Murder at the Courthouse by Meghan Carver – Review & Giveaway

January 14, 2020 by Suzie Waltner 7 Comments

Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for Murder at the Courthouse by Meghan Carver, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Murder at the Courthouse
Series: Grace Pointe Cozy Mystery #1
Author: Meghan Carver
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: October 28, 2019

The first book in the Grace Pointe Cozy Mystery Series!

“Fiction is a waste of time.”

The heated comment made by a church library ministry team member shocks MacKenzie Baker, but it quickly becomes the least of her worries.

MacKenzie Baker is an impetuous, eavesdropping small-town librarian who lives in the apartment above the parsonage garage and refuses to be defined as the pastor’s single sister. She thought she was happy for years re-shelving books and helping patrons find their next great read, but as she turns forty, she suddenly struggles to figure out what more to do with her life. Solving murders in her small town of Grace Pointe wasn’t a part of her plan…until she and her brother find a local judge who had come to Pastor Baker for counseling murdered in his chambers, hit over the head with a massive volume of the Indiana Code.

Now, to clear the name of a family friend, she begins to work with the handsome criminal justice professor Ian Canter. Even though the detective with the chocolate brown eyes tells her to stick with making casseroles for the church pitch-in, she soon discovers the Judge’s scheming wife, his rebellious teen daughter, a network of lawyers in Grace Point who were disgruntled with the Judge, and even secrets that lurk among the library ministry team. But with the help of her new kitten Mr. Darcy, her best friend Callie, and her always-pastoring brother, MacKenzie debates the pros and cons of attending law school mid-life while she searches out a killer.

Welcome to Grace Pointe… where most of the people are friendly, the church is to die for, and the sleuthing is as strong as the coffee.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon

The Trouble in Willow Falls by Pat Nichols – Guest Post & Giveaway

January 13, 2020 by Suzie Waltner 12 Comments

Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for The Trouble in Willow Falls by Pat Nichols, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Trouble in Willow Falls
Series: Willow Falls #2
Author: Pat Nichols
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Release Date: November 8, 2019

After a scathing blogger review and a negative Atlanta television newscast tarnish Willow Falls’ reputation as a secluded North Georgia tourist destination, the town council votes to use the remainder of its annual budget to hire a PR firm to restore the town’s image. At a town-hall meeting, angry residents brainstorm ideas to boost Willow Falls’ appeal. When a second Atlanta television station announces plans to film a segment for its Around Georgia series, residents invest their time and limited resources to spruce up Main Street’s appearance. Willow Post editor Emily Hayes can’t help but shake her head at her town’s desperate efforts.

For months, Emily has submitted her novel to numerous publishers but received only rejections. When famous artist Naomi Jasper offers Emily much-needed cash to finish writing, then cast and direct a play about Willow Falls’ colorful history, Emily faces a difficult decision—postpone the rewrite of her novel or accept the project. After convincing her sister, Rachel Streetman, to partner with her, Emily puts her dreams on hold and agrees to take on the play. Failure to deliver is not an option.

All her life Rachel has dreamed of becoming a stage actress, so when she receives an invitation to audition for a respected Broadway director, Rachel abandons her sister and the Willow Falls play. But an incident with the director sends her reeling back into the arms of Charlie Bricker, her one true love. Out of options, Rachel reluctantly accepts her part in the town play with the slim hope that her performance might kick-start her career.

If anyone understands broken hearts, it’s Willow Inn’s beloved innkeeper, Sadie Liles. Sadie has learned to live with the fact that love is the last thing she’ll ever find. Then he walks through the front door.

As the town prepares for Redding Arms’ grand opening, five newcomers and one British tourist test the town’s quirky, lovable, argumentative residents’ souls. Digging deep to deal with the strife, bickering, and personal backstabbing will test Willow Falls in ways the small town never imagined. Could it be that the trouble in Willow Falls is the very thing that reminds its residents that honesty, love, and loyalty to one another is what binds them together?

