Treacherous Tart by Ellie Grant Spotlight!

TREACHEROUS TART

Ellie Grant

October 28, 2014

Pocket Books

Mass Market ISBN: 9781451689563

eBook ISBN: 9781451689587

$7.99

Praise for Treacherous Tart:

“The second book in Grant’s Pie Shop mystery series settles into Durham, North Carolina. The plot has more than one angle, and the reader will be intrigued by different stories within the book. The characters are great, and you really get to know them more through the course of the tale.  Treacherous Tart is a great read for all cozy mystery fans.”

—Romantic Times

“The mystery is intense, the stray cat and her little family that Maggie and Clara own is adorable, and perhaps most importantly, the pages of recipes this author gifts to the reader makes for the perfect explanation of why everyone should read and enjoy cozy mysteries.”

—Suspense Magazine

“The second Pie Shop mystery is an entertaining culinary cozy with dynamic witty lead sleuths, denier Aunt Clara and several viable suspects filled with rage at the apparent uxoricide serial killer.  Team Grant provides the audience with a winning regional investigative whodunit.”

—The Mystery Gazette

“Ellie Grant writes an intelligent novel that keeps readers guessing...Treacherous Tart makes murder enthralling.”

—Single Titles

Summary:

There are worse crimes than using frozen pie crust…

Festive pastries are flying off the shelves at Pie in the Sky, where Maggie Grady and her Aunt Clara sell the best desserts in Durham, North Carolina.  Yet it’s not just the tantalizing scents of cinnamon and nutmeg in the air, for murder is on the menu too…

As Christmas approaches, Aunt Clara’s love life is heating up.  Maggie likes seeing her beloved partner-in-pie happy with her new beau, Donald Wickerson—until Maggie’s own boyfriend, local reporter Ryan Summerour, discovers that several of Donald’s wealthy exes met with unfortunate “accidents.”

Is Clara’s boyfriend just looking to fatten his bank account?  Before Maggie can discover, a dying Donald stumbles in Pie in the Sky.  The way to a man’s heart may be through his stomach, but someone found a handgun more effective.  Even worse, Clara – who was out back feeding a stray cat at the time—had motive, means, and no human witnesses.

To clear Clara’s name, Maggie and Ryan start sifting through suspects.  Could the murderer be one of Donald’s numerous former in-laws, or an embittered flame?  And can Maggie find the culprit before the killer serves up a second helping?

Author:

Ellie Grant is a pseudonym for husband and wife authors who get help writing from their cat, Quincy and their big rescue puppy, Rudy.  They live in North Carolina with their family.  Visit them at www.elliegrant.com.

Chapter 1 Excerpt:

SLACK FRIDAY: NOVEMBER 28, 2014 From Pocket Star eBooks!!

SLACK FRIDAY: NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Avoid crazed shopping crowds!  Keep calm and carry on at home with these great Merr-E Holiday Treats from Pocket Star eBooks!

TIM CRATCHIT’S CHRISTMAS CAROL: THE SEQUEL TO THE CELEBRATED DICKENS CLASSIC

(November 17, 2014; $1.99) by Jim Piecuch

Fiction/Holidays/Romance/Historical/Victorian

Tiny Tim is all grown up in this continuation of Charles Dickens’s beloved holiday classic A Christmas Carol, and this time, a certain ghost shows him the true meaning of Christmas cheer.

THE PERFECT GIFT (November 17, 2014; $.99) by Dani-Lyn Alexander

Fiction/Holidays/Romance/Contemporary

It’s the season of second chances in this heartwarming, contemporary holiday romance where two single parents find each other—and another chance at love—in the most unexpected of places.

THE CHRISTMAS TRAIN (November 17, 2014; $1.99) by Rexanne Becnel

Fiction/Holidays/Romance/Contemporary

An estranged father and daughter meet for the first time at Christmas in this touching holiday story that will tug at your heart, from USA TODAY bestselling author Rexanne Becnel.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN MIRACLE (November 17, 2014; $3.99) by Christine Feehan

Fiction/Holidays/Romance/Contemporary/Western

#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan’ romantic holiday novella Rocky Mountain Miracle is available as a standalone eBook for the first time at a discounted price!  When Cole Steele, a womanizer rumored to have killed his father, meets Maia Armstrong, a veterinarian rumored to practice magic, the sizzling romance could melt all the snow on his Wyoming ranch!

BRANDED (December 15, 2014; $5.99) by Colette Auclair

Fiction/Romance/Contemporary/Nature-Animals-Horses

The third lighthearted romance in the award-winning Aspen Valley series takes readers on a wild and dreamy ride through the beautiful valleys and mountains of Colorado.

UNFAITHFUL (September 29, 2014; $5.99) by Karyn Grice

Fiction/Romance/African American

Like her previous highly acclaimed novel No Strings Attached, which “[channeled] the challenges that independent, strong, and intelligent women face trying to find love with dignity, humor, and finesse” (The African American Literary Review), Unfaithfulpresents a realistic view of the struggles within a relationship through a story with universal appeal. 

BLOND CARGO (October 20, 2014; $5.99) the second Jack Bertolino thriller by John Lansing

Thriller/Mystery/Private Investigators

“An unyielding pace, vigorous characters and explosive ending” praises Kirkus Reviews of Blond Cargo by John Lansing, former writer/producer of Walker, Texas Ranger and Co-Executive producer of the ABC series Scoundrels.  Suspense Magazine also praised “A fantastic read…This extremely fast and well-thought-out thriller will remind some of James Patterson’s early works.”

A LAST GOODBYE (November 24, 2014; .99) an Ali Reynolds e-novella by J.A. Jance

Thriller/Holidays/Suspense/Romance

J.A. Jance’s popular sleuth, Ali Reynolds, is finally getting married to longtime love B. Simpson—they wanted a simple Christmas Eve wedding, but nothing is ever simple around Ali.

http://pages.simonandschuster.com/pocketstar

Blogger Opportunity!!!

Crafty Spices is hosting another event and is offering a Bloggers opp, sign up for this opportunity and grow while you help us promote this giveaway. And by the way Mighty Leaf Tea has a great Black Friday Promotion that you may want check out. 

You get a free Twitter link with announcement. Read on to find out about the prize. 

This giveaway will begin December 8th and will end December 22nd. Two winners will be selected: first one will win the Mighty Leaf Tea Prize Pack (Mighty Leaf Holiday Collection Tea Chest and a Tea Top Brew Mug); second winner will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card (Code will be sent via email).

To get HTML Code for this announcement Click Here.

Details:

• With announcement each blogger receives 1 free link (Twitter or Facebook)
• Additional Links can be purchased at $2 each. These links can be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or any link as long as you provide (Social network name, user name and your direct link). 
• Co-host spots are available for $5 each. This includes 3 links for the giveaway event, and a back link to your blog on the giveaway page. It also gives you the privilege to purchase additional links for just $1 each
• The giveaway html will be sent out at least 2 days before the giveaway goes live and you should post before midnight the day the giveaway starts. We will not be sending out reminder emails to bloggers who forget to post and report link, we will just remove from the giveaway. 

Payments 

• Payments should be made as Gift via Paypal to cj [at] craftyspices [dot] com 

If you post and Follow @CraftySpices you get 5 additional entries into the giveaway.

Click Here to Sign Up!

Please tell Jay @CraftySpices that Celticlady's Reviews sent you

If you have any questions or comments, contact Jay @Craftyspices

24 Soho by Gilbert Cartier Spotlight!

Psychic International Banker and Author Gilbert Cartier Releases New Memoir 24 SOHO

 

24 SOHO, the provocative title of psychic banker Gilbert Cartier’s new memoir, takes readers through the ups and downs of the author’s unconventional life. From the back woods of Canada to the excitement of the cultural scene in Toronto to the South of France, Mexico, and other exotic locales, readers share how Cartier grew up repressing his diverse psychic abilities while encountering strange phenomena throughout his childhood, adolescence and adulthood. 24 SOHO is the Toronto address of the haunted house where the author cultivated an unusual friendship with a mischievous Polish ghost.

 

Cartier chronicles his blossoming years while being bullied and assaulted by his peers. His only refuge was in the safety of his home, where he learns how to meditate with the help and guidance from ghosts/spirits of dead relatives.

 

“In 1986 I was threatened that if I published my book The Great Canadian Art Fraud, I would end up in Lake Ontario with cement shoes on,” Cartier says.  “So – in a matter of four weeks, I quit my job, sold everything I owned and moved from Canada to the United States.”

 

“Well, after twenty eight years, I am finely telling my story.”

 

And indeed he does. In one chapter, Cartier details his involvement with world renowned Ojibwa Indian artist/shaman Norval Morrisseau, and in another chapter, Morrisseau’s involvement with the son of one of Canada’s notorious Family of Families.

 

Gilbert Cartier has received enthusiastic reviews from his new book, and an independent film is currently in talks. He lives in Florida with his partner of 20 years and prefers to keep a low profile.

