3.03.2020

A Promise to Keep ~ Review

A Promise to Keep
By Melony Teague

Attending her high school reunion is the last thing Savannah Sanderson wanted to do, but she made a promise. And she wasn't about to break the promise she made to her late husband. But she'd rather stay among the stacks of books that help hide her away from most of the world.

Michael McCann left Point High after graduation and before his best friends got married. He couldn't stand to see the girl he loved getting married. But he never told Savannah how he felt and then Nick won her heart. And he's never found anyone who could measure up to Savannah.

Could their 20 year HS reunion be a second chance or will the prison that Savannah has created for herself keep her from living life? A Promise to Keep is a book that will keep the reader hoping that Savannah will become the person she used to be. One who realizes that risks are a part of life. And that without small risks one cannot truly live. But even more one hopes that she can recapture the faith that she once held to so tightly, a faith that she has let slip away to pain and anger.

Those who like heart-warming reads and Love Inspired books will enjoy this offering from Melony Teague. The characters are likable and one can see both Savannah and Michael's viewpoints as they embrace the unexpected and unplanned detour that life has just handed them. What would you risk for a second chance at love? This is the question that both must themselves and sometimes the answer is one that means a major change in life, thought, and heart.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.



About the Book:
Research librarian Savannah Sanderson wants nothing more than to escape into her happily-ever-after novels with their larger-than-life fictional heroes. But a promise to her late husband has her attending her dreaded twenty-year high school reunion, drinking ghastly punch, and taking desperate measures just to keep her vow, even if she has to hide behind the décor to do it.
Once a reckless troublemaker, Michael McCann fled town after graduation. Now a professional technical rescuer, he’s back for the reunion, but on his trip down memory lane, he soon comes face to face with unresolved issues, namely Savannah.
Before the night is over, a pact between these two old friends will lead them on an adventure into uncharted emotional territory where Michael must confront his past regrets and find the courage to reveal the truth. But can Savannah fly from her sheltered nest and risk her heart on a real-life hero?

2.22.2020

Collision of Lies ~ Review

Collision of Lies
   #1
By Tom Threadgill

Detective Amara Alvarez never expected to have the case that she is working off the clock. A bus-train collision three years ago left 17 children dead. But a random phone call has one parent hoping against facts that her son is still alive. But there is no way so many agencies got the investigation wrong.

But Amara wants, no needs to give this grieving family closure even if it means destroying the thin hope that they now have. Everything Amara looks at seems to agree with the facts of the case yet she keeps looking not willing to give up.

But what she uncovers is unsettling and time is running out to find the answers that she is looking for. Lives are on the line and someone seems willing to keep the truth buried forever.

Collision of Lies is set in the San Antonio region and if you are a fan of suspense fiction you won't want to miss out on this one. Someone is lying or else a horrible mistake was made with a random phone call pleading for help. And if what they know is a lie who can Amara trust to help her uncover the truth? And why would someone stage an accident to steal 17 children? These questions will keep the reader as engaged in this case as Amara is.

Amara Alvarez is an interesting individual who is determined and loyal but not without faults. She is a detective assigned to the Property Crimes Division with hopes of being transferred to Homicide. She's not married but has Larry in her life. Larry is her 3-foot long iguana and he's not an off the page kind of pet with just a quick mention. She also has her mother and siblings with whom she has a good relationship. There is an excerpt at the back of the book so it appears that this is the first book in a series in which Amara will be taking center stage so it will be interesting to see where she and the series go from here. Hopefully, her manners improve - I'm sure her mother wouldn't be too pleased.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.


About the Book:
The Case was Tragic
But it WAS an Accident.
Right?

Three years ago, a collision between a fast-moving freight train and a school bus full of kids led to devastation and grief on an unimaginable scale. But a fresh clue leads San Antonio police detective Amara Alvarez to the unlikely conclusion that one of the children may still be alive. If she's correct, everything law enforcement believes about the accident is a lie.

With time running out, Amara must convince others--and herself--that despite all evidence to the contrary, the boy lives. And she will do everything in her power to bring him home.

A fresh voice in suspense, Tom Threadgill will have you questioning everything as you fly through the pages of this enthralling story.

2.18.2020

Fall from Trace ~ Review with Excerpt and Giveaway

Fall from Trace
The London League #5 
By Rebecca Connolly

Alex Sommerville is no longer the man he once was. Having been captured and tortured for the last almost five years the man he was has died many times over without actually drawing his last breath. To those who once knew him he has been dead.

Poppy Edgewood gave up everything to stay true to her love for Alex. Her family abandoned her, her friends have shunned her, and the life of privilege she once had is a thing of the past.

When a chance to escape presents itself Alex does the only thing he can - he makes his way to Poppy. When Alex shows up at her door Poppy is understandably in a state of muddled confusion - anger, horror, and something else all mingle together. But all must be pushed aside if his life is to be saved - his beatings and subsequent escape have left him near death.

What follows is a journey of rediscovery as both Poppy and Alex must decide who they are with what the past five years have shaped them into. One can never go back after hardships they forever linger in the shadows. But to move on healing must take place but can some wounds be too deep to heal?

When his colleagues discover that Trace has returned from the dead they will do all they can to help him. But even more, pressing is why his captors kept him alive all these years. What did Trace discover that these foreign agents want?

This is an intriguing addition to the London League series. Trace has been a pivotal character though he was presumed dead. His demise having an effect on all who were associated with the League and even how they were proceeding with current missions. And now Trace's skills may once again be needed in conjunction with the men who knew him best if he is to keep England and Poppy safe. This was a good read though by its very nature is a bit harsh and brutal in connection with Trace's lost years.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.

Series: London League
Genre:  Adult, Historical, Regency, Romance
Publisher: Phase Publishing
Publication date: February 1, 2020
Gone, but not forgotten…
Alex Sommerville should have been dead. To the world, he had been dead for almost five years, and with him, the secrets he had carried as Trace, the most elusive member of the London League. When a chance to escape finally comes, Alex finds just enough life left in him to take it, and races off to return to the woman he loves.
…Back, but at what cost?
The last person Poppy Edgewood ever expected to see suddenly falls into her life again – literally. Alex is a shell of the man he once was, and on the brink of the death she thought him already lost to. What answers will he have for her when he recovers, and can she even bear to hear them?

About the Author:

rebecca-connolly-headshotRebecca Connolly writes romances, both period and contemporary, because she absolutely loves a good love story. She has been creating stories since childhood, and there are home videos to prove it! She started writing them down in elementary school and has never looked back. She currently lives in the Midwest, spends every spare moment away from her day job absorbed in her writing, and is a hot cocoa addict.
Connect with her online at:

Snippet/Excerpt

Loneliness is a creeping creature, and its pangs were deep and ravaging. In the evenings, when work was completed and she had so much to tell, there was no one to listen. When she missed her sister or her brothers, her parents, or her life, there was no one to commiserate with. When she cried in the night because Alex was gone and no one cared but her, there was no relief. When she felt more alone than anyone ought to feel, there was no one to take away the darkness.
No one to share her burdens with.
The only person she had in her life with any sort of regularity was Stanton, and he would not take kindly at all to her sharing such personal and emotional thoughts with him. It would have made him uncomfortable and gruff, and he probably would have told her to focus on her work and the farm and forget everything else. He had once told her emotions were a nuisance, after all, and that the past was only good for lessons.
Not for visiting and staying for a time.
Poppy was only too prone to spend an extended period of time in her past these days, though she knew it wouldn’t do her any good.
The trouble was that it was too easy.
She scrubbed at the pot harder, her brow furrowing with the effort, and when she stopped, she looked at her hands. Once these hands had been delicate and soft, protected by gloves more often than not, fair and without blemish but for the occasional pricking of an embroidery needle. Her nails had been clean and manicured, the perfect embodiment of a fine lady. Every now and again, there might be a scratch on the skin from getting into mischief with Alex by climbing a tree or racing across their properties, but her hands had been fairly perfect.
Now, they were rough and worn, weathered by hard work and aggressive labor. She had callouses on her palm, on every fingertip, and along the edges of each finger. Her knuckles were often inflamed, and her skin cracked and peeled regularly. Lines and scars and dry patches dotted every surface of her hands, and her nails were almost brutally short, uneven, and usually had something under them, be it dirt or food or feed for the animals.
These hands were not those of a young lady.
Then again, Poppy could hardly be considered young anymore. Twenty-seven was not particularly old, but in those twenty-seven years, she had lived a lifetime, and she was decades older than anyone of her age. Her life did not even remotely resemble what she had thought out for herself, what she had planned, or anything like it once had.
She closed her eyes and set the pot aside, knowing it was far cleaner now than it had ever been with her excessive scrubbing.
This was what her life amounted to now. Scrubbing the pots and plates from her own meals, feeding the chickens and pigs, currying the horses, farming with whatever help she could afford to pay, even grinding her own flour to make her own bread, at times.
Oh, how far she had fallen.
Lonely and cast out, working for every morsel of bread, sweating her days away in the sun, and mourning a man who had never promised her anything.
Poppy’s hands curled into fists and hot tears filled her eyes. It was wrong to resent a dead man, she knew, but resent him she did. If he hadn’t have died, if that was what had truly happened, she would not be in this situation. He could have just broken off their impending engagement, and she would have been with her family now. She should have been wiser, not giving her heart so freely without the official connection between them.
Never mind that they had been in love since she was fourteen and he sixteen. Never mind that they had been planning to marry for years. Never mind that she was so utterly and completely his that she hadn’t been whole in almost five years.
She should have been wiser.
And it was his fault she was so destitute, despairing, and dismal.
It was his fault she had grown so attached.
It was his fault she still felt the ache within her at the thought of him.
It was his fault that when she looked out of her kitchen window and could see the shadows of Parkerton Lodge in the distance, she still looked for a light in any window.
As she did now.
But there were no lights within, and no lights without, and the crumbling estate looked as foreboding and desolate as it had the day the servants had departed it.
Poppy exhaled slowly, wiping her hands on dry toweling. She couldn’t do this anymore. Couldn’t watch for him, wait for him, ache for him. He wasn’t coming back, and this was the life she had chosen for herself. This was her future, and looking back would not make it any brighter.
She was done.
She had to be.
A knock on her door brought her head around, and she waited for Stanton to enter. When he didn’t, and the knock came again, more firmly, she rolled her eyes as she moved to the door.
“Honestly, Stanton,” she moaned loudly. “It’s not so cold that you had to fill your arms to the brim with wood.”
She reached for the door handle and pulled the door open, fixing her expression into one of mocking amusement.
The man who stood there stared at her with his dark, sunken eyes, leaning both forearms against the doorframe, his chest heaving wildly, and her amusement faded at once.
She knew that face. She knew the line of that jaw, the dark eyes that were endless in their depths, the nose with a slight crook in the bridge from where her brother had walloped him with a tree branch ten years ago. He was thinner, terrifyingly so, and his face was hollow and gaunt, sickly in color despite being tanned, and covered with a sheen of perspiration. His dark hair was cut brutally short, but it, and the scruff on the lower half of his face, were as dark as his eyes, if not darker still.
All changes aside, she knew that man better than any person on this earth.
“Alex…” she breathed, her voice catching on his name.
His corded throat worked on a swallow. “Poppy.”
Her hand lashed out and struck him hard across the face, a weak yet harsh cry ripping from her throat. He stumbled sideways, surprising her with his unsteadiness, and a tremor ran across his once broad shoulders and down to his legs. Slowly, he looked back at her, pressing his left arm against the doorframe again and almost sagging against the wood.
“Please,” he whispered, his voice fading with shocking rapidity as his eyes widened.
Then they rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground at her feet.

Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $15 Amazon GC 
+ an ecopy of Falling for Trace.
Falling for Trace tour giveaway
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Link to the full tour schedule is below. Giveaway will begin at midnight February 10, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on February 23, 2020. 
Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Giveaway open internationally. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Tour Schedule

Follow along at SLB Tours for a full list of stops!

2.13.2020

Inanna Phantom: The Cairns of Sainctuarie #3 ~ Review with Giveaway and Trailer

Join Us For This Book Tour from Jan 27, 2020 to Feb 14, 2020!



Inanna Phantom
The Cairns of Sainctuarie #3
By Hawk MacKinney

Since The Missing Planets (book 2) several years have passed and the rift incursion threat seems to be a thing of the past. But the threat to the League, Terato, Myr, and Jupiterr has returned and with it a faction threatening to destroy everything.

Once again war is threatening the peace that many hold dear and history seems to be on the verge of repeating itself as Murian society faces upheaval in an attack none suspected. But Murian leadership is just the latest to sustain a violent loss in this war. A war that seems to be of opportunity preying on those who can be manipulated and attacking those who could oppose them.

Korvo, Eklam, and David Martin are determined to not let the known and the unknown have their way. But there is a cost and all are about to find out just how much it will be.

Now you could read the Inanna Phantom as a standalone book but it will read much better if you read The Missing Planets first as it helps develop the characters more fully. And when you read the entire series one has a better grasp of what some of the Murian phrasing, that has made its way into the other League worlds, means.

There is a glossary of terms located at the end of the book to help out with a few of the words. In my personal opinion, each book builds upon the other with this third one being my favorite in its dip into science fiction. The cast of characters has become familiar with a few more outstanding with their strength of character - character which is needed if they are to survive.  This is most definitely a book for fans of Science or Fantasy Fiction and I think those who enjoy Star Wars, especially those relegated to the netherland of cannons (Yuuzhan Vong of  The New Jedi Order) since the Disney expansion will find a similar feel though totally different in setting and situation.

I received a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Book Details:

Book Title:  Inanna Phantom, Volume III - The Cairns of Sainctuarie  by Hawk MacKinney
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  270 pages
Genre:  Science Fiction
Publisher:  Sage Words Publishing
Release date:  Sep 2019
Tour dates: Jan 27, 2020, to Feb 14, 2020
Content Rating:  PG-13: Some of the war scenes are graphic.

Book Description:

The threat of rift invasions seems long passed. Plentiful harvests abound. The Murian first-contact Terato Outpost has grown into the sprawling Terato-Murian Terminus Terato with a hub of relay portals reaching across the vast uncharted galactic expanses and connecting with its eon-extinct Lantaraan prehistory. An exploratory Terato-Murian Jupiterr outpost is established on the gas giant seventh planet, and its quantum and gravitational energies are used to power outpost portals for an archeological survey of the fourth planet, Eorthe. The Lantaraan database aboard Terato’s ancient Downday moon shows that one or more planets of the Solaris planets have apparently been lost. Expanded archeological records on other Lantaraan orbital bodies in the Solaris system show the fourth planet from the star—Eorthe—to be a sterile wasteland. Except it is not. Eorthe’s civilization is not to the level of the Murian Empire, but it is far advanced to those of a pastoral Terato. Terato and Eorthe form the confederated United Terran League under the nominal figurehead leader of League High Judikarr Eklam a’Qoc. Jupiterr outpost expands into a major League stronghold, Jupiterr Base when civil unrest erupts in the League, the unexpected return of rift intrusions threatens, and the Murian Emperor Klarvko Celo is assassinated. As they prepare for confrontations with an unknown ancient enemy, the internal tensions on Myr and Eorthe push Murians and Teratoans to dangerous discords.



Meet the Author:

Hawk has authored several works of fiction including a historical romance Moccasin Trace which was nominated for both the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award. His Cairns of Sainctuarie Science Fiction Series and his Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series have received national and international attention.

With postgraduate degrees and faculty positions in several medical universities, Hawk MacKinney has taught graduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem. His professional writing includes articles on chordate neuroembryology, and aerospace research on muscle metabolic behavior in multi-orbital environments.


Connect with the Author:     
website  


Tour Schedule:
Jan 27 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Jan 28 – Delilah Bluette - book review of The Bleikovat Event - Volume I
Jan 29 – Book Corner News and Reviews - book review of The Bleikovat Event - Volume I / giveaway
Jan 30 – Book Corner News and Reviews - book review of The Missing Planets – Volume II / giveaway
Jan 31 – Nighttime Reading Center – book review of The Bleikovat Event - Volume I / giveaway
Feb 3 – Book Corner News and Reviews - book review of Inanna Phantom – Volume III / giveaway
Feb 4 – Delilah Bluette - book review of The Missing Planets – Volume II
Feb 5 – Locks, Hook, and Books – book review of The Bleikovat Event - Volume I / guest post / giveaway
Feb 6 - Turning the Pages - book review of The Bleikovat Event - Volume I / author interview / giveaway
Feb 6 – Locks, Hook, and Books – book review of The The Missing Planets - Volume II / giveaway
Feb 7 – Nighttime Reading Center – book review of The Missing Planets / giveaway
Feb 7 - Delilah Bluette - book review of Inanna Phantom / guest post
Feb 11 – Turning the Pages - book review of The The Missing Planets - Volume II / giveaway
Feb 12 – Turning the Pages - book review of Inanna Phantom – Volume III / giveaway
Feb 13 – Locks, Hook, and Books – book review of Inanna Phantom - Volume III / giveaway
Feb 14 -  Nighttime Reading Center – book review of Inanna Phantom – Volume III / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:
Win 1 of 5 print book of Hawk MacKinney's INANNA PHANTOM
1 of 5 ebook of Hawk MacKinney's INANNA PHANTOM, 
or a $20 Amazon Gift Card 
(open USA and Canada) 
(11 winners) 
(ends 2/21/2020)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


 

2.10.2020

The Missing Planet:The Cairns of Sainctuarie 2 ~ Review with Giveaway

Join Us For This Book Tour from Jan 27, 2020 to Feb 14, 2020!



The Missing Planets
The Cairns of Sainctuarie #2
By Hawk MacKinney

More than 30 generations have passed since The Bleikovat Event and the Murian people and the planet Myr are part of the Confederated League of Allied Star Systems. A League in which the planet Teranto hopes to become a full planet member. But some unexplained deaths among the Teratoan people is being blamed upon the Murians bu those opposed to change.

Eklam a'Qoc, unlike his Uncle a'Qoc, is more than willing to embrace the change and improvements such an alliance will bring. The unexplained deaths are troubling but Ek doesn't blame the Murian people or his mentor Grand Duke Herklo Korvo. Korvo is concerned especially when unexplained attacks start targetting various points throughout the League - attacks that appear capable of destroying a world and its people.

Facing an ancient mystery with ties to Teranto stories of long ago referencing "Old Ones" who would one day return, Ek, Korvo, and other scientists make a journey to discover the truth. But this is a journey from which they might not return. Rift intrusions are threatening the stability of everything they hold dear and the very portals they need to use.

Traveling to the further reaches of space to an unknown planet that an ancient map refers to as Jupiterr in the Solrais system Ek and Korvo are faced with an unwelcome truth their unknown enemy has seemingly found them yet again. With time short and growing shorter, they do the only thing possible, reach out with a warning to the inhabitants of Eorthe about the threat to their very existence.

This book has a good steady, pacing and a lot of technical talk which if you don't understand is nothing to worry about (just pretend that you get it and read on). There is a glossary of terms located at the end of the book to help out with some of the local phrasing but not the technical. This book while the second in the series can totally be a stand-alone title given the great length of time that is between books, the new characters, and the new setting. I have to admit I liked this book better than the first probably just because it was more scientifically driven, but both had the urgency of survival as a driving force behind the action. This is definitely a book for fans of Science or Fantasy Fiction and not someone looking for a Cozy Mystery or a Gentle Read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.


Book Details:

Book TitleThe Cairns of Sainctuarie: The Missing Planet (Volume II) by Hawk MacKinney
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  258 pages
Genre:  Science Fiction
Publisher:  Sage Words Publishing
Release date:  April 2015
Tour dates: Jan 27, 2020 to Feb 14, 2020
Content Rating:  PG-13: Some of the war scenes are graphic.


Book Description:
Generations after the great Murian upheaval of the Malfesian War against the Bleikovats, the Accords between planets Terato and Myr are signed. Provisional Outpost Terato is under construction near a farm where Teratoan orphan Eklam a’Qoc lives with his uncle and cousin.

Inquisitive strong-minded Eklam, Ek to everyone in the village, is captivated by the off-worlders technology and becomes an apprentice to the Outpost Terato’s Murian commander, Grand Duke Korvo. Uncle a’Qoc disapproves; wants nothing to do with these outlanders, wants their shimmering doorway portals-of-travel banned from Terato. As Outpost Terato becomes operational it seems to become a harbinger stirring ageless secrets of The Old Ones and their frightful weapons, of ancient Teratoan ruins, mysterious glowing lights, unexplained killings, a sacred book in a language no Teratoan can read, a moon that doesn’t behave like a moon in its wobbly orbit.

From cosmic reaches beyond space and time, the ominous secrets of Terato’s ancient ruins become more threatening. Ek and Korvo realize both their worlds face extinction with any hope buried somewhere in unknown galaxies far beyond a pastoral Terato or the sophisticated star-empire of the Murians; of missing planets in a star system with its single star in a galaxy far-removed unknown to Terato or Myr. They travel across the universe to a place long forgotten to fight this unknown foe with weapons only dreamed of. Together they face the beast that wishes to consume the entire universe.

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com ~ Barnes and Noble
 


Meet the Author:

Hawk has authored several works of fiction including a historical romance Moccasin Trace which was nominated for both the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award. His Cairns of Sainctuarie Science Fiction Series and his Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series have received national and international attention.

With postgraduate degrees and faculty positions in several medical universities, Hawk MacKinney has taught graduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem. His professional writing includes articles on chordate neuroembryology, and aerospace research on muscle metabolic behavior in multi-orbital environments.


Connect with the Author:     
website  

Tour Schedule:
Jan 27 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Jan 28 – Delilah Bluette - book review of The Bleikovat Event - Volume I
Jan 29 – Book Corner News and Reviews - book review of The Bleikovat Event - Volume I / giveaway
Jan 30 – Book Corner News and Reviews - book review of The Missing Planets – Volume II / giveaway
Jan 31 – Nighttime Reading Center – book review of The Bleikovat Event - Volume I / giveaway
Feb 3 – Book Corner News and Reviews - book review of Inanna Phantom – Volume III / giveaway
Feb 4 – Delilah Bluette - book review of The Missing Planets – Volume II
Feb 5 – Locks, Hook, and Books – book review of The Bleikovat Event - Volume I / guest post / giveaway
Feb 6 - Turning the Pages - book review of The Bleikovat Event - Volume I / author interview / giveaway
Feb 6 – Locks, Hook, and Books – book review of The The Missing Planets - Volume II / giveaway
Feb 7 – Nighttime Reading Center – book review of The Missing Planets / giveaway
Feb 7 - Delilah Bluette - book review of Inanna Phantom / guest post
Feb 11 – Turning the Pages - book review of The The Missing Planets - Volume II / giveaway
Feb 12 – Turning the Pages - book review of Inanna Phantom – Volume III / giveaway
Feb 13 – Locks, Hook, and Books – book review of Inanna Phantom - Volume III / giveaway
Feb 14 -  Nighttime Reading Center – book review of Inanna Phantom – Volume III / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:
Win 1 of 5 print book of Hawk MacKinney's INANNA PHANTOM
1 of 5 ebook of Hawk MacKinney's INANNA PHANTOM, 
or a $20 Amazon Gift Card 
(open USA and Canada) 
(11 winners) 
(ends 2/21/2020)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


 

2.07.2020

The Bleikovat Event: Cairns of Sainctuarie 1 ~ Review with Giveaway

Join Us For This Book Tour from Jan 27, 2020 to Feb 14, 2020!



The Bleikovat Event
The Cairns of Sainctuarie #1
By Hawk MacKinney

The Bleikovat Event is about to forever alter the Murian world as they know it. Senseless war has come and none who oppose subjugation are going to be allowed to live. The Feldovats are slowly dying beneath the cruel forward advance of the Green Dragon forces of Bleikovia. With few options, Etkaa consort of Celo Klarvkon makes a decision as he lays dying from a deadly poison. Going against tradition she determines that those few remaining must turn into the treacherous wintery mountains - their only hope to survive the Dragon forces. But before leaving anything and everything of value is turned to ash thwarting the objective of this invasion.

As the dangers and losses continue to mount Etkaa stands strong becoming more than any woman among her people has ever dreamed of. Named Regentkaa she is the new face of hope for her people as they continue on into an unknown future. A future that will involve more sacrifice, more duty, and more heart than she has ever before been called upon giving.

The Bkeikovat Event is the first volume in The Cairns of Sanctuarie series and it is set in a world that visually is different from ours in coloring and has two suns instead of one. But in other ways it is similar - it is a world at war and it is subject to the whims of nature. And when I say it is a world at war this is the main focal point of the whole book. Defeating the Feldovats becomes an obsession for the Dragons and their Overseers an obsession that could well destroy them too. And one woman's strength of will may be the only thing capable of saving them.

As a whole, this was a fairly interesting book. At times the battles seemed to drag and the endless arguing over what to do next reminded me of political wrangling over some word or phrasing in a bill being presented in Congress. Some of the words used are not ones that this reader is used to but there is a glossary of terms located at the end of the book to help out. This is most definitely a book for fans of Science or Fantasy Fiction and not someone looking for a Cozy Mystery or a Gentle Read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Book Details:

Book TitleThe Cairns of Sainctuarie: The Bleikovat Event (Volume 1) by Hawk MacKinney
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  228 pages
Genre:  Science Fiction
Publisher:  Sage Words Publishing
Release date:  Oct 2012
Tour dates: Jan 27, 2020 to Feb 14, 2020
Content Rating:  PG-13: Some of the war scenes are graphic. 

Book Description:

From a rocky outcrop a battle-widowed Etkaa, gazed down at the death and upheaval. Rancid green Murian blood stenched the dusklit breezes from the haze-dimmed river marshlands. Nothing has been spared by the Green Dragon forces of Bleikovia. In skirmishes along the Feldon River, Etkaa’s mate is fatally wounded with deadly selvon poison. Through a gruesome mountain trek of icy blizzards, they elude the Green Dragon. The battered starving Feldovats reach the coast at Eedov City only to be confronted by their implacable enemy determined to destroy the remaining Klarvkon rabble. Taking passage on crowded Maalon freighters, the refugees escape toward a new life among their Maalon hosts. Enraged Bleikovats move against the Klarvkons, bringing indiscriminate bloodshed. War once again surfaces, as it did in the muddy filth along the Feldon River of Malfesov, and becomes a different kind of war.

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com ~ Barnes and Noble
 


Meet the Author:

Hawk has authored several works of fiction including a historical romance Moccasin Trace which was nominated for both the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award. His Cairns of Sainctuarie Science Fiction Series and his Moccasin Hollow Mystery Series have received national and international attention.

With postgraduate degrees and faculty positions in several medical universities, Hawk MacKinney has taught graduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem. His professional writing includes articles on chordate neuroembryology, and aerospace research on muscle metabolic behavior in multi-orbital environments.


Connect with the Author:     
website  

Tour Schedule:
Jan 27 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Jan 28 – Delilah Bluette - book review of The Bleikovat Event - Volume I
Jan 29 – Book Corner News and Reviews - book review of The Bleikovat Event - Volume I / giveaway
Jan 30 – Book Corner News and Reviews - book review of The Missing Planets – Volume II / giveaway
Jan 31 – Nighttime Reading Center – book review of The Bleikovat Event - Volume I / giveaway
Feb 3 – Book Corner News and Reviews - book review of Inanna Phantom – Volume III / giveaway
Feb 4 – Delilah Bluette - book review of The Missing Planets – Volume II
Feb 5 – Locks, Hook, and Books – book review of The Bleikovat Event - Volume I / guest post / giveaway
Feb 6 - Turning the Pages - book review of The Bleikovat Event - Volume I / author interview / giveaway
Feb 6 – Locks, Hook, and Books – book review of The The Missing Planets - Volume II / giveaway
Feb 7 – Nighttime Reading Center – book review of The Missing Planets / giveaway
Feb 7 - Delilah Bluette - book review of Inanna Phantom / guest post
Feb 11 – Turning the Pages - book review of The The Missing Planets - Volume II / giveaway
Feb 12 – Turning the Pages - book review of Inanna Phantom – Volume III / giveaway
Feb 13 – Locks, Hook, and Books – book review of Inanna Phantom - Volume III / giveaway
Feb 14 -  Nighttime Reading Center – book review of Inanna Phantom – Volume III / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:
Win 1 of 5 print book of Hawk MacKinney's INANNA PHANTOM
1 of 5 ebook of Hawk MacKinney's INANNA PHANTOM, 
or a $20 Amazon Gift Card 
(open USA and Canada) 
(11 winners) 
(ends 2/21/2020)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


 

2.04.2020

The Nutcracker Conspiracy ~ Spotlight



"Steps up several levels into an exciting category all its own. It's a 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 20 to Feb 28, 2020!


Book Details:

Book TitleThe 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:

 “13”


Check Out These Other Thorny Rose Mysteries:

"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 strikeout 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?
 Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Audible
Add to Goodreads

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.



Buy the Book:
Amazon
Add to Goodreads



Meet the Author:

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.

Connect with the author: 
Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~  Instagram


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
Jan 20 - redpillows - book spotlight / guest post
Jan 21 - My Reading Journeys – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / author interview / giveaway
Jan 21 - Rockin' Book Reviews – series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 22 - Jypsylynn – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Jan 22 - eBook Addicts – series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 23 - Olio by Marilyn – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Jan 23 – Leels Loves Books – book review of A Fine Year for Murder
Jan 24 - Bookmark and fork  - book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Jan 27 - Christa Reads and Writes – book review of Murder by Perfection
Jan 28 - Bound 4 Escape – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Jan 29 - 411 on Books, Authors, and Publishing News – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Jan 30 - Library of Clean Reads – series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 30 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of Kill and Run / giveaway
Jan 30 - 411 on Books, Authors, and Publishing News – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Jan 31 - fundinmental – series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 31 - redpillows - series spotlight
Feb 3 - b for bookreview – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 3 - Cassidy's Bookshelves – book review of the Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 4 - Christa Reads and Writes – book review of the Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 4 - Blooming with Books - book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 5 - Leels Loves Books – book review of Murder by Perfection
Feb 5 - Celticlady's Reviews – series spotlight / giveaway
Feb 6 - Dab of Darkness Book Reviews – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / author interview / giveaway
Feb 7 - Rockin' Book Reviews – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Feb 7 - Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Murder by Perfection
Feb 10 - Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 11 - Laura`s Interests – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Feb 11 - eBook Addicts - book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 12 – FUONLYKNEW – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 12 - Leels Loves Books – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 13 - Casia's Corner – book review of Kill and Run
Feb 13 - I'm All About Books – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 14 - Pause for Tales – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 17 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
Feb 18 - Bookmark and fork  - series spotlight / giveaway
Feb 19 - JBronder Book Reviews – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Feb 19 - Literary Flits – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 20 - Svetlana's reads and views – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 21 - Divas With A Purpose – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post
Feb 24 - Laura`s Interests – series spotlight / giveaway
Feb 24 - My Devotional Thoughts – series spotlight
Feb 25 - Peaceful Pastime – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 25 - Svetlana's reads and views – series spotlight
Feb 26 - Mystery Suspense Reviews – book spotlight of the Nutcracker Conspiracy / author interview
Feb 26 - Celticlady's Reviews – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Feb 26 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Feb 26 –fundinmental – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 27 - My Devotional Thoughts – book review / author interview / giveaway
Feb 27 - Read and Review - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 28 - Nighttime Reading Center – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 28 - Casia's Corner – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 28 - Adventurous Jessy – book review of the Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway


Enter the Giveaway: