Another great week to stop by!!
Sunday, July 7, 2024
Saturday, July 6, 2024
FEATURING: Literally Dead by James Conroy
MYSTERY - HISTORICAL FICTION
Chicago, Chicago my kind of town.....but at the moment it definitely wasn't Amos Jansen's kind of town since he is being accused of murder simply because he found his boss, Dwight Eldon, dead at his desk.
LITERALLY DEAD is a wonderful history lesson with many names you will definitely want to look up to find out what part they played in America's history of unions and civil liberties.
Murder mixed with laughter make this book an historical page turner.
If you want to laugh and truly enjoy a book's characters, you will want to read this book.
FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/
PUBLICATION DATE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2011
Friday, July 5, 2024
Showcase of The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch and Giveaway of the Book and a $15 Amazon Gift Card
THE GARDEN GIRLS
by Jessica R. Patch
June 24 - July 19, 2024
Virtual Book Tour
Synopsis:
FBI: Strange Crimes Unit
On a remote Outer Banks island, a serial killer collects his prized specimens. And to stop him, an FBI agent must confront his own twisted past.
Bexley Hemmingway’s sister has gone missing, and she’ll do anything to find her—including teaming up with Ty. That may prove a mistake, and not just because Ty doesn’t know he’s the father of her teenaged son. It seems the killer is taunting Ty, drawing everyone close to him into deeper danger.
As the slashing winds and rain of a deadly hurricane approach the coast of North Carolina, the search leads Ty and Bex to an island that hides a grisly secret. But in his quest for the truth, Ty has ignored the fact that this time, he’s not just the hunter. Every move has been orchestrated by a killer into a perfect storm of terror, and they will need all their skills to survive…
Praise for The Garden Girls:
"A perfect storm of thrilling suspense and intricate plot twists that will leave readers breathless!"
~ Nancy Mehl, author of the Ryland & St. Clair series
"The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch is a hold-your-breath-and-pray novel full of suspense and unexpected twists. This gritty and compelling story is outstanding in every way. Highly recommended!"
~ Colleen Coble, USA Today bestselling author
"In a word, WOW! The story caught me up and didn’t let go to the final page. Tight action, beautiful pacing. **Highly Recommended**"
~ Carrie Stuart Parks, best-selling, award-winning author
"'Riveting!' Jessica R. Patch has created an immaculate psychological thriller that will leave the reader racing through the pages. Well-written characters and a plot that sizzles and crackles with danger made this story impossible for me to put down, and yet I didn’t want it to end. . .it’s that good. The Garden Girls will leave you breathless from the non-stop suspense filling the pages and wanting more from this amazing author"
~ USA Today Bestselling Author Mary Alford, author of Among the Innocent
"Buckle your seatbelt! Jessica R. Patch is about to blow you off the road with The Garden Girls. The story will grab you on the first page and won’t let go until The End!"
~ Patricia Bradley, USA Today Best-Selling romantic suspense author of Counter Attack Book 1 in the Pearl River Series
Book Details:
Genre: Christian Psychological Thriller
Published by: Love Inspired Trade
Publication Date: April 23, 2024
Number of Pages: 367
ISBN: 9781335463074 (ISBN10: 1335463070)
Series: FBI: Strange Crimes Unit, Book 3 || Each is a Stand-Alone Novel
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Harlequin | JessicaRPatch.com
Read an excerpt:
Prologue
Sharp claws scrape along my neck.
Back and forth.
Back and forth.
Buzzing fills the room, and I strain to open my eyes but they’re like molasses, thick and sticky and slow-moving. My stomach jumps and the room shifts as my blurred vision registers red walls and coffee-colored concrete. I inhale a hint of bleach and incense with a spicy note as I shift to survey the rest of the room, but my muscles ripple like languid water.
The air-conditioner kicks on, and the cold air raises chills across my naked body.
I’m…naked. A fist squeezes my lungs as panic rips through my system. My memories are disjointed.
Where am I? How did I arrive here?
What is happening to me? What has already happened? Shoe soles click on the floor and silence my questions.
I am not alone. Or…I wasn’t. The door closes with a quiet click.
Get up. Move. Run!
Gripping the sides of a massage table, I roll off, and my bare feet hit cool flooring. The walls close in and shift, and my stomach roils. Something is wrong. Off.
Floor-to-ceiling mirrors cover an entire wall, and my breath catches as reality comes into view.
