Friday, March 30, 2018

THE JANE BARNABY ADVENTURES




Finders Keepers
The Jane Barnaby Adventures Book 1
by J.J. DiBenedetto
Genre: Light Suspense Thriller
230 pages
All archaeology student Jane Barnaby had to do was deliver a box of
pottery shards to her professor at his dig site, along with his new
car. Yes, his office was in Oxfordshire, and his dig site was in
Spain, a trip of 1,400 miles across three countries and two bodies of
water. Still, it should have been simple.
That is, until everything went wrong.
Now, Jane has the wrong box and is being chased by thieves who want it and
aren't particular about how they get what they want.
Add to that, she's picked up a pair of passengers who both claim they can
help her get her professor's pottery back and return the artifacts to
their rightful owner. If only she knew who was working with the
thieves and who she can trust in this high-stakes game of finders keepers.


FINDERS KEEPERS Excerpt:

“You know that expression ‘if looks could kill’ really is just an expression, right? You can stare at me like that all night if you want, but I’m not changing my mind.”

When she’d told him her new plan, Jane had worried, just for a moment or two, that Tom might try to grab the wheel or do something else equally drastic. She wasn’t sure what would have happened if he had; fighting for control of the car with a hostile passenger had not come up in her Driver’s Ed classes back in high school.

Forgoing violence, he’d settled for stunned disbelief, followed by an extended string of what Jane had to admit was pretty creative cursing. She’d smiled through all of it, and she kept smiling when he changed tactics to a one-sided staring contest. But it was starting to become tiresome. His response to her words, though, was equally annoying.

“You are insane. You understand that, don’t you? You are committing a crime. You are making me a party to crimes. Do you honestly not realize that?”

The smile fell from her face, and Jane sighed. “What crime?” Really, she thought, she shouldn’t have to explain this. It wasn’t that complicated. “I was told to pick up a box in the basement of the Institute, and drive it to Professor Welldon in Mallorca. That’s still what I’m doing.”

Jane glanced over, mainly out of curiosity. She wondered precisely what color his face was. It appeared to have passed straight through the usual visual spectrum and was well on its way towards ultraviolet. With great effort, he managed to keep his voice almost under control, though. “It’s the wrong box! It’s our artifacts, not your pottery pieces!”

“Yes,” she agreed. “But I only have your word on that. You don’t have a badge, or a warrant or even a nasty letter to prove it.”
**Only .99 cents!**



Losers Weepers
The Jane Barnaby Adventures Book 2
226 pages
Jane Barnaby had everything going her way: a prestigious internship at the
Museum of Natural History, a fantastic Upper West Side sublet
apartment, and helping plan her newly-engaged college friend's
wedding.
Until a casual lunch with her friend’s fiancĂ© set off alarm bells, and
sent her digging into the rabbit hole that is his past.


When that rabbit hole leads Jane and her on-again, off-again boyfriend to
the English countryside, uncovering secrets dating back to World War
2, searching for priceless art treasures looted by the Nazis, and
fighting off the thieves who will kill to get those treasures for
themselves, will they discover the truth, or lose their lives?



Her Brother's Keeper
The Jane Barnaby Adventures Book 3
175 pages
Jane Barnaby has planned the perfect Christmas vacation. Her father and
his fiancé are joining her in Spain at her archaeological dig.
They'll see her work, meet her mentor, and they'll all enjoy a few
days of sunny Mediterranean beaches in the dead of winter.
But it all falls apart when Jane's annoying brother tags along and lands
in jail for a crime he didn't commit.
To clear her brother's
name, all Jane has to do is chase a wily female con-artist across
Europe, catch her, and confront the woman and her accomplices. Oh,
and outwit an ex-KGB agent and his personal goon squad along the way.

J.J. DiBenedetto is author of the Dream Series and the Jane Barnaby
Adventures and lives in Arlington, Virginia with the love of his life
and a white cat who rules the roost.
His passions are photography, travel, the opera, the New York Giants, and
of course writing.
Mr. DiBenedetto is devoted to writing books with a sense of mysticism to
entertain and perhaps invite his readers to suspend belief in a way
they might never have.
Since he was very young, he has been intrigued with the
supernatural and things that can't be explained rationally.
By asking way too many questions, it piqued his interest to the
point of setting his writing off and running when he grew up! All the
curiosity building up all those years were finally getting put into
words to captivate readers. And it hasn't ended. His main goal is to
share all the stories he has inside, putting pen to paper. And that's
how the Dream Series was born.
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!

