Babs Hightower's Blog, page 89
September 17, 2015
THREADS OF EVIDENCE blog tour, review & giveaway
Threads of Evidence
by Lea Wait
Threads of Evidence
(A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery)
2nd in Series
Cozy Mystery
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington (August 25, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-1617730061
Synopsis
It’s hard to imagine anything bad ever happening in picturesque Haven Harbor, Maine–until a famous face rolls into town and unthreads some very dark secrets. . .
Angie Curtis and the Mainely Needlepointers are all too familiar with the Gardener estate. The crumbling Victorian mansion, known as “Aurora,” has been sitting vacant for nearly twenty-five years–and some say it’s haunted by the ghost of Jasmine Gardener, the teenage girl who died there in 1970 under mysterious circumstances…
Harbor Haven is abuzz with excitement when Hollywood actress Skye West decides to buy Aurora and sell off its furnishings. And Angie is intrigued when Skye asks her to appraise the estate’s sizable collection of needlepoint pictures. But the more she examines the pieces, the more they seem to point toward Jasmine’s murder–and the murderer–and it’s up to her to stitch the clues together. . .
But can Sunshine and Aine put aside their differences to stop the murders without tearing each other apart?
My thoughts:
Angie is at it again her and Sarah take care of the sale of Aurora which is known to be haunted. The new owners would like to have it restored but Angie needs to help find out what happened to Jasmine. Someone is making sure Skye does not get the answer to what is going on but can Angie help?
The author does a great job with this second book the characters are all back and witty as ever and the plot thickens.
About This Author
Lea Wait lives on the coast of Maine. A fourth generation antique dealer, and author of the Agatha-nominated Shadows Antique Print mystery series, she loves all things antiques and Maine, and she’s learning to do needlepoint. She also writes historical novels for young people set in (where else?) nineteenth-century Maine. Lea adopted her four daughters when she was single; she’s now the grandmother of eight, and married to artist Bob Thomas.
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September 16, 2015
When The Devil’s Idle release
In the Book of Revelation, written by St. John on the Greek island of Patmos, it was said a pale horse would appear whose rider was death, others would cry out for vengeance, and the stars of heaven would fall to the earth. Death does indeed come to Patmos when a German tourist is found murdered in the garden of one of the island’s fabled estates. Yiannis Patronas, Chief Officer of the Chios police, is called in to investigate. He summons his top detective, Giorgos Tembelos, and his friend and amateur sleuth, Papa Michalis, to assist him. What the policemen discover will disturb them long after the conclusion of the case. Only six people were at the house at the time of the murder—the gardener and housekeeper, the victim’s son and his wife and their two children, a boy of seven and a teenage girl of sixteen. All appear to be innocent. But access to the isolated estate is severely restricted. Surrounded by high walls, it has only one entrance: a metal gate that was bolted at the time of the crime. Patronas can only conclude that one of the six is a killer. He continues to probe, uncovering the family’s many secrets. Some are very old, others more recent. All are horrifying. But which of these secrets led to murder? Book 2 of the Greek Islands Mystery series, which began with The Devil Takes Half.
Buy Links
About the author:
Her own words…
The daughter of an itinerant scientist, I was born in Wisconsin, spent the first years of my life in San Diego, before moving to Washington, D.C. when NASA was created and my father went to work for that agency. A genuine rocket scientist, he served there for twenty-five years in many capacities— Director of Unmanned Space, Director of Astronomy, Associate Administrator and Chief Scientist, and supervised the American missions to Venus, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter. Our house was always littered with models of space ships and missiles and our guests at Thanksgiving spoke about ‘thrust and payload’ in a multitude of tongues, it being my father’s firm belief that the language of American science was ‘broken English.’
