Archive for the ‘giveaways’ Category
What’s New On My Bookshelf #164 and The Sunday Post
Posted: July 10, 2016 in Freebies!, giveaways, reviews, What's New on My BookshelfTags: fuonlyknew, Laura Thomas, my weekly book news, The Sunday Post
This is my own version of a weekly book haul and all things new on fuonlyknew.
Another fun way to share your book news and enjoy others is The Sunday Post hosted by
Kimberly the Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Head on over and leave a link to your Sunday Post and hop around to visits others.
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Some chit chat.
Hello everyone and Happy Sunday!
It sure is good to be back. My internet was down for quite some time and I missed everyone. I got lucky and the repair person was able to get out to my house much sooner than scheduled, or I’d still be down. What’s weird is the internet came back up on its own just hours before he arrived. I still had him check everything inside and outside of the house and he found nothing wrong. Go figure. LOL
I did manage to have some posts scheduled that went up on time. And I sure did get a lot of reading done with no emails to contend with. LOL Looking forward to visiting with ya’ll today!
Enough about me. Let’s get to all of the books from the last two weeks!
I’ll be hopping over to check out your Sunday posts so be sure to leave me your link.
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New books on my shelf. Some I won, some are for review, and some I just had to have.
Print books.
New eBooks
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And here are some freebies for ya!
Click on the covers to get yours and remember to make sure they’re still free before you click that buy button.
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Books I reviewed the passed two weeks. Click on the covers for my reviews.
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Books I’ll be reviewing next week.
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Other posts on my blog this week.
Book Blast & Giveaway ~ Bring Your Own Baker
4th Of July Summer Of Reading ~ Huge Giveaway
The Deepest Black by Rainy Kaye ~ Review and Giveaway
Freebie Friday ~ A Haunted House Tale
The Friday 56 #113 ~ Scar Tissue
Blitz and Giveaway ~ Driving Me Mad
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For a list of my reviews go HERE
For a list of free eBooks go HERE
To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!
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So, what did you get to read this week?
Got any recommendations?
I’d love to know and thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew.
Blitz & Giveaway ~ Driving Me Mad by Lindsay Paige ~ A New Adult Romance
Posted: July 8, 2016 in Blitz, giveaways, New Adult, RomanceTags: Author Lindsay Paige, Driving Me Mad, NA Romance, Sanity #1
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Driving Me Mad
by Lindsay Paige
(Sanity #1)
Publication date: July 6th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance
(Sanity #1)
Publication date: July 6th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance
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Synopsis:
Synopsis:
He was my therapist.
She was my client.
He’s the person I lean on and turn to.
She’s the person who brings me relief when there seems to be none.
He makes me smile and laugh when anxiety and depression consume me.
She helps me breathe when depression is choking me.
I don’t know how to live without him.
I don’t know how to be honest with her.
Are we driving each other mad?
Author Lindsay Paige
Lindsay Paige is the author of multiple Young Adult, New Adult, and Sports romances. She also coauthored sports romances with Mary Smith. Along with writing, she loves reading, watching hockey, especially the Pittsburgh Penguins, and finding funny terrible puns and recipes on Pinterest. All the while, she is also focused on completing college.
Lindsay resides in North Carolina and is inspired by the world around her and the people in it. She is currently working on numerous solo works.
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Woot! Woot! The Deepest Black by Rainy Kaye ~ Review, Limited Time Sale, and Giveaway
Posted: July 6, 2016 in Blog Tour, Fae, Fantasy, giveaways, New Release, reviews, urban fantasyTags: Author Rainy Kaye, Deepest Black, fantasy, giveaway, New Release, review, sale, urban fantasy
Today, we’re celebrating the release of THE DEEPEST BLACK by USA Today Bestselling author Rainy Kaye. THE DEEPEST BLACK is 99 cents for a limited time! Check it out, then scroll all the way down to enter to win a $10 Amazon gift card!
Ember has a little problem…fairies want her dead.
Ember spends her Friday nights lurking in the bad parts of town, killing fairies. It’s either that, or become a victim to their flesh-eating hunger.
Then she meets Remy, a fae who, despite getting on her nerves, isn’t evil. He tells her that a shadow has been consuming his world, changing its inhabitants and letting destructive beasts into his city. He is searching for his brother who went missing during the catastrophe.
When a team of mercenaries come for Ember, she has little choice but to join Remy in his quest. Together, they decide to bait a trap. What they find reveals the destruction of the fae world means the end of the human world, too–and it’s Ember’s fault.
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My Review
The blurb gives you a pretty good idea what you’re in for as far as the plot in this book. So, I’m going to share with you how it made me feel.
To begin, you meet Ember while she’s doing what she does best, killing Fae. She’s tough and smart. I like that about her. But talk about being an extreme adrenaline junkie. These Fae are bad to the bone and they’ve got wind of Ember. Not so easy to sneak up on them now, and they even begin to set traps for her.
