When
itinerant ranch hand Buck Ellison took a job with Sarah Watkins at her
ranch in the Sandhills of Nebraska, he thought he had found the place
where he could park his pickup, leave the past behind, and never move
again.
On
a rainy July night, a dead body at the south end of Sarah’s ranch
forces him to become a reluctant detective, digging into the business of
cattle breeding for rodeos and digging up events from his past that are
linked to the circumstances surrounding the murder of Sam Danielson.
Working
with his boss Sarah, her nephew Travis Martin, and the cook Diane
Gibbons, Buck unmasks the murderer, but at the cost of learning the
reality of past events that he chooses to keep to himself.
Book Details:
Genre: Mystery, Amateur Sleuth Published by: Down and Out Books Publication Date: April 27, 2019 Number of Pages: 216 ISBN: 1643960121 (978-1643960128) Purchase Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Down & Out Books
Author Bio:
WARREN EMBREE and his wife grew up in the Sandhills of Nebraska. He did both farm work and ranch work during those years, and he still keeps track of what goes on in the hills. After leaving the area, he pursued an academic career in English, Classical Languages, and Divinity. He lectured at a couple of institutions and preached at a few churches, and he now works in Lincoln as a data analyst for the University of Nebraska. His knowledge and love of the unique culture of the Sandhills, his education in languages and literature, and his analytical skills contribute to his story telling. He and his wife currently live in Nebraska and have 3 grown children.
This cover for Whispered Pain by Ashley Fontainne is different from the one on Amazon, which you can see below. I love them both, but I think this one is my favorite. I won this some time ago and read it back in 2015.
Ashley does a lot of covers herself and I believe this is one of them.
Ashley Fontainne is an award winning author and I have read a lot of her books. I won this back in 2015 and shame on me for waiting so long to share such a fabulous story.
A snow storm…don’t ya just love a story that starts out like that. Bad things happen during storms in novels. LOL Ya know, like when the town rolls up the sidewalks like it’s the end of the world, telling all to go home and stay there. Ashley Fontainne has a way with words and her writing brings the scenes to life in vivid detail, making me feel as if I am there.
She adds the details to her characters personalities that bring them to life, adding those bits and pieces that make you feel empathy, fear, and the need to save them. I feel like I walk in their world, wearing their shoes.
The devastation caused by the death of Angie’s sister ruined her family, created a distance from everyone. Death, a loss so deep they can’t recover.
I knew from the first sentence that Whispered Pain would be another awesome read. I had a feeling I knew what was coming and as the horror comes full on to Angie, my suspicions are confirmed. I can’t help but smile with wicked glee in anticipation. Ashley Fontainne can take me to the lowest low, a despair so deep I don’t have the strength to fight it…Until…a spark ignites, a fire of determination, a rage that comes to life, as if it is a physical thing. I raged with her.
WTF Who died and made these men God?
The plot is filled with twists and turns that kept a smile on my face as if it was a present to open through Ashley Fontainne’s words. I love that she brought the story full circle.
5 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
A freak winter storm threatens to destroy the lives of Angie and Drake
Benson, who are expecting their first child. A terrible accident on the
way to the hospital is just the beginning of their nightmare.
The
frigid wind and snow uncovers deep, dark secrets between husband and
wife. Dangerous, painful lies they kept hidden from each other are
strong enough to tear their relationship apart forever. When the truth
is exposed, will their marriage survive?
ABOUT ASHLEY FONTAINNE (from her website)
Award-winning and
International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne is an avid reader of
mostly the classics. Ashley became a fan of the written word in her
youth, starting with the Nancy Drew mystery series. Stories that immerse
the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters that lurk within
us are her favorite reads.
Her muse for penning the
Eviscerating the Snake series was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre
Dumas. Ashley’s love for this book is what sparked her desire to write
her debut novel, Accountable to None, the first book in the trilogy.
With a modern setting to the tale, Ashley delves into just what lengths a
person is willing to go when they seek personal justice for heinous
acts perpetrated upon them. The second novel in the series, Zero
Balance. focuses on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge
has on the seeker. For once the cycle starts, where does it end? How
far will the tendrils of revenge expand? Adjusting Journal Entries
answered that question: far and wide.
Her short thriller
entitled Number Seventy-Five, touches upon the sometimes dangerous world
of online dating. Number Seventy-Five took home the BRONZE medal in
fiction/suspense at the 2013 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards
contest and is currently in production for a feature film.
Her paranormal thriller
entitled The Lie, won the GOLD medal in the 2013 Illumination Book
Awards for fiction/suspense and is also in production for a feature film
entitled Foreseen.
Ashley’s decided to delve
into the paranormal with a Southern Gothic horror/suspense novel,
Growl, which released in January of 2015. The suspenseful mystery Empty
Shell, released in September of 2014. Ashley will be teaming up with
Lillian Hansen (Ashley calls her mom!) to pen a three-part murder
mystery/suspense series entitled The Magnolia Series. The first book,
Blood Ties, is due out the Summer of 2015.
Ashley also hosts The WriteStuff, a popular BlogTalk Radio show, each Friday night at 10 p.m. CST.
Sue Coletta blew my mind with her Mayhem series, so when I got the chance to continue with the Grafton County series, there was no doubt in my mind I was going to do it.
Pre-order price is 99 cents and will be delivered to your Kindle on 8.7.19.
1…2…3…4…5…missing boys…and it’s all downhill from here. How bad will it get? Knowing Sue Coletta…much, much worse.
Sage is a crime writer and wife of the Grafton County Sheriff, Niko Quintano. She writes the Grafton County Series. A coincidence? lol She hadn’t planned on meeting one of the mothers of the missing boys, but once she asked for help, she couldn’t deny her.
Sue Coletta’s writing is so descriptive I can picture some of the scenes that really stick in my mind. One of them is when Noah reaches out to his Daddy wanting to be picked up. Reaching out, opening and closing his hands when he speaks in that little baby voice.
