Posted in Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday

 CMash  April 6, 2020  2 Comments on Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Click on title for synopsis via GoodReads.

Sunday:
Some They Lie by M.K. Farrar ~ eBook from Author
The Girl In The Woods by Lorna Dounaeva ~ eBook from Author
Thursday:
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell ~ HC from William Morrow
The Shape Of Family by Shilpi Somaya Gowda ~ HC from William Morrow
Someone Else’s Secret by Julia Spiro ~ eBook from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley

 Posted in Giveaway, Partners In Crime Tours, Showcase

A Venomous Love by Chris Karlsen #Showcase #Giveaway

 CMash  April 4, 2020  1 Comment on A Venomous Love by Chris Karlsen #Showcase #Giveaway

A Venomous Love by Chris Karlsen Banner

 

 

A Venomous Love

by Chris Karlsen

on Tour April 1-30, 2020

Synopsis:

A Venomous Love by Chris Karlsen

The killer whispered-“A pretty damsel…worth a pretty risk.”

A veteran, Detective Rudyard Bloodstone has fought a brutal battle and witnessed war horrors that haunt his nightmares. Now one of those horrors has followed him home from Africa.

A vicious predator, the Cape cobra, can kill a man in thirty minutes. A suspect using the snake as a weapon in robberies is terrorizing London.

When the crimes escalate into murder, a victim’s daughter, Honoria Underhill, becomes the focus of the killer. After several attempts on her life, Scotland Yard threatens to take over the high profile case. With few leads to follow, Bloodstone and his partner must now fight department politics and catch the killer before Underhill becomes another murder victim.

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Suspense
Published by: Books to Go Now
Publication Date: February 28, 2020
Number of Pages: TBD
ISBN: 979-8600864139
Series: Bloodstone Series, #3
Purchase Links:

  • Amazon.com
  • Amazon.ca
  • Amazon.co.uk
  • BN.com
  • Kobo.com
  • Apple.com
  • Goodreads

    • Read an excerpt:

    Puzzled, Ruddy asked, “You say the body is still in the chapel? Couldn’t the nurse bring an exam table to put him on and start treatment?”

    “She did. Young and I attempted to help but he suffered violent convulsions. Because the hospital is for children, they don’t have restraints. The head nurse instructed us to leave him back on the floor. She was afraid he’d fall off the table.”

    “Makes sense.” The timeframe of Underhill’s death didn’t make sense. At minimum it usually took an hour and more often, hours for the venom to kill. A horrible thought occurred to Ruddy. What if it was a different suspect with a different lethal snake? “But he died while you were still here?”

    “Yes. He convulsed brutally hard a few more times and an excessive amount of drool came out his mouth. Then he lost consciousness. A nurse put a blanket over him and a pillow under his head. He died as she was making him comfortable.”

    “Strange. This is abnormally fast even for cobra venom.” Flanders stepped up on Ruddy’s right. “What is it, constable?”

    “Shall I leave you to start my search?” Flanders asked.

    “Yes. Collect anything, and I mean anything, you find that looks out of the ordinary,” Archie told him. “This case is so unusual we can’t be sure what is important and what isn’t.”

    The nurse led them to the curtained-off bed. Honoria Underhill lay on her side softly sobbing. Her legs were curled up so she fit on the short bed meant for a child. The nurses had covered her with a blanket. When she saw Ruddy and Archie, she sat up and swung her legs down to the side of the bed.

    “Yes. We know this is traumatic for you but we need to ask you to repeat what happened with as much detail as you can recall,” Ruddy told her.

    “I understand.” Her shoulders trembled. She buried her fists in her skirt and kept her head down as she fought to control her emotions.

    Ruddy brought the conversation back to the crime. “Did the suspect say anything when he attacked?”

    “’A pretty little damsel, worth a pretty risk,’ he said as he rushed toward us. Then he leapt at me with the snake in hand inches from my face. Father pushed me out of the man’s reach and stepped between us. My father tried to knock the man’s hand away and swatted at the animal.”

    She dabbed at her nose again and then offered the handkerchief back to Archie who waved off the return. “It happened so fast,” Honoria continued. “In the time it took me to blink, the snake’s throat blew outward, like a fan opening.” She demonstrated the action with her hands. “A second later it lunged and struck.”

    ***

    Excerpt from A Venomous Love by Chris Karlsen. Copyright 2020 by Chris Karlsen. Reproduced with permission from Chris Karlsen. All rights reserved.

     

     

    Author Bio:

    Chris Karlsen

    I was born and raised in Chicago. My father was a history professor and my mother was, and is, a voracious reader. I grew up with a love of history and books.

    My parents also love traveling, a passion they passed onto me. I wanted to see the places I read about, see the land and monuments from the time periods that fascinated me. I’ve had the good fortune to travel extensively throughout Europe, the Near East, and North Africa.

    I am a retired police detective. I spent twenty-five years in law enforcement with two different agencies. My desire to write came in my early teens. After I retired, I decided to pursue that dream. I write three different series. My paranormal romance series is called, Knights in Time. My romantic thriller series is Dangerous Waters. The newest is The Bloodstone Series, which is historical suspense with romantic elements. Each series has a different setting and some cross time periods, which I find fun to write.

    I currently live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and four wild and crazy rescue dogs.

    Catch Up With Chris Karlsen On:
    ChrisKarlsen.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook!

     

     

    Tour Participants:

    Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!



     

     

    Enter Now!!!:

    This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Chris Karlsen. There will be Three (3) winners. One (1) winner will receive an Amazon.com Gift Card and Two (2) winners will each receive A Venomous Love by Chris Karlsen (eBook). The giveaway begins on April 1, 2020 and runs through May 2, 2020. Void where prohibited.

