Review: KISS KILL VANISH by Jessica Martinez (2014 Whitney Finalist)

From Amazon: 
Love. Betrayal. Murder.

Valentina is living a charmed, glittering life in Miami—falling in love for the first time, showered with gifts and affection by her father, surrounded by friends—when one shocking moment shatters everything she thought she knew about herself, her boyfriend, and her world. With no one left to trust, Valentina sheds her identity and flees to Montreal, where she finds work posing for a series of portraits by a pompous young artist. Valentina has always been at home in the art world, but she's never felt quite so alone.

Valentina's carefully constructed new life comes crashing down when someone from her past resurfaces, putting her safety in question and her heart on the line. With betrayal at every turn, Valentina must untangle the deceptions of those she once loved and race to find her own truth—before it's too late.

Genre: YA Contemporary Thriller

Audience: Young Adult

Length: 432 pgs

Rating: 4

Review: First, love the cover. Second, loved the book. I had a lot of things to guess about, and in a good way, I never knew whose loyalties were where. The world between Valetina's memories of Miama and then Montreal and all of it was lovely. I love how she weaved the memories with the mandolin playing. Loved how V found friendship in unexpected places. The ending . . . I talked with a friend about this. It was somewhat weak. I was okay with it, but it could have been better. (And of course, as an author myself, I knew how I would've done it.)

Content:

Language: ? (I'm usually very good at keeping track of content, but for some reason I didn't when I read this book. I remember some language...)

Sex: 1 (It is implied that Valentina and her boyfriend have slept together. It is discussed how Marcel and his brother sleep with multiple girls and party hard.)

Violence: 3 (It's a thriller.)

Overall Rating: PG-13

Review: SPY BY NIGHT by Jordan McCollum

From JordanMcCollum.com: After watching her parents’ marriage crash and burn, CIA operative Talia Reynolds doesn’t believe in “happily ever afters.” Besides, her job entails eighty-hour weeks, juggling a dozen covers and disguises, and tracking down a dangerous Russian spy ring. She hardly has time for romantic entanglements, even if she could let her guard down enough to get close to anyone. But all the rules she lives by could be broken when she meets aerospace engineer Danny Fluker.

Danny moved to Canada for a great job — and a chance to start over after a bad breakup.Dating definitely isn’t in his plans . . . until beautiful and enigmatic Talia throws a perfect storm right in his flight path. When he catches a glimpse of the real woman behind her façade, he has to get to know her better.

Talia has to find a Russian spymaster before he figures out she’s not who she claims, and failing to keep her two lives separate in the process could mean the death of more than just her budding relationship. Danny has to decide if a future with Talia — and facing the past — is worth the risk of getting hurt again. If they can break through the barriers keeping them apart (and avoid a major international catastrophe), they just might have a chance at being happy together.

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Romantic Thriller
Length: 331 pgs

Rating: 5 (I really loved it!)

Review: I am SO a fan of these books. I remember reading the first one, a year ago, right after I moved to Alaska. I'd lucked upon getting a review copy and I DEVOURED it. Fast forward a few months and I've read Every. Single. Book. in this series. This was lived up to all of them. I love Talia's voice, and I loved finally getting into Danny's head too! It's weird going back in time with Talia and back to where she began but super cool. This one is definitely more of a romance than the others, but still oh, soooo good. 

Content:
Sex - 0
Language - 0
Violence - 1 (It IS a spy book and there IS fighting. Nothing graphic.)
Rating - PG

Review: TOMORROW WE SPY by Jordan McCollum

From JordanMcCollum.com: CIA operative Talia Reynolds (Fluker) is off the clock, off the continent and off on her Paris honeymoon. But the happy couple’s trip to the City of Love is cut short when the CIA tracks them down for a top secret mission. Only this time, the Agency’s assignment isn’t for Talia — it’s for her husband Danny.

As an aerospace engineer, Danny’s the one with the connections they need to get to their target, an aerospace executive and a dangerous Russian FSB officer. After all she’s done to protect Danny from her spy life, Talia won’t okay the op until she’s allowed to accompany her husband. And the only safe way for her to do that? Deep undercover.

Balancing her personal and professional personas requires more precision than a Russian ballet. But all the covers in the world can’t protect Danny and Talia when the FSB officer turns the tables on them. Now Talia must use her every skill to save her marriage, her husband and herself — or their first mission together will be their last.

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Romantic Thriller
Length: 295 pgs

Rating: 5 (I really loved it)

Review: Danny and Talia are married! Yay. I so much enjoyed getting to see more of Danny and how he fights for him and Talia. She can be frustrating, in a good way, and I like seeing Danny stepping out and setting her straight. :) I loved going back to where Talia served her mission and getting immersed in Russia. Tons of great action in this one, and like all the others, I read it FAST.

Content:
Sex - 1 (The book opens on their honeymoon, and the wedding night is mentioned, but so cleanly. Really.)
Language - 0
Violence - 1 (Spy book. Action book. Nothing graphic)
Rating - PG

Review: SIX MONTHS LATER by Natalie D. Richards (Sourcebooks Fire, 2013)

From Amazon: She Has Everything She Ever Wanted. But Not Her Memory...

When Chloe fell asleep in study hall, it was the middle of May. When she wakes up, snow is on the ground and she can't remember the last six months of her life.

Before, she'd been a mediocre student. Now, she's on track for valedictorian and being recruited by Ivy League schools. Before, she never had a chance with super jock Blake. Now he's her boyfriend. Before, she and Maggie were inseparable. Now her best friend won't speak to her.

What happened to her? Remembering the truth could be more dangerous than she knows...

Audience: YA
Genre: YA Thriller, Mystery, Romance
Length: 336 pgs

Rating: *** (I liked it)

Review: This may seem unfair, and maybe I talked about it in a recent review, but I can't remember. I rated down because of the language. In this case, I felt like it drew away from the story and from the character. Let me explain just a bit. I listened to a podcast once about using swearing in writing-it came from a grammar point of view, not a religious one or something like that. It talked about how the more frequent a word is used, the less impact it has. The narrator swore so much, that it lost all impact for what she wanted to get across. For example, when the two main characters finally kiss, the male MC says, "Damn it," and pulls her toward him. It should have been a huge build up of this really tense moment, but it was so lackluster because that word and others had been used so often, it didn't haven an impact anymore.

Beyond that, a good book. I liked the characters and how the main character rated the girls more for how nice they were than if they were popular or not, and how she admitted to liking popular girls a little, maybe not loving them, but not putting them into extreme categories like so many YAs do. The relationships with Blake and Adam are just how they should be I think. For the most part, the pacing was really well. For a chunk in the middle it felt like things stagnated but then it picked back up again so that I didn't want to quit reading from about three-fourths through on.

Content: 

Sex 2/5 (Long kissing scenes, being implied that perhaps she and Blake had sex in the months she forgot)

Language 5/5 (Frequent use of D, H, S, and God in vain; A few Bs; One F-bomb.)

Violence 2/5 (Fight scenes, people dying, mystery and thriller related violence that fit the book)

Overall rating - PG-16

Try this. Like YA Mystery Thrillers? Read BREAKING BEAUTIFUL or DEAD GIRLS DON'T LIE by Jennifer Shaw Wolf.

Review: POISON ME by Cami Checketts (Birch River Books, 2013)

From camichecketts.com: Jake Merrill was raised by his grandmother, Ruby, and her hilarious friends. After a suspicious death at the retirement home where Ruby lives, she enlists Jake and Chanel, the beautiful activities director, to help her find the killer.

But secrets Ruby has kept for decades threaten her family and the man she’s always loved but could never have. Chanel’s unstable ex-boyfriend, a presumably dead relative, and vicious criminals add to the confusion. Time is running out as Jake, Chanel, and Ruby desperately search for clues to solve the murders and fight to save those they love.

Audience: Adult (Clean)

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Length: 268 pgs

Rating: *** (I liked it)

Review: There were two fun romances in this, which really filled out the story. It was good to watch Ruby and Michael's past romance unfold bit by bit and lead to something new and better for them. It had a cast of lovable characters that are fun to get into and a lot of humor. There were some things that I couldn't quite believe, such as a policeman being very callous when a friend of Ruby's had died. The end wrapped up a little too neatly, but it didn't take too much away from the story.

Source: Bought via Amazon during a promotion

Content: Rated 1-5; 1 being minor instances, 5 being saturated

Sex - 1 (Kissing)

Violence - 1 (Multiple deaths and fall out from that, but nothing graphic)

Language - 0

Overall rating - PG

Try This. Like romantic thrillers? Read THE GUY NEXT DOOR by Kate Palmer.

