Synopsis

He can’t have her.

So he moves in with her…

What could possibly go wrong?

As heir to a chain of luxury hotels, Sean Wyse III always gets what he wants. So when he sees a freeloading roommate taking advantage of his spunky best friend, Molly Brandt, he doesn’t hesitate to step in. He kicks out the roommate…and moves himself in.

Molly loves quality time with Sean, but spending nights with him one wall away threatens to wake the crush she thought she’d gotten over. A crush Sean knows nothing about, which might be a problem…considering how hard Sean’s been working never to think of Molly that way.

Excerpt

Not good.

That was Molly’s first coherent thought when she woke to the sound of the front door closing and Sean’s keys landing on the table as he walked into the apartment. The issue wasn’t that she’d been woken before she was ready—it was already after ten—or that she’d slept in her clothes, or even that she had no memory of anything past leaving Belfast the night before. No, it was Sean. And more specifically, the dream she’d had about him. And her. Together.

The dirty, dirty sex dream.

Which was very bad, because it had been years since she’d suffered anything more than the occasional stray below-the-buckle thought about the guy who was without question her best friend in the world and just happened to think of her as the little sister he’d never had.

And this infraction wasn’t just some wayward thought either. It wasn’t lingering in one of his big bear hugs a second too long because it felt right for all the wrong reasons. It wasn’t a fleeting pinch of jealousy when she was flipping through the paper and happened across a photo of him with Valerie on his arm. That stuff was harmless and didn’t take more than a second to shake loose from her head. It wasn’t even the XXX rating her nocturnal wanderings had scored.

No. The real trouble had been all the non-porny stuff that had been there too. The quiet moment before that dirty business in the shower. The way his hand lingered at the small of her back when they walked, the press of his kiss at the top of her head, how she’d felt when Sean was above her, his dark-brown eyes searching hers.

The thing of it was, those moments were already hers—only in this dream, every touch and look and whisper had been infused with that essential something her real-life interactions with Sean had always lacked. The dream had breathed new life into the ideas she’d finally managed to put down more than five years ago, and now she was stuck with this heart-pounding, butterfly-belly sensation as she caught her first glimpse of him.

Hovering at her bedroom doorway, she watched as he walked over to the sink. His T-shirt was damp with sweat and clung to his powerful back. Reaching over his shoulder, he grabbed a handful of the fabric and yanked it overhead in one swift motion.

Oh no.

He was standing there shirtless as he filled a glass with water from the tap, all those muscles flexing and bunching with every movement. Eyes closed, he turned around and leaned back into the counter as he drank. A bead of sweat trickled slowly down his neck, leaving a wet path that was making her mouth water in a way Sean wasn’t supposed to.

No way could she go back to the years she’d spent silently pining for him while he knuckle-rubbed her head and then brought every other damn girl on campus back to his room to bang. It had been grueling, and it had taken her years to get past. Years for her to get to a point where she didn’t feel like she was lying to him every time they hung out and dying inside every time they didn’t. She wouldn’t go back to that.

She couldn’t.

“You have to move out,” she croaked, her eyes still fixed on that rolling droplet as it ventured over the packed layers of his right pec.

Sean’s eyes opened. He set his glass down on the counter behind him. “Morning, Moll. I slept great. Thanks for asking. Even pushed my schedule back to after lunch so I could catch up a little extra and get a workout in.”

“I’m not kidding.”

He wiped his face with the T-shirt he’d just whipped off, and a sinking feeling came over her. She knew what she’d be dreaming about tonight.

“Seriously, Moll, I don’t get it.”

And she hoped he never did.

“We lived together for five years, and it was awesome. You always say you love it when I crash here. Hell, you try to talk me into it every other weekend. You want—no, need—a roommate who actually pays rent. So what’s the problem?”

She swallowed hard, trying to keep her eyes on his face. The problem was that glistening expanse of muscled chest and banded abs, shifting and flexing with his every movement. The problem was that fine trail of golden hair bisecting all of it and leading south into those too-low basketball shorts—red this time, and silky enough to hint at the contours beneath. The problem was the utterly untamed mess of dark-blond hair making her fingers itch with the need to touch it.

Pretty valid problems, to her mind anyway, but not exactly something she was ready to share with Sean. Not if she wanted to hang on to the most important relationship in her life. She needed to look away and come up with an answer quick.

“Molly?” he asked again, sounding uncommonly stern as he crossed his arms over his chest. Which was so not helping…because his arms and oh God, that crazy V thing happening with the muscles above his shorts when he—

“Uhh…Molly… What…uhh… Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Mira Lyn Kelly grew up in the Chicago area and earned her degree in fine arts from Loyola University. She met the love of her life while studying abroad in Rome, Italy, only to discover he’d been living right around the corner from her. They live in rural Minnesota.

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Synopsis

Love runs wild at the Sagebrush Flats Zoo,

where a motley crew of big-hearted animals

helps the most unlikely couples find love.

When Katie Underwood discovers a litter of newborn cougar cubs, the last person she expects to come to the rescue is her former crush—and high school nemesis—Bowie Wilson. The worst part? He doesn’t seem to remember the trouble he caused her.

As a single father and owner of a cash-strapped zoo, Bowie struggles to balance budgets while raising his preteen daughter and a host of rascally animals. He considers himself lucky when Katie agrees to lend her talents to a publicity campaign in support of the zoo’s animal rescue programs—until he learns just what she’s planning…

This time, Katie is determined to resist Bowie’s charm. But a lovelorn camel, a matchmaking honey badger, and a nursemaid capybara have different plans. Can they and the rest of the zoo’s menagerie help Bowie break through the barriers surrounding Katie’s heart?

Love can’t be tamed…

Excerpt

“What other kinds of animals do you have?” Katie asked, steering the conversation away from him.

“Well, there’s Frida here,” he said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the grumpy grizzly. “She’s about nineteen years old. You might remember her from when you were a kid. She was brought to Lou as a juvenile with a damaged foot. Poachers had set up a bear trap in Rocky Ridge National Park, and Frida had been caught in it for days before a ranger found her. She’s walked with a pronounced limp ever since, so she couldn’t be reintroduced into the wild.”

“Poor girl.” Katie leaned against the fence to get a better look at Frida. The bear lifted her head to emit a long-suffering sound halfway between a grunt and a roar.

Katie laughed. Bowie joined her by the rail, his T-shirt brushing against her bare arm. Unwanted desire flared within her. She almost succeeded in suppressing a tremble, but then he chuckled—the sound low, deep, and most of all warm. The husky timbre of it washed over her. Despite the wave of heat, she shivered.

Bowie’s gray eyes darkened at her reaction. With the summer sun beating down on her back, Katie couldn’t claim a chill to explain away her body’s instinctual reaction to him. Instead, she changed the subject.

“I guess Frida doesn’t like to be called ‘poor,’” she said.

“Frida has her dignity,” Bowie said. And then he grinned. Devastatingly.

Katie’s heart squeezed. A rush of sweet fire swept through her again, threatening to burn through her shields of self-preservation. She straightened before she did something very foolish, like trying to capture Bowie’s smile with a kiss.

“So, what’s the name of your camel?” she asked as she pushed back from Frida’s fence. “She always trots right over to me for a pet when I pass by on my way to watch the cougars.”

“That would be Lulubelle,” Bowie said as he led Katie around the corner. “She’s always been a little needy, and she’s been having a particularly hard time lately.”

Katie knitted her brow in concern as they approached Lulubelle and the llamas. “How so?”

“She’s lonely,” he said. “Ever since one of the llamas had a baby, Lulubelle has seemed to be longing for one of her own. Lou thinks she wants a mate too.”

“Awww,” Katie said as they approached the llama pen. Lulubelle instantly raised her large head and raced toward them. She thrust her neck at Bowie in clear demand. Katie swore that the animal sighed as he scratched the thick patch of fluff on top of her head. After thoroughly nuzzling him, Lulubelle turned her attention on Katie. Finding her line of vision full of insistent camel, Katie laughed and petted the old girl. When she dropped her hand and both she and Bowie began to turn, Lulubelle emitted a plaintive rumble.

“My goodness,” Katie said as she whirled back around. “It’s okay, Lulubelle. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

The camel made a raspberry sound in response. Bowie shook his head. “She’ll keep you here all evening if you’ll let her.”

“But that cry was awful!”

“I know,” he said as he ignored his own advice and rubbed the camel’s neck. “I wish we had the funds to purchase and take care of another camel or two. I’m hoping another zoo will at least lend me a stud.”

A thought struck Katie. She spun toward him, unable to stop her exuberance. “Bowie, I think I have a brilliant idea!”

He seemed to freeze. Too excited to pay much attention to his reaction, Katie spoke in a rush. “You can use Lulubelle as part of a fund drive.”

It took Bowie a second to respond. He stared at her for a long moment, then blinked hard. “Lulubelle?”

“Who can resist a lovelorn camel?” Katie asked. “I mean, look at her liquid-brown eyes and those ridiculous lashes. We could really sell her story of wanting a partner and a baby. There are so many sites on the internet where anyone can set up a fund-raiser. We could get people involved in the process of finding her a companion. Maybe you could pick a few candidates to be her mate, and the public could vote. We could even set jars outside the llama pen with pictures of potential boy camels, and visitors could cast their ballot by putting in cash!”

Bowie rubbed the back of his head, clearly con­sidering her idea. “It could work, and it might bring in more foot traffic too.”

Katie nodded enthusiastically. She hadn’t been this excited in years about work. Her old boss had slowly killed her enthusiasm as he’d rejected idea after idea. It felt good to unleash her creativity on a receptive audience.

“Come on,” she said. “I want to see more of the zoo while I’m on a roll.”

Then, without thinking, she grabbed Bowie’s hand, tugging him forward. He chuckled—the sound once again low and this time even edged with surprising fondness. His fingers curled around the back of Katie’s hand, his body heat searing her. Instantly, she released her hold and kept her focus forward.

“Hurry up,” she said instead. “I don’t want to lose momentum. What’s next?”

Review

Seriously loved this book. I think it was a combination of the characters and the personalities of the animals in the zoo especially a honey badger named Fluffy.

I had a hard time putting this book down and found myself trying to read “just one more chapter” before work or bed or an errand. Katie is someone a lot of women could relate to if you were teased by your crush while a teenager. It is hard to let those feelings go even 10+ years later, but it can be done. Bowie was just trying to fit in at school and sadly made poor choices until faced with the biggest decision of his life. Both Katie and Bowie worked hard to overcome who they were and how they wanted others to see and know them as the years passed.