Thursday, March 29, 2018

EMPRESS MATILDA OF ENGLAND AND HYPATIA OF ALEXANDRIA




Empress Matilda of England
The Legendary Women of World History Book 7

127 pages

Born in 1102 to King Henry of England and Queen Matilda of Scotland,
Matilda's uniquely royal Norman, Saxon, and Scottish heritage was
meant to unify an England still divided by her grandfather's conquest
in 1066. When the 1120 White Ship Disaster made her the only
surviving child of her parents, Matilda suddenly became heiress to
the English throne in a time when the old Saxon Witan, not the king's
Will, still decided the succession.


Discover the true story of the first woman to claim the throne of England in
her own right and be inspired!


Includes Matilda's family tree, a detailed timeline, and a suggested reading
list so you can keep learning.












Hypatia of Alexandria
The Legendary Women of World History Book 8

105 pages

As the western world fell into darkness, 
she dared defend the light.

Born in 355 CE in the aftermath of Constantine's reign, Hypatia of
Alexandria lived in a collapsing Roman Empire, a world where
obedience to religious authorities trumped science, where reason and
logic threatened the new world order. It was a world on the edge of
the Dark Ages, a world deciding the question of science verses
religion, freedom verses orthodoxy, tolerance verses hate.


For over 40 years, Hypatia stood between the dark ages and the light of
classical philosophy, arts, and sciences. Though none of her books
survived the aggressive book burnings of religious zealots, her
legacy remains that of one of the greatest scientists of all time.


This is her fascinating true story.









Born, raised, and educated in Lincoln, Nebraska USA Laurel A. Rockefeller
is author of over twenty books published and self-published since
August, 2012 and in languages ranging from Welsh to Spanish to
Chinese and everything in between. A dedicated scholar and
biographical historian, Ms. Rockefeller is passionate about education
and improving history literacy worldwide. 

With her lyrical writing style, Laurel's books are as beautiful to read as
they are informative.

In her spare time, Laurel enjoys spending time with her cockatiels,
attending living history activities, travelling to historic places in
both the United States and United Kingdom, and watching classic
motion pictures and classic television series.




One winner each week
will receive a sapling tree from the Arbor Day Foundation – trees
will vary depending on the winner's region – US only. There will
also be two random winners for a special mystery prize- drawn at
surprise moments during the tour!

Follow the tour HERE
to discover the other amazing Legendary Women of World History books
and enter the weekly giveaways!




Wednesday, March 28, 2018

ONE FOR THE PRICE OF TWO



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Howard Weiner will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

ONE FOR THE PRICE OF TWO

by Howard Weiner

ONE FOR THE PRICE OF TWO Summary:
Fraternal twins are raised by an ambivalent aunt who provides an unusual childhood experience. One twin leaves home to join the armed forces and is ultimately assigned to a Special Forces unit conducting clandestine operations in North Korea. The death of one his unit members produces an introduction to an organized crime family specializing in murder for hire. The funeral for the family's son and an interest in their daughter brings new blood and methods to the family business.





ONE FOR THE PRICE OF TWO Excerpt


Opening the leather bag, he removed a smaller explosive device and a metal strap designed to hold it firmly in place beneath the bottom of the tank. The thick, blast-proof strap had tightening bolts at each end. By turning the bolts clockwise, Bell removed what little slack there was. When he could turn the bolts no further, the taut metal straps pushed the device firmly against the metal shell of the gas tank.

When he was finished and the leather bag much lighter, he paused before sliding out from underneath the vehicle. His intent was to exit from the same side he entered. But then he heard DeFaeo’s unmistakable voice.

He was trapped.

Bell could hear DeFaeo and Lenny disagreeing about some aspect of the new office. They came to a stop directly behind the rear liftgate.

“Boss, I’m only telling you what you already know.”

“Which is?” DeFaeo asked.

“The car is a safer place to work—all things considered.”

“Lenny, you’ve already made that argument. Let me see if I can recall? Oh yeah, we have a 360-degree field of vision. We can see anyone come and go. Right?”

DeFaeo was no more impressed with this argument now than when he first heard it. The irony wasn’t lost on Bell as he lay prone beneath the SUV and only feet away from both of them.

