Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Swords and Stars 2018

1) Read a book with Dragons in it
2) Read a book over 500 pages
3) Read an SFF novella
4) Read a first book in a series
5) Read a Science Fiction classic
6) Read a Fantasy classic
7) Read a book whose title matches the first letter of your last name
8) Read a book that has a weapon on the cover
9) Read a book that has a Spaceship on the cover
10) Read a book that has been adapted
11) Read a book with time travel in it
12) Read a book that has been on your TBR shelf for over 2 years
13) Read a book whose cover has stars in it or whose title has any variation of the word star in it
14) Read a book with magical realism in it
15) Read an SFF graphic novel
16) Read a Sequel
17) Read a diverse SFF book
18) Read a Random SFF book – your pick!
19) Read a fantasy book inspired by another story, fairytale, myth etc.
20) Read a book with a map

Reading list to come!  Signing up for this one for sure!



Science Fiction vs. Fantasy Bingo 2018


Can't wait to start this one!  Looking for my TBR now!

Follow then Clues Mystery Challenge 2018





Brought to you my My Reader's Block

There are several levels of participation:
Infraction -- six books read in a single chain of evidence
Misdemeanor -- eight books read in a single chain of evidence
Felony -- ten books read in a single chain of evidence
Capital Offense -- twelve books in a single chain of evidence 

I'm going to try for the Capital Offense!  

First Book to be Read in 2018

The Frozen Dead by Bernard Minier

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Dead Cold





We're really excited to be part of Jennifer Chase's DEAD COLD Blog Tour! 






Title:
DEAD COLD

Author: Jennifer Chase

Publisher: JEC Press

Pages: 326

Genre: Crime Thriller

What happens when one California
community has a disturbing spike in homicides? It catapults cops into a deadly
game of murder. Frozen human body parts hideously displayed at the crime scenes
offers a horrifying interpretation that only a sadistic serial killer could
design—and execute.



On the hunt for a complex serial killer, vigilante detective Emily Stone must
face her most daring case yet. Stone’s proven top-notch profiling skills and
forensic expertise may not be enough this time.



Young and ambitious, Detective Danny Starr, catches the homicide cases and
discovers that it will test everything he knows about police work and the
criminal mind. Can he handle these escalating cases or will the police
department have to call in reinforcements—the FBI.



Emily Stone’s covert team pushes with extreme urgency to unravel the grisly
clues, while keeping their identities hidden from the police. With one
last-ditch effort, Stone dangles someone she loves as bait to draw out the
killer. She then forces the killer out of their comfort zone with her partner
Rick Lopez, and with help from a longtime friend Jordan Smith. A revelation of
the serial killer’s identity leaves the team with volatile emotions that could
destroy them.



The killer continues to taunt and expertly manipulate the police, as well as
Stone’s team, and as they run out of time—they leave behind everyone and
everything—in Dead Cold.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon


ESCAPE WAS IMPOSSIBLE. TEARS STREAMED down her
face as she sat in the darkness and waited for the man to return. There was no
other choice—but to wait.
She hadn’t eaten anything in three days and had only a
limited amount of water—her strength continued to fade with every hour. With
her wrists and ankles secured with duct tape, her skin stung with pain every
time she struggled to move. At least the man had peeled the tape from her eyes
and mouth so that she could see something besides pitch-blackness.
Even if she could escape, the only way to safety was jumping
into the frigid water, but she could not swim and would drown before ever
reaching the shore.
The only thing thirteen-year-old Kayla Swanson thought about
was home. Fond memories flashed through her mind of her parents, her little
brother, and her dog Charlie. She was never going to see them again. Their
smiling faces were forever etched in Kayla’s mind, and she constantly held them
close to her heart.  
The boat rocked, and seemed to sway more violently as the
tide flooded in and out of the harbor. Kayla could hear a consistent clanking
noise above her as the boat rolled back and forth. The sound had a hypnotic
quality, and kept her mind on something else besides when the man would return
and what he would do next. 
Her lips were dry and cracked as she bordered on dehydration.
Even her tears dried on her cheeks, leaving her skin stiff and drawn. Her body
began to shake, not only from fear, but also because of the extreme exhaustion
and the constant dampness all around her.
The boat rocked more, but this time it shifted from the
opposite sides. Kayla heard soft footsteps above, which she knew wasn’t her
captor’s heavy walk. She strained her eyes in the darkness and thought she saw
a thin shadow stealthily move along the upper deck.
Was it a ghost?
Kayla remembered a television series where a team of people
hunted ghosts and they had said that ghosts could
occupy any type of space, house, property, and even a boat.
She blinked her eyes several times and hoped that she could
catch a glimpse of the ghost again. With every ounce of declining strength,
Kayla scooted her body closer to the narrow stairs leading to the upper deck.
Painfully craning her neck, she strained to see something up
in the darkness.
The dark shadowed areas played tricks on her eyes—it was
there, then it wasn’t.
She waited for several minutes.
Nothing appeared.
The only sounds she heard were the usual boat noises she had
grown accustomed to hearing. Whatever she thought she heard was gone now. It
was most likely her imagination trying to give her some hope and a few moments
break from her dire circumstances.
As she relaxed her shoulders and leaned back against the
wall, the reality of her world pressing down hard. Tears streamed down her
face. She tasted the saltiness that settled around her mouth. Her last moments
were approaching, and there was nothing she could do.





