Nothing about our interactions is comfortable, yet he comforts me as no one can.

Years ago I gave up on love. Shackled with past traumas and driven to succeed professionally, I keep a tight rein on my desires and ignore my needs. But when I collide with a magnetic Scotsman at a sex club, my carefully balanced world begins to totter. He seeks legal representation, and my boss insists I oblige. He wants me, and my body urges me to comply. Yet he’s off limits in every way. For one, I’m his lawyer, and he’s my client. For another, we’re searching for the woman he loved—possibly still loves. What’s more, he’s a heartthrob, completely out of my league. And most disturbingly, he makes me crave things I’ve never dared to imagine, subduing me with one word, one flick of a brow. The more he wears down my defenses, the more I suspect the real hurdles keeping me from love are my own fears. Can I conquer them before they undo me?

She’s in my bloodstream; I breathe her in like oxygen.

Brushing past a hawthorn bud on the branch, I pluck her and make her mine. Sweet, fierce, and passionate, she opens up into a flower under my ministrations. Yet at every turn she needs me to seize control and confiscate her will. She doubts herself, doubts love, and doubts men. I plan on shattering her walls and teaching her to listen to her body. But my past dogs me, refusing to let me enjoy my sweet bud in peace. Once forced to serve traffickers, I now vow to bring down the remnants of their organization. I’m bound to search for a woman I promised to protect who’s suspected of murder and other crimes. Some say I’m trying to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. As one woman draws me toward my future and the other pulls me toward my past, I have to confront the wrongs I’ve committed head-on. Can I beat the odds and claim my forbidden love?

Amazon: https://a.co/d/fFQs5Ow <https://a.co/d/fFQs5Ow

A former academic, I took up writing romance recently and quite by accident. In early 2022 the right elements conjoined—my love of villains, my taste for high comedy, and my pull towards strong women. Now I can’t stop cooking up plots and drawing new characters. Though I write mostly dark romance, I invariably weave plenty of reality into the fantasy. My preference for lone wolves, quirky characters, and intense plot results in what my reader and author friends call romance with teeth. I live in Berkeley, California with my dachshund-Chihuahua, Pooh-bah. When I’m not writing, I love traveling, cooking, playing piano, and cycling in the nearby hills.

Find me on my website: https://kathleenhaley1.wixsite.com/my-site-2

or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenlotthaley/

Fiction, Paranormal Cozy Mystery

5*****

Blurb: Roxy Gleason, an innkeeper by trade and a bibliomancer by birth, has lived in the same small town on the Susquehanna River in Central Pennsylvania for her entire life. Tradition is strong here. Roxy understands the rules and is willing to play by them most of the time. She runs the Charmed Inn, which has been in her family for decades. The inn is all set to host a writers’ professional business weekend that’s been planned down to the very last hand-folded napkin, and Roxy is ready for the influx of creatives. She knows she’ll have a lot of different and sometimes unusual personalities to deal with, but this is a yearly function, so she’s not expecting anything to go awry. Her expectations are completely tanked when she finds a dead body on her daily walk by the river’s shore. Owen Schultz had checked in for the conference a few hours ago, and she’d last seen him having tea with her aunt in the dining room.
How did he get down here on the ferry, and who killed him?

THOUGHTS: I loved this book! It’s the first in a new series and is a paranormal cozy mystery. Roxy Gleason has taken over her family’s inn at her grandfather’s request. The inn had been in her family for decades and she’s the newest one to take over, though she’s a little nervous about living up to the standards set. In this one, there’s a whole group of authors coming in for an author weekend. But before they can get started, one of them is murdered and a manuscript goes missing.

Roxy is what’s called a bibliomancer which means books give her clues to different things, not just in the pages, but sometimes shining in gold letters that hover above the books. That gift will help her solve the problems she’s facing and still keep the inn’s reputation.

I loved the characters. They are fun (especially Roxy’s grandfather!) and there’s a bit of romance going on, which is a nice addition. I also love that the story takes place in Millersburg along the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, an area I actually know well. A place that has the last ferry that crosses the Susquehanna. Adding this touch of reality to the story enhances the setting. And the satisfying ending doesn’t hurt.

Definitely recommended.

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Part of Series

4****

Blurb: Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Tessa Treslow never thought that she’d be attending the wedding of her first love, Joe Eriksson, but that’s exactly where she finds herself. Even worse, his fiancée has asked her to be the Maid of Honor! But in the days leading up to the wedding, it becomes clear why Jessie St. John asked Tessa to stand with her, and it’s not just her military-style organization. Between a meddling “best frenemy” who’s doing her best to sabotage the wedding and an ex-husband falling—or being tossed—to his death, Tessa’s investigative skills are once again put to the test. The suspicious death of one of Jessie’s ex-husbands in one thing. But when ex-husband number 2 is also found dead, theories are tossed around like a bride’s bouquet. In order to help the wedding stay on track, Tessa needs to calm the bride, combat the frenemy, and make sure the flowers arrive, all while keeping sane. Despite a state detective being brought in to solve the case, Tessa is forced to fight to keep the ones she loves and her home sweet home safe from the most diabolical killer she has faced yet.

THOUGHTS: This is a good addition to the Hometown Mysteries series. In this one, Tessa is up against a serial killer who tests her at every turn. Tessa’s first love, Joe, is getting married to a woman who’s been married three times before. When two of the bride’s exes end up dead, all signs point to the bride, Jessie. Because of the relationship of everyone in the police department to the bride, the groom, or the victims, the state brings in a special investigator. And Tessa is told to stay out of it–which means she doesn’t, of course. After all, these are her friends.

I love Tessa and her aunt and that they aren’t standard characters. Tessa is a retired Army Lt. Colonel and her aunt runs a garage, fixing autos, which Tessa works at too. No ice cream shops or bakeries for these two. The story keeps you reading until the very end and gives you a satisfying ending.

Recommended.

Blurb: Charlie Purdue was just another small town teenage girl until she discovered her mother’s dead body at home after school. All signs point to her father, who has disappeared, but his cryptic final words to Charlie have always left her wondering. When she spots him in a film months later, she’s shaken to her core and dead set on going to Los Angeles to find him and unearth the truth of what really happened that horrible day. What follows is a gripping odyssey through the underbelly of LA’s film industry, where everything Charlie thought she knew about her life is suddenly, and shockingly, brought into question

amazon buy link   https://a.co/d/hy1bFYT

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-in-concrete-arthur-coburn/1144522029

Arthur Coburn grew up in New Jersey, went to Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School, passed the Washington bar, exam spent two years in the U.S. Infantry as a first Lieutenant, and survived a three-year law career, before bailing out and landing a job for King Screen Productions, a filmmaking Division of the KING Broadcasting Company in Seattle. His first assignment there was to make a chart of all the proposals for peace in Vietnam.  He progressed to directing commercials, industrials and documentaries; later to writing educational film scripts for the same company.  When the division closed, he worked as a freelance writer – doing environmental impact statements, and as a freelance still photographer.

After he left the law, Arthur wrote dramatic educational film scripts, and won a local Emmy for a documentary, then moved to Hollywood, where he edited more than two dozen films, including Spiderman,  A Simple Plan and The Cooler. He is a member of Sisters in Crime and MWA; and he goes to writing conferences. He has taken a screen writing class John Truby, studied with poet and novelist Jim Krusoe at Santa Monica College.  He took a class with author Kris Neri in mystery writing, and two courses with novelist and short story writer Tod Goldberg at UCLA. He has written five novels: Murder in Concrete (to be published in 2024) Murder in Madrona (currently in revision); and several awaiting care and review: MaBoys Will Be Boys, Mostly (general fiction),  Rough Cut (a thriller). He won the Novel Prize at the Southern California Writer’s Conference in June 2005 for Rough Cut.  His short stories, Some CreatureI Care About, and Backswing, appeared in  Sisters in Crime Anthologies: LAmarked for Murder and Ladies Night. 

Arthur is a member of the Motion Picture Academy and the Foreign Film Committe for which he watches dozens of domestic films and upward of fifty movies from all over the world in order to vote for best foreign film.

 He has traveled and worked in Morroco, Poland, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Canada and France, speaks serviceable French and Italian and watches the French and Italian channels on cable. He learned enough Polish to order tomato soup without rice and enough Swahili to order hot water for a shower when he was on a shoot in a desert encampment in Kenya. Arthur skis, road bikes, and has a pilots’ license. Plays a little classical guitar and can improvise on the piano and Hammond organ. He has a Hammond B2 and a Leslie speaker at home.

He worked as a film editor in Hollywood on more than two dozen features.

His current novel, Murder in Concrete, was picked up by The Wild Rose Press largely due to the sympathetic eye and efforts of his fabulous editor, Dianne Rich of TWRP. She saw the novel’s value from the start and guided him past various hurdles to bring it home. He is currently revising another novel and hoping to publish it in 2025

Invite Arthur to Speak at your Event

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Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction

5*****

Blurb: Kathleen Gray—talented, a little wild, at times rebellious, but always popular—has a fun, easy life in rural Somerset, with a doting family. Suddenly, they are gone, everything is changed, and she has only Uncle Jack. Try as he might, he cannot be father and mother to her—he has a business to run and his own life to manage. Kathleen takes a chance and becomes Kate Westfield, fending for herself in London, with a new life built on her hopes and dreams and new friends. She could hardly have imagined that one of those friends has a shoebox full of answers.

THOUGHTS: This is the perfect sequel to the author’s first book “Secrets, Shame, and a Shoebox”. Actually, it’s more a continuation of the story but from a different point of view. In this one, we’re following Kate (Katherine) instead of Harriet, though their stories are definitely intertwined in ways you can’t imagine. Adopted as a baby, Kate goes through the tragic loss of her family at age fourteen and ends up under the guardianship of her uncle Jack. Unfortunately, his job doesn’t allow him time to have a family, so he sends Kate off to boarding school. Though school isn’t awful, all she thinks is that she’s been abandoned again and she starts to plan her getaway.

Adept at designing clothes, she escapes to London, changes her name from Katherine to Kate, and gets a job at an upscale dress shop. She eventually meets Harriet and the two become fast friends. When her uncle finally finds her, they have a long talk about everything and settle their differences. But there is something strange going on–Kate discovers that young girls often go missing from the fancy club she goes to. When she tries to interfere, she is beaten and warned off.

After recovering, Kate moves on with her life, but she can’t forget what’s happening and she and Harriet come up with ideas to help the less fortunate. Their twenty-first birthdays are coming up – the same day! and both will come into inheritances, which will help with their plans, but life is never that easy for these two young women.

This is an amazing sequel to the first book and definitely worth reading if you’ve read the first–which you really should do, first. And I hope there is more coming for the people in these books.

Definitely recommended.

Review: MURDER-ON-THE-GREEN by Christine Knapp

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Irish setting

4****

Blurb: Shamrocks, scones, secrets, and murder…. By virtue of a lottery windfall, modern nurse midwife Maeve O’Reilly Kensington is taking her sister, Meg, her mom, and some of her mother’s friends from the Hanville Grove senior center, affectionately dubbed the “Ladies of the Lobby,” on a dream holiday to the Emerald Isle. They are welcomed with open arms in Ireland and are instantly captivated by the warmth of the reception and the natural beauty of the landscape. However, the luck of the Irish is not with Maeve when, soon after arrival, she discovers the body of a woman in Ballymoor Green—murdered! Maeve quickly learns that the victim was a relatively recent transplant, somewhat of a recluse, and a thorn in the side of many.  Initially reluctant to get involved, Maeve and Meg soon realize if justice is to be served, it’s up to them to figure out the truth. Spurred on by their lionhearted mother, the pair go to great lengths to whittle down an eclectic list of suspects. Long-buried secrets bubble to the surface, and the M&Ms struggle to bring the guilty party to light. Will the visit be ruined before it even starts? Will the discovery spark an international incident? Will Ireland ever be the same?

THOUGHTS: In this continuation of the Midwife series, Maeve’s mother, Mary Margaret Callahan O’Reilly, wins a big state lottery. Enough to take her entire family and friends to Ireland for a couple weeks to visit family there. Of course things start off badly when Maeve and her sister Meg find a dead body on their first morning and they are faced with dealing with the local constabulary. As they sleuth their way through things, deep secrets are revealed that have been buried for a long time. Also, liked that Maeve got to see how her Irish counterparts worked in midwifery. Nicely done.

I loved the descriptions of where they visit and the family (made me jealous!). The chapter headings in this book have tidbits on Ireland. The only thing missing for me was a glossary on how to pronounce some things. I loved Maeve’s mother and her friends and their sparky spangles. And the food! Yum. Thank goodness the author saw fit to include some of the recipes at the back of the book.

Like the other book in the series, there were slow parts, but also enough fun for me to keep reading. Fall in love with the O’Reilly family and pick this series up.

Recommended.

Review: HOWL PLAY by Melanie Snow

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Paranormal

3***

Blurb: A novice witch. A collie companion. Can this clever duo put noses to the ground to chase down a killer? Sarah Spellwood can’t wait to learn all her powerful ancestor’s magic and repair the reputation of witches. But despite hours of study and her talking dog’s support, she still doubts her spellcasting skill. And she’s about to face a major test when she’s plunged into a battle between good and evil after the enchanted forest’s protective deed is stolen and the town clerk brutally murdered…With the finger pointing at woodland wolves for the fatal mauling, Sarah and her pooch pal vow to help the handsome police officer Eli Strongheart dig up the truth and clear the innocent creatures’ names. But when darkness rises to threaten the unprotected woods and its inhabitants, she’ll need to fight a formidable magical enemy to stop its destruction. Can Sarah save the wolves and recover the deed before Witchland meets a terrible fate? Howl Play is the second book in the sweet Spellwood Witches cozy mystery series. If you like cute flirty romance, discovering one’s true destiny, and love for animals, then you’ll adore Melanie Snow’s barking-ly fun adventure.

THOUGHTS: This is much like the first book in the series – adult issues, but much younger writing. In this one, Sarah and friends are trying to save the town from and evil spirit who wants to bring dark magic to the town. The town clerk is murdered and all the fingers point to a wolf, but Sarah knows a wolf didn’t do this. Or not a real wolf.

Things I liked: the cute-meet between the dog and the real wolf. And the plot line was intriguing. I liked how Sarah stood by her friend.

Things I could have done without: lack of any historical accuracy. The fact that in the first book, she acquired a lynx as her spirit animal, but in this one, she acquires a wolf. Very confusing. The writing dragged at times.

Kind of recommended? It’s a cute story, but the writing needs some sprucing up.

Blurb: Transformation, empowerment, love, and music collide in the captivating novel, Beautiful One.

Elizabeth Ryan is a beautiful but shy, naïve high school senior who has never dated—until she meets Aidan Mitchell, the boy of her dreams. Despite his history of womanizing, Liz is irresistibly drawn to him. Soon, their relationship becomes the talk of the school, and Liz is swept off her feet by the whirlwind of love and excitement, but the dating world is a strange new place for her. As other guys begin to take notice, Aidan’s jealousy grows. Then Elizabeth meets Spencer Hayes, a ruggedly handsome musician who shares her passion for music. Their connection is instant, and Liz begins to struggle with the intense feelings she develops for him. Torn between helping Aidan overcome his jealousy and following her heart, Elizabeth must confront the truth about what she truly wants—and the transformation that love, jealousy, and self-discovery will bring.

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-One-Mary-Cope-ebook/dp/B0C9N29R6S?ref_=ast_author_mpb

Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beautiful-one-mary-cope/1119705617​

Apple Books https://books.apple.com/us/book/beautiful-one/id6450783389​

Target https://www.target.com/p/beautiful-one-by-mary-cope-paperback/-/A-92967940

Bio: Mary Cope is a passionate romance writer known for her ability to craft characters that feel undeniably real. Drawing inspiration from both her personal experience and vivid imagination, Mary’s words resonate with readers. A romantic at heart, Mary believes true intimacy is what love is all about. 

Website: https://www.marycopeauthor.com/

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