Friday, August 30, 2019

VBT and Giveaway: April in the Back of Beyond by p.m.terrell


April in the Back of Beyond
by p.m.terrell

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GENRE: Romantic Suspense/Ghost Story

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BOOK TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7TpMk4StYI

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BLURB:

Writer Hayley Hunter has arrived in Ireland to complete a book on Irish history. When she discovers the old carriage house she is renting is haunted, she is determined to uncover the truth behind the burned ruins of a nearby manor house and the abandoned British barracks it overlooks. With the assistance of Shay Macgregor, an Irish historian, her quest will take her to 1919 and the Irish War for Independence, exposing the murders of two young men and why their mother, April Crutchley, refuses to leave the back of beyond even in death. With a budding romance and the opportunity to begin life anew, Hayley finds her own life is now in jeopardy as she gets closer to a truth the villagers have long sought to bury.

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EXCERPT
When I heard the soft sobs, I realized I had drifted off once more and in my half-awakened state, I thought the cries were connected to my discordant dreams. I lay there with a groan on my lips not quite ready to spill out and wishing I could simply sleep peacefully before it was too late and I would be forced to arise for the long day ahead. I felt the bedcovers slip away from my bare shoulders and I fought to open my eyes.

When they finally did open, I discovered that I was completely uncovered. The bedcovers had been pulled to the foot of the bed and were shivering inches from my feet as they lay heaped into an unkempt triangle about three feet in height. I blinked once and then twice, my mind not grasping what my eyes were witnessing, for surely it must be a trick of the eyes to think the covers were still moving.

It was then that I realized the soft sobs had continued even after I had fully awakened and they were not part and parcel of my overactive dream state but they were real and they were coming from the direction of the blanket.

“You don’t understand,” came the sound of a woman’s voice, wracked with anguished sobs. “They are still here.”

“No, sweet darling,” returned a weary man’s voice that sounded so close I nearly jumped out of my skin. “They are with God now.”

“I’m telling you they are not,” the woman answered, her weeping growing more tormented. “They’ve never left. They’re still here.”

Within the space of a single heartbeat, I saw myself just a few nights ago, convinced the voices came from outside my window. Then I was pulled into the present to fight the horrifying realization that I was sharing my bed with two apparitions.

I slid my feet away from the covers in excruciatingly slow progress, afraid at any moment my movements would alert the phantoms of my presence. I tucked my feet and knees close to my torso as I came to an uneasy seated position, almost fetal in an attempt to occupy as little space as possible. 

The room had become an icebox despite the radiators and I found myself shivering almost in tandem with the blanket. I had no idea how long I sat there, curled against the headboard and pillows, watching the foot of the bed and listening to the disembodied voices that filled the air. But then something seemed to snap inside me, fully awakening me to the present time and despite my fear, despite my trepidation, I grew impatient with myself. I reached a trembling hand toward the bedcovers, intent on pulling them over me to fight the chill as well as reassure me that they were not wet.

But at the precise moment I felt the dampness under my fingers, the sobbing stopped, replaced by a gasp that was not my own. I yanked the covers to the side, determined to discover what mechanical device lay beneath. The material jerked away from me as though I was engaged in a tug-of-war and the gasp was replaced with a woman’s blood-curdling scream and a man’s shouts.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

p.m.terrell is the pen name for Patricia McClelland Terrell, the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 23 books in multiple genres, including contemporary suspense, historical suspense, computer instructional, non-fiction and children’s books.

Prior to writing full-time, she founded two computer companies in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area: McClelland Enterprises, Inc. and Continental Software Development Corporation. Among her clients were the Central Intelligence Agency, United States Secret Service, U.S. Information Agency, and Department of Defense. Her specialties were in the detection of white collar computer crimes and computer intelligence.

A full-time author since 2002, Black Swamp Mysteries was her first series, inspired by the success of Exit 22, released in 2008. Vicki’s Key was a top five finalist in the 2012 International Book Awards and 2012 USA Book Awards nominee, and The Pendulum Files was a national finalist for the Best Cover of the Year in 2014. Her second series, Ryan O’Clery Suspense, is also award-winning. The Tempest Murders (Book 1) was one of four finalists in the 2013 International Book Awards, cross-genre category. Her historical suspense, River Passage, was a 2010 Best Fiction and Drama Winner. It was determined to be so historically accurate that a copy of the book resides at the Nashville Government Metropolitan Archives in Nashville, Tennessee. Songbirds are Free is her bestselling book to date; it is inspired by the true story of Mary Neely, who was captured in 1780 by Shawnee warriors near Fort Nashborough (now Nashville, TN).

She was the co-founder of The Book ‘Em Foundation, an organization committed to raising public awareness of the correlation between high crime rates and high illiteracy rates. She was the founder of Book ‘Em North Carolina, an annual event held in the town of Lumberton, North Carolina, to raise funds to increase literacy and reduce crime and served as its chairperson and organizer for its first four years. She also served on the boards of the Friends of the Robeson County (NC) Public Library, the Robeson County (NC) Arts Council, Virginia Crime Stoppers and became the first female president of the Chesterfield County-Colonial Heights Crime Solvers in Virginia.

For more information, book trailers, excerpts and more, visit the author’s website at www.pmterrell.com.

Website: https://pmterrell.com/
Twitter: @pmterrell
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pmterrell.author/

https://www.amazon.com/April-Back-Beyond-p-m-terrell/dp/1935970461

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GIVEAWAY

p.m.terrell will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.




DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THE TOUR AND COMMENT

ON EACH STOP TO EARN MORE ENTRIES TO WIN!
August 6: The Reading Addict
August 8: Christine Young
August 12: A Writer's Life
August 14: Jessica Belmont
August 15: So Many Books
August 16: Viviana MacKade
August 20: Jazzy Book Reviews
August 22: Danita Minnis
August 26: BooksChatter
August 26: Fundinmental
August 27: Iron Canuck










My Review
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed April in the Back of Beyond. Hayley is a great character and I loved the mystery she gets involved with. I was fascinated with all of the Irish history I discovered in this book. It is not a long read and I was disappointed to see it end so soon.

 I highly recommend April in the Back of Beyond for readers who enjoy mystery, suspense and Irish history. I would love to read more like this by p.m. terrell in the future. I am giving this one five plus stars. 
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion. 




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9 comments:

  1. Goddess Fish PromotionsAugust 30, 2019 at 2:18 AM

    Thanks for hosting!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bernie WallaceAugust 30, 2019 at 3:09 AM

    Did you go to school and major in writing?

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    Replies
    1. p. m. terrellAugust 30, 2019 at 9:46 AM

      Thank you for the question, Bernie! When I was heading off to college, I was told that Literature was a dead-end (wow, did I prove them wrong!)so I studied business and IT. I had a 20+ year career in computers before I left to pursue my passion for writing.

      Delete
  3. Victoria AlexanderAugust 30, 2019 at 8:08 AM

    I've really enjoyed following the tour for April in the Back of Beyond and reading all of the great reviews and excerpts. I'm looking forward to checking it out - thanks for sharing all of the awesome posts along the way :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. p. m. terrellAugust 30, 2019 at 9:47 AM

      Thank you so much for following the tour, Victoria! I'm glad you enjoyed the excerpts and posts. I hope you enjoy the book!

      Delete
  4. Rita WrayAugust 30, 2019 at 8:38 AM

    I have enjoyed the tour. Sounds like a good book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. p. m. terrellAugust 30, 2019 at 9:47 AM

      Thank you for following the tour, Rita! I hope you enjoy the book!

      Delete
  5. James RobertAugust 30, 2019 at 9:02 AM

    Another great book to discover. Thanks so much for sharing this with us.

    ReplyDelete
  6. p. m. terrellAugust 30, 2019 at 9:44 AM

    Thank you for hosting me here today! I'm very happy you enjoyed the book, and I appreciate the review. I'll be checking back in and answering any questions anyone might have for me.

    ReplyDelete

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