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Tuesday, March 20, 2018

The Tempering Agent FB Banner copy

About the Book

TheTemperingAgent_Cover_med
Book Title: The Tempering Agent
Author: Victoria Pitts Caine
Release Date: February 14, 2014
Dr. Priscilla Hackling finds herself thrown back into the murder investigation of her fiancé, Trey Whittington. While she was a suspect three years ago, she’s now working with the police to find the murderer, Egyptian artifact trafficker, Zarka El-Din. During a sting operation in Siwa, she and Agent Donnie Barnes are drawn to each other but Priscilla, overcome by personal ghosts from her past, decides a relationship isn’t possible. Priscilla realizes she’s the bait in the ruse and uncovers others involved with El-Din. Will she and Donnie reconcile and unravel the reason behind Trey’s death before El-Din kills her, too?
Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Victoria Pitts Caine Head ShotVictoria Pitts Caine is a native Californian and lives in the central portion of the state. Her varied interests include genealogy and exotic gemstone collecting both of which she’s incorporated into her novels.
The author has received recognition in both fiction and nonfiction from: Enduring Romance top 10 picks for 2008, William Saroyan Writing Conference, Byline Magazine, Writer’s Journal Magazine, Holt International Children’s Services Magazine, and The Southern California Genealogical Society. Her first novel was published in 2007 followed by two more as well as novellas and short stories in anthologies.
Victoria is a former staff technician in air pollution control. She is the mother of two daughters. Now retired from the work force, Victoria and her husband enjoy travel, cooking, and are self-appointed “foodies”.

Guest post from Vicki Caine

Since childhood, I have been interested in genealogy and ancient Egypt. Two of my prior novels, Alvarado Gold and Cairo, let me follow my fantasies into those two areas. Donnie the hero in The Tempering Agent is also in the other two books, and it was his turn to find his own romance. When archaeologist Dr. Priscilla Hackling finds herself drawn back into the murder investigation of her fiancé and the missing breast plate of the high priest, Agent Donnie Barnes, is just the man to help her out, even if she doesn’t think so.
Traveling along with Priscilla and Donnie, I discovered some interesting facts about ancient Egypt, from the ruins in the Siwa Desert to the mystery of the Valley of the Kings. The genealogy factor in my novels is Donnie is loosely based on my cousin. Alvarado Gold tells the story of my family while Cairo and The Tempering Agent fueled my inquisitiveness about Egypt.


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I love books that take you to places far away without having to leave your house. Egypt has always been a very intriguing place to me. The author does a superb job of giving us historical facts that make you feel as though you are viewing artifacts right along side the characters. I'm sure many will compare the story to an Indiana Jones adventure and they would be right. 

Dr. Priscilla Hackling is about to have an assignment that will remind her of her fiance's death and relive the horrors of that unforgettable time. I felt so bad that she had to be placed in danger for the mission to work. Priscilla is definitely up for the challenge. She wants to see justice served and the killer punished. Her  encounter with her partner , the dashing Agent Donnie Barnes doesn't exactly feel all warm and fuzzy at first. The tension between them is just what you would expect from a stubborn woman and a determined agent who is out to solve the crime. 

The story takes us into the world of artifacts, gems and secrets people are willing to die for. The action is nonstop and filled with tension. Donnie to me was the star of the book and I soaked in everything about him. He can handle dangerous situations with wisdom and authority. Did he plan to fall for Priscilla along the way? I kept thinking how she tried to pull away from him, but she didn't fool me one bit. When Priscilla becomes victim to the people after the artifacts, I could sense an intensity in Donnie. Can he continue to keep her safe?  This is one story that has all the elements of an action packed adventure with characters that are well developed. 

One of the things I like the most about the story is the realization Priscilla gets when she finds out friends can turn into enemies. It's one that hurts as she feels defeated.  Having to let go of her past is hard, but knowing that you have been betrayed by friends hurts to the core. Learning to let go of past hurt and letting God show you how to find peace is something both Donnie and Priscilla will have to come to turns with. Don't miss this story filled with adventure, history and finding peace 

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Multifarious, March 23
Bigreadersite, March 25
A Greater Yes, March 26
Carpe Diem, March 29
Pause for Tales, March 30
Mary Hake, March 31
Simple Harvest Reads, March 31 (Guest post from Mindy)
Among the Reads, April 2
Pursuing Stacie, April 2

Giveaway

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To celebrate her tour, Victoria is giving away
Grand prize: Murano type heart necklace with lampwork bracelet and $25.00 Amazon gift certificate
1st Place: Green and white lampwork pendant and earrings
2nd Place: Set of three lampwork earrings
3rd place: Set of three holiday themed earrings
4th place: One ten $10 Amazon gift card
5th place: One ten $10 Amazon gift card!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c9e1

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Playing With Bonbon Fire: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery
by Dorothy St. James

A good plot, with just enough twists and turns to keep me guessing, PLAYING WITH BONBON FIRE, was a quick, enjoyable read.
~Lisa Ks Book Reviews
Swirls of complications at every step as Penn tries to build a life and business for herself and understand her beginnings.
~Laura’s Interests 
I was loving the emotional depths that this book took and the mystery itself was more involved than most as well. I think that all chocolate lovers should read this book/series and the cozy mystery fans in general.
~Books a Plenty Book Reviews
This book has really made an impression on me. It’s getting harder and harder to find books as well done as this one.
~Writing Pearls
This story had plenty of unique characters that readers will enjoy. It was as though you were truly visiting a festival, allowing yourself to people watch.
~Bibliophile Reviews
A story to be savored and enjoyed like a fine piece of chocolate. Playing with Bonbon Fire is sure to leave you craving more from this hit series by Dorothy St. James.
~A Cozy Experience
Even when all the chocolate has been eaten (oh, woe is me!), this delicious story will tickle and tempt your tastebuds! There is enough sugar to make this a sweet story, but not so much that it becomes cloying. Bonbon Fire is just right.
~Back Porchervations
Dorothy St. James is an amazingly talented author who paints a picture of a town and characters so well that you get lost in the story, only fully emerging upon turning the last page.
~The Montana Bookaholic
The town is filled with fun and quirky characters that care of each other and help solve the mystery in their own unique way.
~My Reading Journeys

About the Book


Playing With Bonbon Fire: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Crooked Lane Books (March 13, 2018)
Hardcover: 352 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1683314684
Digital ASIN: B074MBXLWX
Chocoholic Charity Penn must smoke out the killer to stop her newly inherited beachside chocolate shop from going up in flames in Dorothy St. James’ decadent follow-up to Asking for Truffle.
Chocolate shop owner Charity Penn is finally settling into life in the quirky South Carolina seaside town of Camellia Beach cooking up chocolate treats. She’s even helped organize the town’s lively beach music festival which has brought rollicking crowds eager to dance the Carolina shag. That is, until one of the band’s lead singers is found dead beside a beach bonfire.
While also trying to balance the amorous attention of music star Bixby Lewis, in town for the festival, and her quest to perfect a new hot flavored bonbon, Charity dives into the investigation. Though it’s more spice than sugar when she discovers a threatening note, comes across decades of age-old secrets, and Bixby comes into the line of fire when a gas grill explodes on the deck of a beachfront house.
Now Charity must turn up the heat and catch the killer before her chance melts away in Playing With Bonbon Fire, the delightful second Southern Chocolate Shop mystery served up just right for fans of JoAnna Carl and Joanne Fluke.

About the Author

Mystery author Dorothy St. James was born in New York but raised in South Carolina. She makes her home on an artsy island community in South Carolina with her husband, a neurotic dog, and fluffy cat. Though writing has always been a passion for her, she pursued an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Biology and a graduate degree in Public Administration and Urban Planning. She put her educational experience to use, having worked in all branches and all levels of government including local, regional, state, and federal. She even spent time during college working for a non-profit environmental watchdog organization.
Switching from government service and community planning to fiction writing wasn’t as big of a change as some might think. Her government work was all about the stories of the people and the places where they live. As an urban planner, Dorothy loved telling the stories of the people she met. And from that, her desire to tell the tales that were so alive in her heart grew until she could not ignore it any longer. In 2001, she took a leap of faith and pursued her dream of writing fiction full-time.
Known for the White House Gardener Mystery series, Dorothy is going back to her roots and setting a mystery series in a Southern beach town much like the one she’s called home for the past 20 years. The Southern Chocolate Shop Mysteries combine her love of fine chocolates, quirky Southern charm, with a dash of danger.
* Dorothy St. James is the alter-ego of the award-winning multi-published author, Dorothy McFalls. She enjoys writing in several different genres. Her works have been nominated for many awards including Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, Reviewers International Organization Award, National Reader’s Choice Award, CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, and The Romance Reviews Today Perfect 10! Award. Reviewers have called her work: “amazing”, “perfect”, “filled with emotion”, and “lined with danger.”
Author Links
Purchase Links
Barnes & Noble



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What a delicious treat it was to read this book. I love chocolate and enjoyed reading about how different chocolate treats are made. I don't think I have tried a bonbon before, but I certainly will be looking for them. I would love to go to Penn's shop and sample all the delectable concoctions displayed in the glass cases. Wouldn't it be exciting to inherit a chocolate shop? Penn has her hands full trying to keep the shop running when relatives get in the way. Learning about Penn's upbringing was fascinating. The author draws readers in with two mysteries surrounding Penn. 

The town is all abuzz about the  musical festival  set along the beach that brings in a well known singer. Bixby Lewis blows into town with an air of "Hey I'm famous and women swoon over me." I didn't like him at first, but he kinda grew on me. The festival sounded so fun and I could feel the excitement as Bixby took the stage for the opening night. Everything seems to go well until a body is found burning on the beach. I gasped when Charity thought the victim was someone she was growing fond of. With the expert writing from the author, she leads us on a trail that shook me when the victim was identified. The town goes into a tizzy trying to figure out who the killer is.

The other mystery going on in the story is about Penn and the identity of her mother. The author grasps the full emotions of a woman wanting to know her roots and explores how much it can affect someone. Will Penn ever find out who her mother is? Why has it been a secret all these years? I liked the little romance in the book but I'm not saying much about it. It is one that the author will keep readers guessing about to the end. I loved the story and I didn't want to see it end. Are you wondering who the killer is? My advice is to get a copy and get comfy. The story is a page turner and one you will not forget. The story reminds me of the days when concerts were popular. It would be an all day event with bands on stage, food vendors everywhere and people having a great time. This is one story that will satisfy cozy mystery readers with intrigue, secrets and danger, There is a treat waiting at the end of the book. Don't miss out on the enticing recipes that will have you rushing to the store for ingredients.

I received a copy of this book from The Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. The review is my own opinion




TOUR PARTICIPANTS
March 11 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST
March 11 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW
March 11 – La libreria di Beppe – SPOTLIGHT
March 12 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
March 12 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, INTERVIEW
March 13 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW
March 13 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW
March 13 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT
March 14 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
March 14 – Writing Pearls – REVIEW
March 14 – Sapphyria’s Books – SPOTLIGHT
March 15 – Queen of All She Reads – SPOTLIGHT
March 15 – A Cozy Experience – REVIEW
March 16 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 16 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
March 17 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW
March 17 – The Self-Rescue Princess – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
March 18 – A Holland Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST
March 18 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
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March 22 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
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Monday, March 19, 2018

Uneasy Prey (A Zoe Chambers Mystery)
by Annette Dashofy

About the Book


Uneasy Prey (A Zoe Chambers Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting – Pennsylvania
Henery Press (March 27, 2018)
Paperback: 286 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1635113204
Digital ASIN: B078RWM8S1
On the way to the emergency room, an elderly woman regains consciousness long enough to inform paramedic Zoe Chambers that her fall down the basement steps was no accident. Before she can say more, she succumbs to her injuries, launching Zoe and Police Chief Pete Adams into the investigation of a burglary ring targeting the area’s vulnerable senior citizens.
Zoe—in spite of Pete’s objections—takes it upon herself to act as protection detail after the con men, disguised as water company employees, set their sights on Zoe’s beloved former landlady. It’s a decision that eventually puts Zoe in harm’s way.
With Zoe already recovering from one close call, Pete must race against time to stop the crime ring—and a dangerous killer—before they strike again.

About the Author

Annette Dashofy is the USA Today best-selling author of the Zoe Chambers mystery series about a paramedic and deputy coroner in rural Pennsylvania’s tight-knit Vance Township. CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE was a finalist for the Agatha Award for Best First Novel of 2014 and BRIDGES BURNEDwas nominated for the 2015 Agatha for Best Contemporary Novel. UNEASY PREY, the sixth in the series, is set for release on March 27.
Author Links
Twitter– @Annette_Dashofy 
Purchase Links 
Amazon B&N Kobo

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I can't believe the author has written a book that is even better than the last. I love the series and Zoe has to be hands down one of the best characters I have read. She is  stubborn, smart and  very protective of her family and friends. I'm not sure how I feel about her mom though. She seems to be so unfeeling at times and selfish. She does add a bit of tension to the story which I found to be good. It is always interesting to read about family dynamics. Zoe, thankfully is nothing like her mother at all.

This story in the series involves the elderly and I thought the story line was very realistic. We read in the paper or hear on the news about break ins where the victims are elderly people with no way to defend themselves. Zoe is very concerned because the people who are getting robbed are her friends. One of the robberies ends in a tragedy that sets off a series of almost hysteria in the small town. Is anyone safe from the burglars? Why would someone target the elderly? The author gives readers a story that goes from burglary to murder and reaches a heightened sense of danger. I love reading books by the author because she writes with accuracy and true to life stories. I love that she can make a story jump off the pages and keep you guessing to the end. 

I was so sure I had figured out what was going on, but I was way off base. That's the beauty of a well written story with twists that convince you that a certain person is guilty. I was quite intrigued by the news reporter in the story. She is one sneaky and crafty woman. I didn't trust her at all. She had this way of always knowing  what was going on before others did. Where was she getting her information? Could she somehow be involved in the crimes going on? The tension between her and Zoe is very evident and I felt chills every time they came in contact. 

Once again Pete has his hands full trying to keep Zoe from investigating what is going on. He is such a good man and I love the patience he has with Zoe. Will Zoe find herself in danger as she stubbornly continue to help investigate the rash of burglaries? Can Pete and his officers solve the crime before more elderly people are robbed or hurt? It's a race against the clock as the story reaches an unexpected turn of events. This one is a real page turner and unexpected surprises that ends with a bang. 

I received a copy of this book from The Great Escapes Book Tours. The review is my own opinion. 
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