Category: Showcase

Guest Author–Drusilla Campbell–showcase & giveaway ENDED

I am so excited to be hosting today’s guest, especially since it is also publication day of her latest book.  I have read 2 of  her previous novels, Little Girl Gone and The Good Sister, and enjoyed both.  When Tanisha, from The Hachette Book Group emailed me, I jumped at the chance to have Ms. Drusilla Campbell visit with us again.  Welcome back!!!!

DRUSILLA CAMPBELL

Drusilla Campbell is the author of seven critically acclaimed novels including The Good Sister, Little Girl Gone, The Edge of Sky, and Blood Orange.  Before she started school she had crossed the Pacific Ocean three times.  She’s lived in Europe and Central America and has a MA in Broadcast Journalism from American University.  Drusilla happily lives in San Diego with her husband, the attorney and poet Art Campbell, two rescued dogs, and three horses.
Connect with Ms. Campbell at the following sites:

http://drusillacampbell.com/ https://www.facebook.com/DrusillaWrites https://twitter.com/DrusillaWrites

ABOUT THE BOOK

Bestselling author Drusilla Campbell masterfully weaves a story of a mother’s need to serve her country, win the respect of her father and learn to love her family in WHEN SHE CAME HOME.

Frankie Byrne has returned from the war in Iraq to a war in her San Diego home. Her daughter, Glory, is having problems with bullies at school, and Frankie and her husband, Rick, can’t agree on the best way to deal with it. In fact Glory is just one of many things Frankie and Rick can’t agree on any more. It seems like everything Frankie does–from buying groceries to socializing with friends–is wrong. Her father, Brigadier General Harlan Byrne, USMC retired, thinks that Frankie’s problems are her own fault. A woman, especially a mother, should not go off to war.

But Frankie’s problem is not that she wasn’t prepared to be a soldier. It’s that she can’t stop being one. Her time in Iraq, specifically a controversial moment the government doesn’t want to acknowledge, has left her with severe PTSD. She can’t forget the horrors she saw, and can’t forgive herself for not being able to do more. Frankie desperately wants to regain the closeness her family once shared, she knows the time has come to be honest about her PTSD and find a way to heal. It’s a battle that won’t be easy, but one she must face in order to save her daughter, her marriage, and herself.

Campbell’s story offers an intimate portrait and a strong narrative about a story that is becoming more and more a part of our social fabric—a mother’s return home from war.

BOOK DETAILS:

ISBN: 978-1-4555-1035-1
Price: $14.99/Trade Paperback Original
Release: April 9, 2013

PURCHASE LINKS:

           

THANKS TO TANISHA AT THE HACHETTE BOOK GROUP,
I
HAVE FIVE (5) COPIES TO GIVE AWAY.
OPEN TO U.S. AND CANADA RESIDENTS
FILL OUT RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM BELOW
GIVEAWAY ENDS APRIL 23rd AT 6PM EST

hachette

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RAFFLECOPTER AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

a Rafflecopter giveaway

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

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.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affiliate. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

Guest Author BOB ADAMOV

Did you have a nice weekend?  I hope you rested because it is going to be another busy week here.  Today, Boryana from Finn Partners is stopping by for a first visit, which I hope is one of many, to introduce us to the very busy and talented author, Mr. Bob Adamov!!  Let’s give them a warm welcome!!!

BOB ADAMOV

Bob Adamov is an Ohio mystery adventure writer whose stories are based in the Lake Erie island resort town of Put-in-Bay. He often can be seen in Put-in-Bay, Key West and the Cayman Islands where he writes and markets his novels between boating, sailing and jet skiing with his scuba diving and treasure hunting friends. He had worked for an Arlington, Virginia-based defense contractor in the intelligence sector. A KentStateUniversity graduate, Adamov resides in Wooster, Ohio – not far from the shore of Lake Erie.

Sandustee is the seventh novel in the popular Emerson Moore series and Adamov’s string of island best sellers which include Rainbow’s End, Pierce the Veil, When Rainbows Walk, Promised Land, The Other Side of Hell and Tan Lines. Adamov’s writing style has been compared to Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy.

Adamov was the featured author at the 2006 Ernest Hemingway Literary Festival in Key West. He was recently named Writer of the Year for 2010 in regional competition sponsored by the University of Akron’s WayneCollege. His first novel was a 2003 runner up as the top fiction novel in the Great Lakes (won by Pulitzer Prize winner – Middlesex.) All of his novels were rated 5 Stars by the Midwest Book Review and named as top novels in northeast Ohio by the Akron Beacon Journal. His novels have won awards at the Hollywood Book Festival, London Book Festival, New York Book Festival and the Indie Awards.

