Zion’s Call by Jeremy Maughan

1830’s LDS Historical Fiction

Howard Egan has left his life at sea to try his hand at the new America. A dream of owning land and a better life for himself. More than anything he wants to find a woman to spend this new life together. To his surprise he finds her on his first day on shore. He just didn’t expect her to be so beautiful or to be so harsh.

Thrown into the middle of a political firestorm between a Mormon missionary and local business men. Tasked with being the Mormon’s Bodyguard Howard has to find a way to secure his love, fulfill his duty and keep himself and the Mormon alive.

Excerpt

Howard spoke up. “Ladies.”
The three turned to face him. The woman in the center gave him an exasperated look. “Pardon me?” she asked. “Did you speak to us?” She looked him up and down. She gave a little click of her tongue and looked on unapprovingly.
Howard was taken aback by her harsh tone. He struggled to get words out, “Yes. “He stammered, “I wanted to meet you.” he said slowly so he could be understood. He cursed his swollen tongue.
The girl on the left giggled a little, the one in the middle gave her a rueful glance before looking back at Howard. She frowned. “Do you always speak like you have a mouth full of marbles? Are boots a foreign concept from where you’re from?”
Howard started to turn red. He didn’t expect to be talked down to by this woman or any other. His anger started to rise. “I just wanted to meet you and get your name.”
“A little forward aren’t you sir? I don’t think you gave me yours, for starters.”
“My apologies ladies. I am Howard.” He said putting one hand to his breast.
The girl on the left raised her eyebrows, waiting for more. “Just Howard? Are we to call you Mr. Howard?” she asked.
He looked at the other girl. Are all girls of Salem so forked tongued, he thought, or just these? “Sorry, Howard Egan.” He again found his name difficult to pronounce correctly.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Egan” the girl on the right said.
“I don’t know about that,” the black haired girl said. “Come, ladies.”
The three turned to go.
Howard took a step closer. “I didn’t get your names.” He didn’t want them to leave.
They turned again. The girl in the middle tapped her toe lightly on the cobble stones. “No, and you didn’t earn the right.” She paused to look him over again. “Clean up. Stop fighting and some day you will get to. But not today.”
She looked up at the wagon and saw the man sitting there. She nodded quickly to him and said, “Good day Mr. Chisholm. How is Mrs. Chisholm?”
“Good day to you too. She is doing well. You will have to come by sometime for pie. She so does love your company.” Mr. Chisholm replied.
“I just might do that.”
She turned and looked at Howard. He felt he was being judged, like a pig at the fair.
“Do you know this man?” she asked,
“I do. I have agreed to take him on as an apprentice.”
She inspected him one more time and looked back at Mr. Chisholm. “Well you must see something I don’t then.”
“I suspect my wife will feel the same way.” “Good Day, Mr. Chisholm” She inclined her head. Her friends did the same. The curls framing the black haired girl’s face bounced as she nodded. “It was a pleasure seeing you. I will take you up on your wife’s pies.”
They turned to leave, leaving Howard standing dumbstruck in the road.
Mr. Chisholm looked down and saw Howard was still watching the women walk away. He laughed and called to Howard to climb back on. Once he was back on the wagon, Howard asked, “Who is that girl?”
“I don’t know if it is my place to tell you. She made it pretty clear she didn’t want you to know her name. As well as I can remember, she has always been like that.” Mr. Chisholm replied.

About the Author

Jeremy Maughan a seventh generation member of the LDS Church, was born February 1978 in Provo Utah. As a young man he had a passion for reading. One of his fondest memories is laying on the back on his parents boat reading for days at Lake Powell. He would spend days reading Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, David Eddings,Terry Pratchett and many of great fantasy writers. He says that the only way he passed English in high school was because his teachers allowed him to turn in book reports as extra credit.
After High School Jeremy attended Devry Institute of Technology and studied to become a programmer. After two semesters he dropped out, having already landed a great programming job. He didn’t find the need to continue his education to get a job he already had.
A few short months after dropping out of school he was convinced by a close friend, who was a recent convert to the LDS church, to serve a mission. In May of 1997 he was called to serve in the Oregon Portland mission. He reported to the MTC just 6 weeks after submitting his mission papers. There he gained a deep testimony of the gospel that has stayed with him throughout his life.
Once he returned home from his mission his love of the North West pulled at him and he moved to Seattle to pursue his profession programming career. While attending institute his meet the love of his life and married her for time and all eternity in the Timpanogos Temple. In their 14 years of marriage they have had 5 children. Two boys and three girls.
Jeremy’s writing career started with a simple 30 day challenge and the desire to fulfill a item on his bucket list. Wanting to do a challenge to write every day for 30 days he needed something to write about. After days of struggle he was studying the writings C.S. Lewis and was inspired by the story behind The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Jeremy decided to follow in Lewis’s footsteps and write about his own children. A story was hatched and he set out to write a novel for his kids and about his kids.
He caught the writing bug and has written many stories for his family and friends. His most recent work, “ZIon’s Call” is a full length historical fiction novel based on one of his ancestors and his conversion to the gospel.

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BookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 6/30/15

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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Synopsis

A chance encounter with a celebrity, an impromptu video, and a shiny new espresso machine. It all added up to a juicy tale for 24-year-old Rachael Allen to share with friends. But when her best friend posts the video online, bizarre threats, home break-ins, and deadly gifts from an obsessed fan follow close behind.  Mick Sullivan, the star in her video, offers to help and in the process, Rachael discovers that despite his reputation as a player of Olympian caliber, he’s down-to-earth—and emotionally damaged. He has secrets; some he’s shared only with his pseudo best friend. Others he’s shared with no one. But there’s one secret he’s hidden from himself, washed away by too many beers.  Despite wildly divergent life paths, their shared southern roots (and a passion for good music) creates a common thread that draws them together. As the threats escalate, and their relationship deepens, Rachael struggles to accept Mick’s past—and his present. And she is forced to confront her own obsessive love to ultimately decide if being with Mick Sullivan is worth the collateral damage.

You’ll Be Thinking of Me is the story of Rachael’s serendipitous encounter with a celebrity, her brush with obsessive love, and the bittersweet gift left behind by the very person fixated on destroying her life.

Review

This was an interesting story of how a woman meets a celebrity, they get involved, she is targeted by his stalker and how that ends. I thought the story was a good one and there is some back and forth with the chapters whether it is Brenda or Rachael.  It does give an interesting look inside what people go through when being stalked and how hard it is to try and live a normal life when you have have someone sending you threatening notes and other items.  I’m happy to be a “nobody”!

I was a little disappointed with the ending. Sure you saw part of it coming, but I was hoping for something else. It does wrap up the story nice especially since it is 20 years into the future. It is hard to not reveal too much because I do not want to give it away.

I did think there were too many F-bombs in the book. maybe at times it might have been justified but I think there could have been fewer and nothing would have been lost.

Overall a good book and we give it 3 1/2 paws.

About the Author

Densie Webb (not Denise) has spent a long career as a freelance nonfiction writer and editor. Her debut novel “You’ll Be Thinking of Me” was released by Soul Mate Publishing in January 2015. She is an avid walker (not of the dead variety), drinks too much coffee and has a small “devil dog” that keeps her on her toes. She is currently working on a second novel.

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Synopsis

Some accidents are meant to happen…

Dr. Rihaan Mehta is a brilliant young neurosurgeon who has no inclination for love or marriage. According to him wives and girlfriends are annoying accessories that one can do without. But when his mother dangles the sword over his head in classic Bollywood style, he succumbs, and sets out in search of a bride who would fit his ‘requirements’. But can Rihaan deal with what he gets instead?

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Excerpt

He found her on the balcony.

She stepped out of the shadows.

But the girl who stood in front of him was certainly not the one he thought he’d married, and to make matters even worse, she was definitely not ordinary-looking.

She was stunning!

Just as his eyes affixed to her face, the wheels of his brain drew to an abrupt halt. What a face it was. That of an enchantress, no less.

Bathed in ethereal moonlight, with dark, wavy hair of shimmering black silk that flirted with her smooth and dewy complexion; regular, well-defined features; huge, luminous eyes that sparkled; lustrous lips, full and moist that curved into a mocking smile and…brought him crashing back to earth!

This was exactly what he had been guarding himself against! This girl, this stranger, had already knocked him off his moorings when he was least prepared for it. Beautiful creatures like her should not be allowed to roam free on the streets, in particular creep unannounced into unsuspecting men’s bedrooms! What was she doing here?

He wrenched himself out of the haze. There wasn’t any way he could afford to be unsettled in his well-planned life. He cleared his throat twice before he found his voice. “You aren’t Deepika. Where is she?”

“Yes, you guessed right,” she spoke in a low soft tone. “I’m not Deepika. She’s gone. I am Naina.” She paused for effect. “Good bye, Rihaan. Nice to have made your acquaintance.”

She turned to slip past him.

About the Author

Simi K. Rao was born and grew up in India before relocating to the U.S., where she has lived for several years.