TRA Autumn Collection

Six Award-Winning Authors have contributed new stories to A Timeless Romance Anthology: Autumn Collection. See Story Synopsis below review

Audience: Adult (Clean)

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Length: 305 pgs

Rating: ***** (FANtastic book!)

Review: Have I mentioned before that one of the things I love about the TRAs is that I get to discover new authors along with enjoying my favorites. The break-out of this set, for me? Stephanie Black's "Eye for an Eye." I raced through reading that one. Fantastic. I was so frustrated with some of the characters, but in that good, I'm-really-into-this-book way. My other tops were Sarah Eden's (shocker!) and Annette Lyon's. 

Source: Bought a Kindle copy on Amazon

Content: Rated 1-5; 1 being minor instances, 5 being saturated.

Sex - 1 (Mildly passionate kissing)

Language - 0

Violence - 2 (They are thrillers...)

Discover all the Timeless Romance Anthologies at the Timeless Romance blog!

Story Overviews:

In Heather Horrocks’ charming story, A Hound Dog Named Elvis, interior designer, Kaitlin Hartley returns to her hometown of Aspen Grove, California, to the job of her dreams after a year of specialized training in New York. During the town’s Autumn Festival, she enters her dachshund, Elvis, into the Running of the Hallowieners race. Joshua Moore, the man who hadn’t wanted her to leave Aspen Grove, but hadn’t waited for her either, enters Elvis’s sister, Priscilla. When Kaitlin gets home afterward, she realizes Elvis has left the building—with Joshua. She has the wrong dog! Can she get her dog—and the man she’s never stopped loving—back? 

Eye for an Eye, Stephanie Black’s thrilling novella, follows Mallory as she is just getting her life back together, living with her sister and brother-in-law and starting college. After a difficult few years following a family tragedy, she’s finally ready to move forward, which includes getting to know the charming Darien better. But when illegal drugs turn up in her sister’s drawer, the first person accused is Mallory, and suddenly she doesn’t know who to trust. She turns to Darien, but with all evidence pointing at her, she doesn’t know if Darien is the man to save her. 

In First Heist, a suspenseful novella by Heather B. Moore, Mia, an undercover agent is about to make a handoff to co-agent, Omar Zagouri. But before she can complete her assignment, her cover is blown, and she finds herself escaping with Omar. The only problem is, her boss warned her about Omar and his sketchy history of landing himself in the middle of danger. After losing her mother in an attack planned for Mia, pulling off any heist with a man like Omar is the last thing she needs for her career . . . or her life. 

Sarah M. Eden’s cozy mystery, Letter for Two, we meet Sophia, who looks forward to the 5:30 p.m. mail sorting she does with her next door neighbor, Ethan. They live in a renovated house, now split into two apartments. Ethan is one of those dreamy, smart guys, but he shows no interest other than being friendly toward Sophia. When they find a mysterious letter addressed to Eleanor, dated to 1953, Sophia and Ethan determine to solve the puzzle together. Sophia knows that spending evenings with Ethan in ‘research’ might be her only chance to convince him that she should be more than just a neighbor. 

In the enchanting novella, Silver Cascade Secrets, by Rachelle J. Christensen, Jillian is the master landscaper at a beautiful park. Meeting Travis there soon after breaking up with her boyfriend, Jillian is wary at first. Travis seems like a great guy, but Jillian had fallen for great guys before. When she learns that his brother, Craig, was murdered six months before, her heart goes out to Travis. True to her curious nature, she starts asking questions and learns about Craig’s close connection with the park. But finding the answers puts Jillian’s life in danger, and she must decide who she really trusts. 

Chocolate Obsessed, a captivating romantic suspense by Annette Lyon, we meet Whitney, an executive pastry chef who is working her resort’s booth at the New York Chocolate Show. The only problem is that she shares the shift with her arch rival, Stephen. But then an unexpected visitor shows up: Jeremy, a man who lost a dessert competition she judged. When Jeremy confronts her and becomes threatening, Stephen gets Jeremy dragged off by security. But that doesn’t throw Jeremy off for long; soon Stephen and Whitney are running for their lives.

Blog Tour Review: SPY FOR A SPY by Jordan McCollum (Durham Crest, November 2013)

We're celebrating the launch of Spy for a Spy, sequel to I, Spy! Read on to get a cool spy tip for your daily life, free & discounted reads, and enter to win some great prizes! You can also find Spy for a Spy at the special $3.99 launch discount on Amazon, Kobo, and JordanMcCollum.com!

About the Book

Canada is probably the last place you’d expect to find an American spy. And it was the last place CIA operative Talia Reynolds expected to run into fellow operative Brand Copley. AKA her new boss. AKA her ex-boyfriend.

Just the guy every woman wants to face in the middle of planning her wedding. Once again, Talia’s lying to the man she loves, but this time, to protect his heart. After Brand takes over Talia’s latest case and steals her newest agent, he assigns her to spy on her old boss—who’s suddenly giving her every reason not to trust him. With only weeks until the big day, planning falls by the wayside as she goes into damage control mode. But when Talia discovers Brand’s real motives, fighting him is the only option, no matter what the personal and professional cost. More about Spy for a Spy | Add Spy for a Spy to your Goodreads to-read list!

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Romance Thriller
Length: 318 pgs

Rating: ***** (FANtastic Book that I LOVED)

Review: Upside--by signing up for the blog tour, I got a copy of SPY FOR A SPY early. Downside: It will now seem like forever before the next book is out. I am not patient. I hate waiting for books in a series. (Truth: I came into Harry Potter so late, I only had to wait for the last two books.)

But, the few week wait between I, SPY and reading this one was well worth it (and a drop of salve with the FREE prequel novella MR. NICE SPY!) Same great voice. Awesome action and awesome Talia. Slight Spoiler Alert *** I was a tiny bit disappointed that after what happened in the first book, that Talia still managed to justify lying to Danny about small things. I thought she'd learned, but it works out well and I'm pretty sure that now she's got it. ;) What I love about these books is the way the tension is built line upon line. Sheesh, the first person narrative is so riveting. I had no problem reading this book in a day and a half, it kept me so close to the page. Go. Read. Now.

Content: Rated 1-5, 1 being minor instances and 5 being saturated

Violence - 2+ (Plenty of fighting and action, but nothing too graphic.)

Language - 0

Sex - 1 (Kissing)

Source: I received a copy of this book as part of the SPY FOR A SPY blog tour and in exchange for my honest opinion.

KEEP READING FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JORDAN MCCOLLUM: Where I ask the really tought questions...

Hone your spy skills

Spy skills can come in handy in the most unusual situations, like this one . . .
 Further hone your spy skills by reading Spy for a Spy!

About the author

An award-winning author, Jordan McCollum can’t resist a story where good defeats evil and true love conquers all. In her day job, she coerces people to do things they don’t want to, elicits information and generally manipulates the people she loves most—she’s a mom. Jordan holds a degree in American Studies and Linguistics from Brigham Young University. When she catches a spare minute, her hobbies include reading, knitting and music. She lives with her husband and four children in Utah.

Interview

Tell me about yourself and how you got started writing. What I really want to know is, were you a spy in a former life ;)?
 Haha, no, I wish (sort of) (but not really). I've kind of always written, but some of my first real, independent creative writing projects came about as fanfiction. It's hard for me to admit this, but . . . my first fandom was The Monkees. True. After many years of that—and a long writing break to finish college, become an Internet marketing expert and start a family—a dream inspired my original fiction. You can read all about my writing journey in my blog series on the topic.

Everything worked so well and seemed so realistic in SPY FOR A SPY. What kind of research did you do and what kind of experience/experiences did you use to write the I SPY series? Where did your inspiration for the series come from? Thank you so much! Funnily enough, my love of The Monkees indirectly inspired I, Spy. I was big into '60s rock and pop as a teenager (I was born 30 years too late, apparently). Just before Valentine's day last year, I heard a somewhat obscure '60s pop song, and old favorite, while shopping for Valentines at the Dollar Tree. I asked the writer's favorite question, What if . . . and I, Spy was born. To add authenticity, I did a ton of research. Which is cool, because I love research ;) . I read about a dozen CIA memoirs and histories, and I'm always reading more. The last addition to my library was a dissertation, an ethnography on CIA analysts by Bridget Rose Nolan. But when it came down to it, I still had to make a whole bunch of stuff up ;) . My favorite research exercise, however, had to be three weeks ago when I took a Spy Escape & Evasion course from former CIA officer Jason Hanson. I spent an entire day learning escape, social engineering and other spy techniques, and then I spent another day on the streets of Salt Lake City, evading surveillance and carrying out "spy" missions. When I arrived at the final rendezvous, having successfully escaped surveillance for over six hours (and having walked 10+ miles), I could have wept for joy . . . if I weren't so dehydrated ;) .

What are your personal tips and tricks for balancing the rest of your life (being a mom, etc) with writing? Honestly, this novel has taken over my life for the last four months. I have no tips anymore. I use a to do list arranged by time of day (morning, afternoon, evening) and an accountability partner to get stuff done. I try to maximize bedtime and naptime for me, but I'm very committed to making sure my kids get to go out and do fun things. I may not be able to play with them every minute of the day, but I do try to make sure we get to go to museums or fun family activities regularly. Also, chores. Although chores have become a big fight in our family sometimes, I need my kids' help to keep the house functioning properly!

Lots of budding authors (like me) love to hear that How I Got Published or How I Got My Agent story. What’s yours? Once upon a time, I sent a novel to a publisher. And they rejected me. I spent over a year reworking the manuscript before I sent it back. And they accepted me! BUT when I got the contract . . . let's just say they weren't tears of joy. That experience helped convince me I would be better off publishing myself. So I founded my own company, as a commitment to publishing quality, hired professionals for cover design and editing, and learned a TON about ebooks, print book interior layout and more.

Most important of all: Favorite flavor of ice cream? BYU Creamery's Earnestly Chocolate: milk chocolate ice cream, caramel and marshmallow ribbons, and mini chocolate-covered caramel cups. Second favorite: Subzero (liquid nitrogen ice cream) marshmallow and caramel flavored base with chocolate flakes (simulating See's Scotchmallow candies). But I'm always a sucker for plain ol' vanilla.

So much fun to hear Jordan's answers! Thanks, again!

Join the party & enter to win!

As part of the debut of Spy for a Spy, Jordan is co-hosting a launch party with Julie Coulter Bellon, author of Pocket Full of Posies. Join us November 12 on Facebook (Jordan's and Julie's pages) and Twitter (follow Julie and Jordan) for drawings throughout the day, and enter to win more fabulous prizes here!!

Special deals!

Spy for a Spy is a sequel to the novel I, Spy, available for 99¢ at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Jordan's site this week only! To save her country and her secrets, CIA operative Talia Reynolds will have to sacrifice the man she loves. More about I, Spy. Also, as a free gift this week, Jordan is giving out free e-copies of a prequel novella, Mr. Nice Spy, on Amazon and her site!

Review: I SPY by Jordan McCollum (Durham Crest, May 2013)

From Jordan McCollum’s website:

Canada is probably the last place you’d expect to find an American spy. 

But even idyllic Ottawa has its deadly secrets—and so does CIA operative Talia Reynolds. She can climb through ventilation shafts, blend in at the occasional diplomatic function, even scale buildings (small ones). But there’s one thing she can’t do: tell her aerospace engineer boyfriend Danny about her Top Secret occupation.

It worked for a year, keeping Danny in the dark, keeping him away from danger, keeping her secrets. And then Talia finally catches a hot case: Fyodor Timofeyev. Russian. Aerospace executive. Possible spy?

She can make this work, too—until Danny needs her at the same time her country does. And when Fyodor targets Danny? Suddenly her schedule isn’t the only thing suffering. Now to save her secrets and her country, Talia must sacrifice the man she loves.

Audience: Adult (Clean)Genre: Romantic Spy ThrillerLength: 312 pgs

Rating: ***** (Loved it!)

Review: BREAKING BEAUTIFUL by Jennifer Shaw Wolf (Walker Publishing, April 2012)

From Jennifer Shaw Wolf's website: 
I can still see his face, the way he tilted his head. How excited he was for me to see the gift. The pain spreads from the back of my head, cuts across my right temple and curls around the smaller scar above my eye. 
I’m saving something special to give you on your birthday.
My whole head throbs.
It hurts too much to remember.
  Allie can’t remember the night her boyfriend, Trip died.
She knows they were driving on the cliff road.
That Trip lost control.   
That she woke up later broken and bruised. 
That somehow, she survived. 
Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.
When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? 

Audience: YA (clean)

Genre: YA contemporary, thriller

Length: 368 pgs.

Rating: *** 1/2

Review: Another book that I have really struggled with trying to rate it. It is so well written, so powerful, so emotional, it deserves more than 3 1/2 stars. But this is my blog where I post my opinions about things, and this book just wasn't for me. Issue books are hard for me--I can't take a step back. I know that they are important. I know they need to be out there. It's just that I shouldn't read them. I'm too tenderhearted.

