A Chick Who Reads: March 2018

Friday, March 30, 2018

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Book Review: Shadow By The Bridge

Shadow by the Bridge by Suzanne Zewan

Publication Date: November 1, 2017

No Frills Buffalo

eBook & Paperback; 368 Pages

ISBN-13: 9780998881188

Genre: Historical Mystery

11-year-old Fritz Reynolds recalled his father telling him that man is the only creature who can find amusement in killing. Little did he realize that those words would become the theme for his teenage years growing up in the rural hamlet of Linden, New York. In this coming-of-age story, Fritz takes us back to a simpler time when neighbors gathered at the general store to listen to radio shows, drank barrel-aged cider, a,,nd worshiped at the Baptist church every Sunday. All was picturesque in his close-knit farming community until terror was unleashed on them.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

Review: Shadow by the Bridge is a historical mystery based on the Linden murders that happened in the early part of the 1900's in Linden, NY.

The first murder is witnessed by 11 year old Fritz, who runs from the scene of the crime in fear for his life.

A good many of the characters are based on real people. The main character, Fritz is fictional, but he is perfect for bringing all the events together. We watch him go from a scared little boy, who is getting over the loss of his father, who witnesses the first terrible crime, to a teenage boy experiencing his first love.

This was a quick read, one of the few I actually read in a little over a day which for me is really difficult, but I quickly became attached to the characters and the events of the small town.

Suzanne really brings the town to life with the feelings of fear start to build as the murder victims start hitting closer to home. I found myself googling "the Linden murders" to see what really happened. Suzanne really seemed to follow the events really well. It made the book a great mix of fact and fiction.

It is hard to imagine the fear that these people went through in those years, especially as these crimes went unsolved.

If you are a fan of historical mysteries, you really won't want to miss this one.

Rating: 5 flowers

About the Author

Suzanne is coordinator at Genesee Valley Educational Partnership and is an adjunct professor at Buffalo State College. She has a M.A. in English and Creative Writing and a M.S.Ed. in Career and Technical Education. Other publications include a poem in Jigsaw (2014), a short story and two poems in Jigsaw (2016), and a short story in Amaranth Review (2016). For more information, please visit Suzanne Zewan's website. You can also find Suzanne on Facebook and Twitter.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, February 19
Feature at Beth's Book Nook Blog
Thursday, February 22
Interview at The Book Junkie Reads
Tuesday, February 27
Feature at A Literary Vacation
Thursday, March 1
Excerpt at What is That Book About
Saturday, March 3
Interview & Excerpt at T's Stuff
Wednesday, March 7
Review & Excerpt at WS Momma Readers Nook
Friday, March 9
Feature at So Many Books, So Little Time
Tuesday, March 13
Excerpt at My Reading Corner
Thursday, March 15
Review at Donna's Book Blog
Tuesday, March 20
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books
Thursday, March 22
Excerpt at Buried Under Books
Friday, March 23
Review at Broken Teepee
Monday, March 26
Interview at Passages to the Past
Wednesday, March 28
Review at Svetlana's Reads and Views
Friday, March 30
Review & Excerpt at A Chick Who Reads
Saturday, March 31
Review at Cup of Sensibility

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away two paperback copies of Shadow by the Bridge to one lucky winner! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below. Giveaway Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 31st. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open to US residents only. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Thursday, March 29, 2018

First Look Celebration: Don't Call Me Cupcake

A cupcake baker with magical abilities suddenly finds herself competing with the unfortunately handsome owner of the fancy new bakery across the street in Golden Heart® Winner Tara Sheets's magical romantic comedy releasing April 24th, 2018.

Rafflecopter for Don’t Call Me Cupcake First Look Celebration Giveaway:

Tara is offering one (1) lucky Grand Prize winner an Alex & Ani cupcake charm bracelet and a paperback ARC of Don’t Call Me Cupcake. Two (2) Runner-Up winners will receive a paperback ARC of Don’t Call Me Cupcake! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Direct Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b050ef29500/?

