Book Title: Walk with Me by Debra Schoenberger
Category: Adult non-fiction / Photography – 104 pages
Genre: Documentary / Street Photography / Travel
Publisher: Blurb
Release date: December 26, 2017

Synopsis

Whenever I’m asked “which is the best camera?” I pretty much respond: “the one you have on you.” In fact, most of the images in this book were taken with my cell phone simply because I always have it with me.

This is not only a book about street photography but a visual diary, or collection of quirky, unusual and sometimes just plain weird photos I’ve taken over the course of the last decade.
​
As a street photographer, I need to be an assiduous walker. My sneakers often take me to little known, hidden corners, seaweed strewn (and sometimes stinky) beaches and really cool back alleys of my rather small island city of Victoria, BC.

I’ve also included images of curiosities I’ve seen throughout my travels.
​​
Everyone sees the world differently and this is my collection of the quirkiness that I call life.

Amazon  ~  iTunes  ~  Blurb

Review

This is the second book by Debra that I have “read”. While there aren’t any words to read, but there are beautiful and noteworthy photos that each tell their own story.

In this book, she traveled the globe and shares photos she takes with her cell phone. I think my favorites are the ones that include dogs as there is something about a dog and their laid-back attitude. The people that are caught in the images span a wide variety of backgrounds and situations. There is even a photo of two of someone else taking a photo with their cell phone.

Each page of photos brought me into Debra’s adventures and capturing the everyday life of the places she was visiting. The colors of the town, the quirkiness of the shops or people, the various animals (the pigeon is particularly funny!), and the peace captured in these photographs. These photos are all of normal people/places/things and not staged to be used for commercial purposes, but that is the attraction. I always hear about towns and countries where you look past the touristy areas and meet the locals. I feel that is what Debra has done with her second street photography book.

If this book doesn’t inspire you to break out your camera (even if it is on your cell phone) and take photos of things around you, I don’t know what will!

We give this book 5 paws up and you need to pick up a copy and view the images she shares with us.

About the Author

Debra Schoenberger aka #girlwithcamera

“My dad always carried a camera under the seat of his car and was constantly taking pictures. I think that his example, together with pouring over National Geographic magazines as a child fuelled my curiosity for the world around me.

I am a documentary photographer and street photography is my passion. Some of my images have been chosen by National Geographic as editor’s favourites and are on display in the National Geographic museum in Washington, DC.  I also have an off-kilter sense of humour so I’m always looking for the unusual.

 Website ~  Facebook ~ Instagram ~  Pinterest

Giveaway

Prizes: Win a $15 Amazon gift card. Five other winners will receive an ebook copy of Debra Schoenberger’s latest photography book WALK WITH ME (open international / 6 winners total)

(ends March 31)

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I am giving away 1 $10 Amazon Gift Card.  Multiple ways to enter

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About the Author

Melissa Muldoon is the Studentessa Matta-the crazy linguist! In Italian, “matta” means “crazy” or “impassioned”. Melissa has a B.A. in fine arts, art history and European history from Knox College, a liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, as well as a master’s degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She has also studied painting and art history in Florence.

Melissa promotes the study of Italian language and culture through her dual-language blog, Studentessa Matta (studentessamatta.com). Melissa began the Matta blog to improve her command of the language and to connect with other language learners. It has since grown to include a podcast, “Tutti Matti per l’Italiano” and the Studentessa Matta YouTube channel. Melissa also created Matta Italian Language Immersion Tours, which she co-leads with Italian partners in Italy.

Waking Isabella is Melissa’s second novel and follows Dreaming Sophia, published in 2016. In this new novel about Italy, the reader is taken on another art history adventure, inspired by Melissa’s experiences living and traveling in Italy, specifically Arezzo, as well as her familiarity with the language and art.

As a student, Melissa lived in Florence with an Italian family. She studied art history and painting and took beginner Italian classes. When she returned home, she threw away her Italian dictionary, assuming she’d never need it again but after launching a successful design career and starting a family, she realized something was missing in her life. That “thing” was the connection she had made with Italy and the friends who live there. Living in Florence was indeed a life-changing event! Wanting to reconnect with Italy, she decided to start learning the language again from scratch. As if indeed possessed by an Italian muse, she bought a new Italian dictionary and began her journey to fluency – a path that has led her back to Italy many times and enriched her life in countless ways.

Now, many dictionaries and grammar books later, she dedicates her time to promoting Italian language studies, further travels in Italy, and sharing her stories and insights about Italy with others. When Melissa is not traveling in Italy, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is married and has three boys and two beagles.

Melissa designed and illustrated the cover art for Dreaming Sophia. She also designed the Dreaming Sophia website and created the character illustrations that can be found in the book and on the Dreaming Sophia websites.

​Website  ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Youtube ~ Pinterest

Giveaway

Prizes: Win a paperback copy of Waking Isabella. One winner will also receive a $10 Amazon gift card (3 winners total / open internationally to wherever Amazon delivers)

(Ends March 31, 2018)

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STOLEN OBSESSION

Annalisse Series, Book 1

by

Marlene M Bell

Genre: Spicy Romantic Mystery

Publisher: Ewephoric Publishing

Date of Publication: March 20, 2018

Number of Pages: 284

Scroll down for the giveaway!

PEOPLE DIE, BUT LEGENDS LIVE ON.

Manhattan antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury dreams of a quiet life on the family farm among the sheep she loves, when her best friend is murdered. The police assume robbery is the motive because her friend’s expensive bracelet is missing. But the 500-year-old artifact is rumored to carry an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family—and Annalisse believes her friend is the latest victim.

Weeks later, Annalisse sees a necklace matching the stolen bracelet at a gallery opening. Convinced the necklace is part of the deadly collection, Annalisse begs the gallery’s owner to destroy the piece, but her pleas are ignored— despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act.

Desperate to keep the gallery owner safe, Annalisse reluctantly enlists the owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.

Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his mother, feared dead or kidnapped. As time lapses, the killer switches mode and closes in on the man who’s meant for Annalisse with the lifestyle she wants most.

But when it’s her turn as the hunted, will she choose to save Alec and his mother, or sacrifice everything to save herself?

Hold on for a heart-thumping adventure through exotic lands in this fast moving, romantic suspense mystery by Marlene M Bell.

Pre-order the book

Amazon US  ┃  Amazon UK  ┃  Amazon CA  ┃  Amazon AU

Trailer

Review

A curse, antiquities, and murder make this an intriguing read.  Throw in a handsome man, the Greek isles, and deception….well, it rounds out all the key elements of a good story.

This book led me across the globe and through a web of clues and misdirection while trying to decipher who was behind the murders and kidnappings.  Let’s just say there is a twist near the end that I didn’t expect but looking back should not have been surprised.  With everything that happens to Annalisse and Alec, I trusted no one…not even the ones that are there to help and protect.

The romance between Annalisse and Alec moves at a somewhat slower pace as they take some time to get to know one another before jumping into bed together.  There are some slightly graphic sex scenes, but nothing too risque.  Annalisse has some reservations about Alec, I believe mainly due to his wealth but is able to overcome it with time.  I liked that Alec is planning to open and run a Vet clinic.  With his background and opportunities afforded him, he could have done anything, but he followed his interest with animals into a career that is relatable.

I will say that this book needs a prequel to really delve into the murder of Annalisse’s friend Samantha.  It is the focus of the beginning of the book, but I feel like we really don’t know what happened and who the key players are that are involved.  It is mentioned again near the end of the book and her murder is resolved.  Maybe not to Annalisse’s liking, but it is tied to what happens during the bulk of the book and I feel like it needed more explanation.  When I started this book I wondered if it was the second in the series but it is not.

The book does fluctuate from moving slowly to a brisk pace especially near the end when everything is coming to a head.  I think the last 15-20% of the book is the best since that is where we learn the truth about those involved.  As I mentioned earlier, there is a twist (or two!).  Will you figure the twists out before the truth is revealed?

We give it 4 paws up.

Marlene M Bell is an acclaimed artist and photographer as well as a writer. Her sheep landscapes grace the covers of publications such as, Sheep!, The Shepherd, Ranch & Rural Living and Sheep Industry News. Ewephoric, her mail order venture, began in 1985 out of a desire for realistic sheep stationery. A color catalog of non-fiction books and sheep-related gifts may be requested at  www.marlenembell.com  or www.texassheep.com.

Marlene and her husband, Gregg reside on a wooded ranch in East Texas with their 50 head of Horned Dorset sheep, a lovable Maremma guard dog named, Tia, and 3 spoiled cats who rule the household.

 ║ Website║ Facebook ║ Twitter ║

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MARCH 1-10, 2018

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Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – Kentucky
Henery Press (March 13, 2018)
Paperback: 268 pages

Synopsis

Too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth. And let me tell you, this broth is in trouble. Get ready for a Southern showdown.

The residents of Cottonwood, Kentucky are sent into a tizzy when the Culinary Channel comes to town to film an episode of Southern Home Cookin’ with celebrity chef Frank Von Lee.

Especially Sheriff Kenni Lowry.

Her mama’s award-winning chicken pot pie is what brought Frank to town, and they don’t make hair in the South bigger than her mama’s ego after the news.

When Frank Von Lee is found dead from food poisoning and the most likely culprit is Mama’s chicken pot pie, Kenni’s poppa, the former sheriff, comes back from the Great Beyond to assist in the investigation.

But nothing’s prepared Kenni for such a personal tie to a case, and she finds herself pushing the limits of the laws she’s sworn to protect.

This book’s so delicious it’ll make your mouth water and leave you hankerin’ for more.

Guest Post

I, Vivian Lowry, was raised a to be a true southern lady. I’ve never left my house without lipstick. I’m not a bragger by any means, but the man upstairs has blessed me with an amazing daughter and loving husband, as well as a sharp tongue and I truly don’t believe I wasn’t given the gift of my boldness if it weren’t in my destiny.

