Bena Roberts's Blog, page 10
June 9, 2018
Political Dirty Trick by James R Callan
Political Dirty Trick, A Crystal Moore Suspense, Book #3
James R. Callan
Crystal���s good friend, Ron Drake, is a shoo-in to win the gubernatorial race in Texas. Two volunteers in the opposition camp(George and Ginnie) believe their candidate���s only chance is a political dirty trick that will sink his numbers in the polls. They construct an elaborate hoax and with a source in the D.A.���s office, leak fake news to the media.
The dirty trick is successful and Drake���s numbers plummet. But things go wrong and a man is killed. Ginnie is determined not to get caught for the man���s death, and to cover it up, another man is killed.
Crystal sets out to find who is leaking the unfair information. She has no idea the murders are connected to the fake news. But as she begins to gather clues, Ginnie decided no one is looking for her or George - except Crystal. To Ginnie, Crystal must be eliminated and she makes several attempts on Crystal���s life.
Drake���s once invincible lead evaporates and on election day, he comes in second. But the election isn���t over. The attempts on Crystal���s life aren���t either. Drake may lose the election. And Crystal may lose her life.
Political Dirty Trick is the third of the Crystal Moore Suspense Series, but it can be a standalone read. Nothing from the previous books in the series is needed to fully enjoy this book.
Senior Reviewer D. Donovan of Midwest Book Reviews said, ���Powerful in its characterization, plot, and narrative interactions, Political Dirty Trick is the item of choice for thriller readers who like their stories steeped in realistic scenarios and possibilities.���
Thriller writer William Doonan said, ���It���s tight, it moves along at a nice clip, the characters are engaging, and the tension is real. It reads like a fast-paced James Patterson cliffhanger.���
It is available in digital, paperback, and hardcover formats from Amazon at https://amzn.to/2pIHMqs or from IngramSpark.
June 8, 2018
Review - Nights Arose by Andrea Roche
Nights Arose by Andrea Roche
Oh mama mia! I did not expect to like this book. I lost my poker face completely ... as I adored it.
The Good
Arose has a gem and a gift, a dragon that protects and a crazy stepfamily. She is shipped off to sea with her best friend Blaze at a young age. Wow! I loved this mutiny on the bounty come witchcraft and voodoo plot! I loved the way that arose could release herself from her body...
The Bad
I knew who Blaze was from the start (detective book fan) so wasn't surprised by that twisty bit.
The Ugly
The hog and pig thing, naked dancing, girls being boys... so ugly I found it bloody fantastic! I have to be honest this was a realistic romance with a ton of fantasy and I just fell in -hook, line, and sinker. The writing flowed and I enjoyed reading it.
I highly recommend 5 Stars!... and this is from someone who thought she hated this genre! OMG, a convert!
The Dim Zone by Chris Turner
The Dim Zone
How far is too far?
Mercenary Yul Vrean is hired by billionaire CEO Mathias of Cybercore to bring back alien samples from a remote planet in the Dim Zone. It���s a region rife with murderous space pirates and slavers, the warlike Zikri and Mentera.
This alien technothriller is full of deadly space battles, extreme action, bio-mechanical fusion, killer aliens, a touch of the bizarre and fantastic��� it will certainly intrigue fans of Alien, Predator and The Matrix.
In a race for mechnobot technology, genius Sigmund Hresh has engineered a prototype for what may be the holy grail of AI. The uses of such technology vary from the sinister to the saintly. Yul and his space thugs may be the only link preventing the next galactic war and saving the human colonies from hostile aliens.
The Making of The Dim Zone...
The booktrack audio component was based on many space classics with similar textures to Alien Covenant and Life. I created composite alien effects from mixes of digital samples and animals, using pitch effects and warping. All in all, an eerie backdrop to the alien planet Xeses, and later, the corridors inside the starship Orb of the Zikri hunters.
Enjoy The Dim Zone, the next book in The Timelost series:
Booktrack (free): https://bit.ly/2wtIf5B
June 7, 2018
Blog Tour - The Dead Game by Susanne Leist
I am so excited to have a tour of The Dead Game today! A must for anyone that loves The Vampire Diaries!
