Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 15

Blog Tour: THE BOOKER by Kevin R. Doyle

THE BOOKER

Kevin R. Doyle

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GENRE:  Mystery

 

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BLURB:

 

SamQuinton hadn't thought much about the entertainment business for several years.His days as a minor celebrity were part of his past, which was fine with him.But when a Hollywood producer walks through the doors of his gym and offers tocreate a TV show around his life, Sam doesn't say no right away.

 

Thenthe producer's partner ends up dead in her hotel room, and Sam has to put onhis private detective hat to straighten things out. It doesn't take long torealize the TV offer may not have been exactly what it was cracked up to be.Suddenly, a whole lot of seemingly bad folks are gunning for Sam. Forget hisbudding Hollywood career. He has to do everything possible to keep himself andhis client alive.

 

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ExcerptThree:

 

I’d only made it three steps inside before they both lookedover at the same time. Nichols waved me over.

 

I’d barely known Wendy Truell, but the faintness of ouracquaintance didn’t matter. It’s still a shock to see someone seemingly in theprime of life with a bullet hole in their face.

 

She had on a silk crimson robe with black piping and, as faras could be told, nothing else. She was slumped so her head rested on thepillow at the end of the couch. Except for the blood and gore around her, shecould have stretched out to take a nap.

 

Far as I could tell, it was a single shot. The front of herface wasn’t too messed up, except for the entry wound, with most of the damageapparent from where the slug or slugs exited the back of her head.

 

A highball glass containing some sort of mixed drink sat onthe coffee table next to an open laptop with a blank screen.

 

The originally green couch pillow was drenched in red.

 

“Jesus,” I said.

 

“Nichols tells me you knew the woman,” Santiago said by wayof greeting.

 

“More like met. I probably spent a grand total of forty-fiveminutes with her, if that.”

 

Santiago jerked his head, and the three of us walked backout into the hallway and down a ways to talk in private.

 

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 Review: 

Sam Quinton,wrestler-turned-gym-owner-slash-PI, a reality TV star? Didn’t really seem tofit him and it certainly didn’t appeal to Sam, especially with all thelifestyle changes they wanted to make. And they called that reality?

Sam’s interest suddenly shoots upwhen the producer woman is found dead in her hotel room. Right away, themystery grabs and intrigues you. I always enjoy a whodunnit.

“A somewhat client suspected ofmurder, the local mob interested in my comings and goings, and the chiefdetective wanted a private meet.”

This was a pretty nice read eventhough it can get a little complicated and a little long. About halfwaythrough, the read becomes milder and longer. Even the shoot-out scenes weren’tthat exciting. The only thing that interests you is the mystery case. All inall, this was a fairly nice read.

Rating:3 stars

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Aretired high-school teacher and former college instructor, Kevin R. Doyle isthe author of five novels in the Sam Quinton mystery series, all published byCamel Press. He’s also written four crime thrillers, including And the DevilWalks Away and The Anchor, and one horror novel, The Litter, along withnumerous short horror stories published in small magazines over the years. Thefirst Quinton book, Squatter’s Rights, was nominated for the 2021 Shamus awardfor Best First PI Novel. A lifelong Midwesterner, Doyle currently resides inMissouri and has loosely based the city of Providence in the Quinton books onColumbia.

 

Website:http://kevindoylefiction.com

Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/kevindoylefiction

 

 

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Booker-Sam-Quinton-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B0FDCZ1NJC/ref=sr_1_1

 

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GIVEAWAY

KevinR. Doyle will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

 

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Book Blast: THE REBELLIOUS COUNTESS by Helene Matheson

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Helene Matheson will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Society may be run by the men of the ton, but six scandalous sisters are determined to take it by storm one gentleman at a time.

Máira Blair married for love, her honeymoon trip with the Earl of Dorset is a dream come true—until reality turns it into a nightmare. Máira wakes up to discover her husband isn’t an earl, but the captain of a pirate ship and what was supposed to be her honeymoon, is a voyage bound for war-torn France. If that isn’t enough to disparage her husband’s character, he abandons her in the middle of a French port where she must find a way to survive as she defends her virtue and her life. Just when she’s convinced of what kind of rogue she married, the pirate transforms into a hero on a quest to save her and the missing Earl of Astley.

Sir Elias Drake married for convenience, he needed a Scottish bride to complete his mission. He can resist his desire for his beautiful wife, especially after she discovers his true identity. Except Máira Blair was more than he bargained for. He needs her skills, cherishes her compassion, and is tormented by her passion, which only makes him want her and the life their marriage represents more.

It will require both of their talents to rescue the Earl of Astley, and it will take more than a war to defeat their hard-won love—if they can escape.

Read an Excerpt

He wanted to catalog her injuries and soothe her pain. While Jack wanted to douse the fire in her lovely eyes. For that look alone, Elias put his foot in front of the man and gave Jack a shove.

Máira stepped forward in a futile attempt to catch the bastard, but was too late to stop his fall. Jack twisted his body mid-air, in time to keep his nose from hitting the floor. The muffled grunt he released caused Máira to flinch and a few men in the bar to raise their glasses to toast the nasty bugger’s predicament.

She turned on him, eyes flashing as if she suffered the same brutality. “Do you think treating a member of your crew with violence will earn my trust?”

“You don’t understand what he wanted to do to you.”

“The same thing you wanted to do to me?”

He snorted. “Not even close. I was defending your honor.”

Máira looked down at her torn and soiled dress, then lifted a limp curl from her shoulder. “You do it well.”

His guileless bride didn’t understand Jack’s evil intent, nor did she appreciate Elias’s manner of defending her honor. He ground his teeth. She was sizing him up like she had never done before, and he had to school the anger seeping through the facade of polite concern he’d worn since the moment she’d walked into the bar and he’d seen her battered face. She knew the warm-hearted, polite Ellison Collins, Earl of Dorset, not Sir Elias Drake, ruthless killer, spy, and recovery agent for the Crown.

About the Author:

Helene Matheson writes steamy regency historical romance novels with intelligent, unstoppable heroines who don’t require an alpha male to save them—having one in their bed is another story.

Helene moved south for fun in the sun after she retired from public service and began pursuing her life-long dream of writing. She wrote the Amazon best-selling mystery series The Book Barn Mysteries for Lyrical Press and has written multiple award-winning romantic suspense novels under Kym Roberts.

In her spare time she can be found woodcarving by the pool or blogging for The Cozy Corner on Fresh Fiction. To contact her on social media, you can find her under KymRoberts911 on FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Her books can also be found on her websites.

Helene Matheson: http://www.HeleneMatheson.com
Kym Roberts: http://www.KymRoberts.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRDM5CSH
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rebellious-countess-helene-matheson/1147883832
Books a Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Rebellious-Countess/Helene-Matheson/9781648399787

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Review: THE NIGHTMARE ROOM: DON’T FORGET ME by R.L. Stine

 

There was something creepy aboutthe new house. Of course, not as creepy as Danielle’s little brother. What anannoying, little twerp! If only she could wish to be an only child. One act ofhypnosis on her brother turns him into a stony amnesiac. What happened? Hewasn’t acting like himself at all. For a while, Danielle freaks out about herlittle brother’s odd behavior and scary nightmares…until one day at school…whenher brother disappears altogether. Suddenly, his favorite teacher has no ideawho he was…like he didn’t exist? What? Then we hear the legend of Forget MeHouse and how every person that lives in it forgets and is soon forgotten. Wasthis Danielle’s new house? In a weird way, Danielle does get her wish to be anonly child. Can Danielle figure this out before she’s forgotten, too?

 

A weird and oddly compelling tale.You’d only get this in the Nightmare Room. A good read!

 

Rating:4 stars

Review: PUZZLES CAN BE DEADLY by Cindy Bell

 

One of the residents of SageGardens was found murdered over one of his puzzles. A single puzzle piece seemsto be a major clue for Walt, but he just couldn’t figure out how. It was up tothe dynamic senior gang to help him. It would seem that a lot of people wereglad that the old man was dead. But who would’ve hated him enough to kill him?A good mystery!

 

Rating:4 stars

Review: GOOSEBUMPS: I AM SLAPPY’S EVIL TWIN by R.L. Stine

 

It all began with the creation ofthe dummy in 1920. That led to more dummies until the villagers came and burnedevery one—except the last two that were created.

Present Day: Luke’s dad has justbrought home two identical dummies for his new horror movie. There wassomething strange about the dummies though—they seem to come alive! See how thedummies torment Luke and his sister. If only they could get their dad tobelieve them. Only a dummy would believe a dummy.

Can the kids get to the dad’smovie set before the twin dummies blow it up?

A good and frightening read!

 

Rating:4 stars

Review: THE HAUNTING OF ELMWOOD MANOR by Pamela McCord

 

Pekin Dewlap was a kid thatloved mysteries and was fascinated by the paranormal. So, when she got thechance to investigate a manor for paranormal activity, she jumped at it.

 

With its alluring premise, Iexpected to dive right into this haunting mystery right away. Instead, storytakes up too much time relaying how Pekin started her own ghost-huntingbusiness. Pace was too long and slow. For crying out loud, when do they get tothe manor and see the ghost?

 

This was SO NOT what I thoughtit would be. Just dull!

 

Rating:2 stars

Review: GOOSEBUMPS: WHEN THE GHOST DOG HOWLS by R.L. Stine

 

It started off with being draggedon a clown stage at Horror Land. Then it turns into wild chaos from the hungryzombies. Fortunately, that was all an act. But then the weirdness came at thesouvenir shop, where they find the long tooth and learn the legend of the BlueHound. A werewolf tooth that grants wishes? To wish for anything and make allthe wishes you want? Cool! Sounds like a pretty sweet deal. Just one rule:Don’t get it wet.

 

Naturally, the two kids go on awild wish extravaganza. Man, was it wild! But it all stops being fun when theghost dog starts howling.

 

A good read!

 

Rating:4 stars

Spotlight: THAT THE DEAD MAY REST by Karen A. Wyle

Genre: Paranormal Fantasy

Summary: After a life of peril and fear, Millie has reached the peace, beauty, and security of the afterlife. But one day, when she is performing her glad duty of welcoming a new spirit, that spirit recoils from her in horror — because her body had become a zombie, and had brutally killed him.

As more spirits make the same terrible discovery, they ask themselves, and each other: is this somehow my fault? When will it end? And finally: what can we do? Is there something we can do to stop this?

And are there people among the living who can help them to do it?

Author Bio: Karen A. Wyle is the author of multiple science fiction novels, including The Twin-Bred Series: Books 1-3; YA novel Water to Water; and near-future novels Division, Playback Effect, Who: a novel of the near future, and Donation. Her first novel outside the SF category was the afterlife fantasy/family drama Wander Home. She then turned to historical romance with her Cowbird Creek series, including What Heals the Heart, What Frees the Heart, What Shows the Heart, and What Wakes the Heart. She returned to fantasy with 2023's Far From Mortal Realms: A Novel of Humans and Fae. Her latest novel is The Decision/A Novel of Germany, inspired by a crucial incident in her own family history.
Wyle has also published one nonfiction work, Closest to the Fire: A Writer's Guide to Law and Lawyers, a resource for authors or for anyone interested in understanding more about American law. An updated and slightly retitled edition came out at the end of July 2021.
Finally, Wyle has collaborated with illustrators on four picture books: You Can't Kiss A Bubble; When It's Winter; Wind, Ocean, Grass; and Where Fireflies Sleep. There are more to come!
Wyle was born a Connecticut Yankee, but eventually settled in Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University. She now considers herself a Hoosier. Wyle's childhood ambition was to be the youngest ever published novelist. While writing her first novel at age ten, she was mortified to learn that some British upstart had beaten her to the goal at age nine.
Wyle is an appellate attorney, photographer, political junkie, and mother of two wildly creative offspring. Her voice is the product of almost five decades of reading both literary and genre fiction. It is no doubt also influenced, although she hopes not fatally tainted, by her years of law practice. Wyle's near-future novels and her upcoming fantasy novel draw on her legal experience in various respects.
Wyle's personal history has led her to focus on often-intertwined themes of family, communication, the impossibility of controlling events, and the persistence of unfinished business.

Purchase links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/That-Dead-Rest-Karen-Wyle-ebook/dp/B0FLRK4VC1/

Social Media links:
Website: https://www.karenawyle.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenAWyle
Twitter: https://x.com/KarenAWyle
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5252444.Karen_A_Wyle

Blog Tour: CHILD OF A SWAN by David Burnett

CHILD OF A SWAN

David Burnett

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GENRE:  Women's Fiction

 

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BLURB:

 

Rejectingher father’s master plan for her life, sixteen-year old Alyssia Barrett facesthe world alone.

 

"Lyssa,it is your destiny."

 

Herfather did not use those exact words, but he might as well have.

 

LyssaBarrett was born into a family of writers.

 

Fewauthors have landed more titles on national bestseller lists than has herfather. Her oldest brother walks in his father’s footsteps, her second brotheris a published poet, and the third a Broadway playwright. The four men, the“Barrett Band,” as they are called, are a force in American literary circles,the “first family of American letters.”

 

AndLyssa is meant to join them.

 

Lyssa,the child who would rather decipher a math puzzle than unravel an anagram,prove a geometric theorem than pen a short story, and master nonparametricstatistics than devise plot twists for a novel. Lyssa is destined to be awriter.

 

Soher father believes, and since no one crosses her father, it is what all whoknow the family expect. Of all her father’s children, only Lyssa is willing torebel. It is a trait which sets her apart from the others to such a degree thatshe questions whether she is even truly a Barrett.

 

Conflictis inevitable.

 

Inmiddle school, Lyssa is selected to participate in an honors math program. Herfather enrolls her in a summer writing seminar. She insists on taking math at alocal college. He is adamant that she enroll in advanced composition. Shepresents a paper at a national mathematics convention. Her father hails thepublication of a short story she has written.

 

Writingis her calling, her father insists, and, looking beyond high school, he choosesthe college she will attend, he identifies the subject in which she will major,and he selects the very courses he will allow her to take.

 

Althoughnot yet seventeen years old, she realizes that unless she puts distance betweenherself and her father, she will not escape what he calls “her destiny” and shecalls the “Barrett curse.” Closing the door to childhood behind her, she stepsinto the world, intent on becoming an adult on her own terms.

 

Ifyou enjoy coming of age stories, you will fall in love with this absorbingaccount of how Lyssa strives to come to terms with her past as she builds lifeon her own terms.

 

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ExcerptThree:

 

As I entered Mr. Roberts’ office, my eyes were drawn to thescowl on my father’s face, and I supposed Mr. Roberts had not simply “rolledover,” agreeing to alter my schedule without discussion or argument.

 

Mr. Roberts greeted me with a big smile. “Allyssia, goodmorning.”

 

“Good morning, Mr. Roberts.”

 

“Please sit down.” Mr. Roberts pointed to the vacant seat.

 

“We seem to have a misunderstanding about your courseselection, Allyssia. Your mother enrolled you in Algebra, but I understand youwould prefer to be taking Classics.”

 

He paused as if he expected me to confirm themisunderstanding, but there had been none. Classics was not my preference.Still, I hesitated to contradict my father, so I said nothing.

 

“Is that correct?”

 

I glanced at my father’s angry expression.

 

“Allyssia?”

 

I took a deep breath.

 

“Mom and I agreed I would take Algebra…It was my choice.” Irisked a peek at my father’s angry expression. “I know I’m weird, but I lovestudying math, and—”

 

“Mr. Roberts,” my father interrupted. “Allyssia does notunderstand.”

 

No one crossed my father, certainly not one of his children,not me, and I knew him well enough to know he was struggling to hold histemper.

 

“She is going to be a writer when she is older.”

 

I stared at him, my eyes, no doubt, as large as theproverbial saucers. Never had he revealed his intentions so openly, sounambiguously. Not to me, at any rate.

 

“I’m an author, of course,” my father continued. “Herbrothers are writers of one sort or another. She has been writing storiesherself for several years now. At her age, the best means of preparing to be awriter is by reading, reading the classics, and the work of talented authors.By reading good literature, she will develop an ear for words, their patterns,their…”

 

I tuned out the rest of his argument. Never had I heardanyone say outright that I would be an author like my father and my brothers.No one had ever told me the Barrett Band was destined to be a quintet. Icrossed my arms and scowled. I had written stories, true, but the prospect ofspending my life dating a word processor made me shiver.

 

“Learning how to solve for X might be a useful skill,” myfather said in a patronizing tone, “but one she can develop later. Her verbalabilities need to be nourished now.”

 

I had turned my head away and was staring at a huge vase offlowers on the credenza behind Mr. Roberts’ desk when I suddenly realized myfather’s diatribe had ceased.

 

“Allyssia…Allyssia, are you with us?” Mr. Roberts waved hishand as he called to me, and he chuckled when I smiled.

 

“Yes, sir.” My hand trembled, but I had already crossed myfather by telling Mr. Roberts I had chosen to take Algebra. I might as well godown fighting.

 

I raised my head and stuck out my chin.

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Review: A woman reflects back on herchildhood as she holds the book—a memoir—written by her father. Herrecollection was written in well-versed and lyrical tones that captivate thereader right from the start.

It would seem that Allysia neverfit in and was considered the black sheep in a renowned family of extinguishedmale writers. Her mother was the only one who truly understood and loved her.When she died, Allysia, even at a young age, had questioned her place in thefamily. Her father “suddenly seemed to realize he now was an explorer treadinga treacherous, unfamiliar path, one on which a single errant step might provedisastrous [and] he had no clue how to approach an angry, unhappy nine-year-oldgirl.”

The narrative was fine andeloquent as it recounted the journaling coming-of-age tale of a girl, lost andalone. Yes, the read felt too long at times with some of the childhoodallegories not adding much to the story and feeling strikingly daunting. Yet, Istill couldn’t help but be drawn to the story. Allysia’s story was raw andgenuine. I just wished that the chapters that told a segment of her lifeweren’t so long. The writing was good and the overall read was fairly nice.

Rating:3 stars

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Welive near Charleston, South Carolina. I’ve always enjoyed the Carolina beaches.I now have the opportunity to walk on the beach almost every day and tophotograph the ocean, the sea birds, and the marshes that I love.

 

Ilove photography, and I have photographed subjects as varied as prehistoricruins on the islands of Scotland, star trails, sea gulls, and a Native Americanpowwow. My wife and I have traveled widely in the United States and the UnitedKingdom. During trips to Scotland, we visited Crathes Castle, the ancestralhome of the Burnett family near Aberdeen, and Kismul Castle on Barra, the homeof my McNeil ancestors.

 

Iwent to school for much longer than I want to admit, and I have degrees inpsychology and education. In an “earlier life” I was director of research forour state’s education department.

 

Formore information about my other books or to join my mailing list go towww.BurnettsBooks.com, or like my Amazon author page athttp://amazon.com/author/davidburnett

 

BuyLink

www.amazon.com/Child-Swan-David-Burnett-ebook/dp/B0F1JPPG87/

 

 

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/DavidBurnett.Author

 

AmazonAuthor Page

https://www.amazon.com/author/davidburnett

 

Website

www.BurnettsBooks.com

 

 

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GIVEAWAY 

DavidBurnett will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

 

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Book Blast: THE PASSENGER by Joie Lesin

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Joie Lesin will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

She’s a 1940s ghost whisperer.

Burdened with her empathic gift, Elizabeth Reilly wants to be free of it and fit in with normal people. Nevertheless, when the spirit of an old man asks for her help, she travels across the country to help him return home.

He’s the son of a ghost.

Gio Clemente is still angry with his father who abandoned him as a child. To help the father pass on, Elizabeth must persuade Gio to let go of his anger. Though he resents her intrusion, they are both stunned to find themselves fighting a profound attraction.

Elizabeth can accept his headstrong brand of love, but can Gio accept her gift—and believe in her?

The Passenger, a 1940s ghost story set in the California wine country, tells a tale of family connections, life-changing choices, and love—lost and found.

Read an Excerpt

When her husband was on his way to her to say goodbye, she’d sweated through the cries of soldiers falling into the mud around her and the deafening noise of battle.

Don’t go there, Elizabeth. You couldn’t help him.

She’d known the only help she could provide was to help him pass on in peace.

Elizabeth had expected Patrick’s ghost to visit her. For weeks, she braved the early spring chill to await his arrival. Bundled in layers, she waited on the beach for him. Their special place. When he finally came, he met her there. Patrick sat next to her on the blanket he’d given her as a birthday present when they were younger. The one with the purple daffodils. When she thought of his final goodbye, she thought of the daffodils she’d stared down at while he talked—as if the color of the flowers were the most important detail of the day.

Yet the broken dead man who sat beside her was.

Patrick’s once handsome face wore sadness like a caul. He’d wished she would remember him as the whole and healthy man who she clung to and kissed before he shipped off to war. When she pictured the delicate purple flowers imprinted on the fabric, she overlooked the bloodied gash in his side where he’d taken the bullet.

About the Author:


Award-winning, Minnesota-based author, Joie Lesin is a life-long fiction writer and poet. She is most recently the author of The Passenger (The Wild Rose Press, 2024) and her work is also featured in Scribeworth Magazine. She has long been fascinated by anything otherworldly including mermaids and ghosts. Joie writes character-driven, emotional, atmospheric tales about heartache and hope.

Website: https://www.jlesin.com
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/joielesin.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjoielesin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoieLesin
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joie.lesin
Goodreads BookPage: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214564853-the-passenger

The Wild Rose Press Book Page: https://wildrosepress.com/product/the-passenger/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D6WBVJB9
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-passenger/id6504288982
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-passenger-joie-lesin/1008401528?ean=2940185717905
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-passenger-48

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