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Saturday, December 30, 2017

Release Tour & #Giveaway for Escape Claws by Linda Reilly


Welcome to my stop on the Release Tour, presented by Silver Dagger Book Tours, for Escape Claws by Linda Reilly. Please leave a comment or question for Linda to let her know you stopped by. You may enter the tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.  Good Luck!

Escape Claws
by Linda Reilly
A Cat Lady Mystery, Book 1

Publisher: Lyrical Underground
Release Date: December 26, 2017
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Length: 204 pages




Here, killer, killer, killer . . .

For the first time in sixteen years, Lara Caphart has returned to her hometown of Whisker Jog, New Hampshire. She wants to reconnect with her estranged Aunt Fran, who’s having some difficulty looking after herself—and her eleven cats. Taking care of a clowder of kitties is easy, but keeping Fran from being harassed by local bully Theo Barnes is hard. The wealthy builder has his sights set on Fran’s property, and is determined to make her an offer she doesn’t dare refuse.

Then Lara spots a blue-eyed ragdoll cat that she swears is the reincarnation of her beloved Blue, her childhood pet. Pursuing the feline to the edge of Fran’s yard, she stumbles upon the body of Theo Barnes, clearly a victim of foul play. To get her and Fran off the suspect list, Lara finds herself following the cat’s clues in search of a killer. Is Blue’s ghost really trying to help her solve a murder, or has Lara inhaled too much catnip?


Amazon * B&N * Kobo


A paw batting at her nose awakened Lara. She squinted at the clock—only six fifteen. Half asleep, she grinned at the perpetrator—Izzy. The calico cat balanced on her chest while Pickles chewed on a strand of her tangled hair.



Armed with a degree in Criminal Justice, Linda Reilly once contemplated a career in law enforcement. But life took a twist, and instead she found her niche in real estate closings and title examinations, where the dusty tomes in the Registry of Deeds enticed her into solving mysteries of a different sort.

A dyed-in-the-wool New Englander, Linda lives in New Hampshire with her husband, who affectionately calls her "Nose-in-a-Book." A member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, she loves solving mysteries of the cozy type. When she's not pounding away at her keyboard, she can usually be found prowling the shelves of a local bookstore or library.





Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts and a giveaway!
 



Book Promo & #Giveaway for Wolf of the Tesseract by Christopher D. Schmitz


Welcome to my stop on the Book Promo, presented by Silver Dagger Book Tours, for Wolf of the Tesseract by Christopher D.Schmitz.  Please leave a comment or question for Christopher to let him know you stopped by.  You may enter the tour wide giveaway by filling out the Rafflecopter form below. 
Good Luck!

Wolf of the Tesseract
by Christopher D. Schmitz
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Genre: SciFi Fantasy
Length: 227 pages



While investigating a series of strange murders in her neighborhood, college student Claire Jones is kidnapped by a handsome werewolf who claims he’s rescuing her from the clutches of an evil sorcerer. But she can’t run forever and if Claire and her companion can’t reclaim an arcane artifact to end the warlock’s reign of terror, he will unleash the dark god Sh’logath’s cataclysmic power upon the universe, shattering dimensional barriers, and devouring 
all reality.

**FREE on Amazon Dec 28th- 30th!**






Christopher D. Schmitz is the traditionally published and self-published author of both fiction and nonfiction. When he is not writing or working with teenagers he might be found at comic conventions as a panelist or guest. He has been featured on cable access television broadcasts, metro area podcasts, and runs a blog for indie authors.

Always interested in stories, media such as comic books, movies, 80s cartoons, and books called to him at a young age—especially sci-fi and fantasy. He lives in rural Minnesota with his family where he drinks unsafe amounts of coffee. The caffeine shakes keeps the cold from killing them. His entire family is musically gifted, although he is, sadly, their only bagpiper.

Education: Schmitz also holds a Master’s Degree in Religion and freelances for local newspapers. He is available for speaking engagements, interviews, etc. via the contact form and links on his website or via social media.











Friday, December 29, 2017

Blog Tour & #Giveaway for Beautiful Lawman by Sophie Jordan



Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour, presented by Pure Textuality PR, for Beautiful Lawman by Sophie Jordan.  Please leave a comment or question for Sophie to let her know you stopped by. You may enter the tour wide giveaway below.  Good Luck!

Beautiful Lawman
by Sophie Jordan
Devil’s Rock Series, Book 4

Publisher: Avon Books
Publication Date: December 26, 2017
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance


About the Book:

From the wrong side of the tracks and with most of her family in jail or dead, Piper Walsh is used to everyone in town thinking the worst about her. It doesn’t seem to matter that she’s worked hard to build a good life for herself. So she isn’t surprised that when she comes into contact with Sweet Hill’s wildly irresistible, arrogant sheriff, Hale Walters, they’re instant adversaries. Piper has nothing in common with the town golden-boy-turned-lawman—and she refuses to be a notch on his bedpost.

Despite rumors, Hale avoids fooling around with the women of Sweet Hill, many of whom are hoping to get him to the altar. But staying out of Piper’s path is proving near impossible. The infuriating troublemaker clearly has no respect for his badge. As she continues to push his buttons, it becomes clear to Hale that he must either arrest Piper—or claim her as his own.






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Excerpt from Beautiful Lawman by Sophie Jordan. Copyright ©2017 by Sophie Jordan. Reprinted by permission of Avon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

“Found her,” the desk clerk trilled as though Malia had been lost somewhere in the back—clearly oblivious to the tense undercurrent between them.

Piper grasped Malia by the elbow and tugged her close beside her. She pasted a smile on her face for the benefit of the older woman. “Thank you so much. Is there somewhere I have to sign her out? Or do you need to check my identification or—”

“Ah, yes.” She clapped her hands lightly and scurried behind the broad desk again. “It’s right here. The other parents already signed out their children . . .” She looked up and eyed Piper. “You hardly look old enough to be her parent.”

“No, I’m her sister, but her legal guardian.”

“Ahh. That explains it. You two are mirror images of each other. Cute as two kittens.”

Malia giggled as the woman resumed searching through the clutter of her desk.

Piper reached deep for patience even though a part of her marveled at how this woman fared in emergencies where speed was required. She did work in a sheriff’s department, after all. They had to have the occasional need for urgency.

Footsteps sounded, thudding deeply across the floor. Her nape prickled in awareness.

She looked up just as a tall figure emerged from the hall, a big dark shape etched against the pale beige backdrop of the building’s interior.

Her throat closed up at the sight of the deep blue uniform with its shiny brass bits. At first it was all she noticed. The only thing. It was familiar enough. As was her physical reaction to the sight of it. She supposed it was an unhealthy reaction. And abnormal. The sight of a policeman’s uniform should provide comfort. But for her it never signified anything good to come.

Her gaze crawled over the uniform—and There was a considerable amount of it. Not just in breadth, but in height, too. The body that filled out the uniform was muscled and tightly built. Not an inch of fat anywhere on his bulk.

She dragged a breath in and forced her attention to his face as dread pooled in her stomach.

She knew what she would see. Who she would see. He was tank of a man. There weren’t many men built like him sporting a police uniform.

He would have to be on duty the one time she came here. She had feared coming face-to-face with him the moment she parked outside. Her brother’s friend, North, had warned her that he was a powerful man, the implication being that she should give him due respect. Only she hadn’t done that. Hopefully she wouldn’t pay for it now.

She squared her shoulders, bracing herself for the moment he looked up and saw her. Maybe he wouldn’t recognize her. He’d seen her just once, after all. In a darkened club, no less.

She stifled a snort. Wishful thinking. She doubted he had forgotten the first time they met. If that encounter in Joe’s could even be called a meeting. The pitcher of ice water in his lap would have made a lasting impression.

Braced or not, when he looked up she was caught off guard.

Nothing could have steeled herself for the weight of those gray eyes. Somehow she had missed their magnitude in the dimness of Joe’s, but she felt the intensity of them now. In one sweeping glance, he took in their trio before advancing in a long-legged stride.

“Ms. Walsh.” 

He remembered her, all right.

“Isn’t it?”

Damn his voice was deep. Full of gravel. It sounded like sex.

The completely inappropriate thought hit her out of nowhere. For starters, she could hardly count herself as an expert on sex. And secondly . . .

this was Hale Walters. A rude, arrogant cop quick to judge. He was everything she despised.

She’d heard him speak in Joe’s but the music had been loud and she’d found him so offensive with his remarks that she hadn’t absorbed the gritty drawl like she did now in the stark quiet of the sheriff’s department.

“Sheriff,” she greeted, the word escaping as a treacherous tremor.

As he drew closer she was only more painfully aware of his size. He’d been sitting that time in Joe’s. She had no idea he was this big. This tall. He had to be pushing six-five.
She tugged her cardigan closer around her, feeling suddenly fragile in comparison.

His gaze drifted to Malia. “Your sister, I presume?”

She nodded.

“Appears she got into a bit of trouble tonight.”

Her jaw clenched. The desk clerk had said as much, but she resisted nodding assent to him. Everything about him rubbed her the wrong way.

“Found it!” The older woman brandished a clipboard and abandoned her desk to offer it to Piper. “Just sign here.”

The sheriff plucked it from her hands just as Piper was about to take it. “Thank you, Doris.”

Doris beamed and turned for her desk again.

Piper stared at the sheriff expectantly, waiting for him to hand over the clipboard so she could be on her way.

Instead, he held it in his hands and looked in no hurry to pass it to her.

He and Piper stared at one another for an awkward stretch of silence. As the seconds ticked, her resentment grew. He couldn’t just be linebacker big. No. He had to be hot as sin, too.

Malia looked back and forth between the two of them mildly, taking a slurping sip from her can of orange soda.

Piper lifted her chin a notch. “Are you gonna let me sign that? Or just keep me standing here? It’s late.”

Malia’s eyes widened. Piper knew she was setting a bad example. She’d told her sister time and time again to always be respectful to authority figures. Even when it was hard. And here she was throwing sass at the county sheriff. She couldn’t stop herself though.

The corner of his mouth kicked up. It was almost a smile. Only his eyes didn’t smile. They stared coldly. “You know I thought my memory of you might have been wrong, Ms. Walsh.”

She fought the urge to demand he explain himself, but that made it look like she cared what he thought of her . . . or that he thought of her at all.

“It wasn’t though,” he finished.

And she was quite certain that was an insult.

“You two know each other?” Malia asked.

“No,” she snapped. “We don’t know each other at all.” She lifted her chin, making sure he understood that she didn’t want to know him.

This time both corners of his mouth lifted in a full-blown smile. It was devastating. Unfairly, it made him even more attractive. She bet the women in this town threw themselves at him.


And that only annoyed her more.

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of BEAUTIFUL LAWMAN, we’re giving away one paperback set of the DEVIL’S ROCK by Sophie Jordan.
GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS: 
Open to US shipping addresses only. 
One winner will receive a paperback set of the Devil’s Rock series by Sophie Jordan.  
This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of Avon Romance.  
Giveaway ends 1/5/2018 @ 11:59pm EST. 
Avon Romance will send the winning copies out to the winner directly. 
Limit one entry per reader and mailing address.  
Duplicates will be deleted.  


About Sophie Jordan

Sophie Jordan grew up in the Texas hill country where she wove fantasies of dragons, warriors, and princesses. A former high school English teacher, she’s the New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author of more than twenty novels. She now lives in Houston with her family. When she’s not writing, she spends her time overloading on caffeine (lattes preferred), talking plotlines with anyone who will listen (including her kids), and cramming her DVR with anything that has a happily ever after. You can visit her online at www.sophiejordan.net.

Author Links

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Book Beginning & Friday 56 - #96


Book Beginnings on Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Gilion at Rose City Reader. Every Friday we share the first sentence (or so) of the book we’re currently reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.


My Book Beginning:  

The Winter Garden: A Daisy Dalrymple  Mystery (Book 2) by Carola Dunn



Prologue

The night was mild for the time of year.  The half-moon-shinning at intervals between drifting clouds-provided all the light needed.  
My Thoughts: I started reading this series right before Christmas and so far I'm hooked.  I like the beginning because you know it's just the kind of night when something is going to happen to someone ....something bad.....

What do you think?  Don't forget to leave your book beginning below and to link-up at Rose City Reader.  





**************


Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda at Freda’s Voice on every Friday.

To Play along here are the Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your post below. 
*Don’t forget to add your post URL (not your blog url) at Freda’s Voice.  
*It's that simple.

My 56 (Also from The Winter Garden by Carola Dunn – about 56% on Kindle):  

“But what is your role in this, Miss Dalrymple? You are a guest at Occles Hall.  What do you know of this wretched business?”


My Thoughts:  I've actually read past this part already and it's pretty good.  I'm really enjoying the book so far.  


So, what do you think?  Do the teasers tempt you to try the book? What about the cover, does it intrigue you?  Don’t forget to leave the link to your Friday 56 below and to link up at Freda’s Voice.  




About The Winter Garden: A Daisy Dalyrimple Mystery (Book 2)
by Carola Dunn

In England, 1923, the Honourable Daisy Dalrymple has made a decision that, while shocking to her class, is in perfect keeping with the spirit of the times. Rather than live with relatives until she marries, she has undertaken to earn her own living with her writing. Her series of articles on country manor houses has proven popular with the readers of Town and Country and in February she travels to Occles Hall to research her latest piece.


What she finds there is a household under the thumb of the ill-tempered and demanding Lady Valeria. The discovery of the body of a pregnant maid buried in the winter garden does nothing to improve Lady Valeria's mood. When the local constabulary arrests the Welsh under-gardener who had been involved with the maid for the murder, Daisy is sure of his innocence and suspects that the whole affair is consciously being swept under the carpet. Wary of the air of secrecy that permeates Occles hall and determined to prove the innocence of the young Welshman, Daisy convinces Alec Fletcher of Scotland Yard to investigate the murder--a murder that is more complex and horrifying than either could have imagined.




Don't forget to post your meme's and link up at both host locations.  

Have a great Friday! 
Maria

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Blog Tour & #Giveaway for The Art of Running in Heels by Rachel Gibson



Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour, presented by Pure Textuality PR, for The Art of Running in Heels by Rachel Gibson.  Please leave a comment or question for Rachel to let her know you stopped by.  You may enter the tour wide giveaway by following the link below.  Good Luck!


The Art of Running in Heels
by Rachel Gibson 
Chinooks Romance Series

Publisher : Avon Books
Publication Date: December 26, 2017
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance


About the Book:

Running in five-inch stilettos is an art form.

Leaving your fiancĂ© at the altar on live television is a disaster. Lexie Kowalsky thought she was ready to get married in front of millions of people, but at the last minute she fled the set of television’s hottest reality show, Gettin’ Hitched. Wearing a poofy white dress and a pair of 5 inch sparkly shoes, Lexie hopped a float plane for Sand Spit, Canada. She figured no one would find her there. But she was wrong.

Sharing her flight was the Seattle Chinooks biggest star, Sean Knox. Lexie wasn’t just a reality-show runaway, she was his pain in the butt coach’s daughter. She was chaos and temptation and definitely off limits, but getting her luscious body out of that wedding gown, he couldn’t resist getting her in his bed for one amazing night.

Then a photo of Sean and Lexi breaks the internet—and suddenly they’re both swept up in a crazy plan to spin the whole story. But you can’t run from love…


Buy Links: 
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Excerpt from The Art of Running in Heels by Rachel Gibson.  Copyright ©2017 by Rachel Gibson. Reprinted by permission of Avon, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers.



“It’s been ten minutes.” He drained the glass and turned toward Jimmy. “Maybe your passenger isn’t going to show up.”

“It’s been less than five.” The pilot pulled a cell phone from the pocket of his bomber jacket and glanced at it for several seconds. “It’s an emergency.” He turned his attention toward shore as if he waited for some sort of signal. 

Emergency or not, Sean hoped like hell the person they were waiting on wasn’t trying to drive from anywhere within a twenty-mile radius of downtown Seattle. If that was the case, the other passenger was probably stuck in chaotic traffic due to that shitty show, Gettin’ Hitched, and the mob surrounding the Fairmont Hotel, fighting for a glimpse of the latest reality show couple and cheering like the Seahawks had won the Super Bowl again. NBC had even set up jumbotrons downtown so fans could capture the happy couple exchanging their vows on live television with the rest of the country.

Sean had never watched the television program, but he couldn’t escape it. Gettin’ Hitched fever had spread across America faster than a virus in flu season, and it seemed everyone but him had become infected. Even the guys in the Chinooks locker room had talked about each episode like they were getting paid for their own personal recap and review. They’d discussed the scheming and backstabbings and had placed bets on which girl would be sent home each week. Of course, their interest had a lot to do with Lexie Kowalsky. Some of the guys knew Lexie, and her ability to back-check and deke the other bachelorettes off the show made them proud. It was probably no coincidence that the daughter of John Kowalsky had the grit and determination to cut each girl off at the knees and had won the privilege of gettin’ hitched on live television.

Sean had never met Lexie. She’d been three weeks into a twelve-episode season when he’d signed with the Chinooks. He’d seen her, though, on commercials and magazine covers and on mobile billboards driving around Seattle, every pixel photo-shopped, bright white teeth, brighter blue eyes, perfection from the top of her blond head to the tips of her pink toenails. She looked bigger than life, sitting on a tractor and towing a man all trussed up in bailing twine. The guy had a stupid smile on his face that made him look like a real pussy. No way on earth Sean would ever agree to something like that. He didn’t care if he was being judgmental. Those two had signed up to be judged. His verdict: The bride was probably dumb as the billboards, the groom was likely a pussy, and both were as fake as their shitty show.

Sean felt the vodka kick up his comfy glow a few more notches. Lexie Kowalsky probably wasn’t as pretty in real life as in pictures, and those boobs that practically fell out of her shirt in every photo were likely bought and paid for with her daddy’s money. If Coach Kowalsky wasn’t such an asshole, Sean might actually feel sorry for the guy.

It had been no secret that Kowalsky hadn’t wanted to trade Kessel and Stamkos for Sean, and the thought of John “The Wall” dressed up in a tuxedo and forced to perform in the Gettin’ Hitched chaos brought a smile to Sean’s lips.

Sean turned his attention from the parking lot to Jimmy. “What kind of dire emergency can there possibly be that someone would have to get to Sandspit in a hurry?” He took off his sunglasses and shoved them in the pocket of his jacket. “A local jam or jelly heist?”

“What?” Jimmy glanced at Sean, then returned his attention to the shore. “Not dire, but I. . . .” Jimmy’s voice faded to a whisper, “Holy shit. We’re a go.”

Sean’s gaze followed Jimmy’s as a silver MINI Cooper screeched to a stop in the parking lot. The door flew open and a white pouf erupted from the car like an old-school pan of Jiffy Pop. The pouf struggled for several seconds, expanding and growing, then it practically fell from the car, getting poufier. The whole scene was so unreal, Sean half expected clowns to start jumping out, one after another, honking party horns, and acting like fools. Yeah, Sean was a little drunk. Maybe more than a little, but he wasn’t stupid drunk. He wasn’t on his lips, hallucinating drunk. Just to make sure, he said, “Tell me you’re seeing what I’m seeing.”

“Yep.” The driver stuck a hand out the window and waved as if signaling something. Jimmy waved back, and the MINI Cooper sped away, leaving behind all that pouf. The setting sun reflected within the pouf like twinkly lights, and the cold breeze caught the ends of a veil and whipped it about a woman’s head. At least Sean assumed it was a woman as he watched her swat at the veil like she was being attacked by bees. In all that over-the-top froth and twinkles, it could be a drag queen, he supposed. All at once, it spun right then left, bent forward, grabbed an armful of dress, and sprinted toward them.


“Get in. We’re taking off.”







Giveaway

One lucky winner will receive a complete paperback set of all seven Chinooks Romance books!


GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS:

Open to US shipping addresses only. 
One winner will receive a paperback set of the entire Chinooks Romance series by Rachel Gibson. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of Avon Romance.  
Giveaway ends 1/5/2018 @ 11:59pm EST. 
Avon Romance will send the winning copies out to the winner directly. 
Limit one entry per reader and mailing address.  Duplicates will be deleted.  



About Rachel Gibson


Rachel Gibson began her fiction career at age sixteen, when she ran her car into the side of a hill, retrieved the bumper, and drove to a parking lot, where she strategically scattered the car’s broken glass all about. She told her parents she’d been the victim of a hit-and-run and they believed her. She’s been making up stories ever since, although she gets paid better for them nowadays.


Author Links

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