip Away (The Second Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Ghosts Beneath Us (The Third Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Witches Among Us (The Fourth Spookie Town Murder Mystery), What Lies Beneath the Graves (The Fifth Spookie Town Murder Mystery), All Those Who Came Before (The Sixth Spookie Town Murder Mystery), When the Fireflies Returned (The Seventh Spookie Town Murder Mystery, which will be out in December 2020). Since 1984, I have published 29 novels (horror, romance, time-travel, paranormal and thrillers)and 13 short stories.
Thank you, the author Kathryn Meyer Griffith
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.
Cate Beauman’s Aftermath Of Secrets Release Celebration!
AFTERMATH OF SECRETS
The Carter Island Trilogy, Book 2
RELEASE DATE: June 4, 2020
MY REVIEW
Aftermath by Cate Beauman is Book II of the Charter Island series and picks up where book one left off, though it is Molly and Brad’s turn to be in the spotlight. I don’t know why Aftermath fell a little flat, unless it was because I was blown away by Secrets in the Glass and read it immediately after, and it didn’t grab me, like the first one. Could it be because I wasn’t as invested in the characters and their outcome, like I was with Callie and Nate?
One drunken night had ruined Molly and Brad’s lifelong friendship. Molly, Brad, and Molly’s brother, nate, had been like the Three Musketeers. They both missed it, though they didn’t know how to fix it. With romantic suspense a lot comes down to communication. Who would make the first move?
When the characters mentioned watching Friends reruns, I thought, isn’t Friends always on cable somewhere. LOL I watch them all the time. I love little touches like this that make it easy to relate to moments in the characters lives.
Molly is easy going, but she is a tomboy and not shy about saying what she thinks. I love Molly thoughts about fashion…sneakers, jeans and a sweat shirt. And makeup? What’s that? She is the opposite of Callie and I think that’s why they make such great friends. Sounds like someone I could be friends with too. They can fill in the blanks and help navigate some of their troubles, all while building a friendship.
Molly’s sister, Gwen, is the opposite when it comes to fashion. I love when she is dressing her for a New Year’s ball and she looks in the mirror, all glammed up, and says,”Holy crap.” I busted out laughing. Been there, done that.
Brad’s brother, Jordan, appeared, I thought his timing highly suspicious and Brad is leery.
I knew a shitstorm was brewing, it’s just, what kind of shit storm will it be.
I have read a lot of Cate Beauman’s books and love them. I’m not sure what happened with Aftermath. The beginning seemed a little choppy. I was already invested in the characters and wanted the best for Molly and Brad, but, for me, it never reached the level of Secrets in the Glass. I would recommend reading Secrets in the Glass first and feel Aftermath keeps Carter Island on the map.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Aftermath by Cate Beauman.
4 Stars
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
When The Secrets Of The Past Threaten To
Destroy The Future…
Boston’s Most Eligible Bachelor has it all:
good looks, a great career, and plenty of wealth and prestige. But Bradley
Sanderson’s charmed life quickly falls apart when scandal rocks his famous
family. Arrests have been made; the media circus has begun, and Brad’s been
tasked with the daunting chore of restoring the Sandersons’ good name. Moving
back to Carter Island and picking up the pieces hasn’t been easy, especially
when the one person he needs the most won’t give him the time of day.
Bakery owner and island resident Molly Carter
is loyal to her core, but that doesn’t mean Brad’s homecoming hasn’t left her
torn. Brad’s darkest days aren’t lost on Molly, but reaching out to her
lifelong friend isn’t so simple when she’s forced to guard her heart. Everything
changed when she woke up alone after their sexy summer night.
The complications keep coming when Brad’s
long-lost brother shows up in town, bringing the remnants of his checkered past
with him. Forgiveness and redemption are possible for all, until new secrets
come to light that may have dire consequences.
*A contemporary romance with twists of mystery and suspense
5
Stars!“I’m
a big sucker for a good love story, especially one that has drama. Aftermath Of
Secrets by Cate Beauman provided both in a beautiful way. I was swept in by the
characters, their wants, and desires.” -Shannon Winings, Readers’
Favorite Book Awards
EXCERPT
“So,
what now? The tree’s officially decorated. It’s just you, me, hot chocolate,
and…a movie?”
“Scrabble,”
Brad decided. His family wasn’t going to ruin one more moment of his night.
Molly’s
left brow winged up again. “Scrabble?”
He
nodded. “By the Christmas tree—something we’ve never done before. I didn’t get
a chance to kick your ass after Thanksgiving dinner this year.”
She
flashed him one of the grins that lit up her face and made his pulse race.
Damn, she was spectacular. “I’ve kicked your ass the last two years in a
row, which is odd because didn’t you go to Harvard?”
He
laughed, rolling his eyes at the ceiling. “You’ve gotta come up with something
else.”
“But
it was Harvard, right? And Harvard Medical School after that?”
“Yeah,
it was both of the Harvards.” He reached out, tugging gently on her hair.
“Let’s do this, brat.”
She
pulled the game out of the basket beneath the coffee table. “Oh, let’s indeed.”
They
brought their mugs and plate of treats with them as they moved to lie on their
stomachs across from one another and set up the game under the lights of the
tree.
He
selected his preliminary tile and grinned when he drew a letter A and
Molly a G. “Looks like I go first.” He drew his seven tiles and let out
a hoot as he studied his selection. “And here we go.” He laid out quit in
the center of the board. “That looks like fourteen points.”
She
glared as she pulled her tiles and looked at her pieces. “Beginner’s luck.”
He
sent her a mischievous smile. “We’ll see.”
Molly
beamed. “Got one.” She laid out an S, L, and T.
His
brow shot up. “Slut?”
“And a double word score for eight points.
Don’t be jealous.”
“I’m
not. First move, and I’m winning.”
“For
now, but it’s early days, Ivy League. Early days.”
He
laughed as she did. Christmas tree decorating, Scrabble, and plenty of smack
talk with Molls. Her five nights of fun idea was turning out to be the ultimate
gift.
ALSO PART OF THE CARTER ISLAND NOVELS SERIES
SECRETS HIDDEN IN THE GLASS
The Carter Island Novels, Book 1
MY REVIEW
Secrets Hidden in the Glass is a looooong book and I have a lot to say. Once I started, I only put it down to eat, use the facilities, and sleep. The characters quickly became my friends and I went on one hell of a ride, filled with danger and suspense. It has so many elements I love in a book, my page and a half of notes is going to have to be severely edited.
Callie desperately needed a vacation and felt the magical affects of the island her first day there. She was in desperate need of sleep and it found her as soon as she sat down. She awoke more refreshed than she had felt for months.
She had already met the sheriff and, like the island, she felt an immediate attraction when he poked his head out from under the sink he was fixing in the home she was renting. He felt the attraction too and, seeing he was her landlord and neighbor, felt he would have many opportunities to get to know her better.
Callie is an artist, working in stained glass, and fame has not been kind to her. She prefers spending her time working on her art to hobnobbing with those who want a piece of her. She built a very high wall to protect herself.
Nate slowly dries the mortar that holds the wall,allowing it to fall and the light, along with her emotions were coming out in a slow way, relaxing in the small moments of getting to know someone. She steps outside herself not knowing why, just that it felt right. Their romance is a slow build with many uncertainties and danger.
The island life was what she needed. The people are real, easy going and not overbearing, even though they know she is famous, though she has no idea they know and is surprised by it when she finds out. All this reminds me soooo much of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
Callie is relaxed, happy, but knowing Cate Beauman this is foreplay for the danger lurking in the background. I keep waiting and waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop. The slow, subtle buildup is spent getting to know everyone, including the dark memories that put a bullseye on Callie. It does get hot and heavy, but not in the ‘I like you, let’s do it” manner.
I am soooo curious how she came to be abandoned at four years old. She has all the issues that go along with it. That explains why she holds people at a distance.
...love and attachment meant fear and pain for Callie.
When Callie’s adopted mom told Nate that as a child she would get up in the night and sleep in front of the door so she would know if they tried to leave her, it broke my heart. It’s the little details that Cate Beauman adds to the story that allows me to SEE what is happening.
“It crossed my mind to knock him out a couple of times, but then I would have needed to arrest myself…” says Nate.
Be prepared for tears, laughter, passion, danger, and hours of nonstop reading, because Secrets Hidden in the Glass by Cate Beauman is the complete package. I am BLOWN AWAY.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Secrets Hidden in the Glass by Cate Beauman.
5 Stars
BOOK DESCRIPTION
The secrets of the past are always closer than we think…
Stained glass artist Callie Davis is in desperate need of a
vacation. Burnt out and on the edge of a nervous breakdown, she’s fleeing the
pressures of her career and is taking refuge on Massachusetts’ tiny Carter
Island. Callie yearns for long, lazy days and pretty walks on the beach—blessed
solitude and an escape from the complications of her life. Then she bumps into
gorgeous Nate Carter and everything changes.
Sheriff Nathan Carter couldn’t be happier now that the height
of the summer season has finally come and gone. After four endless months,
tourists have packed their bags and headed for the mainland. The quiet days of
autumn are about to befall the town—the way Nate and his fellow Sandersonians
like it best.
