Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 74
March 16, 2024
Review: ROMANCE QUICKIES #18 by Monique DuBois
Attorney Nicole was in a bind. Shewas in love with her client, who decided to hire a fellow attorney whom she hada one-night stand with. To top it off, she was being sued by another attorneyshe had sex with. Oh dear! Things were bad and were getting worse with theex-wife and the attorney plotting revenge against her. With how bad thingswere, there was one good: the man she was falling in love with. Man, doeseverything fall apart in the end.
Sweet and dramatic. Loved it!
Rating:5 stars
Review: ROMANCE QUICKIES #16 by Monique DuBois
After her sex tape went viral,Shae was trying to do some damage control. Or she would if her agent would gethis head in the game instead of ignoring her. What starts off as a bad businessmeeting quickly turns to a quarterback’s proposal to whisk her away to aromantic getaway.
It’s Shae vs. the Alpha. Somethingwas clearly off about the scary football player. What was his problem? And howcould Shae escape a boat in the middle of the water? Wow, what an excitingscene in the end! Talk about good action! Happy with the way things turned out.So exciting!
Rating:5 stars
March 15, 2024
Blog Tour: KIDVENTURE: THROUGH THE MAIZE by Steve Searfoss
KidVenture Vol. 3
Middle Grade Fiction
Date Published: 03-30-2023
Chance, Addie and Sophie launch a new venture when they get lost in the country and stumble on the idea of starting a corn maze business. They quickly discover that while it’s easy to rush into a maze, finding your way out is hard. They will need to convince an investor to fund the venture, persuade a reluctant farmer to let them build their maze on his corn field, and figure out a way to work with his headstrong nephew. Along the way they will realize just how little they know about planting corn, designing mazes and writing business plans. Through many twists and turns —and dead ends— they will learn how to keep a partnership together and what the true job of a leader is. There’s only one thing harder than finding your way out of a maze: creating a maze people want to get lost in.
Review: The next Kidventure for thislittle entrepreneur was to build a corn maze. A corn maze? Well, there could bea fun carnival quality to it. They were thinking this might be good for FallOctober. Well, for that to happen, the seed for the corn would need to beplanted right away. And corn wasn’t just corn. Suddenly, we’re being taken toFarm School 101.
To make this happen, first, youneed the start-up cost for the farmer at $6K. Oh my! Where to get that kind ofmoney?
Once again, this Kidventure givesyou questions on each scenario that comes up. It’s a good thing the kids had adad to explain all these business terms and concepts. As an adult, you learnthings, too. To be honest, I really didn’t think the corn maze was a good idea.Why would anyone pay money to get lost in a maze of corn? But, at least, thekids were starting to learn to ask the right questions. I mean, they werebasically building an amusement park here. Yeah, these kids had no businessopening a corn maze with a $15K start-up cost. Wow!
I liked the idea of starting abusiness and learning about all the ups and downs. Seriously, there’s loads ofinformation here. This goes to show that even the best plans and proposals cango wrong. Always plan for the unexpected.
Chance was certainly working extrahard on this venture. It took “many twists and wrong turns and dead-ends andcircling back” to make this venture a go. Goes to show that business is morethan just an idea. Story illustrates on how to deal with conflict well. Thebook asks you some good scenario questions of what you think and what would youdo. What kind of businessman would you be?
A finely detailed and fun read forany entrepreneur-wanna-be. You get so into the venture and you feel all theroadblocks that Chance runs into. A wonderful learning experience!
Can’t wait for the nextKidVenture!
Rating:5 stars
About the Author
KidVenture stories are business adventures where kids figure out how to market their company, understand risk, and negotiate. Each chapter ends with a challenge, including business decisions, ethical dilemmas and interpersonal conflict for young readers to wrestle with. As the story progresses, the characters track revenue, costs, profit margin, and other key metrics which are explained in simple, fun ways that tie into the story.
Contact Links
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Blog Tour: ARLYA by Jack Lowe-Carbell
ARLYA
Jack Lowe-Carbell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Thriller
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BLURB:
Arlya,a small town in Southern Ontario, is rocked by a gruesome crime. Four friendsmust work together with Detective Dylan Grey to find a pattern, a bike, a clue,and a sister before it is repeated.
Jamesand his three best friends, Owen, Tommy, and Mike, have just finished schoolfor the summer. The plan is the same as every other year: they are going tobuild the biggest fort yet, deep in the Dhoon Woods. After stumbling across atiny, seemingly unimportant wooden hut, a series of crimes take place and theirplans change.
