Homicide in the House Book Tour

Homicide in the House
by Colleen J. Shogun

Homicide in the House
(Washington Whodunit)
2nd in Series
Cozy Mystery
Camel Press (June 15, 2016)
Paperback: 258 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1603813334

Synopsis:

Kit Marshall has bounced back from her first brush with the law, when she was suspected of murdering her senator boss. Now she is working for a freshman congresswoman, Maeve Dixon, a young Gulf War veteran representing North Carolina. It’s February, and Kit is feeling out of sorts. A government shutdown has just been announced, wreaking havoc on the Hill, and Dan, Dixon’s chief of staff and Kit’s supervisor, is an inexperienced lightweight flying blind. Then there’s Kit’s distracted live-in boyfriend, Doug, who doesn’t seem any closer to popping the question. Kit’s best friend Meg is up to her eyeballs with her new beau and oversight committee job, and Clarence the beagle mix will certainly not win Capitol Canine if Meg has to campaign for him all by herself. Bad as things are now, they are about to get much worse.

Early one morning Representative Dixon is caught standing over the corpse of Jack Drysdale, the Speaker of the House’s top staffer, a man she argued with in front of the press the day before. The murder weapon was the Speaker’s gavel. This item was entrusted to Dixon at the time, leading the police to believe they’ve found their killer. To save her job, Kit must clear her boss’s name, and quickly. Dixon’s career may be over if the police declare her a suspect or an anonymous blogger known as Hill Rat breaks the story. Solving this murder will test Kit’s courage and all her fledgling powers of deduction as she roams a spooky, sparsely populated Capitol Hill looking for clues and sounding out suspects.

 Excerpt #2

Absent the big commuter crowds to slow the boarding of trains, I arrived at Capitol South twenty-five minutes later. Maeve hadn’t replied. Perhaps the “trouble” had already blown over. Just in case she still needed help, I headed directly to the Cannon rotunda without stopping at the office. Reporters usually camped out inside the rotunda to shoot live cable television hits from Capitol Hill. It wasn’t as grandiose as the Capitol rotunda, but its Corinthian architecture with imposing columns did provide a stately backdrop for the camera.

I exited the elevator and walked past the famous Cannon Caucus Room, which hosted the House Un-American Committee hearings decades ago. Hearing Maeve’s voice in the distance, I followed the narrow hallway circling the rotunda. After rounding the bend, I found my boss. She wasn’t alone. Next to her was Detective O’Halloran of the Capitol Hill Police. Jack Drysdale was between them, but the Speaker’s top aide wasn’t looking so handsome this morning. Blood flowed from his head onto the pristine marble floor. If he’d generated Clarence’s Capitol Canine votes, there wouldn’t be any more favors coming my way. Jack Drysdale was dead.

About The Author

Colleen J. Shogan is a senior executive at the Library of Congress. She is the former deputy director of the Congressional Research Service and previously served as a staffer in the United States Senate. A political scientist by training, Colleen has taught American government at Georgetown University, Penn, and George Mason. Colleen is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She received her BA from Boston College and her doctorate from Yale. A member of Sisters in Crime, she lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband Rob Raffety and their rescue mutt, Conan. Her first book, Stabbing in the Senate, won the Next Generation Indie Award for Best Mystery in 2016.

Author Links

Webpage – www.colleenshogan.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/washingtonwhodunit

Twitter –  www.twitter.com/cshogan276

GoodReads –  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1269678.Colleen_J_Shogan

Purchase Links

Amazon – B&N

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Beast Out of Hell by Camilla Aitken & Bonita Gutierrez #PreorderBlitz

Book Title: Beast Out Of Hell (Werewolf Whisperer Tales #2) 

Author: Camilla Ochlan & Bonita Gutierrez

Genre: Urban Fantasy 

Release Date: August 12, 2016 

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

When gun-toting Granny hires The Werewolf Whisperer team to save her Werebeast granddaughter, Lucy and Xochi get caught between a pair of star-crossed lovers and a gang of biker Weres hell-bent on destruction. In a dark twist that snaps our girls' brittle hold on the "werewolf apocalypse," Lucy and Xochi find themselves alone on the road of no return.

Click through to read an excerpt of Beast Out of Hell

Camilla Ochlan: Separate of The Werewolf Whisperer series, Camilla has written The Seventh Lane, a mythpunk fantasy short, and is working on the forthcoming YA series Of Cats and Dragons, as well as a nonfiction dog-training manual.



In collaboration with her husband, Camilla has written and produced a number of short films, including the suburban ghost story Dog Breath and the recent 20/20 Hindsight.



A dog mom and cat servant, Camilla shares the house with three sweet rescue dogs and two rascally Abyssinian cats.





Bonita Gutierrez: Bonita found her way to the stage at the early age of five. After college, she moved to Los Angeles to get into "The Biz." Over the years, she's played many roles from actor to producer, screenwriter to filmmaker — and now novelist.



A mixed martial artist, Bonita has a background in Jeet Kune Do Kung Fu (Bruce Lee's art), Kenpo Karate MMA and Kali Escrima (stick and knife fighting). An avid runner, student of film and lover of music, Bonita is a self-proclaimed hamburger connoisseur with a passion for all things Star Wars and Buffy.

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Release Day Blitz for Gates of Submission by Nikki DiCaro

Gates of Submission
New Boundaries
Book One
Nikki DiCaro

Genre: LGBT Fiction

Publisher: Can’t Put It Down Books

Date of Publication: July 28, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-9972024-3-4
ASIN: B01HH7JSUG

Number of pages: 315
Word Count: 103,216

Cover Artist: Genevieve Lavo Cosdon

Book Description:

Russell has lost everything; his wife Mandy, his children and his suburban mini-mansion. Left with only the tatters of a once successful life, he discovers the courage to venture beyond the boundaries of conventionality. Stripping off his male exterior, Allison makes her debut, bringing a ray of hope that life might offer more than pain and confusion. His boss, Sylvia, a dominant and beautiful sexual powerhouse, has other ideas after discovering his deepest secret. As Sylvia’s hold on Russell tightens he is torn between shame and desire. Can he break free from Sylvia’s grasp? Will he choose to be: Russell or Allison?

Amazon

Excerpt:

DIVORCE. THE WORD RATTLED around in his brain like a steel ball in an old-fashioned pinball machine. The papers had arrived at his office that morning by courier; he was officially divorced. Russell Radcliffe pulled his cherry-red Mercedes Benz convertible into the garage of his modest rancher and slid the transmission lever into park. Stung by the events of the day, he sat quietly, struggling with the dramatic change in his lifestyle. The five thousand square foot McMansion, the pool with elaborate cabana complete with wet bar and massage table, the Mercedes and the Range Rover, the country club membership, the well-earned upscale lifestyle—gone. The dream life with his children and the woman he promised to love for better or for worse were now a memory.

When days were rosy and nights sultry, the couple fell for the trappings of opulence. To support their lifestyle Russell and his wife mortgaged themselves right to the edge, not close enough that a fall from grace was eminent, but close enough that Russell could feel the spray from the waves pounding on the financial rocks below. The last brick in the wall crumbled; the mansion—her dream home—had a for sale sign with a picture of a 40-something big-haired, big nailed, real estate goddess in the front yard. The real estate market had softened putting a large portion of their nest egg in harm’s way. His wife got to remain in the house with the two teenagers, forcing him to relocate. She wanted everything before she would cede his car to him. He wanted that car; he needed that car. He equated the car with his identity even more than the house.

Russell replayed those last days of their marriage. In one fell swoop, Mandy revealed she was having an affair and had the divorce papers served to his office the next day. Not only was he not getting any, an interloper had been planting in his garden. He told Mandy that he was willing to forgive her, that she would regret leaving him, that she couldn’t stand on her own two feet.

***

“Come to your senses Mandy. Quit this foolishness and think it through.”

She had laughed. “Do you think I haven’t thought this through? Do you think I’m doing this because I want to get your attention?”

“I don’t understand why you’re doing this to me. I just want you to stop. Adultery is against the law.” His voice was strained; he wanted desperately to get through to her. His wife stood arms akimbo, her long sleek legs ran from her blue skirt, through nude pantyhose, and slid perfectly into navy blue patent leather pumps. She was attractive, even after two hard pregnancies. Her auburn hair wafted in sultry waves across her soft shoulders ending elegantly just short of the middle of her back. Large hazel eyes were framed by high cheekbones, thin nose and highly sculptured eyebrows. Her complexion hinted at regular trips to the tanning salon.

“When you started wearing my clothes I knew it was over. You were the one who turned our marriage into a farce, not me. ” Her tone was accusatory. “And don’t think threats will work with me, kiddo. I can ruin you if you put me in that position.” Her gaze was cold steel.

Russell looked her over; he would have begged her to stay if his pride wasn’t so strong. He loved her; she was his female role model; everything he wanted to be in a woman he saw in his wife. But he couldn’t condone her desire to find pleasure in another’s bed. Looking away he calculated his options; they were bleak. Losing his job wasn’t an option. He had worked long and hard to parlay the master’s degree in finance into a high profile position with an investment banking firm. He figured he would be summarily dismissed if his superiors knew he was transgender.

After the divorce he licked his wounds and decided to buy down-market. The shock of a smaller place on a postage stamp lot made him wish he hadn't been so critical when his wife unceremoniously disclosed her extramarital affair. He lost that struggle and was losing others. He would never give up his femininity even though it had meant losing his wife, who realized she wasn’t the only woman in his life. This had cut her deeply and she had made him bleed.

As he sat in the car with the engine running he considered pressing the activator button to bring the garage door down and seal off the garage. Just one click and he would fade slowly into eternal sleep.


About the Author:

Nikki DiCaro has been writing novels, inspirational essays and poetry for over ten years. Her novels focus on complex characters whose real-life problems touch on the issues of the day—from workplace harassment to divorce to transgender/LGBT issues. Gates of Submission is the first novel in her five-book series, “New Boundaries.” Its spicy plot twists will keep you on the edge of your seat.

When not creating fascinating characters and sensual scenes, Nikki writes inspirational essays which she posts regularly on her website,www.NikkiDiCaro.com.   A proponent of parity, equality, and unconditional acceptance she is a frequent speaker and presenter on gender sensitivity and workplace equality.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-dicaro-0668023

facebook.com/nikki.nicole.50115

www.nikkidicaro.com

Twitter handle: @NikkiOliviaDi1 

Star Laser Light Show, Landscape Lighting with Remote Control for Outdoor

I can't wait for Christmas. Actually I can wait for Christmas but cannot wait to be able to start decorating. This light is just awesome and can't wait to see it on the front of my house. I love how it rotates through different designs There is a red and green laser light which burn together and separately, to make really cool looking polka dot designs. The further the light is from a  solid area the larger the design span is.

This comes with the light, a remote, a yard stake and a bracket for hanging or setting. The outside of the light is made from an aluminum alloy and it is waterproof and dust proof. The remote also controls a timer for the lights so you can have them on from 2 to 8 hours with one click of the remote. The lights are very bright. I plugged this in and pointed to to the ceiling the kids 2 and 4 loved it. They lay on the bed being mesmerized.

I received this product during a promotion free for my honest review and they are 100% my own opinions. I received no compensation for this review and I am not required to give a good review. I am also not associated with the seller in any way.

Check it out on Amazon

BOOK TOUR: Loreena's Gift by Colleen M. Story

Book Description:

A BLIND GIRL'S TERRIFYING "GIFT" ALLOWS HER TO REGAIN HER EYESIGHT--BUT ONLY AS SHE FERRIES THE RECENTLY DECEASED INTO THE AFTERLIFE.

Loreena Picket thinks she knows herself. A blind young woman who lives with her uncle, a reverend at a small-town church, she's a dutiful niece and talented pianist for the congregation.

But they're both hiding a terrible secret. Loreena can kill people with the touch of her hand.

While her uncle sees her as an angel of mercy, helping usher the terminally ill members of his flock into the afterlife, Loreena has her doubts.

Torn between doing her uncle's bidding and the allure of the fleeting moments when her eyesight returns on the journey to the other side, Loreena cooperates with her uncle until her troubled older brother returns to town. When she reveals her power by saving him from a local drug dealer, she is drawn into a sinister and dangerous world that will test the true nature of her talent and force her to consider how far she is willing to go to survive.

An exciting debut that crosses fantasy and literary fiction, Loreena's Gift is a thought-provoking meditation on life and death and what ultimately lies beyond this world.

​

Buy the Book:  Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Book Depository  ~  Chapters Indigo

My review:

Let me start by saying WOW!! This was a great book. I could not put it down, I couldn't sleep needing to know what happened next so got up and read some more.

  Loreena has a gift or a curse depends on who you ask.  If she touches the palm of hand to your hand you will die. Loreena delivers you to your afterlife. 

  When Loreena was 9 she lost not only her mother but her sight in a tragic car accident. Her older brother and her went to live with their Uncle Don who is a preacher. When Loreena was around 15 she thought something was wrong with her hands. They always smelled like sulfur no mater how much she washed them. She really did not know about hr gift until one day she took the hand of a friend and he passed away, and she delivered him to his afterlife. Her Uncle Don convinced her to help people who had terminal illnesses. He would set it up and take her. 

  One day while helping someone her Brother shows up, he has been gone for 3 years after a fight with Uncle Don. In tow is his Girlfriend, who is also the Daughter of the person she had just helped. From there everything in Loreena's life gets turned upside.

  Now that you have had a peek into the story you must read this book to find out how everything turns out.

Author's Bio:

Colleen M. Story writes imaginative fiction and is also a freelance writer, instructor, and motivational speaker specializing in creativity, productivity, and personal wellness. Her latest novel, "Loreena’s Gift," was released with Dzanc Books April 12 2016. Her fantasy novel, "Rise of the Sidenah," is a North American Book Awards winner, and New Apple Book Awards Official Selection (Young Adult). She is the founder of Writing and Wellness (writingandwellness.com) a motivational site for writers and other creatives.

​Connect with the author:  Website  ~ Twitter  

Guest Post by Colleen M. Story

3 Ways Essential Oils Make it Easier to Be Creative

I noticed that Teresa has quite a few articles about essential oils here on her lovely blog, so I thought another might be welcome!

I’ve been a health writer for over 17 years, and during that time I’ve learned quite a bit about natural oils and how beneficial they are. There’s a reason we’re seeing more and more of them in skin care products these days—the skin loves them! Even those who have trouble with acne can often use natural oils to enjoy deep hydration and anti-aging benefits.

But today I wanted to focus on three ways that writers (and other creative folks who spend a lot of hours at the computer) can use natural oils to make life just a little bit better.

1. Tend to dry, rough hands.

Writers (and other creatives) rely on their hands for their work. But we often suffer from dry, tight, and rough skin that makes our hands uncomfortable.

Plus who wants hands that look dry? Especially during a book signing! I know women, in particular, are becoming more and more concerned about the condition of their hands, because they can so readily reveal our age—oftentimes even faster than our faces do. Yet it can be tough to know just what to do to make them look better.

Here’s where natural oils can really help. Your standard everyday hand lotions don’t do much. They’re made up of synthetic ingredients that may make your skin feel better for about five minutes, but then you’re right back where you started. (Some even make your skin dryer over time.)

I’ve found that it’s worthwhile to invest a few more dollars in a natural hand cream that contains goodies like jojoba oil, honey, shea butter, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, triglycerides, vitamin E, and other similar items. Natural oils tend to penetrate more deeply into the skin and the effects last longer.

Ointments, balms, and butters are also better than lotions, usually. I’ve been using Windrift Hills “Goats ’N Oats” Body Butter lately, and I love it! It’s made with goat’s milk, mango butter, and shea butter, along with natural oils like apricot kernel, coconut, jojoba, and almond. It smells heavenly and works great.

2. Boost focus and creativity.

What we smell can affect how we think and feel. You’ve likely experienced this when detecting an old smell from your childhood, like that of homemade bread or your grandmother’s quilt.

We can use this connection to increase our focus and productivity when we need to. When sitting down to write, for example, a few drops of peppermint, citrus, lavender, basil, or rosemary simmered in a small pot of water on the stove can help get you in the mood to focus and concentrate. Bergamot or frankincense blended with a carrier oil and spritzed in the air (or on your skin if you’re not sensitive) can help relieve stress and get you into that calm, creative mode. Cypress, jasmine, and basil are other good options for creating an atmosphere conducive to creativity. Any of these can work well in a candle diffuser if you want to limit the effects to just one room.

We all need ways to transfer ourselves from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives into the “flow” of creativity. For me, that means getting into the setting where my characters are—literally slipping into another world. In addition to music and rituals (such as making a favorite cup of tea), essential oils offer a great way to open that door.

3. Use them to get a good night’s sleep.

Sleep is extremely important to everyone, but particularly for creative folks.

Recent studies have shown that when we get less than five hours of sleep a night on a regular basis, our risk increases for heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more. Some studies have even found that chronic insomnia can take years off our lives.

Creative people need that good night’s sleep even more. Think about it. If you don’t get much sleep, you can probably still clean the house or cook a meal or drive to work. But just try sitting down to a blank page and creating something new. Your eyes will droop and you’ll find it more of a struggle than a joy.

