Hudson Riggs has returned to his family’s ranch after years spent traveling the world. The former Navy SEAL accepted a position as a Personal Security Specialist, a job that didn’t leave much free time. He never expected his visit to his hometown to turn into another job. His former High School flame has been arrested for murder but Hudson’s gut instinct is she didn’t do it. All he has to do now is prove it.
For Sunny Travers, being back in Canyon Springs is bittersweet. She desperately misses her life in California but her grandmother needs her. Sunny’s world flips upside down when she’s arrested for killing the local hero. Now the citizens of Canyon Springs have turned against her and she’s forced to accept help from the man who broke her heart all those years ago.
Hudson knows Sunny hasn’t forgiven him. Hell, he hasn’t forgiven himself for how he left things but all his emotions take a back seat when someone tries to kill Sunny. Can Hudson protect Sunny long enough to apologize to her and right old wrongs or will the killer get to her first?
AUTHOR BIO:
Lori Matthews gravitated toward reading because of her parents’ habit of leaving books all over the house. Her father loved thrillers and her mother loved romance. Lori combines the two and writes romantic suspense. Her work has won or been a finalist more than a dozen times and she was won three Daphne awards for her Callahan Security series, which includes the novels Break and Enter, Smash and Grab, and Hit and Run.
Injured Parole Officer Jeremiah “Jim” Borden never expected Calista Barlow, the sassy blonde waitress he’s craved for months, to ring his doorbell. She slips into his heart—and his bed—but he’s obsessed with a gangland investigation that threatens his career and maybe even his life. Calista doesn’t trust easily, not with a daughter to protect and the stalker who keeps calling her. After her violent ex-boyfriend returns, she finds solace in Jim’s arms. Jim may have to forego his need for answers to protect the ready-made family he adores, but how will he and Calista escape an unseen enemy that is always one step ahead of them?
Character Interview with Jim Borden from Arresting Jeremiah
Do you have a pet? What kind? If you don’t what would you have if you could? I have a cat, Niko. He’s an orange tabby and spoiled rotten. He thinks he owns the house and I live there to serve him. Well, the second part is true. I love that damn cat, and he takes full advantage of me because he knows he can.
Are you an only child? How many siblings do you have? Are you close or are you estranged? I have a younger sister, Mia. We’re fairly close but not as tight as I wish. My job as a parole officer is sometimes dangerous. I want to protect her from the crap I deal with, so I’ve erected a wall between us. The wall is even taller now since our parents have died. I can’t let it bother me. I’ll do whatever I can to keep Mia—and my new ladylove, Calista—out of the crossfire. And yeah, I’ve gotten in more than my fair share of fights with some out-of-control parolees over the years. I know I can be a hardass, but that doesn’t give anyone the right to shoot at me.
Do you own your own home or rent? After my parents died, I inherited their house. Before that, I was paying an outrageous amount in rent, but I loved my old bachelor pad apartment.
Do you exercise or are you a coach potato? I jog around the neighborhood as often as possible, but I’ve slacked off on exercising since I broke my arm. It’s just too difficult with the cast restricting my movement and with the broken bone shooting pain through my body. Of course, that doesn’t stop me from defending Calista against her ex and from getting into fights with drug dealers. I can barely remember what I look like without a bruise darkening my skin.
Have you ever served in the military? No, but I was considering joining the police force. I trashed that idea after I broke the same arm twice. I never really wanted to join, anyway, and I was only going to do it to make Dad proud. Now with my arm not in the best of shape, I doubt I could pass basic training.
What kind of clothes do you wear? I love blazers. Navy blue, pinstripe, solid colors, plaid…whatever. It’s my go-to article of clothing, no matter the weather, and it hides the gun I always wear at my side.
What made you get into the situation you’re in now? Why? Someone in my parole office stole some private files from me and gave them to a few gangbangers, who then went after Mia, her boyfriend, Mason, and me. A lot of crap went down and that should’ve been the end of it, but nope, I couldn’t let bygones be bygones. I needed to know which coworker betrayed me. It was driving me nuts, so I did something very stupid and highly illegal. That mistake landed Calista and me in hot water. Boiling hot, I tell you. Things will get better, though. I have to believe that.
Amber Daulton is the author of the romantic-suspense series Arresting Onyx and several standalone novellas. Her books are published through The Wild Rose Press, Books to Go Now, and Daulton Publishing, and are available in ebook, print on demand, audio, and foreign language formats.
She lives in North Carolina with her husband and demanding cats.
I have three new reviews posted. Actually, that’s not true. Two are posted, one is not. It’s not posted because I gave it one star – something I hate to do and something I won’t post here. But this book was so bad that I just couldn’t recommend it at all. So… a word of advice to authors who go the self-publishing route: Please, please, please… hire a good editor and formatter. The book I read (and no, I will not say what it was. If you are really curious, check out my Goodreads page), was a blatant ripoff of Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None”. Yes, other authors have done this, but not in such an obvious manner as this one. The formatting was awful and the spelling/word misuse proof that it never went past a good editor/proofreader.
The other two books I read this weekend (and this seemed to be my weekend for magic related books):
“Crystal Magic” by Madeline Freeman: a 3 star review only because it ended in a cliffhanger ending (which I detest) and too many characters named “Crystal” (in various spellings). The twist at the end was intriguing but it forces you to buy more books in order to find out what happens and I hate that kind of marketing ploy. But, that being said, it is a decent YA paranormal read. You can find the full review under “YA Books”
“Candle Magic for Beginners” by Mystic Dylan – a 5 star review for this nonfiction book that is all about using candles in spell casting. A decent, easy-to-follow howto book. You can find the full review in “Nonfiction”.
A memoir is a journey through the writer’s past. It is not an autobiography – one’s entire life – but a slice of life.
The trying period since January 1, 2020 makes sense to each of us because we have lived through it. Our reader, on the other hand, needs to make sense of the changes during the period covered by our memoir. The task for us as writers is not only to tell the reader what happened during the Coronovirus period, but to bring them along on the journey so they can experience it for themselves.
The last six months is similar to a number of other critical times in our history — the Kennedy assassination, the landing on the moon, and the 911 attack. Everyone remembers where they were during those times and undoubtedly they will remember what they were doing during the Coronovirus Pandemic. Having written a memoir of your experience will help others understand what you did during this trying period. Creative nonfiction is useful in a memoir as it helps bring scenes alive with enhanced setting and dialogue. Many personal history memoirs succeed because the writer transforms real people into compelling, fleshed-out characters on the page.
During four weeks in May 2020, a number of people attended ZOOM workshops we provided on the story-telling techniques needed to help document a new normal memoir.
We have tried to capture voices from the Pandemic — healthcare workers, educators, people who have experienced loss, writers and entertainers without audiences, and a special group, sixth graders trying to understand why? None of these voices know what the future holds. We don’t either, but we have tried to document where we are now.
We hope you enjoy the stories in this anthology and perhaps better understand what this trying period has meant to many of us.
Don Helin, Editor
Cathy Teets, Publisher
During his time in the military, Don Helin served at a number of stateside posts as well as overseas in Vietnam and Germany. He is the author of six thrillers that draw from his military experience, including three tours in the Pentagon. He writes for “TheBurg”, a community magazine based in Harrisburg.
His novel, Secret Assault, was selected as the Best Suspense/Thriller at the 2015 Indie Book Awards. His novel, Long Walk Home, won a Five Star review at Readers Favorite Awards and his latest novel, Roof of the World, was just awarded a Finalist in the 2020 Indie Book Awards.
Today, we have two new reviews – one on Teresa’s page and one under Mysteries.
Teresa has written an elegant review of The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir by André Leon Talley. This 4 1/2 Sparkler book is all about fashion.
Under Mysteries, I have a review of the book “An Extravagant Death” by Charles Finch. A historical mystery set in Newport, R.I. It’s coming out February, 2021 and is a decent read, especially if you like history mixed in with your mystery. 4 Sparklers
A memoir is a journey through the writer’s past. It is not an autobiography – one’s entire life – but a slice of life.
The trying period since January 1, 2020 makes sense to each of us because we have lived through it. Our reader, on the other hand, needs to make sense of the changes during the period covered by our memoir. The task for us as writers is not only to tell the reader what happened during the Coronovirus period, but to bring them along on the journey so they can experience it for themselves.
The last six months is similar to a number of other critical times in our history — the Kennedy assassination, the landing on the moon, and the 911 attack. Everyone remembers where they were during those times and undoubtedly they will remember what they were doing during the Coronovirus Pandemic. Having written a memoir of your experience will help others understand what you did during this trying period. Creative nonfiction is useful in a memoir as it helps bring scenes alive with enhanced setting and dialogue. Many personal history memoirs succeed because the writer transforms real people into compelling, fleshed-out characters on the page.
During four weeks in May 2020, a number of people attended ZOOM workshops we provided on the story-telling techniques needed to help document a new normal memoir.
We have tried to capture voices from the Pandemic — healthcare workers, educators, people who have experienced loss, writers and entertainers without audiences, and a special group, sixth graders trying to understand why? None of these voices know what the future holds. We don’t either, but we have tried to document where we are now.
We hope you enjoy the stories in this anthology and perhaps better understand what this trying period has meant to many of us.
Don Helin, Editor
Cathy Teets, Publisher
During his time in the military, Don Helin served at a number of stateside posts as well as overseas in Vietnam and Germany. He is the author of six thrillers that draw from his military experience, including three tours in the Pentagon. He writes for “TheBurg”, a community magazine based in Harrisburg.
His novel, Secret Assault, was selected as the Best Suspense/Thriller at the 2015 Indie Book Awards. His novel, Long Walk Home, won a Five Star review at Readers Favorite Awards and his latest novel, Roof of the World, was just awarded a Finalist in the 2020 Indie Book Awards.
I just finished reading “Dance with Death” by Will Thomas. An interesting book that received 4 Sparklers from me.
Thoughts: I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, but I will be looking for them. The story takes place in 1893 London and reminds me—vaguely—of a Sherlock Holmesian type story with two detectives (enquirers). Llewelyn is Watson to Barker’s Sherlock with Llewelyn being the note taker and Barker the enigmatic genius. Though this is not the first book in the series, it is not hard to get to know all the characters and where they fit in the story/series. Though a fictional story, the historical facts about Nicholas were mostly correct. He was related to a lot of European royalty; he did travel to London in this time period; he did marry Alexandra; there was a lot of unrest concerning the Russians, anarchists, socialists, communists, etc. I will note that I found the story slow, and yet I couldn’t put it down because it was fascinating at the same time.
What I liked: the characters of Llewelyn and Barker are fascinating, especially Llewelyn—who is telling the story. The supporting characters are well-done and interesting—especially Hercules, a Black man guarding Nicholas who is forced to wear bizarre clothing ala “genie”. It is noted at the end of the book that this character is actually based on a real person.
What I didn’t like: This was an ARC so I expected some minor editorial gaffs, but there were more than a few which put me off. I assume they’ll be corrected in the final proofread. Also, as noted above, the story was a bit slow to read, but at the same time, I couldn’t put it down.
Recommendation: If you’re looking for a decent historical mystery in the style of Sherlock, I’d definitely pick this one up. Or even start at the beginning of the series so you don’t miss anything and go from there.
I received this from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and thank them for allowing me to read this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ten years ago no one — not even the man who said he loved her — believed Sankofa Lawford’s story of being attacked by a ghost. Ten years later a new ghostly assault brings her back home to a mother going mad, a brother dangling at his wits’ end and a former love wanting a second chance. She’s at a loss what to do because the painful memories of her own attack prove stronger than her desire to heal her family or to find love again. Mitchell Emerson believes science and reason can account for the ghostly happenings at Umoja House. He seeks a rational explanation that will prove him right and hopefully regain Sankofa’s trust and love. Instead what he learns leaves his own beliefs shattered. Now reluctant allies, Mitchell and Sankofa uncover years of lies that threaten to pull them apart until help comes from an unexpected ally: the ghost itself.
Excerpt:
“‘Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities, against spiritual wickedness in high places.’”
Mitchell leaned forward in the chair across from Professor John Mortimer.
“That’s your realm more than mine, John. You’re the philosophy and religion professor.”
His mentor and friend laughed. Mortimer’s jowly cheeks puffed, his bushy gray eyebrows waggled like a Black Santa in a Macy’s Christmas window display. The mid-Century chrome, light wood, and tidy surface of his desk defied the stereotypes of musty books and clutter attributed to eccentric college professors.
Mortimer leaned back, his fingertips steepled. “But it’s why you sought me out, why you’re talking to me about this.”
“Granted, but as I’m not in the camp of biblical literalists, I don’t know how to interpret that verse, John.”
Mortimer smiled seventy years of wisdom on Mitch. “Perhaps you’re more comfortable with Shakespeare? ‘There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophies, Horatio.’”
Mitchell shook his head. “Nope. That’s equally unhelpful.”
“Too metaphysical for your scientific tastes, Mr. Soon-to-be Commissioned Lay Pastor?”
Mitchell rubbed his upper arm. “Too metaphysical for someone who recently just put religion back in their portfolio.”
Mortimer leaned a forearm across the glass top of his desk. “So why don’t we start with the answer you want and work our way back to the truth?”
Mitchell dry scrubbed his face. Could he accept his answer wasn’t the truth? He studied his friend. A scientist and an evangelical believer, John Mortimer was Mitch’s bumblebee: the thing defied all the reasons for why it shouldn’t exist by its very existence.
Author bio and links: Anna M. Taylor is the gothic romance and women’s fiction penname of Anna Taylor Sweringen, a retired United Church of Christ and Presbyterian Church USA minister. She has been writing seriously since joining Romance Writers of America in 2003. Her first published work appeared in 2008 under her inspirational romance penname, Anna Taylor. Her first erotic romance was published in 2016 with The Wild Rose Press as Michal Scott. Her Haunted Harlem contemporary gothic romance series launched in June 2020.
I have two new reviews up in the Romance department. The first is “Undercover Outlaw” by Gini Rifkin – a 4sparkler historical western romance full of all the things you like in that genre with a HEA ending that satisfies.
The second book, “Stroke of Midnight” by K. Webster garnered 3 stars. It is an extremely hot, kinky, romance. The story isn’t bad, but what bothered me was that it is not a complete book. The author stopped the story in the middle – to be continued in the next book. I hate those kinds of books when I don’t know it ahead of time. I got to the end of this one and…nothing. And I wasn’t expecting that. I wanted an ending, not a “to be continued”.
Gigi Jenson, an up-and-coming Broadway star, finds herself in Willow Springs, Vermont, for the summer as director of their first annual community revue. This sleepy town is worlds away from her vibrant and beloved New York City, but the experience she’ll gain will be invaluable to her career.
Jason Simmons has lived in Willow Springs his entire life. Working several jobs while writing music, he yearns for a contract to record his songs. The one chance he had to make it in Nashville he blew due to stage fright.
When Jason volunteers to help Gigi with the revue, sparks ignite but their dreams are taking them in different directions. Could their love for each other guide them to the same path?
Maria Imbalzano is a retired matrimonial lawyer who now writes full time. Instead of drafting motions, legal memoranda, and briefs, although fascinating, she now spends her days creating memorable characters and taking them on their emotional journeys through her contemporary romance novels.
In addition to writing fiction, Maria is on the Friends of Thomas Edison State University Foundation Committee and is still involved with Dress for Success Central Jersey, having been a founding Board member. She also serves on the finance committee for The Present Day Club. She has received the distinguished Family of Edison Award for her work with The Thomas Edison State University Foundation, the Iron Mike Professional Achievement Award from Trenton Catholic Academy and was inducted into the Italian American National Hall of Fame.
Her novel, “Unchained Memories,” won the Wisconsin Romance Writers Write Touch Readers’ Award and the ACRA Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence Award. “Sworn to Forget,” the first of the four-book Sworn Sisters Series was a finalist for the illustrious RONE award as well as the Book Buyers Best Award.
Sparkling Book Reviews 