Archive for the ‘giveaways’ Category

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I am so excited that DEEP STATE DOWN BOXSET
by Christa Wick writing as Dana Fraser is available now and that I get to
share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book, be sure to check out all the
details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon GC courtesy of Christa, & Rockstar
Book Tours
. So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.

 

 

Title: DEEP STATE DOWN BOXSET

Author: Christa Wick writing as Dana Fraser

Pub. Date: June 2, 2021

Publisher: Christa Wick

Formats:  eBook

Find it:  https://books2read.com/u/bojAza?redirect=off

This is the complete DEEP STATE DOWN series
bundle
, which includes two intense post-apocalyptic survival thrillers:

 

–  HARD WAY HOME (Book 1)

–  DARK ROAD BACK (Book 2)

 

Set in a dystopian U.S. that has been thrown
into a deadly new dark ageNew York Times bestselling
author Christa Wick (writing as Dana Fraser) brings readers a
gripping 210,000-word high-octane saga with a compelling cast of strong,
imperfect character
s, each fighting to find and protect their loved ones
against unthinkable odds.

 

BOOK ONE: HARD WAY HOME

 

Two strangers. Almost no chance of survival.
Even less hope. 
When a
massive cyber breach hits every U.S. hydroelectric station just as the Gulf
Coast refineries are decimated by a volatile storm, the attack knocks out the
nation’s entire power supply, instantly throwing America into a deadly
new dark age
.

 

For Army veteran Cash Bishop, getting back to
his family before it’s too late becomes a fight to survive in
a race against time. His only ally? A brilliant energy scientist who may be the
only person still alive with more things to be afraid of than the impending
apocalypse.

 

Dr. Hannah Carter doesn’t know who’s after her
or when she became a target. But getting captured is not an option. Seems the
stranger she meets on her dangerous cross-country trek is the only person she
can trust now to help get her home. And keep her alive.

 

With chaos escalating and the country
on the brink of collapse
, Cash and Hannah need to figure out who executed
the attacks on the U.S. power grid, and why these people are so willing to kill
him to get to her.

 

BOOK TWO: DARK ROAD BACK

 

In this gripping sequel to the post-apocalypse
action thriller HARD WAY HOME
, the
answers behind an onslaught of not-so-natural disasters only lead to more
questions as a global depopulation conspiracy threatens Americans from right in
their own back yard.

 

Retired Army Colonel Thomas Sand returns to
the U.S. during its darkest days, only to find the leaders left in
government—puppeted by the deep state elite—want him dead. Between the threat
assessment algorithm he developed before the apocalypse, and the fact that his
wife Becca and stepdaughter Hannah are both brilliant scientists critical to
the new world order, his family isn’t short on enemies. And despite all his
training to the contrary, his only duty now is to them and
their safety. Unbeknownst to him, halfway down the coast, his wife is fighting
to drag her fevered and battered body home with no means of communication, and
only the help of a nameless stranger…

 

Meanwhile, Dr. Hannah Carter, still traveling
with the Army veteran who saved her life, discovers she may be the linchpin to
destroying the dangerous shadow government that now controls what remains of
the fast-crumbling U.S. But to do so, she must leave behind everyone she cares
about and face off against the hidden puppet master pulling the strings from
his bunker. Unbeknownst to her, Cash Bishop, her fearless companion turned
ruthless protector, has followed her into the lion’s den, no
violence spared. His only light in their new broken world of neverending
darkness, finding Hannah is a given. As is taking down the corrupt powers that
destroyed his country once and for all…

 

 

Excerpt:

 

DARK ROAD BACK

© 2021 by Dana Fraser

 

Chapter 4: Good
Riddance

 

 

All total, Thomas spent
fifteen minutes in the house after shooting Gavin once center mass, then again
in the head. He quickly ransacked the man’s clothing and desk, taking the
wallet and a key ring that had fobs for both vehicles. From there, he sprinted to
the master bedroom, removing Agnetha’s diamonds from the corpse and dumping the
rest of her jewelry box into a pillow case before heading to the oversized
utility closet at the back of the garage where Gavin kept his golf clubs and,
more importantly, most of his hunting equipment.

Entering the garage, he hit
the remote start for the Land Rover. Nothing happened. He hit it again, then a
few more times trying different combinations of pressing the button. Next he
tried the Z4. With the only sound in the garage that of Thomas swearing, he
stalked over to the Land Rover, threw the driver side door open and tried
starting the vehicle in the more conventional manner.

He lost ten seconds to
pounding out his fury against the steering wheel then popped the hood, got out
and lifted it the rest of the way open. He stared, mind numb at the jumble of
slashed wires and hoses, the inner protective covering of the Land Rover’s
engine missing. Spotting a note taped to the inside of the hood, he pulled it
off and read, his flesh heating in rage.

Whoever you are, you weren’t
meant to survive.

Your Host, Gavin DeBerg

Even though he knew he would
find the same cruel sarcasm beneath the hood of the Z4, Thomas had to check.
Each step, each wasted second pounded in his chest, but he opened the driver
side door, popped the hood and surveyed the carnage.

Yep, DeBerg really was a
cold-hearted bastard. If the world wasn’t ending around him, Thomas would have
returned to the basement and unloaded the Maxim’s remaining twenty-seven bullets
into the corpse’s groin and face. 

Hell, he’d grab an extra
magazine and turn the body into Swiss cheese.

But the world was ending, so
he kept a tight grip on his focus and turned to the utility closet. He twisted
the doorknob, found it locked. He tried both keys on the ring he had taken from
Gavin’s desk drawer. When that failed, he lifted his leg, took a quarter second
to brace then kicked as hard as he could, his anger doubling the force of the
blow he landed.

Hollow and made out of
plywood, the door peeled away from its frame to expose two backpacks and a
Browning bolt-action rifle in camo finish kitted out with a custom stock and a
Leupold VX-6 rifle scope with a 6:1 zoom ratio.

He tested the weight of the
two packs then opened the heavier one, finding two extra magazines and several
boxes of ammunition, as well as all the other contents he would expect Gavin to
carry on a hunting trip or in a bug out bag.

Conscious that someone could
show up and challenge him at any second, Thomas stood with everything but his
gaze immobilized as he tried to figure out how to get the extra gear back to
the Caddy. Then he remembered the separate garage, the one with the au pair
suite above it.

He hadn’t asked Gavin about
the girl, hadn’t even thought that she could be alive and walk in on him.

Get your head out of your ass, soldier!

With a curt nod acknowledging
his own stupidity, he headed to the breezeway that joined the main house to the
small wing. A glance in the garage revealed no third car, but there was a
riding lawn mower. A jog up the stairs offered a self-contained suite filled
with furniture, but an empty refrigerator and cupboards. He ran back down, hit
the garage door opener then returned to the main garage, grabbed the two packs
and the rifle and dragged them to the lawn mower.

Spotting a fifteen-gallon gas caddy, he almost pissed himself with joy.

With the mower’s key in the
cup holder, he spent his last two-point-five minutes in Gavin’s house getting
everything strapped onto the machine using the garden hose he found hanging in
a coil on the garage wall. He took the same route from house to woods, barely
slowing once he was past the tree line to retrieve his pack.

He stopped when he got close
to the trail, turned the mower off and made a scouting trip to check the area
around the Caddy. When he was satisfied no one was watching, he brought the
mower up alongside the Cadillac, started the old beast and popped the trunk. He
put the fuel container in first. He had already tested the seal on the nozzle
and fill hole in the garage, but he tested them again then grabbed the lighter
of the two packs from the storage closet.