 

Meritropolis by Joel Ohman Interview and Giveaway!

 The year is AE3, 3 years after the Event. Within the walls of Meritropolis, 50,000 inhabitants live in fear, ruled by the brutal System that assigns each citizen a merit score that dictates whether they live or die. Those with the highest scores thrive, while those with the lowest are subject to the most unforgiving punishment—to be thrust outside the city gates, thrown to the terrifying hybrid creatures that exist beyond.
 
But for one High Score, conforming to the System just isn’t an option. Seventeen-year-old Charley has a brother to avenge. And nothing—not even a totalitarian military or dangerous science—is going to stop him.
 
Where humankind has pushed nature and morals to the extreme, Charley is amongst the chosen few tasked with exploring the boundaries, forcing him to look deep into his very being to discern right from wrong. But as he and his friends learn more about the frightening forces that threaten destruction both without and within the gates, Meritropolis reveals complexities they couldn’t possibly have bargained for…

Joel Ohman is the author of Meritropolis—“The Hunger Games meets The Village with a young Jack Reacher as a protagonist”. He lives in Tampa, FL with his wife Angela and their three kids. His writing companion is Caesar, a slightly overweight Bull Mastiff who loves to eat the tops off of strawberries.

Interview from the author

Who or what was your inspiration to write about post-apocalyptic, dystopian sci-fi?

I've read a lot in this genre, so I would say it’s a mix of a lot of different things. I really just wanted to explore this question of, "What gives a person worth?" Is it their usefulness to society? Is it because someone loves them? Is it because of how they look? Is it because of their health or ability? As a Christian, I believe that all people have worth, because they are made in the image of God. I wanted to explore some different takes on this question. I think that the post-apocalyptic/dystopian/sci-fi genre was the best vehicle to tackle some of those deep philosophical questions in a fun and interesting way.

Why do you write? Is it for fun, or because you have something you need to say in your writing?

Some writers are loath to say their writing has a message, because maybe they think doing so diminishes their art (not true, in my opinion), but I think that everyone has a message in their writing, even if they aren't as consciously focused on it—and that's a good thing. My message is in my epigraph: "Because everyone matters - Psalm 139".

Why the title Meritropolis?

I wanted a short one word title that was a clever—or at least semi-clever—play on two different words. I like "Meritropolis" because it combines "Merit" and "Metropolis," two words that are great for describing a city where each resident's worth is measured by a score given to them.

In Meritropolis how were the animal combinations decided upon? For example, I know you chose to write about a bion (bull-lion), as well as many other freaks of nature. So what I want to know is how did you decided which animals to meld together and why.

I have a big list of animal combinations that I came up with before I began writing the book, and I tried to work in as many as I could. Sometimes the only criteria was that I liked the way the name sounded. Look for many more in the following books!

Can you tells us about your characters and who/what inspired them?

I am a big believer in John Truby’s approach to building a “character web”, because this deepens the relationships between characters and helps to make each of the characters more complex. Absent building a good character web, it can be all too easy to fall into the not-very-true-to-real-life good-person/bad-person false dichotomy where your protagonist devolves into this I-can-do-no-wrong character and your antagonist is just pure evil. I was very much aiming to show the imperfections and brokenness in each of the characters. My thinking as a Christian influences this to some degree, given that the Bible teaches that we are all essentially the same; we are all sinners—only God is perfect.

Do you have a favorite genre that you like to read?

I read pretty much everything! Fiction, non-fiction, you name it! I am of the opinion that, as an author, I can learn something from almost every kind of writing. Sometimes, it most definitely is a matter of learning what not to do—but, on the whole, I love to read a wide variety of writing styles, genres, etc.

Are there any books that have inspired your own writing?

I read A LOT so there are many different things that have shaped my writing over the years, but I wouldn't say there was any particular book, or books, that I was consciously looking to for inspiration while writing Meritropolis. Looking back though I can definitely see different threads of influence in almost everything I have read over the years that contribute toward making Meritropolis what it is: the strong protagonist of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series, the philosophical bent of C.S. Lewis’ fiction, the dystopian setting of Hugh Howey’s WOOL series, and many more.

Are there any authors that have emerged in the last three years that have caught your interest?

Hugh Howey is an author that I really like that has caught my attention lately. I would highly recommend his WOOL series!

Don’t forget!

Meritropolis is marked down from its regular price of $5.99, but only for a limited time. Feed your Kindle by picking up a discounted copy for just 99 cents, but make sure you do it before December 2!

Now enter the giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Life in a Rut, Love Not Included by J.D.Hollyfield Holiday Sale!!

Check out this great HOLIDAY SALE!!

#‎99c = ‪#‎99pennies Have you been waiting to try out the Love Not Included Series? Here's your chance!

Having it all isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

When Sarah Sullivan’s perfect life blows up in front of her, she finds herself crawling back to the one place she never saw herself returning: Home.

At thirty-one, Sarah had it all. Perfect job, perfect boyfriend, perfect life. When all that is taken away from her, she is left heartbroken and angry and desperate enough to let her life swallow her whole…for a while.

Fending off love and the pursuit of happiness completely, Sarah vows to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. She creates a list of goals for herself—starting with a much needed shower—and constructs a plan to dig herself out of her rut. What she doesn’t plan for is meeting the arrogant new employee her parents have hired to work on an addition to their home. Enter Jack Calloway, the handsome, charming, lickable foreman with an insatiable effect on Sarah’s girly parts.

Jack accepts the job, but gets more than he bargained for. Unable to ignore his racing hormones—and calm his temper—over the obnoxious woman who clouds his judgment, Jack pulls her in and steals her heart until she finally surrenders. But is he up for the challenge of picking up the pieces of Sarah’s broken heart? Can he carry her out of her rut?

And if you can't get enough...

There is only one thing in life that professional pastry Chef Priscilla Westcott values more than baking and wine, and that’s honesty. A quality she soon learns that her marriage lacks when her husband runs off with their next door neighbor.

Divorced and alone, Priscilla is determined to make changes in her life. She decides to approach her new goals like one of her beloved recipes. Surely with a little time, a dash of patience, and measured planning she can whip herself—and her life—back into shape.

However, when a new—and utterly delicious—neighbor takes up residence in the house that ruined her marriage, Priscilla fears that her careful world will fold faster than a deflated soufflé.

Trent Walker knows what he wants and his sweet, sassy neighbor is at the top of the list. He’s certain that the chemistry between them would be explosive, but Priscilla fears that an affair with him, however hot, could be a recipe for disaster.

Death Logs In by E.J.Simon Book Tour!

Book Details:
Book Title: Death Logs In by E.J. Simon
Category: Adult fiction, 348 pages
Genre: Technological Crime Thriller
Publisher: Simon/Zef Publishing
Published: Oct 15, 2014
Available in: Print and E-book format (mobi -for Kindle)
Will send books: Internationally
Tour dates:  Nov 17 to Dec 12, 2014
Content Rating: PG-13

About the book:

Death Logs In is E.J. Simon’s new novel, the eagerly awaited follow-up to his bestselling debut, Death Never Sleeps

​ ​

which rose to #2 on the Amazon Kindle list.

Death Logs In will once again feature E.J. Simon’s unforgettable protagonists, Michael Nicholas and his now virtual brother, Alex. It is a brilliant and compelling thriller. E.J. Simon’s talent for storytelling, infused with intrigue, globetrotting, and humor is, again, on full display in this new book.

Simon’s technology consultant and editor, Dan White said, “The only A.I. protagonist in crime thrillers is back, and nothing is ever as it first appears in an E.J. Simon novel.” This book’s narrative takes place over a summer period, and from the first page, E.J’s readers will feel the tension of this captivating story of family, crime, and technology. Readers will follow Michael and Alex Nicholas as they navigate a new landscape of corporate greed, underworld drama, and advances in artificial intelligence. Death Logs In is full of the nerve wracking turns he is known for.” 

Death Never Sleeps, published on August 15, 2013, achieved a #2 position on Amazon Kindle and entered numerous bestseller lists in the U.S. and abroad. Initially self-published, Simon/Zef began publishing Death Never Sleeps after it moved over 80,000 copies within the first year.

---

Meet the Author:

E.J. Simon was the CEO of GMAC Global Relocation Services (a division of GM) and the Managing Director of Douglas Elliman, the largest real estate company in NY.

He is a consultant to many leading private equity firms and has held senior level positions at prominent financial services companies.

He is a world traveler, food enthusiast and lives in Connecticut.Death Never Sleeps is his first novel. His second novel, Death Logs In, will be available in October 2014.

Connect with him:  Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter



Tour Schedule:

Nov 17 - Coffee Books & Art - books spotlighted / guest post / giveaway
Nov 17 - Everything Distils into Reading - review of Death Never Sleeps
Nov 17 - Cheryl's Book Nook - review of Death Logs In - author interview / giveaway
Nov 18 - allthingsbookie - review of Death Logs In
Nov 18 - Roughseasinthemed - review of Death Never Sleeps
Nov 19 - A Soccer Mom's Book Blog - review of Death Logs In / giveaway
Nov 19 - Pinky's Favorite Reads - book spotlight
Nov 20 - Nighttime Reading Center - review of Death Never Sleeps
Nov 20 - 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! - review of Death Never Sleeps
Nov 21 -  Deal Sharing Aunt - review of Death Never Sleeps / guest post / giveaway
Nov 21 - The Reading Life - review of Death Never Sleeps / guest post
Nov 24 - Confessions of A Reader - book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 24 - Cici's Theories - review of Death Never Sleeps - guest post
Nov 25 - Everything Distils into Reading - review of Death Logs In
Nov 25 - Jane Reads - review of Death Never Sleeps
Nov 26 - Roughseasinthemed - review of Death Logs In
Nov 26 - Celticlady's Reviews - book spotlight
Nov 26 - Blissful Book Reviews - review of Death Never Sleeps / guest post
Nov 27 - Nighttime Reading Center - review of Death Logs In / giveaway
Nov 27 - Life as Leels - review of Death Never Sleeps
Nov 28 - Little Whimsy Books - review of Death Never Sleeps / guest post
Nov 28 - Beauty in Ruins - guest post
Dec 1 - The Reading Life - review of Death Logs In - author interview
Dec 2 - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review of Death Never Sleeps
Dec 2 - Being Tillys Mummy - review of Death Logs In / author interview / giveaway
Dec 3 - 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! - review of Death Logs In
Dec 3 - Jane Reads - review of Death Logs In / giveaway
Dec 4 - Deal Sharing Aunt - review of Death Logs In - author interview / giveaway
Dec 4 - Cici's Theories - review of Death Logs In - author interview / giveaway
Dec 5 - Omnimystery News - author interview
Dec 5 - Life as Leels - review of Death Logs In / giveaway
Dec 8 - fuonlyknew - review of Death Never Sleeps
Dec 8 - A Blue Million Books - author interview / giveaway
Dec 9 - Blissful Book Reviews - review of Death Logs In / giveaway
Dec 10 - Brooke Blogs - review of Death Never Sleeps / guest post
Dec 10 - Dalene's Book Reviews - review of Death Never Sleeps / guest post
Dec 11 - Omnimystery News - guest post
Dec 11 - fuonlyknew - review of Death Logs In / giveaway
Dec 11 - Little Whimsy Books - review of Death Logs In / author interview / giveaway
Dec 11 - The Book Review - review of Death Never Sleeps
Dec 11 - A Book Geek - review of Death Logs In
Dec 11 - Brooke Blogs - review of Death Logs In / giveaway
Dec 12 - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review of Death Logs In
Dec 12 - The Discerning Reader - review of Death Never Sleeps and Death Logs In / giveaway
Dec 12 - JessicaCassidy.com - review of Death Logs In / guest post / giveaway
Dec 12 - The Book Review - review of Death Logs In  / giveaway
Dec 12 - Dalene's Book Reviews - review of Death Logs In / giveaway

Noise by Brett Garcia Rose Spotlight!

The world is an ugly place, and I can tell you now, I fit in just fine.

Lily is the only person Leon ever loved. When she left a suicide note and disappeared into a murky lake ten years ago, she left him alone, drifting through a silent landscape.

Or did she?

A postcard in her handwriting pulls Leon to the winter-cold concrete heart of New York City.

What he discovers unleashes a deadly rage that has no sound.

A grisly trail of clues leads to The Bear, the sadistic Russian crime lord who traffics in human flesh. The police—some corrupt, some merely compromised—are of little help. They don’t like Leon’s methods, or the mess he leaves in his wake.

Leon is deaf, but no sane person would ever call him disabled. He survived as a child on the merciless streets of Nigeria. He misses nothing. He feels no remorse. The only direction he’s ever known is forward.

He will not stop until he knows.

Where is Lily?

About the Author

Brett Garcia Rose is a software entrepreneur, former animal rights investigator/activist, and fiction writer. Brett’s work can be found in various literary and consumer publications including Newsday Magazine, The Barcelona Review, Opium, Lit Up, Rose and Thorn, The Battered Suitcase and many other publications. Losing Found Things, a collection of previously published short fiction, will be available in 2014, along with his first novel, Noise. He is currently living in Miami Beach, working hard on his second novel, Ren.

https://www.facebook.com/brettgarciarose

https://twitter.com/BrettGarciaRose

https://plus.google.com/+BrettGarciaRose1/posts

http://www.pinterest.com/brettgarciarose/