Forget Me Not by Lawna Mackie @lawnamackie #romanticsuspense

Posted on June 16, 2020 by fundinmental

Preorder price $2.99. Due for release 6.19.20.

Forget Me Not by Lawna Mackie has a beautiful cover to go with the wonderful story inside.

MY REVIEW

Pippin had been snatched by her mentally ill father. It’s a miracle, and thanks to Agent Matt Lalor, that she is alive today. Even Monty, his dog, had known that fate was calling.

My heart jumped out of my chest when Matt bade Monty to FIND Pippen…and he jumped. Great writing. That had me racing through the pages, and, even though I felt I knew where the journey would end, I was looking forward to the ride.

Ten years later…and Pippin returns home. It’s time to visit the past and put it behind her…forever. Yeah. Right. I don’t think that’s going to happen.

Matt Laylor is known as a cold fish, a loner, a recluse, a hard man.

I loved spending time with Vallor on Snow Lake, as he taught Pippin the fine art of ice fishing. I love a book that brings memories roaring back. I remember those huts on the frozen lake, like a small city on the ice, that appears and disappears at nature’s whim.

Lydia is Pippin’s editor for the mystery series she has been writing, and when she comes to town the action knows no limits. I knew she would add some good times…and maybe some bad times…to the equation. She has a very strong personality, but she’s one of those kind of people that make your life a richer place if she is in it.

I laughed out loud when she reached the cabin. I could see it playing out like a scene in a movie.

Levi, may be a bit slow, but he has a big heart. He comes and goes throughout the novel and I am worried what Lawna Mackie has in store for him. He is so sweet. She couldn’t kill him off, could she? At this point, every time I see his name, I feel a sense of impending doom, like he has a part to play and I don’t want anything bad to happen to him.

James? Chance?

I didn’t spot the villain right away. He sure has a lot of patience, waiting in the shadows for THAT moment.

Yes there were a few teary eyed moments. I even felt a Pretty Woman moment adding some good feels, which we always want in a romance…don’t we?

Predictable? Sure. Suspenseful moments? You bet. Laughs and love? For sure.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Forget Me Not by Lawna Mackie.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

He was dead…or so she thought.

At the age of twelve, Pippin Bartlett, is abducted by her mentally ill father who goes on a killing rampage. Fortunately she is rescued outside the small town of Snow Lake, Manitoba by ex-sniper and CSIS Agent Matt Lalor, who shoots and reportedly kills the man although the body is never recovered.

Fast-forward ten years and we find Pippin writing successful novels in New York under the alias of Avery Woods. Her words help lessen the impact of the terror she lived through. That is until a series of fan letters arrive. And not just from any fan, but one who sounds a lot like her father and is determined to finish the failed job from ten years ago.

Matt Lalor has secrets of his own. A career that ended badly and one he wishes to forget. He lives his life in a remote cabin in Snow Lake where, whenever possible, he avoids people. With two notable exceptions he mostly succeeds. The first is the day he is required to rescue a twelve-year old girl. Never missing a shot he believes whole-heartedly the man is dead. The second is the day twenty-two year old Pippin drives into a snowbank on his property to turn his world upside down. She’s being hunted by a killer for a second time, and Matt refuses to let harm come to her. What he doesn’t expect is for the fearless and sassy beautiful young woman to capture his heart in the process.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lawna Mackie was born in Jasper, Alberta. After finishing high school and post secondary she moved to Calgary, Alberta, married her husband and settled in the small town of Didsbury, Alberta.

Lawna would tell you that a lot of her creativity comes from her mother, who could design and build, just about anything. Her mother never lacked the talent for hand-making toys. “She always amazed me. My brother and I were never bored because she made us flutes, toy cars, and even parallel bars in the trees,” she explains.

Her other creative inspiration comes from her husband Jeff, and the many adventures they have had. It was on one particular trip to British Columbia, when she stopped at the Enchanted Forrest that the fairy tale world called to her to write a story.

Along with the love she has for her husband and family, is the deep admiration and compassion she has for animals. “They bring so much joy and inspiration to my life I don’t know how I would ever live without them,” she says. Alaskan Malamutes are near and dear to her heart. With one Malamute, one Bichon Shih Tzu, one farm cat and a Bengal, her house is never quiet.

Lawna writes contemporary romance and paranormals. One fan writes, “Lawna’s books are well-written and are impossibly good! The scenes are unexpected and very creative. I highly recommend her books!”

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MY LAWNA MACKIE REVIEWS

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Giveaway – Movies, Moonlight and Magic by January Bain @JanuaryBain @GoddessFish

Posted on September 25, 2019 by fundinmental

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. January Bain will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Book two in the Manitoba Tea and Tarot Mysteries series

Charm McCall can solve a small-town murder, but can she figure out how to stop a man-stealing interloper?

A movie production company has come to town…and so has an old family friend of the town’s sexy new Mountie, Ace Collins. His “old pal” turns out to be a scheming long-legged blonde who throws Charm right off her game. Even Auntie T.J. playing the bagpipes down Main Street to drive the trespasser away doesn’t work.

Between catering for the world’s hungriest film crew, trying to solve the murder of the unit accountant who hired her and dealing with her new magical gifts, Charm’s a tad busy. But too bad, because she’s soon facing off against a bigger threat when more people become ill with suspected poisoning—and her own sister’s in the crosshairs. Charm’s left wondering if even Agatha Christie could have seen this one coming.

But with so much working against them—including the whole town being dead set against them consummating their relationship—do Charm and Ace stand a chance?

Read an Excerpt:

He stuck out his hand for a shake and I was blessed with the dampest paw on the planet, accompanied by a zinger of an image. Howard cared about every penny because he was embezzling company funds, meaning there would be less to steal if I made a decent profit. Sometimes I wished Granny Toogood hadn’t banned swearing—I had a few apt descriptors for this weaselly dealer. I also hoped she was feeling better. The doctor had advised a few days of rest and that had me worried.

Instead, I narrowed my eyes at him and he slid his hand from mine. Yuck. I dried my palm by rubbing it discreetly down the side of my jeans, half hidden by my Tea & Tarot apron.

“Can you start tomorrow?” he asked, his desperation leaking through, making his face shiny with sweat. Probably because the only other quote he most likely got today far exceeded ours. Guaranteed. The Husky Service on the highway did some catering, but they didn’t come cheap. And their bakery goods came out of pre-frozen tubs and boxes. We prided ourselves on everything fresh baked, from scratch—my fingernails were reduced to rubble from constant work. Proof positive.

“Tomorrow! So soon?” All the nerves in my body slammed into high gear. There was so much to do to prepare for such a large undertaking. Could it even be done that quickly?

“We’d really appreciate it. Might even find you a bit part in the movie.” It wasn’t the incentive he expected—I just shook my head, giving his start date some thought. Sometimes it was best to jump into things, otherwise I’d never do it. I just prayed I could pull it off and do my family and our town proud.

“Okay, but minus the movie walk-on.”

The relief on his face made me smile, despite his weaselly-ness.

The café door opened abruptly and in strode a young man dressed in expensive dark-wash jeans and a tight black T-shirt clothing a wiry, thin body, his face a study in annoyance. “Howard, I need to speak with you right now. Don’t think you can just get up and walk out on me, mister.” His hand on his hip pressed his case.

Howard’s face darkened to a dull red. “Chace, this is not the time or the place. Go. I’ll catch up with you later.”

The man looked as though he was going to object before he about-faced and left. His one-finger salute, reflected in the front window before he pranced away, was not in the best taste. Hmm. Good thing Granny wasn’t around to cut him down to size. In the nicest, politest way of course—she could make the worst villain tippy-toe around her. Probably ask him if he needs the finger for anything other than being rude.

“Please excuse my friend. He’s not himself today.”

“Oh, who is he then?”

Howard gave me a blank stare.

Baby Ling Ling sauntered in, grabbing my attention as she always announced her arrival with a loud greeting, or warning, depending on how her day was going. Our spectacular white Himalayan with her adorable squished-in face and apricot-colored ears, fluffy tail raised high, proceeded to choose her steps with the utmost care across the tiled floor of the café. I’d guess it was in case we’d had the bad manners to add a trap door since yesterday’s saunter. She deigned to notice the new visitor, striding over and giving him a quick sniff. She jumped a couple of feet in the air with a loud howl, her fluffy white fur standing straight on end as though she’d placed her paw on an electrical charge.

“Hiss.” She made herself as big as a tiny eight-pound cat could make herself, arched her back and continued the hissing.

“Nice cat,” Howard deadpanned.

“Careful what you say to her. Ling Ling’s officially multi-lingual since our librarian, Miriam, added Portuguese to her weekly slate of free language lessons.” I just couldn’t resist, not liking his look of disdain. Or his cheapness that was certain to affect our bottom line.

His look of confusion was quite satisfying. He gave Ling Ling a wide berth and headed for the door.

“Okay, then, we’ll expect you tomorrow? You’ll get paid once a week, just come by my office and I’ll cut you a check. Oh, and the camp’s out by Spirit Springs.” He paused, his hand on the doorknob, obviously needing confirmation.

“Yes, I know where the camp is, and the food will be there. You can count on the McCall family. We never go back on our word.” I gave him a level look that he declined to return. A nervous twitch of his nose and he hopped out of the café.

“That guy has a blackish aura with streaks of gray,” Tulip said, pursing her lips.

“Yeah, no surprise—he’s working under a brain cloud.” I didn’t want to say the words embezzling cocaine addict out loud and sink the project before it started. “And since when did you start seeing auras?” And what was I going to do with the unwanted knowledge that the guy was stealing company funds? A moral dilemma. I shouldn’t think that was business as normal, even for the movie industry.

About the Author:

January Bain has wished on every falling star, every blown-out birthday candle, and every coin thrown in a fountain to be a storyteller. To share the tales of high adventure, mysteries, and full blown thrillers she has dreamed of all her life. The story you now have in your hands is the compilation of a lot of things manifesting itself for this special series. Hundreds of hours spent researching the unusual and the mundane have come together to create books that features strong women who live life to the fullest, wild adventures full of twists and unforeseen turns, and hot complicated men who aren’t afraid to take risks. She can only hope her stories will capture your imagination.

If you are looking for January Bain, you can find her hard at work every morning without fail in her office with her furry baby, Ling Ling. And, of course, she’s married to the most romantic man! Who once famously remarked to her inquiry about buying fresh flowers for their home every week, “Give me one good reason why not?” Leaving her speechless and knocking her head against the proverbial wall for being so darn foolish. She loves flowers.

If you wish to connect in the virtual world she is easily found on Facebook. Oh, and she loves to talk books…

Blog: http://januarybainjourney.blogspot.ca/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanuaryBain
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/january.bain
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6437282.January_Bain

Totally Bound: https://www.totallybound.com/book/movies-moonlight-and-magic
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Movies-Moonlight-Magic-Manitoba-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B07VQ8S65W/ref=sr_1_4

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found HERE

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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What do you do with your Spare Change?

Posted on October 9, 2012 by fundinmental

SPARE CHANGE by Bette Lee Crosby

Not sure what I expected, but it was so much more. Good things do come in small packages.

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In the 20’s it was unusual for a woman to be unmarried, work and live on her own. Olivia had never considered herself a spinster, she just liked her life. She didn’t want to be one of the herd or do what was expected of her. She was terrified of kids. Her father had disowned her at 26 and her mother told her that no one would want an old woman.

It was totally unexpected when she met Charles Doyle. They fell for each other at first glance. When he proposed, she choked on the chocolate truffle she was eating. She told him no and it broke her heart. He told her he didn’t want kids. And if she didn’t want to clean or cook, no problem. Those things weren’t important to him. He had a son he hadn’t seen in fifteen years and a grandson he had never met.

She was very superstitious. During the wedding ceremony, a hail storm broke out. Charlie blew it off, so she did too. She was afraid of the number eleven. On the tenth day of marriage they arrived in Miami for their honeymoon. On the eleventh day, she talked him into staying low-key, taking no chances. They went shopping, she was thinking that nothing could go wrong shopping. He snuck off and bought her a surprise. Back in the room, he told her to close her eyes and he put the necklace around her neck. When she what it was, her heart fell. Opals were bad luck. He died that night.

Susanna Doyle told her husband she had to be in New York City for her singing career. Benjamin knew he would lose her if they went anywhere near there, so he’d played a stalling game with her. He would promise her they would go, then find an excuse not to.

When she became pregnant, life got even worse. To get even, when the baby was born, she named him Ethan Allen, after the furniture store she worked at. As Ethan grew older, their fights became so vicious that he built a fort out back to get away from them.

One day at the diner, he noticed Mister Scooter, the owner, touching his mom’s butt. He asked her about it and she said if he kept quiet, she would make sure she always had enough spare change for him to go to the movies.

Susanna was very excited because Benjamin had promised they would go to New York City in September. When September rolled around, he found another excuse not to go. She had been working and saving the money, so she told Ethan they were going without him, but not to say anything so he wouldn’t find out and try to stop them. She went to the bank for her money, but Benjamin had already closed the account.

Susanna immediately went to Scooter, telling him she wanted to run away with him and Ethan to New York City. He thought about his own kid, for only a moment, and said okay.

Ethan was eleven years old and his mom had always promised him she would never run off without him. But that night, Ethan’s whole world changed.

5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

I don’t know why I was drawn to the cover, title, then the blurb. Something tugged at me.The cover conveyed such a sense of sorrow from the boy. I loved the second reference to spare change, but you will have to read the book to find out what it is, and why the title is so very appropriate.

I am not much for a story without some murder, killing, death, blood, gore, mystery, magic; in other words, some kind of action or adventure. This was a different kind of murder story, more a story of a woman alone, and a boy with no home and no one to love him. The murder was just a small piece.

For a short book, Bette made me feel like the story covered a lifetime. I kept reading faster and faster. I was afraid for Ethan and then both him and Olivia. She put so much story into a small book. Plot was detailed and suspenseful. I kept waiting for…..

The characters were amazing. Her descriptions left me feeling like they were my neighbors. I felt like I knew them. They were realistic and reminiscent of a time when we knew our neighbors. Such a feel good book. Made me tear up and cry because of its sweetness. I know my neighbors and speak to them, but I am a solitary creature, so it really surprised me that I felt such strong emotions while reading the story.

How do you get an eleven year old boy to trust you? I felt Ethan’s fear and panic. To win him over, it took much empathy, patience and compassion. So much, packed into its 280 pages. I know I keep repeating myself, but I still can’t get over how much this book affected me.

I received this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Not only was the author gracious enough to send me a paperback, she also autographed it for me. I love to add another book to my collection.

Giveaway – Bette Lee Crosby is offering for the giveaway:

International – ebook of Spare Change – OR – US and Canada a signed paperback. As always the entry is easy. Leave a comment telling us what you do with your spare change and an email address.

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. The Winners Are:

Kimba – won the signed paperback Alana – won the ebook

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful, warm and touching comments. I hope you will continue to follow fundinmental.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bette Lee Crosby’s work was first recognized in 2006, when she won the National League of American Pen Women Award for unpublished fiction with What Matters Most. Her novel, Cracks in the Sidewalk, received the 2009 Royal Palm Literary Award and then went on to win the 2011 FPA President’s Book Award Gold Medal. In 2011 Spare Change received the Reviewer’s Choice Awards and it garnered a second Royal Palm Literary Award. Her books have earned numerous five-star ratings with readers acclaiming them as heartwarming and captivating.

Most recently, Bette completed a memoir written for Lani Deauville, a woman the Guinness Book of Records lists as The World’s Longest Living Quadriplegic.

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To get your copy of Spare Change or any of Bette’s books, simply click on the covers below.