Laurel Dewey Virtual Blog Stop With Giveaway

Detective Jane Perry is on the case.  In Promissory Payback she is investigating the gruesome death of a woman with not many friends and a whole lot of enemies.  "Karma is a bitch" is very true in this case.

Unrevealed contains 4 short Jane Perry stories.

ANONYMOUS: One of Jane's first AA meetings leads her to an encounter with a woman in need of her detection skills...and a secret she never expected to uncover.

YOU CAN'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER: Forced by her boss to speak at a high school career day, Jane meets a troubled boy and finds that his story is only the beginning of a much more revealing tale.

YOU'RE ONLY AS SICK AS YOUR SECRETS: An early-morning homicide call introduces Jane to a mystery as layered as it is unsuspected.

THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM: Jane finds herself sharing a 2:00 am conversation at a downtown bar with an old acquaintance. Will the bloody night that proceeded this moment complicate Jane's intentions?

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed these stories. Don't let the small number of pages fool you.  These are well written short mysteries that still pack a punch with sharp dialogue, a gritty leading lady and plots that play out a break neck speed. They are the perfect quick reads to get your mystery fix.  There are even more Jane Dewey novels/novelettes to enjoy and the author will be starting a new series next year with a whole new star. Keep your eye on this author!!

Check out her Web Page for more information on this author and her stories.

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I am offering my gently read copies for giveaway!!

Just fill out the form below!

U.S. & Canadian Residents 

Followers will receive 2 Bonus Entries!!

Contest Ends October 20th at 11:59 p.m. CST

Winner will be chosen using Random.org

Partners In Crime Book Tour - When No One Is Watching by Joseph Hayes

Back in March I read and reviewed When No One Is Watching, today he is on a Virtual Blog Tour and has stopped here to answer a few questions.

Here's my synopsis of the book:

Blair Van Howe and Danny Moran are lawyers celebrating a huge court victory for a big corporate client.  Heck, the were even given a nice crystal award by their clients.  Blair is especially excited as he is leaving the law firm to run for Congress. Unfortunately, both men celebrated a little too much and Blair gets behind the wheel of Danny's Porsche Turbo 911 while Danny passes out in the passenger seat. What better way to celebrate than taking a thrilling ride in a supreme car, until his reckless driving forces another vehicle off the road and into a tree. 

Van Howe panics, this will surely be the end of his political and legal careers, so he decides to save himself at the cost of his best friend. He drags Danny Moran to the driver's seat and uses Danny's phone to call 911. The detective assigned to the case knows there's more to the case and tracks it like a dog searching for a bone. He is surprised when he is ordered off the case.  

How far will one man really go to follow his dream and destroy the dreams of another?

My Thoughts

This story is not what I would call a suspenseful thriller because the reader knows the true story.  It is more about how greed and power effect individuals in their decision making and inspirational in the way a person handles the life he has been dealt both my themselves and others.  Who really had the better life, the man keeping the secrets or the man facing what he believes are his responsibilities?


This book is very well written for a first book.  The whole story is well developed and paced perfectly to keep those pages turning.  It also shines the light on the consequences of driving drunk and highlights the first step is admitting you have a problem, though it is sad that someone has to die to wake the characters up, it is very realistic. I highly recommend this book and hope to see more from this author in the future.

Now a little bit about the author.

Joe Hayes is a native of Chicago. He grew up in a family of eight children in the Beverly neighborhood on Chicago’s Far South Side, where the Irish-Catholic heritage and influence was strong and visible. Joe attended St. Barnabas Elementary School, Brother Rice High School and De Paul University before leaving Chicago to attend law school in California, at UC Berkeley. Since graduating from Berkeley, he has practiced law in Chicago, San Diego and Houston. Joe currently serves as chief ethics officer and assistant general counsel for a large, publicly held company based in Houston, Texas, and is widely recognized as one of the foremost experts in his field.  In his professional capacity, he has written extensively about legal and ethical issues and frequently speaks about such issues before employee and industry groups. When No One is Watching is his first work of fiction. 

