Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 231

Review: INVOLUNTARY TURNOVER by Cheri Baker

Kat is the HR director at a medical center specializing in employee relations. Basically she deals with all the drama in the work place. At the end of the day, keeping the boss happy is a good career move.
Kat knows the plight of the worker and having to deal with a boss always telling you what you did wrong.
“I understood that she was being impossible and it was my job to be quiet and suck it up.” (11) Yep, heard that!
According to her boss, when an employee makes a mistake, you should rub it in their face, humiliate them, and move on. Kat wasn’t interested in being the corporate b#@.
But it was a job after all. The last thing she expected was to find one of her file clerks dead from a gunshot. Someone murdered her. Like any HR director, Kat goes through the standard protocols of keeping the company afloat, preventing employees from running amok, and keeping the media out of all this. And why the need to get religious in this? Was there any actual crime-solving in this? I liked her wit, but there was too much corporate policy dragging down the whole mystery. Other than that, it’s an okay read.
My rating: 3 stars

Blog Tour: TRUFFLE ME NOT by M.K. Scott

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. M.K. Scott will be awarding a $40 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The future of Cupid’s Catering Company hangs in the balance. With a rival bakery, owned by the queen of all mean, rich girls, Della is at a distinct disadvantage.

Della hinges her financial future on winning the local truffle contest. As if there wasn’t enough on her mind, additional problems arise, including missing cats, jewel thieves, and her desperate attempt to find the incredibly kind man who’d lent her hand when she had tire trouble.

Can she solve all these problems and find time to whip up a cookbook at the same time?

Read an Excerpt

Della inhaled, knowing what she was going to say next wouldn’t go over well. “Tony should have been on a leash. I know Prince should have been in his own yard but consider this. Your pup could run out into the street and be hit.”

“There’s not much traffic on our street. Besides, Tony never leaves my side.”

She could point out the dog had done just that, but she didn’t. Seeing her mother so happy with Tony brightened her day, but even Della acknowledged her mother could be a trifle unreasonable about the newest addition to the family. “If he got loose, someone could take him.”

“Oh, my!” A long pause continued after the exclamation. Some rustling and footsteps carried over the phone line. “Just checking. I thought I saw some strangers in the neighborhood earlier. They could be potential dog nappers. They had that look about them, three-day old beards, night watch beanies, dark hoodies, disheveled. You know the type.”

The scruffy look may have gained popularity with the introduction of grunge bands, television shows with unshaven actors, and male models who appeared to have just rolled out of bed, but it never appealed to Della’s mother. Even her detective father had been more accepting of current fashions than Mother. In Mabel’s mind, scruffy equaled criminal or the possibility of being influenced by one.

“Mom, there are no dog nappers in your neighborhood. Someone probably had company leaving. Keep in mind, living with a detective may have made us all a little paranoid. All the same, try to keep my little brother on a leash.”

“I will,” her mother grudgingly agreed.

“How was your day?”

“Good.” No need to mention the arrival of a foul wind in the form of Lacey Dankworth. The Delacroix family could only handle one crisis at a time. After all, it may all come to nothing. 

 

 ***

My review: Della is a small-town baker. When her old high school nemesis has plans to open up another bakery in town, Della’s customers agree to sponsor a baking contest and encourage Della to enter her world-famous truffles. To not lose business, all she had to do was win the contest.

Story has an easy narrative that’s quite engaging. It keeps the reader interested, but then the pace slackens it out. The writing is pretty good, but it has too many scenes with long narratives that don’t really add to the story (i.e. the cat-dog feud, the wedding catering, the bakery.) Turns out that Della has several things to solve here, making the story go in several different directions at once. It didn’t really feel that focused. It would’ve been better to shorten the number of things that needed to be solved.

Overall, it’s a fairly good read.

 

My rating: 3 stars

About the Author: M. K. Scott is the husband and wife writing team behind The Painted Lady Inn Mysteries and The Talking Dog Detective Agency. Morgan K Wyatt is the general wordsmith, while her husband, Scott, is the grammar hammer and physics specialist. He uses his engineering skills to explain how fast a body falls when pushed over a cliff and various other felonious activities. The Internet and experts in the field provide forensic information, while the recipes and B and B details require a more hands-on approach. Morgan’s daughter, who manages a hotel, provides guest horror stories to fuel the plot lines. The couple’s dog, Chance, is the inspiration behind Jasper, Donna’s dog. Overall, both are fun series to create and read.

Website: http://www.morgankwyatt.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMorganKWyatt
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/morgankwyatt
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5826299.Morgan_K_Wyatt
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/morgankwyatt/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/M-K-Scott/e/B01M4JGK1A/

The book will be on sale for $0.99 on the day of the tour.

https://www.amazon.com/Truffle-Cupids-Catering-Company-Book-ebook/dp/B08Y771ZR8

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Blog Tour: ASYLUM by Betsy Adams

 

Asylum

by Betsy Adams

 

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GENRE:   Contemporary Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

Adela is an immigration judge from one of San Diego’s wealthiest Mexican-American families. She was raised to believe she has nothing in common with the asylum seekers in her courtroom. Paul left behind his life as a Manhattan lawyer to volunteer at the border. He has lost faith in the system, but not those who still turn to it for justice. Adela and Paul come to the Tijuana/San Diego border searching, but neither one knowing exactly what for—until they find each other. Against the backdrop of the “Remain in Mexico” policy and restrictions on asylum, Adela and Paul fight for love in a system that seems determined to destroy it.

 

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Excerpt One:

 

Judge Adela Fernandez was curious about the new lawyer in her courtroom.  It wasn’t what he said, or the high school Spanish she overheard from the bench.  No, that didn’t impress her. 

           

It was what he didn’t say.  The way he listened to his client, the young man at his side with caramel skin several shades lighter than Adela’s.  How he leaned in and his client didn’t back away.  There was trust between them, that rarest of resources at the border these days. 

 

Adela had never seen this kind of trust in the eyes of an asylum seeker.  More common were blank, numb stares, or terrified eyes searching for answers.  Those were the eyes she saw every day in her courtroom, and every night as she closed her own and tried to sleep.

 

It took time to build trust, time that the “Remain in Mexico” policy did not allow.  This policy effectively ended legal representation for asylum seekers by forcing them to wait in Mexican border towns as their cases crawled through the U.S. legal system.  Tens of thousands of migrants from all over the world were stuck in makeshift refugee camps, preyed upon by local cartels.  Lawyers stayed away.  Except this one, apparently.  

 

“DHS Docket Number 19-24231.”  The clerk’s announcement drew Adela out of her thoughts.    

 

“Thank you, Gabe,” Adela said, glancing at the case file. 

 

The lawyer’s name was Paul Carter, and he was the attorney of record for Adela’s first asylum case that afternoon.  His client was Jorge Sanchez, a twenty-six year old asylum seeker from El Salvador.  His collared shirt was way too loose and clearly borrowed for the occasion.  Adela’s eyes lingered on the backpack at his feet.  It held everything Jorge would carry with him into his new life, if she granted his asylum claim.

 

 

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My review: Judge Adela Fernandez is an immigration judge with an asylum case for a gay El Salvadorian. She was particularly impressed with how his lawyer handled his case. Now the two must work together to resolve the legal conflict in it.

This was a fairly easy read, although some of the legalities and political policies were challenging to follow. At times, the story became much too judicial for my liking. Fortunately, the author gets back on track with the love component. I especially liked that one of the main characters was a Latina. I love Latina characters. The two characters shared a strong will and determination, which made their burgeoning romance much more appealing.

A nice read.

 

My rating: 3 stars

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Betsy Adams is a pen name adopted to honor two smart, romantic women - Betsy Ross and Abigail Adams.

 

Betsy Ross chose love over her Quaker religion and her family. At the age of twenty-one, she eloped with fellow upholstery apprentice and non-Quaker John Ross. After their union, Betsy’s family and the Quaker community cut all ties with her. In her eighty-four years, Betsy was married three times and ran a successful upholstery business. There is much more to Betsy Ross than sewing the first American flag. Someone make a biopic, please!

The love between Abigail and John Adams is legendary, and documented in over 1,000 intimate and cerebral letters. In 1776, Abigail famously told her husband that the new nation must “remember the ladies,” but in the pages of their letters, these two lovers were equals in their passion for each other and ideas.

 

Betsy Adams lives with her family in a coastal town on Long Island (New York). She is the creator of the Americans in Love romance series. In these novella-length books, couples divided by the issues of our day try to find their happily ever after.

 

Links:

Website:  https://www.americansinlove.com

 

Instagram:  @americansinlove

 

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AmericansinL...

Amazon Sale Page: https://www.amazon.com/Asylum-Betsy-A...

 

Reedsy Discovery Page:  https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/asylum-betsy-adams#review

 

Goodreads Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56858159-asylum?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=pZUN1rUnHw&rank=1

 

 

The book will be on sale for $0.99.

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

 

Betsy Adams will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Get 1 FREE MONTH

The first 10 books (ANY GENRE) submitted through this form will 1 FREE MONTH in our review program reaching over 400 active reviewers.

ONLY THE FIRST 10

 *NOTE: Reviews are STRICTLY VOLUNTARY and 100% HONEST; therefore, there is NO GUARANTEE to any reviews.

Excerpt: SHATTERED DREAMS by Shirley Wilkinson

 

Avila Durant, a young woman with an unknown past, lives as a refugee with her adoptive parents on the planet of Aril. Haunted by nightmares that plague her sleep, she struggles to remember who she used to be.

Avila's life on this small, isolated planet is turned upside down when she is saved by a stranger from an accident triggered by a forgotten memory. As Avila slowly recovers, it soon becomes clear that there is more to this savior than she anticipated when the mysterious man, named Galdren, reveals his true identity.

Avila finds that her second chance at life comes at a price when Galdren invokes an ancient law that turns her life upside down. Forced to accept this new reality, Avila must work with Galdren to navigate various pitfalls as they are pushed into a life side-by-side that neither of them was prepared to face.

Avila's nightmares could hold the key to her missing memories, but what she doesn't know is that, if her memories return, so will the danger. As her life changes and her past refuses to fade away, she must face the reality that nothing is as it seems.

 

 Available on Amazon

 

EXCERPTED FROM CHAPTER 2

Avila pushed those thoughts aside and waited until she trusted herself to speak without her voice cracking. “I’m truly sorry you have been dragged into my personal drama. I’m quite certain you have much better things to be doing. Now that I am better enough to move, I will be out of your way as soon as I can get my things and have someone to come and get me. I will eternally be in your debt.”

As she said those words, the same strange look of hurt and guardedness passed over Galdren’s face once more. “Avila, that is the other thing I have come to talk to you about.”

His words sounded ominous, but she was already numb from all the other revelations. She didn’t move as he continued, “Are you familiar with our laws?”

Once again, the change of subject had Avila off-balance and searching for what it was he wanted from her. “I am familiar with some of them, but I am no expert. What laws, exactly, do you want to know about?”

He took a deep breath and looked away from her. “Are you familiar with the Life Debt?”

Those simple words sent an icy chill over her, and she couldn’t repress a shiver. “I have heard of it before. When a person’s life has been saved, the Life Debt states that they literally owe their life to their savior, to put it simply, but I thought it wasn’t used anymore. Too many people disputed whether their lives were actually in danger, and other times the savior didn’t want the responsibility of holding another person’s life in their hands.”

It was more of a statement than a question, as she was hoping he would only confirm what she had said. “You are only partially right. It is not required to be enforced anymore because of the problems you have listed and many more. However, there is a provision that if the threat to life is clearly defined and the savior so chooses, they can invoke the Life Debt.” He paused for a moment and looked at her intently. “I have already talked to my father and to your parents. They all agree that if I had not helped, you would have died. My father has allowed me to invoke your Life Debt.”

Review: SNUGGLE WITH THE STRANGE: 9 TWISTED TALES by Liane Carter

Snuggle with the Strange: 9 Twisted Tales
by Liane Carter
Genre: Horror/ Suspense
Age category: Adult

Blurb:
Step into nine eerie lives where the obvious is left at the door, and the surprises are just a page turn away.

Family secrets a girl struggles to suppress, a man trapped by a woman's bones, a couple of killers and a touch of madness.

"Dark and twisted with a sting in every tale." Cass Green, Sunday Times bestselling author of In a Cottage in a Wood

 

Links:
- Goodreads
- Bookbub
- Amazon

My review: Stories are literary and poetic with a dark edge—almost Poe-like. They carry lengthy narratives that tend to dawdle at times. The writing was pretty good and the stories were fairly interesting.

 

My rating: 3 stars

About the Author:
Devoted to giving her readers smiles, tears and tension in her poignant non-fiction, fast-paced fantasy adventures and adult fiction, Liane Carter bares her soul. Author of The Chronicles of Joya, The Dream Devils, Darcy: The Dog Who Talked, Tammy: The Little Cat With A Big Attitude, Snuggle with the Strange: 9 Twisted Tales, and stand-alone sequel to The Chronicles of Joya, The Fig Bean and the Huvri, she has written features and a weekly column for Costa Blanca News, articles for Writing Magazine, and has taught over 150 writing workshops.

Author links:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Amazon

Review: PEACHES AND CRIME by Amber Crewes

 

After some snide comments made at a women’s conference, Meghan was determined to perfect her peach tart recipe. She gets a large order for peach desserts for the governor’s ball, which that event was boring. Then there’s a dead guy in the barn. How did we go from the ball to the barn? Story goes all over the place, if you ask me.

Not a good read.

 

My rating: 2 stars

Review: MURDER IN PAINT by Rodney Strong

Oliver is a husband and father, and trying to write the great New Zealand novel. He was fast-developing into a world-class sigher with his humdrum life.
This had a slow start and it was dull from the very beginning. I mean, the guy literally called off each task at every hour, every minute. The ghost doesn’t show up until the end of chapter 3. Finally! The writing was also kind of weird. Does he often have conversations with himself? This wasn’t very enjoyable.
My rating: 2 stars

Review: RISKY RELICS by E.Z. Pennington

What an ugly lady on the cover! It kind of looks like one of those anime Kabuki-like characters.  Seriously scary!
In the story, Becky moves to Rose Hollow, her first return since she was eight. It’s weird that she talks to her car. She just inherited her aunt’s antique shop.
Right away the small-town living is kinda dull and the residents are boring. Nothing interesting about this book.
My rating: 2 stars

Review: GONE WITH THE WINGS by Leena Clover

Meera is a 20-something South Asian gal from Swan Creek, OK. She still lives at home and works as a library assistant. She’s a pretty down-to-earth gal with a quirky family and a strange fetish for exotic food/cooking. “You can’t be part of the Patel family and not talk about food.” (LOC 359)
This had an ok rhythm and easy-going style. It was a little too into food with weird names, if you ask me. It was kinda slow as life revolves around the university, where Meera’s job is.
Where’s the mystery? They call this book a mystery on the front cover.
It’s an okay story on the culture of an Indian American family, but not much going on anywhere else.
My rating: 2 stars