Come on down
to N. N. Light’s fabulous Mystery & Suspense Bookish Event today, where I’m
showcasing Hidden Gem: the Secret of St. Augustine.
In the excerpt we’ll meet the incorrigible, eccentric Barnaby who can eat ice
cream while contemplating murder. While you’re there, enter to win a fabulous prize!
Here's the rafflecopter link: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/92db7750281
Please welcome Jennifer Ivy Walker and her latest release, steamy historical romantic suspense, The Witch of the Breton Woods.
Blurb
Traumatized by
horrors witnessed during the Nazi invasion of France, a young woman retreats to
the dense Breton woods where she becomes a member of the clandestine French
Resistance. When she finds a critically injured American paratrooper whose
plane was shot down, she shelters the wounded soldier in her secluded cottage,
determined to heal him despite the enormous risk.
Ostracized by
villagers who have labeled her a witch, she is betrayed by an informant who
reports to the Butcher—the monstrous leader of the local paramilitary
organization that collaborates with the Germans. As the enemy closes in, she
must elude the Gestapo while helping the Resistance reunite the American with
his regiment and join the Allied Forces in the Battle of Brittany.
Can true love triumph against all odds under the oppressive Third Reich?
Excerpt: The
Wounded Soldier
Low, agonized moaning
interrupted Yvette’s nightmarish reverie.
That’s a man’s
voice. And it’s coming from over there. She followed the deep groans through a copse of trees to find an
American soldier impossibly tangled in a nylon parachute. Suspended from a high
branch of a massive oak tree, he was dangling upside down, hanging by an
obviously broken leg. A sharp bone protruded from the torn, blood-soaked pants
of his khaki uniform, and dried blood—which must have leaked from under his
helmet—covered half of his contorted face. His pitiful wails pierced her heart.
I can’t lower him
to the ground by myself. He’s twice my weight. And if I cut the ropes, he’ll
plummet headfirst. He already has a head injury, judging from the gore all over
his forehead. Please, God, let him hang on until I get back.
“I’ll go get help. I
promise to come back soon.” She called up to him, hopeful that he could hear
her. And that he understood French.
The Wild Rose Press, July 10, 2024
Romantic Suspense/ Historical Romance
163 pp.
Heat Rating: Steamy
Buy links
About the Author
Jennifer Ivy Walker
has an MA in French literature and is a former high school teacher and
professor of French at a state college in Florida. Her novels encompass a love for French
language, literature, history, and culture, incorporating her lifelong study,
summers abroad, and many trips to France.
Social media contacts
Website: https://jenniferivywalker.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferIvyWalker/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jenniferivywalkerauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bohemienneivy
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bohemienneivy/the-witch-of-the-breton-woods/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209456185-the-witch-of-the-breton-woods
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-witch-of-the-breton-woods-by-jennifer-ivy-walker
Someone is killing people with a crossbow, but what connects the murders is a mystery, and only a birder and the aide to a dead Senator can find the answers.
Longboat Key, on
the Gulf Coast of Florida is one of the barrier islands that protects Sarasota
from the bad moods of the Gulf of Mexico. This is what it’s like to live on the Gulf Coast of Florida:
by day the sky is the deep blue of Paul Newman’s eyes; at close of day it’s
flooded with a full palette of reds, oranges, pinks and purples. Put it this
way: I have a lot of pictures of my children—I have even more pictures of
sunsets in Sarasota!
In the Crosshairs: the Body on Leffis Key, takes place on a small key
adjacent to Longboat. A strip of low dune and mangrove swamp, it’s home to the
Marine Rescue Facility and a nature walk. Our heroine Palmer is on that walk
looking for birds when she finds something a lot less desirable—which, to her
surprise, eventually leads to something a lot more desirable.
End of boardwalk where Palmer finds corpse
Blurb
Palmer Lind, recovering from the sudden death of her
husband, embarks on a bird-watching trek to the Gulf Coast of Florida. One hot
day on Leffis Key she comes upon—not the life bird she was hoping for—but a
floating corpse. The handsome beach bum who appears on the scene at the same
time seems to have even more secrets than the dead man.
His story begins to unravel as the pair search for answers
to a growing pile of dead bodies. Spies, radical environmentalists, and wealthy
businessmen circle around each other in a complex dance. Which one is lying?
What do a seemingly random group of individuals have in common, other than
being targeted by a crossbow?
Buy Links:
Please welcome C. D.
Bennett and her new romantic suspense, No Good Dead.
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Hello readers, I am thrilled that M.S. Spencer invited me to her blog today. I appreciate the opportunity to connect with all of you and introduce you to my upcoming release No Good Deed, a book that, in a small way, took shape from personal experiences. This novel takes place on a family ranch in the rugged mountains of Colorado, a beautiful state filled with breathtaking views and people that share a deep-rooted love of the outdoors. It also happens to be where I spent a lot of my childhood. I got to play among the aspen trees and have ridden through those mountains on horseback. I still miss it. Since I can't hop on a plane every time I get nostalgic. What better way is there to revisit my old stomping grounds than to write about it?
I also included a main character that previously
worked as an EMT (just like I did). It is how I put myself through college.
Everyone says to write what you know, right? Needless to say, my heroine can
handle a crisis. It's a good thing too, because Kiya James couldn't have known
that saving the life of a stranger would make her the target of a dangerous
unknown adversary. When she joins forces with the victim and his family, she
finds herself thrust into a world filled with endless greed and relentless danger.
It also opens the door to new love and found family.
I would love to hear your thoughts on No Good Deed!
Blurb:
No Good Deed…goes unpunished.
Kiya James’s relocation to idyllic Riverton,
Colorado is disrupted when she discovers a critically wounded man lying in a
field near her home. Little does she know that her selfless act to save the
man’s life would thrust her into a world of corruption, greed, and danger. As
the only witness to the initial attack, and shaken by an attempt on her own
life, Kiya is offered refuge with the victim’s family. Together, they struggle
to uncover the circumstances that would trigger an unknown assailant to unleash
a string of deadly attacks in an otherwise quiet rural ranching community.
Jake McCleary’s world could have been destroyed
with a single bullet if it hadn’t been for the quick actions of a stranger.
Now, in a desperate attempt to protect her and his entire family, Jake must
fight to defend his home, livelihood, and the woman who is rapidly capturing
his heart, against the vicious actions of a criminal who will stop at
absolutely nothing to get what he wants. But will they find the answers they
need in time, or will they lose everything to the conceit of a madman? And will
the bond between his wounded brother and the woman that saved him prove to be
too big of an obstacle for Jake to overcome in the pursuit for Kiya’s love?
Introduction to the excerpt:
In this excerpt, Jake and Kiya have been spending
time together while trying to uncover information about an attack on Jake’s
brother, Dylan. Jake starts to realize that his feelings for Kiya aren’t as
simple as he thought, but he would never hurt his brother by coming between the
two of them.
Excerpt: Troubling realization
Outside, the air had turned chilly causing Kiya to shiver slightly when the wind blew across the yard. Jake immediately wrapped his jacket around her shoulders. He had snagged it from a peg hanging inside the door as they were leaving. “What are you doing running around out here without a jacket?”
“Thanks, I didn’t need one on my way over, and I
wasn’t expecting it to get so cold. The temperature changes fast around here,”
she said as she snuggled farther into the jacket.
They made the short walk to the cabin in relative
silence, but as they entered the glow given off by the light near the front
door, Kiya stopped and turned toward Jake. “Thank you for inviting me tonight.
It was great getting to see Dylan that way. Even if he still tires easily.”
“It’s surprising how effortless it is for you to
tune in to how he’s feeling. You noticed his change in energy quicker than any
of the rest of us.”
Jake’s words were spoken lightly, but his eyes
appeared guarded. Kiya shrugged. “I know what to look for, that’s all.”
“I suppose that could be it,” he allowed.
The wind picked up again causing Kiya’s hair to
flutter across her cheeks. Without thinking, Jake reached over and smoothed the
silky strands away from her face, but the mental image of his brother’s
interaction with her earlier in the evening had him pulling his hand back and
shoving it into his pocket. He had been unprepared for his reaction to their
almost instant and very obvious bond. He was struggling with the fact that he
didn’t like it.
No Good Deed
The Wild Rose Press, June 26, 2024
Romantic Suspense
308 pages
Buy Links:
About the Author:
I am an avid reader and nature lover who enjoys adventurous outdoor activities when I'm not busy writing romantic suspense novels. Horseback riding, hiking, kayaking/paddleboarding, and swimming are some of my favorite pastimes. I have even "taken the plunge" with skydiving and scuba diving. I live in rural northwest Pennsylvania with my family and a menagerie of animal companions. I am currently working on my third book.
Contacts:
Please welcome Marla White, author of the acclaimed Pine Cove Mystery series. The second in the series, Framed for Murder: A Pine Cove Mystery, has just released. Marla, could you tell us a bit about the background of the series?
I’ve been to Idyllwild as a mentor for several retreats and have stayed in rooms from the awesome to the eccentric, but they showcase the beauty of the place. Pine trees, clear blue skies, a rushing brook, and not a chain coffee shop in sight. And the people are so lovely!
When I learned the Wild Rose Press was looking for holiday themed novellas, I was in the midst of failing to bake Starlight Mint Surprises and the origin story to “Framed” was born. I thought it would be funny to have a character running a B&B who was equally baking challenged. And what better place for the B&B than a small, mountain town like Idyllwild?
More than dealing with being a terrible cook, Mel is also dealing with the trauma of losing the only career she ever wanted, being a beat cop for LAPD. I’ve always loved fish-out-of-water stories and wanted to play with the idea that this quirky little town is exactly what she needs to heal. “Framed” is the second book in the series and she’s not there yet, but her mountain home is starting to grow on her.
Fascinating—what
a contrast between small town baker and former cop in the same body! Can you
give us a summary of the story?
Old enemies become allies to unravel a deadly mystery.
Mel O'Rourke used to be a cop before a life-changing
injury forced her to turn in her badge. Now she leads a relatively peaceful
life running a B&B in the quirky mountain town of Pine Cove. That is, until
her old frenemy, the charismatic cat burglar Poppy Phillips, shows up, claiming
she's been framed for murder. While she’s no saint, Mel knows she’d never kill anyone and
sets out to prove Poppy's innocence.
The
situation gets complicated, however, when the ruggedly handsome Deputy Sheriff
Gregg Marks flirts with Mel, bringing him dangerously close to the criminal
she’s hiding. And just when her friendship with café owner Jackson Thibodeaux
blossoms into something more, he’s offered the opportunity of a lifetime in New
Orleans. Should she encourage him to go, or ask him to stay? Who knew romance
could be just as hard to solve as murder?
 |
| Pine Cove |
Too much conversation before coffee.
“Excuse me, is that your car parked out front?”
She struggled to maintain a polite tone.
The woman’s head snapped toward her, her perfect
lips making a surprised little ‘o’ before breaking out in a broad smile. She
removed her wireless earbuds, blasting classical music across the room. A swipe
to her phone silenced them, and she got to her feet in a fluid motion, stepping
toward her with the grace of a ballet dancer. “Officer O’Rourke, how good to
see you,” the woman gushed in a lilting British accent. “Or should I just call
you Mel?”
“Poppy?” She was too astonished to squeak out
more.
“In the flesh.” The lithe woman beamed but stopped
short of wrapping her arms around Mel in an enthusiastic hug. So many questions
rattled around in her pre-coffee sluggish brain, but she blurted out the most
obvious one first.
“How did you get in here?” She’d locked the front
door after the posted eight o’clock closing time last night. The guests all had
keys to their own cabins or rooms and had instructions to call if they needed
her after eight. The safety protocol was a habit she’d stuck to religiously
after finding a murdered man sitting in a chair right across from the one
vacated by her…nemesis? Acquaintance? She shook her head, unable to put a label
to their relationship.
“Well,” she purred, her brown eyes sparkling
behind long fake lashes, “I drove up early this morning and it was too cold to
sit in my car until your eight a.m. opening time.” She gestured to the sign in
the window stating lobby hours. “So I let myself in. I knew you wouldn’t mind.”
Poppy Phillips was a thief. A notorious cat
burglar, sometimes called “The Ghost” by social media outlets and more
whimsical members of the public. Many police forces had been chasing her for
years, including the LAPD. They knew she’d committed a multitude of crimes, but
never found the evidence to make the charges stick, until last year. Mel, hot
on her heels in pursuit after a daring robbery, got within an arm’s length of
grabbing her with the stolen items on her person when the thief nimbly jumped
from the roof of the building they were running across, over an alley, to land
on the one next door.
Mel tried to follow, but slipped and slammed into
the side of the building instead. With her partner too far away to help, she
clung to the rooftop by her fingertips until they cramped from the strain. She
started reciting the Hail Mary for what she thought would be the last time when
two strong, slender arms pulled her to safety. It was Poppy. She could have
kept going and escaped, but she came back to save Mel’s life.
As they both collapsed to the roof, breathless and
laughing at the absurdity of the situation, she cuffed herself to the thief and
arrested her. Rather than lashing out and trying to escape, she just sat there
and laughed some more. It was almost insulting how chill she was about the
whole thing. But, since one rescue deserved another, she convinced the
prosecutor, a member of her extended family, to drop the charges in light of
services rendered. So what was she doing here?
Making a mental note to change the lock and check
into a security system to prevent another surprise visit from potentially less
amiable thieves, she persisted. “Yes, but what are you doing here? In Pine
Cove?” She narrowed her eyes at the intruder. “Are you on the run?”
Poppy’s eyes grew wide in a nearly convincing
guise of innocence. “No.” She huffed with the perfect blend of indignation and
hurt feelings. “Why would you say such a thing?”
“Experience?”
After mulling her statement over for a moment, the
Brit gave her a crooked grin. “You got me there but seriously, after our run in
on the rooftop and you managed to keep me out of the nick, I got to thinking,
is this what I really want to do with my life? So, I decided to turn over a new
leaf. When I heard about your lovely B&B, I says to me-self, ‘Poppy, that’s
the ticket. Go work for your old pal Mel.’ And here I am.” She spread her arms
wide like a magician who had performed a trick and awaited her due applause.
Mel scrubbed her face with her hands. “This is too
much conversation before coffee.”
Framed for Murder: A Pine Cove Mystery
The
Wild Rose Press, June 17, 2024
Cozy
Mystery, Romance
300
pp.
Heat
Level – on a pepper level? A poblano for salty language and mild kisses
Buy Links:
About the Author
 |
| Marla White |
Marla White is an award-winning novelist who prefers killing people who annoy her on paper rather than in real life. Her first full-length mystery novel, “Cause for Elimination,” placed in several contests including Killer Nashville, The RONE Awards, The Reader’s Favorite, and finishing second in the Orange County Romance Writers for Romantic Suspense. Originally from Oklahoma, she lived in a lot of other states before settling down in Los Angeles to work in the television industry. She currently teaches at UCLA Extension and gives seminars about the art of script coverage. When she’s not working on the next book, she’s hiking, cheering on the LA Kings, or discovering new craft cocktails (to, you know, drown her sorrows over the Kings).
Contacts:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheScriptFixer
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/marlawriteswords/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MarlaAWhiteAuthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21467766.Marla_A_White
Bookbub:
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/marla-a-white
Amazon:
https://amzn.to/3MHIzkB
Substack:
https://substack.com/@marlawhite?utm_source=edit-profile-page
