(The) Author cares about her characters, and plans her mysteries so that protagonist Eve has plenty of opportunities, and reasons, to grow and evolve, to make the choice to be “the better person”… ~Mallory Heart’s Cozies
I enjoyed this book, the characters are fun and a story line with plot twist that will keep you hooked until the end. ~Shelley’s Book Case
Ms. Diehl write such great stories with characters so full of life. ~Community Bookstop
I would call this a classic cozy. You have enough wacky, eclectic characters to make every reader happy… ~Laura’s Interests
I’m a southern gal and there’s nothing more fun than reading a story set in the land that offers you tasty mudbugs, pecan pie, and sweet tea.
Eve Appel came to Sabal Bay, Florida to start fresh. While waiting for her building to be refurbished, she and her friend Madeleine have taken her business on the road, literally. A friend loaned her an RV and she’s fixed it up as a consignment shop on wheels.
Business is brisk until the gals join a protest against a mud bog event. The giant trucks tear up the swampland and kill or destroy the habitat of local wildlife. It’s not just the town folk boycotting the business they have to worry about after the host’s head literally lands in Eve’s hands.
Okay, I snickered. I could just see it. Those big truck tires slinging mud all over the place, and then this head comes flying out. And once Eve realizes what she’s caught, she knows she can’t just toss it. It’s evidence at a crime scene.
It’s a free for all as accusations get slung, finger’s point to suspects, and some damning evidence is discovered, along with a convenient anonymous tip.
With so many suspects to choose from, it’s not an easy mystery to solve. So enjoy the ride as the author introduces you to her colorful cast of characters from south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Two of my favorite things about cozies are the characters and the small towns portrayed in them. I had a blast meeting these characters and the town felt familiar. The charming, fun mystery kept me sifting through the clues and snorting at some outrageous scenes. There’s also a bit of a love triangle. Kind of. Sort of.
This is the fourth book in the series, but you can read this one without having read the other three. I did. The author drops in some tidbits about previous events and some character insight without barely a hiccup in the story’s flow.
I hope you give this book a go. I pinkie swear you’ll have fun.
4 Stars
~~~~~
Synopsis
When Jenny McCleary leases her property to be ravaged by the annual mud bog races, the small rural town of Sabal Bay, Florida, is divided into warring camps: environmental activists versus monster truck fans. Jenny, who frequents the consignment store owned by Eve Appel and her friend Madeleine, doesn’t seem to mind when Eve and Madeleine join the protesters the day of the races.
During the race, Eve catches Jenny’s airborne head after it is tossed into the air by the wheels of a truck. Now every protester is a suspect in Jenny’s murder. What’s left of her alligator-gnawed body is found near the airboat business of Eve’s Miccosukee Indian friends, Sammy Egret and his grandfather. When more evidence turns up nearby, Grandfather is arrested.
Even without the disembodied head, Eve has her hands full. The town resents her role in the protests and is boycotting the consignment shop on wheels. She is torn between two men–GQ-handsome, devoted PI Alex and tall, dark, and exotic Sammy. Jenny’s sweet and needy teenage daughter is dating a petty criminal. Will Eve and Madeleine ever be able to move into their new digs? Not unless the town forgives them. And not if whoever decapitated Jenny gets to Eve before she and her sleuthing buddies solve the mystery.
Author Lesley A. Diehl
Lesley retired from her life as a professor of psychology and reclaimed her country roots by moving to a small cottage in the Butternut River Valley in upstate New York. In the winter she migrates to old Florida—cowboys, scrub palmetto, and open fields of grazing cattle, a place where spurs still jingle in the post office, and gators make golf a contact sport. Back north, the shy ghost inhabiting the cottage serves as her literary muse. When not writing, she gardens, cooks and renovates the 1874 cottage with the help of her husband, two cats and, of course, Fred the ghost, who gives artistic direction to their work.
She is the author of a number of mystery series (Microbrewing Series, Big Lake Mystery Series, Eve Appel Mystery Series and the Laura Murphy Mysteries), a standalone mystery (Angel Sleuth) and numerous short stories.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB at Books And A Beat.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
My Teaser for this week is from
Who Walks The Night
by L D Freitag
Genre: Paranormal / Mystery / Romance
My teaser from 32% in the eBook.
“Don’t fuss, Rose. I had to tinkle and accidentally fell into an open grave. They got me out, then Alix fell in.”
This was such a funny scene.
~~~~~
Read on if you want to know more.
My Review
I picked this one up for free on Amazon. What a great way to discover new authors. And you can bet I’ll be reading more by L.D.
The beginning of this book isn’t filled with action and scares. It’s all about Alix and her new lighthouse. When her abusive husband dies in a car wreck, she’s surprised to discover he had a very hefty life insurance policy and she wastes no time starting over.
It was fun to go with Alix on her shopping sprees. She needed everything to build her new nest. And along the way she made some fun friends and met a new man. Sweet, sexy Michael.
And what’s a lighthouse without a ghost or two? It starts with a few noises, then becomes threatening.
There was more fun as Alix and a couple of her elderly relatives went on a paranormal investigation gig with some of her new friends. Those ladies had such fun.
To add even more fun, Alix takes in a stray dog and he transforms into an adorable companion. There are several four legged characters and they all have their own personalities. I always enjoy that in a book.
Lots of fun, great characters, and a few boos to keep you on your toes. Give this one a go if you enjoy light mysteries with a bit of romance.
4 Stars
~~~~~
Synopsis
Alexandra Olson follows her dream to restore an old lighthouse on the shores of Lake Michigan. She soon discovers that things aren’t quite right in her new home. Footsteps echo down the hall, things move around on their own, and strange noise break the silence of the night. As she begins renovations, the unnatural activity intensifies, leaving no doubt that her home is haunted. In her search for answers, she joins the local ghost-hunting group, Door County Paranormal. Activity escalates as she digs deeper into the history of her property, and the haunting takes a violent turn. Will she be able to discover the source of the haunting before its too late, or will a town’s secrets enable the lighthouse to claim another victim?
Never has that saying, ” hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” echoed more loudly. Dumped by her husband for a newer, younger model, Pam is reluctant to oblige her ex-husbands death bed request to come visit him.
She rethinks this when she realizes it’s the perfect opportunity to dish out a little of the cold dish called revenge.
Ah, what a sordid, deliciously evil tale of what goes around comes around. Yeah, I know. A lot of cliches here. But they fit this little tale so well.
When Fatal Attraction first aired at the cinema. I bet a whole lot of men thought twice about incurring a woman’s wrath. Too bad Pam’s ex didn’t. How this all plays out is so dark and dirty, yet it had me rubbing my hands in glee. I’m team Pam!
For all of you fans of Karin’s books and in need of a fix, I highly recommend you treat yourself to this short, wicked morsel.
4 Stars
~~~~~
Synopsis
First comes love.
Then comes marriage.
Then comes revenge.
In this sensational short story from the bestselling author of The Kept Woman and Pretty Girls, fifty-two-year-old Pam has done her utmost as a loyal wife to her now ex-husband John. He dropped her cruelly . . . but with a terminal illness about to claim his life, Pam now sees an opportunity to settle the score, in a way that no one—not their children, not her ex, and certainly not the reader—will see coming . . .
Surprising, suspenseful, and diabolically clever, Cold, Cold Heart offers old fans and new readers alike a taste of the writer Gillian Flynn calls “one of the finest crime novelists at work today.”
~~~~~
Author Karen Slaughter
Karin Slaughter is the #1 internationally bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including the Will Trent and Grant County series and the instant New York Times bestselling standalones, Cop Town and Pretty Girls. There are more than 35 million copies of her books in print around the world.
The Emerald Key by Mark Frederickson & Melora Pineda
Penny and Laci are headed for a mundane summer vacation until a mysterious journal unlocks a portal to another world and they find themselves face to face with a baby dragon. In an attempt to send their new acquisition back to its home, the girls, along with two neighborhood friends, get sucked through to a mythical world. In this land, they must battle foes seen and unseen, pushing them to both their physical and mental limits. If they fail to stop the powers they’ve unleashed, it could not only destroy this strange world, but also annihilate their own.
Praise for The Emerald Key
“In The Emerald Key, authors Mark Frederickson and Melora Pineda take readers on a fast-paced journey sure to enthrall not only middle-grade readers but their parents, as well. Laci and Penny will appeal to anyone looking for strong, resourceful female characters and the side characters are well-developed and hilarious, too (my favorite might be Buzz!).”
– Author Julie Gardner
“If you like fantasy and want adventure, this book is for you! It is entertaining for adults as well as middle-grade students…Just when you think there’s nothing new anyone could offer in a fantasy, these two authors prove you wrong. They have created a very believable new world fraught with danger and excitement at every turn. I couldn’t put it down.”
– Dani B
“I love the vivid characters and the way you can picture all the action…I would recommend this book for any age and it is a book that grandparents can buy for their grand kids and know that it is an exciting story and a safe read.”
– Amazon Customer
“A real page turner, loved it. This book is funny and an adventure story for both young and old readers. I’m looking forward to the next book!”
– MJP
Excerpt:
THE PIRATES
Hallvard was gallantly dueling the taller pirate, while Ethan and Buzz were hitting the short smelly one with a stick and throwing dirt into his face. Ethan hauled off with all his might and swatted the pirate in the head, knocking him down. The rotund pirate tried to get back up and grab his sword, but stumbled and fell just as Buzz hit him in the face with a giant dirt clod. Buzz grabbed the sword, but the weight of it caused him to fall over. Ethan took it away before Buzz hurt himself.
“It’s clear; let’s go,” Penny said to Verge and Laci. As they exited the woodshed, running for the top of the knoll, Penny motioned for Ethan and Buzz to follow. They sprinted up the hill, with the smelly pirate in pursuit.
Mark was born and raised in Southern California. He graduated UC Santa Barbara with a degree in film and has worked in the film industry for years. He has written several screenplays and had a show optioned by MTV. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Rebecca and his daughter Sara. This is his first novel, and hopefully not his last.
After Melora graduated from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, she worked in the television industry for several years before becoming a library volunteer at her daughters’ school. Her passion for both reading and entertainment inspired her to write. This is her first novel. She currently lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, daughter, and a pet bunny and a fish. Oh…never mind, the fish died.
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
This isa Tag Team Event hosted by myself and Sherry.
Read on to learn how you can win some great prizes!
After reading my review, head on over to Sherry’s blog at fundinmental. Check out her review and leave a comment to enter her giveaway for another chance to win!!
~~~~~
Girl Of Mine
by Taylor Dean
Genre: Contemporary Romance
My Review
Taylor has written another sweet romance to leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Not being much of a romance reader myself, it never ceases to me amaze me when I read one of her books and lose track of time. I never can stop until I reach the end.
Lucas Graham is desparate. One stupid act may have lost him the girl of his dreams. His soulmate. Now he’ll have to do whatever it takes to win her back. And he only has four days to do it. That’s all the leave he has before he’s shipped off to Iraq.
But the four days aren’t his biggest challenge. The biggest one will be getting Jill to stand still long enough to make his case. He did dump her practically at the altar. And now she’s engaged to someone else. He can’t expect her to welcome him back with open arms. It will call for drastic measures.
If it takes drastic measures to win her back, so be it. With Luke being a police officer and soldier, I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions on how he pulls that off.
Let the fun begin.
This situation and the characters are very believable. And while it may sound familiar, like something you’ve read before or seen in a movie, Taylor’s writing makes it all new and fun. You can’t help but feel sad and mad for those that are wronged. Angry at the ones that take advantage. And fearful that there won’t be a happy ending.
Taylor Dean’s romance stories always give your heart strings little tugs and take you back to that moment. The moment you realized you were in love.
In the end, she leaves you with a goofy grin, misty eyes, and a pile of tissues. Might want to have a box handy before you start this one.
