Moon Games
Cozy Mystery/Amateur Sleuth
Milford House Press (August 6, 2018)
Paperback: 264 pages

Synopsis

At the outset, Miranda Davis has nothing much going for her. The tourists are long gone by October in the quaint Carolina town of Black Mountain, her realty business is at a standstill, and her weekend stint managing the local tavern offers little to pull her out of the doldrums. When prominent church lady Cloris Raintree offers a stipend to look into the whereabouts of a missing girl hiker on the Q.T, Miranda, along with her partner Harry (an unemployed features writer) agree.

But then it all backfires. A burly figure shambles down a mountain slope with a semi-conscious girl draped over his shoulder. Miranda’s attempts to uncover Cloris Raintree’s true motives become near impossible as she puts up one smokescreen after another, including a slip of the tongue regarding an incident in Havana. The local police keep stonewalling and Harry is of little help.

Tarot cards left on Cloris’ doorstep and arcane prompts on her e-mail only exacerbate the situation. Growing more desperate over the captive girl’s fate, Miranda comes across a link to a cold case of arson and murder. With the advent of the dark of the moon, she is summoned to “Tower Time” as this twisty tale continues to run its course.

Review

You might want to have a notepad handy when reading this book!  The characters move at warp speed and the information hits you like a runaway locomotive.

This is the first book I have read by this author and the book took some time for me to get into the groove.  When I first started reading this book I wasn’t really sure what was going on or why Miranda and Harry were looking for this missing girl.  There were many pieces to the puzzle and it was hard to determine what clue went where and who did what which is why the reader might need a notebook or whiteboard to keep track like Miranda and Harry.

Miranda is the protagonist with quite a varied background.  She is a realtor, manages a tavern, and plays detective in her spare time.  I think she is a bit scattered which is why she needs a whiteboard to keep track of it all.  I’m not quite sure why she isn’t telling those that are helping her all the details.  She even admits later in the book about trying to keep straight what information she shared with Harry or Scooter.  I suppose since Scooter is sort of an unknown in the equation.  I will say that when I first started reading the book and Scooter came up, I thought it was a man but I was wrong.  Scooter is a bit of a wildcard and I’m not sure what her end game is and what she really wants from Miranda.

The clues start coming together about 60% of the way through the book and things start to make a little more sense.  There were some twists I wasn’t prepared for and they helped round out the story.

Overall we would give this 3 1/2 paws.  I feel like the story could have been set up better in the beginning so the reader does not feel like they have been thrown into the middle of a story with no guidance with the objective.  However, the story does end well and made it worth reading.

About the Author

Shelly Frome is a member of Mystery Writers of America, a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at the University of Connecticut, a former professional actor and, all told, has written over twenty-five plays in addition to his articles and novels.

A frequent contributor of articles on all facets of creative writing and acting, Shelly appears in numerous periodicals including Southern Writers Magazine where he is the film columnist. He is also a contributor to writers’ blogs and websites in the U.S. and the U.K.

His fiction includes Twilight of the Drifter, The Twinning Murders, and Lilac Moon. His Hollywood crime caper Tinseltown Riff was released in March 2013. His latest crime novel Murder Run was just released in August.

Among his works of non-fiction are the acclaimed The Actors Studio and texts on The Art and Craft of Screenwriting and writing for the stage. Shelly lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

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Title: THE WATER IS WIDE, Book 3
Author: Laura Vosika
Publisher: Gabriel’s Horn Press
Pages: 451
Genre: Time Travel/Historical Fiction

Synopsis

After his failure to escape back to his own time, Shawn is sent with Niall on the Bruce’s business. They criss-cross Scotland and northern England, working for the Bruce and James Douglas, as they seek ways to get Shawn home to Amy and his own time.

Returning from the Bruce’s business to Glenmirril, Shawn finally meets the mysterious Christina. Despite his vow to finally be faithful to Amy, his feelings for Christina grow.

In modern Scotland, having already told Angus she’s pregnant, Amy must now tell him Shawn is alive and well—in medieval Scotland. Together, they seek a way to bring him back across time.