The Dead Game
by Susanne Leist
Genre: Paranormal Suspense
Linda Bennett leaves New York for the slower-paced lifestyle of Oasis, Florida. She opens a bookstore and makes new friends. Life is simple that is until the dead body washes up onshore. She is horrified to learn that dead bodies and disappearing tourists are typical for this small town. Rumors abound of secret parties held by the original residents in their secluded mansions. Once night falls, the tourist-friendly community becomes a haven for evil and dark shadows. However, this is only the beginning.
Linda and her group receive an unsigned invitation to a party at End House, the deserted house in the forest behind the town, a mansion with a violent history. They are pursued through revolving rooms and dangerous traps, barely escaping with their lives, leaving two of their friends trapped inside.
It is up to Linda and her friends to search out The Dead and find the evil one controlling their once peaceful community. Can they trust the Sheriff and his best friend, Todd?
THE DEAD GAME has begun.
**Only .99 cents!**
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Book 2 releasing soon!!
I have always loved to read. I grew up with Agatha Christie, Alistair Maclean and so many other authors who filled my imagination with intrigue and mystery. The TV show, Murder She Wrote, kept me entertained when I was not reading late into the night.
Over the years, my taste in books has expanded to include the supernatural and paranormal genres as reflected in my selection of shows, such as Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, and The Originals.
My first book, The Dead Game, is a paranormal suspense/mystery. It brings fantasy and the surreal to the simple murder mystery. It has dead bodies and suspects. However, it also has vampires, vampire derivatives, and a touch of romance to spice up the mix.
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A Graveyard Visible by Steve Conoboy
A GRAVEYARD VISIBLE
by Steve Conoboy
There's a graveyard visible from Caleb's bedroom window, and it grows a little bigger every day. He sees funerals there each evening, but nobody's dying. He investigates, he measures. Misha, the strange girl who lives there with her grandfather, takes an unwanted interest in Caleb, and he can't shake her off. But he's sure those peculiar mourners, the same ones at each graveside every time, are forcing her into rituals against her will. He finds himself deep in a world of the dead, and it may be too late to climb back out.
This is a shivery story that takes a fresh look at a very familiar location - the graveyard. No mere zombies or vampires here. These revenants are being ripped from their final resting place, and all will be punished.
We meet Caleb, thirteen and still reeling from the death of his mother. He deals with this grief alone - his father is shut off in a world of work, and his grandfather is sinking rapidly into dementia. Misha, outcast by the other kids, could be his last chance at a friend - how far will he go for a shot at friendship? She is not easy for him to deal with. Misha has no love for a world that has labelled her as victim. Caleb, then, is in for a big shock when he expects her help in saving the town. These kids, already struggling to find their place in the world, will be tested to their limits as the horrors escalate...
PRAISE FOR A GRAVEYARD VISIBLE
OUT NOW on Amazon, and any online book store you can think of :)
June 6, 2018
Review - Chase Me by Rachel Tamayo
Chase Me
by Rachael Tamayo
When I looked at the cover of this book, I imagined some erotica about an A-Type male chasing a woman.
I was wrong. This is a sweet romance with sexy bits!
The Good.
This was a fast fun and easy to read novel. Girl needs a date - best friend stands in for the WEEKEND!
The Bad
I loved the dual POV. It was perfect. I actually preferred the male POV which was strange for me... but it can only mean that I quite liked him!
The Ugly
I had issues with the mother. Could any mum be that evil? She was a bit of a bully. Also, the tattoo, the trash and then the father and the business. That stuck out like a sore thumb for me and I just didn't get the parents. But the dad sorted it out!
This is the perfect summer happy read!
4 Stars - I loved this romantic comedy - it really is a sweet romance laced with a gin and tonic!
Review - Jolie Gentil Cozy Mysteries #7 Vague Images by Elaine Orr
Jolie and Scoobie High School Misadventures
Jolie Gentil Cozy Mysteries #0.5
by Elaine Orr
Genre: Cozy Mystery
When Jolie Gentil���s parents leave her with Aunt Madge for her junior year so they can ���work things out��� in their marriage, she���s angry. She knows no one at Ocean Alley High School. Some kids snub her, but she makes friends with the irreverent Scoobie. He���s quirky and fun, but he���s skipped school and smoked pot in the past, so people avoid him. Jolie learns how to shoot a squirt gun from under the boardwalk and tries not to flunk geometry. She also learns that the family she babysits for has a secret, one that puts Jolie in danger. You���ve met Jolie and Scoobie as crime-solving adults. Check out their high school friendship. Same humor, different challenges. Plus a couple of hints about why Jolie wants to get to the bottom of murders when she���s all grown up.
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Appraisal For Murder
Jolie Gentil Cozy Mysteries #1
Jolie Gentil moves to Great Aunt Madge���s Jersey shore B&B, taking her cat Jazz, and joining Madge's pair of prune-eating dogs. It's not a retreat from her embezzling ex-husband, just a smart change. Jolie rekindles friendships, dodges a low-level wise guy, and tries to figure out her new life. She hasn't seen her high school classmates in ten years, and they weren't all buds. Why care if a couple of them are murder suspects? Because finding a dead body when you're appraising a house grabs your attention.
Jolie balances fear of a smart-mouth wise guy with a belief that her friends are innocent. Her murder suspects include one accused's ex-wife and beneficiaries of the dead woman's will. Jolie keeps searching, but will someone's plans leave her alive to find the truth?
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Rekindling Motives
Jolie Gentil Cozy Mysteries #2
When Jolie Gentil gets tapped for some appraisal work at her tenth high school reunion she does not expect to find the skeleton of Richard Tillotson in an antique attic wardrobe in the vacant house. He vanished just after his sister married his business partner in 1929. Jolie sees a link to the Tillotson-Fisher family's Prohibition era business and works with friends Scoobie and Ramona to gather clues from old photo albums and ledgers. The albums lead to Mary Doris Milner, Richard's girlfriend, who has fond memories of him and is certain of who murdered him. But, she couldn't prove it then and he's long dead, too.
The present day murder of Mary Doris tells Jolie and Scoobie they are on the right track. Did the secret she kept all these years finally kill her, and will solving Mary Doris' murder lead to a culprit in a decades-old crime? Between running the food pantry at Christmas and escaping a burning building, Jolie wants to figure out who the modern killer is before someone else gets hurt.
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When the Carny Comes To Town
Jolie Gentil Cozy Mysteries #3
Though she never liked the idea of sitting on the plank above the dunk tank for the food pantry's carnival fundraiser, Jolie never dreamed what Scoobie saw that day would leave him battling for his life. Scoobie's ex-con mother shows up and there's a murder to add to the mix. Soon Jolie is doing more than appraising real estate. Even that is complicated by home burglars. She grudgingly seeks help from her nemesis, reporter George Winters, and tries to stay ahead of a kidnapper and murderer so she can take charge of her world again. Can she keep her friends safe? Will Scoobie recover enough to plan another silly fundraiser?
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Any Port in a Storm
Jolie Gentil Cozy Mysteries #4
Jolie Gentil and friends are putting the finishing touches on the Talk Like a Pirate Day fundraiser for the food pantry and trying to figure out who's breaking into some of the houses Jolie appraises. When she realizes a new face in town is leading high school kids into trouble, Jolie's mad and lets him know it. Hayden offers to help her mind her own business, and people at the fundraiser hear her give him what for. A hurricane's on the way, and when a corpse turn up under the pirate ship the next day, Jolie's looking like a suspect.
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Trouble on the Doorstep
Jolie Gentil Cozy Mysteries #5
From Hurricane Sandy to Cozy Corner B&B repairs to Aunt Madge's wedding in three weeks. If Jolie can handle that surely she can deal with a sobbing woman who shows up at midnight playing a scary message on her phone. Pooki is frantic about her husband's whereabouts and is definitely ditzy. A shady deal for storm repairs at the Ocean Alley Senior Complex seems to be at the root of Steve Oliver's hit-and-run death and missing business partner, Pooki���s husband, Eric. When Eric ends up dead at the B&B, Jolie digs for clues as she burns muffins and appraises houses. Can Jolie find the murderer and expose fraudulent repair bids ��� without getting hurt?
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Behind the Walls
Jolie Gentil Cozy Mysteries #6
Finalist for Chanticleer 2014 Mystery and Mayhem Award. It���s fun to buy a house. Unless someone wants what���s hidden behind the walls and is willing to kill for it. Jolie is pursued by a purse thief and a burglar, but the guy she���s most worried about is the one who left an elderly auctioneer dead on her porch swing. Suspects abound, but they aren���t all going to live to tell their story.
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Vague Images
Jolie Gentil Cozy Mysteries #7
My Review - Vague Images by Elaine Orr
As I read this I felt like I was reading a grown-up version of the Famous Five.
The Good
So, the author did a brilliant job of getting me motivated. Meeting at the hospital, knowing something, seeing someone... Basically, a super hook that made me read this book quickly.
The Bad
I didn't like the name Scoobie in the book. Sorry - it just really put me off.
The Ugly?
This is a well-written mystery that you will not want to put down.
4. 3 Stars - I read this as part of a review
Bad enough that Jolie ends up in the emergency room because she avoided a deer. Worse to find a dead woman in the hospital restroom. In between appraising houses and feeding her pet skunk, Jolie���s on the lookout for a runaway teenager and whoever planted the dead woman in her path. Thanks to best bud Scoobie, she���s also planning a crazy fundraiser for the food pantry. Just when Jolie���s ready to leave the murder investigation to the police, she gets a surprise���and it���s not a good one. Will her need to know see her hurt���or worse?
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Ground to a Halt
Jolie Gentil Cozy Mysteries #8
When Jolie Gentil goes to buy a cup of coffee, she finds Java Jolt empty. A bigger surprise is seeing proprietor Joe Regan later, badly injured. A potential killer thinks Jolie has something he was hiding. Jolie needs to figure out who's telling the truth and how far the thugs will go to find what they want. Only solving the puzzle will keep Jolie safe, protect a vulnerable Iraqi War vet, and make sure she stays alive. But if Jolie keeps searching, her budding romance with Scoobie may grind to a halt.
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Holidays in Ocean Alley
Jolie Gentil Cozy Mysteries #9
Aunt Madge���s brief stay in assisted living (don���t stand on a stool to hang garland) would be uneventful, except for the body that falls into her apartment along with a Christmas wreath. After years of telling Jolie not to be a busybody, Aunt Madge turns to Jolie���s boyfriend Scoobie to help find clues. Told from Madge and Scoobie���s points of view, with help from some feisty seniors.
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The Unexpected Resolution
Jolie Gentil Cozy Mysteries #10
A midnight wedding, Army veterans who face repercussions of two different wars, and a very startling wedding guest. A 9-1-1 call during the wedding changes everything. Jolie has to help Scoobie figure out what he wants to know, and determine who seems to want someone in his family dead. Book 10 in the Jolie Gentil cozy mystery series brings together the close-knit group of friends and zany Ocean Alley townspeople for a very special event ��� and a murder.
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Elaine L. Orr is the Amazon bestselling author of the ten-book Jolie Gentil cozy mystery series, which is set at the Jersey shore. "Behind the Walls" was a finalist for the 2014 Chanticleer Mystery and Mayhem Awards. First in her River's Edge mystery series was "From Newsprint to Footprints," followed by "Demise of a Devious Neighbor." Iowa nice meets murder. "Tip a Hat to Murder" is set in rural Illinois, and is the first of the Logland mystery series.
Elaine also writes plays and novellas, including the one-act, "Common Ground," published in 2015. Her novella, "Biding Time," was one of five finalists in the National Press Club's first fiction contest, in 1993. "Falling into Place" is a novella about family strength as a World War II veteran rises to the toughest occasion.
Elaine conducts presentations on electronic publishing and other writing-related topics. Nonfiction includes "Words to Write By: Getting Your Thoughts on Paper" and "Writing in Retirement: Putting New Year's Resolutions to Work." She also authors online classes about writing and publishing.
A member of Sisters in Crime, Elaine grew up in Maryland and moved to the Midwest in 1994. Elaine graduated from the University of Dayton with a BA in Political Science and from the American University with an MA in Government. She worked for GAO and the National Academy of Public Administration for many year, and for two Iowa members of the U.S. House of Representatives -- one Republican and one Democrat.
