NEW RELEASE BLITZ! LILY OF THE VALLEY by Faith Blum

Happy Cyber Monday! In honor of the biggest internet shopping day of the year, or at least one of them, Faith Blum decided to do a blog tour release of her newest novel, Lily of the Valley. There are two giveaway opportunities and lots of fun interviews and excerpts.

About the Book

Howdy, Teacher! You don’t know me, but my kids talk bout you a lot. I been lookin fer a wife and mother fer a few years and was wonderin iffen we cood meet and get to no each other a bit. I’ll come after skool to git yer answer. Grover Miller

Unruly schoolchildren, three suitors, and too many things to do. When Ruth Brookings rejects one of the suitors, he refuses to accept no for an answer. To make matters worse, when she prays for guidance, she’s answered with a challenge instead: To encourage her friend to find a wife—whether he wants one or not. Will she lose her friend just when she needs a friend the most? Will she be able to weather the storms she’s about to face? 

Excerpt            

    After finishing the last of the essays, Ruth stood up, picked up Jeremiah’s essay, and sat in the desk next to him. “Can you explain your behavior this morning?”
    Jeremiah shrugged. “No.”
    “So you have no idea why you brought the frog inside or ruined Grace’s lunch?”
    “I wanted to.”
    “Why?”
    Jeremiah grunted and crossed his arms. “Grace is annoying. She’s always acting like she’s better’n everybody else.”
    Ruth tapped her fingers on the desk. “Who made you the judge of that?”
    Jeremiah wrinkled his nose, but didn’t answer.
    Ruth sighed. She would have to talk with his father about this and let him deal with it. “And how do you explain this?” She held the paper with his name on it.
    “It’s invisible ink.”
    “Even invisible ink leaves indentations, Jeremiah.” Ruth sighed. “You will stay here after school and sit in your desk writing your essay as well as a note to give to Grace tomorrow. The note will have an apology and also say three nice things about her. And make sure those nice things are things she would think are nice.”
    Jeremiah looked up at Ruth with wide eyes. “Miss Brookings, please…”
    Ruth held up her hand. “No, Jeremiah. You are not getting away with this. I will also have a talk with your pa this afternoon. When your essay and note are finished, we will both walk down to the sheriff’s office together.”
    “Miss Brookings…”
    “Nothing you say will deter me from this punishment.”
    “But I had plans to study with Clem and Chancy.”
    “You’ll have to do it another time,” Ruth replied as she stood up. “Go ring the bell, please.”
    Jeremiah bowed his head and obeyed in sullen rebellion.

 Purchase on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B016VAJ7EW

About the Author

Faith Blum started writing at an early age. She started even before she could read! She even thought she could write better than Dr. Seuss. (The picture doesn't show it well, but there are scribblings on the page of Green Eggs and Ham). Now that she's grown up a little more, she knows she will probably never reach the success of Dr. Seuss, but that doesn't stop her from trying. When she isn't writing, Faith enjoys doing many right-brained activities such as reading, crafting, writing, playing piano, and playing games with her family. One of her dreams is to visit Castle City, Montana someday to see the ghost town she chose for her characters to live in. She currently lives on a hobby farm with her family in Wisconsin.

Free Book

 

 Today is the last day to get Be Thou My Vision (Hymns of the West #2) free! Here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NF3QV52

Giveaway

Faith has a Goodreads giveaway going on through November 30th! Be sure to check it out and enter to win one of two signed paperback copies of Lily of the Valley.  

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Lily of the Valley

by Faith Blum

Giveaway ends November 30, 2015. See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/161619  

In addition to the Goodreads giveaway, Faith is also giving away all four of her paperback novels to one lucky winner!

 

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Bloggers involved

November 29: Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections-Tour introduction Shanna Hatfield-Book Spotlight 
November 30: Musings of Inspiration-Author Interview/Book Spotlight C.K.Rich-Book Spotlight Singing Librarian Books-Book Review/Author Interview Writing Dreams-Author Interview/Character Interview/Book Spotlight Tara Ellis - Wife. Mother, Indie Author and Photographer-Book Spotlight Christa Reads & Writes-Book Spotlight Rebekah Lyn Books-Book Spotlight The Overactive Imagination-Author Interview Wildflower Acres-Book Review/Spotlight Jaye L. Knight-Book Spotlight Zerina Blossom's Books-Book Review/Spotlight God's Peculiar Treasure Rae-Book Spotlight Tamie Dearen’s Blog-Book Review/Spotlight Clean Indie Reads

Blog Tour: EMPTY NEST (A Birds of a Feather Mystery) by Marty Wingate

Synopsis

If you love Laura Childs, Ellery Adams, or Jenn McKinlay, don’t miss Marty Wingate’s charming Birds of a Feather series! In Empty Nest, Julia Lanchester’s life is interrupted by a murder most foul—and a killer who’s watching her like a hawk.

Manager of a tourist center in a quaint British village, Julia Lanchester finds herself with more ideas than time. Her boss is the Earl Fotheringill himself, but apart from him, she doesn’t mix well with the aristocracy. Unfortunately, toxic mold forces her from her cottage and into one of the earl’s countless spare rooms at the Hall. She tries to get a handle on her overload of work, while she finds herself arguing with dinner guests, chaffing at the sudden interest the earl’s son has in running the estate, and missing her new beau, Michael Sedgwick.

Her life goes from bad to sinister when Julia discovers poisoned sparrowhawks on the expansive estate grounds. And soon after, she finds one of the Hall’s visitors murdered—felled by the same poison. While simultaneously both spooked and angry, she still can’t keep herself from snooping, and dragging Michael along into her investigation. But will she find the culprit before her own wings are clipped?

Review
This is another strong mystery by Wingate. Julie is working hard at promoting the Fotheringill estate with various activities and promotions. She is living on the estate while her cottage is not inhabitable and chooses to ignore Lord Fotheringill's possible motives for suggesting this arrangement. Her boyfriend Michael however picks up on those motives quickly. Add to that the prodigal son who returns, his antique dealer friend who winds up dead, the suspicious estate agent, and dead sparrow hawks - there is plenty of action. 

The pace is quick, the characters are well-developed, and the plot has many twists and turns. Julie and Michael's relationship adds a little romance to the mix.  I've read other of Wingate's novels and this one did not disappoint. I realized I have another of Wingate's novels on my kindle/TBRList from her other series - The Potting Shed Mysteries - and I just moved it up along with THE RHYME OF THE MAGPIES, the first in this series. Although EMPTY NEST is the second in the series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. 

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

About the Author

Marty Wingate is the author of two previous Potting Shed mysteries, The Garden Plot and The Red Book of Primrose House. Her new Birds of a Feather Mystery series debuted with The Rhyme of the Magpie. Wingate is a regular contributor toCountry Gardens and other magazines. She also leads gardening tours throughout England, Scotland, Ireland, France, and North America. More Potting Shed and Birds of a Feather mysteries are planned.

Author Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/martywingateauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/martywingate
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/453259.Marty_Wingate
Website: www.martywingate.com
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marthawingate/
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Marty-Wingate/e/B001JS1AIS

Purchase Links (PRE-ORDER)
PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE
Amazon  

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Blog Tour/Review: THE CASE OF THE DEFUNCT ADJUNCT by Frankie Bow

The Case of the Defunct Adjunct: A Molly Barda Mystery

Publisher: Hawaiian Heritage Press (December 1, 2015)

Publication Date: December 1, 2015

ASIN: B015U1NM4O

~~Special preorder price 0.99. Returns to 3.99 at release. ~~ 

Synopsis

A forbidden kiss. A death in plain sight. And the faculty meeting’s just begun.

Forced to attend the Student Retention Office’s summer retreat, Professor Molly Barda brings her game of buzzword bingo to fend off boredom. But when the lecherous Kent Lovely, Mahina State’s one-man hostile work environment, collapses face-first into his haupia cheesecake, the afternoon goes from dull to disastrous. Now Molly has to fight to keep an innocent out of prison—and herself off the unemployment line.

The Case of the Defunct Adjunct is the spoiler-free prequel to the Molly Barda mysteries, a cozy mystery series set in remote Mahina, Hawaii. If you like Dorothy Parker, Sarah Caudwell, P.G. Wodehouse, or E.F. Benson’s Mapp and Lucia stories, you’ll enjoy this tale of passion, pilferage, and petty politics.

Review
Molly didn't get out of town for the summer and now she finds herself with more work and no pay. She wants to stay out of it, but she gets involved with solving the murder of Kent Lovely to help her friend Emma and Emma's brother Jonah. Jonah has been fired after "whistle blowing" shady business with the victim's department. That makes him the prime suspect, but maybe what Jonah found out about is the real motive. 

This is the prequel to a new series by Frankie Bow, featuring Molly, a faculty member at an out of the way college in Hawaii. Along with the murder to be solved, there is wit, humor, and sarcasm, sometimes from unexpected people. This was a fun read from beginning to end. As a college faculty member, Bow's description of some aspects of the academy is right on. 

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

About the Author

Like Molly Barda, Frankie Bow teaches at a public university. Unlike her protagonist, she is blessed with delightful students, sane colleagues, a loving family, and a perfectly nice office chair. She believes if life isn’t fair, at least it can be entertaining. In addition to writing murder mysteries, she publishes in scholarly journals under her real name. Her experience with academic publishing has taught her to take nothing personally.

Author Links
www.frankiebow.com
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Frankie_Bow
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frankie.bow.1
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/frankie-bow/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7809288.Frankie_Bow

Purchase Link

Amazon

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Review - NEW RELEASE: FIVE SPOT by Cindy Blackburn

Synopsis

Say hello to the next screwball Cue Ball!

At long last! Jessie Hewitt is about to take her rightful spot in the Hall of Fame. No, not the one for pool sharks. This is the Romance Writers Hall of Fame. Jessie's so excited she's even convinced über-hunky cop Wilson Rye to tag along for the induction festivities. But things don't go exactly as planned. How could a conference called Happily Ever After take such a wrong turn? Take a guess.

Review

Jessie (and Tessie) are back and in the world of pink at the Happily Ever After celebration where Jessie is to receive her cupid as Adelé. Penelope is poisoned but Jessie may have been the target. Wilson's protective side is engaged while tickets are being sold to be his Paramour for the day. 

Jessie, Tessie and Wilson alone guarantee some laughs while trying to solve a murder. Add in the Glee club and the two book agents fighting over deals, and the other three award recipients and spouses...  For a cue-ball mystery, there isn't very much pool, but there is definitely conflict, humor, and crazy fans, at this Romance Writers Meeting and not everyone is in love with the "pink" people.  

As for the mystery, lots of choices for the killer. The unique characters, their idiosyncrasies, and even their names add to the humor and plot.  The sleuthing team is fantastical! The story moves along at a quick pace. On a more serious note, I didn't figure out the whodunit, but the ending did make sense when revealed.

Although part of the series, you can read this as a stand-alone. If you've read the others and loved them, you'll enjoy this one as well. If this is your first read by Blackburn, keep in mind that screwball mysteries aren't everyone's cup of tea (or Korbel) so be prepared for some fun rather than suspense in this cozy mystery. A fantastical, fun read!

Buy Link

AMAZON

Previous Books in the Series
Playing with Poison
Double Shot
Three Oddballs
Four Play

Blog Tour: A DICKENS OF A MURDER by Joyce and Jim Lavene

Synopsis:
Christmas at Canterville!

Lisa Wellman and Simon Canterville are surprised to find a dead man on their roof in the midst of rushing to open the Canterville Book Shop in time for the holidays. And not just any dead man – Ebenezer Hart – the man who opposed the book shop opening in Olde Town, Portsmouth, Virginia.

What might be more surprising is when Daniel Fairhaven – Lisa’s ex – turns up at the door of the three-story Victorian house to head the police investigation. She hasn’t seen him in years but the sparks start to fly as soon as they are in the same room together.

Simon and Lisa are obviously the best suspects for the murder. Each of them had something to gain by Hart’s death. Then an attempt on Simon’s life throws that theory into a tailspin.

But the biggest surprise yet comes when the ghost of Charles Dickens turns up to help Lisa with the murder investigation – and writing the mystery novel she has been working on for years.

Without a doubt, Daniel and Dickens in Lisa’s life means trouble. And there’s still the matter of trying to get the book shop open with a killer on their heels.

Review

All Lisa has ever wanted was to read books and perhaps write a book. With a forced life change, Simon provides the opportunity for her to partner in a book store, complete with a loft room for her to live in.  Then there's Hart's body found on the roof outside her window, her ex-husband as the Detective in charge, and the ghost of Dickens who wants to help her as an author. Lisa tries to find others with motive for Hart's murder, but it looks like the true target may be Simon. In the mean time, she needs to get rid of the ghost and avoid Daniel.

This book has a bit of everything - mystery, romance, and, yes, the ghost of Dickens. A fun read with twists and turns readers have come to expect from Joyce and Jim. 

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

About The Authors 
Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, bestselling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, 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.

It goes without saying that Joyce will be missed by readers and fellow authors like.

Author Links
www.joyceandjimlavene.com
www.facebook.com/joyceandjimlavene
http://amazon.com/author/jlavene
https://twitter.com/AuthorJLavene

Purchase Link
Amazon

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RRBC Spotlight Author: S M SPENCER

Today it is my pleasure to host S M SPENCER, 

Author of the ABSENT SHADOWS TRILOGY.  

ABSENT SHADOWS TRILOGY

What is the story about?
The Absent Shadows trilogy is the story of a young woman who wants to make a difference with her life, but isn’t sure how to go about it. When she takes a trip to Australia to spend her summer vacation with her aunt, she discovers a supernatural world that she’d never imagined existed. Her belief systems and courage are tested, but in the end it is her love and devotion that get her through. 

The book is set in and around some of the oldest parts of Melbourne, being the Flagstaff Gardens and Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market. Most of what is now the carpark for the market was originally the site of the Old Melbourne Cemetery. The cemetery was relocated when the market expanded; however most of the bodies (some say as many as 9,000) were not exhumed, and remain there today.

The story brings together my love of the paranormal, my desire to remain open-minded to explanations of how the world we live in really works, and my deep belief in the good that resides in most people (even though we all know there are some vampires who, quite simply, cannot be trusted!)

What kind of person is the main character, Lili McIntyre? 

Lili is a bit shy, and still rather naïve when it comes to the ways of the world, but she has a burning desire to achieve something good with her life. She is most definitely not a ‘super human’ or a ‘larger than life’ character. She is just your average girl, who finds herself caught up in a world that is anything BUT average.

Tell us a little about Lili’s friend, Claire.

Claire is perfection on the outside, and a little bit of a daredevil on the inside. She is the high school cheerleader, the prom queen and the girl that always had a boyfriend while the rest of us watched in envy. She’s polished when she needs to be, but a brazen flirt when she thinks she can get away with it. And even though she and Lili are quite different types of people, Claire likes Lili right from the start, and takes her under her wing.

Enlighten us about the setting of the story, primarily the Queen Victoria Markets and Flagstaff Gardens.

The Queen Victoria market is largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere. At this market you can find every type of food: fresh produce, deli foods, fast food, meat, fish and the list goes on. You can also find anything you’d typically find at a “flea market” or other outdoor market, including both new and old items.

The Flagstaff Gardens is the oldest, and one of the most used, parks in Melbourne. It is 18 acres of beautiful meandering paths through elms, figs and eucalypts. But it is also the site of the first burials of the new colony, back in 1835, which is why it was originally called “Burial Hill”.

Being such an old area, and one that is the subject of many ghost stories and sightings, it seemed the perfect location for a story about supernatural characters. And the markets themselves were the perfect spot for two of the key characters to work. Sam and Tom work in one of the fresh produce stalls at the market, and this is where Lili first sees Sam.

What inspired you to write this paranormal love story?

I was working around the corner from the Queen Victoria Markets, up near the Flagstaff Gardens. Walking around at lunchtime, I started sensing that this was the perfect setting for ghosts and vampires—and the story just developed from there. Of course, the late night ghost tours I’d done in the area, where I’d learned the history of the cemetery under the market’s carpark and about ghost sightings all throughout the area, really helped. And like many, I was caught up in the resurgence in popularity of vampires.

Where can readers buy your trilogy?

Only on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=series_rw_dp_labf?_encoding=UTF8&field-collection=Absent%20Shadows%20Trilogy&url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text

http://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Absent-Shadows-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B00O6WL9IA

They can also follow me on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/SMSpencer.writer for advice about upcoming promotions as well as updates on the books I’m currently working on.

Thank you SM for joining us today!  Enjoy your SPOTLIGHT tour!

Blog Tour: MURDER IN A TWO-SEATER by Billie Thomas

Murder in a Two-Seater:

A Chloe Carstairs Mystery (Chloe Carstairs Mysteries Book 2)

2nd in Series

Cozy Mystery

• Print Length: 305 pages

• Publisher: Annie Acorn Publishing LLC (September 7, 2015)

• ASIN: B0152IQRAQ

Synopsis:

A cheating wife in a classic car drives someone to murder.

Interior decorators turned amateur investigators, Chloe and Amanda Carstairs have spent the summer transforming their client’s creepy old castle into a luxury hotel. But before the first guest checks in, the owner’s wife checks out – with the help of a bullet to the head.

When Chloe’s dad is accused of the crime, there’s no time for the ladies to drown their sorrows in the hotel’s mini bar. Instead, they have to contend with a sneaky blackmailer, an unsolved murder from the past, and a cunning killer with nothing to lose.

The second Chloe Carstairs Mystery is filled with the same clever twists and hilarious mother-daughter relationship that made Murder on the First Day of Christmas such a fun, fast-paced read for an appreciative readership. The mystery will keep you guessing, but as any good decorator will tell you, even a beautiful setting can’t hide the ugly truth.

Review:

The refurbished and newly decorated castle is a fit setting for murder.  And who else, but the man who bought and paid for the castle, would host a car show before the official opening of the new castle hotel?  When his wife is killed in the two-seater he bought her, Chloe and Amanda have to help the police prove Alex is innocent, but first they have to figure out Elaine's lover. As with any family, secrets abound and are easy fodder for blackmail.  The many possible suspects, including mobster-types, and the twists and turns keep the story moving with an ending that makes sense but isn't fully predictable. 

MURDER IN A TWO-SEATER has is it all - mystery, humor, and romance.  This is the second in the series, but can easily be read as a stand alone. In fact, I haven't read the first, but plan to - I'm curious about the relationships and frictions between the characters of Chloe and Jacob, and Amanda, Tony, and Alex. 

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

About The Author:

Billie Thomas is the pseudonym of a Birmingham-based author. After the real Billie passed away unexpectedly at the end of 2011, getting MURDER ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS, the first of in the Chloe Carstairs mystery series, revised and published was her daughter’s top priority as a way to honor the mom who had given her a lifelong love of books. In her real life, Ms. Thomas works at an advertising agency, which might explain why she’s constantly thinking up ways to kill people without getting caught. She has a really cute boyfriend and an even cuter dog. Like MURDER ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS, its follow up, MURDER IN A TWO-SEATER are both filled with mystery, romance, humor and decorating – because these are a few of her favorite things. Visit her blog at ChloeGetsAClue.com or connect through these author links:

Author Links:

Twitter: @chloegetsaclue

Blog: ChloeGetsAClue.com

Facebook: chloe.carstairs.73

Purchase Link
Amazon

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