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Retired from a twenty-seven-year corporate career, Pat Nichols draws on her experience in seven different management positions working with hundreds of amazing women from all walks of life to create stories about women facing tension-laced challenges and heart-warming triumphs in the pursuit of their dreams. Her debut novel, The Secret of Willow Inn, Willow Falls series book one, released January 2019. Book two, The Trouble in Willow Falls, released November 2019 and book three is slated for 2020. She received the 2017 CRW Woman of the Year Award and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Word Weavers International.

CONNECT WITH PAT: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR

Willow Falls is a composite of gems one would find when exploring North Georgia. Stately old homes in Madison. The Toccoa and numerous other waterfalls. Wolf Mountain vineyard and winery. The player piano in Dahlonega General Store. The Lake in Blue Ridge. Flower baskets and boxes in Ball Ground and Norcross. The Cornerstone café in Ellijay. The Blue Ridge Inn. Because I couldn’t view Willow Falls on Google earth, I created a diagram to guide my descriptions and characters’ movements. The original is on a large sheet of poster paper, which I share when speaking to groups. With each book in the Willow Falls series I add buildings. This diagram represents The Secret of Willow Inn and The Trouble in Willow Falls.

I was inspired to have Rachel and Emily raised as only children because my mother was adopted as an only child who longed for a sister until she had two daughters. The Willow Falls residents don’t reflect individuals, rather combinations of people I’ve known over the years.

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight January 10, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on January 17, 2020. US only. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

The Duke’s Refuge by Lorri Dudley – Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

January 12, 2020 by Suzie Waltner 4 Comments

About the Book

Book: The Duke’s Refuge
Author: Lorri Dudley
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
Release Date: January 7, 2020

When love comes in a tempest, who knew it would wear pink?

Georgia Lennox has traded in her boyish ways for pink gowns and a coy smile to capture the eye of the Earl of Claremont. However, on the day she’s convinced the earl will propose, Georgia is shipped off to the Leeward Islands to care for her ailing father. But when she arrives on Nevis, the last thing she expects is to learn that her abrupt departure was not at her father’s bidding but that of the infuriating, yet captivating, island schoolmaster. And now her plans may well be shipwrecked.

Harrison Wells is haunted by the memories of his deceased wife and hunted by the subsequent women who aspire to be the next Duchess of Linton. Desiring anonymity, he finds sanctuary in the Leeward island of Nevis. He’s willing to sacrifice his ducal title for a schoolmaster’s life and the solace the island provides. That is until unrest finds its way to Nevis in a storm of pink chiffon—Miss Georgia Lennox.

As Georgia and Harrison’s aspirations break apart like a ship cast upon the rocks, a new love surfaces, but secrets and circumstances drag them into rough waters. Can they surrender their hearts to a love that defies their expectations?

Click here to get your copy!

[Read more…] about The Duke’s Refuge by Lorri Dudley – Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

Week in Review 1/5/20 – 1/11/20 & a Giveaway

January 11, 2020 by Suzie Waltner 12 Comments

Wow, y’all blew me out of the water with the visits to the blog last week and the entries for the Daughters of the Mayflower series giveaway. There is one more week to enter. I’ve also added a second comment option in the entry form for this week to give those of you who entered already one more opportunity.

Things are slowly starting to pick back up with the other giveaways happening right now. You’ll really see an uptick next week.

*Click on any image to be taken to that review/giveaway post.

Book Reviews, Spotlights & More

The Last Shot by Amy Matayo – Review

January 11, 2020 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

About the Book

It’s the same routine every night, and country music superstar Teddy Hayes wouldn’t have it any other way.

7:00 pm: Arena doors open and fans fill the stands.
7:45 pm: Lights go out and spotlights come on.
7:46 pm: Energy from concert-goers reaches an ear-splitting crescendo.
7:47 pm: Teddy takes the stage and begins to sing.

But tonight, something is off.

It starts when a stage light malfunctions and sends sparks into the air.
It continues when his drummer stops playing and stares slack-jawed in Teddy’s direction.
It dawns on him when a fan doubles-over and a red stain spreads across her shirt.
Something isn’t just off tonight.

Someone in the crowd is shooting a gun.

And it’s up to a female bodyguard he’s never met before to save his life.

Amazon | Goodreads