Elaine did some journalism course work at the University of Maryland and has taken fiction courses from The Writer's Center in Bethesda, MD, the University of Iowa Summer Writing Festival, and Georgetown University's Continuing Education Program. She is a regular attendee at the Magna Cum Murder in Indianapolis and the Book Bums Workshop in West Liberty, Iowa.
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June 5, 2018
Blot Spotlight and #giveaway - Gone by S.H. Love
Gone
by S.H. Love
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Rory Richards is self-absorbed and suicidal.
Over the last year, he has lost his job, has attempted suicide multiple times, and has gotten his relationship to the point where it is heading for divorce. Fed up with everything, Rory has accepted his fate.
When he wakes up from a failed suicide attempt, he learns that his wife, Maggie, has disappeared without a trace. Her car is found abandoned on the highway, miles away from home. Her purse and her cell phone are discovered in the trunk. There is no sign of Maggie.
All Rory can remember about the previous night is that the two had the fight of a lifetime. The dispute causes him to storm out of the house and steal prescription pills from his neighbors in an attempt to overdose.
After that, everything is a blur.
Maggie���s sudden disappearance becomes a mystery.
Was she kidnapped? Did she disappear on purpose?
To avoid coming across as insensitive, Rory plays the part of loving husband and attempts to find his wife. He gives an emotional plea on television, reaches out to the Missing Persons Network, and even hires a private investigator to gather information.
All of these actions are to show police that he is actively searching. Deep down, though, he just doesn���t care anymore. But, does Rory���s lack of affection mean that he is responsible for Maggie���s disappearance? Or will he serve as the unlikely hero who finds her?
What happened the night she disappeared?
Get it on Amazon!
S. H. Love writes mysteries and thrillers. S. H. Love is the psuedonym of a critically acclaimed author.
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June 3, 2018
Blog Tour - We Other by Sue Bentley
I am delighted to feature We Other on Six Tinder Weeks! I love the video and wish Sue the best with We Other!
We Other
Family secrets, changelings, and fairies you never want to meet on a dark night.
Jess Morgan���s life has always been chaotic.
When a startling new reality cannot be denied, it���s clear that everything she believed about herself is a lie. She is linked to a world where humans ��� ���hot-bloods��� ��� are disposable entertainment. Life on a run-down estate ��� her single mum���s alcoholism and violent boyfriend ��� become the least of Jess���s worries.
Purchase from Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/We-Other-Sue-Bentley-ebook/dp/B07D19PRGL/
Purchase from Amazon.com - https://www.amazon.com/We-Other-Sue-Bentley-ebook/dp/B07D19PRGL/
Author Bio ��� Sue Bentley discovered a love of books at an early age. She worked for Northamptonshire Libraries for many years, while teaching herself the craft of writing. She is the author of the worldwide bestselling Magic Kitten, Magic Puppy, Magic Ponies, Magic Bunny series for age 5-9 years. She also writes for children and adults under various pen names. A lover of English Folklore, her books often contain elements of the otherworld and the darkness within the everyday. Her books have been translated into around 20 languages. We Other is her first book for Young Adults.
Social Media Links ��� https://twitter.com/suebentleywords https://facebook.com/suebentleyauthor https://instagram.com/therealsuebentley https://www.suebentley.co.uk
https://Goodreads.com/suebentleyauthor
Giveaway - Win a signed copy of We Other and a personal letter (open internationally)
*Terms and Conditions ���Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners��� information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
June 2, 2018
Review - Searching for Steven by Jessica Redland
My Review - Searching for Steven by Jessica Redland
This is the type of book that after you read it, you want to have a glass of wine with the author and chat about it!
The Good
I love, love, love the tape recording. Did I say I love the tape bit? Well, that angle got me hooked in deep.
The Bad
The Andy was a bit long-winded at the end. I would have preferred a shorter to the point conclusion, and for the first time in the whole book, I checked the page count. But thankfully, I was at 84%. I thought I would get bored and then the entire boss thing came and I was in it again. So, the bad wasn't actually so bad!.. But then again waiting for the end... sorry dear author but it went ooooonnnnnn.
The Ugly
Nothing. I still loved this book! It was a great read, and I am picky about Andy comments because the Rhys book was perfect!
4 Stars from me!