I attended Wells College in upstate New York for two years before transferring to George Washington University in Washington, DC where I graduated with a degree in political science and Russian studies, my focus being on Dostoyevsky, Pasternak and Solzhenitsyn. I worked at the Washington Post while in college, writing obituaries and doing research for the national desk, before leaving to join the staff of the Los Angeles Times Washington Bureau. Following my marriage to a Greek national, Philip Serafim, I moved to Athens where I taught art while at home with small children, my daughers, Amalia and Annie.
When we moved back to the United States seven years later, I wrote for the local papers and sporadically for the Boston Globe. My mother began to lose her sight from glaucoma around this time and, disturbed by her plight, I went to work as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, determined to educate the public about the disease; and in this capacity, I designed and launched multiple media campaigns (posters on public transportation, billboards throughout the city, radio and television announcements, cable shows, etc.), focusing primarily on the African-American community which is at increasing risk. I received many awards for this program and served in a similar capacity as Public Health Director for the New England Ophthalmological Society, the oldest speciality organization in the United States.
I spend at least a month every year in Greece and have visited over twenty-five islands and know the country well. I paint in both oils and acrylics, etch, cook (I’ve mastered many native cuisines, but my main focus is Greek) make prints and etch, spend many joyful hours with my granddaughters Zoe and Grace Hartnagel and my grandson, George Baltopoulos,and volunteer on a weekly basis as a tutor in an MIT-sponsored ESL program.
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THOREAU IN PHANTOM BOG by B. B. Oak blog tour & Giveaway
Thoreau in Phantom Bog
by B. B. Oak
Thoreau in Phantom Bog
(A Henry David Thoreau Mystery)
3rd in Series
Mystery
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Kensington (August 25, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-0758290274
Synopsis
Henry David Thorea’s impassioned activism in the Underground Railroad leads him away from the banks of Walden Pond into a morass of murder…
In the spring of 1848, Thoreau returns to Plumford, Massachusetts, in search of a fellow conductor on the Underground Railroad, who has gone missing along with the escaped female slave he was assigned to transport. With the help of his good friend, Dr. Adam Walker, Thoreau finds the conductor—shot to death on a back road.
When the two men discover that Adam’s beloved cousin Julia has given the slave safe harbor, their relief is counterbalanced by concern for Julia, who has put herself in grave danger. Another conductor has been murdered in a neighboring town and a letter has been found from someone claiming to have been hired to assassinate anyone harboring fugitive slaves. With all of them now potential targets, the need for Thoreau and Adam to apprehend the killer is more urgent than ever…
About The Authors –
B. B. Oak is the pen name of Beth and Ben Oak, who met in a literature course at Boston University and have been enthralled with Henry David Thoreau (and each other) ever since. They are members of The Thoreau Society and Old Sturbridge Village, a living museum which recreates life in rural New England and served as the model for the book’s fictional town of Plumford.
Author Links
http://www.bboak.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6579683.B_B_Oak
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September 15, 2015
September 14, 2015
Release Day Never Too Late by Jo Barney
Decades ago, a shotgun wedding locked Edith into a life with a husband she’s not sure she ever loved. At sixty-five, she feels like a ghost in her own life, wondering where all this came from: the scornful husband, the mercenary brood of grandchildren, her well-meaning but controlling daughter-in-law. Then one Christmas morning Edith wakes to find her husband dead, and the role she played for so long crumbling. Gray-haired, but by no means done with life, Edith has a chance to discover the woman she could have been.
Soon questions arise about her husband’s death, and papers discovered in his pockets send Edith unraveling secrets of the man she thought she knew. Edith’s son Brian is the focus of her life, but he may not be as perfect as she thought. Revelations that he might be cheating shock her. As Edith investigates the mysteries of her family, she may just find who she truly is.
BUY NOW:
Jo Barney
After graduating from Willamette University, Jo spent the most of next thirty years teaching, counseling, mothering, wifing, and of course, writing.
Her writing first appeared in small literary magazines and professional publications. Since retirement, she has had time to write four novels and two screenplays.
