Summer Reading at Book Sparks!!

Welcome to the 2014 BookSparks

Summer Reading Challenge!

Summer reading means one thing... The return of the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge! This year, we’re kicking off our 4^th Annual Summer Reading Challenge with The One and Only by New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin and reading 15 incredible books from May to Labor Day.

And we're making it our biggest Summer Reading Challenge yet by giving away a Kindle each Friday, all summer long. At the end of the challenge, enter to win the grand prize - a $500 Visa gift card and super-cute travel gift set!

Editors: We’re counting on you to recommend these new books to your readers as part of your summer reading coverage. Contact Crystal Patriarche at Crystal@BookSparksPR.com or 480.650.1688 for galleys, author interviews and other content.

Bloggers: Please contact Janay Lampkin atJanay@SparkPointStudio.com for your copy of the books and to secure your blog tour dates.

Book Lovers: As usual, you are also invited to participate in the summer reading challenge. Buy the books, read them, and tag us to win prizes all summer long.

For a list of books to read/review...click here

Zero Alternative by Luca Pesaro Book Blitz!!

Book: Zero Alternative

Author: Luca Pesaro
Event Organized by: Indie Sage, LLC
Synopsis: Framed, hunted, betrayed… Scott Walker is a fugitive from the quicksands of Finance, with one card to play – DeepShare, a silicon oracle coveted by billionaires, hitmen and hackers. As he fights for survival and vengeance, digging deeper into the dark heart of the global economy, one question torments him: what price will the world have to pay? ZERO ALTERNATIVE is an action-packed conspiracy thriller that plucks at the base of human nature. When our grip on love, hope and morality starts to slide, the only future worth living is the one we choose for ourselves.

Website: http://www.lucapesaro.com/

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

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/biagiotrader

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/LucaPesaro

Amazon // B&N

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About the Author

Luca Pesaro was born in Italy but has spent most of his adult life in the US or UK. After long years gaining a degree and masters in the pseudo-science that is Economics he got bored, jumped the gun and became a derivatives trader in financial markets. Zero Alternative is his first novel and he is hard at work on his second thriller. He is married to an awesome lady and they have two children who always manage to annoy, surprise and delight beyond any reasonable expectation.

Buy Links
Amazon
Amazon U.K.

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Grist by Linda Little Review!

Publication Date: April 15, 2014
Roseway Publishing
Paperback; 234p
ISBN 13: 9781552665992

“This is the story of how you were loved,” Penelope MacLaughlin whispers to her granddaughter.

Penelope MacLaughlin marries a miller and gradually discovers he is not as she imagined. Nonetheless she remains determined to make the best of life at the lonely mill up the Gunn Brook as she struggles to build a home around her husband’s eccentricities. His increasing absence leaves Penelope to run the mill herself, providing her with a living but also destroying the people she loves most. Penelope struggles with loss and isolation, and suffers the gradual erosion of her sense of self. A series of betrayals leaves her with nothing but the mill and her determination to save her grandchildren from their disturbed father. While she can prepare her grandsons for independence, her granddaughter is too young and so receives the greater gift: the story that made them all.

Praise for Grist

“An epic story by a gifted writer. There are moments in Linda Little’s Grist that are breathtaking in both thought and lyricism.” — Donna Morrissey, author of The Deception of Livvy Higgs

“Linda Little lays bare the hard joys, grit and heartache of women’s lives in the rural Maritimes before and during the Great War. Her writing is exquisite. Gripping, gorgeously imagined and positively haunting, Grist is a tour de force—a novel not just to like but to love. I couldn’t put it down.” — Carol Bruneau, author of Glass Voices and Purple for Sky

Buy the Book

Fernwood Publishing

About the Author

Linda Little lives and writes in the north shore village of River John. Originally from the Ottawa Valley mill town of Hawkesbury, she lived in Kingston and St. John’s before moving to Nova Scotia in 1987.

Linda has two award-winning novels, Strong Hollow and Scotch River. She has published short stories in many reviews and anthologies, including The Antigonish Review, Descant, Matrix, The Journey Prize Anthology, and The Penguin Book of Short Stories by Canadian Women.

In addition to writing, Linda teaches at the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and is also involved with River John’s annual literary festival, Read by the Sea.

For more information visit Linda Little’s website.

                                                    

My Thoughts

"Grist is grain that has been separated from its chaff in preparation for grinding."

Thus the title as it refers to the life of Penelope McCabe in Nova Scotia in the late 1800's. Penelope meets and marries Ewan MacLaughlin, a miller. Ewan is a no nonsense controlling sort of a man and Penelope soon realizes that life is not going to be easy for her. Ewan wants a son to eventually take over the running of the mill but Penelope produces daughters. Dealing with a man like Ewan is not easy for Penelope but she perseveres and also learns the running of the mill at Ewan's insistence. She grows to be a very strong woman in certain ways but I feel maybe she should have stood up to her husband more but that was not a normal thing for women to do then. As a result of his cruelty, Penelope suffers heartbreak after heartbreak but in the end she knows that she needs to do what is necessary to protect her grandchildren from the menace that is their father. 

This novel is short but packed with emotion and lets us know how life was for women of this time. I found the milling process interesting and things that we may take for granted now, was the lifeblood of the times. "This is how you were loved...." describes the life of Penelope McLaughlin to her granddaughter Rachel and a fitting end to a unique story. A wonderful historical novel that will be appreciated by fans of this genre.

I received a copy for review and was not monetarily compensated for this review.

Tour Schedule: http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/gristtour

Tour Hashtag: #GristTour

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, April 14
Interview & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, April 15
Review at Reading the Past
Guest Post at Closed the Cover

Wednesday, April 16
Review at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Thursday, April 17
Guest Post & Giveaway at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Friday, April 18
Review & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

Monday, April 21
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages
Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Tuesday, April 22
Review at A Bookish Affair

Wednesday, April 23
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Thursday, April 24
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews
Spotlight & Giveaway at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Friday, April 25
Guest Post & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection

An Air of Treason by P.F.Chisholm Spotlight!!

Book Details Series: Sir Robert Carey Mysteries (Book 6) Paperback: 250 pages Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (February 4, 2014) Language: English ISBN-10: 1464202222 ISBN-13: 978-1464202223 An Air of Treason is Chisholm’s latest Elizabethan mystery, is a new release from Poisoned Pen Press.

After his hair-raising adventures in London, Sir Robert Carey has finally tracked down Queen Elizabeth, who is about to make a state visit to Oxford. But instead of giving the Courtier his much-needed warrant and fee for being Deputy Warden of the West March with Scotland, Her Majesty orders him to investigate the most dangerous cold case of her reign—the mysterious 1560 death of Amy Dudley(née Robsart), unloved wife of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. 
Some thirty years back, the late Dudley was Elizabeth’s favorite suitor and potential husband. Amy died at Cumnor Place, close at hand. The Queen has since been one of the most obvious suspects in arranging Amy’s murder. This makes Carey deeply uneasy with his sleuthing role. He’s further uneasy that his father, Elizabeth’s cousin from the wrong side of the blanket, is clearly involved. Then someone manages to poison Carey with belladonna, which temporarily blinds him. Worse still, Sergeant Dodd, the man most often guarding Carey’s back, has disappeared on the road from London. 
As the Queen’s scandalous past collides with her magnificent State entrance into Oxford, can Carey rally in time to find both Dodd and the true murderer of Amy Robsart?

P.F. Chisholm is a pseudonym of a well-known writer of historical thrillers, childrens’ books, and nonfiction blogs and eBooks. Previous titles in the Sir Robert Carey and Sergeant Dodd series are A Famine of Horses, A Season of Knives, A Surfeit of Guns, A Plague of Angels, and A Murder of Crows. After the events in An Air of Treason, Sir Robert and Sergeant Dodd will be heading back to the Anglo-Scottish Border where trouble is brewing as usual.

Unfinished Business by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson Book Blast!

