Chicken Scratch

by

Becki Willis

Genre: Cozy Mystery / Romance / Women Sleuths
Publisher: Clear Creek Publishing
Date of Publication: March 13, 2015

Number of Pages: 314

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Named 2016 Best Mystery Series by Texas Association of Authors.

When Madison Reynolds finds herself widowed and penniless before forty, she does the only thing she knows to do – she packs up her teenage twins and moves back home with her eighty-year-old grandmother. Life in The Sisters, Texas has not changed much since she’s been gone, but at least her best friend Genesis is there to soften the transition back into small-town life.

To make ends meet, Madison opens In a Pinch Temporary Services. Her first real client is Ronny Gleason, but when she shows up for the first day of work at the Gleason Poultry Farm, Madison makes a gruesome discovery. The dead body she finds belongs to Mr. Gleason. When a local man is arrested for murder, Madison takes on the job of proving his innocence. Even though she is not a private investigator, both mothers are desperate: Lucy Ngyen to clear her son’s name, and Madison to pay her bills. But as she begins asking questions around town, her interference is not welcome.

With a daughter determined to go back to Dallas, a son settling into small town life, a feisty grandmother who knows all the town gossip, bill collectors calling, and now someone trying to keep her silent, Madison has no time for re-kindling her high school crush with police chief Brash deCordova. She has her hands full just trying to stay alive.

If she survives her amateur investigation, Maddy has a decision to make. Will she go back to her life in Dallas, or will she build a new life here in The Sisters?

$0.99 KINDLE COUNTDOWN DEAL 6/19-25!

 

You know a book is going to be good when it starts off:

“Finding a dead body was never good.  Finding the dead body of your newest client – particularly on the first day of the job – was decidedly worse.”

Welcome to The Sisters, Texas.  Where rumors run rampant, small town bias is still alive, but where you will find some of the nicest people…well most of them anyway unless they are a killer!   Madison’s daughter, Bethanie, sums it up quite nicely:

“This is Juliet, the most boring town in the state of Texas.  Of course, there were more rumors. It is, after all, the favorite pastime of rednecks near and far.”

This story has so much going for it – small Texas town, dysfunctional/quirky characters, a killer on the loose, old loves, close friends, and family.  I quickly grew to like Madison and her best friend Genesis. They have the kind of relationship that everyone should have, a best friend that will go to the ends of the earth for you…and maybe even jail should you get caught doing something a little crazy!  Considering everything Madison has gone through, that friendship is one of the things that holds her together as she puts her life back together with her children.  Madison has flaws but I see great potential for growth in her character over the rest of the series.

The mystery was well written and I was quite surprised when the killer was revealed because I don’t think there were any (or very few) clues to point us in this character’s direction.   I have to say I will never look at a chicken quite the same way and learned things about raising chickens that I never knew.  Considering Madison’s job is running a sort of temp agency, I think she realizes that perhaps this isn’t the sort of career she wants to pursue full time.

There is the beginning of a potential relationship between Maddy and her crush from high school, Brash.  There are some assumptions on Maddy’s part regarding Brash which throw her for a loop until correct information is provided to her.

I also appreciated the history regarding the two towns and how they came to be in existence.  There was enough history to visualize and understand, but not so much that it detracted from the basic plot line.

There are a few things that I am predicting for the next book and eagerly await finding out if I am right or wrong.  We give this book 4 paws up and if you are looking for a cozy series, definitely check this one out.

 

 

Becki Willis, best known for her popular The Sisters, Texas Mystery Series and Forgotten Boxes, always dreamed of being an author. In November of ’13, that dream became a reality.

Since that time, she has published numerous books, won first place honors for Best Mystery Series, Best Suspense Fiction, Best Women’s Detective Fiction, and Best Audio Book, won the 2018 RONE Award for Paranormal Fiction, and has introduced her imaginary friends to readers around the world.

An avid history buff, Becki likes to poke around in old places and learn about the past. Other addictions include reading, writing, junking, unraveling a good mystery, and coffee. She loves to travel but believes coming home to her family and her Texas ranch is the best part of any trip. Becki is a member of the Association of Texas Authors, Writer’s League of Texas, Sisters in Crime, the National Association of Professional Women, and the Brazos Writers organization. She attended Texas A&M University and majored in Journalism.

Connect with Becki below. She loves to hear from readers and encourages feedback!

 

Website ║ Twitter ║ Goodreads  ║ Email

Facebook ║ Instagram║ Pinterest ║  YouTube

LinkedIn ║ BookBub║ Amazon Author Page

 

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2nd Prize: $10 Amazon Gift Card

June 20-30, 2019

(U.S. Only) 

 

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Check out the other blogs on this tour

 

6/20/19	Chicken Scratch, #1	StoreyBook Reviews
6/20/19	When the Stars Fall, #2	Tangled in Text
6/21/19	Stipulations & Complications, #3	Max Knight
6/22/19	Home Again: Starting Over, #4	Reading by Moonlight
6/23/19	Genny’s Ballad, #5	Bibliotica
6/24/19	Christmas in The Sisters, #6	The Clueless Gent
6/25/19	The Lilac Code, #7	Hall Ways Blog
6/26/19	Wildflower Wedding, #8	Book Fidelity
6/26/19	Wildflower Wedding, #8	Carpe Diem Chronicles
6/27/19	Wildflower Wedding, #8	Chapter Break Book Blog
6/27/19	Wildflower Wedding, #8	The Librarian Talks
6/28/19	Wildflower Wedding, #8	Forgotten Winds
6/28/19	Wildflower Wedding, #8	Nerd Narration
6/29/19	Wildflower Wedding, #8	That’s What She’s Reading
6/29/19	Wildflower Wedding, #8	Sydney Young, Stories

 

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Synopsis

What happens when doctor and patient find themselves in the same sinking boat, yet rowing in opposite directions—one clinging to the past, and the other unable to move beyond it?

Sam returns home from a business trip a day before his son’s thirteenth birthday to find his world cruelly shattered in one fell swoop. Initially thinking he can cope on his own, Sam finally seeks the help of Cynthia, an experienced therapist. What he doesn’t know is that Cynthia herself is trying to recover from a debilitating divorce and the sinister shadow of her ex-husband. In the midst of it all is Lily, Cynthia’s daughter, who harbors a secret that has the power to explode the lives around her.

Taut with tension and intensity, Dark Blossom explores what lies beneath the surface of the lives of apparently “normal” people.

 

Review

This is a suspense/thriller novel that while at times is predictable, the ending is not.

I can’t imagine what it would be like to return from a trip to find out that your family has been killed in an accident. That is what Sam find outs at the beginning of the book. Throughout the rest of the book, we see his interactions with Cynthia, a counselor/therapist, who is dealing with her own demons and a petulant daughter, Lily, that is rebelling against a tragic situation.

I was surprised at how much Cynthia let Lily get away with considering she is only 17. I would never have been allowed to act as she did to my parents. But time heals all wounds, along with honesty, as the pair discovers.

As Sam and Cynthia continue sessions and as Sam reveals a bit more each time, I felt something wasn’t quite right but did not know what the answer was in this situation…until the end. The ending throws quite a punch and was not one I expected. It explained a lot.

This story will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride. Enjoy the ride!

We give it 4 paws up.

 

About the Author

Neel Mullick is the author of Dark Blossom. The Head of Product and Information Security at a Belgian family-office technology company, Mullick is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and INSEAD. He mentors female entrepreneurs through the Cherie Blaire Foundation for Women, is involved in raising a generation of digital and socially aware leaders with Nigeria’s Steering for Greatness Foundation, supports improvement in the quality of life of domestic workers through Peru’s Emprendedoras del Hogar, and works with IIMPACT in India to help break the cycle of illiteracy plaguing young girls from socially and economically impoverished communities. Dark Blossom is his first novel.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Instagram

 

When the Men Were Gone

by

Marjorie Herrera Lewis

  Genre: Historical / Biographical / Sports Fiction

Publisher: William Morrow

Date of Publication: October 2, 2018

Number of Pages: 240

Scroll down for the giveaway!

 

 

A cross between Friday Night Lights and The Atomic City Girls, When The Men Were Gone is a debut historical novel based on the true story of Tylene Wilson, a woman in 1940s Texas who, in spite of extreme opposition, became a female football coach in order to keep her students from heading off to war.

Football is the heartbeat of Brownwood, Texas. Every Friday night for as long as assistant principal Tylene Wilson can remember, the entire town has gathered in the stands, cheering their boys on. Each September brings with it the hope of a good season and a sense of unity and optimism.

Now, the war has changed everything. Most of the Brownwood men over eighteen and under forty-five are off fighting, and in a small town the possibilities are limited. Could this mean a season without football? But no one counted on Tylene, who learned the game at her daddy’s knee. She knows more about it than most men, so she does the unthinkable, convincing the school to let her take on the job of coach.

Faced with extreme opposition by the press, the community, rival coaches, and referees — and even the players themselves — Tylene remains resolute. And when her boys rally around her, she leads the team — and the town — to a Friday night and a subsequent season they will never forget.

Based on a true story, When the Men Were Gone is a powerful and vibrant novel of perseverance and personal courage.

Purchase the Book

 

Praise

“Sublimely ties together the drama of high school football, gender politics, and the impact of war on a small town in Texas.” – Best of Books, 2018, Sports Illustrated

“A beautiful story that stays in your heart long after you finish reading.” – Jodi Thomas, New York Times bestselling author

“Based on a true story that most people probably don’t know, readers will find plenty to love in Herrera Lewis’ debut.” — Kirkus Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Texas, football is a big deal and watch out for the die-hard fans!  This biographical novel is based on the life of Tylene Wilson, an educator that took on the duties of coaching the football team when there was no one else to do it because the men had either been drafted or volunteered to fight in WWII.  If someone didn’t step forward to coach the boys, they might as well enlist in the military right then and miss out on the rest of their childhood. I was intrigued because I had not heard of Tylene Wilson before, and not that I should have since I am not from the Brownwood area or a football fanatic, and wondered how the author came to hear about this woman to write a story about her life during this time.  I stumbled across this D Magazine article that gave the author the basis for writing this story – it pays to talk to people because you hear the most interesting stories.

This book isn’t long and it primarily spans a 2-3 week period of time.  There are flashes to the past to give us more information about characters and how Tylene became the woman she was during that time.  While this is a fictional story, I found it very inspiring because it is based on fact and because it reflects another way women stepped up during WWII to help out on the home front.  The town citizens still had to deal with the war, losing family members, and fearing for the future but all was ok on Friday nights when they could watch the local football team play the game.  It was a respite from the sadness or anxiousness they might be feeling about the war.

I didn’t envy Tylene and what she endured trying to prove she could coach these boys when no one else could be found.  Yes, she had the technical skills and she was able to relate to the boys on a different level but it wasn’t an easy road.  Sexism was definitely at play from the other coaches in the conference, some of the men in town, and even some of the male students.  One has to realize we are talking about the early 40s and this really wasn’t unusual.

The last part of the book focuses on the first football game of the season and for those pages, my heart was in my throat as I sat there on pins and needles wondering how the game was going to turn out.  Winning or losing didn’t really matter, it was bringing these boys together as a team and helping them realize that each one was important and they each needed to give their all and trust each other.

Some of my favorite quotes:

“There’s something special about Texas football . . . I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked at a Texas sunset only to see a goalpost cut through the yellow and red splashed across the sky.”

“Sometimes in life, we find ourselves in situations we never anticipated, and we end up asking ourselves exactly what you just asked: Why me? But you know what, Moose?  The boys need to play football and they can’t do it without you.”

“The hardships shadow us forever, Moose.  How we respond – now, that’s what tells us who we are.”

I loved this book and it reminded me so much of Twelve Mighty Orphans by Jim Dent.  If you like stories about football and teams that overcame trials and tribulations, you need to read these two books you won’t be disappointed!

We give it 5 paws up!

 

 

Marjorie Herrera Lewis is an award-winning sportswriter, named the first female Dallas Cowboys beat writer when she was with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She later joined the SportsDay staff of The Dallas Morning News, where she continued to cover the NFL and professional tennis. She is currently a contributing sportswriter for PressBoxDFW.com.

While writing When the Men Were Gone, she became inspired to try her hand at coaching football herself and was added to the Texas Wesleyan University football coaching staff in December 2016. Marjorie has degrees from Arizona State University, The University of Texas in Arlington, Southern New Hampshire University, and certificates from Southern Methodist University, and Cornell University. She is married and has two grown daughters and one son-in-law.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ BookBub

Instagram ~ YouTube ~Amazon Author Page

 

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THREE SIGNED COPIES OF WHEN THE MEN WERE GONE

June 18-28, 2019

(International)

 

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Check out the other blogs on this tour

 

6/18/19	Author Video	Hall Ways Blog
6/18/19	Notable Quotable	StoreyBook Reviews
6/19/19	Review	That’s What She’s Reading
6/19/19	Review	Sydney Young, Stories
6/20/19	Excerpt	Texas Book Lover
6/21/19	Author Interview	Chapter Break Book Blog
6/21/19	Excerpt	Momma on the Rocks
6/22/19	Review	All the Ups and Downs
6/23/19	Review	Tangled in Text
6/23/19	Scrapbook Page	Rainy Days with Amanda
6/24/19	Playlist & BONUS Review	Reading by Moonlight
6/25/19	Review	#Bookish
6/25/19	Guest Post	Missus Gonzo
6/26/19	Review	The Clueless Gent
6/27/19	Review	Story Schmoozing Book Reviews

 

 

 

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Throughout his acclaimed career, chef Michael Schwartz has been celebrated for his skilled use of quality ingredients, and with his pizzas, this talent is on full display. Genuine Pizza is Schwartz’s vibrantly illustrated guidebook for creating unforgettable pies at home. His cookbook makes the pizza process approachable and fun, giving the reader the tools they need to make better pizza and then run with them. First providing a clear and simple view of the fundamentals—with detailed step-by-step methods for making the best pizza doughs—Schwartz then empowers home cooks to mix and match ingredients, playing with different sauces, cheeses, meats, vegetables, and more, to build pies both classic and innovative. Pizza is just the beginning—it’s a jumping off point to colorful, delicious meals.

 

Review

This is the last cookbook I have to review from the great folks at Abrams Books.  I was blessed to be chosen for the Abrams Dinner Party and able to try new and exciting recipes covering a wide variety of foods.

I think of all of the cookbooks this one is my favorite because it is so versatile.  It may seem like the focus is on pizza, but there is so much more to this cookbook.  There are salads, beverages, desserts, all sorts of dishes to round out your meal.

While I haven’t made a pizza yet (I’m a little nervous about making the dough but a fellow dinner party blogger said her kids made the dough so surely I can too!), my husband and I have made several of the recipes that are definitely keepers.

My husband actually made the first recipe from this cookbook, a Rosemary Crema.  This is such a versatile sauce as you can use it on chicken wings (which is what he did) or dip your pizza crusts or many other uses I haven’t thought of yet.

 

Another recipe I made was the Strawberry Basil Syrup.  This was great to make martinis or even just add it to some lemon (or flavor of choice) seltzer water.  To make the martini, I took 1.5 oz of the simple syrup, 2 oz of fresh lemon juice (lime juice works too), and 2 oz of Lemon Vodka (or flavor of choice).  Put all of the ingredients in a shaker with some ice and then pour in a martini glass rimmed with sugar if you so choose.  This makes a little more than 1 martini but I like to keep refilling my glass.

 

 

The last thing I made from the cookbook was Chocolate Chunk Cookies.  I think this was the recipe that many of the bloggers made and I think we all had the same comments – this makes way more than 12 cookies (unless they are as big as your plate) and we all stuffed them with something different.  I was shopping at Aldi and saw these Dark Chocolate and Chocolate & Caramel squares and thought these would be perfect in the center.  I will admit I am more of a dark chocolate fan so those were my favorite plus the caramel seemed to ooze out of the cookie.  I made these for a church gathering and they were quite a hit especially when they reached the surprise center!  I think next time I would make the cookies a little bit smaller so whatever is in the middle is more pronounced.

 

We definitely give this cookbook 5 paws up and this one will be staying in my collection.

Book Title: Burton Blake by Robert Tucker
Category: Adult Fiction, 518 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Tell-Tale Publishing Group LLC / Wise Words Publishing
Release date: 1/06/2019

Synopsis

In this sequel to the well-received The Revolutionist, the American journey of three generations locks the neophyte company president, Burton Blake, in a vicious struggle with corporate intrigue, financial greed, and social corruption. Born to a taxi dancer at the beginning of the Second World War, Burton’s father, Elias Blake, never knows his natural father, who is killed in the South Pacific. He is raised by his mother and stepfather from her second marriage who makes his fortune during the post war real estate boom of the 50’s. Their untimely death by his business partner leaves the boy Elias in the guardianship of his mother’s best friend and her marine vet husband who introduces him to the macho culture of guns and hunting.

Elias’s youth is influenced by the adult world’s drive for personal material gain. Over the next decades, he expands his parents’ original real estate empire into the diversified multi-divisional, multi-national corporation that he leaves to his son, Burton. Upon his forced return from traveling and working with oppressed third world people, Burton learns increasingly more about the true nature of his deceased father as he undertakes the challenges of leading the company in a new direction.

Book Trailer

Interview

In the novel Burton Blake, you make a reference to The Cult of Wealth. How did you come up with this idea?

The idea is not new. The pursuit of wealth has been a driving force of societies and cultures for centuries. Wars are waged over it. Companies and political opponents compete with it. Every day in the news media, we read and hear about wealth and corruption often going hand in hand and being associated with power. Thousands of writers of books and film makers base their stories and scenarios on the concept.

Although first mentioned in Burton Blake, the concept pervades the dramatic conflicts and characters’ lives in The Revolutionist, as well, and is a prominent theme in both novels.

 

With all the books being published, what makes yours different?

The characters and their individual stories make the books unique. Most readers seek how writers work with and develop literary tropes in new and different ways, even within established genres. As with any of the fine and performing arts, writing today involves fresh variations on themes and ideas that may have been around for a long time. I see my role as an author is to provide readers with new perspectives that educate, as well as entertain.

 

How long have you been writing?

A long time, about fifty years, which provides me with a great foundation of life experience. I wrote my first story sketches for an elementary school newsletter when I was in fourth grade. I haven’t stopped writing since. I wrote my first publishable novel when I was a senior in college. That novel has now been contracted with my publisher. I’m working on my twentieth novel.

 

Do you write every day?

Every day is a writing day, even if ideas are whirling around in my head and have not yet been committed to written words. I often respond to what I call subconscious breakthroughs that become hastily scrawled notes that eventually grow into characters, dialogue, scenes, chapters, and entire books.

 

Have you ever written parts of your books on paper?

Before we had computers, I would write entire books on paper, then rewrite on an actual typewriter, first a Smith-Corona, then an IBM with the magical revolving ball. I thought technology could never get any better than that. What a surprise. I now compose on a MacBook Air and write only post-it notes.

 

Book Title: The Revolutionist by Robert Tucker
Category: Adult Fiction, 649 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Tell-Tale Publishing Group LLC / Wise Words Publishing
Release date: 12/03/2017

Synopsis

Two different families escape from the political tyranny of their respective homelands, the Josephsons from Sweden and Matias and Kurt Bauman, brothers from Germany and Austria Hungary, with the aid of a Viennese opera diva, Sophie Augusta Rose, and Jean Guenoc, a former Jesuit priest, family friend and protector and partisan of the French underground. Their journey brings them to America in the throes of the industrial revolution during the 1890s and early 1900s.

Ingrid and Olaf Josephson settle on a small wheat farm in North Central Minnesota to raise their children, Newt and Julie. Among the Jewish entrepreneurs forced to leave Germany and Austria-Hungary, Matias and Kurt Bauman re-establish their transportation company in Chicago, Illinois. In search of a secret list of insurgent social democrats, the bounty hunter assassin, Luther Baggot, tracks his victims to the American heartland. Following the murder of their mother and father, Newt, Julie, and their friends, Aaron and Beth Peet, hide from the killer in a Northern Minnesota logging camp. Believing the children have taken possession of the list, Luther tracks them down and they are forced to flee again, this time to Chicago where a different world opens up to them as they are thrust into the turmoil and violence of an urban society and economy careening into the new century.

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Audible

Book Trailer

 

About the Author

Robert is published by Tell-Tale Publishing Group LLC / Wise Words Publishing under a multi-book contract. The author of four previous earlier novels, Robert infuses his books with unique dynamic stories and characters that portray social and cultural conflicts of their time. His career encompasses many years as a business consultant that have given him access to a wide range of organizations and an appreciation for people in all areas of society. His life experience is reflected in the literary quality of his work. Born and raised in the Middle-West, he has traveled throughout the United States and abroad.

Now retired, he resides with his wife in Southern California where he devotes full-time to writing. Robert is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara with a Masters Degree in Communications at the University of California, Los Angeles where he received the Samuel Goldwyn and Donald Davis Literary Awards.

An affinity for family and the astute observation of generational interaction pervade his novels. His works are literary and genre upmarket fiction that address the nature and importance of personal integrity.

Website  ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Giveaway

Prizes: Win 1 of 4 ebook copies of both The Revolutionist and Burton Blake. One winner will also get a $30 Amazon GC (4 winners total / open to USA and Canada)

(ends July 5,2019)

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Synopsis

Bacon is Peter Sherman’s North Star. In 2014, he opened BarBacon, a bacon-themed gastropub in New York City, to immediate critical and financial success, and he has become the go-to bacon guru for the world. Sherman has a nearly religious devotion to bacon, and in his tome, The Bacon Bible, he shares more than 200 recipes that show you how to incorporate bacon into nearly any meal you can imagine.

There are the classics, like BLTs, wedge salads, and mac and cheese, but the book really encourages you to cook with bacon in unexpected ways with recipes like Bacon Ramen, Chipotle Bacon Tacos, and Bacon Bourbon Oatmeal Pancakes. Peter also teaches you the basics, like how to cure simple bacon from scratch. He has a mad-scientist approach to bacon and is a firm believer that it should be a part of every meal. With this cookbook, you’ll never think of bacon the same way.

 

Review

In honor of Father’s Day, I decided to post my review today since most men love bacon and while it might be a little late to get it and give to them today, nothing wrong with buying it for them and giving it to them as a late gift!  I am sure your bacon-loving man (or woman for that matter) will eat up this cookbook!  And then you can thank Abrams Books for putting out this cookbook, sending it to me to review as part of the Abrams Dinner Party and then sharing it with you.

The saying goes that everything tastes better with Bacon (which is actually a fact!) and this cookbook is a great way to find new ways to use bacon that you might never have thought about before.  After all the rest of the title of the book is “More than 200 recipes for bacon you never knew you needed”.

This cookbook has it all – recipes for everything from beverages to appetizers to desserts and everything in between.  I loved flipping through the pages and discovering new and inspired ways to use bacon.  I have previously put it on sandwiches, in pasta dishes, and on top of salads but this cookbook opened my eyes to many more opportunities like Bacon and Bourbon cornbread – who would have thought to combine those?  Not me, that’s for sure.  Or what about Bacon Caramel Popcorn or Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies?  Is your mouth watering yet?

Being a part of Abrams Dinner Party, one of the best things is chatting with other bloggers and seeing what they choose to make and what works or doesn’t work or what their family raves about.  I think one of the biggest hits is the Apple-Bacon relish that could be eaten almost any way – on a burger, with tortilla chips, in soup, or even by the spoonful.

I decided to try the Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin and let me tell you, you can never go wrong with adding more pork to pork!  I have to admit I didn’t quite follow the cooking instructions but that was because I didn’t have rendered bacon fat (and definitely not 4 cups worth) so I cooked it in the oven after wrapping the tenderloin with bacon and searing it to crisp the bacon.  It came out delicious and there wasn’t any left at the end of the meal.  I served it with a Lemon Pea Risotto from another Abrams cookbook that I received this year.

 

We are giving this cookbook 5 paws up and suggest you rush out and pick up a copy for yourself or you can enter the giveaway I have for my copy of this book.

 

Giveaway

I am giving away my copy of this book (US Residents only) and all you have to do is visit this post and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!

 

 

Love, Lies, and Azure Eyes
Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Soul Mate Publishing, LLC (June 12, 2019)
Print Length: 267 pages

Synopsis

Elated by Annie’s response, Johnny caved to his impulse and pressed his mouth to her sweet lips, sparking a surge of electricity that ricocheted through his entire body, and for one glorious moment swept him up in a wave of emotion that meteorically whisked him to the edge of the universe, past swirling spirals of brightly burning stars — white dwarfs, red giants, entire galaxies. Caught in the rapture, he shed his cocoon of darkness and experienced the light — the wonderful, warm, life-affirming light. He reveled in it, felt alive. He almost believed he was. Almost.

* * *

West Coast journalist Annie Sinclair’s career, not to mention her love life, has been on the skids far too long, when she returns to Logan Point, her small, Indiana hometown. She’s back to make amends with her elderly father, and to delve into the 25-year-old, unsolved murder of her high school classmate for a writing gig with a national tabloid.

Annie’s plans soon go awry, and her mettle is tested — first when her father warns her against digging into the past; and again, when she meets the Logan Point Ledger’s handsome, but exasperating, new editor; and again still, when she reconnects with her first love, who clearly wants to rekindle what once was.

But Annie’s most arduous test appears in the form of the earthbound spirit of a boy she once knew — the boy with the azure eyes accused of the murder she is looking into. He needs her to prove his innocence, so he can break the ties that bind him to the darkness. In exchange, he will set Annie free to realize that the love she yearns for is just within her reach … if only she will open her heart.

 

 

Guest Post

Hello? … Anyone there? … Can you hear me? … I’ve been stumbling about in this darkness for what seems like forever, lost, alone, looking for that certain someone to help me break these ties and open the door to the light, the blessed life-affirming, all-forgiving, soul-saving light.

My name is Johnny Lange, and life stopped for me 25 years ago, when I was 18 years old. The last thing I remember is rocketing down the highway toward Logan Point with daddy’s boy Carter McKuen, who was at the wheel and sloshed to the gill. Let me be clear: Carter McKuen was not then, never had been, and never would be my friend. That’d be true even if he hadn’t plowed his Coupe de Ville into that tree and killed me.

Just like life, death is complicated. I always figured that when you die, one of two possibilities await: either it’s lights out, or a representative of your designated Afterlife destination escorts you there. If you figured that, too, you’d be wrong. The Afterlife can get messy, and there are as many possibilities as there are dead people.

In my case, no one was waiting for me, but I was not alone. Once I made the transition, the lost souls were everywhere, as they always had been. I just hadn’t been able to see them. Suddenly, I was one of them and feared I was doomed to this purgatory for all eternity. However, I eventually learned that heaven was waiting for me! To get there, all I had to do was clear myself as the murderer of my high school classmate, Shelayne Goodnight.

First let me be clear — I’m not the one who killed Shelayne! I don’t know who did it, but it wasn’t me. Proving that wasn’t easy, even while I was alive. I had dated her exactly twice. Unfortunately, her father, who I never liked, never liked me either and told the sheriff he suspected me. Rumors started and never stopped — even now, after I’ve been dead 25 years.

Fortunately, I used my free time to hone my communication skills. Regardless of what you’ve seen in the movies, it’s not easy for a ghost — even a friendly ghost — to make himself visible and audible to a living person without scaring the spit out of them.

Thank God, I was able to get through to Annie Sinclair and persuade her to help me. If anyone could prove my innocence and figure out the true identity of Shelayne’s killer, it’s Annie. And once she does, only one hurdle between heaven and me will remain — Annie’s heart.

Thank you for this opportunity to tell you a bit about “Love, Lies, and Azure Eyes” and how I fit into it. (Hint: My eyes are azure.) If you want to join me to learn how the story plays out and who killed Shelayne, the book is available as an ebook for just $3.99. But if you sign up for the give-away, maybe you’ll win it! And if it’s an enticement, I can assure you, my story has a happy ending. •

 

About the Author

Janis Thornton is the author of a true crime/oral history/memoir, Too Good a Girl, as well as two cozy mysteries, Dust Bunnies & Dead Bodies and Dead Air & Double Dares. She also is the author of two local history books and contributor to Undeniably Indiana. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Authors Guild, and the Indianapolis Writers Center. She lives in her Indiana hometown in the same house where she grew up.

Website * Blog * Facebook * Amazon Author Page * Goodreads

 

 

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Title: The Friend Zone
Author: Sariah Wilson
Release Date: June 11, 2019
Publisher: Montlake Romance

Synopsis

Disgraced college quarterback Logan Hunt was on his way to NFL stardom when he messed up big-time. Now the Texas star player with a bad temper has a new option: Seattle’s EOL College—as in End of the Line, to his fellow misfit recruits. It’s Logan’s last chance. If he can follow the rules. No parties, no fighting, no swearing, and oh, no dating the coach’s daughter, Jess. Simple. Yeah, right. For Logan, there has never been a rule he’s more tempted to break.

The deal is “just friends.” The pretty, confident, and fiercely smart math whiz is fine with pizza, tutoring, and keeping Logan in line. But the closer Jess gets, the more receptive she is to his warm heart and spirit—not to mention his irresistible off-field passes. With defenses down, they’re both heading into the danger zone.

It’s more than thrilling. It’s love. It’s also a game changer that could sideline Logan’s NFL goals—and more important, a future with Jess. But dreams are worth fighting for, right?

 

Why Football Players Make the Best Book Boyfriends with Sariah Wilson

I got inspired to write the “End of the Line” series after seeing the Netflix documentary Last Chance U. I loved the idea of a junior college that gave Division 1 football players a second chance at the NFL or to play for a Division 1 school again after they’d screwed up their scholarships. I chose football because while my family is not a typical sports family (my husband doesn’t watch at all), my oldest son played football all four years of high school and I’ve always enjoyed watching the game. Plus, isn’t there something just inherently appealing about football players?

It’s part of what makes them such great heroes—they’re strong, athletic, talented, protective. They’re committed to playing their sport and playing it well, which can also translate off the field and make them the types to seriously commit to a relationship because they’ve shown they’re willing to do the work to get what they want. I think that level of dedication speaks a lot to the kind of boyfriends they turn out to be.

My current project is THE FRIEND ZONE, and it’s a story about Logan Hunt, a disgraced football player being given a second chance to play and graduate from college, which he is determined to do. His new coach has a lot of rules he expects his players to follow, including no dating. Jess is Logan’s math tutor and off limits, especially since she’s the coach’s daughter. They decide to stay just friends and try to fight off their growing attraction to one another. He’s the perfect guy to start off this series because he’s someone who has overcome a lot and exemplifies what EOL means for the players—the chance to start over.

 

The Friend Zone Excerpt

“Welcome. To those of you that I haven’t met personally, my name is Stan Oakley, and I’m the head coach of EOL’s Owls.”

A couple of the players made hooting noises in response.

“I thank you all for being here, for taking time out of your lives to hear what I have to say. Either one of the members of my staff has spoken to you or I have, and we have mentioned that this team has some serious rules. I’d like to talk to you about that now and what exactly those rules are.”

Here it was. I straightened in my seat and wondered what he could possibly throw at us that would be bad enough that Jess thought she’d be taking me right back to the bus station.

Coach nodded at Ford, who walked over to the white board and picked up a marker.

“First, punctuality. You will be on time. To class, to practice, to tutoring, to everything in your life that you need to show up for, you will respect the time of everyone around you and be there when you’re supposed to be.”

Ford wrote “#1 Be on time” on the board.

“There will be no drinking at all, ever. No drugs of any kind. You will be randomly drug tested on a regular basis. First time you fail, you’re out. There will be no second or third chances here.”

I felt Bash sinking down in his seat next to me as several of the guys murmured. “How are we supposed to let off steam?” someone asked behind me.

Coach kept talking. “There will be no swearing or cussing.”

“That’s not even realistic!” a guy in the front row protested.

“It is realistic. And you will do it because you represent me and you represent this team and you can do it without swearing. Next, in accordance with NCAA standard, you will maintain a minimum of a 2.5 GPA. I may give more playing time to guys with a higher GPA. The more playing time you get, the more likely you’ll be seen by a scout or a recruiter. Especially in the playoffs and the national championship game. Take your academics seriously. Keilani Kahananui will be talking to you about your options later and how we can help.”

There was more dissent among the ranks, more guys murmuring and complaining about the rules. None of them seemed that bad to me.

But I had the feeling the worst was yet to come.

“Next rule—no fighting. On or off the field.”

Now it was my turn to slouch down in my seat. As if that one had been directed specifically at me.

The marker squeaked against the whiteboard as Ford continued writing down Coach’s rules.

“In addition to being punctual, you will treat authority figures with respect. You respect your teachers by showing up to class. By not talking back. By turning in your assignments. You respect your coaches by showing up to practice ready to give a hundred percent every time. By listening and doing as you’re told.”

Off to my left somebody shouted out, “Yo, Coach! Respect has to be earned.”

“It absolutely does not,” Coach Oakley quickly countered. “Respect will be given without reservation. If you think that it must be earned, there’s the door. Because there’s no way you’re going to be playing on my team.”

The coach fell silent, waiting to see if anybody would leave.

No one did.

“I won’t get to coach most of you for four years. My goal is not to build a program that keeps you all here. My job is to get you to the next stage of your life. To turn you into men.” There were some more sounds of discontent, and the coach held up his hand. “I know a lot of you think you’re already men. But you’re not. Not yet. I expect you to all to start behaving like real men. Like gentlemen. For your entire lives, because you had some talent to play football, nobody cared how you behaved off the field. I care. I’m holding you to a higher standard. Better today than you were yesterday. Especially when it comes to women.”

My spidey sense started tingling. Whatever he was going to say next, I knew I wouldn’t like it.

“And our final rule for the evening: no women. No girlfriends, no dating, no one-night stands.”

That led to a loud and physical reaction in the room. Which I got, because I felt like I’d been sucker punched. It was one thing to be asked to give up most of the things you did to entertain yourself and relax.

But women? How were we supposed to go an entire season without girls? I didn’t know if I could do it.

“How will you know?” somebody asked. It was a legitimate question. Short of installing hidden cameras in our dorms, which at that moment I wasn’t putting past him, there was no way for Coach to know if we were messing around.

“I’m expecting you to behave like gentlemen, with honor and integrity. I’d like to be able to take you at your word.”

“No way! That’s it! I’m out!” one guy declared.

“That’s fine,” Coach said, shrugging one shoulder in the same way Jess had earlier. “Some of you may think that because once upon a time you were recruited by a Division 1 school, you’re better than this place. You’re not. I don’t have to play any of you. I don’t have to keep any of you on scholarship. And for anyone who thinks this team will fall apart without you, you couldn’t be more wrong. This team will be just fine.”

That one word, “scholarship,” made my decision easy. I didn’t necessarily need women in my life. It would probably help to have one less distraction as I went about dedicating all of my time to school and football.

“You really expect us to live like monks? Will we at least get to hang out with girls in the off-season?” another man asked.

Coach Oakley was silent, again giving off that commanding vibe that made people sit back down and be quiet. “You all know why you’re here and what’s at stake. For most of you, this is the end of the line. There is no somewhere else. But if you feel like you can’t live with my rules, again, there’s the door. You all have round-trip tickets to take you back home.” He turned and faced the dude who had asked the last question. “There is no off-season at EOL. You are my players until I say you’re not. I am holding you to a higher standard. But I know every person in this room is capable of rising up to do what I ask of you. Of being better. Prove me right.”

 

About the Author

Bestselling author Sariah Wilson has never jumped out of an airplane or climbed Mount Everest, and she is not a former CIA operative. She has, however, been madly, passionately in love with her soul mate and is a fervent believer in happily ever afters—which is why she writes romance series like The Royals of Monterra and #Lovestruck. After growing up in Southern California as the oldest of nine (yes, nine) children, she graduated from Brigham Young University with a semi-useless degree in history. She currently lives with the aforementioned soul mate and their four children in Utah, along with three tiger barb fish, a cat named Tiger, and a recently departed hamster who is buried in the backyard (and has nothing at all to do with tigers). For more information, visit her website at www.SariahWilson.com.

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Deco Dames, Demon Rum and Death (Jazz Age Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Decodame Press (December 28, 2018)
Paperback: 249 pages

Synopsis

When young Galveston Gazette society reporter Jazz Cross hears rumors of grave robbers at the Broadway Cemetery, she and photographer Nathan Blaine investigate, hoping to land a scoop. The newshawks witness meetings held by clandestine gangs and enlist the help of her beau, Prohibition Agent James Burton, who attempts to catch the elusive culprits red-handed.

Meanwhile, the supernatural craze takes Galveston by storm, and Jazz is assigned to profile the society set’s favorite fortune teller, Madame Farushka. Sightings of a ghost bride haunting the Hotel Galvez intrigue Jazz, who sets up a Ouija board reading and séance with the spiritualist. Did the bride-to-be drown herself—or was she murdered?

Luckily, Sammy Cook, her black-sheep half-brother, has escaped the Downtown Gang and now acts as the maître d’ for the Hollywood Dinner Club, owned by rival Beach Gang leaders. During a booze bust, the Downtown Gang’s mob boss, Johnny Jack Nounes, is caught and Jazz worries: will Sammy be forced to testify against his former boss? Worse, when a mystery man turns up dead, Sammy is framed for murder and Jazz must solve both murders and help clear Sammy’s name.

As the turf war between rival gangs rages on, Jazz relies on her wits and moxie to rescue her brother and her friends before the Downtown Gang exacts its revenge.

Excerpt

Nathan and I arrived a few minutes early, to allow him time to set up his camera equipment. Madame Farushka, dressed like a Cleopatra clone with flowing scarves and arms of jangly bracelets and huge hoop earrings—probably real gold, with her fees—seemed to enjoy playing dress-up. With a dramatic flourish, she flung open the double stained-glass doors and led us down the dark hall past a beaded curtain entrance into her parlor, filled with massive carved Victorian furniture and ugly gargoyle bronzes.

A new Ouija board sat in the middle of a round oak table, with four chairs evenly spaced apart, a candelabra in the center. Madame rose to untie the thick silk cords and closed the heavy burgundy velvet curtains trimmed with long fringe, blocking out any twilight in the already-dark room.

Nervously I eyed the flickering candles. Sure, they helped set the supernatural mood, but to me they represented a fire hazard.

The flames cast an eerie glow: shadows and misshapen faces and figures of statues and religious icons seemed to magnify and flash like images in a fun-house mirror.

I got the shakes, feeling as if I’d stepped onto the set of The Phantom of the Opera. All we needed was an enormous swaying crystal chandelier to complete the Gothic scene….

Lily briefly described her encounters with the ghost bride, Marilyn, but didn’t mention murder. She glanced at the Ouija board, exclaiming, “I’m so excited. How exactly do these work?”

After Madame explained the rules—we must remain silent during the reading while she asked the questions—we solemnly took our seats, scooted our chairs closer and placed our fingers on the celluloid triangular-shaped planchette, or pointer. Then she chanted in low tones: “Oh, dear spirit, why do you haunt the Hotel Galvez? What unfinished business must you resolve?”

The planchette was still. No vibration, no movement. I stole a peek at Nathan, who tried not to laugh. The women seemed so intent on the Ouija board’s powers that I felt guilty, and obediently shut my eyes. Madame again attempted to summon the bride. “Tell us, spirit, why did you seek out Lily? Do you have a message for her, for all of us? Why is your soul so troubled?”….

Madame Farushka’s eyes were closed and she swayed back and forth to a silent rhythm. Tilting my head, I signaled Nathan to start taking photos. No one paid attention as he quietly moved around the dark room and took a few shots. His flash added to the atmosphere, the puffs of smoke creating a cloudy haze.

The planchette vibrated and kept sliding across the board. Wary, I watched Lily and Madame for any evidence of trickery or manipulation, but everything appeared above board, so to speak. Slowly the planchette picked up speed and floated across the Ouija’s surface, spelling out a familiar, frightening word: M-U-R-D-E-R.

About the Author

Ellen Mansoor Collier is a Houston-based freelance magazine writer and editor whose articles and essays have been published in a variety of national magazines. Several of her short stories have appeared in Woman’s World. During college summers, she worked as a reporter for a Houston community newspaper and as a cocktail waitress, both jobs providing background experience for her Jazz Age mysteries.

A flapper at heart, she’s worked as a magazine editor/writer, and in advertising and public relations (plus endured a hectic semester as a substitute teacher). She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Magazine Journalism and served on UTmost, the college magazine and as president of WICI (Women in Communications).

She lives in Houston with her husband and Chow mutts and visits Galveston whenever possible.

“When you grow up in Houston, Galveston becomes like a second home. I had no idea this sleepy beach town had such a wild and colorful past until I began doing research, and became fascinated by the legends and stories of the 1920s. Finally, I had to stop researching and start writing, trying to imagine a flapper’s life in Galveston during Prohibition.”

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It is summer and a great time for all those outdoor activities.

This month I am giving away a copy of The Bacon Bible that I received through Abrams Dinner Party.

If you love bacon then you will want to enter this Giveaway!

Open to US Residents only due to the cost of shipping.

 

 

 

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