Friday, April 28, 2017

**GIVEAWAY** Interview with Mark Lawrence - Red Sister - Review

I'm super excited to be bringing you an interview with an extraordinary talent in Epic Fantasy, he's a science nerd by day and an amazing hard fantasy storyteller by night and I've been devouring his fiction since his first novel. I'm pleased to have had the opportunity to interview the über-talented, Internationally Bestselling author Mark Lawrence.
Mark's publisher Penguin Random House has graciously sponsored a #Giveaway for one hardback copy US ONLY.
Contest details below.

Enjoy!!
ISBN-13: 9781101988855
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Release Date: 04-04-2017
Length: 480pp
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound/Publisher/Audible

Overview:
The international bestselling author of the Broken Empire and the Red Queen’s War trilogies begins a stunning epic fantasy series about a secretive order of holy warriors...

At the Convent of Sweet Mercy, young girls are raised to be killers. In some few children the old bloods show, gifting rare talents that can be honed to deadly or mystic effect. But even the mistresses of sword and shadow don’t truly understand what they have purchased when Nona Grey is brought to their halls.

A bloodstained child of nine falsely accused of murder, guilty of worse, Nona is stolen from the shadow of the noose. It takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in the ways of blade and fist, but under Abbess Glass’s care there is much more to learn than the arts of death. Among her class Nona finds a new family—and new enemies. 

Despite the security and isolation of the convent, Nona’s secret and violent past finds her out, drawing with it the tangled politics of a crumbling empire. Her arrival sparks old feuds to life, igniting vicious struggles within the church and even drawing the eye of the emperor himself.

Beneath a dying sun, Nona Grey must master her inner demons, then loose them on those who stand in her way.


Penguin Publishing is sponsoring this #Giveaway of
One Hardback copy US ONLY of
Red Sister
please use the Rafflecopter form below to enter
Good Luck!

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Review - J.R. Ward - The Chosen

The Chosen is #15 in JR Ward's stratospheric successful Black Dagger Brotherhood series any paranormal/urban fantasy romance fan out there that hasn't picked this up need to stop living under a rock! And my personal favorite way to savor them is listening to the soft, mesmerizing baritone narration of Jim Frangione.
Enjoy!
ISBN-13:  9780451475190
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Release Date: 04-04-2017
Length: 544pp
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible

Overview:
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A scorching forbidden love threatens to tear a rift through the Black Dagger Brotherhood in J. R. Ward’s newest novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.
Xcor, leader of the Band of Bastards, convicted of treason against the Blind King, is facing a brutal interrogation and torturous death at the hands of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Yet after a life marked by cruelty and evil deeds, he accepts his soldier’s fate, his sole regret the loss of a sacred female who was never his: the Chosen Layla.
Layla alone knows the truth that will save Xcor’s life. But revealing his sacrifice and his hidden heritage will expose them both and destroy everything Layla holds dear—even her role of mother to her precious young. Torn between love and loyalty, she must summon the courage to stand up against the only family she has for the only man she will ever love. Yet even if Xcor is somehow granted a reprieve, he and Layla would have to confront a graver challenge: bridging the chasm that divides their worlds without paving the way for a future of even greater war, desolation, and death.
As a dangerous old enemy returns to Caldwell, and the identity of a new deity is revealed, nothing is certain or safe in the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, not even true love . . . or destinies that have long seemed set in stone.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Showcase - Echo of Danger by Marta Perry


I'm excited to showcase Marta Perry's latest release and debut in her new Echo Falls series.
Enjoy!

ISBN-13: 9780373789276
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 04/25/2017
Length: 384pp
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible

In peaceful Pennsylvania Dutch country, a young mother discovers a shocking danger—and an unexpected ally
A whisper of a threat looms over widow Deidre Morris. She and her young son have unwittingly become prisoners of her intimidating father-in-law's power. One wrong step could find her son torn from her and in the hands of the influential judge. But when Deidre collides with an intriguing stranger, the prospect of a new friendship gives her renewed hope…until a devastating murder rocks the quiet community of Echo Falls and Deidre learns first impressions can't be trusted.
Attorney Jase Glassman's assignment is straightforward: befriend Deidre, gather incriminating evidence…and allow her dogged father-in-law to take custody of her child. Anything else, including losing himself in her honest charm, will compromise the job he was hired to do. Yet when a murderer ushers danger into the town, Jase's only instinct is to protect Deidre and her son—no matter the sacrifice.

