It's all about the money...

 With a bit of luck, we'll have a new (!) federal government after more than a year. In May last year (2019) there were general elections. But they don't follow any logic. The results of the vote clearly gave extreme right a majority. However, the more conservative parties in our country couldn't agree with that - with the result they kept on talking and talking. More than a year!

Now at last they've found 7 parties which can agree to work together. Flemish and Walloon, but with a majority of Walloon. That sits painfully with extreme right, which wants Flanders to be independent. But the Prime Minister will most likely be Flemish - Belgian compromise. 

Right now the 7 parties have been sitting together to discuss the details (!). Which means - it's all about the money! Each party wants something - like a minimal pension of 1500,00 € or more money for the police, education, health care,... When they'd grant everything, they'd talk about around 11 billion. And there's no money for that. So they have to drop some of their wishes - like saying the 1500 pension is untaxed, and the end result would be around 1200 € 

We'll see what happens!

Dead in THAT Beach House

 Today we welcome M. Glenda Rosen, author of Dead in THAT Beach House, a mystery available now from Level Best Books. The author is doing a virtual blurb blitz tour to promote this novel and the tour will run September 14 - October 9.

M. Glenda Rosen will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the following link to place your comment:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3495/

Blurb

August 21, 2020, A Senior Sleuths Mystery, “Dead In THAT Beach House,” Published by Level Best Books is the third in the series and available at your local book store, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. This series of murder and mayhem is written in a modern noir style with charming, witty, deliciously clever soft-boiled sleuths.

 

***

 

Once we had arrived in the Hamptons, settled in and I felt comfortable, I began to add small amounts of poison to the evening cocktails. It was from the oleander flowers. I had planted them carefully behind the barn in Ames. After only weeks, they were falling ill, listless, crying to go back to Ames. They felt too sick at the beach house. It was simple.

 

I know you must think I’m a monster. But, really, they felt very little when I strangled them to death thanks to the poison in their system. When they were dead, I filled my library with books about murder and witchcraft. The note I leave for whomever might find them might explain what happened...

 

The Senior Sleuths, Dick and Dora Zimmerman, much like Nick and Nora Charles from the Thin Man series, and their cozy group of interesting, quirky friends take on crooks and murderers while dealing with an outrageous case of elder abuse.

 

Later: “Shall we say invitations are mandatory?”

 

“Absolutely, dear. We wouldn’t want anyone to miss the fun”

 

“They’re either belligerent, arrogant, or simply annoyed,” Zero whispered to Cloud as the so-called guests arrived. They were all murderers and those who had committed crimes against the elderly.

Excerpt

There were one hundred years between the murders of Lily’s aunt and uncle and those decaying bodies locked in the house thanks to the restriction imposed by the trust.

Police Chief Arthur Sanders allowed Lily, Jake and his parent to visit the beach house, in hopes they might be able to shed some light on what had happened          

Before the visit Dick and Dora read through the papers Lily had requested from the law firm handling the trust.          

Lily, Jake and his parents moved, shocked, slowly through the house, the reality of death heavy as they walked from room to room. The cobwebs, thick layers of dust and mice droppings would be cleaned and cleared later when the yellow crime scene tape was removed.      

“Why would anyone want to kill them? They’ve never even been to the Hamptons.” Lily obviously and understandably having difficulty processing what was happening.  

She stayed downstairs with Dick while Dora and Jake went upstairs. They wandered in n and out of the bedrooms and several bathrooms. The police had already left their footprints in the dirt and dust smothering the floors   

Dora opened closets and dresser drawers, moved around old fashion clothes and surprised, she felt something hard under a long black and white striped petticoat.        

“Shh, come with me.” Jake knew that shh meant :”Don’t tell dad.” They had that secret code since he was a young boy.

Author bio and links

For over 25 years, owner and founder of a business/marketing and public relations agency and consulting firm in New York City, The Hampton’s and Albuquerque, New Mexico where the company served as advisors to a wide range of national, regional and local clientele including major pharmaceutical companies. The agency provided a special expertise to the healthcare industry including: hospitals, nursing homes, senior centers, medical facilities, non-profit healthcare organizations and literally dozens of healthcare providers.  It was the second largest public relations firm in New Mexico when sold. The agency was built on Marcia’s business experience as owner of two-day care centers for ten years in upstate New York.

Parallel to founding and running her agency, Marcia was also an active advocate and advisor for women's economic development and success. Along with Betty Friedan, she was honored by the City of New York in celebration of Women's Empowerment Day for "helping thousands of women advance their careers and succeed in starting their own companies."  She was also honored as the East End Women’s Network’s 20th annual “Woman of the Year,” and nominated for New York State“ Women of Distinction Award. In New Mexico her agency received awards and accolades for the many volunteer services it provided.

She has served on numerous organization boards including, The New York Women’s Agenda, Columbia Hospital Breast Cancer Initiative, American Cancer Society, Venture Fund for Women, The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, PULSE (helping to prevent medical errors), Boardroom Bound Alliance and others over the past twenty years.

Marcia presently lives in Carmel, California and is planning on moving back to Albuquerque early 2021 or end of 2020.   She has author clients in New York City, Atlanta, Albuquerque, Long Island, the Hamptons and Vancouver.

Facebook: @MarciaGRosen

Twitter: @WriterMysteries

Instagram: @mglendarosen

Pinterest: marciaglendarosen

www.creativebookconcepts.com

www.theseniorsleuths.com

https://www.amazon.com/Dead-THAT-Beach-House-Sleuths-ebook/dp/B08FCY3R93

 

 

 

Scan tomorrow

 It's time again for my 4 monthly scan of the abdomen. I hope it goes somewhat better than the last time, in May. I'm not talking about the result (I'm not worried about that) but about the organisation.

To start with, the previous scan was in lockdown time. I had to take a corona test before I was permitted to have the scan. When I presented myself at the hospital, I didn't have to go to the normal unit (the day-clinic, as they call it here) but somewhere in a ward. The procedure goes as follows: an hour before the actual scan is taken, you need to drink one liter of a fluid (that way they see better what's inside) and then you go to the unit and you're allowed inside. That time I sat in the waiting area for more than half an hour. Very pleasant when you've drunk a lot of fluid and need the toilet - which you aren't allowed before the scan!

Now, I wasn't invited to take a corona test, so hopefully the rest goes as usual too. I'm rather in the day clinic where you know people and can have  a talk (corona proof, as the distance between the seats is wide enough) and you also know the nursing personel by sight. 

We'll know tomorrow!

The last (?) sunny weekend at the coast

 The first three weeks of September are pretty hectic for my sister. In her line of work (administration for a group of schools - her being responsible for over 500 personel) there's a deadline to get around half of September. That means working many hours a day, until late in the evening, and also the weekends. Just like any other year, Chris managed to get everything done before the deadline. So she was entitled to having a weekend off for a change.

We left for the coast early Friday afternoon. We are lucky with the weather, as it is sunny and warm - a real Indian summer. You're no longer obliged to wear a face mask when walking in Knokke-Heist (only where it's extremely busy) and that's a relief. I really don't like wearing a mask!

We've been relaxing as best we can. Yesterday we went for a little walk and afterwarts spent some time on our terrace, enjoying the sun. 

It's also a good opportunity to wash as much of the summer gear we won't be wearing for the coming months and put it away clean and fresh. One of the advantages of having such a big roof terrace is that you can dry the washing outside. With all this sunshine it really doesn't take long to dry - and it's cheap, right? At the moment a second batch of washing is hanging out to dry.

We'll go lunching out later today - always nice when you don't have to cook yourself. Our new favorite restaurant is @Sea - they have a varied menu and the prices are fair. They work with really fresh ingredients, which I think is important. Everything is made in the house, what isn't so in many of the other restaurants along the promenade.

We'll go home again tomorrow morning, as Christine is working from home on Mondays, and she can answer the phone of the train just as easily, or fill out a form on her tablet. 

