Books I have read

CIRCLE OF WIVES

BY

Alice La Plante

SUMMARY

When Dr. John Taylor turns up dead in a hotel room, the local police uncover enough incriminating evidence to suspect foul play. Detective Samantha Adams, whose Palo Alto beat usually covers petty crimes, is innocently thrown into a high-profile case that is more complicated than any she has faced before. A renowned reconstructive surgeon and a respected family man, Dr. Taylor was beloved and admired. But beneath his perfect façade was a hidden life—in fact, multiple lives. Dr. Taylor was married to three very different women in three separate cities. As the circumstances surrounding his death emerge.

Buy link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18114494-a-circle-of-wives?ac=1&from_search=true

BIO

Alice LaPlante is an award-winning writer of both fiction and non-fiction. She teaches creative writing at Stanford University, where she was a Wallace Stegner Fellow and Jones Lecturer. She also teaches in the MFA program at San Francisco State University. She lives with her family in Northern California.

Books I have read

PANE AND SUFFERING

(First in a new series)

by

Cheryl Hollon

Summary

After Savannah's father dies unexpectedly of a heart attack, she drops everything to return home to St. Petersburg, Florida, to settle his affairs--including the fate of the beloved, family-owned glass shop. Savannah intends to hand over ownership to her father's trusted assistant and fellow glass expert, Hugh Trevor, but soon discovers the master craftsman also dead of an apparent heart attack.

Buy link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23360001-pane-and-suffering?from_search=true

BIO

Cheryl Hollon writes full time after she left an engineering career of designing and building military flight simulators in amazing countries such as England, Wales, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan and India. Fulfilling the dream of a lifetime, she combines her love of writing with a passion for creating glass art. In the small glass studio behind their St. Petersburg, FL, 1920's craftsman bungalow, Cheryl and her husband design, create, and produce fused glass, stained glass and painted glass artworks.

Friday's Featured Author

The Last Witnesses

by

Anne Louise Bannon

Summary

It's back to the 1920s with socialite author Freddie Little and his editor and not-so-blushing bride Kathy Briscow. In fact, Freddie and Kathy are happily enjoying their newly-married bliss when Freddie's sister, Honoria, finds a dead body in her apartment. Honoria had taken the young woman in as a favor to a friend but it soon becomes clear that the favor caught up. Honoria goes into hiding and Freddie and Kathy take up a chase that will lead all three of them across the country and into a conspiracy that, no matter how unbelievable, could get them all killed. 

Bio

Anne Louise Bannon is an author and journalist who wrote her first novel at age 15. Her journalistic work has appeared in Ladies' Home Journal, the Los Angeles Times, Wines and Vines, and in newspapers across the country. She was a TV critic for over 10 years, founded the YourFamilyViewer blog, and created the OddBallGrape.com wine education blog with her husband, Michael Holland. She also writes the romantic fiction serial WhiteHouseRhapsody.com, Book One of which is out now. She is the co-author of Howdunit: Book of Poisons, with Serita Stevens, as well as the Freddie and Kathy mystery series, set in the 1920s, and the Operation Quickline series and Tyger, Tyger. She and her husband live in Southern California with an assortment of critters.

Books I have Read

To Catch a Treat - A Barkery and Biscuits Mystery

by

Linda O. Johnston

Summary

When a Dog-Snatching Scheme Leads to Murder, Carrie Must Sniff Out the Truth

Carrie Kennersly, veterinary technician and owner of the Barkery and Biscuits bake shop, agrees to a day of hiking with her brother Neal—mostly because she wants to meet and critique his latest romantic interest, Janelle Blaystone. But instead of judging her, Carrie feels only sympathy for Janelle, whose beloved black Labrador, Go, was recently dognapped.

BIO

Linda O. Johnston's first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the Year. Since then, Linda has had more short stories and novellas published, plus, by the end of 2015, she will have had forty-one novels published, including mysteries and romance. 

Linda currently writes two cozy mystery series for Midnight Ink, the Superstition Mysteries and the Barkery and Biscuits Mysteries, both featuring dogs. She has also written the Pet Rescue Mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime, which was a spinoff from her Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series. And yes, they involved dogs, too.

Buy link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26796664-to-catch-a-treat?ac=1&from_search=true

Books I have read

Psychic Damage

by

Carol Sojka

Summary

Murder and small-town corruption mingle in the most sinister of ways in Carole Sojka's "Psychic Damage."

Computer analyst Eva Stuart, employed by a small city in Southern California, is shocked when she hears someone ask, "Where's the body?" and a moment later overhears that evidence is being "cleaned up." She knows then that the topic of conversation is murder, and she recognizes one of the voices as that of a city official.