When Remy entered the picture I feared it would become all about romance. Nope. More action, some snappy back and forth dialogue, and plenty of sarcasm. Gotta love that!
This is my first book by Rainy Kaye. Been wanting to try her books, but you know how that goes. So many books, so little…. I finally got to read one and sure got my money’s worth. Plenty of action, strong writing with no frills, and characters that are believable and likable. I’m huge on character driven stories, and these came to life for me.
For all of you fantasy/urban fantasy lovers, grab this one! It’s a kick ass read from beginning to fiery finish!
4 Stars
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Rainy Kaye writes paranormal novels from her lair somewhere in Phoenix, Arizona. She is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA, and her Summoned series was acquired by Bastei Lübbe. In 2014, she reached the USA Today Bestseller list. Today, she’s taking care of her small zoo of furry animals and trying to remember where she left her coffee.
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4th of July Summer Of Reading Giveaway! Enter for a chance to win a $150 Gift Card!
Posted: July 5, 2016 in Book Promos, Freebies!, giveawaysTags: 4th of July Summer Of Reading Giveaway, Free books, sales
Welcome to the 4th of July Summer of Reading Giveaway!
The authors below are offering up a $150 Amazon Gift Card so you can get your read on!
Please check out the books below, some are Free, Free with KU, or Inexpensive.
Young Adult
New Adult
![LovesSecretTorment_Amazon[3]](http://www.promotionalbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/LovesSecretTorment_Amazon3-191x300.jpg)
Sweet Romance
Contemporary Romance
Women’s Fiction
![a1424432-000b-4721-bedc-6ba0c81db2ea[1]](http://www.promotionalbooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/a1424432-000b-4721-bedc-6ba0c81db2ea1-194x300.jpg)
Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy
Science Fiction
Want to win a $150 Amazon Gift Card? Follow the authors in the rafflecopter below for a chance. Open WW 18+ Ends July 20, 2016 @ 11:59 PM EST
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Book Blast and Giveaway ~ Bring Your Own Baker by D.E. Haggerty
Posted: July 5, 2016 in Book Blast, Cozy Mystery, giveawaysTags: Author D.E. Haggerty, Bring Your Own Baker, cozy mystery, Death By Cupcake #2, giveaway
Bring Your Own Baker
by D.E. Haggerty
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Bring Your Own Baker (Death by Cupcake Book 2)
Cozy Mystery
Self Published
Print Length: 166 pages
Publication Date: June 20, 2016
ASIN: B01FJVGWXI
Synopsis
Anna just wants to earn enough money on the side to buy into the bakery, Callie’s Cakes, where she works together with her best nerd pal, Callie. The last thing she expects to see when she walks into Arthur’s apartment to do some moonlighting is a blood bath. Callie’s ready to jump into the investigation of Arthur’s murder, and she’s bringing another bakery worker, Kristie, into their hijinks whether Kristie wants to or not. But things aren’t as they seem. There are gang affiliations, illegal gambling dens, and ladies of the night to wade through. Will Anna and Callie discover who murdered Arthur, or will Callie’s detective boyfriend and Anna’s self-appointed protector put a stop to such aspirations?
Come join us at Callie’s Cakes, where murder investigations are on the menu, but make sure to bring your own baker, because Anna’s a bit preoccupied at the moment.
Warning: This is NOT your mom’s cozy mystery. Bring Your Own Baker may be a ‘clean’ read, but if gangs, illegal gambling, and pimps make you turn your nose up at your e-reader, you might want to skip this one. Although you’ll be missing some sizzling chemistry between Anna and her protector. Not to mention a whole bunch of witty dialogue.
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Check out this glimpse inside!
I grasp the weapon in my hand and throw it with all my might at him. The weapon makes a ‘tee-hee’ sound as it hits his stomach.
“Did you just throw a Pillsbury dough boy at me?” His voice carries a hint of humor. The Pillsbury dough boy was probably not the best item to grab from the kitchen to use as a weapon. Obviously, I’m totally losing it.
I inch backward into the kitchen searching for a more appropriate weapon. Dag nab it! The knives are way over on the other side. I have no choice. Without taking my eyes of the man, I grab a perfectly formed and probably fricking delicious muffin from the tin and throw it at the intruder. It seems my fastball needs some work as he just catches the muffin as if I merely lobbed it in his direction. He smiles and, not bothering with the paper liner, takes a huge bite.
“Mmmm…,” he groans around a mouthful. “This is really good.”
“Seriously?” I throw my arms in the air before planting my hands on my hips. “If you want my muffins, just come to the bakery. You don’t have to break in.” Uh oh, I nearly forgot that he broke in. I start backing up again, getting ever closer to those knives.
