Postcards from Lonnie

How I Rediscovered My Brother on the

Street Corner He Called Home

 

 

by

Lisa Johnson

 

 

Biography / Photo Journal / Poverty

Publisher: Rand-Smith LLC

Date of Publication: January 14, 2020

Number of Pages: 200

 

 

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It all started on Christmas Day 1993. Lisa and Lonnie were sitting on their mom’s rickety yard swing, when Lisa’s curiosity took over. She asked Lonnie questions about his life on the street, about being homeless. To her surprise, he answered honestly, humorously, and thoughtfully.

That conversation continued throughout the next four years as Lisa wrote questions on postcards addressed to herself, then mailed them in packets to Lonnie at the flower shop on his corner. He wrote his answers and mailed them back. Lonnie answered a lot of questions and even asked a few, too. His detailed, matter-of-fact responses gave Lisa an unfettered view of a population living on the fringes of society and the issues they face every day.

Postcards from Lonnie is a dialogue between Lonnie, who speaks through the postcards, and his sister, who not only learns a lot about her brother but also about herself. Intimate and revealing, this is a unique family memoir and a universal story of love, respect, family, and ultimately hope.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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About 3 years ago, I watched a documentary called Signs of Humanity that addressed the homelessness situation across the country.  It really opened my eyes to those that are homeless and their situation.  No two people are the same and their reasons for living on the streets vary.  This book shines a light on one man’s story and how living on the street impacted him and his family.

Lonnie’s story could be the story for many of those that are homeless.  He had a family – parents, a sister – many that loved him.  But through various circumstances, he found himself living on the street.  But this is a life he chose and he made it work.  He still had a relationship with his family and once a year would visit them.  This was when Lisa had the brainstorm to work with Lonnie to tell his story through postcards.  She would pose questions to him and he would answer them and that became the framework to share his life with us.

There are 94 postcards in all and the answers and comments from Lonnie range from the simple to complex.  He even drew pictures on some of the cards.  I appreciated that the postcards were included in the book because it really put his story into perspective and gave me an insight into Lonnie’s mind.  The one thing that never wavered was Lonnie’s faith in a higher power and doing what was right to protect children and those that were weaker around him.  Lonnie may have been living on the street, but he never shunned his family or lost touch with them, even if that communication was sporadic.  Lisa recounts various stories from their childhood until his passing of the good times they had together.  Not everything was great and there were some dark days for Lonnie, but he persevered throughout it all.  I would challenge anyone reading this book to think about the question that is posed to Lonnie and how you might answer the question yourself.  Would you be as selfless, open, and caring as Lonnie?

It is easy to become jaded in this world when we see people on the street begging for money since some are not in need and are just out for an easy buck.  But those that are truly homeless might just have an interesting tale to tell as I discovered in this book.  And it wasn’t just Lonnie’s story, but Lisa’s as well.  Her journey through life wasn’t easy but the thought to work with Lonnie to understand his story was genius.  I’m sure she is glad that she went through this effort over the four-year timeframe and that she learned much about Lonnie, his life, and his thoughts on life.  They say we should ask our parents for the family history before they pass away and that is just what Lisa did with her brother.  Now his life is here for us to understand and appreciate.

This book might open your eyes to those around you and that maybe there is more to the story than you could even imagine.

This book touched my heart in various ways and I am sure it will touch your heart too.

We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lisa Johnson was born in Middletown, Ohio, at Middletown Hospital, where her brother, Lonnie, was born almost five years earlier. Two years after Lisa was born, they settled in Houston, Texas. In a couple more years, they moved to Baltimore, Maryland. Before Lisa started elementary school, they moved again, to Atlanta, Georgia. Lonnie was in fifth grade and was starting to misbehave in his classroom, not “applying himself.” A new first-grader, Lisa applied herself big time, and, once she got a taste of the praise and affirmation that came with high grades, she was hooked for life.

 

By the time Lisa was in junior high, they had moved again, to Topeka, Kansas, and as she started high school, they moved back to Houston.

 

Lisa went to college, Lonnie got married. Lisa got married, Lonnie’s daughter was born. Lonnie got divorced, Lisa got divorced. Lonnie’s daughter drowned in the bathtub. Lisa graduated from college, went to graduate school (where she got a good taste of misbehavior but lived through it). Lisa moved to Houston to mooch off their parents for a year or so. Lonnie remarried. Lisa moved to New York to teach at Queens College, CUNY, but soon found her dream job as a copywriter in a large New York ad agency.

 

Lonnie got divorced and disappeared onto the streets of Houston. Lisa moved to Atlanta. Their dad died. One Christmas Day, Lonnie and Lisa dreamed up an idea for a book. She started sending Lonnie questions on postcards, and he answered every one.

 

Lisa quit the advertising business to go to seminary — loved seminary, hated being a church-based chief executive officer. She returned to Houston, where their mom still lived. Lonnie died. Lisa found a job writing corporate stuff for a large oil-related company.

 

Then Lisa finished the book she and her brother had dreamed up: Postcards from Lonnie: How I Rediscovered My Brother on the Street Corner He Called Home.

 

 

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Signed copy of Postcards from Lonnie 

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Check out the other blogs on this tour

 

3/19/20	Scrapbook	That’s What She’s Reading
3/19/20	Notable Quotable	Texas Book Lover
3/20/20	Review	The Clueless Gent
3/21/20	Review	Book Fidelity
3/22/20	Excerpt	Forgotten Winds
3/23/20	Review	Rainy Days with Amanda
3/24/20	Author Interview	All the Ups and Downs
3/25/20	Review	Hall Ways Blog
3/26/20	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
3/27/20	Top Ten	Chapter Break Book Blog
3/28/20	Review	Reading by Moonlight

 

 

 

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Synopsis

 

The meddling moms of Forest River live for a good scandal. Speculation surrounding Claire Conroy’s sex life has fueled the rumor mill for years. Now, when Claire returns home from a trip to Italy separated from her husband of thirteen years, the imaginations of the Lululemon-clad ladies who lunch spins into overdrive. As the gossipmongers create their own scandalous backstory for the separation, blaming Claire’s infidelity, she learns the hard way just how mean mommies can be.

Eager to begin her new life as a single mom of three Claire puts her trust in Jackie Martin, the president of the PTA, to help tell her truth and free her of the false accusations and scandal. But the plan backfires, and Claire is put further into the spotlight when an embarrassed mom declares war.

As Claire dusts off her resume, fights the daily urge not to strangle her ex-husband and his new girlfriend, and dips her toes into the dating world one dud at a time will she find the happiness she craves or succumb to the pressure of the mean girls?

 

 

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The first book in this series, Go On, Girl is free from 3/23-3/27/20.  Grab your copy now.

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You can pre-order book 3, Mom Boss for just $1.99

 

Review

 

The Forest River PTA moms are at it again!

When I first started reading this book I was confused because it felt like I had already read this book.  What I didn’t realize is that this series covers the same time period but from a different perspective compared to Go On, Girl.  Once I had that in my mind, I was off to the races.

Claire is the focus of this book and she takes such a beating on her personal life.  Her husband has left her, the moms think she is having an affair, and then let’s not even talk about those blind dates!  But that is ok because she got them back with almost no effort in a situation or two.  She keeps her cool and sense of humor throughout the book, even when dealing with her soon to be ex-husband, Kevin.  He is worthless and a slimeball and deserves nothing for his actions.

While most of the moms ban together, there is one that is out to sabotage everyone.  That is Donna.  I’m not sure what her issue is but she slanders everyone and slings so much mud.  Let’s just say she gets her comeuppance several times in the book.  Jackie can be a tough nut to crack, but if she is on your side then you shouldn’t want for much.  I can’t wait to read her story in Mom Boss.

This is a fun read and it will leave you shaking your head wondering how people can act this way and get away with it most of the time.

We give this book 4 paws up and if you pick this book up, make sure to read the first book to see the various situations from another angle.

 

 

 

 

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 dodge ball – 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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Die Die Blackbird (A Piney Woods Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Publisher: Camel Press (January 14, 2020)
Paperback: 210 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Nora Alexander is finding her job exciting as she welcomes paranormal investigators Jack and Daisy Foley to the Tunie Hotel. They are trying to contact the ghost of Sam Houston not only for their internet production but because it is reported there is a stash of Santa Anna’s gold hidden somewhere. They are operating on the theory that Sam Houston visited a lady of the evening in Piney Woods and locate Red Ruth Inn where a parking lot now stands. Not only do these two stir the spirit world, but they also bother some of the town’s most established citizens including the town’s quilting group who doesn’t appreciate their overtaking of the hotel with ghost hunting equipment.

When a townsperson is murdered with suspected ties to the local gang, The Alamo Runners, Nora finds herself wanting to protect his wife and daughter all the while getting cryptic messages from beyond. Jack and Daisy aren’t the only ones with a connection to the other side.

 

 

 

Review

I do love East Texas especially the small towns that are a character all their own.

Nora has a lot on her plate and now she has to deal with ghost hunters taking over her hotel while in search of Sam Houston’s gold.  On top of that, her employee, Dominic, decides to make decisions on his own regarding these guests.  Needless to say, that doesn’t go over well, as it shouldn’t!  She also has the cranky fabric store owner, Grace, and the rest of the ladies in the quilting group.  They are quite the motley crew.

In this book, several characters end up dead and it is a mystery how they might be tied together and why they were killed.  The answer might surprise you as there are many possibilities but only one answer that surprised me when revealed.

I love the romance between Nora and Tuck continues and the twist at the end was a surprise.  Now I’m wondering what will happen in the next book.

I do wish there was a little more involving the ghosts or potential ghosts.  I really think that could have been expanded upon and hope it is in future books.  After all, Nora has seen Mr. Tunie and it could be quite a story with more ghosts making an appearance.

Overall, we enjoyed this story and give it 4 paws up.

 

About the Author

Teresa Trent writes cozy mysteries that take place in small towns in Texas. The Piney Woods Series came to be because her older brother worked in the hotel industry for over twenty years and would relate all the things and people he had experienced. Because Teresa loves history and a little bit of the paranormal, the Tunie Hotel was born! Teresa is also the author of the Pecan Bayou Cozy Mystery Series.

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Time With Norma Jeane: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas

Publisher:  Broadback (January 13, 2020)

Category: Time Travel, Historical Fiction, Time Slip, Women’s Fiction

 

 

Synopsis

 

A young woman is hurled back to 1954 to spend a week with Marilyn Monroe.  Together, they embark on their own personal journeys — one a coming-of-age — the other, Marilyn’s journey, a struggle to reconcile with her past and perhaps change the future.

 

 

 

 

Praise

 

 

“A delightful and enthralling read! Elyse Douglas captured magic and put it on the page.”—Ambling Bookworm Reviews

“This is just an astonishing read that will have you hooked on page one and won’t let go till the last. I read it all in one sitting and could not put it down.”—Donadee’s Corner Reviews

 

Review

There is something about time travel novels that I really enjoy.  Maybe it is the characters in another time period and adapting, maybe it is the intertwining of past and present, or maybe it is learning something new about either a person or place.

I have read several other books by this duo and have always enjoyed the research, settings, and characters.  This book is no different but with a twist.  Because it is based on Marilyn Monroe’s life for this week or two in 1954, it made me think about who she was as a person, what her life might have been like, and what it could have been had it not ended so soon.  I appreciated the work the authors put forth in portraying her life and the struggles she faced as a celebrity.

Darla was an outstanding protagonist.  She was dealing with some of her own issues and is a huge fan of Marilyn’s, yet nothing she does is able to change time or history.  I think she learned a bit about herself as well and that maybe life wasn’t so bad in 1998.  Her relationship with her Dad may have been trying, but he still loved her and wanted nothing but the best for her.

I really enjoyed the ending…I won’t say much so as not to spoil the book, but there are several revelations that were intriguing.

If you enjoy time travel novels, this is a novel you will want to pick up soon.

We give this 4 paws up.

 

 

 

About the Author

Elyse Douglas is the pen name for the husband and wife writing team of Elyse Parmentier and Douglas Pennington. Elyse began writing poems and short stories at an early age and graduated with a degree in English Literature. Douglas began writing novels in college while studying music at the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music.  He traveled the world as a professional pianist for many years.  He has also worked as a copywriter and corporate manager.

Some of Elyse Douglas’ novels include: The Christmas Eve Letter (A Time Travel Novel), Christmas for Juliet, The Summer Letters, The Christmas Diary, The Summer Diary, and The Lost Mata Hari Ring. They live in New York City.

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Giveaway

This giveaway is for the winner’s choice of print or ebook however, print is open to Canada and the U.S. only and ebook is available worldwide.

There will be 3 winners.

This giveaway ends April 22, 2020, midnight pacific time.

Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

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Synopsis

 

In 1916 1st Lieutenant Robert Lovett is a patient at Coldbrook Hall military hospital in Sussex, England. A gifted artist, he’s been wounded fighting in the Great War. Shell shocked and suffering from hysterical blindness he can no longer see his own face, let alone paint, and life seems increasingly hopeless.

A century later in 2017, medical student Louisa Casson has just lost her beloved grandmother – her only family. Heartbroken, she drowns her sorrows in alcohol on the South Downs cliffs – only to fall accidentally part-way down. Doctors fear she may have attempted suicide, and Louisa finds herself involuntarily admitted to Coldbrook Hall – now a psychiatric hospital, an unfriendly and chaotic place.

Then one day, while secretly exploring the old Victorian hospital’s ruined, abandoned wing, Louisa hears a voice calling for help, and stumbles across a dark, old-fashioned hospital room. Inside, lying on the floor, is a mysterious, sightless young man, who tells her he was hurt at the Battle of the Somme, a WW1 battle a century ago. And that his name is Lieutenant Robert Lovett…

Two people, two battles: one against the invading Germans on the battlefields of 1916 France, the other against a substandard, uncaring mental health facility in modern-day England. Two journeys begun a century apart, but somehow destined to coincide – and become one desperate struggle to be together.

For fans of Diana Gabaldon, Amy Harmon, Beatriz Williams, Kate Quinn, Kristin Hannah, Kate Morton, Susanna Kearsley and Paullina Simons.

*NB This novel contains graphic descriptions of war violence and injuries, as well as profanity and mild sex.

 

 

 

Available to read on Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Review

This book is for fans of historical fiction, time travel/timeslip, and romance.

Louisa lives in the present, 2017 to be exact.  Life has been hard and she has just lost her grandmother and ends up in a psychiatric hospital by mistake due to the ineffective doctors.  Robert lives in 1915 and is an artist but has a strong sense of duty to his country and serves in the military.  By some weird fluke, Louisa ends up back in 1915-16 and meets Robert who is recovering from some injuries.  What neither expects is to find the love of their life but only one knows what separates them….time.

For most of this book, I was more interested in Louisa’s story.  The disbelief that someone in this time period could be stuck in a psychiatric hospital and basically ignores her explanations of what happened is shocking.  And the hospital that she is in is like something from the 1950s.  There are a bunch of extreme cases, the nurses don’t seem to care, and the doctors must be filling some sort of quota and appear to only care about prescribing drugs that may be ineffective for the patient.  It helps Louisa that she was previously in med school before her grandmother died.  On the flip side, one would think that studying medicine and working on cadavers would toughen a person up so that when having to work on live patients it is no big deal.  Of course, it is very different to work on someone that is alive versus dead.  But Louisa has moxie and is able to adapt to the past easier than some.

Robert is tough but has a sensitive side.  His injuries hold him back but meeting Louisa reshapes his thought process and allows him to heal.  Reading the details of the various battles and POW camps can be a tough read if you are remotely squeamish.  But it gave me a better understanding of the war and what soldiers endured for freedom.

I’m not 100% sure how Louisa managed to go between the two time periods.  I understand time travel but most of the books in this genre don’t have a character going back and forth in time.  But it was intriguing to see how the author wove this into the story to keep the reader engaged.

The romance/love story between Robert and Louisa is one that stood the test of time.  I enjoyed watching their relationship progress and while it wasn’t always easy, they made it work.

This book was very enjoyable and I had a hard time putting it down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next for Robert and Louisa.

We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

High Wood, mid-July 1916

 

It was beautiful; so unexpectedly and profoundly perfect that he felt his heart might break. Robert looked out over the cornfield at High Wood, tears spilling down his cheeks, surprised he still had the ability to cry. Perhaps there was something in him that was still human after all. A little way behind stood Private Nesbitt, his signaller. The two of them had come out in advance to assess the lie of the land.

The breeze brushed softly through the ripening ears of corn, as if for the simple pleasure of feeling them part. And the corn, in turn, seemed to shiver with pleasure at its touch. There was scarcely a shell hole to be seen. Nearby, a song thrush spilled its joyous tune. It was warm, the sky mostly overcast, but every now and then a shaft of sunlight broke through and gilded the landscape and heated the back of his neck. Only the distant boom of the guns gave away the fact they were still at the front.

He closed his eyes, drank in the silence. He could almost be back at home in the fields of his boyhood, tramping through the thigh-high buttercups with a jam jar, catching beetles and pretending not to hear Cook at the bottom of the garden calling him back in for lunch. He could scarcely believe he’d ever been that boy. That time increasingly seemed like a fantasy dreamt up by someone else.

It was just two weeks since the great offensive had kicked off, but he felt he’d aged a lifetime. His battalion had been sent further down the line, south of the Albert to Bapaume road, where the attack had been a bit more successful on the first of July. There, the British had not only taken a little ground but held it – albeit at great cost. Now Sir Douglas Haig wanted to exploit the gains. Things had gone well so far that morning. Instead of a long preliminary bombardment proclaiming loudly to all and sundry the fact that the British were coming, there’d been a short, lightning bombardment. Under cover of darkness, they’d been able to take the Germans by surprise and turf them out of three miles of their own second line. Luck had, for once, been on their side. Now they must press their advantage and advance further. There were no two ways about it. This time they simply had to succeed.

‘Here.’ Robert tossed back a packet of Woodbines. He always kept some. They calmed the men’s nerves in a tight spot. He lit himself a Turkish cigarette, then threw back the matches. Normally, he’d have struck the match for the man himself, but his hands were very unsteady.

‘Sit down, Nesbitt,’ Robert said, wiping the dust from his eyes. ‘I think we’ve earned a breather, don’t you?’

Nesbitt was a Kitchener’s Army volunteer. He was twenty-one and had worked in a greengrocer’s shop in Kent. He kept making involuntary frowning movements and his breath came quick and rough, like a saw rasping through wood.

‘Not long now and we’ll be in billets behind the line,’ said Robert, trying to sound reassuring. ‘You did well this morning, Nesbitt. The whole company did splendidly.’

‘Thank you, sir.’ Nesbitt looked up at him like a child, frightened but trusting. Best to keep him close by, Robert thought, or he might simply disappear off into the woods. He’d be far from the first to lose his nerve and desert, and several had been shot for it.

But Robert could understand the lure of escape. These new men were all civilians, just like he’d once been – farmhands, miners, postmen, chandlers. They’d come to France fired up by vague and noble ideas of ‘doing their bit’, hoping for adventure and a hero’s welcome back home to boot – only to find themselves tossed like dry sticks into the scorching furnace of the Somme. How many of those he’d taken over the top on that appalling first day now lay dead, their bodies filling out the bloated stomachs of the rats and flies of Picardy?

‘Have you anyone waiting for you at home, Private?’ Robert asked. ‘Anyone special?’

‘Just my mum and sister, sir.’

Robert knew that already, of course, from censoring the man’s letters. ‘Dearest Mother, dearest Ruby, all is well with me,’ Nesbitt would always begin. He wasn’t the sort to complain about his lot; few of them were. ‘We’re in a nice, quiet sector here, so you’re not to worry . . . ’

Robert nodded. ‘Well, I dare say there’ll be a letter or two waiting for you when the post arrives.’

‘Yes, sir.’

He trained his field glasses on High Wood. How wonderful it was to see trees again: tall and glorious as nature had made them, unmarked by war, the wind sifting through their leaves – not mutilated stumps, eerie forests of stark telegraph poles. And here there was no hideous background drone of billions of flies feasting on the bloated black flesh of the fallen, reheated every morning by the sun.

There wasn’t the least sign of activity. Had the Germans been driven out? He hardly dared to hope so. But if so then finally, finally they might be on the verge of the breakthrough that had eluded them. If they could take High Wood, they could cut through the German lines, and the advantage, for the first time, would be theirs. The Big Push and all the unspeakable bloody shambles of the last two weeks wouldn’t have been all for nothing.

‘We’ll go on a bit further and take a look,’ he said.

Nesbitt got to his feet.

‘Stay low,’ Robert ordered, feeling for his gun.

 

 

About the Author

 

Catherine Taylor was born and grew up on the island of Guernsey in the British Channel Islands. She is a former journalist, most recently for Dow Jones News and The Wall Street Journal in London. Beyond The Moon is her first novel. She lives in Ealing, London with her husband and two children.

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Blueberry Cobbler Blackmail (The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
3rd In Series
Publisher: MYS ED LLC; 1 edition (February 28, 2020)
Print Length ~140 Pages

 

Synopsis

 

Welcome to Leaven—oh wait—Santo Domingo, where DEATH takes a DELICIOUS turn!

Family bombshells, sibling rivalries, blackmail, and a trip that could be deadly…and the new year has only just begun! After a disastrous Thanksgiving, Jolie Tucker is beside herself and feeling the walls closing in around her. She feels like she needs to escape Leavensport before she loses her mind. She unexpectedly gets her wish when her best friend and co-owner of Cast Iron Creations, Ava Martinez, gets a terrifying email revealing that her papa, Thiago, is in danger in Santo Domingo. The girls are off on a dangerous adventure in new territory. Will they be able to save the day before danger finds them?

 

 

 

Review

Another fun installment into this series.  This book finds Jolie and Ava in Santa Domingo helping Ava’s family deal with blackmail.  I enjoyed learning more about the country and feel like the author did a great job researching the details to include in her book.

Jolie is still a hot mess and Ava has a hard time letting others help her when the chips are down.  But they manage to solve the mystery and learn some new things about themselves in the process.  The mystery is woven throughout the book and just when you think you have something figured out, the author throws a twist and you have to rethink everything again.

I have to say there is one part where Jolie stands up to her family because let’s face it, they are a helicopter family which would drive me crazy!  I’m not sure how that is going to play out in future books but only time will tell.  I also wonder if Jolie is going to give Meiser a second chance after what she learned about him in the last book.  I think they could be good together but both have their own baggage to deal with before they can really move forward in a relationship.

We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

About the Author

Moving into her second decade of working in education, Jodi Rath has decided to begin a life of crime in her The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series. Her passion for both mysteries and education led her to combine the two to create her business MYS ED, where she splits her time between working as an adjunct for Ohio teachers and creating mischief in her fictional writing. She currently resides in a small, cozy village in Ohio with her husband and her seven cats.

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Title: BURIED IN MY PAST

Author: Eva Mackenzie

Publisher: Craven Ink Press

Pages: 398

Genre: Domestic/Romantic Suspense

 

Synopsis

 

She’s desperate to stop the panic attacks. But the truth won’t set her free…

Jamie Kendal sees life through the bottom of a bottle. After surviving assault and betrayal, she is forced back to her hometown to care for her mother. Not long after her return, she’s plagued by terrifying slivers of memories from the night her twin brother disappeared forever…

Unearthing new evidence, she’s shocked to learn she’d been found wandering in the woods that same night—covered in blood. More than one person from her past hid the haunting truth that’s bubbling to the surface. The deeper she digs into the horrors from her past, the more she fears almost anyone could be a killer, including Jamie herself.

Can Jamie expose what happened that night, or will she join her missing brother?

 

 

 

Review

 

Lately, I have really started enjoying psychological thrillers.  There is something about getting into your mind and many times, I wonder how or why people do the things that they do that are “out of the norm” or what I would consider normal.

Jamie had a traumatic event in her youth and her mind blocked it out.  However, her mind must have decided that now was the time for things to be revealed as to what happened that summer at camp when her brother was killed.  The book is told from multiple POV, and while it was quite a few voices, I felt like the story flowed well and I didn’t have trouble keeping up.

As more details were revealed and characters introduced (after Jamie went back to her hometown), I kept wondering who was involved.  I incorrectly guessed one character, despite the slimy feeling I felt from this character.  I was very surprised when the truth was finally revealed and how it played out.  I never would have guessed who was involved and why.

This is an author to watch in m book.  She weaves a tale that kept me spellbound, wanting more.  We give this 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

Taylor

 

“Hello, my name is Taylor, and I’m a sex addict.” He looked around the room at a few familiar faces. He’d never told his story to them, but he always liked to introduce himself to the group. Of course, Taylor wasn’t his real name. And perhaps his burden was not exactly sex addiction, but it was in that vein.

“Hello, Taylor.” The group welcomed him.

He quickly took his seat and cast his eyes to the ground.

There was a big group tonight at Sex Addicts Anonymous. The dusty space occupied the third floor of the public library, rented to them every Tuesday night.

Marcie, or so she claimed to be, stood up and moved to the front of the group.

She always liked to share all the gory details of her sex addiction. Taylor secretly wondered if she was getting off telling the group about her promiscuity. Too willing, if you asked him.

He glanced around at the men and women captivated by Marcie’s passionate relapse. He imagined some were fathers and mothers. Some were possibly divorced or in open relationships. Heterosexuals, homosexuals, and anything in between. All looked like average people.

Marcie was maybe a four on a scale of one to ten, so he barely raised his head as she continued.

This was his fifteenth meeting, and every time he walked through those doors, he wondered what he was doing here. Of course, he had a problem, but he wasn’t interested in fixing it. Maybe problem wasn’t the proper classification.

Was his issue a lack of moral character? If so, who was the judge? Society? That was a joke. No one on this earth was free from lust.

All of these people were suffering. Not him. He lived the dream. But on most Tuesday nights he found the time to drive two and half hours to this meeting. He didn’t ask himself why—he knew why—and the anticipation offered a giddy sensation that nudged his crotch. He was a bastard, for sure.

There was no one in this room he was interested in. Hell, who wanted cheap thrills. He was looking for a ten.

He wasn’t a handsome man, although he wasn’t ugly either. Some might say his nose was a bit too sharp or his hair too thin. His features weren’t coveted, and he wasn’t charming or even funny. But he only had sex with women who were nines, at minimum; it was sort of a rule he had.

The group around him broke into applause as Marcie took her seat. She didn’t give him a come-hither glance. Her eyes were glued to the other man she sat next to. As he stood up to introduce himself, Marcie rested a friendly hand on his arm—encouragement. Right. 

He would be Marcie’s next relapse.

It was too easy. Like shooting fish in a barrel.

Not him—he wanted a real lay.

He stood and removed a cigarette from his coat pocket and headed for the door, his movement swift. He had forgotten the time.

Once out on the street, he was greeted by a blast of hot air. The pavement had soaked up the sun and continued to heat the city at night. He lit his smoke and waited while keeping his eyes on the steady stream of people moving down the sidewalk. The working crowd hustled along in and out of Virginia’s metro station in Arlington.

A woman in her early thirties hustled past him. Her Clinique perfume teased his nose as he closed the space quietly. Her feet slid into two-inch heels revealing that sexy muscle on the sides of her calves. She wore a business suit fitting her well in all the right places. Her smooth, pale skin flashed in the intermittent streetlights. She was a ten.

He dropped his smoke, not missing a step as she chose her watering hole.

A pub for working adults and cliques. High-end place. He knew before she even went inside that she would take a seat at the bar.

She graciously held the door for him without a backward glance.

Inside he took a seat at a table with a full view of the restaurant; Virginia didn’t have bars—they had places that serve fried food to patrons consuming large amounts of alcohol. The place was packed, noise assaulting his senses. Just the way he liked it. Much of the same crowd was here last week. He watched Ten take her seat, order her drink, and immediately pull out her cell phone.

“What can I get you?” a waitress asked.

“Gin and tonic and a margarita for my girlfriend.” He patted the table beside him as he nodded to the bathroom. She scurried off without another word.

He watched as a large group of men entered the bar. One of them spotted Ten and boldly joined her.

“Fifteen seventy,” the waitress said as she placed the two drinks in front of him a few minutes later. Opening his wallet, he counted out eighteen dollars and handed the money to her. He imagined the police asking her a list of questions. “What did he look like? How tall was he? Did he have any tattoos?” She would remember none of these things, the tip not large enough or small enough to trigger any memories.

He sipped his drink and watched.

He knew his number ten would be stood up this evening. Her profile picture online, to his delight, was an accurate depiction. In the dim bar light, her skin was as creamy and flawless as he recalled. She scanned her phone once again, her mannerisms jerky. She was looking for a man that didn’t exist. At least he didn’t live in Arlington, Virginia.

Best to travel in groups. There are a lot of assholes out there, Julie.

He pulled a small bottle from his pocket. A clear liquid inside promised adventure as he poured it into his second drink. Number ten was still at the bar, an unhappy pout dressing her full lips. The bold admirer continued a conversation with her. Perfect.

He slunk to the bar and pulled up next to her, careful not to gain her attention yet as she faced away from him. Bodies pressed in all directions. Her margarita sat barely touched in front of her.

“Can I get another gin and tonic?” He held up his empty glass. He scanned faces quickly but discreetly.

Placing his margarita next to hers, he gently tapped her on the shoulder as the bartender turned for his refill.

“This is mine, right?” he asked, pointing to her drink. She looked dazed for a second as she glanced at the two glasses. She nodded absently as he took her drink and left his cocktail instead. After paying the bartender, he went back to his table.

He watched as she drank the whole glass. Shadows danced over his face as he looked at his watch; it had been twenty minutes. Almost time.

Her movements were becoming loose as she swayed gently on the stool. Her admirer smiled at her dolefully as she seemed to lose her inhibition. Her current company mouthed, “I’ll be right back,” and took off toward the restroom. Time to make his move.

“There you are!” he said as he approached her. She looked over at him, glassy warm brown eyes accompanying a silky smile. He didn’t have much time.

“I’m sorry I’m late. Traffic was a mess.” He put his arm around her and kissed her softly on the lips. She didn’t object.

“Let’s go, sweetheart.” He was already moving toward the door.

No, I don’t have a problem. He looked down at his new girl. None at all.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

Eva Mackenzie is an author who enjoys twisty, emotionally engrossing tales. Her debut novel has been a work in progress for over a decade. Under the urging of a loved one, it’s finally finished.

She is a wife and mother living on the east coast. When she isn’t writing, she is spending time with her family, training for her next marathon or reading stacks of suspense novels. Some of her favorite authors are Minka Kent, Dean Koontz, Tami Hoag, and Lisa Jackson.

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Synopsis

Everyone wants new followers…until they follow you home.

Audrey Miller has an enviable new job at the Smithsonian, a body by reformer Pilates, an apartment door with a broken lock, and hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers to bear witness to it all. Having just moved to Washington, DC, Audrey busies herself impressing her new boss, interacting with her online fan base, and staving off a creepy upstairs neighbor with the help of the only two people she knows in town: an ex-boyfriend she can’t stay away from and a sorority sister with a high-powered job and a mysterious past.

But Audrey’s faulty door may be the least of her security concerns. Unbeknownst to her, her move has brought her within striking distance of someone who’s obsessively followed her social media presence for years—from her first WordPress blog to her most recent Instagram Story. No longer content to simply follow her carefully curated life from a distance, he consults the dark web for advice on how to make Audrey his and his alone. In his quest to win her heart, nothing is off-limits—and nothing is private.

With “compelling, suspenseful” (Liz Nugent) prose, Kathleen Barber’s electrifying new thriller will have you scrambling to cover your webcam and digital footprints.

 

 

 

The book releases 2/25/2020

 

Review

I am amazed at the things I learn reading books about technology and crazy people. I have never heard of Ratting and now I am going to be super cautious about what I open from anyone I know (or don’t know!).

There are many twists and turns in this book and when I thought I had figured out who “him” was, I find out at the end I was dead wrong. OMG, I did NOT expect that reveal.

Audrey is self-absorbed and I suppose that is common for influencers – they think the world revolves around them. Plus it goes to show that their life is NOT perfect and is just a stage to gain attention from the public. She claims she didn’t want to be a mean girl, but not caring about those around you is a way of being mean.

Cat lacks self-esteem and some of her past that is revealed throughout the book, especially at the end was surprising.

I do think some things were left unanswered about some of the characters in this book. I would have liked to have seen some resolution to these characters and some specific incidents.

This book will definitely keep you up at night wondering what might happen next.

We give it 4 paws up.

 

 

About the Author

Kathleen Barber’s first novel Truth Be Told (formerly published as Are You Sleeping) is the inspiration for the Apple TV+ series of the same name, produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine and starring Octavia Spencer and Aaron Paul. Kathleen was raised in Galesburg, Illinois, and is a graduate of the University of Illinois and Northwestern University School of Law. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and son. Follow Me is her second novel.

 

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A Field Guide to Homicide (A Cat Latimer Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Publisher: Kensington (January 28, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages

Synopsis

Cat Latimer and her writer’s retreat group go on a hiking trip—but a murderer has been lurking off the beaten path . . .

Cat’s sweetheart, Seth, is going all out on an outing into the local mountains—for the benefit of the writing group Cat’s hosting at her Colorado B&B. But when they try to identify some plant and animal life, they find death instead. The body belongs to a man with a gold claim a few miles away. Instead of striking it rich, he’s been struck down.

To his surprise, Seth recognizes the victim from his military days—and up to now believed he’d already died during his last tour of duty. Now Cat has to solve this mystery before the killer takes a hike..”

 

 

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Review

 

It’s time for another journey back to Colorado and Cat’s writer’s retreat.  This retreat is different than others since there are two couples plus the college student from the local college.  It is an interesting bunch and while they are featured in the book, I don’t think that they were the main focus.  The main characters were tied to Seth’s past in the military and those that were in town for a reunion of sorts.  I’m not sure we learned much about Seth’s military buddies but that didn’t stop me from thinking something was off about the deceased and those he served with all those years ago.  I feel like there is so much more that Seth hasn’t revealed yet about his time in the military and I wonder if more will be revealed in future books.

We discover a little bit more about Cat’s deceased husband, Michael.  The author has a way of keeping me engaged in this series because I want to know what he was involved with and how it will affect Cat.  Especially since the dead body from Seth’s unit has notes about Michael and others in his cabin.  What is the secret?  When will we learn more?

The mystery and the interactions between the various characters (Cat, Seth, Shauna, Uncle Pete, and Shirley) kept me engaged and made it hard for me to put the book down.  I had my suspicions about the killer but there was more to the story than I ever expected.  Shauna has some family issues that she hides from Cat for most of the book, but I’m glad she trusts their friendship and opens up about what is happening with her family.

Overall we give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Lynn Cahoon is the award-winning author of several New York Times and USA Today bestselling cozy mystery series. The Tourist Trap series is set in central coastal California with six-holiday novellas releasing in 2018–2019. She also pens the Cat Latimer series available in mass market paperback. Her newest series, the Farm to Fork mystery series, debuted in 2018. She lives in a small town like the ones she loves to write about with her husband and two fur babies.

She lives in a small town like the ones she loves to write about with her husband and two fur babies.

 

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Cold Nose, Warm Heart

by Mara Wells

Publication Date: 1/28/2020

Genre: Contemporary

Series: Fur Haven Dog Park #1

 

Synopsis

 

A poodle, a black lab and a Chihuahua walk into a dog park…

All Caleb Donovan has to do to redeem his family name is take a rundown Miami Beach apartment building and turn it into luxury condos. Easy, right?

Unfortunately, that would also turn the local dog park into a parking lot and the neighbors aren’t having it. Caleb is faced with outright revolt, led by smart, beautiful building manager Riley Carson and her poodle, LouLou.

For Caleb, this project should have been a slam dunk. But even more challenging than the neighborhood resistance is the mutual attraction between him and Riley. It would be so much easier just to stay enemies.

Can Riley and her canine sidekick convince Caleb that what’s best for business isn’t always best for the heart?

 

 

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Kobo * IndieBound * BAM

 

Review

 

I’m a sucker for any book that involves dogs…and this one involves MANY dogs! Probably because there is a dog park located near the apartment building that brings out all of the dogs in the neighborhood and is quite the community gathering space. Of course, I use the term dog park loosely as it is a fenced area that people squeeze through a gap to enter. But it is definitely a gathering space.

Caleb and Riley are friendly rivals once the truth is out about who Caleb is and why he is at The Dorothy that Riley manages. As in a romance novel, there are the ups and downs in their relationship, starting as friends, becoming slight enemies, resolving their differences and finding happiness together.

I appreciated how the community came together when The Dorothy was in trouble and everyone offered their assistance for free to save this iconic building. Sure it was dilapidated but it had charm. Even a crotchety old man can be taught new tricks and that it does not have to be a dog eat dog world.

 

Excerpt

 

“LouLou!” a hoarse voice called. “LouLou!”

“Over here!” Caleb yelled, not sure where the voice was coming from, but hearing the pain in it and wanting to do anything in his power to make that pain stop. What could he say? Rescuing furry damsels in distress brought out his mushy side.

Through the sheets of rain, he spotted Riley limping along the sidewalk across the street from dog park. She didn’t look much better than LouLou had, hair flattened and plastered to her head, clothes sticking to her as though she’d taken a dunk in the ocean. And was she barefoot? All those shoes outside her front door, and she’d run out in the storm without so much as a flip-flop to protect her?

“You’re a pair, aren’t you?” He whispered to LouLou, waving frantically to get Riley’s attention. “Over here! Riley, I’ve got LouLou!”

Riley looked across the road, and he knew the moment she saw them. She collapsed to her knees, hands over her face, and a giant sob racked her body. So they’d be staying out in the rain a little longer. He crossed over and knelt beside her, the soaked poodle between them.

“It’s okay. She’s okay. You’re okay.” He sounded like an idiot. He knew it, but he kept saying stupid things anyway. “I’ve got her. She’s right here.”

Riley sucked in a big breath and looked up at him with her tilted eyes. “Thank you.” She held out her arms for LouLou. He shifted the dog’s weight to Riley’s hold, but LouLou curled her paw around his wrist, tight.

Riley’s chin sank. “I deserve that.”

“No, it happens.” Caleb didn’t know what he was talking about. What happened? Rain? Dogs running loose in the streets? “You didn’t do anything wrong.” He knew that part at least was right.

“I couldn’t find her.” She scrubbed at her face with the heels of her hands, eyes red and lids swollen from crying. “And now she’s hurt. What happened to her paw?”

“She’s fine, just a small piece of glass.” He pried LouLou’s paw off his wrist and handed the dog over, surprised at how giving her back felt like a loss. If he felt this attached after such a brief time with the dog, how bad must Riley have felt when she realized LouLou was missing? The impulse to make Riley feel better kept his assurances flowing. “Eliza patched her up, and she’ll be good as new in no time.”

“Thank you.” She buried her face in LouLou’s fur and stood, but as soon as she did, she lost her balance and keeled over with a squeak.

Caleb reached out to steady her. “What’s wrong?”

Riley closed her eyes and leaned heavily on him. “Think I stepped on something.”

“Let me see.”

Feeling a sense of déjà vu, he crouched to inspect the bottom of her foot, dark with dirt and specks of gravel stuck to it. “Looks like a bad bruise. Maybe from a rock.”

Riley bit her lower lip. “Sounds right.”

“Can you walk?” He levered her back to standing on her own.

“Of course.” One careful step forward. Then another. “Thanks for taking care of LouLou, but you don’t have to hang around.” She winced and took another step, face as white as the knuckles clutching her dog. “I’ve got it from here. No problem.”

It was painful to watch. Still, she’d said to back off, so he did. Until she stumbled, almost dropping the poodle, and a car horn blared at her for hogging up the road.

“This is ridiculous.” He scooped her up, exactly like he’d done with her dog. Unlike LouLou, she wasn’t grateful.

“Hey! What’re you doing?” Riley couldn’t bat at his chest because she was holding onto her dog, but she glared. “You can’t swoop in and take over everything.”

“Hang on tight. I’m taking you home.” Caleb clutched Riley and LouLou against his chest, her legs over his arm like in some damn rom-com movie, and strode back toward her condo. If he wasn’t mistaken, he could hear Eliza’s cackle following them, but he didn’t care. It felt good to save LouLou, and it felt even better to have Riley in his arms. 

***

Excerpted from Cold Nose, Warm Heart by Mara Wells. © 2020 by Mara Wells. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

About the Author

Mara Wells loves stories, but especially stories with kissing. She lives in Hollywood, Florida with her family and two rescue dogs—a poodle-mix named Houdini Beauregarde, and Sheba Reba Rita Peanut, a chihuahua-mix.

 

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