He figured the bag was meant
for Agnetha to carry and dumped the contents in the trunk for a quick survey.
The neutral line of his mouth turned to a frown as a couple dozen diapers fell
out. Then he laughed, thinking about the NASA astronaut who had worn adult
diapers for a marathon cross country drive with the intent to slay a sexual
rival. If they had been adult sized, he might have entertained the idea because
every stop he made on the trip home would heighten his exposure. Still, the
diapers might come in handy if he injured himself. And the baby formula and jar
food was worth keeping as long as he could.

Looking at the contents,
Thomas could understand the thought process that had spurred Agnetha’s revolt.
She had put on her most alluring dress and favorite jewels before poisoning
herself. The woman had preferred to die looking like a million bucks instead of
living with makeup running down her face and dirt under her nails, with no au
pair to hand Gisa off to. Thomas could count on one hand how many times he’d
seen the woman hold her daughter over that four-day weekend.

Leaving the contents of the
bag scattered, he tossed in the garden hose then slammed the lid. The heavier
pack he placed on the passenger floorboard of the front seat, taking a few
seconds to dig inside and remove the shortwave radio. He placed the radio in
the center of the seat then climbed behind the wheel and carefully drove
backwards for a quarter mile until he was off the bike trail.

The best route to his home in
Evansville, Indiana, was also the most direct. He passed unmolested through
Manassas then headed southwest to Interstate 81. He followed it south to the
I-64 exchange then headed west into the George Washington and Jefferson
National Forest.

Surrounded by the quiet
beauty of the woods and hills, he could almost relax. Between the full tank he
had started with and the gas caddy, he figured he would make it at least as far
as Huntington, West Virginia. Before that, he would keep an eye out for both
the conventional and unconventional opportunities to get more gas. He had cash
to pay, and some of the commercial operations would have tanks of fuel with
generators running. Timber companies and farms would have hand pumps if they
didn’t have generators, and he would pass plenty of both getting to Evansville.

The farmers would be
reluctant to give him any gas because it was specially dyed to mark it for
agricultural use only. They would tell him to wait, tell him that the pumps in
town would be working within a few hours, either because the power would be
back on or the generators would be up and working. They would be wrong, but
Thomas would do nothing to warn them. Instead, he would pull out a piece of
Agnetha’s gold jewelry from his pocket.

Greed would spark in the
farmer’s gaze and the gas would flow into the Caddy’s tank. For a day or two,
the farmer would shake his head in memory, maybe chuckle to his wife about the
foolish traveler who had traded a thousand dollars worth of gold or a
three-strand diamond bracelet for less than a hundred in gas.

Then reality would set in and the farmer and his wife would weep.

 

About Dana Fraser: 

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Christa Wick (writing
as Dana Fraser
) has been hybrid publishing since 2012 in various
genres. Along with her post-apocalyptic action thrillers as Dana, she’s written
over fifty romance and paranormal titles as Christa and C.M. Wick, and also
writes high-octane suspense fiction and urban fantasy novels under other pen
names.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter

Giveaway

 

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.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

The Siren Jewel by Karri Roberts

Posted: June 17, 2021 in Fantasy, giveaways
Tags:

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I am so excited that THE SIREN JEWEL by
Karri Roberts is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book, be sure to check out all the
details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for some AWESOME prizes courtesy of Karri, &
Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.

 

 

Title: THE SIREN JEWEL: Spellbound
Prison Saga

Author: Karri
Roberts

Pub. Date: June 14, 2021

Publisher: Wicked Tales
Press

Formats: Paperback,
eBook

Pages: 161

Find it:  GoodreadsAmazon

Read for FREE With A Kindle Unlimited
Membership!

Discovering I was a witch was my new beginning…

being locked away for it may be my end.

Will my father’s lies cost me my life?

Imprisoned for the ultimate crime, use of forbidden magic, should earn me some
respect at Spellbound Prison, but when I refuse to join the Blood Coven no
amount of street cred can save me from their wrath. Their reach extends far
past the inmates, possibly all the way to the Warden himself.

I don’t stand a chance alone, but trusting people is not my strong suite at the
moment.

Discovering my true heritage brings dangers of its own…

My powers can no longer be contained with binding spells. I can’t control them
and my enemies know more about my magic than I do.

Could the family pendant that hangs from my neck be the key to everything?

Learning to control my powers will take some getting used to.

Being imprisoned with the worst criminals in the magical community will take survival skills.

You’ll love this gripping tale full of magic, mayhem, and mermaids because
Jewels’ fight for survival and the truth will keep you on the edge of your
seat.

 

Excerpt:

I leaned against his chest, listening to his rapid heartbeat. I breathed in his musky scent, an addicting
aroma of fig and sandalwood. We sat there wrapped in each other’s arms until I felt myself start to drift off to sleep.

“Hey, none of that now. We better get back before they notice we are gone. Magic like that is draining. You need to rest.”

He pulled me to my feet and led me back up the stairs and out the red door. We walked down the hall hand in hand, not a guard in sight. As we rounded the corner to my cellblock an alarm
sounded, followed by the warden’s voice over the intercom.

“Return to your cells immediately for a head count. Those outside of their cells in five minutes will
be dealt with using lethal force. Return to your cells now.”

Brendan’s jaw clenched. He grabbed my cheeks between his palms, kissing me hard on the mouth. I wrapped my arms around his neck, searching for that feeling from before. I reached it just
as his lips parted from mine and his fingers caressed my cheeks. My body craved
his again and I never wanted him to leave.

“Get to your cell.” The shine in his eyes was gone and a dull sadness was all that was left. “Stay safe,
Newbie.” He turned on his heels and sprinted down the hall, disappearing around
a corner before I could say goodbye. A splash followed by dampness on my leg
dragged me from my trance. I looked down and my eyes landed on Bree peeking out
from the water. Only the top half of her face and head were visible. She bobbed
up and down in the dark, stone trench, her eyes wide with fright. She lifted
her head completely out of the water and locked eyes with me.

“Jewels, I think the secrets have escaped,” she whispered.

“What secrets, Bree?”

“All of them.” Footsteps thundered down the hall as inmates barreled into their cells and Bree
disappeared beneath the water.

 

About Karri Roberts: 

Karri’s head has always been
full of stories laced with magic and mayhem but it wasn’t until adulthood when
she finally decided to put pen to paper and share the tales of her mind with
the world. She aims to write strong female characters inspired by childhood
television favorites as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dark Angel. She loves her
protagonists to face twists, turns, and inner challenges that make them examine
their sense of self. She is a fan of all things magical, creepy, and
supernatural (Team
Dean).

Karri lives in Oklahoma with
her crazy family, a house full of pets, and an overabundance of craft supplies.
When she’s not writing she can be found spending time with her loved ones,
binging her current tv obsession, or working on her podcast The Blitzed Book
Club.

Karri writes fantasy under the pen name Karri Roberts and post-apocalyptic sci-fi under Karri Kadin.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

GIVEAWAY

 

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.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

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Spectacle Stealing Supernatural
Jas Bond Book 2
by Gretchen S.B.
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Magical break-ins abound…
The two nearby stores owned by supernaturals are broken into. The Fix ‘n’ Find, my store, is not. What I have instead are suspicious magical handprints on the front windows. Combine that with a weird set of glasses that let the wearer see every type of magic and we have a serious conundrum. Luckily, my ex-fiancé Violetta, is a powerful witch and willing to help me figure out what could possibly be going on.
Find out what some magical items and good old-fashioned spell work can uncover in the Spectacle Stealing Supernatural.
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Green Goo Goblin
Jas Bond Book 1
My life is one giant cycle of group deniability…
As a magic-less son of a witch owning a store full magical objects isn’t easy. But with my unhelpful rottweiler Bailey and a handful of supernatural staff, we’ve sold everything from elfin wedding china to a life-size dwarven statue we don’t like to talk about. Everything is going smoothly until a goblin customer starts coughing up a disgusting green goo. Little did I know as I watch that liquid spew from his mouth that his presence and that goo was going to send my life into a tailspin, leaving me in the crosshairs of a murder.
Check out the goblin and the goo he produces in Green Goo Goblin.
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Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

I have been writing and telling stories since I was very, very little. I didn’t think seriously about writing and publishing my stories until I was in college. But this was before the Kindle and all that, so I sent out query letters to agents and publishers and no one was interested in publishing my work. Then in 2013 a friend of mine, who published his book independently via Kindle publishing, told me about Kindle publishing and how easy it had been for him and after weeks and months of talking about this I finally published Lady of the Dead.

What is something unique/quirky about you?

Something quirky about me, oh man, one of the funnier ones is that I volunteered in different positions, at haunted houses for about 10 or 11 years in my late teens and early 20s. I love working at haunted houses. I was the casting director for a while and it was so much fun. I love it so much! It was such a large part of my life for those years. The quirky bit, the really funny part, is that one of the haunted houses the group I worked with was, is actually where I met my husband. It took 2 or 3 years before we started dating. When we started dating we spent that whole season dating in secret, which looking back, was pretty entertaining. I was the casting director and he was the pirate captain for the ghostly pirate ship.

Describe yourself in 5 words or less!

Halloween loving, world creating, kook

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I first considered myself a writer around the time I was working on my fifth or sixth book. My first three books were across three different series and I had them mostly, if not all, written by the time I got around to publishing them. My fourth book I wrote from scratch and my fifth one I think had a few thousand words in it when I settled down to publish it. Once I published those two books I proved to myself that I wasn’t a one book wonder, could write across multiple genres: at that point I had paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and wholesome romance. I considered myself a writer because it wasn’t just books I already had finished that I was publishing. I was writing them expressly to publish them and I remember thinking that I wasn’t a writer when someone called me one and then one day after or during the fifth book that mentality changed. It was a really gradual process for me.

Do you have a favorite movie?

Oh man, I switch between the Saint with Val Kilmer, Ghostbusters one and two, Brotherhood of the Wolf which is a French film that takes place in 1700s rural France, and Bride and Prejudice which is a Bollywood/British hybrid of Pride and Prejudice. Those are my tried-and-true favorite movies and they jockey for first place depending on what mood I’m in.

Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?

I think it’s a tie between the Jas Bond series, I think Jas would make a really good TV show. As well as the Anthony Hollownton series, a homicide detective who gets an un-Orthodox introduction, via a murderer, into the supernatural world. I could definitely see Tony being made into movies but I would be super excited if any of my books got made into TV shows or movies

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Gretchen spawned in the Puget Sound region. After some wandering she returned there and now lives with her husband and the daintiest Rottweiler on the planet. When not drowning herself in coffee, as is custom in the Greater Seattle Area, Gretchen can be found at her day job or sitting at her desk in the home office, flailing her arms as she dictates to her computer.
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
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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.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Something Fishy
by Lois Schmitt
June 1-30, 2021 Tour

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Something Fishy by Lois Schmitt

Synopsis:
 

When attorney Samuel Wong goes missing. wildlife magazine reporter Kristy Farrell believes the disappearance is tied into her latest story concerning twenty acres of prime beachfront property that the Clam Shell Cove Aquarium hopes to purchase. Sam works for multi-millionaire land developer Lucien Moray who wants to buy the property for an upscale condominium. The waterfront community is divided on this issue like the Hatfields and McCoys with environmentalists siding with the aquarium and local business owners lining up behind Moray.

Meanwhile, a body is found in the bay. Kristy, aided by her veterinarian daughter, investigates and discovers deep secrets among the aquarium staff–secrets that point to one of them as a killer. Soon the aquarium is plagued with accidents, Kristy has a near death encounter with a nine foot bull shark, and a second murder occurs.

But ferreting out the murderer and discovering the story behind Sam’s disappearance aren’t Kristy’s only challenges. When her widowed septuagenarian mother announces her engagement, Kristy suspects her mom’s soon to be husband is not all he appears to be. As Kristy tries to find the truth before her mother ties the knot, she also races the clock to find the aquarium killer before this killer strikes again.

 

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Published by: Encircle Publications Publication Date: July 15th 2019

Number of Pages: 244 ISBN: 1948338793 (ISBN13: 9781948338790)

Series: A Kristy Farrell Mystery #2 || Each is a Stand-Alone Novel

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Encircle Publications | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

CHAPTER ONE

“Something bad happened to Sam. I know it.” Katie Chandler’s sea green eyes filled with tears. A sea lion trainer at the Clam Shell Cove Aquarium, Katie had been my daughter’s college roommate. “Maybe Sam worked late and forgot to call,” I said. Katie shook her head, her chestnut hair flying in the bay breeze. “No. He hasn’t answered my texts or phone calls. I stopped by his house twice too. No one’s home.” Silence. I tried thinking of something helpful, or at least hopeful, to say. “I called the police, Mrs. Farrell. The officer said being stood up for a dinner date isn’t enough for a missing persons case—that maybe it was Sam’s way of breaking up.” I shifted my gaze to the whitecaps on the bay while Katie’s statement sank into my brain. Perhaps the officer was right. I knew from my daughter Abby that the relationship between Katie Chandler and Samuel Wong had hit a rough patch. The conflict: Katie, who served as executor of her late grandmother’s charitable trust, was donating six million dollars of this money to the aquarium’s expansion project, which included the acquisition of twenty acres of adjacent land. Sam worked as executive assistant to multi-millionaire developer Lucien Moray who wanted to buy the bay front property for luxury condominiums. What started off as friendly bantering between Katie and Sam had escalated into explosive arguments that had become increasingly personal. But Katie and Sam weren’t the only ones embroiled in this controversy. The community at large had become like the Hatfields and McCoys. Environmentalists wanted the property to go to the aquarium where it would be used for breeding grounds for endangered species, an aquatic animal rehabilitation center, and a research camp for marine scientists. Local business owners sided with Moray, hoping high end condo owners would bolster the area’s economy. I was writing an article on this for Animal Advocate Magazine. That’s why I was at the aquarium today. Katie continued, “No matter what happened between us, Sam would never stand me up. He’s my fiancé not someone I picked up a few hours ago at a bar. Besides, Sam came around to my point of view. He had it with Lucien Moray. He hadn’t told anyone but me yet, but he was quitting his job at the end of the year.” “I’ve an interview later this morning with Moray,” I said. “I’ll check around and see what I can find out. Someone in Moray’s office may know Sam’s whereabouts.” “What if no one does?” “Let’s take it one step at a time.” I glanced at my watch, then pushed myself off the rock where I’d been sitting, a task that would have been easier if I were ten years younger and twenty pounds lighter. “Speaking of interviews, my appointment with your aquarium director is in five minutes, so I better head inside. I’ll call you tonight.” Katie sighed. “Thanks. I should get back to my sea lions too. We’ve a show at eleven.” She rose and stretched her small wiry body. “After the show, I’ll stop at Sam’s house again.” Katie, shoulders slumped, wandered off in the direction of the outdoor sea lion amphitheater. I stood for a moment, inhaling the salt air while watching a seagull dive into the bay and zoom back to the sky with a fish in its mouth. As the autumn wind sent a sudden chill down my spine, I wrapped my arms around my body, thinking back to when Katie and my Abby attended college. Abby often acted impulsively, out of emotion, but Katie had always been levelheaded, never someone to jump to conclusions. What if Sam is really in trouble? The thought nagged at me as I trekked up the sandy beach and stepped into the building that housed the indoor exhibits. I made my way down a long corridor, surrounded by floor to ceiling glass tanks housing ocean life from around the world. I paused at the shark tank and marveled at the grace and beauty of these fearsome predators gliding silently through the water, causing hardly a ripple. I would be back here soon. In addition to my article on the land expansion, I was writing a story on ocean predators. I veered down the administration wing. When I came to a door marked DIRECTOR, I glanced again at my watch. Ten-thirty. Right on time. I knocked. “Enter,” a booming voice responded. I pulled open the door and stepped inside. Standing in front of me was a man who appeared to be in his mid-fifties. Noting his polished wingtips, sharply creased trousers, navy blazer, crisp white shirt, and perfectly knotted tie, I wished I’d dusted the sand off my shoes. We stood face to face. Actually, it was more like face to chest. I was only five feet tall and this man towered over me by at least a foot and a half. “Commander Conrad West,” he said, extending his arm. His handshake was firm and strong. “You must be Kristy Farrell, the reporter from Animal Advocate Magazine.” Conrad West stood ramrod straight, probably a throw-back from his military training. A former naval commander—the youngest African American to be appointed a commander in the navy’s history—he had started his career as a medical corpsman. He had been director of the Clam Shell Cove Aquarium since his retirement from the navy last year. He walked behind his desk and positioned himself in a large swivel chair. “You may sit,” he said, pointing to a straight back chair facing him. I slid into the chair, suppressing the urge to playfully salute. He went straight to the point. “I understand you’re writing about the land acquisition. Have you seen our expansion plans?” “Yes, and they are impressive. But how will the aquarium come up with the money to buy this land?” I asked, fumbling through my bag for my pad and pen. “You’re competing with the bottomless pockets of Lucien Moray.” Commander West leaned forward, his hands clasped in front, as if praying that what he was about to say would come true. “The current property owner, Stuart Holland, is a business man who’s not about to forgo a profit. But he’s also an active conservationist and a lifelong resident of this area who would like to see the land used in an environmentally friendly manner. He’s kept it vacant until recent financial loses forced him to put it up for sale.” The Commander leaned back. “There’ll be no bidding war. He set a price—ten million dollars. The land is worth more, but Stuart wants it to go to us, so he set a price he feels we can reach. If we can raise the money by next summer, the land is ours.” “Ten million is a high goal.” He nodded. “More than half of the funding will come from a trust set up by Alicia Wilcox Chandler. We also have one million in reserve that we accumulated during the past few years. Of course, we’re still three million short, but our new development officer is planning an aggressive fundraising campaign with—” A loud knock on the door interrupted the conversation. Commander West scowled. “Enter.” A plump woman with a bad case of acne barged into the room. She wore jeans and a light blue shirt with an aquarium patch on the upper left pocket identifying her as Madge. “Commander,” she said, slightly out of breath. “We have a problem. The sea lion show is in ten minutes, and Katie just ran out.” “What do you mean she ran out?” The woman shrugged. “She took a call on her cell phone, then flew out of the amphitheater. “Didn’t she say anything?” The scowl hadn’t left his face. The woman paused, furrowing her eyebrows as if deep in thought. “Oh, yeah. But I don’t know if it had to do with why she left.” “What did she say?” He appeared to be talking through gritted teeth. “She said two fishermen found a body floating in the inlet.” *** Excerpt from Something Fishy by Lois Schmitt. Copyright 2021 by Lois Schmitt. Reproduced with permission from Lois Schmitt. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Lois Schmitt

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Lois Schmitt

A mystery fan since she read her first Nancy Drew, Lois Schmitt combined a love of mysteries with a love of animals in her series featuring wildlife reporter Kristy Farrell. She is a member of several wildlife and humane organizations as well as Mystery Writers of America. Lois worked for many years as a freelance writer and is the author of Smart Spending, a consumer education book for young people. She previously worked as media spokesperson for a local consumer affairs agency and currently teaches at Nassau Community College on Long Island. Lois lives in Massapequa with her family which includes a 120 pound Bernese Mountain Dog. This dog bears a striking resemblance to Archie, a dog of many breeds who looks like a small bear, featured in her Kristy Farrell Mystery Series. Lois was 2nd runner up for the Killer Nashville Claymore Award for Something Fishy.

Catch Up With Our Author: LoisSchmitt.com Goodreads Twitter: @schmittmystery Facebook: @LoisSchmittAuthor Instagram: @loisschmittmysteries

 

 

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The Time For Murder Is Meow

An Urban Tails Pet Shop Mystery

by T.C. LoTempio

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The Time for Murder is Meow: Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Beyond the Page Publishing (June 9, 2021)
Paperback
ISBN-10: 1954717199
ISBN-13: 978-1954717190
Digital ASIN: B0937H1KTT


Shell McMillan and her furry sidekicks aren’t kitten around when they set out to catch a killer . . .

 

When her TV series is canceled, struggling actress Shell McMillan considers it a blessing in disguise. A beloved aunt who recently died left her a pet shop in her will, and she sees it as the perfect chance to walk away from Hollywood and make a fresh start in the sleepy town of Fox Hollow.

 

But adjusting to small-town life won’t be easy, as Shell realizes when the head of the museum board is found murdered not long after Shell had a very public argument with her. And when the new kid in town is fingered for the crime, she’ll have to rely on her own wit and pluck and the kindness of strangers to get herself off the hook.

 

Desperate to exonerate herself and catch the real culprit, Shell begins digging into the lives of the local residents, and she quickly discovers that the victim had no shortage of enemies. As the suspect list grows and time runs short, Shell and her cats will have to claw their way out of danger—and it’s meow or never . . .