Essential oils can help you relax and fall asleep. Lavender is a favorite for this purpose, but ylang ylang, vetiver, chamomile, cedarwood, bergamot, and sandalwood are also good options. Try these methods of application:

• Mix a few drops with your favorite carrier oil (like coconut, almond, or jojoba) and then rub on the back of your neck before sleep, or use as a massage oil.
• Try a cold-air essential oil diffuser, like this one. Don’t use a heated diffuser when going to sleep to reduce risk of fire damage.
• Add a few drops to a warm bath before bed.
• Add a drop or two to a cotton ball and place near your pillow before sleep.

Please let us know if you have other ways to use essential oils to encourage creativity!

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Win a signed copy of Loreena’s Gift. One winner will also get a $15 Amazon GC (Open int’l)

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Dance with Me by Hazel Hughes #ReleaseBlitz

Book Title: Dance with Me 

Author: Hazel Hughes 

Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense 

Release Date: July 26, 2016 

Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

When reporter Sherry Wilson-Wong wakes up in bed with ballet bad-boy Alexi Davydenko, she knows she’s crossed the line. But the dancer with the body of Apollo and the panty-removing stare wasn’t talking, so what choice did she have? Playing his little drinking game – a shot and a kiss for every answer - seemed like the perfect way to loosen his sexy lips. She gets her story, he gets his fun, win-win. But his answers only lead to more questions. And Alexi wants more than fun.

Investigating into the ballet company’s shadowy secrets, Sherry learns that the beauty on stage masks ugly dealings, some of which seem to bear Alexi’s signature. But the more truths she exposes, the more lies she is forced to tell herself.

That digging up dirt on a company with ties to the Russian mob isn’t dangerous. That licking every inch of Alexi’s naked body while hunting down evidence of his guilt isn’t a conflict of interest. That with each touch, each kiss, she isn’t falling deeper in love with the very man who could destroy her.

Alexi put his mug down and stood in front of her, tilting her face up with one hand. “Yes, I must rehearse, and yes, you must write. But there is no need to run away like a scared little girl from the wolf.” He bent down to kiss her.

Sherry wanted that kiss more than she wanted her Venti skim latte, and with her throbbing head, that was a lot. But she put her hand on his bare chest, stopping him.

He looked at her, confusion dawning in his eyes, followed quickly by hurt. He stepped back. “Oh. I see. You have your story now.” His voice was cold.

“It’s not like that,” she said. Was this just a case of bruised ego, or was he genuinely hurt? She flashed back to what the bartender said about the type of girls Alexi normally brought to the bar. Party girls, he said.

“So what is it like?” He turned away from her, looking out the window.

She reached out a hand to put it on his shoulder, the one with the tattoo of Tolstoy’s face on it, but thought better of it. “Look, Alexi. I’ve already crossed more ethical boundaries than I’m comfortable with.”

“To get your story.” His voice was flat, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Hey, it’s my job to get the story. I came ready to interview you like I interview all my subjects. The vodka, the kisses, that was your game.”

He turned suddenly, his green gaze pinning her. She couldn’t look away. “You didn’t want to play?”

“No. I mean, yes. I did…” she started.

He moved closer to her, his hand cupping her jaw. “I know you did. I think you still want to,” he whispered, his breath warm on her cheek. His lips touched hers, softly at first, questioning. When she parted her lips in response, he opened them wider, reaching for her tongue with his. Liquid. Melting. From her mouth all the way down to her softest, most private parts.

He pulled back slightly. “Do you want to play, Sherry?”

She was having a hard time regulating her breath. He was so close. She put her hands on his chest, but not to hold him back. She ran her hands over his chest, nipples hard under her palm, then down over the ridges of his abs. She hooked her fingers into his waistband pulling him toward her in response to his question. She wanted to play any game he had in mind as long as it involved what was under his pants, ethics be damned.

“Yes,” she said.

Hazel Hughes is a contemporary erotic romance writer and urban nomad. Born in London, Hazel has lived all over the globe, from the wilds of Northern Ontario and the cornfields of Iowa to the concrete jungles of Seoul and Abu Dhabi. Currently, she is living in New York, writing from wherever there is strong coffee and funky beats. When she’s not laying down steamy scenes on the page, you can find her whipping up hot and spicy concoctions in the kitchen or dancing to the beat of her own drummer.

EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING

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