Thursday, May 30, 2019

The Sparkle King

Autobiography/Memoir
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Patrick A. Roland will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. See below to sign up for the GIVEAWAY.






In 2014, Patrick lost his partner, Pack, suddenly and without warning. As he struggled to come to terms with this, he was faced with homophobic prejudice from his partner's family. In horrendous emotional pain and feeling desperately lonely and depressed, he started to use recreational drugs heavily and hit rock-bottom whilst on a trip to Las Vegas.

After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and getting clean from drugs and alcohol, Patrick thought his fight was over. However, this was not the case. Life had many other obstacles in store for him but this time, he knew how to be strong and he knew he had God on his side for support.

This inspiring and emotive true story shows how anyone can overcome the hurdles life presents them with, if they just have faith and focus on their inner strengths.

Read an excerpt...
In the summer between seventh and eighth grade, I lost nearly forty pounds. To go with my svelte new look, I asked my grandmother—a hairdresser—to give me a perm. My dad had always had one so I thought it was something men did. However, when I emerged on campus on the first day of eighth grade at a new school, the reactions were sinister and cruel. Now I was suddenly very gay—the weight loss exaggerated my feminine mannerisms—even though it would be several years before I realized that and boldly claimed it as my sexual identity.

           
Things got considerably worse in high school. I went to a fancy and pricey all-boys Catholic college preparatory school. I tried desperately to fit in, but my “friends” wanted nothing to do with me. At parties, they held me under water in the pool. Once, they tricked me in to climbing up onto a roof with them only to try and push me off of it. They called me a lot of names, but the one I remember most is ‘The Whipping Boy’. I held on to that name for years. It seemed to always fit, no matter where I went or what I did to try and remove myself from it.

College also started rocky, but got better in time. I had decided to attend the alma mater of my mother in a small town in Iowa. I felt like it was my chance to start over and carve a new life out for myself, and I eventually did. But the first week started out just like everything else had. I was walking down the hallway and I was suddenly grabbed from behind by a crew of three masked men. They pulled me into my room, threw me on the floor and smothered and attacked me, beating my face with long socks that were filled with something that was supposed to make them look like giant penises. I think they were trying to mock me for being gay, but the fact that these men spent so much time stuffing socks to look like penises seemed gayer to me. Maybe something about me made them afraid of their own truth.

READ ROLAND'S INTERVIEW: Click HERE




AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Patrick A. Roland is a gay, bipolar, ex-drug addict, widowed abuse survivor and the author of three great books. His first, Unpacked Sparkle: a Story of Grief and Recovery, kicks off his journey of sobriety and self-love following the death of his partner, Pack, in January 2014. This book was published by Az Publishing and is available on Amazon.
His second book is a children’s book called Sparkle On! This book is about a gecko who is constantly constant bullied but chooses to fight this with love.
His new book, The Sparkle King, keeps the sparkle flowing as Patrick finds his way through several fear-inducing experiences by constantly choosing faith to overcome them in long-term sobriety.
Patrick lives in Phoenix, Az. He is a peer support at a mental health clinic, where he helps others just like himself. He’s also earning a Master’s in Addiction Counselling at Grand Canyon University and is taking care of his elderly, terminally ill parents. He wants you to know you can do anything you decide to do if you love yourself. 

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Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Will Rise From Ashes

Women's Fiction
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jean M. Grant will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. 

See below to sign up for the GIVEAWAY 





Young widow AJ Sinclair has persevered through much heartache. Has she met her match when the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, leaving her separated from her youngest son and her brother? Tens of thousands are dead or missing in a swath of massive destruction. She and her nine-year-old autistic son, Will, embark on a risky road trip from Maine to the epicenter to find her family. She can't lose another loved one.

Along the way, they meet Reid Gregory, who travels his own road to perdition looking for his sister. Drawn together by AJ's fear of driving and Reid's military and local expertise, their journey to Colorado is fraught with the chaotic aftermath of the eruption. AJ's anxiety and faith in humanity are put to the test as she heals her past, accepts her family's present, and embraces uncertainty as Will and Reid show her a world she had almost forgotten.

