Synopsis

Callie Reed has put together a special event, but a killer is ripping it apart at the seams

As the new owner of a music box store in Keepsake Cove, a quaint town full of collectible shops on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Callie Reed is eager to get more involved in her community. So she volunteers to plan the fall street decorations and welcome a visiting author who’s come for a special book signing. But the celebratory mood is cut short when the local B&B owner is found dead, killed with a pair of vintage scissors.

Suspicion is cast on the victim’s estranged wife, Dorothy, who owns Keepsake Cove’s vintage sewing shop. Callie is sure Dorothy is innocent, and the visiting author agrees. Together, they begin their own investigation, only to discover that many people in Keepsake Cove have secrets. Secrets that are worth killing to keep.

Review

This is the second book in the series about a touristy town that has a lot of specialty shops and our protagonist, Callie, runs a music box shop. It is interesting to read about various types of music boxes and the music that is within the box or other housing. And her aunt seems to haunt a heirloom music box that they keep in the shop. I think it is her aunt’s way of looking out for her and warning her when something bad might happen.

The mystery kept me guessing about who the killer was and let me tell you I didn’t get it right at all! I was very surprised at how things turned out and perhaps those that died got what they deserved because they were not nice people at all. The author does a great job of weaving in past events into the present that makes different characters seem guilty even if they are not.

There is an author that is visiting the town to do a book signing, Lyssa, that has her own secrets too but nothing as bad as others! It looks like Lyssa might become a regular character since she has bought a home close to Keepsake Cove. She is quite quirky and I think she will add some dimension to the books and helps round out a trio of friends which includes Tabitha. Tabitha is another fun characters because she likes to dress as various characters/people and keeps people guessing. I always wonder who she will portray next.

On the romance side, Hank is still trying to keep his hooks in Callie despite the fact that she has told him goodbye. At least he doesn’t live in town! Her friendship with Brian is developing and I wouldn’t be surprised if this turned into a romance down the road. Even if it doesn’t, they have a great friendship which needs to be treasured.

We give this 4 paws up

About the Author

Mary Ellen Hughes is the bestselling author of the Pickled and Preserved Mysteries (Penguin), the Craft Corner Mysteries, and the Maggie Olenski Mysteries, along with several short stories. A Fatal Collection is her debut with Midnight Ink. A Wisconsin native, she has lived most of her adult life in Maryland, where she’s set many of her stories.

Facebook * Website * Pinterest * Twitter

Synopsis

This cowboy is falling hard.

Mason James is the responsible one who stayed behind to run the ranch while his brother, Rock, took off to play professional hockey. Women have used him before to get to his brother—and Mason intends never to get burned again. But after he meets quirky Tessa Kane at his brother’s wedding, Mason discovers he’s ready to take a chance on love.

Tessa Kane is a reporter on the verge of losing a job she desperately needs—unless she’s clever enough to snag a story on the famous Rockford James. But when she falls for her subject’s brother, she’s caught between a rock and a hard-muscled cowboy. What will happen when Mason finds out who she really is?

Excerpt

I might have just fallen in love…

He wasn’t kidding. There was meat—and beef, as in beefcake—everywhere she turned. Tess didn’t think she’d ever been in a room full of so many beautiful people. Yet she couldn’t seem to take her eyes off the cowboy who was piling ribs onto a plate for her.

She was suddenly aware of how many of those beautiful people were also thin and fit, and if she weren’t starving, she’d probably be a little more conscious of her own full curves. But at the moment, she couldn’t care less. Her mouth watered as Mason dumped a scoop of creamy macaroni and cheese next to the ribs.

“This is supposed to be my mom’s recipe. She gave it to the caterers, and they did their best. It’s not quite as good as hers, but it’ll do in a pinch.”

Somebody needs to pinch me, Tess thought as he led her toward a table. She couldn’t believe she’d just walked through a buffet line behind one of her favorite celebrities.

Mason got her settled at a table and signaled for one of the caterers to bring them some drinks. “What are you drinking? Tea? Soda? Wine? It’s an open bar, so get whatever you feel like.”

“What are you getting?” she asked as she lifted a rib and tore off a bite. A moan escaped her lips. “Oh my gosh. These ribs are amazing.”

He chuckled. “I think I’ll get a beer. They’ve got one from a local brewery called Creedence Clearwater, and it’s pretty good.”

“That does sound good. I’ll have one too.”

His eyes widened, then a grin covered his face and his voice fell into a deep, low tone, reminding her of a biscuit dipped in thick, rich honey. “Damn, girl, I haven’t even known you thirty minutes, and I think you’ve already won my heart. You drink beer, eat barbecue like a truck driver, and I’ve already seen you in your bra. I might have just fallen in love.”

Tessa let loose a burst of laughter, but her stomach had dropped at the sound of his words spoken in a slow, sexy drawl.

She’d better be careful, or she might just fall in love herself.

Whoa. Down, girl. Nobody was falling in love with anyone.

She’d already fallen—into a mess of trouble—and the only way she was going to get herself, and her grandmother, out of it was to forget about the distraction of the cute cowboy and stay focused on the task at hand.

But the task at hand was heading toward the dessert table, and it looked like it would be a while before she’d get a chance to talk to Rock, so she might as well enjoy the food—and the company—while she waited.

Mason took his hat off and set it in the center of the table. It was a small gesture of manners but told her a lot about the kind of man Mason James was.

His hat was black—she couldn’t help but wonder at the significance of that detail—but it was also high quality and looked expensive. Obviously, a good hat and not one he donned to work in. A slight hat ring circled his head, a barely noticeable crease in his dark hair, and a shock of his bangs fell across his forehead, giving him an even more rakish look.

The temperature of the room had just increased a notch, or maybe it was just the heat building in her chest as she tried not to squirm in her chair, with her hands clasped tightly in her lap to keep from reaching up and brushing his hair from his forehead.

A petite blond waitress sauntered up to their table and offered Mason two bottles of beer and a suggestive smile.

Grabbing a napkin, Tess wiped the barbecue sauce from her mouth, noting that the perky blond’s shirt fit just fine over her chest.

Perky, petite blonds were so lucky. Tess had always felt like an Amazon around them—and not in warrior princess way, but in a clumsy, too-tall, size-ten clodhopper-shoes way.

Although the heels she wore today were far from clodhoppers. The cute burgundy pumps had cost more than she usually doled out for a pair of shoes, but they’d seemed worth it at the time. But that was before. Before she’d stopped attending parties and before her grandmother had started chatting online with a Nigerian prince.

Still, no matter how much her shoes cost or how shiny their finish was, Tess still felt gawky and self-conscious sitting in front of a plate full of half-devoured ribs while the waitress swung her tiny hips and cute ponytail at Mason.

He didn’t seem to notice as he took the beers, offered her a polite smile, and turned his attention back to Tess.

Score one for the Amazon.

She took one of the bottles and held it up. “What should we drink to?”

He reached his hand toward her face, and she sucked in her breath as he slowly swiped his thumb across her chin. A dab of barbecue sauce garnished its tip, and he sucked it between his lips. Lord, he had amazing lips.

She couldn’t breathe as she watched him lick the tip of his thumb, and she was fairly certain one of her eggs had just dropped.

Swallowing at the dryness in her mouth, she tried to keep from melting right into her chair.

He tipped his bottle toward hers and offered her a cocky grin. “To good barbecue, cold beer, and…”

He hesitated, and she raised an eyebrow as she waited for him to say lacy bras.

Instead, he winked and said, “…and new friends.”

She let out a chuckle and relaxed her shoulders. She liked this guy. Clinking her bottle against his, she repeated, “…to new friends.”

***

About the Author

Jennie Marts is the USA Today bestselling author of award-winning books filled with love, laughter, and always a happily ever after. She is living her own happily ever after with her husband, two dogs, and a parakeet that loves to tweet to the oldies, in the mountains of Colorado.

Website * Twitter

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Cookbook and the Author

For years, Yvette van Boven has been writing Christmas recipes for newspapers and magazines. As someone who loves the holidays, she’s never short of ideas for celebrations and finally decided that now is the perfect time to publish them in a cookbook: Home Made Christmas. The holidays can be overwhelming, but Yvette shows you how to make them easier with her “make ahead” recipes, giving you time to enjoy your company when they arrive. Home Made Christmas includes more than 100 recipes for the holidays (organized by Prepare Ahead and To Finish It Off) that are all easy to make and delicious. With her step-by-step recipes, you’ll know exactly what to do and when. Yvette even provides menu ideas to make all your planning easier. Whether you’re celebrating your first Christmas with the love of your life or cooking for your entire family, this cookbook makes sure you’re fully prepared to entertain your holiday guests with a delicious, satisfying meal.

Review

This is the 3rd cookbook that I have had the pleasure of reviewing for Abrams Dinner Party.  I love new cookbooks and pouring over the pages and drooling over photos of dishes.

