Tag Archives: romantic suspense

Giveaway & Review for Scattered Legacy, Book III of the Annalise Series @ewephoric @ireadbooktours #romanticsuspense

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COPPER WATERS by Marlene M. Bell
COPPER WATERS by Marlene M. Bell

I WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS TOUR Join us for this tour from Jan 30  to Feb 24, 2023

​Book Details:

Book Title:  Copper Waters – A New Zealand Mystery (Annalisse Series Book 4) by Marlene M. Bell
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 340 pages 
Genre: Mystery-Suspense
Publisher:  Ewephoric Publishing
Release date:   October, 2022
Format available for review:  print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF )
Will send print books out:  USA 
Content Rating:  G. Book is for general audiences. No profanity. No graphic scenes. Crimes described briefly after-the-fact. Mild and limited romance https://www.youtube.com/embed/PjDimoA2yQc

Book Description:

Annalisse Drury and Alec Zavos find themselves on opposing sides when an ex-lover from Alec’s past introduces him to his alleged son. With Alec distracted and their future engagement in limbo, Annalisse accepts a key to her dream cottage—situated on a picturesque sheep station on South Island, New Zealand—only this time, she travels alone.

But not long after her arrival she’s confronted by two peculiar deaths—either accidental, or the deliberate acts of a psychopath.

Local investigators are closing the cases too quickly and want Annalisse to exit the country before she reveals the town’s darkest secrets.

Will she return to Alec, or sacrifice their future together to expose it all?

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon

Also Available for Review:

​​Book Details:

Book Title:  Stolen Obsession (Annalisse Series Book 1) by Marlene M. Bell
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 296 pages 
Genre: Mystery-Suspense
Publisher:  Ewephoric Publishing
Release date:   March 2018
Format available for review:  print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download)
Will send print books out:  USA 
Content Rating:  PG. Subtle romantic interludes. No profanity. https://www.youtube.com/embed/EfPsyRPdIwI

YOU CAN SEE MY REVIEW HERE

Book Description:

People die, but legends live on.

New York antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury’s best friend was murdered. The killer’s identity may be linked to her friend’s expensive missing bracelet—a 500-year-old artifact that carries an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family.

Weeks later, Annalisse sees a matching necklace at a Manhattan gallery opening. She begs the owner to destroy the cursed piece, but her pleas fall on deaf ears—despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act. Desperate, Annalisse enlists the gallery owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.

​Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his parents, feared kidnapped or even dead. When the killer changes tactics and goes after Alec behind Annalisse’s back, can her plan to rescue Alec’s mother save them all?

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon
Audible

Book Details:

Book Title:  Spent Identity (Annalisse Series Book 2) by Marlene M. Bell
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 378 pages 
Genre: Mystery-Suspense
Publisher:  Ewephoric Publishing
Release date:   Nov 2019
Format available for review:  print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download)
Will send print books out:  USA 
Content Rating:  PG-13+M. Main Character is accosted and fights an assailant in one chapter. Mild profanity. https://www.youtube.com/embed/bqwn2d2qBQU

SEE MY REVIEW FOR SPENT IDENTITY HERE

Book Description:

Antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury drives to her family farm in upstate New York to consult with Aunt Kate about her troubled relationship with Greek tycoon, Alec Zavos. When Annalisse arrives, she learns the beloved farm she expects to inherit is for sale.

​That same morning, they find a stranger’s body decaying in the barn. Then her aunt vanishes.

In Spent Identity, Annalisse and Alec join forces for the second time. They must find the mastermind behind her aunt’s abduction before Kate’s health issues worsen. Was the corpse in the barn a coincidence or a warning? The clock ticks for Annalisse to find her aunt and repair what she has left with the man she loves.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon
Audible

Book Details:

Book Title:  Scattered Legacy (Annalisse Series Book 3) by Marlene M. Bell
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 352 pages 
Genre: Mystery-Suspense
Publisher:  Ewephoric Publishing
Release date:   Oct 2021
Format available for review:  print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF)
Will send print books out:  USA 
Content Rating:  PG+M. Brief kissing/romance. mild use of profanity like “damn.” No F Bombs. Some violence and talk of an attack by villain that doesn’t materialize.

MY REVIEW

It’s wonderful to be back with Annalise, on another adventure. I went right from Spent Identity, Book II, to Scattered Legacy, Book III, in the Annalise series, eager to go to Italy and face a new danger, since Trouble seems to follow her wherever she goes.

I love the cover. Those slashes, and those eyes, what the heck?

Annalise has the ability to visualize who may have held a jewel or sat for a portrait. She sometimes sees others and their motives for acquiring or stealing oils and jewels. She is a partner with Generosa Zavos, her lovers mother, in the Sazos Gallery, specializing in antiquities.

Annalise receives an envelope and hesitates to open it. I think it may take us on our next murder mystery adventure…and I say…open it Annalise.

Before Alex and Annalise head to Bari, Italy, his mother’s birthplace, Generosa gives her a rosary, a very special rosary. The visit will be a working vacation. They reach a bump in the road in the sale of his sports car company. Since mystery and murder follow them wherever they go, I am waiting for a dead body to make an appearance.

Zavos’ father had went to prison for his part in dealing with the Mafia, but there is so much more to the story that will be revealed.

In Spent Identity, we learned Annalise’s family history. In Scattered Legacy, it is Alec’s turn, with the help of his chauffeur and bodyguard Brad, and his friend and private investigator, Bill. What’s so important about Stella the cat? I sure didn’t see that coming.

Marlene M Bell’s vivid descriptions make me taste the salt air and feel the sand between my toes. I can smell the aroma of garlic and broccoli rabo, tasting the deliciousness of the pasta.

She reacts as a sleek thoroughbred would react, ready to belt at the starting gate, unsure when to run how far the finish line is.

Delicious trouble (with a capital T) seems to follow her…

Now, on to Copper Waters and a trip to New Zealand. Grab a book and follow along. You won’t regret it.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Scattered Legacy by Marlene M Bell.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

Book Description:

To outsiders, the relationship between Manhattan antiquities assessor Annalisse Drury and sports car magnate Alec Zavos must look carefree and glamorous. In reality, it’s a love affair regularly punctuated by treasure hunting, action-packed adventure, and the occasional dead body.

When Alec schedules an overseas trip to show Annalisse his mother’s birthplace in Bari, Italy, he squeezes in the high-stakes business of divesting his family’s international corporation. But things go terribly wrong as murder makes its familiar reappearance in their lives – and this time it’s Alec’s disgraced former CFO who’s the main suspect.

