Babs Hightower's Blog, page 102
June 1, 2015
May 31, 2015
Death is Always a Resident blog tour & review
Jan Myers has dedicated her career to helping the elderly. But after one of the elderly residents under her care mysteriously dies, Jan’s career, her daughter, and everything she loves is suddenly in jeopardy.
It’s up to Jan to piece together the clues and find out what happened before it’s too late!
This cozy mystery is a perfectly thrilling read. With shocking twists and romantic hints, it’s sure to keep you guessing till the very end.
My thoughts:
This is a first time author for me and I loved this read. This was a quick read for me as I kept turning the pages to find out what was going to happen. It was interesting to read about the old folks home and Jan jumps right on in when the suspect foul play. Also finding out how people can hold a grudge for a long time.
The characters were great and you can relate to Jan she really cares about her residents and their families. I would highly recommend this author. I will be looking for more books.
Short Excerpt:
“I could hear breathing on the line and then a man said real low, ‘Did you get my little present?’ He sounded so scary.”
“I said, ‘What present?’ And he didn’t say anything for a minute. Then he laughed and said, ‘This is Heather, isn’t it?’ I was too scared to answer but he knew who I was.”
Jan caught her breath and pulled Heather to her, hugging her tight . . .
“Did he say anything else?” Jan asked her daughter.
Heather looked at the floor. “He said, ‘Your mother kills old people. ”
Biography:
Lorraine Jeffery was born in Eugene, Oregon and grew up in the beautiful Willamette Valley, which was only about an hour from the Oregon Coast. Although she now lives in a semi-arid region of Utah, she takes frequent trips to the Oregon Coast to quench the thirst of her “salt water soul.”
Lorraine and her husband Art are the parents of ten children (eight adopted). Raising them was, and is, the greatest adventure of her life. She is a retired public library manager and worked in libraries in Texas, Ohio and Utah.
She has been writing from the time she formed crooked letters on lined paper, but let’s say those first stories were not all that wonderful! Since then however, she has won awards for her poetry and short stories in various state and national contests. She has also published over 50 poems in various magazine as well as publishing short stories and essays.
Death is Always a Resident, her first novel, is set in a health care facility. Her grandmother and two uncles managed health care facilities and she grew up with a knowledge of the industry and first hand experience with the compassion and kindness exhibited by many of the health care workers. She wanted to introduce some of those characters while writing an entertaining mystery.
Show Less
The post Death is Always a Resident blog tour & review appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
May 29, 2015
Btsemag is out for May/June 2015
The new issue is out for Btsemag for May/June 2015.
On the cover is V.A. Dold title Cade and Myra Nour’s title Time Shifters. You can read more of V.A. Dold’s interview here. She talks about her Le Beau Brother’s series. She has some great covers and you can read an excerpt from Cade.
Myra’s interview is here and she talks about her writing process and tips for new authors. She also has a nice over for Time Shifters and has an excerpt you can read.
The post Btsemag is out for May/June 2015 appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
May 25, 2015
Stealing the Golden Dream by Sally J Smith & Jean Steffens book blast & giveaway
Blurb:
Stealing the Golden Dream , by Sally J. Smith and Jean Steffens
Scottsdale PIs Jordan Welsh and Eddie Marino of Shea Investigations are hired by the Arizona Heritage Museum to guard the multimillion-dollar Dahlonega Golden Dream Coin Collection. When the collection is stolen out from under them and a loved and trusted colleague is murdered, it’s a strike at the very heart of the agency. Eddie has been set up to take the fall for both crimes, so their first order of business is to clear his name. Not only is Eddie’s freedom at stake, but their business is on the line. In fact their very lives, as well as those of their loved ones, are in deadly peril.
It soon becomes clear that Eddie has been targeted because of his former association with the mob. How far over to the dark side is Jordan Welsh, society girl, willing to go to save her lover Eddie from the echoes of his criminal past?
Stealing the Golden Dream is second book in the Jordan Welsh and Eddie Marino series, which began with Stealing the Moon & Stars.
Cover Praise:
Smart and sassy. Classy with a twist of wry humor and just enough sentiment and romance to reel you in and keep you hanging until the end. Smith and Steffens, partners in crime-writing fiction, have struck gold again in Stealing the Golden Dream, the second book in the Jordan Welsh & Eddie Marino series, which began with Stealing the Moon & Stars. Their characters are so engaging and real, you’ll want to hire them next time you need a good PI team. — Kathleen M. Rodgers, author of Johnnie Come Lately and The Final Salute
The Smith and Steffens dynamic duo have created another enjoyable read. Blending their contemporary noir heroes with their quirky and relatable friends and relatives, followed by a generous sprinkling of really scary bad guys, this tight story tingles with suspense, grit, and perpetual motion. Living in Phoenix, I enjoyed the sense of place they created that portray the unique character of the Phoenix and Scottsdale community. If you enjoy romantic suspense, you will love this book.– Cathy Ann Rogers, author of Here Lies Buried and Deliberate Fools.
Jordan Welsh and Eddie Marino are an engaging duo, reminiscent of Castle and Beckett. Their chemistry makes this a must-read series. Smith and Steffens pen a heck of an action-packed, twisty-turny tale—they had me from page one! — Jenn McKinlay, New York Times best selling author.
Excerpt:
Stealing the Golden Dream
The image of Eddie with Sofia Vercelli was imprinted on her brain. But she had it in mind to put it aside until Eddie was in better shape. Piling more stress on top of all he was already dealing with would not only be cruel and insensitive, it would also be stupid. He was much better at a good rousing argument than she. Better to wait until things had settled down to bring up the subject—but it was definitely a matter she intended to learn more about.
Jordan made her way through the house, opened the patio door, and followed Sadie outside. She stood by the pool staring at the half-moon mirrored in the inky water. Jordan shivered in the cool breeze that rippled the reflection. March days in Scottsdale were perfect—warm, in the upper seventies, low eighties. But the evenings cooled down to the low fifties. The desert air was clean, seasoned with the faint scent of mesquite, creosote, and the chlorine in the pool.
She rubbed her bare arms. Eddie moved up behind her, slipped off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders.
He put his arms around her. “You know I wasn’t with her that night.”
“Why would she say it if it wasn’t true?”
“I’m pretty sure she figures if she does this I might take her back.”
Jordan looked up, trying to see his face, but it was cloaked in darkness.
“It’s never going to happen. I told her I’m with you now. While I don’t want anything to do with her, if her story gets me off the hook, I’ll run with it. I can’t revenge Muggs if I’m sitting in a jail cell.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Jordan said. “She’s willing to lie for you? To the cops?
She must want you back real bad.”
Eddie moved his hands to her shoulders and turned her around. “It’s all one-sided. Don’t pretend you don’t know that.” He pulled her close and kissed her hard, long, and smoking hot as Louisiana pepper sauce. It burned all the way to her toes.
Eddie, the man she was born to love. She threw herself into the kiss, and before she really knew what was happening, they’d made their way into the house and were pulling at each other’s clothes.
He took hold of one of her legs behind the knee and lifted it. She wrapped it around him as he reached under the dress and caught the edge of her panties with the curl of a finger.
Book Trailer:
About the authors:
Partners in crime (writing) Sally J. Smith and Jean Steffens began writing together when they figured out two heads are better (and faster) than one.
Sally and Jean live in Scottsdale, Arizona–the setting for their Jordan Welsh and Eddie Marino series.
Website link: (redesigned, take a look)
Facebook:
Twitter:
Amazon pre-sale link for trade paperback.
Giveaway:
May 22, 2015
One Night with her Husband by Sara Daniel & Giveaway
7 Paragraphs from One Night with her Husband
Dear God, with all the stress, she’d lost her mind. She couldn’t have found a worse time to start hallucinating about her past-relationship mistakes.
Her laptop slipped from her hands and clattered onto the table.
Her husband lifted his head from his iPad, and his fathomless brown eyes met hers. “Might want to be more careful with that.”
Okay, so she hadn’t lost her mind. Yet. Not the least bit comforted, Marcia stared at him, the faint Hispanic lilt in his tone coiling tendrils of heat through her middle. What was he doing here? Why now?
If only she’d been more careful with her marriage. But she hadn’t, and she couldn’t deal with the past and couldn’t change the reality. The reality of him in her conference room amidst her colleagues, though, made no sense. The only thing she knew for sure was the most handsome man she’d ever met had become more gorgeous than ever.
Meanwhile, she— Oh shit.
Her appearance had definitely changed, too, and not for the better.
The post One Night with her Husband by Sara Daniel & Giveaway appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
Destiny Finds Her by Miranda Lynn blog tour and Giveaway
Published October 29th 2014
Print Length: 180 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Eyes closing in the warm sun, Jami wakes to find a new world far different from her own. Gone is the book store, her friends, and the comfort of home.
