Release Day! TimeReaping in Deadwood by Ann Charles #TimeReapingInDeadwood @AnnWCharles

Happy Release Day!

Congratulations Ann

on the release today of

TimeReaping in Deadwood!

TimeReaping in Deadwood by Ann Charles
(Deadwood #13)
Paranormal, Mystery, 345 pages
Published September 28, 2023 by Ann Charles

Time is a tricky devil. And so is that blasted imp!

Violet Parker needs to catch the little terror before it wreaks even more havoc in the Black Hills. But now that she’s saddled with this dang Timekeeper gig, she has a lot to juggle, like the real monsters wanting to tear the flesh from her bones just for fun.

If she can’t figure out how to wrangle “time” to save her family, the Grim Reaper might come swinging for them next.

But what about that danged honey-loving imp?

“Bravery badges are frickin’ overrated.” ~ Violet Parker

  

Check out the whole series on Amazon!

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About the author

Ann lives in the beautiful Northern Arizona mountains with her clever husband, charming kids, and an incredibly sassy cats. 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 character-driven, mixed-genre mysteries full of mystery and mayhem, comedy and spice, and whatever else feels right. Sisters in Crime was kind enough to let her join their membership years ago. In addition, she’s a member of Western Writers of America.

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 western and 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 marketing. ~ Author's website

Connect with Ann

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

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Blood Divided by Katie Keridan ~ Pre-Pub Spotlight & #Giveaway! #BloodDivided @KKeridan @GoSparkPress

Blood Divided by Katie Keridan

(Felserpent Chronicles #2)

Teen & Young Adult Coming of Age Fiction, 352 pages

Expected publication October 3, 2023 by SparkPress

Kyra Valorian and Sebastian Sayre have finally remembered their pasts as the former Felserpent Queen and King, and now it’s time for them to change the future―by reuniting the realms and bringing peace to Astrals and Daevals. But tensions between Aeles and Nocens have never been higher, and those of silver and gold blood are more divided than ever.

In addition to improving her recovrancy abilities and completing internship, Kyra is determined to uncover her father’s role in the evil Astral experimentation program, no matter the danger. As Sebastian learns to be in a relationship, he finds himself facing the traumas of two very different pasts, forcing him to make tough decisions about his chosen profession and who he wants to be. Meanwhile, Tallus, arch-enemy to the Felserpent monarchy, has also returned―and it will take help from Cyphers, as well as friends both old and new, to find and stop him.

As Kyra and Sebastian struggle to navigate the differences between their past and current relationship, one thing’s part of fulfilling their destiny means accepting their fate. The choices they make will reach all the way into Death in this thrilling found family sequel to Reign Returned.

Reign Returned

Book #1

Kyra Valorian is the most gifted Astral healer the golden-blooded realm of Aeles has seen in ages. When tragedy strikes, Kyra discovers she possesses a life-changing she’s a Recovrancer, able to enter the realm of the dead and recover those who’ve died before their time. Unfortunately, recovrancy is outlawed in her realm. Desperate for answers, Kyra will do anything to get them . . . even partner with a dangerous enemy.

Sebastian Sayre is the most sought-after Daeval assassin in all of Nocens. A silver-blooded Pyromancer, he wields fire and dreams of finding Rhannu, a legendary sword that makes its holder invincible. Since the sword was long ago stolen from Nocens and hidden where no Daeval can retrieve it, however, such a dream seems impossible ... until he encounters the one Astral who might be both able and willing to help him.

As Kyra and Sebastian work together to uncover the secrets of their realms, they also uncover secrets within their own pasts—pasts that are far more intertwined than they ever imagined. Ultimately, in this tale of discovery, destiny, and a love strong enough to outlast time, remembering the past just may prove to be the only way to change the future.

 

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About the author

Katie Keridan made her literary debut at ten years of age when she won a writing contest by crafting a tale about her favorite childhood hero, Hank the Cowdog. After that, Katie has continued to write, through college and graduate school and during her career as a pediatric neuropsychologist. But while Katie enjoyed being a doctor, scientific research didn’t bring her nearly as much joy as creating her own characters and worlds, so she slowly left the medical world behind to focus exclusively on writing. 

In 2018 she self-published a poetry book, Once Upon a Girl, and her work has been featured in Highlights Hello Magazine, The Blue Nib, Youth Imagination Magazine, Red Fez, The Red Penguin Review, Sand Canyon Review, and Every Day Fiction, to name a few. Her debut young adult fantasy novel, Reign Returned, will be published by SparkPress September 2022. She loves sharing her writing with others who feel different, misunderstood, or alone. Katie lives in Northern California with her husband and two very demanding cats.

Connect with Katie

Website | Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter

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Book Blitz! Pity Party by Whitney Dineen ~ Excerpt and #Giveaway! #PityParty @WhitneyDineen @XpressoTours

 

Pity Party by Whitney Dineen
(Pity Series, #2)
Publication date: September 26th 2023
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Melissa

I should have used my college degree to become a lawyer, politician, or heck, even a Time Lord—hey, it worked for Dr. Who. But no, I had to own a bridal boutique. Turns out that’s a terrible idea for someone with my lousy dating history.

Every day, I’m surrounded by the trappings of the perfect wedding, and I’m starting to resent all the smug almost-marrieds. I shouldn’t want to throat punch the brides, right?

Then Jamie Riordan moves to Elk Lake with his twelve-year-old daughter. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a guy—tall, gorgeous, successful, and clearly devoted to his kid.

Too bad his grumpy highness wants nothing to do with me.

I may not be his dream girl, but does he have to be so insulting about letting me know?

Goodreads | Amazon

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EXCERPT

“Your total is two thousand forty-eight dollars,” I tell the beaming bride-to-be who’s nearly blinding me with her over-the-top white teeth. She’s like Ross Geller from that one episode of Friends.

I used to dream of being just like her—hopeful, excited, no visible baby bump while planning my impending nuptials. Unfortunately, life has kicked me in the teeth often enough that I’m slowly stepping away from that fantasy. Instead, I’m focusing on the fact that women like her are probably more stressed out than your average sky diver during a tornado. Will he say yes? Does his mother hate me as much as I think she does? Should we really be spending this kind of money on one party? And the most important—Does he know I was serious when I said I don’t clean toilets? The list goes on and on.

“You’re the best, Melissa!” the petite blonde with the unnatural orange tan gushes. She says this like I just brought her bail money at two in the morning. As she hands me her credit card, she adds, “You must love owning a bridal shop! I mean, could there be a better job?”

I didn’t think so ten years ago when I became my mom’s partner at Bride’s Paradise. I had recently graduated from college and was so full of hope and anticipation about my own wedding I couldn’t imagine anything better. Not that I was engaged or even dating anyone at the time, but I was raised on television shows like Say Yes to the Dress, Bridezilla, and David Tutera’s My Fair Wedding. I’d fantasized about my big day for over a decade at that point.

For a generation that is meant to believe there’s more to life than marriage, we sure spend a lot of time dreaming about it. Being fed a constant visual diet of what our big day is supposed to look like wreaks havoc with expectations. Somehow a wedding has become more about the show and what we wear than about true love.

Had I only gotten hooked on Law and Order or Dr. Who, I might have become a lawyer or even a Time Lord. Note to self: investigate the kind of credentials needed to become a Time Lord.

I hand the credit card back to Brooklyn as her wedding party circles around her. Her maid of honor squeals—loudly—“Oh, my GOD, Brook! This is it!! You said yes to the dress!” We’ve already taken pictures with the requisite signage and hashtags to ensure that everyone the bride has ever met will know where she bought her gown. Hashtags are the backbone of my business. #BridesParadise #ElkLakeWisconsinWeddings #LoveIsInTheAir #ImSoSickOfMyJobICouldSpit

About the author

Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries -- not always in that order.

Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.

She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.

Gold Medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2017.

Silver medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016.

Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.

Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017.

Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards, 2017

Finalist Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, 2017

Connect with Whitney 

Website | Goodreads | Facebook 

 Twitter | Instagram

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Release Day! Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews ~ My Thoughts #BrightLightsBigChristmas @mkayandrews @StMartinsPress

Happy Release Day!

Congratulations Mary Kay

on the release today of

Bright Lights, Big Christmas!

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

Christmas, Fiction, 288 pages

Published September 26, 2023 by St. Martin's Press

From Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The Homewreckers and The Santa Suit, comes a novella celebrating love and the warm, glittering charm of the holiday season.

When fall rolls around, it’s time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family’s Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for the wilds of New York City to help her gruff older brother & his dog, Queenie, sell the trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. Sharing a tiny vintage camper and experiencing Manhattan for the first time, Kerry’s ready to try to carve out a new corner for herself.

In the weeks leading into Christmas, Kerry quickly becomes close with the charming neighbors who live near their stand. When an elderly neighbor goes missing, Kerry will need to combine her country know-how with her newly acquired New York knowledge to protect the new friends she’s come to think of as family,

And complicating everything is Patrick, a single dad raising his adorable, dragon-loving son Austin on this quirky block. Kerry and Patrick’s chemistry is undeniable, but what chance does this holiday romance really have?

Filled with family ties, both rekindled and new, and sparkling with Christmas magic, Bright Lights, Big Christmas delivers everything Mary Kay Andrews fans adore, all tied up in a hilarious, romantic gem of a novel.

My thoughts about Bright Lights, Big Christmas ~~

(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 line.)

First line—"Kerry Clare Tolliver couldn't remember a time when the smell of a Fraser fir tree didn't make her smile."

I love MKA's stories and I love when the holiday books start popping up in my reading queue. Reading Bright Lights, Big Christmas was the perfect way to kick off my Christmas reading. A beloved author's wonderful holiday story. Win, win! 

Kerry has to go help the family's Christmas tree farm business in the big city. Not what she was really wanting to do with her life but her family needs her, so she does it. Her meeting and making friends with all of the quirky people of the neighborhood is what made me love this story so much. She discovers that there are people who truly care for each other in this big, scary place. 

I loved the relationships that developed within the story, so much love and friendship found among strangers. As always with a MKA story, I become totally engrossed with the storyline and the wonderful, caring characters. I loved this story and know I will be thinking about it long after I finished it. This was the perfect start to what I hope is more enjoyable Christmas reading for me. I highly recommend Bright Lights, Big Christmas!

I received an ARC of Bright Lights, Big Christmas via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

About the author

Mary Kay Andews is the New York Times bestselling author of 30 novels (including The Homewreckers, The Santa Suit, The Newcomer; Hello, Summer; Sunset Beach; The High Tide Club; The Weekenders; Beach Town; Save the Date; Ladies’ Night; Christmas Bliss; Spring Fever; Summer Rental; The Fixer Upper; Deep Dish; Blue Christmas; Savannah Breeze; Hissy Fit; Little Bitty Lies; and Savannah Blues), and one cookbook, The Beach House Cookbook.

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, she earned a B.A. in journalism from The University of Georgia. After a 14-year career working as a reporter at newspapers including The Savannah Morning News, The Marietta Journal, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where she spent the final ten years of her career, she left journalism in 1991 to write fiction.

Her first novel, Every Crooked Nanny, was published in 1992 by HarperCollins. She went on to write ten critically acclaimed mysteries under her real name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck. In 2002, she assumed the pen name Mary Kay Andrews with the publication of Savannah Blues. In 2006, Hissy Fit became her first New York Times bestseller, followed by twelve more New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestsellers. To date, her novels have been published in German, Italian, Polish, Slovenian, Hungarian, Dutch, Czech and Japanese.

She and her family divide their time between Atlanta and Tybee Island, GA, where they cook up new recipes in two restored beach homes, The Breeze Inn and Ebbtide—both named after fictional places in Mary Kay’s novels, and both available to rent through Tybee Vacation Rentals. In between cooking, spoiling her grandkids, and plotting her next novel, Mary Kay is an intrepid treasure hunter whose favorite pastime is junking and fixing up old houses.  ~ Goodreads

Connect with Mary Kay

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? September 25, 2023 #IMWAYR

           

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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Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 

Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

The Long Way Back

by Nicole Baart

eARC

Published June 13, 2023

Slot Machine Fever Dreams

by Chris Bohjalian

Narrated by Grace Experience

audiobook from my shelves

Published July 25, 2023

What I recently finished

The Intern

by Michele Campbell

eARC

Pub date ~ October 3, 2023

Bright Lights, Big Christmas

by Mary Kay Andrews

eARC

Pub date ~ September 26

The River We Remember

by William Kent Krueger

eARC

Published September 5, 2023

Shell Game

(Getaway #6)

by Rumaan Alam

Narrated by Fajer Al-Kaisi

 audiobook from my shelves

Published August 2022

Seekers

Apocalypse in Eden, Book 2

by Ann Swann

Narrated by Matthew Hyland Cook

audiobook gifted from author

Published July 7, 2023

What I am going to read next

Always Orchid

(Goodbye, Orchid #3)

Carol Van Den Hende

print ARC

Pub date ~ October 24

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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This OR That #Giveaway № 121 ~ Riding Shotgun by Rita Mae Brown OR The Life Before Her Eyes by Laura Kasischke #RidingShotgun #TheLifeBeforeHerEyes

  

I have sooooo many books!

The This or That Giveaway! feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to cull my collection and to share some of the many books I have. I get to clear off some of my shelves to make room for more books and give someone else the chance to enjoy these treasures.

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

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Riding Shotgun

by Rita Mae Brown

Hardcover ~ Published May 1997

The author of Venus Envy takes you on a riotous ride back to one woman's future...

In a delightful contemporary farce with a riotous twist, Rita Mae Brown welcomes you to Virginia's horse country, where a fox hunt is about to lead a 1990s woman, Cig Blackwood, into a 1690s adventure of the heart.  Infidelity, single motherhood, family betrayal, and the thrill of the hunt (in many varieties) are hilariously and poignantly played out in this captivating novel of time travel and self-discovery. 

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The Life Before Her Eyes
by Laura Kasischke
Paperback ~ Published November 2002

Diana stands before the mirror preening with her best friend, Maureen. Suddenly, a classmate enters holding a gun, and Diana sees her life dance before her eyes. In a moment the future she was just imagining--a doting wife and mother at the age of forty--is sealed by a horrific decision she is forced to make. In prose infused with the dramatically feminine sensuality of spring, we experience seventeen-year-old Diana's uncertain steps into womanhood--her awkward, heated forays into sex; her fresh, fragile construction of an identity. Together with the sights and sounds of renewal, we experience the tasks of Diana's adulthood: protecting her beloved daughter and holding onto her successful husband.

An acclaimed writer and poet, Laura Kasischke has crafted a consciousness that encompasses the truth of a teenager's world and the profound transformation of that world at midlife. Resonant and deeply stirring, The Life Before Her Eyes finds piercing beauty in the midst of a nightmare from long ago that echoes like a dirge beneath each new spring.

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The Lightstruck by Sunya Mara ~ Spotlight #Giveaway #TheLightstruck @sunyamara @ClarionBooks @GoSparkPoint

Congratulations Sunya

on the release last month of

The Lightstruck!

The Lightstruck by Sunya Mara

(The Darkening Duology #2)

Fantasy, Young Adult, 400 pages

Published August 29, 2023 by Clarion Books

In this epic sequel and conclusion to the Darkening duology, which has been called “enchanting and wildly clever” (Ayana Gray, New York Times bestselling author of Beasts of Prey), Vesper Vale, once savior to a city plagued by cursed storms, finds herself facing an even more sinister threat when an ominous light summoned by the Great King seizes control of the city.

Vesper Vale sacrificed everything to save her city from the cursed storm. After becoming a vessel of The Great Queen, Vesper awakes from a slumber three years after her life altering choice.

What she finds isn’t a home freed from the terror of the storm, but one where its citizens are besieged by the even more sinister force of The Great King and his growing army of the lightstruck—once regular citizens who are now controlled by the ominous light encroaching on the city. And the people are all looking to Vesper, now revered as a goddess after her sacrifice, as their city’s only hope.

To save the rings from the Great King, Vesper must contend with the obligations of being a deity to her people and the growing chasm between her and Dalca, the prince she swore never to love. Haunted by the guilt of their past choices and faced with the pressures of a city near ruin, Vesper and Dalca find themselves torn between the growing factions within the city and the royal court.

But in order to save her city from the light, Vesper must face the power most outside of her control—the goddess within.

The Darkening

Book #1

Vesper Vale is the daughter of revolutionaries. Failed revolutionaries. When her mother was caught by the queen's soldiers, they gave her a choice: death by the hangman's axe, or death by the Storm that surrounds the city and curses anyone it touches. She chose the Storm. And when the queen's soldiers--led by a paranoid prince--catch up to Vesper's father after twelve years on the run, Vesper will do whatever it takes to save him from sharing that fate.

Even arm herself with her father's book of dangerous experimental magic.

Even infiltrate the prince's elite squad of soldier-sorcerers.

Even cheat her way into his cold heart.

But when Vesper learns that there's more to the story of her mother's death, she'll have to make a choice if she wants to save her city: trust the devious prince with her family's secrets, or follow her mother's footsteps into the Storm.

 

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About the author

Sunya Mara grew up in six different cities across five different states and now calls Los Angeles home. She studied film and business at the University of Southern California and went on to write and illustrate at Kobe Bryant’s Granity Studios. When not telling stories, she spends her time haunting old movie theaters and staring at museum walls.

Connect with Sunya

Website | Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter

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Release Day! Follow the Shadows by Rosemary Drisdelle ~ #Giveaway! #FollowTheShadows @GoSparkPress @GoSparkPoint

 

Congratulations Rosemary

on the release today of

Follow the Shadow!

Follow the Shadows: The Tales of Moerden by Rosemary Drisdelle

(Book 1)

Fantasy, Middle Grade, 320 pages

Published September 19, 2023 by SparkPress

When Marise Leeson gets her hands on a crystal ball, she believes her knowledge of Wicca is about to expand. The magic, however, goes horribly wrong. In short order, she’s thrown into an alternate world, attacked by a dragon, and rescued by Javeer, a young male dragon in search of a friend.

Marise is desperate to get home alive. Instead of dabbling in scrying and spells, she must now use her Wicca skills to survive in Moerden―navigating rival dragon factions, riding Javeer without falling, and dodging unknown perils of an alien landscape. Through a series of adventures and mishaps, she learns that the dragons face slow extinction from a mysterious disease. Some see Marise as part of the cause. Some hope she’s a key to a cure.

Marise grows up fast as her focus switches from escape from Moerden to saving the dragons. She draws upon her powers, intuition, and some help from home as she and Javeer begin a quest to solve the puzzle of the stagger. If they survive, and if their trust and courage are strong, they may succeed. If they do not, the dragons of Moerden will cease to exist.

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About the author

Rosemary Drisdelle has written on various nonfiction science and professional topics. Follow the Shadows: The Tales of Moerden Book 1 is the first in a series, and marks her debut in the young adult fiction genre. A fascination with parasites - where fiery serpents are not unknown - inspired her science book Parasites: Tales of Humanity’s Most Unwelcome Guests.

She’s always had a weakness for reptiles and hopes to meet a real live dragon some day; however, there don’t seem to be any in Bedford, Nova Scotia where she currently lives.

Connect with Rosemary

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? September 18, 2023 #IMWAYR

          

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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Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 

Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

The River We Remember

by William Kent Krueger

eARC

Published September 5

I love his stories!

Seekers

Apocalypse in Eden, Book 2

by Ann Swann

Narrated by Matthew Hyland Cook

audiobook gifted from author

Published July 7, 2023

What I recently finished

Mrs. Winchester's Biographer

by Deanna Lynn Sletten

eARC from author

Pub date ~ October 3

Love Deanna's stories!

What I am going to read next

Bright Lights, Big Christmas

by Mary Kay Andrews

eARC

Pub date ~ September 26

Let the Christmas reading begin!

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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