Monday, April 24, 2017

April Harlequin Special Edition Showcase


Today is my April showcase of Harlequin's Special Edition series novels. I hope you enjoy these six titles available everywhere now!


Overview:THE BOY NEXT DOOR IS BACK…AND AFTER HER HEART!

He's a "gift"—a referral from the Matchmaking Mamas—sent by Tiffany Lee's mother to do her bathroom remodel. But the real surprise is that Tiffany already knows Eddie Montoya. When they were little, he was her playground protector. When they were in college, Eddie was her campus competition. And now she's a teacher and he's her handyman?
Well, just on weekends. On Monday morning, Eddie shows up at Tiffany's school—as the new third-grade teacher. When a fund-raising contest between classes is announced, the old rivalry heats up. And it's game on! Except as the playful competition intensifies, so do their feelings for each other. And Eddie begins to wonder if they might work better…as a team.


Marie's Website



Friday, April 21, 2017

Sophia Rose Reviews – No Ordinary Killing by Jeff Dawson

Please welcome Sophia Rose back to review a debut chilling thriller, No Ordinary Killing
Take it away Sophia Rose
Enjoy!
No Ordinary Killing by Jeff Dawson
Historical Mystery
Publisher:  Endeavor Press
Published: 3.19.17
ASIN  B06WPBVKR8
Pages:  485
Rating: 5
Format: e-copy
Source:  Endeavor Press
Sellers:  Amazon








GoodReads Blurb:
December 1899, South Africa. 

Global superpower Great Britain is mired in an unexpectedly brutal conflict with the upstart Boers.


Captain Ingo Finch of the Royal Army Medical Corps pieces together casualties from the battle for Kimberley.

On leave in Cape Town, the slaughter proves inescapable for Finch.

Awoken at his lodgings by local police, he is informed that a British officer has been murdered in a city backstreet. An RAMC signature is required to expedite a post mortem.

Shocked by the identity of the victim, the bizarre nature of the crime and what appears a too-convenient resolution, Finch seeks answers before returning to the Front.

Though the sleuth soon turns fugitive, thrust into a perilous scramble through a maze of intrigue and espionage — with feisty Australian nurse, Annie Jones, as his accidental accomplice.

Way to the north, Mbutu Kefaleze, a diamond mine runner, leads a band of tribal refugees on a trek across the vast Karoo.

Their discovery of a white woman and her daughter wandering in the desert fuels their fear — that a lethal supernatural force has been unleashed upon the wilderness.

All have stumbled upon a deadly secret, the revelation of which would shake the Empire to its core…



Thursday, April 20, 2017

Showcase Royally Roma by Terri Wilson

I love retellings and I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the Audrey Hepburn film, Roman Holiday. Well with Terri Wilson's latest Pocket Star release you get both and it's only $1.99 at any of your favorite e-retailers.
Check out the Library Journal Starred review and other praise below!
Enjoy the Showcase and!
ROYALLY ROMA
Teri Wilson
Pocket Star EBooks
March 27, 2017
$1.99
Contemporary Romance
Book 1 in The Royals series

Buy links: Amazon/Nook/Kobo

Overview:
In this enchanting retelling of the classic Audrey Hepburn film Roman Holiday, a royal prince tries to escape his hectic and rigid life and ends up leading a young graduate student on a chase through the Eternal City.
Julia Costa is too busy trying to complete her PhD while also holding down a full-time job as a private tour guide in Rome to keep up with celebrity gossip. So when she crosses paths with a real, actual prince, she mistakes him for a client and takes him on a daylong tour of the city.
Intrigued by the idea of spending time with someone who obviously has no idea who he is, and delighted at the prospect of a day free of royal obligations, Niccolo La Torre, Crown Prince of Lazaretto, acts on impulse and assumes the role of Julia’s client. He swears to himself that he’ll return to his royal duties after only half a day…but he’s having the time of his life.
Until Julia presents him with the bill. Since he snuck out of the hotel without so much as a dime, he tries to escape, only to discover that she won’t let him out of her sight until he can pay her back. She’s determined to get her money…and perhaps more from the handsome stranger she’s fallen for.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

