COMFORT ZONE

 

A Comfort Stories Book

 

by

 

KIMBERLY FISH

 

 

Genre: Contemporary / Second Chance Romance / Women’s Fiction

Publisher: Fish Tales Publishing

Date of Publication: November 1, 2021

Number of Pages: 289 pages

 

 

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The award-winning author of Comfort Songs, Comfort Plans, and Comfort Foods digs into the life of single-mom Anna Weber, an appraiser who gives value to other people’s found treasures. On assignment to research a handwritten sheet of music, Anna helps a stranded motorist, only to discover she’s rescued retired NFL quarterback Jack Moses. His confidence and fascination for solving problems make him impossible for Anna to ignore even as they both dart along separate deadlines to save the finances at an inner-city school. Little does Anna know that as she wrestles with secrets from her past and a suspicious approach to people, Jack is running too—dodging women, pro athletes, and a future with no definable end zone.

As a nemesis threatens Anna’s young daughters, these two unlikely partners discover that it’s in stepping back from years of self-sufficiency that Anna and Jack can find the best treasure of all: a series of sweet, second chances.

 

 

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Praise & Awards

 

“Kimberly Fish’s Comfort books are wonderful, charming stories set in the Texas Hill Country. Fans of small towns family relationships will enjoy these feel-good books. Two thumbs up!” – Jan Moran, USA Today bestselling author of Seabreeze Inn.

Comfort Zone is a Literary Titan Gold Award winner and a Reader Views Bronze Award winner in romance. It was also a runner-up in the regional fiction category of the New England Book Festival awards.

 

 

 

Journey back to Comfort, Texas, where the folks are friendly, friendships are treasured, and everyone has your back.

I have loved each of the books in this series and picking up a new one always feels like I am pulling up a chair and sitting back with familiar faces sharing life stories. This is the town where I wouldn’t mind living and I could since it is a real small town in the Texas Hill Country. However, current home prices are holding me back.

This story is filled with action, deception, intrigue, humor, and a little romance. Anna has a secret past that no one knows about, not even her friends. She even has a fascinating career as an appraiser of antiquities and such. I am amazed at the lengths she goes to when researching a piece of music that has been donated to the school. Is it worth something? Only time will tell and her research into possible creators of this song. Jack is struggling to find his place after his retirement from the NFL. He and some of his former teammates have started a school and they are in a rush to find funding to make sure the school stays open.

Both Anna and Jack fight their feelings for each other, well Anna more than Jack, and I enjoyed watching their relationship blossom and that there is not even a kiss until close to the end. It was nice to see a relationship not be rushed and with the obstacles in the way, it is one that needed time to mature. I chuckled many times when Anna would put Jack in his place and her knowledge of multiple topics, including how to repair a car, was amazing. She is definitely a renaissance woman.

While the focus is on these two, we have multiple characters from the past books immersed in this storyline. The friendship between this band of women is one that I can relate to in my own life.

I would be remiss in not mentioning LaDonna and Jo Jo (Joseph). This couple may have Jack’s best interests at heart, but they aren’t above meddling and playing matchmaker whenever possible between Jack and Anna. LaDonna is a force to be reckoned with and not someone I would want to get crossways with but have a feeling they would support those in their life to the fullest. This power couple adds additional depth to the story because it shows the strength of their relationship with Jack and how far they go back together.

I know without a doubt that any time I pick up one of Kimberly’s books I will be in for a treat and will perhaps stay up way too late to finish the book. This makes me sad because it means that story is over and I have to wait for the next one.

While you could read this book alone, start with the first book in the series, Comfort Plans, so you can get to know all of the characters and their stories.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kimberly Fish has been a professional writer in marketing and media for over thirty years, with regular contributions to area newspapers and magazines. As an accidental historian, she wrote two novels, The Big Inch and Harmon General, both based on factual events in Longview, Texas that changed world history. Kimberly also offers a set of contemporary women’s fiction, based in the Texas Hill Country, that reveal her fascination with characters discovering their grit and sweet, second chances; all four of these novels have won distinguished awards.

 

 

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Autographed copy of Comfort Zone,

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and NFL official Silver Series football signed by Jack Moses.

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Visit the Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

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4/19/22	Review	Jennie Reads
4/19/22	BONUS Promo	Hall Ways Blog
4/20/22	Review	Bibliotica
4/20/22	BONUS Promo	LSBBT Blog
4/21/22	Review	Carpe Diem Chronicles
4/22/22	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
4/23/22	Review	Reading by Moonlight
4/24/22	Review	Rox Burkey Blog
4/25/22	Review	Book Fidelity
4/25/22	BONUS Promo	All the Ups and Downs
4/26/22	Review	The Plain-Spoken Pen
4/27/22	Review	It’s Not All Gravy
4/28/22	Review	Forgotten Winds

 

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Synopsis

 

Cassie O’Malley is a woman on the run when she when gets tangled up with a suspicious local sheriff and, on the spur of the moment, turns to a handsome stranger to get herself out of a tight spot.

