Book Spotlight Giveaway! The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy

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.

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This week I am sharing a copy of The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy. I first read this book for a blog tour and I loved it. You can read my thoughts HERE. I talked my book club into reading it too and we had a great discussion. This is a wonderful historical fiction story that takes place in the Civil War time and connects to the present time. It was a great read and I know you will enjoy it. 

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

The Mapmaker's Children

The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy
Hardcover, 300 pages
Published May 5th 2015 by Crown

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Baker's Daughter, a story of family, love, and courage.

When Sarah Brown, daughter of abolitionist John Brown, realizes that her artistic talents may be able to help save the lives of slaves fleeing north, she becomes one of the Underground Railroad’s leading mapmakers, taking her cues from the slave code quilts and hiding her maps within her paintings. She boldly embraces this calling after being told the shocking news that she can’t bear children, but as the country steers toward bloody civil war, Sarah faces difficult sacrifices that could put all she loves in peril.

Eden, a modern woman desperate to conceive a child with her husband, moves to an old house in the suburbs and discovers a porcelain head hidden in the root cellar—the remains of an Underground Railroad doll with an extraordinary past of secret messages, danger and deliverance.

Ingeniously plotted to a riveting end, Sarah and Eden’s woven lives connect the past to the present, forcing each of them to define courage, family, love, and legacy in a new way.

    

About the author

Sarah McCoy is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the novels The Mapmaker's Children, The Baker's DAughter, The Time It Snowed in Puerto Rico, and "The Branch of Hazel," a novella in Grand Central.

The Baker's Daughter was praised as "a beautiful heart-breaking gem of a novel" by Tatiana de Rosnay and "a thoughtful reading experience indeed" by Chris Bohjalian. The Baker's Daughter was a Doubleday/Literary Guild Book Club selection and a Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Historical Fiction in 2012.

Sarah has taught writing at Old Dominion University and at the University of Texas at El Paso. The daughter of an army officer, her family was stationed in Germany during her childhood. She currently lives with her husband, an army physician, and their dog, Gilly, in El Paso, Texas.

Connect with Sarah

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

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The Murder Game by Julie Apple ~ My Thoughts

The Murder Game

The Murder Game by Julie Apple
Print and e-book, 340 pages
Published: November 1st 2016

For fans of The Secret History and How to Get Away With Murder comes an exciting new voice in suspense fiction.

Ten years working as a prosecutor have left Meredith Delay jaded and unsure of what she wants out of life. She’s good at her job, but it haunts her. Her boyfriend wants her to commit, but she keeps him at arm’s length. Then Meredith is assigned to a high-profile prosecution involving the violent murder of a fallen hockey star. At first, it appears to be just another case to work. But when her old friend Julian is accused of the murder, it takes on a whole new dimension.

Meredith, Julian, Jonathan, and Lily were a tight-knit group in law school. But now, Jonathan’s defending Julian, and Lily’s loyalties aren’t clear. And when Julian invokes a rare—and risky—defense, Meredith is forced to confront their past.

Has something they played at as students finally been brought to death?

Purchase The Murder Game

Amazon US | Amazon CA

Amazon UK | Amazon Australia

My thoughts about The Murder Game ~~

(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—'It was Laura who called to tell me the news. "Meredith?" Her voice echoed down the bad connection, repeating itself like a rock slipping across the water. "It's about Julian..."'

The Murder Game is an intriguing story within a story, written by one of my must read authors. You need to read the information below to learn the interesting way this story came about. After reading Fractured and getting a look at Julie's life, I was super excited to read the story that was such a part of that book. Confused? Don't be, it all makes sense and I loved how these two books are connected.

So .... about The Murder Game. I loved it! What a great look at the inner workings of the legal world, lawyers, and those who think they can get away with murder. It's also a story about friendships and loyalty and secrets.

I loved the uniqueness of bringing a character from one book to life in another one and to be able to tie the stories together like this author did. And I love that Catherine is able to shake things up and make each of her books more enticing than the last. She just keeps getting better and better!    