Pink flower buds wend through a vine of black along my neck and upper back.
Confusion clouds my senses, and I stand cemented in place gawking at the angry red skin, sore and tender and smeared with glossy petroleum jelly.
A tight knot grows in my throat, and tears stab with heated force against the backs of my eyes.
I have to get out of here.
Behind me, I spot a twin bed with luxurious sheets and a thick white comforter as well as tattooing equipment. My hands tremble. Am I in a tattoo parlor? Why is a bed in here?
Lying on the floor next to the bed is an old iron cuff attached to a thick, heavy chain that is anchored to the wall.
Why is that in here and where are my clothes?
I snatch the downy comforter and drape it over my exposed body.
Run. Run. Run!
I open the door but have no clue which way to go or where he is or how long until he finds and cuffs me to that bed.
I’ve been trapped before at the hands of a vicious predator. Old memories surface and spur me across the carpeted flooring. The hall veers left. My eyes begin to adjust to the darkness as I flee to safety—no.
To a dead end.
Defeat leaches like muddy water into my soul, and my chest aches. The only choice is to turn around.
But he’s in that direction.
Sweat slicks down my temples and spine, springing up through my pores like an underground fountain as I return the way I came.
I see what might be a crack in the wall. Light seeps in from the other side. As I approach, I discover it’s a door made to look like part of the wall. I swallow hard and guide my fingers along the smooth wood until I feel a lever. I push it and the door releases, but it takes some grit to open it enough for me to slide through.
I expect some kind of lair or dungeon or God knows what—a wall with torture devices and cages—but it’s not.
It’s a living room with wall-to-wall windows overlooking dark water.
Where is he?
I suck in a breath as creaking registers on the stairs. There’s nowhere to hide, and the comforter is bulky and will easily give me away. I have no option but to ditch it in the corner. I can’t dwell on modesty.
Outside.
I dart toward the sliding glass door, silently slide it open and slip out into the warm night air before scrambling to the edge of the balcony. I crouch to make myself small, like when I was a child and needed to obscure myself.
Maybe he doesn’t realize I’m gone, but then it hits me.
I didn’t shut the secret door concealing the other rooms.
A sob bubbles to the surface as I shake uncontrollably like I’ve woken from anesthesia. The ground is far below me. I’d die or break my legs, maybe my spine. But I’d rather die than go back to that room.
To that chain.
To more tattoo needles.
To him.
I draw up my knees and wait, pray. Hope.
When the door doesn’t open, I scoot across the deck, the raw wood digging into tender flesh, but I need to see if the coast is clear.
What if he’s standing at the door, waiting? Watching?
I hear something and freeze.
One Mississippi. Two Mississippi…I count silently until I reach Twenty Mississippi and scoot again.
I can’t be sure if he’s nearby. If he is, deep in the marrow of my bones, I know the kinds of things that await me. I know what evil men can do. I’ve seen it. Experienced it.
Finally, I muster the courage to peep through the door. The room is empty and dimly lit from the one glowing lamp. I creep inside; my brain is fuzzy and spins.
No footsteps. Only bulging shadows in the corners.
I slither across the Berber carpet and inhale the newness. A set of stairs is on the other side of the open living concept. About ten feet of space isn’t occupied with furniture which means when I make a run for it, and he enters the room, I’ll have no cover.
If he doesn’t and I make it downstairs, he could still be waiting for me.
I try to form a defense plan, but my brain might as well be sludge. Making my move, more out of my flight response than logic, I army-crawl across the open space to the stairs.
Two sets of six. I practically roll down the first set and pause.
He’s not there at the small landing.
Six more to go.
This time I move slower, ignoring the adrenaline shouting sprint. I can’t. He could be waiting and I need to listen.
One…two…three…four…five…six. I pause again at the bottom of the stairs.
No light befriends me on the ground floor. Only darkness—and darkness is never a friend. Darkness is deceptive, offering false security. Nothing good transpires in darkness. It’s not a refuge to hide. But a place to be found. In the dark, I can’t see my predator, but I know he’s lurking.
The door is five feet away to freedom, and I sprint for it.
Hope blooms in my chest.
I mutter a prayer as I run. Three feet left.
Two.
Thank God, I’m here. I twist the knob.
It’s locked.
A cry cracks loose inside me, but I hold it down and fumble with the dead bolt.
Shuffling sounds across tile.
Closer. Closer.
I manage to turn the dead bolt and pull on the door, but it sticks.