About Don’t Call Me Cupcake:

Title: Don’t Call Me Cupcake

Author: Tara Sheets

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 24, 2018

Publisher: Zebra Shout – Kensington Publishing

Series: The Holloway Girls

Format: Digital eBook / Print

Digital ISBN: 1420146264

Print ISBN: 9781420146264

Synopsis:

There’s a very special kind of sweetness to life on Pine Cove Island …

Most families have a favorite recipe or two, handed down through generations. The Holloway women are a little different. Emma Holloway, like her grandmother before her, bakes charms into her delicious cupcakes, granting the recipient comfort, sweet dreams, or any number of good things. It’s a strange gift, but it brings only happiness. Until gorgeous, smooth-talking newcomer Hunter Kane strolls into her shop, Fairy Cakes—and Emma makes the mistake of selling him not one, but three Sweet Success cupcakes.

Hunter, it turns out, is opening a fancy new restaurant and bakery right on the waterfront—Emma’s competition. To make matters worse, the town committee has decided to split the upcoming summer festival contract between the two, forcing Emma to work with her nemesis. But she can’t afford to split her profits. The solution: create a recipe that will make Hunter leave town permanently.

The Holloway charms are powerful. But there are other kinds of magic in the world—like red-hot first kisses, secret glances, and the feeling that comes with falling truly, madly, inconveniently in love . . .

Add to your TBR list: Goodreads

Available at: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Books-A-Million

Excerpt:

Tara Sheets

“You.” A woman’s voice called behind him, and he turned to see the cupcake girl marching toward him. She was still wearing that black-and-white frilly apron. With her blond ringlets flying around her delicate face and flinty sparks in her gray eyes, Hunter felt like he was about to be attacked by a sexy Goldilocks.

He searched behind him as she approached, to make sure she wasn’t talking to someone else. “Me?”

She stopped in front of him, a little out of breath from her march down the street. Her chest lifted and fell intriguingly over the white apron lace, but her rosebud mouth was pursed tightly and Hunter took a step back. He had seen that look on women before. Goldilocks was not happy.

“Yes, you,” she said through gritted teeth. “You lied to me. You’re not a tourist.”

“Uh,” Hunter glanced around for a moment. “I’m not?”

“No, you’re not.” She stepped in close, grabbing the pastry box out of his hand. She peered inside and glared up at him in accusation. “And of course. You had to go and eat all three of them, didn’t you?”

He blinked. “But, I paid for them, remember?”

“That’s not the point. You. Ate. Them.”

“Yes,” he said carefully. Maybe Goldilocks liked to spike her morning porridge. “They were delicious?”

“Ugh.” She stomped her foot and he tried not to smile. She was irritated, yes, but so damn adorable. Even if she was a little bit odd.

“You shouldn’t have eaten them because you weren’t being honest with me. You’re not just a tourist passing through. You’re the new owner of that.” She pointed to the empty waterfront building that would soon be his fancy new café and restaurant.

“Yes.” He held out his hand and gave her his best smile. “I’m Hunter Kane.”

She frowned back at him, ignoring his hand. “I know who you are. And you should have told me that before I gave you those Sweet Success cupcakes.”

“Why?”

“Because I own Fairy Cakes, and now your business is going to take away all my customers.” She looked so upset that Hunter felt a twinge of pity for her, even though she was being ridiculous. Competition was the name of the game in any industry, and restaurant ownership was no exception. “Look, I’m sorry you feel that way, but it’s just business. And why would my eating your chocolate cupcakes be a problem anyway? It’s not like I’m going to steal the recipe or something.”

“Ha,” she scoffed. “As if you ever could. My cupcakes are special, and everyone on this island knows it.”

“Oh . . . kay.” He still wasn’t quite sure what she was getting at.

“And now you’ve gone and eaten them.” She threw her hands up in the air.

Hunter frowned down at her. “Well, excuse me, ma’am. I thought that was the whole point of buying them.”

She jammed her hands onto her hips. “First of all, I’m twenty-five years old. Don’t call me ‘ma’am.’ Save it for old ladies with lapdogs.”

“Fine, Cupcake.” He shouldn’t have said it. He knew it. But something about her righteous indignation made him want to tease her. She gasped, her eyes narrowing on him like an angry feline. He was so dead.

About Tara Sheets:

TARA SHEETS is an award-winning author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Her work has earned first place recognition in literary contests nationwide and her debut novel, Don’t Call Me Cupcake, won the 2016 Golden Heart® award sponsored by Romance Writers of America®. Tara began her career as an author in the Pacific Northwest, inspired by the rain and the misty mountains and the rivers of Starbucks coffee. She now lives in the warm, wonderful South where she can stand outside with no coat on, and she finds that pretty inspiring too. When not writing, Tara enjoys life with her book-loving family and a book-eating dog named Merlin. She is represented by Sarah Phair at Trident Media Group.

Please add Barclay Publicity’s button at the bottom of your post and/or on the side column of your blog and link it back to http://www.barclaypublicity.com:

Book Blast: Guardian's Bond

For decades, Priest Rahandras has been alone. Now, Kateri Falsen is here. His fated mate. His to win, his to protect. Fans of Kerry Adrienne's Shifter Wars will love this steamy paranormal release coming March 2018 from Carina Press.

Rafflecopter for Guardian’s Bond Blog Tour Giveaway:

Carina Press is offering five (5) lucky winners a free book from Harlequin Books care of Carina Press! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Direct Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b050ef29494/?

About Guardian’s Bond:

Title: Guardian’s Bond

Author: Rhenna Morgan

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release Date: March 27th, 2018

Publisher: Carina Press

Series: Ancient Ink

Format: Digital eBook / Print

Digital ISBN: B076ZQP3MR

Print ISBN: 9781335016553

Synopsis:

Priest Rahandras has lived with the darkness trapped inside himself for years. Betrayed by his own brother and forced to watch his clan’s brutal annihilation, the only thing Priest wants more than to escape the curse that haunts him—as both man and beast—is to rebuild.

Until the mate he’s longed for walks into his life with an elder from his past. She’s everything he’s wished for, and the key to the clan’s very survival.

Kateri Falsen is a woman of logic and facts. While Priest’s cat can sense her arousal, telling her they’re fated won’t be enough. He’ll have to show her his love: with his words, with his actions, and with his body.

Protecting Kateri from the evil trapped inside him is paramount. But when lost clan members are systematically murdered, he’ll have to choose between exposing his mate to his black magic, or risking her as the next victim.

Add to your TBR list: Goodreads

Available at: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iTunes

Excerpt:

Rhenna Morgan

Warmth blossomed beneath Katy’s skin, the all-too-vivid memory of how Priest’s muscles had felt beneath her palms and how his presence had enveloped her in a protective cocoon lifting to the height of her awareness.

And his scent. She pressed her knees together under the table and fought back a groan. She could still smell him on her. A mix of summer storm, leather and the deepest woods. Her voice came out softer, when she answered. Deep and husky. “That’s just attraction. A chemical response in the body.”

Jade grinned. “Is it?”

She’s mine.

The remembered words sluiced through her in the most exotic caress. Possessive at a level she both craved and railed against. She cleared her throat and laced her fingers together on the table, forcing a detached expression. “Priest said I was his before we left. What did he mean by that?”

Jade looked to Tate, a request for guidance without a word spoken.

Tate shook his head. “I can’t know for sure.”

“But you think you know.”

He hesitated, glanced at Alek as if gauging how well his temper was holding, then shifted his compassionate amber gaze back to Katy. “It’s not up to me to share. Priest will tell you.”

“But the way he acted...how he lost control,” Katy pressed. “Surely, you can see why I want answers.”

For the longest time, Tate merely studied her, consideration and concern marking his handsome features. “I do. It’s still something he should talk to you about, but I will tell you this.” He paused as though carefully considering his words, not just for her but for her brother who’d drawn scarily motionless beside her. “Of all the people who walk this Earth, there is no one safer than you.”

About Rhenna Morgan:

A native Oklahoman, Rhenna Morgan is a certified romance junkie. Whether it’s contemporary, paranormal, or fantasy you’re after, Rhenna’s stories pack romantic escape full of new, exciting worlds, and strong, intuitive men who fight to keep the women they want. For advance release news and exclusive content, sign up for her newsletter at http://RhennaMorgan.com. You'll also find all of her social links there, along with her smoking hot inspiration boards.

Short links for Book:

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2FU9zgW

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2FU9Rob

B&N: http://bit.ly/2peXbhX

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2FO0u6M

iTunes: https://apple.co/2FOzMdD

Short links for Author:

Website: http://bit.ly/2FDsZHA

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2tMUuZC

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2pfVhO3

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2GvYxwa

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2pdPaKe

BookBub: http://bit.ly/2pfDRBf

Please add Barclay Publicity’s button at the bottom of your post and/or on the side column of your blog and link it back to http://www.barclaypublicity.com:

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Book Review: The Cold Light Of Dawn

The Cold Light of Dawn by Anna Belfrage

Publication Date: February 16, 2018

Matador & TimeLight Press

eBook & Paperback; 434 Pages

Series: The King's Greatest Enemy, Book #4

Genre: Historical Fiction

After Henry of Lancaster’s rebellion has been crushed early in 1329, a restless peace settles over England. However, the young Edward III is no longer content with being his regents’ puppet, no matter that neither Queen Isabella nor Roger Mortimer show any inclination to give up their power. Caught in between is Adam de Guirande, torn between his loyalty to the young king and that to his former lord, Roger Mortimer. Edward III is growing up fast. No longer a boy to be manipulated, he resents the power of his mother, Queen Isabella, and Mortimer. His regents show little inclination of handing over their power to him, the rightful king, and Edward suspects they never will unless he forces their hand. Adam de Guirande is first and foremost Edward’s man, and he too is of the opinion that the young king is capable of ruling on his own. But for Adam siding with his king causes heartache, as he still loves Roger Mortimer, the man who shaped him into who he is. Inevitably, Edward and his regents march towards a final confrontation. And there is nothing Adam can do but pray and hope that somehow things will work out. Unfortunately, prayers don’t always help. The Cold Light of Dawn is the fourth in Anna Belfrage’s series, The King’s Greatest Enemy, the story of a man torn apart by his loyalties to his lord and his king.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble

Review: Anna Belfrage is one of my absolute favorite authors. I am a girl with a short attention span. I say this all the time. I don't often read "chunkers". Anna's books are the exception, because I feel like I am transported back to the time she's writing about.

I immediately too to The King's Greatest Enemy because I had read a much shorter book about King Edward and his mother Isabella and Roger Mortimer.

Edward's story is really a fascinating one. Just look to history and you'll see that Edward came to the throne prematurely thanks to the machinations of his mother and Mortimer.

What I love about Anna's books, and I know this may sound strange, but they are mentally exhausting. That's how involved you'll be. Life happens to her characters, both real and fictional.

So be prepared to spend several days or weeks with this book, but oh is it worth reading

Rating: 5 flowers

About the Author

Anna was raised abroad, on a pungent mix of Latin American culture, English history and Swedish traditions. As a result she’s multilingual and most of her reading is historical- both non-fiction and fiction. Possessed of a lively imagination, she has drawers full of potential stories, all of them set in the past. She was always going to be a writer – or a historian, preferably both. Ideally, Anna aspired to becoming a pioneer time traveller, but science has as yet not advanced to the point of making that possible. Instead she ended up with a degree in Business and Finance, with very little time to spare for her most favourite pursuit. Still, one does as one must, and in between juggling a challenging career Anna raised her four children on a potent combination of invented stories, historical debates and masses of good food and homemade cakes. They seem to thrive… For years she combined a challenging career with four children and the odd snatched moment of writing. Nowadays Anna spends most of her spare time at her writing desk. The children are half grown, the house is at times eerily silent and she slips away into her imaginary world, with her imaginary characters. Every now and then the one and only man in her life pops his head in to ensure she’s still there. Other than on her website, www.annabelfrage.com, Anna can mostly be found on her blog, http://annabelfrage.wordpress.com – unless, of course, she is submerged in writing her next novel. You can also connect with Anna on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a complete set of The King's Greatest Enemy series to one winner & two winners will win a paperback copy of The Cold Light of Dawn! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below. Giveaway Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 30th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

TLC Book Tours Book Review: The Longest Silence

About The Longest Silence

Hardcover: 336 pages

Publisher: MIRA (March 6, 2018)

“The twists and turns in this dark, taut drama make it both creepy and compelling.” —New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry

A killer stole her voice. Now she’s ready to take it back. Don’t miss the chilling Shades of Death series from USA TODAY bestselling author Debra Webb.
Joanna Guthrie was free. She had been for eighteen years–or so she needed everyone to believe. What really happened during the longest fourteen days of her life, when she and two other women were held captive by the worst kind of serial killer, wasn’t something she could talk about. Not after what they had to do to survive.

But when more women go missing in an eerily similar manner, Jo knows her prolonged silence will only seal their fates. She’s finally ready to talk; she just needs someone to listen. FBI special agent Tony LeDoux can’t deny he finds Jo compelling–he’s just not sure he believes her story. But with the clock ticking, Jo will do anything to convince him, even if it means unearthing long-buried secrets that will land them squarely in the crosshairs of the killer…

“This psychological thriller is rife with tension that begins on page one and doesn’t let up. It’s a race against the clock that had me whispering to the pair of flawed, desperate protagonists, ‘Hurry,hurry.’ A gripping read.” —New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Review: For me this is the year of the thriller. It is the genre that I haven't explored much until now. The Longest Silence is the fourth book in the Shades of Death series. I wish I had heard of this series sooner.

Debra Webb's writing is absolutely amazing.

Jo and Tony are two messed up people but I really found myself caring what happened to them.

This was a dark, compelling read. It might not be in the same league as Best Friends Forever or The Woman In The Window, but it was definitely a book that you will be pulled into.

Rating: 4 flowers

Bewitching Book Tours Book Review: The October Men

The October Men

David Impey

Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Conspiracy Thriller

Publisher: Big Bear

Publication date: 20 March 2018

ISBN: 9781912145799

Pages: 339

Book Description:

Otto Parsons, a brilliant Oxford physicist, is missing. His early experiments on zero gravity machines have produced unimaginable results. His professor, Dan Sibley, has to secure funding for their work or close the project down.

A wealthy organisation has made him an offer to secure the project’s future. Only now, it seems his backers may have an altogether more sinister agenda. Wheels are in motion that cannot be stopped.

What is it that connects their work with the assassination of JFK, the Roswell Incident, the Wall Street Crash and a mysterious cache of priceless art?

And who are the shadowy partners of the October Foundation? The answers will threaten the safety of everyone on the planet.

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/N1vuYEFoZgE

Amazon Amazon UK

Review: Every so often I need to step out of my comfort zone of romance and cozy mysteries. This year I've been gravitating to thrillers and when I read the blurb for his one I knew that I had to read this one, cos well science and the threat of life as we know it.

This book was amazing. Its also the kind of book that is hard to review, because I don't want to give away many spoilers. Let's just say it was fast paced and very attention grabbing, It is also unlike many of the thrillers that are out right now.

So if you like a good thriller. You need to pick up this book.

Rating: 5 flowers

About the Author:

This is the first full-length novel by David Impey. He originally graduated in Chemistry and, afterwards, worked in high-tech industry either on the marketing/commercial side or in advertising.

David has helped write campaigns with a heavy emphasis on demystifying supposedly obscure areas of science that affect everybody on a day-to-day basis and has won several awards for his work.

His first published work was an April Fool’s article in a yachting magazine and, since then, David has been a frequent columnist, contributor to industry journals and online blogs, as well as setting up some and editing others. He also developed a TV series about health called “The Dose”.

When he’s not writing, David is a composer, producer, and keyboardist. He has worked as a musician for 20 years principally as a composer of soundtrack music for corporate clients ranging from sherry to paint to insurance and cruise lines.

Some of his music has been used extensively by TV companies across Europe including the UK and the Netherlands. David lives near Oxford with his wife and insane dog.

http://www.davidimpey.com/

https://twitter.com/david_impey1