Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Liberty Bell and the Last American ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Author Reading & Giveaway!


LIBERTY BELL AND
THE LAST AMERICAN
by
James Stoddard

Alternative History / Science Fiction
Pages: 347 pages
Publication Date: April 4, 2021

SCROLL DOWN FOR A GIVEAWAY!


Americans love their Constitution. In seventeen-year-old Liberty Bell’s era it has become a myth.

Centuries after the Great Blackout obliterates the world's digitized information, America's history is forgotten. Only confused legends remain, written in The Americana, a book depicting a golden age where famous Americans from different eras lived and interacted with one another during the same time.

Raised on the stories and ideals from The Americana, Liberty Bell joins secret agent Antonio Ice on a quest for her country. But in the Old Forest, forgotten technologies are reawakening. Historic figures such as Albert Einstein, Harriet Tubman, and Thomas Jefferson are coming to life.

The source of their return, a mystery hidden since before the apocalypse, lies waiting for Liberty. Her knowledge of The Americana holds the key to unraveling the riddles of the past.

Will the American continent return to the freedom of Liberty’s forefathers? Or will it descend into a dark age of tyranny? The choices she makes will determine its fate. For, as The Americana says, “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it—and forfeit all coupons, discounts, and travel miles.”

Filled with quotations from exceptional Americans, here is a humorous and poignant celebration of America and its Constitution.

Click to purchase!



Author James Stoddard reading from Liberty Bell and the Last American






James Stoddard's short fiction has appeared in science fiction publications such as "Amazing Stories" and "The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction." "The Battle of York" was included in Eos Books' Years Best SF 10, and "The First Editions" appeared in The Year's Best Fantasy 9 from Tor Books. His novel, "The High House" won the Compton Crook Award for best fantasy by a new novelist and was nominated for several other awards. He lives with his wife in a winding canyon in West Texas.







GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
THREE WINNERS:

2 winners each receive a Signed Paperback copy of
LIBERTY BELL AND THE LAST AMERICAN

1 winner receives a $25 B&N eGift card
(U.S. only; ends at midnight, 11/4/22.)



FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY,
OR VISIT THE PARTICIPATING BLOGS DIRECTLY:

10/25/22

Hall Ways Blog

Author Audio

10/25/22

The Page Unbound

Notable Quotables

10/26/22

Bibliotica

Review

10/26/22

LSBBT Blog

BONUS Promo

10/27/22

It's Not All Gravy

Guest Post

10/27/22

Boys' Mom Reads!

Review

10/28/22

The Book's Delight

Excerpt

10/28/22

Reading by Moonlight

Review

10/29/22

StoreyBook Reviews

Review

10/30/22

The Plain-Spoken Pen

Review

10/31/22

Shelf Life Blog

Review

11/01/22

Forgotten Winds

Author Interview

11/01/22

Jennie Reads

Review

11/02/22

Rox Burkey Blog

Review

11/02/22

Guatemala Paula Loves to Read

BONUS Promo

11/03/22

Chapter Break Book Blog

Review

11/03/22

Book Fidelity

Review



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Friday, October 21, 2022

The Chai House: Blog Tour Audiobook Review & Giveaway!

 THE CHAI HOUSE 
by Priti Srivastava
narrated by Deepti Gupta

Adult Fiction (18 +),  
Dystopian Thriller, Feminist Fiction, Horror
Length: 5 hours, 43 minutes
Audio Release date:  March 24, 2022

The Chai House is a haunting debut novel that explores the complexity of community when individuals are unaware of their own roles in upholding systems of oppression. Swati has spent her entire life trying to live up to her family’s expectations of her. She has learned it is easiest to just do what is asked of her, without resistance; a skill that has helped her survive in the early years of the Knights, an authoritarian regime. When her mother has a request for Swati, she agrees to it as it is the only way to help her young niece have some sort of future. An emotional page turner, The Chai House examines the desire to be true to yourself in a world where familial, cultural, societal, and political values direct you to stay small and stay silent.

BUY THE BOOK:
add to goodreads

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW

“Assimilate now, assimilate once we break you, or assimilate when you die. The choice is up to you.”