A Highlander waits, his voice calling to her across the depths of time. Stepping across the new world, she discovers a secret magic that lives within her, urging her on to the stranger who calls her across the centuries.
In a field of heather, Jami will discover Devlin and all that his hand can offer. From the echoes of eternity, Destiny waits for Jami. Or does it?
Amazon || Barnes and Noble
Mother to two boys, three four-legged babies, and wife to a loving husband who doesn’t mind the extra voices in her head. Miranda grew up on a dairy farm in Illinois, but calls Portland, TN home now. She is an avid reader, coffee addict, and loves her day job working at the local public library. Though her true passion is in creating her own worlds, characters, and stories for her readers.
Website || Facebook
Twitter: @MirandaLynnBks
A $5 Amazon gift card will be awarded to one lucky commenter during the tour.
The post Destiny Finds Her by Miranda Lynn blog tour and Giveaway appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
May 21, 2015
Cover Reveal Suspicion at Sea by Amie Nichols
Title: Suspicion at Sea
Author: Amie Nichols
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Cover Designer: Sara Eirew
Release Date: June 2, 2015
When FBI Agent Ellie Marks goes on vacation to Bailey Island in Maine, she plans on having a relaxing few weeks to reset her mind. After an extreme undercover mission and being shot, she needs some time to forget everything horrible that has happened in her life.
She doesn’t plan, however, on meeting Justin Bennett, an ex Navy Seal. An instant attraction forms like neither have ever experienced, bonding them.
A mysterious disappearance of three of the island’s residents begins a chain reaction of secrets that changes everything they thought they knew.
The only thing Justin knows for sure is that he doesn’t plan on letting anything get in the way of his and Ellie’s happiness.
Pre-order your copy today!
Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads
I’ve have met some amazing woman on my journey so far, and have learned so much. (Sometimes the hard way.) I’ve been like a sponge soaking up all the information I can on how the publishing world works. It’s been a rollercoaster ride with its ups and its downs.
No matter what, I will never regret anything I’ve done. You can’t succeed if you don’t try, and if you don’t try you won’t succeed. One of my favorite quotes “If the dream is big enough the facts don’t matter”.
Some other info about me, I love my family, friends, wine and anything caffeinated. I also love writing HEA. For the same reason I won’t watch a movie that I know will make me cry, (with the exception of Steel Magnolias) I will never write a book without a HEA. There might be a few twists and turns, a cliffhanger or two. But ultimately my stories will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside. For me, reading is entertainment, a way to escape this crazy insane world. If a book leaves me feeling sad, mad or gut wrenched, it is not for me. There is enough gut-wrenching sadness in this world, I don’t need to read about it too.
I started writing four years ago, and have no plans on stopping. So keep your eye on me because with the help of some amazing people and my wonderful fans, this girl is going to be on the New York Times bestselling list someday.
The post Cover Reveal Suspicion at Sea by Amie Nichols appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
May 20, 2015
Blog Tour ~ Julian’s Pursuit by Haleigh Lovell & Giveaway
SYNOPSIS:
AN ICE
QUEEN. A PLAYER … LET THE PURSUIT BEGIN
She is the
cold and unfeeling Ice Queen at the corporate office.
He is the ex-baller
and reformed player who wants her.
It is
pulsing between them, the sexual energy reaching for each other, seeking to
entwine
Let
the pursuit begin.
NOTE:
Standalone novel, no cliffhanger, dual POV.
PURCHASE LINKS
AMAZON ** B&N
This
excerpt is from Sadie’s POV. Enjoy:
I stroked
his leg under the table with my foot. “Oh,” I moaned, making my voice airy and
breathless. “Is the food orgasmic?”
He smiled,
a curve of his sculpted mouth. “You enjoy torturing me, don’t you?”
Yes, I did.
I took great pleasure in watching him squirm when I gave him blue veined
throbbers out in public. And I found it especially amusing when he told me he
pictured playing mini golf with his grandmother whenever he had to tame the
rumbling in his loins.
“Why?” I
lowered my voice and feigned innocence. “Do you have a hard-on right now?”
Grinning
with just enough arrogance to make him look sexy, he reclined in his seat and
said coolly, “Nah. That’s my dick normally. Huge, right?”
“You poor
thing.” My shoulders lifted with laughter. “Is your stiffy giving you a hernia?
Don’t worry, all you need to do is tuck and duck and I’ll try not to laugh.”
“Miss Frost,” he chided “behave yourself.”
AUTHOR MEDIA
LINKS:
Goodreads link to
book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25342541-julian-s-pursuit
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Haleigh-Lovell/621823154515160
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Haleigh-Lovell/e/B00F6C5GGA/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1428939080&sr=8-1
Email:
haleighlovell8@gmail.com
Website: http://haleighlovell.blogspot.com
Twitter:
@haleighlovell8
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The post Blog Tour ~ Julian’s Pursuit by Haleigh Lovell & Giveaway appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
May 19, 2015
Voices by Clarissa Johal Release Day Extravaganza
past…are real.”
Welcome to the Release Day Extravaganza
for VOICES by Clarissa Johal
Book Details:
Title: VOICES
Genre: Paranormal Psychological Suspense
Author: Clarissa Johal
Editor: Bobbie Metevier
Published by Permuted Press May 19, 2015
ISBN: 9781618685698
ASIN: B00WAH55JW
Pages: 264
About VOICES:
Sometimes the ghosts
from your past…are real.
Moira Flynn is arrested for attacking a door-to-door solicitor with a knife. She claims a voice told her the man was intent on assaulting her. The trouble is, she was the only one that heard that voice. Moira strikes a plea bargain and is sent to a psychiatric hospital for voluntary treatment. Dr. Richard Cassano is hesitant to treat her as schizophrenic, as she does not show the standard symptoms. As their sessions progress, Moira confesses there are two voices—and they aren’t voices in her head, but the voices of ghosts. Are they imaginary? Or are they actual spirits, attached to her for reasons of their own? As Moira’s doctor uncovers more of her past, he begins to realize that her ghosts are real. And one of them is determined to drag Moira into the afterlife with him.
Excerpt from VOICES:
Moira choked down a congealed glob of oatmeal. Bland, like all the food here. She picked up her plastic knife and smeared margarine onto a piece of dry toast. Patients were only given plastic utensils. She washed the toast down with a gulp of tepid decaf coffee and sat back, miserable. “I hate this place, I want out.”
“At least your session was cancelled for tomorrow,” Jack said. “One less thing I’ll have to sit through.”
Dr. Cassano didn’t say why, either, Moira worried. He seemed nervous about cancelling too.
“We’ll get out.”
“Not we, Jack, me. I want out.” She stared mournfully at the food on her tray. “I don’t care what happens to you.”
“That’s not nice,” Isabella said.
“I don’t care what happens to you, either.”
“You’re mean!” She retreated to the corner of the room to pout.
“Don’t be mean, Moira,” Jack reprimanded. “Isabella’s just a child.”
She let out a sound of frustration. They both knew Jack didn’t care the slightest about Isabella. “I wonder why Dr. Cassano cancelled it.”
“Why do you care?”
Moira turned away pointedly and undid her braid, hoping to dissuade the headache coming on.
“Don’t ignore me,” Jack said, his voice hardening. “I didn’t like the way he looked at you this morning.” He grabbed her arm.” I don’t like the way you look at him either. I see the way you look at him.”
She shook him off. “You’re paranoid, Jack.”
“You know what I’m talking about, don’t play dumb.” He sat back, his eyes watchful. “Don’t trust him, Moira. Who knows what he’s planning?”
“If you do anything, Jack, I mean anything. They’ll lock the door and throw away the key.” She moved away from his presence. “And don’t think they wouldn’t medicate me with a dozen different pills, all guaranteed to make you go away forever.”
“You know pills won’t make me go away, Moira,” Jack bit out. “They might make you sleep, but they won’t make me go away.”
Silence filled the room. Moira picked up her brush and started brushing out her hair.
“It would be his word against yours, if he ever tried anything.”
“Just drop it, Jack,” Moira said.
Jack narrowed his eyes. “He’d medicate you so you’d never remember it, either.”
She shook her head in disgust.
“Maybe you could bust out of here!” Isabella jumped up. “I’ll bet you could open the window with that knife.” She ran over to the window and pushed against it.
“It’s completely sealed, Isabella.” Moira watched her, feeling helpless to the noise from her efforts. “Stop banging on it! You’re going to get me into trouble.”
“You could cut through the walls!”
“Hello? Plastic knife, it can’t cut anything.”
“It can’t?” Jack asked. “Have you tried?”
She caught his look and quickly turned her attention to Isabella, who was still thumping on the window. “I’m not breaking out of here, Isabella. Do you want me to go to jail?”
“But what if they keep you in here forever?” Isabella asked.
“They’re not going to.”
“But what if they do?” Isabella jumped up and down. “What if they keep you here until you’re old and grey and all your teeth fall out?”
“It would be awful to be stuck here forever,” Jack said quietly. “Wouldn’t it, Moira? Just awful.”
“They’re not going to keep me here forever!” Moira said. “Isabella, stop it!”
The door opened. “Problem?” the nurse asked.
She glanced over at Jack. A slice of a smile crept across his lips. “No. No problem. Just…thinking aloud.”
“Finish up your breakfast, then,” she said briskly. She shut the door again.
Moira picked up her carton of juice and took a sip.
Jack pushed her hand upwards, sloshing juice into Moira’s face and down her T-shirt.
Whoops!” Isabella giggled.
“Asshole,” she muttered. She went into the bathroom with Jack trailing her. Their eyes connected in the mirror.
“Looks like you’ll need another shower,” he murmured.
She pressed her mouth in a straight line and turned her back to him.
***
VOICES Pre-Order Links:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
Smashwords
About the Author:
Clarissa Johal has worked as a veterinary assistant, zoo-keeper
aide and vegetarian chef. Writing has always been her passion. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s dancing or taking photographs of gargoyles. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters and every stray
animal that darkens the doorstep. One day, she expects that a wayward troll will wander into her yard, but that hasn’t happened yet.
*Member of the Author’s Guild
VOICES
(May 2015) Permuted Press
STRUCK
(January 2014) 1st Edition Musa Publishing, LLC
(March 2015) 2nd Edition Clarissa Johal
*Second place in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2014
*Winner of the Indie Book of the Day Award
BETWEEN
(December 2012) 1st Edition Musa Publishing, LLC
(March 2015) 2nd Edition Clarissa Johal*Second place in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2012
*Paranormal Reads gives BETWEEN 4 out of 5 Bats
PRADEE
(2010) Clarissa Johal*Second round finalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award Contest 2012
Find Clarissa Online:
Author Website
Blog
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
Tour Hosted by Sapphyria’s Book Promotions:
http://saphsbookpromos.blogspot.com/
Click this Link to See All of the Blogs Celebrating Clarissa Johal’s Newest Book Release:
The post Voices by Clarissa Johal Release Day Extravaganza appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
Forbidden by Matthew Freake Blog Tour
“The only man I ever loved is dead. This is our story…”
About Forbidden:
It’s the summer of 1957 and Nathan is ready to get away from home to start working for his future. And what better way than to join the rail yard in Lakefield, Ontario? Hoping for some new experiences and a change of scenery, Nathan gets more than he bargains for. His cabin mate and co-worker, Alex, is helpful in showing Nathan around, but there’s something unique about him that keeps Nathan captivated. Stolen glances and close encounters soon lead to unfamiliar feelings between the two of them. But as they sort out their emotions, Nathan must confront painful scars that resurface from the past. Forbidden is an insightful tale of true love found and of ultimate tragedy. It explores the complexity of life’s obstacles for two young men discovering not only themselves, but each other, in a time where anything out of the ordinary is dangerous.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Title: Forbidden
Author Name: Matthew Freake
Genre(s): LGBT, Gay Fiction, Romance
Tags: #LGBT, #GayFiction, #Romance, #CanadianHistory, #Drama, #Railways, #Tragedy
Length: Approx. 128 pages
ISBN (Print Copy): 978-0-9920490-6-5
ISBN (eBook): 978-0-9920490-7-2
ASIN: B00W8HZ0F8
Release Date: May 17, 2015
Amazon Purchase Link:
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing
More Information: https://mirrorworldpublishing.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/cover-reveal-forbidden-by-matthew-freake/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meet the Author:
Matthew Freake is an avid lover of books and storytelling in all forms, including theatre. He has won awards for set and costume design with the dramatic presentations of “A Gap in Generations” by Jerry Blunt and “A Bird of Prey” by Jim Grimsley. For the latter, he was also awarded for exceptional directing. He is also the author of the ‘A Fairy Tale Murder’ short story series.
Learn more about Matthew Freake on his WEBSITE or at Mirror World Publishing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Follow the Blog Tour:
http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/tour-schedule-forbidden-by-matthew.html
The post Forbidden by Matthew Freake Blog Tour appeared first on ~*~Babs Book Bistro~*~.
