This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Geoffrey Saign will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Serve justice. Discover a secret. Find his daughter. Repay betrayal.
Jack Steel trains for the impossible, and it looks like it found him.
On a black op to neutralize terrorists, elite specialist Steel puts honor and integrity ahead of orders when he spares a monk. He just never expected his decision to put crosshairs on his back.
Hunted by a twisted killer, a vengeful billionaire, and the highest levels of government, Steel races to discover who’s behind a conspiracy that will decide the fate of two countries—and why one monk is the key to it all.
Aching from a missing daughter, Steel finds it easy to fall for Christie, a beautiful counter-terrorism analyst who offers to help. But he isn’t sure he can trust anyone.
To have a chance at love and a new life, and to serve justice, Steel just needs to stay one step ahead of a bullet…
*****
Revenge. Love. Family.
To protect their families, Jack Steel and Christie Thorton must become assassins.
Deadly Blackhood Ops specialist Jack Steel has moved on from his bloody past, but his past won’t let him go. He has it all; his partner Christie, his daughter Rachel, a protection agency he’s proud of, and his head on straight.
But it’s all torn apart when a madman blackmails him and Christy. Their skills are pushed to the limit as they are forced to become assassins to save those they love. The Mexican cartel, terrorists, and people from Steel’s past force them into a non-stop fight that they can’t walk away from.
To protect his country, and everyone important to him, Steel will be forced to trust the very people he swore to kill.
And he might have to walk away from those he loves…
Read an Excerpt from Book 2: Steel Assassin
Steel heard the ooh ooh ooh cry of a Mexican spotted owl. It began softly and escalated rapidly to a louder pitch. Wishing he could just stand still and enjoy it, he kept moving. He had a deep, abiding love for nature—which always grounded him.
As he made his way south, he also wished he had taken a firmer stand with Christie and refused her help. It probably wouldn’t have mattered. She would have come anyway. But the fact that she was in a dangerous Op, with little field experience, gave his steps more urgency.
A deeper fear lurked beneath that idea. When the Colombian had threatened to send Christie’s photo to the cartel, he had intuited that it wasn’t just a threat, but a plan. The Colombian would have to die before that happened.
The trees formed dark shadows under the moon. He ran from trunk to trunk until he was far enough south that he could approach the side of the house directly from the east.
Decades of exploring caves had made moving in darkness second nature to him.
As he got closer, the house lights guided him in. He stopped fifty feet out behind a tree. No one was visible in the windows. It triggered an alarm in his head to be more cautious.
About the Author:
Award-winning author Geoffrey Saign has spent many years studying kung fu and sailed all over the South Pacific and Caribbean. He uses that experience and sense of adventure to write the Jack Steel and Alex Sight thriller action series.
Geoff loves to sail big boats, hike, and cook—and he infuses all his writing with his passion for nature. As a swimmer he considers himself fortunate to live in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota. See what he’s up to at his website.
Every so often I will follow an email link from NetGalley and check out what’s happening. I try to limit how many books I grab at one time…you know how that is. I found some books by Joanna Schaffhousen and grabbed a couple. I would like to thank NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Joanna Schaffhausen for the opportunity to read and share them.
The Vanishing Season is Joanna Schaffhausen’s debut novel, released in 2017…and, boy oh boy, is it a good one. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it gave me so much more.
Three people have gone missing and Ellery Hathaway knows they are dead and another will be taken very soon. Sam dismisses her warnings, but she won’t stop there. Sam is not only her boss, the chief of police, but also her lover, her married lover. I sure don’t approve of that, but as I read on, I could see how it happened. She uses sex as a weapon. That will have it’s own repercussions.
Woodbury, Massachusetts is a small town, a blink and you will miss it, with only eight police officers. I love to read of small towns, the gossip mill, and secrets that won’t stay secret. Ellery has a big one, but…
Ellery calls in the big guns, Reed Markham, an FBI profiler that had saved her from the serial killer that had taken her fourteen years ago, leaving her scarred and broken. He too has his own story. His marriage is on the rocks, but he had made a promise to her, so when she called, he came.
I love her basset hound, Speed Bump. LOL Critters always add some grins for me, and with a subject like serial killers, I need some chuckles.
The dog leapt from the vehicle with all the grace of a hippo performing a belly flop.
I have plenty of suspects, but two in particular have my attention. Even if I’m wrong, I don’t like them. LOL I do like to try and figure it out for myself as we follow clues, question witnesses, and try look for what others have missed.
There is no romance, though I know there are more books coming, so I wonder. I mean, just think about it, her body is scarred and so is her mind. She doesn’t want anyone in her house. Doesn’t want anyone touching her. And doesn’t want to share her secret. After what she’s been through, I can see why she protects herself, so who could possible get through the walls she has built up but the one person she trusts?
I am at 38% and my tension level is high, the pace is picking up, making me feel like the end is near, nut, there’s so much of the story left. I can only imagine what Joanna Schaffhausen has in store for her characters. I am lovin’ it.
I am filled with horror at the terrible things one person can do another, as the bits and pieces of Ellery’s captivity leaks out, each detail worse than the last.
Well…I didn’t see him coming. It takes a lot for an author to fool me so completely, especially near the end, but she had me eying the wrong guy until a page or two before he attacked. He was well camouflaged, but I will be on my toes with the next case, expanding my suspect list and reading between the lines.
Man oh man, I am so glad I took a chance on Joanna Schaffhausen. I had never heard of her. She kept me riveted from beginning to end and I can hardly wait for Book II, No Mercy. BRING IT ON!
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Ellery Hathaway knows a
thing or two about serial killers, but not through her police training.
She’s an officer in sleepy Woodbury, MA, where a bicycle theft still
makes the newspapers. No one there knows she was once victim number
seventeen in the grisly story of serial killer Francis Michael Coben.
The only victim who lived.
When three people disappear from her
town in three years, all around her birthday—the day she was kidnapped
so long ago—Ellery fears someone knows her secret. Someone very
dangerous. Her superiors dismiss her concerns, but Ellery knows the
vanishing season is coming and anyone could be next. She contacts the
one man she knows will believe her: the FBI agent who saved her from a
killer’s closet all those years ago.
Agent Reed Markham made his name and fame on the back of the Coben case, but his fortunes have since turned. His marriage is in shambles, his bosses think he’s washed up, and worst of all, he blew a major investigation. When Ellery calls him, he can’t help but wonder: sure, he rescued her, but was she ever truly saved? His greatest triumph is Ellery’s waking nightmare, and now both of them are about to be sucked into the past, back to the case that made them…with a killer who can’t let go.
ABOUT JOANNA SCHAFFHAUSEN
Joanna Schaffhausen wields a mean scalpel, sharp skills she developed in her years studying neuroscience. She has a doctorate in psychology, which reflects her long-standing interest in the brain―how it develops and the many ways it can go wrong. Previously, she worked as a scientific editor in the field of drug development. Prior to that, she was an editorial producer for ABC News, writing for programs such as World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and 20/20. She lives in the Boston area with her husband, daughter, and an obstreperous basset hound.
His commanding officer blames Jack for his own failings. Jack becomes a
scapegoat of his malicious jealousy and hatred, and he is intent on
making Jack pay – with his life!
>>>In the cross-hairs of an egotistical man without remorse
Fighting for their lives, Jack and his new love – Major Lori Darden, RN –
learn just how dangerous it can be to raise the ire of a psychopathic
boss. Jack must fight back to prevent his world from turning to ash
right before his very eyes.
>>>A mix of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher Series and TVs M.A.S.H.
Download your copy today and become immersed within the pages of this brutally
intense, thrilling adventure from international bestselling author
Edwin Dasso.
>>>“This is a fast-paced, action-packed roller coaster of a read. A
refreshingly different perspective…”
Jack is left emotionally traumatized from his deployment in Iraq with
severe PTSD and the Army forces him to retire. Jack’s PTSD
flashbacks sometimes leave him unaware of his actions while under the
influence of his unwelcome mental demon.
>>>Retirement isn’t Always What You Plan
As the new Chairman of Anesthesia at Southern Medical Center, Jack
thought he’d retired into the tame civilian job he’d dreamed of,
but a series of bizarre murders and deaths occur under his watch.
Can Jack put this puzzle together on time? Will he survive?
>>>Jack Bass, MD is Lee Child’s Jack Reacher and Marcus Welby rolled into one!
Sound confusing? Wait till you see inside Jack’s head!
“A dark psychological suspense thriller that will captivate you and
leave you turning the pages well into the night!”
”Once more, Dr. Dasso has knocked this book into a home run…”
After narrowly escaping murder at the Southern Medical Center, Jack Bass,
MD, and his new love, Janice, move to a new city to start their life
together. Jack steers his career away from the hospital, taking a
promising position at a small healthcare company that provides
support and assistance to people with serious medical issues.
However, he soon discovers things at the company are not as they
should be – something sinister is occurring.
>>>A medical suspense thriller that will keep you breathless
Jack uncovers the deadly plan for profit lurking underneath the company’s
innocent facade. Once again, Jack must uncover a ruthless web of
plotters and connections in order to save the lives of innocent
victims, including Janice and himself! Will he be
able to neutralize the threat before it’s too late?
>>>An ultra-realistic medical murder mystery that will not cease to
surprise you!
Death Management is the third book in the bestselling Jack
Bass Black Cloud Chronicles medical murder mystery series.
Prepare to be amazed by a surprising plot full of unexpected twists
and breathtaking turns.
You’ll Be Safe Jack Bass Black Cloud Chronicles Book 4
“This is by FAR one of the best medical mystery books I have read.”
After the murder of his wife and unborn child, Jack Bass longs for death.
In fact, he welcomes it. That is, until Amanda, his lovechild with
Major Lori Darden, unexpectedly enters his life. Jack tries to shroud
his new life with his daughter in privacy, determined that the events
of his past should not threaten his daughter. But no matter how hard
he tries, Jack cannot avoid trouble. It relentlessly pursues him.
˃˃˃ Homeless Veterans Are Disappearing From The Streets
After being kidnapped and delivered to an isolated encampment, veterans are
given a medication that makes even the most out-of-control psychotic
captives turn into walking, order-taking, defenseless shells. They
are used as slave labor, exploited then killed whenever the mood
strikes their captors. Despite his best efforts to remain isolated
from the world, Jack is faced with a choice between protecting
himself and his daughter or helping to save these veterans who are
being victimized for profit.
˃˃˃ There Will Only Be One Man Left Standing after This Battle
Jack is again unwittingly thrust into a world of conspiracy and murder as
he follows yet another trail of bodies. This time, Jack may have bit
off more than he can chew. Will his new-found daughter become an
orphan?
You’ll Be Safe is book four in Ed Dasso’s Jack Bass Black Cloud Chronicles series.
Do I Know You?Jack Bass Black Cloud Chronicles Book 5
“…book #5 in this addicting series. Well worth the wait!”
Jack Bass, MD: Lee Child’s Jack Reacher meets Marcus Welby
Sound confusing? Wait till you see inside Jack’s head!
Jack was shot while rescuing homeless veterans from from an isolated slave
camp. He was left clinically dead but was revived by a team of trauma
surgeons. When he awakens he has significant, but spotty, amnesia.
His friends and family take him abroad in an effort to help him
recover but, true to form, Jack unwittingly stumbles into the middle
of, and thwarts, a terrorist bombing plot. The terrorists are
hell-bent on revenge! Jack fights to survive and protect his family,
all while he struggles to even remember who he is.
A series for readers who love action thrillers with hard-hitting,
complex characters.Goodreads * Amazon
Empty Promises
Jack Bass Black Cloud Chronicles Book 6
Big pharma is buying all the politicians in D.C.
They can then legally unleash their new, but deadly, super-narcotic on the
American public.When Hank Green has a bad reaction to a drug during a study, Jack Bass, MD
gets involved. He soon discovers that many Veterans are being conned
into enrolling in the same drug study…and many are dying as a
result.Will Jack survive looking under the rocks of the political landscape as he
attempts to stop this scourge?Move over Jack Reacher, and make room for Jack Bass, MD.“A fantastic thrilling adventure that kept me glued to the pages. Every
story tops the one before it.”Goodreads * Amazon
Death Hub Jack Bass Black Cloud Chronicles Book 7
From USA Today and Amazon International Bestselling Author Edwin Dasso
comes the Seventh book in the Jack Bass Black Cloud Chronicles.Jack Bass, MD, discovers that new medical technology can work wonders…if
it doesn’t kill you first. Jack is working feverishly with two of his
favorite past students to figure out what is behind the chaos of
medical technology gone crazy.Is it a bigger issue than anything they could have imagined?Although, this book is part of a series, it is easily enjoyed as a stand alone
novel.Praise for Death Hub:“I love to read a good thriller and I was not disappointed with Death Hub.”“… entertaining, exciting and scary at times.”“Cyber Security is a Priority… definitely a scary idea.”
Edwin Dasso, MD, a USA Today and Amazon International #1 Best-Selling
medical thriller author, writes works of fiction that leverage many
of his “stranger than fiction” experiences from years of
practice at major medical centers and community hospitals.“You might be shocked at some of the events in the books that are based on
an actual experience.”Member of the International Thriller Writers.His “Jack Bass Black Cloud Chronicles” series has been
developed into a TV series, “Jack Bass, MD,”
(https://www.facebook.com/jackbassmd/?ref=bookmarks) which is
actively being discussed around Hollywood. Network feedback has been
very positive.Fiction writing is reviving a lost love from earlier periods in his life
where he enjoyed writing short stories. In addition to a number of
years as a practicing anesthesiologist and critical care specialist,
he has published articles in national healthcare journals, written
many “Ask the Doctor” columns and has spoken frequently at
national healthcare forums. He has also been instrumental in
designing and deploying population health programs to help people
deal with depression related to poor health.
“Too many twists and turns to easily share about this book. Nevertheless, Carr has pulled off another “hit” that kept me reading in one setting until the clues were so well together that the villain fell into our laps…or Chris’s, LOL Carr has put a lot into the book beyond the mysteries this time…Characters enjoyed chocotinis, visited book stores…and even blundered into getting engaged (the ring had been purchased 4 months ago)… But, for me, a special thank you for the political spoof at a time when politics at the national level is devastating, gave me a laugh and lightened the load of it all!” – Review by Glenda Bixler, Book Reader’s Heaven
Book Details:
Book Title:The Last Thing She Said (A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery #3) by Lauren Carr
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 386 pages Genre: Mystery Publisher: Acorn Book Services Release date: July 22, 2019 Formats available for purchase: paperback, ebook, audiobook (audible & itunes) Tour dates: October 7 to November 15, 2019 Content Rating: PG-13 (Lauren Carr’s books are murder mysteries, so there are murders involved. Occasionally, a murder will happen on stage. There is sexual content, but always behind closed doors. Some mild swearing (a hell or a damn few and far between). No F-bombs!
Book Description: “I’m working on the
greatest mystery ever,” was the last thing noted mystery novelist
Mercedes Livingston said to seven-year-old Chris Matheson before walking
out of Hill House Hotel never to be seen again.
For decades, the writer’s fate
remained a puzzling mystery until an autographed novel and a letter put a
grown-up Chris Matheson on the trail of a cunning killer. With the help
of a team of fellow retired law enforcement officers, each a specialist
in their own field of investigation, Chris puts a flame to this cold
case to uncover what had really happened that night Mercedes Livingston
walked out of Hill House Hotel. Watch out! The clues are getting hot!
Book Title: Winter Frost (A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery #2) by Lauren Carr Category: Adult fiction, 332 pages Genre: Mystery Publisher: Acorn Book Services Release date: January 22, 2019 Formats available for purchase: paperback, ebook, audiobook (audible & itunes)Tour dates:October 7 to November 22, 2019 Content Rating: PG-13 (Lauren Carr’s books
are murder mysteries, so there are murders involved. Occasionally, a
murder will happen on stage. There is sexual content, but always behind
closed doors. Some mild swearing (a hell or a damn few and far between).
No F-bombs!
“Filled with twists and turns, Winter Frost
reads perfectly well as a stand-alone, although it is part of a series.
The author creates tension and suspense throughout by keeping the
reader guessing; she keeps readers engaged with well fleshed out
characters and a dash of humor. Sterling, the retired German Shepherd
police dog turned card shark, is a new favorite. As the story flows, the
truth unfolds, layer by layer, leading to a satisfying conclusion.
“Winter Frost was an entertaining, at times humorous read with suspense, some surprises, and even cute animals in the mix.” Review of Winter Frost by The iRead Review
MY REVIEW
All right. Back with the Geezer Squad and a freezing cold case.
We start out with Blair witnessing multiple deaths as she runs for
her life. No one to trust, it’s up to her to find her way to the
director of the CIA, with the disc. She has secrets and comes face to
face with one of them…Chris.
Chris has retired to a farm, but when he sees Blair, he has a lot to
investigate…so, with the help of the Geezer Squad he begins.
From the opening pages the action begins and it doesn’t stop until the end.
The characters are tough, resilient, trained professionals. Nigel,
with his trust guardian Tristan, is also on the case and pulls a fast
one of me. I love surprises and this was a doozy.
I love the visual imagery throughout. Here is an example and I think it will easily portray my feelings.
The hundred pound dog repeatedly leaps, all four feet off the floor, to peep through the door.
I cannot begin to describe my love for Sterling and was going to
share some of my favorite thoughts about him, then, I thought, I don’t
want to spoil the surprise for you. Lauren Carr’s fabulous critters
offer many moments of smiles and laughs with their distinct
personalities, right down to Thor, the bunny rabbit.
I just want to let you know, if you see a German Shepard with
sunglasses and an FBI hat, don’t get in his way. He’s probably on a
case.
A conspiracy within the government. A high level official crossed
over the line, turning traitor. Car chases. Bullets Flying. Danger rises
and they are in a race against time.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Winter’s Frost by Lauren Carr.
4 Stars
Book Description: It all started with a chance encounter in the city with Blair, his late wife.
Chris Matheson and the Geezer Squad,
working under the guise of a book club, dig into the events surrounding
his late wife’s supposed death halfway around the globe. A state
department employee shoots himself in the back three times. A CIA
operative goes missing. A woman is targeted by an international assassin
three years after being declared dead in a terrorist attack overseas.
Nothing is as it seems.
In his most personal cold case,
Chris fights to uncover why the state department told him that Blair,
the mother of his children, had been killed when she was alive. What had
she uncovered that has made her a target? Who terrified her so much
that she had gone into hiding and why are they now after him?
Book Title: ICE (A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery #1) by Lauren Carr Category: Adult fiction, 364 pages Genre: Mystery Publisher: Acorn Book Services Release date: February 26, 2018 Formats available for purchase: paperback, ebook, audiobook (audible & itunes)Tour dates:October 7 to November 22, 2019 Content Rating: PG-13 (Lauren Carr’s books
are murder mysteries, so there are murders involved. Occasionally, a
murder will happen on stage. There is sexual content, but always behind
closed doors. Some mild swearing (a hell or a damn few and far between).
No F-bombs!
“ICE is a
strong start to a new series that will have fans of Lauren Carr thrilled
to be introduced to another set of memorable and entertaining
characters. Carr’s Geezer Squad has brought sexy back to mature men and
women, whose kickass attitude and smarts sizzle as they melt the clues
to those cold cases!” Laura Fabiani, Library of Clean Reads
“For the whodunit mystery buff who loves ever-increasing suspense and
danger, Lauren Carr’s newest series offers up a big dose of both. Murder
and mayhem seem to be Chris’s new companions after returning home
following the loss of both his wife and his father. Juggling the
parenting responsibilities of his three daughters with his mother is not
something Chris was expecting at this point in his life, but life isn’t
something that goes as planned.” 5-Star Review at Blooming with Books
Book Description: When Sandy Lipton
and her unborn child disappeared, the court of public opinion found
young Chris Matheson guilty. Decades later, the retired FBI agent
returns home to discover that the cloud of suspicion cast over him and
his family has never lifted.
With the help of a team of fellow
retired law enforcement officers, each a specialist in their own field
of investigation, Chris Matheson starts chipping away at the ice on this
cold case to uncover what had happened to Sandy and her baby and the
clues are getting hot!
Lauren
Carr is the international best-selling author of the Thorny Rose, Mac
Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries—over
twenty titles across four fast-paced mystery series filled with twists
and turns!
Book reviewers and readers alike
rave about how Lauren Carr seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery,
suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.
Lauren is a popular speaker who has
made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at
conventions. She lives with her husband, and two spoiled rotten German
shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Oct 7 – Working Mommy Journal – book review of The Last Thing She Said
Oct 7 – JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder – book review of Ice / giveaway
Oct 7 – Bookriot – audiobook review of Ice / giveaway
Oct 7 – Just Another Reader – book review of Ice
Oct 7 – Rita’s Reading Room – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Oct 7 – Viviana MacKade – series spotlight / guest post
Oct 8 – Just Another Reader – book review of Winter Frost
Oct 8 – JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder – book review of Winter Frost / giveaway
Oct 8 – Amy’s Booket List – book review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Oct 8 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review of The Last Thing She Said / guest post /
giveaway
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giveaway
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Oct 10 – Librorum in Sempiternum – book review of Ice / giveaway
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Oct 14 – b for bookreview – series spotlight / author interview
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guest post / giveaway
Oct 17 – Library of Clean Reads – series spotlight / giveaway
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Oct 19 – Bookriot – audiobook review of Winter Frost / giveaway
Oct 20 – Librorum in Sempiternum – book review of Winter Frost / giveaway
Oct 21 – Hall Ways Blog – audiobook review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Oct 21 – Words And Peace – book spotlight / giveaway
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Oct 23 – Mystery Suspense Reviews – audiobook review of The Last Thing She Said /
guest post
Oct 24 – Haddie’s Haven – audiobook review of Ice / giveaway
Oct 24 – FUONLYKNEW – book review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Oct 24 – My Journey Back – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Oct 25 – Blooming with Books – audiobook review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Oct 25 – StoreyBook Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Oct 26 – Bookriot – book review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Oct 28 – Sefina Hawke’s Books – audiobook review of The Last Thing She Said
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Oct 29 – My Reading Journeys – book review of Winter Frost / giveaway
Oct 30 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – book spotlight of The Last Thing She Said /
giveaway
Oct 31 – Dab of Darkness Book Reviews – audiobook review of The Last Thing She Said
/ giveaway
Nov 1 – Life as Leels – book review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Nov 4 – Books for Books – audiobook review of Ice / giveaway
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Nov 7 – Haddie’s Haven – audiobook review of Winter Frost / giveaway
Nov 8 – Literary Flits – series spotlight / giveaway
Nov 11 – The Avid Inspri – book review of Ice / giveaway
Nov 11 – Books for Books – audiobook review of Winter Frost / giveaway
Nov 12 – Librorum in Sempiternum – book review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
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giveaway
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giveaway
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Beware the East Wind (The Mah Jongg Mysteries)
by Barbara Barrett
About Beware the East Wind
Beware the East Wind (The Mah Jongg Mysteries) Cozy Mystery 4th in Series Bowker (August 17, 2019) Paperback: 254 pages ISBN-10: 1948532182 ISBN-13: 978-1948532181 Digital ASIN: B07WJ7KYSW
Beware the east wind! It’s hurricane
season in Florida, and everyone’s attention is focused on preparing for
the latest tempest. But in Serendipity Springs, mah jongg pals Marianne,
Sydney, Micki and Kat are caught in a different kind of whirlwind—a
mesmerizing murder case involving a slain hypnotist/chef and the woman
police suspect of doing her in, her embittered catering partner, Portia.
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 as a human
resources analyst for Iowa State Government. After releasing eleven
full-length romance novels and one novella, 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.
Bamboozled, the second 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.
Anticipating the day when she would
write her first mystery, she has been a member of the Mystery/Romantic
Suspense chapter of Romance Writers of America for over a decade. She
credits them with helping her hone her craft.
Barbara is married to the man she met her senior year of college. They have two grown children and eight grandchildren.
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those
neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything
like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in
your stacks.
An appaloosa horse is
the only eyewitness to a killing, a sack of Montana sapphires is
missing, and only Heaven knows the whole truth.
In “The Man Who
Fell from the Sky,” some themes of “Ghost” meet “The Horse Whisperer” in
this full-length, paranormal whodunnit mystery that is packed with
romantic suspense, danger, dark secrets and high spiritual stakes.
Cody
Bliss, angel detective, is assigned by Heaven to the mortal body of
J.R. Wilder, a paroled murderer, in order to solve his own previous
untimely demise and take care of unfinished business with Mariah, who is
unable to move on with her life until she knows what happened to her
missing husband.
Against the backdrop of a western Montana ranch
near Glacier National Park, and in the company of Mariah and her
tight-knit family, Cody (inside the body of J.R. Wilder) must solve the
murder mystery using forensic clues and the spiritual powers of an
angel. He must also yield to J.R., whose body he is using, as J.R. falls
in love with Cody’s widow.
This full-length novel’s compelling characters are all seeking truth and redemption. Only an angel detective can set things right, and the consequences for an entire family rest in his heavenly hands.
Angel detectives, a mix of the ghost and horse whisperer…what’s not to like? Sounds like a good one to me. How about you?
Well, we are coming to the end of the Rememdium series with Tainted World by Ashley Fontainne. It has been one hell of a ride and I can only wish the best to the gang I have come to know so well.
Well, we are at the end of the adventure with this group of people I have come to know and love in the final story of the Rememdium series, Tainted World by Ashley Fontainne. It has been a long, torturous, bloody road to El Salvador and we have lost many friends and family. How many people are alive and where they are will remain unknown and that may make their survival more likely.
Those around you died brutal, savage deaths, literally being ripped limb from limb and eaten alive. Would you rather go out in the initial slaughter or be one of the last ones standing? Which is worse? Well, I will not go quietly into that good night. How about you?
So much more to worry about than the zombies that dog their every step. Sometimes humans can be more deadly. Conspiracy is the ultimate betrayal when the country is going through an apocalypse. If you can’t count on those in charge, who can you count on? Do you believe in an ultimate power source, like the Illuminati? I sure do.
When Mike and Trent came across Chris, that about summed up everything for me. I can’t tell you what happened but it affected me profoundly.
I was surprised to see a character that carried my name, Sherry, whether it’s intended or not., It’s always so much fun to see it happen. I thought she was the best. LOL
I love Jesse. She is a character that has turned everything in her life around and stands tall in a crisis. I loved it when she said, “…even a pawn can capture the king if in the right position on the board.”
I wondered how Ashley Fontainne would wrap up the Rememdium series and I thought she did a bang up job. I am completely satisfied. After all the running, fighting, killing, munching, hiding, crying, dying and loving, I breathed a sigh of relief at a job well done. Not everyone made it, but those that did left me with a feeling of hope for humanity.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Tainted World by Ashley Fontainne.
4 stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The final installment of what happens when a miraculous cure ends up destroying the entire world.
When
Dr. Everett Berning’s discovery of a permanent cure for drug addiction
fell into the hands of Benito San Nicholas, head of the Alvarado cartel
in El Salvador – the end result was the dead took over the world.
In
less than 48 hours, narcotics tainted with fungal spores are deployed
around the globe and mankind’s existence hangs in the balance. Nowhere
is safe as the death toll mounts and the reanimated corpses aren’t the
only threat.
The remaining members of Project Rememdium and the
small contingent of survivors from Arkansas band together. The decision
is made to flee to a safer location, yet Teresa Alvarado had other
intentions. Once in the air, hell-bent on finding Benito San Nicholas
and killing him for what he’s done, Teresa Alvarado forced the pilot to
take them to her native El Salvador.
Will Teresa’s own personal vendetta actually offer hope to Dr. Berning and the rest of the world?
Or will the dangerous jungles of El Salvador be the place where all hope is lost and they take their final breaths?
ABOUT ASHLEY FONTAINNE (from her website)
Award-winning and
International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne is an avid reader of
mostly the classics. Ashley became a fan of the written word in her
youth, starting with the Nancy Drew mystery series. Stories that immerse
the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters that lurk within
us are her favorite reads.
Her muse for penning the
Eviscerating the Snake series was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre
Dumas. Ashley’s love for this book is what sparked her desire to write
her debut novel, Accountable to None, the first book in the trilogy.
With a modern setting to the tale, Ashley delves into just what lengths a
person is willing to go when they seek personal justice for heinous
acts perpetrated upon them. The second novel in the series, Zero
Balance. focuses on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge
has on the seeker. For once the cycle starts, where does it end? How
far will the tendrils of revenge expand? Adjusting Journal Entries
answered that question: far and wide.
Her short thriller
entitled Number Seventy-Five, touches upon the sometimes dangerous world
of online dating. Number Seventy-Five took home the BRONZE medal in
fiction/suspense at the 2013 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards
contest and is currently in production for a feature film.
Her paranormal thriller
entitled The Lie, won the GOLD medal in the 2013 Illumination Book
Awards for fiction/suspense and is also in production for a feature film
entitled Foreseen.
Ashley’s decided to delve
into the paranormal with a Southern Gothic horror/suspense novel,
Growl, which released in January of 2015. The suspenseful mystery Empty
Shell, released in September of 2014. Ashley will be teaming up with
Lillian Hansen (Ashley calls her mom!) to pen a three-part murder
mystery/suspense series entitled The Magnolia Series. The first book,
Blood Ties, is due out the Summer of 2015.
Ashley also hosts The WriteStuff, a popular BlogTalk Radio show, each Friday night at 10 p.m. CST.
I have been reading and reviewing some books that authors have requested and they have been a pleasant surprise. Nightfall on New Babylon by Carmen Taxer and Richard Wheeler is one of these books.
Nightfall on New Babylon by Carmen Dominque Taxer and Richard T Wheeler is told from multiple character viewpoints. At times I found it confusing trying to remember who was who and what’s happening to them, but I do love my vampire stories, so I read on and I’m glad I did.
Things started falling into place. Characters are being exposed for who they truly are. Horrors arise and they are not only the vampire kind.
The women seem to pay the biggest price. As I learn more about the four main characters, I find their lives tragic and frightening. There is more going on than meets the eye and the ending set me up for wanting to know what comes next.
The setting seems like the time of Jack the Ripper in England, but I could visualize the street and ruins of Italy too.
Cliffhanger ending that hooked me.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Nightfall of New Babylon by Carmen Dominque Taxer and Richard T Wheeler.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Nightfall on New Babylon (Gaslight Vamp #1)
A Gothic Political Thriller Serial in a Victorian Vampire Horror Setting
In a city built on sin, the immortal Lords of Night move all the pieces.
New
Babylon is a city of sin, built on lies told over generations. The
inhabitants may think they are the masters of their own destinies at the
dawn of the Scientific Revolution, but as night falls on New Babylon,
the true Lords of Night once again move their pieces across the playing
field in a secret war for dominance – Devika Templeton is a girl who has
it all, including a nightly visitor; Roald Black has lost it all, but
the truth is even more painful than the loss will ever be; Dalla Arnesen
must rebuild her scuttled career, a tenuous feat in a city set against
her; and Victoria Campbell has a secret that she must share with her
rich suitor if she has any hope of escaping the streets.
Binding
all four together with strings of obligation and pain is House D’Asur,
the disgraced Lords of the Glass Manor – Those who would be Lords of
Night again.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Carmen Dominque Taxer: Author, artist, and sometime philosopher, Carmen Dominique Taxer was born in South Africa with familial roots across the globe. She began her career with early scribblings of the dark and twisted, and this love of dark Gothic Horror, and equally dark Romance, has only grown over the years. Her first love was vampires, and to this day she cannot write without the words pouring out in the shape of roses, blood, and thorny kisses. Carmen uses the presence of vampires in a fictional setting to give voice to the struggles and successes of humanity, painting a portrait of the world that is both dark and beautifully highlighted with love conquering death above all else.
She and her husband and co-author, Richard T. Wheeler, have constructed a universe of these vampires with the affectionate title of Sanguinem Emere. All of these stories take place in the fictional city of New Babylon, a melting pot of cultures, ethnicities, and desires.
About Richard T Wheeler: Richard T. Wheeler is the co-author of the Sanguinem Emere Gaslight Vamp novel serial and runs Dauntlesswriting.com, helping writers become authorpreneurs.
Whoa…Willow Rose sure knows how to grab me by the throat, leaving me gasping, hoping…will they get to her in time?
No one thinks it will happen to them…a school shooting…
Eva had found her long lost sister, and now she has found that she has a long lost brother and her estranged father. And they need her help. She can’t say no.
Her characters are unique, fascinating and complicated.
Willow Rose has so much going on in Say You Love me that my head is spinning. She has an ability to spin a complicated web, making me wonder how it will all come together.
Why…what…who…
The villain is having a great time and sharing it, streaming it live online, the viewers scream for blood. Disgusting, frightening, and it unfolds like a Criminal Minds episode.
Eva Rae also has a full plate when it comes to her personal life. It is complicated, but she brings some of it on herself, unable to make the commitment to her cop boyfriend, Matt. I love him. He has the patience of a saint, but everyone has their breaking point. Her ex wants her back. Sure, they had good times and the kids would love it, but….
I don;t like what happens at 70%, but I’m not telling.
Willow Rose wrote Say You Love Me while hurricane Dorian was threatening the coast. I love that she worked that into the story and created more nail biting and danger. Never too much suspense for me and she gives me a steady supply in all her books.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Say You Love Me by Willow Rose.
4 Stars
Former FBI-profiler Eva Rae Thomas is back and embedded in a true nightmare
reaching deep into her own family.
What would you do if your brother was accused of a horrible crime, and you
were certain he didn’t do it?
Life is not done throwing Eva Rae Thomas curveballs.
A phone call turns her life upside down – once again. The call is
from her father, the man she hasn’t seen in thirty-six years, not
since he kidnapped her sister in a supermarket.
Now, he is back in Florida, and he needs her help. Her younger brother –
who she didn’t know existed – has been arrested on Amelia Island.
The boy is in a coma after being shot by an officer during the
incident. But his father doesn’t believe the police, and he asks
for Eva Rae’s help to prove it.
At the same time, a serial killer is planning one of the most horrific
mass killings in history.
Will Eva Rae find it in her heart to help her father after what he did to
her? Will facing him again set her free or pull her under?
SAY YOU LOVE ME is the fourth book in the Eva Rae Thomas Mystery
Series and can be read as a standalone.
The Queen of Scream aka Willow Rose is a #1 Amazon Best-selling Author
and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 60 novels.
She writes Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Horror,
Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy.
Willow’s books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners with twists you won’t
see coming. Several of her books have reached the Kindle top 10 of
ALL books in the US, UK, and Canada. She has sold more than three
million books.
Willow lives on Florida’s Space Coast with her husband and two daughters.
When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and
watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
Now, we have come full circle. The story of the Chupacabra will be told in full. I hope the series caught your attention and you find Dawn of the Chupacabra by Michael Hebler just as alluring as the other three. I got shelved this to read on 12.10.15 and finished reading it 12.20.15.
Michael Hebler does manage to come up with some intriging covers.
When you think about it, the title and cover are perfect for the subject matter, the origin of the chupacabra. I love MIchael Hebler’s explanation of how and why the chupacabra came to be.
Jeremiah Whiting’s story ticked me off.
The Civil War caused some heinous acts to be perpetrated. A truly evil being wants to bring death and destruction to the world and will do whatever is necessary to ,ale it happen.
And then I met the American Indian, Yuma.
Michael Hebler has no trouble skewing even a good guy to the bad side, maybe even killing them off.
The details and descriptions are so deep, visualization is a snap, the surroundings coming to life.
Want to know what angers the spirits…you need to read Dawn of the Chupacabra yourself. LOL
Well, Michael, it has been quite the ride. The highs and lows kept me wrapped up in the characters, grieving for them when they passed, reveling with them when something good happens, and I can hardly wait to find another ‘family’ from you to hook up with.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The fourth chapter in
the award-winning Chupacabra Series follows an A.W.O.L. Confederate
soldier, who is hunted by a demon sent to avenge the innocent of his
heinous crimes.
Before Night, Came Dawn
Jeremiah
Whiting has been a survivor since birth. He endured an abusive
upbringing only to fight as a private for the losing side of the
American Civil War. But when the war ends, Jeremiah’s battle does not.
He will meet his greatest enemy yet, in the form of a heinous entity
sent to kill him for crimes against the Cherokee Nation, and the only
allies willing to fight at his side are the remarkable instincts he
possesses and the voice of a deceptive Soldier who possesses him.
Dawn
of the Chupacabra tells the origin tale of a supernatural beast born
out of hatred and rage. Sent to kill a man no less atrocious, the
monster’s creators soon learn the error of their fatal mistake and abuse
of power when the creature terrorizes above and beyond its intended
purpose. Dawn of the Chupacabra breathes life into a legendary curse
spawned from the ashes of war and begins what will continue to blemish
the earth for centuries to come.
ABOUT MICHAEL HEBLER
Prior to his tween years, Michael used to “borrow” Stephen King
books off his mother’s bookshelf. Although he has not been clinically
evaluated, Michael is positive that his adolescent self-introduction
into adult horror had an impact on his dark sense of humor and love for
Jason Voorhees. On the upside, Michael has found an outlet in which to
put his twisted thoughts to proper use, and thanks to a college degree
which proves that he had studied the importances of plot, characters,
conflict, themes, and interactions, he is able to give his stories the
attention they deserve.
But life
wasn’t always about the written page. Once Upon A Time in Hollywood,
Michael had a career as a international film publicist, working on
multiple titles for Walt Disney, Pixar, Lionsgate, Lakeshore
Entertainment, Warner Bros., Summit Entertainment, as well as the 2013
Academy Award® Best Foreign Language film, “La grande bellezza” (The
Great Beauty). Sounds exciting, right? Michael thinks so, too.
Currently,
in his spare time, Michael also enjoys volunteering in his local
community. Organizations he has supported include Meals on Wheels, Get
On The Bus, as well as helped protect our animal population by aiding in
the capture/spay/neuter/release feral program.
To date, Michael’s publications include the first four (of six)
books in his Chupacabra Series: NIGHT OF THE CHUPACABRA, CURSE OF THE
CHUPACABRA, LEGEND OF THE CHUPACABRA, and DAWN OF THE CHUPACABRA, a
couple of short stories, as well as my first publication, THE NIGHT
AFTER CHRISTMAS, a holiday picture book for believers of any age.