Ted Wellman didn’t go to town to get hitched but that sweet girl with her big green eyes looked desperate. Suddenly he finds himself married to a stranger. No problem, his uncle’s a lawyer and everybody knows he’s in no emotional condition to settle down, not since the death of his brother put him on emotional lock down.

Much to his surprise, instead of helping get out of it, Ted’s crazy family seemed determined to keep him and Cassie together. What could they be thinking? That there is a chance of finally thawing Ted’s frozen heart?

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Bookshop

 

This book releases on 3/29/22, preorder it today!

 

 

Review

 

This is a rerelease of one of the author’s books that she wrote under another penname in 1997 called Love is the Answer. It has been updated to today’s times but the sweet southern romance checked several boxes including a little danger for Cassie.

Cassie has been orphaned while still a minor and was taken in by a couple. He is a scumbag but his wife is nice yet dying of cancer. Once Cassie is free of her obligation she strikes out on her own primarily because he has sold her to sex traffickers. I appreciated the little bit of the book that delved into this horrible world and was glad that Cassie was able to leave before any of that came to fruition.

Ted is living in his own sort of hell after his twin brother was killed in a car accident. He has never let himself move past that event until now. Even his own family couldn’t budge him in moving on with his life.

I thought the storyline was cute and found it comical that they had to get married to avoid Cassie being found out since there was an APB out for her saying she had mental issues. Shows you what sort of dirtbag she was living with at the time. I think Ted taking care of Cassie was what brought him out of his funk. However, Cassie has her own ideas and doesn’t need Ted to take care of her, but she does in a way. They are both young (20 and 21 I believe) and there is so much more to life than what they know. Thankfully, Ted’s family takes her in as their own and treats her well. I think Cassie fell for the family before Ted and I can’t blame her considering the last few years. They both have some growing up to do and what safer place than with each other.

The story isn’t long but it is as sweet as sweet tea and was a quick read.

We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author and RITA Finalist, Carolyn Brown, has published more than seventy books.  These days she is concentrating on her two loves:  women’s fiction and contemporary cowboy romance. She and her husband, a retired English teacher, make their home in southern Oklahoma.

 

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THE SPARK OF LOVE

 

Mesquite Springs, Book 3

 

by

 

AMANDA CABOT

 

 

Categories: Fiction / Christian / Historical Romance

Publisher: Revell

Date of Publication: March 1, 2022

Number of Pages: 352 pages

 

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She’s determined to start a new life in the West . . . if only the old one would leave her alone

When a spurned suitor threatens her, heiress Alexandra Tarkington flees New York for Mesquite Springs in the Texas Hill Country, where her father is building a hotel. But the happy reunion she envisions is not to be, as her father insists she return to New York. Instead, Alexandra carves out a niche for herself in town, teaching schoolchildren to paint and enjoying the company of Gabe Seymour, a delightful man she met on the stagecoach.

But all is not as it seems. Two men, each with his own agenda, have followed her to Mesquite Springs. And Gabe, an investigator, is searching for proof that her father is a swindler.

With so much to lose–and hide from one another–Alexandra and Gabe will have to come together if they are ever to discover whether the sparks they’ve felt from the beginning can kindle the fire of true love.

 

 

Purchase at Baker Publishing (Revell)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Challenges of Titling

 

Guest Post by Amanda Cabot

 

No doubt about it: titles are important. Along with the author’s name and the cover art, they’re what readers consider when deciding whether to buy a book. That’s why so much time and thought goes into choosing the title. It has to be just right.

I could have called the book Runaway New York Heiress or The PI’s Search for a Con Man. Both of those are aspects of the story, but the titles are wrong – terribly wrong – for this book. Not only do they sound too modern, but they’re too limiting. The Spark of Love is about much more than Alexandra’s leaving New York and Gabe’s search for the con man.

There’s another reason why those titles are wrong: they don’t tie into the rest of the series. The first two books, Out of the Embers and Dreams Rekindled, have fire-related words in them. I wanted there to be no question that this book was part of the Mesquite Springs trilogy, and that meant that its title needed a word that at least hinted at fire. That’s why I was thrilled when the titling committee suggested The Spark of Love. Perfect!

The next challenge was announcing the title to my readers. I usually simply include it in a newsletter, but this time I wanted to do something different. Since my husband and I play Scrabble almost every evening, I decided to use Scrabble tiles for my announcement.

What do you think? Did having “Mesquite Springs,” which I needed to make the other letters fit, make it too complex?

 

 

The third challenge is one that other authors have done, namely finding a story-related word for each of the letters in the title. I’ve enjoyed reading other authors’ answers to this challenge and thought it would be fun to try my hand at it. So, here it is:

 

T – Texas. Like many of my books, this one is set in Texas. The Hill Country, to be specific.

H – Hotel. The building of a hotel plays a key role in the story.

E – Excitement. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the hotel and the two newcomers to Mesquite Springs.

 

S – Stagecoach. The hero and heroine meet while waiting for a stagecoach.

P – Painting. Alexandra is an amateur artist, and painting is one of the ways she dealt with a lonely childhood.

A – Alexandra. She and Gabe are the protagonists of the book.

R – Riches. More than one person is seeking riches … some in less than legal ways.

K – Kisses. It wouldn’t be a romance without at least a few of those, would it?

 

O – Oak. A key scene takes place under one of the venerable live oaks in the park.

F – Fear. Fear is the reason Alexandra leaves New York and heads to Mesquite Springs.

 

L –Legacy. Alexandra’s father plans to leave her a legacy, but is it the one she wants?

O – Occupancy. Every hotel needs a high occupancy rate to survive, and Alexandra’s determined to do everything she can to ensure that the one in Mesquite Springs has it.

V – View. The first view of Alexandra’s father’s land is a surprising one.

E – Ever after. “And they all lived happily ever after.” Or did they?

 

Have you learned anything about the story from the last challenge? I hope so. I learned one thing: have a title with fewer letters in it next time.

 

 

 

 

 

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of Out of the Embers and Dreams Rekindled, as well as the Cimarron Creek Trilogy and the Texas Crossroads, Texas Dreams, and Westward Winds series. Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards, the HOLT Medallion, and the Booksellers’ Best. She lives in Wyoming.

 

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3/8/22	Excerpt	Chapter Break Book Blog
3/8/22	BONUS Promo	Hall Ways Blog
3/9/22	Review	It’s Not All Gravy
3/9/22	BONUS Promo	LSBBT Blog
3/10/22	Guest Post	StoreyBook Reviews
3/11/22	Review	Jennie Reads
3/12/22	Author Interview	Book Fidelity
3/13/22	Excerpt	All the Ups and Downs
3/14/22	Review	Carpe Diem Chronicles
3/15/22	Bonus Scene	Rox Burkey Blog
3/15/22	BONUS Review	The Book’s Delight
3/16/22	Review	The Plain-Spoken Pen
3/17/22	Review	Reading by Moonlight

 

 

 

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GHOST AGENTS

 

by

 

NITA DEBORDE

 

 

Categories: Science Fiction / Cozy Mystery / Paranormal / Texas History

Series: The Ghost Agents Trilogy

Publisher: Mabelonia Press

Date of Publication: July 31, 2021

Number of Pages: 309 pages

 

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An organization that has operated in secret for centuries… a mystery that threatens to burn it all to the ground… and she’s the only agent who can stop it…

To the residents and tourists of Galveston Island, Claire Abelard is the friendly young woman who works at the local candy store by day and leads ghost tours of the island’s haunted locations by night. They don’t realize this persona is a cover for Claire’s real job as an agent of the Bureau for Historical Preservation, a clandestine organization that monitors and assists energy projections, or the entities more commonly known as “ghosts.”

When projections begin disappearing from around the island, Claire worries that history may be repeating itself. She launches a dangerous investigation and uncovers a sinister, arcane organization whose agenda threatens not only Galveston’s ghosts, but everything she has worked her whole life to protect.

The truth behind the disappearances rocks Claire’s world to its core and shows her that ghosts aren’t the only things that can come back to haunt you.

 

 

 

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Read for free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nita DeBorde is a published author and teacher from Houston, TX. Writing and teaching are her two major passions, though traveling and being dog-mom to a crazy Staffordshire-Boxer mix named Mabel are high on the list as well.

Nita has taught high school French for more than 20 years and absolutely loves her “day job” job (about 95% of the time). She loves to travel, and not surprisingly, France is her favorite destination, though her home state of Texas runs a close second.

She is also a huge history buff, which comes through in her fiction writing, and particularly in her latest novel, Ghost Agents, a genre-defying, cozy paranormal mystery with a little sci-fi and romance thrown into the mix. Ghost Agents: Revelations, the second book in the Ghost Agents Trilogy, is slated for release in March 2022.

Nita’s first novel, Project Lachesis, is currently available in both Kindle and hardcopy format from Amazon.com.

Her first published work, a Christian allegory titled Lessons from the Meadow, was published in December of 2013 under the pen name A.M. Ward. Stay tuned for more titles by A.M. Ward in the Christian fiction genre.

 

 

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OUT OF TEMPER

 

Bean to Bar Mysteries Book 3

 

by

 

AMBER ROYER

 

 

Categories: Cozy Mystery / Women Sleuth / Romance

Publisher: Golden Tip Press

Date of Publication: February 1, 2022

Number of Pages: 264 pages

 

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Felicity Koerber’s bean to bar chocolate shop on Galveston’s historic Strand has been the scene of two murders – both of which she has been instrumental in helping solve. So when she gets invited to demo her chocolate skills aboard a cruise ship sailing out of the local port, she’s excited at the chance to get away from the shop long enough to regain her equilibrium. She even brings her best friend along and makes plans for time at the spa. But when she gets on board, she finds out that she’s been booked for a mystery-themed cruise, and said best friend, Autumn, has to finally deal with the real reasons she quit writing mysteries. Only – if that wasn’t stressful enough – it doesn’t take long before there’s a real murder on the cruise, and someone Felicity knows becomes the prime suspect. When said suspect asks her for help, she can’t exactly say no, can she?

Felicity finds herself surrounded by cruise goers who all had connections to the victim – and finds that both Logan (her business partner, whom she recently kissed) and Arlo (the cop who was once Felicity’s first boyfriend, before she moved away from Galveston) are dealing with the case until more official help can arrive. How will Felicity survive the ensuing awkwardness?

One thing that helps: the retired police dog turned therapy dog she meets on board. Satchmo helps Felicity deal with being back on the water after tragedy in her past – and also helps her uncover a vital clue to the case. Can Felicity unmask the killer and keep a friend from being framed before all the suspects leave the ship?

 

 

Amazon│ Barnes and Noble │Apple Books │Kobo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can anyone not enjoy a mystery that involves chocolate? Ok, it would be better if I could have it while reading the book…oh marketing idea, each book comes with a bar of chocolate! But I digress. This series is fascinating and I love the discussion about how cacao beans are processed (in previous books) and how we get the chocolate we see in the market today. There is such a history to chocolate and if you ever get a chance to hear the author speak, please do because there is so much information to be learned.

Felicity is off to work on a cruise and talk about how chocolate is made. And it wouldn’t be a mystery without someone ending up dead, and in this case, a character that isn’t well-liked and has something of a shady past according to his ex-wife, girlfriend, and other characters. There are so many red herring clues that you have to put on your thinking cap to figure out who and why. I figured out the who close to when it was revealed and could guess the why once I fixated on this character. There are clues now that I look back that might point you in the right direction, but maybe not. Read the book to see how well you can spot the clues.

I loved the idea of the mystery cruise setting. This sounds like something I would enjoy and might even sign up to do as long as no one really ends up dead. That coupled with a chocolate demonstration and authors sound like my fantasy trip! I will be curious to see if this cruise line makes it into future books with a mystery tied to it. There are so many possibilities and we did see a glimpse of a cruise ship in other books, so I wouldn’t rule it out as an option.

There is a bit of a love triangle for Felicity. There is her high school sweetheart, Arlo, that is now available after a breakup in the 2nd book. There is also Logan who is her partner in the chocolate shop. Both would be good choices and it will be hard for her to make a decision quickly. But who says she has to decide now? She still mourns her husband but that is decreasing as time goes by.

I enjoyed watching the characters continue to grow and we learn more about them as this series continues. Autumn reveals some truths which surprise a lot of people, but I can see why it was kept under wraps. We don’t see as much of Carmen in this book since she is holding down the fort, but I look forward to some of her new baked goods in future installments.

Seriously, a great series and we give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amber Royer writes the Chocoverse comic telenovela-style foodie-inspired space opera series and the Bean to Bar Mysteries. She is also the author of Story Like a Journalist: a Workbook for Novelists, which boils down her writing knowledge into an actionable plan involving over 100 worksheets to build a comprehensive story plan for your novel. She also teaches creative writing and is an author coach. Amber and her husband live in the DFW area, where you can often find them hiking or taking landscape/architecture/wildlife photographs.  If you are very nice to Amber, she might make you cupcakes.  Chocolate cupcakes, of course! Amber blogs about creative writing techniques and all things chocolate.

 

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2/23/22	Playlist	Chapter Break Book Blog
2/23/22	BONUS Promo	Hall Ways Blog
2/24/22	Review	Missus Gonzo
2/24/22	BONUS Promo	LSBBT Blog
2/25/22	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
2/26/22	Scrapbook Page	All the Ups and Downs
2/27/22	Top 10 List	The Plain-Spoken Pen
2/28/22	Review	Bibliotica
3/1/22	Top 10 List	Reading by Moonlight
3/2/22	Review	Forgotten Winds
3/3/22	Guest Post	Book Bustle
3/4/22	Review	Carpe Diem Chronicles

 

 

 

 

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THE SPARROWS OF MONTENEGRO

 

by

 

BJ MAYO

 

 

Categories: Western / Historical Fiction / Texas

Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing

Date of Publication: February 8, 2022

Number of Pages: 312 pages

 

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Tree “Bigfoot” Smith and Cedar Jones first meet on the day they join the US Cavalry’s Fourth Cavalry Regiment based out of the Historic Fort Concho in what is now San Angelo, Texas, in 1870.

Their journey takes them into the heart of the dangerous Llano Estacado region known as the Comancheria. The area is ruthlessly defended by a band of Quahadi Comanche and their stoic leader, Lonely Horse. The Troop encounters a large group of Comanches and the gun-running Comancheros at Mushaway Mountain, close to Gail, Texas. A quick battle ensues that leaves eight men dead.

Post Cavalry life finds Tree Smith and Cedar Jones as cowhand and cook on the large Rolling J cattle ranch in South Texas bordering the Rio Grande River. The ranch employs two Vaqueros from the village of Montenegro in Mexico, just across the river, whom Tree befriends.

The quiet life on the Rolling J ranch is brought to an abrupt halt when a local sheriff warns that a band led by the cold-blooded, sadistic killer known as Gato Montes has been preying on the ranches along the Rio Grande. After the sheriff is nearly killed by these men, Tree is tasked with tracking them down, only this time, he is traveling alone and the dangers are greatly multiplied. His epic journey takes him back into the Llano Estacado where he is captured by Lonely Horse and taken to Mushaway Mountain where the Comanche carry out their own form of frontier justice.

Tree’s return journey puts him on the same path as Marco, a Mexican goat herder, who rides with him to the Mexican Village of Montenegro, where Tree meets Julia, who changes his life forever after he becomes involved in and bears witness to the wonderful celebration of Dia de los Muertos.

 

 

Amazon * Barnes and Noble * Simon and Schuster

 

Bookshop.org * IndieBound

 

 

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

 

“I could not put this one down. Mayo has masterfully written a character-driven page-turner, a compelling tale for the reader who seeks something more than the stereotypical western novel.” —Ron Schwab, author of Goldsmith and the Law Wranglers series

 

“This mild-mannered west Texas rancher has woven a border tapestry using yarns made of unimaginable horror and sweet innocence.” —Tumbleweed Smith, author of Under the Chinaberry Tree

 

“A thoroughly enjoyable read—a cowboy’s trail you’ll want to follow, with a memorable cast of characters, renegades, soldiers, lawmen, and simple folks, and a hero that you’ll want more of.” —John J. Jacobson, author of All the Cowboys Ain’t Gone

 

 

 

 

 

If you are in the mood for a historical western that has everything from cowboys & ranching, cavalry, Dia de Los Muertos, Indian justice, faith, humor, and even a little romance, then this is the book to read.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started this book and wasn’t sure where the first few storylines were going, but as I continued reading everything fell into place. As it was said in the book “Dios knows.” The stories weave together as if they were always meant to be there and the descriptive words of the sights, sounds, and smells will have you wondering if you were there with them experiencing the same thing.

There are so many likable characters, and of course some unlikable ones too. I’m not quite sure who my favorite character was out of all of them, but it was close between Tree, Marco, and Felicity. Tree is one of the main characters and like his name, he is steadfast and strong. Marco is a minor character we meet about 2/3 of the way through the book but his kindness and goat-whisperer abilities just spoke to me. Felicity is not your average woman and can definitely take care of herself as she shows us multiple times. Plus, her ability to move past her past and look forward to a future with Cedar is something many can relate to in our own lives.

This story is not a sweet recounting of what life was like in the late 1800s but a realistic look at what settlers might have endured from the Indians, banditos, wild animals, and weather that they may not be prepared to experience. The biggest obstacles were the Indians and the justice that they meted out to those trying to take over their lands or unsavory acts perpetrated upon the tribe or others. The truth isn’t whitewashed and the details may be hard to read for some, but it was how things were handled at that time.

While the story has multiple facets, the main focus is on Tree and his life during the cavalry and afterward. He is a noble character with flaws and a heart as big as Texas. So many go through life with events from their past that haunt them and this is no different for Tree. However, he learns to adapt and eventually captures the heart of a woman from a village across the border. While we don’t see a lot of their relationship blossom and it does seem to happen rather quickly, they are perfect for each other and ultimately complete each other.

I do have to add that I got a huge chuckle of what the men would call their privates – hangy-downs.

This is a wondrous tale that hovers between western and historical fiction, but it definitely made an impression on me. We give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BJ Mayo was born in an oil field town in Texas. His career in the energy industry took him to various points in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Louisiana, Alabama, Bangladesh, Australia, and Angola, West Africa.

He and his wife were high school sweethearts and have been married for forty-six years. They live on a working farm near San Angelo, Texas.

 

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Autographed copies of The Sparrows of Montenegro.

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Visit Lone Star Literary Life Tour Page

For direct links to each post on this tour, updated daily,

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2/8/22	Review	Reading by Moonlight
2/8/22	BONUS promo	Hall Ways Blog
2/8/22	BONUS promo	LSBBT Blog
2/9/22	Review	The Plain-Spoken Pen
2/9/22	Review	Book Fidelity
2/10/22	Review	Bibliotica
2/10/22	Review	Forgotten Winds
2/11/22	Review	The Book’s Delight
2/11/22	Review	Momma on the Rocks
2/12/22	Review	Librariel Book Adventures
2/13/22	Review	Julia Picks 1
2/14/22	Review	Book Bustle
2/15/22	Review	Rainy Days with Amanda
2/16/22	Review	Jennie Reads
2/17/22	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
2/17/22	Review	The Clueless Gent

 

 

 

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Synopsis

 

Texas Ranger Tom Bell is tracking a fugitive killer when he rides into Pine Top, a hastily erected shanty-town crawling with rough and desperate men-oil drillers, come by the thousands in search of work. It soon becomes apparent that the lawman’s poking around has irritated the wrong people, and when two failed attempts are made on his life, Bell knows that he’s getting closer to finding out who is responsible for cheating and murdering the local landowners in order to access the rich oil fields flowing beneath their farms. When they ambush him for a third time while he’s out with a local woman he’s fallen for, they make the deadly mistake of killing her and leaving him alive

 

 

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Review

 

This is the first book I have read by this author and after reading the author’s notes, apparently, Texas Ranger Tom Bell has other books that he is featured in and you could say this is like a prequel to those books.

In this book, Tom is chasing a murderer from the valley and ends up in East Texas. I don’t think I realized it when I picked up the book, but since I lived for some time in Longview, I am familiar with the area even though it would have looked much different in the 1930s. I was fascinated to learn that Liberty City was previously called Hog Eye until the oil boom. I had to chuckle at the name of the town, but there are small towns all across this country with unique names.

Set during the oil boom, this book showcases human nature and that they weren’t that much different than people today by scheming and deceiving landowners, killing, prejudice for those even a little different from them, gangsters and prohibition. This book gets into the nitty-gritty of life in a small shanty town and had me spellbound imaging life nearly 90 years ago. Life was not easy because there was also the depression which made some people greedy that much more as we saw from various characters.

I really like Tom Bell and how seriously he took his position as a Texas Ranger. It was not an easy job for him or anyone else, but they made it work somehow. I thought the details painted a picture for us to imagine what life was like in this area at that time. The towns exploded with oil derrick workers and I can imagine law enforcement was stretched thin trying to keep everything peaceful. It was not an easy task for anyone. Those that were of ill repute were going to wreak havoc no matter what and those scenes had my heart pounding wondering how things were going to shake out for Tom.

This is a fascinating book and one I enjoyed immensely. We give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Reavis Z. Wortham retired in 2011 and now works harder than before as the author of the critically acclaimed Red River historical mystery series. Kirkus Reviews listed his first novel, The Rock Hole, as one of their Top 12 Mysteries of 2011. True West Magazine included Dark Places as one of 2015’s Top 12 Modern Westerns. The Providence Journal writes, “This year’s Unraveled is a hidden gem of a book that reads like Craig Johnson’s Longmire on steroids.” Wortham’s new high octane contemporary thriller from Kensington Publishing, Hawke’s Prey, featuring Texas Ranger Sonny Hawke was released in June 2017.

 

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Ghost Agents
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Independently published (July 26, 2021)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 309 pages

 

Synopsis

 

An organization that has operated in secret for centuries… a mystery that threatens to burn it all to the ground… and she’s the only agent who can stop it…

 

To the residents and tourists of Galveston Island, Claire Abelard is the friendly young woman who works at the local candy store by day and leads ghost tours of the island’s haunted locations by night. They don’t realize this persona is a cover for Claire’s real job as an agent of the Bureau for Historical Preservation, a clandestine organization that monitors and assists energy projections, or the entities more commonly known as “ghosts.”

When projections begin disappearing from around the island, Claire worries that history may be repeating itself. She launches a dangerous investigation and uncovers a sinister, arcane organization whose agenda threatens not only Galveston’s ghosts, but everything she has worked her whole life to protect.

The truth behind the disappearances rocks Claire’s world to its core and shows her that ghosts aren’t the only things that can come back to haunt you.

Ghost Agents is a genre-defying, cozy paranormal mystery, with a little sci-fi, romance, and Texas history thrown into the mix!

 

 

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Read for Free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Guest Interview

 

Interview with an Agent of the Bureau for Historical Preservation

 

Instructor:       Congratulations on your recruitment to the Bureau for Historical Preservation and your entrance into the new agent training program.

 

At this point in your training, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed by all the information that’s been coming your way over the last few weeks, so we thought it might be nice for you to hear about the job from a veteran agent. So, today we’re here with Claire Abelard, the senior agent in charge of the Bureau’s team in Galveston, Texas. Welcome, Claire.

 

Claire:             Thank you. It’s great to be here.

 

Instructor:       So, Claire, tell us about how you came to work for the Bureau.

 

Claire:             Well, my family history with the Bureau dates all the way back to its founding in the early 1700s, so you might say it’s a family business.

 

Instructor:       That’s right. Pierre Abelard is your great, great… how many greats?… grandfather.

 

Claire:             (with a laugh) I’m not really sure. I’d have to do the math.

 

Instructor:       Well, however far back it goes… Hopefully, our recruits will remember Pierre was one of the original scientists who discovered that all humans give off varying degrees of energy, and that some people leave behind projections of that energy after they die.

 

Claire:              That’s right. He and his fellow scientists started the Bureau as a way to monitor and help the energy projections they were meeting.

 

Instructor:       You’ve been an active agent with the Bureau for a few years now, Claire. Can you share with the recruits your favorite thing about the job?

 

Claire:             Oh, that’s a tough one. There are so many rewarding things about being an agent. I think for me, the best thing would be knowing that we’re helping keep history alive and active in the minds of the general public. If it weren’t for our efforts, so much of history would be forgotten and lost forever.

 

Instructor:       What are some of the challenges you face on the job?

 

Claire:             (with a chuckle) Honestly, sometimes the projections we monitor can be a little childish. I imagine it would be a lot like refereeing a toddler soccer match.

 

Instructor:       How’s that?

 

Claire:              Well, we call them projections, but it might be more accurate to think of them as remnants of the living person’s energy. Whatever personality traits the person had when they were alive, their energy projection will be a streamlined, static version of that. Basically, pure personality without the potential for growth or development, and sometimes that can make our job challenging. But I find it’s best to just embrace the challenge and try to enjoy their personalities for what they are.

 

Instructor:       Thank you, Claire. Now, if you’re up for it, I’d like to open up the floor to questions from our recruits.

 

Claire:              I’d be happy to answer some questions.

 

Recruit #1:      I was curious about acumens. I know Communicative Acumen is the basic requirement for an agent, but does it really matter all that much if you have any of the other abilities?

 

Claire:              Actually, yes, it really can matter. Communicative Acumen is just the foundation that allows you to talk to the projections. But the job just gets a lot easier if you can bring other abilities to the table.

 

Recruit #1:      How so?

 

Claire:             Well, one example would be that Affective Acumen helps you gauge a projection’s mental and emotional state at any given moment. This gives you an advantage in regulating your own emotions to help you direct your interactions with them. Believe me, you never want to let the projection steer the ship.

 

Recruit #2:      Is it possible for a sensitive to develop new acumens?

 

Claire:              It’s my understanding that, yes, it is possible, but it takes a lot of work and training.

 

Recruit #2:      Have you been able to develop any new acumens?

 

Claire:             (hesitantly) Actually, I’ve never tried.

 

Recruit #2:      But you just said more acumens make the job easier.

 

Claire:             (nodding) They do. I’ve just never had to try to acquire any new acumens.

 

Instructor:       (in disbelief) You possess all the acumens?

 

Claire:              Well, not all of them, but the ones I do have, I’ve always had. It’s probably because I was raised in a Bureau family, but I just don’t remember a time when I didn’t have my acumens.

 

(murmurs among the recruits)

 

Instructor:       (steering the conversation back) Okay, I think we have time for one more question.

 

Recruit #3:      Are rogue projections really as dangerous as our training materials make them out to be?

 

Claire:             (choosing her words carefully) Well, yes and no. They all have the potential to deteriorate more quickly than monitored projections, but that doesn’t mean they all will. Many of them just want to be left alone. Of course, there are those who get out of line and pose a danger to livings, but our P.I.D. teams handle them.

 

Recruit #3:      You mean, they dispatch them.

 

Claire:             When necessary, but usually a warning does the trick. Honestly, most rogues just go about their business and don’t cause any problems at all.

 

Recruit #3:      What’s the scariest encounter you’ve ever had with a rogue?

 

Claire:              I’ll be honest and say I have encountered some aggressive rogues in the past, but I wouldn’t call the experiences “scary.” The living people we encounter while doing our job pose more of a threat to us than rogue projections do.

 

Instructor:       Well, I think that’s all we have time for today. Thank you so much, Claire, for stopping by to chat with our recruits and answer their questions.

 

Claire:              No problem at all. I’m always happy to help out.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Nita DeBorde is a published author and teacher from Houston, TX. Writing and teaching are her two major passions, though traveling and being dog-mom to a crazy Staffordshire-Boxer mix named Mabel are high on the list as well.

Nita has taught high school French for more than 20 years and absolutely loves her “day job” job (about 95% of the time). She loves to travel, and not surprisingly, France is her favorite destination, though her home state of Texas runs a close second.

She is also a huge history buff, which comes through in her fiction writing, and particularly in her latest novel, Ghost Agents, a genre-defying, cozy paranormal mystery with a little sci-fi and romance thrown into the mix. Ghost Agents: Revelations, the 2^nd book in the Ghost Agents Trilogy, is slated for release in March 2022.

Nita’s first novel, Project Lachesis, is currently available in both Kindle and hardcopy format from Amazon.com.

 

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Giveaway

 

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CONGRATULATIONS

TO THE 2020 LSBBT

BLOGGERS’ CHOICE AWARDS

WINNERS & FINALISTS! 

Because it’s better late than never!

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CLICK TO JUMP TO AWARDS

THE PERFECT FIVE AWARD   MOST ENGAGED AUTHOR   BEST COVER

MOST CREATIVE PREMISE / BEST HOOK  BEST SERIES   BEST NONFICTION 

BEST BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS   BEST ROMANCE

BEST CHRISTIAN / INSPIRATIONAL / SPIRITUAL   BEST HISTORICAL FICTION

BEST MYSTERY / SUSPENSE / THRILLER   BEST HUMOR

BEST PARANORMAL / FANTASY / MAGICAL REALISM

BEST WESTERN   BEST LITERARY FICTION   BEST TEXAS BOOK

THE PERFECT FIVE AWARD

(click covers to visit the Lone Star Lit Tour Page)

These eleven of the sixty-five titles reviewed by Lone Star Lit’s Blogger Team in 2020 were awarded a perfect five stars by every reviewer on tour.

  

  

  

                

Rio Ruidoso by Preston Lewis, Blue Skies by Anne Bustard, Execution in E by Alexia Gordon, Destiny’s Way by Ben English, Full Circle by Pamela Lombana, Gates of Mars by Kathleen McFall and Clark Hays, *Nacho’s Nachos by Sandra Nickel, The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox, A Dog’s Day: I Am Jax by Catherine Stier, The Diary of Asser Levy by Daniela Weil, *The Kissing Tree by Karen Witemeyer, Regina Jennings, Amanda Dykes, and Nicole Deese

* Most tours include five to seven reviews; Nacho’s Nachos had eight and The Kissing Tree had ten.

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MOST ENGAGED AUTHOR

 

   

WINNER: Tui Snider

RUNNERS-UP: TIE: Linda Broday & Marlene Bell

HONORABLE MENTION: 

Stephanie Raffelock, DiAnn Mills, Preston Lewis

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BEST COVER

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WINNERS: TIE:

Thank You, Garden by Liz Scanlon

Yeah, But I Didn’t by Ann Swann

RUNNERS-UP: TIE:

For Spacious Skies by Nancy Churnin

Enemies of Doves by Shanessa Gluhm

HONORABLE MENTION: Gates of Mars by Kathleen McFall and Clark Hays; The Caretakers by Eliza Maxwell

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BEST SERIES

 

WINNER: The Gethsamane Brown Mysteries series by Alexia Gordon

RUNNER-UP:  A Dog’s Day series by Catherine Stier

HONORABLE MENTION: 

Conquest of the Veil series by Michael Scott Clifton; Sulfer Gap series by Dana Glossbrenner; The Sisters, Texas series by Becki Willis; The Annalisse Series by Marlene M. Bell; American Wonders Collection by Regina Scott; The H.H. Lomax Western series by Preston Lewis; The Talia Inger series by James R. Hannibal

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MOST CREATIVE PREMISE / BEST HOOK

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WINNER: 6 Feet Under Texas by Tui Snider

RUNNER-UP: Gates of Mars by Kathleen McFall and Clark Hays

HONORABLE MENTION: Airborne by DiAnn Mills, Storms of Malhado by Maria Elena Sandovici; The First Emma by Camille DiMaio

 

 

 

 

 

 

PERFECT PAYBACK

 

The Pepperman Mystery Series

 

by

 

BY BILL BRISCOE

 

 

 

COVER REVEAL

Genre: Fiction

Categories: Mystery / Thriller / Suspense

Expected Publication: February, 2022

Number of Pages: 250 pages

 

 

 

 

When Jim and Laura Pepperman find a musty German Olympic jacket and an old journal in their attic, they stumble onto a gripping pre-World War II story of a cousin Jim knows nothing about.

After a career-ending injury forces Hans Pepperman to lose his spot on the 1936 Olympic boxing team, he trades his athletic aspirations for a degree in mechanical engineering and secures his dream job working for the famous Willy Messerschmitt. Tasked to solve the stalling issues of the BF109 fighter plane engine, Hans finds himself smack in the middle of the Abwher Intelligence Service’s radar. Pro-Germany but anti-Nazi, he reluctantly agrees to help flush out the spy leaking secret information on the BF109 engine to foreign agencies . . . and finds himself a suspect of espionage and murder. Unsure who to trust, he must unravel the tangle of lies he’s caught in before he falls prey to the Nazi agenda slowly and stealthily taking over the country he loves.

 

Pre-order now!

 

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AVAILABLE NOW IN THE

PEPPERMAN MYSTERY SERIES

 

Prequel—Pepperman’s Promise

 

Book One-Perplexity

 

Book Two-Panic Point

 

 

 

 

Award-winning author Bill Briscoe grew up in the oil and gas refinery town of Phillips in the Texas Panhandle. As his retirement was on the horizon, he had an idea about a book. That idea became Pepperman’s Promise, the prequel to The Pepperman Mystery Series, leading to Perplexity, Panic Point, and now Perfect Payback, books one, two, and three of the series. Bill and his wife of over fifty years live in West Texas.

 

 

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