And their fur babies…oh man, do I love them too. Ruger is super intelligent and immediately suspicious of the stuffed moose that Noah brought home with him from the grocery store.
Ruger and Colt are their fur babies, each with their own distinct personalities. I love when dogs are incorporated into the story so seamlessly, having pivotal roles to play. Beware, because they will fight to the death to protect their humans.
Poor Niko, having to deal with Frankie, his deputy, who is bordering on the line of insubordination, and Sage, his wife, who is reckless and fearless, going off half cocked investigating on her own.
A very sad and tragic story of a young boy’s life.
The taste of the supernatural is so sad, yet hopeful at the same time. Even bad people can have good inside them…don’t you think?
A ghost. Why would it choose her to talk to, to appear to her? Does Sage have something special about her? Her love for her humans and fur babies are evident in everything she does.
The only thing that really bugged me is…why didn’t Sage share her suspicions with Frankie. But maybe she would have been too prepared for what Sue had in mind. And I do love where she took it.
The moments with Noah and the fur babies are terrifying and adorable.
Tears and laughter abound. Sue Coletta gave me a happy ending, and set the hook for what comes next.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Racked by Sue Coletta.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
It starts with an innocent stuffed animal. It ends in mind-numbing terror.
Five
missing boys and an adult corpse found in the town’s water shed was
only the beginning for Sage and Niko Quintano. After a hooded-stranger
gives their son, Noah, a stuffed animal—the exact Christmas moose given
to all the missing boys days before their abductions—their lives spiral
downward into uncertainty.
Could Noah be the next boy to go missing?
As
they piece together each cryptic clue, the future looks more and more
grim. But what they soon discover blows everyone’s mind, the truth
teetering on the unfathomable.
What does it all mean, and where do they go from here?
ABOUT SUE COLETTA
ABOUT SUE COLETTA Member of Mystery Writers of
America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers, Sue
Coletta is an award-winning, multi-published author in numerous
anthologies and her forensics articles have appeared in InSinC
Quarterly. In addition to her popular crime resource blog, Sue co-hosts
the radio show “Partners In Crime” on Writestream Radio Network every
third Tuesday of the month from 1 – 3 p.m. EDT/EST (see details at www.suecoletta.com).
She’s also the communications manager for the Serial Killer Project
and Forensic Science, and founder of #ACrimeChat on Twitter. She runs a
popular crime website and blog, where she shares crime tips, police
jargon, the mind of serial killers, and anything and everything in
between. If you search her achieves, you’ll find posts from guests that
work in law enforcement, forensics, coroner, undercover operatives,
firearm experts…crime, crime, and more crime. For readers, she has the
Crime Lover’s Lounge, where subscribers will be the first to know
about free giveaways, contests, and have inside access to deleted
scenes. As an added bonus, members get to play in the lounge. Your
secret code will unlock the virtual door. Inside, like-minded folks
discuss their favorite crime novels, solve mindbender and mystery
puzzles, and/or relax and chat. Most importantly, everyone has a lot of
fun. Sue lives in northern New Hampshire with her husband, where her
house is surrounded by wildlife…bear, moose, deer, even mountain lions
have been spotted. Course, Sue would love to snuggle with them, but
her husband frowns on the idea.
In American Red, as the Great American Century begins, and the modern world roars to life, Capitalists flaunt greed and seize power, Socialists and labor unions flex their violent will, and an extraordinary true story of love and sacrifice unfolds.
In his critically acclaimed debut novel, Fortunate Son, David Marlett introduced readers to a fresh take on historical fiction-the historical legal thriller-bringing alive the people and events leading to and surrounding some of the most momentous, dramatic legal trials in history. Now he returns with American Red, the story of one of the greatest domestic terrorists in American history, and the detectives, lawyers, spies, and lovers who brought him down.
The men and women of American Red are among the most fascinating in American history. When, at the dawn of the 20th century, the Idaho governor is assassinated, blame falls on “Big Bill” Haywood, the all-powerful, one-eyed boss of the Western Federation of Miners in Denver. Close by, his polio-crippled wife, Neva, struggles with her wavering faith, her love for another man, and her sister’s affair with her husband. New technologies accelerate American life, but justice lags behind. Private detectives, battling socialists and unions on behalf of wealthy capitalists, will do whatever it takes to see Haywood hanged. The scene is set for bloodshed, from Denver to Boise to San Francisco. America’s most famous attorney, Clarence Darrow, leads the defense-a philandering U.S. senator leads the prosecution-while the press, gunhands, and spies pour in. Among them are two idealists, Jack Garrett and Carla Capone-he a spy for the prosecution, she for the defense. Risking all, they discover truths about their employers, about themselves and each other, and what they’ll sacrifice for justice and honor-and for love.
Book Details
Genre: Historical Fiction
Published by: The Story Plant
Publication Date: July 2nd 2019
Number of Pages: 535
ISBN: 1611881781 (ISBN13: 9781611881783)
Purchase Links:Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
The lawyer lobbed a verbal spear across the courtroom, piercing the young man, pinning him to the creaky witness chair and tilting the twelve jurymen forward. Their brows rose in anticipation of a gore-laden response from the witness as he clutched his bowler, his face vacant toward the wood floor beyond his shoddy boots. When the judge cleared his throat, the plaintiff’s attorney, Clarence Darrow, repeated the question. “Mr. Bullock, I know this is a strain upon you to recount that tragic day when fifteen of your brothers perished at the hands of the Stratton-”
“Your Honor! Point in question,” barked the flint-faced defense attorney representing the Stratton Independence Mine, a non-union gold operation near Cripple Creek, Colorado. On this warm summer afternoon in Denver, he and Darrow were the best dressed there, each wearing a three-button, vested suit over a white shirt and dull tie.
The robed judge gave a long blink, then peered at Darrow. With a chin waggle, his ruling on the objection was clear.
