Monday, November 20, 2023

From an Unknown Sender by Traci Hunter Abramson, Sian Ann Bessey

From an Unknown Sender JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for From an Unknown Sender by Traci Hunter Abramson & Sian Ann Bessey, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

From an Unknown Sender

Title: From an Unknown Sender
Series:
Falcon Point Suspense #2
Author:
Traci Hunter Abramson & Sian Ann Bessey
Publisher:
Covenant Communications
Release Date:
November 21, 2023
Genre:
Clean Suspense

After spending a busy holiday season putting drug smugglers behind bars, CIA operative Cole Bridger is looking forward to spending a quiet Christmas in Vienna with his girlfriend and fellow operative, Isabelle Roberts. But when Isabelle is tasked with investigating a string of suspect financial transactions and redirects a suspicious package to a museum in Amsterdam, she inadvertently places Cole’s cousins in the crosshairs of a drug smuggling ring. 

Lars and Marit have no desire to be drawn into the deadly dealings of the criminal underworld, but when Lars’s sister, Tess’s, life is placed in danger, they willingly join Cole and Isabelle in their efforts to uncover the mastermind behind the drug smuggling ring. Unfortunately, the two couples’ involvement does not go unnoticed. And though each step brings them closer to the truth, they also reveal a startling picture of greed and corruption at the center of a dangerous organization that will stop at nothing to retrieve what it has lost.

REVIEW

Just wow! This book is non-stop and action packed and so good. I burned through this book. I was cursing the fact I had to work and sleep many times while reading. The Falcon Point Suspense series is becoming a favorite of mine. These two authors, Traci Hunter Abramson and Sian Ann Bessey, know these characters and it shows how well Cole, Isabelle, Lars, and Marit are written. The work so well together the couples are wonderful. It may sound cliche but I was literally holding my breath at times, especially with the exciting ending. I really hope there are more books coming in this series. You could read these books as standalones but you’d have a better feel for the characters with their backstories. There’s also a shoutout to my favorite “code breaker”. 

I received an ecopy for tour purposes.  All views and opinions expressed are my own. 

PURCHASE LINKSGoodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

More Books in This Series

  The Danger with Diamonds


About the Authors

Traci Hunter Abramson  Sian Ann Bessy

Traci Hunter Abramson was born in Arizona, where she lived until moving to Venezuela for a study abroad program. After graduating from Brigham Young University, she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency, eventually resigning in order to raise her family. She credits the CIA with giving her a wealth of ideas as well as the skills needed to survive her children’s teenage years. She loves to travel and recently retired after twenty-six years coaching her local high school swim team. She has written forty-five best-selling novels and is an eight-time Whitney Award winner, including 2017 and 2019 Best Novel of the Year.

Connect with Traci by visiting traciabramson.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

Sian Ann Bessey was born in Cambridge, England, and grew up on the island of Anglesey off the coast of North Wales. She left her homeland to attend university in the US, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications, with a minor in English. She began her writing career as a student, publishing several articles in magazines while still in college. Since then, she has published historical romance and romantic suspense novels, along with a variety of children’s books. She is a USA Today best-selling author, a Foreword Reviews Book of the Year finalist, and a Whitney Award finalist.

Sian and her husband, Kent, are the parents of five children and the grandparents of three beautiful girls and two handsome boys. They currently live in southeast Idaho, and although Sian doesn’t have the opportunity to speak Welsh very often anymore, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch still rolls off her tongue. Traveling, reading, cooking, and being with her grandchildren are some of Sian’s favorite activities. She also loves hearing from her readers. 

Connect with Sian by visiting sianannbessey.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.


Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will each win a $20 Amazon gift card!

From an Unknown Sender JustRead Tours giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight November 20, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 27, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

RSVP to Murder by Carol Pouliot - tour

RSVP to Murder by Carol Pouliot Banner

RSVP to Murder

by Carol Pouliot

November 6 - December 1, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

RSVP to Murder by Carol Pouliot

A new twist on the 1930s English country house mystery.

Embarking on their most daring time-travel experiment to date, Depression-era cop Steven Blackwell and his 21st-century partner-in-crime Olivia Watson travel to the Adirondack Mountains for a Christmas party at one of the legendary Great Camps. Their host, a wealthy New York publisher, has planned a weekend filled with holiday activities, but, as the last guest arrives, temperatures plummet and a blizzard hits. Before long, the area is buried in snow, the roads are impassable, and the publisher is poisoned.

Unwilling to wait until the local police can arrive, the victim’s widow convinces Steven to launch an unofficial investigation. Soon, a family member goes missing and Steven and Olivia discover a second victim. Trapped with a killer, Steven and Olivia race against the clock before the murderer strikes again.


MY REVIEW

I hadn’t heard of this series when I signed up for the tour, but I love a good cozy mystery. And add time-travel in it, yes please. I appreciated the author’s cast of characters at the beginning of the book. This is book 4 of the series. It took me a bit to understand the time-travel aspect, but I was definitely intrigued and I hope to read the rest of the series as soon as I can. I really liked Steven and Olivia. They worked very well together. 

RSVP to Murder has a fast paced, page turning plot that kept me guessing the whole time. I loved the danger of the snowstorm, it added so much suspense to the story. I appreciated how Olivia (from 2014) adapts well to 1934. Steven is the perfect by-the-book detective and their chemistry is great. I enjoyed Will too. I don’t want to spoil the plot by giving too many details but I will happily read the next book. It was set up well. 


I received an ecopy for tour purchases. All views and opinions expressed are my own. 

