Friday, May 31, 2019

CREPE EXPECTATIONS BY SARAH FOX


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Crepe Expectations

The Pancake House Mysteries #5
by
Sarah Fox
Genre: Cozy Mystery

Pub
Date: 5/28/2019

When a murder case from the past heats up again, it’s up to Marley
McKinney to sort through a tall stack of suspects in the latest
Pancake House Mystery. . .

Although it’s a soggy start to spring in Wildwood Cove, the weather clears up just in time
for the town to host an amateur chef competition. Marley McKinney,
owner of the Flip Side pancake house, already signed up to volunteer,
and chef Ivan Kaminski is one of the judges. But when Marley visits
her landscaper boyfriend Brett at the site of the Victorian mansion
that’s being restored as the Wildwood Inn, she discovers something
else pushing up daisies: human remains.

The skeleton on the riverbank washed out by the early-spring floodwaters belonged to
eighteen-year-old Demetra Kozani, who vanished a decade earlier.
While the cold case is reopened, Marley must step in when some of the
cook-off contestants fall suspiciously ill. Stuck in a syrupy mess of
sabotage and blackmail, it falls to Marley to stop a killer from
crêping up on another victim. . .












I was about to set off along the garden path when something small and black streaked toward the tree line. I spun around to follow its progress.

“A kitten!” I exclaimed. “Did you see that?”

The tiny black cat paused at the edge of the woods, its green eyes wide, one ear twitching while the rest of its body remained frozen.

“Does it belong to Lonny and Hope?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Brett said. “I caught a brief glimpse of it earlier today, but that’s the first time I’ve seen a cat around here.”

I took a careful step toward the kitten. It dashed beneath a bushy fern and hunkered down, out of sight except for the tip of one black ear.

“It looks way too tiny to be out here on its own,” I said.

“We can take it up to the house and see if that’s where it belongs. If we can catch it, that is.”

As if it had heard Brett’s words, the little kitten darted out from its hiding place and zipped away, deeper into the woods.

“Catching it might not be possible, but I don’t want to leave it in the woods. Maybe we can at least get it to run back this way.”

“We can try,” Brett agreed.

We moved off in opposite directions, planning to circle around into the woods and hopefully herd the kitten back to the garden. I tried to move quietly as I entered the woods, not wanting to scare the cat farther into the forest. Despite my efforts, twigs still snapped under my feet and the underbrush rustled as I picked my way through the trees.

I could hear rushing water somewhere nearby and realized we were close to the Wildwood River. My concern for the kitten shot up. Although the water level was on its way down now, the river was still higher than usual and could be dangerous for anyone who got too close to the slippery, unstable banks. I didn’t want the kitten going anywhere near the water.

As I moved deeper into the forest, the dirt beneath my feet became soggier. Through the trees, I caught sight of the river, still swollen and muddy, hurtling its way toward the ocean. I swept my gaze from left to right, desperately seeking out any sign of the kitten.

“Can you see it?” I called out to Brett when he came into view. We were almost to the river now, and I had to talk over the sound of the rushing water.

“Not yet,” Brett called back.

At the sound of his voice, something moved slightly a few feet away. I peered at a small, hollowed-out cavity at the base of an old tree. It was dark inside the hole, but I was certain I’d seen movement. I crept closer to the tree, moving slowly and cautiously.

I was about to crouch down in front of the hole when the kitten darted out of the hollow tree. I dropped to my knees and grabbed at the kitten, ending up flat on my stomach, my arms outstretched ahead of me. A fallen tree branch poked at my ribs, cold moisture was seeping through my jeans, and I had a face full of ferns, but I also had a wriggling kitten in my grasp.

“Are you okay?” Brett asked as he hurried over to me.

“I caught it!” I said through the ferns.

I couldn’t see too well, but I heard Brett reach my side. One of his hands brushed against mine.

“I’ve got it. You can let go now.”

I released my firm but gentle hold on the cat and climbed to my feet, brushing pine needles and clumps of mud from my clothes. I smiled at the sight of Brett holding the little kitten against his chest, but when I reached down to brush a clod of mud from my knee, my smile slipped away.

“Brett…”

“Are you hurt?” he asked with concern.

I shook my head and stepped back before pointing at the ground.

Next to the patch of ferns I’d landed in, a partial human skull poked out through the mud.



Sarah Fox is the author of the Music Lover's Mystery series and the USA Today
bestselling Pancake House Mystery series. When not writing novels or
working as a legal writer, she can often be found reading her way
through a stack of books or spending time outdoors with her English
Springer Spaniel. Sarah lives in British Columbia and is a member of
Crime Writers of Canada. Visit her online at 
AuthorSarahFox.com.



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Wednesday, May 29, 2019

BURIED IN SIN



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BURIED IN SIN
by
Kathryn Long
Mystery
Date Published: March 30, 2019
Publisher: Black Opal Books

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Research assistant Sarah Mackenzie enjoys collecting information for her uncle’s local history projects. But when she stumbles upon an open grave in Cornplanter Cemetery, she’s startled to find the body reminds her of someone she knew, someone she believed died ten years ago. Like opening Pandora’s Box, the discovery is full of unpleasant surprises and definitely not the kind this researcher likes to collect. To make matters worse, the local sheriff has learned about Sarah’s strained relationship with the victim, and the clues drop one by one to shift suspicion to her as the favored suspect. As the murders escalate and one becomes three, Sarah confronts her fear and searches for the truth, venturing into the world of Seneca Indian culture. Confronted with mysteries from the past as well as the present, she must find their common link in order to discover the identity of the Grave Maker and stop his killing spree.



Speeding around the curve, I passed Egypt Hollow Road. Twenty minutes to go—less, if I took the road at a reckless pace. I moved my foot to brake. It wouldn’t help anyone if I ended up in a ditch. And, of course, I’d be the fool if all that greeted me was a hot meal, a happy dog, and Chaz back to crabby. Most likely, it was nothing. Just one of his sentimental, sullen moods when he dwelled on the past and told me stories about everyone he missed. That mood. It happened on occasion. After a bit, he’d drift back into his old self.

The truck bounced as I pulled into his drive. It was weed covered with plenty of chuckholes and little gravel. Chaz stopped his regular routine of yard maintenance over eight years ago, and I had little time to help. Once the truck ground to a stop, tires hit the railroad tie put there to block anyone from driving closer. I jumped out and landed with both legs running toward the door.

“Uncle Chaz! Opal!” I bounded up the stairs and shoved the door open. “Oh, my lord.”

I hurried to the wheelchair. Chaz’s body was slumped over. Reaching down, I placed two fingers on his neck and found a pulse, weak but still there. Blood trickled down the back of his neck. I winced when my fingers located the lump on the top of his head. “What happened to you, Uncle?” I whispered.

At the sink, I wet a towel to clean the wound. Without giving too much thought to the idea, I reached for the bottle of Wild Turkey and poured some onto the towel and then applied it to his head.

“Ouch! What in holy saints are you doin’? That burns like Hades,” Chaz growled and sat up straight.

“Oh, thank you, God.” My legs gave way and I landed in the chair next to him. My eyes widened.

The table was empty, cleared of all his papers and books. “What did you do? Clean house?” I stared, baffled. “What’s going on?”

“I was robbed, that’s what.” He touched the top of his head and grumbled a few expletives.


About the Author




Kathryn Long is a retired teacher turned fulltime writer. She loves filling her days reading and writing mysteries. Her credits include romantic suspense, A DEADLY DEAD GROWS and her self-published series, THE LILLY M. MYSTERIES. BURIED IN SIN is her latest release, published by Black Opal Books in March, 2019. She stays active on social media where you can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and her blog. She also belongs to Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers. Kathryn lives in northeast Ohio with her husband and pooch Max.

Contact Links




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Monday, May 27, 2019

REBEKAH'S QUILT


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Rebekah's Quilt
by
Sara Harris

Genre: Historical Amish Romance 

Who can Rebekah trust
when the line between English and Amish becomes blurred?

An Amish Settlement. 
An English stranger. 
The Blizzard of 1888.

Rebekah's mother, Elnora Stoll, is the finest quilter in all of Gasthof Village
but it seems Rebekah has inherited none of her skill.
A
sweet and gentle love blossoms between Rebekah Stoll and her
childhood friend Joseph Graber, despite attempts by her saucy
nemesis, Katie Knepp, to sway the young man's affections her way.
When Joseph hints at the promise of forever, Rebekah is positive she
should say yes to his proposal - until a mysterious English stranger shows up
at her homestead and sets everything she thought she knew about her world on end.



Sara Harris, Author


Sara is a mother of four, animal lover and advocate, and conservationist.
Little House on the Prairie, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, and Lonesome
Dove are among her favorite shows/movies and books. Sara holds her
B.A. in History and is the author of the historical romance series,
An Everlasting Heart, from 5 Prince Publishing and recently debuted
into the children's book realm with Chunky Sugars (5 Prince Kids),
written for her own chunky baby.



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Friday, May 24, 2019

CULT BY SEELIE KAY




Release Date: May 17, 2019
Publisher: Extasy Books
Romantic Suspense, three flames
An Interview with Seelie Kay:

Q.  Why do you write romance?

Because I am fascinated by the games people play to find and secure a lasting relationship, which is not always love. There's the chase, the courtship, the falling, the surrender. That's what I try to capture in my stories.

Q.  Do you prefer a certain type of romantic hero?

I adore smart, dashing gentlemen who aren’t afraid to live on the edge. They can be a bad boy, a billionaire, a prince, or a secret agent. That hint of danger just hooks me! However, I also love strong, independent women who aren’t afraid to fight for what they want, even love.

Q.  Why did you write “Cult?”

For two reasons. First, I have done extensive research on a religious cult a family member was involved in many years ago. There is specific type of personality that succeeds as a cult leader. They offer something others aren’t finding in their real life or through mainstream religion. Their grip on others is daunting. In many instances, however, a cult leader is nothing more than a con man with a great sales pitch. I wanted to explore that. Second, when I was in college, I had friends who got involved in cults. They gave up all of their worldly goods and submitted blindly to one man. And once in, they couldn’t get out. Fortunately, some did finally escape, but they were forever changed.

As I was doing my research, I realized that many cults treat their members as slaves, a form of human trafficking. Their free will has been taken away. Someone else does their thinking for them. As long as they submit and obey, they receive the basics—food and shelter. However, the consequences of nonconformance can be dire--physical abuse, incarceration, even death. It was not a story I could ignore.

Q.   How does your former profession as a lawyer impact your writing?

My friends say I am obsessed with justice and I guess that’s true. After 30 years, the law and the legal world are so firmly embedded in my brain that I can’t flush them out. That has become the lens through which I view the world and that naturally guides my characters and plots. Injustice infuriates me, but it also leads me to great stories!

Blurb:

It’s supposed to be a simple assignment. A quick trip to a South American country for an “in and out” fact-finding mission. Unfortunately, the cult has other ideas.

When college students begin disappearing from American campuses, a notorious cult, God’s Delight, is the primary suspect. God’s Delight has been hosting shows featuring sex, drugs, and rock and roll around the country, and young people are flocking to them.

Among the missing is the President’s goddaughter, and he wants answers. When he asks Agent Cade Matthews, a member of a secret covert organization, to find her, the mission appears fairly straightforward. Find the God’s Delight compound, determine whether a welfare check on American cult members is warranted, and get out. Simple. Clean. Easy.

Cade sends newly-married Agents Dianna Murphy and Anders Mark to the University of Wisconsin to follow the trail to God’s Delight, but when they wind up in Bolivia, things go sideways. Suddenly, what appeared to be nothing more than a simple in-and-out could cost Dianna her life. When an Agency extraction is ordered, chaos erupts, and the question becomes, will anyone survive?

Excerpt:

“But everyone can leave when they want, right?”

Tillie cocked her eyebrow, clearly amused. “Of course. But why would they? This is paradise.”

“It is indeed, darling Miranda,” drawled a deep sultry voice. A tall, well-built man dressed in a white cossack, a thick wooden cross draped around his neck, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. His loose, long blonde hair framed a tan, handsome face with a strong nose and a wicked, full-lipped grin. He turned his piercing blue eyes toward Dianna and smiled. “Hello,” he said.

The man studied her, his expression predatory.

Dianna shifted uncomfortably. So, Tillie is using another name. Meaning she’s undercover. Noted. 

Dianna stuck out her hand and said. “Hi, I’m Bennie. I’m one of the students from Wisconsin working over at the orphanage. You were kind enough to allow us to stay here.”

The man took her hand and stroked it, his expression suddenly thoughtful. “Tell me, Bennie from Wisconsin, what do you think of my paradise?” His hand moved to her lower arm.

Dianna flushed. My paradise? Is this Reverend John? “It’s beautiful. Peaceful. But hot. And humid. Really humid.” She gazed up into the man’s eyes, somewhat stunned at the lust she found there. My God, he looks like he wants to devour me. Dianna quickly looked away.

The man chuckled. “You get used to it. But we keep the air-conditioning on in the dormitories for the newbies and limit their time in the sun. And of course, we all take a siesta during the hottest part of the day if we need one.” He released her arm. “We worship at day’s end when the air begins to cool. Otherwise, things get a little…sweaty.” He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, gently tugging her hair. Then he walked away. Dianna’s gaze did not leave him as children followed him, playfully competing for his attention. Just like Jesus.


Coming soon to all other major booksellers!



About Seelie Kay:

Seelie Kay is a nom de plume for a writer, editor, and author with more than 30 years of experience in law, journalism, marketing, and public relations. When she writes about love and lust in the legal world, something kinky is bound to happen! In possession of a wicked pen and an overly inquisitive mind, Ms Kay is the author of multiple works of fiction, including the Kinky Briefs series, the Feisty Lawyers series, The Garage Dweller, A Touchdown to Remember, The President's Wife, and the President's Daughter.

When not spinning her kinky tales, Ms. Kay ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. She resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she shares a home with her son and enjoys opera, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine.

Ms Kay is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS: Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you!

Author links:




Prior Books:



Coming soon:

Hope (Part Four, Feisty Lawyers): TBD


Wednesday, May 22, 2019

LOVECARNATION: THE PROMISE


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Lovecarnation: The Promise

Lovecarnation Trilogy Book 1
by
RKC Puthran

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Emotionally complex and gripping, author RKC Puthran brings you an unforgettable
story of the transcendental power of love.


Fresh out of college with an MBA and a job at a prestigious bank in the US,
Rohan Rai seemingly has more than any twenty-five-year old Indian
could have. But he has a different dream for his life, and a
clear-cut plan to get there. A cocky workaholic determined to climb
the corporate ladder as fast as possible in order to achieve his
goals, he doesn’t care who he alienates on his meteoric rise to the top.

Then he meets Shona. She’s everything Rohan’s not—an easy-going
Irish girl who lives in the moment, loves Whitney Houston, and enjoys
life to the fullest. Although there’s no room for any love in
Rohan’s three-year plan, he finds himself increasingly drawn to
her. As their relationship blossoms, Rohan slowly finds himself
viewing life differently, until a past grudge escalates and his inner
demons resurface. Torn between his ambition, his responsibilities,
and love, he must now re-examine everything he believes in…or risk losing it all.

Lovecarnation – The Promise 
is the heart-wrenching first book of the Lovecarnation trilogy, a
thought-provoking series about fate, destiny, and the timelessness of true love.



Prologue
May 25, 1996

In the beautiful countryside of Missoula, Montana, on a lonely street in the afternoon, a car came to a
screeching halt.

“Please be careful, Hugo. We are parents now!” cried the lady sitting in the back seat of the car next to a baby who was crying incessantly, strapped in the car seat.

“I am sorry,” the father apologized, feeling very guilty. “Can you please pick him up and see if you can calm him down?”

The baby was crying even more loudly now. The mother unstrapped the car seat belt and picked him
up. Unable to calm the baby down, she got out of the car with him in her arms and walked around caressing his back. The road was vacant, and the cries of the baby filled the air. There were a few shops a short distance away, but most of them were closed, and the place looked deserted. The cries became louder and louder. The mother kept walking slowly, worried, not knowing what to do.

The baby was born two days ago, and the parents were going back home from the hospital. The little one had been crying continuously for the last two days. When they were still at the hospital, Grandma said on the phone that it must be colic or gas.

The worried parents had gotten all the medical checks done, but doctors were not able to find anything abnormal with the baby. The mother, however, knew that something was definitely wrong. She did not sleep even a little since the baby was born, wondering why the baby was behaving that way.

There was pain in the way the baby cried, as though his little heart was breaking and his soul was being torn out of his body. The only quiet time in the last two days was when the baby fell asleep tired of crying. With sweat trickling down her neck and the baby simply refusing to stop crying, the frustrated mother turned around to get back into the car.

Suddenly she came face-to-face with a middle-aged woman wearing a red bandana on her head and a long, flowing, colorful maxi dress in blue, black, and red. Her thick, long, bushy hair had beads tied all over, and both her wrists were covered with beautiful bracelets. The woman, who most probably was a traveling gypsy, looked at the crying baby very attentively.

“Lovecarnation,” she said, and looked at the mother, who by now was even more worried and stepped back a bit. “Don’t worry; he will stop crying when he goes through all his memories. He will smile when he sees new hope, in this new life,” the woman said. This time she was looking straight into the eyes of the mother.

“What memories? What are you saying?” The mother was a bit shocked and stepped back further, clutching the baby tighter.

The woman smiled, looked at the baby, turned around, and walked away. The terrified mother ran
toward the car.

“Who was that?” asked the father as the mother hurriedly threw herself and the crying baby into the
car.

“Let’s go quickly. This place is weird,” she said while strapping the baby into the seat.

As the car moved, the mother looked out of the window and noticed the mysterious woman at a
distance walking through a small door into a corner shop. A nicely crafted wooden board on the door of the shop read - Irish Fortune Teller.

CHAPTER 1

Around two and a half years ago - February 5, 1994—Bombay, India

I was at the Bombay International Airport surrounded by my entire family. A young MBA, twenty-five years old, chasing the America dream, I was all suited and booted, ready to say goodbye to everyone to fly off to America—for the second time. Last time it was for my studies just two years ago to get an MBA degree. But this time, it was for a job that I had landed with a multinational bank. It was the stuff dreams were made of. There was not a single person in Bombay who did not tell me how lucky I was.

They weren’t wrong though. I was lucky, as not everyone who finished college got a job right after, and at a bank in America, at that! I had every reason to be excited.

However, this was not exactly what I had wanted to do in life. I wanted to be an entrepreneur and have my own business. While pursuing my MBA, during my spare time, I had drawn ambitious plans on how to set up a software start-up company. I then wanted to venture into the food industry by starting a chain of fast-food restaurants serving baked chicken dishes. I loved chicken.

The idea was to create a very different brand of fast food which would be not only healthy but also very tasty. I had decided to complete my MBA, and unlike others, who immediately start looking for a corporate job, my plan was to go back to Bombay and start working on my business—by first looking for investors.

But as the saying goes, “Man proposes, God disposes.”

Just before the last term, we had companies visiting the campus for recruitment. Though I had prepared myself not to get into the corporate world, it seemed a bit unwise not to go to the campus interviews. If nothing else, it was at least an opportunity to learn something new. So I went, totally unprepared. But on that day I had answers to every question thrown at me.

Somehow my subconscious mind had prepared me for the day, and I was selected for the job. Even to this day I don’t know how it happened. I got something I never wanted and something I didn’t know how to say no to. Only sixteen others from a batch of almost two hundred were selected along with me. I informed my dad and the family, and it was celebration time back home. How would I tell them what I wanted to do in life?






RKC Puthran lives in Dublin, Ireland along with his wife Rashmi and 7
year old daughter Natasha. 
Born and brought up in India, RKC started working 
as a teenager to support his family while pursuing his studies. 
His first job was that of a salesman for a sewing machine company.

Unable to sell even a single machine even after 2 months of hard work in the
hot sun, the company refused to pay him his salary and he quit. He
then took up several jobs from working as a cashier in a 5 star hotel
to working for a diamond merchant and in the share market.

Post-graduation, RKC joined a company in the banking and finance sector as a junior
officer. Through sheer dedication and hard work, RKC rose through the
ranks and managed to get an assignment in London.

He later managed to move over to London on a temporary contract banking
job along with his wife for a short period before finally settling
down in Dublin, Ireland with a full time job in a bank. 


RKC’s intense passion for writing made him write short stories during his
spare time though he never submitted any of them for publication. He
however wrote articles of general interest which were published in
the newspapers.

He co-authored 2 non-fiction books but he did not credit himself on the
cover as he wanted his name to be on the cover of a novel first.

LOVECARNATION –THE PROMISE is RKC Puthran’s debut novel and the first book in
the LOVECARNATION TRILOGY Series.


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Monday, May 20, 2019

A MATCH MADE IN LONDON


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A Match Made in London
by
Christina Britton

Genre: Historical Romance

Miss Rosalind Merriweather’s life has been one of hardship and servitude
since her late sister’s ruination. Now a paid companion, her latest
post brings her to London to watch over the daughter of a social
climbing harridan. She vows to protect her charge―and her own
heart―from rakes and libertines, the very type of man who destroyed
her sister. This vow proves difficult when Sir Tristan Crosby, the
epitome of all she despises, begins to show attention to the girl.


Tristan has spent decades perfecting his easygoing, charming persona to hide
the damage done by years of abuse by his father. Finding he has a
talent for matchmaking, he fills some of the emptiness inside him by
helping the overlooked, shy women of London find true love. However,
the latest young woman has a watchdog of a companion who seems to see
beyond his careful façade to the flawed, uncertain soul he strives
to hide from the world. Even worse, she affects him in ways no woman ever has.

But he will not give up his matchmaking, even for one such as her. What
he does not expect is for Rosalind to be fired from her position
because of it―nor that she will immediately find a position in his
own household. When these two headstrong adversaries meet under one
roof, will their attraction to one another lead to heartbreak, or
have these two passionate souls finally met their match?


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Christina Britton developed a passion for writing romance novels shortly
after buying her first at the tender age of thirteen. Though for
several years she turned to art and put brush instead of pen to
paper, she has returned to her first love and is now writing full
time. She spends her days dreaming of corsets and cravats and
noblemen with tortured souls.

She lives with her husband and two children in the San Francisco Bay
Area. A member of Romance Writers of America, she also belongs to
her local chapter, Silicon Valley RWA, and is a 2017 RWA® Golden
Heart® winner. Her debut novel, With Love in Sight, was released by
Diversion Books in early 2018.



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