Chris Crossed Murder
(A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery #4)
by Lauren Carr
Narrator: Mike Alger
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 10 hours, 13 minutes
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: Mar 21, 2023
Content Rating: PG-13 (Lauren Carr’s books are murder mysteries, so there are murders involved. Occasionally, a murder will happen on stage. There is sexual content, but always behind closed doors. Some mild swearing (a hell or a damn few and far between). No F-bombs!
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I am so excited that WHITE HARES AND MIDNIGHT DARES by Laura Strickland is available now and that I get to share the news!
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If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book, be sure to check out all the details below.
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This blitz also includes a giveaway for a finished copy of the book courtesy of Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info below.
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WHITE HARES AND MIDNIGHT DARES
Author: Laura Strickland
Pub. Date: May 22, 2023
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 107
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Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/WHITE-HARES-AND-MIDNIGHT-DARES
Diana Gendarme has spent her life doing
for others, so when she moves into her dream cottage, she’s ready for some “me”
time. But the cottage is shabby and her new neighbors quite close. One of them
makes a din in his blacksmith’s forge all day long yet has the nerve to
complain about her beagle’s yodeling. He’s the last sort of man who should
attract Diana. So why can’t she resist the absurd dares he persists in issuing?
Reg Coltsfoot doesn’t plan on falling
for his neighbor. A lifelong charmer, he’s used to women falling for him
instead. There’s just something about Diana that has him longing to draw her
out of her staid life and into his. Maybe it’s the magic of spring, but Reg
will do all he can to persuade Diana she needs his laughter and his love to
light her days.
Excerpt:
He had
assumed a wide, protective stance and he looked absolutely nothing like the
image of Mr. Coltsfoot lodged in Diana’s head. In fact, this could not be Mr.
Coltsfoot. He did not appear old enough. A caregiver, perhaps. Or Mr.
Coltsfoot’s son.
He had a
bared head of thick, dark hair tumbling in an unruly fashion over his brow, and
a face suffused with outrage. He wore a white shirt unbuttoned at the neck and
a pair of tan slacks, and he made Diana suck in a breath as if someone had
struck her in the gut.
“I’m
sorry, is that your pet?” she called, seeing the creature nestled comfortably
in his arms. She didn’t know if he heard her over Amundsen’s baying, which
continued unabated.
He
snarled in response. Diana could take it for nothing but a snarl. He tossed
back his head and shouted, “I hope your dog is not going to be a problem.”
Diana did
not appreciate being shouted at, though she supposed under the circumstances he
had no other option.
He’s not
my dog. The words trembled on her lips but she did not speak them. To all
intents and purposes, Amundsen had become her responsibility.
He’d been
Dad’s dog, a loyal if ofttimes trouble-making companion. He could decimate an
unsecured kitchen garbage pail in mere seconds. He could open a refrigerator
door and select whatever appealed to him. He could chew up and destroy anything
not made of cast iron.
About Laura Strickland:
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Multi
award-winning author Laura Strickland delights in time traveling to the past
and searching out settings for her books, be they Historical Romance, Steampunk
or something in between. Her first Scottish Historical hero, Devil Black,
battled his way onto the publishing scene in 2013, and the author never looked
back. Nor has she tapped the limits of her imagination. Venturing beyond
Historical and Contemporary Romance, she created a new world with her
ground-breaking Buffalo Steampunk Adventure series set in her native city, in
Western New York. Married and the parent of one grown daughter, Laura has also
been privileged to mother a number of very special rescue dogs, the latest of
whom is a little boy named Tinker, and is intensely interested in animal
welfare. Her love of dogs, and her lifelong interest in Celtic history, magic
and music, are all reflected in her writing. Laura’s mantra is Lore, Legend,
Love, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon
1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International.
Ends May 29th, midnight EST.
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
For a list of my reviews go HERE.
For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE
To see all of my giveaways go HERE.
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Copper Waters: A New Zealand Cottage Mystery
(Annalisse Series)
by Marlene Bell
Copper Waters: A New Zealand Cottage Mystery (Annalisse Series)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – New Zealand – South Island
Ewephoric Publishing (October 7, 2022)
Paperback : 342 pages
ISBN-10 : 0999539493
ISBN-13 : 978-0999539491
Digital Print Length : 280 pages
ASIN : B0BL42NBFY
A rural New Zealand vacation turns poisonous.
Antiquities expert Annalisse Drury and tycoon Alec Zavos are at an impasse in their relationship when Alec refuses to clear up a paternity issue with an ex-lover.
Frustrated with his avoidance when their future is at stake, Annalisse accepts an invitation from an acquaintance to fly to New Zealand—hoping to escape the recent turbulence in her life.
But even Annalisse’s cottage idyll on the family sheep farm isn’t immune to intrigue.
Alec sends a mutual friend and detective, Bill Drake, to follow her, and a local resident who accompanies them from the Christchurch airport dies mysteriously soon after. A second violent death finds Annalisse and Bill at odds with the official investigations.
The local police want to close both cases as quickly as possible—without unearthing the town’s dirty secrets.
As she and Bill pursue their own leads at serious cost, the dual mysteries force Annalisse to question everything she thought she knew about family ties, politics, and the art of small-town betrayal.
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MY REVIEW
I wonder if Analisse and Alec will finally seal the deal and get married. It seems Annalisse is wondering that also. Needing a break from the stress of it all, she heads to New Zealand to visit a family friend at his sheep ranch. Not able to go along, Alec sends his friend Bill Drake to accompany her on the flight. She’s no fan of flying and he’s proved handy when things go sideways. Which they quickly do.
Not one but two deaths occur and Annalise and Bill are right in the thick of it. Not exactly suspects, their help isn’t desired and in now way do the residents or authorities want them digging into things. The way ahead is going to be tricky and dangerous.
It’s been a whole lot of fun getting to know these characters. No many different personalities. And so many secrets and obstacles to overcome. I enjoyed each book as much as the other and would be quite happy if more were to come.
4 STARS
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Marlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep on a ranch in wooded East Texas with her husband, Gregg.
Marlene’s Annalisse series boasts numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity,) and FAPA— Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award for two other installments, (Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy.) Her mysteries with a touch of romantic suspense are found at her websites or at online retail outlets.
She also offers the first of her children’s picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! Based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.
Author Links: Website / Twitter / Bookbub / Goodreads / Instagram
Facebook Author Page / Facebook Personal Page
Purchase Links – Amazon – Barnes & Noble
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TOUR PARTICIPANTS
May 22 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
May 22 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
May 22 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
May 23 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
May 23 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
May 24 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
May 24 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
May 25 – I Read What You Write – AUTHOR GUEST POST
May 25 – Indie Author Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 26 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
May 26 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 27 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT
May 27 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 28 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 29 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
May 29 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
For a list of my reviews go HERE.
For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE
To see all of my giveaways go HERE.
Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Angelbound organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.
Author Christina M Bauer will be awarding cute enamel book pins to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget to enter!
And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Angelbound
by Christina Bauer
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Synopsis
***Special Anniversary Edition With Bonus Story: Walker’s Love Connection***
Eighteen-year-old Myla Lewis is a girl who loves two things: kicking ass and kicking ass. She’s not your every day quasi-demon, part-demon and part-human, girl.
For the past five years, Myla has lived for the days she gets to fight in Purgatory’s arena. When souls want a trial by combat for their right to enter Heaven or Hell, they go up against her, and she hasn’t lost a battle yet. But as she starts her senior year at Purgatory High, the arena fights aren’t enough to keep her spirits up anymore. When the demons start to act weird, even for demons, and the King of the Demons, Armageddon, shows up at Myla’s school, she knows that things are changing and it’s not looking good for the quasi-demons.
Myla starts to question everything, and doesn’t like the answers she finds.
What happened seventeen years ago that turned the quasi-demons into slave labor? Why was her mom always so sad? And why won’t anyone tell her who her father is? Things heat up when Myla meets Lincoln, the High Prince of the Thrax, a super sexy part-human and part-angel demon hunter. But what’s a quasi-demon girl to do when she falls for a demon hunter? It’s a good thing that Myla’s not afraid of breaking a few rules. With a love worth fighting for, Myla’s going to shake up Purgatory.
1. Angelbound
2. Scala
3. Acca
4. Thrax
5. The Dark Lands
6. The Brutal Time
7. Armageddon
Enjoy this peek inside:
The Choker’s eyes slowly scan me from head to toe, his creepy gaze lingering on the curves under my t-shirt and sweats. Rage shoots up my spine. What a scumbag. If he stopped thinking with his pants for two seconds, he’d notice my demon tail instead of my boobs and butt. Some quasis get stuck with pig- or bunny-bottoms, but I hit the jackpot: the long and thin variety with an arrowhead end. Even better, it’s coated in dragon scales, so the thing’s nearly impossible to block or cut.
But the Choker isn’t being smart. He stares into my big watery brown eyes and long lashes; I shamelessly blink in fake-terror. For trial by combat to be valid, the soul must have a chance at winning. They get three options, two of which are relatively easy to defeat. Then, there’s me, the one nobody should pick. Except they always do.
“I choose her.” His thick mouth stretches into a vicious smile. “I’ll fight Myla.” In a low voice, he adds: “You’ll find out why they call me the Choker.”
I jam my hands in my pockets and fake-shiver. And you’ll find out why they called me to fight you, dickhead.
Sharkie thumps his staff on the ground again, and the ghostly Choker turns into two-hundred fifty pounds of real human. “So be it.”
“Here are the rules,” announces Sharkie. “Upon the count of three, you shall battle onto the death. If the Choker loses, he goes to Hell.” The angels look at me with encouraging glances. “If the Choker wins, he goes to Heaven.” The demons let out a deafening roar.
I watch the demons cheer, my hands balling into fists. Those freakies would love for a purely evil soul to enter Heaven. If a spirit has even a smidgeon of good in it, they ‘go angel’ once they cross the pearly gates. A purely evil soul could cause no end of trouble for the angels, and demons love trouble.
The crowd quiets into a nervous hush. Sharkie waves his hand; Sheila, Walker, and XP-22 make a hasty exit into an obliging archway. I hop from foot to foot and crack my neck. This will be a hoot.
Sharkie raises his arms. “The battle begins in 3, 2, 1!”
About Author Christina Bauer:
Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.
Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.
Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter.
Stalk Christina on Social Media – She Loves It!
Website
Instagram
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
TikTok
LinkedIn
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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.
Neptune’s Window: First Glance
by L.L. Lewin
(Neptune’s Window, #1)
Publication date: November 25th 2020
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult
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What if you had a glimpse into what others are oblivious to? According to the zodiac, the planet Neptune represents illusions, mystery, and the unconscious mind. Aries Dade is a teenage medium who has the ability to look inside those illusions and speak to the afterworld. But for some reason, she can’t communicate with her recently deceased mother. With the help of a few spirits, she tries to discover the truth behind her mother’s death. But can she trust the spirits? Aries and her father move to Newport Beach, California to start over. Little do they know they are unlocking a world of lies, betrayals, and deception. And everyone they come in contact with is somehow intertwined with her mother’s death. When the star quarterback and a bad-boy senior vie for her attention, Aries senses something isn’t right. Meanwhile, the rich, popular girls make her life a living hell to keep her from finding out the truth. First Glance is the first novel in the Neptune Window’s trilogy. Do you dare to glance inside the window?
The complete trilogy
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Enjoy this peek inside Book 1:
Demanding spirits barged their way into Aries’s mind, each voice trying to outdo the other.
“Please stop,” she said through clenched teeth.
For a moment they went away, allowing her to bask in the silence. But as soon as she took a step toward the school, their clamor started back up.
Aries ran behind a row of palm trees, shielding herself from streams of cars and pedestrians as the high-pitched aggravation attacked her senses.
“Not today…please not today,” she begged no one in particular.
Out of sight, she dropped to her knees and picked at the grass as the noise escalated.
“Dammit. I said stop.”
Giving in, she put her hands in her lap. With her index finger, she wrote the alphabet on her leg. She needed deep concentration to make the connection. She waited for a clear voice to come through, dreading – yet at the same time accepting – communication with the dead.
After tracing a Z on her leg, she started over with A as a faint whisper formed. Unable to make out any words, she slowed her pace and drew the letter B. She kept repeating this action, taking deeper breaths each time, trying to match the frequency of the spirit.
She’d almost given up when a clear voice said, “You need to find out the truth, Aries.”
Author L. L . Lewin:
LL Lewin is the author of Neptune’s Window Trilogy. A native of Southern California, she was born in Los Angeles County and grew up in Orange County. She graduated from the University California, Irvine with a degree in psychology and social behavior, and holds a Masters in Social Emotional Learning. After teaching for several years and interacting with the youth almost daily, she was inspired to write a young adult mystery novel, which morphed into a little more. Since things happen in threes for her (her initials, triple Sagittarius, the third born) the novel turned into a trilogy and reaffirmed her belief that three’s a charm.
She loves all things astrological, metaphysical, and spiritual. With her Sun, Moon, and Rsing all in the sign of Sagittarius, She’s as Sagittarius as they come, optimistic, freedom-loving, and ever so tactless.
Her three passions in life are writing, traveling, and soccer. You’ll either find her writing at the beach, on an island somewhere, or on a soccer field. And her three vices are chocolate, pizza, and champagne, and not necessarily in that order.
For more updates, photos, and videos follow LL Lewin on Twitter or Instagram @LLLewin3
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
For a list of my reviews go HERE.
For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE
To see all of my giveaways go HERE.
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Earl Grey and Shallow Graves: A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Sleuth
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(A Waterwheel Cafe Mystery)
by Victoria Tait
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Earl Grey and Shallow Graves:
A British Cozy Murder Mystery with a Female Sleuth
(A Waterwheel Cafe Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – England
Kanga Press (May 19, 2023)
Number of Pages c. 240
Digital ASIN : B0BXQL5YS5
GoodReads Link Coming Soon
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A 30-year-old skeleton. A missing girl. Can a community police officer read the tea leaves or will a deadly secret remain buried for ever?
Sergeant Keya Varma is delighted with her new part-time role as the Cotswolds’ Rural Engagement Officer. She’s also fulfilling her dream of opening a small neighbourhood café. But she gets herself into a stew with renovation works when builders unearth a young girl’s remains.
While Keya and her police colleagues gain ground reviewing the unsolved disappearance of a local girl, her brief taste of success turns to dust when a friend is found dead at her tea shop. Confusion over identities threatens to bury the investigation and our junior police officer is worried that justice won’t be served.
Can Keya dig into the mystery and uncover the real culprit?
Earl Grey and Shallow Graves is the first book in The Waterwheel Café series. If you’ve enjoyed the Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series, then you’ll love meeting some of your favourite characters and making new friends in Victoria Tait’s intriguing British cozy mystery.
Buy Earl Grey and Shallow Graves and unearth a killer today!
I was born and raised in Yorkshire, UK, and never expected to travel the world. I’ve drawn on my experiences following my military husband to write cozy murder mystery books with vivid and evocative settings. My determined female sleuths are joined by colourful but realistic teams of helpers, and you’ll experience surprises, humour, and sometimes, a tug on your heartstrings.
I hope you enjoyed Keya’s first book. Why not join her and her friends as they solve more mysteries in my Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series, also based in the Cotswolds. Visit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TMJFL7L
Do you like tea, cakes and books? Then why not join our TeaCozy Club for regular news and updates, and receive your free book gift at VictoriaTait.com
Who doesn’t like tea, cake, and a slice of murder?
Author Links: Website / BookBub / Instagram / Pinterest / Goodreads
Purchase Link – Amazon
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TOUR PARTICIPANTS
May 19 – Angel’s Guilty Pleasures – SPOTLIGHT
May 19 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
May 19 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
May 19 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
May 20 – Reading Is My SuperPower – AUTHOR GUEST POST
May 20 – Indie Author Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 21 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
May 21 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
May 22 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
May 22 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – CHARACTER GUEST POST
May 22 – Nadaness In Motion – REVIEW*
May 23 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 23 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW
May 23 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
May 24 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
May 24 – CelticLady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 24 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
May 25 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
May 25 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
May 25 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
May 26 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
May 26 – Jane Reads – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
May 27 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
May 27 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
May 28 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
May 28 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
For a list of my reviews go HERE.
For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE
To see all of my giveaways go HERE.
Pity Date
by Whitney Dineen
(Pity Series, #1)
Publication date: May 18th 2023
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
Faith
I should’ve known it wouldn’t work out.
In all my twenty-nine years, life has never been smooth sailing when a man was involved. Astor Hill was everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner—handsome, successful, and interested in me. Until he started cheating. The cherry on the sundae is finding out the truth less than two weeks before we’re supposed to stand up for our best friends at their wedding.
When a staggeringly good-looking and kind stranger comes to town and offers to take me to the wedding, I jump at his proposal. Who cares if he’s gay? Astor doesn’t need to know that.
Teddy
She thinks I’m gay?!
I’m taking a vacation from Hollywood and going back to Elk Lake. My grandfather hasn’t been doing well after Gram died and he needs my support. Luckily, I’m between blockbuster movies so I can make the time.
My first stop is Rosemary’s Bakery for one of the gingersnaps I remember so fondly from my childhood. The only problem is that the girl at the counter has eaten them all. After spilling my tea on me, she bursts into tears and tells me her troubles. I should be annoyed but I’m oddly charmed.
I know what it’s like to be dumped by a cheater, so I do the only thing I can think of: I offer to take her to the wedding to make her ex jealous. Unfortunately, with the help of the tabloids, things quickly spiral out of control…
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Enjoy this peek inside:
Faith
I’ve had an invisible target painted on me that only members of the opposite sex can see. And boy are they determined to shoot me through the heart.
It started with Bobby McEntire in the first grade. My best friend, Anna, used to help me chase him around the playground as a way of declaring my undying devotion. He missed the point entirely and tripped me so that I fell face first into a mud puddle. That single act of war ended any love I’d once felt for him.
In the fourth grade, Kenny Franks caught my eye. He wasn’t the typical boy girls pined for, which made me think he could possibly share my feelings. He had moderately bucked teeth, a nose that turned up just enough to appear porcine, and he wore glasses. Surely, I was enough to catch the heart of one such as him.
Alas, when I asked him to be my boyfriend on Sadie Hawkins Day that same year, he laughed in my face. Laughed. At me. The disdain I felt lasted through our senior year in high school. When he approached me at a friend’s graduation party and asked why I hated him so much, I reverted to childish ways and threw my drink on him before walking away. How dare he forget his transgression?
Then there was that tourist I kissed—my first!—at a beach party the summer before my freshman year. I never got his name, nor did I see him any summers after that. I can’t really say what I felt for him was love, but a definite hormonal reaction took place. Also, I may have pretended that he was my long-distance boyfriend at Katie Ramsey’s big back to school sleepover the week before we entered the hallowed halls of Elk Creek High School. Go, Crappies!—as in the fish, not the poop emoji.
In high school, I was all about Adam Sanchez. Adam was so far out of my league, I knew nothing could ever come of us, but that didn’t stop my fantasies. I spent the whole four years imagining scenarios where he would claim me for his own. My favorite was the one where he strode into the lunchroom like a rock star taking center stage. He stopped right in front of me before loudly declaring my perfection to one and all. Then he got down on one knee and asked me to homecoming/prom/the spring formal—basically, whichever dance was on the horizon. None of that ever happened.
Obviously.
Junior year in college, I thought I’d found my life partner in Trevor Blake. Trevor was your typical tall, dark, and handsome specimen. He was sporty and studious. But more important than both of those things, he had a sense of humor that kept me laughing. The only problem was that after a year of dating, Trevor still hadn’t put any serious moves on me. When confronted with why, he claimed it was because he wanted us to save ourselves until we were married.
He saw us getting married, so, yay! But also, we did not live in Victorian times, so it was kind of hard to trust that was the real reason. In retrospect, I’m hugely grateful I didn’t believe him. A happenstance that was firmly cemented when I caught him making out with his roommate at a kegger their fraternity was throwing. As far as gaydar goes, I didn’t have any.
I dated a few different guys in my twenties, but none of them sent my heart into atrial fibrillation. I simply enjoyed going out with them while I was waiting for “the one.”
Enter Astor Hill. I knew he was it for me the night we met. One look at his sandy-haired Leonardo de Caprio (from Titanic) savoir faire, and my heart rate took off like a particularly vigorous Fourth of July fireworks display. Boom, boom, boom! Everything about him shouted he was destined to be Mr. Faith Reynolds. Although, I’m sure I would have taken his last name instead. I mean, Faith Hill worked so well for, you know … Faith Hill, that I was sure to have equal success. Even though I was no singer …
But then Astor showed his true colors and once again I was left behind. That’s when I should have probably converted to Catholicism and committed my life to God, a la the convent life.
I might have actually done that too, had it not been for the pity date …
Author Whitney Dineen:
Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries — not always in that order.
Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.
She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.
Gold Medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2017.
Silver medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016.
Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.
Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017.
Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards, 2017
Finalist Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, 2017
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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
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Her Bodyguard in Bliss
by Freda Ann
(A Bliss Cay Novella, #5)
Publication date: May 16th 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Chance McNally is a former Navy Seal and a hot-headed Irishman who’s at the end of his rope trying to balance a new job while raising a difficult teenage daughter alone.
Along comes Riley Cole, a feisty event planner running a successful business, whose carefully curated life is changed by the constant threat of a dangerous stalker. Afraid for her life, she hires the best bodyguard in Bliss Cay…who happens to be Chance.
With Chance assigned to protect Riley, he must assume the role of her boyfriend in order to keep her safe from danger at all times—a feat easier said than done. When the two are together they’re oil and water, leading to explosive situations as they are forced to tolerate each other’s presence.
With Riley’s world turned upside down over the ever-constant threat of danger, the safety this fake relationship offers is something she realizes she’s been missing in her life. For Chance, Riley may be the spark of fire he needs to finally heal from past traumas.
Will the one person Chance never wanted in his life be the one to persuade him to face a tortured past, and will this relationship stay fiction—or can their growing feelings turn it into fact?
(Book 5 of a standalone series; can be read in any order.)
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
Only 99¢ for a limited time!
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Enjoy this peek inside:
“For appearance’s sake, and to give you better access to Riley, I strongly suggest the two of you pretend to be a couple—nothing too serious since she’s here on business.”
“Are you kidding me?” Riley exclaims.
“I don’t know about that, Sloane. No one would believe we’re a couple, we clearly have nothing in common, and not an ounce of chemistry to pull it off.” I rest my hands on my hips, looking at my big sister whose eyes widen.
“Well, at least we agree on something.” Riley responds with a smirk.
“Like I said, Riley, it’s just a suggestion, though it’s one I’m confident can only help to assure your safety. The two of you have been in relationships before so I’m sure you can fake it.”
My sister stands and pulls Riley away from the table to talk to her. I walk over to the window, watching the cars drive by while thinking of the utter torture it would be pretending to be Ms. High and Mighty’s boyfriend, but refrain from expressing my feelings.
After much deliberation, Sloane steps closer and tells me, “It’s settled, Chance.” I join them in the middle of the room, when she adds, “You’re now Riley’s new boyfriend.”
I stifle my reaction, as she continues, “You’ve joined her in Bliss Cay for the summer to get to know each other better. That means you’ll need to study the intel I sent you to make your relationship believable. I trust you’ll fill Riley in on the details she’ll need to know about you to pull this off?”
Looking away, I grit my teeth thinking of this woman being privy to my personal life, but push my feelings aside—at least for now.
“Of course,” I glance at Sloane before facing Riley. “Shall we get you settled into your rental house, Ms. Cole?”
“Yes, that would be perfect, but if we’re supposed to be involved,” she rolls her eyes, “you might as well call me Riley.”
“Fine, as long as you don’t ask me to call you honey,” I glare at her, unable to resist.
Sloane looks at me, flicking her head at the door. “Walk with me for a minute?”
“Sure,” I follow her to the hallway knowing what’s coming.
She faces me crossing her arms and wearing her boss face again. “The tension between you two better not escalate any further Chance, so find a way to civilly deal with our client. If you’ve lost your ability to be professional, despite your personal feelings, then let me know now and I’ll take the job.”
“I admit, the woman knows how to push my buttons, but I can handle her. Everything will smooth over before the day is done. Have faith in me, okay?”
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Author Freda Ann:
Freda was born in southern New Jersey but grew up in Florida. She has loved writing her entire life. After retiring from a career in law enforcement, she knew it was time to fulfill her lifelong dream of being a published author.
She’s the author of The Hawaii Series, proudly named from her love of the beautiful Hawaiian Islands. It’s a three-book series with all of them written as standalone books.
Freda loves her large family, horses, dogs, cat, and close friends. She hosts monthly family dinners at her home in the country, which she shares with her husband.
She loves baking (she owned and operated a cupcake business for years), cooking, yoga, crocheting, nature and traveling with the love of her life.
What helps her write? Music makes her happy! If music doesn’t give her the right motivation, she puts on a romantic movie, usually from the Hallmark Channel, which she can’t get enough of!
Freda speaks her mind and pushes perfection to its limit. She strives to be her best, most positive self she can be in life. With time, determination, and practice, she believes anything is possible.
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
For a list of my reviews go HERE.
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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for ow To Bury Your Dog organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.
Author Eva Silverfine will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget to enter!
And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
How To Bury Your Dog
by Eva Silverfine
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Genre: Literary / Upmarket Fiction
Synopsis
Lizzy has largely retreated from the world: she tends her adopted strays and goes to work, but she has forsaken lifelong pastimes and declines invitations from old friends. On the day she buries Happy, the abandoned basset hound she adopted years before, she learns a real estate developer is threatening the heart of her rural community—a tranquil pond and a relict stand of hemlocks. For Lizzy this is a magical place, hidden from the modern world.
Coaxed by an old friend to join a group fighting the development, Lizzy is reluctant—she wants to avoid both hope and him. But she realizes she can no longer keep the outside world at bay. As the battle over the development unfolds, Lizzy opens herself to two young neighbors who share her love of the natural environment—an awkward sixteen-year-old and an inquisitive ten-year-old. And as Happy’s elements return to the earth, buried memories find their way to the surface in increasingly curious ways.
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Enjoy this peek inside:
Lizzy had wandered toward the pond herself that morning after a restless night. Her mind had been full of the day’s trip, which overall had been predictable and therefore frustrating. She took her usual route through the woods to the bluff. A bird called relentlessly—she recognized its song, but she couldn’t remember its name, even though Wes had told her so many times. She had never tried very hard to remember because its name was not important to her. She didn’t need to name the bird to be reassured by its call, to be reassured by knowing it was there and living the life it was supposed to live, to be reassured there was a world much bigger than herself. It was in knowing there was a world bigger than her own life that she typically found comfort, but this morning she was experiencing the other side: that she was too small to affect the course of events unfolding in her own backyard.
As Lizzy approached the bluff, she saw the sourwoods were in flower—racemes of dainty white urns were calling in the honeybees. She walked to the edge of the bluff and looked over the hemlocks standing firm on their perilous slope.
Even if she hadn’t known the hemlocks were relicts of another era, the bluff had always seemed an ancient place, a magical place, hidden from the modern world. An earthy scent emanated from the ground— humus and moss overlain with the sweet aromatic sheath of shed hemlock needles and branchlets. She loved the hemlocks—their form, their scent, their flat, dark green leaves.
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About Author Eva Silverfine:
From living above her parents’ hardware store in Brooklyn, New York, to living a mile down a gravel road in semi-rural Texas with her husband, sons, and the local wildlife, Eva Silverfine has explored a variety of urban to rural landscapes. On that journey, she earned two degrees in the environmental sciences, worked in an entomological research lab, and eventually retooled as a copyeditor. She freelances for several academic presses and writes personal narrative and fiction in the in-between spaces. Her short fiction has appeared in a variety of online journals; she has published a collection of essays, Elastic Walls: From Brooklyn to Texas and Points in Between; and her novels, How to Bury Your Dog and Ephemeral Wings, have been published by Black Rose Writing.
Find her at www.evasilverfine.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Purchase Link: Amazon
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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.
Book Details:
Shadow Horses of the Rocky Mountains by Natascha Birovljev
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 372 pages
Genre: Adventure
Publisher: North Raven Books
Release date: March 27, 2023
Content Rating: PG for romantic elements
MY REVIEW
The story is what I would describe as compelling. The characters are genuine, each carrying their own brand of baggage. The author’s visual writing sets me right down on the ranch in the stunning Rocky Mountains of Canada. The telling of the ancient tradition concerning the shadow horses of the First Nations people is fascinating. And how things all connect and come together is why I couldn’t stop reading this book.
Lee and Lyla are brother and sister. Their mother moved them to Germany many years ago. Memories come flooding back when an urgent summons from their aunt calls them back to Canada. Their father is very ill. I’d say he wasn’t at all thrilled to see his two kids when the arrived on his doorstep. It wasn’t until right near the end of the book that I found out why and it wasn’t what I was expecting. They don’t feel welcome and have no plans to stay on. But that may change as the lure of the ranch takes hold.
Secrets, legends, mystery, romance, danger and a hint of the mystical made this, as I mentioned at the beginning of my review, a very compelling story.
4 STARS
MY REVIEW
I became enthralled with the characters and the author’s visual writing about the Rocky Mountains in the first book, Shadow Horses Of The Rocky Mountains. I was excited to dip back into the series.
Something I forgot to mention in my review of the first book is how the author starts with a short scene around a campfire, with someone telling about a legend of the First Nations people. Each one relates to what unfolds in each book and is quite fascinating.
The story continued a short time after the last book and once again I was eager to turn the pages. Lee is now busy running Willow Ranch and Lyla is in charge of taking care of the brood mares and foals. It works quite well and they even find time for relationships.
While the ranch and the siblings were the main focus in Shadow Horses, Shadow Crow brings minor characters to the fore and learning about them was equally intriguing.
Life in the majestic Rocky Mountains can be beautiful but it can also be risky and it tests the mettle of these characters. Sometimes puts them in danger. Differences must be put aside for their own survival.
Yes, I enjoyed Shadow Crow as much as Shadow Horses and I’m excited to turn the pages in the next book, Shadow Grizzly, which is waiting for me on my end table. Stay tuned for my next review.
4 STARS
MY REVIEW
In the first book of the series, Shadow Horses, we meet the siblings Lee and Lyla and share in their struggles o adjust to life on a home they’d not seen for many years.
In the second book, Shadow Crow, the stories focuses more on Lyla and where she fits in on the ranch after secrets were revealed that changed her forever and sent her on a new path.
In the third book, Shadow Grizzly , the story is more focused on Lee and his plans to make Willow Ranch successful and maybe start a family. Lyla returns to take up the reins at the wildlife rescue center and just might find love too.
This series continues to reel me in. There are many characters to keep track of and new ones the author deftly introduces. All of their roles become clear as the story reaches it’s conclusion.
I found myself trying to put faces to names and to visualize the ranch and the majestic scenery of the Rocky Mountains. Made me think this would be a wonderful television series that would keep me coming back for more, just like the books.
4 STARS
MY REVIEW
So I’ve reached the fourth and possibly final book in a series I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. Author Natascha Birovljev has written a modern Western saga with genuine characters who struggle through many of life’s challenges. Sometimes losing and sometimes winning. The panoramic backdrop of the Rocky Mountains is written breathtakingly. The animals featured are characters in their own right, whether mystic or flesh and blood. And the journey has been a lesson as much as an adventure as I revisited Willow Ranch in each book.
One of my favorite things the author has done is start each book with people gathered around a campfire as a legend of the Cherokee legend is narrated. Each one ties into the book to come and captivates my curiosity to learn how.
I’m a bit saddened to have reached the end of this series but quite happy with it too. If more is to come, I’d be thrilled to continue.
4 STARS
Meet the Author:
Natascha Birovljev is a storyteller at heart and author of the “Willow Ranch” book series.
Growing up in Germany, horses were always part of her life. After getting her Master degree in Religious Studies and German Literature, adventure was calling and she traveled to Alberta. She fell in love with the wild beauty of the Rocky Mountains and immigrated from Germany to Canada in 2005.
Here she worked the first years as a guide for horseback vacations, exploring mountain trails and spending the summer months in tent camps in the wilderness.
Inspired by her adventures and connections to ranchers, cowboys and First Nation communities, she started writing her books. Natascha lives on her ranch in Alberta with her horses and dogs.
Her stories show her fascination with the beauty of the Rocky Mountain wilderness and her love for the people she encounters.
connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ youtube ~ pinterest ~ goodreads
WILLOW RANCH Book Series Tour Giveaway
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
For a list of my reviews go HERE.
For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE
To see all of my giveaways go HERE.