​Accompanied by friend and detective Bill Drake, Annalisse and Alec find themselves embroiled in a behind-closed-doors conspiracy that threatens the reputation and legacy of Alec’s late father – linking him to embezzlement, extortion, and the dirty business of the Sicilian Mafia. The search for the truth sends the trio straight into riddles, secrets, and an historic set of rosary beads. Annalisse leads Alec toward a discovery that is unthinkable, and events that will change their futures forever.

Scattered Legacy is the third in Marlene M. Bell’s thrilling Annalisse series, which weaves romance, crime, and historical mystery into addictive tales to instantly captivate fans of TV show Bones or Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon

Marlene M. Bell

Meet the Author:

Marlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep in beautiful East Texas with her husband, Gregg, three cats and a flock of horned Dorset sheep.

The Annalisse series has received numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity,) and FAPA— Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award for two other installments, (Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy.) Her mysteries with a touch of romance are found at marlenembell.com. She also offers the first of her children’s picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! Based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.

connect with the author:  website ~ website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads

COPPER WATERS Book Tour Giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Jan 30 – Cover Lover Book Review – book series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 30 – Paws.Read.Repeat – book review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Jan 31 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – audiobook review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Jan 31 – Bigreadersite – book review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Jan 31 – fundinmental – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 1 – Reading Excursions – book review of COPPER WATERS
Feb 1 – Kim’s Book Reviews and Writing Aha’s – book series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Feb 2 – Mystery Review Crew – book series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 2 – JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder – book series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 2 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 3 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – audiobook review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 3 – Bigreadersite – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 3 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 6 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 6 – Paws.Read.Repeat – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 7 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 7 – Review Thick And Thin – book review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Feb 7 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 8 – fundinmental – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 8 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 9 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 9 – Rockin’ Book Reviews –book review of COPPER WATERS / guest post / giveaway
Feb 10 – Books for Books – book series spotlight
Feb 10 – Older & Smarter? – book review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Feb 13 –Paws.Read.Repeat – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 13 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Feb 13 – Bigreadersite – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 14 – Mystery Review Crew – book review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Feb 14 – Review Thick And Thin – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 14 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 15 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 16 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 16 – Olio by Marilyn – book series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Feb 16 – Mystery Review Crew – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 16 – Lynchburg Reads – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 17 – Celticlady’s Reviews – book series spotlight / giveaway
Feb 17 – Lynchburg Reads – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 17 – Older & Smarter? – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 20 – Splashes of Joy – book review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Feb 20 – Paws.Read.Repeat – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 20 – Bigreadersite – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 20 – FUONLYKNEW – book review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Feb 21 – Liese’s Blog – book series spotlight
Feb 21 – Splashes of Joy – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 21 – Review Thick And Thin – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 21 – Mystery Review Crew – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 21 – FUONLYKNEW – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 22 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review of COPPER WATERS / guest post / giveaway
Feb 22 – fundinmental – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 22 – Splashes of Joy – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 22 – FUONLYKNEW – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 23 – Deborah-Zenha Adams – book series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 23 – Splashes of Joy – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 23 – Mystery Review Crew – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 23 – FUONLYKNEW – book review of COPPER WATERS / guest post / giveaway
Feb 24 – Stephanie Jane – book series spotlight / giveaway
Feb 24 – Review Thick And Thin – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway

.

MY REVIEW LINKS FOR MARLENE M BELL

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway & Review for Spent Identity, Book II of the Annalise Series @ewephoric @ireadbooktours #romanticsuspense

Posted on by
COPPER WATERS by Marlene M. Bell
COPPER WATERS by Marlene M. Bell

I WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS TOUR Join us for this tour from Jan 30  to Feb 24, 2023

​Book Details:

Book Title:  Copper Waters – A New Zealand Mystery (Annalisse Series Book 4) by Marlene M. Bell
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 340 pages 
Genre: Mystery-Suspense
Publisher:  Ewephoric Publishing
Release date:   October, 2022
Format available for review:  print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF )
Will send print books out:  USA 
Content Rating:  G. Book is for general audiences. No profanity. No graphic scenes. Crimes described briefly after-the-fact. Mild and limited romance

Book Description:

Annalisse Drury and Alec Zavos find themselves on opposing sides when an ex-lover from Alec’s past introduces him to his alleged son. With Alec distracted and their future engagement in limbo, Annalisse accepts a key to her dream cottage—situated on a picturesque sheep station on South Island, New Zealand—only this time, she travels alone.

But not long after her arrival she’s confronted by two peculiar deaths—either accidental, or the deliberate acts of a psychopath.

Local investigators are closing the cases too quickly and want Annalisse to exit the country before she reveals the town’s darkest secrets.

Will she return to Alec, or sacrifice their future together to expose it all?

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon

Also Available for Review:

​​Book Details:

Book Title:  Stolen Obsession (Annalisse Series Book 1) by Marlene M. Bell
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 296 pages 
Genre: Mystery-Suspense
Publisher:  Ewephoric Publishing
Release date:   March 2018
Format available for review:  print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download)
Will send print books out:  USA 
Content Rating:  PG. Subtle romantic interludes. No profanity.

YOU CAN SEE MY REVIEW HERE

Book Description:

People die, but legends live on.

New York antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury’s best friend was murdered. The killer’s identity may be linked to her friend’s expensive missing bracelet—a 500-year-old artifact that carries an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family.

Weeks later, Annalisse sees a matching necklace at a Manhattan gallery opening. She begs the owner to destroy the cursed piece, but her pleas fall on deaf ears—despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act. Desperate, Annalisse enlists the gallery owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.

​Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his parents, feared kidnapped or even dead. When the killer changes tactics and goes after Alec behind Annalisse’s back, can her plan to rescue Alec’s mother save them all?

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon
Audible

Book Details:

Book Title:  Spent Identity (Annalisse Series Book 2) by Marlene M. Bell
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 378 pages 
Genre: Mystery-Suspense
Publisher:  Ewephoric Publishing
Release date:   Nov 2019
Format available for review:  print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download)
Will send print books out:  USA 
Content Rating:  PG-13+M. Main Character is accosted and fights an assailant in one chapter. Mild profanity.

MY REVIEW

I love the Prologue. Ethan Fawdry, the farmhand is walking along, engrossed in a myrder mystery he is reading, and stumbles across something pink…with teeth.

Annalise needed a break from her Manhattan life and her relationship with Alex Zavos. Coming home to Goshen and the Walker Farm to get advice from her Aunt Kate.

A letter arrives from Kate’s son Jeremy, telling her he is selling the farm out from under her, leaving her with nothing. But, that is only the beginning of her troubles.

One thing after another is thrown at Annalise. It should have had her head spinning, and sometimes it does, but she approaches each situation methodically. She has people she trusts, looking out for her. Though she has her doubts by Alec, he is by her side. Can they work out their issues? We shall see.

Communication was definitely an issue with the characters, but isn’t that how real life is. People keep silent to protect themselves.

We have plenty of suspects and I was unable to eliminate any of them, feeling I was missing something…until Marlene M Bell spelled it out for me. She was able to keep me guessing. Even though I had an inkling who may be behind it all, I didn’t see it unraveling the way it did. I love when I can’t figure things out. Great job, Marlene.

From the Prologue, to the end of the book, I didn’t want to put it down. Annalise is no damsel in distress, and I loved following her through all her trials and tribulations. It never hurts to have a happy ever after and it feels just right.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Spent Identity by Marlene M Bell.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

Book Description:

Antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury drives to her family farm in upstate New York to consult with Aunt Kate about her troubled relationship with Greek tycoon, Alec Zavos. When Annalisse arrives, she learns the beloved farm she expects to inherit is for sale.

​That same morning, they find a stranger’s body decaying in the barn. Then her aunt vanishes.

In Spent Identity, Annalisse and Alec join forces for the second time. They must find the mastermind behind her aunt’s abduction before Kate’s health issues worsen. Was the corpse in the barn a coincidence or a warning? The clock ticks for Annalisse to find her aunt and repair what she has left with the man she loves.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon
Audible

Book Details:

Book Title:  Scattered Legacy (Annalisse Series Book 3) by Marlene M. Bell
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 352 pages 
Genre: Mystery-Suspense
Publisher:  Ewephoric Publishing
Release date:   Oct 2021
Format available for review:  print – softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF)
Will send print books out:  USA 
Content Rating:  PG+M. Brief kissing/romance. mild use of profanity like “damn.” No F Bombs. Some violence and talk of an attack by villain that doesn’t materialize.

Book Description:

To outsiders, the relationship between Manhattan antiquities assessor Annalisse Drury and sports car magnate Alec Zavos must look carefree and glamorous. In reality, it’s a love affair regularly punctuated by treasure hunting, action-packed adventure, and the occasional dead body.

When Alec schedules an overseas trip to show Annalisse his mother’s birthplace in Bari, Italy, he squeezes in the high-stakes business of divesting his family’s international corporation. But things go terribly wrong as murder makes its familiar reappearance in their lives – and this time it’s Alec’s disgraced former CFO who’s the main suspect.

​Accompanied by friend and detective Bill Drake, Annalisse and Alec find themselves embroiled in a behind-closed-doors conspiracy that threatens the reputation and legacy of Alec’s late father – linking him to embezzlement, extortion, and the dirty business of the Sicilian Mafia. The search for the truth sends the trio straight into riddles, secrets, and an historic set of rosary beads. Annalisse leads Alec toward a discovery that is unthinkable, and events that will change their futures forever.

Scattered Legacy is the third in Marlene M. Bell’s thrilling Annalisse series, which weaves romance, crime, and historical mystery into addictive tales to instantly captivate fans of TV show Bones or Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon

Marlene M. Bell

Meet the Author:

Marlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep in beautiful East Texas with her husband, Gregg, three cats and a flock of horned Dorset sheep.

The Annalisse series has received numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity,) and FAPA— Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award for two other installments, (Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy.) Her mysteries with a touch of romance are found at marlenembell.com. She also offers the first of her children’s picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! Based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.

connect with the author:  website ~ website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads

COPPER WATERS Book Tour Giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Jan 30 – Cover Lover Book Review – book series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 30 – Paws.Read.Repeat – book review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Jan 31 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – audiobook review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Jan 31 – Bigreadersite – book review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Jan 31 – fundinmental – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 1 – Reading Excursions – book review of COPPER WATERS
Feb 1 – Kim’s Book Reviews and Writing Aha’s – book series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Feb 2 – Mystery Review Crew – book series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 2 – JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder – book series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 2 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 3 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – audiobook review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 3 – Bigreadersite – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 3 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 6 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 6 – Paws.Read.Repeat – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 7 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 7 – Review Thick And Thin – book review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Feb 7 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 8 – fundinmental – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 8 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 9 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 9 – Rockin’ Book Reviews –book review of COPPER WATERS / guest post / giveaway
Feb 10 – Books for Books – book series spotlight
Feb 10 – Older & Smarter? – book review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Feb 13 –Paws.Read.Repeat – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 13 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Feb 13 – Bigreadersite – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 14 – Mystery Review Crew – book review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Feb 14 – Review Thick And Thin – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 14 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 15 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 16 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 16 – Olio by Marilyn – book series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Feb 16 – Mystery Review Crew – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 16 – Lynchburg Reads – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 17 – Celticlady’s Reviews – book series spotlight / giveaway
Feb 17 – Lynchburg Reads – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 17 – Older & Smarter? – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 20 – Splashes of Joy – book review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Feb 20 – Paws.Read.Repeat – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 20 – Bigreadersite – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 20 – FUONLYKNEW – book review of STOLEN OBSESSION / giveaway
Feb 21 – Liese’s Blog – book series spotlight
Feb 21 – Splashes of Joy – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 21 – Review Thick And Thin – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 21 – Mystery Review Crew – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 21 – FUONLYKNEW – book review of SPENT IDENTITY / giveaway
Feb 22 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review of COPPER WATERS / guest post / giveaway
Feb 22 – fundinmental – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 22 – Splashes of Joy – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 22 – FUONLYKNEW – book review of SCATTERED LEGACY / giveaway
Feb 23 – Deborah-Zenha Adams – book series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 23 – Splashes of Joy – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 23 – Mystery Review Crew – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway
Feb 23 – FUONLYKNEW – book review of COPPER WATERS / guest post / giveaway
Feb 24 – Stephanie Jane – book series spotlight / giveaway
Feb 24 – Review Thick And Thin – book review of COPPER WATERS / giveaway

.

MY REVIEW LINKS FOR MARLENE M BELL

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

The Spotlight Is On The Scoundrel by Delta James @XpressoTours

Posted on by

The Scoundrel
Delta James
(Club Southside, #1)
Publication date: February 17th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Danger and desire go hand in hand…

Welcome to Club Southside. Cerberus has opened an office in Chicago over the Club. The team takes on the jobs no one else wants. They handle everything from protection, covert rescue operations, cyber-crime to reconnaissance and more. These men are driven and deadly, willing to do what is needed to complete their missions and to protect the women they love.

A fast-paced romantic suspense series of interconnected standalone books that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order


Author Bio:

As a USA Today bestselling romance author, Delta James aims to captivate readers with stories about complex,curvy heroines and the dominant alpha males who adore them. For Delta, romance is more than just a love story; it’s a journey with challenges and thrills along the way.

After creating a second chapter for herself that was dramatically different than the first, Delta now resides in Florida where she relaxes on warm summer evenings with her loveable pack of basset hounds as they watch the birds, squirrels and lizards. When not crafting fast-paced tales, she enjoys horseback riding, walks on the beach, and white-water rafting.

More about Delta, including a full list of her books and audiobooks, can be found at www.deltajames.com.

Her readers mean the world to her, and Delta tries to interact personally to as many messages as she can. If you’d like to chat or discuss books, you can find Delta on Instagram, Facebook, and in her private reader group https://www.facebook.com/groups/348982795738444.

If you’re looking for your next bingeable series, you can get a FREE story by joining her newsletter https://www.subscribepage.com/VIPlist22019.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Instagram / Newletter / Amazon


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Review – Protecting Sparrow by Jane Blythe @jblytheauthor

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Protecting Sparrow by Jane Blythe is Book IV of the Prey, but the series is part of something so much bigger. There are many more books and authors putting their own spin on the Operation Alpha World.

About Operation Alpha

Operation Alpha is the fan fiction world for Susan Stoker’s SEAL of Protection, Delta Force Heroes, and Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Worlds. The books all have at least one of Susan’s characters in them. Check it out at Aces Press.

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I was excited to begin Protecting Sparrow by Jane Blythe. I don’t know why, but I didn’t connect with Protecting Sparrow like I did the first three books in the series. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy my trip to Africa. After all, I know danger and romance are on the way.

It all starts with Sparrow’s helicopter being shot down. She is a member of the Air Force’s Nightstalkers, the best of the best. She knew the helicopter was too badly damaged after being hit by a missile to stay in the air. A crash was eminent. Who would survive? AND…go figure. She was going home to New York tomorrow…NOT.

There’s a couple storylines going on at the same time. One I knew about because of the last book, Protecting Falcon, which is still ongoing. Bringing Ethan Zimmerman into the story created the second. He came to her rescue and they were both kidnapped by a drug trafficker.

They had been friends for a long time and she wondered if there could be more. Ethan had lost his wife and could not get past it. He felt moving on was a betrayal, but…Sparrow had a big heart and knew what to say to reach people. She was a calm in the storm, yet she could fight like a hellcat when called upon to do so.

The last part of the book didn’t go the way I thought and I do love when I can’t see it coming.

All in all, an entertaining read and I look forward to getting my hands on Book V, Protecting Hawk, and his one night stand.

There are some very sad moments and lots of running from danger, a missile, a catastrophic crash and Colt….OMG! A punch to the gut.

On that note:

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Protecting Sparrow by Jane Blythe.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Grief is all that’s stopping this friendship becoming more.

When Sparrow Oswald’s helicopter is shot down in Africa the last person she expects to come to her rescue is her old friend Ethan Zimmerman. She’d love for there to be more between them but he’s not over his wife’s death. As they work together to find who is using Ethan’s plane to smuggle drugs the spark between them grows. Only question is will Ethan do anything about it.

Ethan isn’t looking to move on. He’s already loved and lost and no way is he willing to open his heart up to let it happen again. But when he and Sparrow are kidnapped by a drug trafficking warlord and have only each other to rely upon he can’t deny that feelings he didn’t want are there nonetheless and they’re growing. He’s going to have to look at his life and decide what he wants his future to look like, only by the time he makes those decisions it might be too late.

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

USA Today bestselling author Jane Blythe writes action-packed romantic suspense and military romance featuring protective heroes and heroines who are survivors. One of Jane’s most popular series includes Saving SEALs, part of Susan Stoker’s OPERATION ALPHA world! Writing in that world alongside authors such as Janie Crouch and Riley Edwards has been a blast, and she looks forward to bringing more books to this genre, both within and outside of Stoker’s world. When Jane isn’t binge-reading she’s counting down to Christmas and adding to her 200+ teddy bear collection!

Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook

MY REVIEWS FOR JANE BLYTHE’S BOOKS

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Review – Protecting Falcon by Jane Blythe @jblytheauthor

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Protecting Falcon by Jane Blythe is Book III of the Prey, but the series is part of something so much bigger. There are many more books and authors putting their own spin on the Operation Alpha World.

About Operation Alpha

Operation Alpha is the fan fiction world for Susan Stoker’s SEAL of Protection, Delta Force Heroes, and Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Worlds. The books all have at least one of Susan’s characters in them. Check it out at Aces Press.

Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have read numerous books in the Special Forces: Operation Alpha series and this is my third book in the Prey Security series by Jane Blythe. I have read a lot of Jane’s stories and eagerly crack the cover on every book I get my hands on. Protecting Falcon was no different. In fact, I was even more eager than usual, because I knew Hope was in dire straits and Cam was going to be the one to save her.

Hope is no wimp. She has a quiet strength about her. She had risked her life to help another slave, who happened to be Cam’s sister. He and his team were able to get Raven and her daughter out, but had to leave Hope behind.

Prey Security is owned by Cam and his five siblings. The whole family has a need to make sure Hope is rescued. She went above and beyond anything that could have been asked of her to help Raven and her daughter, Cleo.

Cam is a bit grumpy, like Walter Matthau in Grumpy Old Men. When he finds Hope, in a cage, wondering if she is alive, I think his heart skips a beat. He is quiet and she is a talker. What’s that saying about opposites attract?

“You’re really here for me?”

As soon as Hope said that my eyes teared up. I can visualize her, looking at him with soft eyes filled with wonder. Such innocence, considering the things that have been done to her by the traffickers and the evil man that revels in her pain and degradation. Little does he know, the things being done to her do not define her.

I knew how she came to be there because of reading Book II in the series, Protecting Raven, but Jane Blythe does fill in the blanks so the story can stand alone, but once you meet Prey Security, I think you may want to get each character’s story.

