October 27, 2016

Susan Furlong - Cozy Mystery Author Spotlight, Interview and Giveaway


I am going to be hosting a number of cozy mystery authors on my blog for the next two months. If you have not had the pleasure of enjoying a cozy mystery I encourage you to do so. The cozy mystery industry as a whole is in danger of being lost as the publishers are ending a number of series. Please note that not all series I will be sharing are in danger. There are many that will be continuting on as normal. I just wanted to do my part to make everyone aware of this genre as a whole. 

Today I will be showcasing Susan Furlong


About this author:
Susan is a mystery writer living in the Midwest. She writes the Georgia Peach Mysteries (Penguin Random House) and also penned books four and five the New York Times bestselling Novel Ideas Mysteries, written as Lucy Arlington.

Watch for Susan’s new suspense novels, featuring a female MP/dog handler, coming in 2018 from Kensington Books.


Where to follow this author;
Twitter: @foulplayauthor


Interview:
1.Who or what inspired you to start writing?
I used to be a teacher, but when our first child--our son--was born, I wanted to be home with him, so I started writing to supplement my income. I worked as a translator and a contracted content/academic writer for many, many years. I started writing fiction in 2010. I began with short stories and eventually worked up to novels. My first novel was published in 2013 by a small press.

2. What do you do to help you get over writer's block?
Some days the words just flow. Other days, each word is an effort. On those days, I simply keep typing. That’s the only way I know to overcome writer’s block.

3. Do you have scheduled writing time or a certain amount of words you write each day?
I write full time, 6-8 hours each weekday. And sometimes on weekends, depending on my deadline schedule.

4. How did you choose this genre to write?
I read mysteries, so writing mysteries comes naturally to me.

5. Where do you get your ideas for your books?
My agent—who’s smart as a whip and very creative—often helps me brainstorm and develop ideas. She’s excellent at coming up with titles, too.

6. When you are not writing what do you like to do?
I love spending time with family: large meals, games, picnics, watching movies, or simply just hanging out together. I also like martial arts, shooting guns, hiking, fishing, kayaking, gardening, and just about anything outdoors.

7. What one piece of advice would you like to give to aspiring writers?
Discipline is key to being a professional writer. You have to be prepared to write through whatever life throws your way: illness, loss … stressful and difficult times. Sometimes the words are difficult, seemingly impossible even, but you have to keep pounding them out.

8. If you could visit anywhere in the world where would you like to visit?
Ireland

9. Five interesting facts about yourself
I can do the splits, both ways.
I can’t carry a tune, but I sing anyway. Loudly.
I love Twizzlers.
I’m not much for ‘small talk’.
I don’t like crowds.

What did I learn about this author:
Susan writes for at least six hours a day. She likes to going hiking, shoot guns and spend time outdoors. Her advice to writers is to use discipline to stay focused. Like me she does not like crowds. What did you learn about her?

Giveaway:
This giveaway is for the US only. The winner will be drawn randomly via rafflecopter. Once the winner has been drawn they will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond. If you do not respond a new winner will be chosen. It is mandatory that you leave a comment on this post. This will be verfied and if you do not leave a comment then your entry will be thrown out. Thank you and good luck.
Prize: There will be two winners for this giveaway. One winner will get their choice of Off the Books or Played by the Book and the other winner will get their choice of Rest in Peach or Peaches and Scream
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stayed tuned for the next author!

Blanche Manos - Cozy Mystery Author Spotlight and Interview


I am going to be hosting a number of cozy mystery authors on my blog for the next two months. If you have not had the pleasure of enjoying a cozy mystery I encourage you to do so. The cozy mystery industry as a whole is in danger of being lost as the publishers are ending a number of series. Please note that not all series I will be sharing are in danger. There are many that will be continuting on as normal. I just wanted to do my part to make everyone aware of this genre as a whole. 

Today I will be showcasing Blanche Manos


About this author:
It may seem strange to some that a mild-mannered kindergarten teacher would become an author of cozy mysteries, but it’s actually a good fit. A teacher is a word crafter. So is a writer. A teacher wants the efforts of her labor to have a positive outcome. So does a writer. A teacher prays and hopes that each student has a positive take-away from her work. A writer hopes that for her readers too. A teacher would like each of the children in her classroom to achieve a satisfying life. Although she can’t control that, as a writer she can control the way her books conclude!
A native Oklahoman, Blanche has a deep familiarity with the Sooner state, so it’s the logical setting for her books. Her Cherokee heritage and feeling at home in the rural settings of Oklahoma are vividly woven into the background fabric of her books. She has two cozy mystery series: the Darcy & Flora mother-daughter sleuthing team, and the Nettie “Ned” McNeil series.


Where to follow this author:


Interview:
1. Who or what inspired you to start writing?
My mother inspired me to write. She read a lot, to herself and aloud, to us children. She encouraged me to write and keep at it.

2. What do you do to help you get over writer's block?
When I hit a writer's block, I just keep writing. This may seem odd, but if I let the writer's block get the upper hand, I would never write again. However, if I keep pegging away, the characters sort of take over and tell the story themselves.

3. Do you have scheduled writing time or a certain amount of words you write each day?
I don't have a scheduled time to write although I've found I get my best ideas early of a morning. Sometimes I write in snatches; sometimes, I sit down at the computer and lose myself for several hours.

4. Where do you get your ideas for your books?
Ideas come to me from more than one direction. People are interesting and each person has a story. I sometimes hear something that I can change a bit, tweak, and use in a story. News stories, history, old family tales--all these are fertile soil in which the seed of a story can grow.

5. When you are not writing what do you like to do?
When I'm not writing, I enjoy painting, reading, visiting with friends, and spending time with my grandchildren, not necessarily in that order.

6. What one piece of advice would you like to give to aspiring writers?
The one piece of advice I would give writers is do not give up! You are not defeated, ever, unless you give up.

7. Who is your favorite author or book that you would like to recommend to your readers?
My favorite mystery writer was Mary Roberts Rinehart. She was from an earlier era but her mysteries can still give me a good case of the shivers. If you haven't read The Red Lamp by Miss Rinehart, I'd recommend you do. However, don't read it during a thunderstorm with lightning flashing, thunder rolling, and trees bending double! I speak from experience.

8. If you could visit anywhere in the world where would you like to visit?
If I could visit any place in the world, it would be Ireland. I was privileged to spend a week there a couple of years ago and just scratched the surface of places I wanted to see. It is a magical, beautiful place that I saw once but it stayed in my heart forever.

9. Five interesting facts about yourself
Five interesting facts about myself? That's a hard one. I love nature and history. It is hard for me to let go of places and people I love. Even though I am a retired kindergarten teacher, I like to read and write cozy mysteries. Some people think that's strange; I don't. Owls are my favorite bird. I try to incorporate my Christian beliefs into my writing.


What did I learn about this author:
She gets her ideas from many different places then tweaks them to fit her story. She enjoys painting in her spare time. Owls are her favorite bird and she would love to travel back to Ireland again. What did you learn about her. 



Note from the author:
Three years ago, I began a readers' and writers' critique group in my home. We meet twice a month. We talk about what we like and dislike in a story. We read and listen to each other's writings and our suggestions are given in a gentle manner. Three of the women in the group are published writers; some are artists. One is a voracious reader and her insight into a good book or a not so good book is greatly appreciated.

So far, I've written five books. The Cemetery Club, Grave Shift, Best Left Buried and my newest book, Grave Heritage follow the lives of a mother and daughter sleuth team, Darcy Campbell and Flora Tucker, who just happen to get caught up in mysterious happenings in their home town.

The fifth book, Moonlight Can Be Murder features a past middle-age protagonist, Ned McNeil who inherits a Victorian house and a murder mystery that goes along with it.

Stay tuned for the next author!






A Night of Great Joy by Mary Engelbreit - Review

I chose to review this book voluntarily

Published: October 4, 2016
Number of pages: 32
Genre: Children's Holiday

Synopsis:
Mary Engelbreit presents A Night of Great Joy, a delightful picture book that celebrates the joyful season of Christmas. This book tells the story of the nativity through the performance of a children’s Christmas pageant. With adorable illustrations and simple storytelling, Engelbreit paints a wonderful picture of the night that Jesus was born.

A Night of Great Joy recalls that fateful night with wonder and awe. From the arrival of Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem to the gathering of many before the baby Jesus, this holiday treasure leads children through the tale of the birth of Jesus, guiding them with the star of Bethlehem.

Mary Engelbreit, New York Times bestselling illustrator of the blockbuster Christmas classic The Night Before Christmas, brings readers a new holiday picture book that’s sure to become a family favorite.

My thoughts:
I have always loved looking at Mary Engelbreit's drawings but have not had a chance to read one of her books until now. I was impressed with the book as a whole. This was the story of Jesus birth. What I liked about the drawings was the bright colors and the details. She made the Christmas play look just as it would if you were at your church watching it. There are kids that are not happy with each other and kids being kids. She did a good job of bringing life to the pages. It is a quick telling of a timeless story.

About the author:
Mary Engelbreit grew up studying the illustrations in the vintage storybooks of her mother’s own childhood, and she developed a unique style that harkens back to those simpler times. Mary’s distinctive images have made her a celebrity to millions, who eagerly snap up gift items, calendars, books, fabrics, and more. Mary’s dearest wish has always been to illustrate for children. Her New York Times bestselling The Night Before Christmas is already part of the holiday tradition for families across the country.

A Royal Christmas to Remember by Jeanna Young & Jacqueline Johnson - Review

I chose to review this book voluntarily

Published: October 11, 2016
Number of pages: 32
Genre: Children's Holiday
Series: The Princess Parables

Synopsis:
With the arrival of the most spectacular winter in years and Christmas only a night away, Princesses Joy, Grace, Faith, Charity, and Hope find themselves in the midst of a scene right out of a holiday fairytale in this newest adventure in the Princess Parables series A Royal Christmas to Remember. But then the threat of bandits in the village lead the king away from the castle on Christmas Eve! Suddenly, the bandits come crashing into the castle. Praying to God for courage and safety, the princesses are soon rescued by five brave knights and then do some rescuing themselves. The next day, the princesses go to the village to see how they can be of help to the people, discovering that the true meaning of Christmas is honoring and giving glory for the greatest gift of all.

My thoughts:
This is one of the cutest Christmas books for little girls I have read this season. I loved the drawings as they came alive off the pages, with the bright colors and crisp details. This is the story of five princess sisters who learn the value of helping others.  I liked the way the message of helping others comes across in this story. The authors did a good job of getting it across so kids can understand it. 

About the authors and illustrator:
Jeanna Stolle Young is a daughter of the king that lives in Southern California with her dashing husband, Bruce, her two sweet princesses, Danika and Emmalynn, and two daring princes, Christian and Kenton. God gave her the vision for this series that has caused her faith to grow through watching Him work. She has a passion for moms of princesses and knights training up the next generation for Christ. She is a speaker and blogger at www.theprincessparables.com

This book is the 13th book in the Princess Parables Series.

Jacqueline Kinney Johnson
is a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians located on the Colombian border in Central America. The vision for The Princess Parable Series was born in these jungles. She is the wife of Pastor Ralph Johnson and the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three princesses, Catherine, Alexandra Grace, and Megan Joy and four young knights, Zack, Payton, Maverick, and Christopher. She delights in stirring young hearts and imaginations with Godly character and the certainty of becoming a child of the King for eternity. Her passion is mentoring and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. She lives in a castle perched high on a hill above the Pacific Ocean in Southern California.

Omar Aranda
studied Fine Arts in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he was born. Many top publishers and companies worldwide have commissioned him for projects including story artwork, comics, and character design. He started his career as an artistic painter but now devotes all of his time to illustrations for children's products.

Christian's Hope by Ervin R. Stutzman - Review

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: October 11, 2016
Number of pages: 302
Genre: Amish Fiction
Series; Return to Northkill #3

Synopsis:
When Christian Hochstetler returns to the Amish after seven years in captivity, he finds that many things have shifted.

Captured as a child during the French and Indian War, Christian has spent much of his life among Native Americans, who cared for him and taught him their ways. Now that Christian is home, his father wants him to settle back into their predictable Amish life of farming, and Christian's budding friendship with Orpha Rupp beckons him to stay as well.

Yet Christian feels restless, and he misses his adoptive Native American family---who raised him as their own son. When faced with a life-altering decision, will Christian choose the Amish identity that his father desires for him? Or will he depart from his family and faith community yet again?

Christian's Hope tells the story of the younger brother of Joseph and son of Jacob, whom readers have come to love in the first two books in the Return to Northkill series. Based on actual events and written by a descendant of the Hochstetler family,Christian's Hope brings the sweeping epic of the Return to Northkill series to a soul-stirring end.

My thoughts:
This book was interesting to me. I can not imagine what Christian was going through after having lived with the Native American for many years and then returning to the Amish. I can only imagine that it was hard to return to Amish life after that as things were so different between the two worlds. Christian had a lot to deal with - wanting to return to his adopted family yet wanting to stay in the Amish world. I like that this entire story is based on actual events. It gives us a glimpse into what some people had to actually go through. I thought the author did a good job of not only capturing the time and place of the story but the emotions felt by the characters. They were well devloped. This is the third book in this series and I have not read the first two but I was able to keep up with the story line. I wish I would have found this author with book one as he has me wanting to know more. So I will be going back to the rest of the series. 

About the author:
Ervin R. Stutzman is author of Jacob's Choice,Joseph's Dilemma, Tobias of the Amish, and Emma,A Widow Among the Amish. Born into an Amish home in Kalona, Iowa, Stutzman based the Return to Northkill series on the life of his ancestor, Jacob Hochstetler. He has been featured on TLC's Who Do You Think You Are?

October 26, 2016

:30 Seconds Before by Chrys Fey - Spotlight


Title: 30 Seconds Before
Prequel to 30 Seconds
Genre: Mainstream Thriller
Page Count: 60 (novella)

BLURB: 
Blake Herro is a cop in the Cleveland Police Force. Ever since he was a child he wanted to do right by the city he loved by cleaning up the streets and protecting its citizens. Red, a notorious mobster, has other plans.

On a bitter December night, ten police officers are drawn into a trap and killed by Red’s followers. Blake wants to bring down the Mob to avenge his fallen brothers and to prevent other cops from being murdered. Except the only way he can do that is by infiltrating the Mob.

Every minute he’s with these mobsters he’s in danger. Around every corner lies the threat of coming face to face with a gun. Will he make it out of the Mob alive or will he be their next victim?

BOOK LINKS:


30 Seconds, the story that follows 30 Seconds Before, is on sale for 99 Cents. Get it at this discount so you can read the entire story from start to finish!

SALE LINKS:

BIO: 
Chrys Fey is the author of the Disaster Crimes Series (Hurricane Crimes and Seismic Crimes), as well as these releases from The Wild Rose Press: 30 Seconds, Ghost of Death, and Witch of Death. She is an administrator for the Insecure Writer's Support Group and heads their monthly newsletter.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Crafting a story that is relatable involves adding reality to the fiction. Look at the news, your life, your friends’ and family members’ lives, and see if you can use that to make your stories come to life. Even the smallest thing can make a reader smile and nod knowingly.

In 30 Seconds Before, there’s a moment when Blake is wakened by his cell phone and almost drops it on his face when he answers it. I haven’t personally done this, but I’d seen memes about it and heard that a few of my friends fell victim to this. I couldn’t pass up the chance for readers to say, “Omg. I’ve done that!”

EXCERPT:
One by one, he dropped his gun and taser to the floor. Then he headed straight for the kitchen to the cabinet where he kept a full bottle of bourbon and a highball glass. He grabbed the bottle, left the glass, and twisted the cap off with the goal of draining it. The first swallow burned his throat. He brought the bottle to his lips again and drank

deeply. After kicking off his boots, he lumbered up the stairs. In his bedroom, he sprawled out on his bed and drank until he passed out.

When Blake woke to his blaring cell, golden sunbeams were filtering through the blinds, throwing stripes of light across his bed, imprisoning him. He hadn’t moved an inch since the bourbon drew him down the spiraling abyss of unconsciousness. A groan clawed its way out of his throat. He plucked his phone up and brought it to his ear, nearly dropping it on his face in the process.

“What?”

“Herro.”

The Chief’s voice snapped Blake awake. “Sir?”

“Take a shower, have some coffee, and report in ASAP.”

Blake winced at the sternness in Chief Witten’s voice. He could probably smell the stale bourbon on Blake’s breath through the phone. “Yes, sir.” Blake heaved himself out of bed, showered briskly, took a couple of aspirin, and gulped down a cup of the blackest, bitterest coffee he could brew before strapping himself into his car and driving to the department. Chief Witten waited for Blake in his office with his hands folded on top of his desk and his face expressionless. “Have a seat, Herro.”

October 25, 2016

Madame Presidentess by Nicole Evelina - Review

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: July 24, 2016
Number of pages: 400
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis:
Forty-eight years before women were granted the right to vote, one woman dared to run for President of the United States, yet her name has been virtually written out of the history books.

Rising from the shame of an abusive childhood, Victoria Woodhull, the daughter of a con-man and a religious zealot, vows to follow her destiny, one the spirits say will lead her out of poverty to “become ruler of her people.”

But the road to glory is far from easy. A nightmarish marriage teaches Victoria that women are stronger and deserve far more credit than society gives. Eschewing the conventions of her day, she strikes out on her own to improve herself and the lot of American women.

Over the next several years, she sets into motion plans that shatter the old boys club of Wall Street and defile even the sanctity of the halls of Congress. But it’s not just her ambition that threatens men of wealth and privilege; when she announces her candidacy for President in the 1872 election, they realize she may well usurp the power they’ve so long fought to protect.

Those who support her laud “Notorious Victoria” as a gifted spiritualist medium and healer, a talented financial mind, a fresh voice in the suffrage movement, and the radical idealist needed to move the nation forward. But those who dislike her see a dangerous force who is too willing to speak out when women are expected to be quiet. Ultimately, “Mrs. Satan’s” radical views on women’s rights, equality of the sexes, free love and the role of politics in private affairs collide with her tumultuous personal life to endanger all she has built and change how she is viewed by future generations.

This is the story of one woman who was ahead of her time – a woman who would make waves even in the 21st century – but who dared to speak out and challenge the conventions of post-Civil War America, setting a precedent that is still followed by female politicians today.


Purchase Links

My thoughts:
What a more fitting time then now to read this book. Most people think that our current female candidate if the first woman to have her name on the ballet for president. This is not true. Victoria Woodhull was the first female to have her name on the presidental ballet. Just one of those things that our history books like to forget. Me being a history buff and having her just a little about Victoria jumped at the chance to read this book and find out more about this strong woman. She had to be strong to overcome her childhood, a bad marriage and then to run for the leader of our country at a time when women were not even allowed to vote let alone have their voices her in the political world. I thought the author did a good job of capturing the time and place of this story. She also made Victoria come alive off the pages. Victoria was such an interesting woman and this author did a good job of showing that and of making you want to know even more. I think this is a book that should be read by all to learn a piece of our forgotten history. This is a book I will be sharing and talking about for awhile. 

About the author:
Nicole Evelina is an award-winning historical fiction and romantic comedy writer. Her most recent novel, Madame Presidentess, a historical novel about Victoria Woodhull, America’s first female Presidential candidate, was the first place winner in the Women’s US History category of the 2015 Chaucer Awards for Historical Fiction.

Her debut novel, Daughter of Destiny, the first book of an Arthurian legend trilogy that tells Guinevere’s life story from her point of view, was named Book of the Yearby Chanticleer Reviews, took the Grand Prize in the 2015 Chatelaine Awards for Women’s Fiction/Romance, won a Gold Medal in the fantasy category in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and was short-listed for the Chaucer Award for Historical Fiction. Been Searching for You, her contemporary romantic comedy, won the 2015 Romance Writers of America (RWA) Great Expectations and Golden Rose contests.


TOUR STOPS:

Monday, October 24th: Kahakai Kitchen
Tuesday, October 25th: A. Holland Reads
Wednesday, October 26th: The Baking Bookworm
Thursday, October 27th: Doing Dewey
Friday, October 28th: Kritter’s Ramblings
Monday, October 31st: Building Bookshelves
Wednesday, November 2nd: Broken Teepee
Thursday, November 3rd: A Chick Who Reads
Friday, November 4th: Write Read Life
Monday, November 7th: Patricia’s Wisdom
Tuesday, November 8th: Hoser’s Blook
Wednesday, November 9th: Bibliotica
Thursday, November 10th: Back Porchervations
Friday, November 11th: Wordsmithonia
Monday, November 14th: Books ‘n Tea