Archives for December 2018

Murder at the Mill by M.B. Shaw – Spotlight

December 4, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes M.B. Shaw who is celebrating today’s release of Murder at the Mill, the first book in the Iris Grey mystery series.

A picture hides a thousand lies… And only Iris Grey can uncover the truth.

Iris Grey rents a quaint cottage in a picture-perfect Hampshire village, looking to escape from her crumbling marriage. She is drawn to the neighboring Wetherby family, and is commissioned to paint a portrait of Dominic Wetherby, a celebrated crime writer.

At the Wetherby’s Christmas Eve party, the mulled wine is in full flow – but so are tensions and rivalries among the guests. On Christmas Day, the youngest member of the Wetherby family, Lorcan, finds a body in the water. A tragic accident? Or a deadly crime?

With the snow falling, Iris enters a world of village gossip, romantic intrigue, buried secrets, and murder.

Enjoy an Excerpt

The sound of the water was deafening. This stretch of the River Itchen was narrow, little more than a stream in places, but it was deep, and the current was fast, causing the ancient waterwheel to churn and splash and creak with unexpected ferocity, like a battlefield’s roar. Somewhere in the distance, church bells were pealing, fighting their way through the din. Five o’clock. As good a time to die as any.

Tying on the stone was easy, despite the darkness and the noise and the cold that numbed one’s fingers. Everything had been easy, in fact. All that fear, the stomach-souring anticipation of the act, had been for nothing in the end. Everything had gone exactly according to plan. So far, anyway. There was a symmetry to that, at least, the satisfaction of a job well done. One could even call it a pleasure of sorts.

Across the bitterly cold water, the lights of Mill House glowed warm and inviting. Through the sash windows of the Wetherbys’ grand draw- ing room, a Christmas tree twinkled. Gaudy and colourful, rising out of a shiny sea of discarded wrapping paper, torn from joyously opened gifts, it had clearly been decorated by children, as all Christmas trees should be. Few things in life were sadder than an ‘adult’ Christmas tree, tastefully decked out in themed colours. Where was the magic in that?

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The water was as cold as stone, cold enough to make one flinch. But only momentarily. It was time to let go. The river opened up eagerly to receive its Christmas gift, pulling it down into the familiar black depths with the cloying, greedy embrace of a lover.

Feet first. Then legs. Torso. Head.

Gone.

About the Author: M.B Shaw is the pen-name of New York Times bestselling writer Tilly Bagshawe. A teenage single mother at 17, Tilly won a place at Cambridge University and took her baby daughter with her. She went on to enjoy a successful career before becoming a writer. As a journalist, Tilly contributed regularly to the Sunday Times, Daily Mail, and Evening Standard, before turning her hand to novels.

Tilly’s first book, ADORED, was a smash hit on both sides of the Atlantic, becoming an instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. She now divides her time between the UK and America, writing her own books and the new series of Sidney Sheldon novels.

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Buy the book at Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Powells, or IndieBound.

 

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

Top Ten Tuesday: Wintry Reads

December 4, 2018 By 47 Comments

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Can you believe it’s December already? I feel like last winter just ended, and now here I am about to begin another one.

There’s something about this time of year that makes me want to return to books I’ve reread many times before. The weather in the part of the world where I live grows pretty cold in November and generally doesn’t warm up again until April.

We’ll soon be getting into snowstorm season, too, which makes spending a lot of time outdoors even less appealing to me. These long, dark months are perfect for reading, though!

I love the feeling of beginning that first chapter of an old favorite when you know everything that’s about to happen to a beloved character. It feels sort of like having a cup of coffee with an old friend in real life and catching up on all of the wonderful things have happened to them since you last spent time together.

This list is going to be filled with nothing but the classics, many of which are taught in school. Due to that, I won’t be going into detail about my choices like I normally do. I strongly suspect that everyone who finds this post has already read, or at the very least heard of, everything on my list.

1. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

2. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

3. The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry.
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4. Heidi by Johanna Spyri.

5. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

6. My Ántonia by Willa Cather.

7. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.

8. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

9. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle.

10. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

What do you like to read when the weather outside is frightful? If you live in a warm climate, I am a little envious of you right now and hope you’re enjoying all of that nice, sunny weather.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings Tagged With:

Still Standing by Marie Krepps, Aurora Styles, David Quesenberry, Garrison Kelly, and Larry Fort

December 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Still Standing by Marie Krepps, Aurora Styles, David Quesenberry, Garrison Kelly, and Larry Fort
Publisher: Hollow Hills
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Historical
Length: Full Length (178 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Hollow Hills presents Still Standing, an anthology of short stories and poetry about empowerment and healing for victims of bullying and harassment. The royalties from this anthology will go to Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit organization helping those in crisis.
Strap yourself in for an emotional ride:

Savage Beatings: An elf braves ridicule and abuse as a sacrifice for his homeland and people.
We Called It Azimov: A group of scientists come together to create a machine unlike any other. One scientist uses this modern marvel to satisfy her desire for revenge.

The Brave Blacksmith: The legendary Blacksmith must fight his own demons while confronting real enemies to save a sorceress from a dire situation.

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The Living Tree: An inspirational poem about life itself.

The past doesn’t always dictate what happens in the future.

The pacing of “Savage Beatings” was fast and exciting. I couldn’t wait to find out if the main character, Windham Xavier, would survive all of his violent encounters and find a way to protect his people. There were so many brutal scenes that this tale slipped into the horror genre at times. It wasn’t something I was necessarily expecting to happen, but it did fit the tone of the storyline well.

“We Called It Asimov” grabbed my attention immediately. I was mesmerized by the thought of a scientist using the skills she’d learned in her career to teach other people a lesson. The more I read about why she behaved the way, the more I wanted to know about what would happen to her next. While it did take me a little while to remember who all of the characters were in this story, I enjoyed it quite a bit after that point.

Within the first few sentences of “The Brave Blacksmith,” a princess named Tima lost everyone she loved. I was so surprised by this opening scene that I couldn’t imagine what might happen to this character next. The worldbuilding was handled nicely. Exactly enough time was spent explaining the rules of the society Tima lived in. I felt like i understood her culture well, and that made me want to keep reading until I knew how her adventures would end.

As someone who wasn’t already familiar with the characters in the universe that Aurora Styles’ “Buccaneer’s Beginning” revisited, I was glad to see her taking the time to briefly explain how everyone knew each other before jumping into the plot. It would have been helpful to see more character development in this tale in general. The storyline itself was well done, but I didn’t get a strong sense of the personalities of the people who inhabited that setting or how they were changing as individuals.

One thing I would have liked to see added to David Quesenberry’s “The Living Tree” was a more definite sense of what the tree represented to the speaker. At first I wondered if it was a metaphor for the creative process itself and how all artists and writers are connected by their desires to create beautiful things. The words themselves were beautiful, and I did enjoy reading them quite a bit. I simply needed a little bit stronger of a nudge in the direction of what the author was trying to say about the experience of being alive.

Still Standing should be read by anyone who has ever wished for justice.

Filed Under: Horror, Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Learning to Love by Jennifer Wilck

December 3, 2018 By 5 Comments



Learning to Love by Jennifer Wilck
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full (292 pgs)
Heat: Spicy
Rated: 4.5 stars
Review by Rose

Dina Jacobs is a single librarian who has never fit in due to her off-the-charts intelligence, frizzy hair and rounder-than-socially-acceptable figure. She left her past behind until she receives an invitation to her ten-year high school reunion, and all her insecurities return.

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When Dina and Adam run into each other on a deserted road, Dina thinks Mr. Flashypants can’t possibly be interested in someone like her. Adam thinks Dina is just the person to help him improve his reputation. Lies and insecurities force them to take a look at themselves. Can they trust each other to look beyond the surface?

What a fun book! Even though the book is number 3 in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone. I’ve never read the other books in the series and I had no trouble following the story at all, even though I could tell that there were past relationships with some of the secondary characters.

The chemistry between Dina and Adam is off the wall, and I loved Dina’s character! She is socially awkward, prefers books to most people, is a treasure trove of trivia that she spouts off whenever she gets nervous, and is a librarian. What’s not to like? Adam I had a little more trouble connecting with. He is a wealthy lawyer who is having trouble at work and seems, at first, to be a spoiled brat. I wanted to take him and shake him sometimes, especially near the end of the book.

The secondary characters, as well, were well-drawn– especially with Dina’s friends, they seemed like people I would like to hang out with. I also liked the way that Ms. Wilck brought in some Jewish traditions and experiences. Even though I am somewhat familiar with Judaism, I still learned some thing I didn’t know.

This is my first book by Ms. Wilck, but I don’t think it will be my last – I was very impressed with her writing style.

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

Becoming Magic by Michelle Garren Flye – Q&A and Giveaway

December 3, 2018 By 23 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Michelle Garren Flye will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What are you working on now? Any chance of a sequel?

I just finished National Novel Writing Month, and I ended up with a rough draft for the next story in my Sleight of Hand series, Magic at Sea. It will be the seventh in the series, and it was a lot of fun to write, so I’m fairly certain I’ll continue this series. I’d like to write another standalone, and I have a couple of half-formed ideas, so those will be in the works. Also, I’m hoping to publish the final book of my Synchronicity trilogy, Timeless, in March. Unfortunately—or fortunately—I also have an inkling of a fourth book in that series, which was never supposed to go further than three books. So we’ll see what happens.

Out of all the books you’ve written, do you have a favorite?

That’s hard because I always think my most recent work is better than all the others from a technical standpoint. I do believe my writing improves with each one, and I know my bookmaking skills have improved. However, I think if I had to pick a favorite, I’d probably choose Ducks in a Row. It’s not a true romance, but it has a depth some of my others don’t have. It actually got my favorite review ever, too, which read, in part: “I highly recommend this unsettling book.” It definitely has my favorite character ever in it, a sort of anti-hero who I loved so much, I had to write a sequel just so he could have his happily ever after.

If someone is brand new to your work, what book do you think they should start with?

Ducks would be a good place to start, just to see if you like my writing. And it has a sequel, Saturday Love (my favorite title), so if you don’t totally know if you like my writing, you can pick up that one without making too heavy a commitment.

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

Both, honestly. But mostly energize. If I had to choose any activity to do for the rest of my life, I’d choose writing, because even when it exhausts me, I have a real feeling of accomplishment, of having created something. I’ve heard some writers say they hate writing because they’d rather be doing something fun, but I have never felt that way. I love writing. Even when it’s hard.

What are common traps for aspiring writers?

I can only speak to the ones I worked through, really. I started out thinking the only respectable way to publish was to get an agent and wait for a traditional publisher to decide you’re worthy. This is certainly one way, but it’s not the only way. Self-publishing is worthwhile, inexpensive and much faster—or at least self-paced. I’ve worked with traditional publishers. It’s wonderful having a real editor to pick your work apart for you and make you think about it in a different way. On the other hand, a good beta reader can do that, too. I’ve never had an agent because my query letters suck, and I haven’t been willing to put in the work to make them catchy. I’d rather put that time into writing something real.

What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

I started out with a group of writers at Zoetrope.com, writing flash fiction and short stories. I consider all those guys—many of whom are much more successfully published than I am—friends. What the heck, I’ll namedrop a few: Ellen Meister, Myfanwy Collins, Susan Henderson, Sandra Novack, Lisa McMann, A.J. Brown and so many others. They’ve all helped me out with beta reads and reviews. Locally, I’m starting to get to know some really great writers like Joey Jones (Field of Fireflies) and Leslie Tall Manning (Upside Down in a Laura Ingalls Town). We’re hoping to start a group to help each other with marketing. And most helpfully, I’ve gotten to know Arjay Lewis, who in addition to being a very talented writer is also a magician and has helped me with the magic tricks I put in my Sleight of Hand series.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Be patient and learn to market. Because no matter whether you’re traditionally or self-published, you’re going to need to market your own stuff. Publishers only market their very top sellers, and even that is limited. You’re not going to get a 40-city book tour with your first book…probably.

If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?

I’d be a librarian. I’ve always loved books, and my house is full of them. I actually have my graduate degree in library science, and other than in my own office, I’m happiest when I’m in a library working with books. My dream is to someday own a bookstore and have an office in it to write.

What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

Making time for other non-writing things. Like grocery shopping and paying bills. Sometimes I get so frustrated with the outside world wanting to take chomps and bites out of my writing time. I’m notorious for forgetting mundane things like renewing my license plate because I hate taking the time to get my car inspected.

Does your family support your career as a writer?

My family is wonderful. I have an office just off the living room, so they get to hear the tap-tap of my keyboard a lot while they’re watching television. Nobody ever complains. My husband has been very supportive and tries to help me find new ways of marketing my work. My kids have grown up with my obsession, so they know when mom’s writing, dinner might be a little late, but it’ll get there!

Carole Barnes once believed she would make her own way in Hollywood, but those days are long gone, leaving behind only a dark, slimy secret that Carole has never shared with anyone. Now she hides in the bright sunshine of the Crystal Coast of North Carolina. As far away as she can get from Hollywood. But what to do when Hollywood comes knocking in the form of a sexy movie star?

Connor Wallace has everything going for him—looks, talent, a successful career—but what he really wants is to perform magic on stage. His love of magic leads him back to his mentor Walt Bryson. At first, he’s pleased when Walt suggests his assistant Carole produce a documentary of his transformation from movie star to magician. He’s worked with Carole before—but the ambitious girl who had a crush on him is gone now, leaving a beautiful, withdrawn woman.

It’s the perfect arrangement. Carole knows she can make a success of the movie and Connor wants to work with her. But as they grow closer, Connor determines to find out her secret. Can love overcome the boundaries of fear? Or will Carole’s past return to plague them both?

Enjoy an Excerpt

She reached for a handful of popcorn and her hand brushed his. When she turned her head and met the gaze of the same pair of clear blue eyes as those on the screen, her heart skipped a beat and she froze. For an eternity of a half second, neither of them moved, then he slowly turned his hand over and folded his fingers over hers. “Is this okay?”

“Yes.” She breathed the single word, then added, “And no.”

“No?” He raised his eyebrows.

“I really want some popcorn.”

“And I still really want to kiss you.” His eyes flickered down to her lips. Then he sighed and released her hand. “I guess one of us should get what they want, huh?”

About the Author: Michelle Garren Flye is an award-winning romance author of eleven novels and counting. Her short stories have been published by the romance anthology Foreign Affairs, Opium.com, SmokelongQuarterly.com and Flashquake.com, among others. She has served on the editorial staffs of Horror Library, Butcher Shop Quartet and Tattered Souls. Michelle has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is the mother of three and lives in North Carolina.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance Tagged With: , , ,

Where Do The Stories Come From by Vivian Kohlman – Guest Blog and Giveaway

December 3, 2018 By 10 Comments


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Vivian Kohlman will be awarding $25 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.

People often ask authors where the stories of a book come from. For me, it’s an easy question to answer. The ideas for all of the books in the Young and Privileged of Washington DC series include elements of my own life, or an external idea like one a song could trigger. The characters are mostly based on my friends and acquaintances, where the characters hang out is where I did (and for some, still do), and the stories almost always have a hint of truth to them.

Take, for instance, Flawed —the first book in the series, and hands-down my favorite. The story told in Flawed was inspired by one I watched play out in my twenties. Some scenes or dialogue are word-for-word what was said, and the locations are all near the same as where the scenes took place. Of course, enough was changed for the sake of a better story (and to protect the innocent!), but those who know me can recognize the fact from fiction.
On the other hand, there are parts of my stories that are inspired from songs, a person I met, or a dream I have. Yes, a dream actually started the story of book 3. I don’t write in an organized or planned fashion, I just start to write when a story flows into my mind. I throw it all “on paper” and then refine and fix it during the editing phase (which is multi-layered, for me).

In all of the books from the series, some parts are true, and others just inspired out of telling the true portions. Occasionally I post some of the muses and inspirations to the books on Instagram and Facebook, or on my website. This is both so that those who lived through the detail with me can relate to the story, as well as to provide insight to anyone who is interested.

I think we all have a writer in us, we just have to find the inspiration that will trigger us putting the words down “on paper”. Flawed took me a little more than a month to complete the first draft of the story. I literally spent all of my free time writing it down, as I suspect others do when the inspiration hits. It took another few months refining the story and editing.

That guy—the one that most girls would run away from—captured Kara’s attention and wouldn’t let it go. As expected, he turned out to be a player. So she cut him off.

But he wasn’t done with her yet. He waited until the memory of their start would have been forgotten—at least, softened a bit. Then he returned to her life, and captured her heart.

Finally blissfully happy, they fall in love and decide to make it official…until his past catches up with him and he destroys her again. But this is it…this is the last time she’ll fall for him.

And she keeps telling herself that until she almost believes it.

This book is for mature audiences.

Enjoy an Excerpt

I picked up my phone to check for messages and, well, to be honest I was using it as a way to not have to speak to whatever guy Dania left me with.

“Hi Kara, I’m Naheed,” a deep, relaxed voice stated.

When my eyes met his, everything seemed to stop. I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t hear the music anymore, and I felt like I was about to faint…I was mesmerized by him. He was gorgeous, but it was more than that. I felt his presence in my stomach.

He had naturally tan skin, dark brown thick and wavy hair, deep and large brown eyes with black eyelashes a mile long…and a slight under-bite that that instantly brought my attention to his full, perfect lips. He was so familiar to me, but I couldn’t place him.

I looked down to stop myself from staring and noticed that my bare, crossed legs were nearly touching his leg; we were very close—and he was slightly leaning in towards me. I suddenly wished I wore jeans instead of this short skirt. I felt exposed…and had to fight to keep my leg from moving to touch his.

The four words he said to me were echoing through my head…and I still couldn’t respond. I could only look at him…and I saw nothing else. I sat there in silence for way too long…unable to do much more than barely smile through what probably looked to be an unimpressed expression (I was good at hiding my emotions). …sometimes that came back to haunt me.

About the Author: Vivian Kohlman writes romance novels based on stories of love and loss under the backdrop of Washington, DC. She grew up in Maryland just outside DC, but lived in Los Angeles on and off in her 20’s before returning to the Washington, DC area to live out her adult life.

Vivian attended a private university in Washington, DC for undergraduate and graduate school, and lived a very active social life. During her teens and twenties she and her friends lived through a lot of ups and downs—these experiences have fed the stories of this series.

Currently, she loves to travel with her husband and reads or writes romance novels as often as she can. When she’s not writing, she works a fulltime job and enjoys all of the bars, restaurants, and other hot spots of the nation’s capital. Born and raised in the DC metro area, she adores the culture of the city and is passionate about highlighting the city’s attributes, lifestyles, and norms—not including politics.

Note from Author:

The book, Flawed, is not erotica, but does include some steamy scenes, and contains adult situations (curse words, drinking alcohol, etc).

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Buy the books in the series at Amazon:

Flawed, Book 1 of the Y&P series (Kara’s story, part 1)
Found, Book 2 of the Y&P series (Kara’s story, part 2)
Let Go, Book 3 of the Y&P series (Billi’s story)
Girls Like Me, Book 4 of the Y&P series (Ava’s story, part 1)
Guys Like You, Book 5 of the Y&P series (Ava’s story, part 2)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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