An Angela Panther Novel

Stay at home mom Angela Panther is living the good life. Happily married with two kids, a house in the suburbs and, a fantabulous best friend, she's got it all. But hours after Angela's mother dies, her ghost pops in for a visit, leaving the door to the other side wide open. Suddenly Angela's life is jam-packed with ghosts - ghosts that need her help. Now Angela must find a way to balance the needs of the living along with the unfinished business of the dead, all while keeping her mother's ghost in line. Hilarious and bittersweet, Unfinished Business tackles the emotional ups and downs of the relationships between mothers and daughters and the desperate desire for that one last chance to tell someone we've lost how we feel.

Buy on Amazon (Kindle, Paperback & Audiobook) and B&N

Purchase Book 2 Unbreakable Bonds (An Angela Panther Novel)
  Amazon.com Editorial Reviews "It definitely touched a chord with anyone who has ever lost a loved one. The writing was strong and the dialogue -- which many people simply cannot write -- was terrific." - Christie Giraud, editor, Editingpro.com "What a fantastic read! I couldn't put it down! I had to keep reading just to see what twist life was going throw out at Angela next!" - Chicklit Plus "The author has a great sense of humor, even about death, but when the story called for it, she was reverent and empathetic in the way her characters handled each other." - Caroline Fardig, Bestselling Author "This story captures how a real housewife would likely feel if her dead mother popped up and became a regular part of her life. Angela does her best to muddle through with life throwing her curveballs. There are plenty of moments of laugh-out-loud absurdity and interesting ghost trivia to entertain readers." - Sarka-Jonae Miller, Amazon Bestselling Author of Between Boyfriends

Carolyn Ridder Aspenson Bio

Amazon and Barnes & Noble best selling author Carolyn Ridder Aspenson left her career in the health insurance industry to be a stay at home mom to her two daughters and son. When not carting them to and from whatever was on their busy schedule, Carolyn spent her time writing for various websites about things that interested her—raising kids and the insanity it created, ABC soap operas and fitness. Soon Carolyn's writing expanded into freelance works for small companies, newspapers, print and online magazines. An avid fitness buff, Carolyn currently now writes a monthly health and fitness column for Northside Woman Magazine as well as regular weekly news articles for various Atlanta area media outlets including the Forsyth Herald, the Milton Herald, the Revue and News, and the Johns Creek Herald and features for Countyline Magazine. She is the Amazon and Barnes & Noble best selling author of Unfinished Business; An Angela Panther Novel, Unbreakable Bonds; An Angela Panther Novel, both published through Booktrope, the novella Santa's Gift, a Cumming Christmas Novella and The Quick Start Weight Loss Program. A native of Indiana, for over eighteen years Carolyn called the northwest Chicago suburbs home. When not writing Carolyn likes to read, exercise and spend time with her family and pets. She resides in the Atlanta area with her husband, three kids, two dogs and cat and the slightly more than occasional foster dog.

Follow Carolyn:

Twitter | Facebook | Website | Literary Addicts | Goodreads

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Darkness Before Dawn by Kellie Wallace Promo Blitz!

Darkness Before Dawn - PROMO Blitz

By Kellie Wallace

Historical Fiction

Date Published: 7/17/2013

In June 1940, Germany bombed the Island of Guernsey, bringing World War II to the Channel Islands. With her home in the midst of war, jazz singer Catherine La Mar must adapt to change. Within days, the island is overun. Resistance cells start to emerge, hindering the German forces. Catherine’s life is inevitably changed when childhood friend Thomas Potter is linked as the ringleader to one of the Island’s biggest cells.

The people she once knew are no longer who they seem to be. But nothing could prepare her for when she meets Nazi officer Captain Max Engel. Her view on the war forever changes when she is given a chance for love and new beginnings. For once in her mundane life she unveils her true self, as Max teaches her how to truly live. Their love puts a strain on Catherine’s family, risking the lives her sisters and friends. As the war intensifies and divides the people on Guernsey, Max and Catherine must decide if their love is really worth risking it all?

EXCERPT

Plush greenery cushioned Catherine’s as she trudged through the knee-length grass towards the cliff face. A violent wind came up from the sea whipping at her dress and hair. Brightly coloured daisies and narcissi flowers dotted the swaying plain.

A sense of ease and sovereignty came over her as she stood in the wind, moving gently against its brunt. German tankers tarnished the vast ocean in front of her. Seagulls and kestrels sang in the air, catching the passing wind like dancers.

She always loved coming here to revel in nature’s beauty, believing nothing will ever change it. With the occupation taking force, it seems inevitable the world she knew will never be the same again.

Visiting the cliff tops on her own was risk, but as headstrong as she might be, Catherine wanted a release, to see a part of Guernsey not yet touched by the Reich. She slunk past

German patrols on her way, blending into the environment like a chameleon.

As she stared out into blue azure of the ocean, movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. A young man teetered on the edge of the cliff, peering over the brink. Without a second thought, she ran towards him, slowing her pace when he saw her approach. His eyes wide with fear.

“I’ll do it,” he warned, his body stiff as though he was still deciding to jump. The wind grew stronger and the man appeared to be using all of his strength to stay upright.

“Are you alright, sir?” she asked calmly.

His hair was blown high on top of his head and the wind already made its mark upon his skin. “No . . .”

“Did you lose something?” Catherine said carefully. “Has someone fallen off the cliff?”

“I don’t want . . . I don’t want this,” he cried.

“Don’t want what?”

The man stole a quick glance towards the tankers dotting the ocean horizon and turned back to Catherine. “I don’t want them,” he yelled, pointing towards the sea. “I don’t want to be ruled by those murderers!”

Catherine now understood the catalyst to the man’s distress. No one on Guernsey wanted an occupation by the Germans. Half the population had fled in terror.

Catherine took another step closer, wary of the fear in his brown eyes as she did so. She reached out her hand until they were inches apart. “What’s your name?”

“Ben.”

“Ben, what about you with come with me and grab a nice piece of cake at the cake shop? How does that sound?”

The young man shook his head furiously. “No, they will be there! They have taken over everything!”

“No, they won’t be,” Catherine said slowly. “It will only be you and me.”

Ben looked behind him to the crashing waves below, his body limp in defeat. He let out a sigh and turned towards her. “Okay,

I will come with you.” He reached for her hand, when another voice broke through the defiant wind.

“What’s going on here?”

Catherine glanced over her should to see a young German officer standing behind them, bracing against the wind.

Ben’s eyes widened at the sight and he started to back up towards the edge of the cliff. “No, no, no,” he mumbled, slipping on the lip of the cliff.

Heart pounding, Catherine stretched out her hand to the distressed youth. “Ben! Please, come with me,” she ordered, ignoring the figure behind her.

Ben shook his head, his hands outstretched as though seeking redemption from above. “I’m sorry. I cannot do it,” he said. “Not with him around.” Ben’s swollen eyes glanced at

Catherine once more, before turning into the wind, and jumping off the cliff.

“Nooo!” Her body flashed hot then cold as she fell to her knees in the damp grass, her hand stretched outright, grasping nothing but thin air. She felt the officer brush past her as he poked his head over the cliff.

The man’s body lay crucified on the rocks, blood speckling the blue ocean water.

Catherine ignored the tugging on her arm as the German officer hauled her to her feet. Violently, she pushed him away.

“Get off me!” she screamed, regaining her footing. He was close now, close enough she could see the lines of youth etched in his face.

“What is your name?” he asked calmly.

“Catherine La Mar.” She almost spat her name at him.

The officer dipped his head in a polite greeting as if what happened meant nothing to him. “May I see your papers?” he asked, bringing out his hand.

Catherine sucked in a breath of indignation and pulled her papers, which consisted of an identity card and birth certificate from a pocket in her dress. She watched him as he scanned them over. It was the first time she managed to have a good look at him.

It was his eyes that caught her breath, standing out in contrast to his dull uniform. They were the same shade of the sea, crashing and spitting below them. His straw-coloured hair was slicked under his visor cap. He was the perfect example of Hitler’s Aryan race.

The officer handed her papers back to her. She wanted a fight; wanted anything to contest him. “Why didn’t you stop him?” she asked.

About the Author Kellie Wallace

Born in Sydney, Australia Kellie Wallace developed a love for the written word early in life, recalling her earliest memory when she was three years old. Her father used to read to her when she was a child, establishing a deep love and respect for books. Kellie wrote a bit in high school, most memorably her first fantasy book called Giblin the Conquer, an X Files fan fiction and a military fiction.

After finishing high school, Kellie moved to the sunny Northern Beaches from the Central Coast and carved a successful career in the media/advertising industry writing for numerous Sydney based publications.

An aspiring novelist, Kellie fulfilled a dream in 2008 having her first book All She Ever Wanted published by Zeus Publications at the age of 22 years old.

In 2013, Kellie released her newest catalogue of books, Darkness before Dawn and Skylark. In her spare time she loves to write, game and draw. Her first crime fiction novel To lean of falling men will be out in April 2014, along with EarthWalker (out now!) and dystopian Edge of Tomorrow (August 2014).

She currently resides in Sydney with her husband.

Author Links

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr

Buy Link

Amazon

Giveaway

Copy of Darkness before Dawn

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The Towers of Tuscany by Carol M. Cram Review!

Publication Date: January 23, 2014
New Arcadia Publishing
Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Genre: Historical Fiction

Set amid the twisting streets and sunlit piazzas of medieval Italy, the Towers of Tuscany tells the story of a woman who dares to follow her own path in the all-male domain of the painter’s workshop. Sofia Barducci is born into a world where a woman is only as good as the man who cares for her, but she still claims the right to make her own mistakes. Her first mistake is convincing her father to let her marry Giorgio Carelli, a wealthy saffron merchant in San Gimignano, the Tuscan city of towers. Trained in secret by her father to create the beautifully-crafted panels and altarpieces acclaimed today as masterpieces of late medieval art, Sofia’s desire for freedom from her father’s workshop leads her to betray her passion and sink into a life of loveless drudgery with a husband who comes to despise her when she does not produce a son.

In an attack motivated by vendetta, Sofia’s father is crushed by his own fresco, compelling Sofia to act or risk the death of her soul. The choice she makes takes her on a journey from misery to the heights of passion—both as a painter and as a woman. Sofia escapes to Siena where, disguised as a boy, she paints again. When her work attracts the notice of a nobleman who discovers the woman under the dirty smock, Sofia is faced with a choice that nearly destroys her.

The Towers of Tuscany unites a strong heroine with meticulously researched settings and compelling characters drawn from the rich tapestry of medieval Italy during one of Europe’s most turbulent centuries. The stylishly written plot is packed with enough twists and turns to keep readers up long past their bedtimes.

Praise for The Towers of Tuscany

“The Towers of Tuscany is a delightful escape to the Siena we all love. Carol Cram has crafted a delicious story about a strong woman torn between her secret past, her love of painting and the forbidden charms of her rich patron. Hard to resist and highly recommended!” – Anne Fortier, Author of The Lost Sisterhood and the New York Times bestseller, Juliet

“Carol Cram’s lush descriptions and intriguing characters bring this dramatic tale of medieval Tuscany to life. If you love Italian art, a feisty heroine, and a page-turning plot, you will adore this novel.” – Deborah Swift, Author of A Divided Inheritance

The Towers of Tuscany has all the elements of a wonderful historical novel―a talented, frustrated heroine, a treacherous, feckless husband, and a promise to a dying, much loved father who orders the heroine on a dangerous mission. Carol is a first rate storyteller. The research is well done. Every chapter displays a fine knowledge of painting technique of the 14th century, and customs and mores of the age. The details of dress, fabric, food, are flawless. The clever dialogue and fast pace make the novel zing along.” – Roberta Rich, Author of The Midwife of Venice and The Harem Midwife

“Sofia will set your heart racing as she attempts to find what we all, in our own ways, strive to seek: love, resolution, and artistic freedom. The legacy of this story will leave you yearning for more.” – Cathleen With, award-winning author of Having Faith in the Polar Girls’ Prison

Buy the Book

Amazon (Ebook)
Amazon (Paperback)

READ AN EXCERPT.

About the Author

Carol M. Cram has enjoyed a great career as an educator, teaching at Capilano University in North Vancouver for over twenty years and authoring forty-plus bestselling textbooks on business communications and software applications. She holds an MA in Drama from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. Carol is currently focusing as much of her attention as she can spare between walks in the woods on writing historical novels with an arts twist.

She and her husband, painter Gregg Simpson, share a life on beautiful Bowen Island near Vancouver, Canada.

