Release Day! Cops & Clobbers by Ann Charles - Deadwood Humorous Mystery Series № 14 #CopsAndClobbers @AnnWCharles

Happy Release Day!

Congratulations Ann

on the release today of

Cops & Clobbers!

Cops & Clobbers by Ann Charles

Deadwood Humorous Mystery Series Book #14

Published November 29, 2024 by Ann Charles

Violet Parker has big troubles these days—the ticking kind. To duck the Grim Reaper, she needs to get her hands on eighty-plus rare, mystical clocks locked up tight by a thick-headed detective.

The solution? Hijack the truckload of ticking time bombs out from under Johnny Law’s nose.

But no caper ever goes according to plan. What starts out as a game of clocks and robbers twists and turns into a chaos of cops and clobbers.

Will Violet beat the detective in time? Or will she spend Valentine’s Day behind bars?

      Purchase from Ann Charles' website

E-book is available now.

Print will be available by December 10th.

Audiobook will be available in Spring 2025

***********************

"Yet another great book! So many laugh out loud moments.” ~ E. Boudreaux

"Wow! Just when I think Violet's world can't get any crazier, Ann comes up with more goodies for her and the gang to handle.” ~ D. Smithwick

***********************

About the author

Ann Charles is a USA Today Bestselling author who writes award-winning mysteries that are splashed with humor, romance, paranormal, and whatever else sounds fun. A member of Sisters in Crime and Western Writers of America, she has a B.A. in English with an emphasis on creative writing from the University of Washington.

When Ann is not holed up in her writing lair working on her next book, she’s hanging out with her family and basking in the Arizona sunshine. ~ Author website

Connect with Ann

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

************************

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

Cover Reveal! Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey @kristywharvey @GalleryBooks

Congratulations, Kristy!

I love this cover and I'm so excited to read 

Beach House Rules!

Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Southern Fiction, 368 pages

Expected publication May 27, 2025

Published by Gallery Books 

“Southern bestselling sensation” (Katie Couric Media) Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with a delightfully moving new novel about a mother-daughter duo learning to lean on their community of women—and each other—after their world is turned upside down.

When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI and—what’s potentially even worse—thrust into the spotlight of @JuniperShoresSocialite, the town’s snarky anonymous Instagram account. Cut off from her bank accounts and feeling desperate, Charlotte takes up an acquaintance’s offer to stay at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town.

Charlotte and Iris find solace and are surprised by how much fun they’re having with the other families despite their circumstances. But when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all. Will the skeletons in the mommune closets help Charlotte and Iris reclaim their place in the Juniper Shores community—or shatter the sisterhood forever?

“Perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Jennifer Weiner” (Country Living), Beach House Rules is a charming exploration of the joy of friendship, the true meaning of family, and reclaiming the power to reshape our own destiny.

Available for preorder here

****************************

About the author

Connect with Kristy

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Blog | Goodreads | Design Chic

******************************

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

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? November 25, 2024 #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! 

**************************************

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

Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

Out of Place: Coming of Age in Cold War West Germany

by Mary E. McKnight

print ARC for review

Pub date ~ December 3

Collar Me Crazy: Heartwarming Stories of the Dogs Who Rescue Us!

by Kay Bratt

(Book 2 of 9 ~ Dragonfly Cove Dog Park Series)

Various authors

e-book for review

Pub date ~ January 1

The Time Traveler's Wife

by Audrey Niffenegger

audio-book from my collection ~ one of my all time favorites 

Published January 2003

What I recently finished

Where Butterflies Wander

by Suzanne Redfearn

e-book from my TBR list

Published February 2024

Where Has She Gone?: A Novella

by D. L. Sletten

print from my collection

Published September 2024

Pick of the Litter: A Heartwarming Story of the Dogs Who Rescue Us

(Book 1 of 9 ~ Dragonfly Cove Dog Park Series)

Various authors

e-book for review

Pub date ~ December 26

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

audio-book from my shelves

Published June 2017

What I am going to read next

The Good Bride

by Jen Marie Wiggins

print ARC for review

Pub date ~ December 10

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

*************************

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

Virtual Book Tour! Count Their Graves by Jennifer Chase ~ Excerpt #CountTheirGraves @JChaseNovelist @pumpupyourbook

Count Their Graves by Jennifer Chase

(Detective Katie Scott #12)

Published October 30, 2024 by Bookouture

Crime Thriller, 362 pages

A wind chime sways a sweet melody above several pairs of shoes neatly laid out on the welcome the mat: two large pairs, and three small. On the door frame, a perfect crimson handprint, the color of blood… 

Out on her morning run, Detective Katie Scott is stopped in her tracks when her service dog, Cisco, alerts her to something. Weaving through the towering pine trees, Katie is horrified to find a little girl alone in the woods, dressed in a white nightgown. The child sobs into Katie’s arms. She’s unharmed, but clearly traumatized. Scooping her up, Katie follows the trail to a large farmhouse. But what she finds there rips the air from her lungs: one, two, three, four bodies laid out side by side, all in matching pajamas. 

The Banks family were attacked in their sleep, but how had the little girl trembling in Katie’s arms escape with her life? What twisted monster would do such a thing, and why leave no trace but a single bloody handprint on the doorframe? Katie vows to find answers for this sweet child who has lost everything and everyone.

Working night and day to piece together why this innocent family were targeted, Katie thinks she has her first lead when she discovers the family were under witness protection. Had they seen something they shouldn’t? Was the aim to silence them forever? Questions are still spinning in Katie’s mind when another family is discovered dead in their beds on the other side of Pine Valley.

With the entire department stretched to breaking point with an unprecedented body count and trace evidence stacking up, it’s going to take everything Katie has to track this twisted killer down. But as she closes in on her target, it’s clear someone close to Katie is keeping a deadly secret. How many more innocent lives will be lost before she can bring them to justice?

 

*********************

PRAISE

5.0 out of 5 stars: A definite must read book and series!

"One of the things that I love about this author's books is that she doesn't shy away from the hard or difficult topics. Another is how she creates a realistic quality for the characters and their lives. There are no "perfect" characters or "make believe/fantasy" lives in these books. (That is one of the best things~in my opinion!) Because of these things, as well as many more, her stories are unique, passionate, creative, and intriguing. I have loved all of the stories that I've read, and can't wait to read more. I would definitely recommend this book, series, and exceptional author." 

"Another great book in the series starring Katie and her dog Cisco. When one family are found all dead in their house apart from one of their little girls who they believed her mummy had helped her escape Katie and her team soon get to work. Someone is hiding who they really are and until Katie finds out who it is no one is safe not even her. I really enjoyed this book like all of the others in the series that I have read. Looking forward to the next book."  NetGalley

*********************

    EXCERPT

Katie stumbled forward onto her knees only to discover a little blonde girl with curly locks, dressed in an oversized white nightgown. The lace sleeves were longer than her tiny arms. Katie also noticed red spots splashed across the front and down the sleeves: blood.

“Good boy, Cisco,” she said, petting the dog, concerned by their discovery.

Turning her full attention to the little girl, she said, “What are you doing all the way out here, sweetheart?” She looked around to see if there was someone else, but it was deserted. There was nothing to indicate why the girl was outside. No footprints. No toys or pieces of clothing. It was as if she had been dropped here.

The sleepy-eyed girl appeared to be about four years old. “I’m cold,” she barely whispered as she shivered.

“Are you hurt?” said Katie as she looked for any injuries. The girl’s skin was icy, as if she had been out in the elements for a while—possibly a few hours. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“Em… Emily,” she said.

“How did you get here?”

“Mommy brought me…”

A chill ran down Katie’s spine.

“Okay, Emily. Stay here with Cisco and I’ll be right back. Can you do that for me?” Katie wanted to pick the girl up, hug her, and take her to safety, but she needed to assess the area first. Security was her priority and then getting the little girl to safety.

The little girl nodded. Her blue eyes stared at Katie as she pet the dog. It was a look that Katie wouldn’t soon forget. The pure innocence struck her soul.

Katie stood up and unzipped her hoodie and then wrapped it around the little girl. The cool morning air hit her as she was now dressed in just a tank top. She pulled her weapon, still scanning the area. There was a farmhouse and barn down below the ridge and she assumed that was where Emily lived. There weren’t any other homes within view and most were likely several acres away.

Had the little girl ventured out without anyone knowing? Did the mother really leave her here? Or was there something terribly wrong?

Katie didn’t want to move Emily yet until she knew for sure that everything was safe on the property.

“Cisco, you stay.”

The dog instinctively downed next to the little girl. Emily’s small arms wrapped around the dog’s neck as she snuggled up against him for warmth.

Katie looked around and felt that, secluded in between trees, they would be safe until she could quickly search the area. Reaching into her pocket, she made sure her cell phone had a strong signal—which it did.

“Good boy, Cisco. Bleib… Wache…” She told Cisco to stay and guard the little girl. Her dog’s training words were in German, meaning stay and watch. Katie didn’t need to repeat herself because the dog knew what to do, but somehow it made her feel better. She hated leaving them alone, but it was the best way to proceed under the circumstances. By the time help arrived, it might be too late. She needed to report to dispatch exactly what was going on so that backup wasn’t blindly going into a potentially dangerous situation.

After taking one last look at Emily huddled with Cisco, Katie moved to the edge of the trail and began slowly making her way toward the backside of the house. She wondered how Emily got up the hill; there wasn’t dirt or mud on her gown.

Watching for any movement, Katie carefully stepped down the incline until she was on a walkway leading to the front of a modern farmhouse. There were unusual scrolled architectural details along the rooflines and windows that made it seem to be a custom build. Katie stopped and listened. The wind had died down and she felt the temperature had risen a few degrees from when she first began her run. Even though it was still cool, her skin was warm and clammy. Adrenalin was pumping, making her arms and legs strangely prickly and a bit shaky. She maintained her focus and continued to press forward. With her gun directed out in front of her, she kept moving, expecting anything.

There was a pickup truck and a minivan parked in the semicircle driveway, giving the impression that someone was home. The front of the farmhouse had a large porch with white wicker chairs and colorful pillows. There was a porch swing on one end and potted plants lined up side by side at the other. A cheerful welcome mat said, “Home Sweet Home.” A wind chime hung on the left side of the door and gently swayed a melody. There were several pairs of shoes carefully placed to the right side of the mat. By Katie’s quick assessment, there were two adults and three children that resided in the home.

The front door was wide open. Droplets of red spattered the porch and the entrance inside. Concentrated smudges were around the doorframe as if someone had tried to steady themselves.

“Hello?” she called out, watching her surroundings.

Nothing moved. No sound came from indoors. Katie’s senses were on hyper-alert. Everything seemed more vivid and louder than usual.

She cautiously stepped over the threshold and peered inside. The large open plan made it easy to see the living room, dining room, and kitchen in a quick scan. There were several photographs of the family—and she saw tiny Emily with an older boy and girl. Everything looked neat and orderly. That’s what made the bloody hammer lying in the middle of the floor so horrifying.

Katie stood surveying the room for a moment, taking a deep breath. It seemed that the bloody hammer had been dropped there. There were droplets of blood marking a path to the front door. There were no obvious signs of a struggle—no broken items, chairs overturned, or shelves spilled.

Katie turned and could see that the two main doors of the barn just across the open area were standing wide open. She wasn’t sure if it was instinct or fear that drove her, but she backed out of the house, careful not to disturb anything, and watchfully headed for the barn. Everything remained still and eerily quiet.

Katie kept to the sides of the barn and inched her way slowly to the opening. Her ears pounded. Her breathing shrank to shallow gasps. Staying low, she entered the building. It wasn’t a livestock barn, but rather a type of workshop and storage facility. Katie scanned the interior, taking everything in. Slowly lowering her weapon, she dropped to her knees in misery, only inches from the stagnant pools of blood on the ground in front of her. Barely registering what she saw, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the four bodies of a man, a woman, and a young boy and girl neatly lined up next to each other, still dressed in their pajamas.

– Excerpted from Count Their Graves by Jennifer Chase, Bookouture, 2024. Reprinted with permission.

*********************

About the author

Jennifer Chase is a multi award-winning and USA Today Best Selling crime fiction author, as well as a consulting criminologist. Jennifer holds a bachelor degree in police forensics and a master's degree in criminology & criminal justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent psychopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells. In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling.

She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic Criminologists, and member of the International Thriller Writers.

Her latest book is Count Their Graves.

Connect with Jennifer

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Sponsored By

*************************

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

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? November 18, 2024 #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! 

**************************************

Not too much happening in my world this week. I am starting to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner at our house. We have not hosted for quite a few years now. When we moved into a townhome, our daughter took over hosting family events since her house was way bigger than ours. Well, they are going to be out of town that whole week, so it'll be up to us. Fewer people overall so it should be all good. What are your plans, if any?

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

Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

Where Butterflies Wander

by Suzanne Redfearn

e-book from my TBR list

Published February 2024

Out of Place: Coming of Age in Cold War West Germany

by Mary E. McKnight

print ARC for review

Pub date ~ December 3

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

audio-book from my shelves

Published June 2017

What I recently finished

Moonglass

by Jessi Kirby

print from my TBR shelf

Published May 2011

Ghost Soldier

by Elaine Marie Alphin

print from my TBR shelves

Published August 2001

What I am going to read next

The Good Bride

by Jen Marie Wiggins

print ARC for review

Pub date ~ December 10

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

*************************

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

Virtual Book Tour! A Heart's Journey to Forgiveness by Terese Luikens ~ Excerpt and Guest Post #AHeartsJourneyToForgiveness @pumpupyourbook

A heartfelt memoir depicting Terese’s journey of forgiving her father when he chooses to end his life by suicide.

A Heart's Journey to Forgiveness by Terese Luikens
Published November 3, 2022
Memoir, 282 pages

For Terese Luikens, a picture-perfect childhood it was not. Frequent cross country moves, an emotionally absent mother and an alcoholic father who ends his life by suicide when Terese is just thirteen years old.

The sixth of seven children, Terese grew up in an unstable and chaotic household–invisible to her mom yet cherished by her father.

This heartfelt memoir documents the chain reaction of a tumultuous family history. From her stormy childhood to the far-reaching effects of her father’s suicide, Terese shares her inspiring journey to escape the shame of her past, find healing and live, learn to trust, and discover faith in a real and personal God.

A Heart’s Journey to Forgiveness is available at Amazon.

*********************

Excerpt

In my mind, these warm childhood memories include only my dad, never my mom. One photo from that era, snapped by an older sibling using Mom’s Instamatic camera, seems to capture our family dynamic. We are in the living room of the house that had the front-porch swing. I might be around four years old. My hair is cut short, pixie style, and I am wearing a long-sleeved, cotton-ribbed bathrobe. Dad, kneeling, wears a suit coat and a bowler hat. His hands are clasped behind my back and mine are hooked around his neck. Smiling, cheek-to-cheek, we face the camera.

Dad and I are in the center of the photo while Mom is in the lower left hand corner. She is sitting in a chair, and wears a plaid skirt and a turtleneck sweater. Her passive face is turned toward the camera.

That snapshot captures my life: Dad at the center and Mom on the perimeter.

Guest Post

The Inspiration Behind A Heart's Journey to Forgiveness

I was thirteen when my father ended his life by suicide. Back in the 1970s, suicide was not a topic families openly talked about and for that reason, my mother’s explanation to me about my father’s death went like this;

“Your father is dead.”

“How?”

“His heart just stopped.”

Her explanation for his death left me with a load of suspicion and finding out the truth became paramount to me. As the sixth of seven kids, I knew from experience that the older siblings always knew more than me. But, if I asked an older sister for the truth, I knew she would tell me. Indeed she did, yet her honesty left me reeling in confusion.

Even though my siblings and I shared the same tragedy, we did not share our grief. We didn’t know how to comfort each other, let alone talk about a topic no one else wanted to talk about.

None of the adults in our lives came to our aid. No one showed or told us that it was okay to be sad, that confusion was normal and that we might even feel angry. In essence, we were left to ourselves to sort through our emotions and find our own way to survive.

After I married and became a mom it seemed like the right time to begin understanding the grief I’d never understood, to face what I’d only tried to ignore and to put some order to the chaos in my mind.

As a result, I began journaling and talking with a few trusted friends. Over the years, I began to understand some of the events that led to my father’s death by suicide, my mother’s silence and my inability to grieve.

Finally, I gained enough courage to join a writer’s group and began sharing my story in small bits and pieces. With their encouragement, I finally wrote the whole story and with their help polished it and sent if off to Redemption Press.

Redemption Press is a publishing company that offers independent publishing services with the project management style of a traditional publisher.

*********************

About the author

Terese Luikens has been married for forty-four years to the same man, although she is on her third wedding ring, having lost one and worn out another. She lives in Sandpoint, Idaho, enjoys being mother to three grown sons and grandmother to her much-loved grandchildren.

She is the author of A Heart’s Journey to Forgiveness, a Memoir of her inspiring journey of emotional healing from her father’s suicide. She facilitates retreats and workshops focusing on forgiveness, and publishes her own blog, Why Bother?

You can visit her website at www.tereseluikens.com

Sponsored By

*************************

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

Virtual Book Tour! Mistletoe Season by Sheila Roberts, Kathleen Fuller, and Pepper Basham #MistletoeSeason @pumpupyourbook @_Sheila_Roberts @pepperbasham

Mistletoe Season by Sheila Roberts, Kathleen Fuller and Pepper Basham

Published October 8, 2024 by Thomas Nelson, 320 pages

Romance/Women’s Fiction/Holiday Romance

This Christmas, three couples find themselves under the mistletoe . . . whether they want to be there or not.

Say No to Mistletoe by Sheila Roberts—Mistletoe is Hailey Fairchild's kryptonite. Every time she's kissed someone under the mistletoe it's led to love disaster. Not a good thing for a romance writer! When she was a gawky high school girl, her hunky neighbor, Carwyn Davies, star of the basketball team (and her dreams) kissed her under the mistletoe on a dare. But the kiss wasn't a dream come true. It was a mortifying moment she's never forgotten, and now she's about to go home for the holidays, unengaged and . . . determined to say no to mistletoe. Especially if Carwyn is anywhere around.

Return to Mistletoe by Kathleen Fuller—Emmy Banks has always loved Christmas. How could she not when she lives in Mistletoe, Missouri? Kieran O'Neill has spent years abroad, renovating an old Irish castle, but returns to Mistletoe for his mother's seventieth birthday. He reconnects with Emmy, his sister's close friend, and spends time with her in her charming antique shop. When the weather turns colder, things start to warm up between Emmy and Kieran. But can Emmy risk her heart when she knows he'll never stay in Mistletoe, and she will never leave?

The Mistletoe Prince by Pepper Basham—Prince Arran St. Clare has lost his freedom and fairytale life in exchange for a three-month "punishment" in the small town of Ransom, North Carolina. To prove he is ready for the royal life for which he was born, Arran must engage in the Christmas charity fundraiser, The Mistletoe Wish. But when kindness, authenticity, and hard work prove more appreciated in Appalachia than a royal pedigree, Arran must face the mirror and find out who he is beyond the crown. Add a beautiful and intelligent woman who doesn't recognize her own worth, some mistletoe, and a little Christmas magic and it all might be enough to help the rebel-prince understand what truly matters most.

Mistletoe Season is available at 

Amazon and Barnes & Noble

****************************

Excerpt

Mistletoe is my kryptonite. One kiss under it, and I go weak in the head. My last three mistletoe kisses resulted in relation- ship disaster. Which is why I, Hailey Fairchild, am swearing off it. 

You’d think after three love fails I’d hate cupid. I don’t. I’m one of his loyal acolytes. I write romance novels. I’m a believer. 

If you ask me, everyone should be. We need more love in the world. I need more love, but so far I’m only finding it on the pages of my computer screen. 

On the screen is better than nothing. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. 

Consider this a public service announcement, a warning. Don’t go under the mistletoe. It’s hazardous to your heart. Here’s what it did to me. 

****************************

About the authors

Sheila Roberts has written over fifty books under different names and in different genres. She’s seen three of her novels made into movies for the Lifetime, Hallmark and Great American Family channels and has over 3 million copies of her books in print. The story in this anthology makes her eighteenth Christmas story.

Connect with Sheila

Website | Facebook | Instagram

************

With over two million books sold, USA Today best-selling author Kathleen Fuller writes amusing stories with quirky characters and happy endings. Her novel, Written in Love, won the 2018 Romantic Times Inspirational Romance of the Year. Many of her books have also hit the CBA and ECPA best-seller lists. 

A retired Special Education teacher, she and her husband James live in Arkansas and are the parents of four adult children. When she’s not writing you can find her reading and crocheting—usually at the same time. She also enjoys traveling, football, and collecting recipes she’ll never use. 

Connect with Kathleen

Website | Facebook | Instagram

************

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is a wife, mom to five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

 Her dual timeline novel, Hope Between the Pages, was a 2022 finalist for the prestigious Christy awards. Pepper’s newest book, Loyally, Luke, made it on the ECPA bestseller list for May. She loves connecting with readers and other authors through social media outlets like Facebook & Instagram.

Connect with Pepper

Website | Facebook | Instagram

************

Sponsored by 

*************************

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