Title: Shimmy Bang Sparkle
Author: Nicola Rendell
Release Date: August 21, 2018
Publisher: Montlake Romance

Synopsis

All Nick Norton wants is to stay on the straight and narrow…and never get caught stealing again. Then he lays eyes on her: Stella Peretti—100 percent sexy and absolutely irresistible. Especially when he sees her smooth moves lifting a two-karat diamond. Nick realizes he’s found the sparkling woman of his dreams—one so perfect for him it’s almost criminal.

The Shimmy Shimmy Bangs are master jewel thieves who are planning the heist of the century. And Shimmy leader, Stella, isn’t about to let anyone—even if he is a hunky, tatted-up studmuffin—get in her way. But when two of her girls are put out of commission, Stella realizes that Nick isn’t just a red-hot distraction. He might be the answer to her pilfering prayers.

Now, Nick and Stella are putting everything on the line for one last job. But when two thieves have this much chemistry, it’s only a matter of time before somebody’s heart gets stolen.

What Stealing A Diamond and Stealing a Heart Have In Common

with the Heroine from Shimmy Bang Sparkle by Nicola Rendell

Hi! My name is Stella Peretti. I am the head of the only all-female jewel heist crew west of the Mississippi. We call ourselves the Shimmy Shimmy Bangs. I got started in this life of crime when I was a girl. I saw something that I knew was unfair and I had to do what was necessary to make it right. I’ve heard that the old hardened cons who learn about us say we are “Robin Hooding” our way around the Southwest. I’m really proud of that!

Nick gets involved in my plan to steal the North Star diamond because of an accidental text that I mistakenly send to him. I know, I know. Dummy! But because my girls are not able to execute the heist with me, Nick offers his expertise. I’m reluctant at first. But he wins me over. He’s competent, persistent… and sexy. God, so sexy!

What have I learned from my experience with Nick? Surprisingly, stealing someone’s heart is a lot like stealing a diamond. Here are five skills that you need for both:

If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It.

I don’t go into a heist or a relationship with my guns blazing. Instead, I give a little bat of my lashes, show a little leg, play up my most feminine qualities. Being a good flirt is a huge advantage in my line of work… and in nabbing Nick Norton, too!

It’s a Confidence Game.

Having confidence in yourself is key to getting what you want, either in a heist or winning a man’s heart.

Play Dirty.

There’s a time for playing by the rules and being a good girl, but it’s no holds barred in love and theft!

Be Careful… But Not Too Careful.

When it comes to heists, I’m a planner. But when it comes down to it, it takes guts to steal a diamond. And it takes guts to fall in love as well. Soemtimes you just have to open your heart and see what happens.

All Or Nothing.

I’ve known a lot of thieves who are doing twenty-to-life for a Zales one karat diamond.. And sure, I’ve stolen my share of engagement rings but only if it’s easy pickings. If you’re going to risk your liberty and your heart, it damn well better be worth it. The North Star is worth it. And so is Nick.

Excerpt

“It’s fun to dream.”

Stella tugged on the diamond ring with her thumb and forefinger to take it off, it didn’t cooperate. She furrowed her eyebrows, and laughed nervously, wiggling it and spinning it. “That’ll teach me to get extra-large fries with my lunch.”

The saleswoman laughed, nodding, and patted her slightly pudgy stomach. “Tell me about it, hon.”

For a few tense seconds, I stared at the ring. She twisted it, and tugged it. She rocked it back and forth. She gave it a yank, but still it didn’t budge. I took her hand in mine and gave it a shot too. But didn’t have any luck either. It was totally stuck.

“This isn’t embarrassing or anything,” said Stella softly as she gave it another try, doing the side-to-side rocking again. “I’m sure this is a first.”

“Oh my gosh, no. Fingers often swell in the afternoons. Lemme go get you some lotion. Be right back,” the saleswoman said, and headed for the back of the store.

Stella sighed hard and grabbed her purse from the floor, hooking it over her shoulder. “Thank you,” she called after the woman as she jingled away. “I really apologize. We’ll be out of here in no time.”

The saleswoman tossed her hand in the air. “Totally OK. Hang on.”

As she walked away though, Stella transformed right before my eyes. It was subtle, but I was watching her so close that it was like a butterfly coming out of a cocoon. The sweet-as-pie innocence was replaced with calm and focus. Her posture changed, the way she’d held her lips changed, even her stance changed. She shifted her hair over her shoulder and turned away from me, preventing me from seeing what she was looking for in her bag. I rolled my weight back onto my heels to get a different angle—not enough for her to notice, but enough to see what was going on. With the help of an oval tabletop mirror to my right, I saw exactly what she was up to. From the side pocket of her purse, she produced a little tube of something.

Hand lotion.

She didn’t call out to the saleswoman, but instead lowered her head slightly, allowing her hair to slip off her shoulder. I realized she was not only keeping her hands hidden from me, but also—thanks to her hair—away from the prying eyes of the black-domed security cameras in each corner of the shop. Suddenly, each detail seemed practiced. Strategic.

Damn near . . . professional.

She flipped open the top of the tube and squirted some onto her finger.

And then she did it. If I hadn’t been watching it, I wouldn’t have believed it. Houdini would’ve wept. Copperfield would’ve proposed. Blaine would have asked her to do a Vegas show with him. Once her finger was greased up, she used the thumb of her left hand to slide the diamond off her finger. It fell noiselessly into her bag. She dropped the tube of lotion on top, and the ring disappeared into the depths of her purse. Then, from the interior side pocket of the purse, she produced . . .

