Relative Silence ~ Review

Relative Silence
By Carrie Stuart Parks

Piper Boone has withdrawn from the world and her family following a tragic loss. The Boone family calls Curlew Island home - an island that is almost exclusively theirs. But the island is cursed and so is the Boone family, at least that is how the locals explain all the tragedies that have befallen the family.

When Piper is at the scene of another tragedy the only thing that keeps her from being a victim is the quick reactions of Tucker Landry. Tucker is dealing with his own personal tragedy and his guilt. But there is something about Piper that draws him to her and if he isn't careful he might fall to the Boone family curse too.

Someone seems to be targeting the Boone family. Is it random due to their high profile and wealth? Or is it personal? Or is it just nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Piper is starting to come out of the fog she's been living in over the last fifteen years and she is determined to get answers and reconnect with what she has lost. Is she really part of "The perfect home on the perfect island for the perfect family"? Or is it just a fantasy her mother is determined to portray to the public while secrets abound?

Relative Silence is full of unexpected twists that will keep the reader in suspense. Who can be trusted? That is the question and anyone who may know something - well, let's just say they will be keeping their silence. This is one suspense-filled book you won't be putting down anytime soon. But be warned this is no cozy mystery.

I received 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:

A powerful family with dark secrets.

After a personal tragedy, Piper Boone retreats to her childhood home—a secluded mansion for the wealthy Boone family, who are practically American royalty. When catastrophe strikes, her family is put in the spotlight, and the line between victim and suspect gets blurred.

A forensic artist with his own haunting past.

Tucker Landry is drawn to Piper in the midst of the trauma, but the connections being made to her family might prove to be their undoing. With a hurricane beating down on the private island, there isn’t much time to find answers.

The truth will determine whether she lives or dies.

Blind Trust ~ Review

Blind Trust
True Blue K-9 Unit #3
Laura Scott

Eva Kendall happens upon a dognapper taking the prize puppy from the guide-dog training center in which she works. But trying to save Cocoa only results in her being injured.

K-9 Officer Finn Gallagher is called to the scene, but the scent trail grows cold with no clue as to who stole the chocolate lab puppy. Hoping that Eva can help them identify the perpetrator, he is disappointed with her scant visual description. But evidently, the dognappers feel that Eva knows more than she does because soon both she and her nephew are targeted.

Finn, along with his canine partner Abernathy are quickly in a race against time when the dognappers' demands are made clear, and they escalate their attacks on Eva. Attacks that are starting to take a deadly turn.

Blind Trust is the third book in the True Blue K-9 Unit series and part of the Love Inspired Suspense collection. This book could be read as a stand-alone, but it is part of a larger story, which is the connecting thread of the series. The K-9 unit is dealing with the senseless murder of their chief and the reason why it happened. And if you are wondering, no answers were forthcoming in this book, so stay tuned for future editions. This is clean-reading romantic suspense that won't keep up awake into the wee hours of the night unless you just want to keep reading. So curl into your favorite reading corner and escape for a few hours between the covers of this book, after all, can you resist this cover.


About the Book:

 A puppy stolen, a woman in jeopardy…

The next exciting True Blue K-9 Unit story

When guide dog trainer Eva Kendall stumbles on a dognapping, someone sets their deadly sights on her. Now she'll do anything to find her guide-dog-in-training—except admit her most painful secret to K-9 officer Finn Gallagher. But can Finn and his K-9 partner help her track down the puppy…and uncover the criminal's true motives before attacks on Eva turn fatal?

Tracking Game ~ Review

Tracking Game
Timber Creek K-9 Mystery #5
By Margaret Mizushima

First I'll say when I got this book I did not know that it was the fifth in a series but I did not have any trouble getting into the book. Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo are about to have a case on their hands (or paws) that is about to shake up the community of Timber Creek. The Summer of Romance dance is interrupted by an explosion - and explosion that critically injures a friend, leaves behind a murder victim, and attempts to destroy evidence of another crime. 

Every potential witness or associate of the victim leaves Mattie and Timber Creek police force with more questions than answers. But when one of their potential suspects turns up dead Mattie quickly realizes they have a bigger, deadlier problem than a killer in their midst. 

Tracking Game, for the most part, was fairly good. I'm not a fan of the ending or all the personal life stuff that was going on in Mattie's life. I think this is okay as a standalone read and to be honest I did not get attached to any of the characters or hints at what had previously happened to want to read any other books in the series. I like mysteries but I got clogged down over the personal life stuff so I actually found it to be a distraction. The mystery part was good and I did enjoy it and the who-dun-it was well concealed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Amazon's Vine Program with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.


