Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 14
September 1, 2025
Spotlight: I WISH YOU LOVE by Madeleine James
Genre: Women's Fiction
Summary:
Had she waited years for the perfect moment that would never come?Alice McBain spent a lifetime putting others first—her family, her friends, and Marilyn Morgan, the woman she’s secretly loved for over a decade.
But Marilyn isn’t just the mayor of Tuckaway Bay and Alice’s superior—she’s running for a state Senate seat and insists on keeping their relationship under wraps until after the election. Her constituents, and her husband, must never know.
Even though Alice has come to an amicable arrangement with her own husband, she is tired of hiding. After years of whispers and waiting, she wants the life she and Marilyn have dreamed of for years—out loud and in the open.
But when she finally finds the courage to demand more than hidden moments, the carefully constructed façade of her life crumbles. The fallout touches everything. Her family is thrown into chaos, and Marilyn’s political ambitions hang in the balance.
And the woman who’s always put others first must decide what love truly means when you finally choose yourself.
I Wish You Love is poignant, powerful story of identity, sacrifice, and the courage to live—and love—authentically.
Author Bio: Madeleine Jaimes is a contemporary women’s fiction author whose emotionally charged novels explore the real-life social issues affecting women today. Her stories reflect powerful themes like addiction and recovery, domestic violence, LGBTQ+ identity, and family struggles. Her characters remind us that healing is never linear—and that strength comes in many forms.
She believes the most important stories we tell are the ones we whisper to ourselves.
Set against emotionally rich backdrops, Madeleine’s stories invite readers to pause, reflect, and feel seen. Her popular Tuckaway Bay series reflects her passion for writing layered characters and small-town stories where every woman’s journey matters.
Madeliene also writes contemporary romance as Maddie James.
Purchase links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DKY5ZX1F
Social Media links:
Website: https://maddiejamesbooks.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/660725.Maddie_James
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MJNovelist/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/themaddiejames/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddiejames_1/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@themaddiejames_1
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MaddieJames
August 30, 2025
Review: THE NIGHTMARE ROOM: SHADOW GIRL by R.L. Stine
Selena’s cousin just loved totorture and humiliate her. And she was staying with her for a whole month.Geez! Wait, did her mom just leave her there? Oh no! And what truth was shetalking about?
When she tries to reach her mom,Selena makes another startling discovery: her mom didn’t exist and no one everheard of her. What?!
Soon, the truth is revealed:Selena was Shadow Girl, a masked, caped superhero whose destiny was to fighther arch enemy—her cousin—Red Raven. Whoa!
It was written in the Book ofFates that Shadow Girl would kill Red Raven. Oh dear!
This was another R.L. Stinewinner. The ending was a little too convenient, but I liked the superherothing. Very cool to have superpowers!
Rating:4 stars
Review: WRONG NUMBER 2 by R.L. Stine
It started again with a phone callfrom somebody that wanted revenge. Could it possibly be the guy the girls hadsent to prison last year? Once again, the frightening terrors begin, and theyare good! Right away we get the mystery of who was making these prank phonecalls. Now a killer was on the loose…again! A scary good read!
Rating:4 stars
Review: MANUSCRIPTS AND DEADLY MOTIVES by Cindy Bell
A dead writer in Dune House. Couldit possibly have to do with her controversial manuscript? Suzy and Marycouldn’t deal with the fact that someone was murdered under their very roofwhile they were sleeping, so they were on the case. It’s always fun to watchthose two follow clues and suspects. A good mystery!
Rating:4 stars
Review: CONCERTS CAN BE DEADLY by Cindy Bell
Jo and Samantha had won tickets toa rock concert…and it was quite a shocking show. Literally! The lead guitaristhad been electrocuted by his electric guitar in front of the entire crowd.Yikes! Samantha just knew it wasn’t an accident. It was murder.
I always enjoy watching Samantha,Jo, Eddy, and Walt put their heads together and follow clues. A good mystery!
Rating:4 stars
August 29, 2025
Blog Tour: SECRET KEEPER by Victoria Pinder
House of Morgan
Contemporary Romance
Date Published: 07-29-2025
Publisher: Love in a book
Anthony Morgan is the last man I should ever work for. Too bad I don’t have a choice.
It started with an email from Jennifer Gonzales. It ended with me walking into a boardroom face-to-face with the man who once loved her. The same man who looks at me like I’m a threat to everything he built.
And maybe I am.
He’s cold. Controlled. Italian billionaire in an Armani suit, hiding bruises behind bank accounts. He thinks I’m still loyal to my former best friend—the woman who broke his brother’s heart and stole something she should’ve never touched.
But I’m not here for Belle. I’m here to do a job.
Security. Protection. No distractions.
Except Anthony Morgan is a distraction.
His eyes strip me bare. His voice is a seduction I never saw coming. And every time we fight, it feels like foreplay.
Getting too close to him is a mistake. Falling for him? Dangerous.
But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from war zones and heartbreak… It’s that the most forbidden fire burns the hottest.
And Anthony Morgan is pure flame.
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author, Victoria Pinder grew up in Irish Catholic Boston before moving to the Miami sun though she left that for a while to live in New Orleans, Denver and now Pittsburgh. She started single but the husband and then children joined in on the fun. She’s worked in engineering, then lawyer, then teacher, and finally novelist. She refused to one day turn 50 and realize she had nothing but her career and hours at a desk.
During all this time and travel, she always wrote stories to entertain herself or calm down. Her parents are practical minded people demanding a job, and Victoria spent too many years living other people’s expectations, but when she sat down to see what skill she had that matched what she enjoyed doing, writing became so obvious. The middle school year book when someone wrote in it that one day she’d be a writer made sense when she turned thirty.
She’s always been amazing, adventurous and assured. It’s what gets her through the day.
Her website is www.victoriapinder.com where you can get a free read NOW. Please write as she loves writing back to her fans.
Twitter: @victoriapinder
Purchase Today
August 28, 2025
Blog Tour: ILLUSIONIST by Laurie Buchanan
A Sean McPherson Novel, Book 5
Mystery/Thriller/Private InvestigatorDate Published: 04-15-2025Publisher: SparkPress
A contemporary crime thriller perfect for Louise Penny and Robert Dugoni fans, Illusionist presents PI McPherson with an impossible dilemma: kill an author at a writing retreat in the Pacific Northwest, or let a college student die.
When an illusionist arrives at Pines & Quill, one of the retreat’s owners vanishes—right in front of witnesses who see nothing. Meanwhile, crime boss Georgio Gambino tightens his grip, blackmailing a writer into murder and framing Sean McPherson. His threat is clear: obey, or your daughter dies.
As McPherson investigates, he uncovers a brewing power struggle—Carmine Fiore, Gambino’s second-in-command, is staging a coup. While Gambino’s network traffics drugs, weapons, and humans, Fiore manipulates the Sureños gang, planting evidence to shift blame.
Desperate to turn the tide, McPherson seeks a dangerous alliance. But when deception is the game, only illusion can outmaneuver the truth. Enlisting the retreat’s eclectic writers—including a NASCAR driver, a triathlete, a house-flipping architect, and a magician with secrets of her own—McPherson sets the stage for the ultimate trick: survival.
EXCERPT:
Sean “Mick” McPherson drives the Pines & Quill van to Bellingham International Airport. The last time I went to the airport was to drop off the September writers in residence who barely lived to tell about their stay. His thoughts home in on Gambino, head of a trifecta-based crime family—Seattle, San Francisco, and New Orleans. Mick tightens his grip on the steering wheel. You learned the hard way that Gambino’s reach is long and elusive. That his minions infiltrate even the most inaccessible places to do his bidding, so stay on your A game. Last month, over the Labor Day weekend, Emma, Mick’s pregnant wife, and Carly and Brianna, the daughters of one of his best friends, Joe Bingham, were abducted and held hostage in a secluded cabin on Mount Baker by Gambino’s thugs. Joe, a Bellingham homicide detective, took a bullet in his right shoulder, saving his daughters. After the incident, local police chief Bruce Simms referred to him, Joe, and Rafferty, Mick’s other best friend, as “The three musketeers” at a press conference. He went on to say, “Though nontraditional—an ex-cop turned PI, a homicide detective, and an FBI special agent—they accomplish what no others do; they solve crimes and put bad guys behind bars. Consistently.” Mick smiles at what Simms didn’t say to the press—they let me assist in criminal investigations because, unlike Rafferty and Joe, I have fewer restrictions, protocols, and no red tape as a PI.
Review: A writing retreat with a group ofaspiring writers. The reader is introduced to the various characters beforethey leave for their retreat. Characters include a paraplegic, a triathloncompetitor, a professional house flipper, and an illusionist. Right away, thereseems to be some tension among the writers. One in particular was tasked tokill another writer under the threat of a madman who has his daughter. Ooh,intrigue!
This was a nice and simple readfor the most part even it lagged a little at times. About halfway through, thedetails become a bit cumbersome and daunting. The flurry of extra characterscoming in didn’t help to keep things straight. I liked the premise and Iwould’ve liked it more had the story been easier to understand. A fairly niceread.
Rating:3 stars
About the Author
A blend of Dr. Doolittle, Nanny McPhee, and a type-A Buddhist, Laurie Buchanan is an active listener, observer of details, payer of attention, reader and writer of books, kindness enthusiast, red licorice aficionado, and lover of the Oxford comma.
As a novelist, photographer, and voracious reader, she never travels without three essentials—a laptop, a camera, and a book.
Growing up, she dreamed of being a magician, an international spy, and a mad scientist. There’s still time!
Her writing studio is the hayloft of a historic carriage house in the Pacific Northwest, where creativity thrives. Her husband, Len, a private pilot, and Henry, their not-so-standard Standard Poodle, join her on daily walks. She always carries a camera because sometimes, the best word choice is a picture.
A journey that left an indelible imprint on her was a 20-day, 211-mile trek across the majestic landscapes of Scotland. She, her husband, and their son hiked from the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, with the pinnacle being the climb of Ben Nevis at the midpoint of their adventure, the highest point in the British Isles.
"My writing goal is simple: to leave you wanting more." —Laurie Buchanan
Blog Tour: BETWEEN TWO SEASONS by Marc Macdonald
BETWEEN TWO SEASONS
by Marc Macdonald
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GENRE: Literary Fiction
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BLURB:
Hauntedby regret and stalled by guilt, Alex Chambers arrives at Silver Springs Healthand Rehabilitation Centre searching for redemption. What he finds instead isMae Seasons—a sharp-tongued, fiercely independent resident with no interest inbeing anyone’s project.
Alex came hoping tomake amends for the mistakes of his youth, especially to the woman he oncehurt. But when that hope slips away, he’s drawn into an unexpected role:caregiver and reluctant confidant to Mae, whose irreverence hides a lifetime ofburied truths.
As days at SilverSprings unfold in their strange, often absurd rhythm, Alex is forced toconfront the tangled grief of his past. Through awkward silences, reluctantconfessions, and moments of startling vulnerability, he and Mae forge anunlikely friendship—one stitched together by shared loneliness, reluctantcompassion, and the possibility of healing.
At once poignant andquietly humorous, Between Two Seasons is a story about the lives we try tooutrun, the people who challenge us to face ourselves, and the surprising waysconnection takes root.
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ExcerptThree:
I spent the rest of the night in my room. I zoned out. Iread a book—well, part of one anyway. I watched TV—if you classify mindlesslychannel surfing as watching.
Mostly, I stared out the window, gazing upon the trees andseeing an ominous curtain before me. My emotions were tempestuous andindistinguishable. I was looking forward to having the night to processwhatever this cornucopia of anxiety, unease, guilt, and excitement was allabout.
It had been sixteen years. Sixteen years.
I know life is as full of regrets as it is anything else,and sometimes the regrets stand a little taller, push back a little stronger,and thrust their way into memories, overtaking what once was good and turningit into a heaping pile of shame.
Just as my dinnertime zone out had been interrupted, so toowas my Zen moment of deeply inhaling the fresh forest air and summoning thememories of someone I used to love. Still loved. Will forever love.
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Topic: Please tell us about an important scene in yourbook and why it's important.
One of the most important scenes in Between Two Seasonscomes early, when Mae and Alex arrive in Pineton. Before the weekend trulybegins, Mae leads Alex on a hike and brings him to a quiet clearing in theforest. There, she gives him a simple instruction: catch a raindrop on yourtongue, spin with your arms wide open.
At first, Alex resists. It feels childish, even foolish. Butwhen he finally gives in, something shifts. In that playful, vulnerable moment,Alex experiences his first glimpse of release; the opening of a door he didn’tknow was closed. It marks the beginning of his healing.
And just as importantly, it cements the bond between Mae andAlex. That small act of surrender becomes their shared language: a reminderthat joy, trust, and connection often begin in the simplest of moments
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Marc MacDonaldis an author who believes every great story starts with a spark—whether it’s asingle sentence, an unforgettable character, or an idea that won’t let go. Asthe writer behind Between Two Seasons, a novel that celebrates the beauty ofhuman connection, Marc weaves heartfelt narratives that linger long after thelast page is turned.
When he’s notcrafting compelling fiction, Marc applies his storytelling skills as a seasonedcommunications professional, proving that every message—whether in a book or apress release—deserves to be engaging. He’s also a fierce defender of theOxford comma, an unapologetic pun enthusiast, and someone who firmly believesthat coffee is the most essential writing tool.
Find him deepin his next manuscript, chasing inspiration, or justifying “research” as anexcuse to buy more books. Catch up with Marc on his personal website:https://marcmacdonald.ca/ or @MarcMacWrites on Instagram.
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GIVEAWAY
Marc Macdonald will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN giftcard to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
August 27, 2025
Blog Tour: I HAVE A STORY by Colleen L. Donnelly
I HAVE A STORY
Colleen L Donnelly
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GENRE: Historical Romance
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BLURB:
JimTurner writes crime but doesn’t live it. He respects his grandfather’s tales ofheroes but doesn’t believe them. When his failing grandfather sends him to aremote peninsula to write the end of his own heroic love story, Jim includes awar criminal interview to maintain his edge.
Chastityis an anomaly, a misfit in pre-WWII culture as well as in Jim’s life. Herspritely charm and endearing features turn Jim’s world upside down, especiallywhen she reveals his grandfather’s peninsula as the site of her upcomingwedding.
Dogood journalists flee when their interviewee is murdered? Do heroes writefiancés out of another’s story and themselves in? “The End” become the hardestwords for Jim to write.
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EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT
Author'sNote: Boy meets Girl. When it’s time to lay his heart on the table.
Itwas time to speak, say all the right things, and ask the pertinent questions.Her actions and the look on her face told me she felt as strongly about me as Idid about her.
“Chastity,”I began. Everything inside me wanted to drop down to one knee for this hallowedmoment, but I stayed in my seat. “We have…”
Turbulencereturned to her eyes. “Wait. Let me talk first.”
Ineeded to swallow but couldn’t. The words that expressed my profession of lovegummed together like a wad in my throat. I needed to say them. This couldn’twait…
“Youneed to hear this. I hope you will understand…” she continued.
“Margie!”A woman’s voice rose from the yard below.
Chastity’seyes widened.
Istraightened in my seat. “Don’t mind whoever that is. Probably some saleswomanfor the war effort, searching for one of your neighbors.” I wished whoever itwas away from Chastity’s house. The moment I had been waiting for was finallyhere, and the girl of my dreams seemed uncertain about something.
“Margie,”the woman called again, her voice carrying through the open windows and door.
Chastity’sface paled. “That’s my mom.” She stared wide-eyed at the window.
“Yourname is Margie?” I asked in a whisper. This young woman was far more a Chastitythan a Margaret.
Chastitystole a peek at the ground below. “My dad is with her.” She gave her billowyshirt and bright shorts a dismayed grimace. “They can’t see me like this. Ineed to change.”
Amale voice—her father’s, apparently—also called for Margie. She disappearedbehind one of her fabric walls where a ruckus ensued I could only surmise wasthe shedding of her current outfit for something even more discreet. Parents ornot, I still wished the two visitors away. They couldn’t have chosen a worsetime for a visit.
“Howabout this?” She appeared in front of me, her body completely hidden beneath alength of fabric loosely wound around her, the end draped over a shoulder. Hadshe torn down one of her material walls?
Thepanic on her face softened my irritation at her parents’ interruption. “Theywill never guess you are hiding something,” I assured her, though I knew fromwriting crime books that too much denial was a sure sign of guilt. “You looklovely.”
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Review:
A famous crime fiction writer hasone story he had to tell—his grandfather’s. In a strange town, a woman behindhim says, “I have a story.” Then somehow this cutthroat writer ended up meetinga beautiful pregnant woman and was coerced into helping her with her wedding,which was something that he knew nothing about.“Here I was, Jim Turner, renownedauthor of suspense, plotting greenery suitable for tender nuptials instead ofmass murder.”
Can the crime writer write aboutlove?
Since meeting Chastity, Jim hasquestioned everything.
“What if I had fallen in love?Could that happen in less than a day? Or was I merely intoxicated by hercolorful world, her quirky style, her large blue eyes, and cute expressions?Would real love dare to take her away from her fiancé? Or would it spend 3divine days in her presence and then walk away?”
The journal narration wasthoughtful, deep, and lovely. You get swept up by the words quite easily. Jimundoubtedly falls in love with Chastity and was willing to give up everythingto be with her or walk away forever to save her. It gets very poetic, oftenrepeating the same notions and emotions over and over. It gets to be quite along read after a while. We basically have this hardboiled crime writer openingup and showing his beating heart for the first time ever. It was a pretty niceread overall.
Rating:3 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
ColleenL Donnelly put her science education to use for years and then put it behindher to pursue other passions. Her first love is writing and her second ishunting—hunting for that next good story, hunting for relics and antiques,hunting for the next good author to read. An avid believer in work hard/playhard, Colleen splits her time between indoors and out, always busy atsomething.
BuyLinks:
Amazon:https://amzn.to/4lq6qGO
Goodreads:bit.ly/4jHc6Lj
BookBub:https://bit.ly/4ivgQls
SocialMedia Links:
Bookbub:https://www.bookbub.com/authors/colleen-l-donnelly
Website:http://www.colleenldonnelly.com/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/colleen.donnelly.568/
Goodreads:http://www.Goodreads.com/colleenldonnelly
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colleenldonnelly/
Amazon:http://amzn.to/37vcnO4
Twitter: https://x.com/ColleenLDonnell/
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GIVEAWAY
ColleenL Donnelly will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawnwinner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
August 26, 2025
Review: THAT ONE SUMMER by Madeleine Jaimes
Lia Langston thinks she’s heading to the beach for one last summer fling with her girlfriends before jumping into the working world of Corporate America. She has a plan. One week with her five girlfriends, then a summer job at the cute dress shop at the beach mall.
That last part doesn’t happen.
Before she knows it, she is swept off her feet by a local guy named Zach and whisked into a summer job managing the front office of his Aunt Grace’s beach motel.
Summer flies. She and Zach fall in love. And come August, Aunt Grace offers her a full-time position working at the resort. Zach is thrilled, of course, because he wants Lia permanently in his life.
But this summer was only meant to be her last hurrah. Corporate America is waiting back in Chicago and Lia must choose. Can she have her beach life and Zach, and an exciting corporate job, too?
Review: A nice summer of love between twoyoung adults. A good start to a love story!
Rating:4 stars
