Damsel in a Dress

 Let's say hello to Kirsten Weiss today. Kirsten is doing a Virtual Book Blast Tour for Damsel in a Dress,  a Cozy Mystery available April 30, 2021 from Misterio Press. The Book Blast Tour will take place on Friday, April 30, 2021. 

Kirsten Weiss will be awarding a $10 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/28e4345f3696/

Blurb

Bridesmaid duties can be deadly…

 

Maddie Kosloski has more than wedding cake on her plate. She’s managing her paranormal museum, helping her best friend Adele with wedding plans, and trying to prove that Adele’s vintage wedding dress is most definitely not haunted.

 

But when a bridesmaid turns up murdered, Maddie has to solve the crime to save the wedding. As her bouquet of suspects grows, and everyone’s alibis have the ring of truth, Maddie begins to doubt this wedding will go off without a hitch.

 

If you love laugh-out-loud mysteries, witty heroines, and a touch of the paranormal, you’ll love Damsel in a Dress, book 5 in the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum series of novels. Read this twisty cozy mystery today!

Excerpt

Harper pointed and brushed her long, dark hair off her shoulder.

A slender woman, eyes open and sightless, lay on her back beneath an owl box. A pool of blood had formed around her head in the soft earth. Beside her, a chihuahua barked at us hysterically.

Bile rose in my throat. I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth. I thought I’d been prepared. But nothing can really prepare you for sudden death.

“Do you think she tripped and fell?” Harper said, pointing to the rock half-hidden beneath Bernadette’s spill of hair.

“Maybe,” I croaked, my mouth dry. Bruises darkened the skin above the collar of her cocktail dress, and there was a reddish mark on her face. They didn’t look like they’d come from a fall. “Did you call the police?”

“Of course I did. They’ll be here any minute. I just…” She pressed her hands to her stomach. “It’s Bernadette, one of Adele’s oldest friends, her bridesmaid.” 

Lead weighted my gut. This was awful. Worse than awful. How were we going to tell Adele?

Author bio and links

Kirsten Weiss has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer re-runs and drinking red wine. The latter gives her heartburn, but she drinks it anyway.

Now based in Colorado Springs, CO, she writes genre-blending cozy mystery, supernatural and steampunk suspense, mixing her experiences and imagination to create vivid worlds of fun and enchantment.

If you like funny cozy mysteries, check out her Pie Town - http://www.kirstenweiss.com/pie-town-mysteries, Tea and Tarot - http://www.kirstenweiss.com/tea-and-tarot-mysteries

, Paranormal Museum-  http://www.kirstenweiss.com/the-perfectly-proper-paranormal-mus-1

and Wits’ End -  http://www.kirstenweiss.com/doyle-cozy-mystery-series books.

If you’re looking for some magic with your mystery, give the Witches of Doyle - http://www.kirstenweiss.com/doyle-witch-cozy-mysteries, Riga Hayworth-  http://www.kirstenweiss.com/riga-hayworth-paranormal-mysteries and Rocky Bridges - http://www.kirstenweiss.com/rocky-bridges-mysteries books a try.

And if you like steampunk, the Sensibility Grey - http://www.kirstenweiss.com/sensibility-grey-steampunk-suspense series might be for you.

Kirsten sends out original short stories of mystery and magic to her mailing list. If you’d like to get them delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for her newsletter at www.kirstenweiss.com

Feel free to follow her on Pinterest at KirstenWeiss - https://www.pinterest.com/kirstenweiss/

or on Bookbub - http://www.bookbub.com/authors/kirsten-weiss

get in touch on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/kirsten.weiss/,

post a picture of this book to Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kirstenweissauthor/

and tag her @kirstenweissauthor,

or send her an email. She’ll answer you personally…which may be a good or a bad thing, depending on your perspective.

Email: kweiss2001@kirstenweiss.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kirsten.weiss

Instagram: @KirstenWeissAuthor

Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/authors/kirsten-weiss

The Most Eligible Viscount in London

 Today, we welcome back author Ella Quin. Ella's doing a virtual book blast tour for her latest release, The Most Eligible Viscount in London, a regency romance available now from Zebra. This book blast tour will take place April 26 - April 30.

Ella Quin will be awarding a $25 Amazon or iTunes gift card 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/28e4345f3739/

Blurb

In bestselling author Ella Quinn’s intriguing new Regency trilogy, a dashing suitor must decide if love and marriage are mutually exclusive . . 

Viscount Gavin Turley is convinced that love matches cause nothing but trouble. Still, after months of courting, he’s fallen for Miss Georgie Featherton. He’s passionate about her, in fact. But words of love are not an indulgence he will allow himself. When he presents Georgie with his marriage proposal, he will lead with his head—not his heart. His qualifications as a husband are excellent, after all. What could go wrong?

No sooner does Gavin kneel on one knee than Georgie’s heart goes aflutter with joy. Finally, the proposal she longed for had arrived. Yet Gavin seemed to be listing his credentials for a business partnership, not a romantic union. Without a declaration of love, Georgie can only reject his offer—unless the ladies of the ton, and Georgie’s grandmamma, have anything to do with it. For sometimes it takes a wiser eye to see the love behind a guarded heart—and a clever scheme to bring it out of hiding . . .

Excerpt

A light tap sounded on the door to Georgie’s parlor. Smith opened it and stood aside as Adeline swept into the room.

“I did not think you would be resting.” She sounded pleased to have been right. “How are you doing?”

Georgie shrugged. “I wish I knew.”

“I can tell you that he does want very much to marry you.” Georgie pulled a face. “Yet he is still haunted by his father.”

In an attempt to help, Littleton had told Adeline who in turn told Georgie about the mess the former Lord Turley had made of everything after his wife had died. “I understand why he thinks he should not love his wife, but I do not understand how one can stop oneself from falling in love.” And that was the essence of the matter. Georgie firmly believed that love was the thing that held two people together during difficult times. She began pacing the room again, changing directions so as not to wear a path in the rug. “Do I give him another chance? Or would I be wasting my time? If he is so certain he will not love his wife, I do not see what I can do to change his mind. 

Adeline’s forehead creased in thought. “Allowing him until the end of the month to convince you would still give you time to go back to Town before the Season ends, and it would answer your questions.”

“I suppose you are correct.” Georgie stopped pacing. Why was this so hard? She closed her eyes and reached deep into her heart. There was a chance that there might be another gentleman out there who was even more perfect for her than Lord Turley only because this unknown gentleman loved her. But until she knew for certain that Turley would never love her, she would give him an opportunity to prove himself. “I shall give him one more chance.”

“I need to tell you one more bit of information.” This time her friend had a wicked grin on her face. “Your grandmother and her friend the duchess arrive tomorrow. They are staying with Mama-in-law.”

“And Turley.” Georgie felt her eyes widen. “Oh my. That will be interesting. What I would not give to hear what they have to say to him.”

“That is exactly what I thought,” her friend agreed. “Frits has suggested that he be allowed to come here as often as he wishes in order to court you. Do you have any objections?”

Georgie began pacing again. For some reason, she could not remain still. Littlewood really was the perfect place for a courtship. Other than the house party entertainments, they could spend time out of the eyes of the ton. It would give her—them—both the opportunity to attempt to resolve the differences in what they each wanted in a marriage. “No.” She wondered what role her grandmother and the duchess would play. “No. I have no objections.” Having a course of action would, at the very least, help her shake off the malaise she had been experiencing. “In fact, I believe I am looking forward to seeing how he intends to convince me I should enter into a loveless marriage.”

Author bio and links

USA Today bestselling author Ella Quinn's studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them.

She is married to her wonderful husband of over thirty years. They have a son and two beautiful granddaughters, and a Great Dane. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true and are now living on a sailboat. After cruising the Caribbean and North America, she completed a transatlantic crossing from St. Martin to Southern Europe. She's currently living in Germany, happily writing while her husband is back at work, recovering from retirement.

Ella loves when readers connect with her.

 

Author Contact and Social Media:

Website:  https://www.ellaquinnauthor.com/

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ellaquinnauthor

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7044274.Ella_Quinn

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ella-quin 

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Ella-Quinn/e/B00CAE0FSQ

Buy Links: 

Amazon:  https://geni.us/AzbRgd

Apple Books:  https://apple.co/2PHZZEB

Kobo:  https://bit.ly/3sD40si

Nook:  https://bit.ly/3sDrldr

Google Play:  https://bit.ly/3sDr2PP

Print: https://amzn.to/31t8qpU

 BookBub:  https://bit.ly/3fsGdb4

Goodreads:  https://bit.ly/3dz6CRZ

Audiobook narrated by Rachael Beresford

Audible: https://adbl.co/3sCVQA6

Amazon Audio: https://amzn.to/3szTt1e

iTunes: https://apple.co/2QFZyLh

 

Finally: vaccination against Covid19

 Yesterday afternoon, I could finally go to the vaccination center in Dendermonde (actually, it's in a neighboring village, Appels and you have to take the bus to reach it - at least when you don't have a car like we). I had to be there around 14.45 pm. It didn't take a lot of time to get my shot of Pfizer. I could take the 15.15 pm bus back to Dendermonde. 

I must admit I was glad to have been given Pfizer, as there seem to be some problems with trombosis with both AstraZeneca and Johnson&Johnson. They are both vector vaccins, while Pfizer and Moderna are RDNA vaccins. Trombosis and resulting death appear most in women who are still in their fertile age. Older women don't seem to have these problems, but still I prefer Pfizer. The waiting time between the two shots is not so long (5 weeks), which means I'll get my second one on May27th. With AstraZeneca it takes 3 months inbetween. 

The only thing I felt is a little stiffness in the muscles of my upper arm. It's already better by now.

We got more good news yesterday evening, as my sister also got her invitation for vaccination. She can come on May 10th and June 14th. So both of us will be fully vaccination by summer and hopefully we get our green vaccination pass by then, so we can travel freely in Europe.

The Coach's Wife

 Today we welcome author Barbara Casey. Barbara is doing a virtual book blast tour for The Coach's Wife, a mystery available this month from Speaking Volumes Publishing. The book blast tour will take place on April 19 - April 23. 

Barbara Casey will be awarding a $25 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/28e4345f3733/

Blurb

The Cinderella Coyotes of State University are in the Final Four, poised to win the NCAA National Championship in basketball—the culmination of March Madness. For Marla Conners, she's proud of her husband Neal, and his achievement of coaching a collegiate team to the pinnacle of his career and the ultimate victory for his team. Yet, Marla's idyllic life is about to be viciously attacked and torn apart by a different madness—her husband's reputation ruined, a university disgraced, and she finds herself on trial accused of first-degree murder. 

The Coach’s Wife is rife with spine-tingling suspense, conspiracy, deceit, and murder, sizzling and seductive passion, right down to the last second buzzer-beating heroics. This is also a candid and vivid behind-the-scenes portrait of Division One college basketball, university politics, money and corruption, and all the lives that are blessed and ruined by it all.

Excerpt

Ray Knox pulled the collar on his coat up tighter around his neck and ears and shoved his hands deep into his pockets.  He cursed under his breath when he saw a group of drunks, probably Seawolf fans, coming his way.  It was too dark to see who they were, but if they were Seawolfers, he was sure they would recognize him if they saw him.  And even if they were blind drunk, they would wonder what in the hell he was doing hanging out in a service entrance doorway of the coliseum at three o’clock in the morning.  Christ.  That was all he needed.  He pushed his back against the cold metal door as far as he could hoping he wouldn’t be seen.  The five men burst into an off-key rendition of the Piedmont State Fight Song and staggered past the doorway, oblivious of the cold and of him.  One of the men tossed an empty beer can onto the pavement, creating even more racket.  Knox listened to it roll several yards until it finally stopped and then heard the pop and hissing sound of another can being opened.

Christ it was cold.  A blast of frigid air whistled around the door frame.  He cursed again.  At Morgan for getting him into this situation and at himself for doing it.  This had to be the low point in Knox’s career.  Hanging out in darkened doorways in the middle of the night waiting to make a pay-off.  To make it even worse, the guy he was supposed to meet was late.  He had told Knox 2:30.  Unless Knox got the directions mixed up.  But the guy had said the service entrance on the east side of the coliseum.  And that’s where the hell he was.  Freezing his ass off and dodging drunken Seawolf fans so he wouldn’t be seen.

Knox pulled out a wadded up handkerchief from his hip pocket and wiped his nose.  He was probably getting sick.  Morgan was going to make up for this big time if he expected Knox to keep doing his dirty work for him.  No more cheap presents or token salary increases.  Shit, he had enough TVs and cameras and electronic gadgets.  Cheap toys from Morgan.  He wanted some big money—security for when he decided to retire.  And the way he was feeling now, he was ready to retire.

Knox heard footsteps, the empty beer can being kicked, and someone—a man—cuss.  Knox leaned out slightly from the doorway and peered into the darkness.  He smelled him—the rancid odor of nervous sweat—before he saw him.

“You got something for me, heh?”

Author bio and links

Barbara Casey is the author of several award-winning novels for both adults and young adults, as well as book-length works of nonfiction true crime, and numerous articles, poems, and short stories. Her nonfiction true crime book, Kathryn Kelly: The Moll behind Machine Gun Kelly, has been optioned for a major film and television series. Her nonfiction book, Assata Shakur: A 20th Century Escaped Slave, is under contract for a major film. In addition to her own writing, she is an editorial consultant and president of the Barbara Casey Agency. Established in 1995, she represents authors throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan. Barbara is also a partner in Strategic Media Books Publishing, an independent publishing house that specializes in cutting-edge adult nonfiction. Barbara lives on a mountain in Georgia with her three cats who adopted her: Homer, a southern bobtail; Reese, a black cat; and Earl Gray, a gray cat and Reese’s best friend.

 

 

http://www.barbaracaseyauthor.com

http://www.barbaracaseyagency.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Coachs-Wife-Barbara-Casey-ebook/dp/B08YXQHCRR/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0

(Wo)men at work

We decided to spend the Easter break (two weeks of school holidays) at home. We don't like to be at the coast, constantly wearing a face mask and not being able to sit down for a drink or a bite in a café or restaurant. 

As we live in a house of nearly 100 years old, it's evident that you need to do renovations on a regular basis. This time we try to undertake the first floor (for the Americans the second) with the bedrooms. We started with the smallest of the rooms, the bedroom that once belonged to our grandparents. Since the death of grandma it's been empty and bit by bit turned into a storeroom. We've been painting ceiling and walls and tried to bring some order in the stuff stored there. In the room are two old dressers, which need to be dismantled - a job we're going to do this afternoon. They are made of wood, and that's collected by the town services. When the room is totally empty, we are going to put in a new floor. It's being ordered and should arrive one of these days. 

Then my bedroom will be next. My dresser (a relatively modern one) is going to be moved to the storeroom later on, and in its place we're going to construct a sort of dressing made of IKEA elements. Then of course the floor needs painting (they have excellent floor paint nowadays) as we did with the staircase. Afterwards we're gong to tackle my sister's bedroom.

Oh yes, and in the meantime I got my invitation for vaccination! Next week I'll get my first shot with the Pfizer vaccin. My second shot will be by May 27th. It was my luck that I'm not yet 65. My birthday is in May. They now vaccinate people with health risks of 64 and younger. So most likely I was one of the first on this list! My sister hopes to receive her invitation one of the following weeks, as she is also on the list of risk patients. 

Hell Be Waiting

 Let's say hello to Liz Alterman today. Liz is doing a virtual book blast tour for He'll Be Waiting, a YA Thriller available April 6, 2021 from Between the Lines/Liminal Press. The Book Blast Tour will take place April 5 - 9, 2021. 

Liz Alterman 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/28e4345f3699/

Blurb

What would you do to remember? What would you give to forget?

 

When Tess Porter agrees to pick up her boyfriend’s college pal at the airport on a snowy December night, she has no idea she’s about to embark on the most dangerous ride of her life.

 

Two days later, the 17-year-old wakes up in a hospital with broken bones, unable to remember how she got there. Her parents are acting strange, and neither James, her boyfriend, nor her best friend, Izzy, has visited.

 

As she struggles to physically recover, Tess wrestles with haunting questions: What happened? Will her memory ever return? And what if she’s better off not recalling any of it?

Excerpt

A blast of heat smacks my face as I walk through the automatic doors. I look at the monitors. If someone gave me a dime for every time the word “canceled” appears beside a flight, I could buy a private jet.

Stranded holiday travelers sleep on the floor using their suitcases for pillows. Families eat dinner slumped against garbage cans. The stale air smells like French fries and feet. It’s chaos, and though I don’t want to drive again anytime soon, I’m jumpy to get out of here as fast as possible.

Circling the baggage carousels like a shark, I’m bursting with adrenaline after that hell ride. My shirt, damp with sweat, sticks to my skin. I feel chilled beneath Mom’s coat. I’m wondering how I’ll ever find Nick Lawrence in this sea of people when a guy walks up to me. At first, I think he’s going to ask me for money or a ride, but then I take a closer look. Dark hair, dark eyes, empty-looking duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He’s wearing a lightweight hoodie over a t-shirt. The neck is stretched out and wavy. He looks sloppy, not like a guy who attends a top university, but maybe he’s shot from finals too. His eyes, vaguely familiar, meet mine. He holds out a thick, clammy hand. When our palms touch, an electric shock passes between us. He holds my hand a beat too long and smiles, a weird, goofy grin. I have the sudden urge to pull away, turn around, leave him standing there. He doesn’t look like the kind of guy James would befriend, but James always reminds me: Don’t judge a book by its cover.

Author bio and links

Liz Alterman lives in New Jersey with her husband and three sons. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Parents, McSweeney's, and other publications. She spends most days microwaving the same cup of coffee and looking up synonyms.

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LizAlterman

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21164511.Liz_Alterman

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/liz-alterman

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liz.alterman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethalterman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizalterman

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091N9XH9M