PALO DURO

by

MAX L. KNIGHT

  Genre: Historical Fiction / Western

Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.

Date of Publication: September 2, 2017

Number of Pages: 226

 

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Westward expansion following the civil war ushered in an era of increased conflict between the Southern Plains Indians and white settlers. Peace treaties offered a temporary suspension of hostilities, but more often than not resulted in broken promises as the two cultures clashed over land. The construction of frontier forts and towns, the decimation of the buffalo herds, the movement of cattle through Indian lands to burgeoning western markets, – all of these forces threatened a way of life that had existed for centuries.

The Comanche, the Southern Cheyenne, the Kiowa, the Apache all fought to protect their customs and homelands. The clashes were characterized by savagery on both sides – Indian and white. However, finite numbers and options would ensure the tribes’ defeat; they faced certain death or forced relocation and their days were numbered.

Though the Indian wars are the focus of Palo Duro, the novel also captures the spirit of the “Old West” with its depiction of the great cattle drives from Texas into Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado and Montana, the cattle barons and the trailblazers, the outlaws and gunslingers, the lawmen and Texas Rangers, and the settlers and entrepreneurs who built this country. It chronicles an era characterized by heroism, brutality, and bold ventures while paying tribute to a genre that is fading from public consciousness – the western. It is the story of the Southwest United States towards the end of the nineteenth century and the rugged individualism that forged a nation.

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5 STAR PRAISE FOR PALO DURO

This book captured Central Texas in the post-Civil War era better than any other book I’ve read. It was well researched, well written, and easy to read. I enjoyed this book more than Empire of the Summer Moon, the standard setter. I recommend this to readers of any level, even if you dislike history, as this book is that good.  – Jeffrey R. Murray, Amazon review

Max Knight brought to life the saga of how Texas tamed their frontier. He presents a colorful experience with characters effectively placed throughout his story. If you have any interest in Texas history this book is a must read. – AmazonJacki, Amazon review

Palo Duro is an exceptional novel, well researched; a must read.  – Chuck B., Amazon review

Reading this book is a great way to deepen and appreciate one’s Texas roots – or if you are not a Texan to understand and enjoy what makes Texas, well, Texas! I found this novel to be especially entertaining as well as informative. Made me want to go back and read Lonesome Dove again! – Michael P., Amazon review

In the spirit of the old Western genre of Zane Grey and L’amour, Max Knight pays homage to our national heritage with this fictional but historically accurate labor of love that warms the heart with his vivid imagery and authentic tone of America’s illustrious and sometimes brutal past. – Chester Sosinski, Amazon review

Max Knight’s Favorites, Part I

Each of us has our preferences in books, authors, hobbies, places, etc. These choices don’t necessarily define who we are as an individual, but they do provide interesting insights into what makes us tick! Here are a few of my favorites:

Author, Book, & TV Adaptation

It is rare when so many different categories derive from one source. However, by far my favorite author on all things Texas is Larry McMurtry. His Pulitzer Prize winning novel Lonesome Dove is epic in scope with two of the greatest fictional characters ever created; Augustus McRae and Woodrow Call. Their portrayal in the 1989 mini-series by actors Robert Duval and Tommy Lee Jones is uncanny; seldom has the written word been adapted to the medium of film and remained so true to the source material.

Literary Genre & Author

Fact is certainly stranger than fiction, but history can be a dry subject. Fictionalizing the narrative allows a writer to add description and context to events while bringing people to life through dialogue and character development. For me, the author who has mastered the art form is Jeff Sharra. Picking up where his dad, Michael Sharra, left off, he has given us narratives on the Civil War, the Mexican-American War, WWI, Korea, and WWII in a series of novels that capture history and the reader’s imagination.

Movie

Ben-Hur. The 1959 film starring Charlton Heston, based on the book by Lew Wallace, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, is arguably one of the greatest biblical stories to ever grace the big screen. It recreates the world dominated by the brutality of the Roman Empire in the story of a Jew whose world is turned upside down by a childhood friend’s betrayal. In his quest for revenge, Judah Ben-Hur will discover the redemptive power of faith.

Director

John Ford. Renowned for his westerns starring John Wayne, “The Duke,” he filmed many of his movies in Monument Valley including the trilogy Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and Rio Grande, a rousing tribute to the U.S. cavalry. Ford would also explore darker themes of racial hatred and injustice in his masterpiece, The Searchers, which was based on the novel by Alan LeMay about the Comanche abduction and subsequent search for Cynthia Ann Parker.

Musical Scene

Texas Dance Halls and Honky Tonks. There is a difference between Texas music and Country music. You’ll find it at places like Gruene Hall, Floore’s Country Store, Kendalia, and Luckenbach. Listen to the likes of Robert Earl Keen, Bruce and Charlie Robison, Pat Greene, and Ray Wylie Hubbard while two-steppin’ the night away!