4 Stars
A quote I loved.
“I have to fight my love for you, when all I really want to do is give in to it.”
~~~~~
Synopsis
HE CAME HOME
The year is 2003 and Captain Lucas Graham is at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, about to be deployed to Iraq. A few weeks ago, he broke his engagement with Jillian Barrett, leaving her stunned and heartbroken.
Knowing he can’t leave for war without putting his affairs in order, Luke obtains a four day pass with only one goal in mind: explain his life story to his former fiancée.
The problem: Jill is now engaged to another man.
But Luke isn’t giving up. He only has four days to gain an audience with Jill, even if he has to resort to drastic measures to do so.
A few years ago, on a business trip with my hubby, we were traveling home and made a pit stop for the night. My hubby had made reservations in a very nice hotel. This made the trip into a bit of a vacation rather than a drudgery-filled business trip.
Wonderful, right?
Wrong.
Instead, my overactive imagination took over.
The hotel was beautiful, but practically deserted. It was downright creepy. I turned into Stephen King for the night and imagined all kinds of scenarios.
The next morning, when we made it out of the hotel alive, I told my husband what had been in my thoughts the entire night. He was shocked by my dark thoughts. I feel like I could easily write horror novels. My mind goes there–and it’s a frightening place. I seriously don’t know how Stephen King sleeps at night.
At any rate, I’m not going to write horror novels, because I’d scare myself to death.
But I couldn’t help adding my imaginary experience into GIRL OF MINE.
Obviously it didn’t really happen and, of course, no one died. But the story tells what my mind conjured up while staying at a creepy hotel.
And when we left the hotel, I felt sooooooo relieved. . . . and so grateful my husband could come with me . . .
A writer’s mind can be a scary place.
Needless to say, I will NEVER stay in that hotel again.
Seriously, if it was the only place available and there was a huge snow storm outside . . . I’d sleep in the car.
Curious? Read on.
Keep in mind, this is actually a romance novel, and not a scary book at all.
Here’s the excerpt:
(Background: Troy, having been through a traumatic experience as a child, writes horror novels as an adult. He’s sharing a short story he wrote with his friends, Luke and Jill.)
“There’s this middle-aged couple, deeply in love with each other. They decide to treat themselves to a night at a fancy hotel for their anniversary. They arrive and the wife sees that the hotel is this huge high rise in a somewhat rundown area of downtown. She doesn’t really know why, but she feels uncomfortable. The hotel is beautiful, with lots of charm. It’s an older building that has recently been renovated and refurbished. But the area feels weird and kinda eerie. There are lots of cars in the parking lot, so she figures it’s a popular place and she’s just being silly.
“They go inside and there’s a wedding reception going on in the hotel’s party room. People are arriving in their finest clothing, bearing brightly wrapped gift bags. The atmosphere is happy and festive. The wife feels a little more comfortable. They take the elevator up to their tenth floor room. The floor is deserted and the wife feels a chill up and down her spine. For the sake of her husband, she squelches her fear, feeling silly. Their room is immaculate and superbly decorated. They relax for awhile and flip through the TV channels. They get amorous with each other, but we’ll leave that part out for now.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Luke says under his breath, making Jill grin.
“Get your mind out of the gutter, Graham.”
“Too late.” Luke winked at her and Jill felt herself blush.
Troy ignored him. “They dress and decide to head down to the hotel’s restaurant for dinner. They find everything is closed downstairs: the main restaurant, the snack kiosk, the salon, and the gift shop. Every single thing is closed for the evening, even though the posted hours say they should be open. Other than the party room, the place is deserted. There is a distinct lack of hotel patrons and employees, which the wife finds odd. The lone man at the front desk informs them that the hotel is catering their usual fare for the wedding reception and a limited menu for room service is available. The wife is feeling creeped out and really wants to pack up and leave, but she stays for her husband’s sake. This was her anniversary gift and she doesn’t want to ruin it.
“They go back to their room and decide to order room service. The husband makes a quick run to the ice machine and when he returns, he places a bottle of sparkling cider on ice to chill. The wife is touched by his thoughtfulness. They eat dinner in bed, watching a movie they chose on pay-per-view. Overall they have a romantic evening, filled with tender moments. In rare form, her husband constantly professes his love and how happy he is with her. He’s doting and speaks of some of their most treasured memories, things she hasn’t thought about for years. She’s thrilled, pleased with the state of her marriage, but the eerie feeling never leaves the wife and she has a hard time relaxing.
“She sleeps clinging to her husband and has several nightmares during the course of the evening. She awakens a few times to find her husband awake and simply staring at her. He tells her he loves her and to go back to sleep. She does, knowing she is safe. The husband works long hours and had been looking forward to sleeping in, but they both arise early and are eager to get on the road at first light. By unspoken agreement, a leisurely morning is nixed.
“The wife wonders if he is as creeped out by the hotel as she is, but doesn’t broach the subject. It’s almost as if speaking of the eerie feeling will make it real and bring it to life. They pack up and leave the room and the wife breathes a sigh of relief. She can’t get out of the hotel fast enough. As they walk down the hall toward the elevator, they pass the alcove where the ice machine is located. The wife glances inside and nearly trips on her own feet. The husband wraps his arm around her shoulder and whispers in her ear, ‘Just keep walking. Keep your eyes forward.’ The wife gulps in air, her breathing labored, but she does as he says, even though tears are now pouring down her face.”
“Wait. What did she see in the alcove?” Jill asked, absorbed in the story.
“Her husband’s dead body, lying in a pool of blood.”
Jill let out a shaky breath. “So . . . he’s . . .”
“A ghost,” Troy confirmed. “He walks her to the elevator in silence. Several people are in the elevator already. Her husband whispers in her ear, ‘Look no one in the eye.’ She does as he says, her hands shaking and her knees wobbling. When the elevator opens, the lobby is filled with nameless, expressionless people, staring blankly and wandering around aimlessly. ‘Just walk forward,’ her husband says and she obeys. He walks her to the glass door at the front of the hotel and pushes the door open. ‘Go,’ he says. ‘Don’t ever come back. Don’t even look back.’ The glass door closes, but the husband stays inside the hotel. Panicked, the wife turns back and tries to open the door. It’s locked. The husband stands there, his hand on the glass, a last farewell. ‘No!’ the wife screams. ‘Come with me.’ He shakes his head in the negative and mouths the words, ‘I love you.’ Suddenly the expressionless people come forward and the husband is engulfed by the masses, disappearing in the crowd. The wife turns and runs to her car.”
Troy didn’t say anything more as he looked between them with a sly grin.
“And?” Luke asked.
“And that’s the end,” Troy finished with a satisfied air.
At one point in the novel, Luke says this about Troy’s childhood experience:
And that’s why Troy writes horror novels. He makes for an interesting and complex character.
~~~~~
Author Taylor Dean
Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense—you’ll find all sub-genres of clean romance in her line-up.
To find out what Taylor Dean is up to, follow the links below:
Taylor Dean has a fantastic giveaway for you! Just look what you can win!
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For One Lucky winner! US Only
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And an eBook copy for two lucky International winners!
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All you need to do to enter is answer the question below, also let us know if you are US or International, and leave your email so I can contact you if you win.
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“Have you ever had a second chance at love?”
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Giveaway ends September 28th.
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This is a Tag Team Event hosted by myself and Sherry at fundinmental.
Now hop on over and check out Sherry’s review and leave a comment for another giveaway HERE.
The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.
Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!
My 56 for this week is from:
Doggone It
A Dreamwalker Mystery #3
by Maggie Toussaint
Genre: Mystery
From page 56 in the paperback.
“You were conducting a missing person’s investigation. And you can’t move yet because every part of you is waking up.”
“What do you mean?” Wayne’s voice was laced with suspicion. “What have you people done to me?”
~~~~~
This is an ARC copy. The book will be release October 19th.
Read on if you want to know more.
Synopsis
Dreamwalker Baxley Powell can’t remember the last time she had such a crappy weekend. A twilight encounter with a ghost dog left her numb and disoriented, her dreamwalker abilities are wiped out, and the sheriff just summoned her to a double homicide.
With no access to the spirit world, Baxley bluffs her way through the crime scene where a movie star s assistant and a charter boat captain were strung up and bled dry. In a haunted house, no less. Figuring out who killed these people will be a real challenge without her ability to speak to the dead.
Just when Baxley thinks her powers are returning, her dreamwalks malfunction. With the sheriff pushing her to solve the case quickly, Baxley teams up with a dognapping medium to boost her powers.
Suspects include Bee s good-for-nothing brother, the assistant’s replacement, and, of course, his stalker. All of Sinclair County is on edge, and the media circus isn t helping. At stake are the movie s funding, the sheriff s job, and Baxley s senses.
Can Baxley safeguard her abilities and solve the case before the killer strikes again?
Haunted houses, lost pirate treasure, conniving in-laws, supernatural baddies, and a determined ghost dog test amateur sleuth Baxley Powell s mettle in Book 3 of Toussaint s Dreamwalker Series.
A Story to Kill (A Cat Latimer Mystery) Cozy Mystery New Series Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Kensington (August 30, 2016) ISBN-13: 978-1496704351 E-Book ASIN: B0190HGVK6
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My Review
This has everything a cozy mystery lover requires.
Cat Latimer, widowed and back home again. Looking for a fresh start, she opens a writers retreat. She’s nervous and excited when she discovers none other than Tom Cook, a famous writer, is among the guests.
Imagine how shocked she is to stumble upon his dead body.
There’s plenty of suspects. A stalker fan, another guest with a grudge, and, according to his wife, a whole bunch of people who wish him dead.
Romance distracts Cat as she sifts for clues. Her old flame is also back in town. And he wastes no time letting her know he still carries a torch for her.
Lynn gives you much to ponder as there’s more than one mystery in these pages. Why did Cat’s dead ex-husband leave her the house? What’s with the weird woman who signed up for the retreat, but doesn’t take advantage of it? And who is the the rude guest, William Williams, and why does he appear to loathe Tom Cook? And let’s not forgot Tom’s widow. She appears out of nowhere and books a room. Why would she want to stay at the very place her husband was murdered in? And why doesn’t she appear to be more upset about his death?
See, I told you there’s more than one mystery. And there’s a whole lot of fun characters and suspects to sort out.
All the ingredients for a darn good cozy. This is the first book in the series, so jump in now. I’m sure this will be a fun one to follow.
4 Stars
~~~~~
Synopsis
Former English professor Cat Latimer is back in Colorado, hosting writers’ retreats in the big blue Victorian she’s inherited, much to her surprise, from none other than her carousing ex-husband! Now it’s an authors’ getaway—but Cat won’t let anyone get away with murder…
The bed-and-breakfast is open for business, and bestselling author Tom Cook is among its first guests. Cat doesn’t know why he came all the way from New York, but she’s glad to have him among the quirkier—and far less famous—attendees.
Cat’s high school sweetheart Seth, who’s fixing up the weathered home, brings on mixed emotions for Cat…some of them a little overpowering. But it’s her uncle, the local police chief, whom she’ll call for help when there’s a surprise ending for Tom Cook in his cozy guest room. Will a killer have the last word on the new life Cat has barely begun?
Author Lynn Cahoon
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, Lynn Cahoon is an Idaho native. If you’d visit the town where she grew up, you’d understand why her mysteries and romance novels focus around the depth and experience of small town life. Currently, she’s living in a small historic town on the banks of the Mississippi river where her imagination tends to wander. She lives with her husband and two fur babies.
It’s almost fall and that means you’ll be seeing a lot of zombies roaming around on my blog.
Got a good one to share with ya today.
Check it out.
Enjoy the author ‘s video Q&A and my review.
And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Zombie Uprising
Voodoo Child
Book One
William Burke
Genre: Horror/Paranormal with Action/Adventure
Publisher: William Burke
Date of Publication: June 17th 2016
ASIN: B01H9E4HDA
Number of pages: 333 / Word Count: 96,000
Cover Artist: Deranged Doctor
My Review
You’ll be taken from the hot, arid sands of Iraq to the lush, tropical beauty of the Lesser Antilles Island of Fantamos, in this thrilling adventure.
There be demons and zombies, voodoo and the supernatural, and more evil character’s with their own agendas than you can shake a stick at.
Maggie’s blown up, shot, bitten, and literally stomped on, but like the Energizer Rabbit, she keeps on keeping on. Tough, snarky, and with no time for romance, forces enter her life that change everything.
I really liked Maggie. She’s a survivor and always quick with some sarcasm and humor. I’d say that’s a must when the plot is filled with danger, suspense, and death. Having those lighter moments and witty dialogue lighten the mood, bringing the character’s to life and give you someone to connect to. And she’s not the only one you’ll enjoy meeting.
This is a busy story. So much is happening. You travel across the world. And the blend of voodoo, demons, and zombies make it a super fast read. Lots to keep you on the edge and eager to reach the end.
It doesn’t end here, as it’s a series and leaves you with some questions, but this part of the story gets wrapped up and hints at things to come. And there’s a zinger at the end which connects to the beginning that, with all of the action, you might have forgot about. I should have seen it coming. It does explain what I thought was a plot hole. Nicely done.
4 Stars
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Book Description
The forces of darkness are out to destroy mankind… Too bad they never reckoned on facing Maggie Child!
Army chopper pilot Maggie Child has a reputation for being fearless, professional and, above all, rational. But when she’s shot down over Iraq her well-ordered life spirals into a paranormal nightmare. Alone, wounded and surrounded by hostile forces, Maggie is rescued from certain death by a demon straight out of Dante’s Inferno. Then, barely alive, she’s abducted by a private military corporation conducting insidious medical experiments. Her escape from their covert hellhole lands her on a Caribbean island where an evil voodoo spirit and a psychotic female dictator are conspiring to unleash an apocalyptic zombie plague. Then she uncovers the most terrifying secret of all—her own destiny. It seems a Voodoo oracle has ordained her the only warrior capable of saving humanity from a supernatural Armageddon … whether she wants the job or not!
But saving the world isn’t a one-woman job, so she teams up with a trio of unlikely heroes—a conspiracy obsessed marijuana smuggler, a Voodoo priestess with an appetite for reality television, and a burnt out ex-mercenary. Together, they’ll take on an army of the walking dead, with the fate of humanity resting in their eccentric hands.
Voodoo Child, Book One: Zombie Uprising is the first novel in a new horror series packed with supernatural thrills, rousing adventure, dark humor, Voodoo lore and plenty of zombie stomping action. But a word of warning; don’t shoot these zombies in the head … because that just makes them mad!
It’s the legions of hell versus Maggie Child … and hell doesn’t have a prayer!
After two years of ghostwriting, William Burke has released his first novel VOODOO CHILD, Book One: Zombie Uprising. It’s the first installment of a new horror series chronicling the exploits of Maggie Child and her Voodoo priestess partner Sarafina as they battle to save the island of Fantomas from the wrath of evil Voodoo spirits.
The author was raised on a diet of late night creature features, comic books, Mad magazines and horror stories. As a result every volume will be packed with eccentric characters, dark humor, chills, zombies, ghosts, monsters, military hardware and plenty of stuff blowing up.
Prior to writing Voodoo Child he was the creator and director of the Destination America television series Hauntings and Horrors. He has also written scripts for two Cinemax television series, Forbidden Science and Lingerie, which he also produced. He has also written magazine pieces for Fangoria and the Phantom of the Movies Videoscope among others.
William began his film and television career as a perfectly respectable video engineer at the venerable United Nations. Budget cuts shifted him to becoming a production manager and assistant director on an array of New York based indie films. With that experience under his belt he relocated to Los Angeles where he eventually produced sixteen feature films and two television series for the Playboy Entertainment Group. After years of producing T&A extravaganzas, kickboxing epics and gangster rap videos, he created a self financed television pilot entitled American Mystery Tour. Canada’s CTV picked up the series under the title Creepy Canada, which was then re-titled Hauntings and Horrors in the USA. Since then he has successfully produced three series for HBO/Cinemax as well as documentaries and other … stuff.
After hundreds of hours of film and television production he is basking in the freedom of the written word, where small budgets and giant egos are only memories. He lives in Toronto.
If you enjoyed the first adventure please visit www.williamburkeauthor.com where you’ll find lots of interesting information about Voodoo and military hardware, along with excerpts from Sarafina’s personal diary AND, as a gift to readers, the author will be serializing a prequel novella.
Special Agent Omar Zagouri’s latest case is his most dangerous—and his most personal yet. The discovery of secret sixteenth-century letters unveils a plot between the sultan Suleyman and his chief wife, Roxelane, to change the course of the Ottoman Empire. A descendent of Roxelane, Zagouri learns he has an enemy whose revenge has been centuries in the making.
Targeted by an antiquities collector who’s also descended from a chief rival for the ancient throne, Zagouri soon uncovers a modern-day conspiracy that threatens the lives of his family and the security of a nation.
To expose the plot, Zagouri must team up with Naim, the son of his nemesis, who heads an international black-market operation that may have ties to the killings. From ancient Constantinople to the present-day Middle East, Zagouri is on a collision course with history. Time is running out to solve a royal mystery and stop a ruthless killer—one who has Zagouri’s name on his hit list.
Excerpt
Chapter One
Al Karak, Jordan
Rashed Sayid picked up his cell phone and selected his most trustworthy contact. The phone call would take only moments, but the result would teach the entire Sayid tribe what honor meant. He shut his third-floor office window, blocking out the rising heat of the Jordanian desert’s summer morning. He and his only brother owned the bank in the city of Al Karak, having started the bank three decades before, and now they were among the wealthiest in town.
“Yes?” Yamil answered.
“We have proof,” Rashed said into the phone.
“Four male witnesses?” Yamil asked.
Rashed blew out a breath. Yamil was a stickler for rules. An execution couldn’t be ordered unless there were four respected male witnesses to the crime. There were actually no witnesses, but Rashed knew his daughter was guilty. He had plenty of video footage of her leaving her university apartment more than once after midnight, and he also had other, less legal evidence. There was only one reason for his daughter’s midnight forays. Worst case scenario, Aamira was no longer a virgin. Next case scenario, she’d been tainted in some way by having a relationship with a man other than her fiancé. Rashed was still working on trying to find out whom she was meeting. But it was time to put the execution order into motion.
Praise for Slave Queen
“Moore does an excellent job of setting the scene of international intrigue, and although this novel is part of a series, it also works well as a stand-alone. The story jumps back and forth between the present and the past as Moore tells the story of Roxelane’s capture by the Turkish army and her subsequent love affair with Suleiman. Roxelane is an excellent, strong female character, and Moore brings some obscure players from the Ottoman Empire vividly to life. She even quotes from Suleiman’s actual poetry . . . to conjure a complex portrait of this larger-than-life figure. A satisfying historical thriller.” –Kirkus Reviews
“From sultans and hierarchies that separate men and women from Poland to Constantinople and beyond to new lives in great cities where mosques and sultans rule, these vivid past and present scenarios contribute to a story fueled by cultural revelations and the long-standing threat a series of letters reveals. The result is a fast-paced, complex, and absorbing adventure saga that crosses time and place to give Omar, Mia (and readers) a run for their money. Warning: once begun, it’s nearly impossible to put down the full-flavored, multi-faceted Slave Queen, which reveals many insights about the Ottoman Empire, Süleyman the Magnificent, and the slave girl foreigner who turned out to be his favorite wife.” –D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
Author H. B. Moore
H. B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen historical novels and thrillers, written under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes women’s fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom. Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt, the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in Utah.
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Mark Frederickson
Melora Pineda
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