It's a testament, however, to the fantastic writing and to the back-cover matter that I bought it anyway. I knew I wouldn't like it because it does deal with abuse, but I was so driven to know what happened that I had to read it. That's also why it should probably have more stars. Dang good writing.

I will admit to being a bit frustrated with Allie and how much and how long she holds things in. I suppose that's because I don't truly understand and that's okay. Again, powerful book.

Content: Rated 1-5, 1 being minor instances, 5 being text is saturated

Violence: 2 (Instances of violence are recounted throughout, but it's not graphic)

Language: 1

Sex: 0 (There is kissing)

Try this Do you like powerful, YA books? Try MIND GAMES by Kiersten White

Check out Jennifer Shaw Wolf's blog.

Review: HEART OF THE OCEAN by Heather B. Moore

This is one of the books I had on my "go and buy as soon as I have book money" lists and I'm so glad. Victorian. Romance. Mystery. Love. :)


From Amazon: In Heather B. Moore’s enthralling 1840’s historical romance, Heart of the Ocean, Eliza Robinson has turned down the very pretentious Mr. Thomas Beesley’s marriage proposal. As a business partner of Eliza’s father, Thomas quickly discredits the family and brings disgrace to the Robinson name.


While her father scrambles to restore his good name in New York City, Eliza flees to the remote Puritan town of Maybrook to stay with her Aunt Maeve. Although relieved to be away from all- things-male and unforgiving gossip columns, odd things start to happen to Eliza, and she is plagued by a ghostly voice. Her aunt’s explanation? That Eliza is being haunted by a woman who died of a broken heart twenty years ago.


After Aunt Maeve is tragically killed, Eliza's life is put in danger as she tries to uncover the mystery of her aunt's death. She encounters Jonathan Porter in Maybrook, whose presence in the town seems suspicious, yet she finds herself drawn to him. When she discovers that Jonathan’s dark secrets may be the link between the dead woman who haunts her and her aunt’s murderer, Eliza realizes that Jonathan is the one man she should never trust.

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Historical Romance, Mystery
Length: 288 pages

Rating: ***+

Review: Although I've read a ton of Regency romance books, I'll be honest, I like Victorian stuff more. It spans so much time and change and I just like the dresses better. (Empire waist would have never flattered these hips. Seriously.) So HEART OF THE OCEAN appealed to me immediately. I love Jon as the hero and the legitimate reasons he has for staying with his fiancee, Apryl. I love the mystery that unfolds as the story goes on. I love the change we see in Eliza and her family and the way they work together. I love how deep Jon, Eliza, and Apryl are as characters -- there's so much to explore about them and their lives. For me the story slowed a bit in the middle and I wondered why at one point Eliza had told Jon that she was not engaged to Nathaniel, yet he still believed it.

He Said/She said: A description of the two love interests in Jon's life from his point of view, that I just LOVED. "Eliza was like an innocent spring day compared to Apryl's full summer flirtatious ways." Perfect. I could see it so clearly.

Disclaimer: Some mild sensuality.

Try this: Do you like Romance mysteries/thrillers? Try THE GUY NEXT DOOR by Kate Palmer or THE ALIAS by Mandi Tucker Slack.

Buy HEART OF THE OCEAN on Amazon.

Review: TIDE EVER RISING by Mandi Tucker Slack

One of the perks of being part of an online community of writers is that not only do you get to make fabulous friends, but you get opportunities to help them work on their projects. And that is really fun when you know people like Mandi Tucker Slack. I was lucky enough to get to help her with her latest release TIDE EVER RISING.

How AWESOME is this cover!?!

From www.CederFort.com: Kadie Reynold loves to explore old ghost towns. So when she and her sister, Maysha, visit Eureka, Utah, it's just another ordinary trip---until they stumble across an ancient journal and a beautiful pendant hidden in the depths of a crumbling house. Little does anyone know, the journal contains secrets that will plunge them into a world filled with mystery, past regrets, and dark unknowns.

Review: "The Alias" by Mandi Slack

When I heard through the grapevine (i.e. Facebook) that "The Alias," a book already on my to-read list was on sale for Kindle, I snatched it right up! It's so fun to read books by people I "know" on Facebook. It's *usually* a boost to me to see so many friends published!