He’s coming. The clicks are methodic, slow and measured as if he’s in no hurry. Like he knows I can’t escape. It’s a game.
Please. Please. Come on!
The door opens and I slip out, forcing myself to stay calm in case my mind is playing tricks on me and it’s not him. This time, I make sure to close the door behind me. The air is balmy and the wind rustles through the grass.
The briny sea air washes over my tongue and the marsh grass swishes as I dart down a private boardwalk that leads…I don’t know where. I only know to run and eat up the ground and create distance between me and the house of horror. Between me and him.
Thick walls of clouds block the moonlight.
A door slams. Then I hear something.
Thwupt. Thwupt. Thwupt.
He’s dragging something across the boardwalk. I dare not turn to look.
He’s coming.
Slow and methodical. Silent. Only the awful dragging noise.
Nothing comes into view but marshland and water surrounded by clusters of trees. Alligators lie in wait. I can’t remember how I know this. There are snakes and snapping turtles too.
But he’s behind me.
Plopping noises in the water draw my attention, and I freeze. What is it? Will it approach me or prey on me if I enter too?
I can’t risk staying on the boardwalk. I ease myself into the icy depths and it steals my breath. Slime oozes over my feet, and I sink into mire. Murky water reaches my waist, sending a shock along my abdomen, but I can’t gasp. Instead, I push through the grass and hope the stirring due to my movement won’t alert him of my location.
Sharp twigs and rocks gouge into the bottom of my feet, and I crunch my bottom lip to keep from crying. Marsh grass appears soft at a glance, but it’s strong and sharp like knitting needles and stabs into my flesh and tender places where I’ve been tattooed in flowers.
Ahead is a patch of dense trees that would conceal me even in daylight. A huge splash sends ripples only a few feet away, startling resting birds to flight. Now I know what’s been causing the dragging noise.
A canoe.
He’s cutting through the narrow channels and at an advantage.
I can’t stop now. I push through the mud, which tries to hold me captive, and toward the dense thicket of trees. I finagle my way inside, but it’s like camping in a thorn bush, and nettles rip my flesh. A quiet cry escapes my throat, and I cover my mouth.
Did he hear me? Does he know I’m here?
I shiver in the water, my teeth chattering as something lightweight drops onto the crown of my head and skitters into the thick layers before I can catch it.
I squeeze my eyes shut and clench my jaw to muffle a scream. What hideous legged creature is creeping through my hair?
What swims unseen below my waist?
Plop. Plop. Plop.
Fish, alligators, snakes…him?
“Daaaah, daaaah, dah daaaah,” his rich buttery tone sings. It echoes through the wetland and sweeps over my skin like icy talons. “I’ve got all night,” he continues singing. “I’ll take my time.” I cup my hands over my mouth to silence my chattering teeth. He’s close. So close. “I’ll find you. There’s nowhere to hide,” he belts out as if we’re in a Broadway show. His voice is magical and terrifying. “You belong to meeeee…You want only meee…”
I can’t stay here. He’ll find me. I work as silently as possible out of the thicket and away from the concentration of his voice. I hoist myself onto the wooden boardwalk because he believes I’m in the water. Rushing is out of the question. He’ll hear my footfalls. Slow and steady is about all I can muster anyway. My legs might as well be licorice sticks.
He’s still singing and slicing an oar through the water as I forge ahead, quickening my steps by a small measure until I finally reach the end of the boardwalk and am on dry ground. In the woods.
The woods mean I’ll find a road at the clearing. Help will drive by, and I’ll flag it down to freedom.
I wait a beat while my eyes adjust to greater darkness. The trees loom overhead, and the ground is mushy and mixed with sand. I stub my toe, tripping over roots jutting out, but press on. There’s a path and I follow it. Bike path maybe?
My feet are cut and bleeding and my head pounds. The path curves, then straightens out, and I halt.
Not a road.
Not freedom.
Before me is a long stretch of beach littered with driftwood and shells that cut into my feet. Beyond the beach is the endless sea. No homes. Only wetland to my back and the sea everywhere else.
I have no boat. No canoe. Nothing to propel me to freedom.
I’m on a private island, and I finally remember how I arrived.