Praise for RSVP to Murder:

"A classic holiday movie and Agatha Christie novel mashup"
~ Shawn Reilly Simmons, author of the Red Carpet Catering Mystery Series

"RSVP to Murder is Agatha Christie with a time-travel twist. Pouliot supplies us with just what we crave in a great locked-room mystery: a blizzard, closed roads, dead phone lines, roaring fires, and lots of suspects and motives—all set in a luxurious Adirondack Great Camp in 1934. Snap on your seatbelt and travel with Steven and Olivia, you’ll be happy you did!"
~ Tina deBellegarde, Author of The Batavia-on-Hudson Mystery Series.

"A Great Camp in the Adirondacks serves up a sumptuous setting of plump armchairs, roaring fireplaces, and the heady scent of Christmas pines—all begging to be settled into with this thumping good vintage whodunit set in the 1930s. Cleverly plotted with plot-twists aplenty and some time-travel to boot, this immersive mystery is a gem."
~ Laurie Loewenstein, Author of the Dust Bowl Mystery Series

"Readers are invited to the glamour of the Thirties, where the rich are putting on the Ritz, until there’s a murder to solve. Join time-travelers Blackwell and Watson in a race to the Racines’ Adirondack Great Camp to catch a killer. A clever...and a thoroughly unique must for fans of the paranormal and historical. RSVP today!"
~ Gabriel Valjan, Author of the Shane Cleary Mysteries series

"The Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mysteries’ latest installment, RSVP to Murder, combines the thrilling and “timeless” aspects of Jack Finney’s classic TIME AND AGAIN mixed with the wit and charm of a modern, puzzling mystery. Highly recommended for all lovers of time travel, history, romance and wily sleuths."
~ L.A. Chandlar, Best-selling author of the Art Deco Mystery Series

Book Details:

Genre: Traditional mystery
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: September 2023
Number of Pages: 305
ISBN: 9781685123857
Series: The Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mysteries, #4
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

December 31, 1902
New York City, New York

She was marrying the wrong man.

With a silk-gloved hand, Margery Belleville lifted the bottom of her wedding gown and peeked around the heavy, carved doors into the nave of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Several hundred guests—ladies in expensive finery, wool coats trimmed with ermine and fancy hats with brims reaching out over their shoulders, and tuxedoed men in black silk top hats—awaited the wedding of the decade. St. Patrick’s reminded Margery of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris with its Gothic-style pointed arches and rich stained-glass windows set in lacey webs. The soaring, vaulted ceiling, lit by crystal chandeliers suspended on long rope-like cables, rose hundreds of feet in the air. Light from the chandeliers reached into the far corners of the church and mingled with the glow of candles twinkling in wrought-iron stands. Inhaling the scent of balsam fir from the many holiday decorations, Margery gazed down the long center aisle, where she would soon walk with her father.

Margery stepped back into the vestibule, her pure-white gown rustling softly as she moved. She was, at least, happy her parents had allowed her the choice of her wedding dress, if not the groom. Margery and her mother had searched in several shops, nearly deciding to have the dress custom made when they came upon this elegant, sleek gown. The moment Margery laid eyes on it, she knew it was the one. The high neckline draped in soft folds beneath her chin, flattering her face. The form-fitting bodice hugged her curves, yet avoided the dreaded hourglass silhouette, with its yards of smooth satin skirt billowing around her. Margery’s unadorned veil revealed topaz eyes and soft lips, but covered her rich auburn hair and cascaded down her back. This was the gown of a modern, independent woman. If only her life matched the dress.

His conversation with the bishop finished, Anthony Belleville joined his daughter. “Are you ready, my dear?”

The organ began Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March,” and a rumble echoed throughout the nave as the guests stood and turned toward the back of the cathedral. Trembling, Margery took her father’s arm.

He must have felt her shaking because her father leaned over and, to Margery’s astonishment, whispered, “I know he’s not your first choice. But you will be well cared for and you know Gil adores you. I don’t know which man has captured your heart, but you won’t lack for anything with Gilbert Racine. The publishing empire he’s going to inherit will provide a comfortable, even pampered, life. He’s the best choice to keep you in the style your mother and I have provided. I can’t bear the thought that you would ever lack for anything, my dearest daughter.”

Margery was further shocked when her father wiped a tear from his eye.

It was at that moment when Margery Belleville, soon to be Margery Racine, accepted her fate. She would be a good wife for her successful businessman husband. She would provide him with children and a well-run home. She’d bury her feelings deep inside, lock them away in a cupboard, and throw away the key. She could not marry the man she loved. But she might grow to love the man she married.

Margery forced a smile and reached up to give her father a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be alright, Papa. Gil will be a good husband.” She patted his hand. Straightening her spine, Margery gave a sharp nod of her head. “I’m ready.”

***

Excerpt from RSVP to Murder by Carol Pouliot. Copyright 2023 by Carol Pouliot. Reproduced with permission from Carol Pouliot. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Carol Pouliot

A former language teacher and business owner, Carol Pouliot writes the acclaimed Blackwell and Watson Time-Travel Mysteries, traditional police procedurals with a seemingly impossible relationship between Depression-era cop Steven Blackwell and 21st-century journalist Olivia Watson. With their fast pace and unexpected twists and turns, the books have earned praise from readers and mystery authors alike.

Carol is a founding member of Sleuths and Sidekicks, Co-chair of the Murderous March Mystery Conference, and President of her Sisters in Crime chapter. When not writing, Carol can be found packing her suitcase and reaching for her passport for her next travel adventure.

Learn more and sign up for Carol’s newsletter on her website:
www.carolpouliot.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @cpouliot13
Instagram - @carolpouliotmysterywriter
Facebook - @WriterCarolPouliot
Sleuths and Sidekicks

 

 

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JOIN IN ON THE GIVEAWAY:

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Carol Pouliot. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited. 

