Blog Tour and Giveaway: Dueling Hearts by Vickie McDonough

About the Book

Book: Dueling Hearts

Author: Vickie McDonough

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: November 11, 2025

She blames him for her brother’s death, and he’s determined to make amends. But as family secrets and forbidden longing pull them closer, they must choose between pride and the chance to heal.

Carina Zimmer has spent years hating the Bishops for destroying her family. Now managing Tanglewood Plantation and caring for her bedridden father, she wants nothing to do with Reed Bishop—the man who killed her brother. But when Reed returns from medical school and begins treating the injured and vulnerable, Carina can’t ignore the compassion behind his actions or the growing pull between them.

Reed Bishop came home to start a medical practice and make amends for past mistakes. But when he treats an injured slave at a neighboring plantation, he comes face-to-face with Carina Zimmer—the sister of the man he believes he killed in a duel years ago. He never expected to fall for the fiery woman struggling to keep her family’s plantation alive. Yet every encounter with Carina challenges his guilt and deepens his desire to earn her trust.

As secrets surface and loyalties are tested, Carina and Reed must decide if love is worth risking everything—even the legacy of those they’ve sworn to honor.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Vickie McDonough is the CBA, EPCA and Amazon best-selling author of 54 books and novellas. Vickie grew up wanting to marry a rancher, but instead, she married a computer geek who is scared of horses. She now lives out her dreams penning romance stories about ranchers, cowboys, lawmen, and others living in the Old West. Vickie’s books have won numerous awards including the Booksellers Best, OWFI Best Fiction Novel Award, the Inspirational Readers’ Choice awards. When she’s not writing, Vickie enjoys reading, making cards, gardening, and traveling.

 

 

More from Vickie

While I was researching ideas for Dueling Hearts, my third book in the Windswept Weddings series, I stumble across some information about dueling in America. I hadn’t read a Christian book that had characters who were in a duel, so I thought that would be an interesting premise. Reed Bishop, my hero in Dueling Hearts, is the grandson of Cooper Reed from Secrets of the Heart. He finds himself forced into a duel on the eve of his leaving for Scotland to become a doctor. I’ll let you read the book to find out what happens.

Dueling in the United States had mostly been outlawed by 1850. The Broderick-Terry duel, fought in California in 1859, is often considered the last notable duel in the United States. U.S. Senator David Broderick and California Supreme Court Chief Justice David S. Terry engaged in a pistol duel near Lake Merced, resulting in Broderick’s death. Sadly, the two were once friends.

Here’s what Dueling Hearts is about:

She blames him for her brother’s death, and he’s determined to make amends. But as family secrets and forbidden longing pull them closer, they must choose between pride and the chance to heal.

Carina Zimmer has spent years hating the Bishops for destroying her family. Now managing Tanglewood Plantation and caring for her bedridden father, she wants nothing to do with Reed Bishop—the man who killed her brother. But when Reed returns from medical school a more mature man and begins treating the injured and vulnerable, Carina can’t ignore the compassion behind his actions or the growing pull between them.

Reed Bishop came home to start a medical practice and make amends for past mistakes. But when he treats an injured slave at a neighboring plantation, he comes face-to-face with Carina Zimmer—the sister of the man he killed in a duel years ago. He never expected to fall for the fiery woman struggling to keep her family’s plantation alive. Yet every encounter with Carina challenges his guilt and deepens his desire to earn her trust.

As secrets surface and loyalties are tested, Carina and Reed must decide if love is worth risking everything—even the legacy of those they’ve sworn to honor

Blog Stops

Pens Pages & Pulses, November 18

Holly’s Book Corner, November 18

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 19

Simple Harvest Reads, November 20 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Texas Book-aholic, November 21

Lyssa Loves Books, November 21

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 22

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, November 23

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 24

Book Holds and Jello Molds, November 24

For Him and My Family, November 25

Devoted To Hope, November 26

Stories By Gina, November 27 (Author Interview)

Books Less Travelled, November 28

Cover Lover Book Review, November 29

The Mommies Reviews, November 29

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 30

Artistic Nobody, December 1 (Guest Review from Donna)

Pause for Tales, December 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Vickie is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/3dc73/dueling-hearts-celebration-tour-giveaway

My Review

I have always loved books from Vickie McDonough. Her Windswept Wedding series is no different. I was honored to have the opportunity to read the third installment called Dueling Hearts. I adored Carina and Reed's story. It was a delight to read and loved getting to know them. It is a beautiful story of love and faith. It was great taking this journey with them and seeing how it would all end for them. 

I am going to give Dueling Hearts five stars. I highly recommend it for fans of clean historical romance, as well as, the previous two books from the Windswept Wedding series. As always, I would love to read more releases from Vickie McDonough in the future. This one is definitely not one to miss. 

I received a digital copy of Vickie McDonough's Dueling Hearts from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. 

Review: Last of the Autumn Rain by Diana Louise Webb

Last of the Autumn Rain by Diana Louise Webb

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blurb: 

"An engrossing tale of an uncanny and sometimes frightening life." — Kirkus Reviews

It was Friday night, September 2, 1983. Julie Cromwell will never forget that shocking day when she lost her best friend, Candice Wentworth, in an upscale oyster bar. No, Candice had not disappeared. She had died when the club’s suspended dance floor gave way, a sudden and seemingly random tragedy, casting 500+ dancers to their deaths in a 30-foot drop.

Her life ignobly snuffed out at the young age of 32, Candice exemplified a fun-loving lifestyle and a warm kindred spirit—possessing all the requisite traits for a promising future. She never entertained a trace of ill will toward anyone. How could something so grisly happen to such a compassionate, enchanting human being?

Julie struggles to make sense of it all, reminiscing as she travels back to her hometown of Trenton, New Jersey. The two had met in Milwaukee and worked as underwriters for The Walden Company. But something went horribly wrong. Julie’s journey is one filled with elation and fear, jealousy and regret, happiness and indignation, and a horrifying act of disloyalty.

An unforgettable, tumultuous ride, Last of the Autumn Rain delivers an introspective and jaw-clenching tale, which not only rocks one’s moral compass, but invites a chilling in a world where the ground can literally fall out from under you, what else might be lurking beneath the surface?

"...this novel is an excellent read for fans of psychological thrillers." — Readers' Favorite

"...For psychological thriller enthusiasts craving a riveting unsettling experience, this novel burrows under the skin and truly delivers a mind-blowing page-turner." — Ghassan Salti

My Review:

Last of the Autumn Rain is the first book from the Broken Reflections series. It is, also, my first experience with the talents of author Diana Louise Webb I thought it was a pretty good book. It was full of action, suspense and mystery. There were plenty of twists that kept me intrigued until the very end. I enjoyed taking this adventure with Julie.


I am going to give Last of the Autumn Rain four and a half stars. I believe readers who enjoy reading thrillers. I am interested in getting my hands on the next installment from the Broken Reflections series to see where else Diana Louise Webb will take her fans to next.

I received a paperback copy of Diana Louise Webb's Last of the Autumn Rain (Broken Reflections) from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

View all my reviews

Blog Tour and Giveaway: The Red Cottage by Hannah Linder

About the Book

Book: The Red Cottage

Author: Hannah Linder

Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical / Regency Romance

Release Date: November, 2025

She forgot she loved him.
He would die to make her remember.

Meg Foxcroft has never minded the tattling village gossip or her uncle’s ill-tempered rebukes. After all, she has Tom McGwen—and one day, they will build their own cottage, paint it red, and live a wonderful life.

But then the unthinkable happens. Meg is attacked, her uncle’s apothecary shop goes up in flames, and when she wakes up in the arms of an eloquent lord, she remembers nothing. Not even her own name.

In a frantic race against time, Tom plunges into dangerous water, bent on sheltering Meg from harm and discovering who wants her dead. Even if she despises him. Even if it’s now the handsome lord she casts her smile upon.

As danger swells and truth comes crashing around them, Meg must confront the past and decide who she trusts—and loves—before the enemy makes the final strike.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Hannah Linder resides in the beautiful mountains of central West Virginia. Represented by Books & Such, she writes Regency romantic suspense novels filled with passion, secrets, and danger. She is a four-time Selah Award winner, a 2023 Carol Award semi-finalist, a 2023 Angel Book Award third place winner, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Also, Hannah is an international and multi-award-winning graphic designer who specializes in professional book cover design. She designs for both traditional publishing houses and individual authors, including New York Times, USA Today, and international bestsellers. She is also a self-portrait photographer of historical fashion. When Hannah is not writing, she enjoys playing her instruments—piano, guitar, ukulele, and banjolele—songwriting, painting still life, walking in the rain, square dancing, and sitting on the front porch of her 1800s farmhouse.

More from Hannah

We’re made for someone. I think I’ve always believed this—that it was never about proximity, or happenchance, or who you know, or where you are.

But that God, in His infinite wisdom, created a second half for each of us.

Someone who fits in the curve of your neck when you hug.

Who laughs at the things you laugh at.

Who speaks to you in a language your soul understands.

I think that’s why I love The Red Cottage so much. Circumstances would have never mattered with Tom and Meg. They loved each other. They were linked. And even if everything had been different, if they had been born hundreds of years before, they would have found their way back to each other.

If the age was ancient Egypt, and he had been a Pharaoh, and she a slave, they would have discovered each other.

If the year was 1920, and he a factory worker, and she the daughter of an oil tycoon, they would have defied the rules of society.

In any other place, in any other time, in any other way, Tom would have loved Meg. And Meg would have loved Tom. That is the beauty and the mind-blowing magic of real love.

So, when you fall into the pages of The Red Cottage, I hope you aren’t so foolish as to imagine this was an accident. That Tom said the right things, or that Meg felt vulnerable in just the right places, and that their bond—both the first and second time—was a mere hapless stroke of luck.

They would have loved each other anyway.

We’re all made for someone.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 21

Devoted Steps, November 21

Sydney Schmied Books, November 21

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 22

Sylvan Musings, November 22

Texas Book-aholic, November 23

Min Reads and Reviews, November 23

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 24

Books You Can Feel Good About, November 24

Lily’s Corner, November 25

She Lives to Read, November 25

Melissa’s Bookshelf, November 26

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 26

For Him and My Family, November 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 27

Stories By Gina, November 28 (Author Interview)

Mrs. Ryan Moser’s Book and Movie Reviews , November 28

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, November 29

Cover Lover Book Review, November 29

Life on Chickadee Lane, November 30

The Mommies Reviews, November 30

Betti Mace, December 1

Book Looks by Lisa, December 1

Bizwings Blog, December 2

Mary Hake, December 2

Holly’s Book Corner, December 3

Jeanette’s Thoughts, December 3

Pause for Tales, December 4

To Everything There Is A Season, December 4

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, December 4

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Hannah is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon e-Gift Card and a print copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/3dd06/the-red-cottage-celebration-tour-giveaway

Review

When I saw the cover and read the blurb for The Red Cottage by Hannah Linder, I instantly was intrigued and knew I had to get my hands on it. I was far from being disappointed. I was quickly thrown back in time to 1818 era of Cornwell with Meg and Tom. I thought their story was full of adventure, love, mystery, and suspense. I loved getting to know the two and enjoyed taking this journey with them. 

I believe that The Red Cottage deserves a five star rating. I have no doubt other readers who love to read clean historical regency romance. I would love to read more like this one from Hannah Linder in the future. She has earned herself a new fan here. 

I received a paperback copy of Hannah Linder's The Red Cottage from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. 

Blurb Blitz Tour and Giveaway: Verb Tenses by MG da Mota

 

VERB TENSES

by M G da Mota

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GENRE: Psychological Thriller

 

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BLURB:

 

Thirty-four-year-old Raquel Whiteman has it all: beauty, a high-powered career, a very rich fiancée, a loving brother and a stepfather she adores. Life is good. Until her mother commits suicide. Clearing the paraphernalia of her mother’s life she finds old photographs and journals which plunge her into a search for the truth about her real father and early childhood, forsaking everything including her engagement to travel a path she is powerless to resist. Like a giant wave the past travels fast and comes crashing down on her, flooding her mind with incomprehensible fragmented memories and continuous questions – What? Why? Why?