Author Links

Website
Blog
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter

My Thoughts

The Towers of Tuscany takes place in 14th century Italy, with Sofia Barducci as the main character. Life was very hard in medieval times as it was but it was more so if you were a woman. Sofia's father is a painter of frescoes and Maesta's. Maesta's are paintings done of the Madonna and Child, done in panels and Sofia learned the techniques at her fathers knee. Of course since women weren't allowed to paint, Sofia would do some painting on these panels at the request of her father in secret. If she was found out she could be beat, jailed or worse. When her father dies, he requests that she go to a friend of his in Sienna with a piece of his work. Sofia desperately wants to continue painting but knows that this is an impossibility. She seeks her husbands permission to go to Sienna to deliver a piece of work and this gives her the opportunity to work in another workshop 

disguised as a boy. 

Sofia is a strong woman, knows what she wants and a loveless marriage is not it. She sets off against all odds to prove that the painting that she does is worth recognition, but of course like I said, women were not allowed to do that sort of thing. The place for a woman was home and hearth, raising the children, preferably sons. I love reading a historical fiction book that depicts a strong heroine and if I come away having learned a little bit, even better. I did learn a bit about painting that I didn't know. I knew what frescoes were but had no clue that a lot of the paintings of Madonna and Child were done in panels. With the vivid descriptions of colors and techniques, I could almost see the paintings come to life. The author obviously put a lot of time into research. I enjoyed the book immensely.

I received a copy for review and was not monetarily compensated for my review.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, April 14
Review at Historical Novel Reviews

Tuesday, April 15
Review & Giveaway at Kinx’s Book Nook

Wednesday, April 16
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Thursday, April 17
Review at Book Lovers Paradise
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Friday, April 18
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Guest Post & Giveaway at Just One More Chapter

Monday, April 21
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews
Excerpt & Giveaway at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Tuesday, April 22
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book
Guest Post at Kincavel Korner

Wednesday, April 23
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book

Thursday, April 24
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Interview at Flashlight Commentary

Friday, April 25
Review & Giveaway at Words and Peace

THE CODE OF THE HILLS: An Ozark Mystery by Nancy Allen!

Book Details:

Genre: Legal Thriller 
Published by: Witness Impulse 
Publication Date: April 15, 2014 
Number of Pages: 400 
ISBN: 9780062325945 

Purchase Links:   

“I was absolutely engrossed by this first rate novel…I wanted Elsie to win so much it hurt. A truly marvelous debut…I would love to read more. ”
—Frances Fyfield.

Former prosecutor Nancy Allen, from the hills of the Ozarks herself, writes a disturbingly realistic portrayal of sexual crimes towards women and children– and how they are handled in court – in her powerful debut, THE CODE OF THE HILLS (Witness Impulse; April 15, 2014; $2.99 ebook original). Inspired by her own experiences, Allen tells the remarkable story of one woman’s quest for not only criminal justice, but for a change in culture within her community. 

In the Missouri Ozarks, some things aren’t talked about…even if it’s abuse. Prosecutor Elsie Arnold is determined to change that.

When she is assigned a high-profile incest case in which a father accused of abusing his three young daughters, Elsie is ready to become the Ozarks’ avenging angel.  However, things quickly go sour. The star witness goes missing, the girls refuse to talk about their father, and Elsie begins to suspect their tough-as-nails mother has ulterior motives. To make matters worse, Elsie receives gruesome threats from local extremists, warning her to mind her own business.  While Elsie swears not to let a sex offender walk, she realizes the odds – and maybe the town – are against her. Amidst all of the conflict, the safety of three young girls hangs in the balance... 

NANCY ALLEN is a member of the law faculty in the College of Business at Missouri State University. She practiced law for 15 years, serving as Assistant Missouri Attorney General and as Assistant Prosecutor in her native Ozarks. When Nancy began her term as prosecutor, she was only the second woman in Southwest Missouri to serve in that capacity. During her years in prosecution, she tried over 30 jury trials, including murder and sexual offenses, and she served on the Rape Crisis Board and the child protection team of the Child Advocacy Council. THE CODE OF THE HILLS is her first novel.