I truly was born to have greatness and when I came up with my famous Chicken Pot Pie, I knew it was my ticket to be a star.

Who made it famous? Well…anyone who has ever gone to a funeral repass in Cottonwood, Kentucky knows that I always bring my chicken pot pie. It’s all the rage, besides the body lying corpse. And it’s no secret that all the women in Cottonwood always make their best recipes for the after funeral supper.

It just so happens that The Culinary Channel had gotten a tip about little ole me and my famous chicken pot pie. So much so that they’ve sent Chef Frank Von Lee to come see me and try my delicious casserole to be featured on the Culinary Channel.

Now, I’m not braggin’. Like I said, I knew I was destined for greatness. I’m not gonna spill the beans on my recipe just yet, but I’ve been told that my breakfast casserole is to die for.

I, Vivian Lowry, did not kill anyone. You remember that!

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Photo courtesy of Tonya Kappes

Ingredients:

1 package (16 oz.) of bulk ground sausage. I like a little spice to mine so I get a mild or hot sausage.

1 onion (chopped or you can buy a bag of the frozen already chopped)

1 red pepper (chopped or you can buy a bag of the frozen already chopped)

3-4 cups frozen square hash browns

2 cups cheddar cheese

3/4 cups Bisquick

2 cups of milk

6 eggs

Optional black pepper

Directions:

I preheat my oven to 400

Spray a 3 quart baking dish ( 13 x 9 inches) with cooking spray

Over medium heat, cook the chopped onion and red pepper along with the sausage until the sausage is cooked with no pink.

Drain the meat.

Add the meat mixture, frozen hash browns, and 1.5 cups of the cheese in the baking dish.

In a bowl, combine the milk, Bisquick, eggs, and pepper (optional). Pour over the sausage mix in the baking dish.

Bake for around 30-35 minutes.

Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over top and bake another five minutes or until the cheese has melted.

I’m a big believer in letting the food stand for 5-10 minutes after taking out of the oven.

Enjoy!

About the Author

Tonya Kappes has written more than fifteen novels and four novellas, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists including USA Today. Best known for stories charged with emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband, two very spoiled schnauzers, and one ex-stray cat in northern Kentucky. Now that her boys are teenagers, Tonya writes full-time but can be found at all of her guys’ high school games with a pencil and paper in hand. More than anything, Tonya loves to connect with readers, with a loyal ‘street team’ of fans and followers on social media.

Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Kappes Krew Street Team

Website * Goodreads * Pinterest

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March 6 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

March 7 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY

March 7 – Queen of All She Reads – GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY

March 8 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY

March 8 – Dee-Scoveries – SPOTLIGHT

March 9 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

March 9 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY

March 10 – Christa Reads and Writes – CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 10 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY

March 11 – Varietats – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

March 12 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW

March 12 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW

March 13 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

March 13 – Island Confidential – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

March 14 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 14 – Books, Movies, Reviews. Oh my! – REVIEW

March 15 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

March 15 – The Montana Bookaholic – SPOTLIGHT

March 16 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

March 16 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW

March 17 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

March 18 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

March 18 – La libreria di Beppe – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY

March 19 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW, GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY

March 19 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW

BENEATH THE SURFACE

Dive Team Investigations

Book One

by

Lynn H. Blackburn

Genre: Suspense / Romance / Christian

Publisher: Revell

Date of Publication: March 6, 2018

Number of Pages: 352

Scroll down for the giveaway!

Dive into the depths of fear with an exciting new romantic suspense novel, Beneath the Surface. This gripping tale from award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn will capture readers from the first page and won’t let them go until the final, heart-pounding scene.

After a harrowing experience with an obsessed patient, oncology nurse practitioner Leigh Weston moves home to Carrington, North Carolina, to leave behind her troubled past. But when someone tampers with her brakes, she fears the past has chased her into the present.

Homicide investigator Ryan Parker finds fulfillment in his career, but his favorite way to use his skills is as a volunteer underwater investigator with the Carrington County Sheriff’s Office dive team. When the body of a wealthy businessman is discovered in Lake Porter, the investigation uncovers a possible serial killer—one with a terrifying connection to Leigh Weston and deadly implications for them all.

Baker Book House  ┃  Amazon 

Barnes & Noble  ┃  iBooks

Christianbook.com ┃ Kobo 

Books-A-Million ┃  Lifeway 

Praise

“With this book, author Lynn Blackburn has moved from the status of an upcoming author to watch and cemented herself as an author to note. Her exceptional storytelling skills shine as she weaves an intricate plot, populated with characters we care deeply about. Another up-all-night-because-I-can’t-put-down-the-book read.”  —Edie Melson, award-winning author, blogger, and director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference

“Beneath the Surface is a swoon-worthy romantic suspense that packs a punch from page one. The nonstop action will keep you guessing until the end.”  —Rachel Dylan, author of the Atlanta Justice series

“Just when you think you can relax, Blackburn brings you back to the edge of your seat in this riveting, high-tension suspense story.”  —Patricia Bradley, author of Justice Delayed

Watch the Book Trailer

Bringing a Character to Life

Guest Post by Lynn H. Blackburn

People often ask my characters are based on real people.

My answer? Yes and no.

I have never written a character that was entirely based on a real person. Every character is a little melting pot of dozens of people—real and fictional.

I often start with my character’s job. Are they in law enforcement or some other profession? Do they love their job or hate it? Did they go into the family business or choose a different path? Do they see their job as a calling or as a means to an end? I brainstorm all sorts of professions until I find one that fits the story that’s swirling in my brain.

While I’m thinking about that, I also start thinking about their family of origin. Was it happy or dysfunctional? Do they have siblings? Are their parents living? Married or divorced? Do they all live in the same town or are they in far flung places? Again, the answers to these questions are often related to how the story is unfolding in my mind. Sometimes I need a sibling to live local. Sometimes I need them out of the picture to isolate my character further.

And I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what is standing between them and true love. This is a romance after all! Do they date a lot but keep it light? Or do they avoid dating because they’ve been hurt too badly in the past? Or maybe they’re carrying a secret flame for someone they can’t have.

At some point, I just have to start writing because no matter how much I try to get to know the character before the book begins, there’s nothing like putting them in situations and seeing how they react to learn more about them.

The heroine of Beneath the Surface is Leigh Weston. She’s a nurse practitioner who left her position in a big hospital’s oncology department after a patient stalked and terrorized her for months. She’s returned to her hometown of Carrington, NC and is working in the Emergency Department now.

The inspiration for Leigh’s profession is my sister (who shared her middle name with my character). My sister is a nurse practitioner who does palliative care. She works with patients in end-of-life situations every day and I used her knowledge, compassion and skills to form the backbone of Leigh’s character.

But Leigh is very much her own unique person. She was adopted from China so I reached out to a young lady I know who was adopted from China and raised in the Carolinas. She was very gracious to answer a lot of questions that helped me get further into Leigh’s brain and understand how she might think about certain situations.

At the beginning of Beneath the Surface, Leigh has isolated herself as a coping mechanism to help her deal with the death of her mother and the stalker who threatened her life. None of those things have happened to anyone I know personally and are pure fiction.

Leigh was also a gymnast and loves yoga and that came from my own wish that I was flexible and strong like that! One of my favorite parts of writing is being able to give my characters abilities that I wish I personally had.

Of course, people often ask how much I put of myself into my characters and there’s usually at least one thing that each character does or enjoys that is all me. In Leigh’s case, it’s the cooking.

Maybe it’s a Southern thing but I do love to feed the people I love. If I wasn’t so busy writing books I would entertain every weekend. Not in a fancy way, but more the way Leigh does. Just opening up my home and providing some tasty treats and a relaxed place to enjoy them. Nothing makes me happier than to have my house and yard crawling with friends and their kids, all of whom know they are welcome to eat everything they see and flop into any chair they want.

Developing my characters, discovering who they are and what makes them tick, and then introducing them to my readers—those are some of my favorite parts of the creative process.

Lynn H. Blackburn is the author of Hidden Legacy (Love Inspired, June 2017) and Covert Justice, winner of the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and Suspense and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel. Blackburn believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She’s passionate about CrossFit, coffee, and chocolate (don’t make her choose) and experimenting with recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina, with her true love, Brian, and their three children.

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Melinda Curtis is an award-winning, USA Today Bestseller of over 40 romances. She writes sweet romance for Harlequin Heartwarming, sweet romantic comedies and sexy sports contemporary romances. When not working on DIY projects around their home, Melinda and her college sweetheart enjoy watching Duke mens basketball and visiting their three kids and one grandchild. Sign up for her mailing list to receive two free reads.

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Always the Hero by Anna J. Stewart

He never relied on anyone but himself…but he needs her now!

Butterfly Harbor deputy Matt Knight wants two things: to date Lori Bradley and the chance to adopt Kyle, a troubled teen. Wounded in Afghanistan, Matt knows he can’t move forward anchored to the past. But once he regains the guarded hotel manager’s trust, will his need to protect those he loves cost him a future with this extraordinary woman?

“The talented Anna J Stewart delivers every time.” ~NYTimes Bestselling Author Brenda Novak

“Anna J. Stewart will tug at your heartstrings more than once while leaving you utterly besotted with her characters.” ~The Romance Reviews

Amazon * Harlequin * Barnes & Noble

“What’s wrong?” Matt rested his arms on the table and leaned in. She could feel the warmth of his breath, feel the heat of his concerned gaze.

“Nothing.” She shifted in her seat. “It’s…nothing.”

“Now who’s lying?”

Her chin shot up at his accusation but it was then she saw he was teasing her.

“Come on, Lori. Tell me what’s bothering you. You’ve been acting weird since before we came in here. Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?”

“Why on earth would I—” She took a deep breath. “You’re making fun of me.”

“How else am I going to disarm you enough to tell me what’s going on in here.” He reached up and tapped a finger against the side of her head.

“It’s not important.” Darn it, why did she always let this get to her? Why hadn’t she just been honest and told him she didn’t want to go to breakfast?

“Given we’ve spent the last couple of minutes debating that fact, I’ll say you’re wrong. What is it?”

“I just…” Could her face feel any hotter? “I don’t like eating out, okay? There. You got me to confess, copper. Take me to jail.” She held out her wrists, palms up.

“Why don’t you like to eat out?”

“Oh, for…” She tucked her hair behind her ears and sighed. “It’s silly.
Stupid even.”

“Clearly, it’s not. Tell me.”

Tell him? Tell him one of her most embarrassing secrets? Tell him about how even her own parents were disgusted by her? Yeah, that should kill off any residual feelings he might have for her. “When I was a little girl and we went out to eat, my mother would constantly criticize me. I shouldn’t have that or what will people think, a chubby girl like you eating that. I embarrassed her. And she made sure everyone knew it.” All these years later and it still messed with her head. “I told you it was stupid.”

“It’s not stupid. I’m sorry you had to deal with that.” He reached over and held out a hand. She stared at his open palm, heart pounding as she realized how much she wanted to take it. Instead, she pulled her hands into her lap and locked her fingers together. “No child should ever be made to feel less than. For any reason.”

“I totally agree. Which is why I haven’t talked to her in about a gazillion years.” That neither of her parents seemed interested in reaching out to her—or Fletcher—didn’t help the situation. It was one thing to be a child and suspect your parents didn’t like you; it was another to be an adult and know it to be true. “So, there you go. I don’t like to eat out because my mother used to make fun of me for being fat. Bring on the chocolate pudding.”

“Have I mentioned how much I loathe self-deprecating humor?” He sat back and pinned her with a stare that made her shiver. “We’re being honest with each other now, yeah? Stop making fun of yourself. I don’t find the jokes funny and I don’t agree with them. What on earth does your dress size have to do with the type of person you are? I like who you are, Lori. I have from the first time I saw you, so suck it up and deal with it. And while you’re at it, stop making light of things that cause you pain. It’s irritating.”

“Yes, it is.” She didn’t want to take what he said to heart. She didn’t want to believe he meant what she’d always wanted someone to say to her; someone who might actually care for her, love her. “It’s also the one defense mechanism that’s worked for me, so forgive me if I don’t bow to your lack of expertise in this matter.” She meant for the comment to tick him off, drive him away. Offend him to the point he’d settle her firmly in the friends column. Instead, she watched the anger lines around his eyes ease and the
corners of his mouth flicker.

“You’d be surprised what I know about parental disapproval, but that’s a conversation for another time. Look at us, getting to know each other. Being honest with one another. It’s almost like we’re starting a new relationship or something.”

Lori shook her head, wanting nothing more than to walk away and forget that whenever she was with him she didn’t want to be without him. He had a way of making her forget everything that shouldn’t be important. “What’s wrong with you? Everything that should make you angry makes you laugh.”

“And sometimes vice versa,” he confirmed with a shrug. “You have your coping mechanisms, I have mine. And for the record, I’ll give you time to work on that bad habit of yours. Not a lot, but some.”

USA Today and national bestselling author Anna J. Stewart writes sweet to sexy romance for Harlequin’s Heartwarming and Romantic Suspense lines. Early obsessions with Star Wars, Star Trek, and Wonder Woman set her on the path to creating fun, funny, and family-centric romances with happily ever afters for her independent heroines. Anna lives in Northern California where she deals with a serious Supernatural & Sherlock addiction, surrounds herself with friends and family and tolerates an overly affectionate cat named Snickers (or perhaps it’s Snickers who tolerates her). When she’s not writing books or her monthly blog for USA Today’s Happy Ever After, you can find her at fan conventions or at her local movie theater, or building her client list for her content editing services.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Blog Tour Schedule

March 5th
I Am A Reader – Spotlight
A Writer’s Life – Spotlight
Lynn’s Romance Enthusiasm – Spotlight
Why Not? Because I Said So! – Spotlight
Aubrey Wynne: Timeless Romance – Spotlight
Laura’s Interests – Spotlight
Jersey Girl Book Reviews – Review
The Christian Fiction Girl – Review

March 6th
Bargnhtress – Spotlight
Bonnie Phelps, Author – Spotlight
Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – Spotlight
The Avid Reader – Spotlight
T’s Stuff – Spotlight
My Devotional Thoughts – Spotlight
Susan Heim on Writing – Spotlight
Remembrancy – Review
Wishful Endings – Review

March 7th
Rainy Days and Pajamas – Spotlight
Bookworm Lisa – Spotlight
The Eco Lifestyle – Spotlight
Diana’s Book Reviews – Spotlight
Stacking My Book Shelves! – Spotlight
Reading Is My SuperPower – Review
Always Books – Review

March 8th
Room With Books – Spotlight
Hearts & Scribbles – Spotlight
Queen of All She Reads – Spotlight
BookHounds – Spotlight
StoreyBook Reviews – Spotlight
Thoughts of a Blonde – Spotlight
Alina Snow Book Adventures – Spotlight
Among the Reads – Review
Rockin’ Book Reviews – Spotlight
Kindle and Me – Review

March 9th
Heidi Reads… – Spotlight
Paulette’s Papers – Spotlight
Tianna Holley, Author – Spotlight
Bunny’s Review – Review
books are love – Spotlight
Kerrific Online – Review

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Synopsis

A fool-proof way to spice up any relationship:

1. Infiltrate a deadly ring of thieves, cons, and crooks.
2. Try to escape with your lives.

Penelope Blue used to be one of the best jewel thieves in New York City—but that was before falling in love with FBI poster boy Grant Emerson. Now she works at his side, helping her former enemy catch her past-life colleagues, and she couldn’t be happier.

If only Grant would remember to play by the rules.

Now he’s gone undercover on a cruise ship full of hardened criminals. To keep him safe, Penelope must pretend they’re nothing but strangers…while searching for an information broker desperately wanted by the FBI. While doing her darndest not to backslide and steal 20 million dollars’ worth of diamonds from beneath the noses of the criminal elite. It’s all Penelope can do to keep this mission afloat…

Good thing this cat burglar has plenty of lives to spare.

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Excerpt

Before my foot has a chance to touch the ground, my back comes into contact with a fleshy wall that I could swear wasn’t there a moment ago. A pair of strong hands grab me by the waist to ground me, the grip familiar for the fraction of a second it lingers.

“Whoa, there,” says a low, rumbling male voice. “Take it easy. You don’t look too steady on your feet.”

Even if I had been steady on my feet, I wouldn’t be now. I know those hands, and I know that voice—and more importantly, I know the body that houses them both.

“She’s fine,” Hijack says for me, his hand once again taking a proprietary place on the small of my back. “She’s not used to the constant movement of the ship yet, that’s all.”

I manage a feeble smile and look up into my husband’s face. It’s a testament to his skills as a federal agent and a man of steel that no signs of his emotions are apparent. At least, no signs of his emotions are apparent to anyone meeting him for the first time. As I know full well, that unreadable look in his eyes only appears when he’s hiding something.

Amusement, if I’m lucky. Anger, if I’m not. At this point, it could go either way. I guess I’m not the only one who noticed Hijack’s hands in my hair.

Grant lifts a brow. “Good thing she has you to take care of her. And to speak for her, it seems. Does she have a name?”

“As it so happens, she does.” I offer him my hand. “Penelope. Penelope Blue. And you are?”

“Kit O’Kelly, at your service.”

I fully expect him to shake my hand or, given the formal way he introduced himself, bow at the waist, but he lifts my fingers to his lips and drops a light kiss on the surface instead. Between the tuxedo molded to his godlike form and the dark hair that gleams in the moonlight, it’s all I can do not to swoon at the contact. Especially since he lingers a moment longer than necessary, the touch of his mouth soft and warm against my skin. The whisper of his breath is a reminder of everything I want right now—and everything I can’t have.

“Penelope Blue, Penelope Blue…” He says my name with the affectionate inflection he normally reserves for our private time together. “The name is familiar, but I can’t think why. Should I know you?”

I struggle to keep a laugh from springing to my lips. The question is a ridiculous one. There’s no man on earth who knows me better than this one; even before we were married, he had an alarming amount of insight into my inner workings.

“Probably not,” I say. “I’m a pretty small-time thief. But you might know my father, Warren Blue.”

He pretends to think about it for a moment before shaking his head. “No, that’s not it. Were you in Prague last year?”

“Uh, no. I’ve never been.”

“Paris in the winter of ’14?”

“I’m sorry. You must have me confused with someone else.”

“Impossible. I never forget a face, especially one as beautiful as yours.”

I can’t help it. I blush. It’s the cheesiest and most overused compliment in the world, but the way Grant’s eyes—no, the way Kit O’Kelly’s eyes—are devouring me makes me feel as if I’m standing on deck without a scrap of clothing on. It’s been less than two days since he and I parted ways, and already his absence has become a physical ache.

This is a man I cannot live without, I think. And this is a man who’s never been in more danger than he is right now.

Despite the balmy air of the Caribbean, I shiver.

He sees it, of course. The stubborn idiot is unable to hide his concern over my well-being and starts to shrug out of his jacket.

“You’re cold,” he says. “Let me.”

I jump back, determined to put as much space between us as possible. If he touches me again, if he keeps being solicitous and caring to a perfect stranger, Hijack is going to notice. My ex-boyfriend is far too interested in my FBI husband for my comfort level. The last thing we need is him asking more questions.

“I’m fine,” I state, even as goose bumps break out on my arms. “It was just a cold breeze.”

Hijack clears his throat, and I turn to him with a smile, grateful for the distraction he offers. “This is Hijack,” I say, nudging him forward. “I don’t think you’ll have heard of him either—he’s even smaller time than I am.”

Both men laugh obligingly.

“Hijack?” Grant offers his hand. “That’s an interesting name. Am I to take it literally?”

“Not while we’re on board the Shady Lady.” He shakes Grant’s hand, both their fingers gripped way too hard for a friendly greeting. “Except for the ship itself, there’s nothing here for me to hot-wire. We’re sorry to have interrupted your meal, but like I said, the lady needed some fresh air. She wasn’t feeling well.”

The lady still isn’t feeling a hundred percent, but no way is she going to show it. If Grant thinks for one second that I’m not able to see my side of this job through, we’re both done for. I’m supposed to be the one worrying about him out here, not the other way around.

About the Author

Tamara Morgan is a contemporary romance author of humorous, heartfelt stories with flawed heroes and heroines designed to get your hackles up and make your heart melt. Her long-lived affinity for romance novels survived a B.A. degree in English Literature, after which time she discovered it was much more fun to create stories than analyze the life out of them.j

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Giveaway

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Title: Last Chance Cowboys: The Rancher

Author: Anna Schmidt

Series: Where the Trail Ends, #4

Pub Date: March 6, 2018

Synopsis

“You can’t be sure we’re doing the right thing,” she said.

He drew closer to the barbed wire separating them. “It’s impossible to know what’s right. But it doesn’t stop me from wanting you.”

The world is changing, and the West isn’t as wild as it used to be. Trey Porterfield welcomes a new era of law and order—and the influx of settlers coming to the Arizona territory. But not everyone is willing to see the old ways change, and as the cattlemen and the herders take sides, a full-blown range war may be inevitable. There’s only one way Trey can see to bring peace to his feuding neighbors.

Marry the enemy.

Nell Stokes is a young widow fighting just to stay alive. In Trey, she sees a chance to heal old wounds and start over. Love was never in the cards, yet as Trey and Nell fight to unite the feuding land, they’ll discover a passion neither could have expected…and a danger far greater than either has ever known.

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Excerpt

When Trey reached home it was after dark and he rode straight to the bunkhouse. Javier sat on the banco outside the door, his arms folded across his chest, his legs outstretched and his hat covering his face.

“Javier!”

Trey reined in his horse and dismounted. By the time he had covered the distance between the horse and his friend, Javier was standing, watching closely as he clearly tried to judge Trey’s mood.

“¿Qué más, jefe?”

Trey grabbed his friend by his shirtfront and backed him up to the wall of the bunkhouse. Never before had he laid his hands on Javier in anger, but this time the man had crossed a line that friendship couldn’t forgive. “You tell me.” He stared at Javier, who met his gaze briefly, then glanced away.

“Not sure what you’re….”

Trey shook him. “The Stokes place last night—and the night before. You have anything to do with that?”

He had his answer before he finished the question. Javier scowled up at him, meeting his eyes directly. “You gotta choose a side, Trey.”

Trey felt an anger unlike any he had ever experienced in his life. It was born of frustration and exasperation, and fear. The fear that after the decades that his parents,  his sister Maria and her husband had managed the ranch successfully, despite all kinds of human and natural disasters, he might be the one who failed.  He gave Javier one more shove and then released him.

“Why do there have to be sides? Why can’t we all just live here and work the land and….”

While Trey might be quick to anger and quicker to let things go, Javier had no trouble showing his rage. He stepped closer to Trey and, with no pretense of modulating his voice, shouted, “You know why, Trey, and stop pretending you don’t. Them damned woolies chew the grass down to the nub, all the while their sharp hooves finish the job by digging up whatever’s left by the roots. This used to be open range—cattle range—and now we’re supposed to share it? You got any idea how far we’ve had to drive the herd to find decent pasture for the summer? That’s because of them.”

“And that makes it all right to terrorize a widow and her sick son for two nights running?” Trey roared in return.

Javier studied him hard for a long moment. They were both flushed, their fists clenched, their bodies poised for a fight. Javier was the first to step away. He stared down at the ground waiting for his breathing to calm, then looked up at Trey. “You falling for that sheepherder’s woman, my friend?” His tone was sympathetic.

Trey pulled off his hat and ran his fingers through his sweat-slicked hair.  “She’s an innocent in this fight, and I just don’t want to see anybody else get hurt, Javier. There’s got to be a way we can work this out. They aren’t going away—and neither are we.”

“We were here first,” Javier said, his voice petulant.

Trey allowed himself a wry smile. “Technically the Indians were here first and look what we did to them. After that it was the Spaniards—your ancestors. And they raised sheep, my friend, long before cattlemen showed up.”

The two of them leaned on the corral fence and gazed out into the black night for a long moment. “This isn’t just about sheep versus cattle, Javier. The truth is things are changing—everything about the life our parents knew is different. Every year another new town springs up or spreads out. We either learn to live with that or we spend the rest of our time on this earth fighting against progress that’ll surely beat us in the end.”

“So what’s your plan?” Javier asked.

Trey shrugged. “Don’t have one—just the notion we need to make this more about how we’re gonna live in peace and less about needin’ to be right.”

“Let me ask you something, Trey. If that woman and her boy weren’t part of this, would that change the way you look at it?”

“I hope not—but yeah, maybe.”

Javier pushed away from the split rail fence. “Got to give you one thing—she’s awfully pretty, and from what I saw of her at the church social, she’s not afraid to stand her ground. She’s got conviction. You need somebody like that, Trey. Too bad she’s on the wrong side of things.”

Trey bristled. “Need someone like her? Is that how you see me? As a man who needs somebody to speak for him because I’m too weak to do it myself?”

“You’re strong in ways I’ll never be able to understand, Trey. But you’ve got this way of thinking that everybody’s as good as you are. Few are. Most folks are a blend of good and bad. Nell Stokes appears to know that.”

“I know that.”

Javier shook his head. “Trouble is you have this idea you can change those other folks to come around to your way of seeing things.”

“It’s called hope,” Trey argued.

“It’s called impossible.” Javier glanced back at a couple of the other cowboys coming out of the bunkhouse, stretching and yawning. “We got the night shift,” he said, as he pulled on his hat.

Trey turned to the other hands. “You boys head on out. I need Javier here to help me.”

“With what?” Javier’s eyebrows lifted with suspicion.

“Come morning we’re gonna pay a call on Henry Galway and see if we can work something out—a council or something to start decidin’ what’s fair. And then you are going to apologize to Mrs. Stokes for scaring the bejesus out of her and her son. But before we do any of that we’re gonna head for the Stokes place and see if we can repair any of the damage done there before she and her boy get home. Get some rest, Javier—we leave at daybreak.”

About the Author

Award-winning author Anna Schmidt delights in creating stories where her characters must wrestle with the challenges of their times. Critics have consistently praised Schmidt for her ability to seamlessly integrate actual events with her fictional characters to produce strong tales of hope and love in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. She resides in Wisconsin. 

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Giveaway

Enter to win a copy of Last Chance Cowboys: The Outlaw by Anna Schmidt!

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Hummus and Homicide (A Kebab Kitchen Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Kensington (February 27, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages

Synopsis

 When Lucy Berberian quits her Philadelphia law firm and heads home to Ocean Crest, she knows what she’s getting—the scent of funnel cake, the sight of the wooden roller coaster, and the tastes of her family’s Mediterranean restaurant. But murder wasn’t on the menu . . .

Things are slow in the off-season in this Jersey Shore town, but Lucy doesn’t mind. She doesn’t even mind waitressing at the Kebab Kitchen. Her parents have put in a new hummus bar, with every flavor from lemon to roasted red pepper. It’s fun to see their calico cat again, and to catch up with her old BFF, who’s married to a cop now.

She could do without Heather Banks, though. The Gucci-toting ex-cheerleader is still as nasty as she was back in high school . . . and unfortunately, she’s just taken over as the local health inspector. Just minutes after eating at the Kebab Kitchen—where she’s tallied up a whole list of bogus violations—she falls down dead in the street. Word on the grapevine is it’s homicide, and Lucy’s the number one suspect . . .

Recipes included!

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Review

This is an exciting new series with a mystery to solve and lots of good food to drool over (recipes too!).

This story flowed quite well and it was hard to put down. I enjoyed getting to know Lucy and her crazy family – well most families are crazy, but when you throw in a different ethnic background they seem to get crazier. If you have seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding you will understand what I mean.

I did figure out who the killer was early on but only because of a few clues that you may or may not interpret as clues. A hazard of reading so many mysteries I think. Now while I guessed who, I did not know the why. I’m not sure anyone might have figured out that part until it was revealed. The only issue I have is trying to figure out how the killer killed Heather. I don’t want to give away too much, but considering how it happened there just did not seem to be the opportunity for the killer to act.

And no book would be complete without a romantic triangle. Will Lucy give Azad, the known man, another chance to right his wrong from so many years ago? Or will she give Mike, the bad boy on the motorcycle a chance to fill a role in her life?

Overall a great book and a killer series in the making.

We give this 4 paws up

About the Author

Tina Kashian spent her childhood summers at the New Jersey shore, building sand castles, boogie boarding, and riding the boardwalk Ferris wheel. She also grew up in the restaurant business where her Armenian parents owned a restaurant for thirty years. She worked almost every job—rolling silverware and wiping down tables as a tween, to hosting and waitressing as a teenager.

After college, Tina worked as a NJ Deputy Attorney General, a patent attorney, and a mechanical engineer. Her law cases inspired an inquiring mind of crime, and since then, Tina has been hooked on mysteries. The Kebab Kitchen Cozy Mystery series launches with Hummus and Homicide, followed by Stabbed in the Baklava and One Feta in the Grave by Kensington Books. Tina still lives in New Jersey with her supportive husband and two young daughters. Please visit www.tinakashian.com and join her Newsletter to enter free contests to win books, get delicious recipes, and to learn when her books will be released.

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