The same setting. The same cut. The same size.

The identical engagement ring.

I was floored. But somehow, I managed to play it cool. She didn’t know I’d seen her, and I wasn’t going to blow her cover. Only a creep interrupts a magician in the middle of an act.

The saleswoman tottered back toward us. The fake was on Stella’s finger, and the real ring was nowhere to be seen. “Here you go, hon,” said the woman, holding out a bottle of lotion with the lid already undone. “Smells real good too.” She squirted a glop of the pink liquid on Stella’s finger, making the whole place smell like laundry detergent.

Stella worked some lotion around her ring finger, and slipped off the fake, with a big sigh. “Phew! That was a close one.”

The saleswoman just giggled. “No worries. Happens more than you’d think,” she said, and took the keys from her skirt. Using a jewelry cloth, she cleaned the lotion off the ring until it sparkled again, set it on its spinning velvet platform, and locked up the case.

And there I thought I’d found my bliss already.

“Thanks so much for all your help,” Stella said, and zipped up her purse.

I felt like I was dreaming. Never, in my whole life, had I seen anything so smooth. She seemed sweet, she looked so sexy, and to top it all off, she was utterly badass. I needed to get my hands on her. Now.

About the Author

Bestselling author Nicola Rendell loves writing naughty romantic comedies. After receiving a handful of degrees from a handful of places, she now works as a professor in New England. Nicola’s work has been featured in the Huffington Post and the USA Today blog Happy Ever After. She loves to cook, sew, and play the piano. Her hobbies might make her sound like an old lady, but she’s totally okay with that.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Giveaway

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Justice Betrayed

A Memphis Cold Case Mystery, #3

by

Patricia Bradley

  Genre: Fiction / Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Revell

Date of Publication: June 5, 2018

Number of Pages: 352

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It’s Elvis Week in Memphis, and homicide detective Rachel Sloan isn’t sure her day could get any stranger when aging Elvis impersonator Vic Vegas asks to see her. But when he produces a photo of her murdered mother with four Elvis impersonators—one of whom had also been murdered soon after the photo was taken—she’s forced to reevaluate. Is there some connection between the two unsolved cases? And could the recent break-in at Vic’s home be tied to his obsession with finding his friend’s killer?

When yet another person in the photo is murdered, Rachel suddenly has her hands full investigating three cases. Lieutenant Boone Callahan offers his help, but their checkered romantic past threatens to get in the way. Can they solve the cases before the murderer makes Rachel victim number four?

 

Praise

“The third installment of Bradley’s Memphis Cold Case series focuses on a cold case related to a homicide detective’s past…Bradley includes the unique character of Erin who seems as if she is a real person and takes great care to portray her respectfully.”  —RT Book Reviews

Baker Book House ~ Amazon

Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo

Christianbook.com  ~ Books-A-Million

 

EXCERPT: CHAPTER 1, PART 2

JUSTICE BETRAYED

BY PATRICIA BRADLEY

(used with permission)

 

Click to read the Prologue on the Lone Star Book Blog Tours 8/15 tour stop

Click to read Chapter 1, Part 1 on the Lone Star Book Blog Tours 8/16 stop

1

August 2017

Elvis is in the building, and he wants to see you. 🙂

 

Continued…

Memories scratched at the back of her mind. “And you want me to solve it?” Rachel had enough cases without adding another one, particularly one that delved into her past. “This is a cold case, and I don’t work cold cases.” She started to hand him the photo. “Wait, did you say Harrison Foxx?”

The memory finally surfaced, though it was cloudy. He was her mother’s friend. And somehow her father was involved, but it was all jumbled in her mind. “Why are you bringing this to the police now?”

“I brought it to the attention of the police last year, and they didn’t do anything about it. This week marks seventeen years since he was murdered. It’s time somebody paid for what they did.”

Rachel felt there was more. He held himself too rigid, and when she didn’t comment right away, he shifted in the chair.

“Is that the only reason?”

Vic swallowed and moistened his lips. “I may be in over my head. I think someone broke into my house last night, and my gut says they were looking for information about Harrison’s murder.”

“Why would anyone be looking at your house for information on his murder?”

He hesitated. “You’ll think I’m crazy. My daughter does. For years, I’ve been trying to solve Harrison’s murder, but this last month I really got into it. I’ve been calling around and asking questions of people we knew back then, even followed up and went to see a few of them. I think I asked the wrong person the wrong question.”

Joy. An Elvis impersonator and an amateur sleuth. It was her lucky day. “Are you saying that generally or are you talking about a specific person?”

“I don’t have enough proof to call any names, just the same gut feeling I had seventeen years ago.”

“This break-in. Did you report it?”

He shook his head. “I couldn’t find anything missing.”

Oh boy. This was sounding stranger and stranger. Maybe his daughter was right. Vic obviously believed what he was saying. She doodled on her desk calendar. “So, why bring it to me? We have an excellent Cold Case Unit.”

“They’re the ones I took it to last year, and they said there were a lot of cases ahead of this one and they’d contact me. So far, no one has. I thought the case might be personal to you since he was a friend of your mother.”

She had no recollection of Foxx being murdered, but if it had happened around the time of her mother’s funeral, it was no wonder. Grief and anger had consumed Rachel then. While the grief had lessened over the years, the anger remained hot as ever.

Vic’s intense gaze held hers. The cases already on her workload hung in the back of her mind. Maybe a quick look at the cold case file would provide information that would satisfy him that everything had been done to find Foxx’s killer. Either way, she had to fill out a report, so she took out a notepad and one of the mechanical pencils she liked to use to write her notes. Made erasing easier. “I don’t suppose Vic Vegas is your legal name?”

He grinned and ducked his head, much like she’d seen Elvis do in film clips.

“Actually, it is. I had it legally changed in ’95. It was less confusing.”

O-kay. “Give me your original name for the records.” She wrote “Phillip Grant” on the pad as well as the stage name, then asked for his contact information. After he gave it to her, she tilted her head toward him. “I’ll talk with someone in the Cold Case Unit Monday.” And hope Sgt. Brad Hollister didn’t laugh her out of his office.

“Would you like my files on the murder?” Vic asked.

“Files?”

He nodded, raising his eyebrows. “I typed up everything—the people I’ve talked to in person or on the phone, what I learned, everything—and put the notes into files.”

“You have a list of people you’ve questioned?” That might save time if anything in the cold case files warranted a second look at the case.

He nodded. “I even talked to your dad.”

That was bound to have gone over like a ton of chicken feathers with the Judge. “Why would you talk with my father?”

“He represented Harrison in a legal matter a year or two before Harrison died. And he was there the night of the contest.”

She caught her breath. Vic was right. An image of her dad in the audience flashed in her mind. She’d been surprised that he had attended the charity event because he and her mother had been separated for about a month then. If Vic hadn’t mentioned it, she probably never would have remembered it. To her knowledge, it was the only time he attended anything Elvis. Her dad thought all the hoopla around Elvis Week was ridiculous. Which never sat well with her mom, since she’d been one of Elvis’s biggest fans.

“Do you have the files with you?” Rachel doubted Vic had uncovered anything worthwhile, but the Cold Case Unit might be interested.

“Afraid not,” he said. “Stopping here was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing. And I don’t have time to go get them before the competition starts.”

Click to read Chapter 1, Part 3, the conclusion of Chapter One, coming on the Lone Star Book Blog Tours 8/23 tour stop!

 

Patricia Bradley is the award-winning author of Justice Delayed and Justice Buried, as well as the Logan Point series. She is cofounder of Aiming for Healthy Families, Inc., and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. She lives in Mississippi.

 

WEBSITE ~ FACEBOOK ~ TWITTER

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

GOODREADS ~ BOOKBUB

 

 

 —————————————

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

GRAND PRIZE: All Three Books in the Memphis Cold Case Series + Elvis Umbrella + $10 Starbucks Gift Card

2^ND PRIZE: All Three Books in the Memphis Cold Case Series

+ $15 Barnes & Noble Gift Card

3^RD PRIZE: All Three Books in the Memphis Cold Case Series

+ $10 Starbucks Gift Card

(US ONLY)

  August 15-24, 2018

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Check out the other blogs on this tour

8/15/18	Excerpt Part 1	Missus Gonzo
8/15/18	BONUS post	Hall Ways Blog
8/16/18	Excerpt Part 2	Forgotten Winds
8/17/18	Review	Dressed to Read
8/18/18	Author Video	Chapter Break Book Blog
8/19/18	Review	Reading by Moonlight
8/20/18	Character Interview	Books in the Garden
8/21/18	Review	The Clueless Gent
8/22/18	Excerpt Part 3	StoreyBook Reviews
8/23/18	Excerpt Part 4	Book Fidelity
8/24/18	Review	That’s What She’s Reading

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This movie is coming out October 12th and looks really good.  One I plan to check out (if it is showing in my area!)  Watch the trailer and decide for yourself.

FILM SYNOPSIS: JANE & EMMA is based on the life of Sister Jane Manning, one of the first black Mormons. She returns to Nauvoo to find that Joseph Smith, her prophet and friend, has been assassinated. Jane spends a ceaseless night with his widow, Emma Smith, sitting watch over the body of the prophet as a whirlwind of loss and confusion leaves them wondering how either one of them will be able to move forward. Through the long night, Jane wonders if the prophet’s promise to extend the blessings of eternity to her has died along with him. The film explores the possible events of that night, including Jane’s endeavor to remain amongst the Mormon people and Emma’s struggle to cope with her heartbreaking loss. Poignant issues of racism and polygamy threaten to break their bond of friendship. In the end, will Jane and Emma have the courage to follow the path each believes they must take?

The JANE + EMMA cast includes Danielle Deadwyler as Jane (THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS, GIFTED), Emily Goss as Emma Smith (THE HOUSE ON PINE STREET, SNAPSHOTS), Brad Schmidt as Joseph Smith (THE BIRTH OF A NATION, HOUSE OF LIES), and K. Danor Gerald as Isaac James (SAINTS AND SOLDIERS, THE VOID)

JANE & EMMA is directed by Chantelle Squires (THE WORK & THE GLORY trilogy) and written by Melissa Leilani Larson (FREETOWN). It is produced by Jenn Lee Smith, Madeline Jorgenson, and Tamu Smith and Zandra Vranes (Sistas in Zion) of Clearstone Films. The Executive Producers are Brent Jorgensen, Sundance Film Festival Co-Founder Stirling VanWagenen, and Jon Lear.

The movie also features the title song “Child of God,” performed by The Bonner Family.

Quote from the Director

“This is a story of faith. In spite of all the hardships these women encounter, one of the things I love the most about this story is how deeply both women want to love God and obey him, even when what he is asking them to do seems impossible,” remarked Director Chantelle Squires.

Trailer

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To Bead or Not to Bead (Glass Bead Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Vetrai Press (June 29, 2018)
Print Length: 187 pages

Synopsis

When a wealthy theater owner is killed by a falling art glass chandelier, glass beadmaker Jax O’Connell’s boyfriend, Detective Zachary Grant, quickly determines it was no accident. Jax and her friend Tessa try to carry on with a charity fashion gala at the theater, but with only a few days before the big event, they have to scramble to keep things from falling apart. The emcee quits, and to make matters worse, Tessa’s daughters are suspects in the murder. As the chaos unfolds, Jax discovers new suspects at every turn, including an edgy glass blower, an agoraphobic socialite, and a hunky former-cop-turned-actor. Can Jax piece together the clues to find the killer and uncover the dark secrets behind the victim’s family or will it be curtains for her?

Guest Post

Your Guide to Glass Beadmaking with Janice Peacock

The main character in my Glass Bead Mystery Series, Jax O’Connell, is a glass beadmaker.  That’s an unusual profession, and one I am quite familiar with since I am also a glass beadmaker.  But, I want to be clear:  I am not Jax.  Jax and I have some things in common—we are both glass beadmakers and are women of a certain age.  But in most other ways we are different—for instance, Jax is fictional and I am not.  Jax’s beads are made with bright colors and happy patterns. My beads, on the other hand, are fairly somber in color and look like they are old—like relics from an archeological dig or flotsam that has washed ashore.  Jax is a newbie to the world of beads.  Me?  I’ve been creating lampworked beads for nearly 25 years. You can see images of my beads at janicepeacockglass.com

I thought I’d write about how I make glass beads, and if you want to see a video about the process (videos are worth more than 1,000 words) please visit my YouTube channel at youtube.com/janpeac.

When I make a glass bead, I melt long slender rods of colored glass in my torch, which runs on oxygen and propane and achieves temperatures in excess of 2000 degrees.  While melting the glass I wrap it around a stainless steel wire called a mandrel.  The mandrel has been dipped in a clay-like substance, and that is where I add the glass. This substance, called bead release, does exactly that—it allows the bead to slide from the mandrel once it is cool. Where the hole once was, there is now a hole, which what makes a bead…a bead.

Since I can’t touch the glass while it’s molten, I use tools to sculpt it in the flame. Many of the tools are things you’d find around your house, especially if you like scrapbooking: an Xacto knife, scissors, and tweezers. People often ask me if I get burned when I work in my studio making lampworked glass beads. Yes, I do, but usually, those burns are mild—about what you’d expect if you touched a hot pan in the oven.

In case you are curious:  The word “lampworking” comes from a few hundred years ago when beadmakers didn’t have high tech torches and fuels like oxygen and propane. Instead, artisans used oil lamps and bellows to create flames that were hot enough to melt glass.

A lot of the beads I make look like small masks or stylized faces. I have several books about African masks that I like to look at for inspiration as well as a collection of masks from around the world. The faces I create are both human and animal forms. Typically, the eyes on the masks are closed.  The closed eyes give these beads a peaceful feeling, and these days we can all use a little peace and tranquility in our lives.

Writing about Jax has given me the opportunity to think about glass beadmaking in a new way—to remember what it was like to be a newbie. It also allows me to figure out ways to talk about glass beadmaking to an audience of readers who have never heard of such a thing.  I love making beads, and even though my time is now split between glass beadmaking and writing about a fictional glass beadmaker, I know that I’ll never give up the fun and excitement of lighting up my torch and melting glass.

About the Author

Janice Peacock decided to write her first mystery novel after working in a glass studio full of colorful artists who didn’t always get along. They reminded her of the odd, and often humorous, characters in the murder mystery books she loved to read. Inspired by that experience, she combined her two passions and wrote High Strung: A Glass Bead Mystery, the first book in a new cozy mystery series featuring glass beadmaker Jax O’Connell.

When Janice Peacock isn’t writing about glass artists who are amateur detectives, she makes glass beads using a torch, designs one-of-a-kind jewelry and makes sculptures using hot glass. An award-winning artist, her work has been exhibited internationally and is in the permanent collections of several museums. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two cats, and seven chickens. She has a studio full of beads…lots and lots of beads.

Website * Facebook * Goodreads * Twitter * Instagram * Pinterest

Giveaway #1

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Giveaway #2

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Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Disappearing Diva
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Gemma Halliday Publishing (August 14, 2018)
Print Length: 316 pages

Synopsis

From #1 Kindle & New York Times bestselling author Gemma Halliday and USA Today bestselling author Kelly Rey comes a story about Sherlock Holmes, two savvy female detectives, and one chance to catch a killer and the hot Dr. Watson at the same time…

If there’s one thing Martha “Marty” Hudson can’t say no to, it’s her best friend Irene Adler. So when Irene’s little white lie about a fake detective named Sherlock Holmes turns into a real case from an actual paying client, Marty is all in. But their simple missing person case takes a deadly turn when the missing “person” ends up being a missing corpse.

Rebecca Lowery was an opera singer in life and, according to her sister, who hires the famous detective to find her, a diva with capital D. When her body goes missing after a supposedly accidental fall, Marty & Irene can think of several people who might want the diva to disappear permanently—especially if her missing body is actually hiding evidence of her murder. Is it the boyfriend with a temper and a shady record, the jealous understudy who’s now stealing the show, the creepy undertaker with possible ties to the underworld, or the estranged sister herself who now inherits everything?

Marty and Irene aim to find out, even while trying to keep cool around the hot ME, Dr. Watson, and dodging questions from the Irregulars blogger, Wiggins, about the mysterious man behind the name Sherlock Holmes. Will the ladies be able to pull this one off? Or are they in over their heads…and possibly about to take their own final bows?

About the Author

Gemma Halliday is the New York Times, USA Today & #1 Kindle bestselling author of the High Heels Mysteries, the Hollywood Headlines Mysteries, the Jamie Bond Mysteries, the Tahoe Tessie Mysteries, the Marty Hudson Mysteries, and several other works. Gemma’s books have received numerous awards, including a Golden Heart, two National Reader’s Choice awards, a RONE award, and three RITA nominations. She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her boyfriend, Jackson Stein, who writes vampire thrillers, and their four children, who are adorably distracting on a daily basis.

 Website * Facebook * Twitter

Giveaway

I am giving away 2 eBook copies of the first in this series, Sherlock Holmes and the Brash Blonde

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Book Title: The Cleansweep Counterstrike by Chuck Waldron
Series: A Matt Tremain Technothriller Book 2
Category: Adult Fiction, 312 pages
Genre: Thriller / dystopian
Publisher: Bublish Inc.
Release date: April 21, 2018
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (Adult language)

Synopsis

In this sequel, Matt Tremain is back, facing an even deadlier threat. Deceit and intrigue lie hidden behind the collapse of Operation CleanSweep. It’s time for revenge.

Instrumental in exposing the evil behind Operation CleanSweep—a diabolical “cultural cleansing” plot masterminded by Toronto billionaire Charles Claussen—investigative blogger Tremain now faces the madman’s desire for vengeance. Claussen intends to settle the score personally by luring Matt into a deadly trap.

But the clock is ticking for Claussen, too. Fraternité des Aigles, The Brotherhood of Eagles—a shadowy group that secretly financed Claussen’s Operation CleanSweep—wants answers and their money back. Consumed with rage, Claussen risks everything to get to Matt before the Brotherhood gets to him. Tremain is once again partnering with a police detective, Carling. Knowing they are being lured into a possible trap, they decide to face their nemesis, Charles Claussen.

Across four continents, Claussen sets traps, pursues Tremain, and continues to execute his signature brand of global chaos. When his fiancé’s life is on the line, can Tremain stop Claussen’s madness and still avoid getting killed?

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Chapters Indigo ~​ Indiebound

Guest Post

I will be the first one to tell you that writing is not easy!  I love reading and sharing books with all my followers/readers, but sometimes it is hard to write a review so I can’t imagine what it might be to write a book!  Thanks to Chuck for sharing his insights into writing.

Writing is easy, right?

A man approached my table at a book fair. “Writing a novel is easy, right? I have this story I want to write. Tell me where to start?”

“The beginning is easy. What comes next is hard.”

“Huh?”

“First, you need a license. Do you have one?”

“I had no idea,” he said. “Where do I get one.”

“The Department of Creative Writing,” I told him. “Each state capital has one, or province if you live in Canada. You have to pass a test. The written part is the hardest,” I added.

“I had no idea,” he said.

~~~

A frequent question to writers is where we get our ideas, is writing hard, how long does it take to write a novel?

A woman told me she would like to write but didn’t have an imagination.

I”m lost without my imaginary friends and enemies. Matt Tremain’s my latest made-up friend. He wanted to expose the truth behind a curtain of conspiracy. Mostly, he wanted to stay. In the sequel, he’s now hunted by his nemesis, out for revenge.

Writers all have something in common, an idea or storyline appears, and we begin to imagine characters, give them shape and voice. We put them in danger, then try to get them out of trouble. We tend to do that a lot in a novel. Stories may take a lot of detours to get to the end. Sometimes the danger is from other characters. Sometimes the danger comes from Nature, a hurricane maybe. Sometimes the danger is from the inside, a serious character flaw. In remarkable stories I’ve read, it has all three of those elements. Whew.

That’s how it happened when I wrote The Cleansweep Counterstrike and the prequel, The Cleansweep Conspiracy. I have enjoyed putting Matt Tremain in harm’s way and facing dangers, hopefully keeping readers in suspense about the outcome. I look forward to you becoming one of my readers. Let me know how I did.

Chuck Waldron,
Author, The Cleansweep Conspiracy and The Cleansweep Counterstrike

Read my review of the first book, The Cleansweep Conspiracy.

About the Author

Chuck Waldron is the author of four riveting mystery, thriller and suspense novels and more than fifty short stories. Inspired by his grandfather’s tales of the Ozark Mountains and local caves rumored to be havens for notorious gangsters, Waldron was destined to write about crime and the human condition. Those childhood legends ignited his imagination and filled his head with unforgettable characters, surprising plots and a keen interest in supernatural and historical subplots.

With literary roots planted in the American Midwest and South, and enriched by many years living in the fertile cultural soil of metropolitan Ontario, Waldron now resides on Florida’s fabled Treasure Coast with his wife, Suzanne. While keeping an eye out for hurricanes, alligators, and the occasional Burmese python, visitors will find Waldron busy writing his next crime thriller.

Website   Twitter   Facebook

Giveaway

1 winner will get a set of The Cleansweep series (2 books)

5 winners will get a choice of one of Chuck Waldron’s back titles in ebook format

1 winner will get a $25 Amazon GC

7 winners total / open to USA and canada only

(ends Sept 29, 2018)

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THAT ONE MOMENT

by

PATTY WISEMAN

  Genre: Fiction / Romantic Suspense

Date of Publication: May 8, 2017

Number of Pages: 258

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Ricki Sheridan traveled a long way to seek refuge at Wolf Den’s Lodge high in the mountains after a devastating betrayal. Heartbroken, she signed up for a survivalist backpacking trip to live off the land and forget.

An injury on the first day puts her in the capable hands of the handsome trail boss, Kory Littleton. The attraction is instant, mutual, and terrifying. She trusted her emotions once and vowed never to make the same mistake again.

Kory’s heart, trampled and bruised, is unprepared to ever love again, until his unexpected reaction to Ricki reveals some things are worth taking a chance on.

When evil finds its way back into Ricki’s world, their fragile bond is tested, forcing them to face their greatest fear: can a wounded heart ever trust anew?

Betrayal. Desire. Revenge. Which one prevails?

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Praise for That One Moment

Patty Wiseman, as well as anyone and better than most, sure knows how to write the three basic ingredients of a page-turning and unforgettable novel: mystery, suspense, and romance.  — Caleb & Linda Pirtle ~ Here Comes a Mystery

“It was pure perfection!” — Jessa, Amazon Reviewer

“Author Patty Wiseman does a good job of injecting so much action into just the first two pages that I had high expectations for this story. And That One Moment does not disappoint.”  — Natasha Jackson for Readers’ Favorite

This story reminds us that you should not hesitate when you find love because life is too short and the perfect love might pass you by.

Kory & Ricki find each other in an unusual place – on a mountain during a survival hike. Not a place you would expect to meet your other half, or at least I wouldn’t expect to meet someone but then you probably wouldn’t find me on a survival hike! Ricki has a some baggage from her past and unfortunately some of it follows her up the mountain. This has a huge impact on her interest in Kory. She is very attracted to him but is very unsure of herself. I liked that she was vulnerable when it came to love despite her background in the military and in law enforcement as a game warden.

Now while you might think this is a nice love story there is some friction from a truly evil antagonist. I love how the author gives him terrible attributes and it is highly unlikely anyone will really like this character. And just when you think justice has been served on this character, he comes back for more. While I don’t want to give away too much, when he reappears I felt my heart catch in several scenes wondering how evil he would act.

There are several minor characters that sometimes stole the scene. There Wolf who has been around the block and we learn more about his past when it comes to love. Byron is also another character that stole my attention. He is an older teen that Wolf has taken under his wing. It is also a testament to Wolf and Byron’s parents that they realize that he is not meant to be in a classroom and set up stipulations for him to do what suits his personality and temperament. Kyle cracked me up in a scene regarding guns. I won’t say much more because it might give away a little of the story, but I think he could become a strong character in a future book.

If you like romantic suspense I believe you will enjoy this book.

We give it 4 paws up

 

 

Award Winning Author Patty Wiseman is a native of the Seattle, Washington area and attended The Wesleyan College in Bartlesville Oklahoma. Northeast Texas is home now, along with her husband Ron.  She is the president of East Texas Writer’s Association, a Lifetime Member of the Worldwide Who’s Who for Professional Women (and named VIP for 2013), and a member of the Northeast Texas Writer’s Organization, East Texas Writer’s Guild, and Texas Association of Authors.

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TWO SIGNED PRINT COPIES, TWO eBOOK COPIES

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  August 14-23, 2018

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Check out the other blogs on this tour

8/14/18	Book Trailer	Texas Book Lover
8/14/18	Excerpt	The Clueless Gent
8/15/18	Review	Reading by Moonlight
8/16/18	Character Interview	The Page Unbound
8/16/18	Author Interview	Margie’s Must Reads
8/17/18	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
8/18/18	Review	That’s What She’s Reading
8/18/18	Excerpt	All the Ups and Downs
8/19/18	BONUS Review	Hall Ways Blog
8/19/18	Author Interview	Books and Broomsticks
8/20/18	Review	A Page Before Bedtime
8/20/18	Review	Chapter Break Book Blog
8/21/18	Scrapbook Page	Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
8/22/18	Review	Dressed to Read
8/23/18	Character Interview	Carpe Diem Chronicles
8/23/18	Review	The Love of a Bibliophile

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Book Title: The Love Fool: A Rome-antic Comedy by Lorenzo Petruzziello
Category: Adult Fiction, 314 pages
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Publisher: Quill (Inkshares)
Release date: March 13, 2018
Content Rating: PG

Synopsis

Set in Rome. Follow the whirlwind antics of a publicist as he struggles to manage his first TV chef client, his new life, and an unexpected visit from his ex-girlfriend.

Alex recently moved to Italy for an opportunity at a PR firm in Rome. His first client is the beautiful Danish chef Pernille Bjørn, a popular model, TV personality, and cookbook author just entering the booming televised cooking show market in Italy.

Alex’s single-minded career focus is soon thwarted by Emily, an ex-girlfriend he hasn’t heard from in almost a decade.

​Italy’s modern culture and enchanting sights set the backdrop to this Rome-antic comedy.

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Indiebound

Chapters Indigo ~ Amazon.ca

Guest Post

WRITING IN YOUR SPARE TIME: SWITCHING MINDSET

by Lorenzo Petruzziello – author of The Love Fool

I’m a part-time writer – working fulltime and writing when I can in the evenings or weekends. As one can imagine, it is not an easy feat. Being in the office all day, analyzing this, figuring out that, solving problems here, and making mistakes there. Not to mention the occasional stress of not losing the income that allows you to eat and live. It’s a lot for a person; especially for a writer – a person who is typically dramatic, sensitive, observant and imaginative has the problem of letting their minds go wild with ideas that can be productive and unnecessarily stressful.

Are you stressed reading this? You should be. I purposefully wrote it to make you uncomfortable. This is how a writer usually feels when they go home from a hard day’s work and spot their computer, and story notes, staring back at him/her collecting dust. Failure. That’s the first thing that comes to the mind. Sit down and write – just write, you keep telling yourself. So you sit there, switch on computer and stare at the last few paragraphs you had written maybe a month ago. You read and reread those words and wonder: What the hell you could have been thinking typing that junk? Stop. You have to stop yourself. You sit back and tell yourself: Relax, you can do this. But how?

Stop. Just stop. Sit back and let your mind relax. You have to allow it to turn off that business-focused thinking and let the creative juices flow. It’s not easy, but it needs to happen. Some suggest to go for a walk. Or cook a nice meal. Something to let your mind just relax and switch into the creative mindset. And of course, always strive to make that something healthy and positive.

What is your method to fuel your creative mind?

Trailer

About the Author

Lorenzo Petruzziello holds an MBA in global marketing from Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts. His background includes publicity and marketing for many of public television’s popular cooking and travel shows. He lives in Massachusetts focusing on his writing. THE LOVE FOOL is his first novel.

Website ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

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Summer may be ending, but what doesn’t end are the number of books available to read!  I’ll choose 1 or 2 lucky winners (based on entries) to receive a book from my stash.  I have a variety of genres so if I have something that fits your preferred genre, that is what I will send!

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Title: Fling Club

Author: Tara Brown

Release Date: August 14, 2018

Publisher: Skyscape

Synopsis

For the young, rich, and beautiful, summertime in the Hamptons means one thing: Fling Club. Only this time, Cherry Kennedy won’t be selecting a boy for a fleeting romance. Nope, this season, Cherry is out for revenge. Her target? The Fling Club founder and society darling who slept with Cherry’s now-very-ex-boyfriend. And all Cherry needs is the perfect guy for her plan… Ashley Jardine can’t afford to refuse. He scored almost a full ride to MIT. But that almost still costs a lot. And this is so much money for a little game of revenge and a chance—albeit short—to live the high life. Here, rich girls rule the shore, and everyone has a role to play. Only nothing in the job description warned Ashley that the redhead who’s running the scheme would be so crazy. And cute. Or that he wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about her. Now, everything is going according to plan—until an unexpected attraction raises the stakes. It’s enough to turn the perfect payback into absolute heartbreak.

Fling Club Inspirations by Tara Brown

My book releasing is Fling Club, sort of like Fight Club but with romance.

The fabulous main characters are Cherry and Ashley, an unlikely match. It’s opposites attract to the extreme. Cherry is a spoiled rich girl with a serious problem, how to get revenge on the mean girl ruining her life. And Ashley is a sexy, geeky MIT scholarship student who doesn’t fit in her world. He doesn’t even want to. He can’t stand the rich elite and makes no bones about sharing that opinion.

Cherry’s from a rich family and went to school at a private, well known academy where the expectations from parents are demanding. She is demure and reliable, a doormat like most of her friends. Letting parents and guys take the lead in their lives.

After summers of the boys running the shore and parents ruling their lives, the girls decided to take back the power. One girl in particular. She created Fling Club, a fun way to control the dating and socializing the young women were expected to participate in. The head mean girl who runs it, Cait, is every young woman’s nightmare. Controlling, conniving, and completely self-centered. If you have a social life and friends, it’s because Cait allowed it. She has all the parents and every guy on the shore fooled, while all the young women are terrified of crossing her.

When Cherry catches Cait in bed with her boyfriend, the fake friendship is off just as the summer is beginning, meaning Cherry has to come up with a plan for revenge against her frenemy.

With the help of her sarcastic and judgmental brother, Andy, and her pessimistic and evil genius sister, Ella, Cherry is about to wreak havoc on Fling Club, and Cait.

This is where Ashley comes into the plan. He is the bait. Sexy, funny, sarcastic, and just arrogant enough that they don’t have to worry about him falling for Cait while she is falling for him. But after a couple weeks together, the plan is threatened when Ashley and Cherry start falling for each other.

He desperately wants Cherry to see that she is so much more than she pretends to be, and that fitting into her world isn’t worth the price she is paying.
And once she starts seeing herself the way he does, she realizes how much she hates the person she has always pretended to be.

