Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Teaser Tuesday: Finders, Not Keepers by @dehaggerty read an #excerpt and enter the #giveaway


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Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Romantic Suspense
Date Published: August 20, 2018

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What do you do with a diamond no one wants? You can’t keep it. Or can you?

While cleaning her ex-husband’s effects out of the attic, Terri finds an exquisite diamond pendant necklace. She’s determined to return the necklace to its proper owner, but the owner was brutally killed, a murder which remains unsolved, and her heirs want nothing to do with the diamond. Terri embarks upon a journey researching charities to which she can donate the diamond. When her research becomes dangerous, Terri contemplates solving the murder herself. Her best friend, Melanie, jumps feet first into investigating the murder, but her neighbor, Ryder, doesn’t want Terri exposed to any danger. Ryder, to Terri’s surprise, also wants to be more than neighbors with Terri. Luckily, he’s prepared to take any measure necessary to keep her safe because someone is determined to stop her inquiries.  

Join Terri on her quest to find a home for the diamond, which may result in the unveiling of a murderer – if she survives long enough.





Excerpt



“How are we going to solve the murder if we don’t even know where it happened?” 

“We are not solving the murder! How many times do I have to explain myself? I’m only trying to honor Jessica’s last wishes by finding somewhere to donate the necklace in her memory.”

“We are totally solving this murder.”

“Did you not read the part where she was shot to death! And the police have no fricking idea what happened?”

Melanie shrugged as if she knew people who were shot to death all the time. “We’ll be fine.”

“We? We are not doing anything. I’m the one who is doing this. We are not doing anything.”

“Fine. Fine. So, Ms. Patterson, what are you going to do next, hmm?” She raised an eyebrow, crossed her arms over her chest, and leaned back in her chair.

“I’m not sure.” Terri tapped her fingers on the table. There was a long pause before she suddenly sat up straight. “Where did the obit say donations were to be sent?”

Melissa pulled the obit up on her tablet. “Westside Soup Kitchen.”

“That’s it!” She snapped her fingers. “I’ve volunteered at that soup kitchen several times. I’ll just go check it out. See if they are a good candidate for receiving the necklace.”

“You volunteered at the same soup kitchen as Jessica? Maybe you met her and don’t remember?”

“No.” Terri shook her head. “I saw a picture of her at the Collins’ house. There’s no way I would have forgotten meeting her.”

“Maybe some of the other volunteers or even the homeless people will remember Jessica. You could ask them about her.”

“Stop trying to solve the murder!”

Melanie readily agreed she wouldn’t get involved in investigating the murder, but Terri knew better than to believe her.


About the Author

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I grew up reading everything I could get my grubby hands on, from my mom's Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew, to Little Women. When I wasn't flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although on the odd occasion I did manage to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. After surviving the army experience, I went back to school and got my law degree. I jumped ship and joined the hubby in the Netherlands before the graduation ceremony could even begin. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. But being a lawyer really wasn’t my thing, so I quit (again!) and went off to Germany to start a B&B. Turns out being a B&B owner wasn’t my thing either. I polished off that manuscript languishing in the attic before following the husband to Istanbul where I decided to give the whole writer-thing a go. But ten years was too many to stay away from my adopted home. I packed up again and moved to The Hague where I’m currently working on my next book. I hope I’ll always be working on my next book.

Finders, Not Keepers is my thirteenth book.

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Friday, July 27, 2018

Blog Tour: Celebrity Status by Angela Scavone with my #review and a #giveaway of the #romance novel! @busterwhyte



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Contemporary Romance
Date Published: May 9 2018

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Famous Hollywood actress, Elizabeth Stanfield, has a glamorous lifestyle with a lavish house, glittery parties, a people magazine's fifty most beautiful people fiancé and best friend Billy Stone - Famous actor, producer and secret organized crime enforcer.

Everything is not as it seems...Elizabeth's fiancé cheats on her, a studio head and director are hell bent on making her life miserable and it gets harder to keep her secrets protected.

The only good thing in her life is Billy, their budding romance, and connections that give them freedom to do whatever they want in Hollywood.

Will their connections be enough to keep their secrets hidden and Celebrity Status safe or are they doomed to be torn down?

My Review

Angela Scavone has great attention to detail and makes everything from the setting, to the characters feel very real. It makes for a wonderfully written and very authentic novel. 

Scavone manages to take the reader through a barrage of other emotions besides the typical and they will find themselves submerged in the world and feeling every single things that happens to Elizabeth and Billy. The characters were charismatic and drew the reader in. 



About the Author

Angela Scavone is the author of two Soulmate novels, Love by the book and A Journey Home. As well as,  a contributing author to the Christmas anthology, ‘A Soulmate for Christmas’. Her latest novel Celebrity Status is now available from Pearman Literary Publishers on Amazon. She lives in Ontario, Canada sharing her home with her father and much-loved trio of pups. Apart from her avid love of story telling, she likes to read, spend time with family and friends and concoct dairy free recipes from scratch. Sometimes she wins and sometimes she loses – tofu, banana and peanut butter pudding we are looking at you



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Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Blog Tour: You Only Live Once by @harisorkin with an #interview and #giveaway


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Humorous Thriller
Date Published: March 21, 2018
Publisher: Imajin Books

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Synopsis: James Flynn is an expert shot, a black belt in karate, and irresistible to women. He’s also a heavily medicated patient in a Los Angeles psychiatric hospital. Flynn believes his locked ward is the headquarters of Her Majesty’s Secret Service and that he is a secret agent with a license to kill.

When the hospital is acquired by a new HMO, Flynn is convinced that the Secret Service has been infiltrated by the enemy. He escapes to save the day, and in the process, Flynn kidnaps a young Hispanic orderly named Sancho.

This crazy day trip turns into a very real adventure when Flynn is mistaken for an actual secret agent. Paranoid delusions have suddenly become reality, and now it’s up to a mental patient and a terrified orderly to bring down an insecure, evil genius bent on world domination.


Interview

Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?

I played with a number of themes in “You Only Live Once”.   One is the idea that if you believe in something hard enough you can create your own reality. James Flynn believes he’s an international super spy and he believes it so fervently that others do as well.  Another theme is the thin line between madness and rationality.  I think you have to be a little crazy to buck the status quo, but that’s the only way anything new or innovative ever happens.  Conventional wisdom can be a strait jacket.  (See what I did there?) 


Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Structure is always a challenge. It’s not always easy to build a story with enough propulsive power to make sure the second act (or middle) doesn’t drag.  Beginnings are fun, endings are fun, and middle’s are difficult for me.



How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

“You Only Live Once” is my debut novel. And being it’s my only novel, it’s obviously my favorite.  I have written in many other mediums though.  I’m a produced playwright and screenwriter and I design and write video games. 



If you had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?

I worked in Hollywood for a number of years as a screenwriter, so casting always crosses my mind.  In fact, I originally wrote YOLO as a screenplay and it generated a huge amount of interest, but never was made…which is the sad fate of most screenplays unfortunately. I loved the character so much I decided he needed to live on, which is why I decided to write a novel.  Now it’s my new favorite medium.  I think Benedict Cumberbatch would be great casting for Flynn.  He plays a genius on the edge madness very well.  He’s very good at being heroic while also feeling conflicted and vulnerable. And he’s excellent with comedy. (He did a fantastic job as a contemporary Sherlock Holmes.)   For many of the same reasons, another good choice would be Tom Hardy. 




When did you begin writing?

I started when I was a kid.  I’ve been writing ever since.  I worked in advertising as a copywriter for a number of years.  I’ve had plays produced all over the country.  I’ve written screenplays as I’ve mentioned.  Two were produced.  And I write and design video games.

  
How long did it take to complete your first book?

I first came up with the idea for “You Only Live Once” over ten years ago.  I first wrote it as a screenplay and then I turned it into a novel.  I rewrote it multiple times.   So I guess maybe 12 years.  Hopefully, the next one won’t take as long.

  
Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?

There are many authors I find inspiring.  And I have very eclectic taste.  Here are some of the writers who have inspired me the most.  Kurt Vonnegut.  Raymond Chandler.  Ian Fleming.   Joseph Heller.  Larry McMurtry.  Philip Roth. 


What is your favorite part of the writing process?

I enjoy the initial brainstorming and outlining, but I really lose myself when I’m writing dialogue.  When I’m in the zone, the dialogue writes itself. It’s as if the characters are doing their own talking and I’m just trying to keep up and write it down. 


Describe your latest book in 4 words.

 Thrilling.  Funny.  Surprising. Touching. 

Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?

