Fire and Ice and Little Red Reads are thrilled to host a blog tour and book blitz for book three in the Tuttle Twins series.
The Tuttle Twins and the Creature from Jekyll Island!
by Connor Boyack
What kind of creature can steal from you? Join Ethan and Emily Tuttle in their exciting third adventure, as they uncover the curious mystery of how a powerful creature is stealing their grandparents’ hard-earned savings, and how the twins are also being controlled by the same creature—without even knowing it!
In honor of the classic The Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin, this book introduces children to the history and nature of money, banking, inflation, savings, and bartering in an informative and entertaining format that both educates and excites its young readers!
Connor Boyack is president of Libertas Institute, a public policy think tank in Utah. He is the author of several books on politics and religion, along with hundreds of columns and articles championing individual liberty. His work has been featured on international, national, and local TV, radio, and other forms of media.
A California native and Brigham Young University graduate, Connor currently resides in Lehi, Utah, with his wife and two children.
Elijah Stanfield is owner of Red House Motion Imaging, a media production company in Washington.
A longtime student of Austrian economics, history, and the classical liberal philosophy, Elijah has dedicated much of his time and energy to promoting the ideas of free markets and individual liberty. Some of his more notable works include producing eight videos in support of Ron Paul’s 2012 presidential candidacy. He currently resides in Richland, Washington, with his wife April and their five children.
Book blitz participants will post on November 6, 2015
All hosts will be given an entry of choice in the $100 rafflecopter giveaway and will be sent html for their post. Blog Tour participants will be also sent a PDF of the book for review.
Fire and Ice is thrilled to be today’s stop on the official Silver Eve Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. We have an ewclusive excerpt as well as three giveaways!
Title & Series: SILVER EVE (Guardians of Tarnec #2)
A Healer without home or purpose, seventeen-year-old Evie Carew has found the perfect place to disappear: Rood Marsh. She can easily fade into its vast wilderness of towering reeds; leave behind the growing violence that is claiming her innocent world. Leave behind the tragedy that broke her heart and sent her far from her grandmother, cousin Lark and all she once loved.
But Evie is not alone in the marsh. A seer, a Rider, and Breeders of Chaos all hunt her—for though opposed in objective, her seekers share knowledge she does not: Evie is one of the four Guardians of Tarnec, one who can help save the world from the coming destruction if she can reclaim the stolen amulet of Death. But whether she meets true love or a brutal end on such a journey is a matter of who finds her first.
About Sandra Waugh
Sandra grew up in an old house full of crowded bookshelves, in walking distance of an old library that allowed her to drag home a sack of six books at a time. It goes without saying, then, that she fell in love with the old house in Litchfield County, CT, because of its many bookshelves, and she lives there now with her husband, two sons, and a dog who snores. Loudly.
LARK RISING is her first novel and the first in the GUARDIANS OF TARNEC series. SILVER EVE follows in 2015.
Somewhere it occurred to me that these scattered questions were at last the beginnings of true fear, that this was what fear felt like: worry becoming dread becoming terror. And yet they kept my mind from caving to Healer concerns—that I was parched, and starving, and exhausted—and maybe that was a good thing.
It was nearly dark. The soldiers in their black armor had disappeared into dusk and distance, but I saw six pale streaks coursing over the land. I faced forward again, hissing at myself to stop gauging my chances, and scrambled up a ridge—
It ended abruptly, the ridge. With two stumbling steps and an impromptu leap I hit the other side hard, falling from its edge, grabbing for anything to hold, then dangling with breath knocked out, arms scratched raw. I’d caught an edge of stone, barely. I grabbed at crevices, grunting, tearing skin and nails, worked my way up onto solid ground and huddled at the brim to find my breath, soften the pain. The dogs howled closer. Think, Evie! I had to do something; I had to protect the shell.
The dogs . . . The dogs . . . Brutally loud as they closed in. The only defense I had was that deadly gap. I lifted my head, grim but resolute. I’d lure them, I would. Self-preservation trumped killing, didn’t it? This was defense.
I crawled to my feet, sick with intent, forced myself to wait on the edge of the ridge. A moment later the dogs arrived in a ferocious tangle. Shaking, sore, repulsed, I dragged in a breath and raised my hands above my head to lure their focus so they wouldn’t see the drop. And then they were there, running fast, coming straight at me with double rows of teeth and fangs as long as my fingers, and—
A dissonance of howls and snarls. Some went over the edge, most not, and a failure, all of it. My stomach pitched. I turned and scrambled up a ledge of boulder, hearing the remaining dogs leap the gap. I lunged for the next little ridge, crying out against the pain, anger, and yes, fear—
Then my cry was cut short as a hand covered my mouth and hauled me up hard. A voice against my cheek breathed, “Hush.” Then: “Don’t look.”
About Lark Rising
Title & Series: LARK RISING (Guardians of Tarnec #1)
Lark has foreseen two things—she will fall for a young man with sage green eyes,and he will kill her.
Sixteen-year-old Lark Carew is happiest close to home, tending her garden and gathering herbs for medicines. But when her Sight warns her that monsters called Troths will soon invade her village, Lark is summoned on a journey to seek help from the legendary Riders of Tarnec. Little does she suspect that one of the Riders, Gharain, is the very man who has haunted her visions. Or that the people of Tarnec have called her there for another reason: Lark is the Guardian of Life, the first of four Guardians who must awaken their powers to recover four stolen amulets. Together, the amulets—Life, Death, Dark, and Light—keep the world in Balance. To take back the Life amulet, Lark will have to discover her true inner strength and give in to a love that she swears will be her downfall.
Giveaway Details
1 winner will receive Eve’s necklace and signed hardcovers of LARK RISING & SILVER EVE and bookmarks. US Only.
1 winner will receive a necklace a glass sphere & dandelion thread and signed hardcovers of LARK RISING & SILVER EVE and bookmarks. US Only.
1 winner will receive rain cologne, temporary tattoos, a bookmark, and a signed paperback of LARK RISING and a signed ARC of SILVER EVE. US Only.
I received this book for free from Ensign Peak in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Maybe today the sun came up just like it always does, and you rolled out of bed just like you always do, and you knew it was going to be one of those days. But maybe today could be different. What does your soul need? What do you long for? This path that you are on, where is it taking you? How do you fill your unscheduled moments? Is your heart content? Perhaps you feel as if you are missing something. If you want life to satisfy your soul, you have to start living the soul-satisfying life.
Maybe Today describes five holy patterns that, when lived daily, will lead to the soul-satisfying life.
* Tilt Your Soul
* Let Down Your Bucket
* Tune Your Heart
* Take Off Your Shoes
* Be All In
When life gets heavy or monotonous it is so refreshing to have a book to pick up on a moment’s notice. Maybe Today is filled with beautiful principles about simplifying life, filling your days with meaning and choosing the path less traveled. The design is gorgeous…thick pages with photography, quotes and scripture. I came away with a deeper resolved to lift my view and choose purpose
Salt Lake County, Present Day
Sam Carroll is living life in the fast lane—sleek cars, nice clothes, and lovely ladies have replaced the gospel values he grew up with, and he’s going nowhere fast. But when a serious car accident brings his fun to a screeching halt, Sam is left comatose, aware only of his older brother reading aloud from the hundred-year-old journal of an LDS bishop, Moroni Chadester. As Sam drifts in and out of consciousness, the words begin to take root in his mind.
Alpine, Utah, 1915
Standing on a dusty mountain road, Sam is bewildered. The cars are different. The clothes are different. Where—and when—is he? The answer comes from an impossible source: Bishop Moroni Chadester. Hurtled back in time by forces he can’t understand, Sam finds his memories of modern existence quickly fading as he becomes immersed in a new life and a romance with the town beauty, Laney Williams. But as the pair becomes entangled in a murder mystery, the thrill of courtship is replaced by terror as fate conspires to bring the couple into the path of a killer. Little do they realize that the clock is ticking on more than their lives—Sam can’t stay in the past forever. As danger looms every closer, Sam mush fight to save Laney. but can their love stand the test of time?
About the Author
Lynne Larson is an award-winning teacher and writer with a special interest in western history, particularly as It relates to women. Several of her stories, essays, and articles have appeared in regional magazines, as well as in Latter-day Saint publications.
Her novel, In the Shadow of an Angel, grew from her great regard for the pioneers who put the statue of Moroni on the temple long ago, never realizing the changes that would come as the golden figure watched over their Zion for the next one hundred years. Nor could those early builders fully imagine the generations coming after them, for whom the statue would be a beacon and a guide, millions of people, each with a life to live and a story to tell, and all connected by the angel on the spire.
Fire and Ice is happy to be today’s stop on the official Illusionarium Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar tours. The cover is gorgeous and we loved Entwined also by author Heather Dixon. Here what she has to say about her new book in our exclusive Q&A.
What if the world holds more dangers—and more wonders—than we have ever known? And what if there is more than one world? From Heather Dixon, author of the acclaimed Entwined, comes a brilliantly conceived adventure that sweeps us from the inner workings of our souls to the far reaches of our imaginations.
Jonathan is perfectly ordinary. But then—as every good adventure begins—the king swoops into port, and Jonathan and his father are enlisted to find the cure to a deadly plague. Jonathan discovers that he’s a prodigy at working with a new chemical called fantillium, which creates shared hallucinations—or illusions. And just like that, Jonathan is knocked off his path. Through richly developed parallel worlds, vivid action, a healthy dose of humor, and gorgeous writing, Heather Dixon spins a story that calls to mind The Night Circus and Pixar movies, but is wholly its own.
Exclusive Author Q&A
Tell us about your alternate London and how it’s different from modern day London
Ah! Well, the story takes place in an alternate 1882 London, called Nod’ol. {This is London backwards.} {Really.} The idea is, years ago, the Nod’olian world did something that separated them from our history of London. It could have been political; like rebelling and electing a new king. Or it could have been something else, like settling in the Americas before Spain. Whatever the reason, it split from our world and set them on a diagonal path, and now several hundred years later, it’s become drastically different; there are airships and carnivals and massive, falling-apart buildings. The entire city is encased in a giant glass structure. It’s unlike anything Jonathan—and the reader too, probably—has ever seen.
What books or movies influenced Illusionarium?
A lot of weird ones! Mirrormask was a big influence, as well as Labyrinth. {They both have that same entering-into-an-alternate-world plot, like Illusionarium.} This one will make you laugh, but the Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus was also one. The idea of going into someone’s head—I love that. Dr. Who was another big influence, particularly with the banter between the characters and twisty plot. So as you can see, a lot of bizarre, kind of “cult” movies & shows.
Another huge influence on the book was Terry Pratchett—hence the footnotes throughout the story! He had such a fantastic sense of humor. I would hope Illusionarium was able to channel some of that.
If you could travel to one scene in your plot what would it be?
The scene in Lord Glamwell’s giant library, when the characters are searching through piles and piles of books and simultaneously dodging bullets—that was a real kick to write! I wouldn’t mind seeing that in person. Minus the getting shot in the head part.
I can tell you what scene I wouldn’t want to visit—every scene that takes place in the Arctic aerial city, Fata Morgana. I hate being cold and it is sooooo cold there.
Favorite mad scientists?
I think Tesla is probably the rote answer here. Who doesn’t love that guy? But there are two other fellas who make the list. The first is my dad—he’s an inventor! No, really, he is. Patents hang all over his office wall. He does a lot of stuff with shortwave radio, but you might have an invention of his in your pocket right now. He invented a phosphorus patch for the zip drive {remember those?} to keep counterfeit discs from popping up. Well, the US Government called his company and bought the patent to use in currency & keep people from making fake dollars. We don’t know where, exactly, they’ve integrated it, which is too bad…I’ve always wanted a $5 printing press in my basement. Hahaha.
The other mad scientist of my heart is my dad’s dad—my grandpa. He developed LORAN—Long Range Navigation technology—for submarines during WW2. After that he was a nuclear scientist. He passed away while I was writing Illusionarium, and it still breaks my heart. He was one of the kindest, best people I ever knew. The book is dedicated to him.
Places in the world a time portal would most likely lie.
Ooo…that’s a good question. Automatically I think of places that have withstood the test of time—Prague, Pyramids of Egypt, Great Wall of China, Rome. If we were looking for gateways to alternate worlds—like what you would find in Illusionarium—you’d find doors that were ancient. Catacomb and graveyard entrances, Cathedral doors, arched Roman gateways in stone walls. That kind of thing.
What colors, smells, sites and sounds will we experience in your book?
Illusionarium is a kaleidoscope of sensory stuff, all experienced through Jonathan’s eyes. He visits the capitol city, and is overwhelmed by the smell of smoke and wet brick. Burning fuel. Early on in the book, his glasses break, and so everything he sees is cracked. And since he’s grown up in an aerial city, the first time he steps on the real ground, it surprises him—it’s not like the metal walkways he’s used to; it’s spongy and organic and strange.
Probably the most vivid sensation the reader will experience is breathing fantillium—even though the chemical is dispersed through steam, it’s cold and it freezes the throats and lungs. It’s like inhaling icy spurs. It heightens the senses too—it makes everything much brighter, and sounds louder and clearer, scents overwhelming–making for a pretty gnarly experience.
What Jonathan doesn’t notice with fantillium—at least at first—is that it also deadens the conscience. This becomes a big problem later on.
Top five all time favorite foods
Bacon
Bacon
Bacon
Bacon
Bacon
Seriously, though…bacon 🙂
Book Trailer
About the Author
Heather Dixon grew up in a large family with four brothers and six sisters. She is a storyboard artist as well as a writer, and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Viennese waltz is her dance of choice. She is the author of the novel Entwined.
Welcome to my tour stop for Langston’s Daughters by Juliette Harper. This is an adult contemporary mystery that is also very focused on family, small town and ranch life as well as some clean romance. This is the first in the series. It is appropriate for ages 16+.
The tour runs Feb. 23- March 6 with reviews, author interviews, guest posts and excerpts. Check out the tour page for more information.
About the Book
Langston’s Daughters (The Lockwood Legacy #1) by Juliette Harper
Kate, Jenny, and Mandy. Langston Lockwood’s daughters. His tyranny drove them away. His suicide draws them home. They inherit his land, his millions, and his mysteries. Meet the women of the Rocking L and the men who come into their lives. Together, they begin the journey to discover the truth about The Lockwood Legacy. From the pain of the past they find the strength to build a dynasty.
Family connections and history dominate the world of The Lockwood Legacy books. In the first volume, Langston’s Daughters, patriarch Langston Lockwood isn’t just conspicuous because he takes a Colt .45 to the barn and shoots himself. His presence looms on every page and not in a pleasant way. Langston is a character readers love to hate and struggle to understand. His daughters feel the same way.As the series unfolds, the women work to uncover the details of their father’s past only to discover he led a hidden life. That’s pretty much the focus of the second book, Baxter’s Draw, which came out on February 8, 2015 and a theme that will be more fully developed in the yet-to-be released Alice’s Portrait.
During the character exploration phase of the writing, it just felt right to make Langston the unhappy son of a domineering father, Milton Lockwood. You may not be aware that “Juliette Harper” is the pen name for writing partners Patricia Pauletti and Rana K. Williamson. We’re both talking to you at the moment, but Rana needs to step to the front for a minute.
“It’s important to understand that Milton Lockwood is an old school West Texas ranch man who survived both the Great Depression and the seven-year drought of the 1950s. I can see Milton in my mind almost with greater clarity than I picture Langston. Milton is hard as flint, an uncompromising man glowering out at the world from behind a massive handlebar moustache. He fought the land his whole life. As a father, he thinks he’s preparing Langston to take up that same battle, never realizing – or maybe caring – that his son is a different kind of man.”
The real paternal figure in Langston’s life is Benton Browning, his sweetheart’s grandfather. Benton is a teacher, an intellectual with a consuming passion for books, and a great lover of art and music. Needless to say he’s considered “odd” in the small Texas town where he teaches English at the local high school. (Benton’s name comes up in book two, but readers don’t really get to “meet” him until the third volume.)
For the remainder of Langston’s life, the internalized voices of these two men pull him in opposing directions. There’s no question that Langston makes a series of hard and cruel choices, but as his story comes to light, he pays a tremendous price – as do his wife and daughters.
If there’s any “message” that comes to the forefront here, it’s that families are complicated beasts. Love can and does grow in barren places of the heart. Langston Lockwood’s daughters have to learn to love their father after his death or they can never be reconciled to how he lived his life. This means they also will have to learn about their mother’s “people,” far-flung relatives in Boston they’ve never even met.
We always have a hard time nailing down the genre in which we’re writing, but we love it when readers tells us the family connections feel real to them. As the series continues to play out, we’ll explore both the families into which people are born and the ones they make for themselves. Being a Lockwood isn’t easy. The previous two generations carry heavy loads of bitterness, anger, and hate. The current generation is trying to build something positive from that darker legacy. As writers, we think that says a great deal about the capacity for the human spirit to heal wounds, no matter how old they may be.
About the Author
Juliette Harper is the pen name used by the writing team of
Patricia Pauletti and Rana K. Williamson. Like the characters of their debut series, The Lockwood Legacy, Juliette is a merging of their creative energies.
Pauletti, an Easterner of Italian descent, is an accomplished musician with an eye for art and design. Williamson, a Texan from a long line of hardheaded Scots, knows the world of the Lockwoods like the back of her hand.
“We decided to write under a pen name because neither one of us by ourselves could have created Kate, Jenny, Mandy, and their world,” says Pauletti. “Juliette is a little bit of us both. We want to be her when we grow up.”
“Patti teases me that I just don’t want to own up to writing a book with romance in it,” Williamson adds, “but that’s not true. I like the Lockwood women and the way they tackle everything life throws at them. And before we’re done, they’ll be ducking a lot. I imagine coming into the office every day and saying, ‘Okay Juliette, what’s going to happen now?’ She tells us, and we get it down on paper.”
Fire and Ice is the final stop on the official CHAOS blog tour hosted by Paper Lantern Lit. We have Author Lanie Bross with us today for a guest post.
Can they change their destiny?They kissed only once—and it was electric, like the air before a storm. But Corinthe and Luc broke the rules of the universe, and learned too late that their love would have consequences. In the dizzying aftermath, Luc refuses to accept his destiny—not if it means a life without Corinthe. As a fire rages through the Crossroads that connect worlds, Luc must find a way to turn back time and save Corinthe once and for all.Meanwhile, Luc’s 15-year-old sister Jasmine starts to realize things are not as they seem when time begins stuttering, sending her everyday life in San Francisco spinning into chaos. She’s thrown into the path of Ford, a troubled soul with a secret past, who helps her unravel the mysterious threads that connect them all.
Two breathtaking romances interweave across time in this story of what lies on the other side of Fate, as both Jas and Luc discover the incredible lengths they will go for love.
Tell us about the mythology behind your story and any fairy tales or myths you used.
Its a broader look at fate based out of mythology. Instead of having three sister Fates, there is a group of girls who oversee the general direction of everything in the universe. The Fates aren’t the ones who go out and made sure that destiny unfolds as its meant to be though, that job is up to the Executors. So while there are bits of mythology that inspired the books, its only at its most basic free will verses fate level.
If you could visit a hidden world or fictional place where would it be?
Narnia! I want to open an old wardrobe and step into another world!
Favorite writing music and snacks?
It depends on whether I’m writing contemporary or fantasy. For books like FATES and CHAOS, it has to be “big” music, think movie scores without words. I love chocolate, so mini anythings are pretty nice motivators! Chocolate truffles come out when I’m doing a really good job!
Lanie Bross was born in a small town in Maine, where she spent the next 18 years dreaming of bigger places. After exploring city life, she and her husband and two young sons ended up coming right back to the wilds of Maine where they now live just one house down from where she grew up. Fate, perhaps? She loves chasing around her rambunctious kids, playing tug-o-war with her 95 pound Lab, and writing for Young Adults. Chaos is the sequel to Fates.
Diamond Rings are Deadly Things by Rachelle J. Christensen
Adrielle Pyper knows how to plan a wedding, and she is especially good at pleasing bridezillas. But when her biggest client and best friend is murdered just three days before the wedding, Adri’s world falls apart. She moves to the resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho, and starts from scratch. Thanks to Adri’s impeccable taste and unique style, she lands two celebrity clients, and her business seems headed for success–that is, until someone vandalizes the specialty wedding dresses she imported from overseas. The race is on to uncover a secret hidden within the yards of satin and lace before Adri becomes the next victim. With a delightful blend of mystery, toe-curling kisses, humor, and spine-tingling thrills, Diamond Rings are Deadly Things is a romantic suspense novel that will keep you turning pages long into the night.
“I love Rachelle J. Christensen’s stories and characters, and Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things is another thrilling mystery to add to my collection. Don’t be surprised if you have to stay up all night to finish he book!” ~Rachel Ann Nunes, author of Before I Say Goodbye
Diamond Rings are Deadly Things pulled me right in from the first page and held me captive until the very end. Great characters, a compelling plot, a surprising twist at the end … Rachelle Christensen knows how to craft a great mystery. ~Tristi Pinkston, author of the Secret Sisters Mysteries
A cunningly crafty mystery with just the right mix of romance. Readers won’t be able to get enough of Adrielle Pyper, stunning party-planner turned heroine. ~Nichole Giles, author of Descendant
Excerpt
Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things Excerpt from Chapter 1
“Wait a minute.” Lorea ran her hand along each of the gowns hanging in their individual garment bags. “Please tell me I can’t count.”
“Um, math isn’t my favorite subject either.”
Shaking her head, Lorea began pulling all the packing material from the box.
“What’s wrong?”
“There are only nine dresses.” Her chin trembled slightly as she hurriedly recounted the gowns. “One is missing and I think it might be the one with the beaded hemline.”
My throat felt chalky. “The one Sylvia ordered in case she didn’t like her gown?”
Lorea kept pulling packing material out of the box—long strips of brown paper were strewn across the floor. I dropped to the ground and began digging through the box. Then I stood and recounted the gowns.
“Let’s open up each bag and pull them out. Maybe there are two gowns in the same bag.”
Lorea’s eyes lit up with hope. “That’s probably it.”
Neither of us spoke and the sound of plastic and rustling satin covered the dull roar of blood pumping in my ears. We were working against the clock for Sylvia’s wedding and we couldn’t afford to upset her.
“It’s not here. I can’t believe it,” Lorea cried. “Of all the dresses to go missing, it would be Sylvia’s alternate.”
My imagined conversation with the dressmakers took a drastic turn, but I slowly breathed in and out. “You know what? She’s going to love her first choice. You’ll steer her in the right direction. Maybe convince her it would be bad luck to try on the other dress when the first one was obviously designed for her.”
Lorea’s face had red splotches on it and she blinked her eyes to clear the moisture.
I pointed at the gown with the gaping hole. “Let’s concentrate on one problem at a time. I’ll make some calls. You fix the hole. I know you can work with that diva. I’ll back you up.”
I knelt next to the box and began tossing the packing paper back in, but I froze when I focused on something caught in the tape lining the bottom of the box. Leaning forward, I reached for the tiny pearl. Three more beads were stuck in the corner. “Did any of the other dresses have pearl beading?”
“No, it was just that one.”
“Let’s empty the box completely and see if we can find any more of these beads.”
“Huh?” Lorea studied the bead in my hand and gasped as I picked up the others.
A powdery residue hugged the corners of the cardboard and the packing tape glimmered in the light with the same fine particles.
“What’s this?” Lorea held up a shiny piece of metal.
My skin prickled with goosebumps. “That looks like part of a razor blade.” I closed my eyes, but not before the image of blood trickling down a knife point seared my consciousness. The foreboding sense of discomfort threatening my good mood broke through my dam of positive thinking. A million negative outcomes flowed through my mind and I felt cords of tension tightening my shoulders. Taking a shaky breath, I opened my eyes, commanding myself to stay in the present, and focus on Lorea. “I don’t understand. Do you think our shipment was tampered with?”
Lorea tilted the silver blade. “How fast can you get China on the phone?”
Author Rachelle J. Christensen
Rachelle J. Christensen was born and raised in a small farming town in Idaho. She graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in psychology.
She enjoys singing and songwriting, playing the piano, running, motivational speaking, and of course reading. Rachelle has an amazing husband, five cute kids, three cats, and five chickens.
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Life holds no surprises for Devon Murphy. Her life consists of keeping tabs on her aging Irish father, working part time at a coffee shop, and building her online graphics design business. Devon’s only tricky situation is a shallow relationship with the pampered and affluent Michael Turner, who sees her as just another woman to conquer.
Following his father’s death, Brandon’s only goal is to expand the family business and live life on his own terms. That is, until he walks into the coffee shop one snowy evening and meets the enchanting, red-haired barista behind the counter. But can Devon and Brandon’s attraction for each other be strong enough to help erase their deepest disappointments and renew their faith in God?
Brandon looked over at her neutral expression. Whatever kind of relationship she had with Michael Turner didn’t seem to be making her happy. At that moment, all he wanted to do was to make her forget all about the jerk.
As if sensing him watching her, Devon turned her head enough to make eye contact with him. The faint, milky glow from the streetlight showed enough of her features for him to see a soft blush warm her cheeks. Under her dark lashes, he watched her sea green eyes glint invitingly as her soft lips turned up at the corners. In that moment, his resolve to keep the date on a friendly level came crashing down.
I grew up in Ohio where I currently live with my husband and our two rescue Labradors. Some of my favorite things include reading, shopping, pepperoni pizza, Hershey bars and hanging out with my two grown sons. I also love dogs; so going to the dog park is cheap entertainment for my husband and I!
Growing up an only child, I had many imaginary friends. I believe this – and a love of books – fueled my desire to write. It was many years later that my dream of becoming a published author came true.
I’m grateful to God for always keeping a story in my heart and hope you are blessed and entertained by my book.
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
After years of mysteries, murder, and mayhem, the big day has arrived, and Sadie wants nothing more than for her wedding to Pete to be completely uneventful. When she receives a threatening, anonymous text message just days before the ceremony, she’s determined not to let it interfere with the celebration she has carefully planned for months. But as the threat escalates from a distant fear to a frightening reality, Sadie realizes just how much she’s underestimated the situation. Desperate to put an end to the games, lies, and manipulation that has shadowed her life, Sadie, her fiance, Pete, and her children pull out all the stops. What they don’t know, however, is just how far Sadie’s nemesis is willing to go to make good on the thread she made to Sadie three years ago.
Will the wedding go off without a hitch, or will “’til death do us part” come far too soon? There’s no turning back for anyone in the riveting conclusion to this twelve-volume culinary mystery series.
At the top of the stairs, Shawn knocked on the door and then put his ear against it, listening for any movement on the other side. Sadie was frozen just like Shawn for ten seconds until he pulled back. Shawn knocked again, paused again, and then tried the knob. It didn’t move in his hand. He looked down the stairs and shook his head at Sadie, obviously disappointed. He headed back down the steps and Sadie, in turn, started up them. They met at about the halfway point.
“I’ll play lookout for you,” Shawn said, his expression showing his reluctance to step out of the center ring. “I’ll call your phone with any alerts so make sure you answer it.”
Sadie nodded, then stepped ahead of him and continued up the narrow stairs while wondering where Jane was if she weren’t home. She’d hacked Sadie’s email less than an hour ago, where had she done it from? Or could she have been here when she’d done the hacking and then left in order to execute the next devious plan on her list? What that might be reminded Sadie of everything Jane had already done and the resulting fresh wave of anger helped solidify her motivation for being here.
At the top of the stairs Sadie pulled out her pick set and got to work. Apparently, picking a lock wasn’t as much like riding a bike as one might think; Sadie felt as though she were all thumbs and the summer heat didn’t help as the sun at her back made her increasingly uncomfortable. She finally got the lock on the doorknob undone but then let out a breath of frustration when she realized the deadbolt was engaged as well.
Deadbolts were already the hardest type of lock to pick, but this one was particularly tricky since it was rather old. The pins were either rusted or just stiff—Sadie doubted the landlord changed the locks between tenants, which was simply an unsafe practice, not to mention creating great difficulty for her attempts to break in. She wished she’d thought to grab her WD-40 from home. It wasn’t the best product to use in a lock—it got sticky as it dried and would probably ruin the lock entirely given a few weeks to pick up dirt, dust, and metal shavings from inside the casing—but it would work for the immediate situation and Sadie didn’t keep liquid graphite on hand like she should.
Finally, with sweat dripping from her hairline and down her back, she got the last pin to pull back and the lock opened. She looked down at Shawn as she turned the knob, surprised he hadn’t come up to help her. Not that he knew anything about picking locks, but simply because of the time it took her and the increasing anxiety that each second cost them both. He just nodded and waved her inside.
Sadie pushed the door open on well-oiled hinges—not a squeak or a grind to be heard—and then shut it quickly as she blinked in order to help her eyes adjust to the darkened interior. The mini-blinds had been twisted closed, muting the daylight that could otherwise filter in but also hiding her from anyone who might see her or notice the lights on. She flipped the light switch next to the door and took in the apartment. Calling this a second floor apartment was generous; she would refer to it as an attic space since both walls sloped with the roofline.
About the Author
Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and never stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense. Lemon Tart, the first book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series was a finalist in 2009. Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband, children and super-cute cat.
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The Tuttle Twins and the Creature from Jekyll Island!