 

Max L. Knight was born in Panama in 1949, and was raised both in the Canal Zone and in San Antonio, Texas where he now resides with his wife, Janet “Gray.” A proud member of the Corps of Cadets and graduate of Texas A&M University (Class of ’73), he received a bachelor’s degree in English and a Regular Army commission and served the next twenty-four years as an Air Defense and Foreign Area Officer before retiring in 1997 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After leaving the Army, Max spent the next five years working for RCI Technologies of San Antonio, becoming its Director of Internal Operations. Separating from the company in 2002, he volunteered to be the first docent at the Alamo working within its Education Department before once again serving his country as a Counterintelligence Specialist in Europe, Central America, Asia and the Middle East through 2013. Max speaks several languages including Greek and Spanish. He also holds a Master of Science degree in government from Campbell University. He has written and published two books to date: Silver Taps, a personal memoir of his relationship with his father and a tribute to his alma mater, and Palo Duro, a novel focusing on the Indian wars in the southwestern United States at the end of the nineteenth century.

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Two Winners: Signed Copies of Palo Duro

JANUARY 10-19, 2018

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Check out the other blogs on this tour

1/10/18	Promo	Texas Book Lover
1/10/18	Character Interview	The Librarian Talks
1/11/18	Review	Syd Savvy
1/12/18	Favorites, Part 1	StoreyBook Reviews
1/12/18	Guest Post	Books in the Garden
1/13/18	Review	Missus Gonzo
1/14/18	Review	Texan Girl Reads
1/15/18	Excerpt	The Page Unbound
1/15/18	Favorites, Part 2	A Novel Reality
1/16/18	Review	Forgotten Winds
1/17/18	Author Interview	The Clueless Gent
1/17/18	Playlist	Tangled in Text
1/18/18	Review	Hall Ways Blog
1/19/18	Scrapbook Page	Books and Broomsticks
1/19/18	Review	Reading by Moonlight

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ANAHUAC

A Texas Story (Volume 2)

by

WILLIAM D. DARLING

  Genre: Historical Fiction / Thriller

Publisher: Canned Peas Productions

Date of Publication: October 3, 2017

Number of Pages: 244

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The Anahuac of 1972 is more than just an isolated outpost on Texas’s Trinity Bay – it’s a place where greed and justice uncomfortably intermingle, where the evangelical fervor of charismatic preachers resonate, where blacks and whites navigate a fragile co-existence, and where a murder leads to even darker mysteries than murder.

Jim Ward, introduced in Morgan’s Point as a young, idealistic Houston prosecutor, returns in Anahuac as an older, more conflicted, more complicated man, coming to Anahuac to defend a man who appears guilty of a horrible crime. His discoveries lead to entanglements in the very nature of good and evil, in a town that is at once of its time and timeless, steeped in a history that is unexpectedly but definitively drawing Ward in its narrative web.

PRAISE FOR ANAHUAC:

“Austin writer William D. Darling’s second novel, Anahuac, is an entertaining, engrossing legal thriller that offers both darkly humorous and good-natured thrusts at life, love, and law . . . first-rate reading, especially for readers who enjoy legal thrillers, lawyer procedurals, suspense, Texas settings, and characters who live large.” – Lone Star Literary Life

“Darling draws vivid portraits of his setting while also bringing in historical currents like women’s liberation, the growth of container shipping, and the rise of the prosperity gospel, adding interest to what’s otherwise a fairly simple courtroom drama.” – Kirkus Reviews

I’m a Texan originally from the east coast who’s had occasion to meet some of these characters from another planet. Darling weaves us through the minds of lawyers with jealousies, insecurities, questions of faith, honor, and guilt as they tackle the case of a horrible crime that has the potential to put a man of God away forever. I held on tight as we went through the engrossing trial, which did not disappoint! If you love history, crime, passion, religion, and suspense, this is a must read! – Kristy Recker (an Amazon reviewer)

EXCERPT from Anahuac: A Texas Story

By William D. Darling

This excerpt from Anahuac, which sets the novel in motion, centers around a briefly-seen yet memorable character, Sarita Jo Franklin, who lives on Palmetto Ranch, an isolated spread was 12,530 acres of pastures, fields and bayous located at Smith’s Point on the shore of Galveston Bay. As Darling writes, “Palmetto was the way Texas used to be.”

It was getting late and the sun was going down. As was Sarita’s custom, she ate a peanut butter sandwich and poured herself another stiff bourbon, but without the branch water. She picked up her little turquoise transistor radio and hobbled back to the porch to look at the stars and find radio stations far away from her struggles on the ranch. The frogs and cicadas were serenading and the sky was clear. She’d never had time to worry about what would happen to the ranch when she was dead. She was too busy staying in control. Now she recognized her death would mean Clete would inherit the ranch if she didn’t write a will to prevent it. All of her work and sacrifice would be for nothing. The reality staggered her and she had no answer.

Sarita turned the tiny dial on the radio until a hypnotic voice floated melodically out of the speaker. Not even the scratchy static of a distant station could distract Sarita’s fascination.

“Do you have what you need? I’ll say it again. Do you have what you need to get into heaven? Do you have money, but not love? Do you have money and no family? You can’t take it with you. Yooou might not know, but I know what you need to do. You can make sure the Randall Clay Prayer Hour stays on the air. Can you help me assure God’s works are done here on earth? God rewards those who make sure his word is spread. All you have to do is send your check to the Reverend Randall Clay Prayer Hour at P.O. Box 823, Hope, Arkansas.” Randall Clay managed to turn the town’s name of Hope into a three syllable word.

Reverend Randall repeated the address over and again. “Now get up and get a pen or pencil and write this down.” He repeated the address. “I know there is someone special out there who is wondering if this is the right thing to do. God knows you’re thinking about it.  He told me straight out right before I came on the air. Don’t you disappoint him! He won’t disappoint you. May Gaaaaawd’s grace be upon you. Once again that’s P.O. Box …”

Sarita Jo Franklin stared down at the little radio after the sermon ended, lost in the enormity of the moment.  She was not religious and not even sure whether God existed. But the visit from Clete, her aching hip, and the uncertainty about what would happen to the ranch after she was gone was upon her with a vengeance. Sarita had thought she was indestructible, but now she knew different.

Sarita walked into the house, repeating “P.O. Box 823, Hope Arkansas, P.O. Box 823.”  She rummaged through the roll top desk for a box of Palmetto ranch stationery and a fresh sheet of carbon paper. Carefully she aligned the carbon paper between the white sheet of stationery and a thin sheet of onion skin paper for Clete’s copy. Satisfied they were aligned, she rolled the sheets into her ancient typewriter. She struck the keys of the manual typewriter forcefully to assure that the carbon paper left a clear image on Clete’s onion skin copy. The rhythmic slapping of the typewriter’s keys comforted her as she typed a letter to the Reverend Randall Clay.

On the bottom of Clete’s copy she hand-wrote a note. “You are no better than your daddy!” When she sealed the two envelopes she felt better. There was just enough time for one more drink before she went to bed. Tomorrow Sarita Jo would fire up the old Chevy truck and drive into Anahuac to the post office. The sooner she and Reverend Randall Clay met up, the better it would be.

William D. Darling is a lifelong storyteller and very nearly a native Texan, arriving in his beloved state as an infant in 1942. His first novel, Morgan’s Point, introduced readers to both the mid-‘60s rough-and-tumble world of the Houston courts where Darling came of age, and the Galveston Bay region that has long fascinated him. His latest novel Anahuac, serves as a sequel to Morgan’s Point as well as its own fascinating tale.

Darling, who has lived within the legislative bustle of Washington, D.C. and in the beauty of a Central Texas ranch, currently resides in Austin, where he and his wife have built a longstanding law practice.

Website ║ Facebook ║ Twitter ║ Goodreads

UPCOMING AUTHOR APPEARANCES:

January 12, 2018, 7:00PM

Anahuac Reading & Signing

Deep Vellum Books, 3000 Commerce Street, Dallas, TX, US 

January 20, 2018, 10:00AM

Anahuac Reading in Anahuac
William D. Darling brings it on home! He’ll read from Anahuac in the city where the new novel is set for the first time ever.
Chambers County Library, 202 Cummings Street, Anahuac, TX, US 

February 17, 2018, 4:30PM

Anahuac Houston Release Event
William D. Darling will sign and read from Anahuac, celebrating the release of the book with friends and well-wishers in the city he once called home, as part of a multi-author event.
Murder by the Books, 2342 Bissonnet, Houston, TX, US 

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January 5-January 14, 2018

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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR

1/5/18	Notable Quotable	Syd Savvy
1/5/18	Author Interview	Texan Girl Reads
1/6/18	Review	Missus Gonzo
1/7/18	Notable Quotable	A Novel Reality
1/8/18	Review	Forgotten Winds
1/9/18	Excerpt	StoreyBook Reviews
1/10/18	Notable Quotable	Tangled in Text
1/11/18	Review	Reading by Moonlight
1/12/18	Author Interview	Texas Book Lover
1/13/18	Scrapbook Page	The Clueless Gent
1/14/18	Review	Hall Ways Blog

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Ginger Snapped: A Spice Shop Mystery
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Minotaur Books (December 12, 2017)
Hardcover: 304 pages

Synopsis

Piper Prescott and Police Chief Wyatt McBride might have gotten off on the wrong foot but, over the past year, their interactions have evolved into a friendship of sorts. And when the body of Shirley Randolph is found floating in a fishing hole, their relationship reaches entirely new territory.

Shirley, the town’s Realtor of the Year, was also Wyatt’s suspected romantic interest, and now the residents of Brandywine Creek are speculating that Wyatt is responsible for her death. As the town council moves to suspend the handsome lawman, Piper springs into action to save his reputation and possibly his freedom. She enlists the aid of her BFF, Reba Mae Johnson, along with Wyatt himself, to help solve the puzzle and find Shirley’s real killer.

Pointing them toward high-powered real estate tactics and possible affairs, the investigation soon becomes personal when Piper’s shop, Spice It Up!, is burglarized, and she’s forced off the road late one night, narrowly escaping serious injury. Realizing that she must be close to uncovering the truth, and that the evidence against Wyatt is no longer circumstantial, Piper resorts to drastic measures to prevent a grave miscarriage of justice.

Google Play  BAM

About the Author

Friends often accuse Gail Oust of flunking retirement.  While working as a nurse/vascular technologist, Gail penned nine historical romances under the pseudonym Elizabeth Turner for Avon, Pocket, Berkley, and Kensington.  It wasn’t until she and her husband retired to South Carolina that inspiration struck for a mystery.  Hearing the words, “maybe it’s a dead body,” while golfing with friends fired her imagination for the Bunco Babe Mystery series originally published by NAL.  In conjunction with Beyond the Page Publishing, the Bunco Babe series has  been republished in digital format as the Kate McCall Mysteries complete with new titles and a whole new look.  Gail is currently writing the Spice Shop Mysteries for Minotaur/St. Martin’s.  When she isn’t reading, writing, or sleeping, she can usually be found on the golf course or hanging out with friends.

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January 3 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

January 3 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – COZY WEDNESDAY

January 4 – Valerie’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

January 4 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW

January 5 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – INTERVIEW

January 5 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST WITH RECIPE

January 5 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW

January 6 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

January 6 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW

January 6 – The Montana Bookaholic – SPOTLIGHT

January 7 – Varietats – REVIEW

January 7 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

January 8 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

January 8 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT

January 8 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW

January 9 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST

January 9 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

January 9 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 10 – The Self-Rescue Princess – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

January 10 – Book Babble – REVIEW

January 11 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

January 11 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW

January 12 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

January 12 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

January 12 – Community Bookstop -REVIEW

Unbridled Murder (A Carson Stables Mystery) 
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Kensington (December 26, 2017)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1496714084
E-Book ASIN: B06XZRVFBD

After horse trainer and rancher Annie Carson visits a feedlot in eastern Washington, she is determined to save as many horses from slaughter as possible before hightailing it back home—until she discovers the sleazy owner seemingly trampled in his corral. With the fate of the feedlot herd in her hands, Annie must navigate unfamiliar territory while trying to track down a killer and solve an increasingly tangled mystery. But unfortunately for Annie, returning to the Olympic Peninsula alive will be trickier than she ever imagined.

Guest Post

Today we welcome author Leigh Hearon to StoreyBook Reviews and her insight into creating Annie, her sleuth for this series.

MY AMATEUR SLEUTH

I realized I was taking a chance when I decided to make the protagonist in my cozy mystery series a horse trainer.

Annie Carson is a forty-something, single, independent horsewoman, who does not suffer fools lightly, if at all.  Until murder gets in the way, her life revolves around the care and training of her herd, and she is convinced the company of horses is pretty much all she requires to make her life complete.  Murder, of course, changes the equilibrium of her life, and also puts her in contact with new characters that by turn irritate, challenge, and often try to thwart her investigation.  On the plus side, one particular character pretty much sweeps her off her feet.  Still, there’s a lot of horsey stuff in the book.

When Reining In Murder, the first of the Carson Stables Mysteries, came out, I anticipated a lot of criticism from readers who were horse savvy.  Anyone who’s ever been around boarding stables will recall a barn diva who is dying to tell you the proper way to wrap a bandage, how your riding could improve, and what supplements your horse really needs.  The advice usually comes whether you asked for it or not.

But I was pleasantly surprised.  A few of these types weighed in, but not a lot.  And many readers who barely knew one end of a horse from another were actually grateful for the tidbits about horse care, training, and behavior that pepper the pages.  I found the response incredibly heartening.

I’ve been around horses all my life, and for the past twenty-five years have been fortunate enough to call four of them my own.  My herd now consists of Jolie Jeune Femme, a petite, sassy chestnut Saddlebred who will celebrate her 21^st birthday next month, and Edward, a tall, strapping bay Thoroughbred who shows such sensitivity and gentleness that if he were a man, I’d marry him in a heartbeat.  I’m just your average rider but when it comes to pure besotted love for equines, I’m in the top percentile.  When I began the series, I’d hoped I could lure readers into my favorite world, and I’m now cautiously optimistic that I’ve succeeded.

In Unbridled Murder, the third in the series, Annie meets perhaps her greatest challenge—saving unwanted horses.  Edward, my Thoroughbred, comes from a feedlot, the typical way station to the slaughterhouse, and I’ve seen firsthand the heartbreaking conditions horses endure before being transported to an even more horrible place.  But Annie is nothing if not tenacious, and her unrelenting determination to save the horses wins out in the end.  But it’s an uphill fight, just as it is in real life.

I admire Annie.  She has an inner strength to meet life head on that I wish I could emulate more often.  I know I’ll never ride as well as she does.  And, as a private investigator in real life, I am in complete awe of her case resolution rate.  I should be so lucky to solve as many homicides as she has in one year alone.

She has flaws, of course, which some readers have pointed out as undesirable in a female heroine, while others have admired these same traits.  Annie freely speaks her mind, and can be a tad sarcastic if provoked.  Her temper is never far away from the surface.  She has little patience for people who don’t take life as seriously or responsibly as she does.  And deep down, Annie wonders if she’s capable of holding onto a serious relationship.  She never doubts her horses love and respect her, but she finds it difficult to imagine any human, particularly the male variety, capable of loving her for own, flawed self.

I’ve had a lot of fun letting Annie’s character develop over several mysteries.  She’ll never be perfect, of course.  But she’s learning how to be more tolerate of others, and willing to let others be imperfect without always exercising her opinion.  Horses probably will always take precedence in Annie’s life.  But if she continues to solve murders in her fictional world set on the Olympic Peninsula, she may end up liking that lesser species, homo sapiens, a lot more, too.

About the Author

Leigh Hearon began her own P.I. agency, Leigh Hearon Investigative Services, in 1992. Her cases have appeared on In the Dead of Night, Forensic Files, 48 Hours, Court TV, City Confidential, Unsolved Mysteries, America’s Most Wanted, and CBS Evening News with Connie Chung. Hearon was an avid rider of horses throughout her childhood. She currently has a Saddlebred mare, Jolie Jeune Femme, and enjoys watching Jolie and two rescue mares cavort on a fifty-five-acre farm she shares with her husband.

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January 3 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – INTERVIEW

January 3 – Queen of all She Reads – SPOTLIGHT

January 4 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

January 4 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

January 5 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST

January 6 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW

January 7 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT

January 8 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

January 9 – Cozy Up With Kathy – INTERVIEW

January 10 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 11 – Valerie’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

January 12 – Bea’s Book Nook – REVIEW

January 13 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW

January 14 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

January 15 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW

January 16 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

Stowed Away (A Maine Clambake Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting – Maine
Kensington (December 26, 2017)
Mass Market Paperback 280 Pages

Synopsis

It’s June in Busman’s Harbor, Maine, and Julia Snowden and her family are working hard to get their authentic Maine clambake business ready for summer. Preparations must be put on hold, however, when a mysterious yacht drops anchor in the harbor—and delivers an unexpected dose of murder . . .

When Julia’s old prep school rival Wyatt Jayne invites her to dinner on board her billionaire fiancé’s decked-out yacht, Julia arrives to find a sumptuous table set for two—and the yachtsman dead in his chair. Suspicion quickly falls on Wyatt, and Julia’s quest to dredge up the truth leads her into the murky private world of a mega-rich recluse who may not have been all that he seemed . . .

About the Author

Barbara Ross is the author of the Maine Clambake Mysteries. The first book in the series, Clammed Up was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel, the RT Book Reviews, Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Amateur Sleuth and was a finalist for the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction. She is co-editor/co-publisher of Level Best Books, which produces anthologies of crime stories by New England authors. She writes at her home overlooking the harbor in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Barbara blogs with the Wicked Cozy Authors and Maine Crime Writers.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest * Instagram

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Check out the other blogs on this tour

January 3 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

January 3 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 4 – Bookworm Cafe – GUEST POST

January 4 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW

January 5 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

January 5 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW

January 6 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

January 6 – The Power of Words – REVIEW

January 7 – Cozy Up With Kathy – INTERVIEW

January 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 8 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

January 9 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT

January 9 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST

January 10 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 10 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW

January 11 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW

January 11 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

January 12 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

FATAL FALL: A Lori Reynolds Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Cozy Cat Press (September 28, 2017)
Paperback: 220 pages

Lori Reynolds thought she’d never return to the home where she spent her teenage years, but her sister Kay’s death from a fall down a staircase, changes all that. Having recently spoken with her sister on the phone, and knowing how worried Kay had been about all the strange things happening in her house, Lori suspects that her sister’s fall was anything but an accident and she resolves to investigate. Now that she has arrived for Kay’s funeral, she is caught up in the very family battles that she had tried to avoid when she left seven years ago. From Kay’s husband, Trevor, to his daughter from a previous marriage, Selena, to Lori’s first love and now Selena’s husband, Marc, to Trevor’s brother, Derek, to Selena’s grandmother, to Trevor and Kay’s daughter, Amber, the tension runs high. Then it really explodes when Trevor’s first wife, Jocelyn, decides to make an appearance. Did any of these family members have a motive strong enough to kill Kay? And if so, what was it? Kay moves closer and closer to the truth behind her sister’s fatal fall.

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Review

Lori is shocked to learn her sister has died from a fall in her home. She knows Kay better than that and immediately assumes someone has killed her. So she heads from Dallas back to where she grew up to uncover what really happened.

I had mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their motivations, trying to figure out what secrets different people were hiding and imagining being on a beach when it is cold where I live right now! On the flip side, I don’t know that I liked Lori. She was very pushy, pushier than I would have expected, in trying to uncover the truth. I guess I would never have assumed that someone was murdered right off the bat. But her persistence is what uncovers the truth about Kay’s death and what other secrets the family is hiding.

I was quite surprised at the turn of events at the end. Sure I knew some people did not have sterling characters but the depth of their malicious intents was not expected. Lori was lucky to be alive at the end! I expected some of the characters to be involved in the tragedies, but there were a few surprises. Looking back, however, perhaps it should not have been as big of a surprise.

There is a little romance with Lori’s former beau, Marc, but not until the very end because Marc is married to Selena, Lori’s stepsister. That is a complicated situation and considering how Selena is portrayed, I’m surprised that Marc was still married to her.

We give it 3 1/2 paws up.

About the Author

Teresa LaRue grew up in a small town along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She’s worked as a secretary, assistant manager of an audio book store, and manager of a fashion jewelry store. She is an avid reader, gardener, and movie buff. She lives across the lake from New Orleans with her family, including a dog named Bones, and a cat named Chloe.

Website * Goodreads

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MISSING ISAAC

 

by

 

VALERIE FRASER LUESSE

 

  Genre: Southern Fiction / Christian / Coming of Age

Publisher: Revell

Date of Publication: January 2, 2018

Number of Pages: 352

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Isaac believed in luck. But from Pete’s point of view, Isaac’s luck had all run out.

When Pete McLean loses his father in the summer of 1962, his friend Isaac is one of the few people he can lean on. Though their worlds are as different as black and white, friendship knows no color. So when Isaac suddenly goes missing, Pete is determined to find out what happened—no matter what it costs him. His quest will lead him into parts of town that he knows only through rumors and introduce him to a girl who will change his life. What they discover together will change the small Southern town of Glory, Alabama—forever.

With vivid descriptions, palpable atmosphere, and unforgettable characters, debut novelist Valerie Fraser Luesse breathes life into the rural South of the 1960s—a place where ordinary people struggle to find their footing in a social landscape that is shifting beneath their feet.

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Praise for Missing Issac

 

“Valerie Fraser Luesse’s beautiful story reveals the human heart that always beats beneath the headlines. In the process, she movingly illuminates not only the spirit of a special region but the soul of every human being who ever dared to care. Missing Isaac will break—and then heal—your heart.” —J. I. Baker, journalist and author of The Empty Glass

“Welcome debut novelist Valerie Fraser Luesse to the legions of gifted Southern writers before her. Missing Isaac is the first of what we hope will be many more tales from this talented writer.”—Nancy Dorman-Hickson, coauthor of Diplomacy and Diamonds and a former editor for Progressive Farmer and Southern Living magazines

“Valerie Luesse has an ear for dialogue, an eye for detail, and a profound gift for storytelling. She breathes life into these colorful Southern characters and this quirky Alabama town from the first page.” —Sid Evans, editor-in-chief of Southern Living magazine

 

 

 

 

 

 

This story encompasses much of life in the south in the 1960’s.  While there is some strife and conflict, most of the story is positive and upbeat which makes for an enjoyable read.

Missing Isaac is billed as a coming of age story, which I do believe it is, not only for Pete but for his love interest, Dovey.  The story follows Pete’s life from about 11 to 17 and how he reacts to the passing of his father; his friend Isaac that goes missing; and meeting the love of his life by chance while searching for his friend Isaac.  For Dovey, it is finding love; singing in public (church) and realizing that perhaps there is more to life than what she experienced growing up on the Pickett’s farm.  I found it interesting that since the book was set in the 1960’s and in the south, that there not much mentioned about segregation in the town of Glory.  There is mention of visiting Tandy’s for ribs and Pete experiencing the blues for the first time, but any other mention was fleeting.

The book is also billed as Christian and there are many hymn lyrics quoted and of course there are events held at the Baptist church.  This seemed very appropriate because I associate Baptist and the South together.  There are some gentle pokes at the Methodists during an event, but nothing out of line.  In fact, most of it is treated as a joke from the pastor’s comments and it felt like it was in fun and not meant to be derogatory.

In small towns you can expect most of the families to be related in one respect or another – if not by blood then by friendship which is as strong as a blood relationship, if not stronger.  This is the sort of town I wouldn’t mind residing because people look out for each other and it isn’t because they feel obligated, but because it is taking care of family (blood or otherwise).  Ned Ballard is a strong patriarch and his kindness shines throughout the book.

This book also has a little bit of a mystery – what happened to Isaac?  I won’t spoil it, but it is revealed what happened the night he went missing.  And I was surprised, but not surprised at the turn of events and those involved.  Seems like those that feel entitled do so no matter the decade.

Overall we enjoyed the slower pace of this book, the love stories and the mystery and give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

Valerie Fraser Luesse is an award-winning writer and a senior travel editor for Southern Living. Specializing in stories about unique pockets of Southern culture, Luesse has published major pieces on the Gulf Coast, the Mississippi Delta, Louisiana’s Acadian Prairie, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She lives in Alabama.

 

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Grand Prize: Print Copy of Missing Isaac, Print Copy of Southern Living Annual Recipes 2017, Handmade Leather Journal (9″x5″);

2ND PRIZE: Copy of Missing Isaac + $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card;

3RD PRIZE: Copy of Missing Isaac + $10 Starbucks Gift Card

January 2-January 11, 2018

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1/2/18	Author Interview	Texas Book Lover
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1/4/18	Top 15 List	Tangled in Text
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1/6/18	Review	A Page Before Bedtime
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1/8/18	Review	Reading by Moonlight
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Title: Earl Interrupted

Author: Amanda Forester

Series: The Daring Marriages, #2

Pub Date: January 2, 2017

Synopsis

After restoring his fortune as a notorious privateer, Captain Robert Ashton, Earl of Darington, goes to London in search of a bride. Instead, he finds unexpected dangers and unknown assailants. He is shot and left for dead. Life on the high seas was far calmer.

