To any authors/publishers/ tour companies that are looking for the reviews that I signed up for please know this is very hard to do.
I will be stopping reviews temporarily. My husband passed away February 1st and my new normal is a bit scary right now and I am unable to concentrate on a book to do justice to the book and authors.
I will still do spotlight posts if you wish it is just the reviews at this time. I apologize for this, but it isn't fair to you if I signed up to do a review and haven't been able to because I can't concentrate on any books.
Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time. I appreciate all of you.
Kathleen Kelly
April 2nd 2024
Ink and sawdust meets brisket and moxie
I’m a tattooed casualty.
A charmer, a fraud, a skeptic, and a carpenter.
My name is Tse.
I’m cocky enough to believe my own lies, but too oblivious to see the truth is already out there.
I’m a cautious perfectionist.
A sister, a scrapper, a dreamer, and a workhorse.
My name is Sophia.
I’m capable enough to plan ahead, yet too powerless to avoid getting blindsided.
We’re complete opposites—one who plays it safe, the other a thrill-seeker—but when old sins resurface bringing violence to the present, our path forward becomes clear.
USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
Driven to make her books about 'real' people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills in their lives.
Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We've Read All Year Award for "Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, and Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!
Spring Upon a Crime (A Seattle Wilderness Mystery) by ML Erdahl
About Spring Upon A Crime
Spring Upon a Crime (A Seattle Wilderness Mystery) Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series Publisher: Wild Rose Press (January 13, 2021) Paperback: 294 pages ISBN-10: 1509234608 ISBN-13: 978-1509234608 Digital ASIN: B08P87F6J1
Wilderness guide Crystal Rainey leads a group of college students to a private campground amidst the awe-inspiring Olympic Rain Forest. The excursion is ruined when the charming hostess Roxie is discovered standing over the land owner’s body, murder weapon in hand.
Enlisted to investigate the crime to absolve her friend, Crystal descends on the quiet city of Forks to find loggers, developers, and eco-protesters circling the property, intent on either exploiting or protecting the bastion of old-growth forest. The list of suspects is intimidating. Can Crystal find answers in a community determined to keep her in the dark?
About ML Erdahl
Award-winning author ML Erdahl lives amidst the trees of the Pacific Northwest, where he pens humorous cozy mystery novels set in the wilderness he has spent his lifetime exploring. The only thing slowing him down is when his adorable rescue dogs, Skip and Daisy, demand to be pet and cuddled on his lap while he types. When he’s not working away in front of a computer, you can find him gardening, hiking, or grumbling to his wife, Emily, about the perpetual Northwest winter rain that prevents him from going outside.
He swept into my life, like an unexpected storm. One minute I’m planning forever and the next, I’m left picking up the pieces. Three years have passed and now he’s back wanting to reclaim what once was. Can lightning strike twice or will they be left broken? Readers who love second chance romances will enjoy this diverse, contemporary romance.
JULIA I never saw Noah Weston coming. He swept into my life like an unexpected storm, but soon, he was everything to me. Until tragedy struck. One day I was planning the rest of my life with my soulmate, and the next I was picking up the pieces of a love so strong, it broke me apart. It took three years to put myself back together. Three years until I was ready to move on. I’ll never forget it. The day he came back. Can lightening strike twice? Maybe, but when I look into his eyes, all I remember are the last words he ever spoke to me. The words that left me broken.
NOAH I loved her before I knew her name. She was more than just my heartbeat. Julia Blake was a dream too good to be true. When real life invaded the bubble we had created, I was left a broken man. I survived, but I was dead inside. Half the man I used to be. The half I needed had a new life without me. Three years later, I’m back to reclaim what I’ve lost. I’m back for her, only she wants nothing to do with me.
“Oh, really?” I take one shoe off and throw it at him as hard as possible. He manages to move before it makes contact. He’s not so lucky with the second shoe, and it hits him right on the shoulder. “Here! Take them! And for the last time, this is not our anniversary! You broke up with me, remember? This is a Friday night, and I planned on going out with a man I’m interested in getting to know and possibly fuck. Do you know why? Because I’m single!” “Girl, watch your mouth. Don’t make me call your momma,” Mr. Hampton yells. All the neighbors stare, waiting to see what we do next. Anger fuels my next steps as I stomp my way back to my house, but Noah and Greg are right behind me. A few of the neighbors have now stepped off their porch to stand on the sidewalk. “You guys want a show?” I shout. “Bring it, girl,” someone answers back. “This is what I’m going to do with your anniversary flowers, you lying, selfish jerk.” I open the door and grab the arrangement. I walk to the middle of the street, lift it above my head, and slam it to the ground with all the strength I can muster. The vase shatters in the middle of the street, the two dozen roses bounce on the pavement, and the water from the vase rolls down the concrete. “Happy fucking anniversary, you liar! Go to hell or go back to your racist parents. I don’t care which, just stay the fuck away from me, or I swear to God, that limp will be the least of your problems!” “Leave my parents out of this! This is between us, and for the record, I haven’t talked to them in months.” “Sure. You managed to buy a house on your teacher’s salary, right? That’s realistic considering you’ve had the job for two months. Maybe you used your nonexistent teaching bonus as a down payment? God, you’re a liar, and I hate myself for never seeing you for the dishonest person that you are!” “Why do you keep calling me a liar? What the fuck do you think I lied about?” he yells. “You lied about everything!” I scream so loud I can feel the vein in my neck pulsing. I take a step closer and point my finger in his face. “I love you, Li. You’re my world, Li. I want you to have my baby, Li. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Li.” I do a poor imitation of his voice as I scream in his face. “And you let me believe you were a struggling student just like me, not the son of millionaires. Everything about you is a lie. Our entire relationship was an illusion.” “I meant all of that! I still want all of that with you, and I never told you I was struggling. We never even talked about money. Everything I said was true. Every feeling. I love you so much, it physically hurts to breathe sometimes.”
Q & A With Eveyln Sola
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
No, I didn’t. I’ve always been an avid reader, but I never aspired to be a writer. I never thought I had it in me to tell a story from beginning to end and keep it interesting. Then around 2016/2017, I started reading Fifty Shades of Grey fanfiction. After about a year of being a reader, I was persuaded by a couple of people to write my own stories, so I did, and I haven’t looked back since. Once I did that, it didn’t take much to convince myself that I can create my own characters and my own world.
Describe your typical writing day for us.
I try to do most of my writing in the morning. I’m fresher and more alert when I first wake up. I guess I’m what is known as that annoying morning person, but I have a fulltime job, which gets in the way of my passion. I try to do about an hour’s worth of writing before work and a few sprints during the day. My goal is to get two thousand word down each day. I don’t always make it, but that’s always my goal.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Other writers in the Indie community inspire me. From people who have been at it for years, to those who are just starting out like me.
How do you come up with your book titles?
All of my titles so far are one word. I try to find a verb that best captures the essence of the book.
Can you share with us something about the book that isn't included with the blurb?
As you know, Broken is a second chance romance. One of my favorite romance tropes, by the way. The hero is the one who ends the relationship, and he shows back up three years later. He not only manages to get a job at the same place as the heroine, but he moves in across the street from her as well. He infiltrates her life in every way.
Do you listen to music when writing? If so, can you share with us some of the songs that inspired you or that you listened to while writing?
I don’t listen to music when I write. I always have the TV on, however, and it’s usually on Investigation Discovery.
Using only 3 words how would you describe Julia? Noah?
Julia is strong. I believe she’s a survivor. She’s also guarded. Noah is resilient, brave, and definitely a fighter.
What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
This is a story about two young people who find love until they are forced apart. It’s a story about family and the power of forgiveness.
About Evelyn Sola
A Boston native, wife, mother, and wine enthusiast. If she’s not writing, thinking about writing, you will find Evelyn with a book in her hands. While a new publisher, she’s been writing for years, and she will continue to write for many years to come.
Evelyn is obsessed with assertive and confident men who will stop at nothing to get their woman. Her stories are filled with love, passion and humor.
She currently lives in Chicago, IL with her husband and two daughters.
Publisher: Independently Published (December 15, 2020)
Paperback: 278 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8581502389
Digital ASIN: B08QMHW6DD
A fall fair, a cornered craftsman, an heirloom heist. When an antique quilt that is a cherished part of Fenwater’s past disappears from the market before her town’s fall fair, it’s up to Lois to resolve the quilt quandary.
Middle-aged widow Lois is enjoying her second season in her new town and her century house, away from the dangers of big city life in Toronto. She can’t wait to experience her first old-fashioned fall fair, complete with hot apple cider. But when the local market is burgled, her enthusiasm for the upcoming festival plummets. During the break-in one of the security guards is badly injured and an antique quilt, on loan from the museum, vanishes. Her friend, Bruce, designed and built the display case and has one of only two keys to secure it. That makes him a prime suspect in the theft. Lois won’t let Bruce’s reputation, nor the trust his customers have in the bespoke furniture maker, be damaged by the allegation. She’s determined to piece the clues together to find the quilt, clear Bruce’s name and save a piece of Fenwater’s history.
And so begins a week of deepening friendships, hot apple cider, calico cats, backseat shenanigans, hazy housemates, and few puzzle pieces to work with, set against the backdrop of a rustic market building amidst stately stone architecture, the crackle of flames in the hearth, a blaze of colour on leafy residential streets and the scintillating scent of cinnamon.
The Century Cottage Cozy Mystery series is set in rural Ontario, Canada during the early 1980s.
A tale for fans of Cindy Bell, Leighann Dobbs, Dianne Harman and Kathi Daley.
About Dianne Ascroft
Dianne Ascroft writes the Century Cottage Cozy Mysteries, set in rural Canada, and The Yankee Years historical sagas, set in WWII Northern Ireland. She has a passion for Ireland and Canada, past and present. An ex-pat Canadian, Dianne lives on a small farm with her husband and an assortment of strong-willed animals.
Her previous fiction works include An Unbidden Visitor (a tale inspired by Fermanagh’s famous Coonian ghost); Dancing Shadows, Tramping Hooves: A Collection of Short Stories (contemporary tales), and an historical novel, Hitler and Mars Bars, which explores Operation Shamrock, a little known Irish Red Cross humanitarian endeavour.
Lois glanced at her watch then picked up her pace. She wasn’t far from St Andrew Street and the market was only a couple of blocks away at the other end of the main street, but she wanted to give herself plenty of time to look around the stalls before she had to start her half-day shift at the library. Although she only needed vegetables, and maybe a treat from the bakery stall, she never knew what else she would find there. She loved wandering up and down the aisles, waiting for something to jump out and claim her attention.
A sharp bark sounded behind her then a woman spoke. “Isn’t that a fresh morning?”
Lois sighed then smiled resignedly to herself. The easy company of her own thoughts and the peace of the quiet side street were about to disappear but Connie Harris and her dog weren’t a completely unwelcome interruption. She liked her chatty neighbour.
Lois looked over her shoulder. “Hi, Connie. Yes, it is a bit cool this morning but, after the heat we had this summer, we shouldn’t complain.”
Connie laughed. “You can say that again! I prefer this weather. It’s easier to keep up with Snowy when I’m not about to burst into flame!”
Lois glanced at the energetic white dog as Connie and her canine companion drew alongside of her. Since she first met her neighbour a few weeks ago, she had never seen the West Highland white terrier still. Most days as the pair passed her house, Connie was tugged along the sidewalk. The dog always seemed in a hurry to get somewhere. Lois was thankful that she could enjoy her walks at the pace she chose. She was sure she was much better suited to being a cat owner.
“Are you heading anywhere in particular?” Lois asked.
“No, just out for our morning walk. Snowy doesn’t have the patience for me to make any stops on the way. What about you?”
“I’m working at the library this morning. I don’t start until ten but I want to stop by the market first. You get the pick of the fresh vegetables if you get there early.”
The two women chatted as Lois picked up her pace to match Connie and Snowy. So much for her contemplative start to the day. She would have to enjoy the brilliant scene fall had painted on her street on her way home this afternoon.
In the middle of the main street the women parted. Connie veered onto a side street to continue the square circuit back to her house opposite Lois’s, and Lois continued along the main street to the market.
When she reached her destination, from the opposite corner of the street, she gazed at the barnlike structure in anticipation. It was wonderful to have a fresh produce and crafts market so close to her home. Last summer she had relished stepping inside the building to escape the sun’s fierce rays. Today she would enjoy its warmth. But, no matter the season, she never tired of wandering its aisles.
She glanced at her watch. After her sprint to the main street with her companions, she was earlier than she had planned. She would have even more time to browse the stalls. Crossing the street at the traffic light, she headed straight for the wide double doors on the side of the building. As she approached them, she was surprised to see only one of the doors was open. Usually both were thrown back against the outer walls. Her eyebrows pulled down into a frown when she spotted a policewoman standing at the entrance. The officer looked like she was on duty, not just pausing on her beat as she passed the building. Lois knew that the market had hired security guards to patrol the building after a theft a couple months ago but she couldn’t imagine why a police officer was also there.
The Ontario Provincial Police officer watched Lois as she neared the entrance and, although Lois knew she had no reason to worry, the scrutiny made her uneasy. She shook her head and smiled to herself. Why on earth does the sight of a police officer always make you feel guilty when you haven’t done anything wrong?
The police officer spoke when Lois was a few feet from the entrance. “The market is closed today, ma’am.”
Lois stared at the officer, noticing that the policewoman’s sandy hair was pulled into a bun under her uniform cap. She still had a toned, athletic figure but she was not right out of police college. She had a more commanding presence than a new graduate.
Lois stared at the officer as her words sunk in. “Closed? Why?”
“Police investigation, ma’am.”
Lois raised her eyebrows. “What are you investigating?” What on earth could have happened at the market?
Alene Baron doesn’t go looking for mysteries, they find her. When the highly disliked owner of a business neighboring the Whipped and Sipped Cafe turns up dead, the list of potential suspects is pretty long, including all of the members of his quarrelsome family. Missing wills, convenient accidents, and enough red herring to feed the lunch crowd spice up this tantalizing tale. As always, while pondering the evidence, Alene also comes up with creative vegan dishes to serve her customers and share with you.
About G. P. Gottlieb
G.P. Gottlieb has worked as a musician, a teacher, and an administrator, but she’s happiest when writing recipe-laced murder mysteries. Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery and Smothered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery take place in the spring and summer of 2019 and a third book in the series will center on a murder that occurs during the city of Chicago’s lockdown in May 2020. G.P. Gottlieb has always experimented in the kitchen and created her delicious vegan cookies and cakes in direct opposition to what she learned in courses at Chicago’s French Pastry School. She is host for New Books in Literature, a podcast channel on the New Books Network, the mother of three grown children, and lives with her husband in a Chicago high-rise that is strikingly similar to the building portrayed in the Whipped and Sipped Mystery series.
Hiking the Kindling National Forest is a birthday tradition for the Sullivan siblings—pitching camp, roasting s’mores… a dead body? Not exactly the fun party outdoor guide Andie Sullivan planned for her brother, Kyle. Welp.
When the body is identified as a local who worked at the parks department, Andie decides to put her clue-solving skills to use. Winter tourism is at stake, and if word gets out that Bushwhack has another killer on the loose, she can kiss that sweet revenue goodbye.
Easier said than done. Meanwhile, Sheriff Zac Mars is neck and neck with her on uncovering clues, proving solving the latest murder in town is harder than powering through a mountain bike tour on an energy bar breakfast. Racing against the clock, Andie must uncover evidence to make her mountain community safe for ski bunnies. But as one new plot twist turns into another dead body, Andie learns not everyone likes meddling civilian sleuths. If she’s not fast enough, the killer may find her before she finds them.
About Jodi Linton
Hey Y’all,
I’m just a girl from Texas, minus the big hair…and oh, yeah, a horse. My crew consists of two kiddos, one which inherited my makeup addiction, and a husband still living out his garage band dreams, but in our closet next to my shoe collection.
I love to hang out with my readers, discussing books, recipes and just everyday shenanigans. I got started in the romance community, which you might know a few of my books from there. Now, I’m all about the cozies…and the coffee. Yeah, can’t forget that.
I’d love for you to come and join my reader group, Jodi’s Book Corner or come like me on Facebook to discover my books. And chat. Naturally.
