Some people are life sucking, soul destroying, end of the world assholes…then there are zombies. Actually, they’re not really zombies, they’re infected, but you know, tomayto tomahto.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got my faults, too. My attitude down-right sucks. I’m untrusting. I smoke and curse too much, and I’m somewhat of a kleptomaniac. In a normal world, those faults help keep my rock queen facade intact. But in this new world, one raging with illness and torn apart by the desperate and stupid, I’m what you would call a survivor.
My plan was simple, stay alive and protect my teenage sister. When a silent man with a steely gaze shot his way into my existence, I knew that more than my life was at stake. Lawson Bishop had the potential to crack his way inside the hard shell of my heart and bring it back to life.
SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE $2.99
Kirsty Dallas is an international bestselling and award winning author from the south east corner of Queensland, Australia. Her comedy romance, Decker's Wood, was an Amazon, iBooks and Nook bestseller, and was also a Goodreads Top 10 Comedy for 2014. Novels to date also include the highly acclaimed Mercy's Angels Series which tackles the subject of violence against women, and standalone novels Breeze of Life, Violet Addiction, Stupid Love, the award winning dark romance, When Nothing Is All You've Got, and Liberty.
Kirsty Dallas' stories are renowned for their raw honesty and engaging characters. Plots that delve into the frightening subjects of abuse, rape, drugs and violence are twisted into the pages of her books, bringing heart stopping action and a roller coaster of emotion.
Working with Australian Director and screen writer, Chris Sun, Kirsty worked as script editor on the horror feature film, Boar. Boar was signed to Universal Pictures Australia, and was released in 2018.
Release Date: February 4, 2020 Cover Design: Najla Qamber at Qamber Designs
"From Amazon bestselling author of romantic historical fiction novellas in her full-length novel debut."
A timeless love story set amidst the glamour of the Belle Époque…
Paris, 1889: Amélie Audet toils in a laundry when, only steps away, investors promise the most glittering dance hall the city has ever seen. Determined to secure an audition, she stumbles into a meeting with the alluring owner of the Moulin Rouge and must face her scandalous past.
Jasper Degrailly is enchanted by a painting come to life. He sets out to seduce Amélie with his gilded world and the dark warrens of his mind. Yet he has his own sordid entanglements, and soon the gentleman and the singer must manage the greedy machinations of bohemian and high-society Paris.
Caught between competing artists, directors, and dance halls, Amélie struggles to earn the role that could make her a star, while Jasper strives to let go of his tortured past and hold on to his bright future. Eventually, their fates collide, and they find themselves torn between their desperate hearts and their irreconcilable lives.
FOUR DAYS LATER, Amélie stood before No. 7 rue de la Paix with a note in hand:
Amélie,
My carriage will arrive for you at noon on Saturday.
JD
The House of Worth. She couldn’t afford even a speck of dust on the floor of the place, let alone a haute-couture gown.
After seeing Aubrey at the Salon, she’d felt certain it would signal an end to Monsieur Degrailly’s interest. But when she walked in the door, he was waiting.
“What am I doing here?” she asked after exchanging courtesies.
“You need an evening gown, and we need to get your measurements.” He directed her to a room filled with cast figures wearing the most elegant dresses she’d ever seen.
“They’re beautiful, but I can’t afford these.”
“I can afford them.”
“Have you suffered a head wound?”
He chuckled. “My mind is perfectly sound.”
“Need I remind you we haven’t come to any arrangement.”
“I know, and I’ve been giving it a lot of thought.” He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against a sofa. “You have this idea of how wonderful your life will be when you get on that stage, but you haven’t any idea how wonderful it might be with me. I intend to show you.”
She raised her brow.
“This is merely a costume so that you may play your part.”
She sighed. “What part is that? I’m almost afraid to ask.”
“My mistress, of course.”
She shook her head.
“One night. Give me one night, and I’ll give you your audition.”
“I’ve told you I won’t have sex to sing.”
“This isn’t that. It seems like it, looks like it, feels like it…”
“But it isn’t.”
“It isn’t. You paired the two together. I didn’t.”
He was right. He hadn’t.
“And before you say her name, Daphne’s a good sport. She sees other people. I see other people. We see people.”
“Your ex-wife? Do you see her as well?”
“Jos has no interest in seeing me.”
“But you have an abiding interest in her, I think.”
He smiled flatly as he stared at her. Finally, he said, “I’m not looking for love, Amélie.”
“Neither am I.”
“Then why do you hesitate?”
Catherine C. Heywood is an Amazon bestselling author of romantic historical fiction, and a former political communications consultant and speech writer.
Raised in Red Wing, Minnesota, she studied international politics at the University of Edinburgh and has degrees in politics, writing, and communications from the University of St. Thomas and Boston College.
She explored the law and improv before settling on storytelling. Her worst job was scraping year-old tobacco spit off a shoe factory wall. Her best is doing this.
She lives in Western Wisconsin with her husband and sons, and her interests include architecture and design, fashion and food.
levels into an exciting category all its own. It's thriller, cold case,
mystery suspense, and police procedural, all rolled into one exciting
novel. Set amidst the political drama that comes with Washington DC and
the Pentagon, a current multiple murder becomes a search years in the
past. With a young, hot lieutenant assigned to NCIS, and his beautiful
new wife, you have all the makings of a bestseller. Nicely done, Ms.
Carr!" - Review by Merry Citarella, Mystery Suspense Reviews
The Latest Best-Selling Thorny Rose Mystery Available Now!
Get Your Copy Today!
Join us for this tour from Jan 20to Feb 28, 2020!
Book Details:
Book Title: The Nutcracker Conspiracy(A Thorny Rose Mystery #4) by Lauren Carr
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 388 pages
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: January 30, 2020
Content Rating: PG-13 (Lauren Carr's books are murder mysteries,
so there are murders involved. Occasionally, a murder will happen on
stage. There is sexual content, but always behind closed doors. Some
mild swearing (a hell or a damn few and far between). No F-bombs!
Book Description:
Three years ago, the nation gasped in horror when the President of the
United States barely escaped an assassination attempt that left two
dead—the vice president’s wife and the attempted assassin. Even after
numerous investigations proved otherwise, conspiracy theorists argue
that the assassin was acting on orders from the CIA, FBI, and every
federal agency within a hundred miles of the capital.
Aspiring Author Dean Conway is the last person Lieutenant Commander
Murphy Thornton wants to spend his Saturday afternoon when they end up
at the same wedding reception table. While their wives tend to
bridesmaid duties, Murphy is trapped listening to Dean’s latest
work-in-project—completing the manuscript of an investigative journalist
who’d disappeared months earlier.
“She was number twelve,” Dean says.
“Twelve?” Murphy asks.
“Twelve witnesses connected to or investigating The Nutcracker shooting have died either in an accident or suicide.”
Two days later, Dean dies suddenly―but not before sending a text message to Murphy:
"The plot was original, fresh and fast paced in spite of the
"traditional elements" employed which can normally be found in any other
thriller of this genre. The USP of this story would be its
unpredictability. When you think you have it all guessed up, the plot
would change its course keeping you hooked. There were a lot of suspense
twists and turns that kept the momentum up. Needless to say, the
writing was simply perfect. One thing that writer needs to be lauded for
is the humor she inculcated in the book. Minus those humorous parts,
the book would have been one serious read." - Reviewer: Book and Ink
Book Description:
Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered
in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions
surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers
together only to be killed.
Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton,
USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims,
then he can find their murderer.
The case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the
victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron
Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a
Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night
shift on the turnpike.
In this first installment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in
Crime join newlyweds Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday to shift
through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives of the
Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning
killer?
"Mysteries, murder, danger, and memories that threatens their
lives keeps the action and suspense at a high level and even when the
answers are found, it left me wanting more." - Review by Sherry Fundin of Fundinmental
Book Description:
After ten months of marital bliss, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton
are still discovering and adjusting to their life together. Settled in
their new home, everything appears to be perfect … except in the middle
of the night when, in the darkest shadows of her subconscious, a deep
secret from Jessica’s past creeps to the surface to make her strike out
at Murphy.
When investigative journalist Dallas Walker tells the couple about her
latest case, known as the Pine Bridge Massacre, they realize Jessica may
have witnessed the murder of a family while visiting family at the
winery near-by, and suppressed the memory.
Determined to uncover the truth and find justice for the murder victims,
Jessica and Murphy return to the scene of the crime with Dallas Walker,
a spunky bull-headed Texan. Can this family reunion bring closure for a
community touched by tragedy or will this prickly get-together bring an
end to the Thorny Rose couple?
Murder by Perfection is a wonderful read and a perfect to
escape from the challenges of a busy day. Danger, intrigue, humor, and
love all take their turn in this tale which will keep you reading into
the wee hours." Review by Marilyn R. Wilson, Olio by Marilyn
Book Description:
Beware: Perfection has a dark side!
Frustrated with their busy schedules, Murphy Thornton and Jessica
Faraday attempt to find togetherness by scheduling a weekly date night.
The last thing Jessica Faraday expected for her date night was to take a
couple’s gourmet cooking course at the Stepford Kitchen Studio, owned
by Chef Natalie Stepford―the model of perfection in looks, home, and
business.
When Natalie ends up dead and Murphy goes missing, the Thorny Rose
detectives must peel back the layers of Natalie Stepford’s life to
discover that the pursuit of perfection can be deadly.
Lauren Carr is the international
best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Chris Matheson
Cold Case, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across
three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!
Book reviewers and readers alike
rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include
mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and
humor.
A popular speaker, Lauren is also
the owner of Acorn Book Service, the umbrella under which falls iRead
Book Tours. She lives with her husband and two spoiled rotten German
Shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Author Interview: Lauren Carr, The Nutcracker Conspiracy
What was the inspiration for the story?
The Nutcracker Conspiracy is about the birth and grown of conspiracy theories. What else? The plotline revolves around an attempted presidential assassination. It’s been close to sixty years since the JFK assassination. Still, almost a half a century later, there is still a huge debate about where it was the act of a lone assassin or not.
The Nutcracker Conspiracy, named after the ballet which the president is attending when there is an attempted assassination, is loosely based on the JFK assassination. This latest Thorny Rose mystery takes up three years later. Conspiracy theorists are convinced the attempted assassin did not act alone—but rather that the president’s cabinet had framed him in a failed coup attempt.
Murphy Thornton laughs about this conspiracy when a writer claims that twelve people connected to the assassination attempt have died or disappeared—until two days later when the writer becomes number thirteen. When a friend is accused of the murder, Murphy and Jessica go to work unraveling the conspiracy to find out the truth about what had happened at The Nutcracker.
The Nutcracker Conspiracy is set in Washington, DC. Why did you choose that as the setting?
The Thorny Rose mysteries was made for the Nation’s Capital. I lived and worked in Washington for ten years. There’s an entirely different atmosphere there. When folks say Washington is out of touch with the rest of the nation, they are right. When you get inside the Beltway, it is an entirely different world.
While most of that is bad, there is a vibe, an excitement that you can’t capture in Deep Creek Lake or small-town Chester, WV. It’s not even the same as New York City. It’s a big city, a metropolis, and it is the heart of America.
That difference can be reflected in the mysteries. There are many different elements that come together to make for great mysteries. The Lovers in Crime is my small-town mysteries. The Mac Faraday mysteries are my resort town mysteries. The Chris Matheson Cold Case mysteries are for the cold cases ensemble cast (the Geezer Squad) mysteries.
A mystery born from an attempted presidential assassination,The Nutcracker Conspiracy could only work in the big city, heart of the Nation’s Capital.
Can you share with us something about The Nutcracker Conspiracy that isn’t in the blurb or synopsis?
The Nutcracker Conspiracy marks the return of Gnarly. Fans of my other, original series, The Mac Faraday Mysteries have been clamoring for me to bring back Gnarly, the irrepressible German shepherd who lives with Mac Faraday in Spencer, Maryland. Gnarly is also the mayor of Spencer, Maryland on Deep Creek Lake.