The inspiration for her books, and other projects, comes from her own experience with cross-cultural traditions, lifestyles and familial relationships, as well as stories and anecdotes collected from friends, family and acquaintances.

Rao enjoys exploring the dynamics of contemporary American culture blended with Indian customs and heritage to reflect the challenges and opportunities many Indian-American women face in real life.

Much of Rao’s down time is devoted to creative pursuits, including writing fiction, poetry and photography. She is an avid traveler and has visited many locations around the world.

A practicing physician, Rao lives in Denver with her family.

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Giveaway

The author is giving away this Wonder Woman basket!

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Title: Genius De Milo
Author: Russ Colchamiro
Publisher: Crazy 8 Press
Pages: 320
Genre: SciFi/Comedy
Format: Paperback/Kindle

Best pals Jason Medley and Theo Barnes barely survived a backpacking trip through Europe and New Zealand that — thanks to a jar of Cosmic Building Material they found — almost wiped out the galaxy. But just as they envision a future without any more cosmic lunacy:

The Earth has started fluxing in and out of existence, Theo’s twin girls are teleporting, and Jason can’t tell which version of his life is real.

All because of Milo, the Universe’s ultimate gremlin.

Joined by the mysterious Jamie — a down-and-out hotel clerk from Eternity — Jason and Theo reunite on a frantic, cross-country chase across America, praying they can retrieve that jar, circumvent Milo, and save the Earth from irrevocable disaster.

In author Russ Colchamiro’s uproarious sequel to Finders Keepers, he finally confirms what we’ve long suspected — that there’s no galactic Milo quite like a Genius de Milo.

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Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club on Goodreads.

Excerpt

Jason’s smile dropped away, replaced with a silent, open-mouthed slug of resignation, that whatever was happening was authentic, and unfolding in real time.

In a shared-brain moment Jason and Theo slowly panned in Jamie’s direction until finally she felt their accusatorial eyes lock on her. And though neither of them spoke, the imputation of blame came through with perfect enunciation: What did you do? What’s coming?

But what could she say? Which cluster of words could encapsulate both the scope and nuance of their predicament? Jamie could offer a pretty good guess as to why their immediate surroundings morphed before their very eyes—it had to be Brigsby-related, didn’t it?—but when it came to the what, she was equally mystified.

So all she could do was stand there. She blinked a few times. Then a few times more. The night went bracingly still, as if every fractal of sound had been drained from the Universe. The three of them held in place, petrified, as if the incredible forces converging upon them were seemingly just to be unleashed. Which, of course, they were.

About the Author

Russ Colchamiro is the author of the rollicking space adventure Crossline, the hilarious scifi backpacking comedy Finders Keepers, and the outrageous sequel, Genius de Milo, all with Crazy 8 Press.

Russ lives in West Orange, NJ, with his wife, two children, and crazy dog, Simon, who may in fact be an alien himself. Russ is now at work on the final book in the Finders Keepers trilogy.

As a matter of full disclosure, readers should not be surprised if Russ spontaneously teleports in a blast of white light followed by screaming fluorescent color and the feeling of being sucked through a tornado. It’s just how he gets around — windier than the bus, for sure, but much quicker.

His latest book is the science fiction novel, Genius De Milo.

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Title: One Day At A Wedding Series
Author: Kelly Rae
Sale Blitz: June 8-10
Hosted by: SBB Promotions

Once Upon a Wedding Story Synopsis

Cassie Anderson, bridesmaid extraordinaire, is tired of attending her friend’s weddings either solo, or with her best friend, Thad. Finding a real date is simply too much work. Especially when she sees an old acquaintance from high school, Dan, at her friend Shelley’s wedding. After the spark shared between them, Dan has become the object of her affection. Too bad he has a nasty habit of having a date on his arm at every turn. Stealing another woman’s date is against the rules, but if she could just catch him alone…well, that would be fair game! Unfortunately, timing is everything, and she and Dan seem to have the worst. Always the bridesmaid, walking away with nothing more than a dreadful dress,

Cassie is committed to changing her luck and getting her man.

Every Other Wedding Synopsis

Cassie Anderson has been the girl of Dan’s dreams since high school. Unfortunately, her return to his life comes at the worst time possible. As he tries to put his life back together, he keeps an eye on her, hoping to find her single at the right time. A time when it all hurts a bit less. A time when he can offer her all of the love she deserves. After three weddings of happenstance meetings, Dan finds himself to be a little more ready for everything that is Cassie. Putting himself out there, he can only hope she is everything he thinks she might be — his forever girl.

Anything but a Wedding

Thad never expected to find anyone who meant more to him than his best friend, Cassie. She was the one woman he loved enough not to sleep with. He was a player, but an honest one. Unfortunately, not everyone felt that balanced out his love ’em and leave ’em ways. He just didn’t see a need to settle down — yet. Then, he met Brianna, who made him think about the future — a future with her — which was a new experience for Thad. Brianna is also a new kind of woman and convincing her that they have a future might just be the challenge of his life.

Not One More Wedding

Brianna works through men like she works through her closet — seasonally. Any other way has always been trouble. When she meets Thad, she is thrilled. Not only does he intrigue and excite her, but he is just like her — noncommittal. He sets her on fire with his smooth talk and honest approach to dating. Even without being physical beyond a kiss, the thought of him makes her entire body hum. Except, Thad has gone and gotten attached to her in a way neither of them expected; attached in a way she simply cannot allow. Unfortunately, he won’t allow their relationship to become physical until she surrenders her heart to him, which is a battle she isn’t sure she can win. The longer it lasts, the less sure she becomes of wanting it to.

Bonus Story! When Cassie Met Thad

Were you curious about how Cassie and Thad met? Read all about their story in this bonus story exclusive to this version.

Excerpt from Once Upon a Wedding Book One:

“Cassie. Cassie, did you see who’s here?” Shelley tugged at her skirt, trying to get her attention directed toward the back of the church.

“What’s the matter with you?” she asked Shelley and then turned to face the back of the church. “Ohh, now I see what you mean.”

“And yet, you ignored me,” Thad said from the other side.

She just blew him off with a wave. He would get over it in two seconds or less anyway.

There he stood, looking as dapper as a GQ cover. His suit was a very nice shade of blue, with a white shirt and what appeared to be a pinstripe tie. By the time Shelley had gotten her attention, he had already selected a pew and scooted by people for a seat. The most important thing Cassie noticed was his lack of a date.

Who doesn’t take their fiancée to a wedding?

This could be a good sign. Of course, she would have to do some more investigating before she determined whether he had a single status at this point, or remained affianced. It then dawned on her that she, herself, had brought a date to the wedding. She took her eyes off Dan long enough to glance over at Thad, currently very busy staring at the legs of the woman next to him.

Boy, can I pick ‘em. Even my pretend boyfriends are losers.

“Thad, do you think you could be a little more discrete about your appreciation for our neighbor there?” she asked through gritted teeth, trying to keep her disdain to a low roar.

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry Cassie. But did you see her calves? I swear, it’s just a professional thing,” he said this with the gigolo grin, his specialty, one that hardly ever worked on Cassie. Hardly ever.

“If this is where you tell me how you’re a critic and you were just admiring her legs in a professional manner, don’t bother,” Cassie uttered in her most stern, yet quiet, voice. “You critique the arts, Thad, her legs are not performing.”

“I could argue that point, but seeing how your face is scrunching up at me, I won’t. You’re right, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Thad did his best to appear remorseful and even went so far as to kiss her forehead and squeeze her hand. She did not squeeze back.

To Cassie’s way of thinking, the fact that he had been holding her hand the whole time, including while checking out the lady’s legs next to them, made it a little worse. What could she say, though, considering she had been waiting and hoping for the appearance of another man?

She turned her head and caught Dan glancing in her direction. His mouth immediately curved up into a smile and he waved in Cassie’s direction. Cassie returned the smile and raised her left hand to reciprocate the wave, realizing she’d brought Thad’s hand along with her. Making it obvious that she had brought a date to the wedding, she immediately dropped Thad’s hand. Too late. She knew Dan had seen already.

Damn it!

Kelly Rae is mom to an amazing young man. Everything else is just a way to keep busy between laughs with her son, or a way to pay for his sports equipment and growing feet. When she was twelve years old, she hit the big leagues by winning a Young Authors Award (okay, okay, it was only within her school district. Shh.) Although she has been unable to duplicate this success in her adult writing, she is giving it her best shot. Kelly, her son, and their chocolate lab, live in the Pacific Northwest where they enjoy the sun when it shines and the snow when it falls. When they aren’t dancing in the rain or singing at the top of their lungs in the car, they are planning their dream vacations…which they might even get to take some day.

Synopsis

Sensible thirty-six-year-old Sophie Anderson has always known what to do. She knows her role in life: supportive wife of a successful architect and calm, capable mother of two. But on a warm summer night, as the house grows quiet around her and her children fall asleep, she wonders what’s missing from her life. When her husband echoes that lonely question, announcing that he’s leaving her for another woman, Sophie realizes she has no idea what’s next. Impulsively renting a guest cottage on Nantucket from her friend Susie Swenson, Sophie rounds up her kids, Jonah and Lacey, and leaves Boston for a quiet family vacation, minus one.

Also minus one is Trevor Black, a software entrepreneur who has recently lost his wife. Trevor is the last person to imagine himself, age thirty and on his own, raising a little boy like Leo—smart and sweet, but grappling constantly with his mother’s death, growing more and more closed off. Hoping a quiet summer on the Nantucket coast will help him reconnect with Leo, Trevor rents a guest house on the beautiful island from his friend Ivan Swenson.

Best-laid plans run awry when Sophie and Trevor realize they’ve mistakenly rented the same house. Still, determined to make this a summer their kids will always remember, the two agree to share the Swensons’ Nantucket house. But as the summer unfolds and the families grow close, Sophie and Trevor must ask themselves if the guest cottage is all they want to share.

Review

This is the first book I have read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed the book. There is a lot of the book dedicated to setting up the relationship between Sophie and Trevor, but once it finally clicks (at about 70% of the way through) the book moves along a quicker pace.

The cast of characters is very diverse. Trevor, the widowed dad that seems oblivious about his life and surroundings, not that he is not aware but doesn’t seem to realize that maybe things could be different. Sophie, the soon to be divorced mother of two, that put her children above everything else including her marriage and even her self. This summer is an awakening for her – both about herself and her passions in life. Sophie’s mother is an interesting person, you don’t really meet her until near the end of the book but you learn about her as Sophie flashes back to her childhood. There are several other characters that round out the story nicely and contribute to helping Trevor and Sophie realize their love for each other.

We give this 4 paws up and look forward to check out one of Nancy’s other books.

Interview with Nancy

SBR: Did you have an inspiration for writing The Guest Cottage?

Nantucket is my inspiration. It’s a resort island, a summer paradise, and thousands of people flock here to enjoy the beaches and nightlife. In a way, it’s a kind of dream, but it’s real. I came to visit a friend thirty-two years ago, and met Charley, the man I’ve been married to for thirty years. And I’m six years older than he is, so I was worried that our love wouldn’t last. Well, so far, very good! I have lots of friends who have met their husbands on Nantucket. It’s so magical, it’s hard to believe it’s true.

SBR: If The Guest Cottage was made into a movie, who do you see playing the main roles of Sophie and Trevor?  Do you have any thoughts on the children, Jonah, Lacey and Leo?

Rosamund Pike for Sophie, because she’s lovely and young. I’ve seen her act in several BBC productions and I know she is not just the pyscho in Gone Girl. Francois Armaud, who played Cesare in The Borgias, because he’s gorgeous. Nate Ruess for Jonah, because I love his music and his look, even if he is a bit too old. As for Leo, who is four, he probably hasn’t been born yet—it takes so long to write a movie script and organize it—let’s say Reese Witherspoon’s son, because he’d be adorable. Actually, maybe Reese Witherspoon should play Sophie. . .

SBR: Did anyone inspire you to start writing?

My mother taught me to read. She took me and my brother and sister to the library every Saturday. She taught me to love books. Very early on I knew I wanted to be a writer. I got to read my stories to my sixth grade class on Friday afternoons. If I’m not writing, I get very grumpy. Ask my husband. 🙂

SBR: What is the hardest lesson you learned writing your novels?

The hardest lesson? Not everyone is going to like my novels. Some critics use reviews as a platform for their own literary talents in the form of sarcasm. One person will absolutely love a book; the other person will hate it.   Forget it, and keep writing.

SBR: How did you come up with the idea for The Hot Flash Club?  I love the idea and think that some of my girlfriends and I do something similar already but we don’t have that catchy name!

I was walking with my two best friends. We were complaining about our most recent physical changes and challenges. Later, I told my husband Charley about our talk. He said, “You should form a club.” I said, “The Hot Flash Club!” The light bulb went on over my head, and I started writing.

About the Author

Nancy Thayer has a bachelor’s and a master’s in English literature, both from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Before settling down to write and have children she taught English at various colleges and traveled, living in Paris, Amsterdam and Helsinki. In 1981 she was a Fellow at the Breadloaf Writers Conference. She has lived on Nantucket Island year-round for 28 years with her husband Charley Walters. Her daughter is the novelist Samantha Wilde. Ms. Thayer is the New York Times bestselling author of 23 novels, including Summer House, The Hot Flash Club, Beachcombers, Heat Wave, Summer Breeze, and Island Girls. She lives in Nantucket.

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Synopsis

Nathan is terrible at relationships…

Just ask his absent father, his controlling aunt and uncle…or his ex-girlfriend, Sarah. All he wants is to spend the summer before his senior year relaxing in the sun without any conflict or drama. But when he lays eyes on the beautiful, married mother of three at the opening of a yacht club, all bets are off.

Jacqueline McCarthy’s life is nothing but a façade…

Her husband is a disgraced former athlete who prefers to have his ego stroked by other women. Jackie fills her empty days with yacht club events with other bored, wealthy housewives she can’t stand, and she’d give anything to truly connect with someone.

When she meets Nathan and asks him to watch her children, she is captivated by the handsome, charismatic young man with a swimmer’s body.

Jacqueline’s attraction to Nathan doesn’t go unnoticed and one particular vindictive gossip is determined to expose what she considers an unsavory secret.

Her campaign of rumors and innuendo—and eventually physical evidence—draws the attention of friends and strangers alike, and threatens to bring their world crashing down.

However, sometimes those who are quickest to judge are the last ones who should be throwing stones…

Excerpt

Nathan knew what normally came next even though there were no standards for the path he was on. He wondered how affairs usually started without judging the fact that he fully accepted that what he was doing was a violation of one of the Ten Commandments. All the thoughts he’d experienced about morality faded from his brain. This was what he wanted, and he could gather beyond a reasonable doubt that it was what Jackie wanted too.

That didn’t stop him from opening his mouth.

“Jackie,” he started to say. She turned around so they were facing each other.

“Shh,” she said, putting her finger to his mouth. “You’ll spoil the moment.”

They kissed. Time, ideas of whether this was right or wrong, and all the other voices in his head stopped. Nathan’s brain switched over to autopilot and knew when the moment was right to end their first kiss. He adhered to her command to keep quiet and stared deep into her eyes. Two weeks ago, Jackie McCarthy was just a name to him, one he wouldn’t have given a second thought about. Now she mattered. Now she was the object of his youthful desire. What he was to her didn’t matter tonight.

She broke the silence. “You do have a bedroom here, right?”

Nathan nodded, and she got off the couch with his hand in her palm.

“Show me the way,” she whispered.

About the Author

Ian Thomas Malone is an author and a yogi from Greenwich, CT. He is a graduate of Boston College, where he founded The Rock at Boston College. He is the grandson of noted Sherlockian scholar Colonel John Linsenmeyer. Ian has published thousands of articles on diverse subjects such as popular culture, baseball, and social commentary. His favorite things to post on social media are pictures of his golden retriever Georgie and his collection of stuffed animals.

Ian believes firmly that “there’s more to life than books you know, but not much more,” a quote from his hero Morrissey. When he’s not reading, writing, or teaching yoga, he can probably be found in a pool playing water polo. He aspires to move to the Hundred Acre Wood someday, though he hopes it has wi-fi by then.

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Synopsis

Runner-Up, 2015 Beach Book Festival 

Winston Wong used to test video games but has left his downward spiraling career to follow in the footsteps of Encyclopedia Brown, his favorite childhood detective. When the Pennysaver misprints his new job title, adding an extra “s” to his listing, Winston becomes a “Seniors Sleuth.” He gets an easy first case, confirming the natural death of a ninety-year-old man. However, under the surface of the bingo-loving senior home is a seedier world where a genuine homicide actually occurred. Winston finds himself surrounded by suspects on all sides: a slacker administrator, a kind-hearted nurse, and a motley crew of eccentric residents. To validate his new career choice (and maybe win the girl), he must unravel the truth from a tangle of lies.

Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

WINSTON SQUINTED AT the fine print and scowled. The Pennysaver ad was printed as “Winston Wong, Seniors Sleuth,” not “Winston Wong, Senior Sleuth.” The word “senior” was supposed to make him seem more experienced; after all, he didn’t want to sound like a noob at the detecting game. Due to the error, he now seemed lame, ready to mooch off older adults for some dough.

He picked up the phone to call the company and correct it, but then he thought, Screw it. Instead, he rubbed his slight potbelly to bring in the clients. Whenever his sister Marcy saw him, she teased, “Looks more like the lucky Buddha’s every day.” In fact, he’d had to up the size of his pants, which he now wore baggy-style like a punk kid because of his expanding waist. At least the style matched his flip-flops.

Winston swiveled in his black mesh computer chair and surveyed the office. Not a bad look for the mother-in-law unit. With no wife and family to speak of, the spare room used to be his man cave. But he had swept all the consoles and accompanying video games into the main house in preparation for his new business, leaving only two electric blue inflatable chairs. They would serve as seats for his future clients, but he had made them classy by draping them with faux leather throws.

