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Sunday 11 November 2018

Cover Reveal - The Rigel Affair by L M Hedrick



Welcome to the cover reveal of The Rigel Affair by L M Hedrick. 




Abandoned by his part-Cherokee Ma, Charlie Kincaid escapes servitude with his uncle. He jumps a boxcar, accompanied by his schoolmate Roxy, who is escaping troubles of her own. Charlie becomes a US Navy Diver.

Mattie Blanc is from a genteel New Zealand family. But when her brother’s friend persuades her to take a ride, it all goes horribly wrong. Desperate, she flees her family’s stifling expectations for a new life in Auckland.

After the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, Charlie sets sail for Auckland aboard the USS Rigel. And there she is, the girl of his dreams. Mattie is everything that Roxy isn’t—sophisticated, tender, and patient. But the war intervenes… Rigel embarks for the Pacific war zones.

Charlie’s letters are sporadic. Mattie is tormented by doubts; did he truly love her, or was it only a dream?

The Rigel Affair produces a rip-roaring wartime romance and chilling danger unknown to most.

Pre-Order Special Offer:
If readers purchase The Rigel Affair prior to the publication date of December 27, 2018, through the BRW Link below, they may use the promo code: PREORDER2018 to receive a 15% discount.

http://www.blackrosewriting.com/historical-fiction/therigelaffair

Or available at full price for pre-order at:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rigel-affair-l-m-hedrick/1129687245

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1684331625

Author Bio –



Lynette grew up listening to her mother Mattie’s stories about her WW2 love for US Navy Diver Charlie. She used Mattie’s 30 letters from Charlie, and together with her insightful editor/advisor husband, Bud, they completed extensive research to give reality to The Rigel Affair. Lynette has published multiple short stories for NZ magazines. Both Lynette and Bud have completed numerous Creative Writing courses at Auckland University. Lynette is an accomplished expressionist Artist, with works sold internationally.

Social Media Links –
Website: https://lmhedrick.com/

Website Blog: https://lmhedrick.com/category/blog/

Twitter page: https://twitter.com/lmhedrick

Author Blog: https://lmhedrick.com/category/blog/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/lmhedrick/

Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/lmhedrick/

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.nz/lynette5567/pins/

Google Plus Page: https://plus.google.com/u/0/101171457191732133324?tab=wX

Saturday 13 October 2018

Blog Tour / Book Musings - Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep




Gladiator meets Game of Thrones: a royal woman becomes a skilled warrior to destroy her murderous cousin, avenge her family, and save her kingdom in this first entry in a dazzling fantasy epic from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Elemental Assassin series—an enthralling tale that combines magic, murder, intrigue, adventure, and a hint of romance.

In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten.

But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre.
Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move.
But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen.

About the Book

Kill The Queenby Jennifer Estep
Series
Crown of Shards Book One
Genre
Adult
Romantic Fantasy
Publisher
Harper Voyager
Publication Date
October 2, 2018
Purchase Your Copy Today!

Amazon  |  Kobo  |  Barnes & Noble  |  iBooks


 My Musings :

As soon as I saw that Estep has a new book, I literally cheered and danced. It's been ages since I read the Mythos Academy and I have been waiting impatiently for new series by her. I loved her writing so I was expecting a lot from this one. Nothing like going with too much expectation and anticipation.

The beginning of the story where Evie talks about the day of the massacre was a bit bland but heated up fast when it culminated in the event itself. From there, the story sped on and kept me totally immersed in the incidents occurring one after the other. Have I read any books with the same premise? Yes! So does it take away from this book? Absolutely no! The reason is that the cast of characters are so rich and add to the enjoyment so much.

At the start,I didn't know what to make of Evie. She seemed paranoid and committed to be a wallflower but as the new Evie emerged my perception of her changed, a little bit in a bad way. Her determination and spirit fit my idea of a strong heroine but she seemed to end more colder than I wished her to be. Other than her, the other colourful people like Xenia, Serilde, Cho and of course, Sullivan all contribute to the strengthening of Evie and the plot. There would be no story without them.

There were few places where I felt some things came a bit easy to Evie. I wish more of her struggles were highlighted and since she is a special snowflake, I hope to get to know more her uniqueness in the following books.

Estep's writing has always been mesmerising because of the easy flow of dialogue and scenes and the way I can get lost in a book with complete abandon. There is no difference in that aspect. I never look at the time or the remainder of the book pages when I am reading her books.

The ending was rather predictable and anti climatic. It didn't take away from the fun I had reading it though. So it didn't impact the overall effect on my rating. I look forward to the sequel but alas I need to wait till next year. Sigh!

I received a copy for reviewing purposes and the review is not influenced by it.

My rating : 4.5/5

Tour Wide Giveaway

To celebrate the release of KILL THE QUEEN by Jennifer Estep, we’re giving away a paperback copy of the book to one lucky winner!

GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS:  Open to internationally. One winner will receive a paperback copy of Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of HarperCollins Publishing. Giveaway ends 10/15/2018 @ 11:59pm EST. Limit one entry per reader. Duplicates will be deleted.  CLICK HERE TO ENTER!


About Jennifer Estep


JENNIFER ESTEP is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. She is the author of the following series:
  • THE ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN SERIES
  • THE CROWN OF SHARDS SERIES
  • THE MYTHOS ACADEMY SPINOFF SERIES
  • THE MYTHOS ACADEMY SERIES
  • THE BIGTIME SERIES
  • THE BLACK BLADE SERIES
Newsletter  |  Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon


Wednesday 22 August 2018

Spotlight - Death Logs Out by EJ Simon



Book Details:

Book Title: Death Logs Out by E.J. Simon
Series: Michael Nicholas Book 3
Category: Adult Fiction, 300 pages
Genre: Thriller & Suspense., Technothriller
Publisher: Endeavour Media (UK)
Release date: July 27, 2018
Tour dates: Aug 13 to Oct 12, 2018
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (Includes some f-words, religious profanities (such as "God d*mn", "Jesus Christ!" and other terms such as "*sshole", "f*ck", "sh*t") non-explicit sex scenes (no description of the sex act or private body parts), and violence. Deals with mature themes such as adultery, murder, church abuses.)

Book Description:

Is Alex Nicholas really dead?

Two years since the brutal shooting of Alex Nicholas, a gambling underworld boss in Queens, NYC. But his brother, Michael, a respected CEO, struggles with a secret: his murdered brother has been communicating with him via his laptop using AI. This AI-Alex can foresee dangers in Michael’s path, and appears to be trying to help him – even controlling machinery and electronics via WiFi. Meanwhile, trouble is stirring in the historic capital cities of Rome, Berlin and Paris. Inside the Vatican, Monsignor Kurt Schlegelberger has designs to build his power and prepare for the sudden ascension of the Free Forces Party, a throw-back to the Nazis.

Schlegelberger will stop at nothing, but first he must deal with a new threat: someone appears to know the true story behind a series of murders in the US, committed by clergy to cover their tracks of child abuse within the Church. Alex’s re-appearance puts Schlegelberger’s plans in jeopardy. Dead or alive, the way to finish off Alex for good can only be to get to his close family, namely his brother Michael…

This fast-paced third instalment of E.J. Simon’s Death series will keep readers guessing to the very end.

Praise for E.J. Simon

‘A fine technological thriller that only gets better as it goes along.’ – KIRKUS REVIEW


To read reviews, please visit E.J. Simon's page on iRead Book Tours.



Buy the Book:


Meet the Author:




E. J. Simon is the author of three commercial fiction thrillers, Death Never Sleeps, Death Logs In and Death Logs Out. He has just completed his fourth manuscript, Death in the Cloud.

He is a member of the Authors Guild, the Mystery Writers of America and the North Carolina Writer’s Network. He holds an M.A. in Corporate & Political Communications from Fairfield University and a B.A. in Journalism from the University of South Carolina. He lives with his family in Cary, North Carolina in the United States. For more information, visit his website: www.ejsimon.com.

Connect with E.J.: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram

Enter the Giveaway!
Ends Oct 20, 2018


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Book Musings - The Good Sister by Rachael Stewart





HE WASN’T HERS TO LOVE … BUT HER HEART DOESN’T CARE…

When Isla Evans agrees to switch lives with her rising star of a twin for three weeks, she has no idea the move will thrust her into the same bed as her teenage celebrity heartthrob, Bradley King. Trapped there at her sister’s request, she gives her desire free reign and finds herself falling hard and fast.

And she’s not alone.

Bradley wants a wife to tick all the boxes, save for one: love. It’s not part of the deal, never was, never will be. But when he returns home early to find his hopeful-fiancée behaving all sorts of different, he likes it. A lot. Suddenly, he wants a real marriage, with all the trimmings, and he will stop at nothing until he gets it.

But this Hollywood HEA faces one big hurdle—she’s not who he thinks she is…

Purchase Links

Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Good-Sister-Rachael-Stewart-ebook/dp/B07FYDT2J9

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Sister-Rachael-Stewart-ebook/dp/B07FYDT2J9

My Musings :

When I finished the book, I didn't know what to feel. I will try my best to explain my feelings and reactions to the story.

Though I knew it was an erotic romance, I picked it up, based purely on the blurb. I have always been a sucker for twin-switch stories. I rarely read erotica, they have to seriously interest me in the story and the characters because I usually skip the sensual pages. Oh yes! I just glance through them and get to the story. And this book surprised me with the level of intense emotions Isla was able to arouse in me.

The story started off with a bang of  scorchingly hot passion and that vein of heat was found throughout the tale. Then came the real story of Isla's switch to her twin's place and the corresponding interesting situations. They created a lot of mixed feelings in me - there was humour at some places but predominantly sadness. I , as a person could connect with Isla and that caused me to be overwhelmed by her pain. For that, the author has to be commended on a job well done of getting me invested in the heroine's life.

Brad was a perfect hero. I couldn't get enough of him and his gorgeousness. And his actions at the end had me swooning! I was happy with the way the author had ended the book. But the overall impression I went away with, at the end of the book was a mix of happiness and sadness inspite of it being a romance.

I received a copy of the book for reviewing purposes. It doesn't impact  my review in any way.

My rating : 4/5

Author Bio –



Rachael Stewart adores conjuring up stories for the readers of Harlequin Mills & Boon and Deep Desires Press, with tales varying from the heart-warmingly romantic to the wildly erotic.

Despite a degree in Business Studies and spending many years in the corporate world, the desire to become an author never waned and it's now her full-time pleasure, a dream come true.

A Welsh lass at heart, she now lives in Yorkshire with her husband and three children, and if she's not glued to her laptop, she's wrapped up in them or enjoying the great outdoors seeking out inspiration.


Social Media Links –

Website: www.rachaelstewartauthor.com

Twitter: @rach_b52

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rachaelstewartauthor/

Giveaway – Win an e-copy of The Good Sister by Rachael Stewart (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday 13 August 2018

Blog Tour / Book Review - Calamity in Camberwell by Alice Castle





Beth Haldane, SE21's answer to Miss Marple, worries she is losing a kindred spirit when her friend Jen, the only other single mum in the playground, suddenly gets married and moves to Camberwell.

Soon Beth has to face much more pressing fears. Has something gone horribly wrong with Jen's marriage? What is her husband really up to? Why is her daughter leading Beth's son astray? And where on earth IS Jen anyway?

As Beth's friends push her to start dating again, Beth turns to Met Police DI Harry York for help. But will they solve the mystery in time, or will it turn out that in south east London, not everyone gets to live happily ever after?

Purchase Link - MyBook.to/Cic

My Musings :

I have always loved a good mystery. But the genre of cozy mysteries is still new to me. When I picked up this book, the blurb was what had my attention though the author is new to me. So with expectation, I started the book.

Beth had me involved in her story and life with antics. At times, I felt like cheering for her and at other times, I felt like swatting her. One surprising fact was that there was a bit more of romance than expected in the story. And her interactions with the Inspector was lively and interesting! Since I hadn't read the previous books, it was a bit slow for me to get into the story and know more of the characters. But what impression I got from the story had me getting invested in the characters.

Most of the story was about Beth's interest in her friend's life and wondering what was happening and the slowly unwrapping of the mystery was only a tiny bit comparatively. It felt like that to me! I was actually expecting action from the start. Another thing which stood out to me was the author's writing. Her style had me craving her words. I really enjoyed it. The wit and the tempting visuals had me cruising through the pages easily.

This is another author I have added to my TBR list so that I can check out her other books.

My rating : 4/5

Author Bio –


Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a UK newspaper journalist for The Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Her first book, Hot Chocolate, set in Brussels and London, was a European hit and sold out in two weeks.

Death in Dulwich was published in September 2017 and has been a number one best-seller in the UK, US, Canada, France, Spain and Germany. A sequel, The Girl in the Gallery was published in December 2017 to critical acclaim. Calamity in Camberwell, the third book in the London Murder Mystery series, will be published this summer, with Homicide in Herne Hill due to follow in early 2019. Alice is currently working on the fifth London Murder Mystery adventure. Once again, it will feature Beth Haldane and DI Harry York.

Alice is also a mummy blogger and book reviewer via her website: https://www.alicecastleauthor.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DDsDiary?lang=en

Links to buy books: MyBook.to/GirlintheGallery

myBook.to/1DeathinDulwich

myBook.to/HotChocolate

She lives in south London and is married with two children, two step-children and two cats.

Giveaway – Win a signed copy of Calamity in Camberwell (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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Monday 30 July 2018

Blog Tour - Everything under the sun by Jessica Redmerski

Everything Under the Sun banner

This is my stop during the blog tour for Everything Under the Sun by Jessica Redmerski. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 30 July till 12 August. See the tour schedule here.

Everything Under the SunEverything Under the Sun
By Jessica Redmerski
Genre: Dystopian/ Post apocalyptic
Age category: Young Adult/ New Adult/ Adult
Pages: 683 pages
Release Date: 28 August 2017

Blurb:
Thais Fenwick was eleven-years-old when civilization fell, devastated by a virus that killed off the majority of the world’s population. For seven years, Thais and her family lived in a community of survivors deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. But when her town is attacked by raiders, she and her blind sister are taken away to the East-Central Territory where she is destined to live the cruel and unjust kind of life her late mother warned her about.

Atticus Hunt is a troubled soldier in Lexington City who has spent the past seven years trying to conform to the vicious nature of men in a post-apocalyptic society. He knows that in order to survive, he must abandon his morals and his conscience and become like those he is surrounded by. But when he meets Thais, morals and conscience win out over conformity, and he risks his rank and his life to help her. They escape the city and set out together on a long and perilous journey to find safety in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Struggling to survive in a world without electricity, food, shelter, and clean water, Atticus and Thais shed their fear of growing too close, and they fall hopelessly in love. But can love survive in such dark times, or is it fated to die with them?


You can find Everything Under the Sun on Goodreads

You can buy Everything Under the Sun here on Amazon

Everything Under the Sun Quote 3



Jessica Redmerski 's top ten favorite authors of all time , they are, in no order:
  1. Anne Rice
  2. Neil Gaiman
  3. Cormac McCarthy
  4. Paullina Simons
  5. Stephen King
  6. JK Rowling
  7. Stephenie Meyer
  8. George R.R. Martin
  9. David Moody
  10. Chuck Palahniuk


Jessica RedmerskiAbout the Author:
Jessica Redmerski is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, international bestseller, and award winner, who juggles several different genres. She began self-publishing in 2012, and later with the success of THE EDGE OF NEVER, signed on with Grand Central Publishing/Forever Romance. Her works have been translated into more than twenty languages.

Jessica is a hybrid author who, in addition to working with a traditional publisher, also continues to self-publish. Her popular crime and suspense series, In the Company of Killers, has been optioned for television and film by actor and model William Levy.
She also writes as J.A. Redmerski.

You can find and contact Jessica here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Amazon Jessica Redmerski
- Amazon JA Redmerski

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Everything Under the Sun. 3 winners will each win a signed paperback copies of Everything Under the Sun, along with signed bookmarks and postcards (United States and Canada only).

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
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Sunday 29 July 2018

Blog Tour / Book Musings - The Serpent by Sarah Fine




THE FIRST BOOK IN AN EXCITING NEW URBAN 
FANTASY SERIES BY BESTSELLING AUTHOR SARAH FINE.
One woman is in a world of otherworldly trouble—and she’s going to have to bet her life to save humankind.
Ernestine “Ernie” Terwilliger has put her dreams aside to look after her eccentric mother. Case in point: saving her from a mysterious stranger who’s just stormed the terrified woman’s antique store wearing a rattlesnake tattoo, leveling threats, and brandishing the weirdest deck of cards Ernie’s ever seen.
When Ernie grabs some of the cards and runs, she’s launched into a world she never knew existed—one her mother may know more about than she’s revealing. With a handful of stolen cards, Ernie has just been made an unwilling player in a game of good versus evil. But she’s not even playing with a full deck, and its original owner is more than happy to kill to get his cards back.
Suddenly Ernie’s matching wits and plays with the supernatural Immortal Dealers, who can raise empires, damn souls, and shape the world’s destiny. It’s up to Ernie to defeat the most brutal member of their order. And if her roguish new ally isn’t bluffing, he can help. The mystery is all in the cards, and to save her life—and humanity—Ernie had better learn how to deal.

About the Book

The Serpent
by Sarah Fine
Series
The Immortal Dealers #1
Genre
Adult
Paranormal Romance
Urban Fantasy
Publisher
47North (Imprint of Amazon Publishing)
Publication Date
July 24, 2018
Get Your Copy Today!Amazon
Also Available On


My Musings :

I haven't read any good urban fantasy and paranormal books in a while. The reason is that I found that the books were kind of repetitive after a while. That doesn't mean that I didn't any gems. I do love some of the series I found but it was rare so I had taken a break from it. What prompted me to pick up this book was the blurb - especially the mention of cards. I didn't know how the author would play it but I was really intrigued after a long time.

Did the author do justice to the premise? Yes, absolutely! I really enjoyed delving into the world she created with her unique look on the way fate is dealt using cards. The pages were packed with non stop fast paced action from the get go. The way Ernie is exposed to the world and the way she reacts to it is very easy to read. I loved that she is a strong female lead. And add in the other characters, I had a fun time exploring the book. 

I really wish the romance angle would develop in the future books. Another thing I would love to know more about the world the author has created. It is very interesting! I look forward to continuing the series. 

My rating : 4.5/5

Tour Wide Giveaway

To celebrate the release of THE SERPENT, we're giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one lucky winner!

GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS:  Open to US shipping addresses only. One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of Sarah Fine.  Giveaway ends 8/4/2018 @ 11:59pm EST. Limit one entry per reader. Duplicates will be deleted.  CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

About the Author




Sarah Fine is the author of several books for teens, including Of Metal and Wishes(McElderry/Simon & Schuster) and its sequel, Of Dreams and Rust, the bestselling Guards of the Shadowlands YA urban fantasy series (Skyscape/Amazon Children’s Publishing), and The Impostor Queen (McElderry, January 2016).
She is also the co-author (with Walter Jury) of two YA sci-fi thrillers published by Putnam/Penguin: Scan and its sequel Burn. Her bestselling adult urban fantasy romance series, Servants of Fate, includes Marked, Claimed, and Fated, and was published by 47North in 2015, and her second adult UF series —Reliquary (and its sequels Splinter and Mosaic) was published 2016. When she’s not writing, she’s psychologizing. Sometimes she does both at the same time. The results are unpredictable.

Sarah’s Links

website facebook  goodreads Amazon icon

Friday 27 July 2018

Teaser Reveal - A Pilgrimage To Death by Alexa Padgett


Today we have the teaser blitz for Alexa Padgett’s A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH! We’re super excited to share this upcoming thriller with you! Check it out and be sure to preorder today!


Title: A Pilgrimage to Death

Author: Alexa Padgett

Genre: Thriller

Release Date: August 14th

About A Pilgrimage to Death

They murdered her sister. They threatened her church. Their day of reckoning is at hand. Cici Gurule is a freewheeling, progressive reverend who’ll stop at nothing to protect her flock. When she finds the dead body of a parishioner in the nearby Santa Fe National Forest, she’s horrified to realize the victim bears the same stab wounds that ended her twin sister’s life one year earlier.   Together with her detective friend and loyal pair of Great Pyrenees, she vows to hunt down the killer before she’s forced to officiate another funeral. Soon, however, Cici discovers her sister was on the trail of a deep-rooted criminal operation… and her death was no random act of violence.   Now that the criminals are out for Cici’s blood, the pastor must catch the wolf by the tail before it goes in for the kill.   A Pilgrimage to Death is a high-octane mystery thriller. If you like motorcycling sleuths, fast-paced action, and a dash of humor, then you’ll love Alexa Padgett’s edge-of-your-seat novel.

 

Preorder Your Copy Today!

Amazon ~ Nook ~ iBooks ~ Kobo ~ Google Play ~ Goodreads

About Alexa Padgett:

 

 With a degree in international marketing and a varied career path that includes content management for a web firm, marketing direction for a high-profile sports agency, and a two-year stint with a renowned literary agency, award-winning author Alexa Padgett has returned to her first love: writing fiction. Alexa spent a good part of her youth traveling. From Budapest to Belize, Calgary to Coober Pedy, she soaked in the myriad smells, sounds, and feels of these gorgeous places, wishing she could live in them all—at least for a while. And she does in her books. She lives in New Mexico with her husband, children, and Great Pyrenees pup, Ash. When not writing, schlepping, or volunteering, she can be found in her tiny kitchen, channeling her inner Barefoot Contessa.

Connect with Alexa:

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

 

Enter Alexa’s Giveaway!

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Sunday 22 July 2018

Blog Tour / Excerpt - Dead of Night by Michael Stanley



FIRST-EVER stand-alone thriller by the international, bestselling authors of the Detective Kubu series FABULOUS Vietnamese-American FEMALE protagonist STUNNING African and Vietnamese setting Explores the relevant and devastating Rhinoceros trade 

When freelance journalist, Crystal Nguyen, heads to South Africa, she thinks she’ll be researching an article on rhino-horn smuggling for National Geographic, while searching for her missing colleague. But, within a week, she’s been hunting poachers, hunted by their bosses, and then arrested in connection with a murder. And everyone is after a briefcase full of money that may hold the key to everything. 

Fleeing South Africa, she goes undercover in Vietnam, trying to discover the truth before she’s exposed by the local mafia. Discovering the plot behind the money is only half the battle. Now she must convince the South African authorities to take action before it’s too late. She has a shocking story to tell, if she survives long enough to tell it…

 Fast-paced, relevant and chilling, Dead of Night is a stunning new thriller that exposes one of the most vicious conflicts on the African continent… 




Excerpt :

As she left the building, a wave of heat hit her. It was difficult for her to
comprehend that just three days before, she was cross-country skiing
in Minnesota at minus five degrees Celsius. In Pretoria, it was about
thirty-five and sticky with it.

I don’t miss Tolo’s attitude, she thought, but I do miss his
air-conditioning.

There was a rush of people on the sidewalk. South Africa’s economy
may have been shaky, but downtown Pretoria was frenetic. A scruffy
man walked up to Crys and asked her for money. She shook her head
and started to walk away, but he followed.

‘I’ll get you a taxi,’ he said. Crys shook her head again. It had only
taken a few minutes in the cab to get to the department from the hotel,
and she was looking forward to the walk back. Fortunately, he wasn’t
persistent and vanished into the crowds.

As she walked on, however, she had the sensation that she was being
watched. She spun around just in time to see the man who’d asked
her for money. He quickly looked away and pretended to be going in
another direction.

Probably a pickpocket looking for an easy hit.
Crys knew more than a little karate. A scrawny pickpocket didn’t
worry her; but she did hold her briefcase more firmly, and when she
reached her hotel was pleased to escape the crowds and the heat.
When she opened the door to her room, Crys was relieved to see
her suitcase on the bed. At last, something was going right: Delta had
actually come through with their promise to deliver.

Crys went to open it, but as she did, she noticed that both locks were
broken. All that was preventing the contents from falling out was the col-
ourful strap she always used – more for identification than for security.
Crys groaned. Her next stop was at Tshukudu Nature Reserve on
the border of the Kruger National Park, so she’d have to buy a new
suitcase before heading out there.

She flipped the case open.
‘What the—’ Crys couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Someone
had been through her belongings. Her neatly folded clothes had been
taken out, scrunched up, and stuffed back in; all her toiletries had been
removed from their bag, but not replaced. And the lining of the case
had been cut. Someone had been checking to see whether anything was
hidden behind it.

Why would anyone do something like this?
It wouldn’t be customs – Crys had travelled a lot and knew they
were usually halfway decent at repacking suitcases. She pulled out her
phone and pressed the number for Delta’s baggage services.

After waiting for an age to get through to the right person, Crys was
assured that her bag had left the airport in good shape. She frowned as
she rang off, staring at her jumbled belongings. Could this have hap-
pened after her suitcase arrived at the hotel?

She picked up the room phone, called the concierge and asked if he
had taken delivery of the suitcase.
‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘at about half past two.’
‘Did you notice if it was in good shape?’
‘Yes, it was. Is there a problem?’
‘Yes, there is! It’s wrecked – someone’s broken it open. And they’ve
been through it. My stuff’s all messed up.’
‘I’ll call the police right away, madam.’
‘No … don’t bother.’ Crys sighed, dropping onto the bed, exhausted.
‘My insurance will cover the suitcase itself, and I don’t think I’ve lost
anything. It’ll just be a waste of time to get the police involved. But…’
She thought for a moment. ‘You didn’t notice anyone following the
porter who delivered the suitcase to my room, did you?’
‘No, madam.’
‘Who has access to room keys? Because if the porter delivered it
intact, somebody searched it in the room.’
‘No one other than the housekeeping staff has a master key. And
also the porter – but he only had it while he was taking it up for you.’
‘Would it be possible to look at any CCTV you have of the foyer of
the hotel and the passage to my room, please? I’d only need it from the
time the suitcase was delivered to you.’

There was a silence. Then he answered that he’d check with the
manager, but didn’t think there would be a problem. He’d let her know
the next morning.

Crys thanked the man and hung up.
She was beginning to feel a little spooked – first the man following
her and now this. She lay back on the bed, letting the cool draught of
stale air from the air-conditioning unit flow over her, but her mind
was still racing. Her first day in South Africa hadn’t been a good one.
Crys decided a little yoga would help her calm down, so she folded a
towel on the floor, sat down, and twisted into a half lotus. She breathed
deeply, closed her eyes, and started softly chanting her mantra: Úm ma
ni bát ni hồng. Úm ma ni bát ni hồng. Úm ma ni bát ni hồng. Úm ma
ni bát ni hồng.

She slowly began to relax. Her mind focused. Her heart rate slowed,
and she tried to open her mind to good thoughts. But images of the
vandalised suitcase rattled around her head.

After about thirty minutes, Crys brought herself back to the present,
uncoiled, and went for a hot shower. She resigned herself that there was
nothing more she could do that evening, so prepared for a night of
jet-lagged sleep.

As she put her head on the pillow, Crys realised there was a bright
spot in all of this. She could use her bad first day as a topic for her
special column for the Duluth News Tribune.
With that thought in mind, Crys closed her eyes and fell into a
troubled sleep.

About the author 


Michael Stanley is the writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip. Both were born in South Africa and have worked in academia and business. On a flying trip to Botswana, they watched a pack of hyenas hunt, kill, and devour a wildebeest, eating both flesh and bones. That gave them the premise for their first mystery, A Carrion Death, which introduced Detective ‘Kubu’ Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department. It was a finalist for five awards, including the CWA Debut Dagger. The series has been critically acclaimed, and their third book, Death of the Mantis, won the Barry Award and was a finalist for an Edgar award. Deadly Harvest was a finalist for an International Thriller Writers’ award. Dead of Night is their first stand-alone thriller

Monday 9 July 2018

Book Spotlight - The Pumpkin Patch by Sandi Smith



Book Details:

Book Title: The Pumpkin Patch by Sandi Smith
Category: Adult Fiction, 316 pages
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Mindstir Media
Release date: November 5, 2017
Tour dates: June 25 to July 20, 2018
Content Rating: PG-13 + M

Book Description:

How can one small-minded, angry person destroy the lives of so many people in her path, connecting them all together in a game of destruction and heartbreak? It is possible, but what pushes a person to enjoy inflicting pain to such an extent, leaving a trail of hate, anger, and defeat behind her, which only seems to make her stronger and more satisfied. Ms. Terri Plotski, owner of the Authors’ Book Agency, is that person, who, unknowingly, with a single thread of hate, has connected the lives of a small group of people, bringing them together with one single common denominator. Anger. The anger from this small group of people is building, but it has nowhere to go, or does it? Ms. Terri Plotski, owner of Authors’ Book Agency, has gone missing.

To follow the tour, please visit Sandi Smith's page on iRead Book Tours.


Buy the Book:





Meet the Author:


Sandi Smith spent her time as a young girl combing the shelves of the public library. She has always enjoyed the magic that books have to offer and was inspired by her high school English teacher, Mr. Coolidge to embrace the arts. The author found her calling as a writer early one morning as her first story came to her in the form of a poem. Since then she has written more than 15 children’s books, with her most popular series about the adventures of an adorable spider in the A.R. Achnid series.

Sandi is happily married to her inspiration and husband of 40 years, John. She continues to write for her two precious grandchildren. When she’s not penning a new story, Sandi and John like to camp, kayak and to enjoy the simple life in their home in Pembroke, NH.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest


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Ends July 28, 2018


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Friday 6 July 2018

Blog Tour / Book Musings - Watching You by Shannon Greenland


Watching You
Shannon Greenland
Published by: Entangled Publishing
Publication date: July 2nd 2018
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult
Viola’s always been that girl from thatfamily, so a scholarship to a prestigious private school in Florida was supposed to be her ticket out of poverty and into a brand-new life. But Viola’s secrets have followed her. Her relationship with the intelligent and gorgeous Riel should have been the salvation she needed—he understands her troubled past better than anyone. But then weird things start to happen.
Frightening messages.
Missing personal items.
The unsettling feeling that she’s being watched.
Viola’s never been one to give her trust easily, but she’ll need to trust in Riel if she’s going to survive her stalker. Because she’s not fighting for a new life anymore—she’s fighting to stay alive.

My Musings :

I had so many reactions while reading this book. I actually didn't feel that I was reading about teens because Viola and Riel are both so mature in their actions and character. They are one of my favourite pairs right now. I really enjoyed watching them fall for each other.

The beginning was good with the normal school introduction and the parade of characters. As soon as Viola's dilemma had me feeling for her. But I knew she was going to get caught and I thought Riel would be so angry. But the way he handled the situation was a welcome surprise and so understanding! I have to thank the author for scripting such a great set of protagonists! Not much angst or drama. That's one of the reasons I really loved the book. Another is Mar! She is simply adorable and well, I don't have anything much to add about her. When you read the book, anyone would understand my point.

One point I was surprised on that I thought Levi would be seen more in action but he was kept at a periphery level, especially at the end. Another point was the identity of the stalker. I never even thought that person would be it! I had so many wild guesses. At the end I had to laugh at my narrow mind. The language used also was easy to read and added to the overall enjoyment.

I hope to read more of the author's books. I really enjoyed her version of a YA couple!

I received a copy for reviewing purposes which doesn't impact my views in any way.

My one line review : Good romance + a bit of mystery = a great fast read!

My rating : 5/5

My reread factor : 4/5


Author Bio:
Shannon Greenland is the award winning author of several novels including the teen spy series, THE SPECIALISTS, and the YA romances, THE SUMMER MY LIFE BEGAN and SHADOW OF A GIRL. She also writes thrillers under S. E. Green and lives off the coast of Florida with her very grouchy dog.


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Monday 2 July 2018

Blog Tour / Book Musings - The Red Hand of Fury by RN Morris





London, June 1914. A young man is mauled to death at London Zoo after deliberately climbing into the bear pit. Shortly afterwards, another young man leaps to his death from the notorious Suicide Bridge. Two seemingly unconnected deaths – and yet there are similarities.

Following a third attempted suicide, Detective Inspector Silas Quinn knows he must uncover the link between the three men if he is to discover what caused them to take their own lives. The one tangible piece of evidence is a card found in each of the victims’ possession, depicting a crudely-drawn red hand. What does it signify? To find the answers, Quinn must revisit his own dark past. But can he keep his sanity in the process …?

Purchase Links:
UK amazon (kindle) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Red-Hand-Fury-pre-World-historical-ebook/dp/B07CWWQLLR/

US amazon (kindle) - https://www.amazon.com/Red-Hand-Fury-pre-World-historical-ebook/dp/B07CWWQLLR/



My Musings :

This was a refreshing read inspite of being  a crime mystery. I say refreshing because it's break for me from the contemporary time frame. I really enjoyed reading and getting into the 1914 time.

I absolutely misjudged the characters! At the beginning itself I was so sure I knew the killer but as the story unfolded, it took a few twists and turns which disabused me of my certainty. Was I so wrong? But the revealing of the clever antagonist kept me at the edge all the time. And Silas's actions had me horrified and mesmerised at the same time.

Speaking of characters, all of them are crisp and well written. I especially was intrigued by the detective's depth and past. The way he reasoned it out wasn't outrageous but he was a tiny bit obsessed with it. The story line is plotted out well with sufficient angles to please the reader. The time period was also interesting with the various side lines of conflict which kept me going forward with the read easily.

Only negative thing was that I felt kind of let down at the end. I built it up to be a totally different scenario in my mind. So I deflated at the end. But this doesn't mean I didn't the book. On the contrary, I quite enjoyed it and Silas has me interested in his future dealings.

I received a copy voluntarily for reviewing purposes. This doesn't impact my review in any way.

My one line review : A quite well plotted crime mystery with crisp characters.

My rating : 4.5/5

My reread factor : 3/5

Author Bio – 



R. N. Morris is the author of eight historical crime novels. His first, A Gentle Axe, was published by Faber and Faber in 2007. Set in St Petersburg in the nineteenth century, it features Porfiry Petrovich, the investigating magistrate from Dostoevsky’s great novel, Crime and Punishment. The book was published in many countries, including Russia. He followed that up with A Vengeful Longing, which was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger. A Razor Wrapped in Silk came next, followed by The Cleansing Flames, which was nominated for the Ellis Peters Historical Novel Dagger. The Silas Quinn series of novels, set in London in 1914, began with Summon Up The Blood, followed by The Mannequin House, The Dark Palace and now The Red Hand of Fury, published on 31 March, 2018.

Taking Comfort is a standalone contemporary novel, written as Roger Morris. He also wrote the libretto to the opera When The Flame Dies, composed by Ed Hughes.

Social Media Links –
Twitter: @rnmorris

Facebook page for Red Hand of Fury: https://www.facebook.com/The-Red-Hand-of-Fury-217617635460794/

Website: rogernmorris.co.uk

Giveaway – Win a hardback copy of The Red Hand of Fury (Open Internationally)
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