DJ Wilson - Ride to Redemption - Review & Giveaway

About the Book

Righting another's wrong landed D in WITSEC, the witness protection program and cost him family, friends, and everything of substance in his life.

Loneliness is his constant companion until he meets Candi, the girl of his dreams. He and Candi embark on a three-week ride to redemption where they deal with mind-numbing deceit, perilous treachery, their overpowering lust for each other and their personal demons.

Nevertheless, new opportunities bring a chance to begin again. And, it doesn't hurt that he's got 200 pounds of illicit diamonds to use to ease the pain of those wronged. He will continue the redemption process by way of a well thought out plan involving a 5,000-mile adventure through the Western United States and Canada.

When D meets Candice, aka Candi, she captures his heart, mind and soul the instant she 'inadvertently' almost runs him down in the Starbucks drive-thru. Candi joins him on his three-week, two-wheeled ride to redemption, where they're forced to face their personal demons, while dealing with wanton lust, mind-numbing deceit and perilous treachery.

Spectacular scenery and a cast of unforgettable characters they meet along the way makes the journey memorable, but nothing prepares them for the sacrifices they must eventually make midway in the ride.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same," sadly, does not ring true for Candice and D throughout this first of a two part series. Lust and greed are forever game-changers, even for those who desperately seek redemption.


My Review

A middle aged guy living by a lake with his dog bumps into a little hottie in Starbucks when she nearly runs him over in the parking lot. They go in, strike up a conversation—and bada boom, bada bing—fireworks. Is it simply a case of lust at first sight or are there darker forces at work here? D isn't sure, but for the time being he's not going to question Candi's sudden appearance in his life. He's going to take advantage of the opportunity like any hot-blooded male would.

Candi's young, naive, sheltered. She's just coming out of a controlling marriage and she wants the freedom of the open road that a cross country jaunt into Canada with D will give her. She's ready and willing to climb onto the back of his motorcycle and hit the highway, leaving her problems behind. She tells D that she can't resist falling for his warm, brown eyes, full of compassion and the promise of a new life. She's willing to take a chance on him, and she hopes he feels the same way about her.

D is also coming off a messy divorce after parting ways with his wife of many years, and the breakup of his marriage causes him to become estranged from his children. He's looking to make a fresh start after his home development business goes belly up. He's back at square one much later in life. Now  he's just looking for someone to build him up and get him back on track, instead of being subject to all of the forces outside his control that keep tearing him down.

He falls for Candi's promise of easy love, even while pining for something more, something deeper, a genuine connection. He's proud to have nailed a girl like her, and he's a little cocky to have her on his arm. He's a ladies man and old habits die hard. He's all about getting laid instead of keeping his eyes open for those who are eager to take him down.

It turns out D stole a mint worth of diamonds. His motorcycle trip is his way of covering his tracks as he sends them via anonymous mail drop to people in need. However, they weren't his diamonds to give away and the original owner isn't too happy about it, placing a hit on him from where he's languishing behind bars. When a beefy, menacing guy from Candi's family with a thick Italian accent unexpectedly joins their excursion, all bets are off when it comes to Candi's loyalty.

Is she using him to get to the diamonds? Or is she really into him? Wilson keeps things ominously iffy as the story roars along, leaving the reader white knuckled and clinging to D as this biker mystery heats up with plenty of romantic suspense. Be advised that the explicit sexual content is meant for a more erotic leaning audience, but if that sounds good, then get ready for scene after steamy scene as D delivers.

***

Ride to Redemption can be purchased at:
Amazon, Smashwords

Prices/Formats: $3.99 ebook, $10.95 paperback
Pages: 282
Genre: Erotic Romance
Release: December 2, 2013
Publisher: Fideli Publishing
ISBN: 9781604147773
Click to add to your Goodreads list.


About the Author

Raised in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, I graduated from Cumberland University, located in a small town you've never heard just inside Kentucky quite a few years ago. At the present, we're living beside beautiful Dale Hollow Lake.

Blessed to travel, blessed with health, blessed with second chances, too numerous to list here.

As a blogger, featured on many sites, including the Huffington Post, I have been humbled beyond measure, more times than not, by all that life has thrown our way.

Successful, that's me, catastrophic failure, that's me too. We've been there, done that and have the life changing scars to prove it.

Our writings reflect life through the throes of heartache and loss, as well as through the joys redemption brings.

"Life is not waiting for the Storms to Pass, It's Learning to Dance in the Rain."

Links to connect with DJ:
Web Site
Twitter
Goodreads
Blog Tour Site


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Ken Dalton - Brother, can you spare a dime? - Review & Giveaway

About the Book

Bear’s planned afternoon of beer and baseball is interrupted by a phone call from a man he hardly remembers from their years at Elko High. So begins the tale of a cold-blooded murder and the theft of a dime worth two million dollars!

Faced with bi-coastal murder suspects, Pinky hands Bear, and Flo the sweaty task of tracking down one of the suspects along the hot, humid North Carolina shoreline while he chooses to pursue the other on the Kona coast of Hawaii. But Pinky, after imbibing too many Mai Tai’s with a bevy of sky-goddesses, and a moved-up court date, is forced to return to Carson City, sans suspect.

Bear and Flo hit pay dirt and with the identity of the killer in hand they fly across the Pacific Ocean to the smoggy Beijing airport where they meet Joe, the uncle of Pinky’s Chinese secretary. The enigmatic Joe quotes Confucius and Shakespeare as he purposefully guides the dynamic duo to their final destination— oxygen sparse Lhasa, Tibet.


Cliff hanger contest

Brother, can you spare a dime? ends with a prize winning cliff hanger that defies all logic.

Let Ken know how you would answer the question and he will choose the two answers he likes the best. Both winners will receive a complete paperback set of his Pinky and Bear mystery series.

The Bloody Birthright
The Big Show Stopper
Death is a Cabernet
The Tartan Shroud
Brother, can you spare a dime?

Five books, each one personally inscribed!

Email your cliff hanger answer to ken@kendalton.com and in a couple of months Ken will post the winners' names on his Facebook page.


My Review

Sometimes a plot is driven by dialogue. When an author is as pitch perfect as Ken Dalton is with the voice of his characters, it is a pleasure to sit back and enjoy a master at work. Now that he's several books into writing this mystery series, it's clear that he's honed the back and forth banter down to a science. I love how it reads like a screenplay or an off Broadway theater production. I can definitely envision Bear, Pinky and Flo going through their verbal acrobatics onstage, leaving the audience in stitches. What fun that would be!

"The boss came up with a plan that worked? Damn that's a first."
- Bear, talking about Pinky

"The man's IQ is slightly below that of a three-toed sloth."
- Pinky, discussing Bear

"That man is the cheapest person I've ever run across."
- Flo, on Pinky

As you can see, Bear and Flo are firmly in one camp and Pinky's square in the other. It's a classic battle between the haves and the have nots. Pinky's the big shot lawyer with multiple condos and souped up cars. He has expensive tastes, and he doesn't like to share. He likes to lord it over his underlings, but Flo doesn't beg for her and Bear's fair share—she takes it. She makes sure they're booked in business class on long international flights. She finagles her way onto the payroll. She gets Pinky to give them a substantial raise, plus paid time off and benefits by getting Pinky's ex-wife to make them a counteroffer. She's shrewd. Pinky's definitely met his match when it comes to pulling one over on someone, too bad she's already with Bear.

But Bear's a lovable oaf, even if he can be quite dangerous when he gets violent. He's a criminal mastermind in his own right, knowing the ins and outs of security protocol even if he can't operate a computer. He's the muscle you want when facing a shady customer. He has a hilarious tendency to use the wrong vocabulary in a sentence, trying to sound smart, but his loyalty to Flo is tantamount. He'd do anything for her, as she would for him.

And that's the part of the book I liked the best. Pinky might have all of the material goods and trappings of wealth, but he's miserable and alone. He's messed up so many of his marriages, putting his job first that he drowning in regret. He's successful on the outside with a perfect acquittal record, but on the inside he feels like he's made one too many mistakes. He wants one of his ex-wives back, but she won't have him, leaving him with no one to share his good fortune with.

While Bear and Flo know how lucky they are. Flo even says to Bear, "Pinky talks like a gentleman, but he's a lot further from being cultured than you are." I really liked that statement. It shows how astute she is, and I think most readers would readily agree with her. Deep down, Bear is a pretty great guy. He has simple tastes, give him a beer and his Red Sox and he's all set. He comes to her rescue whenever she takes a risk on a case and gets in trouble. But most importantly, he thinks she's the hottest thing in the universe. What woman wouldn't want that?

But the scene that hooked me on these two was the one in their Tibetan hotel room when Bear develops a severe case of altitude sickness. It shows just how much Flo cares about him, and how much he means to her. It was a painful thing for Bear to have to endure, but it's a beautiful chapter that strengthens the bonds of their relationship. I know it made me root for them all the more, and I can't wait to see where Ken Dalton takes them next.

***

Brother, can you spare a dime? can be purchased at:
Amazon, KenDalton.com (personalized inscription and free shipping)

Prices/Formats: $4.99 ebook, $14.95 paperback
Pages: 310
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Release: April 9, 2014
Publisher: Different Drummer Press
ISBN: 9780578140391
Click to add to your Goodreads list.


About the Author

Ken was born in 1938 at Hollywood Hospital. He grew up in Los Angeles with his parents, his older sister and younger brother.

In a turn of bad luck, the dreaded Polio virus attacked Ken at the age of five. By the age of sixteen, after eleven years of operations, therapy, and braces to mitigate the effects of Polio, Ken’s luck changed when he met the girl of his dreams. A few years later they married, produced three wonderful children, and settled into a happy life in Southern California.

In 1966, Ken and his family moved to the green hills of Sonoma County where they bought a home surrounded with apple trees.

Some time later, Ken, designed, built, and operated a small winery that produced award winning Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Then, in a moment of madness, Ken began writing. His first article was published in Golf Illustrated. Many more golf articles followed in national and regional magazines including Golf Magazine and Fairways and Greens. Eventually Ken felt the urge to write his first novel.

Now, after the publication of The Bloody Birthright, The Big Show Stopper, Death is a Cabernet, and The Tartan Shroud, Ken has published his latest Pinky and Bear mystery, Brother, can you spare a dime?

Links to connect with Ken:
Web Site
Facebook
Goodreads
Blog Tour Site


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Diane Daniels Manning - Almost Perfect - Review & Giveaway

About the Book

An old woman who has given up hope and a boy who believes the impossible wonder if life would be perfect at the Westminster Dog Show.

Seventy-year old Bess Rutledge has dreamed of winning the Westminster Dog Show all her life. Despite her decades-long career as one of America’s top Standard Poodle breeders, she has decided she’s too old to hold on to her foolish dream. She sells off all the dogs in her once famous kennel except for the aging champion McCreery and his mischievous, handsome son Breaker. Part of her senses they might have been the ones to take her to Westminster, if only she’d dared to try.

Bess meets Benny, a teenager with mild autism who attends a therapeutic special school, and learns he has a dream of his own: to impress his self-absorbed mother. Benny is drawn into the world of dog shows and becomes convinced he has found the perfect way to win his mother’s attention. If he can win Westminster with either McCreery or Breaker, he just knows she will finally be proud of him. Getting Bess to go along with his plan, however, is not going to be so easy. . .

Up to 100% of the author’s profits will be donated to charities serving animals and children.


Video Trailer




My Review

It's refreshing to see a pet themed book delve into more serious issues. Yes, there are adorable survival stories like a frozen pup revived after being born in a blizzard, as well as the requisite cute moments like a lost dog being found, but at the heart of the narrative lies an autistic boy and a champion breeder who believes her best days are behind her.

The old and the young come together to save each other from the same underlying problem, a lack of self-confidence. Bess thinks she's nothing without her dogs. She's bred poodles all her life, and not just any old poodles, but superstars of the breed. Her single-minded devotion has come at a cost, she can't relate to people, not even her own son. Her neighbor Benny is that lazy preteen who would rather watch TV than interact with the rest of the world. Whenever there's an easy way out, Benny takes it, until he falls in love with Bess's dogs. That's when he finally commits to something bigger than himself,  opening Bess's eyes to the plight of those around her.

However, Benny's a troubled youth. He goes to a special school for children with behavioral disabilities. His only friend is a girl who may or may not have Aspergers who switches identities like everyday is Halloween. The students are encouraged by head mistress Dr. Kate to make their own decisions and are encouraged to take responsibility for their choices. Sometimes Benny complies, sometimes he doesn't. He's a frustrating case, but Dr. Kate fears that Bess doesn't understand just how much he stands to lose if she ends up disappointing him.

You see Bess agrees to let Benny be one of the handlers of her dogs at some of the smaller dog shows in the New England area. When the pup he's training, Breaker, starts to separate himself from the pack, Bess gets scared. She's never won at Westminster at Madison Square Garden - sort of like the doggie World Series and the Oscars rolled into one. Nothing terrifies her like failure, and she'd rather not risk it. Her pride is too valuable to her.

But as she grows fond of Benny, she doesn't want to let him down either. Gradually, he pushes her toward the one thing that she swore she'd never do. His confidence increases as he builds up hers. It's a beautiful metaphor for how the young can benefit the old and vice versa, showing that it's never too late to go after one's dreams, while at the same time driving home the point that a person can discover what they're good at quite early in life too.

Either way, Bess and Benny form a winning combination. As a reader, you can't help rooting for them, and that's what Daniels Manning's book is all about, falling in love with "almost perfect" characters who in the end learn things about themselves that their furry friends knew all along - nothing buoys the spirit like living for another person.

***

Almost Perfect can be purchased at:
Amazon

Prices/Formats: $3.99 ebook, $8.99 paperback
Pages: 330
Genre: Pet Fiction
Release: January 29, 2014
Publisher: Beltor
ISBN: 9780578136394
Click to add to your Goodreads list.


About the Author

Diane Daniels Manning is the co-founder and director of The New School in the Heights, a therapeutic school in Houston, Texas which helps children dealing with social-emotional challenges find success in school and life. She has a Ph.D. in Education and a post-doctoral M.P.H from Harvard and is a practicing child psychoanalyst certified by the American Psychoanalytic Association. Formerly, she was the Director of the Reading and Learning Disabilities Clinic at Tufts University, Lecturer and Research Associate in the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Harvard, and Chair of the Department of Education at Tulane University. She learned the inner workings of dog show kennels by writing an authorized oral history of a lifetime President of the Poodle of Club of America. Her writing awards include the Faulkner-Wisdom Novella Prize and the Women in Film and Television Short Script Competition.

Links to connect with Diane:
Web Site
Facebook
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Blog
YouTube
Blog Tour Site


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Michael J. Bowler - Running Through a Dark Place - Review & Giveaway

About the Book

King Arthur and his extraordinary young Knights used ‘might’ for ‘right’ to create a new Camelot in the City of Angels. They rallied the populace around their cause, while simultaneously putting the detached politicians in check. But now they must move forward to even greater heights, despite what appears to be an insurmountable tragedy.

Their new goal is lofty: give equality to kids fourteen and older who are presently considered adults only when they break the law. Arthur’s crusade seeks to give them real rights such as voting, driving, trading high school for work, and sitting as jurors for their peers charged with criminal behavior.

Understanding that the adults of California will likely be against them, Arthur and his Knights must determine how best to win them over.

However, before the king can even contemplate these matters, he finds himself face to face with an ally from the past, one who proves that everything isn’t always what it seems – even life and death.

The Knight Cycle Continues…

My Review

Merlin's magic.
A referendum on lowering the voting age to fourteen.
A teen unsure of his sexuality.

That in a nutshell is the three-pronged plot of Michael J. Bowler's continuing urban fantasy drama. King Arthur pretty much sits on the back burner for this one, becoming more of a figurehead than the more in-depth reincarnation he took in book one. The narrative emphasis takes a decidedly GLBT shift and while kids seeking basic human rights against the adults who have them trapped in a flawed system is still a major theme, it's now more of an undercurrent. Just as the symbolism of the new Round Table only has passing mentions of YouTube knightings and wardrobe choices instead of melding into the primary focus it had in the first book.

Instead, Bowler takes a risk in shifting the bulk of his creative energies toward addressing the sexual awakening of his young male protagonist, Lance. What was subtly hinted at in the series debut is explored in much greater detail, some of it fairly graphic. There's a rather explicit scene of Lance at a party where he gets liquored up with vodka and proceeds to make out with a girl before proceeding to lock lips with a boy. Their grinding on the dance floor turns rather risqué, delving into R-rated territory.

I'm completely fine with Bowler providing readers, who might be going through a similar identity crisis, with the message that they are not alone, that their urgings and longings are normal, and that they shouldn't be made to feel ashamed of them. However, I did feel uncomfortable in reading the chapter where Lance comes home hungover and then crawls into bed with not just a boy his own age, but also a boy no older than seven. For me, that's skimming a very fine line.