He tapped his fingers on the scarred particleboard folding table and looked at his clunky laptop. Maybe he could play a quick game of Minesweeper first, without getting sucked in (as usual). Before he could even touch the keyboard, the door swung open.

In walked fire on stilettos. The woman’s waterfall of flaming curls tumbled onto a gold gown welded onto her curves. Her sapphire eyes, which had a slight Eurasian tilt, pierced him. “Are you Winston Wong?”

He couldn’t move.

“Seniors Sleuth?” she asked.

Winston swallowed, the saliva making his throat feel even drier. He smoothed his part to the left to better cover his blinding bald forehead. “Yes, that’s me.”

“I’ve been looking for you.”

Winston had trouble finding his voice. Before he could even respond, she turned and left. He thought he had missed his chance, but to his relief, she soon returned…ushering in an old woman wearing an outrageous frilly muumuu. The scent of apples and cinnamon lingered in the air. Maybe she was the kind of old lady who baked goodies for her grandchildren in her spare time.

At second glance, though, the warm associations faded. Ice exuded from Granny’s face. Her hair appeared colorless, and her dull blue eyes were bleached versions of her granddaughter’s sparkling ones. Granny’s gaze floated, detached from everything around the room.

“I’m Carmen Solstice,” the knockout beauty said. “My grandmother’s Eve.” She turned toward the old woman, raising her voice. “Nana, this is the nice detective I told you about, Winston Wong.”

Eve didn’t stop her roaming eyes.

Carmen brushed her slender hand against her grandmother’s shoulder. “He’s here to help you. He’ll figure out what happened to Teddy.”

At the name, Eve covered her face with her gnarled hands and moaned. “Teddy, Teddy. Why did they kill you?”

Carmen shushed her grandmother, making soothing noises until Nana became distant again. She walked her grandmother over to the far wall. “Why don’t you take a look at this, uh, artwork while the detective and I chat?”

Winston smacked his palm against his forehead. He had forgotten to remove the framed equation reading, “I like to eat = area of a circle divided by radius squared.” It didn’t even have a picture of a steaming pie to help the old woman out. Unless she liked mathematics, Nana would be occupied for a while.

When Carmen returned, Winston asked, “Um, what’s this talk about a killing?” He didn’t want his first case to be a homicide.

“Don’t worry,” she said, rolling her eyes. She glanced back at her grandmother, scooted closer to Winston, and whispered, “It’s all a figment of her imagination. Nana suffers from dementia. Teddy, my gramps, has been gone for decades, and he died quite peacefully in his sleep.”

“So what do you need me for then?”

“Well, Nana took a liking to one of her co-residents at the care facility and confused him with her long-lost husband. This other ‘Teddy’ died yesterday afternoon, and she keeps thinking that it’s foul play. It’s really stressing her out, so I want you go investigate”—Carmen used air quotation marks around the word—“and settle the matter.”

“I don’t understand. Can’t you just provide her with the original of Teddy’s death certificate?”

Carmen frowned, a cute pull of her lips. “We don’t have the documentation anymore, and I can’t be bothered getting a copy from a governmental office. They’re always so slow.”

“What about showing her the new death certificate?”

“The replacement gramps was called Joseph, so that won’t work. She’ll see the new name and be even more confused.”

Winston leaned back in his chair, making it squeak. “Let me get this straight. You want me to stage an investigation to show your grandmother that her Teddy died naturally, so she can move on.”

“Exactly.” Carmen leaned forward, her juicy strawberry lips an inch away from his. “I’ll pay you, of course.” She pulled two crisp fifties from a miniscule purse. Where had she hidden that on her body? “Will this be enough, or do you need more?”

Winston watched Carmen’s fingers dance close to him with the money and gulped. “That’s plenty. It’s not even a real case after all.”

“Good. It’s settled then.” Carmen wrote down the address on a piece of paper. Even her writing curled in seductive flourishes. “Sweet Breeze. 2255 Julian Street.” Winston watched Carmen’s hips sway away from him as she helped her grandmother out the door.

About the Author

J.J. Chow writes Asian-American fiction with a geriatric twist. She has a gerontology specialization from Cornell University and a Master’s in Social Work with geriatric field experience. She lives in Los Angeles and is a member of Sisters in Crime.

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With No Regrets by Julie N. Ford

Living With No Regrets Is Harder Than It Seems

Finley isn’t exactly sure when her life began to feel unfamiliar. She suspects the transformation started long before she caught her husband and fellow garden club member doing the white-trash-two-step on her new Bernhardt sofa. Now free from the shackles of a loveless marriage, and with her children off to college, she’s finally able to go searching for the missing pieces of her heart.

