Iberian Ties ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Notable Quotable & Giveaway!

IBERIAN TIES

by

Quintin Vargas

Genre: Crime Fiction / Mystery / Suspense
International Thriller 

Publisher: Vanguard Publishers

Date of Publication: May 13, 2019

Number of Pages: 405

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Without a motive, how do you catch a killer? A gripping thriller in the vein of Harlan Coben, Paula Hawkins, and Lee Child.

A rising star psychiatrist, American Nate Shelley is in Spain’s Canary Islands, making his world debut at a convention. But after delivering his keynote address, he and his fiancée Miro are arrested for murder.

Nate knows he’s not guilty, but is his future wife involved in some way in the crime? Miro’s directly implicated when the murder victim is identified as her stalker.

Is Nate’s career ruined? Is he facing life imprisonment? Does the American couple stand a chance of convincing the Spanish authorities—and Interpol—that they’re innocent? Not in a post-Brexit, anti-Trump European environment.

Racing to clear their names, Nate and Miro will soon be embroiled in sham investigations, powerful cartels, and family secrets finally coming to light.

Full of intrigue, this gritty international crime novel is a thrilling ride.

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PRAISE FOR IBERIAN TIES:

“Brilliant thriller! I totally loved and enjoyed this book!! Interesting twists and turns, well-developed characters and suspense all along the way. Definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. Can't wait for the next book!” –Gaby M., Goodreads Review

“This was an education about cultures and history as well as an unpredictable mystery.” –Robert R., Amazon Review

Iberian Ties is the first work of fiction published by Quintin Vargas. In addition to being an author, he combined a career as professor and dean in various American universities with becoming owner of a firm that prepared new immigrants to enter the marketplace and international workforce. His work impacted leadership development for various domestic and international private industries, non-profit organizations, and higher education.

As an academic, he served as dean and provost at various universities, including DePaul University in Chicago, the University of Texas, San Antonio, and St. Edward’s University. His academic writings have been highlighted in various publications, including the Journal of Research and Development in Education, the National Commission on Testing and Public Policy, and the Journal of Thought. 

He and his wife, Marty, have five children and thirteen grandchildren. They reside in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

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7/23/19	BONUS Post	Hall Ways Blog
7/24/19	Excerpt	Kelly Well Read
7/25/19	Review	Chapter Break Book Blog
7/26/19	Guest Post	Max Knight
7/27/19	Author Interview	Texas Book Lover
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7/31/19	Review	Forgotten Winds
8/1/19	Review	Reading by Moonlight

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Bride ~ Audio Book Blog Tour, Review, Audio Clip, & Giveaway!

BRIDE

BY KYLE ALEXANDER ROMINES

Narrated by Becca Ballenger

Length: 9 hours 52 minutes

Released: Apr. 14, 2018

Genre: Horror / Romance

The year is 1795. Frankenstein’s monster has given his creator an ultimatum: Victor must build the creature a mate, or watch as the monster destroys everything and everyone he has ever loved.

You know their story.

You don’t know hers.

She is born into darkness, her destiny entwined with an unspeakable evil. Her sole companion is her creator, the inscrutable Victor Frankenstein, gatekeeper to a life she has never experienced. As her understanding of humanity takes shape, she must contend with the horrific nature of her intended mate and conflicting feelings for her creator.

She wants more from life than to be the bride of Frankenstein’s monster, but will she seek freedom, vengeance, or something else entirely?

HALL WAYS REVIEW: What first drew me to Bride by Kyle Alexander Romines was *SHOCK* the creepy cover.  With the eerie coloring, stormy sky, graveyard, and of course, the shadowy veiled woman, how could I pass-up the chance to have a read (with my ears)?  Happily, the story held within is just as intriguing in this interesting companion story to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.  Both books share the core elements of being horror with a bit of suspense and much tragedy, but Bride has the added element of romance. Strangely, it is really love that ultimately drives the action and consequences of nearly every event in the story – and it works.  

Romines sets the stage with an excellent prologue that shows just how beautiful and vibrant main character Justine is before her death, and it shows just how quickly mob mentality can change the world in a blink of an eye. The consequences of that fateful day are far-reaching.  As Justine is re-born, she’s also re-named Persephone. Even while Persephone doesn’t understand the significance of her name, readers know that it’s apropos enough. Just like the Greek goddess was abducted to become the wife of Hades, Justine was taken to become the wife of the Creature created by Victor Frankenstein. 

As Persephone evolves and becomes smarter -- brilliant really -- she discovers love and tenderness. She reads stories that raise her awareness of feelings of affection, and naturally, she has those feelings for Victor. Again, author Kyle Romines does a terrific job of allowing readers to feel what Persephone feels and aptly describes her evolution as random pieces of Persephone’s memory return to her and she blossoms. But always lurking in the background is the Creature – fierce, dangerous, mysterious, but not wholly evil.

When Persephone grows smart enough to put the pieces together, she gets pissed… uh-oh. There is ruthlessly executed revenge, but there is also regret, heartbreak, love, and compassion – and Persephone the monster is more than anything else, human. Persephone struggles with her feelings, and her revelations make her (and readers) question who are the real monsters in the world.

Love is as much a driving force as hate and vengeance, which was a surprise to me. Had I known this beforehand, I likely would have passed on reading Bride, so I am glad I didn’t know. The book is longer than it needs to be, and there are two major plot holes that I feel need to be addressed regarding Victor and the Creature. However, Bride keeps the reader engaged and enthralled with its twists and turns, and the story finishes perfectly. Predictably, yes, but even this ending has an unexpected twist and there is definitely unfinished business that could merit another book. (I would read it.)

ABOUT THE NARRATION: Technically, there isn’t a single glitch in the recording. It’s professionally done, through and through. Narrator Becca Ballenger gives readers a wonderful performance with perfect pacing (I listened at regular speed). She speaks in a British accent, and in true Brit form, keeps the delivery fairly even with the emotions coming across in the enunciation and slight inflections of the words. Her voicing of Justine/Persephone is outstanding and authentic, making listeners forget they are hearing a work of fiction. She skillfully tackles male and female characters, giving each of them unique voices, and her delivery of the Creature’s lines perfectly conveys the rage within him. Well done.

Thank you to AudioBookWorm Promotions and the author for providing me an audio download in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give. 

I received this audio book as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Kyle Alexander Romines. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

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Kyle Alexander Romines is a teller of tales from the hills of Kentucky. He enjoys good reads, thunderstorms, and anything edible. His writing interests include fantasy, science fiction, horror, and western.

Kyle's debut horror novel, The Keeper of the Crows, appeared on the Preliminary Ballot of the 2015 Bram Stoker Awards in the category of Superior Achievement in a First Novel. He obtained his M.D. from the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

You can EMAIL Kyle and can also subscribe to his author newsletter to receive email updates and FREE electronic copies of his Warden of Fál prequel short, The Path of Vengeance, AND his horror/science fiction novella, The Chrononaut. 

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A trained actor and a book lover, Becca has experience on stage, camera, and in front of the microphone, with over 19 audio books (and counting!) to her name. She graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University and has been performing as an actor in New York ever since. She is particularly adept with heightened language and dialects.

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Light from Distant Stars ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Excerpt, Book Trailer, & Giveaway!

LIGHT FROM DISTANT STARS

by

SHAWN SMUCKER

Genre: Christian Fiction / Magical Realism / Rural Fiction

Publisher: Revell

Date of Publication: July 16, 2019

Number of Pages: 400

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When Cohen Marah steps over his father's body in the basement embalming room of the family's funeral home, he has no idea that he is stepping into a labyrinth of memory.

Over the next week, Cohen's childhood comes back in living color. The dramatic events that led to his parents' separation. The accident Cohen witnessed and the traumatic images he couldn't unsee. And the two children in the forest who became his friends--and enlisted him in a dark and dangerous undertaking. As the lines blur between what was real and what was imaginary, Cohen is faced with the question he's been avoiding:

Is he responsible for his father's death?

Master story weaver Shawn Smucker relays a tale both eerie and enchanting, one that will have you questioning reality and reaching out for what is true, good, and genuine.

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Chapter One of

Light from Distant Stars

By Shawn Smucker

PART ONE

Monday, March 16, 2015

Darkness was upon the face of the deep.

Genesis 1:2

one

The Body

Cohen Marah clears his throat quietly, more out of discomfort than the presence of any particular thing that needs clearing, and attempts to step over the body for a second time. His heel no more than lightens its weight on the earth before he puts his foot back down and sighs. He tilts his head and purses his lips, as if preparing to give a talk to an unruly child. He does not take his hands out of his pockets, worried that he will taint the scene, which in the next moment he realizes is ridiculous. This is where he works. This is where he works with his father, Calvin. His fingerprints are everywhere.

He stares down at the body again, and sadness keeps him leaning to one side. It’s the physical weight of emotion, and that weight is not centered inside of him but skewed, imbalanced. It is not his father’s slightly opened eyes looking up at him from the floor that bring down the heaviness, and it is not his father’s cleanly shaven cheeks, haggard and old. It is not the way the tangled arms rest on his chest, or the way his one leg is still bent and propped up against the examination table.

No, the thing that weighs Cohen down is the shiny baldness of his father’s head, the way the light reflects from it the same way it did when he was alive. The light should dim, he thinks. It should flatten out, and the glare should fade. There should be no light, not anymore.

Click to visit the Lone Star Book Blog Tour on 7/19/19 to read chapter two!

Shawn Smucker is the author of the young adult novels The Day the Angels Fell and The Edge of Over There, as well as the memoir Once We Were Strangers. He lives with his wife and six children in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

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7/17/19	BONUS Post	Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
7/17/19	Excerpt	Hall Ways Blog
7/18/19	Review	Book Fidelity
7/19/19	Excerpt	Sybrina's Book Blog
7/19/19	Excerpt	Sybrina Publishing
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7/21/19	Playlist	All the Ups and Downs
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7/25/19	Review	Reading by Moonlight
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Chasing Hope ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Book Trailer, & Giveaway!

CHASING HOPE

by

DANA WAYNE

  Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Book Liftoff

Date of Publication: June 10, 2019

Number of Pages: 295

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Max Logan longs for the joys of home and family he missed growing up in foster care. He fills that emotional void by becoming a kick-ass Marine, and for eighteen years, led his band of brothers from one hell-hole to another…until the one that nearly destroyed him. Sixteen months of therapy and rehab put his body back together, but some wounds can’t be seen. Some can’t be healed.

Skylar Ward dreams of a life that includes someone beside her. Someone to share her life with, to be a father to her young daughter. But if she learned anything from her failed marriage it was that you don’t rush into a relationship. Options in her small town are limited, and those who approach her lack appeal. Only Max Logan sparks her interest. But the handsome, brooding war hero remains aloof.

Intelligent and intuitive, seven-year-old Maddie overhears a neighbor tell her mother she needs a male companion, so she Google's it to see what it means. Convinced her mom needs a boyfriend and Max needs a girlfriend, Maddie sets out to make it happen. He needs a family. They need him. If she can make them see that.

Can one precocious child be the catalyst that heals a wounded warrior’s soul and brings joy back into her mom’s heart?

Or will ashes of the past bury hope once and for all?

PRAISE FOR CHASING HOPE: 
"The pace was fast, the love was simple yet energetic, and the dialogues were lively enough to make me want to know more about the characters. To say that I loved this novel is not enough! Absolutely beautiful. It deserves these 5 stars." – Readers’ Favorite

"I could not put Chasing Hope down! From the first few sentences, I was hooked and read over half of it the first night finishing it the following night. The main characters, Sky and Max, intrigued me right off the bat but feisty little Maddie wormed her way into my heart immediately! What a breath of fresh air." - Mary McCormack, ARC reader

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Chasing Hope from Dana Wayne on Vimeo.

Dana Wayne is an award-winning author and 6th generation Texan. She resides in East Texas with her husband (and biggest fan) along with a Calico cat named Katie, three children, and four grandchildren. She routinely speaks to books clubs, services organizations, writers’ groups, and other organizations on writing and publishing, and is a frequent guest on numerous writing blogs. 

"I grew up listening to my father read passages from the stack of paperback westerns beside his chair. I was fascinated at how someone could paint a picture with words so vivid, I saw it in my mind. That's when I knew that one day I would be a writer. It wasn't until I retired in late 2013 that I was able to devote the necessary time to achieving my goal. I published my first book in 2016 and never looked back. My stories are heartwarming, a little spicy, and all about the romance because I believe romance is more about emotion than sex, and the journey is more important than the destination."

A staunch supporter of new authors, she is a member of Romance Writers of America, Texas Association of Authors, and Writers League of Texas as well as several local writers' groups.

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FIRST PRIZE:  Signed Copy of Chasing Hope 
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7/9/19	Notable Quotable	Kelly Well Read
7/9/19	BONUS post	Hall Ways Blog
7/10/19	Review	Reading by Moonlight
7/11/19	Excerpt	All the Ups and Downs
7/11/19	Excerpt	The Page Unbound
7/12/19	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
7/13/19	Review	Rebecca R. Cahill, Author
7/13/19	Character Interview	Forgotten Winds
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7/15/19	Review	The Clueless Gent
7/16/19	Teaser	Nerd Narration
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7/17/19	Review	KayBee's Book Shelf
7/18/19	Review	The Book Review

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