Jennifer
Chase is a multi award-winning crime fiction author and consulting
criminologist. 
Jennifer holds a bachelor
degree in police forensics and a master's degree in criminology & criminal
justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the
criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent sociopath,
providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells. In
addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal
profiling. 
She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic
Criminologists.

Her
latest book is the crime thriller, Dead
Cold
.


MY REVIEW

It's the perfect time of the year for thrillers, and this one helped bring in the season of thrills!
There are twists and turns, while not entirely unexpected it did add to the page turning ability of the book.  I would suggest starting with book one in this series because you may not get all the details of the history without the beginning. The date and time headings made for a nice timeline instead of chapter headings.  If you are in the mood for a little murder this Halloween season, It's a pretty fast read and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Pick this up!

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK







Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Fix Your Diabetes




Title:
FIX YOUR DIET FIX YOUR DIABETES
Author: Tony Hampton, MD
Publisher: Windy City Publishers
Pages: 168
Genre: Self-Help

Want to fix your diabetes?  In this book, I share with
my diabetic and borderline diabetic readers that they have the power to reverse
or prevent diabetes simply by changing their diets.  It starts with how
you think.  By removing old beliefs to new ones that better serve you, the
path to recovery from diabetes can be that simple.  Once I provide the
rationale for changing old beliefs to more productive ones, I then share with
you ways to stay motivated as you journey to a new way of eating.  You are
then given a deeper understanding of why so many people have diabetes.
 This knowledge will allow you to remove thoughts you may have had where
you blamed yourself for having diabetes.  You are then given tips on how
to maintain the motivation needed to make a successful transition to a diabetic
friendly diet.  Additional knowledge is given about the many complications
which could occur when this condition is not well controlled.  Empowered
with the understanding of why diabetes occurs and its many complications, you
will be given a case for changing how diabetes is treated.  This is done
by changing the focus of diabetes management away from the symptoms (elevated
glucose), which is how we currently manage this condition, to treating the
cause of the disease (insulin resistance).  You are then given the
rationale for increasing healthy fats in your diets while reducing starchy
carbohydrates and processed foods.  Once this is explained, examples of
foods that should be considered for smoothies, snacks, and dinner are given so
you will know how to choose foods which are best.   Finally, tips on how
to avoid being fooled by marketing labels and claims of so-called healthy foods
provide the framework by which great dietary choices can be made.  This
new approach to reversing diabetes with diet will reverse diabetes in nearly
anyone willing to make these simply lifestyle changes.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon
| Barnes
& Noble




INSULIN RESISTANCE AND HOW TO REVERSE IT

Now that you understand that Type 2 diabetes is about
insulin resistance, it’s time to rethink how you are approaching your treatment
for this condition. Most doctors and their patients focus on reducing the blood
glucose values and if they’re successful they feel they’re controlling
diabetes. But I asked myself if we were fixing the core problem or simply
treating the symptoms. After reflecting on the question, I realized the core
problem may not be elevated blood glucose levels after all. High glucose values
are simply a symptom of diabetes. So where should the focus be?

