Posts Tagged ‘excerpt’

Murder At The Ponchartrain ~ A Sydney Lockhart Mystery by Kathleen Kaska

Posted: June 24, 2023 in Cozy Mystery
Tags: ,
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Murder at the Pontchartrain
by Kathleen Kaska

 


Murder at the Pontchartrain
Cozy Mystery (Humorous)
6th in Series
Setting – New Orleans, Louisiana
Anamcara Press LLC (June 15, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1941237940
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1941237946

Synopsis

Private detective Sydney Lockhart and her boyfriend/partner, Ralph Dixon, are headed for New Orleans to tie the knot—again. Having been stalled on their first attempt by some unfinished business dealing with their last case, Sydney and Dixon are now in the Pontchartrain Hotel in the Big Easy. While their marriage license rests at the courthouse for its 24-hour waiting period, they stroll to the French Quarter to visit Rip Thigbee, Sydney’s friend from her previous investigation. Rip owns Finder of Lost Souls, a detective agency dealing with the spirits of murder victims whose cases remain unsolved.

           When Sydney and Dixon are at Rip’s office, they learn he went missing after investigating the disturbance of local businessman Frank Threadgill’s crypt. Voodoo Queen Frida Mae, whose shop is located next to Thigbee’s, fears that bad juju led to Threadgill’s death and has now infiltrated Rip’s business. Upon returning to their hotel room, to plan their next step, they find Threadgill’s wife, Mildred, waiting for them. Unfortunately, Mildred has been murdered. The police haul the couple down to the station. Their alibi checks out, but they are told to stick around for a few days. Soon a hotel housemaid is murdered, and this time Dixon is arrested, and Sydney is on her own to find the killer.

           Hearing of their predicament, Sydney’s bubble-headed cousin, Ruth, and Sydney’s young charge, twelve-year-old Lydia LeBeau, show up to lend an unwelcome hand. Ruth goes undercover as a chef at the hotel. Lydia, who can talk the Pope into letting her assist in saying Mass, talks her way into the famous Pat O’Brien’s bar, where the locals are eager to share what they know.

           After interviewing Mildred Threadgill’s family, Sydney begins her investigation by delving into Frank Threadgill’s mysterious past and discovers that he isn’t who he claims to be. The business he once owned was a cover involving an organization of WWII war criminals and the local Ku Klux Klan. As Sydney gets closer to the truth, she is attacked and left for dead in a nearby swamp. With the help of a few jaunty Cajuns, Sydney makes it back to the city with enough evidence to get Dixon released. Ruth thinks she knows who the killer is. Lydia has her own theory and is convinced Ruth is wrong. Sydney doesn’t know who to trust, convinced that every witness she’s interviewed has lied. But her most shocking realization is that the biggest liar is her own future husband.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

On the way back to Rip’s car, my mind spun a web that ran in different directions. My thoughts were interrupted when Rip let spew a few expletives and took off running. I looked around expecting to see one of the Klansmen. Then I saw Rip with his hands on the hood of his car and his head slumped to his chest.

“All goddamn four of them,” he said. He slipped his flashlight from his pocket and I saw the car’s running boards and fenders nestled in the tall grass. All four tires had been slashed. “What the hell do we do now? We’re at least three miles from the edge of the city.”

“We walk. Stay close to the roadside in case we see headlights in either direction. After what we just saw, I don’t want to meet anyone traveling this road.”

“I can barely see my hand in from of my face and the storm is coming in.”

“That’s good for us. No sane person would be out driving in this weather. Turn off the flashlight. Let’s go. If we hurry we should be off this road and in the city in about an hour.” I turned up the collar of my jacket and pulled my hat down over my ears.

The deluge started. Streak lightening lit the way. Twice we dove off the road upon seeing headlights in the distance. Both times the cars turned off before reaching us. The third time, however, landed us thigh-deep in water. The ditch along the road had become a swift-moving river. The wind turned to gale force and Rip’s hat disappeared into the brush. He looked like a drenched Frankenstein making his way slowly, careful not to trip. Every few yards, I had to stop and empty my boots of water. Even with Dixon’s future looking bleak and the prospect of me becoming a widow before I married, I thought of Dixon and me walking into Pete’s Western Footwear in Austin when we returned home. The image of him in those black cowboy boots, made me giggle. Rip turned and looked at me. I’m sure the sight of me is what made him giggle. Before I knew it, we were doubled over with laughter.

“I don’t see what’s so funny,” I said.

“Neither do I,” Rip said.

It was five minutes before we could catch our breaths and compose ourselves. “Look,” I pointed. Up ahead was the glow of New Orleans.

“Maybe we can grab a cab to your hotel,” Rip said.

“Well, good luck with that.”

It was almost two when we reached the Pontchartrain. The same doorman was on duty from yesterday when I came in wearing swamp. This time he just opened the door and looked the other way. I could almost hear his thoughts, swamp woman found her a fella.” 

“What do we do now, Sydney?”

“I have a plan.”

“I was afraid of that.”

~~~~~

About Kathleen Kaska

Kathleen Kaska is the author of the awarding-winning mystery series: the Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series set in the 1950s and the Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Mystery Series. Her first two Lockhart mysteries, Murder at the Arlington and Murder at the Luther, were selected as bonus books for the Pulpwood Queen Book Group, the country’s largest book group. She also writes mystery trivia. The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book was published by Rowman & Littlefield. Her Holmes short story, “The Adventure at Old Basingstoke,” appears in Sherlock Holmes of Baking Street, a Belanger Books anthology. She is the founder of The Dogs in the Nighttime, the Sherlock Holmes Society of Anacortes, Washington, a scion of The Baker Street Irregulars. Watch for Murder at the Pontchartrain: the 6th Sydney Lockhart Mystery in June 2023.

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

Purchase Links – Anamcara Press – Amazon

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Tour Participants

June 15 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY

June 15 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT           

June 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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June 18 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 19 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

June 19 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 20 – Indie Author Book Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST

June 21 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

June 22 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

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June 24 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 25 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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Lucky Shot by Shanna Hatfield ~ Giveaway And Peek Inside

Posted: June 22, 2023 in Contemporary Romance, giveaways, Western
Tags: , ,
10

 

Lucky Shot

by Shanna Hatfield

 

Publication date: June 20th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Western
What’s a girl to do when her aim is true?

As a registered nurse at the Boise VA Hospital, Grace Marshall is devoted to her patients, but some wounds require more than medical care. A patient too stubborn and angry to accept the help he needs storms out of her exam room, ruffling her feathers. Yet, when the man returns to apologize, something about him tugs at her heart.

Levi Gibson left for war young and idealistic but returned from Vietnam with physical scars and a haunted soul. He tries to banish the darkness brewing inside him with hard work on his family’s potato farm, but it’s a young nurse’s kindness that brings unexpected light and joy into his life. If Levi can open up to Grace and let her see his pain, could she be the key that unlocks a future full of hope instead of mere survival?

After her father sends Grace a legendary pistol, target practice provides an excuse to spend time with Levi during the summer of 1972. As his shadows overwhelm him, it will take far more than a lucky shot for Grace to hit love’s mark.

Goodreads / Amazon / Bookbub

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Enjoy this peek inside:

She straightened in time to see Levi sprinting through the rain with a vase of flowers.

His cowboy hat had kept his head dry, but Grace was sure she could wring water out of his shirt when he stepped inside. A vision of him shirtless made warmth sear her cheeks as he walked over to her and held out the vase.

“Here,” he said, holding it out to her.

She stared at the vase brimming with fragrant lilacs, white tulips, and pink peonies. The arrangement was stunning, but she had no idea why he’d bring it to her.

Hesitantly, she reached out for the vase. “What’s this?”

“An apology,” he said, removing his hat as she took the vase from him.

She held the vase against her mid-section, longing to bury her nose in the divine lilacs. She’d always loved the scent of them when they bloomed in the spring. On their dairy farm, they had several old bushes that bloomed along the back fence. She’d missed them since she’d moved to Boise. The only chance she got to smell flowers now was while walking in the park, or when one of her fellow nurses received them as a gift.

“An apology?” she asked, giving the cute cowboy a curious glance.

“For Friday. I was rude, and I’m sorry. It wasn’t anything you did,” he admitted, appearing both nervous and repentant.

She ignored the way he’d shoved his left hand into the front pocket of his jeans to hide his injury. His right hand clenched his hat, as though he was anxious. Uncertain.

“Do you really think I’m too young, incompetent, and impertinent to be a nurse?” she asked, keeping her expression unreadable, but she shifted her posture, cocking one hip defiantly.

A slow grin spread across his face as he watched her, appearing to keenly observe her every move. His head shook from side to side. “No, ma’am. I think you are more than qualified to do your job, and you were not impertinent. I’m truly sorry for the way I behaved when I was here. The way I acted was unnecessary and unkind, and it bugged me all weekend that I’d been that way with you. Truly, I’m sorry.”

“You’re forgiven,” Grace said, grinning at him and surrendering to her need to sniff the blooms. She closed her eyes to better savor the fragrance, then opened them to find Levi watching her. “I love lilacs.”

His grin broadened. “We have a bunch of them at the farm just starting to bloom. The tulips were on the north side of the house, or they’d likely be gone for the season.”

“It’s a magnificent bouquet. Do you need the vase back?” she asked.

“No. Ma has dozens of them. She gets the credit for arranging the flowers, though. She said to tell you that she did a better job of raising me than you might have previously considered and to please not hold my behavior against her.”

“I did have a few thoughts about that this weekend.” Grace smiled and hugged the vase a little tighter. “I do thank you, Sergeant Gibson, for these lovely blooms, but I should get to work.”

“I didn’t mean to keep you. I just wanted to apologize and ask for your forgiveness.”

“You are forgiven.”

“Thank you,” he said, taking a step back toward the door.

Grace had never, not once in her life, considered asking a guy on a date, but a sense of panic welled in her at the thought of not seeing Levi again soon.

The words spilled out of her, leaving her unable to stuff them back into her mouth. “Are you busy next Saturday?” she heard herself ask.

Levi appeared as shocked by the question as Grace felt.

“No. Not really. Did you have something in mind?”

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Author Shanna Hatfield:

USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes sweet romances rich with relatable characters, small town settings that feel like home, humor, and hope.

Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

When this farm girl isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. She also experiments with recipes, snaps photos of her adorable nephew, and caters to the whims of a cranky cat named Drooley.

To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website http://shannahatfield.com or find out more about her here: linktr.ee/ShannaHatfield

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The Ro Bro by J. A. Huss & Jonathan McClain ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: June 21, 2023 in comedy, Contemporary Romance, giveaways
Tags: , ,
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The Ro Bro

by J.A. Huss & Johnathan McClain

 

Publication date: June 20th 2023
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Essie Smith-Scott, the author known as SS, has been the number one erotic romance writer in the world for the past ten years. Movie deals, merchandise, dozens of books on the New York Times bestseller’s list, and the founder of the biggest romance convention to ever hit the planet.

Scoring an invitation to the Sin With Us Romance Convention in Las Vegas is the ‘big break’ every romance author hopes for and Cynthia Lear’s name just made it to the top of the wait list. She’s in. And she’s gonna make the most of it. This is her chance to shine and propel her career into the stratosphere.

But then she meets Essie’s twin brother, Steve. Not only is Steve Smith handsome, and charming, and loves her work—he’s also… lying. To the whole world. Literally everyone.

Because his twin sister, Essie, isn’t the one who’s been writing all those super-spicy Master Choke books all these years—it’s Steve.

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Written by New York Times bestselling author JA Huss and actor, author, narrator, Johnathan McClain—The Ro-Bro is a rompy feel-good adventure through the secret life of romance authors and the conventions they attend. Prepare to laugh so hard you pee your pants. This is a story that will make you smile every time you think about it.

(P.S. – If you’ve never been to the biggest romance convention in the world, well now you don’t even have to go. Because they all happen just like this.)

Goodreads / Amazon / Audible

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Enjoy this peek inside:

“Holy shit.” Britney, the assistant, looks up at me with an incredulous expression of ‘what the fuck.’ “She’s a… a…”

I volunteer a noun. “A bitch?”

“Yeah!” Britney laughs this word out with gusto.

And I’m laughing too, but then I look over at Cordy, and she’s… not. “What did she mean by that?”

That question is directed to Britney, not me. And immediately I feel cut out of the conversation.

What did she mean by that? Translation—Did Raylen Star just caution me, Cordy, about handing over my ARC to SS’s brother, Steve, because she was insinuating they, she, he might steal my words?

That is exactly what Leslie fuckin’ Munch just did.

I had a good thing going with this girl. She and I were having a moment. And even though Britney kinda busted in on us, Britney wasn’t obtrusive. I was winning her over. Which is important. As the number one romance writer in the world, I wholly and completely understand that the new love interest must befriend the BFF.

And fine. Maybe ‘new love interest’ is a premature title for me? We were still on introductions. We hadn’t made any concrete declarations of intent or anything, but we were on our way. We were getting there. Would’ve gotten there if fuckin’ Leslie hadn’t showed up.

And now, as I watch Cordy and Britney exchange a look and in the next moment watch, in real time, as Cordy’s eyes drop down to the book gripped firmly in my hands, I have to tuck down a moment of rage.

Two minutes. Two. Minutes. That’s all it took for Leslie to ruin the good thing I was building with this lovely creature who might be the only person in the room who can write a run-on sentence with such skill, and emotion, and… and… and moxie that one does not even understand that she, lovely Cordy, just wrote the world’s longest run-on sentence because they have been captivated—imprisoned, even—by her brilliant author voice.

Cordy Serendipitous’s ability to string words together for the longest of sequences is what drew me to her in the first place. I love it. I love that she breaks all the rules. It’s so… so… fuckin’ courageous—especially in a world filled with people who want nothing more than the expected to jump out at them in a totally expected way, lest they have to stretch their minds a bit to find the hidden messages hiding just below the surface—that I, for once, did not feel like a completely isolated freak among those who fit in. At least as far as writing goes.

And Leslie Munch has fucked that up with two words of caution.

Be careful.

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Author JA Huss

JA Huss is a New York Times Bestselling author and has been on the USA Today Bestseller’s list 21 times. She writes characters with heart, plots with twists, and perfect endings.

Her books have sold millions of copies all over the world. Her book, Eighteen, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award and an Audie Award in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Her audiobook, Mr. Perfect, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award in 2017. Her audiobook, Taking Turns, was nominated for an Audie Award in 2018. Her book, Total Exposure, was nominated for a RITA Award in 2019.

She lives on a farm in central Colorado with her family, horses, donkeys, dogs, goats, and chickens.

FIND HER HERE: Facebook / Website / Twitter

 

Johnathan McClain is an award-winning actor, screenwriter, producer, romance novelist, and audiobook narrator. As an actor, he has an extensive television, film, and theatre resumé spanning over twenty-five years. As a screenwriter, his feature film debut, THE OUTFIT, co-written with Academy Award winning screenwriter Graham Moore, and starring Academy Award winner Mark Rylance, Zoey Deutch, Dylan O’Brien, and Johnny Flynn, premiered at the 2022 Berlin International Film Festival and was released theatrically by Focus Features the same year.

He has narrated almost two-hundred audiobooks and is the recipient of multiple Audiofile Earphones Awards, SOVAS nominations, and an Audie for his narration of Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff’s #1 NY Times bestselling sci-fi novel, Illuminae, which won the Audie Award for audiobook of the year for multi-voiced narration in 2016.

Along with JA Huss, Johnathan is the co-author of ten novels, two of which have been optioned for screenplays, and the story of their writing partnership was developed as a TV series with MGM Television.

He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Laura.

Find him HERE

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RO BRO RELEASE GIVEAWAY

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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.

Bomb Blast ~ A Thriller by Solange Ritchie

Posted: June 21, 2023 in giveaways, thriller
Tags: , ,
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Bomb Blast: A Thriller
by Solange Ritchie

 


Bomb Blast: A Thriller
Thriller
4th in Series
Middle River Press (February 24, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 206 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1946886432
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1946886439
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BWZH8M65

In the fourth novel in the Dr. Catherine (Cat) Powers series, top FBI forensic pathologist and special agent Dr. Cat Powers is called as two Syrian-born bombers wreak havoc on “soft targets” in the United States.

Starting with the New York Stock Exchange, these bombers are intent on causing as much murder and mayhem as they can. As their bombing spree takes them cross-country, Cat is appointed the eyes and ears of the president of the United States. Teamed with Special Ops and bombing expert Sam Patterson, Cat must figure out who these bombers are, what their motives are, who is funding them, and ultimately, if they can be caught. As the bombings become more violent and deadly, Cat and Sam are in a race against time to catch these savage killers before they kill again.

Will they succeed or will the bombers avoid detection and escape?

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Enjoy this peek inside:

FROM PROLOGUE:

 

March 13.

Conrad thought how well things had gone yesterday–both the

bombing and at his apartment. Saafia made him smile. They have

shared so many memories. Each time he was with her, it was like it was

new again. He didn’t love her, and yet he did, in his own way.

Conrad turned his attention to the things he must accomplish today.

It will be like yesterday.

Smooth as silk.

Listening to the sheer chaos yesterday felt good. It was familiar to

him. Growing up in Syria, he had grown used to chaos at an early age.

Sounds from explosions. The sound of funerals. The sounds of tears,

sorrow, and grief.

All music to my ears.

Now, just as when I was a boy.

Today, the air in New York was clear. This morning, the streets

were cluttered. In the financial district, people were going to work as if

everything was fine, but there was an unspoken feeling of fear on the

streets. Most people didn’t look him in the eye as he walked by. For

those that did, their faces were filled with anticipation of what the day

would hold.

Fear does funny things to people.

Conrad walked down Wall Street with a spring in his step, looking

like a young trader going into work. He had the photograph with him, as

he always did, tucked in his breast pocket. It was his talisman. A reminder

that what he was doing now was right and just. In his right hand, a burgundy

attaché case and over his left shoulder, slung a black computer bag.

Neither of these items seemed out of place, nor did they draw attention.

It was eleven forty-five in the morning as he strolled into a Subway

shop for a sub and soda. Soon, he was seated on one of the Exchange’s

steps, next to the statue of George Washington, taking in the

sights. Just after noon, the street in front of the NY Stock Exchange

—Wall Street—was filled with people. Secretaries, traders, lawyers, and

businessmen. Tourists found the façade of the famous exchange a fascinating

place. They stopped to take photos and videos posing with

the iconic Charging Bull Statue and newer Fearless Girl Statue. The

New York Stock Exchange Building was a symbol, a bastion of the free

world market economy. A symbol of capitalism in all its infinite glory.

No one figured today would be any different than any other day in the

financial district. They all thought at the end of the day, they would go

back to their simple suburban lives or apartments. Tourists would go

about their vacations, more sights to see.

Conrad knew it would be different.

Conrad closed his eyes, taking in the city’s sounds and smells before

he blew it all to hell. Chatter, laughter, horns honking, exhaust fumes

from traffic. New Yorkers on the move. As a young woman walked

by, he caught the slight scent of her perfume with a name he couldn’t

place. He finished his lunch. His work always made him hungry, but

more so today. He didn’t know why. But there didn’t have to be a reason

for the things that he did.

He took the black computer bag off his shoulder and placed it

next to the statute—at George Washington’s feet. Then, he placed the

attaché case leaning against the statute. He didn’t linger. With the remnants

of his lunch in hand, he walked away. Not at a fast clip. Just a

regular stroll. His long legs moved with confidence. He held his head

high. His chin up. Enjoying New York. His city.

No one noticed what he had left behind until they detonated in

unison.

The blast was even bigger than the one yesterday.

~~~~~

About Solange Ritchie

BORN ON THE BEAUTIFUL TROPICAL ISLAND of Jamaica to a Jamaican father and a French mother, Solange Ritchie (then Solange Levy) immigrated to the United States at age eleven. Since then, she has become a dynamic force for change. Fed up with thrillers that start with a fizzle and longing to see more powerful women as lead characters, Solange decided to create her own characters. Despite the demands of a busy legal career, she accomplished her ambitious goal by rising each morning to write before work, dedicating her weekends to writing, and even spending her vacation time writing. Solange is fortunate to have traveled to over 19 countries in her lifetime.

Words have always been Solange’s passion – now so more than ever.

Solange achieved a successful writing career while doing “last minute trial,” mostly in Southern California. Dubbed “the Case Saver,” Solange handled intense legal motions that either make or break a case, especially in the areas of business, labor, and employment law. In 2014, she received the State Bar of California’s Solo and Small Firm’s Section’s highest award, the Myer J. Sankary Attorney of the Year Award. It is given to only one attorney each year in California.

When Solange was just thirty-seven years old, her first husband, John, died due to gross medical negligence at a leading Southern California hospital. This life-altering experience helped shape her into the person she is today. She began writing creatively to deal with the stress of his hospitalization and his death.

Solange’s first psychological thriller, The Burning Man, featuring FBI forensic pathologist Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers was published in 2015. Her second novel in the series, Firestorm, was released to critical acclaim, on May 15, 2018. Dying Declaration is the third novel in the Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers series. Bomb Blast is Solange’s fourth novel in the series. Solange plans at least two more books in the Dr. Catherine Powers series. A fan of things that go bump in the night, Solange has also penned a Southern Gothic novel called Fiona’s Box, which will be released shortly.

Solange lives in Southern Florida. She enjoys traveling, writing, gardening, time with her family, as well as good food and conversation. Solange is available for speaking engagements. She especially enjoys talking with book clubs. To receive her Sunday blog post, Notes from Solange, just go to her author website, www.solangeritchie.com, and leave your e-mail address. Nothing negative or political is ever posted. Her author website, www.authorsolange.com, includes a blog, reviews, recipes, events, and the latest on Solange’s adventures. Solange welcomes your comments, reviews, and suggestions, and invites you to contact her at:

Author website / Legal Website

  Facebook / LinkedIn / Solange Ritchie Twitter / Solange Author Twitter

Purchase Link – Amazon  

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 19 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE

June 20 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

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June 21 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 22 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 23 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

June 23 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

June 24 – Indie Author Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 25 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 25 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

June 26 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 27 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

June 28 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Death Of A Soprano ~ A Joseph Haydn Mystery by Nupur Tustin

Posted: June 11, 2023 in Cozy Mystery, giveaways
Tags: , ,
4


Death of a Soprano: A Joseph Haydn Mystery

by Nupur Tustin

 


Death of a Soprano: A Joseph Haydn Mystery
Historical Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – Eighteenth-century Royal Hungary, Habsburg Empire
Foiled Plots Press (May 27, 2023)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 319 pages
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C3SR4GGW

When murder invades Haydn’s opera stage, scandal isn’t far behind . . .

Charged with ensuring that an imperial wedding transpires without mishap, composer Joseph Haydn has his hands full. Barely seventeen, Archduke Ferdinand Karl, the imperial bridegroom, is reluctant to marry. And the bride, Maria Beatrice, has her reservations as well.

But when an extortion note surfaces—an unpleasant reminder of the bridegroom’s shameful past—the wedding seems truly doomed. Worse still, all the evidence points to Haydn’s prima donna, Lucia Pacelli, being the blackmailer.

Before Haydn can confront her, however, Lucia is fatally poisoned. And Haydn is left to wonder whether his imperial charge had a hand in her death.

Troubled by the dark secrets he might uncover, Haydn is nevertheless compelled to investigate. Will the young Archduke be found innocent? Or must Haydn lead His Imperial Highness to the gallows?

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Is Lucia drunk, ill . . . or worse? Haydn is beside himself with worry.

In the pit, Haydn watched aghast as his prima donna crashed gracelessly to the floor. For a brief moment, he wondered whether Karl had made a spur-of-the-moment change to the libretto. It was not unheard of for a librettist to do such a thing. But surely it was unwise to do it without consulting either the composer or opera director.

Almost simultaneously, another thought flitted through Haydn’s mind. Had Lucia taken her role too far?

But all such considerations instantly fled when his gaze drifted up to Nencio’s face. The panic-stricken expression plastered over the tenor’s features and his wide, staring eyes told the entire tale. This was no spontaneous act. It had certainly not been intended.

Lucia was . . . Haydn’s fingers felt stiff as they depressed, almost of their own accord, the keys of the harpsichord. Whatever afflicted his prima donna, she was clearly in no condition to continue.

Good God, what was to be done?

Raising his hand just high enough for the tenor to see, Haydn let it flutter through the air. A silent signal to Jakob Friberth—the tenor playing Nencio—to carry on as though nothing had happened.

What the man would do—or indeed could do—the Kapellmeister knew not. He could only pray for divine inspiration to fall upon his hapless tenor.

Fortunately, Jakob understood, nodding imperceptibly as he wiped the shock off his features. Deathly pale but smiling broadly, Jakob in his role of Nencio feigned glee at the situation.

“Ah, the drunken servant of a marquis!” Jakob gestured down at the prone Lucia. “If the servant is thus, can the master be any better?” Bending down, Jakob lifted the soprano’s arms and began dragging her offstage.

He snickered at the audience. “What say you, we let that false villain, Filippo, think the marquis has changed his mind?”

Near the wings, Jakob dropped Lucia’s arms to jab his forefinger at his chest. “Then Sandrina—beautiful Sandrina—can be Nencio’s!” Still singing the last few words, Jakob, along with Lucia, disappeared behind the wings.

The loud burst of laughter that greeted the scene was satisfying evidence that the ploy had worked.

And fortunately the curtain fell just as Nencio and Lucia exited the stage. That was thanks to Johann’s quick thinking, Haydn realized with immense gratitude, noticing his brother was no longer at his side.

Karl had written his libretto in two acts, but it did no harm to let the audience think a third was to follow.

Bouncing up from his seat, Haydn quickly turned and acknowledged the thunderous applause with a rushed bow. Then, leaving Luigi to conduct the orchestra as it played the music for the interlude, he hurried backstage—eager to discover what was amiss with his prima donna.

Lucia’s body had been dragged into the area beyond the grooved slots in which the wings sat. It was crowded with a variety of props. But Jakob had managed to find a narrow space where she lay between cooking pots on one side and a large table on the other.

There Haydn found Johann bent over Lucia’s still frame.

“What ails her?” the Kapellmeister asked anxiously. Against all hope, he continued, “Can she be revived?”

“I fear not, brother.” Johann turned around, his features whiter than a meadow of edelweiss in the spring. “She is dead—God rest her soul!” He hastily crossed himself.

“Dead!” Haydn’s eyes were drawn to Lucia’s body, lying unnaturally still on the floorboards. At least she was face up. “B-b-but how?”  Had she really been ill? Or—

Resolutely, he pushed the thought away from his mind. Best not to consider it an unnatural death.

~~~~~

About Nupur Tustin

A former journalist, Nupur Tustin relies upon a Ph.D. in Communication and an M.A. in English to orchestrate murder.  She also writes the Celine Skye Psychic Mysteries based on the Gardner Museum theft.  Childhood piano lessons and a 1903 Weber Upright share equal blame for her musical works.

Get Two Complimentary Mysteries At: ntustin.com
Music: ntustin.musicaneo.com

Website / Blog / Shop / Facebook / Goodreads / Bookbub

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June 16 – My Reading Journeys – EXCERPT POST

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~~~~~

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This Will Hurt Part II by Cara Dee ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: June 4, 2023 in Contemporary Romance, giveaways
Tags: , , ,
6

 

This Will Hurt II

by Cara Dee

 

(June 2nd 2023)
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Part II of II Angst Awakening Friends to Lovers Family

Buckle in. Roe and Jake have mountains to climb, walls to tear down, and countless private moments to bring them even closer in this final part of their journey.

The ground beneath me had finally settled. I was content. I was all right. I could move forward and live with my choices.

Then I found Jake’s damn journal from… therapy. That was right. My best friend, who defined “man of few words,” was in therapy. The ground started shaking again. I got desperate. I got angry. I…almost lost him on the job when he saved my life.

Nothing was settled anymore.

Goodreads / Amazon

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

What the fuck did you wear to a country concert?

I grabbed a pair of jeans and boxer briefs from the closet, then walked back into the bedroom and picked up my phone from my nightstand. I sent Jake a message.

I’m fresh out of chaps and cowboy hats. What should I wear, hoss?

While I waited for his response, I removed the towel around my hips and put on the boxers and jeans.

“Dada, I’m-wa no baff!”

I glanced over at the door as my boy ran in, with Sandra hot on his tail.

I grinned faintly and swooped him up. “Look out, we got a runner ova’ hea’.” I peppered his face with smooches, and he giggled up a storm. “You can’t escape bath time, baby boy. But you know what comes after, don’t you? Mommy’s gonna read you a story.”

“Nooo,” he complained.

“Yeees,” I mimicked.

Sandra sighed and smiled ruefully. “Let’s go, sweetie. We’ll get extra bubbles and everything.”

“Hear that? We love those bubbles.” I handed over the clinging monkey to her and pressed a kiss to the side of his head.

“I don’t wannaaa,” he whined.

Sandra carried him out, only to stop in the doorway and turn back to me. “You sure you don’t wanna cancel?”

Positive—and I wasn’t fighting with her about it again.

“I won’t be late,” was all I said.

The teasing glint in her eyes faded, and she walked out.

I released a breath.

My phone dinged on the nightstand, and I walked over and read Jake’s text.

I’ll tell you you’re pretty no matter what you wear, sugar.

I laughed silently and shook my head.

Helpful.

Whatever. I returned to the closet and dug out a long-sleeved tee that made my biceps look good. We were going to an outdoor place up in Griffith Park, so it was bound to get chilly. But I liked that it wasn’t a huge concert. Only some five thousand people. It beat going to the Staples Center.

Jake picked me up downstairs fifteen minutes later, and the most country thing about him continued to be his truck. It made no sense to drive a truck in LA. But he loved it, and I really had no room to argue choices of vehicles. I was still a laughingstock after buying a sports car before Casper was born. Worst deal ever. I’d probably lost twenty grand when I’d traded it in for a family-friendly SUV.

“Hey, pretty.” Jake pulled out from the curb. “I see you found clothes.”

“No thanks to you.” I smiled and buckled my seat belt. “Will I see a lot of chaps tonight?”

“If I drop you off in West Hollywood instead, I’m sure there’s a club for you.”

I laughed. Funny.

“Oh, this is a good one.” He cranked up the volume on the stereo. “He’ll probably play this tonight.”

I side-eyed him, more interested in studying Jake than hearing a song. There was something inherently sexy about how he drove. He made life look easy when he was on the road. One arm along the edge of the window, the sleeves of his open flannel shirt rolled up—some serious forearm porn going on—two fingers gripping the wheel loosely at the bottom. He tapped his foot to the rocky beat, and his lips moved subtly to the singer’s voice.

Ratty USMC ball cap on the dash. Since he always wore it backward, he took it off when a headrest was in the way.

Fitting lyrics, about holding on to things you believed in.

Of course, it being a country rock song, the topic was the singer’s truck.

“It’s the miles that make a man.”

How many miles till I fell out of love with him?

“I’d be nothing without you, so I’m holding on.”

Surprisingly, a line not about the truck.

“I’m not the openin’ act,” he chuckled. “Quit starin’.”

That was the fucking problem, wasn’t it? He was the headliner.

.

Author Cara Dee

I’m often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there’s so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex.

There’s a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly.

Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.

I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.

Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.

I’m a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, cooking, baking, and geeking. There’s time for hockey and family, too. But mostly, I just love to write.

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Peek Inside And Giveaway ~ Remnants Of Power by H. F. Cunningham

Posted: June 2, 2023 in Fantasy, giveaways, Romance
Tags: , , ,
3

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I am so excited that REMNANTS OF POWER  by H. F. Cunningham 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 finished copy of the book & swag courtesy of H.F. & Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.

 

REMNANTS OF POWER

by H. F. Cunningham

 

 

Pub. Date: June 1, 2023

Publisher: H. F. Cunningham

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 698

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Find it:  Goodreads, https://books2read.com/REMNANTS-OF-POWER

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“You’re sure about this?”

.

“Absolutely not, but let’s do it anyway.”

.

Banished from the only home she has ever known
and still reeling from the knowledge of what she truly is, and just how many
people want to kill her, Tannin has no choice but to ally with dangerous
figures from her past to survive. In a stronghold ruled by wargs, Tannin must
learn to step up and claim her blood heritage. As her own monstrous abilities
develop, Tannin finds that she likes the taste of power. But she isn’t the only
one hungering for it.

.

Desperate to correct her past mistakes, Ava –
along with Tannin’s old friend Flint – leaves the safety of Armodan to follow
the wargs. With her fledgling skills as a druidic healer, Ava strives to prove
herself useful and earn her place in Tannin’s new life. Finally free of the
constraints of royal life, Ava discovers that she has only scratched the
surface of her own darker powers. 

.

But power never comes without a price. 

.

The rise of a queen.

.

A cruel betrayal.

.

And a nation on the brink of tearing itself apart. 

.

Schemes and treacheries are brewing and boiling over on all sides. Unravelling them seems impossible. Perhaps surviving them is too.

 

.

Grab book 1 REMNANTS OF BLOOD
now!

 

Enjoy this peek inside:

.

Tannin made a disgusted noise as she picked a fat, oozing slug off her shoe. She was
so over camping and the creepy crawlies that seemed to appear out of nowhere
and get into everything.

.

Tannin rubbed her eyes. She’d slept like shit again and could feel a bad mood hovering
over her like a storm cloud. Inside the tent behind her, Ava snored in her
sleep. She’d snored most of the morning, even when Tannin kicked her.

.

There were…complicated feelings where Ava was concerned that she’d rather not deal
with, and it was only made worse by the fact they had to sleep next to each
other. The tents they slept in were nothing fancy. Just a sheet of
water-proofed canvas, wooden pegs and thin cords that somehow held it all
together. She’d tried every negotiating tactic she knew to try and get out of
sharing a tent with the princess, but with Adair and Flint sharing one and Dana
solidly refusing to give up hers, there was little choice. Ava knew that Tannin
needed her, and it made her insufferable. Worse than that – she kept trying to
talk. Like really talk. About what happened in Armodan. Tannin did not want to
talk about it, and she refused to accept Ava’s apologies.

.

Maybe if they did talk it out, it would be better than this horrible stalemate they
were in, but Tannin was bitter about the whole thing, and Ava lording it over
her while she was at her weakest wasn’t doing anything to improve her attitude.

.

“What’re you scowling at?” Flint asked as he emerged, tousle-haired, from his tent. His
long limbs unfolded as he yawned and stretched out his cramped muscles. It must
be a tight fit in the boys’ tent, Tannin thought. Flint was long and lanky, and
Adair was even taller, and quite frankly, built like a house.

.

Tannin was about to reply when she was interrupted by a shriek from inside her tent.
Ava came barrelling out, wild-eyed and holding a slug at arm’s length.

.

“Did you put a slug on me while I was sleeping?!” she demanded, brandishing the slug
at Tannin.

.

“No,” Tannin replied innocently.

.

Ava glared and scoured her face for any trace of a lie. When she didn’t find one,
she threw the poor slug aside and stomped off in the direction of the river to
wash the slime from her clothes.

.

Tannin chuckled and poked at the fire she was trying to get going. Flint leaned
forward, chin on his hand, and gave her a hard look. She glanced at him slyly
out of the corner of her eye.

.

“Tannin,” he said sternly.

.

“Yes?” She gave him her most angelic face.

.

“How many slugs?”

.

She grinned evilly just as another shriek came from the river.

.

“TANNIN!”

.

About Author H. F. Cunningham:

 

Hello! I’m HF Cunningham; a
queer YA/NA fantasy author who likes puns!

My debut novel Remnants of
Blood is launching 14th September 2021 and is perfect for lovers of fantasy,
intruiging characters, enemies to lovers, monsters, scottish accents and witty
banter!

Follow me on instagram
hfcunningham.author or twitter hfcunningham or check out my website
www.hfcunningham.com

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

 

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Peek Inside And Giveaway ~ Drink Wine And Be Beautiful by Kimberly Sullivan

Posted: May 26, 2023 in Contemporary Literature, giveaways
Tags: , , ,
25

 

Drink Wine and Be Beautiful

by Kimberly Sullivan

 

 

Publication date: May 26th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Women’s Fiction

Italian Tales of love, betrayal, longing, desire – and hope

Italy serves as the backdrop for stories of Italian women and expatriate women living in Italy.

A freak snowstorm in Rome changes the travel plans of two women, touching their lives in ways they could never have imagined. An ambitious Italian professional working in Brussels rails inwardly at her privileged boss, until fate presents her with a rare opportunity. A long desired trip to Bali, Indonesia serves as a needed chance for introspection. A cautious housewife in Rome thinks back to a fateful missed connection in Florence. A first-time mother feels debilitating guilt for not bonding with her newborn, until an elderly neighbor provides her with a new perspective.

The twenty-one stories in this collection follow women’s lives as they confront betrayal and love, alienation and community, despair and-ultimately-hope.

Goodreads / Amazon / Kobo

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

Snake Charmers and Donkey Carts

Marrakech

THE HAWKERS’ CRIES FILLED THE SQUARE, the guttural sounds of Arabic throbbing in Manuela’s ears. All around her, men yelled out in that strange language. Men were everywhere. They brushed past her in the marketplace crowds, and she shrank back. Unfamiliar smells filled the air.

She clung to Adriano’s hand as they walked through the Jemaa el-Fna square, willing herself not to cry. A cobra reared up his ugly head, its black tongue flickering, only a few feet from where she stood. She bit her tongue to keep herself from screaming. The snake swayed from side to side as the snake charmer played music on his pipe. A fat man in dirty robes approached her with another snake, trying to wrap it around her neck.

She stumbled backward, afraid she might faint, but thankfully Adriano was pulling her away, toward the dark, labyrinthine streets of the souk. Here she would do battle with the scooters and the donkey carts, but at least there were no snake charmers poised to place a slimy, wriggling serpent around her neck in exchange for coins.

Manuela breathed in deeply. It was all too much. The blood coursed through her veins at double-speed. Her heart pounded in fear and revulsion. She leaned in closer to Adriano, his comforting solidity managing to calm her and provide her with the courage she lacked in this odd city.

“Min fadlak,” said a robed man, indicating his wares.

Manuela instinctively shrunk from his attentions, but Adriano stepped closer, examining the delicate lamps shining in the dark marketplace. Their intricate patterns cast colorful, elaborate illuminations through inky night sky. Even she could recognize its mystic beauty.

“Kam else’er?” said Adriano.

The two men began haggling over the price, and Manuela stood silently, a spectator to the show. Life was a spectacle here, but one she took no pleasure in observing.

Three days into her holiday in Marrakech, Manuela felt only anxious and confused. The streets were too narrow. She had to remain vigilant not to step in the droppings left behind after the donkey carts passed. There were too many people pressed too closely together. People stood so close when they spoke to you. Adriano told her it was rude to step back, but she couldn’t help herself. The yells in Arabic sounded harsh and threatening to her ears. The sights and sounds, the colors and smells were too exotic.

Manuela could only relax when they returned to their riad in the evening, though even there she could not completely escape the lingering sense of foreignness. The wooden keyhole doors were too small, and she kept bumping her head on their frame. The sweet smell of spices filled the apartment with a cloying scent she was unable to banish, even after opening the windows for long periods of time in the hopes of airing the room.

She would step into the shower and rinse the city’s dirt and grime from her body, before enveloping her skin in a soft robe. When Adriano pushed her gently down to the bed, a sense of familiarity would calm her, and she could temporarily forget all about the stresses of this chaotic city.

Yet each morning she felt drained and exhausted once again, unable to face another day, desperate to return home, where things were safe and familiar. She longed to hear Italian spoken in the squares, to enter a restaurant and know that familiar foods were on the menu, to be capable of conversing with the shopkeepers.

To belong.

But what could she do? Adriano seemed to thrive in this new environment. He craved exotic places. Where had he learned to count in Arabic? He and the hawker were aggressively shouting figures back and forth, and she saw the spark of excitement in Adriano’s eyes. For her, this city was hell on earth. For him, an exotic tale out of Arabian Nights.

She breathed in deeply once again, attempting to quell the panic attack she could feel working its way through her body. The hawkers came closer with their oils and their soaps and their leather slippers. She closed her eyes and suppressed the desire to scream.

Back home, her days were spent cutting through the red tape of property purchases in Tivoli and placating demanding clients. Her hard-earned vacation was supposed to relax her, not cause greater stress.

She’d begged Adriano to go back to the Sardinian resort they’d visited this past spring, with its well-designed bungalows, soft, white sand beaches, perfectly ordered rows of umbrellas and beach chairs, and crystalline waters beckoning just before them.

Just smelling the salt air caused a sense of well-being to wash over her body. She’d thought Adriano would book the tickets for the resort, as they discussed. It was charged to her account, after all. Instead, he stopped off at her house with two tickets to Marrakech.

“You’re going to love it,” he said, kissing her on the neck. “It will be an adventure. I swear, you’ll never want to come back to Italy.”

She sighed. Not wanting to return to Italy wasn’t the problem. It was Morocco where she never wished to set foot again.

 

Author Kimberly Sullivan:

Kimberly grew up in the suburbs of Boston and in Saratoga Springs, New York, although she now calls the Harlem neighborhood of New York City home when she’s back in the US. She studied political science and history at Cornell University and earned her MBA, with a concentration in strategy and marketing, from Bocconi University in Milan.

Afflicted with a severe case of Wanderlust, she worked in journalism and government in the US, Czech Republic and Austria, before settling down in Rome, where she works in international development, and writes fiction any chance she gets.

She is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) and The Historical Novel Society and has published several short stories and three novels: Three Coins, Dark Blue Waves and In The Shadow of The Apennines.

After years spent living in Italy with her Italian husband and sons, she’s fluent in speaking with her hands, and she loves setting her stories in her beautiful, adoptive country.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / Twitter / Bookbub

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Peek Inside And Giveaway ~ French Quarter Flirt by Melissa Chambers

Posted: May 25, 2023 in Contemporary Romance, giveaways
Tags: , ,
1

 

French Quarter Flirt

by Melissa Chambers

 

(Broussard Brothers, #2)
Publication date: May 23rd 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

He’s New Orleans’ biggest player. She just needs to control the game.

When Garrett Broussard is caught dipping Savannah Sanderson on the dancefloor of the Mardi Gras ball, they’re mistaken for a romantic couple and asked to attend a formal dinner that could boost Savannah’s career. Garrett capitalizes on the opportunity, trading a date for a date—he’ll attend the formal dinner if she’ll help him get his boss, who wants to set Garrett up with his daughter, off his back.

It’s a weekend trip, and they’ll have to share a room to make the fake relationship seem legit. He can handle it. He’ll just sweep the little crush he’s had on her all these years under the rug and pretend she’s not hot at all walking around in that oversized Saints T-shirt and no shorts.

Savannah is at her wits’ end with Garrett Broussard. He shamelessly flirts with her but never puts his money where his mouth is. She highly suspects that if she took him up on his empty advances, he’d cower like a shaking Chihuahua. She has half a mind to put him to the test on this upcoming weekend trip, but she knows better than to play with fire when it comes to a Broussard brother. She just has to make it through the weekend without letting New Orleans’ biggest flirt trample her heart.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

He started to walk away, but she took him by the biceps. They were becoming familiar with one another’s bodies with the dancing and the feigning of their relationship. “What do you want? Pretend all obstacles are out of your way. You can have anything you want. What is it?”

He searched her eyes, concentrating on her hard. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him this serious. She knew he had the potential to be serious, because he was a lawyer. But the Garrett she knew was all fun and games pretty much all the time. This Garrett was new to her. This Garrett intrigued her.

“I want…”

She could see his mind whirling, his lips begging to speak the words, but he was holding back. Then something in his face changed, and she could see his resolve waning.

He slipped one hand behind her back and the other under her legs and before she knew what was happening, he was carrying her down the beach toward the ocean.

“Garrett, what the hell?”

“You asked what I wanted. I want to throw your ass in the ocean.”

“Garrett,” she said on a laugh, because he couldn’t be serious right now. “Garrett, put me down. I mean it.”

“Do you have any idea how many times I’ve wanted to throw you in Lake Pontchartrain?”

“This is an ongoing obsession?”

“Absolutely.” They approached the shore and he jostled her, getting a better grip on her. A strong wave rushed at Garrett’s ankles, but he didn’t move out of the way.

“You’re getting your good shoes all wet. You probably need to wear those tomorrow night.”

“If you think I’m bothered by a little ocean water in my shoes, then you don’t know me at all.”

She clasped her fingers together at the back of his neck, feeling like a girl half her size. Savannah had lived in a big body her whole life, and here was this man picking her up like she was a waif.

“Well, if you think I won’t be bothered by being submerged in freezing cold ocean water in this dress and these shoes I do want to wear again, you don’t know me at all.”

“I’ll go in with you.”

“That makes it so much better,” she said, pursing her lips at him.

“Come on, Sanderson, do something wild with me.”

As Savannah gazed into Garrett’s dancing eyes, she understood one thing all too clearly. Whatever he was selling, she was buying.

She kicked off her shoes. “If you’re game, I’m game.”

He grinned from ear to ear. “Let’s take the plunge.”

.

 

Author Melissa Chambers:

Melissa Chambers writes contemporary novels for young, new, and actual adults. A Nashville native, she spends her days working in the music industry and her nights tapping away at her keyboard. While she’s slightly obsessed with alt rock, she leaves the guitar playing to her husband and kid. She never misses a chance to play a tennis match, listen to an audiobook, or eat a bowl of ice cream. (Rocky road, please!) She has served as president for the Music City Romance Writers and is the author of the Love Along Hwy 30A series, the Before Forever series (YA), and Courting Carlyn (YA).

Website / Goodreads / Facebook Page / Facebook Group / Instagram / Twitter / Bookbub / Amazon

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Some Day Soon by Anna Lindgren ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: May 25, 2023 in Contemporary Romance, giveaways
Tags: , ,
17

 

Some Day Soon

by Anna Lindgren

 

Publication date: May 24th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Everyone wants something…

But why can’t I figure out what Noah James wants out of our relationship? His sister hates me hell, the whole town fears me, and if he knew what I’m capable of, he’d leave like everyone else.

I’ve terrorized the quaint town of Smugglers Cove, blazing a trail of self-destruction when anyone gets too close. So when Noah buys the cottage next door and finds out about my past, he creates a list of childish activities to complete together.

I try to keep him at arm’s length, but every-time I think I’ve scared him off, he’s back for more. He’s always there when I need him and even when I don’t.

One thing’s for certain, people like me don’t end up with Noah James.

***

Noah:

Samantha Simmons stole my heart the minute I saw her standing near the bar, in an off-white dress, at my little sister’s wedding. Everyone warned me about the infamous villain of Smugglers Cove, but I never thought it’d be impossible to stay away.

When I move in next door, she lets me in on some of her secrets and reveals a side of her few have uncovered. The more she lets me in, the more I want to defend her and prove there’s more to her than a bad reputation.

Each-time I think I’ve earned her trust, all hell breaks loose. She’s scared to let me in but I’ll wait until she sees,

She may be the villain in everyone’s story but I think she deserves a happily ever after.

Goodreads / Amazon

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

“Don’t do that,” I say. “Don’t shut me out.”

“Go away,” she warns.

“No,” I say. “Talk to me, Sammy.”

“I can’t!” she yells at me.

I step toward her, lowering my voice as emotion threatens to crack my voice. “I can’t help if you keep fucking pushing me away.”

“Stop it,” she spits the words.

“I’m not going to leave you,” I say, holding onto her hands before she rips them away. “Nothing you say to me, nothing you do is going to convince me you aren’t worth it.”

Her chest heaves as tears stream down her cheeks. Her lips are parted, ready to fight back, ready to tell me how wrong I am, how I won’t understand.

This moment is do or die, leave it all on the table.

I take another step toward her, and crush my lips against hers, showing her how I feel before I tell her.

“I love you,” I pant against her lips. “I think I’ve loved you since the first day I met you when you wore white to my sister’s fucking wedding.” I laugh. “I fucking love you, Sammy girl. Don’t push me away. You can shut the world out. Just leave me in this one with you.”

She leaves her forehead pressed against mine, our noses breathing in the smell of one another.

“I can’t,” she whimpers, swallowing down the building emotion. “I can’t love you, Noah. I can’t risk losing you.”

Her voice cracks with each word. My ears ring as though a bomb has detonated near us, and I guess, in some metaphorical sense, one has.

“You lose all the fucking time when you push everyone away,” I say, my voice cracking under the pressure of each word. “Isn’t it worth trying to stay for once? To work through it rather than shut me out?”

“I’ll never be what you need,” she says. “I’ll never be able to give myself to you completely, to trust you fully.”

“Bullshit,” I snap.

“It’s not bullshit. You made a mistake ever thinking you could change me.” She sighs before hammering the final nail in our coffin. Her eyes locked on mine full of honesty and meaning. “I was your biggest mistake. You’re just too stubborn to acknowledge it.”

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Author Anna Lindgren:

In the 3rd grade, Anna won a notable mention for her holiday story in her small hometown’s daily paper. Since then, no awards have been won but the writing has, fortunately (or not––depends on who you ask) continued. She is now the author of two small-town Alaskan romances with a third set to be released in 2022. Her stories feature tales of friendship, bouts of laughter, and lots of swoon-worthy moments. She shares stories of adventure, love, and loss all the while remaining true to the quirkiness of the loveable small town she grew up in.

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