Synopsis

 

Are your Spidey senses tingling?

 

At 17, Samira Joshi has only one dream in life. She wants to be a spy.

And why not?

Spying runs in the Joshi genes.

Her great-grandmother was famous for sticking her nose in everyone’s business. Her grandmother had a flourishing side-business of tracking down errant husbands and missing servants. Her parents are elite intelligence agents for RAW.

Yet, they want their only daughter to become a doctor.

When she sees a college friend being trapped by a pimp, Samira does some spying of her own, and discovers the existence of a secret sisterhood of teen spies — The Spyders. And, she wants in!

The question is, do they want her?

 

To find out, read this fast-paced, gripping YA novel by brand new author, Apeksha Rao.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Praise

 

“A thrilling read with several nail biting moments. Will keep you hooked till the end.”  Andaleeb Wajid, author of The Legend Of The Wolf

 

“A fantastic spy story, keeps you on the edge and you can’t stop till you finish the book. A fantastic debut book. Look forward to reading more from the author.” Kanchana Banerjee, author of Nobody’s Child and A Forgotten Affair.

 

“Witty, snarky and a thorough entertainer, Along Came a Spyder is a welcome addition to India’s YA genre.” Shilpa Suraj, author of Love, Marriage and Other Disasters, Saved by Love, and, Driven by Desire

 

“Apeksha Rao writes a taut espionage thriller with a twist-a-minute narrative that is sure to get all readers hooked. The language is flawless, the characterization spot-on, and the plot is filled with rich details. It is the kind of story that you’d leave all your other work aside to read. Be warned!” Neil D’Silva, author of Haunted, Yakshini and Maya’s New Husband

 

 

Guest Post

 

Debjani Das AKA Debbie is a genius with a heart of gold.

That’s not such a great thing, according to her Spyder friends.

“Debbie’s revolutionary Bong blood could totally lead her to start a riot in the streets of Mumbai,” says Samira.

“And all because she doesn’t like the way some Aunty haggles over a pair of shoes,” explains Sweety.

“Oh yeah! She’s the type who will hack into a politician’s Cayman Islands bank account, and transfer all the money to her favourite NGO,” says Tina.

“And, she won’t see any irony in that,” says Sweety, with a grin.

“Guys, you do know she’s rigged an online poker game, right?”

Milli is worried that Debbie will piss off some online thug, who will then be baying for her blood. Which means that the Spyders will have to intervene before Col. Singh finds out.

“That girl is going to get me killed,” whimpers Ranga, the official chauffeur of the Spyders.

He’s a bit of a drama queen, but he’s not completely wrong.

Even with all the best intentions in the world, Debbie could get someone killed. If she’s ever allowed to do fieldwork, that is.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Apeksha Rao fell in love with words very early in life.

While other kids of her age were still learning to spell, she was already reading her older brother’s books and comics.

She wrote her first story at the age of seven and submitted it to Tinkle, a very popular children’s magazine.

Writing took a backseat, as she established a thriving medical practice.

But Apeksha rekindled her love affair with words, while on maternity leave.

She would tap away at her keyboard while rocking her twin babies to sleep, as sleep deprivation stimulated her dormant creativity.

She wrote numerous short stories, that she published on her blog.

Apeksha has been lauded for her taut and gripping stories, that always come with a twist at the end.

In addition to Along Came A Spyder, she has written The Itsy Bitsy Spyder, a prequel novella to the Spyders series.

A Mumbaikar, born and bred, Apeksha comes from a family of doctors.

At the ripe age of thirty-four, she wound up her practice and moved with her family, to Bengaluru.

She is now a full-time writer.

She is also a die-hard foodie, who’s still trying to find the best vada-pav in Bengaluru.

She has twin boys, who keep her on her toes.

Apeksha’s husband is her inspiration to write, as well as her biggest critic.

 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

An ancient Mayan civilization!

That’s what Bubba and Squirt find when they travel through the mysterious vortex for another wild adventure. There they meet archeologists who are unearthing priceless artifacts.

But someone is stealing them. And an encounter with the Tate Duende awakens magic within Bubba. Throw in the mysterious Alux and a new discovery and things get sticky.

Will Bubba and Squirt solve the mystery, or will they be stuck forever in the jungles of Belize?

 

 

 

Amazon US   *   Apple   *   Dancing Lemur Press

 

B&N  *  BAM   *   Kobo

 

 

Excerpt

 

CHAPTER 3

 

BUBBA: THE PLACE IS BUSTED

 

 

We climbed the steps and stood at the opening. Guess what we saw? A pyramid with no point on top, like the one from my dream. It was in the middle of a grassy field, and it had lots of steps. And do you know what else? Behind the pyramid was a jungle. A real one with palm trees and tropical plants. You wouldn’t believe the noise! I needed earplugs for all those bird chirps and bug sounds. I took a deep breath, and it smelled like mud puddles.

“I think we’re in Mexico!”

Squirt shrugged. “Maybe. I know we’re not in Egypt. Egyptian pyramids don’t look like that. Plus, we’re in a jungle, not a desert.”

“Correctomundo, Captain Obvious. Come on. Let’s check it out!”

I took off lickety-split to the pyramid and climbed the steps. But when I got to step number thirty-two, I had to take a break. Sweat leaked out of my forehead and dripped into my eyes. Sitting down, I looked around.

I spotted another pyramid, but it was shorter than the one I was on, and it was covered with grass. Someone needed to get a lawnmower. A line of white steps went to the top.

I looked down. Squirt was at the bottom.

“Bubba, wait!” she said.

 

 

About the Author

 

Sherry Ellis is an award-winning author and professional musician who plays and teaches the violin, viola, and piano.

When she is not writing or engaged in musical activities, she can be found doing household chores, hiking, or exploring the world. Sherry, her husband, and their two children live in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

 

Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

 

Blog * Website * Amazon Author Page

 

 

Giveaway

 

The author is sponsoring a tour-wide giveaway. She is giving away ten (10) autographed print copies of the book open to all.

The giveaway ends at midnight on Oct. 17^th.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

You can also follow Sherry’s tour for more information and chances to enter by visiting the following sites:

Monday, Sept. 14 – Write With Fey – Guest Post
Alex J. Cavanaugh – Guest Post
Tuesday, Sept. 15 – Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews – Interview
Wednesday, Sept. 16 – The Story of a Writer – Review
Thursday, Sept. 17 – Book Reviews by Pat Garcia – Review
Friday, Sept. 18 – Booked Solid with Virginia C – Feature
Rockin’ Book Reviews – Review & Top Ten List
Monday, Sept. 21 – Just Jemi – Review & Interview
Anna del C. Dye Official Page – Excerpt
Tuesday, Sept. 22 – Baroness’ Book Trove – Review
Saturday, Sept. 26 – Storeybook Reviews – Excerpt
Monday, Sept. 28 – Elizabeth Spann Craig’s Blog – Guest Post
Joylene Nowell Butler – Excerpt
Journaling Woman – Feature
Wednesday, Sept. 30 – Nesie’s Place – Excerpt
Friday, Oct. 2 – Thoughts in Progress – Review
Monday, Oct. 5 – The Sexy Nerd “Revue” – Excerpt
Wednesday, Oct. 7 – Willow Writes and Reads – Review
Friday, Oct. 9 – Celticlady’s Reviews – Excerpt
Monday, Oct. 12 – Literary Rambles – Interview
Wednesday, Oct. 14 – Writer’s Gambit – Feature & Top 10 List

 

 

Synopsis

 

A fresh exploration of American feminist history told through the lens of the beauty pageant world.

Many predicted that pageants would disappear by the 21st century. Yet they are thriving. America’s most enduring contest, Miss America, celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2020. Why do they persist? In Here She Is, Hilary Levey Friedman reveals the surprising ways pageants have been an empowering feminist tradition. She traces the role of pageants in many of the feminist movement’s signature achievements, including bringing women into the public sphere, helping them become leaders in business and politics, providing increased educational opportunities, and giving them a voice in the age of #MeToo.

Using her unique perspective as a NOW state president, daughter to Miss America 1970, sometimes pageant judge, and scholar, Friedman explores how pageants became so deeply embedded in American life from their origins as a P.T. Barnum spectacle at the birth of the suffrage movement, through Miss Universe’s bathing beauties to the talent- and achievement-based competitions of today. She looks at how pageantry has morphed into culture everywhere from The Bachelor and RuPaul’s Drag Race to cheer and specialized contests like those for children, Indigenous women, and contestants with disabilities. Friedman also acknowledges the damaging and unrealistic expectations pageants place on women in society and discusses the controversies, including Miss America’s ableist and racist history, Trump’s ownership of the Miss Universe Organization, and the death of child pageant-winner JonBenet Ramsey.

Presenting a more complex narrative than what’s been previously portrayed, Here She Is shows that as American women continue to evolve, so too will beauty pageants.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * IndieBound

 

 

Guest Post

 

I wrote Here She Is: The Complicated Reign of the Beauty Pageant in America, a book that uses beauty pageants to show how American femininity has changed over the centuries, because I thought it was a book I was uniquely positioned to author. I’m a sociologist and professor at Brown University, where one of my students became Miss America 2018. I’m a feminist who is President of the Rhode Island chapter of the National Organization for Women. And, I’m the daughter of Miss America 1970. In other words, I have literally lived the complications of the American beauty pageant.

Still, writing this book was by far the hardest thing I have ever done.

First, there was the practical issue that many women writers of a certain age struggle with: finding time to write when you have young kids in the house. My sons were five and seven while I was writing the bulk of Here She Is, so finding time to think, let alone write, for longer than an hour or so at a time was a challenge.