Finley’s best friend, Cathyanne, is already working hard to ensure that Finley finds true love this time around. But when Finley is unwittingly tossed into the arms of two men—their sexy trainer and her neighbor, a popular country star—Cathyanne fears finding the right guy will be more complicated than she ever could have imagined.

For Finley, building a new life feels as impossible as flying a paper airplane to the moon. But maybe, just maybe, with the right help, she will find her whole heart—even if it’s in the very last place she thinks to look.

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Praise for With No Regrets

“The imagery is beautiful, the romance very well done and realistic.” Rachel Ann Nunes.

Finley is a spunky and snarky Southern woman with a lot of sass! The romance is swoon-worthy and satisfying. And underneath it all, it’s got a great message. Definitely worth a read!

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About the Author

A graduate from San Diego State University with a BA in Political Science, Julie N. Ford also earned a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama, which has only made her better able to recognize the unhealthy, codependent relationship she has with writing. Professionally, she has worked in teaching and as a marriage and family counselor. She is the author of six women’s fiction novels, including Count Down to Love, a 2011 Whitney Award finalist. When she’s not writing, she entertains delusions of being a master gardener, that is, when she’s not killing the unsuspecting plants in her yard with her good intentions. She lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, two daughters, and the cutest Scottish fold cat you’ve ever seen. She loves to chat with readers.

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$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

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Summer in Snow Valley

#1 Bestselling Amazon Authors of Christmas in Snow Valley, have teamed up again with six wonderful summer novellas that are sure to make your summer sweet and sassy!

Catching Caytie by Amazon Top Seller Cindy Roland Anderson

On the night Caytie Holbrook intends to break up with her cheating boyfriend, he blindsides her by announcing their engagement at a dinner party. When Caytie discovers her father is in on the scheme, she runs away from her home in Beverly Hills to hide out at her uncle’s ranch in Snow Valley, Montana. While Snow Valley is a beautiful place, Caytie only plans to stay until her twenty-fifth birthday when she’ll inherit a trust fund her grandmother left her, allowing her to pursue her dream to move to Italy. That is until she meets Jace McAllister, an incredibly sexy—although somewhat grumpy—cowboy who threatens to disrupt her plans.

Tin Foil Tiaras by Amazon Top Seller Jeanette Lewis

Cameron Elliott has come to Snow Valley to coach Annalisa Drake in the Miss Snow Valley pageant, and prove to her demanding boss that she deserves a place at the prestigious Westbrooke Agency. But Annalisa’s handsome and protective big brother, Kyle, is determined to keep his sister from becoming a reluctant beauty queen. As Cameron tries to win Kyle over, Kyle insists some things are more valuable than a title and as crazy as it sounds, Cameron might just believe him.

A Touch of Love by Amazon Top Seller Cami Checketts

Annie Stirland has endured a lifetime of teasing, embarrassment, and isolation due to her speech impediment. When irresistible cowboy, Luke Wilson, seems to be falling for her, she’s certain he’s too good to be true. A tragedy involving his ex-girlfriend proves she’s right. What man can resist sheltering someone they once loved? Annie knows she should walk away, but Luke isn’t ready to give her up.

First Love; Love First by Amazon Top Seller Taylor Hart

Janet Snow doesn’t expect to get caught in a full-blown make out session at her brother’s wedding. Especially not with Michael Hamilton, the boy she’d written off ten years ago. Even though they both agree to no complications, Janet’s not sure they can stick to it given their past. After a trip to the hot springs, a helicopter ride, and a proposal, even the most cautious single mother would start to wonder if true love really is just about the timing. Now Janet has to make a choice—play it safe or trust that her first love could also be her last.

Romancing Rebecca by Amazon Top Seller, Kimberley Montpetit

Rebecca Dash loved spending her teen summers swooning over Jane Austin and helping her aunt at the Starry Skies Bed & Breakfast in Snow Valley. But as a recent college grad, she’d rather write sappy romance novels than go out with guys that make her a nervous wreck. When a team of fire-fighters set up camp on the lawns of the B&B and Captain Wade catches her eye, Becca soon learns that there’s more to a happily-ever-after than a flirty fireman with muscles the size of the Montana hills.

Love in Light and Shadow by Amazon Top Seller Lucy McConnell

Mercedes O’Shay has sworn off gorgeous men because they have a tendency to break her heart. When she meets her new neighbor, Chet Bauer, she immediately puts him in the Do Not Date category based on his well-defined muscles and stunning blue eyes. But the more Mercedes learns about the cowboy who reads classics and forges iron, the more she realizes the heart doesn’t see in black and white; it sees light and shadows.

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