THE RECLAMATION

 

We're happy to be hosting Thorn Osgood, author of the scifi/fantasy, THE RECLAMATION, today!  Please be sure to leave a comment below this post to let him know you stopped by!

About the Book:

Title: THE RECLAMATION
Author: Thorn Osgood
Publisher: Mind Wings Audio
Pages: 595
Genre: Scifi/Fantasy

Corilan, 25, is an IT project manager by day, and spends her free time involved in ecological organizations endeavors. When her long-absent negligent father, Nolan, wants to see her she’s annoyed. Finally, she decides to see him and despite the friction over his absence, from that meeting her life evolves. Nolan tells her of his birthright, an environmental organization, the School of Ancestral Guidance (SAG) and its members having ancestral guides. This clarifies Corilan’s gift, a voice inside, something she has never revealed. Knowledge of SAG feeds her obsession against environmental destruction.

Then an invisible entity, Earthos, manifests itself to her and proposes assistance in uniting people that want earth preservation. Years, she has been seeking a way to unite conservationist factions and still has no solution. Inspired by her inheritance, she accepts Earthos’ proposal and infuses with him. Then, she joins the SAG organization. From her infusion, she soon discovers abilities, among them lightning bolt generation, mind reading and control.

Armed with powerful abilities and her ancestral guide, Corilan must take an unexpected path. Then she discovers who her real enemies are and must find a way to defeat them.

For More Information

• The Reclamation is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
• The book is also available at Kobo.
• Read a preview of his book at his website.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Book Excerpt:

Corilan closed the back door to her new place and carefully removed her siec, making sure the acidic residue of atmospheric particles did not make contact with anything. After taking off her gloves, she removed her ENAZ mask and placed it on one of the moving crates nearby. She examined her siec; a cloak made of biodegradable mesh that served as a sieve to catch and block atmospheric particles. The particles grew heavier after dark and attached to the fabric, creating large clumps of acidic residue that could easily rub off on her skin or quickly eat through more vulnerable materials. Two more wears, she figured. After she shoved her gloves in one of the siec’s pockets, she hung the cloak on the coatrack by the back door. The visibility lens and nasal filters in the mask could be cleaned later.

For nearly five years, this was the process she had gone through daily to go outside, and she was pissed. Life did not have to be this way—it was a widely known fact that the deterioration of the environment was caused by the actions of humans. Yet industry and national leadership chose to do nothing; nothing that was truly effective. She dreamed of finding a way to resolve the environmental problems, in spite of the indifference of corporate CEOs and government leaders. Her body became rigid, her teeth clenched; her hands tensed and became fists at the thought. Those avaricious, self-serving bastards! To lead opposition against the environmental status quo and reverse the damage, that’s what she wanted. Every time she put on her outer gear or removed it, these were the thoughts that filled her mind, leaving her helpless and frustrated. Ticked off that leadership was so obliging to industry . . .

Catching her runaway thoughts, she refocused her thinking and realized she was still standing by the back door.

Then she remembered what she had placed in her shoulder bag the day before the move. Her eyes scanned the tops of the moving crates and boxes stacked on the floor and furniture. She located her bag, browsed the contents, and found what she was seeking. Corilan stared at the letter in her hand. She had found the piece of cursive-written correspondence on the floor when she’d come home the day before the movers arrived, and had stuffed it in her shoulder bag without opening it and continued packing. Who took time to write hard copy anything anymore? Moving to the kitchen counter, closer to the light, she opened the letter.

March 27, 2040

My Dear Daughter,

I received your thank-you card. Good to hear from you. I hope you’ll be happy in your new place.

You are probably surprised to hear from me so soon, but as I said in my previous letter, I would like to see you. I know I have not been a part of your life since your mother died, but I have not forgotten you.

I would like to see you on the second Sunday of next month. I will be in Pond Park at 6:00 p.m. If you decide not to come, I will understand. No matter what happens, you will always be loved.