They are pursued by Simon Beaumont, esteemed knight in the service of King Edward who has also passed between times. Having learned that Amy’s son will kill him—he seeks to kill the infant James first.

The book concludes with MacDougall’s attack on Glenmirril, Amy and Angus’s race to be there and Shawn’s attempt to reach the mysterious tower through the battling armies.

Trailer

 

Review

I have to state this right off the bat – this is the 3rd book in a series, if you have not read the first two books, do not pick this one up until you do.  Or you will be like me and thoroughly confused because you didn’t know it was part of a series and the beginning of the book makes absolutely no sense!  Ok, so once I realized I was jumping midway into a series I changed how I looked at the content of the book as I was reading.

I have always enjoyed time travel novels and this one was even more interesting due to the time periods that it covers.  The story jumps from the 1300s to the present.  I think the first two books would give the reader a better grasp on what is happening in this book and how Shawn and Niall jumped about 700 years.  Amy is on a mission to find signs of Niall (who really belongs in the 1300s) by marks he might have left at various sites.  Shawn is from the present and is in the 1300s with Niall and coincidently they are mistaken for each other all the time.  Twins separated by centuries!  Amy is pregnant and I’m sure she is doing a lot of the searching so she can tell her child about its father.  However, there is another man in the picture, Angus, a Scottish Police Detective.

I loved reading the Scottish history and the details. I have never been to Scotland, and while I hope to perhaps visit one day, the descriptions of the various sites held me captive and I was able to imagine each historic site.

The characters are a mixed bag as I mentioned above – Shawn is arrogant, Niall is loyal (perhaps overly so), Amy can be wishy-washy, and Angus just wants to do whatever he can to make Amy’s life better, and to be a part of her life.  But all the personalities round out the book and make even the unlikeable character tolerable.

Overall I enjoyed the book but the only thing that bugged me is that when the story would flip to the present it would sometimes be italicized (which makes sense when Amy is thinking to herself) but other times not.  There was no consistency to the formatting.  And of course, the way the book started, I was very lost and had no idea what was going on in the story.  As I mentioned above, if you read the first two books and then this book, you probably won’t be lost like me.

Overall we give it 3 1/2 paws up.

About the Author

Laura Vosika is a writer, poet, and musician. Her time travel series, The Blue Bells Chronicles, set in modern and medieval Scotland, has garnered praise and comparisons to writers as diverse as Diana Gabaldon and Dostoevsky. Her poetry has been published in The Moccasin and The Martin Lake Journal 2017.

She has been featured in newspapers, on the radio, TV, has spoken for regional book events, and hosted the radio program Books and Brews. She currently teaches writing at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.

As a musician, Laura has performed as on trombone, flute, and harp, in orchestras, and big bands. She lives in Brooklyn Park with 5 of her 9 children, 3 cats, and an Irish Wolfhound.

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Title: TAKING CONTROL: RICK’S STORY
Author: Morgan Malone
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 170
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis

Summer on the Jersey Shore and all Rick Sheridan wants is some solitude at his beach house. Then he spots a lean, leggy blonde coming out of the surf and his plans are shot to hell. And the dangerous looking knife strapped to her arm tells him this is no damsel in distress. As a not-so retired Marine, at 51, Rick’s learned that nothing is for certain, plans can spin out of control and shit happens.

Wounded and weary from one too many wars, Britt Capshaw thought a summer at the Shore, hanging out in her family’s beach cottage, would help her heal. And figure out what to do with the rest of her life. Out of the military, disillusioned and distrustful of any two-legged male, Britt’s one love is Alex, the yellow Labrador retriever she rescued from Afghanistan.

Rick and Britt are immediately attracted to one another, but after years in combat, they are wary of letting down their guard, of giving up control. The summer heats up and fireworks are flying between them even after the Fourth of July. But, ghosts from their pasts haunt them and finally bring them face to face with some dark secrets that may destroy the fragile trust they’ve built.

Can Britt trust Rick with her dangerous past? Will Rick be able to let go of the rigid control he needs to keep Britt and himself safe from more heartbreak? These two brave souls fight against surrendering their hearts and finally finding love. Who will win?