The answer is insulin resistance. By focusing on this, you
could achieve much better results, since this is essential to fixing your
diabetes. Let’s use an analogy to help think about this concept in a different
way. If I see a patient who presents with a painful throat, red and swollen
tonsils, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, and a fever, I know I likely have a
patient who needs to be treated for strep throat. In order to solve his
problem, I will need to give him an antibiotic to fight the bacteria that is
causing his symptoms. If I gave this patient Tylenol, I would only be treating
his symptoms, and would likely end up with a patient who feels better but isn’t
really cured.

This is what we are doing with our diabetes treatment. This
is also likely the reason we consider this a progressively worsening disease.
By shifting your focus, you will find a path to the solution you’ve been
searching for. Why focus on insulin resistance? Because when insulin levels are
high due to resistance, lipolysis (fat breakdown) is inhibited, sensitive
arteries throughout the body are exposed to damaging higher levels of glucose,
muscle protein synthesis is reduced, and glycogen-filled cells are converted to
fat for storage.

Dr. Tony Hampton has been treating patients with multiple
chronic conditions for nearly two decades. In addition to his role as an
Advocate Medical Group (AMG) family physician over the last nine years, Dr.
Hampton currently holds multiple responsibilities within the Advocate
Healthcare, including Medical Director of AMG Beverly, Vice-Chair of AMG’s
Governing Council, Chair of Health Outcomes Committee and Co-Chair of Executive
Diversity Council. 

Over the last two years, Dr. Hampton has worked closely with
AOS, successfully piloting advancements in AMG’s operations management systems.
He is a champion for change that results in greater work-life balance for
physicians and an enhanced patient experience. His interpersonal skills,
clinical knowledge, and desire for strong patient/team engagement will continue
to make Tony an asset to the AOS team. 

A regular speaker for the American Diabetes Association and
consultant for the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Initiative to Improve
Diabetes Care, Dr. Hampton is passionate about empowering patients by changing
old beliefs to new ones which better serve them using evidence-based medicine.
Educating them on the root cause of disease processes and the importance of
diet provides the path to positive health outcomes for diabetics, borderline
diabetics, and patients not at their ideal body weight. 

He is a Certified Physician Executive (CPE) and earned his
MBA from the University of Phoenix.
Tony authored the book Fix
Your Diabetes, Fix Your Diet, Your Dietary Solution to Reversing Diabetes

which was published in April 2017.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK





MY REVIEW 

Having a family history of diabetes that goes back several generations, I found this book highly beneficial to read.  Even if you don't have diabetes it's still a great read to get to a manageable control of diet.  It's not a cure or even a diet, but a guide to help you in your choices and where to find more information.  I appreciated that this is written in simple language not the Dr. speak with words that normal people don't use or understand.  Learning to fix your diabetes with diet instead of drugs is always a learning curve, but Dr. Hampton helped make this journey a little more understandable.  
Recommend even if you don't have diabetes, just learning better eating habits is always a good thing!









Watch Dr. Hampton talk about fix your fear of fat in your diet:









Tuesday, September 19, 2017














Jennifer_Chase_-_Postcard_Front



Inside the Series

Title: EMILY STONE THRILLER SERIES

Author: Jennifer Chase

Publisher: JEC Press

Genre: Crime Thriller


Vigilante detective Emily Stone hunts serial killers and child
abductors, covertly and under the law enforcement radar. She uses her
fine-tuned skills of criminal profiling and forensic perceptiveness to
locate predators that cops cannot or will not find. She is trained, she
is tough, she is serious, and she gets results.



With Stone’s toughest cases yet, the killer immediately crosses her
radar and sends her into the dark territory of a serial killer’s mind—to
the point of no return.

Take your pick of any of the award-winning, stand-alone books and tag along with a serial killer hunter.

ORDER YOUR COPY:







Jennifer
Chase is a multi award-winning crime fiction author and consulting
criminologist. 
Jennifer holds a bachelor
degree in police forensics and a master's degree in criminology & criminal
justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the
criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent sociopath,
providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells. In
addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal
profiling. 
She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic
Criminologists.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK










Tuesday, September 12, 2017


Title:  Best Day Ever
Author:  Kaira Rouda
Available:  Sept 19, 2017
Publisher:  Graydon House
Source:  Netgalley

Rating:  4 stars


Synopsis:
“I glance at my wife as she climbs into the passenger seat, and I am bursting with confidence. Today will be everything I’ve promised her…and more…”

Paul Strom has the perfect life: a glittering career as an advertising executive, a beautiful wife, two healthy boys and a big house in a wealthy suburb. And he’s the perfect husband: breadwinner, protector, provider. That’s why he’s planned a romantic weekend for his wife, Mia, at their lake house, just the two of them. And he's promised today will be the best day ever.

But as Paul and Mia drive out of the city and toward the countryside, a spike of tension begins to wedge itself between them and doubts start to arise. How much do they trust each other? And how perfect is their marriage, or any marriage, really? 

Forcing us to ask ourselves just how well we know those who are closest to us, Best Day Ever crackles with dark energy, spinning ever tighter toward its shocking conclusion. In the bestselling, page-turning vein of The Couple Next Door and The Dinner, Kaira Rouda weaves a gripping, tautly suspenseful tale of deception and betrayal dark enough to destroy a marriage…or a life.





Review: 

This book had me flipping pages and yelling at the narrator. I knew what was happening and I hated Paul and his narcissistic attitude, but I couldn't stop reading. I was in, hook, line and sinker until the end. The surprises in the book out weighed the stuff I was easily able to figure out. It was suspenseful, thrillerly, a tad bit scary and overall a good read. It read fast and kept me on the edge! Well done Ms. Rouda.

Thursday, September 7, 2017

THRILLER THURSDAYS

Title:  Lies She Told
Author: 
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Source:  Netgalley
Available:  September 12, 2017
Genre:  Psychological Thriller
Rating:  3 stars

Synopsis:
Sometimes the truth is darker than fiction.

Liza Jones has thirty days to write the thriller that could put her back on the bestseller list. In the meantime, she’s struggling to start a family with her husband, who is distracted by the disappearance of his best friend, Nick. With stresses weighing down in both her professional and her personal life, Liza escapes into writing her latest heroine.

Beth is a new mother who suspects her husband is cheating on her while she’s home alone providing for their newborn. Angry and betrayed, Beth sets out to catch him in the act and make him pay for shattering the illusion of their perfect life. But before she realizes it, she’s tossing the body of her husband’s mistress into the river.

Then the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur. Nick’s body is dragged from the Hudson and Liza’s husband is arrested for his murder. Before her deadline is up, Liza will have to face up to the truths about the people around her, including herself. If she doesn’t, the end of her heroine’s story could be the end of her own.

Review:
This book has a lot of ups and downs that keep the page turning and the back and forth between the 'fictional character' and the main character was an interesting concept.  I've never read a book done like that before and it did take me awhile to catch on what was going on.  This has the potential to become a great movie if the movie gods so see fit.  If you are looking for a suspense filled book, pick this one up, the stories will have you involved before you know it.  The ending could have been a little more dramatic but it did bring a closure to the book as most psych thrillers leave you hanging.  Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to review this in exchange for a free copy.  

Monday, September 4, 2017












Title: Sleep Like the Dead
Author: Alex Gray (A DCI Lorimer Novel)
Publisher: Witness Impulse
Publication Date: September 12, 2017
Genres: Mystery/Suspense

Touring: September 4 - September 29




There’s a hitman in Glasgow: unpaid and angry, he’s decided to settle his own debts…



Marianne Brogan can’t sleep. She’s plagued by a nightmare: someone in the shadows, whispering threats, stalking her every move. To make matters worse, Marianne can’t get hold of her brother, Billy. Despite knowing some shady characters from Glasgow’s underworld, Billy’s always been there for her – until now.



Meanwhile, DCI Lorimer and his team are faced with a string of seemingly unconnected but professional killings. Without witnesses or much conclusive evidence to build a case, the officers are drawing a blank. Criminal psychologist Solly Brightman is off the case due to budget cuts. But Solly is more closely connected to the murders than he could possibly know . . . And as the hitman plans a bloody ransom to get his fee, the race is on to find out just who hired him – and who’s next on the hit list.










Detective Chief Inspector William Lorimer felt the swish of the plastic tape behind him as he entered the crime scene. He glanced at the house, one eyebrow raised in slight surprise. It was such an ordinary two-up, two-down mid-terrace, a modest suburban home, like thousands of others in and around this city in a district not particularly known for a high rate of crime. And certainly not for ones like this. But impressions could be deceptive, that was something he’d learned long ago, and as the Chief Inspector took another look around him his mouth became a hard thin line: scratch the surface of any neighbourhood and the veneer of respectability could expose all manner of human depravity.

