Wednesday, September 30, 2015

SWEET CHRISTMAS KISSES 2 BLOG TOUR

SXK2 Blog tour graphic
Welcome in the holiday season with 19 heartwarming and wholesome novellas from New York Times, USA Today, national bestselling, and award-winning authors. Sweet Christmas Kisses 2 takes you from the Smoky Mountains to Florida’s sun-drenched beaches, from the Italian Alps to Paris, France, and even to a quirky little town in Arizona. The Sweet Christmas Kisses 2 collection features all-new, stand-alone stories that are sure to make you laugh, sometimes bring tears to your eyes, but always put you in the Christmas spirit. Foreword by New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne.
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Mona Risk Christmas Papa
Christmas Papa by Mona Risk Living for three years in her stepmother’s respected house helps Monica forget the horror of her youth and reform her wild streak, and even dream of a normal life, similar to her stepsisters’, with a loving husband and children. Geez, she’s pretty enough to attract any man she wants, but to keep him is a different ballgame. The moment they learn of her past or meet her adorable twins, they feel the urge to move two-thousand miles away. Until Michael kisses her…

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Gingerbread Kisses by Beate Boeker Carol spends Christmas at the luxurious Hotel & Spa “Dolomitissimo” in the snowy Alps of Italy where she’s busy creating gingerbread men as name cards for her younger sister’s wedding. When things start to go wrong, she finds help in the form of Tom, the attractive hotel manager, but then, her sister manages to create havoc and Carol has to fight for her happiness.

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Boycotting Christmas by Melinda Curtis Bachelor Nick Santolli needs someone to help him give his niece a Christmas to remember. Back in the day, no one did Christmas better than Joy Encastle. But times have changed and Joy would prefer to boycott the festivities this year.

Devine Christmas Remember FRONT
A Christmas to Remember by Denise Devine Katie McGowan is returning home from a business trip when a blizzard forces her to take refuge at Lakewood Resort and miss celebrating Christmas with her family. The resort is overflowing with people, including Ryan Scott, an avid snowmobiler who’d come to Lakewood to escape the holidays. Ryan and Katie join forces to help others in need and learn the true meaning of Christmas.

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An Angel for Christmas by Raine English Alexa Stevens needs a job, or she and her daughter might wind up living out of the car. Blake Collins needs a nanny to help with his spoiled ten-year-old. What seems like the perfect match turns out to be anything but when the two girls and a rambunctious mutt create havoc at Christmas.

The Cowboy’s Christmas Bride by Aileen Fish When veterinary student Tara seeks shelter in a snowstorm with handsome rancher Dylan, she quickly writes him off as boyfriend material since he’s more temperamental than an unbroken horse. Thanks to a job lined up half a state away, she’s not even tempted by a friend’s request that she move to White Oak, until she learns what has damaged Dylan’s spirit. Will a sickly calf and the magic of Christmas help her heal Dylan’s heart?

LuckyBreakChristmasSecondHoneymoon

Lucky Break Christmas: Second Honeymoon by Patricia Forsythe Lily is convinced that her new marriage to Marc is cursed because of a string of fiascoes. Marc knows she’s wrong. It takes the intervention of three body-building wedding planners and most of Lucky Break to change her mind.

Beach Walk by Grace Greene - Cover for IndieWrites

Beach Walk by Grace Greene Twelve years earlier, Kelli, a teenage runaway, was taken in by a kind woman named Margie who gave her a home, and safety and security. When Margie dies, her long lost nephew and only blood relative, arrives with plans of his own. Kelli loves her life at Emerald Isle, but how far will she go to keep it, or will Christmas bring a change of heart?

An Irish Christmas Blessing_COVER Rustand
An Irish Christmas Blessing by Roxanne Rustand When Eve travels to Ireland to run an old friend’s quaint village bookshop over the Christmas holidays, the trip is a dream come true—all the more because of the beautiful Irish countryside and the quirky locals in the village. And then there’s the charming, enigmatic stranger who just might steal her heart…

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Christmas Wedding by Magdalena Scott Jim Standish is ready—right this minute—to marry the love of his life, but Melissa Singer wants the day to be one they’ll look back on forever. Planning and execution time: 25days. Will it be possible to create the perfect Christmas Wedding?

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Finding You at Christmas by Kristin Wallace After years of looking out for everyone else, preacher’s daughter Janie Worthy is ready to get a life of her own. A stalled car and a stranger on a motorcycle puts that plan in a tailspin…and leads to the best Christmas present she could ever find.

ChristmasLaurel-Amazon (1)Christmas Laurel by Christine Bush. Female army veteran Laurel Covington and her retired bomb dog have retreated to a cabin in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains. She’s dealing with PTSD and a mind full of ugly war memories, and wants nothing more than solitude, quiet, and an escape from the clamor of Christmas. But then she meets the tall handsome mountain man who shares the mountain, and who has his own ghosts from the past to put to rest. Sometimes, the true meaning of Christmas can bring both healing and love when you least expect it.


Lois Germain CoverCountry Christmas by Lois Greiman Emily Kane was tossed into the deep end of the foster care system years before, making her cautious of love and commitment. Securing her dream job at the Lazy Windmill, a working farm turned guest ranch, has begun the healing process. But the past can’t be shut out forever. Will familial reunions cause her to bolt back into hiding or will the magic of Christmas heal her heart and allow her to find her happily ever after?
The Christmas Crusade S. Hatfield

The Christmas Crusade by Shanna Hatfield Levi Clarke is on a crusade to create a merry Christmas for the patrons of Center for Hope community center. He’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen, even if it means seeking a sponsorship from Kat Kingsley, the woman too stubborn to realize she’s still in love with him.
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The Christmas Charm by Susan R. Hughes Gemma and Chris were childhood best friends until their lives took separate paths, both leading to heartache. Fifteen years later, a surprise reunion at Christmastime offers them a second chance at happiness.
Jarnagin Cover Evergreen RomanceEvergreen Romance by Julie Jarnagin. After giving up her plans for college to care for her ailing grandmother, Jillian Rogers has a shot at being promoted to project manager at the local nursery, but the owner’s son comes back into town and tries to take the job. Monty Nelson spent the last five years playing triple-A baseball after college but never made it into the major leagues. Now, he has returned to Lakota, Oklahoma, driven to show his parents he can succeed, but they stick him with running the Christmas tree lot with smarty-pants Jillian Rogers. When old sparks reignite, Jillian and Monty must determine whether their romance will wither or if they’ve found everlasting love.


ChristmasCupcakeMy Christmas Cupcake by Shaleen Kapil. Clare thinks she is doomed to spend the holiday alone managing her new cupcake bakery until a handsome stranger appears just as she is closing up on Christmas Eve. Despite an instant attraction, Starfish Beach is a tourist town, and Clare has learned to be wary. How can she tempt Garrett, a university professor, to move to her small town when all she can offer are cupcakes?
Christmas+SparkA Christmas Spark by Ciara Knight Sara Foster blames herself for her failed marriage. On Christmas Eve, she hides away in the family cabin, the same place her father abandoned her twenty years ago. Dalton Scot is unable to face the family holiday after his divorce and discovering he can never have children of his own, so he chooses Christmas Eve to fix his buddy’s cabin. Both search for a secluded spot to mourn their Christmas pasts, but instead are snowed in at the cabin for the holiday where they discover the power of the Christmas spark.


Cookies decorated with pink and blue snowflakes


Sweet Blizzard by Milou Koenings. He’s an ex-con, she’s a socialite. He saves her life when a blizzard strands them together, but she could make or break his. Will love make it all right in time for Christmas?
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All 19 authors in this boxed set write sweet/wholesome romances and are members of Sweet Romance Reads, a group of authors whose books contain no sex, violence, or strong language. While the emotional stakes are high as the characters’ relationships grow, lovemaking is not described in these stories. Think movies rated G or PG. Therefore, Sweet Christmas Kisses 2 can be enjoyed by romance readers of any age. Pull up a chair by a cozy fire, pour a cup of hot chocolate and allow these bestselling and award-winning authors to bring the holiday season alive as they warm your heart. Purchase the book at your favorite online retailer: Amazon: http://indi.uno/1i9UeJv B&N: http://indi.uno/1JsnLXM Kobo: http://indi.uno/1ErAkUy iTunes: http://indi.uno/1NFPAA5 Google: http://indi.uno/1Ep9cp2 Connect with the Authors at Sweet Romance Reads: Website/Blog: http://SweetRomanceReads.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/SweetRomanceReads Twitter: http://twitter.com/SweetRomanceRds Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/donnafaz/sweet-romance-reads/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/123223-sweet-romance-reads Or connect with each of the Sweet Romance Reads Authors individually: A tireless traveler, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Mona Risk, writes contemporary romance, medical romance, and romantic suspense novels, all simmering with emotion, sprinkled with a good dose of humor and set in the fascinating places she visited— or in Florida, her paradise on Earth. Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter
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Beate Boeker is a USA Today bestselling author with a passion for books that brim over with mischief & humor. She writes sweet sophisticated romantic fiction and mysteries, many of them set in beautiful Italy. While ‘Boeker’ means ‘books’ in a German dialect, her first name Beate can be translated as ‘Happy’ . . . and with a name that reads ‘Happy Books’, what else could she do but write novels with happy endings? Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter
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Melinda Curtis is an award winning, USA Today bestselling author. She writes the Harmony Valley series of sweet, light-hearted romances for the Harlequin Heartwarming line. Brenda Novak says: “Season of Change has found a place on my keeper shelf”. Melinda also writes the sweet romantic comedy Bridesmaid series, and fun, traditional romances. Jayne Ann Krentz says of Blue Rules: “...Wonderfully entertaining.”
Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter
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Denise Devine is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic comedy and she also writes inspirational fiction. She wrote her first book, a mystery, at thirteen and has been writing ever since. She writes about true love, happy endings and stories that touch your heart.
Website | Facebook | Twitter
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USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Raine English writes sweet small-town contemporary romances, as well as hotter paranormal and Gothic romantic suspense. She lives in New England with her family and her French bulldog, Bailey. Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter
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USA Today bestselling author Aileen Fish is an avid quilter and auto racing fan who finds there aren’t enough hours in a day/week/lifetime to stay up with her “to do” list. There is always another quilt or story begging to steal away attention from the others. Her books include The Bridgethorpe Brides series and the Small Town Sweethearts series. Website | Facebook | Twitter
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Patricia Forsythe grew up in a small copper mining town in Arizona where she had the opportunity to observe a great many interesting people who have since turned up in her books. She has written many romances for Harlequin books (as Patricia Knoll), as well as indie-published books and enjoys creating the kinds of stories she hopes people want to read. Website | Facebook | Twitter
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Grace Greene writes novels of romance, mystery and suspense. A Virginia native, Grace has family ties to North Carolina. She writes books set in both locations. The Emerald Isle, NC Stories series is set in North Carolina where “It’s always a good time for a love story and a trip to the beach.” Or travel down Virginia Country Roads and “Take a trip to love, mystery and suspense.” Website | Facebook | Twitter
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USA Today bestselling author Roxanne Rustand is the author of thirty-five traditionally published novels, plus four indie novels. She was a Golden Heart finalist twice, and a Golden Heart winner in 1995. She has won two RT Magazine Reviewers’ Choice Awards, and was nominated for an RT Magazine Career Achievement Award. Her earlier books were secular, but she now writes sweet indie romance, and inspirational romance for Love Inspired.
Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter
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USA Today bestselling author Magdalena Scott writes sweet romance and women’s fiction with small town settings. She invites readers into her world to find out what’s hidden just below the surface of those tiny dots you can barely see on the map—mystery, romance, and the occasional unexplained occurrence.
Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter
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Kristin Wallace is a USA Today bestselling author of inspirational, contemporary and women’s fiction filled with “Love, Laughter and a Leap of Faith.” Her popular series include the Covington Falls Chronicles and Shellwater Key Tales.
Website | Facebook | Twitter
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Christine Bush is an award winning author of many sweet romances, mysteries, and novellas. When she’s not writing, she can be found teaching Psychology at a local college, working as a Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice, or (mostly) spending time with her twelve grandchildren.
Website | Facebook | Twitter
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Lois Greiman is an award winning author who has penned more than 50 heart-warming, laugh out loud novels. She currently lives on a small farm in Minnesota with her best friends, some of whom are human. Website | Facebook | Twitter
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Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, hopeless romantic Shanna Hatfield is out to make it happen one story at a time. Her bestselling sweet historical and contemporary romances combine humor and heart-pumping moments with characters that seem incredibly real. Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter
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Susan R Hughes writes contemporary and historical romance novels set in Canada. She lives in Ottawa, Ontario, with her husband and three children. Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter
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Julie Jarnagin is a multi-published author of sweet and inspirational romance. She grew up in a small Oklahoma town where her family farmed and ranched, but these days she lives in a not-so-big city with her husband and two young sons who tolerate all her nerdy quirks. Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter
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Shaleen Kapil is new and upcoming author. Her first book, None But You, debuted in 2014. Her latest stories are built around the Emerald Coast of Florida, a favorite vacation spot. She created the Starfish Beach series to allow readers to enjoy a taste of romance in a laid-back beach setting. Website | Facebook | Twitter
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Ciara Knight writes ‘a little bit of edge and a lot of heart’ with her bestselling sweet romance and young adult stories that have topped the Amazon charts. When not writing, Ciara enjoys her own happily ever after with her husband and three sons living in suburbia, GA.
Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter
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Milou Koenings writes heartwarming romance novels because she believes sweet stories with happy endings are like chocolate – they bring joy to the world and so make it a better place. She’s lived all over the world, working as an editor and newspaper columnist, but loves staying home with her family most of all.
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Spotlight and Guest Post: Nicole Lieren, Author of MORE THAN ONE NIGHT

Today it is my pleasure to have Nicole Lieren as my guest:

Write What You Know…Or Not!

As a debut author, I receive a lot of great advice from both published and aspiring authors. The great thing about advice is that if one thing doesn’t work for you, there are usually two or more varying opinions waiting in the wing for their turn to guide you.

One piece of writing advice authors hear a lot is: “Write what you know.” In other words, pick subjects, professions, locations, etc. that you are familiar with for your story, scenes and characters. Not bad advice. There’s less fact checking on Google (translates to less time spent in the research phase of a book) and less expenses if you’re one of those people who need to “see” things.

Following that advice, I started writing “More Than One Night” with a few things that I know. Details such as the location of the story. Our heroine, Melodie, is a children’s librarian in the southwestern suburbs of Chicago. As I live in that area, I was able to write those details with confidence. Of course, our hero is from Mississippi and I’ve never set foot in the great state – so that required some quality time with my BFF Research Assistant, Google.

Another example that falls into the “what I know” category came from the first date for our hero and heroine. Daniel and Melodie meet on a plane trip to Dallas TX (another location I’m familiar with) and they have their first date at a place called The Glass Cactus while listening to an 80’s cover band. Again, all things I know as not only have I partied at the fine establishment, but I happen to think the 80’s was the best decade of music ever (like totally, for sure LOL)

What was very hard for me to write, though, was the fact that there’s a strained relationship between Melodie and her mother. They’ve never really had a good relationship and it makes life very difficult for our heroine. As I’ve been very fortunate to have a loving and supportive mother my entire life who I love and adore, writing a very different mother/daughter relationship was very unfamiliar.

When it comes to love and matters of the heart, having been married to my real world hero for 27 years, there is a lot I can write about that I know. However, Daniel and Melodie are faced with some challenges that are unfamiliar to me so part of the challenge in telling their story was to have them teach me what they knew of life, love and each other. Together, we were able to get them to their happily ever after.

I hope you enjoy reading this story of courage and the desire to overcome the challenges of our past to find the love each of us deserves. Thank you for letting me hang out and share a little about myself and my characters today with you!

Live, Love, Laugh

Nicole


Thank you Nicole!  Here is a spotlight of your book for my readers!

MORE THAN ONE NIGHT (Heroes of the Night #1)
The Few. The Strong. The Brave. 

Melodie Alexander, a children's librarian, prefers to live life between the pages of a book. But when the death of her best friend prompts her to step out of her comfort zone, she finds herself directly in the path of self-proclaimed bad boy, Daniel Bresland.

Daniel knew how to be a solider. Life after war? Not as easy. He served his country in Afghanistan, both in the military and as a private contractor, but fighting the war came at high personal cost. Now he's determined to keep his relationships "casual" in order to protect his heart and prevent anyone from getting too close.

A chance encounter between Melodie and Daniel on a flight to Dallas proves that opposites really do attract. But when scars from the past threaten their new relationship almost before it starts, Daniel must decide if he can risk opening his heart again to convince Melodie he wants more than one night.


AMAZON


Monday, September 28, 2015

Blog Tour: KILL AND RUN : A Thorny Rose Mystery by Lauren Carr



Synopsis

Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers together only to be killed.

Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton, USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims, then he can find their murderer.

The case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night shift on the turnpike.

In this first installment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in Crime join newlyweds Lieutenant Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday to sift through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives of the Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning killer?


Review
Two different groups of people are investigating two apparently unrelated cases, one of which is a cold case. It doesn't take long however for the connections between the cases and the characters to become apparent. What connects the serial killer and the deceased husband of Cameron Gates? Almost as interesting as the mysteries are the possible family dynamics as in-laws and father-son have to work together to solve both crimes.  

Carr does an excellent job of intertwining these two cases and dealing with the strong personalities of the characters. Although not active in the story line, there are allusions to Mac Faraday (from her other series) through his daughter Jessica. As Carr has shown in the past,  in KILL AND RUN, she is able to weave and orchestrate a well-paced plot that keeps the reader on the edge.  A fan of the Mac Faraday series, I'll definitely be keeping track of the Thorny Rose Mysteries.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review as part of this blog tour. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

Author's Bio:
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. Open Season for Murder is the tenth installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series.

In addition to her series set on Deep Creek Lake, Lauren Carr has also written the Lovers in Crime Mysteries, which features prosecutor Joshua Thornton with homicide detective Cameron Gates, who were introduced in Shades of Murder, the third book in the Mac Faraday Mysteries. They also make an appearance in The Lady Who Cried Murder.

Three Days to Forever introduced Lauren Carr’s latest series detectives, Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday in the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Kill and Run, the first installment in this series, was released September 1, 2015.

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. Visit Acorn Book Services’ website for more information.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.

She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook


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Wednesday, September 23, 2015

RRBC Book and Blog Tour: COLD CREEK MYSTERY SERIES


Welcome to my stop as part of the month-long RRBC Book & Blog Block Party.

As part of the festivities, leave a comment on this blog today and be automatically entered for a chances to win an e-copy of MURDER AT COLD CREEK COLLEGE or MURDER IN THE ARBORETUM.  Winners will get to choose which they prefer to receive. There will be 4 winners on this blog stop! Winners will be announced here tomorrow!  

But that's not all, RRBC is offering great prizes to visitors on participating blogs. Simply leave a comment. The more blogs you visit and comment on, the better your chances of winning. Winners will be announced by RRBC in October.
For the complete tour lineup and details, click here.

Most times, the posts on the blog are about other authors and books, often as a stop in various blog tours (feel free to check out the other posts listed on the right), but today the topic is my current mystery series:

The Cold Creek Mystery Series

So what can I tell you about the Cold Creek Mystery Series?  Let's start with the location.  You won't find Cold Creek, VA on any map.  Cold Creek is a fictitious town, nestled between Roanoke and Richmond. It's your typical small town where everyone knows everybody's business or at least they think they do. The rich live on the side of town with the country club, and the less wealthy live in smaller neighborhoods. Needless to say, there are tensions between the upper class and the working class.

Cold Creek is home to Cold Creek College, a private four-year college that primarily caters to local families with money.  There are some scholarship students and tension among them. The college, like any other work place has its own problems and personalities. These personalities are reflected in the characters of the series, and surrounding the murder of a faculty member.

What about the characters? Who is who?

Sheridan Hendley is the female protagonist, a professor and psychologist, and unintentional sleuth. Originally from Delaware, she came to Cold Creek to start over when her marriage ended. She's a strong, smart female, independent, or at least she'd like to think so. She's middle-aged, enjoys teaching, and likes to solve puzzles. She's also in charge of the campus crisis plan and that puts her in the middle of things. In her personal life, she has a sheltie named Charlie, likes to run, and hasn't had the best of luck with online dating or with the local dentist. Can helping the attractive detective change the direction of her life?

Kim Pennzel is Sheridan's close friend and fellow psychologist, also involved in crisis response. Middle-aged and divorced, Kim is much more social, gregarious, impulsive, and outgoing than Sheridan. She has a more active dating life but not always with the best outcomes. Unfortunately, her taste in men has not always been best and in MURDER AT COLD CREEK COLLEGE, she is the prime suspect when a faculty member she's been dating is found dead. Online dating anyone?

Brett McMann is the very attractive State Police detective called in to help the local police chief with the potentially political murder of a faculty member. He isn't familiar with the college. Lucky for her, Sheridan is assigned to help him arrange to interview all the possible suspects -er - faculty members. He is middle-aged and divorced, and as I mentioned, attractive. Helping him is not a hardship.

Supporting characters are many, but most notably:

Max Bentley is the obnoxious, arrogant young faculty member who's easy to dislike. He's more interested in his own research with rats and mice than teaching, students, or murder - unless the murder interferes with his research. Somehow, he manages to take pieces of information and turn them around in ways that only make the situations worse. Mostly, he's a distraction, often ranting about how administration could be better. 

Chief Barney Pfeiffe is the bumbling, older police chief. He's pressured to get help from the State Police when there's a murder at the college that may have political ramifications. He isn't thrilled but is quick to call on the State Police the next time there's a problem. Chief Pfeiffe is in favor of quick solutions that don't sully the reputations of the powerful people in Cold Creek. 

There are of course, many minor characters, whose roles are more or less important depending on the book. These include other faculty, support staff, other members of the police department, and community members. Characters grow and change from one book to the next, and relationships (especially between Sheridan and Brett) progress, but each mystery can be read as a stand alone. These are "clean reads" or "flinch free fiction" - no graphic violence or gore, no profanity or offensive language, and no explicit sexual content. 

The Books in the Series

MURDER AT COLD CREEK COLLEGE is the first in the series. A dead body is not a good way to start the fall semester for anyone, but especially the victim. Adam Millberg is a womanizer and the suspect list is long. Is infidelity the only motive? Or sexual harassment?

"It was a fun romp, well-paced and suspenseful, with just the right amount of humor, romance and intrigue thrown in."  

"The story was well-plotted and the twists and turns the story takes make it a very enjoyable read." 
AMAZON


In the second in the series, MURDER IN THE ARBORETUM, there is no obvious motive, no obvious reason for Justin Blake to be in the Arboretum. Many question the guilt of the convenient scapegoat and Sheridan works hard to prove his innocence. Tensions are high and Sheridan's sleuthing is more dangerous. Is it time for those self-defense classes or too late?

"The story line was not predicable, taking a few unexpected turns as the mystery unfolded."

"I just couldn't put this one down. I was hooked from the first chapter."      
AMAZON

The third in the series, MURDER AT THE GRILL, is planned for release later this fall. Sheridan and Kim's favorite waitress at the family owned restaurant is arrested for her ex-husband's murder. Keep your eyes peeled for the cover reveal!

I'm also working on a second series - more on that in the future!  Thanks for stopping by today!
  
Be sure to comment and check out the other great blog stops -  for the complete tour lineup and details, click here. See you at the next stop!

Monday, September 21, 2015

Blog Tour - SPOTLIGHT - THOREAU IN PHANTOM BOG by B.B.Oak



Thoreau in Phantom Bog

by B. B. Oak

Thoreau in Phantom Bog
(A Henry David Thoreau Mystery)

3rd in Series
Mystery
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Kensington (August 25, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-0758290274

Synopsis

Henry David Thoreau’s impassioned activism in the Underground Railroad leads him away from the banks of Walden Pond into a morass of murder…

In the spring of 1848, Thoreau returns to Plumford, Massachusetts, in search of a fellow conductor on the Underground Railroad, who has gone missing along with the escaped female slave he was assigned to transport. With the help of his good friend, Dr. Adam Walker, Thoreau finds the conductor—shot to death on a back road.


When the two men discover that Adam’s beloved cousin Julia has given the slave safe harbor, their relief is counterbalanced by concern for Julia, who has put herself in grave danger. Another conductor has been murdered in a neighboring town and a letter has been found from someone claiming to have been hired to assassinate anyone harboring fugitive slaves. With all of them now potential targets, the need for Thoreau and Adam to apprehend the killer is more urgent than ever…


About The Authors

B. B. Oak is the pen name of Beth and Ben Oak, who met in a literature course at Boston University and have been enthralled with Henry David Thoreau (and each other) ever since. They are members of The Thoreau Society and Old Sturbridge Village, a living museum which recreates life in rural New England and served as the model for the book’s fictional town of Plumford.

Author Links

http://www.bboak.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6579683.B_B_Oak


Purchase Links
Amazon B&N



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Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Review: PERIL BY PONYTAIL (A Bad Hair Day Mystery) by Nancy Cohen

Synopsis (from Amazon)

Marla and Dalton’s honeymoon at an Arizona dude ranch veers from dangerous to downright deadly faster than a horse headed to the corral. With her husband’s uncle–the resort’s owner–on the suspect list for murder, Marla races to prove his innocence. She hopes her blind trust isn’t misplaced, especially when she learns their relative has secrets he’d rather keep buried. As the bodies pile up, she digs deep to find the killer. With her new family in jeopardy, she’d better figure out who’s adding to the spirits haunting a nearby ghost town before someone she loves is hurt. Saddle up for Marla’s latest adventure in the Wild West where a Bad Hair Day is the least of her worries.


Review

Little does Marla know that Dalton has an ulterior motive in choosing the ranch for their honeymoon. Dalton's uncle is set on restoring a ghost town to bring in more tourists for his ranch. Unfortunately, the project is either very unlikely or someone doesn't want this restoration to happen. A vanished worker is murdered and Marla is determined to resolve this mystery as well as why Dalton's mother and uncle haven't spoken in many years. It all seems connected somehow. 

As I've come to expect from the Bad Hair Day Mystery series, Cohen moves the story along at a good pace, with some twists and turns well-placed. The characters are well-developed and the settings - the ranch, the mine, and the ghost town project - are so well described, it is easy to visualize the scenes but not so tedious to detract from the tempo. This was an enjoyable read. Although part of a series, this is easily read as a stand alone. 

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review as part of this blog tour. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.


Friday, September 11, 2015

Blog Tour: GIRL MEETS CLASS by Karin Gillespie





Synopsis

The unspooling of Toni Lee Wells’ Tiffany and Wild Turkey lifestyle begins with a trip to the Luckett County Jail drunk tank. An earlier wrist injury sidelined her pro tennis career, and now she’s trading her tennis whites for wild nights roaming the streets of Rose Hill, Georgia.

Her wealthy family finally gets fed up with her shenanigans. They cut off her monthly allowance but also make her a sweetheart deal: Get a job, keep it for a year, and you’ll receive an early inheritance. Act the fool or get fired, and you’ll lose it for good.

Toni Lee signs up for a fast-track Teacher Corps program. She hopes for an easy teaching gig, but what she gets is an assignment to Harriet Hall, a high school that churns out more thugs than scholars.

What’s a spoiled Southern belle to do when confronted with a bunch of street smart students who are determined to make her life as difficult as possible? Luckily, Carl, a handsome colleague, is willing to help her negotiate the rough teaching waters and keep her bed warm at night. But when Toni Lee gets involved with some dark dealings in the school system, she fears she might lose her new beau as well as her inheritance.

Related subjects include: chick lit, women’s fiction, humor, humorous fiction, Southern humor, Southern living, friendship.


Review

Toni Lee is spoiled and used to buying anything. Suddenly required to give up the rich life and get a job, she has a rude awakening or two. This is a coming of age story in many ways, but Gillespie sneaks in commentary on the educational system, corruption, racism, and the elusive concept of trust.  

Toni Lee's growth is not without setbacks. She is very creative in her attempt to teach life skills with no training or support. And five million dollars is very distracting. There are some unexpected turns and some steamy scenes. My favorite character by far is Carl - his character is well-developed and down to earth. 

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review as part of this blog tour. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

About the Author

Karin Gillespie is national bestselling author of five novels and a humor columnist for Augusta Magazine. Her nonfiction writing had been in the New York Times, The Writer Magazine and Romantic Times. She maintains a website and blog at Karingillespie.net. Sign up for her newsletter on her website, follow her on Twitter or connect with her on Facebook.


Other books by Karin Gillespie

BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR (#1)
A DOLLAR SHORT (#2)
DOLLAR DAZE (#3)







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