 

About T.C. LoTempio

While Toni Lotempio does not commit – or solve – murders in real life, she has no trouble doing it on paper. Her lifelong love of mysteries began early on when she was introduced to her first Nancy Drew mystery at age 10 – The Secret in the Old Attic.  She and her cat pen the Nick and Nora mystery series originally from Berkley Prime Crime and now with Beyond the Page Publishing.  They also write the Cat Rescue series from Crooked Lane and the Pet Shop series, originally published by Midnight Ink and rebranded in June of this year as “Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries.”  Book 1 will be re-released in June with a brand new cover!   The series is continued in 2022 with book two, KILLERS OF A FEATHER, from Beyond the Page. Catch up with them at ROCCO’s blog, www.catsbooksmorecats.blogspot.com or her website, www.tclotempio.net

Purchase Link – Amazon – Preorder Price is $3.99 Price will go up to $4.99 on Release Date

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Dead Tree Tales by Rush Leaming Banner

 

Dead Tree Tales
by Rush Leaming

June 7 – July 2, 2021 Tour

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Dead Tree Tales by Rush Leaming

Synopsis:

 

Set in Charleston, SC, and the surrounding islands, police are called to investigate the poisoning of a much-loved 1000-year-old tree, only to find evidence of a more brutal crime. From there, the story explodes into a fast-paced, multi-character thriller unlike any you\’ve ever read. Not for the faint of heart…

Dead Tree Tales by Rush Leaming is about a lot more than a dead tree. It’s a mystery. It’s a crime story. It’s a thriller. It’s a powerful comment on today’s society and politics… fast-paced, full of action and intrigue… It’s a real page-turner and just a fantastic read.” – Lorraine Cobcroft, Reader’s Favorite

 

Book Details:

Genre: Crime Thriller

Published by: Bridgewood Publication Date: June 8th 2021

Number of Pages: 488 ISBN: 0999745654 (ISBN13: 9780999745656)

Purchase Links: Amazon | Goodreads

 

Read an excerpt:

CHAPTER ONE It was known simply as The Tree; that is what the locals on Johns Island, South Carolina, called it. A Southern live oak born a thousand years ago (some even said fifteen hundred), its gargantuan limbs swirled and stretched as much as two hundred feet in all directions. The lower arms, heavy with age, sometimes sank into the earth only to reemerge. Other branches flailed recklessly in the sky, like some sort of once-screaming kraken turned to wood by an ancient curse. Generation after generation had protected it. Rising from the center of a former indigo plantation, and now officially known as Addison’s Oak, The Tree had long been a source of pride, even fear, in the surrounding community, as well as James Island, Wadmalaw Island, and the nearby city of Charleston. But now, The Tree was dying. It was not from natural causes either, not from time, nor gravity, nor the weather. Someone had killed it. “Is that a thing?” Detective Charlie Harper asked as he turned his head to look at his partner, Detective Elena Vasquez. “I think so.” Elena squinted her eyes toward the top of the canopy, the leafy summit shadowed and backlit by the noon sun. “Arborcide? That’s a thing?” Charlie asked again. An Asian-American man in his mid-twenties wearing wraparound sunglasses stood next to the two detectives. “Yep. You remember that incident a few years ago in Auburn? Toomer’s Corner. Crazy Alabama fan poisoned the tree there.” “Yeah,” Charlie said. “But I mean legally. Is it legally a crime to do this?” “Cops were involved there,” the man said. “The guy went to jail. Has to be something. Why don’t you call them? See what they did.” He pulled a pack of spearmint gum from the front pocket of his jeans and stuffed five pieces in his mouth, noticing Charlie watching him. “Quitting smoking. Nicotine gum makes me dizzy.” Charlie nodded. “Been there.” Six feet tall, with a closely trimmed beard under bright-blue eyes, he walked around the perimeter of the field. Salt air swirled around him—they were only a couple of miles from the beach—and Charlie realized it was the first time he had been away from the city and out on the islands in months, maybe even over a year. Elena Vasquez, an athletic five-ten with shoulder-length black hair bobby-pinned over her ears, stood in front of the young man and opened a new page in the Notes app on her iPhone. “So, you’re the one who called about this?” “Yes. It took some digging to figure out who to contact. I didn’t know there weren’t any police stations out here.” “That’s correct.” She typed the date 5/19/2015 at the top of the page. “Closest station is the Island Sheriff’s Patrol on James Island, but they don’t handle things like this. That’s why you got us from the city. And who are you again?” “Daniel Lee.” She looked up from her iPhone. “Daniel is a nice name. It’s my son’s name, though we call him Danny. Where are you from, Mr. Lee?” “I’m originally from Maryland—Chesapeake Bay area—but now I live in Charleston. West Ashley. I’m a Ph.D. candidate at the college.” “College of Charleston?” Elena asked and continued typing. “Yes. Environmental science. Teach a couple of undergrad classes as well. And I’m president of the local Sierra Club chapter. Our service project for this year has been public park maintenance and cleanup. I came here a week ago and saw that broken limb—” “This one?” Charlie pointed at a fat twisted branch about the length of a Greyhound bus lying near the base of the tree. “Yes.” “Well . . .” Charlie said. “How do you know it wasn’t lightning or something?” Daniel went over to Charlie and squatted next to the fallen limb. “There are no burn marks. Lightning would leave those.” “Maybe it’s just old age. Isn’t this thing like a thousand years old or something?” “Possibly more. It is rotting,” Daniel said. “But not from old age. See this discoloration? The rust-colored saturation of the stump where it broke?” Charlie leaned in a little closer. “Yes.” “That’s from poison, from a lot of poison. And you can see spots like this forming and spreading all around the trunk and on other branches.” Elena stood beneath The Tree, placing her hand on a dark-orange splotch on the trunk. The gray bark surrounding the stain felt tough and firm, but inside the color spot, it was soft and crumbling. “I see it.” “It’s like cancer,” Daniel said. “The Tree is not dead yet, but it will be soon. I had the soil tested as well as samples from the broken limb. They came back positive for massive levels of DS190.” “And that is?” Charlie said. “A variant of tebuthiuron. A very powerful herbicide. Similar to what was used at Toomer’s Corner. Somebody has been injecting the tree as well as dumping it into the ground. Probably for a few months to reach these levels.” “Injecting the tree?” Elena said. Daniel pulled them over to the base of the trunk where a ring of jagged holes stretched just above the ground. “Yes. See these gashes? Somebody has been boring into the trunk, then filling it with DS190.” Charlie took out a pair of latex gloves and put them on before touching the holes in the trunk. “You’re sure this is intentional?” “Has to be. This stuff doesn’t just appear on its own. It’s man-made. Someone has been doing this.” “But why?” Charlie asked. Daniel held out a hand, palm up. “Thus, the reason the two of you are here.” Charlie shook his head. “I don’t know about this. We usually work homicide.” Daniel gestured towards the gashes in the trunk. “You have a murder victim. Or soon will. Right in front of you.” “But it’s a tree!” Charlie said. Elena looked up from her phone. “Okay, Mr. Harper. Easy.” Daniel motioned for them to follow as he walked to the backside of the trunk. “There’s something else.” He came to a stop in a patch of grass ringed with dandelion sprouts and pointed to dark-red streaks spread across the blades. “That’s blood, isn’t it?” Charlie bent down and touched his gloved hand to one of the blades. “Maybe.” He took out a plastic bag and a Leatherman multitool from his jacket. He pulled apart the hinged scissors, then clipped away about a dozen pieces of grass and dropped them into the bag. “And another thing,” Daniel said and led Elena to a spot about ten feet away. He pointed to a white card lying in the grass. “I didn’t touch any of this, by the way. I didn’t want to disturb the crime scene . . . I watch a lot of cop shows. I know how that goes.” “Doesn’t everyone.” Elena squatted down, taking a plastic bag from her jacket. She used tweezers to pick up the card, muddy and frayed at the edges and turned it over to reveal a yellow cat emoji, just the head, whiskers, and a faint smile, printed on the opposite side. There were no words, just the image. A strong breeze moved through the leaves of the great tree, a sound like rain showers mixed with groaning as the heavy limbs bent in the wind. Charlie Harper removed his glove and rubbed the edge of his dark-brown beard. Looking at the massive branches, which did seem like the arms of giants, he began to understand why The Tree was such a big deal. “Have to say, it is beautiful here. Can’t believe I’ve been in Charleston four years and never been here. I should bring Amy. She’d love it.” Daniel looked at Elena for an explanation. “His daughter,” she said, then turned to Charlie. “You should. My dad brought me here a few times when I was a kid.” “Well, you better hurry,” Daniel said. “There’s nothing to stop it?” Elena asked. “Probably not. I contacted a team of forestry researchers I know from Virginia Tech. They are going to send a team down to look at it, see if anything can be done. I sent a request to the Parks Department to pay for it. If they don’t, Sierra Club will hold a fundraiser.” Charlie sighed. “Okay. While we decide what to do about this, I’ll call and have some signs and barriers put up to keep the tourists away.” Elena turned to Daniel. “Thank you for meeting us here. Could you come to our station in the city today or tomorrow to give a formal statement?” “Sure.” “Bring copies of the lab work. We gonna find anything when we do a background check on you?” Daniel shook his head. “No. Just some parking tickets . . . a lot of tickets actually. Parking at the college is a bitch.” “That it is,” Elena said. “Here is my card if you think of anything else.” “Thanks,” Daniel said. He stopped a moment as if to say something, then continued toward a white Chevy Volt parked near the road. Elena looked at Charlie and raised her eyebrows. “So, Mr. Harper, what do you think?” “Ehh . . . I mean I understand it’s old and rare and special and all that, but it’s a fucking tree. I don’t know anything about trees, do you?” “No, but . . .” “But what?” “I don’t know,” Elena said and looked around the field. “My Spidey-sense tells me there’s more to it than just some weird vandalism.” She took a step forward and winced. “Back acting up?” Charlie asked. “A bit,” she said. “Lunchtime anyway. Let’s take a break. I’m starving. June and I got into it again this morning. Skipped breakfast.” “Sorry to hear that.” Elena swept a strand of black hair behind her ear. She pointed with her chin down a two-lane road to a crooked sign with a faded image of a pagoda: The Formosa Grill. “Chinese?” “Sure,” Charlie said. The two of them began to walk toward their gray Ford Explorer when Charlie saw a flash of white out of the corner of his eye. He stopped and knelt in the grass. He used his Leatherman tool to again pry away several blades. “What is it?” Elena asked. Charlie’s head bolted upright, his blue eyes narrowing. “Mr. Lee!” he shouted. He pulled another latex glove from his pocket. In the parking lot, Daniel climbed out of his car and made his way back to the field. “Yes?” “Mr. Lee, when was the last time you were here before meeting us today?” “Yesterday morning,” Daniel said. Elena knelt next to Charlie, looked into the grass, and let a low whistle escape her lips. She used her phone to take a photo. Charlie used tweezers to pick up a severed finger. Sliced just below the knuckle, the stump crusted in blood, the flesh covered with red ants, it ended with a sharp green fingernail. He looked at Daniel. “Did you happen to notice this?” Daniel swallowed hard, turning his face to the side. “No. I did not.” Charlie put the finger in a plastic bag. Elena looked at him, her wide brown eyes giving him a knowing shimmer. “You interested in this case now, Mr. Harper?” Charlie didn’t flinch. He stared at The Tree. *** Excerpt from Dead Tree Tales by Rush Leaming. Copyright 2021 by Rush Leaming. Reproduced with permission from Rush Leaming. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Rush Leaming:
Rush Leaming

RUSH LEAMING has done many things including spending 15+ years in film/video production working on such projects as The Lord of the Rings films. His first novel, Don’t Go, Ramanya, a political thriller set in Thailand, was self-published in the fall of 2016 and reached number one on Amazon. His equally successful second novel, entitled The Whole of the Moon, a coming-of-age tale set in the Congo at the end of the Cold War, was published in 2018. His short stories have appeared in Notations, 67 Press, Lightwave, Green Apple, 5k Fiction, and The Electric Eclectic. He has lived in New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Zaire, Thailand, Spain, Greece, England, and Kenya. He currently lives in South Carolina.

Catch Up With Rush: LeamingRush.wixsite.com/nightfall Goodreads BookBub – @RushLeaming Instagram – @rushleaming Twitter – @LeamingRush Facebook

 

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Murder, She Wrote: Killing In A Koi Pond

by Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran

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Murder, She Wrote: Killing in a Koi Pond
Cozy Mystery
53rd in Series
Publisher: Berkley (June 8, 2021)
Hardcover: 288 pages
ISBN-10: 0593333594
ISBN-13: 978-0593333594
Digital ASIN: B08FH8NM6R

When a friend’s husband dies while Jessica Fletcher is in town visiting, Jessica’s vacation turns into a murder investigation in this latest entry in the long-running USA Today bestselling series.

 

After traveling to Bethesda for a mystery writers’ conference, Jessica Fletcher decides she’s earned a vacation and takes a train to Columbia, South Carolina, to visit her old college friend Dolores, who has recently married her third husband, Willis Nickens, a wealthy and cutthroat businessman. They’ve moved into an opulent historic home with plenty of space for guests, and Jessica is ready for a week of shopping, gossiping, and relaxing at the grand estate.

 

But the morning after she arrives, Jessica discovers Willis facedown in the koi pond, and despite what the police think, she’s sure foul play is involved. She hadn’t known Willis long, but it’s clear to her that he didn’t concern himself with making friends. The question isn’t if her friend’s husband was murdered but by whom.

 

About the Authors

Jessica Fletcher is a bestselling mystery writer who has a knack for stumbling upon real-life mysteries in her various travels.

Terrie Farley Moran is the author of Murder She Wrote: Killing in a Koi Pond, the latest in the long-running Jessica Fletcher series, to be followed in autumn 2021 by Murder She Wrote: Debonair in Death. She has also written the beachside Read ‘Em and Eat cozy mystery series and is co-author of Laura Childs’ New Orleans scrapbooking mysteries. Her short stories have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies. Terrie is a recipient of both the Agatha and the Derringer awards.

Terrie’s Links: Website / Facebook

Purchase Links – AmazonB&NPenguin Random HouseKoboGoogle PlayIndieBound 

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June 8 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

June 8 – The Editing Pen – REVIEW

June 9 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 9 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW

June 10 – Thoughts in Progress – SPOTLIGHT

June 10 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

June 11 – Books to the Ceiling – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

June 11 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

June 12 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

June 12 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 13 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

June 14 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 14 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW

June 15 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 15 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW

June 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 16 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – SPOTLIGHT

June 17 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

June 17 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

June 18 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW

June 18 – Author Elena Taylor’s Blog – REVIEW

June 19 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

June 19 – Here’s How It Happened – REVIEW

June 20 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT  

 

 

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Adrift
Isabel Jolie
(Haven Island)
Publication date: June 8th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

I can be your dream girl…for a price…

Ever heard of Only Fans? It’s not my ideal job, but it pays the bills.
It’s even made me somewhat of a celebrity. My subscribers love my provocative shots, and I’m oh-so-good at teasing them.
Then he shows up in my small town and complicates everything.
See, Mr. Green-Eyed Gazillionaire is so far out of my league it’s ridiculous. We’re polar opposites.
That doesn’t change the fact that even though I’m a fantasy to most men, I only want to be his reality.
But nothing real can ever happen between us. Logically, I know that.
Too bad logic and I have never had anything but a passing acquaintance.
Because now, if I’m not careful, I’m afraid this sexy billionaire will smash my poor, pathetic heart into oblivion…

A delicious hot billionaire romance featuring two polar opposites adrift on a resort island with a small-town atmosphere, right of the coast of North Carolina.