I solved this problem in a few ways. As soon as the boys went to bed around 8 pm, I would immediately close the door of my home office and work until 11 pm when I’d collapse into bed. But when crunch time hit and the kids were out of the house at school or summer camp (remember those days?!) I’d rush home, take off my bra (seriously, this was a crucial step for me!), and feverishly write until it was time to pick them up. When I truly needed silence and zero distractions, I escaped to the library; my favorite place to edit is in the Reading Room at the John Hay Library on Brown’s campus.

But what really got me across the finish line for the final draft was checking into a local hotel for three nights to write a Preface and finish edits. I highly recommend this as a way to eliminate all distractions. Key for me was being at a hotel with room service so I literally didn’t have to walk out the door.

The Preface of Here She Is was a special challenge for me because it was so personal. It meant reckoning with my own views of beauty, how I see myself, and my relationship with my mom. I’m proud of the final product, but I had to dig deep to get there…

No doubt my status as the daughter of a Miss America helped open doors for me during the research process. I definitely have my own academic accomplishments, but my crown-adjacent status made a difference when it came to attending pageants in person and securing interviews.

I find the research aspect of book-writing more enjoyable than the writing, whether personal subject matter or not, which I know isn’t true for everyone. I love finding a document, getting access to a treasure trove of historical items, or securing and completing an interview with someone. Each stage gives me such a thrill and new ideas. I am probably guilty of over-researching with both primary and secondary sources (reading a few books for just a few sentences in the final product, or collecting lots of data for a few paragraphs).

At the end of the day, all the research and writing and editing hours are worth it when I get emails or messages from readers remarking that they did indeed learn something new by reading something I have written. This matters to me because I know how precious time is and I want a reader to feel like they acquired some facts! It also is gratifying to know that by reading something I wrote someone starts thinking about an aspect of the world in a new way, especially by making unexpected connections (for example, I get this a lot when I point out that suffragist and pageant sashes are connected). This is especially gratifying when someone makes connections to their own lives. In the case of Here She Is and beauty pageants, I hope readers will see that this activity really is a complicated activity for women, at times good and at times bad, but rarely straightforward no matter the age or era.

Ultimately, my wish is that a reader will find a kernel of their own unique story to tell by reading Here She Is, or anything else I’ve written. I know that telling that story can be hard, but also that, in the end, it is worth it.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Hilary Levey Friedman is the author of Here She Is: The Complicated Reign of the Beauty Pageant in America. She is a sociologist at Brown University, where she has taught a popular course titled “Beauty Pageants in American Society.” She is a leading researcher in pageantry, merging her mother’s past experiences as Miss America 1970 with her interests as a glitz- and glamour-loving sometime pageant judge, and a mentor to Miss America 2018. Friedman also serves as the president of the Rhode Island chapter of the National Organization for Women. Her first book, Playing to Win, focused on children’s competitive afterschool activities.

 

Website * Twitter * Instagram * Facebook

 

 

THE DIARY OF ASSER LEVY

 

First Jewish Citizen

 

of New York

 

by

 

DANIELA WEIL

 

 

Genre: Historical Fiction / Middle Grade / Jewish / Colonial America

Publisher: Pelican (Arcadia Publishing)

Date of Publication: March 9, 2020

Number of Pages: 128

 

  Scroll down for the giveaway!

 

 

 

 

For twenty-four years the Dutch colony of Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil was a safe haven for Jews who had escaped the Inquisition in Europe. Recife, its capital, was known as “Colonial Jerusalem,” and it was from this religiously tolerant town that Asser Levy tells his story. When the Portuguese recaptured the territory in 1654, they brought the Inquisition and its torments with them, forcing Asser and his family and friends to flee to Holland. About fifteen ships arrive safely in Holland; Asser’s ship does not.

Through imagined diary entries based on real events, Asser tells the harrowing story of the Jewish refugees who arrived on the island of Manhattan and of some of the first court battles fought to allow religious freedom in America.

 

 

 

 

Amazon || Barnes & Noble

 

IndieBound || Bookshop

 

 

Praise

 

“The book breathes life into a little-known yet important Jewish figure of early New Amsterdam and New York. Through a series of diary entries based on fact and the author’s creation, the author brings out the emotion, drama, and conflicts of Asser Levy’s turbulent journey to a new land in search of religious freedom. … The book will add color to classroom lessons on early US history and on Jewish immigration.” —Paul Kaplan, author of Jewish New York: A History and Guide to Neighborhoods, Synagogues, and Eateries

“What an extraordinary amount of research went into it! And what a creative way of combining historical fiction and contemporary pictures. Kudos!” —Cynthia Levinson, author of The Youngest Marcher

“What a fine job [Daniela] did with this story! … The diary-style keeps the pace moving, and the adventures make it exciting. Lots of setting details bring the scenes alive, and the dialogue engages the reader in the plot. I can see how it will be easy for a young reader to identify with Asser, worrying about how (and if) he’ll succeed in his quest.” —Gail Jarrow, author of Fatal Fever

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was quite a fascinating book because while aimed at middle grade, it is one of those books that anyone can learn something from the book, and perhaps it might even spur them to do additional research into the time period.  While this book is fictionalized, it is based on actual events and the author did an amazing job of researching Asser Levy, the time period, New Amsterdam, and many other facts in the book. The bibliography is extensive and staggering.

