Synopsis

Jackie Sonnenberg has done it again in the second book of her yresruN semyhR horror collection which are based on nursery rhyme themes with sinister re-tellings — but they not sequels so they can be read in any order!

The Lamb Was Sure To Go is a page-turner thriller that will capture the imagination of every reader across all generations. The Antichrist has been born…and Father Atticus knows it. He sees visions of this evil coming to Earth to let Hell loose. Declared insane and locked up, he is helpless to the dark recesses of his mind and what is happening. Meanwhile, the Antichrist grows stronger and is already making blood sacrifices to Satan himself. Father Atticus knows it is up to him to stop it before it is too late…but how could he ever know he would be up against a little girl and her pet lamb?

This suspense-filled book is sure to be the must-read of the summer with a child-character and plot that will have your hair standing on end!

About the Author

Jackie Sonnenberg is author of the popular horror book collection, YRESRUN SEMYHR, which are characters and plots based on sinister re-tellings of nursery rhymes. Her first book, My Soul To Keep, was so well received she was invited to contribute Carnival of Fear, a horror anthology collection. Her newly released and highly anticipated second book, The Lamb Was Sure to Go (May 2018; Limitless Publishing) is a page-turner thriller that will capture the imagination of readers across all generations. This suspense-filled book is a must-read of the summer with a child-character and plot that will have your hair standing on end!

Jackie Sonnenberg has brought her talent as both author of paranormal suspense-filled book plots and as a “haunt” actor where she performs at an interactive live action zombie attraction providing fans an experience to “get their scare on.”  At 2018 Spooky Empire, she won the Best Craftsmanship award for her exceptional costume based on one of her book characters. A professional across the horror-haunt industry, Jackie Sonnenberg brings creativity, vision and a unique understanding of the fascination this genre holds across all generations. Her yresruN semyhR horror book collection is popular for readers across all generations.

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Book Title: The Pumpkin Patch by Sandi Smith
Category: Adult Fiction, 316 pages
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Mindstir Media
Release date: November 5, 2017

Synopsis

How can one small-minded, angry person destroy the lives of so many people in her path, connecting them all together in a game of destruction and heartbreak? It is possible, but what pushes a person to enjoy inflicting pain to such an extent, leaving a trail of hate, anger, and defeat behind her, which only seems to make her stronger and more satisfied. Ms. Terri Plotski, owner of the Authors’ Book Agency, is that person, who, unknowingly, with a single thread of hate, has connected the lives of a small group of people, bringing them together with one single common denominator. Anger. The anger from this small group of people is building, but it has nowhere to go, or does it? Ms. Terri Plotski, owner of Authors’ Book Agency, has gone missing.

About the Author

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

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

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Book Title: The Fear of Being Eaten: A Biography of the Heart
Author: Ronald J. Wichers
Category: Adult Fiction, 264 pages
Genre: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, Biographical
Publisher: Mindstir Media
Release date: April 26, 2017

Synopsis

What if you married a man who didn’t care about you? What if there was a child in the neighborhood for whom you developed a special fondness but was nine when you were nineteen and twenty when you were thirty with two children and a husband who still didn’t care? And what if you were a boy whose only happy memories were a few soft words uttered now and again by a beautiful neighbor ten years your senior and whose voice and face and figure, back-lighted by the golden light of the setting sun, were all that would sustain you when your life was threatened every minute of every day in the mire of a squalid war nobody wanted?

This is the story of Jacqueline and Tommy, their lives stubbornly paralleling with no convergence in sight until one cold night she sees him starving to death on a crowded street filled with happy tourists.

What would you do if you saw him there almost unrecognizable, just another mass of neglected, invisible wreckage? Turn the pages of The Fear of Being Eaten: A Biography of the Heart and find out what happened to Jacqueline Rhondda and Tommy Middleton.

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About the Author

Ronald J. Wichers was born in Lake Ronkonkoma New York in 1947. He attended Catholic School until 1965, studied History and literature at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas until being drafted into the United States Army in 1970. He was assigned to a rifle company in the 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam and, after sustaining severe wounds in a gun battle, including the loss of his left arm, was awarded the Purple Heart Medal, the Army Commendation Medal for Heroism and the Bronze Star Medal.

He later studied theology full time at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley California. He has published several short stories about the Vietnam war. The Fear of Being Eaten: A Biography of the Heart is his fifth novel.

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A Soufflé of Suspicion: A French Bistro Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Crooked Lane Books (July 10, 2018)
Hardcover 296 Pages

Synopsis

The buoyant mood at Bistro Rousseau deflates when Chef Camille’s sister, Renee, turns up dead in the chef’s kitchen, and Mimi Rousseau must tease the real killer out of a mélange of menacing characters.

Crush Week in Nouvelle Vie is a madhouse—in a good way. Tourists pour into town for the pressing of the Napa Valley’s world-renowned grapes and all the town’s businesses get a nice lift, including Bistro and Maison Rousseau. Mimi is raising the ante this year with a Sweet Treats Festival, a wonderland of croissants, cakes, tarts, and soufflés crafted with expert care by the area’s top talents.

Chef Camille’s sister Renee is managing the festival with a cast-iron fist, upsetting everyone, including her sister. Which is bad for Camille when Renee turns up dead in the chef’s kitchen. Mimi is still building her business, so her first course of action is to whip up answers and catch the unsavory perpetrator before Camille takes a dusting and gets burned.

Review

Whenever I read this series I get hungry…probably from all those great dishes that the bistro serves! And I love it when the recipes are included at the end of the book…not that I will prepare them, but because I like to drool over imaging the dishes coming to life in my kitchen! Maybe one day I will be brave enough to try one out on my family.

Food aside, this cozy series set in the Napa area has a lot going for it – food, wine, compelling characters, and even a few pets. And of course, solving the mystery of who is the killer. There was something about this cast of characters that I was able to sort of figure out the guilty party, but not because it was laid out for the reader to easily discover the identity of the guilty party.

I really enjoyed getting to know more about some of the characters – Chef Camille, Heather, Jo, Stephan, and even Allie. I think Allie could be a good fit for future books depending on what her character decides to do with her life.

There is also the continuing romance between Mimi and Nash. It takes a positive turn in this book but not for the lack of Nash’s ex-wife trying to throw roadblocks in their way. There is even an introduction of an old friend of Mimi’s. Will he be a potential roadblock for Nash? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

We give this 5 paws up!

About the Author

DARYL WOOD GERBER writes the nationally bestselling Cookbook Nook Mystery series featuring a cookbook store owner who is an avid reader and admitted foodie, set on the coast of California. As AVERY AAMES, she pens the Agatha Award-winning, nationally bestselling Cheese Shop Mystery series featuring a cheese shop owner amateur sleuth, set in the fictional town of Providence, Ohio. Daryl’s short stories have been nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, and other awards. Daryl also writes stand-alone suspense: Days of Secrets and Girl On the Run. Fun tidbit: as an actress, Daryl has appeared in “Murder, She Wrote” and more.

Find Daryl here: Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Find Avery here: Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

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Synopsis

Shopkeeper Belle Meyer doesn’t know she’s selling killer cookware at The Wild Goose – a small corner kitchen shop in northern Maryland’s Walnut Creek Square. Belle’s life is upturned like a bread loaf pan when Luke “Smack Your Lips” Knight, the town’s zany baker, is found dead in a house fire hours after Belle sells him the fatal 12-inch non-stick skillet. Not even a spider web frosted cake can sweeten The Wild Goose’s haunted reputation. Now Belle’s in the case deeper than lobster fried in peanut oil, to which she’s allergic. To catch the killer, Belle stirs up the investigation, much to the chagrin of seasoned Detective Edwin Hawkes. The hard-boiled detective warns her to stay away from the case, but Belle doesn’t listen. With the help of Pickles, the store’s 10-pound tabby cat, Belle sleuths after cooking demos, interrogates cookware customers and tries to thwart a store break in. She will stop at nothing until the suspect’s goose is cooked!

Review

I thought this was a good start to a new cozy series. It checks off all the boxes – small town, the sleuth is not a PI or police officer, lots of characters to choose from for the killer, and a love interest for the sleuth. And the main character has a shop that is tied to food and cooking, that is a win for me any day of the week!

Belle is quite an interesting character. She is running a cooking supply store that has been in her family for a few generations. She has a cat named Pickles (the story on how Pickles got her name is in the book so won’t ruin that surprise) that she brings to the store. I will say that is not always a wise decision as she has had to write off quite a few dishes and such thanks to Pickle’s antics. She has a boyfriend that writes the crime beat for the local paper. Plus mom is hoping he will pop the question sooner rather than later.

As it happens with most first books in a cozy series, the main character is a suspect in whatever murder has taken place and has to investigate who might be the true culprit. Belle is like most, a little awkward in her sleuthing skills (something she will probably get better with over time), but manages to ferret out the truth. I was VERY surprised at who the killer was once revealed. Was never on my radar other than I didn’t like this character. Lots of great misdirection.

We give it 4 paws up.

Read an Excerpt Here

About the Author

Mary Birdie is currently a copy editor for a company in Washington D.C. She worked for nearly three years at a kitchenware store where she learned all about cookware – from Silpats to sparkling water makers. Her favorite dessert to make (and eat) is the Eton Mess.

She lives in a Maryland suburb with her fish McGuffin. Kill It By Skillet is her first book in The Kitchen Shop Mystery Series.

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Synopsis

She can’t change what’s come before. But letting go could bring healing—and the rare love that comes once in a lifetime.

When Ohio pastry chef Jada Brooks and her two best friends restored the glorious Wayfair Inn, it was a boon to Sweet Lake—and to their own lives. Now Linnie and Cat are focused on private matters: one engaged, the other swept up in newlywed bliss. Jada has also begun looking to the future by dating widower Philip Kettering and forging a sudden, sweet bond with his six-year-old daughter.

But the past isn’t finished with Jada. When a curious guest checks into the Wayfair, her delving questions stir Jada’s guilt about the heartbreaking events that scarred the town seven years ago. The risks Jada must take by revealing the truth will test every assumption she’s made about the meaning of family and the magic of enduring love.

Review

It’s time for another trip to Sweet Lake and the Wayfair Inn – where love can be found with a little help from the Sirens.

This installment focuses primarily on Jada and her relationship with Philip – it may start off as just friends but it isn’t going to stay that way for long and it will not be an easy road as they both have baggage tied to his first wife, Bodi, but for different reasons. I felt for Jada in many respects. Her partners in the Inn have gotten married (or are getting married in Linnie’s case) and aren’t focusing on their jobs but rather letting Jada shoulder the load. I don’t want to say that Linnie and Cat are selfish, but in a way they are. But who could blame them as they are caught up in love and a new beginning in their lives.

This book has a few surprises too, so don’t think it is will be a light read. I was quite surprised at a few turns of events and amazed at how in tune the Sirens are in town are and how they seem to know the right thing to say, do, or give for each situation. But the Sirens do take care of their own and I really enjoyed that kinship between the women.

Possibly a character that almost stole the show is Fancy. She is Philip’s daughter and she is quite precocious. She may be about 6, but she knows what she wants and I’m actually surprised at how much she is spoiled and given whatever she wants even if it isn’t the best for her.

While this book is best read after the first two in the series, you could read this on its own and there are enough details to fill in most of the gaps. I say this too because it has been awhile since I read the first two books so I appreciated the extra background information to remind me of each character and their situation.

I just wish the book had given us the recipe for the rosemary cookies mentioned. They sounded delicious.

We give it 5 paws up

About the Author

Some writers are gifted with an unusual life and I’m certainly one of those. I’ve lived in Ohio, Virginia, California, Utah and now South Carolina. In college I was featured on the front page of the Houston Post for a lark that erased all my debt. I met my four adopted children for the first time in the sweltering heat of the tropics. I helped build several companies and was lucky enough to earn a living doing what I love best–writing–in a PR firm I owned.

In 2004 I made the wisest and most irrational decision of my life–I began writing fiction full-time. All those years of hard work pay off daily in sweet notes and comments by readers. Please continue the mail, tweets and comments on FaceBook, GoodReads and other sites. I cherish your support and love chatting with readers.

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Synopsis

In this sequel to Where is Pidge?, our young hero decides to audition for the school musical along with her canine buddy Maverick. Not everyone thinks Pidge can learn to sing or Maverick can be trained, but Pidge believes. Through their theatrical escapades, Pidge discovers that singing requires hard work and that Maverick might not be ready for his stage debut after all. And by the end, Pidge understands that being a star is all a matter of perspective, and unconditional love matters more than fame.

Review

What a cute children’s book with a good message. With many not wanting to work for anything, in this book, Pidge learns that she has to work hard to earn a spot in the talent show. It isn’t easy as she discovers, but I think this is what makes her success that more amazing because it wasn’t handed to her. Now her dog Maverick? Let’s just say he is a lost cause!

There are some funny parts in this story as well, mostly due to Maverick’s antics. But it rounds out the story nicely and continues to teach the lesson that anything worthwhile is more satisfying when you worked hard to achieve that goal.

I think this book would be good for children 4 and up.  While the younger ones may not quite grasp the full concept of working hard to attain a goal, I think they might understand enough especially with continued reinforcement of that concept.

We give this 5 paws up!

About Michelle Staubach Grimes

Michelle Staubach Grimes began journaling years ago and enrolled in the SMU Creative Writing Continuing Ed Program in 2012 to hone her writing skills. She fell in love with creative writing and studied “story” through that program. Where is Pidge? debuted in March of 2015. Michelle is thrilled to now be releasing her second book, Pidge Takes the Stage. She lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, three children, and two dogs.

Check out Michelle’s Guest Post on my blog from last month about children’s literacy.  Some great information and worth sharing!

Website

Synopsis

Zane Shaw isn’t the type to cower in a corner until he meets Honor Sullivan. She’s the most phenomenal woman he’s ever met, but he’s been burned before and so he’s doomed to fall for her from a distance. If only his past hadn’t left him so weary, perhaps he could be the man he was raised to be.

Honor Sullivan has too much at stake to get distracted by a man. But Zane Shaw isn’t just any man. He’s smart, gorgeous, and a survivor like her. Which is why she knows, deep down, that he deserves someone better than her. Someone whole and undamaged. Yet she can’t seem to contain the way he makes her feel.

These two jaded souls with an instant connection just might find that true love is a joy best savored in the aftermath of life’s hardships and pain.

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He’s the best quarterback in the AFL. She’s a nurse in need of a fresh start. He doesn’t want distractions. She doesn’t want her secrets discovered. What happens when they fall for each other?

Deleted: Jackson & Maggie is AVAILABLE NOW!

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They were childhood sweethearts, torn apart by secrets and one terrible lie. But when fate brings their paths together again, will they still be each other’s soulmate?

About the Author

Like most of her characters, Tess Thompson hails from a small town and will always feel like a small town girl, despite the fact she’s lived in Seattle for over twenty-five years. She loves music and dancing, books and bubble baths, cooking and wine, movies and snuggling. She cries at sappy commercials and thinks kissing in the rain should be done whenever possible. Although she tries to act like a lady, there may or may not have been a few times in the last several years when she’s gotten slightly carried away watching the Seattle Seahawks play, but that could also just be a nasty rumor.

She currently lives in a suburb of Seattle, Washington with her brand new husband, the hero of her own love story, and their Brady Bunch clan of two sons, two daughters and five cats, all of whom keep her too busy, often confused, but always amazed. Yes, that’s four kids and five cats. Pray for her.

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Synopsis

In the epic conclusion to the BKI series, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker delivers her biggest bombshell yet! 

Welcome to Black Knights Inc.
What appears to be a tricked-out motorcycle shop on the North Side of Chicago is actually headquarters for the world’s most elite covert operatives. Deadly, dangerous, and determined, they’ll steal your breath and your heart.

After a mission-gone-sideways forces Jamin “Angel” Agassi to change his identity, he’s determined to bring down the world’s worst crime syndicate kingpin once and for all. That’s going to be the easy part. Keeping Interpol agent Sonya Butler from discovering who he really is—and blazing another trail into his heart—is the challenge.

Excerpt

“I am going to hug you now, Sonya.”

Breath shuddered from her lungs. “What? Why?” That wasn’t what she’d expected him to say, especially not after the way he’d been eyeballing her lips.

And, yes, it hadn’t escaped her notice that his words were incredibly similar to the ones Mark had spoken that rainy night while they’d been crowded into that dark Parisian doorway. How could two men be so different and yet so much alike?

“Because you need it.”

And then…oh, and then he stepped forward and wrapped his big arms around her. It was like being hit with a live wire. A current blasted through her, burning her from the inside out. As if that wasn’t bad enough, some sorry sucker chose that moment to pull the rug out from under her feet, and she was falling, flailing, head pinwheeling.

She balled one hand into a fist so tight her knuckles cracked. The other squeezed her water glass so hard she was surprised it didn’t shatter.

“Relax,” he instructed.

“Why are you always telling me to do that?” She tried not to turn her head into his neck and snort in his spicy aftershave like an addict with a tempting line of cocaine. Memories of Mark tried to intrude, memories of how he’d eschewed cologne and aftershave in preference for lilac soap, but she shoved them away.

“You are strung as tight as piano wire. It cannot be healthy.”

Wow. Great. The almighty Prince of Shadows was lecturing her on her health. All while hugging her. How bizarre was her life right now?

Then it registered. He was hugging her.

It wasn’t one of those half-hearted hugs either. It was a full-on hip-to-hip, chest-to-chest hug, arms tight and big, wide hand splayed against the middle of her back. Angel might be all aloof and untouchable, but when it came to a hug, the man committed completely.

Sonya’s heart threatened to pop like a balloon. A hiccup of anguish slipped from her throat. She couldn’t help herself; she melted against him. Soaked up his odd affection and let it fill all the cracks in her armor that had developed over the last six months.

She hadn’t realized it, but Angel was right. She needed a hug. Needed it almost as much as her next breath. Needed to feel human connection to remind herself she wasn’t alone in this.

“Shh,” he whispered, soothing a hand down her hair as she fought tears.

The hug went on for a few more dreamy, melting minutes. Then she realized how self-indulgent she was being. How…weak.

Pulling back, she whispered, “Thank you. That’s enough.”

His brow pinched as he stepped away, breaking the connection of their bodies. She shivered as the room’s cool air rushed in to replace his body heat.

The pity she saw in his eyes had her grumbling, “When you look at me like that, I want to go crawl into bed and throw the covers over my head.”

“How do I look at you?” he asked.

“Like I’m pathetic. Like I’m a thing to feel sorry for. Like I’m a disappointment to you. But that’s crazy because you don’t even know me.” Her insides, which a minute ago had been so soft and gooey, were now crawling with tension.

“Is that the only way I look at you?” He canted his head. It caused the moonlight to silver the short ends of his black hair. His laser-like focus made her feel like there were two red sniper dots on her face.

Those sniper dots moved down as he let his eyes travel past her mouth and shoulders, over her breasts, down to her hips, and finally back up again. He didn’t try to hide the heat in his eyes. He let her see it for what it was.

Heaven help her, he wanted her like she wanted him. The difference between them was that he wasn’t trying to hide it.

“No.” She swallowed. “It’s not the only way you look at me. There’s that too.” She pointed to his face.

“Damn right there is.” His gravel-road voice had gone guttural, and she wondered what he’d sounded like before the vocal cord scouring. Had his voice been deep and smooth? Rich and resonant? It saddened her that she would never know. “And now I am going to kiss you, Sonya.”

Her thighs quivered as heat coalesced between them. She should have told Angel to keep his gorgeous mouth to himself. She should have told him she had a headache…or head lice. But instead she heard herself ask, “Why?”

“Because you want me to.”

About the Author

Julie Ann Walker is the USA Today and New York Times bestselling Author of the Black Knights Inc. romantic suspense series. She is prone to spouting movie quotes and song lyrics. She’ll never say no to sharing a glass of wine or going for a long walk. She prefers impromptu travel over the scheduled kind, and she takes her coffee with milk. You can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission.

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