Enter Miss Emma St. James. She may appear sweet and demure, but she quickly proves herself to be equal to any challenge, including saving Darington’s life. Just when Darington is sure he has found his perfect bride, she reveals she’s betrothed to another.

Now things REALLY start to get complicated…

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Excerpt

“First sailed at twelve, joined right after my father’s death. First tour saw action at the Nile with Nelson,” said Darington in his understated manner.

“You were with Nelson at such a young age? Why, you are quite the hero,” exclaimed Emma.

“I ran powder. Tried not to get shot.”

“An admirable goal. I fully support it!”

Dare turned back to her with warm eyes. “Considering my recent experience, I quite agree.” His dark features gleamed a roguish enchantment in the moonlight.

A shiver ran down her spine.

Dare shrugged out of his greatcoat and, ignoring her murmurs of protest, put it around her shoulders. The heavy wool coat was warm from his own heat and stoked a fire within her. His scent lingered and she breathed deeply, feeling a little giddy at being draped in his coat as if wrapped in his arms.

“You should keep your coat. It is cold and you are still recovering,” Emma protested.

Dare gave her another of his shrugs and stepped close to her, reaching into the pocket of his coat that was wrapped around her. “This is for you.” He held out his hand, revealing a small, white shell.

Surprised, Emma took the small shell from his hand. It had a light gray, curved outside shell and a glossy, smooth, pink surface within. She looked up at him, wondering its significance. He continued to stare at her with an expectant air. She wished she understood the meaning of the gesture.

“Thank you.”

“It is for you,” he explained. “A gift. There are no flowers in January and your guardian is not present so…”

“Oh! A gift for me?” Emma realized this was his attempt at wooing her and her heart cracked open. “But how did you…? Please do not tell me you walked all the way to the beach to find me a shell.” She looked down from the edge of the cliff to the beach below.

“I confess Jonathan assisted me.”

“But you should not attempt such a thing. You are still recovering.”

“You said the purpose of the gift was not the object but the effort involved in the giving.”

“Oh, Dare!”

“Did I do it right?” The earnestness in his eyes made her heart ache.

“Yes, yes, you did it very well. Thank you. I will cherish it always.”

“Good.” Dare opened his mouth to say something but turned away instead, staring out over the ocean. She could not begin to guess his thoughts. Without his greatcoat, he appeared thin and lonely in the pale light, leaning on his walking stick.

Clearly, he had not given up his attempt to convince her to marry him. She would never take advantage of the situation to accept an offer made only out of obligation, but what if his heart had been truly touched? He certainly had gone to great effort. Would he act the same way out of a sense of honor? Given what Emma knew of the enigmatic man before her, he probably would.

Though she was already standing next to him, she stepped closer. “I must insist you take back your coat. I do not wish you to catch cold in your condition. And truly, you should rest.”

“No, no, my condition is very well, thanks to you.”

“But that does not mean you should freeze. Here, take back your coat. I am very warm, I assure you.” She stepped forward and attempted to place the coat back around his shoulders.

“No, I insist you keep it,” he protested, trying to keep the coat around her. Somehow, they ended up with one shoulder of the coat on him and one on her, standing so close their bodies brushed against one another.

Emma froze at the contact, looking up at the dark eyes of the Earl of Darington. His eyes burned with a fierce intensity, his lips parted. His dark look was similar to when he had defended her from the highwaymen. This was the true Darington. He kept a calm, distant facade, but raging beneath the surface was something wild and dangerous. Her heart pounded, but instead of pulling away, she pressed closer.

He slowly wrapped his arms around her, inside of the greatcoat, pulling her closer to him. Her hands flew to his chest, but she did not push him away. Without a word, he slowly lowered his head. He stopped just inches away from her lips. She waited, the air between them crackling with anticipation. Was he going to kiss her? Was he going to come so close and not kiss her? Waiting was agony.

Swiftly, he put an end to the debate and claimed her mouth with his. His lips pressed against hers and he pulled her closer, parting her lips with his tongue and deepening the kiss. Emma reached up and wrapped her hands around his neck, holding on tightly as her heart soared. She had never experienced anything like the sensation of kissing Darington. It was like flying, though her feet never left the ground.

When they finally parted, they both took deep breaths. His great coat slid to the ground, forgotten. She was certainly more than warm now. When his hand slid away from her waist, she noticed that it trembled.

“Forgive me,” he murmured, turning to face the crashing waves once more, holding his hands rigidly behind his back.

Emma took several more breaths before attempting speech. “That was…” She had not the words to describe it.

“An imposition on your person,” finished Dare without turning to her.

“No, no, that was not what I was going to say.”

“It was not?” He turned to her, a note of hope in his voice.

“No,” she replied firmly. “That was…quite remarkable.”

About the Author

AMANDA FORESTER holds a PhD and worked for many years in academia before discovering that writing novels was decidedly more fun. Whether in the rugged Highlands of medieval Scotland or the decadent ballrooms of Regency England, her novels offer fast-paced adventures filled with wit, intrigue, and romance.  Amanda lives near Seattle, WA.

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Title: Cowboy SEAL Homecoming

Author: Nicole Helm

Series: Navy SEAL Cowboys, #1

Pub Date: January 2, 2017

Synopsis

Three former Navy SEALs

Injured in the line of duty

Desperate for a new beginning…

Searching for a place to call their own.

Alex Maguire never thought he’d go home again. The perfect soldier, the perfect leader, he’s spent his whole life running away from Blue Valley, Montana—but when a tragic accident bounces him and two of his men out of the SEALs, there’s nowhere left to turn but the ranch he used to call his own…and the confusing, innocently beguiling woman who now lives there.

Becca Denton’s like nothing he could have imagined. She’s far too tempting for her own good, but when she offers to help turn the ranch into a haven for injured veterans, he can’t exactly say no. He’ll just need to keep his distance. But something in her big green eyes makes Alex want to set aside the mantle of the perfect soldier and discover the man he could have been…safe and whole within the shelter of her arms.

The Prodigal SEAL has come home.

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Excerpt

Alex remained frozen in place and Becca didn’t know how to let go of him. How to step away. Even when he’d ordered her not to kiss him, she didn’t know how to walk away.

Because he hadn’t answered her question. Not fully. If he’d only tell her that…that all he cared about was her well-being and safety. That this had nothing to do with the attraction she felt, then she would give this up. She would go back inside and sit with Mac and know that nothing with Alex was ever going to happen.

But he had to tell her. She needed to hear it from his lips to really be able to give it up.

He lifted the hand that had been hanging at his side and curled his long, blunt fingers around her elbow. He removed her arm from around him, but as he pulled her arm off and released her elbow, his fingers trailed—probably accidentally—down her forearm.

It jittered through her, like nerves and electrical shocks. Something swirling low in her stomach, sparks rioting in her chest.

His breath hitched, but his gaze didn’t meet hers as he pulled her other arm from around him.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to get at. I don’t know what other reason there could be.”

But he didn’t look at her, which was so weird. Alex always looked her in the eye.

“You’re lying.” Which she hadn’t meant to say out loud, but it was such a surprise to see it. To read him so well and so easily. “You’re really bad at it.”

His gaze finally met hers, and that she couldn’t read, whatever war was going on in his dark depths.

“Maybe you think I’m lying because that’s what you want.”

Which was true, but there was too much lining up to her way of thinking. He’d brought up not sleeping together this morning. Jack’s words—as drunken as they might have been—the whole not looking her in the eye and shuddering when they touched.

“Okay, that is what I want.”

She could tell she’d surprised him. That he’d expected her denial or maybe her to stutter and scamper away, but she wasn’t going to do that. “I’m attracted to you. Yup. Not going to deny it. You’re hot. You’re a good person—such a good guy, even when you’re annoying the piss out of me. I feel comfortable around you in a way I don’t with a whole heck of a lot of people. So, yeah, I’m not going to stand here and try to deny it, because I am not a coward—but you are.”

The shock written all over his face sharpened. “Excuse me?” he said, dangerously calm.

Clearly the word coward got under his skin. But that’s what he was being. Hiding behind lies and whatever else. It was cowardly. She should know. She was always a coward when it came to people.

Well, not anymore.

“I said you’re a coward,” she replied, giving a shrug she wished felt a little more nonchalant. “You won’t admit you feel exactly the same way. Because you’re afraid. Or is that for my protection too?”

He took a deep breath, clearly trying to find some calm, but his eyes were furious and his jaw was so tight it was a wonder it didn’t crack in half. Everything about him vibrated with anger, and she felt powerful.

Her. Becca Denton. She felt in charge and right. Not a doubt or a second of uncertainty.

“A coward, huh?” he finally muttered through gritted teeth, one of his hands flexing into a fist and then open again.

“Yes. A big ole fraidy-cat over the fact that you’ve got some feelings for your much younger step—” But before she could get the remaining words out of her mouth, he used the front of her shirt to jerk her against the hard wall of his much larger body. She was too shocked to jump back or fend it off, and even though nerves slammed through her, well, she liked being this close. Not just hugging close, but pressing close.

Then his mouth crushed against hers, hard and unrelenting, and whatever powerful feeling she’d had evaporated on the spot. Incinerated completely. She didn’t even have time to think about how she didn’t know how to do this. His hands were in her hair, her hair, tangling and moving her head whichever darn way he pleased.

She grabbed for purchase, a little afraid her knees were wobbly, holding on for dear life. Letting his lips and tongue lead hers, guide hers.

It was fire and it was shock and it was good. It was good to be hollowed out and feel as though she was filled with liquid gold. Shimmering and lazy. To be pressed up against nothing but hard muscle and skilled mouth and know not a thing could touch her here.

Not a thing but him.

“Christ, we can’t do this,” he muttered, but it was against her mouth, his arms banded around her so that whether they could or not, they certainly were.

She wanted to keep doing it. Experiencing it. Participate instead of just letting it happen and soak it up—which was good, oh it was good, but she wanted more.

About the Author

NICOLE HELM writes down-to-earth contemporary romance specializing in people who don’t live close enough to neighbors for them to be a problem. When she’s not writing, she spends her time dreaming about someday owning a barn. She lives with her husband and two young sons in O’Fallon, Missouri.

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