Read an excerpt...
A gray column of ash exploded on the screen. The plume darkened the sky.

“Mom, come look!” Will said, without turning from the TV.

She fidgeted with the mail on the kitchen counter. Then said a bad word. The metal trash lid clanged open, and she grumbled. He tapped a finger on his thigh as he listened to the newscaster.
A few minutes passed. “Mom…”

“One minute,” she called. He turned. She dragged the basket of dirty laundry from their vacation to Yellowstone down the basement steps. Thump, thump, thump.

“But it’s the volcano! On TV!” His pulse flickered. This was important. She needed to see.

“Hang on a sec, Will.”

The clock read 9:03 p.m. Eastern Time, but it still felt like Mountain Time and he wasn’t sleepy. He counted to one second. He knew she didn’t mean that. Her “a sec” or “a minute” could be way longer.

She returned from the basement and opened the window over the kitchen sink. The metallic, vibrating hum of the foghorn sounded in the distance. He rose and added a tally mark to the chart on his clipboard. Soon, he’d need to make his snow charts, too. But it was only August.

“Where are they?” Mom said.

She came through the doorway to the living room with her mug in one hand. It smelled like burnt stinky milk. He covered his nose.

“Mom, watch out!” She almost stepped on his eight red volcano cut-outs lined in a row in front of the TV. His heart kerthumped. He straightened one, so the bottom edge realigned with the rest. There, better.

“So, honey, what is it? Find an interesting documentary to watch?” she finally asked, drawing her gaze to the TV as she stumbled. “Will, the tape and scissors. I need you to pick them up, okay?” She yawned. “We need to go to bed soon.” She leaned over the coffee table and clicked her laptop shut with another curse. “I can’t even track their flight. Where are they?” she repeated to herself.

Her brown eyes were shiny, holding that sad look she got when she thought about Dad. Some expressions confused him, but Mom was easier to understand than others. She was sad a lot these days. Was she sad about his little brother Finn not returning home yet? He approached her and hugged her around the waist. He nudged the top of his head against her ribcage. “It’s okay, Mom. Finn and Uncle Brandon will be here. Maybe their flights were delayed again?”

She exhaled. Coffee breath. His stomach squeezed. Delays. Yuck, he didn’t like delays either.

She said in a whisper, a raspy grating sound, “They should’ve landed by now…the traffic north to Maine from Boston isn’t awful this time of day. Finn’s going to be so wired.”

But he’s not a robot, Will wanted to say, but he knew it was just one of Mom’s weird phrases. The commercials ended. He grabbed her hand. “Look, Mom. Yellowstone! Maybe Finn and Uncle Brandon saw it erupt since we were all just there! How lucky of them to see that, huh?” He pointed to the LIVE symbol in the bottom right corner.


Her mug slipped and fell in a crash, spilling all over his volcanoes.


Read an interview with Jean M. Grant HERE


AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Jean’s background is in science and she draws from her interests in history, nature, and her family for inspiration. She writes historical and contemporary romances and women’s fiction. She also writes articles for family-oriented travel magazines. When she’s not writing or chasing children, she enjoys tending to her flower gardens, hiking, and doing just about anything in the outdoors.

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Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Til Death Do Us Part

Romantic Suspense


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. K.S. David will award a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.


Quinn McGuire is settling into her new life just fine. She's moving beyond the trauma of her past. She's fallen in love with her best friend, Jack Lassiter, and slowly rebuilding the career she'd once abandoned. Then her old nemesis is arrested for murdering her husband. To the surprise of everyone, Glenda Penderherst wants Quinn to represent her as legal counsel. Quinn doesn't do criminal defense anymore. Nope, she's focusing on areas a little more refined - less drama.

Naomi Banker, the resident vibrational therapist, asks Quinn to look into an intellectual property rights claim. The request seems innocent enough - but boring. Things soon spice up when Quinn discovers that Naomi was romantically linked to Glenda's murdered husband. Soon, more bodies start to surface and like it or not, Quinn finds herself caught in a whirlwind of broken hearts and private alliances, all while trying to manage a few special secrets of her own. She’s convinced of Naomi's innocence and starts to dig for answers. But if she's not careful, she'll end up being added to the body count.

