Currently Reading: Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon

Goodreads Blurb

Nothing brings a family together like a murder next door.

A lighthearted whodunnit about a grandmother-mother-daughter trio of amateur sleuths. Gilmore Girls , but with murder.

High-powered businesswoman Lana Rubicon has a lot to be proud her keen intelligence, impeccable taste, and the L.A. real estate empire she’s built. But when she finds herself trapped 300 miles north of the city, convalescing in a sleepy coastal town with her adult daughter Beth and teenage granddaughter Jack, Lana is stuck counting otters instead of square footage—and hoping that boredom won’t kill her before the cancer does.

Then Jack—tiny in stature but fiercely independent—happens upon a dead body while kayaking. She quickly becomes a suspect in the homicide investigation, and the Rubicon women are thrown into chaos. Beth thinks Lana should focus on recovery, but Lana has a better idea. She’ll pull on her wig, find the true murderer, protect her family, and prove she still has power. With Jack and Beth’s help, Lana uncovers a web of lies, family vendettas, and land disputes lurking beneath the surface of a community populated by folksy conservationists and wealthy ranchers. But as their amateur snooping advances into ever-more dangerous territory, the headstrong Rubicon women must learn to do the one thing they’ve always depend on each other.

Author Biography

I write crime stories about strong women. My first novel, MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT, is a New York Times bestselling mystery about a grandma, single mom, and teenage girl who come together to solve the murder of a naturalist who washes up in the Monterey Bay.

Writing has always been my joy. In college, I was an electrical engineering student by day and a slam poet by night. After a brief stint at NASA, I started designing interactive exhibits and eventually became a museum director. I wrote two books of nonfiction about creating participatory, relevant cultural institutions. Nonprofits were my “real” job; writing was on the side.

Then, my mom got sick. I quit my job to help care for her, and I found myself turning to fiction as a way to escape and find some pleasure during a hard time. My mom and I both always loved mysteries, and I decided to try to write one myself, with a detective/hero based on my mother. Now, my mom is doing better, and I’m gratefully spending my days reading, writing, and caring for my family.

I live off-the-grid in the Santa Cruz mountains. You can find out more about me at https://ninaksimon.com/

My review will be posted soon.

Review: Play with Me by Lisa Renee Jones

Goodreads Blurb

Kali Miller has spent three years reporting fluff stories for a small-town Texas paper, waiting for the opportunity to pen the article that will launch her career to new heights. That dream has never felt further away when she suddenly finds herself out of work, forced to take a job as an executive secretary at a Las Vegas casino. But that’s exactly where Kali meets the subject of what will surely be a shocking exposé: her boss, Damion Ward, the casino’s arrogant and undeniably sexy CEO.

Watching Damion make his cold, calculating business maneuvers, Kali is positive she’s doing the right thing. But after Damion invites her to help him plan a Thanksgiving charity event, Kali begins to see another side of the man. And when she surrenders to the exhilarating tension that’s been simmering between them since day one, Kali becomes part of her own story, which she hopes will have a happy ending.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Lisa again does a slam dunk. Those spicy sex scenes in the office will be forever engraved in my head. I don’t think an office can be appropriate with Damion around. I liked that Kali stayed around and didn’t leave even after she was on lockdown for a potential breach. What took me off my seat was that Damion was described as looking like Robert Downey Jr. I love him. Couldn’t be happier. I loved the chemistry between them. They hardly knew each other but they couldn’t take their hands and eyes off each other. I was heartbroken about what had happened to Damion’s mother. I’m glad that he felt that helping the shelter out was the right thing to do for what they did for him in the past. Kali unfortunately had an awful father and ex-boyfriend. That didn’t stop her from looking for happiness. She went to another state to find a job that she felt she could grow and love. Love comes when you least expect it. Highly recommend this book.

Author Biography

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series. Suzanne Todd (producer of Alice in Wonderland) on the INSIDE OUT series: Lisa has created a beautiful, complicated, and sensual world that is filled with intrigue and suspense. Sara’s character is strong, flawed, complex, and sexy – a modern girl we all can identify with.

In addition to the success of Lisa’s INSIDE OUT series, she has published many successful titles. The TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series and THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN series, both spent several months on a combination of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists. Lisa is presently working on a dark, edgy new series, Dirty Money, for St. Martin’s Press.
Prior to publishing Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women’s Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Review: The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North

Goodreads Blurb

With his signature shock and suspense, Alex North brings us The Man Made of Smoke. In turn emotional, introspective, and utterly terrifying, this is a story of fathers and sons, shadows and secrets, and the fight we all face to escape the trauma of the past.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

“Nobody sees, and nobody cares.”

This mind-boggling, twisted psychological thriller will captivate your mind and transport you to the darkest corner of a serial killer’s mind game. Your nightmares will become a reality. Alex North has intricately written a novel with not one but two serial killers. You won’t see what’s coming at you until it’s too late. Readers will see firsthand the living nightmare families will live after The Pied Piper arrives in town and the making of a second serial killer in revenge for the built-up guilt of losing the one person he truly cared for.

The father-son team of ex-cop John Garvie and serial killer expert Daniel Garvie will guide readers through a wild goose chase leading directly to the killer. Dan’s father goes missing and is presumed dead. Dan’s father’s investigation will guide him through all the evidence he collected before his disappearance. The supernatural will also play a huge part in piecing this investigation together. Dan will use his specialty in conversing with the murderer and his father in his head to decipher this frightening puzzle.

I enjoyed this psychological thriller. The story was well-plotted, featuring a duo of serial killers and a twisted ending. I highly recommend you get lost in this frightening serial killer novel that will leave you thinking about what you would have done if you encountered a serial killer and his victim.

Author Biography

Alex North was born in Leeds, England, where he now lives with his wife and son. The Whisper Man was inspired by North’s own little boy, who mentioned one day that he was playing with “the boy in the floor.” Alex North is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name.

Review: The Christmas Ranch & A Cold Creek Holiday by RaeAnne Thayne

Goodreads Blurb

A NEW Cowboys of Cold Creek story from New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne! Hope Nichols has never felt as if she belonged anywhere except her hometown of Pine Gulch. So when she hears that her family’s property, Christmas Ranch, is set to be shut down forever, a determined Hope heads home. She refuses to let anything ruin her holiday-this will be the most memorable ranch Christmas ever! And thanks to hunky former navy SEAL Rafe Santiago and his adorable nephew, she might just pull off that miracle. Plus a heartwarming RaeAnne Thayne favorite from the Cowboys of Cold Creek series, A Cold Creek Holiday, also included in this book! “A richly plotted story with characters that are easy to care about, this one is as emotional as it is funny.” -RT Book Reviews on A Cold Creek Holiday.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

What an amazing book. RaeAnne left me with happy tears after reading another fantastic book. Both stories were really hard to read since losing a family member is so hard. The Christmas Ranch plot was so lovely. Loved that Hope was able to bring Christmas back to the ranch and teach her family that life can move on and that giving up on Christmas wasn’t the right thing to do. It brings joy and family together. Both stories had a military man with beautiful features who both needed a little push in life and see that life happens for a reason. The stories both had emotional events, but I was happy with the outcome of each ending. I learned that life will bring some good days and some bad days, but that you have to try your best to make it through. Family is the best medicine for a broken heart. Christmas is a time to celebrate and enjoy the wonderful memories with your family. You don’t want to miss this book.

Author Biography

I’m not one of those people who knew from birth she was destined to become a writer. I always loved to read and throughout my childhood I could usually be found with a book in my hands. To the disgust of my friends, I even enjoyed creative writing assignments that made them all groan. But I had other dreams besides writing. I wanted to be an actress or a teacher or a lawyer.

Life took a different turn for me, though, when my mother made me take a journalism elective in high school (thanks, Mom!). I knew the first day that this was where I belonged.

After I graduated from college in journalism, I took a job at the local daily newspaper and I reveled in the challenge and the diversity of it. One day I could be interviewing the latest country music star, the next day I was writing about local motorcycle gangs or interviewing an award-winning scientist.

Through it all — through the natural progression of my career from reporter to editor — I wrote stories in my head. Not just any stories, either, but romances, the kind of books I have devoured since junior high school, with tales about real people going through the trials and tribulations of life until they find deep and lasting love.

I had no idea how to put these people on paper, but knew I had to try — their stories were too compelling for me to ignore. I sold my first book in 1995 and now, more than 30 books later, I’ve come to love everything about writing, from the click of the computer keys under my fingers to the “that’s-it!” feeling I get when a story is flowing.

I write full-time now (well, as full-time as I can manage juggling my kids!) amid the raw beauty of the northern Utah mountains.

Even though I might not have dreamed of being a writer when I was younger, now I simply can’t imagine my life any other way.

I love to hear from readers. You can reach me at my email address, raeannethayne@gmail.com

Review: Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit

Goodreads Blurb

Kraków, 1939. A million marching soldiers and a thousand barking dogs. This is no place to grow up. Anna Łania is just seven years old when the Germans take her father, a linguistics professor, during their purge of intellectuals in Poland. She’s alone.

And then Anna meets the Swallow Man. He is a mystery, strange and tall, a skilled deceiver with more than a little magic up his sleeve. And when the soldiers in the streets look at him, they see what he wants them to see.

The Swallow Man is not Anna’s father—she knows that very well—but she also knows that, like her father, he’s in danger of being taken, and like her father, he has a gift for languages: Polish, Russian, German, Yiddish, even Bird. When he summons a bright, beautiful swallow down to his hand to stop her from crying, Anna is entranced. She follows him into the wilderness.

Over the course of their travels together, Anna and the Swallow Man will dodge bombs, tame soldiers, and even, despite their better judgment, make a friend. But in a world gone mad, everything can prove dangerous. Even the Swallow Man.

Destined to become a classic, Gavriel Savit’s stunning debut reveals life’s hardest lessons while celebrating its miraculous possibilities.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I received an early review copy and loved how well this book was written. The swallow man was a great storyteller filled with mystery. I was fascinated by how the author used different words to translate what really was happening during the war, in order not to frighten Anna , while such terrible things were happening all around them. I was at the edge of my seat. I could never imagine being left alone at age 7 and rooming around the forest to survive with a stranger. Walking from town to town felt like an eternity. Having to pass by dead bodies and having to touch them in order to find food or other survival items freaked me out. It’s a story filled with twists and turns. You will be surprised by your survival extincts if you were surrounded by death, fear, hunger, and cold. Highly recommend this book.

Author Biography

Gavriel Savit is a New York Times Bestselling author. His award-winning writing has been shortlisted for the National Book Award, and has been translated into nineteen languages. As a performer, he has appeared on and off-Broadway, and on stages around the world.

Meet Jo Piazza on Book Tour

Jo Piazza will be on the book tour next month for her new book release, Everyone is Lying to You. You can RSVP for each event via this link: https://www.jopiazza.com/everyone-is-lying-to-you-tour

Goodreads Blurb

Lizzie and Bex were best friends in college. After graduation, Bex vanished, leaving Lizzie confused and devastated.

Fifteen years later, Bex is now Rebecca Sommers, a “traditional” Instagram influencer with millions of followers who salivate over her perfect life on her ranch with her five children and handsome husband, Gray. Lizzie is a struggling magazine writer, watching reels while her young children demand her attention.

One night out of the blue, Bex calls Lizzie with a career-making proposition—an exclusive interview with her about her multimillion-dollar business venture and an invitation to MomBomb, the high-profile influencing conference.

At the conference, Bex goes missing and Gray is found brutally murdered on their ranch. Lizzie finds herself plunged into the dark side of the cutthroat world of social media that includes jealousy, sordid affairs, swingers, and backstabbing. She must learn who her old friend has become and who she has double-crossed to try to find her, clear her name, and maybe even save her life.

Piazza’s master storytelling and razor-sharp insight into the world of social media brings us a pulpy, juicy, and cleverly plotted read that will have you guessing all the way through and leave you gasping for more.

Review: House on the Hill and Other Ghostly Tales by JoLynne Valerie

Goodreads Blurb

Madison has been on a roll, lately. She was just named top attorney at her firm; things never looked better for her career. Best yet, Madison rarely thinks about her rocky past anymore. Life is good.

But when her firm’s CEO suddenly dies, Madison receives a surprise. Lars Eichmann has left his star attorney a very special gift. Madison is about to inherit, of all things.. a house.

But she hasn’t inherited just any house… Madison’s new home, high atop a hill, is a beautiful, ornate, Victorian manse. The home is beautiful, but sometimes… strange.

Immediately, odd things begin to happen. Things moving by themselves. Voices in the night. Soon, level headed Madison questions her own sanity.

There’s a ghost in that house on the hill, a ghost with an urgent need to talk. Can Madison suspect her doubt and fear? Will she survive the shock of what is to come? The woods surrounding the property hold a secret… A terrible secret that must come to light.

Just when Madison feels close to her breaking point, one more terrible secret is revealed… One that will change her life forever.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Truly well written book with mystery. I really enjoyed this book and finished it within two days. My mind was raveled with the first story where there were two mysteries, which in reality were connected. I loved that the characters were lawyers, and Madison made it her mission to seek the truth. The other short stories were intense and enjoyable. I highly recommend this book if you love ghost stories and mysteries.

Author Biography

JoLynne Valerie writes Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Romance, Supernatural Thrillers, and Cookbooks. When JoLynne is not writing, she works professionally as a Paranormal Investigator and Angel Whisperer.

Readers and fans call her ParaGoddess, due to Ms. Valerie’s extensive knowledge of the Paranormal and her passionate commitment to live an authentic, spiritual lifestyle.

Raised in a family of Intuitive women, Ms. Valerie grew up speaking the language of Intuition. Currently, the author teaches fast-paced, interactive Intuitive Development workshops online, and live at her book events. JoLynne also works on Missing Persons Cases, when requested.

JoLynne loves to write inspirational posts; these can be found on all her social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tsu, and her blog.

Ms. Valerie is also a passionate foodie and healthy lifestyle advocate. She recently released her first cookbook, which rapidly became a best-seller.

Currently Reading: The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater

Here is Barnes & Noble current book club pick for June. The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater.

Goodreads Blurb

January 1942. The Avallon Hotel & Spa has always offered elegant luxury in the wilds of West Virginia, its mountain sweetwater washing away all of high society’s troubles.

Local girl-turned-general manager June Porter Hudson has guided the Avallon skillfully through the first pangs of war. The Gilfoyles, the hotel’s aristocratic owners, have trained her well. But when the family heir makes a secret deal with the State Department to fill the hotel with captured Axis diplomats, June must persuade her staff—many of whom have sons and husbands heading to the front lines—to offer luxury to Nazis. With a smile.

Meanwhile FBI Agent Tucker Minnick, whose coal tattoo hints at an Appalachian past, presses his ears to the hotel’s walls, listening for the diplomats’ secrets. He has one of his own, which is how he knows that June’s balancing act can have dangerous consequences: the sweetwater beneath the hotel can threaten as well as heal.

June has never met a guest she couldn’t delight, but the diplomats are different. Without firing a single shot, they have brought the war directly to her. As clashing loyalties crack the Avallon’s polished veneer, June must calculate the true cost of luxury.

Author Biography

New York Times bestselling author of The Shiver Trilogy, The Raven Cycle, and The Scorpio Races. Artist. Driver of things with wheels. Avid reader.

Maggie Stiefvater plays several musical instruments (most infamously, the bagpipes) and makes art in several media (most generally, colored pencils).

She lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband, their two children, many dogs, a bunch of fainting goats, and a mating pair of growly tuner cars.

Review: Dreaming in Moonlight by M. Stratton

Goodreads Blurb

Ghosts are real. They are all around us. Most of the time they are satisfied to watch us go by and not interact. When a couple was cursed to spend three hundred years in death searching for the one living couple that could release their bounds they search for centuries to find a love that will make time stand still. If they fail they will be sent to Hell to live out the rest of eternity.

Demons are real. They are all around us. Their one goal is make our lives a living hell. They will stop at nothing to destroy our minds and bodies. With the curse rapidly approaching its end the deepest darkest demon is summoned to make sure they don’t succeed.

Kate O’Malley fell in love with the old two story farm house in Maine at first sight. She had to live there. Spending all of her savings she was able to buy it and moved right in. The very first night strange things happened. Her dreams aren’t her own. Looking for answers she calls on a friend who puts her in contact with a ghost hunter, Sawyer Hamilton. Neither knew what was in their future, neither knows if they are going to survive it.

Dreaming in Moonlight when your sleep is filled with passion and your nightmares are real.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

What an amazing story. My mind was grasped the moment I opened this book. I love ghost stories, and this was written so smoothly together like the perfect storyteller. I get nightmares all the time, so I know what it feels like after you wake up from a dream and remember every detail. I loved both main characters and loved how the characters remembered each other, which was quite weird and would freak anyone out in those circumstances. It is a very short book but is built with a huge bang. Come and check it out.

Author Biography

M. Stratton is an International Amazon bestselling author in the romantic suspense and mystery suspense categories for her Storm Series and Bender. She lives in Arizona, which is a big change from where she grew up north of Chicago, Illinois. As an only child she learned to tell herself stories to make the long winters go by quicker while dreaming of summer vacations. Now as an adult she still makes up stories to pass the time, but now she writes them down to share with other people.
Stratton is a self-proclaimed dork who loves to make people laugh. Her inner rock star is always on stage performing to a sold out crowd, but she quiet and shy on the outside. She spends her days plotting new ways to surprise her readers.

Currently Reading: The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North

Goodreads Blurb

Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child—narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer. He has dedicated his life since to becoming a criminal profiler, eager to seek justice for innocent victims. So when his father passes away under suspicious circumstances, Dan revisits his small island community, determined to uncover the truth about his death. Is it possible that the monster he remembers from his childhood nightmares has returned after all these years?

With his signature shock and suspense, Alex North brings us The Man Made of Smoke. In turn emotional, introspective, and utterly terrifying, this is a story of fathers and sons, shadows and secrets, and the fight we all face to escape the trauma of the past.

Author Biography

Alex North was born in Leeds, England, where he now lives with his wife and son. The Whisper Man was inspired by North’s own little boy, who mentioned one day that he was playing with “the boy in the floor.” Alex North is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name.