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Saturday, February 6, 2016

Lone Star Literary Life Blog Tours 
presents
COPPER LAKE

Book Three in the Stutter Creek Series 
by
Ann Swann



They call him the Killer Cartographer because he carves the map coordinates of each victim on the femur of the one before. Then he tattoos the information on his skin.  Can detective Kendra Dean bring him in or will she become his next tattoo? 
BUY LINKS
    KOBO    iTUNES    SMASHWORDS
Ann Swann was born in the small West Texas town of Lamesa. She grew up much like Stevie-girl in The Phantom Pilot series, though she never got up the nerve to enter the haunted house. Ann has done everything from answering 911 Emergency calls to teaching elementary school. She lives in Texas with her husband, Dude, one rescue dog, two rescue cats, and a part-time box turtle named Piggy. When she’s not writing, Ann is reading. Her to-be-read list has grown so large it has taken on a life of its own. She calls it Herman.
Books by Ann Swann
2011 Stevie-girl and The Phantom Pilot – Cool Well Press
2012 Stevie-girl and The Phantom Student – Cool Well Press
2013 Stevie-girl and the Phantom of Crybaby Bridge – Createspace
2012 All For Love – 5 Prince Publishing
2013 Stutter Creek (Book One) – 5 Prince Publishing
2015 Lilac Lane (Book Two) – 5 Prince Publishing
2016 Copper Lake (Book Three) – 5 Prince Publishing
2016 Takers: Apocalypse in Eden – coming soon
Short Fiction
“Bamboozled” Alfred Hitchcock Magazine
“Aftermath” Binnacle Magazine
“The Gap” and “In Search of Water” The Rusty Nail (previously published in The Sandstorm)
“Soul Gardener” Timeless: Cool Well Press, Anthology
“The Fee” A World of Terror: Grey Mouse Publishing, (formerly titled The Warning)
“SleepAway Pounds” Seasonal, Sweet, and Suspenseful, Anthology
“Chems” Createspace


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Kendra Dean is a seasoned detective who now finds herself being investigated for allegedly pushing a suspect in front of a UPS truck. She is stunned that anyone would think she could do anything like that and decides she needs to get away. Kendra goes to Copper Lake to relax and try to keep her mind off her life that seems to be unraveling. Her emotional plate is overflowing once she finds out her husband after twenty years wants some space.

While she is out hiking one day, she stumbles across human remains and at this point the story takes an eerie, creepy turn. There is certainly a serial killer on the loose , with a devious, dark and demented mind. Even though the reader finds out quickly in the book the identity of the killer, it does not take anything away from the story. There were times I wanted to scream or run and hide somewhere as the book delivered graphic details of the bodies. I felt like I was reading  a Stephen King novel that makes you jump at every noise. The author has done an amazing job of writing a story that clearly will have you on the edge of your seat. I have not read a book this well defined in horror in quite some time. The serial killer is diabolical and quite possibly the scariest character I have ever read.

The story takes you into the mind of a person who is so unstable that it sends shivers down your spine . I couldn't put the book down and continued to freak myself out as I stayed up late into the night reading. The details are so perfectly written I could almost imagine watching a movie unfold before my eyes. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great mystery book that delves into the sinister mind of a serial killer who takes you deep into the darkest place of their mind.

I received a copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours for an honest review.







BLOG    FACEBOOK   
Check out all the great blog stops on the tour!
1/28       Books and Broomsticks — Author Interview
1/29       bookishjessp — Promo
1/30       The Page Unbound — Promo
1/31       Missus Gonzo — Review
2/1         All for the Love of the Word – Author Interview
2/2         My Book Fix Blog — Review
2/3         Hall Ways — Promo
2/4         Because This is My Life Y’all — Review
2/5         The Crazy Booksellers — Promo
2/6         Texas Book-aholic — Review
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Friday, February 5, 2016



Desperate for Death
A Kelly O'Connell Mystery 
by Judy Alter
Genre: Cozy Mystery / Suspense
Publisher: Alter Ego Press
Date of Publication: January 9, 2016
# of pages: 228

 

    Praise for Desperate for Death   
Once again, Kelly is thrust into action when her family and friends are targeted by a deranged convict and this time Kelly has more to protect. I enjoyed this fast-paced and well written drama that continues to get better and better with a strong and determined heroine and a secondary cast that plays a pivotal role in the telling of this tale. It was fun watching this mystery played out with all the key elements that lead to a fulfilling finale and I especially enjoyed Keisha presence in this book. This is by far the best book in this series and I hope there are more to come in this engaging series.—Dru Ann L Love

One satisfying aspect of Desperate for Death which sets it apart from other murder mysteries is its staccato action in which everything happens at once, little seems connected, and life becomes a series of challenges. Fast-paced action keeps readers involved in not only events, but Kelly's response to them, and in her efforts to keep her head above stormy waters.—Diane Donovan, Senior E-book Review Editor, Midwest Book Review

Judy Alter's books just keep getting better. Her characters have real growth and the plots get harder to figure out. This one is her best of this genre….David Hartley Burlingame


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Kelly seems to have a very quiet life finally. Things are going well and the kids are happy. But for Kelly the adventure is about to begin. The action starts with a fire that almost destroys the entire place they rent out to others.  Funny thing is no one has lived there for awhile so how could a grease fire start in an empty apartment?


The story moves at a fast pace with twists and turns. I loved  the character Keisha. She was sassy, persistent and had a sixth sense that was vital to the story. The kids did not like the fact that once again their lives were chaotic and made their feelings known to anyone who would listen. Kelley is in a race to find out who wants her dead and the list of suspects grows daily. Will she solve the case before it is to late ? It is a nice cozy mystery that at times seems to skip around a bit but the ending is good and overall a nice quick read with fun characters .

I received a copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog for an honest review.






An award-winning novelist, Judy Alter is the author of six books in the Kelly O’Connell Mysteries series: Skeleton in a Dead Space, No Neighborhood for Old Women, Trouble in a Big Box, Danger Comes Home, Deception in Strange Places, and Desperate for Death. She also writes the Blue Plate Café Mysteries—Murder at the Blue Plate Café, Murder at the Tremont House and Murder at Peacock Mansion. Finally, with the 2014 The Perfect Coed, she introduced the Oak Grove Mysteries.
Her work has been recognized with awards from the Western Writers of America, the Texas Institute of Letters, and the National Cowboy Museum and Hall of Fame. She has been honored with the Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement by WWA and inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame.
Judy is retired as director of TCU Press and the mother of four grown children and the grandmother of seven. She and her dog, Sophie, live in Fort Worth, Texas. 

 
Check out these other great blog stops on the tour!

1/28    The Crazy Booksellers -- Promo

1/29    Because This is My Life Y'all -- Review

1/30    All for the Love of the Word -- Guest Post

1/31    My Book Fix Blog -- Review       

2/1      The Page Unbound -- Promo

2/2      Missus Gonzo -- Review

2/3      bookishjessp -- Guest Post
2/5      Texas Book-aholic -- Review
2/6      Books and Broomsticks -- Author Interview
 
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