About the Book:
Two brutal murders, a menacing band of poachers, and a fearsome creature on the loose in the mountains plunge Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo into a sinister vortex.

An explosion outside a community dance sends Mattie Cobb and Cole Walker reeling into the night, where they discover a burning van and beside it the body of outfitter Nate Fletcher. But the explosion didn't kill Nate--it was two gunshots to the heart.

The investigation leads them to the home of rancher Doyle Redman, whose daughter is Nate's widow, and the object of one of their suspect's affection. But before they can make an arrest, they receive an emergency call from a man who's been shot in the mountains. Mattie and Robo rush to the scene, only to be confronted by the ominous growl of a wild predator.

As new players emerge on the scene, Mattie begins to understand the true danger that's enveloping Timber Creek. They journey into the cold, misty mountains to track the animal--but discover something even more deadly in Tracking Game, the fifth installment in Margaret Mizushima's Timber Creek K-9 mysteries.

Stay ~ Review with Giveaway

Stay
By Catherine Ryan Hyde

The Summer of 1969 is one in which Lucas Painter's life is marked by change. First, his older brother Roy has been sent to Vietnam and through highly redacted letters it sounds like it is really rough. Then all his parents do fight - not just shouting but yelling and throwing things rivaling the war Roy is experiencing. And his best friend Connor seems more down than normal and his parents too seem to be the root of it. Lucas wants to help but he just doesn't know how he can.

When he happens upon a cabin hidden away in the woods he is more than a little startled to come face-to-face with 2 large dogs. Acting against his better judgment Lucas takes flight through the woods and the dogs are on him in an instant. Realizing that the dogs aren't chasing him but rather running with him Lucas soon makes a daily trek into the woods to run and release some of the stress that is tightening around him.

Stay is more than the title of this book as it also the overriding theme - stay is Lucas's way of asking those around him to find a reason to keep living, to not give up, to not succumb to despair. To fight for what is important and to be there for those who need you.

The majority of this book takes place during the summer of 1969 and the last few chapters take the reader to 2019 with Lucas looking back on the years just following that summer and his own decision in regard to serving in Vietnam and how it affected him for the rest of his life. Life is all about choices - some choices are right for you but not for someone else. The question one must when faced with a choice is are you willing to pay the price that your choice will exact.

I have not previously read Catherine Ryan Hyde's work and found it to be more than a little intriguing - she made me what to know what came next. I really liked Lucas and found his compassion, concern, and loyalty to be admirable. This is a book about the power of true friendship and how it can change everything when it focused on what is best for the other person and not self-serving.  Would make for an excellent book club selection.

I received 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:

An unforgettable novel about the power of friendship and kindness by the New York Times bestselling author of Pay It Forward.

In the summer of 1969, fourteen-year-old Lucas Painter carries a huge weight on his shoulders. His brother is fighting in Vietnam. His embattled parents are locked in a never-ending war. And his best friend, Connor, is struggling with his own family issues. To find relief from the chaos, Lucas takes long, meandering walks, and one day he veers into the woods.

There he discovers an isolated cabin and two huge dogs. Frightened, he runs. And the dogs run with him. Lucas finds unusual peace in running with the dogs, and eventually, he meets their owner, Zoe Dinsmore. Closed off and haunted by a tragic past, Zoe has given up. She doesn’t want to be saved. She wants out. But Lucas doesn’t want her to go, and he sees an opportunity to bring more than one friend back into the light. It’s either the best or worst idea he’s ever had, but Lucas isn’t giving up on Zoe or Connor.

Their unexpected connection might be the saving grace that Zoe thought she’d lost, that Connor needs, and that Lucas has been running toward.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About the Author:

Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of more than thirty published and forthcoming books. An avid hiker, traveler, equestrian, and amateur photographer, she has released her first book of photos, 365 Days of Gratitude: Photos from a Beautiful World.

Her novel Pay It Forward was adapted into a major motion picture, chosen by the American Library Association (ALA) for its Best Book for Young Adults list, and translated into more than twenty-three languages for distribution in over thirty countries. Both Becoming Chloe and Jumpstart the World were included on the ALA’s Rainbow List, and Jumpstart the World was a finalist for two Lambda Literary Awards. Where We Belong won two Rainbow Awards in 2013, and The Language of Hoofbeats won a Rainbow Award in 2015.

More than fifty of her short stories have been published in the Antioch Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, Glimmer Train, and many other journals, and in the anthologies Santa Barbara Stories and California Shorts and the bestselling anthology Dog Is My Co-Pilot. Her stories have been honored in the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest and the Tobias Wolff Award and nominated for the O. Henry Award and the Pushcart Prize. Three have been cited in The Best American Short Stories.

She is founder and former president (2000–2009) of the Pay It Forward Foundation and still serves on its board of directors. As a professional public speaker, she has addressed the National Conference on Education, twice spoken at Cornell University, met with AmeriCorps members at the White House, and shared a dais with Bill Clinton.

Connect with Catherine

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Instagram tour:

Monday, December 2nd: @simplykelina

Monday, December 2nd: @wellreadtraveler

Tuesday, December 3rd: @theliteraryheroine

Tuesday, December 3rd: @books_with_bethany

Wednesday, December 4th: @beauty_andthebook

Wednesday, December 4th: @one_more_paige

Thursday, December 5th: @thebookend.diner

Friday, December 6th: @beritaudiokilledthebookmark

Saturday, December 7th: @thats_what_she_read

Sunday, December 8th: @novelgossip

Monday, December 9th: @bluntscissorsbookreviews

Review tour:

Monday, December 2nd: Wellreadtraveler

Tuesday, December 3rd: Helen’s Book Blog

Wednesday, December 4th: Book by Book

Thursday, December 5th: The Bookend Diner

Friday, December 6th: Audio Killed the Bookmark

Friday, December 6th: View from the Birdhouse

Monday, December 9th: Christian Chick’s Thoughts

Monday, December 9th: Blooming With Books

Tuesday, December 10th: Girl Who Reads

Wednesday, December 11th: Run Wright

Thursday, December 12th: I’d Rather Be Reading at the Beach

Thursday, December 12th: From the TBR Pile

Friday, December 13th: Not in Jersey and @notinjersey

Monday, December 16th: @readingmama_reviews

Monday, December 16th: A Chick Who Reads

Tuesday, December 17th: Write Read Life

Wednesday, December 18th: The Sketchy Reader and @thesketchyreader

Thursday, December 19th: Thoughts on This ‘n That

Friday, December 20th: Palmer’s Page Turners

Friday, December 20th: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Monday, December 23rd: Patricia’s Wisdom

Giveaway:

Enter for a chance to win one (1) copy of Catherine Ryan Hyde's STAY

Open to those with a US mailing address

Must be 18 or older.

Runs December 9 - 15, 2019.

Winner must respond with US Postal Address within 48 hours or an alternate will be selected.

The address will be forwarded to the tour coordinator so that your book can be mailed to you.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

From Wild to Mild ~ Review with Guest Post and Giveaway

From Wild to Mild
A Dog in Two Worlds
By Sunny Weber

As a young puppy Kaya was stolen away from her home by a coyote named Maka who intends for this small defenseless puppy to be a meal. Fortunately for Kaya, Maka's mate Taina refuses to allow a puppy so similar to her own young ones to be a meal.

For two years Kaya lives as a coyote, but she is unable to kill to the disgust of Maka. But her new mother Taina encourages her to be true to who she is and not bow to the criticism and threats of Maka. With her friendship with her coyote brother (Gopher) and sister (Flower) Kaya has a home though she knows in her heart she doesn't truly fit in.

When Kaya falls prey to the feared humans, she is sure that they will soon kill her. But instead, she is offered kindness and love. When Kaya is eventually taken into a home she is also given a job - help guard the ranch and its residents from danger. Will Kaya soon have to protect her new family and home from her old family?

From Wild to Mild is told in two parts as Kaya moves from the world of dogs and humans to that of coyotes and wilderness and back again. Neither change is easy and Kaya is left missing what she has lost both times. Can someone who has lost everything they've known twice find a place that is their forever sense of belonging?

This is a good read that should appeal to kids who've embraced the world of chapter books and love animals. Though this book is aimed at middle-grade readers it isn't too juvenile for older readers to enjoy as well. I have to admit I really enjoyed this book and read it within a few hours.

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

About the Book:
Book Title:  From Wild to Mild: A Dog in Two Worlds by Sunny Weber
Category: Middle-Grade Fiction (Ages 8-12), 196 pages
Genre:  animals/pets
Publisher:  Pups and Purrs Press
Release date:   August 23, 2019
Content Rating: G

"Sunny Weber takes readers on a remarkable journey between two worlds as we follow the puppy, Kaya, struggle to live and grow with a family of coyotes, and then experience returning to her role as a dog living with people. In addition to exciting adventures, challenges, and drama experienced by Kaya, we also learn about the differences between the animals, and their very different relationships to people. As a biologist that works with coyotes and dogs, I appreciate the creative way Sunny distinguishes the two animals in such an engaging story. Highly recommended for young readers interested in dogs, coyotes, and the world through their eyes."
Stanley D. Gehrt
Professor of Wildlife Ecology
Extension Wildlife Specialist
School of Environment and Natural Resources
Ohio State University

"What a beautiful, heartwarming book!  Sunny incorporates the stories of abused and neglected farmed animals to bring attention to their plight. Sunny does a wonderful job of telling the story of Kaya, a caring and compassionate dog who is forced to confront her values and make difficult decisions to follow her heart or to fit in. Kaya teaches us to have empathy for all animals, regardless of their species."
Chrissy Dinardo
Development Director
Luvin Arms Animal Sanctuary
Erie, CO

Book Description:

Eight-week-old Australian Shepherd Kaya is kidnapped by a nasty coyote to be food for his mate and puppies. Instead, the loving mother raises Kaya with her own pups. But as hard as she tries, Kaya can’t completely fit in—she can’t kill prey or stay awake for night hunts. Why can’t she make herself a true coyote? Constantly criticized by her coyote father, Kaya finds support in her new mother and siblings. She also figures out how to contribute through teamwork with her brother and sister. Trapped by a dog rescue, Kaya re-enters the human world and learns the differences between how dogs and coyotes live. When freed to roam again, does she return to her forest freedom—or remain with her farm family? Can Kaya forever straddle between the Wild and the Mild?

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Sunny Weber has over 25 years of experience in animal welfare advocacy. She is a professional humane educator and believes compelling storytelling reflects her passion for seeing the world through the eyes of the animals she teaches about.

Real stories are Sunny’s key to making deep impressions on young minds, for the future of animal welfare lies in sensitive people who will have the power to alter the negative impacts of previous generations and bring about positive change for all inhabitants of our planet.

Sunny has developed educational programs regarding compassion, respect, and care of domestic and wild animals. She writes extensively on animal issues in fiction, non-fiction, and blogs.

Sunny lives in Colorado with dogs and cats. Their yard is a Certified Backyard Habitat for birds, squirrels, rabbits, pollinators, and any other creature with fur or feathers who wanders in.

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

Guest Post:

Why I Wrote the Pups and Purrs Children’s Humane Education Series

By Sunny Weber

Coming-of-age books try to address emotional and social challenges that all children face, beginning in the so-called “middle-grade” years (8-14). Children are buffeted in

overwhelming directions during their formative years. There are so many options and

expectations from society that often children founder in trying to discern how grow up to be the best they can be.

Despite supportive adults, some children learn to bury their insecurities under an inability to articulate discomfort. Children with unsupportive or absent adult leadership are even more hindered.

Children mimic the kindness or the cruelty they see and experience. In the case of the latter, they often turn to violent “acting out,” such as animal abuse. Animal abuse usually begins in frustrated, non-verbal, unsupported children in the middle-grade years. Around this time children first discover their own power over those “below” them in the family food chain, which are often pets. Multiple studies have shown that without intervention, animal abuse always escalates into violence against people when these troubled children become adolescents and adults.

My goal with the Pups and Purrs Humane Education Series is to provide fictional animal friends who experience what children do, such as bullying, ridicule, rejection, insecurity, and the universal seeking of acceptance.

By utilizing “first pup” (person) telling, I strive to help young readers see the world through the protagonist dog’s eyes, mind, and heart—thereby tapping into inborn empathy, before the world teaches that child to bury his or her kindness. Having the dogs go through conflicts young human readers may experience first-hand, I hope that my audience can see there are other ways to deal with frustration, trauma, and betrayal.

Finding your true self is difficult work, even as an adult, and beginning on the journey of self-discovery as an emotionally developing young person can be daunting. Challenges include decision making, taking responsibility for self, and dealing with the consequences of one’s own actions. These are crucial stepping stones to developing personal integrity.

I wrote my books to utilize themes addressing the myriad issues that children face as they bump into adulthood amidst the noise of events in their lives.

In my first book, The Dog at the Gate: How a Throwaway Dog Becomes Special,

protagonist Max is raised in neglect and cruelty. Isolated in a backyard, with only his blackbird friend to tell him about the outside world, Max tries to live vicariously with his ally’s advice. The only kindness he experiences is with his little boy, who is also neglected and abused—and unfortunately unable to be much company.

Max must decide what kind of grown-up dog he will become—aggressive and mean (as he’s been treated), or to seek out the love and acceptance he yearns for. Then he must set goals to accomplish his search, take responsibility for his decisions (both good and bad), and voluntarily reach out for help. Even after he finds success in a new life, he doubts his self-worth. When he faces an ultimate challenge, Max finds the courage to accept—himself as well as his next journey.

In Hurricane Dog: A Tale of Betrayal, Redemption and Change, main character

Gator is raised in kindness. With his beloved boy by his side, they save a puppy mill survivor with no name. They call her Magnolia, and the little dog blooms from hopeless to hopeful. At the same time, Gator descends into cynicism and bitterness, after both dogs are left during a Louisiana hurricane. Gator and Magnolia cling to each other through starvation, chaos, relocation, and emotional turmoil.

When faced with his nemesis, Gator must decide to either remain untrusting and angry, or to forgive and empathize with his perceived betrayer. The relationship between the boy Gavin and his puppy Gator spans into adulthood for each. Their bond eventually causes historically true changes in Federal Law regarding the rescue of pets and their people during natural disasters—illustrating that even seemingly insignificant boys and puppies can influence the world.

The third book of the series, From Wild to Mild: A Dog in Two Worlds, centers on the

main theme of the importance of searching for your true self. Everyone has inborn talents and interests and one will be happier if those traits are discovered and adhered to. Being true to yourself is crucial to the development of higher character attributes.

Kaya, a dog who is raised by coyotes, struggles to force herself to become a wild canid. But try as she might, she cannot take a life, and she can’t stay awake for night hunts. Kaya finds other ways to contribute and discovers the value of mother love and sibling companionship.

Her father, however, is an unscrupulous, bullying meanie who constantly berates her. He is incapable of seeing beyond what he sees as her failures. Early on, Kaya recognizes that her father has no morals or integrity. For a while, she is conflicted—she knows she should revere him as her father, but his lack of admirable characteristics negates any attachment to him or his ways. She knows she must go—to find her true calling and a place where she is accepted for whom and what she naturally is.

Max, Gator, and Kaya battle their own innate demons. I wanted to show children that just because you are born into certain circumstances, you do have choices in whom and what you ultimately become.

All children must leave their primary family and find their own ways—utilizing inborn talents and learning skills that fit their natures. Just as children grow up and must leave home to strike out on their own, Max, Gator, and Kaya face their futures—sometimes with courage, sometimes with trepidation. But they know there is no home to return to, until they finally find they are at home within themselves.

Theme: Work to find your true self; then be true to yourself. 

(The Development of Integrity)

Messages: 1) There are two sides to every story: learning to think analytically is

important. Learn to think through what is right or wrong and then stick to what you

think is right.

2) Everyone has a “true nature,” although discovering inborn talents and personal

interests can be difficult as one grows up, the search for “true self” is worth the

struggle.

3) One must have courage to remain true to oneself, despite push-back from

authorities, parents, peers, etc. You must beware of leadership/governance/parenting

based solely on bullying, propaganda, and overpowering dominance and the other’s

desire for control of you.

4) Disabilities can turn into abilities. Do not underestimate yourself or others.

5) That people should EARN your respect, not just expect it, because they are parents,

social leaders, work superiors, etc.

Book Tour Schedule:

Nov 11 – ROCKIN' Book Reviews – book review From Wild to Mild / guest post / giveaway
Nov 12 –  My Journey Back – book review The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 13 – Locks, Hooks, and Books – book review The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 13 - Blooming with Books – book review Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 14 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of From Wild to Mild / giveaway
Nov 15 - Svetlana's reads and views – book review From Wild to Mild
Nov 15 - Rosepoint Publishing – book review From Wild to Mild
Nov 15 – Jypsylynn – book review The Dog at the Gate
Nov 18 – My Journey Back – book review Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 18 - ROCKIN' Book Reviews – book review Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 19 – FUONLYKNEW – book review The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 19 - Blooming with Books – book review From Wild to Mild / guest post / giveaway
Nov 20 – Locks, Hooks, and Books – book review Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 20 - ROCKIN' Book Reviews – book review The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 21 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 21 - Svetlana's reads and views – book review Hurricane Dog
Nov 21 - Books for Books – book review The Dog at the Gate
Nov 22 – Jypsylynn – book review of Hurricane Dog
Nov 22 - FUONLYKNEW – book review of Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 25 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 25 - Blooming with Books – book review The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 26 – FUONLYKNEW – book review of From Wild to Mild / giveaway
Nov 26 - Books for Books – book review Hurricane Dog
Nov 27 – Locks, Hooks, and Books – book review From Wild to Mild / giveaway
Nov 27 - Svetlana's reads and views – book review The Dog at the Gate
Nov 28 – My Journey Back – book review From Wild to Mild / giveaway
Nov 29 - Jypsylynn – book review of From Wild to Mild
Dec 2 - Books for Books – book review From Wild to Mild
Dec 2 - Mystery Suspense Reviews – book review of From Wild to Mild

Enter the Giveaway:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hurricane Dog ~ Review with Giveaway

Hurricane Dog
A Tale of Betrayal, Redemption and Change
By Sunny Weber

Gator, a pitbull mix, was adopted as a young pup by Gavin and his parents. This is the story of Gator's life - a life in which he is betrayed. But before the betrayal Gator's life is one in which he is loved greatly.

Before Gator was abandoned to the ravages of a Louisiana hurricane he and Gavin were the best of friends spending every free moment together. And they faced the prejudices of those who couldn't see to the heart of a person or a dog - looking only at appearances. Along the way Magnolia, a rescued puppy mill dog joins them and becomes the joy in Gator's life. But when a hurricane destroyed much of where they lived Gator and Magnolia were left behind, by order of the government authorities.

Seemingly abandoned Gator refuses to trust another human, until he needs the help of someone to save Magnolia. Bonded Gator's appearance and breed work against the chances that he and Magnolia have of ever getting adopted.

Hurricane Dog starts out very nicely but as the story progresses (especially following the hurricane) one may need to obtain a box of tissues. This book touches on several sensitive issues without delving too deeply so this book is suitable for middle-grade children. This book is told over several years from the viewpoint of Gator's eyes as he undergoes several life-changing events that alter everything he knows. For those who are wondering this book does end on an up note so although there are moments when the reader is convinced that the worst is going to happen you will be satisfied when you get to the end.

Following the story, there are notes about the laws and efforts those concerned about animals have since worked to get put into place.

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.

Book Details:
Book Title:  Hurricane Dog: A Tale of Betrayal, Redemption and Change by Sunny Weber
Category: Middle-Grade Fiction (Ages 8-12), 221 pages
Genre:  animals/pets
Publisher:  Pups and Purrs Press
Release date:   Aug 8, 2019
Content Rating: G

About the Book:

Pitbull mix Gator and puppy mill survivor Magnolia are abandoned during a Louisiana hurricane. They suffer dehydration and starvation after rescuers take their people to safety but leave the pets behind.

Saved from their flooded house, Gator and Magnolia recover but remain homeless. Nobody wants a pit bull. Gator’s resentment festers into intense hatred for Gavin, the boy who left them to die. He vows to never trust again.

Transported to Colorado with other refugee pets, Gator and Magnolia face the uncertainty of a new life. Eventually, they are fostered by a kind woman who seems mysteriously familiar. Both dogs relax in their new lives until upheaval again throws them into chaos.

Overwhelmed by trauma, Gator and Magnolia cling to one another through change after change. Will they be separated? Will Gator forgive the Great Betrayal and love again?

What will happen to pets and their people in the next natural disaster? Can Gavin change the rules of rescue? Will Gavin and Gator reunite?

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com 
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Sunny Weber has over 25 years of experience in animal welfare advocacy. She is a professional humane educator and believes compelling storytelling reflects her passion for seeing the world through the eyes of the animals she teaches about.

Real stories are Sunny’s key to making deep impressions on young minds, for the future of animal welfare lies in sensitive people who will have the power to alter the negative impacts of previous generations and bring about positive change for all inhabitants of our planet.

Sunny has developed educational programs regarding compassion, respect, and care of domestic and wild animals. She writes extensively on animal issues in fiction, non-fiction, and blogs.

Sunny lives in Colorado with dogs and cats. Their yard is a Certified Backyard Habitat for birds, squirrels, rabbits, pollinators, and any other creature with fur or feathers who wanders in.

Connect with the author:    Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Linked-In

BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE:
Nov 11 – ROCKIN' Book Reviews – book review From Wild to Mild / guest post / giveaway
Nov 12 –  My Journey Back – book review The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 13 – Locks, Hooks, and Books – book review The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 13 - Blooming with Books – book review Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 14 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of From Wild to Mild / giveaway
Nov 15 - Svetlana's reads and views – book review From Wild to Mild
Nov 15 - Rosepoint Publishing – book review From Wild to Mild
Nov 15 – Jypsylynn – book review The Dog at the Gate
Nov 18 – My Journey Back – book review Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 18 - ROCKIN' Book Reviews – book review Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 19 – FUONLYKNEW – book review The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 19 - Blooming with Books – book review From Wild to Mild / guest post / giveaway
Nov 20 – Locks, Hooks, and Books – book review Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 20 - ROCKIN' Book Reviews – book review The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 21 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 21 - Svetlana's reads and views – book review Hurricane Dog
Nov 21 - Books for Books – book review The Dog at the Gate
Nov 22 – Jypsylynn – book review of Hurricane Dog
Nov 22 - FUONLYKNEW – book review of Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 25 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Hurricane Dog / giveaway
Nov 25 - Blooming with Books – book review The Dog at the Gate / giveaway
Nov 26 – FUONLYKNEW – book review of From Wild to Mild / giveaway
Nov 26 - Books for Books – book review Hurricane Dog
Nov 27 – Locks, Hooks, and Books – book review From Wild to Mild / giveaway
Nov 27 - Svetlana's reads and views – book review The Dog at the Gate
Nov 28 – My Journey Back – book review From Wild to Mild / giveaway
Nov 29 - Jypsylynn – book review of From Wild to Mild
Dec 2 - Books for Books – book review From Wild to Mild
Dec 2 - Mystery Suspense Reviews – book review of From Wild to Mild

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FROM WILD TO MILD by Sunny Weber 

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The Last Thing She Said ~ Review with Giveaway

The Last Thing She Ever Said

Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery #3

By Lauren Carr

Read by Mike Alger

Nearly 40 years ago mystery author Mercedes Livingston disappeared. Everyone assumed she and her husband George were the victims of a kidnapping gone wrong.  But Harper's Ferry has been hiding the truth about this cold case and now it is up to Chris Matheson and the Geezer Squad to clear their late friend in the decades-old case.

Can the Geezer's determine what happened after all these years? Putting their varied skills to use and calling on those they know they are convinced that they can discover the truth. But when Helen's ex shows up they have to deal with him and all the baggage he's about to dump on Chris.

Anyone familiar with Lauren Carr's other series will enjoy getting a few brief scenes with Mac, Archie, Joshua, Gnarly, and the political scene that is brewing on Spencer Mountain. Oh, yeah, there are some interesting developments in regard to Gnarly's mayorship and Chris's dog Sterling gets caught up in Gnarly's antics (in my opinion the best story thread in the book and worth a few laughs).

Let's just say Gnarly was at his best in this one in one-upping his political opponent.

With plot twists and a whole cast of suspects, this one will keep the Geezers and the reader occupied with figuring out just what happened all those years ago. But to uncover the truth they have to go back to the cold case upon which Mercedes Livingston's best-seller was based. And could the last words Mercedes Livingston spoke to Chris all those years ago be a clue? 

Get ready for some unexpected twists, betrayals, and political shenanigans in this newest addition to the mystery world created by Lauren Carr. 

I listened to the audio version of this book and the reading by Mike Alger is excellent. This is a murder mystery and as such, the reader should expect some violence and in general misdeeds that don't paint some of the characters in a good light. 

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. 

** Some readers might find some scenes objectionable due to content

so if you want gentle reads this isn't one you will want to read. 

Book Description:
​“I’m working on the greatest mystery ever,” was the last thing noted mystery novelist Mercedes Livingston said to seven-year-old Chris Matheson before walking out of Hill House Hotel never to be seen again.

For decades, the writer’s fate remained a puzzling mystery until an autographed novel and a letter put a grown-up Chris Matheson on the trail of a cunning killer. With the help of a team of fellow retired law enforcement officers, each a specialist in their own field of investigation, Chris puts a flame to this cold case to uncover what had really happened that night Mercedes Livingston walked out of Hill House Hotel. Watch out! The clues are getting hot!

  Buy the Book:
Amazon.com *

Add to Goodreads​​

Book Details:

Book Title:  The Last Thing She Said (A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery #3) by Lauren Carr

Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  386 pages
Genre:  Mystery
Publisher:  Acorn Book Services
Release date:   July 22, 2019
Formats available for purchase:  paperback, ebook, audiobook (audible and iTunes)
Tour dates: October 7 to November 15, 2019
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!

Meet the Author:  

 Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Thorny Rose, Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries—over twenty titles across four fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and two spoiled rotten German shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

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

BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE:

​Oct 7 – Working Mommy Journal – book review of The Last Thing She Said
Oct 7 - JB's Bookworms with Brandy Mulder – book review of Ice / giveaway
Oct 7 – Bookriot – audiobook review of Ice / giveaway
Oct 7 – Just Another Reader – book review of Ice
Oct 7 - Rita's Reading Room – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Oct 7 - Viviana MacKade – series spotlight / guest post
Oct 8 - Just Another Reader – book review of Winter Frost
Oct 8 - JB's Bookworms with Brandy Mulder – book review of Winter Frost / giveaway
Oct 8 – Amy’s Booket List – book review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Oct 8 - Rockin' Book Reviews – book review of The Last Thing She Said / guest post /
             giveaway
Oct 9 - Cuzinlogic - series spotlight / giveaway
Oct 9 - JB's Bookworms with Brandy Mulder – book review of The Last Thing She Said /
              giveaway
Oct 9 – Just Another Reader – book review of The Last  Thing She Said
Oct 9 - The Voracious Bibliophile – book review of The Last Thing She Said
Oct 10 – Librorum in Sempiternum – book review of Ice / giveaway
Oct 11 – It's All About the Book – book review of The Last Thing She Said
Oct 14 – b for bookreview – series spotlight / author interview
Oct 15 - Buried Under Books - audiobook review of Ice / giveaway
Oct 15 – Pause for Tales – book review of The Last Thing She Said
Oct 16 – Locks, Hooks and Books – audiobook review of The Last Thing She Said /
                 guest post / giveaway
Oct 17 – Library of Clean Reads – series spotlight / giveaway
Oct 18 - Library of Clean Reads – book review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Oct 19 – Bookriot – audiobook review of Winter Frost / giveaway
Oct 20 – Librorum in Sempiternum – book review of Winter Frost / giveaway
Oct 21 - Hall Ways Blog – audiobook review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Oct 21 - Words And Peace – book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 22 – Kristin’s Novel Café – audiobook review of The Last Thing She Said
Oct 23 – Mystery Suspense Reviews – audiobook review of The Last Thing She Said /
                 guest post
Oct 24 – Haddie's Haven – audiobook review of Ice / giveaway
Oct 24 – FUONLYKNEW – book review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Oct 24 - My Journey Back - series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Oct 25 - Blooming with Books – audiobook review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Oct 25 - StoreyBook Reviews - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Oct 26 – Bookriot – book review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Oct 28 – Sefina Hawke's Books – audiobook review of The Last Thing She Said
Oct 29 - Buried Under Books - audiobook review of The Last  Thing she Said / giveaway
Oct 29 – My Reading Journeys – book review of Winter Frost / giveaway
Oct 30 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – book spotlight of The Last Thing She Said /
                 giveaway
Oct 31 – Dab of Darkness Book Reviews – audiobook review of The Last Thing She Said
                 / giveaway
Nov 1 – Life as Leels – book review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Nov 4 – Books for Books – audiobook review of Ice / giveaway
Nov 5 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Nov 6 – fundinmental – book review of Winter Frost / giveaway
Nov 6 - My Reading Journeys – book review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Nov 7 – Haddie's Haven – audiobook review of Winter Frost / giveaway
Nov 8 – Literary Flits – series spotlight / giveaway
Nov 11 – The Avid Inspri – book review of Ice / giveaway
Nov 11 - Books for Books – audiobook review of Winter Frost / giveaway
Nov 12 – Librorum in Sempiternum – book review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Nov 13 – Celticlady's Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
​Nov 13 - A Fountain of Books - book review of The Last Thing She Said / guest post / giveaway
Nov 14 - T's Stuff – audiobook review of The Last Thing She Said / author interview /
                 giveaway
Nov 15 - The Avid Inspri – book review of Winter Frost / giveaway
Nov 15 – Nighttime Reading Center – book review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Nov 18 – Laura's Interests – audiobook review of The Last Thing She Said / guest post /
                 giveaway
Nov 18 - Books for Books – audiobook review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Nov 19 – JBronder Book Reviews – audiobook review of The Last Thing She Said
Nov 19 - Shalini's Books and Reviews – book review of The Last Thing She Said
Nov 20 - fundinmental – book review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Nov 20 – Haddie's Haven – audiobook review of The Last Thing She Said / guest post /
                 giveaway
Nov 20 - I'm All About Books – book review of The Last Thing She Said / guest post /
                giveaway
Nov 20 - Svetlana's reads and views – book review of The Last Thing She Said /
                giveaway
Nov 21 – Books Are Love – book review of The Last Thing She Said / author interview /
                 giveaway
Nov 21 - The Avid Inspri – book review of The Last Thing She Said / guest post /
​                 giveaway
Nov 22 - Adventurous Jessy – book review of The Last Thing She Said / giveaway
Nov 22 – SammieReadsBook – book review of The Last Thing She Said / author
                 interview / giveaway
Nov 22 -  Jypsylynn – book review of The Last Thing She Said

​

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!

​Ends November 30th, 2019

Prize: ​ Win a $50 Amazon gift card courtesy of Lauren Carr, author of 

The Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries.

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