Read an Excerpt:

Like before, the woods seemed to grow quiet and I got the feeling that we were being watched.

Jack stopped. He turned around himself, studying the woods around us. “What am I going to find if I keep walking, Quinn?”

Images from my earlier trek fired in my head. “It’s hard to explain. You have to see it for yourself.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. With everything going on, Jack had little time to waste tripping through the woods with me. He had reporters camped out at the station, a contingent of council members who were growing increasingly angry and unsupportive about the murder, and now I’d roped him into hunting down Naomi’s spook.

“You smell that?” Jack asked.

“It gets worse,” I said. “I may not be able to go all the way in with you.” I gave my belly a little pat. “Strong smells set me off.”

A few more feet and Jack let go of my hand so he could retrieve a kerchief from his pocket. “Saints alive!” he huffed. “It’s damned funky back here.” He offered the kerchief to me. “Use this,” he instructed, then tucked his face into the collar of his shirt. “What in the hell is that smell?”

Suddenly, the tents came into view. Jack signaled me to stop. He pulled me close and whispered in my ear. “Is this it? Is that what you wanted to show me?”

“Yeah.” My voice matched the caution of his tone. “I think someone’s been living here.” I pointed to the big tent. “There’s all kinds of stuff in there.”

“Stay here.” Jack unfastened the release on his sidearm but didn’t move. He stood stock still, his eyes registering everything around us. “Don’t move,” he warned again.

But, instead of heeding his warning, I stepped forward. “I’m going with you.”

He swung around nearly colliding with me. Anger flashed in his eyes. “Don’t challenge me on this, Quinn. Just give me some distance. If something goes wrong – you run.” Jack didn’t like the scene any more than I had.

Pausing at the edge of the clearing, he stood behind a large tangle of branches where he had a view of the entire site. Anyone looking toward the trees would have difficulty seeing him. I waited as Jack moved with catlike steps, cautiously picking up one foot and setting it down again as he moved forward. He slipped his gun out of the holster and eased tenuously toward the edge of the largest tarp. I heard the safety on his gun disengage and watched Jack fold his hands over the handle.

“Police! Anybody inside?”

Nothing.

Pain shot through the palm of my hand. I’d been pressing my fingernails into my own flesh worriedly anticipating the worse.

“Hey, anybody in there! Hayden County Police.”

Jack’s voice echoed through the clearing, bouncing off the trees and shifted back to me. Blood thundered in my ears as my heartbeat quickened. I watched him step closer. He threw back the tarp on the larger tent. Quickly, he dropped to a low crouch and swiveled his gun from side to side before plucking his flashlight off his hip and inching closer.

He stepped back and repeated the call at the smaller tent.

“Now, do you see what I mean, Jack? It’s a mess back here.”

He twisted around, locking angry, narrow eyes on me. “I thought I said for you to stay put!” he snapped.

“That’s not exactly what you said. You told me not to follow you and to run if there was a problem.”

He rolled his eyes but pushed his gun back into his holster. “Does Naomi ever walk out her back door? God! It smells like a dump site.”

About the Author: K. S. David lives in the Mid-Atlantic with her husband, their three children and a menagerie of pets. New storylines are constantly running through her head. She keeps notebooks tucked in pockets of the car, the nightstand and makes voice recordings just about all day long. She's addicted to true life mysteries and crime shows, both of which marry well with a great romance. Some of her favorite things are long walks, reading in bed, baking and of course, writing her next novel.


https://www.amazon.com/K.-S.-David/e/B00BP1U4BI

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6979268.K_S_David

https://twitter.com/ksdavidromance

https://www.facebook.com/ks.david.52



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Monday, May 27, 2019

The Summer Nanny

Thriller
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Audrey J. Cole will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. 

See below to sign up for the GIVEAWAY 





It was the perfect summer job—until it turned into her worst nightmare.

Bridgett is enjoying an idyllic summer as the nanny for Leo, the son of Paul and Emily Cooper—a famous actor and renowned charity founder. Not only is she generously compensated to care for Leo at the couple’s Seattle waterfront estate, she develops a special bond with the little boy. In addition to the financial perks of the job, Bridgett has fallen into a summer love affair with Chris, a landscaper who works at the property.

It’s the Fourth of July. Leo’s parents are holding a major event for their charity at the top of the Space Needle. When a masked intruder breaks into the home and takes Leo hostage, Bridgett will do anything to save the boy’s life. She complies with the burglar’s demands to retrieve a multi-million-dollar heirloom necklace from the home, yet she quickly discovers that he hasn’t come for the necklace at all…

Detectives Blake Stephenson and Tess Richards are celebrating the Fourth at the Cooper’s charity gala where Tess is being honored for her volunteer work. However, their evening is dampened when Tess’s younger brother, Chris, fails to show up for the event. As they leave the event early, hoping to find answers, they learn the security system is down at the Cooper’s mansion…and that Chris isn’t the only one missing from the party.


Get ready for chills and thrills in this Emerald City Thriller Novella!

My Review...
Sometimes something happens that just seems too good to be true.  Even Bridgett the new nanny thought that about her job. This very short page turner tells the story all about her “perfect job”. I would not call this a short story. It isn’t a 300-page book but to me it had all the meat a good story should have. However, I was surprised how such a short book could have as much action in it as this one did.

It was easy to read, had very clearly defined characters and well-described scenes. Almost like a short motion picture. There were so many twists and turns in this book; so much action and lots of surprises. You see what I mean by a lot of storyline in a short novel.
I must admit, this book was like the kind of classical concert I enjoy. Fascinating and over before you know it. Almost a whirlwind of great reading.


Audrey J. Cole has other books published, all with good ratings. Hope we see more.


Read an excerpt...
There was nowhere to hide. The footsteps had almost reached the doorway to the kitchen. Bridgett reached for the handle of a large cast-iron pan. In her panic to pull it down, the pan caught on the edge of the metal hook that suspended it.

The footsteps rounded the doorway behind her. She let go of the handle and dove to the floor. The pan swung like a clock pendulum and clamored against the other hanging pots and pans.

Bridgett crawled behind the kitchen island. She scanned the dining and living room for a better hiding spot. She heard the killer's boots enter the kitchen. Seeing no better option, she scurried on all fours to the dining room and tucked under the dining table.

She tried to quiet her breathing as she looked toward the kitchen. The killer stood behind the island. He reached his gloved hand in the air to still the pan that was clanging against the other pots. He didn't appear to see her under the table. He turned around as if he'd heard a noise behind him.

Bridgett watched him walk straight toward the pantry door and pull it open. Seeing it was empty, he turned and marched past the kitchen island toward the living room.

It wouldn't take long for him to find her. There weren't many places to hide.

She could only see him now from the waist down. The blade in his left hand looked even bigger up close. She focused on his boots. They moved in the direction of the dining room. Bridgett's heart beat so hard against her chest she was afraid the killer would hear it. His feet stopped when he'd halfway closed the distance between them. Bridgett watched them turn away from her, and she knew it was now or never.


AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Audrey J. Cole is a registered nurse and a writer of thrillers set in Seattle. After living in Australia for the last five years, Audrey has returned to the Pacific Northwest where she resides with her husband and two children.
The book is on sale for $0.99.



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Sunday, May 26, 2019

Astraeus



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions to celebrate the release of the audio version of ASTRAEUS. Haley Cavanagh will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N 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 pre-apocalyptic Earth. One desperate space mission to find a solution. One unexpected alien.

When Dr. Sakota Thorell signed onto the mission to scout out a new, habitable planet, she knew discovering extraterrestrial life was always a possibility. But she never expected to find an alien adrift in space, nor for that alien to be so intriguing. Sakota feels an instant and undeniable attraction to Astraeus, but he represents a million possibilities, and just as many threats.