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

EXCERPT:

 

The little girl opened her eyes wide, trying to pierce the darkness. She lifted her head off the pillow, listening intently. All she could hear was the wind blowing wildly, the thunder, and the ocean, raging, beating against the sand and the surrounding cliffs. The house shook with the fury of the storm, as if the sea were angry at its presence and wanted to wash it away. Scared, the little girl pulled the covers over her head and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping for sleep. Images of fairy tales floated into her mind. She remembered the story her mother’s best friend had read earlier. It was the story of a little girl, like herself, who went on a summer picnic with her teddy-bear friends. She smiled. A feeling of warmth spread in her chest, her body relaxed, her mind began to drift; and then, she heard it.

 

A scream. A horrible scream, louder than the storm, from somewhere in the house. Jerking upright, heart thumping, her breath accelerated, became noisy, difficult. She stared into the darkness, listening. There was no mistake. The screams continued then stopped, abruptly. There was a short silence, then voices. Angry voices. Then the sound of glass splintering on the floor. She whispered, afraid, ‘Mummy … mummy, I’m scared.’

 

Lightning slashed the darkness, briefly brightening the room through the gaps in the shutters. Thunder was deafening. Trembling the little girl rolled out of bed and walked to the door. Opening it slowly she peered into the hall. Light spilled out from the open door of her mother’s bedroom. Relief flooded through her. The storm had woken Mummy too. Running in she cried, ‘Mummy, I’m scared of—’.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

M G da Mota is Margarida Mota-Bull’s pen name for fiction. She is a Portuguese-British novelist with a love for classical music, ballet and opera. Under her real name she also writes reviews of live concerts, CDs, DVDs and books for two classical music magazines on the web: MusicWeb International and Seen and Heard International. She is a member of the UK Society of Authors, speaks four languages and lives in Sussex with her husband. Her website, called flowingprose.com, contains photos and information.

 

 

Website: https://www.flowingprose.com/

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/m.g.da.mota

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mgdamota/

 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margarida-mota-bull/

 

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GIVEAWAY

 

M G da Mota will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.

 

Spotlight Book Tour and Giveaway: Mommy Is Here: after a Long Day at the Hospital by Nathalie P Suarez Moscoso

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Mommy Is Here! after a Long Day at the Hospital by  Nathalie P Suarez Moscoso (Author), Edison Cano Cevallos (Illustrator)
Category: Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7), 26 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publisher: Stat Parenting
​Publication Date: September 2025.
Content Rating: G: Children's Book

Book Description:

"Mommy Is Here! After a Long Day at the Hospital" is a heartwarming bedtime story that captures the magical reunion between Mommy Otter and her baby after a long day apart.

Mommy Otter has been busy caring for patients at the hospital, but now she's home, ready for hugs, stories, and one very curious little otter.

Mommy's shift may be over, but her most important job has just begun!

Enjoy this paperback version of the book. This book honors the resilience and special bond between parents working in the medical field and their children. It offers a space for comfort, laughter, and connection for little ones learning that love doesn't sign off.

BUY THE BOOK:
AMAZON ~ B&N
add to goodreads

Meet the Author:

Nathalie P. Suarez Moscoso is a physician and mother who understands the challenges and joys of raising a child while caring for patients. Her experiences as both a doctor and a parent inspired her to create stories that honor the resilience of medical families and the deep bonds between parents and children.

Edison J. Cano Cevallos is a physician and father whose greatest joy comes from the moments of connection he shares with his family after long days at the hospital. Inspired by those tender reunions, he writes stories that reflect the resilience of medical families and the unbreakable bond between parent and child.

connect with the authors: website ~ instagram ~ goodreads

Enter the Giveaway:

MOMMY IS HERE! Book Tour Giveaway

Book Series Tour and Giveaway: A Fate Worse Than Death (A Hollywood Mystery) by Britt Lind

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  DECEPTION (A Hollywood Mystery) by Britt Lind 
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 yrs +),  281 pages
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Publisher:  Bublish
Release date:   May, 2020
Content Rating: PG: There is some bad language and sex scenes that are fit for teens

Book Description:

"Britt Lind has written an intriguing mystery filled with twists and turns that takes place in a world she knows well from every perspective." - Carlyne Grager - Talent Representative and Owner of Dramatic Artists Agency Los Angeles and Seattle.
​
The battle between good and evil is ill-defined in the land of Hollywood. Rarely do kind, compassionate souls win the spoils of war which makes their rare victories all the sweeter.

​Josh Sibley, singer/songwriter, is handsome, talented, smart and headed for oblivion. Alcohol provides relief when his demons threaten to overwhelm his every effort to break free of his past. When his friend Jennie Seger arranges for him to write songs for a multi-million-dollar feature, all his doubts and fears fall away, and he embraces the opportunity like a starving man who has found a bounteous feast during a famine.

Lightning strikes his lonely heart in the form of singer/actress Lila Levy who is married to the producer of the movie and flaunts her sexuality at Josh knowing her breathtaking beauty more than makes up for her lack of talent. Knowing his love for Lila is doomed from the start, he overlooks her shortcomings and keeps his feelings under wraps as he teaches her to sing his songs.

But this is Hollywood, and nothing is as it seems. Lila has secrets that Josh cannot begin to fathom and doesn't want to know. When her husband Stan is murdered, Lila disappears and Josh is confronted by the woman determined to track her down - Sergeant Rosemaria Baker of the Beverly Hills Police Department. Rosemaria is the opposite of Lila; she hates show business and considers Josh a delusional loser. When the cops track down Lila and bring her in, Lila declares herself innocent and the fight for the soul of Josh Sibley begins.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
B&N ~ BAM
add to Goodreads

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Also Available for Review:

Book Details:

Book Title:  MALOVENCE (A Hollywood Mystery) by Britt Lind 
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 yrs +),  359 pages
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Publisher:  Bublish
Release date:   May, 2022
Content Rating: PG: There is some bad language and very little sex​

Book Description:

Rosemaria must solve the murder of a young girl in Malevolence-A Hollywood Mystery. Politics play a part, but who and why will keep readers up at night! Highly recommended!                                                                        --  Chanticleer Reviews


​Rosemaria Baker, a cop whose blood runs true blue, has become a prosecutor who now gets to put the perpetrators in jail instead of just arresting them. She is blissfully happy living with the love of her life, Josh Sibley, who is about to make a major breakthrough in his career as a singer-songwriter. But real life interrupts their perfect world when two girls who Rosemaria rescued from the streets of Hollywood become the targets of ruthless assassins after a third girl is murdered. Rosemaria must arrange protection for the girls, continue working her caseload at the courthouse, investigate the murder, and deal with a coworker who seeks to destroy her career. Through it all, the love and support Rosemaria and Josh have for each other is unfailing. When it finally seems that some semblance of order is falling into place, Rosemaria faces an unexpected, terrifying threat, and she must depend on those who love her to rescue her from certain death.​

Buy the Book:
Amazon
B&N ~ BAM
add to Goodreads

Book Blast and Giveaway: Seal Watch by Petie McCarty

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Petie McCarty will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Someone is watching Cory.
She can feel it in her bones . . . but why?

Navy SEAL Sean MacKay's teammate is murdered after stealing a deadly nerve gas formula from Syrian terrorists. Naval Intelligence believes MacKay's teammate was a traitor and shipped the stolen formula to his sister in the States for safekeeping. MacKay is ordered to find the sister before the terrorists do and to recover the stolen formula at all costs.

Foreclosure looms for Cory Rigatero as she struggles to keep her rustic resort near Mt. St. Helens afloat after her brother abandoned her to join the SEAL Teams. Cory's whole world plummets into a tailspin when Sean MacKay shows up at her resort with news of her brother's death and the shocking suspicion that her brother sent her traitorous classified documents.
r> No way will Cory ever trust MacKay—the man who once seduced her and then vanished into the night without a trace.

Read an Excerpt

Mac was nearly back at his cabin when he heard Garth’s frantic bark again. The sound didn’t come from the lake, and Garth wasn’t hunting night critters like he had earlier suspected. The bark echoed from near the barn.

“Garth!” Mac yelled into the night.

Two sharp barks burst in rapid succession from the dog. A long, piercing howl swiftly followed.

Worried the dog might be in trouble, Mac sprinted toward the barn, surprised to find all the doors shut. He forced one of the large double doors open, and Garth burst out, almost knocking him over.

Mac stepped into the darkened barn and called out, “Vern? You in here?”

Nothing.

Squatting down to Garth’s level, he got a couple of quick face licks. “How did you get shut up in the barn?” He ruffled the dog’s ears and noticed the big canine looked a little unsteady on his feet. “You okay, boy?”

Garth wagged his tail, and Mac led him out into the moonlight for a better look. A scream ripped through the night air, stopping them both.

Cory!

Mac sprinted toward the main house with Garth, breathless and struggling to keep up, already winded. Something was wrong with the big dog, but he couldn’t afford to worry about that right now.

The two tore through the border of the side garden. Mac spied the kitchen door to the main house standing wide open and raced that direction.

A second scream sliced through the air. This one sounded closer to the front of the house, and Mac changed course to race in that direction. Garth stayed straight and bounded through the open kitchen door as Mac cleared the front corner of the house.

He stumbled when he caught sight of a man in dark clothes and a black hoodie, half-carrying, half-dragging Cory down the front steps with a knife to her throat. Mac skidded silently into the rhododendron bushes lining the porch. The assailant hissed over his shoulder to someone behind him.

Okay. Two tangos.

About the Author

Petie spent a majority of her career at Walt Disney World—"The Most Magical Place on Earth"—where she loved working in the land of fairy tales by day and crafting her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said goodbye to her "day" job to focus on her stories full-time.

These days, Petie spends her time writing new tales for her Cinderella series, her new paranormal-romantic-suspense series, The Watchers, sequels to her Regency time-travel series, Lords in Time, and more standalones like Any Fin For Love and Ambush in the Everglades.

Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband and an opinionated Nanday conure named Sassy, who makes a cameo appearance in Christmas Watch, Book 2 of The Watchers series.

Visit Petie at her website, http://www.petiemccarty.com, or her Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/petie.mccarty, to get to know her, learn about her current projects, and discover her other published works.

http://www.petiemccarty.com
https://www.facebook.com/petie.mccarty
https://x.com/authorpetie
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094579.Petie_McCarty
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/petie-mccarty
http://www.amazon.com/author/petiemccarty

https://www.amazon.com/SEAL-Watch-Watchers-Book-3-ebook/dp/B0FW5QPSB5/ref=sr_1_1

Book Blast and Giveaway: The Tomato Jam Murder by Meg Benjamin

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Meg Benjamin will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Roxy’s spending her summer with burros and jam, but there’s a murderer in the mountains.

It’s burro racing season in the Rockies, and Roxy Constantine is all for it. Now if she can come up with a good recipe for tomato jam, her summer will be complete. But when Roxy finds a body on the burro race course, she’s suddenly plunged into a murder investigation. And when her innocent friend is accused of killing her ex, Roxy must challenge a corrupt police chief who wants to shut her up. Now she needs to find the real killer and save a neighboring town from a plot to ruin its mountain magic.

Read an Excerpt

Kennedy leaned close, eyes bright with malice. It’s hard to loom over someone as tall as me, but he was giving it his best shot. “You don’t get it, do you? This is none of your business. You don’t even live here. And you sure as hell don’t have any right to be sticking your nose into a police investigation. If I find out you’re stirring things up around here, I’ll throw you in a cell so fast your head will be spinning when you hit the floor.”

I was pretty sure he couldn’t do that legally. On the other hand, if he threw me into one of his cells, it might take me quite a while to get out of it. Logic argued for caution. Still, I hate being pushed around by guys who don’t have any right to push me around.

“All I’ve done is pass along information I’ve heard to people who might be interested. So far as I know, that doesn’t break any laws.”

“You. Don’t. Live. Here.” Kennedy snarled. “Like I said, this is none of your business. Keep out of it and keep your mouth shut.”

I gritted my teeth as I stared at him, trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t get me into deeper trouble.

Kennedy straightened, his gaze still burning, then swept one arm across the surface of the counter, sending jars of jam flying in all directions. I glared at him, furious and horrified.