**GIVEAWAY** Showcase And Then There Was Me by Sadeqa Johnson

I'm so excited to showcase yet another new to me author and her new release, And Then There Was Me by Sadeqa Johnson. Sadeqa's publisher St. Martin's Press is sponsoring a #Giveaway details below.
Enjoy!
ISBN-13: 9781250074164
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 04-11-2017
Length: 304pp
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound

Overview:
Bea and Awilda have been best friends from the moment Awilda threw her fourteen year-old self across Bea’s twin-sized bed as if they had known each other forever. Bubbly, adventurous Awilda taught sheltered, shy Bea how to dress, wear her hair and what to do with boys. She even introduced Bea to her husband, Lonnie, in college, who pledged to take good care of her for the rest of their lives. But philanderer Lonnie breaks that promise over and over again, leaving Bea to wrestle with her self-esteem and long time secret addiction.
Recently Lonnie has plopped the family in a New Jersey upper class suburb, which lacks the diversity that Bea craves but has the school district and zip code envy that Lonnie wants. The demands of carrying a third child and fitting into this new environment while pretending that her husband is not cheating on her again, is more than she can handle. And just when she thinks things can’t get any worst, the ultimate deception snaps the little thread that was holding her life together and all comes tumbling down.
Sadeqa Johnson's And Then There Was Me is the story of love and friendship, heartache and betrayal. It’s the journey of a woman stripped down to her lowest point and needing to find the will to press on.


St. Martin's Press is sponsoring this giveaway of
One Print Copy US ONLY
Please use the Rafflecopter form below to enter
Good Luck!

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

I love you Today Blog Tour - Interview with Marcia Gloster - Providence Book Promotions

Welcome to my stop on the I love you Today blog tour sponsored by Providence book promotions

I Love You Today

by Marcia Gloster

on Tour April 17 - June 17, 2017

 
Book Details
Genre: Women's Fiction
Published by: The Story Plant
Publication Date: April 18th 2017
Number of Pages: 402
Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, & Goodreads

Synopsis:

Maddie Samuels is a woman of – and ahead of – her time. She knows she doesn't belong in the kitchen, and she refuses to become trapped in a secretarial pool. In mid-sixties New York City, she's not only determined to succeed in a man's world, but to prove her work is as good – or better – than any man's.
With “free love” redefining relationships with head-spinning rapidity, Maddie learns how to push the accepted boundaries of established old-boy networks while refusing to accept the all-too-pervasive harassment by men in power. And yet as a woman in love, she discovers that beliefs and actions are often very different things – especially when it comes to a man like the seductive and charismatic Rob MacLeod.
Set in the era of Mad Men, I LOVE YOU TODAY is passionate, sexy, liberating and deeply moving. With a story as relevant today as it was then, this is a novel that readers will take to their hearts and their souls.

Monday, April 17, 2017

**GIVEAWAY** The Darcy Monologues Blog Tour Interview with Sophia Rose Review Darcy Strikes Out



Welcome to my stop on The Darcy Monologues Blog Tour, I'm featuring the Austen inspired short story by Sophia Rose including an interview with Sophia Rose, some praise from another contributor and my review of Sophia Rose's, Darcy Strikes Out. Read all about the anthology then enter to win a great selection of Austen inspired prizes located in the Rafflecopter widget at the end of the post.
Enjoy!!


Book Title: The Darcy Monologues
Editor: Christina Boyd
Authors: Susan Adriani * Sara Angelini * J. Marie Croft * Karen M Cox * Jan Hahn * Jenetta James * Lory Lilian * KaraLynne Mackrory * Beau North * Ruth Phillips Oakland * Natalie Richards * Sophia Rose * Joana Starnes * Melanie Stanford * Caitlin Williams
Tour Dates: April 3 – July 3, 2017
Genre: Anthologies & Literature Classics, Romance Classics, Historical Classics,
Pre-Order Link: AmazonUS
Overview:
“You must allow me to tell you...”
For over two hundred years, Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy has captivated readers’ imaginations as the ultimate catch. Rich. Powerful. Noble. Handsome. And yet, as Miss Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” is established through Elizabeth Bennet’s fine eyes, how are we to know what his tortured soul is indeed thinking? How does Darcy progress from “She is tolerable: but not handsome enough to tempt me” to “I thought only of you”?
In this romance anthology, fifteen Austen-inspired authors assemble to sketch Darcy’s character through a series of re-imaginings, set in the Regency through contemporary times—from faithful narratives to the fanciful. Herein “The Darcy Monologues”, the man himself reveals his intimate thoughts, his passionate dreams, and his journey to love—all told with a previously concealed wit and enduring charm.

Friday, April 14, 2017

**GIVEAWAY** Showcase The Two Family House by Lynda Cohen Loigman

There's nothing more exciting for me than to introduce my readers to a debut author. If you love mid-twentieth century historical fiction, family drama or if like me the premise just pulls you in I hope you'll put this title on your reading list.
Lynda's publisher St. Martin's Press is sponsoring a #Giveaway see below for details.
Enjoy!



ISBN-13: 9781250118165
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 03/21/2017
Length: 320pp
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible

Overview:
Brooklyn, 1947: In the midst of a blizzard, in a two-family brownstone, two babies are born, minutes apart. The mothers are sisters by marriage: dutiful, quiet Rose, who wants nothing more than to please her difficult husband; and warm, generous Helen, the exhausted mother of four rambunctious boys who seem to need her less and less each day. Raising their families side by side, supporting one another, Rose and Helen share an impenetrable bond forged before and during that dramatic winter night.
When the storm passes, life seems to return to normal; but as the years progress, small cracks start to appear and the once deep friendship between the two women begins to unravel. No one knows why, and no one can stop it. One misguided choice; one moment of tragedy. Heartbreak wars with happiness and almost, but not quite, wins. Moving and evocative, Lynda Cohen Loigman's debut novel The Two-Family House is a heart-wrenching, gripping multigenerational story, woven around the deepest of secrets.



Giveaway is one print copy US ONLY of
The Two Family House
Please us the Rafflecopter form below to enter
Good Luck!

Thursday, April 13, 2017

Showcase The Night Mark by Tiffany Reisz

I'm pleased to showcase the latest release of bestselling author Tiffany Reisz, The Night Mark.
"Fans of Kate Morton and Diana Gabaldon will fall in love with the mystery, romance and beauty of an isolated South Carolina lighthouse, where a power greater than love works its magic."
Here is a link to a review by my friend and fellow blogger The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
Enjoy!
ISBN-13: 9780778328551
Publisher: Mira
Release Date: 03/28/2017
Length: 400
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible

Overview:
From the bestselling author of The Bourbon Thief comes a sweeping tale of loss and courage, where one woman discovers that her destiny is written in sand, not carved in stone.
Faye Barlow is drowning. After the death of her beloved husband, Will, she cannot escape her grief and most days can barely get out of bed. But when she's offered a job photographing South Carolina's storied coast, she accepts. Photography, after all, is the only passion she has left.
In the quaint beach town, Faye falls in love again when she sees the crumbling yet beautiful Bride Island lighthouse and becomes obsessed with the legend surrounding The Lady of the Light—the keeper's daughter who died in a mysterious drowning in 1921. Like a moth to a flame, Faye is drawn to the lighthouse for reasons she can't explain. While visiting it one night, she is struck by a rogue wave and a force impossible to resist drags Faye into the past—and into a love story that is not her own.
Fate is changeable. Broken hearts can mend. But can she love two men separated by a lifetime?

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

**GIVEAWAY** Showcase The Sisters of Blue Mountain by Karen Katchur

Today I'm showcasing Karen Katchur's sophomore offering a stand alone released by St. Martin's Press, The Sisters of Blue Mountain
St. Martin's Press is also sponsoring a giveaway contest details below

Enjoy!


ISBN-13: 9781250066824
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 04/04/2017
Length: 320pp
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound

Overview:
A sisters’ secret.
A mysterious phenomenon.
A murder that ties it all together.
An emotional, suspenseful novel about the bond between sisters and the secrets we hold to keep our family safe, The Sisters of Blue Mountain by Karen Katchur is a thrilling mystery that hurtles towards an unexpected ending that will leave readers speechless.
The small town of Mountain Springs, Pennsylvania thrives on the snow geese migration. Each year, the birds flock to the dam, and the tourists follow, filling up Linnet’s Bed and Breakfast.
But one morning Linnet wakes up to discover hundreds of dead geese by the B&B and her life is thrown into the media frenzy when her father—a former ornithology professor—is asked to study the case. As the tourists cancel their plans and Linnet’s father’s health grows increasingly worse, the last thing she expects is to see her estranged sister, Myna, on her doorstep.
Myna has never stayed in one place for long after running from Mountain Springs. Although she and Linnet were close growing up, a family secret broke their bond, and Myna’s return has brought back memories both sisters have tried to keep buried.
When a reporter arrives in town who may have a connection to the sisters’ past, Linnet and Myna are forced to confront the event that tore them apart. But when a young professor who was assisting their father on the case turns up dead—and their father becomes the primary suspect—Linnet and Myna realize that their secret won’t stay hidden for long…

St. Martin's Press is offering one print copy of
The Sisters of Blue Mountain US ONLY
Please use Rafflecopter form to enter
Good Luck!

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

**GIVEAWAY** Interview with Cynthia Eden After The Dark

I'm so happy to present NYT bestseller Cynthia Eden talking about her debut novel in her new Killer Instinct Series, After The Dark. See why Publisher's Weekly says "This tale could have been ripped from today’s newspaper headlines; it’s deeply disturbing and impressively believable.
After savoring the interview be sure and enter for a chance to win a copy for yourself sponsored by Cynthia's publisher, the one who makes the world go round, Harlequin.

Contest details below
Enjoy!

;
ISBN-13:9780373801923
Killer Instinct #1
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 03-28-2017
Length: 416pp
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible

Overview:
In this gripping new series by New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden, a disgraced FBI profiler must save her reputation by stopping a sadistic killer she knows all too well
Former FBI agent Samantha Dark was one of the most respected profilers in the bureau, an expert on the twisted minds and dark hearts of the most depraved criminals. But when her own former lover turned out to be the serial killer she was hunting, Samantha's career was destroyed. Blamed for the FBI's failure on the complex case, Samantha left Washington, DC, for the quiet anonymity of Alabama.
Now an all-too-familiar killer is hunting once again. She can catch the cunning assassin, but that means putting her trust in her former partner, Blake Gamble. Ex-military, Blake is tough, protective, precise. With her entire life on the brink, she knows he wants her back in the FBI…and possibly more.
But someone else wants her, too. A threat is waiting in the dark, a killer who has set his sights on the ultimate trophy victim—Samantha.
Giveaway is one print copy of
After the Dark US & Canada Only
Please use Raffleopter form to enter
Good Luck!

Monday, April 10, 2017

Showcase Bone White by Wendy Corsi Staub - Partners In Crime Blog Tours Giveaway

Bone White

by Wendy Corsi Staub

on Tour April 1-30, 2017

Synopsis:


In Mundy’s Landing, bygone bloodshed has become a big business. During the rigorous winter of 1666, all but five colonists in the small Hudson Valley settlement died of starvation. Accused of unimaginable crimes, James and Elizabeth Mundy and their three children survived, but the couple were later accused of murder and executed. Left to fend for themselves in a hostile community, their offspring lived out exemplary lives in a town that would bear the family name. They never reveal the secret that died with their parents on the gallows… or did they?
“We Shall Never Tell.” Spurred by the cryptic phrase in a centuries-old letter, Emerson Mundy has flown cross-country to her ancestral hometown in hopes of tracing her ancestral past—and perhaps building a future. In Mundy’s Landing, she discovers long lost relatives, a welcoming ancestral home… and a closet full of skeletons.
A year has passed since former NYPD Detective Sullivan Leary solved the historic Sleeping Beauty Murders, apprehended a copycat killer, and made a fresh start in the Hudson Valley. Banking on an uneventful future in a village that’s seen more than its share of bloodshed, Sully is in for an unpleasant surprise when a historic skull reveals a notorious truth. Now she’s on the trail of a murky predator determined to destroy the Mundy family tree, branch by branch.

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Published by: William Morrow Mass Market
Publication Date: March 28, 2017
Number of Pages: 384
ISBN: 0062349775 (ISBN13: 9780062349774)
Series: Mundy's Landing #3 (Stand Alone)
Purchase Links: Amazon  | Barnes & Noble  | Goodreads 

