Christa Nardi's Blog, page 60

BookBlast Blog Tour - SWEET CHRISTMAS KISSES 3

 
Ring in the holiday season with 17 all-new, stand-alone stories from New York Times, USA Today, national bestselling, and award-winning authors. Sweet Christmas Kisses 3 takes you around the globe from small-town USA, to London, England, and even to Africa with a foreword written by USA Today Bestselling Author Donna Fasano. Don’t miss out on this sweet romance boxed set that’s sure to touch your heart, make you smile, and put you in the mood for Christmas.
~*~ 
On Christmas Eve by Mona Risk
She yanked him out of her heart years ago. But fate throws him in her path again and his tender gaze erases her loneliness. Can they forgive each other and create a new future?


 
Christmas Holly by Christine Bush
 Can a lonely single father of five-year-old triplets find love on a South Carolina beach? It might just take a Christmas miracle!



 
Mistletoe and Sage by Lyn Cote
 New deputy in town, a single mom, two wounded hearts with a puzzle to solve together—will love spark under the mistletoe?


 
A Merry Little Christmas by Denise Devine
Merry Connor and Anthony Lewis search for treasure and find true love.




 
The Christmas Gift by Raine English
When Riley Wayne receives a dog for Christmas, it’s not just the pup that makes her heart flutter, the rescue group’s handsome owner does too.




 
Untangling Christmas by Shanna Hatfield
Tricked into helping with Silverton’s Festival of Trees, electrician Mike Clarke battles faulty outlets, tangled lights, and a woman determined to share the spirit of the season.




 
A Christmas on Miracle Mountain by Ciara Knight
When it takes a miracle to heal a heart.





 
The Kampala Peppermint Twist by Milou Koenings
A twist of fate. An overbooked flight. Christmas in Africa will flip her life upside down.




 
The Road Not Taken by Magdalena Scott
Francie Standish Carrington has some tough decisions to make and a lot of questions about a past she thought she understood.




 
A London Christmas by Roxanne Rustand
When Catriona heads to London for Christmas to meet a guy she met online, he steals her purse and disappears, but will a handsome photographer in the pub end up being the man of her dreams?



 
Her Christmas Secret by Alicia Street
 Desperate to help her sister’s family, Lila courts a cold-hearted investor for her handmade toys, but learns Christmas has a way of bringing surprises where they’re least expected.



Falling For You at Christmas by Kristin Wallace
 One expectant mother. One gorgeous innkeeper. Three days that will change her life forever.




 
Second Chance Christmas by Merrillee Whren
A young boy helps his estranged parents find love again at Christmas.



 
Christmas Eve Wedding by Cindy Flores Martinez
 A maid of honor is swept up in the chaos of planning her best friend’s spur-of-the-moment Christmas Eve wedding.



 
Secret Wish by Victoria Pinder
Luke Morgan doesn’t believe in miracles, but this season Christmas brought him Caro Soliz, the family maid.



 
Candleglow and Mistletoe by Josie Riviera
 A rising pianist and a pro stuntman winding down his career find love amid the glow of Christmas candles.



 
Couple by Christmas by Pat Simmons
Divorcee Derek Washington wants to reconcile with his ex-wife by Christmas. Although he’s got a plan, with the help of his six-year-old son, Derek only has two weeks.



  Join the authors for the Release Party , Tuesday, Sept. 27 on Facebook! All 17 authors in this boxed set write sweet romances and are members of Sweet Romance Reads, a group of authors whose books contain no sex, violence, or strong language. While the emotional stakes are high as the characters’ relationships grow, these stories are wholesome. Think movies rated G or PG. Therefore, Sweet Christmas Kisses 3 can be enjoyed by romance readers of any age.

Snuggle into a chair by a cozy fire with a cup of hot chocolate and allow these bestselling and award-winning authors to bring the holiday season alive as they warm your heart.

Purchase the book at your favorite online retailer:  
Kindle: http://amzn.to/2aMrYfN
 iBooks: http://apple.co/2aFTjN3 
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2aGREsk 
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2baWaSj
And don’t forget to connect with the Authors at Sweet Romance Reads:
Website/Blog: http://SweetRomanceReads.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/SweetRomanceReads
Twitter: http://twitter.com/SweetRomanceRds
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/donnafaz/sweet-romance-reads/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/123223-sweet-romance-reads

Or connect with each of the Sweet Romance Reads Authors individually:

