Archive for September, 2023

Dead West by Linda L Richards Banner

Dead West
by Linda L Richards
September 4 – 29, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

 

Dead West by Linda L Richards

 

Synopsis

Still struggling towards the light, this time the assignment is to save, not kill.

Taking lives has taken its toll. Her moral justifications have faltered. Do any of the the people she has killed — some of them heinous, but all of them human — deserve to die? Her next target is Cameron Walker, a rancher in Arizona. When she arrives at his remote desert estate to carry out her orders, she discovers that he is a kind and beautiful man. After a lengthy tour of the ranch, not only has she not killed him, she’s wondering who might want him dead. She procrastinates long enough that a vibe grows between them. At the same time, she learns that he’s passionate about wild horses and has been fighting a losing political battle to save the mustangs that live on protected land near his property. He’s even received death threats from those who oppose him. She finds herself trying to protect the man she was sent to kill, following a trail that leads from the desert, to the Phoenix cognoscenti, to the highest offices in Washington, DC. Along the way she encounters kidnappers and killers, horse thieves and even human traffickers. Hopefully she can figure out who ordered the hit before they hire someone else to execute the assignment.

Praise for Dead West:

“Linda L. Richards delivers yet another riveting entry in her hired killer series. Set mostly in Arizona desert country, Dead West is a dust devil of a story, twisting in wildly unpredictable ways and with a powerful emotional center. But this book isn’t just a marvelously compelling thriller; it also cries out passionately for protection of the endangered wild horses of the West. Kudos to Richards for seamlessly weaving an important message into the fabric of a terrific tale.” ~ William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author “When a contract killer’s wounded conscience begins to awaken, it only heightens the dangers of her profession. In Dead West, the incomparable Linda L. Richards poses the possibility of redemption and recovery for her tragic heroine, all while sending her – and us – on a deadly thrill ride through the stunning Arizona wilderness.” ~ Clea Simon, Boston Globe bestselling author

.

MY REVIEW

Cameron is a kind and honest man who wants nothing more than to save the wild horses of Arizona from being killed off. Many other rancher’s say the horses are causing permanent damage to the environment, threatening the grazing ranges of their cattle. He says differently. The battle to save the horses has been ongoing but now someone wants him out of the way, for good.

Enter, Katherine Eveline Ragsdill, the woman hired to silence Cameron. She needs to get close to her target. To study his patterns. Her dilemma. She could be getting too close. She could be falling for him. Who knew she could love. Katherine sure didn’t before now.

I had no idea this was the third book in a series when I started reading. Don’t know how I missed that. The author put me in Katherine’s head and I could understand why she was who she was and did what she did so I didn’t feel lost or left wondering. What really had me going was how she would be able to have a relationship with Cameron. No way could she hide her occupation and have a truly honest and happy one. Would the couple ride off into the sunset? I wanted to see how the author could or would pull that off.  The answer was….. not something I can tell you. The no spoiler thing and all. I can tell you the answer was quite satisfying and made sense.

I’d made note of a couple of bread crumbs the author sprinkled in the story and they became apparent in the ending. I’d almost forgot about it and it was a great conclusion for me.

5 STARS

.

 

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller, Noir, Suspense

Published by: Oceanview Publishing Publication Date: September 2023 Number of Pages: 320 ISBN: 9781608095124 (ISBN10: 1608095126) Series: The Endings Series, Book 3

Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Oceanview Publishing

Enjoy this peek inside:
CHAPTER ONE
I’m sitting on a beach. It’s a ridiculous proposition. Fluffy white clouds are scudding through a clear, blue sky. Surfers are running around carrying boards, often over their heads. Then they plunge into a sea that looks deadly to my non-surfing eyes. Palm trees are waving, and the air is so neutral, you don’t have to think about it. Soft, welcoming air. You just float right through. The view is beautiful. It’s like a movie backdrop. A painting. Something skillfully manufactured to look hyper-real. Textbook paradise, that’s what I’m talking about. I’m sitting on this beach, trying not to think about the reason I’m here. But it’s hard. Difficult. To not think about it, I mean. I’m here, in paradise, because someone has to die. Someone will die. I got the assignment a few days ago. I flew to this island to pull it off. My target is a businessman who lives on this island in the South Pacific. He is the kind of self-made guy who has achieved every goal in life and would seem to have everything to live for. Only now, apparently, someone wants him dead because here I am, ready for business. So I stake him out. You need to understand at least the basics of who someone is before you snuff them out. This is the idea that I have. I’m not going all sensitive on you or anything, that’s just how it is. In order to do the best possible job in this business, you need to understand a little about who they are. It’s not a rule or anything, it’s just how I feel. His name is Gavin White, and I researched him a bit before I got here. He made his fortune in oil and wax, which is an odd enough combo that you perk up your ears. Only it doesn’t seem to matter: the source of the income would seem to have nothing to do with the hit. Would seem to, because there is only so much I can learn about that, really. On the surface, anyway, I can find no direct connection between Gavin White’s livelihood and the death that someone has planned for him and that I am now further planning. I follow him and his S560 cabriolet all over the tropical island. He makes a few stops. I watch what he does, how he moves and who he interacts with. Some of it might matter. I’m not doing it for my health. I’m watching him so I can determine when I might best have advantage when I go to take him out. There are always multiple times and different places to fulfill my assignment and usually only one—or maybe two—that are virtually flawless. Sometimes not even that. So I watch. And it’s more than an opportunity I’m looking for, though that can play a part. It’s also a matter of identifying what will make my job not only easier, but also safest from detection. And so I watch. And I wait. As I follow him, he stops first at a bank. Does some business— I’ll never know what. After that he visits his mom. At least, I guess it is his mom. An older woman he seems affectionate with. From my rental car, I can see them through a front room window. There is a hug and then a wave. It could be a bookkeeper for all I know. But mom is what I guess. After a while he heads to the beach. He sits on the sand, contemplative for a while. I think about taking him there; full contemplation. But it is crude and much too exposed. More time passes before he takes off his shoes, leaves them on the beach, and walks into the surf. I leave my car and take up a spot on the sand, just plopping myself down not far from his shoes. I watch him surreptitiously. It is obvious he did not come to the beach to swim. He is fully clothed and he hasn’t left a towel behind there with his shoes. There is none of the paraphernalia one associates with a visit to the beach, even if this were one that is intended for swimming, which it is not. Signs warn of possible impending doom for those who venture into the water. “Strong current,” warns one sign under a fluorescent flag. “If in doubt, don’t go out.” “Dangerous shore break,” warns another. “Waves break in shallow water. Serious injuries could occur, even in small surf.” I don’t know if Gavin White read the signs, or noticed them, but even though he is still fully clothed, he steps into the water anyway. First, he gets his feet wet. Not long after, he wades in up to his knees. He hesitates when the water is at mid-thigh, and he stops there. For a while, it seems to me, it is like a dance. He stands facing the horizon, directly in front of where I sit. His shoulders are squared. There is something stoic in his stance. I can’t explain it. Squared and stoic. Waves break against him, push him back. He allows the push, then makes his way back to the spot where he had stood before. Before long, he ventures deeper still. The dance. I watch for a while, fascinated. I wonder if there is anything I should do. But no. The dance. Two steps forward, then the waves push him back. And now he is in deeper still, and further from shore. I see a wave engulf him completely, and I hold my breath. He doesn’t struggle, but then I see him rise, face the horizon, square his shoulders. The waves are strong and beautiful. And they are eerily clear, those waves. Sometimes I can see right inside them. Careful glass tubes of water, I can even observe that from shore. For a while he stands like that, facing the horizon—a lull in the action of the waves. And then he is engulfed once again. I hold my breath, but this time he doesn’t rise. I sit there for a long time, considering. And waiting. My breathing shallow. But he doesn’t reappear. After half an hour, I text my handler. “It is done,” is all I say, just as I know she will expect. It was not my hand, but the mission has been accomplished regardless. No one knows better than me that there are many ways to die.

CHAPTER TWO

There are many ways to die. I think I have died many times. Certainly, I’ve wanted to. I died when I lost my child. Died later when I lost my husband, even though by then there was little love left between us. Still. I died. I died the first time I took someone’s life. At the time it felt like living, but I didn’t yet know the difference. And then there was the time I had to kill someone I loved. I died that time, too. Sometimes I believe I have died so much that I’ve forgotten how to live. That I should most correctly walk into a waiting undertow just like Gavin White did. I don’t know what stops me, honestly. I don’t. Though there are days when it’s a very close thing. This isn’t one of those days. When my phone rings, it tells me the call is coming from Kiribati, a place I’ve barely heard of before. All of her calls are like that. Routed through some other place. They might be chosen for their convenience, but I think they are also selected for the mirth they might provide. I’m not certain she has a wicked sense of humor, but I suspect it, pretty much. She never used to call me. For a long time, it was text and email only, secure channels always. And then the calls began. I imagined that it meant we had developed some sort of connection. I no longer wonder about that now. Whatever the meaning, the calls have never been from normal places; they don’t come from the places one might expect. And none have been from the same odd place twice. They are chosen for some reason I don’t understand. Some inside joke I stand outside of. She can be cryptic that way. Another reason I guess I imagined for a while that we belonged. “That was efficient,” is what she says by way of greeting. “What do you mean?” I figure I actually know, but it makes no sense to admit that going in. “He walked into the sea,” she says. How does she know that? It makes me wonder, but not deeply. It would not be the first time I’ve wondered if there is someone who watches the hunter. It would even make a dark sort of sense. “Yes,” I say, unquestioning. She has her ways. “That’s right. He did.” “Hmmm,” she says. And then again, “Hmmm.” “There are many ways to die,” I say, and by now it feels like gospel. Something sacred. And more true than true. “What I really don’t understand,” I say, sailing into a different direction, “is that you said things weren’t going to be like this anymore.” “Excuse me?” I am put off by her tone. Surprised. It comes to me from a new place. Unexpected. And she doesn’t back away from it. Goes on just as strongly, instead. “What do you mean by that?” It’s a challenge. “I’m trying to think how you put it,” I say. “Something about how things have been wrong with the world. How we could . . . how we could make it right.” “Did I say that?” “You did,” I reply. “I do maybe remember something like that. Maybe.” I feel my heart sink a bit at her words. And why? I can’t even quite put my finger on it. It felt, maybe, like I might be part of something. Again. And now? Now I’m not. “You did say that,” I say it quietly though. Almost as an aside. “These things take time, as it turns out. One can’t just flip a switch.” I can hear her pushing on, rushing through. “Meanwhile, I’ve got another one for you,” she says, and I’m relieved that she has tacitly agreed to leave the drowned man to sink or swim. Disappointed by how easily the hopeful words she’d fed me not so long ago could be pushed to one easy side. Disappointed and relieved all in one gulp. It’s an odd thing to feel. I find I don’t like it. “So if you’re ready,” she says. “Another what?” I ask it, but I suspect I know. “Job,” she replies, and I wonder why I wasted breath. “I’m ready enough,” I say, though I’m struggling. I struggle every time. “Good,” she says. “I’ll send you the details, but I think the juxtaposition of these two will amuse you.” “How so?” And I try not to digest the irony around any aspect of a contract killing being amusing. “Well, you’ve just been in the Pacific. Water, water everywhere. And now you’re heading for the desert.” “I am?” “You are. Right out into it, in fact. The target is in Arizona.” “Phoenix?” Which is all I really know of Arizona. “You’ll fly to Phoenix, but, no: the target is near a national park. Rural. A place you won’t have heard of before, I’m betting. I’ll send the details once I’m off this call.” When I first get off the phone, I try not to think about it too much. It’s like my brain doesn’t want me to pay attention. Or something. But I put off checking my email. I’ll do it later. Right now, there are things that need my attention. Okay. “Need” would be an overstatement. There are things. I choose to give them my time. Walks in the forest with the dog. Cooking succulent meals for one. And recently, I have taken up plein air painting, simply because it was there. When I want to paint, I take the dog and my gear and we hike out to some remote spot and I set up my stuff and I paint what I see. Try to paint what I see. The dog meanwhile amuses himself— chasing squirrels, digging holes, sniffing his own butt. He’s very skilled at self-amusement. I’ve never seen anything like it. In less clement weather we hunker down and brave it out. I make a fire in the fireplace because it’s beautiful, not because we need the warmth. There is something idyllic to this life. Easy. After a while it gets even easier to forget . . . forget what? Everything, really. It gets easier to forget to remember. I paint the dog. My online classes have gone well enough, and I have proven to be a good enough student—and the dog a good enough subject—that I end up with a pretty credible representation of him; something I am proud to hang. And even if I wasn’t, it’s not like anyone is ever going to see. *** Excerpt from Dead West by Linda L Richards. Copyright 2023 by Linda L Richards. Reproduced with permission from Linda L Richards. All rights reserved.

