Blog Tour & Giveaway: In His Keeping by Maya Banks

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IN HIS KEEPING

#1 bestselling author Maya Banks continues her suspenseful and steamy Slow Burn trilogy with this second book-a twisting tale featuring a strong yet vulnerable heroine in danger and the sexy alpha hero who must save her.

Abandoned as a baby to a young wealthy couple and raised in a world of privilege, Arial has no hint of her past or who she belonged to. Her only link lies in the one thing that sets her apart from everyone else—telekinetic powers. Protected by her adoptive parents and hidden from the public to keep her gift secret, Ari is raised in the lap of luxury, and isolation. That is, until someone begins threatening her life.

Beau Devereaux is no stranger to the strange. As the head of Deveraux Security, he’s more than familiar with the realities of physic powers. So when a family friend approaches him about protecting his daughter, he’s more than ready to jump on board. What Beau isn’t prepared for is the extent of his attraction to his beautiful and powerful client. What began as a simple assignment, just another job, quickly turns personal as Beau discovers he’ll do anything at all to protect Ari. Even if it costs him his life.

Amazon/B&N

Excerpt-Banner

He would have laughed at the idea of fate and soul mates. The professor of his Human  Resources and Development class had once said that the concept of there only being one person out there for you was utterly false. That you could fall in love— and love—many different people in your life.
He’d believed the exact same thing until one day a beautiful chestnut-headed, brown-eyed, adorably shy woman had walked into his life and his existence had been irrevocably changed. He’d known since the very first time she’d shyly accepted a dinner invitation with him that he was already in so deep that he had no hope of ever finding his way out. He hadn’t wanted to.
Gavin was a man who was decisive, could handle any issue flung his way. He had the total package, or so women liked to tell him. Good-looking, charismatic, dark and brooding and wealthy. He was no naïve fool. The last attribute was his most compelling one. The  women  he’d  been  with  hadn’t  likely given thought to anything beyond the tag that was solidly fixed on his forehead.
Billionaire.
He’d actually laid eyes on Ginger the very first time, ironically, when he’d been out with another woman. He’d had his en- tire evening planned, in fact. Nice dinner, intimate atmosphere, flirt with his date, whose name completely escaped him now, and then go back to her place to have sex before returning to his own apartment.
No one came to his home or invaded his private sanctuary. Sex was always at his date’s place or in a hotel, and he always left afterward. To some women that made him a cold bastard, but he was hardly hypocrite enough to indulge in postcoital cuddle when he’d made it clear that there would be no emotional entanglements.
He hadn’t stayed when he’d dropped his date off, much to her disappointment. His mind had been too occupied with the sweet, smiling waitress with big brown shy eyes who blushed when he stared at her for too long.
He wasn’t normally so ill-mannered or lacking in social graces, but he’d  been captivated by her from the moment he’d laid eyes on her, and so the next night, he’d  gone back to the restaurant. Alone. He’d made certain he was seated in her section of tables and he’d proceeded to be the most demanding of customers, commanding her attention every few minutes for some trumped-up need.
It had taken three agonizingly long weeks before he’d been able to talk her into going out with him to dinner. Three weeks of self-induced celibacy because he’d known that she would be the last woman in his bed forever, so he hadn’t minded the wait.
It had then taken him six more months of dating before he took things further than heated good-night  kisses and feeling the warmth of her soft body against his while he held her.
It had been the best six months of his life.
The night he’d finally taken her to bed and very gently made her his, he’d proposed and she’d cried all over him.
It had taken him three more months of her practically living with him to talk her into accepting his marriage proposal, but once he’d gained her acceptance, his patience had fled. He’d hustled her in front of a judge at the very first opportunity and had claimed her for all time.
After a blissful year of having her entirely to himself—and he was extremely possessive and selfish of his time with her— she’d  begun talking about having his child. He hadn’t  thought he could be happier than he was, but then he’d begun imagining sweet little girls who looked just like their mama and he’d been determined to fill their home with a dozen if that was what she wanted.

And that was where they’d hit a brick wall.

 

About the Author:
MayaBanks02_bioMaya Banks is a #1 USA Today and New York Times bestselling author whose chart toppers have included erotic romance, romantic suspense, contemporary romance, Scottish historical romances. She is the author of the Breathless Trilogy, the KGI novels, the Sweet series, and the Colters Legacy novels.
She lives in the South with her husband and three children and other assorted babies, such as her two Bengal kitties and a Calico who’s been with her as long as her youngest child. She’s an avid reader of romance and loves to dish books with her fans and anyone else who’ll listen! She very much enjoys interacting with her readers on Facebook and Twitter as well as in her Yahoo! Group.

 

 

Jennifer’s Review of In His Keeping

 

Review (4 Stars): Maya Banks is one of my favorite authors and I was very excited to read the next story in the Slow Burn series after finishing Keep Me Safe.  In this story, Arial is a young woman with a very special gift and has spent most of her life keeping her powers a secret.  When she is violently attacked and those powers save her life and leave her exposed to the people that have been looking for her all her life, Arial has nowhere to go but to Deveraux Security. Beau Deveraux knows exactly what it means to protect someone with psychic powers and when Arial ends up on his doorstep asking for help, he isn’t about to turn her away.  He will protect Arial at all costs and finds himself against an enemy that will do anything to get a hold of Ari and use her powers for their own gain.

 

I liked Arial a lot.  She went through most of her life protected and safe but when her life was threatened, her telekinetic powers were able to save her but destroyed everything that she did to remain anonymous.  Beau was the perfect guy to help her because he had seen what happened to Caleb and his wife and what it took to protect someone with psychic powers against a serial killer.  By having that experience, it provided him with the insight that you had to have the best of the best to protect these woman.  I loved the chemistry between the two of them and I was amazed at how quickly the pages just flew by.  Ms. Banks is a great storyteller that knows how to write an exciting and suspenseful romantic tale that will keep you up at night.  I’m looking forward to reading the third book in the series and hopefully, this one will be about Tori.

 

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: License To Dill by Mary Ellen Hughes

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My Ten Favorite Things about Writing LICENSE TO DILL
By Mary Ellen Hughes

Starting a new series is always exciting, but it’s also plenty of hard, intensive work. There’s so many decisions to make, such as where to set it, who your characters will be, their relationships, and so on, which is what I went through with THE PICKLED PIPER, book #1 of my Pickled and Preserved mystery series. After careful thought, I chose upstate New York as my setting and named my fictional town Cloverdale. I sent my twenty-nine year old principal character, Piper Lamb, there from Albany after she ended her going-nowhere engagement. And I put Piper’s Aunt Judy and Uncle Frank on a nearby farm, gave Piper a great assistant for her pickling shop, and introduced Piper to Will, a handsome Christmas tree farmer. So all the important decisions were made with book #1.

Book #2, LICENSE TO DILL, by comparison, turned out to be a breeze. Everything was set up and ready to go! All I needed to do was write the mystery (“all” she added, laughingly). But having already done the ground work, I could now relax and focus on the plot, which became the first of my…

Ten Favorite Things About Writing License to Dill:

1.    My characters, after a couple of weeks of rest, were super-eager for action. They practically snatched the pages from me to get back to work.

2.    Piper and her new boyfriend, Will, had progressed beyond the awkward getting-to-know-you stage and were pretty happy and comfortable with each other.

3.    Of course, I couldn’t let that continue, so I brought Piper’s ex-fiancé, Scott, back from his travels, and he decided to settle in Cloverdale. (Uh-oh.)

4.    I imported an entire soccer team of handsome young men from Italy to challenge Cloverdale’s All-Stars, which meant writing exciting soccer scenes. I now understand the game much better!

5.    The Italian team’s coach and manager occasionally spoke Italian. With the help of a Italian-born friend, I learned several useful Italian phrases and sometimes found myself writing with an Italian accent!

6.     Since a dill field figures importantly in the murder, I learned—and shared in the book—quite a bit about growing and using fresh dill. I could practically smell that wonderful weed as I typed.

7.    Since Piper makes all the pickles and preserves for her shop herself (with the help of her assistant, Amy), I kept various pickles on hand, because writing pickling scenes was sure to bring on a craving.

8.    Piper spends plenty of time with her Aunt Judy and Uncle Frank at their farm. Whenever Piper drove up, Jack, their mixed-breed dog went crazy with excitement. I, unfortunately, am allergic to dogs, but I could enjoy petting Jack vicariously through Piper—with no sneezes!

9.    While looking into the murder, Piper meets several people in the Cloverdale area with new-to-me occupations. I particularly loved writing about the chainsaw sculptor and will have to seriously consider bringing him back some day.

10.    After spending months with Piper and all the people of Cloverdale in THE PICKLED PIPER, I became pretty fond of them. (Well, most of them. There was, after all, a murderer in the mix.) But writing LICENSE TO DILL was like going to a reunion—lots of fun getting reacquainted with everyone. But I do hope they’ve forgiven me by now for what I’ve put them through…

About the Author:

Mary Ellen Hughes author picMary Ellen Hughes is the author of the Craft Corner mystery series – WREATH OF DECEPTION, STRING OF LIES, and PAPER-THIN ALIBI – as well as the Maggie Olenski mysteries – RESORT TO MURDER and A TASTE OF DEATH.

She has also authored several short stories, including THE WOMAN ON THE TRAIN, and short mysteries included in the Chesapeake Crimes and Tales from the Backlist anthologies.

A transplanted Wisconsinite, Mary Ellen now lives in Maryland where she is excited to be working on her new Pickled and Preserved mystery series beginning with THE PICKLED PIPER.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

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Piper Lamb knows how to make fruits and vegetables keep for months. Unfortunately, it’s the people around her who are expiring too soon…

After her fiancé left her, Piper came to Cloverdale to rebuild her life and open up her shop, Piper’s Picklings, to sell pickles and preserves. When her ex decides to drop in for a visit—just as things are heating up between her and a local Christmas tree farmer—Piper finds herself in a jam. But there are other visitors to worry about…

An Italian soccer team is set to play the Cloverdale All-Stars in an exhibition game. Their manager, Raffaele Conti, was a bitter rival of Piper’s dill supplier, local farmer Gerald Standley. After Conti is found dead in Standley’s field, Piper must work to clear Gerald’s name and find out who relished killing Raffaele before the town is soured by another death.

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Jennifer’s Review of License To Dill

Review (4 Stars):  The thing I liked about this series was that you really felt like you were a part of this small town community while reading these mysteries.  Piper is settling into life as store owner of Piper’s Picklings when she learns that her ex is coming to town for a visit.  After being gone six months, Scott is under the impression that they can continue where they left off but Piper has moved on and is now seeing Will, the local Christmas tree farmer.  While Piper is dealing with her ex, the town is gearing up for an exhibition soccer game between the Cloverdale All-Stars and an Italian semi-professional team.  It is a bitter rivalry between the teams and soon the body of the Italian team’s manager, Raffaele Conti, is found in the field of Gerald Standley. Gerald and Raffaele knew each other from high school and it is no surprise that someone wanted the irritating Italian dead. Now, Piper must find the clues to prevent Gerald from going to jail for a crime that he didn’t commit.

License To Dill was a fun, entertaining and mouthwatering mystery that had me craving more of this sassy heroine.  I liked Piper from the very beginning and I felt bad that she kept trying to convince her ex that it was over between them to no avail.  The mystery was very fast-paced and exciting and you could definitely see why there was a long list of suspects that wanted Raffaele dead.  This is the second book in the Pickled Preserved mystery series and I can’t wait to go back to spend more time with the residents of Cloverdale, New York.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of License To Dill. This giveaway is for US Residents only.  To be entered in the drawing by February 18th, please leave me a comment below:

Kelly reviews The Raven by Sylvain Reynard

ravenTITLE: The Raven
SERIES #: The Florentine #1
CHARACTERS: William York & Raven Wood
AUTHOR: Sylvain Reynard
PUBLICATION DATE: February 3, 2015
ORDER LINKS:Amazon| B&N | Audible

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Gabriel Series comes a dark, sensual tale of romance in a city shrouded in mystery…

Raven Wood spends her days at Florence’s Uffizi Gallery restoring fine works of Renaissance art. But an innocent walk home after an evening with friends changes her life forever. When she intervenes in the senseless beating of a homeless man, his attackers turn on her, dragging her into an alley. Raven is only semi-conscious when their assault is interrupted by a cacophony of growls followed by her attacker’s screams. Mercifully, she blacks out, but not before catching a glimpse of a shadowy figure who whispers to her…

Cassita vulneratus.

When Raven awakes, she is inexplicably changed. She returns to the Uffizi, but no one recognizes her and more disturbingly, she discovers that she’s been absent an entire week. With no recollection of the events leading up to her disappearance, Raven also learns that her absence coincides with one of the largest robberies in Uffizi history – the theft of a set of priceless Botticelli illustrations. When the baffled police force identifies her as its prime suspect, Raven is desperate to clear her name. She seeks out one of Florence’s wealthiest and elusive men in an attempt to uncover the truth about her disappearance. Their encounter leads Raven to a dark underworld whose inhabitants kill to keep their secrets

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts Sylvain Reynard’s The Florentine series is a little different than the Gabriel’s Inferno series. Both series are written very well and make you fall in love with the stubborn moody hero and cheer for the sweet, kind and backbone of steel heroine. But in The Florentine series there is a huge paranormal element that was not in the other series. Which leads to a lot of very interesting things that link these two series together. What they are I will not tell you what is the fun in that (yes, I am evil like that).
I do have to say that I was a tad bit worried when I read The Prince (the prequel to this book). I found The Prince was a little stand-offish and not very nice at all. But in The Raven, the Prince won me over. Yes, he is moody as heck. Yes, he thinks things should be one way even if change can be good. But all in all he is a great guy. I just love William with Raven. Even at times when he is being his moody self :). I can’t wait to see what is next for these two.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley Trade in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

 

Kelly reviews Southern Spirits by Angie Fox

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000037_00031]TITLE: Southern Spirits
SERIES #: Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #1
CHARACTERS: Ellis Wyatt & Verity Long
AUTHOR: Angie Fox
PUBLICATION DATE: January 21, 2015
ORDER LINKS:Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When out of work graphic designer Verity Long accidentally traps a ghost on her property, she’s saddled with more than a supernatural sidekick—she gains the ability see spirits. It leads to an offer she can’t refuse from the town’s bad boy, the brother of her ex and the last man she should ever partner with.

Ellis Wyatt is in possession of a stunning historic property haunted by some of Sugarland Tennessee’s finest former citizens. Only some of them are growing restless—and destructive. He hires Verity put an end to the disturbances. But soon Verity learns there’s more to the mysterious estate than floating specters, secret passageways, and hidden rooms.

There’s a modern day mystery afoot, one that hinges on a decades-old murder. Verity isn’t above questioning the living, or the dead. But can she discover the truth before the killer finds her?

REVIEW:
Southern Spirits is the first book in Angie Fox’s new Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries Series. This is going to be a fun series. And I already can’t wait for the next book in this series.
I really really liked Verity. She is so much fun, sassy and has a pet skunk, named Lucy. Who has a pet skunk? Well a kick butt ghost hunter that is who.
Ellis is yummy too. Although I have to say that I really didn’t like him in the very beginning. He was not very nice to Verily. But he ended up redeeming himself.
Southern Spirits takes you on a fun journey of mystery, ghost hunting, finding oneself and surviving very angry poltergeist.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley & Season Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

Blog Tour & Giveaway: At The Drop Of A Hat by Jenn McKinlay

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    At The Drop Of A Hat

by Jenn McKinlay

I am a hat girl and always have been.  No, sadly, not the fancy hats to which the British are partial.  I think Americans are too obsessed with their hair to ever truly embrace the hat.  Pity.  Still, I love a good hat, and I own several fuzzy winter hats, floppy sun hats, utilitarian (ie. hide the unwashed rat’s nest) baseball hats.

My fascination with headwear was definitely a driving force in writing the London hat shop mysteries and because I love research this has been one of the best parts of the whole adventure.  The history of millinery, famous milliners, the evolution of the hat, all of these things have contributed to the writing of the books.

In AT THE DROP OF THE HAT, Viv and Scarlett are asked to mend a bridal hat made by their grandmother over thirty years before in the early nineteen eighties.  It is an emotional moment for the girls to have something that their grandmother made and they are determined to fix the hat for the bride Ariana Jackson.

Of course this part of the plot led me to research hats of the eighties which naturally guided me to Princess Diana and her famous milliner John Boyd.  I read his bio, studied years and years of his hats and now follow him on social media. The man is simply a genius.
Here’s a quote from his webpage (www.johnboydhats.com) so you can see what I mean:

“Making hats isn’t just a romantic story of sitting there waiting for some great creation to come. Millinery is deception all the time. If a client’s nose isn’t straight you twist her hat brim slightly the opposite way to straighten it. If she’s got two chins, you give her a face lift by tying a veil under one of them. The wearer doesn’t deceive, I do it for them.”  –John Boyd

See?  Certified artistic genius.  And although I have a total fan girl crush on the eighty-nine year old Scotsman, John Boyd is just one of so many famous hat makers that fill the pages of fashion, art and history.  Writing this series has been a pure joy because I have learned so much and because I get to spend hours turning the pages of old fashion magazines at my library, studying the fads and fashions of days gone by.

But there’s more than hat history involved in AT THE DROP OF A HAT.  Things have been tense between Scarlett and Viv as Scarlett can’t shake the feeling that Viv is hiding something from her.  She hopes that working on Mim’s old hat together will bridge the distance between them.  Viv is delighted to take on the job of restoring Ariana’s hat. It means so much to her to refurbish one of Mim’s original designs.  Unfortunately, contacting Ariana with the estimated cost becomes difficult when she never answers her phone.

Finally, Scarlett decides to go visit the young woman at her place of work and give her the work estimate in person.  When she arrives at the solicitor’s office in Kensington, she finds Ariana in the alley, standing over the body of her dead boss who looks to have fallen to his death.  The police think the man was pushed, but Scarlett refuses to believe Ariana is the murderer.  It is now up Scarlett and Viv to find the real killer before Ariana’s future is boxed up for good.

Is Ariana a murderess?  Do Viv and Scarlett manage to refurbish Mim’s bridal hat to its original glory?  What secret is Viv keeping from Scarlett?  You’ll just have to pick up a copy of AT THE DROP OF A HAT to find out.

Happy Reading!

Jenn

About the Author:

jenn mckinlayJenn is the New York Times bestselling author of several mystery series. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with kids, pets and her husband’s guitars.

 

Website/Twitter/Facebook

 

 

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MURDER CAN BE SO OLD HAT

Cousins Scarlett Parker and Vivian Tremont’s fashionable London hat shop, Mim’s Whims, is visited by a new customer bearing an old hat box. Ariana Jackson is getting married and wants to restore her mother’s bridal hat and veil for the occasion. The elegant item was made by Scarlett and Vivian’s grandmother over thirty years ago, so Viv is delighted to take the job.

When Scarlett goes to Ariana’s office to consult about the restoration cost, she finds her outside, standing over her boss’s dead body. Though Ariana claims to know nothing about his demise, the investigation unveils a motive for murder. Now, with the bride-to-be in custody and the wedding on hold, Scarlett and Viv must find the real killer before Ariana’s future is boxed up for good.

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of At The Drop Of A Hat

Review (4.5 Stars): This is the third book in the Hat Shop Mystery series and I love how Ms. McKinlay makes readers feel as though they are a part of the Notting Hill community. In this mystery, Scarlett and Viv agree to help Ariana Jackson restore her mother’s bridal hat for her upcoming wedding and when Scarlett is unable to get in touch with her, she decides to visit her at her work.  What she finds is another dead body and Ariana standing over the body with blood on her hands. With the wedding on hold and Ariana as the prime suspect, Scarlett and Viv decide to play detective again to find the real killer before Ariana goes to jail for a crime she didn’t commit.

Every time I read a mystery from this series, I am brought back to the lovely city of London and I desperately want to walk down Portobello Road just like Scarlett does.  Scarlett is still sticking with her vow of “no men” but has quite a bit of temptation in this story that tests her commitment to that vow.  I love how her character has grown from Cloche and Dagger and she is finally getting her self-confidence back and settling into her new way of life in London.  At The Drop Of A Hat was very fast-paced, entertaining and makes me want to visit this lovely community right away.  Looking forward to book number four in this enchanting mystery series.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of At The Drop Of A Hat. This giveaway is for US Residents only.  To be entered in the drawing by February 17th, please leave me a comment below:

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Town in a Sweet Pickle by B.B. Haywood

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A Traveler’s Guide to Cape Willington, Maine

by B.B. Haywood
author of Town in a Sweet Pickle

Welcome to the fictional town of Cape Willington, Maine, founded in 1737 by sea captain Elijah Blake Willington. Elijah and his crew were headed for Portland Harbor when they got caught in a storm and had to travel further up the coast to get to land safely. The town has grown one hundred fold since that night. Now you can take a stroll down the Main Street and see all of the shops, new and old, and meet a few of the local characters as well.

Your first stop should be the Main Street Diner for a bite to eat. You’ll find all kinds of fantastic diner food here, including fresh seafood and local favorites. You can also catch up on the local news with Henry “Doc” Holliday and his friends. They usually sit in the corner booth, unless it’s occupied by tourists. Doc sits at that booth so often everyone calls it “The Doc office.”

For dessert, I would recommend stopping at the Black Forest Bakery for authentic German pastries, freshly baked every day by Georg Wolfsburger. Georg is a relatively recent transplant to Cape Willington, and a welcome one at that. His pastries are well known up and down the East Coast. His humor and friendliness are baked into every pastry. Maggie Tremont will be at the front counter to greet you when you walk in. She will try to get you to sample a pastry! She’s pretty convincing, so I would do what she says. (Just a little local gossip: Maggie and Georg are engaged, although they haven’t set a wedding date yet. But who knows—maybe they will soon!)

Don’t forget to stop in at Zeke’s General Store, also located on Main Street. Trudy Watkins and her husband Richard run the general store, which has been in continuous operation since the early 1800s. You can still find all of your favorite penny candies and an old counter with stools, where you can sit and have an ice cream. Trudy has a wonderful eye for gifts, new and antique alike. The store is definitely worth a stop.

After you’ve totally stuffed yourself, head down Ocean Avenue to see the historical Pruitt Opera House. It boasts a beautiful widow’s walk at the top of the building. The story around town is that Candy Holliday and Maggie Tremont almost lost their lives defending themselves from a murderer who chased them up the stairs and out onto the walk about five years ago. Thankfully they survived, and Candy is now quite the sleuth, with Maggie by her side.

Now it’s time to take a drive along the breathtakingly gorgeous Coastal Loop road (Route 192 for those of you with maps) for beautiful views of the sea and the Cape. The cliffs are to die for. Leave your car windows down and take in a deep breath of fresh, salty sea air. You’ll feel like a whole new person. If only we could bottle that scent!

Just keep driving around the Cape and you might find yourself at Holliday’s Blueberry Acres, located on the outskirts of town. If you do, drop in for a cup of tea with Candy and her father, Doc. Candy just might offer you a slice of her famous blueberry pie. Do not refuse! The blueberries at the farm are the tastiest you will find in Maine. If they have time, they might give you a tour of the blueberry fields and gardens, and you can meet “the girls”—Candy’s chickens, which she keeps in a chicken coop behind the barn. I heard she is trying to teach them to speak French!

Take as many photos as you like for your Instagram. Enjoy your stay in town, and please visit again soon!

NOTE: Town in a Sweet Pickle is Book #6 in the New York Times bestselling Candy Holliday Murder Mystery Series. It will be available in print and as a digital book on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015. Other titles in the series include Town in a Strawberry Swirl, Town in a Pumpkin Bash, and Town in a Blueberry Jam. Large print editions of all the books and an audiobook of Town in a Blueberry Jam are also available. For more information on the series, visit www.hollidaysblueberryacres.com.

About the Author:

B. B. Haywood is a pseudonym of writing team Beth Feeman and Robert Feeman. They conceived the idea for the Candy Holliday mysteries while driving around the Maine countryside, stopping at different small towns throughout the state.

Website/Twitter

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When Candy organizes a cooking event for her local newspaper, the town’s most prominent citizens turn out to witness the popular cookbook author Julia von Fleming serve as a guest judge. But when Julia comes close to consuming a poisoned pickle, she begins to suspect someone in Cape Willington is trying to kill her—and Candy is completely jarred to be among the suspects.

But the first taste was just a sample, and soon more jars of poisoned pickles begin to pop up around town. In the face of a pickled poisoning spree, Candy will have to track down the culprit to make sure her own name stays well-preserved. Along the way, she’ll pull the lid off a briny barrel of blackmail, thievery, and revenge that’s been souring their seaside hometown for years…

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Town in a Sweet Pickle

Review (3.5 Stars): This is the sixth book in the Candy Holliday mystery series and I loved the idea of having poisoned pickles showing up around town causing Candy to search for clues as to who is behind all of it. I enjoyed the cooking contest and the yummy recipes that are included in this story that is sure to make your mouth water reading this delicious mystery.  Candy and the residents of Cape Willington are delightful as always and I look forward to each new mystery in the series.  I do recommend that readers start with the very first book in the series just because there was a lot of background and information that has been happening over the course of the series and this will make your visit to this wonderful community more enjoyable.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Town in a Sweet Pickle. This giveaway is for US Residents only.  To be entered in the drawing by February 15th, please leave me a comment below:

Kelly reviews Jaguar Pride by Terry Spears

jaguar prideTITLE: Jaguar Pride
SERIES #: Heart of the Jaguar #4
CHARACTERS: Huntley Anderson & Melissa Overton
AUTHOR: Terry Spears
PUBLICATION DATE: February 3, 2015
ORDER LINKS:Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
JAG Special Forces operatives like Golden Claw agent Melissa Overton and her partner, Huntley Anderson, are trained for the most dangerous missions in the harshest environments. These hardened jaguar shifters can handle any variable, even . . . babies?

When Huntley and Melissa find two jaguar shifter cubs snoozing in their jungle hut while on assignment, they have to keep the cubs and each other safe from ruthless poachers, bringing these partners closer in ways they never expected

REVIEW:
Huntley and Melissa are a great team on missions. They both are fearless, smart and love being wild. Oh and the like each other, only problem they both are dating other people. But that is okay work and pleasure don’t mix well.
I won’t give away anything but when you mix two Jaguars who like each other (A LOT), two baby Jaguar cubs, a lot of spilled milk, poachers and one weaselly bad guy you have a lot of action.
I really liked Huntly & Melissa together. I loved them with the babies too. I can’t wait to see what is next for this series.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley & Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Arsenic and Old Books by Miranda James

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 It’s a Family Thing
By Miranda James


Each of the “Cat in the Stacks” novels has centered on the family in some way. The core of the books is Charlie and his family, beginning with Diesel the Maine Coon cat in the first book, and then including his son Sean, daughter Laura, and others in subsequent books. The mystery plots in each of the books also center on family in some way.

In the latest book in the series, Arsenic and Old Books, the mayor of Athena, Lucinda Beckwith Long, presents Charlie with a set of Civil War-era diaries, a donation from the Long family to the college archive. The author of the diaries was Rachel Afton Long, and the mayor tells Charlie that the contents could help decide an upcoming election. Her son “Beck” Long is contending for a state senate seat against Jasper Singletary. The Longs and the Singletarys have a long history of distrust and discord between them. The Longs have been wealthy, one of the leading families of Athena for generations, while the Singletary clan consisted of poor subsistence farmers who claim their misfortunes were caused by the Longs.

Charlie naturally wonders how diaries written a century-and-a-half ago can impact the present. He is also astonished when two different women demand immediate access to them. A history professor desperate for tenure and a reporter whose reasons are murky both try their best to get their hands on the diaries. The situation is complicated by murder, and Charlie once again finds himself in the middle of the investigation.

As a student of history myself, and one whose family roots go back to 1831 in Mississippi, I wanted to write a story in which the distant past did affect the present. The Civil War era seemed a good place to start, and I thought incorporating the diaries of an antebellum woman a good way to open that window into the past. The result of all this is Arsenic and Old Books.

 

About the Author:

Miranda James is the pseudonym of Dean James, a seventh-generation Mississippian recently returned home after over thirty years in Texas. A mystery fan since the age of ten, he wrote his first novel at the ripe old age of twelve. The only copy of The Mystery of the Willow Key vanished years ago, but since it was highly derivative of the Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden mystery series, that’s probably a good thing.

Currently a librarian in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Dean has published articles on topics in library science, the history of science/medicine, and mystery fiction. His first book, which he co-wrote with fellow librarian Jean Swanson, was By a Woman’s Hand (Berkley; 1994). Jean and Dean won an Agatha Award for Best Mystery Non-Fiction and were nominated by the Mystery Writers of America for the Edgar for Best Critical-Biographical work for this popular reference book. A second edition followed two years later, and Dean and Jean collaborated on two further projects, Killer Books (Berkley; 1998) and The Dick Francis Companion (Berkley; 2003). In all he has co-authored or co-edited six works of mystery reference and one short story anthology.

His first novel, Cruel as the Grave (Silver Dagger Mysteries) was published in 2000. Since then he has published eighteen more novels, writing under his own name and the pseudonyms Jimmie Ruth Evans and Honor Hartman. In August 2010 he launched a new series writing as Miranda James. The first book under this name, Murder Past Due (Berkley Prime Crime; $7.99) spent four weeks on the extended New York Times bestseller list for mass market paperbacks. The next book in the series, Classified as Murder (Berkley Prime Crime; $7.99), published in May 2011, also hit the NYT list. The third book, File M for Murder (Berkley Prime Crime; $7.99) is out now. The fourth book, Out of Circulation (Berkley Prime Crime; $7.99) debuted at no. 11 on the bestseller list. Book five, The Silence of the Library, debuted at no. 8 on the bestseller list. Book six, Arsenic and Old Books, is just out.

Dean lives with one elderly cat, thousands of books, and thinks frequently about killing people – but only in the pages of fiction.

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In Athena, Mississippi, librarian Charlie Harris is known for his good nature—and for his Maine coon cat Diesel that he walks on a leash. Charlie returned to his hometown to immerse himself in books, but taking the plunge into a recent acquisition will have him in over his head…

Lucinda Beckwith Long, the mayor of Athena, has donated a set of Civil War-era diaries to the archives of Athena College. The books were recently discovered among the personal effects of an ancestor of Mrs. Long’s husband. The mayor would like Charlie to preserve and to substantiate them as a part of the Long family legacy—something that could benefit her son, Beck, as he prepares to campaign for the state senate.

Beck’s biggest rival is Jasper Singletary. His Southern roots are as deep as Beck’s, and their families have been bitter enemies since the Civil War. Jasper claims the Long clan has a history of underhanded behavior at the expense of the Singletarys. He’d like to get a look at the diaries in an attempt to expose the Long family’s past sins. Meanwhile, a history professor at the college is also determined to get her hands on the books in a last-ditch bid for tenure. But their interest suddenly turns deadly…

Now Charlie is left with a catalog of questions. The diaries seem worth killing for, and one thing is certain: Charlie will need to be careful, because the more he reads, the closer he could be coming to his final chapter…

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Jennifer’s Review of Arsenic and Old Books

Review (4.75 Stars): Wow! I love Charlie and Diesel and with Arsenic and Old Books, I was sucked into this well-written mystery after reading the very first chapter.  I couldn’t believe how quickly the pages flew by and I was up half the night until I reached its conclusion. I enjoy this mystery series because it is from Charlie’s point of view and most of the cozies that I have read have been from the female prospective.  It is a nice change of pace, which is one of the reasons that I enjoy this series so much.  Arsenic and Old Books is a very entertaining mystery with fascinating characters, an adorable cat and a mystery that will keep you guessing.  This was a winner for me and I can’t wait to read more from this talented author.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of Arsenic and Old Books. This giveaway is for US Residents only.  To be entered in the drawing by February 15th, please leave me a comment below:

Natasha reviews Just in Time for a Highlander by Gwyn Cready

just in time for a highlanderTITLE: Just in Time for a Highlander
SERIES #: Sirens of the Scottish Borderlands #1
CHARACTERS: Duncan MacHarg & Abigail Kerr
AUTHOR: Gwyn Cready
PUBLICATION DATE: 2/3/15
ORDER LINKS:Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
It’s tough being a woman in a man’s profession, especially for Abby Kerr, the unexpected chieftess of Clan Kerr. Loathe to marry but in need of a strong arm, Abby wishes for a Scots warrior and gets . . . Duncan, the historical reenactment hobbyist.
Wall Street Impresario Duncan MacHarg isn’t bad with a fencing foil, but he’s no Highlander. When a misdirected spell plucks him from the 21st century, he lands in 1705 Scotland at the feet of the fiercest woman he’s ever laid eyes on…

REVIEW:
I really enjoyed this book! Immediately, Duncan is a very likable character and the way he goes with the flow has me cracking up constantly. Abby is a little more difficult to get to know and therefore start to like because she’s in such a difficult position. I loved how she was clan chief though, that was a great role for her. Duncan and Abby are thrown together in a series of stressful and unbelievable situations. Both characters easily accept the unexplainable and ask very little questions which seemed a little hard to believe and made the story a little less believable. Despite my sometimes frustration with the characters lack of meaningful conversation I still enjoyed the story and supporting characters. It was a great highlander story and I look forward to the rest of the series.

Disclaimer:
I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

Kimberly reviews Rough Justice by Sarah Castille

rough justiceTITLE: Rough Justice
SERIES #: Sinner’s Tribe Motorcycle Club #1
CHARACTERS: Arianne & Jagger
AUTHOR: Sarah Castille
PUBLICATION DATE: 02/03/15
ORDER LINKS:Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
IT TAKES A GOOD, STRONG WOMAN
Raised in a motorcycle gang, tough, beautiful Arianne Hunter has always dreamed of a normal life. But no sooner does she escape her father’s domineering grasp than she wakes up to find herself in a rival gang’s clubhouse—at the mercy of the dangerously sexy Jagger Knight.

TO TAME A MAN WHO’S HELL ON WHEELS.
The alpha leader of the notorious Sinner’s Tribe, Jagger Knight is all muscle, all biker, and all man. But somewhere inside this hard tattooed outlaw, Arianne senses a kindred spirit—and she can’t ignore their tempestuous attraction. Can she beat him at his own game in a revved-up blaze of glory? Or will their passion spark a war that’s the end of the road for them both?

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts
If I had written the review after the first 100 pages it would have been much different than it is right now. The reason? I was ready to put the book on my DNF list and considering I have only a handful on that list you know it would be extreme if I did. But some how I kept telling myself “just a few more chapters and I will decide” and I am glad I did.

The first 100 pages…. They are hard to deal with. I imagine this story is along the lines of Sons Of Anarchy (since I have never seen it I am not sure) but Jagger is a bad guy. Not the bad guy who ends up being good he is a full on bad guy. He and his bikers are not afraid to beat or kill someone. To them it is just another day’s activities. They sell weapons and kidnap people for money (bad people yes but still kidnapping). And I honestly had a hard time with that. I also had a hard time with the wording. The first 100 pages was like the author had taken a list of biker terminology and checked off using all of it… and some over and over. Man, if I had heard about his “cut” (not a vest apparently) one more time I might have screamed. But then it changed.

In the next 180 pages Jagger changed and I found I liked him. Yes he is still a bad guy but the way he was with Arianne and the other bikers shows his heart of gold. Arianne is a good character too. She is tough. She was brought up in a rival biker gang and knows how to handle herself and I was really glad to see that that never changed throughout the book. So many times the woman starts tough, gets the guy, becomes soft and needs to be “saved” but not this one. Wait, yes, she needs to be saved but she does her part in the escaping as much as the saving. I guess you have to read it to understand that sentence.

So by the end of the book I enjoyed it. Yes, I still don’t like the bad guys that they are. I don’t want to condone the violence that the book represents but I enjoyed the story in general. I wouldn’t have thought I would be looking forward to the next in the series but I am. And now I know I need to read through the whole thing but in the long runs the Sinners are worth reading about.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

Blog Tour & Giveaway: As Gouda As Dead by Avery Aames

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ARE YOUR CHARACTERS REAL?

By Daryl Wood Gerber aka Avery Aames
(Author of The Cookbook Nook Mysteries & The Cheese Shop Mysteries)

I could protest for hours about how my characters are not based on real people, yet readers will still walk away convinced that my protagonists are thinly veiled versions of myself. As if. I’m not in my thirties. I’ve never run a cheese shop or a cookbook shop. I don’t live in a small town. And I’m definitely not courageous (or curious enough) to figure out whodunit in a local murder. Do I care about friends and family? Yes. Do I cook? Yep. Do I like pets? Certainly. So, in that regard, I guess I’m very much like my protagonists!  J

Now, as for my killers and victims or the other people that populate my fictional towns, um…yes, there might be a few I’ve based on people I know, but I would bet no one could figure it out. Why? Because I take pieces. Perhaps the look; perhaps the attitude; maybe a phrase, or style of speaking, or a rhythm of speech. I was told once that if I simply switched the sex of a character of the person I knew in real life, I could create the person verbatim and the person would never suspect!

Yes, I have started reading friends’ books to find out whether I’m the basis for a character. Is there a type A perfectionist in the bunch? Someone who is rough on herself when she doesn’t get things right? An overachiever who doesn’t know how to say “no”? That might be me. Do I die? Uh-oh. Perhaps I’d better work at being a good friend. J

By the way, major reveal:  In one of my short stories, I kill off a nemesis that used to ride me back in the days when I worked a nine-to-five job. She doesn’t have a clue. I promise you. She wouldn’t deign to read my work. I only changed her name and her career.

So…have you ever tried to tell a story about someone and changed basic facts to protect the identity of the guilty…ahem, I mean, innocent?

About the Author:

Daryl-Wood-199x300DARYL WOOD GERBER writes the nationally bestselling Cookbook Nook Mystery series featuring a cookbook store owner who is an avid reader and admitted foodie, set on the coast of California.  As AVERY AAMES, she pens the Agatha Award-winning, nationally bestselling Cheese Shop Mystery series featuring a cheese shop owner amateur sleuth, set in the fictional town of Providence, Ohio. Daryl’s short stories have been nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, and other awards. Fun tidbit: as an actress, Daryl has appeared in “Murder, She Wrote” and more.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

 

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Someone is cheesed off . . .

Providence, Ohio, is celebrating Valentine’s Day with weeklong events, including lovers’ baskets with heart-shaped cheeses at Fromagerie Bessette. Charlotte Bessette is celebrating by finally walking down the aisle with the man of her dreams, handsome artisanal cheese farmer, Jordan Pace. But when a beloved bar owner is discovered murdered on Jordan’s farm, he believes they should reschedule their wedding given the grim turn of events.

Charlotte is heartsick over the postponement. This killer crossed the wrong woman. No one, but no one, is ruining her wedding plans!

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of As Gouda As Dead

Review (4.5 Stars): This is the sixth book in the Cheese Shop mystery series and this is one of my favorite mystery series out there.  In this book, Charlotte is marrying her boyfriend, Jordan and while she is excited to finally be walking down the aisle, things take a dark turn when the body of her friend, Tim, is discovered on Jordan’s farm. I have loved these characters since the beginning and I was very sad to say goodbye to one of them.  As Gouda As Dead is a wonderful addition to this mystery series and each book feels as though you are spending time with good friends.  The mystery was engaging and complex and I have to say that I couldn’t guess who the killer was until Charlotte found out.  The recipes included in this mystery are to die for and I can’t wait to try to recreate some of them myself. Ms. Aames is a master storyteller and I’m looking forward to reading more about Charlotte in the future.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of As Gouda As Dead. This giveaway is for US Residents only.  To be entered in the drawing by February 12th, please leave me a comment below:

Kimberly reviews Hunger’s Mate part 4 by A.C. Arthur

hungers mate 4TITLE: Hunger’s Mate Part 4
SERIES #: Shadow Shifters #5
CHARACTERS: Jewel & Ezra
AUTHOR: A.C. Arthur
PUBLICATION DATE: 02/03/15
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Part Four and the breathtaking conclusion to A.C. Arthur’s HUNGER’S MATE (Shadow Shifters)! Jewel has always had her own agenda. But when Ezra discovers how far she’s gone—sleeping with the enemy to achieve her means—he has no choice but to ask himself: Can he trust her with his own secrets? Instinct tells him that he must be near her. She is the one who can satisfy his hunger. But will his passion for her mean the destruction of him and his kind? How far will one Shadow Shifter go as he follows his own heart?

REVIEW:
This is the fourth and final installment of this story. So as I said on the first installment I am not a fan of the new way some authors are taking one story and making them be released in parts so I was very happy that I was able to get all four installments at once and was able to read them as a full story. I know that the author puts out the installments and then the full story comes out. Of course it is up to each individual and their preference but I would wait until all parts are complete.

Now about the story itself. I really enjoyed this story. I liked Ezra and Jewel together but this was mostly Ezra’s story. I know it was supposed to be Jewel’s too but we really got more of his story than hers. The story is well written and interesting. The story had a lot of action and the romance was sweet. Any fan of the genre will enjoy the story and while I have not read the first couple books in the series I have read this one and the one directly before it and can understand what is going on just fine but I would say you would not be disappointed if you started from book one and enjoy the entire collection.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts