Archives for February 2018

Hungry by Nikka Michaels

February 5, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Hungry by Nikka Michaels
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (34 pages)
Other: F/F
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Sydney Donnelly has poured her heart and soul into the bar she runs in an up and coming Portland neighborhood. When she receives a letter from the landlord that her block is going to be turned into expensive condos, she feels lost. Then a scheduled band cancels, but her friend and bartender, Mitch promises to find another group to play the show. When the band shows up, Sydney’s shocked, along with the rest of the bar when world-famous band Finnegan’s Wake plays her tiny neighborhood bar.

These can recover a person’s sympathetic nervous system uses adrenaline (epinephrine) to cause the muscles generic levitra canada to contract (sympathetic tone). On the partner’s side, this pushes the partner to feel left out, depressed and sour in the relationship too. commander levitra unica-web.com Wire Rope Slings and generic sildenafil uk Fittings – These are rope cables which are used to lift heavy loads in the industries. Other than the above-mentioned cures, there are also silicon implants to viagra 100mg tablet treat impotency. Natalie Summers, the lead singer and t.v. star of a quirky independent skit show on cable is talented, sexy and beautiful. She’s also a local, and grew up near Sydney’s bar. When Natalie and her band play a show that rocks the small bar, she also rocks Sydney’s world with her sexy, sultry songs. Will Sydney and Natalie connect or will they be left hungry for more?

Natalie’s only in town for a short time, but one night might be all that Sydney needs.

Sydney had a fabulous personality. I loved her assertive attitude as well as her compassion for the people in her neighborhood whose homes were in danger of being torn down and replaced by condos. She really cared about her friends and community. It showed in every conversation she had about wanting to protect them, and it somehow made me like this character even more than I did when I first met her.

I would have liked to see more time spent developing the ending to this tale. The beginning and middle had plenty of opportunities to shine, but the ending felt a little rushed to me. While it mentioned all of the things that needed to be resolved, it didn’t go into quite enough detail about them in order to make those scenes come alive in my mind the way they did in the beginning. I would have chosen a much higher rating if this hadn’t happened as I enjoyed the storytelling quite a bit overall.

The chemistry between Sydney and Natalie was really well done. The backstory between them explained why Sydney had such a strong reaction to Natalie the first time she saw her at Finnegan’s Wake, and their connection only grew more powerful from there.I don’t know if the author is planning to write a sequel, but I’d sure be interested in finding out what happens to these characters next if she does.

Hungry would be a good choice for anyone who is in the mood for something short and racy.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Love Game by Maggie Wells – Spotlight and Giveaway

February 5, 2018 By 1 Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Maggie Wells who is celebrating the upcoming release of the first book in her Love Games series, Love Game. Enter to win a copy of the book.

These successful professionals may know something about sex…but discover they’re clueless about love

She’s earned her position
Kate Snyder is at the top of her game. She scored her first national championship at Wolcott University in her undergrad days, and now she’s the coaching legend of the #1 college women’s basketball team. No one knows the meaning of the phrase “work your way up” better than Kate. So when the university hires a football coach trying to escape scandal—paying him a lot more than she earns—Kate is more than annoyed.

He just sailed into his
Danny McMillan had hoped for a smooth transition at Wolcott, but fiery Coach Snyder made that impossible. Every time he and Kate are in a room together, snark and sparks fly. Danny gets her frustration, but her pay grade isn’t his problem, right? When Kate and Danny finally see eye to eye, their sparks turn into something even hotter…and they need to figure out if this is more than just a game.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Kate yanked open her front door and almost dropped her beloved Tea-Rex mug as she stared bleary-eyed at the surprise addition to her front porch. An oversized shoe box sat on her “Come back after basketball season” doormat.

She toed the mystery box, then glanced from left to right, making sure no one lurked in the shrubs waiting to snap a picture of her bending over in stretched-loose gym shorts and a faded T-shirt. The warm mug curled close to her chest, she squatted and flipped the lid off the box with one finger. Breath caught in her lungs, and she blinked in surprise.

The shoes nestled in the folds of tissue paper were a swirl of outlandishly obnoxious neon colors. So bright, mere humans would need a pinhole projector to view them properly. She fell in love on sight.

