Synopsis

Orphaned and blind seven-year-old Callie has a service animal – a goat with extraordinary powers.

Ben Hemoth is a down-on-his luck news reporter facing prison. Needing to save his job and his reputation, he teams up with Venus, a young seductress caught up with a teenage drug gang.

When a mysterious letter arrives detailing a top-secret investigative operation, Ben and Venus think they’ve found their chance for redemption. The mission? Investigate a goat.

In exchange for an extravagant paycheck, Ben and Venus must piece together the wild rumors swirling around Callie, her supernatural goat, and a possible UFO visit.

Piers Anthony’s Service Goat is an extraordinary tale rich with adventure, extraterrestrial visitors, secrecy, dangerous governmental operations, and the classic hints of mischief that readers have come to expect and love from the New York Times bestselling author of the Xanth series.

Praise

A note from Editor-in-Chief, Kristi King-Morgan:

This was such a fun book to work on! I’m a life-long fan of Piers Anthony, and am honored to have now a total of three of his titles in print here at Dreaming Big, with more to come! This cover design was especially fun. Piers was set on the goat being a particular breed – a Toggenburg. I learned more about goats than I ever thought I needed to know while helping my cover designer come up with the perfect image to capture the essence of this book. It was harder than I thought it would be – an alien goat (and not just any goat – a Toggenburg), and a young, blind, blonde girl.

I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I did.

Synopsis

On his 50th birthday, recently divorced male model Dane Vanderbrouk, is struck by a peculiar affliction. If he remains still for too long, he falls back in time. If he moves too fast, he’ll travel forward. And, when you’re a time traveler the world is an immutable place. Every action vanishes with each jump in time.

Chased by an assassin from the future through the narrow streets of Amsterdam, Dane is thrust into a war where shaping the future means changing the past.

Fast paced action, unexpected twists, and an eclectic cast of characters will pull you into a world where impressions matter, but only an action of consequence can change the future.

Time travel has a new speed, and adventure in a new series.

Excerpt

NEW YORK, 2070

Tonja dropped the sheer white fabric over her face. She’d always thought the veil was meant to hide the fear from the attendees who’d come to witness this special moment. But now that she was the one looking out from behind the porous fabric, she realized the ceremonial costume was designed to calm the fears of the honoree. The world appeared benevolent and calm. Soothing.

As she walked down the hallway toward the altar, she began to hear music. Soft strings and bass notes accented by a subtle melody. The music underscored the rhythmic percussion of seven swords stabbing a large stone altar. The music transformed the violent actions into something beautiful. The air smelled of lilacs and vanilla, scents that brought with them happy childhood memories.

When she arrived in the room—the room that was to be her casket—she scanned the faces of her friends. Institutional companions, really. People she’d come to know simply because they’d all been quarantined together for decades, ever since she was snatched up and taken to this place when she was twenty-five, the height of her youth. And now, on her fiftieth birthday, she was walking toward an altar, where she’d be strapped down and stabbed into oblivion, like thousands before her.

This was how it was done. It was best for society, they said, and more humane for the individual to be stabbed by seven men on the surface of a stone tablet.

Walking toward them, she observed their labors, metal sparking against stone, rhythmic stabs where she would soon lie. In a few short moments the men would stop their actions and allow Tonja to lie down and be strapped to the stone slab. It was that simple. If when the altar shifted she didn’t fall back in time, as they said she would, she would be unstrapped and set free. But in the event that she did travel back, her body would appear under the pointed blades she’d just witnessed in action. The kill would be quick.

Tonja had resigned herself to this fate after witnessing her first ceremony. The image haunted her. Seeing the body vanish from the altar the moment it moved, then having the memory of seeing the man gored by the rhythmic lunges of the swords minutes before. It was confusing, frightening, and magical.

She closed her eyes and imagined what the hard stone slab would feel like. How the leather straps would press against her skin. She was only moments from the experience itself, and yet she couldn’t help indulging the fantasy. Why did they use such heavy materials? Why stone and leather? And why stabbing? Why not fire? Or a bullet through the head? The questions were piling up inside her head. The most pressing of which was, why hadn’t she thought to ask these questions earlier?

Panic arrived like a clap of thunder: sudden, loud, and resonant. Her knees thrust forward, but her calves kept her balanced. She knew it was coming. She was seconds away. She had to get onto the altar immediately or… or, or, or… there was another option. The question wasn’t why the method of death, it was why the straps? They didn’t want her to run! But her desire to do so was overwhelming. So that was what she decided to do.

A pressure fell over her body just as she turned on her heels and sprinted away from the altar. The pressure vanished the moment she started moving. Emotion manifested in laughter. It was that easy! She ran down the corridor toward the exit. She just needed to keep moving. That was it. Keep moving. She could hear them screaming in the ceremonial room. Shouts of disapproval mixed with terrified cries.

Her body hit the door. The moment she stopped, the pressure consumed her again and was immediately replaced by dizzying spins. Everything was moving. Her world transformed. The door was locked. Her laughter dissolved into fear as she continued to try the immovable knob. She wasn’t going to escape through this door. She had to go back. She had no choice.

About the Author

Randy Anderson is a novelist and playwright. In 2011, he published his memoir, On Making Off. His second book, Careful, was released on May 1st 2014. He is currently working on a new time travel series as well as a literary trilogy. Plays he’s written include; New Year’s Resolutions, Homlessness Homosexuals and Heretics, Testing Average, Kill The President, Armor of Wills, and The Dwelling. If you want to know more, reach out! Randy currently lives in New York City where he writes, reasons, and reacts.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

 

 

 

Follow the Tour here

 

Kiss My Crown Cover Reveal

Releasing November 7th!

Synopsis

My name is Kate and I’m a princess. 
I had it all. Every little girl’s dream: Working as a princess in a theme park five days a week. Prince Charming and I really hit it off, until he hit every other princess in the park.
After beating him with his own sword I decided it was time to find a normal guy. I met one- or at least I thought I did. 
Now the princesses are snubbing me and the princes won’t even look at me. Worse, I’m about to be demoted to a fairy, which is like being sent to the seventh level of hell.
What do you do when the fairy tale ends?
When happily ever after sucks ass?

 

About the Author

Alexis Noelle lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her husband, and two kids. On top a writing career, she is a full-time student and a full-time mom. She loves spending time with her kids, although she has to hide the computer from them when she is writing! She loves being active and being outdoors, especially if it involves any kind of shopping.

She has always been passionate about writing. She loves to read romance books and feels like being able to lose yourself in a book is one of the more exciting aspects. The books she loves to read and write will be ones that make you feel for the characters. Alexis believes that you should have an opinion on every character in a book whether you love them, hate them, or think they are up to something.

She also believes that the most important critic is your reader, so she loves to hear from the readers. She wants her fans to be open & talk to her about what they want for the characters in the story, and what they would like to see happen.

Facebook * Twitter * Newsletter * Website * Goodreads * Amazon Author Page * Facebook Reader Group

 

 

GATHERING COURAGE

A Life-Changing Journey through Adoption, 

Adversity, and a Reading Disability

by

T.A. McMullin

Genre: Inspirational Memoir

Publisher: Gathering Courage Media

Date of Publication: January 19, 2016

Number of Pages: 222

Scroll down for Giveaway!

Why do some people find success despite hardships and others sink into a pit of despair?

Gathering Courage: A Life-Changing Journey through Adoption, Adversity, and a Reading Disability by T.A. “Terry” McMullin is the author’s incredible, award-winning memoir meant to inspire hope and encouragement to those who are going through tough times.

Terry dusted off the hurt from abandonment, rejection by her adoptive parents, dyslexia, shock of placement in a foster home, and a life-altering accident. Her faith and tenacity along with the internal desire to overcome is thought provoking as Terry worked her way through Texas A&M University. Terry’s life transformed from a broken-hearted child who could barely make out words in elementary school to a distinguished educator and writer who encourages young people to work hard and achieve their greatest aspirations.

Any reader who loves a true story with a Christian focus should definitely read this book. Learn about the special love for rescued animals and how they played a part in healing hurts and encouraging success.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Website (for signed copies)

PRAISE FOR GATHERING COURAGE

*North American Book Awards, 2015 Winner

“Gathering Courage is an American story filled with adversity, triumphs, heartbreaks, and great personal victory. . . I give this epic book five stars. I held my breath after every chapter and you will too! — Charmaine Carraway, writer for the HUFFINGTON POST

“Overall, this memoir is a testament to the endurance of the human spirit in the face of emotional and physical pain. The author consistently notes the need for love and encouragement when dealing with both people and animals as well as the necessity of prayer and thankfulness; it’s almost a rhythmic incantation in the text. Readers will feel as if they’re walking alongside McMullin as she tells her story and advises readers how they, too, can survive setbacks. — KIRKUS REVIEW

“Gathering Courage is a truly moving read that will touch many hearts and positively inspire them to touch the lives of others.” — Faridah Nassozi, READERS’ FAVORITE

Welcome and Thank  You to T. A. McMullin for stopping by and answering a few questions for our readers!

 

How has a reading disability influenced your life?

It created struggles and challenges but it taught me that failure is just a word. Failure sinks a lot of people and dissipates dreams and accomplishments.   Failure propelled me forward out of the sinking sand of dyslexia and adversity.

How has being from Texas influenced your writing?

I was born and raised in Texas, graduated from Texas A&M University, and belong to

The American Quarter Horse Association, The Mustang Heritage Foundation, and the All Border Collie Rescue which are all located in Texas.

Texas is just part of who I am, how I talk, how I dress, and where I’ll be.

In your book, you talk about your donkeys.  Can you tell us about their personalities? 

Jubilee and Hope Rose belonged to a friend of mine who, sad to say, developed cancer.  My friend loved her two donkeys and wanted them to stay together after she could no longer care for them.  So I promised my friend that I would care for them and that they would have a forever home with me.

Jubilee has an inquisitive personality and wants to know everything about everything.  If I am in the barn feeding, he wants to be in the barn with me.  Jubilee often will snatch an empty feed sack in his mouth, run out of the barn, and through the pasture with this bag flapping up and down.  He definitely has a way of gathering the attention of Hope Rose and the horses.  This attention sets Hope Rose off brazing and the horses standing at attention as they watch this miniature Sicilian donkey with huge, dark ears, on parade all by himself.

I read that you spent three and a half years writing your book before it was self-published. What kept you going?

“I proudly put my boots on everyday,” and I am a self-starter determined to accomplish the task at hand, and rejection is simply dust under my feet.

The years of writing were long and drawn out but the focus was steady.   Early morning hours from four to six, lunch breaks at work, late evening hours after the chores were done, weekends, and days off centered around thoughts and writing.

Brewing inside was a life-changing journey to tell the world and now it is available for the world to read.

What was it like when you finally got your book in print?

Reality hit when I was a North American Book Awards winner in 2015 with a proof copy with lots of corrections to be made.  The mistakes were corrected, and five star reviews began to come in.  At that point, I knew deep within that Gathering Courage was a good book and the mission of making life better was on the launching pad.

Tell us about your hobbies.

As the reader will discover, I am connected to the land as a farmer and rancher. I provide a forever home for horses, donkeys, and a crew of rescued border collie dogs.   This is more than a hobby to me; it is a calling and a passion.

I have a small leather workshop at home and I enjoy tooling and making items out of leather. I have had the opportunity to learn under the best of the master leather crafters and saddle makers.  When time permits, I hone my skills and give away most of what I make.

How did your dog, Rocky, help students to read?

Rocky encouraged a group of first grade students who were struggling to read. In their classroom, these students would sit on the floor with a big pillow and read to Rocky. He would either lie in a student’s lap or on the pillow itself. He helped to build confidence in each one of them, as they would read to him without hesitation. Their skills may not have been perfect, but Rocky never corrected them or read for them. He simply listened and encouraged the slightest try.   The classroom teachers and I enjoyed seeing the progress that was made every time Rocky met with his young friends.

Rocky was once abandoned and left in an animal shelter with no pedigree. He won the Best Practice Award at our local Regional Educational Service Center for his efforts in helping dyslexia students learn to read. The school administration recognized Rocky as a valuable tool in motivating students with dyslexia to overcome their fear of reading. Hanging on the wall in the administration office of my school district is an eleven by seventeen picture of a first grade student reading to Rocky.

Rocky proved that even a dog can make a difference.

 

Award winning Gathering Courage author, T. A. “Terry” McMullin, knows as well as anyone that hard times are a part of the journey of life.

Terry was born in an orphanage, then adopted, and made a foster child by her parents.  Because Terry struggled with reading, comprehension, and spelling, she was placed in a foster home at the age of nine.  As a child in the 1960s, hardly 
anyone recognized the learning issues related to dyslexia. The struggle to learn continued through high school.

From her deep faith in the Lord, Terry developed an internal desire to excel, no matter the obstacle, no matter the situation. Pushing adversity and a reading disability aside, Terry enrolled in college. While attending college and working full-time, Terry taught herself how to read and study.  With pure grit and determination, Terry succeeded and earned  Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Texas A&M University.

At crucial points in her life, Terry found people who showed her unconditional love and encouragement. Terry gained gratification, emotional, and spiritual support from working with horses and dogs. The encouragement from others made Terry’s life better so she vowed to be a champion for others who needed help.

Terry lives on a small ranch in Texas, a forever home, with her horses, donkeys, and rescued border collie dogs.

Website * Gathering Courage Facebook
Katie Lynn’s Courage Facebook * Amazon Author Page

 

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!
SEVEN SIGNED COPIES! 

 

(US ONLY) 

October 3 – October 17, 2016

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other blogs on the tour

10/3	Review	It’s a Jenn World
10/4	Author Interview	Hall Ways Blog
10/5	Review	Country Girl Bookaholic
10/6	Excerpt	Margie’s Must Reads
10/7	Review	Forgotten Winds
10/8	Guest Post	My Book Fix Blog
10/9	Promo	Momma On The Rocks
10/10	Author Interview	StoreyBook Reviews
10/11	Review	Blogging for the Love of Authors and Their Books
10/12	Excerpt	Byers Editing Reviews & Blog
10/13	Guest Post	Books and Broomsticks
10/14	Review	Reading By Moonlight
10/15	Author Interview	A Novel Reality
10/16	Promo	Syd Savvy
10/17	Review	The Page Unbound

Blog tour services provided by

Crepe Factor (A Scrapbooking Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
14th in Series
Berkley (October 4, 2016)
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425266700
E-Book ASIN: B01AHKY37I

Synopsis

The Winter Market in the French Quarter is in full swing, but murder isn’t taking a holiday in the latest from the New York Times bestselling author of Parchment and Old Lace…

The holidays are a busy time for scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand—but not so hectic that she doesn’t have time to enjoy browsing the booths at the Winter Market with her best friend Ava. The last thing the ladies expect to see is a lurching man stabbed by a serving fork, dying in front of them.

The victim is loathed restaurant critic Martin Lash, who posted his scathing reviews on the Glutton for Punishment website. And the prime suspect is New Orleans restauranteur Quigg Brevard—who was seen giving the critic a tongue-lashing minutes before someone stuck a fork in him. An old flame of Carmela, Quigg asks for her help, which does not please her current beau, Detective Edgar Babcock, to say the least.

Before her relationship is the next victim, Carmela needs to find a murderer who had no reservations about punishing the culinary curmudgeon…

Scrapbooking tips and recipes included!

About the Authors

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fund raising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Webpage * Facebook

Short-listed twice for The Best American Mystery Stories, Terrie Farley Moran is delighted to introduce mystery fans to the Read ’Em and Eat café and bookstore, which debuted with Well Read, Then Dead. followed by Caught Read-Handed and Read to Death released in July of this year.  The only thing Terrie enjoys more than wrangling mystery plots into submission is playing games and reading stories with any or all of her grandchildren.

Facebook * Blog * Goodreads

 

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other great blogs on this tour

October 3 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, INTERVIEW

October 3 – Cinnamon, Sugar and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW

October 3 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

October 4 – A Holland Reads – REVIEW

October 4 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT

October 5 – Celticlady’s Reviews – REVIEW

October 5 – The Power of Words – REVIEW

October 6 – I Wish I Lived in a Library – REVIEW

October 6 – Sleuth Cafe – SPOTLIGHT

October 7 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

October 7 – The Girl with Book Lungs – SPOTLIGHT

October 8 – Shelley’s Book Case – REVIEW

October 8 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW

October 9 – A Blue Million Books – INTERVIEW

October 10 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

October 10 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 11 – MysteriesEtc – REVIEW

October 11 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

October 12 – Grace. Gratitude. Life. by Marie McNary – REVIEW

October 12 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST

October 13 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – REVIEW

October 13 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

October 14 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW

October 14 – deal sharing aunt – SPOTLIGHT

October 15 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST

October 15 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 16 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

October 16 – Booklady’s. Booknotes – REVIEW

The Book Club Murders: The Oakwood Mystery Series
Cozy Mystery
New Series
Publisher: Alibi (September 27, 2016)
224 Pages
E-Book ASIN: B01A4ATX9E

Synopsis

In a charming cozy mystery series debut, Leslie Nagel’s irrepressible small-town heroine finds that her fellow mystery book club members may be taking their Agatha Christie a bit too literally—and murder a bit too lightly.

Charley Carpenter has poured heart and soul into her clothing store, Old Hat Vintage Fashions. She’ll do anything to make it a success—even join the stuffy Agathas Book Club in order to cultivate customers among the wealthy elite of Oakwood, Ohio.

Although mixing with the most influential women in town has its advantages, Charley finds the endless gossip a high price to pay. But after two women with close ties to the Agathas are brutally murdered, everyone falls under threat—and suspicion. When key evidence indicates that both murders are the work of the same hand, Charley realizes that the killer has arranged each corpse in perfect imitation of crime scenes from the Club’s murder mystery reading list. She uses her membership in the Club to convince Detective Marcus Trenault to use her as an inside informant. Not that he could stop her anyway.

Intelligent, fearless, and every bit as stubborn as Marc is, Charley soon learns the Agathas aren’t the only ones with secrets to protect. Passions explode as she and Marc must race against time to prevent another murder. And if Charley’s not careful, she may find herself becoming the killer’s next plot twist.

Kobo –  Ibooks

Review

Before i get into my review, I am going to state I do not think this is a cozy. It is on the fringes, but had a few F* bombs, there was sex that was sort of behind closed doors (perhaps a smidge more explicit than you would normally find) and just didn’t read like one to me.

Despite that, the book is good and I did not suspect the right person as the killer. We are led down some paths that don’t lead to the killer (but the author does a great job of letting you think that person might be the one!) . I liked the premise of the book club trying to solve the murder, or at least a few of them. Of course i liked that the book club read only mysteries in tribute to Agatha Christie since that is my favorite genre.

There is a budding romance between Marc and Charley (Charlotte), but they have their moments showing their true selves to each other. Marc is jealous of the relationship between his mom & Charley and Charley’s dad before her passing. Charley has her own issues too.

Overall a good book and worth reading.  We give it 3 paws up.

About the Author

Leslie Nagel is a writer and teacher of writing at a local community college. Her debut novel, “The Book Club Murders”, is the first in the Oakwood Mystery Series. Leslie lives in the all too real city of Oakwood, Ohio, where murders are rare but great stories lie thick on the ground. After the written word, her passions include her husband, her son and daughter, hiking, tennis and strong black coffee, not necessarily in that order.

Webpage * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

 

 

 

Check out the other blogs on this tour

September 26 – Island Confidential – GUEST POST

September 26 – The Cozy Mystery Journal – REVIEW

September 27 – Nadaness In Motion – REVIEW

September 27 – My Funny View of Life – REVIEW

September 28 – The Ninja Librarian – REVIEW, GUEST POST

September 28 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT

September 29 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

September 29 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW

September 30 – The Power of Words – REVIEW

September 30 – Teresa Trent Author Site – REVIEW

October 1 –  Sleuth Cafe – REVIEW

October 1 – A Blue Million Books – INTERVIEW

October 2 – Shelley’s Book Case – REVIEW

October 2 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

October 3 – Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

October 3 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

October 4 – Books, Movies, Reviews. Oh my! – REVIEW

October 4 – Ashleyz Wonderland – REVIEW

October 5 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

October 5 – Book Babble – REVIEW – unable to post due to injury.

October 6 – Author Annette Drake’s blog – INTERVIEW

October 6 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

October 7 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – REVIEW

October 7 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

October 8 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 8 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW, GUEST POST

October 9 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW

October 9 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

Synopsis

He was her hero,

But one wrong move ended their future before it could begin.

Now he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe,

Even if that means turning against one of his own.

As a member of the Field County Sheriff’s Department, Chris Jennings is used to having it rough. The Colorado Rockies aren’t for the weak-of-spirit, but he’s devoted his life to upholding the law—and to protecting the one woman he knows he can never have. He’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

Daisy Little has lived in agoraphobic terror for over eight years. Trapped within a prison of her own making, she watches time pass through her bedroom window. Daisy knows she’ll never be a part of the world…until the day she becomes the sole witness of a terrible crime that may finally tear the Search & Rescue brotherhood apart for good.

Amazon * iBooks * B&N

Excerpt

It was worse than she’d expected.

“None?” she asked.

“No fresh boot prints anywhere around the perimeter of the house,” Sheriff Coughlin confirmed.

“It was windy last night. Maybe the drifting snow filled in the prints?” Even before she finished speaking, the sheriff was shaking his head.

“With the warm temperatures we’ve been having, the snow is either frozen or wet and heavy. If someone had walked through that yard last night, there would’ve been prints.”

Daisy hid her wince at his words, even though they hit as hard as an elbow to the gut, and struggled to keep her voice firm. “There was someone walking around the outside of that house last night, Sheriff. I don’t know why there aren’t any boot prints, but I definitely saw someone.”

He was giving her that look again, but it was worse, because she saw a thread of pity mixed in with the condescension. “Have you given more thought to starting therapy again?”

The question surprised her. “Not really. What does that have to do…?” As comprehension dawned, a surge of rage shoved out her bewilderment. “I didn’t imagine that I saw someone last night. There really was a person there, looking in the side window.”

All her protest did was increase the pity in his expression. “It must get lonely here by yourself.”

“I’m not making things up to get attention!” Her voice had gotten shrill, so she took a deep breath. “I even said there was no need for you to get involved. I only suggested one of the on-duty deputies drive past to scare away the kid.”

“Ms. Little.” His tone made it clear that impatience had drowned out any feelings of sympathy. “Physical evidence doesn’t lie. No one was in that yard last night.”

“I know what I saw.”

The sheriff took a step closer. Daisy hated how she had to crane her neck back to look at him. It made her feel so small and vulnerable. “Do you really?” he asked. “Eyewitness accounts are notoriously unreliable.  Even people without your issues misinterpret what they see all the time. The brain is a tricky thing.”

Daisy set her jaw as she stared back at the sheriff, fighting the urge to step back, to retreat from the man looming over her. There had been someone there, footprints or no footprints. She couldn’t start doubting what she’d witnessed the night before. If she did, then that meant she’d gone from mildly, can’t-leave-the-house crazy, to the kind of crazy that involved hallucinations, medications, and institutionalization. There had to be some other explanation, because she wasn’t going to accept that. Not when her life was getting so much better.

She could tell by looking at his expression that she wasn’t going to convince Coughlin of anything. “Thank you for checking on it, Sheriff. I promise not to bother you again.”

Although he kept his face impassive, his eyes narrowed slightly. “If you…see anything else, Ms. Little, please call me.”

That wasn’t going to happen, especially when he put that meaningful pause in front of “see” that just screamed “delusional.” Trying to mask her true feelings, she plastered on a smile and turned her body toward the door in a not-so-subtle hint for him to leave. “Of course.”

Apparently, she needed some lessons in deception, since the sheriff frowned, unconvinced. Daisy met his eyes with as much calmness as she could muster, dropping the fake smile because she could feel it shifting into manic territory. She’d lost enough credibility with the sheriff as it was.

The silence stretched until Daisy wanted to run away and hide in a closet, but she managed to continue holding his gaze. The memory of Chris telling her about the sheriff using his “going to confession” stare-down on suspects helped her to stay quiet.

Finally, Coughlin turned toward the door. Daisy barely managed to keep her sigh of relief silent.

“Ms. Little,” he said with a short nod, which she returned.

“Sheriff.”

Only when he was through the doorway with the door locked behind him did Daisy’s knees start to shake.

About the Author

When she’s not writing, KATIE RUGGLE rides horses, shoots guns, and travels to warm places where she can SCUBA dive. Graduating from the Police Academy, Katie received her ice-rescue certification and can attest that the reservoirs in the Colorado Mountains really are that cold. While she still misses her off-the-grid, solar- and wind-powered house in the Rocky Mountains, she now lives in Rochester, Minnesota near her family.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest 

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Masking for Trouble (A Costume Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Berkley (October 4, 2016)
ISBN-13: 978-0425278291
E-Book ASIN: B01AHKXIHY

Synopsis

Halloween brings more tricks than treats for costume shop owner Margo Tamblyn in the second in a new cozy series from the national bestselling author of the Material Witness Mysteries.

Halloween conjures up big business for Margo Tamblyn’s costume shop, Disguise DeLimit, but this year, the holiday comes knocking with serious trouble. Venture capitalist Paul Haverford plans to rezone historic downtown into a glitzy commercial area which would push out local business. Margo is set on saving her family’s store, especially after a nasty run-in with the chain-store tycoon, but after Haverford’s body is discovered during a spooky party at the derelict Alexandria Hotel, Margo finds herself dressed as the police’s prime suspect.

Anxious to clear her name, Margo begins hunting down anyone who might have wanted Haverford dead. Between all of his malicious maneuverings, the murdered mogul had buckets of people anxious to see him gone. Now, Margo will have to use every trick in the book to find a cloaked killer—before someone else winds up wearing a death shroud…

Review

I am so loving this series! This is only the 2nd book but I hope there are many more to come. I love the costume shop and that Margo dresses in costumes every day. Just adds a quirky flair to the story line, but that is something the author is good at as I have seen this in her other books.

