Book Details

Genre: Cozy Mystery – New Series

Published by: Signet/ Penguin

Release Date: August 6, 2013

Number of Pages: 304

Synopsis:

When Trixie Matkowski agrees to take over her aunt’s diner, she pictures lakeside views and delicious comfort food in the small town where she spent summers as a child. But the sweet scene turns sour when someone puts murder on the menu….

Trixie is in need of a fresh start away from her cheating ex-husband, but she may be biting off more than she can chew when she moves to upstate New York to run her family’s famed Silver Bullet Diner. Not only is she caught off guard by the small town’s resident heart-throb, Deputy Ty Brisco, but her first health inspection turns into a nightmare…when the inspector keels over into his blue plate special.

Someone made a deadly addition to an old family recipe, and Trixie is determined to find out whodunit. But between serving up orders and sniffing out clues, she’d better watch her back-or her next meal might be her last.

INCLUDES RECIPES!

About the Author:

I have worked in the criminal justice field for more years than I care to remember! It seems like I was forever going to school while I was working full time, but in the end, I received a dual master’s degree in Probation and Parole Studies and Sociology from Fordham University.

Unfortunately, the knowledge gained from way too many years in night school, didn’t prepare me for what I love to do the most – writing romances and cozy mysteries.

MY FIRST BOOK My very first book, THE LADY AND THE COWBOY, a short, western historical, was written for beginning adult readers, and I sold it to Laubach Literacy. In 1998, it was chosen by the Publishers Liaison Committee of the Public Library Association’s Adult Lifelong Learning Section as one of the “Top Titles for Adult New Readers.” Yes!

“THE CALL FROM HARLEQUIN” One of my biggest thrills in life was receiving “the call” from Susan Litman at Harlequin (then Silhouette) Special Edition in January of 2004. She wanted to publish THE COWBOY WAY. Yeee-haw!

THE COWBOY WAY was released in January of 2005—a year later. Such a looong time to wait. Since then, I’ve written eight books (and counting!) for Harlequin. I love writing about cowboys out west and the southwest, far away from New York State where I live! These are my GOLD BUCKLE COWBOYS (You’ll fall in love with them in eight seconds!) I’ve also written two books set in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, The Hawkins Legacy.

COZY MYSTERIES A new venture for me (in 2013) is a series of “comfort food” cozy mysteries which I set in a small-town 1950’s diner, THE SILVER BULLET.

The first book, DO OR DINER, from Penguin/Obsidian books is scheduled for release on August 6, 2013. A second book will follow, A SECOND HELPING OF MURDER, in 2014, and a third, yet untitled, book will be scheduled after that.

JUST FOR FUN I enjoy watching professional bull riding and rodeo with my favorite cowboy, my husband Jim. We put on our cowboy regalia (I look horrible in a cowboy hat!) and have traveled to events in Las Vegas, Florida, Connecticut, and other states. As a result of our travels, I have met many genuine, personable and polite cowboys, and that’s how I get my inspiration for my westerns! Of course I have to do research for my comfort food diner series. That takes me to diners all over the U.S. and Canada (and maybe Europe and Asia!) for meals. It’s a tough job, but I just have to do it!

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Giveaway:

6 copies of this book will be given away AND 4 of those winner will receive a $10 Amazon or B&N gift card too!

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Follow the Tour:

August 11 – Dru’s Book Musings Guest Post
August 12 – readalot Review
August 14 – Melina Book Blog Review
August 15 – Books-n-Kisses Review
August 16 – StoreyBook Reviews Spotlight
August 17 – Booklady’s Booknotes Spotlight & Guest Post
Augusy 18 – Cozy Up With Kathy Interview
August 20 – rantin’ ravin’ and reading –  Interview
August 20 – According to Squenn Review
August 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book Review & Guest Post
August 22 – Must Read Faster Review
August 23 – My Recent Favorite Books Review

Synopsis:

This sweeping allegorical tale begins with the escape of a Gypsy princess and her young lover from her father’s camp in 1851, recalling the flight of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. The boy steals Prodigal, a sailing ship blessed with unnatural speed, and the lovers escape to sea, leaving the father to grieve for the loss and pine for the return of his child. More than 150 years later on Ocracoke Island we meet Aidan Sharpe, an aging lawyer, as he rises from the sand of a remote beach after a lost weekend. In a strange foreboding, one woman gives him wine and another gives him water just as his world is about to be consumed by scandal. While struggling to rebuild his life in this lonely outpost of the Outer Banks, Aidan is caught up in a two-thousand-year-old mystery that unfolds with the sudden reappearance of Prodigal off the coast, adrift and unmanned. Its discovery will lead Aidan and those close to him into the deep, in a race between time and eternity.

Exciting news!

The Prodigal was chosen as a finalist along with four other novels by reviewers for the 2013 annual BookBundlz Book Club Pick contest. The finalists were announced on August 1.  This is an annual contest to select the best novel for thousands of book club members around the world.  The reviewers selected the finalists, but the winning book, to be named on September 1, will be determined solely by the greatest number of votes from the general public between now and August 31. People can sign up at the BookBundlz website to vote once per day and see where each of the five finalists stands in the running day by day.  VOTE HERE

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Trailer:

About the Author:

Michael Hurley lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife Susan. Born in Baltimore in 1958, he studied English at the University of Maryland and law at St. Louis University. His debut novel, The Prodigal (Ragbagger Press, 2013), is the story of a troubled lawyer who is trying to rebuild his life on Ocracoke Island when he discovers that his destiny is tied to a mysterious schooner that drifts ashore. Kirkus Reviews called it “stirring, romantic and evocative of the sea’s magic.” ForeWord Clarion Review described it as “a masterpiece of artistic imagination.”

Michael’s first book, Letters from the Woods (Ragbagger Press, 2005), is a collection of essays about life drawn from the canoe trips he took with his young children between 1995 and 2003 while publishing the quarterly journal, Paddle & Portage. The Wilmington Star-News described it as “one of those books you pick up like a comfy old shirt to relax in. . . Whimsical . . . Elegiac . . .” and wrote that “Hurley, like Hemingway, glories in the job cleanly done. ” The Raleigh News & Observer described it as “pointed, personal, and poignant. A deep and passionate tale of wilderness adventures. A celebration of universal truths. Well worth reading.”

Michael’s memoir, Once Upon A Gypsy Moon (Hachette, 2013), grew out of an improbable solo sailing-voyage from Annapolis to the Dominican Republic over two years that was part pilgrimage, part protest, and part penance. It’s a star-crossed love story wrapped within a rollicking good sea tale that Kirkus Reviews called “a striking memoir of personal discovery.”

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The Giveaway:

Michael is kindly giving away 2 copies of his book, paperback or eBook winner’s choice!  Just enter the rafflecopter below.  Ends 8/16 and open internationally for the eBook option only.  Paperback copy US only.

You can enter once each day!

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Title: Sweet Thing

Author: Renee Carlino

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Age Group:  New Adult

Event organized by: AToMR Tours

Buy the book:

Sweet Thing is on sale for $2.99 from July 24th to August 2nd

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Synopsis:

A USA TODAY bestseller, Sweet Thing tells the story of Mia Kelly, a twenty-five-year-old walking Gap ad who thinks she has life figured out when her father’s sudden death uproots her from slow-paced Ann Arbor to New York City’s bustling East Village. There she discovers her father’s spirit for life and the legacy he left behind with the help of an old café, a few eccentric friends, and one charming musician.

Will Ryan is good-looking, poetic, spontaneous, and on the brink of fame when he meets Mia, his new landlord, muse, and personal heartbreaker.

A story of self-discovery and friendship, Sweet Thing shines light on the power of loving and letting go.

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What reviewers are saying about Sweet Thing. . .

Maryse’s Book Blog – “It gave me every emotion and in just the right amount. My perfect read. . . 5 stars PLUS!!!!”

Jelena’s Book Blog – “Her writing style is so fresh, the tone, the dialogue, the plot, the characters…. everything… just everything was marvelous she is definitely an author to watch out for.”

A Love Affair With Books – “If you are looking for a new author, a new read or might want a bit of a cry, I highly recommend SWEET THING”

Book Addicts – “This book made me FEEL; it made me yearn for a happily ever after.”

The SUBCLUB Books – “I was hooked and hanging on every word from the Prologue all the way to the Epilogue, I had a hard time steering my eyes away from the story it had a fierce grasp on me and I happily obliged to ride the journey alongside the characters.”

Shh Moms Reading – “This is 5 HUGE stars ~ a soul searing beautifully written book that now owns a piece of my heart.”

Excerpt:

About the Author

Renee’s first friends were the imaginary kind and even though her characters haven’t gone away, thankfully the delusions have. She admits she’s a wildly hopeless romantic and she blames 80’s movies staring Molly Ringwald for that. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she’s not at the beach with her boys or working on the next book, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate.

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Giveaway:

(5) Signed Paperback Copies of Sweet Thing and Swag – US/Canada.

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Synopsis:

Andy Broussard, the “Plump and Proud” New Orleans medical examiner, obviously loves food.  Less apparent to the casual observer is his hatred of murderers. Together with his gorgeous sidekick, psychologist Kit Franklyn, Broussard forms a powerful, although improbable, mystery solving duo.

When Kit goes to meet an anonymous stranger—who’s been sending her roses—the man drops dead at her feet before she could even get his name. Game on.

Andy Broussard soon learns that the man carried a lethal pathogen similar to the deadly “Ebola”—a highly contagious virus, feared worldwide for killing its victims (grotesquely) in a matter of days. When another body turns up with the same bug, widespread panic becomes imminent. The danger is even more acute, because the carrier is mobile. The man knows he’s a walking weapon and… he’s targeting Broussard.

And when Kit Franklyn investigates her mystery suitor further, she runs afoul of a cold- blooded killer, every bit as deadly as the man searching for her partner.

Louisiana Fever is written in Donaldson’s unique style:  A hard-hitting, punchy, action-packed prose that’s dripping with a folksy, decidedly southern sense of irony.  Mix in Donaldson’s brilliant first-hand knowledge of forensics, along with the sultry flavor of New Orleans, and readers will be fully satisfied with this irresistibly delectable mystery.

Find the book:

Amazon – Kindle or Print

Barnes & Noble – Nook

Astor+Blue

About the Author

D.J. Donaldson is a retired professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology.  His entire academic career was spent at the University of Tennessee, Health Science Center, where he published dozens of papers on wound-healing and where he taught microscopic anatomy to thousands of medical and dental students.

He is also the author of seven published forensic mysteries and five medical thrillers. He lives in Memphis, Tennessee with his wife and two West Highland terriers. In the spring of most years he simply cannot stop buying new flowers and other plants for the couple’s prized backyard garden.

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Tour Schedule

Ixeos Rebellion

With rebel leader Darian free at last, the humans and outsiders on Ixeos must find a way to join forces and defeat the Firsts. The problem? All slaves are tracked with GPS, the Firsts are the only ones with power, and roving gangs hate the rebels just as much as they hate the aliens. As Darian and the outsiders from Earth travel the globe through the mysterious tunnels in Paris, they learn that the Firsts are preparing to launch another wave of biological warfare. With a transporter that will allow the aliens to target any city, anywhere on the planet, the rebels know they must stop them at all costs.

As things get more dangerous on Ixeos, the outsiders find that they’re pushed to their limit. Will they fight for freedom, no matter the price?

Excerpt

The tunnel felt damp as they stepped through the portal. Lindsey held the torch out in front of her, turning in both directions. There were small puddles of water on the floor; the rounded walls wept in places. The tracks looked rusty.

“Great,” Clay muttered. “Are you sure this place isn’t going to collapse on us?”

“Nope. With no one maintaining it, it will eventually,” Lindsey said.

“I wonder what happens to the portal if this side is underwater?” Sarah asked, pulling her arms tight across her chest and shivering.

“I guess we don’t get back to Boston, at least this way” Riley said.

“But could we still come through the portal, and then drown?” Sarah asked. She was feeling claustrophobic as she thought about the weight of the water above her. “Or, what if we’re walking through it and the walls crack…”

“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen!” Lindsey said, heading left. “At least if it floods while we’re in the city, we can get back home from New York or DC.”

“Remind me to come inspect the motorcycles,” Clay said. He and Samson had been in charge of all the Depots that housed motorcycles in Europe, but Samson had handled the others himself. Until he died. Clay shook his head to rid himself of the memory. Best not to think of that right now, in the circumstances.

“Gangs don’t use this tunnel much because of the water, so that’s good for us. The line goes all the way to Revere Beach that way…” Lindsey pointed behind them. “It’s a long way, but it’s nice out there and people used to go to hunt or fish. Not so much now. Everybody is afraid of the tunnel collapsing; the rebels don’t come in here at all.”

“Are there rebels near the LRTD that can help us?” Sarah asked.

“I don’t want to get any of them involved until we know more. Crossing over to the Cambridge side is dangerous. We’ve done some minor ops to cause trouble over there, but mostly we observe. There are a lot of Firsts on that side of the bridge.”

The group fell silent, contemplating the inhuman experiments the Firsts were notorious for conducting. Firsts had been in charge of some of the more gruesome human experiments in both Japan and Germany in World War II. Their lack of emotion but insatiable quest for what they called knowledge, along with a large population of slaves at their mercy, had allowed them to continue their “research.”

Ixeos

The McClellands are enjoying a lazy summer vacation at the beach when they are lured from our world into Ixeos, an alternate Earth. Finding themselves lost in a maze of tunnels under Paris and surrounded by strangers, they discover that they have been brought to Ixeos for one purpose: to take the planet back from humanoid aliens who have claimed it. With the aid of the tunnels and a mysterious man named Landon, the teens travel the world seeking the key that will allow them to free Darian, the long-imprisoned rebel leader. But the aliens aren’t the only problem on Ixeos — the McClellands have to deal with brutal gangs, desperate junkies, and a world without power, where all the technology is owned by the aliens, and where most of the population has been killed or enslaved. The worst part? There’s no way home.

Author Jennings Wright

Born and raised in Florida, Jennings spent her early years reading anything she could get her hands on, when she wasn’t spending time in and on the water. She won a prize in the 6th grade for her science fiction stories.

Jennings attended the University of Tampa, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science, and almost enough credits for B.A.s in both English and History. She attended graduate school at the University of West Florida, studying Psychology. She spent time over the years doing various kinds of business writing, editing, and teaching writing, but mostly having and raising her family, homeschooling her children, owning and running a business with her husband, and starting a non-profit.

Thanks to a crazy idea called NaNoWriMo Jennings got back into creative writing in 2011 and hasn’t stopped since. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, also a business owner and writer, and two children, and travels extensively with her family, and her non-profit in Uganda.

Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 7/31/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Book Title: The Light in the Wound

Author: Christine Brae

Genre: Contemporary Romance Fiction

Release date: July 23, 2013

Book Summary:

Trailer:

About the Author:

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Giveaway:

(1) $100.00 Amazon Gift Card; (3) signed copies of The Light in The Wound; and (2) The Light in the Wound charms.
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Blog Tour Schedule

Synopsis:

Sometimes dreams are where you least expect them.

Connor O’Malley and Becca Sanders were once high school sweethearts, ripped apart by rumors in the small town of Kortville, Illinois. Connor left to join the military, and Becca stayed, waiting for her younger brother to graduate so she could live her dreams of traveling the world. But now that Connor’s back as the town sheriff, Becca finds herself struggling to resist the too-handsome man who once broke her heart.

Connor loves Kortville—its quaintness keeps at bay the painful memories of Afghanistan he’s sure make him unworthy of any woman, particularly the beautiful brunette he’s always secretly dreamed of a future with. But when a scandal rocks the town, suddenly Connor and Becca must trust in each other if they want to weather this storm…and come out on the other side of it together.