“Bob Adamov is a superb craftsman of hanging-on-the-edge-of-your-seat mystery adventures…” – Midwest Book Review

Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s staff compared Adamov’s writing style to Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy. Cussler has become a fan of Adamov’s, had him speak at his October 2008 and September 2010 conventions and endorsed his novel, The Other Side of Hell.

A screenplay has been prepared on the first novel, Rainbow’s End, at the request of Dominic Sena, director of Kalifornia, Gone in Sixty Seconds, Swordfish, Whiteout and Season of the Witch. The screenplay is currently being revised. A screenplay is under development on The Other Side of Hell while the completed Tan Lines screenplay is under review by a Hollywood producer.

GUEST POST

Sandustee was an interesting and exciting write. It started one summer Saturday on SouthBassIsland when I was signing books in front of one of the island shops. An island bar tender approached me and told me about research he had conducted on the Masons in Sandusky, Ohio, which is located nearby on the mainland. It captured my attention (and imagination) as he said I could use the idea in a novel.

I started additional research and the outline for the plot began to form. I had no idea that a dinner with a treasure hunting friend would add another dimension to the plot.

Over a sumptuous dinner at Kelley’s Caribbean Restaurant and Bar in Key West the next April, Kim Fisher, whose family discovered the wreck of the Atocha and her vast treasure, told me about the Legend of 13. I was hooked and started listing names and places to see which had 13 letters.

The Legend of 13 holds that people and places with thirteen letters have a significant impact on our history. Included is this category would be: Osama Bin Laden, Jesus and the twelve disciples, a judge and 12 jurors, Andrew Jackson, Bourbon Street, The White House, Jeffrey Dahmer, Saddam Hussein, Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, and Marilyn Monroe.

Following are a few more notes about the Legend of 13:

  • The Cuban Missile Crisis lasted 13 days.
  • Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed died when their Mercedes struck the 13th pillar in the Alma tunnel in Paris on August 31 1997.
  • The Apollo 13 spacecraft exploded at 1:13 in the afternoon (1313 military time) on April 13, 1970.
  • Companies file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy.
  • Our barcode system is made up of 13 characters.
  • There were typically 13 steps leading to the gallows.
  • The hangman’s noose has 13 turns of the rope.
  • The 13th amendment passed during Abraham Lincoln’s term as U.S. President outlawed slavery.
  • Sandustee was published in 2013 and listed on Amazon on 3/1/13.

It was amazing to me how the pieces of this puzzle began coming together as I wrote. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing this mystery adventure. I’ll be thinking of you all as I sip a rum and coke while watching a Put-in-Bay sunset.

ABOUT THE BOOK

If you liked National Treasure and DaVinci Code, you’ll love Sandustee. It’s a worldwide chase for clues to finding a lost Biblical scroll, the Nazarene’s Code, which gives the holder the power to control nations. Running through the novel is a thread which links Osama Bin Laden to Jesus and the twelve disciples to Abraham Lincoln to Lincoln’s assassination to Booth’s escape to Dr. Samuel Mudd’s house to Mudd’s imprisonment in the Dry Tortugas. The thread is the Legend of 13; words with thirteen letters have stunning implications on the plotline.

This action-packed novel is filled with murder, cross and double-cross, scuba action, a touch of Knights Templar, Masonic symbolism, and political intrigue in D.C. and the world intelligence community. Washington Post investigative reporter, EMERSON MOORE, is accompanied by a beautiful blonde German antiquities researcher, KATRINA BIEBER, as they try to stay one step ahead of the shadowy Russian KARAPASHEV in finding and interpreting the clues. Moore is aided by former NSA cybercode breaker STEVE NICHOLAS and retired German BND spymaster ANDREAS KALKER.

From scuba diving in the Red Sea to the allure of Bodrum, Turkey, Moore and Bieber chase clues in Germany, the island of Rhodes, London, Key West, the Dry Tortugas, New Orleans, the Washington, D.C. area, and Ohio’s Huron, Sandusky and Put-in-Bay. Death is close on their heels.

media connect

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

Joe Keller–showcase and giveaway ENDED

Rebecca, from The Cadence Group is stopping by to introduce us to today’s guest author, Mr. Joe Keller.  Welcome to CMash Reads!!!

JOE KELLER

Joe Keller is a father of two, an entrepreneur at heart, and a lifelong learner. His personal quest is to live a fulfilling, awesomely happy life and to help others do the same.

Single Effort grew out of Joe’s learning curve following a painful divorce. Through trial and a healthy dose of error, Joe learned to approach single life – and life in general – with smarts and heart, leading to newfound confidence and exciting new adventures.

Equally at home cooking a meal for his kids, crooning karaoke on a night on the town, deciphering the world of dating for his readers, or traveling the globe, Joe believes that it’s what’s inside that counts – that happiness comes from following your passion, loving and being loved, and ultimately, finding peace within yourself.

Joe shares his passion for helping others through volunteer work in the U.S. and abroad, via his writing, and through public speaking. Joe makes his home in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
Connect with Joe here:   .SingleEffort.com

GUEST POST

Learning to Cook as a Single Guy – Why It’s Important

When you’re thinking about dating, it’s important to develop “date-friendly” skills that will help you stand out as an attractive and worthy mate. All the better if those same skills will also serve you on your own as a single guy and father (if you have kids). Cooking fits the bill.

A nice way to impress a date is to tell her you know how to cook. A better way to impress a date is to show her that you can cook. Once you’ve learned the ropes, Single Effort your date night by offering to cook a meal at your home. You’ll be able to impress your date with your cooking skills while at the same time providing both of you with a relaxing evening she’ll truly appreciate. You’ll definitely stand out in her mind after the date is over!

http://singleeffort.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gifIf you don’t know how to cook, don’t worry. I didn’t cook well either when I was married – and if I can pick it up (a guy who didn’t know how to cook a decent grilled cheese sandwich before becoming single) then anyone can. Cooking is really quite simple. Read on for some “sage” cooking advice.

First and foremost, if you don’t know how to cook, start by getting familiar with the basics by visiting cooking websites and tuning in to cooking shows. Did you know they have an entire network on TV devoted to food and cooking? It’s called the Food Network and most cable and dish broadcasters carry it on their standard channel list. You can find a plethora of cooking tips and recipes on the Food Network. Pick a show that interests you and start watching to gain some insight into cooking lingo and to pick up tips and tricks.

Another great way to learn about cooking is to attend cooking classes. A quick search on the Internet should help you find many businesses offering cooking classes near you– sites like Local Cooking Classes and Local Cooking Class are wonderful references for classes local to you (and yes, they’re two distinct websites).

Community colleges and adult education courses are a great way to learn about the basics of cooking as well, and many speciality grocery stores, such as Whole Foods, offer affordable cooking classes to help you learn how to use the ingredients they offer in their stores.

Cooking classes are also a great Single Effort opportunity – they’re an excellent way to learn a new skill while meeting like-minded single women at the same time.

But the best way to learn to cook is simply by “doing” – find a recipe that sounds interesting and devote an evening to learning how to cook it well. If you can’t find a recipe that inspires you, try visiting Allrecipes.com for some great ideas!

I enjoy using Allrecipes because they allow me to save recipes found on their site into my own virtual recipe box. I can look up a recipe I previously saved with just a couple clicks of the mouse.

Allrecipes also allows you to print your recipes in a variety of sizes so you have the recipe in front of you, in an easy-to-read format, while in the kitchen preparing your meal. In addition, the recipes are well organized into food categories, easily searchable, and include pictures of the finished meal along with user ratings.

Allrecipes is truly unique – I rely on them for fantastic meal suggestions and cooking ideas on a regular basis. I consider Allrecipes.com to be to cooking what Amazon.com is to shopping.

For single guys trying to stand out from the sea of other guys their date has met, learning to cook is a skill that will give you that added boost. It’s the “secret sauce” that just might help you find and keep the girl of your dreams!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Single Effort is the best guide to be­ing single – but not necessarily staying single – that you’ll ever read! From food to fun, and finance to romance, Single Effort delivers clear, real-world advice to help you live a dynamic, successful life as a single guy.

You’ll discover how to:

  • · Approach with confidence and attract not just any woman — but the right woman
  • · Thrive in the online dating world and the competitive dating scene
  • · Prepare tasty home-cooked meals and master the befuddling world of wine
  • · Save time and money with proven product recommendations and advice on everything from daily living, to dating, to personal comfort (even cleaning!)

Single Effort isn’t just for men. Ladies, you’ll benefit too! From ideas to spice up your relationship to a revealing look at a guy’s perspective on dating – it’s all here! Destined to become a classic, this indispensable guide will change how you think about being single and help you find the life and love you seek.

For more information, please visit www.SingleEffort.com. There are five free downloads which include tips and helpful advice on dating, items to buy for your home when striking out on your own, cooking, divorce, and hiring a housekeeper.

THANKS TO REBECCA AT THE CADENCE GROUP, I
HAVE ONE (1) COPY TO GIVE AWAY.
OPEN TO U.S.  RESIDENTS
FILL OUT RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM BELOW
GIVEAWAY ENDS APRIL 20th AT 6PM EST

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RAFFLECOPTER AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

a Rafflecopter giveaway

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

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

Guest Author Deliah Dawson

It’s been a busy week and it’s not over yet.  Stephanie, from Simon & Schuster, is stopping by today to introduce us to a very talented author.  Grab your coffee and give a warm welcome to Ms. Deliah Dawson!!

DELIAH DAWSON

Delilah S. Dawson is a native of Roswell, Georgia and the author of the paranormal romance Blud series for Pocket, including Wicked as They Come and an eNovella, The Mysterious Madam Morpho. The second book in the series, Wicked as She Wants and a second novella, The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance, will be out in spring 2013, and her first YA, Servants of the Storm, will be available in spring 2014.
Connect with author:    http://www.delilahdawson.com/ https://www.facebook.com/DelilahSDawson?fref=ts https://twitter.com/DelilahSDawson

 GUEST POST

On Damaged Women

If you’ve read any of the books or e-novellas in my Blud series for Pocket, you might have noticed that all my heroines have one thing in

common: they are damaged women. Tish in Wicked as They Come is leaving an abusive relationship. Imogen from The Mysterious Madam Morpho was kicked out of the house by her father and assaulted by her employer.

And Frannie from The Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance was wrongly used by the first man she ever loved.

When I think back to the strong women I’ve known and the characters that have been memorable, very few of them have led easy, carefree lives. Game of Thrones is a tapestry of women forced into impossible situations who made mistakes, found their inner steel, and rose to greatness. Book favorites that come to mind are Ayla from Jean Auel’s Earth’s Children series, Sookie Stackhouse from Charlaine Harris’s Dead After Dark series, and Claire Frasier from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. Women are made strong for a reason, and many of us don’t truly find our strength until we’re pushed to our very limits and come out the other side.

And I speak from experience when I say that our tragedies make us more interesting and often more loveable. When I was younger, I thought romance was filled with swooning, naïve, virginal heroines who fell into the arms of handsome, tender dukes. Now that I’m older and looking beyond covers, I’m finding amazing stories about bluestockings, orphans, widows, queens, and uppity women who won’t back down no matter what their world’s mores dictate. Romance as a genre is just as varied as women as a gender, and I’m proud to contribute a series that’s filled for rollicking adventure and steamy romance but with powerful women at its heart.

My next book, WICKED AS SHE WANTS, is out April 30 and features my strongest heroine yet: a twist on the famous Princess Anastasia. But my Ahna is a blood drinker in a steampunk world who boards an airship brothel and faces bloodthirsty unicorns to find her way back home.

Part of the challenge of writing strong women is also writing men that compliment them, heroes who are confident enough to love strong women and give them the freedom to be themselves. Ahna’s paramour is Casper Sterling, a musician from our world with his own inner demons. When Ahna and Casper join forces, they become all but unstoppable.

When I was young, books were my escape and my salvation, and I was hungry for heroines who knew pain. Now, I like to think the underlying message of romance– my books included– is that there’s hope. Whoever you are, whatever you’ve been through, no matter how broken you might be, you deserve love.

Thanks so much for hosting me, and I hope y’all enjoy it! Please feel free to reach out to me on Twitter (@DelilahSDawson) or at my website, www.delilahsdawson.com anytime! And if you like artisan perfumes, be sure to check out the character-based scents at Villainess Soaps (http://www.villainess.net/wicked/). Seven new scents will debut this April to cover both books and e-novellas in the series.

ABOUT THE BOOK

From the author of highly praised steampunk-ian Wicked as They Come comes an urban fantasy romance about Frannie Pleasance, a woman who takes in stray animals to save them from the dangerous world of bludbunnies, bludbadgers, and Bludmen who populate Sang, an alternate-universe London. When her pet shop is set on fire by someone who doesn’t like her menagerie, Frannie meets a fireman who wants to help her track down the animals who ran away during the blaze, and find the person who tried to put her life in danger.

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

Guest author Barbara Taylor Sissel and giveaway ENDED

Today is special because we have an old friend, not chronologically :), stopping by.  I became a fan when I read The Ninth Step and then subsequently, The Volunteer.   I knew she was working on her next book but not quite sure when it would be available.  You can imagine my surprise when I received it from Liz, Meryl L. Moss Media.  Thank you Liz!!!  After I stopped jumping up and down, I emailed them and asked if Bobbi would stop by.  And she graciously accepted.  Welcome back, Ms. Barbara Taylor Sissel !!!!!