This cookbook is more than just recipes and meal plans, it is starting traditions with your family, creating some staples for your pantry, and even enjoying some gorgeous winter photos to get you in the holiday mood.  But speaking of meal plans – there are 13 menus including two for vegetarians.  There are menus for as few as two people to 12 or more.  There are recipes for everything from beverages to appetizers, from main courses to dessert, and everything in between.  Some dishes are a little more intense and others are super easy.  I have flagged several recipes and I am even going to try my hand at making mincemeat and then the mincemeat fudge for my book club sweet treat exchange.  Before you think that mincemeat is meat and that is a weird ingredient for fudge, it is actually a combination of rains, currants, candied fruit, apples, and a bunch of seasonings.  I know I always kept mincemeat pie at bay but now that I know what is really in mincemeat I am going to have to give it a whirl sometime soon.

This is actually the first cookbook I used when looking for a dessert option for a dinner party I was attending and that is mostly because the other two (from the Abrams Dinner Party selection) don’t really have many dessert options.  After looking at the ingredients and weighing my options for time to make etc, I opted to try the Chocolate Caramel Pie (pg 228-229).  Let me tell you, this was amazing!  It is rich and paired with some vanilla ice cream it is the perfect dessert.  The recipe was easy to make and I even found dark chocolate chunks at my local Kroger so I didn’t have to coarsely chop a dark chocolate bar.  I didn’t have a tart pan (I thought I did but if I did it has disappeared!) so I used a springform pan.  The only thing I would have done differently is to make the parchment paper inside longer so it would have been easier to remove.  It wasn’t hard but I can see where it might have been a bit easier.

I took two photos, one without the cocoa on top and one with cocoa.

 

Reason To Doubt (A Carol Childs Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Henery Press (November 6, 2018)

Synopsis

Carol Childs is in the middle of one of the biggest stories of her life. Her daughter Cate has returned from college with a boyfriend in tow. A photographer who police suspect to be The Model Slayer, responsible for the murder of three young women.

Not since the Hillside Strangler has Los Angeles been so on edge.

And when the police arrest Cate’s boyfriend, Carol’s personal life and professional worlds collide. A tattooed cocktail waitress calls the radio station and asks to speak with Carol off the record. She knows the true identity of the real Model Slayer because she says she killed him.

Tensions mount as the clock ticks. The police are convinced they have the right man. Mother and daughter aren’t talking. Carol can’t reveal to investigators all she knows, and unless Carol can find the real killer before the trial begins, an innocent man may spend the rest of his life in prison or be executed for a crime he didn’t commit.

Review

Each book in this series seems to top the previous one and I’m not sure how!  This series keeps me engaged and on the edge of my seat wondering what the characters will uncover next.  Plus each character seems like someone you might know or could possibly meet in your everyday life.  She also brings to life some careers that many of us would not consider (exotic dance) and puts a different spin on that career field that might at least make you understand why someone might perform these jobs.

Carol always manages to be in the right place at the right time, or in this case, almost the wrong place based on a sequence of events that has her in front of a judge wanting to know more about what she knows to help solve a crime.  In this case, it is a continuation of an unsolved crime – the Model Slayer.  Carol has uncovered several bodies and it isn’t until this book that the murderer is uncovered.  But it takes some doing and not without misdirection and Carol’s daughter, Cate, getting caught up in everything since it is her boyfriend that is accused of being the killer.  Let’s just say when it is all revealed you will be quite surprised to learn who the killer is because it is definitely not someone that ever piqued an interest in my mind.

This story also has some romance between Carol and Chase.  But there is also Eric, a former/past interest for Carol and he seems to pop up quite a bit in this book since he is working on the case to uncover the killer.

I’m looking forward to what Carol is up to in the next installment and we give this book 5 paws up.

About This Author

Nancy Cole Silverman credits her twenty-five years in radio for helping her to develop an ear for storytelling. In 2001, Silverman retired from news and copywriting to write fiction full time. In 2014, Silverman signed with Henery Press for her new mystery series, The Carol Childs’ Mysteries. The first of the series, Shadow of Doubt, debuted in December 2014 and the second, Beyond a Doubt, was July 2015. The third, Without A Doubt, was released May 24, 2016. Room for Doubt was released on July 18, 2017, Reason to Doubt hit stores November 6, 2018.

Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Synopsis

The Lie

Women in Hollywood are just pretty faces. But Silvia Bradshaw knows that’s a lie, and she’s ready to be treated as an equal and prove her worth as one of Hollywood’s newest film editors.

