Archive for the ‘giveaways’ Category

 

Yoga One For Me

by Eden Bloom

 

(Misty Falls, #1)
Publication date: October 30th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

They say you can’t outrun your problems, but that won’t stop me from trying…

Josie

It takes my boyfriend proposing for me to realize I need a new life plan, and fast! So I grab my yoga mat and hit the road. I talk my best friend into swapping places while I sort things out. Her small town of Misty Falls is incredible, and exactly what I need to rethink my life choices.

Everything is going great until I run into her brother Rake — literally — and my dinner ends up all over his clothes. Even covered in mashed potatoes, he’s gorgeous. Not that I care. The last thing I need is a relationship after just fleeing one…

Rake

The moment Josie dumps food on me, I know I’m done for. Between the tornado of a person she is and the unexpected surprise that she’s my sudden roommate, I’m in for a ride. But I’ve got too much at stake to let her become a distraction. My lifelong dream depends on staying away from her.

Even if it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Yoga One For Me is a sweet and funny romcom that will warm your heart. It’s a full-length standalone novel that takes place in a charming small town overlooking the beach. Once you step foot in Misty Falls, you won’t want to leave.

Goodreads / Amazon

Get it FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

I put down the yoga mat and check the fridge. It’s fully stocked with enough food to feed a football team. Raine went all out, and I only left her some bags to dump in the Crockpot. I owe her big time.

My mouth waters as I rifle through the contents of the fridge. I’m going to double my weight if I try to eat all of this before it goes bad. Most of it will end up in the freezer.

As my stomach roars, I make myself a plate of food and fill a glass with iced tea. Then I head for the dining room, my mouth watering.

I round the corner and crash into something. No, someone. A very tall and very muscular someone.

His eyes widen as my food smashes against his white button-down shirt and my black iced tea runs down his khaki pants, making it look like he wet himself. Maybe he did — I can be scary.

I scream. Smack his side with my plate. He’s surprisingly solid. “Get out!”

He backs up, holding out his hands. “Me? I live here. You get out!”

My pulse thrums in my ears. “No, I do. This is my house for the summer.”

“Says who?” He pulls mashed potatoes from his shirt and flops them onto my plate. His wavy, dirty-blonde hair blocks his face, and he brushes it aside getting food in it.

I get lost in his eyes for a moment. Until I remember that he’s an intruder, and my life is in danger. “Leave! Before I call the police.”

“Did you catch the part about me living here?”

I throw the potatoes back at him. “I don’t know who you are, but Raine said I’d have this house to myself.”

He’s really hot. Maybe he’s one of the guys she’s seeing, and he doesn’t realize she’s in Nevada. That makes sense. But why would he think he lives here?

“Where’s she?”

“If you live here, you should know.” I fold my arms.

He tilts his head, and while he looks menacing he also takes my breath away. “I don’t keep track of where my sister is.”

His sister? He’s Raine’s brother.

Crap. He really does have every right to be here.

Though we’ve never met, now I recognize him from the pictures I’ve seen over the years. He’s even taller and more gorgeous in person.

It takes me a moment to find my voice. “You’re Rake.”

“In the flesh.”

“You still have to leave. This isn’t part of my contract with Raine.” There is no contract. At least not on paper. But she did promise me the house to myself. That’s like a contract. In a way. Fine, it’s a stretch. But I’m going with it.

Rake’s brows furrow. “Leave? I need to shower, thanks to you.”

“After that, you can go.” I storm to my room, taking my useless plate of squished food with me. I’ve lost my appetite anyway.

.

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About Author Eden Bloom:

Eden has always lived in the Pacific Northwest, and it’s her favorite place to write about. She loves hiking in the great outdoors, sitting by lakes, watching waterfalls, and of course reading romantic comedies. There’s nothing like love and laughter to to lift a person’s spirits, and that’s a gift she hopes to share with all of her readers every time they open one of her books.

Goodreads / TikTok / Instagram

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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~~~~~

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.

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I am thrilled to be hosting a review spot on the WEST OF SUNDOWN Vol. 2 by Tim Seeley & Aaron Campbell, Jim Terry Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours.

Check out my review and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

WEST OF SUNDOWN Vol. 2: Youthful Blasphemy

Authors: Tim Seeley & Aaron Campbell, Jim Terry (Illustrations)

 

 

Pub. Date: July 25, 2023

Publisher: Vault Comics

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 144

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Find it: Goodreadshttps://books2read.com/WEST-OF-SUNDOWN-Vol-2

 

From Dusk Till Dawn and American Vampire meet The League of
Extraordinary Gentlemen 
in this terrifying tale of the Old West,
survival, blood, and monsters.

La Sangre es la Vida

The New Mexico town of Sangre De Moro has accepted its strange new residents:
beautiful vampire Constance Der Abend, her thrall, Frankenstein’s monster, and
the would-be mad scientist, Griffin. But a new threat has come for the
evil-saturated soil of the mesa: Dr. Moreau and his strange companions.

West of Sundown – where Hammer Horror and literary monsters
stake their claim in old New Mexico.

A Western tale of survival starring a cast of literary horrors from the
diabolical minds of Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash, Vampire: The Masquerade, Money
Shot
), Aaron Campbell (Hellblazer, Infidel), and Jim Terry (Vampirella,
Come Home, Indio
)!

For fans of WestworldRed Dead RedemptionAmerican
Vampire
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Hammer
Horror
 films, Universal monsters, and Preacher!

Collects the entire second arc, issues #6-#10, of the smash-hit series!

“If you like your horse operas bloody, if you thought The
Searchers
 was fine, except for all the missing vampires and werewolves
and monsters, then … Tim Seeley, Aaron Campbell, and Jim Terry have a book here
for you. Come walk with them through the Old West, and don’t trust them when
they tell you it’s all going to be fine. It’s not. And we wouldn’t have it any
other way.” —Stephen Graham Jones (New York Times bestselling
author of The Only Good IndiansMy Heart is a
Chainsaw 
and Don’t Fear the Reaper)

“Vigorous, bloody pulp fiction boned with fierce intelligence and blooded
with delicate observation. This just might be the start of the best monster
universe since Universal’s.” — Daniel Kraus (New York
Times
 bestselling author of The Shape of Water, Trollhunters,
and The Autumnal)

“Western gets weird in this gore-strewn, rollicking adventure set in the 1870s
…with a wink toward gothic Victorian horror.” – Publishers Weekly (Starred
Review)

.

Grab WEST OF SUNDOWN, VOL.
1 now!

 

.
MY REVIEW

Just, Whoa! I’m not sure what wowed me more. The bad guys or the really bad guys. The plot and the character’s background bits. The insane, gory action scenes. Or the visceral and almost too colorful graphics. Some of those violent fights…… ouch.

I love a good western. And I’m definitely in for the strange western. I fell down that rabbit hole, or should I say prairie dog hole, and didn’t find my way back out until the final word.

I have to hand it to the authors and illustrator. They had me liking characters that I probably shouldn’t, tugged at my heart a little, and gave me those monsters, human and other, that I can’t ever get enough of. And now I’m getting ready to read more and can’t wait to be wowed by these fine authors again.

5 STARS

~~~~~

Check out this peek inside:

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About Tim Seeley:

.

TIM
SEELEY
 is one
of those “slash” people…a writer-slash-artist. He has drawn a number of
different comic book series including G.I JOE, HALLOWEEN,
WILDCATS 
and ANT-MAN & WASP. His writing work
include NIGHTWING, MONEY SHOT , INJUSTICE v. MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE ,the
critically acclaimed REVIVAL, and the NY TIMES bestselling HACK/SLASH. He
resides in Chicago, Illinois with his wife, daughter and 80s action figure
collection.        Hometown:
Chicago, IL

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 .

 

About Aaron Campbell:

Aaron Campbell has been working as a comics artist for a
decade, and is now the co-writer of Vault Comics horror title, West
of Sundown
.  During his time in comics, he’s illustrated the
adventures of some of the world’s most iconic characters, including Hellblazer,
Batman, Harley Quinn, The Shadow, Green Hornet, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond,
and Infidel, working with such revered writers as Garth Ennis, Matt Wagner,
James Robinson, and Andy Diggle.
Hometown:  Albuquerque, NM

Website | Instagram | Goodreads

 

 

 

About Jim Terry:

.

JIM
TERRY 
is a
Native American comic book artist who’s memoir Come Home, Indio was a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize and the
Ignatz, as well as the artist on such titles as THE CROW, HACK/SLASH,
HEAVY METAL 
and more. He is currently working on WEST OF
SUNDOWN
 from Vault Comics. He lives in Chicago with his 4 cats.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

 

 

 

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

.

2 winners will receive a finished copy of WEST OF SUNDOWN Vol. 1 & WEST OF SUNDOWN
Vol. 2, US Only.

Ends August 15th, midnight EST.

.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

7/17/2023

Writer of Wrongs

Excerpt

7/18/2023

Sadie’s
Spotlight

Excerpt/IG Post

7/19/2023

Must Read Faster

Excerpt/IG Post

7/20/2023

Vamplit

Review/IG Post

7/21/2023

Two Chicks on Books

Excerpt/IG Post

7/22/2023

Fieldstone_lfl

IG Review/LFL Drop Pic

Week Two:

7/23/2023

#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog

Excerpt/IG Post

7/24/2023

Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

Review/IG Post

7/25/2023

The Book Countess

Review/IG Post

7/26/2023

A Dream Within A Dream

Excerpt/IG Post

7/27/2023

@by_hckilgour

IG Review

7/28/2023

Country Mamas With Kids

Review/IG Post

7/29/2023

A Blue Box Full of Books

IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post

Week Three:

7/30/2023

OneMoreExclamation

Review/IG Post

7/31/2023

celiamcmahonreads

Review/IG Post

8/1/2023

@evergirl200

IG Review

8/2/2023

FUONLYKNEW

Review

8/3/2023

Lifestyle of Me

Review

8/4/2023

Locks, Hooks and Books

Review

8/5/2023

Kim’s Book Reviews and Writing Aha’s

Review/IG Post

Week Four:

8/6/2023

Brandi Danielle Davis

Review/IG Post

8/7/2023

@enthuse_reader

IG Review/TikTok Post

8/8/2023

Two Points of Interest

Review

8/9/2023

@jlreadstoperpetuity

IG Review/TikTok Post

8/10/2023

@bookish_aly_cat

IG Review

8/11/2023

Jaime_of_gryffindor

IG Review

.

~~~~~

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 The Dog Men organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Patricia Cradall will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B&N 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.

The Dog Men

by Patricia Crandall

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Genre: Mystery

Synopsis

Ten-year-old Wyatt and eleven-year-old Hannah uncover the dark world of illegal dog fights when they trespass at a Vermont farm and peep through a barn window. And when crotchety old Lester Cranshaw’s dog, Paddy, turns up missing, there is no holding him back from investigating the situation and the kids join in. In the dead of the night, after the trio are captured and held hostage at the Inglis farm, Wyatt will need all of his wits and courage to escape in order to save the lives of his friends. THE DOG MEN draws the reader into a tempest of animal abuse, lawlessness, and kidnapping within the confines of small-town happenings. A chilling plot and a peerless relationship between kids, adults and pets.

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

Hannah and Wyatt skipped through tickling high grass as they entered the pine-treed woodland and emerged at the far side onto the banks of Crusader Creek. Wyatt shivered at the sudden drop in temperature and hurled two large stones into the water. Hannah pulled on her sweatshirt and wobbled across a fallen log to the opposite bank. She picked a bouquet of forget-me-nots growing along the edges, and wrapped a damp napkin around the flowers. “Mom can put them in that old blue vase she likes.”

 

Wyatt raced along the edge of the creek, his eyes darting all over. “Darn. I’ll never catch frogs. The stream’s movin’ too fast.” He licked his lips. “It’s way too high. Well…maybe it isn’t.” He lay down on his belly and braced his feet against a tree stump.

 

A short while later, frog-less and disappointed, Wyatt pointed at the red tip of a silo visible through sparse tree branches. “Hey, what’s that over there?”

 

“The Inglis farm. C’mon, you promised to play ‘Scat’ for pennies before we head home. It’s almost three.” Hannah sat cross-legged on a bed of dry leaves. She removed a deck of cards from her backpack and shuffled them.

 

“Any kids to play with over there?” Wyatt asked.

 

Hannah flung back her ponytail. “Once in a while, Stevie Inglis visits his Uncle Will. He’s a special child. I help him with Sunday school lessons. But that’s a weird place. Ever since old Farmer Clumly died, a lot of owners have come and gone. My Dad told me to stay away from there. He doesn’t know what’s going on, but he’s got an inkling the Inglis’ are up to no good.”

 

Wyatt bit his lower lip, “Let’s go look anyhow. We’ll be careful and won’t get caught.”

 

“But only from the top of the hill.” Hannah returned the cards to her backpack.

 

“Cool!” Wyatt skipped ahead of her. They came into the bright sunlight and gazed down at a farmhouse, a silo, several barns and outbuildings. Chickens scratched for feed in the gravel driveway and a chained Mastiff paced near the front porch.

 

“Stay low after we pass that big tree.” Hannah pointed to a misshapen beech looming before them. “It’s all open land and we don’t want to get caught snooping.”

 

They tramped hunchback fashion across the rocky path. Mid-way, Hannah and Wyatt dropped down on their hands and knees and crawled to a cluster of evergreen shrubs at the edge of the hill.

~~~~~

About Author Patricia Crandall

Patricia Crandall is the author of nine books, and a 2023 winner of the Besties of the Capital Region Awards, Author Category.  Her latest book, “Lacey O’Dunn, The Rookie,” is a crime/thriller involving drugs and car bashing senior citizens on icy winter roads. She has also published numerous articles and short stories in various magazines and newspapers. Her book, “The Dog Men,” third edition was also just released. Patricia is a member of Sisters in Crime (Mavens) and National Association of Independent Editors and Writers. She lives with her husband, Art, and a rescue cat, Bette, at Babcock Lake in Grafton Mountains near Petersburgh, New York. She has two children and three grandchildren who live nearby.

Author Links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

~~~~~

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

 

Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Midnight Rapture organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Anya Summers will award a $25 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Midnight Rapture

by Anya Summers

 

 

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance

Synopsis

Rescued by a hot, kilt-wearing Scot…

Freya’s on the run from her abusive ex-boyfriend. She’s exhausted and terrified, but if she stops, she knows he’ll find her – and their infant daughter – and make her pay. Desperation drives her to do something she shouldn’t, that she knows is fundamentally wrong…

… and sure enough, she gets caught red-handed. All she can do is beg for mercy.

When Jasper catches the gorgeous new maid with her hand in his wallet, his first instinct is to call the police. But Freya’s tearful plea strikes a chord deep within him, and instead he finds himself offering her the protection of his name and family.

Their union is meant to be on paper only but Jasper soon finds himself enthralled by his new bride. He starts a campaign to seduce her into his bed, never expecting her to wiggle her way into his heart.

And when her past threatens her very existence, he will stop at nothing to keep her safe.

Fall headlong into this steamy, fake relationship, stand-alone romance between a fierce Scottish businessman and a single mother as they navigate the road of love with all its pitfalls

 Enjoy this peek inside:

Marry him? Was the guy clinically insane?

Who asked someone they’d just met to marry them? She’d tell you who did stuff like that—crazy people.

Holding Maddie close, Freya didn’t know what to think or how to feel about his offer. He was only a few years older than she, by her reckoning, maybe in his early thirties. He could be English, but with a name like Campbell would bet what cash she had left he was Scottish.

His voice was sex personified. His Scottish brogue in that sexy baritone made his words sound like a caress. And when he spoke, the potent vibrations shivered through her body down into her toes. A man like him was dangerous to her sensibilities. A hypothesis proven by that reckless kiss. And what a kiss! Her body still hummed with illicit desire.

But she had sworn long ago that she would never be taken in by a charming, handsome face again. She’d done that once.

Holding Maddie close in case she needed to make a break for it, she asked, “What’s your name?”

He cast an arched stare as he rounded the kitchen island and faced her. “Jasper Campbell, at your service. And who is this little lassie?” He nodded toward her daughter. Maddie stared at him in fascination. Like mother, like daughter. But it could just be she wasn’t used to being around men that much, and definitely not one this enormous.

“This is Maddie.” Freya said her name, and her daughter grinned like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard.

“I’ve got a highchair in the pantry. Let me grab it, and we can set it by the table. And don’t think of leaving until we’ve finished discussing this matter. You try to leave before we’ve finished our negotiations, and I will call the authorities.”

She sucked in a breath at the threat. Rich people really were different. Only a guy who had never interacted with cops would call them the authorities. But she had no plans to leave just yet. Because she wanted to see if he was serious about his offer.

Did he really want to marry her for a year to gain his inheritance? Would he really buy her a house and give her twenty million dollars if she agreed?

About Author Anya Summers :

.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Anya grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead of binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Anya never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in History.

Anya is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance under the name Maggie Mae Gallagher. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the Midwest with her two furry felines.

~~~~~

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.

The Ghost Camper’s Tall Tales
by Elizabeth Pantley
August 1, 2023 Book Blast

 

 

Synopsis:

Hayden meets a mysterious ghost with secrets to tell. Can he help explain the unsolved mystery surrounding the death of someone who was already dead? Can Hayden, with the help of her family, friends, and her sassy cat, Latifa unscramble this mystery and keep Destiny Falls safe? A mysterious old man keeps popping up to tell Hayden a series of tall tales. Who is he? And is he actually glowing? Are his stories fiction, or is he telling her the history of her family, the enchanted islands, and the witch? And why did a dead body show up . . . of someone who is already dead? Can Hayden and her quirky sidekick, Latifa unscramble this mystery? Hayden’s adventures in the magical world of Destiny Falls continue in this gripping story that answers your questions about the mysterious world she entered through a mirror in book one, Falling into Magic. We learn more about her missing mother, whose story begins in book two, The Disappearance of Emily.

Praise for The Ghost Camper’s Tall Tales:

“A captivating read! I couldn’t put it down.” ~ Linda C., Goodreads

“A mix of unique characters, romance, mystery and magic.” ~ Charlene Q. Goodreads

“Just when I thought I knew who the killer was, BAM, a twist.” ~ Leslie, Storeybook Reviews

“Generously seasoned with sass, class, and a dose of spunk. Delish!” ~ Pages & Paws

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery Publication Date: July 2021 Number of Pages: 341 ASIN: B095177BFG Series: Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic, 3

Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Enjoy this peek inside:

1

It had taken a week, but finally I had memorized my long-lost mother’s letter. Now I was struggling to get a fire started in my fireplace in which to burn it. It hurt my heart to give up something so precious to me, but there was no other option. Now, if the dang logs would just ignite! I rearranged the logs, and finally, after three false starts, I had a nice blaze going. I decided to recite the letter one more time before giving it up to the flames. “Oh, goodie! Another reciting of the mysterious letter!” Latifa said. Not only did my cat’s comment enter my head, but her joy was evident in the tone of her voice. “How do you know that? Is it one of your telepathy skills?” I asked her. “Nothing so mysterious. You always cough twice before you begin. I thought it was part of the introduction. ‘Cough. Cough. My darling daughter, Hayden . . .’” “Ah. Well then. Relax, sit back, and enjoy the show.” She took my instructions literally. She jumped up on the bed, planted her ample behind on my pillow, and shifted her body this way and that until she was perfectly comfortable. Latifa leaned back against the headboard and looked like a furry, laughing Buddha. I stared into the flames and took in a breath. It had taken forever to memorize this. Not just because it was a long letter, but because of the lifetime of emotions it brought to the surface. I cleared my throat. Cough. Cough. I gave Latifa the side-eye, and she wiped the smirk off her face.

My darling daughter, Hayden, I hope with all my heart that you find this letter. I have been trying in vain to reach you since you arrived in Destiny Falls. I have things I must tell you. All your life you have believed that I abandoned you. I want you to know that I did not leave you of my own choosing. You were my life, my precious new baby. First, I lost Leonard, the love of my life, gone so fast. So mysteriously he vanished. Taking with him my little son, my heart, my precious Axel. Then I was stolen from you. Not a day has passed that I don’t grieve for you, for all that we’ve lost. Our little family, torn apart. Your birth was a beacon. A beautiful thing, drawing evil to it. I discovered that it was the reason they found Leonard. They removed him to Destiny Falls. And it was the reason they found me. There are things you have never been told because no one knew the story to tell. I have learned much, and I will tell you some of these things now. I have great pain and empathy for you being abandoned by your mother as a newborn. Because you see, they snatched me away from my mother, days after my own birth. Days after I was born, I was found in Seattle, in unusual circumstances, too complicated to explain now. I was placed in a foster home with two wonderful, kind-hearted people who then adopted me. Your Nana and Granana. They did not know the circumstances of my abandonment, nor did they care. They embraced the maternal roles and raised me as their own. And then they raised you as well. They are saintly, beautiful women, and I miss them desperately. It pains me to think they live with the belief that I left them willingly, without a backward glance. That I disappeared without a trace. Well, except for that horrible note that I was forced to write. The words cut me deeply and they created a scar on my heart that I feel to this day. “I can’t do this. Take the baby. Goodbye.” The smudges on that paper were remnants of my tears. There are so many things that Nana and Gran did not know. Things that they could not know, for their safety and yours. Facts that were well hidden. I was not a normal baby found in abnormal circumstances. Anything but normal. I didn’t know my background until I was stolen away from you. That’s when I began to learn the truth, in bits and pieces, over years of searching, prodding, and discovering one small piece at a time. My mother brought me to Seattle. She had escaped with me from a cold, dangerous island called Gladstone, which is where I was returned and where I remain. There is one family here that holds a power within them: the Gladstones. It is a power that fuels the engine of Gladstone. They need the family here to maintain their illusions and their magic. There is a parallel place where you find yourself now. Destiny Falls. Gladstone and Destiny Falls are two halves of what was once a whole. The yin and the yang, the dark and light, the moon and sun. Destiny Falls is the positive half, but it is also fed by the power of a family—the Caldwells. Your father was needed there for that reason, as the Caldwell power runs through him. Hayden, you need to know something very important. My birth name was Emily Gladstone, and the Gladstone power runs through me. That makes you half Caldwell and half Gladstone. You are unique. I do not know exactly in what ways. I can only imagine what powers might flow through you. In all my studies, I have not found there to be another like you. Keep this information well hidden. Do not tell anyone, as it can be used against you if the truth comes to light. I have learned in life that there is no one you can trust. Especially here. Be wise in this. Hold this information close. Memorize this letter and then destroy it. I will continue my attempts to reach you, but so far it has been hopeless. Please know that I love you with all my heart. Be careful, my sweet daughter. I hope to see you some day. Stay safe. Love, your mother, Emily

I heard the soft puff of two furry paws being tapped together. “Brava! If I weren’t wearing these furry mittens, you’d hear my applause. Sometimes I feel like Bernie Sanders.” “Why Bernie Sanders?” I asked. “The most famous mittens in history! Stop living under a rock, Cricket, and read the news once in a while.” I crossed my arms and frowned at her. “And where exactly do you read the news?” “Oh, sweetie, sweetie.” She shook her head and scrunched her nose. “Chanel and I pore over the paper every morning once Eleanor has completed her perusal of it. Your grandmother kindly spreads out the pages for us. Speaking of newspapers, when’s the next issue of the Destiny Falls Observer? You had a magnificent first issue. The story of the capture of that murderous ferry helmsman and his fiery death! Ooooo, gripping stuff! Oh. Can I say death now, or do I have to say demise?” I ignored her reference to my aversion to the word “death.” I mean, since I had been so close to two deaths who could blame me? They were people I knew. People who had not died of natural causes. That gave me the shudders. “The paper is on a once-a-month schedule, you know.” I lifted my chin and attempted to look confident. “Then you best get yourself a new calendar, Cupcake. It’s been a month since your big debut.” I knew that, of course. I’d been working diligently at my new job as editor of the Observer. But it had been an effort since we lived in a small town with little actual news. Well, to be clear, I thought Destiny Falls was a small town, though others had indicated that I was wrong in that assumption. The enchanted location was on an island … somewhere. Where exactly was a big secret that I’d been unable to crack. Where in the world was I? It had been on the top of my list of research projects, but I kept get sidetracked. “The lack of interesting news makes reporting a challenge. What do I put on the front page? Hmmm?” I shrugged my shoulders and tapped a finger on my lips. “Should it be the local arts and craft fair, or the ribbon cutting at the new hair salon downtown? Hardly a good follow-up to the capture of a murderer and the police car crash that killed him on the way to prison.” “I have confidence you can dig up some juicy gossip. You’re good at that.” “Um. Thanks? I think.” I realized with a start that I was still holding my mother’s letter in both hands, close to my heart. I was reluctant to give it up to the flames. It answered some long-held questions, but it brought up more mysteries than it solved. My mother did not leave me by choice. That was earth-shattering news. All my life, I’d believed I was abandoned, and I was wrong. My mother did not discard me. She loved me with all her heart and was wrenched from me as much as I was stolen from her. And Nana and Gran adopted her as a baby? How was it I never knew this?! Neither one of them was known for being able to keep secrets—and this was a doozy. What could be their purpose in keeping this from me? I couldn’t imagine. “Gladstone has her,” I said aloud, feeling a chill zap through me. “Da-da-da-dumm. The forbidden, mysterious island of doooom,” whispered Latifa as she slowly crept toward me across the bed. Latifa’s theatrics jarred me out of my melancholy moment. “And I don’t understand something.” I was pacing the room now. Questions were rolling through my head. “She says I’m unique, that there’s not another like me. But what about Axel? He was born of the same parents. Doesn’t that make him half Caldwell and half Gladstone, too? Doesn’t this power run through him as well? And, what exactly is this power she refers to?” “It’s needed to fuel the illusions and magic. Like the great and powerful Oz.” My cat loved her old movies and occasionally tried to tie them to real life. It was often a stretch, but this time it seemed to accurately define this very weird situation. I was a normal human being, yet was I somehow behind the curtain, making the magic happen? “And why isn’t there a letter to Axel, too? Or one for my father? Doesn’t it seem odd that she would write only to me? Now? What about all these years that Dad and Axel have been in Destiny Falls? Something’s definitely off …” I was pacing the room, thoughts jumbled up and swirling through my head. I couldn’t even catch some of the ideas as they raced by. “And here I am with another colossal secret.” I sat on the floor and put my head in my hands. “Yeeeesss.” Latifa hissed out the word. “She warned you. ‘Do not tell anyone,’ she said. She did not say, ‘Do not tell anyone except Axel.’ Or ‘Do not tell anyone except your father.’ Or “Do not tell . . .” “Ugh! I get it, Latifa!” I stood up and walked over to the fire. It was time to do this. Tears came unbidden, and I gently kissed the paper that had been handwritten by my enigmatic mother. Then I slowly moved it over the flames. I gasped and yanked the paper back before it caught. The back side of my letter had the impression of writing. Like when someone presses on paper with a pen and leaves a shadowy indent on the page beneath it. What did my mother write on the page before my letter? Did she write a letter like this to Axel or my father before she wrote mine? Or was it something as mundane as her grocery list? I needed to find out. I tilted the paper back and forth but could not see more than a bit of a shadow in spots. I remembered back to when I was little. Gran and I used to write secret messages to each other using this technique. We’d press hard on the top page, leaving what we called “invisible ink messages” on the page below. The reader would decode the message by gently rubbing the side of a pencil over the page. I took the letter over to my desk and pulled out a pencil. Starting at the top of the page, I gently sketched over the imprinted letters, and as I hoped, some words showed up. It took a while, but I had lightly drawn over the entire page. I puzzled over the words that appeared: 6. Write letter to Hayden 7. Transfer letter to Nakita 8. Pay Nakita “postage” 9. Reapply for ticket? 10. Lazarus?????? Clearly, this was the second page of a list. I wish I knew what the first five items were! Could letters to Axel and my father be on this list? It would certainly help if I knew that—then I could discuss the letter with them. Without knowing this, I was hesitant to expose the secret. Nakita was the ferry captain who had been murdered right after she mailed the mysterious box of documents to me. It appeared that my mother paid her to deliver the letter to me—at least that was what I took this to mean. Did “reapply” refer to the illegal tickets on the ferry between Gladstone and Destiny Falls? My mother’s name had been on several lists apparently related to the transport scheme, but the word DENIED always followed. Was she going to try again? The question marks after Lazarus on number ten were darker than the rest of the writing. As if she pressed much harder on those than all the other writing. Who was Lazarus? Was she frustrated or confused about him? Or did she simply have no idea what her next plans were? I needed more time to make sense of the message. Perhaps another session of research at the library would uncover more pieces to this puzzle, including who Lazarus of Gladstone was. I would hide the letter for now and examine it again later. And to think! I almost dropped it into the flames! I carefully folded the letter and tucked it inside a paperback mystery I kept on hand as a backup in case my Kindle ever lost power. I zipped the book into the pouch of my backpack and placed it on the shelf of my closet. With that done, I changed into my running clothes and made my way downstairs. *** Excerpt from The Ghost Camper’s Tall Tales by Elizabeth Pantley. Copyright 2021 by Elizabeth Pantley. Reproduced with permission from Elizabeth Pantley. All rights reserved.

 

 

About Author Elizabeth Pantley:
Elizabeth Pantley

Elizabeth Pantley is the international bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books for parents, published in over twenty languages. She simultaneously writes the well-loved Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic book series and the new Magical Mystery Book Club series. Elizabeth lives in the Pacific Northwest, the gorgeous inspiration for the setting in many of her books.

Catch Up With Elizabeth Pantley: www.NoCrySolution.com Goodreads BookBub – @DestinyFalls Instagram – @destinyfallsmystery Facebook – @DestinyFallsMysteryandMagic

 

 

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The Case of the Llama Raising Librarian (A Buttercup Bend Mystery)
by Debbie De Louise

 


The Case of the Llama Raising Librarian (A Buttercup Bend Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – New York
Next Chapter
Number of Pages TBD (The Word copy has 68,403 Words)
More to Come
After solving two murders in the “peaceful” town of Buttercup Bend, Cathy Carter needs a rest. She also needs time to consider the marriage proposals she received over the holidays from her two boyfriends. But when the town’s librarian asks her to go undercover as her daughter to solve a murder at a llama farm, Cathy leaves her kittens with her grandmother and her friends without an explanation.

At Oaks Landing, she meets the members of the family as well as the gardener, veterinarian, and farm hand who were at the dinner where the murder occurred. The only person who knows the true reason Cathy and Mildred have come to the farm is the daughter of the murder victim who is having trouble convincing relatives and the police that her mother was killed and didn’t suffer the heart attack that was termed her cause of death.

When the truth comes out and a reenactment of the dinner is staged, Cathy must unravel the clues to learn who murdered the retired librarian. Her only clues are references to the tin man and his oil can in the Wizard of Oz that was made by the daughter of the victim who suffers dementia.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

As Cathy heard voices from the living room, her heart beat faster as she tried to figure out who was visiting. Michael, Steve, and Nancy hadn’t tried to call or come by for a few days. And, while she was relieved for the peace, she felt guilt and regret at how she was treating them. The voices grew louder as they approached. Her grandmother was speaking with a woman. It wasn’t Nancy or her sister-in-law, Becky. The voice was older. She recognized it as Gran led Mildred Hastings, the librarian, into the kitchen.

“Look who’s here, Catherine? Mildred wants to ask you something. I’ll go put on some tea and be right back.”

Cathy turned to face the librarian. Was she here on Michael, Steve, or, more likely, Nancy’s behalf to find out what was going on with her? She took a breath as the woman smiled and glanced at her through her bi-focals and brushed some flakes of snow from her gray, curly hair. Her brown eyes behind the thick lenses of her glasses held friendliness but a hint of sadness. “Hello, Cathy. I’m sorry I didn’t call, but I wanted to speak with you in person. I need your help.”

Cathy thought the librarian was asking for help with her studies. Like Cathy, she’d gone back to college in the fall. “Sure, Mildred. Are you working on something for school?”

“Oh, no.” Mildred stepped closer and the kittens, wary of strangers, jumped off the window and skittered away. “So sorry to frighten your cats. Hobo is used to me, so when I visit Nancy, he doesn’t run away.”

Hobo was the marmalade tabby her friend adopted from Rainbow Rescues last spring. He lived in Nancy’s downstairs apartment in the house that Mildred owned.

Cathy had hoped that the help Mildred needed was academic, so she was disappointed. “That’s okay, Mildred. They’ll find another window to watch the snow. What do you need? Nancy didn’t send you, did she?”

Mildred shook her head. “No. To be honest, she knew I was coming and asked me to see how you were doing, but that’s not the reason I’m here.”

Before Mildred could explain the purpose of her visit, Florence returned with a tray of tea and cookies. She placed them on the table. “Mildred, please have a seat. I’ll leave you two to talk. If you need anything else, let me know.”

“I’d like you to stay. I think you should hear what I have to ask Cathy.”

Florence raised a gray eyebrow. “Hmm. That sounds mysterious.” As Mildred took a seat at the table, Florence slipped into a chair next to her. Cathy got off the window seat and joined them.

“It is actually mysterious,” Mildred began, as Florence passed her and Cathy mugs. “I don’t know if either of you remember Doris Grady who used to work at the library with me. She retired five years ago when Cathy and Doug first moved in here with you, Florence.”

Cathy had a vague recollection of another librarian who once read to her and Doug in the library’s children’s corner when they visited Gran as kids. Florence nodded. “I remember Doris. She moved to a town near Hyde Park. I attended her retirement party.”

“I forgot that you were there.” Mildred blew on her mug and then took a sip of tea. She turned to Cathy. “I didn’t say anything to Nancy about what I’m about to ask you. She thinks I’m visiting to find out why you’re avoiding her. I know you’re going through something, but this may be just what you need to take your mind off it.”

Cathy gripped her teacup as the librarian continued. She had no idea what was coming. Was she suggesting therapy? Did she want to stage an intervention? Was this Gran’s idea, even though her face held puzzlement?

“I’ll cut to the chase, dear.” Mildred took another sip of tea and then placed her cup back on the coaster Gran had provided. Her next words were a shock. “Doris is dead. Her daughter thinks she was murdered. I’m hoping you’ll help me find her killer.”

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About Debbie De Louise

Debbie De Louise is an award-winning author and a retired reference librarian. She is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the Cat Writers’ Association. She writes two cozy mystery series, the Cobble Cove Mysteries and Buttercup Bend Mysteries. She’s also written a paranormal romance, three standalone mysteries, a time-travel novel, and a collection of cat poems. Her stories and poetry appear in over a dozen anthologies. Debbie also writes articles for cat magazines. She lives on Long Island with her husband, daughter, and two cats. Learn more about Debbie and her books by visiting her website at https://debbiedelouise.com.

Author Links: Website/Blog/Newsletter Sign-Up / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Amazon / All Author / Instagram / LinkedIn / BookBub

Debbie’s Character’s Chat Group / Sneaky the Library Cat’s blog

Purchase Links:

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AMAZON –  APPLE STORE    BARNES & NOBLE     GOOGLE PLAY      KOBO    UNIVERSAL LINK  

Purchase Links for BUTTERCUP BEND MYSTERIES – Books 1-3
AMAZON    APPLE STORE    BARNES & NOBLE     GOOGLE PLAY    KOBO  UNIVERSAL LINK 

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

July 31 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST  

July 31 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 1 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

August 1 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

August 2 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

August 2 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST

August 3 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 3 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

August 4 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

August 4 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 5 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense  – SPOTLIGHT

August 5 – Baroness Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

August 6 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

August 6 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

 

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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 The Script Is Not Enough organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Jamison LoCascio will award a $10 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Script Is Not Enough

by Jamison LoCascio

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Genre: Non-Fiction ( How-To)

Synopsis

The Script is not Enough takes a unique look at the making of four different independent feature films. The author takes you through every stage in development from writing, to financing, and to distribution and marketing. Find out how you can learn from the hard experiences and challenges that face the filmmaker along the way.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

LICENCE TO SELL (MOVIES):

 

I won’t tell you the names, places, and legal entities, but I’ll tell you the truth…this was simply one dark moment in a full schedule of (intentionally?) disheartening Film Lab events on my schedule for the day. I was realizing how dark this hole was, and I needed to climb out of it, but first I had more to mine here. I was already in the hole, so I had to keep looking around. It was giving me a sort of courage too, as I realized I also had nothing much to lose in a place where there was little or nothing to gain, it was a place that was only designed to remind you that “no one cares.” It was the beginning of a positive feeling in me though, the feeling of needing to chart my own course and not rely on others to give the secret map to success. It did not exist anyway.

 

I had bought a pass to a prestigious event, a sort of convention for both new and established filmmakers alike (I will not name it as I do not know that they are directly to blame for this negative atmosphere, though many of their guests are). Major studios, distributors, actors, filmmakers. Interviews, panel discussions, audience questions, stages filled with people giving both bad and good advice alike, sometimes at the same time. This was all happening around me. It was very impressive looking, but once you saw behind the curtain the magic was lost. You name a distribution company (out of Hollywood), they had something happening here but what that something was, was not really much value to the individual filmmaker who could attend. Tickets were also expensive.

 

Now, in a very funny turn of events, we wound up with the very distribution company that had laughed in my face. What a coincidence. If only quality producing was the barometer for success and doors opening. It truly is not. So, I went home that day without a “deal” but instead, gained a much better understanding of the wall that existed. It needed to be gotten around, to distribute. There was always another, hopefully less insane, way.

 

In many chapters I have listed each film we have made thus far, and explained how each process went per the film given. For this chapter I will instead tell how it happened in sequence and the reader will hopefully piece together their own take away, their own “lesson” if applicable to them.

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About Author Jamison LoCascio:

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Jamison LoCascio is an award-winning feature film director. In 2012, Jamison LoCascio began to write the screenplay for his first union short, “Midnight Catch,” which garnished much acclaim at the New Jersey International Film Festival and Manhattan Film Festival. LoCascio decided to form his production company, Halcyon Valor Productions Incorporated. Graduated from Montclair State University with honors winning the “Excellence in Filmmaking” award for his numerous successful productions which premiered in film festivals around the world. LoCasio’s short films have since been honored by the Screen Actors Guild and screened at such festivals as the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, Montclair Film Festival, and NewFilmmakers New York. LoCascio’s shorts “Track 3,” “A Stranger’s Confession,” and “Powerless” were all official selections of the Festival de Cannes Short Film Corner. His films have been anthologized in the prestigious Anthology Film Archives in Manhattan, distributed worldwide on DVD, picked up for online distribution by Film Bay. DIRECTV & AT&T distributed 6 of LoCascio’s short films on their new International short film platform. LoCascio’s first feature film, “The Depths,” starring Michael Rispoli and Patch Darragh won Best Feature Film at the 2017 Manhattan Film Festival and had a strong critical reception. The film also won Best Feature Film and Best Director at the 2017 Los Angeles Film Awards and received domestic distribution with Sony Pictures and The Orchard releasing on all major platforms including Amazon, Itunes, DVD and more. LoCascio’s second feature film “Sunset” starring acclaimed actor Austin Pendleton received rave reviews and won multiple awards including Best Dramatic Feature Film at the 2018 Manhattan Film Festival, Best Ensemble at the 2018 Los Angeles Film Awards, Best Leading Actor (David Johnson) International Independent Film Awards. “Sunset” also received domestic distribution with Sony Pictures and The Orchard. LoCascio and Adam Ambrosio have recently launched their latest initiative by filmmakers for filmmakers called Film Valor, a youtube channel with over 3,000 worldwide followers and over 250,000 views, a behind the scenes look at their filmmaking process. “Know Fear,” his latest feature film, received critical acclaim and stars Amy Carlson. The film had a limited theatrical release. His next feature film “How Dark They Prey,” a unique horror anthology, has been released on major streaming platforms including Amazon Prime, Tubi, Plex, Udu, Mometu and many more with critics hailing the film as “Horror at its best”. His latest feature film release “7×7” is a collection of many of LoCascio’s award-winning short films brought together for one viewing experience on major platforms including Tubi and Amazon Prime.

 

Jamison LoCascio’s Social Media Link

 

Amazon Buy Link

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for One Polar Bear organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Drema Deoraich will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B&N 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.

  One Polar Bear

by Crystal Beach

Genre: Children’s Fiction

Synopsis

One Polar Bear is a delightful rhyming book filled with lovable animals from the Canadian Arctic. Polar Bear is home sick and alone. His many animal friends drop by to cheer him up. This counting story celebrates individuals with a variety of abilities and disabilities, and the text helps teach the numbers one to ten. Canada is a country made up of many peoples and cultures. This book reflects this diversity by featuring the word “welcome” in different languages amongst its pages. One Polar Bear is a wonderful bedtime story and a beautiful way to educate and celebrate the differences in our world.

 

If you can be anything, be inclusive.

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MY REVIEW

Such a delightful book. Animals of the Arctic visit a homesick polar bear and I love how this correlates with counting on each page. If your child is on page six, they can have fun counting six of each animal featured. I had fun and so will you and your children.

Told in rhyme, the story rolls of the tongue. The illustrations are colorful and cute. And the author did something else I enjoyed. On each page the word Welcome is included. I learned some new ones. And many of the visiting animals have injuries or disabilities. Having a son with a disability, I found this especially heart warming and inviting.

A clever, fun story perfect for bedtime reading. I’m sure children will be wanting to read it or have it read to them again and again.

5 STARS

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About Author Crystal Beach:

Crystal Beach is an adoptive mother and caregiver of two children who have complex medical needs and disabilities. Her children are often represented in her work as strong, caring individuals with special gifts and powers. Her writing projects are intended to ensure financial support for her children’s future care.

 

Crystal has a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Her focus is in children’s literature, publishing and journalism. She has had many careers including ten years as a MedA with the Canadian Naval Reserve, training as an EMT and continued studies in developmental psychology.

 

Her volunteer work has included Girl Guides of Canada and wildlife rescue and rehab.

 

She and her family live in Regina, Saskatchewan in a simple little house with two giant support dogs.

 

Author Link: Facebook

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Space tourism isn’t dangerous. It’s the passengers.

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Dead Among Stars

A Maddie Swallows Mystery Book 4

by Kat Bellemore

Genre: Cozy Mystery

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Space tourism isn’t dangerous. It’s the passengers.

Psychologist Maddie Swallows had always thought of space tourism as science fiction. That was before the phone call that turned her world upside down and she was hired to work with celebrity passengers as they prepared for their once-in-a-lifetime flight.

It was her dream job. Until six passengers went up into space, and two hours later, only five returned.

If you don’t count the dead body.

Investigating a murder hadn’t been in the job description, but Maddie now needs to use her psychological training to discover who of the remaining five passengers is a murderer.

Before they strike again.

Dead Among Stars is the fourth book of the Maddie Swallows mystery series. If you like confined suspects, humor, and impossible whodunits, you’ll love this cozy mystery.

Grab Dead Among Stars and be swept up in this intriguing mystery today!

**New Release! Get it Today!**

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads

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Dr. Randall walked over to the astronauts and looked over the suits, checking that everything was how it should be. The suits had one pocket meant for a phone so the astronauts could take pictures. Charlotte had tried sneaking a box of cigarettes and a lighter in hers, and it was immediately confiscated.

“Mom, you could have gotten us all killed,” Emma said, her lips pulled into a frown.

Once the seven astronauts boarded, the medical officer, Lori, followed. She would be the eighth passenger. Just in case.

And then, while the rest of us cheered and waved, the spacecraft started down the runway, no different than the way any other plane takes off for a flight.

Other than a final counseling session to unravel their space experience, my job was complete.

“We have two hours until they return,” Jeffrey said, walking up to me as the employees returned inside. “Want to hit up the cafeteria? It just opened.”

I glanced at my phone, not that I doubted him. Just wanted to see if we had time for both a first and second lunch before it closed again until dinner. Had to take advantage of all the amazing food, since it would all go away the next day. We’d been spoiled.

“Absolutely. I just need to run to the dorm to change into my stretchy pants.” I was mostly kidding. As we reentered the building, I asked him, “What’s it been like? Following the ‘astronauts’ around for the past few days?” I did air quotes around “astronauts.” I knew it was marketed that way, but I didn’t like that those bickering celebrities were now placed in a category with intelligent, brave men and women who had done so much good up there on the International Space Station, as well as those who had traveled farther.

I threw a backward glance toward the staff dorms when Jeffrey turned in the opposite direction down the hallway. I’d be okay without the stretchy pants. Probably.

“It was okay,” he said with a small shrug. “I really like Ace Hutchins. He always seemed like a cool guy on TV, but he is that way in real life too. I was glad to not be disappointed. I like Rachel Sinclair too. Don’t love her music—it’s nothing special. But she wasn’t in everybody’s business, like the rest of them. Julie hoped the team-building exercises would help with cohesion, but it only seemed to make it worse.”

I had missed a lot while stuck in my little office. There had been times I’d been able to sneak out and peek through windows, but most of the training exercises had been done behind closed doors, and I wasn’t supposed to interrupt.

I thought of Rachel, who was used to stepping aside so she wasn’t bowled over by the rest. After she’d left our one and only session, I’d wished she’d have returned so we could talk about some skills she could use to increase her self-confidence. Even famous singers had problems standing up for themselves, just like the rest of us.

“I take it that Charlotte was the center of the drama?”

Jeffrey opened the cafeteria door and motioned for me to enter.

“Forever and always,” a man’s voice said.

Dr. Randall appeared behind me, his gaze scanning the endless food choices. “That woman thrives on chaos, and she doesn’t care what casualties are left in her wake. The problem is that the rest of the astronauts have a love/hate relationship with her. They need her, or at least they believe they do, but they despise her for it.”

“Is it bad that I wish I hadn’t missed all of it?” I asked, feeling sheepish. “It’s like those daytime soap operas. You know they are ridiculous, but you also can’t tear yourself away. And it was all happening in real time.”

I decided on pizza for my first lunch, promising myself huevos rancheros for my second round.

“Count yourself lucky,” Dr. Randall said. “I saw zero growth in any of them. I know they paid good money to be here, but honestly, I feel like this trip has been wasted on those seven.”

“Even Serena?” I asked. “She came in to talk with me a couple of times, and even though I don’t believe in all that psychic stuff, she seemed sweet.”

“Sure. Until you tell her something she doesn’t like. I saw the claws come out a few times with her. Never directed at me, but she wasn’t about to let the others walk all over her. She placed herself in a dominant position and made sure the others respected that. I even saw her stand up to Charlotte a couple of times. Only one who did that.”

Huh. And you think you know someone from a few therapy sessions.

Jeffrey had been right. Everything had been a show.

That was a bit disappointing, and it must have shown, because Dr. Randall nudged me with his shoulder. “Don’t let it get you down. For what it’s worth, I did think she was one of the more decent guests here. She was in survival mode, that’s all.”

I nodded. That made sense.

“That Noah guy, though,” Jeffrey said, sliding onto the seat across from me at the table. “Didn’t say a word the entire three days. Only watched and didn’t participate

unless he was forced to. The others were rude, but at least they were making an effort. It was like he was too good for everyone there. I don’t know why he even came.”

Dr. Randall quietly ate his food, his gaze firmly focused on the enchilada in front of him.

He knew something. And I had a feeling it was more than just Noah’s dyslexia.

“What do you think, Dr. Randall?” I asked.

He chewed his food far slower than necessary, then swallowed. “You’re right. He doesn’t want to be here.” And then Dr. Randall stood. “You know, I think the launch took my appetite with it. I’ll see you at the landing in…” He checked his watch. “Ninety minutes.”  And then he dumped his tray and disappeared through a side door.

“That was weird, right?” Jeffrey asked, his gaze still on the door Dr. Randall had left through.

I agreed. “Very weird.”

But that was nothing compared to when the spacecraft glided onto the runway ninety minutes later, the employees cheering. A small band played to the right of us, welcoming the astronauts home. Not sure where they came from.

That wasn’t the weird part.

It was when six astronauts disembarked, instead of seven.

And then there was the scream.

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Kat Bellemore is a small-town romance and cozy mystery author. Deciding to have New Mexico as the setting for two of her series was an easy choice, considering its amazing sunsets, blue skies and tasty green chile. That, and she currently lives there with her husband and two cute kids. They hope to one day add a dog to the family, but for now, the native animals of the desert will have to do. Though, Kat wouldn’t mind ridding the world of scorpions and centipedes. They’re just mean.

You can visit Kat at www.kat-bellemore.com.

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A Sense for Murder (A Sally Solari Mystery)
by Leslie Karst

 


A Sense for Murder (A Sally Solari Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting – California
Severn House (August 1, 2023)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1448309050
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1448309054
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BXPY61Q1

Chef Sally Solari has – to her own bewilderment – built a reputation as a talented sleuth who keeps tripping over dead bodies. But getting mixed up in the curious case of a cookbook killer threatens to be the final chapter in not just her investigating career . . . but her life.

It’s the height of the tourist season in Santa Cruz, California, and Sally Solari has her hands full, both juggling crowds of hungry diners at her French-Polynesian restaurant Gauguin, as well as appeasing her father, who’s distressed at the number of homeless people camped out in front of Solari’s, the family’s Italian seafood restaurant out on the historic fisherman’s wharf.

Nevertheless, when Sally gets the opportunity to volunteer at a farm-to-table dinner taking place at the hip new restaurant and culinary bookshop Pages and Plums, she seizes the chance. Not only is it a fundraiser for an organization aiding the homeless and seniors, but up for auction at the event is a signed boxset of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Sally’s hero, the renowned chef Julia Child.

But then the Pages and Plums dining room manager turns up dead – the locked cabinet containing the precious books now empty – and the irrepressible Sally once again finds herself up to her neck in a criminal investigation. She may have a sense for murder, but can Sally outwit a devious killer with a taste for French cooking before the villain makes mincemeat of her, too?

A Sense for Murder is a fast-paced, super fun culinary cozy mystery that will have your brain working and your mouth watering. And if you haven’t met sleuthing chef Sally yet, it’s safe to jump right in.

Enjoy this peek inside:

If not for the clatter of my bicycle bouncing down the wooden planks of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, I felt certain that every tourist I whizzed past would have been startled by the loud rumblings emanating from my empty stomach.

I’d set off on my morning ride with only a cup of coffee for sustenance, and the effects of the initial caffeine buzz had now been replaced by a severe case of low blood sugar. As a result (notwithstanding the million-dollar view of the historic fisherman’s wharf stretching out from the sparkling beach and the iconic roller coaster rising up behind), the only thing on my mind at that moment was the prospect of biting into one of my father’s famous ricotta-and-mascarpone-filled cannoli.

I spotted Dad’s tall, stocky figure standing in front of Solari’s Restaurant as soon as I rounded the bend near the end of the wharf. He was turned toward me, waving, so I waved back, then quickly grabbed hold of my handlebars as I hit a nasty bump in the road. Once closer, however, I realized he wasn’t waving at me. He hadn’t even noticed my arrival. Rather, he was shouting and gesticulating at a form sprawled on the sidewalk at the corner of the building.

‘Why the hell do you insist on camping out here?’ I heard him yell as I approached. ‘You and your kind are driving away my business!’

Wheeling up to the front entrance, I clipped out of my pedals and leaned my red-and-white road bike against the restaurant’s whitewashed wood siding. Through the neon Budweiser and Amstel Light signs hanging in the window above, I could see a table of early lunchers chowing down on plates of crab salads and linguine.

‘Hey, Dad. What’s going on?’

‘Sally.’ He turned to me with a frown. ‘I didn’t hear you ride up.’

‘Probably because you were making quite a bit of racket yourself.’

The person at his feet – a thin, gray-haired man wrapped in a dark green sleeping bag – pushed himself to an upright position and regarded the two of us with dull eyes. A fat seagull pecked at a discarded French fry not three feet from where he sat.

Dad returned the man’s gaze with an angry stare. ‘I’ve been trying for five full minutes to get this guy to move his sorry ass away from my restaurant, but he pretends like he doesn’t even hear me. Maybe I should just call the cops on you,’ he said to the cocooned man, ‘and let them deal with it.’

‘Maybe if you tried treating him like a human being, your powers of persuasion would be a little more effective,’ I responded. ‘I mean, really: “you and your kind”?’ But my father merely shook his head and turned to walk back inside Solari’s, clearly now annoyed not only with the guy in the sleeping bag but also his only daughter.

 

About Leslie Karst

Leslie Karst is the author of the Lefty Award-nominated Sally Solari mystery series and Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops, the Law, and Cooking for RBG. After years waiting tables and singing in a new wave rock band, she decided she was ready for a “real” job and ended up at Stanford Law School. It was during her career as an attorney that Leslie rediscovered her youthful passion for food and cooking and once more returned to school—this time to earn a degree in culinary arts. Now retired from the law, Leslie spends her time cooking, cycling, gardening, observing cocktail hour promptly at five o’clock, and of course writing. She and her wife split their time between Santa Cruz, California, and Hilo, Hawai‘i.

Author Links: Website / Facebook / BookBub / Goodreads / Instagram / Twitter

Purchase Links – AmazonB&NBookshop.org

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

July 25 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

July 25 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

July 26 – Novels Alive – REVIEW – SPOTLIGHT

July 26 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

July 27 – The Mystery of Writing – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

July 27 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

July 28 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

July 28 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST

July 29 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

July 29 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

July 30 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

July 31 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 1 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 1 – Carstairs Considers – REVIEW

August 2 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW, RECIPE

August 2 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 3 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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