Monthly Archives:: December 2014

Tasty Book Tours: Return to Clan Sinclair Clan Sinclair #3.5 By: Karen Ranney Review + Giveaway

December 30, 2014 Uncategorized 10

 
Return
to Clan SinclairClan
Sinclair #3.5
By:
Karen Ranney
Releasing
December 23rd
Avon
Romance

Blurb
The
stunning follow-up novella in New York Times bestselling author Karen
Ranney’s beloved Clan Sinclair series.



It’s
true love in the Scottish highlands. When Ceana Sinclair Mead married
the youngest son of an Irish duke, she never dreamed that seven years
later her beloved Peter would die. Her three brothers-in-law thought
she should be grateful to remain a proper widow. After three years of
this, she’s ready to scream. She escapes to Scotland, only to
discover she’s so much more than just the Widow Mead.



In
Scotland, Ceana crosses paths with Bruce Preston, an American tasked
with a dangerous mission by her brother, Macrath. Bruce is too
attractive for her peace of mind, but she still finds him
fascinating. Their one night together is more wonderful than Ceana
could have imagined and she has never felt more alive.



But
when the past reaches out in the form of an old foe, Ceana’s life
is in danger. Now Bruce fights to become her savior-and more-if
she’ll let him.

When Ceana married, never did she imagine that her husband would leave her seven year later with two daughter a widow. Now her brother-in-laws have this idea in their mind that she should remain a proper widow for the remaining of her life. After three years of mourning her husband, Ceana cannot take the life of being a widow anymore, nor her overbearing in-laws and flees to her brother’s home. Little does Ceana know that she is about to have a run in with a naked man, an American that her brother Macrath has hired to a dangerous mission. With temptation and attraction that all the sudden sizzles between the two, Ceana finds the man infuriating, plus she wants to know what exactly he was doing at her brothers home, and who was in danger?
Interesting story. Was cute and a fast read. I like how it handled the romance and even a quick good storyline that was packed into this little novella. It had a bit of everything, romance, danger, some action, and likeable secondary characters. I enjoyed Ceana and even found myself feeling bad for the woman. I believed her brother-in-laws where a bit unfair as far as what they expected from her, to live her life in a constant shadow of her husbands death.
Bruce was fun. I liked the fact that he wouldn’t back down from a challenge, especially one presented by Ceana. Though because of that, the romance did seem a little pushed. I saw the attraction he was trying to create between them, but I wasn’t completely feeling it. Luckily the side story about what Bruce was doing for her brother at his home kept me entertained!

Author
Info
Karen
Ranney began writing when she was five. Her first published work was
The Maple Leaf, read over the school intercom when she was in the
first grade. In addition to wanting to be a violinist (her parents
had a special violin crafted for her when she was seven), she wanted
to be a lawyer, a teacher, and, most of all, a writer. Though the
violin was discarded early, she still admits to a fascination with
the law, and she volunteers as a teacher whenever needed. Writing,
however, has remained the overwhelming love of her life.

Author
Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter

 


Rafflecopter
Giveaway ($50.00 Gift
Card to Choice Book Seller)

 

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Tasty Blog Tours: Once Upon a Highland Christmas Once Upon a Highland Season # 3 By: Lecia Cornwall

December 19, 2014 Uncategorized 7

 

Once
Upon a Highland Christmas Once
Upon a Highland Season # 3
By:
Lecia Cornwall
Releasing
December 9th,
2014
Avon
Impulse

Blurb
Lady
Alanna McNabb is bound by duty to her family, who insist she must
marry a gentleman of wealth and title. When she meets the man of her
dreams, she knows it’s much too late, but her heart is no longer
hers.

Laird
Iain MacGillivray is on his way to propose to another woman when he
discovers Alanna half-frozen in the snow and barely alive. She isn’t
his to love, yet she’s everything he’s ever wanted.

As
Christmas comes closer, the snow thickens, and the magic grows
stronger. Alanna and Iain must choose between desire and duty, love
and obligation.

But
it’s Christmas in the Highlands, and there are bound to be a few
surprises.

Fiona closed
her hand tight, and the scent of lavender rose to rival the peat
smoke from the fire. There was nothing threatening about a wee bit of
lavender. Still, she hesitated. “You go first,” she said.

Elizabeth
tossed her bundle into the fire. “Show me my true love, and send
him to me by Christmastide,” she said fervently. The flames pounced
on her offering, flared with a hungry whoosh, and devoured the
tidbit.

The girls
leaned in, looking for a sign in the flames. “D’you see
anything?” Fiona whispered.

Elizabeth
screwed up her face and squinted. “Nothing that could be mistaken
for anyone’s true love. Throw yours.”

Fiona wrapped
her hair around the bundle. She took a breath and flung it into the
heart of the fire. “Show me my true love, and bring him to me—”
She hesitated. “Does it have to be by Christmas? Why can’t it be
by spring, or even next summer, perhaps?”

Elizabeth
sighed in exasperation as the fire finished its second treat. “It’s
burned up now, so you’ll have to wait for spring.”

There was a
sudden roar from the wind outside, and the windows rattled. The gust
slipped under the door and swept down the flue, making the room
suddenly cold. The chimney gasped and sucked hard on the fire, making
the flame hiss and leap, drawing it upward, and breaking off sharp
red sparks that clung to the soot for a moment and twinkled before
being carried away on the icy breath of the wind. The fire sighed and
sank back, subdued, and the flames fluttered nervously.

The girls
looked at each other, their eyes wide. “What was that?” Elizabeth
said. “What did it mean?”

Outside, the
wind howled again, high and wild. Fiona pulled her shawl around her
shoulders and rose to light the candles, driving the shadows back
into the corners, where they hid behind the settee and the chairs.
Elizabeth went to the window. “My, but the weather changes suddenly
here in the Highlands. It wasn’t snowing a minute ago, was it?”

Fiona looked.
The snow had
started suddenly, and frenzied white flakes were rushing across the
brown landscape, driving toward the castle to dash themselves against
the windows and stones with icy fury, clattering like the claws of an
angry creature that desperately wanted in. Fiona’s gut clenched.
There hadn’t been a single cloud in the sky an hour ago. She
glanced at the fire again, but it burned sedately in the hearth,
oblivious to the sudden storm raging outside. She swallowed. The
herbs, and the spell … surely it was impossible.

Elizabeth
stared out the window, hypnotized by the thickening flakes. “The
snow—it’s Christmas magic! Look, the garden is almost covered
already!”

Fiona went to
sit beside her cousin. The first snowfall was always beautiful, and
magical—as if folk had forgotten what snow looked like over the
seasons. Surely that’s all it was.

She stared,
mesmerized as the snowflakes danced intricate patterns in the air.

Show me my
true love, and send him to me by Christmastide.

Outside the
ancient walls of Craigleith, the sparks joined the snowflakes in a
frenzied waltz around the castle’s pointed tower in the thickening
twilight, once, twice, and again.

Then they
flew away across the moor, chasing the wind.
Author
Info
Lecia
Cornwall lives and writes in Calgary, Canada, amid the beautiful
foothills of the Canadian Rockies, with four cats, two teenagers, a
crazy chocolate Lab, and one very patient husband. She is hard at
work on her next book.

Author
Links: Website
| Facebook
| Twitter | Goodreads

Lecia
would like to also giveaway an Ebook Copy of ONCE UPON A HIGHLAND
AUTUMN to a Commenter. (US and Int) Don’t forget to leave an e-mail to reach you at if you are commenting to enter the contest.

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Xpresso Blog Tour: The Truth About Air & Water by Katherine Owen (Truth in Lies #2)

December 18, 2014 Uncategorized 4

The Truth About Air & Water by Katherine Owen
(Truth in Lies #2) 
Publication date: August 25th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Amazon | B&N| Kobo | Apple | Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads


The Truth In Lies Series. READ This Much Is True, book 1 first, although it’s been written as a standalone. Readers say, don’t do that.
“The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” -Ernest Hemingway ~ A Farewell To Arms
They share an epic love but one moment changes everything. A life
together that seemed certain is shattered. One learns you never love the
same way twice; the other learns what it means to come home. You only
think you know how this love story goes, but do you really know how an
epic love can end?
“There are all kinds of love in this world but never the same love twice.”
-F. Scott Fitzgerald
She is living color, and I’ve been in a black-and-white world for far too long without her.
Powerful stuff. It surrounds me. I’ve felt it since I first arrived. The
forcefield of her. The magnetism of her. The power she wields over me.
I’m alive again because of her, like a dying plant that finally gets
some water. I’ve got it bad for this girl.
Reality dawns.
The light comes through the darkness and shines on me.
She’s my water.
-Lincoln Presley
The truth is I breathe with him. He is my air. Raison d’etre.
-Tally Landon
Author’s note: This novel is part of the Truth In Lies series. It can be read as standalone, however, fans of my fiction already are highly recommending that those new to my work, READ This Much Is True book 1 FIRST.
As Lincoln Presley would say, “do as you must, Princess.”

AUTHOR BIO
Katherine Owen writes
contemporary edgy fiction, which translates to: she writes love stories
that are contemporary in setting and both edgy and dark. Some readers
term her books emotional roller coasters. With her writing, Owen admits
she has a fondness for angst, likes to play with a little drama, and
essentially toys around with the unintentional complications of love.
She contends this began early on when she won a poetry contest at the
age of fourteen and appears to be without end. Owen has an avid love of
coffee, books, and writing, but not necessarily in that order. She
writes both Contemporary Romance and New Adult fiction which includes
her bestselling TRUTH IN LIES Series (a series despite despising
‘series’) beginning with This Much Is True and her latest release, The
Truth About Air & Water. The TRUTH IN LIES series is fan-driven. So.
There will be a third book about Linc and Tally released in 2015
titled Tell Me Something True.

About Owen’s fiction…This is
NOT the light trope stuff. She travels a unique, writerly path and
enjoys writing dark and angsty (a “non-word” she is fond of) emotional
love stories. She often warns readers to be prepared with: time,
tissues, wine, Advil or your drug of choice. And, as her most favored
character, Lincoln Presley, would say, “do what you must, Princess.”


Tour-wide giveaway (INTL) 4 winners:


  • Signed copies of This Much Is True and The Truth About Air & Water 
  • Signed copy of This Much Is True
  • Signed copy of The Truth About Air & Water
  • $25 Amazon Gift Card

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Blog Tour: Meow If It’s Murder (Nick and Nora Mysteries #1) by T.C. Lotempio Review, Excerpt, Giveaway

December 14, 2014 Uncategorized 4

Meow If It’s Murder (Nick and Nora Mysteries #1) by T.C. Lotempio

Published 
December 2nd 2014
by Berkley

Paperback, 304 pages

Series: Nick and Nora Mysteries


Genre: Cozy Mystery

Source:  I got a copy of this book from the publisher  in exchange of an honest review.
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads


First in a new series!

Nora Charles doesn’t believe in fate, even if she is a crime reporter who shares a name with a character from The Thin Man.
In fact, she’s moving back to Cruz, California, to have a quieter life.
But after finding an online magazine eager for material, and a stray
cat named Nick with a talent for detection, Nora’s not just reporting
crimes again. She’s uncovering them…

Back in her
hometown, Nora reconnects with old friends and makes some new ones, like
Nick, the charming feline who seems determined to be her cat. But not
everything about Cruz is friendly. Writing for a local online magazine,
Nora investigates the curious death of socialite Lola Grainger. Though
it was deemed an accident, Nora suspects foul play. And it seems that
her cat does too.

Apparently, Nick used to belong to a P.I.
who disappeared while investigating Lola Grainger’s death. The
coincidence is spooky, but not as spooky as the clues Nick spells out
for her with Scrabble letters—clues that lead her down an increasingly
dangerous path. Whether fate put her on this case or not, solving it
will take all of Nora’s wits, and maybe a few of Nick’s nine lives. 

After living her life as a crime reporter in Chicago, Nora makes a big move to Cruz, California following her mother’s death in order to continue running her mom’s sandwich shop. But for Nora, old habit’s die hard. After finding an article about Lola Grainger’s death, Nora has a hard time dealing with how the case seemed to have been handled. Lola, a friend of her mothers had left plenty of unanswered questions about her death and the crime reporter in Nora can’t help been feel that her mother’s friend deserves  a more proper investigation.

Interesting story. I liked how it was told from a crime reporter’s point of view. It started out with Nora snooping around for questions to report in her article and stumbling into something much more bigger and dangerous then she thought. The cat as the addition to the story was cute, given a little farfetched. I do enjoy animal detectives, but for some reason I felt like Nora was talking way too much to the cat, it was starting to make me feel a little crazy heh. It didn’t completely bother me, I still very much enjoyed the story and the mystery behind Nora’s death and up until the very end I was completely lost as to who has killed Nora, just when I thought I had it all figured out…

Lotempio’s writing is fun and enjoyable. The story was cute and I love that there is a hint of romance for the future of this series.

MEOW IF IT’S MURDER by Toni LoTempio
- Excerpt
I
put the phone down and leaned back, laced my hands behind my head.
The key to all this, I felt certain, was finding someone willing to
come clean about what really happened on the yacht that night. From
my experience, there was no way all those people were telling the
truth. One – or maybe more – was lying.
What
I needed to do was figure out who and more importantly, why.
I
stood up, stretched, and put down the top on the computer. Nick
watched me with his unblinking golden eyes.
“My
next move should be to question the other three, see what they have
to say about that night. That’s going to require some thought.
After all, it’s not like we hang out in the same circles, or that
they even frequent Hot Bread for lunch. I can’t just run into them
you know.”
Nick
jumped up on the counter. His plume of a tail swished, knocking over
the plastic case containing my catering menus. They scattered to the
floor like autumn leaves. I sighed, bent to retrieve them, then
suddenly straightened. I hurried over to the old rolltop desk in the
corner, jerked open the bottom drawer where my mother’s impeccable
catering records were kept. I thumbed through the folders, and a
little cry of triumph escaped my lips as I pulled out one marked KMG.
Sure enough, inside were two neatly drawn contracts, bearing both my
mother’s signature and that of Lola Grainger, for Hot Bread to
cater two of their upcoming company events. I glanced over at Nick,
sitting calmly on the counter, licking one paw.
“I
get it,” I murmured. “Good point. Now that Lola’s dead, what
happens with these contracts?”
I
shoved the file folder under one arm and patted Nick on the head. I
figured now was as good a time as any to find out.

 Now for the giveaway. Rules are simple. Must live in the US, sorry publisher rules. Must be
13+ year old in order to enter. Has 24 hours to claim their prize.

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Xpresso Book Tours: Play of Light by Debra Doxer + Giveaway

December 9, 2014 Uncategorized 7

Play of Light by Debra Doxer 
Publication date: December 8th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Source:  I got a copy of this book for free  in exchange of an honest review.
Amazon | Goodreads

This book is for 18 and over, due to some sexual content.

Synopsis:

I lived in paradise, and I loved Spencer Pierce.

At
fourteen, my life was perfect. The beach was my playground, and the boy
who stole my heart lived just around the corner. But perfect never
lasts. In one horrifying moment, I lost it all. My family was destroyed,
and the boy I believed in turned his back on me. Paradise became a
nightmare.

That was five years ago. Everything changed when we
moved from our home by the sea. I’ve changed, and I don’t like who
I’ve become. I miss the smiling, carefree beach girl who disappeared
that terrible night. I want to find her again. I want to face the
people we ran from so long ago. Most of all, I have to face Spencer. So I
can prove that when he broke my heart, he didn’t break me.

But
when I see him again, Spencer Pierce is no longer the boy from
my memories. He’s now a man who could devastate me if I let him.
He watches me when he thinks I’m not looking. There’s regret written on
his face when he’s near. Each time I see him, my heart aches for what
might have been, and I think his does too. How can I convince myself I’m
over him when I suspect he never got over me?

~ This is a standalone story. ~

Ever since the day he saved her at the beach, Sarah has been in love with Spencer Pierce. In a nutshell, her life was pretty perfect. She had a wonderful family, great childhood, and the boy she loved lived just around the corner. Until the horrifying day that changed her life forever, causing her family to fall apart and the home she knew was gone forever.
Years later, Sarah doesn’t feel like the same person anymore. She had moved away from her home by the sea to live with her aunt, but continued to pursue her love for art. Now with a scholarship to a school close to her old home town, Sarah feels it is time she faced the music once again. Venturing back to town wasn’t easy, not with the memories of her father’s death still feeling so fresh on her mind. She see’s him again, of course, Spencer Piece and he is no longer the boy she remembers…
Wow! Did I enjoy this story, it totally grabbed me by surprise and held onto me through the entire book. I had a difficult time putting this down. I really wanted to know what was going on, and what had happened. Sarah was a great character, given a little obsessed with Spencer at the beginning, but I enjoyed her tone of voice as she told the story from her POV. I watched her break apart and lose a lot, only to rebuild and be happy again. The storyline was great and I enjoyed most of it. I liked Spencer, I thought he was a very wounded soul that made me want to wrap him up in a blanket and keep him safe. I understood why he did what he did to Sarah before she left, his fear was genuine and came from years of abuse. A boy that was broken, broke just a little bit more everyday.
The story had some really sad tear jerking, mouth hanging moments. Especially when Sarah recollected her childhood and what was happening between Spencer and his uncle. Sarah’s life falling apart and the way it happened was also really heart-breaking. I cannot even begin to imagine what she went through.
What I did have a hard tim

e understanding in the end thought is okay…why did no one go to the FBI with this? With people unable to trust their local cops and Spencer’s uncle being such a big issue in this book. I would think FBI would have had a large play in helping out in this situation…

AUTHOR BIO
Debra Doxer was born in
Boston, and other than a few lost years in the California sunshine, she
has always resided in the Boston area. She writes fiction, technical
software documents, illegible scribbles on sticky notes, and texts that
get mangled by AutoCorrect. She writes for a living, and she writes for
fun. When her daughter asks when she’ll run out of words, her response
always is, “When I run out of time.”

Connect with Debra. She loves hearing from readers.


Author links:
Giveaway:

Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)


  • $50 Amazon Gift Card
  • Signed copy of Play Of Light

 

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Book Tour: Spell Booked (Retired Witches Mystery #1) by Joyce Lavene Review, Guest Post + Giveaway

December 5, 2014 Uncategorized 5

Spell Booked (Retired Witches Mystery #1) by Joyce Lavene

Published  December 2nd 2014
by Berkley

Paperback, 304 pages

Series: Retired Witches Mystery


Genre: Cozy-Mystery

Source:  I got a copy of this book from the publisher  in exchange of an honest review.
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads


The national
bestselling authors of the Missing Pieces Mysteries summon up the first
Retired Witches Mystery in a brand new supernatural series…

Once
upon a time in Wilmington, North Carolina, three witches ran a curio
shop named Smuggler’s Arcane. But as the years passed, their magical
powers started to fade—leaving them no choice but to conjure up a
retirement package…  

Before they could blink their eyes
or twitch their noses, Molly, Elsie, and Olivia somehow became eligible
for AARP. But they can’t fly off to Boca Raton just yet. First they must
give up their magic, recruit and train three new witches, and pass on
their cherished spellbook.

They’ve barely begun to consider
potential practitioners when Olivia winds up dead and their spellbook is
stolen. To honor their friend and reclaim their spells, Molly and Elsie
are about to go wand-to-wand with a dangerous young witch more powerful
than the trio was in their prime. And this time they’re going to need
more than magic up their sleeves…

Witches, magic and mischief! Oh how excited. All tied up into one cozy mystery that was simply enchanting. Olivia, Elsie and Molly have been best friends for a really long time. A trio of elemental type witches that own their own store as a cover up in order to practice their magic and keep the big secret from their families - who are not allowed to know by witches laws. When Olivia ends up dead, Elsie and Molly fear that the cops are not going to be able to find and apprehend the witch responsible for this, especially since they are mortal. Joe, Molly’s husband is a detective working on this case and they have never butted heads so badly before, but the last thing Molly want’s is to put her husband in danger. Not to mention the time for the witches to retire and lose their magic is near, they must find three other witches to replace them and there is a very powerful rogue witch on the loose.

Oh what a fun story, and great story-telling! I really enjoy cozy mysteries that are a bit whimsical and magical, especially filled with witches. I enjoyed the way Molly and Elsie used their magic to try and find who is responsible for their best friends murder, despite the fact that their magic grows weak. I was a little thrown by that, as I always imagined witches magic only growing stronger as they age, but in this book the witches actually lose their magic. Wasn’t sure how I feel about it, but their misfires trying to use their weakened magic did add entertainment to the book. I was a little confused by why some witches did retain their magic (I guess if you are on the Grand council?) and most lost it.

I thought the mystery was exciting and kept me guessing till the very end. I liked Molly and I liked Elsie. The new girl Dorothy, I struggled a bit with. She was suppose to be a librarian new comer witch to replace Olivia eventually, but her character felt a little immature for me. I would have never guessed that she is suppose to be well over 20 years in age, because I did not feel she acted like it through most of the book.

Outside of that, Spell Booked is a great start to a new series and I am so looking forward to more of this fun adventure and writing from these authors.

What’s a male witch to do?



By Jim Lavene - Spell Booked
I’m Brian Fuller – part-time
student – full-time witch.
That’s right. Not a warlock. We don’t
like to be called that. I’m a male witch.
I’ve never ridden a broomstick but I
have attended a few Sabbats or witch holidays. I don’t have a black
pointy hat or a cape. I do have a wand because I’m an air witch and
that’s my tool.
So I’m going through my life,
enjoying everything as the grandson of a powerful member of the Grand
Council of Witches. My parents give me anything as long as I stay out
of their way. It’s been like that for years. I don’t mind.
Then I meet this crazy bunch of old
witches. Olivia was nice. Elegant and sexy. We went out on a date and
she was found dead the next morning. For some reason, her friends
thought I had something to do with it. Me! I’ve never killed anyone
in my life. I don’t even like squashing bugs.
This one older chick, Molly, was really
obnoxious. So I warned her off. She went into hyper-protective mode,
worried about her family. She’s chasing me around Wilmington,
trying to prove I murdered Olivia. She even put a summoning spell on
me to get me where she wanted me. I fought that off but we came to a
truce of sorts. She wouldn’t bother me anymore. I wouldn’t bother
her. I even admitted that I owed her one.
What’s the first thing she does?
Summon me in a big cauldron full of hot water. It’s sitting over a
huge fire in a cave under her shop by the river, and I’m in my
underwear. She says she needs me to prove who killed Olivia. As long
as she’s not looking at me, I’m okay with that.
Too bad Cassandra, the herald to the
council of witches, sees me there. She’s bound to tell my parents
and my grandfather. They won’t like it.
But I kind of like the new witch,
Dorothy, that is joining their coven. She’s a librarian, of all
things. She’s funny and sassy. She’s just learning magic (at her
age) but that doesn’t bother me. She still thinks magic is fun and
exciting. I like being around her.
Not enough to join the crazy old witch
coven with her friends, but I figure I can hang with Dorothy without
joining up. The three of them (even Olivia’s ghost) are like a
family. I’ve never needed that in my life, but I admire it. And I
sure admire Dorothy, you know? She is sweet!

Now for the giveaway. Rules are simple. Must live in the US, sorry publisher rules. Must be
13+ year old in order to enter. Has 24 hours to claim their prize.

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Review: Keeper of the Castle (A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery #5) by Juliet Blackwell

December 4, 2014 Uncategorized 4

Keeper of the Castle (A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery #5) by Juliet Blackwell

Published December 2nd 2014
by Signet

Paperback, 336 pages

Series: A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery


Genre: Cozy Mystery

Source:  I got a copy of this book from the publisher  in exchange of an honest review.
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads


In the latest Haunted Home Renovation mystery from New York Times bestselling author Juliet Blackwell, San Francisco contractor—and reluctant ghostbuster—Mel Turner gets hired for a job that’s to die for.

Lately, Mel has been worried about finding enough historic renovation
work to pay the bills. But while Turner Construction is in need of a
project, Mel’s boyfriend, Graham, has his hands full managing the
reconstruction of an ancient building shipped over from Scotland.

With the job plagued by rumors that the stones are cursed, Graham
brings in Mel to look for paranormal activity. And while the ghost of a
charming Scottish clansman does seem to be hanging around the site, the
real shock comes when they stumble upon a body.

When the
original construction crew starts running scared, Mel brings in her team
to finish the job. Now all she has to do is nail down the killer, and
put the spirits to rest, before anyone else winds up heading for the
highlands…

When Mel of Turner Construction has a difficult time finding jobs in order to pay her workers, the offer made by Ellis Elrich to take over the project of managing a reconstruction of an ancient building that was bought in from Scotland, couldn’t have come in a better time. Too bad that the building also comes with possible hostile ghosts, and a murder. When the wrong man is accused of killing the building inspector on site, Mel and Graham seem to find themselves in danger. Now not only must Mel manage a construction of an ancient building, she must also put the ghosts to rest and find the killer before someone else ends up their victim.

Great story! I really enjoyed the writing. I thought it was fun, creative and flowed very easily. Mel and Graham were a joy and very easy to like. I enjoyed their characters and all their knowledge about constructions. I liked how Mel can see ghosts and somehow finds herself in situations where she tries to get to the bottom of the mystery of what is bothering them so they can cross over in peace. I love that she has a dog named Dog and a sarcastic type personality.

There story was fun. There was a lot of talk about construction and how things go, but that did not seem to pull away from the story over all. The mystery behind the ghosts was fun to follow and left me wanting to get to the bottom of what was going on. The murder mystery was interesting as well. Overall, Keeper of the Castle was a great read for me and I really enjoyed Mel and Graham.

KEEPER OF THE CASTLE
Guest Post by Juliet
Blackwell
In Search of Ghosts:
To me, one of the
best things about being an author is research. In the course of
writing my two series, the Witchcraft Mysteries and the Haunted Home
Renovation series, I get to do things like shop in vintage clothing
stores, hang out in Haight Street cafes, and tour historic buildings.

But one of my
favorite parts of research is trailing around after paranormal
investigators, peppering them with questions:
Can ghosts reach
out and “touch” a person?
Can they become
violent?
What if you had
different ghosts or entities in a building?
From different
times, “haunting” the place for different reasons?
How would they
interact?
Why are animals
sensitive to spirits, and how might they react?
Actually, I try to
reserve these questions for either before or after
walking through an allegedly haunted house. While on site, I mostly
keep my mouth shut, trying not even to breathe loudly for fear of
mucking things up…or possibly attracting unwanted attention!
Unfortunately, I
have found that there’s a lot of “grey area” in the paranormal
realm – which, I suppose, is fitting – so not all experts agree
on the rules of the afterworld. Some think we bring our own ghosts
with us, for example, while others believe in “residual”
energies, and still others think sentient beings sometimes roam the
earth.
But here are the
“Top Five” things I’ve learned from my recent encounters with
“ghost professionals”:
  1. Bring extra batteries (some
    spirits “borrow” energy by siphoning off battery power)
  2. Don’t wear perfume or scented
    lotions. Ghosts have a profound sense of smell, and whether they
    like or dislike what you’re wearing, it might not be a good thing
  3. Animals and children are
    considered more “sensitive” (and attractive to) spirits. But
    since they can’t give consent, it’s unethical to take them along
    on a ghosthunt, darn the luck.
  4. Wear quiet shoes that are easy to
    run in (self-explanatory)
  5. Don’t make jokes about the size
    of the ghostbuster’s equipment (also self-explanatory)
So…how about you?
Have you ever encountered something that felt otherworldly? Do you
believe in ghosts at all?
Juliet Blackwell is the New York Times
bestselling author of the Witchcraft Mystery series, featuring
a powerful witch with a vintage clothes store in San Francisco’s
Haight-Ashbury. She also writes the Haunted Home Renovation
Mystery series, about a failed anthropologist who reluctantly
takes over her father’s high-end construction company…and finds
ghosts behind the walls. As Hailey Lind, Blackwell wrote the
Agatha-nominated Art Lover’s Mystery series, in which an ex-art
forger attempts to go straight as a faux finisher. She is currently
working on a novel about a woman who takes over her uncle’s
locksmith shop in Paris, entitled The Paris Key. A former
anthropologist and social worker, Juliet has worked in Mexico, Spain,
Cuba, Italy, the Philippines, and France.
Visit her at www.julietblackwell.net,
join her on Facebook (JulietBlackwellAuthor) and on Twitter
@JulietBlackwell

Now for the giveaway. Rules are simple. Must be a US resident. Must be
13+ year old in order to enter. Has 24 hours to claim their prize.

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Blog Tour: The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer (Paws and Claws Mystery #2) by Krista Davis Guest Post, Review and Giveaway

December 2, 2014 Uncategorized 7

The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer (Paws and Claws Mystery #2) by Krista Davis

Expected publication:
December 2nd 2014
by Berkley

Paperback, 320 pages

Series: Paws and Claws Mystery


Genre: Cozy Mystery

Source:  I got a copy of this book from the publisher  in exchange of an honest review.
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads


Wagtail,
Virginia, the top pet-friendly getaway in the United States, is gearing
up for a howling good Halloween—until a spooky murder shakes the town
to its core . . .

Holly Miller doesn’t believe in spirits, but
the Sugar Maple Inn is filled with guests who do. The TV series in
development, Apparition Apprehenders, has descended on Wagtail’s annual
Halloween festivities to investigate supernatural local legends, and
Holly has her hands full showing the ghost hunters a scary-fun time.

But
the frights turn real when Holly’s Jack Russell, Trixie, and kitten,
Twinkletoes, find a young woman drowned in the Wagtail Springs Hotel’s
bathhouse—the spot of the town’s most infamous haunting. The crime scene
is eerily similar to the creepy legend, convincing Holly that the death
wasn’t just accidental. Now she’ll have to race to catch a
flesh-and-blood killer—before someone else in town gives up the ghost . .
.

Halloween is just around the corner and Wagtail, Virginia is gearing up for it’s arrival. A pet friendly getaway in the United State is the perfect place for pet’s and their owners, until a murder shake up the town right before the big event….

Holly Miller had just recently arrived in town and has not even had a chance to unpack when suddenly she is dealing with a murder on her hands with her own acquaintances possible suspects. It doesn’t help that the Sugar Maple Inn is also housing guests that believe in ghosts when a TV series ghost hunters named Apparition Apprehender’s arrive in time for the Halloween festivities and suddenly lots of spirits are coming out to play.

A really fun story. I enjoyed following Holly around as she prepared for the Halloween events in their cozy little town. I loved the idea of the town as being a pet get-away for the owners and their pets and how each business caters to it and the events that are held during the holiday are for both the owner and their pets. I thought it was kind of cute and original.

The addition of the history of the killing in the hotel that was talked about through the book also added to the spookiness and to the overall enjoyment of the book. I liked following Holly as she discovered pieces by pieces some of the hidden facts about the story while trying to figure out who murdered the poor woman Mallory as she turns up dead by “drowning.”

The mystery itself was interesting, even if some elements of the story I felt like I read in a book last month. Both stories had similarities, taking place in a Inn, murder close to Halloween, ghost hunting crew staying in the Inn, and the mystery of the ghosts that are suddenly appearing everywhere. Thought I do admit, parts of the book did give my the chills!

Still, fun, exciting. Would have been even better during Halloween!

Five Things That
Embarrass Your Dog
You’ve seen that
look. The sideways glance. The begging eyes. Please, please, don’t
embarrass me in front of the other dogs. Our pups are worse than
pre-teens. Have you committed these doting parent mistakes?
  1. Dressing your
    dog in clothes when all the other dogs will be au natural. Haven’t
    you noticed that the other dogs have to sniff your baby twice as
    long to be sure he’s really a dog?
  2. Making your dog
    wear shoes. There’s no question that there are times when we want
    to protect their paws. But, seriously, they just can’t play dog
    games with bags on their feet.
  3. Talking to them
    in baby talk in front of other dogs. Oh, they love it at home. They
    wag their little tails and wiggle all over. But try that in front of
    other dogs, especially a big, serious dog, and your little darling
    might nip at your clothes to distract you. Translation: MOM!!!
  4. Arriving at the
    dog park with your healthy pup in a stroller. This is the equivalent
    of seating your fifteen-year-old human child in a high chair at the
    dinner table.
  5. Doing tricks in
    front of other dogs. Have you ever noticed that your well-trained
    (or not so well-trained) pooch refuses to perform when he has an
    audience? There’s a reason for that. Sort of like #3, they’re
    happy to oblige when it’s just family, but it’s showing off when
    they have to do it with the other dogs watching.
*Full disclosure note: The author of this blog is guilty of some of
the above.
Bio:
New
York Times Bestselling author Krista Davis writes the Paws &
Claws Mysteries for animal lovers that debuted in December with
MURDER, SHE BARKED. The sequel, THE GHOST AND MRS. MEWER, will be in
bookstores on December 2nd.
She also writes the Domestic Diva Mysteries. Her 8th
Domestic Diva Mystery is THE DIVA WRAPS IT UP, a Christmas mystery in
bookstores now. Like her characters, Krista has a soft spot for cats,
dogs, and sweets. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of
Virginia with three dogs and two cats.

kristadavis.com
mysteryloverskitchen.com
twitter.com/kristadavis
killercharacters.com
Now for the giveaway. Rules are simple. Must be a US resident. Must be 13+ year old in order to enter. Has 24 hours to claim their prize.

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