There are others hunting Astraeus, and his rescue may cost Earth its last hope.
Read an excerpt:
“What are you called? What’s your name?”

He opened his mouth, and she moved closer, eager for his first words. Instead, he focused on her lips with obvious fascination. His intriguing eyes caught the light. Despite her disappointment that he couldn’t speak, a rush went through her. Alien or not, he was the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on, with the kind of ethereal elegance some upper-class, privileged men on Earth spent fortunes on plastic surgery trying to achieve.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk, or if you can’t. We’ll get there. Now, I’m going to check you.” She kept her voice gentle, as she might use with a child. She pressed the button to disengage the protective bubble over the med bed and shone the retinal scanner in her own eye to demonstrate. “I just need to look at your eyes with this.” She motioned with the scope to him. “It won’t hurt. I promise.”

Warm puffs of his breath blew on her neck as she leaned in. She paused, noting the remarkable eight-pointed star-shape of his pupils. The mutation was his one physical difference, and only if one looked closely. The pupils dilated when hit by the scope’s light. She’d never seen eyes as remarkable.

“You’re doing great,” she soothed. Her head burst with countless questions. Where are you from? How did you get here? What do you want?

He appeared to like the cadence of her voice. His posture relaxed, and his breath against her was steady. How long had she been staring into his eyes? Should she push her luck and try to examine his mouth?

Before she could try, his finger stroked her inner arm. He was still restrained at the wrists, but he could reach her.

She allowed it. He stroked a featherlight finger along her forearm. As he did so, his gaze never left hers. She offered a kind smile. “That’s right. Friend. Sakota. Sa-ko-ta.”

He opened his mouth and let out a chicken-like squawk. “-Ota,” he said in a throaty, deep voice.

She raised her eyebrows. “Good. Very good.”

He tilted his head, watching her lips. “Gooood.”

Excited, she lowered the retinal light. “Can you understand me?”

He looked confused. “Me…”

“Okay. That’s a no. Then let me take this opportunity to say, in no uncertain terms, you, my friend, are the stuff of dreams and legends. I’ve waited my whole life for this. Are you getting this, Alistair?” she called out.

He came in over the speakers. “I am. Amazing. I’ll get to work on a linguistics program. Our friend seems to want to communicate.”


About the Author:
Haley Cavanagh is a military veteran, wife, and mother. She is an alumna of Columbia College, a musical theater nut, and she loves to dive into any book that crosses her path. Haley resides with her family in the United States and enjoys spending time with her husband and children when she’s not writing. She loves to hear from her readers, and encourages you to contact her via her website and social media.





Website: http://www.haleycavanaghbooks.com

Newsletter: https://haleycavanaghbooks.com/vip-readers-group/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/1769243778

Twitter: https://twitter.com/haley_cavanagh

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haleycavanaghbooks/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ambitioushales/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42207961-astraeus



BUY LINKS:



Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J42YGPN

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/astraeus-haley-cavanagh/1129709119

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/astraeus-by-haley-cavanagh

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/astraeus/id1438386950?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/astraeus-1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42207961-astraeus

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Haley_Cavanagh_Astraeus?id=pIRxDwAAQBAJ

Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/astraeus/9781948185592-item.html?ref=isbn-search

Powell's: https://www.powells.com/book/-9781948185608

Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=astraeus

AbeBooks: https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30109306916





The audio book for Astraeus is live!


https://www.amazon.com/Astraeus/dp/B07RC81WRT/



https://www.amazon.co.uk/Astraeus/dp/B07R95S29Y/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=astraeus&qid=1557155343&s=gateway&sr=8-1



https://www.amazon.com.au/Astraeus/dp/B07RC93J94/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1542420976&sr=8-1



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Thursday, May 23, 2019

Murder by Munchausen Trilogy


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. M. T. Bass will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. 

See below to sign up for the GIVEAWAY 



A police procedural sci fi thriller ripped from future headlines!


After Jake shoots and kills a murder suspect who turns out to be the son of a powerful city councilman, he finds himself demoted to the Artificial Crimes Unit, tracking down androids hacked and programmed to be hit men.