“Come to me, my pretties,” she whispered, setting her tea aside to draw the box closer. The tissue crinkled as she pushed it back. “Where did you come from, huh? Shoe fairies?” She touched one neon-orange lace and sighed. “Are you looking for a good home?” She peeked at the label on the box. “Look at that. Just my size.”

Caffeine and nowhere-to-be-seen newspaper forgotten, she lowered the lid, gathered the box in her arms, and carried the precious foundlings inside.

Perched on the edge of the sofa, she stared at the prize in her lap. Her heart thrummed against her breastbone, and a giddy, bubbly rush of anticipation simmered in her veins. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had given her a present, much less one this heart-trippingly perfect. She bit down on the tip of her tongue as she tossed the lid aside. A girly laugh of delight rushed past her lips the second she caught a glimpse of the shoes in the light.

Hooking her fingers under the laces, she plucked them from their tissue nest. The box fell to the floor unheeded as she gave the shoes an impetuous little hug. She knew it was silly but didn’t really care. Let other women swoon over toothpick-heeled Jimmy Choos. She was a pushover for leather and mesh uppers with gel-filled insoles.

Setting one shoe aside, she gathered the tips of the laces to line them up. Her greedy gaze cataloged the number of eyelets and mapped the exact route she’d take through the tongue flap. It wasn’t until she reached for the second shoe that she noticed the words inked inside the box lid. The thick, bold slashes of black magic marker seemed harsh and sharply incongruous with the colorful gift.

DINNER? D

She stared at the message, the pricey shoe dangling from her fingertips and her heart lodged in her throat.

Danny.

She shook her head hard. No. It couldn’t be.

Or could it?

About the Author: Maggie Wells has a weakness for hot heroes and happy endings. By day she is buried in spreadsheets, but at night she pens tales of people tangling up the sheets. The product of a charming rogue and a shameless flirt, this mild-mannered married lady has a naughty streak a mile wide.

Website | Twitter | Facebook
Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance Tagged With:

Deep Sahara by Leslie Croxford – Guest Blog and Giveaway

February 5, 2018 By 7 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Leslie will be awarding $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Dear Reader,

You do not know me. Why, then, should you read my book? Let us start with the one thing you do know: that it is a novel entitled DEEP SAHARA. The Sahara, like the ocean, jungle and sky, is very large. So you will expect to come upon something big among the desert’s distant sands. But it will also be deep. And while this refers to geographical extent and remoteness it also implies emotional depth. You can then anticipate that the big thing will happen not only in that far-off place conjured up by the title but also within an individual’s most intimate being.

As might be imagined then, DEEP SAHARA advances through a man who, living in Rome, wants to recover from a nervous breakdown provoked by the death of his wife. Taking advice from a family friend he retreats to a monastery in the Sahara to prepare a book on desert insects and, more importantly, to find himself.

On arriving at the monastery the man is unable to summon up the Guest Master. It’s late at night and presumably all the monks are sleeping. He has to climb over the monastery wall, into its garden and make his way into the chapel where he will wait until morning.

But there he – and you the Reader – discover something unspeakable. All the monks have been slaughtered. Why? By whom? Can there be any question of this man, coming here so far from home to take stock of himself, remaining in the monastery?

A police chief urgently offers him safe passage. Numb and exhausted, he refuses. It’s an impulse he barely understands at the time. And it confronts him with the emptiness of the monastery, of the Sahara – of himself. He is facing his personal zero point.

Yet, over the following weeks and months, his solitude in that vast nullity is broken by a succession of encounters, all strange but somehow connected to him. Each appears to conceal some kind of secret. Even the insects he has come to study are deformed, embodying an awful, hidden reality.

The man is forced to confront the deepest mysteries of his own past. And through his discovery that the Sahara is providing the depths in which to find himself, the novel makes a reality of what a discerning reader might expect on first picking up DEEP SAHARA.

Recovering from a nervous breakdown preceded by the death of his wife, Klaus Werner takes advice from a family friend and retreats to a monastery in the Algerian Sahara to sketch desert insects for a book. Upon arrival, however, he discovers a fresh crime scene: the monks have all been slaughtered as they went about their daily routine. Violent extremists, active in the area, are suspected. Numb and exhausted, Werner declines a police chief s offer of safe passage.

Despite the shock of the murders, the desert seems to promise solace, a vast nullity against which Werner can take stock of himself and do his work. Yet, over the weeks and months that follow, his solitude is broken by a succession of encounters with travelling hermits, desert warriors, an attractive American paleontologist and others, all strangely connected to him. Each appears to conceal some kind of secret; even the insects he has come to study are mysteriously deformed, embodying an awful, hidden reality … Soon Werner is forced to confront the echoes of one of the darkest moments in modern history, and to come to terms with the deepest reaches of his own past.

Deep Sahara is as suspenseful as it is a subtle exploration of one man’s emotional resurgence, rendered sparingly and with great physical and psychological precision.

Enjoy an Excerpt

Prologue: Memoir

The front door has just closed. I’m finally alone in the apartment, using this morning’s stillness to begin the account I’ve been wanting to write for days. It’s a letter to myself after the battering I’ve received from the media – not to mention the anonymous death threats – for attacking our so-called “pillars of society”.

I need to sift through all that happened out at the end of the world, coming back to me now like some dream. For the Sahara’s a place of mirages you can actually photograph: palm trees, oases, expanses of cool water, silent cities – there, but unreal. Conjuring up the past, I want to reassure myself that all I claimed to have found among those shifting sands, on returning here to Rome, far from being the figment of my imagination critics allege, is actually the case: that the experience of unearthing – of understanding – what I have revealed has made me into a new person.

Silence holds heavy. The blankness of this page is as intimidating as the desert itself. Still, I’ve plunged in, covering the paper like a suspect instructed by the police to write everything down. And though I’m no criminal, I’m scribbling both as a release and for the reader I sense exists, but can’t identify. This I do know: it’s someone with whom the self I’ve achieved – as well as how I’ve done so – strike a chord. He’ll see me as the solitary figure I was, in a monk’s habit like a Bedouin’s burnoose, lost against the pitiless Saharan sky. And he’ll find me faced with coming to myself in that emptiness to which life had finally brought me.

Yet, writing, so much I must recall is painful. I’m concerned that I’ve little more than my memory – that mirage – to rely upon, especially after all this time. Nevertheless, I know I must set out fully everything that took place, to see what was actually so, for my own peace of mind.

That’s why I have set aside the book I keep telling myself I should be working on. I’ve no alternative now but to write and finally establish the full story of what happened in the deep Sahara.

About the Author: Leslie Croxford is a British author and Senior Vice-President of the British University in Egypt. Born in Alexandria, he obtained a doctorate in History from Cambridge University. He has written one novel, Soloman’s Folly (Chatto & Windus), and is completing his third. He and his wife live in Cairo.

Buy the book at Book Depository or Amazon UK.

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Mystery/Suspense Tagged With: , , ,

Kat Martin – Q&A and Giveaway

February 5, 2018 By 3 Comments

Long and Short Reviews welcomes back Kat Martin who is celebrating the upcoming release of Beyond Danger. Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Into the Whirlwind (print, kindle, or nook – US only).

Tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.

Beyond Danger is Beau Reese’s story. Beau is Lincoln Cain’s business partner and best friend. In the beginning, writing Beau as the hero was a challenge because Cain–six-foot five inches of solid male muscle, smart, tough, and a Texas multi-millionaire–was a hard act to follow. But in time I began to see Beau for the true hero he was. Beau is black-haired and blue-eyed, a marshal arts expert and former top racecar driver. He’s as smart as Cain and sexy as hell. Beau turned out to be one of my favorite heroes.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

It didn’t take long for me to figure it out. I was probably into the first hundred pages of my first novel, Magnificent Passage, when I realized I had found my calling. There was nothing else I wanted to do and I was determined to make it happen. I was a writer in my heart and mind from that day forward.

What is the hardest part about writing for you?How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

I’ve written over 70 novels. I’ve actually lost track. One of my favorites is The Secret, which was a Romantic Suspense about a Montana rancher. I loved the books in my Against series. There were fifteen in all, including the ones released as Into the Fury, Into the Whirlwind, and Into the Firestorm. My favorite Historical was probably Gypsy Lord, a book that really boosted my career.

How do you do research for your books?

I used to buy research books when I was writing Historical novels. Writing Romantic Suspense, I mostly use Google. I can track down police procedures and laws particular to each state. And I use Google Maps to find locations that work for scenes in my stories.

What was the scariest moment of your life?

Probably the closest I ever came to death was on a camping trip up in the Wyoming mountains. Snow on the ground, freezing cold. We had a little wood-burning camp stove in our tent, which worked great until the mesh over the stove pipe got clogged up. While we were sleeping, the tent filled up with smoke. Fortunately, the other guys in camp got up at 3 a.m. to feed the horses and get ready for the day. When they came to wake us up, our eyes were swollen shut and we were having trouble breathing. We would probably have died by morning. God was looking out for us.

Tell us about the absolute BEST fan letter you have received.

I got a letter on a book called Creole Fires, one of my bestselling historical romances. The letter came from Jack Pardee–at the time, coach of the Houston Oilers! Clearly real men read romance novels!!
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Say your publisher has offered to fly you anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming book, where would you most likely want to go?

That’s easy! Paris! The most romantic city in the world. I actually did set a portion of a book called Devil’s Prize in France and did research there for the novel. Would love to set one of my contemps there…. maybe someday…

Do you have a favorite quote or saying?

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” President Calvin Coolidge

What is something you’d like to accomplish in your writing career next year?

2019 is going to be an exciting year for me. I’ll be releasing my first hardcover Romantic Suspense novel. Until Midnight is the first book in my new Maximum Security series, which is set in the private security firm where Cassidy Jones works as a detective in Beyond Danger. I fell in love with Chase Garrett, the owner, and the sexy bodyguards and private detectives who work at The Max. I’m thrilled to be able to write their stories and I hope readers join me for the ride.

Beyond Danger is Beau’s story. Mega-rich, black-haired, and blue-eyed, Beau is gorgeous to look at, and flashy. He was an amateur race car driver, sort of a Texas Paul Newman, before he left the racing circuit. Beau loves fast cars and fast women.

He is also wanted for murder.

That’s where private investigator, Cassidy Jones, comes in. She’s smart and she’s no pushover, exactly the woman for Beau. Best of all, she’s determined to prove his innocence.

About the Author: New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in Anthropology and also studied History. Currently residing in Missoula, Montana with her Western-author husband, L. J. Martin, Kat has written sixty-five Historical and Contemporary Romantic Suspense novels. More than sixteen million copies of her books are in print and she has been published in twenty foreign countries. Kat is currently at work on her next Romantic Suspense.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound, Kobo, Google Play, or iBooks.

Filed Under: Romance Tagged With: ,

Saturday Seven: Seven books we loved and are giving away to you! #Giveaway

February 3, 2018 By 9 Comments

Today we’re emptying our bookshelves! Here is a list of seven books we’ve enjoyed, reviewed and are giving away (print copies, US only shipping). To enter to win a copy of each book, just click through to the review and leave a comment.  Drawings will be held end of business on Friday, February 9, 2018. Thanks and good luck!

1. Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine — our reviewer gave this 4.5 stars and said, “Stillhouse Lake is one of the most intense, edge of my seat books I’ve read all year. It kept me engaged and wanting more with every page.”

You know you want this one for your very own!

 

2. The Good Widow by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

Our reviewer gave this 4.5 stars and said, “Engaging, intense, and full of surprises, The Good Widow was an excellent read.”

Sounds like another great add for your bookshelf!

 

3. Tips for Living by Renee Shafransky
Our reviewer gave this 4.5 stars and said, “Tips for Living is a wild, rollercoaster ride of a story. There are infinite twists and turns that I never saw coming. The author’s relaxed voice only makes it that much easier to devour the novel.”

What’s not to like about that?

 

4. Immortally Yours by Lynsay Sands

Our reviewer gave this 4.5 stars and said, “Immortally Yours is more about people than the paranormal. It’s about healing, challenging perceptions and admitting when you’re wrong. It’s about imperfect people falling in love in the face of the dangers of assumptions. It’s about why it’s important to take the time to really listen to the person you love, even if it hurts. And, it’s about fighting for what you believe in. There’s a lot of emotional depth to this novel that makes it more than just a fun, fluffy and entertaining read. Ms. Sands has another winner and is an easy recommend.”

Like paranormal romance? Then you definitely need to get this one!

 

5. The Cajun Doctor by Sandra Hill

Our reviewer gave this 4.5 stars and said, “The Cajun Doctor is a wonderful mix of love, drama, family and hope. I sniffled when Daniel’s personal story arc came full circle. This novel touches base on healing, trusting and people who bring out the best in each other. It has charm, wit and totally engaging. Pick up your own copy and see why Ms. Hill’s Cajun heroes are all that.”

You know you want this one!

 

6. When We Were Worthy by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

Our reviewer gave this one 4 stars and said, “When We Were Worthy is a story of redemption, of forgiveness, and human nature at work.”

Sound like something you’d enjoy? Leave a comment!

 

 

7. A Tangled Mercy by Joy Jordan-Lake

Our reviewer gave this 4.5 stars and said, A Tangled Mercy is an informative and enjoyable trip through Charleston, South Carolina. The author paints an amazing picture of both timelines and doesn’t shy away from the less appealing parts of the narrative. The racism and horrors of life are equally represented in both timelines, making it an evocative and haunting story.”

Oooh… sounds really good! You should definitely try for this one!

 

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Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With: ,

Bitter Blues by Ursula Renee

February 2, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Bitter Blues by Ursula Renee
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (188 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Despite their different backgrounds, Randy Jones agreed to take Cassie Ann Porter for better and for worse. He never considered how much worse things could get, but he finds out after he returns home from serving in the army during World War II. Unable to find a job, he has to depend on his wife to support the family, which includes their two daughters, who at first refuse to have anything to do with him.

Cass works at the shipyard, one of many women employed to fill in while the men were gone to war. Her employer doesn’t replace her and the others because he can pay them so much less than he would men, yet she would like nothing better than to be a stay-at-home wife and mother.

When a good intention goes wrong, Randy wonders if he and Cass have made a mistake in going against society’s rules. Can the “worse” ever get better?

Oh how a new relationship can start out like sweet jazz. The swaying of your heart, and the rhythm of the emotions but then the tapping of life’s reality may eventually reveal to you how easy it is for the rhythm change the tune to the bitter blues.

After a long test, they discover a new version of traditional 100mg tablets of viagra ED medicine i.e. kamagra oral jelly. sildenafil price djpaulkom.tv Is erectile dysfunction condition a normal condition of aging? No. Many of order cialis online the time cancer lead to get later in hormones. These medicines are popularly known to return lost potency of achieving firm, thicker, longer and healthy viagra 25mg djpaulkom.tv erections needed for satisfactory physical relationship. In this sequel to Sweet Jazz, Cassie Ann Porter and Randy Jones are now married with children. Will they allow society’s convention on their marriage to turn their music to bitter blues?

There are many risk when one is involved in a mixed race relationship. There is a risk in losing their relationship with their family and friends, and possibly even the relationship that they may have with their children. It is a sacrifice but also can bring about a stronger unity to the family.

I enjoyed the author’s writing style, which includes small details that help the reader see and visualize the characters as well as the scenery. Cassie and Randy are likable character’s and they are also a lovable couple to read about.

Cassie and Randy’s marriage is believable. They are dealing with issues such as lack of communication, lack of finances and they also have a misplacement of love that bonding connection that comes after a couple has been apart.

I wanted Cassie to give Randy a break. He has a lot of adversities going against him. He served his country and now he’s home and isn’t able to be a provider to his family. Right now Randy’s focus is to find a job that will offer stability and support. His love for music and playing the saxophone seems to be what he holds on to but sadly in the beginning of the story he doesn’t even play. I am all for a man being a man, being that supporter but I also believe everyone should enjoy life and have something they enjoy that brings them happiness.

I wanted to see that closeness and bond of the two back on stage or even in their own home but with Cassie so scared to publicly acknowledge Randy as her spouse after all of the sacrifices that he has made to be with her. She has her family and loved ones but Randy doesn’t have anyone else. Not only does Randy feel less than a man in his own home, but to add to his worries his daughters do not have a closeness with him. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Randy. His love and protectiveness as a father hindered his thinking when he took his daughter to the nearest doctor. Randy’s eyes do not see color or racial barriers. He functions off of love and, though this is a good thing, Cassie doesn’t see the outcome as such. She is worried more about the repercussions or the outcome if their relationship is known publicly.

I don’t want to reveal too much of the story so I’ll say I did enjoy the book. I liked that the author did a sequel to Sweet Jazz so that the readers can follow Cassie and Randy to see where life lead them and how they faired. This is a realistic plot that a lot of people can relate too and even if they can’t relate to the characters and their position in the story they can learn a lesson of looking for the good in what people do, seeing their efforts and not just the outcome that couldn’t have been foreseen when they are doing something out of love, and not malice.

This is an enjoyable read that I do recommend.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

One More Promise by Samantha Chase – Spotlight and Giveaway

February 2, 2018 By 1 Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Samantha Chase who is celebrating the release of One More Promise. Enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win a Samantha Chase Prize Pack.

Dylan Anders is making amends
…to his family
…to the public
…to the woman who just walked into his life

Paige Walters must learn to forgive
…her busy father
…her bossy sister
…and the wonderful man she horribly misjudged

Ambitious Paige Walters is ecstatic when she’s hired to recruit musicians for a literacy campaign—it’s her chance to prove she’s got the chops to make it in the family business. When Dylan steps in, she immediately dislikes him and vows not to let the fallen idol screw it up. But as the work brings Paige and Dylan closer together, their attraction grows…and so do their challenges…

Enjoy an Excerpt

“Brilliant. Just brilliant,” Paige murmured as she placed her trash in the pail and carefully wove her way through the crowd of people in the coffee shop. Over and over in her mind, she replayed her clumsy act of knocking her stuff to the ground.
And that was after practically orgasming while eating a cake pop.

Okay, two cake pops.

She groaned as she exited the shop and walked toward the parking garage. Why had she agreed to go to coffee with Dylan Anders? Why hadn’t she stuck to her guns and had Daisy call him with an appointment? Not only could she have avoided making an idiot out of herself, but she also could have kept her previous clueless opinion of him intact and not have to deal with the fact that he was a nice guy who seemed to get what she was trying to do.

Other than Daisy, he was the only one who seemed to get what she was doing.

And now she realized she had a fascination with tattoos. Tattoos! When Dylan had first taken off his jacket, she was shocked and a little repulsed by the sheer amount of ink on his arms. But after a little while, she couldn’t help but keep noticing the artwork and found it to be…exquisite. Beautiful. More than once she had to stop herself from reaching out and touching his arms—which, forgetting about the tattoos, were muscular and sexy—and asking him to tell her what had inspired the choices.

Why? Why him? Why couldn’t one of her favorite authors have come in and talked with her like this? Why did it have to be a scruffy, tattoo-covered rock star who not only didn’t look the part of anything she was trying to do, but who potentially would also be a distraction for…well…her and probably any female in a ten-mile radius?

Although, she had to give him credit—other than the barista who handed him their order, no one bothered him. No one came looking for autographs or pictures. He blended right into the crowd. How was that possible? When she got home, she would do a thorough Google search and see what else she could find out. Yes. That’s exactly what she’d do. As charmed as she was by him—and she truly was—she had a feeling that part of it was an act to get her to agree to have him join the campaign.

But why? Why was this such a big deal to him? He wasn’t going to be paid for it. And really, compared with being in one of the biggest rock bands in the world, this was nothing. It wasn’t doing anything for him on a professional level, so why was he so anxious to be a part of it? What could he gain?

If there was one thing Paige prided herself on, it was being a good judge of character. And Dylan didn’t strike her as the selfless type. He had a swagger and a confidence that seemed in direct conflict with the image she was hoping to project with this campaign.

So was this personal? Did he know someone who struggled with reading? He was clearly well read based on what he’d shared with her, so she knew he didn’t have the issue. Someone who struggled with literacy didn’t read that many books in a three-month time span. Should she decide to work with him, she’d have to ask.

With a groan, she pulled out her keys as she approached her Toyota Prius Prime. Her sporty little hybrid was shiny and new, and she loved how she was doing something good for the environment at the same time. It had been a fight to get her father to install charging stations in the company garage, but he had relented and now…

She stopped and noted that her car wasn’t charging.

“Dammit, how could I have forgotten to plug it in?” Then she remembered how she had hurried in this morning and feared she was late. Honestly, it wasn’t the first time she’d forgotten. But as she stepped closer, she saw that was the least of her problems.

She had a flat tire.

“Dang it,” she hissed. With a loud sigh, she opened the door and tossed her bags in and then popped the trunk to get at her spare tire.

Then she really started to curse.

It wasn’t until that moment she remembered how this model no longer came with a spare but with a patch kit and a pump. Great. Like she had even the slightest clue how to patch a tire! She let out an aggravated growl and slammed the trunk shut.

“Everything okay?”

Great. Just great. Turning around, she forced a smile. “Oh…hey, Dylan. What are you still doing here?”

“I wasn’t in a rush to get anywhere and I got a call, so I decided to take it rather than be distracted on the road. So…what’s going on? Everything okay with your car?”

And for the life of her, she didn’t know why her temper chose that moment to snap, but it did. “Actually, no. It’s not. And you know why?”

Dylan was about to answer, but she cut him off.

“Because life sucks, that’s why!” she cried. “Or maybe it’s just me. I forgot to put my car on the charging station. Why? Because I’m too worried about how it will look if I’m three minutes late for work! Then—because that’s not enough—my front tire is flat. Flat! It was fine this morning! And my super-new, super-cute, super-efficient, great-for-the-planet car doesn’t come with a spare tire. Oh no. That would have been too easy. No, this car comes with a patch kit and a pump. So I have more trunk space, but now I have to figure out how to patch a tire!”

“I’m sure it’s not—”

“Do you see the lighting in here? My glasses? Do I look like someone who is going to be able to spot a hole in a tire and then patch it? Take the tire off and put it back on? Do I look like I even want to?” she asked, her voice going into the hysteria category.

Slowly, Dylan climbed from his car and walked toward her. “Okay, okay. How about we call AAA or something? Maybe they can send someone to do it for you?”

While it was a completely reasonable suggestion, it pissed her off even more. “Because I wanted to leave! I wanted to leave an hour ago! And now I’m never going to get to leave or go to the grocery store to get brownies and wine, so I can go home and Google who the heck you are!”

About the Author:
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary romance, Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan’s Return in November 2011.

Although she waited until she was in her 40s to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.

With almost fifty titles currently to her name, she has no plans to slow down. You won’t find her books with the erotica or paranormal titles, all of her works are pure contemporary romances.

When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.

Website

Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or iBooks.

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance

The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Fifth Course of Chaos by Edited by J. Alan Hartman

February 1, 2018 By 7 Comments


The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Fifth Course of Chaos by Edited by J. Alan Hartman
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Holiday, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (137 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Just when you thought it was safe to head to the table for Thanksgiving feasting, the Killer Wore Cranberry series is back with a fifth course of pure chaos!

The Killer Wore Cranberry has been acclaimed worldwide for its wicked combination of humor and Thanksgiving-themed mysteries, and this year’s installment is sure to carry on everyone’s new, favorite holiday tradition.

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So have a seat, pick up your fork and knife (on second thought, maybe not the knife) and get ready to have so many laughs it’s criminal!

Sometimes there are far more dangerous things to worry about on Thanksgiving than accidentally choking on a turkey bone.

In “The Capo-Clipped Capon Caper,” Sam Spad was hired by the secret service to find out who stole the White House’s Thanksgiving turkey. The only thing better than discovering the funny and creative premise for this tale was finding out that it exceeded every expectation I had for it. Not only was the mystery incredibly entertaining, the characters were well-developed and the ending made me grin. I never would have guessed that any detective would have to work so hard to figure out who’d want to prevent the president from eating turkey.

I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection, but a couple of them would have been better if they’d focused on a smaller number of characters. “No Starch in the Turkey, Please” was one example of this. It was about a woman named Emily who decided to reconnect with her estranged family for the holidays after receiving a strangely formal letter from her mother about her father’s declining health. She soon began to wonder if something sinister was happening to her family. The premise itself was fantastic, but there were so many characters running around in the plot that I had trouble keeping up with what everyone was doing.

“Turkey Underfoot” was told from the perspective of a cat named Misty. Her humans were hosting Thanksgiving dinner for a grouchy, elderly relative who kept narrowly escaping attempts on his life during the course of the day. Not only was Misty a funny narrator, her understanding of how human society works and why her owners were trying to kill their relative was so different from how a person would interpret those scenes that I couldn’t wait to find out how it would all end. This was such a fun twist on the typical murder mystery that I’d recommend skipping ahead to read it first before diving into the rest of this anthology.

The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Fifth Course of Chaos should be read by anyone who is in the mood for some truly creative Thanksgiving mysteries.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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