Blog Tour and Giveaway: The Nutcracker Conspiracy by Lauren Carr

"Steps up several levels into an exciting category all its own. It's thriller, cold case, mystery suspense, and police procedural, all rolled into one exciting novel. Set amidst the political drama that comes with Washington DC and the Pentagon, a current multiple murder becomes a search years in the past. With a young, hot lieutenant assigned to NCIS, and his beautiful new wife, you have all the makings of a bestseller.  Nicely done, Ms. Carr!" - Review by Merry Citarella, Mystery Suspense Reviews

 

The Latest Best-Selling Thorny Rose Mystery Available Now!

Get Your Copy Today!

Join us for this tour from Jan 20 to Feb 28, 2020!

Book Details:

Book Title:  The Nutcracker Conspiracy (A Thorny Rose Mystery #4) by Lauren Carr
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  388 pages
Genre:  Mystery
Publisher:  Acorn Book Services
Release date:   January 30, 2020
Content Rating:  PG-13 (Lauren Carr's books are murder mysteries, so there are murders involved. Occasionally, a murder will happen on stage. There is sexual content, but always behind closed doors. Some mild swearing (a hell or a damn few and far between). No F-bombs!

Book Description:

Three years ago, the nation gasped in horror when the President of the United States barely escaped an assassination attempt that left two dead—the vice president’s wife and the attempted assassin.  Even after numerous investigations proved otherwise, conspiracy theorists argue that the assassin was acting on orders from the CIA, FBI, and every federal agency within a hundred miles of the capital.

Aspiring Author Dean Conway is the last person Lieutenant Commander Murphy Thornton wants to spend his Saturday afternoon when they end up at the same wedding reception table. While their wives tend to bridesmaid duties, Murphy is trapped listening to Dean’s latest work-in-project—completing the manuscript of an investigative journalist who’d disappeared months earlier.

“She was number twelve,” Dean says.

“Twelve?” Murphy asks.

“Twelve witnesses connected to or investigating The Nutcracker shooting have died either in an accident or suicide.”

Two days later, Dean dies suddenly―but not before sending a text message to Murphy:

 “13”

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Check Out These Other Thorny Rose Mysteries:

"The plot was original, fresh and fast paced in spite of the "traditional elements" employed which can normally be found in any other thriller of this genre. The USP of this story would be its unpredictability. When you think you have it all guessed up, the plot would change its course keeping you hooked. There were a lot of suspense twists and turns that kept the momentum up. Needless to say, the writing was simply perfect. One thing that writer needs to be lauded for is the humor she inculcated in the book. Minus those humorous parts, the book would have been one serious read." - Reviewer: Book and Ink

Book Description:

Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers together only to be killed.

Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton, USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims, then he can find their murderer.

The case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night shift on the turnpike.

In this first installment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in Crime join newlyweds Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday to shift through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives of the Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning killer?

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Amazon ~ Audible
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"Mysteries, murder, danger, and memories that threatens their lives keeps the action and suspense at a high level and even when the answers are found, it left me wanting more." - Review by Sherry Fundin of Fundinmental

Book Description:

After ten months of marital bliss, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton are still discovering and adjusting to their life together. Settled in their new home, everything appears to be perfect … except in the middle of the night when, in the darkest shadows of her subconscious, a deep secret from Jessica’s past creeps to the surface to make her strike out at Murphy.

When investigative journalist Dallas Walker tells the couple about her latest case, known as the Pine Bridge Massacre, they realize Jessica may have witnessed the murder of a family while visiting family at the winery near-by, and suppressed the memory.

Determined to uncover the truth and find justice for the murder victims, Jessica and Murphy return to the scene of the crime with Dallas Walker, a spunky bull-headed Texan. Can this family reunion bring closure for a community touched by tragedy or will this prickly get-together bring an end to the Thorny Rose couple?

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Amazon ~ Audible
Add to Goodreads

Murder by Perfection is a wonderful read and a perfect to escape from the challenges of a busy day. Danger, intrigue, humor, and love all take their turn in this tale which will keep you reading into the wee hours." Review by Marilyn R. Wilson, Olio by Marilyn

Book Description:

Beware: Perfection has a dark side!

Frustrated with their busy schedules, Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday attempt to find togetherness by scheduling a weekly date night. The last thing Jessica Faraday expected for her date night was to take a couple’s gourmet cooking course at the Stepford Kitchen Studio, owned by Chef Natalie Stepford―the model of perfection in looks, home, and business.

When Natalie ends up dead and Murphy goes missing, the Thorny Rose detectives must peel back the layers of Natalie Stepford’s life to discover that the pursuit of perfection can be deadly.

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Amazon
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Chris Matheson Cold Case, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

A popular speaker, Lauren is also the owner of Acorn Book Service, the umbrella under which falls iRead Book Tours. She lives with her husband and two spoiled rotten German Shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with the author: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~  Instagram

Guest Post:

From Writers Block to Best Seller

By Lauren Carr

Recently, a book blogger sent an email which read, “Lauren, you have been averaging two to three murder mysteries a year—all of them best-sellers! This year, you have released three books. Do you ever get writer’s book?

Actually, I have had writer’s block while writing my third book. Between drafts of It’s Murder, My Son, the first Mac Faraday Mystery, I spent a year staring at my laptop. I was completely frozen. 

At that time, I had left my publisher because they did not have a paperback division. It is very hard to sell a $26 hardback when you’re an unknown. Ebooks were still being discovered back in 2010. Getting rejection after rejection, my search for a publisher specializing in mass paperbacks was going nowhere. 

After a full year of staring at my laptop, I threw up my hands and walked away. I actually announced to my family that I was giving up writing for good. I spent the next month doing volunteer work, going to lunch, and working out at the gym. 

Suddenly, I was back at the laptop rewriting It’s Murder, My Son. Notably, this draft included the beloved canine character of Gnarly (my most popular character), who had not been included in the previous drafts. 

Of course, my family reminded me that I had said I was giving up writing for good, to which I responded that I was going to return to writing, but this time, I was going to self-publish. If my books sold—fine. If not, that was okay because I was going to write what I wanted to write and for no one else. 

Ironically, a month later I received an offer from a traditional publisher. I turned them down. It’s Murder, My Son made it to #1 in mysteries on Amazon.

Since that time, I have never had any trouble writing—except for that time Gnarly drooled all over my laptop and it shorted out. As a matter of fact, I literally finish one book and go right into the next one. Last week, Killer Deadline, my first installment in the Nikki Bryant Cozy Mysteries, was released and I am already a quarter of the way through the first draft of Came Upon a Midnight Murder, the next Mac Faraday Mystery. Mentally, I’m already working on the plot for the next Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery. That’s the Geezer Squad, in case you don’t know.

What was the secret to getting over writer’s block? 

American poet William Stafford offers this advice to poets who suffer from Writer's Block: "There is no such thing as writer's block for writers whose standards are low enough." 

This sounds terrible at first. "What? I'm supposed to write junk? I need to write the great American Novel! I'm better than that!" No, Stafford is not encouraging writers to produce garbage. He is suggesting, however, that it's easy to take yourself too seriously. 

When I walked away, when I stopped trying to impress literary agents and publishers and decided to write what I want for myself, my writer’s block went away, and I am now the happiest writer in the world.

Now, almost thirty books later, I am still writing for myself. Yes, I do check out reviews and I love to read emails from readers about how they love Gnarly and how much they enjoy Nikki Bryant, or asking what is next for Chris Matheson and the Geezer Squad.

When that rare reader takes offense by a certain turn I have taken in a plot or how they perceived a certain character, or an unintended message written between the lines, I may listen to their opinion, but in the end I make the final decision based on what I want to write, because—

I write for myself.

When teaching a class about writing, I open and close with a warning to the writers not to give into the temptation to rewrite the latest best seller in hopes of cashing in on the latest trend—like all those zombie books that have hit the market in the last few years.  

As tempting as it may be, even if you self-publish, then once again, you find yourself writing for someone other than yourself—stretching and straining to meet someone else’s standards.

The truth is … gradually readers have been discovering the previously undiscovered treasures produced by independent authors. It’s a huge library in cyberspace. So, even when an author’s writings don’t meet the desires of the most popular marketing demographic, he or she can still find a niche audience who will appreciate his or her story on his or her own terms. 

Believe me, it is much more fun writing what you want and love to write.

Tour Schedule:
Jan 20 – Library of Clean Reads – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / author interview / giveaway
Jan 20 - Working Mommy Journal – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Jan 20 - StoreyBook Reviews – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / author interview / giveaway
Jan 20 - #redhead.with.book – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Jan 20 - redpillows - book spotlight / guest post
Jan 21 - My Reading Journeys – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / author interview / giveaway
Jan 21 - Rockin' Book Reviews – series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 22 - Jypsylynn – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Jan 22 - eBook Addicts – series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 23 - Olio by Marilyn – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Jan 23 – Leels Loves Books – book review of A Fine Year for Murder
Jan 24 - Bookmark and fork  - book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Jan 27 - Christa Reads and Writes – book review of Murder by Perfection
Jan 28 - Bound 4 Escape – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Jan 29 - 411 on Books, Authors, and Publishing News – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Jan 30 - Library of Clean Reads – series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 30 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of Kill and Run / giveaway
Jan 30 - 411 on Books, Authors, and Publishing News – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Jan 31 - fundinmental – series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 31 - redpillows - series spotlight
Feb 3 - b for bookreview – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 3 - Cassidy's Bookshelves – book review of the Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 4 - Christa Reads and Writes – book review of the Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 4 - Blooming with Books - book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 5 - Leels Loves Books – book review of Murder by Perfection
Feb 5 - Celticlady's Reviews – series spotlight / giveaway
Feb 6 - Dab of Darkness Book Reviews – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / author interview / giveaway
Feb 7 - Rockin' Book Reviews – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Feb 7 - Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Murder by Perfection
Feb 10 - Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 11 - Laura`s Interests – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Feb 11 - eBook Addicts - book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 12 – FUONLYKNEW – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 12 - Leels Loves Books – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 13 - Casia's Corner – book review of Kill and Run
Feb 13 - I'm All About Books – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 14 - Pause for Tales – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 17 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
Feb 18 - Bookmark and fork  - series spotlight / giveaway
Feb 19 - JBronder Book Reviews – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Feb 19 - Literary Flits – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 20 - Svetlana's reads and views – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 21 - Divas With A Purpose – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post
Feb 24 - Laura`s Interests – series spotlight / giveaway
Feb 24 - My Devotional Thoughts – series spotlight
Feb 25 - Peaceful Pastime – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 25 - Svetlana's reads and views – series spotlight
Feb 26 - Mystery Suspense Reviews – book spotlight of the Nutcracker Conspiracy / author interview
Feb 26 - Celticlady's Reviews – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Feb 26 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Feb 26 –fundinmental – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 27 - My Devotional Thoughts – book review / author interview / giveaway
Feb 27 - Read and Review - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 28 - Nighttime Reading Center – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 28 - Casia's Corner – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 28 - Adventurous Jessy – book review of the Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:

 

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My Review:

The Nutcracker Conspiracy is the fourth and latest installment to Lauren Carr’s Thorny Rose Mysteries. I have read the previous books in the series and this one does not disappoint. It is by far my favorite of the series. I love how Miss Carr is able to throw in humor in addition to her murder mysteries. I love trying to figure out “who done it” and every time, she throws me off. I hardly every predict how it all ends. That is what is so great about her books. She is so clever coming up with these mysteries. 

The Nutcracker Conspiracy catches up the perfect couple and investigative team, Murphy and Jessie. Murphy starts investigating the cold case murder of the Vice President’s wife. Witnesses of the murder have, also, have died mysteriously. Murphy teams up with Dean, a writer, to find out the truth behind these deaths before more become victims. There were so many twists and turns within the pages that I would never had seen coming. Mixed in the suspense, there were some sprinkles of humor that kept me reading. I had no problem to continue reading from front to back in one sitting. It is so very good.

I am giving The Nutcracker Conspiracy a very well deserved five plus stars. I am hoping there will be another release from the Thorny Rose Mysteries in the near future. I am ready to give up these fun characters. I highly recommend this one for readers who enjoy a good suspense filled cozy mystery.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.