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

     

     

    Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

     

     Posted in Friday Fill-ins

    Friday | Friendly Fill-Ins

     CMash  April 3, 2020  1 Comment on Friday | Friendly Fill-Ins


    Hosted by Four-Legged Furballs and 15 and Meowing

    This week’s Fill-Ins:

    1. April is a good time to ___________________
    2. This time last year, ___________________.
    3. I am determined to _________.
    4. I have no intention of _________.

    My answers:

    1. April is a good time to getting the garden(s) ready for planting.

    2. This time last year, I was in PA helping my DIL after the birth of our 2nd granddaughter.

    3. I am determined to find some positives during this crisis.

    4. I have no intention of going out, unless it is an emergency, since our Governor has ordered a stay-at-home policy.

     Posted in Monthly Wrap-up

    March Wrap Up

     CMash  March 31, 2020  3 Comments on March Wrap Up

    photo afdf054b-208a-4056-8e65-a98cce16a08d.jpg

    March Books Read

    I hope everyone is safe and healthy during this crisis!!

    When the COVID-19 virus was announced, I self-isolated due to underlying health issues, since my gut said this was not good. I also thought that being homebound this would give me a chance to read many books since I am so backlogged. But NOT!!!!! My concentration and focus is almost nil since I keep scrolling through my feed to check for any updates because it changes from minute to minute. Plus the fact, that I’m not only checking my state but the states where my sons reside. My anxiety is through the roof since one son is considered essential and has to go to the office and we have 2 relatives that are living in congregant facilities.

     Posted in Mailbox Monday

    Mailbox Monday

     CMash  March 30, 2020  1 Comment on Mailbox Monday

    Mailbox Monday

    According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish

    As you can see, my mailbox was empty this week. I can’t remember when that has ever happened. I’m sure, like you, I have enough TBR books both in my bookcases and on my Kindle to last me for years. However, I will admit, I LOVE #BOOKMAIL!!!!!!!! This is how I felt this past week!!!!

     Posted in Friday Fill-ins

    Friday | Friendly Fill-ins

     CMash  March 27, 2020  1 Comment on Friday | Friendly Fill-ins



    Hosted by Four-Legged Furballs and 15 and Meowing

    This week’s Fill-Ins:

    1. My favorite outdoor activity is _____________________.
    2. One positive aspect of social isolation is __________________________.
    3. It’s fortunate that _________.
    4. I have _________ memorized.

    My answers:

    1. My favorite outdoor activity is gardening and reading by or in the pool.
    2. One positive aspect of social isolation is having daily Facetime calls with my 2 granddaughters.
    3. It’s fortunate that I work from home.
    4. I have my family’s phone numbers memorized.
     Posted in Book Review, Graydon House

    The Wives by Tarryn Fisher #Review

     CMash  March 26, 2020  1 Comment on The Wives by Tarryn Fisher #Review

    The Wives by Tarryn Fisher
    Genre: Domestic Thriller, Psychological Thriller
    Published by Graydon House
    Publication Date: Dec. 30, 2019
    ASIN: B07LDD62RY
    Pages: 336
    Review Copy From: Publisher via NetGalley
    Edition: eBook
    My Rating: 5

    Synopsis (via GR)

    New York Times bestselling author Tarryn Fisher delivers a pulse-pounding, fast-paced suspense novel that will leave you breathless. A thriller you won’t be able to put down!

    Thursday’s husband, Seth, has two other wives. She’s never met them, and she doesn’t know anything about them. She agreed to this unusual arrangement because she’s so crazy about him.

    But one day, she finds something. Something that tells a very different—and horrifying—story about the man she married.

    What follows is one of the most twisted, shocking thrillers you’ll ever read.

    You’ll have to grab a copy to find out why.

    My Thoughts

    This was one heck of a read!!!!!

    Before Seth told Thursday the truth that he was a polygamist, she was already so in love with him, that she accepted both his proposal for marriage and his lifestyle. She was the second of three wives, and ironically, she only saw him on Thursdays.

    She was thrilled when she found out she was pregnant, especially since she knew that the Thursday wife did not want children and only cared about her career. But then the devastating news that she had lost the baby. Something she has had a hard time coming to cope with it.

    She then finds out there is a third wife, Monday, and she is now carrying Seth’s baby. This revelation begins her downward spiral of being obsessed to find out who the other wives really are because she no longer wants to share Seth and wants to be his only wife.

    This book gave me whiplash!! My mind kept going back and forth as to what was true and what wasn’t. Who was the real victim? Who was the one that was delusional? Or was there something sinister about the members of this plural marriage? And if so, who was it?

    I was flipping the pages as fast as I could and had trouble putting this book down. An engrossing read!!!

    Purchase Links: Amazon 🔗 | Barnes & Noble 🔗 | Goodreads 🔗

    REVIEW DISCLAIMER

  • This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.
  • 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 do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
    •  Posted in Mailbox Monday

    Mailbox Monday

     CMash  March 23, 2020  2 Comments on Mailbox Monday

    Mailbox Monday

    According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

    Click on title for synopsis via GoodReads.

    Tuesday:
    What It Seems by Emily Bleeker ~ eBook from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley
    Thursday:
    The Line Between by Tosca Lee ~ eBook from Author
    Friday:
    The Half Sister by Sandie Jones ~ eBook from Minotaur Books via NetGalley
    Saturday:
    The Pinebox Vendetta by Jeff Bond ~ Signed TPB from Author