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Excerpt from The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch. Copyright 2024 by Jessica R. Patch. Reproduced with permission from Jessica R. Patch. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author, Jessica R. Patch is known for her dry wit and signature twists whether she’s penned a romantic suspense, a cold case thriller, or a small-town romance. When she’s not getting into fictional mischief with her characters, you can find her cozy on the couch in her mid-south home reading books by some of her favorite authors, watching movies with her family, and collecting recipes to amazing dishes she’ll probably never cook. Sign up for her newsletter "Patched In" at www.jessicarpatch.com and receive a FREE short thriller exclusive to subscribers. Jessica is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Management.
Catch Up With Jessica R. Patch:
www.jessicarpatch.com
Goodreads - @JessicaRPatch
BookBub - @JessicaRPatch
Instagram - @JessicaRPatch
Threads - @JessicaRPatch
Twitter/X - @JessicaRPatch
Facebook - @JessicaRPatch
TikTok - @readjessicarpatch
Tour Participants:
Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and opportunities to WIN in the giveaway!
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Friendly Fill-Ins - 7/5/2024
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FRIENDLY FILL-INS:
1. My favorite beverage to drink when it is hot out is ______.
2. My favorite summer activity is _______.
3. I'm grateful that I have the freedom to _______.
4. If I don't ______, I'll forget ______.
MY ANSWERS:
1. My favorite beverage to drink when it is hot out is unsweetened iced tea.
2. My favorite summer activity is working in the yard.
3. I'm grateful that I have the freedom to do what I want when I want to do it.
4. If I don't make notes, I'll forget about small things that need to be done.
Thursday, July 4, 2024
FEATURING: The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff
HISTORICAL FICTION - WORLD WAR II
THE ORPHAN'S TALE is another beautifully written book by Ms. Jenoff revealing another not well-known fact about WWII.
The circus theme was quite interesting. I wasn't aware of traveling circuses during that time, but it seems like the perfect way to help keep some of the Jewish community safe and hidden during the Holocaust.
FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/4ecuw7vw
PUBLICATION DATE: FEBRUARY 21, 2017
Wednesday, July 3, 2024
FEATURING: Girls' Night Out by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke
THRILLER - MYSTERY
Three friends with issues to resolve take a trip to Mexico to try to reconnect.
The issues seemed to compound rather than lessen. When one of the friends is missing the morning after a wild night of drinking, the tension between the two remaining friends continues and worsens as their fears mount.
The tension in the last 20% of the book definitely picked up my interest and my opinion despite the slow read until then. So instead of a 3/5, I am changing my rating to a 4/5.
FULL REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/3rzanfp6
PUBLICATION DAY: JULY 24, 2018
Tuesday, July 2, 2024
All The Broken Places by John Boyne
We meet ninety-one-year old Gretel.
She has been keeping a secret her entire life.
We find out what it is as we see her during the war, during her youth, as she ages, and at her present age.
Her father was in charge of one of the concentration camps, and that bothers her. She has always felt that she was complicit too.
Her life was good, but her secret was always in the back of her mind as she always tried to hide it.
She has lived in the same flat for almost her entire life, and when a new family moves in, they seem to be hiding things too.
Gretel makes friends with their son who seems to need saving. If she can help him, will it make up for what she saw and felt she was responsible for during the war?
A powerful, beautifully written, heart wrenching read that historical fiction fans will devour.
The writing, the characters, and the story are phenomenal and come alive through the author's exquisite skill. 5/5
Beyond Summerland by Jenny LeCoat
The war has ended and the citizens of Jersey, Channel Islands, are waiting for their loved ones to return.
Some return, but the father of Jean Parris wasn't on the ship of returning soldiers.
A few days later they found out that he had perished in a prison from being arrested for a minor infraction.
Who was responsible for alerting the Germans that her father had a banned radio?
We then meet Hazel who didn't like Jean's father and who Jean is blaming for telling on her father.
But....when the two women meet, and Hazel finds out Jean has a secret, can they make a deal?
They decided Hazel won't tell on Jean if Jean will tell the police that Hazel was not the informant.
Can they trust each other?
The book was a bit confusing because of going from one character to the other without any “notice,” but other than that BEYOND SUMMERLAND is another excellent, well researched read that makes you think that even though the war was over, was it really?
Historical fiction as well as mystery fans will enjoy this book. 4/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Monday, July 1, 2024
Spotlight of Veridian Sterling Fakes it by Jennifer Gooch Hummer
PHOTO CREDIT:
TYPORAMA
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VERIDIAN STERLING FAKES IT
JENNIFER GOOCH HUMMER
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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY JULIETTA THRON OF WUNDERKIND PR
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A witty look at a hopeful young painter who finds herself embroiled in the world of art heists...and possibly responsible for the counterfeits needed to cover them up.
