Blog Tour & Giveaway: Death on Eat Street by J.J. Cook

I’m pleased to welcome J.J. Cook here today to talk about their new book, Death on Eat Street. I love culinary mysteries so this one is definitely high on my list.

1. Tell me about your new release.

Death on Eat Street is about Zoe Chase who gives up her job at a bank to follow her heart, and become a food entrepreneur. She buys a diner that needs substantial renovations, and creates a food truck to finance that plan. Her ace-in-the-hole is the biscuit bowl: a deep friend biscuit with the center hollowed out and filled with pie filling, custard, beef stew, or chili. She has some difficulties getting started when she finds a dead rival food truck owner, but has friends who help her through the bad times.

2. What inspired you to write mysteries?

We have both always loved mysteries! Sherlock Holmes, the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew. We love the puzzle, and solving it while we write the story.

3. What is the most interesting/strange thing you had to research for your books?

We actually got in the middle of a food truck feud over parking places. We put that into Death on Eat Street since we lived through it. People hire others to keep certain places open in good sales areas. Failing that, they get physical pushing other food trucks out of the way. It was a strange, and scary experience!

4. What are you working on now?

We are working on our next food truck book, FRY HARD, and our seventh Peggy Lee Garden Mystery, LETHAL LILY, which is out in May. Our first book in the Retired Witches Spell Book Mystery, SPELL BOOKED, will be out in December.

5. Are there any authors or books that have influenced you to become a writer?

We read across genres – mystery, romance, science fiction, fantasy – and like to write in all those genres. We love Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Tanith Lee, Carole Nelson Douglas, and Barbara Hambly.

6. What was the first book you ever wrote and was it published?

The first book that we wrote was A Family for the Sheriff, and it was published by Silhouette in 1999 under one of our pseudonyms, Elyssa Grant.

Thank you so much for being here on Books-n-Kisses.

Thanks for having us here today!

About the Author:

J.J. Cook writes award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, Joyce and Jim Lavene, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family. Visit them at www.jjcook.net.

Twitter/Facebook

Zoe Chase always wanted to own her own restaurant—but first, she’ll have to serve up a heaping helping of meals on wheels, with a side of mystery. When she’s once again passed over for a promotion at work, Zoe decides to take the big leap and go for her dream. She quits, gives up her fancy digs, and buys a fixer-upper diner in a shady part of town. To keep above water during the renovation, she buys a used food truck to serve the downtown and waterfront of Mobile, Alabama. Zoe starts to dish out classic Southern food—but her specialty is her deep-fried biscuit bowls that blow traditional bread bowls away. After a promising start, things start to go downhill faster than a food truck without brakes. First, someone tries to rob the cash register. Next, Zoe is threatened by the owner of a competing food truck for taking their spot. And when the owner ends up dead inside Zoe’s rolling restaurant, Zoe and her sole employee, Ollie, find themselves hopping out of the frying pan into the fryer. They need to find the real killer, before both of them get burned.

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of Death on Eat Street

Review (4.5 Stars): Zoe was a great character for me because she took a chance on making her dreams come true and quit her dead-end job to open up a diner. Her family thought she was crazy because all she wanted to do was make people smile by having them eat her food. She quickly becomes involved in the death of a food truck competitor whose dead body ends up in the driver seat of her food truck. Even though she is cleared as a suspect, Zoe still finds herself in dangerous situations from someone who believes that she is hiding something that belonged to the deceased. She now has to find the true identity of the killer before her dreams of success go up in smoke.

This is the first book in the Biscuit Bowl Food Truck mystery series and I’ve already become a fan of Zoe and her friends. I liked how Zoe was truly a good person who always looked for ways to help other people even though she barely knew them. She came from a rich family who tried to push her into staying at a boring job and marry a guy who was absolutely wrong for her. She believed in the people that she just met and they turned out to be people that she could really count on when her family wouldn’t support her dreams. I thought the murder mystery was exciting and full of plot twists that will definitely keep you on your toes. Death on Eat Street is a delectable mystery that will have you craving one of Zoe’s famous biscuit bowls and I can’t wait to see what is in store for Zoe next.

Giveaway

I have one copy of Death on Eat Street to giveaway. This giveaway is for US Residents only. To be entered in the drawing by April 10th, please leave a comment or question for J.J. Cook:

April 5, 2014March 30, 2014

Kait Ballenger’s Execution Underground Series

After Dark: The Darkest Angel/Shadow Hunter

Lords of the Underworld #4.5/ Excution Undergroun #0.5

by Gena Showalter (Goodreads Author), Kait Ballenger (Goodreads Author)

A timeless seduction A unique temptation And a whole world of dark desires…

From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter

The Darkest Angel

Winged warrior Lysander has been alive for centuries, and yet he’s never known desire-until he meets Bianka. Spawned from the bloodline of his enemy, the beautiful but deadly Harpy is determined to lead the untouched Lysander into temptation. He may try to evade her attempts, but even the most iron-willed demon assassin can resist for only so long….

And from debut author Kait Ballenger

Shadow Hunter

Vampire hunter Damon Brock’s first assignment with the Execution Underground is Rochester, New York, a city crawling with the undead. But he isn’t the only hunter in town gunning for vamp blood. Tiffany Solow is fierce and ruthless when it comes to slaying the monsters that destroyed her family-and she works solo. But being alone is no longer so desirable when she meets the mysterious hunter who wants more than just her turf. As they work to massacre the local covens, the line between good and evil blurs when they are forced to decide between their lifelong beliefs… and their newfound hearts.

*****

Twilight Hunter

Execution Underground #1

Hunters of the supernatural, the Execution Underground are an elite group tasked with protecting humanity…but what happens when danger collides with desire?

Jace McCannon has one loyalty: the Execution Underground. Despite his mixed blood, his hatred for the werewolves he hunts is legendary. But in his search for a sadistic killer, Jace finds himself face to face with a stunningly seductive packmaster…and longing for a night with his mortal enemy.

Nothing can stop Frankie Amato from defending her kind—or catching the rogue responsible for killing women in her territory. For that, this alpha female needs Jace’s skills more than she wants to admit. But as their investigation exposes evil truths, need burns into a passion that dare not be fulfilled. For to do so will have deadly consequences for them both

*****

Immortal Hunter

Execution Underground #2

Hunters of the supernatural, the Execution Underground are an elite group tasked with protecting humanity…but at what price?

As an exorcist, David Aronowitz grew up the target of demonic assassins. Now he’s a member of the Execution Underground and hellspawn everywhere fear his name. But when a demon slips into the seductive body of the only woman he’s ever loved, David must confront the heartbreak of their past to save her.

The piece of her heart Allsún O’Hare gave to David so long ago left her trapped between two worlds: the Fae and the human. And when David comes to her rescue, fate reunites her with her greatest temptation—and her biggest mistake.

Now, as they’re swept together into a wicked game with the demon who controls her, David must decide if saving Allsún’s life is worth sacrificing his own—and the future of humanity itself.

April 4, 2014March 29, 2014

Kelly reviews Turned by Virna DePaul

TITLE: Turned
SERIES #: The Belladonna Agency #1
CHARACTERS: Ty Duncan & Ana Martin
AUTHOR: Virna DePaul
PUBLICATION DATE: April 1, 2014
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Welcome to a mesmerizing world where vampires hide among humans. This centuries-old species has its own rules, code of conduct, and taboos. Only the FBI knows that vampires exist—and although the Bureau agrees to keep their secret, it also plots to give humans the upper hand.
Turning mortals into vampires is forbidden.
But there are creatures who refuse to play by the rules.

Ever since he was turned, FBI special agent Ty Duncan has had one mission: bring rogue vampires to justice. As a recruiter for Belladonna, a shadow agency formed to keep vampires in check, Ty must tap Ana Martin, a troubled ex–gang member and one of the few mortals who can infiltrate places that his kind and the law cannot. From their first encounter, Ty fights a hunger to make Ana his own.

When Ty claims to have information about Ana’s missing sister, Ana has no choice but to trust this captivating stranger who awakens her deepest desires. But as she and Ty climb the heights of pleasure and passion, an enemy is conspiring to destroy them both.

Can Ana help Ty find his humanity in a love that could heal them both, or will their passion lead them into a darkness impossible to escape?

REVIEW:
2.5 HEARTS Really on the fence about this book. I liked the world, liked the idea behind the story liked the beginning. But I just never really connected with the main two characters. I really can’t explain why. I just didn’t feel the love that I would have liked to.

Even with that it was a good story and I am going to give the next book in this series a shot.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group – Bantam Dell in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

April 4, 2014April 5, 2014

Kelly review Midnight Pursuit by Elle Kennedy

TITLE: Midnight Pursuits
SERIES #: Killer Instincts #4
CHARACTERS: Ethan Hayes & Juliet Mason
AUTHOR: Elle Kennedy
PUBLICATION DATE: April 1, 2014
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Her job is to stay hidden.
Too bad he can’t take his eyes off her.

Soldier-for-hire Ethan Hayes is the youngest member of an elite mercenary team. While he may be affectionately nicknamed the rookie, the skills Ethan honed as a Marine make him seriously dangerous. But when a sudden distress call puts him in close quarters with a rival, he finds more than his field skills being put to the test.

Juliet Mason stands out as the master thief in a covert group of assassins and spies. Her latest mission is personal—and it’s gone horribly wrong. Juliet may prefer to work alone, but when the rookie comes to her aid in snowy Eastern Europe, she can’t deny they make a good team. But even up against a powerful enemy, their most challenging task yet may be fighting the passion between them..

REVIEW:
3.5 HEARTS The best way to explain Ethan & Juliet is like a tornado meeting a hurricane. While each can be very destructive independently together they will be unstoppable. But somewhere along the way the storms calm and all that is left is each other.
This was a fast pace book. There was no waiting for the action to start. I will say that I think my one of my favorite parts is Ethan’s rules on dating (hehe) Juliet never expected that :D.
If you are a fan of Elle’s Killer Instinct series you will love Ethan & Juliet’s story. Oh and Jack gives us a bit of a surprise at the end of this book (sneaky guy 🙂 ). Looking forward to the next book in this series.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley & PENGUIN GROUP Berkley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

April 3, 2014April 2, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: A Killing Notion by Melissa Bourbon

Today we have Melissa Bourbon here on Books-n-Kisses to talk about her new book, A Killing Notion. She is also the author of the Lola Cruz mystery series, so please give her a warm welcome. 🙂

1. Tell me about your new release.

A Killing Notion is the 5th book in A Magical Dressmaking mystery series. If you know anything about Texas homecoming, you may have heard about big Texas mums. Homecoming and mums set the stage for the latest mystery Harlow Cassidy needs to solve.

2. Where did you come up with the idea for this series?

I live in Texas and wanted to create a small, quaint town that would be one I’d like to live in (minus the murders!). When creating Harlow, I wanted her to have an interesting history. Making her a descendent of Butch Cassidy gave her a unique background and also allowed her, and all the Cassidy women, to have charms. The magical element is very light… just enough to add a little twist of fun to the stories!

3. What was the most interesting thing that you had to research as a writer?

With the Lola Cruz mystery series, I researched nudist resorts. There was one about ten miles from our house which I actually went to. I interviewed people who worked there, and people who were members. To say it was interesting is an understatement! I haven’t done anything quite as bold or crazy since them. I don’t foresee any nudist resort mysteries in Harlow Cassidy’s future.

4. Which authors do you feel have influenced you to become a writer?

I would have to say Agatha Christie. During high school I read all of her mysteries and loved every one of them. I remember going to the library with my mom so she could check out Curtain, Hercule Poirot’s last case. So while she’s not a writer, my mom also greatly influenced me.

I also love magical realism, so Alice Hoffman and Sarah Addison Allen are two contemporary authors I like. Practical Magic is one of my favorite books.

5. What are you working on now?

I just finished the 6th Magical Dressmaking book, A Seamless Murder. It’ll be released in January 2015. I’m in the process of the fourth Lola Cruz mystery and a proposal for a new series. Details to come!

6. Favorite TV guilty pleasure? Downton Abbey, True Detective, and House of Cards. LOVE them all!

7. Favorite Food? Warm chocolate chip cookies straight from the oven, baba ganoush (crazy love!), and spanakopita (spinach and feta strudel made in fila dough) – not all in the same meal, of course. 😉

About the Author:

Melissa Bourbon, who sometimes answers to her Latina-by-marriage name Misa Ramirez, gave up teaching middle and high school kids in Northern California to write full-time amidst horses and Longhorns in North Texas. She fantasizes about spending summers writing in quaint, cozy locales, has a love/hate relationship with yoga and chocolate, is devoted to her family, and can’t believe she’s lucky enough to be living the life of her dreams.

She is the Marketing Director with Entangled Publishing, is the author of the Lola Cruz Mystery series with St. Martin’s Minotaur and Entangled Publishing, and A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series with NAL. She also has written two romantic suspense novels, a light paranormal romance, and is the co-author of The Tricked-out Toolbox, a practical marketing guide for authors.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

Harlow Jane Cassidy is swamped with homecoming couture requests. If only she didn’t have to help solve a murder, she might get the gowns off the dress forms….

Harlow is doing everything she can to expand her dressmaking business, Buttons & Bows—without letting clients know about her secret charm. When she has a chance to create homecoming dresses with a local charity and handmade mums for several high school girls—including Gracie, whose father, Will, has mended Harlow’s heart—she is ready to use her magical talents for a great cause.

But when Gracie’s date for the dance is accused of murder, Harlow knows things won’t be back on course until she helps Gracie clear the football player’s name. If Harlow can’t patch up this mess before the big game, her business and her love life might be permanently benched.

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of A Killing Notion

Review (4.25 Stars): I love books that deal with magic and this series is definitely a winner. In A Killing Notion, Harlow is enjoying the success of her business and is in the middle of creating homecoming dresses for the local high school girls. When the boyfriend of one of the girls is accused of murdering his father, Harlow decides to use her investigating skills once again to help clear his name.

I’ve always liked Harlow and I was glad to see that her relationship with Will was still going strong in this book. I love spending time with these characters and enjoy the shenanigans of Harlow’s ghostly grandmother, Loretta Mae, who always makes an appearance when least expected. This clever mystery had me guessing until the very end and I have to say this series keeps getting better and better. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series, A Seamless Murder, which will be out early next year.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

April 3, 2014March 29, 2014

Thursday’sThought…

April 3, 2014April 3, 2014

Kimberly reviews Enchanting The Beast by Kathryne Kennedy

TITLE: Enchanting The Beast
SERIES #: Relics of Merlin #3
CHARACTERS: Philomena & Nicodemus
AUTHOR: Kathryne Kennedy
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/01/14
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Grimspell Castle. With its dark, imposing stone walls, it certainly looked haunted. As a ghost-hunter, Lady Philomena was accustomed to restless spirits. But she found the dark, imposing nature of the castle’s owner far more haunting than any specter. London Society might not approve of shape-shifters such as Sir Nicodemus Wulfson, but firmly-on-the-shelf Philomena rather enjoyed the young baronet’s sudden interest in sniffing around her skirts. She’d even consider giving in to him altogether if not for a murderer on the loose—a beast that might just be Nico himself.

REVIEW:
Take a bit of Mary Poppins + Harry Potter + Beauty and the Beast and you have this story. Magical creatures and ghost and witches and shape-shifters. There is everything you need to make a story a paranormal and it works out perfectly. I did not know this was the third in the series and it never felt like I was missing something. It does however make me want to go back and read the first two books.

The characters are delightful. Phil is a bit of a cougar (to use todays terms and I do not mean a shifter). And Nico is a great alpha with the possiveness and fierceness but also the sweetness that we romance lovers adore reading about.

I didn’t want to miss one word of this story and can’t wait to read any more that come from the series. If you love the paranormal romance genre then you have to pick up this delightful story.

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

April 3, 2014March 29, 2014

Kelly reviews He Can Fall by Melinda Leigh

TITLE: He Can Fall
SERIES #: A She Can Novella
CHARACTERS: Sean & Amanda Wilson
AUTHOR: Melinda Leigh
PUBLICATION DATE: March 26, 2014
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N (coming soon)

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When security expert Sean Wilson takes his wife, Amanda, along on a business trip to an isolated bed and breakfast, he’s hoping to combine work and pleasure. But when four armed men storm the inn and take the staff and his wife hostage, the romantic getaway is over. A former army Ranger, Sean will do anything to save his wife, and when he finds the seven-year-old granddaughter of the innkeeper in the snowy woods, the situation becomes more dire. Sean must get the child to safety, but as the armed men become increasingly hostile and violent, Amanda’s life is also on the line. Cut off from help and spurred by desperation, Sean and Amanda must make hard choices that could get them all killed.

Thriller Award nominee and bestselling romantic suspense author Melinda Leigh delivers a page-turning story of love, fear, and desperate choices.

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts GREAT novella!!!
I am always amazed how much you can put into a short story. Again this was a great short story and like any review I do for novella my review will be short too. I don’t like giving away too much. I will say that even though this was a short story I didn’t feel like anything was missing. I felt that Melinda was able to tell a great story without leaving me with that “I want more” that can come with a novella.
If you have read Melinda’s She Can… Series you will LOVE this novella. If you are new to the She Can…Series He Can Fall is easily read alone and does not affect the order of the series at all. I would highly suggest picking up a copy of the novella.

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

April 2, 2014March 29, 2014

Kelly reviews Burn For Me by Shiloh Walker

TITLE: Burn for Me
SERIES #: Secrets & Shadows #0.5
CHARACTERS: Tate Bell & Ali Holmes
AUTHOR: Shiloh Walker
PUBLICATION DATE:
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Scarred long ago by the disappearance of his mother, Nichole, Tate Bell aches to spend his days and nights with Ali Holmes, a woman he’s loved for years. But while Ali’s heart pines to be with Tate, her head has reservations… Ali knows that Tate has never forgiven his father for the fight he had with Nichole right before she left the house—and was never heard from again. Ali thinks that Tate’s unresolved anger is a force to be reckoned with…even though the heat that blazes between them is undeniable. Now both Tate and Ali are left to wonder: Can love really conquer all?

REVIEW:
Burn for Me it the first novella in Shiloh Walker’s new Secrets & Shadows series. In Burn for Me we get to meet Tate Bell. A man afraid to truly love or let anyone get too close. Yet knows that the one thing that matters most to him is about ready to walk away. Ali might love Tate, but she can’t wait for him any more. Walking away is going to be the hardest thing she has ever done.

This was an amazing start to Shiloh’s new romance suspense series. Let me tell you chapter one starts of with a major bang. While there is a love story the mystery that surrounds the Bell family has me dying for the next novella in this series.

If you love romance suspense you need to add Burn for Me to your read list.

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

April 2, 2014March 30, 2014

Kelly reviews Sweetest Surrender by Katie Reus

TITLE: Sweetest Surrender
SERIES #: The Serafina: Sin City #3
CHARACTERS: Vadim & Angel
AUTHOR: Katie Reus
PUBLICATION DATE: March 30, 2014
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A woman on the run…

Angel has been on her own for two years, moving from place to place to outrun her past. With no family and few friends to lean on, she’s managed to keep her secrets and stay safe. But when her past suddenly catches up to her, she has a choice to make. Run or stay and claim her life once more.

He’ll stop at nothing to protect her…

Vadim has never let anyone close to him—until Angel. From the first time he met her, everything changed. As a private consultant for Wyatt Christiansen, he’s good with computers and he’s got connections to unearth people’s deepest, darkest secrets. When Angel’s life is threatened Vadim steps in and uses all his resources to end the threat once and for all. As the danger closes in, he lies to her in an effort to protect her, not realizing that even once the threat is eliminated, he might lose her anyway.

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts

This was a quick read about 150 pages. There may have not been a ton of suspense in this story it was a good story. I really loved Vadim. I mean really who doesn’t love man who one is hot, two has an accent and three scares the living bejesus out of everyone but you. Well that pretty much sums up Vadim. He is a total badass but yet so sweet and gentle when needed. And that is everything Angel needs.
Angel is a sweet girl who was dealt some very bad cards. To many deaths in her short life and trusting the wrong person at the wrong time has made the last two years a living nightmare for her. But with Vadim by her side she might be able to face the demons from the past.

Over all I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to what is next in The Serafina: Sin City series.

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

April 1, 2014March 31, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: A Roux of Revenge by Connie Archer

I’m delighted to have Connie Archer here today to discuss her new book, A Roux of Revenge. This is one of my favorite mystery series right now and I absolutely adore her main character, Lucky and her restaurant, By the Spoonful Soup Shop. Take it away, Connie.

When a band of travelers arrives in the village of Snowflake, Vermont and a dead stranger is found by the side of the road, the past returns with a vengeance. Long kept secrets will be revealed, lost loves will be found and the lives of many in the village will be irrevocably altered.

Special thanks to Books-n-Kisses for hosting this stop on my blog tour for A Roux of Revenge, the third book in the soup lover’s mystery series.

How did this book come to be? Well, it’s a cozy culinary mystery–there’s a dead body, an old crime and a young girl in danger, but apart from all that, this story somehow took on a life of its own, and before I realized it, I was also writing a love story–a story about love gone wrong, lost love and love found again after many years.

Sometimes we know exactly what sparks a particular story and sometimes it’s lost in the recesses of memory. It was just such a random event that gave me the kernel of an idea for A Roux of Revenge. A brief headline on a web page read: “Eleven Romanian Gypsies Captured by Canadian Border Patrol.” My ears went up. I just had to read this article. And it turned out to be true! It wasn’t an exaggeration and it made me wonder.

Why couldn’t a group of travelers from the north arrive in the village of Snowflake, Vermont? Perhaps they come from Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. Perhaps they speak a form of Gaelic–Scottish Gaelic. Perhaps they have been traveling for generations and could be connected to someone in the village of Snowflake, Vermont. That’s how my invented clan of Scottish Gaelic-speaking travelers came to life.

But then I started wondering about all traveling people — are there gypsies or travelers in the U.S. today, still living a nomadic lifestyle? How do they live? Under the radar? How do they deal with the simple things of life, like a birth certificate or a driver’s license. I did a bit of research and learned a lot.

The word “gypsy” is a perversion of the word “Egyptian,” but the people called “gypsies” weren’t from Egypt. They migrated out of northern India over a thousand years ago, moving through western Asia and Europe, and eventually traveling to the British Isles and the Americas. They are know by many names in many countries – they have become the Irish Travelers (although this group claims a different lineage), the English Romnichels, the Ludar, the Hungarian Slovaks, and the Tinkers of Scotland, to name just a few. They have been persecuted, vilified and subjected to forced emigration throughout the centuries.

Today, in the United States alone, there are estimated to be more than a million Romani people who come from far flung places around the globe. Although traveler culture honors family and ancestors and a commitment to a nomadic lifestyle, many descendants of travelers have very little information about their roots.

There are, however, dedicated people who want to help. If you believe you’re descended from a traveler culture, read on and explore the following websites where you might learn more about your origins and your ancestors.

The Gypsy Lore Society

http://www.gypsyloresociety.org/additional-resources/gypsy-and-traveler-culture-in-america

Roma of the Americas

http://sciway3.net/clark/freemoors/roma.html

Irish Travelers

http://sciway3.net/clark/freemoors/travellers.html

My clan of Scottish Gaelic-speaking travelers knows exactly where they come from and the place they’ll return to every year. It may be a long time before they’re in Snowflake, Vermont again, but I know you’ll enjoy reading about them all in A Roux of Revenge.

About the Author:

Connie Archer is the national bestselling author of A Spoonful of Murder and A Broth of Betrayal, the soup lover’s mystery series set in Vermont, from Berkley Prime Crime. The third book in the series, A Roux of Revenge, will be released on April 1, 2014. Connie was born and raised in New England. She now lives on the other coast.

Website/Twitter/Facebook

STIRRING UP TROUBLE

Snowflake, Vermont, is known for its skiing in winter—and its soup all year round, thanks to Lucky Jamieson’s By the Spoonful. Autumn brings golden leaves, pumpkin rice soup, the annual Harvest Festival…and murder.

Lucky’s soup shop is busier than usual this October, with groups of itinerant travelers in town to work the Harvest Festival. One newcomer seems to take a particular interest in Lucky’s young waitress, Janie, spying on her from across the street. Is the stranger stalking Janie?

After an unidentified man is found murdered in a van by the side of the road, simmering suspicions about the travelers are brought to a boil. But when Janie is put in harm’s way, Lucky must join forces with the travelers to turn up the heat on a killer…

Amazon/B&N

Jennifer’s Review of A Roux of Revenge

Review (4.5 Stars): This is one of my favorite mystery series right now because I absolutely love the residents of Snowflake and Lucky’s restaurant, By the Spoonful. In this book, the town of Snowflake is preparing for the annual Harvest Festival which will bring a much needed influx of tourists into this little town. Before things get under way, a man is found murdered in his van and believed to be a part of robbery that had taken place many years ago. While the police look for clues, Lucky is having problems of her own with her boyfriend, Elias. A flame from Elias’ past has come back and Lucky is afraid that her budding romance may soon be over. Long hidden secrets finally come to light in this wonderful mystery and not everyone is ready to hear the truth.

This is the third book in the Soup Lover’s Mystery series and I look forward to each installment of this series. I’ve always liked Lucky and I’m so glad to see that everything is going well for her in the beginning of this book. Her business is successful and her relationship with Elias seems to be getting stronger until an old love from Elias’ life comes back to town. She goes through a lot of emotions during the course of this book which really adds to her character. The thing that makes this series so great besides having a fabulous restaurant which I wish I could visit, is the characters. Each of them add so much to the story and Ms. Archer does a great job creating them and writing such entertaining mysteries. I can’t say enough wonderful things about these books and I’m looking forward to the next installment in this charming series.

Giveaway

I’m excited to give away a copy of A Roux of Revenge. This giveaway is for US Residents only. To be entered in the drawing by April 7th, please leave a comment or question for Connie:

April 1, 2014March 31, 2014

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Pretty Reckless by Jodi Linton

Welcome to Pistol Rock, Texas where secrets last about as long as the sporadic west Texas rain showers.

Laney Briggs has long been considered reckless, but she’s turned herself around—she’s respectably engaged and she’s become a Pistol Rock deputy sheriff. Everything’s fine until a dead body turns up and her ex, Texas Ranger Gunner Wilson, decides to stick his boots into the town’s first murder case.

Laney will be damned if she lets Gunner trample all over her turf and her chance at a quiet, contented life. His seemingly endless ability to undermine her resolve and her libido is only outdone by her constant urge to butt heads with him. But when the bodies start to pile up, Laney has to ask the lethal bad boy for a hand—and a truce in exchange for his help.

Having an ex-boyfriend as an ally might not be the best idea, but Laney has always been pretty reckless…

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About the Author:
Jodi Linton grew up across the street from a cow pasture, where she was more likely to be seen selling Kool-Aid in a Dixie cup at ten cents a pop, or inviting neighbors over to watch one of her plays staged on her father’s Bass boat.

In 2001, she traded in the rednecks, cowboys, and mesquite trees of her hometown to chase destiny out west. After a few years of mucking it around with the roughnecks, dust storms, and droughts, she decided to dust off her boots and head home. With a History degree in one hand and a marriage license in the other, she followed her husband in 2006 to central Texas the heartland, fabulous Austin.

After settling into the Texas Hill Country with her husband and two kids, she joined the Austin Romance Writers of America, and signed with The Belcastro Agency. Today she can be found cozied up to the computer escaping into a quirky world of tall tales, sexy, tight jean wearing cowboys, and a protagonist with a sharp-tongue quick enough to hang any man out to dry.

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Jennifer’s Review of Pretty Reckless

Review (4 Stars): What a wild ride! I liked Laney a lot in this book because of her personality and the fact that she finds herself in the middle of a love triangle with two handsome men. Laney Briggs is a deputy for the town of Pistol Rock and is caught in the middle of a murder case that puts her working with her ex-boyfriend, Gunnar Wilson. Gunnar cheated on Laney many years ago and is back as a Texas Ranger to help solve the case and try to win back Laney. The problem is that Laney is engaged to be married to Nathan, the town’s veterinarian, and doesn’t need Gunnar coming back into her life and stirring up old feelings. She cares for Nathan but being around Gunnar stirs up feelings that she thought she was over and she doesn’t want to repeat her past mistakes with him. The murder case they are involved in is full of twists and turns and involves a hilarious cast of characters which makes Pretty Reckless an entertaining read. I was surprised at how fast I went through this book and I know you will too. I like Ms. Linton’s style of writing and looking forward to reading more about Laney in future books.

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