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Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Here is Sissy Showing Some of Her Veggies That She Grew From Seeds.

We decided this year to buy Sissy a Greenhouse of her own. She was doing so well with plants in the house.We absolutely love it! You can see it in the background. These are some cucumbers and her first tomato!! We are so proud. We cannot wait to eat the peppers, squash and more. We also are waiting for the pumpkins and gourds she is growing. What a great experience. We are all so proud.

Royal Undercover by Eileen Troemel Book Tour & Giveaway


Royal Undercover
by Eileen Troemel
Genre: Romantic Suspense 

Mel Breuer is a supply officer and nothing else. Until a request to report to the security office on Space Station Joplin reveals her real identity. Demands from her large family change her life and drop her in the hands of John Vellum a professional protector. Her other life taught her to trust no one – ever. 


Former military, John Vellum is a Protector. He protects the elite. The elite can be difficult but John knows a firm hand will keep his clients safe but Mel is not what he expects. 

The danger to her life is real and imminent. While trying to keep her safe, he learns she is spunky, vulnerable, and sexy. Amidst kidnapping attempts and other threats, John’s desire leads to something deeper if he can only get her to trust him.





From poetry to novel, I enjoy telling a good story or expressing a heartfelt emotion. I've been published in Circle Magazine, The American Tarot Association's Quarterly Journal, What's Cooking America, Children, Churches and Daddies, placed second in Words of Women 2010 Writing Contest, 2012 Daily Flash, and The Deadman's Tome. I have a bachelor's degree in business and a second bachelor's degree in English Professional Writing and Book Editing. On the side, I have a small editing business. In addition to my work, I love to read, crochet, crafting, research genealogy, and spend time with family. I have three adult daughters and have been married to my husband for over 30 years. I'm the proud grandma of three fur babies - my daughters' cats.



Follow the tour HERE for exclusive content and a giveaway!








Addictarium by Nicole D'Settemi Book Tour & Giveaway


ADDICTarium
The War Stories Chronicles 1
by Nicole D'Settemi
Genre: Memoir

Drugs. Sex. Detox. Art. Recovery. Prostitution. Music. Street life. Poetry. Toxic love. And, those are just on the surface. The layers and complexities of Addictarium will shock and enthrall you...


When wild-child, and south Florida escapee, Danielle Martino finds herself curled in a ball on the cold tile floors of her filthy rank bathroom in the tiny studio she rents with her fiancé and partner-in-crime, she knows it's time to quit abusing heroin. Severely impaired from shooting a bad batch of black tar heroin, and already partially blind from the infection that the muddy poison has caused, she is forced to hitch a greyhound bus to New York City, and to abandon her care-free, American-bohemian, drug infested life-style.
Hailed everywhere as a beautiful, unique, honest, raw and poetic account of recovery, Addictarium takes readers on a compelling journey through the life and eyes of the narrator; a creative, nomadic, deep--but, incidentally broken--young woman, and underlines the contributing factors to what it's really like to suffer from addiction. With magnificent candor--and sometimes emotionally crippling descriptions--we witness Danielle's fight towards recovery from more than just heroin, as Addictarium brings the readers on a fascinating and harrowing, brutal tale of a young women's recovery from total and mass self-destruction. 
--Addictarium highlights in the starkest of lights, why it is so difficult for addicts to receive the recovery they seek, when they finally do decide to put the drug down.










Author Nicole D'Settēmi is a 33 year old writer, currently living in upstate New York. She has lived in five regions nationally, including South Florida and New York City. She has always been a self-described "poetic, nomadic, creative soul," and is an enthusiast of a variety of artistic mediums, but considers writing her number one form of art, and feels everything else is just an extension of that passion and creative outlet.
Nicole was raised in Niagara Falls, a tiny town bordering Canada, and can remember being as young as six, when writing her first lyrical, and philosophical poems. She specifically pin-points two pieces during those years, titled "If I Ruled the World," and "If the World Ended.” She also points out being selected at 6, for the "Young Authors Club," which was a city-wide project.
Nicole won two city-wide essay contests between the ages 9-11, which was when she received her first typewriter and then she started a fan-club and newsletter for her childhood hero, as well as penning letters to over 30 pen-pals internationally. She also had a poem named "And So It Begins" published which was written at 12.
Though Nicole (who was an honor student) rebelled by 15, and was incidentally expelled from school, she still wrote habitually. She once showed her “alternative-school” teacher a poem titled: "That's Life," which she penned at 14. He was so impressed with the piece; he had it faxed to every school in the city.
At 16 Nicole was uprooted from her small town and moved to Boca Raton, where she felt displaced and started to deal with depression. Hereditarily, mental illness and substance abuse ran rapid in her family tree, and by 20 she experimented with a plethora of chemical substances. By 23, she became addicted to shooting heroin, and was engaged to her co-conspirator and partner-in-crime. She attended an art school for photo journalism, but withdrew half-way through the year, due to a devastating addiction to injecting various drugs.
Addictarium was written while she spent two years in a therapeutic community for seriously addicted, and mentally ill, patrons. The author outlines her experiences, including the tale of losing her eyesight due to shooting a poisoned bag of heroin, which is when she was forced to hitch a greyhound bus from South Florida to Manhattan, and after several weeks of surgeries, was admitted to Daytop Village for long-term treatment, and drug addiction recovery. The book outlines many of the experiences she went through in the second phase of treatment, which she dubbed "the village," because of its extreme and eccentric melting pot of personalities.
During her tenure at Daytop, Nicole separated with her fiancé, and while in her stay at the recovery program in Queens New York, met her current fiancé, who was initially her substance abuse counselor. The book is also highly reflective of their relationship and its roots. Nicole credits the Latin, Brooklyn-bred counselor, 18 years her senior, with "saving her from herself.”
Nicole can now be found residing in the Poughkeepsie area with her fiancé, Miguel. They are both artists, and run a modest side business creatively assisting those in need of artistic direction digitally. Nicole is currently planning to eventually pen a prequel to Addictarium. She is also outlining a third individual novel, Narssitopia, which she claims will be a "psycho-dramatic thriller."




Follow the tour HERE for exclusive content and a giveaway!






Jasper's Quest Finding Magic Book 3 Book Three by Blair Drake Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway



Jasper's Quest
Finding Magic
Book Three
Blair Drake

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Magic Quest Books

Date of Publication: June 21, 2018

ASIN: B07DFQPKQ6

Number of pages: 228
Word Count: 79,800

Cover Artist: Jennifer Zemanek/Seedlings LLC

Tagline: What would you do to find your magic?

Book Description:

When seventeen-year-old Jasper Walker is caught up in a violent storm and flung off the roof of Gray Cliffs Academy along with nine of his school mates, he has no idea what is happening. Even stranger is the unfamiliar world he finds himself in. An alternate universe that reminds him of Africa, he’s startled to discover the year is 1675 and no one in the land of Ardhi has a clue about the world he came from. Then he meets Rylan, a magical healer who has been cursed by an evil king to age well past his time. If the curse isn’t broken, Rylan will die and time is running out…

Jasper is shocked to discover he’s the only one who can break the curse. He must call on his magical powers of supernatural strength and face a multitude of challenges in order to save Rylan’s life…and return to Gray Cliffs Academy.




Excerpt:
Whumph!”
Jasper Walker landed on the hard ground with a thud and groaned from shock. Winded, he gasped for breath, wincing at the stabbing pain knifing through his chest. He forced himself to breath more slowly, easing air between his clenched teeth. Gradually, the pain subsided and he breathed normally again.
He struggled to his feet, grateful to discover he hadn’t done any serious damage to his body during the fall. Apart from sore muscles, he didn’t feel any different than before.  And then he looked about himself in growing confusion. There was one big difference – his surroundings.
Where am I?
He stood near the edge of a thick forest. Tall trees stretched upwards, blocking a portion of the sky. The sun hung low to the horizon, painting the ground with violet shadows. The night would soon be upon him.
He drew in another breath. The air was hot and humid and felt heavy in his lungs. The snow that gathered earlier on his clothes had already melted, leaving him uncomfortably damp. He took a few steps forward and then turned around, not knowing which way to go. If he turned right, he’d end up deeper in the forest. To the left, was an open plain.
Which way?
And then came a haunting cry, the same anguished plea he’d heard through the storm. Shivers coursed up and down his spine. He couldn’t tell if the cry was human or not, but it was definitely from something in a great deal of distress. His instincts kicked in, and he headed away from the forest in the direction of the sound. Across the plain, through a stand of trees, hurrying now. The cries grew louder and with them other sounds joined in. Laughter reached his ears, sounding incongruous alongside the painful pleas. He crept closer, his heart thumping.
Taking cover behind a large baobab tree, he discovered a natural clearing among another thin clump of trees. Shadows stretched long, dark fingers across the ground. Peering into the dimness, he swallowed a gasp. A group of people, made up of men and women, boys and girls surrounded an old man who lay in the dirt. The man was curled up in a fetal position with his hands covering his face.
Jasper watched one of the male spectators lash out with his foot and connect with the old man on the ground. A howl of pain went through the victim. He curled up even tighter, whimpering.
The crowd laughed even louder. “Ye call yerself a healer! Ye say ye’ve saved so many of us over the years. Why don’t ye get up and save yerself!” another man in the crowd jeered.
“Yer a has-been. No good to anyone, or anything. Yer time is over, old man,” another tormentor mocked and aimed another vicious kick at the victim.
Rage surged through Jasper at the injustice of the scene unfolding before him. A defenseless old man was being persecuted for no good reason. It was something he couldn’t tolerate. It reminded him of some of the younger students at the Gray Cliffs Academy who found themselves the brunt of jokes from older kids. Jasper had a reputation as someone who stood up for the underdog. Now he burned with the need to do something to assist the old man who lay helpless on the ground at the mercy of the cruel crowd.
He took another moment to look around him and did a rough head count of the spectators gathered around. He was outnumbered by far, and a sizeable portion of the mob were full-grown men. Jasper was tall for his age and physically fit, yet he was no match for the men who made up the crowd.
Still, he couldn’t sit there and do nothing. The man on the ground was crying in pain. Then he saw three of the boys pick up large rocks and aim them toward their victim. Before he could fully process what was happening, the boys hurled their missiles. They landed with remarkable accuracy, thudding against the man’s head and shoulder and back. Each time, the man cried out.
Unable to hold back another moment, Jasper burst out from his hiding place, his fists clenched.
“Stop!”
The spectators gasped collectively in surprise. The ones with their backs to him turned around. All of them took a step back. He glared at the gathered crowd, his breath coming fast. Adrenaline surged through his veins. They stared at Jasper in shock. He understood their reaction.
Every member of the crowd, including the man on the ground, was dressed in funny garments, like something he’d see on an old-fashioned movie based in ancient times. The coarse homespun fabric looked something like burlap. The men wore tunics that hung loosely from their frames and fell past their knees. The women wore long dresses made from the same material.
He looked down at his school uniform – the navy-blue blazer, white shirt, blue-and-maroon school tie and gray pants. His lace-up school shoes were still shiny. He’d polished them only that morning. It felt like a lifetime ago.
“W-who are ye?” one of the male adults of the crowd demanded.
The man was broad across the chest, with arms as thick as tree trunks. Jasper trembled inside, but forced himself to maintain eye contact.
“My name is Jasper Walker. Who are you?” he stated clearly.
The man gathered himself together, and when he spoke again, his voice was loud and firm. “I’m Baron Drakor. What is yer business here?”
Jasper took a few more steps forward. Most of the crowd drew back. Baron Drakor remained where he was. Jasper narrowed his gaze at the man, and then pointed to the figure on the ground. “That man is a friend of mine. I demand you release him.”
Drakor’s face split into a wide grin. Huge guffaws filled the air. His whole body shook with mirth. Many in his crowd of supporters began to laugh. He crossed his arms over his powerful chest and stared hard at Jasper.
“A friend of yers, you say? How could that be? This man has lived in my village since I was born. I know every inch of this land and everyone in it, and I’ve never set eyes on ye.”
Jasper thought fast. He had no idea where he was, but it was obvious he’d been thrust somewhere far back in time. He could hardly admit he was a school boy snatched from the twenty-first century. They’d think he was crazy and might turn on him next.
No, he had to continue with his bluff and pray they set the old man free. It was his only hope. He glanced down at the victim and saw blood running from a wound on his face. Jasper’s anger surged inside him. Once again, his hands clenched into fists.
Refusing to be intimidated by Drakor’s glare, Jasper shrugged. “Perhaps you’re not as widely traveled as you have people believe.”
The crowd sniggered. Drakor’s face turned red. He turned angry eyes on Jasper. “How dare ye!” he spat. “I am the King’s representative. No one, and I mean no one, speaks to me like that!”
Without warning, the man lunged at Jasper and knocked him off his feet. Caught unawares, Jasper fell hard. Once again, the air was knocked out of him and he wheezed and gasped for breath. The crowd erupted into laughter. Anger and embarrassment burned on Jasper’s face. Anger won out. He surged to his feet, his fists at the ready.
Drakor laughed even harder. “Oh look, the young pup wants to fight me! How about that?”
The laughter of the crowd grew louder and Jasper understood why. Drakor was a mountain of a man. His heavy black beard and narrowed black eyes made him look even more menacing. Jasper glared at his opponent and at the same time tried hard to stem the trembling that had started in his body.
“Come on, then! Let’s do it,” Jasper urged before his courage gave out.
Drakor shook his head in surprise. He chuckled. “Don’t be stupid, boy. I’d knock yer head off. Now, go home to yer mother and leave us to finish our business. If ye turn and leave right now, I’ll forget yer impudence.”
Jasper turned his gaze on the old man who still lay curled up on the ground. One of his eyes was swollen shut, but he looked at Jasper out of the other one. Hope and desperation warred in the old man’s eyes. Tears leaked down his cheek. Jasper saw he was the man’s only hope. If he turned his back on him, the old man would surely be stoned and beaten to death.
“Come on, boy. It’s none of yer business. Go back home to yer momma, where ye belong.”
The guffaws and jeers of the crowd filled Jasper’s ears. For a fleeting moment, he thought about turning away and leaving them to it, but then he saw the poor man who cowered on the ground, and he couldn’t do it. With a surge of determination, he tightened his fists and charged.

About the Author:

Blair Drake believes in magic, especially the magic of stories with fantasy, adventures, romance, action, and surprises. She has loved writing and living in the stories of the Finding Magic series and is so excited to share the quests of the Gray Cliffs Academy students with her readers.

When she’s not writing about magic, she’s reading about it. Her influences are Cassandra Claire, Neil Gaiman, Rick Riordan, Garth Nix, and many more.

In the mortal plane, following the lure of magic has drawn Blair into strange and wonderful adventures from Australia to New York City, with many stops in between. She currently lives near Denver. Her very favorite spot is a red loveseat in her office, frequently shared with two cats, an outnumbered Dalmation, and occasionally her bewitched husband.

She might have gone to a school similar to Gray Cliffs Academy and would love to go through a magic portal. In the meantime, she’s creating her own in more books of magic.









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S'more Murders A Five Ingredient Mystery by Maya Corrigan Virtual Book Tour

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S'more Murders (A Five-Ingredient Mystery)
by Maya Corrigan



About the Book
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S'more Murders (A Five-Ingredient Mystery)https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=dollycsthoug-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=d419b30941c450649167d344135e023a&_cb=1527186179664
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Kensington (July 31, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1496709196
Digital ASIN: B0776HN51M
https://www.escapewithdollycas.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png
Managing a fitness club café and collaborating on a cookbook with her grandfather are Val Deniston’s usual specialties, but she’s about to set sail into nearby Chesapeake Bay—straight into a murder case . . .
Since catering themed events is a good way to make extra cash, Val agrees to board the Titanic—or at least cater a re-creation of the doomed journey on a yacht. The owner of the yacht, who collects memorabilia related to the disaster, wants Val to serve the last meal the Titanic passengers ate . . . while his guests play a murder-mystery game. But it is the final feast for one passenger who disappears from the ship. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
Now Val has to reel in a killer before s’more murders go down . . .
Includes delicious five-ingredient recipes!
About the Author
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Maya Corrigan blends her love of food and detective stories in her Five-Ingredient Mystery series set in a fictional historic town on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The first book in the series, By Cook or by Crook, was published in 2014. It was followed by Scam Chowder in 2015, Final Fondue in 2016, and The Tell-Tale Tarte in 2017.
Before taking up a life of crime (on the page), she taught university courses in writing, detective fiction, American literature, and drama. She won the 2013 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Unpublished Mainstream Mystery / Suspense. Her short stories, written under the name of Mary Ann Corrigan, have been published in anthologies.
When not reading and writing, she enjoys theater, tennis, trivia, cooking, and crosswords. Her website features trivia about food and mysteries.
Author Links
WebPage: mayacorrigan.com

Purchase Links



TOUR PARTICIPANTS
July 30 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
July 31 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
July 31 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
August 1 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
August 2 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
August 2 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
August 3 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST
August 3 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
August 4 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
August 4 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
August 5 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
August 6 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 6 – Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW
August 7 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
August 8 – Readeropolis – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 9 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 9 – Mysteries with Character – SPOTLIGHT
August 10 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW  
August 10 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW
August 11 – A Blue Million Books – GUEST POST
August 12 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW

Monday, July 30, 2018

Dusk of Humanity by M. K. Dawn Book Tour & Giveaway


Dusk of Humanity
The Decay of Humanity Series: Book 1
by M.K. Dawn
Genre: SciFi Thriller, Horror 

An asteroid brought about the destruction of the world…in a way no one thought possible.


After the death of her parents, Sloan Egan left their Montana ranch determined to make a difference in the world. Now a prominent surgeon with an exceptional career in her future, life has turned out exactly as she expected. Until a government summons arrives with an order to report to Fort Hood for a top-secret weekend retreat.

Major Lee Archer’s reassignment as head of military operations at The Bunker felt more like a prison sentence than a promotion. To make matters worse, he’s been assigned to babysitting detail, as a group of the country’s most brilliant young minds come together to test the vitality of the cutting-edge fallout shelter he commands.

But the retreat was nothing more than a ploy. One devised to safeguard the future of humanity, as a catastrophic event renders the world above uninhabitable.

Or so they’ve been led to believe.

Those in charge have a secret. One so horrifying they would do anything to keep it concealed. Because what lurks beyond The Bunker is deadlier than anyone could have ever imagined.

And it’s only a matter of time before it finds a way in.




As a lifetime reader, M.K. Dawn always dreamed about becoming a writer. Then one day an idea came to her and then a story; so she started to write. And when she started to write, she couldn't stop. Not only does she love to write fantasy, paranormal and dystopia books she can almost always be found with her nose buried deep in them as well.

M.K. lives in South Texas with her husband and two children. When she isn't writing, she is reading, watching her favorite TV shows or dreaming about sitting on a beach somewhere.




Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!






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