B.L. Blair's Blog, page 36

Sunday Quote

Dead in a Park Gift Pack Giveaway

This month's giveaway is a Dead in a Park gift pack which will include a copy of the book, a t-shirt, and a totebag.

When Leah Norwood finds the body of Donald Collins in the city park, she doesn’t know he is a distant relative. Young Donnie was a jewel thief and a career criminal. Hidden in the lining of his suit jacket was an exact replica of a ring that has been in Leah’s family for over a hundred years. After her home is burglarized, the sexy chief of police is convinced the ruby ring has something to do with the murder.
Leah wants to find out what happened to Donnie, but why would someone kill for a hundred year old ring? She discovers a connection between Donnie and the drug-dealing Cantono family, between the Cantono family and a jewelry appraiser, and between the jewelry appraiser and one of her own employees. Chief Griggs might be onto something. All clues lead back to the family ring.
Leah loves a good mystery. Can she find the killer before the killer strikes again?


The giveaway is open to US mailing addresses only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wild Side by Jannine Gallant and Game of Vengeance by Amanda K. Byrne – Win a Book!

Wilde SideThe Wilde brothers are addicted to the rush of adventure. But one of them is about to discover that it’s sink or swim, when passion and politics collide…
Whitewater rafting guide Sawyer Wilde has taken his share of inexperienced adventure seekers through the rapids of Idaho’s Salmon River, so his next group should pose no problems—even if it includes a presidential hopeful and his sexy, outspoken aide. After all, it’s just a campaign photo-op for the congressman. Until a series of minor mishaps takes a sinister turn…
Devin Lockhart has one job on the rafting trip: to make her boss look both presidential and relatable. And no matter how distractingly attractive their guide is, she plans to do it well. But as danger stalks them through every bend in the river, Devin must put her life—and the congressman’s—in Sawyer’s capable hands. Because surviving the trip is only the beginning of a deadly ride…
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/?field-keywords=9781601837707iBooks: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781601837707?uo=8Google: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=9781601837707&c=booksKobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9781601837707Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/9781601837707
Game of VengeanceAn eye for an eye, blood for blood.
UCLA student Cass Turner was hoping to move on from the family business—but when the business is professional assassination, that’s easier said than done. And sleeping with the man she was supposed to kill only complicates things. Her relationship with Nick Kosta, a lieutenant in LA’s largest crime family, was supposed to be no-strings-attached fun. But if the two of them want to stay alive, they’ll have to keep each other close.
Nick’s traitorous cousin, Isaiah, is out for blood, so Cass can’t afford any distractions as they try to hunt him down. Yet she can’t help puzzling over Nick’s motives—does he really share her deepening feelings or does he just feel responsible for her? And if their relationship is for real, will they even have a future? Because with their enemies several steps ahead of them, one false move could bring disaster for everyone Cass holds dear...and in this game of cat and mouse, no one will leave unscathed.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/?field-keywords=9781601836496iBooks: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781601836496?uo=8Google: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=9781601836496&c=booksKobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9781601836496Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/9781601836496
Excerpt:From Game of VengeanceI can’t stop the giddy joy rising in my chest and smile. A normal life. I get to go back to a normal life. Or as normal as I get. “Four. If they have the last courses I need to graduate during the summer term, I’ll be done by September.” Then I have to worry about getting a job, what to do with the rest of my life, and my lack of work history. Somehow I don’t think putting assassin on my resume will score me any interviews.
His hand drifts farther, brushing over my neck and along the faint scar left by Josef, a member of the family who tried to kill me on Isaiah’s orders. The doubts stir from their slumber at Nick’s constant touch tonight. His attention should make me happy. I am happy. I step back and tell those doubts to shut up.
He studies me a minute more, the light on the little porch buzzing when another fly gets trapped. It’s so damn loud, that buzzing, filling the silence. “Fine,” he says. “I get a copy of your schedule?”
The worry line between his brows makes my heart sputter just as badly as when he calls me “love,” only in an entirely different way. “Yes. A copy of the schedule, and anything else you think I need to stay safe. Except a babysitter. I’ve still got Josef’s knife.” Somewhere. It’s probably buried in a bag at Nick’s.
“I’m getting you your own. Something that fits your hand better.” He picks up my hand, holding it palm out, and uses his thumb to trace the creases.
My excitement dims a smidge. Carrying my own weapon is permanent, one that speaks of Nick’s faith that I can handle myself and the scrapes I get into. It’s also part of the life I’m trying to leave behind, if only Isaiah would pop up from whatever rock he’s hiding under.
And I wonder, not for the first time, if staying with Nick means I can’t shed that identity. If it’ll dog my steps like an unfriendly ghost.
About the AUTHORS: Jannine GallantWrite what you know. Jannine Gallant has taken this advice to heart, creating characters from small towns and plots that unfold in the great outdoors. She grew up in a tiny Northern California town and currently lives in beautiful Lake Tahoe with her husband and two daughters. When she isn’t busy writing or being a full time mom, Jannine hikes or snowshoes in the woods around her home. Whether she’s writing contemporary, historical or romantic suspense, Jannine brings the beauty of nature to her stories.
http://www.janninegallant.com/index.htmlhttps://twitter.com/JannineGallanthttps://www.facebook.com/JannineGallant.Author
Amanda K. ByrneWhen she’s not plotting ways to sneak her latest shoe purchase past her partner, Amanda Byrne writes sexy, snarky romance and urban fantasy. She likes her heroines smart and unafraid to make mistakes, and her heroes strong enough to take them on. Amanda lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and no, it really doesn’t rain that much.
http://amandakbyrne.com/



GIVEAWAY:The authors will be awarding digital copies of both books on tour to a randomly drawn winner. Enter today!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pickle Day

Today is Pickle Day. Not sure about this. I like pickles but... https://www.daysoftheyear.com/

Sunday Quote

The Paranormal Bar & Grille - Virtual Book Tour - $30 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

October starts out warm and sunny, but this is the month when everything changes. Mornings grow frosty, leaves change colors, and the breeze takes on a bite.
Summer dies.
It's a time for harvest celebrations. A boy loans a girl his coat. She snuggles a little closer and takes his hand. A riot of autumn splendor accompanies the farmer's market where they stroll.
But the vibrancy of daylight doesn't compare to the darkness of night. Is that chill on your neck the breeze or something else?
You walk a tad faster and look over your shoulder. The trees creak when the wind whips through their branches—at least, you hope that noise came from the undulating bows.
You check under the bed and inside the closet before climbing under the covers. Sleep doesn't come easy. The old house groans its complaints, and the night magnifies every innocuous noise until terror paralyzes you—because you know nefarious things go bump in the night.
Welcome to the Paranormal Bar & Grille Blog Tour
...where you can rub elbows with everyone from a gargoyle or vampire, to a creature from urban legend, to the ghosts from realms of myth. Step up to the bar, grab a booth. You never know what’s on the menu, or if you might end up there yourself.
Sound like your kind of hangout? Then you’ve come to the right place. We're a group of five authors who love nothing more than to trigger the chill that crawls up your back, the nervous glance tossed over your shoulder. We invite you to discover outstanding books and check out our awesome tour prizes.
Enter our $30 Rafflecopter giveaway here, then visit our blog StoryEmpire.comto participate in a scavenger hunt. Fifteen prizes are up for grabs on Story Empire, three from each author. You have the opportunity for 10 Amazon gift cards ranging in value from $15 to $10, plus ebooks from the participating authors.
Just be careful of what the bartender serves you. That heady brew may not be a beer, and witches can't be trusted to provide effective antidotes.
A Thousand Yesteryears by Mae Clair
“Masterful, bone-chilling fiction…one intense thriller. A Thousand Yesteryears will keep you guessing, gasping and turning the pages for more.”—New York Times bestselling author Kevin O’Brien
Behind a legend lies the truth…As a child, Eve Parrish lost her father and her best friend, Maggie Flynn, in a tragic bridge collapse. Fifteen years later, she returns to Point Pleasant to settle her deceased aunt’s estate. Though much has changed about the once thriving river community, the ghost of tragedy still weighs heavily on the town, as do rumors and sightings of the Mothman, a local legend. When Eve uncovers startling information about her aunt’s death, that legend is in danger of becoming all too real…
Caden Flynn is one of the few lucky survivors of the bridge collapse, but blames himself for coercing his younger sister out that night. He’s carried that guilt for fifteen years, unaware of darker currents haunting the town. It isn’t long before Eve’s arrival unravels an old secret—one that places her and Caden in the crosshairs of a deadly killer…
Purchase Links:Amazon, Barnes &Noble, Kobo, GooglePlay, iBooks
Mae Clair has been chasing myth, monsters and folklore through research and reading since she was a child. In 2013 and 2015, she journeyed to West Virginia to learn more about the legendary Mothman, a creature who factors into her latest release.
Mae pens tales of mystery and suspense with a touch of romance. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and numbers cats, history and exploring old graveyards among her passions. Look for Mae on her website at MaeClair.net.

Contact Information:WebsiteTwitter (@MaeClair1)Google+Facebook Author PageAmazon Author PageGoodreadsPinterestNewsletter Sign-Up
The Glade by Harmony Kent
“Readers who like to curl up during the long winter evenings and feel the delicious chill of fear running up and down their spines need only turn to The Glade to have all their expectations fulfilled. The Glade is a horror story in the mould of Stephen King, and rendered the more so by its faint echoes of Pet Cemetery and the even stronger resonance of the pervasive malignancy of It.”—Review by Brian O’Hare
This gripping, edge-of-your-seat mystery/thriller will have you thinking twice about booking that idyllic cottage in the country. Nothing in this woodland paradise within the Forest of Dean is what it seems.
The Wenstrops have it all: health, wealth, and happiness. Until everything falls apart. Helen gets arrested for murder, and yet is either unable or unwilling to give a defence. During her detention, vital evidence goes missing and tensions run high.
Meanwhile, in the woods, malignant forces gather power.
This sensational second novel by acclaimed author Harmony Kent will have you alternately laughing, crying, and gripping the edge of your seat as this roller-coaster ride of a plot unfolds. It will keep you guessing through its many twists and turns, and hijack your attention right up until you turn the final page. This book has it all: murder, intrigue, the supernatural, a broken marriage, a love affair, courage against impossible odds, suspense, and high drama.
“Expertly written, the book keeps you guessing at every turn. What can I say? You really have to read this book ... if you're brave enough!”—Review by Fantasy Queen
The Glade is an IndieB.R.A.G.Medallion honoree, and an Official Selection for the New Apple Book Awards 2015.
Purchase Link:Amazon
Harmony Kent is famous for her laughter, and has made quite the name for herself … she’s also, um, a writer … and fairly well known for that too. She’s even won a few awards. Harmony lives in rural Cornwall with her ever-present sense of humour and quirky neighbours and refuses to admit to her age.
If you catch her at work, you’ll see that she also offers editing, proof reading, manuscript appraisal, and beta reading services. Not to mention being passionate about supporting her fellow authors.
Contact Links:Website: www.harmonykent.co.ukFacebook: www.facebook.com/HarmonyKentOnlineTwitter: @harmony_kent Blog: www.harmonykent.co.uk/DissonanceGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/HarmonyK

Will O’ the Wisp by C. S. Boyack
There is something evil up Bergamot Holler, and it's been targeting the Hall family for generations.
Patty Hall is fifteen years old. She loves stargazing, science fiction, and all things related to space exploration. This leaves her perfectly prepared for the wrong problem.Patty is afraid her mother will send her to a care facility if she tells her what she's seen. If she doesn't figure things out soon, she's going to join her father in the Hall family cemetery plot.Patty has to come to grips with her own physical handicap, survive the wilderness, and face an ancient evil all alone if she's going to survive.
Will O' the Wisp is suitable for young adults. It involves strong elements of suspense, and is set in the mid 1970s.
Purchase Links:NorthAmerican Continent, Rest ofthe world
I was born in a town called Elko, Nevada. I like to tell everyone I was born in a small town in the 1940s. I'm not quite that old, but Elko has always been a little behind the times. This gives me a unique perspective of earlier times, and other ways of getting by. Some of this bleeds through into my fiction.
I moved to Idaho right after the turn of the century, and never looked back. My writing career was born here, with access to other writers and critique groups I jumped in with both feet.I like to write about things that have something unusual. My works are in the realm of science fiction, paranormal, and fantasy. The goal is to entertain you for a few hours. I hope you enjoy the ride.
Contact Links:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColdhandBoyackTwitter: https://twitter.com/VirgilanteBlog: http://www.coldhandboyack.wordpress.comGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9841203.C_S_Boyack

Love Set in Stone by Staci Troilo
A cold stone heart breaks more easily than it beats. Than it loves.
Damien was a loyal warrior, killed in battle in 1203. Because of his true heart, he was given the option to pass on to his eternal reward or exist in another state of being as a protector… until the time came when he could resume living the life he’d been cheated of.
A soldier by nature, he chose the latter. And he waited centuries—as a gargoyle—growing increasingly bitter about his choice. Then he sees her.
Rina is a hard worker and loyal friend. She just has the worst luck. One night, after saving her best friend from a violent assault, she finds herself at the attacker’s mercy. Then out of nowhere, a savior comes and rescues her.
With only an angel to guide him, Damien must make the right choices to win Rina’s heart, or be forever damned as a grotesque mockery of the guardian he once was.
Purchase Links:Amazon, UniversalLink
Staci Troilo has always loved fiction, ever since her parents read her fairy tales when she was little. Today, her interests are much more eclectic. She loves getting lost in sci-fi battles, fantasy realms, horror worlds, suspenseful intrigues, and romantic entanglements.
As goes her reading, so goes her writing. She can’t pick a single genre to focus on, so she doesn’t even try. She’s proud to say she’s a multi-genre author.
When she’s not reading or writing, she’s spending time with family and friends, possibly cooking for them, or maybe enjoying an afternoon in the pool. To learn more about her, visit her website or connect with her on social media.
Contact Links:Website: http://stacitroilo.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorstacitroiloTwitter: https://twitter.com/stacitroiloBlog: http://stacitroilo.com/blogPinterest: https://pinterest.com/stacitroiloGoodreads: https://goodreads.com/staci_troilo

Vampire Island by Sandra Cox
My name is Zoe Tempest. Just let me say, I had no intention of becoming a vampire hunter. My world revolved around the trendiest clothes, the boy of the week and shopping. My parents were well-off and indulgent. I was the center of their universe. I’m afraid I took that for granted. My life was as close to perfect as a seventeen year old can get. I had everything. Then my parents were murdered and my world came crashing down.
After their funeral, I went to live with my uncle Julian Kilmer. That’s when everything changed. In a manner more terrifying than anything I could have imagined.
Purchase Link:Amazon 

Sandra writes YA Fantasy, Paranormal and Historical Romance, and Metaphysical Nonfiction. She lives in sunny North Carolina with her husband, a brood of critters and an occasional foster cat. Although shopping is high on the list, her greatest pleasure is sitting on her porch, listening to the birds, sipping coffee or a latte and enjoying a good book. She's a vegetarian and a Muay Thai enthusiast.
Contact Links:Website: http://www.sandracox1.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandraCox.Author/Twitter: @ Sandra_CoxBlog: https://www.sandracox.blogspot.com

Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day in the U.S. Thank you to all who served.

Single Chicas by Sandra C. Lopez - $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

BLURB:Single Chicas is a collection of stories about modern Latinas being in, out, and around the zany hurdles of relationships. One woman receives strange calls from a lonely soul, another seeks advice on how to love herself, and another wakes up in a parallel universe to a man she's never met. These chicas will make painstaking effort to survive the complexities with humor and grace. Once again, López dazzles audiences with her brilliantly candid craft. Smart, witty, and funny, these stories will explore the true endurance of singlehood.
EXCERPT:I'll never forget the day my brother gave me a stroke. Of course, being that he was my little brother, a stroke should've been classified a recurring condition by then. Instead, the most he had ever given me was a chronic eye twitch, which, now that I think about it, may have been an indicator of an on-coming stroke. But, yes, it was definitely a stroke I had when Benito (I always called him Benny) came over that day to tell me he was getting married.
My brain blew a short and my whole body went numb. I think, at one point, the world before me was engulfed in a white flash, and then somehow I ended up on the floor. When I finally got the feeling back in my jaw, the only thing I could muster to say was: "Are you a moron?" The clear answer was "yes." He was a moron. Getting married? Was he out of his freaking mind? Oh, hell yeah! Let's put aside that he was only 19, not even old enough to drink, for god sakes; let's put aside that he'd only known the girl for 6 months, at most; let's even put aside how annoying the girl was and how I couldn't stand her. Why in the hell would he want to hang himself like that? Had he forgotten that marriage is basically a prison? Had he not paid attention to all the disaster stories I'd told him? Broken marriages from all around the table, starting with our parents and going all the way to our grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, to damn near everyone else we knew. It all ended the same: divorce, the blissful release from a life sentence.
"Why, Benny, why?"
"Oh, Bea, don't you even start," he retorted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I don't want to hear your putdowns on marriage…again. I've heard them over and over and over."
"Well, have you heard that marriages basically suck the big weenie?"
"I believe I did hear that from you, yes."
"Well, then tell me why? Why the fuck would you do something like that!?" Oh, I could feel my poor blood pressure rising. Good grief, the boy was going to give me a heart attack. I tried taking in a few calming breaths, but the whole thing was basically useless. I was in total freak-out mode. "C’mon, Benny, tell me, please, because I'm not understanding here. What, did she pull that voodoo-hoodoo crap on you? Did you crack your head on something? Have you just completely lost your mind? C'mon, you gotta give me something here."
With an easy shrug, he said, "Oh...you know."
"No, I don't know!" Okay...one, two, three...breathe. I shot him a stern glance and asked directly, "Did you knock her up?"
He looked at me accusingly, his dark eyes narrowing. "You would think that, wouldn't you?"
"Well, I don't know what else to think."
Benny shook his head with a petulant eye roll. I know that eye roll. It's the same one he pulls whenever someone tells him to pick up his socks or wash his hands. In a huff, he simply stated, "No. I didn't knock her up."
"Then why?"
"Because she's just..."
"What? Say something."
"You know..." At a loss for words, he paused then added, "she's just so...you know...great."
A literary master at work here. "Great? What's so great about her?"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"That's a good answer," I inserted wryly.
"Well, I can't think with all these questions," he snapped.
"I'm sorry, do you need a minute? I mean, I know I'm throwing really hard questions at you. Worse than poking your nose or scratching your balls, evidently."
"Why you gotta be like that, huh?"
"Hey, I'm not the one ruining my life here. I'm not the one going after those little titties."
Pulling his "talk to the hand" gesture, Benny turned to walk away.
"Furthermore," I continued, following on his ass, "she calls you forty times a day, she has you running to her every time she cries at all hours of the night, and she's dragging you to all these girly places you wouldn't be caught dead in, even if you were dead. Plus, she's annoying, she's rude, she's just plain crazy. Face it, she's nothing but a big, bi—"
"Okay, Bea, that's enough!" he yelled, twisting around to face me. For a long time, he stood there staring down at me, his nostrils flaring, his jaw tightening. I could tell he was getting pissed. What guy wouldn't? I was basically pointing out that his girl was wearing his huevos like a necklace.
"Look, bottom line: she treats you like a slave. She will ruin your life. She's gonna suck you dry 'til there's nothing left of the old Benny. Seriously, get out of this thing and go live your own life. C'mon, before it's too late."
He stood there in brooding silence for a moment, his gaze lingering on his sneakers. Then, looking back up at me in resignation, he said, "She really wants this."
"What do you want?"
"I want to make her happy."
"But what's gonna make you happy?"
Biting his lower lip, my brother shifted awkwardly, his head hung low. He had no words.
"Benito!"
"She's already started planning with her mom," he shot out, tearing his eyes from the floor.
"Who cares!? Just don't do it."
"But I already told her I would."
"Oh, god!"  My frustration had mounted to unbelievable heights. Oy, there go those chest pains again. The boy was definitely killing me here. But what else could I do? I swear he was as loyal as a dumb dog, and he was bound and determined to live out his days with his tail between his legs. I knew then that he wouldn't back out on her for any reason. Not even if she was kidnapped, I don't think (although that was an idea that crossed my mind.)
I stood quiet for a moment, taking long calming breaths. Then I looked up at him, disappointment drawn on my face, and said, "You're making a big mistake."
That day I told my brother not to expect me at his funeral.
Purchase Links:Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Single-Chicas-Sandra-Lopez-ebook/dp/B01KG85F1Y/#nav-subnavBarnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/single-chicas-sandra-lopez/1124415443?ean=2940153681405
About the Author:Sandra C. López is one of today's influential Latina authors in Young Adult literature. Her first novel, Esperanza: A Latina Story, was published in March 2008 WHILE she was still in college. Since then she has published several other books, including the Single Chicas series. She was named as one of "2011 Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch" by Latino Stories, and her book, Beyond the Gardens, was a Silver Medal winner of the 2016 Global Ebook Awards in Multicultural Fiction and a finalist in the Int'l Latino Book Awards. Art, literature, and travel are her passions, and she aims to keep doing them as long as she can.
Website: www.sandra-lopez.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sandra-Lopez-173657042664609/Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1656820.Sandra_C_Lopez

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hug a Bear Day

Today is Hug a Bear Day. How fun! https://www.daysoftheyear.com/

Sunday Quote