Book Review: The Very First Amazing Adventure of Griswold & Christophe by Christian Bjone

The Very First Amazing Adventure of Griswold & Christophe by Christian Bjone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An entertaining retelling of the fairytale of Prince Gilgamesh.

The Very First Amazing Adventure of Griswold and Christophe by author-illustrator Christian Bjone introduces a new audience of children to the ancient Babylonian myth of Prince Gilgamesh. This fairytale retelling is whimsical and unique as it features a giant teddy bear and a toy soldier as the main characters.

After a disrupted toy parade leaves Griswold the Teddy Bear and Christophe the Toy Soldier completely alone, they naturally join together as friends for company and support. Hearing about the trouble at the Queen’s Castle, Christophe decides they must travel there to free the inhabitants from the Evil Ogre. Their journey commences, and they meet powerful and strange creatures along the way. They complete challenges to win the magic weapons they’ll need to defeat their foe.

The story unfolds through short paragraphs, colorful illustrations, and maps. Much of the narrative, while lyrical and vivid, may fly over the heads of struggling or reluctant readers and will require adult interpretation. I enjoyed Christophe’s focus on their ultimate mission and smiled over his reaction to Red Fox and his various kindnesses throughout the story. I laughed about Griswold’s constant and appealing interest in food and eating rather than almost anything else. The result of Christophe’s kindness and bravery came as a twist, as did the surprising cliffhanger ending, which is to be continued in a follow-up retelling of the story of Ulysses and his journey home from the Trojan War.

I recommend THE VERY FIRST AMAZING ADVENTURE OF GRISWOLD AND CHRISTOPHE for older, more advanced middle-grade readers and teens and for reading aloud to younger children.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.

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Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: Scales and Stingers (Heroes of Avoch, #1) by K.M. Warfield

Scales and Stingers

Heroes of Avoch, Book One

by

K.M. Warfield

Fantasy

Publisher: Creative James Media

Publication Date: March 8, 2023

Page count: 337 pages

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SYNOPSIS:

Thia Bransdottir is shunned for being half Fallen, a race feared by many. She tries to disguise her lineage, but her lilac eyes make it impossible. When her Father is killed, she is taken to the cloister to be a servant of her faith. Jinaari Althir is sworn to protect Thia from the disgraced half of her heritage. Under his holy vows, he must keep others from killing her for their prejudice and using her for her power. He must succeed, there is no room for failure. Trust for someone like Thia is difficult.

 

Jinaari may say he is there to protect her, but can he truly do his best when he knows she is of the Fallen? Will Thia stay safe in order to fulfill her purpose or is she fated to die for her origins?

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Placing the waterskin on the table, she carefully wrapped her box in its coverings. “Who’d you steal the box from?” 

She stared at him. “No one. My father made it for me.” 

He snorted. “You expect me to believe that? I know the work. My mother had one she prized.” She started to open her mouth and stopped as he raised his hand. “I know it’s not that one. The acorns aren’t in the same place. Still, I know the craftsman was human. There’s no way you’re related.” 

“My father’s name was Bran, and he was human. He raised me on the surface. My mother was Fallen, yes, but I don’t even know her name.” She finished wrapping the box and slid it into the belt pouch. Removing her tunic, she picked up the chain shirt. “I don’t know what happened to your family, Alesso. I only know what happened to mine. He was the only family I had, and Drogon turned our village against me. Against him. The last time I saw my father, he was lying dead across the threshold of our home after the looters set it on fire.” She let the weight settle on her shoulders, then reached for the tunic. “I know you don’t like me. The feeling’s mutual. But you’re the one who asked me to accept you as my Champion.” 

“You didn’t have to accept, witch,” he growled at her.

“Yes, she did.” Adam’s voice cut in. 

GUEST POST:

I am delighted to welcome the author of our featured book, K.M. Warfield, to the blog today for a special guest post!

The Good - and Bad - of writing Fantasy

by K.M. Warfield 

I love fantasy. I always have. It's been my favorite genre since grade school. The thought of other realms, other worlds, strange creatures, magic.... it was the escapism a young girl in a small town needed. And, honestly, I haven't grown out of it. The difference is that I write it now. 

