Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 127
June 19, 2023
Book Blast: RODEO CLOWNS AND SHAKEDOWNS by Trixie Silvertale
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Trixie Silvertale will be awarding a $75 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.
Front row seats to murder. Thousands of eyewitnesses. Can our psychic sleuth trust her own eyes?
Mitzy Moon is loving life after the honeymoon. And as part of their agreement to try new things, she’s happily whooping it up at the local cowboy competition. But the newlyweds get roped into yet another investigation when their date night ends with a dead rodeo clown.
As her new husband’s history with the prime suspect’s wife tests all loyalties, Mitzy struggles to balance jealousy with keeping her man out of the hoosegow. And now she’ll need saddlebags of extra help from her mentor, Ghost-ma, and her entitled feline to unhorse the ruthless culprit.
Can Mitzy and Erick wrangle all the clues, or will spurious accusations bring a deadly showdown?
Rodeo Clowns and Shakedowns is the second book in the hilarious new paranormal cozy mystery series, Harper and Moon Investigations, a spinoff from the popular Mitzy Moon Mysteries. If you like snarky heroines, supernatural intrigue, and a dash of romance, then you’ll love Trixie Silvertale’s bucking brainteaser.
Buy Rodeo Clowns and Shakedowns to lasso a killer today!
Read an Excerpt
“GET IT OFF ME!” I swipe the snake to the floor, step as far away as possible, and continue to flail my hands and shiver.
Ghost-ma floats down to the motionless reptile and shakes her head. “Just an old rubber snake from the toy basket in the children’s section, Mitzy.” She reaches an ethereal hand toward Pyewacket and raises one finger. “You shouldn’t torment your best human, Mr. Cuddlekins.”
With the welcome knowledge that a live snake is not slithering around my closet, I return to the bench. “Yeah, what she said, Pye. I can’t put up with feline shenanigans and keep ghosts out of my head before a proper cup of coffee!”
Grams chuckles as she continues to rifle through the closet. “Don’t blame me, dear. I honestly thought you said it out loud because I wasn’t watching your lips. I was hard at work finding the perfect outfit for your first rodeo parade.”
“It will be the rodeo parade I missed, if you don’t pick something soon! Erick just sent me another text. The marching band is warming up. Yeesh! Pick something! Anything!”
“Reeeee-ow.” A warning.
“Look, you’ve even got Pyewacket concerned. He’d hate for me to stand up Detective Harper. You know Pye’s all Team Erick, now.”
Ghost-ma and I share a giggle, and I stretch out my arm to scratch the broad tan head of my furry overlord. Along with this bookstore, a swanky apartment, and a healthy monetary inheritance, my grandmother passed on her most precious possession: Robin Pyewacket Goodfellow.
Pye is a half-wild caracal …
CONTINUE READING HERE: https://readerlinks.com/l/3460643
About the Author:
USA TODAY Bestselling author Trixie Silvertale grew up reading an endless supply of Lilian Jackson Braun, Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew novels. She loves the amateur sleuths in cozy mysteries and obsesses about all things paranormal. Those two passions unite in her Mitzy Moon Mysteries and Harper and Moon Investigations, and she's thrilled to write them and share them with you.Trixie’s Website: https://trixiesilvertale.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/trixiesilvertale
BookBub Author: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/trixie-silvertale
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trixiesilvertale/
Facebook Author: https://www.facebook.com/TrixieSilvertale/
BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Rodeo-Clowns-Shakedowns-Paranormal-Investigations-ebook/dp/B0BYTGQTK5/
a Rafflecopter giveaway
June 18, 2023
Review: I’LL WALK ALONE by Mary Higgins Clark
Zan is an interior designer whoseson went missing 2 years ago. Willy and Alvirah Meehan, the old lotterywinners, had so much compassion for the missing child and his grieving mother.Her son’s birthday was hard enough on Zan and these strange credit card chargesshe knew nothing about were only making it worse.
A smashing break comes to lightwhen an enlarged photo of the disappearance shows an exact double of Zan takingthe child. Ooh! Why would she take her own child? This didn’t make sense. Whatwas going on?
“But it wasn’t me” cried Zan.“Someone who looks like me took Matthew.”
Nobody believed that she didn’ttake her own son and that she wasn’t making all these charges.
A compelling mystery with ashocking end!
Rating:5 stars
Review: THE WARNING by Jonas Saul
A dead body found in the woods andthe one the police suspect was the guy that found her. Provoked by the messagesof her dead sister, Sarah Roberts shows up looking for a murderer that got away20 years ago, and Jack seemed to be connected to it. Boy, this day justwouldn’t end for him.
