Category: Guest Author

Guest Author Irene Woodbury

Once again, another author has given me the greatest compliment by visiting my blog.  To this day, it still amazes me to think that an author would take the time to stop by and read my reviews.  Today’s guest did just that and then sent me a lovely email asking if I would review her book.  I read the synopsis and thought it would be something I would definitely enjoy and thought you would too.  So I invited her to visit again, but this time as my guest.  Please help me welcome Ms. Irene Woodbury !!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A Slot Machine Ate My Midlife Crisis, Irene Woodbury’s first novel, was inspired by her love of travel writing. Between 2000 and 2006, her stories appeared in many newspapers, including the Washington Post, London Daily Telegraph, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Toronto Star, and Nevada and The Affluent Traveler magazines.

One of the author’s favorite destinations was Las Vegas; she always believed Sin City would be the perfect setting for a novel. In 2006, she came up with the idea for Slot, and, four-and-a-half years, and many visits later, it was finished.

Irene is convinced her book wouldn’t work nearly as well in any other city. “Las Vegas has a frenetic energy to it,” she says, “and there’s plenty of chaos and confusion to go around. Is there a better place for a midlife crisis? I don’t think so.”

The author has lived in two of the locations featured in her novel: Los Angeles, where she worked at the Los Angeles Times, IBM, and Time Magazine, and Houston, where she graduated from the University of Houston in 1993. She also got married in Houston. (Yes, like Wendy, her lead character, but Irene insists the similarities end there!) Her husband, Richard, a retired Time Magazine correspondent, edited her novel.

Since 1994, the couple have called Denver home. As for midlife crises — his, hers, yours, mine — Irene believes it’s a time for asking questions. “Where am I? Where have I been? Where am I going? That’s it in a nutshell,” she says. “Writing this novel has been my midlife crisis. And it’s not over yet!”

You can visit her website here.


A few thoughts on A Slot Machine Ate My Midlife Crisis from author Irene Woodbury

        

My novel is an irreverent account of a 45-year old woman having a midlife crisis in Las Vegas. It’s Wendy’s story, told in first person, but it also explores and illuminates the concept of midlife crises. Women of previous generations didn’t have many options or resources when they went through theirs. As a result, they often retreated into traditional roles that put them in the background.


Wendy, however, has too many options and resources. Money, an impressive resume, a recent marriage to a successful man, good looks, health, talent. She goes through the requisite period of confusion, then finds herself through new career opportunities and relationships. She is neither a victim nor a vixen, but, ultimately, the heroine of her own life.

Midlife women in today’s world are no longer as limited as our mothers or grandmothers were, but they also don’t have the abundance of options Wendy has. Most of us fall somewhere in between. So this novel is a comical exaggeration, but, still, it makes some points in the evolution of over-40 female characters in fiction. And it does it with humor, warmth and a certain amount of outrageousness–in the city of Las Vegas, between 2005 and 2007. That’s pre-recession Vegas. A giddy, gaudy setting that distracts my lead character, but also soothes her.


ABOUT THE BOOK

This darkly funny novel describes Wendy Sinclair’s spin-crazy life in Las Vegas after she impulsively decides to not return to Houston following a bizarre girls’ weekend in 2005.

The confused, unhappy 45-year-old newlywed soon rents a ramshackle apartment in a building filled with misfits; wallows in a blur of spas, malls and buffets, and, ultimately, becomes a designer of cocktail waitress uniforms and an Ann-Margret impersonator in a casino show with Elvis.

She also hangs with some pretty colorful characters. Paula’s her bold, brassy glamazon BFF who’s looser than a Casino Royale slot. Maxine’s her saucy former-Tropicana-showgirl boss. Paige and Serena are two twenty-something blackjack dealers she shops, gambles, and clubs up a storm with. Major crushes on a hunky pilot and sexy former rock star are also part of the mix.
And then there are the phone fights with Roger, Wendy’s workaholic husband waiting impatiently in Houston. 

Their clashes are louder and more raucous than a hot craps table at Caesar’s! Does she go back to him, or does her midlife crisis become a midlife makeover? 

Now available on: Amazon Kindle, WHSmithbooks.com, BooksonBoard.com,Mobipocket.com,

eBooks.com, Barnes & Noble, and Fictionwise


THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF 
AUTHOR, IRENE WOODBURY, I HAVE 
THREE (3) KINDLE EDITIONS TO GIVE AWAY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER

No items that I receive

are ever sold…they are kept by me,

or given to family and/or friends.

ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com.
or any of the above mentioned sites.
I am providing these links solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this EBook.
I do not receive any monetary compensation from any parties


Guest Author Irene Woodbury

Once again, another author has given me the greatest compliment by visiting my blog.  To this day, it still amazes me to think that an author would take the time to stop by and read my reviews.  Today’s guest did just that and then sent me a lovely email asking if I would review her book.  I read the synopsis and thought it would be something I would definitely enjoy and thought you would too.  So I invited her to visit again, but this time as my guest.  Please help me welcome Ms. Irene Woodbury !!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A Slot Machine Ate My Midlife Crisis, Irene Woodbury’s first novel, was inspired by her love of travel writing. Between 2000 and 2006, her stories appeared in many newspapers, including the Washington Post, London Daily Telegraph, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Toronto Star, and Nevada and The Affluent Traveler magazines.

One of the author’s favorite destinations was Las Vegas; she always believed Sin City would be the perfect setting for a novel. In 2006, she came up with the idea for Slot, and, four-and-a-half years, and many visits later, it was finished.

Irene is convinced her book wouldn’t work nearly as well in any other city. “Las Vegas has a frenetic energy to it,” she says, “and there’s plenty of chaos and confusion to go around. Is there a better place for a midlife crisis? I don’t think so.”

The author has lived in two of the locations featured in her novel: Los Angeles, where she worked at the Los Angeles Times, IBM, and Time Magazine, and Houston, where she graduated from the University of Houston in 1993. She also got married in Houston. (Yes, like Wendy, her lead character, but Irene insists the similarities end there!) Her husband, Richard, a retired Time Magazine correspondent, edited her novel.

Since 1994, the couple have called Denver home. As for midlife crises — his, hers, yours, mine — Irene believes it’s a time for asking questions. “Where am I? Where have I been? Where am I going? That’s it in a nutshell,” she says. “Writing this novel has been my midlife crisis. And it’s not over yet!”

You can visit her website here.


A few thoughts on A Slot Machine Ate My Midlife Crisis from author Irene Woodbury

        

My novel is an irreverent account of a 45-year old woman having a midlife crisis in Las Vegas. It’s Wendy’s story, told in first person, but it also explores and illuminates the concept of midlife crises. Women of previous generations didn’t have many options or resources when they went through theirs. As a result, they often retreated into traditional roles that put them in the background.


Wendy, however, has too many options and resources. Money, an impressive resume, a recent marriage to a successful man, good looks, health, talent. She goes through the requisite period of confusion, then finds herself through new career opportunities and relationships. She is neither a victim nor a vixen, but, ultimately, the heroine of her own life.

Midlife women in today’s world are no longer as limited as our mothers or grandmothers were, but they also don’t have the abundance of options Wendy has. Most of us fall somewhere in between. So this novel is a comical exaggeration, but, still, it makes some points in the evolution of over-40 female characters in fiction. And it does it with humor, warmth and a certain amount of outrageousness–in the city of Las Vegas, between 2005 and 2007. That’s pre-recession Vegas. A giddy, gaudy setting that distracts my lead character, but also soothes her.


ABOUT THE BOOK

This darkly funny novel describes Wendy Sinclair’s spin-crazy life in Las Vegas after she impulsively decides to not return to Houston following a bizarre girls’ weekend in 2005.

The confused, unhappy 45-year-old newlywed soon rents a ramshackle apartment in a building filled with misfits; wallows in a blur of spas, malls and buffets, and, ultimately, becomes a designer of cocktail waitress uniforms and an Ann-Margret impersonator in a casino show with Elvis.

She also hangs with some pretty colorful characters. Paula’s her bold, brassy glamazon BFF who’s looser than a Casino Royale slot. Maxine’s her saucy former-Tropicana-showgirl boss. Paige and Serena are two twenty-something blackjack dealers she shops, gambles, and clubs up a storm with. Major crushes on a hunky pilot and sexy former rock star are also part of the mix.
And then there are the phone fights with Roger, Wendy’s workaholic husband waiting impatiently in Houston. 

Their clashes are louder and more raucous than a hot craps table at Caesar’s! Does she go back to him, or does her midlife crisis become a midlife makeover? 

Now available on: Amazon Kindle, WHSmithbooks.com, BooksonBoard.com,Mobipocket.com,

eBooks.com, Barnes & Noble, and Fictionwise


THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF 
AUTHOR, IRENE WOODBURY, I HAVE 
THREE (3) KINDLE EDITIONS TO GIVE AWAY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER

No items that I receive

are ever sold…they are kept by me,

or given to family and/or friends.

ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com.
or any of the above mentioned sites.
I am providing these links solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this EBook.
I do not receive any monetary compensation from any parties


Guest Author Sheila Deeth

Melissa Foster, author of Megan’s Way and Chasing Amanda has been a frequent visitor here and now I have the honor to also call her friend.  She is genuine, caring, has a heart of gold, loves her readers and in between writing more great novels, is also touring with and introducing new authors.  You will be seeing and hearing from her quite often here at the CMash blog in the future, not only for her books, but I have agreed to help her introduce these new authors to you.  So get comfy and please help me welcome Melissa’s friend and author, Ms. Sheila Deeth!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sheila Deeth grew up in the UK and has a Bachelors and Masters in mathematics from Cambridge University, England. Now living in the States with her husband and sons, she enjoys reading, writing, drawing, telling stories, running a local writers’ group, and meeting her neighbors’ dogs on the green. Sheila describes herself as a Mongrel Christian Mathematician. Her short stories, book reviews and articles can be found in VoiceCatcher 4, Murder on the Wind, Poetic Monthly, Nights and Weekends, the Shine Journal and Joyful Online. Besides her Gypsy Shadow ebooks, Sheila has several self-published works available from Amazon and Lulu, and a full-length novel under contract to come out next year.

Find her on her website: http://www.sheiladeeth.com
or find her books at: http://sheiladeeth.weebly.com



GUEST POST
About the letter E: 

My friends think I’ve gone internet crazy. I used to say ebooks weren’t real. I used the internet just for sending emails or helping the kids with homework. Then I heard about an internet competition to get a novel published when I’d just finished writing one. The timing seemed auspicious, and, though my entry failed miserably, writing on the internet soon had me hooked.

Writing a blog was a harder task of course. I’d never even kept a diary for more than six days so I couldn’t imagine how I might write about me. But then I self-published a Christmas book and starting writing blog-posts about that instead.

I still didn’t believe in ebooks, but I discovered emagazines and got some stories published in them. I put links in emails and sent them to all my friends (alas poor friends). Real people read what I’d written… Real people emailed me back and left comments on my blog! My world expanded. I had efriends and reality started to change. When I won an ebook on a blog I decided ebooks must be real, thoroughly enjoyed the read, and sent a story to an epublisher.

Flower Child’s my third ebook with Gypsy Shadow. I’m thrilled to be part of their team. I’m even an avid kindle reader now, believe most heartily in ebooks and efriends, and write and blog whenever I get the chance. Meanwhile my first full-length novel will come out next year in real, genuine, solid, non-e-paper-back, so I still believe in real books and the real world too!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Flower Child tells the story of a curious relationship between a grieving mother and her unborn child. When Megan miscarries her first pregnancy it feels like the end of everything; instead it’s the start of a curious relationship between the grieving mother and an unborn child who hovers somewhere between ghost and angel. Angela, Megan’s “little angel,” has character and dreams all her own, friends who may or may not be real angels, and a little brother who brings hope to her mother’s world. But Angela’s dream-world has a secret and one day Angela might learn how to be real.
Find Flower Child at: http://gypsyshadow.com/SheilaDeeth.html#Flower

THANKS TO THE AUTHOR, SHEILA DEETH,
I HAVE ONE (1) EBOOK EDITION TO GIVE AWAY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER

Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners
via publisher, agent and/or author. This blog hosts
the giveaway on behalf of the above.

No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

Guest Author Sheila Deeth

Melissa Foster, author of Megan’s Way and Chasing Amanda has been a frequent visitor here and now I have the honor to also call her friend.  She is genuine, caring, has a heart of gold, loves her readers and in between writing more great novels, is also touring with and introducing new authors.  You will be seeing and hearing from her quite often here at the CMash blog in the future, not only for her books, but I have agreed to help her introduce these new authors to you.  So get comfy and please help me welcome Melissa’s friend and author, Ms. Sheila Deeth!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sheila Deeth grew up in the UK and has a Bachelors and Masters in mathematics from Cambridge University, England. Now living in the States with her husband and sons, she enjoys reading, writing, drawing, telling stories, running a local writers’ group, and meeting her neighbors’ dogs on the green. Sheila describes herself as a Mongrel Christian Mathematician. Her short stories, book reviews and articles can be found in VoiceCatcher 4, Murder on the Wind, Poetic Monthly, Nights and Weekends, the Shine Journal and Joyful Online. Besides her Gypsy Shadow ebooks, Sheila has several self-published works available from Amazon and Lulu, and a full-length novel under contract to come out next year.

Find her on her website: http://www.sheiladeeth.com
or find her books at: http://sheiladeeth.weebly.com



GUEST POST
About the letter E: 

My friends think I’ve gone internet crazy. I used to say ebooks weren’t real. I used the internet just for sending emails or helping the kids with homework. Then I heard about an internet competition to get a novel published when I’d just finished writing one. The timing seemed auspicious, and, though my entry failed miserably, writing on the internet soon had me hooked.

Writing a blog was a harder task of course. I’d never even kept a diary for more than six days so I couldn’t imagine how I might write about me. But then I self-published a Christmas book and starting writing blog-posts about that instead.

I still didn’t believe in ebooks, but I discovered emagazines and got some stories published in them. I put links in emails and sent them to all my friends (alas poor friends). Real people read what I’d written… Real people emailed me back and left comments on my blog! My world expanded. I had efriends and reality started to change. When I won an ebook on a blog I decided ebooks must be real, thoroughly enjoyed the read, and sent a story to an epublisher.

Flower Child’s my third ebook with Gypsy Shadow. I’m thrilled to be part of their team. I’m even an avid kindle reader now, believe most heartily in ebooks and efriends, and write and blog whenever I get the chance. Meanwhile my first full-length novel will come out next year in real, genuine, solid, non-e-paper-back, so I still believe in real books and the real world too!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Flower Child tells the story of a curious relationship between a grieving mother and her unborn child. When Megan miscarries her first pregnancy it feels like the end of everything; instead it’s the start of a curious relationship between the grieving mother and an unborn child who hovers somewhere between ghost and angel. Angela, Megan’s “little angel,” has character and dreams all her own, friends who may or may not be real angels, and a little brother who brings hope to her mother’s world. But Angela’s dream-world has a secret and one day Angela might learn how to be real.
Find Flower Child at: http://gypsyshadow.com/SheilaDeeth.html#Flower

THANKS TO THE AUTHOR, SHEILA DEETH,
I HAVE ONE (1) EBOOK EDITION TO GIVE AWAY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER

Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners
via publisher, agent and/or author. This blog hosts
the giveaway on behalf of the above.

No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

Guest Author Diana Palmer

Back in August I received an email, and it was a good thing that I was sitting down, because I couldn’t believe what I was reading.  Jaime from Planned Television Arts had contacted me to ask if I would like to host today’s guest?  Would I?  You bet I would and I fired off an email right away!!!  So it is my honor and pleasure to have as my guest today, the famous, renowned and multi  New York Times Best Selling author, Ms. Diana Palmer!!!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Diana Palmer is renowned as one of North America’s top ten romance writers. When she published her first novel in 1979, fans immediately fell in love with her sensual, charming romances. She has devoted herself to a life filled with romance and penning the page-turners her readers find so hard to put down ever since. A die-hard romantic who married her husband five days after they met, Diana says that she wrote her first book at age thirteen—and has been hooked ever since. Palmer currently lives in northeast Georgia with her husband.
You can visit Ms. Palmer at her website here.

GUEST POST
When I started writing my 2011 hardcover, MERCILESS, from HQN Books, I didn’t plan to write another murder mystery. In fact, the murder in this book was supposedly solved in last year’s hardcover, DANGEROUS. The family of McKuen Kilraven, who worked for a federal agency as an undercover officer, was murdered seven years earlier. In DANGEROUS, the killer was unmasked and the case solved. Or so I thought.
In this book, which features Kilraven’s half-brother, Jon Blackhawk, another person involved in the murder stood up in the middle of my book and said, “Here I am, I did it!”
Don’t get the nets. This happens to authors. Well, it happens to me. I had this character, Cash Grier, who turned up as a cyber detective for San Antonio PD some years ago. He refused to leave, so he became the subject of one of my best-selling hardcovers, RENEGADE. He still turns up in books today because I can’t get rid of him.
Same thing happens, a lot, with other characters. That’s how I ended up with a murderer I didn’t know I had. And this caused
problems. I had planned a straightforward romance, just a romance, with a secret that Jon’s sharp-tongued administrative assistant was keeping from him to add spice to the mix. She had his vicious mother tongue-tied, and often caused Jon to throw books at the door she’d just left. She was a character I had loved for a long time, and this was going to be her book, her story.
Then the murderer took over the action and I had a problem. But when I started looking deeper, I realized that I hadn’t actually resolved the entire case. There were loose strings. Just enough of them to justify an additional shooter. Then things got very interesting and I started forgetting to cook supper for James. God bless him, my husband has the patience of a polar bear waiting for a seal to show up. If you watch nature specials, you know what I mean. Anyway, he went out and got wonderful food for us, although I confess I was working too hard to taste much of it.
Finally, weeks later, I had a murder mystery, all the loose ends were tied up, and Jon and Joceline had some lovely encounters and discovered a secret that drew them even closer. The murderer
got justice, Jon’s mother underwent a conversion of attitudes, and I had a book that I was very proud of.
I love policemen, of all shapes and sizes and sorts and sexes and whatever. I love people in law enforcement, period. So this is why I write so many books that deal with crime solving. I knew a detective once who tracked down a vandal with nothing but a piece of eggshell. That sort of thing amazes me. All the new technologies that are used in crime scenes are equally amazing to me. I guess curiosity is what keeps me going in the romantic suspense field. That, and watching the movie “CHARADE” with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn about a million times back in the 60s.
I hope you like MERCILESS. I am getting older and I make more mistakes than I used to, but I hope I never have to stop writing. I have the best family on earth. I also have the best readers in civilized space, and I love every one of them. Whatever success I have achieved, my readers have made possible, and I never lose sight of that fact. Thanks, all of you, for making Diana Palmer possible.
ABOUT THE BOOK
SYNOPSIS:
Merciless tells the captivating story of a young woman trying to convince a man to let down his defenses while he’s set on guarding his heart.
Not only is FBI agent Jon Blackhawk tall, dark, and handsome, but he is eligible – and that’s all that matters to the women of Jacobsville. But if it were up to him, he would never settle down. Luckily, Jon has the best gatekeeper: his assistant, Joceline Perry. Without her help, he’d be at the mercy of husband hunters. The more he comes to rely on her, the more he notices how invaluable she really is.

THANKS TO JAIME AND PLANNED TELEVISION ARTS,
I HAVE TWO (2) COPIES OF THIS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO 
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

Guest Author Diana Palmer

Back in August I received an email, and it was a good thing that I was sitting down, because I couldn’t believe what I was reading.  Jaime from Planned Television Arts had contacted me to ask if I would like to host today’s guest?  Would I?  You bet I would and I fired off an email right away!!!  So it is my honor and pleasure to have as my guest today, the famous, renowned and multi  New York Times Best Selling author, Ms. Diana Palmer!!!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Diana Palmer is renowned as one of North America’s top ten romance writers. When she published her first novel in 1979, fans immediately fell in love with her sensual, charming romances. She has devoted herself to a life filled with romance and penning the page-turners her readers find so hard to put down ever since. A die-hard romantic who married her husband five days after they met, Diana says that she wrote her first book at age thirteen—and has been hooked ever since. Palmer currently lives in northeast Georgia with her husband.
You can visit Ms. Palmer at her website here.

GUEST POST
When I started writing my 2011 hardcover, MERCILESS, from HQN Books, I didn’t plan to write another murder mystery. In fact, the murder in this book was supposedly solved in last year’s hardcover, DANGEROUS. The family of McKuen Kilraven, who worked for a federal agency as an undercover officer, was murdered seven years earlier. In DANGEROUS, the killer was unmasked and the case solved. Or so I thought.
In this book, which features Kilraven’s half-brother, Jon Blackhawk, another person involved in the murder stood up in the middle of my book and said, “Here I am, I did it!”
Don’t get the nets. This happens to authors. Well, it happens to me. I had this character, Cash Grier, who turned up as a cyber detective for San Antonio PD some years ago. He refused to leave, so he became the subject of one of my best-selling hardcovers, RENEGADE. He still turns up in books today because I can’t get rid of him.
Same thing happens, a lot, with other characters. That’s how I ended up with a murderer I didn’t know I had. And this caused
problems. I had planned a straightforward romance, just a romance, with a secret that Jon’s sharp-tongued administrative assistant was keeping from him to add spice to the mix. She had his vicious mother tongue-tied, and often caused Jon to throw books at the door she’d just left. She was a character I had loved for a long time, and this was going to be her book, her story.
Then the murderer took over the action and I had a problem. But when I started looking deeper, I realized that I hadn’t actually resolved the entire case. There were loose strings. Just enough of them to justify an additional shooter. Then things got very interesting and I started forgetting to cook supper for James. God bless him, my husband has the patience of a polar bear waiting for a seal to show up. If you watch nature specials, you know what I mean. Anyway, he went out and got wonderful food for us, although I confess I was working too hard to taste much of it.
Finally, weeks later, I had a murder mystery, all the loose ends were tied up, and Jon and Joceline had some lovely encounters and discovered a secret that drew them even closer. The murderer
got justice, Jon’s mother underwent a conversion of attitudes, and I had a book that I was very proud of.
I love policemen, of all shapes and sizes and sorts and sexes and whatever. I love people in law enforcement, period. So this is why I write so many books that deal with crime solving. I knew a detective once who tracked down a vandal with nothing but a piece of eggshell. That sort of thing amazes me. All the new technologies that are used in crime scenes are equally amazing to me. I guess curiosity is what keeps me going in the romantic suspense field. That, and watching the movie “CHARADE” with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn about a million times back in the 60s.
I hope you like MERCILESS. I am getting older and I make more mistakes than I used to, but I hope I never have to stop writing. I have the best family on earth. I also have the best readers in civilized space, and I love every one of them. Whatever success I have achieved, my readers have made possible, and I never lose sight of that fact. Thanks, all of you, for making Diana Palmer possible.
ABOUT THE BOOK
SYNOPSIS:
Merciless tells the captivating story of a young woman trying to convince a man to let down his defenses while he’s set on guarding his heart.
Not only is FBI agent Jon Blackhawk tall, dark, and handsome, but he is eligible – and that’s all that matters to the women of Jacobsville. But if it were up to him, he would never settle down. Luckily, Jon has the best gatekeeper: his assistant, Joceline Perry. Without her help, he’d be at the mercy of husband hunters. The more he comes to rely on her, the more he notices how invaluable she really is.

THANKS TO JAIME AND PLANNED TELEVISION ARTS,
I HAVE TWO (2) COPIES OF THIS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO 
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

Guest Author Laurel Dewey and Book Reviews "Promissory Payback and Unrevealed"

I can’t believe it’s already October!!  This year seems to have gone by so fast, at least to me.  And what better way to start the month off by hosting a Guest Author as she begins her virtual tour!  Mr. Lou Aronica, from The Story Plant, is stopping by with the very busy and talented author, Ms. Laurel Dewey, as she kicks off her 2 month virtual tour with Partners In Crime Tours.  So please help me give a warm welcome to our guest today, Ms. Laurel Dewey as she visits and tells us about her latest publications.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Laurel Dewey’s writing career has been anything but predictable. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Dewey began her career working in public relations for such celebrities as Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra. Her writing talents quickly took her into other entertainment avenues. Dewey was an assistant editor at BOP Magazine, helping launch the blockbuster career of teen pop groups like The New Kids on The Block. During this time, she wrote a string of successful mystery radio plays for Los Angeles radio networks. The plays won Dewey consistent awards and caused one reviewer to write, “Dewey’s flair for creating memorable characters and great stories is a welcome change these days.”

