I would like to explain how this came to fruition. Hubby and I were having a discussion about the old days, (for the young’ens reading this..a little history lesson) but before the dark age. When Sundays were special and had traditions and rituals. Sunday mornings Church, come home to a big gravy (sauce) cooking on the stove, a big Sunday dinner, then either off to visit relatives/friends or wait for relatives/friends to drop by. We would spend the afternoon sitting around the table, talking, catching up, having coffee, pizza, calzones, etc etc, dessert. And now, how sad, all those traditions are gone. And then I got to thinking, why not have something similar here on my blog. This past year, I have met so many amazing and wonderful people (some I now call friends) through blogging, and how I am in awe of what they do and accomplish. How much respect I have for them, for their honesty, integrity, credibility and so enjoy when a bit of their personality shines through. So every Sunday, here at my place, the coffee will be on, the dessert is on the table and friends will be stopping by. And I will be rolling out the red carpet for my Sunday Shining Star Blogger guest.

I was told when I first found this community of book blogging that “book bloggers were the nicest bloggers there are” and I have never forgotten those words. And over the past year, I have truly met the nicest people. I also believe, even though we live behind a screen, a bit of our personality shines through. That is one of the reasons I am having so much fun with this weekly event, and hoping you are too, because we are getting to know those “nicest bloggers” around and about bloggyland a little bit better.

Do you believe it is already August?  The summer is almost over friends!!  Even though it has been hot and humid, I’ll take this over the cold and snow anytime.  So I thought we would take advantage of the nice weather and have another “gab session” cookout poolside.  And yes, I got all of your complaints about the grumpy 2 men…what can I say except ….Men!!!  lol

Today’s guest is another special blogger.  I’m sure a lot of you know her, but if not, I wanted to introduce her to you all.  She is the founder of and made me a partner in Partners In Crime Tours.  Today’s Sundays Shining Star is MOLLY from REVIEWS BY MOLLY.

I started blogging in August of 2009. I had just finished reading a book, and was looking on line at some reviews of it. I came across another persons review that they had on their blog. I thought that it was a really awesome way to spread the word about books, so I hunted a little more and found the Blogger.com site and signed myself up for a blog.

*How and what made you decide on the name of your blog?
Well. I’m not really sure HOW I decided to name my blog. Really I looked around and saw that others had fancy names and stuff. I decided to go simple AND fancy: Book Reviews By Buuklvr81. After awhile, people got confused and would list me as Book Reviews By Booklover81 or something like that. So, I changed it last year to Book Reviews By Molly. Since then, however, I have made things even simpler: Reviews By Molly. It’s been like that since the first of this year when I purchased the domain to my blog and made it into a website.

*What would you say is the main content of your blog?
The main content of my blogs is books. Occasionally, I review a DVD or a CD but not often. I love my books, both eBooks (gotta love my Nook!) and hard copies.

*If books, what genres do you mostly read?
Oh, that. Well, I’m VERY eclectic. I read everything. Christian fiction, Suspense, Historical, Mystery, Thrillers, Horror, some paranormal or gothic, children’s books, young adult. I don’t like Sci-Fi, though. No, I leave those for the Sci-Fi fanatics.

*How often do you post?
I try my best to post at least one post daily. Occasionally there may be a day or two (or three) when I just can’t so I don’t post on those days.

*What are some of the things that you love about blogging?
Hmmm, well most everything. I love meeting other bloggers and making friends. I love sharing the good books with others. I love helping the authors and publishers and seeing other peoples thoughts on the same book I’ve just read.

*What are some of the negatives?
Negatives. Well, I guess the negatives would be the time. It’s a little time consuming when you have to format your posts, take the time to type them up, etc. Oh and sometimes it’s very hard when you’ve done your best to read a book and write a review, and publishers or authors still aren’t happy with your help.

*Name 1-3 favorite items/postings that you have/do on your blog?
Let’s see. I LOVE my quote that’s on my header. It just about sums up every good book I’ve ever read. Another thing, I love my button for The Romance Reviews! I feel all official like :~) And, lastly, I love my blog roll page. It shows some of the many fantastic bloggers out there that I follow.

*Any advice you would give to new bloggers?
Don’t give up. Stick with it, even when you think you’re not succeeding with the reviews or you feel frustrating because some might criticize your review, it’s worth it in the end when you get an email from the author of that book, telling you how much your review means.

*What draws you to follow someone’s blog?
Well, I think it’s the quality of the blog really. Not the amount of followers or the reviews them selves. The way the blogger “pulls” you into their blog just from the site.

*Do you have any “pet peeves” that other bloggers do?
Definitely. When they send out blog awards. Don’t get me wrong, there are some really awesome blogs out there highly deserving of such a reward, but it’s even more time consuming accepting and “passing out the award” than creating the posts. Please. Don’t send me an award, though I am grateful for the thought!

*Would you please share 5-7 things about the person behind the screen so that we get to know the “real” you!!
1. I’m a single(divorced) mom of two awesome little boys, Jakob-almost 9 and Jonah-7.

2. I’m a pharmacy technician.

3. I’m addicted to Ghost Hunters.

4. I love me some Sweet Tea (with lime!)!

5. I love to cook and bake.

6. I don’t hate anybody…I love to make friends!

7. My mom is my best friend.

*Any other info you would like to share.
Yes. If you are an author who writes crime/suspense/thriller/mystery, check out our Virtual Book Tour site: www.partnersincrimetours.net . If you are a blogger, check us out there, too! And, if you don’t have an eReader, might I suggest you get one? They are the awesome-est!!

Molly thank you for being my guest today and sharing a little bit of yourself with us.  I, of course, have a lot to thank Molly for since she offered me partnership in Partners In Crime Tours.  But even before that, Molly would email me or leave comments with the sweetest comments.  You can see even in her answers how kind she is.  She is a very devoted and loving single mom, hard working, patient and always willing to help others.  And she does love her nook and sweet iced tea!!!! Molly is most definitely a Shining Star!!! 

 

I would like to explain how this came to fruition. Hubby and I were having a discussion about the old days, (for the young’ens reading this..a little history lesson) but before the dark age. When Sundays were special and had traditions and rituals. Sunday mornings Church, come home to a big gravy (sauce) cooking on the stove, a big Sunday dinner, then either off to visit relatives/friends or wait for relatives/friends to drop by. We would spend the afternoon sitting around the table, talking, catching up, having coffee, pizza, calzones, etc etc, dessert. And now, how sad, all those traditions are gone. And then I got to thinking, why not have something similar here on my blog. This past year, I have met so many amazing and wonderful people (some I now call friends) through blogging, and how I am in awe of what they do and accomplish. How much respect I have for them, for their honesty, integrity, credibility and so enjoy when a bit of their personality shines through. So every Sunday, here at my place, the coffee will be on, the dessert is on the table and friends will be stopping by. And I will be rolling out the red carpet for my Sunday Shining Star Blogger guest.

I was told when I first found this community of book blogging that “book bloggers were the nicest bloggers there are” and I have never forgotten those words. And over the past year, I have truly met the nicest people. I also believe, even though we live behind a screen, a bit of our personality shines through. That is one of the reasons I am having so much fun with this weekly event, and hoping you are too, because we are getting to know those “nicest bloggers” around and about bloggyland a little bit better.

Do you believe it is already August?  The summer is almost over friends!!  Even though it has been hot and humid, I’ll take this over the cold and snow anytime.  So I thought we would take advantage of the nice weather and have another “gab session” cookout poolside.  And yes, I got all of your complaints about the grumpy 2 men…what can I say except ….Men!!!  lol

Today’s guest is another special blogger.  I’m sure a lot of you know her, but if not, I wanted to introduce her to you all.  She is the founder of and made me a partner in Partners In Crime Tours.  Today’s Sundays Shining Star is MOLLY from REVIEWS BY MOLLY.

I started blogging in August of 2009. I had just finished reading a book, and was looking on line at some reviews of it. I came across another persons review that they had on their blog. I thought that it was a really awesome way to spread the word about books, so I hunted a little more and found the Blogger.com site and signed myself up for a blog.

*How and what made you decide on the name of your blog?
Well. I’m not really sure HOW I decided to name my blog. Really I looked around and saw that others had fancy names and stuff. I decided to go simple AND fancy: Book Reviews By Buuklvr81. After awhile, people got confused and would list me as Book Reviews By Booklover81 or something like that. So, I changed it last year to Book Reviews By Molly. Since then, however, I have made things even simpler: Reviews By Molly. It’s been like that since the first of this year when I purchased the domain to my blog and made it into a website.

*What would you say is the main content of your blog?
The main content of my blogs is books. Occasionally, I review a DVD or a CD but not often. I love my books, both eBooks (gotta love my Nook!) and hard copies.

*If books, what genres do you mostly read?
Oh, that. Well, I’m VERY eclectic. I read everything. Christian fiction, Suspense, Historical, Mystery, Thrillers, Horror, some paranormal or gothic, children’s books, young adult. I don’t like Sci-Fi, though. No, I leave those for the Sci-Fi fanatics.

*How often do you post?
I try my best to post at least one post daily. Occasionally there may be a day or two (or three) when I just can’t so I don’t post on those days.

*What are some of the things that you love about blogging?
Hmmm, well most everything. I love meeting other bloggers and making friends. I love sharing the good books with others. I love helping the authors and publishers and seeing other peoples thoughts on the same book I’ve just read.

*What are some of the negatives?
Negatives. Well, I guess the negatives would be the time. It’s a little time consuming when you have to format your posts, take the time to type them up, etc. Oh and sometimes it’s very hard when you’ve done your best to read a book and write a review, and publishers or authors still aren’t happy with your help.

*Name 1-3 favorite items/postings that you have/do on your blog?
Let’s see. I LOVE my quote that’s on my header. It just about sums up every good book I’ve ever read. Another thing, I love my button for The Romance Reviews! I feel all official like :~) And, lastly, I love my blog roll page. It shows some of the many fantastic bloggers out there that I follow.

*Any advice you would give to new bloggers?
Don’t give up. Stick with it, even when you think you’re not succeeding with the reviews or you feel frustrating because some might criticize your review, it’s worth it in the end when you get an email from the author of that book, telling you how much your review means.

*What draws you to follow someone’s blog?
Well, I think it’s the quality of the blog really. Not the amount of followers or the reviews them selves. The way the blogger “pulls” you into their blog just from the site.

*Do you have any “pet peeves” that other bloggers do?
Definitely. When they send out blog awards. Don’t get me wrong, there are some really awesome blogs out there highly deserving of such a reward, but it’s even more time consuming accepting and “passing out the award” than creating the posts. Please. Don’t send me an award, though I am grateful for the thought!

*Would you please share 5-7 things about the person behind the screen so that we get to know the “real” you!!
1. I’m a single(divorced) mom of two awesome little boys, Jakob-almost 9 and Jonah-7.

2. I’m a pharmacy technician.

3. I’m addicted to Ghost Hunters.

4. I love me some Sweet Tea (with lime!)!

5. I love to cook and bake.

6. I don’t hate anybody…I love to make friends!

7. My mom is my best friend.

*Any other info you would like to share.
Yes. If you are an author who writes crime/suspense/thriller/mystery, check out our Virtual Book Tour site: www.partnersincrimetours.net . If you are a blogger, check us out there, too! And, if you don’t have an eReader, might I suggest you get one? They are the awesome-est!!

Molly thank you for being my guest today and sharing a little bit of yourself with us.  I, of course, have a lot to thank Molly for since she offered me partnership in Partners In Crime Tours.  But even before that, Molly would email me or leave comments with the sweetest comments.  You can see even in her answers how kind she is.  She is a very devoted and loving single mom, hard working, patient and always willing to help others.  And she does love her nook and sweet iced tea!!!! Molly is most definitely a Shining Star!!! 

 

If you follow my blog then you know what  my reading habits are. And that is to escape into a great mystery and/or suspenseful book.  And today, we have an author visiting who has just that type of novel to tell us about.  So without further ado, please help me welcome, Mr. Chris Dolley !!

time, ‘It was only a small country, and I did give it back.’

In 1981, he created Randomberry Games and wrote Necromancer, one of the first 3D first person perspective D&D computer games.


Now he lives in rural France with his wife and a frightening number of animals. They grow their own food and solve their own crimes. The latter out of necessity when Chris’s identity was stolen along with their life savings. Abandoned by the police forces of four countries who all insisted the crime originated in someone else’s jurisdiction, he had to solve the crime himself. Which he did, and got a book out of it – the International bestseller, French Fried.

I wrote the book as a layered mystery. Peel back one layer and you find another. It’s a book where everything is a mystery – including the narrator and the world he lives in.

Even my memoir, the bestselling French Fried: one man’s move to France with too many animals and an identity thief, has a mystery in it – a true crime mystery. After the initial shock of discovering that my identity had been stolen and our life savings seized, this turned into a boy detective’s dream. And when the police forces of four countries all decided that the crime belonged in someone else’s jurisdiction, I was more than willing to step up. Except, unlike fictional detectives, I had an 80 year-old mother-in-law and an excitable puppy that insisted they accompany me if I went anywhere interesting – like a stakeout. Which meant I spent as much time tracking down toilets as I did clues.

But, driving back and forth across the Pyrenees, I sifted the evidence, collected statements, tracked down the perp, and turned him over to the gendarmes.

Earlier this year I dipped into the world of Jeeves and Wooster … and came up with an Edwardian detective, Reginald Worcester, and his gentleman’s personal automaton, Reeves. Yes, Wodehouse Steampunk! The first book in the series –What Ho, Automaton! – came out to enthusiastic reviews in April.

This month Book View Cafe have brought out my first mainstream mystery, An Unsafe Pair of Hands. An early draft of the book was a finalist in Warner’s First Mystery Novel contest. I set the book in South West England, a region I know very well. I was aiming for a blend of Midsomer Murders and Carl Hiaasen. Plus, borrowing from my own experience, I wanted to show how fate can sometimes derail even the most professional investigation. So, I gave my detective – DCI Shand – the most baffling mystery to solve, then ratcheted up the pressure. Would my straightlaced ‘safe pair of hands’ crack? And if he did, what would emerge? A new improved detective, tempered by adversity? Or the Chief Superintendent’s worst nightmare –an unpredictable liability with a penchant for attracting embarrassing newspaper headlines?

You’ll have to read the book to find out.
 

An Unsafe Pair of Hands is a quirky murder mystery set in rural England charting the descent and rise of a detective on the verge of a nervous breakdown. 

Peter Shand is the ‘safe pair of hands’ – a high-flying police administrator seconded to a quiet rural CID team to gain the operational experience he needs for promotion. On his second day he’s thrust into a high-profile murder case. A woman’s body is discovered in an old stone
circle – with another woman buried alive beneath her. 

The pressure on Shand is enormous. The case is baffling. There appears to be no link between the two crimes. The media is clamouring for answers. And Shand’s convinced his wife is having an affair with someone called Gabriel.

Which just happens to be the name of the two chief suspects. Both are womanisers, and both mention a mystery woman – who sounds suspiciously like Shand’s wife – as their alibi. The pressure builds. Shand can’t sleep, a local journalist is out to discredit him, his wife is about to be dragged into the case and then, goaded at a press conference about lack of progress, he invents a lead. And keeps on lying – to the press, his boss, his team – telling himself that he’ll solve the case before anyone finds out.

And then another murder occurs. And had there been a third?

Shand begins to doubt his ability. He’s desperate, increasingly unpredictable, pursued by an amorous psychic, and somehow gaining a reputation for arresting livestock.

Which will break first? The case, or Shand?
 

  An Unsafe Pair of Hands is a quirky murder mystery set in rural England charting the descent and rise of a detective on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
  Peter Shand is the ‘safe pair of hands’ – a high-flying police administrator seconded to a quiet rural CID team to gain the operational experience he needs for promotion. On his second day he’s thrust into a high-profile murder case. A woman’s body is discovered in an old stone circle – with another woman buried alive beneath her.
  The pressure on Shand is enormous. The case is baffling. There appears to be no link between the two crimes. The media is clamouring for answers. And Shand’s convinced his wife is having an affair with someone called Gabriel.  Which just happens to be the name of the two chief suspects. Both are womanisers, and both mention a mystery woman – who sounds suspiciously like Shand’s wife – as their alibi.   The pressure builds. Shand can’t sleep, a local journalist is out to discredit him, his wife is about to be dragged into the case and then, goaded at a press conference about lack of progress, he invents a lead. And keeps on lying – to the press, his boss, his team – telling himself that he’ll solve the case before anyone finds out.
  And then another murder occurs. And had there been a third?
  Shand begins to doubt his ability. He’s desperate, increasingly unpredictable, pursued by an amorous psychic, and somehow gaining a reputation for arresting livestock.
  Which will break first? The case, or Shand?

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU PUBLICLY FOLLOW THIS
  BLOG (IF NOT, GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT ON RIGHT SIDE).

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK.

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER.

*REMEMBER TO INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR ALL ENTRIES.

Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners via publisher,
agent and/or author. This blog hosts the giveaway on behalf of the
above. 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.
I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed 

From Danielle’s blog:
We all leave our “footprint” on the world, in one way or another. We each, individually, do something or are someone that makes the world a little better just by being here. I created this weekly meme to get to know the blogging community I love just a bit better. To know what makes them tick, outside of books, that is. Each week I will post a question to be answered in the following week’s “A Bit of Me(Me)”. Check back each Saturday to get the info for next week’s post and link up with your current post right here.
This week’s question: At this very moment, which song makes your toes tap?
Read more: http://www.theresabook.com/2011/07/a-bit-of-meme-the-best-of-us/#ixzz1Tb4y471e

If you follow my blog then you know what  my reading habits are. And that is to escape into a great mystery and/or suspenseful book.  And today, we have an author visiting who has just that type of novel to tell us about.  So without further ado, please help me welcome, Mr. Chris Dolley !!

time, ‘It was only a small country, and I did give it back.’

In 1981, he created Randomberry Games and wrote Necromancer, one of the first 3D first person perspective D&D computer games.


Now he lives in rural France with his wife and a frightening number of animals. They grow their own food and solve their own crimes. The latter out of necessity when Chris’s identity was stolen along with their life savings. Abandoned by the police forces of four countries who all insisted the crime originated in someone else’s jurisdiction, he had to solve the crime himself. Which he did, and got a book out of it – the International bestseller, French Fried.

I wrote the book as a layered mystery. Peel back one layer and you find another. It’s a book where everything is a mystery – including the narrator and the world he lives in.

Even my memoir, the bestselling French Fried: one man’s move to France with too many animals and an identity thief, has a mystery in it – a true crime mystery. After the initial shock of discovering that my identity had been stolen and our life savings seized, this turned into a boy detective’s dream. And when the police forces of four countries all decided that the crime belonged in someone else’s jurisdiction, I was more than willing to step up. Except, unlike fictional detectives, I had an 80 year-old mother-in-law and an excitable puppy that insisted they accompany me if I went anywhere interesting – like a stakeout. Which meant I spent as much time tracking down toilets as I did clues.

But, driving back and forth across the Pyrenees, I sifted the evidence, collected statements, tracked down the perp, and turned him over to the gendarmes.

Earlier this year I dipped into the world of Jeeves and Wooster … and came up with an Edwardian detective, Reginald Worcester, and his gentleman’s personal automaton, Reeves. Yes, Wodehouse Steampunk! The first book in the series –What Ho, Automaton! – came out to enthusiastic reviews in April.

This month Book View Cafe have brought out my first mainstream mystery, An Unsafe Pair of Hands. An early draft of the book was a finalist in Warner’s First Mystery Novel contest. I set the book in South West England, a region I know very well. I was aiming for a blend of Midsomer Murders and Carl Hiaasen. Plus, borrowing from my own experience, I wanted to show how fate can sometimes derail even the most professional investigation. So, I gave my detective – DCI Shand – the most baffling mystery to solve, then ratcheted up the pressure. Would my straightlaced ‘safe pair of hands’ crack? And if he did, what would emerge? A new improved detective, tempered by adversity? Or the Chief Superintendent’s worst nightmare –an unpredictable liability with a penchant for attracting embarrassing newspaper headlines?

You’ll have to read the book to find out.
 

An Unsafe Pair of Hands is a quirky murder mystery set in rural England charting the descent and rise of a detective on the verge of a nervous breakdown. 

Peter Shand is the ‘safe pair of hands’ – a high-flying police administrator seconded to a quiet rural CID team to gain the operational experience he needs for promotion. On his second day he’s thrust into a high-profile murder case. A woman’s body is discovered in an old stone
circle – with another woman buried alive beneath her. 

The pressure on Shand is enormous. The case is baffling. There appears to be no link between the two crimes. The media is clamouring for answers. And Shand’s convinced his wife is having an affair with someone called Gabriel.

Which just happens to be the name of the two chief suspects. Both are womanisers, and both mention a mystery woman – who sounds suspiciously like Shand’s wife – as their alibi. The pressure builds. Shand can’t sleep, a local journalist is out to discredit him, his wife is about to be dragged into the case and then, goaded at a press conference about lack of progress, he invents a lead. And keeps on lying – to the press, his boss, his team – telling himself that he’ll solve the case before anyone finds out.

And then another murder occurs. And had there been a third?

Shand begins to doubt his ability. He’s desperate, increasingly unpredictable, pursued by an amorous psychic, and somehow gaining a reputation for arresting livestock.

Which will break first? The case, or Shand?
 

  An Unsafe Pair of Hands is a quirky murder mystery set in rural England charting the descent and rise of a detective on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
  Peter Shand is the ‘safe pair of hands’ – a high-flying police administrator seconded to a quiet rural CID team to gain the operational experience he needs for promotion. On his second day he’s thrust into a high-profile murder case. A woman’s body is discovered in an old stone circle – with another woman buried alive beneath her.
  The pressure on Shand is enormous. The case is baffling. There appears to be no link between the two crimes. The media is clamouring for answers. And Shand’s convinced his wife is having an affair with someone called Gabriel.  Which just happens to be the name of the two chief suspects. Both are womanisers, and both mention a mystery woman – who sounds suspiciously like Shand’s wife – as their alibi.   The pressure builds. Shand can’t sleep, a local journalist is out to discredit him, his wife is about to be dragged into the case and then, goaded at a press conference about lack of progress, he invents a lead. And keeps on lying – to the press, his boss, his team – telling himself that he’ll solve the case before anyone finds out.
  And then another murder occurs. And had there been a third?
  Shand begins to doubt his ability. He’s desperate, increasingly unpredictable, pursued by an amorous psychic, and somehow gaining a reputation for arresting livestock.
  Which will break first? The case, or Shand?

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU PUBLICLY FOLLOW THIS
  BLOG (IF NOT, GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT ON RIGHT SIDE).

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK.

*LEAVE SEPARATE COMMENT IF YOU FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER.

*REMEMBER TO INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS FOR ALL ENTRIES.

Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners via publisher,
agent and/or author. This blog hosts the giveaway on behalf of the
above. 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.
I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed 

From Danielle’s blog:
We all leave our “footprint” on the world, in one way or another. We each, individually, do something or are someone that makes the world a little better just by being here. I created this weekly meme to get to know the blogging community I love just a bit better. To know what makes them tick, outside of books, that is. Each week I will post a question to be answered in the following week’s “A Bit of Me(Me)”. Check back each Saturday to get the info for next week’s post and link up with your current post right here.
This week’s question: At this very moment, which song makes your toes tap?
Read more: http://www.theresabook.com/2011/07/a-bit-of-meme-the-best-of-us/#ixzz1Tb4y471e