(Las Vegas House of Spades, #1)
Publication date: October 15th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Dark Comedy, Dark Romance, Romantic Suspense
. A hot, morally gray mentor out for revenge. A sprawling funeral home. Torture, mayhem, and a Las Vegas wedding she can’t remember.
Luna needs to complete an internship to graduate, but staying alive suddenly takes priority when she’s paired with the cold, starkly handsome attorney from hell. Roman Fowler is an infamous partner at the most notorious law firm in Las Vegas, and he’s harboring deadly secrets and searching for retribution. And when he forces her hand, their chemistry explodes.
But she’s not a helpless, scared child anymore. The House of Spades–her adopted family–is a powerful, violent, oddly close-knit clan that has a hands-on, DIY approach to taking care of “life’s little problems.” They’re still deciding if Roman is a problem when Luna’s dark past threatens.
Can they fight the danger and menace together? Or will the monsters win again?
He smirked and walked over, wrapping his arms around me. “Why do I feel there’s no right answer here?”
My lips quirked. “Because you’re smart, but you never listen.”
He bent down and sniffed my neck. “I do listen to you, especially when you’re
making those sexy little whimpers while I’m–”
I put my hand over his mouth. “If you start with the dirty talk, we’ll never make it
to Ezra’s house for dinner.”
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About Author J. L. Brannick:
J. L. Brannick lives in the desert with her family and fur babies. She works as an attorney, and detoxes by taking long hikes and exploring old Western ghost towns while plotting her novels. She graduated from law school in Las Vegas, Nevada where she quickly realized that truth can be stranger than fiction.
Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2024! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!
.
.
I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!
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Snowblind II
The Killing Grounds
by Michael McBride
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Genre: Horror
MY REVIEW
I loved Snowblind so it was an easy decision to read the second book, Killing Grounds. First off, take a gander and the freakin’ cover. I love it.
Second. It’s a found footage story. John missed the ski trip and his buddies and girlfriend disappear. Seven years later the footage is discovered and points him in a direction to search for them.
Third. There are some interesting characters helping John in his search, including a tracker and her dog, a technician, and Sheriff Dayton. The footage was found at a cabin and the Sheriff has a connection with it. Something that occurred in the past.
Then things start to really ramp up. A snowstorm is on the way. They’re miles from help. And whatever caused the group’s disappearance seven years ago is now hunting them. Curious what it is. Take a look at the cover again. Bloody mayhem is fast approaching and I loved every word of this story.
5 STARS
~~~~~
Synopsis
There are some places man was never meant to go.
For the past seven years, John Avery has been combing the wilderness for any sign of his missing girlfriend, who set out upon the ski trip of a lifetime and was never seen again.
Regions utterly isolated by geography and time.
The discovery of a video camera prompts Sheriff Wayne Dayton to dispatch a search party into one of the most remote areas of the Rockies in hopes of learning her fate.
Where few species can survive.
When a freak blizzard strikes, they find themselves wandering blindly into the killing grounds of a predator they can’t even see.
Warm your heart with nine enchanting tales of love.
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For the Love of Winter
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Volume Two
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Genre: A Collection of Holiday Romances
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with stories by
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Leah Miles, Vickey
Wollan, C.L. Hart, Sara J. Walker, Erika Kilmer Freidly,
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Marie Morton, Sally
Ann Murphy, Elizabeth Edgar, Vanessa Victoria Kilmer
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Warm your heart with nine enchanting tales of love. From historical winter
celebrations to modern sizzling New Year’s Eve encounters, this
anthology spans sweet to spicy romance across different eras and
realms. Whether you prefer gentle courtship or steamy embraces, this
collection has something for every romance reader.
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Mistletoe Magic, by Leah Miles:
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A holiday romance rekindles when Navy SEAL Michael
Rodriguez runs into his old flame, Nora Geller, and invites her to
his family gathering. Will they mend old wounds and find love again,
or will misunderstandings leave their hearts out in the cold?
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Happily Ever After, Take Two, by Sara Walker:
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Will Dino and Hilde’s second chance love
overcome family doubts and past mistakes for a lifetime of happiness?