“Look, I’m hungry. We’re late as it is. Let’s go, now, please?”

Lenny lead the way to the rear passenger door. The car floor above Bell’s head crept an inch or so closer as DeFaeo’s weight was transferred to the thick, upholstered seat. Lenny closed the door and moved to the back of the vehicle on his way to the driver’s side.

Bell knew he had to make his move now, or risk being discovered—and worse.

As quietly as he could, Bell slithered to his right side—away from the garage’s exterior wall and in the direction of the Honda in the adjacent parking stall. Lenny opened his door and took his seat, starting the engine.

The engine noise prevented Bell from hearing the conversation inside the car. Lenny took the opportunity to look at his employer in the rearview mirror to continue his arguments against the new office space, but not before placing the transmission in reverse. The car lurched rearward for a foot, trapping Bell’s pant leg at the cuff beneath the tire.



About the Author


Howard Weiner is a recent addition to the literary genre of fiction. Writing mysteries, thrillers, crimes—with a touch of romance—an approach described by one reader as “one bubble off.” 

Many authors sharing the genre have characters whose fortune is determined by others. They literally have dodged the bullet that otherwise would have killed them. Weiner’s characters make their own fortune—good or bad—and they live with the results.


Weiner’s own experiences are blessed with no small number of noteworthy characters and events. He brings these slightly off-kilter individuals to life, complete with their own stories and dramas. Like the child prodigy in his first novel, IT IS LAS VEGAS AFTER ALL, who comes to the starting edge of adulthood and then loses the approval of his doting parents, the sponsorship of one of America’s great institutions of higher education, and gains the enmity of his girlfriend’s father—an international arms dealer—to become a home-grown terrorist operating on U.S. Soil.


A survivor of rich, nuanced bureaucracies in the public and private sector, Weiner writes about characters whose career choices and decisions are morally questionable. A student of personal behavior in complex circumstances, Weiner brings these often cringe-worthy characters to life. Some are amoral, others immoral in a narrow slice of their lives, yet they otherwise look and act like people we all know from work or even childhood. Like one of the female leads in his novel, SERENDIPITY OPPORTUNITY, an out-of-the-box thinker who flunks most of life’s basic relationship tests, yet she is someone you never want pursuing you in the cause of justice. There’s a former foreign security official who uses his protected status as a witness for federal prosecutors to provide cover for his own mayhem and murder in Weiner’s third novel, BAD MONEY.


Many of Weiner’s stories are born out of real life events: The mix-up in luggage claim at the airport in, BAD MONEY, the chronic high school slacker in SERENDIPITY OPPORTUNITY whose one stroke of good fortune creates his opportunity to perpetrate a complex series of frauds, or the brilliant student in IT IS LAS VEGAS AFTER ALL who uses his prodigious talents toward an evil end.


As a former federal official, Weiner can neither confirm nor deny having the highest security clearances in classified security programs. Yet, his knowledge of the dark web, criminal organizations, and security organizations takes stories from the popular press to the next level.

Amazon Author Central Web Site: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KE771A

Author Web Site: https://www.hdweiner.com

The book will be $0.99 during the tour. https://www.amazon.com/One-Price-Blood-Relations-Book-ebook/dp/B07BC6GHDW/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8



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Monday, March 26, 2018

MORNINGS ON MAIN --REVIEW


Jodi Thomas is one of my favorite western authors. In fact, some of her books are on my keeper shelf. For the last few years, her books have been set in West Texas, which is where she lives. MORNINGS ON MAIN is set in East Texas, in the small town of Laurel Springs.

Jillian James is a wanderer. Except for two years at university, she has never lived in one place long enough to belong. Her father, who disappeared when he left her at university, would never reveal anything about her mother or why he moved so often. His motto was “pack nothing from the past, not even memories”. Because she has only a few scribbled notations of his, she chooses the first zip code he mentions to search for clues to her family.





When she looks for a job, Conrad Larady, mayor and newspaper owner, hires Jillian to work at his grandmother’s quilt shop, A Stitch In Time. Jillian warns him that she only plans to be in town for three months. He asks her to photograph and catalog each of the quilts in the shop before his grandmother’s Alzheimer’s means the stories are lost forever. Jillian enjoys hearing Eugenia relate the history of each quilt.

Before long, she and Conrad become friends. Jillian also meets Conrad’s teenage daughter Sunnie, who does not live up to her name. Sunnie loves Eugenia, though, and is very good with and to her. A Stitch In Time is central to the town and through her work there, Jillian meets many of the locals.

Conrad is amazed at how detailed Jillian’s quilt write-ups are and how clear her photographs. To help her, he submits several to large newspapers. Jillian has no plan to develop attachments, but she is growing closer to both Conrad and Eugenia.

As with each of Jodi Thomas’ books, this one has a sense of community. Like each of the small towns I’ve known, Laurel Springs is filled with quirky characters as well as those who are mainstream or average. I love the warm feeling produced by her small-town novels and this is no exception. Her words weave a wonderful mind picture.

This is the first of her new series. I’m eager to read the coming titles and learn more about the residents of Laurel Springs. This book deserves 5 stars. I was furnished an ARC of this book for an honest review, which this is.



Friday, March 23, 2018

LIE TO HER -- MYSTERY/THRILLER



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Mehrisa Mex will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

LIE TO HER Blurb:
Despite years of treatment, twenty-one year old Lydia still struggles with trauma from being attacked as a teenager. House-bound with anxieties and haunted by ghostly visions, she soon comes to suspect her psychiatrist husband, Myles, of sabotaging her recovery.

Her pursuit of the truth uncovers secrets more terrible than she ever imagined and it soon becomes clear that nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted – not even herself.




LIE TO HER Excerpt:

The room was spinning and she realized in surprise that she was on her feet in the kitchen. She looked around in a panic. What was she doing there?

The time on the microwave read 2.23am. She looked down at her hands and found them smeared with blood. Her breath knotted up in her throat. She staggered to the kitchen sink and washed the blood off her hands. Her face felt wet and she reached up to touch it. More blood.

She rushed to the bathroom and, in the mirror, she found a streak of blood going down her face. She washed it off, and found the source - a cut in her hair line. It was only then, when she tried to calm herself a bit, that the pain at the site of the injury grew into her awareness.

With her heart thumping in her ears, she thought of the video Myles had shown her where she had tried to stab him with a knife. She hurried out the bathroom to Joanie who raised her head as Lydia crouched down beside her. She didn't seem to be hurt or afraid of her, but Lydia ran her hands over her body anyway to make sure she wasn't injured and bleeding. She wasn't. She was fine.

Lydia looked up at Zach's bedroom door. She had no recollection of trying to harm Myles, but there was clear proof that she had. Had she also tried to do something to Zach?

She didn't know how she had cut herself, but the blood on her hands may not have been all hers.


About the Author 

Mehrisa Mex writes mystery-thrillers, neo-noir and international crime. She often appears in her own imagination lit in the chiaroscuro style of film noir and narrating thoughts to herself in moody, hard-boiled tones.

Amazon link for book purchase: http://www.amazon.com/author/mehrisamex

Info links: https://twitter.com/mehrisa_mex

http://www.facebook.com/mehrisamex



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Thursday, March 22, 2018

EMPRESS WU ZETIAN AND GWENLLIAN FERCH GRUFFYDD






Empress Wu Zetian
The Legendary Women of World History Book 5

70 pages

The most hated woman in Chinese history! 

Travel back in time over one thousand years and meet the first and only
female emperor of China. Born Wu Zhao and given the reign title
"Zetian" just weeks before her death in 705 CE, Empress Wu
was the unwanted daughter of Chancellor Wu Shihuo -- too bright, too
educated, and too politically focused to make a good wife according
to contemporary interpretations of the Analects of Confucius. 


Married off at age 14 as a low-ranking concubine to Emperor Taizong, Wu’s
intelligence, beauty, and charm won her a place as his secretary and
protégé, political experience that would empower her to transform
the lives of countless billions. 


Explore the life of Empress Wu and discover why the world is a vastly
different place because she dared what no woman in China before or
since ever dreamed of.












Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd:
The Warrior Princess of Deheubarth
The Legendary Women of World History Book 6

56 pages

Queen Elizabeth Tudor's Heroic Welsh Foremother!

Born in 1097 in Aberffraw Castle, Princess Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd ap
Cynan was always destined for great things. As daughter to one of
Gwynedd's greatest warriors she grew up strong and passionate -- more
than a match for her older brothers. 


At sixteen Gwenllian's life changed forever when she fell in love with
Prince Gruffydd ap Rhys, the beleaguered heir to Rhys ap Tewdur of
Deheubarth. Together husband and wife fought for and ruled southern
Wales, challenging the Norman Conquest of Wales and proving once and
for all the nobility and courage of the Welsh people, a courage that
endures across the centuries and lives in the heart of every Welsh
man, woman, and child.


Includes an extensive timeline covering over 400 years of 

Welsh and English medieval history.










Born, raised, and educated in Lincoln, Nebraska USA Laurel A. Rockefeller
is author of over twenty books published and self-published since
August, 2012 and in languages ranging from Welsh to Spanish to
Chinese and everything in between. A dedicated scholar and
biographical historian, Ms. Rockefeller is passionate about education
and improving history literacy worldwide. 

With her lyrical writing style, Laurel's books are as beautiful to read as
they are informative.

In her spare time, Laurel enjoys spending time with her cockatiels,
attending living history activities, travelling to historic places in
both the United States and United Kingdom, and watching classic
motion pictures and classic television series.




One winner each week
will receive a sapling tree from the Arbor Day Foundation – trees
will vary depending on the winner's region – US only. There will
also be two random winners for a special mystery prize- drawn at
surprise moments during the tour!

Follow the tour HERE
to discover the other amazing Legendary Women of World History books
and enter the weekly giveaways!



Wednesday, March 21, 2018

LONDON SPIES TOUR AND GIVEAWAY


Historical Fiction
Date Published: May 2017

 photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

London Spies is a book of historical fiction set in London, England at the end of World War II.

Phyllis Bowden, a secretary at the American Embassy, is catapulted into the limelight when the Military Attache, Lt. Col. Ronald Lawrence, is arrested for espionage and her boss, the Assistant Military Attache, assumes the position. The arrest throws suspicion on everyone at the Embassy, particularly Lawrence's secretary whose attempted suicide convinces Phyllis to be more curious about what really happened. With bombs still falling on a devastated city, Phyllis begins asking questions but she never imagined the dark underbelly of diplomacy. Entering a shadowy world filled with cryptic messages and dangerous men, Phyllis learns quickly that a safety net doesn't exist and if she wants to survive, she better figure out the game fast.

LONDON SPIES Excerpt:

CHAPTER 1
London, 1945

Phyllis Bowden picked her way carefully across the debris-strewn street. Walking wasn’t for the faint of heart this morning, any morning really, and she knew it. Rain had been falling steadily for the past hour and puddles formed in the oddest places. She had traveled this way every day for nearly eight months and the sight of broken store mannequins laying on the sidewalk and street made her breakfast threaten to come up.

She stepped over a plastic arm dislocated at the elbow and a half-clothed torso next to it. Her black leather boot stepped gingerly between a soggy pile of ruined clothing, and a hairless head with frozen eyes staring back at her. Shifting slightly, Phyllis moved to a small, empty space on the wet sidewalk and accidentally dropped her purse by the smooth pink back of a mannequin no longer part of a once chic display. She picked up the purse, brushed off the dirt and debris it had collected, and continued her winding route to the corner. It was a gauntlet actually as shiny plastic legs, severed heads and naked bodies lay in the shadow of the bombed clothing store.

Walking another street to the American Embassy was not much better than this one. She’d tried a few different routes when she first arrived, but it didn’t seem to matter; London was still experiencing the odd buzz bomb and more stores and restaurants had been hit in the West End than not. Oxford and Regent Streets had been hit hard during the Blitz with its after effects still evident. Selfridges and Bourne & Hollingsworth remained standing, but the John Lewis store had been gutted one night after a catastrophic fire caused by several incendiary and high explosive German bombs had dropped with pinpoint accuracy. Burning debris caused the famous area to be closed off in an attempt to bring the fires under control.

Fires were not as common these days, but the devastating effects of German bombing Phyllis saw on a daily basis was a constant reminder that, although the war was winding down, the historic city lay in ruins. She was filled with pride for the Londoners who somehow were able to pick themselves up and continue on in spite of all that had happened to them during this war. A war that clung like smoke on her clothes. No matter how many times she washed her blouses, skirts and dresses, the smell of war remained. It was in her mind when she woke up in the morning and in her sight as she picked her unsteady way across the cluttered sidewalk by the ruined store.

Relieved, Phyllis made it to the corner and turned to glance back at the destroyed mannequins in her wake. Her whole body shuddered with the thought they could have been human bodies. She straightened, tucked escaping tendrils of dark curly hair, slightly damp now, under her hat and proceeded to the American Embassy. There was much work waiting for her and she needed to get on with it. That’s what everyone was trying to do these days—just get on with it. Get busy living or get busy dying and heaven knows there had been enough dying.

Phyllis walked up to the Embassy door, smoothed her rain-splattered trench coat and opened the steel fortified door to walk in proudly. Her welcome was unexpected, to say the least.

CHAPTER 2

What in the world? People scurried up and down the immense hallway as if they weren’t sure where they were going. Rats caught in a maze never had the worried expressions Phyllis saw now. Inside guards with stiff uniforms tried to direct frightened men and women to various offices to move them out of the fray. Even from her stunned position at the door, she could see the flinches when guards came into contact with nervous shoulders, quivering backs. No one wanted contact.

She glanced up to the second floor to see much of the same—slamming doors, a blur of humanity trying to find some place to hide. From what?

And then she saw it…something she never, ever dreamed she would see since she had started working for the War Department as a civilian several years ago. Coming down the long staircase was a two-man Military Police escort on either side of the American Embassy’s Military Attache, Lt. Col. Ronald Lawrence—Ronnie they called him—being escorted in handcuffs! out the side door, probably to a waiting car.

To go where? And why?

It was a still life picture before her at this moment in time. Everyone had stopped to stare at the tall man with the reddening face as he tried to maintain a confident posture under duress. He didn’t fight the shiny handcuffs that kept his arms locked behind him. He merely smiled to one and all, perhaps hoping they wouldn’t be as terrified as he had to be.

Ronnie? Being arrested? It was unthinkable that the man she knew, her boss’ boss, could have committed such a serious offense to be arrested in the American Embassy before all the men and women he worked with on a daily basis. Ronnie had been at the Embassy only two years and she had found him to be a pleasant, congenial boss, stern when needed, but never a taskmaster. He commanded with more of a velvet glove and had the respect of everyone she knew.

The Military Police officers, in their crisp blue wool uniforms, took a subdued Lt. Col. Lawrence out a side door closing it firmly behind them. The second the door clicked shut, bedlam broke out again with Embassy staff scurrying around like scared mice. Small groups cluttered in corners, no doubt gossiping about what they had just witnessed. Looking past the staircase, Lorraine Watkins caught her eye pointing toward a small office down the next hallway. Phyllis hurried after her and caught her trench coat in the door when she tried to shut it too quickly. Jerking on the material, she nearly tore part of the slick lining.

“What’s going on, Lorraine? I just walked in the door and…”

“Where have you been, Phyl? You’re late this morning.”

“Well, you know how hard it is to walk past The Emporium. Those mannequins are still all over the…”

“Phyllis.” Lorraine grabbed her arm to tow her to the nearest chair. She shoved her into it. “Sit and listen to me.”

“All right, all right.” Phyllis began to unbutton her coat. “Could I at least take my coat off?”

Lorraine shrugged. Phyllis watched her friend glance in a small mirror by the desk to pat her long pageboy hairdo with an upswept front curl. When she freshened her red lipstick, Phyllis laughed.

“So you rushed me in here to make sure you look good?”

“Hardly.” Lorraine’s worried eyes met hers. “You won’t want to hear this.”

“Then don’t tell me.”

She took a deep breath. “Lt. Col. Lawrence, our Ronnie, was arrested for espionage.”

Phyllis blinked, utterly astonished at the news. “That can’t be.”

Lorraine nodded. “It is and now your boss, Dickie, is in.”

That took a minute to sink in. Major Richard Simpson—Dickie they called him—was the new Military Attache? Phyllis had worked for the man for the eight months she had been assigned to the American Embassy, but had never warmed to him. He seemed like a good sort of man but she was never sure of her footing. He was mad one minute, then obsequious the next. Hot and cold, black and white, nervous and confident…she could never get a bead on what made him tick. She’d finally given up and was ready to ask for a transfer since whatever she did was never quite good enough. And now this.

“Dickie is the new Military Attache? I can’t believe the President would want him in the job. He’s too inexperienced, for one thing. Why not just appoint someone else like they did when Ronnie took the job from Col. Bradley?”

“I haven’t the foggiest, but the word is you’re going to be in the hot seat now.”

“Why? What do you mean?”

“Didn’t Dickie work closely with Lawrence?”

“Not that closely. Dickie doesn’t confide in me, but every time they had a meeting, neither one looked happy coming out of it.”

That stopped Lorraine for a moment. She bit her lip. “Maybe they didn’t get much in the way of happy news.”

Phyllis chuckled. “Astute comment, Lorraine. This is wartime. Besides,” she slid her arms out of the trench coat, “Amy would have mentioned if there had been some kind of fight. She’s been good that way.”

Lorraine sat down on the chair behind her desk, picked up a file, glanced at it and threw in a pile by her typewriter. “Didn’t know you and Amy were such good buddies.”

“Don’t pout,” Phyllis kidded. She stood, headed for the door. “You’re still my best friend, okay?”

“Well, okay.” A slow smile spread across Lorraine’s pretty face. “We still on for tonight?”

“After all that’s happened today, probably every staffer in the Embassy will be at the corner pub.”

“Then let’s head to Blue Anchor. Hardy anyone goes there anymore after…”

“…It was bombed and never reopened?” she finished.

“No, silly. It’s open, you just have to know the password to get in.”

Phyllis laughed, opened the door. “Let’s just meet at Angel’s. It’s small, quiet and hasn’t been bombed—yet.”

“After work?”

“Make it seven. I’ll probably put in a long one today.”







About the Author




SJ Slagle is a celebrated author of the Sherlock and Me series and the Phyllis Bowden series.

A teacher and nonfiction writer for part of her career, she taught in Florida, California and Nevada. 

She also writes western romances as Jeanne Harrell including these bestselling series: Rancher, the Westerners and These Nevada Boys with picturesque settings in the wild west of Nevada.





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RABT Book Tours & PR

Monday, March 19, 2018

CLOSE TO YOU




Close To You
by
B.M. Sandy

Genre:
Contemporary Romance

Michele
just wants to be set free.

Iain
just might have the key.

Michele
Coffey is on the run. After arriving in Brooklyn four months ago, she
perfected the art of looking over her shoulder. Her only goal is to
make it through another day without being discovered.

When
Iain Sheppard unexpectedly walks into her life, Michele’s first
instinct is to retreat. Falling in love is not in her plan, and after
what she’s been through, she’s not ready to trust anyone yet.
Maybe ever.

Iain
is a rugged, sexy freelancer, born and raised in Brooklyn. After
showing up at the bar she works at one night, he leaves a note,
asking to show Michele the city. It goes against every rule she has
set in place for herself. She wants to forget about him and his
offer, but something about him draws her in. She can’t shake it, so
she agrees.

What
Michele doesn’t know is that Iain knows more about her than he’s
letting on.

The
clock is ticking. Michele knows that her time is running out,
especially after a stunning reveal that draws her and Iain even
closer.

As
their attraction grows deeper, she can’t stop looking over her
shoulder, waiting for inevitable disaster. And she can’t help but
ask herself if she escaped one prison, only to lock herself into a
new one of her own making.

Will
she ever be set free?





CLOSE TO YOU Excerpt:

Being with Iain felt like something out of a dream.
As we rode the subway downtown, he asked me about my week, our knees touching as we sat. I had forgotten how good it felt to laugh and get to know someone new. I had forgotten how good it felt to let loose and be myself.
For the first time in as long as I could remember, a light had broken through the dark clouds flooding my mind.
Iain took me to the Empire State Building first, an elevator shooting us up 86 flights and placing his hand on the small of my back, guiding me out onto the main deck. The wind was brutal, hitting me full-on in the face, picking my hair up and sending it flying. But all thoughts of the wind and my hair disappeared when I followed the direction his finger was pointing.
The city unfolded, like the richest of tapestries, as far as the eye could see. Buildings giving the illusion of being stacked on top of each other, growing smaller and smaller the further away they got. It was breathtaking to behold, and I wanted to somehow bottle this moment and keep it forever.
I forgot the entire world except for what I saw stretched out before me. The city where I lived




B. M. Sandy lives in Youngstown, Ohio with her husband, one-eyed cat
child, Maia, and as of June 2017, a rescue dog named Dorothy. She’s
a lover of books, film, and all things imaginary. SOMEONE TO STAY is
her first published novel.




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