This is a steamy contemporary romance with a happily ever after, no cliffhanger, and no cheating.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

 

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Enjoy this peek inside:

“Did you hang up on me?” Shock enveloped his words.

“Yeah.” Get over it.

“Don’t do that. If I say something that offends you, tell me. But don’t end the call. I had a shitty day. I called you because I was reaching out as a friend.”

“Yeah, do you ask all your friends what they’re wearing when you call them? Does Tate give you a good rundown?”

“Fine. I might…I don’t know. That was bad flirting. I got it. I won’t do it again.”

I sipped my wine, waiting for an actual apology.

“How’d your meeting with the bank go?”

My emotions shimmied around uncontrollably. “Not well. I’ve decided that on my next loan application I need to take a different approach to describe my current business.”

“What did they say about it?”

“It wasn’t a they. It was a he. And…” I trailed off, unsure about what to admit.

“Did he come on to you?” he asked. I thought I picked up on a mixture of anger and disbelief. The desire to hang up on him evaporated.

“In a totally professional way. Maybe I was reading into it.” It was probably all in my head. He really didn’t do anything wrong. Some might say he was being nice.

“Tell me what he said.”

“He said I wasn’t likely to get a loan without experience running a restaurant, but he was willing to help me work on my business plan—if I met him at a hotel bar.” I held my breath for Gabe’s reaction, curious. He could say that was normal and how things were done in the business world. In Wilmington, I’d seen business executives hovering around the bar. I’d been in the exact Holiday Inn bar he mentioned once.

Gabe muttered something I couldn’t quite pick up. “Look, the restaurant sector isn’t an area I know. But let me make some phone calls. I’ll have an industry expert consult with you.”

“That’s—”

“Poppy, this is how it’s done. You learn from those with more experience and knowledge. I could tell you something off the top of my head that needs improvement in your presentation, but my feedback won’t be as useful as an industry expert. And what the banker said, about the lack of experience, that could be a legitimate obstacle. Does the chef you are partnering with have any ownership or management experience?”

“No.” I’d fluffed his experience up. Clay was currently the line cook at Jules. But he liked healthy food. And my plan was for more of a wine bar, a place for vacationing adults to come and hang out in a relaxing atmosphere, even after dinner.

“Let me make some calls.”

“How much would a consultant cost?”

“Consider it a favor for hanging out with me and letting me crash on your sofa.”

“Gabe, I don’t want to be indebted to you. How much?”

“Won’t cost a thing. I’ll call in some favors. It’ll be an initial consultation, and you can decide how you want to take it from there.”

“Thank you.”

He sighed. “No problem.”

“Why’d you have a shit day?”

“Ah, just another day in the business world.” Shrill beeps and a robotic voice sounded through the phone. “Premise is secure.”

“Are you just getting home now?”

“Yeah. I had dinner with brokers.”

I checked the time. After ten. “You sound tired.”

“I am. I wake at four a.m. This is a late-night for me. Especially given it’s only Monday.”

“Four a.m.? That’s inhuman.”

He chuckled. I sensed he spoke while walking and talking, maybe even preparing for bed.

“I suppose I should let you go so you can get a good night’s sleep.”

“I’ll have my assistant email over a consultant’s name. And, Poppy?”

“Yeah?”

“That banker was an ass. And I didn’t mean to be.”

~~~~~

 

Author Isabel Jolie

Isabel Jolie, or Izzy to her friends, is an Amazon bestselling indie author with an unquenchable thirst for a good, sexy love story. Izzy’s heart pumps faster for stories with strong heroines, down-to-earth realism, and an unexpected twist.

When she’s not writing or reading, she can often be found with a glass of wine in hand relaxing with her husband, daughters, and good friends lakeside.

Izzy fills her Instagram feed with funnies, inspirational “brain candy”, and anything that meshes with her mood of the day. #mood.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

 

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The Girl Who Was Forgotten
The Shee McQueen Series Book 2
by Amy Vasant
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
“If thrills, twists, turns, suspense, fast-paced books, and humor are your cup of tea, this series is for you!”
Action-adventure from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Amy Vansant – a novel packed with thrills, fun, romance and heartfelt family intrigue.
Life was supposed to start feeling like a permanent vacation.
After years on the run from a vengeful killer, Shee McQueen is home at her father’s beach hotel. The Loggerhead Inn doubles as a retreat for sunburned tourists and a haven for recovering ex-military — men and women who help right wrongs for people in need of their particular skills.
What could be more relaxing?
Unless…
…Shee’s estranged boyfriend — the only man she’s ever loved — has discovered her darkest secret and the reason she left him so many years ago…
…or her first job for her father has ended in a double homicide…
…or that her very presence is driving the hotel’s regulars to prove their worth by starting dangerous covert missions of their own…
Wait. It couldn’t be a botched kidnapping is started looking more like the work of a deranged serial killer?
Hm.
Maybe hold the tanning lotion.
This might take a minute.
The Girl Who Was Forgotten is the second explosive mystery-thriller in the Shee McQueen series, but can be read as a standalone. While the book has all the pulse-pounding action of a thriller, language, romance and violence is rated PG.
The unique female lead’s funny, irreverent and all-too-human asides will have you rooting for her — and her whole pack of wild, wonderful misfit friends — until the breathless end.
Fans of Harlan Coban, Carl Hiaasen, Tim Dorsey, Sue Grafton, Kathy Reichs and Janet Evanovich will love this exhilarating page-turner.
Readers love Amy Vansant & Shee McQueen:
Great book. I could not put it down until finished with THE END. Highly recommended!” – Amazon Reader ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I find it hard to express how much this book affected me, not only the story line, but the mastery of the writing itself.” – Amazon Reader ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Well written and a certain must-read for any thriller/suspense lover. I can hardly wait for the next book. Amy Vansant nailed it!” – Amazon Reader ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This book was absolutely spellbinding. As a fan of Vansant, I pre-order and read everything she writes.” – Goodreads Reader ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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**On Sale Now! Only $2.99 for June!!**
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The Girl Who Wants
The Shee McQueen Series Book 1
NEW SERIES! A wildly entertaining, wholly unique tour de force of action, psychological drama and wit from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Amy Vansant.
Shee wants a home.
Shee McQueen grew up skip tracing and hunting military criminals with her father, Mick, until someone put a bounty on her head, forcing her underground. Resurfacing years later, she returns to her family’s hotel in Jupiter Beach, FL, to find Mick in a coma, shot in the head by an unknown sniper.
Shee wants answers.
The Loggerhead Inn has everything Shee could want in a beach hotel—sea turtle wall art, a tiny Yorkshire terrier mascot who thinks she’s a pit bull, and her father’s staff of deadly, damaged military veterans, looking to redeem their troubled souls by helping others. Not to mention— Hold on…
How did Mason Connelly, the SEAL she fell for decades ago, just appear in the lobby? Why did he have to show up now demanding answers to secrets long buried?
Shee wants it all back.
But someone wants her dead.
From the moment Shee McQueen appears, The Girl Who Wants straps the reader into a twisting roller coaster ride of heart-stopping action, snappy dialog and intrigue. Shee’s quest to recover the life and loves she’s lost brings a depth of emotion rare in such a page-turning suspense. The unique female lead’s funny, irreverent and all-too-human asides will have you rooting for her — and her whole pack of wild, wonderful misfit friends — until the breathless end.
Fans of Liane Moriarty, Carl Hiaasen, Donald E. Westlake, Janet Evanovich and John Grisham (without so many lawyers!) will love this exhilarating page-turner.
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**Get it FREE June 4, 5, 8, 9, 15, 22 & 30!!!**
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Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

When I was very little I wrote Winnie-the-Pooh — complete with original drawings. I didn’t know much about copyright infringement then. But I’ve been writing since I could. I was East Coast Editor of Surfer Magazine and freelanced… then I quit for a while because it was easier to buy food working at my web development firm at the beginning of the Internet, but I came back! (About three years too late to really enjoy the beginning of Indie publishing. Grr!)

What is something unique/quirky about you?

Like my character Shee McQueen, I see the days of the week in colors and calendars as shapes in my head. Doesn’t do much for me but I was surprised to find out others don’t see it that way!

Where were you born/grew up at?

I grew up in Sea Isle City NJ, a tiny beach town a little north of Cape May. Graduating eight grade class of 12!

Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?

All of them. PLEASE?? 😊

What inspired you to write this book?

I wanted to write a new series that was a little more intense than my more “cozy” Pineapple Port mysteries and took place in Jupiter, Florida, where I recently moved.

Where did you come up with the names in the story?

I often have my readers pick names for me by running giveaways on my site at https://AmyVansant.com – or I just Google baby names.

Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?

Shee McQueen had her whole life interrupted by a man out to kill her. Now that she’s back on track and free to live again, she feels a little lost — unsure how to proceed with her life. The fact that her young love has come back into her life only complicates things — she can’t just start fresh because she also desperately wants to get back all the things she lost.

Who designed your book covers?

Lance Buckley https://www.lancebuckley.com/  Gorgeous, aren’t they? He did a GREAT job! The photo on the cover of The Girl Who Was Forgotten I took down at the end of my street!

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

I just released it. Please don’t even say that out loud!

Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

I’m always learning little bits and facts as I research my books. Most of it horrific. Never look at my browser history. If Dateline ever got hold of that…

If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

Sandra Bullock. She definitely has that tough, smart and yet likable and silly thing working for her!

What is your favorite part of this book and why?

There is a passionate scene of longing and regret between Shee and her leading man, Mason. I tear up when I read it!

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

My husband is a little piece of all the leading men. Mariska in the Pineapple Port series is my mother-in-law. Seamus in that series is loosely my brother-in-law… there’s no end to the people whose lives I’ve stolen…

Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story? 

They tell me what to write. I just type.

Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.

The Shee McQueen series is the perfect blend of thrills, action, mystery, humor and romance. I can’t seem to ever write in one genre! Thrillers with a sense of humor are my favorite, so I decided I’d write one.

Is there an writer which brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be and why?

I started AuthorsXP.com, a website for readers and authors, and through that I’ve gotten to meet and befriend a lot of great authors. I pick their brains all the time!

What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?

None. Often I start a book with no idea where it is going. Mostly, I think of great scenes and then figure out how they all stitch together. The plot comes to me in the process and changes 1000 times.

Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?

Silence. I’m easily distracted.

Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?

Usually one, but once or twice I’ve gotten stuck and wrote a few scenes for another in the meantime.

Pen or type writer or computer?

Someone writes with a pen??

Advice they would give new authors?

Keep writing. The only thing wrong you can do is to give up. The more you do it, the better you get, whether you mean to or not!

Describe your writing style.

Fun, fast and creative. I like making up unusual metaphors and similes that make people laugh or snort.

What makes a good story?

Make sure something is always happening. Don’t take whole chapters just to move people from one place to the other without any action or secrets!

What are common traps for aspiring writers?

Not listening to feedback. You can’t listen to everything but if the same feedback keeps coming, chances are it is true.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

About two months.

Do you believe in writer’s block?

No, but it occasionally believes in me…

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USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Amy Vansant has written over 20 books, including the fun, thrilling Shee McQueen series, the rollicking, twisty Pineapple Port Mysteries, and the action-packed Kilty urban fantasies. Throw in a couple romances and a YA fantasy for her nieces… Amy specializes in fun, exciting reads with plenty of laughs and action — she tried to write serious books, but they always ended up full of jokes, so she gave up.
Amy lives in Jupiter, Florida with her muse/husband a goony Bordoodle named Archer.
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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Win a Kindle Reader!
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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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Flea Market Felony

The Mattie And Mo Mysteries

by Tricia Sanders

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Flea Market Felony (The Mattie and Mo Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Independently published (April 1, 2021)
Paperback: 190 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8729049523
Digital ASIN: B08ZMBTQ8B

These new retirees have just hit the road. Will their first campsite’s shenanigans land them both in handcuffs?

 

Mattie Modesky’s been hankering to start retirement right. Even if it’s in an RV. The sassy senior believes there’s no time like the present after her policeman husband hangs up his badge and they hit the road.

 

When they reach their first RV park, the yoga instructor hitting on Mattie’s man turns her peaceful vacation sour. In an effort to stand her ground and confront the sneaky resident, Mattie finds a new friend, a stiff corpse, and her husband as the prime suspect.

 

She is shocked to her core when her man’s newly purchased pocketknife is the murder weapon. But when the real killer makes the fatal mistake of dognapping her beloved pooch, the silver-haired sleuth sets her sights on solving the crime herself and proving her lawman’s innocence.

 

Can Mattie clear her hubby’s name and reclaim their pup before the villain turns their golden years into iron bars? Or will the killer roll away in a motor home with Mattie’s dog in the passenger seat?

 

Flea Market Felony is the adventure-packed first book in The Mattie and Mo Mysteries series. If you like irresistible characters, fun surprises, and captivating whodunits, then you’ll love Tricia L. Sanders’s clever read.

 

Buy Flea Market Felony to catch a dastardly devil today!

 

About Tricia L. Sanders

Tricia L. Sanders lives in the Austin, Texas area and writes about women with class, sass, and a touch of kickass. A former instructional designer and corporate trainer, she traded in curriculum writing for novel writing, because she hates bullet points and loves to make stuff up. And fiction is more fun than training guides and lesson plans.

When she isn’t writing, Tricia is busy crossing dreams off her bucket list. With all 50 states checked, she’s concentrating on foreign interests. She’s an avid St. Louis Cardinals fan, so don’t get between her and the television when a game is on. Currently, she is working on a mystery series set in the fictional town of Wickford, Missouri. Another project in the works is a women’s fiction road trip adventure.

Her essays have appeared in Sasee, ByLine, The Cuivre River Anthology, and Great American Outhouse Stories; The Whole Truth and Nothing Butt. She is a proud member of The Lit Ladies, six women writing their truths into fiction.

Author Links: Website / Facebook / Bookbub / Twitter / Pinterest / YouTube

Newsletter / Cozy Clique Reader Group

Purchase Links – AmazonBooks2Read 

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 1 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 1 – Christa Reads and Writes – SPOTLIGHT

June 2 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST

June 2 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

June 3 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST,

June 3 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 4 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

June 5 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 5 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 6 – I Read What You Write – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 7 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 8 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

June 8 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

June 9 – Ascroft, eh? – GUEST POST

June 9 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 10 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

June 10 – Baroness’ Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

June 11 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 12 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

June 12 – Reading Is My SuperPower – GUEST POST

June 13 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 14 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

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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.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.