But nothing ends up quite the way Nate expects when he meets
the beautiful blonde with the big blue eyes. Callie’s pretty smiles hide
secrets—deep, dark mysteries that could cost them both their lives if they
continue digging into the past and cross a killer’s path.
*A contemporary romance with twists of mystery and suspense
“Great
character’s, fantastic plot, it is a book to sink into. You feel the magic of
the island…” Amazon Verified Review
“Even throughout the nail-biting scenes, and
moments of terrible sadness, you feel the rise of love sneaking back into the
picture.” Amazon Verified Review
Amazon Rating: 4.5/5
Goodreads Rating: 4.4/5
ABOUT CATE BEAUMAN
Cate Beauman is the multi-award-winning, international bestselling author of The Bodyguards of L.A. County series and the Carter Island Novels. She is known for her full-length, action-packed romantic suspense and contemporary stories.
Cate’s
novels have been named Readers’ Favorite Five Star books and have won the
Booksellers’ Best Award, Maggie Award for Excellence, the Holt Medallion Award,
two-time Aspen Gold Medal, two-time Readers’ Favorite International Gold Medal,
three-time Readers’ Favorite International Silver Medal, and the Readers’ Crown
Award.
Cate
makes her home in New Hampshire with her family and their St. Bernards, Bear
and Jack.
Sassy private investigator Jade O’Reilly thinks she’s hit rock bottom when, in the midst of obtaining photos of a cheating spouse in a second-story apartment, she falls off a swing set to the feet of an attractive mystery man. But the next day, when Jade discovers the man’s identity—he’s a detective with the local Sweetwater, NC, police—she learns that the cheating spouse was murdered and Jade herself is a suspect. Rock bottom just got a new definition.
Private Deception is the first novel in the Jade O’Reilly Mystery series by Amazon Bestselling Mystery and Romantic Suspense Author Tamara Ward. The novel’s prequel, the short story Jade O’Reilly and the Ice Queen, joins Jade O’Reilly and the Mysterious Musician, a short story that follows Jade on an adventure after this novel. In all three, action and light romance combine with engaging characters and humor for page-turning whodunits set in the fictional coastal town of Sweetwater, NC.
Any time I see an eye featured on a book cover, it gets my attention. Then we add a sassy female private detective, I feel we can’t go wrong. I love romantic suspense novels and I am looking forward to reading Private Deception.
I have been reading Carolyn Arnold’s work for some time now and always enjoy them. I am excited to be on another adventure with Matthew Connor. So…what do you say? Ready for a treasure hunt?
The Legend of Gasparilla and His Treasure by Carolyn Arnold is due for release on 6.16.20, but can be preordered now for $4.99
Matthew Connor is an adventurous archaeologist and treasure hunter, a dreamer. This is not my first adventure with him, and I feel it won’t be my last. We never know where we will be going and what we will be after, but Indiana Jones step aside and make room.
Matthew and his friends search out the answers to legends, such as City of Gold. Feel free to ask Google, because Carolyn Arnold takes ‘true’ stories and makes them her own.
Today, we will be traveling with Gaspar, or Gaspiralla as his friends know him. He is a pirate that sailed the Gulf of Mexico and Spanish Main in the late 18th and 19th century. Is it a myth, a legend? There is an island named after him and Tampa has a festival, so draw your own conclusions.
Carolyn Arnold is not afraid to write in more than one genre, and I am so happy she does. Matthew Connor is one of my favorite series because I love to travel to distant places and she takes me all over the world, yet also writes of events in our neck of the world.
The Legend of Gasparilla and His Treasure is action packed, filled with suspense and danger. The peripheral characters shine with their own talents and uniqueness that adds to this wild adventure where lives are lost and treasure found.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of The Legend of Gasparilla and His Treasure by Carolyn Arnold.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Join the quest for a
pirate’s gold in the anxiously awaited third installment of the
international bestselling Matthew Connor Adventure series!
For
centuries, the existence of Spanish pirate José Gaspar has been
relegated to legend, but archaeologist and adventurer Matthew Connor and
his friends may have just found reason to believe the buccaneer truly
existed.
Rumored to have sailed and plundered the Gulf of
Mexico and the Spanish Main during the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries, Gaspar would have amassed a vast fortune. But can Matthew and
the gang prove myth as fact and find Gaspar’s priceless treasure? It
will take courage and tenacity as the path to gold proves deadly—and
even murderous once they discover the true identity and fate of the man
nicknamed Gasparilla.
The Legend of Gasparilla and His Treasure
is a fast-paced action adventure that’s akin to an Indiana Jones story
set in modern times. It’s light on history and heavy on action,
suspense, and intrigue. Buy this international bestselling book today
and strap yourself in for an action-packed good time!
ABOUT CAROLYN ARNOLD
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.
