Tuesday, October 30, 2018

The Winters by Lisa Gabriele review

The WintersThe Winters by Lisa Gabriele
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After a whirlwind romance, a young woman returns to the opulent, secluded Long Island mansion of her new fiancĂ© Max Winter—a wealthy politician and recent widower—and a life of luxury she’s never known. But all is not as it appears at the Asherley estate. The house is steeped in the memory of Max’s beautiful first wife Rebekah, who haunts the young woman’s imagination and feeds her uncertainties, while his very alive teenage daughter Dani makes her life a living hell. She soon realizes there is no clear place for her in this twisted little family: Max and Dani circle each other like cats, a dynamic that both repels and fascinates her, and he harbors political ambitions with which he will allow no woman—alive or dead—to interfere.
As the soon-to-be second Mrs. Winter grows more in love with Max, and more afraid of Dani, she is drawn deeper into the family’s dark secrets—the kind of secrets that could kill her, too. The Winters is a riveting story about what happens when a family’s ghosts resurface and threaten to upend everything.

Wow! Dani is a horrible teen. But is she? Do we believe the stories she tells about her dad not loving her and him being the bad person? Or is she such a great actress that you just want to slap her? There is a room that is a shrine to Rebekah that Dani doesn't want the new Mrs. Winters to be in. Then there is the greenhouse that Max doesn't want anyone in. Does he miss and grieve for his wife that much? There are so many questions and yes they are all answered by the end of the book. I received this from First To Read for review.


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Haunted By the Holidays Launch




From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Heather Graham, comes HAUNTED BE THE HOLIDAYS, a new novella in her Krewe of Hunters Series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! Be sure to grab your copy today!



About HAUNTED BE THE HOLIDAYS:

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Heather Graham comes a new story in her Krewe of Hunters series…

When you’re looking for the victim of a mysterious murder in a theater, there is nothing like calling on a dead diva for help! Krewe members must find the victim if they’re to discover the identity of a murderer at large, one more than willing to kill the performers when he doesn’t like the show.

It’s Halloween at the Global Tower Theatre, a fantastic and historic theater owned by Adam Harrison and run by spouses of Krewe members. During a special performance, a strange actor makes an appearance in the middle of the show, warning of dire events if his murder is not solved before another holiday rolls around.

Dakota McCoy and Brodie McFadden dive into the mystery. Both have a

special talent for dealing with ghosts, but this one is proving elusive. With the help of Brodie’s diva mother and his ever-patient father – who were killed together when a stage chandelier fell upon them – Dakota and Brodie set out to solve the case.

If they can’t solve the murder quickly, there will be no Thanksgiving for the Krewe . . .


Grab your copy of HAUNTED BE THE HOLIDAYS today!







EXCERPT: 

Caroline walked down the hallway where doors opened into dressing rooms, storage, prop, and costume rooms. She had grown into one of the company’s stars and had her own dressing room near the stairs, allowing for quick costume changes when need be.

On the way, she noticed the prop room door was ajar. She paused to close it and was startled by a leering face. She laughed softy to herself because it was the mask used by the monster in the show. In this twist on the original story, the horror of the creature only showed at certain times. And when it did, there was no time to transform the actor on stage.

The mask, conceived to look like a death’s head, made its appearance in the second act. It was horrible, created as a skeletal face with narrow bones, huge black eyes and a gaping mouth that twisted into a leering scowl.

She’d seen the mask at dress rehearsal, but it was still a chilling sight. It was set atop a stand that had been draped with the monster’s cloak, and it appeared to be as real as possible—without an actor even wearing it.

“You scared me!” she told the mask.

And closed the door.

Despite the lack of light here now, it was easy enough to feel her way to her dressing table in her small—but oh, so special and appreciated—dressing room. And even to find her little bag. She knew exactly where she’d left it. She grabbed her reticule, hurried out and paused—the prop room door was ajar again. The leering death’s head was sticking out at an odd angle.

Something had to be wrong with the way the thing had been set.

Sighing, she started to walk back to the room and see what the difficulty could be.

The face on the thing was cruel and menacing.

“Quite frightening,” she told the piece, approaching it.

“Caroline.”

She froze. It had seemed to say her name. Fear spread through her with a vengeance.

It would have to remain as it was, she decided. She was not staying a minute longer and Judson was right upstairs.

She turned to walk away and wound up running.

But as she reached the stairs and started up them, she knew that someone or something was behind her. She turned, compelled by some unknown force.

And she was stunned to see that the thing, the horrible mask, worn by someone who had also donned the cloak, was there before her.

She started to let out a scream.

It never left her lips. The thing came after her, seeming to float up the stairs, black cloaked arms flying…

Encompassing her and whispering before she could scream.

“The theater is mine, don’t you understand? The theater will always be mine.”

Its arms tightened as she choked out a dying, muted cry for help.

But she was silenced.

Forever.









About Heather Graham:

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham has always been an avid reader, from classics to sci-fi, mystery, horror, thriller, romance, and all kinds of non-fiction. She’s fairly certain that her mom’s deliciously crazy family–arriving in the US a bit before her birth from Ireland–gave her the love of storytelling. She started out in theater and commercials, but once her children began to arrive, she stayed home and gave writing a try. She’s incredibly grateful to be doing what she’s doing for a living. Heather belongs to MWA, RWA, Sisters in Crime, HWA, and ITW, and has the recipient of the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, a Silver Bullet for charitable works, and this year, she will receive the Thriller Master title from ITW. She has over 200 novels in print, and has been published in 22 languages.







The Christmas Key by Lori Wilde Blog Tour and Giveaway

Today is my day for my blog tour. Thanks to Pure Textuality


New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Lori Wilde has created a phenomenon with her Twilight, Texas novels. Readers fell in love with the small town and its romantically-inclined denizens who believe in the power of cookies and mistletoe to bring people together. In her latest installment in the Twilight, Texas series, THE CHRISTMAS KEY, the Cookie Club is at it again meddling in the course of true love by whipping up a batch of matchmaker cookies designed to help the lovelorn find their soulmates.

There’s a legend in Twilight, Texas. If you sleep with a kismet cookie under your pillow on Christmas Eve, you will dream of your one true love.

She saw him in her dreams . . .

It’s impossible! Naomi Luther was standing face-to-face with the man she’d dreamed about over a year ago. Was it the magic of kismet Christmas cookies that brought him to her? Or is there an even greater force at work? All Naomi knows is she is falling, hard and fast, for the one man all good sense says she should not have.

She was his buddy’s sister . . .

Rebellious Mark Shepherd found order in the Marines but chaos on the battlefield. In a mission gone wrong, Mark is injured and one of his fellow soldiers loses his life. Haunted by guilt, he arrives in Twilight to keep a solemn promise. But when the Luthers mistake him for their handyman, he’s swept up in playing Santa to his buddy’s orphan son . . . and falling hard for Naomi’s irresistible bright spirit and sweet, sexy smile. But what will happen when she learns the truth?



About the Book

The Christmas Key
by Lori Wilde
Series
Twilight, Texas
Genre
Adult
Contemporary Romance
Publisher
HarperCollins
Publication Date
October 23, 2018
Purchase Your Copy Today!
Amazon  |  Avon Romance  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Google Play  |  iBooks



My Thoughts

4 Stars
Mark shows up at the luther's to get forgiveness but when he shows up he is mistaken for someone else. With his guilt he gets to know the family and falling for Naomi and her nephew was not what he had planned. But Naomi is full of anger of the men she thinks let her brother die. As you keep reading you know that Mark will tell Naomi what really happened and the guilt he has. Naomi has so much hurt and grief that she tries to make everyone happy around her to cover it all. But will she forgive Mark once he tells her what happened. I loved these 2 characters and their emotions are so raw that you want to reach through the book and comfort them. I also enjoyed knowing the other people in this town and how they come together to celebrate the holidays. 

Tour Wide Giveaway


To celebrate the release of THE CHRISTMAS KEY by Lori Wilde, we’re giving away a paperback copy of Cowboy, It’s Cold Outside to one lucky winner!

GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS:  Open to internationally. One winner will receive a paperback copy of Cowboy, It’s Cold Outside by Lori Wilde. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of Connie Suttle.  Giveaway ends 10/30/2018 @ 11:59pm EST. Limit one entry per reader. Duplicates will be deleted.  CLICK HERE TO ENTER!



About Lori Wilde


New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, LORI WILDE has sold seventy-eight works of fiction to four major New York Publishing houses. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Texas Christian University and a certificate in forensic nursing from Kaplan University. She is a member of the International Association of Forensic Nurses. Her first New York Times bestseller, the third book in her Twilight, Texas series, The First Love Cookie Club has been optioned for a television movie. The town of Granbury, Texas, upon which her fictional town of Twilight, Texas is loosely based, honors Lori with an annual Twilight, Texas weekend each Christmas.

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon







Monday, October 29, 2018

A Heritage of Death by Alexa Padgett blog tour



 About A HERITAGE OF DEATH

An unconventional woman. A brutal murder. To solve the case, one woman will look for help from beyond the grave…
Cici Gurule wants to pretend her dream is nothing more than a meaningless nightmare. But the bruised and bloodied woman looked alarmingly like her. When a baby turns up on her porch--a baby who was reported missing days before--evidence points to a connection with the woman in Cici's dream, and she can no longer ignore the nighttime vision. Cici and Detective Sam Chastain struggle to follow the garbled evidence, but the killer scores his victim first. Worse, a message pinned to the victim's blouse states, "You're next."
Now, it’s a race against the clock to keep the baby safe and find the murderer before his trail goes cold. Cici's only chance to solve this mystery, before she becomes the next victim, means choosing between her faith and believing a message left by her ghostly twin.

My Thoughts: 4 Stars
All throughout this book Cici keeps seeing things of what is happening or has happened. She is close friends with Sam and she tries to help him solve the murders and find out what is going on. Cici's dead sister is the one sending her these visions that she can't shake off. You also can tell Sam and Cici have feelings for each other but they keep fighting them. I did not read the first book and I don't think you need to. You learn a lot from Cici and Sam to know what had gone on in the past.

A Heritage of Death is the second novel in a compelling female sleuth mystery series for fans of Ruth Ware and Gilly MacMillan. If you like convention-shattering heroines, vivid Southwest settings, and a touch of the paranormal, then you'll love Alexa Padgett's twisty mystery.
Buy A Heritage of Death and hold on tight for a white-knuckle thrill ride today!
Add A HERITAGE OF DEATH to your Goodreads list here!
Get your hands on A HERITAGE OF DEATH now!
Amazon https://amzn.to/2yCfD8P
Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2Ies0Ma

Missed A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH and want to catch up?


 About A PILGRIMAGE TO DEATH (A Reverend Cici Gurule Mystery Book 1)

When Cici discovers a body in the forest, she's shocked to realize the victim's wounds are identical to the ones that killed her sister a year ago. Now she's embroiled in the takedown of a massive criminal operation, and the stakes couldn't be higher…
"A wholly absorbing gumshoe tale elevated by an extraordinary detective" (Kirkus Reviews starred review).
Someone murdered her sister. And shot her dog. The killer won't stop until she's dead, too.
Cici finds a dead body while hiking in the Santa Fe National Forest. The situation deteriorates when she discovers the victim bears similar stab wounds to those that ended her twin sister's life a year ago.
Then, her identical twin sister infiltrates her dreams. 
All of a sudden, Cici and her dogs must dodge arrows, bullets, and even a demon truck—all while she grapples with the knowledge that her sister was on the trail of a deep-rooted criminal operation. Worse, her twin's death was much more sinister than a random act of violence.
Now, as she follows the clues her sister drops in her dreams, the criminals want Cici out of the way. Permanently.
A Pilgrimage to Death is a high-octane thriller. Fans of Ruth Ware, J.D. Robb, and Angela Marsons will love Alexa's Padgett's new edge-of-your-seat novel.
Add A PILGRIMAGE OF DEATH to your Goodreads list here!
Get your copy of A PILGRIMAGE OF DEATH now!
Amazon https://amzn.to/2Jmxaq2
Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2NEBKW0

About Alexa Padgett

With a degree in international marketing and a varied career path that includes content management for a web firm, marketing direction for a high-profile sports agency, and a two-year stint with a renowned literary agency, award-winning author Alexa Padgett has returned to her first love: writing fiction.
Alexa spent a good part of her youth traveling. From Budapest to Belize, Calgary to Coober Pedy, she soaked in the myriad smells, sounds, and feels of these gorgeous places, wishing she could live in them all—at least for a while. And she does in her books.
She lives in New Mexico with her husband, children, and walk-loving Great Pyrenees pup, Ash. When not writing, schlepping, or volunteering, she can be found in her tiny kitchen, channeling her inner Barefoot Contessa.







View all my reviews



Sunday, October 28, 2018

Christmas At the Little Cottage on the Hill by Emma Davies Blog Tour


Today was my day for this blog tour. 






Christmas at the Little Cottage on the Hill (The Little Cottage Series Book 4) by Emma Davies

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2CJx9uO

Arriving at the cozy little rental cottage as the first snow begins to fall, Ruby doesn’t regret leaving her bully of a husband for a moment, but she does feel guilty about uprooting her kids so close to Christmas. She can only wish that one day soon her son Jem will forgive her. 
It’s not long before the family are settled in and drinking hot chocolate by the fire, the flames kept roaring by a neighboring woodsman called Angus. As big as a tree, but as gentle as a dormouse, all Ruby’s instincts tell her to be wary of letting this gorgeous stranger get too close.
As Christmas day approaches and a blizzard sparks a power cut across the entire village, Ruby must force herself to believe in Christmas miracles again.


My Thoughts:
I loved this book and the characters. I read the book before this one and will continue to read the series. Ruby is very crafty and she makes gorgeous pieces out of wool that is mostly recycled. As she gets to know those around her she finds that she is being brought into the community as a friend and they all want to help her make her dream come true. Which is to open a wool shop. 
Also it is Maddie's and Seth's wedding right before Christmas and a storm is threatening that and you see how this community comes together to make it come true. Full of happiness and wanting to be there among this community has made this book very heartwarming.




About the author:

After a varied career, Emma Davies once worked for a design studio where she was asked to provide a fun and humorous (and not necessarily true) anecdote for their website. She wrote the following: 'I am a bestselling novelist currently masquerading as a thirty something mother of three.' Well the job in the design studio didn't work out but she's now a forty something mother of three and is happy to report the rest of her dream came true.

After many years as a finance manager she now writes full time, and is far happier playing with words than numbers. She lives with her husband, three children, and two guinea pigs in rural Shropshire where she writes in all the gaps in between real life. It's a county she adores, her love of its beautiful people and landscapes providing endless inspiration for her books, and in fact the only thing that would make Shropshire more idyllic is if it were by the sea. 

Pop over to her website www.emmadaviesauthor.com where, amongst other things, you can read about her passion for Pringles and singing loudly in the car. You can also wave to her on twitter @EmDaviesAuthor or find her on Facebook (a little too often than is good for her) 


Thursday, October 25, 2018

SEAL's Honor by Megan Crane review

SEAL's Honor (Alaska Force, #1)SEAL's Honor by Megan Crane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The last thing Blue Hendricks needs six months into his uneasy reentry into civilian life is trouble in the form of his old friend's kid sister, all grown up and smack in the middle of a dangerous murder investigation. But he didn't become a SEAL to turn his back on the hard stuff, and he can't bring himself to ignore Everly's call for help--no matter how much he knows he's not fit to be around the soft, vibrant woman she's become. Not after the things he's done.
Everly Campbell is desperate. When her roommate is murdered and the body vanishes, Everly fears she might be next. With no one to believe her, Everly runs to a remote Alaskan town to find a man she only vaguely remembers and his crew of ex-military brothers who could be her only hope. Blue wants to keep things all business but Everly isn't a little girl anymore and the commanding former SEAL is more temptation than she can resist.
As the men on Everly's trail draw closer, Blue will do anything to protect the woman he's starting to think of as his...

I really enjoyed this story and getting to know Everly and Blue. She thinks she is a big disappointment to her family and Blue hasn't seen his mom for 20 years. They grew up across the road from each other but he is 10 years older. When circumstances have them on the run and Blue goes home hostile and stays a short time and then on the run again, you find out things from their past. After a few life threatening situations and finding out what happened to Everly's roommate then these 2 go back home for another short visit. That visit mends some of the family problems. Then they are on their own again and living separate lives but Everly wants Blue permanently in her life so she goes to Alaska to make that possible.

I received this from NetGalley and Berkley for an honest review.


View all my reviews



Tuesday, October 23, 2018

One Dark Night Blog Tour



Title: One Dark Night
Publication Date: Oct 23rd 2018

Buy Links:

About the Book

He sees his wife’s eyes watching him in the rear-view mirror, the kids up on their knees to get a better look. That’s when he hears the scream…

You’re driving home from a family outing one afternoon, when a speeding car cuts you up, nearly causing you to crash. Like anyone would, you pull over to confront the driver.

But a glance into the backseat of the speeding car reveals a woman fighting to escape. She is terrified and she’s screaming for your help: these men have murdered her husband…

What would you do?

An addictive thriller with plenty of twists – fans of Harlan CobenJames Patterson and Robert Dugoni will be completely hooked. 



Social Media Links

My Thoughts: 
This family is in the wrong place at the wrong time. If the woman had not screamed then Adam would not have been in trouble or his family. As the kidnappers separate the family in 2 cars and drive away to god only knows where, the family is scared. Are they going to be killed or tortured? So many things and why did they kill this woman's husband and what are they going to do with her. This book had me on the edge of my seat but sometimes the kidnappers do nice things. Then after tragedy strikes you learn more about Adam and his relationship with his ex. I really enjoyed this book and I received this from NetGalley and Bookouture for an honest review.



About the Author
Tom Bale is the author of nine books, including the bestsellers SEE HOW THEY RUN and ALL FALL DOWN. His latest book, ONE DARK NIGHT, is out October 23rd 2018.


The Librarian's Vampire Assistant Book 2 - Release Day Blitz

Today we have the release day blitz of Mimi Jean Pamfiloff’s The Librarian’s Vampire Assistant. Check it out and grab your copy today!

 

Title: The Librarian’s Vampire Assistant, Book 2

Author: Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Genre: Paranormal Romance


About The Librarian’s Vampire Assistant:

From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes a humorous, fun standalone mystery, The Librarian's Vampire Assistant, Book 2. (Yep! It's a standalone. The boring title is just to mess with you!)

HOW MUCH LONGER CAN HE KEEP HIS SECRET AND HIS FAVORITE HUMAN SAFE?

Michael Vanderhorst has always been a lone wolf. Or lone vampire? Whatever. Point is, this ancient gentleman vampire is obsessed. She's quirky, a horrible dresser, and the cutest librarian he's ever seen. The question is, why her? In four hundred years, no one has ever captured his attention like this. He must find out, which is why he just signed on as her new assistant.

The problem is, she has no idea vampires exist or that she's just broken one of their laws. As the leader of his territory, Michael has been ordered by his council to turn her or kill her. "Over my dead body!"

To overturn the ruling, Michael needs the council on his side, and right now they're asking him to hunt down and execute five hundred vampires no one can seem to locate. Unfortunately, his assassin days are long over, and he's not so sure he can go back to killing.

But with Miriam's life on the line and their unusual bond growing stronger each day, will he dust off the old sword or give her the bite that will make her his forever?

Get Your Copy Today:

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA | AMAZON AU | AMAZON OTHER WALMART/KOBO | B&N | iBOOKS | PAPERBACK

 

About Mimi Jean Pamfiloff:


MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a USA Today and New York Times bestselling romance author with over a million books sold worldwide. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dream. Mimi lives with her Latin Lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and the rat terrier duo, Snowflake and Mini Me, in Arizona. She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.


 



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