Tuesday, November 30, 2021

My Sponsor - 9th Annual Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza

 


My sponsor for the entire 9 years of my holiday bash needs no introductions but I thought maybe you'd like to hear how it all began.

Enjoy!


HOW HARLEQUIN BECAME ROMANCE

When Richard H. G. Bonnycastle, a former Arctic explorer with the Hudson Bay Company, launched Harlequin Books in Winnipeg in 1948, he had little interest in building a publishing empire around romance novels. Early in its history, Harlequin published inexpensive reprints of detective stories, cookbooks, westerns, and a smattering of tragic love stories.

When Bonnycastle’s wife, Mary, took on editorial duties in the 1950s, she focused on the vast untapped market of female readers in Canada who loved reading British romance novels. She discovered that her favorite novels were published by a British firm called Mills & Boon, which had been publishing romances since 1908. She contacted the firm and asked to acquire paperback rights to some of its romances.

Under Mary Bonnycastle’s guidance, Harlequin purged any potentially racy content from the Mills & Boon books and established a template for its own editions. The plot often involved a chance meeting in an interesting setting, a courtship that allowed both parties to overcome personal obstacles, and a happy denouement, almost inevitably involving marriage.

The formula worked. From Harlequin’s first reprint of a Mills & Boon romance, Anne Vinton’s The Hospital in Buwambo, there was a ready audience for chaste love stories that took place in exotic or historical settings.


THE GROWTH OF HARLEQUIN ROMANCE

Lawrence Heisey, a former soap salesman who had been appointed president of Harlequin in 1971, revolutionized romance publishing by distributing Harlequin romances to supermarkets and department stores, where they would be right at the fingertips of Canadian and American homemakers. The company often gave away one book as a free gift with the purchase of household items such as kitchen cleaners or napkins, hoping that shoppers would become hooked and buy the rest of the series.

By 1975, Harlequin had purchased British romance publisher Mills & Boon, and seventy percent of its sales came from outside of Canada.

Despite an early resistance to explicit sex scenes, Harlequin’s winning plot formula and marketing strategies fostered the company’s spread across the globe. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Harlequin employees gave away more than 720,000 books at border checkpoints across the Eastern Bloc. Just two years later, Harlequin had sold seven million romance novels in Hungary alone and reached $10 million in sales in the Czech Republic in 1992. By 1995, it had released 550,000 copies of its titles in Mandarin Chinese, paving the way for the opening of offices across the world, from Tokyo to Mumbai.

THE TRANSFORMATION OF HARLEQUIN

By the 1990s, Harlequin had become synonymous with romance novels, grown the category into a score of successful subgenre lines—from the historical to the contemporary and the sweetly romantic to the sensually passionate—opened offices around the world and seen its books made available in more than 100 countries and over 30 languages. Now the publisher looked to move beyond romance novels and expand the breadth of its editorial into all genres of fiction for women.

In 1994 Harlequin launched MIRA Books, its first mainstream commercial fiction imprint. MIRA offered readers thrillers, suspense novels, small town dramas, macabre paranormals and more complex, involved romances. In addition to acquiring existing authors from other publishing houses, MIRA allowed the publisher the opportunity to lift authors who had honed their craft and build sizeable followings in Harlequin’s category romance lines and give them the canvas to expand their vision and stretch their wings in a trade program. MIRA’s ability to create bestselling novels and franchises also made the imprint very attractive to debut authors.

Four years later, MIRA Books was joined by Love Inspired, an inspirational fiction imprint, as Harlequin moved beyond the mainstream and into niche markets. In 2004 Harlequin launched HQN Books, its bestseller romance trade program, allowing the publisher to introduce its top romance authors to mainstream audiences. In 2009, two more imprints were established—Harlequin TEEN, capturing the imagination of young adult readers and Carina Press, a digital-first adult fiction imprint that allowed the publisher to explore subgenres of traditional genres and push beyond conventional boundaries.

In 2016, Harlequin continued its expansion of trade publishing by launching two new imprints—Park Row Books, which is dedicated to publishing voice-driven and thought-provoking books across a variety of genres, from mainstream literary fiction and book club fiction to literary suspense and narrative nonfiction, and Graydon House Books, a select hardcover and trade paperback imprint showcasing commercial women's fiction with a relationship element woven through. In 2017 Hanover Square Press was launched to publish compelling, original fiction and narrative nonfiction, including crime, thrillers, high-concept fiction, history, journalism and memoir.

Harlequin has scaled fresh heights with its new imprints. Multiple #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller placements, overseas triumphs, films and television shows adapted from its novels have all served to help transform the company from the dominant romance publisher into a leading publisher of books for a wide range of readers and tastes.


Be sure and come back tomorrow for the kick off of the holiday blog bash!

Monday, November 29, 2021

9th Annual Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza!

 


Welcome to my 9th Annual Ho Ho Ho Harlequin Holiday Extravaganza
From December 1st through the 15th I’ll be featuring Harlequin Holiday novels
from some of my favorite HQN authors and once again Harlequin is sponsoring
a FAB #Giveaway. This year it’s a digital $25.00 Amazon Gift Card US and Canada Only.


I know in the past I’ve made these authors, many who have become friends through
the years a part of the holiday blast by sharing a holiday memory, recipe or message
and hopefully I’ll be able to do that again but like many of you this year has been a
challenge for my family.
Just before Christmas last year we lost our oldest daughter to cancer so even getting
Jolly this time of the year is a challenge. Then my husband had a stroke and has had
several subsequent hospital stays the last one just a few weeks ago.

So we put one foot in front of the other and try to carry on and focus on the good in
our lives and what we have to be thankful for keeping the glass half full instead of half
empty and thinking about all we’ve lost.

Unfortunately my blogging has taken the brunt of the challenges but I just couldn’t let
this time of year go by without at least trying to get the holiday blog bash in.


Stop by tomorrow when I feature a post about my holiday bash sponsor
Harlequin and then starting December 1st through the 15th
stop by everyday to see what HQN author and novel I'm featuring
and you'll be able to enter the #Giveaway once a day throughout the holiday bash!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and here’s to the next year being even better than the last!



 

Friday, November 26, 2021

#MacmillanAudio Review of A Net for Small Fishes by Lucy Jago

 I love history and when I saw that this novel was based on actual events in the early 1600s I knew I had to listen to it and I'm sure glad I did. Read on to see what I thought of the novel
Enjoy!

ASIN: B08SSKHKSV
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: 11-16-2021
Length: 12 hours/30 minutes
Source: Publisher for Review
Buy It: Audible

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:


Wolf Hall meets The Favourite in Lucy Jago's A Net For Small Fishes, a gripping dark novel based on the true scandal of two women determined to create their own fates in the Jacobean court.

“With Frankie, I could have the life I had always wanted and regain the honour I sought for myself and my family, and with me she could forge something more satisfying from her own....”

When the beautiful, unhappy Frances Howard meets the astute, diminished Anne Turner, the two women strike up an unlikely yet powerful friendship. Frankie quickly pulls Anne into her close confidence, sweeping her new companion into an extravagant world of glamour and decadence.

As the women grow closer, each hopes to change her circumstances. Frankie feels trapped in a miserable marriage while loving another, and newly widowed Anne struggles to stay afloat as she waits for a long-awaited proposal. Soon, a desperate plan that could change both their fortunes is hatched. But navigating the Jacobean court is a dangerous game, and one misstep could mean losing everything - including their lives....

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Showcase The Anomaly by by HERVÉ LE TELLIER Translated by ADRIANA HUNTER

Today enjoy yet another offering from my favorite Indie publisher Other Press, The Anomaly mixes sci-fi, thriller and crime drama by the internationally bestselling author Herve Le Tellier. I know one thing for sure this is going on my list right now!
Enjoy!

ISBN-13: 978-1-63542-169-9
Publisher: Other Press
Release Date: 11-23-2021
Length: 400pp
Buy It: Publisher/Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:


NAMED A BEST MYSTERY/THRILLER OF THE YEAR BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, A BEST MYSTERY/THRILLER OF THE MONTH BY POPSUGAR, AND A MOST ANTICIPATED READ OF THE YEAR BY CRIMEREADS

Who would we be if we had made different choices? Told that secret, left that relationship, written that book? We all wonder—the passengers of Air France 006 will find out.

In their own way, they were all living double lives when they boarded the plane:
Blake, a respectable family man who works as a contract killer.
Slimboy, a Nigerian pop star who uses his womanizing image to hide that he’s gay.
Joanna, a Black American lawyer pressured to play the good old boys’ game to succeed with her Big Pharma client.
Victor Miesel, a critically acclaimed yet largely obscure writer suddenly on the precipice of global fame.
About to start their descent to JFK, they hit a shockingly violent patch of turbulence, emerging on the other side to a reality both perfectly familiar and utterly strange. As it charts the fallout of this logic-defying event, The Anomaly takes us on a journey from Lagos and Mumbai to the White House and a top-secret hangar.
In HervĂ© Le Tellier’s most ambitious work yet, high literature follows the lead of a bingeable Netflix series, drawing on the best of genre fiction from “chick lit” to mystery, while also playfully critiquing their hallmarks. An ingenious, timely variation on the doppelgänger theme, it taps into the parts of ourselves that elude us most.

Friday, November 19, 2021

#GIVEAWAY Review Visceral Reaction by Donna Augustine book 2 in the Torn Worlds series

Today is a treat for me because I'm sharing my review of Visceral Reaction by an author who's a definite auto read for me and become my favorite in the genre, Donna Augustine. She's also very generously sponsoring a #Giveaway, details below.
Enjoy!

ASIN: B09GX9YNXT
Publisher: Strong Hold Publishing
Release Date: 09-26-2021
Length: 270pp
Source: Author for review
Torn Worlds book #2
Buy It: Amazon

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

I’m the dying leader of the human resistance. He’s the Alpha of the D.C. pack. He’s as rough and cold as they come and destined to be my enemy. But he needs me for something only a human can achieve. If I can pull off his mission, he’s got something no human can give me: a chance at living beyond the next few months.

When I agreed, I knew I might lose my life, but danger has never scared me. I didn’t know I might also lose my heart…
This romance novel can be read alone, but it's set in a common world with book one.

Giveaway is winner's choice of 
Book 1 or 2 in the Torn Worlds Series
Open Internationally
Please Use Rafflecopter form to enter
Good Luck


Thursday, November 18, 2021

#GIVEAWAY, Blog Tour - Showcase - The Lady and her Quill by Ruth A. Casie a Caffeinated PR tour

Welcome to my stop on the, The Lady and her Quill by Ruth A. Casie blog tour a Caffeinated pr sponsored tour.
Read all about it and don't forget to enter the fab #Giveaway at the end.
Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

#GIVEAWAY Review The Counsel of the Cunning by Steven C. Harms a Partners in Crime tour

Today is my stop on The Counsel of the Cunning by Steven C. Harms blog tour sponsored by Partners in Crime tours. Read all about the novel, including my review and don't forget to visit the other blogs on the tour and enter the #Giveaway at the end.
Enjoy! 

The Counsel of the Cunning

by Steven C. Harms

November 8 - December 3, 2021 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

The Counsel of the Cunning by Steven C. Harms

Roger Viceroy faces a return to the FBI and a life he vacated long ago, until a knock on his front door announces the presence of billionaire and former U.S. Senator, JĂĽrgen Sandt.

The past has come back to rear its ugly head. Sandt stands on his threshold for a reason: a decade prior the senator’s only son disappeared into the jungles of Guatemala, and Sandt has come to convince Viceroy that further investigation is now necessary. A package left mysteriously outside the family estate, opens the door to the possibility that his son is still very much alive.

Viceroy and his team agree to take on the hunt. Their search steers them from the back streets of Milwaukee to the stealthy corridors of Washington, D.C.—an eerie trek that will ultimately lead to an ancient site that supposedly doesn’t exist.

As Viceroy closes in on the truth, a parallel plot emerges. Not only could it point to the reason behind the cryptic disappearance of Bertram Sandt, but it could also launch a deadly battle that will put millions of lives at stake. On pure instinct, Viceroy knows nothing is adding up. Somehow, somewhere they missed a clue, and if it’s not discovered soon…it may be too late.

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery
Published by: Suspense Publishing
Publication Date: November 9th 2021
Number of Pages: 268
ISBN: 978-0-578-93379-5
Series:Roger Viceroy Series, #2
Purchase Links: Amazon | Goodreads

 

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

#MacmillanAudio Review of Fan Fiction: A Mem-Noir: Inspired by True Events by Brent Spiner of Star Trek The Next Generation Fame

Okay I have to admit I'm a Trekkie from the original show was head over heels for Spock and on through all the generations of series that showed on TV; Discovery, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and my favorite Star Trek The Next Generation. I mean who didn't love all the love between species on that show and I like many of you were in LOVE with the captain, but I do have to admit a certain attraction to the Artificial Intelligent super star, Data. So when Macmillan Audio offered me an audio review copy of Data's Brent's debut Fan Fiction and I learned that not only is Data/Brent narrating but every crew member makes cameo appearances I said Yes Please.
Enjoy and Live Long and Prosper!

ASIN: B08TX76B64
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: 10-12-2021
Length: 6 hours 53 minutes
Source: Publisher/Netgalley for review
Buy It: Audible

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview

This program is read by the author with LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Genie Francis, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Patrick Stewart, and a full cast.

Brent Spiner’s explosive and hilarious novel is a personal look at the slightly askew relationship between a celebrity and his fans. If the Coen Brothers were to make a Star Trek movie, involving the complexity of fan obsession and sci-fi, this noir comedy might just be the one.

Set in 1991, just as Star Trek: The Next Generation has rocketed the cast to global fame, the young and impressionable actor Brent Spiner receives a mysterious package and a series of disturbing letters, that take him on a terrifying and bizarre journey that enlists Paramount Security, the LAPD, and even the FBI in putting a stop to the danger that has his life and career hanging in the balance.

Featuring a cast of characters from Patrick Stewart to LeVar Burton to Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, to some completely imagined, this is the fictional autobiography that takes listeners into the life of Brent Spiner, and tells an amazing tale about the trappings of celebrity and the fear he has carried with him his entire life.

Fan Fiction is a zany love letter to a world in which we all participate, the phenomenon of “Fandom”.

Monday, November 15, 2021

Sophia Rose Reviews- The Lost Bones by Kendra Elliot Widow's Island #8

Today I welcome Sophia Rose back to the blog to review Widow's Island #8 by Kendra Elliot.
Enjoy!

The Lost Bones by Kendra Elliot

#8 Widow’s Island

Romantic Suspense

Publisher:  Montlake

Published:  10.26.21

ASIN:  B08HYZBMHQ

Pages:  116

Rating: 4.5

Format: eARC

Source:  Net Galley

Sellers:  Amazon


ADD TO: GoodReads  

 

GoodReads Blurb:

From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kendra Elliot comes the story of a former FBI agent who tackles an unsolved kidnapping in the eighth installment of the Widow’s Island Novella series.

When former FBI agent Cate Wilde moves back to Widow’s Island, she envisions a simpler life than the one she had in law enforcement. But Cate’s past has a habit of catching up with her. When she receives a mysterious package containing a child’s mandible, she finds herself thrust back into action.

The mandible leads Cate to an unsolved case she worked seven years ago—the kidnapping of a three-year-old girl. At the time, Cate suspected the girl was kidnapped by her overprotective father. But after they both vanished, the case went cold.

At the urging of the girl’s mother, Cate dives back into the case and learns her prime suspect may still be a threat. Armed with new clues and a fresh perspective, Cate must confront the possibility that the kidnapper is poised to strike again. But can she save his new child from the same fate before it’s too late?

 

Friday, November 12, 2021

Showcase - Back To Japan The Life and Art of Master Kimono Painter Kunihiko Moriguchi by MARC PETITJEAN Translated by ADRIANA HUNTER

Today I once again am featuring Back To Japan - The Life and Art of Master Kimono Painter Kunihiko Moriguchi by MARC PETITJEAN Translated by ADRIANA HUNTER, a wonderful just released jewel by my favorite Indie publishers Other Press.
Enjoy!

ISBN-13:  978-1-63542-090-6
Publisher: Other Press
Release Date: 11-9-2021
Length: 160pp
Buy It: Publisher/ Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:


From the critically acclaimed author of The Heart: Frida Kahlo in Paris, a fascinating, intimate portrait of one of Japan’s most influential and respected textile artists.

Writer, filmmaker, and photographer Marc Petitjean finds himself in Kyoto one fine morning with his camera, to film a man who will become his friend: Kunihiko Moriguchi, a master kimono painter and Living National Treasure—like his father before him.

As a young decorative arts student in the 1960s, Moriguchi rubbed shoulders with the cultural elite of Paris and befriended Balthus, who would profoundly influence his artistic career. Discouraged by Balthus from pursuing design in Europe, he returned to Japan to take up his father’s vocation. Once back in this world of tradition he had tried to escape, Moriguchi contemporized the craft of YĹ«zen (resist dyeing) through his innovative use of abstraction in patterns.

With a documentarian’s keen eye, Petitjean retraces Moriguchi’s remarkable life, from his childhood during the turbulent 1940s and 50s marked by war, to his prime as an artist with works exhibited in the most prestigious museums in the world.

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Sophia Rose Reviews- Buried Bones by Melinda Leigh

Today once again my friend Sophia Rose is here to give us her opinions about the latest in Melinda Leigh's Widow's Island series, Buried Bones.
Enjoy1

Buried Bones by Melinda Leigh

#7 Widow’s Island Novella

Romantic Suspense

Publisher:  Montlake

Published: 10.19.21

ASIN:  B08HYZC7M8

Pages: 109

Rating: 4 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  Net Galley

Sellers:  Amazon


ADD TO: GoodReads  

 

GoodReads Blurb:

A college student’s murder shines light on community secrets left in the dark in the seventh Widow’s Island novella by #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh.

All communities have their secrets…but on Widow’s Island, there’s a skeleton in every closet, as Deputy Tessa Black knows all too well. When Tessa stumbles upon a half-buried body in the woods, a peaceful morning hike suddenly turns into a race to catch a killer.

Tessa identifies the skeletal corpse as Aurora Franklin, a young college student and aspiring actor. She’d come to Widow’s Island for a summer job, only to be strangled and discarded. Aurora has been dead for over a month—and not a single islander has reported her missing.

The investigation reveals a dangerous predator hiding in the Widow’s Island community. With her fiancĂ©, park ranger Logan Wilde, by her side, Tessa must find Aurora’s murderer before they strike again.

 

Sophia Rose's Review:

The Pacific Northwest’s scenic, isolated, and atmospheric Widow’s Island is disturbed once again when an unearthed body turns up during the height of the tourist season.  This tandem-written series between Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliott remains rock-steady with the clever, quick novellas that are engaging installment after installment.

 

Buried Bones is the seventh novella in the Widow’s Island series.  The books work best in order as there is a character and relationship arc spread throughout the series though, each does contain a standalone mystery.

 

Tessa and Patience are hiking to the top of Crone Mountain for some sister time when they come across a decomposed body just off the trail.  With the help of her fiancĂ©, forest ranger, Logan Wilde, Tessa tracks the evidence to a killer. 

Tessa’s life has definitely taken a strong turn for the better lately as Logan has helped her with her mom suffering from Alzheimer’s and her teen sister.  She is learning to balance work and a private life which includes wedding preparations.  Logan is doing better with his PTSD, too.  But, something is up with Patience- she’s too quiet.  Unfortunately, this new homicide has to be dealt with first.

 

I’ve likely said this before, but this series is addicting and is a wonderful blend of island- small town setting, engaging characters, and strong plotting.  There is a good blend of romantic suspense, but in this one, they focused on the mystery more.  The mystery wasn’t twisting, but it was satisfying and especially after that breath-stealing climax.  I’m glad that the next release comes shortly and I can dive right back into the Widow’s Island world.

 

In summary, I devoured it swiftly and want more.  Those who enjoy well-thought mystery and character development with a keen attention to setting should give these quick-read romantic suspenses a go.

 


Author’s Bio:

#1 Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling author Melinda Leigh is a fully recovered banker who learned that writing books is way more fun than analyzing financial statements. Melinda’s debut novel, SHE CAN RUN, was nominated for Best First Novel by the International Thriller Writers. Since then, she has garnered numerous writing accolades, including two RITA® Award nominations and an induction into the NJ Romance Writers Hall of Fame. Her novels have sold more than 10 million copies across the world. Melinda loves martial arts, rescue dogs, and sea turtles.

WEBSITE: https://www.melindaleigh.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/melindaleighauthorpage/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/MelindaLeigh1



Sophia’s Bio:

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

Sophia’s Social Media Links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sophia.rose.7587

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sophiarose1816

GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13418187.Sophia_Rose

 


Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Books from the Backlist Review of In Five Years by Rebecca Serle


Today I reached back into my Netgalley shelves and pulled out In Five Years by Rebecca Serle. A wonderful novel that I should have read right away.
Hindsight right!
Enjoy!

Monday, November 8, 2021

#GIVEAWAY Showcase The Last Speaker of Skalwegian by David Gardner

Today on the blog I'm showcasing The Last Speaker of Skalwegian by David Gardner another fab offering from Partners In Crime Blog Tours. Read all about it, visit the other tour stops and don't forget to enter the #Giveaway!
Enjoy!


The Last Speaker of Skalwegian by David Gardner Banner

The Last Speaker of Skalwegian

by David Gardner

November 1-30, 2021 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

The Last Speaker of Skalwegian by David Gardner

Professor Lenny Thorson lives in a defunct revolving restaurant, obsesses over word derivations, and teaches linguistics at a fourth-rate college with a gerbil for a mascot. Lenny's thirty-four years have not been easy—he grew up in a junkyard with his widowed father and lives under a cloud of guilt for having killed another boxer as a teenager.

Desperate to save his teaching career, Lenny seizes the opportunity to document the Skalwegian language with its last living speaker, Charlie Fox. Life appears to have finally taken a turn for the better...

Unfortunately for Lenny, it hasn't. He soon finds himself at war with Charlie, his dean, a ruthless mobster, and his own conscience.

A genial protagonist will keep readers enticed throughout this amusing romp.
~ Kirkus Reviews

Book Details:

Genre: Humorous Thriller, Academic Setting
Published by: Encircle Publications, LLC
Publication Date: September 8th 2021
Number of Pages: 308
ISBN: 164599239X (ISBN13: 9781645992394)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

 

Thursday, November 4, 2021

Showcase - Lemon A Novel by KWON YEO-SON Translated by JANET HONG

Today I'm showcasing Lemon, a haunting Korean crime drama, another fantastic offering from my favorite Indy, Other Press.
Enjoy!

ISBN-13:  978-1-63542-089-0
Publisher: Other Press
Release Date: 10-26-2021
Length: 160pp
Buy It: Publisher / Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:


NAMED A MOST-ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR BY MS. MAGAZINE AND CRIMEREADS

Parasite meets The Good Son in this piercing psychological portrait of three women haunted by a brutal, unsolved crime.

In the summer of 2002, when Korea is abuzz over hosting the FIFA World Cup, eighteen-year-old Kim Hae-on is killed in what becomes known as the High School Beauty Murder. Two suspects quickly emerge: rich kid Shin Jeongjun, whose car Hae-on was last seen in, and delivery boy Han Manu, who witnessed her there just a few hours before her death. But when Jeongjun’s alibi checks out, and no evidence can be pinned on Manu, the case goes cold.

Seventeen years pass without any resolution for those close to Hae-on, and the grief and uncertainty take a cruel toll on her younger sister, Da-on, in particular. Unable to move on with her life, Da-on tries in her own twisted way to recover some of what she’s lost, ultimately setting out to find the truth of what happened.

Shifting between the perspectives of Da-on and two of Hae-on’s classmates struck in different ways by her otherworldly beauty, Lemon ostensibly takes the shape of a crime novel. But identifying the perpetrator is not the main objective here: Kwon Yeo-sun uses this well-worn form to craft a searing, timely exploration of privilege, jealousy, trauma, and how we live with the wrongs we have endured and inflicted in turn.

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

#GIVEAWAY-Showcase- Deadly Target by Elizabeth Goddard a Partners in Crime tour

Today is my stop on the Deadly Target by Elizabeth Goddard virtual tour sponsored by Partners In Crime. Read all about it and don't forget to enter the #Giveaway at the end.
Enjoy!

Deadly Target

by Elizabeth Goddard

November 1-30, 2021 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Deadly Target by Elizabeth Goddard

Criminal psychologist Erin Larson’s dreams of a successful career come to a screeching halt when she nearly loses her own life in a boating accident on Puget Sound and then learns that her mother tried to commit suicide. She leaves her job as a criminal psychologist to care for her mother in Montana. At least she is able to produce her podcast, which focuses on solving missing persons cold cases.

Nathan Campbell’s father was investigating such a case when he was shot, and now Nathan needs to enlist Erin’s help to solve the case. She’s good at what she does. The only problem? She’s his ex.

As the two dig deeper, it becomes clear that they, too, are being targeted–and that the answers to their questions are buried deep within the past Erin struggles to explain and longs to forget.

The race is on for the truth in this gripping and complex tale of suspense, intrigue, and murder from USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard.

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Published by: Revell
Publication Date: November 2nd 2021
Number of Pages: 336
ISBN: 0800737997 (ISBN13: 9780800737993)
Series: Rocky Mountain Courage #2 || This is a Stand-Alone Novel
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | ChristianBook.com | IndieBound.Org

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Kick off for NaNoWriMo is the perfect time to Write for Harlequin Read on to learn how



Did you ever finish a book and say to yourself, I could do that. Well that's how many of your favorite Harlequin Authors got their start. And November is the perfect time to get your feet wet with it being National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo for short)!

Read on to learn just how to make that first step to writing your own HEA by taking advantage of all the cool things Harlequin is offering to make that dream come true for you.

Monday, November 1, 2021

Sophia Rose Reviews: Witchy Whiskers by Danielle Garrett, a Tantor Audio book narrated by Amanda Ronconi

Today on the blog I welcome back Sophia Rose who's reviewing, Witchy Whiskers, the Nine Lives Magic series debut in audio by Danielle Garrett. 
Enjoy!


Witchy Whiskers by Danielle Garrett, narrated by Amanda Ronconi

#1 Nine Lives Magic

Paranormal Cozy Mystery

Publisher:  Tantor Audio

Published:  9.28.21

ASIN:  B09FYHLMJ8

Time:  5 hours 45 minutes

Rating: 4 stars

Narrator Rating: 5 stars

Format: MP3

Source:  Tantor Audio

Sellers: Amazon / Kobo

ADD TO: GoodReads  

 

GoodReads Blurb:

Have you ever wished your cat could talk to you? If so, allow my story to be your cautionary tale.
My life was going just fine by most standards. I ran a successful business in a tight-knit magical community, and lived just blocks from a beautiful lake and series of hiking trails.

Then Selene showed up.

According to some magical code I inherit my aunt’s ancient familiar; a grumpy ten-pound cat with a broken filter. She fancies herself something of a saber-toothed tiger, and claims to have wrestled the thread of her ninth life from the hands of the Fates themselves — although, I’m pretty sure that last part isn’t true.

Almost positive.

I’m still looking into the magical fine print, but in the meantime I’m stuck as the guardian to a cat with the personality of Sophia from the Golden Girls. Oh, and by another cruel twist of fate, my ex-husband just moved back into town. I thought I couldn’t take any more, but when a murder rocks my small community, I wind up entangled in the investigation thanks to a handsome stranger.

If only life came equipped with a rewind button.