Not satisfied to write in only one genre, Dewey went on to pen a western novella “In the Name of the Land” which was nominated for a Silver Spur Fiction Award. A collection of short stories followed, as did a successful stint writing and producing radio ads and promos.
In the early 1990’s, Dewey relocated to rural Colorado. But her eclectic writing forte continued as she pursued work as a freelance investigative journalist, advertising/marketing promoter and editor of children’s books. In the mid and late 1990’s, two of her books on plant medicine were published, along with 10 booklets and hundreds of articles on alternative health.During this time, she appeared as a featured guest on over 300 national radio and television programs and lectured extensively across the United States and Canada.

But now the pages have turned again…literally. In 2007, Dewey released her first fiction novel, Protector, a gritty, paranormal crime thriller that follows the rocky life of Denver homicide detective Jane Perry. In preparation for writing the book, Dewey immersed herself in detailed research, interviewing Colorado homicide detectives and traveling on “ride-a-longs” with street cops. The intricate research helped Dewey create a debut novel that is powerful, compelling and utterly original.

The sequel to Protector, Redemption, was released in June of 2009. She is currently writing the third book in the Jane Perry series, titled Revelations, due to be released July, 2010. She lives with her husband in rural Colorado.

You can visit Laurel Dewey at her website.
GUEST POST
The Creation and Birth of Jane Perry
 By Laurel Dewey
“Are you Jane Perry?” I get asked thatquestion a lot when I meet people. The assumption seems to be that there is no way I could have written such a damaged, alcoholic, abrasive yet highly intuitive and intelligent woman unless I was writing about my own life. It makes sense, right? You’re always told as a writer to “write what you know.” And readers continually comment that Jane is “so real.”
Well, the truthis, I am not Jane Perry and I am Jane Perry.
HomicideDetective Jane Perry was literally born during long trips alone in my car. I’mnot sure the moment it happened, but I remember on one particularly long drivefrom Colorado to California, I just started talking out loud in the car—havinga dialogue with an unknown character—and telling this other character what Ifelt about my life as a detective. Wait…I’m not a detective. In fact, I can’teven stand the sight of blood. The only real homicide detective I ever knew wasmy friend’s father back in Los Angeles who worked some fairly gruesome, highprofile murder cases in the city. But here I was in the car, babbling on and onabout my life and my problems and my horrible past. The thing was, nothing Iwas complaining about was related to anything in my own life. During that drive, I continued to play out this imaginarycharacter and for some reason named her “Kate.”
I had nointention of writing about her at that point. It was just something to occupythe dull spaces during the drive. But on the drive back to Colorado, I begandelving even further into her life and by the time I returned to Colorado, I’dfleshed out a fairly real character.
And this went onfor literally years until I wentthrough what some might call my own “dark night of the soul.” That was in 1999.I had been very successful as a journalist and had written two books on plantmedicine that were extremely popular. But it all came crashing down in Januaryof 1999 when I lost every freelance writing account I’d had for years. I livedon my savings and by May those savings were gone. I scored a job as a landscapelaborer and worked from 7AM until 8PM, six days a week. It was back breakingbut it was work. However, depression set in like I’d never felt it before and Isensed an utter pointlessness to life. I began self-medicating with alcohol andI’d never been a drinker before. There were many horrible nights during thattime that I didn’t want to continue living. The self-destruction continued forthe rest of the year, culminating in a freak accident where I nearly burned offpart of my thumb.
That was it. Ididn’t give up; I gave in. I’d lived extremely frugally that summer and wasable to save some money. I decided that I would spend two months eitherallowing myself to just stare out the window or writing down whatever I wasfeeling. I was not married and I didn’t have children so I literally had theluxury of doing nothing. I think I spent about two days max staring out thewindow. That just got tedious. So, I started writing and lo and behold, “Kate”the homicide detective re-emerged and I wrote pages and pages about herchildhood, her life as a cop, her relationships and more. I had no idea wherethis was going but I allowed it…yes, Iallowed it for the first time in my life. And the more I allowed it toflow, suddenly a story formed around “Kate’s” life. Her past was shockinglybrutal (which was not part of my upbringing) but she was a hardcore drinker andthat was certainly something I could relate to. But the more I created thestory that later became my first novel, Protector,the more I began to heal myself. The catharsis was outrageous. With each page,I came back to myself more. By the time I finished the first draft sixteenmonths later (which was a whopping 650 pages), I was a different person. Abetter person.
I’d alwayssuffered from a lack of compassion for those who were alcoholics, depressed,suicidal and lost. But after one year of being all those things and delvinginto it via a novel, I grew a heart I didn’t know I had. No longer did I judgethose people; instead, I understood them. During this time, “Kate” became “JanePerry” and she ended up teaching me so much about myself. Through the evolutionof Jane Perry (and she does evolvegreatly through the series), I know I’ve made thousands of connections withreaders who share the same struggles with Jane. And I do think that besidestelling a suspenseful, page turning story, my goal is to show that even ifyou’ve experienced a brutal childhood and made a lot of mistakes in your youngyears, you can still emerge from that and not just survive, but excel and comeout the other side with a deeper appreciation for life. There’s something to besaid for emerging back into the light after drowning in the darkness. My hope isthat reading about Jane Perry’s trials and tribulations will make some peoplemore compassionate for those who still fight the good fight every day. 

REVIEWS:
PROMISSORY PAYBACK by Laurel DeweyPublished by The Story Plant
ISBN-10: 1611880076
ISBN-13: 978-1611880076
Pages:  80
At the request of The Story Plant, a PDF EBook Edition of a double novelette, Promissory Payback and Unrevealed were provided, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Synopsis (from publisher):  In PROMISSORY PAYBACK Jane is called in to investigate the gruesome murder of a woman who profited greatly from the misfortunes of others. The case leaves Jane with little question about motive…and
with a seemingly endless number of suspects.
  
My Thoughts and Opinion:  This was my first introduction to both this author, Laurel Dewey and the character, Detective Jane Perry.  Although it was only 80 pages, I instantly knew that I had been missing out on a very talented author.  Within 80 pages she made the characters come to life and “transported” the reader into the plot. The writing style was fluid and very descriptive, which made it quite easy to create my own vivid visualizations as if I was watching a movie.  The novelette was a stand alone read but gave hints of giving the reader to want more and to know more about this tough, street smart, but sensitive detective. 
UNREVEALED by Laurel Dewey
Published by The Story Plant
ISBN-13: 9781611880236ISBN: 1611880238
Pages:  94
At the request of The Story Plant, a PDF EBook Edition of a double novelette, Promissory Payback and Unrevealed were provided, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
 Synopsis (from publisher):  In UNREVEALED, Dewey gives us four indelible portraits of Jane Perry:
  ANONYMOUS: One of Jane’s first AA meetings leads her to an encounter with a woman in need of her detection skills…and a secret she never expected to uncover.
  YOU CAN’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER: Forced by her boss to speak at a high school career day, Jane meets a troubled boy and finds that his story is only the beginning of a much more revealing tale.
  YOU’RE ONLY AS SICK AS YOUR SECRETS: An early-morning homicide call introduces Jane to a mystery as layered as it is unsuspected.
  THINGS AREN’T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM: Jane finds herself sharing a 2:00 am conversation at a downtown bar with an old acquaintance. Will the bloody night that proceeded this moment complicate Jane’s intentions?
 
My Thoughts and Opinion:  As I stated in my previous review, I had just found a new author and had much catching up to do.  I enjoyed her writing style and most definitely her main character, Detective Jane Perry.  Ms Dewey piqued my curiosity as to the so called “birth” of this new character that I wanted to read more about.  However, on to the second novelette.  Four (4) stories within a book of 94 pages?  How in depth could it be?  Could four (4) good suspenseful stories be told in 94 pages?  To my utter amazement the answer was yes.  The author wrote 4 descriptive concise short stories in 94 pages, that were so detailed, that I was engrossed to the point that I wasn’t aware of what was going on around me.  The characters, once again, came to life and the writing was so detailed that I was able to create vivid images in my mind.  My thoughts, I need to purchase the first book starring Detective Jane Perry.  My opinion, if you enjoy reading from the genre of suspense, this is an author you need to read.
And this is my opinion and my opinion only, as for marketing, this would be a perfect solution for those times when a reader is in one of those “dreaded reader’s slumps”.  It is a quick, yet detailed, descriptive, gripping story line whereas you know you aren’t going to have to invest a lot of time into a book, which sometimes, I know with me, is one of the reasons, it is hard for me to start getting back into the groove of reading.  Or it would also be a perfect gift  for those times when you need to purchase a “little something” such as a hostess gift, get well visit, teacher’s gift, Secret Santa (it’s right around the corner), etc.
Read an excerpt from PROMISSORY PAYBACK
Another victim. Another senseless, gruesome murder that she would add to the board at Denver Headquarters. When Sergeant Weyler called her half an hour ago, she hadn’t even finished her third cup of coffee. “This one is odd, Jane,” he told her with that characteristic tone in his voice that also suggested an evil tinge behind the slaying du jour. “Be prepared,” he said before hanging up. It was a helluva way to start a Monday morning.

As Jane drove her ’66 Mustang toward the crime scene in the toney section of Denver known as Cherry Creek, she tried to look on the bright side. If she’d still been a drinker, she’d be battling an epic hangover at that moment and doing her best to hide it from Weyler. But since becoming a friend of Bill W., her addictions involved healthier options such as jogging, buying way too many pounds of expensive coffee and even briefly joining a yoga group. She stopped attending the class only because the pansy-ass male instructor wasn’t comfortable with her setting her Glock in the holster to the side of her mat during class. Since she was usually headed to work after the 7 AM stretch session, Jane was obviously carrying her service weapon. She wasn’t about to leave it in her car or a locker at the facility. Nor would she be so careless as to hang it on one of the eco-friendly bamboo hooks that lined the yoga room.

So for Jane, it was obvious and more than natural for the Glock to lie next to her as she attempted the Salutation to the Sun pose and arched into Downward Facing Dog. In her mind, there was no dichotomy between the peacefulness of yoga and the brain splattering capacity of her Glock. As the annoying, high-pitched flute music played in the background—a sound meant to encourage calmness but which sounded more like a dying parakeet to Jane—she felt completely safe knowing that a loaded gun was inches from her grasp. The other people in the class, however, did have a problem and they showed it by arranging their mats as far from Jane as humanly possible. None of this behavior bothered Jane until the soy milk-chugging teacher took her aside and asked her to please remove the Glock from class. Since Jane wasn’t about to take orders from a guy in a fuchsia leotard who had a penchant for crying at least twice during class, she strapped her 9mm across her organic cotton yoga t! op and quit.

That’s what predictably happened whenever you shoved a square peg like Jane Perry in a round hole of people and situations that don’t understand the real world. Crime has a nasty habit of worming its way into the most unlikely places—churches, schools, sacred retreats and possibly yoga studios. The way Jane Perry looked at life, yoga might keep your flexible but a loaded gun kept you alive so you could continue being flexible. She knew what it felt like to be the victim of circumstance; to be held hostage by another person’s violent objective. Even though it was a long time ago, she’d never wash the stench from her memory. Her vow was always the same: Nobody would ever make Jane Perry a victim again.

But somebody apparently had made the old lady inside the Cherry Creek house a victim. Jane rolled to the curb and parked the Mustang, sucking the last microgram of nicotine from the butt of her cigarette. Squashing it onto the street with the heel of her roughout cowboy boots, she flashed her shield to the cops standing at the periphery and ducked under the yellow crime tape that was draped between the two precision-trimmed boxwood shrubs that framed the bottom of the long, immaculate brick driveway.

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

Guest Author Laurel Dewey and Book Reviews "Promissory Payback and Unrevealed"

I can’t believe it’s already October!!  This year seems to have gone by so fast, at least to me.  And what better way to start the month off by hosting a Guest Author as she begins her virtual tour!  Mr. Lou Aronica, from The Story Plant, is stopping by with the very busy and talented author, Ms. Laurel Dewey, as she kicks off her 2 month virtual tour with Partners In Crime Tours.  So please help me give a warm welcome to our guest today, Ms. Laurel Dewey as she visits and tells us about her latest publications.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Laurel Dewey’s writing career has been anything but predictable. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Dewey began her career working in public relations for such celebrities as Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra. Her writing talents quickly took her into other entertainment avenues. Dewey was an assistant editor at BOP Magazine, helping launch the blockbuster career of teen pop groups like The New Kids on The Block. During this time, she wrote a string of successful mystery radio plays for Los Angeles radio networks. The plays won Dewey consistent awards and caused one reviewer to write, “Dewey’s flair for creating memorable characters and great stories is a welcome change these days.”

Not satisfied to write in only one genre, Dewey went on to pen a western novella “In the Name of the Land” which was nominated for a Silver Spur Fiction Award. A collection of short stories followed, as did a successful stint writing and producing radio ads and promos.
In the early 1990’s, Dewey relocated to rural Colorado. But her eclectic writing forte continued as she pursued work as a freelance investigative journalist, advertising/marketing promoter and editor of children’s books. In the mid and late 1990’s, two of her books on plant medicine were published, along with 10 booklets and hundreds of articles on alternative health.During this time, she appeared as a featured guest on over 300 national radio and television programs and lectured extensively across the United States and Canada.

But now the pages have turned again…literally. In 2007, Dewey released her first fiction novel, Protector, a gritty, paranormal crime thriller that follows the rocky life of Denver homicide detective Jane Perry. In preparation for writing the book, Dewey immersed herself in detailed research, interviewing Colorado homicide detectives and traveling on “ride-a-longs” with street cops. The intricate research helped Dewey create a debut novel that is powerful, compelling and utterly original.

The sequel to Protector, Redemption, was released in June of 2009. She is currently writing the third book in the Jane Perry series, titled Revelations, due to be released July, 2010. She lives with her husband in rural Colorado.

You can visit Laurel Dewey at her website.
GUEST POST
The Creation and Birth of Jane Perry
 By Laurel Dewey
“Are you Jane Perry?” I get asked thatquestion a lot when I meet people. The assumption seems to be that there is no way I could have written such a damaged, alcoholic, abrasive yet highly intuitive and intelligent woman unless I was writing about my own life. It makes sense, right? You’re always told as a writer to “write what you know.” And readers continually comment that Jane is “so real.”
Well, the truthis, I am not Jane Perry and I am Jane Perry.
HomicideDetective Jane Perry was literally born during long trips alone in my car. I’mnot sure the moment it happened, but I remember on one particularly long drivefrom Colorado to California, I just started talking out loud in the car—havinga dialogue with an unknown character—and telling this other character what Ifelt about my life as a detective. Wait…I’m not a detective. In fact, I can’teven stand the sight of blood. The only real homicide detective I ever knew wasmy friend’s father back in Los Angeles who worked some fairly gruesome, highprofile murder cases in the city. But here I was in the car, babbling on and onabout my life and my problems and my horrible past. The thing was, nothing Iwas complaining about was related to anything in my own life. During that drive, I continued to play out this imaginarycharacter and for some reason named her “Kate.”
I had nointention of writing about her at that point. It was just something to occupythe dull spaces during the drive. But on the drive back to Colorado, I begandelving even further into her life and by the time I returned to Colorado, I’dfleshed out a fairly real character.
And this went onfor literally years until I wentthrough what some might call my own “dark night of the soul.” That was in 1999.I had been very successful as a journalist and had written two books on plantmedicine that were extremely popular. But it all came crashing down in Januaryof 1999 when I lost every freelance writing account I’d had for years. I livedon my savings and by May those savings were gone. I scored a job as a landscapelaborer and worked from 7AM until 8PM, six days a week. It was back breakingbut it was work. However, depression set in like I’d never felt it before and Isensed an utter pointlessness to life. I began self-medicating with alcohol andI’d never been a drinker before. There were many horrible nights during thattime that I didn’t want to continue living. The self-destruction continued forthe rest of the year, culminating in a freak accident where I nearly burned offpart of my thumb.
That was it. Ididn’t give up; I gave in. I’d lived extremely frugally that summer and wasable to save some money. I decided that I would spend two months eitherallowing myself to just stare out the window or writing down whatever I wasfeeling. I was not married and I didn’t have children so I literally had theluxury of doing nothing. I think I spent about two days max staring out thewindow. That just got tedious. So, I started writing and lo and behold, “Kate”the homicide detective re-emerged and I wrote pages and pages about herchildhood, her life as a cop, her relationships and more. I had no idea wherethis was going but I allowed it…yes, Iallowed it for the first time in my life. And the more I allowed it toflow, suddenly a story formed around “Kate’s” life. Her past was shockinglybrutal (which was not part of my upbringing) but she was a hardcore drinker andthat was certainly something I could relate to. But the more I created thestory that later became my first novel, Protector,the more I began to heal myself. The catharsis was outrageous. With each page,I came back to myself more. By the time I finished the first draft sixteenmonths later (which was a whopping 650 pages), I was a different person. Abetter person.
I’d alwayssuffered from a lack of compassion for those who were alcoholics, depressed,suicidal and lost. But after one year of being all those things and delvinginto it via a novel, I grew a heart I didn’t know I had. No longer did I judgethose people; instead, I understood them. During this time, “Kate” became “JanePerry” and she ended up teaching me so much about myself. Through the evolutionof Jane Perry (and she does evolvegreatly through the series), I know I’ve made thousands of connections withreaders who share the same struggles with Jane. And I do think that besidestelling a suspenseful, page turning story, my goal is to show that even ifyou’ve experienced a brutal childhood and made a lot of mistakes in your youngyears, you can still emerge from that and not just survive, but excel and comeout the other side with a deeper appreciation for life. There’s something to besaid for emerging back into the light after drowning in the darkness. My hope isthat reading about Jane Perry’s trials and tribulations will make some peoplemore compassionate for those who still fight the good fight every day. 