In the vein of The Handmaid’s Tale, in The Chai House, Priti Srivastava gives readers a dystopian America where women are subjugated – for their own good, of course.  To protect women, the most precious commodity, Knight and his authoritarian regime have taken over part of a split nation and created rules that remove rights for females while giving permission to men to be beasts.  Women can’t receive an education and have curfews. Knowledge is power, and they can’t be out at night, you see, because it’s not safe…because of men. Oh, and if they were out in the evenings, gallivanting about, they wouldn’t be in their homes cooking dinner for their Knights and doing their chores. A Queen might have it a little better with her arranged marriage and purity intact (prior to arranged marriage, naturally), because those impure women, the worker wives (who do the scullery), and the loaner wives (available because men need companionship when traveling, bless their hearts), allow a Queen to have a modicum of freedom...from the men and their rules.

While Srivastava doesn’t give the specifics of what got the world to this point, it’s implied that the nation split, and possibly chemical warfare ensued. There’s reference to the Mideastern wastelands and fumes that cause hallucinations and sterility in men, making it a perfect place to send those noncompliant men. There are also references of continuing battles to win or win back cities and territories from Knights, who seem to be primarily white.

“I was out of my head. Or too into it. You know how that is.”

Our main character and narrator, Swati, is a strong-willed and intelligent young Indian American woman who sums up her world early on by saying she had a good life until the Fascists came. Her relationship with her mother, Amma, is complicated, and according to Swati, Amma “will never understand love. She only understands duty. She only understands rules.” But as happens when children mature or are forced to grow up early, Swati begins to understand her mother’s actions and realizes there is more to Amma’s behaviors than meets the eye, and Amma’s warning of being cautious of powerful white men is a piece of advice to take seriously.

“I came here for a better life for my daughter and instead both my daughter, and my granddaughter will have less freedom than I ever did.”

Running parallel to Swati’s story is a second one that seems intrusive and out of place initially. Readers get brief snippets into the nomadic life of Cindy and her young daughter, Jenny. These characters are voiced with a syrupy Southern accent, and they seem to be white females who are rebels trying to survive and on the run from Knight. The author shows the tenderness between this mother and daughter, but then juxtaposes that with the things they must do to survive. There are alarming scenes that are powerful in their irony, as in how Cindy considers herself a good parent and the concern of Jenny that Cindy’s kindness could get them killed.

While the two separate plots seem incongruous, Srivastava moves each forward and eventually connects them in a most surprising and horrific way, leaving readers with a jaw-dropping ending that had this one exclaiming, “WAIT! WHAAAAATTTT?!”

The Chai House is a novella-length story (127 pages) that I think could do with a developmental edit to fill the considerable holes and gaps in the stories. Granted, in listening to a story instead of reading one, it’s easy to miss a quick but vital piece of information. However, there were fine details that seemed significant in their mention but where never explained or connected anywhere else. Srivastava provides rich descriptions of scenes and situations, but often there’s a lack of providing the why behind them. The result is that after I finished the book, I had quite a “but what was X about?” list in my notes.

ABOUT THE NARRATION: Deepti Gupta is a great narration choice, and her voicing of the Indian character – young and old, male and female -- perfectly complemented Srivastava’s text. Her pacing is slow but even, and while her Southern accent was a bit over the top, it left no doubt as to who was speaking in those sections. I listened at 1.25x on Audible, which was a little faster than I’d like, but better than 1x. (Audible really needs to align with other platforms that allow finer tuning of speed.)

Overall, The Chai House is an excellent debut, and I plan on reading the eBook to re-visit the story. The author is a gifted storyteller and this world they have created clearly has more stories to be told. I will absolutely will pick up the next book they write.



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Author Priti Srivastava lives in Madison, Wisconsin with their best friends. Priti works to create inclusive spaces as they hope that one day everyone will feel as though they belong. When Priti isn’t working or doing chores, they enjoy playing video games, making their friends laugh, eating samosas, and sitting quietly. They also love to read and on the rarest of occasions Priti writes about Priti in the third person. Priti loves to connect with readers. Follow them on social media to request a virtual visit with your book club.


TWO WINNERS will receive their choice of
autographed or audiobook copies
of The Chai House
(US only; ends November 11, 2022)
THE CHAI HOUSE Book Tour Giveaway

Click to see the full tour post with purchase links, author links, and schedule
 

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Concrete Evidence ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Audio Book Review, Book Trailer, & Giveaway!

CONCRETE EVIDENCE
by
DiANN MILLS


Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Pages: 416 pages

Publication Date: October 4, 2022

Categories: Christian Fiction / Mystery & Thrillers

Scroll down for a giveaway!

Bestselling and award-winning author DiAnn Mills delivers a heart-stopping story of a faulty construction job, the discovery of a dead body, and a sinister plot.

On the family’s Brazos River Ranch in Texas, Avery Elliott helps run her grandfather’s commercial construction business. Raised by Senator Elliott, Avery has never doubted her grandfather is the man of integrity and faith she’s always believed him to be …. until the day she finds him standing with a gun over the body of a dead man. To make matters worse, Avery’ just discovered a billing discrepancy for materials supposedly purchased for construction of the Lago de Cobre Dam.

Desperate for answers, Avery contacts FBI Special Agent Marc Wilkins for help. As Marc works to identify the dead man Avery saw, threats toward Avery create a fresh sense of urgency to pinpoint why someone wants to silence her. With a hurricane approaching the Texas coast and the structural integrity of the Lago de Cobre Dam called into question, time is running out to get to the bottom of a sinister plot that could be endangering the lives of not only Avery and her loved ones but the entire community.


Praise For CONCRETE EVIDENCE

“* VERDICT Mills . . . delivers another action-packed novel that offers intrigue and an adventurous ride. Recommend to fans of Dani Pettrey, Lynette Eason, and Carrie Stuart Parks.” 

– LIBRARY JOURNAL, Shondra Brown 

“The confident plotting keeps the mysteries coming, and red herrings will have readers guessing the culprit through to the satisfying conclusion. Fans of Colleen Coble and Susan Sleeman will savor this thrilling standalone.” – PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

PURCHASE LINKS FOUND AT: 

https://diannmills.com/books/concrete-evidence/




HALL WAYS BLOG: WOW. DiAnn Mills has written an excellent suspense novel with an intricate plot where everyone's a suspect and danger is around every turn. I had no inkling of whodunit and was embarrassingly off the mark. 

The premise of CONCRETE EVIDENCE really intrigued me as I have been a dam widow when my husband was a project manager for a reservoir and dam build in south Texas. He frequently traveled there as it was built and then inspected (and reinspected and reinspected) to finally open years after ground was broken. I remember when Hurricane Harvey hit how dams and reservoirs in the Houston area failed (not my husband's! I swear!). Serious business. 

There are a plethora of characters, plots, and sub-plots to keep readers engaged, but fear not! Mills does a great job looping readers back in with reminders of who's who and what's what and plenty of red herrings that keep us enthralled and guessing. 

"God doesn't cause a demolition unless He's planned a renovation."

But CONCRETE EVIDENCE is not all mystery and suspense; threaded between the murders and mayhem are tender moments of love and a steady stream of messages of faith. I appreciate that several characters actively pray when things get rough -- and that it's not always an easy thing for them to put their worries in God's hands. Also, throughout the story, characters often mention the benefit and importance of seeking professional counseling when life's burdens get too heavy. These pieces are organically included in the story and never feel false or preachy.

Parallel to the hurricane that is developing and threatening to unleash itself over Texas are the events unfolding and building tension for readers. The action-packed final chapters left this reader satisfied and relieved as I was able to let go of that breath I'd been holding. Terrific! I’ll eagerly await the next Christian fiction adventure Mills has in store. 

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AUDIO BOOK REVIEW: ABOUT THE NARRATION: (1 STAR) This narration didn't work for me at all.  Barbara McCulloh's delivery felt stilted with odd gaps and pauses that didn't fit natural speech patterns -- and there's not a trace of a Texas accent in this very-Texas book. I could never find a comfortable speed for listening. 1x was painfully slow and unnatural; 1.3x was better but still off with those gaps. Additionally, there was very little change in voices, and without the visual cues of dialogue, it was very difficult to determine who was speaking. Fortunately, I had an eBook copy I frequently referred to (thank you, WhisperSync), but I would have preferred to have read this in print and honestly feel like the audio version does a disservice to the novel. Disappointing when CONCRETE EVIDENCE is such a stellar story.



DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure?

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. You can download a list of her published titles by clicking here.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a former director of Blue Ridge Christian Writers, and a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She shares her passion for helping other writers be successful by teaching writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas. Learn more and connect with DiAnn on her website.

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

FOUR WINNERS:

Each receives a $25 eGift card to their choice of Amazon or B&N.

(US only; giveaway ends midnight, 10/28/22)

Friday, October 14, 2022

The Wrong Side of Murder by Lauren Carr: Blog Tour Audiobook Review & Giveaway!

 

HALL WAYS REVIEW: The Wrong Side of Murder is another fun, flirty, and fast story that satisfies. Though it's the second in the Nikki Bryant Cozy Mystery series from Lauren Carr, it stands-alone very well by telling enough background to inform and pique interest in reading the first installment, Killer Deadline.  

In this installment, the relationship between main character Nikki and her beau (and stepbrother! the scandal!) Ryan is well-established as is Nikki's career in Pine Grove. She's proven herself a competent investigative journalist who not only has the instinct for a story, but she's smart, confident, creative, and assertive enough to get to the root -- and the truth -- of the problems. But Nikki's not perfect, and Carr does a great job of giving her quirks that make her real and relatable. (I may also be in denial that I forget names and make fashion faux pas -- or faux paws, in Nikki's case!) These quirks, along with the return of Elmo, the canine social media influencer, add some levity in a multi-layered plot that gets pretty gruesome at times. 

"You're not hearing this from me..."

About that gruesomeness -- while the murders aren't explained in graphic detail, there is no doubt about the violence of them, and the details are repeated, which for me pushes the boundaries of a typical cozy mystery. So sensitive readers be warned.  

ABOUT THE NARRATION: Anita Alger is back and even better in her second book. She performs a variety of characters (from crotchety crusty men to snobby socialite women) and keeps them unique -- no small feat given the huge cast of characters. I am still in the early Goldilocks stage, as I find regular speed a bit slow and 1.25x a bit fast. (I really wish Audible would take a cue from other platforms and allow listeners more latitude.) Nonetheless, her pacing is steady and her diction perfect. Solid narration. 

Carr never disappoints in having seemingly separate sub-plots threading around each other and ultimately coming together to weave a complex and cohesive mystery. All loose ends are neatly tied, and the denouement leaves readers content that the baddies have gotten their comeuppance, and all is at least temporarily well in the world. I look forward to the next installment. 

 

To celebrate this new release, the author is giving away
$50 via PayPal to one lucky winner! 
(Ends November 4, 2022)
https://gleam.io/rAMlP/the-wrong-side-of-murder-audiobook-tour-giveaway

THE WRONG SIDE OF MURDER Audiobook Tour Giveaway



Click for full blog tour post & schedule

Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Beasts of the Earth by James Wade


★★★★★

HALL WAYS REVIEW: AUDIOBOOK / PRINT REVIEW: Sometimes, the very best books I read are the hardest to write about once I’ve finished that final chapter; Beasts of the Earth by James Wade is one of those books.

Part of the problem is that turning that last page and closing the cover of Beasts of the Earth doesn’t end the story. Scenes settle back over me and replay in my mind, and I find myself wondering about characters, too, as if I could get into the car and travel the backroads to those melancholy times and places and check on them. But the main difficulty in summing up a book of this caliber is that no words I can string together will do it justice. Wade’s prose is exquisite and a fully immersive experience.

“LeBlanc turned back to the horizon where the far sky had tasted the morning and come aglow in swirls of rose pink.”

The descriptions in Beasts of the Earth are captivating and complex with next-level imagery that often juxtaposes beauty with ugliness, purity with evil, natural with unnatural. Wade’s mastery of figurative language enriches the story and the metaphors found in the recurrence of two animals are stunning.  Scenes are haunting, even horrifying, yet there is a sprinkling of hope even in the absence of happily-ever-afters.

“How privileged are we to ponder our own existence. How cursed.”

Wade writes complex, complicated characters that make your heart ache, your head hurt, and certainly spark your ire – sometimes all at once. As with Wade’s other outstanding novels, All Things Left Wild and River, Sing Out, there is much that happens via the characters’ words and actions, but there is much more that happens in their minds and off the page. He is especially talented at creating people who appear simple and are easily overlooked but have so much depth of character. Few words, many thoughts. Wade forces readers to put themselves inside his characters, and it’s uncomfortable to be there.

The delicate, seemingly disconnected threads of the stories ultimately weave themselves together into one perfect reading package. With its dual timelines and multiple, multilayered plots incorporating elements of gritty crime fiction, mystery, and literary fiction, Beasts of the Earth is a true work of art. I’ll be watching for this novel on awards lists.

ABOUT THE NARRATION: The audiobook narration by Roger Clark is excellent. That accent! His g-dropping will have readers hangin' on Wade's every word. Clark’s style is part campfire storyteller, part backwoods preacher, and fully engages the listener with even pacing and voice inflection. Clark also narrated Wade’s second novel, River, Sing Out, and he’s absolutely perfect for narrating Southern fiction. This was the first novel I've listened to via NetGalley's app, and I had no issues at all. I listened at regular speed, but it would have been nice to have an option between 1x and 1.25x. 

VISIT THE LONE STAR LIT TOUR PAGE FOR OTHER PARTICIPATING BLOGS ON THIS TOUR AND TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY.

 

Thursday, October 6, 2022

The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon ~ Blog Tour Guest Post & Giveaway!

THE DISAPPEARANCE
OF TRUDY SOLOMON
by Marcy McCreary

Genre: Adult Fiction (18+)
Category: Mystery
Publisher: CamCat Books
Publication Date: September 2022
Pages: 400 pages
Tour dates: Oct 3 to Oct 21
Content Rating: PG

Book Description:

In a family like that, you won’t need enemies.

In the waning days of the Catskills hotel era, Stanley and Rachel Roth, the owners of the Cuttman Hotel, were practically dynasty—third generation proprietors of a sprawling resort with a grand reputation. The glamorous and gregarious matriarch, Rachel. The cunning and successful businessman, Stan. Four beautiful children. A perfect family deserving of respect and loyalty. Or so it seemed.

Fast forward forty years. The Roths have lost their clout. When skeletal remains are found on the side of the road, the disappearance of Trudy Solomon, a coffee shop waitress at the Cuttman in 1978, is reopened. Each member of the Roth family holds a clue to the case, but getting them to admit what they know will force Detective Susan Ford to face a family she’d hoped never to see again.
Buy the Book:
CamCat ~ Amazon ~ BookBub 
IndieBound ~ B&N ~ Bookshop
add to goodreads
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Guest Post:

Best and Worst Writing Advice I’ve Ever Gotten

by Marcy McCreary

When I sat down to write this post, I racked my brain trying to recall if I’ve ever been given “bad” writing advice, namely some pearl of wisdom someone imparted to me that turned out to stymie my writing instead of benefitting the process. The answer was a resounding “no!” Most advice given to me has been tremendously helpful, whether it’s about the creative process, plot structuring, or how to leverage conflict and tension to keep the reader engaged. And even advice that is probably well-intentioned and works for many authors (i.e. how to outline using post-it notes or building your character’s entire backstory from birth) is probably great for those who outline and pre-plot, but as a “pantser,” my brain is not wired that way. I start with an inciting incident and pretty much know how it ends. The fun is in how I get there, letting my main character lead the way. 

The best writing advice I ever received was from my husband, Lew McCreary, who writes literary fiction (Minus Man, Viking; Mount’s Mistake, Atlantic Monthly Press). His advice: “no stick figures . . . every secondary and tertiary character should have enough depth so that readers can imagine them as protagonists in their own story.” Because I write complex mysteries with lots of characters—some merely cameo appearances—this advice is crucial. Many of my characters make singular appearances as a witness or neighbor or a waitress, and I want each and every one of them to be memorable.  

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Meet the Author:

Marcy McCreary worked for several years as a marketing and sales executive at various magazine publishing companies and content marketing agencies before turning to fiction writing. She is the author of The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon (CamCat Books). With two daughters and two step-daughters living in four different cities (Brooklyn, Nashville, Madison, Seattle), she spends a lot of time on airplanes crisscrossing the country. She lives in the beautiful coastal towns of Hull, MA and Nantucket, MA with her husband and black lab. 
Connect with the author: