#Spotlight & #Giveaway: The Wedding Crasher by Nikki Stern #thrillers #mysteries

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery
Published by: Ruthenia Press
Publication Date: May 8, 2019
Number of Pages: 340
ISBN: 978-0-9995487-3-8
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

Synopsis:

A brunette in a bridal gown turns up in Pickett County, Tennessee, throat slit and ring finger missing. She’s the latest victim of the Wedding Crasher, a serial killer who murders women just weeks before their weddings.

Samantha Tate is Picket County’s yoga-loving, poker-playing new sheriff, a former Nashville homicide detective who struggles with her inner demons. To catch the meticulous murderer, Sam will have to follow her instincts and ignore her worst impulses. Can she stop the Wedding Crasher before another bride-to-be dies?

Read an excerpt:

The dead woman lay in the clearing like a macabre version of Sleeping Beauty. She was dressed in a long-sleeved, high-necked ivory gown, set off by luminescent pearl drop earrings and a matching necklace that almost hid the dried blood around her throat. Her head rested on a satin pillow, her silky walnut hair spread behind her like a fan. The right hand held a bouquet of wilted flowers and rested on her chest underneath the left, absent the fourth finger. The ring finger.
Sheriff Sam Tate stood to one side of the grim tableau, arms folded, and took it all in: the victim; the tall white-haired man who knelt by the body; the deputy who walked the scene in throwaway boots, snapping pictures; the pale young man in running gear sitting on a rock, head almost to his knees; the uniformed officer who squatted beside him.
Sam had dressed in her standard uniform of pressed black slacks and a spotless white shirt. A shaft of early-morning sun bounced off the polished badge at her left breast pocket. On her right wrist, she wore a utilitarian watch. Three small studs twinkled along one earlobe, her single visible concession to a rebellious streak. She’d pulled her unruly dark locks into a tight braid. Ray-Bans shielded her green eyes, though not the line that formed between her brows.
One of the victim’s low-heeled white pumps had dropped off to reveal a slim ankle in hosiery. Stockings, not pantyhose, held up by an old-fashioned garter. Sam didn’t need to look.
He’s back, she thought, adding a curse for good measure.
***
Excerpt from The Wedding Crasher by Nikki Stern. Copyright 2019 by Nikki Stern. Reproduced with permission from Nikki Stern. All rights reserved.

Author Bio:

Nikki Stern is the author of the inspirational HOPE IN SMALL DOSES, a 2015 Eric Hoffer Montaigne Medal finalist, and the thriller THE FORMER ASSASSIN, a 2018 Kindle Book Review category finalist. Her essays are included in three anthologies and she co-authored the interactive Café Noir murder mystery series, published by Samuel French. Eight of her short stories have been published in various online journals and she was a Mark Twain Royal Nonesuch finalist for her short story “Long Away and Far Ago.” Nikki is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America.

Catch Up With Nikki Stern On:
nikkistern.com, Goodreads, & Facebook!

Enter To Win!:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Nikki Stern. There will be 2 winners of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card each. The giveaway begins on June 1, 2019 and runs through July 2, 2019. Void where prohibited.

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#Review: My Little Angel by Sherrill S. Cannon #kidsbooks

Summary:

Share a day in the life of a little girl whose tiny guardian angel named Angela sits on her shoulder to keep the child safe and guide her through the day.

Her activities include getting ready for school, crossing the street, being polite and kind to friends, learning her lessons, fastening her seatbelt while traveling, being aware of stranger-danger, praying for her pets, and reminding her constantly that she is loved.

My review:
It has been awhile since I have read and reviewed one of Sherrill Cannon's books, I am so glad I have for today. As with all her books, there are lessons to be learned that children as well as adults should get. This time the author approaches the subject of doing the right things. The "moral" compass is directed by the angel, Angela, who helps the girl take care of herself, her pets, and others.

As with all the books I have read from this author, her poetry is top notch and the illustrations that go with it always match well. Her illustrator is fantastic and she uses the same one throughout all of her books which brings a consistency and one I have come to expect.

In the back of the book she notes that she has hidden some of her previous books within the pages. She invites the reader to see if they can be found. This too is a consistency throughout her books and I enjoy (as kids would) looking for the hidden books. There are also questions to help the reader come to fully understand the theme of the book. The questions are well thought out and purposely directed. I know that this comes from the years of teaching the author did.

Once again this is a book that should be on the "must read" list. 
5 stars from me! 