Arlyafalls into itself. Doors are locked, curtains drawn, bikes are put away,strangers invade, and kids are off the street. In the first week of summervacation, a dark and disturbing family history is uncovered; friends turn oneach other; a storm rolls through town; and a monster is hiding just out ofsight, smiling its toothy grin and crawling through the corn.
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Excerpt One:
One Fridaynight last summer, the four of them had left James’s house after his parentshad gone to bed. They had biked around in the dark, briefly illuminated by thesparse streetlights looming over the side streets. Fog had drifted across theside roads; houses were barely visible through their covered lawns. Somehow,they wound their way to the bottom of Cemetery Hill.
“My grandpa isin there,” Tommy had said quietly.
They had lookedout at the long blackness which rose menacingly above them. The trees at thetop of the hill had been reaching toward the starry sky.
James hadwanted to bike back. If he had left, the others would have surely followedsuit. Mike had glanced at James waiting for his decision.
“My dad wassupposed to be buried here,” Owen had said, his voice cracking, devoid ofmoisture.
The fog hadcontinued to thicken around the four of them standing stagnant in the road,straddling their bikes.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Jack Lowe-Carbell is a 26-year-old writer living in Vancouver, BC.Arlya is his first novel, and it is based in his hometown, Ayr, ON. Thanks tohis dad, who read him horror stories when he was far too young, Jack has alwaysloved the genre. His next novel is a tale of horror based in GaribaldiProvincial Park.
CONNECT WITH JACK LOWE-CARBELL
WEBSITE - https://jacklowecarbell.com/
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/arlyanovel
INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/jacklowecarbell/
TIKTOK - https://www.tiktok.com/@jacklowecarbell
PURCHASE LINKS - ARLYA
AMAZON.COM - https://amazon.com/dp/1779410964
AMAZON.CA - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1779410964
RAKUTEN KOBO - https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/arlya
BARNES & NOBLE - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book/1144578780
ABEBOOKS - https://www.abebooks.com/products/isbn/9781779410962
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GIVEAWAY
JackLowe-Carbell will award a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winnervia Rafflecopter.
a Rafflecopter giveawayMarch 14, 2024
Blog Tour: KEEPING JANIE by S.R. Fabrico
Join us for this tour from Feb 27 to Mar 18, 2024!Book Details:
Book Title: Keeping Janie: Southport Series, Book 2 by S.R. Fabrico
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 320 pages
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: S.R. Fabrico
Release date: Feb, 2024
Content Rating: PG-13+M for a few sex scenes, some bad language and a murder.Book Description:
Embark on an exhilarating reunion with Lizzie Levine, Southport, North Carolina’s newest resident, who first graced our hearts in the award-winning novel Call Her Janie. In this eagerly awaited sequel by S.R. Fabrico, the stakes are higher, the twists more exhilarating, and the drama more enthralling.
Reuniting with her daughter, Janie, should be the start of Lizzie’s picture-perfect life. Behind the scenes, however, is a different matter. The happiness of having her daughter back is overshadowed by the fear ad distrust of her ex-boyfriend, billionaire Gray Stone.
Amidst the tapestry of wedding preparations, the custody fight looms. The story unfolds in a battleground of secrets, lies, and deception. In this gripping narrative, love and lies entwine, danger lurks in the shadows, and the courage to confront one’s past becomes paramount. Can Lizzie gain custody of her daughter, marry the man she loves, and have her happily-ever-after, or will the mistakes of their past destroy them all?Buy the Book:
Amazon
add to goodreads
Meet the Author:S.R. Fabrico is an award-winning author whose literary talents have captivated readers worldwide. With her debut novel, The Secrets We Conceal, and her second novel, Call Her Janie, she has emerged as a rising star in the literary realm.
With a remarkable 25-plus-year career in business, marketing, and sports, S.R. Fabrico brings a unique perspective to her writing. As a World Champion Dance Coach and esteemed speaker, she infuses her stories with passion and insight.
Residing in Tennessee with her husband and children, S.R. Fabrico continues to create captivating narratives that will transport you to new and extraordinary worlds. Prepare to be enchanted by her exceptional storytelling prowess.
In addition to her passion for writing novels, she has published a series of sports journals and a journal for women. She believes that journaling is good for the soul.
connect with the author:
website ~ newsletter ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreadsEnter the Giveaway:KEEPING JANIE Book Tour Giveaway
Book Blast: PICASSO'S LOVERS by Jeanne Mackin
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jeanne Mackin will award a randomly drawn winner a $25 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
You know Pablo Picasso. Now meet the women behind the masterpieces. The women of Picasso's life are glamorous and elusive, existing in the shadow of his fame - until, in the 1950's, aspiring journalist Alana Olsen determines to bring one into the light and discovers a past complicated by secrets and intrique.
Read an Excerpt
Gazes from Pablo Picasso are like brushstrokes. Some are long, lingering, full of texture and pigment. Some are short, shallow, even accidental. His gaze on me now falls somewhere between the two.
Once, his gaze would have found enough for an entire painting. He would have seen flesh, and the bone and muscle under the flesh, the question or certainty of the eyes. He would have seen past, present, and future and painted them in a way that made time irrelevant.
Yes, that was how he pained me. Everything and at once, all the angles and geometry of the body, and he made of me something eternal and always beautiful. That is what an artists can do for a woman. When most men looked at me, all I saw in their faces was desire, the urge to possess. When Pablo looked at me, his face filled with wonder waiting to be translated to lines and brushstrokes.
Spring. The second year of the Great War. I wasn’t twenty yet, and had returned from cold, starving Moscow, where a loaf of bread coast as much as a silk dress…Back to Paris for me!
When Pablo first saw me, I was sitting on the rim of the Wallace Fountain in Place Emile, face turned up to the sun like a basking cat, enjoying the fine day and wondering what adventure I might find…It was early summer. I had stolen a bunch of cherries at Les Halles and a roll, but my stomach rattled.
About the Author:
Jeanne Mackin is the author of several historical novels, including The Last Collection, which has been translated into five languages, and The Beautiful American, which won a CNY award for fiction. She has taught in the MFA Creative Writing program at Goddard College and won journalism awards, and is currently at work on her next novel.Website: http://www.jeannemackin.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeanneMackinAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JeanneMackin1
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/JeanneMackinAuthor
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Picassos-Lover...
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March 13, 2024
Blog Tour: OAKLEY, MOSTLY GOOD by Kristen Grainger
Illustrated by Sophie Barlow
Children's Book
Date Published: December 14, 2023
Publisher: MindStir Media
Nothing's been the same ever since Oakley came to live at Mavis' house. Change can be hard, but change can bring good things too.
Review: Meet Oakley, a dog that is a goodboy…mostly. He is certainly a ball of energy and gets into trouble.
The illustrations were reminiscentof those you find in Roald Dahl books like Matilda. The pictures were adorable.Story basically lists all the funny hijinks of Oakley. There really wasn’t muchmore to it than that, but it was a fun read.
Good for any pet lover…who willtotally understand the woes of our loving pets. Yes, our pets are good…mostly.
Rating:4 stars
About the Author
Kristen Grainger is a poet, author and performing songwriter who loves books. She lives with her husband in the Pacific Northwest not far from their grown children who also love books.
About the Illustrator
Sophie Barlow is an Illustrator and designer born and raised in Oregon and the Pacific North West.
Sophie earned her degree from the University of Oregon in Art and Technology but has enjoyed working in a range of mediums from digital to physical in her artist practice. In addition to creating art, Sophie loves to hike, bake, and travel whenever she can.
Contact Link
Purchase Links
Blog Tour: THE OTHER MURDER by Kevin G. Chapman
Mystery / Thriller
Date Published: 01-08-2024
Publisher: First Legacy Publishing
Sometimes, the most dangerous thing . . . is the truth.
For disgraced cable news producer Hannah Hawthorne, covering the shooting of a pretty NYU sophomore is a chance for redemption. When the story snowballs into a media circus, Hannah’s reporting fans the sensationalistic flames and earns her acclaim. The tragic murder, seemingly the result of random urban gun violence, prompts protests and vigils that further magnify the story.
Meanwhile, Paulo Richardson, a reporter for an online neighborhood newspaper, is following the other murder in Washington Square Park that same night – a Latino teen. He discovers an unexpected connection that is political dynamite. When Hannah and Paulo team up, they uncover disturbing facts, leading them to question everything they thought they knew and leading them to the man who may be the killer.
When the story is ready to explode, the truth may be hotter than anyone can handle. Breaking the next scoop could ruin Paulo’s paper and wreck Hannah’s career – and it could get them both killed.
EXCERPT:
That’s whenhe saw a flash of purple and a dark shape on the ground. He walked toward it,shining the light all around the silent dirt, trampled by hundreds of New Yorkfeet. It was a girl. On the ground. Not moving. He knelt in the dust, not worryingabout what evidence he might be trampling. Sticking the flashlight under anarm, he reached out and nudged her, in case she was just sleeping. She wasn’t.He rolled her onto her back. His eyes jumped to the dark hole in her forehead.She wasn’t going to need an ambulance.
About the Author
Kevin G. Chapman is an attorney specializing in labor and employment law and an independent author. His Mike Stoneman Thriller series, includes Lethal Voyage, Winner of the Kindle Book Award, and Fatal Infraction, the #1 Police Procedural of the year (Chanticleer Book Review CLUE Award). Kevin’s latest is a stand-alone mystery/suspense/romance called Dead Winner, which recently won the CLUE Award as the #1 Suspense/Thriller of the year. Kevin has also written a serious political drama, A Legacy of One (2016) and is currently working on two new mystery/thrillers due out in 2022 and 2023. Kevin is a resident of Central New Jersey and is a graduate of Columbia College and Boston University School of Law. Readers can contact Kevin via his website at www.KevinGChapman.com.
Contact Links
Twitter: @KGChapman
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March 12, 2024
Blog Tour: TOOTHBRUSH ANIMAL HUNT by Carleen Dehaney
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Carleen Dehaney 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.
Embark on a delightful adventure with Toothbrush Animal Hunt, the perfect children's book to encourage daily toothbrushing habits in a playful and enjoyable way.
From a clapping sea lion at the beach to a cheeky squirrel in the forest, children will be fascinated as they learn about toothbrushing through the actions and antics of these charming creatures. And don't forget to spot the toothbrushes hidden throughout the pages, making this hunt, a delightful game of discovery.
Say goodbye to toothbrushing struggles and let the adventure begin!
Enjoy an Excerpt
Review: Go on a fun hunt in this wildlyentertaining and colorful book. A group of kids take a stroll with nature and lookall around. Every time they spot something, a toothbrush appears in the cornerand proceeds to go into a tip about brushing. Each new animal find reflects thefun lesson in brushing. A great way for kids to learn—combining animal sounds andappearances with the brushing.
A cool book about animals anddental hygiene! Highly recommended book for kids!
My rating: 5 stars
About the Author: Meet the author, Carleen Dehaney! Carleen is a mother and wife. She hails from the UK but now calls Canada home. This enchanting book draws inspiration from a tenacious 2-year-old in need of some toothbrushing magic. Carleen embarked on a whimsical journey, incorporating playful animal sounds into her daughter's brushing routine, and thus, the idea for this captivating book was conceived. Today, her little one, who has since outgrown her toddler years, recites this tale back to Carleen, forging cherished moments between them.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Toothbrush-Animal-Hunt-Carleen-Dehaney/dp/0228877024/ref=sr_1_1
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Blog Tour: LOOKING FOR A LEPRECHAUN by Richard Lopez
Book Details:
Book Title: Looking for a Leprechaun by Richard Lopez
Category: Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7), 30 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publisher: Three Little Birds Publishing
Release date: Apr 2023
Content Rating: G. Suitable for everyone.
Book Description:
Looking for a Leprechaun is the story of a boy named Rich who lives in a magical world, but everywhere he turns he hears people saying he doesn't belong. When a fairy tells him if he finds a Leprechaun it will help him find where he belongs, Rich sets out on an adventure. The search for a leprechaun is difficult. Close to giving up, Rich hears some words of wisdom. Will he be able to find what he is searching for? What if it's been inside him all along?
Young children and their parents will be amazed by the positive story and exquisite illustrations of this Mom's Choice Awards Gold recipient. Looking for a Leprechaun has been named among the best in family-friendly media, products and services.
Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Audible
B&N ~ BAM
add to Goodreads
Review: “If you find a leprechaun…it willhelp you find where you belong.”
And so begins the search for themagical leprechaun. A young boy named Rich goes in search of where he belongs. Richencounters several places where he DOESN’T belong. These places had somestrange-looking creatures and not one of them was a leprechaun.
What if I don’t belong anywhere?
The illustrations were so vibrantand colorful. I liked how the text curved and naturally drew your eye acrossthe pages.
This was a great story about nothaving to look far to find what you had all along. A nice read!
Rating:4 stars
Meet the Author:
Richard Lopez is an award winning children's author originally from Hialeah, FL. He has a high school diploma and has worked in healthcare information technology for the past 15 years. He started to focus on writing in 2003 when he went back to school and completed a certification for Sound Engineering at S.A.E. He had a few poems published in books by the International Library of Poetry. The Best Poems and Poets of 2003, Invoking the Muse, and The Best Poems and Poets of 2005. He currently resides in St. Petersburg, FL and enjoys going to see live music, and being outdoors. He started Three Little Birds Publishing for his work on children's books. Looking for a Leprechaun is his first children's book.
connect with author: website ~ instagram ~ goodreads
Enter the Giveaway:Looking for a Leprechaun by Richard Lopez Book Tour Giveaway