I’m brainstorming ideas for a sequel to “You Only Live Once.”  I’m about to release a choose-your-own-adventure comedy audio game for Alexa enabled devices.  It’s called “They Came in Outer Space.”  And I’m working on a new virtual reality video game for Sony and a company called Impulse Gear.





About the Author

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Haris Orkin is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and game writer. His play, Dada was produced at The American Stage and the La Jolla Playhouse. Sex, Impotence, and International Terrorism was chosen as a critic’s choice by the L.A. Weekly and sold as a film script to MGM/UA. His original screenplay, A Saintly Switch, was directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starred David Alan Grier and Vivica Fox. He is a WGA Award and BAFTA Award nominated game writer and narrative designer known for Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, Tom Clancy’s The Division, Mafia 3, and Dying Light, which to date has sold over 7.5 million copies.



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Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Blog Tour: My Beloved Past by @AnneMarieCitro #interview #giveaway #romance



New Adult Romance
Date Published: April 16 2018

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In a city of millions, the probability of chance and all of its mathematical outcomes should never have brought Jake and Zara together.

Jake never forgot the beautiful, exotic eyes of his first love. They haunt his dreams and make him look twice at every woman he meets. Then, in a twist of fate, when he jumps to the rescue of the gorgeous jogger he has been admiring for weeks, one look into Zara's eyes brings him back to her, even if it's only all the sweet memories.

It has taken Zara years to finally be happy with who she is, working her dream job as a counselor to special needs teenagers and having fun with her crazy group of friends. However, she has never forgiven herself for that fateful night when she was a teenager. The night that changed the course of so many lives. The night she learned unconditional love isn't always so unconditional. Now, years later, in the clutches of a devil dog's jaw, Zara has only one regret. That he will never know the truth.

She can't change the sins of her past, but can her sexy hero lead her to a new future? Can she finally leave the past where it belongs-in the past? Or, will old secrets threaten her new, budding love?


Interview

Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?

Most definitely yes! This book is about learning that we all make mistakes that we can’t change and have to live with. Zara makes a mistake that changes the foundation of her life and the people around her. I absolutely hate the saying what doesn’t kills us makes us stronger. Our actions don’t hurt just us but those around us. The question is how long should someone pay for unintentionally hurting others? The answer is in order for others to forgive us we first must forgive ourselves.  




Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Yes there aren’t enough hours in the day. I love falling into the world I create and have a hard time resurfacing. My characters become real and I live through all the emotions with them. I also find I have had a few challenging characters that have made me rewrite entire chapters because they felt it wasn’t going where they wanted it to. One character Edward has been the bane of my existence. We fight constantly and I hate to admit it but he usually wins. I was thrilled to end this series just to get him off my back.   



How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

I have written seven and just started my eighth. Five are published and six is coming out in June. I usually say my second is my absolute favorite because I love the tormented male character. I love that it took a bunch of special needs teenagers teach him about the real meaning of life. But my sixth book being released in June is a close second because the subject is near and dear to heart. My goddaughter is a survivor of anorexia and gave me her dairies for research. It is not her story but without that insight I don’t think I would have understood the deep struggles my character would face.




If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?

I don’t watch T.V. or go to the movies very often so I suck at this question. I would chose Gal Gadot because that is who the male character thinks she looks like.



When did you begin writing?

I started writing three years ago but I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.



How long did it take to complete your first book?

It took me a year because I wrote it in secret. I had a very demanding and emotional job working with special needs teenagers as well as still raising four sons and a husband. I wrote in secret at night and Saturdays when they went out. 


Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?

Every author I have ever read inspired me. I am an avid reader and read two to three books a week. So many books and not enough time.



What is your favorite part of the writing process?

I love creating a character and then letting them run amuck. I live, eat, and breathe the characters. My characters become so strong in my head and they often take over the writing process sometimes. One of my characters Edward and I fight over everything. He has made me rewrite a few chapters he wasn’t happy with. I’m embarrassed to say he was right and his ideas won out.   



Describe your latest book in 4 words.

Survival, truth, heartbreaking, love.



Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?

I finished my first series and have just completed the first book of my second series. The new series is about a family that has to live on after losing two members in a mass shooting. We hear the headlines but what happens to those that are left behind. How do you survive a loss so great and continue to believe there is still good in the world?





About the Author


Anne Marie Citro grew born and raised in the greater Toronto area of Ontario, Canada. She grew up in a large, loving family. Anne Marie is married to a very patient man. He is the love of her life. They have four very cool sons, and the girls they brought into their family that have become daughters of her heart. She has been blessed enough to finally have a beautiful granddaughter after four sons. She has her own personal gaggle of girlfriends, who enrich her life on a daily basis and make her laugh. Caesar Friday is her favourite day of the week. Caesars with the girls and date night with her hubby. She works with special-needs teenagers, that have taught her how to appreciate life and see it through gentler eyes. Anne Marie was encouraged by her husband to follow her lifelong dream to write. She loves the characters that take over imagination and haunts her dreams. She loves the arts and she has tried her hand at painting, wood sculpting, chainsaw carving, wood burning, metal and wire sculptures. Yes, her husband is a very patient man! Anne Marie is an avid reader and enjoys about three books per week. But nothing makes her happier then riding on the back of her husband's Harley and throwing her arms out and feeling the wind race by. Anne Marie and her husband take a few weeks every year to travel to spectacular destination around the world. Anne Marie is excited and can't wait to see what the next chapter holds for her life.

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Monday, July 9, 2018

Cover Reveal: The Berlin Tunnel - A Cold War Thriller #thriller #bookcover


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Thriller / Historical Fiction
Date Published: October 1, 2018
Publisher: Acorn Publishing

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During the Cold War, a tunnel was built by British MI-6 and the CIA to tap into a message cable in East Berlin with the hopes of intercepting and exploiting communications with Russia. The Berlin Tunnel is based on this historic event.

***

 In the height of the Cold War, American Air Force Captain Robert Kerr finds himself in a divided Berlin awash with spies who move freely between the East and West. His task—build a TOP SECRET tunnel under the River Spree into East Berlin—tap into highly classified communications links between civilian and military leaders in Russia and the Warsaw Pact countries.

Love couldn’t have found him at a worse time.

Soon after he arrives, Robert falls for a German girl, Anna Fischer. Nasty East German Secret Police harass them both constantly, intent on determining what Robert and his work crew are doing in Berlin, but it’s Anna who gets caught in the crossfire.

 The wall is closed, trapping 19 million East Germans including Anna’s entire family behind the Iron Curtain. As the world holds its collective breath over the Berlin Crisis, Robert and Anna fight for their lives as they attempt to free her family.


Advance Praise

"Exceptional!  The settings and descriptions are vivid and real.  The author is a master of making the reader want to know what happens next.”

 Karen Black, Author of Code of Conduct


"This story was captivating.  A good history lesson as well as a good read.  You get out of one tension-filled event only to have another start almost immediately.”

USN Captain Terry Badger, Author of The Saga of HS-8



“The characters, scenes and dialogue were absolutely believable.  I felt like I was reading an autobiography, believed everything the writer said happened and was surprised when I found it was work of fiction. I enjoyed meeting Anna and Robert and loved seeing the East and West through their experiences—1960s Berlin was as much a character as they are.”

Ingrid Hoffmeister, English Artist and Writer



“I volunteered to be the Beta Readers of a historical novel; what I got was a page turning mystery, love story and spy thriller. The technical details of the building of the tunnel were easy to understand and the tension of the many problems they encounter was believable.  Pat yourself on the back.  You’ve done a great job.  I expected that I wouldn’t really be into the book, but intrigue grabbed me right after the prologue.”

Sarah Vosburgh, Award Winning Short Story Author



About the Author

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Roger L. Liles is an admitted over educated bibliophile who decided he had to earn a living after BA and graduate studies in Modern European History; he went back to school and eventually earned an MS in Engineering from USC in 1970. In the 1960s, he was stationed in Turkey and German for five years as a US Air Force Signals Intelligence Officer. He issued reports which got President Johnson out of bed at least five times. He eventually lived in Europe for almost 8 years. He worked in the military electronics field for forty years—his main function was to translate engineering jargon into understandable English and communicate it to senior decision makers in the US government. He took novel writing classes at UCLA for three years including the Master Novel Writers Class. Now retired, he spends most of his time writing novels, but also dotes over his collectables. He is a member of the Scribblers of North San Diego Country. This is his first published novel.  



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Friday, July 6, 2018

PROMO Blitz: thedeadgirlinthevacantlot by Jana Bommersbach #fiction #mystery


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Fiction - Mystery
Date Published: May 16, 2018
Publisher: Spotlight Publishing

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         Phoenix investigative reporter Joya Bonner is like most Americans—she knows nothing about the world of sex trafficking; thinks it's a problem reserved for somewhere far off. Thailand. Russia.

         But the reality that this is an American problem slaps her in the face when  her 15 year-old honorary niece disappears in Phoenix.  And a 13 year-old from her hometown in North Dakota goes missing.  And there's that pitiful dead girl in the vacant lot. As the evidence piles up that these are all part of the sex-slave underworld, Joy's awakening chills her to the bone.

         She's sickened even more when she realizes the website that pimps use to sell these girls was created in Phoenix at the weekly newspaper New Times—by guys she knew; by journalists she admired; by men she'd defended in the pages of her own newspaper when they were attacked by Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

         Joya's frantic search to find the missing girls—and identify the dead child—brings readers into the real world of sex trafficking. It includes the true history of Backpage.com, that's been called an “online brothel,” and its founders, Mike Lacey and Jim Larkin, currently awaiting trial on charges of facilitating sex trafficking.

         This book combines a riveting fictional story with the reality that is ripped from today's headlines. The book ends with an extensive “end notes” section that details the facts and personalities of this world—both from those exploiting youngsters for prostitution, and those who have long fought to stop it.



About the Author

 photo Jana-Bommersbach-_1718317789_zpsuaafzyjd.jpg Jana Bommersbach is one of Arizona's most acclaimed journalists and authors. She's already been honored with two lifetime achievement awards as “an inspiration to the state's media community.”  She's been inducted into the Arizona Arts and Entertainment Hall of Fame, and honored by the ACLU as a “journalist and activist who speaks truth to power.”  She's won a regional Emmy for her television work and was named the nation's best columnist in a city magazine for her work at Phoenix magazine. She twice won the Don Bolles Award in Investigative Reporting for her work at Phoenix New Times.

         Jana is known as a tenacious researcher and lyrical writer. Her debut non-fiction book, “The Trunk Murderess: Winnie Ruth Judd” was nominated for the prestigious Edgar Allan Poe Award as one of the nation's best mysteries in 1992.  Her children's book, “A Squirrel's Story, a True Tale” won numerous awards here and abroad. Her first historical novel, “Cattle Kate,” was named one of the best books of 2014 by Publisher's Weekly. With “thedeadgirlinthevacantlot,” Jana continues exploring the world of fiction with her character, Phoenix investigative reporter Joya Bonner.

          To satisfy her journalistic soul, Jana combines a fictional story with real-life incidents she's covered in the past. In her first Joya Bonner book, “Funeral Hotdish,” it was the problem of Sammy “the Bull” Gravano and his Arizona ecstasy ring and how it affected Joya's safe, secure hometown in North Dakota that buried one of its children from a drug overdose.  In this new book, Joya takes on the world of sex-trafficking.  As the book was going to press, federal officials shut down the “online brothel” known as Backpage.com and its founders—Mike Lacey and Jim Larkin—were arrested and are awaiting trial on multiple counts of facilitating sex-trafficking.

         This is a particularly poignant story for Jana to write, for a dozen years before Backpage was created, she was partners with Mike and Jim in owning Phoenix New Times. She left and sold her interest to pursue other journalistic options. As she says in the Epilogue, “I write this book with a broken heart.”



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Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Blog Tour: Tribal Affairs by @DallmannMatt #yafantasy #giveaway



YA/Fantasy
Date Published: 07/31/17



Dahlia, a centuries old genie, lies hopelessly trapped in a damaged golden locket charm attached to an ankle bracelet. Its owner, sixteen-year-old Liana, wears it for the first time during her father Jamison’s opening night illusion spectacular. Not only does its presence cause Jamison to folly his performance, but it also starts a chain of bizarre events that lead to a showdown with Dahlia’s mortal enemy, Stefan, and an unsuspecting romance between Liana and his son.


About the Author


Matt Dallmann has a background in acting and holds a BFA from Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. His films and screenplays have been featured at film festivals across the United States including Cinequest, Big Apple Film Festival, Seattle’s True Independent Film Festival, DragonCon and Zero Independent Film Festival. His piano compositions have been published for commercial use and he is a member of ASCAP. Matt is also the Co-Founder and Vice President of the boutique medical billing firm VGA Billing Services, Inc. in New York City. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and two daughters.


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