C. Vonzale Lewis's Blog, page 4
May 1, 2020
Women Meditation and Power Blog Tour
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Welcome to the blog tour for Women Meditation and Power by Liz Lewinson!
Read on for book details, an excerpt, and a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!
Women, Meditation, and Power
Genre: Non-Fiction/ Women’s Studies
Publication Date: January 7, 2020 (New Edition)
Women are the power species on the planet. Why? Because life force or kundalini flows through women more strongly than in men. The primary aspect of the female person is power. The primary aspect of the male person is love and humility. Somewhere back in time, the roles got switched.
Men in charge have unwittingly created a heavy, inflexible power structure that lurches towards destruction. Now is the time for the woman in all of us to up-end the confusion, unravel the deep-rooted lines of misunderstanding, and make it right.
Add to Goodreads
Purchase on Amazon
Excerpt
Women are the power species on planet Earth. We are the leaders, the strategists, the negotiators, the collaborators, the seers, the matriarchs. We are naturally excellent at experiencing inner stillness—the ultimate nexus and balancing center of life power.
Women today are rising from thousands of years of repression. Women are shattering glass ceilings and previous perceptions of what women can and should accomplish. The women shattering glass ceilings are those who find a way to express their power and energy, fighting to achieve this all the way. They bring a peerless power and energy to their tasks.
The adolescent girls of today are the leaders of tomorrow. But if their education is neglected, if they are given inappropriate knowledge about their own abilities and potential, then the results are disastrous for the planet. Girls in so-called liberated nations often face a crisis in their teen years. It’s when being sexually and physically attractive to boys or other girls often trumps becoming educated and powerful.
Westernized teens, with all that built-in energy and power that come with a strong, young nervous system, often weaken it with destructive and unfulfilling sex, bullying, violence, drugs, and overfocus on what others are doing instead of building confidence in self. The result is a long confusion period, especially for women, in which it takes years to regain the state of energy and assuredness that was lost in the teen years. Some women never regain it and instead make poor choices that burden them for the rest of their lives.
Regaining or understanding for the first time their full, unlimited power is, for most women, a journey of identifying and overcoming past restraints.
About the Author
LIZ LEWINSON is an award-winning author in biography and Buddhism. Her travels and career in technology and communications have allowed her to observe the inversion of the roles of women and men around the world. She speaks on the topics of women, meditation, and power to students, corporations, and community organizations.
For your chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card, click the link below to enter!
Other Books by Liz Lewinson
Blog Tour Schedule
April 27th
Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com
The Photographer’s Way (Review) http://www.thephotographersway.org
Tales of a Natural Spoonie (Review) https://talesofanaturalspoonie.com/
April 28th
Breakeven Books (Spotlight) https://breakevenbooks.com
Jessica Belmont (Spotlight) https://jessicabelmont.wordpress.com/
Didi Oviatt (Review) https://didioviatt.wordpress.com
April 29th
Triquetra Reviews (Interview) http://www.triquetrareviews.blogspot.com
The Faerie Review (Spotlight) http://www.thefaeriereview.com
Read and Rated (Spotlight) https://readandrated.com/
April 30th
Book Dragons Not Worms (Spotlight) https://bookdragonsnotworms.blogspot.com/?m=1
Entertainingly Nerdy (Spotlight) https://www.entertaininglynerdy.com
Banshee Irish Horror Blog (Review) www.bansheeirishhorrorblog.com
May 1st
Bookish Lifestyle (Review) http://www.evie-bookish.blogspot.com
B is for Book Review (Spotlight) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
C Vonzale Lewis (Spotlight) https://cvonzalelewis.com/index.php/blog/
Blog Tour Organized By:
April 23, 2020
LINEAGE Audio Book Tour!
Author: C. Vonzale Lewis
Narrator: Taylor Barton
Length: 11 hours 17 minutes
Publisher: The Parliament House
Released: Mar. 19, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy
Smart-mouthed Nicole Fontane has a way of getting herself into trouble. She’s been fired from every job she’s had but still refuses to work in her father’s apothecary shop because of his practice of Earth Magick. On Tulare Island where Nicole grew up, Magick has always been a way of life – one she’s determined to avoid at all costs.
With less than 200 dollars in the bank and rent due, Nicole is forced to take a job at Tribec Insurance as a last resort. Little does she realize, the moment she sets foot inside the building, she becomes a pawn. A sinister force has set its sights on her and will stop at nothing to use her in a sadistic game.
Tribec’s proprietors, the Stewart family, are curiously preoccupied with the Naqada, the mysterious pre-dynastic Egyptian society. Nicole finds it creepy, but on the bright side, the job reconnects her with her estranged friend, Marta. Yet the eerie atmosphere, disappearing Magick wards, and the smell of blood inside Tribec bring Nicole to a startling conclusion – the Stewarts are practicing Blood Magick, the deadliest of the Five Principles.
By the time Nicole uncovers the truth, Marta and her four children have gone missing, and all signs implicate the Stewarts and an archaic blood ritual to an Old One, a Naqada god imprisoned on Tulare Island. Battling the evil of Blood Magick will demand Nicole to confront a hidden past and unlock the Magick buried within. But can she set aside her deep-rooted fears to work with a team of vigilante Mages? Or will the clock run out on Marta and her children – and on Nicole?

Carla Vonzale Lewis (C. Vonzale Lewis) likes her martini’s shaken…never stirred. Though she was born in Georgia, please don’t mistake her for a Georgia peach. She’s more like a prickly pear. Speaking of being born, someone asked her recently if she remembered her birth, and all she had to say was, “Yes, I do remember that handsy doctor pulling me out into the cold. Right Bastard!!!”
Despite being born in the South, she grew up in the North. California to be exact. And every once in a great while, she gets to experience all four seasons. But mostly, it’s just heat.
She published her first short story, MONSTERS, after winning a contest with Filles Vertes Publishing. You should have heard her scream in BJ’s when they announced the winners. Third place, but it was still something!
Not long after that, her debut novel, LINEAGE, was released on July 16, 2019 with Parliament House. And she fully intends to ride that joy for the rest of her life.
When she’s not concocting her next contemporary fantasy story, she enjoys reading, binge watching shows on Netflix, and trying to convince her husband that getting a dog is a wonderful idea.
Website ⎮ Twitter ⎮ Facebook ⎮ Instagram
Taylor Barton is an introverted Aquarius living out her days just outside of Houston, Texas. Born in Texas but raised in Louisiana she went to college at Louisiana State University and graduated with a BA in Theatre then returned to Texas.
About nine months ago, she was looking for something to do outside of her day job that would combine her love of reading while also using her theatre skills and stumbled into audiobook narration. Thus, a beautiful side hustle was born. She hopes to have this one day be a decent income and ditch her day job to work at home.Fell in love with reading thanks to Harry Potter. Since then it’s been a lovely relationship with books. She’s drawn to all things fantasy and supernatural. These books give her life and devours them.
When she’s not working on audiobooks or reading in general she’s watching Netflix, playing video games, arts and crafts, and spending time with her family.
Twitter ⎮ Instagram

Q&A with Protagonist Nicole Fontane
Interviewer: Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Nicole: Really? You don’t know who I am?
Interviewer: Ummm…*stares down at notes* Well, for the reader of course!
Nicole: *giving the side-eye* Sure. My name is Nicole Fontane and I live on Tulare Island. I have an unhealthy love for cheeseburgers and extra crispy French fries and beer. I also loathe customer service. I believe some evil spirit animal invented that profession. My love life is full of wonder and, well, that may be a little TMI.
Interviewer: I understand you practice magick.
Nicole: Who the hell told you that?
Interviewer: *sweating* I didn’t realize it was a secret.
Nicole: *looking down* This is a little painful for me to talk about. Next question please.
Interviewer: Do you have a significant other?
Nicole: Define significant.
Interviewer: Is this off limits, too?
Nicole: *sighing* No. I just. Okay look. I just found out some pretty disturbing things about myself. I don’t have a boyfriend. I didn’t realize I wanted one. Or, no, that’s not right. Anyway. It’s not important. I’m just not in the right headspace for this interview. You want to know about me, read LINEAGE. I’m all over the pages of that book! Like the author dug into my soul and pulled out all the bad parts. No, that’s not right. *Get’s up* I have to go.
Interviewer: *stares at Nicole as she walks away* Well, that was… weird.
Q&A with Author C. Vonzale Lewis
What was the inspiration for this book?
I used to work in a call center. I don’t recommend this job for ANYONE! Once in a blue moon, the major players would come to our center for a center wide meeting. I use to wonder what they did all day. Like what exactly was their job. So in answer to that question, I wrote my first book based on a woman getting a job in a call center and learning her employers were sacrificing people. Morbid, I know. But I did warn you NOT to work in a call center.
Do you have a favorite character in your book? Who and why?
Yes, while I do LOVE my main character, Nicole. I am in awe of my side character, Rachel. She is just the right mix of crazy and sane and it was fun writing about her.
Do you usually outline or just go with it?
I just go with it! But I do find that in the midst of writing, scenes come to me. I keep a notepad near me so I can jot these gems down. So, no, I don’t outline, but I do follow some bullet points.
What do you find to be the hardest thing about writing?
Sitting down and getting in the groove. If I spend my time thinking about writing and never take the step toward putting words on paper, then I will never do it. But once I do sit down, and take those first awkward steps, I can get into a real nice rhythm.
The best thing?
Creating characters! I love laughing with them, crying with them, and just going on adventures with them. I love digging into their stories and finding the roots of their existence.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
When my mother bought me a typewriter when I was eight. I think I was amazed at how I could put words on paper. And, of course, I loved reading stories and having stories read to me. All those wonderful adventures in one book! I thought, I can do that!
What’s your favorite book you’ve read this year?
Circle of the Moon—by Faith Hunter. There is just something wonderful about her characters and the depth in which she writes them. And, of course, her plots are rich with history and lore. Mythology is my jam. I can get behind any fantasy story that has a really interesting backstory behind it.
And what’s your favorite book ever?
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is the first book that came to mind when I read this question. But seriously, I’d have to say I have MANY favorite books. And this interview would turn into a thesis statement if I listed them all. LOL!
What future books do you have planned next?
I have seven books to write in my Blood and Sacrifice Chronicles series and I want to finish three others that are right there ready to be polished. So, the answer is…A LOT!
Do you have any advice for other writers out there?
Never listen to advice that tells you how and what to write! Sit down, tell your story, and then go through it. Make sure you read in your genre and others as well. You never know what ideas you might come up with. Writing is an evolving process. You will stumble but it’s when you do stumble that you learn the most. I have found that most writing advice is really just another person’s pet peeves dressed up to look like law. IGNORE IT ALL AND WRITE!
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by C. Vonzale Lewis. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL TOUR SCHEDULE!
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February 24, 2020
MASKS blog hop!
Welcome to this leg of the Filles Vertes Publishing MASKS blog hop!
I’m so glad you’ve made it! And, if you somehow landed on this page and haven’t heard about the blog hop, click here: HOP
Make sure you add MASKS to your Goodreads TBR: HERE
And…guess what? Pre-orders are now available! Just click on your choice of retailer below!
FVP
AMAZON
BARNES AND NOBLE
BOOK DEPOSITORY
Now, sit back and enjoy this entertaining glimpse of one of the intriguing stories awaiting you in MASKS. Remember to look for the keyword/phrase and write it down!
Happy Hopping!
The Sin Exchange
Ponte Dei Morti Bridge loomed in the distance as I made my way down Sepulchre Crossing. A white police barricade blocked the small dirt path that lead to the water. My headlights illuminated the small group of people standing on the curb behind yellow crime scene tape, across the street from the entrance to the riverbank. Two police cruisers sat on opposite ends of the street, lights flashing, doors still open, while a third sat directly in the middle. Two officers stood in front of the onlookers. I even spotted Hayden Snow, my friend and reporter for the Silverwood Gazette.
I parked my car next to my partner Raphael’s truck. Leaving the air conditioning blowing, I took a long sip of my coffee. Damn I was tired. I’d gotten the call just before midnight when I’d finally been able to quiet my mind enough to go to sleep. Rest never came easy for me. I’d tried sleeping pills, but they never worked. Finally, I’d gone to Madame Marie Boisseau for a cure. She gave me Valerian root. Even now, the euphoria was riding me, pushing me to just close my eyes.
After draining the last of my coffee, I pulled a handful of latex gloves from the box I kept in my center console and stuffed them in my jeans pocket. When working a scene, I liked to use a different pair of gloves for every point of contact. It wasn’t required. But I figured it was the best way to ensure the scene wasn’t contaminated.
Engine off, I pushed open the door and stepped out into the warm, humid air. Silverwood rarely dropped below eighty-five degrees even at night.
Dressed in a tank top and wrinkled jeans, I pulled my thick, curly hair up off my neck and secured it with a thick rubber band. By the time I slipped on a blue long-sleeved shirt—to protect myself from the mosquito’s—sweat had already accumulated at the base of my neck.
The hushed whispers of the crowd pulled my attention. More people were making their way toward the scene. I studied them for a moment. The flashing red and blue lights from the police cruisers created a sort of macabre mask of duality on their faces. I was looking for someone who showed more than just morbid curiosity. It was a known fact that more often than not, the killer would return to the scene of the crime to watch. To see how their crime affected others.
Sadly, in the seven years I’d been a detective at the Silverwood Police Department, I’d never seen this happen.
“Detective Monroe, can you tell me what happened?” Hayden Snow yelled as I made my way toward the barricade.
“No comment.”
“Oh, come on Beatrice. Give me something.”
I turned around, walking backward toward the barricade. “I just got here myself. Maybe you can tell me what happened.”
She narrowed her eyes. Hayden and I had gone to school together. She’d always wanted to be a reporter. Hell, I even entertained the idea for a while. But she was the one who’d made it. She was also the closest thing I had to a best friend.
“I should have a statement for you later.”
“Can I have your word on that?” she asked, smiling. She knew I’d fill her in. I wouldn’t tell her everything, but I would give her the scoop.
I stepped around the barricade and onto the path. Switching on my flashlight, I followed the hardened dirt path toward the riverbank. A cool breeze blew in off the Tulare River. Not enough to make a dent in the thick heat, but it was something. The sound of rushing water filled the night, mixing with what I liked to call “night sounds.” Crickets, frogs, the buzzing of flying insects all mingled together. Crime scene markers lined the dirt, marking footprints that lead toward the clearing near the water. (KEYWORD: ONLY)
My partner, Detective Raphael Sinclair, stood in the bay of lights wearing a wrinkled black T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Hands on his hips, he scanned the area and only turned when I was right next to him. His dark hazel eyes roamed over me—no doubt noticing the large coffee stain on the front of my tank top.
“You look beat, Beatrice,” he said, turning back to the crime scene.
“Oh, just what every woman wants to hear.”
“The truth?”
I chuckled. “I can’t argue with that one.” I glanced over at the scene. “Have you been over to look at the body yet?”
He shook his head. “You know how Charlie gets.”
Yeah, Charlie, our coroner, could be a little abrasive when pressured. He’d go on long tirades about our impatience and his need to work in peace. Often with the use of some very colorful language. We took it all in stride. What can I say? We loved the man, despite his less-than-cheery disposition.
“Besides.” Raphael glanced at me. “Thought I’d wait for you to get here.”
“To do all the work?”
“I have absolutely no shame in admitting that, yes, I will let you do all the work.”
Did I forget to show you the grand prize??? WHAT!!!
ALL those lovely books can be yours and all you have to do is move to the next stop. And, I have made it super easy for you!
Next up!
Melissa Eskue Ousley presents: An interview with Rachel Stein! From, Spirits of Le Petit.
Click on the stop number below
Blog Stop: SIX
February 17, 2020
When Stars Are Bright–Blog Tour!
Well hello everyone! I’m so glad you decided to stop by the blog today. As you can see, I have joined the tour group to help promote Amber R. Duell’s, When Stars Are Bright . A dark, twisty, retelling of Thumbelina.
Read on for an exclusive excerpt and a chance to win a paperback copy of the book!
When Stars Are Bright
Publication Date: January 7th, 2020
Genre: Young Adult/ Fairy Tale Retelling
Publisher: Crescent Sea Publishing
Add to Goodreads
To Read My Goodreads Review, click here!
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Here’s a little blurb to entice you!
For Lina Holt, a Dutch seventeen-year-old with a flair for singing, 1930 is going to be her year. Her long-time boyfriend is about to propose and her mother will finally realize their relationship isn’t a passing phase. But when a stranger snatches her from her backyard, everything changes.
Lina is thrust into the spotlight of a New York vaudeville show where she’s paired with Nik, a mysterious pianist. The two bond during rehearsals and it doesn’t take long before Nik puts himself at risk to confess a hidden truth. Without Lina, the show is in its last season and there’s no way she’ll be allowed to slip through the owner’s fingers. Not when she carries fairy magic in her blood—an gift that turns her song into a dangerously addictive drug.
If Lina ever wants to return home, she must learn who to trust before she’s forced to remain a prisoner on stage forever.
WHEN STARS ARE BRIGHT is a historical Thumbelina retelling with a touch of magic.
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Still want more…OKAY!
Excerpt
There’s a certain thrill in doing something forbidden. Sneaking out past curfew, dancing freely to a jazz band, stealing kisses in a dark corner. Any one of those things will send my mother into hysterics. I’m not sure what she’ll do if she finds out I’m doing them all at once. When she finds out, because she always does.
But, if I want to see Christian, it’s my only choice.
The band electrifies the air with each note they play. At least fifty strangers twist and turn around us in the empty barn, and the lingering scent of hay tickles my nose. Christian doesn’t seem to notice the lack of marble floors or fancy wall sconces. His eyes haven’t left my face since we got here, except for the kissing.
His arms cocoon me near the wall, and I lean into his chest. He’s warm and sturdy against me, and I close my eyes. The soft thump of his heartbeat beneath my palm dulls the sharp edge of missing him, but it never stops cutting. It won’t as long as we’re forced to sneak around behind our parents’ backs.
“Are you tired, Lina?” Christian twists one of my curls around his finger. “We can go.”
“We’ve only been here an hour.” And there’s no telling how long until we can meet again. I stretch up on my toes, the hem of my yellow skirt tickling the back of my knees, and kiss the fine stubble on his cheek. “Come on. I love this song.”
Pulling Christian behind me, I find a free spot in the middle of the barn. Dozens of worn, dusty boots and Mary Jane’s slam down on the planked floor, sending bits of straw and dirt into the air. The music vibrates against my body, and we join the rhythm.
The band wears worn slacks and checkered shirts like the rest of the crowd. Christian’s the only one here without patched clothes or any idea of the work that will go into filling this barn with hay tomorrow. No one will have the energy for dancing after a day of haying. They’ll be lucky to drag themselves to bed before collapsing, my mother and I included, though it will be a different field we work in the morning.
Sweat trickles down Christian’s temple as we kick up dust of our own, and a wide grin breaks out on my face. I’m not the best swing dancer, far from it, but I don’t care. Giving myself over to the music makes me feel weightless. Free. No one pays attention except Christian, and he’s not much better. When the trombone sounds its last note, I laugh and collapse into his arms, breathless.
“Want to get something to drink?” I ask over the start of the next song.
He nods and leads me back through the crowd. His cotton shirt clings to his skin, showing off the muscles in his arms and back, and gray suspenders hang down from his waist. After more than a year together, it’s the most I’ve seen of him, and it would be a lie to say I’m not enjoying it. If we didn’t have to sneak around, I’d make him go dancing every weekend for the view alone.
“Wait here.” He slips under a slanted support beam at the back of the barn, and kisses me. When he steps away, he keeps hold of my hand until he’s too far to reach. “I’ll be right back.”
I scoot farther under the protection of the beam until it grazes my hair, and watch his head bob above everyone else. A lantern burns beside me, casting a warm glow, and the band plays their own version of Puttin’ on the Ritz. There’s no singer tonight, without a microphone it would be impossible to hear one anyway, but I know the words. I hum along with the smooth sound of the saxophone, my foot tapping in time with the bass and, before I realize it, I’m singing.
It’s a cheery tune, but I keep my voice quiet. My mother is the only one who’s heard me sing since I was little, and she insists I keep it that way. Being known as the infant abandoned in a tulip field, I’m used to whispers behind my back. Going steady with the heir to the Van Buren petroleum fortune only makes things worse. I don’t mind being thought of as an unlovable gold digger—not much anyway—but I’m tired of standing out. I especially have no interest in drawing a crowd tonight like I did when I was five. Twelve years later, I still get chills thinking about the people that closed in on me as I hummed in the marketplace.
A heavy man inches along the wall, hunching over to fit beside me. His eyelids droop over dark eyes, and his round face is close enough that I can count the pockmarks. His breath wheezes over the music. “You have a lovely voice. Where did you get it?”
I slam my mouth shut on the last line of the song. Naturally, the one time I sing in public someone’s listening. Though it’s only one person, this is somehow equally unnerving.
“Have you thought about a career?” The strange man leans closer. From his dialect, it’s obvious he’s from a different part of Holland.
“A career?” I shift away, and scan the crowd for Christian. When I don’t see him between here and the water barrel, I step away from the wall.
The man bobs his head up and down, his jowls shaking, swallowing the yellow-stained Marlboro collar. “In show business. With that delicate face of yours, the blond hair and blue eyes, it would be easy to make a name for yourself. I’ve never felt an addictive quality as strong as yours either. Of course it’s rare. Where did you get it?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Keep your secrets, little Symric. Fairy folk always do.” He inches closer still. “But what do you say? You want to make it big in America with me?”
My laugh is quick and high-pitched. Where are you, Christian? “No.”
“You should.”
“She should what?” Christian asks from the opposite direction. He steps up beside me without refreshments and wraps an arm around my shoulders. I lean closer.
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Right about now, you’re probably thinking, Who is the Amber R. Duell and where can I get this book? Well, I will tell you!
About the Author
Amber R. Duell is an award-winning young adult author, Navy wife, and mom of 2 awesome boys. She has been a #WriteMentor mentor since 2018 and is a co-host on the live broadcast show Young Adult Edition. Red Bull keeps her kicking.
Amber Duell| Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
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Available on:
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Win a paperback copy of When Stars Are Bright! Click the link below!
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Blog Tour Schedule
February 17th
Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com
Gwendalyn’s Books (Review) https://gwendalynbooks.blog/
Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.wordpress.com/
Tales of Natural Spoonie (Review) https://talesofanaturalspoonie.com/
February 18th
Tsarina Press (Spotlight) https://www.tsarinapress.com
C Vonzale Lewis (Review) https://cvonzalelewis.com/index.php/blog/
Life’s a Novelty (Review) https://lifesanovelty.blogspot.com/
Once More with Reading (Review) https://oncemorewithreadingx.wixsite.com/welcome
Tranquil Dreams (Review) https://klling.wordpress.com/
February 19th
I Love Books and Stuff (Spotlight) https://ilovebooksandstuffblog.wordpress.com
Cup of Toast Blog (Review) https://cupoftoast.co.uk
Bibliophile Ramblings (Review) http://lego–ergo–sum.blogspot.com/
February 20th
Book Dragons Not Worms (Review) https://bookdragonsnotworms.blogspot.com/?m=1
Crossroad Reviews (Review) http://www.crossroadreviews.com
Dash Fan Book Reviews (Review) https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/
Port Jerricho (Review) http://www.aislynndmerricksson.com
The Faerie Review (Review) http://www.thefaeriereview.com
February 21st
Ghoulish Life & Reviews (Review) https://ghoulishspirit.wordpress.com/
Rambling Mads (Review) http://ramblingmads.com
Phantom of the Library (Review) https://phantomofthelibrary.com/
Vick’s Bookish Writing (Review) https://vicksblogcom.home.blog/
Blog Tour Organized By:
Until Next Time…Peace, love, and Chocolate Chip Cookies!
February 4, 2020
Blog Tour–Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets!!
I’m so pleased to share this long-awaited release with all of you today! Nutmeg: Egyptian Secrets by Sherrill Joseph is the perfect MG mystery for readers! Read on for an exclusive excerpt and a chance to win the most amazing giveaway!
Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets (A Botanic Hill Detectives Mysteries #1)
Publication Date: February 1st, 2020
Genre: MG/ Middle Grade/ Mystery (Ages 9 – 12)
World-famous Egyptologist Dr. Winston Thornsley died suddenly two months ago in disgrace. His widow, Ida Thornsley, remains convinced her husband was falsely accused of stealing an ancient burial urn he discovered in Egypt last summer, but local and federal law enforcement officers are stumped.
Mrs. Thornsley, desperate for answers, calls in her thirteen-year-old neighbors, the Botanic Hill Detectives—twins Lanny and Lexi Wyatt, Moki Kalani, and Rani Kumar. Their exciting mission? To find the urn and its real thief, bring the criminal to justice, and exonerate Dr. Thornsley so his spotless reputation can be restored.
A roomful of venomous snakes, the poisoned Egyptian pond, and Dragon Pit Man are just a few of the tests awaiting the four tech-savvy teenagers. As the detectives begin to unravel the sinister plot, the mystery takes a dangerous turn. Answers are at their fingertips—if they can only convince their parents to let them solve the case.
Add to Goodreads
Excerpt – Chapter 4
“Here we go again. An aftershock! I’ve been afraid this would happen,” said Dr. Kurtz. She rapidly surveyed the room full of terrariums. “And one of my assistants just called to say he’s found a somewhat hidden but large crack from this morning’s tremor on one of our venomous snake enclosure’s glass panes. It’s a major emergency. Come out with me quickly boys—now! I have to attend to this immediately,” she shouted behind her, as she grabbed her tool bag, yanked open the heavy door, and fled outside and down the breezeway to the enclosure.
Unfortunately, Moki and Lanny weren’t as fast as Dr. Kurtz. The door banged shut in their surprised faces and locked. They were trapped in a windowless room.
As if that weren’t bad enough, the power failed simultaneously, and the room went pitch black. Both boys froze, helplessly surrounded by three walls of venomous snakes they could still hear but no longer see.
Now Available
Amazon – Print | Kindle | Other Fine Retailers
About the Author
Sherrill Joseph’s debut novel, Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets, had been inside her head for decades. The mystery genre took hold of her as a fifth grader when she discovered Nancy Drew and Phyllis A. Whitney mysteries. Years later, it still hasn’t let go.
After graduating Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in English literature and a master’s in education, Sherrill spent the next thirty-five years as a K-12 literacy teacher. When she retired from teaching in 2013, the Botanic Hill Detectives and their mysteries finally sprang to life.
Forever inspired by her beautiful students in the San Diego public schools, the author has peopled and themed the Botanic Hill Detectives mysteries with children of various abilities, cultures, and interests. She strongly believes that embracing diversity is the key to a better world.
Sherrill is a native San Diegan where she lives in a ninety-year-old house in a historic neighborhood with her bichon frisé-poodle mix, Jimmy Lambchop. In addition to her dog, the city of San Diego, reading and writing, the author loves her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. She must also include dark chocolate, popcorn, old movies, staircases, the color purple, and daisies. She is a member of SCBWI and the Authors’ Guild and promises many more adventures with the squad to come.
Sherrill Joseph | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Giveaway Time!
US Only: One signed paperback copy of Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets
One bookmark
One sticker
One refrigerator magnet
Winner’s choice of either the standing Egyptian goddess Bastet statue or, the reclining Egyptian god Anubis statue
International Only: One eBook copy of Nutmeg Street: Egyptian Secrets
Click the link below to enter and best of luck!
Blog Tour Schedule
February 3rd
Reads & Reels (Guest Post) http://readsandreels.com
Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.wordpress.com/
The Faerie Review (Review) http://www.thefaeriereview.com
The Magic of Wor(l)ds (Spotlight) http://themagicofworlds.wordpress.com
February 4th
A Garden of Books (Review) http://agardenofbooks.com
Life’s a Novelty (Review) https://lifesanovelty.blogspot.com/
Turning the Pages (Review) https://turningthepagesonline.wordpress.com
February 5th
C Vonzale Lewis (Review) https://cvonzalelewis.com/index.php/blog/
Dash Fan Book Reviews (Review) https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/
I’m All About Books (Review) https://imallaboutbooks.com/
February 6th
Book Dragons Not Worms (Review) https://bookdragonsnotworms.blogspot.com/?m=1
LoopyLouLaura (Review) https://www.loopyloulaura.com/
Shalini’s Books & Reviews (Review) https://bookreviewsbyshalini.com/
February 7th
J Bronder Book Reviews (Review) https://jbronderbookreviews.com/
My Bookish Bliss (Review) http://www.mybookishbliss.com
Sophril Reads (Review) http://sophrilreads.wordpress.com
Blog Tour Organized By:
January 5, 2020
Love on Main? You’ve ‘HOPPED’ to the right place!!
Welcome to this leg of the Filles Vertes Publishing LOVE ON MAIN blog hop!
If you somehow landed on this page and haven’t heard about the blog hop, click below
MAIN STREET HOP!!
My short story CHASING THE STORY takes place in El Alma, CA a fictional city located next to Los Angeles and follows high school reporter Victoria Miller (Vicki) and her neighbor Marcus Killion. Follow them as Vicki tries to uncover the reason why a sleazy nightclub owner was able to open his club on historic Main Street. Will she get her story? Or the boy she has secretly loved for years?
Maybe she gets both…
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If you haven’t already, make sure you add the awesome anthology to your Goodreads TBR list!
Bonus!!
Pre-orders are available at:
Enjoy this entertaining character interview and get a glimpse of the intriguing stories awaiting you in LOVE ON MAIN. Remember to look for the keyword/phrase and take a note of it!
Happy Hopping!
I check my watch again. Vicki Miller and her friend Marcus Killion are late. I take another sip of my tea and pick up Love on Main. I just finish, their story (Chasing the Story) when both of them came rushing in. Marcus is laughing and Vicki is scowling.
Oh boy. A lover’s spat.
Wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with the words, ‘I’m putting you in my story’ stenciled on the front, Vicki makes her way toward me. I stand and smile. Ready to dazzle this teenager with my skills in hopes of getting a job at her family paper.
“Hello,” I say, extending my hand.
“Now wait a minute, Vicki. We decided to go to the movies first,” Marcus says, turning her around.
“I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to want popcorn. And if I have popcorn first, then I won’t eat.” She smiles at him at twists a lock of her hair around her finger.
I let my hand drop and sit back down.
He laughs. “You do know you look ridiculous doing that.”
“Oh, Marcus. Don’t you like it when I…”
He pulls her into a hug. “Please stop.” He says this while laughing. Soon they’re both laughing.
I check my watch again. How long is this going to take?
She pulls away. “Okay. I was just messing with you. Movie first.”
He leans down and presses his forehead against hers. “I think you like picking fights.”
“You’re damn right I do!”
“You know, I used to do that with my brother all the time,” I interject.
The both turn to me. Confusion covers their face and my heart sinks. This is not going well at all.
“Okay,” Marcus says.
“I’m Jasmine Norwood. We can start whenever you two are ready.” I smile at them as I fight the anxiety building in my gut.
Vicki snaps her fingers. “Oh, oh! I am so sorry! My aunt did tell me I had to interview with someone about my story and I thought it was for tomorrow.” She looks at Marcus. “What time does the movie start?”
Was she serious? They came here on a whim? Who did they think I was talking to when I said hello?
“In twenty minutes. Just enough time to grab our coffee’s and go.” He gives me a look filled with pity and I want to slap it right off his face.
“AND that’s not good,” Vicki says. “Can we reschedule?” Now she’s giving me pity looks.
My eyes flutter as I try to reign in my temper. “Um…sure…we…”
“Thanks so much, I appreciate it!” Vicki actually has the nerve to smile.
Of course, I smile back as I hand her my card. I still need to get that job. Her and Marcus saunter off and I just stare at them.
Flipping teenagers!
I glance down at my notes. The interview was for tomorrow. Damn.
I hope you enjoyed this fun little scene. Don’t forget to write down the key word in the scene and keep it secret. Make sure you leave a comment below to let me know you’ve been here! Oh, one final teaser before I go…
Just look at all those books!!!
Until next time, PEACE, LOVE, AND CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!!!
December 19, 2019
Hello Darkness–Reflections on Writing!
There is something unique about writing that I wanted to share with you all. Writers know this already. When you are deep into a story and unable to pull yourself out, that is when you have found your voice. I was invited to participate in two anthologies that will be published next year. One story, was all about love. But I couldn’t resist the calling to throw some mystery in there. Some darkness. And this was my first hello. My second hello, was a full on immersion into the kind of story I truly love to write. Now don’t get me wrong.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a little LOVE!!
I honestly have to have some element of it in my stories. I love that connection between two people that just warms your heart and fills you with hope. But let’s be honest, you saw my greeting, hell, you even saw the title of this blog…
…hello DARKNESS…hello old friend…
I’ve missed spending my time inside of a story. And I’ve found, in these past few weeks, what I really like is fixing them. Finding the flaws, making it work. Sometimes the flaws are not always apparent. Sometimes I need the help of what I like to call…MY TRIBE!!!
They have really stepped up this week. Helping me get back into my grove. No more sadness, no more self-doubt. Just an all consuming passion for the written word. And as the new year approaches, I will spend much more of my time in my madness…
Until Next Time…
Peace, Love, and Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Cover Reveal–As Much As I Ever Could and Race Cars!!!
Hello Again!!!!!
I am SOOOO excited to share this cover with everyone! It feels like I’ve been sitting on this little gem FOR A DAMN YEAR! Well, maybe not that long. First of all, the author, Brandy Woods Snow, is my BFF and the designer, Jena R. Collins, is my BFF. So, yes, I AM OVER THE MOON EXCITED!!!!
Okay, I shall show you the cover…
OMG!!! I LOVE IT!!!
Cover Designer: Jena R. Collins/JRC Designs
Book: As Much As I Ever Could
Author: Brandy Woods Snow
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance (Swoon Worthy!)
Click here to add it to your goodreads.
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All about the story…
Seventeen-year-old CJ Ainsworth doesn’t drive—not because she can’t, but because she won’t.She’s been living with the guilt of being the sole survivor of the head-on collision that claimed her mother’s and sister’s lives. It’s the reason she refuses to get behind the wheel. It’s the reason her father has nearly abandoned her. It’s the reason she’s sent to piddle the summer away at her estranged Memaw’s house in Edisto Beach. All CJ wants to do is isolate herself and make it to the trial at summer’s end, where she’ll testify against the stranger who couldn’t keep his car in its own lane.
She doesn’t expect to fall for a boy, especially not Jett Ramsey, a hotshot racing champion destined for greatness on the NASCAR circuit. CJ’s resolve crumbles when she loses a bet that puts her squarely in Jett’s driver’s seat. While he patiently reintroduces her to driving, they confide in each other, and CJ learns she’s not the only one silently suffering through a loss.
As their connection deepens, Jett’s focus on the track is called into question. CJ can’t be the cause of another car crash, but her heart is broken either way. Can CJ learn to put her heart in drive? Or will she throw it in reverse?
Sound good???? Well Preorder your copy today!!
Click here to preorder your copy today!
Still not convinced? Really? Is something wrong with you? Okay…here is the first chapter to help you make up your mind to go ahead and CLICK THE BUTTON ABOVE AND ORDER YOUR COPY!!!!
CHAPTER 1
A summer away at Memaw’s can’t rectify everything that fell apart in a single minute, but that won’t stop my dad from forcing it on me.
My fingers wrench tighter around the handle grip of Dad’s Ford Explorer as he hugs the center line, tires thumping over golden reflectors in waves and shooting vibrations through my seat. I glance over my shoulder to make sure the door lock is crammed to its neck into the tan vinyl interior. Not that it’d make a difference if he were to flip this thing head-over-end into the muddy goop of tidal flats along either side of the road. If a body’s going to exit a car in a hurry, it sure as hell won’t wait for an unlocked door.
These kinds of thoughts never shoved their way into my brain before the accident. Now they circulate like a washing machine stuck on the spin cycle.
I sigh and yank my phone off the dashboard. 4:15 PM. Only ten more minutes to get my summer of hell underway.
A notification blinks on the home screen. One new email from Trent Casey and all I can see of it is “CJ, things have changed so much this last year that I think…” Inbox preview cruelty at its finest. A little sneak peek of my on-again, off-again boyfriend kicking me to the curb because I’ve been too screwed up to screw him the past year. Not that I’d screwed him before, or anyone else for that matter.
I toss the phone in the cup holder and stare over at my dad in the driver’s seat, his eyes fixed and hooded as if in a trance. He hasn’t spoken in over a hundred miles, but I’ve strategically coughed from time to time to make sure there’s at least a reaction to the noise, and he’s not comatose or something. Plus, it’s easier than actually talking, and it warrants no response from him. Win-win.
Dad flips on the blinker, its dink-doonk, dink-doonk, dink-doonk signaling a right turn. Into where I have no idea, and unless Memaw has taken up living in a dilapidated open-air shack, he’s seriously misguided. He pulls into one of the ten open parking slots, demarcated by rows of conch shells instead of actual painted-on lines. How beachy of them.
Dad lets the engine idle, sliding his phone from the pocket of his polo and pecking out a text message without so much as a word or glance in my direction. I unlatch my seatbelt and open the door, easing out onto the hot, gritty sand, which creeps into my sandals and scratches at the skin.
“Where are we?” When he doesn’t respond, I step beside the open door, banging my hand on the window. “Dad, where are we?”
“Edisto Island, of course,” he mumbles, never looking up from his phone, his fingers still moving furiously over the screen.
I point to the rectangular banner draped atop the entrance with what looks like a hand-stenciled Welcome to Edisto Beach, SC! in blue paint. “No shit. I mean, what is this place?”
“Watch your mouth, CJ. I’m still your father.” He finally looks up long enough to glare across his steering wheel at the banner, squinting as if it’s written in some foreign language before looking back at me. He waves his hand around. “We’re obviously at the market.”
The entrance isn’t a single open-close door but one of those garage-style deals that pulls down from the ceiling. Oyster shell wind chimes tinkle in the breeze. I take a deep breath, the briny air expanding in my lungs and coating my skin, and somehow start imagining myself as one of those slugs we used to find on the back porch at home and pour salt over. Almost immediately, their slimy little bodies would foam up and implode, turning into a dried-up crispie we’d flick off in the grass the next day. Maybe that’ll happen to me, and I can simply shrivel up and disappear.
Dad gets out and lifts the back hatch, and I walk to meet him, giving an extra foot shake on each step to loosen the stowaway sand from my sandals.
“But why are we here?”
“This is where Memaw’s picking you up.” He hauls out my two large suitcases and sets them under the overhang. “She’s running late, but she’ll be here within the next twenty minutes.”
“And you’re just gonna leave me here?” I thumb over my shoulder.
He stares at me as if I’ve just asked for an explanation on the meaning of life, standing like a statue except for the front flip of his thinning auburn hair that tousles with the breeze. That hair, along with his chocolate brown eyes and freckles, are the only things we even share anymore. Everything else is gone. Evaporated.
“Don’t be dramatic, CJ. I have a long drive home.” He slams the hatch, walks to his still-open driver door and slides in behind the wheel. The passenger window rolls down part-way. “I’ll see you at the end of summer. Bye.” The words scarcely exit his lips before the window’s rolled up and he’s peeling out of the parking lot on two wheels as if he’s off to a five-alarm fire.
Wow. Truly heartfelt. I think he might miss me. I lock my jaw, forcing my quivering stomach back in its rightful place. Part of me loathes him for just dumping me here. The other part understands, though. He hates me for what happened and wants me gone too.
I can’t blame him for that.
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Want to meet the author? She’s the beez kneez!!!!
Brandy Woods Snow is a Young Adult author, journalist, wife, mama of three, Christian, and proud Southerner. Born and raised in the area of Greenville, South Carolina, she still resides in the rolling foothills of the Upstate region, though she plans to one day retire to the state’s famous Grand Strand. Brandy has a Bachelor of Arts in English and Writing from Clemson University. While creative writing pursuits have always held her heart, she’s built a career as a journalist and editor. Brandy has more than 19 years’ experience and a strong platform that includes articles and columns published in Delta Sky Magazine, Greenville Business Magazine, Columbia Business Monthly and Home Design & Décor Magazine (Charlotte and Raleigh). Currently, she also works as the Marketing Manager and an Acquisitions Editor for Filles Vertes Publishing.
Her first novel MEANT TO BE BROKEN was published by Filles Vertes Publishing in May 2018, and she has a short story featured in FVP’s LOVE ON MAIN anthology, forthcoming in February 2020.
When Brandy’s not writing, reading, spending time with her husband or driving carpool for her three kids, she enjoys kayaking, family hikes, yelling “Go Tigers!” as loud as she can, playing the piano and taking “naked” Jeep Wrangler cruises on twisty, country roads.
Make sure you follow her on all her social media:
Facebook: @BWSnowWrites
Twitter: @brandy_snow
Instagram: @snowbrandy
Website: www.brandywsnow.com
Well, until next time, Peace, Love, And Chocolate Chip Cookies!
December 18, 2019
Cover Reveal and bonus Snippet–Devil’s Springs
Day 3 of our cover reveal blitz week! And look at that cover!
Designed by: Myra Fiacco
Promos designed by: Jena R. Collins
Let me give you all the deets!
Book Title: Devil’s Springs
Author: Faydra Stratton
Click here to add to your goodreads.
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Blurb:
The devil has come to Devil Springs.
Except he hasn’t. Not at all. But try and tell that to Mesa Crane’s grandmother, Mayor Avis Kneller.
This is not the senior year Mesa had pictured for herself. She’s used to her grandmother’s restrictive dress code and no boys rule, but thanks to some skinny-dipping cheerleaders make some questionable social media posts, Avis is ratcheting up her expectations and decreeing spiritual warfare.
Mesa is sick of being bullied into fake piety, but defying her grandmother will mean losing the small freedoms she does have, including her spot on the cross country team. Most unfortunate since she’s started training with the school’s best (and okay, admittedly hot) athlete, Cody Howard. But when Mesa won’t get baptized—as Grandma Avis mandates—her isolation begins.
The actual devil may not have come to Devil Springs, but judgment sure has. Can Mesa endure until graduation? Or will she find the swell of faith she needs to stand up to her grandmother once and for all?
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All about Faydra!!!!
Faydra Stratton is a writer, high school English teacher, wife, and mom to three boys the youngest of whom has Fragile X Syndrome a spectrum disorder similar to autism but with a known genetic cause. Faydra attended the University of Florida (Go, Gators!) for undergrad and UNC Wilmington where she received an MFA in creative writing.
Faydra was born and raised in West Palm Beach, FL and now resides with her family a little further up the coast in Port St Lucie. When not teaching, reading, or writing she loves all things beach life from laying out, to kayaking, paddle boarding, boating, and snorkeling. But not scuba diving. She just can’t clear her ears.
Make sure you follow her on ALL her social media:
Facebook: @AuthorFaydra
Twitter: @faydrastratton
Instagram: @faydrastratton
Website: www.faydrastratton.com
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Oh, you’re here for the snippet!!!!
Chapter One
I suppose most people love their own family. At a minimum, they must feel a loyal, blood-is-thicker type of love. When it comes to Grandmother Avis and me, the best I can muster is tolerance—usually. It’s been easier to put up with Avis now that senior year is about to begin. The end of my time under her roof is in sight.
“Mesa! Get in here!” Avis’s voice carries all the way to my upstairs bedroom.
My grandmother likes to holler, and I’ve grown immune. So I hesitate to see if I’m really needed.
“Mesa Celeste Crane! Did you hear me?”
I drop my book to the floor and scoot off the bed. By the time I reach the foot of the stairs, the sharp scent of ammonia that lingers from Avis’s post-breakfast mopping hits my nose. I peek into the kitchen where she stands at the sink, blood dripping from her finger onto the glossy, yellow linoleum counter. I’m curious but not exactly moved to sympathy.
“Get this out of the way.” Avis shoves a colander filled with strawberries toward me and lifts her hand in the air. Blood runs down her wrist and seeps into the cuff of her blouse, white threads bloom with crimson.
“The devil attacked me.” Her voice is sharp.
Brimming with melodrama and crap—the statement is so Avis. She must have cut herself paring the berries. I imagine the knife slipped, as knives sometimes do. Even so, I nod my agreement. Kenzi and her mom will be here in ten minutes to pick me up for our senior picture appointment; now is the time for placating.
“He’s in this town! Staked his claim into its very name.” Her words vibrate between us. Avis’s most fervent desire is to get the town name of Devil Springs changed to Life Springs.
I return the strawberries to the fridge, deciding against popping one in my mouth. It’s too hard to tell if they suffered any blood splash.
“I’ll get the Band-Aids,” I offer.
Instead of acknowledging me, Avis prays.
“He can cut me and bruise me limb by limb, but I will not be broken. As for me and my house and my town, we will serve the Lord.”
I hear her from the hall bathroom as I fetch the first aid kit from under the sink. Avis’s praying out loud never stops being weird. The doorbell rings, and I freeze. I don’t want Avis to continue this rant with Kenzi and her mom here. Avis thinks she’s got a kindred spirit in Ms. Shepherd, the pastor’s wife.
I hurry back to Avis and set the first aid kit on the counter, then remember to pop off the lid for her.
“Go on,” she says, nodding toward the door. “I know you have plans and so do I.”
Avis’s plans will include more praying, quoting Bible verses, and possibly another attempt to rally the town council. Because Avis is the mayor.
When my mom first told me that Avis had won the position of mayor, eleven-year-old-me assumed it was just her turn. In a town as small as Devil Springs, it seemed likely that every household had to put up a mayoral candidate at some point.
It was only by eavesdropping to my parents’ late-night conversations that I learned phrases like, “local values” and “dry town” and “book banning.” Mom had also mumbled, on more than one occasion, that Devil Springs might never be ready for a black candidate, which is just another rea-son to hate it here.
As Avis nears the end of her second three-year term, she grows determined that her legacy will be changing the town’s name. She prays every night against the devil and those on the council who continuously vote against her.
But right now, I can’t care about any of that. My best friend and her mom are waiting on me.
In seconds, I’m out the door.
Bonus!!!!!!
Click here to preorder
That’s right, order this week and receive 20% off your order! YOU CAN NOT BEAT THAT!
Until tomorrow, PEACE, LOVE, AND CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!!!
December 17, 2019
Mystery, Intrigue, and MASKS!!
Welcome Back!!! Are you ready for another exciting cover reveal? I know I am…
Let me show you…MASKS!
Oh, I know what you’re thinking You see that cover. The darkness in the image. The fear and intrigue. It just pulls at you. And yes, these are my roots. This is my jam! Before I introduce you to the wonderful authors who have contributed to this amazing anthology, allow me to give you some very important information.
Book Title: MASKS
Cover design: Myra Fiacco
Release date: March 31, 2020
Click here to add it to your goodreads.
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Ready to meet the authors?
Let this all-star cast take you on a journey through mystery and intrigue and danger as they explore the many hidden tales around Mardi Gras. Because for some, Mardi Gras is a celebration, for others…a very dangerous game.
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The Celebration Game by Candace Robinson
It had begun as an innocent game, and then it became one that would end in blood.
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The Axeman Among Us by R.J. Garcia
Inspired by true events: In 1918, two boys encounter the deadliest serial killer of their time, The Axeman of New Orleans. Fearing he will return to kill them; they implore the service of a voodoo priestess.
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La Femme En Rouge by Marlena Frank
Josie is a trans woman struggling to embrace herself despite an abusive home life. When she encounters a strange woman in red one night, she finds herself drawn into a mystery and a discovery she never expected.
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Epiphany by M. Dalto
The self-proclaimed ‘Prince of Mardi Gras’ faces his greatest fear–being alone–while discovering the mystery behind his family’s untimely demise.
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The Sin Exchange (Ginger Root) by C. Vonzale Lewis
Mardi Gras is approaching and a serial killer is on the loose. Using an ancient ritual to try and save his soul. Will Detective Beatrice Monroe and her partner Raphael stop the sadistic man before he can strike again? Or will he succeed and get out of his bargain with Papa Sin—forcing a shift in the balance between good and evil.
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Spirits of Le Petit by Melissa Eskue Ousley
A team of paranormal investigators gets more than they bargained for when a ghost hunting expedition in a haunted New Orleans theater goes horribly wrong.
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The Fickle Hand of Fortune by Dave Wickenden
The luck of winning the lottery turns the tables and the Paxon family is on the line.
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The Blackbird Mask by Merry Jones
During Mardi Gras, DeLuca, a New Orleans college student picks up a mysterious woman dressed in a sleek black raven costume. Soon, everyone who’s scraped the mask’s sharp beak is dead. In a panic, the lone survivor, DeLuca’s roommate Logan tosses the deadly mask into the alley. When the police want to question him, he goes to retrieve it, but it’s gone. Has another reveler taken it? Will that person also die? And, without it, how will Logan explain the multiple deaths, let alone prove his innocence to the police?
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The Mobile Spirit by Sarah Lampkin
Folly runs for death as death waits for folly – Witness the rebirth of tradition
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Roll the Bones by Kristin Jacques
Annoyed to be missing the biggest party of the year on baby-sitting duty, Josh convinces his younger sister to join him in Mardi Gras celebration. But when she is abducted by a spirit, Josh must brave the malevolent entities of another realm to bring his sister home, if he can convince her to come back at all.
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Ashes, Ashes by Myra Fiacco
Mia has been working on this serial killer ghost tour for a year. It has earned her a nomination into a secret society, but her membership hinges on giving the perfect tour on Mardi Gras. It’s all blood and murder until the serial killer’s great-grandson crashes the tour to set the story straight. Burying the past isn’t in Mia’s job description, but some tales might be too dark to repeat.
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Click here to Preorder your copy today!!!
And for this week only….

So, until tomorrow…PEACE, LOVE, AND CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!!!