Excerpt

He stood before the French doors to the deck, with a large mug of steaming black brew cradled in his hands, letting its warmth take away some of the chill that had surrounded him for the last several months. I’m freezing. And it’s not the air-conditioning. It’s my damn frozen heart. Rick pushed the doors open, letting the heat of the sun and the smell of the ocean sweep into his house. He stepped outside, breathing deep, relaxing just a little. Yeah. This is what I need. A summer at the Shore, a few projects, and plenty of quiet—then I’ll be back to my old self. Chuckling as he mentally reminded himself of just how “old” his self was, Rick raised the cup to take a long sip of coffee.

He saw the figure emerging from the waves almost directly in front of his cottage at the same moment he heard the loud barking of a nearby dog.

What the hell?

She was a modern-day Botticelli’s Venus, with the waves foaming around her legs. Long, long legs, lean and tan, disappeared into a bright blue bikini bottom, just visible under the blue and white swim T-shirt that covered a long, muscular torso. Her arms were raised, her hands brushed back sodden strands of platinum blond hair. A swim mask dangled from her left elbow, dropping down into her hand as she lowered her arms. When she stepped from the surf, the woman gave an all-over body shake, drops of ocean water flying off her, glistening for an instant like diamonds in the early morning sun. Then she dropped to her knees so suddenly that Rick lurched forward, splashing coffee as he looked down for a place to leave the heavy mug before he rushed to her aid.

He needn’t have bothered. From the deck of the cottage to his left, a huge yellow dog was bounding down the wooden stairs two at a time in a mad dash to the woman. She stretched out her arms to the animal just before the happy hound collided into her, rolling her into the sand. The woman’s laugh floated on the ocean breeze. Rick straightened, still grasping his cup of coffee and stepped back into the shadows cast over his deck by the second-floor balcony. From his vantage point, he watched the woman ruffle the dog’s fur, the animal prancing and shaking in spasms of pure pleasure. When had he ever experienced such unfettered joy? Rick couldn’t remember. A long, long time ago…maybe.

Who was she? The owners of the cottage next door were an older couple who spent half the year in Florida and half the year on the Shore. Could she be a granddaughter or niece? Or had the couple decided to rent this year? Rick made a mental note to contact his property manager who handled many of the shore homes and make inquiries. He had not planned on having to deal with a stranger; he just wanted some peace and quiet.

The woman and dog were walking up from the water’s edge. Rick eased toward the open doors of his living room, thinking to disappear into the shadows. He just didn’t feel like an early morning encounter with anyone, certainly not the mermaid with those incredible legs who was ambling slowly in his general direction. He stopped suddenly when something caught the corner of his eye. A glint of sunlight on metal. He reached for his pistol, but his waistband was empty. Damn. What is that woman doing with a diving knife strapped to her right bicep? Who the hell is she?

Review

I can’t imagine what it is like for those in the military that see battle and the stress that surrounds the jobs that they perform to protect our country.  This book gives us a little insight into PTSD for Britt and Rick and how it is not quite the same for each person.  I thought their stories were well told – from what they experienced to how it currently affects them both physically and mentally.  They both have trust issues that they work through with each other and with the help of some four legged friends, especially a horse named Kip.  When I was reading the book, I wondered where the horse came into play that was on the cover.  It is halfway or more through the book before you understand why there is a horse on the cover.

There are some descriptive sex scenes and a fair amount of foul language.  Just a heads up in case you don’t like to read this in your book.  I think some of it was appropriate but there are also a part where I felt like it was on the fringe of BDSM.  However, knowing how both characters had control issues it was not too surprising to have this sort of scene.

We give it 3 1/2 paws up.

About the Author

Morgan Malone is the pen name of a retired lawyer who turned in her judicial robes to write romantic memoir and sexy contemporary romance, which always features silver foxes and the independent women who tame them.

Morgan fell in love with romantic heroes after reading her mother’s first edition of “Gone with the Wind” when she was 12 years old. Rhett Butler became the standard by which she measured all men. Some have met the mark, most have failed to even come close and one or two surpassed even Rhett’s dark and dangerous allure.

Morgan lives near Saratoga Springs, NY with her beloved chocolate Lab. She can be found on occasion drinking margaritas and dancing at local hostelries, but look for her most often in independent book stores and the library, searching for her next great love in tales of romance, history, adventure and lust. When she can’t find the perfect man, she retreats to her upstairs office and creates him, body and soul, for her pleasure and for yours. Remember: love, like wine, gets better with age.

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A Crafter Knits a Clue: A Handcrafted Mystery
NEW COZY MYSTERY SERIES
SET IN WISCONSIN
Crooked Lane Books (October 9, 2018)

Synopsis

For fans of Betty Hechtman and Maggie Sefton, the latest craft frenzy is Holly Quinn’s Handcrafted series debut.

Sammy Kane just moved back to her hometown to run a craft store. But when the owner of a nearby yarn shop is murdered, Sammy will needle little help finding the killer.

When a heartbroken Samantha “Sammy” Kane returns to her hometown of Heartsford, WI, for her best friend Kate’s funeral, she learns that Kate’s much-loved craft store is in danger of perishing with its owner. Confounding all her expectations of the life she would live, Sammy moves back home with her golden retriever and takes over Community Craft. A few doors down Main Street, fellow new arrival Ingrid Wilson has just opened the Yarn Barn, a real “purl” of a shop. But when Sammy strolls over to see if Ingrid could use a little help, she finds Ingrid’s dead body—with a green aluminum knitting needle lodged in her throat.

Detective Liam Nash is thrown for a loop as every single citizen of Heartsford seems to have a theory about Ingrid’s murder. And nearly everyone in town seems to be a suspect. But the last time Sammy did any sleuthing was as a little moppet. And this is not fun and games. Sammy is eager to help the handsome Liam—who seems to be endlessly inventive in finding reasons to talk with her—and when Liam arrests affable woodworker Miles Danbury, Sammy puts everything on the line to help clear Miles.

As the case comes dangerously close to unraveling, Sammy must stitch the clues together. But the killer has other plans—and if Sammy’s not careful, she may wind up in a perilous knot in A Crafter Knits a Clue, the first warm and woolly yarn of Holly Quinn’s new Handcrafted mysteries.

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Review

I always enjoy cozies that involve cooking or crafting.  Perhaps because I’m not extremely crafty and am a little envious of what the characters manage to create from a little yard, some paint, or paper.  I also enjoy the small town feel and the different festivals or events that these many small towns create to bring joy and excitement to the town and its residents.  Holly Quinn has managed to bring both of these together to this small town in Wisconsin with great success.

Sammy has a heart of gold but is very impulsive and jumps in feet first without looking or thinking.  This is a good and a bad quality to have especially if you are going to insist on helping solve a murder (even though you haven’t been asked to help!).  She ropes her cousin and sister into helping and restarting S.H.E. (their first initials) which was a detective type group from their youth.  They definitely retained some of their skills from those days, but Sammy seems to be the one that is really diving into this mystery of who killed Ingrid, the yarn shop owner.

The murder victim, Ingrid, has her own story to tell in this book – from a tragic incident as a young woman, to trying to fit into this small town.  She doesn’t succeed on that last part very well before she is tragically murdered.  The clues are there for the reader to discover the killer, but these clues are not obvious and I was kept guessing until the very end.  I was quite surprised to learn who the killer was but it made sense once the whole story was laid out for the reader.

Of course, this would not be a complete story without some sort of love interest for Sammy.  And in this case, it is the new police detective, Liam Nash.  It is not a smooth relationship for these two.  I think a lot of that falls on Sammy and the walls she has around her from her own past.  But I think we’ll see more going forward for these two.

Overall the book was enjoyable.  There are times that the book moved slowly and the words were a bit choppy, but I think this could be a series to keep an eye on as it will flourish.

We give this 3 1/2 paws.

About the Author

Holly Quinn is both an avid reader and crafter. Holly sells her artistic creations locally and dreamed of one day opening a gift shop to sell local artist’s handiwork. Instead, she began writing about it and thus her journey of the Handcrafted Mystery series was born.

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Synopsis

Kelly Taylor’s homemade pet treat business is taking off. Even better, utterly yummy Lord Cory Winthrop, the man she had a teenage crush on, asks her out for dinner.

Back on a lightning visit home, Cory Winthrop runs into his childhood friend, Kelly. Captivated by her happy nature, he becomes determined to win her heart.

However, finding true love is never easy. Kelly worries she may not fit into Cory’s spectacularly glamorous lifestyle. To complicate matters, Cory’s banking career is at a crossroads, and his evil ex is about to come rocketing back into his life.

Will Cory and Kelly be able to overcome their difficulties and live happily ever after?

A warm, light-hearted small town romance with a curvy girl and a very hunky billionaire banker. Featuring Hamish, the adorable rescue puppy.

Review

This is a sweet romance story set in England. Kelly’s grade school crush comes back to their village and turns out he is attracted to her – despite her being covered in mud the first time he sees her again.

I enjoyed watching Kelly and Cory’s relationship grow after that initial reintroduction. It is obvious they both like each other and it doesn’t take long for them to admit it to each other. I like how Cory is kind and caring and protective of those around him, including his mother. Kelly is no pushover either! When Cory’s ex-girlfriend appears at a dinner and tries to become the spotlight, Kelly puts her in her place (nicely) and lets her know through her actions that her behavior is not appropriate.

There is not really any conflict in the story and I would have liked to have seen more to push the characters out of their comfort zones and to give them a bit more depth.

I do love all the dogs, especially Hammish. I think he stills the spotlight many times throughout the book.

I’d give this 3 1/2 paws.

About The Author

I’m Scottish-Dutch, I live in West Malaysia, and I like to keep busy. I’m dividing my time between several jobs I love because that’s what makes me happy.

I’m a newspaper columnist, a magazine feature writer, and a counselling psychologist. Novel writing is a hobby – or rather, a passion. I write sweet romance as Ellen but I also have a dark side as AJ Adams.  Come and say hello to me on Facebook, no friend request needed.

Barnabas Tew and The Case Of The Missing Scarab
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Crooked Cat Books
Release Date – June 3, 2017
Paperback: 274 pages

Synopsis

Barnabas Tew is a private detective struggling to survive in his trade in Victorian London. Fearing that he is not as clever as he had hoped to be, he is plagued by a lack of confidence brought on in no small part by his failure to prevent the untimely deaths of several of his clients.

Matters only get worse when Anubis, the Egyptian God of the Dead, is referred to Barnabas by a former client (who perished in a terribly unfortunate incident which was almost certainly not Barnabas’ fault). Anubis sends for Barnabas (in a most uncivilized manner) and tells him that the scarab beetle in charge of rolling the sun across the sky every day has been kidnapped, and perhaps dismembered entirely.

The Land of the Dead is in chaos, which will soon spill over into the Land of the Living if Barnabas – together with his trusty assistant, Wilfred – cannot set matters to right. Pulled from his predictable (if unremarkable) life in Marylebone, Barnabas must match his wits against the capricious and dangerous Egyptian gods in order to unravel the mystery of the missing beetle and thereby save the world.

Review

This is quite a different concept (to me at least) for a cozy/mystery. The lead detective, Barnabus, is killed within the first few chapters (by a mummy) and is taken to the Egyptian underworld because Anubis needs his help to determine who kidnapped Khepra, the scarab beetle that controls the sun. His sidekick, Wilfred, is also killed (also by the same mummy) and delivered to the underworld.

There are quite a few upsides to this book – education on Egyptian mythology and the various gods that ruled their world; a different landscape for a mystery (some say it is steampunk or Victorian); and Sherlock Holmes type characters. (Of course, the resemblance to Sherlock Holmes ends with the fact that they are detectives.) And the mystery led me in circles and I didn’t figure it out until it was revealed. There were some clues along the way but not too many that made it easy to figure out too early in the book. I loved how the female gods “saved the day” near the end. I won’t say much and who, but it shows you should never count a woman out, even if she is a god!

I am not fond of Barnabus’ character. He’s a bumbling detective and I wonder how he ever solved any cases. Perhaps that is part of his charm? Wilfred is slightly better and at least he tries to keep Barnabus on track. I do wish there had been more of a description of the underworld. I really didn’t have the best idea of what it might look like other than a river, sandy areas, and homes of the various gods.

We give this 3 1/2 paws

About the Author

Columbkill Noonan has an M.S. in Biology (she has, in turn, been a field biologist, an environmental compliance inspector, and a lecturer of Anatomy and Physiology).

When she’s not teaching or writing, she can usually be found riding her rescue horse, Mittens, practicing yoga (on the ground, in an aerial silk, on a SUP board, and sometimes even on Mittens), or spending far too much time at the local organic, vegan market.

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A TARGET ON MY BACK

A Prosecutor’s Terrifying Tale of Life on a Hit List

by

Erleigh Wiley

Genre: True Crime

Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing

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Date of Publication: October 3, 2017

Number of Pages: 176 with b&w photos

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Murders don’t happen in Kaufman County, Texas, a sleepy community where people raise their kids quietly and drive into Dallas for work and entertainment. In 2013, murder came to town when two professional prosecutors were slain in cold blood, simply for doing their jobs: one in broad daylight in plain view of the courthouse, and one in his home, along with his wife. Eric Williams is responsible for all the bloodshed—and he has a list of who to kill next.

A Target on My Back is the first-person true story of Erleigh Wiley, an accomplished lawyer who accepted the job as the new district attorney—after the death of her predecessors—which turned her into the next target on the killer’s hit list. This is her story of how she and her family endured the storm of the press, the array of Homeland Security agents assigned to protect them 24/7, and the weight of knowing she was someone’s prey. Though fearing for her life, she served as the prosecution’s final witness against the murderer, sealing his fate on death row. This chilling account of how she survived the hit list is a terrifying cat and mouse tale.

Praise

“A legal thriller with a twist: a crazed lawyer and his wife, believing they have been wronged, become a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde and go on a terrifying murder spree. Next on their kill list is the new DA, and her courage in confronting the killers makes this a fascinating read.” ―Dennis L. Breo, coauthor of The Crime of the Century: Richard Speck and the Murders That Shocked a Nation

“John Grisham and Scott Turow had better start looking over their shoulders. . . Wiley’s engaging, nimble style immediately draws you into the action and proves that sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction. It’s a good thing for us all that she lived to tell about it!” ―David Dean, Dallas attorney, former Texas secretary of state and chair of the North Texas Crime Commission

“When murder comes to her town, Erleigh Wiley steps into the shoes of the slain district attorney and finds herself on the killer’s hit list. In A Target on My Back, Wiley tells her personal story of overcoming fear in order to carry out her duty to hold Kaufman County, Texas, together while the killer is brought to justice. Don’t miss it!” ―Mike Farris, author of A Death in the Islands: The Unwritten Law and the Last Trial of Clarence Darrow

“A Target on my Back is a unique first-person look into the world of crime-fighting in which the tables have been turned. The author takes the reader on an all-too-real journey into what it means to stand for justice when your very life is in danger. A must-read. ―Robert Kepple, executive director of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association

I believe this book has several purposes – to educate us on an event that happened in 2013 in a nearby community (nearby to me anyway), to enlighten us on what it would be like to be pursued by a crazed killer, and to encourage us to follow our dreams and desires and to be the best that we can be in this world.

Before reading this book, I did not know about the murders that happened in Kaufman County.  I am always dumbfounded by those that commit crimes and their reasoning, which rarely makes sense to a normal person.  But to read more about Eric Williams and his wife Kim, and knowing that they had a list of people they wanted to kill just blew my mind.  I can imagine when Erleigh learned of the list and that her name was on the list, that it was a shock to know how close she might have come to death.  She admitted to being naive and thinking she was safe until she learned that bit of information.

I found this book to be enlightening because I never know how I would react if I were in Erleigh’s shoes.  I think I might have acted the same, not believing that I was on someone’s hit list.  But the strength and perseverance that she shared are beyond what I could ever imagine.

I also learned about an organization called Jack and Jill of America and the Beautillion that they put on each year for African American graduating seniors.  I admire the values that this organization is teaching these young men and believe that more organizations and parents could learn from their example.

One thing I found surprising is that even after Erleigh is appointed to the DA position, she is still called Judge.  I am sure this is a term of respect, but it just seemed odd to read it since she was not a judge at this point in her life.

We give this 3 1/2 paws.

 

Erleigh Norville Wiley was born and raised in Kaufman County. She is a graduate of Texas Tech University, Rawls College of Business; where she received a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree with a degree in Finance. She attended law school at Texas Law at The University of Texas in Austin receiving her Doctor of Jurisprudence.

In 1990, Judge Wiley joined the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. Her goal was to prosecute the criminals and protect innocent children and victims who have no voice. She was promoted to supervising attorney-training other new attorneys and managing fourteen different courts.

Wiley takes an active role in her community by volunteering. Some of her board work includes Chairman of the Kaufman County Juvenile Board, Trustee of Texas Health Resources- Kaufman, Kaufman County Children’s Advocacy Center and Kaufman County Children’s Shelter Board member.

Wiley has been lauded by various organizations for her work in the legal community as a Judge and as the Criminal District Attorney in Kaufman County. Some of the most notable were in 2013, from the State Bar of Texas, Outstanding Leadership-Profiles of Courage Award and Texas District & County Attorney’s Association, Lone Star Prosecutor Award; as well as the Dallas Black Police Officer’s Association with the Paved the Way Award in 2015.

———————–

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MARCH 16-25, 2018

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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR

3/16/18	Excerpt	Chapter Break Book Blog
3/16/18	Bonus Post	Hall Ways Blog
3/17/18	Review	Missus Gonzo
3/18/18	Author Interview	Texas Book Lover
3/19/18	Review	Nerd Narration
3/20/18	Author on Video	Books and Broomsticks
3/21/18	Author on Video	The Page Unbound
3/22/18	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
3/23/18	Author on Audio	Reading by Moonlight
3/24/18	Author Interview	The Clueless Gent
3/25/18	Review	A Page Before Bedtime

 

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Synopsis

17 stories of difficult love, broken hearts, lost hope, and discarded truths. Love brings pain, vulnerability, and demands of revenge. Hardened Hearts spills the sum of darkness and light concerning the measures of love; including works from Meg Elison, author of The Book of the Unnamed Midwife (Winner of the Philip K. Dick Award), Tom Deady, author of Haven (Winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel), Gwendolyn Kiste, author of And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe and Pretty Marys All in a Row, and many more.

Hardened Hearts dips from speculative, horror, science fiction, fantasy, into literary and then out of the classifiable and into the waters of unpinned genres, but pure entertainment nonetheless.

Review

Enclosed in this book are 17 short stories that range from 3 pages to about 30 (I didn’t count on some of the longer ones!).

Most of these stories are dark and some can be depressing when you look at the storyline.  But at the same time, some of these stories have an underlying moral to the story that should not be overlooked.

I liked most of the stories as they intrigued me and took me on an adventure through another time and place.  Some I wished were longer because I felt like there was more than could be told.  A few ended abruptly and left me wanting to know what happened next.

Overall these stories were intriguing and it was not all hearts and roses, but rather the heartbreak that we all experience at one time or another.

We give it 3 1/2 paws.

 

 

FATAL FALL: A Lori Reynolds Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Cozy Cat Press (September 28, 2017)
Paperback: 220 pages

Lori Reynolds thought she’d never return to the home where she spent her teenage years, but her sister Kay’s death from a fall down a staircase, changes all that. Having recently spoken with her sister on the phone, and knowing how worried Kay had been about all the strange things happening in her house, Lori suspects that her sister’s fall was anything but an accident and she resolves to investigate. Now that she has arrived for Kay’s funeral, she is caught up in the very family battles that she had tried to avoid when she left seven years ago. From Kay’s husband, Trevor, to his daughter from a previous marriage, Selena, to Lori’s first love and now Selena’s husband, Marc, to Trevor’s brother, Derek, to Selena’s grandmother, to Trevor and Kay’s daughter, Amber, the tension runs high. Then it really explodes when Trevor’s first wife, Jocelyn, decides to make an appearance. Did any of these family members have a motive strong enough to kill Kay? And if so, what was it? Kay moves closer and closer to the truth behind her sister’s fatal fall.

