Adulting: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet by Haley Cavanagh Book Tour! @SilverDaggerBookTours #AdultingTheUltimateCheatSheet @haleycavanaghbooks

 Don't just drift through adulthood—thrive in it.

Adulting: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet

by Haley Cavanagh

Genre: YA Nonfiction, Coming of Age Self-Help

Embark on a journey to adulting mastery with Adulting: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet. Unlock the secrets to a well-rounded adult life with clear, concise, and invaluable advice on budgeting, cooking, time management, building meaningful relationships, and so much more! This comprehensive guide is your roadmap to taking charge of your life, offering you the tools and wisdom you need to sculpt the life of your dreams.

Adulting: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet offers practical advice and user-friendly tips that will empower you to make the most of every aspect of your life, ensuring that you become the self-reliant, confident, and accomplished person you were always meant to be.

Join author, Haley Cavanagh—military veteran, devoted wife and mother, and award winning author—in waving goodbye to uncertainty and hesitation and embracing the fulfilling life you've envisioned. Don't just drift through adulthood—thrive in it. The future is yours to shape, and this book is your indispensable guide on the journey to living the adult life you truly desire.

**Enter the Goodreads giveaway HERE! Ends 3/15**

Bookbub * Goodreads

Amazon * *AbeBooks * Alibris * B&N * Bookshop.org * CedarFortPublishing * Target * ThriftBooks

 

Don’t Overthink Everything

Don’t spend too much time analyzing or rehashing things in your head.

Overthinking can rob you of the present and create undue stress and anxiety you don’t need. If you find yourself mentally besieged by something

stressing you out, go for a walk to help clear your mind.

 

It’s Okay to Fail

The average young adult goes through five or six career changes before age

thirty. It’s okay if something you’ve dreamt about falls through. Perhaps

you were meant to walk a different path. It doesn’t mean you’re any less

unique or special. It means you’re growing and about to embark on a different journey than you fantasized about as a teen. And that’s okay. It’s a

normal part of life experience.

Failure is a good teacher and a powerful motivator. James Cameron

started as a truck driver, and Harrison Ford was a blue-collar carpenter.

J. K. Rowling was a teacher and single mom on welfare. Adam Driver

got turned down when he first auditioned for the Juilliard School;

he joined the Marines, and two years later, when he reauditioned for

Juilliard, he got in.

 

Learn from Your Mistakes

Inevitably, everyone messes up. Despite how together or entitled people

might act, nobody knows what they’re doing when they first launch into

adulthood. Everyone starts as a fish swimming in the same ocean against

the same current. As the Alanis Morissette song goes, “No one’s really

got it figured out just yet.”17 Making mistakes is essential to learning and

growing, and it’s how we evolve.

Astraeus

The Oceanstone Initiative #1

by Haley Cavanagh

Genre: SciFi Romance

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Bookbub * Goodreads

Retaliation

The Oceanstone Initiative #2

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Bookbub * Goodreads

Haley Cavanagh is a military veteran, wife, and mother. She was awarded the League of Utah Writers 2020 Silver Quill Award for Retaliation, the second novel in her Oceanstone Initiative series. Haley is an alumna of Columbia College, a musical theater nut, and she loves to dive into any book that crosses her path. Haley resides with her family in the United States and enjoys spending time with her husband and children when she’s not writing. She loves to hear from her readers and encourages you to contact her via her website and social media.

You can find her in-person book signing events here:

https://haleycavanaghbooks.com/events/

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Behind the Scenes: Dangerous Indenture (A Historical Mystery-Romance) By Kelli A. Wilkins!

 

www.KelliWilkins.com

This “Behind the Scenes” blog is part of a series examining my romance novels. In each blog, I’ll talk about why I wrote the book, share my thoughts on the plot and/or characters, and reveal what I loved most (or least) about writing the book. Warning: Blogs may contain spoilers.

Hi everyone,

Imagine this scenario: a young woman moves to a new town to work for a family. She is on her own and has to adjust to her employer’s rules while adapting to life in a new environment. After she arrives, she discovers the job isn’t exactly what she thought it would be and realizes she has gotten herself into a troubling situation. All seems lost until she meets a handsome young man…

This premise could be the basis of any number of romances: a Victorian-era story about a governess moving to a remote estate, a contemporary tale about a physical therapist or teacher relocating across the country, or, in the case of my historical romance, Dangerous Indenture, an Irish indentured servant leaving everything behind to start a new life.

