A Story to Kill by Lynn Cahoon - #review #giveaway

Former English professor Cat Latimer is back in Colorado, hosting writers’ retreats in the big blue Victorian she’s inherited, much to her surprise, from none other than her carousing ex-husband! Now it’s an authors’ getaway—but Cat won’t let anyone get away with murder…

The bed-and-breakfast is open for business, and bestselling author Tom Cook is among its first guests. Cat doesn’t know why he came all the way from New York, but she’s glad to have him among the quirkier—and far less famous—attendees.

Cat's high-school sweetheart, Seth, who's fixing up the weathered home, brings on mixed emotions for Cat ... some of them a little overpowering.  But it's her uncle, the local police chief, whom she'll call for help when there is a surprise ending for Tom Cook in his cozy guest room.  Will a killer have the last word on the new life Cat has barely begun?

Upcoming Blog Series on Virtual Book Tours!

Three times a week in October and early November 2016, I will be having a blog series featuring tips from a variety of experts who have participated in numerous blog tours in the past.

• Mondays will feature Authors
• Wednesdays will feature Book Bloggers/Reviewers
• Fridays will feature Virtual Book Tour Operators!

At the end of 2013, I 'rediscovered' reading for my own pleasure.  For years before that, most of my reading had either been to/with my children or for a class.  I also discovered these things called "Reading Challenges".  And about that time, I switched from considering myself a 'mommy blogger' to a 'book blogger'.

Of course, the next thing I came across was a phenomenon called a 'virtual book tour'.  An author will contract with a tour operator to line up a number of book bloggers to participate in a series of reviews, guest posts, author interviews and the like.  Blogger-reviewers are provided with a copy of the book (paper or ebook) to review and agree to post on their assigned day.  Authors get potentially a lot of exposure for their new works in a relatively brief period of time.

So, this series is my way of 'deconstructing' a virtual book tour to see what makes it tick.  There will be a lot of good information coming your way starting in a little over a month.  Y'all are definitely invited to follow the series and leave comments for the featured guest in each installment!

I'm also sharing today with:

  

Death of a Wolfman by Susan Boles - #review #giveaway

Lily Gayle Lambert is a professional seamstress specializing in period dresses for convention attendees and re-enactment groups along with being an amateur genealogist. And a big pain in the butt to the county sheriff…who just happens to be her cousin.

Quicker than she can stitch together the threads of a genealogy project she’s just signed on to research, Lily Gayle finds herself embroiled in investigating the Halloween night murder of a stranger who suffers from ‘wolfman syndrome’. Before she can even get going good on the first murder a member of a prominent family turns up dead too.

Escaping from a trailer in the woods owned by two good ole boys suspected of being involved and a confrontation with the eldest son of the town’s wealthiest family have Lily Gayle hot on the trail of the killer.

With the help of her lifelong best friend, Dixie, Lily Gayle must find the link between the two and solve the mystery before her investigation makes her the next target.

Cracked to Death by Cheryl Hollon - #review #giveaway

When a treasure hunt leads to deadly plunder, it’s up to glass shop owner Savannah Webb and her trusty investigative posse to map out the true motives of a killer . . .

It’s the dog days of summer in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Webb’s Glass Shop proprietor Savannah Webb has an eco-friendly plan to help locals escape the heat–a recyclable bottle-crafting workshop taught by reticent store manager Amanda Blake. Turns out, the class is a bigger smash than expected, thanks in part to a pair of staggeringly old bottles brought in by snorkeler Martin Lane . . .

Linked to a storied pirate shipwreck, the relics definitely pique Savannah’s interest. But intrigue turns to shock when Martin’s lifeless body washes ashore the next morning, another glass artifact tucked in his dive bag. With cell phone records connecting Amanda to the drowning, Savannah must voyage through unchartered territory to exonerate her colleague and capture the twisted criminal behind Martin’s death . . .

Sacred Legacy by Kat Flannery - #review #giveaway

Desperate to escape the memories that haunt her, Tsura Harris returns to Jamestown, the very place her mother forbade her to go. A gifted Chuvani, Tsura has sworn off all magick, thus making her vulnerable to the Renoldi clan, who wish to kill her and take the pendant that is the key to her power. 

Red Wolf is hell-bent on living his life on the sea, until he runs into Tsura on the docks. His pride wounded from her rejection years before, he hoped to never see her again. But when the evil Corsair, Romulus Black, demands to know where she is, Red Wolf must protect her, as is his duty.

But is duty and honor his only reason, or does Red Wolf still carry a flame of love in his heart? And will Tsura finally discover her destiny?

The Black Thumb by Frankie Bow - #review #giveaway

When a violent death disrupts the monthly meeting of the Pua Kala Garden society, Professor Molly Barda has no intention of playing amateur detective. But Molly’s not just a witness-the victim is Molly’s house guest and grad-school frenemy. And Molly quickly finds to her dismay that her interest in the murder of the stylish and self-centered Melanie Polewski is more than just…academic.

Murder at the Mansion by Janet Finsilver - #review #giveaway

Fortunes, fineries, and foul play . . .

It’s whale-watching season in Redwood Cove, and B&B manager Kelly Jackson’s battening down the hatches for the tourist rush at Redwood Heights—a Victorian-style estate owned by her boss. And due to recent jewelry thefts, her duties include keeping track of the many dust-covered artifacts spread throughout the property. But when Kelly finds Sylvia Porter’s lifeless body, menial tasks don’t seem so terrible. Enlisting the help of a ragtag group of brainy retirees, aka the “Silver Sentinels,” Kelly’s on the hunt for clues hidden behind the mansion’s glamorous façade. . .and for a killer who may want to make history of her next!