 

 BARBARA TAYLOR SISSEL

BARBARA TAYLOR SISSEL is an author, book reviewer, freelance writer, editor, and the mother of two great sons. She was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and grew up in various locations, mostly in the Midwest before landing in Texas. She’s always loved stories, and reading and falling in love with Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte was what got her thinking about becoming an author.  That dream stayed with her through marriage, her life as the wife of a prison warden, and the birth of her children. It wasn’t until her youngest child was in school that she finally was able to sit down and write, and she was influenced by her experiences living on the grounds of a prison.
Connect with Barbara: Website   Facebook   Twitter

GUEST POST

Where do you find inspiration for your writing? Other books and authors, long walks, meditation, or something different?

Reading has always been my favorite pastime, and it’s probably my greatest source of inspiration. I have always loved words, and their meanings, and language. When I read other authors whose use of the language moves me, when their writing makes something shift inside me, and I’m pulled into the storyline, or into the character so deeply that I forget everything else, I come away from the experience on fire to forge that connection to readers through my own writing. Meditation and meditative activities certainly help, especially if I’m stuck. I’ll go out and work in the garden, where the smell of the sunshine, the breath of the wind and having my hands in the dirt all combine to cast a kind of spell, causing my mind to loosen and, hopefully, give me the very answer I need. Besides my garden, there are three other rather unlikely places where inspiration will seize me (try not to laugh!) One is in the shower, which is very inconvenient when I have to climb out, shivering, to make a note. It also happens when I vacuum and when I’m driving. I do counted cross-stitch, too, the intricate patterns, which is very meditative. (Right now I’m working a Scarlet Quince pattern, a stitched facsimile of Austrian painter, Joseph Nigg’s, oil painting, Bowl of Flowers in a Landscape.) I think with each of these activities, it’s the sameness, the repetition and routine that kind of frees my mind to wander. Since I never know when an idea will strike, I keep notecards and pencils handy everywhere.

ABOUT THE BOOK

On the last ordinary day of her life, Abby Bennett feels like the luckiest woman alive. But everyone knows that luck doesn’t last forever…

As her husband, Nick, and daughter, Lindsey, embark on a weekend camping trip to the Texas Hill Country, Abby looks forward to having some quiet time to herself. She braids Lindsey’s hair, reminds Nick to drive safely and kisses them both goodbye. For a brief moment, Abby thinks she has it all-a perfect marriage, a perfect life-until a devastating storm rips through the region, and her family vanishes without a trace.

When Nick and Lindsey are presumed dead, lost in the raging waters, Abby refuses to give up hope. Consumed by grief and clinging to her belief that her family is still alive, she sets out to find them. But as disturbing clues begin to surface, Abby realizes that the truth may be far more sinister than she imagined. Soon she finds herself caught in a current of lies that threaten to unhinge her and challenge everything she once believed about her marriage and family.

With a voice that resonates with stunning clarity, Barbara Taylor Sissel delivers a taut and chilling mystery about a mother’s love, a wife’s obsession and the invisible fractures that can shatter a family.
Read my review here.

BOOK DETAILS:

Genre: Suspense
Published by: Harlequin MIRA
Publication Date: March 26, 2013
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-0778315162

PURCHASE LINKS:

           

THANKS TO LIZ AT MERYL L. MOSS MEDIA, I
HAVE FIVE (5) COPIES TO GIVE AWAY.
OPEN TO U.S. AND CANADA RESIDENTS
FILL OUT RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM BELOW
GIVEAWAY ENDS APRIL 18th AT 6PM EST

media muscleMLMLOGO

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RAFFLECOPTER AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

a Rafflecopter giveaway

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

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.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.  I am an IndieBound affiliate.  I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

Guest author Larry Thompson

How is everyone?   I am thrilled, to have the opportunity, to introduce you to today’s very busy and talented guest.  He is visiting today, as one of his many stops with Partners In Crime Tours.  Please help me in giving a warm welcome to Mr. Larry Thompson!!

LARRY THOMPSON

Larry D. Thompson is a veteran trial lawyer and has drawn on decades of experience in the courtroom to produce riveting legal thrillers. Dead Peasants is is third After graduating from the University of Texas School of Law, Thompson founded the Houston trial firm where he still serves as managing partner. The proud father of three grown children, he lives and works in Texas but spends his summers in Colorado, where he crafts his novels and hikes the mountains surrounding Vail. His greatest inspiration came from Thomas Thompson, his brother, who wrote many best-selling true-crime books and novels.
Connect with Larry here:    Website Facebook

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Lawyer Jack Bryant retires early to Fort Worth to kick back, relax and watch his son play football at TCU. Bored with retirement he opens a pro bono office in his RV. When Jack finds an elderly widow at his doorstep, clutching a check for life insurance proceeds on her husband but payable to his former employer, Jack files a civil suit to collect the benefits rightfully due the widow. A seemingly accidental death of his client’s husband thrusts Jack into a vortex of serial killings. He and his new love interest find themselves targets in the same murder for hire scheme. To stop the killings Jack must unravel what in their past makes certain people worth more dead than alive.

Read an excerpt:

The knock at the door of the RV was so soft that at first Jack thought it must have been the wind. It came again. He rose from his chair and opened the door. An elderly black lady who he recognized as June Davis stood at the bottom of the steps.

“Mrs. Davis, I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you at first. Please come in. It’s chilly out there for early May.” Jack went down a step and extended his hand to assist his visitor, then offered her something to drink.

June perched on the edge of the cushioned bench that circled the table. “Water would be nice,” she said in a soft voice.

Jack went to the refrigerator and returned with a bottle. He twisted the cap a half a turn and handed it to her. She twisted the cap the rest of the way, took a small sip, replaced the cap and set it on the table.

“How are you doing, Mrs. Davis? I mean since your husband died have you been managing okay?”

“I’m fine, Mr. Bryant. My house is paid for and I get a little social security check. Besides, my kids look after me.” She reached into her purse and retrieved an envelope which she slid across the table to Jack. “This came in the mail, addressed to me. I, I wasn’t sure what to do with it; so, I called Miss Colby. She said I should take it to you.”

Jack picked up the envelope. The return address was the United States Postal Service. He opened it and found another envelope, this one torn and mangled with the addressee illegible. The letter from the postal service read, Dear Mrs. Davis: One of our sorting machines jammed and mangled this letter. We apologize for the problem. Your name was the only one we could make out on the letter, and we were able to get your address. Please handle as you see fit. Very truly yours.

Jack looked at the mangled letter. It was from Euro Life Insurance Company, based on the Isle of Gibraltar. It stated that Euro had determined that one William Davis was married to June Davis. Under the terms of the policy, since it paid double indemnity in the event of an accidental death, the benefit was $400,000, payable to Allison Southwest. Jack looked through the documents a second time before he looked up.

“Did you know that they had insured Willie for $400,000?”

“Lawdy, no, Mr. Bryant. Willie only made $20,000 a year. Why would anyone insure him for that kind of money? Besides, he retired from Allison fifteen years ago.”

“Good question. Let me keep these papers and the check. I’ll get back to you in a couple of days.”

BOOK DETAILS:

Genre: Legal Thriller
Published by: St Martin’s Press
Publication Date: October 2, 2012
Number of Pages: 304
ISBN: 978-1250009494

PURCHASE LINKS:

      

Follow the tour & you could win your own copy:

April 1, 2013 Showcase by Catherine @ Lavender & Camomile Press
April 1, 2013 Showcase by Sapphyria @ Sapphyria’s Book Reviews
April 1, 2013 Review by Tammy & Michelle @ The Nook Users Book Club
April 2, 2013 Guest Post by Cherie @ Cherie Reads
April 3, 2013 Showcase by Cheryl @ CMash Reads
April 4, 2013 Review by Ashley @ Dr. Pepper Diva
April 5, 2013 Guest Post & Review by Lori @ Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
April 8, 2013 Review by Steve @ True Media Solutions LLC
April 9, 2013 Review by Barbara @ Views from the Countryside
April 10, 2013 Review by JoyAnne @ Deco My Heart
April 11, 2013 Interview & Review by Janiera @ Books & Beauty
April 14, 2013 Review by Susan @ My Cozie Corner
April 15, 2013 Review by Victor @ Vic’s Media Room
April 16, 2013 Interview & Review by Kristi @ Books and Needlepoint
April 17, 2013 Guest Post by Jo @ Writers and Authors
April 19, 2013 Review by Mason Canyon @ Thoughts in Progress
April 22, 2013 Review by Kayla @ I Read a Book Once
April 23, 2013 Review by Fenny @ Hotchpotch
April 24, 2013 Review by Athena @ TheStuff of Success
April 25, 2013 Review by Mary @ Mary’s Cup of Tea
April 26, 2013 Guest Post by Laurie @ Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews
April 29, 2013 Review by Carol Wong
April 30, 2013 Interview by Review Jodi @ Words by Webb
May 1, 2013 Showcase @ Omnimystery
May 6, 2013 Guest Post & Review by Kathleen @ Jersey Girl Book Reviews
May 7, 2013 Interview & Review by Vicky @ DealSharing Aunt
May 8, 2013 Review by Heather @ Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
May 9, 2013 Interview & Review by Jean @ JeanBookNerd
May 20, 2013 Showcase @ Hott Books
May 21, 2013 Review by Joy @ Thoughts of Joy
May 22nd, 2013 Review by Sandy @ Mama Knows Books

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Marc DiGiacomo Guest Author

Today I have the distinct honor to introduce you to today’s guest as he launches his virtual tour with Partners In Crime Tours.  I ask, that you help me in welcoming Marc DiGiacomo to CMash Reads!

MARC DIGIACOMO

The author is a retired and highly decorated police detective who worked for an affluent community within the State of New York. He has worked with numerous police agencies at the local, county, state and federal levels on various investigative assignments. He currently resides in New York with his wife and three children.
Connect with Marc at these sites:

Facebook     Twitter     Website

ABOUT THE BOOK

The shotgun blast catches Detective Matthew Longo by surprise. His world unravels into a nightmare that seemingly won’t end. Murder, rapes, pedophiles, the small town of Hutchville, N.Y. is changing. It is up to him to make a difference. While partner Donny Mello is in Italy attending a funeral for a family member who is connected, to say the least, a beautiful F.B.I. agent waits to question him about his family business. Can Matt keep from answering the Agents questions? More importantly, can he hide a potentially career-ending secret from his community, his brother, and most especially Agent Cynthia Shyler?

Read an excerpt:
Chapter One
Not In Our TownI can’t get it out of my mind. The lightning that exploded from the end of the barrel. The ripping orange flash off the black steel. The smell of gunpowder. The sound, like an M-80. And the pain—the fucking searing pain. It is permanently scorched into my memory. Everything but his face. The face I didn’t see haunts me every second. All I remember are those ultra-white Reebok sneakers as he ran away. The fucking coward would have shot me in the back, but I turned around and caught the blast in the chest. I didn’t have time to pull my Glock.The shot knocked me to the ground. I thought I was having a heart attack—I couldn’t catch my breath. Then I understood what happened, and reality hit: I was going to die.It seemed to take minutes rather than seconds, but I managed to radio into headquarters. The response from the good guys was impressive, to say the least. They saved my life. Cops from my own town and others surrounded the scene. I knew they would come. When a cop gets shot, they all come, and with one thing in mind—to find the bastard who pulled the trigger.

Things grew foggy. I saw blue uniforms scurrying around the scene while white-clad EMTs lifted me onto the gurney and loaded me into the ambulance. I could hear people talking about me—reporters, other cops, curious residents. “Detective Matthew Longo…Only 29 years old, been on the force nearly 10 years…Shot in the fucking chest and shoulder. No wife or children. Parents live in town; Hutchville lifers. Oh yeah, the town is going to go batshit over this.”

Blood oozed from my left shoulder. My friend and paramedic Scotty Franks hovered over me and placed direct pressure on my wound. Even through my fog I could tell he was holding back tears. My shoulder was on fire. I never wore my bulletproof vest unless making entry on a search warrant, or if a hot pursuit was coming my way; then I quickly threw it over my shirt. I was lucky I had it on that night. Maybe someone on the other side was looking out for me.

I fell unconscious even with all the shouting around me. I dreamed of my funeral and who would be there. I saw myself in the blue box surrounded by a sobbing crowd of familiar faces. My parents looked horrible. My poor mother clutched her bible and rosary beads. My dad kept his eyes glued to the floor, angry and broken. My little brother Franny, in full uniform, stood near my casket at full attention, his white gloves damp from tears. Donny was there too, trying to keep it together.

I heard Scotty screaming for me in the distance. The poor guy loved me, but why was he screaming my name, spitting all over my face, at my wake? Maybe I should have had a closed casket.
Suddenly I felt him slapping me. I awoke and found myself back inside the ambulance. Scotty took a deep breath, in and out, and said, “Okay Matt, okay. Don’t do that again.”

The pain was relentless, and I couldn’t help but cry. Scotty put a needle into an IV line in my arm and the pain vanished almost immediately. “Don’t give me morphine Scotty,” I managed to whisper. “It killed my grandparents.” Then I lost consciousness again, falling into a world between life and death.

I heard someone screaming in the night. Was it me? It was too dark to see. Where’s Donny? I really needed him now. Was I dreaming again or was this some delusion of reality? I slapped myself and felt a sharp sting, jolting me awake.

It has been three weeks of hell living inside this apartment. My social life has been placed on indefinite hold. The phone rings constantly but who cares? I don’t answer. The window shades are drawn. I don’t know if its day or night, and I don’t give a shit.
Thankfully, the wound has been healing well. But I look at my shoulder and am repulsed by the scar and missing flesh. People say scars are sexy but this one may be the exception. My left arm is still in a sling. At times, the pain is still unbearable. The Percocet I’m still taking makes me pass out.

The sink is loaded with paper dishes and plastic cups. Last week’s dinner from my mother sits on the kitchen table still wrapped in tin foil, and the smell is starting to ferment in my kitchen. I can hear my Dad’s deep voice in my head: “Why don’t you pull it together and clean up around here? You’re making your mother nervous.” She’s nervous? I can’t help laughing.
Hey Dad, your oldest son was almost shot dead in the same small, safe community where we played Little League baseball. Mind if I take a week or two to let that one sink in?

Only cops—and maybe some of their wives—realize how dangerous police work can become in a millisecond. Parents of cops usually choose to ignore the reality—it’s too difficult to accept that a life-or-death choice awaits their son or daughter at any moment. A bank robbery turns into a shootout; a wanted felon gets pulled over for a broken tail-light and decides suicide by cop is his only way to avoid a lengthy jail sentence. As a detective, this is my everyday reality.

This isn’t supposed to happen in a small town. We’ve never had a police shooting—never. In fact, the last time we had any kind of criminal shooting was ten years ago, and it was a domestic dispute between a father and his cheating son-in-law. These old-school Italians are no joke.

Book Details

Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Published by: Infinity Publishing
Publication Date: 9/21/2012
Number of Pages: 176
ISBN: 0741478862
** This is the first book in a series **
This book contains: Excessive strong language, Graphic violence, & Explicit sexual scenes

Purchase Links: 

      

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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.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or
Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affiliate.
I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

Guest Author Doug Richardson and giveaway ENDED

I can’t believe how fast the months are going by.  Already April!  And April is going to be a busy month here at CMash Reads.  You ready?   Let’s kick off with today’s guest, Mr. Doug Richardson!  Welcome to the group!

DOUG RICHARDSON

Doug Richardson was born in Arcadia, California. The son of a career politician, Doug grew up outside Sacramento and inside the state Capitol. He used to talk his way into then-Governor Ronald Reagan’s office, just to get a handful of jellybeans.

Doug left Northern California for Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema. For as long as he could remember, Doug had wanted to be a movie director. But in pursuing his goal he discovered how movies are really made: in the writing.

After finishing college, Doug signed a two-year contract with Warner Brothers. In 1989 he garnered national attention when his spec screenplay was the first in Hollywood to sell for a million dollars. Doug’s first feature film, the sequel to DIE HARD, DIE HARDER, was produced in 1990. He has since written and produced feature films including the box office smash BAD BOYS and, most recently, HOSTAGE. To date, Doug’s features have grossed over 800 million dollars worldwide.

BLOOD MONEY is Doug’s fourth novel, preceded by DARK HORSE, TRUE BELIEVERS, and THE SAFETY EXPERT.

Doug continues to write and develop for feature films and television. He lives in Southern California with his wife, two children and four mutts.
Visit Doug at his website here.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The disillusioned Marine’s plan seems simple enough: steal a refrigerated tractor trailer loaded with frozen blood product; drive the pirated cargo from Reno, Nevada to the Port of Long Beach; collect a million dollars. Yet even the most deliberate plans can go sideways. On his campaign south, the Marine’s “inner idiot” takes charge, leaving a smattering of dead bodies in his wake.

In the dark before dawn, a telephone rings. Kern County Sheriff’s detective Lucas “Lucky” Dey, no stranger to being awakened with bad news, answers the call. But this time, the voice on the phone tells Lucky that his ill-fated younger brother has been gunned down on a blackened desolate highway.

As Lucky chases the former Marine and his black semi-rig into the bowels of Los Angeles, he’s thrust into a landscape of competing agendas. Conrad Ellis, the multi-millionaire entertainment mogul, demands justice for the murder of his starlet daughter. Ambitious federal attorney Lilly Zoller is determined to turn any opportunity into her personal spotlight. Rey Palomino, the morally-challenged contractor, colludes with the former Marine hoping to crawl out from under a crushing debt. LAPD detective and dedicated single mom Lydia “Gonzo” Gonzales, reluctantly accepts her assignment to “babysit” the unrestrained Kern County detective hell-bent on avenging his brother’s death at any cost.

A knee-breaking private detective, some unwitting feds, and a coterie of gang-busting L.A. Sheriffs deputies further complicate the scenario and round out the cast of characters in this explosive and unpredictable thrill ride.

THANKS TO AUTHOR, DOUG RICHARDSON,  I
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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
Barnes & Noble. I am anIndieBound affiliate.
I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.