Dangerous Indenture is set in Pennsylvania Colony and blends a sensual romance with mystery and suspense. Right from the start, readers (and the heroine, Shauna) are warned about Stewart House: “It’s got more haunts than the Tower of London.” 

Here’s the book summary and links:

DANGEROUS INDENTURE

Indentured for five years… how long can Shauna resist her master’s son?

Desperate to escape her past in Ireland, Shauna Farrow signs on to become an indentured servant to Joshua Stewart, a wealthy man in Pennsylvania Colony. But a life of servitude quickly turns to drudgery, and Shauna’s hopes for starting over and creating a better life for herself are waning—until she meets her master’s roguish son, Ashton. 

Ashton needs to redeem himself in his father’s eyes and earn the respect he has always longed for. Meeting Shauna turns his life around, and he sets out to win her heart. Torn between propriety and passion, Shauna struggles against her growing attraction to Ashton as long as she can. 

But amidst their flirting, something dark stirs. Shauna soon discovers why no other servants wanted to work for the strange Stewart family.

Stewart House has an unsavory reputation: a previous servant died there under mysterious circumstances. When another servant goes missing in the middle of the night, Shauna is convinced that a member of the family is responsible.

Shauna’s investigation leads her close to the truth, and yet, she’s not sure who she can trust. Events take a deadly turn when she confronts the murderer and discovers the mystery of the Stewart family. 

Will Shauna be rescued before time runs out, or will she meet with the same fate as the other servants? 

Available here:

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PJVQ7XJ

All other platforms

https://books2read.com/u/3JyROP 

Read reviews here

https://www.kelliwilkins.com/dangerous-indenture 

***

When I wrote the book, I wanted to evoke a sense of danger and mystery around every corner. This wasn’t going to be a typical romance with the hero and heroine from different classes falling in love and having a forbidden affair. Nope. 

The romance is almost a sub-plot of the book, and when the story begins, finding love is the last thing on Shauna’s mind. She’s more concerned about doing a good job than getting involved with Ashton (even if he is handsome).

I liked creating the incredibly dysfunctional members of the Stewart family. They all have secrets and practically have dual personalities. Joshua (the patriarch) is a big bear of a man who comes across as gruff and insensitive, yet at times can be caring. Colin (Joshua’s son) appears to be a respectable married businessman, but underneath his proper exterior lurks a dark and dangerous manipulator (among other things). 

Colin’s beleaguered wife, Minerva, is mentally unstable and trapped in a terrible marriage. Readers and the other characters in the story aren’t sure if she’s truly mad or not. And she might be a murderess…

Our hero, Ashton Bailey, is flawed and has a lot of problems to overcome. For starters, he’s the black sheep of the family and has been sent home in disgrace. He drinks too much, womanizes too much, and has nearly given up on life. He’s a failure in his father’s eyes and wants to redeem himself, but isn’t sure how. Ashton knows that Stewart House is a terrible place and vows to protect Shauna while she’s working there. 

This cast of characters and their interactions (fighting, name-calling, secrets, and lies) carry the plot. Everyone has an agenda, and readers learn that not everyone is telling the truth… or is exactly what they seem. Ashton wants to become respectable, Colin wants him disowned, Minerva wants Shauna gone, Shauna wants to stay out of trouble, and Joshua just wants some peace. 

Writing the twists and turns of the mystery was a lot of fun. When the new servant, Lila, goes missing in the middle of the night, Shauna is convinced someone in the house killed her. But who? Shauna is a clever amateur sleuth, and when she starts to solve the mystery, she realizes that she’s in danger. 

The book has a “Dark Shadows” feel to it. A mysterious house, a strange family, everyone has secrets… In fact, several of the character names in the book (Colin, Joshua, and Minerva) appeared in the original “Dark Shadows” series.

