09 December 2022

The Unsolved Case of The Secret Christmas Baby by @authorhannahbyron Book Blitz! #TheUnsolvedCaseofTheSecretChristmasBaby #hannahbyron #XpressoTours⁣ @XpressoTours⁣⁣⁣

 

The Unsolved Case of The Secret Christmas Baby
Hannah Byron


Publication date: December 6th 2022
Genres: Adult, Historical, Mystery

A presumed dead baby who’s just turned fifty, a grieving widow on a mission, a female haberdasher hiding a scandalous secret

The Cotswolds, England, December 1895

Fifty-year-old Imogene Lynch has recently moved to the tight-knit community of Dartmond after her husband passed away.

In the decades of her husband’s job as chief constable of the neighboring Landdulton, the childless Imogene often assisted him in solving seemingly unsolvable crimes. On his deathbed Thaddeus Lynch has one last request to his wife: solve the secret Christmas baby’s mystery.

Overcome by grief, but with the promise as a stamp on her heart, Imogene sets out in her roundabout way to unearth Sir Finley Lowther’s mysterious origins. The first trace leads to Miss Eloise Platt, a well-respected Dartmond shopkeeper.

But when a baby’s skull is dredged up from the bottom of Tiverstock Lake and Miss Eloise confesses to the murder, Mrs Imogene Lynch faces a stalemate. While the Dartmonders squabble over Miss Platt’s fate, the widow-turned-detective worries she’ll never fulfil her promise.

To break through her impasse, she pays a visit to the elderly Lady Lowther in Ridgeview Asylum with far-reaching consequences. For Imogene, the mystery is now solved, but getting Miss Platt to tell the truth is another matter.

With her characteristic quirky style, Mrs Lynch confides in the most unlikely candidate in her arsenal, her landlord, Mr Richard Hopewell. If the mute bookkeeper can shed light on what he witnessed on that fateful Christmas Day in 1845, she has the ally she needs to confront Miss Platt.

After fifty-one years, Constable Thaddeus Lynch’s brown file on the Secret Christmas Baby can be closed for good. With Finley’s adoption mystery solved and Miss Platt redeemed, all Dartmond joins in the merry 1896 Christmas celebrations.

This first book in the Victorian Cozy Mystery Series introduces Mrs Imogene Lynch, a willy-nilly detective who talks too much and eats too little.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

“Now stop whining, Gertie, and just walk slowly down the stairs. Jasper isn’t even 2 stone. You carry heavier sacks of potatoes up the stairs.”

“But I carry the teddies up the stairs, Ma’am, not down. The dog is heavier than a three-year-old babber.”

A three-year-old baby? Have you ever heard of such an exaggeration? One day soon, that maid’s going to do me in. She shuffles down the stairs so slowly, I’m almost losing my balance, and mind you, these stairs are as narrow as a rabbit hole.

“Just hold him steady, will you, or you’ll scare him, and you know what happens then!”

But it’s too late. Jasper whimpers once, and the damage is done.

“Ma’am, he’s wee-weeing all over me dress.”

“Poor darling Jasper, we’ll sort you out downstairs. Don’t squeeze him so tight, Gertie, I told you a dozen times before. It frightens him. And keep moving now. You can change your dress in a minute.”

Dear Lord in Heaven, what is it with this maid? I can’t go through this every time with her and the dog.

When we finally land in one piece on the mat in the tight hallway near the glass-panelled front door, she puts poor Jasper on all fours. He looks up at me with those large, guilt-ridden eyes, but the stricken soul can’t help this. Enough is enough.

“It’s all right, Jasper dear. Gertie, I’ll ask if Neil Fritter wants to earn a little extra pocket money and carry Jasper up and down, all right? We can’t have you change dresses three times a day.”

“That’s gurt lush, Ma’am.”

“Nice of me? Well, it’s all right, Gertie. Now change and wash that dress. I’ll pop into Donald’s fish shop on my way back and see if Neil is available.”

“And I’m sorry for the mess, Ma’am.”