Some of the things I love about writing fantasy is being able to make up my own rules. The history, the lore, is there for me to bring to life. I can figure out how magic does or doesn't work, change it to fit better as the story evolves. The terrain, the monsters, whether it rains water or fire.... that's all up to me. As long as I tie it up in a way that makes sense, that is. It's putting words to images in my head, breathing life into characters. Or, in some cases, taking it away.  

For me, it's the sense of control and responsibility that gets balanced. Evil should be evil, but why? Heroes should be heroes, but not perfect. Let's give them flaws like real people have.  

The bad side to that coin is when you have to work through a continuity knot. How do you explain someone who works outside of the magic system you've established? How can one character do something evil but not die? What repercussions come from the actions of the heroes? Sure, they defeated the big bad dude. But was there any collateral damage? Were thousands slaughtered in a battle to get to that end? What does that impact have on the society they live in? Does eradicating a great evil forgive the death of an innocent child who got in the way? 

Fantasy can't be, in my opinion, just about good vs. evil. Because evil isn't always bad for the wrong reasons. You can be noble in your purpose but questionable in your execution.  

One of my writing mantras has always been that bad things happen to good people in real life. The same should hold true in books. Lex Luthor has some wins, after all. Not shying away from that as I write, doing traumatic things to my main protagonists, isn't easy. I've written a few scenes that made me want to curl up and cry when I was done. There's been a few where I wanted to take a shower afterwards. And there's been those that made me smile - they still do - because I was able to convey exactly what I saw in my mind. 

Every genre has good and bad points. Each author is going to have a scene they don't want to write, but know it has to be written. It's worth it, though, when readers email you and say they laughed or cried at those points.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born in the late 1960's, K. M. has lived most of her life in the Pacific NW. While she's always been creative, she didn't turn towards writing until 2008. Writing under the pen name of KateMarie Collins, she released several titles. In 2019, the decision was made to forge a new path with her books. The Heroes of Avoch series, along with a new pen name, is the end result. 

When she's not writing, she loves playing Dungeons & Dragons with friends, watching movies, and cuddling up with her cat. K. M. resides with her family in what she likes to refer to as 'Seattle Suburbia'.

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Pop Up Blog Hop Tour: Hollow Out the Dark by James Wade

HOLLOW OUT THE DARK

by James Wade

Literary Fiction / Southern Gothic / Rural Fiction

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Pages: 328

Publication Date: August 20, 2024

SYNOPSIS

Award-winning author James Wade blends atmospheric prose with soul-stirring themes in Hollow Out the Dark, a gothic adventure set against a Depression-era landscape where a whiskey war threatens to decimate a small Texas town.

A veteran of the Great War, Jesse Cole is grateful for the quiet life he now leads. But when his closest friend runs afoul of local criminals Frog and Squirrel Fenley, Jesse is forced to spin his moral compass and enter a violent and volatile underworld. There he encounters corrupt lawmen, hired assassins, and a dark family secret that will upend all he once knew.

Complicating matters are Texas Ranger Amon Atkins—who arrives to investigate the Fenleys just as their empire is threatened by a deadly new competitor—and the green-eyed, raven-haired Adaline, a love Jesse thought he’d lost forever.

With resources scarce and winter falling hard on the town, a desperate Jesse must choose between the law and the lawless and find a way to survive while still protecting the people he loves.

A heart-pounding tale full of plot-twisting revelations, Hollow Out the Dark brings readers into a whiskey-fueled world where everyone has a secret, and love everlasting balances on the edge of a knife.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Wade is the award-winning author of Beasts of the Earth, All Things Left Wild, and River, Sing Out. He is the youngest novelist to win two Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America, and the recipient of the MPIBA’s prestigious Reading the West Award. James’s work has appeared in Southern Literary Magazine, the Bitter Oleander, Writers’ Digest, and numerous additional publications. James lives and writes in the Texas Hill Country with his wife and children.

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15-Stop Interactive Blog Tour & Giveaway: Lethal Standoff by DiAnn Mills

 

LETHAL STANDOFF

By DiAnn Mills

Contemporary Fiction / Christian Mystery & Suspense / Christian Romance

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Pages: 368

Publication Date: September 3, 2024

SYNOPSIS

Hostage negotiator Carrington Reed faces her most dangerous challenge yet in Lethal Standoff. Called to a tense situation in South Texas, Carrington must save fifteen hostages held by the armed Kendrix brothers, who demand justice for their father's unsolved murder. 

