Babs BookMark issue 10

Babs BookMark issue 10/march 2019

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Interview with Becky Clark/ Cozy Mystery authors: Misty Simon & Amy Patricia Meade / Publisher News Berkley / Romance: Suspense, Paranormal & Sci-fi

Babs BookMark editorial board editor in chief associate editor editorial assistant managing editor

Babs Hightower Amber Marr Babs Hightower Amber Marr

creative director

Babs Hightower

digital media editor

Babs Hightower

publishing head

Babs Hightower

about the cover This month's issue is all about surprises.

You never know what will happen in life, and at this age, you gotta be prepared to deal with it. Â

contents

05

Becky Clark

12

Cozy Mystery

17

Publisher News

18

Romance

28

Next Issue

editor's note To start, let me say that as a blog owner and book reviewer I know the importance of leaving a review for each book I read. Also as a reviewer I know the importance of Authors going in and liking reviewers reviews. It is just as important for us as well. We see authors asking for reviews but we need the authors to like our reviews. It helps us stand out from the trolls and not real reviewers.

I really believe that no matter whether a magazine is delivered to your doorstep or to your computer, printed on glossy stock or on cheap tabloid paper, appearing on your iPad or your cell-phone screen, it is still and foremost the work of an editorial team for a discerning audience, a beautiful and meaningful— we hope—package of ideas, words and images that a group of experts prepares for its readers.

While technology efficiently delivers news stories to our desktops, laptops and mobile devices, magazines are all about context— how ideas and images are presented.

Magazines are about trust and partnership: We, the editors, will strive always to keep you engaged; you, the readers, are free to engage with us or to reject us.

Sit down, relax, and enjoy this issue of Babs BookMark.

Babs Hightower editor-in-chief

On The Cover We have Becky Clark and she has been nice enough to agree to an interview.

But first, about Foul Play On Words Between a kidnapping, a double booking, and a crew of hapless volunteers, Charlee is worried the writing conference will go to the dogs Mystery author Charlee Russo agrees to speak at a Portland writers' conference organized by her friend Viv Lundquist.

When Viv picks her up at the airport, she frantically explains that her daughter Hanna has been kidnapped. Unfortunately, Viv has a history of embellishing the truth and Hanna has a history of disappearing.

Charlee takes over the conference preparation so Viv can search for her daughter, but the situation gets tense when the hotel double-books the event with a dog show. Despite it all, Charlee is compelled to investigate after she learns shocking secrets about both Hanna and Viv. Can she find Hanna in time, or will a plot twist lead her to a ruff ending?

Excerpt ~ Chapter One Waiting for someone to pick me up at the airport is like forcing me to be eight years old again.

Waiting at the curb for the school bus. Waiting in the corridor shoulder to shoulder with my line buddy until everyone in class had puffed out their cheeks holding our invisible "Quiet Bubbles" in our mouths, finally acceptably hush-hush-hallway enough to march out to recess.

Waiting for my mom to rescue me much too late from a disastrous birthday party like when she forced me to go to Tommy Ryan's, that annoying hair-puller. She'd promised me I'd have fun once I got there.

Why do parents lie like that? Did she really need two hours' peace that desperately? If she'd only leveled with me that she needed a break from my incessant chatter, I'd have gladly sat quietly in a dim room mentally thinking up rhymes for my teacher, Mrs. McRucker's name.

That always amused my eight-year-old self.

My thirty-year-old self wasn't as easily appeased.

Again, I edged out from under the shelter of the overhang to peer down the roadway, hurrying back when rain began dripping off the tip of my nose.

“Where is she?” I spoke to myself, even though several people also waited nearby. Perhaps like me they were waiting for someone — parent, spouse, pal, clown car — to swoop in and pick them up at the Portland airport. Behind me, the terminal. In front of me, past the large concrete overhang, soft Oregon rain. To my left, bored or anxious or annoyed passengers, resigned or worried or irritated that their designated rides hadn’t shown up yet. To my right, the MAX light rail train loading passengers for the trip to the Portland city center or other travel hubs. I’d already watched seven trains on the two tracks come and go. But still no Viv. Despite my exasperation with having to wait for her, I couldn’t help but smile when I thought about hanging out with her again. I hadn't seen her in a few years, but we’d had some glorious adventures in the past. Sharing hotel rooms at writer’s conferences like two teenagers at a slumber party, sitting on panels, teaching workshops together, and going on that book tour. Oy, that book tour. Our first books were published within three weeks of each other so we organized a tour together, hitting every major city in the eight states encompassing my home in Colorado and hers in Oregon, as well as many podunk towns in between.

Our publishers didn’t foot the bill for our book tour. Viv and I paid for everything out of our miniscule advances, so after every signing event, she talked our way into free meals, drinks, or hotel rooms along our route. After a while, I couldn’t remember what was the truth about us and what was the fictional embellishment she wrapped us in. Regardless, we seemed like the two most interesting women in the world. So what if it wasn’t completely accurate? At least it was entertaining, especially for us.

If I felt uncomfortable when she got too outlandish, Viv convinced me that was what people came to hear. We were obligated to give them their money’s worth. When I reminded her we spoke for free, she said, “If they only met boring old us, they’d be disappointed. At least now they had awesome stories to tell at parties about the time they got to hang out with those two crazy writers.”

I laughed out loud. Did anyone actually remember any of her tall tales?

A man standing nearby smiled at me then spoke with a British accent. “I shall go barmy if I have to wait much longer, but it seems you bloody well don’t mind waiting to be picked up.”

He gestured toward the terminal. “I heard a bloke inside say there was a tie up on the motorway.”

“Actually, I’m thinking about turning around and flying right back to Denver. Or at least going back in for a grilled cheese sandwich. With bacon.” I eyed the terminal doors behind us.

“Don’t like Portland?”

“I love Portland. But I’m here to speak at a writer’s conference, and I’m nervous. I’ve been on panels before, and taught workshops, but my friend Viv, who’s the organizer, wants me to give the keynote speech at the banquet on Saturday.”

“Are you an author?”

I nodded and thrust out my hand. “Charlemagne Russo. Charlee. I write mysteries. But I’ll bet you’ve never heard of me.”

He shook my hand and quirked his mouth apologetically. “I’m Sir Richard Headley. Sorry. I don’t read mysteries.”

“Ooh, I’m in the presence of royalty.” I gave a demure little bend of the knee, making him laugh.

“Nah, not really. Just pretending. Call me Ricky.” The posh British accent was gone, replaced by a flat midwestern one. “I’m from Nebraska. Practicing my accents. I was in the Russian Politburo on the way here.”

I raised my eyebrows at him, hoping there was more explanation coming.

“I travel a lot — I’m a motivational speaker — and believe you me, every single person on this planet pretends to be something they’re not, feels like a fraud. And some of them actually are.”

“Like me.”

“I’m sure you’re not.”

“Are you here to … motivationally speak?”

He shook his head. “Friend’s wedding. Haven’t seen him in years. Not really sure why I agreed.

The things we do for friends.”

“Indeed. I’m even using my own hotel points and I flew in early because flights on Wednesday were cheaper.” I peered hopefully at the cars coming down the passenger pick-up lane, but they all stopped for other travelers. “I should have called a cab or taken the MAX, though.”

“Same here. I’m supposed to be taken for a tuxedo fitting, but I don’t know where. Otherwise I’d be in a cab.” Ricky glanced at his phone then dropped it back in his pocket. “So, tell me. What does one do at a writer’s conference? Surely you don’t sit around and write.”

Interview BBM: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I grew up woefully unprepared to be a writer because I had a completely happy and functional childhood in Colorado with three older brothers, three older sisters, and one younger sister.

The only way my parents abused me, thus giving me any deep-seated angst to explore in my prose, was when they served lima beans at dinner. Oh, the inhumanity! I then grew up to give my three kids a completely happy and functional childhood and if they say otherwise, I'll make them eat lima beans.

Now my husband and I are loving our semi-empty nest ... we took in our Navy son's pooch when he got sent to Bahrain. She, however, is a bit dysfunctional, but I won't embarrass her by sharing the details. Just imagine the quirkiest, most polite, ninja-like dog you can, and that's Nala. Some iteration of her shows up in everything I write.

BBM: Was there a certain time in your life you knew you wanted to write?

Even though I was a voracious reader, and got excellent grades in English, it never occurred to me to be a writer. Writers were mythical creatures who rode unicorns and had superpowers.

Not some dopey kid from Colorado. My college degree is in Criminal Justice, but I accidentally got one in English, too, simply because of all the classes I took for fun. When I had kids, I stayed home with them and also took in daycare kids. (God bless daycare providers, btw. If you have a good one, go plant a sloppy wet one right on their cheek. Or give them something they might like better. I dunno. It's been a while since I've been in the biz.) At naptime, I'd go upstairs to hide from them and started to write funny personal essays like Erma Bombeck or somebody hipper than Erma Bombeck for you younguns out there. Without trying too hard, I actually sold one! To this day, that $50 remains my sweetest paycheck. It was the first time someone said, "Wow! You can entertain people with the power of your mighty, mighty words!"

From then on, I was hooked.

BBM: What are you currently working on?

I'm currently polishing Book 3 in the Mystery Writer's Mysteries, tentatively titled METAPHOR FOR MURDER. I've also recently sent a proposal to my agent to shop around a new series I'm excited about set in the world of crossword puzzles. Fingers crossed somebody loves it as much as I do. And I'm noodling around with a couple of standalones that have been on my mind for far too long, plus some nonfiction stuff.

BBM: Of the books you’ve written, which one is your favorite and why?

My favorite is always the next one. It takes a long time for a book to get birthed after an author hands it off. And I'm like a magpie, always anxious to get to something shiny and new. It's so much fun to send those characters off on a new adventure, meet new characters, tackle a different setting.

BBM: What books have most influenced you as a writer?

As a kid I read all the Nancy Drews, which made me love mysteries. As an adult I read Janet Evanovich, Jen Lancaster, Carl Hiassen, Libba Bray, Tim Dorsey and so many more who made me love funny books. Writing humorous mysteries only made sense!

BBM: What do you find to be the most challenging part of writing? And the most rewarding?

The most challenging part of writing for me is searching for readers who share my sense of humor and who like to buy mysteries. But when you find those people, it's the best reward.

There is truly nothing like checking your email and seeing notes from people who tell me they absolutely connected with my writing. They laughed, they cried, they reviewed. Truly nothing like it. I hope they keep doing it.

BBM: What book is on your nightstand?

That's adorable you think there's only one! I know you have space considerations, so I won't run through the entire pile threatening to topple over and smother me in my sleep. But the three on top are Gretchen Archer's DOUBLE DOG DARE, Louise Penny's STILL LIFE, and Ann Cleeves' THE GLASS ROOM. BBM: What can we look forward to seeing from you in the future?

Fingers crossed, more of the Mystery Writer's Mysteries as well as the new crossword series.

Of course, if people follow me on Facebook and subscribe to my newsletter, and do all the things in all the places, they'll see adorable pictures of quirky Nala. And I think in 2019 I'm going to start giving away to my subscribers the purses I make from old books I've rescued.

They're pretty cool and I'd like to reward my fans with something fun. Oh, and I'm going to teach myself how to tap dance this year, so that will be hilarious and you won't want to miss one minute of that!

BBM: Is there anything you’d like to share with your readers?

Ohmygosh, no! I'm certain they're sick of me by now!

About Becky Becky Clark is the seventh of eight kids, which explains both her insatiable need for attention and her atrocious table manners. She likes to read funny books so it felt natural to write them too. She surrounds herself with quirky people and pets who end up as characters in her books. Readers say her books are “fast and thoroughly entertaining” with “witty humor and tight writing” and “humor laced with engaging characters” so you should “grab a cocktail and enjoy the ride.” They also say “Warning: You will laugh out loud. I’m not kidding,” and “If you like Janet Evanovich, you will like Becky Clark.”

Cozy Mystery!

Misty Simon, Amy Patricia Meade & Dr. Joe A. Bowden Ph.D Tallie Graver Mysteries There’s no reverse on the hearse . . .

For Tallulah Graver, marrying wealthy Waldo Phillips seemed like the best way out of the family business, the Graver Funeral Home. But when her marriage falls apart and Tallie is left with next to nothing, she turns to cleaning houses to make ends meet. As humbling as it is to tidy the mansions of the snobby socialites she used to call friends, at least she doesn’t have to be around dead bodies. Until . . .

She discovers one of her employers lying in a closet with a knife sticking out of her chest.

This unpleasant shock seems to be part of a web of weird experiences: Tallie’s friend Gina’s shop is broken into, her ex is stungunned where it hurts the most, and now she’s receiving flowers from the dead woman. Granted the deliveryman is handsome, but seriously, that’s enough to cast a pall over anyone’s day. Now Tallie needs to dig deep to clean up this mess— before she finds herself in a grave situation.

BBM: What book is on your nightstand?

David Edding's Guardians of the West - I reread the whole series every year :) BBM: What can we look forward to seeing from you in the future?

My next Tallie Graver Mystery will be out from Kensington in Dec 2019. It's called Carpet Diem and I absolutely love it!

BBM: Is there anything you’d like to share with your readers?

I know this is going to sound cliche but follow your dreams. No matter what they are and no matter how scared you are about them, go out and get them. You have a desire for a reason and you have something to share, whether that's writing, painting, food, your voice, your laughter, your experiences.

The world needs whatever you have a passion to share. I'll be right here waiting :)

Misty Simon always wanted to be a storyteller…preferably behind a Muppet. Animal was number one, followed closely by Sherlock Hemlock… Since that dream didn’t come true, she began writing stories to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time. She knows how to hula, was classically trained to sing opera, co-wrote her high school Alma Mater, and can’t touch raw wood. Never hand her a Dixie cup with that wooden spoon/paddle thing. It’s not pretty.

Touching people’s hearts and funny bones are two of her favorite things, and she hopes everyone at least snickers in the right places when reading her books. She lives with her husband, daughter, and two insane dogs in Central Pennsylvania where she is hard at work on her next novel or three. She loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at misty@mistysimon.com.

Interview BBM: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I love to write and talk and write some more. I adore doing reader events where I can wear my vintage dresses and my petticoats and have conversations about life and books and writing. You'll often find me laughing. I live in Central PA, have been married for almost 22 years and my daughter is soon going to be 18. I'm not doing so well with that last one since she's my baby, but life moves forward even if I'm convinced I'm only 29 still.

BBM: Was there a certain time in your life you knew you wanted to write?

Shortly after I got married, my husband and I worked opposite shifts. I found myself watching far too much Lifetime TV and thought I'd better get back into reading like I had when I was younger. The more I read the more I had stories cultivating in my mind until finally I took a chance and haven't looked back since.

BBM: What are you currently working on?

A paranormal short in my Adventures in Ghostsitting series where my heroine owns a junkyard and everything in it has a ghost attached to it. And they're not well-behaved at all.

BBM: Of the books you’ve written, which one is your favorite and why?

Oh man, that's like asking to choose a favorite child :) Although I only have one kid so I guess she is my favorite. I would have to say that my favorite book is probably Poison Ivy. If was the first book I completed and edited and threw my heart and soul into and it was the first one published. Such an awesome day to get that baby into my hand and crow that I had finally done it!

BBM: What books have most influenced you as a writer?

Stephen King's On Writing and so many romances and mysteries. I'm inspired every time I crack open a new book and share that author's vision of the world and get to know their characters.

BBM: What do you find to be the most challenging part of writing? And the most rewarding?

The mist challenging can be making sure to be authentic with the characters. Sometimes I have these characters and I think I know who they are but I need to let them be who they are on the page and not force them into what I want them to do. Letting the words and pieces flow can be challenging but conversely it is one of the most rewarding things I know of.

Amy Patricia Meade

Literary caterer Letitia 'Tish' Tarragon is preparing her English Secret Gardenthemed luncheon for Coleton Creek's annual garden club awards, but when she is taken on a tour of some of the top contenders with the garden club's president, Jim Ainsley, Tish is surprised at how seriously the residents take the awards - and how desperate they are to win. Wealthy, retired businessman Sloane Shackleford has won the coveted best garden category five years in a row, but he and his Bichon Frise, Biscuit, are universally despised. When Sloane's bludgeoned body is discovered in his pristine garden, Tish soon learns that he was disliked for reasons that go beyond his green fingers. Have the hotly contested awards brought out a competitive and murderous streak in one of the residents?

Letitia ‘Tish’ Tarragon has just moved to Hobson Glen and opened a new restaurant and catering business, Cookin’ the Books Cafe. So when her new landlord, Schulyer Thompson, recommends her to Binnie Broderick, the executive director of the local library, Tish is delighted. Binnie needs a last-minute caterer to create a literary inspired three-course dinner for the library’s annual fundraiser, one of the highlights of Hobson Glen’s social season.

But there’s a problem: Binnie Broderick is a notoriously difficult woman to please. And when she chokes to death from arsenic poisoning after dousing her main course in hot sauce, Tish suddenly finds herself fighting to save her business – and her reputation. It seems that very few of Hobson Glen’s residents escaped Binnie’s disapproval. But who would want her dead, and why?

BBM: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am a cozy mystery author whose first novel, Million Dollar Baby, was published in 2006. Since then, I have published nine books, the two most recent of which will be released this year. I am also an American expat living in the UK. In 2017, my husband and I made the move to southwest England. As you can imagine, it took some time to adapt to our new environment, but we really enjoy living here.

BBM: Was there a certain time in your life you knew you wanted to write?

It probably sounds cliché, but I think I’ve always wanted to write. As a child, I would borrow my grandfather’s Instamatic camera and snap photos of the world around me. I would then paste them into notebooks and make up stories about the subjects in the photos.

BBM: What are you currently working on?

The final proofs of THE GARDEN CLUB MURDER, the second instalment in my new Tish Tarragon cozy mystery series.T BBM: Of the books you’ve written, which one is your favorite and why?

My most recent work, THE GARDEN CLUB MURDER, is my favourite as I really tried to give my characters added depth and provide a solution that isn’t altogether ‘happy.’ I’m constantly trying to improve my writing and come up with new and interesting plots and I really enjoyed this one as it allowed my protagonist, Tish Tarragon, to truly blossom.

BBM: What books have most influenced you as a writer?

I’m a fan of the classics: Dorothy Sayers, PD James, and I own every Agatha Christie in hardback.

However, I also love Martha Grimes and Peter Lovesey as well as the humor found in MC Beaton’s Agatha Raisin series.

BBM: What do you find to be the most challenging part of writing? And the most rewarding?

The most challenging part of writing is forcing myself to sit down at my desk and write. In order to be signed with a publisher, most writers are required to provide a lengthy synopsis of the proposed work, complete with ending, so by the time the actual book- writing begins, the central puzzle, plot, primary characters, and solution are already in place. It is then the writer’s job to take that blurb or five-page synopsis and flesh it out into 75,000 to 85,000 words while ensuring that the storyline is properly paced and engaging. It can feel a bit anticlimactic and more than a bit daunting.

The most rewarding part is when, once I get into a writing routine and become engrossed in developing a manuscript, I find my characters coming into their own or taking my plot in a new, unexpected direction.

Cozy Mystery Reviews The Plunge by Nancy G. West review by Amber I am so happy Aggie and Sam are back. I love the original Aggie Mundeen mysteries and am glad the author is working on a spinoff. As with all of Aggie's stories I was drawn in and fully engaged in the story from the beginning. I love Aggie and Sam. Their chemistry is undeniable.

The author does a wonderful job with the world building. I felt like I was in the middle of the flood, trapped, part of the clean up, or involved in the rescues as the story played out. The descriptive scenes, smells, and auditory cues are spot on and the book draws the reader right into the book. The book describes the tragedy that occurred in 1998 Texas and pairs it with a theft and a murder.

The Plunge is a novella and is a quick and easy read. The book flows well and the pacing is perfect. I got lost in the story and was sad to see it come to an end. The Plunge is another wonder story starring Aggie Mundeen and her beau, Sam Vanderhoven.

The Gun Also Rises by Sherry Harris review by Amber When Sarah is hired to manage an enormous book sale by Belle Winthrop Granville, one of Ellington, Massachusetts' elite citizens, she's shocked to find rare Hemingway manuscripts among the books and dust. She barely gets a glimpse when Belle is assaulted and the case of manuscripts is stolen. With the manuscripts on the run, Sarah puts herself in danger to chase the thief. Murder, mayhem, and of course, mystery abounds in The Gun Also Rises, another excellent book in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series.

I really enjoy the Garage Sale Mysteries by Sherry Harris. As a lover of garage sales, yard sales, flea markets, etc., a cozy setting of this nature makes me happy. Sarah is a great protagonist and is written in such a way that I feel like I know her personally. She has very realistic characteristics and the author really brings Sarah to life. The secondary characters are also realistically written.

As I said about the rest of the books in the series, The Gun Also Rises is a fantastic cozy mystery that is full of twists, turns, distractions, and red herrings. There are suspenseful, humorous, and heartbreaking moments that are sure to keep the reader engaged. The author sets up many of the characters as the potential suspect and expertly pulls the tablecloth out from underneath them without spilling the truth until it's time.

Publishers News!

Berkley Prime Crime

Latest Releases for Berkley NO ESCAPE CLAWS by Sofie Ryan (on sale January 29th) BROKEN BONE CHINA by Laura Childs (on sale March 5th) MRS. JEFFRIES DELIVERS THE GOODS by Emily Brightwell (on sale March 12th) AN ARTLESS DEMISE by Anna Lee Huber (on sale April 2nd) DEATH WAITS IN THE DARK by Julia Buckley (on sale April 2nd) MURDER ON TRINITY PLACE by Victoria Thompson (on sale April 30th)

Romance!

Larissa Reinhart, Keta Diablo, Kayelle Allen, Roxanne Witherell, M.S. Spencer "SASSY, SEXY AND FUN." Hot Mystery Review's "2017 Top Ten Mysteries for Book Clubs" In her first book, 15 MINUTES, ex-teen TV and reality star, Maizie Albright, returns home to Black Pine, Georgia, determined to start a new career as a private investigator, modeled after her childhood starring role in Julie Pinkerton: Teen Detective. For a license in Georgia, she needs training and there's only one gumshoe in Black Pine: Wyatt Nash of Nash Security Solutions.

He's got a hard body, Paul Newman eyes, and no interest in having an exactress for an apprentice. Unbeknownst to Maizie, the reality show cast of All is Albright and her stage-monster manager also follows her to Georgia.

Maizie's got a big learning curve to overcome--not only in private investigations but also in life as a non-celebrity--but an optimistic disposition, years of therapy, and donuts will help her become the independent thinker her manager always hoped she wouldn't become.

I truly believe with the right attitude and donuts, you can "make it happen" just like Maizie

A Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Larissa writes the Cherry Tucker Mystery, Maizie Albright Star Detective, and Finley Goodhart Crime Caper series. She loves to tell funny stories about women, looking for love (and dead bodies) in all the wrong places (but make it right in the end).

Her books have been chosen as book club picks by Woman's World Magazine and Hot Mystery Reviews. They've also been finalists in the Georgia Author of the Year Best Mystery; the Silver Falchion for Best Cozy Mystery; the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense; The Emily Award; and has been a Dixie Kane Memorial winner. Her work also appeared in the 2017 Silver Falchion Reader’s Choice winner, Eight Mystery Writers You Should Be Reading Now. Larissa, her family, and Cairn Terrier, Biscuit, lived in Nagoya, Japan, but have returned to Georgia. You can see them on HGTV's House Hunters International "Living for the Weekend in Nagoya" episode.

Larissa loves books, food, and traveling with her family. You can often see her adventures on Instagram (and her little dog, too).

Visit her website, find her chatting on Facebook, and sign up for her newsletter at http://smarturl.it/larissanewsletter. You'll receive a prequel to The Cupid Caper as a free gift!

Rory Hudson arrives in Minnesota with her sister and brother-inlaw to homestead. Love is the last thing on her mind. But after one look at Dawson Finch, the flames of passion blossom between them.

Bound by duty and honor, Dawson enlists in the army to bring peace to a nation divided and Rory’s world plummets into a tailspin. Someone is intent on harming her in Dawson’s absence, and someone has sworn to protect her. Despite the time and distance separating them, Rory and Dawson’s love can never be destroyed.

This sweet science fiction romance has an angst-filled hero whose story will break your heart. The ending will heal it.

Before he was free, Khyff had no say in who he serviced. Now it's his choice. He is for women only. He refuses to touch a cat-like Kin. The aliens devastated his family and reduced him to the worst kind of slavery.

So when his brother is attacked and near death and the only way to save him is to seduce a Kin ambassador, Khyff must face his inner demons and once again surrender his will to another.

He never expected she'd have such high personal honor. He never expected to trust her. And he never expected to fall in love.

When Kin Ambassador Mehfawni visits the capitol planet of the Tarthian Empire, she meets the human Khyff, a security expert with the company For Women Only. Fawni expects a fling, but finds love. Upon discovering her own people devastated Khyff's family, she longs to restore all he lost, but some tragedies can never be reversed. Her family demands she cast out the human, for if she keeps Khyff, she must deny her heritage and abdicate her future rule.

When Fawni searches for an alternative, she stumbles upon Khyff’s darkest secret, a cover-up that if exposed, will betray her world to its enemies, and bare her family to open shame. But how can she leave him to suffer in the darkness that binds his heart?

His secret truth is her people's darkest lie.

Sweet Science Fiction Romance with a Kick. The Antonello Brothers series continues with For Women Only and begins in At the Mercy of Her Pleasure.

How do you love once you’ve lost?

BJ Elwood, the oldest of a small group of friends, lost the love of her life five years ago.

She’s content with being alone, but her friends scheme to set her up for happiness. What are the chances she can find love again? She isn’t a beauty, but maybe, just maybe, Gerri can find her a new love.

Dare Forrester has been alone since his wife died twenty years ago. He gave up finding love long ago. When he finds it again, will it be to only lose her in the same way? Could he survive another loss?

Currently living in South Carolina, Roxanne enjoys spending time with her family. Books are her escape from a house full of boys. When nerf wars are at a high she can escape into her own little corner to create an escape for others.

Starting off writing paranormal romance Roxanne has plans of dipping into other genres as well. Come and escape into the unknown.

Maris Graystone writes the Scrivener, a political column, and Michael Kinder is a handyman with a secret. They meet on a hot day in 1991, an era electric with possibility and peril. Despite the instantaneous sparks, they both sense there is more to their relationship than physical attraction.

Their love affair intensifies against the backdrop of the dramatic world events—a disintegrating USSR, Middle East peace talks, and Vietnam’s reemergence on the international stage. Michael appears and disappears at unpredictable moments, leaving Maris limp and lovelorn. Looking for safe harbor for both her emotions and her body, she welcomes the advances of a dashing French diplomat, Émile de Canalon, who whisks her off to France.

Will she embrace the luxury and comfort of life with Émile, or the edge-of-the-seat thrills and terrors of globe-hopping adventures with Michael?

Excerpt: The Tattoo Maris lay quietly. Even the warm water couldn’t relax her now. How can I possibly stay here? How could she in good conscience be with Émile, when all it took to set her off was a vision of blue eyes gazing lustily down at her? On the other hand, how can I be so infatuated with a man I’ve known a grand total of three days? When will I be able to move on?

But Michael’s body was somehow tattooed onto her skin now. A word, a picture, a scent, entered her consciousness, and her whole being reached out for a man who wasn’t there. Who wouldn’t ever be there. Or who was probably involved in something illegal, or at least unsavory.

He could be in prison. Or worse—unable to return to the United States. It had been almost three months, and she had heard nothing—except that poem on her computer. The love poem.

How did it go? Something about having loved three whole days. She remembered the last stanza even though she’d taken great pains not to memorize any of it. “Had it any been but she / And that very face, / There had been at least ere this, / A dozen dozen in her place!”

Was there a message there, other than that he still existed? Did he want to remind her of their affair, or plead with her to wait for him? She thought she’d gotten him out of her system, but she knew instinctively that he would always be an ineradicable part of her, a kind of benign tumor or dormant virus. The thought was bittersweet and funny.

Although M. S. Spencer has traveled in five continents, she spent the last thirty years in Washington, D.C. as a librarian, Congressional assistant, speechwriter, and non-profit director. She has two grown children and a perfect granddaughter.

Ms. Spencer has published twelve mystery/romantic suspense novels, and currently divides her time between Florida and Maine.

Romance Reviews Butterface by Avery Flynn review by Amber I read through this book like it was a chapter in my own life. Butterface took me right back to how I felt in high school. I was the girl who was too skinny and had a large nose. I was teased unmercifully for both. I can remember training for the cross-country track team and we had to run laps around the inside of the high school at the same time the football team was also in there training. As I rounded one of the corners, a group of football players came up beside me and told me to go back to Ethiopia where I belonged. I’ve been out of school for over 20 years and it still makes me sad sometimes. It doesn't help that occasionally throughout by my 20s and 30s, someone felt the need to remind me about my size (jealous much) or my nose. I was crying by the 12% mark. The sheer number of times the emotional content of this book hit too close to home is staggering.

I connected with Gina on a level that I’ve never connected with a character before. I may not come from a mob family but she and I are kindred spirits. I think we would get along really well in real life. And for those of you who’ve read the book and don’t understand why a 31-year old book character still gets teased and is hung up on her looks – You’ve obviously never had to deal with something so soul-crushing that you spend your whole life working through the garbage people keep throwing at you. This book perfectly explains how a 31-one year old still gets teased about her looks and how she is still completely hung up on the other people’s opinions and assessments of her.

I loved the characters and how they developed. The relationship between Gina and Ford is beautiful and genuine. I can totally understand how the complications in Gina’s life affect her ability to believe Ford is sincere. Plus, her brothers’ involvement in activities that are less than legal causes Gina to worry for them and how Ford will react if/when he finds out. Her brothers, regardless of what they are both into, love Gina and the author does a great job portraying that to the reader.

The author also includes multiple threads in this story besides just the slow-growing romance between Gina and Ford. Gina is also the granddaughter of Big Nose Tommy Luca, who disappears many years prior. Information is discovered pertaining to the mysterious disappearance adding another layer of emotion into the mix.

Run to Ground by Katie Ruggle review by Amber Run to Ground is another fabulous book in another fabulous series by Katie Ruggle. I binge-read the entire series before sitting down to write each review. We actually met Theo at the end of In Safe Hands (book 4 in the Search and Resue series). I was really hoping that he was going to be the hero in her new Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series. I was not disappointed.

The emotional content in this book is rich and plentiful. Theo has just lost not only his cop partner but also his K9 partner. He is grieving hard for both.

When his partner dies, Theo takes Don’s K9 partner as his own, and it’s an epic disaster. Viggy mopes and doesn’t fulfill his K9 duties the way he should, Theo is distraught, and both of them are depressed. When a stranger and her family move into town, both Theo and Viggy perk right up.

Jules and her family are on the run. Constantly fearful of being discovered and having her family ripped apart, Jules tries to keep a low profile. When she comes face-to-face with a trio of cops and is attracted to one of them, Jules doesn’t know if she should stay or flee. Falling for a cop is the absolute worst thing that can happen but fall she does.

Amid the chaos of Theo’s loss of his partner and subsequent gain of his partner’s dog, and Jules trying to keep it together for her family, danger is lurking around the corner. The target could be one of many; Jules and the kids, Theo, the police department, or the entire town. The stress and suspense of this book increases into a mind-blowing conclusion that I never saw coming.

Many people seemed disappointed in the ending of book 1 and instead of getting through the series, knocked Run to Ground, well, to the ground.

Patience is a virtue, just sayin’. Yes, this book has a loosely resolved ending for the hero and heroine and ends in a bit of a cliffhanger. There are wild threads all over the place. None of these issues make this any less of a good book. Of course, I didn’t read it when it was first released. I started it right before book 4 came out so I was able to smoothly move from book to book without having the customary wait time. Please be open minded when you start this series. Each book plays off the others so make sure to read them in order.

I enjoyed the content, the pacing, characters, and world building. There is character development but keep in mind that Jules is harboring a huge secret and to let anything slip, especially to a cop, could be disastrous. The dynamics between the three cops in the series are wonderful. They truly are brothers in all ways that matter whether they are sporting the uniform or not.

Jules is very protective of her siblings and moving them to a small town is nerve wracking for her. She does her best to not be overprotective. I was able to feel the emotions of the characters and visualize the story as I read along.

Taming the Mountain Man by Jeanette Lewis review by Babs

Jennica has been at the same job in the same small town since high school. She thought she was going to get a marriage proposal from her boyfriend Josh. He decided to call things all off. Dejected as she is she has her cousins wedding coming up. What is she going to do about a date?

Jack is a lumberjack by day and knife maker at night.

He is a loner and single. When he helps Jennica on the night she is dumped she talks him into going as her fake date. This will call the press he gets from her grandmother and the wedding as even.

Will this stay fake or will things work out between the two?

I enjoyed the story of Jennica and Jack. They were both so different but some things the same. They made each other laugh and be at ease with each one another. The best part of the story was earlier when Jack took care of Jennica when she was in second grade and got a busted lip. He made sure she was ok and walked her back into school.

A heart warming story that you want to keep reading.

Saving Sloan by Julia Bright review by Babs Jenna has escaped a cult and her family. Her father and brothers wanting to control her. They have her sold to an older man. She finds helps and ends up with a new name in Texas.

Her neighbor Daryl sees she is new and goes to help with her yard. She is so skittish she is rude to him at first but he takes things slowly and wants to be her friend.

As their friendship starts to take off a video of her is seen and now she worries about her father and brothers coming to get her. Can Daryl protect her?

The characters drawn you in from the beginning. Sloan/ Jenna has to take care of herself and she really tries to fit in.

Daryl is in the military and has some issues himself physically and mentally. These two bring out the best in each other. We see each of them grow and take things slow. She learns to trust and share her secrets. A wonderful read of two people who overlook and only see love in each other.

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