Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 102
December 5, 2023
Blog Tour: AND THE TREES TALKED BACK by Frederick J. Burns
Book Details:
Book Title: And the Trees Talked Back by Frederick J. Burns
Category: Children's Fiction (ages 3 to 7), 48 pages
Genre: Children's Book
Publisher: Frederick J. Burns
Release date: Nov 4, 2023
Content Rating: G. Suitable for everyone.Book Description:
Meet Amanda, an extraordinary child with a unique gift — she can talk to trees.
Living in a quaint village with a mystical forest, Amanda's life takes an enchanting turn when she seeks out her inquisitive cat, Daisy. As the sun sets and the moonlight casts its glow, the duo embark on a thrilling night-time adventure.
As Amanda encounters ancient trees, she uncovers a world she never knew existed, where wisdom and acceptance coexist with fear and hatred. Amidst the rustling leaves and haunting shadows, she confronts the duality of nature, discovering the true meaning of good and evil. Her bonds with nature deepen and she learns to navigate the world where choices shape destinies.
And The Trees Talked Back is a heartwarming tale of wonder, friendship, and self-discover that will captivate readers of all ages.Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ B&N
add to Goodreads
Review: This is a lovely story of a littlegirl named Amanda and the things she notices around her. The prose had a poeticlilt, which was a nice touch.
The black-and-white sketches werejust gorgeous! What I liked best was the playful way the images interacted withthe text. For instance, when Amanda is looking for her kitten, Daisy, she usesa flashlight to flash an area of white space onto the black text. Very creativeand a wonderful way to naturally draw the reader’s eye. There’s a great levelof contrast in the text, which again engages and directs the reader.
All this led to a talking tree.Amanda never knew that trees could talk. The whole thing was like something outof Alice in Wonderland. It was quite fascinating, especially when the treesprovide insight and perspective.
“And remember, we create the veryair humans breathe. They could not live without us.
We hold the land together with ourroots. We provide shade with our leaves. But they cut us down to burn us forwarmth, to make us into objects for their use, or to uproot us if we stand intheir way.”
In “And the Trees Talked Back,” alittle girl learns from the wise oaks and makes new friends. But then Amandalearns that not every tree wants to be her friend. How can she convince thistree that not all humans are terrible?
A sweet and quick story for earlyreaders.
Rating:4 stars
Meet the Author:
Burns, always an artist on the inside, breaks through his trial attorney exterior at age 63, to write and illustrate his first children’s book, AND THE TREES TALKED BACK. Three years in the making, Burns strives to convey a world where commonalities are more important than differences, where empathy is more important than distain and where making friends is more important than creating enemies. With no formal art training, Burns enjoys working in and learning new mediums and styles. His art has won awards in juried competitions, been displayed on billboards, in government offices, the D’Amour Museum of Fine Art, and now graces the cover of Dave Brinnel's second CD, ALONE. His detailed illustrations of trees using pen and ink with washes of watercolor have been compared to the fantastical illustrations of Arthur Rackham and Maurice Sendak. Burns lives in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts with his wife, Heather and two dogs, where he is developing ideas for his next book.
connect with author: website ~ instagram ~ goodreads
Enter the Giveaway:AND THE TREES TALKED BACK by Frederick J. Burns Book Tour Giveaway
December 4, 2023
Blog Tour: DEJA VIEW by Michael Thomas Perone
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the DEJA VIEW by MichaelThomas Perone Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Title: DEJAVIEWAuthor: MichaelThomas Perone
Pub. Date: October6, 2023
Publisher: Wheatmark
Formats: Paperback,eBook
Pages: 275
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/DEJA-VIEW
Twelve-year-old Bobby Dalton doesn'twant to grow up. All his life, he has relied on the imaginary games ofchildhood with his best friends Joe and Max to get him through the tough times.But this all changes when his Seventh-Grade class buries a time capsule tocommemorate the end of the 1980s. Now Bobby is being haunted by visions:ghostly doppelgangers of himself, his friends, and others. He calls them"déjà view." Are these visions real, or has his imagination finallygotten away from him? And if they're real, what do they want? Bobby needs tofigure this all out to survive his childhood…and his life.
From the author of theaward-winning Danger Peak, Déjà View is a darklyfunny coming-of-age dramedy with a sci-fi twist, cranked up to eleven. But evenmore, it's at once a pulse-pounding thrill ride and a haunting portrait ofparanoia, mental illness, and the unbearable sadness of growing up.
INSERT YOUR POST OR REVIEW HERE!
About Michael Thomas Perone:
MichaelThomas Perone is an award-winning author who has written for The Baltimore Sun,Baltimore City Paper, Long Island Voice (a spinoff of The Village Voice), andThe Island Ear (now titled Long Island Press), among others. Online, he haswritten for Fatherly, Yahoo!, WhatCulture!, and other websites that don’t endwith an exclamation mark. His articles for WhatCulture! covering the world ofentertainment alone have been viewed over 374,000 times, and his expertise oncritical writing in the music industry has been cited on Wikipedia and featuredin national press kits. He currently works as a Senior Editor in Manhattan andlives on Long Island with his wife and two daughters. For more information,please visit www.michaelthomasperone.com.
Sign up for Michael’s newsletter!
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
YABCQ&A for Michael Thomas Perone, Author of Déjà View: A Kid Nightmare
1. Whatgave you the inspiration to write this book?
Similar to mydebut novel, Danger Peak, Déjà View is based on a short story Iwrote when I was a kid. The idea came from something my friends and I actuallydid. We buried a time capsule in my backyard, and then the next day I was onthe swings at my best friend’s house around the corner. Our houses shared afence, so as I was swinging, I looked past the fence to see where we buried thetime capsule the night before and thought, “Wouldn’t it be funny if we werestill doing that? Sorta stuck in time, burying the capsule over and overagain?” That was the genesis of the idea, but in the original short story, it hadmuch more of a horror vibe. It was like a slasher flick, and there was a lotmore death. I toned that part down…a lot!
2. Whois your favorite character in the book?
Probably Dr. Pann,Bobby’s therapist. Without giving too much away, the character has a lot ofshades to him, and it was fun playing with his different sides.
3. Whichcame first, the title or the novel?
If by “novel,” youmean the story idea, that came first. The original title was Déjà Vu,but there are only about five-hundred books with that title already, so I wentwith Déjà View since Bobby is actually seeing these repeated visions ofhis. There are still a few other books with that title but nowhere near as manyas Déjà Vu. I guess that’s why I also added a subtitle to differentiatemy book: A Kid Nightmare. Also, my debut novel, Danger Peak, hasa subtitle as well (A Kid Adventure), and I wanted to link the twobooks, though Déjà View isn’t a sequel.
4. Whatscene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
Probably the ChuckE. Cheese chapter. Not only was it fun to revisit those birthday parties I usedto have in the ‘80s, I thought it was a pretty funny scene, and it sets thetone for the novel. It’s a little silly, slightly spooky, and somewhat surreal,and it foreshadows the strangeness to come. It also reinforces the major themeof the book, which is the death of childhood.
5. Thinkingway back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as awriter from then to now?
I learned theimportance of outlining. I used to hate writing outlines in school, and when Iwrote for fun on my own, I would write off-the-cuff and see where the storytook me. There are merits to that too, but I’ve found it much easier if youhave a general idea of where you’re going. You don’t have to have every sceneplotted out or every line of dialogue memorized obviously, but if you know howto get from point A to point B and then C and so on, the writing flows mucheasier, at least for me.
6. Whatdo you like most about the cover of the book?
The colors. I cameup with the design of the book (three kids burying something mysterious underthe light of the full moon), and the artists at my publishing house created it,but I didn’t have any particular colors in mind. I was really pleased thoughwhen the cover came back to me. The deep blues and purples of the night skyreally set the tone for the spooky story, and it’s also just pretty to look at.I might actually like the cover better than the one for my last novel, DangerPeak, and I really liked that one!
7. What’sup next for you?
After two novelsback to back, I’m taking a break from the longform story, so my next book willbe a collection of my favorite short stories I’ve written over the years. There’sone I wrote in the mid-‘90s that actually predicted the future. It’s about asmall town that becomes obsessed with television to the point of madness, andit features telecommuting and remote learning via T.V. screen and cars withbuilt-in screens in the front dashboard. I remember thinking it was ridiculousat the time, and now it’s commonplace.
8. Whatwould you say is your superpower?
Probably juggling(the figurative, not literal, kind, as I can’t even juggle two balls). I have afull-time job, two small kids to take care of, a wife to make happy, a dog thatrequires constant attention, parents around the corner who need help, a houseto fix up, and yet somehow, I found time to write two novels in the past twoyears. I know one day years from now—maybe when I’m retired—I’m going to lookback and think, “How did I do it all?” I’m actually thinking of that now!
9. Isthere an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
I like the Make-A-WishFoundation. When I was a kid, one of my good friends had a bad liver and neededto move to Florida because supposedly, they had a better hospital for him downthere for that sort of thing. He was granted a wish from this organization, andhe asked for a roundtrip plane ticket to come home to visit the family he leftbehind and his old friends, including me. That was the last time I saw him, as afew months later, his liver gave out, and he died. If it wasn’t for Make-A-Wish,I wouldn’t have had that final day with him, so you know they’re actually doingthe job they claim to do. I ended up naming Chris, one of the characters in mydebut novel, Danger Peak, after him.
Giveaway Details:
1 winnerwill receive a finished copy of DEJA VIEW, US Only.
Ends December12th, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
11/27/2023
#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog
Blog Spotlight
11/27/2023
Excerpt
11/28/2023
Interview/IG Post
11/28/2023
IG Post
11/29/2023
Excerpt/IG Post
11/29/2023
Excerpt
11/30/2023
Review/IG Post
11/30/2023
IG Post
12/1/2023
IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
12/1/2023
IG Review
Week Two:
12/4/2023
Review/IG Post
12/4/2023
Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's
Review/IG Post
12/5/2023
Guest Post
12/5/2023
IG Review
12/6/2023
Review
12/6/2023
IG Review
12/7/2023
Review/IG Post
12/7/2023
IG Review
12/8/2023
IG Review/TikTok Post
12/8/2023
IG Review
Blog Tour: COOKIN' UP MURDER by D.J. Adamson
TuesdayWelsh, a witty and tenacious private investigator whose life takes anunexpected turn when she stumbles upon the lifeless body of EricKenny, owner of Mr. Yummy's donut shop. Yet, upon going to the homeof Eric Kenny, she finds him standing in the doorway, ready to greether.
Cookin'Up Murder
Davidson& Welsh Investigations Book One
byD.J. Adamson
Genre:Cozy Mystery
"Cookin'Up Murder" is a lighthearted and captivating mystery set inAppleton, Oregon. The story revolves around Tuesday Welsh, awitty and a tenacious private investigator whose life takes anunexpected turn when she stumbles upon the lifeless body of EricKenny, owner of Mr. Yummy's donut shop.
Tuesdayis thrust into a web of secrets and danger that extends far beyondthe sugary confines of the donut shop. As she delves deeper into theinvestigation, determined to unearth the truth, she finds herselfentangled in a sinister plot that will shock her community. Andpossibly gain Davidson & Welsh a new client.
Filledwith a blend of humor and suspense, "Cookin' Up Murder" issure to captivate readers who enjoy mysteries. It offers anengaging puzzle that will keep readers guessing until the satisfyingreveal of the culprit.
“Before I leave, I want you to promise that you’ll open theoffice on time,” demanded Harley Davidson, my business partner, last Wednesdaynight.
“Why wouldn’t I?” I replied, pretending I didn’t alreadyknow the answer.
Harley stands at five-foot-ten, his green eyes framed bywell-groomed eyebrows. His eyes hold a mischievous glint as if he harborssomething known only to him. He might tower over me with his tousledreddish-brown hair, but he never truly poses a formidable threat. With me, hisbark is always worse than his bite.
“Beats me why you’re never on time,” he sniffed. “I bet ifyou were called to save someone from jumping off a building, you’d arrive afterthe coroner.”
“Why is it a man jumping and not a woman?” I quipped, myeyes shooting daggers at him.
He scowled, thinking I wasn’t taking his last-minute to-dolist seriously.
Harley Davidson and I have been business partners for threeyears at Davidson & WelshInvestigations. The decision to partner with him was an easy one. He possessedan unwavering sense of integrity, even when faced with tough choices. He isserious about business but has a quickwit that can help calm clients down.
But, I don’t like to-do lists.
So, I added, “And whywas I the one called?” I couldn’t helpbeing flippant because I wasn’t the one getting to go to Los Angeles.
“Ahhhhh,” he screamed, his hands gripping his hair like aman driven to madness.
I can cause that reaction sometimes.
“Okay, okay,” I quickly backed off and backed up, giving himsome space. He clearly wasn’t in a joking mood. So, raising my right hand, Isolemnly vowed, “I swear that the office will be unlocked, and the lightsturned on ten minutes early every day.” I crossed my heart, but without hopingto die. A girl can only go so far.
“Hands,” he demanded.
I extended both of my hands, all fingers uncrossed, as agesture of goodwill.
“Just be on time. That will be miracle enough,” he statedfirmly, staring at me. But there was an upward curve on his lips. “On time and no Amazon shopping during officehours. I should get back by Saturday night.”
“But…”
“Find new clients.”
“But…” I tried to protest again. No Amazon shopping?Christmas was on Monday!
Review: This all begins with finding thedead body of the donut shop owner. The pace started off slow with thereiteration of Tuesday’s account and the history of the town. I couldn’t reallysee why the town history had any relevance. Eventually, the characters starttalking about the dead and what he was all about (i.e. his children, hisgrandchildren, his plans for the holidays, etc.)
The narrative was quite trivial,although the prose did have that silly wit and relatable faux paus that gavethe characters some charm. There was an obvious attempt at humor, but there wasvery little progress toward solving the case.
The overall read about small-townliving was decent, but the mystery itself wasn’t too riveting.
A fairly nice read, but I expectedto be better.
Rating:3 stars
D.J. Adamson is an accomplished author known for her captivatingstorytelling and engaging characters. She has established herself asa prominent figure in the world of mystery and suspense fiction. Herwork draws inspiration from classic detective novels and contemporarythrillers. Adamson's literary journey began at a young age, and shecontinued the journey through her life, recently embarking on herwork with novels and her exceptional ability to create immersiveworlds and multifaceted characters. She developed her own uniquestyle that combines elements of suspense, intrigue and psychologicaldepth. Beyond her novels, Adamson has contributed to various literaryjournals and anthologies, sharing her insights and expertise withfellow writers and enthusiasts. Her work has gained a loyal followingand her novels praised for their intricate plotting and masterfulstorytelling. When not immersed in the world of writing, Adamsonenjoys the Central CA coast, traveling, and the outdoors. She alsoengages with her readers through various platforms, fostering astrong connection and appreciation for the support she receives fromher dedicated fan base. Readers can connect with her through herwebsite at www.djadamson.com.
Website* Facebook *Twitter * Instagram* Bookbub *Amazon* Goodreads
Followthe tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$20Dunkin Donuts gift card
Blog Tour: THE SUNLIT RUINS by Andrea Septién
Adaand Miry didn’t mean to start a city-wide catastrophe.
Really,they didn’t.
TheSunlit Ruins
TheArchives of the Forgotten Book 1
byAndrea Septién
Genre:YA Contemporary Fantasy & Mythology
Adaand Miry didn’t mean to start a city-wide catastrophe.Really,they didn’t.Butwhen a family trip goes awry, the two Mexican-American cousins fromopposite sides of the border accidentally unleash an evil spirit fromcenturies past. The incident unlocks latent magical powers within thegirls, who now have to figure out what’s going on.
Easiersaid than done.
Theonly things Ada and Miry know are that the spirit is tied to thepyramids of Teotihuacán, an ancient and abandoned civilization, andthat there is only one organization that can help them. TheArchivists of Teotihuacán.
Withonly a scant trail of clues to guide them, Ada and Miry must journeyacross Mexico City, uncover the origin of their powers, and try toreseal the spirit they’ve awoken.
Butthe hardest challenge of all?
Gettingalong with family.
FollowAda and Miry on their adventure through Mexico and a hidden,fantastical world of magic based on the philosophy of the city ofTeotihuacán.
Amazon* Apple* B&N* Kobo* Smashwords* Books2Read * Bookbub* Goodreads
Maskson the Water
Prequelto The Sunlit Ruins
Thecreature appeared underwater.
That’sall they knew.
LorenzoZavala, a disciple of Chalchitlicue, the deity of the lakes, was senton a simple mission: Go to Lake Huetzalin in the south of MexicoCity, analyze an unknown creature, and report back to the archivists.
Byhis side was Daniel Merino, his best friend and a disciple of Tláloc,the deity of the rain. But when the two of them reach the lake,Lorenzo discovers the the true danger is much closer than herealized.
Usingthe power of the deity of the lakes, Lorenzo must use all of hisskills to save his best friend. Can Lorenzo triumph against this newthreat? Or will he lose the person closest to his heart?
Findout in this prequel short story to The Sunlit Ruins, a young adultfantasy based on the philosophy of the city of Teotihuacán.
Readit FREE! * Audiobook* Bookbub* Goodreads
Two Mexican teens—one from theU.S. and one from Mexico—on a wild and strange adventure.
It all started on a family trip toMexico City, where polar opposite cousins, Ada and Miry, encounter strangesightings like puma-eagles.
The first scene seemed to be anattack of the puma-eagles and the girls realized that they had specialabilities. Of course, there’s undoubtedly confusion about all this here.
“Your magic has awoken, but youhave cracked the seal. And now you must repair it.”
The narrative was witty andenjoyable. I liked the Mexican culture and the Spanish language infusedthroughout the whole story. The girls were literally worlds apart as far asbehavior, customs, culture, and language went, which made it more difficult towork together in this mysterious magical quest. They would constantly bebutting heads on everything. American Ada was too naïve about thievery andslimy men in Mexico. Good thing she had her tough-as-nails cousin.
The characters and the storyreally grab you. It was a fast-paced and crazy adventure through the streets ofMexico, especially when it came to the action scenes. However, the descriptionswere a little long at times and the details can get confusing. It was a longjourney and I would’ve preferred a quicker pace that would’ve went along with ashorter read. That’s pretty much what brought this down from a 4 to 3.5 for me.
The best parts for me were theculture clash between the cousins and the magical action. It’s definitely aworthy fantasy read with other worldly creatures, magic, and history. Recommended,for sure.
AndreaSeptién is a writer, editor, and certified cat lady. Born and raisedin Mexico City, she is a Mexican-American author who lives inMelbourne, Australia with her husband. She receives weekly picturesof her cats back in Mexico.
Website* Twitter * Instagram* Amazon* Goodreads
Followthe tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$20 Amazon
Blog Tour: PARKER'S CHOICE by Mike Nemeth
Parker's Choice
by Mike Nemeth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Romantic Mystery
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Framedby cops and chased by crooks, a white ex-con and a rebellious black womanbecome fugitives. They didn’t plan to fall in love.
After serving time for a crime he didn’t commit, Parker and his wife, Paula,hide from an old enemy in an Atlanta suburb. Their fresh start is disruptedwhen his new boss demands his involvement in a fraudulent scheme that willreplace thousands of white collar American workers with artificial intelligenceand offshore labor. Parker unfortunately suspects his secret and elusive birthfather is mixed up in the fraud. Then a body is pulled from the ChattahoocheeRiver and Parker believes Paula has murdered his enemy, but the police thinkParker did it. He and his brilliant colleague, Sabrina, a woman who can traceher roots to Virginia slaves, steal the “smoking gun” that will expose thefraud and go on the run, pursued by cops and crooks. After a violent showdownin a frightening New Orleans cemetery, they connect the dots between a murder,fraud, and a man from his mother’s past. Parker’s loyalties are torn, but hemust choose.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
The terror Parker felt was what an antelope feels when it isabout to be eaten alive by a pride of hungry lions. He took shallow breathsthrough his nose to mask the sound of his breathing as he listened to the bloodcoursing through his carotid artery—whoosh, whoosh. Where the hell is mybackup?
In the crepuscular light, Parker saw her then. She emergedfrom her hiding place in the boathouse and assumed the shooter’s stance she’dbeen taught at the gun range. She gave the hunter no warning, just fired hercompact Beretta once, and the man crumpled onto the Cool Crete surface with athud and a rush of expelled air. That hadn’t been the plan. She was onlysupposed to balance the threat Parker suspected Meredith had posed. She wasn’tsupposed to shoot anyone. It’s so easy to get these things wrong.
A scan of the house’s back windows revealed no sign ofMeredith. Parker put a finger to his lips—don’t talk—and motioned for the womanto hurry into the shadows. The wounded man moaned softly, and Parker’s quickcheck confirmed that he was semi-conscious and neither moving nor watching.Parker took the woman’s pistol and shoved her toward the neighbor’s property.The snowbirds who owned the place were away enjoying the mild Canadian summerduring the Florida off-season.
“Run,” he whispered.
She loped into the darkness. He counted to twenty—oneMississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi—then he dialed 9-1-1.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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MikeNemeth, a Vietnam veteran and former high-tech executive, writes love storiestucked inside murder mysteries highlighting America’s social issues. THEUNDISCOVERED COUNTRY won the Beverly Hills Book Award for Southern Fiction andthe Frank Yerby Prize at the Augusta Literary Festival. The novel inspiredsinger/songwriter Mark Currey to compose the song Who I am. PARKER’SCHOICE won a Firebird Award for thrillers and American Fiction Awards forDiverse and Multicultural Mystery/Suspense, and for Romantic Mystery/Suspense. Other creditsinclude The New York Times, Georgia Magazine, Augusta Magazine,Southern Writers’ Magazine, and Deep South Magazine. In 2018, Iwas named Atlanta’s Best Local Author by Creative Loafing magazine. Mikelives in Villa Rica with his wife, Angie, and their rescue dog, Scout.
SocialMedia Links:
Facebook/mikenemethauthor
X(Twitter): @nemosnovels
Instagram:@nemosnovels
BuyLink (PARKER’S CHOICE):
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Parkers-Choice-Mike-Nemeth-ebook/dp/B0BW4XQRB2/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY :
MikeNemeth will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawnwinner via rafflecopter during the tour.
December 2, 2023
Excerpt: ASCENSION OF THE PHOENIX by Jessica Piro
Even though this murderer hadbutchered two families, he wasn’t the sadistic Bryan Foster.
Metal trashcans crashed to the ground, scattering their contents as the suspect barreledthrough. Leila Wells smirked at the obstacle—his fourth attempt at slowing herand David Neal, Jr., her partner, down. The two detectives vaulted over thegarbage cans and continued their pursuit.
Since hebolted at the sight of them at his apartment, the chase had spanned two blocks,snaking through alleyways—alleyways she knew like the back of her hand. David,behind her, enjoyed the chase like a hound after a scared rabbit.
Hisadrenaline, Leila thought.
Up ahead,the alleyway branched into two separate paths. Leila ran over the map in her head—eventually,both pathways crossed again. Knowing David would likely guess at her plan, sheturned down the right one.
“Move!” sheordered the two men standing in the middle of the alley. They flattened againstthe walls of the lane. She charged through and kept running.
She kepttrack of her location relative to the others’. On the map in her head, two reddots traveled down paths, and both lights raced toward the crossroads. Sincethe suspect and David would be close to reaching it, Leila pumped her armsharder.
Near theintersection of their alleys, pounding footfalls and panting grew louder. Bythe sounds of his running, the suspect neared her exit. She lunged.
Withinseconds, Leila collided with the running man—knocking him off his feet—and sentthem both to the ground.
Onlystunned for a second, the criminal scrambled back to his feet. It was enough.Leila quickly jumped up and kicked the man across his face, sending himcartwheeling.
Leilalanded into the Tiger stance of her Five-Animals Kung Fu, ready for his nextattempt to evade capture. Cradling his nose, the man rolled in pain, moaning.Not many could take a kick to the face and keep going, so maybe she should’vedealt a lesser blow.
Davidslowed to a jog as he met them. “I had him,” he said, breathless.
Shestraightened and walked over to the downed man. “Sure you did.” She threwhandcuffs on the man’s wrists as she Mirandized him.
“And nowyou won’t let me arrest him?”
Leilasmiled. “I got him; he’s my collar.” She led him back the way they came totheir unmarked car. David sighed behind her but followed.
Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ascension-Phoenix-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B08GL84FBQ/
Review: DECK THE HALLS by Mary and Carol Higgins Clark
It begins with a kidnapping rightbefore the holidays. PI Regan Reilly’s father has been kidnapped and theywanted a million dollars from her family. What luck that Regan happened to runinto lucky lottery winner Alvirah Meehan at the dentist.
Can Regan and Alvirah figure thisone out in time for Christmas?
The whole thing takes place in thethree days before Christmas and it’s basically a search for the kidnappedvictims. Of course, they get some misleading leads, but it was interesting tosee how the girls figured this out. Of course, it takes a couple of bumblingkidnappers to lose a million-dollar ransom. Idiots!
A good holiday kidnapping story!
Rating:4 stars
Review: THREE DROPS OF BLOOD by Gretchen McNeil
Real-life treachery and drama wereexploding from a teen drama series following the social media scandal posted byone of the stars. A lead on the same show, Kate Williams was not going to letthe show’s cancellation stop her from becoming a serious, full-time actress,even if it wrecked her parents’ college plans for her. But because of thestar’s scandal and her audition prospects being put on hold for 4 – 6 months,her 5-year acting plan was over before it even started. The only damage controlKate had was in the form of a fixer that would cost her $15K. Where would sheget that kind of money?
With her options minimal, Katesoon gets a job at an entertainment law firm. This is where the narrative seemsto drag on with nothing really to show for it. Seriously, halfway into the bookand not much was happening. I mean, a teen actress’ attempt at “adulting” wasfairly interesting, but I needed MUCH more than that.
About 60% in is when we get a shotat a double murder and Kate was a witness to it. Finally, a dead body! You’dthink I’d be more riveted at this point, but all Kate does is try to prove thatwhat she saw really happened. It’s a very long and mild read. Eh, just okay. Thiswill be the last book that I read from this author.
Rating:3 stars
Review: JUST TAKE MY HEART by Mary Higgins Clark
**2ND TIME REVIEW **
A dead actress. An estrangedhusband on trial for her murder. And the trial begins with Assistant ProsecutorEmily Wallace on the case.
The murder trial certainly drawsyou in. And not only was Emily so focused on the trial, a creepy neighbor—onewho’s killed 5 people at once—has his eyes on her. I would NOT let him watch mydog.
I don’t know why I didn’t finishthe book the first time around, but, in the second time, I was really gettinginto the story, which was always the case for me with an MHC book.Surprisingly, the trial really reels you in. I know the husband on trail didn’tdo it. But if he didn’t, then who did?
I’m glad I gave this book a secondread as it turned out to be quite exciting. Even though I kind of already had astrong hunch of who the bad guys were, this was still a great read.
Rating:4 stars
December 1, 2023
Blog Tour: METHOD TO MADNESS by Thomas Grant Bruso
Method to Madness
by Thomas Grant Bruso
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Mystery, LGBT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Five years ago, Jack Ballinger was a policeofficer.
He has since moved from the small upstate New Yorktown of Black Falls for greener pastures and a peaceful life alone in the GreenMountain State. Time has changed Jack -- he is no longer the man he used to be.A significant challenge for him has been the heartbreaking loss of hisboyfriend, companion, and one true love, Steve.
Now alone, Jack has yet to deal rationally with theimmediate changes of his new life. After losing his partner, Jack drank heavilyto numb the pain and forget his life-changing loss. Now, he must find a way tomove forward without Steve and the life he built for himself. Joining anAlcoholics Anonymous group helps quiet the voices that still keep him awake atnight. But something much darker has followed him to his life in the quietcorners of Vermont.
When Jack thinks he has buried the scars of hispast, a new nightmare emerges. How far will Jack go to end the imminent evil inhis life and kill it for good?
Trigger warning: this story addresses suicide andsuicidal ideation.
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Excerpt One:
My work boots clipped across the newly polished floor,squeaking with each determined step toward the security guard’s office in theback of the mall. I didn’t usually get frightened, but after the week’s eventsof Jacob Adler’s murder and my recurring hallucinations, I was on guardtwenty-four-seven. The wall I’d built after Steve died sent me into a tailspin.I lost my self-confidence to “live on -- move on,” as Steve had put it. Gettingout of bed was the most challenging part of the day, getting started. But notas difficult as being a suspect in somebody else’s murder.
I locked up in the office, hung my jacket on the wall pegalong with my badge, fastened my uniform hat on top of my coat, and secured thebuilding. I walked around the side of the shopping center to get to my truck,which was parked near the auto shop garage in the adjacent lot. My keys clangedagainst the side of my uniform work belt.
There was a crispness to the air as it gusted across myface.
When I reached my truck, I stopped and glanced at theimposing three-floor structure of the Rushford Shopping Mall. It had been agame-changer, I told myself. When my life was at its lowest, the job as mallsecurity had saved me. Moving from upstate New York to Vermont and being hiredat a stone’s throw distance from where everything had bottomed out of my life,life could not be better. I had to keep reminding myself that I was lucky. Thiswas meant to be.
I was living. No – I was surviving the best way I knew how.The sharp gust of wind filled my eyes with a deep sadness.
I slipped my key into the driver’s side door. I jumpedinside, cranking the station to a country song I knew Steve would roll his eyesat, but his enthusiastic expression brightened my mood. I sat in the quietinterior of my truck, my head falling against the headrest, my eyes closing tothe welcoming solitude. I drummed my hands on the bottom of the steering wheel.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Thomas Grant Bruso knew he wanted to be a writer at an earlyage. He has been a voracious reader of genre fiction since childhood. Hisliterary inspirations are Ray Bradbury, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, JimGrimsley, Karin Fossum, and Joyce Carol Oates. Bruso loves animals, readingbooks, and writing fiction, and prefers Sudoku to crossword puzzles. Inanother life, he was a freelance writer and wrote for magazines and newspapers.In college, he won the Hermon H. Doh Sonnet Competition. Now, he writes andpublishes fiction and reviews books for his hometown newspaper, ThePress-Republican. He lives in upstate 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/
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Method-Madness-Thomas-Grant-Bruso-ebook/dp/B0CLKJD64Y?ref_=ast_author_dp
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GIVEAWAY:
Thomas Grant Bruso will be awarding $10 Amazon orBarnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during thetour.a Rafflecopter giveaway