The entire garden was cordoned off and a uniformed officer stood guard at the front gate, his eyes shifting only momentarily to the DCI. Lorimer turned to look behind him. Across the street a huddle of people stood, clearly undeterred by the driving rain, their curiosity or compassion binding them in a pool of silent anticipation. Three police vehicles lined the pavement, a clear sign of the gravity of the situation.

The incident had occurred sometime during the night yet the bright glare from a sun struggling to emerge from layers of cloud made a mockery of the situation. This was an ordinary Monday morning where nothing like this should be happening. He could hear the hum of motorway traffic several streets away as people headed to work, oblivious to the little drama that was about to unfold. A bit in tomorrow’s newspaper would command their attention for a few moments, perhaps, then they would dismiss it as someone else’s tragedy and continue about their business, glad that it didn’t impinge upon their own lives.

His business lay ahead, behind that white tent erected outside the doorway, keeping the scene free from prying eyes. Lorimer nodded, satisfied to see it in place. At least one journalist might be among that knot of watchers over the road, he thought wryly. Closing the gate behind him he ventured up the path then stopped. Someone had been violently sick out here, the traces of vomit splashed over a clump of foliage not yet washed away by earlier torrential rain. Whatever lay inside had been shocking enough to make one person’s stomach heave.

With a word to the duty officer the DCI let himself into the house, his gloved hands closing the door carefully behind him. The body lay spreadeagled on the hall carpet, the gunshot wound clearly visible in the artificial light. He was clad in thin summer pyjamas, the shirt open revealing his bare chest. Any traces in the immediate area would assist the scene of crime officers in learning a little more about the victim’s end, as would the bullet lodged within his head. For Lorimer, the story was one that seemed sadly familiar; a gangland shooting, maybe drug related. The single shot to the temple indicated a professional hit man at any rate, he thought, hunkering down beside the body.

‘What can you tell me?’ he asked, looking up at Detective Sergeant Ramsay, the crime scene manager, who hadarrived before him.

‘Well, so far as we can make out there was no call from neighbours about hearing a weapon being discharged.’ The officer shrugged as if to say that didn’t mean much at this stage. To many people, having a quiet life was preferable to giving evidence in a criminal trial.

‘The killer’s weapon may have been fitted with a silencer, of course,’ Ramsay continued, ‘or the neighbours on either side could just be heavy sleepers. We haven’t found a cartridge case, by the way,’ he added.

‘So who called it in?’ Lorimer wanted to know. ‘Colleague of the victim, sir. Was coming to give him a lift to work. Didn’t get an answer to the doorbell so he looked through the letterbox, saw the body . . . ’

‘ . . . And dialled 999,’ Lorimer finished for him.

‘Suppose that was the same person who was sick outside?’ Ramsay nodded. ‘Poor guy’s still shivering out there in the patrol car. Had to wrap a blanket around his shoulders. He’s been trying to give us what information he can.’

‘Okay. What do we know so far?’ Lorimer asked, looking at the dead man, wondering what his story had been, how he had been brought to this untimely end. The victim was a man about his own age, perhaps younger, he thought, noting the mid-brown hair devoid of any flecks of grey. For a moment Lorimer wanted to place his fingers upon the man’s head, stroke it gently as if to express the pity that he felt. No matter what his history, nobody deserved to die like this.

‘Kenneth Scott,’ the DS told him. ‘Thirty-seven. Lived alone. Divorced. No children. Parents both dead. We haven’t managed to get a lot else out of the colleague yet,’ he added, jerking his head in the direction of the street.

‘Too shocked to say much when we arrived. After he’d seen his pal.’ Lorimer continued to focus upon the dead man on the floor.

The victim’s eyes were still wide with surprise, the mouth open as if to register a sudden protest, but it was not an expression of terror.

‘It must have happened too quickly for him to have realised what was happening,’ Lorimer murmured almost to himself. ‘Or had he known his assailant?’