Find the book here:

Amazon | B&N | iBookstore | Kobo

About the Author, Sara Daniel:

I write what I love—irresistible romance, from sweet to erotic and everything in between. On the personal side, I’m a frazzled maid, chauffeur, and slave to my children. I was once a landlord of two uninvited squirrels. (The children’s book The Bravest Squirrel Ever by my alter-ego Sara Shafer is the squirrel’s fictionalized version of that experience!) I’m crazy about country music and the drama of NASCAR. And I have my very own happily-ever-after romance with my hero husband.

Feel free to email me for the latest updates on my books and writing projects or to debate the best race car drivers!

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Giveaway:

$25 Amazon gift card
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Synopsis:

Rose has been struggling for years to find out about the mysterious illness that’s killing her. She’s decided to end her life after one last trip to the French Quarter…Her plans go awry when the sexy Caleb Glasson, who carries a dark secret, saunters into her life. She discovers that she’s not what she appears to be, to rest of the world. The only man that can unlock that secret is dead at Caleb’s hand. The most startling epiphany is that she has latent powers that will emerge in a haunting thrilling story that will answer all of her questions.

About the Author:

Angee was born in Houston, Texas in 1977, to an interesting family. Her mother and father separated when she was young. She lived with her mother who later remarried a wonderful man, who had a huge impact on her as she grew up. Angee has always had a love of reading, mostly paranormal. As a child, she would sneak up at late night when her mom thought she was sleeping, to read. They moved around a lot, eventually settling in Deep East Texas. Angee married at a young age and eventually divorced. She has raised her now 15 year old son alone. Angee works full time as a pre-hospital nurse and sometimes sees things that would make the rest of us have nightmares. On other days, she is blessed to see miracles. These things are what drive her to write. Angee describes her job as- “I fight to save people’s lives. Sometimes I lose, sometimes I win. It’s the emotional roller coaster of that job, which leads me to writing. I’m able to put those emotions into my characters and let them out of my heart and soul.” In 2006, she was diagnosed with a rare disease, shortly after that she was told she would be on full disability in five years and most likely to be dead in ten. She’s fought to live a normal life every day since and is beating those odds. She works at a demanding job, is a single mom, cares for an elderly mother, and a hyperactive dog. Her life has inspired her Paranormal novel Hidden Secrets. Sit back and enjoy.

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Synopsis:

   a bargain at just $2.99!

About the Author:

Kyle Shoop is the author of Acea and the Animal Kingdom. He lives in Utah with his wife and children. After spending several years volunteering in his wife’s elementary classrooms, he was inspired to write the book, which the first in a planned trilogy. The second book, Acea and the Seven Ancient Wonders, is expected to be out in 2014 and the first chapter is available at the end of every purchased copy. When not writing, Kyle is also a practicing attorney.

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Synopsis:

Meeting Jett was like bad luck. Dangerous. Unpredictable. And better avoided. In his game, the stakes are high. But are they worth the risk?

Brooke Stewart, a realtor in New York, finds forgetting is hard, but forgiving is harder. When the man she trusted, betrayed her, the only way to forget is to move on. Brooke is determined to start a new life, until she meets him again: the green-eyed, sexy as sin, six foot two sex god. The man who played dirty. The man who played her.

Sexy, handsome, and arrogant Jett Mayfield knows he has made mistakes. He could have any other woman, and yet it’s Brooke he wants. When second chances collide with secrets and Brooke is threatened by the past, Jett is determined to protect her. She accepts his help unwillingly because she needs him but she wants to play his game on her own terms. And she has no intention to forgive or let him back into her bed.

When the man she is supposed to hate is the one she should trust, will he conquer her…or lose her forever?

A woman who can’t forgive.

A man who has made mistakes.

Two lives that are about to cross again and more secrets laid bare.

About the author:

J.C. Reed is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of SURRENDER YOUR LOVE. She writes steamy contemporary fiction with a touch of mystery. When she’s not typing away on her keyboard, forgetting the world around her, she dreams of returning to the beautiful mountains of Wyoming. You can also find her chatting on Facebook with her readers or spending time with her two children. To get in touch with Jessica use the contact form below. She tries to respond to each and every email in a timely manner.

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Giveaway:

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