Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 188
April 23, 2022
Review: MURDER AT POOCH PARK by Cindy Bell (Book 1)
Nikki is a dog walker and pet-sitter. One day, she was walking the dogs at Pooch Park, where the dogs discovered something in the bushes: the dead body of her friend.
When the newbie detective in town suspects Nikki, she sets off to find the killer herself.
Between a secret husband, a powerful father, and an enemy, who could’ve killed her friend?
An interesting and enjoyable mystery!
My rating: 5 stars
Review: MAKE ROOM FOR MURDER by Amerie Brand
A guest had checked into Room 13. The next day, she was found dead. Furthermore, when the police show up on the scene, the body was gone. Who would steal a dead body?
With the police neglecting the case, Norman, the inn owner, decides to take matters into his own hands. It was touching to hear how Milo, the dog, came into his life, resulting in an unbreakable bond.
With a smart dog and some high-flying, bike-riding skills, there’s certainly some excitement in this case. Love that dog!
A simple read and a good mystery!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: A DEADLY DOUBLE BOOKING by Amerie Brand
A room was double booked and another dead body was found in that room. The victim knew something was coming for him and made Norman promise to solve his case. Along with his trusty dog, Milo, he was on it.
With the sheriff so willing to close the case, could it mean that he could’ve had something to do with the man’s death? Or maybe it was one of the wedding guests? It’s kind of slow when going over the suspect list. Perhaps the double booking for the very room the dead body was in was too much of a coincidence to ignore.
This is another smart mystery, but it was long and slow. Norman takes a little too long to get to conclusions. Too often I ran into sentences with questions marks, making them into awkward sentences.
Eh, the first one was better.
Rating: 3 stars
Review: BEAST IN THE BASEMENT by Travis Walters
Very slow. Has a rather good narrative, but it doesn’t go anywhere. You feel like you’re just stuck in this orphan home. Where was the beast already? I got bored quickly.
Rating: 1 star
April 20, 2022
Blog Tour: EATING THESE FOODS MAKES ME... by Kalifa Rodriguez
Eating These Foods Makes Me...
by Kalifa Rodriguez
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GENRE: Children's Non-Fiction
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BLURB:
Is your kid a picky eater? Do you want your child to enjoy eating a variety of foods? Reading can be a proactive way to introduce your little one to the amazing world of nutrition! In this book, readers will explore healthy foods and learn how key nutrients benefit the body. These pages repeat positive affirmations that will empower and build your child's mindfulness about the foods they eat.
It is never too early to instill life-long healthy eating habits. Happy reading! Or should I say, happy eating!
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Excerpt One:
Eating these foods makes me… Strong.
These foods give us protein which builds our muscles and bones to make us strong!
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Review: A fun and illustrated look on what eating certain foods can do for you. It also includes photos of the foods. For example, proteins like eggs, chicken, and beef can make you STRONG. Fish, nuts, and avocado can make you SMART.
A quick and easy food guide to help readers eat smarter. A great way to promote healthy nutrition.
Rating: 5 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Kalifa Rodriguez is a registered dietitian and certified breastfeeding specialist. She currently works as a clinical nutritionist in Montreal, Canada. After receiving her bachelor's degree in nutritional biochemistry, she went on to complete a master's degree in human nutrition and dietetics at McGill University. Kalifa is passionate about promoting healthy lifestyle choices through nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness. She also hopes to leave a positive impact in the community through her work by giving nutrition education sessions to community groups and organizations. Kalifa and her husband are parents to their delightful toddler, who is the inspiration for this book.
CONNECT WITH KALIFA RODRIGUEZ
WEBSITE - Kalifa Rodriguez (kalifarodriguezbooks.com)
FACEBOOK - Kalifa Rodriguez Books | Facebook
INSTAGRAM - Kalifa Rodriguez M.Sc, RD, CBS (@the.nutrition.connection)
YOUTUBE - Power of Nutrition - YouTube
GOODREADS - Kalifa Rodriguez (Author of Eating These Foods Makes Me...) | Goodreads
PURCHASE LINKS EATING THESE FOODS MAKES ME…
AMAZON.COM - https://amazon.com/dp/0228860911
AMAZON.CA - https://amazon.ca/dp/0228860911
INDIGO CHAPTERS - https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/eating-these-foods-makes-me/9780228860914-item.html
BARNES & NOBLE - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eating-these-foods-makes-me-rd-cbs-rodriguez-m-sc/1140561192
BOOK DEPOSITORY - https://www.bookdepository.com/Eating-These-Foods-Makes-Me-Rd-Cbs-Rodriguez-M-Sc-Madeleine-Migallos/9780228860914
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GIVEAWAY:
Kalifa Rodriguez will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayApril 18, 2022
Blog Tour: POTATO, POTATO, POTATO by Melissa Bastow
Potato Potato Potato
by Melissa Bastow
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Super silly potatoes doing super silly things.
Couch potatoes, mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, and potatoes who take their potato girlfriends to prom - this book has it all! The cute and simple illustrations and lighthearted text will make this book a favorite for parents and kids!
Review: The images are simple and rudimentary. It’s a unique rendition of “One Potato, Two Potato.” It’s all about potatoes. You have red potatoes and blue potatoes. You have cold potatoes and hot potatoes. You have old potatoes and new potatoes. You basically have all kinds of potatoes!
The book is cute and funny! It’s a fun read that you can recite with your kids.
Rating: 4 stars
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Melissa is a mom to 5 kids, 1 husband, and 42 piles of laundry. She hates making dinner. She loves that she gets to sit in her comfy pants and doodle for a living. Sometimes Melissa wakes up in the middle of the night with silly story ideas in her brain, because the middle of the night is no time for rational thoughts. She hopes to have more kids stories coming soon, and if you want to check out the rest of her doodlings you can visit her website at www.dorkydoodles.com
Website* Facebook* Instagram* Amazon* Goodreads
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$20 Amazon
April 15, 2022
Review: GRAPES, GANACHE, AND GUILT by Cindy Bell
A romantic dinner, a fancy restaurant, and…a dead body in the pond?
With a broken wine bottle nearby, it looked like another murder. Who killed the wine critic? Did it have something to do with a bad review?
This takes the dynamic chocolate-making duo to wine country along with their loyal cat and pig.
Another great mystery! One of the best ones in the chocolate series.
Rating: 5 stars
Review: MOCHA, MARRIAGE, AND MURDER by Cindy Bell
A wedding, a chocolate cake, and…a murder?
This started off slow with all the wedding planning details. I was hoping to bypass all that stuff to get to the murder, which doesn’t happen until the end of chapter 2 after the excitement of the farm fire. Who set the fire and killed the groom?
There were so many odd things about this case like why the bride-to-be wasn’t that interested in finding the killer and why the barn owner wasn’t so devastated about the loss.
An interesting mystery!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: CHERRIES, BERRIES, AND A BODY by Cindy Bell
A visit to a farm resulted in a cat and pig stumbling upon a dead jam-maker. Sounds like another case to solve.
It was looking like it might’ve had to do with the band she was in. Was it the band member that accused her of stealing their songs? Or a bitter neighbor complaining about the music noise?
It soon became frightening when Ally and Charlotte learn about the poison being the murder weapon and that their lovable pig might’ve ingested it. Now it becomes a race to solve the case and save Arnold.
A great mystery!
Rating: 4 stars
April 14, 2022
Blog Tour: GAMBLING WITH MURDER by Lida Sideris
Gambling with Murder
by Lida Sideris
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GENRE: Mystery (traditional, humor)
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BLURB:
A late-night call is all it takes for rookie lawyer Corrie Locke to kiss her day job at the movie studio goodbye, and do what she does best: flex her sweet P.I. skills and go undercover to find a senior who’s missing from a posh retirement community. One small stumbling block: skirting past security to gain inside access to the exclusive Villa Sunset. Time to call in the heavy artillery. Besides former security guard turned legal assistant—now wannabe P.I.—Veera, Corrie relies on a secret weapon: her mother, a surprisingly eager addition to Corrie’s team. Armed with enough pepper spray to take down a band of Navy Seals, Mom impersonates a senior to infiltrate the Villa, Corrie, and Veera in tow. Turns out the job’s not as easy as they’d thought. These seniors have tricks tucked up their sleeves and aren’t afraid of using them.
The action gets dicey when the missing senior case turns into attempted murder by a criminal mind who’s always one step ahead. Corrie’s hot on the trail, but finds more than she bargained for…when her mother becomes a target.
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Excerpt One:
I pinned the beam of my light into a dark corner of the warehouse. Four large pieces of luggage lay side-by-side atop a folding table. Everything surrounding me was in stacks and piles. The luggage exteriors, aluminum handles, and zippers looked new. Why store unused luggage in a place with worn-out, broken-down stuff?
“Oh-oh,” Veera said.
“Hold on.” I grabbed a suitcase and slid it closer. I shone my light on a combination lock. Next to it sat a small keyhole. Pulling out a paperclip from my pants pocket, I shoved it into the keyhole and jiggled it around.
“Two unmarked vehicles drove up,” Veera whispered.
We’d parked behind the warehouse. I’d left Veera hiding near the entry to keep an eye out. I popped open the lid of the suitcase. Folded bedsheets lay on top. Easing them aside, I gaped at the blood-red cape with a stylized golden “S” on the back. “It’s Superman’s.”
“The cars parked next to each other,” Veera said.
To the side of the cape lay a pillowcase. I ran my fingers over something odd-shaped and bulky inside. I unwrapped it to find a one-of-a-kind, golden gun. “No way.” A cigarette case formed the handle. The trigger was a cufflink and a fountain pen served as the barrel. It was a prop gun from a James Bond film.
“Two muscular guys came out of a van,” Veera said. “There’s a third[1]person taking his sweet time. Looks to be someone smaller, older by the way he moves. And he’s wearing a dress, which means he could be a her. Headed your way. If there’s a backdoor, I’d use it.”
Veera and I swung around. Taller than the fence and far meaner looking, a uniformed security guard glared down at us, head cocked to one side. His top lip curled in a snarl. I half expected his mouth to be filled with steel-capped teeth.
“Can you point us to the ladies’ room, please?” I asked. The name on his badge was Kyle.
“Get off this property.” He blinded us with his flashlight.
“Technically, this is city property.” Sounded legit to me.
“Out now.”
“Any wiggle room in the ‘now’ part?” I took a step back and limped. I stalled, hoping to conjure up a way to get in. “I hurt my foot.”
Veera pointed at my boot. “Could be a sprain. You got a doctor inside those buildings?”
“Get out before I physically toss you out,” he said.
Kyle could probably pick me up and hurl me across the street with one hand, but Veera? It wouldn’t be so easy. Together, we could take him. He leaned forward with a grunt, just as I leaned toward Veera. “You thinking what I’m thinking?” I whispered. I was betting his knees were his weak point.
Veera rolled her eyes over him and whispered back, “I’m thinking we should get going.”
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Review: A pair of studio payroll P.I.’s. Their first case: a missing resident from a retirement home.
Story had an easy and engaging narrative with a sharp wit. It was filled with vivid and descriptive landscape scenes of SoCal.
The investigation progresses slowly as the team tries to prepare for the case, which includes involving a computer hacking boyfriend and a home-cookin’ mom. It would seem they spend more time on what spy duds to wear and bring than the actual case. The dead body was found at the end of chapter 8. This usually happens way sooner—like the first few chapters— in a cozy mystery. With 50 chapters in the book, I guess it would make sense that things would be delayed more. It just didn’t move fast enough for me.
However, the overall read was pretty good. I enjoyed the dialogue between the characters, and the ladies were kind of like Charlie’s Angels—bold, smart, and inquisitive.
A fairly nice read.
Rating: 3 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Lida Sideris' first stint after law school was a newbie lawyer's dream: working as an entertainment attorney for a movie studio...kind of like her heroine, Corrie Locke, except without the homicides. Lida was one of two national winners of the Helen McCloy Mystery Writers of America Scholarship Award and a Silver Falchion Award Finalist. She lives in the northern tip of Southern California with her family, rescue dogs and a flock of uppity chickens.
Publication Date: Mar 29, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-68512-086-3 (PB-254 pgs 6”x9”) $16.95 - 978-1-68512-087-0 (EB) $5.99
https://www.facebook.com/lidasideris
Twitter: @lidasideris
Instagram: @lida_sideris
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lida-...
Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Gambling-Murder-Southern-California-Mystery-ebook/dp/B09QYW2VYG/
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GIVEAWAY :
Lida Sideris will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
![[image error]](https://www.silverdaggertours.com/uploads/8/2/5/5/82557464/potatopotatopotato-about-the-author_orig.png){kind=link}