I hope you enjoyed this look at the making of Dangerous Indenture. I welcome comments and questions from readers. Be sure to follow my blog for the latest updates and visit me on social media. I also made a Facebook page for my historical romances:

https://www.facebook.com/Historical-Romances-by-Kelli-A-Wilkins-1703805359922371/

Happy Reading,

Kelli A. Wilkins

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 20+ romance novels, and 6 mystery/horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror and mystery stories. 

She released The Route 9 Killer, a mystery/thriller set in Central NJ, in early 2023. 

Her paranormal/mystery romance, In Another World, was published in 2022. 

Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and visit her website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list and social media links.

Jasper By Laramie Briscoe Cover Reveal!

 

Title: Raven (Devil Handmaiden's

 MC: Timber Ghost, Montana Chapter, #6) 

Author: D.M. Earl 

Genre: Romantic Suspense MC Romance 

Release Date: April 18, 2024 

Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.

A second chance may hurt worse the next time around...

Funny and vibrant Brenna "Raven" O'Brien has experienced her fair share of pain and loneliness. She's always used humor to hide her true feelings of rejection and loss. Always the jokester, Brenna brings joy to those around her.  Being needed in IT for the Devil's Handmaidens gives her purpose and a sense of belonging.  After being betrayed by the only man she's ever loved, Raven guards her heart from pain at all cost.

But when she comes face to face with the man who destroyed her, everything changes...

Ash Sterling has loved Raven his entire life.  He'd do anything to repair the broken shards of her heart. But Raven's pain runs deep, and her pride won't be crushed again. However, when her sister comes back into her life, and the Handmaiden's realize more danger and darkness loom, Raven knows that Ash is the one man who can help her seek the justice her family needs. When boundaries blur and passion ignites, will the pain of the past subside for both of them to find a future together?  

Kindle Unlimited

AMAZON

Warning: Language

“Darlin’, enough of this bullshit. We need to have a grown-up conversation. Yeah, I know, Brenna, something you’re not used to but ya need to hear me out. So is that gonna happen today or do I need to keep coming here ’cause I don’t have a problem with that. One way or another we are gonna talk, you tell me when.” Before I can say a word, I hear a growl right before Ash is yanked away. 

When I turn I see Avalanche wailing on him. Fuck, Shadow’s Big Bird is going to kill my Ash. Wait he isn’t mine anymore. “Avalanche, no, please let him up. Shit, brother, you’re going to kill him, and he isn’t worth it. Avalanche, please.” He looks up at me then down at Ash, whose face is already swelling.  Avalanche drops his head, all that long beautiful brown hair of his covering his face. Then he lets Ash go and stands up. When he offers Ash his hand, my heart wishes I could fall for Avalanche. He’s one in a million. “Raven, what the hell is going on? I come back here to do a walk by and see this asshole, well cowboy dude, has you pushed up against the cabin. Oh shit, did I interrupt a sexual moment? 

Are you into what do they call it yeah voyeurism? Oh fuck, didn’t mean to intrude, you two. I can get outta of your hair. Sorry, man, not my intention at all.” “Avalanche, shut the hell up. No, you didn’t interrupt a tryst at all. And no I don’t like people to see me having sex for Christ’s sake. This is my ex, who suddenly decided we needed to make nice. Don’t know why, but that’s what he’s trying to sell to me. As I told Ash, I’m not buying it, but he won’t take no for an answer. As you can see by his bloody nose, I tried to explain it first vocally then physically. That’s where we are right now.” 

  Ash has been watching the interaction between Avalanche and me, and the look on his face shocks me. He actually looks hurt. What is that? “Is he the reason we can’t move on, Darlin’? Obviously you did…uhm, moved on. Good for you. Sorry to bother ya. Hope you both have a nice day. No wait, I actually hope it totally sucks cow balls. You have no idea how hard this was for me to come here, Brenna, and you treat me like a piece of shit on your boot. Was gonna try to explain and hoped you at least would listen, but no, not you. Well, you are getting what you wished for, I’m gone.”

D.M. Earl is a U.S.A. Today Bestselling Author who spins stories about real life situations with characters that are authentic, genuine, and sincere. Each of her stories allow the characters to come to life with each turn of the page while they try to find their HEA through much drama and angst. D.M. finds ideas for her next story from within those around her and what she experiences in daily life. Each book has a part of her left behind in it. 

She lives in Northwest Indiana married to her best friend who was instrumental in the start of her writing career in 2014. When not writing D.M. loves to read, play with her seven fur-babies (yeah crazy) and ride her Harley Dyna Lowrider.

“Enjoy this Ride we call Life.” Remember we only get one chance.

AMAZON

The Lady's Proposal for the Laird Blog Tour!

A betrothal bargain With the Highlander from her past. When Susanna Cameron needs to thwart her brothers’ plan to marry her off, she turns to her childhood sweetheart, Laird Rowan Campbell, with a daring proposal—to be her pretend betrothed! In exchange, she’ll help the now-hardened Rowan get revenge on the man who killed his family. The only flaw in Susanna’s plan—their returning attraction!   

A Lady’s Proposal for the Laird

Context: 

In Chapter 1, Susanna Cameron asks Laird Rowan Campbell to pretend to be her betrothed to help her gain some time in discovering what secrets her brothers are hiding from her and why they are suddenly so eager to marry her off. Rowan agrees, but under one condition.

Excerpt from Chapter 2 of A Lady’s Proposal for the Laird:

Rowan lifted his head and met her gaze. ‘To finally have revenge against Audric after four long years—’ he paused ‘—and to have the opportunity to punish him for killing my wife and son during his attack on Argyll Castle and our clan, I can and will do anything. I will hold you to your promise, Susanna. Nothing will stand in my way of finally ending him. Not even you. Do you understand me?’

The hatred in his stare cooled the room, and she froze before she nodded in agreement. She would not begrudge him his revenge. Not after what he had lost that day. Even she was not so heartless, even if the rage emanating from him frightened a small part of her. She had to use it as the weapon it was to gain what she needed: information from her brothers about what secret they held from her and her sister before it fractured them entirely.

‘Say it,’ he ordered, rising to his feet, and walking towards her.

She held her ground as he approached, her pulse beginning its uneven cadence once more. Lifting her chin, she did not yield to him. Not yet. She needed to maintain the power she had over him as long as she could. Otherwise, he would overwhelm her with his sheer will, and she would not allow anything other than an equal share of power in their pact.

‘Say it,’ he ordered again, a pitch lower this time as he stood before her. Desperation and rage duelled in his eyes, and his lips parted. His fingertips skimmed the back of her hand, and her pulse picked up speed. He gripped her wrist, the pressure firm but not hard, eliciting a slow pooling heat to travel through her. He leaned in close to her ear. ‘Say it,’ he whispered.

Her eyes closed and she savoured his touch, the feel of his warm, strong fingers along her skin, the calluses from his labours in the forge gliding along her smooth unblemished flesh. It had been far too long since any man had touched her and somehow even after all these years her body remembered him and longed for his touch as much as she was loath to admit it.

As much as she hated to acknowledge the power he held over her.

‘Aye,’ she whispered, leaning even closer before she could halt the reaction, the heat from his body warming her own. Her lips almost touched the skin along his collarbone. ‘I understand,’ she answered. ‘Nothing will stand in your way.’ Her breath hitched. ‘Not even me.’

Purchase Link 

https://books2read.com/u/mZqWQ5 

Giveaway - Escape to the Scottish Highlands with a Cuppa and a Cow (Open To UK/US/Canada)

Enjoy reading a signed print copy of The Lady's Proposal for the Laird with a beautiful Scottish tea cup and the companionship of an adorable matching Highland Cow made by Tom of Loch Ness designs in Scotland! 

*Terms and Conditions –UK. US & Canada entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  

Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. 

This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Giveaway

 Escape to the Scottish Highlands with a Cuppa sand a Cow 

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In the Shadow of War by Adrienne Chinn Blog Tour!

 

In the Shadow of War

One war may be over, but their fight for survival continues…

 

For sisters Etta, Jessie and Celie Fry, the Great War and the hardships of the years that followed have taken a heavy toll.

Determined to leave her painful past behind her, Etta heads to the bright lights of Hollywood whilst Jessie, determined to train as a doctor and use her skills to help others, is hampered by the men who dominate her profession. On the vast, empty plains of the Canadian prairies, Celie and her small family stand on the brink of losing everything.

As whispers of a new war make their way to each sister, each must face the possibility of the unthinkable happening again…

Purchase Links

https://shorturl.at/adhX5

https://shorturl.at/giHL3

https://shorturl.at/COPZ6

In the Shadow of War by Adrienne Chinn

Excerpt

The following excerpt from In the Shadow of War, takes place in February 1933 in Hollywood, California, where youngest Fry sister, Etta Fry Marinetti, has just had an audition for a part in the latest Marx Brothers movie. She’d moved out to Los Angeles from her mother, Christina’s, house in London to rekindle a romance with an American journalist she’d met in Paris in the 1920s, and pursue a career as an actress, something she’s finding more difficult than she’d anticipated.

Etta steps out of the Paramount Pictures office building and leans against the wall as her heart pounds against her ribs. She takes a deep breath and lights a cigarette. She inhales, savouring the acrid taste of smoke and tobacco, and watches the construction crew hammer and saw the façade of an English manor house into life in the vast yard as a parade of chorus girls and cowboys filters past.

Finally. She’s lost count of the auditions she’s been on since she’d arrived in Hollywood in November. Her mother’s money is running out, and she needs this job, or she’ll have to ask for more, which is a terrible nuisance. She hates to have to blackmail her mother, but, really, what choice does she have? Her mother has money, and she has her mother’s secret. It is an even trade. Damn Paolo Marinetti for contesting Carlo’s will in the Italian courts! He’s made things ever so disagreeable!

She’d never thought it would be so difficult to get noticed in Hollywood. She’d always been so assured of her ability to capture the attention of the less-favoured. But here she is just another girl looking for a break. If anyone finds out she’s almost forty, she’ll be dead in this town. And then what? Back to stultifying teas at her mother’s or painting lemons on Capri? Over her dead body.

She stubs out the cigarette butt under her shoe and waits as a cluster of mounted cowboys passes by. At least things have worked out with CJ. He’d had her worried when she’d first arrived, being so awfully cold and distant. She smiles as she remembers the night she’d finally won him back. It had taken all her wiles, helped by a new silk peignoir from Bullocks Wilshire, and several dry martinis. He’d succumbed, of course. She’d never really doubted that he would. Of course, it had been perfectly natural for him to have been upset about her going back to Carlo all those years ago. But really, how could she not? Carlo was her husband. But, now, Carlo is dead and she has a life to live, and she’s decided she’s going to live it here in Hollywood with CJ.

She opens her handbag and slips out a silver flask. Unscrewing the cap, she takes a deep swallow, shivering as the gin burns its way down her throat.

‘Ah, a kindred spirit. Always thought the olive was a waste of time myself.’

Etta coughs and turns around to see the familiar thick black moustache and eyebrows of Groucho Marx. He pulls a cigar out of his breast pocket. ‘Mind if I don’t smoke?’

‘Yes, no. Uh—’

He stuffs the cigar back into his pocket. ‘Another beautiful girl struck dumb. Is it the moustache or the eyebrows? Or maybe the glasses? Girls don’t make passes at boys who wear glasses.’

Etta screws the top back onto the flask and drops it back into her handbag. ‘I’m terribly sorry, Mr Marx. I know I shouldn’t have—’

‘If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard that, I’d be as rich as Rockefeller.’

Etta laughs. ‘It’s the second time I’ve heard that today.’

‘What? Is somebody stealing my jokes? How dare they!’

Etta glances at her handbag. ‘You won’t tell anyone, will you, Mr Marx? I need this job on your picture. The truth is, I’m awfully nervous. They told me I had to learn to speak like an American now that they’re making talkies or I’d never make it in the pictures.’

‘And they tell me I’m supposed to make people laugh. Harpo says if I keep at it, I might manage it one day.’

Etta giggles. ‘Oh, you always make me laugh, Mr Marx.’

He wiggles his wire-rimmed glasses with his finger. ‘Then my work here is done.’ He heads down the steps. At the bottom he turns around and nods at Etta’s handbag. ‘If you don’t mind me saying, drinking gin like that is a waste of a good martini.’

Adrienne Chinn was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, grew up in Quebec, and eventually made her way to London, England after a career as a journalist. In England she worked as a TV and film researcher before embarking on a career as an interior designer, lecturer, and writer. When not up a ladder or at the computer writing, she often can be found rummaging through flea markets or haggling in the Marrakech souk. Her second novel, The English Wife -- a timeslip story set in World War II England and contemporary Newfoundland -- was published in June 2020 and has become an international bestseller. Her debut novel, The Lost Letter , was published by Avon Books UK in 2019.Love in a Time of War , the first in a series of four books in The Three Fry Sisters series, was published in February 2022. The second in the series, The Paris Sister , was published in February 2023, and the third book in the series, In the Shadow of War, was published in March 2024.

https://www.adrienne-chinn.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/adriennechinnauthor/

https://www.instagram.com/adriennechinn/

https://twitter.com/adriennechinn

Objects of Desire by Valerie Webster Book Tour and Review!

March 11-22, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

It’s August in Baltimore City. Nothing’s hotter - until Rita Mars gets a shocking visit from the police. Her ex-partner is missing and police are relentless in trying to pin her to the disappearance. One cop in particular has made her his crusade to indict. In the meantime, Rita accepts a client who suspects someone is out to destroy the charitable foundation she works for. Rita hires a hacker named Roswell and a cyber game of cat and mouse commences. This is a high-speed chase of a read that will leave you wondering – could it happen here?

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller

Published by: Ignited Ink

Publication Date: November 19, 2023

Number of Pages: 372

ISBN: 9781952347085 (ISBN10: 1952347084)

Series: A Rita Mars Thriller, 2

Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

Prologue

“I ain’t here to clean the house.” The person on the porch blocked the usually sunny opened doorway.

“I’m sorry?” The woman inside the house stood waiting for an answer. She was a tiny person, slim, noticeably agitated by the unexpected break in her routine.

“I brought you something.”

“I have a meeting this morning. I’m afraid I have to get ready. Maybe later.” The woman inside started to close the door, but a booted foot wedged in the frame to stop progress.

A broad hand with thick stubby fingers rested against the door. “Just take a minute.”

The woman inside hesitated, irritated, undecided.

“Promise. A minute.” The boot in the door sill stayed in place.

“Uh, ok. “The woman ran a hand through her hair. “But I really need to finish dressing for my meeting.”

“No problem.” The beefy palm touched the door but did not push. The woman inside opened her house.

The figure outside stepped in, overshadowing the home owner by almost a foot. “Nice house. I always wondered what it was like in here.”

“You have something for me?” asked the woman.

“I do.” The visitor took time surveying the foyer and living room as the two stood by the still open door.

“Can we hurry this up, I need to leave.” A trickle of sweat beaded at her temple. She glanced toward the kitchen where her cell phone lay on the counter.

“Ok, so let’s get you ready to go.” The figure’s paw snagged the woman’s arm and clutched it so that the woman’s sleeve crushed with the pressure.

“Hey, let go.” The woman pulled against the grip but she was no match. “Stop.” She dug her nails into the grasping arm.

“Let’s go upstairs.” The woman was half dragged, half lifted toward her stairwell.

“What is the matter with you? I’m going to call the police.” The woman threw all her weight away from her trapped arm trying to loosen it. “Stop,” she cried. She began to flail with every ounce of strength.

The intruder shook her head. “Now you know you don’t want to do that. We need to get you packed up and ready.”

The woman now grabbed the banister as the intruder strong-armed her up the steps. She could not hold against the brute strength of her attacker who easily drew her upward.

“Gotta suitcase?” The attacker maintained the commanding grip.

The attacker held fast while she went through the woman’s chest of drawers, her closet and bathroom, throwing clothes and toiletries into a small roll-aboard that had been in the bedroom closet. All the while, the impinged victim wrestled, clawed and dug her teeth into the arm that tightened around hers.

The woman screamed again, but the free meaty hand covered her mouth. The attacker drew out a roll of duct tape and secured the woman to a vanity chair. She then took a pillow case and made a gag.

“Get you all set up here,” said the attacker. “You’ll need stuff. Now I know this is a little bit of a surprise for you. But don’t worry, I will take care of you.”

The woman in the vanity chair bowed her head as tears streamed down her face.

“Ok, so we’ve got everything, I think.” The attacker shut and snapped the suitcase closed. “I wanna take that pillow case off your mouth but you need not to scream. You gonna be good?”

The woman nodded and her intruder unknotted the pillowcase.

“Uh, I think I should leave a note,” said the woman.

“I don’t think so.” The intruder had removed the gag, but made no move to release the woman from the vanity chair.

The woman’s eyes roved quickly back and forth as she scoured her brain for an escape plan. “People will wonder where I am and we don’t want them to know, do we?”

“That’s my girl,” said the attacker. “Good idea.”

***

Excerpt from Objects of Desire by Valerie Webster. Copyright 2024 by Valerie Webster. Reproduced with permission from Valerie Webster. All rights reserved.

Valerie Webster is a crime fiction author whose 30+ year career was focused on developing and implementing technology applications for the purpose of criminal surveillance and tracking, information security, crime deterrence and homeland security. She interlaces her work on real cases and policing applications throughout her writing and her storytelling leads you through the shadow worlds of the criminal as well as the crime fighters. She has written two books in the Rita Mars Series: DRIVEN: A RITA MARS THRILLER is her debut novel in the series. Her second book is OBJECTS OF DESIRE: A RITA MARS THRILLER. Valerie makes her home near Boulder, CO.

 Learn more about Valerie and her work at valeriewebster.com

ValerieWebster.com

Goodreads

BookBub - @vwebster

Instagram - @rmarsauthor

Facebook - @RMars4Hire

My Thoughts

“Is something wrong, detective?”

He strode into her personal space.

He thinks I killed her popped into Rita’s head.

“Ms. Mars, I’d like to talk to you about Diane Winter.”

Objects of Desire by Valerie Webster is the second book in the Rita Mars Thriller mystery series. I did read the first one, Driven and enjoyed it, so I wanted to read this book. I was familiar with the characters; Rita is a very determined and strong woman and a PI. She is asked to help solve a financial crime as well as a missing person crime. She was an ex investigated reporter.

In the financial crime Rita is to investigate in missing funds from a charity. What is interesting about this mystery is that the missing person is ex-partner. Each chapter features Rita and Diane and her captor. it is a treat to get to know the abductor, but more important to the story learning more about Diana her relationship with Rita. With each chapter that involves both people, the reader learns a bit more about the victim and her abductor. 

It does make the abductor clear as to what he/she wants from Diana. Can't tell you that because it would ruin things for the readers. I like to be kept in suspense rather than know what happens in a book. 

Rita is knowledgeable about surveillance, which helps her in trying to find Diana. She is well schooled in forensics. These attributes further help Rita in finding out where Diana is and why was she abducted in the first place. Because Rita and Diana's split, Rita becomes a suspect in the case. So, in light of that she still keeps investigating her case because she needs to find her friend at all costs.

I really liked Rita, but I especially liked her mother, who at times was very versed on things but a bit ditsy at the same time. She does like sugar and Oreos. She is kind of a busy body also truly wants to help Rita find Diana.

In the financial crime part of the story, Rita is hired to keep someone from ruining a trusted charity from being destroyed. This is where a lot of her expertise lies, in this case she is kind of undercover to find out who the culprit is. Her best friend Mary Margaret Smooth, and IT wizard Roswell are part of her team to see what they can find out who took the missing funds.

Each character, even the nasty cop who wants to pin both crimes on Rita. As the story goes on the reader learns a lot more about Rita, her mother and even Diana. This book is character driven, which was great. I especially liked the addition of Rita's mother. A formidable and feisty lady who does not mince words. She tells it as she sees it.

Easy to read, without all the wordy stuff that can bog down the story. Ms. Webster is a wonderful author, very knowledgeable in what she writes as far as the police part of the story.  

I enjoyed Driven so I knew that I would like this one. I like stories about strong women. Told in a way that the reader can understand just what is going on in the book. I am giving this book a five star, mainly how the author did a great job in her research in every aspect of the story. 

A book worthy of 5 star's. I hope that this series continues. I voluntarily read and reviewed this eBook. 

I obtained the book from Partners in Crime tours and was not monetarily compensated for the review.

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