Friday 29 March 2019

Tasting the Apple by Sherilyn Decter - Blog Tour, Spotlight & Giveaway


When you hear the word Prohibition, images of Flappers, gangsters and jazz. But there was also a lot of mystery in the Roaring 20s. Today we get a chance to see how the ghost of a policeman helps a widow deal with criminal elements.

Author Sherilyn Decter is visiting today to share her latest release, TASTING THE APPLE, the second installment in her Bootleggers’ Chronicles. She also has an exciting giveaway she’s hosting for the tour. Be sure to check it out at the end of the post.

A young widow on the edge. A policeman back from the dead. Together, can they take down the city’s most notorious bootlegger?

          Philadelphia, 1925. With a son to raise and boarders to feed, Maggie Barnes is at her wit’s end. But when a criminal element infiltrates the police force, the single mother puts her cares aside to help. As she tries to dig up dirt on bootlegger mastermind Mickey Duffey, Maggie realizes she can’t take on the case alone…
          Inspector Frank Geyer used to patrol the streets of Philadelphia before Maggie was born. As he attempts to clean up crime from beyond the grave, the spirit uses his Victorian sensibilities to fight back against lawbreakers. But with corruption throughout the police force, can the phantom informant save his city and Maggie’s livelihood?
          With the roof leaking and the lawlessness spiraling, Maggie and Frank have one chance to take down a criminal and prevent the unthinkable…

Check out TASTING THE APPLE on Amazon.

Those readers that aren’t familiar with the author, here’s some background information on her.

The Roaring Twenties and Prohibition were a fantasy land, coming right after the horrors and social upheaval of World War I. Even a century later, it all seems so exotic.

Women got the vote, started working outside the home, and (horrors!) smoked and drank in public places. They even went on unchaperoned dates (gasp)! Corsets were thrown into the back of the closets, and shoes were discovered to be an addictive fashion accessory after hemlines started to rise. And thanks to Prohibition, suddenly it was fashionable to break the law. The music was made in America- ragtime, delta blues, and of course jazz. Cocktails were created to hide the taste of the bathtub gin. Flappers were dancing, beads and fringes flying. Fedoras were tipped. And everyone was riding around in automobiles (aka struggle buggies and I leave it to your imagination why- wink.)

Bootleggers’ Chronicles grew out of that fascination. Writing as Sherilyn Decter, I will eventually have a series of historical crime fiction novels dealing with the bootleggers, gangsters, flappers, and general lawlessness that defined Prohibition. The Bootlegger blog rose out of all the research that I’ve been doing about this incredible era.

Growing up on the prairies and living next to the ocean, I am a creature of endless horizons. Writing allows me to discover what’s just over the next one. My husband and I have three amazing daughters, a spoiled grandson, and two bad dogs.

Sherilyn Decter is enthralled with the flashing flappers and dangerous bootleggers from the Roaring Twenties and Prohibition. Through meticulous research, that lawless era is brought to life. Living in a century-old house, maybe the creaking pipes whisper stories in her ear.

To get the inside skinny on the Bootlegger’s Chronicles, you can reach Sherilyn at the following links:

WEBSITE          FACEBOOK      PINTEREST

GIVEAWAY

Author Sherilyn Decter is giving away an autographed paperback copy of TASTING THE APPLE and INNOCENCE LOST. Click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instruction to enter. If you can’t see the widget, just click HERE.

Thanks for stopping by today. Be sure to comment on the post and enter to win your copy of this intriguing tale. What do you think of when you hear the word Prohibition?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday 26 March 2019

Wildflower Park: Part Three: Oopsy Daisy by Bella Osborne: Blog Tour & Book Review

Today, I am delighted to be part of Bella Osborne's blog tour for her 3rd book in the Wildflower Park series Oopsy Daisy, thanks to Avon Books ...... please check out my review below .....



Wildflower Park - Part Three
Oopsy Daisy
(Wildflower Park Series)
by
Bella Osborne

Escape to Wildflower Park with Part Three of a brand new four-part serial from bestselling author Bella Osborne.
Life’s not always a walk in the park…
When Anna is dumped by her fiancĂ©, she moves in to her own place on the edge of the gorgeous Wildflower Park and pledges to stay off men and focus on her career, but a handsome new colleague seems to thwart her attempts at every turn. And when she receives an accidental text from a mystery man, could it be the new start she needs? Or someone she really shouldn't be falling for?
Anna’s neighbour Sophie is a stressed-out mum-of-two with a third on the way. Her husband is a constant frustration, and their children are a regular source of newly-invented swear words and unidentifiable sticky surfaces.
Luckily, Anna and Sophie have each other – and Wildflower Park proves to be a sanctuary as they map out a path to find the happiness they both deserve…














Oopsy Daisy is the third book in this four part series and follows on from the cliffhanger in part two with Anna's best friend and pregnant neighbour, Sophie, still wondering where her marriage is going and when her hormones will calm down!

This is such a likeable and fun series and it just felt like I was back with two of my friends again, sharing their ups and downs, with plenty of chuckles thrown in.

Anna still visits Bert in the care home, he used to own Maurice, Anna's cat, and I'm enjoying the rapport between them.

Anna is offered a job opportunity but there are complications as nothing is ever straighforward in her life, and she has men falling over themselves for her!  Lucky girl!

The story ended with another cliffhanger and I can't wait to see what happens next in the fourth and final part of this fabulous heart-warming series!

Catch up with this series:
Part One:  Build Me Up Buttercup
Part Two:  A Budding Romance









Saturday 16 March 2019

The Forgotten Secret by Kathleen McGurl - Blog Tour & Book Review

Today, I am thrilled to be a part of Kathleen McGurl's Blog Tour for her new book The Forgotten Secret, thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources ... see my thoughts below .....



A country at war
It’s the summer of 1919 and Ellen O’Brien has her whole life ahead of her. Young, in love and leaving home for her first job, the future seems full of shining possibility. But war is brewing and before long Ellen and everyone around her are swept up by it. As Ireland is torn apart by the turmoil, Ellen finds herself facing the ultimate test of love and loyalty.
And a long-buried secret
A hundred years later and Clare Farrell has inherited a dilapidated old farmhouse in County Meath. Seizing the chance to escape her unhappy marriage she strikes out on her own for the first time, hoping the old building might also provide clues to her family’s shadowy history. As she sets out to put the place – and herself – back to rights, she stumbles across a long-forgotten hiding place, with a clue to a secret that has lain buried for decades.
Purchase Links



The Forgotten Secret is a dual time narrative one hundred years apart and begins in 2016 when we meet Clare in England who has just inherited an old farmhouse in Ireland.  Her husband is a selfish, controlling, manipulative man who has eaten away at her self-esteem over their twenty year marriage and I was cheering her on when she decided to leave him and start a whole new life in Ireland.

In 1919, just as the War of Independence in Ireland was escalating, 18 year old Ellen is also beginning a new life, she's starting a new job as upstairs maid at Carlton House and is in love with Jimmy who's joined the Cause as a volunteer fighting for Ireland's future.  As she looks to a future full of children, Jimmy has his own dreams of a future for a free Ireland.

I must confess that I knew very little about this time in Ireland's history, I grew up in fear of the IRA's bombing spree in England in the 1970's and 80's and didn't particularly want to know then about their cause, or indeed understand it.  But after finishing this I can now understand some of their reasons and beliefs.

Author Kathleen McGurl very cleverly tells us the story from the other side and is very careful not to manipulate the reader as we are shown, in 1919, how the people went undercover, helping the volunteers and what they believed in and how they were prepared to die for their cause.  

Overall, it is also a story of two women who seemed very different at the start but whose lives were both changed by circumstances which made them grow in independence. 

The Forgotten Secret has treachery, secrets and betrayal but also love, compassion and friendship.

With main characters that I cared about, the story is well-paced, painting a picture of Irish life that kept my attention throughout, and I learnt a good deal about their history.

Meet the Author



KATHLEEN MCGURL lives near the sea in Bournemouth, UK, with her husband and elderly tabby cat. She has two sons who are now grown-up and have left home. She began her writing career creating short stories, and sold dozens to women’s magazines in the UK and Australia. Then she got side-tracked onto family history research – which led eventually to writing novels with genealogy themes. She has always been fascinated by the past, and the ways in which the past can influence the present, and enjoys exploring these links in her novels.

Social Media Links –
Twitter: @KathMcGurl  https://twitter.com/KathMcGurl

Check out the other bloggers on the blog tour for more reviews and interesting content


Monday 11 March 2019

Murder Once Removed by S.C. Perkins - Blog Tour Spotlight



Murder Once Removed (An Ancestor Detective Mystery) by S. C. Perkins

 

About the Book




Murder Once Removed (An Ancestor Detective Mystery) 
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Minotaur Books (March 19, 2019) 
Hardcover: 336 pages 
ISBN-10: 1250189039 ISBN-13: 978-1250189035 

Digital ASIN: B07D2BJ2JT 

S.C. Perkins' Murder Once Removed is the captivating first mystery in the Ancestry Detective series, in which Texas genealogist Lucy Lancaster uses her skills to solve murders in both the past and present.

Except for a good taco, genealogist Lucy Lancaster loves nothing more than tracking down her clients’ long-dead ancestors, and her job has never been so exciting as when she discovers a daguerreotype photograph and a journal proving Austin, Texas, billionaire Gus Halloran’s great-great-grandfather was murdered back in 1849. What’s more, Lucy is able to tell Gus who was responsible for his ancestor’s death.
Partly, at least. Using clues from the journal, Lucy narrows the suspects down to two nineteenth-century Texans, one of whom is the ancestor of present-day U.S. senator Daniel Applewhite. But when Gus publicly outs the senator as the descendant of a murderer—with the accidental help of Lucy herself—and her former co-worker is murdered protecting the daguerreotype, Lucy will find that shaking the branches of some family trees proves them to be more twisted and dangerous than she ever thought possible.

About the Author



S.C. Perkins is a fifth-generation Texan who grew up hearing fascinating stories of her ancestry and eating lots of great Tex-Mex, both of which inspired the plot of her debut mystery novel. Murder Once Removed was the winner of the 2017 Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery competition. She resides in Houston and, when she’s not writing or working at her day job, she’s likely outside in the sun, on the beach, or riding horses.

Author Links
www.scperkins.com
www.twitter.com/scperkinswriter o www.instagram.com/scperkinswriter o www.facebook.com/scperkinswriter o www.pinterest.com/scperkinswriter o www.goodreads.com/scperkinswriter 

Purchase links 
IndieBound Amazon Barnes & Noble Books-a-Million 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 


TOUR PARTICIPANTS 

March 5 – The Power of Words – REVIEW, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY 
March 5 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT 
March 6 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
March 6 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – REVIEW* 
March 7 – The Book Diva's Reads – GUEST POST 
March 7 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW 
March 8 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 
March 8 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT 
March 9 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT 
March 9 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT 
March 10 – Nadaness In Motion - SPOTLIGHT, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY 
March 10 – That's What She's Reading – REVIEW* 
March 11 – Carole's Book Corner – SPOTLIGHT 
March 11 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog – REVIEW 
March 11 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST 
March 12 – Valerie's Musings – REVIEW 
March 12 – This is my truth now - REVIEW 
March 13 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT 
March 13 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW 
March 14 – Baroness' Book Trove – REVIEW, RECIPE POST 
March 14 – A Holland Reads – REVIEW* 
March 15 – Here's How It Happened – REVIEW * 
March 15 – Laura`s Interests – SPOTLIGHT 
March 16 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
March 16 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 
March 17 – Reading Is My SuperPower - REVIEW, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY 
March 18 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW* 
March 18 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW





Have you signed up to be a Tour Host? Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!

 

Wednesday 6 March 2019

An Abiding Fire by M.J. Logue - Book Tour & Book Review

Today, I am delighted to be part of M.J. Logue's Blog Tour for her new book An Abiding Fire, thanks to Sapere Books ... see my thoughts below .....



How do you solve a murder when you are one of the suspects?
1664, London
Life should be good for Major Thankful Russell and his new bride, Thomazine. Russell, middle-aged and battle-scarred, isn’t everyone’s idea of the perfect husband for an eligible young woman but the moment Thomazine set eyes on her childhood hero, she knew they were destined for one another.
But Russell, a former Roundhead, now working for the King’s intelligence service, was never going to have a simple life in Restoration London.
Unable to shake suspicions of his Parliamentarian past, someone seems hell-bent on ruining his reputation — and his life.
Whispers about his sister’s violent murder follow him and accusations of treason abound.
When more deaths occur Russell finds himself under suspicion.
He is ready to escape from the capital, but Thomazine is determined to find the truth and clear the name of the man she loves.
But who is the real killer and why are they so keen to frame Russell? More importantly, will they succeed?
And has Thomazine’s quest put them all in mortal danger?


Once I had got used to the quirky style of writing and settled into the book, I really enjoyed this historical mystery from the seventeenth century.

The main characters of Thankful and Thomazine are a delight to get to know, they're amusing, playful, romantic and I loved their sense of humour.  They are such opposites, thoughtful Thankful and tearaway Thomazine!

Though Thankful is not sorry that his murdered sister is dead, she was a cruel, unloving and vicious bitch, his reputation is at stake as rumours persist that he was the killer, and it's up to the newlyweds to discover who the killer is.

If you're looking for a historical mystery with a good dose of romance then this might just be for you!  I found it a totally entertaining read.



About the Author





M. J. Logue (as in cataLOGUE and epiLOGUE and not, ever,
loge, which is apparently a kind of private box in a theatre)
wrote her first short novel on a manual typewriter aged
seven. It wasn’t very good, being about talking horses, but
she made her parents sit through endless readings of it
anyway.
Thirty-something years later she is still writing, although
horses only come into it occasionally these days. Born and
brought up in Lancashire, she moved to Cornwall at the turn
of the century (and has always wanted to write that) and
now lives in a granite cottage with her husband, and son,
five cats, and various itinerant wildlife.
After periods of employment as a tarot reader, complaints
call handler, executive PA, copywriter and civil servant, she
decided to start writing historical fiction about the period of
British history that fascinates her – the 17th century.
Her first series, covering the less than stellar career of a
disreputable troop of Parliamentarian cavalry during the
civil wars, was acclaimed by reviewers as “historical fiction
written with elegance, wit and black humour” – but so many
readers wanted to know whether fierce young lieutenant
Thankful Russell ever did get his Happy Ever After, that the
upcoming series of romantic thrillers for Sapere Books began.
Get in touch with MJ
She can be found on Twitter @Hollie_Babbitt, lurking on the
web at asweetdisorder.com, and posting photos of cake,
cats and extreme embroidery on Instagram as 
asweetdisorder.



Friday 1 March 2019

Innocence Lost by Sherilyn Decter - Blog Tour Spotlight & Giveaway


When you mention the Roaring 20s you can’t help but think of Prohibition and the mystery surrounding it. Today, lets step back in time and see how a widow copes with criminal elements and comes to rely on a ghost from the past.

Author Sherilyn Decter is visiting today to share her latest release, INNOCENCE LOST, the first installment in her Bootleggers’ Chronicles. She also has a fun giveaway she’s hosting for the tour. Be sure to check it out at the end of the post.

In a city of bootleggers and crime, one woman must rely on a long-dead lawman to hunt down justice…
          Philadelphia, 1924. Maggie Barnes doesn't have much left. After the death of her husband, she finds herself all alone to care for her young son and look after their rundown house. As if that weren't bad enough, Prohibition has turned her neighborhood into a bootlegger's playground. To keep the shoddy roof over their heads, she has no choice but to take on boarders with criminal ties…
          When her son's friend disappears, Maggie suspects the worst. And local politicians and police don't seem to have any interest in an investigation. With a child's life on the line, Maggie takes the case and risks angering the enemy living right under her nose…
          Maggie's one advantage may be her oldest tenant: the ghost of a Victorian-era cop. With his help, can she find justice in a lawless city?

          Innocence Lost is the first novel in the Bootleggers' Chronicles, a series of historical fiction tales. If you like headstrong heroines, Prohibition-era criminal underworlds, and a touch of the paranormal, then you'll love Sherilyn Decter’s gripping tale.

Check out INNOCENCE LOST on bookfunnel and the Media Page on the author’s website. INNOCENCE LOST is also available to buy on Amazon.  

The second book in the series, TASTING THE APPLE, is available to pre-order.  


For those unfamiliar with the author, here’s a bit of background on her.

The Roaring Twenties and Prohibition were a fantasy land, coming right after the horrors and social upheaval of World War I. Even a century later, it all seems so exotic.

Women got the vote, started working outside the home, and (horrors!) smoked and drank in public places. They even went on unchaperoned dates (gasp)! Corsets were thrown into the back of the closets, and shoes were discovered to be an addictive fashion accessory after hemlines started to rise. And thanks to Prohibition, suddenly it was fashionable to break the law. The music was made in America- ragtime, delta blues, and of course jazz. Cocktails were created to hide the taste of the bathtub gin. Flappers were dancing, beads and fringes flying. Fedoras were tipped. And everyone was riding around in automobiles (aka struggle buggies and I leave it to your imagination why- wink.)

Bootleggers’ Chronicles grew out of that fascination. Writing as Sherilyn Decter, I will eventually have a series of historical crime fiction novels dealing with the bootleggers, gangsters, flappers, and general lawlessness that defined Prohibition. The Bootlegger blog rose out of all the research that I’ve been doing about this incredible era.

Growing up on the prairies and living next to the ocean, I am a creature of endless horizons. Writing allows me to discover what’s just over the next one. My husband and I have three amazing daughters, a spoiled grandson, and two bad dogs.

Sherilyn Decter is enthralled with the flashing flappers and dangerous bootleggers from the Roaring Twenties and Prohibition. Through meticulous research, that lawless era is brought to life. Living in a century-old house, maybe the creaking pipes whisper stories in her ear.

To get the inside skinny on the Bootlegger’s Chronicles, you can reach Sherilyn at the following links:

WEBSITE          FACEBOOK      PINTEREST


GIVEAWAY
Author Sherilyn Decter is giving away two autographed paperback copies of INNOCENCE LOST. Each of the books comes with a couple of sheets of flapper paper dolls. Click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instruction to enter. If you can’t see the widget, just click HERE.

Thanks for stopping by today. Be sure to comment on the post and enter to win your copy of this tantalizing tale.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



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