tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16342131389196379732024-03-18T05:02:06.602+02:00Mythical BooksCCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.comBlogger15937125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-63456439992737086522023-03-09T06:47:00.004+02:002023-03-09T06:50:15.545+02:00Love & astrological forecast... Her Unexpected Match (Crescent Matchmaker #1) by Lacey Baker<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d6/4d/23/d64d2391e02c9e2eddefc75bd2b21914.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="562" height="74" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d6/4d/23/d64d2391e02c9e2eddefc75bd2b21914.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Aww sweet charming story about opening up your heart and soul. [...]</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Baker brings us a delightful connection between Allie and Ryan. I love the best-friend connection and the warmth of the islanders. The characters are humorous, insightful, and a welcome addition to this charming story." <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5177716500">Chris, Goodreads</a></div><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/1d/fc/1e/1dfc1ecbd0fa824a217dde889388f3e8.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/1d/fc/1e/1dfc1ecbd0fa824a217dde889388f3e8.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><span style="color: #eeeeee;">Description:</span></b></span><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><span style="color: #eeeeee;">Published: February 21st, 2023</span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Travel writer Allie Sparks has one goal: to find the story that will save her career. So here she is, visiting her bestie on picturesque Crescent Island—with sun-warmed beaches, the briny smell of the ocean, and rumors of a secret astrologer-matchmaker who guarantees love. Of course, Allie doesn’t believe in any of that stuff. If anything, she’ll prove it’s a total scam.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ryan Parker believes in love—just not right now. He’s focused on expanding his family’s barbeque business, finding investors, and keeping his too-big Great Dane puppy from jumping on everyone, including his sister’s pretty, whiskey-eyed best friend. Besides, falling for a tourist is definitely not in his astrological forecast.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Allie is doing everything she can to resist the charm of the town and its beauty, not to mention her attraction to Ryan. But there’s a lot more happening on Crescent Island than anyone knows…and when her story goes to print, this tiny, close-knit town might never be the same.</div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-size: large;">EXCERPT</span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">Allie continued her jaunt in the water, walking around and kicking her feet up so that splashes of water landed on her arms and the tip of her nose. She did a little dance in a circle, water lapping around her legs, getting the lower half of them wet in the process. Why hadn’t she done this before? Like in her adult years, after she’d bought her condo on the beach. Excitement bubbled in the pit of her stomach, circling and traveling until she erupted in giggles. The thought of playing in the water seemed so silly and yet, it felt exhilarating. She’d opened her arms by then, swinging them in the air as she moved, enjoying this freedom.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">It was a moment in time she’d never forget.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">Especially not when water began to slap against her face, arms and chest at a rapid pace as man and dog swished through the ocean headed directly toward her.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">“Not this time!” Ryan yelled as he reached out and grabbed Optimus up in his arms.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">But he was too late. Allie was already sputtering and wiping the water from her eyes.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">“I caught him before he could jump on you again,” Ryan continued as Allie struggled to find her words.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">He was standing about two feet away from her now, dog tucked under his arm, with a smile on his face while she frowned. They’d messed up her moment.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">“Gee, thanks,” she snapped. “How about catching him before he gets anywhere near me next time.”</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">In answer to her suggestion, Optimus shook the water from his coat, once again sending sprinkles into Allie’s face.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">“Alright, stop that.” Ryan took a step back with the dog that was still flailing in his arms.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">“He really doesn’t listen to you.” She started walking toward the shore, sober now from her “freedom” experience. When she was clear of the water, she looked down with a huff as thick globs of sand now coated her feet and ankles.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">“We’re just getting used to each other.” He’d come out of the water too and was now standing beside her. “You know, like you’ll get used to the island while you’re here. I mean, you’re gonna be here awhile, right? At least until Sofia’s better?”</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">Allie found her shoes, pushed her toes between the strap, and resisted the urge to frown at the knowledge that now her flip flops were full of sand too. Maybe her mother had a point about the beach being too messy.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">“Yes. I mean, I plan to do what I can to help Sofia recuperate. I’m scheduled to be here for at least two weeks.” Her life was pretty flexible. She could, and often did, work from anywhere as long as she had her laptop, phone and a strong Wi-Fi connection which Crescent surprisingly did. But Ryan didn’t need to know any of that.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">She started walking again, heading back toward the house with the warm golden light pouring from the windows. Where she should’ve stayed before, especially if she’d known Ryan and his dog liked taking midnight walks along the beach.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">“It was really nice of you to come here for Sofia,” he said.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">Optimus ran in a big circle around her and yes, Ryan, who had fallen into step beside her.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">“I didn’t know she was hurt when I called to tell her I was visiting. But she’s the closest friend I’ve ever had, so helping her during this time is no problem for me.”</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">“But you’re not really into island life, are you?” There was a hint of humor in his tone and when she looked over at him, he pointed down to her feet. “You should’ve just carried your flip-flops in your hand and walked back to the house barefoot. That would save you from having to drop the flops in the sink when you get inside.”</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">Restaurant manager, tour guide and flip-flop expert? This guy was too much.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d9d2e9;">And he was standing too close to her.</span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://xpressobooktours.com/2023/01/10/tour-sign-up-her-unexpected-match-by-lacey-baker/">TOUR SCHEDULE</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61052978-her-unexpected-match">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Her-Unexpected-Match-Lacey-Baker-ebook/dp/B09ZSGPRBB?ref_=ast_author_dp">Amazon</a> ** <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-unexpected-match-lacey-baker/1141449025">Barnes&Noble</a> ** <a href="https://books.apple.com/ca/book/her-unexpected-match/id1623195777">iBooks</a> ** <a href="https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/her-unexpected-match">Kobo</a> ** <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=SJduEAAAQBAJ">GooglePlay</a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d6/4d/23/d64d2391e02c9e2eddefc75bd2b21914.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="562" height="148" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d6/4d/23/d64d2391e02c9e2eddefc75bd2b21914.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="yiv8237475882"><div class="yiv8237475882"><div class="yiv8237475882"><div class="yiv8237475882"><div class="yiv8237475882" style="widows: 1;"><div class="yiv8237475882" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><div class="yiv8237475882"><div class="yiv8237475882"><div class="yiv8237475882"><div class="yiv8237475882"><div class="yiv8237475882" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><div class="yiv8237475882"><div class="yiv8237475882" style="widows: 2;"><div class="yiv8237475882" style="widows: 1;"><div class="yiv8237475882" style="widows: 2;"><div class="yiv8237475882" style="widows: 1;"><b><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Lacey Baker</span>,</b> a Maryland native, lives with her husband, three children, two grandchildren and English Bulldog in what most would call Suburban America–a townhouse development where everybody knows each other and each other’s kids. Family cook-outs, reunion vacations, and growing up in church have all inspired Lacey to work towards her dreams and to write about the endurance of family and the quest to find everlasting love. To date she has written in several genres including small town romance, YA paranormal (as Artist Arthur), a cozy mystery series titled Rumors and adult paranormal (as A.C. Arthur).</div><div class="yiv8237475882" style="widows: 1;"><br /></div><div class="yiv8237475882" style="widows: 1;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://acarthur.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6458381.Lacey_Baker">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/acarthurbooks/">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/acarthurbooks">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/laceybakerbook">Twitter</a></span></b></div><br /></div><div class="yiv8237475882" style="widows: 1;">Author's Giveaway</div>
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CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-58074145739831504322023-03-08T09:14:00.001+02:002023-03-08T09:14:26.867+02:00the dark fantasy at its best... The Bridge to Magic (The Sundered Web #1) by Alex Thornbury<div style="text-align: justify;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/c0/fb/34/c0fb34eab477e33b5cf7e41d8d199285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="74" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/c0/fb/34/c0fb34eab477e33b5cf7e41d8d199285.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>"A magnificent high fantasy debut...stunning page-turner...original, captivating, and readers may be surprised to find this is the author’s debut novel. The storyline is absolutely mesmerizing, and Thornbury has a knack for telling a dark story. And I do mean dark." Reader Views⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐</div><div><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/92/12/59/9212594d3d5b1d7b9991366025a59fee.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="410" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/92/12/59/9212594d3d5b1d7b9991366025a59fee.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><span style="color: #cc0000;">Description:</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Published: February 2023</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">2022 Royal Dragonfly Award Winner for Science Fiction/Fantasy</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"<i>This is dark fantasy at its best..</i>. "—The Book Commentary</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A gripping, award-winning debut for lovers of traditional high fantasy, set in the dying world where humanity is likened to weakness, and the only path to salvation is the same path which might lead to death.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Blight. The end of Mankind. The Bridge that may be salvation or the final betrayal.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In this grimdark fantasy, Elika, an orphan on Terren's streets, hates and fears the bridge that spans the great chasm to the Deadlands. Like everyone else, she clings to the hope that purging every lingering echo of magic from the world can stop the Blight.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then she discovers that magic is hiding within her, and through her it seeks to enact the will of its own. Everything Elika knew about her past shatters, as long-buried secrets about her true birth emerge. Accused of being a mage, many doubt her loyalties. Her gang turns against her. The one man she thought she could trust and love, abandons her. Elika must soon decide: Either destroy the magic inside her or cross the bridge to her own uncertain end. But what awaits them in the Deadlands where the enemy of mankind roams wild? Her future or her end?</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Bridge to Magic is a story of a life between two deaths and an impossible choice to make. It is a story of finding hope, love and survival in a world where none seems possible.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Praise for The Bridge to Magic</span></i></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #eeeeee;">"This was a really great introduction into the Sundered Web series. Alex is wonderfully skilled in world building and this book is a prime example of that. Her wonderful descriptions creates beautiful and vivid imagery. It's almost like the reader becomes Elika." </span></i>NetGalley Reviewer ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"This is dark fantasy at its best... The more creative descriptions of the darkness that threatens humanity pull the narrative somewhere between horror and fantasy... A delightful read with a voice that works and prose that is bold and enticing. But it is the immersive world of this creation that will have most readers turning the pages." The Book Commentary ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #eeeeee;">"A sensational work of fantasy fiction that will captivate YA readers and adult fantasy fans alike... An accomplished tale with a fascinating core concept, great character development, and gorgeous, spine-tingling dark fantasy styling. A series not to be missed."</span></i> Readers' Favorite ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"A wonderful fantasy story for teens and adults... The author has a great imagination and whilst this book is a complete story in itself I look forward to the sequel." Booksprout Reviewer ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #eeeeee;">"Shut your windows. Draw your curtains. Lit a candle and let the pages suck you in. This is a gritty chilling, and dark story set in a fascinating world. The plot has many pleasant twists and the characters can surprise with unexpected actions that reveal more about their hearts... Despite all of the desperation the end of the world brings, there is a sense of beauty and coziness. Occasionally even humor. And it all creates an engaging balance."</span></i> BookSirens Reviewer ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Expertly crafted and highly readable… Mesmerising." The Prairies Book Review</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"... thought provoking ... enchanting novel." Sally Altass - Author of the Witch Laws</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #cccccc;">"The Bridge to Magic is well written and draws you in from the start. Well-paced and filled with good characters... a quality entry into the fantasy genre." C</span></i>hristian Warren Freed – Author of The Lazarus Men</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62592447-the-bridge-to-magic">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Magic-Sundered-Web-Book-ebook/dp/B0B9GCXY5K">Amazon</a> * <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6445461662">Apple</a> * <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bridge-to-magic-alex-thornbury/1142013986">B&N</a> * <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-bridge-to-magic">Kobo</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-bridge-to-magic-the-sundered-web-book-1-by-alex-thornbury">Bookbub</a></span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/c0/fb/34/c0fb34eab477e33b5cf7e41d8d199285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="149" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/c0/fb/34/c0fb34eab477e33b5cf7e41d8d199285.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Alex Thornbury</span></b> grew up in Cheshire UK, and developed a deep love of history and fantasy thanks to the many castles she visited as a child. Though she grew up to be an Alchemist by trade, she never stopped fantasizing about other worlds, dragons and epic battles. She has abandoned her Alchemy and potion making career, and is now a full time author of high fantasy. After all, who does not love to build new worlds and meet its wondrous inhabitants?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://alexthornbury.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22845843.Alex_Thornbury">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/author.alexthornbury">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/alexthornbury.author/">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alex-thornbury">Bookbub</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Alex-Thornbury/author/B0B9HWH3KF">Amazon</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's Giveaway</div>
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CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-33844105478862764182023-03-08T09:00:00.000+02:002023-03-08T09:00:11.764+02:00despite having to battle the odds... Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler Mysteries Series by K.D. Sherrinford<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/53/fa/7a/53fa7aec4cd0df678625e1f728c5bcb0.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="74" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/53/fa/7a/53fa7aec4cd0df678625e1f728c5bcb0.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>"Song For Someone is not a typical book on Sherlock Holmes's adventures, but it is a way different and enjoyable read. I felt like I was able to understand Sherlock much better through the narrative of KD Sherrinford. She has been passionate throughout in expressing her thought in a unique way. I am sure every reader will enjoy reading Song for Someone and am very eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series." - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5177546604">Arun, Goodreads</a></div><div><br /></div><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1669903360i/63901509.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1669903360i/63901509.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><span style="color: #e06666;">Description:</span></span><span style="color: #e06666;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> Song For Someone (#1)</span></span></b><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Love is the aria of the soul.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Charlotte Sapori has led a wonderful life, safely tucked in the bosom of her family. Her mother, Irene Adler, is a renowned opera singer, while her father, Lucca Sapori, does important government work that frequently takes him away from them. Charlotte is close to her older brother, Nicco, and they are both doted on by their parents. All is well until her mother receives an unexpected diagnosis which shakes the family to its core.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Knowing herself to be dying, Adler confesses to Charlotte things that have long been kept from her, telling her to find and read her diary. A distressed Lucca Sapori tells his daughter to read his as well. And by the way, Lucca Sapori is not his real name. In fact, she may have heard of him—he is actually the world-famous detective, Sherlock Holmes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Charlotte finds both diaries and plunges into the hidden world of Irene Adler and Sherlock Holmes as she discovers what brought them together, and how they managed to stay together for thirty years despite having to battle the odds.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">EXCERPT</span></b></div><div><p class="Standard" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d0e0e3;">It’s strange how two words
can turn your world upside down.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Standard" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d0e0e3;">I had no way of knowing that
the witness to my wedding to the lawyer Godfrey Norton would come back to haunt
me in years to come. My cousin Estelle once told me that the true love of one’s
life is the one who catches you unaware and changes you inexplicably.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Standard" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d0e0e3;"> was in my late twenties when I moved to London
in 1887, having spent the past few years performing as a contralto at La Scala
in Milan, and then a term as prima donna with the Imperial Opera of Warsaw. And
it was in Warsaw where I first met Wilhelm Gottsreich Sigismond von Ormstein,
Grand Duke of Cassel-Feldstein, the hereditary king of Bohemia.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Standard" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d0e0e3;">I suppose it all sounds rather
grand, given his title, but Wilhelm was a kind, fun-loving man, and a huge fan
of the opera. A big man, in every sense of the word, he was a tall, imposing
figure—well-built with broad shoulders and a muscular frame, black hair,
sparkling brown eyes, and a handlebar moustache. He would often make a grand
entrance with his entourage, insisting the cast join him for drinks afterwards.
They all adored him, of course. He was thoughtful and generous. So I thought
little of it when a bouquet of flowers appeared in my dressing room every
night.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Standard" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d0e0e3;">A few months after meeting
Wilhelm, I was invited and accepted into the elitist fold of La Scala’s theatre
chorus. My I KD Sherrinford 2 dream had always been to train at the prestigious
Opera House. Wilhelm took the news badly. He told me he’d developed feelings
for me, and while I had grown very fond of him, I knew I had to follow my
dreams. Looking back, enrolling at La Scala was one of the happiest moments of
my life. But then I gave it up for the position of prima donna at the Grand
Opera House in Warsaw, which was the worst decision of my life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Standard" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d0e0e3;">A few weeks after my arrival
in Warsaw, a letter from Wilhelm revealed he had returned to the city upon
learning of my new appointment and asked if he could take me to luncheon. I
accepted the invitation. In truth I was looking forward to seeing Wilhelm
again. I missed his infectious humour and I hoped we could remain friends. We
spent a lovely morning together and laughed watching the waiters scurry around,
eager to please him. His disposition and exuberant personality were so
endearing, always the life and soul of the party. I was always aware he held a
torch for me, but I was taken aback when he declared his undying love and his
intention to make me his wife. I was speechless, swept away by the excitement
of it all until I came to my senses.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Standard" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d0e0e3;">“No.” I shook my head. “This
can’t be. Your parents would never allow it.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Standard" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d0e0e3;">Wilhelm became animated,
insisting he would be king one day and could choose his own bride. Although I
was young and naïve, I knew the matter was not that simple. Wilhelm claimed he
would speak to his parents, confident they would listen to reason. He pleaded
with me to be patient<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Standard" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d0e0e3;">More than four weeks passed
before I received a letter informing me of his failed attempts to win over his
parents. His father was so enraged at the absurd prospect that he ordered
Wilhelm to propose to Clotide Lothman von Saxe-Meiningen, the second daughter
to the king of Scandinavia. There was no apology. Wilhelm even had the audacity
to suggest I become his mistress and, to add insult to injury, demanded the
return of a photograph he’d had taken of us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Standard" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d0e0e3;">Incensed at the disrespect
I’d been shown, I decided to retire from the stage and move to London. They say
hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. In an act of foolishness, which I later
regretted, I told Wilhelm I intended to send the photograph to Clotide’s family
should the engagement be announced. This was admittedly scandalous behaviour,
but I was young and I and had never experienced rejection. I still remember the
feelings of anger, betrayal, and jealousy, as though I’d felt them only
yesterday—they were all-consuming.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Standard" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d0e0e3;">Wilhelm’s response was to
send his agents after me. Upon my arrival in London, I was searched at Charing
Cross station before my house in St John’s Wood was broken into. Wilhelm’s
pursuit of the photograph was relentless, although I was always one step ahead
of him. Before I left Warsaw, I arranged with a friend to post the photograph,
which was addressed to my agent in London, secreted in the sleeve of a book. I
kept it in a secure hiding place, one I was certain Wilhelm’s agents would
never find.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Standard" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d0e0e3;">It was around this time I
went to see my old friend, Sarah Burton, who was performing as Desdemona in
Shakespeare’s Othello at the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane. After the
performance, she invited me to join her and a few friends for dinner at Rules
in Covent Garden. And that was where I was introduced to Godfrey Norton. He was
a dashing man—tall, dark—and I was instantly taken with him. Godfrey was
neither vain nor arrogant, an attentive listener with a talent for putting
those around him at ease. I told him about Wilhelm and what had transpired, but
that did little to dampen his ardour. On the contrary, Godfrey pursued me relentlessly
over the coming weeks. He sent me flowers and frequently escorted me to the theatre and dinner. During
the day we enjoyed long leisurely strolls through the park, at which times
Godfrey spoke incessantly of his hopes and dreams, his plans for the
future—plans which he said included me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Standard" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d0e0e3;">I was, of course, flattered
by his attention, but I had no wish to give him any false hopes. I had naively
convinced myself I was still in love with Wilhelm, until finally I realised I’d
been possessed by a mere girlish infatuation. I didn’t really know love at all.
In fact, I doubted if it even existed. But Godfrey didn’t care. He was certain
that given enough time I would learn to love him. After my experience with
Wilhelm, I felt vulnerable. It was comforting to have someone on my side, so I
gladly accepted his proposal.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Standard" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #d0e0e3;">Godfrey arranged for a
special licence so we could be married right away. Having obtained a licence
that was only valid for a few days, Godfrey found a clergyman willing to carry
out the ceremony at such short notice. This proved to be an extremely stressful
period for both of us. Not only were we desperate to be married, but Godfrey
was also attempting to obtain fake identities. We intended to flee London
shortly after the wedding to be rid of Wilhelm and his agents for good. The
thought of being constantly under surveillance was beginning to take its toll.
I even considered returning the photo to Wilhelm, but Godfrey insisted we
needed it as leverage in case Wilhelm had second thoughts and decided to come
after us.</span></p><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/the-sherlock-holmes-and-irene-adler-mysteries-book-tour-and-giveaway">TOUR SCHEDULE</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Someone-Sherlock-Holmes-Irene-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0BN125X8R">Amazon</a>* <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63901509-song-for-someone">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/song-for-someone/id6444670014">Apple</a> * <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/song-for-someone-kd-sherrinford/1142736775?ean=9781487436889">B&N</a> * <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/KD_Sherrinford_Song_For_Someone?id=KHCdEAAAQBAJ">Google</a> * <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/song-for-someone">Kobo</a> * <a href="https://www.extasybooks.com/Song-For-Someone">eXtasy Books</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/song-for-someone-sherlock-holmes-and-irene-adler-mysteries-book-1-by-kd-sherrinford">Bookbub</a> </span></b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1672730986i/75538189.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1672730986i/75538189.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><span style="color: #cc0000;">Christmas at the Saporis (#2)</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">What will the Saporis find under the tree this year—Christmas presents, or family skeletons?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the spirit of the holiday and a wish for familial harmony, Irene Adler persuades her detective husband to invite his brother Mycroft to Christmas luncheon. Holmes had cut ties with his brother when he discovered the machinations Mycroft employed that drove Sherlock and Adler apart for four years. He isn’t really sure this reunion is a great idea, but he can deny his wife nothing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Of course, they can’t tell the children what Mycroft is to them, as that would entail learning that their father is the celebrated detective when they know him simply as Lucca Sapori. And just when they think things may be going better than expected, ghosts of the past crop up in unexpected ways and threaten to ruin the holidays for everyone.</div><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">EXCERPT</span></b></div></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">I left Nicco
and Mycroft to set up the chessboard and made my way towards the stables,
wondering what could have happened. I took a breath before crossing over the
threshold. How I had been dreading this day. Over the years, my relationship
with Sherlock had been exceptional. He worked hard to present the best version
of himself before the children and me, but perhaps now was the time to release
him from his obligations. So, with a heavy heart, I slipped into the stable
block where I found Sherlock loading hay in one of the mangers. “Which of the
horses has gone wrong?” I quizzed, staring at him anxiously. A shadow of a
smile passed over Sherlock’s face. “Ah, sorry to have alarmed you, but I needed
to draw your attention somehow. I’ve been trying to get you out here all day.
Come with me.” He took my hand and led me towards the end stall, which usually
stood empty. Sherlock slowly pushed open the door. I was stunned to find a
black Friesian yearling, a small white star on his forehead, lying in the
straw, gazing back. I was speechless as my husband and I entered the stall,
sitting down beside the yearling who pricked up his ears as I stroked his head
and thick black mane. “For me?” I murmured. “I thought you’d forgotten my
Christmas present. My god, he is magnificent.” “I do pay attention some of the
time.” Sherlock chuckled, staring at me keenly. “You have no idea how long I
deliberated over him. I almost chose a filly who was a bonny thing, but then
decided this little chap had more spirit. His official title is Black Hawk
Gallo, but what will you name him?” “Well.” I laughed. “As I failed to notice
your plan, I shall call him Shadow. How did you get him here?” “He was
delivered yesterday while we were at the Three Tunnes. The children were in on
the secret. They’ve been helping me to look after him.” I sighed. “You can be
exasperating at times, Mr Holmes. But, even after all these years together,
there are moments like this when you do something that reminds me again why I
love you. I would never want to be with anyone else.” “Yes,” said Sherlock, as
he stared into my eyes. “I have no idea what I did to deserve you either, Nene.
Do you think I’m not aware of the sacrifices you’ve made so we can be together?
The way you put up with my moods and insensitivities, like the incident
earlier. I had no right to say that to you. Forgive me?” When I nodded, he
sighed. “Mycroft always brings out the worst in me. How you can excuse my
brother’s behaviour after he forced us apart for over four years amazes me.
People consider love the most challenging emotion, but they’re wrong. It’s
regret, that gnawing feeling eating away at you, reminding you of what you had
and lost. Those years we were apart I consider the biggest failure of my life.
So if you can find it in your heart to forgive Mycroft, I must find a way to
come to terms with your decision.” I nodded. “Your brother was only trying to
protect you, and I understand that now. Let’s put it behind us and celebrate
what we have. But, you know, I’m glad Mycroft got to see the children. The
security he provides to keep them safe is immeasurable.” I paused for a moment,
gazing into my husband’s eyes. “I would never want you to stay with me out of a
sense of duty. If the drama of family life becomes too much for you, then you
need to tell me. I will accept whatever you say, for I know you would never lie
to me.” Sherlock smiled, tears running down his cheeks. “You are a remarkable
woman, Nene. Every day I remind myself of that fact, and how fortunate I am to
be your husband and a father to those two incredible children. Love came to me
late and unexpectedly. First you, then Nicco and Charlotte. Unexpected, yes,
but never unwanted. And to be allowed to return that love is the most
incredible privilege. I know I rarely tell you this, but I love and adore you
with my whole heart. I want you to know that.” I put my arms around him and
hugged him, tears in my own eyes. And as I did so, I realised how blessed I was
to lead such an incredible, sometimes lonely, but often exhilarating life. For
Sherlock and me, being together wasn’t always easy. We made a lot of sacrifices
along the way to maintain our relationship. A lot of strategic planning was
involved, often with the help and support of Mycroft, and all for one
purpose—to keep our children safe. But, as far as Sherlock and I were
concerned, Nicco and Charlotte always came first. Our time together in Fiesole,
and our confrontation with Colonel Moriarty, made me acutely aware of how
fragile life was, and the importance of friends and family, even disordered
family members. Admittedly, Mycroft might be pompous and cantankerous at times,
but like his brother, under that icy exterior was a decent man who I knew would
be prepared to do anything for our children, despite the fact he only met them
for the first time that day. So I decided I could cope with his sardonic humour
and his sanctimonious comments. After all, it wasn’t as though I would be
expected to entertain him every day.</span></p><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/the-sherlock-holmes-and-irene-adler-mysteries-book-tour-and-giveaway">TOUR SCHEDULE</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BR558HY1"><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></a><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BR558HY1">Amazon</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75538189-christmas-at-the-saporis">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/christmas-at-the-saporis/id6445282347">Apple</a> * <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christmas-at-the-saporis-kd-sherrinford/1142889766?ean=9781487436841">B&N</a> * <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/KD_Sherrinford_Christmas_at_the_Sapori_s?id=EPykEAAAQBAJ">Google</a> * <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/christmas-at-the-saporis">Kobo</a> * <a href="https://www.extasybooks.com/Christmas-at-the-Sapors">eXtasy Books</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/christmas-at-the-saporis-sherlock-holmes-and-irene-adler-mysteries-book-2-by-kd-sherrinford">Bookbub</a></span></b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/53/fa/7a/53fa7aec4cd0df678625e1f728c5bcb0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="149" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/53/fa/7a/53fa7aec4cd0df678625e1f728c5bcb0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">About the author:</span></b></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">KD Sherrinford</span></b> was born and raised in Preston, Lancashire, and now resides on The Fylde Coast with her husband John, and their four children.</div></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">An avid reader from an early age, KD was fascinated by the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, she read the entire Doyle Canon by the time she was 13.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A talented pianist, KD played piano from age six, the music of some of her favourite composers, Beethoven, Schubert, Stephen Foster, and Richard Wagner, all strongly feature in her novel.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">KD had a varied early career, working with horses and racing greyhounds, she and her husband won the Blackpool Greyhound Derby in 1987 with Scottie.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then to mix things up KD joined Countrywide, where she was employed for over 20 years and became a Fellow of The National Association of Estate Agents.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Retirement finally gave KD the opportunity to follow her dreams and start work on her first novel. She gained inspiration to write” Song for Someone” from her daughter Katie, after a visit to the Sherlock Holmes museum on Baker Street in 2019. It had always been a passion to write about Irene Adler, she is such an iconic character, and KD wanted to give her a voice.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">KD recently completed her second book in the Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler mystery series, “Christmas at The Saporis”, and is currently working on the third.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23093327.K_D_Sherrinford">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/KDSherrinford/100078319333010">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/KDSherrinford">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kd-sherrinford">Bookbub</a> </span></b></div>Author's Giveaway</div><div><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="23d974a93676" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/23d974a93676/" id="rcwidget_meg2inyg" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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</div></div>CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-25613132139277534052023-03-06T22:04:00.001+02:002023-03-06T22:04:16.094+02:00what historians never discovered... Path of Peril by Marlie Parker Wasserman<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/65/42/5c/65425c80e538082ae390ffddc63dd496.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="563" height="78" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/65/42/5c/65425c80e538082ae390ffddc63dd496.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>“A feast of characters, scenery and history, Wasserman sets the table for a tremendous read. Path of Peril is a privileged walk with TR, his wife, his staff and dozens of characters struggling to create one of the “greatest engineering feats of the century.” - Chris Keefer, author of No Comfort for the Undertaker, a Carrie Lisbon Mystery</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/db/56/2f/db562f2f7cfcfc46fd91d2adb2707db3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/db/56/2f/db562f2f7cfcfc46fd91d2adb2707db3.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Description:</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Published: January 2023</span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Would the assassins plotting to kill Theodore Roosevelt on his visit to the Panama Canal succeed?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Until this trip, no president while in office had ever traveled abroad. White House secretary Maurice Latta, thrilled to accompany the President, could not anticipate the adventures and dangers ahead. Latta befriends watchful secret service agents, ambitious journalists, and anxious First Lady Edith Roosevelt on their hot and humid trip, where he observes a country teeming with inequalities and abounding in opportunities. Along the way he learns about his own strengths—what he never imagined he could do, and what he discovers he can’t do.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Theodore Roosevelt did visit Panama in 1906, accompanied by White House staffer Maurice Latta. Interweaving the stories of real-life characters with fictional ones, Path of Peril imagines what the newspapers feared to report and what historians never discovered about Roosevelt’s risky trip.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;">GUEST POST</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;"><b>Treachery Abroad</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">No one pays much attention today when a president
visits troops overseas or attends a summit meeting in Europe. But a foreign
presidential trip was gigantic news in 1906, when Teddy Roosevelt sailed to
Panama—the first time a president, while in office, ever left U.S. soil. Americans
thought he was inviting danger. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">If George Washington had wanted to visit France, he could
have spent three months just on the sea voyage. If Abraham Lincoln wanted to
visit London, he could have been away for a month. Early presidents were
deterred from international travel by more than time out of the office. How
would they stay in touch? Communications were non-existent until the first
transatlantic telegram in 1858 when Queen Victoria sent a cable to President
James Buchanan. That cable took sixteen hours to reach Washington. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">By 1906, travel by ship had picked up speed and telegraph
technology had improved. Teddy Theodore Roosevelt, eager to check on the
progress of the American effort to dig the Panama Canal, planned a visit. He
would be gone a mere seventeen days, and his battleship, the SS <i>Louisiana</i>,
would be outfitted with the best telegraph apparatus and operators available. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Behind the scenes in Panama, TR’s security detail worried
about more than the length of the voyage or the speed of cables. 1906 was in an
era of anarchist attacks against leaders. Just five years before, in Buffalo,
anarchist Leon</span> Czolgosz <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">assassinated
President William McKinley. In Europe,</span> assassins <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">killed French President Carnot, Spanish
Prime Minister</span> Cánovas del Castillo,<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Empress Elisabeth of Austria, and King Umberto of Italy. Secret
service agents and police were on their guard. Today, only Americans old enough
to remember Richard Nixon’s trip to Caracas, Venezuela might the anticipate
potential danger of a trip abroad. In 1958, Richard Nixon, while still vice
president, traveled to Caracas where a mob stoned and rocked his car. You can
watch the frightening video on YouTube. Americans are more likely to remember the
most famous speech from a presidential trip abroad—Regan’s “Tear Down this
Wall” speech in Berlin—than Nixon’s rocking limousine. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/c1/c0/6a/c1c06a2aa4509b6e5b8992fd2ae1ff87.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="563" height="230" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/c1/c0/6a/c1c06a2aa4509b6e5b8992fd2ae1ff87.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">In my novelist’s imagination, the very first
presidential trip outside the United States was rife with hidden dangers. According
to the historical record, the trip began placidly, with Teddy Roosevelt and his
entourage climbing into open air train cars to travel the rails from Colon to
Panama City. Here is one of the best pictures available, courtesy of the
Library of Congress.</span><p></p><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">While Teddy toured construction sites, looking happy
and relaxed, the local police checked every ship arriving in Panama’s ports for
potential assassins, using ethnic profiling (targeting passengers they thought
looked Italian). Once they cleared one suspect, they turned their attention to
another. This fishing expedition proved challenging because Panama in 1906
served as a magnet for workers from around the world—White engineers from the
States, Black laborers from Barbados and Jamaica, skilled laborers from Spain
and Greece, assorted salesmen pitching equipment and supplies, as well as men
and women who had been disgraced in their own countries and were seeking a new
start. Hundreds of newcomers disembarked every day. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/8f/e3/19/8fe3196a480d5dc70a498ca6f2f9e1fd.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="563" height="256" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/8f/e3/19/8fe3196a480d5dc70a498ca6f2f9e1fd.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">Historical archives record no serious threats to TR’s
life, but I imagine threats that TR chose to ignore. I follow the practice of
most historical novelists in portraying events. We stay with the facts, and
when we can’t find facts, we create events that are plausible within the known
historical context. In my novel, TR’s trip ends after a terrifying assassination
plot in the new Tivoli Hotel near Panama City. Here is a picture of the elegant
hotel, again courtesy of the Library of Congress.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">Readers with even a modest knowledge of U.S. history
know that Teddy Roosevelt was not assassinated. As I wrote this novel, a novel
where the end was known, I was inspired by Frederick Forsyth’s <i>The Day of
the Jackal</i>. All readers of that memorable thriller know that the Jackal
failed to assassinate Charles de Gaulle. Most of my own readers know TR lived
until 1919. Even though the assassins plotting to kill him would not succeed, I
want my readers to experience the plausible dangers surrounding an
international trip, while they learn about the history of presidential travel, the
history of anarchism, and history of the Canal. </span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://partnersincrimetours.com/path-of-peril-by-marlie-parker-wasserman/">TOUR SCHEDULE</a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/91473202-path-of-peril">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://amzn.to/407cido">Amazon</a></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/3a/4d/08/3a4d08dbd048de78aef327aa7d6f64b6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="564" height="225" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/3a/4d/08/3a4d08dbd048de78aef327aa7d6f64b6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Marlie Parker Wasserman </span></b>continues to write historical crime fiction. Her first book, <a href="https://partnersincrimetours.com/the-murderess-must-die-by-marlie-wasserman/">The Murderess Must Die</a>, was published in 2021. After spending many years in New Jersey, she now lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Historical Novel Society.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bit.ly/3X6hBXZ">Website</a> * <a href="https://bit.ly/3GEONjU">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://bit.ly/2UAskz5">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://bit.ly/3IrCNDU">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://bit.ly/3VVOaak">Facebook</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's Giveaway</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnDividerBlock" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; text-align: justify; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnDividerBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnDividerBlockInner" style="min-width: 100%; padding: 18px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
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CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-20809433485091760192023-02-20T22:49:00.000+02:002023-02-20T22:49:16.232+02:00the first time (time, time, time...)- The Boy Who Fell From The Past Truant D. Memphis<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2a/91/af/2a91afcd9e53bfdea36b73f601d72dc7.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="562" height="78" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2a/91/af/2a91afcd9e53bfdea36b73f601d72dc7.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>A passage. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">This story is a passage. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">A chapter from my earliest adventures. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">A moment in time recounting the first time I traveled through time...or something like that. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e7/9b/2a/e79b2aca3cdce1e8b1ac46b5104afe0b.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e7/9b/2a/e79b2aca3cdce1e8b1ac46b5104afe0b.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><span style="color: red;">Description:</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">Published: November 2022</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A passage. This story is a passage. A chapter from my earliest adventures. A moment in time recounting the first time I travelled through time...or something like that. I may have been dimension hopping. We're still not certain. Anyway, I share this with you because it was also the first time (time, time, time...) I met Ezekiel and Jacob Trate, or any other member of the Trate family. I share this with you because it was the first time I met Frank. I share this with you because the whole deal was a portal full of fun (you'll get this joke once you start reading).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">GUEST POST</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Antihero Fatigue: The Good Guy Complexity Conundrum:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">From Wolverine to John McClane to the Bride and all the murderous heroes in between, who doesn’t like reading or watching their favorite protagonist exercise a bloody rampage against evil? Kill. Kill. Kill for the sake of justice! For the sake of righteousness! For the sake of setting up a memorable, post murder smart-assed hero quip! “Gobble gobble, jive turkeys!”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">I would be lying if I denied the fun we can have with a protagonist who has questionable morals. Because, let’s be honest, it’s a lot of possible fun. But, the proliferation of the antihero in our modern story telling zeitgeist, the overuse, and the often lazy characterizations, they leave me with stale cracker on my tongue. That’s a bland taste right there. Thus, I find myself not wanting to play with these characters anymore.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Now, a guest blog post isn’t the appropriate forum or word count for me to climb to the top of my soapbox to give a full sermon about a personal quibble I have with modern storytelling in an increasingly violent culture. So rather than drone on about repetitive, unoriginal, cheap and easy antihero protags, I want to focus on what I think is frequently the heart of these “insert name here” protagonists’ character flaws, which I have titled The Good Guy Complexity Conundrum.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Obviously as story tellers, more often than not our goal is to draw rich, complex characters. Granted, every once in a while, we’re just throwing stock characters into motion commedia dell’arte style, but generally speaking we want our main characters to show the complexities that come with being human. Even if the characters are alien, or gods, or whatever they may be, we give them human qualities, or the opposite of human qualities, or somewhere in between, because that’s what we know. We see everything through the human lens. Well, you guys do. I’m just visiting, but that conversation is for another day.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Anyway, early on in my “I’m gonna be a novelist!” journey, I found myself wanting to draw a starker contrast between good and evil in my stories. Again, with what felt like an ever-increasing amount of real world violence around us, I wanted to present bad guys that were really bad, and heroes that were really good. A different type of bad-ass hero. The “don’t mistake my kindness for weakness” type. They’re already out there, I know. It’s been done. It’s all been done, but I felt like these types of heroes were becoming the proverbial needles in the antihero haystacks.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">The root, Truant, the root of the problem. Get there.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Right, right. The Good Guy Complexity Conundrum.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Humans like flaws. On many levels we accept flaws in others so we can accept the flaws in ourselves. But I don’t think this drives the “hero with character flaws” proliferation so much as the simple desire for a writer to create a complex character worthy of your time. I believe it’s this desire for complexity, for well-roundedness that often has us reaching like an automaton into a bag of ubiquitous lazy tricks. She’s a drunk. He’s a slut with a heart of gold. They’re a good them but with a dark past.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">And yes, humans like the familiar. Our brains love being able to efficiently organize things, wasting as little time on analyzation as possible so we can move on to the next item to sort. But, and it’s a big ol’ stinky but, familiarity breeds contempt. And here I sit, ranting about stock characters.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">My point is this: People are quirky. We’re silly and nuanced and emotional, and there’s a dagzillion number of traits you can give to your hero that make them a complex, well rounded character without having to resort to the overplayed classics. Don’t be afraid to make your protagonist truly good. Even a great person who’s never cheated on their loved one or been a substance abuser or been abused (to name only a few stock character issues…), even a person without these many familiar personal trials can have a reason for deeply seeded pain, a complex problem to overcome, and the “true hero” bad-assedness to knock a villain out without resorting to murder, glorious murder.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Rant over. My apologies.</span></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOUR SCHEDULE</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63880820-the-boy-who-fell-from-the-past">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://books2read.com/THE-BOY-WHO-FELL-FROM-THE-PAST">Books2Read</a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2a/91/af/2a91afcd9e53bfdea36b73f601d72dc7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="562" height="156" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2a/91/af/2a91afcd9e53bfdea36b73f601d72dc7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">😀Truant Delighted Memphis</span> </b>is an author, actor, alter-ego, fictional character, adventurer, sloppy guitar player, martial artist, husband and father. He was born and raised in Texas. An orphan, at age 16 he wandered away from his foster home on foot in search of adventure. He is married to Daffodil Fields. They have two children: Daniel Trate (adopted), and a baby girl named Peaceful Dreaming Memphis (Sweet Pea for short).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Truant began his journey to save the Multiverse a little over 10 years ago. He is an agent for the all-knowing Bob, who we think is what other people call God, though we haven't confirmed that yet. Truant invites you to join him on his quest.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.truantmemphis.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15236155.Truant_D_Memphis">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/truantmemphis">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/truantmemphis">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/truantmemphis/">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/truant-d-memphis">BookBub</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's Giveaway</div>
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CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-71358128933499365692023-02-19T17:59:00.001+02:002023-02-19T17:59:35.132+02:00a K-Pop's bad boy... Begin Again (Seoul Stories Series #4) by Marilyn Jeulin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/fa/62/5a/fa625ac272a26c8c09428e6f2f9f9d06.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="562" height="78" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/fa/62/5a/fa625ac272a26c8c09428e6f2f9f9d06.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="text-align: justify;">Scandals seem to follow him even when he tries to lead a quiet life.</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Every new headline about Tae-Hyung threatens to keep him away from the only woman he's ever loved.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/37/53/43/375343140927ef4b29a300bb3dae651f.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/37/53/43/375343140927ef4b29a300bb3dae651f.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Description:</span></b></div></b></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;"><br /></span></div><i><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Published: February 6, 2023</span></b></i></div></i><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">K-Pop's bad boy, Cho Tae-Hyung, has kept a low profile since his last scandal threatened to derail his whole career. Back on tour with his bandmates, the K-pop Second Gen group, Talisman, he's more than willing to make amends with the fans in Korea and Internationally. However, scandals seem to follow him even when he tries to lead a quiet life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Every new headline about Tae-Hyung threatens to keep him away from the only woman he's ever loved.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Seok Sarah is ready to move on from Spencer Choi. The British Korean model is everything she wanted on paper. However, Sarah's heart gravitates toward Tae-Hyung, constantly replaying memories of their erotic entanglements. To escape the aftermath of the disaster she created, Sarah moves to Seoul to open a Tour Guide Start-up with none other than Tae-Hyung.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And to make matters worse, a visit from Spencer threatens to expose her and change how people see her.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3T7BGel">Grab the first 3 books in the Seoul Series now!</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #b6d7a8; font-size: large;">EXCERPT</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">PROLOGUE</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1617210165i/57590622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1617210165i/57590622.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>Tae-Hyung heard her light foot-steps moving around the hotel room and frowned. He turned on his back and ran a hand through his long jet-black hair before settling his sleepy eyes on her. "Where are you going?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">A simple towel wrapped around her lithe body as Sarah yelped. She held onto her clothes. "I thought you were sleeping." She said, straightening up and then looking around the room.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">"Your panties are on the desk." He pointed at them as her face flushed, and she walked back to the desk. "So, you were just going to leave?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">"Tae-Hyung-" "No, fucking way, I'm not going to listen to your this was a mistake apology." He said, standing up and walking toward her.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">"Can't you put something on!" She exclaimed, shielding her eyes with her hand.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">"You saw everything last night." He smirked. "And I'm sure you liked all of it."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">"This is not me," Sarah said, still shielding her eyes. "I can't keep sleeping with you to make myself feel better. This needs to stop. How many more people need to get hurt?" She asked, fixing her eyes on him, and he knew then. She was definitely talking about Spencer, the perfect boyfriend she didn't want. All the time they were together, it was an open relationship, and Sarah al- ways slept with Tae-Hyung.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">Tae-Hyung lifted his chin in defiance, watching as she tried hard to talk him out of sleeping with her.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">"You and I are business partners. We can't throw hot sex in the mix for our company." She huffed before walking back to the bathroom and slamming the door behind her.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1623298052i/58306617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1623298052i/58306617.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>"So, you're worried about the company? Not about me going on tour or what the priest will say if he ever finds out?" He asked, referring to her twin brother and Tae-Hyung's band member.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">Sarah didn't reply, but he could hear her typing something on her phone; the damn keyboard was loud. He took a deep breath and then took a few steps back, leaning against the wall.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">Tae-Hyung waited until the door opened.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">Sarah pulled her hair back, which made her eyes twice as big; she wore minimal makeup and last night's clothes. She looked delicious.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">"I have to go, I have a plane to catch back to London, and I still have to talk to Adelaide about some of the clients she's taking over," Sarah said nervously, smoothing her clothes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">"Wow," he said, shaking his head. "I guess this is what it feels like to sleep with me." He frowned. "Well, played," Tae-Hyung said, a bitter taste in his mouth.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1648943865i/60739688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1648943865i/60739688.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>"Tae, … this isn't easy for me." "It's fine." He said, looking at her.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">"I know my reputation precedes me. I know I did a shitty thing to Lorena and your brother by releasing the sex tape I made of her and me, but it's different when I'm around you." He said in what he hoped would be a sincere tone be- cause he really meant his words.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">"I know." She said, locking eyes with him. "But I just don't want to be in a relationship, Tae."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">"This isn't the first time you've walked out on me." He sighed. "Why don't you believe me? I would treat you right." He pleaded, moving closer, but she just took a step back.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">"You should be concentrating on your comeback. Everyone seems to love you once more; that should be enough for you." She said, turning on her heels, grabbing her purse, and leaving.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f4cccc;">Tae-Hyung stayed rooted to the spot until his phone alarm went off, and he swore. He should have never slept with her because he wanted her to stay by his side whenever she left.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">TOUR SCHEDULE</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;">FREE With A </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3S1hhby"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;">Kindle Unlimited </span></a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60594477-begin-again"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;">Goodreads</span></a> **<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;"> </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3h24p6A"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 17.12px;">Amazon</span></a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/fa/62/5a/fa625ac272a26c8c09428e6f2f9f9d06.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="562" height="156" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/fa/62/5a/fa625ac272a26c8c09428e6f2f9f9d06.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Born in the Wild West and raised in a tropical paradise, Marilyn has always thirsted for a good story and adventure. She’s a massive fan of Anne Rice, Stephen King, and GRR Martin. And when she’s not reading, she’s an avid gamer.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She currently lives in Central Florida with the Frenchman and their two children in a house that looks relatively normal until things go bump in the night.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She also writes Young Adult Paranormal stories under the name, Marilyn Almodovar.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/marilynjeulin">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16266990.Marilyn_Jeulin">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authormarilynalmodovar/">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/marilyn_almodovar/">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@marilynjeulin">TikTok</a> * <a href="https://amzn.to/3MJNQY0">Amazon</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marilyn-jeulin">BookBub</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Author's Giveaway </div>
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CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-32440780210622379602023-02-19T17:30:00.005+02:002023-02-19T17:30:47.873+02:00Crashed and burned... Wrecked (Merciless Few MC #1) by S. Courtney<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/4b/0d/30/4b0d30998b959e4d6619dad5e5f50556.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="74" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/4b/0d/30/4b0d30998b959e4d6619dad5e5f50556.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b><span style="color: red;">18+</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div> Join our chapters as we take you on a thrill ride you’ll never forget. </div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ff/c8/f1/ffc8f197227180861d241c7e8031357d.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="388" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ff/c8/f1/ffc8f197227180861d241c7e8031357d.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>Description:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">Published: February 18th, 2023</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Reaper</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Crashed and burned</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Wrecked....</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My relationship, my life, my bike</div><div style="text-align: justify;">All turned upside down</div><div style="text-align: justify;">But I needed to get my bike back in gear</div><div style="text-align: justify;">She's the only one I need</div><div style="text-align: justify;">No woman was going to ever change that</div><div style="text-align: justify;">No woman was going to make me crash and burn again</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My club is my sole focus</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Until her...and that cute little tater tot daughter</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm going to protect them from whatever, including family</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now I wonder...</div><div style="text-align: justify;">If I open up, will she wreck my life?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">EXCERPT</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="Textbody" style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">My first official task was to pay off some
slovenly group of dirty bikers. Of course, Frankie kept company with the bottom
feeders.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Textbody" style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">We made it to this large two-story,
fraternity-style home in the backwoods somewhere. It definitely could use a new
coat of paint. It was decent for the type of people that live here. I open the
door to see Diesel ready to help me down. It was a lousy attempt at a cheap
feel and I was already in a bad mood. I hop down on my own and I hear him close
the door.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Textbody" style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">I walk up and knock; Diesel is right behind me.
I can feel his breath on my neck. I snarl, "Why are you so close?! Back
up, or I'll twist your balls off and feed them to the dogs." <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Textbody" style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">He chuckles, "I like a chase, sweetheart.
Your brother said you were fair game, and I can't wait to feel that tight
little pussy around my dick."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Textbody" style="line-height: 115%;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Frankie said,
what?!<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
<p class="Textbody" style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">He's offering me up to his lackeys like a fresh
prostitute and I am livid. I'd slit Frankie’s throat in his sleep if I didn't
need him. He doesn't give a shit about me and right now, the feeling's fucking
mutual. The way I'm feeling, his flunky here is about to have a very agonizing
sex change. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Textbody" style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">"I don't give a damn what he told you!
Don't fucking touch me, you mongrel." In my anger, I slam my fist against
the door three times. I probably sounded like the police, but I didn’t give a
shit. Somebody better answer before I commit murder on their doorstep.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Textbody" style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">"Alright, wait a damn minute!" A
voice on the other side yells out. The door swings open and I'm staring at a
nearly naked beast of a man, but I’m really ogling his bare chest, a nice one
at that, except my eye is drawn to fresh scars on his arm that look like they
wrap around his back. They are a pinkish against his warm skin. I was so fascinated
I failed to see the irritation on his face until I looked up and he sneered,
"What?!" He stares down at me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Textbody" style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">"What?! Don't they teach you basic manners
to address people when answering the damn door, or is it true what they say
about bikers? Nothing but a bunch of brainless Neanderthals." <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Textbody" style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Everyone was pissing me off tonight.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Textbody" style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">He looks behind me and recognizes Diesel,
"Hey, Frankie letting his whores deliver payment now?" He taunted as
he snatched the envelope. He was about to slam the door in my face, but I
wasn’t going to tolerate disrespect. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Textbody" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">I stuck my foot in the way and put my arms up
against the door frame, "Despite your ignorant statement, you seem like a
decent guy, quite out of place to be a mangy, trashy biker, but what do I know,
huh? You might be as bad as my brother Frankie. I’m not some <i>vagabundo</i></span><span face=""Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"" lang="EN-US"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">(tramp) like that <i>cadela</i></span><span face=""Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"" lang="EN-US"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">(bitch) he's dragging around like a
fucking trophy. I don’t know why, she looks like any other $10 whore, but
whatever. IF there is a next time, I suggest you show me some respect, <i>seu idiota covarde!” (</i>you spineless
prick)</span><span face=""Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"" lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Textbody" style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">He raised his brow and shifted his weight while
rubbing his chin, the muscles automatically flexing in his chest and arms. He
was also in his boxers; I wonder if I interrupted his sleep or a good time? I
could hear female voices from behind the door. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Textbody" style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">"Did you call me a prick?"<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="Textbody" style="line-height: 115%;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Oh shit. I didn't expect him to understand me!</span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/wrecked-book-tour-and-giveaway">TOUR SCHEDULE</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68040526-wrecked">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BP5HZBNN">Amazon</a> ** <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/wrecked-the-merciless-few-by-s-courtney">Bookbub</a></span></b> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/4b/0d/30/4b0d30998b959e4d6619dad5e5f50556.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="149" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/4b/0d/30/4b0d30998b959e4d6619dad5e5f50556.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">S. Courtney</span></b> is new to the published writing community but has been a lifelong writer and began creatively writing in junior high.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She is the author of the paranormal romance, the Bound Series, which includes Bound to You, Bound by Destiny, and Unapologetically Nessa which are available on paperback and kindle.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She is also the author of her contemporary romance, the Black Aces MC, a motorcycle club romance and the Sandman, a dark, slow burn paranormal romance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.scourtneybooks.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20009911.S_Courtney">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authormskeiya">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/author_mskeiya">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/author_mskeiya/">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/s-courtney">Bookbub</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B084LTPKSJ">Amazon</a></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's Giveaway</div>
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CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-36860438326636383602023-02-18T22:30:00.001+02:002023-02-19T09:55:53.263+02:00they don't believe in coincidences - Fact & Fiction (Parker City Mysteries, #3) by Justin M. Kiska<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/65/42/5c/65425c80e538082ae390ffddc63dd496.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="563" height="78" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/65/42/5c/65425c80e538082ae390ffddc63dd496.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Kiska has delivered a rollicking good story that blends past and present seamlessly. [...]</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The writing is some of the best I’ve seen lately – imaginative and action-packed. This is an author I will read again, for sure. Fact & Fiction will certainly appeal to fans of Steve Berry and Clive Cussler. Recommended." <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R3QR7TD6M6WX0E/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0BT373DNG">Patricia, Amazon</a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/7b/1e/e3/7b1ee350dbe3de129ef599bf2c7d6b89.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="501" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/7b/1e/e3/7b1ee350dbe3de129ef599bf2c7d6b89.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Description:</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">Published: February 14th, 2023</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Parker City, Autumn 1984...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As the leaves begin to change colors and the weather starts turning cooler in the historic city in the heart of Western Maryland, Parker City Police Detectives Ben Winters and Tommy Mason are called to Saint Paul’s where the recently installed Father Roland Taylor, who has become very popular in the community, has been found dead in his office at the church. By all appearances it seems to be a tragic case of a break-in gone wrong.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Only twenty-four hours later, the detectives find themselves at the home of the city’s well-known morning radio show DJ, Morning Mike Moran, who also seems to have been the victim of a robbery gone wrong. Coincidence?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Neither Ben nor Tommy believe in coincidences. But at first glance, it seems to be just that. Until they find that the victims shared a common interest and begin an investigation that leads them to uncover a secret Parker City has been hiding for over one hundred and twenty years.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Each of the Parker City Mysteries is a stand-alone set.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: large;">EXCERPT</span></b></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;">The best laid plans, Ben thought to himself as he parked in front
of Saint Paul’s Roman Catholic Church on Braddock Street. His hope of getting a
few extra hours of sleep after spending the last several nights out late on a
stakeout was shattered just a little after eight in the morning. The ringing of
the telephone entwined seamlessly with his dream of being a concert violinist
making his debut at Carnegie Hall. Something he could not in any way understand
because he couldn’t play any instrument, let alone the violin. It wasn’t until
the conductor in his dream started to tell him to leave his name and number
after the beep that he realized he was hearing his own voice on the message
answering machine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> With bleary eyes, he crossed out of
the bedroom and into the kitchen, grabbing the telephone just as Shirley, one
of the PCPD’s dispatchers, was about to hang up.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “Hello. Hello?” he answered, trying
to shake away the mental cobwebs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “Hey, sweetie,” Shirley said with
her slight southern drawl. “Sorry to wake you.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “I wasn’t…I mean, I…”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “It’s okay, sugar. I heard you and
Tommy were out late. But you got ‘em, so it’s all good.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “Yeah. We did. What’s going on?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “I’m afraid you’re going to have to
catch up on your sleep some other time, dumplin’. You need to get over to Saint
Paul’s. Patrol is reporting a break-in and Father Taylor was found D.O.A.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> That was all Ben needed to hear. The
words were like a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart. He showered,
skipped shaving–not that anyone would be able to tell with his baby face–and
headed out the door. Just as he was stepping out of the car in front of the
church, Tommy’s Bronco pulled up next to him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> Rolling down the window, from behind
a pair of what looked like extra dark sunglasses, Tommy asked, “Please tell me
I didn’t hear Shirley right?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “A break-in and possible homicide?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “Yeah.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “You heard her right.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “Dammit.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> Tommy did a quick U-turn and parked
across the street. Getting out of the truck, he fumbled around in the back
seat, finally pulling out a rumpled corduroy sport coat. Pulling it on over his
wrinkled shirt, he noticed his partner giving him the once over as he crossed
the road to meet him on the sidewalk.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “This is the best you’re gonna’ get
today,” Tommy said pulling his badge out of his pocket and clipping it to the
lapel of his jacket. “Hell, you’re lucky I put pants on. But I know how much
you like me to dress up for crime scenes.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> It was true, Ben was always wearing
a suit. He thought it helped to project a certain amount of authority while
working a case. Considering he only looked like he was barely in his twenties
when he was now thirty, it also helped him to look a little older. Truth be
told, Ben could be wearing ripped up jeans and a leather biker’s jacket and he
would still look like the boy next door. He was the poster child for what a
stand-up Boy Scout should look like.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> Tommy, on the other hand, would love
to wear a leather jacket and jeans every day. He preferred comfort when it came
to his attire. The reverse of Ben was true for Tommy. Even if he would show up
wearing an expensive three-piece suit from a fancy story on New York’s Fifth
Avenue, he’d still come off as a bad boy. The kind of guy all the girls fell
for but would never take home to meet their mother. Mostly out of fear that
their mothers would also fall for him.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “Any other details?” Tommy asked as
he checked his Tom Selleck-style mustache in the side mirror of Ben’s car.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “I just got here myself.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “I thought we were going to be able
to take it easy after we picked up that dipshit last night. I mean, come on. We
can’t even get a few hours of sleep!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “Our burden is heavy,” Ben said,
wondering if his sarcasm got through.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “The only thing that could make this
morning any worse…”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “You mean other than finding the
dead body of a popular priest?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “You know what I mean…” Tommy said
putting his hands up in his defense, “…is if the responding officer is…</span></span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">dammit</span></i><span style="color: #256041; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">.</span><span style="color: #256041; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="color: #93c47d;"> </span><span style="color: #256041;"> <span> Ben turned to see Officer Buck
LuCoco lumber out of the door to the church offices. A very large man, neither
Ben nor Tommy understood how LuCoco was still on patrol. The fact he’d been
with the department since the ‘50s and never been promoted beyond a patrol
officer didn’t surprise either of them. He was one of the PCPD’s old guard that
did absolutely as little as possible, while doing just enough to not be fired
for complete dereliction of duty. Tommy thought he was a lazy slob. Ben
couldn’t argue. The only thing LuCoco had going for him was his institutional
knowledge of the city. He’d been around long enough to know a little about
everyone and everything.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “Be nice,” Ben said to his partner
through gritted teeth as LuCoco waddled his way to them. “Good morning, Buck.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> The officer grunted a response as he
wiped his face with a handkerchief, finally saying, “It’s not a good morning
for Father Taylor.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “There was a break-in?” Ben asked.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “Yeah. One of the secretaries got
here about seven-forty-five. She found the front door unlocked and thought
Taylor already opened up for the day. Then she found the door to the priest’s
office smashed and him dead. Now, I’m no expert, but I’ve been around long
enough to know what a robbery-gone-wrong looks like. Whoever broke in here
musta gotten caught by Taylor then they offed him.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="color: #256041;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> “</span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Not
being an expert</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">, what makes you think that?” Tommy asked, barely containing the
mockery. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “Well, there’s a pretty good hole in
the priest’s head that looks like it coulda been caused by the heavy
candlestick with blood on it lying next to him, smartass.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “Alright,” Ben said in a tone that
let both men know they needed to cool it. “Where’s the secretary now?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “She’s in with Thompson.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> Ben knew Tommy was thinking the same
thing he was. If Thompson had also responded, he’d have secured the scene using
the protocols they’d been trying to get all of the patrol officers to use. He
was one of the officers in the department who understood the importance of the
new techniques being employed at a crime scene, and therefore the need to
preserve a scene’s integrity. Unlike LuCoco and the guys who’d complained when
Ben and Tommy had been promoted who thought if you couldn’t see a clue with
your bare eyes, it wasn’t there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “We’re going to head in and take a
look around. Buck, will you radio in and have them roll the Crime Scene Unit
and let the coroner know they have a pick-up?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="color: #256041;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> “Your wish is my command, </span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Detective</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #256041; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span> “Hey. That’s Detective</span><span>-</span></span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sergeant</span></i><span style="color: #256041; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">,</span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #fff2cc; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;">remember,” Tommy
corrected. “Remember, he outranks you in this department.”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> Watching LuCoco head for his squad
car, Ben said, “You really don’t need to do that.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “What?” Tommy asked innocently.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “Throw my rank around. Sometimes I
think you care more about it than I do.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “Well, he needs to respect your
stripes,” Tommy said in his defense. “And…I just don’t like him. I’m always
afraid he’s going to have a heart attack and drop dead right in front of us.
Then we’ll have so much paperwork to fill out. Seriously? Do you think he even
knows what a salad is?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> Sometimes Ben needed to play the
role of a stern father. “Okay. I get it. You have very strong feelings about
him. But that’s enough now. If someone really did kill Roland Taylor, we’ve
already got a big problem on our hands. I don’t need you starting another one
with LuCoco.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #256041;"> “Fine,” Tommy said, doing his best
impression of a petulant child. “I’ll behave myself. Your wish is my command, </span></span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Detective-Sergeant</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: red;">.</span><o:p></o:p></span><span style="color: #256041; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">”</span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://partnersincrimetours.com/fact-fiction-by-justin-m-kiska/">TOUR SCHEDULE</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/86223994-fact-fiction?ref=nav_sb_ss_2_38">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://partnersincrimetours.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aff32f4c1276ddafdecdeeedd&id=e93fc35260&e=410ca7bc91">Amazon</a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/65/42/5c/65425c80e538082ae390ffddc63dd496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="563" height="156" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/65/42/5c/65425c80e538082ae390ffddc63dd496.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When not sitting in his library devising new and clever ways to kill people (for his mysteries), <b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Justin</span></b> can usually be found at The Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre, outside of Washington, DC, where he is one of the owners and producers. In addition to writing the Parker City Mysteries Series - which includes, NOW & THEN, <a href="https://partnersincrimetours.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aff32f4c1276ddafdecdeeedd&id=fa669bdc7a&e=410ca7bc91">VICE & VIRTUE</a>, and <a href="https://partnersincrimetours.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aff32f4c1276ddafdecdeeedd&id=fbd44cd74c&e=410ca7bc91">FACT & FICTION</a> - he is also the mastermind behind Marquee Mysteries, a series of interactive mystery events he has been writing and producing for over fifteen years. Justin and his wife, Jessica, live along Lake Linganore outside of Frederick, Maryland.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://partnersincrimetours.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aff32f4c1276ddafdecdeeedd&id=921bd0e891&e=410ca7bc91">Website</a> * <a href="https://partnersincrimetours.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aff32f4c1276ddafdecdeeedd&id=e2842df5ec&e=410ca7bc91">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://partnersincrimetours.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aff32f4c1276ddafdecdeeedd&id=c7f8e7799f&e=410ca7bc91">BookBub</a> * <a href="https://partnersincrimetours.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aff32f4c1276ddafdecdeeedd&id=4ce201e321&e=410ca7bc91">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://partnersincrimetours.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aff32f4c1276ddafdecdeeedd&id=78e66b424c&e=410ca7bc91">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://partnersincrimetours.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aff32f4c1276ddafdecdeeedd&id=837fa71986&e=410ca7bc91">Facebook</a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/9b/71/36/9b7136e331c6d51623cbc95d62f56411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/9b/71/36/9b7136e331c6d51623cbc95d62f56411.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-8820215830002293642023-02-17T20:08:00.002+02:002023-02-17T20:08:57.422+02:00a law to hunt, imprison and kill them all... The Exodus by David Fairchild<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/52/62/10/526210d10bed9742bc64a9dcd09f4f99.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="74" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/52/62/10/526210d10bed9742bc64a9dcd09f4f99.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>"Rare find! [...] I think this might be my favorite book that I have read an a looong time. [...] Excellent, excellent read. If you like fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian, straight up literary fiction, this is a rare find and an incredible read that hits on every cylinder."</i> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4352608688">Jordan, Goodreads</a></div></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b8/cf/f4/b8cff49ad3a30ba3e960e02c172667ea.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="384" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b8/cf/f4/b8cff49ad3a30ba3e960e02c172667ea.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><span style="color: #cc0000;">Description:</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Two-time award winning book in the classes of E-book from NGIBA and Science Fiction from IAN</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A girl who feels nothing; a boy who sees shadows and hears what others cannot; a baby without license to be born; a deaf teenager and scientific savant; offensive people; a general who passed law to hunt, imprison and kill them all. Where do they hide when the sub-nations of the United States draw their own lines in the ground that dictate which people get to be oppressed and who gets to be offended?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Salvo Cartel built the tunnels to help them escape, to aid those with mental ailments, those who question, those who refuse to conform, gays, Christians, artists, people with scruples, and other deviants. Do they flee to Salvo's underground cities, with eyes set on a grander safeplace? Where do they go when Lady Liberty douses her light? Perhaps the same place she's been pointing her torch towards ever since she stepped atop her pedestal and realized at once that one day she too would be told to shut up.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">EXCERPT</span></b></div><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond;">In the beginning, darkness was upon the face of
the deep. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Angels
cheered. The devil frowned. The blind man cried out, “What in the hell?” Then
God said, “It is beautiful,” and, his children committed him to the old folks
home: refusing to visit, refusing to pay their bills and concurring that they
had created all. There is a story about God escaping to visit his children, but
they cried, “We don’t serve your kind here,” and he was forced to go home,
where it is said that the city turned off his power and he now sits by
candlelight that he presses himself—and that’s okay, because He still loves
everyone. For that, his children are grateful, so long as it doesn’t interfere
with their own agendas. Thus their stubbornness has played a vital role in
helping them become adept at navigating the dark.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 15pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond;">Thalia prayed. She
hadn’t before, never had a reason to, but now she did because she couldn’t see.
She prayed to get her way, to find her way, to make her own way, and deep down
she knew that she would stop praying the moment she was out of these tunnels.
After all, why pray when one can already see or thinks one can see? As the
story goes, God healed the blind to see, and the blind said, “Work your own
corner, or I’ll gut you like a fish.”</span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/the-exodus-book-tour-and-giveaway">TOUR SCHEDULE</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55256852-the-exodus">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Exodus-David-Fairchild-ebook/dp/B09PYF4GGD">Amazon</a> ** <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Exodus-Audiobook/B093J7RDLQ">Audiobook</a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/52/62/10/526210d10bed9742bc64a9dcd09f4f99.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="149" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/52/62/10/526210d10bed9742bc64a9dcd09f4f99.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">David Fairchild </span></b>resides in Spanish Fork, Utah and teaches writing at Utah Valley University. He has a background working in the amusement and entertainment industry, including: amusement parks, haunted houses and theatre. He is a retired stand-up comic. He holds degrees in writing and communication. He wishes he could say that he loves to write in a way that entertains people, but that would be a lie. He never gets to write because all the characters he’s ever created keep stealing his keyboard. Did I say characters? I meant bullies. They’re all bullies! In fact, his work is always taken over by that bunch of bullies who each strive to fill the pages on David’s computer with their own stories, leaving absolutely no room for David to tell his own. To date, he hasn’t written a single one of his own stories. He just gives birth to bullies who take over his book pages and tell him how bad of a job he does talking about them. They’re so mean, and they talk behind his back. They say they’re not, but he can hear them. Anyway, he never gets to write what he wants. Well, there it is! Fairchild is a fraud who stands on the shoulders of the characters that have punched their ways out of that pea-brain of his. Suppose it makes sense. They’re all smarter than he is. His brain is just too small to contain all that bully intellect. David does want everyone to know though that some day he will finally write the story he wants, but what does anyone care? They all just use him so they can get close to his bullies.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.davidfairchild.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21707662.David_Fairchild">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090030190241">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/David-Fairchild/author/B08WQ483CL">Amazon</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's Giveaway</div>
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CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-36088916909322784212023-02-16T19:15:00.001+02:002023-02-17T19:41:46.945+02:00She was created to destroy the world... Season of the Dragon (Dragos Primeri #1) by Natalie Wright<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/3c/67/fb/3c67fbd409064d497468b9a70c083cb3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="74" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/3c/67/fb/3c67fbd409064d497468b9a70c083cb3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i>“[Wright’s] powers of description are first-class, and her worldbuilding impressive. She presents her world with great clarity… The scenes in Qülla are especially sumptuous and vivid, and it’s impossible to not believe in such a place: a fabulous work.</i>” ~Dario Ciriello, Editor</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/62/59/b0/6259b00f43ecb6624a65ca5c707dc1c5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="375" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/62/59/b0/6259b00f43ecb6624a65ca5c707dc1c5.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>Description:</b></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When dragons rise from a thousand-year slumber, to save her loved ones, a young changeling woman must unite her warring souls.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Quen Santu wasn’t born to save the world. She was created to destroy it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Quen was born cursed with a second, shadow soul and is a misfit in her nomadic herding culture. Quen yearns to belong and for a love to call her own. But she is detested by animals, and no herdclan will have her. On the cusp of her twentieth year, Quen is at risk of becoming pesha—no one. Quen’s only hope for an honorable life is to take vows at one of the Pillars, schools dedicated to the magical and martial arts.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the day a mysterious stranger reveals a dark prophecy, a dragon kills Quen’s father. The murder turns her life upside down, and dashes hope for an honorable life. Anger fuels Quen’s quest for vengeance, and she joins a vigilante group hunting the murderous dragon. The new found family provides comfort amid her profound loss and holds the promise of new love. But to preserve the belonging and love she craves, Quen struggles to hide her true identity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Quen’s journey spans the continent, from the nomadic herding lands of the Sulmére sands to the opulent largesse of the capital—and reveals terrible truths. That a power-hungry Dynasty can ruin a life with a quill stroke. That a shadowy dragon cult has laid claim to her. And that even the leader of a revered institution aims to control Quen's growing power.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yet the question persists: Why?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The truth awaits at the end of her journey, but can love survive the truth? As Quen battles the beast within, time is running out. Will Quen finally overcome her curse and unite her warring souls? Or will her phantom soul consume her—and everyone she loves?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The fate of her homeland—and all she loves—hangs in the balance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">“<i>Wright’s Season of the Dragon world is unique, sumptuous, and highly engaging. I want to feast at the Palace di Solis and witness the incredible Volenex! SotD is filled with dragons, new magical creatures, sorcerers and mages, and intriguing new mythology. But SotD is more than great worldbuilding. Wright deftly weaves worldbuilding into a story that about the power of love. The love of a father for his child and how that love survives even death. Of the complex love between siblings and the bonds of friendship. And of the blossoming love of two young people trying to find their place in the world and discovering that love can be a life raft in the darkest of times. I highly recommend Season of the Dragon, and look forward to the next book in the series.</i>”</span> ~Jim Farley, Beta Reader</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div><i><span style="color: #ea9999;">“This dazzling epic fantasy series kickoff rewards and upends reader expectations.”</span></i>—BOOKLIFE REVIEWS, Editor’s Pick</div><div><br /></div><div><i><span style="color: #fff2cc;">“[Readers] looking for fantasy series titles that open with a bang of psychological and political allure will find that few can equal the force of Season of the Dragon.”</span></i>—D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW</div><div><br /></div><div><i><span style="color: #ea9999;">“A real epic in the making!”</span> </i>~Dario Ciriello, Editor</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w060YZ4MxwA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;"> EXCERPT</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d0e0e3;">The small fire was nearly out and provided little light or heat. Quen stoked it with a long stick, rousing the embers. In the increased light, she noticed Aldewin sitting across the fire. He was so still she’d mistaken him for a large rock in the dim light. Drowsy-looking but awake, Aldewin stared at the flame.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d0e0e3;">He glanced up at her. “Your first true day as a Jagaru.” He drank from his wineskin. “You should get some rest.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d0e0e3;">Quen unrolled her pallet and sat down. “I’m not tired.” She stifled a yawn.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d0e0e3;">Aldewin smiled and shook his head. “You’re not, hey?”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d0e0e3;">A part of her wanted nothing more than to fall into an ale-induced deep sleep, the prize for the long ass-numbing ride from Solia. But her desire to be in Aldewin’s company was greater.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/season-of-the-dragon-book-tour-and-giveaway">TOUR SCHEDULE</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: medium;">**PreOrder Now – Releases March 1st!!**</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/86029840-season-of-the-dragon">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRNW6715">Amazon</a> ** <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/season-of-the-dragon-dragos-primeri-book-1-by-natalie-wright">Bookbub</a></span></b></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/3c/67/fb/3c67fbd409064d497468b9a70c083cb3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="149" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/3c/67/fb/3c67fbd409064d497468b9a70c083cb3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Epic Fantasy & Sci-Fi Author and Podcaster. Mother, wife, and cat-wrangler. World traveler and lifelong nerd. Insatiably curious.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A member of SFWA, Natalie is the author of six published Sci-Fi & Fantasy novels and co-host of the <a href="https://www.tipsynerdsbookclub.com/">Tipsy Nerds Book Club</a> podcast. When not writing or podcasting, you can find Natalie participating on panels at SFF cons, book festivals, and comic-cons throughout the western U.S. She’s also a short story judge in the NYC Midnight international writing challenge, and a freelance content development editor. Her debut teen novel, Emily’s House, has been read over 2.2 million times on <a href="http://bit.ly/Emilys_House">Wattpad</a>. Now focusing on epic fantasy for adults, stay in touch via social media to learn more about her forthcoming epic fantasy series, tentatively titled Season of the Dragon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Favorite book quote — “One more dance along the razor’s edge finished. Almost dead yesterday, maybe dead tomorrow, but alive, gloriously alive, today.” - Robert Jordan, Lord of Chaos (Wheel of Time #6)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.nataliewrightauthor.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/468945.Natalie_Wright">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NatalieWright.Author">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/NatalieWright">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nataliewrightauthor/">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/natalie-wright">Bookbub</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Natalie-Wright/author/B0067LJEDU">Amazon</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #fff2cc;">Author's Giveaway</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Swag box with an autographed jacketed hardcover + enamel pin, custom-made for the book + bookmark + beaded book-cover keychain + custom soy candle, themed to the book + personalized note from the author. (ARV of over $75, US only),</div><div style="text-align: justify;">$20 Amazon giftcard (WW) -1 winner each!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
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</div>CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-54408009953102963892023-02-15T19:07:00.001+02:002023-02-17T19:14:04.871+02:00Coming This March . . . Muddy Waters by DV Fischer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/31/81/64/318164e8b0e9a550ea30e8058ec928f3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="74" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/31/81/64/318164e8b0e9a550ea30e8058ec928f3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"><br /></span></b></span></div>18+</span></b> USA Today Best Seller, DV Fischer, delivers a sizzling dark romance sure to leave readers gasping for more</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/4b/4f/aa/4b4faa5b9c23a116260fac5787156a2d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="375" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/4b/4f/aa/4b4faa5b9c23a116260fac5787156a2d.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">Description:</span></b></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #a2c4c9;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">Coming This March . . .</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Forgive me Father, for she is my sin.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Willow Ashley pays her bills through sin. She’s made her peace with that. Her best friend, on the other hand, cannot. She relentlessly begs Willow to go to church to confess all of her wrong-doings. When Willow finally gives in, she stumbles across the new pastor, Rowan Elsher. He’s the kind of gorgeous she wants to thank the heavens for, and makes her think all sorts of filthy things that would make even God blush.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rowan Elsher came to New Orleans hoping to make a real difference in helping those in his congregation. When a woman approaches him about her best friend needing guidance, yet refusing to tell him why, he becomes curious. Then he sees Willow, with her ample curves and seductive pout. In a glance, his infatuation with her begins.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He was told to stay away from dating within the congregation. He shouldn’t want her. He can’t want her. But he just can’t help himself but to break all the rules he vowed to keep.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">USA Today Best Seller, DV Fischer, delivers a sizzling dark romance sure to leave readers gasping for more.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">**<a href="http://www.dvfischer.com">Head to my website to get text alerts for when it’s live</a> **</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/31/81/64/318164e8b0e9a550ea30e8058ec928f3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="149" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/31/81/64/318164e8b0e9a550ea30e8058ec928f3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #a2c4c9;">DV Fischer</span></b> is a second pen name for D. Fischer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">USA Today bestselling and two-time Iowa award-winning author D. Fischer (DV Fischer) is a mother of two very busy boys, a wife to wonderful husband, and an owner of two sock-loving German Shorthair Pointers. They also have a cat named Geralt, but since Geralt adopted them and not the other way around, the cat is more of a tenant who occasionally purr-purrs for his rent, if he's not too busy murdering nerf darts.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Together, they live in Orange City, Iowa.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When D. Fischer isn't chasing after her children, she spends her time typing like a mad woman while consuming vast amounts of caffeine. Sometimes, if her husband can manage to remind her of the real world outside her office window, they hike!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Known for the darker side of imagination, she enjoys freeing her creativity through worlds that don't exist, no matter how much we wish they did.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://dvfischer.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22169122.DV_Fischer">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DVFischerAuthor">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dvfischerauthor/">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/dv-fischer">Bookbub</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/DV-Fischer/author/B08XJP3QGD">Amazon</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's Giveaway</div>
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CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-49392924727459540942023-02-14T17:51:00.001+02:002023-02-14T21:27:25.704+02:00Review: The Matchmaker's Royal Mess (The First Three Dates #2) by Frieda J. Downing<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/0c/3d/e1/0c3de16a57710ee43f2dd2c78bd6e31d.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="562" height="74" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/0c/3d/e1/0c3de16a57710ee43f2dd2c78bd6e31d.jpg" width="200" /></a></div> <br />She’d rather give a mountain lion a bikini wax than mess with love again.<p></p><p><br /></p><p><span></span></p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/8f/a0/6a/8fa06ae912e9e4de915dc2d09859d0e1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/8f/a0/6a/8fa06ae912e9e4de915dc2d09859d0e1.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>REVIEW</span></b></div></b></div></b></span><div><p class="MsoNormal"><i><b></b></i></p><blockquote style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ff00fe;"><i>This is my </i>(new)<i> kind of fairy tale.</i></span></b></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">This is a must-read if you want to relax and laugh... and laugh... and laugh...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #e879e4;">Warning:</span></b><b> </b><span style="color: #eeeeee;">reading</span><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"> the book in the evening causes sleepless nights...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #e879e4;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #e879e4;">Before (reading)</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">With such a cover & title, expectations are high and any failure to exceed readers’ expectations will be seriously penalized by their disappointment.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #e879e4;">After (reading)</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Now, the challenge rests with me, the satisfied reader, as I must find the proper words to convince other readers to give a chance to <i>The Matchmaker's Royal Mess</i>.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">The task seems even more difficult when the last part of the Warning (see the blurb) conveys exactly what I wanted to tell you: “<i>Sassy romantic adventure, with instances of chaos, misunderstandings, and feels. Oh, and the occasional sheep . Sparks will fly, it’s gonna get awkward, and the Happily-Ever-After will be well-earned.</i>”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">So, I’ll just add the following:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">- When reading <i>The Matchmaker's Royal Mess</i> I felt that the “magic” of humour akin to the craziness of the Marx Brothers’ – for example in the Traviata scene from “A Night at the Opera”; LARP-ers and friends – including the <i>occasional sheep - </i>were perfectly used in creating the hilarious chaos, realistic chaos in its absurdity.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">- Whilst the story is not presented as “comedy”, I think it is one. Saying that, I also have to tell that the romantic comedy part is very well braided with elements of the comedy of manners (giving the satirical accents), and peppered with some sentimental comedy accents (giving the themes of virtue and even overcoming bad influence around you). Therefore, even those who are not into romantic comedies have a great chance to smile (even from ear to ear).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">- Coming back to how it is presented - Action & Adventure Romance or Contemporary Romance – the story is all that too: [spoiler]… [spoiler]… all are present to heat up the atmosphere and test the characters.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">- A cursive writing style, excellent pace –without dead times but, when necessary, with enough moments to catch your breath to enjoy the next cross (read chaos) – will make pages flow imperceptibly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #e879e4;">Conclusion:</span></b><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"> if you want to have a good time, accept Hattie Montague’s challenge to read her adventures and laugh with her in<i> The Matchmaker's Royal Mess</i>! After all, it is about a “<i>Sassy romantic adventure, with instances of chaos, misunderstandings, and feels. Oh, and the occasional sheep. Sparks will fly, it’s gonna get awkward, and the Happily-Ever-After will be well-earned</i>.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #ff00fe;">Enjoy!</span></b></div></b></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #e879e4;">PS</span></b><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">: A "<i>muma mapop bowic oco hilijunk, and pisoko Tutnut</i>" or a "<i>shoddy hundo manspo raunchy froyo with chocolate willy dillies, a dab of crunch, and some King Tut jiggly nuts</i>" is totally optional!</span></div><div><div><div class="msocomtxt" id="_com_1" language="JavaScript"><p class="MsoCommentText"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e69ee8; font-size: large;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e69ee8; font-size: large;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e1/0f/cd/e10fcdc0dd64562e2fbcac79303e852a.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e1/0f/cd/e10fcdc0dd64562e2fbcac79303e852a.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></b></div><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #e69ee8; font-size: large;">Description:</span></b><p></p></div></div></div></div><div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #e69ee8;">Publication date: November 25th 2022</span></i></b></div></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She’d rather give a mountain lion a bikini wax than mess with love again.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Been there, went viral, never going back. Hattie Montague’s life as a backcountry guide for the spoiled and famous suits her just fine, thanks. It’s the only place she feels completely safe being herself. So what if she has nightmares that she can only speak squirrel and craves pine cones for breakfast? It beats leaving yourself vulnerable to humans. Fine, all of them aren’t bad. She likes probably three, so when one needs her help, she drags herself back to civilization. If she can navigate white water rapids, she can babysit a matchmaking office for a weekend. It’s not like she’ll have to deal with people or, you know, be nice. Ew.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alexander Greye ruined her life ten years ago. Not his proudest moment. Known as the Winter Warlocke, he’s a man born and raised to lead a country with logical precision. Yet around her, he can’t seem to think rationally. He’s never met anyone who dives into the unknown like she does or tames chaos like she can. In a world as perfectly controlled as his, that makes her irresistible and utterly dangerous. And he’s willing to risk it all to thaw his frozen heart.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It’s half past too late when he realizes his carefully laid plans to win her over covered everything except the theft of the Crown Jewels, an abandoned mine where they’d have to face their deepest fears, and the betrayal that forces them to let go.Quite literally.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Warning: Not for the faint of heart. Sassy romantic adventure, with instances of chaos, misunderstandings, and feels. Oh, and the occasional sheep. Sparks will fly, it’s gonna get awkward, and the Happily-Ever-After will be well-earned.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://xpressobooktours.com/2022/12/15/tour-sign-up-the-matchmakers-royal-mess-by-frieda-j-downing/">TOUR SCHEDULE</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56537719-the-matchmaker-s-royal-mess">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Matchmakers-Royal-Mess-messy-modern/dp/0998441872/ref=sr_1_1">Amazon</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/0c/3d/e1/0c3de16a57710ee43f2dd2c78bd6e31d.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="562" height="148" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/0c/3d/e1/0c3de16a57710ee43f2dd2c78bd6e31d.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b><span style="color: #e69ee8;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nice to meet you. I’m Frieda. I write sweet contemporary romance as well as romantic adventure.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I blame it on my childhood babysitters. For some reason they thought I shouldn’t ride our family’s buffalo. Believe me, I was just as shocked as you. Though I never did get that buffalo ride, I found plenty of other creative outlets for my adventure needs. Some were good clean fun, some got me kicked out of various and sundry events, and others ended with me getting lost in catacombs. (Not metaphorically speaking. Somewhere there’s an Austrian catacomb caretaker? guy whom I owe dinner and a large apology.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I like to think I’ve gotten a tiny bit wiser.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I married my best friend and dove head first into the magnificent cyclone known as raising kids. I mountain bike every chance I get, lose my coffee cup daily, and bake a mean lemon merengue pie, if I do say so myself. I may indulge in shenanigans on a regular basis, but I plead the fifth every time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I suppose it’s important to me that you know how very much I love us crazy, broken humans. We dream so big. We try so hard. Yet somehow, so often, things just go terribly, horribly wrong.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That’s where my books begin… because that’s where the real love story’s found. I hope you enjoy reading them. Most of all, I wish you adventure, joy, and more love than you knew was possible,</div><div style="text-align: right;">Frieda</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://www.friedajdowning.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19827009.Frieda_J_Downing">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/friedajdowning/">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BooksbyFriedaJDowning/">Facebook</a></b></span></div><div>Author's Giveaway</div></div>
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<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-87070695714581379172023-02-14T17:40:00.008+02:002023-02-14T23:57:48.596+02:00The Last Dragon Skin Chronicles by Georgina Makalani<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/61/c3/69/61c369666662ec0a4aec3d063b686dca.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="74" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/61/c3/69/61c369666662ec0a4aec3d063b686dca.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Shenanigans, escapades and havoc rule supreme, rolling with the drama, turmoil, intrigue, danger, spiraling suspense and unnerving situations, along with a boatload of chaos while dodging evil intents, you have one intoxicating masterpiece." <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3394128736">Kaye, Goodreads</a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/02/ea/56/02ea56d4ddaa0066bdb85bbd670346b9.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/02/ea/56/02ea56d4ddaa0066bdb85bbd670346b9.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Description:</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">The Empty Crown (#1)</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ana is running for her life. And she has dragged Captain Drayton along, or did he drag her? Either way they are fleeing across the kingdom from visions, a nasty mage and an apathetic lord.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The young Ed Forest is also running. He doesn’t know if he is running from what he knows he can’t be, or towards help to be the man his parents had hoped he would become.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Something has drawn them all to an old man in the mountains. He ran away long ago, and he may not be the willing help that they need him to be.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This unlikely group aim to restore the crown to the boy king, even if he doesn’t want it. Can they survive magic, evil relatives and one enormous dragon? Or is one amongst them a greater danger to their quest?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">EXCERPT</span></b><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As they continued up the mountain, Ana wanted to turn
back and look. She could feel it stalking behind them, and with four legs and
better grip of the mountain it was moving much faster than she could. Despite
her certainty that it was gaining on them, she stopped. Dray turned back at her
with a questioning look.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There was something else on this mountain, and she
didn’t know if it was worse than the mountain lion or just an unknown. Either
way, she knew it was coming. She could feel it in her bones.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Dray waved her forward, but she remained where she
was. “Now,” he whispered hoarsely through clenched teeth. He looked far less
worried than he sounded, and she sidestepped just as the mountain lion landed
where she had been standing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It growled loudly, but although it was close enough to
take Ana’s head from her shoulders, it didn’t move. Dray’s hand was tight
around his sword. It wasn’t clear if he was waiting to see if he could move
faster than the animal or if it would lose interest first.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The growl in its throat grew louder, and Ana felt it
resonate through her. Instead of stepping forward with his sword drawn, Dray
stepped backwards. Ana squeezed her eyes closed. She could feel it coming,
moving faster than an avalanche down the mountainside. She looked then, in fear
it was an avalanche, to see deep red scales as the large head closed around the
mountain lion. She blew out a slow breath.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">She held up her hand, and Dray lowered the sword he’d
had ready to drive into the side of the beast. “Step back slowly,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“I think if it wanted to eat me, it would have,” Ana
said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“It might be saving you for a treat.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“What is it?” she asked, reaching a hand towards its
warm face. It turned to look at her with the blackest eyes, and steam blew
about her, warming her cold frame.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Are you serious?” Dray snapped, and the beast turned
its head towards him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Whatever the beast was, it was huge. The head alone
was the same height as Dray. More steam swirled around her, and she stepped
forward to place a hand on its face. Strange images raced through her mind, the
world from far above, trees as small dots and villages like toys amongst green
fields. Then fighting, swords and men and blood, but she couldn’t see who was
fighting whom or what colours they wore.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">She pulled her hand back quickly. The animal pulled
back from her and folded in large leathery wings that she hadn’t noticed until
they rustled with the movement. It was almost as long as the bridge to Sheer
Rock.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Dragon,” Dray whispered. It turned back to him again
and then back to Ana.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Do they exist?” she asked, looking at the bulk before
her. It snorted again, and she smiled. Then she frowned. “Why is there a dragon
here?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Maybe it lives in the mountains.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Could you carry us up the mountain?” she asked, and
the large black eye blinked.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“What are you doing?” Dray asked, pushing himself
between her and the dragon. “Do you want to be food?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“He seems to like us,” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Dray turned to face her so suddenly that she squealed,
and as he put his hand to her face, the dragon nudged him away. She could tell
it didn’t intend to hurt him, but it was enough to knock him down.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“What are you doing?” Ana asked, unsure to whom she
was asking the question.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The dragon pulled back. Dray sat amongst the rocks and
glared at her. “I think you have lost your mind,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“He could help,” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Help?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“I saw something,” she said softly. She hadn’t seen
him in the vision she’d had as she touched the dragon, but she knew he was
there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“What did you see?” Dray asked, as he climbed to his
feet and dusted himself off.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">She shook her head. “It wasn’t very clear. Fighting.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Who was fighting?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“I couldn’t tell that either.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“We need to keep moving,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">She nodded. The dragon slowly turned as she started
forward and followed along behind as they moved up the mountainside. Tim had
once had a puppy who had followed him wherever he went, and when he grew and
the puppy became a dog, it never left his side. They had both cried the day
that old dog had died, but as Ana glanced back at the dragon following behind
her, she had the same idea. Dray did not appear as happy about their new
friend. The dragon made very little noise, other than the trees it pushed over as
it walked.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“It came from nowhere,” Dray said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Ana stopped and looked at him. The dragon stopped with
her, and its warm breath washed over her.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“I felt him before he arrived,” Ana said, then took in
the look on Dray’s face. “I knew there was something else out there, something
scarier than the mountain lion, but I didn’t know if it was more dangerous to
us.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“And?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“He doesn’t seem to be.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And then, before she could suggest again that it might
help them find a way up the mountain or over it, the dragon took to the air and
disappeared.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“You scared him,” she snapped at Dray. He stopped and
sighed as he looked at her with disappointment. She looked back at the ground
and kept moving. She had no idea of this supposed skill she had, of seeing what
others thought. Or was it their skill? she wondered.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.2pt;"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">“He scared me,” Dray murmured, and she smiled.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">**Only .99 cents!!**</span></b></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54023995-the-empty-crown"></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54023995-the-empty-crown">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0893SFM94">Amazon</a> * <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-empty-crown/id6445622699">Apple</a> * <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-empty-crown-georgina-makalani/1139198229?ean=2940185586044">B&N</a> * <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Georgina_Makalani_The_Empty_Crown?id=OcmrEAAAQBAJ">Google</a> * <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-empty-crown">Kobo</a> * <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1336043">Smashwords</a> * <a href="https://books2read.com/EmptyCrown">Books2Read</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-empty-crown-the-last-dragon-skin-chronicles-book-1-by-georgina-makalani">Bookbub</a></span></b></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/da/90/62/da90626a2bc5939c3240dc2f6b5b6a95.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/da/90/62/da90626a2bc5939c3240dc2f6b5b6a95.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="color: #990000;">The Lost Endeavour (#2)</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ana is locked away from both her magic and the world, Ed and Dray are lost amongst the trees and Ende is just…lost.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Losing the magic she only just discovered, Ana fears she will never be what she needs to be to help her friends. While new friends offer support, they might just be helping her to help themselves. Particularly the little dragon who only wants for Ed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ed can’t decide if returning to the capital is a good idea, and Dray isn’t as focused on the task as he should be. But there may be little choice in what they do next; something hunts for them in the shadows and the trees may not be enough to protect them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And Endeavour has far more important things than kings and crowns to consider. But can he ignore the shadows calling forth something even darker?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54954041-the-lost-endeavour">Goodreads</a> *<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DCMK6BW">Amazon</a> * <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-lost-endeavour/id6445622701">Apple</a> * <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lost-endeavour-georgina-makalani/1143018414?ean=2940185586068">B&N</a> * <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Georgina_Makalani_The_Lost_Endeavour?id=nemrEAAAQBAJ">Google</a> * <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-lost-endeavour">Kobo</a> * <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1336052">Smashwords</a> * <a href="https://books2read.com/LostEndeavour">Books2Read</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-lost-endeavour-the-last-dragon-skin-chronicles-book-2-by-georgina-makalani">Bookbub</a> </span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ea/e8/a6/eae8a634a231263a1e4c554a42e12721.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ea/e8/a6/eae8a634a231263a1e4c554a42e12721.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="color: #76a5af;">Shadows Awaken (#3)</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Shadows creep through the kingdom at the will of a young witch, in the aid of a king.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The world is not what it was. Creatures lurk in the shadows of Ilia, controlled by a witch trying to return a crown to a king.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The regent struggles to maintain his hold over the kingdom. As his fear of the witch grows, an increasing number of creatures appear at her side.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The regent is not the only one she scares, but then everything she does is for Ed, isn’t it? Will it matter what she does to help him if he can, once again, hold his father’s crown?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55666357-shadows-awaken">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08JD5YRM2">Amazon</a> * <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/shadows-awaken/id6445622702">Apple</a> * <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadows-awaken-georgina-makalani/1143018421?ean=2940185586105">B&N</a> * <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Georgina_Makalani_Shadows_Awaken?id=D-qrEAAAQBAJ">Google</a> * <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/shadows-awaken">Kobo</a> * <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1336050">Smashwords</a> * <a href="https://books2read.com/ShadowsAwaken">Books2Read</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/shadows-awaken-the-last-dragon-skin-chronicles-3-by-georgina-makalani">Bookbub</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d1/74/13/d174130ad2301ab298e03e1da3f80a48.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d1/74/13/d174130ad2301ab298e03e1da3f80a48.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="color: #cc0000;">The Darkened Crown (#4)</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The kingdom of Ilia is in darkness, and a new queen rules with fear. She won’t step down without a fight, and it is a fight they can’t win.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Any who oppose the crown are destroyed or turned into shadow soldiers. The king and his allies have no option but to run.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Can they find a way to end the nightmare that Ilia has become, when they have no real plan, a girl who can’t shine, and darkness lurks in every shadow?</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Darkened Crown is the final instalment of this sword and sorcery fantasy series.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/the-last-dragon-skin-chronicles-book-tour-and-giveaway">TOUR SCHEDULE</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57045239-the-darkened-crown">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R58SCMB">Amazon</a> * <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-darkened-crown/id6445622760">Apple</a> * <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-darkened-crown-georgina-makalani/1143018772?ean=2940185586174">B&N</a> * <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Georgina_Makalani_The_Darkened_Crown?id=YeqrEAAAQBAJ">Google</a> * <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-darkened-crown">Kobo</a> * <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1336062">Smashwords</a> * <a href="https://books2read.com/DarkenedCrown">Books2Read</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-darkened-crown-the-last-dragon-skin-chronicles-book-4-by-georgina-makalani">Bookbub</a> </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/61/c3/69/61c369666662ec0a4aec3d063b686dca.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="149" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/61/c3/69/61c369666662ec0a4aec3d063b686dca.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Georgina Makalani </span></b>survives life as a servant of the public by hiding in cafes at lunch time with dragons, the occasional crazed faery, a laptop and a little bit of magic.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Georgina and her daughter live in beautiful southern Tasmania, with two crazy cats and a writing desk that overlooks the water.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.theflowofink.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10778995.Georgina_Makalani">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/georginamakalaniauthor">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/GMakalani">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/georginamakalani/">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/georgina-makalani">Bookbub</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00X6L3TLM">Amazon</a> </span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's Giveaway</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2a/1e/49/2a1e49a891b9186907df304892b03c59.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="564" height="267" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2a/1e/49/2a1e49a891b9186907df304892b03c59.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-36297014606625039342023-02-14T17:30:00.001+02:002023-02-14T21:06:35.932+02:00A toxic love story... Kidnapped Killer Nina R. Schluntz<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/2d/da/76/2dda76f3086ae0173acd22da7e0c3ce9.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="736" height="78" src="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/2d/da/76/2dda76f3086ae0173acd22da7e0c3ce9.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div>"<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R16BKFPQHQFSQP/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0B9J8Y993">so different</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This book was so different and very enthralling. It was great!" </div><div style="text-align: justify;">-<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R16BKFPQHQFSQP/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0B9J8Y993"> Lynn, Amazon</a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1662309824i/62242141.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1662309824i/62242141.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>Description:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">Published: September 2022</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A toxic love story between a soul eating demon and his unaware human stalker.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nic is demon who feeds on souls. He prefers the souls flavored with emotion, pain or fear works well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When his stalker drugs and kidnaps him, he discovers a new flavor of soul.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Love</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The affection is additive, even if it is from a psychopathic serial killer who wants to add him to the dozens of bodies already buried in his basement.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>AUTHOR's Q&A</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">1. What books/authors have influenced your writing?</span></b></div></b><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I grew up reading a lot of Stephen King and Dean Koontz. You just can’t go wrong with those guys.</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">2. Tell us something you hate doing. Why?</span></b></div></b><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Big social events. I’m always that quiet guy who can’t get a word in. Although now I try to use it as an opportunity to “people watch” and gather info I think I could use to create a character. Ops, I probably shouldn’t say that, huh?</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">3. Share a funny incident in your life.</span></b></div></b><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"><div style="text-align: justify;">My husband once gave our cat an oatmeal bath. Yeah, I can’t picture it either, but he claims she enjoyed her day at the spa…</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;"><div style="text-align: justify;">4. What’s your next project?</div></span><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I’m working on several stories at the same time. This Spring there is a 3 book series called “Slaves of an Alien Game” being released, it’s about a human who is abducted by aliens and forced to compete in a battle to the death. I’m also releasing my first Audio Book. It will be for “Nosy Neighbors” one of my older books but it’s been one of my more popular stories.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A contemporary story about a school bully “Faking it with the School Bully” will be out soon too. I basically had six books all in the works at the same time, and now they’re all getting completed close to each other. Farther out is a novel about dragons and mages, but I’ve been working on that book for several years.</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">5. Have you ever had one character you wanted to go one way with but after the book was done the character was totally different.</span></b></div></b><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Oh yes, my worst was when I had a novel planned out to be completely told from the point of view of one person, but she didn’t have the charisma for it. I made it three chapters in and realized someone else needed to kick her out of the spotlight and take over. I only hope readers manage to get past those chapters, because the narrator who takes over really changes things up. I imagined it all playing out like play and one of the fellow actors saw her bombing so he just ran on the stage and improvised. That was the third novel in “Slave of an Alien Game” for those who are curious.</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">6. What’s you next project?</span></b></div></b><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I’m working on several stories at the same time. This Spring there is a 3 book series called “Slaves of an Alien Game” being released, it’s about a human who is abducted by aliens and forced to compete in a battle to the death. I’m also releasing my first Audio Book. It will be for “Nosy Neighbors” one of my older books but it’s been one of my more popular stories.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A contemporary story about a school bully “Faking it with the School Bully” will be out soon too. I basically had six books all in the works at the same time, and now they’re all getting completed close to each other. Farther out is a novel about dragons and mages, but I’ve been working on that book for several years.</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">7. What's the one thing, you can't live without?</span></b></div></b><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Slurpees!! I love me a good frosty coka cola slurpee! I have been known to drive to three different 7-11 stores in an effort to find a working machine.</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">8. What is your favorite movie (song)?</span></b></div></b><span style="color: #d0e0e3;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I am really big into Adam Lambert right now, anything he sings, goes right on the playlist.</div></span> <div><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3Yzl3eI"><b>Read for FREE with a Kindle Unlimited Membership!</b></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3JXpaNg"><b>Pre-order book 2 in the Kidnapped series, KIDNAPPED CLOWDER now!</b></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62242141-kidnapped-killer">Goodreads</a> **<a href="https://books2read.com/KIDNAPPEDKILLER">Books2Read</a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/2d/da/76/2dda76f3086ae0173acd22da7e0c3ce9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="736" height="156" src="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/2d/da/76/2dda76f3086ae0173acd22da7e0c3ce9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">Nina Schluntz</span> </b>is a native to rural Nebraska. In her youth, she often wrote short stories to entertain her friends. Those ideas evolved into the novels she creates today.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Her husband continues to ensure her stories maintain a touch of realism as she delves into the science fiction and fantasy realm. Their three cats are always willing to stay up late to provide inspiration, whether it is a howl from the stray born in the backyard or an encouraging bite from the so called “calming kitten.”</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://mizner13.wordpress.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1980193.Nina_R_Schluntz">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/mizner13">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nina.schluntz.novels">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mizner13/">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@authorninaschluntz">TikTok</a> </span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's Giveaway</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="e2389ba21622" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba21622/" id="rcwidget_hl09898c" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/03OagaEmomo" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-242659437108207932023-02-14T17:00:00.003+02:002023-02-14T20:39:19.482+02:00Kingdom Keepers Inheritance: The Shimmer by Ridley Pearson<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e5/50/8d/e5508d6acaf53282fe122e7846512651.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="562" height="78" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e5/50/8d/e5508d6acaf53282fe122e7846512651.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With their friend missing and their parents acting strangely, the Kingdom Kids discover they are in possession of unusual powers as they forge a bond to rescue their friend and uncover the truth about how real magic has entered their lives.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/6c/88/7d/6c887de3f1f5643ecd825d765a33fd8e.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="522" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/6c/88/7d/6c887de3f1f5643ecd825d765a33fd8e.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>Description:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">February 21, 2023</span></i></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the near future, in the Epcot of Walt Disney’s imagination, sixty thousand people live in a CommuniTree surrounding the forward-looking Walt Disney World theme park. Five unique families are among the residents―and some of the parents were once known as the Kingdom Keepers. Their identities are carefully guarded in order to raise their children without special treatment, most of the Kingdom Keepers work for the Walt Disney Company, and have settled into “ordinary” and rewarding lives.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When a messenger carrying a secret communication coincides with both a solar eclipse and Eli Whitman’s thirteenth birthday―a few “ordinary” kids are thrust into a battle to save Epcot and find their friend who has mysteriously disappeared. With their friend missing and their parents acting strangely, the Kingdom Kids discover they are in possession of unusual powers as they forge a bond to rescue their friend and uncover the truth about how real magic has entered their lives.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: large;"><b>EXCERPT</b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">Eli Whitman
lifted his hands </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">and screamed. He was sitting in the front row of Animal
Kingdom’s roller coaster, Expedition Everest. The thing was older
than his parents! He could imagine the views from outside. Giraffe and
hippos in the Kilimanjaro Safari. White seagulls perched atop the Tree of
Life. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">His friends
cried out as the roller coaster dove. Parents weren’t on the ride. Fine
with him. At twelve and thirteen, he and his friends didn’t need
hand-holding. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">As the roller
coaster stopped, Eli had a brief view of Pandora, an attraction more than
twenty years old. The Siberian Forest Climb and the Great Barrier
Reach had opened two years earlier. That had been Animal Kingdom’s
fortieth birthday. Other kids might have gone there for a birthday party.
Not Eli. Expedition Everest was his favorite. And this was, after all,
his birthday party. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Animal Kingdom
was super crowded. Tomorrow there would be a total solar eclipse. The
Disney Parks had special shows planned, including a Star Wars Sky
Search. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">When the
roller coaster entered the double loop, Marie-Claire grabbed Eli’s hand.
She squeezed and held on tight. That made it the best day-before-his
birthday ever. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">When he got
off the ride, he stopped at the show wall to see a video of himself on
the ride. The other kids looked strong or pretty. He saw himself as
boring looking. Freckles. Brown hair. Darkish skin. (His mother was part
Asian; his father, Caucasian.) In the video, the wind pushed back his hair.
It gave away a secret: He kept his hair long to hide his gigantic
ears. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">The July air
felt hot and damp. He was sweaty. Jungle trees and vines lined the path
back toward the Monkey Temple. It was a place Eli liked to stop and
watch for a while. He and Marie-Claire and a few other friends did just
that. The sound of laughter filled the air. <i>Happy birthday</i>, he
thought. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">The group
explored the rock canyons leading to Harambe. His parents had once tried
to explain what the park had looked like back in 2020. But it was
impossible for Eli not to see the solar holograms of the Disney Cast
Members—Solograms—moving around throughout the park. He knew the hover carts
were new. And so were attractions like Loch Ness Nessie, that he
counted as favorites. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">He knew he was
lucky. Not everyone got to live in a place like Epcot’s CommuniTree. He
had things others didn’t. But he also wanted to travel more, like his
parents did. They were currently riding the Hyperloop from Atlanta
to Los Angeles. Instead of being with them, he was in the park. He had
asked them if he could come along. His parents listened; they just didn’t
seem to ever hear him. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Maybe things
would change tomorrow. Thirteen had to be better than twelve. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">“Did you know
that people in India don’t eat during a solar eclipse because they think any
food would be poisoned?” At ten, Lily Perkins was too young to hang
out with sixth- and seventh-graders. There were unwritten rules about
such things. But she was funny and smart, and she always made him feel better.
To Eli, that was the definition of a good friend, and so he’d
invited her. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">“I did not,”
he admitted. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">“In some
cultures, pregnant women stay indoors during an eclipse.” Her eye color
matched her straight hair perfectly—brown with flecks of highlights in
both. Her hair was very fine, and hung past her shoulders. She
smiled for Eli and giggled, sounding like a complaining
squirrel. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">“Because?” he
asked. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">“Superstition.”
Lily wore a light blue V-neck pullover, dandelion yellow baggy cropped pants,
and aquamarine retro-Moana flip-flops. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Eli’s parents
listened to extremely old music, including a singer named Stevie Wonder who’d
written a pretty good song, “Superstition.” The music started
swirling in Eli’s head and he felt his foot tapping. <i>Ver-y
super-stitious</i>. He loved music. Any kind. But, he didn’t tell his
friends that. So-called friends judged you on all kinds of stuff that
shouldn’t matter. He’d learned that the hard way. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">“It’s not all
scary,” Lily said. Thing about Lily: If you let her get going, it was
hard to stop her. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">“Is that so?”
An only child, Eli was really nice to other kids, especially younger
girls, whom he saw as little sisters. Like little Lily. Lily was the
best, funniest, most unexpected creature on the planet. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">“In Italy,
some people think that flowers planted during a solar eclipse turn out
more colorful than others. So, what do you think it means when a boy’s
thirteenth birthday is on the solar eclipse?” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">“I dunno,” Eli
said nervously. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">“Maybe you’ll
grow a beard or something.” “Doubtful.” Eli longed for the day he would
start shaving. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">“Maybe you’ll
start to age faster than everyone else your age.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">“Now you’re
just being creepy,” Eli said. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">“Or find a
princess.” She giggled. “Other than Marie-Claire.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Eli swung to
hit her playfully, but Lily saw and dodged the hit. Marie-Claire, who was
French like her single mom, had transitioned from being Eli’s
science class lab partner, to friend, to someone he now regularly texted
with. The more they texted, the more Eli had trouble not texting her
back. It was becoming a habit. If someone like little Lily had noticed,
he had big problems. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">“You know what
I think?” Lily said. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">“I’m not sure
I want to.” Eli hoped she would stop. “I think you only wanted to ride
Expedition Everest so Marie-Claire would freak out and hold your hand
in the dark.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">“Are you a
mind reader?” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">“Not exactly,”
Lily said sheepishly. “Kinda close, though.” She giggled
nervously. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Something
about the way she said that interested Eli. He made a mental note to ask
her more later. “Keep that to yourself, will you, Lily?” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ffe599; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">She ran off,
skipping like a six-year-old. Eli smiled.</span></p></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51474373-kingdom-keepers-inheritance-book-1">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://books2read.com/KINGDOM-KEEPERS-INHERITANCE-SHIMMER">Books2Read</a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e5/50/8d/e5508d6acaf53282fe122e7846512651.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="562" height="156" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e5/50/8d/e5508d6acaf53282fe122e7846512651.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Ridley Pearson</span></b>, the first American to be awarded the Raymond Chandler/Fulbright Fellowship in Detective Fiction at Wadham College, Oxford University, is the bestselling author of over 50 novels including, Peter And the Starcatchers (co-written with Dave Barry), The Kingdom Keepers series, and two dozen crime novels including: Probable Cause, Beyond Recognition, Killer Weekend, The Risk Agent, and The Red Room. His novel The Diary Of Ellen Rimbauer, a prequel to a Stephen King miniseries, was a New York Times #1 bestseller, and a ABC TV movie (2009).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Peter and the Starcatcher, a stage play adaptation written by Rick Elice (Jersey Boys) won 5 Tonys for its Broadway run and is currently touring the US.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ridley is a founding member of, and plays bass guitar in, the all-author rock band, The Rockbottom Remainders (www.rockbottomremainders.com), with Dave Barry, Stephen King, Scott Turow, Mitch Albom, Roy Blount Jr., James McBride, Amy Tan and Greg Iles. The band has raised over 2.5 million dollars for charities.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://ridleypearson.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6244.Ridley_Pearson">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/ridleypearson">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://facebook.com/ridleypearson">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://instagram.com/ridleypearson">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ridleypearson">TikTok</a> * <a href="https://amzn.to/3x8iVyL">Amazon</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ridley-pearson">BookBub</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's US Giveaway</div>
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CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-25821110803033451952023-02-14T11:14:00.001+02:002023-02-14T11:17:10.214+02:00The riskiest games are played from the heart.... Let It Rein, A Blue Series Story by D.P. Denman<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2c/2a/e6/2c2ae6f0cb25538770cbf05ebd4569ce.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="74" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2c/2a/e6/2c2ae6f0cb25538770cbf05ebd4569ce.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>According to the tabloids, Kasper Rein is a player on the prowl. Sturdy and sexy, with a voice of pure seduction, he's seldom alone. The fans love him. Men and women want him. The paparazzi stalks him. He's living a rock star's dream -- until someone wants him out of the spotlight.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b3/9b/8d/b39b8d1295b776c8cb36e02cd3f23b6c.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="360" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b3/9b/8d/b39b8d1295b776c8cb36e02cd3f23b6c.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="color: #eeeeee;">Description:</span></span></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #641be1;">Releases March 17th, 2023</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The riskiest games are played from the heart.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">According to the tabloids, Kasper Rein is a player on the prowl. Sturdy and sexy, with a voice of pure seduction, he's seldom alone. The fans love him. Men and women want him. The paparazzi stalks him. He's living a rock star's dream -- until someone wants him out of the spotlight.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The new man in Kasper's life wants more than his fame. Mat wants his heart. He's willing to battle his own trust issues for a chance at real love, but someone else wants Kasper out of the way. Cryptic threats and attempts on his life leave Kasper with a charred house, too many visits from the paramedics, and no answers. Kasper must uncover the person behind the violence before it's too late -- and they're closer than he thinks.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">By popular demand! Get your copy today and meet Blue Series fans' new favorite character.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-size: large;">EXCERPT</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">Kasper leaned close to Mat to be heard over the arena's thumping music. "How do you feel about having your picture on a tabloid site?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">Mat looked at him, confused. "Why?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">"Because I'm pretty sure we'll make at least one. Those cameras across the room aren't here to photograph the game."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">Mat looked at the photographers, confusion hardening to something else before he turned back to Kasper. "I guess it's too late to do anything about it now."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">"True, but does it bother you?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">"No."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">Kasper smiled and kissed his cheek. "Good."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">The fact that Mat hadn't let go of his hand proved he wasn't lying. He hoped it also proved something else but wasn't willing to make assumptions.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">Kasper sat holding Mat's hand, where it rested on his thigh for most of the game. He couldn't tell whether it was true affection or Mat's refusal to back down in front of the paparazzi. He was amused by one option and hopeful about the other.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">The game ended with the Lakers down by two points. Kasper led Mat through the tangle of fans, retracing their steps to the VIP entrance. The second he emerged from the building people started calling his name. Mat's grip on his hand tightened. Kasper squeezed back, ignoring them and joining the other celebrities in the designated pool of fame to wait for his turn at the valet stand.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">"Does that happen a lot?" Mat asked, refusing to look at the people trying to get their attention.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">"It depends. I think the thing with bottle and the car put me back on their radar."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">"Lucky for you."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">Kasper smirked.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">"Maybe we should have snuck out early," Mat said.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">"It wouldn't have mattered. People are usually staked out here the whole game."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">Someone whistled and shouted Kasper's name, trying to startle him into a response. He ignored it.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">"That doesn't bother you?" Mat asked.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">"You get used to it."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">"Would they stop yelling if you talked to them?"</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">"They might, but that's worse. An interview is powerful clickbait. I don't want to help line their pockets. Especially not when they'll misquote everything I say to fit whatever sham story they're writing. It's better to pretend I don't hear it." Kasper gave his hand another squeeze. "I'm sorry. It'll be over in a couple of minutes."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">"It's okay, just strange."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">"Welcome to my life."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">Mat raised their hands to his mouth and kissed the back of Kasper's. Kasper couldn't hear the maddening click of cameras, but he imagined it, half the group thinking they'd just scored a thousand-dollar picture – or whatever the tabloids were paying.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">Regardless of how long it lasted, as of that afternoon, their relationship was official.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-size: medium;">** PreOrder Now!**</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSKQDHB8">Amazon</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/91854904-let-it-rein">Goodreads</a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2c/2a/e6/2c2ae6f0cb25538770cbf05ebd4569ce.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="149" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2c/2a/e6/2c2ae6f0cb25538770cbf05ebd4569ce.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #641be1;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Award-winning author <b><span style="color: #eeeeee;">DP Denman</span></b> writes addictive, character-driven MM romance from a soggy, moss-covered neighborhood in the Pacific Northwest. Her stories are dramatic and intense, guaranteed to pull you in and hold you hostage to the last word.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://dpdenman.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7325778.D_P_Denman">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dp.denman/">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/dpdenman">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dpdenman">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/dp-denman">Bookbub</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/DP-Denman/author/B00GDFXYRM">Amazon</a> </span></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's Giveaway</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
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</div>CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-14453520115181265392023-02-13T14:54:00.002+02:002023-02-13T14:56:04.184+02:00Killer Case Files: 20 Shocking True Crime Stories (Killer Case Files #4) by Jamie Malton<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2c/38/d5/2c38d5c674d1467c30dfee89d604fe24.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="562" height="74" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2c/38/d5/2c38d5c674d1467c30dfee89d604fe24.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Follow law enforcement as they use forensic science and old school detective skills to identify and apprehend these violent criminals, deviant predators, and serial killers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d6/84/ce/d684ce366a69e81b2c59f3f225b07e35.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d6/84/ce/d684ce366a69e81b2c59f3f225b07e35.jpg" width="250" /></a></div></span></b><b><span style="color: #42d2eb; font-size: large;">Description:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #01ffff;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #42d2eb;">Published: November 2022</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Shocking and brutal true crimes against innocent victims who deserve to have their stories remembered.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A true crime anthology of 20 stories, Killer Case Files delivers gripping accounts of depraved and horrifying murders. These killers can range from seemingly normal people to psychopaths and serial killers who commit years of murder and mayhem.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Follow law enforcement as they use forensic science and old school detective skills to identify and apprehend these violent criminals, deviant predators, and serial killers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #eeeeee;">20 Shocking Stories in Each Volume</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #42d2eb;">Volume 4 includes . . .</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">◆ <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>Death in the Desert</b>:</span> A girl walking to high school in Las Vegas was found dead after being viciously sexually assaulted. The case went cold for thirty two years until a local philanthropist donated $5,000 to a company specializing in DNA genomics - stipulating that it be used on a cold case. Soon, not one, but two murders were solved.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">◆ <span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>A Nun Killer</b>:</span> In 1981 an elderly nun was murdered in her bedroom. In 1992 a young man was executed for her murder. That much is certain. What is not certain is whether the convicted and executed man was really guilty.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">◆ <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Just a Drifter</span></b>: When a twenty-two year old woman goes missing while walking her dog it doesn’t take long for solid clues to lead to a senior citizen who is a drifter. But police can’t help wondering whether a drifter in his sixties has finally committed his first murder, or whether he’s previously committed several others.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">◆ <b><span style="color: #ffd966;">Washington Axe Murderer</span></b>: A beautiful area of Seattle, popular with both locals and tourists, had its residents living in fear during the summer of 1990 as an axe murderer stalked the neighborhood and left terrifying messages inside homes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">. . . plus 16 more shocking, true crime murder stories from Jamie Malton's Best True Crime.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you enjoy the books from top authors like Jack Rosewood, Robert Keller, and Jason Neal – you’ll love Jamie Malton’s Best True Crime series.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Each volume in this series includes a 21st bonus chapter and additional supporting Case Files from every story - available free at the author’s website, where readers can join the author to dive further into additional photos, news reports and disturbing specifics of each case.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #eeeeee;">A Word of Warning</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The explicit details of these murders come directly from eyewitness accounts, interviews, police reports, court transcripts, crime scenes, and autopsy reports. They contain disturbing facts that may not be for everyone.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/52/a8/68/52a8685ce625dbc9c91bb095ae5ada9d.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="563" height="124" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/52/a8/68/52a8685ce625dbc9c91bb095ae5ada9d.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #42d2eb; font-size: large;">EXCERPT</span></b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Chapter 1 - Death in the Desert</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">John Isaacson was waiting for his daughter to come home from school. He was concerned when Stephanie’s normal arrival time had passed and Stephanie still wasn't there. She always came directly home from school and if she decided to stop at a friend's house on the walk home, she would call him as soon as she got there.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><i>Did he miss a school event?</i> After an hour with no call from Stephanie, John called El Dorado High School to see if Stephanie had stayed after school for a club or event.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">The school secretary answered the phone and informed John that Stephanie was absent from school the whole day. She said they assumed he knew where his daughter was and why she stayed home.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">John tried to stay calm but immediately called Stephanie's close friends to ask if they’d seen her. Each friend said they hadn't seen her all day. Now he was really concerned, and his next phone call was to the Las Vegas Police Department.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">By the early evening of June 1, 1989, John had filed a missing persons report on Stephanie, and Las Vegas MPD had initiated a search for her. The main focus of the search was the vacant lot she cut through to get to school. As the officers combed the area, John and his friends combed through the nearby desert land on horseback.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">It was 8:30 pm and it was starting to get dark, but John was prepared to search all night. A friend of John's, Gary Braley yelled for John to come over. Braley had found something on the ground. When John rode up on his horse, he immediately recognized Stephanie's keys and schoolbooks in the dirt. He wanted to keep hoping Stephanie was alive but now he knew she’d been abducted.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">After the discovery of Stephanie's school items, Las Vegas MPD called in a helicopter to aid in the search and deployed scent-tracking dogs in the area. It wasn’t long before the worst was confirmed. Twenty-five yards from where Gary Braley spotted Stephanie's books and keys, the police dogs found Stephanie's body.</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.lolasblogtours.net/blog-tour-killer-case-files-volume-4-by-jamie-malton/#Schedule">TOUR SCHEDULE</a></span></b></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62818315-killer-case-files">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/killer-case-files-20-shocking-true-crime-stories-volume-4-best-true-crime-by-jamie-malton">BookBub</a> ** <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BFDZX846">Amazon</a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2c/38/d5/2c38d5c674d1467c30dfee89d604fe24.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="562" height="148" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/2c/38/d5/2c38d5c674d1467c30dfee89d604fe24.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #42d2eb;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Amazon best-selling author <b><span style="color: #eeeeee;">Jamie Malton</span></b> is an American non-fiction writer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She is the author of Killer Case Files: Jamie Malton’s Best True Crime Series which is an anthology of crime stories where the author examines the homicides perpetrated by murderers and serial killers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Drawn to the how and why of real crime stories and fascinated by the detailed police work, DNA reconstruction, and genetic genealogy, she started writing her books to share the details of these stories with her readers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For book research, she splits her time between American and European destinations where she often visits some of the places where crimes have occurred.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">With criminal apprehension and victim restitution as a personal cause, she donates a portion of her book sales to charities that fund DNA reconstruction to solve cold cases and charities that support the families of murdered victims.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">You can reach her at JamieMalton.com where she curates her research into Case Files for her readers who want to dive deeper into any case in her books.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://jamiemalton.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22570433.Jamie_Malton">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JamieMaltonAuthor">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/truecrimejamie">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jamiemalton/">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jamie-Malton/author/B0B6T78DV5">Amazon</a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's Giveaway</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ff/21/cc/ff21cc8d09bca512a3071b0e6e062037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="563" height="247" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ff/21/cc/ff21cc8d09bca512a3071b0e6e062037.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-61045730302678860212023-02-13T12:30:00.001+02:002023-02-13T18:18:30.258+02:00a reluctant psychic and a mystical journey... Sea Magic by Heidi McIntyre<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/16/f4/38/16f438ca6212e4ca40792c7a5e682f64.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="562" height="74" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/16/f4/38/16f438ca6212e4ca40792c7a5e682f64.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>"The plot unfolds fluidly and easily under the author’s skill and the cast of secondary characters is charming as well.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you love passion, romance, and the sea, you’ll love this delightful story. Its beautifully inspiring message will keep you turning the pages." <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5164354536">Nanette, Goodreads</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f1/41/12/f1411240d44edced391943699e54c1ef.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="525" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f1/41/12/f1411240d44edced391943699e54c1ef.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><span style="color: #76a5af;">Description: </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #76a5af;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #76a5af;">Release Date: February 13th 2023</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When a reluctant psychic tracks a ghost through the mists of time, the treasure she discovers is worth more than gold.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She knows everyone in this seaside, New England town of Penbrook, and everyone knows her—Madeline Hunter, the shy, quiet antique shop owner who whose idea of a hot date is snuggling up with a good book and her cat, Poe.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But she keeps one thing under her vintage hat—her ability to touch an object and connect with its history. Her new-age aunt says she should embrace her “gift”, but she’d rather pretend it doesn’t exist.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After buying an old box at an estate sale filled with rare items, Madeline started having dreams—startlingly vivid dreams about Maria, a young headstrong Puritan whose “knowing” could get her branded as a witch, and whose forbidden love for a poor sailor caused a scandal.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Together with Evan, an attractive history professor who tempts her to believe in love, she uncovers Maria’s story, helpless to stop its trajectory toward tragedy. She may not be able to change the course of history, but with Evan’s support, maybe she can lay the ghosts of the past to rest—including her own.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Filled with the magical allure of the sea, endearing characters and a mystical journey, this debut novel explores the depths of love, loss, and transformation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #76a5af; font-size: large;"><b>EXCERPT</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Baskerville Old Face",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: BaskOldFace;"><span style="color: #76a5af;">Prologue</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Baskerville Old Face",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: BaskOldFace;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">Maria Hallett <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Baskerville Old Face",serif; font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: BaskOldFace;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">Cape Cod, August 1717</span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="PalatinoLinotype-Roman" lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: PalatinoLinotype-Roman;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">There was a perilous storm last
night, with gusts of wind that tore through Eastham like a scourge. The
violence of the driving rain had matched my own rage, a pain so bone deep I
wondered how I would survive it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="PalatinoLinotype-Roman" lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: PalatinoLinotype-Roman;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">That’s what grief had become for
me, a boiling pot of emotions that kept me teetering on the edge. My love was
everything to me—my North Star, my<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="PalatinoLinotype-Roman" lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: PalatinoLinotype-Roman;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">protector, and my deliverer. But now all that was left
of him was this interminable rain that drove his coffin deeper into its watery
grave.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="PalatinoLinotype-Roman" lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: PalatinoLinotype-Roman;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">I placed my shawl on the wet sand
and sat down, glaring at the ocean as if I could resurrect him at will. My legs
itched from the rough fabric of my homespun<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="PalatinoLinotype-Roman" lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: PalatinoLinotype-Roman;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">skirt bunched up above my ankles. I picked up a fistful
of the cool sand, let it sift through my fingers, and smelled the musty,
brackish air. As I undid the pins<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="PalatinoLinotype-Roman" lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: PalatinoLinotype-Roman;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">of my white cap, my hair billowed like a sail in the
breeze.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="PalatinoLinotype-Roman" lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: PalatinoLinotype-Roman;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">The noonday sun had long been
hidden behind dark, gray clouds—the last remnants of that dreadful weather. A
much worse storm had already laid<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="PalatinoLinotype-Roman" lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: PalatinoLinotype-Roman;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">its mark on this place just four months ago. The devil
had a hand in that horrible night, I’m sure of it. At low tide, I could still
see the planked shell of his ship like<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="PalatinoLinotype-Roman" lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: PalatinoLinotype-Roman;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">the bones of a beached whale.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="PalatinoLinotype-Roman" lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: PalatinoLinotype-Roman;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">I was afraid my little cottage
just above those cliff dunes would be torn apart, so I hid out in my uncle’s
barn not but a quarter mile from here. The lashing<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="PalatinoLinotype-Roman" lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: PalatinoLinotype-Roman;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">rain and howling wind woke me in the middle of the night,
giving me a jittery feeling, and I knew something had gone terribly wrong. I
pulled my blanket up to my neck and burrowed deep in the hay, but sleep did not
come.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="PalatinoLinotype-Roman" lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: PalatinoLinotype-Roman;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">The townspeople said I was a
witch, but I swear on the Lord’s Holy Bible that was a lie. I admit to having a
knowing, just like I knew a storm was brewing<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face="PalatinoLinotype-Roman" lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: PalatinoLinotype-Roman;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">long before the wind picked up and the sky turned
pitch-black.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-indent: 36pt;"><span face="PalatinoLinotype-Roman" lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: PalatinoLinotype-Roman;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">I must humbly confess, for as long
as I could remember, I had this feeling about certain things, like a seed that
had been planted deep inside me. But I don’t cast spells or cavort with the
devil. And I can’t see the future.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<span face="PalatinoLinotype-Roman" lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: PalatinoLinotype-Roman; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #ffe599;">My knowing’s neither good nor evil…it just is.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64645199-sea-magic">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Magic-treasure-through-Hidden-ebook/dp/B0BMNKTRJ3/ref=sr_1_1?">Amazon</a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/16/f4/38/16f438ca6212e4ca40792c7a5e682f64.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="562" height="148" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/16/f4/38/16f438ca6212e4ca40792c7a5e682f64.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #76a5af;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Always an avid reader,<b><span style="color: #76a5af;"> Heidi </span></b>was inspired to write by her college professor who convinced her to switch majors to English. From then on, she harbored a secret wish to write a novel one day. Heidi spent most of her marketing career as a consultant specializing in fresh produce where she worked with a variety of growers, commodity boards, and associations. Her marketing campaigns received multiple awards.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sea Magic is her debut novel and the first of the Hidden Gems series, which was also a finalist in the 2022 Page Turner Awards. Originally from New Jersey, Heidi lives in Oviedo, Florida with her husband, Tim, and their dog Pumpkin. She loves coffee, chocolate, yoga and visiting historical places.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Heidi pens a quarterly newsletter about her passion for writing, marketing, and the history of her characters. For more information, visit her</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.heidimcintyre.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23127824.Heidi_McIntyre">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/heidimcintyreauthor44/">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HeidiMcintyreAuthor">Facebook</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's Giveaway:</div><div style="text-align: justify;">
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<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script></div>CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-14594896704274901262023-02-12T18:31:00.000+02:002023-02-12T18:44:50.474+02:00Homicide Hérault by Bluette Matthey<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/65/42/5c/65425c80e538082ae390ffddc63dd496.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="563" height="78" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/65/42/5c/65425c80e538082ae390ffddc63dd496.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">"I highly recommend this enjoyable read for lover of murder mysteries set in unique locations with the added bonus of a history lesson threaded through the story."<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5334811087"> Jean, Goodreads</a></div><p><br /></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e1/7f/af/e17faf372656529d733f4f392af38888.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="564" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e1/7f/af/e17faf372656529d733f4f392af38888.jpg" width="304" /></a></div>Description:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><span style="color: #e69138;">Published: December 2022</span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Veteran trekker Hardy Durkin takes his first bike tour group to Béziers, in the South of France, for what is expected to be relaxing, uneventful bicycling in the Hérault region. This notion is kicked to the curb when a double cold-case with present-day repercussions is discovered on one of the group’s outings. Hardy becomes embroiled in another homicide when he is present at a murder that takes place during an innocent flamenco performance that is anything but.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The bottom line: murder and intrigue follow Hardy Durkin like a shadow, even in the sunny, laid-back South of France, but this time his wheel of fortune veers uncomfortably off the rails in Homicide Hérault.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">EXCERPT</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">There was a brief lull in the questions, then Delia asked what everyone else was thinking. “Who are you, Hardy Durkin? You’ve got this Clotiers guy on speed dial. You’re not in the least bit flustered about finding two dead soldiers on a god-forsaken riverbank in the South of France, you seem to be evading the police about it… Just who the hell are you?”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">A shocked silence was interrupted by Clive. “I can answer that,” he said. He turned to Hardy almost apologetically. “My cousin was on your trek in the Black Forest.” To his fellow cyclists he explained, “Hardy is exactly who he seems to be. He has a trek business for points in Europe.” He paused, then added, “He also has an unusual skill set from his military training and for reasons unknown to anyone has a knack for wading into mysteries, stumbling upon dead bodies, and bringing criminals to justice.”</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://partnersincrimetours.com/homicide-herault-by-bluette-matthey/">TOUR SCHEDULE</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://bit.ly/3Xi38bL">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://bit.ly/3ioXS7h">Smashwords</a> ** <a href="https://amzn.to/3GvLWJ4">Amazon</a> ** <a href="https://bit.ly/3XfZqiS">BarnesNoble</a> ** <a href="https://bit.ly/3IAevrd">BookShop</a> </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/6f/dd/53/6fdd53b89d31f11ff3db15a36184a138.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="564" height="225" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/6f/dd/53/6fdd53b89d31f11ff3db15a36184a138.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #e69138;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #e69138;">Bluette Matthey</span></b> is a 3rd generation Swiss American and an avid lover of European cultures. She has decades of travel and writing experience. She is a keen reader of mysteries, especially those that immerse the reader in the history, inhabitants, culture, and cuisine of new places. Her passion for travel, except airports (where she keeps a mystery to pass the time), is shared by her husband, who owned a tour outfitter business in Europe. Bluette particularly loves to explore regions that are not on the "15 days in Europe" itineraries. She also enjoys little-known discoveries, such as the London Walks, in well-known areas. She firmly believes that walking and hiking bring her closer to the real life of any locale. Bluette maintains a list of hikes and pilgrimages throughout Europe for future exploration.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bluette is the author of the Hardy Durkin Travel Mystery series, author and developer of the South-of-France travel app, Potty Poche, and her latest mystery, <a href="https://partnersincrimetours.com/two-murders-too-many-by-bluette-matthey/">Two Murders Too Many</a>. She lives in Béziers in the South of France, with her husband and trio of loving cats.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bit.ly/3gYYT5k">Website</a> * <a href="https://bit.ly/3H3TYdY">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://bit.ly/3B7ArFQ">BookBub</a> * <a href="https://bit.ly/3cVqQ7r">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://bit.ly/3F1bPQb">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://bit.ly/3ukqiBM">Facebook</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's Giveaway</div>
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<script src="https://kingsumo.com/js/embed.js"></script>CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-16605444747956988882023-02-12T18:24:00.002+02:002023-02-12T18:24:30.460+02:00Huckleberry Ridge Romances by K.T. Raine<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a5/85/1f/a5851f3348026d93047be74b06ba5a8d.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="74" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a5/85/1f/a5851f3348026d93047be74b06ba5a8d.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>"A sweet, sometimes emotional, story that kept me enthralled from beginning to end. I hope there will be many more books in the Huckleberry Ridge series." <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4637362236">Robin, Goodreads</a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1646885023i/60584118.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1646885023i/60584118.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><span style="color: red;">Description:</span></span></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">A Country Kind of Love (#1)</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Second chances ... and the secrets that sabotage them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">CeCe Bixby's life is in flux. After being abandoned by her husband six years earlier she's managed to cope by focusing on her work as a reporter and on being a good mom to her young son. When her name is leaked in connection with a dangerously controversial story, a fresh start in small town Huckleberry Ridge, Idaho feels safe ... until she meets her new landlord, a handsome widower who just may wield the key to her tightly sealed heart.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Shane Wickham is shackled with regret. Ever since playing an unintentional role in his wife's death, he's denied himself a second chance at happiness. But once he meets his attractive but fearful new tenant, he feels compelled to help her, and his firm resolve to keep his distance begins to crumble.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Despite an undeniable attraction to Shane, CeCe is terrified to lower her guard and expose herself and her son to the risk of more heartbreak. And though Shane secretly longs to put yesterday behind him, his guilt won't allow him to pursue the possibility of new love.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Can they find a way to forge a future together, or will regret and deception doom the chance to repair two damaged hearts?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A Country Kind of Love is the heartwarming first book in the Huckleberry Ridge Romance series. If you enjoy clean, feel-good stories with relatable heroines and swoon worthy heroes, then you'll love K.T. Raine's tender tale.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Buy A Country Kind of Love for your happy ever after today!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">EXCERPT</span></b><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;">“Take the next left,” Cody commanded, pointing for
emphasis, his tone making it clear just how much the ten year-old relished
calling the shots.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;"> CeCe raised
a hand from the steering wheel long enough to salute her son. “Roger that.” She
slowed, hugging the narrow shoulder of the county road to allow a hay-laden
pickup truck to pass before carefully swinging the Durango wide to make the
turn onto Tompkins Road. “What’s next, boss?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;"> Cody
eyed his phone. “Stay on Tompkins for half a mile, then take a left onto
Snowberry Lane. Then our destination will be on the right.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;"> “Wonderful,”
CeCe said, the simple word not even close to expressing the depth of her
relief. After 415 miles, she could survive one more. She sat a little
straighter as the oppressive weight of anxiety began to lift from her aching
shoulders. Another few minutes and they’d finally be home—well, to their new
home anyway. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;">The two day trip from Boise to
Huckleberry Ridge, Idaho, had been quite the slog for someone who’d never
pulled a trailer in her life. CeCe had given away a number of belongings she
didn’t want to, just so the remaining things would fit in a 12 foot cargo
trailer. Anything larger would have required her to drive a U-Haul truck and
tow the SUV behind—a terrifying and totally unacceptable prospect. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;">Even the 12 footer made the steering
and braking sluggish and slow to respond, and CeCe had spent the whole journey
white-knuckled, expecting a blown tire, engine trouble—something—to go wrong at
any moment. Thank goodness most of the trip had been freeway miles, with the
most traumatic part maneuvering through gas stations. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;"> Cody’s
sulking hadn’t made the trip any less painful, serving only to reinforce CeCe’s
knowledge that she wasn’t a good mother. A good mother wouldn’t spring a
surprise move on her son, uprooting him from the only home he’d ever known with
a made up explanation and only ten days’ notice. A good mother would know how
to soothe his frustration and resentment, how to make her only child happy.
Sometimes it felt as though CeCe’s life had become one big pile of parental
guilt. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #d9ead3;"> But
things were going to be better in Huckleberry Ridge. At least, that’s what she
kept telling herself. </span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">**On Sale for only .99 cents 2/13 – 2/17!!**</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60584118-a-country-kind-of-love">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09V1XR7QL">Amazon</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/a-country-kind-of-love-by-k-t-raine">Bookbub</a> </span></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1659619905i/61855409.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="512" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1659619905i/61855409.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><span style="color: #ffa400;">Big Love In A Small Town (#2)</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Why does starting over have to be so hard?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sweet and gregarious Penny Barron was just sure handsome Gus Amherst was finally "the one." But after his protective streak evolves to controlling and then abusive, she decides enough is enough. When her childhood friend CeCe gets in an accident and needs some temporary care, Penny figures this is her opportunity. She leaves Gus a goodbye note and flees Boise for small town Huckleberry Ridge, Idaho, to be near CeCe and make a fresh start.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When Gus decides he's not ready to let Penny go and shows up in Huckleberry Ridge unannounced, CeCe's neighbor, police officer and confirmed bachelor, Josh Wickham, comes to her rescue. Both are surprised by the spark of attraction that steadily grows between them. But Penny is carrying a secret guaranteed to wreck any new relationship ... which is exactly what happens when she finally reveals it to Josh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Is there still a chance for love to bloom? Or has Penny's deception ruined her second chance forever?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;">EXCERPT</span></b></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;">The moment Penny caught sight of the flashing red and
blue lights in her review mirror she started to laugh. By the time she’d pulled
to the side of the road and the officer climbed out of his squad car, her whole
body was humming with the hilarity of it all. <i>How could this be happening? It was downright crazy. </i>Stressful situations
always triggered her impulse to laugh, but this time her amusement seemed fully
warranted. She’d just driven 400 miles across the state of Idaho without a hitch,
only to be pulled over one ridiculous mile from her destination. What were the
odds? <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"> <i>Too funny! <o:p></o:p></i></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"> Not
that there was anything especially amusing about the prospect of a ticket, but
it still felt wonderful to laugh. There had been so few opportunities lately. Penny
watched the officer approach in her side mirror. Fairly tall, nearly all in
black, on the youngish side. Of course, now that she’d passed thirty, the
concept of <i>young</i> had become a bit
more muddled. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"> She
drew in a shuddery breath, wondering what she’d done wrong. She was confident
she hadn’t been speeding through the little town. Well, semi-confident anyway.
Maybe Gus had discovered her note and been upset enough to report her to the
police on trumped-up charges. The ridiculous notion sent her into a new round
of laughter. She pressed her lips hard. Okay, okay. No need to come across as a
complete loony bin. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Her
fingers trembled ever so slightly as<i> </i>she
turned down the volume on her 80s rock playlist. The officer had nearly reached
her door so she lowered her window, the sudden rush of cold air making her
shiver. The November sunshine was downright deceptive up here in the north.
Something sure smelled good, though. Like greasy French fries. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"> “Hey,
officer,” Penny greeted. “How are you? I’m sorry if …” Her words faltered as
she met with a pair of icy blue eyes set in a very attractive face. <i>Holy cannoli!</i> If she had to be pulled
over, at least she’d hit the jackpot. Too bad she’d sworn men off. Her gaze
instinctively shifted to the name lapel above the pocket of his dark
jacket—Joshua Wickham. She gave a small gasp. “Oh. My goodness. Are you … <i>the </i>Josh Wickham?” <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"> He
angled his back to the sun and stooped to peer in at her with a wary
expression. A questioning smile played on his lips revealing a sliver of white
teeth against a dark five o’clock shadow. “Hello there, ma’am. Sorry, but I
don’t believe we’ve met.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"> Penny
touched her nose and giggled. “No, we haven’t. But I recognize your name. I’m
here to visit my best friend, CeCe Bixby, and she rents from your brother.” She
hesitated. “At least, I’m guessing Shane might be your brother. She told me he
has two. I can’t remember the other one’s name. But … yeah, pretty sure one was
Josh.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"> His
smile widened as she rambled. “Ah,” he said. “Yeah, I’m that Josh, and you must
be CeCe’s friend from Boise.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"> Penny
felt all her apprehension drain away. She clapped her hands. “Yes, yes that’s
me. Penny Barron. I’m here to help her out for a bit, you know, after the
accident.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"> “Gotcha.”
He rested a hand on the door frame of her Subaru and Penny tried not to stare.
Hands always did it to her for some weird reason. Guys’ hands at least. He
hitched his chin toward the passenger seat. “And who’s your little friend
there?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"> Penny
forced her gaze from his hand, reaching over to caress the silky head of her
King Charles spaniel, who took in the scene with calm, trusting eyes. “This is
my bud, Barlow. He rides shotgun for me.” She nibbled her bottom lip, wondering
if the reference might be inappropriate for the situation. “Only figuratively
speaking, of course,” she added. “I don’t really let him handle guns.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/huckleberry-ridge-romances-book-tour-and-giveaway">TOUR SCHEDULE</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61855409-big-love-in-a-small-town"><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></a><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61855409-big-love-in-a-small-town">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8JQXQQF">Amazon</a> ** <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/big-love-in-a-small-town-an-inspirational-secret-baby-romance-huckleberry-ridge-romance-book-2-by-k-t-raine">Bookbub</a></span></b></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a5/85/1f/a5851f3348026d93047be74b06ba5a8d.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="149" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a5/85/1f/a5851f3348026d93047be74b06ba5a8d.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Okay, so I admit it, I'm a true romantic at heart, and I've always been a sucker for a good, clean love story with a happy ending. My favorite stories involve spunky but sweet heroines, strong, swoon-worthy guys who aren't afraid to take charge ... oh, and a dog in the mix never hurt either. So guess what? Those are the type of stories I write! Just in case you're curious, I live in the beautiful mountains of North Idaho with my hubby of 30 years and our adorable Beagle mix Stella, one of the many rescue pups I've adopted over the years.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">When I'm not reading or plotting my next novel, I enjoy spending time with my family, gardening, going for hikes, or soaking in my hot tub--hands down the best place to read--print anyway. I do housework when I must and laundry when we run out of clean underwear. So enough about me. If you want to know more visit my website at www.ktraineromance.com. Want to be notified of new releases? Sign up for my once-a-month Dog-gone Short and Sweet Newsletter, which is indeed short and sweet and always contains a picture of a dog guaranteed to make you smile. In the meantime, pick up one of my books and get your swoon on!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://ktraineromance.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21823713.K_T_Raine">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/KTReine1">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dianna.writes/">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/k-t-raine">Bookbub</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/K.T.-Raine/author/B09GJ27BBH">Amazon</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's Giveaway</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
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CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-58615758306785011622023-02-10T20:56:00.001+02:002023-02-10T20:56:13.238+02:00A Dark Interlude #1 by Ryan O’Sullivan, Andrea Mutti (Illustrator), & Piotr Kowalski (Illustrator)<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/32/21/91/32219133f27c44acbaed1e72e057bdf8.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="562" height="78" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/32/21/91/32219133f27c44acbaed1e72e057bdf8.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Infinite sequels, dark creatures, endless possibilities, trapped in repetition. This is the story of how humanity escapes. Trapped in a cycle of infinite sequels, the world is doomed to repeat tired tropes and clichéd conflicts without end.</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/33/a8/b1/33a8b1468aa3d2d2c6f7c1d43eef1d55.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="521" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/33/a8/b1/33a8b1468aa3d2d2c6f7c1d43eef1d55.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Description:</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Sandman meets Dark Souls in Fearscape: A Dark Interlude - a world with infinite sequels, dark creatures, endless possibilities, trapped in repetition ... this is the story of how humanity escapes.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">THE WORLD IS TRAPPED AND DOOMED</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Trapped in a cycle of infinite sequels, the world is doomed to repeat tired tropes and clichéd conflicts without end. Unless, that is, unreliable narrator, notorious plagiarist, and sequel denier Henry Henry can unleash something so awful it deserves no repetition.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After the stunning success of Fearscape, comes A Dark Interlude, the story of:</div><div style="text-align: justify;">“—No! The only offence to literature greater than the loathsome synopsis is the sequel. I will not stand idle while some poor excuse for an editor mangles and confuses my story, which is intact, perfect, and concluded, with this derivative drivel. Mark my words, this nonsense has nothing to do with my tale. I am not in it. I do not condone it. And you, dear reader, should not buy it.” –HH</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But don’t listen to Henry Henry – the only way to escape is to buy this book!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Collects the complete five-issue series</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/06/78/30/067830674cfc130fb6c0ba7ddc6247dc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="735" height="245" src="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/06/78/30/067830674cfc130fb6c0ba7ddc6247dc.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/97/f3/6b/97f36b8240eec3fc517f775303595be8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="564" height="253" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/97/f3/6b/97f36b8240eec3fc517f775303595be8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>TOUR SCHEDULE</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55934388-a-dark-interlude-1">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://books2read.com/FEARSCAPE-VOL-2-A-DARK-INTERLUDE">Books2Read</a></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/32/21/91/32219133f27c44acbaed1e72e057bdf8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="562" height="156" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/32/21/91/32219133f27c44acbaed1e72e057bdf8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">About creators:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Ryan O'Sullivan </span></b> is a comic book writer from the North of England. Best known for original works such as Fearscape for VAULT COMICS, Void Trip, and Turncoat; Ryan has also written extensively for licensed properties such as Dark Souls, Warhammer 40,000, and The Evil Within.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://twitter.com/ryanosullivan">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14813797.Ryan_O_Sullivan">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ryanosullivanuk/">Instagram</a> *<a href="https://amzn.to/40sRpJP">Amazon</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Andrea Mutti</span></b> is an acclaimed Italian artist who has worked for Marvel Comics/Entertainment, DC Comics, Vertigo, Dark Horse Comics, BOOM! Studios, Image, Dynamite Entertainment, and more!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://www.andrearedmutti.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/694397.Andrea_Mutti">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/andreamutti9">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/amutti">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/andreamutti9/">Instagram</a> </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Piotr Kowalski</span></b> is a comic book artist with comics published in both the American and European markets. He has worked for the biggest publishers in comics such as Marvel, Dark Horse, BOOM Studios!, Dynamite Entertainment, Image, American Gothic Press, LeSoleil, Le Lombard, and Casterman. He is currently working on the series, DEADBOX for Vault Comics, written by Mark Russell.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.artstation.com/piotrkowalski">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20086668.Emily_Pearson">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/KowalskiPiotr">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/piotr_kowalski_here">Instagram</a> </span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Event US Giveaway</div>
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CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-73436500268619973732023-02-10T19:36:00.001+02:002023-02-10T19:36:23.951+02:00discover the mysterious, war-torn realm of Geadhain... Four Feasts Till Darkness Series by Christian A. Brown<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/78/47/81/784781676e8982b54f07921bba58185e.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="562" height="78" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/78/47/81/784781676e8982b54f07921bba58185e.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div>Lauded by the critics as "unmissable," "unputdownable," "lavish," and "poetic," Feasts heralds the arrival of a unique new voice in dark fantasy.</div><div>"An unmissable dark fantasy romance,"—Kirkus (starred review)</div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #cccccc; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/82/33/45/82334568443f5dd2df86b7e8d7d51c93.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="501" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/82/33/45/82334568443f5dd2df86b7e8d7d51c93.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><span style="color: #d0e0e3;">Description:</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Leap into the mysterious, war-torn realm of Geadhain, where psychic witches clash with technocratic, godlike kings. A Lovecraftian world of steam, sorcery, romance and ancient mystery. The complete, spellbinding Four Feasts till Darkness omnibus, a veritable literary feast spanning five volumes and over 1.1 million words, is now available for your consumption in a single digital package.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">TOP 5 SCENES</span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">1.)
</span></b><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Morigan as she enters Caenith's shop in the opening pages of <i>Feast of Fates</i>. I'm not a romance
novelist. While the relationship between Morigan and Caenith (the Wolf)
initially starts as a star-crossed affair, it took two drafts to arrive at this
point. Originally, I had them far more adversarial in tone and interactions.
However, it became difficult to keep them together under the series of
catastrophes that befalls them quite soon into the novel. Indeed, beginning
their storyline from a place of almost fairytale romance, then throwing every
horrible wrench and monster I could at them to see if they would break,
resulted in a steadfast, legendary partnership. After five books and an epic
journey, it turns out I am a bit of a romantic but still not a romance
novelist—I'm way too macabre for that.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><b><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">2.) </span></b></span><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="color: #d0e0e3; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Morigan and Mouse's first meeting in </span><i style="line-height: 107%;">Feast
of Fates</i><span style="line-height: 107%;">. Romantic love isn't the only type of love explored in the series.
Indeed, the friendship between Morigan and Mouse is crucial to the fabric of
the story. They meet during a crisis, forming an opportunistic partnership. An
arc of sisterhood and true friendship slowly develops from this encounter,
especially on the part of Mouse. Until her encounter with Morigan, she existed
as an embittered, selfishly motivated survivor. By the series’ end, she’s
nearly unrecognizable. Still herself, I suppose, only better—as we all strive
to be. </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><b><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">3.)</span></b></span><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"> <span style="color: #d5a6bd;">The pyroclastic finale to the second novel, </span></span><span style="color: #d5a6bd;"><i style="line-height: 107%;">Feast
of Dreams</i><span style="line-height: 107%;">. Here, we see Lila's transition from a sympathetic victim to a
genocidal madwoman. In the words of a reviewer: "Nowhere is this (shades
of morality) more evident than with poor Queen Lila. The way Brown nudges her
character forward, ever so slowly, so subtly, that her downfall comes as the
only logical option for her, no matter how sad the outcome."</span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><b>4.)</b></span><span style="color: #fff2cc;">
Lila's redemption arc, culminating in her judgement before a tribunal of
wrathful spirits in <i>Feast of Darkness</i>.
As with many of the characters in the series, she's given the opportunity for
redemption—even for the atrocities she's committed by this point. The play
between good and evil, and the consequences of making even what you believe to
be the best decision at the time that has catastrophic results, are recurring
themes in <i>Four Feasts till Darkness</i>. </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;"><b>5.)</b></span>
<span style="color: #d0e0e3;">The Sisters of St. Celcita. A strange crossbreed of archetypes between Mrs.
Marple and Wednesday Adams, the Sisters of St. Celcita, first introduced in <i>Feast of Chaos</i> through Lila's storyline,
became effortless and entertaining characters to write. As nurses to the city's
ailing, diseased, addicted, and mentally unwell population, they've developed a
thick skin and sharp wit to deal with the incessant horrors of the lives they
try to save. If I had to pick one scene where Sister Abagail—the lead of their
order—shone, it would be where she helps Lila and her fellow fugitive as they
arrive, harried by city guards, on her doorstep. The nun shows no shock at
Lila's revelations; her composure suggests that she's privy to more mysteries
than the fallen Queen of Eod, or readers, suspected. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Read Them All</b></span></span></p></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: medium;">Book #1 - Feast of Fates </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23664877-feast-of-fates">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://books2read.com/Feast-of-Fates">Books2Read</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><b>Book #2 - Feast of Dreams </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26406375-feast-of-dreams">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://books2read.com/Feast-Of-Dreams">Bbooks2Read</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #3fe165; font-size: medium;"><b>Book #3 - Feast of Chaos </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32183673-feast-of-chaos">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://books2read.com/Feast-of-Chaos">Books2Read</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-size: medium;"><b>Book #4 Part I - Feast of Darkness</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42076476-feast-of-darkness-part-i">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://books2read.com/Feast-of-Darkness-Part-I">Books2Read</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f29946; font-size: medium;"><b>Book #4 Part II - Feast of Darkness, Part II </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62097290-feast-of-darkness-part-ii">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://books2read.com/Feast-of-Darkness-Part-II">Books2Read</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc; font-size: medium;"><b>Complete Boxset: </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75252274-four-feasts-till-darkness-the-complete-series">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://books2read.com/Four-Feasts-till-Darkness-the-Complete-Series">Books2Read</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Read all of the eBooks for <b><span style="color: white;">FREE</span></b> with a </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3HxQtey">Kindle Unlimited Membership</a>!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/65/95/b8/6595b80782c8e5baea850057f038a3c8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="560" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/65/95/b8/6595b80782c8e5baea850057f038a3c8.jpg" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #d0e0e3;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Feast of Fates,<b> <span style="color: #d0e0e3;">Christian A. Brown</span></b> received a Kirkus star in 2014 for the first novel in his genre-changing Four Feasts Till Darkness series. He has appeared on Newstalk 1010, AM640, Daytime Rogers, and Get Bold Today with LeGrande Green. He actively writes a blog about his mother’s journey with cancer and on gender issues in the media.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A lover of the weird and wonderful, Brown considers himself an eccentric with a talent for cat-whispering.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://christianadrianbrown.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8422242.Christian_A_Brown">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChristianAdrianBrown">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/authorchristianadrianbrown/">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2qoTV-kge_bU90i2lgkyvA/videos">YouTube</a> * <a href="https://amzn.to/3YeezBx">Amazon</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/christian-a-brown">BookBub</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's (US+Canada) Giveaway</div>
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CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-37317523422164834172023-02-10T18:20:00.002+02:002023-02-10T18:20:41.580+02:00 a prickly exterior... The Elven Healer's Apprentice (Elves of Eldarlan #4) by Elisa Rae<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/92/91/2c/92912ca6256db7c5bd6e3429a9d524ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="74" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/92/91/2c/92912ca6256db7c5bd6e3429a9d524ad.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i>"This cozy fantasy is whimsical , sweet, and magical, the side characters are just as wholesome and relatable as our main two making it a relaxing read with great banter.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>I love the forced proximity to sweet slow burn romance throughout and their development."</i> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5299380642">Theladyraven, Goodreads</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/84/70/07/8470075f1e089560fc2250013f2e1569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/84/70/07/8470075f1e089560fc2250013f2e1569.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Description:</span></b></span><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Published: February 9th, 2023</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Merlon, the king of Eldarlan’s healer, hides his soft heart beneath a prickly exterior. Despite a traumatic childhood, he strives to excel as a healer and an elf. But he gets more than he bargained for when he rescues a human woman from certain death right before being snared in the curse put on the king of Eldarlan.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Left to fend for herself in an absent elf healer’s compound, Adela tries to be useful. The patients call her the healer’s apprentice. Something the healer rejects when he finally returns. Despite his grumpy manner, the healer displays a strange mixture of kindness and care. Intrigued, Adela suspects the healer hides more than he reveals.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Elven Healer’s Apprentice is a light, fantasy romance novella about a romance between an elven healer and a human woman. It features a grumpy sunshine romance where opposites attract when they encounter forced proximity and jeopardy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: large;">EXCERPT</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #eeeeee;">Adela</span></i></b></div><div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“Where am I to go?” I asked Sage as I brushed her
velvety side.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">Blinding white, sixteen hands high, and powerful, Sage’s
heritage as a unicorn was only evident by the nub in the center of her forehead
that had once been a long, elegantly lethal horn. I had never seen her in all
her glory. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">According to Lippin, a unicorn hunter had driven her to
the ground, bound her, and sawed off her horn when she was only a colt. Only
the master healer’s intervention had saved her from being harvested for her
other parts. Since then, she had lived in the compound, cared for and fed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">When I came, one of my first duties was to deal with the
unicorn because she didn’t like males. Not a surprise, considering her past.
Not all males were an issue. I had been told she tolerated the master healer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">I rested my forehead against her warm hide, breathing in
the scent of warm, clean horse. “If he throws me out, I have nowhere to live.
Father still wishes me violence. I don’t want to go back there. Henri is dead.”
A fresh wave of grief pressed in on me. I hadn’t been able to save him. Never
to hold him again, ruffle his hair, laugh at his teasing, or chase him around
the bailey. Tears filled my eyes. I missed my brother so much.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">Sage’s nose bumped my shoulder. She snuffled at my
kirtle sleeve.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“Just give me a moment,” I told her.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">She snorted and side-stepped away from me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“What?” I lifted my head and blinked at her. Unicorns
differed from horses in more than appearance. Intelligent and intuitive, they
understood far more than their less magical cousins. Sage wheeled around so her
whole body blocked my view of the stable doorway.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“I can still see her, Sage,” a male voice said. The
healer entered the stable and came around the side so he could address me, but
he remained with his back to the outside wall and his face and torso in the
shadows. “I see Sage has imprinted on you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">Sage huffed and tossed her head at him before nuzzling
my hair as I came around to better see the healer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“She seems to like me,” I agreed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">He chuckled, low and deep. “She is protecting you from
me. See how she is trying to position herself between us?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">Sage bumped my shoulder with her nose, trying to nudge
me to step back out of sight. I stood firm. She huffed and stamped her foot,
which I ignored.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“I won’t hurt her,” the healer told Sage, who swung her
head toward him and showed her teeth. “Honest.” He offered her his hand. Sage
only eyed him and shifted closer to me. “I owe her an apology.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">I stiffened in surprise. Men didn’t apologize. At least
in my experience, they didn’t. “Apology for what?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">Sage grew still beside me, as though listening.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“For my words back at the clinic. I spoke without
properly assessing the situation and accused you of things that clearly weren’t
true. I am sorry.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">I blinked and peered into the shadows where his features
hid. Did he jest? Was this a ploy to make me appear foolish? “Step into the
light, please.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“A distrusting creature, aren’t you?” he asked. The
healer stepped forward, so the sunlight fell over his features.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“With good reason,” I replied.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">He was tall, but all elves were. Lean-featured with the
changeable silver-blue eyes of his species, he made a striking impression even
before one accounted for his pure white hair. Wild and gleaming silver in the
light, his hair stood out from his head in a disarray of curls as though he had
run his fingers through it a few times. He arched a silvery-gray brow at me
when my gaze fell to his face. “So, you can tell if I am honest if you see my
face when I am speaking? That must be a useful skill. You realize I am an elf.
Lying makes us ill.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“But you are capable of it,” I pointed out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">He met my assessment openly, eyes flashing silver.
“True. By omission or half-truths, but never outright lies.” He tilted his head
slightly. “And you? Are you honest?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“I told you the truth.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“You did,” he admitted.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">We stood there, studying each other in silence for a few
moments. His stance remained relaxed, as though we were friends chatting about
the weather. I wondered what he saw in me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“Are you going to throw me out?” I asked suddenly.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“Depends.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“On what?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“Whether or not you want to go.” He crossed his arms
over his chest. “This compound is a haven, a place of healing. If you wish to
remain, you are welcome. If you wish to go, you are free to do so.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“I wish to stay.” I loved tending the animals, helping
Sina with the housework, nursing patients. “Will you allow me to help with the
patients?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">“That depends.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #ea9999;">I opened my mouth to ask for clarification, but I found
him watching me expectantly, as though he knew exactly what I was going to say.
I pressed my lips together and lifted my eyebrows instead.</span></p><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/the-elven-healers-apprentice-book-tour-and-giveaway">TOUR SCHEDULE</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62602999-the-elven-healer-s-apprentice"><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b></a><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62602999-the-elven-healer-s-apprentice">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Elven-Healers-Apprentice-Elves-Eldarlan-ebook/dp/B0BBY88Z27">Amazon</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-elven-healer-s-apprentice-elves-of-eldarlan-book-4-by-elisa-rae">Bookbub</a></span></b></div></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/92/91/2c/92912ca6256db7c5bd6e3429a9d524ad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="149" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/92/91/2c/92912ca6256db7c5bd6e3429a9d524ad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-size: medium;">**Don't miss the other books in the series!**</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #fff2cc; font-size: medium;"><b>Book #1 - The Elven Spymaster's Thief</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60024747-the-elven-spymaster-s-thief">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Elven-Spymasters-Thief-Elves-Eldarlan-ebook/dp/B09NV59P7Z">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-size: medium;"><b>Book #2 - The Shadow Elf's Rescuer</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60227990-the-shadow-elf-s-rescuer">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Elfs-Rescuer-Elves-Eldarlan-ebook/dp/B09PF8VT3L">Amazon</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: medium;">Book #3 - The Elf King's Sacrifice</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61037638-the-elf-king-s-sacrifice">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09YT9PFVL">Amazon</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/28/6d/6d/286d6d0536f33b6b8ae368fabb41b18d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="564" height="267" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/28/6d/6d/286d6d0536f33b6b8ae368fabb41b18d.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A reader of fairytales and folklore, <b><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Elisa Rae</span></b> loves a happy ending. Noblebright characters, dastardly villains, and chemistry between characters delight her. When she isn’t writing, she loves to watch superhero movies and literary dramas.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Elisa Rae is the pen name of Rachel Rossano.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.authorelisarae.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22120721.Elisa_Rae">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ElisaRaeAuthor">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://twitter.com/RachelRossano">Twitter</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/anavrea/">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elisa-rae">Bookbub</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Elisa-Rae/e/B09NV5XYMV">Amazon</a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's Giveaway</div>
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CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-56114195403300289872023-02-10T16:23:00.003+02:002023-02-10T16:23:37.596+02:00Bear Stalker (Gabriel Hawke #10) by Paty Jager <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/71/e9/db/71e9db5a9b968f376576052284bbcbf5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="74" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/71/e9/db/71e9db5a9b968f376576052284bbcbf5.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="color: white; text-align: justify;"><i>Reviews of Bear Stalker by Amazon Reviewers:</i></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The Gabriel Hawke mystery series is very compelling. I loved this latest book in the series!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It combines hunting a murderer, Native American culture, and the importance of family.</div><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/7b/3d/3e/7b3d3e9895a2e3f356e469567d0b34e3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="382" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/7b/3d/3e/7b3d3e9895a2e3f356e469567d0b34e3.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><b><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-size: large;">Description:</span></b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #93c47d;">Published: January 31st. 2023</span></b><br /><div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Greed, misdirection, and murder have Hawke rushing to track his sister in the Montana wilderness before she becomes the next victim. Bear Stalker is book 10 in the highly acclaimed Gabriel Hawke Game Warden mystery series.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Oregon State Trooper Gabriel Hawke’s sister, Marion, is on a corporate retreat in Montana when she becomes a murder suspect. Running for her life from the real killer, she contacts Hawke for help.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hawke heads to Montana to find his sister and prove she isn’t a murderer. He hasn’t seen Marion in over twenty years but he knows she wouldn’t kill the man she was about to marry.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As they dig into possible embezzlement, two more murders, and find themselves trying to outsmart a wilderness-wise kidnapper, Hawke realizes his sister needs to return home and immerse herself in their heritage. Grief is a journey that must be traveled and knowing her fiancé had wanted Marion to dance again, Hawke believes their culture would help her heal.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="color: #93c47d;">Reviews of Bear Stalker by Amazon Reviewers:</span></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I love reading the Hawke series. Hawke is a very caring person though he comes off as a little distant and wary. This however comes from his years on the reservation, in the military, and as a trooper for the state Fish and Wildlife department. Hawke will do what it takes to protect someone who is hurt or innocent even if it means he bends a few rules and keeps things from her boss. The mystery is great. There are plenty of twists, turns, and red herrings to keep you guessing who is behind everything. I recommend this to mystery fans and fans of police procedurals. Also anyone who enjoys reading mysteries with indigenous characters.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/bear-stalker-book-tour-and-giveaway">TOUR SCHEDULE</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/78263835-bear-stalker">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRTDDWT6">Amazon</a> ** <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/bear-stalker/id6445320937">Apple</a> ** <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bear-stalker-paty-jager/1142918839?ean=2940166926913">B&N</a> ** <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bear-stalker">Kobo</a> ** <a href="https://books2read.com/u/mdjNzW">Books2Read</a> ** <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/books/bear-stalker-gabriel-hawke-novel-by-paty-jager">Bookbub</a> </span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/71/e9/db/71e9db5a9b968f376576052284bbcbf5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="564" height="149" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/71/e9/db/71e9db5a9b968f376576052284bbcbf5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e5/e9/80/e5e9806686936b5bcdc0693270076f00.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="564" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e5/e9/80/e5e9806686936b5bcdc0693270076f00.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="color: #eeeeee;">** Don't miss the rest of the series here! **</span></span></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The ancient art of tracking is his greatest strength... </div><div style="text-align: justify;">And his biggest weakness.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fish and Wildlife State Trooper Gabriel Hawke is a master tracker. His determination to discover what is at the end of the trail in the wilderness, a paper trail, or a murder investigation helps him uncover the truth. His desire to stay true to his ancestors and Indigenous roots keeps him grounded.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #93c47d;">Reviews from a blog tour for book #1:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #fff2cc;"><i>This traditional mystery, book #1 in a new series, has good character depth and features a strong Native American character</i>. </span><a href="http://booksmusicandlife.blogspot.com/2019/01/review-tour-giveaway-murder-of-ravens.html">~The Power of Words</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #d9ead3;">"The blend of nature tracking, clues, and the animals makes for a fascinating mystery that is hard to put down."</span></i> <a href="https://booksaplentybookreviews.blogspot.com/2019/01/blog-tour-review-giveaway-for-murder-of.html">~Books a Plenty Book Reviews</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #fff2cc;">Her (Jager's) writing is well-crafted, gripping, authentic. The story appeals right from the beginning, mainly because of her unique protagonist, Fish & Wildlife State Trooper Gabriel Hawke. Readers will eagerly follow every step (and miss-step) of his investigation into this complex, multi-faceted murder.</span></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://jackiehouchintwo.com/2019/01/25/murder-of-ravens-gabriel-hawke/">~Here’s How It Happened</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: medium;">Book #1 - Murder of Ravens </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Game warden Gabriel Hawke is after poachers in the Wallowa Whitman National Forest, when he comes across a body wearing a wolf tracking collar.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;">**Audiobook On Sale at Authors' Direct for only $1.99!!**</div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.books2read.com/u/bxZwMP">https://www.books2read.com/u/bxZwMP</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: medium;">Book #2 Mouse Trail Ends</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Dead bodies in the wilderness. A child is missing. Hawke is an expert tracker, but he isn’t the only one looking for the child.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/mlYaWB">https://books2read.com/u/mlYaWB</a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: medium;">Book #3 - Rattlesnake Brother</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Fish and Wildlife State Trooper Gabriel Hawke encounters a hunter with an illegal tag. The name on the tag belongs to the Wallowa County District Attorney and the man holding the tag isn’t the public defender. When the hunter ends up dead, Hawke believes the DA is the killer.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/3JyooJ">https://books2read.com/u/3JyooJ</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: medium;">Book #4 - Chattering Blue Jay</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Hawke is enlisted to find an escaped prisoner. He’s paired with a boastful tracker who doesn’t follow directions, making them both targets.</span></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/4NQJ2o">https://books2read.com/u/4NQJ2o</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: medium;">Book #5 - Fox Goes Hunting</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">In Iceland to teach a tracking class, Hawke discovers a body in a boiling mud pool. He has five days to catch the killer.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/3yEjKv">https://books2read.com/u/3yEjKv</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;">Book #6 - Turkey’s Fiery Demise</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">State Trooper Gabriel Hawke is called to a vehicle on fire. When the steam and smoke clears, a charred body is slumped over the steering wheel. Hawke doesn’t believe it was an accident.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/38RnOZ">https://books2read.com/u/38RnOZ</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: medium;"><b>Book #7 - Stolen Butterfly</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Angered over how the local officials are responding to a missing Umatilla woman, Hawke teams up with a security guard at the Indian casino and an FBI agent. Together they uncover a human trafficking ring.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/baZEPq">https://books2read.com/u/baZEPq</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #999999; font-size: medium;">Book #8 - Churlish Badger</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">After finding an abandoned vehicle, Hawke digs for clues and turns up two bodies buried on a farm. Who killed the two and why keeps Hawke circling for answers, forcing the killer to burrow down or attack.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/mZZx2l">https://books2read.com/u/mZZx2l</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #d0ac6a; font-size: medium;">Book #9 - Owl’s Silent Strike</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #b6d7a8;">Unexpected snowstorm. Unfortunate accident. And a body. Gabriel Hawke must battle a snowstorm to find a killer and get off the mountain alive.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/bw19DG">https://books2read.com/u/bw19DG</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MckYJU6yB2g" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #eeeeee;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #eeeeee;">Paty Jager</span></b> is the award-winning author of the Shandra Higheagle mysteries, Gabriel Hawke Novels, and Spotted Pony Casino Mystery series. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Paty and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. Riding horses and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.patyjager.net/">Website</a> * <a href="https://writingintothesunset.net/">Blog</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1005334.Paty_Jager">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PatyJagerAuthor">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/patymjager/">Instagram</a> * <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/authors/paty-jager">Bookbub</a> * <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Paty-Jager/author/B002I7M0VK">Amazon</a> </span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's Giveaway</div></div></div>
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CCAMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06714020990713638582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1634213138919637973.post-53698978157500226462023-02-10T12:34:00.001+02:002023-02-11T12:47:41.352+02:00the truth she uncovers... The Story of Keilah by Joann Keder<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a2/9a/91/a29a910dd5ac3c837343230d482e1c64.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="562" height="74" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a2/9a/91/a29a910dd5ac3c837343230d482e1c64.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Keder pens a remarkable story in The Story of Keilah. This is the first of Keder's that I've had the honor of reading, and I thoroughly enjoyed this page-turner. Keder tells a wonderful story that surrounds the Title character, Keilah." - <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2739289179">Amy, Goodreads</a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span><a name='more'></a></span><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/bf/cf/25/bfcf25bf9d43cf8d77949efa19010875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/bf/cf/25/bfcf25bf9d43cf8d77949efa19010875.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Description:</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Published: February 6th 2023</span></b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Keilah moved to Sandy Salts, Iowa in search of a fresh start. Little did she know, acclimating to the quirky town in the middle of nowhere would be more complicated than she anticipated.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Her elderly landlord, Dee, has a dark secret that has followed her since childhood. Dee’s younger brother was kidnapped decades ago and never found. While the spunky woman tries not to talk about the painful ordeal, the mystery of his disappearance constantly haunts her.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Digging into the cold case residents have all but forgotten, Keilah unwittingly discovers shocking secrets from her own past. The explosive truth she uncovers could change the town of Sandy Salts and Keilah, forever.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-size: large;">EXCERPT</span></b></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The day Rosabel McCallister entered my life was the first
day I breathed. Not like an infant does, with no sense of the world. But a real
breath, absorbing the colors and smells and sounds. She did that for me. She
had a way of making everyone better, just by being in her presence. She saved
many lives in one way or another. Rosabel McCallister certainly saved me.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I’m doing some… research. The lady I live with is very
interested in Pepperville history. She thought the story of our place seemed
really unique.” I’ve barely mentioned the farm to anyone. The memories I do
have are too painful. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Oh… I see.” Her voice softens. “Isn’t that nice of her.
Well, let me go through that trunk with your grandfather’s things after my
bridge club and I’ll see if we kept that letter.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I let out a loud sigh. “When will that be?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Oh, this evening I 'spect. I was goin’ to make a lemon cake
for dinner at Kyan’s tomorrow, and maybe pull the outdated canned tomatoes from
the shelf. Is it real important to know soon?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Yes, it is, Mother! There are things that I need... want to
figure out. Just as soon as you can. After bridge.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit;"><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Salty Sun, Established 1925</span></i><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit;"><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vanessa Withers, Reporter</span></i><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit;"><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jenny Jacobson, age 82</span></i><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit;"><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Our dear Jenny went to be with the High and Mighty yesterday
at 4 p.m. She wasn’t upset about dying. As she told this reporter during a
chance encounter at a coffee shop, “This lady has gotten her work done and you
can only lounge in the sun so long before the sand in your crack becomes
unbearable.”</span></i><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit;"><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jenny was born in Wallyville. Her folks were out shopping
for a new car that day and lost track of time. She barely outlived her mother,
who died at the age of 103 a week ago last Thursday, after finding a big
spider’s nest in her bathtub. </span></i><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit;"><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Most of Jenny’s life was spent giving to others. After
graduating with a teaching degree, she moved to Canada where she taught English
and P.E. for twenty-five years. Upon retirement, she decided to move back to
Sandy Salts to open a secondhand goods and firsthand ice cream store, called D’
Ya Want Seconds? Folks who couldn’t afford the ice cream could trade clothing
or good, used appliances for a scoop. Nobody went away hungry. </span></i><span lang="EN-CA" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 21.6pt;"><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She closed the place two years ago in order to fulfill her
lifelong dream of traveling the world with a younger man. After finding her
companion via an online ad, Jenny and Javier spent time in Spain, Greece, New
Zealand, and Cancun. She died last week in the garden of her Sandy Salts home
with a smile on her face. </span></i></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44155673-the-story-of-keilah">Goodreads</a> ** <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NDPKCG2/ref=x_gr_bb_amazon">Amazon</a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a2/9a/91/a29a910dd5ac3c837343230d482e1c64.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="562" height="148" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a2/9a/91/a29a910dd5ac3c837343230d482e1c64.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">About the author:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">USA TODAY bestselling author, <b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Joann Keder</span></b> spent most of her years in the Midwest, growing up and raising a family on the Great Plains of Nebraska. She worked for sixteen years as a piano teacher before returning to school to receive a master's degree in creative writing. A mid-life move to the Pacific Northwest led her to re-examine her priorities. She now creates stories about life and relationships in small towns while her ever-patient husband encourages her on.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.joannkeder.com/">Website</a> * <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3266457.Joann_Keder">Goodreads</a> * <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jkederauthor/">Facebook</a> * <a href="https://www.instagram.com/joannkeder_author/">Instagram</a></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Author's Giveaway:</div><div style="text-align: justify;">
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