Don’t think that I miss the flicker of hope in Gertie’s grey eyes. Yes, Neil Fritter is a bit of a looker, so she won’t mind seeing him upstairs. I’ll make sure he delivers Jasper at my front door and doesn’t come in. I’m not against romancing, but I’ll not encourage it either in un-betrothed people. That’s not my style.

“Ever since I could hold a pen, I’ve written stories and poems, and I’ll write till my dying day.”

Historical fiction author Hannah Byron's crib stood near the Seine in Paris, but she was raised in the south of Holland by Anglo-Dutch parents. In her bestselling WW2 historical fiction series, The Resistance Girl Series, Hannah's heroines also traipse from one European country to the next, very much like their creator.

Now a retired university lecturer and translator, the European traveler and avid researcher is about to cross a new border and settle down south of Dublin.

What started as curiosity about her family's connection to D-Day, evolved into an out-of-controlish study into WW2 history. To blame, or thank, must be Uncle Tom Naylor. If he'd not landed on the beaches of Normandy and help liberate Holland, her British mother would never have met her Dutch Dad after the war.

Strong women are at the core of her clean and wholesome romance novels. Every book is a tribute to the generations who started the women’s lib movement, got dirty in overalls, flew planes, and did intelligence work. Today’s girl bosses can but stand on the shoulders of these amazons.

Side-by-side with their male counterparts, Byron’s heroines fight for freedom, equality and… love.

In December 2022, Byron will launch her first Historical Mysteries. The Mrs Imogene Lynch Series stars the kind but opinionated Victorian widow of Constable Thaddeus Lynch.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub


GIVEAWAY!

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Pasko Na, My Love, by @ellecruzauthor, @maan_gabriel, Maida Malby @carpediemchronicles, @miahopkinsxoxo, @authorsarahs, and @tifmarcelo Book Blitz! @XpressoTours

 

Pasko Na, My Love: A Holiday Romance Anthology


Publication date: December 6th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

Family, heart, and a Merry Christmas Happily Ever After.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all ‘round Hacienda Luz bustled in celebration of Natividad Luz Moore’s 100th birthday.

A Filipino American woman of courage, strength, and heart, Lola Naty has touched the lives of many. Celebrities and politicians make merry, fine dresses and barong Tagalogs shimmer, and food and drink flow freely. And it’s all to honor family, tradition, and the very essence of that thing called love.

While Filipino ballads fill the chilly Northern California air, hearts throb and passions ignite as seven remarkable couples find love in all the right—or wrong—places.

**

From acclaimed and bestselling Filipino American authors—Elle Cruz, Maan Gabriel, Maida Malby, Mia Hopkins, Sarah Smith, and Tif Marcelo—comes Pasko Na, My Love, a holiday romance collection that is sure to warm your heart and uplift your Christmas spirit.

  • Volcanic Love by Elle Cruz
  • My Only Love by Maan Gabriel
  • So It’s You by Maida Malby
  • Illicit by Mia Hopkins
  • Last Minute by Sarah Smith
  • The Deal by Tif Marcelo

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Google Play / Kobo

Volcanic Love by Elle Cruz

Sophie is a thirty-year-old with a wildly successful sex podcast. She has secretly been in love with Travis, her older brother’s best friend, for years. A mistake from the past tears them apart. Sparks fly when they when they see each other five years later during her grandmother’s one-hundredth birthday celebration. Sophie will have to put aside her insecurities to win back Travis’s heart so she can finally have the happily ever after she’s always dreamed of.

My Only Love by Maan Gabriel

He’s on his way to the White House. She’s fighting for women’s rights on the streets of DC.

Ten years ago, Drew and Angelica broke off their engagement while in law school. They both attribute their failed relationship to young love and ambition. But when Drew begs Angelica to attend his grandmother’s 100th birthday and pretend for one week that they are back together, sparks fly between them. Is it pretend when the feelings from the past never truly went away?

