Review Tour: The Low Road (A McLaren Mystery) by Jo A. Hiestand with an excerpt, a giveaway, and my review

 

The Low Road

by Jo A Hiestand

GENRE:   British mystery

BLURB:

Former police detective Michael McLaren arrives in Scotland, ready to immerse himself in the fun of the Highland Games and to enjoy a holiday with Melanie. But the old saying of plans oft going awry rears its ugly head: Simon Shaw, a member of McLaren's folk group, dies. Murdered a year to the day following his uncle's death.

McLaren is determined to find out who killed Simon. Needing justice for his friend is only half of his incentive. He also needs to appease his guilt for suggesting the group sing there in the first place.

As McLaren becomes immersed in the investigation, he wonders if the two deaths are linked, or have to do with the family or their clan. Perhaps Simon's former wife killed him, bent on revenge more powerful than mere divorce. Or was the killing tied to an old hunt for diamonds? After all, diamonds aren't only a girl's best friend. Sometimes they birth greed and murder. And entrap the innocent.

EXCERPT:

Jamie set the cup down, nearly breaking it. "Oh no. You asked me up here to help Mike and I'm going to. Alone. This could be very dangerous, dealing with a criminal. Mike would never forgive me if..." He broke off, a memory of Mike's fiancée welling up in his mind. Shaking his head, he repeated, "No. He'd have my guts for garters if something were to happen to you. I appreciate you wanting to help, Melanie, but I can't agree."

"You need me as your front, Jamie. I think that's the word. Someone to lend credence to the reason you want to find Paul. If I go with you and I have a nice piece of jewelry, you won't seem dodgy." Her eyebrows rose as she gave him a faint smile. She seemed to be holding her breath.

"Melanie "

"A woman hocking her jewelry won't have the whiff of the fishmonger, especially if she seems reluctant to part with an heirloom.  We can even have a bit of dialogue about having to part with great aunt Agnes' favorite necklace. And while I've got his attention, you can have a shufti around his place to suss out what the police will need to pinch him unawares."

Jamie scratched his head, clearly astonished. "I've never heard you use these words before, Melanie. Dodgy. Shufti, Suss out. Fishmonger. Where'd you get them?"

"I listen to Mike. What about it, Jamie? I won't let you down. I was in the thespian club in school."

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Jo A. Hiestand grew up on regular doses of music, books, and Girl Scout camping. She gravitated toward writing in her post-high school years and finally did something sensible about it, graduating from Webster University with a BA degree in English and departmental honors. She writes a British mystery series (the McLaren Mysteries)—of which three books have garnered the prestigious N.N. Light’s Book Heaven ‘Best Mystery Novel’ three years straight. She also writes a Missouri-based cozy mystery series (The Cookies & Kilts Mysteries, of which "A Trifling Murder" is the second book) that is grounded in places associated with her camping haunts. The camping is a thing of the past, for the most part, but the music stayed with her in the form of playing guitar and harpsichord, and singing in a folk group. Jo carves jack o’ lanterns badly and sings loudly. She loves barbecue sauce and ice cream (separately, not together), kilts (especially if men wear them), clouds and stormy skies, and the music of G.F. Handel. You can usually find her pulling mystery plots out of scenery—whether from photographs or the real thing.

Social Media Links

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jo-a-hiestand

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jo.hiestand.3 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/AnglophileJo

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/joahiestand

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/JoHiestand

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoHiestand

Website: http://www.johiestand.com

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/MysteryAuthorinSTL

Buy Links

Trade Paper – https://amzn.to/3r1RHH7

Ebook – 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BjnsQx

B&N: https://bit.ly/3BOnGAo

iTunes: https://apple.co/3RRnYMB

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3eRpcJc

The book will be on sale for $0.99.

GIVEAWAY:

Jo A Hiestand will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4429/

My Review - 4 of 5 stars - 

This was an interesting story. I loved the historical and location details throughout. Mike McLaren and Melanie's relationship added a human factor. There were so many events, incidents, and hints to keep one guessing as to who the murderer was and the why. Danger followed them as Mike and Melanie worked at solving the case, and I enjoyed that journey.

Check out these other blogs on this tour:

January 4: The TBR Pile
January 4: Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
January 11: Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
January 11: Paws.Read.Repeat
January 18: Fabulous and Brunette
January 18: Iron Canuck Reviews & More
January 25: Gina Rae MItchell
January 25: Sandra's Book Club

 

Spotlight: Love Tools (Bluestone Series #1) by Isobel Reed with an excerpt and a giveaway

 

Love Tools: Bluestone Series Book One

by Isobel Reed

GENRE: Contemporary Romance

BLURB:

What happens when the king of casual meets the queen of picking the wrong men?

Lily is running. From a dead-end job, a neurotic mother and all the losers she dared to date. Moving halfway across the world to Bluestone County seemed like a good idea at the time. So did reopening her estranged father’s hardware store. But now she isn’t so sure.

Small town living has its perks though. Wide-open space, clean air, and sexy cowboys. Well, one sexy cowboy. Jake. Who also just so happens to be the new bane of her existence. At least when he’s not talking, she can admire the view.

Jake is the king of casual. The love of his life has always been his ranch, and that was fine with him. He never really saw the point in long-term. But all that changes when a mouthy, blonde sasses him into oblivion. He should have known she’d be trouble as soon as he laid eyes on her. Now it’s too late. She’s all he can think about. All he has to do is convince her that he’s finally the right man.

EXCERPT:

“You about done checking me out darlin’ or do ya want me to turn around and show you the back?” Her face flamed as her eyes flicked back up to his face and she caught sight of his cocky grin. Before she could attempt to deny what she’d been doing, his expression turned more serious as he took his turn running his eyes up and down her. “I didn’t know Matt had a daughter.”

Surprise, surprise.

“No s***. He wasn’t exactly father of the year.”

Lily couldn’t help but think of the irony. Her father had become friends with some guy young enough to be his son, yet he still couldn’t quite be bothered to pick up the phone and call his own daughter. 

His smile became crooked as his glare intensified. “You always swear like a trucker, darlin’? Here, I thought English women were all class and manners.” 

Is he being serious?

Letting out a huff, she couldn’t believe the nerve of this guy, “I’m sorry, have I stepped into the past? Are you gonna ask me why a little woman like me isn’t married next?”

“Alright sweetheart, calm down.” He sniggered, clearly amused by the steam coming out of her ears. 

Stepping closer to him, she tilted her head up to meet his gaze. “I’m not or will I ever be your sweetheart. Now if you don’t mind, you need to get the hell out of my store before I call the police.” 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Isobel was born and raised in London. She still lives along the River Thames with her husband and her substantial book collection. Ever the hopeless romantic, she fell in love with the genre from a young age and was inspired to write her own stories. When she's not feasting on romantic comedies or binge reading her hoard of contemporary romance novels, Isobel is writing. 

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/isobelreedbooks

https://www.instagram.com/isobelreedbooks/

https://www.isobelreed.net/

https://www.amazon.com/author/isobelreed

https://www.goodreads.com/Isobel_Reed

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/isobel-reed

Buy Links:

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJZ1QW41

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/love-tools

BARNES & NOBLE: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-tools-isobel-reed/1142547867

APPLE: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6443957300

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63105785-love-tools

BOOKBUB: Love Tools: Bluestone Series: Book One by Isobel Reed - BookBub

GIVEAWAY

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4420/

Follow these other blogs on this tour:

November 21: Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
November 21: Read Your Writes Book Reviews
November 22: The Key Of Love
November 23: Literary Gold
November 23: Viviana MacKade
November 25: Tory Richards
November 25: The Faerie Review
November 28: Sea's Nod
November 29: Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess
November 29: The Avid Reader
November 30: Long and Short Reviews
December 1: Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
December 1: Westveil Publishing
December 2: Yolanda Speaks
December 2: Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
December 5: Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books! - review only
December 5: Beyond Romance
December 6: Dawn's Reading Nook
December 7: Maggie Blackbird
December 7: Lynn's Romance Enthusiasm
December 8: Author Deb Bailey
December 9: Fabulous and Brunette
December 9: Two Ends of the Pen
December 12: Celticlady's Reviews
December 13: Haney Hayes PR - review
December 13: Wake Up Your Wild Side
December 14: All the Ups and Downs
December 15: Locks, Hooks and Books
December 15: Iron Canuck Reviews & More
December 16: Sandra's Book Club - review only

Review Tour: Deception Pass (Spider Green Mystery Thriller #3) by Norm Harris with an excerpt, a giveaway, and my review

 

Deception Pass Audio Book

by Norm Harris

Narrated by Maria McCann

GENRE: Mystery, thriller, legal, military, time travel

BLURB:

She should have followed the rules. "Rule 2: Always double-tap." Now a girl must travel back in time to that never-never land of spies and samovars. To the land of bears, bombs, babushkas, and borscht to finish the job. To the land where anything can happen and often does.

On course in the Pacific, an American ship experiences an event unlike anything that any ship has ever undergone.

Faydra "Spider" Green has had a storied career as a navy lawyer, juggling being the daughter of a former US president. She has successfully navigated complex diplomatic situations, pulse-pounding legal investigations, and dangerous military missions, managing each time to save the day. But now, a man who had nearly cost Fay her life has seemingly returned from the dead. Now, hell-bent on revenge, he poses a threat to Fay and national security. Fay will have to go to extraordinary lengths to stop him, even tampering with the bounds of time and space.

EXCERPT:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11xdEpphl_oMNv3I-sBo-LYE-L1eMNUfi/preview

Maria McCann (narrator) Bio and Links:

I am a proud Mexican/ Irish actor born and raised in Los Angeles. A graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. I have appeared in over 45 films and television shows, such as Lucifer, Grey's Anatomy, American Horror Story, and Shameless. I am an avid reader and a self-proclaimed book nerd. I have reached my personal goal of reading and reviewing 100 books in a year for the last few years. I have turned that passion into a career in audiobook narrating, bringing character development, accents, and a deep understanding of the text to my work. I am a busy wife and mother of both daughters and fur babies. However, I still manage to be president of the non-profit actor's organization, The Collaborative and serve on the board of directors for The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Colorado.

Look for my subsequent Spider Green Mystery Thriller narration by Norm Harris, The Girl Who Knew Death, sometime in mid-October.

https://www.audible.com/pd/B0BDHSL9QD 

GIVEAWAY 

Norm Harris will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4402/

My Review - 4 of 5 stars - 

This was an interesting tale. I loved how Fay Green worked with NCIS and her team to solve and defend the case. The premise was quite intriguing as well as to the cause of the murders. It was a bit heavy on the JAG information and such, but I did learn some things. The secondary characters added to the story, and I look forward to reading more by this author.

I received a copy of this story through Goddess Fish Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.

Also, through Goddess Fish Promotions, I had the chance to listen to the audiobook. Maria McCann did a wonderful job bringing this story to life. The emotions were well defined, and as I listened, I felt that I got the more intimate connections between characters.

Check out these other blogs on this tour:

November 28: Enchanting Reviews
November 28: The Faerie Review
December 5: Iron Canuck Reviews & More
December 12: Fabulous and Brunette
December 26: Paws.Read.Repeat
December 26: Guatemala Paula Loves to Read

Blitz: Under the Cloud by B.R. Erlank with an excerpt and a giveaway

 

Under the Cloud

by B.R. Erlank

GENRE:   Thriller

BLURB:

They call themselves The Settlement Bureau. A faceless, soulless organization coercing individuals with threats to expose their improprieties and vulnerabilities. Inhumanely persistent, they’ve secretly driven hundreds of victims into bankruptcy, despair – and several even to suicide.

But when this organization tries to blackmail IT expert Terry Reynolds, they make a serious mistake. Terry is down on his luck. He is penniless, divorced and in a dead-end job. Yet, the abuse of his personal information stirs Terry out of his lethargy, and he fights back. He embarks on a digital game of cat-and-mouse with the cold, calculating minds behind The Settlement Bureau – and in doing so, uncovers a sprawling criminal conspiracy.

Under The Cloud is a chillingly plausible new thriller by B.R. Erlank. With a plot ripped straight from the headlines, advance readers warn, “this book delivers a roller coaster ride right up to the final pages.”

EXCERPT:

Danny Gunderson woke to the muffled sound of gunfire and helicopters. He squinted at his watch and saw that it was only 6 a.m. Then he remembered that it was Saturday, rolled over, and tried to go back to sleep. Finally, after ten minutes of tossing and turning, Danny got up and went to the bathroom. Afterward, he leaned against the doorpost to look at his roommate, Timothy, who sat at a small desk playing Rainbow Six Siege on his laptop. The sound of violence continued to seep out from the roommate’s headphones. 

Timothy was the same age as Danny – seventeen – and the same height at 5’ 8”. But that was where all similarities between the two ended. Danny had the physique and looks of a stereotypical California surfer – blonde hair down to his shoulders, blue eyes, a smile to melt a glacier, and an aquiline nose in a perfectly symmetrical face. Timothy was hunched over in his striped pajamas, and with his glasses and unruly black hair, he looked like an awkward teen version of Harry Potter. Danny moved toward the desk and slowly leaned his head into Timothy’s field of vision. He gave a small wave and smiled.

Timothy removed the headphones and glanced at Danny, then fixed his gaze onto the computer screen.

Danny said, “Morning, Tim. Since what time have you been up?”

“I got up at four to help my friend Mykyta.”

“Mykyta – the Russian hacker?”

“He is not Russian,” Timothy said in a monotone, “he’s Romanian. And he is not a hacker anymore. He now works for a cybersecurity company.”

“Ah-ha, a hacker turned cybersecurity specialist in Romania. That sounds fishy.”

“No, it doesn’t. Mykyta told me he doesn’t work on phishing attacks anymore.”

“How did you get out of the controlled network and onto the internet this time? You know you’re not supposed…”

“It was easy,” Timothy interrupted. “I used coach Jamey’s account. He’s very predictable. I cracked his password in eight minutes and twenty seconds.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Boris Erlank grew up in Southern Africa. He has lived and worked in places as diverse as Luanda, Cape Town, Singapore and San Francisco. Boris recently gave up his job as Global Privacy Manager with a Fortune 100 company to focus on writing full-time.

He has an extensive background in IT, data privacy and cybersecurity, and has drawn on that experience to craft his latest novel, Under the Cloud. His previous novel, Catch You Later, is a murder mystery set in Cape Town.

Boris lives with his family and two dogs in the foothills of Mount Diablo, east of San Francisco. He likes to cycle and hike. “Those solitary pursuits give me time to dream up the characters and plots for my novels,” he says. Boris also enjoys choir singing, travel, and listening to audiobooks.

Amazon link: https://amzn.to/3nH9JNa

Website: http://www.brerlank.wordpress.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082184847881

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/boris-erlank/

The book will be $0.99 from November 15 - November 22.

GIVEAWAY:

B.R. Erlank will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4419/

Check out these other blogs on this tour:

November 14: Bibliomanaic Aza
November 15: fundinmental
November 16: Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
November 17: Long and Short Reviews
November 18: Novels Alive review
November 21: Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
November 22: Jazzy Book Reviews
November 23: Fabulous and Brunette
November 23: Enchanting Reviews review
November 25: Joanne Guidoccio
November 28: Two Ends of the Pen
November 29: Locks, Hooks and Books
November 30: Literary Gold
December 1: The Faerie Review
December 2: Beyond Romance

December 2: Wendi Zwaduk - Romance to Make Your Heart Race
December 5: Iron Canuck Reviews & More
December 6: All the Ups and Downs
December 7: Celticlady's Reviews
December 8: The Book Connection

December 8: Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'
December 9: Paws.Read.Repeat review

Blitz: The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes by Liese Sherwood-Fabre with an excerpt and a giveaway

 

The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes

by Liese Sherwood-Fabre

GENRE: Historical mystery

BLURB:

A murdered midwife. A body in the stable. At the age of thirteen, Sherlock Holmes is thrust into his first two cases. At stake: the lives of his own family.

Before Sherlock Holmes met Dr. Watson in 1895, he had already developed his skills as the world's most famous consulting detective. Arthur Conan Doyle provided little information about his detective's formative years or how he created his singular profession. These first two books in The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes series reveal how Sherlock's past shaped the sleuth he became.

Faced with the possibility of losing his mother to the gallows for a murder she did not commit, Sherlock must uncover the true killer before she hangs in The Adventure of the Murdered Midwife.

In Case Two, unexpected guests and a murder arrive in time for the family's Christmas celebrations. For the safety of his family, Sherlock is compelled once again to bring the perpetrator to justice in The Adventure of the Murdered Gypsy.

Fans of Sherlock Holmes and traditional historical British detective mysteries will love The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes as a welcomed addition to the originals.

EXCERPT:

To distract myself, I stared out the window at the passing countryside and summoned the nerve to ask Mycroft what had occupied me for the past several hours. “What exactly happened to Mother? I know she’s not dead, but I have no information beyond that. Is she sick? Dying?”

“She’s fine.”

“Someone’s not, or we wouldn’t be called home.”

No reply.

“I’m going to find out. Wouldn’t it be better for me to learn it from you now, than when we arrive at Underbyrne?”

Through his cheese sandwich, he said, “You want to know, you little twit? Here it is. Mother’s in gaol, accused of murder.”

The force with which this pronouncement hit me was the same as if he’d given me a blow to the stomach. The queasiness I’d battled since my fight with Fitzsimmons returned with a vengeance. Bile surged into my throat. The compartment closed around me, and my deepest desire was to flee. I stood, realized there was truly nowhere to go, and dropped back down into my seat.

“Put your head between your legs.”

I glanced at Mycroft, but his words sounded as if I were under water.

“Put your head between your legs.”

When I remained immobile, he grabbed me by the hair and bent me over.

“Breathe,” he said.

After several gulps of air, my hearing improved, and my heartbeat slowed. “You can let go now.” 

He sat back, and I raised my head. “Mother? Wha— How?”

“I don’t know all the particulars. I gleaned it from my own analysis of the information in the papers.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Liese Sherwood-Fabre knew she was destined to write when she got an A+ in the second grade for her story about Dick, Jane, and Sally’s ruined picnic. After obtaining her PhD, she joined the federal government and worked and lived abroad for more than fifteen years. Returning to the states, she seriously pursued her writing career, garnering such awards as a finalist in RWA’s Golden Heart contest and a Pushcart Prize nomination. A recognized Sherlockian scholar, her essays have appeared in scion newsletters, the Baker Street Journal, and Canadian Holmes. These have been gathered into The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes essay collection series. She has recently turned this passion into an origin story series on Sherlock Holmes. The Adventure of the Murdered Midwife, the first book in The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes series, was the CIBA Mystery and Mayhem 2020 winner.

Writer links:

Website: https://www.liesesherwoodfabre.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liese.sherwoodfabre 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/lsfabre

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Liese-Sherwood-Fabre/e/B00810INE6

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5758587.Liese_Sherwood_Fabre

Book Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Early-Files-Sherlock-Holmes-Cases-ebook/dp/B0B3Y6TVX3

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-early-case-files-of-sherlock-holmes-cases-one-and-two

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-early-case-files-of-sherlock-holmes-cases-one-and-two-liese-sherwood-fabre/1142543755

Apple iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-early-case-files-of-sherlock-holmes-cases-one-and-two/id6443924482

Other: https://books2read.com/u/md12A5

GIVEAWAY

Liese Sherwood-Fabre will be awarding $15 Amazon, Apple or B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4431/

Check out these other blogs on this tour:

November 14: Lynn's Romance Enthusiasm
November 15:  Westveil Publishing
November 16:The Avid Reader
November 17: Fabulous and Brunette
November 18: Long and Short Reviews review
November 21: Straight from the Library
November 22: Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
November 23: Literary Gold
November 23: Sandra's Book Club
November 25:  It's Raining Books
November 28: Iron Canuck Reviews & More
November 29: Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
November 30: Dawn's Reading Nook
December 1: All the Ups and Downs
December 2: Novels Alive review

Review Tour: Ilsa and Bear's Bangs by Rosemary J. Robson with an excerpt, a giveaway, and my review

 

Ilsa and Bear's Bangs

by Rosemary J. Robson

GENRE: Children's Book

BLURB:

I'm sorry to say; in fact, very reluctant to tell you that, because you picked up this book to read, your life will never again be the same.

I am reluctant because I know your resistance, and I know how much you want things to stay the same. I am reluctant because I know how much work I have caused myself because of your resistance. You need to read this story because it is the first in a series of the most astounding fables. Ilsa is a friendly and warm young lady who is always available to help her friends. Since you have bothered to pick up this book, would you be so kind as to join her as she helps Bear overcome his outgrown bangs? This will offer Bear a renewed sense of energy to help him deal with his mischievous cubs.

And so, you must know you have now entered the world of Incredible Ilsa, and there is no looking back. Change, good change, necessary and inevitable change, is happening right now.

Come on in and enjoy the ride.

EXCERPT:

Ilsa helps others by cutting their hair. One day…Ilsa saw that her friend Bear was having a bad day. Ilsa thought maybe Bear was having a bad day because Bear’s hair was hanging down in his eyes

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Rosemary Robson is a hairstylist, a personal trainer and a yoga instructor. She is a girl and a woman and a mom. She is a writer and loves to cook almost anything. She loves to paint, sing, and write poetry. When there is a problem to solve or a task to be done, she has no problem rolling up her sleeves and getting her hands dirty. To create new space, let go of what was to make room for what is. She loves the outdoors and is very good at sipping wine on a patio during a beautiful sunny day, especially when in the company of a very dear friend.

CONNECT WITH KATHRYN LEE

WEBSITE: https://rjrobson.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/155278239-rosemary-robson

PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon.com.au: https://amazon.ca/dp/0228875064

Amazon.com: https://amazon.com/dp/0228875064

Barnes and Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ilsa-and-bears-bangs-rosemary-j-robson/1141706397

Book Depository:

https://www.bookdepository.com/Ilsa-and-Bears-Bangs-Rosemary-J-Robson/9780228875062

Kindle: https://amazon.com/dp/B0B4QTZS21

Indigo:

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/ilsa-and-bears-bangs/9780228875062-item.html

Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/search?q=9780228875062

GIVEAWAY

Rosemary J. Robson will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4375/

My Review - 5 of 5 stars - 

This was entertaining and educational. Ilsa wants to help others in any way she can. She saw Bear unhappy and clipped his hair so that he could see. I enjoyed the illustrations as well, quite clear and pretty. I recommend this story for families with elementary-school children.

Blitz: Body Snatched by Ana Diamond with an excerpt and a giveaway

 

Body Snatched

by Ana Diamond 

GENRE: Cozy Mystery

BLURB:

What’s worse than losing a body from a funeral home? Losing two. But mortician and amateur sleuth, Lily Reynolds has a hunch. The new visitor in town, Rick Drakon, may have charmed his way into her life but she’s not fooled by his smooth-talking ways. Problem is, Rick is a long-time friend of Lily’s new husband, Detective James Rivers. While James is busy convincing her to look elsewhere, Lily embarks on a dangerous path toward uncovering the truth. Will this case come between the couple, or will Lily find herself closer to evil than ever before?

EXCERPT:

She sprinted toward the ambulance with James inside. Her heart leaped into her throat. She didn’t want to alarm the others, but she didn’t really know if he was going to make it. Antonio had not. And what would she do if he didn’t? Images of her life with James flashed before her eyes.

From the moment when she’d first laid eyes on his silky black hair and tattooed biceps in the basement of her funeral home to their wedding day when he told her they would be together forever, this could not be the end. She would not want to go on. Tears flooded her eyes, clouding her vision as she ran toward the ambulance James had been loaded into. Yanking the back door open wide, she propelled herself inside. 

His eyes were closed but his body had been hooked up to monitors that beeped incessantly. Intravenous fluids ran down the tubing and into James’s arms. And there was blood—lots of blood on the floor of the truck and on the linens of the stretcher. She willed herself into tunnel vision to avoid seeing nothing but red. The paramedics sat on opposite sides of the ambulance monitoring the machines hooked up to him.

She stood at the foot of the stretcher watching for any movement. Was he unconscious? Had he slipped into a coma? Was he only minutes from death? She’d stopped breathing altogether until she touched his leg and his eyes popped open.

“You know, this is the first time I’ve ever been shot.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. 

She released the air from her lungs and chuckled at him. Her heart could beat again. “Congratulations. I’ll tell you what you’ve won later. Now work on not dying.”

He smiled and laid his head back on the pillow. “Yes, ma’am.” 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

When Ana Diamond isn't writing about tough gals finding love in unexpected places, she’s at work by day in the medical field. She writes romantic cozy mystery novels with feisty strong women and alluring men who can’t resist them. Her books are fast paced, entertaining and heartfelt all at once.

Ana is a 2020 Tara Contest Finalist for Body Conscious and 2015 Melody of Love contest finalist. She lives in New York with her husband, two children and two needy but wildly entertaining kitty cats.

Author Links

Website: https://anadiamondauthor.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorDiamond

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anadiamondauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anadiamondauthor/

 BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ana-diamond

 Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@anadiamondauthor

GIVEAWAY

Ana Diamond will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4379/

Check out these other blogs on this tour:

November 14:
1: Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
2: Readers Roost
3: The Key of Love
4: Edgar's Books
5: Hope. Dreams. Life... LOve
6: Wake Up Your Wild Side
7: All the Ups and Downs
8: Joanne Guidoccio
9: Read Your Writes Book Reviews
10: FUONLYKNEW

11: Beyond Romance

12: Literary Gold

13: Nickie's Views and Interviews

14:  B-Gina Review

November 15:
1: Locks, Hooks and Books
2: Westveil Publishing
3: Celticlady's Reviews
4: The Avid Reader
5: Straight From the Library
6: Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'
7:Tina Donahue Books - Heat with Heart

November 16:
1: Fabulous and Brunette
2: Enchanting Reviews review
3: Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Love
4: Christa Reads and Writes review
5: Gina Rae Mitchell
6: The Faerie Review
7: Welcome to My World of Dreams

November 17:
1: The TBR Pile
2: Long and Short Reviews
3: Bibliomanaic Aza
4: Cassidy's Bookshelves
5: Wendi Zwaduk - Romance to Make Your Heart Race

November 18:
1: Iron Canuck Reviews & More
2: Dawn's Reading Nook
3: Novels Alive review
4: Paws.Read.Repeat
5: Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
6: It's Raining Books
7: Sandra's Book Club review

Blitz: Silhouette by Paul Swingle with an excerpt and a giveaway

 

Silhouette

by Paul Swingle

GENRE: Contemporary Fiction

BLURB:

On the night of a blue moon, while walking his dog, middle-aged widower Jim sees Gladys on the roof of a neighboring apartment building and is inspired to speak with her. There’s just one problem: she can’t hear him.

Indeed, Jim isn’t even sure that Gladys truly exists—that she isn’t just a rooftop patio umbrella silhouetted against the moon. Hampered by debilitating social anxiety, he cannot work up the courage to even wave.

Yet Jim returns to the same spot night after night, and Gladys—who is indeed real—sees him and becomes equally interested. She even contributes to their “conversation,” though he cannot hear her either. And while Gladys struggles with her own demons—self-loathing and depression—she is lifted by Jim’s attention, even as she describes how difficult her life has been.

Two characters, driven by sadness and a longing to connect. Will they?

EXCERPT:

Tonight, I saw a rooftop patio umbrella move. Or was it a woman? It’s May 31, the night of the blue moon. I was taking my dog Gus for his nightly walk. On the rooftop of a building across the street from my apartment, against the light of the huge moon, I saw the silhouette of a patio umbrella. I’d been seeing that umbrella on that roof for weeks—months, maybe. Every time I walked the dog or snuck a puff on my cigar, it was there. Immobile and static. Always in the same place, always visible against either the daytime sky or the city-lit night. I had thought nothing of it, other than wondering if anyone ever used that patio. But tonight, I saw the umbrella silhouette move. “Son of a bitch,” I said. “What the hell is that? Was it the wind?” Startled, I tried to shake off an eerie feeling. Had the umbrella really moved? I don’t care for rooftop patios myself. I’ve been to 4 a few. You have to drag yourself up the stairs, hoping no one else is there when you arrive, so you can have a bit of solace. I always forget something downstairs.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Dr. Paul G. Swingle can be considered one of the founding fathers of Clinical Psychoneurophysiology, one of a select few, directly responsible for bringing Neurotherapy out of university labs and clinics to the general populace in the 1980’s.

His academic positions include Professor of Psychology at the University of Ottawa from 1972 to 1997, Lecturer in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School from 1991 to 1998, Associate Attending Psychologist at McLean Hospital (Boston), Head of the Clinical Psychophysiology Service McLean Hospital (Boston). Professor Swingle was also Clinical Supervisor at the University of Ottawa from 1987 to 1997 and Chairman of the Faculty of Child Psychology from 1972 to 1977. Dr. Swingle is a Registered Psychologist in British Columbia and is Board Certified in Biofeedback and Neurotherapy. He is actively involved in research and practice. His numerous publications include nine books and numerous peer reviewed journal publications.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Silhouette-Paul-G-Swingle/dp/B09C3D527K

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Paul-G-Swingle/e/B09F2518KP/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1

GIVEAWAY

Paul Swingle will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4421/

Check out these other blogs on this tour:

November 14:
1: Iron Canuck Reviews & More
2: Celticlady's Reviews
3: Lynn's Romance Enthusiasm
4: Westveil Publishing
5: Straight From the Library
6: Author Deborah Bailey
7: Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'


November 15:
1: Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess
2: Beyond Romance
3: Independent Authors
4: It's Raining Books
5: Bibliomanaic Aza
6: Wendi Zwaduk - Romance to Make Your Heart Race
7: The Pen and Muse Book Reviews


November 16:
1: All the Ups and Downs
2: Literary Gold
3: Gina Rae Mitchell
4: Locks, Hooks and Books
5: Bonnie Reads and Writes
6: Tina Donahue Books - Heat with Heart


November 17:
1:Sandra's Book Club
2: The Avid Reader
3: The Faerie Review
4: Welcome to My World of Dreams
5: Sapphyria's Books
6: Author C.A.Milson
7: Moonlight Compass Books


November 18:
1: Hope. Dreams. Life... Lee
2: Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
3: Fabulous and Brunette
4: Long and Short Reviews
5: The Key Of Love
6: D. S. Dehel
7: Let me tell you a story