Gnarly makes a special appearance in The Nutcracker Conspiracy when Mac and Archie go to live in Britain for four months when Archie gets an editing job working for a very special author. They decide not to take Gnarly to Britain, but rather to leave him with Jessica and Murphy for a variety of reasons. Chief among those reasons, they believe it would benefit the canine mayor to leave town and lay low while his latest sex scandal, involving a golden doodle named Stormy, blew over.
What is the significance of the title?
The original title was “13.” That’s because the Thorny Rose detectives ended up on the case when the husband of a friend texts “13” to Murphy, signifying that he was the thirteenth victim of The Nutcracker conspiracy.
When it came to the cover design, I could not find any cover that was a good fit for the book. Then, I realized that throughout the book the characters kept referring to the mystery as “The Nutcracker conspiracy.” The attempted assassination happened at a performance of The Nutcracker ballet. The name of the conspiracy came about naturally. I realized that there wasn’t any other title for the book other than The Nutcracker Conspiracy.
What were the key challenges you faced when writing this book?
The murders. The Nutcracker Conspiracy was without a doubt the most intricate murder mystery I have written. I love complex murder mysteries, and so do my readers. I hate mysteries where you can flip a coin and be fifty percent certain of figuring out the killer. The best way to have a complex case is to have multiple characters.
To help my readers, I include a cast of characters in the front of every book. Now, as the writer, I generally don’t have to refer to that list. Also, I make sure every character is distinct enough to keep them straight. Often, readers tell me that once they get into the book, the characters are pretty straight.
However, The Nutcracker Conspiracy has thirteen murder victims. most of them died or disappeared before Chapter One. Also, the reader doesn’t meet them. The mystery takes off well after the crimes have been committed.
As a writer, I had difficulty remembering the names of the victims. I realized that if I, the writer, had difficulty keeping each victim straight, so would the reader. So, I made a point while writing the book that when Jessica and Murphy were discussing a particular victim, that they would remind the reader about who that victim was and what their connection was to the case.
For example, in one scene, Tristan begins to tell Jessica about Matthew Harper, to which Jessica says, “Who’s Matthew Harper again?” Tristan says, “He’s the writer who was found anchored to the bottom of the ocean at the Outer Banks.”
I leave little bread crumbs like that for the readers throughout the book.
What is the key theme and/or message in the book?
In watching the news, even recent events, I have observed that conspiracy theories take root from the tiniest of theories and grow like weeds. Over time, events that may or may not be connected to the original conspiracy, which can make it difficult to sort it out the truth from the fiction. Of course, if the conspiracy theory gets grand enough, it can become laughably unbelievable. But, the writer in me asks, suppose there is some truth to it?
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
That the truth is not always wholly black and white. Sometimes, you have to peel back the layers of lies, perpetuated by those who have their own agendas, to get to the truth at the core.
Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
There is a scene in which a bad guy or gal attempts to commit murder by hacking into a vehicle and taking control of it. As a writer, I felt so clever coming up with the idea of using the same satellite technology as GPS signals to take control of a vehicle. Then, while my book was at the editor, my husband forwarded an article to me about how that technology is actually being used. Believe me, they stole the idea from me!
What is the future for the characters? Will there be a sequel?
Of course, there will be. It is a series. I believe Murphy will be reassigned outside of NCIS. His time is about up there. Maybe he will go on an assignment with his sister Sarah. You’ll have to stay tuned to find out for certain.
What’s next for Lauren Carr? What are you working on now?
The fourteenth Mac Faraday Mystery! I’d started writing Came Upon a Midnight Murder in September, but then Murphy of the Thorny Rose Mysteries started talking to me and I had to set Mac aside to write The Nutcracker Conspiracy. That’s the problem with imaginary friends. Sometimes they get jealous of each other.
Anyway, I am back to writing Came Upon a Midnight Murder. Deep Creek Lake rocks with scandal when, during a Christmas party attended by most of Spencer’s rich and powerful, the host is murdered.
This year, we’re going to celebrate Christmas in June!
Tour Schedule:
Jan 20 – Library of Clean Reads – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / author interview / giveaway
Jan 20 - Working Mommy Journal – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Jan 20 - StoreyBook Reviews – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / author interview / giveaway
Jan 20 - #redhead.with.book – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