The thing is, Angelica doesn’t want to be Senator Hizon’s number one. Selfish as it may seem, she wants to be his only one – his only love.

So It’s You by Maida Malby

Vida and her maternal grandmother, Naty Moore, share a special bond—the same birthday on Christmas Eve, fifty years apart. This year, Lola Naty will celebrate her 100th birthday, and Vida plans to do everything to make sure her grand party goes off without a hitch. Even if that includes hiding the identity of the man she’s dating.

Rafa Balmaseda fell for Vida long before he became her grandmother’s physician. Ten years younger than her, he chafes at being kept a secret. When he pushes for a deeper commitment, will Vida continue to deny his role in her life? Or will she finally admit that they belong together?

Illicit by Mia Hopkins

Event planner Eden Rosales and Catholic priest Nick Salgado reunite at Hacienda Luz and settle a score fourteen years in the making.

Last Minute by Sarah Smith

Twenty-eight-year-old Ruby is in charge of catering the 100th birthday party of her grandmother. As the baby of her family, Ruby has grown up in the shadow of her older, more successful cousins, so she’s determined for her catered dinner to go off without a hitch. But when her head chef calls out with food poisoning the day of the party and sends chef Mason Waller as her replacement, Ruby is pissed. She’s loathed Mason ever since he screwed her over in culinary school five years ago. There’s still plenty of fire between these two … in more ways than one.

The Deal by Tif Marcelo

Prodigal cousin Oliver Moore returns to Hacienda Luz to attend Lola Naty’s hundredth year birthday party only to find out that he’s not on the guest list from divorcée event planner Norah Sha. In catching him as he tries to break in, she feels sorry for him and makes a deal to sneak him in, both discovering Christmas can still bring forgiveness and new love.

Authors

Elle Cruz is an author of contemporary romance. She has a bachelor’s degree in English and doctoral degree in nursing. By day she works in the medical field, but at night she is writing swoon-worthy stories perfect for all the hopeless romantics out there. In addition to being an author, Elle is active in the writing community and loves to mentor and give advice to new authors. She has a supportive husband and two amazing children.

Maan Gabriel is a mom, wife, dreamer, writer, and advocate for women’s stories in literature. She earned her BA in communications from St. Scholastica’s College in Manila and MPS in public relations and corporate communications from Georgetown University. She has lived in Manila, Brussels, Dakar, and Mexico City. During the day, she works in strategic communications. Gabriel, along with her husband and son, currently calls suburban Washington, D.C. home.

Filipino American author Maida Malby cooks up foodie, multicultural, and contemporary destination romance stories filled with heat, sizzle, spice, and a whole lotta love. She is a member of select writing groups and romance book clubs. Her To-Be-Read Mountain and book reviews are featured on her website maidamalby.com. Readers can also find her on Lone Star Literary Life via her regular Texas Reads Romance column.

Mia Hopkins writes lush romances starring fun, sexy characters who love to get down and dirty. Her award-winning books have been featured by many publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today and Entertainment Weekly. She lives in Los Angeles with her family. For more information, please visit www.miahopkinsauthor.com or connect with her on social media @miahopkinsxoxo.

Sarah Smith is a copywriter-turned-author who wants to make the world a lovelier place, one kissing story at a time. Her love of romance began when she was eight and she discovered her auntie's stash of romance novels. She's been hooked ever since. When she's not writing, you can find her hiking, eating chocolate, and perfecting her lumpia recipe.


Tif Marcelo is a veteran US Army nurse and holds a BS in Nursing and a Master’s in public administration. She believes and writes about the strength of families, the endurance of friendship, heartfelt romances, and is inspired daily by her own military hero husband and four children. She hosts The Stories to Love Podcast, and is the USA Today bestselling author of In a Book Club Far Away, Once Upon a Sunset, The Key to Happily Ever After, which was a Target Diverse Book Club pick, The Holiday Switch, and the Heart Resort and Journey to the Heart series. She and her books have been featured in The Today Show, Shondaland, Real Simple Magazine, The Asian Journal and more!

GIVEAWAY!

$100 Amazon gift card

 a Rafflecopter giveaway


Release Blitz Stranded with the One By Darby Blake!

Title: Stranded with the One 

Author: Darby Blake 

Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Christmas Themed 

Release Date: December 6, 2022 

Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.



Holly Saint and Christian Lane grew up together and were best friends until he fell in love with someone else. Now, years later they find themselves stranded—both trying to get back to their hometown for Christmas, that’s if Jack Frost will allow them.

AMAZON | APPLE BOOKS | NOOK | KOBO |

Tweet: 🎄RELEASE BLITZ🎄Stranded with the One By Darby Blake Grab this Christmas Themed Novella Today @Amazon http://bit.ly/3H2I4kr #BAPpr #ContemporaryRomance #ChristmasNovella


Darby Blake is a pen name for New York Times Bestselling Author Heidi McLaughlin. Darby’s first novel, EVERYTHING WE ARE, co-written with her best friend, is due to be released in June 2022. Learn more about Darby by visiting darbyblake.com

Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/darbyblakenewsletter 

Website: https://darbyblake.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darbyblakeauthor 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darbyblakeauthor/


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Queen of the Underworld by @felicityheaton Book Blitz! #felicityheaton #QueenoftheUnderworld #XpressoTours @XpressoTours⁣⁣

 

Queen of the Underworld
Felicity Heaton


(A Guardians of Hades Series Prequel)
Publication date: January 31st 2023
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Hades, the wickedly dark god-king of the Underworld, needs a queen…

And he’s chosen Persephone.

All Persephone has ever desired is control of her own life, and someone noticing her once in a while. Kept in her mother’s shadow, and overlooked by the entirety of Olympus, her dream seems impossible… and now she’s doomed to wed a dull god of her mother’s choosing…

Until she crosses paths with a handsome, dark warrior who rouses wildfire heat in her veins—a male whose immense power is unmistakable, and who matches the fearful tales whispered in Olympus—stories of a cruel, heartless king who rules his realm of death with an iron fist.

When Hades abducts her and imprisons her in the depths of the Underworld, a dormant part of her awakens. And as she slowly discovers the truth about him, Persephone isn’t sure whether the snarling, dark beast of a king is her doom… or her saviour… but she knows one thing…

She will embrace the fire he awakens in her with every heated glance, and every vicious growl.

And use it to tame him and forge her dreams into reality.

Because, Persephone, the quiet, gentle goddess of nature, desires a king.

And nothing will stop her from claiming his black heart.

Queen of the Underworld is a forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers paranormal romance novel retelling the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, and a prequel in my Guardians of Hades series. In the vein of an adult beauty and the beast, it features a grumpy-sunshine pairing that will steal your heart, with a secretly cinnamon roll hero and a secretly fiery heroine, and a powerful forever kind of love. All Guardians of Hades books have no cliffhangers, a guaranteed happily ever after, and some strong language.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order


I'm a NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY and International Best-Selling Author writing passionate paranormal romance books and series for adults.

I love to create detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! All of them alpha as you would expect in paranormal romance, and every book with a guaranteed HAPPILY FOREVER AFTER!


 

Sign up to my newsletter for exclusive sneak previews, freebies, special offers and more! (copy / paste link into your browser):

http://bit.ly/FH-VIPS

Fans of paranormal romance books by authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter, Larissa Ione, Kresley Cole and Christine Feehan will love my books too.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok / Youtube / Facebook / Bookbub



08 December 2022

Delaware Before the Railroads: A Diamond Among the States by Dave Tabler Spotlight Book Tour! #iReadBookTours #authors #giveaway @davetabler @acornsireadbooktours@laurenireadbooktours


 

Book Title:  Delaware Before the Railroads: A Diamond Among the States by Dave Tabler
Category: Adult Non-Fiction, 100 pages
Genre: American History, Colonial
Publisher: Dave Tabler
Publication Date: Nov 2022
Tour dates: Nov 25 to Dec 16
Content Rating: G. None needed. Works for all audiences.