“Yes, certainly. My apologies, Your Honor,” feigned Darrow, glancing toward the plaintiff’s table where two widows sat in somber regard. Though his wheat-blonde hair and sharp, pale eyes defied his age of forty-nine, his reputation for cunning brilliance and oratory sorcery mitigated the power of his youthful appearance: it was no longer the disarming weapon it had once been. No attorney in the United States would ever presume nascence upon Clarence Darrow. Certainly not in this, his twenty-sixth trial. He continued at the witness. “Though as just a mere man, one among all …” He turned to the jury. “The emotion of this event strains even the most resolute of procedural decorum. I am, as are we all, hard-pressed to-”
“Whole strides, shall we, Mr. Darrow?” grumbled the judge.
“Yes,” Darrow said, turning once again to James Bullock who seemed locked in the block ice of tragedy, having not moved a fraction since first taking the witness seat. “Mr. Bullock, we must rally ourselves, muster our strength, and for the memory of your brothers, share with these jurymen the events of that dark day. You said the ride up from the stope, the mine floor, was a swift one, and there were the sixteen of you in the cage made to hold no more than nine-is that correct?”
“Yes, Sir,” Bullock replied, his voice a faint warble.
“Please continue,” Darrow urged.
Bullock looked up. “We kept going, right along, but it kept slipping. We’d go a ways and slip again.”
“Slipping? It was dropping?”
“Yes, Sir. Dropping down sudden like, then stopping. Cappy was yelling at us to get to the center, but there was no room. We was in tight.”
“By Cappy you mean Mr. Capone, the foreman?”
“Yes, Sir. Our shift boss that day.” The witness sucked his bottom lip. “He was in the cage ‘long with us.” He sniffed in a breath then added, “And his boy, Tony. Friend of mine. No better fella.”
“My condolences,” said Darrow. “What do you think was the aid in getting the men to the middle of the cage?”
“Keep it centered in the shaft, I reckon. We was all yelling.” Bullock took a slow breath before continuing, “Cappy was trying to keep the men quiet, but it wasn’t making much a difference. Had his arms around Tony.”
A muscle in Darrow’s cheek shuddered. “Please continue.”
“So we was slipping, going up. Then the operator, he took us up about six feet above the collar of the shaft, then back down again.”
“Which is not the usual-”
“Not rightly. No, Sir. We should’ve stopped at the collar and no more. But later they said the brakes failed on the control wheel.”
“Mr. Bullock, let’s return to what you experienced. You were near the top of the shaft, the vertical shaft that we’ve established was 1,631 feet deep, containing, at that time, about twenty feet of water in its base, below the lowest stope, correct?”
“Yes, Sir. Before they pumped that water to get to em.”
“By ‘them’ you mean the bodies of your dead companions?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Ok, you were being hoisted at over 900 feet per minute by an operator working alone on the surface-near the top of the shaft, when the platform began to slip and jump. Is that your testimony?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“That must have been terrifying.”
“Yes, Sir, it was. We’d come off a tenner too.”
“A ten-hour shift?”
“Yes, Sir.”
Darrow rounded on the jury, throwing the next question over his shoulder. “Oh, but Sir, how could it have been a ten-hour work day when the eight-hour day is now the law of this state?”
The defense lawyer’s chair squeaked as he stood. “Objection, Your Honor.”
“I’ll allow it,” barked the judge, adding, “But gentlemen …”
The witness shook his head. “The Stratton is a non-union, gold ore mine. Supposed to be non-union anyway. Superintendent said owners weren’t obliged to that socialist law.”
“Hearsay, Your-”
“Keep your seat, Counsel. You’re going to wear this jury thin.” Darrow stepped closer to the witness.
“Mr. Bullock, as I said, let’s steer clear from what you heard others say. The facts speak for themselves: you and your friends were compelled to work an illegal ten-hour shift. Let’s continue. You were near the top, but unable to get off the contraption, and it began to-”
“Yes. We’d gone shooting up, then he stopped it for a second.”
“”By ‘he,’ you mean the lift operator?”
“Yes, Sir. He stopped it but then it must have gotten beyond his control, cause we dropped sixty, seventy feet all the sudden. We were going quick. We said to each other we’re all gone. Then he raised us about ten feet and stopped us. But then, it started again, and this time it was going fast up and we went into the sheave wheel as fast as we could go.”
“To be sure we all follow, Mr. Bullock, the lift is the sole apparatus that hoisted you from the Stratton Mine, where you work?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“And the sheave wheel is the giant wheel above the surface, driven by a large, thirty-year-old steam engine, run by an operator. That sheave wheel coils in the cable”he pantomimed the motion-“pulling up the 1,500-pound-load platform, or lift, carrying its limit of nine men. And it coils out the cable when the lift is lowered. But that day the lift carried sixteen men-you and fifteen others. Probably over 3,000 pounds. Twice its load limit. Correct?”
“Yes, Sir. But, to be clear, I ain’t at the Stratton no more.”
“No?” asked Darrow, pleased the man had bit the lure.
“No. Seeing how I was one of Cappy’s men. Federation. And, now ’cause this.” His voice faded.
Darrow frowned, walked a few paces toward the jury, clapped once and rubbed his hands together. “The mine owners, a thousand miles away, won’t let you work because you’re here-a member of the Western Federation of Miners, a union man giving his honest testimony. Is that right?”
“Yes, Sir.”
Again, the defense counsel came to his feet. “Your Honor, Mr. Darrow knows Mr. Bullock’s discharge wasn’t-”
The judge raised a hand, took a deep breath and cocked his head toward the seasoned attorney before him. “Swift to your point, Mr. Darrow.”
“Yes, Your Honor.” Darrow’s blue eyes returned to the witness. “Mr. Bullock, you were telling us about the sheave wheel.”
“Yes. It’s a big thing up there, out over the top of the shaft. You see it on your way up. We all think on it-if we was to not stop and slam right up into it-which we did that day. We all knew it’d happen. I crouched to save myself from the hard blow I knew was coming. I seen a piece of timber about one foot wide there underside the sheave, and soon as we rammed, I grabbed hold and held myself up there, and pretty soon the cage dropped from below me, and I began to holler for a ladder to get down.”