About the Author

Julie Apple is both the pen name of Catherine McKenzie and the protagonist of her new novel, Fractured.

How did that happen?

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away (okay it was Canada, Montreal specifically) (also, 2007), Catherine decided to write a novel she’d been thinking about since she attended McGill Law School in the 1990s. Sitting in her Criminal Law class, she wondered if a lawyer would have an advantage in planning a perfect murder. Could she use her knowledge of the law to do it? What if a group of friends tried it out, just for fun? A game.

But then, years later, what if that murder actually happened?

Catherine wrote that book. Though she was happy with it, she put it in a drawer because her writing career took a different turn.

Fast-forward to 2015. Catherine gets the idea for Fractured and its protagonist, Julie Apple (hey, that’s me!). She’s an author who’s written a book that’s drawn all kinds of unwanted attention to her and her past. Catherine decided to base Julie’s book on the book she had in a drawer. When Fractured was finished, Catherine thought it might be fun to take that book of the drawer and let it out in the world.

And that’s how I, and The Murder Game, was born.

Want to know more about me? Read Fractured—some crazy things happened to me ten years after the events that took place in The Murder Game. Not that The Murder Game is based on real events, or anything. Of course not.

And then maybe you’ll know the answer.

Were we guilty?

Were we innocent?

You tell me…

Connect with Julie

Website | Goodreads | Twitter

Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Book Blitz: Everything Bundt the Truth by Karen C. Whalen, an Excerpt, and a Giveaway!

Everything Bundt the Truth

Everything Bundt the Truth by Karen C. Whalen
Publication date: November 2nd 2016
Genres: Adult, Mystery

Recent widow, Jane Marsh, is determined to recapture a rich, full life. She strives for youthful fun by riding a bicycle downtown on her lunch hour in a suit and heels, smoking cigars, eating at hipster restaurants, and re-entering the dating scene, even if her dates prove to be peculiar.

Her most fervent desire, though, is to join an exclusive dinner club. She auditions, but is barred when her housekeeper is found murdered, and she and her guest list become the suspect list. Her, a killer? So what if her two late husbands died under suspicious circumstances. It doesn’t make her a killer.

Having passed off a store bought Bundt cake as her own creation, she may have committed a culinary crime, but never murder!

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Wild Rose Press

Sneak Peek

She grumbled during the drive home from the bakery. What kind of a housekeeper would show up late on the first day on the job? What if Monica was still there when the guests arrived? She had Cheryl’s vote of approval, but the other club members may not accept Jane if the dinner did not go smoothly. Well, a delicious Bundt cake would help—or was that cheating? Would the group reject her if they found out she hadn’t made the entire dinner from scratch? Once home, she threw open the door and walked inside. “Monica? You here?” Where was she?

Excerpt

“Do you want to tell us how your husbands died?”

Jane narrowed her eyes at the detective as her heart thudded in her chest. So, the police were going to dredge that up. Again.

“Didn’t one of your husbands fall overboard from a cruise ship? And husband number two also fell to his death while you were out of the country? He drowned, too? Quite a coincidence.”

“We were in Ireland. The winds are strong on the Cliffs of Moher.” Jane twisted her ring around and around on her finger. Hugh was taking a selfie picture when the wind swept him away. She tried to hang on to him but was left holding only the cell phone. Hugh always did take the best pictures of her; however, she didn’t intend for the photo to go viral on Facebook.

“I’m afraid the police suspect one of the gourmet dinner club members. I’m trying to get accepted into the club, but I’ve got to solve the case first.” She didn’t mention she was the most likely suspect and had trouble meeting his gaze.

“It sounds like you’ve narrowed it down to the ex-husbands. But Jane, you should look closer at your guests. Everyone always suspects the husband.”

About the author

Karen C. Whalen is the author of a culinary cozy series, the dinner club murder mysteries, the first of which is Everything Bundt the Truth. She works as a paralegal at a law firm in Denver, Colorado and has been a columnist and regular contributor to The National Paralegal Reporter magazine. She has hosted dinner club events for a number of years.

Connect with Karen

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Release Day: The Murder Game by Julie Apple

Happy Release Day!

The Murder Game

The Murder Game by Julie Apple
Print and e-book, 340 pages
Published: November 1st 2016

For fans of The Secret History and How to Get Away With Murder comes an exciting new voice in suspense fiction.

Ten years working as a prosecutor have left Meredith Delay jaded and unsure of what she wants out of life. She’s good at her job, but it haunts her. Her boyfriend wants her to commit, but she keeps him at arm’s length. Then Meredith is assigned to a high-profile prosecution involving the violent murder of a fallen hockey star. At first, it appears to be just another case to work. But when her old friend Julian is accused of the murder, it takes on a whole new dimension.

Meredith, Julian, Jonathan, and Lily were a tight-knit group in law school. But now, Jonathan’s defending Julian, and Lily’s loyalties aren’t clear. And when Julian invokes a rare—and risky—defense, Meredith is forced to confront their past.

Has something they played at as students finally been brought to death?

   

I am reading The Murder Game right now and I am loving it! And I love how it connects to Catherine's story Fractured. My complete review will be posted later this week. 

Purchase The Murder Game

Amazon US | Amazon CA

Amazon UK | Amazon Australia

About the Author

Julie Apple is both the pen name of Catherine McKenzie and the protagonist of her new novel, Fractured.

How did that happen?

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away (okay it was Canada, Montreal specifically) (also, 2007), Catherine decided to write a novel she’d been thinking about since she attended McGill Law School in the 1990s. Sitting in her Criminal Law class, she wondered if a lawyer would have an advantage in planning a perfect murder. Could she use her knowledge of the law to do it? What if a group of friends tried it out, just for fun? A game.

But then, years later, what if that murder actually happened?

Catherine wrote that book. Though she was happy with it, she put it in a drawer because her writing career took a different turn.

Fast-forward to 2015. Catherine gets the idea for Fractured and its protagonist, Julie Apple (hey, that’s me!). She’s an author who’s written a book that’s drawn all kinds of unwanted attention to her and her past. Catherine decided to base Julie’s book on the book she had in a drawer. When Fractured was finished, Catherine thought it might be fun to take that book of the drawer and let it out in the world.

And that’s how I, and The Murder Game, was born.

Want to know more about me? Read Fractured—some crazy things happened to me ten years after the events that took place in The Murder Game. Not that The Murder Game is based on real events, or anything. Of course not.

And then maybe you’ll know the answer.

Were we guilty?

Were we innocent?

You tell me… 

Connect with Julie

Website | Goodreads | Twitter

Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Release Day: The Christmas Surprise by Samantha March, an Excerpt, and a Giveaway!

Happy Release Day!

The Christmas Surprise

The Christmas Surprise by Samantha March
A Holiday Novella, 77 pages
Published: November 1st 2016 by Marching Ink LLC

Juliette Mabry is a happily married stay-at-home wife and mother...until there appears to be trouble brewing in her nearly ten-year marriage. Juliette takes it upon herself to find out if her husband is up to no good, but does she want to know the truth? Everything is revealed on Christmas, and Juliette is in for her biggest Christmas surprise.

   

Excerpt

Chapter One

“Isn’t twerking just having sex?”

“Who told you that?”

“No, that’s not it at all!”

“I could have sworn I heard the TV say twerking was just sex. What the hell is it then?”

“It’s a dance . . . style. Thing. It’s like . . . it’s like this.”

“What? You look like you’re having a seizure.”

“Hey, I thought it was pretty good!”

“Oh, if the rest of the PTO moms could see us now!”

I laughed to myself in the stall, doing a final check of my social media accounts on my cell phone. What? I’m a mom to a toddler. Having alone time in a bathroom stall is the highlight of my day. I was getting ready to exit and join the great twerking debate, when I overheard the next part of the conversation.

“Anyway, back to the original subject. Do you think it could be true?”

“I don’t think so. They seem happily married.”

“Are you sure? She’s never really seemed. . . right for him. To click with him. You know?”

I wrinkled my brow as well as my Botox injections could let me. Was someone having an affair? I wondered who it could possibly be! My mind started to race with all the candidates before I told myself to calm down. Having an affair was no laughing matter. I knew that matter than most.

“I just hate seeing families split up. And he’s so adorable.”

Okay, someone who was definitely married, and had a son. I doubt she was calling the husband adorable.

“But after what Carolyn did, are you really that surprised?”

Wait a minute. Were they talking about Carolyn, my best friend? So what, she had an affair. Okay, it was a bad deal. Her husband was the town sheriff, and she got caught sleeping with her gardener. It was so Desperate Housewives of her! Not in a good way, of course. But that was last year, and the tension was somewhat resolved. Carolyn and John even played nice at their daughter Claudia’s wedding a few months back.

“You have to admit, she is pretty fake. I know every time she’s nice to me to my face, I know she is just waiting to catch me slipup and say something she can twist around and report back to others. He probably is fed up with her. I wouldn’t be shocked.”

I heard the sound of paper towels being pulled out of the dispensers, and the women’s voices fade as they left the community bathroom at the pre-school, leaving me standing in my stall in shock.

Someone was having an affair. It was affecting a married family. I was married. I had been married to my husband Christopher ten years this January. They had a son, an adorable son. Call me biased, but I thought my son Colin was pretty freaking adorable. He skipped my red hair gene, thank the good Lord, and instead was a spitting image of Christopher – dark floppy hair (already it did the flop!) shiny brown eyes and one fierce dimple in his left cheek. He was in pre-school, was four years old, and was the true light of my life.

The people involved were also somehow connected to Carolyn, my best friend. And apparently people thought “she” whoever she was, was a fake. And maybe liked to spread rumors.

Now, I don’t think badly about myself. I’m a good person. I’m a good wife, and I’m a damn good mother. I’m a good friend to those who are actually my friend. But yes, I liked to. . . be in the know. I took it upon myself to be the eyes and ears of our small little town of Delany, Maine. Especially after the tragedy that rocked us two years ago, there needed to be a lookout. And I designated myself that person right after Portland’s death. But I scaled back a lot on poking myself into business I didn’t belong to in the past couple of months. And I never meant to spread rumors, and I wouldn’t even think about telling lies. But was I fake? I didn’t think so. Sure my boobs were. And my nose. But that was my outside persona. Inside I was a good and real person.

They weren’t talking about me . . . were they?

With a start, I realized I was still standing in the stall, cell phone in hand opened to Facebook. I felt a little ill, but knew I had to get out of the bathroom and start my day. It was silly to worry. They weren’t talking about me. The similarities were a coincidence. But I would make it my mission to find out who they were talking about.

About the Author

Samantha March is an author, editor, publisher, blogger, and all around book lover. She runs the popular book/women’s lifestyle blog ChickLitPlus, which keeps her bookshelf stocked with the latest reads and up to date on all things beauty, fashion and fitness.

In 2011 she launched her independent publishing company Marching Ink and has four published novels – Destined to Fail, The Green Ticket, A Questionable Friendship and Up To I Do. You can also find her on Youtube sharing beauty reviews and creating makeup tutorials.

When she isn’t reading, writing, or vlogging, you can find her cheering for the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs. Samantha lives in Iowa with her husband and Vizsla puppy.

Connect with Samantha

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
YouTube | Goodreads | Amazon
Snapchat: Samantha.March

Book Links

The Christmas Surprise - $0.99

Destined To Fail - $0.99

The Green Ticket - $1.99

A Questionable Friendship - $0.99

Up To I Do - FREE!

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