When all goes well, we'll go to Antwerp next weekend. Of course we'll have to wait what will be decided on the next meeting of the Security Council next Wednesday. They are sure to take new measures to curb the corona crisis, which is exploding once more.

Canoodling Up North

Today we say hello to Shawn M. Verdoni. The author is doing a virtual blurb blitz tour for Canoodling Up North, a romanca available as of September 1st, 2020. The tour will run from August 31st to September 25th, 2020.

Shawn will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn commenter via rafflecopter during the tour. In addition the author has decided to add 5 Apple copies of the book as prizes. Please use the following link to place a comment:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3480/

Blurb

At first glance, Damon MacGregor is living his best life as a bachelor and veterinarian in rural Wisconsin. That is until a wounded crane and an enchanted stranger bring his house-of-cards life crashing down. Not exactly where she expected to be at this time in her life, Catrina “Cat” Carneri has left her dreams in Montana to move back to her hometown where she is nursing a broken heart and working for an ungrateful boss.

 

A chance encounter at a wildlife rescue changes everything. Cat’s calm and organized demeanor impresses Damon. However, it is how her hair reminds him of autumn and is complimented by her curvaceous figure that beckons him to pull Cat into his arms, claiming her as his own. Damon’s compassion and gregarious personality intrigues Cat. Yet it is his cobalt blue eyes that first capture her heart; so infinite in their depth, she knows the moment he touches her, he takes a hold of her soul.

 

Soon after forging their passionate bond, a secret from Cat’s past has her facing a difficult decision. If she tells Damon the truth, he may leave or give her the chance to rebuild his trust. If she keeps the secret and Damon finds out, he will leave her forever.

 

Canoodling Up North is a love story about building fulfilling relationships; fostered in traditional values, confronted by modern complex challenges, while being nurtured by Wisconsin’s natural, cultural, and spiritual beauty.

Excerpt

Damon MacGregor was the kind of man people noticed. Towering at 6-feet 6-inches with a shock of red shaggy hair that melded into a closely trimmed beard and mustache, it was easy to see that he would stand out in a crowd. It also helped that his preference of clothing made him look like a lumberjack most of the time; jeans, brown work boots, and a plaid cotton shirt during spring and summer switched to flannel in the fall and winter. Damon took up space when he entered a room because of his broad shoulders and muscular thighs that showed through his jeans. He didn’t deliberately wear tight jeans; it was just that he always found it difficult to find jeans long and wide enough to fit his build, and he wasn’t about to spend an obscene amount of money on clothes that he could easily buy at a big box store.

As much as his appearance screamed, “Notice me!!!” he had other features that were just as intoxicating. Against his creamy white skin and shocking red hair, his ice-blue eyes were striking. A person could look at them and feel like they were looking out into an immense ocean, the color so crystal clear that you could see to the bottom. Just above his beard line lay another surprise. When Damon smiled or laughed, twin dimples appeared in his apple cheeks.

With her eyes still closed, Cat tried to clear her head. However, being a firstborn child, that was hard to do. Always trying to pay attention to the details, always trying to be the best, always trying to be perfect took a toll on her in more ways than one. At least she granted herself this moment to not do anything or be there for anyone else. This was her time and her time alone. She deserved it. She deserved to not do anything at all. Though she was no longer a kid, in Marshall’s eyes she would always be one, and therefore the one and only rule for Loon Lake, “kids rule,” was guaranteed to Cat if she came to the cabin to visit.

After her sun-kissed meditation, Cat squinted her eyes open and looked at the sky. If she had to guess, it was getting close to dinnertime. She felt something prickly on her leg and looked down. A pale-blue dragonfly with black wings had landed on her thigh. For such a beautiful creature, she was surprised at how coarse their legs felt on her skin. Cat smiled, noticing how the dragonfly’s coloring matched her swimsuit. She wondered if the suit attracted it to her. Since no one was around, Cat talked to the dragonfly as if it could understand her. “Hello, Mr. Dragonfly! I want to thank you for eating up the mosquitoes up here.