The main aspect that I appreciated was that this story reflected that inequality has affected everyone in one form or fashion since the beginning of time. This story is set in the early to mid 1600s during the inquisition when a Jewish community was forced to leave Brazil. They ended up in New Amsterdam (now New York) and were treated unfairly despite assurances from the Dutch West India Company, that settled New Amsterdam and ran businesses from there and many other locations. Asser Levy was a young man, possibly around 18, and his determination to make his way no matter what obstacles are thrown in his path.  He won’t let anyone tell him he can’t do something and keeps focused on the end goal.

I am not a history buff by any means, but this story intrigued me. It has inspired me to learn more about the inquisition and those that settled in the colonies. The author does an outstanding job including photos and other historical information peppered throughout the chapters that enhance the story being told. A timeline is included near the end that highlights what was known of Asser Levy’s journey. There is even a glossary at the end for certain words she uses in the book that may be new to younger readers, and possibly even an older reader. I was even surprised to learn that in New York there are still plaques and statues that share this history, even of someone that was not well liked in the town and made life harder for the new immigrants.

I highly recommend this book for teachers to include in their classrooms, and for anyone that would like to take a look into the past and imagine a world long before what we know today.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniela Weil was born in Brazil. She attended the International School in São Paulo, where she was surrounded by people and cultures from around the world. It was also there that she developed a passion for nature, art, and writing. After earning a BA in biology from Brandeis University in Boston, Weil became a field research biologist. She participated in various whale projects, including illustrating the first field guide for whales and dolphins in Brazil.

Being a mother rekindled her desire to share her passion about the natural world. She joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and attended workshops on writing nonfiction and science for kids. After writing several articles on science and history, she ventured into books. Weil attended the Texas Library Association annual conference with her SCBWI group and met the folks from Pelican, who were intrigued by her middle-grade book idea. As the project developed, her research took her back to Brazil and across the world, chasing Asser’s experiences.

When not on the hunt for new experiences, Weil makes her home in Austin, Texas, with her husband, Erik, and daughter, Lucy.

 

 

 

 Facebook ║ Website ║ Jewish Book Council

 

 Instagram ║ Goodreads ║ Amazon ║ Twitter

 

 

 

————————————-

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

ONE WINNER gets a signed hardcover copy of the book.

 September 22-October 2, 2020

(U.S. Only)

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

 

Visit the Lone Star Literary LIfe Tour Page

 

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

 

Or, visit the blogs directly

 

 

9/22/20	Book Trailer	Chapter Break Book Blog
9/22/20	BONUS Post	Hall Ways Blog
9/23/20	Author Interview	Max Knight
9/24/20	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
9/25/20	Sneak Peek	Texas Book Lover
9/26/20	Review	Reading by Moonlight
9/27/20	Author Interview	Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
9/28/20	Top Ten	All the Ups and Downs
9/29/20	Review	Librariel Book Adventures
9/30/20	Scrapbook Page	The Adventures of a Travelers Wife
10/1/20	Review	Book Bustle

 

 

blog tour services provided by

 

 

 

 

 

Book Title: Queen of the Owls by Barbara Linn Probst

Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 307 pages

Genre: Upmarket Women’s Fiction

Publisher: She Writes Press

Release date: April 2020

 

 

Synopsis

 

A chance meeting with a charismatic photographer will forever change Elizabeth’s life. Until she met Richard, Elizabeth’s relationship with Georgia O’Keeffe and her little-known Hawaii paintings was purely academic. Now it’s personal. Richard tells Elizabeth that the only way she can truly understand O’Keeffe isn’t with her mind―it’s by getting into O’Keeffe’s skin and reenacting her famous nude photos. In the intimacy of Richard’s studio, Elizabeth experiences a new, intoxicating abandon and fullness. It never occurs to her that the photographs might be made public, especially without her consent. Desperate to avoid exposure―she’s a rising star in the academic world and the mother of young children―Elizabeth demands that Richard dismantle the exhibit. But he refuses. The pictures are his art. His property, not hers. As word of the photos spreads, Elizabeth unwittingly becomes a feminist heroine to her students, who misunderstand her motives in posing. To the university, however, her actions are a public scandal. To her husband, they’re a public humiliation. Yet Richard has reawakened an awareness that’s haunted Elizabeth since she was a child―the truth that cerebral knowledge will never be enough. Now she must face the question: How much is she willing to risk to be truly seen and known?

 

 

Amazon ~ B&N ~ BAM

Bookshop ~ Kobo ~ indiebound

Book Depository ~ Powells

 

Praise

 

“A stunner” — Caroline Leavitt, best-selling author

“A must-read” — Barbara Claypole White, best-selling author

“Nuanced and insightful” — Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times best-selling author

 

 

 

Interview with Barbara Linn Probst, author of Queen of the Owls

 

 

Queen of the Owls is the powerful story of a woman’s quest to claim her neglected sensuality and find her true self hidden behind the roles of wife, mother, sister, and colleague. Framed by the life and art of iconic American painter Georgia O’Keeffe, it dares to ask a question that every woman can relate to: what would you risk to be truly seen and known?

 

What’s the theme of the novel, in a few killer sentences?

 

Elizabeth, the protagonist of Queen of the Owls, is someone who’s always defined herself by her intellect—choosing the logical, responsible path instead of daring to abandon herself to the sensuality that lies just below the surface. During the course of the story, she comes to know and embrace a fuller self, body as well as brain; you could say that she dares to become embodied. There’s a price to pay, of course, but Elizabeth knows she can’t go back to the half-self she used to be.

So the theme of the book—the message—is that embracing the parts of yourself you’ve denied leads to wholeness.

 

Why O’Keeffe? Do you have a background in art history?

 

I don’t, but I’ve always loved O’Keeffe’s paintings! They called to me in a way that felt very connected to the question of what it means to be a woman. And then, when I began my research, I learned so much about O’Keeffe that I hadn’t known, and that ended up enhancing the story in ways I couldn’t possibly have anticipated. After a while, it became clear that there was no other way to tell this story!

O’Keeffe herself isn’t a character in the book, of course, but she’s present throughout as Elizabeth’s inspiration, the person whose blend of austerity and voluptuousness Elizabeth longs to emulate. And, of course, in seeking to understand O’Keeffe, Elizabeth comes to understand herself—though it takes her a while to realize that.

O’Keeffe has been a figure of endless fascination for over a century, you know—not only for her artistic genius but also because of how she lived. She was the quintessential feminist who rejected the feminists’ attempts to turn her into their matriarch, the austere desert recluse who created some of the most sensuous art of all time. A pioneer, full of contradictions. No wonder she fascinated and inspired Elizabeth!

 

At what point did you come up with that great title? Not to mention that great cover!

 

I struggled and struggled with the title! The book had a whole series of earlier titles, none of which were quite right, and I was getting desperate. And then I suddenly remembered an academic article I’d written, back when I was a researcher, and pop, there it was!

As for the amazing cover, the funny thing is that when the designer first proposed it, I just hated it! It wasn’t what I’d had in my mind. Of course, I was dead wrong. Some smart friends told me, “Barbara, you’re nuts!” and luckily I listened to them.

 

Which scene did you find the most challenging to write?

 

That’s an interesting question because the intense pivotal scenes were not the challenging ones! The hard ones were actually some of the early scenes where I had to show the secondary characters in ways that made them sympathetic and human, yet the reader had to see and feel how they were keeping Elizabeth from being who she needed to be.

The reason they were challenging was that I had to walk a careful line. I couldn’t rely on the “easy out” of making someone into a cliché or a predictable villain. I had to feel and show the humanity in each of these characters.

 

What do you love most about writing?

 

I really do love all of it, even the struggles, but the best part is the total immersion that happens when you’re deeply, deeply connected to the story and characters. It’s a special state when your subconscious mind and your conscious mind are fully connected. When I’m in that zone, it feels like the story is coming through me, rather than me “making it up.”

 

How has writing changed you as a person?

 

Writing fiction means writing about what it means to be human—the messiness and complexity of imperfect but struggling people, like me. To write fiction that truly speaks to others, you have to open, embrace, accept. That meant developing an emotional intelligence to balance the cerebral one I’d cultivated so well over the years as an academic.

Writing stories made me go deeper, trust something more intuitive—and take risks. It made me vulnerable in a way I wasn’t used to. Because of that, I think I’m freer, braver, and more generous than I was before.

 

About the Author

 

BARBARA LINN PROBST is a writer of both fiction and non-fiction, living on a historic dirt road in New York’s Hudson Valley. Her debut novel QUEEN OF THE OWLS (April 2020) is the powerful story of a woman’s search for wholeness, framed around the art and life of iconic American painter Georgia O’Keeffe. Endorsed by best-selling authors including Christina Baker Kline and Caroline Leavitt, QUEEN OF THE OWLS was selected as one of the twenty most anticipated books of 2020 by Working Mother, a debut novel “too good to ignore” by Bustle, and “one of the best new novels to read during the quarantine” by Parade Magazine and Entertainment Weekly. It won the bronze medal for popular fiction from the Independent Publishers Association, placed first runner-up in general fiction for the Eric Hoffer Award, and was short-listed for the $2500 Grand Prize. Barbara has a Ph.D. in clinical social work and blogs for several award-winning sites for writers.

 

Website ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ GoodReads

 

 

Giveaway

 

Autographed copy of QUEEN OF THE OWLS and gift basket. (USA only) (ends October 2)

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Watchman of Rothenburg Dies: A German Cozy Mystery (The Homeswappers)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: The Hometravellers Press (September 1, 2020)
~180 Pages

 

Synopsis

 

A holiday is a time to relax, unwind and see the sights. But for two adventurous sexagenarians, the sights have a tendency to include dead bodies. 

Etta and Dora, both newly retired teachers, travel from their home in Southern Italy to a fairy-tale German town for their first home swap holiday, delighted by their neighbours’ warm welcome. But the welcome turns sour when the Night Watchman of Rothenburg is brutally murdered while his tour group takes photographs nearby, a halberd buried in his chest and a peculiar iron mask by his side.

When the murderer claims a second victim and the son of their hospitable neighbours becomes the number-one suspect, Etta’s analytical mind goes to work. Why was a shame mask left at the scene of each murder? Is there a clandestine trade going on behind the scenes of apparently upstanding local businesses? And why does every lead take her back to the sinister Devil’s Ale pub and the terrifying gang who lurk within?

Meanwhile, Dora has a puzzle of her own – how can she persuade Etta that a loveably disobedient Basset Hound called Napoleon is now a permanent part of their lives?

◆Pack your bags, jump into the backseat of Etta and Dora’s old Fiat 500, and join them on their travels around Europe. There’ll be mystery, murder and mayhem aplenty wherever they go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

She loves loads of things: traveling, reading, walking, good food, small villages, and home swapping. She runs her family perfumery, and between a dark patchouli and a musky rose, she reads and writes cozy mysteries.

She resisted writing as long as she could. But one day she found an alluring blank page and the words flowed in that weird English she’d learned in Glasgow

Get a taste of Adriana’s world reading And Then There Were Bones the prequel to her An Italian Village Mystery series, exclusive to the subscribers on her mailing list

 

 

Mailing list * Website * BookBub * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jokers Wild (Mah Jongg Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Publisher: Bowker (July 5, 2020)
Paperback: 232 pages

 

Synopsis

 

“The show must go on.” That applies even to playwright Marianne Putnam, when the director of her one-act play, “Jokers Wild,” fails to show for curtains up on opening night at the community theater in Serendipity Springs, Florida. When the director’s wife begs Marianne to accompany her to their home to check on him, they find the man floating in his pool. Dead.

Though not known for his pleasant disposition—her relationship with him had been tense since nearly ramming into his car in a parking lot, but after all, he was the director—who would have wanted to murder him? Surely no one in the production crew, cast or the staff of the community center where the play was to be staged. Maybe it was the wife, who Marianne had overheard arguing with him. Or perhaps someone from his theater connections back in the Big Apple.

Since she was there when the body was discovered, Marianne is considered a suspect. That doesn’t mean she can’t help her three Mah Jongg friends—Syd, Micki and Kat—assist the sheriff with the investigation. But who’s there to help her when her path crosses the murderer’s.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Barbara Barrett started reading mysteries when she was pregnant with her first child to keep her mind off things like her changing body and food cravings. When she’d devoured as many Agatha Christies as she could find, she branched out to English village cozies and Ellery Queen.

Later, to avoid a midlife crisis, she began writing fiction at night when she wasn’t at her day job in human resources for Iowa State Government. After releasing eleven full-length romance novels and two novellas, she returned to the cozy mystery genre, using one of her retirement pastimes, the game of mah jongg, as her inspiration. Not only has it been a great social outlet, it has also helped keep her mind active when not writing.

Jokers Wild, the sixth book in her “Mah Jongg Mystery” series, features four friends who play mah jongg together and share otherwise in each other’s lives. None of the four is based on an actual person. Each is an amalgamation of several mah jongg friends with a lot of Barbara’s imagination thrown in for good measure. The four will continue to appear in future books in the series.

Barbara is a member of Sisters in Crime, Sinc-Iowa, Romance Writers of America and the SpacecoasT chapter of Romance Writers of America.

She is married to the man she met her senior year of college. They have two grown children and eight grandchildren.

Now retired, she is a resident of Florida, although she spends her summers in Iowa, her home state. She earned her B.A. degree in History from the University of Iowa and her Master’s Degree in History from Drake University.

When not in front of her laptop creating her next story, she plays mah jongg, travels and enjoys lunches with friends.

 

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Synopsis

 

How far would you go in love?

A few missed calls? Liking every post of his on FB? Landing in the hospital when you fall from a tree because you wanted to see into his room?

Anamika Khanna is madly in love with Rahul…

How can someone be so blind? Why can’t she see how much I love her? Will my confession jeopardise our friendship?

Vikram Lobo, the bookworm has developed muscles and lost the soda bottle glass-es. But he can’t stop his heart from skipping a beat when he sees Anamika.

Rahul, the high society Adonis wants nothing to do with the gauche, middle class weirdo who’s following him around. Until she moves into his league…

Laugh out loud at Anamika’s antics and follow her on the roller coaster that is her life!

 

 

Amazon IN

 

(doesn’t seem to be available in the US)

 

 

Meet Anamika Khanna

 

If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?

I would start the day with mooning over the picture I have of Rahul. Then I’d drop in at his house pretending to want to borrow another book to read. And spend the rest of the day dreaming of the time when he realises he’s in love with me.

 

If you could spend the day with someone you admire (living or dead or imaginary), who would you pick?

I’m not the very imaginative types and I hated history in school. I would want to spend the day with Rahul, far away from the disapproving eyes of his mom, though!. And yes, on this ideal day, Rahul should develop a sudden and intense dislike for his fiancee Preeti and break things off with her!

 

What is your idea of perfect happiness? And, what is your current state of mind?

The sun will shine only after Rahul and I are together! Right now I’m sad that Vikky doesn’t support me in my quest. After all he’s my best friend, so why does he keep telling me I’m wrong? And why do I care he’s not happy? I should only focus on Rahul, right? Not give Vikky’s abs sidelong glances!

 

What do you consider to be the most overrated virtue and why?

I hate having to have ‘ambition’! I really don’t want to work for a living. Let everyone else join the right race and be daring and motivated and read Michelle Obama’s autobiography. I just want to be loved, by Rahul, of course!

 

Tell us 3 things about yourself that the readers do not know about

– I tasted my Dad’s scotch when he and Mom when for a party and put in a little water to restore the original level (just in case, though he’s not very observant!)
– I find it tough to make polite conversation, I daydream too much and lose the thread of the conversation, and then the person gets miffed when I ask them to repeat the question.
– I wish I had a big brother to take care of me. Being an only child sucks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Words have been the centre of Shraddha’s existence for as long as she can remember. Fed up with her constant demand for books, her parents asked her to write her own. And so, it began!

She’s an ophthalmologist with a specialisation in Glaucoma. She juggles her professional demands with her new label of tennis mom and the larger than life characters that live in her mind, demanding to be manifested.

She has written A Doctor in the House (Partridge), A Great Fall (Juggernaut), and The Case of the Counterfeit Currency (Mango Books) and also has an anthology of poems (F.I.S.T) (Pothi Books).

Shraddha finds herself attracted to stories about women – strong ones, funny ones & kick-ass survivors. Her self-deprecating humor tends to stay with you long after you’ve shut the book.

 

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Murder in the Bayou Boneyard: A Cajun Country Mystery
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (September 8, 2020)
Hardcover: 304 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Maggie Crozat has the Halloween heebie-jeebies in USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author Ellen Byron’s howlingly funny sixth Cajun Country mystery.

 

Maggie Crozat, proprietor of a historic Cajun Country B&B, prefers to let the good times roll. But hard times rock her hostelry when a new cell phone app makes it easy for locals to rent their spare rooms to tourists. With October–and Halloween–approaching, she conjures up a witch-crafty marketing scheme to draw visitors to Pelican, Louisiana.

Five local plantation B&Bs host “Pelican’s Spooky Past” packages, featuring regional crafts, unique menus, and a pet costume parade. Topping it off, the derelict Dupois cemetery is the suitably sepulchral setting for the spine-chilling play Resurrection of a Spirit. But all the witchcraft has inevitably conjured something: her B&B guests are being terrified out of town by sightings of the legendary rougarou, a cross between a werewolf and vampire.

When, in the Dupois cemetery, someone costumed as a rougarou stumbles onstage during the play–and promptly gives up the ghost, the rougarou mask having been poisoned with strychnine, Maggie is on the case. But as more murders stack up, Maggie fears that Pelican’s spooky past has nothing on its bloodcurdling present.

 

 

 

Penguin Random House – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – IndieBound

 

 

Review

 

Anytime I read one of the books in this series, I feel like I am visiting my family that lives in Cajun country. The vernacular is spot on and the food, well, let’s just say it is all delicious and I’m glad that the author provides recipes at the end of the book.

I enjoyed spending time with Maggie and her fiance’ Bo, and the rest of the Crorzat family. The whole family is a bit wacky but I love have they have each other’s back no matter what the situation. Actually, the whole town seems to support one another, at least most of the time. However, this time there is a new family relation in the picture and she is not what she seems. Her whole family is a bit off and that does not win them any friends.

I enjoyed learning some interesting tidbits about the superstitions that many believe in the south and how they especially love Halloween. I don’t think I had ever heard of a rougarou before this book so now I’m going to have to ask my Cajun family about that mythical creature.

The mystery is engaging and I have to admit, I wasn’t sure who the killer was or why. As I read further into the book and near the end, I had my suspicions, but I didn’t really know they why. It was interesting to uncover the truth in the situation. I’m going to be cryptic because the why is rather intricate and I don’t want to spoil anything for you.

There is a somewhat sad scene near the end that touched my heart and hopefully will touch yours. Another one that I won’t share details because you’ll need to read the book to find out!

I’m not sure what the next book will hold but I’m hoping it is Gran and Maggie’s double wedding!  We get a taste of Gran’s planning and her affinity for cake testing.  I can’t blame here, one of my favorite parts of planning a wedding. Laissez les bons temps rouler!!!

We give this book 5 paws up and if you have never read this series, start with the first book in the series, Plantation Shudders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Ellen’s Cajun Country Mysteries have won the Agatha award for Best Contemporary Novel and multiple Lefty awards for Best Humorous Mystery. Her Catering Hall Mystery series, written as Maria DiRico, launched with Here Comes the Body and was inspired by her real life. She’s an award-winning playwright and non-award-winning TV writer of comedies like WINGS, JUST SHOOT ME, and FAIRLY ODD PARENTS, but she considers her most impressive credit working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. A native New Yorker who attended New Orleans’ Tulane University, she lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and rescue furbaby.

 

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Giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beyond What Separates Us by R.A. Morris

Adult fiction 18 yrs +, 277 pages

Genre: Dystopian, Sci-Fi

Publisher: Iguana Books

Release date: September, 2020

 

Synopsis

 

Four strangers from distant parts of the world struggle to survive on a planet torn apart by war, greed and disease. Living under drastically different circumstances, they are each presented with an opportunity to choose what type of world they want to live in. Beyond What Separates Us follows these four strangers as they attempt to overcome hardships and reach their full potential. This is a story about the best and worst aspects of humanity clashing to determine not only the fate of our species but all other life on Earth.

 

 

Amazon.com ~ Amazon.ca ~ B&N

iTunes ~ Kobo

 

 

Interview

 

Which scene in the book is your favourite and why?

 

Without giving too much away there is a scene in one of the last chapters following Aashi, where she has overcome tremendous loss and has finally found a place in the world. She finds herself in an idyllic setting witnessing some of the most majestic creatures on this planet. Finally safe, Aashi immerses herself in her newfound breathtaking surroundings.

 

Do you think Ecofiction (or Climate Fiction) deserves its own genre?

 

There are more and more books these days that would be classified in this sub-genre that is not a traditional category in terms of where books are marketed or promoted. For example, my book is being classified as science fiction on sites where it is available for purchase simply because Ecofiction is not a standalone genre. It could also be classified as dystopian, which itself is a wide-ranging category with varying criteria. An expanded list of genres that is widely recognized within the publishing industry would make it easier for authors to market and promote their books, especially with the increase in independent and self-publishing. Additionally, I think with the increased awareness and concern around environmental issues, it is time the publishing industry expand the traditional genre categories to be more descriptive of environmentally themed fiction.

 

What is the most difficult part of writing for you? 

 

In three words, showing not telling. On earlier drafts of this novel, my editor explained that for some of the introductory chapters I was explaining context and situation too much, rather than letting the character tell their story and show it through actions to the reader. Since all my previous writing had been in an academic or government setting, I was used to a certain formula of what is the point being made and what is the supporting evidence. Writing fiction is a different formula where the reader needs to gain an understanding of the world being created through actions, dialogue, and events. In the end, a lot of the introductory chapters for each of the main characters were rewritten to show not tell.

 

If you could choose three people (living or deceased) to invite for a dinner party, who would they be and why?

 

J.R.R Tolkien to simply chat about how he created Arda (the world) and all its inhabitants. I can’t think of anyone with a greater imagination and it would be a pleasure to just listen to his stories and understand his process. 

David Suzuki to ask him how he continues to find the passion to fight for the environment, when it seems like necessary societal change is just not happening. 

Malala Yousafzai because she is such a courageous and passionate young woman.

I’d also ask each of them what their ideal society looks like. It would be a profoundly interesting dinner party. 

 

Favorite book when you were a kid

 

There was not one book, but I fondly remember Berenstain Bears and Dr. Seuss books. 

 

 

About the Author

 

R.A Morris was raised in Ancaster, Ontario and holds a Master of Environmental Studies from York University. After graduate school he spent a year teaching science in Honduras before heading back to Canada to work in the environmental sector. He has lived in the small remote community of Fort Good Hope and the territorial capital of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. He currently lives in Toronto. His first novel, Beyond What Separates Us, is a timely work of speculative fiction that offers a glimpse of what societies may look like if we continue on our path of ecological degradation.

 

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Giveaway

 

Win 1 of 3 ebooks of R.A. Morris’ BEYOND WHAT SEPARATES US (3 winners) (USA & Canada) (ends Sep 29)

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