Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 100
October 21, 2023
Review: FAITH Issue 1 by Jeremy Lambert
Faith is my girl! My favoriteslayer!
This is Faith’s backstory, whichis interesting, but still the text was hard to read. Cool fight scenes asalways. Whatever you do, don’t interrupt Faith when she’s watching a movie. Apretty good read.
Rating:3 stars
October 20, 2023
Blog Tour: TALES OF TIMOTHY TIP TRUCK: TIMOTHY GETS STUCK by Mark Lawrence
Children's Book
Date Published: August 29, 2023
Publisher: Tellwell Talent
Tales of Timothy Tip Truck is a series of short, fun stories that are based on real-life experiences by the author. They relate to the workings of trucks and earthmoving machinery as told to his two young boys at the time. The stories combine fun with learning some old-fashioned values including honesty, respect, caring for animals and those less fortunate, friendship, manners and the environment.
Review: This is the story of Timothy, thehappy, little tip truck. One day after work, Timothy decides to splash in somepuddles and gets his wheel stuck in the mud. Oh no!
The illustrations were cute andcolorful. A nice story with a good lesson of heeding to warnings.
Rating:4 stars
Purchase Link
Blog Tour: THE LOST CHILD by Thomas Grant Bruso
The Lost Child
by Thomas Grant Bruso
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: ContemporaryCrime/Thriller
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Newspaper reporter Luke Sorenson has recently moved to a new townin upstate New York. Despite the change in scenery, Luke cannot run away from abrutal, harrowing past driven by the death of his only child, Emily.
Soon,Luke is propelled into a dangerous case of child abduction, an eerie reminderof losing his daughter. An eight-year-old boy named Daniel Hadley is kidnappedfrom his own bedroom and it is Luke, battling his own demons, who is assignedthe story of the year.
Aspieces of Luke’s mysterious, violent past are revealed, so are the sinistersecrets to his daughter’s demise, sending Luke into a tailspin of heavydrinking and self-torment.
Thesearch for Daniel is on, but it may be too late for everyone involved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
Prologue
He watches her. She is alone.
She is six, maybe seven years old. She is having a picnic inthe front yard with her dolls.
The girl’s hair is the color of spun honey. Her eyes, darkbrown, innocent, come alive when he hears her talking to one of her plasticdolls.
Her voice is lively, soft, and gentle.
She laughs as the man shifts his footing in the shadowywoods across from her house. A small branch snaps underfoot, the sound of hisweight on the thick twig imploding like fireworks.
She looks up from grooming her doll’s hair and stares in hisdirection. The man creeps behind a leafy spruce tree to hide.
Two vehicles pass along the quiet suburban street. The manstares around the massive tree, watching the young girl.
The sound of her humming to her dolls makes him smile. Asplinter of electricity vibrates through his rangy limbs. Something mechanicalsurges through his veins and up and down his body to his scraggly face.
Trembling, he reaches a gnarled hand out against the thickbark of the tree to balance himself. His head is dizzy. His legs are unsteady.
He knows this feeling. It is familiar, like the blade of aknife skimming the surface of young flesh. Then he hears the sound of scaredchildren panting and crying in the back of his head. He sees their frightenedeyes, pleading for their parents, and he smiles.
He slips back into the brush behind the birch tree.
Watching. Waiting.
A dog walker passes two feet away. He skulks back into thecoiling shadows so they won’t see him.
He wipes sweat from his neck with the back of his hand.
The man’s identity is almost discovered when the sizeableblack lab points its nose toward the dense foliage. The owner tugs on the dog’sleash lightly and starts down the street, around the corner; now, they are outof sight.
The man waits for a second or two until he’s sure they’regone. He hugs the tree limb and cocks an ear to the sound of the young girl’smother yelling at her from the brightly lit porch.
“It’s getting dark, Susie. Come inside.”
Susie.
Sweet little Susie, the cigar-smoking man muses.
Curly-haired Susie. Doll-grooming Susie.
When the time is right, he will be back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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Thomas GrantBruso knew he wanted to be a writer at an early age. He has been a voraciousreader of genre fiction since childhood.
His literaryinspirations are Ray Bradbury, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Jim Grimsley, KarinFossum, and Joyce Carol Oates.
Bruso lovesanimals, reading books, and writing fiction, and prefers Sudoku to crosswordpuzzles.
In anotherlife, he was a freelance writer and wrote for magazines and newspapers. Incollege, he won the Hermon H. Doh Sonnet Competition. Now, he writes andpublishes fiction and reviews books for his hometown newspaper, ThePress-Republican.
He lives inupstate New York.
Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thomgrantbruso?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomasgrantbrusoauthor/?hl=en
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8591689.Thomas_Grant_Bruso
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thomasgrantbruso/
Buy link on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Child-Thomas-Grant-Bruso-ebook/dp/B0CJ6FRM5H/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
Thomas Grant Bruso will be awarding a$10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during thetour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 19, 2023
Book Blast: A LESSER GOD by Don Hackett
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Don Hackett will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
As a young man, Dion Athamas was spiritually summoned to rapture then tenured god status. He had been endowed with all the benedictions to achieve sacredness: a devout flock, the power to heal and a covet for control. He also held a deep desire and ability to influence justice and universal liberty. The setting: the fictional town of Forgedmont, Mississippi, in the 1950s. Against great opposition he strived to become a new-age god; the earth was his oracle. He found faith-based conviction to be lacking in reason and truth. He chose to maintain an instinctive path to holiness. Regrettably for him and his followers, there were a great many roadblocks. He was forced to face off against the church, community, prejudice, family and scheming dreams influenced by fallacious spirits, all set forth to hamper his ascension to divinity.
Read an Excerpt
Test-tube love,
your hands are full,
your mind
is empty,
your pride can kill.
Pressure for life within the womb
With no clearance from God
On the road to the tomb.
Inside,
Outside,
No reason to stay,
A meaningful art in an
Inartful way.
Bring into light!
From
The darkness
Of blood,
The unwanted bare
With a shield from above.
I still had no idea who could be sending these poems. One wouldn’t have to be a Scotland Yard detective to figure out that the same person wrote both of these ludicrous poems. Who and why was a complete mystery to me. I was not an old man, and I knew nothing about any abortions. I was positively sure that my mom wasn’t having an abortion. I thought someone might be trying to be ironic, or just a pain in the rear—the latter being more likely.
About the Author:I have been writing poems and short stories for most of my life. It was not until I retired from my government position working with Special Needs individuals that I was able to focus on writing full time. The treatment of Special Needs people fostered in me a search for the explanation for the absence of morality in mankind. I have degrees in psychology and sociology from the University of Calgary, Alberta.
Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJXBLWKZ/ref=sr_1_1
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/tw6639Hac
a Rafflecopter giveawayAbout the Author:I have been writing poems and short stories for most of my life. It was not until I retired from my government position working with Special Needs individuals that I was able to focus on writing full time. The treatment of Special Needs people fostered in me a search for the explanation for the absence of morality in mankind. I have degrees in psychology and sociology from the University of Calgary, Alberta.
Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJXBLWKZ/ref=sr_1_1
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/tw6639Hac
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 18, 2023
Blog Tour: GHOST MOON by Kathryn Knight
Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Date Published: 04-03-2020
Publisher: Wicked Whale
When Lark Cavanaugh’s life in New York City falls apart, she’s left reeling from a staggering betrayal. She escapes to Cape Cod, where a distant relative has left her an old house with a tragic past. Rumors of a haunting presence plague the abandoned home, but Lark doesn’t believe in ghosts…until she has no choice.
After completing his military duty, veterinarian Jesse Holt returns to his small hometown to take over his father’s practice. He soon finds himself drawn to the alluring redhead now living next door, but she has made her intentions clear—she’s moving back to the city as soon as possible. When frightening events threaten her safety, though, he can’t deny his protective instincts.
Unable to fight their feelings, they give in to desire…but another battle looms. Lark’s arrival has awakened a decades-old mystery, and the truth of what happened at Holloway House will only be revealed when it claims yet another life.
Excerpt:
She bolted uprightin bed, the series of thumps that had awakened her still ringing in her ears.Fumbling for the light, she pulled the covers against her chest, as though thatcould offer some protection against whatever had made the noises. What the hell was it? She scanned theroom, her pulse skittering in jagged bursts. Why was this happening to her?Hadn’t she been through enough?
Nothing in thebedroom appeared to be the source of the disturbance, but her instincts toldher the sounds had originated from somewhere else in the house. And itdefinitely wasn’t the cat this time—he was still at the vet’s.
Reaching for herphone, she sucked in a breath as she noticed the time…1:06 a.m. Exactly thesame time she’d been awoken last night. She glanced back up to the hallway dooras she jabbed at the screen, pulling up the keypad just in case she needed tocall 911. In addition to occurring at the same time, though, whatever she’djust heard sounded similar to last night’s mysterious disturbance, and that hadn’tbeen an intruder. Not a living one, anyway.
As if on cue, ahaunting moan shivered through the air. Her lungs froze as a fresh spike offear pierced her chest. Oh, God.There really was something wrong with this house. Fighting the urge to diveback under the covers and hide, she slowly climbed out of bed, unsure whatexactly she was going to do. Check the house, for starters, she decided. Hermind was still begging for a more reasonable, less terrifying scenario. Aquirky appliance, maybe?
With each tentativestep, she paused, waiting for something else to happen. As she made her wayinto the hall, a chill enveloped her, and she crossed her arms, rubbing thegoosebumps rising on her skin. Below her, the stairway unfurled into shadowscast by the upper hall light.
A loud crash rang out behind her, and shejumped, a scream tearing from her lips.
***
Review: Lark was moving into an abandonedhouse that everyone in that small town believed to be haunted. Good thing shedidn’t believe in ghosts, right? That is until the noises started happening.Weird, creepy noises. Unfortunately, those noises kept her up at night. Theonly bright side to all this was meeting the handsome vet that saved her sickcat. And what luck that the hunky vet was also her neighbor. If only shewouldn’t embarrass herself with these strange sleepwalking episodes.
The narrative was descriptive andgenerally compelling. At times, the prose felt long and slow. I find it mucheasier to read shorter chapters rather than long ones. The whole thing mainlyrevolves around some eerie occurrences and jumpy paranoia. Well, who wouldn’tbe paranoid with ghosts hanging around, right? It’s a slow mystery for sure. Idid like the romantic element between Lark and Jesse. I was hoping the mysterywould’ve had a stronger presence though.
A fairly nice read overall.
Rating:3 stars
About the Author
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Kathryn Knight writes books filled with steamy romance, dangerous secrets, and haunting mysteries. Her novels are award-winning #1 Amazon Bestsellers and RomCon Reader-Rated picks. When she's not reading or writing, Kathryn spends her time exploring abandoned places and searching for ghosts. She lives on beautiful Cape Cod with her husband, their two sons, and a number of rescued pets.
Contact Links
Purchase Link
Blog Tour: STAY ALIVE by Min Deng
Stay Alive
by Min Deng
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Non fiction: depressionand suicide
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB: Inher brave and compassionate non-fiction book "Stay Alive," Min Dengexplores the depths of depression and the ominous specter of suicide. She shedslight on the hidden struggles experienced by those suffering from this silentillness by drawing on personal experiences shaped by childhood mental andemotional abuse.
These pages are filled with moving stories aboutpeople battling their own demons, struggling with thoughts of self-destruction,or dealing with the grief of a loved one's tragic death. Min Deng bravelybreaks down the stigmas associated with mental health by exposing the invisiblechains that bind.
This succinct yet potent book illuminates thecomplexities of depression with heartfelt honesty and unwavering empathy,urging readers to understand the silent battles fought behind seeminglyunremarkable lives. It serves as a powerful reminder of compassion'stransformative power and that saving lives and healing broken souls requireslove, understanding, and empathy.
“Stay Alive” urges us all to work toward cultivatingmental health rather than ignoring it. It teaches us that by illuminating thedarkness, we can aid in dampening depression’s hold and giving those who aresuffering hope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
Taylor came outas trans to their parents on the Saturday following Thanksgiving in 2019 whenthey’d just turned fifteen. They wished to take testosterone blockers andestrogen right away, before their next birthday to maximize the chances thattheir transition would be smooth and successful. Their parents were in completeshock and disbelief.
In one of theangry exchanges my husband and I witnessed between Taylor and their dad when wevisited them a few weeks later over Christmas, waving a kitchen knife defiantlyin Hector’s face, Taylor screamed in rage and condescension, “You want a son?!Well, I’ll make sure you won’t have one!” The bitterness and resentment inTaylor’s thundering voice scared me.
In the hallwayon the fifth floor of the psych ward, I finally released Taylor from myembrace. It was time for me to say goodbye and exit the ward.
“Stay alive,Taylor. Get well! Call me once you get your phone back. Stay alive!” I walkedaway hurriedly and asked the front desk to buzz me out. Once I stepped out ofthe hospital, I cried uncontrollably on the sidewalk, crouching next to thebrick edge of a flower bed, having a complete mental breakdown on the street inManhattan, keenly aware of the curious looks of passersby. But I didn’t care.
It would likelybe the last time I’d ever see Taylor. The eighteen-year-old teenager whom I’veknown for their entire life, whom I’ve loved as my own child. The five-year-old who clung onto me in terror, their sweaty small hand tightly holdingonto mine as their father screamed at them in rage, waving his big hand tothreaten to slap them on that hot, humid summer morning in Cozumel Mexico in2009. I was no longer able to be the mental health advocate I wanted to be forTaylor, to help them get the psychic care they desperately needed.
My heartshattered in pieces; I felt utterly helpless and hopeless.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Dr. Min Deng was born and raised in Wuhan, China on September11th, 1973. She earned a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the Universityof North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2008.
As a developmental psychologist, she is interested in parenting,child development, parent-child relationship, marital relationship, domesticabuse, suicide prevention, gender and sexual identity, etc. This book onraising awareness about suicide and its risks is her first of a series onmental health she plans to write.
She is the founder and CEO of Mental Health CPR (MHCPR), anon-profit organization that serves to improve quality of life by increasingthe accessibility to mental health resources. MHCPR does this througheducation, advocacy, and the creation of mental health
resources available to all.
She lives with her husband and their beloved dog Coco inCharleston, South Carolina. In her spare time, she loves walking on the beach,learning to surf, hiking, traveling, listening to audio books, and fashion.
https://www.amazon.com/Stay-Alive-Min-Deng-ebook/dp/B0CJ5SQ8KY
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1144051363
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
Min Deng will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winnervia rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 17, 2023
Blog Tour: SWEET SILKEN BONDAGE by Bobbie Smith
Sweet Silken Bondage
by Bobbie Smith
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Historical Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
NUN ON THE RUN
Desperateto escape an arranged marriage, Reina Alvarez needed a way out of Californiafast, a way that would elude the ruggedly handsome and very determined bountyhunter her father had sent after her. What better way to hide her voluptuouscurves than with a chaste nun's habit? But as the ties of love pulled her andClay Cordell closer together, chastity became the furthest thing from Reina'smind and she wanted only to be bound to the sexy bounty hunter forever.
WhenClay got to New Orleans, he was almost fooled by Reina's virtuous act. However,it was soon evident that the vixen who disguised herself as a nun, was no nun.No nun could ever kiss so sweetly. The last thing Clay wanted to do was bringReina home to another man. Her raven tresses and fiery manner made him onlywant to surrender himself to her...SWEET SILKEN BONDAGE.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
Bounty-hunter Clay Cordell was worried as he returned to hishotel room. Dev, his partner, had been arrested for a murder he hadn’tcommitted, and he had to find a way to free him. Clay did not expect to findanyone in his room, and he stopped just inside the doorway at the sight of LuisAlvarez, standing so casually across the room from him.
“Alvarez… What the hell are you doing here?”
“Mr. Cordell,” Luis responded with a cool smile. “I’ve beenwaiting to speak with you, and I was beginning to wonder if you were going toreturn.”
“Really?” Clay couldn’t believe the gall of the man.
“I understand you and your partner ran into trouble with thelaw last night.”
“What do you know about it?”
“Nothing, nothing at all,” he lied.
“Why are you here? What do you want?” Clay demanded,resenting his intrusion and wanting to get rid of him.
“I’m here because I want to repeat my offer to you. I wantto hire you to find my daughter.”
“I told you before, I’m not interested.” Clay’s only concernwas saving Dev.
Luis smiled even wider. “But Mr. Cordell, I’ve raised myoffer again.”
“I’m not interested-not at any price.”
“Not even to save the life of your friend?”
Clay went completely still at the question. “What are youtalking about?”
“I’m talking about O’Keefe. I understand he’s been arrestedfor murder. So, perhaps there’s something I can do to help you. I’m not withoutinfluence here, you know.”
“Sorry, Alvarez, I’m not interested in bribing anyone. Dev’sinnocent, and all I have to do it prove it.”
“Who knows if your friend will stay alive long enough foryou to prove his innocence? I think it’s a fair exchange, don’t you? Mydaughter returned for the life of your friend?”
Clay was trapped and he knew it. “What do you want me todo?”
Luis smiled triumphantly. “I have a small portrait of myReina….”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
After workingas a department manager for Famous-Barr, and briefly as a clerk at a bookstore,Bobbi Smith gave up on career security and began writing. She sold her firstbook to Zebra in 1982.
Since then,Bobbi has written over 40 books and 6 novellas. To date, there are more thanfive million of her novels in print. She has been awarded the prestigiousRomantic Times Storyteller of the Year Award and two Career Achievement Awards.Her books have appeared on numerous bestseller lists.
When she's notworking on her novels, she is frequently a guest speaker for writer's groups.Bobbi is mother of two sons and resides in St. Charles, Missouri with herhusband and three dogs.
Romantic TimesStoryteller of the Year
NY TimesBestseller
USA TodayBestseller
Inducted intothe Sigma Tau Delta Literary Fraternity
Amazon BuyLink: https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Silken-Bondage-Bobbi-Smith-ebook/dp/B00FQOAQ5E/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
Bobbi Smith will be awarding a $10Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour: THE HIGHLANDER HEIR by Allison B. Hanson
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Allison B. Hanson will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Kieran has spent his life living in the shadow of his late older brother. Brody had been the heir his father had loved and wanted, while Kieran was born to a woman his father despised for her betrayal. Kieran has only ever felt the bond of family with his best friend, Ella.
Ella knew one day Kieran would be called on to do his duty to his clan and marry for an alliance. But she never expected his engagement would suddenly force her to see him in such a different way. They’d known each other all their lives, but aside from one exploratory kiss, she had never been attracted to him as a woman is to a man. Until now.
As the time comes for Kieran to marry, he realizes he has feelings he shouldn’t have for the lass who’s been by his side all his life.
When the marriage contract is breached, Kieran hopes it means freedom for them to be together, but instead, it leads to war and a secret that will change their lives forever.
Read an Excerpt
Ella wasn’t worried there was a raid, but she knew his claim that everything was fine was not true. Something was wrong with her best friend. Kieran was beyond upset.
Being friends since they were old enough to walk meant she knew him better than anyone, and right then she could tell he was as frantic as a wounded animal.
Wiping her hands on her apron, she hurried away and followed him outside, where he leaned over, pulling in deep breaths of warm July air.
If Ella was forced to guess, she’d say this had to do with the laird. For only the laird could upset Kieran in this manner. The laird never found an end to the list of grievances he held against his son for doing nothing more than existing.
Rolfe Sinclair was a fair laird to his clan, but didn’t often extend that same courtesy to his second-born son.
Kieran was too old to cry as he had when they’d been younger, but she could tell it was serious all the same.
“What has happened?” she asked, reaching out to rest her hand on the hard muscle of his shoulder.
He remained in his position, bent at the waist with his hands braced on his knees, breathing as if he’d just run a great distance.
“I’m to be married,” he managed while heaving in gusts of air.
She gasped and gripped his shoulder harder.
“How soon?” she asked.
About the Author:
One very early morning, Allison B. Hanson woke up with a conversation going on in her head. It wasn’t so much a dream as being forced awake by her imagination. Unable to go back to sleep, she gave in, went to the computer, and began writing. Years later it still hasn’t stopped.Allison’s historical romances are filled with kilted heroes. She lives near Hershey, Pennsylvania, and enjoys candy immensely, as well as long motorcycle rides, running and reading.
Website: https://allisonbhanson.wordpress.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AllisonBHanson
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Highland-Heir-Allison-B-Hanson-ebook/dp/B0CHSJ27WN/
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October 16, 2023
Blog Tour: PARALLEL SECRETS by ML Barrs
Mystery
Date Published: 9/25/23
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
After a young girl goes missing, former TV crime reporter Vicky Robeson joins the search with the help of her attractive new love interest. They take his RV to a tiny town in rural Missouri that's filled with odd characters and darker secrets. But Vicky has secrets of her own. She believes this kidnapped girl may be linked to a case she reported on nine years ago, when a mystery child was found walking on levee, bloody and unable to speak. Back then, Vicky failed to follow up clues only she knew. Now, she has a chance to redeem herself. As she uncovers secrets, it becomes clear someone will kill to keep them hidden.
CHAPTER 2 – November 2008
Her eyes burned and the campfire smoke now smelleddangerous. She lifted her camp chair and moved away from the fire, away fromthe heat and light, closer to the RV to have something solid behind her. Sheread and reread the short article about the missing girl. Ten years old,disappeared from in front of her house while playing with a friend. Nowitnesses.
Fear and terrible images of a child taken, tortured,possibly killed—especially in Walkers Corner—swept away all thoughts except forwhat she needed to do next. She might not be able to undo the past, but thistime she would do everything she could to help save the child.
It would definitely blow a hole in the camping trip,though, her first with the delectable Pete Harris in his eight-year-old RV.Damn. She liked the way he traveled, the way he thought, the way he looked, theway she felt with him. His jeans and plaid shirt hugged him nicely, and hemoved smoothly while making sure everything was just so. And now, he wanted toget a place together. Too bad things were more complicated than that.
When he came over and kissed her, the fire reflected in hissmiling eyes, color melting somewhere between chocolate and caramel.
Her return kiss was quick. “Sorry, something urgent’s comeup. Would you mind driving me back to town?” Her voice felt tight and strained.“I need to go to Missouri for a few days.”
“What? Now?” He stepped back, looking concerned. “Iseverything okay?”
“Yes, fine. I hate to disrupt our trip, but I need to lookinto something. A girl’s gone missing there, outside St. Louis.”
Pete tilted his head. A lock of light brown hair threadedwith gray fell onto his forehead.
A bit more explanation might be called for. “There’s anAmber Alert. Her name’s Rose Willwood. I want to help find her. And I mightwrite about it, and something else that happened there.”
Pete’s brow cleared. “Want me to go with you? I have freetime. We can take the RV. If we start early and both drive we can make St.Louis by late tomorrow night.”
“Really?” Just like that, no more questions? What anamazing guy. “That’d be great. It’s about an hour or two this side of St.Louis.” Six months now, and he just gets better and better. Would he be likethat if they lived together?
“No problem.” Pete started folding the tarp he used as atablecloth. “I’d like to see more of Missouri.” He put the tarp and a lanternin one of his crates, already packing for an early departure. “How long do youthink we’ll be there?”
My review: A little girl gone missing. Achance to write a true crime travel article. For Vicky, this was a return toher past and an opportunity to see if two missing girl cases had any parallel.
The story kicked off to a ratherslow pace as it relayed the characters and landscape in a descriptive andlackluster prose. The way this pace was going, it felt like we were taking thescenic route of Missouri. It felt kind of long. And the long chapters didn’thelp either. Story also shifts from journalist perspective to missing childperspective, which I wasn’t too keen on. It probably would’ve been best to omitthe child POV to retain an air of mystery.
Although the premise wasinteresting for me, the story didn’t really seem to take off quite like Iexpected. There was too much time talking about the camp grounds. I wanted toget to the mystery, which Vicky does stick her nose in, but, again, thedevelopment is rather slow.
The overall read was decent, butit just didn’t move fast enough for me. If you like crime mystery, you mightwant to give this a try.
Rating:3 stars
About the Author
ML Barrs ran TV newsrooms for years, guiding and managing the content and production of more than eight hours of live newscasts a day.
In her debut novel, Parallel Secrets, protagonist Vicky Robeson shares that kind of experience as well as the author’s passion for justice, especially when it comes to the safety and well-being of children and other vulnerable people.
ML Barrs grew up one of thirteen children—the first girl, with three older brothers—a birth order she believes shaped her essence by the time she was eight. A girl’s gotta be a bit pugnacious to get along in that environment. Amid the chaos of fourteen people living in a mobile home (not a double-wide), she turned fifteen, dropped out of school and ran away from home.
Being homeless, then working minimum wage jobs quickly grew old. She earned her GED and went to college, where she met and married the father of their two grown children. After a successful career as a television news director and general manager, she decided that what she really wanted to do is write mysteries. Parallel Secrets will be published September 2023, and its sequel is in the works.
Contact Link
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Blog Tour: SEA GLASS AND FIREFLIES by Kate Ellington
Sea Glass And Fireflies
by Kate Ellington
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
ElsieHayward moves into her uncle's seaside estate on what should have been herwedding day. All she wants is peace and quiet, and to escape the guilt that'shaunted her since her betrothed was lost at sea. Any hope of tranquility isdashed, however, when Charles Rockingham arrives in town. A lifetime ago they'dbeen best friends and almost more. If there's one person she can't hide herfeelings from, it's him. Charles hasn't received a letter from Elsie in over ayear. He returns home hoping to recapture the deep bond they once shared, butshadows of the past stand between them. One last secret must be revealed beforethey can find their way back to each other.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
As they got up to leave, Charles took her hand to helpsteady her over the slippery rocks, and a warm glow rippled through her.Instead of letting go when they reached the grassy bank, she laced her fingersthrough his, her heart racing as fast as the stream. He looked at her and hiseyes held something like tenderness. She almost tripped over her dress.
The sky was softening to the faintest hint of dusk. She wishedit was morning so they could begin their day together all over again. Theycontinued down the trail and turned onto a narrow path that came out behindMax’s stables, then walked up the lawn to the front of the house. An unfamiliarmotorcar was parked in the drive.
“Who’s here, Mr. Anderson?” Elsie asked when he opened thefront door.
“An associate of Mr. Lambert’s.”
Charles's fingers slipped out of hers as they steppedinside. Elsie removed her hat and dropped it on the table.
“Let’s go see who it is,” she said to Charles, tugging onhis jacket sleeve.
From the dining room came the sound of laughter: twogravelly chortles and one tinkling, delicate giggle.
Charles stopped in his tracks. Elsie looked up at him. Thecolor had drained from his face. She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong,but Max called out: “Don’t hang about in the doorway, you two. Come see whatthe cat dragged in.”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
KateEllington grew up in a woodsy New England town where summer days at the lakeseemed to last forever. She read her first historical romance at age elevenwhen a teacher challenged her to find a book in the library written by anauthor she’d never heard of. Thus began a life-long love of love stories.
Aftergraduating from college with an art degree she settled in the PacificNorthwest, where she currently resides with her family.
Katewrote her first romance when she was sixteen, then set her pen down for yearsuntil another story floated into her head out of the clear blue sky. She jottedit down, just for fun, but soon it took on a life of its own.
https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Glass-Fireflies-Kate-Ellington/dp/1509248803/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sea-glass-and-fireflies-kate-ellington/1143071596
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/29720924.Kate_Ellington
https://www.kateellington.com/
https://www.facebook.com/kateellingtonauthor
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GIVEAWAY:
Kate Ellington will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnesand Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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