Joe currently resides in The Woodlands, Texas, with his wife, Susan, and their three children, Amy, Sean and Erin.

Now a little Q&A:

1.   How did growing up in a big family affect your career choices? Becoming a lawyer, and then taking the leap into writing fiction?

For the most part, I don't think that coming from a large family affected my career path. I was the second oldest of eight children, so it wasn't as if I were following a path that multiple older siblings had gone down. In fact, there really weren't any lawyers at all in our extended family. I simply decided at some point during my teenage years that I felt drawn the the legal profession, I think in part because law can be an academic pursuit in many ways and that appealed to me. 

All that said, I come from a family of avid readers and writers. Our house was absolutely full of books. My mother was a very gifted writer, although she never published anything. For her, it was just a hobby, but she was a genuine talent. Several of my sisters are also writers, so the writing bug must be somewhere in our genes! One advantage of being a writer from a large family is that I have a never-ending source of good material. My family is a colorful bunch with a lot of great stories and life experiences. Some of the scenes in my book were drawn directly from those family anecdotes. 

2.   Is transitioning for non-fiction writing of writing on legal and ethical issues difficult as to keep a reader entertained instead of just informed? I enjoyed your book and you walked the delicate line very well.

Writing fiction is very different from any of the professional writing I have done in my career. Although the craft of writing -- piecing together words in a manner that is clear, engaging and easy to read -- is not much different, the creative aspect of writing fiction was completely new to me. I had two goals in writing this book. One was to tell an engaging story and the other was to communicate some thoughts about ethics, personal responsibility and making a difference. The trick was to communicate those ideas in a way that didn't come across as preachy or forced. I have always believed that one of the keys to good communication is to be entertaining -- whether it's teaching, public speaking or writing. People like to be entertained. It keeps their attention and makes it more likely that they will hear and remember your message. So I tried to weave my messages into a compelling story that could stand on its own when read for pure entertainment value.

3.   Was it hard to write a character inspired by your father’s battles?

The main character in the book (Danny Moran) was modeled after my father. This actually made the story fairly easy to write because I would just ask myself how my Dad would act when confronted with the various situations that Danny found himself involved in. It wasn't painful in any way because my memories of my father are very positive. He quit drinking when I was fairly young, so most of what I recall are the sober years, when he was devoting himself to helping others battle their addictions. I saw him touch many lives in a positive way, which enabled me to write a story about alcoholism that was infused with a feeling of hope.

4.  Where is your next book going to take us? 

My next book is a legal thriller entitled Consequential Damages. Like my first book, my goal was to write a suspenseful page-turner that can stand on its own based on pure entertainment value. However, I also tried to include some thought-provoking concepts for readers who enjoy that. It touches on some of the weaknesses in our legal system and some of the far-reaching consequences that can occur when the system doesn't function as it should.

5.   Will you continue to write legal thrillers? I would think your family could inspire a wealth of story ideas that would cover the gambit of writing genres.

I don't have a third book in mind yet, although I definitely plan to keep writing. I am inclined to write something other than a legal thriller so that I can continue to grow and develop as a writer. Fortunately, I have a lot of great material to work with as a result of a very busy and interesting life and family and I don't think I'll ever run out of ideas for the next story!

I am so glad I had the opportunity to learn more about this author and be a part of his Book Tour.  I enjoyed When No One Is Watching and can't wait to read Consequential Damages. I will also be looking forward to future titles!  Thank you Joseph for taking a little time out so we could get to know you better.  

If you want to learn even more about Joseph and his work be sure to check out his his web page.

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Partners In Crime Tours

THE SHEPHERD by Ethan Cross Virtual Blog Stop

Jacket Design
by Aaron Brown
Cover Image
by Mike Swope

The Fiction Studio
Available Now
ISBN-10: 9781936558063
ISBN-13: 978-1936558063

Marcus Williams is a retired New York City Homicide Detective that has left New York to move to a farmhouse in Texas that was willed to him by his aunt.  He made a choice to save others and due to that choice it was definitely time for a change.  Small town life has a great appeal.

At the same time Francis Ackerman, Jr. makes a different choice.  He chooses to inflict pain and suffering to as many people as possible and happens to arrive in Texas at exactly the same time as Marcus.

They both become very unwilling pawns in a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of our government.  Marcus becomes involved in a "game" with a psychopathic serial killer and a vigilante group with unlimited resources.  He must wrestle his own demons all the while trying to stop one of the most ruthless killers in the world while trying to figure out and expose a huge political conspiracy.

Hold on tight, this book is going to shake you to the core!!!

A Spellbinding, Enthralling, Mind-Bending, Riveting Thriller!!!! Look out James Patterson, Ethan Cross is giving you some fantastic competition.  This is an excellent book but it will definitely give you nightmares and it will be a book you will be telling everyone about for a long time to come.  The best thriller I have read this year!!!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Pump Your Book.. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”  

  

About Ethan Cross

When a fireman or a policeman would come visit his school, most of his classmates’ heads would swim with aspirations of growing up and catching bad guys or saving someone from a blazing inferno. When these moments came for Ethan Cross, however, his dreams weren’t to someday be a cop or put out fires; he just wanted to write about it.

And his dream of telling stories on a grand scale has come to fruition with the release of his new book, The Shepherd.

Ethan Cross is the pen name of a thriller author living and writing in Illinois with his wife, two daughters, and two Shih Tzus.

If you haven't already rushed off to 

get your own copy, 

here is a chance to win my 

autographed gently read copy!!

James LePore Virtual Book Tour ------ A WORLD I NEVER MADE - -With Giveaway

James LePore is an attorney who has practiced law for more than two decades. He is also an accomplished photographer (his work can be seen at www.nakedeyeimages.com). He lives in South Salem, New York with his wife, artist, Karen Chandler.

A World I Never Made, his first novel, was written after extensive research into the history of Islam on the Iberian Peninsula, and travel in Europe and North Africa. Mr. LePore writes novels of suspense, driven as much by gripping stories as by strong, complex characters.  His second novel Blood Of My Brother, was released on December 25, 2010; his third, Sons and Princes, in May, 2011.

Mr. LePore is a writer of short fiction as well. His stories stand alone as dramatic works, but are also meant to illuminate the central characters in his novels. Anyone Can Die, a collection of short stories written to accompany A World I Never Made, will be released in February, 2011.

Mr. LePore is currently at work on his fourth novel, the story of a Manhattan district attorney whose son is wrongly accused of murder, which The Story Plant will publish in fall, 2011.

To find out more about James visit James LePore Fiction

Published by The Story Plant

ISBN-10: 0981608728

ISBN-13: 978-0981608723

Pat Nolan, an American man, is summoned to Paris to claim the body of his daughter Megan, who has committed suicide. The body, however, is not Megan's and it becomes instantly clear to Pat that Megan staged this, that she is in serious trouble, and that she is calling to him for help.

This sends Pat on an adventure that stretches across France and into the Czech Republic and that makes him the target of both the French police and a band of international terrorists. Joining Pat on his search is Catherine Laurence, a beautiful but tormented Paris detective who sees in Pat something she never thought she'd find--genuine passion and desperate need. As they look for Megan, they come closer to each other's souls and discover love when both had long given up on it.

Megan, a freelance journalist, is in Morocco to do research when she meets Abdel Lahani, a Saudi businessman. They begin a torrid affair, a game Megan has played often and well in her adult life. But what she discovers about Lahani puts her in the center of a different kind of game, one with rules she can barely comprehend. Because of her relationship with Lahani, Megan has made some considerable enemies. And she has put the lives of many--maybe even millions--at risk.

My favorite kind of book, one that grabs you from page one and takes you on a wild ride that doesn't let go until the last word.  It is timely, a could have been "ripped from the headlines" story.  

What a way to reconnect with a daughter you had been virtually estranged from for years.  A true testament of a parent's love and drama that shows that we would go to the ends of the earth for our children.

I can't believe this is the author's debut novel. The book is written brilliantly, well researched, with a fully developed plot and characters that draw us into their lives through their pain, struggles, conflicts and love. It is a riveting thriller that you will find impossible to put down.  I look forward to Mr. LePore's other works.  He has set the bar high with this debut but I think we will be enjoying his work for years to come.  

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Pump Up Your Book Virtual Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”

DEAD RECKONING by Caitlin Rother Virtual Blog Tour

Pinnacle True Crime

Non-Fiction

Case seen on

Dateline, 48 Hours and 20/20

ISBN-10: 0786022175

ISBN-13: 978-0786022175

Tom and Jackie Hawks were living their dream, retired living on their boat, aptly named Well Deserved, sailing around Southern California and Mexico.

They had started to think about selling their boat when Skylar Deleon and his pregnant wife Jennifer offered cash to purchase the yacht.  But the trial voyage was a total nightmare.  Tom and Jackie pleaded for their lives as Skylar forced them to not only sign over the boat to him, but their home and bank accounts as well.  Believing if they did what he asked their lives would be spared, but before the ink was even dry, the couple was duck taped together, had the ship's heavy anchor tied around them and where thrown overboard - ALIVE!!!


This is just the first part of this tragic story.  While on work furlough from jail Deleon kills another man and orders hits on 4 other people from prison, including a hit on his own father, who granted was not the best father in the world.  The devotion shown to him my his wife is cult-like as is the effect he has on others he convinces to work with him.


Rother takes us step-by-step through the case, from Skylar Deleon's past to evidence and interviews with Deleon through the several trials that take place and I am happy to report this criminal is sitting on death row.


This is not the type of book where my usual Rating System of little pictures is appropriate.  The is real life, not fiction, and I can't say I love this story.  It is wonderfully well researched and well written and I love the author's thoroughness as she has dealt with this horrific story.  I did not see the reports on the various television shows but do remember reading in newspapers and seeing on the news tidbits about this case, but had forgotten all about it until I found myself lost in the pages of this book.  Now these events will never leave my mind.  


There are not enough adjectives to encompass this crime, chilling, frightening, intense, etc. just doesn't cover the raw emotion I was left with after reading this book.  My feelings do not just come from the horrendous acts but from the way Rother describes, writes, handles and makes the material grab your attention and won't let go. Don't be intimidated by the page count.  Once you start this book, it will be virtually impossible to put down.  It reads just like a fiction novel and sometimes you have to stop and remind yourself, "Hey, wait a minute, this really happened!".  This book is a MUST READ for any True Crime fan, but if you are like me, a fan of the fictional thriller and suspense novels, this book should also be at the top of your Books To Read list.  You will become a fan of this author instantly!!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author by Pump Up Your Book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”

About Caitlin Rother

Caitlin Rother is the author of true crime books Dead Reckoning, Body Parts,  Twisted Triangle, and Poisoned Love, and the thriller, Naked Addiction. She is also the co-author of My Life, Deleted and Where Hope Begins, soon to be re-released as Deadly Devotion. She is now working on The Makings of a Monster, the story of the rape and murder of beloved teenagers Chelsea King and Amber Dubois.

Rother, a Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist, worked as an investigative reporter at daily newspapers for nineteen years before deciding to write books full-time. She is the founder of the San Diego Writing Women blog, and her work has been published in Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and The Daily Beast. She has appeared as a crime expert on E! Entertainment, the Oxygen Network, Investigation Discovery, Greta Van Susteren’s “On the Record,” and America at Night.” She also teaches journalism, narrative non-fiction and creative writing at UCSD Extension in San Diego. She is now working on The Makings of a Monster, the story of how John Gardner grew from a caring troubled boy into an angry man who couldn’t control his compulsions to rape and murder beloved teenagers Chelsea King and Amber Dubois.”


Be sure to visit Caitlin's web page for more information.