Blog Tour: Murder in One Take #review & #giveaway

Mystery / Humor / Crime

Date Published: April 2012

Det. Blake Ervansky is first on the scene when an Oscar-winning star is shot by his ex-lover. As lead cop on the case, Ervansky has everything he needs to put away Ali Garland: motive, weapon, videos of the murder and a dozen eyewitnesses, one of whom is his partner of less than 24 hours, Sgt. Maureen O’Brien. 

This is LA, the beating heart of show biz, though, so nothing is as it seems, even Ervansky’s new partner. Ali Garland appears to have been justified in defending herself with lethal force, but could this wide-eyed ingénue be the architect of an airtight double fake? Has she really pulled off the perfect murder? 

Ervansky and O’Brien will only unravel her skein of deceit when they turn to the same Hollywood magic that convinces audiences aliens can phone home, talking clown fish do search and rescue, and every hooker is just a nice girl waiting for the right millionaire.

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Flight Risk Books

Review

The main thing that sticks out to me with this novel is that it really starts off in a way that grabs the readers attention and does not let up. I'm used to a slow build with novels, especially ones like this, but this novel really did start strong and keep that the whole way through. 

I loved the mystery aspect and loved that the authors were able to confuse me and keep me guessing throughout. 

The Hollywood aspect was very well done as well. I liked the way that it tied into the novel and gave it another layer. 

Marsha Lyons and April Kelly were debate team partners at Colonial High School in Orlando and roomies at The University of South Florida, before Marsha went to law school on a mission and April went to Hollywood on a whim.

While Marsha’s career includes teaching at the FBI Academy at Quantico, becoming the youngest Assistant U.S. Attorney in Miami, and going into private legal practice, April’s began in stand-up comedy, moved into writing on shows like Mork & Mindy and Webster, then to producing her own shows like Boy Meets World, and co-creating Girl Meets World.

Throughout their wildly different professional lives Marsha and April have remained best friends, finally deciding to put their separate talents together to write a show-biz crime novel, MURDER IN ONE TAKE, their debut as a team.  MURDER: TAKE TWO and MURDER: TAKE THREE are also available in the series.

Marsha is married with children, and April is single with dogs. 

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Blog Tour: The Dead Room by @sm_erickson #review

Post Apocalyptic 

Date Published: March 11, 2015

322 years after the apocalypse, the world has changed, but her people have not. Secrets, lies, and manipulations endure among a small group of survivors taking refuge on an island in the Northern Pacific.   

 No one knows what claimed so many lives over three centuries ago, and no one asks, except Ashley Wortham. She can feel the secrets all around her, begging to be uncovered.   

But the nine elders who govern the island guard their secrets jealously. They believe the islanders know what they need to, and they hide their secrets behind a ruse of peace. But when Ashley, and her best friend Mason, go down the rabbit hole, no one is prepared for truths they uncover. What will they do when they discover the downfall of humanity lies within their own island, deep inside the dead room?

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Review

What a thrilling novel to read. There was so much mystery and intrigue when reading this. First of all you are reading about a new world that Stephanie Erickson has created, and then you are sucked in to that world and her characters and taken on a wild ride. There is a lot going on, plenty of action, and lots of plot twists that will keep you guessing. I loved the writing style and flow of the novel, very easy to follow. This is just a first in a series, and I am looking forward to reading more installments soon! 

Stephanie Erickson has always had a passion for the written word. She pursued her love of literature at Flagler College, in St. Augustine, FL, where she graduated with a BA in English. She has received several honors in her writing career, including recognition in the 72nd Annual Writer's Digest Competition. 

After graduation, she married and followed her husband in pursuit of his dream. The Cure and The Blackout were written to reignite Stephanie's passion, when she found the time. Now that he is settled in his career, it's her turn to devote more time and energy into writing.

Stephanie currently has 4 projects planned for 2015. Her latest release, The Dead Room, is a post apocalyptic set on a lonely island 300 years in the future. 

Stephanie, of course, loves to read and write. She also enjoys living on the beach on the Florida's Treasure Coast. Most of all, she and her husband are in love with their baby girl.

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Blog Tour: Chasing Shadows #giveaway

A Brita Madison Paranormal Mystery

Paranormal Mystery/Crime Drama/Police Procedural

Date Published: January 26, 2015

"Only the living are so persistent. The dead seem to understand that time is no longer an issue for them."

Brita is at best a reluctant psychic, and Chief of Police James Weston is the "poster boy for conservative." Can he accept the unimaginable?

Brita Madison has found a sanctuary in Williams, Arizona, a refuge from the multitude of visions and voices that have chased her all her life. Then one vision touches her soul, and she finds herself embroiled in the middle of a missing person's case with a woman’s life at stake. Little does she know that this is only the beginning.

Brita's visions uncover a trail of murders centered around the historic Route 66. As Brita steps deeper into the world she has been trying to escape, she and Weston are in a race against time to identify the serial killer. This journey threatens to tear apart their lives as well as those closest to them.

"Chasing after the shadows left behind by sick minds is damaging to one's soul when you are just following the clues. Vicariously experiencing the trauma through visions like Brita's would have to tear at the very fabric of your being." – Chief of Police James Weston

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Dannye Williamsen

Paranormal abilities related to the mind intrigue me because they draw attention to the possibilities that lie outside the acceptable range of thinking for most people. Stories that embrace the paranormal make the reader want to dig deeper and reach higher to partake of such miraculous experiences, to step outside the humdrum of one's normal life. Whether the stories are mysteries, suspense, or romance, the paranormal element allows a writer to present a unique perspective.

As an empathic writer, I experience an altered state when I sit down to the keyboard. I am not able to daydream about my story or work it all out in my head when I am away from the keyboard. Once my fingers are on the keys, I step into the characters emotionally. In writing the story, I experience intensely personal relationships with them, despite their being fictional. I feel their pain, their joy, and allow them to lead the way in unfolding the story. In writing all my books, including the nonfiction, it has been a dedicated investment of energy, and I am truly grateful for the experiences.

  

Sandy Wolters 

I started writing paranormal romance relatively late in life. I was fifty-years old when I published my first book. Many would ask why it took so long to start a writing career that I was so compelled to do, and I really only have one answer. Life experiences finally brought me to the place where I felt I had something to offer. 

The romantic influence of my writing career came easy because I married my high school sweetheart, and we’ve been together ever since. I thank the stars above for him every day of my life. I’m living the romantic dream, people, with the man I was destined to be with, and it feels wonderful! Every romance I write, he is right there in the forefront of my mind. 

The paranormal influence of my writing also came at a young age but was much more subtle. My books have always contained hints of the supernatural, anything from ghosts of loved ones to psychic abilities. My personal experience with the paranormal started at a young age and blossomed over the years.

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Blog Tour: Red Stick Diaries by @uplandpublish #review

Fiction / Political Drama

Date Published: March 1, 2015

A criminal drama that reveals the power and control that state and local justice system has over its residents. A young woman finds herself enthralled in a romantic love affair after rebuilding her life from a previously traumatic relationship. She soon learns that the man of her dreams is abusive, controlling and untouchable. He uses his network to enable his behaviors while he finds his next victims. Betrayal is a page directly from the diary of one of his victims.

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Amazon

Review

This novel deals with some darker issues. The main theme is that of abuse and a controlling relationship and I think that the author did a wonderful job of depicting that. You really become involved in the story and compassionate for the main character. 

On another level there is a lot of political drama thrown in. Since it is set in the world of politics, there is a lot of that as well and that shows that Diamond Ryan did her research as I was not confused and actually understood the ins and outs of the story. 

Great writing and great characterization, I'm interested to see where this series takes us next. 

Diamond Ryan

Pen Name: Diamond Ryan, Maya Pinyon

Born: 1958, Los Angeles, California.

Published author and poet.

228 243­0331

Published: The National Library of Poetry 1998 Anthology. Poem: A Tear Falls.

Selected for Anthology; Sound of Poetry. 2002.The Day The Angels Cried.

Nominated for Poet of the Year 2003; International Society of Poets.

Author/Speaker/Youth & Women Advocate/Marketing & Promotions ∙ Baton Rouge and New

Orleans, Louisiana ∙ The Red Shoes.org. 2011 – 2012

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Blog Tour: The Breakthrough #review

Non-Fiction / Self Help

Date Published: Originally 2007 - Revised 2015

Dr. Hartman tells the story about our vulnerability to painful emotions, which flare up from the depths of our minds, casting spells over us. As the book unfolds, he develops two powerful ways to strengthen our consciousness enough to break these spells: one, by recognizing and grappling with the two surprisingly simple thoughts that lie at the heart—and generate the pain—in each of our negative emotions, and two, by learning to stay focused on the present moment—the single moment we spend our entire lives in—whose mysterious, unexpected nature he describes in vivid detail.

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Review

A very insightful novel. The writing style was easy to read and the information given was very informative. 

Fredric C. Hartman, Ph. D.

I'm a clinical psychologist in private practice and make my home on Long Island, New York.

Website:  www.TheBreakthroughBook.net

PROMO: Seams in Reality + Cracks in Reality by @GraySpear #giveaway

Young Adult Fantasy / Thriller

Date Published: Sept 26, 2014 & December 25 2014

SEAMS IN REALITY is the first book in the Seams in Reality Series.

As a freshman in a suburban college near Chicago, Andrew leads a mundane life until he meets a professor named Tonya. She is secretly a master sorcerer, and she invites him into a conspiracy of magic. Only those few who possess exceptional talent may join. A resourceful young woman named Charley has the same supernatural gift. She accompanies Andrew on his journey into a dark profession, and romance quickly blooms between the young apprentices. When Andrew meets Blake, a sorcerer who knew his grandfather, Andrew becomes embroiled in a game of lies and treachery. Blake's thirst for power leaves a trail of casualties, and in the end, only Andrew can stop him.

CRACKS IN REALITY is the second book in the Seams in Reality Series.

The Vault is a fortress in the desert protected by the United States Army, and it contains the most dangerous, forbidden secrets of sorcery. Blake, master sorcerer and fugitive from justice, has a plan for robbing the place. He will create a tangled web of lies to trick the Army into delivering the treasure into his hands. He intends to use the stolen knowledge to destroy his enemies and become the most powerful sorcerer on Earth.

Two apprentices are on a mission to kill Blake. Andrew is a war mage, a genius at psychic combat. Charley is a young woman who commands physical sorcery. Their instructor, Tonya, will turn the two teenagers into warriors capable of defeating Blake, if they can endure the extreme mental and physical tests.

Tonya's training is just the beginning for Andrew and Charley. They must discover Blake's hidden objectives, and they don't have much time. A government agency called the Bureau of Physical Investigation has the same assignment, but the agents are unprepared for the dangers they will face. Other surprising threats await the apprentices as they pursue their enemy along a trail of bloodshed.

About the Author

Alex Siegel grew up a math and computer geek. At the age of twenty-five, he received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Cornell. He continues to make a good living as a software developer in Chicago. In his late twenties, he took up creative writing as a serious pastime with the intention of eventually making it his career. This goal has been elusive, but failure is not an option. In 2001, his wife gave birth to triplet boys. People often ask him how he still finds time to write. In 2009, he began the Gray Spear Society series, and he hopes it will be his key to literary fame.

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Blog Tour: Four Rubbings by @JenniferLHotes #giveaway

Young Adult Paranormal Thriller

Date Published: August 2013

Halloween.

The night the barrier between the dead and the living is as thin as muslin. Fourteen-year old Josie, haunted by the death of her mother, leads her best friends to an ancient cemetery to rub graves. Convinced she will come away with proof of her mother’s spirit at last, the evening takes an unexpected turn as the teens gravitate four ways into the haunted grounds.

Set against the backdrop of the rainy Pacific Northwest, four graves will be rubbed, touching off a series of events that will rattle their once mundane lives. From the lonely World War II hero to an accused witch, the people buried beneath the stones have stories that need an ending.

The journey to unravel the mysteries leaves the friends wondering if the graves would’ve been better off left alone.

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Encouraged by her mother-in-law, Elizabeth A. Hotes, who told her to create something and share it with others, Jennifer writes and illustrates to keep her memory alive.
To date, Jennifer’s favorite medium is pen and ink, but she also loves to paint a wall or canvas.
Her works have been featured at benefit art auctions, adorned the walls of public spaces, graced  homes and enhanced books with vibrant covers and internal illustrations.

Four Rubbings is Jennifer’s first novel, though she’s busy writing the second book in the Stone Witch Weries presently. Four Rubbings is great for readers that enjoyed the Harry Potter series, and has been a fun book club pick across the country. The author loves Skyping into book clubs, so email her and ask – she may just surprise you with a cyber visit!

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Blog Tour: Lexi Goes on Vacation to the Outer Banks by @janicekingsbury with #review & #giveaway

Children's Book

Date Published: October 2014

Ms. Janice and Mr. Rob have vacationed in the seashore town of Duck in North Carolina for 10 years. Duck is a friendly place with sandy beaches where children and dogs romp to their hearts content. This year Lexi, a new addition to their dog family, will come too. But the vacation will be like no other and as the sun sets on the beach it promises to be a long night, one the family will never forget!

Full color illustrations appeal to children and make the book come alive. The action and adventure encourage children to read to the end and learn new vocabulary. Even reluctant readers will want to finish the story.

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Review

For a children's book, this was quite in depth and dealt with deeper themes. I actually loved that about it. There is a little of everything in this. The illustrations will draw a child's eyes, and the sweet puppy main character will have them laughing and invested. Lexi's journey and family unit will be perfect for new readers.

Janice Wills Kingsbury grew up in New Jersey.  She worked as a teacher and later as a School Psychologist for 18 years.  Janice also taught reading and has a love of children's literature.  Janice is also involved in animal rescue. Her children's books are written from the heart and portray her love of and knowledge about children and animals. The stories will capture children's interest and imagination.  Age 6-12, but suitable for all ages, even adults.

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