Lance doesn't make any overtures toward the seven year old, but he does hold the hand of the other boy and lean into him while the three of them are snuggling in the same bed. I guess I wanted more scenes like Lance's birthday party, the knighting of a young boy with cancer and all of the holidays that made the orphaned children feel like they were a part of a real family. These overtly sexual parts could have easily been omitted because the novel is strong enough on its own.

Since Lance is a prior victim of sexual abuse himself, as a reader, I couldn't help feeling that his motivation was off. I thought he'd be more sensitive to such matters, not wanting to confuse an impressionable child when he's still so traumatized himself. Basic human contact is a mantra repeated throughout, and while I'm okay with boys holding hands and being affectionate, I don't feel that two teenagers should be engaging in such activity while sharing a bed with a seven year old, but that's just me. I'm sure Bowler's intent was innocent and loving, but for me it just came across the wrong way.

I admire Bowler for what he's trying to do with this series. It's bold. It's daring. It's never been done before. But I hope in future installments, he can trim the sexual innuendo a bit. His vision is unique and has too much potential to end up becoming nothing more a titillating tease.

***

Running Through a Dark Place can be purchased at:
Amazon

Prices/Formats: $4.99 ebook, $15.95 paperback
Pages: 388
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Release: May 12, 2014
Publisher: self-published
ISBN: 9780990306306
Click to add to your Goodreads list.


About the Author

Michael J. Bowler is an award-winning author of three novels - A Boy and His Dragon, A Matter of Time, and Children of the Knight - who grew up in San Rafael, California.

He majored in English and Theatre at Santa Clara University and earned a master’s in film production from Loyola Marymount University, a teaching credential in English from LMU, and another master's in Special Education from Cal State University Dominguez Hills.

He partnered with two friends as producer, writer, and/or director on several ultra-low-budget horror films, including “Fatal Images,” “Club Dead,” and “Things II,” the reviews of which are much more fun than the actual movies.

He taught high school in Hawthorne, California for twenty-five years, both in general education and to students with learning disabilities, in subjects ranging from English and Strength Training to Algebra, Biology, and Yearbook.

He has also been a volunteer Big Brother to seven different boys with the Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters program and a thirty-year volunteer within the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles. He is a passionate advocate for the fair treatment of children and teens in California, something that is sorely lacking in this state. He has been honored as Probation Volunteer of the Year, YMCA Volunteer of the Year, California Big Brother of the Year, and 2000 National Big Brother of the Year. The “National” honor allowed he and three of his Little Brothers to visit the White House and meet the president in the Oval Office.

He has already written the four continuations of Children of the Knight that complete The Knight Cycle and all will be released in 2014.

He is currently at work on a new novel.

Links to connect with Michael:
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Facebook
Twitter
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Blog
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Brian G. Michaud - The Road to Nyn - Review & Giveaway

About the Book

In a land where magic is outlawed, a young boy is living a double life. Although Kay is training to be a knight, he has been secretly studying the forbidden ways of magic with Alamin, a powerful but eccentric wizard.

After passing of the Trial of the Rings and being raised to squirehood, Kay has decided to tell Alamin that he is going to leave his magical studies behind. And why not? Kay hasn’t ever cast a spell without something going seriously wrong–like the random appearance of frogs or hungry wolves–besides, Kay could be banished from the kingdom just for associating with Alamin.

Kay’s plans are quickly obliterated when a horde of goblins attacks his village and captures his family and friends. Now, with his home lying in ruins, everything has changed. Along with Alamin and Felix, a self-serving kleptomaniac sprite, Kay embarks on an adventure that takes him across the Kingdom of Gaspar and into the dark and treacherous caves of the Goblin Realm. What Kay doesn’t realize is that his journey is leading him on a collision course with the Lord of Nyn – a being so powerful that none dare face him...not even Alamin himself!

My Review

I loved this book because for me it was like LORD OF THE RINGS light. Trees that grab people. An absentminded wizard wielding a staff. A boy carrying an oh so important piece of jewelry. A quest with an odd assortment of companions trekking to the bad guy's home base. And don't even get me started on "Mithandril" as a spell for a blue light shield. It brought out my inner Tolkien in a heartbeat!

But what I appreciate about Michaud's approach is that it makes for one heck of a children's bedtime story. I can picture parents reading it to their kids after tucking them in for the night, hearing them beg to hear just one more chapter. The imagery is vivid. Dark caves filled with giant, people-snatching bats. A mermaid kingdom that's like the ultimate aquarium on steroids. The Bridge of Bones that tries to turn unsuspecting victims into its skeletal structure. What fun!

However, it's the characters that kids won't be able to get enough of. The furry woodland creature, Bibo. The smart aleck sprite, Felix. The telepathic canine, Strapper. This merry band of misfits are a delight, coming to life on the page, making it easy to think they're real and not imaginary.

Michaud spins his own take on all of the classic fantasy elements from the dangerous old crone living in the swamp to the pomp and circumstance of a royal court. The story is steeped in medieval legend with a healthy dose of fairytale whimsy added in. It's scary enough that kids will duck under the covers, but not frightening enough to give them nightmares. It provides just the right blend of shivers and excitement.

Which leaves me to ponder, is Michaud the Mother Goose of Middle Earth? Hey, why not!

***

The Road to Nyn can be purchased at:
Amazon

Prices/Formats: $0.99 ebook, $8.99 paperback
Pages: 266
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Release: November 2013
Publisher: self-published
ISBN: 9781493545551
Click to add to your Goodreads list.


About the Author

Brian G. Michaud lives in a small town in Massachusetts with his wife, Kim. When he is not reading or writing books, he can be found teaching music at a local elementary school or rocking out on guitar with the band, Too Loud.

Links to connect with Brian:
Web Site
Facebook (author)
Facebook (book)
Goodreads
Blog Tour Site


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Sally J. Smith & Jean Steffens - Stealing the Moon & Stars - Review & Giveaway

About the Book

Jordan Welsh and Eddie Marino, Scottsdale private eyes, are hired to find out who’s stealing from the Moon and Stars Children’s Foundation. Foundation employees are suspected, but just as the pieces start falling into place, Jordan discovers a hidden agenda that puts her in the crosshairs of a crime lord. Who can she trust?

Everyone has a dangerous secret, and the bodies are piling up. Even her partner, Eddie Marino, has a dark and mysterious past. Does she dare act on their attraction? Will it destroy their partnership?

The two have landed in a hornets’ nest. Nothing to do now but stir it up.

Book one in a new series featuring Jordan Welsh and Eddie Marino.


Video Trailer




My Review

The title of this romantic mystery caper is kind of nifty. What immediately came to mind was - if someone 'steals the moon and stars,' they're stealing everything. Your hopes, your dreams, your ideals. And that's exactly what happens in this story when someone starts siphoning funds out of a charity devoted to kids battling cancer, aptly named The Moon & Stars Children's Foundation. It immediately tugs at your heartstrings to think that someone would be depraved enough to steal from an organization similar to St. Jude's and Make a Wish. It's the most heartless kind of criminal activity because it's targeting the weakest among us and kicking them when they're down.

That's why I was glad that Jordan and Eddie were on the case. They're two people you want fighting on the side of sick and dying children. Jordan's from a wealthy Chicago family so she knows a thing or two about philanthropy and how these non-profits work. And Eddie's a pro at delving into the depths of the seedy underworld while keeping his soul in tact. She's the brains behind the charity auctions and fundraisers, and he knows how to spot a staged burglary and work his mafia contacts. He teaches her how to pick a lock, and she gets him to show up at a costume ball. They're the perfect pair.

Throughout the novel, there are a lot of red herrings dangled in front of Jordan and Eddie as they hunt down the source of the leak. Each lead sends them closer to the mastermind behind the operation, as the danger to their safety escalates. It's scary to think that Jordan ends up in the emergency room twice because of what these goons do to her. But she's willing to go everywhere with Eddie from strip clubs to stakeouts, determined to be a equal member of their team and pull her weight. Nothing gets her down for long, until Eddie gives her reason to doubt him.

It's a troubling turn of events as the book concludes. Tired of rebuffing his overtures, she takes Eddie into her bed and into her heart, even though it might make working together a little complicated. She knows better than to mix business with pleasure, but he's way too persistent to ignore. He wants her. She wants him. And after a lot of false starts, they embark on the beginnings of a relationship.

But by the final pages, we're left to wonder: Will it last? After getting so deeply invested in these characters, that's a cliffhanger I can really sink my teeth into. How much longer until the next book? More please!

***

Stealing the Moon and Stars can be purchased at:
Amazon

Price/Format: $13.95 paperback
Pages: 242
Genre: Romance, Suspense
Release: May 15, 2014
Publisher: Camel Press
ISBN: 9781603819831
Click to add to your Goodreads list.


About the Authors

Arizona native Sally J. Smith lives in Scottsdale with her husband. The rarest of breeds, an adult who was born in Arizona, she has been a writer since she could spell. These days she stays busy at her chosen professions of writing (novels, short stories, and articles) and freelance editing. When a free moment appears on the horizon, she’s out the door to a attend a play, a movie, a concert, or just take a long walk in the desert—if the temperature’s under a hundred. Other works include The Ghost Wore Polyester.

Jean Steffens also lives in Scottsdale with her family. She’s a mother, reader, movie fan, and the Steffens’ family chauffeur. She’s also active in church activities. Like Jordan Welsh, PI, Jean grew up in Chicago near Lake Forest. Jean’s mother, however, was nurturing—baking cookies, carpooling kids to school, kissing boo-boos—unlike Jordan’s mother, who’s allergic to the kitchen and thinks a carpool is a hot tub in a limo. Jean’s published work includes “The Night Before Christmas” in the Desert Sleuths Sisters in Crime Anthology, How Not to Survive the Holidays.

Work sessions between these two ladies generally result in a lot of laughter, noshing, and Internet surfing. Both authors are members of Romance Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.

Links to connect with Sally and Jean:
Web Site
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
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YouTube
Blog Tour Site


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Luca Pesaro - Zero Alternative - Review & Giveaway

About the Book

“Sometimes you must destroy first.”

To stay alive, Scott Walker must bring down a corrupt international bank. And possibly shatter the world’s economy. Because finance is a black hole ready to chew up countries and people before spitting them out rich, or broken. Or both.

Framed. Hunted. In love with a woman he can’t trust. As he hides from hitmen across Europe, Walker has only one card to play – DeepShare. A silicon oracle that could predict a slice of the future, and that everyone wants. Governments and insane billionaires, criminals and anarchist hackers stand in his way, some even promising help – though with dangerous strings attached.

As Walker struggles to survive and digs deeper into the dark heart of the global economy, one question torments him: how much will the world have to pay?

Zero Alternative is an action-packed conspiracy thriller that plucks at the heart of human nature. When our grip on love, hope and morality starts to slide, the only future worth living is the one we choose for ourselves.

Video Trailer



My Review

I wasn't expecting a love story when I first picked up this book, but it turned out to be my favorite part of the novel. I would even shelve it under romantic suspense instead of categorizing it as a straight thriller. Why? Because Scott and Layla are so dynamic. You can't have one without the other. While Scott's all business, Layla's all danger, and I loved that about them.

In the beginning, Scott thinks Layla's after his money, then he fears she's after his life. But seeing as he's a wealthy investment banker, women hit on him all the time for his net worth, and he doesn't think Layla's any exception. But she fools him, making him believe that she's just a stripper when really she's so much more. She works for one of the richest men in the world, so she doesn't need Scott's money. She's just after his heart.

But it may be too late to get it. Layla's a hustler, and she deludes Scott on more than one occasion. She breaks what little trust they have, refusing to be honest with him about what she's really up to. At times, he's willing to overlook it and focus on her physical attributes, but deep down he knows there's nothing there if they can't be open with each other. He wants her body, but he wants her candor even more.

Quite simply, they're two people who shouldn't fall in love, but do. They know that even though they're good for each other, the circumstances in which they find themselves are hardly ideal. She's a wounded gun for hire desperately in need of medical attention, and he's was just named to Interpol's most wanted. Together, they form a combustible mix just ready to explode.

If you like some heat in your whodunits, this smoldering couple's for you.

***

Zero Alternative can be purchased at:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

Formats: $5.99 ebook, $16.80 paperback
Pages: 269
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Release: April 25, 2014
Publisher: Three Hares Publishing
ISBN: 9781910153086
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About the Author

Luca Pesaro was born in Italy in the early seventies, but has spent most of his adult life in the US or UK. After long years gaining a degree and masters in the pseudo-science that is Economics he got bored, jumped the gun and became a derivatives trader in financial markets with several investment banks. Now reformed, he is writing full-time.

Zero Alternative is his first novel, and he is hard at work on his second thriller.

He lives in London, is married to an awesome Italian lady and has two children who always manage to annoy, surprise and delight beyond any reasonable expectation.

Links to connect with Luca:
Web Site
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Goodreads
Blog Tour Site


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