Love,

Your father

Corilan laid the letter on the counter and pursed her lips—Nolan Troxler, her father. So soon? She hadn’t expected he would respond at all. Why would he? This was his second letter to her in her life. No surprise that he felt unworthy. Really, there was no other way he should feel. She hadn’t seen him in a little over twenty years. Hell, she couldn’t even remember his voice. The way she looked at his message, it was as if he was telling her, “I’m here now, let’s be family? Oh, and by the way, you’ve got two weeks to decide.” What made him think he could just arrive in town and tell her that? She felt anger rise inside, and a flush of warmth swept over her. Okay, her father had been widowed early in his marriage, but did that mean he’d had to abandon her?

 

About the Author

Thorn Osgood was born in Thomasville, Georgia, and grew up in South Florida. During her grade school years, her father read her stories that fed her imagination. Through the years, she has traveled many times to that special place in her mind to imagine fantastic yarns and what ifs and she has finally started to write them down. This is her debut work. Thorn currently lives in Crawford County, Georgia with her Mittelschnauzer, Raskoph, and his stray cats, Grayball and Tweeky.

His latest book is the scifi fantasy, The Reclamation.

For More Information

• Visit Thorn Osgood’s website.
• Connect with Thorn on Facebook and Twitter.

Night Night, Farm By Amy Parker

Night Night, Farm By Amy Parker

Book Description

Moo moo, cows!

Baa baa, sheep!

When the sun sinks low down on the farm, the animals are all tuckered out from the day’s adventures. Join these adorable farm animals in pajamas as they say night night to the farm, to their mommies and daddies, and to God.

Your little ones will sleep until the rooster crows knowing that the God who made them loves them too.

Night night, farm!

Amy Parker’s children’s books have sold more than 800,000 copies including two Christian Retailing’s Best award-winning books and the bestselling A Night Night Prayer. She lives outside Nashville with her husband and two children. 

My Review

I really like the line of " look at all the animals God made and he made me too". This is the only line that mentions God. Which I like for a kid's book. I find that sometimes Christian children's book focus so much on God that the child becomes bored at the lack of story. This was not one of those books. The book had very cute pictures that matched the words perfectly. It was the prefect combination for a sweet bed time story for a young child. I was sent this book for free for only my honest and unbiased review.

God Bless America: A Patriotic Coloring Book by Multnomah

God Bless America: A Patriotic Coloring Book

by Multnomah

Return to simple pleasures and simpler times.

Enter the pages of this coloring book for adults, and you will find a peaceful way to reflect on what makes America a truly amazing country: our values of equality, opportunity, faith,family, character, generosity, justice, and perseverance. Each coloring page features an original design from one of nine different artists, illustrating an inspirational quote from one of the Founding Fathers, an historic document, a patriotic hymn, or another of America’s heroes.

Slow down, quiet the noise, and express creativity as you color your way through history.

So grab your colored pencils or markers, find a comfortable spot to relax, and spend some time celebrating America. To help set the perfect patriotic mood, a link to the “Coloring America” playlist is included inside.

#COLORINGAMERICA

My Review

My family has recently really gotten into adult coloring books for stress relief. So when I saw this book I decided to give it a shot. I have to say I have had one that I have enjoyed more than this. So many of the pictures are of specific things and not scenes or just simple coloring of designs. However if you prefer realism to abstract then you will enjoy coloring this book. The pages are not too thin so you could use markers or pens if you wanted. I was sent this book for free for only my honest and unbiased review of this book.

Tearing Down The Statues by Brian Bennudriti

Tearing Down The Statues by Brian Bennudriti

A MYSTERIOUS TRICKSTER...

Misling is a Recorder, having perfect recall and expected to help build a seamless record of all that has been. That’s what the Salt Mystic taught us two thousand years ago when she came stumbling from the flats with her visions. Unfortunately he’s probably the worst Recorder ever. So when he meets a joker with an incredible secret, the two of them are soon on the run from swarming lunatics and towering assault troops in the heart of a city under siege. 

...A GLOBAL WAR

As it has for three generations, the horrible Talgo family is the spark of this swelling world war; and their wily generals and scheming counselors clash their fleets in battles of shrieking steel-entrained tornados, cannonballs of lightning, and tanks the size of cities. But it’s the joker’s secret that is the most powerful weapon of all…a trigger set by the Salt Mystic herself in myth, to save the world from itself.

My Review

Tearing Down The Statues by Brian Bennudriti is a very exciting and unique book. When I finished it the first thought across my mind was please let there me a book two. I really hope the author writes a second book as it would be AMAZING! That said the book said has a very dark science fiction feel to it with some thriller elements thrown in. The characters were amazingly well written and I found myself falling love with them. This book would make an amazing movie with all the scenes that would involve special effects. There are spots where people shoot tornadoes at each other I mean actual tornadoes as a weapon. How cool is that? 

***I was sent this product for free for test and review purposes for only my honest and unbiased review; I was given no payment or any form of compensation for this review. These views are 100% my own and were not influenced by anything, but the product itself.I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Tearing Down The Statues by Brian Bennudriti

Tearing Down The Statues by Brian Bennudriti

A MYSTERIOUS TRICKSTER...

Misling is a Recorder, having perfect recall and expected to help build a seamless record of all that has been. That’s what the Salt Mystic taught us two thousand years ago when she came stumbling from the flats with her visions. Unfortunately he’s probably the worst Recorder ever. So when he meets a joker with an incredible secret, the two of them are soon on the run from swarming lunatics and towering assault troops in the heart of a city under siege. 

...A GLOBAL WAR

As it has for three generations, the horrible Talgo family is the spark of this swelling world war; and their wily generals and scheming counselors clash their fleets in battles of shrieking steel-entrained tornados, cannonballs of lightning, and tanks the size of cities. But it’s the joker’s secret that is the most powerful weapon of all…a trigger set by the Salt Mystic herself in myth, to save the world from itself.

My Review

Tearing Down The Statues by Brian Bennudriti is a very exciting and unique book. When I finished it the first thought across my mind was please let there me a book two. I really hope the author writes a second book as it would be AMAZING! That said the book said has a very dark science fiction feel to it with some thriller elements thrown in. The characters were amazingly well written and I found myself falling love with them. This book would make an amazing movie with all the scenes that would involve special effects. There are spots where people shoot tornadoes at each other I mean actual tornadoes as a weapon. How cool is that? 

***I was sent this product for free for test and review purposes for only my honest and unbiased review; I was given no payment or any form of compensation for this review. These views are 100% my own and were not influenced by anything, but the product itself.I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Across the Long Sea by Sarah Remy

Across the Long Sea by Sarah Remy

The gripping follow-up to Stonehill Downs

As the most valuable asset in the kingdom of Wilhaiim, Malachi Doyle has many responsibilities—protector, assassin, detective, and King Renault's right-hand man. And until he met Avani in the cursed village of Stonehill Downs, he believed he was the last of his kind: a magus who can communicate with the dead.

But Wilhaiim is left vulnerable when Mal and his page, Liam, are kidnapped and ferried across the Long Sea to a warring kingdom in search of its own magus. To make matters worse, a springtime plague is rapidly spreading, and beneath the earth the sidhe are preparing for war. With Mal missing and presumed dead, Avani reluctantly takes his place as Wilhaiim's magus. But her powers are unreliable and untested, her many allies are treacherous, and she is certain Mal is alive. Will she be able to keep Wilhaiim—and herself—safe?

My Review

At the beginning of the book Wilhaiim, Malachi Doyle was my favorite character he was a protector, assassin, detective, and a King's right-hand man. He literally filled every role my favorite character's normally do in numerous other novels. However as the story continued onward I found myself liking Avani. I liked how Avani was a strong character even though she was untrained. I liked how she fought to keep herself and those to close to her alive no matter what. I truly enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it to those who enjoy books with assassins, detectives, and magic users. The book covers quite a diverse range of genres and yet they all fit together like a puzzle.

***I was sent this product for free for test and review purposes for only my honest and unbiased review; I was given no payment or any form of compensation for this review. These views are 100% my own and were not influenced by anything, but the product itself.I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Operation Babylift (Kira Callaghan Mystery Series Book 2) by Catherine Astolfo

Operation Babylift (Kira Callaghan Mystery Series Book 2) by Catherine Astolfo

When Florence Kensington gives up her coveted spot at ReVisions Retirement Residence to newcomers Roy and Linh Jackson, she unknowingly awakens Kira Callaghan’s Vietnam memories—and her PTSD. However, Kira’s “inner retired journalist” has no choice but to investigate when Florence is found dead. 

With help from the Flower Pots and her boyfriend Charles, Kira travels from Chit Creek to Burlington, Vermont, and exposes the secrets surrounding an Operation Bablylift plane crash from forty years ago. Discouraged by the lack of progress on the case, she returns to Triple R with her team of aging acolytes. 

Little do they know that a killer has followed them home…

My Review

This book kind of reminded me of the movie with how man of the characters don't seem to be in ReVisions Retirement Residence purely to grow old. That said some of the characters might make more sense to people who read book one, which I did not do. I find myself enjoying the atmosphere of the book. It was a cozy sort of mystery story. The book even had some humor in it. I really liked how the author kept the humor light even though the investigation was on such a dark topic. I had never heard of operation babylift before this book, but upon looking it up I was sadden by the loss of life. The author does a good job with keeping the operations facts mostly true, but for the full story readers should read a nonfictional information source. I really enjoyed reading this book and it was a nice change from those dark mysteries that leave you feeling scared or freaked out. I was provided with a free copy of this book for only my honest and unbiased review.

***I was sent this product for free for test and review purposes for only my honest and unbiased review; I was given no payment or any form of compensation for this review. These views are 100% my own and were not influenced by anything, but the product itself.I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Title: The Ocean at the End of the Lane Author: Neil Gaiman

Inside the Book:

Title: The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Author: Neil Gaiman
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 256
Genre: Coming of Age

UK National Book Awards 2013 “Book of the Year”

“Fantasy of the very best.” Wall Street Journal

A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn’t thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she’d claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse where she once lived, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

A groundbreaking work as delicate as a butterfly’s wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out.

“[Gaiman’s] mind is a dark fathomless ocean, and every time I sink into it, this world fades, replaced by one far more terrible and beautiful in which I will happily drown.” New York Times Book Review

I make things up and write them down. Which takes us from comics (like SANDMAN) to novels (like ANANSI BOYS and AMERICAN GODS) to short stories (some are collected in SMOKE AND MIRRORS) and to occasionally movies (like Dave McKean's MIRRORMASK or the NEVERWHERE TV series, or my own short film A SHORT FILM ABOUT JOHN BOLTON).

In my spare time I read and sleep and eat and try to keep the blog at www.neilgaiman.com more or less up to date.

My Review

I have to say that I found The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman to be a rather depressing book. The first half or so of the book focuses on all of the troubles and horrors that a young boy went through both natural and supernatural ones. I found myself horrified by the level of abuse and negligence displayed by the parents. I was originally looking forward to reading this book because of the supernatural elements, but after reading it I felt rather rung out and tired from all of the awful things that happened to the main character. I mean he was drowned, his kitten was killed and nobody offered him any comfort or care, he had nor friends and his classmates would not even go to his birthday. The book is well written and it does have a way of pulling you in, but it also drains the happiness and energy right out of you. I personally did not enjoy reading this book and I would have stopped part way through if I was not reading this for review.   I was sent this book for free for only my honest and unbiased review.

The Berenstain Bears School Time Blessings By Mike Berenstain

The Berenstain Bears School Time Blessings

By Mike Berenstain

Book Description

It’s back-to-school time in Bear Country!

After the long and lazy summer, it’s time for school. Brother and Sister are ready to see their friends and get busy with all of the things they enjoy about school—but are nervous about the more challenging subjects like math and history. And Honey Bear will be going to nursery school for the first time—but how will she handle not being home with Mama and Papa all day?

In this new Berenstain Bear Living Lights book, Mama and Papa Bear remind their cubs that prayer and God’s love are always there to guide them and that they will support them no matter what the challenge.

My Review

The Berenstain Bears School Time Blessings By Mike Berenstain I felt relied too much on the parents telling the children to pray to God to help them at school. Now I am a Christian and I support praying, but I feel that young children might not understand the difference between praying to God to be with them through out their struggles and believing that God will solve all of their problems. I feel like the book did not show the difference between the two. The parents should have told the young bears that they would need to do their best and that they could pray to God for strength or help. Then the parents should have told them that they would help them too if they needed it. I was sent this book for free for only my hoenst and unbiased review.

Home Cooked: Essential Recipes for a New Way to Cook

Home Cooked: Essential Recipes for a New Way to Cook

A recipe collection and how-to guide for preparing base ingredients that can be used to make simple, weeknight meals, while also teaching skills like building and cooking over a fire, and preserving meat and produce, written by a sustainable food expert and founder of Belcampo Meat Co.

Anya Fernald’s approach to cooking is anything but timid; rich sauces, meaty ragus, perfectly charred vegetables. And her execution is unfussy, with the singular goal of making delicious, exuberantly flavored, unpretentious food with the best ingredients. Inspired by the humble traditions of cucina povera, the frugal cooking of Italian peasants, Anya brings a forgotten pragmatism to home cooking; making use of seasonal bounty by canning and preserving fruits and vegetables, salt curing fish, simmering flavorful broths with leftover bones, and transforming tough cuts of meat into supple stews and sauces with long cooking. These building blocks become the basis for a kitchen repertoire that is inspired, thrifty, environmentally sound, and most importantly, bursting with flavor. Recipes like Red Pepper and Walnut Crema, Green Tomato and Caper Salad, Chickpea Torte, Cracked Crab with Lemon-Chile Vinaigrette, Veal Meatballs, Anise-Seed Breakfast Cookies, and Ligurian Sangria will add dimension and excitement to both weeknight meals and parties. 

We all want to be better, more intuitive, more relaxed cooks—not just for the occasional dinner party, but every day. Punctuated by essays on the author’s approach to entertaining, cooking with cast-iron, and a primer on buying and cooking steak, Home Cooked is an antidote to the chef and restaurant books that leave you no roadmap for tonight’s dinner. With Home Cooked, Anya gives you the confidence, and the recipes, to love cooking again.

My Review

I would give this book three out of five stars because I was not a big fan of this book. I found that the recipes as a whole lacked a theme to connect them at all. I also did not like the fact the many of the recipes required the reader to make one or two other recipes for the recipe. I found that very confusing and it caused me to miss out on getting all the needed items for the recipe when I was shopping. Nothing about this book was awful, but there was no spark to it. There was nothing special that made it  better than other cookbooks. I was provided with a free copy of this book for only my honest review.

Canidate for Murder

How Bloody Is Your Mystery? How Much Violence is Too Much

By Lauren Carr

Is your book suitable for twelve year old?

A few years ago, I had written a play, which was performed at a local dinner theater. Of course, my books were on sale at the theater, and I was thrilled to be asked to sign copies for members of the audience.

At one point, a woman asked me to sign It’s Murder, My Son for her granddaughter. “Is it suitable for a twelve year old?”

“Why of course,” I replied without hesitation and signed away.

Moments later, a friend who had been standing nearby chewed me out. My books, she asserted, are not suitable for twelve year olds. They include murder in them.

Gee, I thought, the grandmother had to already know the book had a murder in it. First Clue: It’s Murder, My Son

I’m not the person to ask if a murder mystery is suitable for a twelve-year-old. My mother read Perry Mason to me at bedtime before I was even old enough to read. I was reading Earl Stanley Gardner and Agatha Christie by the time I was ten years old.

When asked about if my books are suitable for twelve-year-olds, I scan the contents in my mind:

ü  Sex? Yes, there is premarital sex, but it all happens behind closed doors. What happens behind the closed door is left up to the reader’s imagination.

ü  Violence: Yes, people are killed. They are murder mysteries. But I don’t have body parts and blood flying all over the place.

ü  Swearing: Not unless it is suitable to that particular character. None of my main characters use foul language.

I have determined that my books are clean, and several reviewers have done so as well.

Selecting a murder mystery for a twelve year old is a difficult task.

First, we need to look at the twelve year old in question. How sophisticated is this pre-teenager? The daughter of the friend who chastised me out has a very sheltered life. However, I know other twelve year olds who have read all of the Fifty Shades of Grey books. Does the child in question watch CSI on television, or is she still into The Big Red Dog on PBS? That’s something the author at a book event can’t answer.

A parent can’t simply go by the genre tag of “Mystery.” Beneath the genre of mystery, there is a whole breakdown of sub-genres, too many for me to post here. So, whether it be for a pre-teenager or yourself if you are squeamish about gore and violence— when looking for a mystery you need to look closely at the book and the sub-genre it falls under.

When considering what type of murder mystery is suitable for a pre-teenager, I suggest looking at the book’s focus.

Is the plotline focused on the murder or the mystery of solving the murder?

I have found that some mystery sub-genres focus on the puzzle of solving the murder. Authors of these books seek to challenge their readers to solve the murder before the killer is revealed. Not only does the protagonist need to solve the puzzle to catch the killer, but they are also challenged in catching the killer in such a way that the evidence will stand up court and the killer doesn’t walk away.  

Cozies are almost always a safe bet. The general rule for a cozy mystery: Amateur Investigator and murder happens off-stage. Among the cozies, you can find further sub-categories, which have become sub-genres of their own: bumbling detective, furry detective (I guess Gnarly can be called a furry detective), culinary detective, and hobby mysteries. If the twelve-year-old has a particular hobby, most likely you can find a cozy mystery in that area. There are tons of other murder mysteries under this subgenre.

Other mystery sub-genres focus on the murder itself. In an effort to thrill their readers, authors will push the envelope with graphic murders, which will happen “on-stage”. They will contain scenes of torture or rape. Many times, these mysteries will also contain graphic sex, which may also happen “on-stage” and foul language. Like amusement parks constantly coming out with the next biggest baddest roller coaster to outdo their last one, authors of these types of mysteries are challenged with each book to make it more suspenseful and sensational than the last one. Generally, many mysteries that fit into this category will be stalker, serial killer books, and police procedurals. These graphic murder mysteries will be bloody and violent—not suitable for twelve year olds, in my opinion.

Notice, I said generally.  

The wave of authors publishing independently of commercial publishers has freed mystery writers from writing inside a box forcing them to stick to the rules of genres and sub-genres. For example, I have had reviewers refer to my books as “gritty cozies”. Because some murders do happen on-stage, they are grittier.  However, I make an effort to make these murders quick and “polite”.

How do you pick a mystery for a twelve-year old?

ü  Think about the child in question. Find out what he or she is reading now.  If she’s reading Fifty Shades of Grey, then anything goes and you have nothing to worry about (literature-wise, that is).

ü  Take a look at the book you are considering. Read the book description and study the cover. These are both good indicators for the tone for the book. Does it have a fluffy dog on the cover? Or does it have a comical tone? If so, it’s probably a cozy, which is safe.

ü  Visit the author’s website. Websites tell a lot about the author and their books. That’s their purpose. Often, you can download sample chapters from the author’s website for free. There is no better way to know if the book is suitable than to read part of it yourself.

I guess this also begs another question, which the friend who chewed me out was actually suggesting: Are murder mysteries suitable for twelve year olds? Well, the only way I can answer that is by pointing out that I was readying murder mysteries when I was twelve and I turned out okay. … I think. … Depends on who you ask.

Book Description:

It’s election time in Spencer, Maryland, and the race for mayor is not a pretty one. In recent years, the small resort town has become divided between the local year-round residents who have enjoyed their rural way of life and the city dwellers moving into their mansions, taking over the town council, and proceeding to turn Deep Creek Lake into a closed gate community—complete with a host of regulations for everything from speed limits to clothes lines.

When the political parties force-feed two unsavory mayoral nominees on the town residents, Police Chief David O’Callaghan decides to make a statement—by nominating Gnarly, Mac Faraday’s German shepherd, to run as mayor of Spencer!

What starts out as a joke turns into a disaster when overnight Gnarly becomes the front runner—at which point his political enemies take a page straight out of Politics 101. What do you do when you’re behind in a race? Dig up dirt on the front runner, of course.

Seemingly, someone is not content to rest with simply embarrassing the front runner by publicizing his dishonorable discharge from the United States Army, but to throw in a murder for good measure. With murder on the ballot, Mac Faraday and the gang—including old friends from past cases—dive in to clear Gnarly’s name, catch a killer, and save Spencer!

Author's Bio:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries. The twelfth installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series, Candidate for Murder will be released June 2016.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real Gnarly) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with Lauren: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook

Tour Schedule:

June 20 - Working Mommy Journal - book spotlight / giveaway

June 20 - My Journey Back - book spotlight / guest post

June 20 - Books for Books - book spotlight / guest post

June 21 - Christy's Cozy Corners - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

June 21 - fuonlyknew - book spotlight / giveaway

June 22 - Book Crazy Scrapbook Mama - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

June 22 - Book Reviews Nature Photos - book spotlight / author interview

June 23 - Writers and Authors - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

June 23 - Rockin' Book Reviews - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

June 24 - Thoughts in Progress - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

June 24 - bookmyopia - book spotlight / guest post

June 27 - The Travelogue of a Book Addict - book spotlight / giveaway

June 27 - Nighttime Reading Center - book spotlight

June 28 - Stranded in Chaos - book spotlight / giveaway

June 29 - Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin' - book spotlight

June 29 - The Autistic Gamer - book spotlight

June 30 - Katie's Clean Book Collection - book spotlight / giveaway

June 30 - Tea and A Book - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

July 1 -     Brooke Blogs - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

July 1 -     Cheryl's Book Nook - book spotlight / giveaway

July 4 -     Ali - The Dragon Slayer - book spotlight / giveaway

July 4 -     Book and Ink - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

July 5 -     New Horizon Reviews - book spotlight / author interview

July 6 -     Jaquo Lifestyle Magazine - book spotlight / guest post

July 6 -     Library of Clean Reads - book spotlight / giveaway

July 7 -     T's Stuff - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

July 8 -     Words And Peace - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

July 11 -   StoreyBook Reviews - book spotlight / giveaway

July 12 -   Carole's Book Corner - book spotlight / giveaway

July 13 -   Cassidy Salem Reads & Writes - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

July 14 -   Christa Reads and Writes - book spotlight

July 15 -   Bound 2 Escape - book spotlight

July 18 -   #redhead.with.book - book spotlight / giveaway

July 18 -   Puddletown Reviews - book spotlight

July 19 -   100 Pages A Day - book spotlight / giveaway

July 19 -   A Mama's Corner of the World - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

July 20 -   Mystery Suspense Reviews - book spotlight / guest post

July 21 -   Heidi's Wanderings - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

July 22 -   3 Partners in Shopping - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

July 25 -   Celticlady's Reviews - book spotlight / giveaway

July 26 -   A Soccer Mom's Book Blog - book spotlight / giveaway

July 27 -   Reading Authors - book spotlight / giveaway

July 28 -   Deal Sharing Aunt - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

July 29 -   Jessica Cassidy - book spotlight / author interview

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