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Friday, November 3, 2023

Shadows at Dusk by Elizabeth Goddard

 

Shadows at Dusk

Author: Elizabeth Goddard

Publisher: Revell

Published: October 1st, 2023

FTC FYI: I received a paperback copy and Netgalley link from the publisher. All views and opinions expressed are my own. 

Summary

Montana Detective Trevor West is desperate to learn what happened to his sister, who went missing in Alaska over a year ago, leaving nothing but a few photographs as clues to her whereabouts. At the advice of Police Chief Autumn Long, Trevor enlists the help of an experienced bush pilot. If Carrie James can't help him find the places in the photographs, no one can.

But Carrie has her own agenda. Grieving the death of her closest friend and the only person she could trust, Carrie will help Trevor find his sister on one condition--that he help her track down her friend's killer.

As the two close in on the answers they crave, they'll face dangers and connections they could not have imagined. They'll have to learn to trust one another--and face the dark secrets of the past--if they are ever to discover the truth and bring a killer to justice.

Review

“She just wanted to close her eyes and sleep for a year and then wake up from this awful, horrid dream.”

In the dedication, the authors tells the reader to hold on tight and believe me I did. I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I knew this one would be just as excellent as the first. I read the beginning of this book when I finished Cold Light of Day and reading it again was just as exciting. This is hands down, another stunning book from Elizabeth Goddard. How she writes the amazing action packed, suspenseful scenes, all while giving you fantastic characters (Trevor and Carrie were great!) amazes me. I couldn’t have asked for more from this book.  


5 stars!


Purchase links


Amazon paperback / Amazon Kindle / Christian Books


Author links


Amazon author page

Friday, October 20, 2023

The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright

The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater

by Jaime Jo Wright

October 9 - 20, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright

It promises beauty but steals life instead. Will the ghosts of Barlowe Theater entomb them all?

Barlowe Theater stole the life of Greta Mercy's eldest brother during its construction. Now in 1915, the completed theater appears every bit as deadly. When Greta's younger brother goes missing after breaking into the building, Greta engages the assistance of a local police officer to help her unveil the already ghostly secrets of the theater. But when help comes from an unlikely source, Greta decides that to save her family she must uncover the evil that haunts the theater and put its threat to rest.

Decades later, Kit Boyd's best friend vanishes during a ghost walk at the Barlowe Theater, and old stories of mysterious disappearances and ghoulish happenings are revived. Then television ghost-hunting host and skeptic Evan Fisher joins Kit in the quest to identify the truth behind the theater's history. Kit reluctantly agrees to work with him in hopes of finding her missing friend. As the theater's curse unravels Kit's life, she is determined to put an end to the evil that has marked the theater and their hometown for the last century.

Review

The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater is the perfect October read. This is my second book by Jaime Jo Wright and I will be reading more. Wright is a master at weaving a perfectly spooky and page turning story. She pulls you right into the story and you immediately care about the characters. I love how Wright ends her chapters. Once you get to the end of one, you have to find out what will happen next. The pacing is perfect. I know I have said this before, but I love dual timelines and Wright writes them magically. Greta and Kit are both entangled with the mysterious Barlowe Theater. Greta in its early days, as her brother goes missing trying to help her. Kit, visits during a ghost hunt and then events that follow mark her too. The theater was a character itself. Imposing and mysterious in both timelines. Greta’s story has so many tragedies and unfairness for her part of the story. Kit’s too was full of accidents and mishaps. And I loved every page. The twists and turns with the mystery! What was not to enjoy?

I received a Netgalley copy from the publisher for tour purposes. All views and opinions expressed are my own.

Praise for The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater:

"Jaime Jo Wright takes readers on a journey that leaves them with a renewed sense of hope... Read this story. You won't be sorry."
~ Lynette Eason, bestselling, award-winning author of the Extreme Measures series

Book Details:

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Christian, Historical
Published by: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: October 2023
Number of Pages: 384
ISBN: 9780764241444
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | ChristianBook | Baker Book House

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

Greta Mercy

OCTOBER 1915
KIPPER’S GROVE, WISCONSIN

Sometimes death came quietly. A phantom swooping in and siphoning the last remnant of a soul from one’s body, leaving behind a shell of a person who once was and would never be again. Other times, death decided that dramatics coupled with terror were its preferred method of delivery. Tonight, that was the chosen form death took.

Screams echoed throughout the theater’s golden, embellished auditorium and drifted upward to the domed, hand-­painted ceiling, where Putti flew as angelic, childlike spirits over the mass of onlookers.

A shoulder rammed into Greta’s arm as a husky man, far too large for the narrow seats, pushed his way past her toward the center aisle.

“Let me pass!” he barked. Urgency spurred him forward. “I’m a doctor, let me pass!”

The vaudeville lights on either side of the stage boasted letters a through g, with the g lit and distinct over the other letters.

“I’m letter g!” The doctor shouted while those in front of him jostled to the side or hurried ahead to move out of his way. Doctors were assigned specific letters from the vaudeville lights, and if they were lit, a doctor was needed—­either at home, on call, or in the vicinity.

The vicinity was here. It was now.

Onlookers continued to gasp and protest. Women in beautiful silks and satins hurried to the back to find respite in the upstairs ladies’ room. Men in evening wear catapulted over seats and to the floor on the far left of the auditorium.

Greta was frozen in place, her seat having flipped up against its back so she could move. But her eyes were fixed with horror on the scene unfolding. They lifted to one of the box seats above the floor, where men, including the doctor, were congregating en masse. The gilded box was a flurry of activity. A man embraced a woman, who fought and clawed at his hold. Her screams had many onlookers staring at her, including the performer in her violet gown and befeathered hair. Moments before, her vocals had swirled around them all in a cadence of beauty and refined music. Now, her mouth was open, her face pale, her entire pose aghast. She had captured an enthralled audience, all whose gazes toward the stage had kept them from seeing what Greta had seen. Greta, who shouldn’t have been here to begin with. She didn’t belong with the pomp and circumstance, the heady scent of perfume and cologne, which made her mind thick and her eyes wander. They’d wandered to the box seat, and she’d witnessed what no one else had. The white hands stretching, reaching over the side,
dangling . . .

“It was a child!” The horrified cry slipped for the third time from Greta’s lips. She could hear herself screaming and was unable to stop. Her screams had ripped through the performance as the child in a white nightdress plummeted into the shadows of the floor’s obscure corner.

The woman in the box seat had been pulled from view, its red velvet curtain shut swiftly.

“It was a baby!” Greta rasped out as horror strangled her.

“Greta. It’s all right.” The reassuring voice of her friend, Eleanor Boyd, as well as the comforting grip on Greta’s arm finally stilled her.

Greta focused again on her friend—­her wealthy friend who should not be her friend at all.

Eleanor’s blue eyes were round with fear that must mirror Greta’s own. Her blond curls swept upward and were twisted with pearls. Her dress was a baby-­blue silk. Any other moment, Greta would have soaked in the awe that tonight she, Greta Boyd, who could barely keep her family fed and clothed, was sitting among the elite, pretending to be one of them. But now? It hardly mattered. The borrowed corset that tucked in her waistline, the aged but wearable pink dress she had borrowed from Eleanor, and even the gloves she wore on her dry, cracked hands—­none of them mattered now.

“What happened? What did you see?” Eleanor clutched at Greta’s arm.

Greta couldn’t reply. The sheer magnitude of the moment, the honor of being in the audience of the Barlowe Theater had been overwhelming . . . until she’d seen it. The baby launched over the side of the box seat. Like a cherub from the mural above, it had taken flight before it disappeared.

Greta’s knees gave out, and she fell to where her seat should have been had it not folded in on itself. Her hip struck the polished wood arm.

“Greta!” Eleanor reached for her.

Greta felt Eleanor’s brother on her other side, grabbing for her waist to give her support. But it was too late. She had collapsed to the narrow walkway between the seats. Her knees hit the carpeted floor.

Was she the only person who had seen death’s swift visitation tonight? The only one who had witnessed its evil intent as it ripped the babe forcefully from its mother’s arms?

It wouldn’t survive. It could not. The fall was too far, too great.

Death had decided to match the theater’s reputation for drama and awe. Greta couldn’t tear her gaze from where she’d seen the small form disappear on its way to its resting place on the floor of the Barlowe Theater.

The babe had slipped. No, it had been tossed. Its mother’s screams still echoed from the hallway beyond the curtain. Those in the crowd cried “Accident,” “Traumatic mishap,” and other such things. But Greta knew differently. She had known before she came tonight, and she should have stayed away.

Barlowe Theater was not a place that brought joy and entertainment, as was its supposed purpose. No, it had already taken lives in the construction of it, tortured the ones who dared stand in its way, and now it was hunting those innocents who had happened into the shadows of its deadly interior. The theater was cursed.

Kit Boyd

OCTOBER, PRESENT DAY
KIPPER’S GROVE, WISCONSIN

Death stuck with a place. Once the blood had seeped into the carpet, the flooring, the walls, it stayed there, long after the stains were removed. They were the testament to lives robbed of their rightful journey through time. Cut short. Obliterated. B

Barlowe Theater was not a place that brought joy and entertainment, as was its supposed purpose. No, it had already taken lives in the construction of it, tortured the ones who dared stand in its way, and now it was hunting those innocents who had happened into the shadows of its deadly interior. The theater was cursed.

Kit Boyd

OCTOBER, PRESENT DAY
KIPPER’S GROVE, WISCONSIN
ludgeoned into nonexistence. Smothered by the grave, burrowed into by the worms—

“Hey!”

Fingers snapped in front of Kit Boyd’s face, and she startled out of her staring into the dark, narrow stairwell that led beneath the stage of the Barlowe Theater.

“Get with it, bruh.” The fingers snapped again. Kit looked up at the taller man beside her. He was overweight and smelled like pizza, but he had a nice face. His name was Tom, they’d told her, the crew from the TV show Psychic and the Skeptic.

“Sorry.” Kit offered him a wince. She’d paused on the first concrete step while her best friend, Madison, the psychic medium, Heather Grant, and the skeptic investigator, Evan Fischer, disappeared into the bowels of the theater. Tom the cameraman was held back by her hesitation. She gave him a warning look, though the theater’s darkness in the midnight atmosphere probably hid most of her expression. “You do know people died here . . . have disappeared here.”

“That’s the point.” Tom waved her forward, the camera on his shoulder blinking a red light. “But I need to catch them on film if I can, and you’re in my way.”

Fabulous. She was on camera. That would probably make the show too. Kit Boyd, the quirky sidekick to Madison Farrington, the historical activist, the beauty, the granddaughter of the town’s ambitious CEO of all things expansion, modern, and money-­making.

“Hello?” There was definite irritation in Tom’s voice.

“I’m going! I’m going.” Kit hurried down the steps. She’d taken them many times before. Anyone who was native to Kipper’s Grove, Wisconsin, had grown up in the Barlowe Theater at one point or another. Dancers had tapped and glided across its stage in recitals, high school glee clubs with dreams of Broadway had warbled off-­key through its hall, and the local theater guild had put on such plays as Arsenic and Old Lace and The Music Man. Kit hadn’t been in any of those. Instead, she was the one backstage handing bottles of water to the performers, smiling and cracking jokes to encourage the stage-­frozen little six-­year-­old dressed in a yellow tutu with glitter on her cheeks.

“Oh, c’mon!” Tom hissed, his irritation past the point of being hidden. How he’d gotten behind her anyway was a faux pas for filming. He was supposed to stick close to the stars of the show, Heather and Evan. And boy, did those two get along famously—­not.

“Whew!” Kit wheezed under her breath, not caring if Tom heard. “I’d try to avoid those two if you could.”

“Yeah, well, I have a job to do.” Tom squeezed past Kit as she hugged the cement-­block wall at the bottom of the stairs to let him through. He elbowed her arm and didn’t bother to apologize. He probably felt as if she owed him that luxury. The luxury of being annoyed.

Okay, fine. She did.

If she was being honest, Kit wasn’t a fan of the Barlowe Theater past dark. Which was the cliché of all theaters built just after the turn of the century. It was dark. Haunted. The place was like a tomb. Crank up some vaudeville music and the place became a literal haunted house of horrors for Halloween. And Kit hated Halloween. The darkness, the Gothic look and feel, Halloween was for morbid people who thought Edgar Allan Poe was romantic in his mystery and lore instead of macabre and bleak. Hadn’t he died questionably? She’d heard a podcast once that claimed the poet might have been murdered, contrary to the popular belief that his death had been the result of some fatal malady undiagnosed.

Kit shook her head to clear her thoughts. Mom said cobwebs couldn’t possibly gather in her head because she had too many ideas. Mom was right. Kit would never be accused of having an underactive imagination.

A finger jabbed into the back of her shoulder.

“Stop it!” Kit spun to glare at the offender.

No one was there.

Her skin began crawling. “Gahhhhhh!” She waved her hands wildly at the unseen ghost finger. Probably her imagination, but whatever. She had let Madison sucker her into a ghost hunt for the popular ghost-­hunting television show. This was her penance? Getting poked by an elusive spirit?

“Sorry, God.” Kit mumbled an apology to the Almighty, who was probably rolling His eyes at their attempts to mess with the spirit world. But this was Madison. She believed anything was possible. Kit had been raised to believe that this type of anything was probably demonic. There had to be a middle ground. Hadn’t there?

Kit hurried around the corner, stubbing her toe on a bolt that rose half an inch up from the floor. Dampness and time had warped the theater’s floor, making it uneven. She leaned against the wall, rubbing her bare toe. Flip-­flops on a ghost hunt. Bad idea.

She looked around—­well, as best as she could. The basement was dark, as were the dressing rooms to her right, sized like prison cells. The short hall to her left leading directly below the stage was also dark.

“Hello, darkness,” Kit crooned quietly, craning her neck to peer ahead. “Hello?” she tried again, this time louder.

No answer.

“Seriously, someone?” Kit was beginning to share Tom the cameraman’s annoyance now. Two argumentative television stars, her best friend, and a cameraman didn’t just vanish within minutes. The basement wasn’t that huge.

But it was Barlowe Theater.

Tom?” Kit hissed, daring a few steps into the dank blackness. “Madison?”

Again, no one answered. The only light was a flickering bulb that had to be a wattage short of worth having at all. It buzzed too. Of course it did. If this stunt was for show
dramatics . . .

“Madison!” Kit shouted. In the ten years since they’d graduated high school, she had followed this woman around. She was owed some loyalty in return. “If this is for ratings, it’s unkind of you!” Kit yelled. Her words echoed back at her.

“Madis—”

Light slammed into her face, blinding Kit. She raised her hands as the flashlight’s beam collided with her eyes.

“They’re gone!” It was Tom.

Kit could see the whites of his eyes just beyond the flashlight he swung around wildly.

“What do you mean?” Kit tried to take captive Tom’s arm as he flooded the hallway with the light, then a dressing room, then the ceiling. His camera wasn’t on his shoulder.

He wasn’t filming.

Kit’s throat tightened. Okay, that wasn’t a good sign. “Where’s Madison?”

Tom swung the light back in Kit’s face. “Where’s Evan? Where’s Heather? Where’s my team?” His voice shook with undisguised concern, turning fast into panic. “How big is this place?”

“Not that big.” Kit pushed past him. Concerned now. This had gone too far. Madison and her harebrained schemes to keep her own grandfather from ruining the historic downtown. Make it famous, she said. Put it on TV, she said. Make viewers defend Kipper’s Grove, she said. “Madison!” Kit shouted, anxiousness seeping into her voice. “Stop this! It’s not funny!”

Tom’s light bounced on the floor in front of them as Kit spun around and marched back toward him. She shoved past his husky chest and down the short passage to the door leading under the stage. Her fingers curled around the doorknob, its old mechanics making it wobbly beneath her grip.

Kit jerked it open.

She fell back with a shriek, colliding with Tom, who had come way too close behind her.

Heather, the medium from the show, stood stock-­still facing them. Her eyes were wide and unfocused, her skin white in the flashlight’s glow.

“She’s gone.” Heather’s monotone voice filtered through the passage.

Kit words were stolen from her as her stomach dropped.

“Who’s gone?” Tom demanded.

“Madison.” Evan Fischer, the cohost, the skeptic, and the all-­around grumpy hero of the show strode past his partner. Heather’s expression didn’t waver as her eyes remained fixated on . . . whatever she was staring at in the spirit world beyond. “Madison’s gone.”

Evan left less than a few inches between his face and Kit’s as he bent his six-­foot frame down to meet her five-­foot-­four one. “Where is she?”

“I don’t kn—”

“Where. Is. She?” He cut off Kit’s answer as unsatisfactory.

Her breaths came shorter, faster. She could feel Tom behind her. She was sandwiched between him and Evan, with Heather staring into the great abyss.

“I told you. I don’t know.” Kit heard the quaver in her voice. She shoved her trembling hands into her pockets.

“She’s gone.” Evan slapped the wall, glaring at Tom, who was speechless. “Is this a scam? A stunt?”

Kit couldn’t answer. Of course, the show would think it was a ploy by Madison. A publicity ploy. But it went deeper than that. Far deeper. Kit sagged against the wall, the air not reaching her lungs as it should.

She prayed then. Prayed that Madison really was messing with them. That she had simply gone too far ahead beneath the stage and left them behind.

But the theater was hungry, and everyone in Kipper’s Grove knew it was only a matter of time before this hunger added to the stories of death and spirits. That’s how the theater was, after all. Drama. Suspense. And the unearthly way that such things drifted through its rafters.

***

Excerpt from The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater by Jaime Jo Wright. Copyright 2023 by Jaime Sundsmo. Reproduced with permission from Baker Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Jaime Jo Wright

Jaime Jo Wright is the author of nine novels, including Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She's also the Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of two novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her cat named Foo; her husband, Cap'n Hook; and their two mini-adults, Peter Pan and CoCo.

Catch Up With Our Author:

Amazon author page (affiliate)
jaimewrightbooks.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @JaimeJoWright
Instagram - @JaimeJoWright
Twitter - @JaimeJoWright
Facebook - @JaimeJoWright
TikTok - @JaimeJoWright

  

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and opportunities to WIN in the giveaway!

10/09 Review @ reviewsbyrudra
10/10 Review @ Wall-to-wall Books
10/11 Review @ amandainpa
10/12 Review @ Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
10/13 Review @ Avonna Loves Genres
10/13 Review @ Paws. Read. Repeat
10/14 Review @ Reading Among The Daisies
10/14 Review @ Why Not? Because I Said So Book Reviews
10/15 Review @ elaine_sapp65
10/15 Review @ rozierreadsandwine
10/16 Review @ melissas_bookshelf
10/17 Review @ Lynchburg Reads
10/18 Review @ A Room without Books is Empty
10/18 Review @ Inkwell Inspirations
10/18 Review @ Novels Alive
10/18 Review @ Splashes of Joy
10/19 Review @ Melissa As Blog
10/19 Review @ mokwip8991
10/19 Review @ Urban Book Reviews
10/20 Review @ ashmanda. k
10/20 Review @ Enjoyingbooksagain
10/20 Review @ minreads15 

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Giveaway:

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Jaime Jo Wright and Bethany House Publishers. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

The giveaway is for:    1 - $10 Amazon gift card and a print copy of The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater; US only 

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Friday, October 6, 2023

On Moonberry Lake by Holly Varni

 

On Moonberry Lake

Author: Holly Varni

Publisher: Revell

Published: September 26th

FYC FYI: I received a review copy from the publisher from Netgalley. All views and opinions express are my own.

Summary

Cora Matthews's life is a mess. A broken engagement and the unexpected death of her mother have left her wondering if things will ever return to normal. Whatever "normal" is.

It certainly isn't what she finds at Moonberry Lake. After she receives her family's dilapidated lakefront lodge as an inheritance--with a surprising condition attached--Cora finds her life overrun by a parade of eccentric neighbors who all have something to say 
and something to teach her.

As Cora works to put her life back together, she must decide if she is willing to let go of the past, open her heart to love, and embrace the craziest version of family and home she could ever have imagined.

Review

On Moonberry Lake is a wonderful debut novel by Holly Varni. Cora is trying to start a new life for herself after her mom passes away. She needed a new start. Sometimes she had hard situations, but I took heart in her journey through the book. I enjoyed the quirky and enduring characters in the town. Characters take the lead in this story. I appreciated how friendship and love is a theme of the book. There were also some very humorous moments where I was smiling a lot. Wonderful moments of understanding and community. Also mixed in was a lovely touch of romance.

Purchase links

Amazon / Christian Books

Author links

Amazon author page 

Saturday, September 30, 2023

The London Forgery by Heidi Eljarbo - giveaway and review

The London Forgery JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The London Forgery by Heidi Eljarbo, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

The London Forgery

Title: The London Forgery
Series: A Fabiola Bennett Mystery #1
Author:
Heidi Eljarbo
Publisher:
Independently Published
Release Date: August 29, 2023
Genre:
Historical Cozy Mystery, Dual Timeline

1973. Art historian Fabiola Bennett sees herself as a prudently observant deer who becomes a daring and even mischievous lioness if the situation calls for it. And that’s exactly what’s required when greedy criminals steal, forge, and tamper with treasured artwork. When the crooks add murder to their list of crimes, the chaos is complete. 

A mysterious note is delivered anonymously at the door of the National Gallery in London, and the director immediately calls Fabiola’s office in Oslo and pleads with her to come without delay. The message is confusing, but it seems one of her favorite eighteenth-century portraits is in trouble. 

Fabiola hops on the first plane and meets up with her vibrant side-kick Pippa Yates and the ever-loyal Detective Inspector Cary Green from New Scotland Yard. But she is not naïve enough to think untangling the purpose and meaning of the mysterious note will be as simple as a walk in Hyde Park. These things never are.  

1750. Newly married Robert and Frances Andrews, members of the landed gentry of Suffolk, England, hire young and talented Thomas Gainsborough to paint their wedding portrait. Their desire is a lovely conversation piece showing their wealth and class, an artwork to remember them by for generations to come. 

Little do they know the gifted artist portrays their personalities exactly how he perceives them, and the artistic symbolism is not as flattering as they’d hoped for. Even the looming clouds in the distance promise a troublesome future.  

This is the first book in a new dual timeline series by Heidi Eljarbo—an intriguing spin-off from the much-loved Soli Hansen Mysteries. 

Fans of Lucinda Riley, Rhys Bowen, Kathleen McGurl, Kate Morton, and Katherine Neville will love this cozy historical art mystery, which takes the readers back to the nostalgia of the groovy seventies and the classical Georgian era of the eighteenth century.

Review

I love historical cozy mysteries. And this one had a fun twist. I enjoyed the time switches from present 1973 to 1749 when the painting, Mr and Mrs Andrews, was made. The dual timeline was exciting and the author does a great job of pulling into both timelines. This book is a new series, a spin off to Fabiola’s mother’s adventures with art thefts. I was fascinated by Fabiola’s eidetic memory (my favorite psychic detective, Shawn Spencer, has one too). I appreciate smart and observant characters. Fabiola exemplifies this. Pippa was a wonderful addition. She was kindhearted and a breath of fresh air. Inspector Cary Green too was wonderful. The book is fast paced and enjoyable. I’m excited for more books in the series! Reading this book made me want to read the other series based on Fabiola's mother.

I received a review copy from JustRead Tours. All views and opinions expressed are my own.

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub


About the Author

Heidi Eljarbo

Heidi Eljarbo is the bestselling author of historical fiction and mysteries filled with courageous and good characters that are easy to love and others you don't want to go near.

Heidi grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and she never truly imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, all of which have come in handy when working as an author, magazine journalist, and painter. 
 
After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have a total of nine children, fifteen grandchildren—so far—in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier. 
 
Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter. 
 
Heidi’s favorites are family, God's beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.

Connect with Heidi by visiting heidieljarbo.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.


Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will win a print copy of "The London Forgery", an eBook "Of Darkness and Light" and a $10 Amazon gift card!

The London Forgery JustRead Tours giveaway

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight September 26, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on October 3, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. No shipping restrictions. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

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Friday, September 1, 2023

A Bounty of Secrets and Rebellion by Sharayah Maurice

 

A Bounty of Secrets and Rebellion

Author: Sharayah Maurice

Published: September 1st, 2023


FTC FYI: I received an eARC from the author, all views and opinions expressed are my own.


An historical alliance between two gifted races is threatened when Princess Alana Bell Sundry is attacked and a bounty is placed on her head. With powerful enemies on two borders, the kingdom of Latera is relying on her arranged marriage to the Gaellen Prince to strengthen their position in Tanithor.  

Enlisting the help of a mysterious bodyguard to keep her alive until her prince arrives to claim her, Alana soon learns there’s more to the undercover guard than meets the eye. As she spends time with her new bodyguard, she soon realizes that the attacks on her life aren’t the only threats to the alliance. Her heart may prove just as effective at dismantling a union that has been years in the making.

Meanwhile, across the Great River, Griff Shoshone is unaware of the political events happening around him. The girl he’s loved for years has recently been promised to his little brother, the future Chief of Hoken, and Griff must find a way to reconcile his heart to the Oracle’s prophetic declaration. 

However, after a fateful decision with deadly consequences leaves Griff and his brother’s betrothed captured in enemy territory, Griff must now come to terms with his new fated destiny. 

A Bounty of Secrets and Rebellion is the first in the Chronicles of Tanithor YA fantasy romance series told from multiple POVs. If you like clean romance, characters with elemental powers, and action-packed chapters with cliffhanger endings, then you’ll love the captivating world of Tanithor.

My review

A Bounty of Secrets and Rebellion was an exciting YA fantasy romance from a brand new author! The story is full of action and lives up to its title of secrets and rebellions. I really enjoyed the point of view changes. All characters were written well and I enjoyed the gifts of the All Gods. I cared about the characters, as many exciting events took place. The magic is creative and thrilling. I did yearn for more from some characters and I felt some details were missing but I’m excited to read more of this series.

4 stars

Author links

Website / Goodreads / Amazon author page

Amazon purchase link




Friday, August 25, 2023

Crown & Serpent by Heather Frost - review/excerpt

 

Crown & Serpent

Author: Heather Frost

Published: August 25th, 2023

ebook: 244 pages

***Crown & Serpent is a Fate of Eyrinthia prequel novella that’s actually the length of a novel. This villain origin story was released after Royal Rebel, but it can be read at any point in the series.***

Summary

All she wanted . . .

Seventeen-year-old Iris Winn loves her quiet life with her father, studying the poisons that fascinate them both. But after his sudden death, Iris is now the ward of her estranged aunt and uncle. In order to claim her inheritance, she must live in the capital city of Lenzen for one year. While there, she must attend parties, balls, and participate in every other vapid thing the elite of Ryden value. Iris doesn’t care about learning their rules or joining their ranks–her only goal is to endure the next year. Then she meets Prince Henri Kaelin.

Everything they demanded . . .

Every young woman in Lenzen wants Henri–except for Iris. Unfortunately, the prince only has eyes for her. The king has decreed that Henri must choose a bride before his birthday, and Iris is determined it won’t be her. Dodging a prince’s focused attention while placating her relatives and the rest of Ryden’s high society is exhausting–and more dangerous than Iris could have ever imagined. She is about to learn that not all games are innocent, and some smiles are more lethal than poison. Luckily, Iris is a quick study, and this is a game she is determined to win.

She would take it all.


Review


I am always eager to read of book of Heather Frost’s but I was a bit nervous this time. Iris and Henri scare me to death but fascinate me at the same time. Crown & Serpent was enthralling and captured me right from the start.  The story mostly focuses on Iris and her backstory but you also get glimpses of the parents her and Henri will become to the Kaelin siblings. Henri was captivated by Iris right from their first meeting. This book is a novella released after ROYAL REBEL that can be read if you aren’t caught up in the story. There were some details in Crown & Serpent that I appreciated from reading the Eyrinthia series. I read this in one day because I had to know how it turned out. Get ready! You are in for a wild, entertainingly spooky ride.  


I received an ebook from the author. All views and opinions expressed are my own.


GIVEAWAY DETAILS: https://www.instagram.com/heather.frost.author/


Purchase link: AMAZON


Author links: Goodreads / Website / Amazon author page


NEW TO THE SERIES? Start HERE


5 stars




Excerpt from Crown & Serpent


Iris gritted her teeth. She was sick of warnings, threats, and all the false smiles constantly aimed at her. Her irritation only spiked when a trumpet sounded, announcing the arrival of royalty.

So much for the fates listening to her prayers.

The dancers stopped at once, turning to the ballroom’s main double doors and bowing low.

Iris followed suit, though her eyes were fastened on King Ezra, who entered the room first and greeted Lord and Lady Thatcher. Prince Henri was right behind him.

The prince looked even more handsome tonight. He wore the colors of Ryden—emerald and black—and his hair was perfectly combed. There was no smudge of dirt on him, and he stood with military grace beside his father. He wasn’t looking at the Thatchers, however. His intense brown eyes scanned the room, methodical and sweeping. His gaze stopped on Iris, making it clear who he’d been searching for.

A slow, confident smile stretched Henri’s lips.

Iris’s heart skipped, and she frowned at the unsettling sensation. 

The king turned to view the crowded floor, his gold crown gleaming in the candlelight. “Good evening!” he called out. “Please, continue.”

People rose from their bows, and the music began once more. Dancing resumed. Conversation bubbled up.

Iris was still staring at Henri. The moment she realized it, she forced herself to look away.

Anna’s fingers twisted in her skirt, betraying nervousness. “It seems Prince Henri is headed this way . . .”

“He certainly is,” Dalia concurred.

Iris stiffened, but she refused to look. Fates, how had this happened? Mere weeks ago, she’d been happily ensconced at home. Now, she was trapped in a ballroom and being hunted by a prince she wished would look elsewhere for his entertainment.  

“Lady Iris.” His voice was deep, smooth, and familiar—and directly behind her.

Iris twisted slowly to face Henri.

His smile was perfectly in place, his eyes bright as he extended a hand. “You saved your first dance for me, I hope.”

Iris did not want to take his hand, nor did she care to dance; everyone would be watching them. To be fair though, people were already staring. At least if they were dancing, people would be less likely to overhear them.

She set her hand in Henri’s, and he grinned as he led her onto the floor. Once they were in the middle, he turned to face her. His fingers tightened around hers, and his other hand settled at her waist. Though Iris had spent hours practicing with Lady Griffin and her assortment of tutors, no touch had ever felt like this.

Nor had anyone drawn Iris quite so close.

Henri’s hold was firm, his posture impeccable. When the new song began, he effortlessly began to move, pulling her with him.

Iris attempted to mirror his steps, though it took considerable more effort on her part.

“You look beautiful tonight,” Henri said.

“As opposed to how I looked at the Summer Festival?” she challenged.

His smile widened. “Most young ladies would have simply taken the compliment.”

“I’m not most young ladies.”

“No, you are not.” He looked utterly fascinated by that prospect. 

She was aware of the other dancing couples easing away, giving Henri and Iris more of the floor. When her shoe bumped against his boot, she had to force herself not to look down. Keeping her jaw level with the floor as she’d been taught, she stared directly into Henri’s eyes.

Amusement sparked therein. “Have you had any interesting conversations with any stable boys tonight?” he asked.

Her eyes narrowed. “You shouldn’t have let me carry on as you did. It was very rude of you.”

“Will you ever forgive me?”

“I don’t think I can. You made me into a fool.”

“Never,” he said at once. “You are many things, Iris Winn, but I don’t think you could ever be considered a fool.”

Her brow furrowed. “You barely know me.”

“True. But I’d like to remedy that.” 

Her body moved rigidly through the practiced steps of the dance. She tried to ignore her own gracelessness, but her movements were too jerky to disregard. Her foot knocked against his again, and she gritted her teeth.

“Relax,” Henri whispered. “Trust my guidance and move with me.”

She shot him a quick glare. “You’re the one who wanted my first dance. It’s not my fault if I tread on your toes.”

He threw back his head and laughed.

She knew people stared at them, but she had a hard time looking away from Henri. Even when his laughter faded, mirth continued to shine in his eyes.

She shook her head slowly. “What are you doing?”

He grinned. “Dancing.”

“No, I mean—what are you doing with me?”

He lifted one eyebrow. “Dancing,” he repeated.

She exhaled sharply. “Why are you dancing with me? This room is filled with young ladies who would love to have your attention.”

“You don’t want my attention?”

She knew she needed to make an effort to not insult the crown prince of Ryden, so she spoke more carefully. “I prefer to stay in the background.”

“That’s a shame. Someone like you doesn’t deserve to be relegated to the shadows.”