Archive for July 25, 2023

 

Lifestyle

by Kasey Fallon

 

(Trust Fall, #1)
Publication date: July 27th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

On the outskirts of Philadelphia, the LifeStyle Club caters to individuals with certain… tastes. The only club of its kind, LifeStyle is more than happy to offer possibilities for all.

A born Dominant, owning LifeS with his three best friends suits Grayson perfectly. His new fight arena is just the thing LifeS needs. All he needs is a fighter.

Lexi hasn’t needed anyone since she was twelve. Plagued with PTSD, she runs her own gym, sets her own rules, and lets no one bring her down. But Lexi has a secret. One that threatens to control her… unless she can find a Dom that will.

All she needs is a Dom.

All the stalker sees is her.

Welcome to the LifeStyle.

Amazon

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

He wasn’t sure what to expect from Lexi’s hangover, but he hadn’t expected waking up to an empty bed.

After adding a t-shirt to his lounge pants, he shuffled into the kitchen. No Lexi, but the coffeemaker had been turned on, and one mug had appeared in his dish rack.

If it weren’t for her little duffel bag on the floor of his bedroom he would have thought she’d left. He was reaching for a mug when the note caught his attention. A paper towel had been laid flat, and the word run was looped in some kind of blue goop.

Hair gel was his first thought, but as he picked it up he caught the scent. It was written in his dish soap. With a chuckle he pitched into the trash can.

Since he wasn’t sure when she would be back and didn’t want to leave the apartment open, he settled for a quick workout in his living room. The scent of sausage was heavy through the kitchen by the time she came in, panting.

Lexi didn’t say a word to him but passed him to stand at the sink. She turned the cold water on full and stuck her wrists under the spray. Grayson frowned.

“How far did you go? You’re fighting tonight, today is supposed to be a rest day for you.”

With her face flushed, she looked over her shoulder at him. It completed the look for him; flushed face, sports bra, and bike shorts that left little to the imagination, bent over in front of him. His mind immediately took a detour into being behind her in a different way. With her hair loose-

“I only went like two miles, most of it walking, that was why I took so long. Quick sprint at the end.”

She turned off the tap and dried her hands on a dish towel. He brought his imagination to heel and focused on the fact that she seemed comfortable in his place. He hadn’t been sure it was the right move, bringing her back here drunk; they hadn’t talked about it.

He shifted the sausage in the pan as the sizzling brought his attention back to the stove.

“So it’s okay that I brought you back here?” he asked.

“Yeah, it’s fine. I mean I’m yours now, right?”

Laughing dark eyes looked up at his, and though she spoke lightly, the statement hit him hard. Then she was talking again before he had time to think of a response.

“And it’s definitely okay if I’m getting breakfast,” she said with a smile.

“Good,” he said gruffly. “How do you like your eggs?”

He had to force the words through the sudden tightness in his chest. She was his. But was she really?

“I can make them,” she offered, and he shook his head.

“Go stretch while you’re still warmed up.”

“I don’t mind-”

Lexi stopped mid-sentence when he turned and pinned her with a stare. She snapped her mouth closed with an audible snap, and stomped past him towards the living room.

He smirked as he heard the music from her phone blast down the hall.

Good girl.

.

.

About Author Kasey Fallon:

I have always been – and likely always will be – a writer.
I have led a very long life in a less-than-imagined amount of years.
From childhood abuse to earning my blackbelt; from living in my car to living at the Four Seasons; from having 4 jobs at once to being unemployed with two college degrees; to losing my loved ones and winning my life.

One of Life’s greatest joys for me is my dog (or any dog really). My beast’s name is Asher and he’s a gorgeous 100lb lap dog.

Website / Instagram

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

.

Murder Under A Western Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Historical Cozy Mystery
by Abigail Keam

 


Murder Under A Western Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Historical Cozy Mystery
Historical Cozy Mystery
11th in Series
Setting – Montana
Worker Bee Press (July 24, 2023)
Digital Number of Pages: 280
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BTWBFCV5

Mona is the American Phyrne Fisher!

Mona Moon and her new husband, Robert Farley, Duke of Brynelleth are about to board an ocean liner to Merry Old England for their honeymoon when Mona receives an urgent telegram from Rupert Hunt, her eyes and ears in the Moon copper mines.

POTENTIAL RIOT AT MONTANA MINE STOP DEAD MINER STOP POSSIBLE MURDER STOP COME AT ONCE STOP RUPERT HUNT

Since the copper mines are the financial backbone of Moon Enterprises, Mona has no choice but to drop her plans and travel to Montana on the next train. She and Robert descend into a world of seething resentments, bitter accusations against Moon Enterprises, and bad decisions that pose a threat to Mona’s world. She travels incognito to search out the truth of Rupert’s allegations against the mining management. She must decide if Rupert is trying to prevent an innocent man from being hung for murder or if he is part of a grandiose plot against her. After all, Mona had been kidnapped by Rupert while searching for the Swift silver mine a year ago. Rupert is a scoundrel, but Mona hired him to be her scoundrel. Is this another of Rupert’s games? Regardless of the threat, Mona must get to the bottom of it. Thank goodness Robert is by her side . . . or could Robert have his own agenda?

About Abigail Keam

Award-winning author Abigail Keam writes the Mona Moon Mystery Series—a rags-to-riches 1930s mystery series which includes real people and events into the story. “I am a student of history and love to insert historical information into my mysteries. My goal is to entertain my readers, but if they learn a little something along the way—well, then we are both happy.”  She has won many awards for her mysteries, and Murder Under A Western Moon is her 40th novel.  Miss Abigail lives on the cliffs above the Kentucky River with her husband and various critters.  In her spare time, Miss Abigail is a beekeeper.

Author Links: Official Site / Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest / Amazon / TikTok

Purchase Links
Amazon    Apple Books   Nook    Amazon UK    Amazon AU    Amazon CA

Enjoy this peek inside:

As Mona and Robert compared notes while riding back to the hotel, both of them heard a loud cracking noise that traveled through the car.

“What was that?” Mona asked.  “It sounded like the snap of a bullwhip.”

Robert ordered the driver, “Slow down, please.”  He rolled down his window and listened.

“There it is again,” Mona said.  “Driver, stop.”  She got out of the car and looked about, but it was dark with a moonless sky.  Mona couldn’t see anything.

Another crack sounded.

The Pinkertons in the car following them also got out and looked about.

A fourth crack pierced the air.

“It’s gunfire!  Take cover,” one of the Pinkertons shouted.

Mona ducked down by the side of the car as Robert joined her.  “Turn the car lights off!” she yelled.

Robert threw Mona on the ground and shielded her with his body, but they both lifted their heads upon hearing a rumble. “AVALANCHE!   AVALANCHE!” Robert yelled, as he dragged Mona to the side of the mountain and frantically covered both their heads with his arms.  Their driver huddled with them.  Since darkness prevented them from seeing which direction the snow was headed, there was no use in running.  Some of the Pinkertons realized they were in the path of the descending wall of snow and ran.  Their shrieks could be heard above the roar of the torrent as they got caught in the avalanche and were hurled down the mountainside.

“Oh, God!” Mona murmured upon hearing the men scream.

Robert whispered into her ear, “Don’t listen.  Don’t listen.”  He put his hands over her ears.

The rumbling abruptly stopped and was replaced by a haunting silence.  Robert and Mona waited a few minutes before climbing out of the snowbank which had fallen about them.  Luckily, they had not been hit with any of the displaced rocks and boulders propelled by the tumbling snow.  Robert cleared snow from their driver who also was unharmed.

Shouts came from the Pinkertons who had been in a car ahead of them.  They had not been involved in the avalanche.  “Anyone hurt?” one guard shouted.

Robert yelled, “Second car is fine except we are bound by snow, but the third car got the brunt of the slide.  We think there are casualties, but we can’t see and no one is answering our calls.”

“We are digging you out now.  Can you get into your car?”

Robert replied, “Negative.  The doors are blocked by snow.”

“Stay where you are.  We are coming.”

Mona, Robert, and the driver helped each other get the snow from around their collars, inside their gloves, and tops of their boots.  Each gave a vigorous shake to remove snow from their coats.  Both the driver and Robert dug snow away with their hands from the trunk of the car to access a shovel, emergency blankets, and a first-aid kit.  Mona moved to the back passenger door and pulled snow away from the car with her hands.  The work kept them all warm.

As the Pinkertons in the first car were making headway with the fallen snow, Mona and Robert saw car lights in the distance behind them, curving the bend in the road.  They heard the roar of the car engine and saw beams of flashlights.

“HELLO?  HELLO?”

Robert shouted, “WE’RE HERE!”

Mona grabbed Robert’s arm.  “Robert, be careful.  These could be the men who caused the avalanche.”

“WE’LL HELP YOUR MEN.  THE CAR’S GONE OVER THE SIDE.”

Robert yelled back, “YES, DO THAT!  WE’LL FREE OUR CAR AND THEN START DIGGING TOWARD YOU.”  Turning, Robert asked, “Do you have your gun on you, Mona?”

“It’s in my purse which is in the car.  What about your six-shooter?”

“Under the snow somewhere.”

“I’ve got one in my shoulder holster, and there’s another gun in the glove compartment if we can get to it,” the Pinkerton driver announced.

“Good man,” Robert said.  “Put your gun where you can use it in a hurry.”

Mona, Robert, and the driver dug around their car finally clearing the snow away from the trunk.  The driver took the shovel and shoveled the road while Robert put several blankets around Mona, whose hands had frozen so badly that she lost the feeling in them.

After an hour, the Pinkertons from the first car cleared away the snow and reached Mona and Robert.  They put Mona in their vehicle which was still warm.  She was grateful for the warmth and rubbed her numb hands in front of the car’s heater.

Robert worked with the Pinkertons to reach the third car, but once they broke through a wall of snow, there was no third car.  It had careened down the mountain.  Its blinking tail lights were faintly visible beneath the snow.

They found four men hoisting bodies through a series of ropes tied to a truck.  A man wearing a Stetson and standing near the road’s edge, watched them bring the bodies up.  Upon seeing his milky eye, Robert recognized the man, who worked for Margaret Daly.

Robert walked up to the man.  “Is everyone dead?”

“No.  I have two men in the truck.  They are banged up a bit, but otherwise fine.  They told me that someone repeatedly fired a gun, which caused the avalanche.”

“How did you happen upon us?” Robert asked.

“Miss Margaret gave orders to follow.  She felt you were in danger although we never expected anything like this.  You’ve got to admit it was devilishly clever.”

Not sure the Stetson man was speaking the truth, Robert gave him a long stare before stating, “Thank you.  Our other two cars are working, so we’ll take the injured men into town and send help back.”

“We’ll stay and clear the road.  If the law doesn’t come soon enough, we’ll bring in the bodies and leave them at the funeral home.”  The Stetson man tried to peek around Robert.  “I trust Miss Moon is fine.”

“Fit as a fiddle,” Robert replied, coldly.  “I’ll collect those injured men and be off.”  He nodded to the Pinkertons to gather their associates.  “Thank you again, and chin chin.

The Stetson man tipped the brim of his hat.

Robert walked back with the Pinkerton men, all the while wondering if he was going to be shot in the back.  Once safely ensconced in the first car with Mona, he turned to her.  “You’ll never guess who turned out to be our savior.”

Mona pulled her blanket over Robert.  “Who?”

“Margaret Daly.  She ordered the Stetson man to follow us.”

“She could have ordered him to start the avalanche.”

“I thought it odd myself that her man happened to arrive a short time after the avalanche.  I’ll guess we’ll never know the real truth, but she did warn you of danger, Mona.”  Robert lit a cigarette as his nerves were frayed.  “What do you want to do now?”

Mona didn’t chide Robert about smoking as she knew he was upset.  She was disturbed as well.  “We’ve got three managers to deal with.  We need to stay in Montana until this mess is cleared up.”

“We got out by the skin of our teeth tonight, Mona, and two of our men didn’t make it.  We need to make changes fast, and then get the heck out of here.”

“I don’t like putting our men and ourselves in danger, but we’ve got to see this through, Robert.”

A Pinkerton knocked on the car window.

Mona rolled it down.

“Sorry, folks, but we need to put one of the injured men in this car.  It’s pretty tight in the other vehicle.”

“Assuredly, bring him here,” Robert said, before turning to his wife.  “I’ll drive and we’ll put two men in the back.”

Mona got out and stood aside as Pinkertons carried their injured comrade.  They eased him into the back of the car.  Mona took off her blanket, wrapping it around the injured man.  She said to the non-injured Pinkerton, “You’ll stay with him?”

“Ma’am, he can use my lap as his pillow.  We’ll get him to a hospital all right.”

Mona replied, “We shall fly to the nearest hospital like the fastest hawk.”

“Better make it a night owl.”

Mona gave a ghost of a smile at the Pinkerton’s jest.  She slid into the front seat and turned to Robert.  “We’re ready.  Let’s get back to Butte.”

Robert took off the emergency brake and depressed on the clutch, putting the car in first gear.  The car began to roll downward and Robert put the car in second gear. “Here we go, ready or not.”

But Mona didn’t hear Robert.  She was deep in thought planning her next move.

Someone was going to pay for the death of those two men as well as Piotr Wojcik and Dr. Driscoll.  Someone indeed!

~~~~~

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

July 24 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

July 24 – Reading Is My SuperPower – RECIPE, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

July 24 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

July 25 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 25 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

July 25 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

July 26 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

July 26 – Brooke Blogs – RECIPE

July 27 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 27 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

July 27 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 28 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 28 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

July 28 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

 

 


.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.