WATERMELON TATTOO

 

by

 

Tony Burnett

 

 

 

Psychological Thriller / Suspense

Publisher: Watertower Press

Date of Publication: February 14, 2023

Number of Pages: 300 pages

 

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Naïve but charismatic farm girl, Jacquelyn Benderman, has her life perfectly planned until her town blames her for the accidental death of the local high school’s star running back. Feeling like a pariah, she flees to Austin, Texas where her luck seems to change. Her rapid rise to stardom as a blues diva is derailed when an anonymous stalker begins systematically murdering her associates, leaving the police to suspect her.

As Y2K approaches, she wrestles with the guilt of falling for her roommate, a Romanian folk singer who survives as a call-girl, while the show band she sings with rehearses for a national tour.

Can she protect her new lover from danger? Will the world end at midnight? Is there no hiding place when everyone knows who you are?

 

 

 

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Praise

 

“Burnett has created an unconventional and magnetic character who makes a memorable first impression.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Bodies, wrecked and loved, Wiccan handfasting, sex work, guns, watermelons, and music—lots of music—light up this thrilling nail-biter.” –Lesley Bannatyne, author of Unaccustomed

 

 

 

 

This book is not for the faint of heart…it will grip you and hold you captive from start to finish.

Set in the hill country of Texas (Austin and the surrounding area), this coming-of-age story spells out how dreams can be crushed, yet others rise from the flames. Jacqui has high hopes for her life, but an incident at their farm and another at a local pageant turn her life upside down. What follows is her journey to discover who she is and where she might go in life.

Jacqui is one of those characters you will love but feel conflicted about her life choices. While she didn’t really attend church growing up, her small hometown was typical of one in the bible belt. They had strong beliefs about what you did and didn’t do in this world. I don’t remember the exact year this story is set in, but it is sometime before 2000 since no cell phones are scattered across the pages. I have come to admire authors who can write a story where the characters do not rely on technology to get through their lives. The characters actually have to talk to one another and call each other to share news.

I was riveted by the stories that tied many of the characters together. It was honest and typical of what we might have experienced in our own lives. There is love, divorce, friendships, and conflict. The suspense portion might be easy to figure out “who” is behind the tragic events surrounding Jacqui as she seeks a new life. While I had my suspicions, it did take a little time before they were confirmed.

This book takes a raw look at drugs and their effect on people. Let’s just say it isn’t pretty, and if nothing else, it confirms my desire to stay as far away from them as possible.

This tale is spellbinding with all of the intertwining plotlines. Definitely a highlight of the books I have read so far this year. We give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Award-winning poet and songwriter Tony Burnett is the Executive Director of Kallisto Gaia Press. He served as President of the Writers’ League of Texas from 2013 to 2017. His poetry, short fiction, and environmentally focused nonfiction appear in over 70 publications. His previous books include the story collection, Southern Gentlemen and a full-length poetry collection, The Reckless Hope of Scoundrels. He resides in rural central Texas with his trophy wife and several rescue dogs who pay him no mind unless hungry. His hobbies include poking wasp nests with short sticks and wandering aimlessly about. He hopes you enjoy meeting his imaginary friends.

 

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05/30/23	Boys’ Mom Reads	Review
05/30/23	Hall Ways Blog	Spotlight
05/31/23	StoreyBook Reviews	Review
05/31/23	LSBBT Blog	Spotlight
06/01/23	Reading by Moonlight	Review
06/02/23	The Real World According to Sam	Review
06/03/23	Jennie Reads	Review
06/04/23	The Book’s Delight	Spotlight
06/05/23	Forgotten Winds	Review
06/06/23	Chapter Break Book Blog	Spotlight
06/07/23	The Plain-Spoken Pen	Review
06/08/23	The Clueless Gent	Review
06/08/23	Bibliotica	Review

 

 

 

 

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The definitive guide to creating the most mouthwatering hamburgers by America’s leading burger expert—expanded and updated with new and improved recipes

The Great American Burger Book was the first book to showcase a wide range of regional burger styles and cooking methods. In this new, expanded edition, author and burger expert George Motz covers traditional grilling techniques as well as how to smoke, steam, poach, smash, and deep-fry burgers based on signature recipes from around the country.

Each chapter is dedicated to a specific regional burger, and includes the history of the method and details on how to create your own piece of American food history right at home. Written by Motz, the author of Hamburger America and hailed by the New York Times as a “leading authority” on hamburgers, The Great American Burger Book is a regional tour of America’s best burgers.

Recipes feature regional burgers from California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin. International locations Australia, Brazil, Denmark, Malaysia, and Turkey.

This is a book for anyone who loves a great burger, unique or classic. And who doesn’t love a great burger?

These mouthwatering recipes include Connecticut’s Steamed Cheeseburger, The Tortilla Burger of New Mexico, Iowa’s Loosemeat Sandwich, Houston’s Smoked Burger, Pennsylvania’s The Fluff Screamer, and Sheboygan’s Brat Burger.

 

 

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Review

 

I have enjoyed being a part of the Abrams Dinner Party because I get to learn about new cuisines, cooking techniques, and expand my repertoire.

This may be one of my favorite books so far. I probably say that often, but there is something about a hamburger that is good any time of the year. I also have a couple of burger-loving guys in the house, which doesn’t hurt anything.

I enjoyed looking at burgers from across the country. There were so many unique styles that were region specific. We live in the south (Texas, to be exact), and I was intrigued by several burgers. Some I will try; others, probably not. They were just a little too weird for me. Now the kid…he eats nearly anything, and I love trying new things because he will give them a whirl, whereas hubby is more picky.

I tried three different burgers this weekend, and all were delicious. I made the Guberburger (MS), Fried Onion Burger (OK), and The Green Chile Cheeseburger (NM). The Fried Onion Burger was probably the most “normal” burger of the three. The Guberburger has melted peanut butter on top, and the kid loved that one. I didn’t buy enough chiles for the Green Chile Cheeseburger, so I couldn’t enjoy any on mine. This would be great during Hatch Chile season later this summer. I did do a spin on the Bacon Avocado Toast Burger (CA). I put avocado on my bun (vs. toast) and used cheese and no bacon. I thought about cooking some bacon, but then I would have had to share it with hubby…and well, that would be too much work!

Probably the only thing I would have done differently was to use a cast iron skillet vs. one with a ceramic coating. While it was great to toast the buns, it seemed to take longer to cook the meat and get a good sear on it. But that is on me since the book does recommend using a cast iron skillet. Mine is smaller, and I wanted to be able to cook all of the burgers at the same time vs. in shifts.

There are so many more burgers I want to experiment with, so I am glad it is summer, and it is the perfect time to do that. If you enjoy a good burger, pick this one up and find some new favorites for the family to enjoy.

We give it 5 paws up!

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

George Motz is a well-traveled Emmy Award–winning freelance filmmaker, author, and photographer. He has also been called the “foremost authority on hamburgers” by the New York Times, and “America’s biggest burger name” by Eater LA. In the spring of 2004, Motz completed Hamburger America, which was nominated in 2006 for a James Beard Award, and was recognized in 2011 by the US National Archives as an integral part of American food history. The film’s success led to a state-by-state guide to hamburgers, also titled Hamburger America: A State-by-State Guide to Great Burger Joints. And in 2016, Abrams released his first cookbook, The Great American Burger Book. Motz can be seen on his show, Burger Scholar Sessions, on Complex Media’s First We Feast, heading into its sixth season. He lives in Brooklyn.

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

After two heartbreaking losses, Luna wants adventure. Something and somewhere very different from the affluent, sheltered home in California and Hawaii where she grew up. An adventure in which she can also make some difference. She ends up in a place steeped in an ancient culture and a deadly history.

Raised by her grandmother in a Honolulu suburb, she moves to her parent’s home in California at thirteen and meets her brothers for the first time. Grandma persuades her to write a journal whenever she’s lonely or overwhelmed as a substitute for someone to whom she could reveal her intimate thoughts.

Lucien, a worldly, well-traveled young architect, finds a stranger’s journal at a café. He has qualms and pangs of guilt about reading it. But they don’t stop him. His decision to go on reading changes his life.

Months later, they meet at a bookstore where Luna works and which Lucien frequents. Fascinated by his stories and his adventurous spirit, Luna volunteers for the Peace Corps. Assigned to Cambodia, she lives with a family whose parents are survivors of the Khmer Rouge genocide forty years earlier. What she goes through in a rural rice-growing village defies anything she could have imagined. Will she leave this world unscathed?

Inspired by the healing effects of writing, this is an epistolary tale of love—between an idealistic young woman and her grandmother and between the young woman and a young architect. It’s a tale of courage, resilience of the human spirit, and the bonds that bring diverse people together.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

Prologue

 

Ov’s thin upper body is slumped over his crossed legs, his forehead resting on the platform. His brown, wiry arms lie limp, the right one extended forward, hand dangling over the edge of the platform. Dried blood is splattered on his head, and on the collar, right shoulder, and back of his old short-sleeved white shirt.

It seems fitting that he died where he used to spend most of his time when he wasn’t on the rice fields—sitting on a corner of the bamboo platform in the ceiling-high open space under the house. It’s where you get refreshing breezes most afternoons, after a long day of work.

The policeman looks down at Ov’s body as if he’s unsure what to do next. He lays down his camera and the gun in a plastic bag at one end of the platform untainted by splatters of gelled blood.

He steps closer to the body, anchors himself with one knee on top of the platform, and bends over the body. Hooking his arms underneath Ov’s shoulders and upper arms, he pulls the body up, and carefully lays it on its back. He straightens the legs.

He steps off the platform. Stands still for a few seconds to catch his breath. He turns to us and says, “It’s clear what has happened. I have all the pictures I need.”

He points to his camera, maybe to make sure we understand. We have watched him in silence, three zombies still in shock. Me, standing across the bamboo platform from him. Mae and Jorani sitting, tense and quiet, on the hammock to my left.

Is that it? Done already? I want to ask him: Will he have the body taken away for an autopsy? I suppose that’s what is routinely done everywhere in cases like this. But I don’t know enough Khmer.

As if he sensed my unspoken question, he glances at me. A quick glance that comes with a frown. He seems perplexed and chooses to ignore me.

He addresses the three of us, like a captain addressing his troop. “You can clean up.”

The lingering frown on his brow softens into sympathy. He’s gazing at Jorani, whose mournful eyes remain downcast. He looks away and turns toward Mae. Pressing his hands together, he bows to her. A deeper one than the first he gave her when she and Jorani arrived.

He utters Khmer words too many and too fast for me to understand. From the furrowed brow and the look in his eyes, I assume they are words of sympathy. He bows a third time, and turns to go back to where he placed the gun and camera. He picks them up and walks away.

For a moment or two, I stare at the figure of the policeman walking away. Then I turn to Jorani. Call him back. Don’t we have questions? I can ask and you can translate, if you prefer. But seeing her and Mae sitting as still and silent as rocks, hands on their laps, and eyes glazed as if to block out what’s in front of them, the words get trapped in my brain. Their bodies, rigid just moments before, have gone slack, as if to say: What else can anyone do? What’s done cannot be undone. All that’s left is to clean up, as the policeman said. Get on with our lives.

My gaze wanders again toward the receding figure of the policeman on the dirt road, the plastic bag with the gun dangling in his right hand. Does it really matter how Cambodian police handles Ov’s suicide? I witnessed it. I know the facts. And didn’t I read a while back how Buddhism frowns upon violations on the human body? The family might object against cutting up Ov—the way I’ve seen on TV crime shows—just to declare with certainty what caused his death.

I take in a long breath. I have done all I can and must defer to Cambodian beliefs and customs.

But I can’t let it go yet. Ov chose to end his life in a violent way and I’m curious: Do the agonies of his last moments show on his face? I steal another look.

All I could gather, from where I stand, is life has definitely gone out of every part of him. His eyes are closed and immobile. The tic on his inanimate cheeks hasn’t left a trace. The tic that many times was the only way I could tell he had feelings. Feelings he tried to control or hide. Now, his face is just an expressionless brown mask. Maybe everyone really has a spirit, a soul that rises out of the body when one dies, leaving a man-size mass of clay.

I stare at Ov’s body, lying in a darkened, dried pool of his own blood, bits of his skull and brain scattered next to his feet where his head had been. At that moment, it hits me that this would be the image of Ov I will always remember. I shudder.

My legs begin to buckle underneath me and I turn around, regretting that last look. With outstretched hands, I take a step toward the hammock. Jorani rises to grab my hands, and she helps me sit down next to Mae.

Could I ever forget? Could Mae and Jorani? Would the image of Ov in a pool of blood linger in their memories like it would in mine?

I know I could never tell my parents what happened here this afternoon. But could I tell Lucien? The terrible shock of watching someone, in whose home I found a family, fire a gun to his head? And the almost as horrifying realization—looking back—that I knew what he was going to do, but I hesitated for a few seconds to stop him.

 

 

Review

 

I’m not sure what genre to place this book in. Part of it is a romance, part family, and part is a young woman’s journey to find herself.

The book starts with a flash of the future, and from this prologue, it seems like it will be more like a suspense novel. That is not the case since Luna’s character doesn’t end up in Cambodia until very close to the end. However, it does set up an intriguing scenario that is fully revealed later.

Luna has struggled for most of her life. She grew up with her grandmother for many years, which forged a close relationship between the two. I loved how they were like two peas in a pod and seemed to understand each other better than the grandmother’s daughters. I loved the mango tree in the backyard and how it was the grandmother’s refuge. There is a lot of symbolism that could be derived from those thoughts.

Lucien had his issues as a younger man, but when he stumbles across Luna’s journal in the coffee shop, it opens up a new world for him. It isn’t that she had exotic travels or adventures, but the heartfelt words she shared touched him. He felt like he knew her before he ever met her. I enjoyed watching their friendship unfold. It takes courage to create a journal that details your life and share it with someone you have just met.

This novel is about finding yourself in this crazy world. Many struggle with discovering their place in this world, but sometimes it is easier with someone by your side walking the same path with you. I felt immersed in their lives as I read the journal entries and had a better grasp of who Luna and Lucien were as people. Everyone has their own journey and story to tell. It is all about finding the right person to share it with.

We give this book 3 1/2 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Evy Journey writes. Stories and blog posts. Novels that tend to cross genres. She’s also a wannabe artist and a flâneuse.

Evy studied psychology (M.A., University of Hawaii; Ph.D., University of Illinois). So her fiction spins tales about nuanced characters dealing with contemporary life issues and problems. She believes in love and its many faces.

Her one ungranted wish: To live in Paris where art is everywhere, and people have honed aimless roaming to an art form. She has visited and stayed a few months at a time.

 

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In the 1880s Old American West, after befriending a little girl, a legendary outlaw trains to take on a band of miscreants who don’t exactly buy into his mystique, save the little girl, and become a real hero.

Hammerin’ Hank Haywood Posey is the greatest outlaw to ever live, but every great story eventually comes to an end. The year is 1885 and an old foe challenges Hank’s title and a showdown in an innocent, small-town flare-up. However, along the way, Hank befriends a young girl who admires the outlaw way of life, he falls in love with an escort, and a quaint small town, which leaves Hank fighting for more than just himself for the first time in his life.

Theme:
It doesn’t matter how good you are, you can’t do it all alone. The greatest strength in this world is the knowledge and comfort of relying on others.

Setting:
1885 in the Old West

Main Characters:
Hank Posey: The greatest, most dangerous outlaw the west has ever seen.
Clementine: a vicious young girl with a heart of gold and a fascination for the outlaw life.
Bandit: Hank’s horse. Has a lot of personality and is the only person in the world Hank truly trusts.
Johnnie Rowan: Hank’s replacement in The Wild Ones Outlaw Gang. Johnnie is always fighting to be just like Hank, despite having none of his qualities.
Angus Earle Denver: The Grandsire of the Wild Ones Outlaw Gang. Angus killed Hank’s father back in the day and Hank has been seeking revenge ever since.
Daisy: A whore turned escort, Daisy catches feelings for Hank and the feelings are mutual. After the showdown, Daisy and Hank have plans of settling down together.

 

 

Amazon

 

Review

 

If you are like me, you have probably heard the term Spaghetti Western but really didn’t know what it meant other than it was a cheesy western film. Well, I have looked it up for you and here is the official definition/meaning:

 

“Spaghetti” Westerns are a subgenre of Westerns whose name references the circumstances and location of their filming. Generally, a Spaghetti Western is a low-budget film produced by Italian directors (hence the “spaghetti” connection) and filmed in Europe, primarily in Almería and the Tabernas Desert.

 

Who knew, right? Think The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time in the West, and Dhjango to name a few. Surprisingly, Blazing Saddles is not a spaghetti western.

I am not sure I have laughed so much reading a book in some time. All of the characters seem to be unredeemable, but they have spunk. Even the outlaw, Hank Posey, isn’t as tough as he might seem. Maybe because he is getting a little long in the tooth and isn’t quite as fierce as he used to be. Although, he does seem to kill people at random. I think most of the time it was a mistake, but who knows what was going through Hank’s head.

One character that stole the book, at least for me, is Clementine. She is a precocious child and seems to have Hank befuddled, so much that he feels that he needs to protect her, if from herself if nothing else. Of course, there is also Bandit, Hank’s horse. I think if he could talk, oh the stories he could tell.

You would think that outlaws would have a mind of their own and do whatever they want, but there does seem to be some code of honor among thieves/outlaws.

Despite the menacing outlaws, this story has a lot of heart and is a change for Hank. Perhaps he will follow a new path? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

This was quite a fun book to read with the quick wit, zany zingers, and craziness that ensues.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Steve Hanisch is a comedy screenwriter and self-published author with several film festival and screenplay competition wins from his work.

His screenplay festival awards include being the Winner of the 22nd LA Comedy Film Festival Screenplay Competition, the 6th Northeast Film Festival, Horror-Comedy Feature Screenplay Competition from the 9th International Horror Hotel, and The Green Light Award for Comedy Excellence from Die Laughing Film Festival. He also has a slew of other honorable mentions, runner-ups, finalists, semi-finalists, etc., from various film festivals over the years, on multiple scripts.

This book is based on the original screenplay of the same name, also written by Steve.

Steve lives in New Jersey with his wife, Kerry, and his loyal canine companion, Sadie.

 

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Synopsis

 

After Kenny’s wife dies suddenly, he is forced to deal with the tough challenge of raising his children alone. Adding to his struggles of being “Mr. Mom,” Kenny’s nine-year-old son now suffers from Traumatic Mutism, as brought on by the loss of his mother. It is a problem Kenny has no idea how to fix. But just when he thinks he might have the answer, he and his son cross the unlikely path of a violent drug addict.

All Vance wants to do is grow and smoke marijuana. In order for him to turn this lifestyle into his way of life, he decides to take up a partnership with a Prospect from a motorcycle club. It is a decision Vance soon regrets. And to break away from this unfortunate business arrangement, the only solution he can think of is the one thing he could never see himself doing.

Rob Boyle has a plan. He’s going to strike it rich from selling dope, and then buy his way into his motorcycle club. He’s tired of being a Prospect, and knows that with a few hundred thousand dollars in his pocket, not only will he get himself “patched in,” but will also have enough for a brand-new motorcycle. And if anyone should stand in his way, he has a plan for that as well. Murder.

 

 

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Read for Free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Review

 

This book weaves together two tales. One of a family that has suffered a major loss, and another of a man that has lost his way due to drugs and other negative influences.

While I read this book, I had no idea how these stories would intersect because they were so different. Kenny and his children are trying to figure out how to live without his wife/their mom. It may seem ok on the surface, but it goes deeper than that. His son is retreating within himself and doesn’t seem to know how to move forward. Vance and Rob are growing weed in the mountains. They both have different goals and objectives, which makes their working union a bit difficult. Can they trust one another in the end?

This story moves along at a good pace, and as I mentioned, I wasn’t sure how the stories would connect. I got my answer about 1/3 of the way into the story. I won’t ruin the surprise, but it was very obvious that things were not going to go well…or maybe that was all in my mind assuming that nothing good could come of the situation. I was right by the way, things do not end well for some of the parties.

I did feel for Kenny having to deal with everything on his own without his wife. Yet at the same time, he wasn’t stepping up to the plate to take care of his children. Yes, they were being fed and clothed and had a roof over their heads, but there was so much more that they needed. I think he just didn’t know where to start, but he also wasn’t asking for much help either.

Once the stories really started rolling is when I was drawn further into the plot. It did take a little time, probably that 1/3 of the book before I understood how it would play out. I did feel sorry for Vance, he was stuck in a situation that he didn’t want to be in with Rob. Not only did he have Rob to worry about, but there was also the biker gang that Rob was trying to join. These were not your friendly bikers either. There are some interesting situations that arise from his affiliation with the gang.

This book has some suspenseful parts that might have you looking over your shoulder. We give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

Chris Riley lives near Sacramento, California, vowing one day to move back to the Pacific Northwest. In the meantime, he teaches special education, writes awesome stories, and hides from the blasting heat for six months out of the year. He has had dozens of short stories published in various magazines and anthologies and across various genres.

 

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Synopsis

 

Why would anyone want perfection when they could have Vaani Jaishankar instead?

Aditya Khamankar was a chartered accountant who built his life on a bedrock of numbers. For no matter what happened, numbers and math never let you down. They stayed the same. And that fundamental fact defined many of his choices. He was the obedient son, the diligent student, the overachieving employee, the reliable friend. All he wanted in his life was routine and sensible discourse. All he craved in that same life was peace and quiet. And then his senior partner’s flighty daughter came home. And life as he knew it was never the same again…

Reality television villain and tabloid fodder, Vaani Jaishankar lived for the arclights. The notoriety, the glamour, the larger than life noise that came with it held her in thrall. Until the industry she loved and the people she trusted used and abandoned her. And now, she was back home. Darkening the doorstep of her childhood home, something she’d sworn she’d never do and working in her father’s accountancy firm…Could God just take her now already? And then there was her father’s business partner…

What happens when Perfection meets Flawed? Do the cracks beneath his façade show? Or is it as well hidden as the foundation of grit and ambition her shiny polish conceals?

When attraction wars with common sense and love burns a fiery rope that ties them together, Aditya and Vaani need to decide if this is enough…If they are enough for each other? For the world doesn’t believe they are and the world isn’t done with them yet…

 

 

 

Amazon * Amazon IN

 

 

Excerpt

 

The bloody suitcase’s gimpy wheel broke off and the whole thing listed to one side. With a tiny scream of frustration, Vaani righted the now muddy suitcase and straightened. She took a deep breath as she stared at the house in front of her.

Her childhood home. The home she’d grown up in, the one where she’d learned to walk, to talk, to do pretty much everything including curling her eyelashes. It looked the same, exactly the same. A bougainvillea plant bloomed along the circumference of the compound wall, the pop of colour painfully bright in her current mood of gloom and doom.

The roof tiles seemed to have been recently replaced, she thought absently as her gaze took in the brick red tiles that gave a cottagey kind of look to the otherwise cream coloured bungalow.

She stood there, her useless suitcase by her side and stared at her past. Memories of banging doors and screaming ‘I’ll never set foot in this house again’ rose up in front of her practically taking on corporeal form.

“I hate you all,” she whispered the words she’d screamed years before. It was the last thing she’d shouted at her family before she’d stormed out of the house, dragging this same suitcase with her. She’d been so sure, so confident, so stupid…

A loud car horn had her startling and her suitcase fell over again. The lid flew open from impact and the overstuffed suitcase disgorged its contents. Vaani stared in dismay as her clothes littered the driveway of her parents otherwise neat-as-a-pin compound.

It was only as her gaze tracked her hot pink bra did she realise that it was draped over a perfectly polished black shoe. The car honking at her! Oh no, her bra was dangling off her father or brother’s shoe. Kill her now. A strike of lightning maybe? But nope, the clear blue skies meant that wasn’t an option.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she looked up at the man standing in front of her. Not her father or brother. Her heart soared in relief at the realisation before sinking like a stone at the sight of his forbidding expression. Angry glower, clenched jaw, nasty scar, and dramatic frown. Yes, whoever this was, he wasn’t impressed by Vaani. All six feet plus of taut muscles and frozen disapproval. Which was a new experience for her. Vaani usually had men falling at her feet in a haze of lust, not tapping an angry foot draped in a hot pink bra at her.

“Who the hell are you and what do you think you are doing here?” the man bit out.

“Who the hell are you?” Vaani tossed back, genuinely bewildered. Had her parents sold the house or something? Even if they had, Rahul Anna would have told her. He was the only family member who still kept in touch with her. Despite being in the Navy and off on a ship most of the time. Which said a lot for her estrangement from the rest of her family.

But that wasn’t a problem for now. Her problem for now looked to be the mountain of muscles who didn’t seem to realise he was wearing her bra on his foot.

“Aditya Khamankar,” he said grimly like that was supposed to mean something to her.

“Okay then Mr. Khamankar,” Vaani replied crouching and grabbing an armful of distressed jeans. “Don’t just stand there. Help me clear up the mess you made.”

“I made??”

“Yes, you!” She stuffed clothes back in her suitcase haphazardly. She would figure out how to fit everything later. “You honked at me and broke my suitcase.”

“I honked at you because you were standing in the middle of the driveway and staring into space. But how exactly do you manage to blame me for your suitcase disaster?”

She noticed he hadn’t moved an inch as she scrambled around on the ground collecting her fashion debris.

“May I have my bra please?” she asked politely, pointing at his shoe and hoping to shame him into being a gentleman.

He glanced down at his shoe, one eyebrow slowly rising at the sight of her bra still elegantly draped over its tip.

“Stop gaping and give it to me,” she ordered, losing patience with the whole drama. She had to still deal with family drama once she entered the house. She wasn’t interested in driveway drama with random strangers.

“You look familiar,” he said slowly, as he removed the bra from his shoe and held it out to her.

Oh God. Here they went again. Honestly, Vaani was so tired of the fans and their constant requests for selfies and autographs.

“Look, now is not the time, okay?” She made a vague shooing motion with her hand. “I’ll pose for a selfie some other day. Right now, I am here for quality time with my family and don’t want to be disturbed.”

Now, both his eyebrows shot up. She reached for the bra, but he tightened his grip on it and she found herself engaged in a weird tug of war with Muscle Man for her own underwear.

“You’re Shravan Uncle’s daughter.”

Yuck. He knew her father. If that didn’t put him on her shitlist, she didn’t know what would. She pulled at her bra again, but, again, he didn’t let go. He just kept staring at her with that frown on his stupid face.

Okay. It wasn’t a stupid face. It was actually a nice face. All manly and craggy and, she was pretty certain, it was a hundred percent natural. She was sure this man had never injected his face with anything or had any other work done on it. If he had, he would have first fixed that nasty scar on the right side of his face. It extended from his temple to halfway down his cheek, jagged and slightly raised.

She wondered how he’d got it. Maybe he’d held someone else’s lingerie hostage and she’d been attached enough to it to attack him with a knife. Vaani didn’t care quite that much about hers. But, it was the principle of the thing. It was her bra after all.

“Look.” She flashed her trademark pouty smile. “I realise keeping a celebrity’s personal stuff as a souvenir is a thing and I’m sure you’d love to keep this bra for, you know, private bedroom stuff, but-“

He dropped it like it had turned into a live flame in his hand. And then, to add insult to injury, he rubbed his hand on his pant like he was trying to rid himself of the feel of her bra.

Annoyed, Vaani opened her mouth to say something biting and sarcastic, she didn’t know what, but she knew she would think of something good. And then she heard his voice.

“Vaani?”

Of course, he would be the one to find her like this.

Two years ago, when he’d told her she brought nothing but shame and embarrassment to the family and the family name, she’d stormed out of the house vowing to never return until she proved him wrong.

And here she was, standing in his driveway, with a broken suitcase, nothing to her name but the clothes stuffed into it, and a pink bra in her hand in lieu of the white flag of surrender she should actually be waving.

She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and turned to face the man who’d sired her and deserted her.

“Hi Appa. I’m home.”

 

About the Author

 

A published author with Harlequin India – Mills & Boon India Collection and Juggernaut, Shilpa Suraj’s books have hit both the Hot New Releases and Bestseller lists on Amazon. Her next novel, tentatively titled ‘Wrong,’ has been contracted by Rupa Publications and will release later this year. She is also part of the Flipped Anthology by Harper Collins and had an audiobook book Insta Reddy release with Storytel.

She is, amongst other things, currently working on ‘Frazzled and Fabulous,’ a humorous, true-to-life parenting story that is part memoir and part nonfiction.

An avid reader with a passion for creative writing and storytelling saw her participating in writing competitions at school and dabbling in copy writing for an ad agency as a teenager. Twenty years in the corporate space, including a stint in Corporate Communications for Google, India, and a spell at entrepreneurship all hold her in good stead for her multiple current roles of author, mother and Head of Human Resources & Public Relations at an architecture and interior design firm.

 

 

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The Wild Horse Peaks, the highest fictitious mountain range in Northern Arizona, is the setting for the Wild Horse Peaks Novels. At the base of the peaks is Timberline, a college town where Sheriff Chance Meadowlark resides and keeps the peace. Drive west from Timberline, and you’ll find the ranching community of Mustang Valley and the home of the Meadowlark Ranch owned by Chance’s father and brother Mason. Suspense and romance await the reader stretching from Timberline to Mustang Valley.

 

 

 

 

THE ART OF LOVE AND MURDER, BOOK 1

 

A woman searching for her past. A sheriff hiding in his present. Their future together threatened by murder.

Forty-three years after the airplane crash she survived killed her parents, Lacy Dahl is looking for answers. When her research uncovers secrets about the mother she never knew and disputes the identity of her father, someone is willing to murder to keep her discoveries hidden.

Sheriff Chance Meadowlark is still haunted by the death of his wife and the revenge he unleashed in the name of justice. When he meets Lacy, he is determined not to become involved, but their pasts make that impossiblesaving Lacy may be his only redemption.

Just as she begins to believe the present is more important than her past, Chance’s connection and a murder spin her deeper into danger and further from love. When the truth is revealed, will the revelations free Lacy and Chance…or destroy them?

 

 

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SOUTHWEST OF LOVE AND MURDER, BOOK 2

 

Writing murder mysteries is all in a day’s work until an obsessed fan brings Phoebe’s stories to life.

Mystery writer, Phoebe Anderson, owes her success to killing her first husband on paper seventeen years earlier. Now, someone has actually done it. Taking a few days to re-group on an isolated ranch, she doesn’t expect romance…or murder…to find her.

Mason Meadowlark is happy with his wild cowboy ways, avoiding love since the death of his baby and the end of his marriage twenty years before. When Phoebe shakes up his routine, he fights to control his emotions, fearing the pain of opening his heart again.

With an obsessed fan close on her heels, Phoebe is thrown into her own murder mystery…and the next target on the psychopath’s list is Mason.

 

 

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THE POWER OF LOVE AND MURDER, BOOK 3

 

 

Penny’s secrets can ruin the presidential contender who ordered her family’s murder…and mark her as the next hit.

Penny Spark’s desire to reconnect with family this Christmas exposes her true identity—a secret she’s hidden for thirteen years from the political powers that murdered her family.

Jake Winters is out of rehab and coming to grips with his demons. When he meets Penny, he believes this holiday season could be the start of life after rock star status…until her secrets blow up his world.

With a government agent turned hit man closing in on her, Penny and Jake race to expose the presidential contender who targeted her family. Even if they win the race with death, the murder that stands between them could end their hopes for a new life…and love.

 

 

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THE DEEP WELL OF LOVE AND MURDER, BOOK 4

 

 

A vengeful ex-husband and bloody fight for land threaten a love-struck couple’s happiness.

After an abusive childhood and bad marriage, Laura Katz has finally found a home, stability…and possibly love. But her blissful refuge as a nanny on the Meadowlark Ranch, miles from Flagstaff, shatters when her ex is released from prison, determined to reclaim her.

Randy Silva, the Argentine foreman, has plans for his own ranch, but a brutal land grab is underway. As the battle escalates, Laura steals his heart, but there are outsiders who stand in their way. He’s in a vicious battle for his land—and the woman he wants by his side.

Stakes are high, as the attacks on Randy and his ranch draw blood. While the vengeful ex-husband stalks Laura, a mob-backed land developer teams with a desperate gambler. Uncertain where the next attack will come from—will their love be caught in the crossfire?

 

 

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A LEGACY OF LOVE AND MURDER, A SEQUEL

 

 

Inheriting an Austrian Castle is an Alpine fairytale for August, until someone begins targeting the heirs.

August Myer arrives in Austria to meet her great-grandfather and explore his castle estate filled with priceless art, only to find he’s died under suspicious circumstances. As one of his heirs, her life is in danger, turning her Alpine adventure into a nightmare of veiled threats, unexplained accidents, and murder.

Inspector Tobias Wolf splits his time between catching criminals and fighting the spread of neo-Nazism. But when the beautiful, intriguing American crosses his path during a murder investigation, ensuring her safety challenges his priorities…and his heart.

When August learns the handsome inspector is concealing secrets, and the death of her great-grandfather is somehow connected, she takes the investigation into her own hands. Can Wolf save her before the killer strikes again?

 

 

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About the Author

 

Brenda Whiteside is the author of suspenseful, action-adventure stories with a touch of romance. Mostly. After living in six states and two countries—so far—she and her husband have decided they are gypsies at heart, splitting their time between Central Arizona and the RV life. They share their home with a rescue dog named Amigo. While FDW is fishing, Brenda writes.

 

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She blogs and has guests:

 

https://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

 

 

From the famed author of Under the Tuscan Sun , the most delicious Tuscan pasta recipes that can be made in the time it takes to b oil water and for the pasta to cook

Frances Mayes is known for transporting readers to the charming Italian countryside in her bestselling books. In Pasta Veloce , Mayes and veteran food editor Susan Wyler take us there us by sharing 100 under 30-minute pasta recipes, inspired by their time in Italy. These well-loved recipes blend traditional Italian technique with magic from the Mayes and Wyler home kitchens where experiments are always in progress.

Pasta is the most versatile food on earth. And if you do it fast! Pasta Veloce offers a multitude of under 30-minute, luscious recipes, all accompanied by Mayes’s evocative text. While there are numerous pasta cookbooks, few feature a true Italophile’s passion and eye for detail that can get a dish to the table in, as Mayes describes, “the time it takes to boil water.” From a Tagliatelle with Duck Confit, Chestnuts, and Coffee Reduction to a glittering Capellini with Golden Caviar to the perfect vodka sauce, Pasta Veloce is your guide on those nights when you’re ready to skip the whole production of it but still want to eat like royalty in a rustic Italian village.

 

 

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Review

 

This is an amazing pasta cookbook! Pasta is a dish that is easy to make inexpensively. This book includes so many wonderful dishes, and I can’t wait to try them all. There aren’t many over-the-top ingredients, and most you can find at your local store. You can swap pasta depending on what it calls for and what you have on hand, but there is usually a good reason for the specific pasta they use in the recipes. There is a wonderful pasta pantry section that includes an image of what the pasta looks like and a description. You will also find multiple pesto recipes at the end to top your favorite pasta. I have a feeling this is one I will utilize quite often, especially with men in the house that eat a lot.

I have tried two dishes so far and have comments about both on what could be done better. The first recipe I made was the Spaghetti with Filet Mignon and herbed Balsalmic Onions. This recipe calls for three red onions. That is a LOT of onion! I think I used two smaller red onions. I also used angel hair pasta since that is what I had on hand. I would not add the pasta and the reserved pasta water to the onion/sauce mixture until right before serving. The pasta absorbed more of the sauce/liquid than I would have liked. Don’t get me wrong; it was still very delicious!

 

 

The next dish I made was the Fusilli with Sausage, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Spinach, and Pine Nuts. This was also quite yummy but needed a little something extra. Perhaps some more seasonings. I also used fresh spinach vs. frozen, and I can’t remember what pasta I used, but I don’t think it was fusilli. There isn’t really a sauce per se, and I think it needed one. This is before it was dished up, so you don’t see the grated cheese we added to the top.

 

 

 

About the Authors

 

Frances Mayes is the international bestselling author of Under the Tuscan Sun and The Tuscan Sun Cookbook. The award-winning movie by the same title was based on her memoir. She is also the author of A Year in the World, Bella Tuscany, Every Day in Tuscany, Women in Sunlight, and Bringing Tuscany Home, among others. She and her husband divide their time between North Carolina and Tuscany.

Susan Wyler is a cookbook editor, the author of Cooking for a Crowd and Cooking from a Country Farmhouse, and a former food editor at Food & Wine magazine. She lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Steven Rothfeld is a photographer whose work appears in The Tuscan Sun Cookbook, Bringing Tuscany Home, and Simply French. He lives in Napa Valley, California.

 

 

Synopsis

 

Everyday War provides an accessible lens through which to understand what noncombatant civilians go through in a country at war. What goes through the mind of a mother who must send her child to school across a minefield or the men who belong to groups of volunteer body collectors? In Ukraine, such questions have been part of the daily calculus of life. Greta Uehling engages with the lives of ordinary people living in and around the armed conflict over Donbas that began in 2014 and shows how conventional understandings of war are incomplete.

In Ukraine, landscapes filled with death and destruction prompted attentiveness to human vulnerabilities and the cultivation of everyday, interpersonal peace. Uehling explores a constellation of social practices where ethics of care were in operation. People were also drawn into the conflict in an everyday form of war that included provisioning fighters with military equipment they purchased themselves, smuggling insulin, and cutting ties to former friends. Each chapter considers a different site where care can produce interpersonal peace or its antipode, everyday war.

Bridging the fields of political geography, international relations, peace and conflict studies, and anthropology, Everyday War considers where peace can be cultivated at an everyday level.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

Introduction

 

“Do you want to go to the green, yellow, or red zone?” Kyrylo bellowed enthusiastically. He was gripping the wheel of his probably mufflerless SUV and we were barreling down a superhighway outside of Kyiv, Ukraine. It was 2015, and Kyrylo lived on the other side of the country in the nongovernment-controlled part of Donetsk, but traveled to the capital city regularly to gather supplies and meet with colleagues about his humanitarian work. His color-coded levels of risk, brilliantly calibrated to the universal language of the stop light, were intended to help manage the perils of working in close proximity to military violence. For the red zone where sniper fire was common, I would need a helmet, Kevlar, and exhaustive knowledge of where to take cover at any moment. In the yellow zone where there could be heavy artillery fire, I would need to be connected to the flow of information at a granular level: knowing the forecast in the military microclimate was essential to survival. In the green zone, I might see plumes of smoke or be awakened by the grumbling of artillery fire, but there would not be life-threatening dangers, he told me. Kyrylo’s stoplight metaphor challenged my previous way of thinking about war as chaos. He showed me the side of military conflict that entails planned destruction. But the simplicity of this mental mapping stands out against another reality, which was the complexity of who was fighting whom, and why. And while it might seem surprising, people, including families with small children, lived in the red zone, vividly demonstrating that contemporary conflicts threaten life’s very ongoingness: one could be shot and killed while stepping out to buy bread.

Between 2014 and 2017 alone, the conflict over the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk extinguished well over 13,000 lives (many of which were civilian) and injured at least 24,000 people (OHCHR 2017, 1). Tens of thousands were missing and presumed dead. Over two million people had been forcibly displaced (OHCHR 2017, 1; Mukomel 2017, 105), and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated the population of humanitarian concern to be five million (OCHA 2020, 1). The scars of the conflict marked the earth itself: by 2017 Ukrainian soil had one of the highest concentrations of landmines in the world (OCHA 2020). Unless removed, these mines will shift over time and take lives and limbs for decades to come. Eight years on at this writing, and despite multiple efforts to end the conflict, peace remains elusive.

This book is less concerned with the statistics, however, than the subjective experience of military conflict. The chapters seek to expand the boundaries of what we take to be war. Contemporary military conflicts are increasingly being fought in residential areas, and the protagonists have changed. We, therefore, need to stop thinking about military conflict as something that is primarily waged between the trained soldiers of states. Theories of “new wars” and “hybrid wars” (Kaldor 2013; 2006; Hoffman 200) postulate that cyber-technologies, Jihadists, mercenaries, disinformation, election interference, and forcible population dis- placement characterize contemporary military conflicts. But these concepts still implicitly treat states as the most important actors. If today’s wars are increasingly fought in civilian areas, it is all the more imperative to study (as this book aims to do) what happens among the noncombatants who live in areas where conflict and combat occur.

 

The Conflict over Donbas and this Book

 

The military conflict began in the wake of the 2013–2014 revolution, also known as the Revolution of Dignity or the Maidan movement. The revolution initially sought to bring about greater integration with the European Union, an objective that aroused sharp controversy in the eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk, Ukraine. Protestors took to the streets and while some supported the political transition going on in Kyiv, others were against it. In March 2014, insurgents in the city of Sloviansk seized administrative buildings as well as the police station, and the first shots were fired. It was the beginning of a bloody armed conflict, sometimes called a hybrid war because of Russia’s covert intervention using multiple modalities on behalf of the insurgents. The conflict therefore had both domestic and international dimensions that are elaborated on in the next chapter.

For now, suffice it to say that Ukraine’s aspirations to be more integrated with the West, aspirations that the United States and the European Union encouraged, hardly played well in Moscow, and helped inspire the occupation of Crimea. The “success” of the Crimean operation is believed to have helped embolden President Vladimir Putin to support the anti-Maidan insurgency in eastern Ukraine. In the beginning, mercenaries paid by the Russian Federation were important ac- tors in the conflict. At the battle of Ilovaisk, that began in August 2014, Russian military forces became more identifiably involved. Owing to how weak the Ukrai- nian military was at this time, it was up to battalions of volunteer fighters, coming from all walks of life, to limit this advance. The United States also provided sup- port, including technical advice, training, and eventually the transfer of advanced military equipment like surface-to-air missile launchers. This was on top of the United States Department of State having advised the Ukrainian government to have its troops stand down when Crimea was occupied. A great deal of debate has centered on who is to blame: kto vinovat? Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the social identities, political rights, and economic livelihoods of people across this region, not to mention respect for state sovereignty more generally, are at stake.

The first half of the book takes place in government-controlled parts of Ukraine. These chapters are organized around friend, family, and romantic partner relationships to illuminate the specific ways in which war can reconfigure intimacy while intimate relationships are the site of a different, everyday kind of war. The second half of the book is focused on life in and around the Donetsk

 

 

About the Author

 

Greta Uehling’s scholarship is broadly concerned with international migration and forced displacement. Major projects have examined the experiences of refugees, asylum seekers, and the internally displaced. Her current project explores the subjective experience of military conflict and forced displacement in Ukraine. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, she documents how the military conflict reconfigured social worlds that became the site of a different, everyday kind of war.

Prior to teaching in the Program on International and Comparatives Studies, Uehling consulted with a number of international organizations including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Watson Institute at Brown University.

Uehling holds a PhD in cultural anthropology from the University of Michigan. In 2004, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship with the Solomon Asch Center for the Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict at the University of Pennsylvania. Her first book is Beyond Memory: The Deportation and Repatriation of the Crimean Tatars. Her newest book is Everyday War: The Conflict over Donbas, Ukraine. She is also the author of numerous scholarly articles and the editor of two edited volumes.

 

 

Synopsis

 

The story takes place in Auris, a world of storms and chaos where seven violent Tempests rule the land, wreaking havoc across the continent. This first book in the series follows three heroes who walk the threads of fate, weaving an epic tale of magic, war, love, and loss. Together these individuals will forever change Auris’ future. Empires will shatter and Tempests will be Unbound, but destiny will prevail as the protagonists face their fated ends.

Castien Varic is a soldier and a Stormless – someone without magic – on an expedition for the King. He battles with intense anxiety and panic attacks while striving to complete his mission. Prince Faelyn Titansworn disagrees with his father, the King, about the dangers Auris is facing and must decide where his loyalty lies. Meanwhile, two years in the past, Asteros Silverglade is uncovering secrets behind the mysterious Vanishing that wiped out the Ancient Sects and created the Tempests. The paths of the three protagonists converge in an exciting cliffhanger, setting the stage for the next book in the series.

More than one character in Stormless struggles with mental health issues, and Stitle does not shy away from the subjects of depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. He hopes his readers can see themselves in his characters and realize they are not alone. Stitle’s heroes are not perfect, implausible personalities but complex, flawed individuals.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

“You come into my kingdom, into my castle, and now you command me to hand over my city?” The King chuckled. “You must be mad!” The King slapped his knee, still bellowing with laughter. He raised his eyes back to Velarus. “But if that is the game you wish to play…” Flames drifted from the King’s crystals, swirling around his hands as he wove them together. “Well, we have a special place in the dungeons for your kind.” The fires licked the King’s fingertips. “I will not give up my armies. And I certainly will not surrender my country to you.” The King guided his hands through careful, well-practiced motions, and Velarus soon found himself surrounded by brilliant tendrils of flame. “Besides, even if you were a Blood Sorcerer–as you claim to be–my answer would be the same.” Swaths of golden flames surrounded the King, giving him an almost divine aura. “I have always thought the powers of your kind were a bit… exaggerated.”

Velarus smiled, subtly bleeding his Crystals. This would be a display that the King would not soon forget.

“Exaggerated?” Velarus snorted. “Well, we’ll see about that.”

The King lunged.

Velarus closed his eyes, diving into the depths of his soul. His power awaited him, begging to be unleashed. Velarus grabbed hold of it, and then the blood came.

The King’s flames vanished as the room exploded with black-red energy.

Torrents of blood flooded the chamber, scattering the contents of the throne room. Darkness surged within the air, warping the blood and causing it to levitate. The terrible power thrived, rivers of blood and darkness ravaging the chamber.

Velarus knocked the guards to the ground with nothing more than a thought. The hell-storm raged, knocking down braziers, tearing apart the soft carpet, and wreaking havoc on even the pillars themselves. Dark energy smashed into the walls, causing the whole palace to quiver.

The cyclone of blood magic quickened, growing stronger with each passing second. Velarus smiled. With a wave of his hand, the frenzy of horror receded slightly before him, leaving in its place a single person…

The King writhed on the marble floor before Velarus, his vermillion robes flapping in the raging storm of blood magic. Velarus approached him, forcing the King to his knees with a twist of his finger.

“You are nothing,” Velarus whispered, his face mere inches from the King’s. “You will always be nothing. You cannot even imagine the power my people hold.”

“Please.” The King wept, trembling beneath the spikes of pain Velarus pulsed through his body. “Why are you doing this?”

Velarus paused. “Auris is in danger, and it seems I am the only one who can save it. You and your people have made it clear that you only respond to force,” he breathed. “We are your last hope. Even your most powerful Summoners don’t stand a chance in the face of the Resurgence.” Velarus released him. The cascades of blood and darkness vanished in an instant, fading into nothing.

The King fell to the floor. He was mostly unharmed—as were the guards—but Velarus had no doubts that this would be a day they would never forget.

“You have six weeks,” Velarus said. “Surrender the city by then… or suffer the consequences.”

The King offered no response.

Velarus turned, gliding toward the doors through which he had entered. As Velarus passed through the entrance, the only sound in the enormous chamber was the gentle crackling of the flames, a reminder to the King that, even surrounded by the very element which he controlled, he was powerless.

 

 

About the Author

 

Injuries forced Nicklas Stitle to stop playing tennis after his freshman year of high school, and he realized that was an opportunity to begin working on the story he had been carefully putting together in his head. Stitle began writing Stormless at the age of 15 and woke up early every day to work on the story before school, creating a new fantasy world and crafting characters he could relate to. Incorporating valuable advice from industry experts wanting to help a young author, Stitle completed Stormless at the age of 17.

Stitle has nearly finished book two, The Fire King, and is currently planning books three and four in the series. He hopes to inspire other young writers to chase after their dreams. Stitle lives in Indiana with his mom, dad, older brother, and two dogs.

 

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