A Governess Should Never… Lure a Spy (The Governess Chronicles – Book 4) by Emily Windsor Book Blitz! #emwindsor @emilywindsorwritesregency

 

 A Governess Should Never… Lure a Spy

(The Governess Chronicles – Book 4)

by

Emily Windsor

A Dangerous Spy. An even more Dangerous Governess.

“So tell me, Miss Jones, why should I employ you as governess?”

A question to rouse fear within the breast of any prospective governess, unless…she wasn’t a governess at all.

Yet Amelia must secure this position by whatever means necessary as this gentleman, dubbed The Scandalous Hugh Cadwalader by fashionable society, is not all he seems. Behind the elegant finery and azure eyes is a dangerous warrior of a man, a tenacious spy for the Crown.

One who might just have turned traitor…

“Just one more question, if I may…”

With her perfect references and perfect demureness, Miss Jones appears…perfect.

Feminine guidance and distraction are required for his inquisitive ward while Hugh Cadwalader hunts a traitor in the alleys of London’s Rookery.

But can such perfection be all it seems? And was that a glimpse of golden fire within those amber eyes?

The Dangerous Spy and… The More Dangerous Governess.

One should never judge a governess by her perfectly forged references or a spy by his unblemished Hessian boots, for behind both facades lay passion untamed, subterfuge unbound and a quest for justice.

A battle of wits with only one winner… Love.

With theatres of glister and glamour, nights of shadow and menace, hairpins of poison, and…being pressed to a desk by a shirtless masculine chest, the vocation of governess has never been so perilous – to the heart.

The Scandalous Hugh Cadwalader first features in Book 2 of this series, A Governess Should Never... Deny a Duke. This is his story.

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Regency Romance with Warmth, Wit & Well-tied Cravats.

Emily grew up in the north of England on a diet of historical romance and strong tea.

Unfortunately, you couldn’t study Regency slang, so she did the next best thing and gained a degree in Classics and History instead. This ‘led’ to an eight-year stint in engineering.

Having left city life, she now lives in a dilapidated farmhouse where her days are spent writing, fixing the leaky roof, battling the endless vegetation and finding pictures of well-tied cravats.

More about me can be found at:

https://www.amazon.com/author/emilywindsor

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Leap The Race In on Book 1 by OC Heaton Book Tour! @SilverDaggerBookTours #TheRaceIsOn #99cents @ocheatonauthor @ocheaton

One small step could ruin mankind’s greatest leap...

Leap

The Race In On Book 1

by OC Heaton

Genre

 SciFi Techno Thriller

One small step could ruin mankind’s greatest leap...

November 2003. Brilliant scientist Uma Jakobsdóttir has figured out a way to solve global warming for good. Known as LEAP, the system is capable of providing Earth’s ultimate second chance...until it falls into the wrong hands.

When playboy CEO Samuel Reynolds III snatches LEAP out from under her nose, he adds insult to injury by attempting to destroy Uma. But this is no malicious whim. As the daughter of its creator, Uma enforces the LEAP Laws.

Because of its potentially devastating capabilities, LEAP users must not clone people, revive the dead, or merge minds and species. But in the race to recover her precious piece of tech, Uma is faced with sacrifices that push her resolve to breaking point.

From the frozen wastelands of Iceland, to the leafy suburbs of London and the mean streets of New York City, LEAP is a technothriller that will keep you questioning what it means to be human.

Ready to take the LEAP? Click ‘buy now’ to start reading today!

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I write what I love to read – big issue thrillers that are

 super well researched inside a complex plot full of

 twists and turns.

The result of the above is The Race Is On Series, an idea I had on a trip to Iceland. The first in the series is called LEAP, which tells the tale of a device which has the power to halt global warming. The ensuing race to control the power of this machine will continue throughout the sequel to LEAP which I’m well on my way to completing. It’s called Green Ray and will be published in May 2023.

Just like LEAP, the 2nd book weaves fact with fiction and encompasses events such as the 2009 global financial meltdown, Al Qaeda, a new US President and a cornered CIA; another delightful concoction around which I have constructed another tall, but hopefully credible, tale. Watch this space!

I live in Leeds, UK with the love of my life and our two daughters. It rains a lot in Leeds but that works out well for me – loads of time for research and of course writing!

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

Route 41, South-West Iceland

13 November 2003, 18:43 hours GMT

The doomed four-by-four plumed thick fountains of spray into the darkness as it crawled along the narrow highway to Keflavík International Airport, its bright beams illuminating a hypnotic kaleidoscope of churning rain. The sight made Sally Moltex nauseous. She tried the side window, but it was mirror black, reflecting the Jeep’s night-lit interior back at her. She closed her eyes, willing the vehicle to move faster as a thrill of excitement surged through her at the memory of what they’d seen that afternoon. Almost immediately, it was replaced by a prickle of fear.

Everything screamed hoax: one second, they’d been stood inside the Department of Geothermal Studies, the next, they were in Ethan Rae’s London Town house. They’d gone outside onto a busy Camden Town street thick with traffic. Alone. Ethan had insisted on that. They’d walked to the tube station. Bought a newspaper. Again, Ethan had been insistent. They’d asked someone where they were. And a second person. The third had shouted abuse at Sally; accused her of being an ignorant Yank.

Of not knowing that she was in London. James had eventually intervened in his charming British way, calmed the man down, and they’d returned to Ethan’s office. Twenty minutes later, they were back in Reykjavík. Heads spinning at what they’d seen. Hearts beating with what Ethan had given them.

‘Do you think LEAP’s fake?’ she asked her companion.

James Reagan didn’t reply straight away. Without taking his eyes off the road, he attempted another call to his producer at News 24/7 in London. Nothing. He was going to miss tomorrow’s deadline if he didn’t get through soon. Seven million Saturday viewers was no disaster, but it was well below his Friday average.  

 ‘Nah,’ he said. ‘Ethan wouldn’t risk it. What would he gain by misleading us?’

 ‘That’s what I can’t work out,’ Sally said, tracing her fingers along the cold glass of the passenger window, trying to keep pace with the streaming water.

‘How do you fake what we just saw?’ James said. ‘Besides which, it will do him way more damage if he’s lying.’ 

Sally wasn’t so sure. She liked James. Had known him for twenty years, but he anchored a light entertainment show for a channel that needed content. Lots of content. She, on the other hand, unearthed stories. Real stories that took months to fact check before she allowed them to be broadcast. If they got this wrong, James could blame Ethan, an eccentric billionaire. She would be finished. 

‘I need more time,’ Sally said.

‘Ethan is launching in ten days. With or without us.’

‘You’d broadcast on the strength of what he just showed us?’

‘As of midday tomorrow,’ he said. ‘That’s if we can take off to—

’ 

He never finished his sentence. A loud crack from the rear of the Jeep veered it savagely left. James tried to counter by wrenching the steering hard right, but the small charge had done its job. The Jeep flipped, bleeding fuel from its shattered underbelly as it slithered off Route 41 and onto the lava below.

The dead rock punctured the thin roof, ripping through plastic, metal and cables which sparked into life. Fumes met fire and a blinding explosion boiled into the sheeting rain, as long forgotten lava flows glowed red in approval.

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The Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth by Verlin Darrow Guest Review and Excerpt!

 

The Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth by Verlin Darrow 

Publisher

 The Wild Rose Press (April 8, 2024)

Category Mystery/Suspense, Murder Mystery, Female Amateur Sleuth Tour Dates April 22-May 30, 2024 

ISBN: 978-1509254194 

 Available in Print and ebook, 312 pages

Description Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth by Verlin Darrow

A Buddhist nun returns to her hometown and solves multiple murders while enduring her dysfunctional family. Ivy Lutz leaves her life as a Buddhist nun in Sri Lanka and returns home to northern California when her elderly mother suffers a stroke.

 Her sheltered life is blasted apart by a series of murders, which she attempts to solve with the help of a smitten detective. She understands why someone might want to kill her stepfather, who it turns out to be is a smuggler on the run, but what about her mother?

 Is Ivy’s unstable sister right that she was murdered, too? Ivy struggles to live by her Buddhist principles and employ her mindfulness skills, and discovers they both hinder and help in her search for the truth.

Praise for Verlin Darrow

"I don't know when I've enjoyed a murder mystery more. Between the insightful sarcasm, inside jokes, flat out madcap hilarity and keenly wicked observations, there's literally something to laugh or chuckle about on every page. This is truly a clever, one of a kind book that really turns everything upside down and inside out."-Donna Thompson, Amazon Review

"I loved every page of this and I know that you will too! I highly recommend this to lovers of mystery and suspense novels, or anyone who likes a good novel at all!"-Sally S., Bound 4 Escape

"Almost immediately when I started reading this, I knew that I was going to enjoy it but I didn't know that by the end, it would end up being one of my favorite reads of the year, so far! I loved the narration in this novel. Tom Dashiel's character was so funny and easy to root for. I found myself really wanting him to unravel the mystery at the center of this novel and somehow manage to get out alive."-Nora, Storeybook Reviews

"Murder For Liar,' is a book that just feels new. It feels unlike any other book you've ever read. I truly enjoyed this novel and couldn't put it down once I started reading it! This book was perfection!"-Bee, BookPleasures.com 

"Murder for Liar by Verlin Darrow is a twisty type of murder mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end. Just when you think you have it figured out, something new happens."-Becky, Life As Rog

About Verlin Darrow

Award-winning novelist, Verlin Darrow is currently a psychotherapist who lives with his psychotherapist wife in the woods near Monterey Bay in northern California.

They diagnose each other as necessary. 

He is the author of Blood and Wisdom, Coattail Karma, Prodigy Quest, and Murder For Liar. Two of these won major book awards. Verlin is a former professional volleyball player, country-western singer/songwriter, import store owner, and assistant guru in a small, benign cult. 

Before bowing to the need for higher education, a much younger Verlin ran a punch press in a sheet-metal factory, drove a taxi, worked as a night janitor, shoveled asphalt on a road crew, and installed wood floors.

He barely missed being blown up by Mt. St. Helens, survived the 1985 Mexico City earthquake (8.0), and (so far) he’s successfully weathered his own internal disasters. 

 Website: https://www.verlindarrow.com/

Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth

Guest Review by Laura

“You can nail the son of a bitch,” she managed to gasp.

“Who?” 

“Dennis—Mom's husband. He murdered her. I know he did. She's not dead yet, but he murdered her.” 

'The Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth,' starts out with a bang and just keeps building from there.  I was captivated by this book from the first page, when former Buddhist nun Ivy Lutz returns home after years of living in south Asia to be by her mother's bedside after the woman has had a stroke. Apparently, Ivy's mother had been doing better, but she suddenly took a turn for the worse that left her doctors mystified. 

Ivy's sister, Jan believes that their stepfather, Dennis may have done something to hurt their mother and this belief only gets stronger when their mother dies only minutes after Ivy's arrival. 

Jan tells Ivy that the police won't listen to her and that Ivy needs to investigate Dennis herself. She believes that Ivy's intelligence and her innate ability to sense when people have bad energy will help her discover the truth about Dennis. 

Although she is daunted by the task and still grieving heavily, Ivy agrees to question Dennis. This decision leads her on a road to becoming a sleuth and brings her into working with the police to try and find out what really happened to her mother. Of course, Dennis is actually hiding some things about himself and this causes the whole case to become even more intriguing. 

I have read another of Verlin Darrow's books before and this one was just as great! I love the way he writes and the funny and entertaining protagonists that he creates. I can't wait to see what stories he comes out with next! I can only hope that it will be soon! 

Verlin Darrow Excerpt- The Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth

I called Rick early the following morning. “Is there anything you can share about the ongoing cases? Ray Petrie told me not to bother you, so let me know if this call is a bother.” 

“No bother. I’ve been keeping an eye on both cases. It turns out the so-called other wife is full of it. Oops. Sorry, Ivy.”

“I’m fine with off-color language, Rick. You can even fart and tell dirty jokes if you want.”

He laughed. I’d always liked his laugh, a low rumble. 

“I think I’ll pass. Anyway, Dennis was separated from Maria and had been for years, and they were never married, except by some friend when they were all drunk. There’s no paperwork. The thing is, she’s a nut job all the way around, and the way Dennis dealt with her was to always take her phone calls so she wouldn’t freak out and show up at the house or something. Apparently, your mom knew about her.”

“She did freak out and call the police when he didn’t answer,” I pointed out.

“Yes, which was handy. She about drove Petrie nuts in his interview, though. They were in there for an hour and a half, and mostly I think she talked about her cats.”

“So she doesn’t know anything about his murder?”

“Who knows? She said Dennis used to deal with some nasty types in the past, but he’d been out of the business for years.”

“Nasty types? Criminals?”

“Maybe. I don’t know.”

“What about my mother’s death?”

“They’re still investigating up in the city.”

“Can you tell me more about that?” I needed to find out all I could before Rick clammed up.

“I shouldn’t, but what the hell. The nurse on duty—the guy who was supposed to keep an eye on her—got a phone call and disappeared for twenty minutes shortly before you arrived at the hospital. Pretty convenient, right?”

“Absolutely. Oh, and I just remembered something,” I said hurriedly. “My sister said Dennis’s sister was an administrator at the hospital. That might figure into things.”

“I’ll pass it on, but I’m sure the force up there already knows that. I’m sorry, Ivy, but I shouldn’t even be on the phone right now. You need to deal with Art Petrie on the murder down here. He’s a great cop.”

“Can’t you put me in touch with whoever’s looking into Mom’s death. I think I have some insights gained from talking to Dennis that might help.”

“No, I can’t do that. Sorry.”

“I understand. Are you comfortable telling me a little more about Detective Petrie?” 

“Why?”

“He intrigues me.”

“Intrigues you, huh? Is that Buddhist code for wondering if he’s single?”

“We don’t use codes. We just speak pig latin around Christians. Sometimes we surreptitiously pass notes in the back of classrooms.”

Rick laughed again. “Like us in high school.”

“Exactly. That was proto-Buddhist behavior. I stuck with with it and you didn’t.”

“So is that what you want to know, Ivy—whether he’s single?”

“You detectives are relentless, aren’t you? Yes, I’m interested in his life circumstance. It’s a little embarrassing to admit it.”

“No, I get it. If I were a woman, I’d go for him. He’s a great guy, as well as a great detective. The thing is, he doesn’t hang out in bars with the rest of us or gossip at the water cooler, so I don’t know him all that well.”

“That’s a real thing? Water cooler talk?”

“Absolutely. Water and coffee are the only free perks we get, so we all end up in the break room. I can tell you this about Art. He lost his wife to breast cancer about six years ago and he doesn’t have any kids. Originally, he’s from somewhere like Chicago or Milwaukee. I don’t remember exactly.”

“Thanks, Rick.”

“I’m surprised you’re interested. Isn’t being a nun all about not hooking up with men?”

“My future is full of possibilities.”

“Well, there’s a vague answer if I ever heard one.”

“Thank you. That’s what I was shooting for.”

“In other words, it’s none of my business?”

“Thanks for your help.”

“I get it. Bye, Ivy.”

©Verlin Darrow

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