Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 113
July 22, 2023
Review: INDIANA IDEALIST by Callie Love and Ann Omasta
Camille just wants to be someone’sperfect match in the Man of the Month Club. Was that too much to ask?
“What I crave—the kind of lovewhere you can lose everything and still feel like you have it all.”
Of course, her romantic fantasywas shattered when her ornery neighbor comes over for his pig. Evidently, shewas at war with an environmentalist over her golf course’s pollution. I enjoyedthe snarky barbs they threw at each other as well as their insane custodybattle over the pig. Who can’t help but fall for someone that loves animals?
A sweet and sizzling love story!
Rating:4 stars
Review: CHRISTMAS ENCOUNTERS by Monique Dubois
A woman on a ski vacation…alone.But so what? She didn’t need her boyfriend to have a good time. The skiingscene wasn’t too amusing. Upon collapsing on the mountain, she finds herself inthe infirmary, where she meets a hunky doctor.
The narrative was decent, but itwas very long and slow, which really didn’t get me immersed in the story. Thelove scene was nice, sure. I just didn’t get that invested with the charactersor their story. I was like, “eh, what else is there to read?”
An okay holiday romance.
Rating:3 stars
Review: SEARCHING FOR GLORY by Hunter Keane
This was life as a Hollywood powercouple told from a bored TV celebrity in that candid, snarky tone that I like.You’d think being engaged to a movie star heartthrob would be a dream cometrue, but she just couldn’t stand him sometimes.
A return home to a dark, but notforgotten, past.
A letter sends Glory back homeafter many years. She goes from Glory Star, Hollywood TV star, to Glory Starkof Princeton, MO. She goes back everything and everyone—including a boy namedJohnny, her first everything.
Glory and Johnny seemed to bethrown together a lot and it was obvious there was still something unresolvedbetween them. If only he wasn’t seeing someone else. What happened with themall those years ago? It also turned out that Glory’s sister wasn’t doing sowell with her health and the kids. Can Glory make up for not being there thelast 10 years?
This story was rather interesting.It was kind of long and slow with some parts being too daunting. But,ultimately, this was a sweet story of heart and strength. I kind of liked it.
Rating:3 stars
July 21, 2023
Blog Tour: PROPHET'S LAMENTATION by Robert Creekmore
Prophet's Lamentation
by Robert Creekmore
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GENRE: Thriller
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BLURB:
Two years after Naomi murdered the serialkiller and rapist Vernon Proffit, she is attempting to adjust to a quiet lifewith her wife, Tiffany. But Vernon’s flock is not done with her. Under newleadership, their numbers have swollen as they morphed from a single entityinto a network of cultists called Apostles of the Cloven Hand.
Naomi has suppressed her abilities since killingVernon, but she cannot ignore the voices of the young people the new flocktortures and molests. They scream for help in her dreams every night, causingher to question her own sanity.
When she uses her long-dormant abilities to stop anattempted gay-bashing, Naomi’s true identity is exposed. The cult sends anassassin to kill Naomi and her family, forcing them to flee the state while theApostles move to take everything the family has built.
Naomi fought the cult before and won. But that wasbefore she had her chosen family to worry about. Now, she must choose betweenhiding on her own to keep her family safe or fighting back to destroy theApostles. If she hides, the Apostles will continue to victimize those nearthem. If she fights, her family will be at risk of the same fate they plan forNaomi.
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Excerpt One:
“Even after your enemies’ defeat, they are still with you.”
Those are Nate’s words. I hear them whenever I wake upscreaming and fighting in the middle of the night. Tiffany has similarepisodes.
How do you build an ordinary life when you’re not, well,ordinary? Terror and fury molded me for eleven years. That abruptly ended withthe death of Vernon Proffit and his acolytes. Sure, there was a period ofcelebration following. After vengeance, the anger never completely subsides.Don’t interpret that as regret; some motherfuckers need killing.
What bothers me is that before I fed Vernon to the AtlanticOcean, the screams that woke me were my own as I relived trauma.
The abilities my guide, Mara, gifted me are still intact,but I choose to shut myself off from them. However, now something new comespulsing forth from the ground that I have no control over. I’m stirred fromsleep by the horrors others are experiencing. They cry out for help, but Idon’t know how to save them. Mostly, they’re abused young people. Their voicesdrive me mad. If I could only find them, maybe I could stop their suffering.Last night, it was a young man named Vincent. I couldn’t see where he was. Icould only hear him wail in pain as he experienced abject hopelessness.
But I attempt to tarry forward.
Today, I should be happy. It’s July twentieth,two-thousand-six; my twenty-seventh birthday as Naomi Pace. Legally, as Hannah Sillman,I’m thirty-four and will turn thirty-five on Christmas day. That birthday iscelebrated more ominously, as the real Hannah rests with her mother, Milly,under an old oak tree high up in the hills of Yancey County. Her father, Al,gifted me with this new life by giving me her identity for my eighteenthbirthday. He was more of a father than my own, Amos, who beat me mercilesslywhen he found out that I was in love with Tiffany. I still am. Their hate andviolence couldn’t destroy that.
I won. Why am I still so sad? Why do I disregard my ownlife, feeling guilty about those I couldn’t save, like Charles? He died duringour escape. There was nothing I could do. I know that, logically, but I can’tconvince my heart of it. It eats at me with each heartbeat, saying, ‘you couldhave done more.’ It does so now, at four-thirty in the morning. I’m sitting upin bed with no one to speak with. I don’t dare wake my beautiful bride,Tiffany, as she sleeps soundly next to me.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
RobertCreekmore is from a rural farming community in Eastern North Carolina.
Heattended North Carolina State where he studied psychology. While at university,he was active at the student radio station. There, he fell in love with punkrock and its ethos.
Robertacquired several teaching licenses in special education. He was an autismspecialist in Raleigh for eight years. He then taught for four years in a smallmountain community in western North Carolina.
Duringhis time in the mountains, he lived with his wife Juliana in a remote primitivecabin built in 1875. While there, he grew most of his own food, raisedchickens, worked on a cattle farm, as well as participated in subsistencehunting and fishing.
Eventually,the couple moved back to the small farming community where Robert was raised.
Robert’sfirst novel Afiri, is a science fiction love letter to his childhoodhero Carl Sagan. It was nominated for a Manly Wade Wellman award in 2016.
Robert’ssecond novel is the first in a trilogy of books. Annoyed with the stereotype ofthe southeastern United States as a monolith of ignorance and hatred, he wantedto bring forth characters from the region who are queer and autistic. They nowhold up a disinfecting light to the hatred of the region’s past and to thosewho still yearn for a return to ways and ideas that should have long agoperished.
Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Prophets-Lamentation-Robert-Creekmore-ebook/dp/B0BZ6MRPVW/
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GIVEAWAY :
Robert Creekmore will be awarding a $10 Amazon orBarnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during thetour.
July 20, 2023
Blog Tour: HOLLYLAND by Patricia Leavy
HOLLYLAND
by Patricia Leavy
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GENRE: Romance
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BLURB:
Whathappens when a seemingly ordinary woman with a passion for the arts falls inlove with a Hollywood star known for his bachelor status and quick temper withthe paparazzi? Something extraordinary.
DeeSchwartz is a writer and arts researcher. Ryder Field is a famous actordescended from Hollywood royalty. On the night they meet outside a bar, theirconnection is palpable. Ryder’s mother—legendary actress Rebecca Field, half ofHollywood’s golden couple when she died—was kidnapped and murdered by a crazedfan in a shocking event that forever tarnished Tinseltown. Dee’s mother, too,died when she was young. Bonded by this loss, the two embark on a love storythat explores their search for magic—or “gold dust”—in their lives. Everythingchanges, however, when Dee mysteriously disappears after an awards ceremony. Ishistory repeating itself? Can there truly be a happily ever after in Hollywood?
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Excerpt One:
Dee clutchedher cell phone and exited the crowded bar to see a line of hopefuls waiting toget in. Looking for a quiet place to take her call, she walked around thecorner to the empty side street, the warm LA breeze blowing through her long,chestnut hair. Just as she put the phone to her ear, actor Ryder Field steppedout of the side entrance. With a string of film credits to his name, he wasbest known for the twelve years he starred as CIA operative Bruce Jones on thehit action television series, The Mission. Examining his tight black jeans andblack T-shirt that showed off his muscular, tattooed arms, Dee couldn’t helpbut notice how impossibly sexy he was. They made eye contact, and she lookeddown ever so slightly. He smiled at her, and then leaned against the stuccoexterior of the building and lit a cigarette.
“Uh, hi. I’mhere,” she said, trying to refocus on her call. “Are they freaking out?... Iguess you haven’t read it yet,” she said with a laugh. “Well, yeah, you couldsay that. It might be a little provocative. As soon as we hang up, I’ll textyou the bits you should be aware of… Right now?... Jesus, just let me text youin a minute… Fine.” She glanced over at Ryder, he smiled, and took a drag ofhis cigarette. She looked down, lowered her voice and said, “On page onethere’s an explicit oral act in the balcony of a church. Page four, bent over apew… No, the other thing… Page seven, on the altar…” She glanced up at Ryderwho was staring at her, trying to keep a straight face, laughter in hissea-colored eyes. “Well, tell them technically it’s not forbidden in the Bible.I don’t think it’s expressly mentioned… Oh, one more thing. Holy water is usedas a metaphor throughout… Think about it… Yeah…” She laughed. “Oh, I canimagine the subject line of that email!... Well, just tell them, ‘Toto, we’renot in Kansas anymore.’” She laughed. “Yeah, okay. Thanks, bye,” she said,hanging up.
She lookedsheepishly at Ryder, who turned to face her, his side against the building.“Sorry about that,” she said.
“I have amillion questions about that call,” he said.
She smiled andsaid, “Have a good night,” turning to leave.
“Wait, youcan’t leave me wondering like that. You’re not going to tell me?”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Patricia Leavy, PhD, is anaward-winning, best-selling author. She was formerly Associate Professor ofSociology, Chairperson of Sociology & Criminology, and Founding Director ofGender Studies at Stonehill College. She has published more than forty books;her work has been translated into many languages, and she has received morethan forty book honors. Hollyland was featured on She Reads in “The MostAnticipated Romances of Spring 2023” and was the 2023 Firebird Book Awards 1stPlace Winner in Pop Culture Fiction and 1st Place Winner in Summer/Beach Read. Patriciahas also received career awards from the New England Sociological Association,the American Creativity Association, the American Educational ResearchAssociation, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, and theNational Art Education Association. In 2018, she was honored by the NationalWomen’s Hall of Fame and SUNY-New Paltz established the “Patricia Leavy Awardfor Art and Social Justice.” Patricia lives in Maine. In addition to writing,she enjoys art, reading, and travel.
Website: www.patricialeavy.com
SheWrites Press: https://shewritespress.com/product/hollyland/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WomenWhoWrite/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patricialeavy
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PatriciaLeavy
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GIVEAWAY
The author will award a $10Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
July 19, 2023
Blog Tour: THE DOG MEN by Patricia Crandall
THE DOG MEN
by Patricia Crandall
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GENRE: Mystery
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BLURB:
Ten-year-oldWyatt and eleven-year-old Hannah uncover the dark world of illegal dog fightswhen they trespass at a Vermont farm and peep through a barn window. And whencrotchety old Lester Cranshaw’s dog, Paddy, turns up missing, there is noholding him back from investigating the situation and the kids join in. In thedead of the night, after the trio are captured and held hostage at the Inglisfarm, Wyatt will need all of his wits and courage to escape in order to savethe lives of his friends. THE DOG MEN draws the reader into a tempest of animalabuse, lawlessness, and kidnapping within the confines of small-townhappenings. A chilling plot and a peerless relationship between kids, adultsand pets.
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Excerpt One:
Wyatt watchedMrs. Forbes drop apples and oranges into brown paper lunch bags. Then came twobananas.
He frowned.“Won’t the sandwiches get crushed, Mrs. Forbes?”
Her handstopped in mid-air. She reached into the bags to adjust the distribution offood. “Satisfied?” She smiled.
“Yea.” Wyattswiped the cowlick bangs away from his forehead.
“I’m not happy,Mom,” eleven year old Hannah piped up. “How about peanut butter cups andKit-Kats?”
“You two are breaking me down.” Cleo Forbesshook her head. “I’ll put in candy if you promise to eat the fruit. Just don’ttoss it.”
“We’ll eateverything.” Wyatt smacked his lips.
The phone rangand Wyatt watched Mrs. Forbes turn her back to answer it. He heard the loud,whining voice of old Miss Filmore. He inched over to the peninsula and reachedinto the candy bag, tossing more chocolate into the lunch bags.
Hannah coveredher face to smother giggles.
"I don’tknow what’s going on,” Cleo said as she returned to the peninsula and greased acake tin. “But a hike and fresh air will do you both good. Wish I could joinyou.” She sighed. “At least I’ll get the wool sweaters and blankets aired onthe line. It’s a perfect day for doing that.” She started taking stuff out ofthe cupboards. “And, don't be late like last time. You scared me half out of mymind! When it got dark, I really worried."
"I'll makesure we're back on time, Mrs. Forbes," Wyatt zipped his lunch into hisblack knapsack. Hannah’s mom was really nice and made terrific brownies, butshe was an awful worrier. It wasn’t dark yet when they got back. Not really.“Come on Hannah. Hurry up.”
She was shovingstuff into her backpack. Just like a girl to bring all that. Hannah went outthe door ahead of him and Wyatt hesitated. “Mrs. Forbes? When did you say mymom and dad are coming home?”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
PatriciaCrandall is the author of nine books, and a 2023 winner of the Besties of theCapital Region Awards, Author Category. Her latest book, “Lacey O’Dunn, The Rookie,” is a crime/thrillerinvolving drugs and car bashing senior citizens on icy winter roads. She has alsopublished numerous articles and short stories in various magazines andnewspapers. Her book, “The Dog Men,” third edition was also just released.Patricia is a member of Sisters in Crime (Mavens) and National Association ofIndependent Editors and Writers. She lives with her husband, Art, and a rescuecat, Bette, at Babcock Lake in Grafton Mountains near Petersburgh, New York.She has two children and three grandchildren who live nearby.
http://www.facebook.com/babcocklake/
http://www.twitter.com/pcrandall123
https://instagram.com/pcrandall123
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GIVEAWAY
Theauthor will award a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
July 18, 2023
Blog Tour: BLOOD OF FIRE by January Bain
BLOOD OF FIRE
by January Bain
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GENRE: Supernatural Romance
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BLURB:
Cana carefree wolf shifter and an unbelieving human find true love?
LoganGreig, billionaire wolf and kilt-wearing Scot, arrives in Vegas to make a heistmovie set in a casino. He’s the bad boy of his clan, the one voted least likelyto settle down. What does he care? He loves women and won’t apologize to anyonefor that.
JustineBell, a dedicated history professor at the University of Vegas and a skeptic tothe bone, is hired by Logan Grieg to dress the set with Egyptian antiquities.She dislikes Logan the infamous playboy on principle alone, but with the deaninsisting she takes the job, she has no choice.
Whenone of the ancient relics in the shipment turns out to be a legendaryinvaluable artifact, Justine throws herself into research to discover moreabout it. Both she and Logan are amazed to discover that the item is of vitalimportance to the whole of mankind—it reveals that supernatural creatures havealways walked the Earth!
Now,with the clock ticking, the pair must work together as a team. Justine has tofind the strength to abandon the safety of the beliefs she clings to, ones thatdon’t allow her to embrace true love, and Logan must fight to become the manJustine needs him to be.
Ifthey can do that, a whole new world awaits them…
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Excerpt One:
Logan
“Bloody feathered tyrant!” I howled at the boisterous soundsof a rooster crowing to greet the morn before the sun was even up tearingthrough my wet dream like a true cock blocker. And just when the lass was aboutto reveal all those luscious curves. I yawned and checked the clock. Best getat it—I did have a lot on before leaving tomorrow. Directing a movie. My firstfull-length feature in Vegas, Nevada, USA. It didn’t get any better than that.
I threw the covers off and made my way to the window to pullaside the drapes and check the weather. A half-moon hung smiling in the sky onits way to harvest brightness in a couple of months, the horizon growing subtlylighter to the east. No fog this morning—the sky clear around the moon. Thedistinctive sound of a church bell ringing filled my head, and I shook it inannoyance. Omens, I can well do without. Nothing was going to get in my way ofachieving success in my own right, not even a seer promising big life changeswhen I left the Highlands.
Was I taking a chance setting the movie in Vegas, eventhough it was the perfect location for a heist picture? Both of my olderbrothers were settled down happily with their new partners and lovers afterreturning from the City of Sin, acting too smug for words. I shook my head. No.Not going to happen. I wasn’t one bit superstitious, was blessed with a strongmind and besides, I didn’t believe in the thunderclap, at least not for me.
My brothers had just used the excuse to be with the womenthey wanted to be with. That old crone who’d foretold us all finding ourForever Mates in the land of desert and sage had been full of it. If she couldreally tell the future, she’d have won the lottery. My philosophy was to liveeach day to its fullest because it could be the last. Oh, and protect yourheart.
As a wolf, I’d seen what happened to a shifter who believedin the phenomenon and was rejected by his fated mate, and it wasn’t pretty. Apassion that raged out of control like wildfire could only lead to oneconclusion if it wasn’t shared by both.
Death.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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January Bain has wished on every falling star, every blown-outbirthday candle, and every coin thrown in a fountain to be a storyteller. Toshare the tales of high adventure, mysteries, and full-blown thrillers she hasdreamed of all her life. The story you now have in your hands is thecompilation of a lot of things manifesting itself for this special series.Hundreds of hours spent researching the unusual and the mundane have cometogether to create books that features strong women who live life to thefullest, wild adventures full of twists and unforeseen turns, and hotcomplicated men who aren’t afraid to take risks. She can only hope her storieswill capture your imagination and touch your heart.
If you are looking for January Bain, you can find her hard at workevery morning without fail in her office with her furry baby, Ling Ling. And,of course, she’s married to the most romantic man! Who once famously remarkedto her inquiry about buying fresh flowers for their home every week, “Give meone good reason why not?” Leaving her speechless and knocking her head againstthe proverbial wall for being so darn foolish. She loves flowers.
If you wish to connect in the virtual world she is easily found onFacebook. Oh, and she loves to talk books…
Blog Address - http://januarybainjourney.blogspot.ca/
Twitter Name – https://twitter.com/JanuaryBain
Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/january.bain
Any other social media -
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6437282.January_Bain
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GIVEAWAY
JanuaryBain will award a $30 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
July 17, 2023
Blog Tour: ONE POLAR BEAR by Crystal Beach
One Polar Bear
by Crystal Beach
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GENRE: Children's Fiction
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BLURB:
One Polar Bear is a delightful rhyming book filledwith lovable animals from the Canadian Arctic. Polar Bear is home sick andalone. His many animal friends drop by to cheer him up. This counting storycelebrates individuals with a variety of abilities and disabilities, and thetext helps teach the numbers one to ten. Canada is a country made up of manypeoples and cultures. This book reflects this diversity by featuring the word"welcome" in different languages amongst its pages. One Polar Bear isa wonderful bedtime story and a beautiful way to educate and celebrate thedifferences in our world.
Ifyou can be anything, be inclusive.
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EXCERPTS:
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Review:
“One polar bear, home sick andalone.”The story was a clever rhyme ofnumbers, like “The 12 Days of Christmas.” The illustrations were simple andcute. I enjoyed the fun rhymes.
A nice, little read and a good wayto learn numbers.
Rating:4 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Crystal Beach is an adoptive mother and caregiver oftwo children who have complex medical needs and disabilities. Her children areoften represented in her work as strong, caring individuals with special giftsand powers. Her writing projects are intended to ensure financial support forher children's future care.
Crystal has a BA in Creative Writing from theUniversity of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Her focus is in children'sliterature, publishing and journalism. She has had many careers including tenyears as a MedA with the Canadian Naval Reserve, training as an EMT andcontinued studies in developmental psychology.
Her volunteer work has included Girl Guides ofCanada and wildlife rescue and rehab.
She and her family live in Regina, Saskatchewan in asimple little house with two giant support dogs.
https://www.facebook.com/crystalbeachauthor
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GIVEAWAY
Crystal Beach will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC toa randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
July 15, 2023
Review: THE HARBORSIDE KILLER by Katy Pierce
The 8th Grade Killerwas back in Harborside, and the town was going to remember what it was like tobe afraid. A fresh victim was found right next to Carlee’s childhood home. Butthe killer wasn’t stopping there. He was going after everyone Carlee was closeto. The thing was that maybe this wasn’t the 8th Grade Killer again,like in the previous books, which always had a totally different killer. But ifit wasn’t the 8th Grade Killer, then who was doing this?Computer-whizz Carlee was set to find out.
Meanwhile, the 8thGrade Killer was getting closer and closer to revealing himself to Carlee. Willwe finally meet him? Will Carlee get the shock of her life when she does? Youjust have to find out.
What an exciting and climacticending! Didn’t see that one coming. A perfect end to the series!
Rating:5 stars
Review: TEMPTING THE LIGHT by Bonnie Gill
It’s your birthday, you get firedfrom your job, and you come home to catch your boyfriend screwing a mime inyour bed. Great, just great.
Then she gets her monthly visitorand a genie pops out to start her curse. What curse? Don’t women already have acurse?
The narrative was clever andsnarky, but the story had too many weird elements for my liking. Plus, it was alittle long and didn’t keep me vested in it very well.
Eh, not that great.
Rating:2 stars
