Loralee Evans's Blog: Loralee Evans, page 46

Searching for Irene by Marlene Bateman

What happened to Irene?

When Anna Coughlin, a modern 1920’s woman, travels to the secluded hills of Virginia to work for wealthy Lawrence Richardson, she discovers that the previous secretary, Irene, mysteriously disappeared a few weeks before.  Upon arriving at the castle-like mansion to begin working, Anna finds that Lawrence’s handsome, but antagonistic son, Tyler, wants nothing more than to have her gone. And he isn’t the only one—
After Anna sets out to find the truth behind Irene’s disappearance, a series of frightening incidents ensnare her in a maze of intrigue. Anna is helped—and often hindered—by the temperamental Tyler Richardson, who—despite her best intentions—begins to steal her heart.

But even as Anna begins to uncover dark secrets in a troubled household, she must continue to hide a significant one of her own. When her life is threatened, Anna is left to wonder if she’ll be able to unravel the mystery before she disappears as mysteriously as the unfortunate Irene—You can find Searching for Irene on Goodreads as well as Amazon and other online bookstores.

 MarleneBateman Sullivan grew up in Utah, and graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor's degree in English. She is married to Kelly R. Sullivan and they live in North Salt Lake, Utah with their two dogs and four cats. Marlene has been published extensively in magazines and newspapers and wrote the best-selling romance/suspense novel, Light on Fire Island. She has written three other cozy mysteries; Motive for Murder, A Death in the Family, and Crooked House, as well as the romance, For Sale by Owner.

Marlene has also written a number of non-fiction, LDS books:  Latter-day Saint Heroes and Heroines, And There Were Angels Among Them, Visit’s from Beyond the Veil, By the Ministering of Angels, Brigham’s Boys, Heroes of Faith, Gaze into Heaven; Near-death Experiences in Early Church History, and The Magnificent World of Spirits; Eyewitness Accounts of Where We Go When We Die. 
Exerpt: Searching for Irene

The tallest parts of the mansion—fanciful turrets and a circular tower—were visible only in glimpses Anna caught between lofty oaks and towering pines as her cab wound through the knolls and hills of eastern Virginia.
When the cab turned up the long driveway lined with dogwood trees in full bloom, Anna Coughlin reached for her handbag, gripping it with a tension that had knotted her muscles ever since getting on the train.
The vast estate stood on a hilltop, like a castle—and she craned her neck to better view the starkly impressive gray-stone mansion of Ashton Hall—where she hoped to be hired. With its arched, leaded windows and slate roof with numerous chimneys, the house rivaled pictures she’d seen of castles in Europe.
Instructing the driver to wait, she climbed out, patted her hat in case it was askew, then smoothed her gray suit with gloved hands in hopes of presenting a professional appearance. Anna had no confidence she was clever enough or bold enough to pull this off, but she had to try.
Her eye was drawn by a tall man—more than six feet—who came from the side of the house. Since the man was striding toward her so purposefully, Anna stopped and waited. As he drew near, Anna noted his deep-set eyes were as black as his hair. His skin was tanned, his thin, long-fingered hands brown and strong.
“Miss Coughlin?” He stretched out a hand and shook hers, but there was no warmth for her in his eyes. “I’m Tyler Richardson. Unfortunately, your services are not needed after all.” A touch of arrogance marked his manner, as though he was long accustomed to command those around him.
“Your father called only last week to have someone come out,” Anna blurted in dismay. “May I ask what caused him to change his mind?”
A fleeting glimpse of discomfiture crossed Mr. Richardson’s face. “I wasn’t consulted about his hiring another secretary to replace the one who left so suddenly. My father isn’t in good health, and the last thing we need is someone coming in and upsetting him by making a muddle of things.”
His words kindled a fire that glinted in Anna’s eyes. How dare he make such an assumption? It was difficult to hang on to her temper, but there was too much at stake to let his boorishness sidetrack her. “Since I’m here, I’m sure you won’t mind if I keep my appointment. After all, your father is the one who requested my services. I’m sure he’s expecting me.”
Her words hit home.It took a few bitter seconds, but he finally acquiesced. “Come in, then,” he muttered ungraciously before leading the way up the steps and opening the door.
Following his rigid back down the narrow hall, Anna’s brows furrowed as doubts crept in. How wise had she been to come to this remote place? Especially when the previous secretary had disappeared so mysteriously? Even her employer thought it odd that no one in this mansion seemed to know where Irene had gone or where she was now. It was as if Irene had vanished into thin air.
Here is a little bit about Marlene's book, For Sale by Owner: For Sale by Owner ;  Stressed by a difficult year, McKenzie Forsberg quits her high-powered job to move back to her hometown. Desperate and determined to rebuild her life, Kenzie seeks to buy the home she grew up in. The only problem is that a handsome widower, Jared Rawlins, also wants the house. As a battle of wits ensue, sparks of attraction grow into something more. Then, Kenzie makes a stunning discovery about her past that changes everything. Will the power of love be enough to allow Jared and Kenzie to find their happily ever after?

Case File 13 Series by J. Scott Savage

The Case File 13 series by J. Scott Savage is a four book middle grade series about a group of three friends, Nick, Angelo, and Carter who find themselves battling an evil Zombie King, a Dr. Frankenstein wannabe, evil twins, and ancient MesoAmerican curses in the four books, Zombie Kid, Making the Team, Evil Twins, and Curse of the Mummy's Uncle. My favorite of the series was the first one, Zombie Kid, where Nick turns into... well, from the title you can probably guess, but I won't tell you anyway! There were a few slight errors, typos, etc. but not enough to hurt my enjoyment of the stories. I thoroughly enjoyed them, and heartily recommend them! J. Scott Savage is one of my favorite authors of all time, and the Case File 13 books made me like his writing even more!
Zombie Kid (c) 2013, Making The Team (c) 2015, Evil Twins, (c) 2016, and Curse of the Mummy's Uncle (2016)

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Kiss Me In The Moonlight by Lindzee Armstrong

Author Lindzee ArmstrongKissing her way through Europe wasn’t in the job description... When Paige’s secret agent boyfriend dumps her in an email, chaperoning hormonal teenagers through Europe seems like the perfect way to cope. She doesn't bargain on working with her ex, who’s investigating his partner’s suspicious death. As sparks fly and the investigation heats up, one kiss in the moonlight changes everything.
Buy Here!
Escape to thrillingly romantic locations with our Destined for Love series! These clean romances by award-winning and best-selling authors are sure to make your heart pound and toes tingle.
Explore a new destination with every wildly sweet tale!
Read More Here!

Author H.B. Moore

Author Heather B. MooreOne of my favorite authors of historical fiction is author Heather B. Moore; she also writes as H. B. Moore. She is the author of the Omar Zagouri thrillers, the Out of Jerusalem series, and Condemn Me Not. I love her writing, and always look forward to a new book!

Author Marsha Ward

Author Marsha WardMarsha Ward is a wonderful author, having written such works as Spinster's Folly, Gone for a Soldier, and The Zion Trail as well as several others!  She is the founder of ANWA, and has supported her fellow authors, including me, in multiple ways. Overall, she is a fantastic author, and a great friend.

Author Tamara Hart Heiner

Author Tamara Hart HeinerTamara Hart Heiner is both a talented author, and a great person! She's the author of Lay Me Down, and Reaching Kylee, as well at The Goddess of Fate series, Inevitable and Entranced. I've enjoyed reading her works, because she's got such a way with words that she can put you right there in the middle of everything, and she creates characters that are real to me; they're flawed, yet they give an honest effort, so that I care about them, and want to see them succeed.

Author Jewel Adams

Author Jewel AdamsA lovely friend of mine, Jewel Adams, wrote a wonderful endorsement for The Shores of Bountiful back in 2013 when it was first published. She has supported me personally and professionally for as long as I've known her. She is a great author as well, and has written many novels including Mercedes' Mountain and Gladiator's Day of Grace.

Author, Jewel Adams

Author Jewel AdamsA lovely friend of mine, Jewel Adams, wrote a wonderful endorsement for The Shores of Bountiful back in 2013 when it was first published. She has supported me personally and professionally for as long as I've known her. She is a great author as well, and has written many novels including Mercedes' Mountain and Gladiator's Day of Grace.

The Shores of Bountiful

I am very excited to announce that The Shores of Bountiful has been republished! Right now, for a limited time, it is only 99¢ on Amazon kindle. (Regular price is $2.99.)
It was first published back in 2013, but last year, it was accepted by Trifecta Books for publication. Near the end of editing, Trifecta Books ceased doing business, but the inestimable Tristi Pinkston was wonderful enough to finish editing it for me, anyway. Just because she's awesome that way. I decided that a new cover would be nice too, so I got to work on that.
The Shores of Bountiful is a historical romance that is based on a period of time in the Book of Mormon that takes place during Helaman cpts. 1 and 2, a particularly volatile time.
Elizabeth and Joshua, friends since childhood, are the main participants. 
When the story begins, Elizabeth is engaged to Pacumeni, the young chief judge of Zarahemla. Joshua, who became Pacumeni's best friend when they were training in the military together, is a guard in the palace and is charged with looking after Elizabeth's safety in the time leading up to her wedding to Pacumeni. His feelings for Elizabeth, which he has never admitted, are deeper than Elizabeth knows. But out of respect for her and for Pacumeni, Joshua is determined that she never know how he feels about her. Front and Back Covers of The Shores of BountifulBut tragic circumstances are about to unfold that Joshua never foresaw, and which change everything.
Check out The Shores of Bountiful on Amazon HERE to read more about it!

Spring Into Books! at The Viridian

I participated in Spring Into Books yesterday, an event that The Viridian library in West Jordan hosts every year. It was really fun! I got to sit not to far away from Mikey Brooks, one of my favorite authors of fiction for young people. And I got to meet some great readers, too! I hope the folks who bought my books enjoy reading them!

I thought the event was great, and I look forward to Local Authors and You, which they host in the fall. I really like The Viridian Library and the author events they host!