Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 112
October 14, 2023
Review: JUST TAKE MY HEART by Mary Higgins Clark
Natalie Raines,a famed theater actress, was found shot to death in her home. Her husband wasset to trial for the murder. Emily, the assistant prosecutor, was assigned tothe case. Emily was working around the clock to make sure Gregg went to prisonfor life for the crime she knew he committed. As of most of Ms. Clark’s books,this book had an interesting premise; however, the trial was rather long anddetailed. In fact, the trial was certainly taking a lot of energy and effortfor both the reader and the character. Emily didn’t quite realize that hercreepy neighbor had his eye on her and has killed before. How will he take herrejection? Not well.
Meanwhile,Gregg was sweating the case. He knew in his heart that he couldn’t havemurdered Natalie Raines, his estranged wife. But there was niggling doubt overwhether he actually could’ve.
It’s a longtrial, for sure, going through every menial step and every dull questioning.Not as suspenseful as other MHC books, but still intriguing. It’s good ifyou’re into the logistics of trials. You honestly get to a certain point whenyou just get tired of hearing about the trial and wanna put down the book.
A fairly niceread, but not one of the author’s best.
Rating:3 stars
October 13, 2023
Blog Tour: CRUEL LESSONS by Randy Overbeck
Cruel Lessons
by Randy Overbeck
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Amateur sleuth mystery
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Ona school camping trip, fifth graders experiment with a dangerous newhallucinogen and die in a horrific accident, their deaths shattering the quiettown. Assistant Superintendent Ken Parks, hoping to redeem a fatal mistake fromhis past, grasps the opportunity to conduct the district investigation of howstudents are getting the drugs. Almost before he begins, the cops make astunning arrest. But Parks battles on, convinced the real pusher is still outthere, poisoning more kids until he receives an anonymous threat: if hecontinues, those close to him will pay. Is Parks willing to risk those he lovesfor a chance at redemption?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
Struggling desperately to force her mind to think, Amandatried to consider her options. It was all happening too quickly. The nexttreacherous turn came at her fast. She had no way to slow down. White knucklesgripped the steering wheel.
The bend ahead showed a hard curve to the right, not quiteas tight as the last one, but steeper. And she felt the car accelerating,though she hadn’t touched the gas pedal. Right before the car hit the curve,Amanda spun the steering wheel. The car lurched around the bend. The driverside of the car lifted up. Halfway through the long bend, Amanda watched thehood tilt in the turn until it was almost vertical. No seat belt on, she wascatapulted down the leather seat, crashing into the passenger door.
“Hell!” she cried, reaching to grab her bruised shoulder.
She froze as the two wheels still on the ground shuddered inthe gravel, sliding off the small road. Slammed against the side door, sheheard the tall weeds and low branches whip against the body. But the car didn’tslow. Blood streamed from a gash on her forehead. For an instant she lay therestretched across the passenger door, holding her breath.
Then she sensed the car teetering. The front tire bumpedsomething hard. Amanda stared, unbelieving, as the car began to flip. As theRegal made the first revolution, she screamed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Review: A group of 5th gradersaway at science camp. Four boys suddenly decide to joyriding and four boys arefound dead. Authorities deduced thecrash resulted from the boys being under the influence of some drughallucinogens. The school and the town wanted answers. Who was supplying thesedrugs and how can it be stopped?
The prose was well-written and generallycompelling. It was rather slow though, and I felt like story really didn’t domuch to keep me invested. I mean, why were they even trying to figure out ifthe drugs had something to do with the boys’ deaths when we already knew as thereaders that they did? That info was already stated in chapter 1. The wholething was mostly speculation and debate among the teachers. The mystery didn’tquite feel that strong to me.
This was a fairly nice read, butit could’ve been better. It’s still worth a try though.
Rating:3 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Dr.Randy Overbeck is a best-selling author of the award-winning series, The HauntedShores Mysteries, the three entries earning such national awards as the GoldAward from Literary Titan, Mystery of the Year from ReaderViews, Best Book fromChanticleer and Crowned Heart of Excellence from InD’tale Magazine. He hosts anew podcast, “Great Stories about Great Storytellers,” which reveals theunusual backstories of famous authors, directors and poets. He is also aspeaker in much demand, sharing his multi-media presentations, “Thanks Still GoBump in the Night” and “A Few FavoriteHaunts” with audiences all over the country. More info about his novels,programs and podcast can be found at his website www.authorrandyoverbeck.com .
randyoverbeck@authorrandyoverbeck.com
513-633-2838
SOCIALMEDIA CONTACTS
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/authorrandyoverbeck
Twitter:https://twitter.com/OverbeckRandy/media
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/authorrandyoverbeck/
BookBub:https://www.bookbub.com/authors/randy-overbeck
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Randy-Overbeck/e/B07QQHW7DM
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4825632.Randy_Overbeck
Podcast:https://www.buzzsprout.com/1924616/10983135
SERIESPURCHASE LINKS
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B5TGPX9
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Randy%20Overbeck
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY:
Randy Overbeck will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC toa randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayBlog Tour: SUBTLE FELONIES by Austin S. Comacho
SUBTLE FELONIES
by Austin S. Comacho
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: mystery/thriller
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Isretired basketball star Xander Brown missing, or kidnapped? His crazy familyand dangerous friends draw DC detective Hannibal Jones into a deadly chase tofind – or rescue – a complex man. In public, Xander is a husband, father,partner, friend, but who is he in private? Which role took him away? The searchmoves at breakneck speed across the posh suburbs and angry alleys of thenation’s capital, forcing Hannibal to confront tough truths and deadly risks.Will DC’s troubleshooter save a life or lose his own?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
Charlotte took a deep breath while examining Hannibal. Hereyes scanned him top to bottom. He felt the way he did in the airport when theyput him in the chamber and told him to raise his arms overhead. Was she staringinto his eyes, or wondering about his dark glasses?
Were his black suit and white shirt inappropriate for theseason?
“Ben told me that you were very good at finding people,”Charlotte said. “And that you were trustworthy and above all discreet.”
“Yeah, and he probably figured you’d be more comfortablewith a black investigator.”
She grinned. “Yes, there is that. You wear those shades allthe time?”
“Unless I’m asked not to.”
“Well then, would you mind?” She leaned in. He removed hissunglasses and slipped them into his suit jacket pocket. She leaned evencloser.
“Blue? No, I think hazel eyes,” she said. “Where’d you getthem?”
“You’d have to talk to my parents about that.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please describe a pivotal scene in your bookand why it's important.
The plot of Subtle Felonies is driven by a missing person’scase. A wealthy athlete has disappeared and private eye Hannibal Jones is hiredto find him. When a ransom note turns up the family contacts the police to makea payoff. A location is established for the money drop - a gas station in asuburban area near two major highways. Police position themselves to make surethe criminals can’t escape.
Although he is told to sit this one out, Hannibal Jones alsopositions himself along one of the possible escape routes. The exciting scenebegins when one of the criminals pulls up in a hot sports car, snatches the bagof money and takes off. After a thrilling high speed chase it looks as if thepolice have the kidnapper trapped when the car they are pursuing suddenlydisappears.
Only Hannibal Jones is able to detect where the vanished caractually went. He is able to track it down only to find himself in deadlydanger. What he finds at the end of that drive - a dead body that is NOT thekidnapped man - changes everyone’s view of who the real villains may be and thecomplex plot they are all involved in.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Austin S. Camacho is the author of eight novels about WashingtonDC-based private eye Hannibal Jones, five in the Stark and O’Brieninternational adventure-thriller series, and the detective novel, Beyond Blue.His short stories have been featured in several anthologies and he is featuredin the Edgar nominated African American Mystery Writers: A Historical andThematic Study by Frankie Y. Bailey. He is a past president of the MarylandWriters Association, past Vice President of the Virginia Writers Club, and oneof the directors of the Creatures, Crimes & Creativity literary conference- now in its 10th year. The 8th Hannibal Jones mystery, Subtle Felonies, isscheduled for a September 27 release.
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/austin.camacho.author/
WEB SITE - https://ascamacho.com/
Author page - https://www.amazon.com/stores/Austin-S-Camacho/author/B003E1O5JO
Buy link: https://books2read.com/u/mdqxvw
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
AustinCamacho will award a randomly drawn winner a $25 Amazon/BN GC.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 12, 2023
Blog Tour: HEAD CASE by Bonnie Traymore
Aworkplace rivalry. An isolated campus. A tragic death.
HeadCase
byBonnie Traymore
Genre:Psychological Thriller
"Traymoremasterfully created a sinister, atmospheric setting that perfectlysuited the plot."
Readers'Favorite, 5 stars
Aworkplace rivalry. An isolated campus. A tragic death.
Nevermake a major life decision in the wake of emotional turmoil. CassieRomano learned this the hard way, leaving sunny San Diego for ateaching position at a private school in the Catskill Mountains inupstate New York after a painful break-up left her heart-broken andin need of a change.
It all seemed so perfect in June when shecame to interview. But now it’s December, and she’s stranded ontop of a mountain surrounded by snow, ice, and acres of wilderness,lonelier than ever and bored out of her mind.
When a fellowteacher turns up dead and Cassie receives a cryptic letter from her afew days later, it’s clear to Cassie that something strange isgoing on at Falcon Ridge Academy. Everyone seems to be writing thedeath off as a tragic accident, but she’s not so sure.
Cassiehas secrets of her own, though, so she’s initially reluctant to getinvolved. Torn between the urge to protect herself and the desire toinvestigate further, she decides on the latter.
Andthe consequences could be deadly.
PROLOGUE
Kimi
Kimiknows what the other teachers call her behind her back. She’s heard thembefore, although she’s pretty sure they don’t know she knows.
Herecomes the mole.
It’snot like she signed some formal agreement. And it’s not like she had much of a choice.It had all started pretty innocently. Her boss befriending her and then subtlystarting to pump her for information.
Thenit became an unstated directive. A quick promotion to English department chairin exchange for some hints about who might be plotting behind the woman’s back.Getting her preferred chaperoning duties in exchange for a few tidbits aboutwho might be holding up her latest initiatives.
Andthen it became even more complicated.
Shewonders how Brooke will take the resignation letter she left in her mailboxyesterday afternoon. It’s a terrible career move to leave now, just two weeksbefore winter break. But Kimi feels that she doesn’t have much choice.
It’snot just the strained relationship with the other teachers, although that’spart of it. It’s that she’s pretty sure her boss doesn’t know what sheoverheard, and it needs to stay that way. She’ll go back to North Carolina andregroup, then come back for the rest of her belongings some other time.
As she enters the deserted Cortlandttrain station and starts walking towards the tracks, she feels a chill run upher spine. It’s dead still on a frigid Saturday morning. No commuters. Notanother passenger in sight. But she has a nagging sensation that she’s notalone.
Issomeone following me?
She stops for a moment andturns to look behind her. Nobody’s there. She glances out the window to theparking lot, but the view is obstructed by a thin layer of ice. Then she takesa deep breath, steadies herself, and makes her way over to the staircase thatleads down to the train tracks.
The hairs on the back ofher neck are standing up, but she reminds herself there’s a good chance she’soverreacting—to all of it. And for a moment, she considers that she might bemaking the biggest mistake of her entire career.
Toolate to second-guess myself now.
Whenshe lifts her foot to start down the stairs, she freezes, reacting a splitsecond too late to the sensation of a presence behind her. In an instant, she’sflying headfirst in the air looking down at the cold, menacing metal stairs.
Shecloses her eyes and braces herself, incapable of emitting the terrifying screamthat’s welling up inside her.
A boarding school teacher dead. Itwas an accident. Wasn’t it?
In the beginning, we get a slowdiary narrative from one of the school teachers, Cassie, a friend that prettymuch abandoned the dead teacher in the end. Then she gets a little “from beyondthe grave” letter, telling her to watch her back at the school. It would seemthere have been some dirty dealings at the school administration and people hadsecrets they wanted to keep hidden, including Cassie. Would someone reallyresort to murder though?
Cassie was sure that there was acampus murderer on the loose and would be watchful from now on. Could thehunky, new teacher be involved? Cassie couldn’t decide “if [this was] thebeginning of a steamy romance novel or the opening scene of a slasher movie.”
This gets better with all themysterious speculation and the possibility of a murderer. It definitely grabsand holds your interest.
Meanwhile, Cassie is dealing withsome issues concerning her dad getting them all into witness protection whenshe was younger.
There’s a conspiracy at theprivate school and certain people were in on it either to cover it up or bringit down. How will this all end? And who murdered the teacher?
A compelling read that kept megoing.
Rating:4 stars
BonnieTraymore is an author, educator, and consultant. A world traveler,she loves to include vivid settings in her novels. She is also anaccomplished non-fiction writer, historian, and educator with adoctorate in United States History. She has taught at top independentschools in Honolulu, Silicon Valley, and New York City for over 20years, and she has taught history courses at Columbia University andthe University of Hawaii. Originally from the New York City area, sheresides in Honolulu with her husband but frequents the Hudson Valleyand New York City areas.
Website* Facebook *Twitter * Instagram* Bookbub* Amazon* Goodreads
Followthe tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$10Amazon giftcard,
ebookof The Stepfamily by Bonnie Traymore
-1 winner each!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour: STILETTOS AND SNIPER RIFLES by Gail Koger
Stilettos and Sniper Rifles
by Gail Koger
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Action/adventure/comedy/romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB: I’vebeen a Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputy for four years. Most folks don’t have aclue about what a cop deals with every day. Like a pack of attack chihuahuas, amonkey with a bad case of diarrhea, a hungry python, a Brahma bull namedBodacious and a six-foot iguana.
And that is just the critters. Now let me tell youabout the two-legged varmints. Such as a three-hundred-pound biker who got abit irate when I zapped him with a stun gun, or a murderous nun, and let’s notforget the senior citizens having an orgy. Ugh.
My personal life isn’t much better. Off duty I’m a ballroom dancer which everyonemakes fun of. I love competitivedancing; I get to meet a lot of people who aren’t trying to kill me. Ok, therewas one incident, but hey, shit happens. At a dance competition DetectiveSergeant Dante Delgado waltzed into my life. My girly parts yelled yee-haw,he’s the one. Now, if I can only get him to do the tango with me.
Law enforcement isn’t for the fainthearted. Are youbrave enough to enter my world?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
Out of thecorner of my eye I caught a flash of movement and I instinctively spun to facethe threat. My jaw dropped. Zorro stood there. I examined him from the top ofhis black hat to his knee-high boots. He was a couple of inches taller than me,and his muscular body rivaled my dad’s. “Nice costume.”
He bowedelegantly. “Thank you, my lady.”
His low,gravelly voice sent goosebumps over my body. Lordy, I could listen to him allnight. His dance partner was one lucky girl. “What dance are you doing tonight?”
His white teethflashed in the darkness. “A routine I created and you?”
“Something thathas never been done before.”
Zorro steppedcloser and I caught the tantalizing scent of sandalwood. “I can’t wait to seeyou dance.” His gaze focused on something behind me.
I let my policedemeanor take over and turned to face my opponent.
“What are youwearing?” Ichabod demanded.
I could haveasked him the same question. His gaudy, red-sequined tux had flared legs, andhe was wearing men’s high heels. “The pants hide my knee brace and I thought wecould do something different tonight.”
“We will stickto our routine.” Ichabod snapped and stormed off.
I chuckled.Boy, was he in for a surprise.
“He needs tolearn how to treat a lady,” Zorro said.
“Don’t worry.His time is coming.” I smiled at Zorro. “Good luck, and I love the cape.”
He held out agloved hand. “I’m Dante.”
“Gemma.” I tookhis hand.
Gazing into myeyes, Dante raised my fingers to his lips and pressed a sensual kiss on myscraped knuckles. My skin heated, and my girly parts yelled Yee-haw. “We willmeet again.” With a swirl of his cape, he followed Ichabod into the ballroom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Review:
Law enforcement isn’t for thefainthearted.In this book, we hear the harriedand hilarious adventures of a tough-as-nails cop broad as she deals with suchhouse calls like chihuahuas attacking a postal worker, getting pummeled by agranny with a cane, and searching for a lost monkey. I liked the candid, snarkytone in the narrative.
But when she wasn’t out theretrying to make the community a safer place, Gemma Stone was a ballroom dancerin her off-time. Of course, her dance partner—someone who called himself herboyfriend—was a narcissistic jerk, and I was glad when she cuffed him on stageand got rid of him. Unfortunately, that act was not without its consequences asit would seem the guy and a crazy, bible-toting nun were out for revengeagainst Gemma. Good thing her mama taught her how to shoot a sniper rifle.
It's just one crazy thing afteranother here. I didn’t really like that it sometimes got too technical inpolice and gun terminology, but Gemma certainly brings the reader back with hersharp wit for the most part. There wasn’t too much action as Gemma was laid upwith physical injuries, so that was slightly disappointing.
Overall, this was a fairly goodread.
Rating:3 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Glendale PoliceDepartment and to keep from going totally bonkers – I mean people have no ideawhat a real emergency is. Take this for example: I answered, “9-1-1 emergency,what’s your emergency?” And this hysterical woman yelled, “My bird is in atree.” Sometimes I really couldn’t help myself, so I said, “Birds have atendency to do that, ma’am.” The woman screeched, “No! You don’t understand. Mypet parakeet is in the tree. I’ve just got to get him down.” Like I said, not aclue. “I’m sorry ma’am but we don’t get birds out of trees.” The woman thencried, “But… What about my husband? He’s up there, too.” See what I had to dealwith? To keep from hitting myself repeatedly in the head with my phone I tookup writing.
Author links: www.gailkoger.com
https://www.facebook.com/Colettiwarlordbooks/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1598719.Gail_Koger
https://www.instagram.com/gkoger58/
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/gail-koger
http://www.amazon.com/Gail-Koger/e/B001K838BY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
Gail Koger will be awarding $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winnervia rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 11, 2023
Blog Tour: THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN JIMMY JAMS by Summerton Thompson Connor
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Summerton Thompson Connor 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.
A bedtime storybook for parents to read to their children, depicting the excitement for possible adventures in dreams and the sensation of letting thoughts wander as you drift off to sleep. Meant to invoke soft imagery and imaginative thoughts of adventure and fun, it's a relaxing read for pleasant sleep.Review: The illustrations were cute andcolorful. In this story, we follow the lively imagination of Jimmy Jams, whosailed the seas in his dreams with his first mate, Bear, and his second mate,Pillow.
“Captain Jimmy Jams would sail thesea of dreams, where the wistful winds of imagination brought him, happilysailing along with the waves of thoughts lapsing against his ship gently.”
There was a touch of lovely poetryin the words.
Goes to show that you can goanywhere with imagination. After all, there’s always another adventure to behad on the sea of dreams.
A fun and playful tale! Perfectfor bedtime reading.
Rating:4 stars
About the Author: I am a father to a baby girl and hope to read to her just like I was read to when I was little. I grew up with a love of stories and creative settings and views. This gave me a love of adventure and appreciation for great imagery that I hope can be experienced by many parents and their children someday. It gave me a lot of happy memories and I hope to give the same happy memories to at least one child.
Buy Links:
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-adventures-of-captain-jimmy-jams-summerton-thompson-connor/1143262205
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0228880785/ref=x_gr_bb_amazon
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adventures-Captain-Jimmy-Jams/dp/0228880793
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour: WHEN A TAKER DREAMS by J.A. Jackson
When a Taker Dreams
by J.A. Jackson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: romance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
In the captivating world of When A Taker Dreams,secrets unravel, and destinies collide. Meet Steele Coltrane, the enigmaticolder brother of Ryker, and the illegitimate oldest son of their powerfulfather, Colbert Granger.
In Book I, Steele's life takes an unexpected turn when he devises a risky planto seduce his brother's wife, Cierra, convinced that their child is his ownflesh and blood.
However, the truth proves to be a harsh awakening for Steele. Cierra's mother,Ada, delivers a devastating blow, revealing that the child is not his. Grippedby denial, Steele reluctantly confronts the undeniable evidence of a paternitytest that shatters his world. Stranded in a desolate state of isolation andrejection, fate intervenes as Steele stumbles upon the woman of his dreams, awoman known only by her first name.
But there's a catch. The mysterious woman, with her walls firmly in place,informs Steele that she never wishes to see him again. Determined to find her,win her back and unlock the key to his wounded heart, Steele seeks assistancefrom his younger sister, Isabella, a skilled and well-connected matchmaker.Entrusting Isabella with his quest, Steele embarks on a journey to find theelusive woman who holds the answers to his deepest desires.
Will Isabella's matchmaking prowess be enough to reunite Steele with hissoulmate, or will fate have a different course in mind? Discover the intricateweb of love, secrets, and second chances in this tantalizing tale. When thepast collides with the present, and hearts are laid bare, will Steele findredemption and the love he so desperately craves? Prepare to be captivated bythe twists and turns of Steele's tumultuous journey as he searches for the woman destined tomend his shattered soul.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
Days later Steele and Ruby arrange to meet James at the FivePoints Cocktail Bar on San Pedro Square and hurried over.
Ruby loved the old glamorous gangster vibe the bar gave off.She was glad Steele picked a table located near the window facing San PedroSquare.
Steele and Ruby sat together on one side across from James.
The Bartender walked over. “Any drink orders?”
“I’ll take a White Devil,” James chuckled.
“In that case, I’ll have a Vatican City,” Steele said.
“Give me a Ready Aim Fire,” Ruby said. “In case I need toput a bullet in the White Devil.”
“That’s my girl,” Steele laughed.
“So, what is our topic of conversation?” James asked. “Orshould I guess?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
J.A. Jackson is the pseudonym for an author who loves to writedeliciously sultry adult romantic, suspenseful, entertaining novels with aunique twist. She lives in an enchanted little house she calls home in theNorthern California foothills. Her love for cooking and writing comesfrom her Southern roots of Louisiana and Arkansas, as well as her Southside ofChicago upbringing.
She spent over ten years working in the non-profit sector whereshe wrote grants, press releases and contributed many stories to theirnewsletter. She was their Newsletter editor for over ten years. She lovesgrowing roses, a good pot of hot tea, chocolate, magical stories, suspensestories, ghost stories, and reading Jane Austen again and again in her pasttime.
Contact: A Geek An Angel Publishing - J. A. Jackson P. O. Box1494, Clovis CA 93613Email: jerreecejackson@yahoo.com
Listof By J. A. Jackson
WhenA Taker Dreams Book I
WhenA Taker Dreams Book II
TheDeceiver’s Secret!
TheProposition
TheGrand Hotel
Lovers,Players, & The Seducer Book I
Lovers,Players, & The Seducer – the Revenge Book II
Lovers,Players, Seducer – Book III The Betrayal of Nicholas La Cour
TheMistress of Desire
&The Orchid Lover Book I
TheMistress of Desire
&The Orchid Lover Book II
Diamondat Midnight
TheSweet Pepper Cajun! Slap His Mamma Cookbook -Tasty Soulful Recipes!
BookII The Sweet Pepper Cajun! Tasty Soulful Cookbook! Southern FamilyRecipes!
TheSweet Pepper Cajun! Appetizer Cookbook
Book1 is When A Takers Dreams
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01288VA7I
BookII of When A Taker’s Dream is set for release this October 7, 2023. *Presalefor the Kindle book can be found here. When A Taker Dreams! ~Book II : When Steele Woos Ruby! - Kindle edition by Jackson, J. A.. RomanceKindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Forthose eager to explore more of my work, I invite you to peruse mythought-provoking articles on Medium, where I share insights as J. A. JacksonAuthor: [Medium Articles](J. A. Jackson Author – Medium).
NewsBreak Contributor Platform
Medium
Manystories
Connectwith me on various social media platforms to stay updated on my latestendeavors:
Instagram: Instagram
Facebook Author's Page: Facebook
TikTok Author Page: TikTok
Explore my collection on AGeek An Angel Publishing: A Geek An Angel Publishing
Browse my Amazon Author Pagefor a comprehensive view of my work: Author J. A. Jackson Amazon
Delve into the captivatingrealm of Tranquil Vibes on my YouTube Channel: [Tranquil Vibes! -YouTube](YouTube Channel Tranquil Vibes! - YouTube)
AGeek An Angel Publishing https://amzn.to/3ZYRkNv
AuthorJ. A. Jackson Amazon https://amzn.to/3hAf6bc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY :
J.A. Jackson will be awarding a digital copy to 5randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour and a $25 Amazon/BN GC.
a Rafflecopter giveawayBlog Tour: BALANCING ENTROPY by M.H. Cali
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. M.H. Cali will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC plus a special edition paperback copy of the book (which includes a physical copy of the novel, an exclusive signed and numbered bookplate, an original sketch inside the book by Laurie Ya, the artist who made the cover, and drew the interior illustrations, and assorted merchandise including coasters, stickers, a tote bag, and more) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour (INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY). Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
When life catches up with young and brilliant investment banker Lucas Blake in the form of anonymous threats, his existence is exactly what he always wished it could be.
Or is it really?
He can barely remember what his true aspirations looked like a decade ago. All he knows now is that everything he worked so hard to build could crash down in a split second if whoever is blackmailing him decides to act on it.
To make matters more complicated, the team he ends up hiring to silently find the culprit of those menaces includes Raven Collins. A woman Lucas lost touch with, but who he still can't get out of his head completely even years after having met her.
As the race to keep him out of harm's ways unfolds, he enters a journey of self-discovery that might very well make him question the core of his life choices.
When greed, power, and old ideals pair together within a perfect storm is it possible to come out of it unscathed?
Can one's principles thrive in a system that seems to bend even the strongest minded to its will?
Lucas and Raven are about to find out for themselves.
Read an Excerpt
“Some people do tend to become other versions of themselves when they are away from home.” He presses their foreheads together while dropping his tone to a murmur. “I don’t do that. What you saw is all me.”
She doesn’t miss a beat. “Likewise.”
“We could’ve been a phenomenal match, Rae.”
A breath catches in her throat. His voice is laced with sincerity. It sends her mind spinning.
He dangerously feels as if he could fit in her routine. His personality is magnificently complex, and strangely both fits with and complements her own. She hasn’t had that sentiment toward anyone in her life up to this point.
But she’s only in her early twenties. She has her whole life in front of her. Her future is actively being written. Whatever happened between them here was definitely a fling.
A beautifully intense, and delightfully intoxicating fling.
She has to remember their pledge. This is insignificant.
She relishes in the cool seaside breeze and Lucas’ applying entrancing pressure on her lower back vertebrae for a moment.
Existence is full of fleeting instants and inconsequential events while some others open doors to infinite possibilities. She willingly classified this hook up in the former category as soon as they first kissed.
They’ll go back to their occupations, to their social circles, and to constructing their destinies. This ephemeral liaison will become a distant memory. It was solely a bridge between phases of their respective purposes.
This is what counts.
This is what she has to keep in mind.
However, she still can’t shake the thought that they could’ve been legendary together totally out of her brain, so she offers him the closest truth she can think of.
“Maybe in another life, Luke,” she whispers against his lips.
About the Author:
M.H. Cali is my pen name. From as long as I can remember, writing has been my biggest creative outlet. There are tales that take hold in my brain, and I have to write them. Which means that when it happens, I sit down and do just that. The world is complex and flawed, and so are the characters inhabiting the universes I build. In my fiction novels, I thrive fleshing out stories that explore multiple themes within. If you ever read any of my works, you’ll notice that I love writing layered characters, having a diverse cast, and that to me quiet moments are just as important—if not more—than action-packed ones.
Storytelling is all about balance in the emotions and events throughout the narrative. It's my motto.
If I manage to make you feel what the characters are going through, live the events with them, and wonder what is going to happen, then I succeeded.
If you ever give my stories a chance, I hope you enjoy!
Master link for all socials, website & more: http://bio.site/MHCali
Website: http://mhcaliwrites.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40661999.M_H_Cali
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C9LB1FC7/about
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mhcaliwrites/
Twitter (mostly inactive nowadays): https://www.twitter.com/mhcaliwrites
Bluesky handle (for those over there): mhcaliwrites.bsky.social
Link to buy the book on all platforms (ebook or paperback available): https://books2read.com/BalancingEntropy
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 10, 2023
Blog Tour: THE GROUP by Kevin R. Doyle
Book Number One of The Group series
Mystery
Date Published: Jan. 07, 2023
Publisher: Books in Motion
Narrator: Caryn Hoaglund
Run Time: 9 hours, 22 minutes
He was one of several marked for death, but the only one who saw it coming.
About the Author
A retired high-school teacher and former college instructor, Kevin R. Doyle is the author of numerous short horror stories. He’s also written four crime thrillers including The Group and The Anchor, and one horror novel, The Litter. In the last few years, he’s begun working on the Sam Quinton private eye series, published by Camel Press. The first Quinton book, Squatter’s Rights, was nominated for the 2021 Shamus award for Best First PI Novel. The fourth Sam Quinton book, Clean Win, was released in March of 2023.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 9, 2023
Blog Tour: A PLANET TO NOWHERE by Nicholas Dufresne
A Planet to Nowhere
by Nicholas Dufresne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Sci-fi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Adrian thought his time as a human experimentwas over, that he was done suffering and had finally died. Never did he expectto wake up somewhere new, somewhere alien and far different than he could'veever imagined.
Has he found salvation, or is a test subject allhe's destined to be?
***
When a scouting mission brings Reya and her team toa star sector that doesn't support life, they stumble into far more than theyfirst bargained for. The planet they thought was deserted contains secrets withfar-reaching consequences.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
The last thing he remembered was his futile struggle againstthe blue. Everything had been blue. He’d felt himself fade as the last vestigesof life fled from his body. His mind had shut down, turning itself off. Andthen, everything went black.
The darkness.
That crushing, never ending darkness.
Adrian shivered for entirely different reasons as his bodyheat leached away into the ground beneath him. He breathed deep lungfuls ofair, immersed in the simple feeling of being. Blinking owlishly, he rid hiseyes of the substance that clouded them while he lay on his back and stared atthe ceiling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Topic: What was thehardest part about writing this book and what did you do to overcome it?
Writing a novel isn’teasy, so I’ve come to learn. The work doesn’t stop when you write the words TheEnd. Penning the first draft of A Planet to Nowhere took me twomonths of constant, daily work.
That was only thebeginning.
That early period waswhen I was coming up with the story. I had all of these ideas and scenes inmind I thought would be interesting to incorporate. Different concepts andplots that I needed to concretize for everything to work out.
When I finallyfinished writing my first draft, I realized that I was nowhere near the end ofmy tale. I revised the book I’d just written and made changes for what I wantedto tell in the future. After which I promptly wrote up the next few books.
The hardest part ofwriting this book actually happened after I finished writing my fourth book inthe series. I decided to publish. I quickly realized that I had no clue how todo that.
So I did my researchand came to the decision that I wanted to self-publish, which meant I had toorganize everything it takes to publish a book on my own. Getting the bookready for print and into its final version was the hardest part.
An editor was firsthired to help me improve the novel, to which I learned there are multiple kindsof editing one might need, each one different. Since my novel is the first in aseries, I had to make sure all the right details were finalized for the rest ofthe books and that was no small task. I’ve reread over my book so many timesI’ve lost count. Everything I published in the first novel would lock in therest of the overarching plot. Forever.
At the same time, Iwas juggling getting a cover made for the story. I had no idea what to expect.All the different design drafts needed to make it just right took me bysurprise and took longer than I initially planned.
Eventually, I finishedediting and was satisfied with what I had as a manuscript. The cover wasn’tdone yet, so I proceeded to have the text properly formatted and turned into aprint-ready file to actually print the book with. Then it was a matter ofgetting a proofreader to go over it one final time to catch anyinconsistencies.
And then? Themanuscript was ready for print. There was nothing left to work on for that partof the project. I was able to focus all of my effort into putting the finaltouches on the cover. Once it was done, my book was complete, and I wasecstatic.
The final logisticsinvolved organizing print and distribution on a global scale so that physicalcopies of my book could be created and getting it to online marketplaces. Oncemy website was created (nicholasdufresne.com), all the pieces were in place.
And then it went live.
The project ended upbeing a far bigger undertaking than I first expected. I don’t regret it becausenow, holding my own book in my hands, I know that it was worth it.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Nicholas Dufresneis a Canadian writer from Montreal. An avid reader and lover of stories,delving into the worlds created by others is a passion of his that inspired himto write one of his own to share with the world. Fantasy and science fictionare his preferred genres, both to read and write. When not reading or writing,he’s probably dreaming up new worlds to explore.
Website: https://nicholasdufresne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicholas.dufresne.184
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicholas_dufresne/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-dufresne-1082ab17b/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Nowhere-Nicholas-Dufresne-ebook/dp/B0CCLFPQZS/
The book will be free.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY:
Nicholas Dufresne will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GCto a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