Katie also could relate to Abby and was able to offer a lot of sage advice to her in various situations. She remembered what it was like to be a teenager that was teased and even bullied. I enjoyed seeing their friendship blossom throughout the book.

Katie’s mom was annoying at times. She wanted Katie back in town and so, of course, was trying to play matchmaker. I think Katie does a good job of putting her mom off at different times, but her mom is very persistent. I think she would have made me crazy!

I really enjoyed how well Katie and Bowie worked together to bring the zoo in their town back to life. I think it helped brighten Lou’s mood. Lou was the original owner and is the current vet for the zoo.

Overall a well written book and I hope there are more to follow because there are some characters that I didn’t mention that I can see having their own book, like June and Josh – two of Katie’s best friends from college.

We give this 5 paws up

About the Author

Laurel Kerr is a full-time romance writer and mom, who occasionally still dabbles in the practice of law. Her debut novel, Wild on My Mind, reached the Golden Heart® finals under the title of Volunteering Her Heart in 2016. Laurel Kerr was also a 2017 Golden Heart® Finalist for a historical manuscript. She lives in Pennsylvania with her daughter, husband, and loyal Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

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Synopsis

He’s always been the black sheep: the troublemaker.

But this Christmas, the prodigal cowboy returns.

Rodeo bullfighter Hank Brookman was headed straight for the top. But after a single misstep resulted in a devastating injury, he disappeared under a mountain of regrets. Now he’s back, ready to face the loved ones he left behind—starting with the one girl his heart could never forget.

When Hank stormed out of Texas, he left Grace McKenna picking up the pieces…and struggling with a secret that changed everything. He may be back looking for redemption, but after everything they’ve been through, how can she admit what he really walked away from all those years ago?

Hank always knew persuading Grace to trust him again would be a tall order. Convincing her they deserve a happily ever after? That may take a Texas-sized Christmas miracle.

Excerpt

Hell, damn, and son of a bitch.

Grace had expected to have more than fifteen minutes to recover from the news of Hank’s return before they came face-to-face. Now it was all she could do not to gawk at the person Shawnee dragged through the door and shoved into the chair opposite her.

His sister had tried to warn her, but the transforma­tion from grinning, carefree Hank to this had to be seen to be comprehended. It was partly the hair, falling to his collar around a face that had been stripped of all soft­ness. If she squinted, she could see the bones were still the same. Everything else—the easy smiles, the spark of mischief in his eyes, any sign of warmth—was gone.

No wonder Miz Iris had been so flustered when she’d called to say Hank was headed their direction. He barely seemed housebroken, nostrils flaring like a skittish wolf that had wandered out of the Montana wilderness and didn’t care for the smell of humans. He met her gaze—he could hardly avoid it from where he sat—and for an instant there was a flicker almost like regret. Then, without blinking or breaking eye contact, he retreated to a place she couldn’t follow.

And didn’t want to, if the shadows she saw were any indication of what she’d find there.

Cole, of all people, broke the silence. “You hired on with Sanchez Trucking?”

“Yep.”

The old Hank would have rambled on about how and why and his next scheduled trip. Now he just stared them down with that half-wary, half-defiant tilt to his chin.

“They’ve built up a hell of a business,” Steve Jacobs said in his deep, elder statesman voice. “Drivers say they’re the best in four states to haul for.”

“So Gil tells me.”

Even his voice was different, the Southern drawl clipped and roughed up around the edges. They sat in an

increasingly taut silence, Cole staring into his coffee cup, Steve’s thick fingers drumming on the table, and Grace trying to disappear between them.

“Damn,” Shawnee finally said. “I thought you were annoying when you wouldn’t shut up. What do you want, Hank? A cinnamon roll? A pat on the head? A kick in the ass? I can dish ’em all up.”

Hank blinked. Grace could’ve sworn she saw the corner of his mouth twitch as if he wanted to smile, but his voice was still flat. “Just checking in. Gil thought y’all deserved fair warning.”

“Yeah?” Shawnee folded her arms. “Do you have plans?”

“For what?”

“Revenge. Redemption. The rest of the day?”

“I…no.” For the first time, his composure slipped. He shot a sideways glance at the door, like he was fixing to bolt.

Shawnee clapped her hands together. “Excellent. Grace and I could use some chute help.”

What? Grace’s jaw came unhinged. Oh no. Please no.

Her sentiment was echoed on Hank’s face. “I have to—”

“You just said you didn’t have plans,” Shawnee cut in. “Don’t try to lie to me now.”

The air in the kitchen seemed to contract, pulled tight by invisible lines of tension. Cole gave Shawnee a what the hell look. Everyone else stared at Hank.

He made a sound somewhere between a growl and a laugh. “Why not? I’ve tripped enough chute gates I could do it in my sleep.”

He pushed his chair back, got up, and walked out. The door thumped shut behind him, and the kitchen was quiet until they heard the sound of his pickup starting.

“I guess that means he’s gonna meet us there,” Shawnee said, and reached for her sweatshirt.

Cole narrowed his eyes at her. “What are you doing?”

“Just breaking the ice.” She gave him a smacking kiss on the cheek. “Don’t worry. Me and Grace got this handled.”

Speak for yourself. Lord knew Grace was beyond words.

“You can handle it, right?” Shawnee’s eyebrows peaked, offering both challenge and support. I’ve got your back… so suck it up, cupcake.

What could Grace say? As far as anyone at this table knew, all Hank had to be sorry for was getting drunk and informing Grace—and everyone else at the Lone Steer Saloon’s annual New Year’s Eve bash—that, yes, the sex had been great, but, no, he wasn’t interested in doing it again. After almost three years, any woman with a spine would be over it.

Grace stiffened hers and forced some conviction into her voice. “Sure.”

But as they pulled on coats and boots, she allowed herself the tiniest of sighs. This was the trouble with secrets. The people who had your best interests at heart could unknowingly force you to spend the afternoon with a man who was a whole lot more than an old embarrassment.

He was the father of a child that even he didn’t know she’d had.

About the Author

Kari Lynn Dell is a ranch-raised Montana cowgirl who attended her first rodeo at two weeks old and has existed in a state of horse-induced poverty ever since. She lives on the Blackfeet Reservation in her parents’ bunkhouse along with her husband, her son, and Max the Cowdog, with a tipi on her lawn, Glacier National Park on her doorstep and Canada within spitting distance. Her debut novel, The Long Ride Home, was published in 2015. She also writes a ranch and rodeo humor column for several regional newspapers and a national agricultural publication.

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Book Title: Held Together: A True Story of Love’s Victory by Jenny Q
Category: Adult Non-Fiction; 456 pages
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: BookBaby
Release date: June 1, 2018
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (Graphic medical procedures, some bad language)

Synopsis

In January of 2014, Joshua Tree’s beloved village herbalist, Jenny Q. suddenly became seriously ill and rapidly descended into a coma with slender chance of survival. The shock of this news initiated an overwhelming outpouring of love, wit, service, practical magic and sharing of spiritual wisdom between those in her intimate desert community. Indeed it seemed that the entire group became one in their desperate effort and race against the clock to save her life.

While the words of others in the community tell the story in this book, it is Jenny’s own insightful writings that provide a fascinating window into a range of rare experiences. She gives us a unique glimpse into the mysterious worlds encountered while in a coma, the absolute alteration of losing one’s legs, the subtle venom of PTSD, the nightmare of withdrawal from prescription opiates, and the maddening frustration of having to re-learn basic skills previously taken for granted such as the ability to walk.

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Interview

Today we are blessed to have Jenny Q visiting and she shares some insight into the book and herself.

What is your next project?

I have been asked to write about my life on the road when I was in my twenties. I was following the Grateful Dead with a crew of close friends, who now lead creative and artistic lives.

I am gnawing on the idea of another collaborative memoir, gathering stories from those friends and weaving them together with my own writings, as I did with my first book, Held Together.

This book is about a health crisis that you endured. Did the writing of this book contribute to your healing?

I decided to gather submissions from community members and tell the story from many perspectives, as much for an experimental approach as for a tool to generate suspense. With each essay I received, I learned something new about my journey, as I was unconscious or in a dream state much of that time. Gathering those stories was cathartic and helped me piece back together bits of myself.

What were some of the personal obstacles you had to overcome in writing and releasing your memoir?

This book is about such a tumultuous time in my life, the greatest health crisis I have endured. I decided to make myself completely vulnerable. I am from a traditional Palestinian home, and being so totally open is not smiled upon in my culture. Many times, I wondered if I would have to courage to actually publish the book I was working so hard on.

Do you snack while writing?

As I am generally writing at 4:30 in the morning, I always have a mug of espresso in hand.

If I am writing late at night, I wouldn’t turn down a bowl of popcorn!

What do you hope the publishing and success of this book will bring?

Actually, I do have an agenda!

As an RN, I would like to speak to health care professionals about my experience to help with the development of sepsis protocols.

I would also love to visit new amputees, to help them overcome their fear and trauma. Post traumatic stress is terrifying for everyone in a family, and I would love to be a support. What gave me courage to expose so much of my vulnerabilities was my desire to reach out to others who have had trauma or have disabilities. It can feel so lonely.

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About the Author

Jenny Q was born in Southern California to Palestinian immigrants. Her love of herbs began in her teens while on the road following the Grateful Dead. After exploring many heart homes, she set her roots in Joshua Tree, California, where she opened Grateful Desert, the local apothecary. Joyously sharing her life with her tight-knit desert community, Jenny lives with her beloveds~ Yazzy, her daughter and Myshkin, her wife.

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Prizes: Win a copy of Held Together by Jenny Q (5 print copies and 15 ebook copies) open to USA & CAN / 20 winners total

(ends Oct 6, 2018)

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Yesterday’s Tears (Yesterday’s Paranormal Mysteries)
Paranormal Mystery/Women Sleuths
5th in Series
Electric Prose Publications (September 28, 2018)

Synopsis

It might be a murder from decades ago, but it still has its claws in the present…and someone seems determined to drag Anna into it.

It’s way too soon to be returning to a haunted mansion, and Anna’s favorite cowboy ghost does his best to talk her out of it. But the opportunity to pick from the beautiful antiques left to her in a Crocker resident’s will is just too tempting for Anna and Pratt to pass up. So they’re going in…

They’re prepared to deal with a few cold spots. Maybe the occasional flickering light. But what Anna and the boys weren’t counting on was bumping up against the ghost of Josiah Bumgartner, a contemporary of Joss’ from the 1800s. And when Josiah claims the old woman who lived in the house hid his bones around the place, Anna agrees to help him find them. But something much darker is at work there. And, unfortunately for our happy little gang of antique hunters…Anna seems to have unwittingly stepped right into the middle of it.

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About the Author

Let’s face it, nobody really cares that Sam Cheever is a USA Today Bestselling Author. Nobody cares that she’s written a whole ton of fun and snappy books. Let’s face it, the most interesting thing about Sam is the fact that she’s a dogaholic. Yeah, there’s no Dogaholic’s Anonymous chapter that can help her. Believe me, she’s looked. So Sam deals with her problem the best way she knows how. She digs into the mountains of personal experiences (mostly involving dog poo) to write GREAT dog characters.

Oh, and there are some people in her books too. She’s also pretty good at those.

Want to ask Sam about her dogs…erm…books? You can connect with her at one of the following places. Just don’t ask her why she has 15 dogs. Nobody in the whole wide world can answer that.

NEWSLETTER: Join Sam’s Monthly newsletter and get a FREE book! You can also keep up with her appearances, enjoy monthly contests, and get previews of her upcoming work!

TEXT NEWS ALERTS: Or if you’d rather not receive a monthly newsletter, you can sign up for text alerts and just receive a brief text when Sam’s launching a new release or appearing somewhere fun. Just text SAMNEWS to 781-728-9542 to be added!

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In Cold Chocolate: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Crooked Lane Books (September 11, 2018)
Hardcover: 350 Pages

Synopsis

In Dorothy St. James’s third delectable Southern Chocolate Shop mystery, a new batch of chocolate and troubles of the heart cause a string of disasters for the Chocolate Box’s new owner, Charity Penn.

The vintage seaside town of Camellia Beach, South Carolina seems like the perfect place for romance with its quiet beach and its decadent chocolate shop that serves the world’s richest dark chocolates. The Chocolate Box’s owner, Charity Penn, falls even further under the island’s moonlit spell as she joins Althea Bays and the rest of the turtle watch team to witness a new generation of baby sea turtles hatch and make their way into the wide ocean.

Before the babies arrive, gunshots ring out in the night. Cassidy Jones, the local Casanova, is found dead in the sand with his lover Jody Dalton—the same woman who has vowed to destroy the Chocolate Box—holding the gun. It’s an obvious crime of passion, or so everyone believes. But when Jody’s young son pleads with Penn to bring his mother back to him, she can’t say no. She dives headfirst into a chocolate swirl of truth and lies, and must pick through an assortment of likely (and sometimes unsavory) suspects before it’s too late for Penn and for those she loves in Dorothy St. James’s third rich installment of the Southern Chocolate Shop mysteries, In Cold Chocolate.

Guest Post

The Magic of Sea Turtles

I lived at the beach for twenty years. My husband and I moved there shortly before I’d graduated from graduate school. The salty water washing the ever-changing sandy shore, the constant hiss and crash of the waves, and the summer laughter of children—the beach is a wondrous place. But, for me, there is nothing as magical as the birth of sea turtles.

Sea turtles seem like such ancient creatures. It’s as if their large, slow-moving bodies below to another time. And yet, whenever I see a majestic mother turtle dragging herself onshore, I can’t help but feel as if I’m glimpsing into the knowing and often weary eyes of a being that has more wisdom than I can ever hope to possess.

The mother sea turtle, in the darkness of night, digs a hole with her back flippers and lays a nest that often contains more than a hundred eggs. She then covers them up and returns to the ocean with nothing more than the hope that at least some of her children will survive to continue her line. If all goes well (and the nest is left untouched by crabs, coyotes, raccoons, fire ants, and man), about sixty days later the eggs will hatch. The tiny sea turtles, with shells not much bigger than a silver dollar, dig themselves out of the nest. And following the light of the moon and the stars, they hurry toward the ocean.

 

Once in the water, they swim for up to thirty-six hours without rest, to reach the relative safety of floating clumps of Sargassum seaweed. They’ll stay floating within the seaweed, camouflaged and feeding on small invertebrates for up to ten years. These long lived reptiles won’t start breeding and returning to the beaches until they are between twenty and fifty years old.

In all my years living at the beach, I always felt the same thrill of excitement as the first time I walked on the beach in the morning and happened across the tracts left from a nesting sea turtle and the little mound where her eggs had been hidden. These ancient wanderers never cease to amaze me.

When I started to write the third book in my Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery series, I knew right away that I wanted to include these amazing and yet so vulnerable animals. The main kind of sea turtle that nests on the South Carolina shores—where the series is set—is the loggerhead sea turtle. And what better pairing for sea turtles than to come up with a sea salt chocolate turtle recipe? I also enjoyed sharing conservation ideas for sea turtles in the book.

While sea turtles have done well enough without our help, their numbers are dwindling as we increase our fishing in their waters and keep developing our beaches. Luckily, there are some things we can do to help protect sea turtles:

• Never disturb a sea turtle crawling to or from the ocean.
• Once a sea turtle has begun nesting, observe her only from a distance.
• Do not shine lights on a sea turtle or take flash photography.
• Turn out all lights visible from the beach, dusk to dawn, from May through October.
• Turn off all outdoor and deck lighting to reduce disorientation for nesting adults and hatchlings.
• Close blinds and drapes on windows that face the beach or ocean.
• Fill in holes on the beach at the end of each day as adults and hatchlings can become trapped.
• Do not leave beach chairs, tents etc. on the beach overnight.
• Never attempt to ride a sea turtle.

Sea turtles, chocolate turtles, and a murder chill the eccentric residents of Camellia Beach in my latest Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery series, In Cold Chocolate.

About the Author

A lover of puzzles and perhaps a bit too nosey about other people’s lives, Dorothy St. James is a former Folly Beach beach bum. She now lives in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina with her husband, precocious daughter, a slightly (OK, terribly) needy dogs, and the friendliest cat you’d ever meet. She has degrees in Wildlife Biology and Public Administration and as an urban planner, worked for many years telling the stories of small southern towns.

Author of a dozen novels, Dorothy enjoys writing both cozy mysteries and romance. Her works have been nominated for many awards including: the Southern Independent Bookseller’s Alliance Southern Book Prize, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, Reviewers International Organization Award, National Reader’s Choice Award, CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, and The Romance Reviews Today Perfect 10! Award. Reviewers have called her work: “amazing”, “perfect”, “filled with emotion”, and “lined with danger.”

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Shattered at Sea (A Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Kensington (August 28, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

Synopsis

A Mediterranean cruise gives glass shop owner Savannah Webb a chance to demonstrate her expertise—and fire up her skills when it comes to foul play . . .

When Savannah signs on to perform glassblowing on a ship, part of the appeal is that she’ll get a chance to reconnect with her boyfriend Edward’s family. An added bonus is that Edward’s cousin, Ian, will be joining them on board. But when Ian disappears at the beginning of the cruise, the ship’s authorities initially consider it suicide.

Savannah tries to balance her growing suspicions with work on her shows, but her relationship with the other glass artists begins to crack. And she can’t let love color her judgment when Edward suddenly jumps to the top of the suspect list. His fate is in Savannah’s hands, and she’ll do everything she can—on land and sea—to clear his name . . .

Guest Post

Art Inspires Writing – Filling the Well

Writing for me is exhilarating and at the same time draining. I tend to push very hard for several weeks near the deadline before turning a book over to my publisher. That means sixteen-hour days living and breathing in book world. I’ve heard this phase called Book Jail. As a result, I’m a quivering mass of nervous energy and completely empty of words. I have trouble writing the simplest e-mail.

My solution? I walk into a museum. I wander with no set plan or no set time limit. I just let the art wash over me and it begins to recharge my creative energy. For the artist, this is cross training at its most pleasant.

I’m lucky enough to live in downtown St. Petersburg, FL. There are four museums within a dozen blocks. A mere block away is the Chihuly Collection with a permanent exhibit of world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly’s unique artwork in a magnificent setting.

When I’m in the mood for the Chihuly, I want to stay longest the gallery with the stunning installation titled “Ruby Red Icicle Chandelier,” whose red-hot swirls dangle from the ceiling. I also adore the multicolored chandelier known as “Milli Fiore.” After I’ve walked through the museum, I spend some time in the gift shop where items for sale are not the typical selection of cups and postcards.

Along Beach Drive is the Museum of Fine Arts with a large permanent collection of French Impressionist paintings. They also host the Hot Gatherings/Cool Conversations/Wine and Lecture series that feature a touring glass artist. The guest glass artist bring slides of the process used in creating his/her pieces.

Around the corner is the St. Petersburg Museum of History with a permanent interactive exhibition of the chronology of St. Petersburg’s history filled with priceless artifacts, documents and photographs. The Benoist Pavilion houses a replica of the world’s first commercial airliner which made the first scheduled commercial flight from St. Petersburg to Tampa on Jan. 1, 1914.

Finally at the south-end of the downtown area is the world-famous Dali Museum with touring exhibits as well as the largest collection of Dali art outside of Spain. Salvador Dalí’s art is often as shocking as it is brilliant. The Dali museum in downtown St. Pete offers the largest, most comprehensive collection of the famous Spanish artist’s work in America. There are changing and special exhibits throughout the year, including children’s activities, film, music series, lectures and more. I enjoy the Spanish themed Cafe and wander the waterside Avant Garden.

This technique for ‘filling the well’ refreshes my creativity and in little more than an afternoon, I’m ready for the next writing challenge. I highly recommend it.

See more at Visit St Pete Clear Water Museums

About the Author

Cheryl Hollon now writes full-time after she left an engineering career of designing and building military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, and India. Fulfilling the dream of a lifetime, she combines her love of writing with a passion for creating glass art. In the small glass studio behind her house in St. Petersburg, Florida, Cheryl and her husband design, create, and produce fused glass, stained glass, and painted glass artworks.

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A Stewed Observation (A Dinner Club Murder Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
The Wild Rose Press, Inc (August 6, 2018)
Print Length: 214 pages

Synopsis

The Gourmet Dinner Club travels to Ireland to enjoy Irish cuisine while staying at a medieval, ivy-covered castle. Jane Marsh hopes Dale Capricorn will ask her to marry him at this romantic dream destination. But her plans are put on hold when the elderly castle owner becomes violent, a club member restrains him, and he collapses and dies.

The police believe the mysterious death is murder and begin to suspect one of the club’s members. Dale leaves for home on a business emergency, and as the lone single gal in the club full of couples, Jane is thrown into the company of Griffin O’Doherty, the handsome Irishman who stands to inherit the castle.

Jane must prove her friend’s innocence by solving the crime. Which of the sweet-tempered Irish could be a callous killer?

The Wild Rose Press

Guest Post

The long, long weekend

Hubby and I’ve been camping in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado for over thirty years and decided for several reasons—such as comfort and sturdier shelter—to move up from a tent to a camper. We’re now the proud owners of a hard-sided, pop-up A-frame camper that looks like this:

Now, isn’t that the cutest thing you ever saw? It has the most adorable, doll-sized table with bench seats, a double bed, a mini-fridge, and an itty-bitty stovetop. Now we can make a hot pot of coffee in the cool mornings by reaching across the stove and turning on the burner before even getting out of our comfy, warm sleeping bags.

When we first spotted the camper parked in the sales lot next to twenty-foot trailers, looking so tiny in comparison, I thought that we would be able to pull it easily with our SUV, but that was not the case. Living in Colorado, driving at 10,000 feet altitude and above, the hit on our gas mileage and the toll on our engine required the purchase of a truck. The camper doesn’t look so tiny anymore, does it? Notice how it is not only parked in front of our house, but the neighbor’s too.

We were starting to feel like Lucy and Desi Arnez in the movie, The Long, Long Trailer, because after the newlyweds purchased a trailer, they had to buy a new vehicle to pull it, just like we did.

And, just like Lucy and Desi, we had to go up some pretty steep mountain passes to get to where we wanted to go. And, what a destination. We are truly blessed to live in such a beauty spot as Colorado.

Unlike Lucy, who had a place for all her wedding gifts, we were at a loss as to where to store our food, pots and pans, and clothes. In the storage under the bench seats? That’s where the water heater and the wheel chocks fit. In the space under the bed? No, that’s where the furnace and grill are stored. On the floor in front of the stove? That was the only place left. So, the bins and cooler were assigned to the truck bed. (Good thing we bought the truck.)

We took the camper out for its maiden voyage over a long weekend. Once at the state park, we had difficulty hooking up the water and electricity, it rained and the wind blew, and we were unable to make a campfire due to a fire ban because of the dry grasses and high winds.

Stuck, I mean, protected in our camper from the elements throughout that long weekend, my hubby had a hard time settling in. When he yanked off his shirt, his shirt tail caught and spilled my glass of wine on the table, and when he reclined in the bed his foot kicked over my glass of water sitting on the microwave. After I complained, he said, “Don’t put your drinks right next to my feet.” I asked him if my coffee cup in the sink would be safe from his elbow.

Maybe getting that long, long trailer, with the closets and storage cabinets big enough for all of Lucy’s wedding presents and souvenir rocks, is the ticket after all. Otherwise, we’re looking at many more long, long weekends.

In the third book of the dinner club mystery series, Jane Marsh organizes a camping trip in the Rocky Mountains with lavish menus and provisions. If you’d like an adventuresome read, you will enjoy this culinary cozy series.

About the Author

Karen C. Whalen is the author of a culinary cozy series, the “dinner club murder mysteries.” The first four in the series are: Everything Bundt the Truth, Not According to Flan, No Grater Evil, and A Stewed Observation. The first book in the series tied for First Place in the Suspense Novel category of the 2017 IDA Contest sponsored by Oklahoma Romance Writers of America. Her books are similar to those written by cozy authors Jessica Beck and Joanne Fluke. She worked for many years as a paralegal at a law firm in Denver, Colorado and has been a columnist and regular contributor to The National Paralegal Reporter magazine. She believes that it’s never too late to try something new. She loves to host dinner clubs, entertain friends, ride bicycles, hike in the mountains, and read cozy murder mysteries.

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Book Title: Sitting at the Kitchen Table with God by Sandi Smith
Category: Adult Fiction, 192 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction, Christian Fiction
Publisher: Mindstir Media
Release date: May 10, 2017

Synopsis

MARIANNE HAD PLENTY OF TIME ON HER HANDS TO DO NOTHING, so she decided to clean the placemats that she had collected over the past fifty years. Fifty years of a wonderful life together with her husband and best friend, Andrew. Fifty years that should have turned into sixty, but would not even turn into fifty-one.

Her wonderful Andrew was dead. Andrew…her friend and caretaker of her soul and mind and being. Loneliness, darkness, and guilt extended their hungry fingers out for Marianne, desperately trying to pull her even further into their world…a world with no escape. How could she live without her Andrew? She had been so sure that she would be the first one to die in this relationship. But now there was a stronger component to her loneliness and darkness that was starting to make its presence known to Marianne. Anger.

Anger had been a companion of Marianne’s for a very long time, but usually, she had the ability to quiet its demand to be set free. This time, though, Marianne was not sure she would be able to control this anger. It was different somehow…stronger. She was afraid and weak. She had lost her faith in God, and she was so angry with Andrew for leaving her behind. Leaving her all alone in this dark, insane world. A world that was in such a hurry to go nowhere. A world that was in such a hurry to destroy everything in its path. Marianne was in its path, but this time she was alone. Sitting at the kitchen table, Marianne closed her eyes, and then she prayed that today, she would die.

About the Author

Sandi Smith spent her time as a young girl combing the shelves of the public library. She has always enjoyed the magic that books have to offer and was inspired by her high school English teacher, Mr. Coolidge to embrace the arts. The author found her calling as a writer early one morning as her first story came to her in the form of a poem. Since then she has written more than 15 children’s books, with her most popular series about the adventures of an adorable spider in the A.R. Achnid series.

​Sandi is happily married to her inspiration and husband of 40 years, John. She continues to write for her two precious grandchildren. When she’s not penning a new story, Sandi and John like to camp, kayak and to enjoy the simple life in their home in Pembroke, NH.

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(ends Sept 29, 2018)

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Just in Time (A Dodie O’Dell Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Lyrical Underground (September 25, 2018)
Print Length 220 pages

Synopsis

FACE THE MUSIC

Business is humming at Dodie O’Dell’s Windjammer Restaurant, where she offers theme menus connected to the Etonville Little Theatre’s amateur productions. This June, the theatre is collaborating with the neighboring Creston Players to stage Bye Bye Birdie under the stars—their first musical! There’s a contest in the play to pick a fan to receive rock idol Conrad Birdie’s last kiss before he ships off for the Army, so Dodie plans a contest to pick the food for a pre-show picnic.

But before the show opens, Ruby, the rehearsal accompanist, is found dead in her car. Why would anyone murder the crusty old gal who loved to sneak a smoke and a nip between wisecracks? Once again, the resourceful restaurant manager must play the part of amateur sleuth, accompanied by Police Chief Bill Thompson, who also happens to be her beau. Confronted with a chorus of suspects, she’ll need to stay composed to catch the killer—or it’ll be bye bye Dodie…

Guest Post

Suzanne and I have something in common, we both cut our teeth on Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew!  I’m glad she could join us today and answer the question – why write mysteries.

People like to ask “why write mysteries?” Good question! There are three answers. First, I’ve been writing since grade school—essays, short stories, plays—and as I grew up, my interest in scribbling only grew stronger. At the same time, I’ve always been an avid reader and my genre of choice from a young age has been mysteries. I started with the Bobbsey Twins and segued to Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew.  As a pre-teen, I could bury my nose in one of these books and not come up for air until I was coaxed out of my detective story cocoon. I could so easily visualize the capers of these young private eyes and imagine myself in their midst, solving the mysteries right along with them.

So when I turned to novel-writing a decade ago—after moving through a screenwriting and playwriting period—it was only natural that I started with mystery stories. (I had a wonderful editor early on who steered me through the maze of genres until I chose to write cozy mysteries, a decision that suited me and my sense of humor.) And the Dodie O’Dell Mystery Series was born! With book number four, Just in Time, coming out in September, the characters of my books are happily established in small town Etonville, New Jersey. Dodie O’Dell, my protagonist, juggles her day job—managing the Windjammer restaurant—with her investigative activities: solving murders in Etonville and its environs. She also provides culinary and organizational support for the Etonville Little Theatre, next door neighbor of the Windjammer restaurant. Dodie is busy…

There’s a second reason I was drawn to writing mysteries. I’m a puzzle fan. I like crosswords, jigsaws, whatever requires one to fit pieces together, whether the pieces are words, bits of a picture, or clues to a murder. I am thrilled when I finish a particularly thorny crossword puzzle, or place the remaining fragments in a five hundred piece jigsaw. Or when I figure out “whodunit” in one of my favorite mysteries or thrillers. (Currently that would be any book in the Louise Penny Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series) I enjoy being kept in the dark while surrounded by a succession of clues and red herrings. I also enjoy keeping my own readers guessing. Just as I feel satisfied seeing how all of the intricate parts of the murder investigation come together, I want my readers to wonder about the guilty party, and maybe his or her motivation, until very nearly the end of the book.

In Just in Time, for example, Dodie once again finds herself ensnared in the back story of a murder victim while trying not to intrude too much on the actual investigation. Along the way, her detective work will take her out of town to Creston, New Jersey, the community next door to Etonville, as well as New York City, only a stone’s throw away. Interviewing folks, visiting the crime scene, making a few calls, avoiding Police Chief Bill Thompson’s—Dodie’s current beau—official investigation allow Dodie to rely on her instincts and collect evidence that is sometimes missed by the formal inquiry. She puts the pieces of the puzzle together just in time to nab the murderer.

Finally, writing mysteries requires a bit of unusual research…an activity I’ve always loved. For example, I find myself scouring the Internet, as well as more traditional sources, for quirky, unique, believable ways to kill off the victim. I’ve also enjoyed digging into electronics as tools for solving crimes: computers, cell phones, and the Internet are the territory of Dodie’s teenage tech guru, Pauli Palmieri. A digital forensics expert.

My interests have come together nicely—mysteries, puzzles, research—in this cozy series. See if you agree!

About the Author

Suzanne Trauth is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and a former university theatre professor. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Dramatists Guild. When she is not writing, Suzanne coaches actors and serves as a celebrant performing wedding ceremonies. She lives in Woodland Park, New Jersey.

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