Teaming up with investigative reporter Levi Ehrlich, Carrington delves into a web of secrets and lies. As they uncover startling truths, the stakes soar, and so does their undeniable attraction. 

Can Carrington solve the mystery and prevent a deadly outcome? A riveting blend of romance and suspense, this is a must-read for fans of high-stakes thrillers.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award-winning author DiAnn Mills is known for her gripping romantic suspense novels where readers can Expect An Adventure. With multiple Christy Awards and numerous bestsellers, her stories captivate readers with their depth and intensity. A passionate storyteller and dedicated mentor, DiAnn is also a coffee connoisseur and proud grandmother living in Houston, Texas.

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Excerpt from Lethal Standoff by DiAnn Mills 

Chapter One

SEPTEMBER - CARRINGTON

My role as a hostage negotiator often plunged me into the evil designs of the human mind. I embraced the responsibility and possible danger because it’s my identity— a one-woman battlefront determined to free others from victimization.

The challenge excited me, but fear of failure stalked me, and respect for human life was my constant companion. Too often innocent lives depended on my ability to negotiate their safe release without anyone getting hurt. The demands, rewards, and sometimes the defeats with tragic outcomes kept me awake at night. How could I have done things differently? My apprenticeship began when I was eight years old, but thinking about those days didn’t change the past. Right now, lives were in jeopardy. . . .

I’d driven ten minutes out from a critical situation on a Wednesday afternoon when my cell phone rang. My contact, a detective from the Houston Police Department, had spent several hours talking to an angry man who held his wife and son hostage.

“Carrington, we have the information you requested,” Detective Aaron Peters said. “The man inside the home is the owner, Nick Henderson. Age thirty-five. Married to Christine. He’s holding his wife and eight- year- old son at gunpoint. Yesterday, he was served divorce papers, and we believe this is in retaliation.”

Hurt. Rejected. Probably a lit stick of dynamite. “You talked to him from the outside?”

“We’ve routed his calls through our mobile command center. I tried talking to him. Got nowhere. He hung up on me.” Aaron blew out his frustration.

Domestic calls were the most dangerous, often violent, causing me to appreciate my Kevlar vest. I had a handgun in my purse, but I could count on one hand the times I’d pulled it. Never used it. “All right. I’m nearly there. SWAT in place?”

“Yes, two have clear shots. Not an action I want to take unless necessary.”

“Me either. What are Henderson’s demands?”

“Just to leave him alone or he’ll pull the trigger on his family.”

Cool, calm focus settled on me. My ability to mediate critical discussions depended on my wearing emotional blinders to the outside world. “When did the problem start?”

“The wife phoned 911 at 8:00 a.m. today. I don’t know how long he was there before she reached out to us. We’ve been called here twice in the past month for domestic abuse.”

I glanced at my watch, and it neared 4:00 p.m. “Have HPD negotiators been talking to him?”

“Yes. Henderson hung up on them too. He’s drinking. Slurring his words. Seems to have trouble concentrating.”

Alcohol could make him more volatile. Flashing lights appeared on the residential street ahead. “I’m parking now. Give me five minutes.”

“I’m standing beside my car in front of the house.”

“Aaron, do you have Henderson’s work history?”

“Fired three months ago from Home Depot, where he held a management role. They walked him out of the store in front of his employees.”

The man definitely had nothing to lose.

Phone in hand, I hurried from my parked truck and raced to where police cars barricaded the entrance to the street where Henderson held his family. A reporter blocked my way between vehicles. She rammed a mic in front of my face.

“Carrington Reed, do you think this standoff will have a peaceful resolution?”

My blood boiled. The last time I had verbally unleashed on her aggressive means to get the best story, she lied in her article about my concern for those in danger. I paused long enough to give her eye contact. “My goal is always a peaceful solution. Excuse me, I need to talk to HPD.”

“Are the police advocating a violent takedown?”

“No.” I sidestepped around her and ignored her shouts.

Aaron stood in front of the home and waved. He had the appearance of average—average height, weight, gray eyes, brown hair, and shoulder span— but nothing about his physical appearance showed his intense scrutiny of a crime scene. His rating as one of HPD’s finest hit my respect button.

“Good to see you. I’d like the man’s cell number,” I said. “I assume my cell phone is routed through the command center too?”

“Sure thing.” He gave me the information. “The wife’s name is Christine, and the son’s name is Rand.”

I nodded my thanks and pressed in the digits. A man answered on the second ring.

“Nick, this is Carrington. I’m standing beside a police car outside your house, and I’d like to help you.”

“I . . . leave me alone.” He spoke fast and loudly. “I’m busy.”

“What do you need?”

“You can get rid of all those cops. I can’t breathe.”

I expected a more belligerent response. “Nick, I can’t do that. These officers are here to protect you in case someone tries to break into your home and hurt you.”

“I’d kill my wife and kid first.”

“Tell me why you feel that way.”

“They deserve it for the way they’ve treated me.” He stumbled over his words. “I’m a good husband and dad.”

“I’m sure you’re great at both. Tell me what’s hurting you.”

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Cover Reveal & Giveaway: The Cadieux Murders (Historic Homes Mystery, #3) by R.J. Koreto

THE CADIEUX MURDERS

by R.J. Koreto

August 27, 2024 COVER REVEAL

Synopsis:

The ink is still wet on the contract, but Wren Fontaine is already running into trouble as she renovates Cadieux House, a modernist masterpiece on Long Island's exclusive Gold Coast. The home's architect was the brilliant and eccentric Marius Cadieux, her father's mentor, and Ezra doesn't want Wren to change as much as a doorknob.

And the home itself comes with a dark past: In 1955, it was the site of the never-solved murder of its owner, Dennis Blaine. Cadieux himself was alleged to be having an affair with Dennis's wife, the stunningly beautiful Rebecca. It seems like yesterday's headlines, but then someone starts killing people with a connection to the house. The home's new owner—bestselling novelist Bronwyn Merrick—may be using the house to launch a fictionalized account of the 1955 crime. But someone may not want to her to. Just how far will Bronwyn's armed bodyguard go to protect her?

As Wren untangles the threads, she finds they all lead back to the house. Rebecca apparently inspired the strange, yet alluring residence, and both the home and its mistress may have caused uncontrolled emotions that led to tragedy. Wren uses all her architectural skills to decipher the hidden message Cadieux cunningly wove into the home's design. She must think back 20 years to when, as a little girl, she met Cadieux. Deeply impressed with Wren, he gave her a clue about the house—and his unusual friendship with Rebecca. With her girlfriend Hadley at her side, Wren eventually solves the mysteries of the home and the people who lived there, develops a grudging respect for modernist architecture—and learns something about the difference between love and obsession.

Don't Miss The Previous Historic Homes Mysteries

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The Greenleaf Murders

Book 1

Young architect Wren Fontaine lands her dream job: restoring Greenleaf House, New York's finest Gilded-Age mansion, to its glory days. But old homes have old secrets: Stephen Greenleaf—heir to what’s left of his family’s legacy—refuses to reveal what his plans are once the renovation is completed. And still living in a corner of the home is Stephen's 90-year-old Aunt Agnes who's lost in the past, brooding over a long-forgotten scandal while watching Wren with mistrust.
Wren's job becomes more complex when a shady developer who was trying to acquire Greenleaf House is found murdered. And after breaking into a sealed attic, Wren finds a skeleton stuffed in a trunk. She soon realizes the two deaths, a century apart, are strangely related. Meanwhile, a distraction of a different kind appears in the form of her client's niece, the beautiful and seductive Hadley Vanderwerf. As Wren gingerly approaches a romance, she finds that Hadley has her own secrets.
Then a third murder occurs, and the introverted architect is forced to think about people, and about how ill-fated love affairs and obsessions continue to haunt the Greenleafs. In the end, Wren risks her own life to uncover a pair of murderers, separated by a century but connected by motive. She reveals an odd twist in the family tree that forever changes the lives of the Greenleafs, the people who served them, the mansion they all called home—and even Wren herself.