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Love Under the Cold Moon, by Vanessa Kilmer:
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A headstrong Celtic woman and a reluctant Roman
heir clash and connect in an arranged marriage during the Alpine
winter festivals of 193 AD.
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Finding a Date for Christmas by Vickey Wollan:
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Joan’s going to a Christmas gala and
hires Mack on Rent-A-Date. If he reveals his secret, will he get a
second date? Can two lonely hearts find romance in time for
Christmas?
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Snowbound Hearts, by C.L. Hart:
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When a divorced couple ends up stuck in a snowbound lodge
in the Sierra Nevada mountains, it could either be the worst
Christmas ever or a second chance to make things right.
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A Fluffy White Christmas – A Tail of Love, by Sally Murphy:
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Can a half-starved stray dog help a lonely woman open up her frozen heart to a new love this
Christmas?
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Glancing over, Elizabeth saw Izzy in the window, her smile beaming out at the three of them. Then she looked at Elizabeth as if to say “It’s okay, Mom. It’s okay to love.” A shout brought her attention back to Ian and Agnes. With a surprisingly swift grace for such a large animal, Agnes had rolled to her feet and knocked Ian down. He could only laugh helplessly as Agnes settled on his back and smiled at Elizabeth, her tongue lolling.
“You two are a sight.” Elizabeth ran forward and dove at the two of them, and all three were rolling in the snow, laughing uproariously. Agnes recovered quickly and dashed away, bouncing back to playfully “boof” Ian with one large paw before racing away again to run in circles. Ian lost his balance and Elizabeth could not stop laughing.
“You’ve been ‘boofed’,” she told him, dipping her hands into the snow and throwing it at him. He ducked and returned the favor, but before Elizabeth could gather enough snow for a snowball, she was also boofed as Agnes’ affectionate pat sent her sprawling. They both lay in the snow and took turns throwing snow at Agnes, who thought this was hilarious and ran about wildly each time the cold spray hit her face. Finally, Ian rolled to his feet and helped Elizabeth to hers. Agnes promptly gave up the game and came to lean affectionately against the two of them.
“What a beauty,” Ian breathed, but he looked up and met Elizabeth’s eyes as the words left his mouth.
“She is, isn’t she?” Elizabeth said, and Ian nodded.
“Yes.” He leaned in and kissed her, a soft, friendly kiss, and when Elizabeth did not protest, he stepped closer and kissed her again. His arms went gently around her, and Elizabeth slipped her own around him, standing in the cold snow, kissing him as if in a dream.
Excerpt 2
December first. Elizabeth Jordan opened the last box of Christmas ornaments with a heavy heart, trying not to pretend she had been putting off this box on purpose. This box was a very special one, holding the ornaments of every pet she had had since she was a child: a Maltese, three Shelties, two tiny birds, and a Golden Retriever. All had lived long happy lives except one, Sam, her faithful Golden Retriever.
Sam had been lost to cancer, suddenly, painfully, and though two years had passed she still missed him very much. Her twelve-year-old daughter, Izzy, longed for another dog, but Elizabeth knew she would never be able to survive the pain of losing another dog like that. Life had no guarantees, she knew, but having also lost her husband to cancer, she felt safer keeping her heart closed.
“Mom!!” Izzy had a note in her voice that Elizabeth didn’t understand, but the high-pitched cry brought her running. Izzy stood by the French doors, staring in amazement.
“It’s Sam! Look, it’s Sam!”
Elizabeth knew it could not be Sam, but the sight of the large white dog gracefully clearing their fence to run through the backyard certainly made her think it was. Without thinking, she pulled open the doors and ran outside, Izzy on her heels, carrying the boots Elizabeth had forgotten as she raced across the yard.
“Here boy!” Elizabeth called, and the dog paused and turned back. Even as their eyes met Elizabeth knew this wasn’t Sam; this dog was either very pregnant or had recently whelped. Elizabeth had zero experience in those matters, but she clapped her hands and called. “Here! It’s okay.”
The dog loped toward her and allowed Elizabeth and Izzy to pet her majestic head as Elizabeth felt for a collar or a chip beneath her white fur. Which, upon a closer look, was matted and filthy.
“No collar,” she told Izzy, and then the dog turned away and crossed the yard, leaping into the neighbor’s yard behind them.
Not sure why, Elizabeth followed, but not before she pulled on the boots Izzy handed her. She watched curiously as the dog went up the neighbor’s front steps and tried to peer inside. Looking for her puppies? Elizabeth wondered. She didn’t know these neighbors well, only that they weren’t friendly, and their dog was a Coon Hound, who began to bark frantically at this intrusion.
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Maiya’s New Year’s Wish, by Marie Morton:
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Maiya Collins finds herself swept into an
unexpected holiday romance in the sun-kissed paradise of St. Croix.
Yet, a misunderstanding threatens to shatter her dreams. As the New
Year’s countdown approaches, she must confront her doubts. Can love
prevail, or will her island romance become another broken resolution?
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The Naughty List Nightmare, by Erika Kilmer Freidley:
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Love, traditions, and a mythical menace
collide as Thea and Bash get involved in a festive fight to save
Pittsburgh’s children.
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Winter Wonderland by Elizabeth Edgar:
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Cinderella made her own gown and found her
Prince Charming, but will they get their fairy tale ending?
.
.
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Don’t miss your chance to purchase this collection while it is available.
.
Proceeds benefit First Coast Romance Writers, an independent non-profit organization that
helps writers hone their craft and expand their knowledge of the
publishing industry.
The authors participating in this anthology are members of First Coast
Romance Writers (FCRW), and proceeds from this anthology benefit
their organization. FCRW is a non-profit that welcomes both published
and unpublished authors, as well as any individuals involved in
writing and publishing. The chapter is dedicated to promoting
excellence in romantic fiction through monthly meetings and workshops
in a comfortable forum. They strive to help writers establish careers
by providing innovative programs, networking opportunities and
pertinent information on effective marketing techniques. Learn more
about FCRW online at https://www.firstcoastromancewriters.com
Meditation and Mischief: Magical Mystery Book Club by Elizabeth Pantley
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Meditation and Mischief: Magical Mystery Book Club Paranormal Cozy Mystery 8th in Series Setting – A resort on a tropical island Better Beginnings, Inc. (September 15, 2024) Print length : 327 pages Digital ASIN : B0CVW72ND4
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When this club selects a book, magic happens!
This book club does more than read their books – they are absorbed into them to become the amateur sleuths! In order to leave the book, they must solve the mystery and reach The End.
In this journey they travel to The Golden Island Wellness Retreat for yoga, meditation, workshops, and spa treatments. They’ll bond with nature and improve their spiritual wellbeing. They’ll find their inner peace – and a dead body, of course.
Graduates from an acting college have gathered at the retreat for their ten-year reunion. Old friends reconnect, but apparently, so have old enemies. The book club must evaluate the attendees to determine whose baggage has led to murder.
~~~~~
Enjoy this peek inside:
Frank strolled into the room, hopped up on the counter and stretched. His nose and whiskers twitched. “Ahhh, the life enriching aroma of fresh coffee. Which of my dear friends can I count on to prepare me a bowlful?”
“I gotcha, Frank,” said Forrest.
“While you’re at it, can you pour me a cup?” asked Sebastian, who was busy at the griddle whipping up a stack of pancakes.
“And me, please,” called Valeria over her shoulder as she took stacks of plates and bowls out of the cabinet.
The bustle of the kitchen continued until the counter was loaded with food and a second fresh pot of coffee was brewing. The peacefulness of last night had morphed into the high energy of anticipation that buzzed through the air. Today we’d pick a new book and embark on an unknown journey into a cozy mystery book. It was funny to think that in the old days a trip to the theater in the city, or a hike through the park were the only journeys I took. Now I knew I could land anywhere in the world – this world or another one – and I’d meet some kind of paranormal beings and be instrumental in solving a mystery. All with this motley group of people who’d become like family to me. Well … people, a talking cat, and a friendly ghost. My life had certainly changed.
Brunch was served and we sat around the table chatting and eating.
“I know your library has only cozy mysteries,” said Valeria. “But wouldn’t it be great to go into other kinds of books, too?”
“No,” said Zell, wrinkling up her face. “Cozies are all I ever read.”
“Wouldn’t you like to venture into a nice romance story?” Sebastian made kissing noises.
“Heaven forbid,” chortled Zell. “Any men my age would be wrinkled old prunes.”
Sebastian spit out his coffee, and several of us laughed along with him, including Zell.
“What about biographies about famous people, then?” asked Valeria.
“Boring.” Frank gave an exaggerated yawn.
“I’d enjoy a travel book,” said Moonbeam. “It would be fun to explore a new place without having the added stress of a mystery to solve.”
“If you mean tour groups and taking pictures of old cathedrals, count me out,” said Sebastian. “We get to travel to places not on any map or globe and meet paranormal beings! That’s far more interesting to me. I mean, we got to visit a sprite kingdom, Moon! How much better does it get than that?”
Moonbeam smiled. “I did love the fairies.”
By the time we dilly-dallied over our meal, caught up with everyone’s news, and had taken our time cleaning the kitchen, over two hours had passed. People were already filling small plates of food to carry downstairs to our book club meeting. We rarely had leftovers with this group.
Zell didn’t even wait for us to leave the kitchen before she pulled out her drum and slung it around her neck. She handed her plate to Sebastian and began tapping out a drumroll as she marched toward the basement door. Everyone followed her in a parade of excitement.
Forrest, Valeria, and Atticus had grabbed pairs of chopsticks and were tapping out rhythms on the end tables and coffee table. The fact that all of them were playing different rhythms didn’t seem to bother them at all.
Moonbeam began her ritual chant asking for the spirits of exploration and adventure to fill the room, and Sebastian joined her, while tapping out his own rhythm with a pair of spoons. Mollie swooped up to blow gently on the chandelier which added a pleasant tinkling to the diverse orchestra.
I made my way to the front and put my hand on the doorknob. All the tapping, chanting, and tinkling came to a halt, and an air of expectation surrounded us. I began the countdown, and everyone joined in.
“Five … four … three … two … one!”
~~~~~
About Elizabeth Pantley
Elizabeth writes well-loved cozy mysteries in two series: The Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic book series and the Magical Mystery Book Club series.
Elizabeth lives in the Pacific Northwest and Arizona, two very different places. Both are rich, gorgeous, natural places, and inspire the settings in many of her books.
Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2024! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!
.
.
I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!
~~~~~
Snowblind
by Michael McBride
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Genre: Horror
MY REVIEW
“They come at night.”
“And no one ever survives to betray their existence.”
Catch your attention yet? It sure caught mine. I ate this scenario up. Four guys go on their annual elk hunt in the Rocky Mountains. I love it when the environment of cold and snow plays a role in survival. There are some other hunters out there. But it’s not elk there after. The have a different trophy in mind. There’s a beast out there. Who’s hunting who?
I loved this book. From the first page I was rubbing my hands together, excited and eager. And the author didn’t let me down. I loved this book. It read so fast yet I still became familiar with the characters. Rollicking good fun.
5 STARS
~~~~~
Synopsis
They come at night.
Forward.
A stranger staggers out of the wilderness under the cover of a blizzard and stumbles into a diner full of people. He collapses in the entryway, unzips his jacket, and allows the object hidden inside to fall out. Screaming commences.
Down.
Four old college buddies embark upon their annual elk hunting trip into the Rocky Mountains. This promises to be their last, for the passage of time is as merciless and unpredictable as the Colorado weather. And they’re not alone.
Help.
There are other hunters in the mountains, stalking game of a different breed. They know exactly what they’re doing, because they’ve been hunting in these woods for a long, long time. And no one ever survives to betray their existence.
Barks and Clues: A Canine Cozy Mystery by Sharon Michaels
Barks and Clues: A Canine Cozy Mystery Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Setting – Small Town USA Publisher : Independently published (May 22, 2024) Paperback : 105 pages ISBN-13 : 979-8326299345 Digital ASIN : B0CVVD5Y67 (February 29, 2024)
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If you like a cozy mystery that has… A fun, clean whodunit with twists and turns. Three generations of one family sleuthing together. Dog detectives sniffing out clues and bad guys. A small town with hidden secrets. A close-knit community coming together to solve crime. … then this is the short read book for you.
Retired police detective Maya Thompson is living a quiet life in the small town of Sunridge Junction with her son, Ethan, and her granddaughter, Lily. When their peaceful neighborhood is hit by a string of break-ins, Maya suspects there might be more to these crimes than meets the eye. Together, Maya, Ethan, Lily and their three clever and adventurous dogs, Digger, Dash, and Daisy, begin investigating the burglaries.
The dogs follow their noses, and the humans follow the dogs to an old fishing shack and a mysterious inventor. The man claims his innocence and insists he is being framed for the break-ins. The reclusive inventor explains that someone is trying to sabotage him and steal his inventions. He pleads with the crime-solvers to help prove his innocence and bring the true culprits to justice. Maya reluctantly agrees, finding it difficult to let go of her desire for justice.
With its quirky characters, fun plot twists, and a sprinkling of canine charm, this book is a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries and anyone who believes that heroism has no age limit.
About Sharon Michaels
Bestselling author Sharon Michaels writes sweet, clean, and fun cozy mystery short reads about mature, smart women and men who know how to enjoy life. Small towns, close friends, a hint of romance, and a fur-baby or two makes solving mysteries fun and exciting.
Today I happily write in the cactus filled desert of the southwest United States. My extremely supportive husband and I love exploring the beauty of our country. As I travel, I write fun and interesting things in my notebook so I can share these memories with you in stories and books.
Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2024! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!
.
.
I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!
~~~~~
Alligator
by Shelley Katz
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Genre: Horror
MY REVIEW
I love finding oldies like this when scouring the shelves at my favorite used book store. What a fun cover. Take a close look. It says $1.95. You can’t purchase it anymore unless you’re lucky like I was.
The Everglades. An inhospitable swamp where it seems like everything wants to kill you. I love it when the location and nature are a character all their own. In the beginning… the author gives you carnage. A huge alligator is munching on people. Then you’re introduced to a bunch of characters. Some aren’t that important but some play a pivotal role in pushing the story forward. And forward it races like a bat out of…. you know what I mean.
Two men. The Everglades. Danger everywhere. And a giant crocodile hunting them. It’s them against nature. It’s man against man. And it’s freakin’ wild.
5 STARS
~~~~~
Synopsis
The Everglades – Florida’s Green Hell, a kingdom of infested swamps ruled by a hideous reptile king: ALLIGATOR!
The ‘gator was a twenty-foot giant. His jaws could crush a powerful man to pulp. His lashing tail could smash a tree to matchwood. And his brutal, mindless lust for killing was insatiable.
No man who had gone hunting the devil of the Everglades had come back alive. But Lee Ferris and Rye Whitman were different. Violent death to them was a challenge and they were drawn inexorably together by a mutual hatred and need that would give them no rest. Until they had met—and conquered—the most savage nightmare the swamps had ever known…
ALLIGATOR is a drama-filled saga of savage action and nerve-wrenching suspense—the greatest novel of courageous man against murderous beast since JAWS.
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Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.
Publication date: October 1st 2024
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
. Win the game. Change the world.
Winning the show means living forever. It is the golden ticket to fame, fortune, and a place among the vampire elite.
Being remade isn’t on my wish list. I like being me, and with nearly a million online followers, it’s working. My parents and big sister are the do-gooders in our family who want to make the world a fair and just place for all humans and paranormal creatures. I just want to finish high school and keep doing what I do best—sharing hair and beauty tips while discussing Spellcaster and how the show’s vampire judge Malachi Rayne is the hottest male on the planet.
Then, life as I know it ends. There are evil forces who will stop at nothing to maintain world dominance—indefinitely.
It’s hard to care when I’ve become dead inside and out.
After my family is violently attacked, the host of Spellcaster insists I audition for Season 13. For the first time in the show’s history, they want to represent every species of paranormals. That’s me now. Not human. Not vampire. Not the class of creature anyone EVER cheers for.
This season’s prize is power beyond anyone’s imagination. It is the kind of reward that contestants and their sponsors would kill to possess.
Let the other contestants and judges underestimate me. They can gossip all they want about the hotshot wizard and the alpha werewolf behaving as though I’m another prize to be won. And if Coach Malachi can’t handle a bold influencer with abilities, then he can suck it. I preferred watching him from the other side of the screen. He’s about to discover that Haylee Hutchins is a force to be reckoned with. The whole world will.
Someone thought they could silence my family for good. Instead, they created a monster. I’m still here, and I am much harder to kill.
Everything is spinning. My body. My vision. My brain. I clamp my mouth shut to keep from vomiting. The cleaning crew just got the stage cleaned. Then there’s the second reason I keep my lips pressed tight. I refuse to beg Malachi for mercy.
My hands flail and grasp for something to hold on to, but the wind rushing between my fingers is no help. If this is what flying feels like, then it’s highly overrated. I lean forward in an attempt to go vertical, which has the ill effect of pitching me forward so I catch a brief view of how far I am from the stage. My body flips around another time. I don’t want to land on my feet and crush my ankles. I certainly don’t want to land on my head and shatter my skull. I don’t want to break anything on my body!
If I won this season’s prize, I could defend myself instead of swirling helplessly like the roof of a house caught in a tornado.
The wind rips out my hair tie and blows my braid out in an instant. Blond hair whips me in the eyes. My body begins to descend slowly, while the spinning continues in full force. The tornado fades little by little into the stage until I am set down gently and it disappears altogether. I try to remain standing while the theater seats and stage continue to spin, but I tilt to one side and misstep. Thump. I fall to the stage, sprawled out on my side. It could have been worse, though. Way, way worse.
It’s a little hard to feel grateful as partially digested lunch rushes up my throat. I swallow it down.
Malachi stomps over. “What the hell was that, Hutchins?”
Great. He’s using my last name. The coaches never use contestants’ last names. I must be in trouble.
It’s a serious effort to get to my feet, which takes outstretched arms to keep my balance, but I’m not about to listen to this lecture in a crumpled heap on the stage.
My loose hair tickles my cheeks. I swallow again and cover my mouth with my hand. Malachi’s not in my face, but I don’t want him scenting my vomit breath. Well, not technically breath, but whatever foul waft might originate from the leftover taste on my tongue.
Malachi doesn’t wait for me to answer his question before drilling into me. “First rule of magical combat—never lose hold of your wand.”
“You lost yours,” I mutter, which is the wrong thing to say.
.
About Author Nikki Jefford:
Nikki Jefford is a third-generation Alaskan nomad married to an amazing Frenchman. She loves fictional bad boys and heroines who kick butt! Books, travel, TV series, hiking, writing, and motorcycle riding are her favorite escapes. The dark side of human nature fascinates her, so long as it’s balanced by humor and romance.
To get in on the fun and adventure, visit Nikki at her website for release alerts, updates, exclusive giveaways, and a free story when you subscribe to her newsletter: https://nikkijefford.com/newsletter/
Bad Boy: A Jason Davey Mystery Musical Mystery 5th in Series Setting – UK: London and Derbyshire Publisher : Winona Kent / Blue Devil Books (September 26, 2024) Print length : 278 pages ASIN : B0D9PFYXB4
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Fresh from a 34-day, 18-city tour of England, professional musician and amateur sleuth Jason Davey accepts an invitation from a fan, Marcus Merritt, to meet at Level 72 of The Shard to sign one of his band’s programs. Marcus hands him the booklet, then leaps to his death from the open viewing platform. Thus begins a week-long quest, during which Jason is tasked with retrieving a stolen collection of scores by England’s most famous composer, Sir Edward Elgar.
Marcus shared Elgar’s love of eccentric puzzles and games, and the challenging clues he’s assembled for Jason seem to mirror the 14 themes in Elgar’s renowned Enigma Variations. Jason’s journey takes him to Derbyshire and then back to London, and a four-hour walking tour of Soho’s lost music venues where, in Denmark Street, he faces a life-threatening battle with two adversaries: a treacherous Russian gangster who is also hunting for the stolen collection, and Marcus’s sister—who holds the key to a decades-old mystery involving a notorious London crime lord’s missing daughter.
Bad Boy is the fifth book in Winona Kent’s mystery series featuring jazz musician-turned-amateur sleuth Jason Davey.
About Winona Kent
Winona Kent is an award-winning author who was born in London, England and grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, where she completed her BA in English at the University of Regina. After moving to Vancouver, she graduated from UBC with an MFA in Creative Writing and a diploma in Writing for Screen and TV from Vancouver Film School.
Winona’s writing breakthrough came many years ago when she won First Prize in the Flare Magazine Fiction Contest with her short story about an all-night radio newsman, “Tower of Power”.
Her debut novel Skywatcher was a finalist in the Seal Books First Novel Award and was published by Bantam Books in 1989. This was followed by a sequel, The Cilla Rose Affair, and her first mystery, Cold Play, set aboard a cruise ship in Alaska.
After three time-travel romances (Persistence of Memory, In Loving Memory and Marianne’s Memory), Winona returned to mysteries with Disturbing the Peace, a novella, in 2017 and the novel Notes on a Missing G-String in 2019, both featuring the character she first introduced in Cold Play, professional jazz musician / amateur sleuth Jason Davey.
The third and fourth books in Winona’s Jason Davey Mystery series, Lost Time and Ticket to Ride, were published in 2020 and 2022. Her fifth Jason Davey Mystery, Bad Boy, was published in 2024.
Winona also writes short fiction. Her story “Salty Dog Blues” appeared in Sisters in Crime-Canada West’s anthology Crime Wave in October 2020 and was nominated as a finalist in Crime Writers of Canada’s Awards of Excellence for Best Crime Novella in April 2021. “Blue Devil Blues” was one of the four entries in the anthology Last Shot, published in June 2021, and “Terminal Lucidity” appeared in the Sisters in Crime-Canada West anthology, Women of a Certain Age (October 2022). “On the Internet, Nobody Knows You’re a Dog”, will appear in the upcoming Sisters in Crime-Canada West anthology, Dangerous Games (October 2024).
A collection of Winona’s short stories, Ten Stories That Worried My Mother, was published in 2023.
Winona has been a temporary secretary, a travel agent , a screenwriter and the Managing Editor of a literary magazine. She’s currently the national Vice-Chair and the BC/YT rep for the Crime Writers of Canada and is also an active member of Sisters in Crime – Canada West
Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2024! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!
.
.
I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!
~~~~~
Whisper
by Raymond Van Over
Genre: Horror
MY REVIEW
This one is a blast from the past. I scour the shelves at used book stores looking for ones like this. It was published in 1991 and has that old book smell. Yippee!
And the story. Yes! It was everything I’d hoped it would be. It started tragically. Brion, a young boy, saw his dog, Whisper, deliberately run over. But Whisper didn’t stay dead. He came back. But different. And deadly.
The cover caught my eye. The synopsis hooked me. The beginning reeled me in. I was wrapped up in it. Then I remembered I was standing in a bookstore. I took my treasure to the counter and made my purchase. I wanted to start reading the moment I got home. I waited. If it was as good as I hoped, I wanted to have the time to read it straight through. Turns out the wait was the right move. I did read it straight through and it was a most satisfying read from beginning to end.
5 STARS
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Synopsis
When Brion’s dog, Whisper, is hit by a car, ancient magic from a mysterious stranger seems to cure the pet’s wounds–but it also turns the animal into a predator with an insatiable thirst for human blood