A tireless traveler, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Mona Risk, writes contemporary romance, medical romance, and romantic suspense novels, all simmering with emotion, sprinkled with a good dose of humor and set in the fascinating places she visited— or in Florida, her paradise on Earth. Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter
~*~Christine Bush is an award winning author of many sweet romances, mysteries, and novellas. When she’s not writing, she can be found teaching Psychology at a local college, working as a Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice, or (mostly) spending time with her twelve grandchildren. Website | Facebook | Twitter
~*~Award-winning author of over 40 romances, Lyn Cote writes inspirational historicals and contemporary romantic suspense in her distinctive brand, "Strong Women, Brave Stories." Lyn lives in a cottage on a lake in the northwoods with her real-life hero husband and (for comic relief and furry cuddling) her two cats. Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter
~*~Denise Devine is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic comedy and she also writes inspirational fiction. She wrote her first book, a mystery, at thirteen and has been writing ever since. She writes about true love, happy endings and stories that touch your heart. Website | Facebook | Twitter
~*~USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Raine English writes sweet small-town contemporary romance, paranormal, and romantic suspense. She's a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist and a Daphne du Maurier Award winner. Raine lives in New England with her family and two French bulldogs, Bailey and Dolly.Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter ~*~Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, hopeless romantic, USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield is out to make it happen one story at a time. Her sweet historical and contemporary romances combine humor and heart-pumping moments and relatable characters. Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter
~*~Ciara Knight is a USA Today and Amazon Bestselling author who writes 'A Little Edge and A Lot of Heart' that spans the heat scales. Her popular sweet romance series, Sweetwater County (rated PG), takes readers into small town romance full of family trials, friendly competition, and community love. Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter
~*~Milou Koenings writes heartwarming romance novels because she believes sweet stories with happy endings are like chocolate – they bring joy to the world and so make it a better place. She’s lived all over the world, working as an editor and newspaper columnist, but loves staying home with her family most of all. Website | Facebook | Twitter
~*~USA Today bestselling author Roxanne Rustand is the author of thirty-five traditionally published novels, plus four indie novels. She was a Golden Heart finalist twice, and a Golden Heart winner in 1995. She has won two RT Magazine Reviewers’ Choice Awards, and was nominated for an RT Magazine Career Achievement Award. Her earlier books were secular, but she now writes sweet indie romance, and inspirational romance for Love Inspired. Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter
~*~USA Today bestselling author Magdalena Scott writes sweet romance and women’s fiction with small town settings. She invites readers into her world to find out what’s hidden just below the surface of those tiny dots you can barely see on the map—mystery, romance, and the occasional unexplained occurrence. Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter
~*~Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author Alicia Street writes both sweet and steamy romances and sometimes collaborates with her husband, Roy. She spent many years as a dancer, choreographer, and teacher and is a compulsive reader of every genre. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
~*~Kristin Wallace is a USA Today bestselling author of inspirational, contemporary and women’s fiction filled with “Love, Laughter and a Leap of Faith.” Her popular series include the Covington Falls Chronicles and Shellwater Key Tales. Website | Facebook | Twitter
~*~Merrillee Whren is an award-winning author who writes inspirational and sweet romance—stories that stir your emotions. She is married to her own personal hero, her husband of forty plus years, and has two grown daughters. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest
~*~Cindy Flores Martinez is an Amazon bestselling Spanish romance author. She writes sweet romantic comedy and Christian romance. Her debut novel, Mail-Order Groom, started out as a screenplay and movie project, which she shopped around Hollywood, New York, and other parts of the world. Website | Facebook | Twitter
~*~Victoria Pinder is a bestselling author of science fiction/fantasy and contemporary romance where her stories all include “Bold Women and the Brainy Men who love them.” Her popular series include the House of Morgan and the Collins Brothers. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Free Novella
~*~Author Josie Riviera writes Historical, Inspirational, and Sweet Romances. She lives in the Charlotte, NC, area with her wonderfully supportive husband. They share their empty nest with an adorable Shih Tzu who constantly needs grooming and an old house forever needing renovations. Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter
~*~Pat Simmons is a three-time Emma award-winning author for Best Inspirational Romance. With more thirty Christian romance titles, Pat is the bestselling author of the Carmen Sisters series.
Website | Newsletter  
        
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Book Review: SUICIDAL SUSPICIONS (Kate Huntington Series #8) by Kassandra Lamb

Synopsis

Psychotherapist Kate Huntington is rocked to the core when one of her clients commits suicide. How can this be? The woman, who suffered from bipolar disorder, had been swinging toward a manic state. The client’s family is threatening to sue for malpractice, and Kate can’t fault them since she blames herself. How could she have missed the signs?

Searching for answers for herself and the grieving parents, Kate discovers some details that don’t quite fit. Is it possible the client didn’t take her own life, or is that just wishful thinking? Questioning her professional judgement, and at times her own sanity, she feels compelled to investigate. What she finds stirs up her old ambivalence about the Catholic Church. Is her client’s death somehow related to her childhood parish?

When she senses that someone is following her, she wonders if she is truly losing it. Or is she getting dangerously close to someone’s secrets?
Review
In the latest of the Kate Huntington series, one of Kate's clients commits suicide.  As with any therapist, Kate experiences guilt and self-doubt. As she tries to understand how she missed signs, she begins to question whether this was suicide or only staged to look like suicide. Her need to know the answer leads her to places and people she hasn't thought about in a long time.  
As with the others in this series, Lamb does a good job of weaving the tale and moving the plot forward. Kate's motivation is genuine, complex, and drives her actions. Although part of a series, this can be read as a stand alone. I've enjoyed the rest of the series so I'd suggest starting at the beginning.  
AMAZON
Books in the Series  AMAZON LINK FOR ALL 8
Multiple MotivesIll-Timed EntanglementsFamily FallaciesCelebrity StatusCollateral CasualtiesZero HeroFatal Forty-EightSuicidal Suspicions
Other series by this Author
The Kate on Vacation MysteriesThe Marcia Banks and Buddy Mysteries

Book Blast - DANDELION DEAD by Chrystle Fiedler

Synopsis

In a cozy mystery filled with natural cures and edible plants that you will love, an organic winery becomes the backdrop for murder! Fortunately, solving crimes comes naturally to charmingly unconventional amateur sleuth and holistic doctor, Willow McQuade, as she looks for clues that will reveal a killer’s true vintage.

Business is blooming at Nature’s Way Market & Café, and shop owner, holistic doctor, and amateur sleuth, Willow McQuade has never been happier. Her new medicinal herb garden is a hit, so is her new book, she’s in love with ex-cop and animal rescuer Jackson Spade, and enjoying teaching seminars about edible plants and natural remedies.

But everything changes when Willow’s old boyfriend and TV producer, Simon Lewis, winemaker David Farmer, and his wife Ivy, ask her to cater a party at Pure, their new organic vineyard, to kick off North Fork’s Uncorked! week and the competition for Wine Lovers magazine’s $200,000 prize. Pure’s entry, Falling Leaves, is the favorite to win, and the wine flows freely until after Simon’s toast when smiles give way to looks of horror. Ivy’s twin sister, Amy has been murdered! Turns out, the poison that killed her was actually meant for David. But who wants him dead? A rival vintner? Or someone closer to home? This time the truth may be a bitter vintage to swallow.


About the Author

CHRYSTLE FIEDLER is a freelance journalist specializing in natural remedies, alternative medicine and holistic health and healing, and is the author of the Natural Remedies Mysteries series. Her many consumer magazine articles have appeared in USA Today’s Green Living,Natural Health, Remedy, Mother Earth Living, Spirituality & Health, and Prevention. She is also the author/co-author of seven non-fiction health titles including the Country Almanac of Home Remedies with herbalist Brigitte Mars, and The Compassionate Chick’s Guide to DIY Beauty with Vegan Beauty Review founder, Sunny Subramanian. Chrystle lives on the East End of Long Island, NY in a cozy cottage by the sea. Visit www.chrystlefiedlerwrites.com.

Author Links

Website link: www.chrystlefiedlerwrites.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dandeliondeadbook/?fref=ts

Twitter: @ChrystleFiedler

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3360187.Chrystle_Fiedler

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/chrystle123/dandelion-dead-a-natural-remedies-mystery/

Purchase Links:

Amazon – B&N – IndieBound

Blog Tour & Review: MARGARITAS AND MURDER : A Sunny Truly Mystery by CeCe Osgood

Margaritas & Murder September 10th - 17th, 2016 Margaritas & Murder By CeCe Osgood 
Genre: Cozy Mystery 
Release Date: September 9th 2016
Synopsis

Stephanie Plum meets Bridget Jones in this hilarious yet suspenseful cozy mystery featuring Sunny Truly, a brand-new apprentice private investigator in Austin, Texas. 

When a long ago childhood friend is found dangling in a tree—with a dead man in her apartment—Sunny is hired to prove the friend innocent of murder. Frumpy, earnest and stubborn, Sunny goes undercover as a glam-girl to ferret out suspects at the club where her friend worked. With the aid of her wise-cracking boss, Cleve Haylock, and swoon-worthy police detective John Rock, Sunny uncovers an ugly secret with deadly consequences. Will Sunny be the next victim? 
Review

This is the first book in the Sunny Truly series released on September 9, 2016. Sunny Truly is an apprentice PI with Haylock Investigations.  Cleve has taken her under his wing much to the dismay of his assistant. It is a small group that focuses more on alleged infidelities than murder, but when childhood friend Joyce is found dangling from a tree, is in a coma, and the prime suspect for the murdered man in her apartment, Sunny manages to get Cleve's son to agree to investigate and clear Joyce.
Despite her name, Sunny Truly is not ditzy. She follows leads, asks questions, and finds out more than is safe for her to know, both with Joyce's case and the alleged cheating wife case she's been assigned. As expected, Detective Rock isn't pleased with her involvement, concerned for her safety. Osgood created characters who have some depth - you like the ones you're supposed to like, and as with Sunny, you wonder who can be trusted.
This was an easy read. The plot moves along nicely with the necessary twists. The end has some surprises...  I'm glad to see this is a series - I'll be looking for the next Sunny Truly mystery.
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review as part of this blog tour. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

Buy the Book:

AmazonUS        AmazonUK
Guest Post by CeCe Osgood
Author CeCe Osgood Invites You To Austin, Texas – the setting of her new book
Hi. I’m CeCe Osgood, and I love humor, romance and mystery. That’s why I’m writing a chick lit cozy mystery series.
In the first book of the series, MARGARITAS & MURDER, Sunny Truly discovers her soon to be ex-husband has ruined her teaching career by posting to YouTube a (semi- naughty) video taken during their honeymoon.
Upon divorcing her skunk of a husband, Sunny returns to her home town, Austin, and is hired by Haylock Investigations and stumbles into new career as a private investigator. Soon she is smack dab in the middle of a murder case involving a childhood friend, good ol’ rich Texas boys, high-maintenance wives and flirtatious cops.
I decided to set the mystery series in Austin where I lived for many years. Back then, Austin was a sleepy little college town. And its claim to fame was the imposing pink granite Texas Capitol [image error]building which was modeled on U.S. capitol in Washington D.C.  The only hi-rise buildings in the city used to be the state capitol and the Tower for the University of Texas at Austin. [image error]
But that’s not how it is these days. Austin is considered one of the top three fastest growing cities in the U.S. One reason is the fast-growing tech industry which has made the city a Tech Hub like Silicon Valley. [image error]Another element is the increasing population since many students attending the University like living in Austin so much they don’t move away when they graduate. 

One major attraction is the city’s recreational lifestyle. Bikers, hikers, joggers and walkers are devoted to the hike and bike trail that meanders along Lady Bird Lake (which used to be known as Town Lake). [image error] Back in the 1970s, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson’s wife, Lady Bird, concentrated her attention on beautifying parks, especially the one which now bears her name. 


Nine bridges span the lake and one, the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge, houses a colony of bats estimated to be over a million. [image error] It’s quite a sight to see the bats swirling around as they leave home on a summer night (especially when they’re wearing itty bitty cowboy boots … just kidding). 
Music is another reason for the city’s popularity. SXSW (South By Southwest) is the film and music festival that has was created Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World.[image error] Award-winning filmmakers, Joel and Ethan Coen, started out in Austin with their debut movie BLOOD SIMPLE. 
Austin also claims filmmaker Richard Linklater whose directing debut was the 1991 indie movie SLACKER, which was inspired by Austin’s past hippie culture and the grad student misfits who stuck around the city instead of actually graduating from UT and moving on. The movie was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize Dramatic at the Sundance Film Festival in 1991. Another Linklater movie, DAZED AND CONFUSED, kick-started the career of (alright, alright, alright) Texan Matthew McConaughey. [image error]
Also in that movie was a Texas bit player (Girl in the Blue Pickup) who later in her career uttered the unforgettable line, “You had me at hello” to Tom Cruise in JERRY MCGUIRE. But she most famous and beloved as the ditzy and wonderful Bridget Jones, Renee Zellweger. [image error] Ah, the circle comes around and we’re back to chick lit! Yay! 
I hope you’ll enjoy my SUNNY TRULY chick lit cozy mystery series. The first one is MARGARITAS & MURDER. 
Next up for series is MERLOT & MURDER: The Sunny Truly Mystery Series – Book 2 
About the Author:  CeCe Osgood
CeCe Osgood lives in Texas after many years in LA working in the film industry. Her writing career includes magazine articles and screenplays as well as being a freelance story analyst (main client HBO). She also has had two screenplays optioned. Being a novelist has been her lifelong dream, and now it’s becoming her reality. She loves red wine and hates pretzels.
CeCe’s first novel, THE DIVORCED NOT DEAD WORKSHOP, a chick-lit romantic comedy about a dating workshop during a cruise to Cabo was awarded a Crowned Heart for Excellence by InD’tale magazine.
Find her here: www.ceceosgood.weebly.com Facebook Twitter GoodReads Amazon Author Page 
Check out all the stops on the Tour: Sept 10thEnrayn - Book Review Hello...Chick Lit - Book Promo PostSept 11thCafinated Reads - Book Excerpt Gin, books and blankets... - Book Reivew/Author Q&ASept 12thSteamy Book Momma - Book Promo Post Writing Pearls - Book Review Novelgossip - Book Review/ExcerptSept 13thJudging More Than Just The Cover - Author Q&A Sylv all about books and films - Book Promo Post Christa Reads and Writes - Book Review/Guest PostSept 14thCynful Books To Read - Author Guest Post/Promo Post He Said Books or Me - Book Review/ExcerptSept 15thGrass Monster - Amazon/GoodReads Book Review One More Chapter - Book ReviewSept 16thBookLoverWormBlog - Book Review Turning Another Page - Book Review/Author Q&ASept 17thJenaBooks - Book Review/Excerpt Book Lover in Florida - Book Review/Excerpt
Tour arranged by:

Blog Tour and Guest Post: ANNA CELESTE BURKE, Author of Gnarly New Year (Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery)

Today it is my pleasure to have Anna Celeste Burke, author of GNARLY NEW YEAR, as my guest...
Yo-ho-ho, Corsario Cove!Pirates for hire--who knew?

It’s Christmas when Kim & Brien arrive at the luxurious Sanctuary Resort & Spa for their honeymoon. They soon learn that shouts of “ho-ho-ho” are commonplace. ‘Tis the season and the resort is crawling with Santas. Behind all the holiday hoopla there’s more than merriment going on.

Corsario Cove, the gorgeous setting for newlyweds Kim & Brien’s most excellent adventures takes its name from the word corsair. Corsario in Spanish. That’s corsairs, as in buccaneers or pirates, although the term corsair also applies to the ships they commanded. Blow me down! What do you want to bet that at other seasons of the year it’s “yo-ho-ho” that echoes in the sea breeze?

Despite their reputation as unruly thieves, most corsairs were in fact, paid to do their dirty work on the high seas. They were raiders-for-hire, owners of merchant ships licensed and enlisted by one monarchy to harass, destroy, and capture the booty from ships flying the flag of a rival monarchy. The French, Spanish, Dutch and British all used hired help as they battled for control of the seas and lucrative trade routes.

Technically, some folks reserve the term pirate for those who attack other ships without government authority. I suppose it depends a lot on your point of view. If you’re staring down the barrel of a cannon—several of them, in fact—you probably don’t much care whether the men about to board your ship are carrying the right papers or not. The line between privateering—piracy done in the name of the Crown—and theft for personal gain doesn’t always seem to have been all that clear. Imagine that!

Pirates of the Caribbean, yeah, but California?

If you’ve seen the Disney Pirates of the Caribbean movies or older Hollywood films featuring pirates, the action is centered far away from the California Coast. The hey-day of corsairs occurred earlier than the settlement of California by Europeans. By then, most of the pirates that roamed the open seas threatening to hang men from the yardarms or force them to walk the plank were long gone. Where? According to Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow character, “Wherever we want to go, we go!” In this case, they faded into history as governments relied less on paid privateers.

Still, as my character Kim discovers in Cowabunga Christmas, California did have pirates. Well, one of them at least. In 1818, French privateer Hippolyte de Bouchard launched a series of attacks on Monterey, San Juan de Capistrano and other spots along California’s coast. At that point in history, it doesn't appear he took those actions on anyone's authority other than his own.

Did those raids yield treasure—including a six-foot gold cross, a jewel-encrusted chalice, gold and silver coins, pearls and gemstones? In part, yes. Bouchard and his men helped themselves to whatever they could find as they raided the coastal settlements. The details about the contents of his treasure trove? I made most of that up.

Did he stash his loot in hideaways along the coast as he went from one port to another, and did he abandon it when forced to make a speedy retreat? Could be. It’s true that he fled in haste, away from California to what we now call the Hawaiian Islands. Bouchard had lost most of his crew to disease and marauding and had to beat it to safety. Apparently, he intended to put together a new crew fit enough to enable him to resume his pirate ways. Maybe that also meant he planned to return to California and reclaim treasure he left behind.

There be more than pirates, matey!

The rumor of lost treasure is only one of the themes that run through the stories in this series. What about the local legends of mad monks? Not to mention all the modern-day rogues and scallywags who find their way into Corsario Cove and the nearby town of San Albinus. That’s already resulted in a dead Santa and a prolonged game of hide-and-seek with a marine GPS device that sets the local homicide detective a-twitching when anyone brings it up. Murder, kidnapping, and plenty of other forms of mayhem have pushed Detective Mitchum to the brink of an overdose--on coffee and donuts. Who knows what other secrets remain hidden in this lovely but mysterious cove? You’ll have to wait for Brien and Kim's future adventures to find out.

With that introduction, let's find out more about the book!
Gnarly New Year! Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery
Cozy Mystery2nd in SeriesPaperback: 220 pagesISBN-13: 978-1530845781E-Book ASIN: B01G15GEPC Synopsis

The honeymoon’s not over yet! Kim and Brien’s excellent adventure at the swanky Sanctuary Resort & Spa continues when an unwelcome visitor drops in on New Year’s Eve. An elusive marine GPS device found and lost again, unleashes another wave of murder and mayhem in Corsario Cove! What is it about that thing? Will the secret be revealed when they visit the chamber of heinousness? Stooges, Krugerrands, and monks—oh my! Is it going to be a Gnarly New Year for Kim and Brien?

About the Author

Anna Celeste Burke is an award-winning and bestselling author who enjoys snooping into life’s mysteries with fun, fiction, & food—California style! Her books include the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series set in the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs, the Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery series set on California’s Central Coast, and The Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery series set in Orange County, California–the OC. Coming soon: The Misadventures of Betsy Stark that take place in the Coachella Valley.

Author Links
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/aburke59
FACEBOOK BOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/annacelesteburke
WEBSITE: http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com/
BLOG PAGE: http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com/#!blog/c1dh1
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7553558.Anna_Celeste_Burke
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00H8J4IQSa 


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Blog Tour: Guest Post by HEATHER HAVEN, author of The CEO Came DOA

Today it is my pleasure to have Heather Heaven   as my guest, talking about her writing and the Alvarez Family Murder Mystery series...


Let me share a bit about my career as a writer, the Alvarez Family Murder Mystery Series, and why I tend to write funny. Back in the Punic Wars, when I was in my twenties and thirties, I spent my New York City writing career concentrating on the creation of short stories, comedy acts for performers, humorous plays and television treatments, and funny ad copy and commercials. I even ghost-wrote a book once about working at an employment agency. I was unemployed at the time, so you can appreciate the irony.

If it’s humorous, I’ll write about it. I’ve written many articles, editorials, blogs, sketches, and short stories on the foibles of humankind. Most of the time what I read is on the funny side, too. If I want a good cry, I can pick up a newspaper and read the real estate or financial sections. I live in the Bay Area, so tears will spring to my eyes immediately.

Not surprisingly, when I decided to write a murder mystery series it had to be funny. The first of the Alvarez Series is Murder is a Family Business followed by A Wedding to Die For, Death Runs in the Family, DEAD….If Only, and now The CEO Came DOA.

I’ve been lucky. Others seem to enjoy reading the series and I’ve picked up a few awards along the way. Mainly, though, I just plain love writing it. A writer lives inside her or his head and if I have to be in there 24/7, I’d like to have a few laughs along the way. Plus, I get to be all of the characters, including the cat!

My protagonist, Lee Alvarez, is a combination of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone and Janet Evanovitch’ Stephanie Plum. That’s my branding, folks. This 34-year old divorcee works in the family business, Discretionary Inquiries, a successful Silicon Valley agency that normally deals with the theft of computer software, hardware, and Intellectual Property. Lee doesn’t go out looking for dead people or murderers, but seems to fall over one or the other much of the time.

Her beautiful ice-princess mother, Lila Hamilton Alvarez, is head honcho of the family’s investigative business. L. H. Alvarez believes what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom is our ability to accessorize. Lee’s younger brother, Richard, is the head of Research and Information Technology. He eats peanut butter and sauerkraut sandwiches, so is rarely invited to board meetings. Her Uncle Tío is a retired head chef of a well-known Mexican restaurant. Tío gives unconditional love, while making the best tortillas in town. Even her cat, Tugger, seems to be head of the household of Lee’s small, two-bedroom apartment over the family garage.

Lee isn’t head of squat, thank you. But she’s got the heart of a lion, eyes the color of twilight, and the instincts of a first-rate ferret, which is good, because she’s always getting herself in trouble.

The CEO Came DOA, Book Five, takes place in Silicon Valley’s, with the startup industry as its background. I knew it would be a challenge to write about a business of which I knew zilch. But this is a world where technological discoveries garner billions of dollars every year, so I was willing to do the research. Frankly, these innovators are modern day explorers, much like Lewis and Clark. Only these guys wear torn t-shirts, faded jeans, and carry a laptop. I will never look at my smartphone in quite the same way again.Heather HavenBlurb


Someone is trying to sabotage the Initial Public Offering of 'Read-Out', a small Silicon Valley start-up, and Lee Alvarez has been hired to find the culprit. Meanwhile, the first Alvarez grandchild is about to be born while Lee is planning her very own Christmas wedding; or rather letting her mother plan it. When Lee finds the CEO hanging by the neck in his boardroom wearing nothing but baby blue boxer shorts, she has to ask herself, was it suicide? Or was it murder? If so, was the saboteur responsible, one of his business partners, or even his famous rock star ex-wife? There are too many suspects and the bodies start piling up just in time for Christmas. Ho, ho, ho!
IPPY Award Winner, Death of a Clown

Multi Award-Winner, Alvarez Family Mysteries

The Persephone Cole Vintage Mysteries

Best Historical Mystery Novel Lefty Nomination, 2016

About The Author

After studying drama at the University of Miami in Florida, Heather went to Manhattan to pursue a career. There she wrote short stories, comedy acts, television treatments, ad copy, commercials, and two one-act plays, which were produced, among other places, at the famed Playwrights Horizon. Once, she even ghostwrote a book on how to run an employment agency. She was unemployed at the time.

Her first novel started the Silicon Valley based Alvarez Family Murder Mystery Series. Murder is a Family Business, Book One, won the Single Titles Reviewers’ Choice Award 2011, followed by the second, A Wedding to Die For, 2012 Global and EPIC finalist for Best eBook Mystery of the Year. Death Runs in the Family won the coveted Global Gold for Best Mystery Novel, 2013.DEAD….If Only won the Global Silver for Best Mystery Novel, 2015. Her fifth novel of the series,The CEO Came DOA, debuts September, 2016. She loves writing this series mainly because she gets to play all of the characters, including the cat!

Heather’s other series, The Persephone Cole Vintage Mystery Series, is set in Manhattan circa 1942, during our country’s entrance into WWII. The Dagger Before Me, Book One, was voted best historical and mystery novel by Amazon readers in October, 2013. It was followed by Iced Diamonds. Book Three, The Chocolate Kiss-Off, is a 2016 Lefty Award Finalist Best Historical Mystery.

On a personal note, her proudest award is the Silver IPPY (Independent Publisher Book Awards) Best Mystery/thriller 2014 for Death of a Clown. The stand-alone noir mystery is steeped in Heather’s family history. Daughter of real-life Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus folk, her mother was a trapeze artist/performer and father, an elephant trainer. Heather likes to say she brings the daily existence of the Big Top to life during World War II, embellished by her own murderous imagination.

Heather gives lectures, speaks at book clubs, and moderates author panels in the Bay Area, as well as teaching the art of writing. She believes everyone should write something, be it a poem, short story or letter. Then go out and plant a tree. The world will be a better place for it.
Author Links
Web – http://www.heatherhavenstories.com/
Amazon – Heather Haven
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/HeatherHavenStories
Twitter - @HeatherHaven
Purchase Link For The CEO Came DOA
Amazon – http://amzn.to/29WQyfr
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Blog Tour: PUMPKINS IN PARADISE (A Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mystery Book 1) by Kathi Daley

Pumpkins in Paradise (A Tj Jensen Mystery Book 1)
Paperback: 268 pages
Publisher: Henery Press; Second edition (September 6, 2016)
ISBN-13: 978-1635110890E-Book ASIN: B01GQPYU8U

It's my pleasure to have Kathi Daley as my guest today, along with TJ to tell us about the Paradise Lake Mysteries - the first six being released on 9/6/2016!
Interview with a Cozy Mystery Character
Kathi: Hello everyone. My name is Kathi Daley. I am a mystery writer who enjoys writing mystery with a touch of romance as well as romance with a touch to mystery. I currently write five series: Zoe Donovan Cozy Mysteries, Whales and Tails Island Mysteries, Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mysteries, Seacliff High Teen Mysteries, and Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries. With me today is the star of the Paradise Lake Mysteries, Tj Jensen. Welcome Tj.

Tj: Thank you for having me.

Kathi: Why don’t you start off by telling us a little about yourself?

Tj: I live in the small alpine town of Serenity Nevada, which is located on the west shore of Paradise Lake. I am a high school coach and physical education teacher at the same high school I attended as a student. I recently moved back to Maggie’s Hideaway, the lakeside resort where I grew up, after my mother died and I was granted custody of two half-sisters I barely knew. Learning to be both a mom and a sister to Ashley (8) and Gracie (5) has been challenging, but I have the help and support of my grandfather and father, both who live at the resort, as well as best friends Kyle and Jenna.

Kathi: You recently have developed a reputation as being a bit of an amateur sleuth. Can you tell us how that came about?

Tj: It all started just three months after my sisters came to Paradise Lake and I moved home with my father and grandfather. A good friend of mine died in his home under what I believed to be suspicious circumstances even though the sheriff ruled the death to have been caused by natural causes. I’m not sure why I was so certain that my friend Zachary had died at the hands of another. He was an old man in ill health who appeared to have simply drifted off while he sat in his favorite chair, but my instinct told me otherwise, so I set out to prove the sheriff and everyone else wrong. In the end I was able to prove that Zachary had been murdered and that, as it turned out, was the beginning of my sleuthing 
hobby.

Kathi: Have you had a hard time juggling your work as a coach and teacher, with your responsibilities at the resort, while trying to be a mother to your sisters, and an amateur sleuth?

Tj: I really, really, have. I feel like I am in crisis mode most of the time, but I have people in my life, my family, Jenna, and Kyle, who are always there for me and who help me to do everything that I need to do. I really couldn’t do it without them.

Kathi: So tell us about your friends Jenna and Kyle.

Tj: Jenna has been my best friend since we were in kindergarten. She is married to her high school sweetheart and has two daughters Kristi and Kari. She owns a café/antique store along with her mother Helen named The Antiquery. She is the best mother and the best cook in the whole world. I know that she is busy in her own right, yet somehow she is always there to help and support me when I need it most.I only recently met Kyle but we hit it off right away. Kyle is a genius when it comes to anything computer which helps a lot in the investigations we always seem to get pulled into.

Kathi: You’ve mentioned family and friends but not a relationship of the romantic kind. What would you stay about the current state of you romantic life?

Tj: Complicated. Very, very, complicated.

Kathi: I have spoken to several of your students and they label you as the go to teacher to run to if they have a problem or need someone to talk to. What do you attribute the fact that your students seem to love you to?

Tj: I care about my students as individuals. I don’t see my job as simply to coach them in the various sports I coach, but to help them through the difficult teenage years. There are those including my boss who think that I am too close to my students and shouldn’t be quite so involved in their personal lives, but I am the sort of person who seems to have a knack for being involved in everyone’s life, and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Kathi: I noticed you brought your dog to this interview. Would you like to introduce him as well?

Tj: Echo is my Bernese Mountain Dog. He has been trained in search and rescue and has saved many lives during his years of service, including mine.


Kathi: He really is a beautiful dog. I wish we could continue our discussion but I’m afraid our time is up. I want to thank you for coming and sharing a bit about your life. I’m sure our readers are looking forward to learning more about you as they join you on the pages of the Paradise Lake Books.


PUMPKINS IN PARADISE (A TJ JENSEN PARADISE LAKE MYSTERY BOOK 1)

Synopsis

Between volunteering for the annual pumpkin festival and coaching her girls to the state soccer finals, high school teacher Tj Jensen finds her good friend Zachary Collins dead in his favorite chair. When the handsome new deputy closes the case without so much as a “why” or “how,” Tj turns her attention from chili cook-offs and pumpkin carving to complex puzzles, prophetic riddles, and a decades-old secret she seems destined to unravel.

About the Author
Author of the Zoe Donovan cozy Mystery Series, Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mystery series, Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery Series, Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mysteries, and Seacliff High Teen Cozy Mystery Series.

Come for the murder, stay for the romance.

Kathi lives in the beautiful alpine community of Lake Tahoe with her husband Ken and dog Echo. When she’s not writing she enjoys hanging out on the beach with her children and grandchildren. During the summer she enjoys hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, wakeboarding, and sunset cruises on the lake. During the winter she enjoys cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and curling up by a fire with a good book.

Kathi uses her mountain home as inspiration for her books, all which include appearances by the wildlife she shares her life with.

Visit Kathi Daley:
Blog – http://kathidaleyblog.com
Facebook at Kathi Daley Books, www.facebook.com/kathidaleybooks
Kathi Daley Teen – www.facebook.com/kathidaleyteenKathi Daley Books Group Page – https://www.facebook.com/groups/569578823146850/
Kathi Daley Books Birthday Club- get a book on your birthday –https://www.facebook.com/groups/1040638412628912/
Kathi Daley Recipe Exchange – https://www.facebook.com/groups/752806778126428/
Webpage – www.kathidaley.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7278377.Kathi_Daley
Twitter at Kathi Daley@kathidaley – https://twitter.com/kathidaley
Tumblr – http://kathidaleybooks.tumblr.com/
Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/kathidaley/
Count Down to Paradise Launch Event - https://www.facebook.com/events/848072505336998/
Pumpkins in Paradise Book Club - https://www.facebook.com/events/1408072279209347/

PURCHASE LINKS – Amazon
Books in the Tj Jensen Mystery Series:
• PUMPKINS IN PARADISE (#1)
• SNOWMEN IN PARADISE (#2)
• BIKINIS IN PARADISE (#3)
• CHRISTMAS IN PARADISE (#4)
• PUPPIES IN PARADISE (#5)
• HALLOWEEN IN PARADISE (#6)
• TREASURE IN PARADISE (#7) April 2017

Barnes and Noble
Books in the Tj Jensen Mystery Series:
• PUMPKINS IN PARADISE (#1)
• SNOWMEN IN PARADISE (#2)
• BIKINIS IN PARADISE (#3) link not up yet
• CHRISTMAS IN PARADISE (#4) link not up yet
• PUPPIES IN PARADISE (#5)
• HALLOWEEN IN PARADISE (#6)
• TREASURE IN PARADISE (#7) April 2017

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Blog Tour: THE SHATTERED TREE : A Bess Crawford Mystery by Charles Todd

The Shattered Tree: A Bess Crawford Mystery
8th in SeriesWilliam Morrow (August 30, 2016)Hardcover: 304 pagesISBN-13: 978-0062386274E-Book ASIN: B0191FR6JW
Synopsis


World War I battlefield nurse Bess Crawford goes to dangerous lengths to investigate a wounded soldier’s background—and uncover his true loyalties—in this thrilling and atmospheric entry in the bestselling “vivid period mystery series” (New York Times Book Review).

At the foot of a tree shattered by shelling and gunfire, stretcher-bearers find an exhausted officer, shivering with cold and a loss of blood from several wounds. The soldier is brought to battlefield nurse Bess Crawford’s aid station, where she stabilizes him and treats his injuries before he is sent to a rear hospital. The odd thing is, the officer isn’t British—he’s French. But in a moment of anger and stress, he shouts at Bess in German.

When Bess reports the incident to Matron, her superior offers a ready explanation. The soldier is from Alsace-Lorraine, a province in the west where the tenuous border between France and Germany has continually shifted through history, most recently in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, won by the Germans. But is the wounded man Alsatian? And if he is, on which side of the war do his sympathies really lie?

Of course, Matron could be right, but Bess remains uneasy—and unconvinced. If he was a French soldier, what was he doing so far from his own lines . . . and so close to where the Germans are putting up a fierce, last-ditch fight?

When the French officer disappears in Paris, it’s up to Bess—a soldier’s daughter as well as a nurse—to find out why, even at the risk of her own life.
About The Authors

Charles and Caroline Todd are a mother-and-son writing team who live on the east coast of the United States. Caroline has a BA in English Literature and History, and a Masters in International Relations. Charles has a BA in Communication Studies with an emphasis on Business Management, and a culinary arts degree that means he can boil more than water. Caroline has been married (to the same man) for umpteen years, and Charles is divorced.

Charles and Caroline have a rich storytelling heritage. Both spent many evenings on the porch listening to their fathers and grandfathers reminisce. And a maternal grandmother told marvelous ghost stories. This tradition allows them to write with passion about events before their own time. And an uncle/great-uncle who served as a flyer in WWI aroused an early interest in the Great War.

Charles learned the rich history of Britain, including the legends of King Arthur, William Wallace, and other heroes, as a child. Books on Nelson and by Winston Churchill were always at hand. Their many trips to England gave them the opportunity to spend time in villages and the countryside, where there’a different viewpoint from that of the large cities. Their travels are at the heart of the series they began ten years ago.

Charles’s love of history led him to a study of some of the wars that shape it: the American Civil War, WWI and WWII. He enjoys all things nautical, has an international collection of seashells, and has sailed most of his life. Golf is still a hobby that can be both friend and foe. And sports in general are enthusiasms. Charles had a career as a business consultant. This experience gave him an understanding of going to troubled places where no one was glad to see him arrive. This was excellent training for Rutledge’s reception as he tries to find a killer in spite of local resistance.

Caroline has always been a great reader and enjoyed reading aloud, especially poetry that told a story. The Highwayman was one of her early favorites. Her wars are WWI, the Boer War, and the English Civil War, with a sneaking appreciation of the Wars of the Roses as well. When she’s not writing, she’s traveling the world, gardening, or painting in oils. Her background in international affairs backs up her interest in world events, and she’s also a sports fan, an enthusiastic follower of her favorite teams in baseball and pro football. She loves the sea, but is a poor sailor. (Charles inherited his iron stomach from his father.) Still, she has never met a beach she didn’t like.

Both Caroline and Charles share a love of animals, and family pets have always been rescues. There was once a lizard named Schnickelfritz. Don’t ask.

Writing together is a challenge, and both enjoy giving the other a hard time. The famous quote is that in revenge, Charles crashes Caroline’s computer, and Caroline crashes his parties. Will they survive to write more novels together? Stay tuned! Their father/husband is holding the bets.

Author Links

http://www.charlestodd.com/

https://www.facebook.com/CharlesToddNovels/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/131.Charles_Todd?from_search=true

Purchase Links

HarperCollins Amazon B&N
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Book Review: LACEY LUZZI : SEASONED by Gina LaManna

SYNOPSIS (from Amazon)

’Tis the season…for a new career?

It’s a few days before Christmas, and Lacey Luzzi & gang are at a dead end in their search for Jackson Cole. So when Lacey receives a job offer from none other than the rich, the glamorous, the Hollywood-bound Miss Harriet Lizabeth Morgan the Third, she says yes.

This holiday season, Lacey, Clay, Meg, and Anthony head out to the land of palm trees and fake snow, tasked with providing top notch security for an upcoming, high-profile movie premier. But when her client receives threatening messages, a difficult job only gets tougher.

Lacey turns to her friends for help, but Clay is occupied with his clandestine computer program, Anthony is tied up at home with a mysterious “project,” and Meg is…well, she’s Meg. Add a stunt driver with a pile of secrets as long as Meg’s Christmas list and new information surfacing around Jackson Cole, and Lacey’s plate is not full – it’s overflowing!

Lacey hasn’t asked for much this Christmas. But she does make one little wish: to get out of this assignment alive.
 
** **
Lacey Luzzi: Seasoned is a full-length, humorous cozy mystery with a strong female protagonist in the spirit of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, albeit one working for the wrong side of the law…

Note: This book can be read as a standalone, though it is part of a larger series and not all plot lines are resolved in a single book. It is rated a strong PG-13 for sarcasm and mild language. No graphic gore or sex.


REVIEW
Although this is the seventh in the Lacey Luzzi Mafia Mystery series, it is my first experience with Lacey, Clay, Meg, and Anthony - not to mention the Nora and the mafia boss.  In this one, Lacey is trying to start her own business and not just work for her grandfather - a security business - with minimal skills and lots of luck. Well, if you count the bad luck as well as the good that is.  Her first job is to protect the award winning dog at the event of the season, complete with red carpet. 
This was a fun read, and as promised, can easily be read as a stand alone. Lacey's search for the identity of her father and her mixed feelings about Christmas add a personal touch.  The style is quick and witty with humor and romance.  Especially good read for the holiday season - don't all adults still believe in Santa?

AMAZON

BTW, in preparing this post I discovered that Gina LaManna is the author of at least two other mystery series...   my TBR list just exploded!

Book Review: LOVE, LIES, AND MURDER (Charlotte Ross Mysteries) by Evelyn Cullet

Synopsis

Charlotte Ross sees her world about to crumble when the man she’s in love with–her mysterious boss, John Trent— announces his engagement to someone else.

Charlotte’s best friend, dubious globe-trotter and mystery author, Jane Marshall, arrives back in town only to stumble across the gruesome corpse of the town’s millionaire industrialist. When Jane becomes determined to find the killer, Charlotte joins forces with her friend to ease her heartbreak. In the process, the two self-appointed sleuths turn their small town upside down.

Charlotte is endearingly impractical as her impulsive choices lead her into and out of peril, with only the wry and often-misguided advice of the capricious Jane to guide her. Eldridge Corners is rich with quirky, small town personalities who both aid and thwart the young women’s quest as they discover that people are not always who they seem, and a single error in judgment can prove fatal.

Review
Eldridge Corners is a well-established small town with lots of history, some of which is a bit shady. Charlotte had no clue until the head of Longbourne and Payne is murdered and she starts asking questions and reading the manuscript of Carlton Witherspoon (the deceased). 
With her friend Jane looking for the plot of her next mystery novel and the need for a distraction as she is betrayed by John Trent, Charlotte reluctantly gets more involved. Her curiosity extends to the questionable accidental death of Carlton's wife and unknown heir to Carlton's estate.
This was a fun read, well-paced with interesting characters. Although sometimes a bit impractical and impulsive, Charlotte's heart is in the right place. She is loyal to a fault but even she has doubts. In LOVE, LIES, AND MURDER, part of her motivation is her love for her immediate boss, John Trent, and his betrayal - but what about his role in Carlton's murder? 
This is one of two in the Charlotte Ross Mysteries, but easily read as a stand alone.  MASTERPIECE OF MURDER was the first published in the series - and yes, my TBR list just keeps growing!  I've provided the link for both - hopefully there are more to come in the Charlotte Ross Mysteries.

Amazon link: LOVE, LIES AND MURDER
Amazon link: MASTERPIECE OF MURDER