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July 1, 2024
Lake Union Publishing
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PRAISE FOR VERIDIAN STERLING FAKES IT:
"Too often novels involving art crime are heavy-handed, more dark heist than peppy caper. This one is a total joy to read. You'll shoot through from the first page to the last. Cinematic, light-hearted, with an endearing protagonist and some good twists--everything a good caper should be."—Noah Charney, best-selling author of The Art Thief
“What does it mean to be truly authentic? Veridian Sterling Fakes It is about all the ways we pretend and fool ourselves, be it with art, love or life, with a mother-daughter relationship so engaging, you’ll wish it were yours. Deliciously funny, movingly real, glitteringly smart, and so, so alive.”—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of With or Without You and Days of Wonder
“Jennifer Gooch Hummer paints a fun, fast-paced, twist on the art heist in Veridian Sterling Fakes It. Reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn’s role in How to Steal a Million in the best of ways, Veridian’s unintentional descent into a life of crime is a wild ride from beginning to end. Veridian Sterling may fake it, but Jennifer Gooch Hummer is the real deal as a rising voice in humorous fiction.”—Sara Goodman Confino, bestselling author of Don’t Forget to Write and She’s Up to No Good
"I honestly couldn't tell what captivated me more about Veridian Sterling Fakes It -- the twists and turns in the world of art crime, or the sheer relatability of being a fresh graduate from art school forced to work for a mercurial, toxic boss. At various points I had no idea what was going to happen next, but I knew I was along for the ride! This expertly crafted story from Jennifer Gooch Hummer made me feel like an insider to an exclusive club.”—Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers
"In an entertaining update of the classic art heist, Jennifer Gooch Hummer immerses the reader in the vibrant New York art scene where old-school stolen Klimts and counterfeit Van Goghs jostle for space with the digital frontier of Non-Fungible Tokens and cryptocurrency. With crisp, evocative prose and an insider's eye, the author deftly navigates the glitz and greed of the contemporary art world in an engrossing tale of a young painter's quest for success.”—Carson Morton, author of Stealing Mona Lisa
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ABOUT VERIDIAN STERLING FAKES IT:
Freshly graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, Veridian Sterling shops her art to every gallery in New York City. Unfortunately, not one of them is interested, so she opts for a personal assistant role working for a difficult woman who has an old grievance with her mother.
No glitz, no glam, and definitely none of the money she needs to help her struggling mother finally realize her dream of starting her own business after having sacrificed everything for Veri to go to art school. So when she overhears her new boss discussing the impressive finder's fee for a lost Van Gogh, Veri takes matters into her own hands. Maybe her own artwork isn't celebrated, but she knows how to copy what is, and maybe those skills can help lead to a discovery.
When a famous art dealer takes her under his wing (and his charming driver takes her interest), Veri realizes she's in deeper than she expected, and quite possibly with the wrong people. With her mother's dreams and her own future at stake, Veri will have to pull out every trick she can think of to wipe her canvas clean and erase the mess she's created before she goes down for someone else's crimes.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jennifer Gooch Hummer is the award-winning author and screenwriter for her debut novel, Girl Unmoored, which has been optioned for film.
Her forthcoming novel, Veridian Sterling Fakes It, will be published in July 2024 by Lake Union Publishing.
She is also the author of Operation Tenley, the first book in her middle grade fantasy series, which was a Kirkus Best Book of 2017.
Raised in Boston, Jennifer graduated from Kenyon College with a B.A. in English and moved to Los Angeles where she read scripts for major talent agencies and production companies.
Jennifer currently lives in Southern California with her husband, three daughters, and two rescue dogs.
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Connect :
Website: https://jennifergoochhummer.
X/Twitter: @JGoochHummer
Facebook: Jennifer Gooch Hummer
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Mailbox Monday - 7/1/2024
BOOKMAIL THAT ARRIVED THIS WEEK.
WHAT ARRIVED FOR YOU?
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On Tuesday, June 25, I received:
1. THE HIDDEN BOOK by Kirsty Manning, courtesy of William Morrow, William Morrow Paperbacks, and NetGalley.
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On Friday, June 28, I received:
1. TAHOE RESCUE by Todd Borg, courtesy of the author.
A print copy.
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