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Review

Lori is shocked to learn her sister has died from a fall in her home. She knows Kay better than that and immediately assumes someone has killed her. So she heads from Dallas back to where she grew up to uncover what really happened.

I had mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their motivations, trying to figure out what secrets different people were hiding and imagining being on a beach when it is cold where I live right now! On the flip side, I don’t know that I liked Lori. She was very pushy, pushier than I would have expected, in trying to uncover the truth. I guess I would never have assumed that someone was murdered right off the bat. But her persistence is what uncovers the truth about Kay’s death and what other secrets the family is hiding.

I was quite surprised at the turn of events at the end. Sure I knew some people did not have sterling characters but the depth of their malicious intents was not expected. Lori was lucky to be alive at the end! I expected some of the characters to be involved in the tragedies, but there were a few surprises. Looking back, however, perhaps it should not have been as big of a surprise.

There is a little romance with Lori’s former beau, Marc, but not until the very end because Marc is married to Selena, Lori’s stepsister. That is a complicated situation and considering how Selena is portrayed, I’m surprised that Marc was still married to her.

We give it 3 1/2 paws up.

About the Author

Teresa LaRue grew up in a small town along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She’s worked as a secretary, assistant manager of an audio book store, and manager of a fashion jewelry store. She is an avid reader, gardener, and movie buff. She lives across the lake from New Orleans with her family, including a dog named Bones, and a cat named Chloe.

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Synopsis

When Harriet Beecher marries Calvin Stowe on January 6, 1836, she is sure her future will be filled romance, eventually a family, and continued opportunities to develop as a writer. Her husband Calvin is completely supportive and said she must be a literary woman. Harriet’s sister, Catharine, worries she will lose her identity in marriage, but she is determined to preserve her independent spirit. Deeply religious, she strongly believes God has called her to fulfill the roles of wife and writer and will help her accomplish everything she was born to do.

Two months after her wedding Harriet discovers she is pregnant just as Calvin prepares to leave for a European business trip. Alone, Harriet is overwhelmed-being a wife has been harder than she thought and being an expectant mother feels like living another woman’s life. Knowing that part of Calvin still cherishes the memory of his first wife, Harriet begins to question her place in her husband’s heart and yearns for his return; his letters are no substitute for having him home. When Calvin returns, however, nothing seems to have turned out as planned.

Struggling to balance the demands of motherhood with her passion for writing and her desire to be a part of the social change in Ohio, Harriet works to build a life with her beloved Calvin despite differing temperaments and expectations.

Can their love endure, especially after “I do”? Can she recapture the first blush of new love and find the true beauty in her marriage?

Review

This book gave me a look into the past and what life might have been like for a woman that had more dreams than just being a mother and wife.

While this book is fiction, it is based on a real person, Harriet Beecher Stowe. While I have heard the name and know she wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin, I really didn’t know much about her at all. This authors story, while mostly fiction, does have some truth to it. There is a section at the end of the book that goes chapter by chapter to explain what is true and where she obtained the information. All I can say is a lot of research went into this book!

All that aside, I think I identified with Harriet. I wasn’t meant to be a homemaker. Sure I love to cook, but the cleaning? no thank you! Thankfully men have evolved since the mid 1800’s and don’t always expect women to be the homemaker. But at that time, women had really no rights and not much of a voice.

Calvin is a good man but was set in his beliefs about a family due to how he was raised and his first wife. Not that any of what he learned was wrong, but to fall in love with Harriett when she was the complete opposite, you would think he might adjust his thinking. Over time he did, but it took time and others to help him understand who he married and that she was not his mother or first wife.

I really enjoyed this book especially the last half of the book. I thought that the first half of the book was slow, but it was setting everything up so that the last half would bring all of the situations to a head. I learned something about Harriet and am now curious and want to learn more about this woman who was ahead of her time.

We give it 3 1/2 paws up!

About the Author

Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and credits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and never stopped. Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney award for Mystery/Suspense in 207 and Wedding Cake, book twelve in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series won in 2014. Josi was also the Best of State winner in Fiction for 2012. Josi currently lives in Willard, Utah, with her husband, children and super-cute – but not very friendly – cat.

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