DAWGS: A True Story of Lost Animals and the Kids Who Rescued Them by Diane Trull with Meredith Wargo

 

Book Details:

​Book Title:  DAWGS: A True Story of Lost Animals and the Kids Who Rescued Them by Diane Trull with Meredith Wargo
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction (18+),  256 pages
Genre: Narrative Non-Fiction 
Publisher:  Citadel Press - Kensington Publishing Corp.  
Release date:  March 2020
Tour dates: Feb 6 to Feb 24, 2023
Content Rating: This non-fiction book is rated PG. There is one scene in which the shelter was broken into and several puppies were killed. The author does not go into any gory details, but this information may trigger some sensitive readers. 

Book Description:

We can all make a difference.

Elementary-school teacher Diane Trull’s life-defining moment happened when her fourth-grade reading class saw a photo of a cardboard box overflowing with homeless puppies. Her young students were determined to save these lost pups and others like them. In that moment, the Dalhart Animal Wellness Group and Sanctuary—known as DAWGS—was born.

​How Trull and her fourth graders started their own animal shelter is a story of dedication, commitment, and perseverance. Trull shares inspiring stories about animals and animal lovers of all ages in this moving story of hope and compassion. DAWGS is a testament to how love and a strong measure of determination can offer second chances—one animal, one child, and one day at a time.

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com ~  Audible
​BAM ~ B&N
Bookbub
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Authors:

Diane Trull’s lifelong passion for rescuing animals served as the catalyst for cofounding the Dalhart Animal Wellness Group and Sanctuary (DAWGS) with her husband, Mark Trull, and a group of fourth-grade students. Diane continues to teach those involved in animal rescue about the importance that compassion and community service play in making a difference in the lives of homeless animals.

Meredith Wargo

Meredith Wargo​ is an award-winning author and advocate for animals. The recipient of four Maxwell Medallions from the Dog Writers Association of America, she has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Although a native Texan, Meredith currently lives in southern Utah with her husband and a menagerie of rescued pets.

connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads ~ goodreads ~ bookbub ~ bookbub

Altered (Justin Wright Suspense Series Book 1)

 

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Inside the Book

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 Title: Altered (Justin Wright Suspense Series Book 1)
Author: Rob Kaufman
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 276
Genre: Psychological Suspense/Thriller

When Frank Devlin walks into Justin Wright’s office, the renowned New York City clinical psychiatrist decides to take on one of the most challenging cases of his career.

After their first session, it’s obvious Frank has multiple personalities (“alters”) and each one couldn’t be more different than the other. Justin must get to know each individual alter in order to discover the best route to take so that Frank can live a full and happy life. He must also delve into Frank’s past, one filled with mystery, darkness and trauma — the true causes behind his personality split.

As Justin deals with Frank’s issues, he’s also confronted with his own demons: the kidnapping of Michael, his youngest son, seven years earlier… a wife he adores, Mandy, who refuses to accept her son is gone… a constant struggle with his oldest son, Dylan, who was watching over Michael the day the boy was taken. And his problems get worse as, unbeknownst to Justin, Frank and his alters are secretly weaving themselves into his life in ways that will affect the Wright family forever.

A suspense-filled story driven by emotion, angst and the ultimate revenge, “Altered” brings readers down a twisted path of uncertainty and mind games ­— leaving them shocked, heartbroken and questioning what could possibly come next…

***
“Crazy-good plot lines and shocking information that had me gasping for breath at every turn!” – Anne F., Amazon Vine Reviewer

“It was an amazing ride with tension building throughout until the final twist ending.” – Patricia G., NetGalley Reviewer

Release Date: November 15, 2022

Soft Cover: ISBN:979-8358757523; 329 pages; $13.99; Kindle $7.99; FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BlpCjs 

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Meet the Author

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Rob Kaufman novels are known for having characters with whom people can relate, while at the same time, bringing them on a journey from which most people would crumble.

His degree in Psychology was the first step toward getting beneath the surface of the people in his life. What followed was a lifelong search for what makes people tick – what forces them to become evil when deep down they are yearning for love. Rob’s characters walk this search with him, deep into the human psyche, creating psychological thrillers from everyday events.

Rob’s books are perfect for those who enjoy thrillers but also need strong emotion to keep them deeply involved with the characters.

“All my books hit home for me,” says Rob. “There are always parts that make me laugh out loud as I write them… and many, too many, that make me cry. And the great thing is, I’m finding that many readers of my books experience the same emotions.”

Rob’s books receive both national and international praise with most reviews noting that his storylines are extremely “unique” and “sobering” and the twists and turns are “masterful”.

Website or Blog:  www.authorrobkaufman.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AuthorKaufman

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/745558.Rob_Kaufman

My Review

 Altered (Justin Wright Suspense Series Book 1) was a well-written book. I loved Justin Wright in this book. I loved the way I was kept on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what would happen next only for it to catch me by surprise each time!

Two Floors Above Grief: A Memoir of Two Families in the Unique Place We Called Home by Kevin M. O'Connor

 

Book Details:

​Book Title:  Two Floors Above Grief: A Memoir of Two Families in the Unique Place We Called Home by Kevin M. O'Connor
Category:  Adult Non-Fiction (18+),  318 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Publisher:  18th Floor Publishing
Release date:  November  2022
Formats Available for Review: print-softback (USA only), ebook (Gifted Kindle)
Tour dates: Feb 6 to Feb 24, 2023
Content Rating:  PG for two languages use and use of F-word.   

Book Description:

As a child in the 1950s, Kevin O’Connor knew his house was different than those of his friends. A stately, three-story, nineteenth century Victorian. His bed tucked next to a stage in a former ballroom. His uncle and aunt lived with their three daughters on the floor below. A large electric organ stood stately in a corner of the first-floor mortuary business. Stacked caskets and an embalming room filled the basement.

Nobody had a house like his.

​Set from the 1920s to ‘80s, Two Floors Above Grief is full of fascinating details and anecdotes about his upbringing as a funeral home child, brought to vivid life through a compelling collection of letters written by various family members who lived and worked together at the O’Connor Funeral Home in Elgin, Illinois. Blending the twenty-four-hour business of death and its constantly ringing phone with joy experienced through music, radios, pets, backyard basketball games, co-parenting, faith, and celebrations, O’Connor offers a reflective tale affirming the love of family and embracing life.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon ~ BAM
Indiebound ~ Bookshop.org
add to goodreads

Meet the Author:

Kevin O’Connor enjoys chronicling the stories of families and friends through tracing genealogical histories and writing. His prior writing includes a dissertation, personal letters, articles, anthologies, and presentations delivered at conferences, seminars, and webinars. He brings people together personally and professionally. Collaborating with friends and relatives, he plans family and class reunions.

He sings and performs in theaters and is active with SMART Ride, a bicycling group that rides annually from Miami to Key West, raising funds for HIV awareness, treatment, and education. Kevin was an elementary teacher, principal, professor, and curriculum coordinator in California, Illinois, and Florida from 1973 to 2020. He authored content and provided training in areas including support for substitute teachers, LGBTQ advocacy, and Sexual Health/Family Life.

Kevin resides in Ft. Lauderdale with his husband, Leon. Their family includes five sons and seven granddaughters.

connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ linkedin ~ goodreads 

How did I research Two Floors Above Grief?

 

Many of the stories in the book come from 700 pages of letters saved by my parents and me. I

organized 270 tabbed, dated entries in clear plastic sleeves ordered sequentially in four three-ring

notebooks. The gathered texts were handwritten or typed on materials, including stationary from

the family business, letterhead from Mom’s places of work, tablets of paper, backsides of theater

programs, typing paper, half sheets of notes sent by others, aerograms, postcards, and greeting

cards. Aunt Mildred used the notepads from the Royal Garment Company, the provider of a

selection of dresses for deceased females to wear at their “showings.” I maintain mental

snapshots of these letter writers sitting at desks and kitchen or dining room tables to reveal their

penmanship or press the keys of manual and, later, electric typewriters.

I also used newspaper accounts and articles about artifacts mentioned in the book, the house

pictured on the front cover, and aspects of history that include US Presidents, WWII, the JFK

assassination, and Vietnam War student protests.

 

Which was the hardest character to write?  The easiest?

Since Two Floors Above Grief is a memoir, I knew most of the characters well. The character

most difficult to write about was Lawrence O’Connor. I did not have as many written resources

from him that authenticated his character. The easiest character to write about was Lawrence’s

wife, Mildred O’Connor.  The letters written by her conveyed a character that was full of care

and humor. Reading her writing and translating that into her story sometimes made me laugh.

Also the information I had and experienced with her covered the years from 1950, when I was

born, until 1971, when she died.  The other main characters of the book lived much longer. I had

more material about them. Hence, what I knew about Mildred was more confined.

 

In the book, I make a reference to pigeons. How did I come up with this idea?

The book's setting is primarily a three-story Victorian house built in 1886.  Pigeons enjoyed

perching themselves on the roof lines and gutters of the house. They could be a nuisance because

they indiscreetly left their droppings on the driveway and the cars parked outside the house. My

Uncle Lawrence was protective of his property and the vehicles of those coming to the funeral

home for services. I write about Lawrence using a bb gun to shoot at the pigeons. I think the

written account provides a glimpse into Lawrence’s character.

 

What made me write a book about growing up as a child living in apartments above a

funeral home business?

I wrote the book because I have a story about growing up that, while common in some ways to

others, is different and individual.   There are other books about funeral homes and the families

that inhabit the living spaces that are part of the business. My stories are about two families and

how we wove our individual families into one. I wanted to let readers know how the

personalities of the ten individuals who lived Two Floors Above Grief wove themselves together

in cohesive, lasting relationships.

 

Where did I get inspiration for my stories?

My inspiration comes from lived experiences. When I was a child living in the funeral home

environment, I didn’t often contemplate that my arrangement was so different. It was all I knew.

As I grew older and developed friendships and relationships throughout my life, I came to a

stronger sense of appreciation for the individuality of my upbringing. I wanted to share those

stories with others.

 

There are many books about funeral homes, family relationships, and the strength of parent-to-

child bonds.  Two Floors Above Grief  is different because most funeral home family residences

are about one family.  The stories are about what it took to have two sets of parents raising

children born over a span of twenty years. The daughters of the second floor and the sons of the

third floor were cousins.  Yet, they were raised as sisters and brothers. The book explains how

that occurred. Two autonomous families worked together in such a way to create one family

from two. It took some effort.  The positive effects of the relationships continue to thrive 90

years after the oldest child's birth.

 

What advice would I give to budding writers?

Open yourself up to telling your story, whether it is a memoir based on actual events or a novel

with characters and settings that come from the imagination.  There is no limit to stories to tell. If

you want to write your story or stories, seek assistance from others who can help you get started

and carry out the writing process. Writing can be quite solitary. Yet, the camaraderie and support

of writing instructors and others who were writing their stories propelled me through my writing

drafts, editing, and publishing.  Keep writing. Keep sharing your stories. Keep open to the ideas

of others.

Standing Strong: The Real Life Story of Overcoming Adversity and Becoming Unstoppable in Life and Business by Tina Brandau

 

Book Details:
Book Title:  Standing Strong: The Real Life Story of Overcoming Adversity and Becoming Unstoppable in Life and Business by Tina Brandau
Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18+), 154 pages
Genre: Memoir / Self-Help / Inspirational
Publisher: Red Sky Publishing
​Publication Date: May 3, 2022
Formats available for review: print-softback (USA only), ebook (EPUB, PDF)
Tour dates: Feb 6 to Feb 24
Content Rating: G: no bad language no sex etc

Book Description:

Is it possible to stand strong regardless of what life throws at you?

Standing Strong is a vulnerable, candid, and dramatic look into a forty-year-old woman’s journey when she found herself in the midst of a long healing process after a sudden and unimaginable accident. The doctors said she would never again function beyond that of a young child. Tina shares the story, the steps she took, and the life lessons she learned, including the unique view of the world she experienced along the way. No one gets out of this life unscathed, everyone faces stresses, challenges, setbacks, and adversity. Can you stand strong regardless of what life throws at you? Yes! Let Tina Brandau share with you the system, principles, and practices she used to help you see that anything is possible.

​Become unstoppable . . . and stand strong!

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon
add to goodreads

Meet the Author:

Tina Brandau is the premier life, leadership, and business “Success Coach.” She is an author, international speaker, coach, and founder of Success Coaching Solutions as well as a business executive of thirty years, wife, mom, lifelong learner, and serial entrepreneur. She believes the biggest challenge in life is to become all that you have the possibility of becoming.

For Free Tools visit www.livestandingstrong.com

connect with the author: website ~ goodreads

The Key to Circus-Mom Highway by Allyson Rice

  

Book Details:

Book Title:  The Key to Circus-Mom Highway by Allyson Rice
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+) ,  270 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Publisher: The Total Human Press
Release date:   Jn 3, 2023
Format available for review:  print-softback (USA a), e-book (EPUB, PDF, NetGalley Download)
Will send print books out:  USA
Tour dates: Jan 30 to Feb 17, 2023
Content Rating: PG-13 + M because one of the characters swears a lot, and she drops some f-bombs. Also, there are short flashback scenes that reveal the mom's history and it includes rape (not graphically depicted in the novel)

Book Description:

In an attempt to secure an unexpected inheritance—and hopefully find a few answers—two estranged sisters and their newly discovered brother embark on a comically surreal trip through the Deep South to retrace the life of the mother who abandoned them as infants.

On a Tuesday afternoon, sisters Jesse Chasen and Jennifer McMahon receive a phone call notifying them that their birth mother has died, leaving behind a significant inheritance. But in order to obtain it, they must follow a detailed road trip she designed for them to get to know her—and that includes finding a brother they never knew existed.

For the next week, this ill-assorted trio treks across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia to meet their mother’s old friends, from circus performers to a juke joint owner, each of whom delivers a shocking vignette into the life of a young mother traumatized by loss and abuse. Along the way, these three siblings—Jesse, whose fiery exterior disguises a wounded, drifting musician stuck in a rut; Jennifer, whose carefully curated family life is threatened by her husband’s infidelity; and Jack, whose enigmatic Jackie, Oh! persona in the New Orleans drag queen scene helps him escape the nightmares of Afghanistan that haunt him at night—must confront their own demons (and at least one alligator). But in chasing the truth about their real mother, they may all just find their second chance.

​This uproarious debut novel is a reminder that sometimes, the family you’d never have chosen may turn out to be exactly what you need.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
B&N ~ Kobo ~ Target ~ 
BookBub
add to goodreads

Meet the Author:

Allyson Rice is a writer, mixed media artist, and a producer with Atomic Focus Entertainment, currently splitting her time between Los Angeles, CA, and Rehoboth Beach, DE. She’s a graduate of Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication. After spending many years as an actress on stage and on television, she left acting and spent the next decade running yoga/meditation retreats, women’s retreats, and creativity retreats around the country. After that, she pivoted to focus on her own creative work. In addition to her writing and art, she’s also a photographer.

Some random bits of Allyson trivia:

1. She’s been skydiving, paragliding, bungee jumping, ziplining through a rainforest, and scuba diving with stingrays;
2. she has an extensive PEZ dispenser collection;
3. she played Connor Walsh on As the World Turns for seven years;
4. she’s been in the Oval Office at the White House after hours;
5. she’s related to the Hatfields of the infamous Hatfield/McCoy feud; and
6. her comedic rap music video “Fine, I’ll Write My Own Damn Song” won numerous awards in the film festival circuit. 

Also available from Allyson is her line of women’s coloring books (The Color of Joy, Dancing with Life, and Wonderland), and The Creative Prosperity PlayDeck, an inspirational card deck about unlocking and utilizing your creative energy in the world. They’re available on www.Allyson-Wonderland.com.

She’s currently at work on her second novel and her fourth women’s coloring book.

Also, anyone who signs up for Allyson’s periodic author newsletter on her website will be entered in a drawing to have a character in her next novel named after them, and a free book will be given away in each newsletter to a subscriber!

connect with the author: website ~ Allyson Wonderland ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ instagram ~ instagram ~ pinterest ~ goodreads ~ bookbub

Mon Feb 13: iRead Book Tours

Guest Post: The Inspiration for My Novel

URL: https://booksforbookz.blogspot.com/

When Inspiration Strikes… Follow It

It was during the first couple of months of 2016 (probably a cold, wintery Los Angeles day… you

know, in the frigid 60s) and I was re-watching an older 1980s film called After Hours. I had

always loved its mix of mostly comedy with a little bit of drama woven in. I love its premise of a

guy in NYC just trying to get home one night after unsuccessfully trying to hook up with a

woman he met earlier in the day, but obstacles keep getting in his way, and the supporting

characters are all very strange. And I thought, “I’d like to write something like that.”

That’s all I knew in the beginning–someone would be trying to get somewhere in a landscape

populated by funny characters. The similarities with After Hours end there. I have to add that

the desire to populate the book with quirky/outrageous characters was also partly inspired by

the books of Carl Hiaasen. I’ve been a huge Carl Hiaasen fan since I read Tourist Season in the

late ‘80s. His books are hilarious–my kind of humor. They lean into the humor of the world and

the people around us, taking it all up a notch. I knew that if I ever wrote a book, it would be in

that same vein. And The Key to Circus-Mom Highway definitely is.

But here’s the thing. I was already writing a novel! And it was populated with funny supporting

characters. But there was something about the “traveling from one place to another” aspect

that I couldn’t get out of my head, and that story element wasn’t part of the novel I was

currently working on. Eventually, I put that first novel aside to work on The Key to Circus-Mom

Highway.

Unlike After Hours, I wanted my protagonist to be female. And I wanted the “going-from-one-

place-to-another” to encompass a larger area than just one city but still remain completely in

the U.S. Then the process of building the storyline happened by answering one question at a

time–who, what, when, where, why, and how. People who have read it have asked me how

much of the story is true or based on actual events, and I have to say the book is mostly fiction,

though there are always details pulled from my real life. Maybe it’s a comment I once heard

someone say, and I wrote it down so I could remember it, or one character might be inspired by

a person I saw at the mall, or on the subway, or on a trip.

Speaking of trips… after I wrote the first draft, I went on the road trip that the three siblings go

on in the book. I wanted to make sure everything I had written based on research actually

worked, and I wanted to collect sensory details to make the locations come to life more fully. I

wanted your mouth to water when they order chicken and waffles with collard greens and

sweet potato hash browns, and when Westley serves them sweet tea and Brown Sugar & Corn

Meal Cookies with Peach Jam and Chopped Pecans. I wanted you to smell the decaying leaves

wet from the afternoon rain, and feel the dampness of the mist in the air when Jesse sits on the

back porch in Thibodeaux late one night listening to the frogs and insects and the hypnotic sing-

song of the whip-poor-will on the bayou.

A great many of the details in the various locations were absolutely inspired by the things I saw

and smelled and tasted on that trip through the Deep South. Also, the juke joint was inspired by

an authentic old juke joint we visited along the way. Sadly, the 99-year-old owner of the juke

joint passed away a couple of years ago. As a blues fan, I had wanted to go there for ages, so I

feel privileged to have visited it while it still existed with him running it, and love that

something in my story is an homage to what he had built and kept alive for so many decades.

Finally, speaking of the blues, the book title was inspired by the old Big Bill Broonzy song “Key

to the Highway.” The lyrics echo the journey of the young runaway mom, so it had been part of

the story from the get-go. “I’ve got the key to the highway. Billed out and bound to go. I’m

gonna leave here runnin’, cuz walkin’s much too slow…”

And whatever happened to that other novel, you ask? Well, I’m back to work on it now. So the

next time we meet on a Virtual Book Tour, it will be for that one.

Copper Waters - A New Zealand Mystery (Annalisse Series Book 4) by Marlene M. Bell

 

​​

​Book Details:

Book Title:  Copper Waters - A New Zealand Mystery (Annalisse Series Book 4) by Marlene M. Bell
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 340 pages 
Genre: Mystery-Suspense
Publisher:  Ewephoric Publishing
Release date:   October, 2022
Format available for review:  print - softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF )
Will send print books out:  USA 
Content Rating:  G. Book is for general audiences. No profanity. No graphic scenes. Crimes described briefly after-the-fact. Mild and limited romance

Book Description:

Annalisse Drury and Alec Zavos find themselves on opposing sides when an ex-lover from Alec’s past introduces him to his alleged son. With Alec distracted and their future engagement in limbo, Annalisse accepts a key to her dream cottage—situated on a picturesque sheep station on South Island, New Zealand—only this time, she travels alone.

But not long after her arrival she’s confronted by two peculiar deaths—either accidental, or the deliberate acts of a psychopath.

Local investigators are closing the cases too quickly and want Annalisse to exit the country before she reveals the town’s darkest secrets.

Will she return to Alec, or sacrifice their future together to expose it all?

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon

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Also Available for Review:

​​Book Details:

Book Title:  Stolen Obsession (Annalisse Series Book 1) by Marlene M. Bell
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 296 pages 
Genre: Mystery-Suspense
Publisher:  Ewephoric Publishing
Release date:   March 2018
Format available for review:  print - softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download)
Will send print books out:  USA 
Content Rating:  PG. Subtle romantic interludes. No profanity.

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Book Description:

People die, but legends live on.

New York antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury's best friend was murdered. The killer’s identity may be linked to her friend’s expensive missing bracelet—a 500-year-old artifact that carries an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family.

Weeks later, Annalisse sees a matching necklace at a Manhattan gallery opening. She begs the owner to destroy the cursed piece, but her pleas fall on deaf ears—despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act. Desperate, Annalisse enlists the gallery owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.

​Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his parents, feared kidnapped or even dead. When the killer changes tactics and goes after Alec behind Annalisse’s back, can her plan to rescue Alec’s mother save them all?

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon
Audible

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Book Details:

Book Title:  Spent Identity (Annalisse Series Book 2) by Marlene M. Bell
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 378 pages 
Genre: Mystery-Suspense
Publisher:  Ewephoric Publishing
Release date:   Nov 2019
Format available for review:  print - softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF), audiobook (audible download)
Will send print books out:  USA 
Content Rating:  PG-13+M. Main Character is accosted and fights an assailant in one chapter. Mild profanity.

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Book Description:

Antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury drives to her family farm in upstate New York to consult with Aunt Kate about her troubled relationship with Greek tycoon, Alec Zavos. When Annalisse arrives, she learns the beloved farm she expects to inherit is for sale.

​That same morning, they find a stranger's body decaying in the barn. Then her aunt vanishes.

In Spent Identity, Annalisse and Alec join forces for the second time. They must find the mastermind behind her aunt's abduction before Kate's health issues worsen. Was the corpse in the barn a coincidence or a warning? The clock ticks for Annalisse to find her aunt and repair what she has left with the man she loves.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon
Audible

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Book Details:

Book Title:  Scattered Legacy (Annalisse Series Book 3) by Marlene M. Bell
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 352 pages 
Genre: Mystery-Suspense
Publisher:  Ewephoric Publishing
Release date:   Oct 2021
Format available for review:  print - softback, e-book (mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF)
Will send print books out:  USA 
Content Rating:  PG+M. Brief kissing/romance. mild use of profanity like "damn." No F Bombs. Some violence and talk of an attack by villain that doesn't materialize.

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Book Description:

To outsiders, the relationship between Manhattan antiquities assessor Annalisse Drury and sports car magnate Alec Zavos must look carefree and glamorous. In reality, it’s a love affair regularly punctuated by treasure hunting, action-packed adventure, and the occasional dead body.

When Alec schedules an overseas trip to show Annalisse his mother's birthplace in Bari, Italy, he squeezes in the high-stakes business of divesting his family’s international corporation. But things go terribly wrong as murder makes its familiar reappearance in their lives – and this time it’s Alec’s disgraced former CFO who’s the main suspect.

​Accompanied by friend and detective Bill Drake, Annalisse and Alec find themselves embroiled in a behind-closed-doors conspiracy that threatens the reputation and legacy of Alec’s late father – linking him to embezzlement, extortion, and the dirty business of the Sicilian Mafia. The search for the truth sends the trio straight into riddles, secrets, and an historic set of rosary beads. Annalisse leads Alec toward a discovery that is unthinkable, and events that will change their futures forever.

Scattered Legacy is the third in Marlene M. Bell’s thrilling Annalisse series, which weaves romance, crime, and historical mystery into addictive tales to instantly captivate fans of TV show Bones or Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon

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Meet the Author:

Marlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep in beautiful East Texas with her husband, Gregg, three cats and a flock of horned Dorset sheep.

The Annalisse series has received numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity,) and FAPA— Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award for two other installments, (Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy.) Her mysteries with a touch of romance are found at marlenembell.com. She also offers the first of her children's picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! Based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.

connect with the author:  website ~ website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads

The Key to Circus-Mom Highway by Allyson Rice

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  The Key to Circus-Mom Highway by Allyson Rice
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+) ,  270 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Publisher: The Total Human Press
Release date:   Jn 3, 2023
Format available for review:  print-softback (USA a), e-book (EPUB, PDF, NetGalley Download)
Will send print books out:  USA
Tour dates: Jan 30 to Feb 17, 2023
Content Rating: PG-13 + M because one of the characters swears a lot, and she drops some f-bombs. Also, there are short flashback scenes that reveal the mom's history and it includes rape (not graphically depicted in the novel)

Book Description:

In an attempt to secure an unexpected inheritance—and hopefully find a few answers—two estranged sisters and their newly discovered brother embark on a comically surreal trip through the Deep South to retrace the life of the mother who abandoned them as infants.

On a Tuesday afternoon, sisters Jesse Chasen and Jennifer McMahon receive a phone call notifying them that their birth mother has died, leaving behind a significant inheritance. But in order to obtain it, they must follow a detailed road trip she designed for them to get to know her—and that includes finding a brother they never knew existed.

For the next week, this ill-assorted trio treks across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia to meet their mother’s old friends, from circus performers to a juke joint owner, each of whom delivers a shocking vignette into the life of a young mother traumatized by loss and abuse. Along the way, these three siblings—Jesse, whose fiery exterior disguises a wounded, drifting musician stuck in a rut; Jennifer, whose carefully curated family life is threatened by her husband’s infidelity; and Jack, whose enigmatic Jackie, Oh! persona in the New Orleans drag queen scene helps him escape the nightmares of Afghanistan that haunt him at night—must confront their own demons (and at least one alligator). But in chasing the truth about their real mother, they may all just find their second chance.

​This uproarious debut novel is a reminder that sometimes, the family you’d never have chosen may turn out to be exactly what you need.

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Meet the Author:

Allyson Rice is a writer, mixed media artist, and a producer with Atomic Focus Entertainment, currently splitting her time between Los Angeles, CA, and Rehoboth Beach, DE. She’s a graduate of Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication. After spending many years as an actress on stage and on television, she left acting and spent the next decade running yoga/meditation retreats, women’s retreats, and creativity retreats around the country. After that, she pivoted to focus on her own creative work. In addition to her writing and art, she’s also a photographer.

Some random bits of Allyson trivia:

1. She’s been skydiving, paragliding, bungee jumping, ziplining through a rainforest, and scuba diving with stingrays;
2. she has an extensive PEZ dispenser collection;
3. she played Connor Walsh on As the World Turns for seven years;
4. she’s been in the Oval Office at the White House after hours;
5. she’s related to the Hatfields of the infamous Hatfield/McCoy feud; and
6. her comedic rap music video “Fine, I’ll Write My Own Damn Song” won numerous awards in the film festival circuit. 

Also available from Allyson is her line of women’s coloring books (The Color of Joy, Dancing with Life, and Wonderland), and The Creative Prosperity PlayDeck, an inspirational card deck about unlocking and utilizing your creative energy in the world. They’re available on www.Allyson-Wonderland.com.

She’s currently at work on her second novel and her fourth women’s coloring book.

Also, anyone who signs up for Allyson’s periodic author newsletter on her website will be entered in a drawing to have a character in her next novel named after them, and a free book will be given away in each newsletter to a subscriber!

connect with the author: website ~ Allyson Wonderland ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ instagram ~ instagram ~ pinterest ~ goodreads ~ bookbub