‘There was no forced entry, sir, but that might not mean all that much.’ The DCI nodded a brief agreement. Men were less likely to worry about opening their doors to strangers, if indeed this had been a stranger. And a strong-armed assassin would have been in and out of there in seconds, one quick shot and away. Lorimer sat back on his heels, thinking hard. They would have to find out about the man’s background as a priority, as well as notifying his next of kin. The pal outside had given some information. They’d be checking all that out, of course.

‘What about his work background?’ Lorimer asked.

‘They were in IT, the guy out there told us, shared lifts to a call centre on a regular basis.’ Lorimer stood up as the door opened again to admit a small figure dressed, like himself, in the regulation white boiler suit. His face creased into a grin as he recognized the consultant forensic pathologist. Despite her advanced state of pregnancy, Dr Rosie Fergusson was still attending crime scenes on a regular basis.

‘Still managing not to throw up?’ he asked mischievously.

‘Give over, Lorimer,’ the woman replied, elbowing her way past him, ‘I’m way past that stage now, you know,’ she protested, patting her burgeoning belly. ‘Into my third trimester.’

‘Right, what have we here?’ she asked, bending down slowly and opening her kitbag. Her tone, Lorimer noticed, was immediately softer as she regarded the victim. It was something they had in common, that unspoken compassion that made them accord a certain dignity towards a dead person. Lorimer heard

Rosie sigh as her glance fell on the victim’s bare feet; clad only in his nightwear that somehow made him seem all the more vulnerable.

‘Name’s Kenneth Scott. His mate came to collect him for work at seven this morning. Nobody heard anything last night as far as we know,’ he offered, making eye contact with Ramsay to include him in the discussion. This was a team effort and, though he was senior investigating officer, Lorimer was well aware of the value everyone placed on the scene of crime manager who would coordinate everyone’s part in the case.

‘Hm,’ Rosie murmured, her gloved hands already examining the body. ‘He’s been dead for several hours anyway,’ she said, more to herself than for Lorimer’s benefit.

‘Rigor’s just beginning to establish. May have died around two to four this morning.’ Rosie glanced up at the radiator next to the body. ‘I take it that’s been off?’

‘I suppose so,’ Lorimer answered, feeling the cold metal under the layers of surgical gloves. He shrugged. ‘It’s still officially summertime, you know.’

‘Could have fooled me,’ Rosie replied darkly, listening to the rain battering down once again on the canvas roof of the tent outside. ‘That’s two whole weeks since July the fifteenth and it’s never let up.’ Lorimer regarded her quizzically.

‘St Swithin’s day,’ she told him. ‘Tradition has it that whatever weather happens that particular day will last for forty days. Or else it’s more of that global warming the doom merchants have been threatening us with,’ she added under her breath.

‘But this fellow’s not been warmed up any, has he?’ Lorimer said. ‘Nothing to change the time of death?’ The pathologist shook her blonde curls under the white hood. ‘No. Normal temperature in here. Wasn’t cold last night either so we can probably assume it happened in the death hours.’ Lorimer nodded silently. Two until four a.m. were regarded as the optimum times for deaths to occur, not only those inflicted by other hands. He had read somewhere that the human spirit seemed to be at its most vulnerable then. And villains seeking to do away with another mortal tended to choose that time as well.

They’d find out more after Rosie and her team had performed the actual post-mortem and forensic toxicology tests had been carried out. Until then it was part of his own job to find out what he could about the late Kenneth Scott.






Alex Gray was born and educated in Glasgow. After studying English and Philosophy at the University of Strathclyde, she worked as a visiting officer for the DHSS, a time she looks upon as postgraduate education since it proved a rich source of character studies. She then trained as a secondary school teacher of English. 

Alex began writing professionally in 1993 and had immediate success with short stories, articles and commissions for BBC radio programmes. She has been awarded the Scottish Association of Writers’ Constable and Pitlochry trophies for her crime writing. 

A regular on the Scottish bestseller lists, her previous novels include Five Ways to Kill a Man, Glasgow Kiss, Pitch Black, The Riverman, Never Somewhere Else, The Swedish Girl and Keep the Midnight Out. She is the co-founder of the international Scottish crime writing festival, Bloody Scotland, which had its inaugural year in 2012. 

Connect with her at her website: http://www.alex-gray.com or on social media







a Rafflecopter giveaway








Monday, September 4

Book reviewed at Mythical Books

Book reviewed at Good Family Reads



Tuesday, September 5

Interviewed at A Book Lover

Book featured at Christa Reads and Writes



Wednesday, September 6

Guest blogging at A Title Wave

Guest blogging at Mythical Books



Thursday, September 7

Book featured at CGB Blog Tours



Friday, September 8

Book featured at Turning Another Page

Book featured at Paulette's Papers



Monday, September 11

Book featured at T's Stuff



Tuesday, September 12

Book featured at Tome Tender



Wednesday, September 13

Book featured at The Bookworm Lodge



Thursday, September 14

Interviewed at Harmonious Publicity

Book featured at Books, Dreams, Life



Friday, September 15

Guest blogging at My Bookish Pleasures



Monday, September 18

Book featured at The Dark Phantom



Tuesday, September 19

Interviewed at The Writer's Life



Wednesday, September 20

Book featured at Comfy Chair Books



Thursday, September 21

Book featured at Confessions of an Eccentric Bookaholic



Friday, September 22

Guest blogging at The Bookworm Chronicles



Monday, September 25

Interviewed at The Literary Nook



Tuesday, September 26

Book featured at Voodoo Princess

Book reviewed at Panty Dropping Book Blog



Wednesday, September 27

Book featured at My Devotional Thoughts



Thursday, September 28

Guest blogging at Write and Take Flight



Friday, September 29

Book reviewed at I'm Shelf-ish

Book reviewed at Book Are Love



My Review:
What a great who dun it!  I love a book with lots of turns and peaks and valleys and this book delivers.  It's number 8 in the series and I think the series just keeps getting better with each book.  It isn't a hard read, but does have enough twists to keep you guessing.   Seeing other countries through the books is a favorite of mine and this book series brings Glasgow to life for me.   If looking for a new author for a mystery, I'd check this one out!






Saturday, September 2, 2017

Title:  Rabbit Hole: A Satanic Ritual Abuse Survivor's Story
Author:  David Shurter
Publisher: Consider it Creative
Available: Now
Genre: Memoir
Source: Netgalley

Synopsis:
From the nationwide satanic panic in the 1980s to local political cover-ups, shocking kidnappings, unsolved child murders, and scandalous pedophile rings, this book takes you behind the deceptive headlines and, finally, reveals what was going on in Omaha when all hell broke loose. Rich and well-connected members of Omaha's elite carried out unspeakable acts of abuse and even murder on innocent children. David Shurter was one of those sexually abused survivors forever scarred by the horrible rites performed on him by his own parents and other followers of Satan. It wasn't until he entered psychotherapy in midlife that long ignored childhood memories came to light, and when he discovered his gruesome nightmares were indeed real. This book, finally, is an expose of the surprising participants and unbelievable horrors involving murder, drugs, lavish parties, pedophiles, suspected government conspiracies, and the Omaha gay scene that cast a dark cloud of suspicion over an unsuspecting city. David Shurter takes you down the rabbit hole.

Review:
Wow, speechless.  There's the camp that thinks this is a true tale of the cover-up of the 80's and those that think there is no way this could happen.  I know something had to have happened to David, the story that is told is just so horrific for some of it not to have happened.  (trigger warning- this book has a lot of abuse and if that is troublesome for you, I'd skip this book)  Even if the abuse isn't always explicit there's enough knowledge to infer what happened.  There are some editing problems that make the book seem run on, but it's still one of those memoirs that will stick with you and be glad that there are good people in the world too.  Thanks to netgalley for the review copy.


Friday, August 18, 2017







Title:
LOCKDOWN

Author: Samie Sands

Publisher: Limitless Publishing

Pages: 232

Genre: Horror/Scifi


Leah Watton’s
practical joke has spiralled way out of control—all to impress a crush…



With a prank online video, Leah hopes to catch the attention of Jake Colton, a
cute, blond-haired, blue-eyed co-worker she’s had a crush on for months. But
instead of sending it to Jake, she manages to forward the clip to her boss—who
buys every gory second.



When mass panic ensues, Leah learns the video is more than a staged act…



The government is calling the virus AM13. As the outbreak spreads, citizens are
forced to stay indoors while they assess the gravity of the illness. Most
people are quarantined in their homes, but Leah, Jake, and Leah’s best friend
Michelle are some of the unlucky few who are stuck at work when the Lockdown
occurs.



That’s where she first encounters one of the infected…



Aside from a contaminated woman devouring one of her co-workers, Leah has
another problem. Does she do as she’s ordered and stay at work? Or should she
disobey government orders and break free to reunite with her family?



She can’t go it alone—after all, Leah has none of the skills needed to
survive—but with Michelle and Jake by her side, not even a contagious virus and
a sea of the dead can keep her from…



Breaking out of the Lockdown…

Order your copy
at Amazon.
 
He’s disgusting. I’ve never seen one this close
before, heading towards me with such vigour. I’ve always done my best to avert
my eyes from the infected, but now time seems to freeze as I can’t drag my gaze
away. What I thought was him shuffling, was actually him dragging his broken,
bloodied leg behind him. This wound is so deep I can see bone poking through. I
can’t help but retch.

The bite on his shoulder is absolutely huge and
rancid—all blackened from the infection. His arm is hanging down by his side,
completely useless. He’ll never be able to move that again, no matter what
happens. His face is also in a terrible state. His skin is a deep grey, much
murkier than the others I’ve seen. He must have been infected for a very long
time. The bags under his eyes droop incredibly low, causing his face to look
deformed. The blood running down his skin, staining all his clothes, looks
really old. Scratch marks cover his torso; he looks as if he’s been brutally
beaten in some awful fight. I would never
have thought someone could survive these injuries, they’re just so severe.
People have died over much less, and yet here he is, still moving towards us,
baring his teeth, ready and waiting to eat.
Jake pulls me hard and I stumble backwards, tripping
over a box. I hit the ground hard and suddenly find myself unable to move, as
if I’m physically paralysed by fear. It’s almost as if I’m having an out of
body experience, looking down at myself, screaming run. Something is
pulling me upwards, but my body is too sluggish to comply. It just won’t do
what I want it to, I’m too panicked. Now I understand how Tim was feeling when
he was attacked and unable to scale the fence. Limp and useless. I know an
assault is imminent, but I can’t do anything to stop it. I’m utterly screwed,
and I’m just sitting here, waiting for it to happen.
I’m shaking, sobs rising up in my chest. I’m going to
die if I don’t get up now, so why can’t I? All I need to do is make my way over
to the door, but it feels a million miles away. I don’t even know where Jake
is. I can hear him hissing at me, encouraging me to move, but I can’t see him
anywhere. He might have even made it outside already. If so, he should probably
run before he has to witness my death.
Thud. The
loud noise shocks me into looking up. Thud.
There it is again. This time it’s following by a sloshing sound, like a wet mop
hitting the ground. I need to locate the source of the noise. I need to know
what’s happening, how long I have left. Can I escape? Can I really survive
this? My heart leaps into my dry, panicked mouth and my slick palms slide
across the ground.
It’s Jake, I can finally see him. He’s absolutely
covered in blood. His axe is discarded on the ground next to him. He’s offering
me a hand. I reach up tentatively to grab it, still trying to piece together
the scene around me.
“He’s…?”I can’t finish my sentence. I can’t vocalise
all the hundreds of questions that are swirling around in my mind.
“Yes, Leah, he’s gone. ”Jake blows out some air, as
if all the stress is seeping out of his body.
Relief floods my chest, pushing away some of the numb
sensation. I’ve never had a near death experience before, so I’m not sure how
you’re supposed to feel. We sit silent for a while, just the sounds of our heavy
breathing to keep us company. The shop owner doesn’t move again, so I can feel
myself starting to relax in his presence. I wonder what happened to him, how he
managed to get into that state, when he got bitten—all of these questions that
we’ll never get the answer to now that he’s gone forever.



Samie Sands is giving away a $25
Amazon Gift Card & an autographed copy of her book!

Terms & Conditions:
  • By entering
    the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
  • One winner
    will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Card and an
    autographed copy of her book.
  • This
    giveaway ends midnight August 31.
  • Winner will
    be contacted via email on September 1.
  • Winner has
    48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!



a Rafflecopter giveaway





About the Author

Samie Sands is the author of the AM13 Outbreak series – Lockdown, Forgotten, and Extinct. She’s also had a number of short
stories published in very successful short story anthologies.

To find out more about her and her work, check out her website at http://samiesands.com or visit her on Twitter and Facebook.



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