Posts Tagged ‘amateur sleuth’

Renewals By Gregory F. DeLaurier ~ Guest Post And Giveaway

Posted: June 3, 2025 in Adult Fiction, giveaways, Guest Post
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Book Details:

  RENEWALS

by Gregory F. DeLaurier

Category:  Adult Fiction (18+), 276 pages
Genre:  literary fiction, amateur sleuths
Publisher:  Independently published/Gregory F. DeLaurier
Release date:   February 2025
Content Rating:  R. My book is rated R for one attempted child sexual abuse, not explicit. There is bad language throughout. 

Book Description:

When academic Richard returns to his hometown he discovers a scam that has ruined the city, he must unite his friends and family to uncover the truth, but this pits him against the scam’s architect, aging but violent drug kingpin Giacomo Duchamps, who could destroy everyone Richard loves should he fail.

Renewals captures the nature of a hardscrabble small town and those who live and struggle there, in this pitch perfect tale of corruption and renewal. It is the story of the renewal of a city but also the renewal of the lives of those who are lost or oppressed; a young woman trapped in sexual abuse and exploitation, a young ex-con searching for a better life, and others.

Buy the Book:
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add to Goodreads
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Guest Post from Author Gregory F. DeLaurier
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How I Came to Write This Novel

The idea for this novel has floated around my brain for many years. I grew up in a small, working-class city in northern New York. While not a wealthy place it had a thriving downtown, with stores, restaurants, bars, a movie theater. On any Saturday it would be packed with shoppers and teenagers, like myself, hanging out. But in the early 1970s it got ‘Urban Renewaled’; all the buildings were torn down and replaced by new ugly buildings and for some reason a huge wall around the whole area. It was meant to be a pedestrian mall, but noone came and the downtown died.

This has always bothered me, and so I thought a fictional account of why this happened, complete with graft, corruption, and bad guys might work. The book follows the main protagonist Richard, an academic who has returned to his hometown, as he and a motley crew of new and old friends investigate what happened, at their own risk from a ‘gang that couldn’t shoot straight’ array of villains.

Richard, Brenda (a friend hardened by life), Itchy (a gay guitar genius), Theresa (a sexually abused and exploited young woman), Marat (a young ex-con) do indeed uncover what happened as the tale follows their amateur sleuthing, and hopefully renewal of the city.

However I chose the title RenewalS as this is the story of not only the renewal of a city but of people as well. I’ve always rooted for the underdog, and there are many of them here, who for many reasons find themselves on the down side of life.

To me, the most interesting character in the story is Theresa. Sexually abused by her father, tortured by her mother, she is rescued by her cousin Teddy (the subject of the novel’s Prologue). But as she matures she is sexually exploited by him, pimped out to a rapacious old crook named Leonard Vivelamore for whom Teddy works. Richard rescues her, but traumatized as she is, Teddy still holds sway over her and convinces her to tell him what Richard and his pals are up to. She is found out and returns to Teddy. But finally, not easily and not without misgivings, she breaks free of him and slowly discovers her own autonomy.

I grew to love and admire Theresa, yet others follow their own path to renewal. Marat, with the support of Richard, discovers he is able and intelligent. Brenda leaves her regrets behind and opens up to life. Richard’s corrupt brother, in on the doings of the crooks, repents and shows both courage and bravery.

There are other tales of renewal, but will save for readers to discover.

In all, Renewals is serious but leavened with a great deal of humor. It is more than a who-done-it (though that is there). It is also a meditation on hope and life.   

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Meet the Author Gregory F. DeLaurier:

​Gregory F. DeLaurier is a retired university professor who has returned to his first love, fiction writing. He lives in Melrose MA, and has a daughter in her 40s who lives in Brooklyn and a 21 year old son attending Berklee College of Music. His fiction and non-fiction are widely available.

connect with the author:  facebook ~ goodreads

Enter the Giveaway:


RENEWALS by Gregory F. DeLaurier Book Tour Giveaway

 

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The Trudy Genova Manhattan Mysteries Series by M.K. Graff ~ Guest Post And Giveaway

Posted: June 2, 2024 in giveaways, Guest Post, Mystery
Tags: , ,
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 Nurse Trudy Genova mixes her movie studio consulting work with her
nose for murder!

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Death in the Orchard

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The Trudy Genova
Manhattan Mysteries Book 3

by M.K. Graff

Genre: Mystery,
Police Procedural, Amateur Sleuth

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The
third Trudy Genova mystery from award-winning author M. K. Graff
brings Trudy home, leaving her New York City studio consulting job to
visit her rural hometown of Schoharie, three hours north. NYPD
detective Ned O’Malley accompanies Trudy, primed to meet her family,
but with a secret mission to find out what really happened when her
father died eleven years ago.

Mario Genova’s death was deemed
a tragic accident, but Trudy feels there was more to her beloved
father acting out of character the day before he died. After years of
hard work building a successful apple orchard business with her
mother, Mario cleaned out their bank accounts. No reason-and no
money-was ever found. As Trudy and Ned try to investigate without
informing her family of their actions, a new death occurs on Genova
Orchards property, and once again Trudy’s family is under scrutiny.

“A welcome and forceful
return of MK Graff’s Trudy Genova, Death in the Orchard is a well-
crafted and thought-provoking story of unexplained death and
cold-blooded murder, as Trudy sets out to solve the death of her
father with her NYPD boyfriend Ned O’Malley. The couple return to the
Genova family orchards to dig into the past as the present threatens
to shake the family to their very core.

Graff deals us a cold case of
family intrigue, a small-town conspiracy, and a terrifying leap into
the unknown, as her heroine comes face to face with a secret she
thought would never be told, a case impossible to solve, and a dogged
determination to finally get to the truth.

A masterclass in laying the
threads bare and knitting them together in a satisfying conclusion.”

Mandy Morton, Author of The
No. 2 Feline Detective Agency series.

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Amazon
* BridlePathPress
* Goodreads

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Dru Ann Love:              A DAY IN MY LIFE: TRUDY GENOVA                   For April 2024

 

“CUT! That’s a wrap!” With a loud thunk, the Klieg lights dim and I pick my way over heavy cables by the remaining dim light and follow the cast and crew out the studio door., eyes blinking after the darkness inside.

My name is Trudy Genova, RN, and my work as a medical consultant for a New York movie studio is over for this week. I feel like a puppy who’s found the gate left open, freedom beckoning, as I’m cut loose for a week’s vacation with my boyfriend, NYPD detective Ned O’Malley.

This job is any nurse’s dream. I wear jeans to work, no one is puking on my shoes, and best of all, no one is really ill or dying. Of course, there were those murders last spring at the soap opera, but I helped Ned to figure that out, despite his annoyance at me insinuating myself into his investigation. And then there was the case earlier this month at the Dakota building, where we filmed a made-for-TV movie and an actor was killed. By then, Ned was reconsidering my ability to figure out human nature and unravel puzzles as we started our relationship. I guess I do have a nose for murder, but that’s a good thing for someone who has always read and adored crime fiction, and now plans to write her own mystery.

The perks of this job include days when there’s not a medical scene filming, and I can lounge at home in my yoga pants. I may have to correct script pages of medical scenes the studio faxes over, but this schedule gives me plenty of time to work on my NYU course and fledgling writing.

Today is very different, when reality will supplant my fictional world. I run to the production office to pick up my rolling suitcase, backpack, and laptop bag, then rush outside to wait for Ned to pick me up. I have ten days off and we are heading north to my family home in the Catskills on an apple orchard, ostensibly for him to meet my family. My oldest brother and his wife are expecting their first baby, and there will be a shower to attend before Ned and I knuckle down to the bigger reason I’ve asked him to come home with me: I want to finally find out what really happened when my father died eleven years ago.

It was deemed an accident at the time, but there are circumstances around it that have never been explained, including my father draining my parents’ pension fund, with the money never found. I’ve always felt deep down that my father was murdered, but I have no idea if either of my brothers or my mom feel the same way.

All I do know is that it’s time for me to dig deeply into Mario Genova’s death, whether my family is happy about resurrecting the past or not. At least I’ll have Ned and his expertise at my side. What could possibly go wrong?

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Death at the Dakota

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The Trudy Genova
Manhattan Mysteries 2

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 Nurse Trudy Genova is making plans to take her relationship with NYPD
detective Ned O’Malley to the next level when she lands a gig as
medical consultant on a film shoot at the famed Dakota apartment
building in Manhattan, which John Lennon once called home. Then star
Monica Kiley goes missing, a cast member turns up dead, and it
appears Trudy might be next. Meanwhile Ned tackles a mysterious
murder case in which the victim is burned beyond recognition. When
his investigations lead him back to the Dakota, Trudy finds herself
wondering: how can she fall in love if she can’t even
survive?

Readers of Death Unscripted, the first book in
the Trudy Genova Manhattan Mystery series, will find the same
pleasures in this sequel: fast pacing, engaging characters, twists
and turns on the way to a satisfying close. Once again M.K. Graff
reveals her talents in crafting this delightful mix of amateur sleuth
and police procedural.

Part procedural, part cozy, Death
at the Dakota is a well-crafted and highly entertaining mystery.-
Bruce Robert Coffin, #1 bestselling author of the Detective Byron
mysteries.

I fell in love — not only with
co-protagonists, Trudy and Ned, the richly detailed and historic
setting of The Dakota, and the unique cast of characters, but with
the unusual plot of Death at the Dakota. Sherry Harris, Agatha Award
nominated author of the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries.

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Amazon
* BridlePathPress
* Bookbub
* Goodreads

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Death Unscripted

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The Trudy Genova
Manhattan Mysteries Book 1

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 Trudy Genova has the best job any nurse could want, working on set as
a medical consultant for a NY movie studio. No more uniforms, bedpans
or emergencies, until at the actor whose overtures she’s refused dies
suddenly while taping a hospital scene–but not before pointing his
finger accusingly at Trudy. When detectives view Trudy as a suspect,
she sets out on an investigation to clear her name. Then a second
death occurs, and Trudy realizes she’s put herself in jeopardy.

A
new mystery from the award-winning author of the Nora Tierney English
Mystery Series, DEATH UNSCRIPTED is based on the authors’ real work
experience during her nursing career and is the mystery series
British Queen of Crime P. D. James insisted she write. A mix of
amateur sleuth and police procedural, the story is told in first
person from Trudy’s point of view, and in third from NYPD Detective
Ned O’Malley

Marilyn Chris, Obie and Drama Desk
Award-winning actor who played Wanda Wolek on ABC’s soap “One
Life to Live” notes: “Graff gets behind the scenes of soaps
just right, as well she should–she was there!”

Edith
Maxell, national bestselling author of multiple mystery series says:
“Your blood pressure will soar during M. K. Graff’s new
Manhattan Mystery, as nurse Trudy Genova takes the pulse of a killer
during a soap opera filming in Death Unscripted. You won’t even think
about changing the channel during this smart, suspenseful
mystery.”

And Triss Stein, author of the Erica Donato
Mysteries, has this to say: “Soap opera drama is as intense on
the set as it is on the screen. Sometimes Trudy Genova, consulting
nurse, feels like the only sane person in the room. Join her as she
copes with huge ego, daily melodrama, an attractive detective, and
life in New York . . . plus murder. The city and the studio provide
intriguing backgrounds for this entertaining mystery.”

Helen
Smith, UK author of the The Emily Castle Mysteries, agrees that Death
Unscripted is “an engaging story featuring a charming amateur
sleuth. A great start to a mystery series.”

Amazon
* BridlePathPress
* Bookbub
* Goodreads

 

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 Marni Graff is the award-winning author of The Nora Tierney
English Mysteries and The Trudy Genova Manhattan Mysteries.
Her stories are in several anthologies, including the Anthony
Award-winning Malice Domestic’s Murder Most Edible. She is
Managing Editor of Bridle Path Press, a crime book reviewer, and
blogs for Miss Demeanors. Graff is a member of Sisters in Crime,
Mavens of Mayhem SinC, Triangle SinC, Mystery People UK, and the
International Association of Crime Writers. She lives in eastern NC
with her husband and two Aussiedoodles.

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Website
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Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Wolf Bog by Leslie Wheeler ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: July 18, 2022 in giveaways, Mystery, reviews, suspense
Tags: , , , ,
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Wolf Bog by Leslie Wheeler Banner

Wolf Bog
by Leslie Wheeler
July 1-31, 2022 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

It’s August in the Berkshires, and the area is suffering from a terrible drought. As wetlands dry up, the perfectly preserved body of a local man, missing for forty years, is discovered in Wolf Bog by a group of hikers that includes Kathryn Stinson. Who was he and what was his relationship with close friend Charlotte Hinckley, also on the hike, that would make Charlotte become distraught and blame herself for his death? Kathryn’s search for answers leads her to the discovery of fabulous parties held at the mansion up the hill from her rental house, where local teenagers like the deceased mingled with the offspring of the wealthy. Other questions dog the arrival of a woman claiming to be the daughter Charlotte gave up for adoption long ago. But is she really Charlotte’s daughter, and if not, what’s her game? Once again, Kathryn’s quest for the truth puts her in grave danger.

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MY  REVIEW

I had a lot of fun trying to play amateur sleuth along with the author’s character, Kathryn. She sure liked to stick her nose in where it didn’t belong and put herself in sticky situations. I echoed some of her friend’s sentiments that she was going to get hurt or maybe even killed. Her genuine need to solve the mystery and protect those she cared about endeared her to me. Friends like Kathryn are few and far between and we could all use one.

As for the mystery. I’d say there were several different ones and Kathryn dug into all of them. To me, it seemed like she got better at questioning people and deducing their responses as the story went on. Which, again, had me worried for her.

It was especially nice that the author left me with no clue who was really doing what. Often, I have a clear idea who the bad guys are. Not so with Wolf Bog. I played the game…I knew who it was, and then switched my guess to someone else. Did it several times and it made me turn those pages faster to find out if any of my suspects were the culprit.

Fun. Entertaining characters. Twisty plot. All the ingredients to earn Leslie Wheeler and Wolf Bog 4 STARS from this amateur sleuth.

4 STARS

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Praise for Wolf Bog:

“Wheeler’s deep sense of place—the Berkshires—illuminates a deftly woven plot and a quirky cast of characters that will keep you glued to the pages until the last stunning revelation. It’s always a pleasure to be in the hands of a pro.”

Kate Flora, Edgar and Anthony nominated author

“When a long-lost teenager turns up dead, a cold case turns into hot murder. A deliciously intriguing Berkshire mystery.”

Sarah Smith, Agatha Award-winning author of The Vanished Child and Crimes and Survivors
Book Details:

Genre: Mystery/Amateur Sleuth/Suspense

Published by: Encircle Publishing Publication Date: July 6, 2022 Number of Pages: 336 ISBN: 164599385X (ISBN-13: 978-1645993858) Series: A Berkshire Hilltown Mystery, #3

Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Read an excerpt:
Charlotte’s brow furrowed as she stared at the bog. “There’s something down there. A dead animal or…?” She raised her binoculars to get a better look. “Where?” Wally asked. She pointed to a spot on the peat at the edge of the water. Wally had barely lifted his binoculars when Charlotte cried, “Oh, my God, it’s a body!” And took off toward it. “No, don’t go there!” Wally grabbed at her, but she eluded him. When Charlotte was almost to the body−−if that’s what it was−−she began to sink into the bog. She waved her arms and twisted her legs, trying desperately to get out, but her struggles only made her sink deeper. Kathryn’s heart seized. They had to rescue Charlotte, but how without getting stuck themselves? Brushing past Wally, Steve started down the slope. Wally caught him, pulled him back, and handed him over to Hal Phelps. “You stay put. Everyone else, too. I’ve had experience hiking around this bog, and I think I can get her out. Stop struggling and try to keep calm,” he called down to Charlotte. “Help is on the way.” Wally made his way carefully to where Charlotte stood, caught in the mire. He tested each step before putting his full weight on it, backtracking when he deemed the ground too soft. When he was a few yards away, he stopped. “This is as far as I can safely come,” he told Charlotte. He extended his hiking pole and she grabbed it. Then, on his instructions, she slowly and with great effort lifted first one leg, then the other out of the muck and onto the ground behind her. Wally guided her back to the others, following the same zigzag pattern he’d made when descending. Charlotte went with him reluctantly. She kept glancing back over her shoulder at what she’d seen at the water’s edge. Kathryn trained her binoculars on that spot. Gradually an image came into focus. A body was embedded in the peat. The skin was a dark, reddish brown, but otherwise, it was perfectly preserved. Bile rose in her throat. Charlotte moved close to Kathryn. “You see him, don’t you?” Her face was white, her eyes wide and staring. “See who?” Wally demanded. “Denny,” Charlotte said. “You must’ve seen him, too.” “I saw something that appears to be a body, but–” Wally said. “So there really is a dead person down there?” Betty asked. “It looks that way,” Wally said grimly. “But let’s not panic. I’m going to try to reach Chief Lapsley, though I doubt I’ll get reception here. We’ll probably have to leave the area before I can.” “We can’t just leave Denny here to die,” Charlotte wailed. “Charlotte,” Wally said with a pained expression, “whoever is down there is already dead.” She flinched, as if he’d slapped her across the face. “No! I’m telling you Denny’s alive.” She glared at him, then her defiant expression changed to one of uncertainty. “Dead or alive, I’m to blame. I’m staying here with him.” *** Excerpt from Wolf Bog by Leslie Wheeler. Copyright 2022 by Leslie Wheeler. Reproduced with permission from Leslie Wheeler. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Leslie Wheeler:
Leslie Wheeler

An award-winning author of books about American history and biographies, Leslie Wheeler has written two mystery series. Her Berkshire Hilltown Mysteries launched with Rattlesnake Hill and continue with Shuntoll Road and Wolf Bog. Her Miranda Lewis Living History Mysteries debuted with Murder at Plimoth Plantation and continue with Murder at Gettysburg and Murder at Spouters Point. Her mystery short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies. Leslie is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, and a founding member of the New England Crime Bake Committee. She divides her time between Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Berkshires, where she writes in a house overlooking a pond.

Catch Up With Leslie: www.LeslieWheeler.com Goodreads BookBub – @lesliewheeler1 Twitter – @Leslie_Wheeler Facebook – @LeslieWheelerAuthor

 

 

Tour Participants:

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This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Leslie Wheeler. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

 

 

 

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Nailed: Resort To Murder II by Avery Daniels ~ Book Trailer Blitz

Posted: July 11, 2018 in Cozy Mystery, Trailer
Tags: , ,
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Nailed banner

Pump Up Your Books is pleased to bring you

Avery Daniels’ NAILED: Resort To Murder II Book Trailer Blitz

July 2 – 27!

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Title: NAILED: RESORT TO MURDER II
Author: Avery Daniels
Publisher: Blazing Sword Publishing, Ltd.
Pages: 284
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Amateur Sleuth

Nailed

BOOK BLURB:

Julienne is snow bound in the middle of the Rocky Mountains with a killer striking at will.

Julienne LaMere gets to attend a Resort Management conference at a prestigious ski resort in the Colorado Mountains. What should be an enjoyable getaway attending workshops by day and shopping and enjoying the resort by night comes to a screeching halt when a loud-mouthed guest is murdered plus the roads and town shut down for an epic blizzard.

In addition to attending the conference, dodging a smitten teen boy, and seeking clues among the gossiping – and increasingly tense – guests, her best friend’s heart has warmed to an unlikely man and may get broken. As if her mind isn’t already fully occupied, Julienne and her new boyfriend Mason are skiing down troubled slopes in their relationship. Will Julienne put the scant clues together and unveil the culprit before a murderer gets away?

Purchase Links:

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iTunes

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Enjoy the peek inside:

Alpine Sun Resort had touches of the classic white exterior with alpine timber framing and balconies fitted with window boxes for flowers in spring and summer. Aspens and evergreens surrounded the sides and back where a stream meandered past. The research I’d compiled hadn’t done it justice. I felt like I’d been transported to a luxury version of a Brothers Grimm fairytale.

To the right of the entrance driveway stood a large snowman around six feet tall sporting a top hat, with a tree branch speared through its head, and a bright blood red scarf around its neck greeted me. It seemed gruesome to me and a feeling of dread washed over me.

“A slice of Germany. Feels quaint and cozy, don’t you think? Hope they have a German hunk available.” Porsche smiled.

“If there’s one on this entire mountain, I’m sure you’ll find him.” Porsche attracted men with her sense of assurance and she changed boyfriends as often as her nail polish.

“With any luck.” She winked. “You know me, I’ll find a diversion. Don’t worry about me entertaining myself.”

A uniformed valet was opening my car door before I could register his presence. At the entrance, I turned and drank in the view with a deep breath tinged with the scent of pine. The snow-draped ski slopes to the one side and the quaint town on the other were idyllic.

The ominous sky, roiling gunmetal and smoky gray clouds choking out the sun, was the only blemish in the lovely tableau stretched before me. This storm system was setting up to give us a good dump of powder and the skiers would be thrilled. I wasn’t too concerned. The roads were usually the main issue. Colorado is fortunate to only occasionally experience road closures.

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Avery Daniels

Avery Daniels was born and raised in Colorado, graduated from college with a degree in business administration and has worked in fortune 500 companies and Department of Defense her entire life. Her most eventful job was apartment management for 352 units. She still resides in Colorado with two brother black cats as her spirited companions. She volunteers for a cat shelter, enjoys scrapbooking and card making, photography, and painting in watercolor and acrylic. She inherited a love for reading from her mother and grandmother and grew up talking about books at the dinner table.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Bookbub / Goodreads

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