Her stories and essays, as well as the novels, reflect her observations of women’s lives and the people who inhabit them: the children, husbands, parents, friends, and strangers who happen by and change everything.
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September 11, 2015
Deception by A.S. Fenichel blog tour & Giveaway
Deception
The Demon Hunters
Book 2
A.S. Fenichel
Genre: Historical PNR
Publisher: Kensington/Lyrical
Date of Publication: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 9781616505622
ASIN: B00ONTR7WS
Number of pages: 232
Word Count: 78,957
Cover Artist: Morgan Pielli
Book Description:
When Demons threaten Regency London, only a Lady can stop them.
Lillian Dellacourt is beautiful, refined and absolutely lethal. She’s also the most feared and merciless demon hunter in The Company. She’s come a long way from the penniless seamstress’s daughter sold to the highest bidder, and it wasn’t by trusting a man, let alone an exiled Marquis with more on his mind than slaying the hellspawn . . .
For Dorian Lambert, Marquis de Montalembert, being sent to keep track of Lillian is no mean task. He’s wanted the fiery vixen since he first heard of her five years ago. But wooing the lady while fighting the demon uprising is no easy feat, especially when the lady’s tongue is as sharp as the Japanese sai blades she favors for eviscerating the spawn of hell.
These two will have to learn to trust each other fast, because the demon master is back, and he’s planning to turn Edinburgh into a living hell…
Amazon BN Kobo iBooks Kensington
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Excerpt: Chapter 1
Gripping the chair arms to keep herself seated, Lillian fought an urge to leave and never set foot inside Castle Brendaligh again.
It had been a demoralizing battle and they had lost, but they had lived. They had done all they could, but still the demon master had ascended into man’s world.
“You failed and we are all likely to die because of it. I hold every person at this table responsible for the state of England. You have ruined us.” Lord Clayton’s voice grated on Lillian’s nerves.
Accounts of the battle were clear. Nearly everyone in the room had risked their lives trying to disrupt the ascension, not to mention keep the earl’s daughter, Belinda, from becoming a demon sacrifice. Making such a show of ferocious reprimands insulted their brave and selfless efforts. If not for the fact that he was her best friend’s father, she might have indulged her desire to pull a sai blade from her boot and slice his throat.
As if Lord Clayton, the Earl of Shafton, needed to attract more attention, he waved his hands. “You had one mission, to keep the master from entering our world. All you had to do was kill one demon, but you failed. You should all be shot for treason. Treason!”
His bright red face gave her hope his heart might fail and save her the trouble of killing him.
Other hunters at the table murmured, but no one spoke out.
Everyone in this room is to blame. You had the perfect opportunity to end this mess. Now
the master is free of his realm and living in ours. It’s only a matter of time before he is strong enough to destroy everything we hold dear. When your families are killed mercilessly, will you sit here so unrepentant about failing in your duty?”
“Father, really.” Belinda Thurston rolled her eyes.
Lillian missed Reece’s steadying presence. Reece might have even been able to stop his lordship’s tirade with a few quick-witted remarks. Her partner had nearly died, and now lay upstairs recovering from demon poisoning.
“Don’t you roll your eyes at me, Belinda. You are equally to blame. You were with the master for days and made no attempt to destroy him.”
Gabriel, Belinda’s husband, bristled. It was of course a ridiculous statement. The Earl of Tullering was not used to public abuse of his family. “Just a minute, my lord. You are out of order. Belinda was in no position to defeat the demon master. The information she gathered will be very helpful in our eventual victory.”
Shafton pointed a fat finger. “I do not want to hear about information that will take years to decipher. You, Tullering, are by far the most culpable. You and that woman”—he pointed at Lillian—“made a conscious choice not to destroy the master.”
Lillian reached toward her boot and let the hard steel of her sai blade handle bring her comfort. One second and Shafton’s head could be rolling down the long table and land in Drake Cullum’s lap.
Besides Shafton, Drake and his assistant, Dorian Lambert, were the only ones present who had not been at the battle. Their leader, Drake, had attended to assign new orders to the hunters.
Shafton said, “You could have destroyed the beast as it rose and was weakened. I know you had the opportunity, but you chose to save yourself. It was selfish and stupid.”
Lillian could kill him and no one would be able to stop her. Of course, there were always consequences when dealing with men in power. She’d lose her home within The Company. Yet another arrogant earl would not take her from her rightful place. She was in control. It was nothing like her youth and the titled man who’d ruined her life.
Belinda said, “They saved my life, Father.”
“It was the wrong choice, Belinda. You might have cost us our one chance to stop this.” Shafton narrowed his eyes on Lillian.
Lillian said, “I can imagine your pleasure if we had allowed your only child to become the master’s sacrifice. Perhaps we should have stood by and watched until the master, with his full power rose, from the depths of hell and destroyed us all. As it is, Reece Foxjohn is still recovering from battle and the rest of us might have been sucked into the demon’s realm. But by all means, my lord, go on and tell us how you know we willfully failed on our mission. I do not recall your life being in danger that day at Fatum Manor. You were safely tucked away in your castle while the rest of us faced death or worse.”
“You are out of order, Dellacourt.” Shafton said her name as if it were a curse.
Lillian wasn’t sure when she had stood up, but clutching the leather wrapped steel, she rounded the table toward the earl. “If you have something you want to say about my abilities, my lord, I suggest you do so. I will be happy to display them for you, and we can evaluate them together.”
“Miss Dellacourt.” A warning came from the other end of the table.
“You were not there. You cannot know if we could have destroyed the master. As far as I’m concerned, we made the only choice possible under the circumstances. Maybe if your intelligence had supplied us with the location of the gateway before the master had grown so powerful, we might have been able to seal him in.”
“How dare you imply that I failed in some way? You who completely disregard orders at will.”
She had only ever hated one man the way she despised Shafton, and he too was an earl. At least that one was dead. Steeling her nerves, she slid the sai blade through the pocket cut in her skirt. “You speak of orders that were selfish and almost succeeded in getting your own family killed.”
“You have no right to question me or my motives.” To his credit, he faced her and stared her in the eye.
“I have every right when you point your fat finger at me.”
“Who do you think you are? I know where you come from Lillian Dellacourt. I know what you are.”
Drake Cullum pounded the table. “Shafton, that will do.” The demon hunters’ leader stood rigid, narrow-eyed. He was formidable when he was calm, but enraging him was never a good idea. He was furious now.
Had she gone too far? The idea she might have overstepped her bounds with Cullum was enough to make her relax the grip on her blade. Lillian turned and stormed from the dining room.
Shafton yelled something about not having dismissed her from the meeting.
Once in the hallway, she pulled her second blade and turned to go back in and finish what she’d started. It would be nothing to remove his pompous head from his shoulders.
Cullum stood in the doorway. He smiled at her and closed the door, baring her reentry.
Had she ever seen him smile before? No instance came to mind. She stomped toward the front entrance. She’d leave the damn castle, get her carriage, and ride like the devil back to London. Yet the one person in the world she could really talk to was a resident of Brendaligh. Holding her full skirts with both hands, she sprinted up the curved grand staircase.
About the Author:
A.S. Fenichel gave up a successful career in New York City to follow her husband to Texas and pursue her lifelong dream of being a professional writer. She’s never looked back.
A.S. adores writing stories filled with love, passion, desire, magic and maybe a little mayhem tossed in for good measure. Books have always been her perfect escape and she still relishes diving into one and staying up all night to finish a good story
Multi-published in historical, paranormal, erotic and contemporary romance, A.S. is the author of The Demon Hunters series, the Psychic Mates series, and more. With several books currently contracted to multiple publishers, A.S. will be brining you her brand of edgy romance for years to come.
Originally from New York, she grew up in New Jersey, and now lives in the East Texas with her real life hero, her wonderful husband. When not reading or writing she enjoys cooking, travel, history, and puttering in her garden. Her babies are both rescues and include a demanding dog and a temperamental cat both of which bring constant joy and laughter.
Web Site- http://asfenichel.net/
Blog – http://asfenichel.net/blog/
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5154640.A_S_Fenichel
Twitter – https://twitter.com/asfenichel
Tsu – https://www.tsu.co/ASFenichel
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/A.S.Fenichel
Google +1 – https://plus.google.com/113195747154467378107/posts
Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/asfenichel/boards/
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September 10, 2015
Irrevocable Claimed cover reveal
Release Date: November 6, 2015
Genre: Erotic/Erotic Romance
One Forbidden Night: Justin
has had a crush on his best friend’s little sister, Kim, since high school.
When she shows up on his doorstep, offering herself to him for one night, will
he be able to say no? Or will he give in to one forbidden night with the woman
who has haunted his dreams for years?
Country Metal: Sweet as
iced tea, her life was the very anthem of a country song. Blue skies,
cornfields and cotton feed her soul.
Tattooed and pierced, he’s the lead singer for Violent
Standard. His idea of country is a trek through Central Park.
His band is in town to film their newest music video. Can
heavy metal and a country twang blend into a perfect harmony? Will he claim the
southern belle before the last note fades?
The Encounter: Jena was
Holly’s best friend when they started high school. By graduation, Holly avoided
Jena at all cost. Their friendship had become confusing, the emotions so
complex, and at times unnerving, that Holly couldn’t even risk being near Jena.
Seven years later, unhappily married Holly is thrown
together with Jena at a bachelorette party. Was forbidden desire beneath their
unsettling friendship all along? And will Holly surrender at last to Jena’s
pursuit?
Lovers’ Sweet Discovery: ClaireVanderling has reached middle age but doesn’t feel like she has anything to
show for it. As the manager of a prosperous art gallery, she works hard, but
her personal life is practically non-existent. Her son Thomas has graduated
college and is about to start a new IT company in Japan with his best friend.
She might not see him for six months. So she arranges for them to have one more
trip to a family beach home on the Hamptons. When her son’s best friend shows
up, she finds much more than just a simple vacation—she discovers a passion
long buried inside of her. Jacob Tanner is excited to be starting a new company
with his best friend. He wanted to go directly to Japan to get settled, but Tom
insisted that they spend time this summer with Tom’s mother. He had met Claire
once before while he and Tom were still in school together. When he sees her
again, he is surprised to find that he cannot take his eyes off of her. How had
he not realized how sexy Claire was? As desire flares up and passion is
unleashed, will they give in to their bodies’ demands or will they be able to
resist lovers’ sweet discovery?
Zeke’s Eden: Following Daddy’s rules has always been easy.
Smile. Nod. Repeat.
Until I met Zeke.
Dark. Dirty. Sinner.
A hungry beast, released from his cage.
And I’m on the menu.
Tonight, I’m Zeke’s Eden.
His sugar.
His whore.
Daddy’s little girl is all grown up…
Threepeat: Madison’s best friend, Lillian, is constantly
sharing the details of her perfectly life with husband, Adam, including her off
the charts sex life. It’s great, except that Madison has been harboring a
secret fantasy: she doesn’t just want to hear about the great sex that Lillian
and Adam are having, she wants to experience it for herself…with them.
One night after drinks, the three friends agree to a deal:
One night. The three of them. Together. And anything goes.
Will a night of heated passion be exactly what they all
need? Or will it go too far and destroy everything they have?
And more…
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Be my Banshee by Joyce and Jim Lavene Blog tour & Giveaway
be my banshee
by Joyce and Jim Lavene
Be My Banshee
(Purple Door Detective Agency Book 1)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
File Size: 367 KB
Print Length: 196 pages
Publisher: J. Lavene (September 1, 2015)
Publication Date: September 1, 2015
ASIN: B010VZO1QM
Synopsis
The Purple Door Detective Agency is hiring.
Those without magic need not apply.
Salary commensurate with experience.
Apply at the agency. No phone calls or psychic links.
Sunshine Merryweather is a young witch with a passion for colorful clothes and good food. She is the owner/operator of the Purple Door Detective Agency. Her partner, John, was brutally murdered three days ago, and she won’t stop until she finds his killer.
Aine is only interested in one thing when she walks into the building with the purple door–locating the last man alive in the branch of the O’Neill family she haunts as a beane sidhe. She has been asleep for 200 years in a ruined Irish castle and realizes that the world has moved on without her. She needs to find the O’Neill heir and encourage him to start a family or she will pass from existence when he dies.
Sunshine sees a potential partner when she looks at the powerful beane sidhe – they could be the next Dynamic Duo! But Aine isn’t interested in Sunshine’s schemes – until the witch agrees to help her locate O’Neill. Even then, it will be a short-term association at best from Aine’s point of view. She has no need of witchcraft.
Neither woman is aware of the danger they face as an ancient assassin stalks the old port city of Norfolk, Virginia. It will take more than simple witchcraft or beane sidhe magic to stop the killer. They will have to work together and combine their talents.
But can Sunshine and Aine put aside their differences to stop the murders without tearing each other apart?
About The Authors –
Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family.
Author Links
www.facebook.com/joyceandjimlavene
http://amazon.com/author/jlavene
https://twitter.com/AuthorJLavene
Purchase Link
Amazon
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LOVE IN THE VINEYARD by Pamela Aares release blast & giveaway
Enter to Win a
$25.00 Starbucks eGift Card
LOVE IN THE VINEYARD
Tavonesi #7
Pamela Aares
Releasing Sept 10th, 2015
From USA Today bestselling author Pamela Aares comes Love in the Vineyard, the seventh book in the Tavonesi family series featuring passion, mystery, and well-won love!
A one-night stand brought Natasha Raley the greatest gift of her life—her son. She wants to give him a better life than she had, but a gambling bet lands both of them in a homeless shelter. When the shelter director gives her a ticket to a masquerade ball, Natasha finds herself dancing with the most intriguing and mysterious man she’s ever met.
Adrian Tavonesi is creating a paradise on earth in Sonoma California, determined to be worthy of his vast fortune by making the world a better place. Convinced women only like him for his money and his status, he invents an anonymous relationship with the beautiful Natasha to create a dream world for both of them.
As passion flares into an all-consuming affair, the lies Adrian and Natasha have told each other threaten to ruin everything. Adrian is kind, generous, and sincere—Natasha knows he would be the ideal father for her son. But will her past and the devastating gamble she once made destroy her new world? Or will betting on the truth this time lead to the perfect, ever-lasting love?
BUY NOW
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Pamela Aares is a USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author of contemporary and historical romance novels. Her contemporary series, The Tavonesi Series, explores the lives, loves, friendships and sizzling romances of the Tavonesi family.
Her popularity as a romance writer continues to grow with each new book release, so much so, that the Bay area author has drawn comparisons by reviewers to Nora Roberts.
Pamela Aares writes romance books that she loves reading, particularly those that entertain, transport and inspire dreams while captivating and tugging at the heart. She takes her readers on a journey with complex characters in both contemporary and historical settings who are thrown in situations that tempt love, adventure and self-discovery.
Before becoming a romance author, Aares wrote and produced award-winning films including Your Water, Your Life, featuring actress Susan Sarandon and NPR series New Voices, The Powers of the Universe and The Earth’s Imagination.
If not behind her computer, you can probably find her reading a romance novel, hiking the beach or savoring life with friends. You can visit Pamela on the web at http://www.PamelaAares.com.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
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