Tie Die by Max Tomlinson

This story started back in the 60's.  Steve was the lead singer in a band until he woke up with a dead under aged female in his bed.  Then he ran from the law because he didn't kill her but they didn't believe him...

Oceanview Publishing and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 8th.

Now he has a problem of his own.  His young daughter has been kidnapped and he asks a P I to help him.  She hasn't gotten her approved license yet but she's willing.

As she looks into the case, she finds his ex has the kid and she's bought her a horse to keep her quiet.  She takes pictures and shows him.

When she goes to brace the ex about what's going on (they want the rights to his old songs), she finds her dead in her bedroom.  At first she suspects the husband.  He was very angry.  But then she decides he didn't do it.

The more people from his past she meets, the more dangerous it gets.  There's no lack of guns and they are  all big men.

It's a complex case with a producer who wants songs he never paid for, a nasty ex-wife and her father, and a bully who doesn't care if he kills people.

She's determined to get to the bottom of it and she does.  But it's good thing she had a gun and a knife with her...

The Woman in the Green Dress by Tea Cooper

Fleur fell in love and married in a short period of time because her new husband was going to war.  She daydreamed about moving to Australia and living happily ever after.  Then she recieves news he's dead and he's willed his estate to her.  She doesn't want his estate, she wants Hugh!

Thomas Nelson and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

Since it's her inheritanance, she decides to go look for relatives and give most of it to them.

This is a story in two parts:  Part historical and part contemporary.  I enjoyed the historical version best but the book was good overall.

The shop is a taxidermist but the lady running it takes all kinds of aboriginal things in, too.  She has weapons, clothes and a bit of everything.  When Fleur finds the men she has acquiring the goods are killing the aboriginis to get them, she tells her.  She doesn't care.  Many don't consider them human, they are more animal.  The men leave the area once they've been found out.  The proprietess disappears.

When the current owner shows up, the building is boarded up and has been for sometime.  She, with the help of a male, gets in.  She starts snooping about and makes a discovery she's rather not.  The proprietess is no longer missing.  She'd been helping women kill their hubands so you can't feel too sorrry for her.

Fleur did share her inheritance with those who needed it.

This was an entertaining story that kept me reading.

Kind of a Big Deal by Shannon Hale

Her singing made her kind of a big deal in high school.  Could she get a part on Broadway?

Roaring Book Press and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 25th.

What sucked me into reading this was the fact that as she read books using the glasses she got in the bookstore, she stepped into that story.  The characters became her friends she had in real life and she had many adventures.

The boy she loves is in her stories.  So is another boy she has her eye on.  She gets in death defying situations where she and whichever boy is in that story fight as a team and win.  She learns something about her best friend from high school.  She doesn't want to be friends anymore, she wants to move on.  She's not sure which boy she wants more.

And then she learns something about the new boy that scares her.  She's developing powers she never had before.  When she thinks she's figured it out, she braces him.  He tells her it's true.  She's not interested in being what he wants her to be so she plans to get away.  He tells her she can't.

Will she break the spell and go back to being human?  Is there any hope she and her old boyfriend will get back together again?

Read it and see.

Tail for Two : A Fur Haven Dog Park novel by Mara Wells

Lance agrees to take care of his little brother's dog.  He had no idea doing so would turn his life upside down...

Sourcebooks Casablanca and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 29th.

While he's at the dog park, he sees his dog he had while married with a three year old boy.  He gets angry.  She wouldn't let him have the dog but she must have given it away.  The dog and the boy come to see him.  And not long behind is his ex-wife.  It seems the boy and the dog are both Carrie's.  He asks how old the boy is and if she has a boyfriend.  She tells him the boy's birthday and admits she doesn't have a boyfriend.  She's looking, though.

It takes him a bit but then he realizes he and she had a final fling after the divorce, and the boy is his son.  He wants to be in his life and be a father.  She's hesitant.  She doesn't want him around all the time.

She needs his skills to rehab a bathroom on one of her jobs.  He can use her skills in the building he's renovating.  They are going to see each other if she wants to or not.  She starts dating his architect and uses her ex-husband as a babysitter.

It doesn't take long before Adam tells her he can tell she's still in live with Lance.  He says Lance love her, too.

Will Carrie get past the walls of the past and accept Lance?  Will they have their son, their dog and a happily ever after?

One for the Books by Jenn McKinlay

Lindsey, library director and Sully, boat captain are going to get married soon.  They are deeply in love and excited about the marriage.  But when they find a man dead on his parent's island, it throws a wrench in the business.  That man was Sully's friend and he was going to marry them...

Berkley and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on September 1st.

Sully wants to find out who murdered him.  Then they have a hard hunt ahead if them to find soneone who can marry them.  Their options are limited in a small town.  As they ask questions and begin their search, they have no idea how dangerous it's going to become.

The main suspect is missing and can't be located.  The wife is another suspect except she doesn't inherit anything like they thought.  So is she or is she not?

The man had an affair with his brother's wife and says her last baby is his.  Not true but he won't give up claiming it.  The brothers fight.  Could Nate have killed him?  Nate confesses, they put him in jail.  Then his wife confesses and they are both in jail.  Is anyone telling the truth?

When they find a dead body on the boat that was in storage (it smells), it was the main suspect.  And Lindsey knows who killed him.  It's a bit late though.  The killer and the lawyer are in another boat shooting at them.  Will Lindsey survive long enough to get married?

The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis

The Bronte sisters hear of a missing woman and they know the nanny there.  They find a lot of blood but no sign of the missing woman.  They decide to investigate.

This is a new cover and it is quite attractive.  It has been published, so you can grab a copy now.

They find that the man she married is a monster.  His first wife committed suicide to get away from him.  Might he have killed his second wife?

This is a well thought out mystery with the sisters sharing what they've found out.  They each have their own strengths.  Some are braver than others.  And they clash frequently, just like siblings do.  They press at the case, talking to family members, friends, and to anyone that knew her.  They sometimes have to pretend they have been sent by an attorney to get answers.  Women don't investigate...

They finally think they know what happened so they go to confront the suspected party.  They just want to get the children out of there alive.

The ending is dangerous and a bit sad but the mystery is solved and the overall outcome is good.  I enjoyed this tale of the Bronte sisters and would read more in this series.

Winner Cake All by Denise Swanson, Series: Chef-to-Go Mysteries

Dani is catering the engagement party of a lifetime.  Her word of mouth advertising has brought her Yvette who is marrying a man with money.  She's picky and the engagement takes place soon, but money is no object.  They are having it in a fancy tent, so Dani hires some help and gets to cooking.

Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 29th.

Dani is dating the university chief of police and it's like they can never find a day they are both free.  They date as they can.  When he finds out she's hired the police chief from town to be a chef, he's jealous, so she invites him to come over and help with the cooking.  All that goes well after they get rid of one employee who didn't want to serve the chicken.

When they start bringing the food into the tent, a big windstorm picks up.  It knocks the tent down.  Dani helps others get out before she leaves.  Then she and her boyfriend find that the engaged woman is dead.  And it was no accident.  Who could have killed her?

It's a crooked path back to the truth.  She was not a nice woman.  She also wasn't faithful.  There are several suspects but Dani is narrowing it down.  Will she solve the case or become another victim?

The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Gerda Muller

This is a beautifully illustrated story that adds to the charm of the story.  He's a homeless orphan and no one cares.  He decides to follow two cats and see who feeds them.  Maybe they would have food for a young boy, too.

Floris Books and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be pub;ished September 29th.

The man who answers the door invites him in and asks questions as he eats.  He's a sorcerer and he needs an apprentice.  The boy anxiously asks for the job.  He gets room and board and has to work.  He finds his jobs all tedious.  Housecleaning, bringing water in and the like.  But he does get to find herbs and plants and crush them with a pestle, and gather other things for the sorcerer.

He asks to learn spells and he tells him one.  He also tells him never to use it when the sorcerer is not around.  But the next time the sorcerer is out, he uses it on the brooms to bring water in.  They're doing a good job but they don't quit and he doesn't know how to stop them.  Soon he's flooded their cottage and most of the village.

The sorcerer is angry and tells him he's fired.  But he begs for his job back and goes out on his own and helps all the homeowners clean up.  They are pleased with him and tell the sorcerer so.  When he goes back and asks for his job again, he's warned against not listening to the orders and rehired.  Things went on well from there...

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Lizzie Shane

Ally came to Pine Hollow to help her grandparents out.  They ran a dog rescue in their barn and she was in between jobs, so she'd help.  But not long after she got there, she finds out their funding was cut out of the budget for next year.  They needed it for the roof of the community center, which collapsed under the snow.  She can't argue with that but where are they going to place the twelve dogs they have in four weeks?

Forever and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 29th.

She went downtown to get some snow pictures.  While she's there she backs into Ben and spills his cup of coffee down his front.  He's the one she complains to about shutting down the dog rescue program.  He suggests she dress up the dogs and take their pictures and he'll feature them as the twelve dogs of Christmas.

That works!  Soon they are getting applications for some.  Ben even goes out and helps with the dogs since he found out his niece was doing it.  He had an issue with her because he thought she lied to him and he grounded her for a few days but soon she was back helping.

Eventually Ally admits she loves him.  He just stares at her.  So she leaves the event and walks back home.  She doesn't want to go back to New York after all but now her grandparents are talking about selling the farm.  They're going to go in the old folks home.  What can she do?

And what can Ben do to let her know he loves her too?

Rancho de Amor by Dan Harder

Catherine is on the hunt for an old lady that wrote an outstanding romance that has sold a lot of copies.  The company she is working for is going under and if she has more manuscripts they might carry them through this crisis.

West Margin Press and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on September 15th.

The lady is an elusive one.  No one in town has seen her and no one knows where she lives.  She keeps asking but gets no answers.  Then the cowboy who fell at her feet as she was walking by the tavern says he knows her.  He's not her type at all but she'll do anything to talk to the old lady.  The problem is he's invited her competitor, too.  It's going to turn into a bidding war.  She bids way too much money, more than the company has.  Then Sam, the cowboy gets a call about a fire and as he was taking off, she joined him in boots she borrowed rather than her heels.

They try to save the cows that are calving and she almost gets caught in the fire.  She's sad about the ones they've lost but they saved the majority.  When they get back to the ranch the two who stayed behind said the old lady wasn't, it was the bartender acting.  She gets very angry at Sam and walks out as he announces she'll be speaking at the big romance fan conference the next day.

Catherine goes but she's not expecting to see her.  What she gets is the surprise of her life...

The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline

Evangeline is a young, naive girl serving as a governess.  She's seduced by the son and gets accused of stealing the ring he gave her.  She's also pregnant.  Then she pushes the housekeeper down the stairs because she's saying mean things.  The housekeeper is OK but the lady of the house calls it attempted murder and sends her away with the police.  Suddenly she finds herself on a boat heading to Australia.

William Morrow sent me an Arc of this book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published September 15th.

She strikes up a friendship with Hazel.  She's younger but her mother was a midwife and she knows herbal remedies for common complaints.

In Australia, a little orphan girl is taken in by an English couple.  She doesn't want to be but she has no choice.  They attempt to make her conform to English norms.  She hates it.  She gets in trouble when she acts out.

The story of how awful the conditions were for the prisoners and how all of them did not survive tugs at your heart.  But many of them had inner strength and lived through it and went on with their lives.  I especially liked the story of how the baby, Ruby, made it and went to brace her father!

This story is historically accurate.  With all the pain and suffering in our past lives wouldn't you think we'd be kinder today?

Norbert the Winter Gnome by Daniela Drescher

Norbert is eating warm porridge for his breakfast when he thinks of the other animals and their lack of food.  He decides to share.

Floris Books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 15th.

This is a perfect book for little ones.  The illustrations are lovely and the kind acts by Norbert will have them smiling.  It's a book they will read again and again.

He gives nuts to the squirrel, hay to the rabbit and more goodies until all the animals have been fed.  By then, it's almost nightfall, and he goes home.  His heart is happy and he falls right to sleep.

This could be a good bedtime story, too!

Wishes and Wellingtons by Julie Berry

Mauve hates the boarding school she's been sent to and spends a lot of time in trouble.  When she is sent to sort the garbage, she suddenly finds a sardine can that is moving .  When she opens it, a djinni comes out and wants to grant her wishes.  Wow!

Sourcebooks Young Readers and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published October 13th.

This is an exciting and entertaining read.  She shares her discovery with her roommate.  The orphan boy next door is looking in the window and finds out, too.  He wants to have it after her three wishes have been granted to make his wishes and then he'll give it to her roommate.  She agrees, knowing when she's through it will disappear to who knows where.  Tommy doesn't know that.

Then a man wants the sardine can.  His daughter told him about it.  (She was eavesdropping when she shouldn't be.)  First he offers her money.  It's tempting but she says no.  Then he says he'll get her father hired.  She won't give it up but she also wants to save her father.  Then the man sets another one on her, following her everywhere trying to get the djinni.

He manages to steal it.  Will she get it back?  Can she save her dad's job?  It's an exciting ending!

Sweet Dreams by Peter Leonard

Kate is trying to find the bank robber who likes to kill people.  When she questions one suspect they've been following, he shoots her.  She shoots back killing him.  He was not a good man, but he wasn't her bank robber.  While she's in the hospital, she gets a vase of beautiful flowers.  But no one from work sent them.  Who did?

Rare Bird Books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on September 14th.

Kate has seen someone in a gray car following her and staring at her apartment.  She's had enough and goes down to brace him.  Imagine how surprised she was when he tells her he's her father.  He's just out of jail, doesn't know her at all but wants to.  She's not sure about it but when he says he knows who the bank robber, murderer is and he will help her catch him, she decides she could use the help.  He was the one who sent her the flowers.

As Kate and Frank get used to each other and he tells her what he knows about the man he met in prison, her investigation is making progress.  The only problem is the killer is getting closer to her, too.  He's been in her apartment.  Now she has two men watching her!  Can she catch him before he catches her?

In a Midnight Wood by Ellen Hart

Jane and Constance are going to visit their friend, Emma, and attend the local art festival.  There's also a class reunion going on, so they're sure to see old friends.  Jane wasn't expecting to do any sleuthing during the visit...

Minotaur Books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 8th.

When she goes to visit the old graveyard, they are digging up an old grave.  They need to move the wife over one spot so the husband can be buried by her side just like they slept in bed so many years. They never expected to find another body beneath her.

It's the body of Sam Romilly, a senior that went missing right after school was out in 1999.  They start asking questions and they get varying answers.  Some are lies.  Who killed Sam and why?  He had a bad temper did that have anything to do with it?   Those who are coming back to town get questioned, too.  But the killers never left town...

This is a good mystery right up to the end.  There doesn't seem to be any reason why he died.  The pistols were filled with blanks.  Did his father kill him?  They fought like cats and dogs.

After all these years one of the boys there couldn't stand his guilt anymore and confesses.  It's a breath-taking moment...

All He Knew by Helen Frost

Henry got very ill at a young age and lost his hearing.  His older sister takes care of him, sticking close.  But when he reaches school age, his parents must make a choice.  Will they send him to the school for the deaf or to the school for those who have physical problems?  Mom wants to send him to the school for the deaf but she doesn't like what the matron has to say.  She thinks he's stupid even before she's met him.  They send him to the other school.

Farrar, Straus, and Giroux and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 11th.

The other school is further away and they can't visit often.  They don't have the funds.  So poor Henry goes to this home where he sleeps in a ward with other boys and gets abused by the men working there.  They strap bad boys into chairs and leave them there for days.  That's never happened to Harry but he doesn't wake in the morning, so the man pulls his blankets off rudely and shouts at him.  He fixes him, though.  He has this really smelly fart and pulls his blankets tight.  When the man pulls the blankets off he gets that wonderful aroma.  After that, he just shakes his shoulder.

He makes two good friends.  They do things together.  The smaller one is missing an arm and he decides to run away.  Henry retrieves him and they sneak back in at the end of the breakfast line.  The new man says nothing.  He's much kinder.

When Henry gets sick again the put him in the sick ward.  There are a lot of others there.  It's the mumps.  When little Billy gets sick, he doesn't come back.  Henry grieves...

Then his other friend gets to go home.  Will Henry ever get to go home? 

A Dog-Friendly Town by Josephine Cameron

His parent's own a dog friendly bed and breakfast.  He's the dog walker for one nervous dog and he enjoys it.  He's also going to a new school when summer is over and he's not sure about that.  He also  has a little brother and sister he's supposed to watch and keep out of the guests way.  This summer isn't really relaxing...

Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 4th.

They have a famous St Bernard come to stay with his owner and trainer and his little sister, Elvis, is ecstatic.  She watches his show and loves him.  The boys are less impressed.

Then they get another group of dogs who also are stars.  They are labradoodles and the children are not excited about them.

They find that a famous jewel thief is in the area.  There are a lot of jewels floating around the shows taking place.  They'll have to keep their eyes open.

When the jeweled collar disappears from the dog's neck, everyone panics.  Elvis admits she took it so her dog hero can find it and be in favor again.  The only problem is someone else found it first...

So who stole it?  The cop isn't making much progress, so the children decide to investigate themselves.  Will they find it?  Will they identify the guilty party?  Who could it be?  There are so many suspects...

Murder on Cold Street by Sherry Thomas

Lady Sherlock is shocked to hear Inspector Treadle is in jail.  He was found in a room with two dead men, covered with blood, and waving his gun at the police officers.  The worst part is that he won't speak in his defense.  He says nothing except that he's sorry.  His wife comes to visit and asks if Sherlock Holmes will help.  Lady Sherlock checks and says yes.

Berkley Publishing and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 8th.

Lord Ingram is around.  He's getting a divorce and is in love with Lady Sherlock.  She's not sure if what she feels for him is love, but she does care for him.  He helps her with her investigation.

This is a series and I've enjoyed reading the others and couldn't miss this one.  It's also a very good mystery that Lady Sherlock figures out but then has to figure out how to prove it.

The more people she talks to, the more confusing it gets.  Then they look st the books for the company they worked at.  There is missing money.

Mrs Treadle worked with both men.  She was now the owner and operator of the company.  Sullivan gave the impression they were close when she didn't like him at all.  Now there are rumors they were lovers and that's why her husband killed him.

When they find out where the missing money went, that the inspector's gun had been stolen before the deaths, and who had been in and out of the vacant house, it casts a very different look at the murders.

It was an unusual murder driven by greed.  Moriarty is involved which makes it dangerous but Lady Sherlock doesn't give up.

I'm anxious to see how this romance works out.  I'll be reading the next book in this series.

Robert B. Parker's Fool's Paradise by Mike Lupica

They've found a dead man out at the lake.  He didn't drown, he was shot.  Jesse Stone was surprised he recognized him.  He'd been at the AA meeting he had attended a couple of towns away.  His name was Paul but that was all he knew about him.  He had no ID, no phone or anything else that could identify him.  What was he doing here and who had he come to see?

GP Putnam's Sons and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 8th.

It takes Jesse and several of his team members to find the man's identity.  Even then they don't know much because he was an orphan.  When they find the driver that dropped him off, they visit the house and asked them what he wanted.  They said he'd never called there...

The son there had been involved in an earlier crime in his life:  rape.  His father's money saved him from jail time.  Then one of the other boys involved turns up dead. 

Every time Jesse thinks he might be  getting close, he gets other information that takes him on another tangent.  He's a bulldog on the case and won't give up.  But if he's not careful, he could become the next victim...

Crystalia by Andrea Denver

This is a great book of fantasy for the young reader in your household.  It has magic, danger, and a race to save the world they live in.

The author sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The earth became full of evil and bad creatures, so these beings left and started a new world.  All is going well until they find a hole in their world and the evil staring at them.  Then they begin a new quest to find all the crystals and stop the evil from destroying their world.  Dashin, a young man, is sent on the quest.

He's given a map and is told as his journey continues more will be revealed to him.  They send a little fairy with him.  Dashin does OK in the beginning even if he's a bit shocked by how things happen.  Then, as his quest continues, he believes a pixie.  Never believe a pixie:  they make mischief and lie.

The odds aren't looking good for Dashin and his friends.  Will they survive their quest and get all the crystals?

The Darkest Evening : A Vera Stanhope Novel by Ann Cleeves

Vera was going home for a social event, but she missed her turn and had to go the long way around.  She had found a car off to the side with a young child still in it.  The door was wide open.  She took the child inside but there were no strangers.  It was what she expected.    At least in the beginning.  Then someone found the missing mother dead in the snow in the back.

Minotaur Books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 8th.

Vera warns everyone away and calls the station for more help.  She didn't die from the cold, she had blunt trauma to her head.  Most knew who she was but she wasn't close to any of them.

This was a difficult case.  There were several suspects but they were all cleared.  The DNA test proved an assumption by the family was false.  Vera keeps trying to find out who the father was of the little boy.  She keeps following the wrong road.

When she goes back to their love nest, she is accosted by the real killer.  When she tells him she knows he did it, he tries to strangle her.  He's bigger and stronger, will this be the end for Vera?

Killer Kung Pao : A Noodle Shop Mystery by Vivien Chien

Lana Lee has too much to do.  Her mother wants her to modernize their restaurant, she's in charge of the sidewalk sale at the mall she's in, and she has her own noodle house to run with little help.  She doesn't need anything more but...

St Martin's Paperbacks and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thabk you).  It will be published August 25th.

Lana witnesses an accident at the mall.  Two cars back into eqach other.  Both women are hotheads and after much shouting one threatens to sue the other.  Mildred is claiming her neck was hurt .  They take her away in an ambulance.  That will add more to her law suit.

Then Lana goes for her hair coloring a day or two later.  The two women are there still arguing.  They settle them down and the staff gets to work.  As the hair is being colored suddenly the power goes out.  Then it comes back on.  But Mildred won't be going anywhere.  She got electrocuted while soaking her feet for a pedicure.  Was it an accident or murder?

After Lana's boyfriend (a cop) checks it out he says it couldn't be an accident.  There's no way the nail dryer could fallen in on it's own.  He also tells her to stay out of it.  But Jane is the obvious choice.  She was involved in the accident, was the one being sued, and hated Mildred.  She was back at the bathroom at the vital time very close to the murder site.  But Jane's sister asks Lana to prove Jane didn't do it...

Lana doesn't want to believe Jane would go that far either.  So she starts her own investigation.  Asking all her questions annoys some.  They are insulted she would think they had done it.  Some tried to help and made it worse.  But she knew she was in  trouble when she got caught in the mall bathroom after everyone had left by the killer with the tire iron.  Is this the end for Lana?

The Barnabus Project by Terry Fan; Eric Fan; Devin Fan

Barnabus was part mouse and part elephant.  He was a toy that didn't turn out quite right but he had lots of company.  They ate the food they were given and lived in their containers peaceably.  But then one day they marked them all with a red sticker that said "failed".  They were going to be remade...

Tundra Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on September 1st.

Barnabus says they need to escape.  They tell him it's impossible.  He hits the glass wall. smashes into it and kicks it with no results.  Then he sits down and lets a cry of frustration come out.  The glass at the top has cracked.  So he makes a really loud noise and he's free!

They work as a team to get off the shelves and head out for freedom.  But the humans are after them.  Will they get free? 

Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie

Claire is busy working on science and has no time for her father's ghost stories.  Most of them are grim and there are no happy endings.  But when she is the only one who can fill in on the bus tour to visit ghostly haunts, she has to do it.

Sourcebooks Young Readers and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 1st.

She thinks all his passengers are nuts.  They believe in ghosts so much they imagine them.  But they don't even see the one sitting on the bus with them.  Claire is the only one who does and she doesn't want to.  Soon the tour is over and the boy disappears.  She can't show him to her dad so she pretends she didn't see anything.  They go home, have a normal evening and head to bed.  That's where normal ends for Claire...

She hears a scritch scratch in the wall and knows it's that boy.  She gets so scared she sleeps in her closet.  When she goes to get her clothes for school, the drawer is full of water and her clothes are wet.  In the bathroom the shower has a number written on the wall.

Her brother finally gets the truth out of her and offers to help.  They begin by looking at the various ghost sites they toured but no luck.  Then she wonders if the number means something.  Through research she finds it does.  It was assigned to her boy as an unknown victim.  It took a long time for him to be identified because his parents died in the same accident.

Can she reunite him with his parents?

Blue Magnolia by W.F. Ranew

Hank Tillman wants to be a Country and Western star.  He sings old favorites and works on writing his own.  He has one song that's quite successful.  Then he braced by a couple of big boys who want him to give that song to their group, and to come to their big meeting to discuss it.  He says no and he finds himself in a ditch with a gunshot wound...

Goddess Fish Promotions and the author shared a copy of this book with me for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

Red is hired to protect Hank.  He drags him out of the ditch and the ambulance takes him to the hospital.  Hank had hidden behind a stage curtain but that's where the men were that grabbed him.

The Blue Magnolias (similar to the Ku Klux Clan) don't take no for an answer.  The two men who failed in their mission where sent down to Florida and told no to come back.  But there is still a killer around.

The streets of the south are mean and you have to be to survive them.  Red is ready for trouble and he gets it.  The guys in the group don't like him.

I really enjoyed the ending. The killer has found Red and his wife and is threatening them both with his gun.  But he gets a surprise...

W.F. Ranew will be awarding $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.  Enter HERE.

Encourage your readers to follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better their chances of winning. The tour dates can be found HERE. 

Happy reading and good luck!

Dalya and the Magic Ink Bottle by J M Evenson

Dalya is in Istanbul with her father.  He plans on selling the ancestral home of his family.  It's in such bad shape she can't imagine it selling.  Then despite his promises, he's always on the phone talking about work.  Her aunt is boring.  What can she do for fun?

Capstone and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 1st.

Her aunt tells her about a family curse.  She's not sure if she believes her or not.  But when her aunt settles down to take a nap, she heads up to the attic, where she was told not to go.  There she finds an ink bottle with messages inside.  It says it can grant her wish if she rubs it.

She rubs it and wishes to go home.  She never imagined she's find herself as a cat years ago in the same house when it was almost new.  The woman tries to chase her out but the girl living there hides her and lies.  The cat finds out the aunt is keeping all the things sent to the girl and sells them.  She tells the girl her father has forgotten her...

It starts with the cat and the girl, then they add a rat, and then a dog.  They are looking for the magician that made the ink bottle but they run into a batch of squirrels who intend to stop them.  They have more than one encounter with squirrels.  And the magician doesn't want to help Dalya.

Everyone grows a bit stronger as time goes on.  Will Dalya ever get home?  Will the other girl's father come and save her from her mean aunt?

Fable by Adrienne Young

She's a young woman who was abandoned on an is land by her father after their ship sank and her mother died.  She's been there for four years and has learned how to take care of herself.  The island has nothing in the way of food, and the men on it view her as a victim.  She's saving her coin to travel back to her father and demand to become part of the crew.  She's dredger and she's found a rich spot for stones that sell well.  If she can stay alive, she's got it made.

St. Martin's Press and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published September 1st.

Fable has a man after her wanting her coin, so she runs to the boat where the captain buys her stones and asks him for passage.  He says no but the amount of money she mentions tempts him enough to say yes.

She has many adventures on this boat with West, the Captain.  They are falling in love with each other but can't show it to the crew.  Just like a crew member, Willa, is his sister...  No one knows that either.

When she finds her father and says she's come to join the crew he says no  But he tells her she can have all the treasure on the Lark, the wrecked boat.That's nice but it's in a dangerous place.  She tells West she will share with her crew mates.  He thinks she should keep a bigger share since it's her inheritance.  She says no, share and share alike.

Will they make it through the dangerous waters?  Will the treasure still be there?  Will everyone still be alive? 

The Book of Dragons by Jonathan Strahan

An anthology of dragon stories.  What more could you want?

Harper Voyager and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It's being published today.

This is not a sweet tale of nice dragons.  Some of these dragons will eat you.  Some of them take humans in and no one sees them again.  Are they hiding them and treating like slaves or did they eat them?

There are some decent dragons I wouldn't mind meeting but it's hard to tell the difference.  I'd enjoy a dragon friend but I don't want to get hurt.

If you have a fascination with dragons you'll enjoy these stories.  Just be careful, OK?  You really can't trust dragons...

Lola Benko, Treasure Hunter by Beth McMullen

Lola's mother died, so her father takes her on his hunts for treasure.  She loves it even if they don't often find what they were going after.  Now he's all excited about a new hunt but he's sending Lola to stay with Aunt Irma.  She doesn't want to go but she has no choice.  Her father says it's dangerous.

Aladdin and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you),  It will be published on August 25th.

When agents come to the house and tell her that her father is dead, she refuses to believe it and decides to go find him.

Lola wants to join her father so she decides robbing an art work would give her the money she needs.  Unfortunately, she falls and breaks her arm and the ballerinas statue she thought she could sell.  She finds herself in a new strict school with no time to skip.  She just barely stays out of jail.

But with time, she makes new friends.  She's never had friends before.  She thinks she knows where he hid the magic rock but when she goes to retrieve it, the storage unit is empty.  The three go to find the boat it's on and retrieve it but they don't get to keep it long.  A woman comes and says she will trade Lola's father for the stone.  Lola agrees but the woman says they aren't done with her father yet and they go.

Will Lola be able to save her father?  What happens to the stone?  And where will Lola go from here?

This Way Charlie by Caron Levis, Charles Santoso

Jack is a goat and he likes his personal space.  Everyone is good about that except the new horse they brought home.  He actually steps on Jack.  That's when the owner tells him he has one blind eye.

Abrams Junior Readers shared a copy of this book with me for review (thank you).  It has beeen published and you can get a copy now.

Charlie can't wander the farm like the other animals do looking for food, so Jack takes pity on him.  He leads him to pastures with good grass and to creeks to get a drink.  Before long they are good friends.  Then he notices Charlie is losing the sight in his other eye.  Now he takes even better care of him.  Charlie tries to get him to come in the barn but Jack has bad memories about a barn.  Will Charlie succeed?

The best part about this book is that it is based on a true story.  There really was a horse and a goat who took care of each other.  It's a sweet story that any child who likes animals will love!

The Best Burp: The Nocturnals (Grow & Read Early Reader, Level 1) by Tracey Hecht, Josie Yee

This one is going to be a big hit with the boys.  It's a burping contest!

Fabled Films Press sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It's already been published, so you can get a copy now.

Bismark and Bink both burped and thought theirs was biggest and best.  Tobin suggests a contest.  They both burp loudly.  It's hard to tell who burped loudest but they woke Dawn up.  When she asks about the noise they point at each other trying to shift the blame.  Dawn tells them blaming others isn't how to be your best self.

This is a beginning reader chapter book.  It's a short, complete tale that teaches a lesson.  These are great for reading aloud.  Let the children take turns.  You could even have sound effects if you let them burp...

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Kira doesn't remember her mother.  She remembers living in the forest and learning what she could eat and what she could steal from the animals.  It's a nightmare to her and although it was many years ago, she still has bad dreams here and there...

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 4th.

When a man comes and asks her foster mother to look for a missing child, Kira wants to do it.  She's stunned when she learns he is her grandfather.  Her brother wants to go, too, and Grandpa finally talks her into it.  She still hasn't forgiven him for the past, but a lost child is more important.

They start the hunt by breaking up  into teams of two.  The little girl was sleeping in her tent but appears to have walked off.  They find where she fell in the river and that's a bad sign.  But then they find where she got out, so she's still alive.

Kira's memories surface during the hunt.  She's made a new friend but the sheriff doesn't like him.  (He's his stepson.)  Then the sheriff takes her and her friend down to the police station.  He shows her a picture of her mother and calls her an animal.  Her grandfather shows up and tells him if he bothers his family again, he'll kill him.  He tells him he's dying anyway, so he has nothing to lose.

They keep looking although hope is running out.  Will they find her?  Who could have stolen her from the tent?  There are more questions and most get answered.

I enjoyed this read.  Kira's instincts and experiences help her with this search.  You feel her anxiety...

Ink & Sigil From the world of The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne

Al MacBharrais has been cursed.  No one knows by whom and no one can remove it.  The better news is that he has magical abilities and can create sigils with amazing powers.  Unfortunately his curse also means all his apprentices die from accidental deaths.  He does what good he can but he hates his curses...

Del Rey allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on August 25th.

He trades some sigils for information or favors.  But when he goes to check on his latest apprentice, he finds that not only is he dead, he had access to inks and sigils he shouldn't have.  He also has a hobgoblin caged.

Hobgoblins can be dangerous, so Al contracts him to make it safer.  Then he tries to figure out just what his apprentice was doing.  The more he learns, the scarier it gets.  It appears the apprentice was capturing the magic folk and turning them over to someone.  Why?

You'll meet a wide variety of magical folks.  Not just fae but trolls and ogres and more.  The hobgoblin helps him and so does his office manager but it's still very dangerous.  As if the magic folks aren't enough, the CIA is involved, too...

Will Al and his friends be able to shut the illegal trafficking down?  Will everyone survive?  It's hard to tell...

Killer, Come Back To Me: The Crime Stories of Ray Bradbury

This book is pure noir.  All the stories are creepy and dark and you are never sure who is going to die next.

Hardcase Crime and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 18th.

The stories are short and it wasn't long before I was dreading the endings.  You never know where Bradbury's mind is going.  Sometimes they die in the first two pages, sometimes in the middle asnd sometimes at the end,  The endings are usually ironic.

The story that stuck with me was about a circus.  Someone kills one of the Siamese twins.  The remaining one begs to be removed from his dead twin and he survives.  But he doesn't know who the killer is.  In tie he learns and it breaks his heart...

This is just a sample of his writing.  This one was tame compared to some of the others. 

They all draw you in and make you wonder where the journey you're on will end.  This was a good read.