Eva knows she heard the conversation right when she learns of a death on the news. She confides in a psychic who warns of danger but also tells of a lover who will come to her aid. When the psychic is found dead and Eva is threatened, she knows she must uncover the corruption that leads directly to the top level of city government.

Buy link:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30400518-psychic-damage?ac=1&from_search=true

BIO

Carole Sojka grew up in New York but has spent most of her life in Southern California. She and her husband, Boris, were Peace Corps volunteers in the newly independent Republic of Somalia in the 60's and later she spent many years as the administrator in a public law office. She is the author of A Reason to Kill and the sequel So Many Reasons to Die, both set on Florida's Treasure Coast and the stand alone mystery novel, Psychic Damage. The third book in the Florida series, Reasons to Disapear, will be out at the end of this year.

Featured Author

Me, Myself & Eye

by

Cynthia L. De Boer

Summary

This intimate look into a seemingly surreal series of events is thought provoking, honest and at times heart wrenching. The journey from shock and loss through discovery and acceptance to end in a place of comfort and confidence thereby enabling this woman to smile once again when she looks at her reflection in the mirror. This passionate real life account is a must read for any one suffering a body part loss.

Endorsed by doctors, ocularists and psychologists.

Buy Links:

 http://www.amazon.com/dp/1681021439/

  http://nextcenturypublishing.com/product/me-myself-and-eye/?preview=true 
https://www.readerslegacy.com/book/me-myself-and-eye-the-realities-of-living-with-a-p/ 

Bio

Cynthia Lee De Boer is an author and speaker living in Nevada.  Born in Colorado in 1960, she quickly faced numerous health challenges.  These challenges as well as her varied work and life experiences have afforded her the opportunity to gain compassion and understanding of herself and others. 

Writing has been a life long passion and her work has been published in several magazines.  Cynthia’s passion to bring the Taboo subject of prosthetic eyes into the light of awareness and compassion is being shared through her speaking engagements.

You may also contact her at memyslefandeyebook@gmail.com

Books I have read

DANDELION DEAD

(A Natural Remedies Mystery)

by

Chrystle Fiedler

Summary

Business is blooming at Natures Way Market & Cafe, and shop owner and naturopathic doctor Willow Mc Quade has never been happier. Her new medicinal garden is a hit with villagers, and she's helping her ex-boyfriend Simon and husband-and-wife team David and Ivy create Pure, an organic winery powered only by wind and sun.

Of course, it's only natural for Willow to want to have a little fun, too. When David and Ivy throw a festive opening for the winery, the party flows freely until after the toast, when smiles give way to looks of horror. Ivy's twin sister has been poisoned! The police reveal the fatal concoction was meant for David. But who could hold such a grudge? Amateur sleuth Willow takes a holistic approach to solving crimes, one in which the answer is not necessarily at the surface but is very often right under your nose and this time the truth could be a bitter pill to swallow.

Buy Link:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25434374-dandelion-dead?ac=1&from_search=true

BIO

A free lance journalist specializing in natural remedies, alternative medicine and holistic health and healing, and is the author of the Natural Remedies mystery series.  She lives on the East End of Long Island New York in a cozy cottage by the sea.

Featured Author

Masked to Death

by

Christina Freeburn

Summary

A Caribbean cruise is the perfect setting for a Roget wedding, and Faith meeting Ted’s family. She also hopes the vacation gets their stalled romance moving, but it doesn’t take long for that dream to capsize. Ted’s daughter hates her. The ex-wife is adored. Odessa Roget is surly. And the banned father of a groom, John Roget, requests Faith’s assistance in bringing down a jewel theft ring masterminded by his ex-wife.

Having had a man she loved accuse her of a crime, Faith won’t let Odessa travel down the same path and agrees to help. Faith sets her course on uncovering the true criminals—which might be a groom’s best friend. The romantic week turns disastrous as a wedding is interrupted, suspicious deaths point to murders, and Ted’s daughter schemes to reunite her parents. Instead of diamonds being a girl’s best friend, Faith finds they’re cruising her toward Davy Jones’ Locker.

BIO:

The Faith Hunter Scrap This Mystery Series brings together Christina’s love of mysteries, scrapbooking, and West Virginia. When not writing or reading, she can be found in her craft room or at a crop. She’s working on the sixth book in the series published by Henery Press. Christina served in the US Army JAG Corps and also worked as a paralegal, librarian, and church secretary.

Find Christina at www.christinafreeburn.com or her author page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Christina-Freeburn-245592138834150/.