Fling Club, which used to be called The Exception to the Summer Fling, is an old story I wrote a decade ago but never published. It came to me when I was driving. I was crossing North America, moving from the West Coast to the East for my husband’s work in 2008. My girls were watching movies in the backseat, kid’s movies. So I got to listen to that the entire six day drive.

I don’t even remember the movie they were watching, I think it was a Barbie movie, maybe Princess and the Pauper, but it got me envisioning the moment Cait marched back and forth in front of the new recruits, cruelly telling them the rules of the summer fling club. (Being a HUGE fan of Cruel Intentions and Gossip Girl, of course I already had a stable of possible plots for mean rich girls.)

The story really formed when I got Cait down in my head, thanks to the long drive and the kids movies.

Cait needed to be that sweet and powerful girl the parents would respect and want their daughters to emulate. But she also needed to be terrifying and controlling so the girls went along with whatever she demanded of them. Even if it was disturbing. Of course, Cait is similar to Kathryn from Cruel Intentions, she is calculating and cold. Almost sociopathic in her nature. But I decided to spin the story a little and make our poor little victim, her equal in social rank.

Cherry might be the weaker link at the start of this story, but she comes from a good family with a lot of money. And as the story progressed she evolved from the damsel in distress who can’t cope with anything into a strong young woman. I wanted her to be victim of the story but then I also wanted her to be the savior. Her own savior. I like that love helped her find herself, but she needed to do the work.

I think we nailed that, and the way the characters are meant to make you hate them. I wanted the readers’ feelings to grow and change as the characters did.
Cait is unbearably horrible and yet somehow relatable once we have all the facts. Cherry is weak and pathetic to start but grows into someone we liked in the end. And we made the bad guy someone you didn’t expect.

I love the idea that there is an underbelly in the wealthy world, a place we don’t see because they hide it from us. And I adore the meet cute we have created for the entire series of standalone novels, the Post-it Note Wall.

Welcome to the Serendipity Series, starting with Fling Club.

Excerpt

I called my brother. “Hey, Cherry. Look, I can’t talk—”

“Cait’s sleeping with Griffin,” I blurted out, cutting off whatever excuse he was about to make.

“What? Who?” It took him half a second to connect the dots. “Seriously? How do you know?”

“I just caught them.” My words had turned to a whisper. I was ashamed of my former friends for betraying me, and of myself for having been so naive. I knew Andy would call me stupid and tell me I deserved what I got for dating a Griffin, and that I was a sheeple like Mom and Cait, and—

“Oh, Cherry. I’m so sorry. Neither of those asshats deserves you.”

That reaction, I didn’t expect. Andy’s kindness broke me. Angry tears flooded my eyes, and before I could help it, I was blubbering and ranting in front of a platform full of strangers. I’d called Andy because I needed his sarcasm to toughen me up and put me on the defensive. I needed to be strong, like him. But instead he gave me tenderness, something I couldn’t handle at the moment.

“You’re lovely and sweet and kind. And you would never do something like that to anyone. Not even an enemy. I’ll come get you; tell me where you are.”

“I—I’m going home. I’m at the train. I feel sick.” My words were coming out in gasps.

“Screw them both. Let them have each other. I never liked that idiot. He’s like Mom and Cait. He thinks his blue blood earns him the right to everything—clearly. They’re selfish people, Cherry. Selfish and stupid and blind. I’m glad he showed his true colors before you got too invested in him.”

Not wanting Andy to know I was as invested as I could be, I stayed silent while he shouted and ranted all the things big brothers said to sad little sisters. “I should beat the piss outta him! Want me to kick his ass? I’ll go find a couple of friends and we can make sure he doesn’t show up for—”

“No.” I sniffled. “I just—” What did I want?

“Listen. Go home and take a hot bath, drink a bottle of wine, and try to get some sleep. I’ll come get you in a week. We’ll go to New York and get trashed, and you—”

“Sleep!” I snapped, finally losing the hold I had on my ferocity. “You think I could sleep right now? I’m not Mom, Andy. I can’t just take something and coast through shit like this.”

“Okay, don’t sleep. Try eating a whole sheet cake and plotting their deaths. They aren’t worth the energy you’re putting into being pissed off. I’ve never understood how you were friends with her. Or part of her club. Which, by the way, she only started because Wendell cheated on her with that chick from Derby. It’s ironic, because then she turns around and does this to you.”

“Andy, I don’t care why she started it,” I groaned, wiping my eyes. “I don’t care that someone cheated on her in high school. I care that she’s currently sleeping with my boyfriend—”

“Cherry, take a breath. If you’re crying, you’re losing it.”

I heaved, realizing I was blind with rage and tears.

“If you can’t get past this with a simple cake, then I don’t know what to say. If I ever make the mistake of falling in love again, it’ll be with some girl in a different financial bracket. This is why we don’t date our kind.”

“Yeah, great advice now!” I spit my words, feeling the fury building.

“Don’t lose control! You’re in public, and you’re a Kennedy for God’s sake. We don’t lose it in front of strangers. Plus, you’ll be upset you didn’t cry in the shower like a winner.”

“Shut up!” I hated him sometimes.

“Cherry, getting upset and ruining your summer is pointless; you’re the only one who suffers. They’ll win. They’ll ruin your last summer before college is over and the real world hits. Don’t let them do that to you.”

“What should I do then?” I burst again, sobbing.

“I don’t know. Maybe take her down. Get revenge. Just whatever you do, don’t go back to that moron, Chatsworth.”

“I won’t.” I sighed. “I can’t talk about this anymore. I’ll text you later.”

“Trust me, eat the cake. It will make you feel better. Do that before you do anything else. My friend Angela swears by it.” He laughed bitterly and hung up.

But I didn’t focus on the cake or the bath or the wine. My mind was stuck on the one thing Andy had said that was useful, on repeat.

Get revenge.

And I would.

About the Author

The international bestselling author of Roommates and the Puck Buddies series, Tara Brown writes in a variety of genres. In addition to her comedic Single Lady Spy series, she has also published popular contemporary and paranormal romances, science fiction, thrillers, and romantic comedies. She especially enjoys writing dark and moody tales, often focusing on strong female characters who are more inclined to vanquish evil than perpetrate it. She shares her home with her husband, two daughters, two cats, an Irish wolfhound, and a Maremma Sheepdog.

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