Tuesday, January 31, 2017

On Tour: Grimm Woods by D. Melhoff ~ My Thoughts and an Excerpt


Visit other stops on the tour HERE.

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Grimm Woods

Grimm Woods by D. Melhoff
Paperback and e-book 384 pages
Published by Bellwoods Publishing

A remote summer camp becomes a lurid crime scene when the bodies of two teenagers are found in a bloody, real-life rendering of a classic Grimm’s fairy tale. Trapped in the wilderness, the remaining counsellors must follow a trail of dark children’s fables in order to outwit a psychopath and save the dwindling survivors before falling prey to their own gruesome endings.

Drawing on the grisly, uncensored details of history’s most famous fairy tales, Grimm Woods is a heart-pounding thriller about a deranged killer who uses traditional children’s stories as tropes in elaborate murders. Set against the backdrop of modern-day Michigan, it’s a journey through the mind of a dangerous zealot and a shocking glimpse into the bedtime stories you thought you knew.


My thoughts about Grimm Woods ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"One hacksaw. One hammer, six boxes of nails. Twelve Mason jars, four hunting knives, two pairs of handcuffs. Fifteen gallons of gasoline divided evenly among three dented jerry cans."

Yikes, with an opening like that, I had to wonder what kind of ride this author had in store for me. Let me tell you, it was an edge-of-my-seat, hide-behind-my-eyes, creepy, page turning, kind of ride. It was awesome!

How can something as innocent as fairy tales be so sinister? Prepare yourself.

This author is a new to me author but I am totally hooked on his type of stories. He has the creepy weirdness of Stephen King in that he can take something so sweet and innocent and turn it into your worst nightmare. I love SK and I believe I have found another favorite author in D. Melhoff.

I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily reviewing it.

Excerpt

July 7th, 5:44 a.m.

One hacksaw. One hammer, six boxes of nails. Twelve Mason jars, four hunting knives, two pairs of handcuffs. Fifteen gallons of gasoline divided evenly among three dented jerry cans.

It’s time.

A work glove hovered over the table where the objects were laid out side by side and began ticking the air as though marking off an invisible checklist. The chamber reeked of mildew, and the walls had no windows or electrical sockets—no lamps, no wires, no switch covers. A single red candle provided the only light, its crimson wax dripping down its shaft like blood.

The hand picked up a piece of paper from the table and slipped it into a blank envelope. Below, a beetle scuttled across the floorboards. The insect—its gangly antennae tuned to some foul frequency in the gloom—raced past the sole of a giant boot just as a drop of liquid fell through the air and struck it dead center, engulfing its body in a hot, gelatinous blob that filled its orifices and burned it from the inside out. Another droplet tumbled from the candle, plopping onto the envelope this time, and then a brass stamp came down and pressed the wax into a hardened seal.

Drawing in heavier, raspier breaths, the figure held the envelope up to a corkboard that was bolted to the wall. More than a dozen pictures of young men and women were tacked to the panel by their throats and foreheads, smiling in the shadows.

The figure pinned the envelope to the board and stepped back to take in the room again.

The table and the switchblade.

The book of matches.

The iron rods, the hatchet, the .22 Smith & Wesson.

The smiling faces.

Now, the figure mused, watching the photographs flicker in the bloodred light. Who’s the nicest, who’s the worst, who wants to hear a story first?

About the author 



D. Melhoff was born in a prairie ghost town that few people have heard of and even fewer have visited. While most of his stories are for adults, he also enjoys terrifying younger audiences from time to time, as seen in his series of twisted picture books for children. He credits King, Poe, Hitchcock, Harris, Stoker, and his second grade school teacher, Mrs. Lake, for turning him to horror. 

Connect with D.

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Monday, January 30, 2017

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? January 30, 2017


It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!

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I can't believe that January is almost over. Where does the time go? This coming weekend, we are traveling with our new granddaughter to Nebraska so she can meet her namesake, my 85 year-old mother-in-law. There will be plenty of picture taking, I'm sure. 

Hubby and I went to see the movie Hidden Figures this past weekend. We don't really go to that many movies in the theater so this was a treat. What a great movie! I think one of my book clubs is going to be reading the book sometime soon. There are so many good movies out right now. Have you seen any good ones lately? 

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a great week. Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading/listening to

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Walk Into Silence (Detective Jo Larsen #1)
by Susan McBride
My thoughts will be posted on Friday.

Runes Audiobook
Runes (Runes #1)
by Ednah Walters 
(audio-book)

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Spinning the Moon
by Karen White
(audio-book)

What I recently finished

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When Will You Be Home
by Gaelen VanDenbergh
My thoughts will be posted later this week.

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Grimm Woods
by D. Melhoff
My thoughts will be posted tomorrow.

What I am going to read next

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The Runaway Midwife: A Novel
by Patricia Harman 

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Sunday, January 29, 2017

Always by Sarah Jio ~ My Thoughts

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Always

Always: A Novel by Sarah Jio
Print and e-book, 240 pages
Expected publication: February 7th 2017 by Ballantine Books 

From the New York Times bestselling author of Blackberry Winter and The Violets of March comes a gripping, poignant novel about the kind of love that never lets go, and the heart's capacity to remember.

While enjoying a romantic candlelit dinner with her fiance, Ryan, at one of Seattle's chicest restaurants, Kailey Crane can't believe her good fortune: She has a great job as a writer for the Herald and is now engaged to a guy who is perfect in nearly every way. As they leave the restaurant, Kailey spies a thin, bearded homeless man on the sidewalk. She approaches him to offer up her bag of leftovers, and is stunned when their eyes meet, then stricken to her very core: The man is the love of her life, Cade McAllister.

When Kailey met Cade ten years ago, their attraction was immediate and intense everything connected and felt "right." But it all ended suddenly, leaving Kailey devastated. Now the poor soul on the street is a faded version of her former beloved: His weathered and weary face is as handsome as Kailey remembers, but his mind has suffered in the intervening years. Over the next few weeks, Kailey helps Cade begin to piece his life together, something she initially keeps from Ryan. As she revisits her long-ago relationship, Kailey realizes that she must decide exactly what and whom she wants.

Alternating between the past and the present, Always is a beautifully unfolding exploration of a woman faced with an impossible choice, a woman who discovers what she's willing to save and what she will sacrifice for true love.


My thoughts about Always ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"'Oh no, why do I always do that?' I say to my fiancé, Ryan, as we walked into the restaurant."

I am a huge fan of Sarah Jio and I've read all of her books ever since the very first one was published. I look forward to each of her stories and I know that I'm going to be in for a treat when I start one of her books.

Always is a wonderful story that takes the reader on an adventure as Kailey discovers the 'love of her life', who had been missing for years, now living on the street. She thinks she is happy with Ryan, her fiancé but she can't seem to forget Cade. In this back and forth between the present to the past, we learn about the relationship she had with Cade. Is he ever going to be the same man he was or is she going to have to try to live without him again?  

Sarah's books are always an escape for me. She writes such beautiful love stories with amazing characters and this one was exactly that. I was totally immersed in Always and I didn't want to put it down.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.

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About the author 

Sarah Jio

Sarah Jio is the New York Times bestselling author of The Violets of March. The Bungalow, Blackberry Winter, The Last Camellia, Morning Glory, Goodnight June, The Look of Love--all from Penguin (Plume), and Always, forthcoming on February 7, 2017 from Random House (Ballantine).

Sarah is also a journalist who has contributed to The New York Times, Glamour, O, The Oprah Magazine, Glamour, SELF, Real Simple, Fitness, Marie Claire, and many others. She has appeared as a commentator on NPR’s Morning Edition. Her novels are translated into more than 25 languages. Sarah lives in Seattle with her three young boys.

Connect with Sarah

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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Saturday, January 28, 2017

Book Spotlight Giveaway! One True Thing by Anna Quindlen


I have sooooo many books! The Book Spotlight Giveaway feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to clear my shelves and to share some of the many books I have. This feature is a way for my to cull my collection and to give someone else the opportunity to enjoy these treasures. And sometimes, I find great books on Amazon that I just love to share with you, as well.

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The book I have this week is one that I read several years ago. You can read my thoughts HERE. I have read quite of few of Anna Quindlen books and I love her writing and her stories. I picked this one up at our library conference a few months ago so I could pass it on to one of you. I have to warn you that it has some library markings and stickers on it but it is in great shape. It's the words inside that count anyway, right?

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

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One True Thing

One True Thing by Anna Quindlen
Paperback, 304 pages
Published May 12th 1997 by Delta 

Ellen Gulden leaves her life as a successful New York journalist, to return home and care for her mother Kate diagnosed with cancer. for her. In the short time they have left, the relationship between mother and daughter - tender, awkward and revealing - deepens, and Ellen is forced to confront painful truths about her adored father. After Kate's death, Ellen goes from devoted daughter to prime suspect, accused of the mercy killing.


About the author



ANNA QUINDLEN is a novelist and journalist whose work has appeared on fiction, nonfiction, and self-help bestseller lists. She is the author of eight novels: Object Lessons, One True Thing, Black and Blue, Blessings, Rise and Shine, Every Last One, Still Life with Bread Crumbs, and Miller’s Valley. Her memoir Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, published in 2012, was a number one New York Times bestseller. Her book A Short Guide to a Happy Life has sold more than a million copies.

While a columnist at The New York Times she won the Pulitzer Prize and published two collections, Living Out Loud and Thinking Out Loud. Her Newsweek columns were collected in Loud and Clear.

Connect with Anna



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Friday, January 27, 2017

Cover Reveal: The Truth About Love by Anna Bloom

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The Truth About Love

The Truth About Love by Anna Bloom
Series: The Truth About Love Vol, 1
Expected publication: February 2017 by Dreamscape Books

Eve Harris has always had a point to prove: where you come from doesn't matter, it's what you aim for that counts. She has it all planned; find the perfect teaching job, live with her best friend, Cherry, and never get dragged back into the destructive world of her youth.

The last thing she expects is to bump into millionaire heir Cameron Wallis on her last day on campus. Nor is she expecting to discover that when she gives him a chance to win her over he's nothing like the playboy the newspapers paint him to be.

Will Eve be able to let go of her judgements and embrace a spontaneous affair with Cam that isn't part of her plan? Or will the constraints from both their families prevent Cam and Eve from discovering The Truth About Love?

The Truth About Love Vol.I is the first novella in a serial about finding love even when you're least expecting it. 




About the author

Anna Bloom

Anna Bloom is a contemporary romance writer who writes about life as it happens. Combining a busy schedule of looking after two small children whilst working in a local school and completing The Uni Files series. 

Anna’s main aim in life is to create the perfect book which makes a reader laugh and cry at the same time, hopefully causing a convulsive (impossible to ignore) donkey noise. It’s a work in progress!  Anna also spends a lot of time imagining kissing hot guys – all in the name of her art.

Connect with Anna


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Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Release Day! Tequila & Time: A Short Story by Ann Charles

Happy Release Day!

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Tequila & Time

Tequila & Time: A Short Story from the Deadwood Humorous Mystery Series by Ann Charles
Series: Deadwood Shorts Book 4
Kindle Edition, 72 pages
Published: January 25th 2017 by Ann Charles

Tequila is a slippery devil ...
Tequila is a slivvery depil ...
Tequila issa slipperppery debil ... depil ...

Recipe for drunken laughter:
Take two best friends since childhood;
Add four shots of tequila each;
Sprinkle in a handful of secrets;
Shake.

Given the right amount of Tequila & Time, even the deepest secrets between two friends will rise to the surface.

NOTE: This short story includes a multi-page "Sneak Peek" at the end from the 2nd book in the Dig Site Mystery Series called Make No Bones About It.


I absolutely love this Deadwood mystery series. And I love Ann's wonderful sense of humor, which makes these books so much fun to read. I am always so excited when she takes us on a new trip to Deadwood, even though it usually means another dead body. 😨


I have been so fortunate to have been able to meet Ann several times and she is such a delightful person. If you have not read this series, you really need to get on that!

The Deadwood series on Goodreads


About the author

Ann Charles

Ann lives in the beautiful Northern Arizona mountains with her clever husband, charming kids, and an incredibly sassy cat. After many years and several colleges, she managed to obtain her Bachelor’s Degree in English with an emphasis on creative writing from the University of Washington.

Her books are mixed-genre mysteries full of mayhem and fun, romance and comedy, and whatever else feels right. Sisters in Crime was kind enough to let her join their membership years ago. In addition, she’s been a member of Romance Writers of America for so many moons that she’s lost count.

Ann has written a bunch of contemporary, award-winning novels in multiple series full of quirky characters with whom she loves to spend time as much as reality allows. Right now, while you’re reading this, she’s probably frolicking around in another story.

While her reading preferences range from adventure to horror to mystery, ever since she tried on her first training bra, she has loved a good mix of romance, too.

When she’s not dabbling in fiction, she’s penning writing-themed articles or standing on her workshop soapbox, sharing what she has learned over the years about the writing craft and self-promotion.

Connect with Ann


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Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Release Day! 15 Minutes by Larissa Reinhart


Happy Release Day!

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15 Minutes

15 Minutes by Larissa Reinhart
Series: A Maizie Albright Star Detective Mystery, #1
Print and e-book, 341 pages
Published: January 24th 2017 by Past Perfect Press

When ex-teen star Maizie Albright returns to her Southern hometown of Black Pine, Georgia, she hoped to rid herself of Hollywood tabloid and reality show hell for a new career as a private investigator. Instead, Hollyweird follows her home. Maizie’s costar crushing, but now for her gumshoe boss. Her stage-monster mother still demands screen time. Her latest rival wants her kicked off the set, preferably back to a California prison.

By entangling herself in a missing person's case, she must reprise her most famous role. The job will demand a performance of a lifetime. But this time, the stakes are real and may prove deadly.


About the author


A 2015 Georgia Author of the Year Best Mystery finalist, Larissa writes the Cherry Tucker Mystery and Maizie Albright Star Detective series. The first in the Cherry Tucker series, Portrait of a Dead Guy, is a 2012 Daphne du Maurier finalist, 2012 The Emily finalist, and 2011 Dixie Kane Memorial winner. She loves books, food, and travel in any and all combinations.

Her family and Cairn Terrier, Biscuit, live in Nagoya, Japan, but they still call Georgia home. You can see them on HGTV’s House Hunters International “Living for the Weekend in Nagoya” episode.

Monday, January 23, 2017

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? January 23, 2017


It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!

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Not much happened this past week; our Christmas is over, back to work, life goes on. I pretty much have been off of social media since the end of last week. I am just so tired of all of the political posts. Why can't we all just get along? Anyway, onward we go, more reading, reading, reading!  

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a great week. Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading/listening to

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Grimm Woods
by D. Melhoff
My thoughts will be posted January 31.

Runes Audiobook
Runes (Runes #1)
by Ednah Walters 
(audio-book)

31864006
Spinning the Moon
by Karen White
(audio-book)

What I recently finished

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The Queen's Man (Justin de Quincy #1)
by Sharon Kay Penman
Book club pick. Meh.

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Always: A Novel
by Sarah Jio
Another fabulous book by one of my favs.

What I am going to read next

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When Will You Be Home
by Gaelen VanDenbergh
Excited to read this sequel.

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Sunday, January 22, 2017

So Damn Lucky by Deborah Coonts ~ My Thoughts

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So Damn Lucky

So Damn Lucky by Deborah Coonts 
Series: Lucky O'Toole #3
Kindle Edition, 384 pages
Published June 13th 2015

Magician Dimitri Fortunoff appears to have a fatal accident while performing his final trick at the performance marking the end of a forty-year run of one of Las Vegas’ most renowned burlesque shows. Soon after, his body disappears and the questions mount for Lucky O’toole, head of Customer Relations for the Babylon resort, the crown jewel of the mega-resorts dotting the Las Vegas Strip.

But the timing couldn’t be worse. Her live-in lover, Teddie, is on tour with a young and lovely pop star. Paxton Dane, a handsome Texan long on charisma and short on history, is forcing himself into the void of Teddie’s absence, and a suave French chef is proving to be equal parts charm and venom, seasoned with a dash of irresistible.

But Lucky can’t shake the question: Did Dimitri Fortunoff really die or is this an elaborate hoax? The trail leads her through the miles of storm culverts under the city of Las Vegas, to the hordes of believers who gather at Rachel for a glimpse of a UFO, to hints of secret programs at Area 51, then culminates on the catwalk above the crowd attending the annual, Harry Houdini Séance on Halloween, where Lucky must risk her life to catch a killer.


My thoughts about So Damn Lucky ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"Some things in life are best savored alone—sex is not one of them."

Lucky O'Toole has a great life. She is head of Customer Relations for the Babylon resort, she has a lot of respect in the community, she has a set of parents who love her, and a boyfriend who may or may not want to commit. Well, that last part might not be so great.

I love this series. I never know what kind of adventure I will be starting when I open the next book. I know I can count on great characters getting into all kinds of trouble. And lots of humor. And there's always the mystery that Lucky has to solve but that's what makes this series a pageturner. How can so much go wrong? It's so much fun trying to figure out how it's all going to turn out.

I enjoy being a part of Lucky's world and I can't wait to start my next adventure with Lucky and her crew.  

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Read my thoughts about  

Wanna Get Lucky (book #1)
Lucky Stiff (book #2)
Lucky in Love (book #2.5)

Deborah previously visited The Book Bag and talked about the 'voices in her head'. Read what she had to say here.

Find the complete list of the Lucky series books here.

About the Author

Deborah Coonts

My mother tells me I was born a very long time ago, but I’m not so sure—my mother can’t be trusted. These things I do know: I was raised in Texas on barbeque, Mexican food and beer. I am the author of Wanna Get Lucky? (A NY Times Notable Crime Novel and double RITA™ Finalist), its five sequels, Lucky Break being the latest, four between-the-books novellas and the first in a new series, Crushed, a novel of wine and love.

Currently I’m stretching my writer muscles working on a women’s fiction/contemporary romance series set in Napa, a dark thriller, a romantic suspense series featuring a female helicopter pilot, as well as the next Lucky adventure—all very different projects. So, if you see me with a glass of Champagne in hand, you’ll understand. I can usually be found at the bar, but also at www.deborahcoonts.com.

Connect with Deborah

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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Lucky in Love by Deborah Coonts ~ My Thoughts

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Lucky in Love

Lucky in Love by Deborah Coonts 
Series: Lucky O'Toole #2.5
Kindle e-book, 122 pages
Published Published June 13th 2015 by Deborah B. Coonts

Lucky O’Toole, the Vice President of Customer Relations for the Babylon, one of Las Vegas’ most over-the-top strip properties, is seriously regretting booking a reality television show, The Forever Game, into the small theatre at her hotel. One thing she knows for sure: Vegas does NOT need a dose of reality.

The four couples competing in the Forever Game add their own mischief to the incendiary mix normally available in Sin City while competing for a Las Vegas wedding extravaganza. The host of the show, Trey Gold, appears interested only in keeping the spotlight on himself while the contestants run-wild sampling all Vegas has to offer, threatening to blow the whole show out of the water.

Not only must Lucky keep the couples from killing each other, killing their relationships, or ending up on the front page of the Review-Journal, she has to navigate the rocky road to love herself. Teddie, her live-in lover is leaning more-and-more towards chasing a new dream as a singer, leaving Vegas…and Lucky behind. And a new French chef who seems determined to muddy the murky waters of love even further.

Then there’s Lucky’s mother, Mona, who never could leave well enough alone….


My thoughts about Lucky in Love ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"'Did you know my wife is seriously into chicks?' The guy was brave, I'd grant him that. Approaching a woman in a bar with that line was no small feat, even in Vegas."

And so begins another fun romp into Lucky's world. I love Lucky and this series is such a treat to read. First of all, it's set in Vegas, and who doesn't have a good time there?

Then there's the fun, quirky set of character. I love catching up with them with each new story and it's wonderful to see the characters grow and move forward with their lives. Some series I have read just seem like things stay the same. Not this one—you never know what is going happen. The humor in this series and the great characters keep me coming back for more.

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Read my thoughts about  

Wanna Get Lucky (book #1)
Lucky Stiff (book #2)

Deborah previously visited The Book Bag and talked about the 'voices in her head'. Read what she had to say here.

Find the complete list of the Lucky series books here.

About the Author

Deborah Coonts

My mother tells me I was born a very long time ago, but I’m not so sure—my mother can’t be trusted. These things I do know: I was raised in Texas on barbeque, Mexican food and beer. I am the author of Wanna Get Lucky? (A NY Times Notable Crime Novel and double RITA™ Finalist), its five sequels, Lucky Break being the latest, four between-the-books novellas and the first in a new series, Crushed, a novel of wine and love.

Currently I’m stretching my writer muscles working on a women’s fiction/contemporary romance series set in Napa, a dark thriller, a romantic suspense series featuring a female helicopter pilot, as well as the next Lucky adventure—all very different projects. So, if you see me with a glass of Champagne in hand, you’ll understand. I can usually be found at the bar, but also at www.deborahcoonts.com.

Connect with Deborah

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

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