A Rumored Fortune

BY

Joanna Davidson Politano

  Genre: Historical Romance / Christian

Publisher: Revell

Date of Publication: July 31, 2018

Number of Pages: 416

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Welcome to Trevelyan Castle, home of the poorest heiress in Victorian England

Tressa Harlowe’s father kept his vast fortune hidden somewhere on his estate in the south of England and died suddenly, without telling anyone where he had concealed it. Now Tressa and her ailing mother are left with a mansion and an immense vineyard and no money to run it.

It doesn’t take long for a bevy of opportunists to flock to the estate under the guise of offering condolences. Tressa knows what they’re really up to. She’ll have to work with the rough and rusticated vineyard manager to keep the laborers content without pay and discover the key to finding her father’s fortune—before someone else finds it first.

 

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Praise

“Everyone loves a treasure hunt—pair it with a heroine you can’t help but love, a hero you can’t help but swoon over, and a family mystery that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat, and you end up with A Rumored Fortune. This book is a treasure in itself and one you won’t be able to put down!” — Roseanna M. White, bestselling author of the Ladies of the Manor series and Shadows Over England series

“Politano combines romance and mystery with great skill to create plot twists that will keep readers captivated until the very end.”— Publishers Weekly

“The author has done a great job, offering up a plot filled with wit, charm, action, and a lot of female strength.”— Suspense Magazine

A treasure hunt, faith, and a historical setting round out why you should read this book.

This was my first book to read by this author and I enjoyed the setting, the characters, the storyline, and the romance. Tressa is the protagonist and she has a lot to deal with in this story. Her father is presumed dead, her mother is self absorbed, she has to figure out how to pay everyone without any money, has to search for her father’s fortune which no one knows where it is, and she has to figure out what she wants in her life and in love. Despite all that is on her shoulders, she is very down to earth, has a friendship with her lady’s maid, and befriends many of the workers and their families. She has compassion for all. I also loved the descriptions of her artwork on the walls and ceilings of the estate, I can only imagine her designs and the feelings it evoked.

Donegan Vance has several secrets he is keeping from Tressa and at the same time wonders if she is capable of taking care of business. He is like most men of this time period and thinks that women can’t lead or be in charge. I appreciated the fact that despite his faults (and who doesn’t have faults) that he recognizes the good in others and is able to fall back on his faith in God to get him through the tough times. He too has a strong sense of family which I think is one thing that he clings to in Tressa.

There is a little bit of a mystery, where is the family fortune? And as with many families, the vultures come out to try and find and claim the fortune before Tressa. It is sad when the motives of family members are not in the best interest of everyone. Despite Neville and Ellen’s behavior (these are some of the family vultures), they have reasons of their own for wanting the fortune which is revealed near the end. I would like to have seen more focus on the treasure hunt because that was somewhat light in the story.

The ending does leave me hanging a bit wondering what might have happened next for Tressa, Donegan, and the rest of the family/estate. Still an enjoyable story.

We give it 4 paws up.

Joanna Davidson Politano is the award-winning author of Lady Jayne Disappears. She freelances for a small nonfiction publisher but spends much of her time spinning tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives. She lives with her husband and their two babies in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan and shares stories that move her.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Amazon Author Page

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  September 11-20, 2018

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Check out the other blogs on this tour

9/11/18	Notable Quotable	Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
9/12/18	Review	Momma on the Rocks
9/13/18	Author Interview	The Clueless Gent
9/14/18	Excerpt	That’s What She’s Reading
9/15/18	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
9/16/18	Notable Quotable	All the Ups and Downs
9/17/18	Character Interview	Missus Gonzo
9/18/18	Review	Tangled in Text
9/19/18	Author Top Five	Kelly Well Read
9/20/18	Review	Carpe Diem Chronicles

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I have way too many books (said no one ever except my husband!).  So thankfully this giveaway will allow me to share a few with you.  I don’t know what books I am going to give away, but if you follow me you know I prefer mysteries and romance.  I do have some YA and Sci-Fi on my shelf too.  It’ll be quite the mixed bag of books.

So enter below for your chance to win a mystery book or two.  Then visit the other blogs also on this hop.  Maybe you’ll win from multiple bloggers!

This is open to US residents only due to shipping costs.

Giveaway

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Synopsis

A pair of high school seniors are pressured into a blind date. They end up in the back seat of a car and pregnant. The mores of 50’s Americana mandate they drop out of high school and marry. They have a baby girl. Both are emotionally unstable before meeting. A marriage in Hell only throws gasoline on already smoldering embers. Meanwhile, a young man gets brutally beaten up in an after school fight. He vows never to be humiliated again. He then enrolls in a martial arts school. During his freshman and sophomore years, he spends more time in the dojo than in the classroom. His prowess becomes lethal. However, it comes at a price. He is flunking out of high school. Home for Thanksgiving, a friend tells him how seriously his school takes its sports program. In particular, the Director of Admissions is a big wrestling fan. With help from his mother he secures an interview at that prep school. Impressed by his tryout, the Director of Admissions offers admittance, scholarship, and a personal tutor to help him prepare for the SAT’s. The tutor is a twenty-seven year old Yale post grad then studying for her PhD in English Lit. When not in the dojo, the young man spends time with a senior who has taken him under his wing. The senior’s older brother runs an illegal drug operation. The young man becomes ensnared in the world of dealing leading to a violent conclusion revealing surprise relationships among the actors.

Review

This coming of age book touches on many different “hot” topics – rape/incest, drugs, forced marriage, and abuse.  At the same time, it is hopeful and reflects determination from several characters.

There are several characters that are central to this story line.  Chester and Shirley – the young couple that is forced to marry in the 50s due to an unexpected pregnancy.  This of course changes their lives forever.  There is no love between them and I think they resent each other because of their forced situation.  Chester, despite missing out on college, is able to turn around a vending machine business and provide for his family.  However, there is a lot of tension, and possibly even hate, between the couple.  This results in a life altering situation for their daughter, Patricia/Patty.

Patty was raped at 11 and that experience shaped her beliefs and outlook as a woman.  Because of the rape, Patty became pregnant.  I will say this is the only part I had a hard time believing.  From what we are lead to believe, she had not reached puberty, however, being raped once and she was pregnant at 11?  While it is not impossible, girls were averaging age 13 for puberty in the 1960s.  I was also surprised at how clueless her mother was to the situation.  How did she not notice for 6+ months that her daughter had a problem and was pregnant?

Logan was adopted by an older couple and while they provided for him, he lacked the father figure he desperately wanted and needed.  His father was a doctor and not at home very often.  His mother did the best she could, but I think the couple was in their 50s when they adopted him.  This book is really his story as he dealt with bullies, learned to channel his anger through martial arts, improved his educational situation, and created a successful business – despite its illicit nature.

This book captured my attention from the beginning.  From the dysfunctional families, bullying, and to drug/alcohol use and distribution.  I was amazed at the depth of the characters and the scenes and I could picture them quite vividly in my mind.  There were various times that I felt for Logan, but at other times I was impressed that he took initiative to better himself.  I was amazed at how much the youth in this book drank and partook of drugs (mostly marijuana).  Was it because the parents didn’t care?  Was it the time period (late 1970s)?  While I wasn’t a teen yet during this time frame, I’d say my upbringing was more wholesome compared to these characters.

There is a part near the end that was not a surprise because the cast of characters is laid out and their relationship to one another.  While you might guess how one story line plays out as you near the end of the book, the ending did leave me hanging wondering how the characters were going to handle the situation all things considered.  I don’t know if the author was leaving this open for another book or to let the reader create their own ending.  It left me wanting more.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down.  At times it was like watching a train wreck where you can’t look away.  But that is a good thing since it had me on tenterhooks waiting on what would happened next to the various characters.

We give this 4 paws up

About the Author

D.B. Moffatt was born in Lancaster, England, on the last day of 1974. He was educated at the stiflingly all-boy Lancaster Royal Grammar School, where he spent much of his time playing computer games, rolling dice, and drawing maps of places that don’t exist. He went on to Manchester University to study Psychology. The dice and the maps stopped, but the computer games continued. Having long dreamed of single-handedly redefining the fantasy genre, he started to write an epic trilogy based around the misadventures of thinking man’s barbarian Logen Ninefingers. The result was pompous toss, and swiftly abandoned.

He then moved to London, lived in a stinking slum with two men on the borders of madness, and found work making tea for minimum wage at a TV Post-Production company. Two years later he left to become a freelance film editor, and has worked since on a dazzling selection of documentaries, awards shows, music videos, and concerts for artists ranging from Barry White to Coldplay.

He now lives in Bath with his wife, Lou, his daughters Grace and Eve, and his son Teddy. He still occasionally edits concerts and music festivals for TV, but spends most of his time writing edgy yet humorous fantasy novels.

Website

Giveaway

I was sent a copy of this book to review and I’d like to share it with a lucky reader!  Open to US only due to shipping costs

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Out and In

a mystery-thriller

Marie Donovan Mysteries, #1

by

Pat Dunlap Evans

  Genre: Fiction / Romantic Suspense

Publisher: A.M. Chai Literary

Date of Publication: April 27, 2016

Number of Pages: 316

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Stunning beauty and amateur cellist Marie Donovan finds herself in deep trouble after her pro-quarterback husband dives off a Dallas high rise—many say in shame after his shady investments go sour. Just months later, the grieving Marie faces capital murder charges for the death of a lecherous opera maestro. When hard evidence points squarely at her, only her best friend and defense lawyer believe her.

Marie is no stranger to struggle. During her six years as an NFL Football wife, she fends off groupies eager to take her man, all the while feeling lost in her husband’s macho culture. Studying the cello becomes Marie’s solace until her hard-drinking husband retires after an injury. Returning to Dallas, he plays with high society’s money in an investment scheme until winning at all costs leaves Marie and her twin sons on the hook for millions.

Scorned by society friends, charged with murder, Marie pins her hopes on hunky defense lawyer Ryan Ingles, one of Cole’s college football pals. After Ryan’s legal team discovers some of the maestro’s dark secrets, Marie and Ryan’s investigative troupe travel to exotic islands in search of clues Cole left behind. As the tropics weave a romantic spell, a corrupt offshore banker dashes Marie’s hopes. She wonders if she’ll ever be free of blame…and able to claim her own place in this world.

 

 

The ebook will be free September 22 – 24th on Amazon

Praise

“Out and In is the perfect mystery-thriller for the beach, a long flight, or to savor before bed…an exciting but heartfelt story about a beautiful woman who struggles to prove her innocence … As for the ending, I am still stunned.” — Lara Reznik, Amazon best-selling author of The Girl from Long Guyland and Bagels and Salsa.

“Could not put it down, once I started reading. Definitely a must-read. Look forward to reading more books from Pat Dunlap Evans. ” — five-star Amazon review by reader “Mimi”

“Awesome…flowed nicely … definitely kept you on your toes to who actually committed the murder. The lead character was a perfect blend of hard and soft. A great read.” — five-star Amazon review by reader “Tiffany”

 

 

Pat Dunlap Evans was born in Michigan but “got to Texas as soon as I could,” she says. Her family lived in San Antonio and later Dallas, where she attended South Oak Cliff High School and Southern Methodist University. Pat eventually completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English at University of Missouri, Kansas City, with emphasis on creative writing. She also taught freshman writing courses as a part-time lecturer.

After a divorce, Pat stressed her way as a single mom through twenty-five years of high-stress advertising and marketing roles before retiring to write fiction and screenplays. She lives in the Lake Travis area with her second husband Dr. Bill Evans and enjoys travel, golf, volunteer work, sailing, and the chaos of the couple’s combined five adult children, five grandchildren, and two cockalier dogs.

Pat has published two novels, To Leave a Memory and Out and In, with a third novel Those Who Try due out soon.

 

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  September 12-21, 2018

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9/12/18	Author Video	StoreyBook Reviews
9/13/18	Review	The Clueless Gent
9/14/18	Guest Post	Forgotten Winds
9/15/18	Deleted Scene	Chapter Break Book Blog
9/16/18	Review	Hall Ways Blog
9/17/18	Author Interview	Books and Broomsticks
9/18/18	Notable Quotable	Book Fidelity
9/19/18	Review	Reading by Moonlight
9/20/18	Top Ten List	All the Ups and Downs
9/21/18	Review	Missus Gonzo

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The Gold Pawn (An Art Deco Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Kensington (September 25, 2018)
Paperback: 336 pages

Synopsis

November 1936. Mayor La Guardia’s political future buckles under a missing persons case in New York City. Simultaneously, Lane unravels devastating secrets in the outskirts of Detroit. As two crimes converge, judging friends from enemies can be a dangerous game . . .

Finally summoning the courage to face the past, Lane Sanders breaks away from her busy job at City Hall to confront childhood nightmares in Rochester, Michigan. An unknown assailant left Lane with scattered memories after viciously murdering her parents. However, one memory of a dazzling solid gold pawn piece remains—and with it lies a startling connection between the midwestern tragedy and a current mystery haunting the Big Apple . . .

Meanwhile, fears climb in Manhattan after the disappearance of a respected banker and family friend threatens the crippled financial industry and the pristine reputation of Lane’s virtuous boss, Mayor Fiorello “Fio” La Guardia. Fio’s fight to restore order leads him into more trouble as he meets a familiar foe intent on ending his mayoral term—and his life . . .

Guided by overseas telegrams from the man she loves and painful memories, only Lane can silence old ghosts and derail present-day schemes. But when the investigation awakens a darker side of her own nature, will she and New York City’s most prominent movers and shakers still forge ahead into a prosperous new age . . . or is history doomed to repeat itself?

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Kensington and the author have special thank you gift to anyone who pre-orders THE GOLD PAWN and registers here

It’s a limited edition gold author card, swag, and a Silver Gun bracelet 

Guest Post

The Role of Music in Writing

By L. A. Chandlar

I get asked a lot about music while writing: if I enjoy it or is it distracting? Do I write certain scenes to certain songs?

First of all, I love music! And music was a big part of the everyday life of the Art Deco era. So you’ll see music popping up all over the place, whether listening on their Victrola, the family radio nights, or at the dance halls and jazz clubs.

For me personally, when I’m writing and I need to concentrate, blocking out the world and its intrusions, I turn it up. I almost always write with music on in the background. Often it’s period pieces to get me in the mood to write in the vintage style with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin, Chet Baker, Louis Armstrong, and Blossom Dearie. If I want to get jazzy, I listen to Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Young… My two sons will often find themselves dancing with me as I make dinner, too.

My favorite thing is when I write a scene to a specific song. It’s a mood I’m looking for. When Lane and Finn have a dance, I really did listen to Dean Martin’s Mambo Italiano. That entire Little Italy scene which is a theme in my books is inspired from that song. When they have more steamy moments, it’s usually written with Nora Jones, specifically Come Away with Me, Sunrise, and Don’t Miss You at All.

And then there’s when I need energy. I listen to everything from Lady Gaga to Eminem. The final scene –the epilogue–  that is my post-credit scene like in the movies and always has a twist and a foreshadowing of the next book, is my FAVORITE. Of course, it’s my favorite in the movies, too. I’m a die-hard. I wait until the bitter end for that scene! The end in THE GOLD PAWN was written to Lady Gaga’s Poker Face. And the end and a couple of chase scenes in book 3, THE PEARL DAGGER, was written to Eminem’s Lose Yourself. They have nothing to do with my era, but there was just something about the mood and the energy that they radiated for those scenes that was perfect.

When I got to the Christmas time of the year in THE GOLD PAWN, I listened incessantly to the album Christmas with the Ratpack with Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra, and Dean Martin. I also love Harry Connick, Jr. and What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve as well as Michael Bublé’s entire Christmas album.

To have some fun, go back and read those chapters with those songs! It’s a blast. Then find me on social media and let’s talk music!

About the Author

L. A. Chandlar is the author of the Art Deco Mystery Series with Kensington Publishing featuring Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia and a fresh take on the innovation and liveliness of 1930s New York City. Her debut novel, The Silver Gun released August 29, 2017, and the sequel, The Gold Pawn, will release September 25th, 2018. Laurie has been living and writing in New York City for 16 years and has been speaking for a wide variety of audiences for over 20 years including a women’s group with the United Nations. Her talks range from NYC history, the psychology of creativity, and the history of holiday traditions. Laurie has also worked in PR for General Motors, writes and fund-raises for a global nonprofit is the mother of two boys, and has toured the nation managing a rock band.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * YouTube * Goodreads * Pinterest

Giveaway

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Synopsis

Executive, wife, and mother of an outgoing first-grader, Sydney Clayton crushes her day-to-day obligations at work but flounders in the cutthroat world of parental politics.

She manages to avoid the local drama until she’s faced with an ultimatum: join the Forest River PTA or risk her daughter becoming a social outcast. Sydney reluctantly becomes treasurer, and takes the recently vacated position of the president’s sidekick. If protecting the children’s freedom of speech, one best friend ban at a time, isn’t complicated enough, Sydney and her husband receive an unexpected offer for their house they don’t think they can refuse.

Embroiled in the deception and manipulation rife among the elementary school moms, Sydney struggles. Should she sell the home she worked so hard to build in a town where betrayal runs rampant? Or should she stay put to avoid the fallout from uprooting her child? As Sydney focuses on what is best for her daughter, and lets go of her judgments, she finds friendship can develop in very unexpected ways.

Warm, witty, and wise, Go On, Girl dramatizes the dilemmas of life in the suburbs and the bonds shared by women. Perfect for fans of Class Mom and I Don’t Know How She Does It.

Pick up your copy now for $0.99 for the next 6 days because on 9/16 the book increases to $3.99!

Hilary also has her book, Plan Bea, for FREE on Amazon right now!  I gave it 5 paws up and you can read my review here

If you see this post early enough, click on the image above to enter

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About the Author

By day, Hilary Grossman works in the booze biz. By night she hangs out with her “characters.” She has an unhealthy addiction to denim and high heel shoes. She’s been known to walk into walls and fall up stairs. She only eats spicy foods and is obsessed with her cat, Lucy. She loves to find humor in everyday life. She likens life to a game of dodge ball – she tries to keep many balls in the air before they smack her in the face. She lives on Long Island.

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Whispers On The Wind

by

Dana Wayne

  Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Book Lift Off

Date of Publication: March 7, 2018

Number of Pages: 277

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You didn’t stop him. He killed her.

Dire warnings from a voice only he can hear makes Sheriff Cooper Delaney doubt his sanity. When a body is found matching one from a recent nightmare, he believes he’s gone off the deep end. The dead do not talk to the living. Or do they? One body becomes two. Are there more?

Heartbroken by betrayal, Dr. Samantha Fowler finds herself starting over at thirty-three. When she meets the local sheriff, the attraction is instant and fierce, threatening to crumble the defensive walls around her heart. Once burned, twice shy, she vows to stay far away from him for the duration of her stay at the quaint B & B they share. But when she finds one body, then another, avoiding the handsome Texan is impossible.

He’s not done.

Quarry in sight, he watches and waits. “I am the master. I cannot be stopped.” 

The clock is ticking…

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Praise

“Smooth pace and lovable characters drew me in almost instantly.”

“If you love romantic suspense, you are in for a treat!”

“Masterpiece! Dana’s ability to paint a picture with words is incredible.”

“Hard to stop reading once I started.”

“It has been a long time since I enjoyed a book as much as I did this one.”

A dog and spirits…could this book get any better?  Why yes it can with well-developed characters and a murderer hiding in plain sight.

I was thrilled to be given the chance to review this book because the synopsis just pulled me into the story almost right off the bat.  Someone from the other side was talking to both Cooper and Sam.  In Coop’s case, we are led to believe it is the victim (but which one?!).  For Sam, it is her Grandmother that is watching over her.  I felt like Cooper’s ghost was impatient, yet she wasn’t giving him very many clues to unearth the killer.

The story kept me engaged throughout wondering who was behind the murders and when the truth was revealed it shocked the heck out of me!  I did NOT see that one coming!  I don’t think there are really any obvious clues to point you towards the killer.  There is a lot of misdirection and supposition (on my part) regarding the mystery portion of this book.

Now let’s talk about the characters.  I felt like all the characters were well developed and mostly likable.  Coop and Sam are mature and while they have their issues, overall they seem to be balanced. Miss Eva (she owns the B&B) and Jason, Coop’s son, add depth to the story and there is a little secret there that comes out near the end.  You’ll have to read the book to discover that secret.  One character we get just a glimpse of is Big Mama….I think there is more to her story and would love to know more about her.  And I can’t do this review without mentioning Jack, Sam’s dog.  He is very protective of her but has taken a liking to Coop.  He is key at various points in the story to Sam’s well being and safety.

This is the first book I have read by this author and can’t wait to read more.

We give this 5 paws up!

Awarding winning author Dana Wayne is a sixth generation Texan and resides in the Piney Woods with her husband, (and biggest fan), a Calico cat named Katie, three children and four grandchildren. She routinely speaks at book clubs, writer organizations and other groups about writing and self-publishing.

Her debut novel, Secrets of The Heart, was awarded First Place – Contemporary Romance, 2017 by Texas Association of Authors, was a finalist for the 2017 Scéal Award for Contemporary Romance, Reviewers Top Pick and included on the Top 10 Books to Read This Winter from Books & Benches online magazine.

Her next two novels, Mail Order Groom, released in April 2017, and Whispers On The Wind, released in April 2018, both received 5 Star Reviews from Readers Favorite among others. She was recently included in the Top 50 Indi Authors You Should Read by calebandlindapirtle.com, an international book blog site.

Affiliations include Romance Writers of America, Texas Association of Authors, Writers League of Texas, East Texas Writers Guild, Northeast Texas Writers Organization, and East Texas Writers Association.

Website ~ Facebook~ Twitter

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  September 4-13, 2018

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9/4/18	Guest Post	That’s What She’s Reading
9/5/18	Review	Forgotten Winds
9/6/18	Excerpt	Chapter Break Book Blog
9/6/18	BONUS Review	Hall Ways Blog
9/7/18	Guest Post	All the Ups and Downs
9/8/18	Review	Carpe Diem Chronicles
9/9/18	Scrapbook Page & BONUS Review	StoreyBook Reviews
9/10/18	Guest Post & BONUS Review	The Clueless Gent
9/11/18	Review	Reading by Moonlight
9/12/18	Author Interview	Books and Broomsticks
9/13/18	Review	Book Fidelity

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K Street Killing (Washington Whodunit)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Camel Press (July 15, 2018)
Paperback: 242 pages

Synopsis

It’s the height of campaign season, and instead of relishing newlywed bliss with her husband Doug Hollingsworth, Capitol Hill staffer Kit Marshall is busy with a tough reelection fight for her boss, member of Congress Maeve Dixon. Before Maeve and her staff–Kit included–leave Washington, D.C. to campaign full time in North Carolina, they have one last fundraising engagement.

On the iconic rooftop of a restaurant overlooking the Capitol and the Washington monument, Kit and her best pal Meg do their best to woo wealthy lobbyists for sizable campaign donations. Everyone’s enjoying the evening soiree until a powerful K Street tycoon mysteriously tumbles off the rooftop. Even with claims the fall must be suicide, Detective Maggie Glass and Kit aren’t so easily convinced foul play isn’t at work. While balancing Doug’s mid-life career crisis, Kit must spring into action to discover who killed the notorious Van Parker before Dixon’s candidacy sputters, even if it means investigating Meg’s handsome new beau, the victim’s conniving widow, and a bicycle advocate hell-bent on settling a long-standing grudge. When threatening note is left on Kit’s car, warning her to back off the investigation, she knows she’s closing in on the true story of what happened.

About the Author

Colleen J. Shogan has been reading mysteries since the age of six. She conceived of the plot of her first mystery one morning while taking a walk in her suburban Washington, D.C. neighborhood. A political scientist, she previously worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative staffer in the United States Senate and as the Deputy Director of the Congressional Research Service. She is currently a senior executive at the Library of Congress who works on great initiatives such as the National Book Festival. Colleen lives in Arlington, Virginia with her husband Rob and their beagle mutt Conan. She is the recipient of the Next Generation Indie Prize for Best Mystery.

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Synopsis

Three former Navy SEALs

Injured in the line of duty

Desperate for a new beginning…

Searching for a place to call their own.

Single mom and Revival Ranch’s on-site therapist Monica Finley has dedicated her life to helping brave servicemen and women, but former Navy SEAL Gabe Cortez is the one man whose shell she just can’t crack. Yet with the holidays fast approaching, she may finally have a plan. In a bid to get Gabe to open up, she’ll ask for as much help as possible—cutting down the Christmas tree, stringing lights, the whole nine yards.

Who could possibly be a Grinch with so much holiday cheer in the air?

Gabe has always hated Christmas—the holiday never fails to remind him just how alone he truly is. But the more time he spends with Monica and her young son, the more he finds himself drawn to their cozy little family…and the more he begins to realize his long-suppressed Christmas dreams may finally be coming true.

Excerpt

“Yes. Picking out a book for someone shows that you know them, and you have some clue as to what they like. It shows you’re paying attention, and that you like them.”

“So, what book are you going to get me?”

She tapped her chin, pretending to ponder it. “Maybe I’ll find one on the great art of narcissism.”

He chuckled good-naturedly.

“You can stay here and play your video games.”

“Nah, I’ll look at books.”

So they walked over to the book section of the store, and Monica tried very hard to concentrate on finding a book that her mother would like, and then her father. It was admittedly hard to concentrate with six-foot-something of former Navy SEAL just…lurking.

Which was silly. She was used to tough military men in her life. She’d been raised with one, then married to one, and none of that lurking had ever affected her. Not like this.

Sex camel. Sex camel. Only one cure for a sex camel.

“Hell,” she muttered.

“What’s that?”

“Nothing. Nothing. I think I’m going to have to order something for my dad. None of this really works. Besides, it’s nearly five, and we should head over to the florist.”

“Here. Try this one.” He handed her a book.

She took the heavy, dry-looking tome. She wrinkled her nose at the black-and-white picture on the front. It was some complicated-looking nonfiction book about the role of presidents during wars of the twentieth century.

Damn Gabe Cortez.

“How did you know he’d like this?” she demanded.

Gabe shrugged, taking it upon himself to push the cart toward the front of the store while she trailed behind.

“Marines are all the same. Like all that bullshit about politics and war. Like it’s complicated and not always a dick-measuring contest.”

“Is that all war is?”

“Is to me.”

“I don’t believe that.” He looked sharply over his shoulder at her, but she simply held his gaze. “You don’t join the military if you think that.”

“First of all, you don’t know the first thing about why I joined the military. Second, a lot of guys think it once they’ve been through one. Because you don’t come out unscathed from that. You either double down on what you believe, or you realize it’s all a bunch of bullshit.”

“So, you’re the enlightened, I suppose.”

“No, it’s not enlightened. It’s just how you deal. One way’s not better than the other.”

He always managed to surprise her. She was used to uncompromising military men, and there was an element of that to him. But it was somehow…open-minded. There was a lack of judgment. Gabe seemed to believe in survival however you managed it. Considering that was at the heart of her therapy mission, it was impossible not to admire him for it.

“So why did you join the military?” she asked, unable to resist. It wasn’t a therapist’s question either. No, this was a Monica question. She wanted to know, as a person, about his person.

She wasn’t sure what to do with that, but he smiled. Not those bitter ones meant to push her back a few paces, but one of his charming smiles. The ones he flashed her before he said something…suggestive. Her cheeks heated against her will and that foreign flutter from last night was back in full force.

“Sorry, sweetheart. That’s not a question I answer for just anybody.”

“Oh,” she said, trying to sound calm and not at all affected as she started putting her items on the conveyer belt of the checkout line. “What would an anybody have to do to become a somebody?” She steeled all her courage and calm and self-possession and looked pointedly at him.

But that grin didn’t change any, except maybe turn the air a little hotter. Which was impossible. All this heat was a figment of her over-wintered imagination.

“I’m not sure. No one ever has. But you’re more than welcome to take on the challenge.”

That word wound though her. Challenge. She never, ever backed down from a challenge. It was one of those things her parents had insisted she learn to do: face any challenge, any hardship, any responsibility.

And she had. Over and over again. But this was different, because she had a bad feeling his challenge would involve nakedness.

Oh, remember male nakedness? That was nice. His would be very, very nice.

The cashier cleared her throat and Monica blushed even deeper. “Sorry,” she mumbled, fumbling to pull her credit card out of her purse. She centered herself with the rote actions of sliding the card through the reader and taking the receipt as Gabe loaded up the cart with her bags.

As they walked out of the store, side by side, Monica kept her gaze forward. “I might take that challenge,” she said hastily as they reached the truck.

“You might fail.”

She looked up at him and gave him a very carefully blank smile. She knew it irritated him by the way his lips firmed and his jaw tightened.

“I might,” she agreed, validated somehow when he was the one to break eye contact and finish loading the bags into the truck bed. “But I also might not,” she added, heading for the passenger side door.

The fact that Gabe didn’t slide into the driver’s seat for another minute or so was very validating indeed.

 

About the Author

NICOLE HELM writes down-to-earth contemporary romance specializing in people who don’t live close enough to neighbors for them to be a problem. When she’s not writing, she spends her time dreaming about someday owning a barn. She lives with her husband and two young sons in O’Fallon, Missouri.

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Deadly Dram: A Whisky Business Mystery
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Alibi (September 4, 2018)
Print Length 300 pages

Synopsis

Distillery owner Abigail Logan discovers that high spirits are no match for a cold-blooded killer as the Whisky Business Mystery series puts a fatal twist on stiff competition.

It’s been a year since globe-trotting photojournalist Abi Logan inherited Abbey Glen, a whisky distillery in the heart of the Scottish countryside. To her surprise, the village of Balfour already feels like home, and her new business partner, Grant MacEwan, continues to be too charming to resist. But Abi has a history of relationship disasters, so she struggles to avoid an ill-fated romance with Grant. Steering clear is hard enough on a day-to-day basis, but when the two head off to a whisky industry competition together, Abi panics. Five-star resort, four glorious days of nonstop whisky tasting, and a fatally attractive Scotsman—what could possibly go wrong?

The night before the award presentations, with foreign and domestic whisky makers at one anothers’ throats, two judges are found dead under mysterious circumstances. What started with three dream-come-true nominations for Abby Glen’s whisky soon turns into a nightmare for Abi. With a killer on the loose, she must call on her investigative skills to stop another murder—before she gets taken out of the running herself.

Guest Post

The classic advice given to any aspiring writers is to “write what you know,” so many people ask me why my protagonist is a journalist and not a lawyer. After all, I spent a large part of my professional life as a lawyer. Honestly, unless you are John Grisham, being a lawyer is just not that riveting and I wanted my protagonist to be interesting. A woman of substance and a woman who already had the tools she needed to be a successful amateur sleuth, as well as a business woman/distillery owner.

As a photojournalist, Abi Logan has a strong instinct about people and a compulsive attention to detail that serve her well as she investigates. Abi also needed to have had some experience in a male dominated profession before coming to Scotland. Being a former war correspondent she’d experienced that, along with a lot of pain and death and it left her a bit world-weary. Ready for a new challenge and a change of lifestyle. That resonated with me as I switched careers mid-stream and I hope it resonates with many of my readers as well.

Fraught relations between men and woman in the workplace have become such a hot topic lately. The death threats Abi gets in book one of the Whisky Business series go to the extreme, but many of my readers have seen discrimination, suspicion, and mistrust at work, especially if they work in a traditionally male arena. I experienced this as a lawyer, and Abi certainly would have seen it as a war correspondent, and now she’s experiencing it again as she finds her way in the whisky business.

The whisky fraternity, or the Barley Boys as Abi calls them, don’t always welcome her with open arms. The majority of owners and distillers in the whisky business both in Scotland and in other parts of the world are men. Women are slowly making their way into the profession, but they are still a comparative rarity. In these stories, Abi is one of the first, but she is lucky to have a few enlightened souls around her that are willing to recognize the historic contributions of women and to recount their stories. Abi finds strength in the stories they share about the women that came before her.

Back in the 1800’s when small-scale whisky distillation was still illegal, many women tended the stills while their husbands worked the land. Helen Cummings famously disguised the family distillery as a bakery and would serve the revenuers tea and cakes in her kitchen while secretly raising a red flag on the top of the farmhouse to let other distillers in the area know that the authorities were around. Helen and her daughter-in-law Elizabeth shepherded their distillery, now known as Cardhu, from its early illicit operations through several legal expansions and eventually crafted a very lucrative deal to sell the business to Johnnie Walker.

In the early 1930’s Bessie Williamson rose from secretary, to distillery manager, to owner of Laphroaig distillery, earning the title Mother of Laphroaig along the way. By the second World War the supplies of barley used to make whisky were desperately needed to feed the Scottish people and whisky production was put on hold by the government for nearly two years, but the women on the home front still managed to find enough barley going spare to produce a stock of whisky to tide the locals through the dark, dry days.

Today, more and more women like Abi Logan are making their way into the whisky business both in Scotland and abroad. As a woman and a whisky lover I’m having a great time watching them find their wings. Look for profiles of these special ladies on my social media sites. The times are changing and it’s great to be a part of them.

About the Author

Melinda Mullet was born in Dallas and attended school in Texas, Washington D.C., England, and Austria. She spent many years as a practicing attorney before pursuing a career as a writer. Author of the Whisky Business Mystery series, Mullet is a passionate supporter of childhood literacy. She works with numerous domestic and international charities striving to promote functional literacy for all children. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her family.

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