Jane Blythe kept me dragging myself through the Amazon rain forest, hunted, hurt, tired, hungry, thirsty, and falling for the handsome special forces man that came specifically for Hope. Danger surrounds them and getting out will not be easy.

Of course, they are going to fall in love along the way. Are any of us surprised? I would be let down if they didn’t. After all, this is romantic suspense. We have some fun dialogue and I love to smile while the characters are running for their lives. 🙂

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Protecting Falcon by Jane Blythe.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Sparks fly when opposites attract.

When Hope Delancey showed kindness to another slave, she never expected it to put her in the crosshairs of a dangerous man. After weeks of being held captive she’s rescued by a gruff, grumpy, intimidating soldier who obviously wishes he was anywhere but in Colombia rescuing her. But Hope sees through the cold exterior to the man underneath, a man she could fall in love with, a man who has already told her he has nothing to offer.

Falcon Oswald never again wants the responsibility of someone else’s life resting in his hands. But that’s exactly the position he finds himself in when he agrees to honor the promise he made to his sister to rescue Hope. Now they’re running for their lives through the Amazon rainforest, and as Hope impresses him with her strength over and over again he realizes walking away from this woman might prove impossible, even if its what’s best for her.

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

USA Today bestselling author Jane Blythe writes action-packed romantic suspense and military romance featuring protective heroes and heroines who are survivors. One of Jane’s most popular series includes Saving SEALs, part of Susan Stoker’s OPERATION ALPHA world! Writing in that world alongside authors such as Janie Crouch and Riley Edwards has been a blast, and she looks forward to bringing more books to this genre, both within and outside of Stoker’s world. When Jane isn’t binge-reading she’s counting down to Christmas and adding to her 200+ teddy bear collection!

Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook

MY REVIEWS FOR JANE BLYTHE’S BOOKS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Review – Yuletide Guard by Jane Blythe @jblytheauthor

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Yuletide Guard is Book II of Jane Blythe’s Bodyguard Christmas Trilogy and I am looking forward to reading of damaged characters, a villain that won’t take no for an answer, and the knight in shining armor’ that will come to her rescue. The thing is, the knight has issues of his own.

Samara has a great job, great friends…and a stalker. Stories like Yuletide Guard is truly frightening to me. It’s a good thing she has friends that are bodyguards and FBI, but still, if a stalker wants you…

Samara doesn’t believe in a happy ever after for herself. She feels she doesn’t deserve it.

Michael carries his own guilt and baggage and feels the same. Can they heal each other?

Stories like Yuletide Guard read like true crime to me, and the thought of a stalker, where the stalker has no repercussions except to take it, makes me angry. What would I do? What would you do? It brings to mind so many questions as I read along. Would I turn vigilante? Would I become the hunter instead of the hunted? Would you?

I bounced between a three and a four rating, because I found nothing new in the story. It was predictable, but I gave Yuletide Guard a star for keeping me reading and hoping they would find a happy ever after and the whole stalker thing is soooo creepy. Of course, I knew they would, but…and I do love the warm, fuzzy feelings I got when I am done.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Yuletide Guard by Jane Blythe.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Is it possible to move on from your past?

Samara Patrick is being stalked. She doesn’t know by who, or where she came into contact with this person, but when the stalker makes an attempt to kidnap her she knows he’s not going to go away. It’s bad enough suffering through her least favorite time of the year but now on top of everything else she’s got a bodyguard who makes her feel things she’s not ready to accept.

Michael Stein did something he can never forgive himself for. Now he’s lost down a path he can’t find his way back from, but when his friend Samara needs him he’s there for her. Developing feelings for her wasn’t supposed to happen, but he sees through her veneer of perfectionism to the deep pain she tries to hide and it calls out to his own pain. Only problem is his issues have the power to destroy them both.

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

USA Today bestselling author Jane Blythe writes action-packed romantic suspense and military romance featuring protective heroes and heroines who are survivors. One of Jane’s most popular series includes Saving SEALs, part of Susan Stoker’s OPERATION ALPHA world! Writing in that world alongside authors such as Janie Crouch and Riley Edwards has been a blast, and she looks forward to bringing more books to this genre, both within and outside of Stoker’s world. When Jane isn’t binge-reading she’s counting down to Christmas and adding to her 200+ teddy bear collection!

Website  /  Twitter  /  Facebook

MY REVIEWS FOR JANE BLYTHE’S BOOKS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Giveaway – Concrete Evidence by Diann Mills @diiannmills @partnersincr1me

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Concrete Evidence

by DiAnn Mills

October 31 – November 25, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Concrete Evidence by DiAnn Mills

On the family’s Brazos River Ranch in Texas, Avery Elliott helps run her grandfather’s commercial construction business. Raised by Senator Elliott, Avery has never doubted her grandfather is the man of integrity and faith she’s always believed him to be . . . until the day she finds him standing with a gun over the body of a dead man. To make matters worse, Avery’s just discovered a billing discrepancy for materials supposedly purchased for construction of the Lago de Cobre Dam.

Desperate for answers, Avery contacts FBI Special Agent Marc Wilkins for help. As Marc works to identify the dead man Avery saw, threats toward Avery create a fresh sense of urgency to pinpoint why someone wants to silence her. With a hurricane approaching the Texas coast and the structural integrity of the Lago de Cobre Dam called into question, time is running out to get to the bottom of a sinister plot that could be endangering the lives of not only Avery and her loved ones but the entire community.

Praise for Concrete Evidence:

“VERDICT Mills … delivers another action-packed novel that offers intrigue and an adventurous ride. Recommend to fans of Dani Pettrey, Lynette Eason, and Carrie Stuart Parks.”

Shondra Brown for Library Journal

“The confident plotting keeps the mysteries coming, and red herrings will have readers guessing the culprit through to the satisfying conclusion. Fans of Colleen Coble and Susan Sleeman will savor this thrilling standalone.”

Concrete Evidence Trailer:

Book Details:

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Published by: Tyndale House Publishers
Publication Date: October 2022
Number of Pages: 416
ISBN: 9781496451897 (ISBN10: 1496451899)
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Tyndale

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

Texas Hill Country

AVERY ELLIOTT SPURRED HER HORSE across one of the thirty-five thousand rolling acres of the Brazos River Ranch in the blazing heat. The sultry August wind blew through her hair, bathing her damp face and shoving aside her pensive mood. Granddad had told her once that if he could lasso the wind, he’d ride that bronc to eternity. She’d framed the saying and placed it in the reception area of their office.

Granddad had left at dawn to ride fence and enjoy some solitude and think time. His work habits overruled his stomach, which meant he wouldn’t stop to eat until he’d inspected a recently repaired stretch. Then the Internet had gone down ending her morning’s work. A good excuse for her to get away from the office and spend special time with him.

She lightly grasped the reins of the most wonderful quarter horse on the planet and the perfect cure-all for the morning’s frustration. Closing her eyes, Avery allowed Darcy’s rhythmic gallop to soothe her.

Avery slowed the mare to a walk and twisted her phone from her jeans pocket. Pressing on Granddad’s name in Favorites, she breathed in the sweltering heat and envisioned him fumbling for his phone.

“Mornin’, sweet girl.”

“Can I treat you to a five-star restaurant for lunch?” He chuckled. “You’ll have to fly in the prime rib.”

“I’ve packed us a picnic, and I’m on my way to meet you. Just say where.”

“Drivin’ or ridin’?”

“You’ve hurt Darcy’s feelings.”

“Give her my apologies. I’m west of the river about a mile from the family cemetery. Should be a nice breeze there this morning. We could talk and have lunch with your grandma.”

“Good. I’d planned to stop at her grave while I was out.” The oaks bordering the family plots would offer relief from the hundred-degree temps. With the abundance of summer rain, the area brimmed with green and vibrant wildflowers. “I’ll make sure she has flowers on her grave.”

“Not a day goes by that I don’t think about her. Guess I’m a sentimental old man who never got over his first love.”

Someday Avery wanted the same kind of love. She remembered the woman with warm brown eyes and a loving touch who fell prey to a stroke nearly fifteen years ago and never recovered. “You’re not a sentimental old man but one who misses his wife and best friend.”

“I see her in you.” He sighed. “You have a spirit of strength deep in your heart. Others think you’re quiet—until you’re riled. Then you’d give the devil a run for his money.”

“I hope I can always live up to that strength.”

“You already have. One day you’ll make the right man proud.” “Haven’t found him yet.”

“Time’s just not right. So when will you get here?”

Avery studied the familiar landmarks—thoroughbred horses grazing to the south and cattle taking advantage of the Brazos River. Why anyone would choose to live away from nature’s beauty made little sense to her. “About thirty minutes.”

“You didn’t bring tofu and carrot sticks? Mia’s new diet is killing me. The doctor doesn’t need to worry about my cholesterol or weight because she’s starving me.”

Avery laughed. “No. I packed ham and cheese, jalapeño-bacon potato salad, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and apple pie. You can eat light this evening.”

“I have a political dinner at six o’clock and a deacon meeting at seven thirty. Hey, how did you get the forbidden food past Mia?”

“She was upstairs while I hurried in the kitchen.” Their housekeeper and cook had entered the back side of her sixties and refused to slow down, but Granddad and Avery kept trying. Both knew better than to tell Mia to cut back on her pace unless they were looking to be chased down the road with buckshot in their rears. Granddad had no room to talk. He faced the big seven-oh in October, and he’d made no plans to ease back.

She slipped the phone back into her jeans pocket and hurried Darcy on. Avery wanted to arrive at the picnic site well before Granddad and have lunch set out for him.

Her thoughts crept back to the accounting issue from this morning. A work problem had made another moment at the ranch office torture, and getting away from the computer served as the perfect antidote. In examining Elliott Commercial Construction’s records before the auditors arrived next week, she’d found a discrepancy. A paid bill for materials was much lower than it should have been. Why hadn’t she seen this weeks ago at the completion of the Lago de Cobre Dam? The original bid for the project included the cost to supply additional rock and expand the footprint, footers, and other foundational elements to compensate for the soft ground. Those materials were ordered, canceled, and still the specs showed the work had been completed per the contract.

She’d contacted the material’s supply company, and the accounting manager confirmed they’d invoiced what they supplied. Yet Avery’s files didn’t reflect a different supplier for the required foundation, as though Granddad had substituted inferior materials or hadn’t followed the specs. He’d never sacrifice safety. Even the idea scraped raw against her conscience.

A call had gone to Craig, the foreman, but only voice mail greeted her. The accounting mess would drive her nuts until she resolved it, but she’d have to wait. Granddad would laugh at her fears about the dam’s potentially faulty construction and explain the discrepancy. Accurate details ruled her thoughts, and perfectionism had a way of eating at her logic. A lot of good her Ivy League education accomplished when the numbers didn’t add up.

Granddad said Avery shared his insight and discernment. The ability took practice, prayer, and purpose—his favorite three p’s as though he’d outlined a sermon. But Granddad was wrong. She must have made a mistake, and the error warred within her.

Avery rode the path to the family cemetery. Elliotts had owned this property and been buried there before Texas became a state. Irish, English, and Scottish heritage—hard workers and fighters for faith, family, and freedom. Which had a lot to do with Granddad’s name, Dad’s, and hers—Avery Quinn Elliott, respectively Senior, Junior, and whatever that made her. Fortunately, Granddad went by Quinn or Senator, Dad went by Buddy, and she was simply Avery. Proud family and heritage, although Dad and Mom slipped in applying all three traits of being an Elliott.

Not going there today. After spending time with Granddad and finding out the source of her accounting problem, she—

A shot rang out from the direction of the cemetery.

She dug her heels into Darcy’s side and bolted ahead. Had Granddad met up with a wild pig, a rattler, or even a two-legged varmint? The latter caused her to slow the mare and circle a grove of trees. If she needed her Sig, the firearm rested in a saddlebag beside the packed lunch. Granddad wasn’t in sight. Only his stallion.

She dismounted and grabbed her gun. Tying Darcy to a slender oak, Avery moved closer to the iron gate of the cemetery entrance and prayed he hadn’t been hurt. How had he been a mile west of here when she called him?

Hesitant to call out for him and draw the shooter’s attention to her, she hid behind an oak. A riderless motorcycle—a shiny, blue Yamaha Tracer 9 GT—had parked in the shadow of more trees outside the far edge of the iron fence, a few yards from a worn path leading to the main road.

On the opposite side of the cemetery, Granddad bent over a man, whose blood stained his chest and pooled on the ground. He felt for a pulse and lifted his head to the cloudless sky. In Granddad’s gloved right hand rested a gun. He shoved the weapon into his front belt and lifted his phone to his ear.

“He’s dead. This has to end.” Granddad scanned the area, no doubt searching for someone. “I want Avery kept out of this, but I’m expecting her in the next twenty minutes.” He kicked the dirt with the toe of his boot. “He parked on the road and walked back. She isn’t to know about any of it. I’ll handle the situation on my end. . . . Yes, I’ll be careful and not let the authorities know what happened. Look, I need to move his body out of sight. He was a friend, one of the best. I despise where this has gone.” Granddad waved his hand. “I told you Avery won’t be a problem.”

***

Excerpt from Concrete Evidence by DiAnn Mills. Copyright 2022 by DiAnn Mills. Reproduced with permission from DiAnn Mills. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

DiAnn Mills

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure? Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards, the Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, an active member of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. DiAnn continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on:
diannmills.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @DiAnnMills
Instagram – @diannmillsauthor
Twitter – @DiAnnMills
Facebook – @DiAnnMills
YouTube – @DiAnnMills

 

 

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Giveaway – Christmas Spirits by Dakota Star @XpressoTours Apocalipstick

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Christmas Spirits
Dakota Star
Publication date: November 15th 2022
Genres: Adult, Holiday, Romance, Thriller

Ash has always felt at home in the small town of Humble, Connecticut, especially for the holidays. After her husband’s death, she never thought she’d love again, but then Cole Whelan arrived. His good looks and haunted hazel eyes were impossible to ignore, and their passion put an end to her simple, ordered life. This year, she can’t wait to celebrate with hot chocolate, a tree to decorate, and presents, lots of presents.

But when Ash stumbles into a cave and a corpse during a run, Christmas turns into crisis. There’s a killer on the hunt, and she’s his next target. With the snow falling, Ash hosting for the holidays, and another mysterious murder, will all hope of holiday cheer be trashed like old wrapping paper?

Add to Goodreads / Purchase

Only 99¢ for a limited time!

—

SNEAK PEEK:

She jogged, warming up along the start of the trail, and then increased the tempo. Maple, beech, and birch lined the singletrack, the rough texture and bark color the only indication of the different species of deciduous trees.

Ash sped up, tightening her ponytail in the elastic; a few long, wayward curls drooped down her back. She felt the heat build under her thermal top and vest as her arms and legs pumped. Rambo kept pace.

I need this run. Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. In and out. Repeat.

The exercise opened her lungs and stretched lean, athletic limbs until the energy flowing became liquid fire. Invigorated, she picked up the pace again.

Ash saw the cave, her two-mile marker and turnabout point. Surveying the rocky landscape, she gulped air before the return trip. She wiped the sweat from her brow and then ran her damp hands along her black spandex leggings.

Turning back, Rambo refused to follow. He barked and pulled on the leash. His small body was stiff, the fur on his back straight up. He pulled her toward the cave.

“Come on Rambo, let’s go home.” Ash shivered and pulled on the leash.

The dog refused to yield.
“Fine.” She stumbled, realizing her shoe hated her and even with a double knot had come untied again. She bent to retie the laces, double knotting the strings, pulling them tight with vengeance. Standing, Ash hiked the rocky precipice, the dog pulling ahead. The final steps to the cave coalesced along a dirt and twig laden path. The cliff adjacent to her was a high point on the trail, but she had no plans to scale it.

Large rock outcrops created a dark cave entrance shaped like a mouth mid scream. Rambo barked and lunged.

Ash had heard stories of people living in or visiting these caves, from historic figures to modern day squatters. She found it easy to envision a camper coming to one before dark, starting a small fire with kindling, preparing a meal, and enjoying the quiet of nature. At least it was possible to imagine during the warmer months. No one would want to be out here in winter, even if the daytime temperature had topped forty degrees.

Rambo pulled her inside the cave. Instantly claustrophobic, the interior narrowed to a pinpoint at the end. Ash ducked as she made her way under the formation’s schist and gneiss slabs. Cold engulfed her. Rich, dark rock mosaics greeted her from the recesses. Crouching slightly, she scurried forward. “What the heck?” A horrid stench stung her nose A lump rose from the ground and in her throat. Something had died here. Ash pulled out her phone, turned on the flashlight, aimed toward the misshapen entity, and gasped. In the far corner—a body.

Author Bio:

Dakota Star lives in Connecticut with her husband and two daughters. Both her daughters have finished college and moved away so her dogs, cats, and retired horse now keep her busy. When not outside hiking or horseback riding, she loves to read and travel.

She has worked as an editor, a freelance writer for local newspapers, and an educator at local environmental non-profits like aquariums and The National Audubon Society.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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Review – Nursery Rhyme Killer by Jane Blythe @jblytheauthor

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love Jane Blythe’s ability to spin a tale of darkness and I am super excited to delve into her new series, Storybook Murders. Nursery Rhyme Killer takes those childhood poems we all know and love to a whole new level, and you will never look at them the same way. We will meet some familiar characters from a previous series, the Candella Sisters.

Summer and Luke both have tragic childhoods, but that is nothing surprising when it comes to a Jane Blythe novel. Summer has her secrets, lets no one know of her past. She has made friends in the past ten years, but, until Luke, let no one know the heart of her. Luke is the opposite. He has a check list and checks it twice, looking for the future Mrs Sleigh. 🙂 He wants the complete package…wife, house, kids, white picket fence….

The first part of the book, Jane Blythe lulled me into complacency. She has a tendency to do that. To let me think I know what’s coming next. Just reading along, a little mystery here, a little romance there, a little blood and guts. Then, WHAM! The plot thickens. Most of the time she has a couple of subplots going on at the same time, throwing out red herrings.

It’s hard for an author to catch me with my mouth open, but Jane Blythe can do it, Not only did the villain stay hidden for the longest time, Jane managed to throw me a couple twists that had me wanting to jump up and down with joy, though they were tragic and horrific. And she did it without Summer running off and doing something stupid. You know what I mean. In most romantic suspense novels, ‘she’ just can’t help doing something that gets in her deep shit. Am I twisted because I love the deeeeep, darrrrrrrk side of humanity? To wallow in the filth with some of fiction’s best villains?

WHEW! That ending was intense. The last quarter or so of the book bounced the rating an extra star. When you read the book, you will know why. I can hardly wait to get my hands on Fairy Tale Killer by Jane Blythe and see what damage she can to fairy tales and princesses. HA HA HA

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Nursery Rhyme Killer by Jane Blythe.

5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

How can she ever trust another man after what her ex-husband did?

Summer Height isn’t sure it’s worth it to risk her heart again in another relationship, not after what happened with her ex-husband and the debilitating guilt it left her with. When she meets her best friend’s husband’s brother she doesn’t know what to think, she likes him, but she’s not sure she wants to take a chance on him after what she’s been through, especially when it looks like history is repeating itself.

Luke Sleigh wants to find someone to love him, everyone else in his life has always walked away and he’s desperate to find that forever person. He has a list, when he meets a woman he mentally checks off whether or not the woman meets his criteria, but that gets thrown out the window when he meets Summer.

He might be swept off his feet but he’s about to face the challenge of a lifetime; proving that he’s not guilty of multiple murders in time to save Summer’s life.

ABOUT JANE BLYTHE

USA Today bestselling author Jane Blythe writes action-packed romantic suspense and military romance featuring protective heroes and heroines who are survivors. One of Jane’s most popular series includes Saving SEALs, part of Susan Stoker’s OPERATION ALPHA world! Writing in that world alongside authors such as Janie Crouch and Riley Edwards has been a blast, and she looks forward to bringing more books to this genre, both within and outside of Stoker’s world. When Jane isn’t binge-reading she’s counting down to Christmas and adding to her 200+ teddy bear collection!

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Review – Broken by Maggie Shayne @MaggieShayne

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MY REVIEW

I have read Forgotten and Reckless, Books I and II of the Shattered Sisters series by Maggie Shayne, and loved them. I am so excited to get my hands on Broken.

Caitlin Rossi awakes after a car accident and can’t even remember her name. She may have amnesia, but she still feels a great loss and a menacing threat. I think I would be paralyzed with fear, or run away as fast as I could. I can’t imagine what it would be like. Who do you believe? Who do you trust? Especially when you meet the rest of your dysfunctional family and realize you are worth a lot of money.

I feel the danger comes from someone close, someone very close, but Maggie Shayne does throw out a red herring. I already know who ‘they’ are so that doesn’t distract me, but there are enough suspects to keep me guessing.

Caitlin has amnesia, but she still has a working brain. She is determined to get to the bottom of things. I love the character…and Dylan isn’t too shabby either. Secrets…they always come out, one way or another. Maybe that’s a good thing. They can be a heavy burden to carry.

Sure, I expect a happy ending, but I am so loving the twisty journey I will have to take to get there. Broken reads like a true crime story. A rich bitch and her money, and those who hate her. How far will they go to get it? Can’t she save her marriage to Dylan?

It’s Chapter 8 before Toni and Joey are mentioned, then they disappear…until the end. I can hardly wait to read Book IV, Hollow. I wonder how the series will end. How many sisters are there? Surely, the sisters must all come together.

4 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

Caitlin Rossi’s near tragic accident was no accident at all. With her memory wiped clean, she returns to a houseful of strangers who claim to be her family, and not one of them seems glad to see her. Least of all her darkly handsome husband, Dylan.

Her gothic mansion is cold and filled with secrets. One member of this hostile household wants her dead—and unless she can regain her lost memories, they might just get their wish.

***A substantially revised edition of the story originally titled Kiss of the Shadow Man***

ABOUT MAGGIE SHAYNE

I live in the teeny, tiny town of Taylor, NY, (Alliteration Alert!) though my mailing address is Cincinnatus, my telephone exchange is Truxton and I pay taxes and vote in Cuyler. All of these are at least in the same rural county in the southern hills of New York State; Cortland County. There are more cattle than people here. The nearest “big” cities are Syracuse and Binghamton and they are an hour away, in different directions, and not really all that big by most standards, though they both seem humongous to me. I look out my window to see rolling, green, thickly forested hills, wildflower laden meadows and wide open blue, blue skies. My road is barely paved. The nearest neighboring place is a 700 acre dairy farm.

My house is a big, century old farmhouse. I moved in here after my divorce in 2006. Just a little over a year later, the house, which I had named, SERENITY, burned. It was 99% gutted, and I lost my two dogs, Sally, an 11-year-old great Dane, and Wrinkles, my 14-year-old, blind bulldog. This was the culmination of my Dark Night of the soul, which had seemed to hit me all at once in 2006-2007. My mother died that year, after a 14 month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only 60. The youngest of my five daughters had left home that same year, and while that’s not a tragedy at all, it felt like one to me. Then came the divorce. And finally there was the fire–it seemed my darkest night wasn’t quite finished with me after all. I had lost almost everything before that point, and as I poked through the wet ashes and soot the next day, I realized that I had now been stripped all the way to the bone.

No better time to start over. (And no, I didn’t come to that realization that day–there were a few days of wallowing in pity first, particularly the day after the fire, when I hit a deer and smashed up my car, which I was practically living in!)

That’s when I started to laugh. Just sat on the side of the road as the deer bounded, uninjured and carefree, out of sight, and laughed. It was just too ridiculous at that point, to do anything else!

And from there, I picked myself up, and brushed myself off, and said, okay, there’s only one way to go from here. Forward. And that’s what I did. There I was at the age of harrurmphemmph, living in my one, mostly undamaged remaining room, with a dorm-sized mini-fridge, a futon, a TV, my cat (nine lives!) and a laptop. And not much else. (Though thank goodness the room that survived the fire, was a room that had its own attached bathroom!)

Since then I have rebuilt my beloved home, which really has become my haven, my “Serenity.” I share it now with my fiancé, Lance, and we have accumulated quite the little family together. “Little” being a relative term. We have a pair of English Mastiffs, Dozer and Daisy, who weigh 203 pounds and 208 pounds respectively, and a little pudgy English Bulldog named Niblet, who is bigger than both of them, inside her mind. We also have the aforementioned cat, Glorificus (“Glory” for short,) who adores her canine pups and keeps them firmly in line. And we’ve acquired a pair of stray cats as well, a mother and son, Luna (Lulu for short) and Butters aka Buddy. Lulu showed up pregnant during a lunar eclipse, had a litter, and vanished again. We found homes for all the kittens except one. Butters. We got him fixed and kept him. A few months later, Lulu returned, again expecting. This litter was born on the “Monster Moon.” Again, all the kittens were spayed and neutered and placed in homes, and this time we got Lulu to the vet in time to spay her before the cycle could repeat.

Glory is not amused.

She has a story of her own, my old Glory cat, having been with me before the Dark Times descended, she went through it all with me, moved with me, survived the fire, and remains with me still. She’s tolerating the newcomers. Barely.

My partner is an artist, a mechanic, a welder and an inventor, and the rumors are true, he is much younger than I.

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MY MAGGIE SHAYNE REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • Product images are linked/I am an Amazon affiliate.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!