Shielding Her Son (West Investigations)
Romantic Suspense
4th in Series
Harlequin Intrigue (July 26, 2022)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages

 

Synopsis

 

She thought she’d escaped her past…

Has it caught up with her?

Erika Powell has lived in hiding for years to protect her son from his wealthy, tyrannical grandfather. Wary of strangers, she’s suspicious of James West, who’s renting a neighboring cabin, despite their sizzling chemistry. But when attempts are made on Erika’s life, James fears he may have endangered her—because the undercover PI’s investigation of Erika may have led someone dangerous right to her.

 

 

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From Harlequin Intrigue: Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.

Discover more action-packed stories in the West Investigations series. All books are stand-alone with uplifting endings but were published in the following order:

Book 1: Pursuit of the Truth
Book 2: Missing at Christmas
Book 3: Christmas Data Breach
Book 4: Shielding Her Son

 

About the Author

 

K.D. Richards was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs just outside of Washington, D.C. A writer since a young age, after college Kia earned a law degree and worked as an attorney and legal instructor for fifteen years but never stopped writing fiction. She currently splits her time between Toronto and Maryland with her husband and two sons.

 

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PAPER TARGETS

 

by

 

Patricia Watts

 

 

Suspense / Literary Fiction / Women’s Fiction

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Pages: 324 pages

Publication Date: May 3, 2022

 

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Everyone knew that Roanne never got angry­—until the night she killed her ex-husband and herself.

 

Roanne, a nice, suburban lady in her sixties who works at a Hallmark shop and volunteers at the Food Bank in Round Rock, Texas, calls her lifelong friend, Connie, confesses to murder, then puts the gun to her own head. Connie, spurred by Roanne’s last words about a lifetime of unspoken rage, sets aside her work as a cozy mystery writer and cupcake shop owner to confront the men who have stolen her dignity while she remained silent, including a bully brother, a rapist, and an ex-spouse. On a journey to reclaim her inner power and to make peace with the loss of her treasured friend, Connie’s mission is to avoid the same tragic path as Roanne, but she takes along a gun, just in case.

With pathos and humor, Paper Targets, by Patricia Watts, calls us to speak our own narratives, even when it is uncomfortable or risky, and shows us the magnificence of a friendship that transcends time.

 

 

 

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This was a more powerful story than I was expecting. As a woman, I have experienced men’s dismissiveness in my career and dealt with those who didn’t think I was capable. But I have also been around those that lifted me up in my life and encouraged me to seek more than I ever thought possible.

Connie and Roanne grew up in a time when women were just finding their footing and men took them for granted, diminished them based on looks, and took advantage of them. The #MeToo movement may have started, but that doesn’t mean that men will admit to their lecherous pasts and still want to blame the women. Roanne decided that she couldn’t do it anymore, which sets Connie on a path to confront her “Paper Targets.” The term Paper Targets is addressed earlier in the book when Roanne asks Connie who from her past would be on a target if she was practicing at a gun range. Connie names some people and after Roanne’s death, she realizes that she needs to unload some baggage on these men and lighten the load she is carrying. While not all of the men admit to their pasts, it forces Connie to move forward and not allow these to drain her soul.

“…this is not about revenge. So do all these guys deserve to be called out? Doesn’t the good they may have done balance out with the pain they caused me in the past? Am I just holding onto grudges and carrying that with me forever?”

“I’ve been knocked down and beat down and held down, but I found the courage to stand up and speak out and demand validation as a woman. We have rage that needs to be taken seriously, because, if it isn’t, it could kill us; it has killed us, you know?”

While not a lighthearted book, it is very moving and might make you think about your own life. I felt for Connie and Roanne, enduring fathers who set them up to fail in their future relationships with their husbands. But at the same time, they could have tipped the scale in the other direction, but without a foundation of parental support, it was hard to make that a reality. I admired Connie for confronting the men from her past and found the scene with her father to be very emotional. That was probably the hardest conversation she had to have with anyone.

This story jumps back and forth in time, allowing us to have a deeper understanding of these women and what their life was like and their relationships with their families. While bleak at times, there is a ray of hope that shines through for those left behind.

This book might just make you think a little bit about your own life and how different situations have impacted the person you have become today. Don’t let the past drag you down.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patricia Watts worked as a journalist for more than 20 years for newspapers in Texas, Hawaii, and Alaska. Following her news career, she tried her skill as a paralegal and then spent ten years investigating discrimination cases for the Alaska Human Rights Commission. Her novels include: Ghost Light and The Big Empty, crime mysteries co-written with Alaska author Stan Jones; The Frayer, suspense noir; and Watchdogs, a steamy thriller. Her home base is San Diego. She earned her B.A. in journalism at Humboldt State in California. She is the mother of a son and daughter and has eight grandchildren.

 

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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

 

TWO WINNERS:

 

First Prize: Autographed copies of Paper Targets,

 

The Frayer, and The Big Empty;

 

Second Prize: Copy of Paper Targets.

 

(US only; ends midnight, CDT, 8/5/22)

 

 

 

 

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Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

 

For direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily,

 

or visit the blogs directly:

 

 

 

7/26/22	Bibliotica	Excerpt
7/26/22	Hall Ways Blog	BONUS Promo
7/27/22	Forgotten Winds	Review
7/28/22	The Page Unbound	Character Interviews
7/28/22	LSBBT Blog	BONUS Promo
7/29/22	Writing and Music	Review
7/30/22	All the Ups and Downs	Playlist
7/30/22	StoreyBook Reviews	Bonus Review
7/31/22	Boys’ Mom Reads	Author Video
8/1/22	Jennie Reads	Review
8/2/22	It’s Not All Gravy	Notable Quotables
8/3/22	The Plain-Spoken Pen	Review
8/4/22	The Book’s Delight	Review

 

 

 

 

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Deceived (A Kelly Pruett Mystery)
Cozy Mystery – Woman Sleuths
3rd in Series
Setting – Oregon
Camel Press (May 10, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 218 pages

 

 

Synopsis

 

In the third thrilling book in the Kelly Pruett mystery series–Her world was falling into place. Then women started dropping off the map.

 

PI Kelly Pruett finally feels like she’s coming into her own. With her personal life well on track, a gig uncovering what drove a client’s granddaughter underground could be good for business. But after her undercover operation at the homeless shelter reveals rampant drug dealing, she’s suddenly kicked off the case… just as another girl goes missing.

Vowing to expose the truth even if it means pro-bono work, Kelly is taken aback when her half-sister helps her hunt down answers in a tent city brimming with distrust. When her investigation doesn’t move quickly enough to save a second woman from a vicious murder, Kelly doubles her efforts unwilling to accept defeat.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

Nettie led me into the building and pointed to the back corner. “Toiletry kits are available and showers are open for the next few hours. I suggest you use them.”

There’d be no need. I wouldn’t be stripping down.

She continued, “The doors are locked at ten. House rules state no in, no out after. Got it?”

I nodded as she talked and took the opportunity to check the basic surroundings of scuffed floorboards, vinyl wainscotting that reached waist-high, all topped off with the unmistakable smell of bleach.

“Laundry’s available, but you need to be here much earlier if you plan to get in line for that. Questions?” she asked.

“Not so far,” I said.

We stopped at the edge of the dining room where a buffet ran parallel to the long rows of tables crowded with women of various ages, no children.

Some of the women were unkempt, others well-groomed. Some stared blankly into space and others had their heads down. They were putting the food into their mouths at a rapid pace. Many carried on full conversations with themselves and a few to each other. Some were thinner than others which told me that a place that offered a hot meal would be a magnet to many homeless women.

Kyle had prepared me for some of what I’d seen. What he hadn’t prepared me for was how many women were here, and I couldn’t wrap my head around how that was possible. One could be down on their luck, and things could go wrong with no family or friends. Women could also be a victim of domestic abuse and even be abandoned by a spouse; but how had this many women have nowhere else to turn?

I had to stay focused and do what I came here to do: assess the situation and discover who the low-life drug-dealers were and then inform the man who’d hired me.

I turned back to Nettie with a nervous smile. “Are all of these women regulars?”

“A few, but beds aren’t promised. We’re not a residential, stay all day facility. If you’re on a list, that helps, but you must check in on time, and if you’re late, there are no guarantees. We open at four in the afternoon. If you want a bed, come earlier rather than later.”

I nodded, looking again on the dining room. Where did I even begin to get answers?

“We’re serving dinner.” Nettie placed her hand on my shoulder. “Get something to eat. You’ll feel better. I can see you’re fairly new to the streets.”

My dirty clothes hadn’t made me look any less like a newbie. “That obvious?”

“The deer in the headlights look wears off after a while. It becomes more internalized and hardens you. You, however, have that shock in your eyes. You’re wondering how you got here. But there’s no use crying over spilled milk, as they say. You’re here. Warm and dry. Make the best of it. Now go, get some food, and find yourself anywhere you’d like to sit. You’ll be fine here.”

Except people weren’t always fine here.

Someone in here knew something about Amber, but Bernie’s orders had been quite clear: this was a fact-finding mission, no heroics, no going it alone. I was not to do anything that might spook Amber (and/or the people who’d scared her into hiding). If I did my job, Bernie might trust me with more investigative work.

All I had to do now was blend in and find someone who would talk to me. There’s one in every group, and they’re never that hard to find––at least not in the world when standard operating rules applied and where safety nets were in place. Perhaps it was different once you fell through the cracks; only one way to find out.

I shrugged the pack off my back and looped the strap over one shoulder. A stack of gray trays piled high started the buffet line. Despite having eaten a few hours ago, nerves had my stomach growling. What I wouldn’t give for a spoon of peanut butter.

Tray in hand, I fell in line behind a tall brunette. Her polyester pants hung off her waist and her shoes, which could have fit Big Bird, were held together by duct tape. She smelled sour. She looked sixty but could be forty. It was hard to tell. Sadness, addiction, weather, and mental illness had to take its toll out on the streets. I looked thirty-two. If I had to spend time out here, my looks would change fast. This lady’s tired eyes had none of that deer in the headlights look.

Dinner was beef stew, with chunks of potatoes, celery, and carrots. It smelled delicious. A hawkish woman with glasses dropped a roll onto my tray and grunted, indicating that I keep it moving. There was a holdup around the dessert, which was a choice of orange or green Jell-O. A dollop of Cool Whip was its only redeeming feature.

The line started to move again. I balanced the tray with one hand, grabbed the marshmallow-filled orange version, and was clearing the line when an elbow slammed against my shoulders. As I turned, a hand slapped up under my tray, sending the stew flying into the air and then raining down on my shirt. So much for blending in.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Mary Keliikoa is the Shamus finalist and Lefty, Agatha and Anthony nominated author of the PI Kelly Pruett mystery series, and the Misty Pines mystery series featuring former Portland homicide detective turned small-town sheriff. Her short stories have appeared in Woman’s World and in the anthology Peace, Love and Crime.

A Pacific NW native, she spent years working around lawyers and admits to being that person who gets excited when called for jury duty. When not in Washington, you can find Mary on the beach in Hawaii. But even under the palm trees and blazing sun, she’s plotting her next murder—novel that is.

 

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Giveaway

 

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Synopsis

 

An LA screenwriter is killed shortly after completing his latest script, FALL OUT – a thriller destined to be a blockbuster but written with a secret double purpose.  Echoing events from the past, the screenplay is sent to a very specific group of people and will change their lives forever.  All are connected to a movie that had abruptly stopped shooting in the jungles of the Philippines years before.  FALL OUT exposes the truth about a conspiracy and murder that led to a half-a-billion-dollar fortune for a select few.

Follow the story of Producer Marcus Riley, who sets out on an increasingly dangerous quest to get FALL OUT made.  From a powerful agent’s office in Hollywood, hidden treasures in Belgravia and a remote chalet in the Swiss Alps to murder at the Cannes Film Festival, Marcus teams up with designer Melinda (Mako) de Turris as they and the other recipients of the screenplay are pursued by an assassin from the past.

With clues cleverly concealed in the screenplay, Marcus and Mako unravel a lethal puzzle that for some will bring death, others the truth and ends in a cave with a shocking secret…

 

 

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Praise

 

“If you want a fast-paced stand out different thriller, I can’t recommend Fall Out enough. I loved it.” —Emma Forbes, broadcaster

“Amazing . . . I agree with all the other reviews that have stated if you like Dan Brown or James Patterson, then this book is for you.” —Joyful Antidotes

“And, action! Plenty of it and super nasty bad guys and stories so outrageously crazy they can only be true . . . Fall Out is inventive and, at times intentionally filmic . . . The fun doesn’t stop for 440 pages.” —Booksplainer

“A page-turning, jaw-dropping thriller of action and surprise. A riveting debut.” – Damien Lewis, international bestselling author

 

Review

 

Corruption, greed, deceit, lies, dreams, and death describe this novel to a T. This cast of characters has a secret they are hiding, or at least some of them are hiding one. The others are determined to uncover the mystery of why so many have died over the years.  It also gives us a look into the film industry, what goes into making a movie, and how those attributes could make or break a film and those involved.

The story jumps around a lot – from the past (1945 or so) to the 1970s to the present. It took me a while to get used to the jumping around and to understand the significance of the scenes from the 1940s since you truly don’t understand it until about 3/4 of the way through the book.

This is a fast-paced book with many plot lines and characters to keep up with. The book also shares some pages of a screenplay, but the significance will take some detective work to uncover the truth. I was surprised at some of the twists and turns the book took with the different characters, including those that were running for their lives. It is amazing how much deception there was from the various characters, and it seemed like anyone could be bought or paid off.

I did think that the book was about 75-100 pages too long. Others would probably disagree, but at times there was text that didn’t seem to add much to the storyline. I did enjoy the action and the fast-paced novel, and we give this book 3 1/2 paws.

 

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

“Fingers burnt, huh, playing with the big boys? You should have stayed on your side of the pond making Godfather knock-offs with a cockney accent.” The man extended his hand towards Marcus.

Straightening up to his full height, Marcus looked down at the outstretched hand.

“Do you validate?” he asked dropping his parking ticket into it.

As Marcus drove his cheap rental out through the wrought iron studio gates, he went over his options. There were few. The best seemed to be to get blind drunk. He was teetering at the tipping point; nearly broke, his judgement was suspect, and he’d just been dismissed by the entire Hollywood system. He pulled into a liquor store parking lot.

“A bottle of Chivas Legend Special Reserve,” he said, pointing at the most expensive whisky in the shop.

“Celebrating?” the girl smiled.

“Death of my career,” replied Marcus. “Just want to give it a good send-off.”

Two hours later he collapsed fully clothed onto the thin mattress of the bed of his motel room.

It was dark when he woke up with a hangover so bad his hair hurt. He sat up checked, his tousled brown locks in the mirror and pulled his long fingers down the sides of his cheeks. He stuck out his tongue and pulled down his eyelids, the green iris flecked with brown, but the whites of his eyes were bloodshot. Not a good look at twenty. Bad in your forties.

“Great career farewell,” he murmured.

He gulped down a glass of water and four Tylenol and picked up the phone to check his emails. A voice mail icon flashed reminding him of the badly timed call from that morning. He dialed to retrieve the message.

“Hi Marcus, Sam Wood here. Tough out here, eh? They tell me you not staying quite at five-star hotels these days,” said the broad Australian accent. “So, I am sending you my latest script…see what you think…. if it rings any bells, jogs any memories. Oh, and Balzac was right.”

Sam Wood. Marcus was in shock. At the very moment his world was collapsing around him, one of the most successful writers in Hollywood had sent him a screenplay. Sam was the last person on earth Marcus expected to hear from, let alone receive a script. Twenty years ago, he and Sam had been almost brothers, but on a typhoon-lashed movie set, their bond had been broken by death and violence. They had not spoken since.

He stood stock still for a moment trying to absorb the enormity of that call. A beat, then he rushed down the thinly carpeted hallway to the reception desk.

“You have anything for me?” he panted as he reached the reception desk.

The young girl on duty looked up startled by the tall disheveled Englishman.

“I’m sorry. No manners,” Marcus took a deep breath. “Please, did anything come for me by courier today, while I was…out?”

She handed over a manila envelope. “I knocked on your room, but you were…no answer…,” she trailed off as Marcus gave her his last twenty-dollar bill as a tip and ran back up the corridor.

Shutting the door, Marcus ripped open the envelope. Inside was a screenplay, titled FALL OUT, with a handwritten note attached.

Dear Marcus,

THE SECRET OF A GREAT SUCCESS FOR WHICH YOU ARE AT A LOSS TO ACCOUNT IS A CRIME THAT HAS NEVER BEEN FOUND OUT, BECAUSE IT WAS PROPERLY EXECUTED. –

Honoré de Balzac

You’ve got an eighteen-month free option.

Sam

An hour later and with shaking hands, Marcus put down the screenplay. His body was pumping pure adrenaline. FALL OUT was far and away the best thing the Australian had ever written. A gripping plot with box office smash written all over it. It was exactly what Marcus needed.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Mark Grenside, born and raised in London, began his working career straight out of school at Lloyds of London, specializing in Kidnap, Ransom and Extortion Insurance. At 25, it was time for a career change and to dump the suit and tie, so he started his media career working for Jim Henson and The Muppets©. From that moment on, he has been involved in Entertainment and nearly every aspect of it.

He went on to create and produce several television series and mini-series. At the same time, he started a music management company launching million seller artist Neneh Cherry.

In 2004 he arranged the US $250 million buy-out of the Hallmark Channel International, which was then successfully sold to NBC. He returned to producing a number of movies and mini-series.

He has recently morphed into a serial entrepreneur and is now a co-founder of seed to shelf CBD producer Dragonfly Biosciences (www.dragonflybiosciences.com) and a founder of two separate digital companies.

In addition to his love of cooking, an unhealthy amount of time and money is lavished on a collection of classic cars that he has raced all over the world. He enjoys risk and has parachuted in New Zealand, scuba-dived in the Pacific, hang-glided in the Himalayas and even tobogganed down the Cresta Run. In nearly every case chasing after his wife, who is utterly fearless!

He is now writing the follow-up to Fall Out, entitled The Bastion. In addition, he writes a humorous blog with subscribers in more than 40 countries.

He has two grown sons, two daughters’-in-law, three grandchildren and lives in Malta with his wife and two French bulldogs.

 

 

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The Friday Night Mystery Club (Friday Night Mystery Club Series)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Illinois
Spot On Publishing (September 18, 2021)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 346 pages

 

 

Synopsis

 

Decatur, Illinois/1986 – A nasty divorce leaves Cragan Collins with a mountain of bills and her grandmother to support. She takes a job as an ad salesperson for The Gazette. The market is tough, but Cragan finds a mentor in business reporter, Robert Smithson. One icy January day, Robert is found dead in a city park. His murder is dismissed as gay-on-gay crime. Cragan asks The Friday Night Mystery Club to find justice for Robert. Will Cragan’s quest for the truth land her on the obituary page?

 

 

 

Amazon

 

 

Guest Post

 

The Animals in My Life (and My Books)

By Joanna Campbell Slan

 

My readers know that I love, love, love animals. In fact, I can’t conceive of writing a book that doesn’t include them. Probably because I can’t imagine my life without them. Currently, my husband and I have two fur babies and two Siamese Fighting Fish.

The fur babies are Maple, the cat, and Jax, my Havanese puppy. Jax is my best friend, and the sweetest animal I’ve ever known. He’s never met a stranger, and he’s such a good traveler that when we get on a plane, he simply curls up in my lap and sleeps.

Maple was my son’s cat, but when he and his wife adopted a second cat, Greta, the two felines didn’t get along. Fortunately, my husband loves cats, and Maple likes men better than women, so the two of them—Maple and David—are absolutely in love with each other. She stares at the front door for hours after he leaves for work. Honestly, her devotion is touching.

As for the Siamese Fighting Fish, better known as Bettas, it’s odd that we wound up with two, since you can’t put two male Bettas together in the same tank or … they’ll fight! Duh! The first Betta we bought I named Zelenskyy because he’s blue with a yellow fin. The second was a gift for our friend, Jenny, but she hasn’t taken him home yet. We’ve been fish-sitting. (Is that a word?) Jenny named her fish, John, after John Steinway, one of the two Steinway & Sons brothers. Because Jenny is Chinese and red is a lucky color for her, John is a brilliant red.

Given all of this, it’s not surprising that Cragan Collins, the protagonist in The Friday Night Mystery Club, had to have a pet. She adopts Sher Kahn, a cranky Siamese cat. Sher Kahn used to belong to Cragan’s best friend who is killed in The Friday Night Mystery Club. Cragan discovers Sher Kahn at a local vet’s office, in a cage reserved for potential adoptees. Heartsick at the loss of her friend, knowing how much he loved Sher Kahn, and worried about the cat’s future, Cragan takes Sher Kahn home.

Re-reading this, I have to laugh. My books echo my life. Even more so than I realized. Like Cragan, we “adopted” a cat. Now all I need to do is to give my main character a Siamese Fighting Fish!

 

 

About the Author

 

“Our best friend, our next-door neighbor, and ourselves with just a touch of the outrageous.” That’s how RT Book Review describes Joanna’s protagonist, Kiki Lowenstein. The truth is that’s a pretty good description of Joanna Campbell Slan as well.

Joanna is a New York Times Bestselling, USA Today Bestselling, and Amazon Bestselling author, as well as a woman prone to frequent bursts of crafting frenzy, leaving her with burns from her hot glue gun and paint on her clothes. And the mess? Let’s not even go there.

Otherwise, Joanna’s a productive author with more than 80 written projects to her credit. Her non-fiction work includes how-to books, a college textbook for public speakers, and books of personal essays (think Chicken Soup for the Soul).

Currently, she writes five fiction series: The Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series (Agatha Award Finalist, contemporary, St. Louis setting, crafting), the Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series (contemporary, Florida setting, DIY, and recycling), the Jane Eyre Chronicles (Daphne du Maurier Award Winner, 1830s England, based on Charlotte Brontë’s classic), the Tai Chi Mystery Series (contemporary, senior citizen female amateur sleuth and Washington, DC setting), and the Friday Night Mystery Club Series (traditional mystery, 1980s setting, Midwest).

A former TV talk show host, college teacher, and public relations specialist, Joanna was one of the early Chicken Soup for the Soul contributors. She won a Silver Anvil for her work on the original FarmAid concert to benefit farmers.

In her ongoing quest never to see snow again, Joanna lives with her husband and their Havanese puppy, Jax, on an island off the coast of Florida.

 

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DEADLY KEEPSAKES

 

A Tori Winters Mystery

 

by

 

ANITA DICKASON

 

 

Categories: Mystery / Women Sleuths

Publisher: Mystic Circle Books

Pages: 360 pages

Publication Date: July 1, 2022

 

 

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The past becomes the future. Secrets that can kill!

 

After someone tries to kill her, Tori Winters is on the run. Looking for a place to hide, a mysterious phone call about a vague inheritance seems to be the answer. After all, who would think of looking for her in Granbury, a small quaint Texas town? Instead, her life is about to spin into an existence where nothing is as it seems. The historic house she inherits has secrets. Ones she’s been warned can kill. A stranger in a strange town, who can she trust? There is the kindly lawyer and his son, or the disinherited step-grandson. What secrets do they hide? Tori’s newfound fortune may not be a blessing. It could become her death warrant.

 

 

 

 

Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is one of the best books I have read so far this year! I don’t even know where to start, but if you love mysteries and a little suspense, then pick up this book and be swept away by the characters, mystery, and this small Texas town.

Living in the DFW area, I always love finding books that are set here to see if they get the details right and can recognize different locations noted in the book. Anita does her research, and I had recently taken a trip to Granbury, I could picture the town square and the shops in my mind while following along.

Tori is one kick-ass character. When I first started reading this novel where Tori is doing her job as a hospice nurse, it took me back to last summer when I saw this firsthand after the passing of a family member. The counting of pills, destroying the medications, and so much more. Despite that certain situation throwing her in the middle of a hornet’s nest, she didn’t back down from those harassing her. Tori has a lot of gumption but also realizes that she might be safer in another town. A random call from a lawyer in Granbury draws her to this town to find out why he is calling her about an inheritance since she doesn’t have any remaining family, or so she believes. Tori’s trip to Texas turns out to be a permanent one once she discovers what she has inherited.

The book is ripe with amazing characters, from the truly despicable to new best friends for Tori. Multiple characters set off red flags for me, but the true killer was a surprise. Maybe it shouldn’t have been once certain facts were disclosed, but it didn’t click with me to suspect this character. Perhaps because it was also 1 in the morning, and I couldn’t put this book down.

I had suspicions about noises Tori heard in her house but had nothing to back it up until the author shared additional details based on Tori’s observations. I marveled at what was uncovered, like a secret wine cellar and the home’s history. There were definitely secrets kept in that house, and it took Tori and her team to uncover them. I don’t think that we know all of the secrets since this will be a series, and you must leave something for the next book(s).

I had to chuckle at the small-town politics and the antics of some citizens who thought they were better than everyone else. That mentality is 100% accurate!

I’ll be interested to see what sort of romantic interest Tori will have in future books. There are a couple of men vying for her attention, but who will come out the winner? Or will either of them?

So, the only thing I can’t get on board with regarding Tori is her sandwich choice – peanut butter and mayonnaise. Yuck!  But I guess not every character can be perfect, and I’m sure someone out there likes that combination.

This is an outstanding book, and if I could give it more paws, I would, but it gets a 5 paw rating, and the series will be on my “must read” list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Award-winning Author Anita Dickason is a twenty-two-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department. She served as a patrol officer, undercover narcotics detective, advanced accident investigator, tactical officer, and first female sniper on the Dallas SWAT team.

Anita writes about what she knows, cops and crime. Her police background provides an unending source of inspiration for her plots and characters. Many incidents and characters portrayed in her books are based on personal experience. For her, the characters are the fun part of writing as she never knows where they will take her. There is always something out of the ordinary in her stories.

In Anita’s debut novel, Sentinels of the Night, she created an elite FBI Unit, the Trackers. Since then, she has added three more Tracker crime thrillers, Going Gone!, A u 7 9, and Operation Navajo. The novels are not a series and can be read in any order.

As a Texas author, many of Anita’s books are based in Texas, or there is a link to Texas. When she stepped outside of the Tracker novels and wrote, Not Dead, she selected Meridian, a small community in central Texas for the location.

 

 

 

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Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

 

For direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily,

 

or visit the blogs directly:

 

 

7/19/22	Video Excerpt	All the Ups and Downs
7/19/22	Review	Julia Picks 1
7/19/22	BONUS Promo	Hall Ways Blog
7/20/22	Review	The Clueless Gent
7/20/22	BONUS Promo	LSBBT Blog
7/21/22	Guest Post	Jennie Reads
7/21/22	Review	Writing and Music
7/22/22	Author Interview	Forgotten Winds
7/22/22	Review	The Plain-Spoken Pen
7/23/22	Excerpt	Chapter Break Book Blog
7/24/22	Review	It’s Not All Gravy
7/25/22	Review	Reading by Moonlight
7/26/22	Guest Post	Sybrina’s Book Blog
7/26/22	Review	Boys’ Mom Reads
7/27/22	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
7/27/22	BONUS Promo	Rox Burkey Blog
7/28/22	Review	Shelf Life Blog
7/28/22	Review	The Book’s Delight

 

 

 

 

 

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Synopsis

 

They go together like water and oil…

All chef Nina Lyon wants is to make a name for herself in the culinary world and inspire young women everywhere to do the same. For too long, she’s been held back and underestimated by the male-dominated sphere of professional kitchens, and she’s had enough. Now, as co-host of the competitive reality TV series The Next Cooking Champ!, she finally has a real shot at being top tier in the foodie scene.
Too bad her co-host happens to be Hollywood’s smarmiest jerk.

Restaurateur Leo O’Donnell never means to get under Nina’s skin. It just seems to happen, especially when the cameras are rolling. It’s part of the anxiety and stress he has come to know all too well in this line of work. So nothing prepares him for the fallout after he takes one joke a smidge too far and Nina up and quits—on live TV.

To make matters worse, the two are caught in what looks like a compromising situation by the paparazzi…and fans of the show go absolutely nuts. Turns out, a “secret romance” between Nina and Leo may just be what their careers need most.

Now all they have to do is play along, without killing each other…and without catching feelings. Easy as artisanal shepherd’s pie. Right?

 

 

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Review

 

This is more than just a romance novel; it is a book about women sharing their sexual discrimination stories, mental health, and that we all have things we hide from others to protect ourselves from pain.

When I first started reading this book, I did NOT like Leo. He was arrogant and mean. But then, as the true Leo was be revealed, I realized that this man was more than just a pretty face with a seemingly arrogant attitude. Leo was a man with his own issues, mental health ones at that, that used words to create a wall to keep others out. I think many can relate to Leo and his insecurities, anxiety, and the desire to do his best.

Nina isn’t without her own faults, including an ex that is a jerk, but she has some strong supportive friends that surround her so that even when things go south, she isn’t alone. I giggled at the conversations with her sister, Sophie, and her best friend, Jasmine. I really liked Jasmine and her no-nonsense attitude. She is the kind of friend everyone should have in their life.

Nina and Leo have quite the chemistry together, but they start a relationship based on trying to help their reputations and restaurants. That is not the way to have a successful relationship, but it at least paves the way for them to admit the attraction to one another if only to themselves at first. Communication is their biggest problem, but the relationship flourishes once they learn to share more than what they think the other wants to hear.

This book addresses the issues of mental health and Leo’s anxiety. I felt that it was done respectfully yet showcased how it can cripple an individual depending on the severity. It also highlighted how many people do not get help or ask for help to cope and manage stress and anxiety. This is so important in today’s world, and I hope that someone that needs that help sees that in this book and will reach out to professionals.

I did get a kick out of the text conversations included in the book. Gavin, Leo’s twin brother, is a hoot, and I think we need a book about his life…maybe the author will write his story.

Overall, we give this book 5 paws up. It is more than a romance and well worth the read.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Erin La Rosa has written many highly engaging…tweets as a social media manager. But on her way to writing romance, she’s also published two humorous non-fiction books, Womanskills and The Big Redhead Book. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three daughters (one human, two felines).

 

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PROMISE OF THE HEART

 

Author: Susan Berry

 

Pages: 203

 

Genre: Clean Romance

 

 

Synopsis

 

After a distasteful first meeting and a rocky start to their romance, Maggie Kinsley has been happily married to Desmond for the last eleven months. And although she was often alone when he traveled for business, she rather enjoyed how he passionately greeted her when returning home.

So when he received a letter naming him as executor of a property that belonged to a deceased family friend and had to leave for a few weeks, Maggie should have been content as she kissed him goodbye. But there was something about the whole thing that made her uneasy. Why was Desmond so evasive with her when she asked him about the previous owner. And why had he insisted she not tell anyone of his plans to stay on the property? Maggie soon found the answers to her questions were more than just a woman’s intuition, but rather something that not even her wildest, darkest fears could have foreseen.

“I so enjoyed the long-awaited final book to the trilogy the author so lovingly created. Maggie’s story has a wonderful ending, and she’ll be in my heart and mind for a long time.” – Amazon

 

 

Amazon

 

 

Excerpt

 

A shaking of the car startled her, as did the feeling of Desmond’s arms around her as he’d opened the door and lifted her from the seat. Now cradled in his embrace, she lost whatever control she had left. Her hands clenched the front of his shirt as she buried her head in the soft fabric. She wanted to crawl inside his skin. To get lost in the protection it offered. The warmth of his arms soon soothed her. When she loosened her grip on him, she realized he was crying too. She wiggled free and stood in front of him. With her open palm, she wiped his face, then kissed his lips. She lingered there for a moment, needing to ground herself to have any hope of gaining control over her own fractured emotions. Again, she put her hand to Desmond’s face, only this time she left it there. “Are you okay?”

 

 

 

 

 

Review

 

While billed as a clean romance (which it is), this felt like more of a romantic suspense novel.

This is a shorter book, but there is plenty of action within the pages. Maggie has some major issues going back to her childhood. I think that she would benefit from some therapy that I don’t think she ever received after witnessing her mother’s death as a child. Her sister, Jilly, doesn’t seem to have the same issues and is a major source of support for Maggie. Jilly can be a bit self-absorbed, and her timing is crazy since she keeps interrupting romantic moments between Maggie and her husband Desmond.

Desmond has some strange quirks about him. He is in his early 40’s while Maggie is 27, yet he tends to treat her as a child and not his equal partner. This can be seen when he makes decisions without talking them over with Maggie, especially when it affects her. But then, Maggie has her issues and doesn’t tell Desmond things about her past and other secrets that happen during the book. I don’t understand why she doesn’t trust him to understand her history or the current issues.

The suspense portion comes from an unknown person (initially) causing issues at a winery that Desmond inherited. We find out that this person thinks that they are the heir and is searching for the proof that he thinks is hidden on the property. I found this portion interesting leading up to the revelation of who this person was and what they were doing. I wondered if Mateo, an employee of the vineyard, had anything to do with the strange events.

Overall, this is a fast read. I did find Maggie annoying, and she was not my favorite character. This is apparently the third book in this series and reading the information about the first two books leads me to believe that this is a series to read in order to truly understand Maggie and what she is going through. Perhaps I wouldn’t have found her so annoying had I read the first two books…one will never know!

We give this book 3 1/2 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Since Susan Berry was a young girl, she loved to write. Her imagination was filled with stories that she couldn’t write down fast enough. But it wasn’t until her grandmother had given her a Harlequin romance novel to occupy her time on a long, boring car ride that she fell in love with reading romance. The excitement of the characters first meeting and the dance of the heart that followed left Susan frantically turning pages. From that day on, Susan spent her free time with her beloved grandmother, reading the latest novels they’d retrieved from a used book store or the local second-hand shop. That reading eventually turned into the writing of her own romance novels. Novels filled with characters who have not yet found love but eventually find a way to overcome romantic troubles with humor, wit, and the consumption of lots and lots of chocolate.

Susan’s latest book is the clean romance suspense, Promise of the Heart.

 

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Synopsis

 

Could anything be worse than your husband forgetting you?

Yes. Of course…

He could remember you as the young girl who made his childhood unbearable.

After years of putting love on the back burner in exchange for career success, I let my guard down. I fell head over heels for the hot policeman who pulled me over late one night for speeding.

At the time, I didn’t realize we had a past. After all, he changed a lot since graduation…

Now, newly married and expecting our first child, our lives are perfect until Pete suffers a severe brain injury while chasing a robber.

When he finally regains consciousness, the last few years of his life are missing, including all recent memories of me!

As Pete mourns the death of his first wife for the second time and tries to come to terms with living with his high school nemesis, I keep wondering….

What happens if he never remembers me?

Will our love be strong enough to bring us together twice?

If you like engaging characters, second chance romance, and laughing out loud, then you’ll adore Cop A Plea!

 

 

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Review

 

I have enjoyed all of Hilary’s books; this one was no exception. In fact, I think it was outstanding and went deeper on the emotional level than some of her other books.

When you are in a wonderful relationship, it is hard when something happens to your partner, and you don’t know if they will return to you, and if they do, will they be 100%? This is what Waverly is experiencing when her husband has an accident at work which results in a brain injury. On top of worrying about Pete, she has to deal with his mother and the overprotectiveness of her favorite child. She can be rather irritating, but I think there is more to her story than we know. There is some resolution with her towards the end, which hopefully helps balance out the relationship.

This book is heavier than other books but rightfully so. I really felt the emotions of all the characters as they reacted to various situations. Since Waverly is pregnant, her feelings are all over the board, but thankfully she has a couple of friends that help ground her in reality. I hoped that all would work out for Pete and Waverly, and he would regain his memories of their time together.

If you decide to pick up this book, make sure to read Cop an Attitude first to get the backstory on Pete and Waverly’s relationship.

Another great book from this author, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next for this town and band of friends and frenemies!

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

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

 

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Synopsis

 

They were in it for the fun, but never expected the storm…

Life for hometown ER physician Dr. Max Lange has always been sweet. He loves his job and is dialed in socially with his family, friends, and community. But lately, something feels like it’s missing. When a visiting doctor pulls him in for a hot kiss and asks him to play along in order to avoid unwanted attention from a hospital administrator, Max knows exactly what he wants and needs—the lovely Dr. Mitchell.

After a tragic error shakes her confidence beyond repair, Dr. Lauren Mitchell has abandoned her career in cardiothoracic surgery and instead works as a lead medical consultant for a top cardiovascular technology company. She enjoys her simple life on the road—hotel rooms, room service, and no emotional entanglements.

When a violent storm throws her into service at St. Mark’s hospital, Max has only a few days to prove to Lauren that they belong together, while she must reevaluate her career…and her life. Will Max’s love be enough to make River’s Edge and Max her home?

 

 

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Review

 

This is the second in this series about the Lange brothers, and I really enjoyed this installment. There was something about Lauren and Max’s relationship, for what it was, that seemed to touch me. She may have only been in town for a short period of time, but sometimes when cupid shoots his arrow, it doesn’t matter who, what, when, or where.

Lauren is working for a cardiac tech company, and their equipment was purchased for the hospital, and someone had to train them on the device. The book begins with Lauren eating lunch with one of the doctors, who is a bit of a letch. In walks Max, and she drags him into the situation to help extradite her from this other doctor’s unwanted advances. Max, being a good guy, plays along, but who would have ever guessed that sparks would ignite and their chemistry would be off the charts?! Lauren has some demons she is battling, which is why she took this job versus continuing to operate on people. It takes a tragedy in town for her to realize what she wanted from life in her career and her love life.

This is such a sweet romance with just a pinch of heat. The small town setting is the perfect foil to encourage their relationship even though they aren’t sure it can last if she is only in town for a week. I loved the interaction between all of the characters and how they all came together after a disaster hit the town. We learned more about the Lange family, including the mom. She has a small storyline in this book which is sweet. If you have read the first book, The Valentine Wager, you get a peek back into Ryker and Kitt’s life.

The book does have a HEA, but not without some hard times and conversations. I laughed throughout the book and sighed with contentment at the end. I can’t wait to see what is in store for the last book and brother.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

The kiss was…extraordinary. Max’s brain kept repeating that word—extraordinary—even as his heart raced and his knees went weak. She was extraordinary. He kept the touch light, in spite of his mad desire to simply pull her against him and explore the wine-sweet taste of her.

She gripped his shirt, slowly tilted her head, slipped one arm around his neck, and thrust her fingers into the hair hanging over his collar. Then shock of all shocks, she touched the seam of his lips with her tongue, inviting him in, welcoming him.

Max’s heart nearly pounded out of his chest as their tongues met and played, and he slid his hand around to hold the back of her head. Her red-blond hair was as silky as he’d imagined, and her curves fit against him as if they’d been made for each other.

When she pulled away, her eyes were huge, reflecting the wonder in his own dazed thoughts. This, whatever this was, had shaken him to his very core and she appeared to be equally affected. Her hand trembled as she took her arm away from around his neck and for a moment, she simply rested her forehead against his chest.

“Wow,” she whispered, finally looking up. “Wow.”

Max touched her nose with one finger. It was a great nose, small but not snub, narrow but not patrician. A great nose. He dropped a quick kiss on it. Then he kissed each rosy cheek before putting his lips next to her ear. “Wow, indeed.” His voice quavered. He tucked one finger under her chin and when he saw yes in her eyes, pressed his mouth to hers again.

“I’d tell you two to get a room, but I’m fairly sure one of you already has one.” Tracy’s voice was like a splash of icy water.

Lauren stepped back, her cheeks turning even pinker as heat rose up Max’s neck. They’d attracted a small audience—Logan and two other servers had joined the desk clerk and ML in the lobby, offering up a round of applause when he and Lauren broke apart. Blushing furiously, she reached around him and pushed the Up button on the wall between the two elevators.

Max gave the group a fake scowl. “Don’t you all have someplace you need to be? Or a life maybe?”

Logan laughed. “Yours is looking way more interesting than mine right now, Doc.”

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Nan Reinhardt is a USA Today bestselling author of sweet romantic fiction for Tule Publishing. Her day job is working as a freelance copyeditor and proofreader. However, writing is Nan’s first and most enduring passion. She can’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t writing—she wrote her first romance novel at the age of ten and is still writing, but now from the viewpoint of a wiser, slightly rumpled woman in her prime. Nan lives in the Midwest with her husband of 49 years, where they split their time between a house in the city and a cottage on a lake.

 

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