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

July 20, 2016
Los Angeles, CA

We shall never tell.
Strange, the thoughts that go through your head when you’re standing at an open grave.
Not that Emerson Mundy knew anything about open graves before today. Her father’s funeral is the first she’s ever attended, and she’s the sole mourner.
Ah, at last, a perk to living a life without many—any—loved ones; you don’t spend much time grieving, unless you count the pervasive ache for the things you never had.
The minister, who came with the cemetery package and never even met Jerry Mundy, is rambling on about souls and salvation. Emerson hears only We shall never tell—the closing line in an old letter she found yesterday in the crawl space of her childhood home. It had been written in 1676 by a young woman named Priscilla Mundy, addressed to her brother, Jeremiah.
The Mundys were among the seventeenth-century English colonists who settled on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about a hundred miles north of New York City. Their first winter was so harsh the river froze, stranding their supply ship and additional colonists in the New York harbor. When the ship arrived after the thaw, all but five settlers had starved to death.
Jeremiah; Priscilla; their sister, Charity; and their parents had eaten human flesh to stay alive. James and Elizabeth Mundy swore they’d only cannibalized those who’d already died, but the God-fearing, well-fed newcomers couldn’t fathom such wretched butchery. A Puritan justice committee tortured the couple until they confessed to murder, then swiftly tried, convicted, and hanged them.
“Do you think we’re related?” Emerson asked her father after learning about the Mundys back in elementary school.
“Nope.” Curt answers were typical when she brought up anything Jerry Mundy didn’t want to discuss. The past was high on the list.
“That’s it? Just nope?”
“What else do you want me to say?”
“How about yes?”
“That wouldn’t be the truth,” he said with a shrug.
“Sometimes the truth isn’t very interesting.”
She had no one else to ask about her family history. Dad was an only child, and his parents, Donald and Inez Mundy, had passed away before she was born. Their headstone is adjacent to the gaping rectangle about to swallow her father’s casket. Staring that the inscription, she notices her grandfather’s unusual middle initial.
Donald X. Mundy, Born 1900, Died 1972.
X marks the spot.
Thanks to her passion for history and Robert Louis Stevenson, Emerson’s bookworm childhood included a phase when she searched obsessively for buried treasure. Money was short in their household after two heart attacks left Jerry Mundy on permanent disability.
X marks the spot…
No gold doubloon treasure chest buried here. Just dusty old bones of people she never knew.
And now, her father.
The service concludes with a prayer as the coffin is lowered into the ground. The minister clasps her hand and tells her how sorry he is for her loss, then leaves her to sit on a bench and stare at the hillside as the undertakers finish the job.
The sun is beginning to burn through the thick marine layer that swaddles most June and July mornings. Having grown up in Southern California, she knows the sky will be bright blue by mid-afternoon. Tomorrow will be more of the same. By then, she’ll be on her way back up the coast, back to her life in Oakland, where the fog rolls in and stays for days, weeks at a time. Funny, but there she welcomes the gray, a soothing shield from real world glare and sharp edges.
Here the seasonal gloom has felt oppressive and depressing.
Emerson watches the undertakers finish the job and load their equipment into a van. After they drive off, she makes her way between neat rows of tombstones to inspect the raked dirt rectangle.
When something is over, you move on, her father told her when she left home nearly two decades ago. She attended Cal State Fullerton with scholarships and maximum financial aid, got her master’s at Berkeley, and landed a teaching job in the Bay Area.
But she didn’t necessarily move on.
Every holiday, many weekends, and for two whole months every summer, she makes the six-hour drive down to stay with her father. She cooks and cleans for him, and at night they sit together and watch Wheel of Fortune reruns.
It used to be because she craved a connection to the only family she had in the world. Lately, though, it was as much because Jerry Mundy needed her.
He pretended that he didn’t, that he was taking care of himself and the house, too proud to admit he was failing. He was a shadow of his former self when he died at seventy-six, leaving Emerson alone in the world.
Throughout her motherless childhood, Emerson was obsessed with novels about orphans. Treasure Island shared coveted space on her bookshelf with Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, The Witch of Blackbird Pond
She always wondered what would happen to her if her father died. Would she wind up in an orphanage? Would a kindly stranger take her in? Would she live on the streets?
Now that it’s happened he’s down there, in the dirt … moving on?
She’ll never again hear his voice. She’ll never see the face so like her own that she can’t imagine she inherited any physical characteristics from her mother, Didi—though she can’t be certain.
Years ago, she asked her father for a picture—preferably one that showed her mother holding her as a baby, or of her parents together. Maybe she wanted evidence that she and her father had been loved; that the woman who’d abandoned them had once been normal—a proud new mother, a happy bride.
Or was it the opposite? Was she hoping to glimpse a hint that Didi Mundy was never normal? Did she expect to confirm that people—normal people—don’t just wake up one morning and choose to walk out on a husband and child? That there was always something off about her mother: a telltale gleam in the eye, or a faraway expression—some warning sign her father had overlooked. A sign Emerson herself would be able to recognize, should she ever be tempted to marry.
But there were no images of Didi that she could slip into a frame, or deface with angry black ink, or simply commit to memory.
Exhibit A: Untrustworthy.
Sure, there had been plenty of photos, her father admitted unapologetically. He’d gotten rid of everything.
There were plenty of pictures of her and Dad, though.
Exhibit B: Trustworthy.
Dad holding her hand on her first day of kindergarten, Dad leading her in an awkward waltz at a father-daughter middle school dance, Dad posing with her at high school graduation.
“Two peas in a pod,” he liked to say. “If I weren’t me, I’d think you were.”
She has his thick, wavy hair, the same dimple on her right cheek, same angular nose and bristly slashes of brow. Even her wide-set, prominent, upturned eyes are the same as his, with one notable exception.
Jerry Mundy’s eyes were a piercing blue.
Only one of Emerson’s is that shade; the other, a chalky gray.
***
Excerpt from Bone White by Wendy Corsi Staub. Copyright © 2017 by Wendy Corsi Staub. Reproduced with permission from William Morrow Mass Market. All rights reserved.


Author Bio:

New York Times bestseller Wendy Corsi Staub is the award-winning author of more than seventy novels. Wendy now lives in the New York City suburbs with her husband and their two children.

Catch Up With Wendy Corsi Staub On Her Website , Goodreads , Twitter , & Facebook !

 

Tour Participants:

Visit the other hosts on this tour for more reviews, guest posts, interviews, & giveaways!  

Giveaway:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Wendy Corsi Staub and William Morrow. There will be 3 winners of one (1) Print copy of Bone White by Wendy Corsi Staub. The giveaway begins on March 30th and runs through May 2nd, 2017. This giveaway is for US residents only. Void where prohibited by law.
a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours





Today's Gonereading item is:
Some Thomas Hardy Merchandise
Click HERE for the buy page

Friday, April 7, 2017

**GIVEAWAY** Showcase - Gumshoe For Two by Rob Leininger

I love promoting Indie publishers and small house mystery publisher Oceanview is one of my favorites. They've got a great stable of authors and some fantastic offerings one of which I'm showcasing today, Gumshoe For Two by USA Today bestseller, Rob Leininger.
Oceanview is sponsoring a giveaway, details below.

Enjoy!


ISBN-13: 9781608092321
Publisher: Oceanview
Mortimer Angel #2
Release Date: 04-04-2017
Length: 368pp
Buy It B&N/Amazon/Kobo/IndieBound

Overview:
In the style of Dashiell Hammett, ex-IRS agent turned gumshoe-in-training, Mortimer Angel, is approached by a beautiful hooker, Holiday, in a casino bar in Reno. Mort first met Holiday two months ago, but now learns that she s not really a hooker. She s a college engineering student, searching for her younger sister, Allie, who disappeared three months ago. Having seen Mort in the news, Holiday knows he s a PI who finds missing persons. While in the bar with Mort, Holiday gets an unexpected phone call from Allie who says she s in Gerlach, a small town in Nevada. The call is cut off. Holiday hires Mort on the spot, dragging him off to Gerlach. When Mort finds a connection between Allie and US Senator Harry "Liar" Reinhart, a presidential candidate who vanished without a trace three days ago, things quickly turn deadly very deadly.



Oceanview Publishing is offering
One Print copy of Gumshoe for Two US ONLY
Please use Rafflecopter form to enter
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Tuesday, April 4, 2017

**GIVEAWAY** Interview Suzanne Enoch - My One True Highlander

I'm so excited to welcome back to the blog the irrepressible Suzanne Enoch, fantastic historical romance author to chat about her latest Highlander tale, My One True Highlander.
Read the interview then enter for a chance to win a copy of your own.

Contest details below
Enjoy!

ISBN-13: 9781250095435
No Ordinary Heros #2
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 04-04-2017
Length: 320pp
Buy It: B&N/Amazon/Kobo/IndieBound

Overview:
DARE TO FALL IN LOVE
Scotland, 1812—Rugged Highlander Graeme’s loyalty to his clan means that their enemies are his own—even when that includes his neighbor, the Duke of Lattimer. It’s a fight he doesn’t relish, but when Graeme’s reckless younger brothers foolishly kidnap Lattimer’s younger sister, all bets are off…
Lady Marjorie Forrester may be aligned with the enemy, but capturing her puts Graeme squarely in the middle of a war. If he turns Marjorie over to his clan chief, she could be killed. If he lets her go, his brothers could face prison. In addition, the woman can’t stop trying to civilize the lot of them! What’s a Highlander to do, then, but keep the stubborn lass close…and explore the unexpected passion that develops between them? But how can Graeme protect Marjorie and his brothers when both Lattimer and his own clan are on the warpath—and will do whatever it takes to tear these two star-crossed lovers apart, in My One True Highlander, the next No Ordinary Hero Scottish romance from New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Enoch.


Giveaway is for one print copy
US ONLY of My One True Highlander
Please use rafflecopter form to enter
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Monday, April 3, 2017

Sophia Rose - Guest Review - Jackaby by William Ritter - Audible edition

It's time for another of Sophia Rose's guest reviews
Take it away Sophia Rose
Enjoy!


Jackaby by William Ritter
Narrated by Nicola Barber
#1 Jackaby
YA Historical Fantasy
Publisher:  High Bridge, division of Recorded Books
Published:  9.6.14
Time: 7 hrs 21 min
ASIN  B00N200622
Rating: 4
Source:  Bought
Seller:  Audible
Purchase links - Audible - Amazon


GoodReads Blurb: 
Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1890, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary - including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby's assistant.

On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it's an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain the foul deeds are the work of the kind of creature whose very existence the local police seem adamant to deny.

While Abigail finds herself drawn to Jackaby's keen intelligence and his sensitivity to phenomena others barely perceive, her feelings are confused by the presence of Charlie, a handsome young policeman willing to help Jackaby and Abigail on the case. But is Charlie's offer a sincere desire to be of service, or is some darker motive at work.