Author bio and links

Shawn M. Verdoni is the author of Canoodling Up North: Book One, Canoodling Out West: Book Two, and is working on her third book.  She attended UW Whitewater for her degree in secondary education and is currently attending MSOE to complete her Master’s in Business Administration.  Her best days are spent with her husband, two children and two dogs just hanging out.  She loves living in Wisconsin, especially in fall when you can find her in a pumpkin patch or an apple orchard collecting tart baking apples for her famous crumble crust apple pie.

 

Website: http://shawnverdoni.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawnmverdoni

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShawnVerdoni

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/shawnmverdoni/

 

Order Canoodling Up North: Book One today :https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088MKFWMC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_iUzgFb4CE9Z1X4

BN https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/canoodling-up-north-shawn-m-verdoni/1137072582

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Canoodling-Up-North-Book-One-ebook/dp/B088MKFWMC

Amazon.ca  https://www.amazon.ca/Canoodling-Up-North-Book-One-ebook/dp/B088MKFWMC

Google Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Shawn_M_Verdoni_Canoodling_Up_North?id=IRvsDwAAQBAJ

 

Online sales

 During the lockdown, most things were done online. People worked from home (still do, for the most part), we went shopping online, viewed shows, visited a museum, ... Also house or flat sales are becoming more popular being done online.

The house next to ours is for sale, after the death of Willy. And it's on Biddit, an online platform to bid and become the owner of this house. The house itself needs a lot of renovation, it's in poor order. Our neighbors did not have a lot of money and therefore could not do expensive renovations to their house. So the start price of the house was set on 125,000 €. Not a lot, but if you know I bought my house for only 25,000 € (of course, then it still was in Belgian Frank), it's not so bad. The online bidding started yesterday afternoon, and right now the new price is set on 126,000 €. I'm curious to see how high it goes, because we plan to sell our house in three years' time and then we at least have a clue how much it can go. 

Our house is in much better condition. We have an isolated roof, double glazing everywhere, central heating and a condensation heater. My sister has repared every little crack in the ceiling (it's an old house, almost a  hundred years old) and we have a modern kitchen and bathroom, plus a nice garden and terrace.

So I may expect to get at least 140,000 € for this old place. If we move to the coast, the cost of living will go down a lot, as you don't pay city taxes in Knokke-Heist. And costs of electricity, heating, internet etc. will be lower as well, as we only need to pay for one address. So - s not so important how much the house goes. It's a nest egg anyway. We both have enough income - I have a good pension and my sister may expect the same - and have already saved up some. And now we can't travel we save a lot - just come to consider we might have a mansion with a surrounding park if we had never spent a euro on travel...

The bidding will end next week Thursday at 2 pm. You can view it online. I'm curious!!

Sleeping with the Enemy

Author Jackie Barbosa is doing a virtual book blast tour for Sleeping with the Enemy, an Historical Romance available September 15, 2020. The Book Blast Tour will take place September 14 - 18, 2020.

Jackie Barbosa will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the following link to place your comment:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3454/

Blurb

When Mrs. Laura Farnsworth discovers the blood-stained body of a man wearing the distinctive red coat of the British army, her first instinct is to let dead dogs lie. It has, after all, been just two days since the Battle of Plattsburgh, and the disposition of enemy corpses is hardly her purview. But then the man proves himself to be very much alive by grabbing her ankle and mumbling incoherently.

After almost twenty-five years in His Majesty’s service, Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Langston never expected to wake up in heaven, much less being tended by an angel. But when he regains consciousness in the presence of a beautiful, dark-haired woman and with no memory of how he came to be there, what else can he think? Except it’s rather odd for an angel to have an American accent.

As the long-widowed Laura nurses the wounded Geoffrey back to health, the attraction between them heats from a simmer to a boil. Bound by his oath to the British crown, Geoffrey should be working to find his way back to his regiment and from there, to England. Instead, he’s sleeping with the enemy…and thereby committing the crime of desertion if not treason. But then, who’s going to find out?

If only Geoffrey didn’t have a family back home who refuse to take “missing in action” for an answer.

Excerpt

Where the hell was he?

Well, in a room, certainly, since there were four white walls and a white ceiling. And since he was lying on a bed, covered by a white—well, perhaps it was more cream-colored—duvet, it would be reasonable to posit he was in a bedroom. But a bedroom where?

The last thing he remembered was… He frowned in concentration, which hurt, so he immediately stopped.

He had been encamped with his battalion on the north side of the Saranac River, awaiting the order from Prévost to begin the ground offensive.

Well, this certainly was not a tent in a military encampment.

So where the hell was he, and how had he come to be here?

Gingerly, he turned his head…and found an angel.

She sat in a chair that had been pulled up alongside the bed. Her dark hair had been arranged in a simple knot at the back of her head, but curling tendrils of it escaped here and there to brush her cheeks and forehead. The dress she wore was not white, but a very pale shade of gray that sparkled in beam of light streaming in from the window behind her. In profile, her features were as fine and lovely as a porcelain doll’s, the way he imagined an angel’s would be, though there were tiny laugh lines around her eyes and mouth that seemed a trifle out of place on a divine being. But then again, perhaps angels had a lot to laugh about, seeing as how they lived in paradise. She didn’t seem to be laughing now, however. Instead, her head was bowed and her expression conveyed a state of relaxed concentration.

Prayer?

He squinted. Maybe the question was not where the hell he was, but where the heaven he was.

Author bio and links

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be a writer when I grew up, but there were plenty of times when I wasn’t sure I ever would be. As it turns out, it just took me about twenty years longer to grow up than I expected!

On the road to publication, I took a few detours, including a stint in academia (I hold an MA in Classics from the University of Chicago and was a recipient of a Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities) and many years as a technical writer/instructional designer for a data processing company. I still hold my day job, but my true vocation has always been writing fiction and romance in particular.

I’m a firm believer that love is the most powerful force in the world, which that makes romance the most powerful genre in the world. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise!

Website: http://www.jackiebarbosa.com

http://www.twitter.com/jackiebarbosa

https://www.facebook.com/JackieBarbosaAuthor/

Buy Links for Sleeping with the Enemy

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085GK6Y1T

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sleeping-with-the-enemy-39

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sleeping-with-the-enemy-jackie-barbosa/1136596890

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/sleeping-with-the-enemy/id1501443490?ls=1

Everything Changes

Today we say hello to Melanie Hansen. Melanie's doing a virtual book blast tour for Everything Changes, a M/M contemporay romance available today. This book blast tour will take place on Monday 14th September.

Melanie will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the following link to place your comment:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3506/

Blurb

Two battle buddies. One fateful deployment. Two vastly different sets of wounds. One friendship changed forever.

A childhood in foster care taught Carey Everett to hold tight to what he has. Enlisting in the Marines gave him purpose, but a life-threatening injury ended his career—and took his leg. Now fully recovered, Carey’s happier than he’s ever been. He has a fulfilling job, a chosen family and, best of all, a cherished friendship with Jase DeSantis, the platoon medic who saved his life.

Despite Jase’s heroism in combat, he’s haunted by his actions overseas. Playing music with his band keeps the demons at bay, but it’s a battle he’s starting to lose.

After a week of sun and fun in San Diego, Jase and Carey’s connection takes an unexpected turn. With change comes a new set of challenges. For Jase, it means letting someone else into his deepest pain. For Carey, it’s realizing love doesn’t always equal loss. In order to make their relationship work, they’ll have to come to terms with their pasts…

…or risk walking away from each other for good.

Excerpt

His throat tight, Carey said, “Please look at me.” He tugged on their joined hands. “Please.”

Finally Jase dragged his eyes to his. The remoteness in them scared Carey even more than tears would have. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry for everything I said that night.”

“I know…”

“No, you don’t know, because I don’t think I’ve ever said it plainly, flat-out, that I’m so fucking sorry for every hurtful, untrue word that came out of my mouth that night.” Carey sucked in a fortifying breath. “And for not saying the words I should have said. Like thank you. Thank you for saving my life. Thank you for fighting asshole medics for me. Thank you for coming to the hospital, for moving in with me, for working out with me, for—”

“Stop.” Now Jase’s eyes held the glimmer of a smile. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Oh, but I do.” Carey grinned. “Except it’d take all day, because there’re so many things I’m grateful to you for. Like teaching me yoga. Fetching the mirror. Playing me songs. What I should do is make you sit here and listen to all of it—”

“Carey, stop.”

“—but how about I just kiss you instead?”

Author bio and links

Melanie Hansen doesn’t get nearly enough sleep. She loves all things coffee-related, including collecting mugs from every place she’s visited. After spending eighteen years as a military spouse, Melanie definitely considers herself a moving expert. She has lived and worked all over the country, and hopes to bring these rich and varied life experiences to the love stories she gets up in the wee hours to write. On her off-time, you can find Melanie watching baseball, reading or spending time with her husband and two teenage sons.

Everything Changes Buy Link: https://amzn.to/2Y7nf07

Website: https://melaniehansenbooks.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009084006829

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelJoyAZ

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13505006.Melanie_Hansen

Postal mixup

During two to three weeks, I've been experiencing problems with the postal system. Bpost (the official postal service here in Belgum) really sucks!!!

What happened? Well, as we were staying at the coast for most of the summer, we had our post sent through to our address there. You have to fill in a form, pay up - done. This temporary service was set to last until half of August.

We returned home on August 24th, didn't find any post there in our box. Well, at first you think it can happen. But the following week, we equally didn't receive anything. Strange! By then I expected at least a letter from the tax office, an invitatation to pay the taxes on my property. And my sister expected a bill from the water agency, in which the costs over the year were detailed. Neither of these was delivered.

Thank God there is the internet. A couple of searches made clear that both letters had indeed been sent (and also specified details of what to pay and when). Weaponed with this knowledge I contacted the post service.

I received an answer which did not address my worries at all. So another - less polite and friendly - mail was sent back.

At last somebody seemed to understand. By this week we do receive mail once more. The postal stamps I had ordered and paid (and didn't get) will be send anew. But still haven't got an answer as to what happened with the rest. A package from the UK was returned to sender and I'm now waiting to have my money back. I can pay my bill to the tax office and in the future will look at the internet to make sure. My sister equally could pay her bill to the water service.

Next year we won't be sending our post to our second address. We'll ask the neighbors to pick up the post and let us know. When all goes as planned, we'll be returning to Dendermonde a couple of times, so if anything needs to get paid, there will still be enough time to do it.

Do you also have problems with your postal service, or goes everything smoothly?

Head Games

Please say hello to Eileen Dreyer today! Eileen is doing a virtual book blast tour for Head Games, a mystery/suspense novel available since September 8th, 2020. The Book Blast Tour will take place September 7 - 11, 2020.

Eileen Dreyer will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the following link to place your comment:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3484/

Blurb

She's seen it all, until…Head Games, a Medical Thriller from Eileen Dreyer —St. Louis, Missouri-Present Day—

St. Louis death investigator and trauma nurse Molly Burke has seen just about everything, until gifts begin showing up on her doorstep—gifts like human eyes and painted bones—the signature of a twisted serial killer.

Complicating the dangerous situation, Molly’s 16-year-old nephew unexpectedly shows up on her doorstep, with problems of his own.

Now, Molly must balance the investigation into the mind of a monster, who’s taking her back to the worst years of her life, while launching a rescue mission for her nephew. The question is, will she survive either?

Publisher’s Note: No one writes medical thrillers better than former Trauma Nurse, Eileen Dreyer. This tight medical thriller contains profanity consistent with the salty speech of crime investigators and does NOT contain sexual content.

“A tensely plotted thriller that compels the reader to the last shocking page…Dreyer deftly displays her droll sense of humor while spinning a tale of taut terror…complex, riveting, funny, and compelling.” ~The Denver Post

“Nearly flawless. The dialogue is witty, yet shot through with verisimilitude. The insights into hospitals, medical examiners’ offices, police departments, and the military are stunning.” ~St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Excerpt

Magnum was barking so loudly he was going to wake up the baby at the end of the block. Pointing to her nephew, Molly addressed her friend the cop. "Don't let him out of your sight. I'll be right back."

"But Aunt Molly—"

But Aunt Molly was already stalking through the kitchen, where she could just make out Magnum's massive head outside the door.

He had something. Something he dropped every time he started barking, and then picked up again, like a furry bellboy with room service.

Something white.

That shouldn't have given Molly the creeps. Tonight, it did. It looked like a flower box, the kind long-stemmed roses come in.

Probably something that had been tossed over the fence from the neighboring streets. Molly's yard sided along Euclid, where an eclectic crowd frequented the trendy shops and restaurants tucked all along the Central West End. Since she'd moved home, Molly had found everything from condoms to a full-sized mannequin dressed as Fidel Castro in her backyard.

But the way Magnum played with that box made her think she had more than Castro on her hands.

Pushing the door open, Molly reached out, and Magnum obliged, dropping his prize in her hand. Slick with dog drool and ragged with careful gnaw marks, it was, indeed, a flower box. And it wasn't empty.

"Uh, Dee?" she called, suddenly even more worried about those notes she'd been getting than she had been. "Can you come in here?"

He did, which set Magnum off all over again. Molly shushed the dog and motioned the policeman over as she laid the box on her kitchen table and opened it.

She saw the glint of gold first. Nestled in layers of white tissue. Heavy and solid. But not all gold. Decorated in gold. Painted with gold hearts. Gold hearts and red crosses.

And letters. Words.

"What the hell—" Dee muttered, leaning in for a closer look as Molly pulled the last layer of tissue apart to fully reveal what lay within.

"It's a fake," Molly insisted, even though she knew better.

She didn't touch it, even though she wanted to. She didn't pick it up or tilt it over just to make sure she was right.

She didn't have to, really. After all the time she'd spent in EDs and Medical Examiners' offices, it was virtually impossible for her not to recognize a human thighbone.

A thighbone painted with the salutation "This is for Molly Burke."

Author bio and links

New York Times Bestselling, award-winning author Eileen Dreyer has published 40 novels and 10 short stories under her name and that of her evil twin, Kathleen Korbel in contemporary romance, paranormal romance, historical romance, romantic suspense, mystery and medical forensic suspense. A proud member of RWA's Hall of FAME, she also has numerous awards from RT BookLovers and an Anthony nomination for mystery. She is now focusing on what she calls historic romantic adventure in her DRAKE'S RAKES series. A native of St. Louis, she still lives there with her family. She has animals but refuses to subject them to the limelight.

http://eileendreyer.com

https://www.facebook.com/EileenDreyer

https://twitter.com/eileendreyer

https://www.instagram.com/eileendreyerauthor/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/19012.Eileen_Dreyer

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/eileen-dreyer

Buy links:

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Head-Games-Thriller-Eileen-Dreyer-ebook/dp/B08BX7B4YF/

Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/head-games-eileen-dreyer/1137244643

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/head-games-28

Apple https://books.apple.com/us/book/head-games/id1520717910

Rip to the Rescue

Today we say hello to Miriam Halahmy, author of Rip to the Rescue, a middle grade historical fiction available since August 25th from Holiday House Publishing Inc. Miriam is now doing a virtual blurb blitz tour. This tour will run from August 24th to September 11th.

The author will we awarding a print copy of the book to three randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Please use the following link to place your comment:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3478/

Blurb

It's 1940 and Nazi bombs are raining down on London, but 13-year-old bike messenger Jack has just discovered something unbelievable: a stray dog with a surprising talent.

Jack navigates the smoky, ash-covered streets of London amid air raid sirens and falling bombs, dodging shrapnel and listening for cries for help, as a bike messenger for fire crews. When Jack finds a dog, miraculously still alive after the latest Nazi bombing of London, he realizes there's something extra special about the shaggy pup--he can smell people who are trapped under debris.

With his new canine companion, nicknamed Rip because of the dog's torn ear, maybe Jack can do more than just relay messages back-and-forth--he can actually save lives. And if Jack's friend Paula is right about the impending Nazi invasion, he and Rip will need to do all they can to help Jewish families like hers.

There's just one problem: Jack has to convince his ill-tempered father to let him keep Rip.

Based on true episodes during the London Blitz in World War II, this action-packed and touching story explores the beginnings of search-and-rescue dogs and the bravery and resourcefulness of young people determined to do their part for their country.

Excerpt

Messenger Boy

(September 1940)

“It’s down to you now, Jack,” said Warden Yates, scribbling on a report form. “The line’s gone dead to the fire station. Get to Skinner Street soon as you can.”

Jack and the warden both ducked as a cluster of incendiary bombs exploded across nearby rooftops. Jack could hear shrapnel jingling down the slates like a tune he could almost whistle.

“Close,” he muttered, stuffing the message into the pocket of his blue overalls. Then he tightened the strap under his helmet and mounted his bike.

“Keep your head down!” cried the warden as Jack rode off, swerving to avoid the bomb crater at the top of the road. There was a shop on fire up ahead, lighting up the road in the blackout. Jack raced past as fast as he could, hoping sparks wouldn’t set fi re to his clothes. That’s what happened to Tommy Shepherd last week, and he was still in hospital with serious burns. Tommy was fifteen, almost two years older than Jack. They’d both lied about their ages to get into the messengers.

You were supposed to be seventeen.

“What an adventure,” Tommy had murmured to him as they stood in line at the Town Hall two months earlier. Jack was a full head taller than Tommy and the wardens accepted them both into training without a murmur back in July. Now it was the end of September and London had been bombed every night since the seventh.

Even if they found out I was only thirteen, they wouldn’t chuck me out, Jack told himself, freewheeling past a pile of rubble. Especially since Tommy got hit.

The thought spurred him on, dreams of making heroic rescues in burning buildings chasing him down the street.

Author bio and links

Miriam Halahmy is a poet, special needs educator, and novelist. She has worked with refugees in schools as well as in workshops she led for PEN and the Medical Foundation for the Victims of Torture. Her books include Behind Closed Doors and Hidden, which was nominated for the Carnegie Medal.

https://www.miriamhalahmy.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Miriam-Halahmy-Writer-127391707323310

https://twitter.com/MiriamHalahmy

https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=AAMAAAV7qowBwUGQ23w9QeBWQpPYQU7ABG5Lkgg&trk=hp-identity-name

https://holidayhouse.com/book/rip-to-the-rescue/

Lottery for a covid19 vaccin

By the end of March 2021, there will probably be a working vaccin against Covid19 in Belgium. That's the good news.

The bad one is, Belgium will only get about 1,2 million of these vaccins at that time. Not enough for everyone.

Belgium has around 11 million inhabitants. If you take into account those who first need to be vaccinated (health workers, people over 65, those who runs health risks - like I am) you already come to more than 5 million.

So now someone utters the idea of having a lottery to get a vaccin. How crazy can you be???

And counting my luck in everything, I won't be among those who 'win' a vaccin... I just keep being careful when around people and not hugging or kissing anybody. Furthermore, I foster some hope that my vaccination against yellow fever can help. Some prof in Belgium is working on creating a Covid19 vaccin based on just that yellow fever one. Once vaccinated, you are protected for life. Yellow fever vaccin is also the base of the one for Ebola and some other dangerous virusses. So I suppose the yellow fever vaccin does protect me already in some way. Fact is, I haven't been infected by Covid by now, even when being a risk patient. My immune system still works pretty well.

And what about you? Do you also have the same problem where you live? Or will you get a vaccin soon?