The man’s eyes narrow as he notices me shuffling my way towards the potential weapons. He stalks me and, when he’s only an arm’s length away, reaches around me and grabs the knife block. He keeps his eyes steady on me as he places the block on top of the refrigerator. Somewhere I can only reach if I get out my step ladder.
“Who are you? And what are you doing here?” I may be terrified and my voice may stutter a bit, but I’m not backing down. Not. One. Bit.
“You’re a feisty little thing, aren’t you?”
“Who you calling little?” Apparently, I have no regard for my safety at all as I’m now goading an intruder.
The man chuckles. His smile shows a perfect set of teeth. Huh, not exactly what I expected from Mr. Piercings and Tattoos. “For a pink-haired pixie, you sure aren’t afraid, are you?”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on from my mom’s Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew to Little Women. When I wasn’t flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although I did manage every once in a while to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. Another job change, this time from lawyer to B&B owner and I was again fed up and ready to scream I quit, which is incredibly difficult when you own the business. Thus, I shut the B&B during the week and in the off-season and started writing. Several books later I find myself in Istanbul writing full-time.
Author Links:
Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Google + / Pinterest / Goodreads
Buy links:
Amazon / Smashwords / B&N / Kobo
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July 5
Back Porchervations – Review
Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too!
JULY 6
Community Bookstop – Review
Laura’s Interests – Review
Jersey Girl Book Reviews – Review
Tea and A Book – Review
Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
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Ellie Alexander has a new release ~ Caught Bread Handed ~ Check out her fun guest post and giveaway!
Posted: July 2, 2016 in Cozy Mystery, giveaways, New ReleaseTags: Author Ellie Alexander, Caught Bread Handed, cozy mystery series, giveaway, New Release
Welcome to the release event for Caught Bread Handed by Ellie Alexander! This is the fourth book in the Bakeshop Mystery series and releases June 28th by St. Martin’s Press. You can buy it from your local bookshop or order a signed copy from the authors local bookshop.
Guest Post: Baking Behind the Scenes
Welcome to Torte, where the bread is always served warm with a pat of hand-churned butter, and a side of love. Torte, the artisan family bakeshop in my culinary mystery series, is a gathering place for the community. Locals and tourists stop in for fresh raspberry scones, slices of decadent double chocolate cake, and to talk about all the gossip and news around town. I love getting to create a comforting and welcoming bakeshop and writing about food. However, I’m not a trained pastry chef which means that I spend a lot of time visiting real bakeries and interviewing professional chefs. It’s a rough job, I know.
I thought it would be fun to give you a taste (pun intended) of the research that goes into learning the inner workings of the culinary world.
For starters I think about the actual space. Because Torte is located in Ashland, Oregon, home of the world famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival, it has to have a touch of Shakespeare and whimsy. It’s painted cheery red and teal blue with corrugated metal siding, bistro tables, and a chalkboard menu. One of my bakery inspirations is a place called Cake Happy in Camas, Washington. It’s a family run shop with gorgeous window displays, a rustic elegant vibe, and plenty of cozy couches to curl up with a red velvet cupcake and steaming hot latte.
Another thing that I do when I’m working on a book is interview pastry chefs. I’ve learned so many tricks of the trade, quick tips for baking, and even gotten a few new ideas on how to bump someone off in a bakeshop from chatting with chefs. I’ve been so impressed to watch how they orchestrate a blur of staff, a frenzy of chopping knives, and plate after plate of styled food. One of the most amazing experiences that I’ve had behind the scenes in a professional kitchen was at the NW Culinary Institute where I spent an evening watching chefs-in-training at work as they prepared a six course meal that almost too pretty to eat and tasted even better.
Speaking of taste, I can’t even begin to count how many pastries and baked goods I’ve sampled in the last few years. Don’t get me wrong I’m not complaining, but my waistline might be in trouble. Whenever I travel I ask for recommendations on the best places to score a sweet eat in town. I’ve never been disappointed in my search and I try to find unusual flavor combinations and exotic delicacies when I’m exploring a new place, some of which have even found their way into the pages of the books. One standout tasting memory was at the dessert buffet in Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I still dream of the miles of cakes, macaroons, chocolate dipped strawberries, and petit fours. Yum!
Lastly, one of the most rewarding and humbling things about writing the series has been connecting with local bakers. They have welcomed me into their kitchens, championed the books, and created stunning masterpieces like this cakescape from the book release party for the third book in the series, On Thin Icing. My local pastry muse is Kristina with Tier Catering who treated the audience to a hands-on icing demonstration and a tutorial on the best way to cut a cake. Seriously, I think I have the best job ever!
Here’s to all the bakers—whether in your home kitchen or in a 5-star restaurant—I hope you enjoy my fictional bakeshop in Caught Bread Handed.
Happy Baking!
~Ellie
About the Book:
Welcome to Torte—a friendly, small-town family bakeshop where the oven is heating up as high as the body count…
Jules Capshaw is still chewing over her husband Carlos’s return to Ashland, Oregon. Could there be too many cooks in the kitchen? Whatever is stirring between those two will have to wait. Despite the Oregon Shakespeare Festival being dark for the winter, the bakeshop is bustling, the dough is rolling, and there’s no rest for the weary… especially when murder is thrown into the mix.
When Mindy Nolan, the owner of a new restaurant in town, turns up dead, the batter at hand thickens. Jules knows that there was bad blood between Mindy and others in town, and tracking the killer could prove to be an unwelcome treat. And to top it all off, there’s Carlos, who is pleading—with those delicious dark eyes and sexy Spanish accent—for Jules to take him back. Is home where the heart is or will she make a fresh start… and risk getting burned?
About the Author:
Ellie Alexander is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouses nearby. When she’s not coated in flour, you’ll find her outside exploring hiking trails and trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of research. Follow her on Facebook or Twitter to learn more.
GIVEAWAY:
Signed copies of all 4 books in the Bakeshop Mysteries, Cupcake tea towel and pot holder, Love cake topper, Bakeshop page flags, Assortment of gourmet lemonade and Triple Chocolate Chunk cookie mix.
US only.
Ends July 20th
Must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 18. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.
This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.
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The Mannequin Offensive by Kirsten Weiss ~ Release Day Blitz and Giveaway
Posted: July 2, 2016 in Blitz, giveaways, Mystery, Paranormal or fantasy, Release day, suspenseTags: Author Kirsten Weiss, giveaway, paranormal mystery, Release Day, suspense, The Mannequin Offensive
I’ve enjoyed other books by Kirsten Weiss and was thrilled to hop on this blitz. I want to apologize to Kirsten, Bewitching Book Tours, and all of you readers for being late getting my post up. My internet got zapped in a storm and this is the soonest I could get internet access.
Check out The Mannequin Offensive!
And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
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The Mannequin Offensive
Rocky Bridges
Book 1
Kirsten Weiss
Genre: Mystery/Suspense (paranormal)
Publisher: Misterio Press
Date of Publication: July 1, 2016
ISBN: 1-944767-02-9
Number of pages: 328
Word Count: 72,300
Book Description:
After an overseas assignment goes bad, all Rocky Bridges wants is out of the global security business. No more personal protection gigs. No more jaunts to third world countries. No more managing wayward contractors. But when her business partner is killed, Rocky must investigate her own company and clients.
Rocky’s no PI, but she’s always trusted her instincts. Knife-wielding mobsters, sexy insurance investigators, and a Russian-model turned business partner are all in a day’s work. Now her inner voice has developed a mind of its own, and she finds herself questioning her sanity as well as reality as she knows it. Rocky can’t trust those around her. But can she even trust herself?
The Mannequin Offensive is a fast-paced novel of mystery and suspense.
Release Day Sale. 99
Chapter 1
It was just meat.
Sickly green tiles, slick with something I didn’t want to identify. A wall of cabinets with square, metallic doors. And on the autopsy table…just meat.
I adjusted my mask, adapted my breathing. My stomach flipped at the smell of ammonia and petroleum. By this point, I should have been used to the oil stink. Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, reeked of the stuff. It seeped from the ground, staining the sand, hanging heavy in the air. But surely I was imagining the odor here, in the morgue two stories below the city’s streets.
My scalp itched where my blonde hair had been shorn away. My brain throbbed, spun, and I recognized the signs of a potential faint. I relaxed my knees so I wouldn’t pass out and focused on his toes. Not his toes, I mentally corrected, its toes, the corpse’s toes, crooked from a lifetime in dress shoes.
It wasn’t Derek, not anymore. The man who, yesterday, had skipped out on a meeting with Azeri officials to drag me to see the burning gas fields was gone. He’d told me the fields had been holy to the Zoroastrians. Mystical. But he’d told me a lot of wild stories, about missing pirate ships and Vikings who’d made their way down to the Caspian.
“Who knows?” he’d said. “One might have been your ancestor. You look like a Valkyrie, tall and blond and powerful.”
“Viking pirates.” I’d rumpled my hair, scanning the low, brown hills for marauders, pickpockets, and corporate spies. “Sounds like a movie.” And I’d launched into a fantasy screenplay, complete with axe-play, wenches, and a traitorous Viking who’d doomed the expedition.
“They were wiped out by disease,” he’d said.
I’d snorted. “Non-fiction. Who needs it?”
The coroner cleared his throat.
I glanced across the table.
The coroner’s black eyes gleamed maliciously over his surgical mask. I was an intruder, my appearance in his morgue an insult to his professional standards.
“Are you all right?” They were the first English words he’d spoken, and they surprised me.
“I’m fine.” I shrugged. “It’s just meat.”
A sunburst of light glinted off the coroner’s scalpel, expanding, disorienting me.
He placed his fingers on the body’s clavicle.
Oh God, he’s going to cut him. My heart thundered. Meat, I told myself. Just meat.
Something grabbed my leg, and I jerked, woke up. My feet swung off the suede couch, and I swayed drunkenly, blinking.
My neighbor, Glenda, stepped hastily back and adjusted her lightweight green duster. A fit seventy-something, she favored flowy fabrics. Her lips moved, silent. Her white brows creased, and her mouth moved again. Glenda prodded the neat coil of white hair piled upon her head with a long finger.
Shaking my head, I tried to escape the remnants of the nightmare. I yanked the earplug from my right ear. “Sorry. What?”
Sun slanted through the sheer curtains, making rectangles on the burnt orange and blue oriental rug. My dog, Churro, panted on the bamboo floor next to Glenda, his black and white head tilted with concern. He was a dachshund-beagle mix. It was a mystery to me how two short-legged breeds had combined to create a svelte, mid-sized dog that looked like neither. But Churro, like me, was his own dog.
“I said, your phone’s been ringing off the hook.” Glenda raised a white brow. “I can hear it in my townhouse.”
I grimaced. My landline was intentionally loud. I checked my cell, lying on the glass coffee table. Dead. I tugged down the hem of my rumpled, white t-shirt. “What are you doing in here?”
She rested her hands on her narrow hips. “You gave me a key. Remember?”
I remembered. We’d exchanged keys when I’d first moved in. Glenda would water my plants when I was away, and I’d make sure that if Glenda died, her body would be found before being eaten by her cats. (Her words, not mine.) Since I traveled often and Glenda could only be eaten by her cats once, it had seemed a good deal at the time.
I squinted at my fireplace mantel, painted a butter-cream yellow, and the clock perched on it. Three o’clock. My gaze drifted upward to the painting of sunflowers. Happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts.
A garbled murmur turned my attention back to my neighbor. “Did you say something?” I asked.
“Sorry. I keep forgetting.” Glenda motioned toward my head, and my hand automatically rose to the shaved patch of skin above my left ear. Fine hair grew over the puckered scar. I’d tried parting my hair on the other side, covering it up. But it looked odd, and so I wore my blond hair in its usual long braid.
“I asked when you were planning on returning to work. This moping isn’t healthy.” Glenda’s lips pulled down, deepening the lines around her mouth, and I felt an unreasoning guilt.
“I’m not moping, and I’m not returning. I’m done.” I was done with the travel, done with the health hazards, done with the egos. Done, done, done.
Besides, a lifetime of new possibilities stretched before me. I could do anything. I could open a bar. I could open a bookstore. Or a bakery. Or a bookstore and bakery. I could even start something that didn’t start with the letter B. Lifetime of possibilities? There was an entire alphabet of possibilities.
“Done.” Glenda’s mouth pinched. “You’ve been sleeping all day, ignoring your responsibilities…”
“I’m on leave.”
“You’re too old for this.”
“Thanks.” Sheesh. She wasn’t my mom. Though she was old enough to be.
I stood, unpeeled the t-shirt from my back, and arched, feeling rather than hearing the crack. I was built like a German barmaid, able to carry six steins of beer in one hand, all curves and hidden muscle. It had been a useful physique in my role as security consultant. I rubbed my hands over cheeks splattered with freckles.
The dog pawed at my knee, whining.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I opened the glass door that looked over my fenced garden.
Churro bolted past.
“What will you do?” Glenda asked. For a moment, I thought I heard a hint of motherly concern in her voice.
But I was imagining it.
I watched Churro race in circles, ears flapping, ball in his mouth. He stopped before a New Zealand palm and dropped the tattered ball, cocking his head, as if waiting to play. He nosed the ball toward the plant.
I snorted and shook my head. I loved Churro but was under no illusions about his degree of smarts.
“Well?” Glenda asked.
“Well, what?”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to open a combo wine bar and bookstore.”
Glenda lowered her chin. “You can’t be serious.”
“It’ll be great,” I said, spinning the fantasy. “I’ll call it the Book Cellar. Get it?”
“What do you know about running a wine bar? You don’t even drink wine. You’re a beer drinker.”
“Yeah, but the Book Keller just doesn’t have the same punny ring.” I laid an earnest hand on my chest. “People buy books during the day and drinks at night. It’s an optimal use of the space.”
“What space? Have you already found a space?”
The phone jangled, and I flinched.
“I told you it was loud,” Glenda said.
I walked into the light-filled kitchen and picked up the phone. “Rocky here.”
Someone pounded on the black-painted front door.
I jerked my chin toward the door, covering the phone with my hand. “Would you mind?” I asked Glenda in a low voice.
My neighbor glided toward the door.
The voice on the phone cleared his throat. “It’s Hank.” He paused. “Rocky, you need to prepare yourself for some bad news.”
My breath hitched, and I leaned against the gray granite counter. I knew those words. I’d spoken those words. And there was no way to prepare for what came next.
The front door swung open, and Glenda stepped aside.
Two uniformed police officers walked in.
“Who?” My throat tightened.
“It’s Pete. He’s been killed.”
My brain stumbled, hit a wall. I pressed my palm into the edge of the granite counter, felt its coolness beneath my skin. The bastard couldn’t be dead. I hadn’t forgiven him yet. I tried to swallow, failed.
“Rocky?” Hank asked.
“How?” My voice was a croak.
“Knifed. They found his body in a parking lot this morning. Must have happened sometime late last night.”
I bowed my head and ran my palm over my hair. My scalp was damp with sweat. “What do you need?” I finally said.
“The police are looking to talk to you. Don’t say anything.”
“Why? I don’t know—”
Hank broke the connection.
I stared at the phone. I wasn’t in the habit of blabbing to cops. Over two decades of working in third world countries had taught me the authorities were not my friends. American cops were light years ahead of the thugs I’d dealt with overseas, but old habits died hard. More importantly, there was nothing I could tell the officers. I didn’t know anything.
It made no sense. Pete couldn’t be dead.
The uniformed police moved toward me, their broad faces grim.
I leaned against a cabinet.
I didn’t cry.
About the Author:
Kirsten Weiss worked overseas for nearly twenty years in the fringes of the former USSR, Africa, and South-east Asia. Her experiences abroad sparked an interest in the effects of mysticism and mythology, and how both are woven into our daily lives.
Now based in San Mateo, CA, she writes genre-blending steampunk suspense, urban fantasy, and mystery, mixing her experiences and imagination to create a vivid world of magic and mayhem.
Kirsten has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer re-runs and drinking red wine. Sign up for her newsletter to get free updates on her latest work at: http://kirstenweiss.com
Web / Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads
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IndieLove Magazine ~ Book Blast and Giveaway
Posted: July 2, 2016 in Book Blast, Books, giveawaysTags: Book Blast, giveaway, IndieLove Magazone
IndieLove Magazine
Issue Two
Genre: Magazine
Synopsis
IndieLove Magazine is a publication promoting independent Authors, Musicians, Crafters, Artists, Film etc.
Issue 2 has some of the best, Authors Mia Sheridan and Amy Harmon grace the pages as well as Goddessfish promotions. Artist Kim Walker, Actor Shawn Hawkins, Derek Webb, Co Founder of Noisetrade etc.
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Kelly Oliver- recently enchanted assembled music lovers around the country on her 18 date second album tour. Kelly is a guitarist/ harmonicist, with influences ranging from the song style of Bob Dylan, the intense lyrics of Alanis Morissette and a touch of Kate Bush around the vocals. Her album Bedlam, which was released, March 6th, has been carefully crafted to show off Kelly’s strengths to full advantage. BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris is a fan and says she has a ‘beautiful, pure voice and is ‘a vital voice in British Folk’ and Chris Hawkins, who has played her on BBC 6 Music said she is ‘fabulously gifted, something special’.
Kelly Oliver is one of the new breed of bright young musicians who stands out from the crowd with her ‘golden vocals’. Bedlam features a range of songs with themes ranging from war to migration, and social injustice to love in all its guises as well as the ever tempting eternal triangle.
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Mia Sheridan Interview!
Question 1. Are you a planner or pantster kind of writer?
Sort of both! 😀 I do make an outline (a very short bulleted list of main plot points), but then I just sort of let the characters take the path they will between points.
Question 2. Who are Two of your favourite Authors? and why?
I really love Amy Harmon because she always infuses beautiful life lessons into her stories, and she just writes characters that are so easy to fall in love with. And I love AL Jackson because she writes with this intensity that always sort of puts me through the wringer, but in that way that has such a wonderful payoff in the end when you get your HEA. Love them both!
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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Blurb Blitz and Giveaway ~ Contemporary Romances from Lyrical Press
Posted: June 27, 2016 in Blitz, Contemporary Romance, giveawaysTags: blurb blitz, contemporary romance, giveaway, Lyrical Press, multiple authors
Ooh, do I have some good summer reads to share with you today.
Check out these contemporary romance books. You may find some new authors or recognize ones you’ve already met.
And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Could This Be Love
by Lee Kilraine
Genre: Contemporary Romance
BLURB:
Everyone in Climax, North Carolina, knows the Cates brothers. But Sijan Cates is famous far beyond his quaint hometown–and when he comes back, he brings trouble with him. . .
Avery Danford urgently needs to get back in touch with her estranged family. If only she could get her picture in the papers, maybe they’d track her down. . .and what better way to accomplish that than to squeeze into the world’s tightest dress and cozy up to the world’s hottest actor, Sijan Cates? It’s a crazy idea, but it just might work. And though the former actress has sworn off Hollywood hunks, she’s got to admit this desperate measure might be a pleasure. . .
Scandal-plagued Sijan has come home for some peace and quiet–and to stay out of the tabloids. Then a woman claiming to be his number-one fan plants a hot kiss on him–in front of a pack of paparazzi. There’s only one way to protect his reputation: tell the world they’re engaged. It’s all just a show, as they use each other to get what they need. But in this sleepy Southern town, love stories have a way of coming true. . .
Excerpt
“All right, let me see if I have the latest scandal straight.” Sijan Cates sat with his older brother in Dave’s Diner, a former passenger train car turned restaurant. There were two main entrances, one at each end of the car. Booths snaked around the front of the diner next to the front windows while a sit-down counter sat in front of a cramped but ruthlessly clean kitchen. Dave, the owner and cook, was known for his biscuits and homemade blackberry jam, and his burgers. That’s it. Ordering anything else on the menu was like playing Russian roulette with your stomach. But if you wanted biscuits and jam, a burger, or all the most up-to-date gossip, the diner was the place to eat.
“Hell, Ty, I came home to get a break from it.” He frowned across at his brother, but of course, it had no effect.
“It says here in The Tattler you got a sweet young thing pregnant and then dumped her.”
“I did not get a sweet young thing pregnant. I’ve never even met that sweet young thing. Hell, if I slept with even half the women the tabloids claim I do, I wouldn’t have time to get out of bed, let alone make movies.”
“According to them you’ve got a revolving door on your bedroom with a ‘Now Serving’ ticket machine attached to the wall next to it.”
Sijan leaned back as their waitress, Renee, slid steaming mugs of coffee in front of them both. “Renee, run away with me and save me from all this.”
“Sijan, if I weren’t having hot flashes, I’d be just another crazy woman trying to get a piece of you.” Renee tucked her serving tray under her arm and wagged a finger at him. “Now, your latest scandal’s got the Grapevine stirred up. I don’t think the Simon sisters can take the excitement.”
“Those ladies can handle anything. Besides, they’ve seen this before. Remember four years ago when an ex-girlfriend tried the same thing?”
“Thank goodness for DNA tests and poor math skills.” Tynan grinned. “She sure didn’t account for your six months of filming in Prague. You do attract the crazy.”
“It’s Hollywood.” Sijan’s muscles tensed at the memory. “Too many people can make money off you. I’m just an ‘opportunity.’ An opportunity to get a script read, a part in a movie, or free publicity.” “Or generous child support payments for the next twenty years.”
“Hey, I’ve dated some nice, normal women. Once I learned to steer clear of actresses.”
Tynan nodded. “That would explain all those models, politician’s daughters, and savvy career women.”
He’d be the first to admit he’d enjoyed the benefits of his moviestar status over the years, but he’d always shied away from serious commitment like it was a box of rattlesnakes. Lately though, the serial dating felt . . . empty. Especially after coming home and seeing how happy his brother Quinn and his fiancée Delaney were. “I need a hiatus from women.”
“Bite your tongue. Life is a smorgasbord and you are too young to go on a diet. Seriously, Si, I joke, but this”—he rattled the tabloid before tossing it down in disgust—“just pisses me off.”
“Every job has its downside, right?” Sijan shrugged tense shoulders. He leaned back against the booth, consciously willing his muscles to relax. “I’ve decided I’m just going to lay low and focus on my work while the studio’s lawyers deal with that.”
“You decided?”
“Yup. About five seconds after the president of Majestic Studios called me into his office three days ago and explained loudly and in a few choice phrases that my next two films need to exceed box office predictions.” Or else.
“One year ago, this same man couldn’t wine and dine you fast enough after your Oscar nomination.” Tynan sat back, muttering a graphic although physically impossible suggestion for the president of Majestic Studios. “Fame sure is fickle.”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
A former Air Force spouse, Lee Kilraine moved seven times over eighteen years before finally settling with her husband in the pine woods of North Carolina. She has worked as a physical therapy aide, a cashier, a waitress, an English tutor, a ballet teacher and a stay-at-home mom. Holding tight to her mother’s motto, “There’s nothing you can’t do if you try hard enough,” Lee returned to college as an adult and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Writing thirty-one papers in two years (she counted) rekindled her love of writing, and she set her sights on her other dream—writing romance. When she isn’t swinging on her front porch swing or watching another of their four young adult children leave the nest (she swears she isn’t pushing them out!) you can find her typing away on her computer with her golden retriever, Harley, destroying something at her feet. Lee is a 2014 Golden Heart® Finalist.
Kensington Books / Facebook / Twitter
Purchase Links
WORKING IT: amazonkindle, Apple, Google, Kobo, Nook
COULD THIS BE LOVE: amazonkindle, Apple, Google, Kobo, Nook
NOT SECOND BEST: amazonkindle, Apple, Google, Kobo, Nook
SPOONING DAISY: amazonkindle, Apple, Google, Kobo, Nook
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Not Second Best
by Christa Maurice
Blurb
As a lawyer at Touchstone management, Tessa’s position brings her up close and personal to some of the world’s biggest heartthrobs. Sometimes that intimacy crosses professional lines, which is understandable considering Tessa’s impressive contact list. But when rock star Brian Ellis set her aside for the girl of his dreams, Tessa can’t help wonder if “spinster aunt” is her true vocation. Which explains her hook-up with rising star Brett Cherney at Brian’s celebrity wedding . . .
As the lead singer of BroRide, Brett has lived the rock-n-roll bad-boy lifestyle to the very hilt. But when the girl of his dreams marries fellow rocker Brian Ellis, he buries his disappointment in the arms of an older woman. The following morning, Brett realizes what he experienced was only the beginning of a song he’s been trying to write all his life. It’s a seductive theme, which Tessa falls for again and again, but getting her to believe they have a hit is turning out to be far from a sure thing . . .
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Christa Maurice has been obsessed with rock stars from early childhood when her older brother started randomly quizzing her on rock trivia. How many first graders know who the headliners were on the Black and Blue Tour? Christa did. (Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult.) When not listening to music and/or writing, she enjoys traveling, reading and science fiction. Readers can find Christa on Facebook, and visit her website at christamaurice.wordpress.com.
Kensington Books / Facebook / Twitter
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Spooning Daisy
by Maggie McConnell
Blurb
Her mango chutney is exquisite; her blueberry sauce is to die for. But right now, Chef de Cuisine Daisy Moon is a woman without a kitchen–and without a fiancé. Unceremoniously dumped from her place of business and her relationship, Daisy sells her belongings, plus a few of her ex’s, and packs her bags. Maybe smashing all the china in her former restaurant was a bad move. Stripped of her Golden Spoon for “un-chef-like” conduct, she is now blacklisted all over Seattle. Her sole job offer is from the Wild Man Lodge. . .in Otter Bite, Alaska.
Too bad Daisy can’t even get out of Dodge without incident. By the time she boards a ship for Alaska, she’s got a trail of new troubles behind her, and suddenly Otter Bite is sounding pretty good. But the vessel turns into her own personal Titanic when a series of close encounters confirms her terrible taste in men–including one very good looking bad luck charm named Max Kendall. She vows to dedicate the rest of her days to chowders and brulée. Yet even Alaska isn’t far enough away to shake the memories of the sexy shipmate who rocked her cabin–and her world. Thank goodness she’s done with surprises–but they may not be done with her. . .
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Golden Heart nominee Maggie McConnell spent her childhood in Asia and South America as the daughter of US diplomats. Attending college in Illinois, she earned a BA in Art and an MBA while working at the local animal shelter. At 26, she packed her dog and cat into a Ford truck and drove the Alcan Highway to Alaska, where she spent 23 years exploring The Last Frontier in single-engine Cessnas. An animal-rights advocate and vegan, Maggie provides a sanctuary on her Arizona ranch for all creatures great and small. Her compass still points north.
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Buy links:
WORKING IT: amazonkindle, Apple, Google, Kobo, Nook
COULD THIS BE LOVE: amazonkindle, Apple, Google, Kobo, Nook
NOT SECOND BEST: amazonkindle, Apple, Google, Kobo, Nook
SPOONING DAISY: amazonkindle, Apple, Google, Kobo, Nook
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Working It
by Leah Marie Brown
Blurb
With her trust fund and coveted job at Christian Dior, Fanny Moreau believes she has it all. But when her best friend finds a fulfilling new career abroad—and a dreamy relationship with a great guy, Fanny’s fabulous life suddenly feels empty. Inspired to find her true purpose, she trades her cushy lifestyle in San Francisco for an adventure in the Alaskan wilderness.
Everyone thinks Fanny has gone off the deep end. What’s a girl with a Ph.D in Prada doing teaching in an Inuit village? Even Fanny is wondering, especially when she comes face to face with Calder MacFarlane. The Scottish search and rescue pilot is everything Fanny is not—selfless, heroic, and used to living on the edge. He’s also the man who once loved her best friend. Yet something in Calder’s sexy gaze has her believing that she’s a woman capable of great things—a woman who might just find her own happily-ever-after, in a place where she least expects it.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Leah Marie Brown has worked as a journalist and photographer. An avid traveler, she has had adventures and mishaps from Paris to Tokyo. She doesn’t buy cheesy tee-shirts or useless bric-a-brac, but prefers friendships and memories as souvenirs from her travels. She lives a bike ride away from the white sand beaches of Florida’s Emerald Coast with her husband, children, and pampered poodles. She is hard at work on the next novel in The It Girls series, but loves to hear from readers. Please visit her website at www.leahmariebrown.com Follow Vivia on Twitter @Chic_Traveler and Pinterest as Vivia Perpetual Grant, Perpetual Virgin.
Kensington Books / Website / Twitter / Facebook
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