A Book In Review.

http://www.clpblogtours.com/2014/02/the-seduction-of-miriam-cross.html

Brief Summary:

Can Delilah Percy Powers figure out who killed Miriam Cross before she becomes the killer’s next target?

Miriam Cross, author, feminist and philanthropist, disappears from her Philadelphia home. A year later, a lonely recluse named Emily Cray is brutally murdered in her bed in a small Pennsylvania town. Miriam and Emily are one and the same. As Delilah and her staff of female detectives – a militant homemaker, an ex-headmistress and a former stripper – delve into Miriam’s life, they become submerged in an underworld of unfathomable cruelty and greed with implications that go far beyond the gruesome death of one woman or the boundaries of one country. Eventually Miriam’s fight for justice becomes Delilah’s own…until Delilah’s obsession with finding the truth may prove just as deadly.

Review:

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This story is a tangled web with so many twists and turns. It’s a hard book to put down! There’s so much mystery it’ll keep you guessing until the very end. The storyline is  full of twists and turns and the characters are complex, it feels and plays out like a mini series that you can’t wait to watch. I can’t wait for the next book in this series, this 4.5 star book is a perfect read to escape from everything, highly recommend it for a weekend when you have nothing else planned cause you won’t want to put it down, xo!

Author Bio:
Wendy Tyson’s background in law and psychology has provided inspiration for her mysteries and thrillers.  The Seduction of Miriam Cross, published by E-Lit Books in November 2013, is the first novel in the Delilah Percy Powers mystery series.  She has also authored Killer Image, published by Henery Press, the first in the Allison Campbell mystery series.  Her second Allison Campbell mystery is due out this summer.  Find Wendy at www.WATyson.com.

Find her at:

 www.WATyson.com and on twitter (www.twitter.com/wendytyson) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/wendytysonauthor). ;

Buy the Book!

Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Seduction-Miriam-Delilah-Powers-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00G9GPGZ8/ref=pd_sim_kstore_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=1GZTQCD3ZRFSHE7PY3AG

Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-seduction-of-miriam-cross-watyson/1117268022?ean=2940148986256

Kobo:  http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-seduction-of-miriam-cross

IndieBound:  http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780615920450

March 17 – Literary Chanteuse – Excerpt

March 18 – Sweets Books – Excerpt

March 20 –Mrs. Mommy Booknerd’s Book Reviews – Guest Post & Excerpt

March 21 – Chick Lit Plus – Review

March 24 – Little Miss Drama Queen – Guest Post & Q&A

March 26 – Nana Prah’s Blog – Excerpt

March 27 – The Gothic Ballerina – Review

April 1 – Samantha March – Q&A & Excerpt

April 3 – Ms Nose in a Book – Review & Excerpt

April 4 – Annabel & Alice – Review

April 7 – Keep Calm and Blog On – Review

April 7 – Authors and Readers Book Corner – Q&A

**Everyone who leaves a comment on the tour page will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases a copy of The Seduction of Miriam Cross by April 7 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus.com will receive 10 bonus entries!**

 

A book in review.

Brief Summary

What happens when you uncover years of secrets and find out everything you thought to be true was a lie?

Drew Stevens finds her world turned upside down when her parents are brutally murdered. Soon after, she learns she inherited a property in Bar Harbor, Maine, from recently deceased grandparents that she believed had died when she was a baby. Drew travels north to settle her grandparents’ estate, but finds more questions than answers as the truth starts unraveling. What she didn’t expect to find was Saint, whose reputation is as tumultuous as his past. But the very thing that brings them together is the same thing that keeps them emotionally caged. With Saint’s scars so deep and Drew’s so fresh, can the pair heal from their painful wounds or will they be pulled beneath the darkness of their pasts?

Review:

 I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was an emotional roller coaster, the author does a great job connecting you with the characters so you feel what they feel. She also does a great job of putting you into the scenes of the story, there were times I felt I was at the beach.  The mystery that’s weaved in keeps you on the edge of your seat. I recommend this 4 star book to anyone who wants to curl up with a book that will take you away with a complex story that you won’t be able to put down, xo!