"Tabler debuts with a visual feast introducing readers to the First State before the golden age of the railroad. Drawing on photographs of locations, reconstructions, and historical objects, together with brief captions and rigorous notes, Tabler weaves a rich tapestry of industry, politics, and faith. He organizes the photographs roughly chronologically, tracking Delaware’s development from Swedish settlers to American independence, and dedicates space to images that reflect Delaware’s Native American history, as well as tracing the impact that enslaved people had on the state’s historical development." Booklife

"If you think you know Delaware, think again. Pirates? Quakers fighting with Pennsylvania? Towns so ugly no one would settle there? With stunning pictures and straightforward storytelling, Dave Tabler opens hidden passages and describes defining moments in this founding American colony. Telling this small state's story gives you a sense of the big picture in American history. Enjoy this fresh look at Delaware through Dave Tabler's eyes." -- Wendy Welch, author The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap
 
"Whether discussing the colored spear tips that showed the community if a person had been found guilty or not, to the stones that identified the Mason-Dixon Line, Dave Tabler's book on colonial Delaware offers the reader a smorgasbord of interesting stories and photos of its early years. This is another book to add to collections about the beginnings of our country." -
- Sheila Ingle, winner, South Carolina Daughters of the American Revolution Historical Preservation Award for four of her young reader novels about South Carolina heroines during the Revolutionary War
 
"Thoroughly researched and well-written, Delaware before the Railroads offers a glimpse into the past through a present lens. Respected historian Dave Tabler utilizes colorful and intriguing photographs to tell Delaware's foundational stories." 
-- Jan Loveday Dickens, Tennessee author and educator
 
"Dave Tabler's impeccable research and clearly written descriptives tell a truthful and provocative story for anyone interested in the subject or doing research for other works covering the same period. The colorful and informative photographs tell the story of not only Colonial Delaware residents from 1638-1832 but our American forefathers in general. We learn about every aspect of their way of life during the most critical time of our country's history." 
-- Lisa Soland, author, and senior editor of Climbing Angel Publishing

"Dave Tabler has crafted a concise and fascinating photographic account of early Delaware. "Delaware Before The Railroads" is definitely a book that should be in the collection of anyone interested not only in the history of Delaware but also in the history of colonial America." -- Steve Gilly, "Stories, A History of Appalachia" podcast
 
"Beautifully illustrated and presented in a unique format, 'Delaware Before the Railroads' is an easy and informative read-sure to appeal to Early American and Delaware history buffs." -
-Amelia E. Miller, Tennessee author and historian

"Tabler's purpose, indeed, his mission, is to create a tribute to the culture and history of Delaware before the coming of the railroad. Consequently, he not only rediscovers the past, he also preserves and celebrates it with a montage of vivid images and an insightful narrative.-- Gary Carden, author, storyteller, playwright
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Delaware before the railroads arrived in 1832 was hotly contested real estate. Circle back to 1610 for a ride that takes you through culture clashes, colonization, revolution and beyond.
Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ B&N
Indiebound ~ BookShop 
add to goodreads

Ten year old Dave Tabler decided he was going to read the 'R' volume from the family's World Book Encyclopedia set over summer vacation. He never made it from beginning to end. He did, however, become interested in Norman Rockwell, rare-earth elements, and Run for the Roses.

Tabler's father encouraged him to try his hand at taking pictures with the family camera. With visions of Rockwell dancing in his head, Tabler press-ganged his younger brother into wearing a straw hat and sitting next to a stream barefoot with a homemade fishing pole in his hand. The resulting image was terrible.

Dave Tabler went on to earn degrees in art history and photojournalism despite being told he needed a 'Plan B.'

Fresh out of college, Tabler contributed the photography for "The Illustrated History of American Civil War Relics," which taught him how to work with museum curators, collectors, and white cotton gloves. He met a man in the Shenandoah Valley who played the musical saw, a Knoxville fellow who specialized in collecting barbed wire, and Tom Dickey, brother of the man who wrote 'Deliverance.'

In 2006 Tabler circled back to these earlier encounters with Appalachian culture as an idea for a blog. AppalachianHistory.net today reaches 375,000 readers a year.

Dave Tabler moved to Delaware in 2010 and became smitten with its rich past. He no longer copies Norman Rockwell, but his experience working with curators and collectors came in handy when he got the urge to photograph a love letter to Delaware's early heritage.

connect with the author: website ~ twitter facebook ~ pinterest instagram goodreads

DELAWARE BEFORE THE RAILROADS Spotlight Book Tour Giveaway



Fearless: Connor & Ronni by Kaylene Winter Blog Tour! #XpressoTours @XpressoTours

 

Fearless: Connor & Ronni
Kaylene Winter


Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

A Steamy, Feminist, Protective Irish Hero Rockstar Romance

“Family is everything, I protect mine with my life…”
Connor McLoughlin had it all, a great family, a college scholarship and music.
Tragedy forced him to grow up too fast.
When his life finally is on track, Ronni Miller appears like a dream.
Kindred spirits in the most unlikely of circumstances.
There’s only one thing in the way— her dark past he’s determined to protect her from.

Will Connor’s protective instincts drive Ronni away for good?

“When your innocence is stolen, trust is a precious gift…”
Actress Ronni Miller tasted fame at a young age.
Her path to stardom was riddled with tragedy.
She never imagined falling for Connor McLoughlin, a rogue, Irish rock star.
The thing is? Ronni’s got revenge on her mind.
Regardless of the risk or the consequences— Or losing the one thing in her life that makes her feel alive.
Connor has only ever asked Ronni for one thing: her heart.
She risks losing the man who would do anything for her.

What happens when Ronni’s bravery is couched in lies?

When your future has been tainted by innocence lost, learning to trust is an uphill battle.

For Connor & Ronni, the fight for true love is FEARLESS.

The Connor & Ronni Duet:

Goodreads / Amazon

Sun streams through the filmy blinds when I wake up.


My mouth is incredibly dry. I reach for my bottle of pineapple Hint water on the nightstand. Drink what’s left and set the empty down. A couple of yawns later, I pat the bed next to me.


Empty.


It’s a devastating pattern. Missing time with my husband. My family. Then again, my work schedule is mostly to blame. The past couple of weeks, I’ve crawled into bed hours after Connor and he’s up long before me to take care of the boys.


I pad across the plush carpet to the bathroom. Pee. Pull on joggers and my favorite old LTZ sweatshirt and head down the hallway. I hear little giggles and Connor’s deep voice coming from the nursery. I lean against the doorway and watch for a minute. My husband is beaming at Torin and Tristan, who are standing on their own. Assisted by the denim sofa they both cling to in order to keep themselves upright.


“Wow, they’re both standing.” I cross the room to sit next to Connor, who’s freshly showered and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. My boys squeal when they see me and fling themselves into my arms. I smother them with snuggles and kisses.


He pulls me and the boys to him. “Morning, love. I let you sleep in; it seemed like you needed it.”


Tristan plops himself in my lap. Mama’s boy through and through. I smooth his reddish-brown wisps around his ears. “They’re at such a critical age. I feel like I miss something every day.”


“It’s temporary. I’m happy to step up,” he reassures me. I know he’s trying to be supportive, but it doesn’t make me feel any better.


Connor plucks Torin up and sets him next to his brother. Then stands and strides to the door. “Why don’t you spend some quality time with them this morning? I’ll go check to see if Yolanda has their breakfast ready.”


“Stay.” It comes out shriller than I’d intended.


He stops and turns. “Okay.” He closes the door behind him, pads back over and crouches so he’s at my level. “What’s up?”


“Nothing. I just miss my family. And my life’s about to get busier.” I kiss the tops of my boys’ heads. 


Connor drops to the ground opposite me and encloses us all with his long legs. “You’ve worked ridiculously hard to get here. Once you see these projects through, they’ll be plenty of time to reassess. All of this was in motion before you got pregnant.”


When she was only 15, Kaylene Winter wrote her first rocker romance novel starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends. After living her own rockstar life as a band manager, music promoter and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990’s, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television and music online. Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to be a published author. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and dog. She loves to travel, throw lavish dinner parties and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


GIVEAWAY!

  • A signed personalized copy of the Fearless & Fearless-Encore Duetduet

a Rafflecopter giveaway


The First State by @TshekediWallace Spotlight Tour! @iReadBookTours #iReadBookTours #authors #giveaway @laurenireadbooktours

 



Book Title:  THE FIRST STATE  (The Judgment series Book 1) by Tshekedi Wallace
CategoryAdult Fiction (18+), 237 pages
GenreThriller
Publisher: Review Tales Publishing & Editing Services
Publication Date: August 18, 2022.
Content Rating: G 
Book Description:

England is run by the dictator and tyrant Gregory Christopher in the year 2079 from London Metropolitan state. He is crushing the citizens will by enforcing unfair laws using his statesmen, and he has used the police and his alpha hunters to put fear in the people’s hearts. Kofi Achebe and the urban fist revolution factions are fighting the evil head statesman and the men he uses to inflict pain on those who go against him as he continues to rule over the masses. The battle between the state police, unified security services, and the urban fist militia starts to become brutal and gruesome as the mad leader slowly begins to tighten his grip. He knows that he must keep the citizens in line so he can continue to rule. Slowly the despot leader begins to feel that his power is being challenged to the point where he must make the people suffer. Kofi and the urban fist militia leader Trevor Brown know that they must fight to break free of the statesmen’s evil regime and destroy the system they created once and for all. The final war in London Metropolitan becomes a fight to the death that will decide the fate of many citizens.
Buy the Book:
Amazon

Tshekedi Wallace is named after Tshekedi the Great, the King of the Bamangwato of Botswana. In keeping with his namesake, Tshekedi Wallace, who was born in Leeds, is a committed advocate for freedom due to his upbringing. He was born into a well-known family of struggle heroes who fought for the liberation of their people. He grew up listening to vigorous debates about politics, history, and issues of the day mostly discussed at the dinner table. This has given him an enduring love for history, literature, art, and politics. Although he likes to read books across all kinds of genres, he has a special love for science fiction, thrillers, poetry, and non-fiction. In his spare time, he avidly follows what’s happening in movies. He loves music from all cultures and is steeped in African culture in all its manifestations, particularly in the Caribbean and the Americas. In his spare time, he writes poetry.

connect with the author: twitter ~ instagram

FIRST STATE SPOTLIGHT Book Tour Giveaway



The Watson Letters Volume 6: The Haunting of Roderick Usher Book Tour!

 


The Watson Letters Volume 6: The Haunting of Roderick Usher

An invitation. A ghostly spectre. A criminal mastermind.

When Sherlock Holmes is invited to visit an old school friend, he and Doctor Watson are plunged into the first of three adventures involving the Dark Arts and the supernatural. From the ghostly spectre of a dead sister to the search for an ancient book of spells, the detecting duo learn that each case is connected, leading them into a final showdown with their deadliest adversary yet.

Adult humour throughout.

Purchase Link - https://geni.us/dymvutk

Extract from: The Watson Letters Volume 6: The Haunting of Roderick Usher by Colin Garrow

Following an invitation to visit Sherlock’s old school chum, Roderick Usher, Holmes and Watson travel by train to the village of Clovenhoof, where they are dropped off at the lane leading to the House of Usher. Setting off towards the house, the pair begin to experience a sense of despair.

Doctor Watson’s Diary.

‘I have to say, Watson,’ muttered Holmes as we advanced towards the house, ‘a certain feeling of trepidation has come upon me about this place.’

‘The geography does have a sense of gloom about it,’ I said, gazing around. ‘But I expect your chum will make us feel welcome.’

Gradually, the house itself came into view and I discerned a drabness to it that reflected the state of the surrounding area. It may indeed have at one time been a truly grand edifice, but its best days were behind it. As we drew nearer, I could make out a few details—carved into each of the pillars at the main door, were a series of hideous gargoyles and other mythical creatures, their repugnant features doing nothing to allay the growing feeling of melancholy that seemed to engulf the place.

Eventually, we advanced to the great door and Holmes raised the goblin-like face of its massive iron knocker. Letting the thing go, it made a terrific clatter that gave me a start and must surely have echoed throughout the house.

Nevertheless, if was a minute or two before we heard footsteps approach.

The door opened and standing there before us was a tall man with a face etched in pain. Dark sunken eyes glowed in the increasing darkness and his downturned mouth did little to brighten an unhappy outlook.

‘Ah, Holmes,’ he said, in a deep baritone voice. ‘How overjoyed I am to see you at last.’ He grasped my companion’s hand in his and shook it vigorously. Then, turning to me, he muttered, ‘And the infamous Doctor Watson. How wonderful to meet you. I am a fervent fan of your fascinating tales.’

I shook the man’s hand, wondering which ‘fascinating tales’ he might be talking about.

Our host stepped back and said, ‘Please, come into our humble abode.’

He clumped off like a small elephant wearing pit boots. We followed him into a vast hall where he took our coats and waved us into what I found to be a well-stocked library.

Seating myself next to Holmes on one of several dusty sofas, I marvelled at the range of reading matter on display. There were volumes on every subject under the sun, from alchemy and modern science to vampirism and sexual abnormalities. Usher stood before us, hands clasped, as if waiting to deliver some pre-planned homily.

‘Dinner will be served at eight, gentlemen, and then, if you will permit, I shall tell you a little of our lives here.’

‘Jolly good,’ said Holmes with more enthusiasm than I would have expected.

‘And will your sister be joining us, Mr Usher?’ said I, eager to meet the mysterious sibling.

‘Alas, Doctor, Madelaine’s condition has deteriorated since my recent missive, and she is now confined to bed.’

‘Oh, I’m so sorry,’ I said. ‘Perhaps, might I examine her?’

‘I think not, Doctor,’ he said, then with a forced smile, added, ‘Perhaps I could interest you in an aperitif?’

We thought this a good idea and Usher disappeared back into the hall.

‘Jolly rum place, this,’ I said to Holmes. ‘I’d rather share a house with Moriarty. At least he has a sense of humour.’

‘Yes, Roddy does appear to have altered a little since we last met.’

We sat on a sofa that looked out onto the front aspect. Though the day had darkened considerably, there was no mistaking the figure of a woman walking past the windows, her pale face and staring eyes turned towards us.

‘I say, Holmes,’ I whispered, in case Usher happened to be listening at the door, ‘d’you think that’s the sister?’

‘Hardly likely, Watson, not if she’s ill in bed. Probably one of the servants out for a walk.’

This seemed a reasonable assumption, if a little odd, but I couldn’t help thinking Roderick Usher’s sister would prove to be even more of a weirdo than her brother.

Unfortunately, I was right.

True-born Geordie Colin Garrow grew up in a former mining town in Northumberland and has worked in a plethora of professions including taxi driver, antiques dealer, drama facilitator, theatre director and fish processor. He has also occasionally masqueraded as a pirate. Colin’s published books include the Watson Letters series, the Terry Bell Mysteries and the Rosie Robson Murder Mysteries. His short stories have appeared in several literary mags, including SN Review, Flash Fiction Magazine, The Grind, A3 Review, Inkapture and Scribble Magazine. These days he lives in a humble cottage in Northeast Scotland.

Website (Adults) https://colingarrow.org/

Website (Children) https://colingarrowbooks.com/

The Watson Letters https://thewatsonletters.com/

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B014Z5DZD4

Twitter https://twitter.com/colingarrow

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/colingarrow

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/colingarrowthewriter

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/colin-garrow






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