Jury Duty is Murder by Kate Damon Blurb Blitz!

 JURY DUTY IS MURDER

Kate Damon

Cozy Mystery

The verdict is in; a famed athlete is headed for prison. The jurors have done their job and are free to go back to their lives.

But after being sequestered for four months, life as some knew it no longer exists.

HAROLD ASHMAN’s house is almost destroyed by a careless driver. Exotic dancer, CEECEE LAINE, discovers that her boyfriend is two-timing her, and she no longer has a job. Actor ALEX MANNING learns his career is down the tubes, and 72-year-old, HELEN RYDER, discovers her family is plotting to put her in an old folks home.

Then things take a turn for the worse. When former jurors start dropping like flies, CeeCee, Helen, Harold, and Alex are convinced there’s a killer on the loose. Now the feuding foursome must find him before he kills them—or before they save him the trouble by killing each other.

 

While Helen kept the salesman occupied, we untied the rope that the CHP officer helped tie. Nervous, I glanced around. Sweat poured down my temples. My mouth felt dry. Any moment, I expected a black and white to come shooting toward us, sirens blaring. Only Helen and the salesman were inside the roped off area and they both had their backs toward us. A trailer truck marked Mattress Sale in big bold letters hid us from the street. Mattresses were piled high, creating a barrier between us and the furniture store behind us. After making sure that no one could see us and no security cameras were present, we reached into the bed of Harold’s truck and grabbed hold of Carter. Lifting him by the ankles, I was surprised at how cold he felt given

the hot day, how heavy. By the time we laid him out on top of the most expensive mattress we could find, we were both out of breath.

When Kate Damon is not writing, she and her husband enjoy RVing, spending time with family and friends, raising Monarch butterflies, and playing a wicked game of bridge.

Writing as Margaret Brownley, she has published more than 40 novels and is a New York Times bestselling author. Known for her memorable characters and humor, she is a two-time Romance Writers of America Rita finalist.

Not counting the book she wrote in sixth grade, and the puzzle of the missing socks, this is her first mystery.

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First Drive by A Seph Vermillion Western Adventure Book 1 by David Fitz-Gerald Book tour! #FirstDrive @authordavefitzgerald @SilverDaggerBookTours

Grab your hat, step into your boots, and strap 

on those spurs. 

Your cow pony is saddled up and ready to ride

 the trail from 

San Antonio to Abilene.

First Drive

A Seph Vermillion Western Adventure Book 1

by David Fitz-Gerald

Genre

 Historical Western Adventure Fiction

Grab your hat, step into your boots, and strap on those spurs. Your cow pony is saddled up and ready to ride the trail from San Antonio to Abilene.

Seph Vermillion grew up dirt poor. As long as he can remember, he's been pushing a plow and arguing with a mule. A couple of times a year, a trio of bandits ravage the family farm and make off with their savings.

Pa never returned home after the war. Seph's siblings have been gone so long, he doesn't remember what they look like. When Ma dies after a long illness, Seph trades the family farm for a horse named Sheriff. The kid next door tells Seph about the Deatherage Longhorn Cattle Ranch. The allure of adventure beckons. They partner up and hit the trail. Lacking skills, they are the last cowboys hired and agree to work for half pay.

The outfit's top hand, Stoke Moreland, pranks, taunts, and threatens Seph. Why does the seasoned cowboy seem intent on driving him off? Seph doesn't know much about self-defense, but he is tired of being a victim and feeling violated. How long can he turn the other cheek?

The trail is fraught with hazards from perilous river crossings to the mother of all stampedes. When they realize they're being tracked, followed, and hunted, a growing sense of doom overwhelms the fledgling outfit of cowboys who are still wet behind the ears. The outlaws that plagued Seph's past have followed them and they are determined to take the herd. Their plan is simple: pit the cowboys against each other, pick them off one by one, and stampede the beeves.

Since they left San Antonio, the drovers have looked forward to whooping it up at the end of the trail. That was before somebody began killing cowboys. Now, Abilene seems like an impossible dream. Will anybody make it to the end of the trail?

Grab your slicker, fetch your bedroll, and swing up into the saddle. Sign on with the Dagger D, Angry R brand—First Drive is calling your name.

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**Get the freebie prequel 

Farewell to Poesta Creek here!**

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** And look out on the horizon for book 2 riding in soon! **

Dead Heat

Coming May 2025

PreOrder Here!

