Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: Murder a la Mode: Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries by Lena Gregory Read by Eleanor McCormick

Audio Book
Murder a la Mode: Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries
by Lena Gregory
Read by Eleanor McCormick

Murder a la Mode: Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – New York
Audiobook (April 23, 2024)
Publisher – Tantor Audio
Listening Length – 7 hours and 10 minutes
ASIN B0CZFBCBG7
Audio CD
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CZ2MCHGC
Also Available As
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 197 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8853281721
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C2LH144G

From author Lena Gregory comes a delicious new series that will warm your heart and leave you guessing until the very end…

When twenty-five-year-old Danika Delaney, black sheep of the Delaney clan, returns home to Long Island to take over Jimmie’s, her eccentric uncle’s old fashioned malt shop on eastern Long Island, she’s not exactly thrilled. But things start to look up when her uncle tells her she can do whatever she’d like with the shop, and it seems she might realize her dream of a small trendy café. That is, until she discovers the body of her ex-boyfriend’s estranged wife in a melted puddle of rocky road in the malt shop basement. With her two sidekicks, her sister and a good childhood friend, in tow, Dani searches for–or stumbles upon—one clue after another. But as she narrows down the suspect list, she realizes if she’s not careful she may end up in a puddle of her own…

About Lena Gregory

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of Central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.

Author Links

Newsletter: http://lenagregory.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9765d0711ed4fab4fa31b16ac&id=49d42335d1.
Website: http://www.lenagregory.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lena.gregory.986
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Lena.Gregory.Author/?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LenaGregory03
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14956514.Lena_Gregory?from_search=true
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lenagregoryauth/

Purchase Links –
Amazon – B & N – Kobo

Audiobooks Coming Soon!

MURDER A LA MODE AUDIO RELEASE BOOK BLAST PARTICIPANTS

APRIL 23
Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
Ruff Drafts
Literary Gold
Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
Socrates Book Reviews
Celticlady’s Reviews
Cozy Up With Kathy
Christy’s Cozy Corners
Brooke Blogs

APRIL 24

Maureen’s Musings
Sarah Can’t Stop Reading
Eskimo Princess Book Reviews
Sapphyria’s Book Reviews
Reading Is My SuperPower
Baroness Book Trove
Hearts & Scribbles
FUONLYKNEW

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The Sicilian Secret: Completely gripping and heartbreaking WW2 fiction by Angela Petch

Italy, 1943. With war raging across the rugged cliffs and turquoise waters of his beloved Sicily, Savio’s pen scrawls desperately across the page. His letter must be sent in secret – or his life will be in terrible danger…

England, present day. Paige is devastated when her reclusive but beloved Aunt Florence dies – the only family she’s ever known. Inheriting her crumbling cottage, Paige finds an unfinished note. ‘I am sorry, Paige. It’s time to tell you everything. It all began in Sicily…’

Beside the note is a faded envelope – addressed to a woman called Joy – with an Italian postage stamp from 1943. The letter inside is made up of Roman numerals and snippets of sentences written in Italian. But who is Joy? Was someone sending a coded message? Paige is desperate to piece together the truth. But she soon discovers it will change everything she’s ever believed about her aunt, and her family history.

1943. Lady Joy Harrison may have grown up in a manor house, but she’s determined to fight for what’s right and use her fluent Italian to help the Allies. Breaking code on a long night shift, Joy reads a secret message that makes her whole body shake. A dark-eyed young man she once loved is in terrible danger on the shores of Sicily.

Amazon

About The Author

Welcome to my author page - "benvenuti"!

I live in the beautiful Italian Apennines for several months each year. Such an inspiring location.

My love affair with Italy was born at the age of seven when I moved with my family to Rome where we lived for six years. My father worked for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and he made sure we learned Italian and visited many places during that time.

Later on I studied Italian at the University of Kent at Canterbury and afterwards worked in Sicily, where I met my husband. His Italian mother and British father met in Urbino in 1944 and married after a war-time romance.

I wanted to write my first novel "The Tuscan Secret" not only for my amazing mother-in-law, Giuseppina, who sadly died in 2024, but also to make people aware of the courage of the resistance fighters and the generous hospitality shown by the poorest of families, including relatives of our Italian neighbours in our corner of war-torn Tuscany.

This first novel is a story about ordinary people who lived through extraordinary times. (Please note it is a revised version of "Never Forget" and "Tuscan Roots"). I was signed originally by wonderful BOOKOUTURE for a two-book deal and one of these was a slight re-write of "Tuscan Roots". The new title is "The Tuscan Secret" and has more tension and intrigue to the story. I am so proud to be a part of this publishing "family", as they describe themselves, who have patiently helped me to polish the original. It is available on Amazon and has reached the bestseller slots.

A sequel to this original book was self-published way back, at the end of April 2017 as "Now and then in Tuscany". It features the same family that appeared in "The Tuscan Secret". The background is the transhumance, a practice that started in Etruscan times and continued right up until the 1950's. STOP PRESS: This has a new title: A TUSCAN MEMORY, re-published by BOOKOUTURE SEPTEMBER 7TH 2020.

Since then Bookouture has helped me publish four more novels, all set in Italy.

My research for all these novels has been greatly helped by my kind Italian, country friends, who have vivid memories of both the Second World War and the harsh times they endured in their childhoods.

Italy is a passion but my stories are not always set there. I have also written a novella about two fun-loving ladies of "a certain age" who live by the seaside in Sussex and get up to all kinds of adventures. "Mavis and Dot" were launched on December 1st 2018 at St Paul's Centre, Worthing, West Sussex and have received fab reviews. I have a sequel in mind. All profits from sales go to research into cancer and I am pleased with the amounts that I've been able to deliver for this worthwhile charity. How many of us have lost friends and family through this vile disease?

My Review

This story is told in dual time, and I learned things I never knew about WWII.
I've known of the internment camps in the States, but not in England. Very sad, and yet, out of these comes a great read.
We travel from England to Italy, Sicily, and meet some great characters, from totally different backgrounds. Lady Joy, she comes from an aristocratic life, and Savio, a man born in England of immigrant parents. What do these two have in common, well we are there to see their relationship bloom.
We flash forward to the 1970's and a young woman named Paige gets devastating news, and we wonder how she plays into this story.
I loved how the author wove this read together, full of facts and danger, but you really don't know whom is the enemy.
A different WWII story, and I'll be looking for more by Angela Petch!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bookouture, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch

FBI agent Tiberius Granger has seen his share of darkness. But a new case sets him on edge. It’s not just the macabre way both victims—found posed in front of lighthouses—are tattooed with flowers that match their names. There’s also the unsettling connection to the woman Ty once loved and to the shadowy cult they both risked everything to escape.
Bexley Hemmingway’s sister has gone missing, and she’ll do anything to find her—including teaming up with Ty. That may prove a mistake, and not just because Ty doesn’t know he’s the father of her teenaged son. It seems the killer is taunting Ty, drawing everyone close to him into deeper danger.
As the slashing winds and rain of a deadly hurricane approach the coast of North Carolina, the search leads Ty and Bex to an island that hides a grisly secret. But in his quest for the truth, Ty has ignored the fact that this time, he’s not just the hunter. Every move has been orchestrated by a killer into a perfect storm of terror, and they will need all their skills to survive.

Amazon

About The Author

ublishers Weekly Bestselling author Jessica R. Patch is known for her dry wit and signature twists whether she's penned a romantic suspense, a cold case thriller, or a small-town romance. When she's not getting into fictional mischief with her characters, you can find her cozy on the couch in her mid-south home reading books by some of her favorite authors, watching movies with her family, and collecting recipes to amazing dishes she'll probably never cook. Sign up for her newsletter "Patched In" at www.jessicarpatch.com. Jessica is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Management.

My Review

If you enjoy page turning, heart in your throat, guess who and change your mind, this one ranks right up there!

There are long held secrets, and your heart goes out to those affected! Then there are those that are consumed with so much evil, those who live in cults and those that have long given them up. We are there as the worlds mesh, and the evil seems to be winning, but whom is responsible for the senseless deaths, and torture? We do find out, was I surprised, oh yes, I didn't suspect the actual person responsible.

Set in North Carolina, and a hurricane is heading towards them. We are with an FBI agent looking for his friends, and wonder right up to the end if he will be on time, and survive the force of the storm. Christian fiction at its best

I have read other books by this author, and this one ranks right up there!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Harlequin, and was not required to give a positive review.

Monday, April 22, 2024

Celebrate Lit Presents: Treasured Keepsakes Author: Rachel Skatvold

About the Book

Book: Treasured Keepsakes

Author: Rachel Skatvold

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release date: March 26, 2024

It doesn’t always end with a happily ever after.

Feeling unappreciated by her husband and burnt out at her job, Leah Kamuela needs to clear her head. Traveling to Laumua Island, she stays with her cousin, Sabrina, for a fresh start and to finally heal old wounds she’s covered up for years.

Jayson Kamuela has spent his life climbing the corporate ladder and his upcoming promotion will give him the life of his dreams, but at what cost? His wife has left him. He’s hit rock bottom. Maybe it’s time for him to change.

When Jayson is forced to go on sabbatical, he goes to search for his wife. Leah, however, after seeing Sabrina’s business success, believes she could also have a successful business on the Suamalie Islands.

With Leah needing to start on a new path and Jayson finally seeing the errors in his ways, how will the two of them work it out to finally have a happily ever after?

Take a trip to the Suamalie Islands where palm trees sway, the sand and sea pulse with life, and the people will steal your heart.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Rachel Skatvold is a Christian author and stay-at-home mom from the Midwest. She enjoys writing Christian romance and devotionals. She has published over a dozen novels, including books in the Hart Ranch and Whispers in Wyoming Series. Other than writing, some of her hobbies include singing, reading and camping in the great outdoors with her husband and two young sons.

More from Rachel

Have you ever lost something you treasured?

A few years ago, I had an unexpected surgery and had to take off my wedding rings before the procedure. Everything went fine, but after I came home, my fingers were swollen, so I could not put my rings back on right away. I put them away for safe keeping, but several weeks later, when I started feeling better, I went looking for my rings and couldn’t find them. I panicked at first. Could I have forgotten them in the hospital and just thought I brought them home? All kinds of scenarios ran though my head.

Have you ever done this? Put something treasured away for “safe keeping” and then forgotten where the safe place was? I have to admit, I do this a lot.

To make a long story short, after some searching, I finally found my rings in a jewelry box in the bottom of my sock drawer. I was so relieved. While my rings are a material possession, the meaning behind them is what was most troubling when I thought they were lost. They symbolize the special relationship my husband and our promise to each other. My engagement ring is also a family heirloom from my husband’s side of the family, so it really was a treasured keepsake for me.

In my new book, Treasured Keepsakes, Jayson Kamuela doesn’t realize what he’s lost until it’s almost too late. He has been too busy climbing the corporate ladder to reach his dream job to realize his marriage has slipped through the cracks.

Leah still loves her husband, but through the years, they have become more like strangers. When she comes to her breaking point and realizes Jayson has no intention of changing, she feels trapped. Leah escapes to the only refuge she can think of— her cousin’s home on Suamalie. Will this couple be able to recover the treasure of their marriage before it is lost forever?

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, April 20

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 21

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 22

Back Porch Reads, April 23 (Author Interview)

Sylvan Musings, April 23

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 24

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 25

Simple Harvest Reads, April 26 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and My Family, April 27

Holly’s Book Corner, April 28

An Author’s Take, April 29

The Lofty Pages, April 30

Karen Baney Reviews, April 30

She Lives to Read, May 1

Stories By Gina, May 2 (Author Interview)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, May 3

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Rachel is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2afaa/treasured-keepsakes-celebration-tour-giveaway

Saturday, April 20, 2024

Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: Deadly Gamble: A World War II Mystery by Kate Parker

Deadly Gamble: A World War II Mystery
by Kate Parker

About Deadly Gamble

Deadly Gamble: A World War II Mystery
Historical Cozy Mystery
11th in Series
Setting – Lisbon, Portugal in 1941
Publisher ‏ : ‎ JDP Press (April 16, 2024)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 255 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CPW8GHT3

In 1940s Portugal, everyone is willing to trade secrets if the price is right.

Britain stands alone against the forces of Nazi Germany. Livvy Redmond is a young newspaperwoman determined to serve Britain’s spymaster in the face of danger. When she arrives in neutral Lisbon, she discovers a city full of spies, refugees, and the secret police.

At an elegant party to meet a double agent, Livvy witnesses him fall to his death from a balcony and must now determine what secrets he wanted to pass her. Further complicating matters, she must guard the man’s young daughter from sinister people trying to kidnap the girl.

Gambling on the assistance of British embassy staff, Livvy commits to uncovering the truth while keeping the orphan safe. With spies and traitors lurking around every corner, Livvy must race against time to learn the secret someone has already killed to keep hidden – and is willing to murder again to protect.

Deadly Gamble is the exciting eleventh book in the World War II mystery Deadly Series. If you like intrepid heroines, research-based history and clean reads, then you’ll love USA Today Bestselling Author Kate Parker’s page-turning mystery.

About Kate Parker

Kate Parker grew up inside the Beltway, when DC was a sleepy southern city and you could walk along the sidewalk directly in front of the White House. Now you can’t get within a block of the White House, and it takes Foggy Bottom and the Pentagon to house even part of what the Old State, War and Navy building held. All this fed Kate’s love of history. With retirement, Kate moved to North Carolina and took up writing historical mysteries. Now with a career spanning over a decade, Kate is a USA Today bestselling author and the Deadly Series is her longest-running series. She lives with her daughter and a 110-pound puppy.

Author Links
Website http://www.KateParkerbooks.com Facebook http://www.facebook.com/author.kate.parker/

Purchase Links
Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Apple

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

April 16 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

April 16 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

April 17 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

April 17 – Teatime and Books – SPOTLIGHT

April 18 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 19 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

April 20 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

April 20 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

April 21 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

April 22 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

April 23 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT

April 24 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

April 24 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 25 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

April 25 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR GUEST POST

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Want to Book a Tour?
Click Here

Friday, April 19, 2024

Celebrate Lit Presents: The New Neighbors Author: Tamara G. Cooper

About the Book

Book: The New Neighbors

Author: Tamara G. Cooper

Genre: Cozy Suspense

Release date: September 6, 2023

Something isn’t right

Just when Sophie thinks life is returning to normal again, new neighbors move in next door. Right from the start, she senses that something’s off, something isn’t right…

Strange things begin to happen. Murders. Drones stalking her. Her home ransacked. Someone chasing her, hunting her. What is going on?

Burke Maguire, an old boyfriend who recently returned to their hometown as a police officer, isn’t as available to her as he was with their first case. He knows she’s in trouble, so why isn’t he helping her? Something isn’t right…

As she freefalls deeper and deeper into danger, she must outsmart the people after her, but will she figure out the who and why in time to stop their nefarious plans? And, for heaven’s sake, where is Burke when she needs him?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Tamara G. Cooper lives in Texas with her husband, one son, and four dogs. She enjoys the simple things of life: picnics, hiking, swimming, church, friends. She loves writing suspense with a touch of romance.

More from Tamara

Who can you trust? Looking into your best friend’s eyes, have you ever wondered if you really know her? Is who she’s presenting to the world—to you—really her?

How would you know if it is or isn’t?

Sophie O’Brion is a bestselling author in The New Neighbors. She’s a little quirky, funny, curious to a fault, daring, and loves writing murder mysteries that answer these very questions.

But what if these questions pop up in her life? An old boyfriend that she hasn’t seen in years comes back to Forman Falls and wants to be friends with her again. Should she trust him? Then, new neighbors move in next door, and she suspects something isn’t right. Strange things begin to happen. Murders. Drones stalking her. Her home ransacked. Someone chasing her, hunting her.

What is going on?

Who can she trust? Anyone?

I hope you read The New Neighbors, Book 2 of the Sophie O’Brion Mysteries series. I would suggest you first read The Vacant House, Book 1. Enjoy!

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 13

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, April 14

Stories By Gina, April 15 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, April 15

Texas Book-aholic, April 16

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 17

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, April 18 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, April 19

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, April 20

A Reader’s Brain, April 21 (Author Interview)

Lights in a Dark World, April 21

For Him and My Family, April 22

Life on Chickadee Lane, April 23

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, April 24

Artistic Nobody, April 25 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, April 26

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Tamara is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2afe1/the-new-neighbors-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Celebrate Lit Presents: The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem Author: Kurt Brouwer

About the Book

Book: The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem

Author: Kurt Brouwer

Genre:Christian Historical Fiction

Release date: November, 2022

He was the Beloved Disciple…

…and he would be the last.

The mantle to tell the whole story has fallen on him.

From the cross, Jesus entrusted John, the youngest disciple, with the welfare of Mary, Jesus’s mother. Over thirty years later, as Jerusalem becomes a cauldron of explosive tempers, he receives a calling he doesn’t want.

Will he listen and follow?

And if he does, will it be too late?

In 62 AD, the Jewish high priest executes James, the brother of Jesus, triggering a bitter fight for power in Jerusalem that shatters the quiet life of John. The Jewish people he loves are making dangerous choices that will change the land of Israel forever.

Should he stay in Jerusalem and help hold off the Roman onslaught? Or is it time to reach out to those beyond Israel’s borders?

If he chooses to leave, what will be his message to these foreign believers? What new words of comfort could he possibly share?

Set against a backdrop of actual events, The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem is the first novel in a new series based on the Bible and Christian history.

Follow along while John faces multiple crises and comes to understand what it is to stand alone and lean on only the Lord.

Your heart will embrace The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem because John’s story is the story of our hope and promise.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

It all started the morning I learned that the Gospel of John was published fifty years after Jesus died. Fifty years! What did John do all that time? Where did he live? Why did he wait? Frankly I got a little obsessive about this man who became the last disciple.

Living in Hawaii

For the past 20 years, I’ve been a member of a Bible-based Christian church in Hawaii. About eight years ago, our pastor, Kahu Billy Mitchell, challenged our Elders group to pray and read the Bible for one hour every morning.

It wasn’t as though we were not reading the Bible or praying every day, but he challenged us to take our devotions up a few notches. So, I did just that.

During one of those early morning sessions, I was studying the books of the New Testament in a broad sense. Who wrote them and when? What were the broad themes covered in each?

I found out that a huge gap of 50 years elapsed after the ministry of Jesus and the publication of the Gospel of John. That morning something else hit me–John outlived all the others to become the last disciple. I couldn’t stop thinking about how lonely it must have been to be the last one standing.

A few years later, I began writing The Last Disciple Series of Christian historical novels about the life of John.

The Last Disciple Series

The Last Disciple is a series of Christian novels based on the Bible and Christian history. The first in the series: The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem, begins in the year 62 AD. In it, you walk with John through the streets of Jerusalem. With him, you face multiple crises and come to understand what it is to stand alone and lean only on the Lord.

This book, The Last Disciple: Exile in Ephesus is the third in the series, following The Last Disciple: Escape to Antioch (book two) and The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem (book one).