The corners of his mouth edged up ever so slightly. “Oops.”

About the Author

Meg Benjamin is an award-winning author of romance and cozy mysteries. Meg’s cozy mystery series, Luscious Delights from Wild Rose Press, concerns a jam-making sleuth based in the mythical small town of Shavano, Colorado. Her Konigsburg series is set in the Texas Hill Country and her Salt Box and Brewing Love trilogies are set in the Colorado Rockies (all are available from Entangled Publishing and from Meg’s indie line). Along with romance and cozies, Meg is also the author of the paranormal Ramos Family trilogy from Berkley InterMix and the Folk trilogy from Meg’s indie line. Meg’s books have won numerous awards, including an EPIC Award, a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Holt Medallion from Virginia Romance Writers, the Beanpot Award from the New England Romance Writers, the Carly Crown Jewel of Books from the Mid-America Romance Authors, and the Award of Excellence from Colorado Romance Writers.

Personal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meg.benjamin1
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063609878239
Instagram:http://www.instagram.com/meg_benjamin
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@meg_benjamin
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/meg-benjamin.bsky.social
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2869971.Meg_Benjamin
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/meg-benjamin
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/megbenjamin
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Book Tour and Giveaway: Shooting at Shadows by Forest McMullin

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A photograph can tell the truth. It can also get you killed.

Ethan McGuire’s relentless pursuit of explosive stories has cost him his family, his integrity, and now–possibly–his life. While documenting the rise of white supremacist movements in Western New York, Ethan encounters a world of neo-Nazis, heavily armed survivalists, rogue FBI agents, and violent criminals, all with something to hide. But when a crew of ruthless bank robbers starts hunting him for photos he doesn’t even know he has, the stakes turn deadly.

As his enemies close in and his family becomes a target, Ethan must expose the truth–before it buries him. Shooting at Shadows is a relentless thriller and chilling cautionary tale, inspired by the author’s real-life experiences as a photojournalist. It exposes the darkness lurking beneath the surface of American extremism–and the cost of bringing it to light.

"One hopes that McMullin has further adventures planned for his unlikely hero." –Kirkus Reviews

"...a provocative thriller exploring highly pertinent themes in American culture today..." –Fredrick Soukup, author of Blood up North

Read an Excerpt

Someone outside began pounding on the truck in time to the chant and within moments it sounded like everyone who could reach the sides was pounding too:

“BOOM BOOM BOOM! BOOM BOOM BOOM!

“KKK! GO AWAY! KKK! GO AWAY!”

It was deafening, like being inside a giant bass drum. The thin metal walls of the truck amplified the beating and Ethan could feel the horrible reverberation in his chest. Everyone moved toward the center of the bed as if the walls could come crashing in on them at any second. The two holding the rear gate down were fighting the door as people outside tried to raise it.

Suddenly the pounding stopped and Ethan felt the truck moving. The crowd was so loud he hadn’t heard the engine start. But how could they get through that mob without running anyone over? Maybe if Kevin went slowly enough, they’d let the truck pass. Surely the police would be able to get there and see to their safety. Then he realized it wasn’t forward motion he felt. The truck was swaying side to side. The chanting changed too. “O-VER! O-VER! O-VER!” They were trying to turn the truck on its side. Ethan didn’t think it could be done, but with this many people it was impossible to know for sure.

Everyone inside moved away from the center and put their hands against the sides to steady themselves. It was like trying to stand in a boat on choppy seas. Back and forth, back and forth the truck rocked, gaining momentum every time. Ethan saw the men holding the door down lose their balance and fall. The door rose and blinded them with brilliant sunlight.

About the Author:

Forest McMullin is a writer based in Atlanta, Georgia. Earlier in his career, he was a photojournalist who specialized in photographing fringe social groups. Today he writes both long and short form fiction, Shooting at Shadows is his first novel.

Website: http://forest-mcmullin.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/forestmcm
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/forest.mcmullin
Substack: https://substack.com/forestmcmullin
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/forestmcm.bsky.social

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shooting-Shadows-Crime-Thriller-McGuire/dp/B0FC2VR1KS/ref=sr_1_1

Giveaway: