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Saturday, July 13, 2019

Blind Walls by Conrad Bishop & Elizabeth Fuller


3*
I have a lot of mixed feeling about this book. I can't say that I really liked it but I didn't not like it either. It is a strange book. The story line is very slow moving. It is not the typical haunted house and ghost story either. It is a bit confusing at times too. The timeline in the book bounces all over and some things just don't mix. One example is Chuck. Mrs. Weatherlee (the owner of the house) passed away in 1922, Chuck (a newly hired construction worker) meets her on his first day on the job, but yet his time in the house is in the 1970's or 80's, with a paycheck of $600 a week for a construction worker which is not conceivable until into the the 21st century. I personally know many construction worker's who make no where near $600 a week today. 

The book is also a kind of adaptation to the real Winchester house. The Weatherlee Mansion is a huge sprawling mansion with many rooms, with stairways and doors that go no where. Mrs. Weatherlee's husband and young daughter passed away and a spiritualist advised her that the only way she would continue living is to continue to build onto the house. Sound familiar?

The main character of the book Raymond Smollet. The story is written with his narration of his life and career as a tour guide through the Weatherlee Mansion. Raymond is also totally blind. This is his last tour before retirement. As he is taking his brood as he calls them through the house he is gifted with second site. As he goes into the rooms he sees images of Mrs. Weatherlee as well as other people like the construction crew and Mrs. Weatherlee's niece/secretary and hears their conversations. All the while going through his tour spiel without missing a beat. Personally I would be speechless and unable to continue the tour.

In my honest opinion while this is not a terrible book, I don't see myself running out and buying copies of this book for my friends and family. It was a hard read and did not hold my attention very well either. I found myself struggling to get through this book honestly.  

Friday, July 12, 2019

Guilty as Charred (A Cook-Off Mystery) by Devon Delaney

Guilty as Charred
(A Cook-Off Mystery)
by Devon Delaney

About the Book


Guilty as Charred (A Cook-Off Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Kensington (June 25, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1496714474
ISBN-13: 978-1496714473
Digital ASIN: B07HVYY7KN

Sherry Oliveri has attained celebrity status after winning the America’s Good Taste Recipe Contest with her delectable New England Crab Cake Sliders. But now that she’s back home in Connecticut, she’s got to deal with something else fishy . . .
Sherry’s making a guest appearance on a local radio show when the news comes in: Poppy Robinson has been found dead in the town’s community garden. Sherry was supposed to be taking questions about her win in the national cooking competition, but instead the callers start dishing dirt.
Poppy and Sherry were both involved in the vegetable garden, and while Poppy may have been a bit priggish, it wasn’t anything that called for a shovel to the back of the head. There was already trouble brewing, with the owner of the land threatening to renege on their agreement, and this murder has taken tensions to a new level. Now while Sherry’s organizing a Fourth of July cook-off event, she’s also got a murder investigation on her plate . . .
Includes Recipes from Sherry’s Kitchen!

About the Author


Devon Delaney is a wife, mother of three, accomplished cooking contester, recent empty nester, and lifelong resident of the Northeast. She has been handsomely rewarded for her recipe innovation over the last twenty-plus years, including a full kitchen of major appliances, top cash prizes, and four trips to Disney World. She has also won the Grand Prize in a national writing contest for her “foodie” poem “Ode to Pork Passion.”
Check out Devon’s website at: www.devonpdelaney.com and find her on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/devonpdelaney/

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - Google Play - IndieBound

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That Voodoo That You Do by Jolie St. Amant


That
Voodoo That You Do
Chateau
Rouge Book 1
by
Jolie St. Amant


Genre:
Paranormal Romance 

Three
love stories. One enchanting weekend in New Orleans.


The
Chateau Rouge Hotel in New Orleans is rumored to be a haunted hotel.
It hides secrets and stories within its walls, tales that lure guests
from all over the world.

It
seems this enchanting hotel is still up to its old tricks, igniting
the flames of romance while subtly nudging reluctant lovers to fall
into the hands of fate.

Will
Josey’s love survive the test of time, despite being doomed from
the start? Can Julien melt Hannah’s cold heart, allowing her to see
that love is right in front of her? And will Chloe find the home and
love she’s been looking for all her life?

Dream
a Little Dream of Me
As
a two hundred year old vampire in New Orleans, Josey has seen her
share of stories. However, none are as tragic as her own. She falls
in love with the same man only to have him die in her arms each
time.

Afraid
of history repeating itself, Josey decides to push him away. However,
Archer won’t be easily deterred. He’s determined to pursue her,
no matter the cost.

What
if this time it’s different? Is there a chance for them to change
their destiny? Or will this time destroy them all?

Hard
Hearted Hannah
All
work and no play, that’s how Hannah Montgomery likes her life. That
is, until company photographer, Julien, accompanies her to New
Orleans for a music festival. This dimpled Cajun with an easy smile
and laid back attitude has the potential to be a complication to her
well-organized existence.

Hannah
tries everything to keep her distance from Julien, but seems to fail
every time. It’s as if something--or someone--keeps pushing them
together.

Is
it the allure of the sultry South? The romance of the Crescent City?
Or is the enchanting Chateau Rouge working its spell on these two
lovers?

A
Kiss to Build a Dream On
Chloe
Devereaux arrives at the Chateau Rouge ready to leave her old life,
and cheating husband, behind. The magic and mystery of the town
captivates her, and soon sends her on an adventure leading her to
former high school classmate, Jared Peterson.

Jared
was crazy about Chloe in school. Her relationship with Chandler
Montgomery had always kept her out of his reach. Now, seeing her in
New Orleans and alone, Jared sees this as his chance at something his
seventeen year old self had only imagined.

Chloe,
finally experiencing the excitement of freedom, is not ready to jump
into a relationship. Will Jared be able to convince her that love can
be the most exhilarating feeling of all?

Buy
now to start reading the series readers are calling “captivating”,
“intriguing”, and “unique”.









Jolie
St. Amant fell in love with all things New Orleans after reading
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. Now, a frequent visitor to
the Crescent City, she can often be found getting inspiration from
ghost tours, or sipping cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde.








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Lizzie Borden by Elizabeth Engstrom


Lizzie
Borden
by
Elizabeth Engstrom

Genre:
Historical Mystery, Thriller

Did
she do it?


A
hundred years ago, it was the Trial of the Century. A young woman
stood accused of brutally murdering her father and stepmother in a
crime so heinous that it became a benchmark in human tragedy.

A
hundred years later, the Lizzie Borden case still resounds in the
imagination. There are those who staunchly defend Lizzie’s
innocence while others vehemently declare that she did it, and that
the murder was justified.

In
Elizabeth Engstrom’s brilliant novel, the dark psychology of the
Borden household is laid bare. Lizzie, her sister Emma and their
parents Andrew and Abby Borden, are sharply illuminated—as are the
paranoia and concealed hatred that secretly ruled the family.
Domestic violence and dysfunctional families are not inventions of
modern times.

Every
door in the Borden house is metaphorically locked, and each room holds
the terrible secrets of its occupant…Engstrom skillfully and subtly
builds a psychological plot, moving the reader inexorably toward the
anticipated savage denouement.” —Publishers Weekly










Elizabeth
(Liz) Engstrom grew up in Park Ridge, Illinois (a Chicago suburb
where she lived with her father) and Kaysville, Utah (north of Salt
Lake City, where she lived with her mother). After graduating from
high school in Illinois, she ventured west in a serious search for
acceptable weather, eventually settling in Honolulu. She attended
college and worked as an advertising copywriter. 


After
eight years on Oahu, she moved to Maui, found a business partner and
opened an advertising agency. One husband, two children and five
years later, she sold the agency to her partner and had enough seed
money to try her hand at full time fiction writing, her lifelong
dream. With the help of her mentor, science fiction great Theodore
Sturgeon, When Darkness Loves Us was published. 

Engstrom
moved to Eugene, Oregon in 1986, where she lives with her husband Al
Cratty, the legendary muskie fisherman, and their Duck Tolling
Retriever, Jook. Liz holds a BA in English Literature and Creative
Writing and a Master of Arts in Applied Theology, both from
Marylhurst University. A recluse at heart, she still emerges into
public occasionally to speak at a writers conference, or to teach a
class on various aspects of writing the novel, essay, article or
short story. An avid knitter and gardener, she is on faculty at the
University of Phoenix and is always working on the next book.










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Awakened by Moni Boyce blitz


Awakened
Moni Boyce
(The Oracle Chronicles, #1)
Publication date: July 9th 2019
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Secret lineage, a ruthless vampire, and forbidden love.

Willow Stevens dreams of stardom are eclipsed by the real nightmares of a sinister man haunting her dreams. Unbeknownst to her, Eli Walker, her hot but snobbish co-worker, may know the reason nightmares plague her, but their history shows he is more prone to reject her, than help her.

Then Willow passes out at work only to wake in Eli’s apartment. There she has her chance to learn more about her heritage. But, knowing why the vampire king stalks her doesn’t make the nightmares disappear. If anything, they become more real as she now faces off against a slew of creatures she’d always believed were myth.

That Eli is one of those creatures is just her luck. Secret witch guild or not, his natural ways are casting spells her heart can’t escape. As a Protector his only focus should be her safety. Anything else is forbidden. He plans to stay on task, but some women break a man, or tempt him to break the rules.

Can Eli keep Willow alive and safe from the vampires long enough for her to grow her own powers or will both cast aside rules for a reckless passion that will only lead to danger?

AWAKENED is the first installment in The Oracle Chronicles series. This interracial, paranormal romance is a great mix of magic and adventure.

**This book is part of a series and ends in a cliffhanger.**

Goodreads / Amazon / iBooks / Google Play

EXCERPT:

A couple minutes later, she followed him. Whatever he’d prepared smelled delicious. He moved around the kitchen unsure. She raised her eyebrows while she watched him. He caught the gesture and looked embarrassed. “Most of the time, I cheat and use magic so I can do something else. I haven’t manually cooked in a while.”

She looked at him wide-eyed, with her mouth gaped open. Even though he’d told her earlier, they were witches she still was having a hard time believing it. “You cook with magic, like they do in Harry Potter? That’s so cool. I know you told everyone not to use it, but just show me a little something. I won’t tell.” Awe and child-like wonder permeated her voice. “Cross my heart.” She made the sign of the cross over her heart.

“You heard everything didn’t you?” His eyebrow quirked upwards, daring her to lie.

She gave him a sheepish smile and looked away before she continued talking about magic, in the hopes he’d forget her listening to their conversation. “I would be the ultimate multi-tasker if I was a witch. Say ‘Abracadabra’ and make the food magically appear on the plate or something.” Willow was giddy with excitement.

Eli chuckled. “I’m not a wizard. I don’t say ‘Abracadabra.’” He shook his head.

His explanation confused her. “What does that mean? I thought wizard was a name for a male witch.”

He sighed and put down the pot he was holding. That comment appeared to get his undivided attention. “You watch too much television. First, regardless of gender, we’re known as witches, those of us that practice white magic. Warlocks are witches that practice black magic. Wizards are charlatans, posers. They don’t know magic, but are exceptional at trickery so they can give someone who doesn’t know any better the illusion they do.”

She digested the information he’d just given her.

“That’s why everyone went silent earlier when Matty referenced black magic, because none of you practice it?”

He nodded and picked up the pot of noodles. “Yes. Now may I finish making dinner?”

“So you’re not going to cook with magic?” She was expecting him to do tricks and wow her. Disappointment marred her brow, when he didn’t whip out a magic wand or say a spell.

“You just said so yourself, that you overheard me tell everyone magic is off limits.”

Her shoulders slumped in discontent and she pouted. “You can’t do even a tiny little spell?”

“Nope.”

She rolled her eyes. “Great. A witch who can’t do any spells or magic.”

Eli looked offended. “I didn’t say I can’t do magic. I’m just unable to do any at this time.”

“Uh, huh.”

He bristled at her disinterest and she had to hold back a sly grin. “Wizard.” She mumbled under her breath, knowing it would get a rise out of him.

“I’m not a wizard! I can do magic!”

If she lit a match and threw it at him, he would have gone up in flames he was fuming so hard.

“Whatever.” Maybe she’d just…



Author Bio:

Moni Boyce is a writer, filmmaker, travel blogger and author of contemporary and paranormal romance. She spent the last fifteen years working in the film industry and now creates characters of her own and brings them to life on the page. Moni has ghostwritten romance novellas and novels for over a year now and decided to put some of her own creations out in the world. She considers herself a bookworm, film buff, foodie, music lover and an avid world traveler having visited 33 countries, 5 continents and 27 US states so far. She runs a travel blog titled She Wanders the Globe and lives a bit of a nomadic life, but considers Los Angeles home. Which is the subject of her first travel book: Greater Than A Tourist - Los Angeles, California: 50 Travel Tips From A Local.

Sign up for her newsletter and get more information on future books and events on her website: https://moniboyce.com

Visit her travel blog at: http://shewanderstheglobe.com

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Viking’s Conquest by Sky Purington




Viking’s Conquest
Viking Ancestors
Rise of the Dragon
Book Five
Sky Purington     

Genre:  Time Travel Shifter Romance

Date of Publication: July 1, 2019

ASIN:  B07Q4V66ML

Number of pages:  237
Word Count:  72,000

Cover Artist:  Tara West

Tagline: An alpha Viking dragon shifter and his fated mate face their demons in a scorching medieval romance about second chances.

Book Description:

Tormented by her past, Tess hits the open road, and never looks back until she’s forced through time to medieval Scandinavia. Caught in an unraveling prophecy, the only way she can defeat the enemy is to take a mate. But first, she must work through heart-wrenching memories. What she doesn't expect is navigating her rocky history alongside a man as broken as her. A Viking who offers not just solace but sparks untouchable desire.

Though determined to end his rival without becoming mated, Viking Rokar Sigdir begins thinking differently when Tess joins him on his quest and awakens feelings he thought long dormant. Yet with passion and a chance to start anew come dark flashbacks of losing his kin and the unimaginable pain it caused. A misery he fears repeating.

Will Rokar and Tess be able to let their pasts go and work together to end their nemesis so they can share a future? Or are some things just too hard to overcome? Find out as they journey through time and turbulent memories on a fast-paced, otherworldly adventure that becomes not just a conquest of their enemy but of their grief-stricken souls.

Amazon US      Amazon Universal     

FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Excerpt
“How did you and
Helga meet, anyway?” Tess began walking again. “Or did you grow up together?”
He seemed
relieved to speak of lighter things as he joined her. “I met Helga when
visiting an allied tribe.” The corner of his mouth inched up. “She was dancing
the first time I saw her.”
How ironic. “Do
you like dancing then?”
“I did after I
met her.” His crooked grin grew a little. “I was very clumsy, but she didn’t
seem to mind.”
“Clumsy?” She
chuckled. “But you’re a dragon! We’re the epitome of grace.”
“In dragon
form,” he agreed. “But I was not so graceful in human form.”
She arched her
brows and eyed him. “So you dance well now?”
“I dance…less
poorly.”
She chuckled
again, detecting a bit of humor lurking beneath all his baggage. “So you saw
Helga dancing. Then what?”
“I waited until
she was done dancing then approached her.” His gaze went to the trees swaying
in the wind. “She continually tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, but the
wind kept blowing it across her face as she smiled at me for the first time.”
He absently rubbed his fingers together as though he remembered what her hair
felt like. “Eventually, I tucked it back for her.”
“Funny the
things we remember,” Tess murmured, rubbing her fingers together as well. “I
recall the feel of Axle’s leather jacket, the scent of cigar smoke clinging to
it. That was my first thought when we finally started chatting. He smoked
cigars, and I smoked cigarettes back then…bad combo…mostly cuz I hate the smell
of cigars.” She shook her head and spoke without thinking. “I should’ve known
then we were a match made in Hell.”
“I don’t smoke
anything,” he divulged, wonderfully frank. “But I enjoy drinking.”
“Me too,” she
echoed then relented. “Though I might’ve leaned on it a little too heavily
lately.” She shrugged a shoulder, not about to apologize. “Or not. Who knows.”
“We all cope
with things how we will.” He sounded unapologetic. “I have barely spoken to my
kin over the past two years and as you know, shut them out entirely
telepathically…until recently.”
“Right,” she said.
“Because of me?”
“So it seems,”
he conceded. “Yours was the first voice I’ve heard in my head in a long time.
Once that happened, it seemed natural to allow my kin back in.”
“Well, I’m glad
to hear that,” she said. “And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry I busted into your
mind without permission.” She met his eyes, guilty though she had no choice. “I
had no control over it.”
“You mean your
dragon took over?”
“I assume so,”
she replied. “Considering we’re supposedly fated mates, right?”
He nodded and
looked at her with hesitation, clearly wondering if he should say what he was
thinking. 
“What is it,
Rokar?” she asked. When he started to shake his head, she urged him on. “You’re
the one who said we needed to start somewhere so don’t hold back.”
He hesitated
another moment before he relented. “I did not mind.”
“Didn’t mind
what?” she prompted when he didn’t go on.
Struggling, he
finally said, “You…”
She almost
grinned. Was he being bashful? “Me?”
“Yes, you,” he
stated bluntly.
She couldn’t
help another chuckle as she tried to draw him out. “Me, what, Rokar?”
“You.” He sighed
and looked at her like she should know what he was talking about. “I was glad
you entered my mind without permission.”
He went to say
more but snapped his mouth shut, evidently finished sharing. At least in this
regard.
“I’m glad too,”
she revealed and meant it. “I like the feel of you within my mind.”
The minute she
said it she regretted it mostly because it sounded like she was undermining
Helga and she hadn’t meant to do that.
“You do?”
His question
caught her off guard. “Of course.”
Had Helga
rattled his confidence that badly? While typically she’d find that unattractive
in a man, preferring a tough-as-nails sort, she knew deep down Rokar was plenty
tough. He was just wounded and vulnerable in a way she understood. So she
stopped and told him something a woman should have told him long before her.
She gave it to him straight.
In fact, her
dragon gave it to him even straighter.
“You sound
amazing in a woman’s mind, Rokar,” she said. “Your inner voice is
wanna-spread-my-thighs-for-you sexy, and your essence is wrap-around-the soul
warm fuzzies, all ‘the feels,’ protective. Not to mention—”
That’s all she
got out before he proved he did, in fact, possess a good deal of confidence.


He yanked her
close and kissed her hard.



About the Author:

Sky Purington is the bestselling author of over forty novels and novellas. A New Englander born and bred who recently moved to Virginia, Purington married her hero, has an amazing son who inspires her daily and two ultra-lovable shepherd husky mixes. Passionate for variety, Sky's vivid imagination spans several romance genres including historical, time travel, paranormal, and fantasy. Expect steamy stories teeming with protective alpha heroes and strong-minded heroines.

Purington loves to hear from readers and can be contacted at Sky@SkyPurington. Interested in keeping up with Sky’s latest news and releases? Either visit Sky’s website, www.SkyPurington.com, subscribe to her quarterly newsletter or sign up for personalized text message alerts. Simply text 'skypurington' (no quotes, one word, all lowercase) to 74121 or visit Sky’s Sign-up Page. Texts will ONLY be sent when there is a new book release. Readers can easily opt out at any time.

Love social networking? Find Sky on Facebook and Twitter.

Website:   www.skypurington.com


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All I Want by Tamara Lush




Title: All I Want
Series: Paradise Beach #2
Author: Tamara Lush
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Release Date: July 12, 2019



Blurb

Social media influencer Lauren Spencer is determined to find
out why her best friend is getting married on a whim. When she travels to
Paradise Beach to stop the wedding, she’s the one who comes to a screeching
halt when greeted with the sight of a gorgeous naked guy in her hotel
room.



He just happens to be the groom's brother and the best man in the wedding.
Oops.



As a successful real estate broker in New York City, Max Hastings is never
without a beautiful woman on his arm. Whenever he’s home on Paradise Beach, he
soaks up the sun, surf and laid-back lifestyle. But now he’s stressed out,
trying to ready his family’s resort for sale and attend his youngest brother’s
shotgun wedding. Complicating matters: the maid of honor is the sexiest woman
he’s seen in years, and he wants her in his bed.



Lauren and Max come to an agreement: a weekend wedding fling is just the thing
both of them need.



But when Lauren suffers an accident and can’t leave the island, Max finds
himself more than willing to take care of her for more than a weekend. Will
Lauren set aside her doubts about relationships to explore something real with
Max?



ALL I WANT is Book Two in Tamara Lush's Paradise Beach Series. They are all
standalone romantic comedies and can be read in any order. If you adore beach
romances, irresistible alpha men, and hilarious wedding tales, this is the book
for you!









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Author Bio



Tamara Lush writes steamy and emotional contemporary romance
stories set in tropical locations. Her recent book, Constant Craving, was a
2018 RWA RITA® finalist in erotic romance.  She's married to an
Italian and lives near a beach in Florida. For many years, she was an
award-winning newspaper journalist. In 2017, she was one of 24 writers chosen
by Amtrak to ride around the United States on a train and write
fiction. Tamara's a fan of vintage pulp fiction book covers, Sinatra-era
jazz, 1980s fashion, tropical chill, kombucha, gin, tonic, seashells, iPhones,
Art Deco, telenovelas, coloring books, street art, coconut anything, strong
coffee and journalism.




Author Links