REVIEWS:
PROMISSORY PAYBACK by Laurel DeweyPublished by The Story Plant
ISBN-10: 1611880076
ISBN-13: 978-1611880076
Pages:  80
At the request of The Story Plant, a PDF EBook Edition of a double novelette, Promissory Payback and Unrevealed were provided, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Synopsis (from publisher):  In PROMISSORY PAYBACK Jane is called in to investigate the gruesome murder of a woman who profited greatly from the misfortunes of others. The case leaves Jane with little question about motive…and
with a seemingly endless number of suspects.
  
My Thoughts and Opinion:  This was my first introduction to both this author, Laurel Dewey and the character, Detective Jane Perry.  Although it was only 80 pages, I instantly knew that I had been missing out on a very talented author.  Within 80 pages she made the characters come to life and “transported” the reader into the plot. The writing style was fluid and very descriptive, which made it quite easy to create my own vivid visualizations as if I was watching a movie.  The novelette was a stand alone read but gave hints of giving the reader to want more and to know more about this tough, street smart, but sensitive detective. 
UNREVEALED by Laurel Dewey
Published by The Story Plant
ISBN-13: 9781611880236ISBN: 1611880238
Pages:  94
At the request of The Story Plant, a PDF EBook Edition of a double novelette, Promissory Payback and Unrevealed were provided, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
 Synopsis (from publisher):  In UNREVEALED, Dewey gives us four indelible portraits of Jane Perry:
  ANONYMOUS: One of Jane’s first AA meetings leads her to an encounter with a woman in need of her detection skills…and a secret she never expected to uncover.
  YOU CAN’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER: Forced by her boss to speak at a high school career day, Jane meets a troubled boy and finds that his story is only the beginning of a much more revealing tale.
  YOU’RE ONLY AS SICK AS YOUR SECRETS: An early-morning homicide call introduces Jane to a mystery as layered as it is unsuspected.
  THINGS AREN’T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM: Jane finds herself sharing a 2:00 am conversation at a downtown bar with an old acquaintance. Will the bloody night that proceeded this moment complicate Jane’s intentions?
 
My Thoughts and Opinion:  As I stated in my previous review, I had just found a new author and had much catching up to do.  I enjoyed her writing style and most definitely her main character, Detective Jane Perry.  Ms Dewey piqued my curiosity as to the so called “birth” of this new character that I wanted to read more about.  However, on to the second novelette.  Four (4) stories within a book of 94 pages?  How in depth could it be?  Could four (4) good suspenseful stories be told in 94 pages?  To my utter amazement the answer was yes.  The author wrote 4 descriptive concise short stories in 94 pages, that were so detailed, that I was engrossed to the point that I wasn’t aware of what was going on around me.  The characters, once again, came to life and the writing was so detailed that I was able to create vivid images in my mind.  My thoughts, I need to purchase the first book starring Detective Jane Perry.  My opinion, if you enjoy reading from the genre of suspense, this is an author you need to read.
And this is my opinion and my opinion only, as for marketing, this would be a perfect solution for those times when a reader is in one of those “dreaded reader’s slumps”.  It is a quick, yet detailed, descriptive, gripping story line whereas you know you aren’t going to have to invest a lot of time into a book, which sometimes, I know with me, is one of the reasons, it is hard for me to start getting back into the groove of reading.  Or it would also be a perfect gift  for those times when you need to purchase a “little something” such as a hostess gift, get well visit, teacher’s gift, Secret Santa (it’s right around the corner), etc.
Read an excerpt from PROMISSORY PAYBACK
Another victim. Another senseless, gruesome murder that she would add to the board at Denver Headquarters. When Sergeant Weyler called her half an hour ago, she hadn’t even finished her third cup of coffee. “This one is odd, Jane,” he told her with that characteristic tone in his voice that also suggested an evil tinge behind the slaying du jour. “Be prepared,” he said before hanging up. It was a helluva way to start a Monday morning.

As Jane drove her ’66 Mustang toward the crime scene in the toney section of Denver known as Cherry Creek, she tried to look on the bright side. If she’d still been a drinker, she’d be battling an epic hangover at that moment and doing her best to hide it from Weyler. But since becoming a friend of Bill W., her addictions involved healthier options such as jogging, buying way too many pounds of expensive coffee and even briefly joining a yoga group. She stopped attending the class only because the pansy-ass male instructor wasn’t comfortable with her setting her Glock in the holster to the side of her mat during class. Since she was usually headed to work after the 7 AM stretch session, Jane was obviously carrying her service weapon. She wasn’t about to leave it in her car or a locker at the facility. Nor would she be so careless as to hang it on one of the eco-friendly bamboo hooks that lined the yoga room.

So for Jane, it was obvious and more than natural for the Glock to lie next to her as she attempted the Salutation to the Sun pose and arched into Downward Facing Dog. In her mind, there was no dichotomy between the peacefulness of yoga and the brain splattering capacity of her Glock. As the annoying, high-pitched flute music played in the background—a sound meant to encourage calmness but which sounded more like a dying parakeet to Jane—she felt completely safe knowing that a loaded gun was inches from her grasp. The other people in the class, however, did have a problem and they showed it by arranging their mats as far from Jane as humanly possible. None of this behavior bothered Jane until the soy milk-chugging teacher took her aside and asked her to please remove the Glock from class. Since Jane wasn’t about to take orders from a guy in a fuchsia leotard who had a penchant for crying at least twice during class, she strapped her 9mm across her organic cotton yoga t! op and quit.

That’s what predictably happened whenever you shoved a square peg like Jane Perry in a round hole of people and situations that don’t understand the real world. Crime has a nasty habit of worming its way into the most unlikely places—churches, schools, sacred retreats and possibly yoga studios. The way Jane Perry looked at life, yoga might keep your flexible but a loaded gun kept you alive so you could continue being flexible. She knew what it felt like to be the victim of circumstance; to be held hostage by another person’s violent objective. Even though it was a long time ago, she’d never wash the stench from her memory. Her vow was always the same: Nobody would ever make Jane Perry a victim again.

But somebody apparently had made the old lady inside the Cherry Creek house a victim. Jane rolled to the curb and parked the Mustang, sucking the last microgram of nicotine from the butt of her cigarette. Squashing it onto the street with the heel of her roughout cowboy boots, she flashed her shield to the cops standing at the periphery and ducked under the yellow crime tape that was draped between the two precision-trimmed boxwood shrubs that framed the bottom of the long, immaculate brick driveway.

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.