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for my open and honest opinion. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle


Where to find the author:

Amazon

Facebook

Goodreads

#Spotlight and #Giveaway: A Cloud of Fraud by Linda Ferreri #thriller #mysteries

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Published by: Linda Ferreri Trustee
Publication Date: Coming Soon!
Number of Pages: 315
ISBN: 978-0-578-47624-7
Purchase Links: Amazon 

Synopsis: 

A man is shot dead in front of City Hall in Philadelphia where his family is tangled in a bitter lawsuit. One brave woman, drawn there by a work of art, finds herself following a twisted trail to the hills of Le Marche in Italy to learn why. All the while, the cloud of fraud grows thicker and darker around her. But, as C. S. Forester said, perhaps the scandal of fraud enhances the flavor.

This thrilling story grabs and holds the reader from the first chapter through unexpected twists all the way to the richly satisfying ending. Art expert Claire Bliss and police Comandante Baldo are joined and antagonized by unforgettable characters in both Philadelphia and Italy. The authenticity of Ferreri’s players and their territories give special vibrance to the novel.

Lovers of the Renaissance will be drawn in immediately by the book’s cover, a painting of Mary Magdalene by Carlo Crivelli (ca. 1480) in the Rijksmuseum. Inside the book, a great art crime story unfolds together with a gem of a murder mystery.

A Cloud of Fraud is colorful, fast-moving entertainment.

Author Bio:

Linda Ferreri is the author of several art crime novels as well as witty illustrated iBooks. She is a highly respected international art law expert who divides her time between the United States and Le Marche in Italy.

Sometimes she says her most amusing book was her first, The King of UNINI, a sophisticated little romance set in Paris.

Catch Up With Linda Ferreri On:
acloudoffraud.com , Goodreads , & Facebook !

GIVEAWAY: This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Linda Ferreri. There will be one (1) giveaway winner. One winner will receive one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on June 1, 2019 and runs through July 2, 2019. Void where prohibited. a Rafflecopter giveaway ;

#Review and #Giveaway: If You Were Me and Lived In the Mayan Empire #carolepromanbooks

Summary:
Travel through time to visit the most interesting civilizations throughout history in the first four books of her new series.Learn what kind of food you might eat in Ancient Greece, the clothes you wore in 15th century Renaissance Italy, what your name could be in Viking Europe, and what children who lived during the Han Dynasty did for fun.If You Were Me and Lived in...does for history what her other award-winning series did for culture.So get on-board this time-travel machine and discover the world through the eyes of a young person just like you.

My review:
Having read the author's original series for younger children, this series, updated for older elementary children, is delightful.

I have always been fascinated with Mayan culture. Their buildings and environments are amazing as well as perplexing. Carole Roman breaks it down for children in this book. Many things are to be learned along the way including the Mayan's expertise in mathematics. Did you know they introduced the concept of zero or nothing? Neither did I!

As with the original series, she describes what boys and girls may be named but the book goes further to explain the rolls that each played in society and how one was born in to a particular role. She plops you, the reader, right in the middle of their civilization to learn and grow with them.

Larger words are spelled out and pronounced in the text as well in a back-book glossary. This has been a staple of the author's books and works well.

As a reader and reviewer of this book, I do want to note that the Mayan's did do things that we in the 21st century would find horrifying. These things are noted throughout the book and the author does not gloss over them.  I thought that was important in illustrating a full picture of what life was like then and the author giving real information. Kudos!

Finally, I want to address the illustrations in the book. They were truly top notch. The illustrator did match some real-life pictures with ancient culture. By doing so, it seemed all too real, which of course, was the intention. The illustrator used bold colors and I believe correct coloring of the people. She did not try to mask clothing styles which I believe also leads to the truthfulness of the Mayan people that Carole P. Roman was betraying.

Well done book and deserves the 5 stars I am giving it. Don't take my word for it though, this book has won numerous awards which can be seen on the cover.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for free to review. The opinions expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle

Where to find the author:

Amazon
Goodreads

Giveaway:
I am giving away a print copy of this book to one of my readers. I am responsible for the giveaway. The giveaway begins on 6/14/19 and ends midnight 6/28/19. It is open to U.S. residents only.
The winner will be notified by email and must respond within 48 hours or an alternate winner will be drawn at random by rafflecopter.  If you take an entry you must keep it throughout the duration of the giveaway. All entries will be verified.



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