About Marni Mann

A New Englander at heart, Marni Mann is now a Floridian inspired by the sandy beaches and hot pink sunsets of Sarasota. She taps mainstream appeal and shakes worldwide taboos, taking her readers on a dark and breathtaking journey. When she’s not nose deep in her laptop, she’s scouring for chocolate, traveling, reading, or walking her four-legged children. Visit her at http://www.marnismann.com.

Buy the Book!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1nNJgFa

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pulled-beneath-marni-mann/1118927292?ean=2940149337309

Connect with Marni!

Home

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarniMannAuthor

Twitter: @MarniMann

March 31 – Martini Times Romance – Review & Excerpt

April 1- Chick Lit Plus – Review

April 2- Keep Calm and Blog On – Review

April 3 – Storm Goddess Book Reviews – Review & Q&A

April 4 – Jersey Girl Book Reviews – Review, Guest Post & Excerpt

April 7 – Little Whimsy Books – Review & Excerpt

April 7 – Samantha March – Q&A & Excerpt

A Book In Review.

Brief Summary:

Unemployed with no prospects, Dorian Wells is a young man trying desperately to stay afloat and be a good father to his toddler son. While already struggling to pay the bills and earn proper visitation with his child, Dorian’s tumultuous life is thrown into further upheaval when his mother is suddenly hospitalized.
On the verge of losing everything, it seems Dorian finally has a stroke of luck when he inadvertently learns of a potential opportunity with Jakkaru, a decadent, cut-throat organization that pays handsomely by the body count. Dorian’s lifelong friend, Rafe Ibadiah, is his ticket into Jakkaru and soon Dorian is training to be a professional hitman. But learning how to properly kill for a living is not as easy as it seems, and he quickly discovers the short arms of theory are a far reach from reality as the harrowing journey makes him question everything he believes.  The final test before full acceptance into Jakkaru is a contract Dorian must complete alone. Delivered to him via a small red envelope, the name inside propels the stakes of this dangerous game higher than ever before. Dorian will sacrifice anything for his son, but it’s not until he is ordered to do the unthinkable that he grasps the horrific depth of his commitment. Award-winning author, K. Baskett, expertly weaves a chilling tale of suspense in Envelope: Red that culminates in a shocking look at the prickly nuances of loyalty. Gritty and authentic, Dorian’s story is ultimately a poignant examination of the human condition – what lies within the heart of us all.

Review:

I received this in exchange for an honest review. The end of this book blew me away. I kinda figured it out, but couldn’t wait to see how it played out. The author really commits to the lifestyle of the main character. Any time I picked up my nook to read this story, I felt like it was a tv show I was tuning into. This book is very different from the other books I read for CLP, but I loved it. I loved the background of the whole “organization” it was really cool to get the inside scoop. I recommend this 4.5 star book to anyone who loves a gritty story about loyalty and likes a page turner, xo!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jack of all trades, master of none – save for the art of procrastination – K. Baskett lives by the motto, “Never do today what can be put off until tomorrow.” K. firmly believes that you aren’t really interested in the author’s hometown, spouse, children or pets, and has therefore decided to spare you the details. No Greater Illusion is the author’s award-winning debut novel. Envelope: Red is the gritty suspense-thriller with a heart-pounding conclusion.

PURCHASING INFORMATION FOR ENVELOPE:RED

Amazon – http://amzn.to/1dYMKl1

Kindle – http://amzn.to/1cGAXX2

eStore – https://www.createspace.com/4250077

WEBSITE

kbaskett.com

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter – @kbaskett1 (https://twitter.com/kbaskett1)

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/1kbaskett

Google+ – http://google.com/+KBaskett

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Envelope-Red/473575772760914

AUTHOR INFORMATION

GoodReads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6579960.K_Baskett

Amazon – amazon.com/author/kbaskett

IAN – http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/k-baskett.html

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/kbaskett

Wattpad – http://www.wattpad.com/user/kbaske11

March 17 – Wonderland Avenue – Review

March 17 – Book Suburbia – Excerpt

March 18 – Sweets Books – Q&A & Excerpt

March 19 – Chick Lit Plus – Review

March 20 – Authors and Readers Book Corner – Excerpt

March 21 – Ai Love Books – Review & Q&A

March 24 – Keep Calm and Blog On – Review

**Enter a comment on the tour page to be entered to win a print copy of the book! Please note this is open to US residents only. Please leave your email address when entering!**

A Book In Review.

Brief Summary:

Brynne Ropert and Portland Dolish have been best friends since being paired as roommates in college. Seven years later they are now twenty-five, married, and living in Maine–– but the two women couldn’t be more different. Brynne finds fulfillment in her life as a wife, mother and owner of a small café and bookshop, but is struggling to expand her family. Portland is still coping with her mother’s death during her childhood, and her marriage is unraveling before her eyes. Portland envies her friend’s seemingly stable and easy life while Brynne doesn’t understand the growing distance between them and cannot begin to guess what secret Portland is hiding about her husband and crumbling marriage. While one woman feels shut out, the other enters into a web of lies to protect herself.

A Questionable Friendship explores what really makes someone a true friend, a support system, a sister. How much trust goes into a friendship and when is being a friend not enough? Brynne and Portland’s story will attempt to answer those questions, and show that happily ever after isn’t in the cards for everyone.

Review:

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I actually had the privilege of beta reading this book before Samantha the author, did her final edit and publishing. I was more than honor to be chosen to do this so once the book was released I knew I had to do a review. I loved this book. It tells the true story of what happens in a friendship when you think everything is perfect. It’s a story of friendship and internal relationships with yourself. It saddened me that at times while reading about how the girls viewed one another’s lives, I thought about how I view my own friend’s lives and it’s unfair to judge them cause you never will know the whole story. I think I enjoyed this book so much because of that, it gets you thinking. Almost every woman I know has been guilty of doing that one time or another. Samantha has a great way of connecting the story to real life situations that woman go through, she’s an amazing story teller. I highly recommend this 5 star book as a book club book or to anyone who likes a novel that gets you thinking, xo!

About the Author:

Samantha March is an author, editor, publisher, blogger, and all around book lover. She runs the popular book/women’s lifestyle blog ChickLitPlus, which keeps her bookshelf stocked with the latest reads and up to date on all things health, fitness, fashion, and celebrity related. In 2011 she launched her independent publishing company Marching Ink and has three published novels – Destined to Fail, The Green Ticket and A Questionable Friendship. When she isn’t reading, writing, or blogging, you can find her cheering for the Green Bay Packers. Samantha lives in Iowa with her husband and Vizsla puppy.

A Book In Review.

Brief Summary:

A Lexi Carmichael Mystery: Italy might seem like a long way to go to hide after a disastrous date. But when sexy uberhacker Slash (no, that’s not his real name) asks me to go with him to Rome on an investigation, the timing is sort of perfect. My messed up love life becomes the least of my worries though, after the dead body, the near-kidnapping, and the discovery of a top-secret encrypted file that even I can’t hack. With time running out, there’s only one thing to do: call in the legendary Zimmerman twins and my best fluent-in-Italian friend, Basia, to crack the code. Now if only someone could help me solve the mystery of whether Slash is flirting, or if all the kissing is just one of those “when in Rome” things… But when we finally uncover the secret someone would kill to keep, it’s up to me to solve the case and save the lives of my best friends. Just another week in the life of geek-girl Lexi Carmichael. Read about Lexi’s previous adventures in No One Lives Twice, No One To Trust and No Money Down.

Review:

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This quick read had me hook from the start. I couldn’t wait to see what would happen between Lexi and Slash. Let alone the stolen money. The author does a wonderful job of really setting the scene and making everything just vivid enough so you can picture it all. I wasn’t bummed to find out this was in a series because I feel like you don’t necessarily need to read them in order cause the author does a wonderful job of explaining everything you need to know. If you’re in the mood, for a quick 4 star read that you won’t put down, that’s full of mystery and excitement, then pick up any of the Lexi Carimachael mysteries, xo!

Author Bio:
Julie Moffett is the award-winning author of thirteen published novels in the genres of historical, paranormal fantasy, and time travel romances, and action/adventure mysteries. She grew up as a military brat (Air Force) and has traveled extensively. Her more exciting exploits include attending Kubasaki High School in Okinawa, Japan, backpacking around Europe and Scandinavia for several months, a year-long college graduate study in Warsaw, Poland and a wonderful trip to Scotland and Ireland where she fell in love with castles, kilts and brogues. Julie has a B.A. in Political Science and Russian Language from Colorado College, a M.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and is nearly finished with her M.Ed.  Able to speak Russian and Polish, she worked as a journalist for the international radio station, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Washington, D.C. for eleven years, publishing hundreds of articles. She now works as a proposal writer and research advisor for a defense contractor in the Washington, D.C. area. Julie is a single mom with two sons, who keep her quite busy. She belongs to Romance Writers of America and Washington Romance Writers where she served six years on the organization’s Board of Directors. She was also the Market News Columnist and Feature’s Editor for the organization’s monthly newsletter, Update, for eleven years.
Connect with Julie!
Website: www.juliemoffett.com

Blog: I blog occasionally at http://notyourusualsuspects.blogspot.com/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Julie-Moffett-Author/123804877633091

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/190485.Julie_Moffett

Twitter: @JMoffettAuthor

Buy the Book!

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=julie%20moffett%20in%20books

December 9 – Keep Calm and Blog On – Review

December 10 – Escape Into a Book – Review

December 10 – Authors and Readers Book Corner – Review

December 11 – Book Babe – Review

December 12 – Book Reviews and More by Kathy – Guest Post

December 13 – Book Suburbia – Excerpt

December 16 – Every Free Chance Book Reviews – Excerpt

December 16 – A Blue Million Books – Q&A

A Book In Review.

Title: Bad Land

Author: Jonathan Yanez 

Expected publication date: October 1st 2013

Publisher: Limitless Publishing 

Add to Goodreads

Brief Summary:

At only twenty-three Marshall Montgomery is the youngest reporter to have ever worked at his newspaper in Los Angeles county. His life has been his job. But something is about to happen that will force him to confront the painful memory of his sister’s death and open him to a world very much apart from his own.

A young girl has been found dead in Wakan Canyon. A place Marshall will find that has a past filled with violence and bloodshed. Hundreds of years ago Native Americans fought over the land and even today lives are being taken to protect a secret. Deep within the canyon there is a power that has been hidden by generations of the area’s inhabitants. There is a dark force that has corrupted every single one of its owners since the beginning of time. Now, trying to discover the truth, Marshall finds himself caught in a

Review:

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This book got off to a slow start, but once it got going I wasn’t disappointed. The twists and turns didn’t stop until the very end. The mystery of the story keeps you guessing. The characters are all really likable and develop as the story goes on, you feel like you’re growing with them and becoming part of the story. If you’re in the mood for something a little different, a little bit of mystery, and a little bit of supernatural , then this 3 star book is for you, xo!

Connect with Jonathan!

Website and Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

A Book In Review.

Brief Summary:

With a classical series sold and a portrait commissioned, Cherry Tucker’s art career is in Georgia overdrive. But when the sheriff asks Cherry to draw a composite sketch of a hijacker, her life takes a hairpin as the composite leads to a related murder, her local card-sharking buddy Max Avtaikin becomes bear bait and her nemesis labels the classical series “pervert art.” Cherry’s jamming gears between trailer parks, Atlanta mansions, and trucker bars searching for the hijacker who left a widow and orphan destitute. While she seeks to help the misfortunate and save her local reputation, Cherry’s hammer down attitude has her facing the headlights of an oncoming killer.

Review:

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I’ll start this off by saying I can’t wait to read the other books in this series. I’ve hit the jackpot in books full of cooky characters lately, and this one certainly didn’t disappoint. The author does a great job at holding your attention to the story the whole time. There are numerous twists and turns and laughs along the way. If you’re in the mood to laugh out loud and are in the need for a new series, check out this 3.5 star book, xo!

Author Bio:

Growing up in a small town, Larissa Reinhart couldn’t wait to move to an exotic city far from corn fields. After moving around the US and Japan, now she loves to write about rough hewn characters that live near corn fields, particularly sassy women with a penchant for trouble. HIJACK IN ABSTRACT is the third in the Cherry Tucker Mystery Series from Henery Press, following STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW (May 2013) and PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY, a 2012 Daphne du Maurier finalist. QUICK SKETCH, a Cherry Tucker prequel to PORTRAIT, is in the mystery anthology THE HEARTACHE MOTEL (December 2013). She lives near Atlanta with her minions and Cairn Terrier, Biscuit. Visit her website larissareinhart.com or find her chatting with the Little Read Hens on Facebook.

Connect with Larissa!

Website: larissareinhart.com

Blog: larissareinhart.blogspot.com

Facebook page: facebook.com/RisWrites

Goodreads author page: goodreads.com/author/show/5806614.Larissa_Reinhart

Twitter: twitter.com/RisWrites

Publisher: henerypress.com

https://www.facebook.com/LittleReadHens

Amazon: amazon.com/author/larissareinhart

email: reinhartlarissa@gmail.com

Buy links for Larissa’s books!

HIJACK IN ABSTRACT:

Amazon Paperback   B&N Paperback

HEARTACHE MOTEL:

Amazon Kindle          B&N Nook      Kobo

Amazon Paperback   B&N Paperback

PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY:

Amazon Kindle     B&N Nook     Kobo

Amazon Paperback     B&N Paperback

STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW:

Amazon Kindle  B&N Nook              Kobo

Amazon Paperback    Barnes&Noble Paperback

November 4 – Mary Castillo – Q&A

November 5 – The Book Bag – Review & Excerpt

November 6 – Ink and Paper – Q&A & Excerpt

November 8 – Shelf Pleasure – Q&A

November 11 – Keep Calm and Blog On – Review

November 12 – Mrs. Mommy Booknerd’s Book Reviews – Q&A & Excerpt

November 14 – Tlassy – Review

November 15 – Musings and Ramblings – Review, Q&A & Excerpt

November 18 – Melissa’s Mochas, Mysteries and More – Excerpt

November 19 – Chick Lit Plus – Review

November 22- Jersey Girl Book Reviews – Review, Q&A  & Excerpt

November 25 – Everything Books and Authors – Excerpt

A Book In Review.

Title: The Bone Room

Series: None

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction

Publisher: Limitless Publishing LLC

Publication Date: September 18, 2013

Author: Shane Scollins

Synopsis:

Roman Stone is a cop who has spent the last few years of his life trying to rebuild the career he nearly destroyed. He gets called to Alexandria Bay, NY to help the small town police force find a popular missing teenager. While investigating the case, random human bones start washing up on the shores of the St. Lawrence River and two major cases collide. Looking for help on the case, Roman asks local historian Becca Quinn to show him around one of the local castles in the area. Becca works for the Thousand Island Preservation Society and spends her days working to restore some of the old abandoned mansions in the area for a new tourism initiative.

But what they find is more than anyone expects…Something strange is lurking under the surface of the murky waters of the river.

Review:

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited to dive into this book and it didn’t disappoint! I was hooked and glued into the story from the start. There were so many twists and unexpected turns. I don’t ever really read books told from a man’s point of view so having a strong male lead was great. I really can’t get over how much I enjoyed this crazy roller coster ride. I recommend this 4 star read to anyone who is looking for a really well written story that keeps them guessing from the start, xo!

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18463899-the-bone-room

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/The-Bone-Room-ebook/dp/B00FAH52X8

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shane Scollins is a freelance writer and Amazon best selling author. Originally from New Jersey, he now resides in Upstate New York with his wife, Heather. He has a degree in computer science and has worked as an automotive service manager, a website developer and a computer network engineer. In his spare time he enjoys playing ice hockey, riding his mountain bike, and strumming on his guitar. Primarily a SciFi and paranormal novelist, Shane enjoys taking readers on surprising and unexpected journeys that twist reality. He is currently working on his next book

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shane-Scollins-Author/208046712568634

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/shanescollins

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4893553.Shane_Scollins

Website: http://www.shanescollins.com

A Book In Review.

 

 

Title: The Ghost Files

Series: The Ghost Files Series

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction

Publisher: Limitless Publishing LLC

Publication Date: August 13, 2013

Author: Apryl Baker

Synopsis:

Cherry blossom lipstick: check

Smokey eyes: check

Skinny jeans: check

Dead kid in the mirror: check

For sixteen year old Mattie Hathaway, this is her normal everyday routine. She’s been able to see ghosts since her mother tried to murder her when she was five years old. No way does she want anyone to know she can talk to spooks. Being a foster kid is hard enough without being labeled a freak too. Normally, she just ignores the ghosts and they go away. That is until she see’s the ghost of her foster sister… Sally. Everyone thinks Sally’s just another runaway, but Mattie knows the truth—she’s dead. Murdered. Mattie feels like she has to help Sally, but she can’t do it alone. Against her better judgment, she teams up with a young policeman, Officer Dan, and together they set out to discover the real truth behind Sally’s disappearance.  Only to find out she’s dealing with a much bigger problem, a serial killer, and she may be the next victim… Will Mattie be able to find out the truth before the killer finds her?

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/The-Ghost-Files-Book-ebook/dp/B00EJ62OMS/

Review:

 I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I seriously couldn’t to read what was going to happen next in this creepy mystery. I was hooked from the beginning. I found myself wanting to be friends with Mattie just so I could share the ghost encounters she was having. I’ll just say it now…I love scary movies and anything scary, so this book was right up my alley. I could see this being the coolest tv series because the author does a great job of really making the scenes come to life. If you like thrilling, creepy, ghost mysteries, then this 4.5 star book is for you! This book screams Halloween, so do yourself a favor and go pick it up to get in the holiday spirit, xo!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

So who am I? Well, I’m the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up. I LOVE scary movies. My friends laugh at me when I scare myself watching them and tell me to stop watching them, but who doesn’t love to get scared? I grew up in a small town nestled in the southern mountains of West Virginia where I spent days roaming around in the woods, climbing trees, and causing general mayhem. Nights I would stay up reading Nancy Drew by flashlight under the covers until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep. Growing up in a small town, I learned a lot of values and morals, I also learned parents have spies everywhere and there’s always someone to tell your mama you were seen kissing a particular boy on a particular day just a little too long. So when you get grounded, what is there left to do? Read! My Aunt Jo gave me my first real romance novel. It was a romance titled “Lord Margrave’s Deception.” I remember it fondly. But I also learned I had a deep and abiding love of mysteries and anything paranormal. As I grew up, I started to write just that and would entertain my friends with stories featuring them as main characters. Now, I live Huntersville, NC where I entertain my niece and nephew and watch the cats get teased by the birds and laugh myself silly when they swoop down and then dive back up just out of reach. The cats start yelling something fierce…lol.

I love books, I love writing books, and I love entertaining people with my silly stories.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/maryapryl

Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/AprylBaker

Website: http://mycrazzycorner.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5173683.Apryl_Baker

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Apryl-Baker/e/B005L9YKY2/

Q and A:

Q:  So tell us a little bit about Apryl Baker.

A:  Well, in a nutshell, I’m the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up.  Seriously, sometimes I can be mid-sentence and I’ll get an idea and stop talking so I can write it down.  Terribly rude, I know, but my friends and family are used to it!

Q:  Mattie is a very, well, let’s call her unique.  What inspired you when you created that little bundle of attitude?

A:  LOL!  She is that, isn’t she?  Well, honestly, I had some foster kids living down the block from me and I had the opportunity to get to know them.  It took me the better part of a year to get them to trust me enough to open up.  I have to say they were the bravest, most courageous kids I’ve ever met. They are tough as nails, loyal only to each other, and they will break your heart.  Some of the stories they told me made me want to just cry.  Don’t get me wrong, there are tons of great foster homes out there, the one they were in at the time I got to know them was one of those, but there are just as many bad ones as well.  I got to hear up close and personal just how bad some of them were. Those experiences shaped those kids into the people they were.  They all had serious trust issues and sometimes the haunted look in their eyes made me hurt.  When I got the idea for this story, Mattie in my mind was a foster kid.  I wanted to show people that those kids are more than just the tough facade they show to the world, that they are vulnerable and sweet underneath their layers of shields.  I rolled all their attitude into Mattie and there’s a little bit of each of them in her. Mattie Louise Hathaway is that tough as nails foster kid who looks after her own and will deck you as soon as look at you, but underneath all that attitude, there’s still a sixteen year old girl who’s scared, alone, vulnerable, and well 16!  She still notices the cute guy while being that sassy, snotty brat!

Q:  I know that most writers have to have music when they are writing.  Let’s face it, music has inspired so many different stories over the years.  What was on your playlist when you wrote The Ghost Files?

A:  Wow, well, I did listen to a ton of different music, but these were my favs:

Fall Out Boy: My Song Knows What You Did In the Dark (this song alone is responsible for the last five chapters of the book!)

Evanescence:  Bring Me Back To Life

Bruno Mars:  Just the Way You Are

Demi Lavato:  Heart Attack

Taylor Swift:  I Knew You Were Trouble

Taking Back Sunday:  Make Damn Sure

My Chemical Romance:  I Don’t Love You

My Chemical Romance:  The Ghost of You

Korn:  Freak On A Leash

Dashboard Confessional:  Slow Decay

Valora: I Waited For You

 

A Book in Review.

 

Brief Summary:

After ending a dysfunctional affair with a powerful movie producer, feisty Hollywood makeup artist Bella Webber finds herself back in the quaint Oregon town of River Valley, the location of a famous director’s latest film. Despite trying to distract herself with work, Bella is unnerved by the proximity of Benjamin Fleck – a man she fell instantly in love with during a chance encounter at her brother’s home. Unfortunately, he sees her as nothing more than a heartbreak waiting to happen. When an actress is found murdered after she’s seen leaving the restaurant Riversong with Ben, he is accused of the crime and arrested. Convinced of his innocence, the River Valley friends band together to find the real killer, and Bella must face her biggest fear to ensure the truth is revealed. Romantic, suspenseful, and engaging, bestselling author Tess Thompson’s third novel in the River Valley Collection delivers another tribute to the power of community and the bonds of friendship.

Review:

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Riverstar was a good, quick mystery that would be perfect to throw in your bag for a weekend get-away. The main character, Bella is extremely likeable. I wanted to hang with her and have her do my make-up. Her back story is tragic and sad, so it’s really hard not to like her. I love her closeness with her best friend, Gennie. Reminded me of me & btooth, how we can just sit in silence and know what the other one is thinking. I figured out the killer pretty early on, but was interested to know all the tidbits that went along with the mystery. This 3 star book is jam-packed with different characters, food, and hometown comradery. You’ll find yourself wishing you could take a trip to the town, xo.

Author Bio:
Tess Thompson is a novelist and playwright with a BFA in Drama from the University of Southern California. In 2011, she released her first novel, Riversong, which subsequently became a bestseller. Like the characters in the River Valley collection, Tess is from a small town in Oregon. She currently lives in a suburb of Seattle, Washington with her two young daughters, Emerson and Ella, where she is inspired daily by the view of the Cascade Mountains from her home office window.
Buy Links:

• Riversong – Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, Kobo
• Caramel and Magnolias – Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iTunes, Kobo
• The River Valley Collection- Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, iTunes
• Riverbend – Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, Barnes and Noble
• Riverstar – Amazon

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