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The Turnbull Murders

Book 2

Movie star Nicky Tallon selects architect Wren Fontaine to renovate Turnbull House, where he'll be filming his next movie. Even to Wren, used to old homes, this one is special: a 200-year-old federal-style home on a private island in New York harbor, designed by the most celebrated architect of the day. But Turnbull House hides many secrets, such as the disappearance of the sea captain who built it. That's just a historical curiosity, until a studio executive no one likes is killed.
Wren just wants to keep her worksite safe, but then another murder occurs, and she starts noting eerie connections between the mysteries surrounding the Turnbull family and Nicky and his entourage. The handsome star seems to have two girlfriends, a childlike folk singer and a cynical fashion model. Meanwhile, renowned actress Veronica Selwyn renews a friendship with Wren's father, which Wren finds more disturbing than she wants to admit. She concludes it's time she and her girlfriend Hadley take the next step and find a place together, an exciting but stressful change.
As the attacks continue, Wren realizes she will have to solve the mysteries surrounding Captain Turnbull and Nicky Tallon. Turnbull House speaks of order and harmony, and Wren must dig deep to see how the house has affected its owners, old and new. Fortunately for her, the eminently practical Hadley is by her side, pepper spray at the ready—because a frighteningly clever killer is about to find that Wren is getting too close to the horrific truth.

 

Author Bio:

Over the years, R.J. Koreto has been a magazine writer, website manager, textbook editor, novelist and merchant seaman. He was born and raised in New York City, graduated from Vassar College, and has wanted to be a writer since reading The Naked and the Dead. In addition to his novels, he has published short stories in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, the 2020 Bouchercon Anthology and Paranoia Blues: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Paul Simon. His current series features Wren Fontaine, an architect who finds mysteries in the historic homes she renovates. He and his wife have two grown daughters, and they divide their time between Rockland County, N.Y., and Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.

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Book Blast & Giveaway: The Husband Chair by Nick Bannister; illustrated by Terry Deen

The Husband Chair

by

Nick Bannister

with illustrations by Terry Deen

Humorous Fiction

Publisher: Tellwell Talent

Publication Date: May 13, 2024

Page count: 32 pages 

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SYNOPSIS:

Our hero: Bone tired. Lost. Desolate. A man pushed to the outer limits of his very being. His struggle: Satisfy the need to rest whilst still supporting his beloved in her hour of need.

 

While his wife negotiates a seemingly endless list of fashion stores in her quest for perfection, her loving husband must stave off the weariness that visits each partner in a shopping spree with their significant other.

 

Fighting hunger, rising frustration and the mental fatigue associated with tracking credit card usage, will he ever find peace? And honestly, can he just go and sit down for a minute...

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READ AN EXCERPT:

“I think that I’m done. Are you ready to go?”

I’m pinching myself. Could it really be so?

And when over she strolls with complete shopping goals,

My heart’s just so full that it’s quite set to blow!

My cold bitter heart warms a hundred degrees,

When she whispers, “I love you,” and gives me a squeeze.

But my bright eyes turn dark when we reach the carpark,

As I’m patting my pockets and can’t find the keys...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nick Bannister and Terry Deen are long-time friends & first-time author/illustrators. Each has their own vast experience with husband chairs, as both are happily married. 

Both reside in Brisbane, Australia.

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The Husband Chair

by Nick Bannister

Giveaway ends September 15, 2024.

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Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: The Summer of Love and Death (Ford Family Mystery, #3) by Marcy McCreary

THE SUMMER OF LOVE AND DEATH

by Marcy McCreary

August 19 - September 13, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

A Ford Family Mystery

 

The summer of ’69: memorable for some, murder for others.

Detective Susan Ford and her new partner, Detective Jack Tomelli, are called to a crime scene at the local summer stock theater where they find the director of Murder on the Orient Express gruesomely murdered—naked, face caked in makeup, pillow at his feet, wrists and ankles bound by rope. When Susan describes the murder to her dad, retired detective Will Ford, he recognizes the MO of a 1969 serial killer . . . a case he worked fifty years ago.

Will remembers a lot of things about that summer—the Woodstock Festival, the Apollo 11 moon landing, the Miracle Mets—yet he is fuzzy on the details of the decades-old case. But when Susan and Jack discover the old case files, his memories start trickling back. And with each old and new clue, Susan, Jack, and Will must narrow down the pool of suspects before the killer strikes again.

Praise for The Summer of Love and Death:

"An old case has repercussions on a new copycat killing in this excellent police procedural. With juicy twists, an engaging cast, and an intriguing case that’s impossible to predict, The Summer of Love and Death is everything I want in a mystery. An addictive and entertaining ride!"
~ Christina McDonald, USA Today bestselling author

"McCreary unspools a lot of threads in The Summer of Love and Death, then masterfully weaves them all together atop the Ford family's compelling dynamic for an ending you won't see coming. It's a fun ride that kept me guessing the whole time!"
~ Tony Wirt, bestselling author of Just Stay Away

"A compelling mystery that unfolds in two skillfully woven parallel narratives. McCreary pairs a haunting meditation on intergenerational trauma with an evocative rendering of that famous Summer of Love to deliver a suspenseful and deeply satisfying read."
~ Lori Robbins, author of Murder in Fourth Position

"In the summer of 1969, there was peace and love—but also a serial killer committing bizarre murders. When a copycat killing occurs at the local summer stock theatre, detective Susan Ford must call on her father’s memory of his 1969 investigation to help her solve the present-day murder. The Summer of Love and Death offers page-turning suspense of how the legacy of murder can continue, leaving more than death in its wake."
~ Nina Wachsman, author of The Courtesan’s Secret

"A fiendishly smart modern who-dunnit with clever characters and a mystery that keeps you guessing . . ."
~ Elise Hart Kipness, author of Lights Out

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery (Detective)
Published by: CamCat Books
Publication Date: August 13, 2024
Number of Pages: 336
ISBN: 9780744310597 (ISBN10: 0744310598)
Series: A Ford Family Mystery, #3 | A Stand-Alone Series
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Read an excerpt:

You know that jittery, gut-roiling feeling you get when heading out on a blind date? That brew of nerves, anxiety, anticipation—plus a hint of dread. That pretty much summed up my morning. Today was the day, and standing at the front door, it finally hit me. I was no longer flying solo. A new partner was waiting for me down at the station.

My fingers twitchy, I fumbled with the zipper of my yellow slicker as I stood in front of the framed poster—an illustration of a white dove perched on a blue guitar neck, gripped by ivory fingers against a bright red background—touting three days of peace and music. Usually, I paid it no mind. But today it captured my attention. A signal, perhaps, that everything would turn out just fine, like it did exactly fifty years ago when four hundred thousand idealistic hippies descended upon this town. A projected disaster that ended up being a glorious experience. The legendary summer of love.

The Woodstock Music and Art Fair didn’t take place in Woodstock, New York. The residents of Woodstock were not keen on having the initially projected fifty thousand hippies traipsing through their town. The concert promoters eventually secured Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York—fifty-eight miles from Woodstock and six miles from where I live now. I was four at the time. I have no memory of it. Mom said I was sicker than sick that weekend. Ear infection. Fever escalating to 104 degrees. She tried to take me to a doctor, but the roads were clogged with festival revelers, so she had to postpone my appointment until Tuesday. But by then, the worst of it was over.

Fifty years. Those teenagers were in their sixties and seventies now. The older ones in their eighties. How many of them were still idealistic? How many were still into peace, love, and understanding? How many “dropped out” and berated “the man,” only later to find themselves the beneficiaries of capitalism? Becoming “the man.”

I leaned over slightly as I reached for the doorknob. The door swung open unexpectedly, smacking me in the forehead. “Whoa.” I ran my fingertips along my hairline. No bump. For now.

“Sorry, babe.” Ray’s voice drew Moxie’s attention. Our thirteenyear-old lab mix moseyed into the foyer, tail in full swing. Moseying was really all Moxie could muster these days. “Didn’t realize you were standing there.”

Ray had left the house an hour earlier. I peered over his shoulder at the running Jeep. “Forget something?”

“Yeah. My wallet.” Ray stepped inside, dripping. Moxie stared up at him, waiting. He squatted and rubbed her ears. “Raining cats and dogs out there. No offense, Moxie.” He glanced up at the poster. “Just like fifty years ago.” He sighed.

Ray’s parents were married at the festival by a traveling minister. One-year-old Ray in tow (earning him bragging rights as one of the youngest people to attend Woodstock). Tomorrow would have been their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Their death, at the hand of a drunk driver twelve years ago, spawned a program called Better Mad Than Sad—a class baked into the local drivers-ed curriculum that Ray (and the drunk driver’s girlfriend, Marisa) created ten years ago. Parents would join their kids for a fifty-minute session in which they pledged to pick up their kids or their kid’s friends, no questions asked, no judgment passed.

Last month, Ray reached out to a few of his and his parents’ friends asking if they would be up for a “celebration of life” vigil at the Woodstock Festival site this evening. Nothing formal. Just twenty or so folks standing around, reminiscing and shooting the shit about his parents.

Ray shook the rain off his jacket. “Met your new partner this morning.”

“Yeah?”

“He’s very good-looking.” He smirked, then added, “Movie-star good looking.”

I leaned back and gave Ray the once-over. “I’m more into the rough-around-the-edges type.”

“So I got nothing to worry about?”

“Not as long as you treat me right.” I smiled coyly. I had been without an official partner for a little over a year, since July 2018. My ex-partner bought a small farm in Vermont. He told me not to take it personally, but he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I still wondered if I contributed to his anxiety in some small way. Then I got shot in the thigh that August. So hiring a new partner was put on hold. Upon my return to active duty in October of 2018, I was assigned an under-the-radar cold case with my dad brought on as consulting partner. By the time the Trudy Solomon case was resolved, in December 2018, Chief Eldridge still hadn’t found a suitable replacement. Small-town policing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. So for the better part of 2019, it was just me and my shadow. Dad and Ray assisted on the Madison Garcia case, but the chief made it clear that protocol called for two detectives working a case, and my partnerless days were numbered. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I didn’t want a partner. I did. I just wished I had a say in who it was.

***

Excerpt from The Summer of Love and Death by Marcy McCreary. Copyright 2024 by Marcy McCreary. Reproduced with permission from CamCat Books. All rights reserved.

 

 

Review:

5 stars!

Excellent police procedural expanding the series featuring Detective Susan Ford. 

The Summer of Love and Death is the third novel in author Marcy McCreary’s excellent series, the Ford Family Mysteries, but it successfully stands on its own. With its dual timeline plot and well-drawn characters, I easily slipped into the backstory and latest case without having read the previous books. 

The main character is Detective Susan Ford, but the story also features her father, a retired police detective, and a 50-year-old case of his that the modern-day case mimics. Susan has her hands full with trying to solve this copycat case while breaking in a new partner and feeling her way through some intriguing drama with her mother. I liked that Susan and most of the main characters were older individuals facing realistic issues of that age group: she’s 55, firmly ensconced in a successful career, engaged to be married again, an adult daughter, and aging parents. 

This police procedural’s action begins immediately with the murder having already occurred when the story opens and follows the investigation from Susan’s first-person perspective. The current-day murder centers around a regional summer stock theatre company and its many quirky individuals, superstitions, and personal dramas. The flashbacks to the earlier murder investigations in 1969 are flavored with current events of the time, including the infamous Woodstock music festival, which took place eight miles from the setting of the series. The author’s writing style is comfortable but compelling, and I was quickly invested in Susan’s case and her life. 

I recommend THE SUMMER OF LOVE AND DEATH to mystery readers who enjoy police procedurals and historical mysteries, especially those with theatrical connections.

Author Bio:

Marcy McCreary is the author of the Ford Family Mystery series. She graduated from George Washington University with a B.A. in American literature and political science and pursued a career in marketing and communications. She lives in Hull, MA with her husband, Lew.

Catch Up With Marcy McCreary:
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Instagram - @marcymccrearyauthor
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Twitter/X - @mcmarcy
Facebook - @marcymccrearywrites

 

 

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Book Review - The Journey of Bee Bea: A Preschool Yoga Book About Finding Calm by Marta Lanfranco

THE JOURNEY OF BEE BEA: A Preschool Yoga Book About Finding Calm, With Ideas For Activities by Marta Lanfranco
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cute picture book with simple pictures and activities that any parent can use.

The Journey of Bee Bea by Marta Lanfranco tells the story of a little bee that works hard collecting pollen from the flowers on the balconies of the gray apartments in the gray city. When a storm blows Bea out of her neighborhood, a friendly rainbow lends a colorful helping hand to get her back to her home. With its simple story, cute characters, basic underlying message, and the added value of easy-to-do activities parents can use to enhance their child’s engagement in the story, this book would be a nice addition to the bedtime routine or story time rotation.

Shanti, the little purple storyteller, appears on each page and offers questions parents can ask their children as the story unfolds, drawing out the enjoyment and making it easier for parents to really share the story with their child rather than just reading it at them. The author also explains that the illustrations were deliberately kept simple to allow children to trace the pictures onto paper to color for themselves. I loved the idea that the colors of the rainbow transferred onto Bea when she was being helped home, and once there, she could colorize the entire gray neighborhood. While the text is simple, sometimes it rhymes, and sometimes it doesn’t. I would have preferred the whole work to have been one or the other. My children probably wouldn’t specifically ask to have this one read again and again without having their interest re-ignited using the coloring activity.

I recommend THE JOURNEY OF BEE BEA to preschool and younger elementary school-age children.

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Blurb Blitz & Giveaway: Proven Innocence by Mary J. Rocco

 Proven Innocence

by

Mary J. Rocco

Suspense / Murder

Independently Published

Publication Date: May 1, 2024

Page count: 285 pages

SCROLL DOWN FOR GIVEAWAY!

SYNOPSIS:

Cynthia Evans wakes up in the trunk of a car, no idea how she got there, only to discover she’s wanted for the murder of her husband and children. With no memory of life prior, Cynthia is sure she did not commit the crime.

 

Only problem is-how does she convince anyone she’s not a murderer when she is not sure who she is?

 

With the help of a downtrodden diner waitress, Gabrielle, Cynthia fights to prove her innocence.

 

One thing is clear: Rick Evans is dead. But who is the real killer?

CLICK TO PURCHASE!

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READ AN EXCERPT:

My eyes are open, but there is no sight to see. Darkness remains. It is black—pitch black. I squint and shut my eyes to adjust to the darkness faster, but it does not help. No shadows lurk in the night for me to redirect my corneas upon. The darkness encloses me, encasing my body in its depth. My body is not upright. It is stretched horizontally across the ground. I am lying down. I try to stand, but my weak body forbids me. My left hand falls upon the surface I am lying on. The ground feels furry, almost carpet-like. I am not outside.

 

Where am I? 

My best deduction indicates I am trapped in a restrictive box. My head has only four inches to move before hitting the top, and my legs are bent at the knees with my toes resting upon the opposite wall from my head. I look up and find a wall of darkness just inches above—pure darkness with no stars or moonlight. 

Am I buried alive? 

Every human’s worst nightmare is to be mistaken for dead and lowered six feet underground where no one can hear the perilous cries for help. I try to scream, but no sound escapes from my vocal cords. Thoughts of Edgar Allen Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart filter into my brain. 

What if the people walking above can hear the faint beating of my heart from the depths below? 

Get a hold of yourself! 

I raise my right hand slowly to dislodge the top of my coffin. My arm shakes as it rises off the ground above my head. I am limp and exhausted. A sharp pain pulsates throughout my entire right side as I try to move. Electric shock waves run from my toes to the left side of my brain. It is not a comforting sensation, and I would rather not move ever again in my life than experience such agony once more. The only options are, however, shift my body to experience discomfort for a slight moment or lay still awaiting death. 

My head is pounding from an obtrusive headache. It is as if a jackhammer is chiseling through the right side of my outer cranium. I wince in pain as I raise my hand to the right side of my head. An overbearing shockwave shoots out of my brain when I touch that area. The hair follicles are mushy, raw, and tender where they meet my skull. The hair is matted to my brain. A huge, painful lump has started to protrude underneath the skin. I am not sure how it got there. I am not sure how I got into the situation I am in at the present moment. 

My fingers are sticky from whatever substance has glued my hair to my head. I try to smell them by placing my fingers underneath my nose, but I cannot ascertain the odor. I bring my index finger to my mouth to utilize one of my other senses. It is the last one available to unveil the mysterious substance. My saliva moistens my tongue to activate my taste buds. I recognize a fluid taste mixed with a hint of salt. It is blood––my own blood. 

Why am I bleeding? How did this happen?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mary J. Rocco has dreamed of being an author since the age of ten. She has been writing and crafting stories for the last twenty years, however, Proven Innocence is her first published novel, mostly because other life experiences got in the way. After finishing law school, graduate school, travelling the world, getting married and starting a family Mary figured now was the time. 

She was born and raised on Long Island, New York and spent ten years in her early adulthood living carefree in New York City. Mary currently resides with her husband and two beautiful children in the western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, where she is a practicing attorney. 

It is her hope to continue to publish many more novels that entertain and thrill readers.

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