 

 

About Author Linda L. Richards:
Linda L Richards

Linda L. Richards is the award-winning author of over a dozen books. The founder and publisher of January Magazine and a national board member of Sisters in Crime, she is best known for her strong female protagonists in the thriller genre. Richards is from Vancouver, Canada and currently makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona. Richards is an accomplished horsewoman and an avid tennis player. She enjoys yoga, hiking, cooking and playing guitar, though not at the same time.

You can find her at: LindaLRichards.com Goodreads BookBub – @linda1841 Instagram – @lindalrichards Twitter – @lindalrichards Facebook – @lindalrichardsauthor TikTok – @lindalrichards

Learn More about Linda in this #AuthorInterview!

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and opportunities to WIN in the giveaway!  

 

ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN:

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Linda L Richards. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

 

 

 

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

 

~~~~~

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.

.

Detective Whiskers Cat Cozy Mysteries
by Chris Abernathy

 

CSI: Cat Sleuth Investigation: A Detective Whiskers Cat Cozy Mystery
by Chris Abernathy
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Florida
Wright on the Mark, LLC (June 20, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 170 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8398356731
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C4M4RYFM

.

A cat who thinks he’s a detective. A group of amateur female sleuths in a quiet beach town. A dead man. It’s a recipe for fun – unless you’re the local police chief.

There are worse ways to go than sitting on a beach chair in Paradise Cove with a refreshing drink in your hand. But who wanted the victim dead? Detective Whiskers will need all his new friends to solve the case, but do they even want to talk to him after solving his first murder has gone to his head?

Sheila’s grandson comes to visit Paradise Cove and love is in the air, along with too much body spray, when young Freddy meets Susi the housecleaner. He might regret staying in town, though, when the murder investigation turns in his direction.

The Paradise Cove Murder Society and Detective Whiskers are on the case … and getting in Chief Anderson’s way again.

If you love humorous cozy mysteries where pets take the lead and eccentric friends come together to solve crimes with just the right amount of suspense then the Detective Whiskers Cozy Mystery Series is exactly what you’re looking for. Buy CSI: Cat Sleuth Investigation now and find out why the only thing better than a K-9 cop is a feline detective!

About Miami Mice


Miami Mice: A Detective Whiskers Cat Cozy Mystery
by Chris Abernathy
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Florida
Wright on the Mark, LLC. (July 18, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 202 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8852554123
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C52LVYQG

.

A cat who thinks he’s a detective. Some amateur female sleuths. A fisherman hooks a dead body in the water.

A pair of stowaway mice find themselves stranded at Sheila Mason’s cottage when the boat they are on sinks. They may be forced to go into the Whiskers Protection Program once it is discovered that the boat was carrying a shipment of illegal drugs. Can Detective Whiskers keep his witnesses safe and stop a dangerous cartel from destroying life in Paradise Cove?

Sheila and her friends in the Paradise Cove Murder Society are also busy investigating a suspicious stranger who showed up in town at the same time. Is he responsible for the body discovered on the beach?

If you love humorous cozy mysteries where pets take the lead and eccentric friends come together to solve crimes with just the right amount of suspense then the Detective Whiskers Cozy Mystery Series is exactly what you’re looking for. Buy Miami Mice now and find out why the only thing better than a K-9 cop is a feline detective!

About Purrder, She Wrote

Purrder, She Wrote: A Detective Whiskers Cat Cozy Mystery
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – Florida
Wright on the Mark, LLC (September 12, 2023)
Print length ‏ : ‎ ~204 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CBT5V6ZZ
GoodReads Link – Coming Soon

Who would be crazy enough to commit murder while surrounded by dozens of crime mystery writers?

The evidence clearly points to one suspect. The problem is, there’s no way they could have done it.

Our cat detective and the Paradise Cove Mystery Society face an old foe in the fourth installment of the Detective Whiskers Cozy Mystery Series. The stakes have never been higher and the mystery has never been stranger.

If you love humorous cozy mysteries where pets take the lead and eccentric friends come together to solve crimes with just the right amount of suspense then the Detective Whiskers Cozy Mystery Series is exactly what you’re looking for. Buy Purrder, She Wrote now and find out why the only thing better than a K-9 cop is a feline detective!

About Chris Abernathy

Chris Abernathy has narrated more than 200 audiobooks and now he is writing his own stories. He has been a storyteller his entire life — around campfires at a summer camp as a counselor, on the radio for more than 30 years, as an actor with background roles on major motion pictures and TV series, as a producer of short films for social media and more. Chris is married with two sons and lives on the Gulf Coast in Alabama. He is a dual national with citizenship in the US and UK and visits family in the Scottish Highlands as often as possible.

Author Links: Website / Facebook / Amazon / Newsletter

Purchase Link – Amazon

~~~~~

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

September 12 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

September 12 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST

September 12 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

September 13 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

September 13 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

September 14 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 14 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

September 15 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – REVIEW

September 15 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 15 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

September 16 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT  

September 16 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

September 16 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

September 17 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

September 17 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

September 17 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 18 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

September 19 – The Plain-Spoken Pen – REVIEW

September 20 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

September 20 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 21 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

September 22 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

 

 

.

~~~~~

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.

If I Were Invisible

by Lily Lawson

.

Think of all the things we could get away with if nobody could see us! But how long would the fun last, if we had to do it all alone?

Purchase Link

~~~~~

MY REVIEW

I’m sure many of you have wished you could have the power of invisibility. I did.

This delightful book told in poetry has boldly colored illustrations filled with fun ideas about what a young boy would do if he were invisible. There is so much to see on each turn of the page. The author posed some interesting question that made me wonder about the good and bad of being invisible.

I’d recommend this as a family read so you and your young ones could ask each other what you’d do if you could be invisible.

5 STARS

 

~~~~~

About Author Lily Lawson:

Lily Lawson is a poet and fiction writer living in the UK.She has poetry, short stories, and creative non-fiction published in anthologies and online in addition to her poetry books My Fathers Daughter, A Taste Of What’s To Come, and Rainbow’s Red Book of Poetry and her kids’ books Santa’s Early Christmas,The Palm Tree Swingers Island Band and If I Were Invisible…

You can find out more about Lily and read more of her work on her blog.

Subscribers to Life with Lily are the first to hear all her writing news.

You can sign up here.

Social Media Links: Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads / Bookbub / AllAuthor

~~~~~

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.

 

Ruth A. Casie, a USA Today Best-selling author, has released the third standalone Regency romance novel in the Return of Ladies of Sommer by the Sea series.

Come check out an excerpt of THE LADY AND THE ROGUE and celebrate with us!

Be sure to enter the giveaway.

.

The Lady and the Rogue

.

 

Amazon | Kobo | B&N | iBooks | Goodreads

Synopsis:

Feisty and passionate. He’ll enjoy making her fall in love with him…or die trying.

In the shadowy depths of London, Lady Euphemia Brandt, a renowned concert pianist, is mistaken by an English nobleman for his intended rendezvous. She defends herself, losing her reticule in the process. Reluctantly, she takes coins from her attacker and secures a carriage home. Their eyes lock, and they share a searing kiss, altering their lives forever.

At an affair honoring the Prime Minister, Euphemia discovers that the rogue who accosted her is a much sought-after, wealthy member of society. Struggling to resist his attraction, she battles memories of their kiss.

Cayden Whitford, the Duke of Thornton, seeking a woman with vital information, mistakes Euphemia for his contact and is surprised by her swift blow and the ensuing kiss. Intrigued, he vows to find her. At a dinner party, Thornton leans she is the daughter of a trusted advisor and masquerades as a suitor to discover her allegiance.

As Thornton unravels Euphemia’s wit, logic, and passion, his initial mission falters. He’s fallen in love with her.

 Author Ruth A. Casie:

RUTH A. CASIE is a USA Today bestselling author of historical swashbuckling action-adventures and contemporary romance with enough action to keep you turning pages. Her stories feature strong women and the men who deserve them, endearing flaws and all. She lives in New Jersey with her hero, three empty bedrooms and a growing number of incomplete counted cross-stitch projects. Before she found her voice, she was a speech therapist (pun intended), client liaison for a corrugated manufacturer, and vice president at an international bank where she was a product/marketing manager, but her favorite job is the one she’s doing now-writing romance. She hopes her stories become your favorite adventures.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram Newsletter

Read an Excerpt

“This is our second dance, Your Grace. Do you care about gossip?”

The dance started.

“Not at all. And you, my lady? Do you care about gossip?”

He led her through the steps with a strong yet gentle hand.

“I won’t be here long enough to take notice. To the ton, the gossip is only fun if they can watch their target squirm. I’d rather not be their source of entertainment. You, on the other hand, will have to endure it for weeks.”

He laughed as he spun her around. To him, the discomfort would be worth it.

With her in his arms, a spark grew into a flame that drew him closer to her with every step and every turn. Though he maintained the expected propriety, it was clear to anyone who cared to look that something was happening. An attraction that threatened to ignite into something… explosive.

Effie remained stoic, ice-queen-like. But her very stillness accentuated the tension between them. When she finally gazed into his eyes, she was caught in his web of desire, and he didn’t allow her a way out.

As the music came to an end, she was left breathless and flushed. The intense passion that had shone in her eyes was gone, replaced by her usual detached and aloof manner. Thornton wondered if he would need to constantly play music to keep her fiery desire alive, to melt away the icy barrier she erected around herself.

He escorted her off the dance floor and settled her with her mother.

“Thank you, Lady Euphemia. You made an ordinary waltz quite exciting.” He focused on her mother. “Thank you, ma’am, for an enjoyable evening.”

“Are you leaving so soon, Your Grace?” The duchess gave him a pained look, then glanced at Effie.

“Yes, I’m afraid so. I have things to prepare for an early morning meeting.”

He took his leave, letting Effie believe she’d won, but she didn’t know how persistent he could be.

As he reached the door across the room, he felt a sudden tug on his sleeve. Glancing to his right, he saw that it was Lady Euphemia. He was surprised when she tucked her arm in his.

“What are you up to, Thornton? You danced with me twice this evening. You assisted me with the challenge. You have the entire room whispering.”

He stopped and faced her. “What would you like me to do?” He glanced over her head at the people that filled the ballroom. “I can make an announcement that you are very much available.”

She pulled him out of the room. “You wouldn’t dare.”

They arrived at the door. “Mr. Gregory, His Grace’s carriage, please.”

The butler went outside to call up his carriage.

“No. I wouldn’t. I’ll think of a way to protect you.”

He saw his carriage coming into the drive. He pulled Effie into his arms and kissed her. He had wanted to do it since he spotted her hours ago.

He found her lips even softer than he had remembered, with a sweet and fresh taste. He allowed himself to deeply kiss her, passionate yet gentle, savoring every moment before finally pulling away. They stood staring into each other’s eyes, breathing heavily, the air thick with longing and desire.

“Something to remember me by,” he whispered in her ear.

He stepped back. The passion was back in Effie’s eyes. That’s the way he wanted to remember her. Effie. He kissed the tip of her nose and was gone.

 

Amazon | Kobo | B&N | iBooks | Goodreads | Series

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

 

Enter to win a $15.00 Amazon gift card and eBook copy of The Lady and the Barrister. Ends September 20, 2023.


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.

.

Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Welcome To Wonderland organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.Author

Bobbie Candas will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget to enter! And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Welcome To Wonderland

by Bobbie Candas

 

 

Genre: Women’s Fiction / Romance

Synopsis

A recently fired biologist with mommy issues, a successful entrepreneur with a dead wife, and an immigrant hiding from gang violence…These three have only one thing in common.

They’re all screwed up

Biology researcher, Violet Hill, was just let go and is devastated. She found the solitary lab and long hours the ideal respite for her anxiety issues–doing meaningful work while avoiding people and conversation. Now unemployed, with diminishing finances, Violet is forced to face the enemy, her mother.

For years, Turner Cooper was consumed with building his company’s client roster, until the sudden death of his wife throws him totally off kilter. Now, instead of work, Turner’s guilt and alcohol issues consume him.

Living a reclusive life in Dallas, Rosario Guzman is hiding from a Mexican cartel while working in the shadows at three part-time jobs. Finally, the item she covets the most, a Green Card, arrives in her mailbox. But Rosario quickly realizes the paper card doesn’t solve all her problems.

While navigating social issues, private demons, and nightmare memories, these three lives collide as they find each other at a place none of them ever imagined they’d be working at. As their mutual relationship evolves, Violet, Turner and Rosario lean into each other and unexpectedly find their lives unfurling in remarkable and magical ways.

Enjoy this peek inside:

The Winning Ticket
Rosario Guzman

The alarm went off with news blaring through the radio, jolting me awake from a deep sleep. It was ten PM. I’d showered before bed and rarely bothered with makeup anymore. When your job was washing and folding laundry at a twenty-four-hour lavanderia, what was the point? I put on my favorite fitted jeans, a clean white tee shirt, and pulled my shoulder length brown hair into a tidy bun. I forced a smile in the bathroom mirror before brushing my teeth and then repeated my mantra, “It’s going to be a great day!” I tried to keep the sound of my voice upbeat, but lately, maintaining positivity was becoming more challenging each day.

My second cousin, Miguel, owned Bright White Laundry, where I’d worked the eleven PM to six AM shift for a year. I was grateful for the work but knew I was capable of so much more. It was boring, repetitious, and surprisingly busy. At eleven PM, Diaz Avenue in East Dallas was dark, but Bright White Laundry sat on the corner of the sketchy business block like a shiny fluorescent-lit beacon for the unwashed.

I walked in waving to co-worker, Enrique, another distant cousin. I hated following Enrique’s shift. He was lazy and usually left a string of unfinished tasks in his wake after clocking out.

“¿Qué pasa, Enrique? How ‘s business tonight?”

Seeing me, he’d already grabbed his backpack and was walking to the office to clock out. He stopped and nodded towards the bathroom. “Welcome to Wonderland, Rosario. I just locked the bathroom. Man…you do not wanna go in there. That place is nasty. Tonight, if I was you, I’d keep the street people outta there.”

I shook my head, once again surprised at his lack of work ethic. “Enrique, you know the person on each shift has to clean the bathroom. That’s your job. You expect me to work ‘till six tomorrow morning and not use it?”

“Well, I’m not doing it. It’s up to you, chica. Gotta fly. Things to do tonight.”

“OK, but I’m telling Miguel.”

“Do what you have to do, man,” he said with a little laugh. “Do you think I give a flying fuck about this job?”

Apparently not. I watched him walk out, while shaking my head. What a jerk! Sad to think I was loosely related to him. Very loosely.

I checked out the place. One lady and two guys were doing laundry after carving out their own personal space amongst the machines. Pretty slow for a Thursday night. I gingerly unlocked the bathroom, needing to see what I was dealing with. Yeah, it was bad. I took a picture to show our boss, pulled up my mask. put on rubber gloves, and got to work.

At six AM, I clocked out and went next door to Daylight Donuts, also owned by Miguel. As usual, I grabbed a chair in the back, craving my morning cup of hot fresh coffee with lots of milk, and then bit into a soft and sweet pineapple empanada. Heaven! The front doorbell began to jingle as I tied on my white apron, ready to face the early risers and day laborers needing their morning sugar rush. I put on my smile and joined the team of two others already manning the front counter.

By eleven AM there were a few late donut-seeking stragglers, but two could easily run the front while I finished clean-up in the back. After clocking out, I walked down the street and boarded DART, eating my lunch from a paper bag as the yellow city bus carried me to the outskirts of Dallas. From there, I walked the remaining few blocks to Construction Connection. From noon until four, I worked the final leg of my day in a warehouse cleaning porta orinales, or what everyone here calls Port-A-Potties. A place filled with tall, nasty smelling blue boxes that needed a thorough scrubbing and sanitizing before they were sent out for another day of duty at construction sites.

A co-worker, Yolanda, and I punched in at the same time. From our assigned lockers we donned knee-high black, lug-soled rubber boots, elbow length rubber gloves, and tied on long black canvas aprons.

Trudging out to the warehouse, we crossed a road where two guys driving forklifts were moving sanitized port-a-potties onto trucks. As I walked by, they both hooted, whistled, and called out, “Looking good today, Rosario! Your ass, in those jeans… so hot.”

I blushed and tried to ignore them, amazed anybody would think me sexy in my rubber encased work clothes.

Yolanda tapped my shoulder. “Hey, don’t mind them; they’re harmless. Enjoy it while you can. Trust me, nobody’s whistled at me in ages.”

“How long you worked here, Yolanda?”

“Ten years, girl. Can you believe it?”

“Shit!”

“That’s right. Ten years of shit.”

I pulled the mask up over my mouth and nose, grabbed a power hose and yelled, “If we’re both working here ten years from now, just shoot me. Promise, OK?”

Yolanda laughed and nodded, “Sure, but then who’s gonna shoot me?”

At four my shift ended and once home, I had five hours before the whole crazy cycle started again. I knew the schedule was extreme but it was the only way I could maintain an apartment and manage to send a bit of money to my mother in Mexico.

Standing outside my apartment, I pulled a white envelope out of the dented tin mailbox. A thrill momentarily pulsed through me. Carefully opening the white envelope from the U.S. government, I pulled out an unimpressive looking, but oh-so-important, printed paper card qualifying me for legal work in the United States. The coveted Green Card. My ticket out of the shadows, away from working lousy jobs that nobody else wanted to do for less than minimum wage.

I’d applied a year ago–scrimping and saving, paying all the filing fees, going to interviews, paying an immigration attorney. And now, here it was; but suddenly my excitement fizzled. Receiving it felt so bittersweet because I had no one here to share my news or happiness with.

I’d purposely tried not to befriend people since coming to Dallas. And I didn’t want the people I worked with to know I’d be looking for other work. I wasn’t sure who I could trust. Most of my family, the few I cared about, were in Ciudad Juarez in Mexico or dead. That evening, I felt so alone.

I placed the card in a hidden compartment in my wallet, set my alarm for ten PM, removed my clothes, took a shower, and then smiled to myself in the mirror.

About Author Bobbie Candas:

.

Bobbie Candas lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, Mehmet Candas, a stray gray cat, and a jealous tabby who does not enjoy sharing affection with the interloper. Bobbie attended The University of Texas in Austin, earning her degree in journalism. She took a detour with a career in retail management, and found her happy place when she returned to writing fiction about nine years ago.

Author Links: Amazon Author Page / Facebook / Goodreads / Instagram

Purchase Links: Amazon

~~~~~

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.

Adventures of Takuan from Koto tour banner

.

Welcome to my stop during the book blitz for Adventures of Takuan from Koto by Ryu Zhong. Adventures of Takuan from Koto is about the whimsical adventures of a young trickster: from petty tricks to god-given missions.

This book blitz is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The book blitz runs from 11 till 15 September. See the tour schedule here.

Discount!
Adventures of Takuan from Koto is discounted to 99 cents for the duration of this blitz, you can grab your copy here.

Adventures of Takuan from Koto

By Ryu Zhong

 

Adventures of Takuan from Koto book cover

Genre: Fantasy Adventure
Age category: Middle Grade/ Young Adult
Release Date: 6 August 2023

Blurb:

.
Whimsical adventures of a young trickster: from clever exploits to a god-given mission.

A stone marten, in pursuit of the sun, climbs to the very Heavens and causes quite a commotion. Both the stubborn gods and the ordinary people have a hard time when weredemons break free. Even the Lord of the Underworld turns out to be powerless.

But sometimes even a mouse can be stronger than an elephant, as the old proverb says. The fate of the world ends up in the hands of Takuan — a young trickster, who deceives the greedy, angry, and ignorant people across the country of Chinayindu. On his journey, he meets the wandering warrior Zhu Leizu, a temple monk named Soliang, the clumsy sorcerer Bricabrac, and many others.

Our story begins with a village boy setting off to a monastery to become a demon-hunting monk, only to find out how truly dull monastic life can be.

Or does our story begin with the birth of the stone marten Ta Guan? To learn about what happened in the Heavens, the incredible adventures of Takuan, and what was the end of all of it, read the book ‘Takuan of Koto’ by Ryū Zhong.

.

Adventures of Takuan from Koto discount graphic

.

Links:
Goodreads
Bookbub
Amazon

.

Adventures of Takuan from Koto graphic.

.

About Author Ryu Zhong:

 

Ryu Zhong author picture

Ryu Zhong has spent the last fifteen years in multinational corporations doing future research and developing novel tech. Today, Ryu writes fantasy and science fiction based on his experience. In his novels, he highlights the phenomena that humanity may face in just a few hundred years.

Ryū Zhong were lucky to be born and grow in Asia. Now they live in Amsterdam, study Dutch, and adapt their writings to English and other languages.

Author links:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Instagram
Goodreads
Amazon

.

Adventures of Takuan from Koto square banner.
Lola's Blog Tours graphic

.

~~~~~

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.

Reading, Read, Peaceful, Woman, Dusk, Outside, Outdoors

This is my own version of a weekly book haul and all things new on fuonlyknew.

Sunday Post

I’m also linking up with The Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly @Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

~~~~~

Some chit chat.

Fall is inn the air. While we’re still in the 90s, the evenings are cooler and there’s less humidity. This got me inspired and I got my fall and Halloween decorations. Got a surprise when I found some I’d bought last year. Can’t wait to get started. I put out fall decorations first and add in the spooky stuff when October rolls around. Do you decorate for the seasons and holidays? Which holiday is your favorite?

I have some exciting reviews and giveaways to share. And some free books! Check it all below.

Looking forward to chatting with you and have a great new week!

~~~~~

Book News.

What I just finished. I’ll be sharing my reviews soon.

   

What I’m reading now.

   

What I’ll be reading next.

   

~~~~~

This week’s reviews.

~~~~~

Here are some FREEBIES for ya.

Click on the covers to get your copies. Remember to make sure they’re still free before you hit that buy button.

Purr Purr Purloin: A Cozy Animal Mystery (Ruff McPaw Mysteries Book 6) by [Max Parrott]  Death Walks a Dog: A Penelope Standing Mystery (Penelope Standing Mysteries Book 1) by [Tess Baytree]  Golden Retriever Mysteries 4-6: Dog Bless You, Whom Dog Hath Joined & Dog Have Mercy by [Neil Plakcy]

The Life She Wants: A totally unputdownable psychological thriller by [J.M. Hewitt]  Involuntary Turnover (Kat Voyzey Mysteries Book 1) by [Cheri Baker]  Black Diamond Rattlers MC: The Complete Collection by [Noah Maddix]

Hold Me Tight-North Pole Anthology 1: Holiday Romances Set in Alaska-Books 1-3 (North Pole, Alaska Anthology) by [Noelle Fox]  Stone Cold Kiwi (New Zealand Ever After Book 2) by [Rosalind James]  The Second Chance Inn: A Sweet Small Town Romance (Blue Moon Bay Book 1) by [Susan Hatler]

~~~~~

Other posts on my blog this week.

Excerpt And Giveaway ~ Happiness Mountain by Amal Indi

The Prime Suspect by Lauren Carr ~ Spotlight And Giveaway

Sammy And Scarlett’s Coral Reef Adventures by Robert Andrew Provan ~ Review And Giveaway

The Pumpkin Pact by Charlie Dean

Toes In The Tulips ~ Adventures Of Gladys by Katherine H. Brown

Books From The Back Log #85 ~ Ashes by Laura Bickle

A Peek Inside Precious Burdens by Avery Sterling

~~~~~

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.

 

When passion and revenge clash, love could unravel a deadly feud to which no one is left standing…

 

Title: Precious Burdens
Author: Avery Sterling
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Pages: 324
Genre: Historical Romance

Sarafina di Ramonicci sets sail for America as the promised bride in an arranged political marriage.       

Taken
prisoner at sea, she clashes with her captor and demands freedom, only
to discover he is planning her future husband’s demise, with her as a
pawn in their deadly feud. The challenge of escape tests her loyalty to
family, human decency, and love.  

Captain
Nye Tarquin is a dangerous man. Left to die on the streets of New
Orleans, he swears retribution on the man responsible. When he makes
Sarafina part of his plan, he isn’t prepared for the fiery vixen aboard
his ship, nor his desire to claim her as his own. When passion overtakes
honor, he’s torn between his heart and his need for justice.  

Amazon / B&N

.

 

Book Excerpt  

A grin formed on his lips. “She belongs to me now,” he said, his voice was as cool as his expression. “And when Cornell comes for her, I’ll be waiting to return the favor… only I’ll succeed, where he did not.”

Sarafina’s fingers curled around her goblet. “What makes you think he’ll come for her?”

“He has several reasons to take the bait. Cornell will demand satisfaction for his humiliation.”

“His humiliation?” She sat up straighter. “What about hers? Do you understand what people will think when they find out she was held hostage here? If her intended is murdered and she’s left stranded, this will leave her utterly alone. What will become of her, then?”

“She’ll marry someone better than the likes of Cornell, I hope,” he replied dryly.

She slammed her goblet down and flew to her feet. “And who would want her?”

He remained seated. “I’m doing her a great service,” he said calmly, leaning on the arm of his chair. “You have no idea the kind of life she would’ve been subjected to.”

“So, you’re her savior now?”

The captain pushed off his chair, and straightened to his full height. She kept her glare locked with his, but keeping it steady was becoming as difficult as her breathing. “Maybe,” he said.

   “That’s an absurd notion,” she replied.

   “Is it?” he asked. He stepped towards her, and she stepped back in unison, until the back of her legs hit the chair.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

 

 

Avery Sterling’s love
for the romance genre began in her teen years when she picked up her
first novel. She was captivated by the sweeping scale of emotions
brought about by the words. The experience catapulted her towards
learning the art of wielding a breathtaking adventure, with a love that
felt authentic. Wanting to inspire people with her own thoughts and
words, she finished her first novel at sixteen. It was a step towards
understanding the essence of what she wished to create. 

Most of her youth was
spent traveling, searching out the romance and beauty in her
everchanging world. From the waves that crashed against the rocky shores
of Downeast, Maine, to the warm breezes of the Caribbean, she
discovered that love was universal, apparent in its grandest and
simplest of forms. Her goal is to write novels an audience can relate
to, one that conveys the truth and nature of love…with all the steamy
romance. 

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / Goodreads / BookBub

  .

 

 

 

Sponsored By:

 

.

~~~~~

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.

.
If you’re like me, you have a pile of books beckoning to you from your lists. Carole hosts this fun feature where you can share some of those older books and perhaps nudge you to finally read them. If you want to join in on the fun, head over to Carole’s Random Life In Books and leave a link to your post.
.

Ashes

by Laura Bickle 

.

.

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

Genre: Urban Fantasy 

Synopsis

With “Ashes,” Laura Bickle revisits Detroit arson investigator and powerful spirit medium Anya Kalinczyk as she, her five-foot-long salamander familiar Sparky, and Hades’ Charon pursue a destructive fire elemental named the Nain Rouge through the city’s festival in his dubious honor.

~~~~~

I added this back in November 2017.

I’ve enjoyed many of er books and forgot about this one.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

.

Toes in the Tulips: (Adventures of Gladys)
(The Mystery Book Nook Shared World)
by Katherine H. Brown

 


Toes in the Tulips: (Adventures of Gladys) (The Mystery Book Nook Shared World)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Seashell Bay, Alabama
Independently Published (September 5, 2023)
Number of Pages: 74 (word doc pages / 30k words)
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C9L1VZGG

.

Another who-dunnit featuring one of your favorite Senior sleuths as well as an exciting new installment of The Mystery Book Nook Shared World.

Gladys is head over heels excited for the new community garden project. In fact, she’s created a whole new event: the Community Garden Plant Potluck. The plant potluck is more popular than even she imagined until one of the community garden members is found toes up in the tulips, dead as can be.

Gladys won’t rest until the killer is planted in a jail cell and the Community Garden project is free to grow again. But when clues don’t make sense, she might have to do a little out-of-the-box research using an interesting new resource, The Mystery Book Nook Forum, online.

Don’t miss this fun new adventure with some favorite characters!

The Mystery Book Nook Shared World (3 books)
No Good Deed Unpunished: (A Vangie Guillory Mystery) (The Mystery Book Nook Shared World)
Estate in Peril: A Maude and Mabel Cozy Mystery (The Mystery Book Nook Shared World)
Toes in the Tulips: (Adventures of Gladys) (The Mystery Book Nook Shared World)

Adventures of Gladys
Bonbon Voyage: Adventures of Gladys Humorous Senior Cozy Mystery Series
Half-Baked Homecoming: Adventures of Gladys Humorous Senior Cozy Mystery Series
Toes in the Tulips: (Adventures of Gladys) (The Mystery Book Nook Shared World)

About Katherine H. Brown

Katherine Brown is a wife, mom, Texas author, and unreformed bookaholic. From childhood, Katherine has devoured books for fun, for escape, for inspiration. As an author, it is Katherine’s goal to provide that same fun escape for others and encourage a love of reading in any age group. Clean cozy mysteries with sass and good Southern manners are her specialty, though recently Katherine has taken the jump into the steampunk world with a fun twist on Mary Poppins inspired characters. When not writing, Katherine enjoys weekly trips to the library with her toddler, teaching yoga workouts, and spending time with family.

Author Links: Instagram / Goodreads / BookBub / Facebook / Amazon / Newsletter
.

Purchase Link – Amazon 

~~~~~

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

September 5 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

September 5 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

September 5 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 6 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – CHARACTER GUEST POST  

September 6 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

September 7 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

September 7 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

September 8 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 8 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

September 9 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST

September 9 – Reading Is My SuperPower – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

September 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 10 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

September 11 – Kam’s Place – REVIEW

September 11 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

September 12 – Nadaness In Motion – REVIEW

September 12 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

September 12 – Kenyan Poet – SPOTLIGHT

.

.

~~~~~

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.