There were some interesting anglesthat obviously weren’t revealed right away. Story chips away at these layers,piece by piece, making for some quite compelling reading overall. After awhile, however, the storyline kind of lags a bit and you’re not as into it asyou started off. But it’s a decent thriller with some good action scenes. Iespecially liked the cryptic messages Sarah gets from her dead sister.
A fair read.
Rating:3 stars
Review: THE DRIVE-BY KILLER by Katy Pierce
The case of the Drive-by Killerwas enough to bring tech-whizz Carlee back into the game. Three random peopleall gunned down from a black car. What was the connection?
Meanwhile, the 8thGrade Killer had killed a little girl that could’ve been Carlee’s doppelganger.This would all prove to be too much for Carlee’s fragile state.
The victims of the Drive-by Killerwere stacking up and that included a dead mayor. It was up to Carlee with thehelp of her two cop friends to figure this one out.
This was an interesting case. Andwhile they were all immersed in it, they were being carefully watched by the 8thGrade Killer. Who was the shooter? And why target these particular victims? Wasthis something political? Or was the culprit someone with a seemingly innocentpublic persona? You just have to find out.
A simplyengaging read!
Rating:4 stars
Review: STILLETOS AND SCOUNDRELS by L.C. Turner
Fired by a chauvinistic boss.Well, that was kind of bad and good. Regardless, Presley, who had a weaknessfor shoes and would rather not eat than go without her shoes, needed to findanother job. She always wanted to write, so maybe she could take over the humaninterest position at her friend’s magazine. Her assignment was to write a pieceon a political figure.
Although the narrative was wittyand clever in that sassy diary prose, it was also too long and slow, especiallyat the beginning. Sometimes it seemed that she yammered on and on. I couldn’treally get past all the inane, bubble-brain monologues to make it to the murdermystery.
The read was okay, I’d say, butdefinitely not my kind of read.
Rating:2 stars
June 16, 2023
Blog Tour: PATROOSH, THE HUNGRY PELICAN by Renée James
Patroosh, the Hungry Pelican
by Renée James
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GENRE: Children’s fiction
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BLURB:
Pancakes, milkshakes, fish and chipsgalore... Patroosh the hungry pelican will enjoy all four. Especially ifthere's ketchup he can pour.
With Seamus the seagull by his side, always there tohelp decide.
Will these two feathered friends find what they wantfor lunch?
They're feeling peckish and do enjoy a good munch.
What could be in store for diners today at theirfavourite marina café?
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Excerpt 1: 44 Word count
Patroosh,the pelican, and Seamus, the seagull, are bobbing along, paddling their feetand singing their boisterous bird song. SQUAWK SQUAWK SQUAAAAAAAAWK.
Ah,this is the life,” bursts out Seamus with glee, then Patroosh does somethingfunny, yelling,
“Lookat me, look at me!
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Review:
What happens when a silly pelicangets hungry? Well, for starters, he checks out the café, where there’s pizza,hot dogs, and ketchupy fries all around.The illustrations were so vibrant,expressive, and colorful. Most of the scenes centered on the food and the happycrowd with commentary by the pelicans that were outside looking in. But can onepelican resist a fish?
A fun and harebrained story!
Rating:4 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
RenéeJames comes from a background in communications and the commercial televisionindustry. She has worked on a variety of creative projects both nationally andinternationally.
She loves nothing more than spending time with family and friends, whichincludes their much-loved dog. She is passionate about travel, beach days, and,of course, story-time. Her children are the bee's knees as they're constantreminders to be present, and always make time to play.
CONNECT WITH Renée James
WEBSITE: https://reneejamesbooks.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/reneejamesbooks
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/reneejamesbooks/
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21279212.Ren_e_James
PURCHASE LINKS TO Patroosh, the Hungry Pelican
AMAZON.COM - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0228882060
AMAZON.COM.AU -https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/0228882060
AMAZON KINDLE -https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZ52C5Y5
BARNES &NOBLE - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/patroosh-the-hungry-pelican-ren-e-james/1143286531
BOOK DEPOSITORY- https://www.bookdepository.com/Patroosh-the-Hungry-Pelican-Renee-James/9780228882060#
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GIVEAWAY
RenéeJames will award a $15 Amazon or BN GC to a randomly drawn winner viarafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour: BLACKOUT TRAIL by Linda Naughton
Blackout Trail
by Linda Naughton
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GENRE: Post-Apocalyptic Sci-FiThriller
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BLURB:
DoctorAnna Hastings is no stranger to disasters, having spent much of her career asan aid worker in conflict zones around the world. Yet when an electricalphenomenon known as an EMP brings down the power grid, Anna faces catastropheon a scale she never imagined. She must learn what it means to be a doctor in aworld deprived of almost all technology.