The mystery itself threw me for a loop and my jaw dropped when the killer was revealed. Totally did not see that one coming. I don’t even think I had a clue as to who to even suspect.

Margo has a secret romance going with Tak that she met in the first book. They are keeping the relationship on the down-lo, and this is not necessarily a good thing because it causes a lot of miscommunication between them. Hopefully they figure it out!

We give this 5 paws up!

About the Author

I’m a former fashion buyer turned mystery writer, trading fashion accessories for accessories to murder. I was bit by the mystery bug as a kid reading Trixie Belden, Connie Blair, and The Three Investigators. Now I’m writing three series: the Style & Error Mysteries, the Mad for Mod Mysteries,  Material Witness Mysteries, and the new Costume Shop Cozy Mysteries!

The Material Witness mysteries feature Polyester Monroe, who inherits the fabric shop where she was born. Books include SUEDE TO REST  and CRUSHED VELVET . The third, SILK STALKINGS,  will be out in August 2016.

The Style & Error Series features former fashion buyer turned amateur sleuth Samantha Kidd. Books in that series include DESIGNER DIRTY LAUNDRY ; BUYER, BEWARE ; THE BRIM REAPER ; and SOME LIKE IT HAUTE . (A short story, “Just Kidding ,” tells the story of how Samantha first met shoe designer Nick Taylor). Book 5, GRAND THEFT RETRO, will be out in 2016.

The Madison Night Mysteries feature a modern day interior decorator who specializes in midcentury design (studying Doris Day movies to get the look right). Books are PILLOW STALK,THAT TOUCH OF INK , and WITH VICS YOU GET EGGROLL . A prequel novella, “Midnight Ice,” can be found in OTHER PEOPLE’S BAGGAGE .

The new Costume Shop Cozy Mysteries feature former magician’s assistant Margo Tamblyn who has come home to run her family’s costume chop. A Disguise to Die For was released February 2, 2016 and Masking for Trouble will be released October 4.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other blogs on this tour

October 2:  MysteriesEtc  – REVIEW

October 2:  Community Bookstop – REVIEW*

October 3:  Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW*

October 3:  Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW

October 4:  A Holland Reads – REVIEW*

October 4:  Fuonlyknew – SPOTLIGHT

October 5:  Brooke Blogs – REVIEW*

October 5:  I Wish I Lived in a Library – REVIEW

October 6:  3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – REVIEW*

October 6:  Jane Reads – REVIEW

October 7:  Back Porchervations – REVIEW*

October 7:  StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

October 8:  The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW

October 8: The Broke Book Bank – REVIEW

October 9:  The Girl with Book Lungs – SPOTLIGHT

October 9:  Lisa Ks Book Reviews  – REVIEW

October 10:  Grace. Gratitude. Life. By Marie McNary – REVIEW*

October 10:  View From The Birdhouse – REVIEW*

October 11:  Books, Movies, Reviews. Oh my!  – REVIEW

October 11:  Celticlady’s Reviews  – SPOTLIGHT

October 12:  Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW

October 12:  Reading Authors – REVIEW*

October 13:  Shelley’s Book Case – REVIEW*

October 13:  T’s Stuff – REVIEW

October 13:  LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW

October 14:  Laura’s interests – REVIEW

October 14:  Melina’s Book Blog –  REVIEW*

October 15:  Book Babble – REVIEW

October 15:  The Power of Words – REVIEW

Dandelion Dead: A Natural Remedies Mystery
Cozy Mystery
Pocket Books (September 27, 2016)
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages

Synopsis

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

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

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

Amazon – B&N – IndieBound

Guest Post

The Pleasures & Health Benefits of Organic Wine
By Chrystle Fiedler

In Dandelion Dead, the fourth book in my natural remedies series, Simon Lewis, a very successful TV producer and ex-BF of Willow McQuade, has decided to open an organic winery. He bought the vineyard, Pure. with David Farmer, a talented winemaker and his wife, Ivy Lord who manages the tasting room. Pure is next door to Willow’s boyfriend Jackson Spade who is now running a much needed animal sanctuary.

The North Fork of Long Island where I live – head East from NYC and keep going for 2 hours and you’ll find it — and where the natural remedies book series takes place, has become a mecca for wine makers and wine lovers. What makes Pure special is that Simon, David and Ivy have turned it into an organic, sustainable winery using biodynamic methods and native yeast, powered only by wind and sun. No sulfites, or genetically engineered yeast or yeast nutrients.

It seems that Willow inspired Simon to go natural, and the benefits are worth it. In fact, new research out of UC Davis shows that organic fruits and berries have up to fifty-eight percent higher natural antioxidants than nonorganic do.

As Willow says to him:

“Organic farming is really just so much better for the earth and for people,” I said. “I’m proud of you for going in this direction, Simon.”

Out here, only a few vineyards have gone organic. One of the most successful is Shinn Estate Vineyards and Farmhouse owned by Barbara Shinn and David Page, and was my inspiration for Pure. The Shinn wines have been praised across the country by publications including the New York Times, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Food and Wine and Bon Appetit. Fodor’s was so impressed that it named Shinn Estate Vineyards as one of the top 6 Great American Wine Country Harvest Getaways.

In the fall, when Dandelion Dead takes place, all of our vineyards are especially busy as lots of people both locally, and the surrounding area, take a trip to taste and purchase wine. I have my eye on a bottle of 2015 First Fruit Sauvignon Blanc from the Shinn Estate Vineyards. At $22, it’s an affordable, treat! I like to sip wine in my backyard while sitting in my Adirondack chair as the sun begins to set and read a cozy mystery!

In Dandelion Dead, I’ve tried to make wine talk as authentic as possible, while weaving it into the mystery. This scene, where David Farmer talks about the history of winemaking is a good example: 

By eight o’clock David had already covered gravity-fed winemaking, and how natural vineyard yeast fermentation worked, and was finishing up with the barrel-aging of wine. He walked over to the barrels that were stacked along the wall.

“Oak is an essential aspect of winemaking—from the type of barrel that is used to the size, age, grain, and treatment of the oak barrel, it all affects the way the finished wine tastes. And we have the Romans to thank for this.

“Before this, way back to the ancient Egyptians, clay amphorae were used to store and transport wine.” He pulled out his phone and pulled up a photo of an ancient clay pot and showed it to the crowd. “But as the Roman Empire marched north into Europe this process didn’t work so well. But then they met the Gauls, who used oak barrels to transport their beer.” David’s phone rang.

“Excuse, me.” David flipped a toggle. “Sorry, I should have put that on vibrate.”

The crowd laughed.

“Back to the Gauls. Now, not only was the oak tree easy to find in Europe, oak was softer, easier, and faster to bend, and waterproof because of the tighter grain. It also made the wine taste much better, giving it a smoother texture and imparting accents of spices like cloves and cinnamon, and flavors such as vanilla. The longer the wine remained in the barrels, the better it tasted. This fact transformed the way wine was made and enjoyed. Any questions?” David went to put the phone into his pocket, but something stopped him.

“What do you do to give Pure’s wine a distinctive flavor?”

David kept staring at the screen.

Finally Simon said, “David?”

“Uh, I can’t give away all of our secrets.” David handed the phone to Scott Peters, his bodyguard, who stood behind him. “But I can tell you that the principles used by the Romans are very much in use today, but I don’t know why someone is doing this. . . .” David stepped back.

“Let’s go,” Peters said, and took David by the arm and led him toward the door.

*          *          *          *          *

Now you’re wondering what happens next right? Well, you’ll have to get a copy of Dandelion Dead to find out! As you can see, I think that a glass of wine and a new book make for a very nice break from the everyday! I’ll see you in the wine aisle!

About the Author

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

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads * Pinterest

 

 

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Participants

September 26 – A Holland Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST

September 26 – Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

September 27 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

September 28 – Booth Talks Books – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

September 29 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW

September 30 – deal sharing aunt – INTERVIEW

October 1 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

October 2 – Author Annette Drake’s blog – SPOTLIGHT

October 3 – Island Confidential – GUEST POST

October 4 – LibriAmoriMiei – REVIEW

October 4 – Cozy Up With Kathy – INTERVIEW

October 5 – The Girl with Book Lungs – REVIEW, EXCERPT

October 5 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 6 – StoreyBook Reviews –  GUEST POST

October 7 – Booklady’s Booknotes – REVIEW, GUEST POST

October 7 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT

October 8 – Bibliophile Reviews –  REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 9 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW

October 9 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

Synopsis

Cursed with a terrible gift…

Criminal investigator Xander Stone doesn’t have to question you—he can hear your thoughts. Scarred by lightning, burdened with a power that gives him no peace, Xander struggles to maintain his sanity against the voice that haunts him day and night—the voice of a woman begging him to save her.

A gift that threatens to engulf them

Isleen Walker has long since given up hope of escape from the nightmare of captivity and torture that is draining her life, her mind, and her soul. Except…there is the man in her feverish dreams, the strangely beautiful man who beckons her to freedom and wholeness. And when he comes, if he comes, it will take all their combined fury and faith to overcome a madman bent on fulfilling a deadly prophecy.

Amazon * B&N * ibooks

Excerpt

 

Death twined around Isleen Walker’s body, whispering over her naked flesh, coiling around her heart and lungs, hugging the last sparks of life from her. Twenty-five years of being alive distilled down to a wish. A wish that death would hurry up and grant her its promised relief.

“I’m dying.” She tried to warn Gran, but the words came out quieter than a breath. Her gaze roamed the room—their prison for the past eight years. It was just big enough to contain her and Gran and an overflowing waste bucket, but now it felt too small, too fragile to contain Isleen. Soon she would transcend this space, and no matter what Queen did, she wouldn’t be able to tether Isleen here.

Gran slept, face tucked into the corner. Safety was an illusion—beating after beating had proven that fact—but still, they always gravitated to the corners. Gran’s once-supple flesh sagged from her bones. Her spine protruded sharply in a pathetic row of spikes.

“…tobesaved. Not die.…protectordiedtoo?” Gran spoke in a smear of barely distinguishable words. She’d been a sleep-talker for as long as Isleen could remember—even before they’d been abducted.

She used to wake Gran from her dreams, but had long since decided it was a mercy to let her stay inside them for as long as they hosted her. Maybe in her dreams, Gran still possessed her wits and all her faculties, and lived somewhere beautiful where nothing bad ever happened.

Footsteps pounded down the hall and stopped outside the door. The sound of the key in the lock scraped across Isleen’s heart. Was today going to be a feeding day, a beating day, or a bleeding day? It didn’t really matter. It was too late for food; a beating would finish her off; and she had no more blood to give. But there was Gran—

The door rasped open. Queen. Always Queen and only Queen ever entered their prison. If ever a name didn’t fit a person, it was hers. Nothing about her was royal or regal. She was no whimsical fairy-tale ruler; she was a twenty-first-century reality. A simple-minded, delusional woman who took pleasure in domination and torture. Under a different set of circumstances, Queen would have been passing her days in a psychiatric hospital, medicated to the point of drooling.

Without even looking, Isleen could smell Queen’s stench. Cigarette smoke so stale and foul and thick that Isleen could taste the bite of it in her mouth, feel the burn of it in her eyes. The pungency of flesh that hadn’t been washed in years snuffed out the oxygen in the air.

Queen kicked her in the thigh. “The Dragon has not yet died.”

A small gasp, not of pain, but of being startled escaped Isleen’s throat. For as long as they’d been held captive, Queen had referred to her as the Dragon.

Queen cleared her throat. Mucus snapped and rattled. She hawked up a wad of nasty and spit it on the floor. “King decreed that if the Dragon shall linger—”

“You will suffer for everything you’ve done.” Gran crawled out of the corner on all fours. “Her protector is on his way.”

Queen’s hunched shoulders straightened. “I am your Queen. Bow before me.” It was all a part of Queen’s delusional mind—she was a queen and they were her subjects and the objects of her torture. Especially Isleen.

Gran didn’t bow, didn’t move, didn’t understand.

“You will be punished.” Queen opened and closed a giant pair of scissors. Shkk. Shkk. Shkk.

Dread burned a hole through Isleen’s shrunken stomach. “It’s not her fault. She doesn’t understand.” She tried to move, but her body was too weak, her limbs too emaciated.

“Your Majesty, I am sorry. I have committed the gravest of errors.” Gran executed a bow of supplication, arms spread out, forehead to the floor. “Please accept my humble apology and know that I will never again speak in such a manner to one as powerful as you.” Before Gran had lost her mind, she’d been fluent in kiss-up-to-the-fake-queen language.

Gran must be having a rare moment of clarity.

“Very well. I grant you a pardon. Know this—though I am a merciful queen, I will not tolerate such treasonous behavior again.” She pointed a fat, stubby finger at Gran. “You have been warned.”

Gran kept her pose. Good decision.

Queen turned her grotesque gaze to Isleen. She went through the same disgusting process of clearing her throat and then spoke as if she were making a proclamation. “King has decreed that on the sixth day, if the Dragon shall linger, I am to thrust my sword into its side.”

Thrust my sword into its side. Isleen understood Queen’s words; she just didn’t fear them. No matter what Queen did to her now, it would be nothing—absolutely nothing—compared to the agony of living. A calmness nestled into her bones, curled up in her guts.

Gran lifted her face from the floor and challenged Queen’s authority by looking directly at her. “You don’t have the power to kill her.” Insanity warped Gran’s tone.

Queen’s attention snapped to Gran. “You were warned. Now, you shall be executed.”

Isleen thrust words from her heart, words she’d always wanted to speak but never dared until now, when she needed to divert Queen’s attention away from Gran. “You’re not a queen. You’re psychotic. You’re a bitch. You’re evil and stupid and mean. And…and…you smell bad.”

Queen’s wide-spaced eyes nearly bulged out of her block-shaped head. Her fat lips snarled back, revealing teeth so neglected they were the same color and texture as Fritos. She switched her grip on the scissors, fisting the handle, and stabbed the blades at Isleen.

She watched the scissors descend, heard the whisper and swish of them piercing her flesh. Felt only a vague pressure and presence of something foreign inside her body. Smelled sweetness in the air and tasted salt on her tongue.

Queen yanked the scissors from Isleen’s body and held them up. Blood dripped from the blades, sending red streamers down Queen’s doughy arm.

Warmth oozed from Isleen’s side, the heat comforting her cold skin.

“Tomorrow, if you are still alive—off with your head!”

Gran waited until Queen locked them back in the room, then scooted next to Isleen. There were no bandages, no cloths, no tissues. Nothing to stop the bleeding.

“Hold on, baby girl. Just hold on. He’s coming. He’s got to be coming. He will release you. Save you.” The worst of Gran’s mental breakdown was the delusion that someone would find them. In Isleen’s most desperate of moments, she had allowed herself to believe Gran. Not anymore.

“Your dreams will come true. All of them. Remember the dreams about him. How you loved him and he loved you. Remember the dreams of sunshine on your face and the cabin you shared. Remember…”

There was nothing to remember. It had just been dreams. Silly dreams. No more powerful than Gran’s sleep-talking.

You’re not coming. You’re not going to save me. Because you don’t exist. Never have. I believed in you. Thought you must be real—Gran swore you were. But you were nothing more than hope’s fatal dream. We’re going to die, and no one other than Queen will ever remember we existed.

A rainbow of colors swelled in front of her eyes. Colors she hadn’t seen in years. Colors so brilliant and bright and beautiful that her eyes watered. Death was an alluring kaleidoscope.

 

 

About the Author

By day, ABBIE ROADS is a mental health professional known for her blunt, honest style of therapy. By night she writes dark emotional novels, always giving her characters the happy ending she wishes for all her clients. Her novels have been finalists in RWA contests, including the Golden Heart. She lives with her family in Marion, OH.

Website * Twitter * Goodreads