“Must have been distressing, up there, holding fast to a timber, dangling 1,631 feet over an open shaft, watching your fifteen brothers fall.”
Bullock choked back tears. “Yes, Sir. That’s what I saw.” He paused. When he resumed, his tone was empty, as if the voice of his shadow. “I heard em. Heard em go. They was screaming. They knew their end had come. I heard em till I heard em no more.”
—
Excerpt from American Red by David Marlett. Copyright 2019 by David Marlett. Reproduced with permission from The Story Plant. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
David Marlett is an award-winning storyteller and writer of historical fiction, primarily historical legal thrillers bringing alive the fascinating people and events leading to major historical trials. His first such novel, Fortunate Son, became a national bestseller in 2014, rising to #2 in all historical fiction and #3 in all literature and fiction on Amazon. The late Vincent Bugliosi — #1 New York Times bestselling author of Helter Skelter — said David is “a masterful writer of historical fact and detail, of adventure, peril and courtroom drama.” Just released is American Red which follows the extraordinary true story of a set of radical lovers, lawyers, killers, and spies who launched the Great American Century. Visit www.AmericanRedBook.com. He is currently writing his next historical legal thriller, Angeles Los, which continues some of the lead characters from American Red. Angeles Los is based on the true story at the 1910 intersection of the first movies made in Los Angeles, the murderous bombing of the Los Angeles Times, and eccentric Abbot Kinney’s “Venice of America” kingdom. In addition, David is a professor at Pepperdine Law School, was the managing editor of OMNI Magazine, and guest-lectures on story design. He is a graduate of The University of Texas School of Law, the father of four, and lives in Manhattan Beach, California. For more, visit www.DavidMarlett.com.
Due to a reader’s persistence, One Taste of Redemption by Amanda Siegrist was written. She hadn’t planned on giving this cheater his own story, but Newman refused to be silenced. Amanda does her own covers and she can sure pick the leading men.
I have read the entire series, from Book I, One Taste of You, Zeke and Zoe’s story and it has been fun to follow these Sex and the City type ladies, but instead of roaming the city looking for love, it seems to find them through the mysteries they become involved in.
Lately, I seem to find all the notes I take when reading slip by the wayside when it comes time to write the reviews. My mind seems to be in two different places and the characters dictate which scenario will be played out as I type.
Newman…what can I say. He got what he deserved when he cheated and the lies began to run rampant. He doesn’t have very good coping skills, so he tends to act out instead of facing the tough decisions. But…I feel people deserve second chances when they feel remorse. It can be a learning experience, when the offense was done ‘innocently’. He never did it with malice. He was stuck in a corner and panicked…
I love to see a character earn their redemption. None of us are perfect, so why do we expect perfection from others? Something to think about when we are placing blame and judgment on someone else.
We do need some laughs and giggles to help us get through the tough times of kidnapping and danger that dogs the unlucky siblings, Amelia and Adam. Why were they targeted?
Now…I think this will be the last story told in this series and I love the way Amanda Siegrist wrapped it up, especially when she wasn’t expecting the story to be told. Thanks so much to the reader who insisted that Newman needed a chance…All the characters made an appearance, plus we meet a couple of new ones. After all, Newman needs some love too. He just needs a smack upside the head, a young man in need of a role model and the sister who sure could use a hand raising him.
Amanda keeps her novels…pretty clean…and loves her happy endings. Don’t we all?
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of One Taste of Redemption by Amanda Siegrist.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
He lied. He cheated. He lost everything. One missing boy could be his redemption…
Detective
Newman—well, not a detective anymore—wants to be left alone to lick his
wounds after his life fell apart. He can’t blame anyone but himself.
When a gorgeous woman with vibrant pink hair and a sassy attitude knocks
on his door, he doesn’t want anything to do with her. Except Amelia
Benedict doesn’t understand the word no. Her brother is missing. The
police refuse to help because they believe he ran away. But she knows
her brother is in trouble and insists he’s her only hope. He’s
definitely not the right guy for the case. He’s nothing but bad news,
and if Amelia sticks around, he’ll destroy her as he destroyed himself.
Warning:
This novel contains a sexy hero. He’s not a detective anymore, but he
didn’t lose his sexiness. You know you don’t wanna miss his story! Happy
reading!
The entire One Taste series: (Each book can be read as a standalone.) One Taste of You (Book 1): Zeke & Zoe One Taste of Love (Book 2): Ben & Rina One Taste of Crazy (Book 3): Sauer & Dee One Taste of Sin (Book 4): Stitch & Susan One Taste of Redemption (Book 5): Newman & Amelia
ABOUT AMANDA SIEGRIST
Love!
Gimme some love and heaps of romance. I have a sappy heart that just
loves two people meeting, going through the cycles of a relationship,
and ultimately, falling in love. Give me a good book like that and I’m a
happy camper:)
I write contemporary and romantic suspense, but I am partial to suspense. I just love a good mystery.
Besides writing, I love baking, crafts, and baseball…oh, and meeting new people. *smiles*
It’s the end of the Count To Ten series by Jane Blythe and I am so sad to say goodbye to some characters that I have known and loved for a long time. Jane Blythe found me through another, in her word, amazing blogger and I can only say thank you to whoever it was, because I have been loving Jane since 2016 because of them. I eat her books up like M&M candies. If you have tried her work, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, and are a thriller lover, than I recommend you give her a try.
I turn my Kindle on, search for Ten by Jane Blythe, then click the cover with trepidation. I have been following Jane Blythe’s Count To Ten journey since 2016 and I am eager, yet hesitant to begin, wanting to know the end, yet wondering if it will meet all my expectations. Fair or not, I have set the bar high for Jane Blythe…and I am so happy to say that even though I hate to see the journey come to and end, I am very sad, yet satisfied with the end. She not only met my expectations, she exceeded them.
An electrifying beginning and it doesn’t take long for the bodies to start falling and I am fearful of those characters I have come to care so much about.
Tessa…independent, reclusive, strong…she has been through so much, yet Jane is done with her yet. She’s and urban legend.
JANE JANE JANE! You’re breaking my heart. Hope you enjoyed your killing spree.
He sure isn’t what I expected, but now I am even more worried about my family. You have put them through hell, but the horror just keeps on coming. I must be almost as bad as you because I sure do love reading what you write. The darker, the better, and you paint a bleak picture with your words.
I am almost half way in and I cannot begin to guess at what is to come. Whether it’s because I don’t want to know or face it, I would have to stop long enough to think about it…and I can’t seem to do that.
These characters cannot get a break. Maybe it is time to end the series, Jane, while some of them are still standing. I kinda smiled when I typed that. How evil am I? Will any of them find a happy ever after? How will Jane Blythe wrap it up? Will it have a casket or a pretty bow?
NO NO NO! At 85% tears are falling down my face. I am soooo sad.
OH NO! More tears. I finally gathered my self together, thinking the worst is over…
Jane, woman, OMG, you’re killing me…And it’s still not over.
I laughed, I cried. And I want more. Thank goodness, she has a new series coming, Broken Gems and Cracked Sapphire is due for release in February of 2020.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Ten by Jane Blythe.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
They say time heals all wounds.
Tessa
Micah is snatched from her bed in the middle of the night. She manages
to make a phone call to her best friend, the partner of her deceased
police officer husband, before she disappears. Tessa has a complicated
past and as the widow of a decorated cop, there are a long list of
suspects. Retired detective, Skylar Wyatt, is determined to find her and
honor the promise he made to his partner; to protect and care for his
wife should anything ever happen to him.
Then people connected to
Tessa start getting murdered. The cops don’t know who from her past is
targeting her, or if it has something to do with her dead husband’s
cases. With time running out, and more bodies falling, vocations will be
questioned, futures reassessed, and not everyone will survive.
** Warning: Graphic violence and themes of sexual assault/abuse **
ABOUT JANE BLYTHE
Jane
has loved reading and writing since she can remember. She writes dark
and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in
because, well, who doesn’t love romance? She has one completed series,
Detective Parker Bell, and one new series, Count to Ten.
When she’s not writing Jane loves to
read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies.
She has a black belt in Taekwondo, and a 200+ collection of teddy bears.
She has the world’s two most sweet and pretty Dalmatians, Ivory and
Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!
My thanks go out to Mike Papantonio and a friend, Jeff Weeks. Jeff hosts Conversations With Jeff on WSRE, the PBS station where Mr Wonderful works, so I am able to learn of what’s happening in the world a little earlier than others…sometimes. Sometimes I visit the set to meet an author or sometimes a little something comes my way without me doing anything, like Law and Addiction. Thanks again guys!
Mike Papantonion has done an excellent job in showing how greed and corruption can be carried to such an extreme that bodies are falling by the thousands and towns are dying because of it. Truly horrifying!
Let;s look at it through an attorney’s eye…though it is fiction, I feel Mike Papantonio shares a lot of himself in Law and Addiction.
I am not going to get on a pedestal and rant, but I do not think the media has done a good enough job of covering this epidemic that the United States is facing today. I had heard of it, but kinda shrugged it off, thinking….it would never affect me. Thank goodness it hasn’t, directly, but as I read Law and Addiction so many things were brought to light that I couldn’t just shrug it off any longer. I feel everyone would benefit from reading this and be aware…companies and the government are not always there to help you. It is up to YOU to stay educated and aware of the things going on around you.
Now…to the fiction…we have to have a character, a good guy that has no idea what he is getting into when he tries to make the culprits responsible for his brother’s overdose pay. I love how Jake showed no fear, no hesitation, believing all things are possible. He doesn’t know what he’s in for and that’s a good thing, because he might have stopped before he ever started if he knew what was up ahead.
Mike Papantonio does a good job of showing the process…the legalities…the paper mountains…the brick walls…and the determination and patience necessary to take on Goliath, the ‘American drug cartel’ and ride the Oxy Express (I-75). There is a side story that comes about and more criminals are waiting for their moment to rear their greedy, ugly heads and take advantage of those less fortunate.
Everything really amped up from Chapter 33 on. Blurry, tear filled eyes were happening and I was surprised at that…ya know, this is a legal thriller, not the romantic suspense that I devour. But, it is not dry and boring. It is not all bad and sad, even though Jake is put through hell and I didn’t know if he would make it or not. The characters grow as individuals and as a group, making a family, of sorts. It is not all gloom and doom, we do have some smiles and laughs, love and romance, along the way. All the things necessary for a well rounded life in the thriller world. Law and Addiction read like a true story…even the far fetched parts were plausible.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Law and Addiction by Mike Papantonio.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
One week before Jake Rutledge is scheduled to graduate from law school, he receives the devastating news of the death of his fraternal twin, Blake. What makes this death even more terrible for Jake is that his brother died of a drug overdose. Until hearing of his death, Jake had no idea his brother was even using drugs.
When Jake returns home to Oakley, West
Virginia, he takes a hard look at the circumstances of his brother’s
death. In the five years Jake has been away for his schooling, his
hometown has drastically changed. Because of the opioid epidemic, and
the blight it has brought, many now call Oakley Zombieland. Jake can see
how his town’s demise parallels his brother’s.
Undeterred, the
newly minted lawyer takes on the entrenched powers by filing two
lawsuits. Jake quickly learns what happens when you upset a hornet’s
nest. The young attorney might be wet behind the ears, but is sure there
is no lawyer that could help him more than Nick Deke Deketomis and his
law firm of Bergman/Deketomis. Deke is a legendary lawyer. When he was
Jake’s age he was making his name fighting Big Tobacco. Against all
odds, Jake gets Nick and his firm to sign on to his case before it’s too
late.
ABOUT MIKE PAPANTONIO
Mike Papantonio is a senior partner of Levin Papantonio, one of the largest plaintiffs’ law firms in America, that has handled thousands of cases throughout the nation involving pharmaceutical drug litigation, Florida tobacco litigation, litigation for asbestos-related health damage, securities fraud actions, and other mass tort cases. “Pap” has received dozens of multimillion dollar verdicts on behalf of victims of corporate corruption.
Papantonio
is one of the youngest attorneys to have been inducted into the Trial
Lawyer Hall of Fame. In 2012 Papantonio became President of the National
Trial Lawyers Association, one of the largest trial lawyer
organizations in America. For his trial work on behalf of consumers,
Papantonio has received some of the most prestigious awards reserved by
the Public Justice Foundation, The American Association for Justice, and
the National Trial Lawyers Association.
Papantonio is an author
of four motivational books for lawyers. He is also co-author of Air
America: The Playbook, a New York Times Political Best Seller.
Papantonio
is the host of the nationally syndicated radio show “Ring of Fire”
along with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Sam Seder. Papantonio has
conducted hundreds of recorded interviews with guests, including Dan
Rather, Helen Thomas, Howard Zinn, Arianna Huffington, Mary Chapin
Carpenter, Bernie Sanders, David Crosby, Merle Haggard, Morgan Spurlock,
John Edwards, Bill Moyers, Rickie Lee Jones, Alanis Morissette, Pete
Seeger, Jackson Browne, Chuck D from Public Enemy, Henry Rollins, Ted
Sorensen, and Elizabeth Kucinich. His role on “Ring of Fire” is featured
in the movie, “Jesus Camp,” which was nominated for the 2007 Academy
Award for Documentary Feature.
Papantonio is also a political commentator who frequently appears on MSNBC, Free Speech TV, RT America Network, and Fox News.
Papantonio is married and has one daughter. He is an avid scuba diver and often dives on the Emerald Coast.
Summer Snoops Unleashed:
14 Furr-ocious Mysteries and Cozy Crimes
by Judith Lucci Anna Celeste
Burke, Colleen Mooney, Fiona Quinn, Maria Grazia Swan, Kelly Hashway,
Kim Hunt Harris, Susan Boles, Lisa B. Thomas, Emily Selby, Ava Mallory,
Chelsea Thomas, Sam Cheever, and Joanna Campbell Slan
Cozy Mystery Independently Published Release Date – July 23, 2019 ASIN: B07R49T674
Summertime Murders are RUFF
ALL BRAND NEW STORIES!
Looking for cool cozies for hot summer days? Then you’ll love this
purr-fectly paw-some cozy mystery boxed set from fourteen USA Today,
Wall Street Journal, and Amazon best-selling authors.We’ve pulled out
all the stops with Summer Snoops Unleashed! Enjoy hours of fun sniffing
out clues on sandy beaches, shimmering waterways, and at small-town
celebrations in these brand-new stories full of wily sleuths, cagey
plots, and un-fur-gettable tails!Fetch your copy now to get these
furr-ocious new cozy mysteries and woof it up with us!
They’re howlingly good reads!
All preorders support best lives for pets!
Here’s a sampling of stories…
WSJ and USA Best Selling Author Judith Lucci – The Most Glittery Crime of the Year: The Jewel Heist – An Artzy Chicks Mystery
WSJ and USA Today Best Selling Author Anna Celeste Burke ¬- Radical Regatta! Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery #4
WSJ & USA Today Best Selling Author Colleen Mooney – Fireworks, Forensics & Felonies
USA Today Best Selling Author Fiona Quinn – YOURS. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Amazon Best Selling Author Maria Grazia Swan – Pies, Lies and a Last Goodbye
USA Today Best Selling Author Kelly Hashway – You Can’t Judge a Crime by its Aura
WSJ & USA Today Best Selling Author Kim Hunt Harris – Yankee Doodle Deadly: A Trailer Park Princess Novella
WSJ & USA Today Best Selling Author Susan Boles – Death in Mercy
Best Selling Author Amazon Lisa B. Thomas – Sharpe Pain: A Corpse in the Cabin
Amazon Best Selling Author Emily Selby – Death and Taxes on a Cloud
Amazon Best Selling Author Joanna Campbell Slan – Ruff Justice: Second Chance Adventure #5
WSJ and USA Today Best Selling Author Ava Mallory – High Heel Homicide: A Holly Woods Mystery Novella
Amazon Best Selling Author Chelsea Thomas – A Knead to Kill
WSJ and USA Today Best Selling Author Sam Cheever – Spunky Bumpkin
CLICK GRAPHIC BELOW TO READ THE FIRST CHAPTERS OF EACH STORY
About the Authors
Dr. Judith Lucci
is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author. She is the
award-winning author of the Alexandra Destephano Medical Thriller and
the Michaela McPherson “Two Sleuth’s and a Dog” Crime series. She also
writes psychological fiction. Her cozy series, The Artzy Chicks
Mysteries focuses on a group of eccentric, talented but zany artists in
their Art Gallery at a Five Star Mountain Resort in the Virginia
mountains.
In 2017, ‘Viral Intent’ (Book
3) Alexandra Destephano Series) was awarded a Gold Medal by Readers’
Favorites for ‘Best Political Thriller’. as was her crime thriller ‘The Case of Dr. Dude’ (Michaela McPherson #1) for a Gold Medal for ‘Best Amateur Sleuth for 2017. ‘The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year‘ won an additional gold medal for ‘Best Holiday Read’ of 2017.
Her favorite things are reading,
writing, and art. In her spare time she teaches painting, loves up on
animals and raises money for needy causes. Judith lives with her 4 dog
family in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. She loves to connect with her readers and is available at judithlucciwrites@gmail.com. Check our her website at judithlucci.com. and sign-up for a free copy of Chaos at Crescent City Medical Center.
Anna Celeste Burke
is a USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author who lives
in the desert near Palm Springs with her beloved husband and loudmouthed
Siamese cat. A retired professor who once worked as a Disney chef,
you’ll find her snooping into life’s mysteries with fun, fiction, and
food!