Asthe blackout causes planes to fall from the sky, Anna crosses paths withdevoted father Mark Ryan in the chaos at the airport. Mark convinces Anna totravel with him and his seven-year-old daughter Lily to their family’s cabin inremote Maine. There Mark hopes to reunite with his wife, and find a safe refugefrom a society on the brink of collapse.
Journeyingacross a thousand miles of backcountry trails, they will face a daily struggleagainst nature. Their biggest peril, though, may come from their fellowsurvivors. As Anna grows closer to Mark and Lily, she resolves to see themsafely home. But can she hold onto her humanity in a world gone mad?
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Excerpt One:
It wasn’t just our baggage carousel that had stopped; they all had. Both theoverhead lights and the computer screens showing the baggage carouselassignments had gone dark too. The only light streamed in from thefloor-to-ceiling windows lining the perimeter of the baggage claim area. Whyhadn’t the emergency lights kicked on?
The automaticsliding doors had also stopped, confounding a gaggle of college kids trying toleave. Beyond the doors, an ominous stillness had replaced the constant bustleof parking shuttles, cars, and taxis creeping along the pickup lane. Thereshould’ve been engine sounds. Horns. Something. Now there were just a bunch ofconfused and pissed-off people getting out of their vehicles.
Grumbling fromthe other passengers gave way to a stunned hush. Panic bubbled just beneath thesurface. You couldn’t set foot in an American airport these days without beingbombarded with reminders of terrorism. Everyone looked at each other, the samequestion written on our faces: Was this some kind of attack? What should we do?I expected some sort of alert or explanation over the loudspeaker, tellingeveryone to remain calm, but none came.
A thunderouscrash from the opposite end of the terminal had me ducking and covering myhead. Metal screeched on metal, accompanied by the tinkle of shattered glassand an ear-splitting grinding sound. A chorus of terrified cries erupted aroundme. I’ll admit it—I screamed too. I caught a glimpse of a plane fuselagecrashing through the airport ceiling before plowing into the ground.
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T
opic: Pleasedescribe a pivotal scene in this story and how it affects the characters.
Early in Blackout Trail,the main characters Anna and Mark realize the extent of the electromagneticpulse and the impending collapse of society. Mark enlists Anna in his plan totake his young daughter, Lily, and hike to their family’s cabin in rural Maine.They’re going to need supplies for the journey.
The “getting geared up” sceneis a hallmark of apocalyptic fiction, often reading like a laundry list of gearspecs and survival tips. Here, though, the characters aren’t survivalists. Annais a doctor, and Mark an engineer. Their inexperience shines through in thisscene as they try to figure out what they’ll need.
Things get messy when apolice officer catches them looting, pitting their sense of morality againstthe harsh reality of their situation.I particularly like this exchange as theycome to terms with the laws they’ve broken:
Mark said, “The world weknew—its rules—it ’ s gone. We ’ re just realizing it sooner than everyone else.”
I heaved a sigh. “ I just didn ’ t think it would happen so quickly. Or that we ’ d be the ones leading the charge into anarchy.I hope you ’ re right about all of thisEMP stuff.”
“ I don ’ t.” When I shot him a confused look, Mark ’ s mouth pressed into a thin line. “ Anna, if I am right,millions of people are going to die. And I don ’ t know what the world isgoing to look like after. I hope to God I ’ m wrong.”
He had a point. The onlything more unsettling than the thought of facing a judge for all of this wasthe thought of not facing a judge, ever, because the world as we knew it wasover. “ Yeah. Well. Compared tothat, I guess sending postcards to each other from jail isn ’ t such a bad alternative.”
He snorted softly, but themirth was short-lived.
Neither of us believed hewas wrong.
How far one can go tosurvive without losing their humanity is a recurring theme throughout thestory, and it’s exemplified in this scene.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Linda Naughton has been writing stories for as long as she canremember. She is the author of several novels, children’s books, and the blogSelf-Rescuing Princesses. A proud geek and gamer girl, she enjoys sci-fi,disaster movies, and role-playing games. She is a software engineer, paramedic,and mother of two.
Book Links:
Amazon (eBook/Paperback/KU): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BP696W3W
Paperback (wide): www.lindanaughton.com/blackout_trail.html
Links:
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GIVEAWAY
Linda Naughton will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawnwinner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
June 13, 2023
Blog Tour: BEST BUDDIES, WHAT'S IN A NAME? by Mother Melania Salem
Book Details:
Book Title: Best Buddies: What's in a Name? by Mother Melania Salem
Category: Children's Fictions (ages 3-7), 32 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publisher: Holy Assumption Monastery
Release date: December, 2022
Content Rating: G - This is a children's picture book. It does deal with homelessness, but in a way that is appropriate for young children. There is nothing graphic and no bad language. Book Description:
What happens when a homeless dog befriends a homeless teen? Join them and find out!BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon
Assumption Monastery
Review: A homeless boy meets a namelessdog. What’s in a name? See what names the boy comes up with.
The images were colorful, but theywere a bit stiff and lacked some luster. There was very little clarity andcontrast in the pictures. It seemed like the same picture was used quite a bit.There was no movement to the characters. I usually like pictures with a lot oflife.
The story was short andsimple—just a basic story about a dog. And who doesn’t love dogs, right?
A cute story about man’s bestfriend.
Rating:3 stars
**** FREE PROMO **** THE AUTHOR IS GIVING AWAY FREE PDF COPIES OF THE BOOK DURING THE TOUR VIA BOOK FUNNEL:DOWNLOAD: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/rdzfhtm2tn
Meet the Author:Mother Melania is the Abbess of Holy Assumption Monastery in Calistoga, CA. She grew up in a house that always had tons of children around, her poor parents had to read to her till they were hoarse, and from the moment she learned to read, she always had her nose in a book. So, it was only natural for her to grow up to write children's books.
She has written three series of specifically Orthodox children's books - all in verse - which celebrate the high points of God's work of salvation in the Person of Christ. Her remaining series teach children the virtues in a fun, non-preachy way.
Fearless and Friends chronicles the lives of Fearless the Fireduck (think 'fireman,' except that he's a DUCK) and Charity the Church Mouse and their friends, who get in and out of trouble based on the wisdom (or lack thereof) of their actions.
The Adventures of Kenny and Scooter is a minimal-word series featuring six-year-old Kenny and his irrepressible Boston Terrier Scooter, who take turns getting into trouble and rescuing each other from their foolish antics.
teachesWith all her books, Mother Melania is trying to celebrate virtue and God's saving work in our lives.
connect with the author: website Enter the Giveaway:
June 12, 2023
Blog Tour: HEALING KISS by Amanda Uhl
Healing Kiss
by Amanda Uhl
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GENRE: Paranormal Romance
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BLURB:
To save her dying sister…
LillianMilano channels energy from the healthy to heal the sick, which makes her anincredible nurse. But her gift puts Lillian and those she loves in danger froman organization that will stop at nothing to exploit her talent. When hersister becomes gravely ill, wealthy computer genius Tristan King is the one manwith enough vitality to save her sister’s life. But being near him threatens toexpose her secrets and destroy the walls she’s built around her heart.
Shebargains with a billionaire.
Tristandoesn’t believe in the supernatural and is wary of emotional entanglements. Buthis beloved mother is dying, and his lying ex-fiancée won’t leave him alone, sohe strikes a deal: In exchange for his help, Lillian must pose as his date fora hospital fundraiser. As the pair work together to save their loved ones, theyconfront a spiraling web of secrets that threatens their growing feelings foreach other. The choices they make will either destroy their lives or heal theirhearts.
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Excerpt One:
“Oh.” She gasped and stumbled out of the stranger’s reach.
“After you.” The stranger paused, gesturing for her to go infront of him, his deep voice causing her heartbeat to accelerate even more.
She hesitated, but he made no move to grab her, so she slippedby him. His height made it easy for her to bend her head and avoid meeting hisgaze. Still, she caught a glimpse of a firm jawline, dark hair, and a blackcomputer bag strung over one shoulder as she passed.
She continued moving toward the infectious disease wingwhere Hannah was staying, the beat of her heart matching the tap-tap-tap of hershoes against the floor. The man followed behind. No one else was nearby, soshe could hear the soft tread of his shoes. She quickened her pace, her breathcoming faster now. Her stomach did a flip, and her throat tightened, preparingher to flee or scream if the situation demanded it.
She reached Hannah’s room. Bile rose in her throat when sherealized the man’s footsteps stopped when she stopped.
She grabbed the doorknob and glanced to the side. The manwas no longer there. She let her breath out in a rush and leaned her foreheadagainst the door to recover her equilibrium. Get a hold of yourself, Lillian.Not every strange guy was one of Kinetica’s men, looking to grab her. She’dbeen so panicked, she hadn’t even taken the time to check the man’s vitality.
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Review: Lillian had a life-saving gift,which she was going to need every ounce of to save her sister from this deadlyvirus.
“Healing even a minor sicknesssapped her strength. Tackling a severe illness like Hannah’s could kill Lillianif she wasn’t careful.”
Even more dangerous was that shehad come out of hiding and a dangerous organization was hunting for her.
It was looking rather bleak…untila light of hope in the shape of a charming billionaire presents itself—possiblythe answer to her sister’s dilemma.
A trade was made. He visits thehospital and she becomes his date. The layer work for a typical fakerelationship premise was set.
Nicely written and overall compelling.The narrative was so rich and descriptive with some trivial lag and length attimes. I thought the concept was fairly interesting. It didn’t quite make sensehow Tristan could be the cure to the sister’s illness. What was so specialabout Tristan? How did Lillian’s power work exactly? And why was it thatLillian could cure Tristan’s mother—and everyone else—but not her own sister?
Lilliam spent most of her timepretending and hiding. But one thing she could not pretend on were her emergingfeelings for Tristan.
Story had a good combination ofmystery, suspense, and romance, but, overall, it felt kind of mild to me. Ididn’t quite get the “thrill” of the chase or the romance. It felt kind of longand complicated for me.
Like I said, the idea was uniquelyfascinating, and this book would surely be a change of pace for romance readers.
Rating:3 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Award-winningauthor Amanda Uhl has always had a fascination with the mystical. Having drawnher first breath in a century home rumored to be haunted, you might say she was"born" into it. After a brief stint in college as a paid psychic,Amanda graduated with a bachelor of fine arts in theatre and a master's degreein marketing. Over the past twenty years, she has worked as an admissionsrepresentative and graphic designer, owned her own freelance writing company,and managed communications for several Fortune 500 companies, most recentlyspecializing in cyber security and data. Amanda is an avid reader and writesfast-paced, paranormal romantic suspense and humorous contemporary romance fromher home in Cleveland, Ohio. When she's not reading or writing, you can findAmanda with her husband and three children, gathering beach glass on the LakeErie shoreline or biking in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Website: www.amandauhl.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/amandauhlauthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AuAuthor
Instagram: https://instagram.com/amandauhlauthor
Pinterest: https://instagram.com/amandauhlauthor
BUY LINKS:
Amazon -- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZK7KGDF
Apple -- https://books.apple.com/us/book/healing-kiss/id6446814223
Barnes &Noble -- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/healing-kiss-amanda-uhl/1143265131?ean=2940167112902
GooglePlay -- https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=bqu1EAAAQBAJ
Kobo -- https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/healing-kiss-2
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GIVEAWAY
Amanda Uhl will be awarding a $25Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
June 10, 2023
Review: MURDER AT COTTONWOOD SPRINGS by Dianne Harman
Brigid was glad to have a new homein her hometown of Cottonwood Springs, CO. Meanwhile, two adulterers werethinking how convenient it would be if the person standing in their way—thewife—were dead.
As you read through the simple andrather engaging narrative, you see the potential suspects piling up. Severalpeople had it in for Lucy. They couldn’t wait to get their revenge on her. Thestory does take a while as it goes around giving out all the potential suspectsBEFORE the murder even happens. Meanwhile, we’re getting into Brigid’s possiblenew romance situation with her new neighbor. Like I said, it was slow. It kindof made me wonder when we would get to the dead body already. When was thatgoing to happen? Don’t get me wrong, it was still a nice read. Still, someonewas going to kill Lucy, right?
Finally, the dead body wasdiscovered at the 50% mark. It was kind of a long time for the body to show up,but, fortunately, the read was short and light, which made it easier to getthrough. It was interesting because usually we get the list of suspects AFTERthe murder, but here we get it way before so it gets our minds speculatingright off the bat. Once Brigid starts investigating, it’s really just a processof elimination.
What makes it a 3-star read wasall the wasted narrative on trivialities. Did we really need a whole chapter onBrigid at the shooting range and learning how to shoot a gun? No, we didn’t.Another thing that bugged me was that the story too often relayed the sameinfo—what readers already knew—over and over again.
This was almost a 4-star read, butit wasn’t quite there for me. It was a decent and mild mystery. I might checkout the rest of the books in the series...or I might not.
Rating:3 stars