David Fitz-Gerald writes westerns and historical fiction. He is the author of twelve books, including the brand-new series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail set in 1850. Dave is a multiple Laramie Award, first place, best in category winner; a Blue Ribbon Chanticleerian; a member of Western Writers of America; and a member of the Historical Novel Society.

Alpine landscapes and flashy horses always catch Dave’s eye and turn his head. He is also an Adirondack 46-er, which means that he has hiked to the summit of the range’s highest peaks. As a mountaineer, he’s happiest at an elevation of over four thousand feet above sea level.

Dave is a lifelong fan of western fiction, landscapes, movies, and music. It should be no surprise that Dave delights in placing memorable characters on treacherous trails, mountain tops, and on the backs of wild horses

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April 23, 1868

The sharp crack of gunfire sliced through the air, jolting Seph Vermillion from a daydream. He sat up tall in the saddle. The skin on his forearms prickled. A familiar punch detonated in his gut. That blast in his belly signaled danger.

His ear twitched, and he blinked rapidly.

The first shot was followed by several more, each one closer than the first.

Seph glanced down at the buttstock of his rifle. His father called the Hawken Uncle Yves, but Seph never knew his grandfather's brother—or why his father had named it after his long-departed uncle. He considered drawing the gun from its scabbard.

His heart thundered in his chest. He glanced at his partner, Slaw. The look on his friend's face mirrored his own sense of dread.

They had hoped to avoid trouble on their journey to San Antonio.

The sound of pounding hooves on the trail behind them grew to a rumbling thunder. With an urgent nod, Slaw signaled a detour off the trail.

Seph dug his heels into the side of his claybank dun, a fast horse named Sheriff, and dropped the lead rope on his pack mule. Immediately, Seph was on the heels of his partner's horse, a dapple-gray called Win, short for Winter.

Dirt chunked from Win's hooves, pelting Seph. Seph hunched over Sheriff's neck and squinted, hoping to keep the gravel from stinging his eyes.

As they raced across rugged terrain, Seph spared a glance over his shoulder. Dread coiled in his belly at the sight of three familiar figures in hot pursuit. The approaching riders hooted, hollered, and howled.

These weren't random bandits. Seph knew these skunks all too well. He couldn't count the times they had raided the Vermillion family farm. They'd gallop into the barnyard, help themselves to whatever they wanted and ride away, heckling and cajoling. Seph was always left to deal with the aftermath.

But this time was different. Seph was no longer a helpless victim. Never again, Seph told himself. He gritted his teeth, urging Sheriff onward. Determination flowed through his limbs, and Sheriff lengthened his strides.

He was thrilled to own a horse that loved to run.

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The Moldy Orange Bandage: Playbooks and Short Stories by Lirio Blanco Show Book Tour! @SilverDaggerBookTours#TheMoldyOrangeBandage @lirioblancoshow

 

As much as we may love our families and friends, they possess the ability to drive us crazy!

The Moldy Orange Bandage:

Playbooks and Short Stories

by Lirio Blanco Show

Genre

 Literary Fiction

As much as we may love our families and friends, they possess the ability to drive us crazy!

In this pair of theatrical playbooks (with a few short stories as an added bonus), two family-friendly plays for tweens and up showcase two different dramas.

In The Moldy Oranges, married life between an American husband and his Latin immigrant wife never proves dull . . . especially when the mother-in-law lives under the same roof. And then, when their trusted neighbor requests a mysterious brown bag be hidden in their closet, it provides the trigger for family secrets, suspicion, and intrigue. What is in the brown bag? A diary? Stolen jewelry? A secret detonator for a kitchen stove, perhaps?

Based on the events of Atlanta's 2014 ice storm, a group of middle school girls are trapped in their after-school classroom, seemingly abandoned by the last faculty member, who flees to protect her own family during the crisis. Three girls and the class bully must learn to cooperate for survival until help arrives in The Box of Bandages.

From architect/author Lirio Blanco Show, these stories provide a peek into family life with an in-law, stranded girls struggling to cope with a bully, as well as a handful of short animal stories . . . some based on true events, some completely fiction. Who dares to say which is which?

The answers lie within...

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Terry the Chipmunk

Terry the Chipmunk was running through the mead-

ow when he caught a glance of beautiful acorns in 

the distance. He was hypnotized by their beauty. The 

acorns were fat and shiny. They captivated Terry’s 

eyes. He did not waste time to run and start filling his 

cheeks with these attractive acorns.

His two cheeks were so puffy, and they got puffier, 

puffier, and puffier, until they both looked like a pair 

of furry water balloons.

However, Terry wanted these acorns all for him-

self. . . So he started to plan how to conceal them inside 

his cave. Realizing his neighbors would return soon, 

he became frantic, his eyes swelling with the emotion 

of owning these marvelous acorns.

Venus, one of his friends, approached him and he 

tried to run and hide from her. Curious, she chased 

him for some time until she cornered him against a 

tree root.

Terry was so afraid to share his nuts that he pressed 

his teeth together protectively to hide them . . . tighter, 

tighter, and tighter until—Snap! Crack! Ping!

Tiny pieces of his teeth began to chip off.

Hearing a desperate yelp from Terry, Venus tried 

to get a better look. Somehow, she convinced him to 

open his mouth. Not only did the shiny acorns fall to 

the cavern floor, but tiny pieces of pearly white inci-

sors, the two front teeth Terry had been so proud of, 

tumbled all over the ground.

Terry kneeled down in disbelief and cried and cried 

and cried in his distress, sobbing “What a pain, oh, 

what a pain!”

Feeling compassion for her friend, despite his 

greedy behavior, Venus tried to calm Terry down. 

Terry couldn’t stop crying until, suddenly, he realized 

among the spilled acorns, he saw all that was left of his 

beloved incisors. He held his head with his two paws 

in disbelief and scrambled to rapidly retrieve his trea-

sures. This time Venus clutched a few in her own paws to 

challenge his attention.

She held one paw out, and Terry hesitated. Venus smiled

at him warmly, and 

when Terry saw her teeth reflecting the radiant sun-

light, he remembered his own lost teeth. Terry dropped 

the few acorns in his grasp and his fingers touched his 

naked gums with the realization that he had lost some-

thing far more precious than a few acorns . . . 

He had lost his teeth.

Venus explained that, had he not been so greedy by 

trying to hide the extra acorns—more than he could 

have ever eaten all winter—he would never have bro-

ken his teeth.

“But don’t worry, Terry,” she continued soothingly, 

patting his quivering paw with her own, “Dr. Drill, the 

Chipmunk dentist, will fix your teeth.”

Terry replied, now calm, “Thanks Venus . . . but will 

you take me to him?”

“Of course,” Venus said. “But next time, Terry, you 

have to remember—when we give to someone, we are 

entitled to receive as well.”

 

Albalis Vargas-Smith, a.k.a. Lirio Blanco Show, is an architect, painter, muralist, and writer from

Panama. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture from

Universidad Autonoma de Centroamerica in San Jose, Costa Rica. In addition, she received a Bachelor degree in Fine Arts from Auburn University, Montgomery. She has more than twenty years of experience in architecture, having worked both in Montgomery, Alabama, and the Atlanta area. She has done theatrical scene and set design as volunteer work for community theatre groups. Back in July 2016, Albalis went solo as an entrepreneur, architect, and painter, founding the Vargas-Smith Studio. The reason? To spend more time with her daughter. In 2020, she decided to finish a series of backburner short stories and theatrical plays. One of the theatrical plays is presented in this book. Currently, Albalis lives in Johns Creek, Georgia, with her daughter, husband, her dog, Toni, and a precious bird, Ruperta. 

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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When Stars Fall by Wendy Million Release Tour! @indie_pen_pr #authorwendymillion #wendymillion

 #newrelease #whenstarsfall #hollywoodromance #celebrityromance #secondchanceromance #forcedproximity #secretchild #itsalwaysbeenyou #pastnarrative #presentnarrative #tbr #mustread #buynow #oneclick 

When I got my first big break, I was thrilled to be co-starring with Wyatt Burgess and thought I could handle life with him. But, when his best friend overdoses outside a nightclub, Wyatt spirals deeper into his addictions. 

After ten years of heartache, I’m content with the life I created and the last thing I expected was to see Wyatt on TV, telling the world his biggest regret is losing me. Readers who love second-chance romances will consume When Stars Fall by Wendy Million, a forced proximity, celebrity romance.

Read Now!

 

Read Now! 

Amazon → https://amzn.to/3Njt8jR 

He's the most famous movie star in the world, and now he's on my doorstep begging for a second chance.

When I got my first big break, I was thrilled to be co-starring with the Wyatt Burgess–former childhood star, charismatic, sexy as hell–and heavily dependent on drugs and alcohol. 

I thought I could handle life with him, and I did for a while. But after his best friend overdosed outside a nightclub, he spiraled deeper into his addictions. Desperate, I gave him an ultimatum: the lifestyle or me.

After ten years of heartache, I’ve carved out a life that makes me feel stable and content. The last thing I expect is Wyatt Burgess on my television screen, telling the whole world his biggest regret is losing me. 

Now he’s standing in front of me, forcing me to choose between the comfortable life I’ve created and the passionate whirlwind that allowing him back into my life could bring.

But I wasn’t one hundred percent honest when I left, and I fear he’ll never forgive me.  

Add to Goodreads!

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Wyatt

Present Day

I’m sweating. Profusely. It’s disgusting. I tug at the collar of my freshly pressed shirt and loosen my tie. I’ll tighten it before I go on set.

Leaning forward on the couch, I grab my water from the coffee table. Bottles of alcohol line the bar to the right. A sign encourages everyone to help themselves. There is nothing worse than wanting a drink, being surrounded by alcohol, and not being able to have any. I need to be sober for this interview. Ellie will see it.

I grab some candy off the table and pop it into my mouth, chewing slowly. The greenroom is a weird shade of lime. Whenever I’m in a green waiting area, I’m always disappointed. We’re in a creative business—lime isn’t creative; it’s just hard on my eyes. Jackson Billows, the host of the late-night program, probably thinks the color is hilarious.

I wiggle my back along the too-stiff couch. Maybe I’ve been doing this whole scene too long. Few things in the entertainment business surprise me anymore. Of course, having this big a stage, a platform for my announcement, is helpful. Surprises may be few and far between for me personally, but I can still deliver a couple.

“You’re on in five, Mr. Burgess.” A dark-haired man pops his head into the room.

I nod. Say nothing. Check my phone again. The few people who understand my plan are reluctantly on board. A last-minute Break a leg text rolls in. I turn off my ringer, readjust my tie and collar. My suit jacket is stifling, but she used to like me suited and booted. Every advantage is necessary. I’m about to blow up her life.

For ten years, Ellie has been coordinating her projects and schedule to avoid me. We’ve developed an unspoken agreement to keep each other and Isaac, my best friend, out of the press. The weight of his death has remained ours to carry.

Jackson enters from the hidden side door. “You all right, buddy?” He perches on a chair across from me.

“Sweating like a pig.”

“It’s been ten years, man. This will be great television, don’t get me wrong, but Ellie is going to eat your nuts for breakfast tomorrow.”

“I picked you for a reason, Jack. Don’t let me down.” I drain the rest of my water and wish the liquid was something much stronger.

“We could have booked you both on the show. Left you here in the greenroom to sort out your issues in private.” Jackson stands.

“She’d have canceled. Whenever she’s gotten wind I’m in the area, her cavalry rides to the rescue. I even flew to Bermuda and not one person—not one,” I say, holding up a finger, “would tell me where she lived.”

“What makes you think she’s going to take any notice of you this time?” he asks.

“She’ll have no choice.” Certainty washes over me, and I point to my phone. “Finally got her address. I’m headed to the airport as soon as we’re done.”

“Ten years and you’re just going to show up on her doorstep? Do you need the public spectacle first?”

He has a point, but if I go without the spectacle, she’ll slam the door in my face. “I’m trying to make it impossible for her to say no.”

“I hope that doesn’t make it hard for her to say yes later.” Jack arches his eyebrows.

Truthfully, I haven’t thought that far in advance. All I’ve done is organize Operation Get Her to Talk to Me. The rest will fall into place. A long time ago, I was her kryptonite. God knows she’s always been mine.

The doors split as we walk toward the set. Jack heads to the stage and I stand in the wings, waiting to make my entrance.

By midnight tonight, she’ll realize I’m done with our unspoken truce.

I’m coming for you, Ellie.

Jackson gives his rambling introduction, then I strut onto the set. The crowd goes wild, and I drop into my seat. I adjust my jacket and wave to the audience as the screams die down.

Jackson’s right about one thing: Ellie will not take this well.

About Wendy Million

Wendy Million is an award-winning author whose contemporary romances about strong women and troubled men have captivated her loyal readers. She is the author of the contemporary second-chance romances, When Stars Fall and Miss Matched. 

Writing as W. Million, she is the author of the Bellerive Royals series, the Tucker Billionaires series, and the Little Falls series. When not writing, Wendy enjoys spending time in or around the water. 

She lives in Ontario, Canada with two beautiful daughters, two cute pooches, and one handsome husband (who is grateful she doesn’t need two of those).

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