Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 47
October 22, 2024
Blog Tour: BIG TEX by R.R. House
Adult Picture Book
Date Published: July 22, 2024
This satirical tale disguised as a children's book follows an aspiring drag queen with dreams of dazzling stages and glittered wigs eager to shine in a world determined to hold him back.
Convinced that the tough buckaroos in the neighboring town of Ruff Ridge, known for their rugged cowboy way of life and home to the clothing brand Ruff Ryder, will hinder his glamorous ambitions, he devises an ingenious plan to win their acceptance. With courage, creativity, and a pair of chaps, he embarks on a journey to turn his dreams into reality.
Inspired by real events, this clever, funny, and heartwarming tale explores identity, ambition, and community. The story celebrates individuality, courage, and the transformative power of being true to oneself, all while providing a thought-provoking reflection on the politics of our times.
Review: Here is the story of a guy namedBig Tex with some…questionable wardrobe choices.
“Jim didn’t know why his funclothes were taboo. But if they were discovered, he’d knew what they’d do.”
A funny and illustrative look atcross-dressing cowboys! You’ll definitely get a chuckle out of it.
Rating:4 stars
About the Author
Roger Rittenhouse is a former stand-up comedian originally from Denver, Colorado who began his career in the 80s, appearing on The Arsenio Hall Show, The Dennis Miller Show, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. Notable writing credits include Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect and the Comedy Central Roasts. An armchair cartoonist turned author and illustrator, (after finding a digital drawing tablet on Craigslist) Roger brings his comedic antics to picture books intended for big boys and girls.
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October 21, 2024
Blog Tour: A LITTLE GETAWAY by Bonnie Traymore
A little getaway takes a deadly turn for Morgan and Kyle Murphy inthis spicy suspense thriller about a marriage filled with passion,secrets, and suspicions.
A Little Getaway
by Bonnie Traymore
Genre: SpicySuspense Thriller
A little getaway takes a deadly turn for Morgan and Kyle Murphy inthis spicy suspense thriller about a marriage filled with passion,secrets, and suspicions.
Morgan Murphy has alwayslonged for a romance for the ages. And she’s found it with husbandKyle Murphy—until their spicy marriage suddenly starts to cooloff.
Is Kyle preoccupied and distant because of a problemwith his development project? Or is it something worse? Could KyleMurphy be...cheating? He’s hiding something, that’s for sure. AndMorgan’s determined to find out what it is.
With thehelp of gal pal Carla Flores, Morgan tracks her husband’smovements, and the signs increasingly point to infidelity, theultimate sin in Morgan’s book. When Kyle increases their lifeinsurance and surprises her with a weekend getaway to get their mojoback, she goes on the offensive and hatches a plan to make him comeclean about what’s been going on.
But before she canpull it off, Morgan’s attacked and nearly kidnapped, and Kylevanishes from the resort without a trace. With no clue as to who tookKyle or why, she’s not sure who is the biggest threat: the shadyinvestor he owes money to, the police, or the guys she hired to teachKyle a lesson. With the clock ticking, she needs to find outsoon.
Before they come for her, too.
Forfans of Liv Constantine, Kimberly Belle, Jeneva Rose, Kaira Rouda,Freida McFadden, and Daniel Hurst.
"Edge of the seatsuspense in this riveting thriller about a husband and wife hidingdeadly secrets from each other that will keep you guessing all theway to the explosive ending. Another winner for Bonnie Traymore!"-- R.G. Belsky, author of the award-winning Clare Carlson series
It was supposed to be a romantic,little getaway. Instead, a husband is missing and a woman fends for her life.
It all started a month ago whenMorgan suspected her husband of cheating and was thinking of killing him. Butcould the husband have turned the tables on her and be trying to kill herinstead? After all, he did get the $2 million dollar life insurance policy onher. There were so many questions about this case. Was Kyle cheating? Whoactually kidnapped him? How will all this look for Morgan? Would she getarrested for attempted murder and kidnapping? What was the real deception hereand who was behind it?
This case certainly piques yourcuriosity. There are several layers to this story and each new layer wascompelling in its own way. You read to peel away each layer until you reach thetruth. What was the truth?
This was an interesting read. Theending was a little docile and anti-climactic—not as exciting as I would’veexpected and liked—but it was still a scintillating case. A good read!
Rating:4 stars
BonnieTraymore is the award-winning, Amazon best selling author ofpage-turner mystery/thrillers that hit close to home. Her booksfeature strong but relatable female protagonists. The plots exploredifficult topics such as jealousy, infidelity, murder, and the impactof psychological disorders, but she also includes bits of romance andhumor to lighten the mood from time to time. She's an active statusmember of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers ofAmerica.
Website* Facebook *Twitter * Instagram* Bookbub* Amazon* Goodreads
Followthe tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$20 Amazon
Blog Tour: FLAMINGO CAFE by Jackie Kang
FLAMINGO CAFE
Jackie Kang
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Women's Fiction
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Astorm is brewing off the coast of Florida, but chaos has already made landfallfor four women of Palm Beach society. Abigail, a self-appointed Cuban princessand queen of the WAGs, suddenly finds herself penniless and on the streets.Claudia, a Greek entrepreneur and CEO of a prestigious international clothingline, is entering her golden years only to realize secrets can weigh you down.Cassy, a barista and owner of the Flamingo Cafe, is doing her best to recoverfrom a tragic past. Meanwhile her best friend, Bri, also harbors a secret: aromantic tet-a-tet with Cassy's brother Nick. Each woman has played her part ina society obsessed with appearances and secrecy for years. So, when HurricaneOdette blows through town, exposing those secrets, it's no surprise their livescollide like a clap of thunder. Only one thing is certain: if they don't worktogether, Mother Nature will teach them the hardest lessons of their lives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
My phone, lying on the chaise next to me, pings with yetanother incoming text. I roll my eyes. A pointless gesture really, if I takeinto consideration the noticeable lack of audience in attendance to witness mydrama.
With languid arms, I reach down and rotate the phone until Ican just make out the message lighting up my screen.
—OMG, Abs, I'm so sorry. Call if you need me.—
This message—even less inspiring than the last one—has mymotivation to reply dissolving right along with my grip on the slim phone. Adull thud sounds as the phone drops back onto the striped cushion. I continueto lay there, ignoring the persistent onslaught of afternoon interruptions.
Or at least that is what I try to do. As much as I want tostay perfectly still and focus on the simple joys of the South Florida sunbaking my body—morphing my golden skin into an even darker brown—my mindrefuses to stop buzzing with the activities of the last twenty-four hours.
I sit up with a sigh and roll my eyes again—empty backyardpool deck be damned. If I’m being honest, I’d have to concede this last messagefrom Suzy, one of the WAGS I socialize with, is at least slightly more sincerethan the outpouring of identical correspondence flooding my phone all day.Texts with the heartfelt, bullshit lines of,
Darling, I understand this is hard for you. Please take allthe time you need.
And
Don't worry about your seat at the gala. I'm sure we will beable to fill the spot in your absence.
Or
Your board position has been temporarily put on hold whileyou work to heal your family.
Of course, the hidden message in these so-called earnestcorrespondences flooding in from my so-called friends is as subtle as ahurricane warning calling for an immediate evacuation. The kind of warning thatlets me know if I come within twenty yards of the Palm Beach Princesses, I willbe dismissed as though I'm merely a brown-haired beggar on a street corner.
Damn. The women in this town work fast.
Which means I need to work faster.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Whennot spending her time creating make-believe people and places, Jackie Kanglives in Kirkland, WA with her very real family of 1 husband, 2 dogs, and 3children. In her past life, Jackie has held jobs as a personal trainer, a spamanager, a dental assistant, and an office manager, but her true love iswriting and sharing a well-crafted story. Jackie is a member of the Women'sFiction Writers Association.
Website:http://www.jackiekangwritesbooks.com
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/JacqulineK/
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/jacqulinekang/
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Flamingo-Caf%C3%A9-Jackie-Kang-ebook/dp/B0DCC4NCJ5/ref=sr_1_1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
Theauthor will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour: THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF THE MISSING MOTIVE by Michele Pariza Wacek
A spin-off fromthe Charlie Kingsley Mystery series! The Redemption Detective Agency is afunny, twisty cozy mystery series set in the 1990s featuring silver sleuthssolving cold cases. Great for fans of the Thursday Murder Club.
The MysteriousCase of the Missing Motive
The RedemptionDetective Agency Book 1
by Michele ParizaWacek
Genre: CozyMystery
When life givesyou lemons, make lemonade. Or maybe a gin and tonic.
Emily Hildebrandt has run into a bit of a rough patch. She's lost her job, herfiancé and her apartment. Still, she never expected to be desperate enough toaccept an invitation to live with her eccentric Aunt Tilde in Redemption,Wisconsin.
But, beggars can't be choosers. Even if part of the deal is she has to pretendto work at her aunt's latest hair-brained scheme, The Redemption DetectiveAgency.
Seriously, the woman is a retired nurse. Why does she think she's remotelyqualified to run a detective agency, especially in a creepy little town likeRedemption?
But, when a strange phone call suddenly thrusts them into an actual case, Emilyfinds herself hoping her aunt really does know what she's doing ... or aninnocent person may be the one to suffer the consequences.
A spin-off from the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series! The Redemption DetectiveAgency is a funny, twisty cozy mystery series set in the 1990s featuring silversleuths solving cold cases. Great for fans of the Thursday Murder Club.
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads
A USA TodayBestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 yearsold because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and somedetours) but now she does spend much of her time writing stories. Mysterystories, to be exact. They're clean and twisty, and range from psychologicalthrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into themix. If that wasn't enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, includingshort stories, puzzles, recipes and more, at MPWNovels.com.
Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), andstill visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in themountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband and southern squirrel hunterCassie.
When she's not writing, she's usually reading, hanging out with her dog, orwatching the Food Network and imagining she's an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert,she's not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)
Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Followthe tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Print Copy of TheMysterious Case of the Missing Motive – 2 winners, US only,
$20 Amazongiftcard – 1 winner, WW
October 19, 2024
Review: MISS INDECISIVE by Elise Eliot
Vanessa was a 5th gradeteacher whose love life was nonexistent and pathetic. Then the new interimprincipal comes in and WOW! Then she meets a 2nd gorgeous man at herfriend’s lavish Indian wedding. Double WOW!
I thought that this would be agood love triangle read, but it didn’t quite do it for me. First of all, Iwasn’t too keen on all the Indian culture (much too confusing for my taste andunderstanding.) Second, I thought that this would be funny, but WRONG. Some ofthe chapters were too long to get through and it was just an unpleasant read.
Rating:2 stars
Review: IMPERFECT DATE (Rom-Com Collection)
One woman blames all her datingwoes on one prom date that failed to show up. And she wanted revenge for allthe hears he had broken. The plan: make him fall in love with her and thenbreak his heart. But will everything go according to plan?
That was just one of the stories.Stories were clever, fun, and full of humor. Each story was witty, for the mostpart.
A woman’s dream house turns into anightmare with her sexy next-door neighbor. A woman had a fetish for shoes anda Cinderella story. Some stories were a little longer than I wanted. Obviously,I liked some more than others. What’s “sapiosexual?”
There were a few typos. Forinstance, what should have been “rearview mirror” was written as “reviewmirror.”
After a while, stories tended tosound a little too similar. Overall, stories were sweet and romantic. Perhasthey were a little too sappy for my taste, but they were fairly nice.
Rating:3 stars
Review: YOU CHIVE ME CRAZY by Rich Amooi
A food critic was not a rockstar,although it certainly felt that way with Lucas’ growing popularity. Soon, hegets the shock of his life when his assignment to review Octoberfest getsrevoked and is instead sent to review a food truck festival. Ouch! Talk about aslap in the face. What was even a bigger slap was running into an old enemyfrom your culinary school days. Zoe was the girl you just couldn’t forget.
The characters naturally had apush-pull tension, which brought about some wry commentary and snarky wit.Although the cleverness and humor were there, the whole thing felt rather dryto me.
The romance was nice, but it felta little forced. The overall read was decent, but not that great.
Eh, this was okay.
Rating:3 stars
Review: SUMMER’S EMBRACE Vol. 3 (erotic manga)
The teacher continues to give thesexy student some lessons about respect. It gets very naughty! So bad and toogood! Very sexy images!
Rating:4 stars
Review: SUMMER’S EMBRACE Vol. 2 (erotic manga)
Will the boyhave a chance with the hot mom? It seems the girl was getting a private lessonin a hot and delicious way. This summer just keeps getting hotter! What a greatshower scene! Enjoyed it.
Rating:4 stars
Review: SUMMER’S EMBRACE Vol. 1 (erotic manga)
A young man gets an in-housetutoring job with a beautiful girl and her hot mother. Boy, he’s in for thehottest summer of his life. So sexy!
Rating: 4 stars