When his case of an “extra-judicial” divorce settlement takes a nasty turn with DNA from a hundred-year-old murder in Boston and a signature that harkens back to the very first serial killer ever in London, Jake finds himself tangled up in the brutal slayings of prostitutes being investigated by his former Robbery/Homicide partner, Maddie–who is now his lover.

But a madman, The Baron, is just getting started with his AI recreations of Jack the Ripper's brutal crimes. And Maddie and Jake are teamed up again to stop the carnage as the Baron's army of human replicants imitate history's most notorious serial killers.

"It might not make sense, but the beloved Media tags it 'Murder by Munchausen.' For a price, there are hackers out there who will reprogram a synthoid to do your dirty work. The bad news: no fingerprints or DNA left at the crime scene. The good news—at least for us—is that they’re like missiles: once they hit their target, they’re usually as harmless as empty brass. The trick is to get them before they melt down their core OS data, so you can get the unit into forensics for analysis and, hopefully, an arrest." [excerpt from Murder by Munchausen]

Artificial Intelligence? Fuhgeddaboudit!

Artificial Evil has a name…Munchausen.
Read an Excerpt

From Murder by Munchausen (#1)

This particular Android Subject apparently went off the rails and killed a luckless pedestrian on his way to a bodega for some iced tea or bottled water to quench his thirst. A one-in-a-million occurrence, but every so often it still happens. Anyone who believes technology is infallible is a fool. The incident didn’t appear all that nefarious when first reported, but shortly thereafter the Atlas data stream went dark and patrol called our unit in. It quickly became obvious we were dealing with a malware hit, not a malfunction. The luckless pedestrian was actually not so luckless, being on what appeared to be the winning side of a particularly nasty termination suit with his ex, who we suspected had outsourced the final settlement to extra-judicial parties.

It might not make sense, but the beloved Media tags it “Murder by Munchausen.” For a price, there are hackers out there who will reprogram a synthoid to do your dirty work. The bad news: no fingerprints or DNA left at the crime scene. The good news—at least for us—is that they’re like missiles: once they hit their target, they’re usually as harmless as empty brass. The trick is to get them before they melt down their core OS data, so you can get the unit into forensics for analysis and, hopefully, an arrest.


About the Author:
M.T. Bass is a scribbler of fiction who holds fast to the notion that while victors may get to write history, novelists get to write/right reality. He lives, writes, flies and makes music in Mudcat Falls, USA.

Born in Athens, Ohio, M.T. Bass grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University, majoring in English and Philosophy, then worked in the private sector (where they expect “results”) mainly in the Aerospace & Defense manufacturing market. During those years, Bass continued to write fiction. He is the author of eight novels: My Brother’s Keeper, Crossroads, In the Black, Somethin’ for Nothin’, Murder by Munchausen, The Darknet (Murder by Munchausen Mystery #2), The Invisible Mind (Murder by Munchausen Mystery #3) and Article 15. His writing spans various genres, including Mystery, Adventure, Romance, Black Comedy and TechnoThrillers. A Commercial Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor, airplanes and pilots are featured in many of his stories. Bass currently lives on the shores of Lake Erie near Lorain, Ohio.




Website: https://www.mtbass.net

Blog: https://www.owl-works.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/owlworks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Owlworks

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/mtbass

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5270962.M_T_Bass



Murder by Munchausen Trilogy Purchase Links


https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Munchausen-Trilogy-Future-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07QDGHYZ6

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/murder-by-munchausen-trilogy-books-1-3/id1458934052?mt=11

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1131145794?ean=2940156040681

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/murder-by-munchausen-trilogy

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/932579








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Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Empty Handed

British Mystery
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jo A. Hiestand will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. 

See below to sign up for the GIVEAWAY 




One dark night artist Craig Saxton went missing from his village.  His body was found thirty-two hours later in the river, floating like a bobber on a fishing line. Rumors swell like tidal waves: did his ex-wife or his fiancée’s father kill this likeable young man? Or was it simply a case of jealousy by the village’s other artist? Now, two years later, Craig’s fiancée hopes ex-police detective Michael McLaren can find out. From speaking to villagers, McLaren quickly realizes that what appears to be a straightforward investigation is fast becoming as tangled as fishing lines. Are the fish poaching incidents, the reappearance of the local ghost, and assaults on him merely to muddy the investigative waters, or are they connected to Craig’s death? McLaren has his hands full. They become even fuller when a nemesis from his past appears one night, bent on revenge. 

And the inevitable struggle opens a new future for one man…and leaves the other empty handed.




My Review...
This is Book 10 of Jo Hiestand’s McLaren Mysteries series. Even before I finished it, I could tell Hiestand had done it again. Created another excellent, well-written mystery; one with even more twists and turns than before. She’s made McLaren a little more melancholy, yet still the same understanding, sharp, and tough cop that always attracts me. He’s recovered just a bit from the death of his fiancé and may even be ready to let himself feel again. He’s still running as hard as he can to help someone in need, but this time he might have to help himself.

The author played with my mind a little or at least that’s how it felt; all in a good way. I was sure I knew the killer because of a few little tips I thought I had found, and then, well, suffice it to say I was wrong. I’ve read all of the books in this series, and I’ve learned that sometimes if you are really paying attention, Hiestand will stick in some tiny little hints. Sometimes it’s to help you maybe figure out the killer a page or two before the very end of the book or… they might just be red herrings.

The twists and turns in the story work out well here, and I think it’s because the author is so very good at descriptive writing. The little village becomes real as does the pub that McLaren and Jamie have a pint in while trying to work through the crime. The dialog between them is smooth reading, not always an easy thing to do. Hiestand is good at making us be each character now and then, and just as good at painting a scene, so you feel as if you are there. 


Being a part of the story and loving the main characters in them is what causes readers to watch for the next book as quickly as they’ve finished the current one. Now I feel sort of “empty-handed”. Any more coming Ms. Hiestand?


Read an excerpt...
They settled at a table they considered theirs. It was in a corner, diagonal to the pub’s front door. Sitting with the wall behind them and their faces to the door was a habit McLaren kept from his days as a working detective. And it was one habit he was in no rush to break.

Jamie set his glass mug on a cardboard beer mat and leaned forward slightly. The reddish streaks in his otherwise brown hair shone under the overhead light. “Congrats on solving the murder of your uncle’s first fiancée, by the way. Do you like his new bride? What’s her name?”

“Karen. And yes, I like her. I wasn’t too sure when I first met her, but she has a lot of inner strength. She’s good for him.”

“And where are you off to now?”

“Linnden.”

“That’s not far. Near Hartington, isn’t it? On the River Dove?”

“Yeah. Small place. And it sounds like an odd case. The woman, Victoria Childs, doesn’t know who else to turn to for help.”

“So, she turns to you.” Jamie smiled, his eyebrow raised. “She’s made a brilliant choice.”

McLaren let the comment pass unanswered. “She wants me to find the killer of her fiancé. His name’s Craig Saxton. He was an artist, quite prominent in the local area, though you couldn’t swear it by me.”

“You frequent art galleries only when your sister has something to exhibit.”

McLaren nodded, his fingers sliding down the sides of his glass. “Anyway, this Craig Saxton had been missing for one and a half days. His body was found against the sluice gate in the river.”

“Not good.”

McLaren snorted at the understatement. “He was also missing his right hand.”




AUTHOR Bio and Links:
A month-long trip to England during her college years introduced Jo to the joys of Things British.  Since then, she has been lured back nearly a dozen times, and lived there during her professional folk singing stint.  This intimate knowledge of Britain forms the backbone of both the Peak District mysteries and the McLaren cold case mystery series.

Jo’s insistence for accuracy, from police methods and location layout to the general feel of the area, has driven her innumerable times to Derbyshire for research.  These explorations and conferences with police friends provide the detail filling the books.

In 1999 Jo returned to Webster University to major in English.  She graduated in 2001 with a BA degree and departmental honors.

Her cat Tennyson shares her St. Louis home.


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