The Love

She and Ben Mason had worked together as editors before Silvia got her big break, so he’s the perfect person to ask for feedback on her first major film. But even as their friendship begins to blossom into something more, a lawsuit surfaces, jeopardizing both Ben and Silvia’s jobs—as well as their fledgling romance. Audrey Hepburn once said: “The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it’s all that matters.” Silvia agrees. Or she used to. It’s one thing to risk her job and her heart, but can she really risk Ben’s, too? Does she have the right to make decisions for her own happiness when they affect so many other people?

The Breakfast

With everything to lose, Silvia meets Ben for breakfast at his favorite diner, Tiffany’s, for one last conversation before the credits roll on true love.

Read an Excerpt Here

About the Author

Julie Wright started her first book when she was fifteen. She’s written over a dozen books since then, is a Whitney Award winner, and feels she’s finally getting the hang of this writing gig. She enjoys speaking to writing groups, youth groups, and schools. She loves reading, eating writing, hiking, playing on the beach with her kids, and snuggling with her husband to watch movies. Julie’s favorite thing to do is watch her husband make dinner. She hates mayonnaise but has a healthy respect for ice cream.

Blog * Twitter * Amazon

WAIT FOR ME

Montana Rescue Series, Book 6

by

Susan May Warren

  Genre: Contemporary Romance / Action / Christian

Publisher: Revell

Date of Publication: November 6, 2018

Number of Pages: 336

 SCROLL DOWN FOR GIVEAWAY!

Pete Brooks can’t believe he’s waited an entire year for Jess Tagg to return to Montana, only to have her break his heart by getting engaged to her ex-fiancé. Worse, a series of mistakes on the job have cost lives, and Pete isn’t sure he wants to continue to work in Search and Rescue. Maybe if he can just get over Jess, he can figure out how to move forward.

EMT Jess Tagg has returned to Montana to finally give her heart to Pete, but it seems he’s no longer interested. When a terrible fight between them sparks an impulsive decision, she finds herself crashed on the side of a highway along with Esme Shaw. And just when she thinks things couldn’t get any worse, she and Esme are taken captive and into the untamed Montana wilderness—with murderous intent.

Now Pete and the other PEAK Rescue Team members are in a race against time, the elements, and the actions of a vengeful man. Pete will have to use everything he’s learned to find Jess and Esme—and pray that his past mistakes don’t cost him the life of the woman he can’t stop loving.

Praise for the Montana Rescue Series

“Warren’s stalwart characters and engaging story lines make her Montana Rescue series a must-read.”—Booklist

“Faith, action, romantic tension, humor, and emotional depth.” —Publishers Weekly

“Warren excels at creating flawed characters the reader cares about, as well as building a suspenseful adventure.” —Christian Library Journal

 

Baker Book House | Amazon | Christianbook.com

B&N |  iBooks  | Kobo | Lifeway | Books-A-Million

 

 

 

CHAPTER ONE of WAIT FOR ME

by Susan May Warren

 

He wasn’t looking for trouble, but if Pete didn’t act right now, at least one person was going to die.

And more than anything, SAR incident commander Pete Brooks was sick of failing, of seeing lives destroyed. Especially on his watch.

“You should wait.” His co-rescuer, Aimee, grabbed the back of his shirt, as if to keep him from sliding down the slope into the churning black floodwaters of the Meramec River. The 218- mile river had overflowed its banks two days ago under a torrent of rain caused by the tail end of a Cat 4 hurricane that ravaged the Gulf Coast, then traveled northward. All six Ozark highland counties, nearly three thousand square miles, sat under grimy waters, and the rain continued to fall.

Pete and his disaster team had spent the past twenty-four hours hauling people off roofs, pulling them from debris, and searching for the unaccounted for.

Now, heading back to their hotel in their SUV, they’d come upon a washed-out bridge. And in the frothing waters, a caravan, drowning fast in the swift current.

Please, let there not be a family inside.

“We don’t have time. We need to move, now.” The SUV headlights scraped over the bridge, most of which was submerged, having taken a hit after an old railroad bridge from upstream slammed into the girders.

Pete had watched it happen, wanted to scream at the caravan edging its way over the swollen waters. He’d pumped his brakes, slammed the SUV into park, and was halfway out when the bridge collapsed.

“You can’t go in there alone,” Aimee said, scrambling up the bank after him.

“I’m not an idiot,” Pete snapped, and instantly regretted it. It wasn’t Aimee’s fault he’d had barely four hours of sleep in the past day and a half. Everyone on his team was functioning on raw, serrated nerves, their veins pumping more coffee than blood. “Sorry.” He turned to Jamie Walsh, who was climbing out of the SUV. “Walsh—throw me that rope and tie it off.”

The recruit, ex-navy, all muscle and get-’er-done, pulled the coil of line from the back end and secured it to the jack. He tossed the rest of the coil, plus a harness, to Pete.

Pete pulled the harness on, one eye on the gray caravan as Aimee shined the Maglite on his movements.

“Don’t lose them!” he said to Aimee. He could buckle on his gear in his sleep, for Pete’s sake.

She directed the light across the frothy waters.

He clipped on the carabiner, buckled on a helmet, and grabbed the life jacket Walsh handed him. “Give me two more.”

Walsh loaded him up, and Pete also grabbed another harness.

The roar of the river drowned the thunder of his pulse.

Maybe he should wait. Going in the water was always the last choice. The waters frothed, choked with debris and who knew what lethal underwater booby traps.

But now the caravan lay on its side, half-submerged, trapped fifty feet downstream against a cement pylon that could give way at any moment.

“Turn the truck and keep the lights on the river,” he said to Aimee, then glanced at Walsh.

Good man. He’d anchored himself in with webbing to a nearby tree and would belay Pete into the wash.

Don’t let go. He wanted to say it, but it sounded, well, weak.

Afraid. As if he expected disaster.

Although, with his recent run of luck . . .

Instead, “Call for backup,” he said to Aimee, because, well, he wasn’t an idiot. His simple plan in this torrent was to get whoever was trapped in the car out and wait for help.

The night sky was dark as ink, the drizzle insidious as it soaked his shirt, his canvas pants, and sent a shiver down his back.

He waded into the wash. The current nearly swept his feet out from under him.

He should wait. He nearly turned back, except for the voice lifting from the vehicle, haunting across the waters.

“Help!” A man had crawled out of the van and was waving his arms, screaming, the words eaten by the violence of the storm.

Pete still made out the word child. Went cold.

“Stay put! I’m coming for you!”

  Click Here To Read All of Chapter One!

 

 

Susan May Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of over fifty novels with more than 1 million books sold, including Wild Montana Skies, Rescue Me, A Matter of Trust, Troubled Waters, and Storm Front. Winner of a RITA Award and multiple Christy and Carol Awards, as well as the HOLT Medallion and numerous Readers’ Choice Awards, Susan has written contemporary and historical romances, romantic suspense, thrillers, romantic comedy, and novellas. She makes her home in Minnesota.

 Website * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter

 

**FREE PREQUEL when you sign-up for Susan May Warren’s Newsletter!** 

——————— 

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

GRAND PRIZE: All 6 Books in the Montana Rescue Series

+ $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card

2RD PRIZE: Wait for Me + a Bookworm Mug

3RD PRIZE: Wait for Me + $10 Starbucks Gift Card

November 12-21, 2018

(U.S. Only)

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other blogs on this tour

11/12/18	BONUS Review	Carpe Diem Chronicles
11/12/18	Notable Quotable	Hall Ways Blog
11/13/18	Review	Momma on the Rocks
11/14/18	Author Interview	All the Ups and Downs
11/15/18	Review	Reading by Moonlight
11/16/18	Playlist	Chapter Break Book Blog
11/17/18	Review	Nerd Narration
11/18/18	Excerpt	StoreyBook Reviews
11/19/18	Review	The Clueless Gent
11/20/18	Series Spotlight	Books and Broomsticks
11/21/18	Review	Missus Gonzo

blog tour services provided by

Freefall: Divine Comedy by Lily Iona MacKenzie
Publisher:  Pen-L Publishing
Category: Women’s Fiction, Literary Fiction
Available in print & ebook, 255

 

During a four-day reunion in Whistler, B.C., Tillie Bloom, a wacky installation artist, reconnects with three women she had hung out with in the late ’50s and early ’60s. While in Whistler, secrets surface and a near death experience occurs during a hike, both of which bind the women at a deeper level.

Their new intimacy prompts them to celebrate the millennium as well as their approaching sixtieth birthdays in Italy. So a few weeks later, Tillie travels to Venice to have an extended reunion with her friends. While the women assume they’re in Venice to vacation and deepen their relationships, Tillie has a hidden agenda: she intends to crash the Venice Biennale, hoping to find a larger audience for her art. Cupid’s arrows complicate her goals when she and an Italian priest fall for each other.

The reflective quality of Venice’s canals also create unexpected changes in the women, causing them to turn inward. They all end up with a fresh take on themselves and their lives. Tillie, in particular, experiences a deeper understanding of herself. But will it take her on a path she’s ready to travel, and will Venice finally give her the recognition she seeks as an artist?

You can pre-order the book from Pen-L Publishing and it will be available everywhere in January 2019

Advance Praise

“Hilarious, spiritual, and sensual, Freefall: A Divine Comedy takes you on a rollicking ride spanning three countries and four decades. These fascinating characters will fill your imagination, defying expectations about aging, art, and what truly matters in life.” —Laurie Ann Doyle, author of World Gone Missing

“This is an enchanting story about old friends reuniting as they struggle with thoughts on aging, religion, motherhood, men, art, and death. A delightful trip in every respect, with plenty of surprises and laughs along the way. A Divine Comedy, indeed!” —Mark Willen, author of Hawke’s Point and Hawke’s Return

About the Author

A Canadian by birth, Lily Iona MacKenzie has published reviews, interviews, short fiction, poetry, travel pieces, essays, and memoir in over 155 venues. Her poetry collection All This was published in 2011. Fling!, her debut novel, was published in July 2015. Curva Peligrosa, another novel, was released in September 2017.

Currently, she teaches creative writing at the University of San Francisco’s Fromm Institute of Lifelong Learning. She also blogs about writing and reading.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Giveaway

This giveaway is for the choice of a print copy or ebook for three winners. Print is open to Canada and the U.S. only.  The eBook is open worldwide.

This giveaway ends on November 30th at midnight Pacific time.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Freefall Web Tour Schedule

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus Oct 4 Kickoff

Yari Yaris-Book-World Amazon Oct 5 Review

Dawn Bound 2 Escape Oct 8 Excerpt

Carole Rae’s Random Ramblings Oct 9 Review

Dawn Bound 4 Escape Oct 10 Guest Review

Danielle Urban Book Reviews Oct 12 Guest Review, Guest Post, & Excerpt

Monica Writers N Authors Oct 15 Review & Interview

Marcie To Read, or Not To Read Oct 16 Guest Review &  Guest Post

Harvee Book Dilettante             Oct 30 Review

Rebecca Paperback Writer Nov 7 Guest Review & Excerpt

Kathleen Celticlady’s Reviews Nov 8 Guest Review

Amber Imaginative Dreams Nov 14 Review, Interview, & Excerpt

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus  Nov 15 Review

Leslie StoreyBook Reviews Nov 16 Spotlight

Mindy Room Without Books is Empty Nov 20 Review

GRATITUDE:

The Art of Being Thankful

by

Vickie Phelps

Genre: Non-Fiction / Inspirational / Devotional

Publisher: Inspire Books

Date of Publication: July 11, 2017

Number of Pages: 92, 4.5″ x 6″

Scroll down for Giveaway!

This ninety-two-page gift book is a compilation of devotions, poems, prayers, and lists of things to be grateful for. The difference between having what you want and having what you need is a principle some people never grasp. In the reading of this book, you may realize you have much more to be grateful for than you were aware of.  Use this little book as a daily devotional or pick it up at random times to remind yourself that you are a blessed individual.

Praise

“This little gem of a book arrived before we left on vacation, so I took it along. It became our shared devotional and ‘thought for the day’ outlook…and colored our time away with gratitude. This unique discovery is one to treasure.” – 5 Star Review, Amazon verified purchase

 

This book may not be very long in length but it imparts a lot of wisdom in its 92 pages.  There are some short stories from the author’s life, bible verses, prayers, and reflections.  While you could read this book in one sitting, I found myself spreading it out over a week so I could mull over each nugget and think about how I could apply it to my life or just meditated on the words I read.  This was a nice way to end my day but it could easily be a way to start your day.

As I read the introduction, I felt like she was peeking into my life as I too grew up in a large family and while we may not have been rich by today’s standards, we had everything we could ever want and lacked for nothing.  We had love to spare and we still maintain a tight bond today.  If only more families were like this I think the world might be a better place.

I think one of my favorite inspirational quotes was one by Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”

We give this book 5 paws up and suggest picking one up for everyone in your circle for the holidays!

Vickie Phelps writes to encourage, inspire, and influence. She has published 200 articles, devotionals, and essays in more than fifty magazines and contributed to several anthologies. Vickie is the author of the novels, Postmark From the Past, Moved, Left No Address, Waiting for Joy, and a devotional book, Psalms for the Common Man. Vickie is co-author with Jo Huddleston of the gift book, Simply Christmas, and Writing 101: A Handbook of Tips & Encouragement for Writers. 

⬪  Facebook  ⬪  Twitter  ⬪

⬪  Pinterest  ⬪  LinkedIn  ⬪

⬪  Website  ⬪  Blog   ⬪

⬪  Amazon Author Page  ⬪

—————————————

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

1st Prize: Signed Copy of The Art of Being Thankful + $5 Amazon Gift Card + Simply Christmas & Psalms for the Common Man (non-fiction themed pack)

2nd Prize: Signed Copy of The Art of Being Thankful + $5 Amazon Gift Card + Postmark from the Past & Waiting for Joy (holiday theme pack)

3rd Prize:  Signed Copy of The Art of Being Thankful  

(US ONLY)
NOVEMBER 7-16, 2018

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other blogs on this tour

11/7/18	Author Interview	That’s What She’s Reading
11/8/18	Review	Hall Ways Blog
11/9/18	Review	Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
11/10/18	Excerpt	Kelly Well Read
11/11/18	BONUS Review	The Clueless Gent
11/12/18	Review	Chapter Break Book Blog
11/13/18	Guest Post	Max Knight
11/13/18	BONUS Review	Rainy Days with Amanda
11/14/18	Notable Quotable	Sybrina’s Book Blog
11/15/18	Review	Forgotten Winds
11/16/18	Review	StoreyBook Reviews

 

blog tour services provided by

Killalot (An Ivy Meadows Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Henery Press (November 15, 2018)

Synopsis

A jouster, a playwright, and a detective walk into a faire…but it’s no joke when one ends up dead.

Actress and part-time PI Ivy Meadows is thrilled when she learns that the famous playwright behind Hello Dolly Madison is in Arizona. Not so much when she realizes he’s a suspect in the murder of a Renaissance faire jouster.

As is her friend Riley. And about a thousand other people, all disguised in Renaissance costume during the fatal jousting match.

When Ivy is hired to investigate the killing, she goes undercover as a Cockney belly dancer at the faire and finagles her way into the playwright’s Kennedy-inspired version of Camelot—as Marilyn Monroe, no less.

Then, in the midst of her toughest case ever, Ivy has to solve another dilemma: Will she follow her lifelong dream of being an actor or settle down with the love of her life?

The murder investigation, the play, and real life come together in a twist that begs the question: Is there a happily-ever-after for anyone?

Books in the Ivy Meadows Humorous Mystery Series:

Macdeath (#1)
The Sound of Murder (#2)
Oliver Twisted (#3)
Ivy Get Your Gun (#4)
The Phantom of Oz (#5)
Killalot (#6)

Guest Post

How I Became Marilyn Monroe

by Ivy Meadows

As an actor, I know all of my physical flaws, at least as they’ve been catalogued by costumers and makeup artists and casting agents. I’m a little short (5’4”), not skinny enough for film (around 125 lbs.), and have mousy brown hair (which I dye blonde). So I knew that even getting to audition to play Marilyn Monroe would be a stretch. But as a PI, I knew it was the only way I could investigate a famous playwright who was my number one suspect in a murder.

That’s how I ended up in the boudoir of my friend Timothy, drag queen extraordinaire.

“Are you really sure about becoming Marilyn?” Timothy fiddled with a tackle box full of makeup. “You may be invoking a few demons here.”

“What do you mean?” I sat on the edge of his bed.

“Well, she didn’t exactly have the happiest life. Some impersonators say they feel her spirit when they channel her.”

“Bah,” I said. “I’m not channeling, I’m acting.” Still, a little shiver ran down my back as I touched the platinum blonde wig on the bedside table. “Where’d you get this wig?” It was a good one. Real hair.

“I used to do Marilyn.”

“Really? You did Marilyn?” Timothy was the hairiest man I’d ever met. And it was black hair.

“A girl’s gotta try,” he said, tossing me a wig cap. “But now I stick to Amy Winehouse and Liza and of course, Cher.” Timothy did an amazing version of “Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves” which he said was autobiographical. His autobiography, not Cher’s. “Let’s do this.” He tilted my face back and forth and up and down. “Ooh. I never realized how much you look like her.”

“I do?”

“Have you ever seen those photos of her before she became famous, when she was fresh-scrubbed Norma Jean? Even her hair—her real hair—was the same color as yours. As your real hair.”

“Dirt brown?” That was what my agent had called it right before she told me to dye it blonde.

“This is going to be fabulous, just you wait.” Timothy practically crackled with glee. “A little bit of shading, some eyebrow work…ooh.” He actually rubbed his hands together, like a mad scientist about to begin a particularly exciting experiment. “Oh, wait…” He fiddled with his phone, then set it on the bedside table by the mannequin head. “Ambience,” he said. Marilyn’s voice filled the room, singing about kisses and diamonds and men. “Let us begin.”

Timothy told me what he was doing step-by-step: foundation first, then shading with brown powder to make the contours of my face look more like Marilyn’s, then blush, dark brown arched eyebrows, black eyeliner, red lips. “With a slightly darker lip liner of course.” Like most drag queens I knew, Timothy was a big fan of lip liner. He rocked back on his heels and studied me, pursing his lips. “A little more bottom lip I think…” He leaned in and drew a larger line beneath my lip, then nodded with satisfaction. “Now for the pièce de résistance.” He took the wig off the mannequin and pinned it onto my head. “And now…” Timothy handed me a mirror.

I took the mirror, then almost dropped it. Looking back at me was a blonde bombshell—no, the blonde bombshell. It was almost like looking at a movie screen. “Timothy,” I said. “You are a magician.”

“C’est moi,” he said. “And you, my dear, are Marilyn.”

About the Author

Cindy Brown has been a theater geek (musician, actor, director, producer, and playwright) since her first professional gig at age 14. Now a full-time writer, she’s lucky enough to have garnered several awards (including 3rd place in the 2013 international Words With Jam First Page Competition, judged by Sue Grafton!) and is an alumnus of the Squaw Valley Writers Workshop. Though Cindy and her husband now live in Portland, Oregon, she made her home in Phoenix, Arizona, for more than 25 years and knows all the good places to hide dead bodies in both cities.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

The Skeleton Makes a Friend (A Family Skeleton Mystery)
Diversion Books (November 6, 2018)
Paperback: 280 pages

Synopsis

Georgia Thackery is feeling pretty good about her summer job teaching at prestigious Overfeld College, and she’s renting a rustic cabin right by a lake for herself, her daughter, Madison, and her best friend, Sid the Skeleton. Together again, the trio are enjoying the quiet when a teenager named Jen shows up looking for her friend. Georgia doesn’t recognize the name, but she learns that the person Jen was looking for is actually Sid.

Sid reveals that he and Jen are part of a regular online gaming group that formed locally, and one of their members has gone missing. Sid admits that he might have bragged about his investigative prowess, enough so that Jen wants him to find their missing player. Given that Sid doesn’t have many friends offline—none, really, unless you count the Thackery family—Georgia agrees to help him search. They manage to discreetly enlist Jen, who lives in town, and follow the clues to… a dead buddy.

Now they’ve got a killer on their hands. Probing the life of Sid’s friend, they realize a lot is wrong both on campus and in the seemingly quaint town, and someone doesn’t want them looking deeper.

Excerpt

Sid unzipped the rest of the way, pulled himself out of the suitcase and back together, and tried to turn the knob. “It’s locked.”

“Can you open it?”

“Easy peasy,” he said, pulling a set of lock picks from inside the suitcase. My locksmith sister Deborah probably hadn’t realized that teaching my daughter Madison how to pick locks was tantamount to teaching Sid. Madison had shared everything she’d learned with him, and he’d promptly ordered his own picks online. “You really should learn to do this, Georgia. It’s not that hard.”

Despite his assurance, it seemed to take an awful long time to get the door open. Or maybe it just seemed like a long time because I kept looking down the stairs, worried that somebody would hear us and come to see what was going on.

Finally there was a loud click, and Sid said, “Nailed it!” He opened the door, and cold air streamed out.

“Brr!” I said. “Wouldn’t you know that a department with everybody on vacation would be the one with overachieving air conditioners?” The window unit in my classroom had gone out twice. “Not to mention the waste of electricity.”

“You can complain about it later,” Sid said. “Come on.”

I followed him into the human resources department, pulling the empty suitcase along.

There were four more closed doors: three offices labeled with names and one marked File Room.

“Here we go,” Sid said, using his picks on one of the office doors.

This lock was easier to deal with, which was a relief, but unfortunately, the smell seemed to be coming from that office. “I’m going in.”

“Remember what I said. Get in, look around fast, get out.”

“Got it.” He stepped inside.

Between the cold, the horrid stink, and the fear of being caught, I was hoping that Sid would be swift, but I was surprised when he came out in under two minutes. “That was fast. Did you find something?”

“Don’t go in there.”

“I wasn’t going to—”

Then I looked at him.

He shouldn’t have been able to look like anything but bone-colored, but somehow he seemed paler than usual, and his bones were so loose he was nearly falling apart. “What’s wrong?”

“He’s in there. At least I think it’s him.”

“Did he see you?” I said stupidly.

He slowly shook his skull, and only then did I realize what it was we’d been smelling.

About the Author

Leigh Perry is the author of the Family Skeleton Series: A Skeleton in the Family, The Skeleton Takes a Bow, The Skeleton Haunts a House, and The Skeleton Paints a Picture.

Website * Facebook * Sid’s Twitter

My Alter Ego

Toni L.P. Kelner

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway