*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
Things are starting to get good now after the set-up from the first serial. Lainie is starting to get the hang of things for the most part but is getting antsy at being cooped up. After a run in the halls early one morning she learns a secret that sends her on a journey that leads to one doozy of a cliff hanger ending. All I could think was man do I need more now! Totally loved the development, characters, and secrets so I give it 5/5 stars.
High summer in River Bluffs, Indiana, is always sweltering and sweet. But the heat is really on when a decidedly dead body turns up in the neighborhood.
When established house flippers Jazzi Zanders and her cousin Jerod donate a week’s worth of remodeling work to Jazzi’s sister Olivia, they’re expecting nothing more than back-breaking roofing work and cold beers at the end of each long, hot day. With Jazzi’s live-in boyfriend and partner Ansel on the team, it promises to be a quick break before starting their next big project—until Leo, an elderly neighbor of Olivia’s, unexpectedly goes missing . . .
When the friendly senior’s dog tugs Jazzi and the guys toward the wetlands beyond Olivia’s neighborhood, they stumble across a decomposing corpse—and a lot of questions. With Jazzi’s pal Detective Gaff along to investigate, Jazzi finds her hands full of a whole new mystery instead of the usual hammer and nails. And this time it will take some sophisticated sleuthing to track down the culprit of the deadly crime—before the killer turns on her next . . .
REVIEW
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
This series just gets better and better. I just love Jazzi! She cooks because she loves to, cleans, hosts family dinners, and still kicks butt remodeling with the guys. Her hunky boyfriend Ansel is sweet as well. This time they are working on her sisters new house. During some impressive manual labor she meets a sweet older man and his lab. He tells the story of a missing boy and more before he himself disappears. His loyal lab leads her to two dead bodies while his owner remains missing. What follows is a fascinating investigation filled with a wide range of characters to both love and hate as well as critters we can all just love. Ansel's family adds a nice twist as well. Awe moment finale that wraps it all up well with a nice surprise. Beautifully written making you fall in love so I give it 5/5 stars.
About the Author
Judi Lynn received a Master’s Degree from Indiana University as an elementary school teacher after attending the IPFW campus. She taught 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades for six years before having her two daughters. She loves gardening, cooking and trying new recipes.
A
year after their divorce, Vivi and Miguel are forced to work together
to save the Durango Street Theatre, and learn they might really love
each other after all.
EXES
AND OHS
The
marriage was one of convenience. She had status and he had money.
But... there was something there, and both of them felt it. After
three years of him working long hours and her spending too much time
at the Durango Street Theatre, Miguel Abonce and Vivienne Heiser
called it quits. One year later, they are forced to work together to
save or sell the theater. In the process they discover things they
never knew about each other and they learn there's more between them
than burning up the sheets. They might really love each other after
all.
Author
of eighteen romance novels under the pseudonym 'Emily Elliott', Emily
Mims combined her writing career with a career in public education
until leaving the classroom to write full time. 'Solomon's Choice' is
her first romantic suspense and the first novel she has published
under her own name. The mother of two sons, she and her husband
Charles split their time between Central Texas and eastern Tennessee.
For relaxation she plays the piano, organ, dulcimer, and ukulele. She
says, "I love to write romances because I believe in them.
Romance happened to me and it can happen to any woman-if she'll just
let it."
Who
do you trust when your world unravels and everything you believed is
a lie?
For
the past fifteen years, The Office of Civilian Safety and Defense has
guarded the public against the rampant threat of terrorism. Teenagers
Tommy and Careen have never known life without Civilian Restrictions.
For them, there's no social media. No one is allowed to gather in
public places or attend concerts or sporting events. Only a small,
select group of adults have driving privileges, but it's a small
price to pay for safety.
Now
a new, more deadly, terrorist threat looms: airborne chemical weapons
that can be activated without warning. The OCSD is ready with an
antidote to counteract the effects of the toxins. Three drops a day
is all it takes. It's a small price to pay for health.
The
day the disaster sirens signal the dreaded attack, Tommy shares his
last dose with Careen, even though doing so might hasten his death.
It's a small price to pay for a friend.Follow Tommy and Careen as
they uncover a web of lies and deceit reaching to the highest levels
of the United States government and join an underground resistance
group that's determined to expose the truth.
"Counteract
is a novel for our times, but with a decidedly different plot twist.
Most dystopian thrillers focus on the devastating consequences of the
unleashed virus or poison on society, community, and the individual.
They become character studies of the protagonists and
antagonists.
"Tracy
Lawson's novel asks an even more disturbing question--what if the
real culprit was someone or something we trusted? I thought The
Hunger Games might be the Millennial generation's version of George
Orwell's 1984. Now, I think Counteract and the Resistance Series are
more primed to take that spot."--SR Staley, author of St. Nic,
Inc., and the Tortuga Bay series.
"I
loved the first book in this series so much that I jumped right into
the second one to continue the adventure. The Resistance Series is
another great YA dystopian adventure that combines elements of
thriller, romance, dystopian, and much more to create a well-rounded
story that is sure to appeal to many readers - it definitely has my
attention."--TFL Reader, top 500 Amazon Reviewer
Knowledge
comes with a price.
Tommy
and Careen no longer believe the Office of Civilian Safety and
Defense's miracle antidote can protect them from a terrorist's
chemical weapons. After accidentally discovering the antidote's real
purpose,they've join the fight to undermine the OCSD's bid for total
control of the population.
Being
part of the Resistance brings with it a whole new set of challenges.
Not everyone working for change proves trustworthy, and plans to
spark a revolution go awry with consequences far beyond anything they
bargained for.
Tommy
and Careen's differing viewpoints threaten to drive a wedge between
them, and their budding relationship is tested as their destinies
move toward an inevitable confrontation with the forces that
terrorize the nation.
Where
does love fit in when you're trying to start a
revolution?
"Dystopian
YA literature needs more writers like Tracy Lawson! Lawson's lean
writing style and idea-driven dialogue reminded me of the novels of
Ayn Rand, particularly Anthem, but Resist is much faster paced and
holds your attention from the beginning.
"Resist
picks up right where the first book, Counteract, leaves off, and
readers are thrown immediately into the action. I also loved the way
Lawson doesn't give her characters the easy way out--they are forced
to make decisions and suffer the consequences. These are real people
that anchor the story, even if the setting is not." --SR Staley,
author of St. Nic, Inc. and the Tortuga Bay series
Nationwide
food shortages have sparked civil unrest, and the Office of Civilian
Safety and Defense’s hold on the people is slipping. The
Resistance’s efforts to hasten the OCSD’s demise have resulted in
disaster, with Tommy Bailey and Careen Catecher taking the blame for
the ill-fated mission in OP-439.
Both
teens struggle to survive the circumstances that force them into the
national spotlight—and this time, they’re on opposite sides. On
the run and exiled from the Resistance members in BG-098, Tommy makes
his way to a Resistance safe house in the capital.
The
OCSD is preparing to monitor all under-eighteens with the Cerberean
Link, a device that protects them against hunger and sickness and can
even locate them if they’re lost. Tommy’s now living in close
quarters with Atari, an operative who has been assigned to sabotage
the Link. But does Atari plan to use it for his own
purposes?
Through
it all, Tommy refuses to believe Careen’s loyalties have shifted
away from the Resistance, and he’s willing to assume any risk to
reconnect with her. Will they be able to trust each other when it
matters most?
The
Explosive Conclusion to the Award-Winning Resistance Series
To
Deny Freedom is to Deny the Human Spirit.
Fugitive
Resistance fighter Tommy Bailey has come out of hiding to help rescue
Careen Catecher from the clutches of the Office of Civilian Safety
and Defense, where she’s been held and interrogated for information
about the rebel group. The OCSD is poised to launch the Cerberean
Link, a security device that will put all minors under constant
surveillance under the guise of protecting them.
Fearful
that OCSD director Madalyn Davies’s bid for control won’t stop
there, the Resistance puts its own plan in motion to sabotage the
Link and oust Madalyn from the directorship. Just when everything
seems leveraged in the Resistance’s favor, treachery, lies, and
long-held secrets threaten to derail it all.
Will
even a life together on the run be impossible for Tommy and Careen?
Or will the Resistance’s efforts convince the public to put their
fears aside and demand freedom?
"What
was our heroine Careen Catecher like BEFORE she became a firebrand
for the Resistance? Well, she was just a normal teenage girl trying
to survive college in the totalitarian state of Tracy Lawson's
creation." --review by Patrick Hodges
"Careen
is a believable, strong female protagonist who, having survived a
harrowing terrorist attack, is now trying to survive [college] in a
new 'Quadrant' where she can't seem to fit in." --review by
Candace Williams
A
strong heroine is made, not born.
Though
Careen Catecher survived a terrorist attack when she was nine, her
childhood ended on that awful day. Now, nine years later, she’s
ready for her life to truly begin.
A
full scholarship to a prestigious university far from her beleaguered
home quadrant seems like a dream come true, but when she arrives on
campus, she’s perceived as a charity case, despite grades and test
scores that prove she’s the academic equal of the best students
there.
Careen
knows she’s tough enough to survive just about anything, but
fitting in with her acquisitive peers—at least on the surface—is
necessary if she’s going to leave the past behind and claim the
stable future she craves.
But
her past won’t stay buried. She’s only been at school for a few
weeks when a cryptic message from an unlikely friend raises questions
that may put her in danger all over again.
Check
out this novella-length prequel to the award-winning Resistance
Series, “a promising new YA series about a totalitarian America.”
Tracy
Lawson knew she wanted to be a writer from the time she could read.
In the first grade, she authored sixty-seven contact-paper bound
books through her school's Young Authors program. Though that pace
proved impossible to maintain, she always intended to be a real
author one day.
While
working toward her Bachelor's degree in Communication at Ohio
University, she studied creative writing with the late Daniel Keyes,
author of Flowers for Algernon. After short stints as a media buyer
and an investigative analyst, she settled into a 20-year career in
the performing arts, teaching tap dancing in Columbus, Ohio, and
choreographing musicals. Though her creative energies were focused on
dance, she never lost her desire to write, and has a non-fiction book
to her credit: Fips, Bots, Doggeries, and More, (McDonald &
Woodward, 2012).
Tracy's
love for writing Young Adult fiction is sparked by all the wonderful
teens in her life, including her daughter Keri, a college student.
Counteract is Tracy's first novel.
Can this skeptical player let down his guard long enough to let love into his life, or is this forbidden romance a train wreck in the making?
No Feelings Involved, an all-new brother’s best friend standalone romance from USA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis is available now!
Ryan James doesn’t believe in love.
It’s a truth he learned early in life. A truth he carried with him into adulthood. He broke his golden rule one time, but Myndi trampled all over his heart, cementing his belief that love is a lie and not worth the effort.
Now he’s returned to his cynical views and promiscuous lifestyle, racking up more notches on his bedpost than he can count.
Until Summer Petersen comes crashing into his world, threatening to knock down his walls with her tempting body and sunny, sweet personality.
Summer is determined to lose her V-card before she starts freshman year of college, and the hot, older guy with the cute dimples, dazzling smile, and rippling biceps is just the man for the job. Ryan doesn’t take much persuading, and he rocks her world, giving her a night to remember.
When they walk away, there’s an unspoken agreement it was a one-time thing. Ryan doesn’t do feelings, and Summer doesn’t want to be tied down at eighteen.
But when she moves into her brother Austin’s apartment, she’s shocked to discover her new roomie is the guy who recently popped her cherry.
Ryan can’t believe he slept with Austin’s baby sister, and if he finds out, he’ll literally kill him. Keeping their hook up a secret is nonnegotiable. Keeping his thoughts, and his hands, off Summer, less so. Because the longer he’s around her, the more he finds himself catching feelings for the gorgeous brunette.
Summer doesn’t want to care for her older brother’s best friend, but Ryan makes her feel things she’s never felt before, and she’s slowly falling under his spell.
Embarking on an illicit affair behind Austin’s back has train wreck written all over it, but provided they keep their feelings in check, they can end this before he ever finds out.
It’s not like either of them is in love.
Right?
Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
USA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis writes emotionally intense young adult and new adult romantic fiction with swoon-worthy romance, complex characters, and tons of unexpected plot twists and turns that will have you flipping the pages beyond bedtime! She is the author of the international bestselling Kennedy Boys, Saven, and True Calling series’. Siobhan’s family will tell you she’s a little bit obsessive when it comes to reading and writing, and they aren’t wrong. She can rarely be found without her trusty Kindle, a paperback book, or her laptop somewhere close at hand.Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Siobhan forged a successful corporate career in human resource management. She resides in the Garden County of Ireland with her husband and two sons.
Fluffy Julia Kent Publication date: April 30th 2019 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance
An all-new STANDALONE from New York Times bestselling author Julia Kent
It all started with the wrong Help Wanted ad. Of course it did.
I’m a professional fluffer. It’s NOT what you think. I stage homes for a living. Real estate agents love me, and my work stands on its own merits.
Sigh. Get your mind out of the gutter. Go ahead. Laugh. I’ll wait.
See? That’s the problem. My career has used the term “fluffer” for decades. I didn’t even know there was a more… lascivious definition of the term.
Until it was too late.
The ad for a “professional fluffer” on Craigslist seemed like divine intervention. My last unemployment check was in the bank. I was desperate. Rent was due. The ad said cash paid at the end of the day.
The perfect job!
Staging homes means showing your best angle. The same principle applies in making a certain kind of movie. Turns out a “fluffer” doesn’t arrange decorative pillows on a couch.
They arrange other soft, round-ish objects.
The job isn’t hard. Er, I mean, it is — it’s about being hard. Or, well… helping other people to be hard.
Oh, man…
And that’s the other problem. A man. No, not one of the stars on the movie set. Will Lotham – my high school crush. The owner of the house where we’re filming. Illegally. In a vacation rental.
By the time the cops show up, what I thought was just a great house staging gig turned into a nightmare involving pictures of me with an undressed naked star, Will rescuing me from an arrest, and a humiliating lesson in my own naivete.
My job turned out to be so much harder than I expected. But you know what’s easier than I ever imagined?
“Do you use the proper terms for everything, Mallory?” He makes an inarticulate sound as I peel the gauze off the cut, wiping gently. “You call your pretty place a vulva, right? And you use the word vagina.”
“’Pretty place’?”
He shrugs.
“And yes, I do. Vulva and vagina. And then there’s the clitoris,” I say primly.
“What’s that?”
“What’s what?”
“A clitoris. Never heard of it.”
I freeze and look down at him. Bright eyes meet mine. Is he serious?
“The clitoris is a nerve cluster above the opening to the vagina,” I begin, taking a breath to continue my impromptu human sexuality lecture, because when a man tells you they don’t know what a clitoris is, you educate them immediately.
For the sisterhood. All the women Will is going to sleep with from here on out will thank me later.
He starts to laugh. I’m so tempted to pour the small bottle of isopropyl alcohol directly on his wound, but I’m a kind, compassionate woman, so instead I dab it on with a swab.
“OW!” he bellows.
“Sorry.”
“You’re not sorry at all.”
“I’m sorry for your sex partners that you have no idea what a clitoris is, Will.”
“I know what it is. And my tongue knows how to find one. Blindfolded.”
“Why would you blindfold your tongue?”
Author Bio:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire). She lives in New England with her husband and three sons in a household where the toilet seat is never, ever, down.
I am so excited that WHO WANTS FORVER by Dena Garson is available now and that I get to
share the news!
If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by
Author Dena Garson, be sure to check out all the details below.
This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon
Gift Card, International, courtesy of Dena and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d
like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.
A castle-turned-hotel rich
in Irish history…And things that go bump in the night
After centuries of searching
for his heartmate Amarande Maniaci signs up for the Bachelor Trials being held
at Tullamore Castle by the Vampire Council of Lords in hopes that he’ll find a
satisfactory mate. On the first night of the competition he spots a woman who
sparks life in his long dead heart. No matter how much he tries to remain
focused on his goal, he cannot fight his attraction to Reaghan. It is a shame
she is human...or so he thinks…
When Reaghan’s cousin, the
fae queen, asked her to travel to the human realm and find the daughter of one
of the First Families, she hoped she could make it through the vampire clan
meetings undetected and unscathed. She didn't count on being distracted by
Amarande, the lethal, yet oh so sexy vampire enforcer. If only he wasn’t a
vampire…
But the threat of another
vampire-war war looms. If Reaghan doesn’t return in time with the information
the queen needs, the three hundred year old peace treaty between the races
could fail. But a fae disguised as a human, looking for a missing fae, without
the use of her powers is a lot harder that it seems. Especially when someone
doesn’t want news of the girl making its way back to the queen.
Reaghan and Amarande’s new
found love may be the only thing standing between the real villain and a world
on fire.
Book Trailer:
Excerpt:
Lord Edrom’s gaze danced between them.
“You two have met before, yes?”
Reaghan shook off the effects of their
initial contact. “Yes.” She pulled her violin close to her chest. “I mean, no.”
Lord Edrom raised a brow in question.
“I mean,” She gestured at the man. “I
saw you in the lobby last night as I was checking in but we were not
introduced.”
“Ah.” Lord Edrom nodded. “Then allow
me.” He gestured to the taller vampire. “This is Amarande Maniaci. He is one of
our clan’s up and coming.” To Amarande he added, “And this, as you already
learned, is Mademoiselle McCarthy, our guest musician.”
Reaghan offered her hand to Amarande.
“It’s nice to meet you.” When their hands touched a wave of electricity passed
through her. Her lips parted on a gasp but he tightened his grip and wouldn’t
allow her to pull away.
Instead of shaking her hand, he bowed
slightly over her it. “I assure you, the pleasure is all mine.” Unless she was
very much mistaken the color of his eyes changed from the palest blue to
sparkling turquoise. “Your playing is magnificent. I hope you didn’t mind my
joining in so unexpectedly. I found that I could not resist.”
His voice rippled across her skin like a
lover’s caress. The urge to rub her body against his burned within her. “No,
I…I don’t mind at all,” she reassured him. “It appears your voice is the
perfect complement to my violin.”
“I just had an excellent notion. The two
of you should do a duet at tonight’s dinner.” Lord Edrom glanced at his
assistant as if looking for confirmation of his idea. She nodded her agreement.
“I’ll leave it to you two to work out the details but I expect to hear you lend
your voice for at least one song.” He gestured to Amarande with the hand
holding the cane. “I believe the council and the rest of our guests would be
pleasantly surprised to learn of your hidden talent. If you know what I mean?”
“I’d be happy to join Mademoiselle
McCarthy, so long as she does not object.”
Her heart skipped in her chest at the
thought of spending time with a vampire who was far too handsome for her
comfort. Still, she was a diplomat, so she pasted a smile on her face. “I
believe we can work something out.”
About Dena:
Dena Garson is an award winning author of contemporary,
paranormal, fantasy, steampunk, and sci-fi romance. She holds a BBA and a MBA
in Business and works in the wacky world of quality and process improvement.
Making up her own reality on paper is what keeps her sane.
She is the mother of two rowdy boys and two rambunctious cats
(AKA the fuzzy jerks). When she isn't writing you can find her at her at the
sewing machine or stringing beads. She is also a devoted Whovian and Dallas
Cowboys fan.
Animal Attraction Kate Willoughby
(San Francisco Dragons #2)
Publication date: April 27th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Sports
What do you do when an NHL player steals your dog and won’t give it back?
Maggie Hudson made a heartbreaking decision nine years ago that has haunted her ever since. To fill the hole in her life, she showers her rescue dog with love and affection. But one day, Kirby goes missing.
Six months later, NHL player Spencer Corbett is astonished when Maggie shows up on his doorstep demanding her dog back. He’d found the pug on the side of the road, collarless and in bad shape. But even when confronted with hard evidence she’s the dog’s owner, he begs her to reconsider. His own elderly dog is on her last legs and Kirby has given her a new lease on life.
After Maggie relents, Spencer can’t help but fall for her. Not only is she the most compassionate and selfless person he’s ever met, she’s witty, intelligent and sexier than sin and doesn’t even realize. What starts out as a friendship quickly turns into more, but when a woman from Spencer’s past throws everything into chaos, their fragile relationship is put to the ultimate test.
Animal Attraction may be read and enjoyed as a standalone sports romance!
What kind of jerk didn’t give back a person’s dog?
The PR man said he had personally given Corbett the message only a couple of hours after she’d called. As the days continued to pass with no word, Maggie grew increasingly frustrated and even angry.
Finally, she decided to take matters into her own hands. Kirby belonged with her and damned if she was going to let some immoral, spoiled, self-centered jerk who only pretended to be a nice guy for the public, get away with keeping her dog, even if he was an NHL player.
After making the decision to hunt down the dog-napper herself, she had watched the video segment again, this time watching for clues as to where he lived. They mentioned Hillsborough. Of course. Very high-class neighborhood. That narrowed it down quite a bit. He dropped the name of an Italian restaurant he frequented that was “within easy walking distance” of his house. That narrowed it even further. She printed a map of the area and marked a three-block radius out from that restaurant. They showed a few seconds of him walking away from his house with the dogs on a leash and she froze the video and took a picture of the view.
Then because he mentioned a team party he was hosting to watch the All-Star game, she decided to go to his house and accuse him of dog-napping in front of all his friends. With any luck, peer pressure would make him give up Kirby. Was it going to be horrid, shaming a Dragons player when for more than ten years she’d rooted for the team with all her heart as a hockey fan? Yes. Could she have gone to the media and exposed him the way Jade had suggested? Yes.
But what it all came down to was she thought he was morally despicable and she wanted to tell him so to his face. She wanted the satisfaction of taking her dog away from him personally.
It took her about fifteen minutes of search-cruising before she found his place. Looking toward downtown San Francisco, the view matched the photo.
As she parked her car, the realization hit her that she was about to barge in on what might be the entire Dragons hockey team. Before she’d arrived, all she’d focused on was getting Kirby back. She’d imagined herself going in and righteously claiming her dog. Her main emotion had been indignation. Now, a case of the jitters undermined her determination.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.
She looked up at the spectacular two-story house. The sprawling property looked as if Arts and Crafts architecture and Japanese landscaping had a baby. Lush mature trees cast shade over mossy rocks and boulders. The wooden bridge leading to the front door crossed an actual pond, complete with brightly colored koi fish. As she looked around and the luxuriousness of the neighborhood sunk in, the jitters progressed into near-panic. She’d passed the Sierra Point friggin’ Yacht Club on her way, for Pete’s sake.
No. She would do this. Kirby was hers. Even if she couldn’t offer him posh digs like these, they belonged together. She’d had him since puppyhood. They had a bond that couldn’t and wouldn’t ever be broken. Even now, he was probably wishing he were home with her, cuddling on her old sofa watching reruns of Friends and eating microwave popcorn. She told herself the players were only people, like her. People with unusual, high-profile jobs and bodies like gods.
She went up to the front door where a sign said, “Come on in. Hope you brought beer.”
Gathering her courage, she knocked anyway.
No one answered. And it was kind of quiet. Maybe the party hadn’t started yet.
She tried the door and found it unlocked. Before entering, she took a picture of the sign, because if this devolved and the police were called, she wanted evidence that, technically, she was invited in.
“Hello?” she called hesitantly, crossing the threshold into the foyer.
The house was just as gorgeous on the inside as it was on the outside. She’d seen it on the video, but in person, it felt richer and more personal. A San Francisco Dragons player actually lived here. Spencer Corbett occasionally sat on that couch. He walked on this plush rug.
He—gulp—was standing right there, staring at her.