Colleen Mooney was
born and raised in New Orleans along with everyone else in her family.
She is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author and
writes a cozy mystery series set in New Orleans called The New Orleans
Go Cup Chronicles. The 7th book in her series is Fireworks, Forensics
and Felonies will be in Summer Snoops Unleashed. Her Politicians,
Potholes and Praline released in March 2019 and is available on Amazon
and KU.
Since January 2017 Colleen organized
a Sisters In Crime chapter in New Orleans and is not planning a Mystery
Writers Conference in November in New Orleans. She is currently working
on her next book in the series.
In New Orleans, she’s been a member and active in many Mardi Gras Krewes, Super Krewes, and organizations. Colleen says she has never met a parade she didn’t like.
She’s
an ardent animal lover and the Director for a breed rescue, Schnauzer
Rescue of Louisiana for the last fifteen years. She has rescued and
placed over 350 abandoned or surrendered Schnauzers. She loves to write
and writes about what she loves. Colleen says, “New Orleans is where it all happens for me.”
Fiona Quinn
is a four-time USA Today bestselling author, a Kindle Scout winner, and
has been listed as an Amazon Top 100 author in: Romantic Suspense;
Mystery, thriller, and suspense; Mysteries, Science Fiction, Fantasy,
and Horror.
Maria Grazia Swan
Award-winning author Maria Grazia Swan
was born in Italy. She’s lived in Belgium, France, Germany, Southern
California and Arizona—all juicy places that fuel her stories and
characters.
These days, Maria Grazia volunteers at
the animal shelter seeking the perfect family for homeless pets. Her
deepest passions? Writing and being the matchmaker for people and pets
who are waiting to find each other.
Maria loves travel, opera, good books,
hiking, and intelligent movies. Her idea of a perfect evening?
Stimulating conversation, Northern Italian food, and chilled Prosecco.
She loves to hear from her readers! Feel free to contact her through her website: www.mariagraziaswan.com.
Kelly Hashway
fully admits to being one of the most accident-prone people on the
planet, but luckily she gets to write about female sleuths who are much
more coordinated than she is. Maybe it was growing up watching Murder She Wrote that
instilled a love of mystery, but she spends her days writing cozy
mysteries. Kelly’s also a sucker for first love, which is why she writes
romance under the pen name Ashelyn Drake. When she’s not writing, Kelly
works as an editor and also as Mom, which she believes is a job title
that deserves to be capitalized.
Kim Hunt Harris is the USA Today and Wall Street Journal best-selling author of the Trailer Park Princess Christian cozy mystery series.
Kim knew she wanted to be a writer
before she even knew how to write. When her parents read bedtime stories
to her, she knew she wanted to be a part of the story world. She
started out writing children’s stories, and her stories grew as she did.
She discovered a gift for humor and a love for making people laugh with
her tales, and the Trailer Park Princess series was born.
Kim loves to not only make her readers
laugh and entertain them with a good mystery, but also to examine the
issues the everyday people face…well, every day. Issues such as faith
and forgiveness, perseverance and tolerance. Set in Lubbock, Texas, the
fun books feature a cast of quirky characters, outrageous situations, a
drama queen of a dog, and from time to time, a tear or two.
Kim lives with her husband of more than thirty years and two teenage kids in Lubbock, TX.
Susan Boles
is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author who lives in
Mississippi with her rescue mini Dachshund and rescue cat of no
particular breed. You’ll find her writing mysteries centered around
small southern towns with lots of great characters.
Lisa B. Thomas
Born and raised in Texas, I always knew I
wanted to be a writer. Finally, after thirty-three years as a high
school journalism and English teacher, I released my first novel. Having
grown up reading Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, and Agatha Christie, I was
drawn to the mystery genre.
I write clean, classic whodunnits with
realistic characters and situations. It’s probably because my first book
was based on a true-life murder mystery from my own family. That book, Sharpe Shooter,
led to the Maycroft Mysteries. I also write Killer Shots Mysteries and
the Beachside Bookshop Magical Cozy Mysteries (co-written with Paula
Lester.) I call my books “Mysteries with Heart & Humor,” and that’s
just what you’ll get.
When not writing, I enjoy my grown
husband and dog, my children, grandchildren, grandpets, photography,
traveling, and antiquing (aka. buying and selling used junk).
Emily Selby
is a Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author who lives between France
and New Zealand with her husband, daughter and a multilingual rescue
cat. She loves writing and reading cozy mysteries with a sprinkle of
romance, full of quirky characters and set in charming little towns.
Joanna Campbell Slan
National bestselling and award-winning
author Joanna Campbell Slan has written and/or edited 40 books,
including both fiction and non-fiction works. In addition to being
included in Amazon’s list of Top 100 Mystery Authors, Joanna was one of
the early Chicken Soup for the Soul contributors, and her stories appear in five of those New York Times bestselling books. Her first non-fiction book, Using Stories and Humor: Grab Your Audience, was
endorsed by Toastmasters International, and lauded by Israel’s Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speechwriter. She’s the author of three
mystery series. Her first novel—Paper, Scissors, Death (Book #1 in the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series)–was shortlisted for the Agatha Award. Her first historical mystery—Death of a Schoolgirl: Book #1 in the Jane Eyre Chronicles—won the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence. Her contemporary series set in Florida continues this year with Second Chance at Faith (Book #4 in the Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series). In addition to writing fiction, she edits the Happy Homicides Anthologies and has begun the Dollhouse Décor & More series of “how to” books for dollhouse miniaturists.
Ava Mallory
is a multi-genre USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author
of what she affectionately calls Mysteries with Heart. When not
dreaming up stories full of twists and turns, she’s spinning
heartwarming tales of love, laughter, and a healthy dose of mystery.
Chelsea Thomas
is technically two people… Married writing team Chelsea and Matthew
Thomas. Chelsea and Matt have spent the last 9 years living in Los
Angeles, where they have worked as screenwriters. There, they have
worked with such companies as CBS, SONY, and Nickelodeon. Now, with the
completion of their first cozy mystery novel, Apple Die, they are proud
to say that they are novelists, too.
Sam Cheever is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal
Bestselling Author who writes mystery and suspense, creating stories
that draw you in and keep you eagerly turning pages. Known for writing
great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories,
Sam is the award-winning author of 80+ books.
There is more happening in July than the beach, so let’s celebrate Christmas In July with Jane Blythe’s Winter Wonderland. I love the old time feel of the cover and, of course, the bullet holes got my attention.
The chills will come from more than the Winter Wonderland and Jane does manage to give me a steady supply. Though Winter Wonderland is the second book, Jane recaps Book I, A Secret To The Grave.
We start out with screeching tires and a screaming voice on a cold winter’s night. Did we get your attention? Made me sit up straight.
Detective Parker Bell is a very patient man and he will need all of that for his love interest, Tess. She is super private, not sharing her nightmares that haunt her sleep. She has a knack for reading people and can whip up a scrumptious pancake. The only place she feels safe is in Parker’s arms, but even her love for him has not overcome her trust issues. Parker can wait, he is strong, heroic, determined, loving…and did I say patient.
THE ICEMAN IS BACK…”death or capture, those are the only things that will end this…”
Jane Blythe does a fabulous job with the description of HIS hiding place. You will have to find it for yourself, though.
The ease with which HE creeps through the houses and takes THEM makes me wonder how that would work in real life. I love a book that gets my mind revved up, and Jane Blythe is doing it just fine. I can’t imagine how terrifying it would be to wake up, gasping for breath, a gun pointed at my head.
The past keeps coming back, complicating an already complicated scenario. The poor girls. I can’t imagine how they felt, the utter hopelessness, helplessness…
So freakin’ creepy. Never a dull moment. It may seem easy, at times, to decipher the plot, but Jane Blythe will NOT reveal HIM, until she is good and ready…and I do love that about her. Is she setting me up for something? Wouldn’t surprise me a bit.
I am only now at 42%…and Parker…WTF?
Wave after wave of shocks and surprises flow through the pages. Good luck trying to figure it out before Jane is ready to tell you. I wanted to scream and yell at them, tell them to look…please look…think Tessa, she told you…
Think the story is over, brace yourself. I did. One shock after another. Danger, threats…doesn’t quit, but I do see something good coming out of it. I could not stop reading. Kept me guessing who would live and who would die. Teeth gritting tenseness, gripping the kindle tightly, wishing, hoping…Can’t die…Can’t die…
Whew. I feel rode hard and put up wet.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Winter Wonderland by Jane Blythe.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
When winter comes this killer comes out of hiding.
With
the city in the grips of Iceman fuelled terror, Detective Parker Bell
is handed the task of finding a killer who is meticulous enough to leave
behind no physical evidence and self-controlled enough to lie dormant
through spring, summer and fall. While hunting the serial killer Parker
must also balance his fledgling relationship with Tessa Micah, who is
still struggling to deal with the emotional backlash of her own
encounter with a madman.
Tessa Micah is fighting to put the past
behind her. She is trying to focus on the positives, she has fallen in
love, she has friends to support her, she can have the future that she
always dreamed of but never thought she would have. But she can only get
it if she can learn to let go, move forward, and let her past be just
that-her past. Her chance to do that might be ripped away from her when a
killer targets her as the next victim.
** Warning: Graphic violence and themes of sexual assault/abuse **
ABOUT JANE BLYTHE
Jane
has loved reading and writing since she can remember. She writes dark
and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in
because, well, who doesn’t love romance? She has one completed series,
Detective Parker Bell, and one new series, Count to Ten.
When she’s not writing Jane loves to
read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies.
She has a black belt in Taekwondo, and a 200+ collection of teddy bears.
She has the world’s two most sweet and pretty Dalmatians, Ivory and
Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!
Elaine Kaye writes a really cute series with Gregory Green as a very curious youngster who has some marvelous adventures. The Missing Alphabet is a fabulous addition to the series and one I think will capture your child’s attention.
I adored this cute mystery of The Missing Alphabet and enjoyed the colorful illustrations and adventure Gregory Green embarks on with his fellow students, working together, searching, thinking, collaborating…I believe it will have children thinking and I could picture your child on your lap, bouncing in eager anticipation to begin their own search for The Missing Alphabet, an interactive story that will delight children of all ages.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Missing Alphabet by Elaine Kaye.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The paper alphabet
letters in Gregory Green’s classroom have gone missing, and it’s up to
him and his friends to find those missing letters. They go on a hunt
through the school, hoping to find them. They spot letters next to
things that start with those letters, like B for Bananas in the
cafeteria. But will they be able to find the entire alphabet?
The
Missing Alphabet is a great story for children learning to associate
letters with objects, and four activities throughout the book will
further help children to get familiar with the alphabet.
A Gregory Green Adventure Series: Pea Soup Disaster Doctor Mom Halloween Ride The Missing Alphabet
ABOUT ELAINE KAYE
Elaine Kaye is the author of A Gregory Green Adventure series. She first created Gregory Green after her son, who loved her homemade pea soup. Kaye has worked as a library assistant and teacher’s assistant in elementary schools in the Sunshine State. She currently lives in Florida, but she has called Michigan; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Okinawa, Japan home. She is a grandmother of three boys.
David Marlett is an award-winning storyteller and writer of historical fiction, primarily historical legal thrillers bringing alive the fascinating people and events leading to major historical trials. His first such novel, Fortunate Son, became a national bestseller in 2014, rising to #2 in all historical fiction and #3 in all literature and fiction on Amazon. The late Vincent Bugliosi — #1 New York Times bestselling author of Helter Skelter — said David is “a masterful writer of historical fact and detail, of adventure, peril and courtroom drama.” Just released is American Red which follows the extraordinary true story of a set of radical lovers, lawyers, killers, and spies who launched the Great American Century. Visit 
