Synopsis

A holiday bonanza! A collection of traditional mysteries to celebrate the holidays, written by by thirteen bestselling and award-winning authors. Heartwarming, brain puzzling, craft-centered, and character driven reads that will keep you entertained for hours. Nearly 800 pages of reading material, plus a special Recipe and Craft Bonus.

Included are:

Kiki Lowenstein and the Rowan Branch – (Joanna Campbell Slan) When Horace Goldfader is accused of murder, Kiki learns how difficult it can be to maintain peace on earth—and to keep her deathbed promise to her late friend, Dodie.

Cara Mia Delgatto and the Misdirected Gifts  — (Joanna Campbell Slan) Two waylaid items cause Cara to take a break from her booming retail business and follow her heart. Can a sprinkling of holiday magic create a “happily ever after” ending for all involved?

The Christmas Dog — (Joyce and Jim Lavene) A woman running from her deadly past finds hope, and a dog, at Christmas.

and many more!  There is even a craft bonus at the end that you can request.

Amazon * B&N On 10/22 these books were just $0.99 – a steal of a deal IMHO

Review

13 novellas by 12 mystery writers, how could you possibly go wrong with this book?! I don’t think I had read any or much by any of these authors but I definitely plan to search out these author’s other books. Some I might even already have on my Kindle (so many books not enough time).

Not all of the stories had a death, but there was some sort of mystery that needed to be solved. I’m not sure if I can pick out which one was my favorite because they were all good. I don’t think I figured any of them out until the end when the killer or perpetrator was revealed. Of course there were several stories that involved dogs and I might have favored those a bit more, but only because I’m a dog lover!

We give this 5 paws up and enjoyed every last word.

About This Author

Joanna Campbell Slan is the award-winning author of the Kiki Lowenstein Mysteries (an Agatha Award Finalist) and two other mystery series. Her stories in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series has been read and loved by millions. Her books reviving the classic heroine Jane Eyre have won the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award. In her past life, Joanna was a television talk show host, an adjunct professor of public relations, a sought-after motivational speaker, and a corporate speechwriter. She is married to David Slan, CEO of Steinway Piano Gallery-DC. The Slans make their home on Jupiter Island, Florida.

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Synopsis

Richard Lake, of the Atlanta Police Department, gets a cold case when a witness suddenly gets his memory back. Lake recruits Moriah Dru to look into the murder of Juliet Trapp, 16 when she died, and a student at Winters Farm Academy.

Juliet Trapp had told her mother she was going to Bike Week with Wild Blood, an outlaw motorcycle gang, over the Christmas break. The police were unable to solve Juliet’s murder after interviews with the bikers. The case roars into high gear when Juliet’s father, Sherman Trapp, is murdered in Chattanooga where Wild Blood is the predominant motorcycle club. Dru discovers that Trapp was trying to find the killer of his daughter, but got too close.

Guest Post

Fact from Fiction

When I was working at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a newspaper writer — as opposed to being an editorialist positing my opinions on the news — my colleagues swore I wrote fiction. I swear I did not. That’s how the story went.

I retired twelve years ago when I began my fiction-writing journey —in earnest. For a journey it truly is. As a mystery/thriller writer, I wish I had made up some of those stories I covered. The things some people do cannot be imagined by a rational mind.

Writing fact newspaper or magazine stories is a simple matter. Your editor gives you an assignment. He or she tells you how many column inches your hole is (the place in the paper where your story is going to be).

At this point let me say that it is your story. You are telling it. You are not getting inside heads and supposing what their actions mean.

You start by downloading all you can find about the principals in the news from Lexis-Nexis. Way back when I started in journalism old articles, biographical materials, side-bars were catalogued on microfilm, then hard copies were folded, stuffed into envelopes and stacked on shelves in a room called “the morgue”.

After you get the documents together, call up folks (regular Joes, cops, politicians, etc. ) for facts and good quotes (if you can get them) and through the investigation come up with a who, where, when, what, and why—why is the tricky part that can lead a reporter into supposition.

Now to write the fact story. You start with a lede (not lead as it’s pronounced) hopefully as a result of a good quote, and then you write the nut graf (those nitty and gritty W’s). In journalism schools they teach you to write all the important, good stuff at the top, and winnow down to a last paragraph that can be cut if the hole for your copy shrinks.

Now with fiction, this is not your story. The story belongs to the characters. This is where you show, and not tell. The narrator should be as unobtrusive as possible. Get inside the heads of your characters and show your readers what they think.

Otherwise, writing fiction is a lot like fact. But you’ve got to add a lot more W’s and a whole lot more words than the average 1,000-word news story—at least 70,000 more words. It is the expansion of all that you’ve dreamed up, remembered, researched and can be an awesome experience if you’re up to the task.

In fact writing you may not know the outcome, or who-dun-it, but there’s still a story to tell. In fiction, it’s a good idea to know how your story will end from the beginning. Fewer quagmires to get through. But it’s also a good idea to keep it loose, let your characters tell their own stories; their journeys. It’s not your journey after all.

After the first draft that makes sense, it’s time for revising, shifting, editing point-of-view, culling too many adjectives and adverbs, enhancing plot and dialogue and keeping characters compelling.  I can think of a lot more that goes into editing your own novel, but those are the biggies.

This journey is all yours. You won’t have an assignment editor, a copy editor or a managing editor to mess with your efforts—until you have a book editor who does the same.

Not much difference in the end.

About the Author

Retired journalist for The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, in 2009, Gerrie won The Malice Domestic/St. Martin’s Minotaur Best First Traditional Novel Competition for THE END GAME, released by St. Martin’s Minotaur in 2010. She grew up in Missouri, then headed further south to join the staff of the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. There, she researched and edited the columns of humorist Lewis Grizzard and co-wrote a news column with another reporter for three years.

Lewis became her mentor, and when he passed away, Gerrie joined the newspapers’ Southern Task Force. As a reporter, she traveled the Tobacco Roads of Georgia, Virginia and Alabama, and the narrow, historic streets of New Orleans. She wrote about Natchez, Mississippi’s unique history, Florida’s diverse population, and the Outer Banks struggle to keep the Cape Hatteras light house from toppling into the sea. She also served on the National News Desk and on the City Desk’s City Life section.

Gerrie’s life has been busy but she always knew when she retired, she’d write crime fiction. She covered crime for the newspaper. Real crime is sordid, with no romance or redeeming features. Justice often doesn’t prevail. Real people go back to miserable lives. “In writing fictional crime,” Gerrie says,”I can make the good guys winners and give the bad guys what they deserve.”

Series Books: The End Game, The Last Temptation, The Devil Laughed, Murmurs of Insanity, Running with Wild Blood, and coming in May 2016, American Nights

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Memphis Hoodoo Murders, by Kathryn Rogers, is an occult horror mystery novel. It was published by Sartoris Literary Group on August 15, 2015.

Synopsis

Addie Jackson has witnessed people trying to kill her family her entire life, and now her grandparents’ attackers are hunting her. The Memphis police are never able to catch these crooks since the cops have been bewitched to stay away. Her grandparents, Pop and Grandma, habitually lie to Addie, but she is attentive enough to overhear the secrets they keep from her. In her predictive dreams, Addie regularly sees future events, which disturb her, but to her dismay, she has never been able to stop them from coming true. She often dreams of a dark character, who she is later shocked to discover is the Man, a devil from hoodoo legend.

Addie is disturbed to discover she is being stalked by a witch doctor named Hoodoo Helen. To make matters worse, the more secrets Addie uncovers, the more danger she finds. Addie presses Grandma for answers about the power behind the ring and pocket watch she often toys with, but Grandma remains tight-lipped. Knowing their deaths are imminent, Grandma makes a deal with the hoodoo devil to take care of Addie, and Addie is later horrified to discover that her beloved family has been murdered. John, a family friend, steps in to help Addie, and she soon realizes he knows more about her family’s tainted past than she ever has. Addie begins receiving cryptic letters from her deceased grandmother, which reveal a shocking family history revolving around slavery, time travel, and magic.

If Addie can survive jail, her cousin’s abduction, threats from a menacing gang, corrupt law enforcement, and hoodooed attacks, maybe she can finally dream of a future where she will be safe and free.

Excerpt

Chapter 1

If I told you that people had been trying to kill my family and me my entire life, you would probably just think I was being paranoid, but it’s not paranoia if it’s real.

Sometimes healthy people run for exercise, and oftentimes energetic individuals run for fun. In my neck of the woods, you run just to stay alive. Today I only hoped that the gang members didn’t murder me so I could make it home in one piece. My legs were pumping so hard I thought they might fall off.

Grandma and Pop would tell you I’m petite and pretty when really I’m short and perfectly ordinary. I don’t look anything like them except that we are all small in stature, though I’m so little I look like a shrimp by comparison. I have straight, brown hair with no bangs, smooth skin, and sharp, green eyes. I’ve never dressed fancy as I’ve never had much to begin with. Besides, in my neck of the woods, when you get something shiny, folks try to take it or talk about you for having it, so the more you blend in, the better off you’re bound to be.

“Hey, short stuff! You with the ponytail! I told you to get over here!”

It was my favorite neighborhood thug heckling me.

Just don’t trip. Whatever you do, don’t trip, Addie.

The limb from the fallen tree did not hear my inner monologue, because my foot caught on the log and slung me onto the sidewalk.

“I told you there was no point in running from us,” he said coldly. “We always get what we want.”

I winced in pain and grabbed my right knee, which was running red. I felt like a bleeding fish in the middle of a shark tank.

Show no fear. Don’t cry.

I forced myself to stand and face my antagonists. Their clothes and tattoos were clearly reflective of the Memphis gang, the Skullbangerz—not that I would be privy to any admission from them about this.

“Ouch! Looks like you got a boo-boo,” said a slim, jumpy guy, eyeing me from the stems up. “Want me to kiss on you to make it all better?”

“No, thanks—you’re really not my type,” I said, thankful I had enough spirit to sound snarky.

“Oohh, she’s a feisty one. I like that in a lady,” he toyed dangerously with me.

“Enough with your mouth. You’re wasting my time.” The tall, muscular gang leader cut him off as he stepped towards me. “Yeah, you got to be her,” he remarked as he studied my face.

“Got to be whom?” I asked sullenly.

“June Jackson’s granddaughter,” Jaydon Swisher announced.

I was surprised that he knew who I was. Everyone around here knew him. Just thinking about his cruel reputation made me shudder.

“How do you know her?” I asked to try to pump information out of him.

“So, you is Mrs. Jackson’s girl?” he quizzed me clearly not wanting to give anything away.

“What’s it to you?”

“You ain’t in the position to be asking questions of me. You give me what I want, and I might let you go in one piece…might. You act uncooperative, and I’ll butcher you up while you’re still alive. Then I’ll mail individual pieces of you wrapped up as Christmas presents to your Grandma. Do you understand what I’m telling you right now?”

He was close enough for me to feel his hot breath on my neck.

I knew most people made idle threats. However, I could tell from the way the other gang members kept their distance from him, Jaydon was telling the Gospel truth.

The waterfall of blood continued to rain down my leg. Every fiber in my being told me to get as far away from them as possible. Unfortunately though, as history had indicated, I was too clumsy to outrun them. So, I stalled for time and willed myself to exhibit grace under fire.

The leader of the pack misinterpreted my silence for newfound cooperation and continued to press me, “So, where is it?”

“Where’s what?”

Praise for Memphis Hoodoo Murders

“Dripping with grisly spells, wry humor and a distinctly southern brand of magical realism, you’ll be quickly mesmerized by this magnetic paranormal thriller. A home run for author Kathryn Rogers.” – Reviewed by Best Thrillers

“Addie Jackson is not your average college student. For starters, she lives with her slightly odd grandparents in a not-so-nice part of Memphis, Tennessee. Most of her life revolves around taking care of her grandparents and trying to keep a low profile in her neighborhood instead of going on dates, talking about new music, and having fun. When her grandparents’ behavior becomes even more bizarre, there are break-ins at the church the family attends, and she begins to have dreams that come true, Addie becomes even more aware of the strange life she is living. She begins to believe that her grandparents have been hiding something from her for her entire life, something big, something that could put everyone’s lives in danger. Something that could mean that Hoodoo magic is real. Kathryn Rogers’ novel, Memphis Hoodoo Murders, immediately catches the reader with an exciting title and a surprising first chapter.” – Reviewed by Red City Review

About the Author

Kathryn Rogers is a Memphis native with an affinity for local BBQ and blues rock-n-roll. As a licensed therapist, she holds her Masters in Counseling and Psychology, and as a licensed educator, she holds her Bachelors in Education. Her experience providing counseling services to the community prepared her to expound upon the psychological issues her characters wrestle with in her stories. She currently lives in Jackson, Mississippi with her husband, playful preschooler, and rambunctious Labrador Retrievers.

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Title: Named of the Dragon
Author: Susanna Kearsley
ISBN: 9781402258640
Pubdate: October 6, 2015
Genre: Time-slip Romance
Imprint: Sourcebooks Landmark

Synopsis

A haunting tale of intrigue from New York Times bestselling author Susanna Kearsley.

SOMEWHERE IN THE HEART OF LEGEND

LIES THE KEY TO HER TERRIFYING DREAMS

The charm of spending the Christmas holidays in South Wales, with its crumbling castles and ancient myths, seems the perfect distraction from the nightmares that have plagued literary agent Lyn Ravenshaw since the loss of her baby five years ago.

Instead, she meets an emotionally fragile young widow who’s convinced that Lyn’s recurring dreams have drawn her to Castle Farm for an important purpose–and she’s running out of time.

With the help of a reclusive, brooding playwright, Lyn begins to untangle the mystery and is pulled into a world of Celtic legends, dangerous prophecies, and a child destined for greatness.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Indie Bound

Excerpt

While the halls beside it crumbled from the strain of staying upright, Pembroke Castle’s keep had stood through eight long centuries of tumult, and looked capable of weathering another eight with ease. It had been poked at, over time. Bits of the parapet surrounding the domed roof had tumbled down, or been removed, and when we walked round to the north side I could see the black and jagged hole that marked the first-floor entrance, stripped of all its finer facing stones. But such small scars went virtually unnoticed on a building so imposing.

“I’m not sure you should be doing that,” said James, as I scampered up the flight of steps toward the gaping doorway. “Those steps might not be safe. And anyway, you can’t get in that way, you have to go through here.”

The steps didn’t feel dangerous, but I didn’t imagine that open defiance was something James craved in an agent, and I ought to be trying to show him how well I could listen. Reluctantly, I turned back and went through the proper entrance, a much smaller door set at ground level. It felt like walking through a tunnel—the walls of the keep must have been a good twenty feet thick—but at length it discharged us, like puny adventurers, into the cavernous space.

“You see?” James, who had seen it before, pointed up at a ragged-edged hole, streaming light. “It’s a doorway to nothing, the floors have all gone.”

I had tipped my head backward, struck dumb by the sight.

Originally, there would have been three or more levels here, comfortable rooms, wooden floors, warming fires that burned in the royal apartments, but all of that was lost now to the callous hand of time. What remained, though, was in some ways more impressive.

Stripped to its bare outer walls, it was like a cathedral, a great hollow soaring cathedral of stone, with a perfect domed ceiling and small arching windows that slanted pale light through the reverent gloom. From every ledge and opening long streaks of soft and mossy green dripped downward, passing shades of rust and gentle blues that stained the walls in places where the plaster had not fallen from the gray, unyielding stones.

I took a breath, inhaling dust, and fumbled for my guidebook. “Seventy-five feet,” I said, in awe. “This shaft is seventy-five feet tall.”

James looked at me. “You say that as though it’s a challenge.”

“It is.” I’d always liked climbing things. Turning, I spotted the newel stair, and happily squeezed up one tight winding flight to the first narrow landing. Resting my hands on the cold metal piping that served as a guardrail, I leaned through the open arched doorway to look down at James. “Coming up?”

“No, I’ve done it once, thank you.” He sauntered forward, moving through a shifting web of light and shadow, to see me better. By the time I reached the third and final landing, he was standing in the center of the floor. “Do warn me if you’re going to fall,” he said, “so I can step aside.”

“You wouldn’t catch me?”

“From that height? You must be mad.”

I took a firm grip on the guardrail and leaned out as far as I dared, to admire the view. The dome, from this height, was a marvel of masonry, hundreds of stones set with perfect precision to form an impossible half sphere that floated above me. Absorbed, I leaned further, and felt my hand slip in the instant before something clamped round my shoulder.

“Don’t worry,” said Gareth, behind me. “I’ll catch you.”

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and RITA award winner Susanna Kearsley is known for her meticulous research and exotic settings from Russia to Italy to Cornwall, which not only entertain her readers but give her a great reason to travel. Her lush writing has been compared to Mary Stewart, Daphne Du Maurier, and Diana Gabaldon. She won the coveted Romance Writers of America RITA Award for The Firebird, and hit the bestseller lists in the U.S. with The Winter Sea and The Rose Garden, both RITA finalists and winners of RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards. Other honors include finaling for the UK’s Romantic Novel of the Year Award, National Readers’ Choice Awards, and the prestigious Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize. Her popular and critically-acclaimed books are available in translation in more than 20 countries and as audio books. She lives in Canada, near the shores of Lake Ontario.

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Excerpt

About the Author

B. L. Blair writes simple and sweet romance and mystery/romance stories. Like most authors, she has been writing most of her life and has dozens of books started. She just needs the time to finish them.

She is the author of the Holton Romance Series and the Leah Norwood Mysteries. She enjoys reading books, writing books, and traveling wherever and as often as time and money allows. She is currently working on her latest book set in Texas, where she lives with her family.

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What is World’s Best Story?

“This is not just a literary contest, we’re looking for stories that will be consumed in multiple media formats – from books to the big screen and beyond,” says Vincent Salera, founder of World’s Best Story. “Our goal is to revolutionize the traditional literary contest and identify a story with blockbuster appeal. We’re looking for a story that audiences will love and help authors turn that story into trans-media franchises, which is why we’re empowering readers to judge the contest.”

How does it work?

Readers will vote for stories and awarded judges will declare the final Top 10 winners.

2015 Judges: Warren Adler, Victor Malarek, Tamarra Kennelly, Brooke Burgess, Samreen Ashan, Alistair Cross, Rhonda Hayter

Timeline:

Entry Period Closes/Public Voting ends. (November 8)

Top 10 Winners Announced! (November 8)

Professional Review/Voting (November 8 – December 8)

Winner and Top 10 Ranking Announced (December 8)

What are the prizes?

The top 3 winners will receive a full publishing package by FriesenPress, trademark protection in the U.S. and Canada by IP agency Benoit & Cote, a virtual book tour by Laura Fabiani of iRead Book Tours as well as consulting/marketing services with book expert Anne Chaconas of BadAss Marketing. Busbud and YoDough will be providing lots of goodies for both writers and readers.

How do I submit my story?

To learn more about World’s Best Story, including how to enter, please visit World’s Best Story.

World’s Best Story : info@worldsbeststory.com

See what’s buzzing at World’s Best Story:

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Blog Tour Schedule

Sweet & Sassy Anthology: Castle Collection

Readers will be delighted with five sweet, romance novellas in Sweet & Sassy: Castle Collection. In this charming anthology, you will fall in love again and again.

Dangerous Truth by Cindy M. Hogan
All By My Selfie by Jo Noelle
A Savage Ghost by Donna K. Weaver
The Ghost of Dunlow Manor by Paige Timothy
Rose of Sherwood by Kaye P. Clark

DANGEROUS TRUTH
Olivia loves everything about Belgium. So far, her humanitarian trip has gone perfectly–that is, until she sees a picture of a man she thinks is her father in the newspaper. The father who abandoned her family nine years ago without a word.

She tries to forget she ever saw his photo. He’s forgotten about her, after all. But soon it’s apparent that she can’t leave without knowing what happened.

Armed with years of hurt and the help of a gorgeous French photographer, she decides to confront him and his secrets once and for all.

Unfortunately, her father seems determined to keep those secrets hidden. . . and Olivia is one of them.

ALL BY MY SELFIE
While on vacation at McLeod Castle in Scotland, Gwen Mackenzie has nightly dreams of an ancient warrior bound by a curse. During the day, she sees Niall, nicknamed #ScottishBoyfriend. Oh, and can that man rock a kilt! As she gets to know him, she realizes that Niall is the warrior from her dreams, cursed to live as a ghost for the past five hundred years, to see life around him but never sense any of it—except Gwen.

A SAVAGE GHOST
Lia Savage reluctantly puts her dream of opening a dessert boutique on hold to help her dad remodel a castle he’s inherited in Washington State. Soon, a specter targets her younger sister.

Lia enlists the help of Coop Montgomery, the head gardener and her former crush. As they search together for a way to rid the castle of its ghost, the romance she used to dream about with him kindles. But Lia’s gentle giant means to stay in Washington while she’s determined to return to California. She must find the courage to face both the ghost and her future.

With Coop. Or without him.

THE GHOST OF DUNLOW MANOR
Bestselling author Alexis St. John needs an escape, and Nate, her personal assistant, thinks that a trip to a real castle in England will be just the thing. What neither of them planned on, though, was to encounter an actual ghost.

Lady Catherine Dunlow hates the idea of sharing her castle with tourists and does everything she can to chase them out, much to the amusement of her roguish suitor. But when her two newest guests stumble upon a mystery surrounding her death, she decides to let them stay.

With an eternal fate in the balance, Nate and Alexis must move quickly to bring the killer to light before Catherine is trapped forever.

ROSE OF SHERWOOD
Lady Rosamund, Baroness of Ravenswood Manor, is a destitute widow, imprisoned in Nottingham Castle. When the prince declares she must marry the ruthless man who had seized Ravenswood, she escapes with the help of a band of outlaws to Sherwood Forest. Her first love, a battle-worn knight, promises to help her find safety at a convent. Confused and afraid, her heart yearns for love. But are the risks too high?

Amazon

Excerpt

About the Authors

Cindy M. Hogan is inspired by the unpredictable teenagers she teaches. More than anything she loves the time she has with her own teenage daughters and wishes she could freeze them at this fun age. If she’s not reading or writing, you’ll find her snuggled up with the love of her life watching a great movie or planning their next party. Most of all, she loves to laugh.

Jo Noelle grew up in Colorado and Utah but also lived in Idaho and California. She has two adult children and three small kids. She teaches teachers and students about reading and writing, grows freakishly large tomatoes, enjoys cooking, builds furniture, sews beautiful dresses, and goes hiking in the nearby mountains.
Oh, and she’s two people, Canda Mortensen and Deanna Henderson, a mother/daughter writing team.

Donna K. Weaver: A wife, mother, grandmother, Harry Potter geek, Navy brat, Army veteran, and karate black belt. Donna is an avid cruiser, having sailed the Pacific five times. She’s lived in South Korea, the Philippines, Germany, and many US states. She and her husband raised six children and currently have nine grandchildren.

Paige Timothy has been writing for as long as she can remember… and probably before that, too, because her memory gets spotty at a certain point. She loves watching romantic comedies, blushes when the characters do something embarrassing, and sighs in all the right places.

Kaye P. Clark was born in New York City, grew up in southern California and raised her family living on remote cattle ranches in Arizona. She now makes her home in Idaho where she works part-time at the county library and teaches art to young children. She’s a mother and grandmother with a very patient husband who puts up with her passion for writing.

Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 11/1/15

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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Perfidy

By M.E. May

ISBN-10: 1494461919
ISBN-13: 978-1494461911
M&B Literary Creations
Paperback: 238 pages
February 2014, $13.95
Harlequin July 2015

Synopsis

Perfidy – noun
Deliberate breach of faith or trust; faithlessness; treachery

Mandy Stevenson left home for college even as her family was being torn apart by the loss of her brother, an Indianapolis police officer. But now, four years later, it’s time to return and face the grief and hardships she left behind.

As summer fades, Mandy finds herself in a nightmare when her mother vanishes without a trace. Faced with her father’s skepticism, Mandy turns to her godfather, head of the police department’s Missing Persons Unit, for help. The police investigation quickly uncovers her mother’s secret, nefarious lifestyle – a lifestyle that may have cost her mother everything – including her life.

Just as these secrets begin to unfold, Mandy’s world is again turned upside down by the murder of a dear friend. She soon realizes that his murder may be connected to her mother’s disappearance.

How much grief from personal loss and duplicity can she bear? Will uncovering the most perfidious betrayal of all turn Mandy’s life to bitterness – or end it?

Harlequin * Amazon * B&N

Excerpt

Mandy Stevenson leaned back, her auburn curls spilling over the back of the chair. Her gaze was fixed on an intricate spider web in the corner of the ceiling. It appeared to have a morsel of last night’s dinner still hanging from it. “Circle of life,” she said aloud, closing her pale green eyes. Mandy couldn’t stop herself from thinking the worst. She shuddered as her thoughts were compounded by the fear she felt for her mother. Studying the room to distract herself from her feelings of foreboding wasn’t working.

She stood and walked to the window. His office was devoid of decoration except for a few plaques and citations. However, the view from the north window of the City-County Building was a picturesque Indianapolis skyline.

Mandy took a deep breath and turned, nearly running into his metal frame desk. Or at least she assumed there was a desk under all of those papers and files. She could not imagine how he kept anything straight. The nameplate sitting on the desk which read “Lieutenant Thomas Melrose” was barely visible.

Lieutenant Melrose had been in Mandy’s life since the day she was born. She and her brother, Charlie, had always called him Uncle Mel. He started his career as a rookie patrol officer with the Indianapolis Police Department as her dad’s partner and eventually became her dad’s best friend. It was natural for her dad to think of Mel when it was time to choose Mandy’s godfather. Mel and his ex-wife had never had any children so he was thrilled to take on the responsibility.

Five years ago, her dad was promoted to Captain and Commander of the Homicide and Robbery Branch, and Uncle Mel accepted an investigating position in Missing Persons. Now he was the head of the department and the perfect person to help her.

Feeling anxious, she paced, peering out into the department. Amidst a sea of metal desks, she spotted her Uncle Mel, tall and muscular with bright red hair and freckles. He looked up from his conversation and held up his index finger.

Nodding and feeling a little embarrassed, she turned and sat down in a chair trying her best to wait patiently. She couldn’t understand why he would take so long. Didn’t he realize she wouldn’t be here unless it was very important?

A few minutes later Mandy heard the click of the door handle. She rose to see him standing there with his most welcoming smile. Facing her, Uncle Mel put his hands on her shoulders. “Mandy, I haven’t seen you in ages,” he said. “What was so urgent you felt you had to come all the way downtown to see me?”

Mandy blinked a few times, then took in a deep breath determined to get through the next few moments without crying. Looking straight into his eyes, she said as calmly as she could, “Mom has disappeared. She hasn’t been home for two days now. She didn’t call; leave a note, or anything. I know she’s gone on last minute trips before, but something’s not right. Please, Uncle Mel, you have to help me.”

Lieutenant Melrose’s face went from pleasant smile to concerned frown. “Okay, Mandy, hang on a minute.” He walked to his door and opened it. “Jacobs, Mayhew, in my office!” Mel stepped aside as two men entered the office. “Mandy, I’m going to assign this case to two of my best investigating officers, Detective Tyrone Mayhew and Detective Benjamin Jacobs. Gentlemen, this is Mandy Stevenson. She’s Captain Robert Stevenson’s daughter. It appears her mother, Cassandra Stevenson, is missing.”

Detective Jacobs sat in the chair beside her while Detective Mayhew scooted some papers over and sat on the edge of the desk. Both Jacobs and Mayhew appeared to be in their mid-thirties, but were polar opposites in looks. Detective Mayhew was dark skinned, about six foot-two and muscular with a shaved head. He might have been very intimidating except for his friendly, dark smiling eyes. Detective Jacobs was shorter, about five-eleven, with sandy blond hair and serious slate blue eyes.

Mandy glanced at Uncle Mel as he took his seat behind his desk. “I thought you would be the investigator,” she said, disconcerted by this assignment.

“Basically, Mandy, I’m in the position of an administrator now. These very talented detectives will do most of the legwork. But don’t worry. I’ll be keeping a close eye on this investigation.”

Afraid she had insulted them, she said, “No offense.”

“None taken,” said Detective Jacobs, opening his notepad.

“Now, Mandy, give us the whole story beginning with the last time you saw Cassandra,” Uncle Mel said, looking serious and official.

Mandy adjusted herself nervously in her chair. “Tuesday morning,” she began. “It must have been around 10:00. I had an interview for a part-time job at Le Françoise Boutique. Mom was giving me a few pointers on salesmanship. Tuesday being her day off, I asked her if she had plans for the day. She said no and told me she’d be there when I got home.”

“Do you remember what she was wearing?” asked Jacobs.

“Yes. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a mint green pullover tee shirt.”

“So what time did you get home after your interview?” asked Uncle Mel.

“It must have been close to 1:00 in the afternoon because I’d stopped for lunch. Mom’s car wasn’t there, so I assumed she was running an errand. When she wasn’t home by late afternoon, I thought maybe she’d received a call from the real estate office and was showing a house.”

Although Mandy was trying her best to appear cool under stress, she couldn’t control those facial expressions her godfather knew so well.

“I can see you’re very upset over all of this, Mandy,” said Uncle Mel. “Take a moment if you need it, and then tell us what happened next.”

Mandy nodded, collecting her thoughts and continued. “By about 7:00 that evening, I was beginning to worry. I decided to call Dad to see if he’d talked to her. He was at a seminar in Detroit.”

“Yeah,” Uncle Mel confirmed. “He told me he was going up there. What did he advise you to do?”

“You know Dad,” she said rolling her eyes. “He never gets excited about anything. He told me not to worry because Mom has done this so many times before. I tried not to let his lack of concern bother me. Actually, I was hoping he was right, that she’d just gone off to be alone for a few days, because she did do that sometimes…,” Mandy paused gulping back a sob, “…after Charlie….”

“I know, sweetie.”

The urgency to find her mom began to swell inside her. “But this time it’s different, Uncle Mel. Mom always leaves us a note or a voicemail letting us know she needed some time away, but she didn’t do it this time. I went to bed that night and didn’t sleep well. I kept waking up thinking I had heard her. I got out of bed around 7:00 the following morning hoping I’d find her in her room. She wasn’t there.

“That’s when I really started to panic. While I was in her room, I looked around. I noticed her makeup pouch on the vanity. She would never leave it behind. I looked in her closet. The overnight bag she normally uses was still there. Even her toothbrush was in the bathroom. She would have taken all of these things with her.”

“That is very strange,” Jacobs said, frowning.

“I called Dad to tell him and he told me we’d discuss it when he got home.”

“Did you?” asked Uncle Mel.

“Yeah, but I got the same old reaction. I also spoke with Michelle, the receptionist at Mom’s office, on Wednesday. She said Mom came to the office on Tuesday to get her laptop. She assured me Mom didn’t have any scheduled appointments on Tuesday.”

Mandy felt the tears coming. She couldn’t hold back any longer. “I’m sorry, Uncle Mel. I’m trying not to think the worst. It doesn’t help when Dad acts like it’s no big deal.”

Uncle Mel got up and went to Mandy placing his hand on her shoulder. “There’s no need for you to apologize, Mandy. I don’t think your dad means to be hurtful; he’s just not very diplomatic.”

“You can say that again,” she laughed nervously.

“So he got back from Detroit last night?” asked Jacobs.

“Yes. He’s in his office this morning,” she said, feeling a twinge of anxiety. “I know he won’t like it when he finds out I’m filing this report.”

“You have every right to be concerned about your mother and to file this report,” said Uncle Mel.

“Something which will help us get started is a list of all of your mother’s contacts; family, friends, people at work,” said Jacobs. “We’ll need their names, addresses, and phone numbers if you have them. You can do this from home and either send them to me by email or give us a call with the information.”

“I don’t want to put any undue pressure on you, Miss,” said Mayhew, “but the sooner we get those the better. When a person goes missin’ it’s important to get started before the trail runs cold.”

“I’ll start collecting the information as soon as I get home,” she said, stung by the fact she hadn’t filed the report sooner. “Thank you.”

“Here is my business card with my contact information,” Jacobs said, rising from his chair. “You can call me anytime.”

“Here’s mine, too. We’d better get out there and start callin’ the folks we know about,” said Mayhew. “It was a pleasure meetin’ you, Miss Mandy.”

“Same here, Detectives,” she said, standing and offering to shake their hands. Both detectives nodded and smiled on their way out.

“I know it will be hard to talk to your father, so if you want me to tell him, I will,” said Uncle Mel.

“Thanks, but no. I’d better do it myself,” she said.

“If he gives you a hard time, let me know. Okay?” He lifted her chin peering into her eyes. “I’m as convinced as you are that we need to pursue this.”

“Deep down in my gut I know something is terribly wrong. No matter how Mom and Dad feel about each other, she wouldn’t intentionally hurt me like this.”

She looked at him with deep affection. He was the father she wished she had. Squelching a burning desire to hug him, she simply said, “Thanks, Uncle Mel. I knew I could count on you.”

“Just stand your ground with him. He may not like it, but he’ll respect you for it.” Uncle Mel gave her his best toothy smile, but she knew beneath the surface, he was just as worried as she was.

“I know.” She laughed nervously. “I’ll go talk to him right now. Thanks for your help.”

“Shall I walk you to the elevator?”

“Thanks, but I’m a big girl. I’ll manage.”

As she headed for the elevator, Mandy felt the dread of having to face her father. Inside the elevator car, she turned to press the button and saw Uncle Mel watching her. Forcing one more smile and a little wave, she saw him disappear as the door slid shut.

About the Author

Michele (M.E.) May attended Indiana University in Kokomo, Indiana, studying Social and Behavioral Sciences. Her interest in the psychology of humans sparked the curiosity to ask why they commit such heinous acts upon one another. Other interests in such areas as criminology and forensics have moved her to put her vast imagination to work writing crime fiction that is as accurate as possible. In doing so, she depicts societal struggles that pit those who understand humanity with those who are lost in a strange and dangerous world of their own making.

In creating the Circle City Mystery Series, she brings to life fictional characters who work diligently to bring justice to victims of crime in the city of Indianapolis. Michele also hopes her readers will witness through her eyes, the wonderful city she calls her hometown. Learn more about Michele at .

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Other titles by M.E. May:

Inconspicuous (Circle City Mystery, Book 2) – nominee for the 2014 Lovey award for Best Suspense novel

Ensconced (Circle City Mystery, Book 3)

Purged (Circle City Mystery, Book 4)

Title: The Rockstar Remedy
Author: Dr. Gabrielle Francis with Stacy Baker Masand
Publisher: HarperCollins Wave
Pages: 330
Genre: Health and Wellness/Rock n Roll
Format: Paperback/Kindle/Nook

Synopsis

Known as the “Rock n’ Roll Doctor” to some of the most famous bands in the world, Dr. Gabrielle Francis shares her unique holistic prescription to achieving health and balance—even when you don’t live like a saint!

As a Holistic Doctor to the music industry’s elite, Dr. Francis has helped rock stars repair, recover, and refuel from the demanding schedules and occasional overindulgences that come along with the rock star lifestyle. Being overscheduled, sleep-deprived, overeating, drinking and managing physical and mental stressors aren’t lifestyle habits unique to the music industry; they are the same challenges faced by all of us, every day.

In The Rockstar Remedy, Dr. Francis shares her unique strategies designed to be incorporated into your hectic lifestyle. Her programs are customized to meet you where you are at, whether an experienced health enthusiast or a beginner. Completing the 21 day detox will give you a renewed sense of energy and enthusiasm for life, while looking and feeling your personal best. She explains how health is not a destination, but exists on a spectrum, and the simple act of making better choices every day—even if they’re not the best choices—helps us achieve balance in both mind and body. With tips for improving energy levels, easy food guidelines and a simple no-starvation detox, Dr. Francis offers a simple, effective plan for staying healthy and happy amid the chaos of our daily lives. Her popular “Harm Reduction Techniques” and “90/10 Rule” make it easy to celebrate life with occasional indulgences while maintaining good health. This is not a temporary fix; this program brings long-lasting, life-changing results.

Now you can reach for the stars too!

Excerpt

The year is 1984. I was fresh out of massage school… a ripe 19 years old. My cousin worked for Belkin productions, the company that promoted Rock Concerts in Cleveland. One day she called me and said, “ Cuz, such and such, the biggest name in rock n roll at the time, is coming to Cleveland and they want massages. I volunteered you.”   I was in a state of shock, but gladly accepted the offer. Weirdly enough, I was not nervous or overly excited.   I felt I would be great for the job.

I arrived at the coliseum with my massage table in check, but I was secretly looking forward to the massive parties back stage.   To my dismay, the backstage seemed quite quiet. All the artists were in their private dressing rooms and keeping to themselves. I was taken to the catering hall and noticed that there was a completely organic and vegetarian spread.   In those days this was very rare and unheard of. Whole Foods was not a household name. I also noticed there was not an ounce of alcohol backstage. The most intoxicating beverage I could find was Coca-Cola. Wives had taken the place of the groupies. The Myth was shattered!

The first artist I worked on was the Saxophone player. He had the spiritual name, given to him by his Guru, on the dressing room door instead of his real name. When I entered his dressing room, I felt I had entered a Temple. It was lit with candles, incense permeated the air, and a picture of his Guru stared at me throughout the entire massage. I worked with most of the band that night just doing massage to get them ready for the marathon show. There was a medical doctor backstage giving them B12 shots to boost their energy for the big performance. Each artist was so thoughtful and down to earth. I was taken by their humility and realness. It was an ego-free zone.

They put on a super 4-hour show that night. I watched from backstage and I could see what an amazing dynamic a rock concert was. The band gives energy to the audience. The audience gives love and more energy to the band. The band gets high on the energy from the crowd. And it seems like it can go of forever. The only thing that made the band come off the stage was the venue saying that they had to go.

I will never forget that night as I saw the power of music to elevate the energy of a theater to a higher vibration.   It is no wonder that some people feel that going to a concert can be like a religious experience. I decided Rock’n’Roll would be one of my religions too! It would blend very well with my Catholic upbringing. Catholics revere saints. So, why not add a few like Jimi Hendrix, Patron Saint of the Wa Wa Pedal; Santana, the Archangel of Long Instrumental Grooves; Keith Richards, Holy Father of the Rhythm Guitar: and of course Our Lady Madonna.

After the show, that band asked me to tour with them as a massage therapist. I had to say no because I was very committed to the idea of finishing medical school.

I regretted that decision for a very long time. Luckily, I had the chance again almost 17 years later…

Read on…. BUY the ROCKSTAR REMEDY

About the Author

Dr. Gabrielle Francis has been practicing natural medicine for more than thirty years.

She is a Naturopathic Doctor, Chiropractor, Acupuncturist, and Licensed Massage therapist. Dr. Francis currently practices in New York City as The Herban Alchemist. She also operates Backstage Alternative, which is her natural medicine road show that provides chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, nutrition and herbal remedies to performing artists on tour.

Dr. Francis received her formal medical training at National College of Chiropractic and at Bastyr University. She has extensive training in Alternative Cancer Therapies, Environmental Medicine, Functional Medicine, Mind-Body medicine, and Bio-Identical Hormone therapies. Following her formal medical education, Dr. Francis travelled extensively to various parts of the world studying medicine with indigenous healers in countries such as China, India, Thailand, Bali, Brazil, Morocco, Peru, Guatemala, Ecuador, Belize, Mexico, Egypt, and Mali.

Stacy Baker Masand is a health, fitness and lifestyle editor whose work has appeared in magazines such as In Style, Marie Claire, Self, Shape, Fitness, DuJour and Women’s Health. She’s co-author of New York Times bestseller Your Best Body Now. Stacy is currently developing projects for both small and big screen.

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Titles: Dark Before the Rising Sun and Chance the Winds of Fortune

Author: Laurie McBain

Series: Dominick Trilogy books #2 and #3

Release Date: October 6, 2015

Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Chance the Winds of Fortune Synopsis

Lady Rhea Claire, kidnapped and shipped to the Colonies as an indentured servant, manages with wits and courage to escape…straight into the arms of a ruthless English pirate.

For all his worldly ways, Dante Leighton, Marquis of Jacqobi and captain of the Sea Dragon, never expected to discover his redemption

and his greatest treasure within the amethyst eyes of a beautiful English refugee.

Chance the Winds of Fortune Excerpt

Rhea blinked in disbelief. “What an insufferable man you are. And whether you are, as you would have me believe, a marquis, or whether you are a tinker, I would still find you the rudest, most vulgar individual I have ever had the misfortune to encounter.”

“I am impressed by this splendid show of ladylike disdain, feigned though it be, but well done nonetheless. But the light of truth has revealed you in my cabin. Now, how do you explain yourself out of that?”

Dante glanced down at the map, which was lying at his feet. “Since the map is still here, I must deduce that was not your intended object in stealing on board the Sea Dragon. Rather, you wanted to make my acquaintance. Perhaps you imagined that a marquis makes love differently from other men you have known. I assure you, except for my own personal preferences, I am no different from any other man.”

Dante eyed the girl up and down, noting with distaste her limp hair and dirty clothes, and guessed she was eighteen or older. Probably older to have so arrogant a demeanor and the derring-do to beard the lion in his den. But one thing was for certain, she was old enough to be held accountable for her misdeeds. She needed to be taught a sobering lesson, one that she would not soon forget, Dante decided, for he was in no mood tonight to show leniency to anyone. Besides, odds were, if she’d had a pistol tucked away somewhere, he would be lying dead at her dainty, secondhand shoes right now.

“So, you wish to get to know me better,” Dante commented. “You have been rather inept at engaging anything more than my displeasure thus far. If your scheme is to succeed, then you will have to make a few concessions to me. You should have taken more care to learn my likes and dislikes. I am a very particular fellow about whom I let into my bed. And right now, you haven’t a ghost of a chance to fulfill that wish of yours.” Dante was pleased to see an expression of concern passing across her grimy face.

“However, that can be remedied quite easily,” he continued. “I’ve never been one to stand in the way of another’s ambition, as long as it does not interfere with mine.” He sounded almost friendly, but Rhea was not deceived, for his painful grip on her wrists had not lessened.

“Either you are hard of hearing or extremely obtuse,” Rhea declared furiously. “I despise the very sight of you and would find the burning fires of hell preferable to sharing a bed with you. I do not care if you have an arm’s length of titles to your wretched name, whatever that might be. All I desire is to get off this ship, and away from you.”

“Ah, come now, no more protestations against sharing my bed, for we both know how hollow they are,” Dante responded easily. His smile was forced, though, for this insolent chit had a way with words that cut deeply into a man’s self-esteem, and his had already been inflicted with a few jabs of late.

Dante’s gaze clashed with the violet eyes that were glowing with hatred of him, and he resented the fact that such beauty should belong to a dirty little street urchin, who would spit in his face if she thought she could get away with it unscathed. Her contempt for him was visible in every quivering ounce of her, and yet she was the one who had set out to entrap and deceive him. He was the one with the grievances, although to look at her one would think she had been the victim of foul play.

Dante allowed his eyes to linger on the contours of her face for a moment longer, a moment which seemed endless to Rhea. Then he smiled, and it was a strangely beautiful smile in spite of its coldness. Abruptly, he released her wrists, picked up the map, and walked away from her.

Dark Before the Rising Sun Synopsis

Newly-wed, Lady Rhea Claire and Dante Leighton must return to England, where their reception is anything but warm.

Now armed with wealth and power, Dante is a target for the murderous smugglers who despoiled his family home, while Rhea’s father, the powerful Duke of Camareigh, vehemently rejects their marriage.

The two lovers thought themselves invincible together. But in the riveting conclusion of McBain’s epic trilogy, Dante’s determination to reclaim his family seat and Rhea’s desperation to win over her father threaten to cause an insurmountable rift that could break them apart forever.

About the Author

Laurie McBain became a publishing phenomenon at age twenty-six with her first historical romance. She is a winner of the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Historical Romance Author. All of her romances were bestsellers, selling over 11 million copies. Laurie’s books have been out of print for over 5 years.

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