Book Spotlight: Black Widow and the Sandman by L.L. Reaper

Children in Cuba are suffering an agonizing death. The cause, a toxin released by a terrorist organization hell bent on genocide. The scientific community is at a loss, and the Cuban government can no longer hide the truth from its citizens. Cuba’s only chance lies in the capable hands of a reclusive scientist from the country they believe is behind this terrorist attack, the United States of America.

Roman “The Sandman ” Tate is the most sought after mercenary in the world. When he is ordered to protect scientist Jeanette “Black Widow ” Mason, he finds she is much more than scientific equations. The two join forces to create an antidote and stop those responsible for the mysterious illness before more children die and Cuba follows through on its promise to retaliate.

Read an excerpt!

Twenty minutes later, Roman and Jeanette entered The High Note Jazz Club. The three-story club was as well known for its live jazz band as it was for its tender steak dinners. Each floor had its own jazz band and full bar. The top floor featured a renowned steak restaurant as well as a band. All four walls of the top floor were gigantic windows, providing a great view of the Miami skyline.


After finishing off their steak dinners, and a slice of strawberry cheesecake, Roman watched Jeanette sway in her seat to the band’s cover version of Sade’s “Smooth Operator.” He stood and took her hand. “C’mon…dance with me.”

“No…uh-uh! No, Roman, I don’t want—”

He smiled at her as she protested with her voice, but followed with her body. “Shhhh…” He placed his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “We’re supposed to be relaxing, right?”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. “Okay, Mr. Sandman.”

The band seamlessly transitioned from “Smooth Operator” into Sade’s “No Ordinary Love.” Roman and Jeanette left all thoughts of child victims, genocide and running out of time behind. For the first time since they’d partnered up, they both let their emotional guards completely down.

While dancing next to the gigantic Christmas tree beside the stage, Roman rubbed his hand between her shoulder blades down to the small of her back. In return, she lightly thumbed the back of his neck. You couldn’t have slipped a sheet of paper between the two as they danced. For a brief moment, they locked eyes and forgot they were on a mission. The tiny scar beside her eye continually drew his attention, not in a negative way, in a baiting way. He traced the scar with his finger, glad she didn’t pull away.

After dancing her over to the wall-sized window, he looked into her eyes and saw the same desire he felt flowing through his body. He placed his hand behind her head and drew close to her desirable lips. For that moment, they remembered they were a man and a woman.

Fuck! Roman saw a red dot appear on her cheek. They each instantly pulled the other down to the floor, alerting Roman to the fact that Jeanette must have seen a similar target dot on him. Glass shattered from two high-powered rifle shots that came in simultaneously.

He gave her a quick inspection. “Are you okay?”

She sat up and shook glass off her arm. “Yes…you?”

Shaking glass off himself, he jumped to his feet, knowing the snipers would be on the run instead of chancing another shot. He instinctively looked for the natural place a sniper would use for such a shot as the crowd scattered in panic. He helped Jeanette to her feet and pointed to the roof of the four-story office building across the street. “I bet the shots came from over there!”

Read the reviews!

“As genocide looms, hope may come in what you believe to be the enemy. “Black Widow and the Sandman” follows Roman Tate, a mercenary called the Sandman, as he protects Cuba’s only hope against a deadly biological weapon, an American scientist Jeanette Mason. A riveting novel of action, adventure and terrorism, “Black Widow and the Sandman” is a fun read that will be hard to pit down.”

– Midwest Book Reviews


"An excellent book for lovers of great suspense, mystery, medical terrorism and sizzle. Black Widow and the Sandman is a must read!"

--Cafe of Dreams Book Reviews

“What an incredible story of two tough fighters who are up against a deadly toxin that is causing harm to children in Cuba.”

--Community Bookshop

PURCHASE BLACK WIDOW AND THE SANDMAN AT:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Books-a-million

Indie Bound

L.L. Reaper is two multi-published, award-winning authors who decided to write under a pen name for their dangerously sexy suspense series, Black Widow and the Sandman. You can visit their website at www.llreaper.com or connect with them at Twitter at www.twitter.com/llreaper and Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorLLReaper.

Mystery Special Feature: A Wedding to Die For by Heather Haven

A groom arrested for murder can put a crimp in anybody’s wedding. So when the bride’s nuptials are threatened, best friend and maid-of-honor, Lee Alvarez -- the thirty-four-year old combination of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone and Janet Evanovitch’s Stephanie Plum - heads south of the border in search of the real killer. There the half Latina, half WASP, and 100% detective is thrown into the well-organized world of plundered Mesoamerican relics and finds a few more dead bodies along the way. While having the best tasting tamales ever, she stumbles across the man of her dreams. But is he too good to be true? Probably. With the help of the rest of the Alvarez Family, Never-Had-A-Bad-Hair-Day blueblood mother, Lila Hamilton Alvarez, brother and computer genius, Richard; favorite uncle, “Tío” Mateo; and Tugger, her energetic orange and white cat, Lee tries to follow her own sage advice, ‘when Cupid’s wings start flapping, take cover.’ Good luck to her. Because can love and murder be far behind?

A Wedding To Die For is the second novel in a series of humorous murder mysteries involving the Alvarez Family, owners of Silicon Valley’s successful Discretionary Inquiries.

Read an excerpt!

“Allied Arts is renting us the restaurant for the reception, including the outside patios, from five-thirty to eleven-thirty p.m. Do you think ten cases of champagne, plus five cases each of Chardonnay and a Napa cab are enough?”

“That sounds more than sufficient. What else?”

I started counting off items on my fingers. “Bridal shower, next week. Richard is in charge of the bachelor party. The tuxes are ordered. The gowns arrive this afternoon, and I have two seamstresses set up for the fittings. I haven’t seen a picture or rendering of the designs yet, but I’ll bet they’re incredible. Mr. McFadden designed them himself, something he hasn’t done for years. He said he chose a ‘theme,’ which reminds me, I’ll have to get samples of the fabric to the florist. Don’t you own one or two of Warren McFadden’s dresses?”

“No. I find him a little avant-garde, Liana,” Mom said.

“I think they call it cutting-edge now, Mom,” I corrected.

“If you say so.” She smiled and changed the subject. “Did you find a photographer?”

“Yes, finally. I thought I was going to have to buy a camera and take pictures, myself.”

“Who is it?”

“Did you know the reason the wedding got canceled that was supposed to take place at Mem Chu was because the bride came out of the closet and is now living in San Francisco with her lover, Charlene?”

“Get to the point, dear.”

“I thought you might be interested in hearing the lead-in.”

“No.”

“Oh. Well, anyway, this guy was supposed to be their photographer, so he was available. I’ve seen his portfolio. He’s good.”

“That sounds fine,” Lila said, somewhat mollified. “What about the rehearsal dinner? Didn’t John offer to take care of that part of the festivities?”

“Originally, but he had to bow out due to a heavy work schedule.”

“That’s too bad.”

“Yes,” I said and nothing more. My latest love had been pulling back big-time on a lot of things, but I didn’t want to admit it or deal with it yet.

“However, Carlos took over and got us a private room at the new Japanese steakhouse for after we go through our paces.”

I looked at the tattered list again with all the checkmarks indicating completion and would have done cartwheels around the room if I hadn’t been so tired.

“Mom, I think I’ve done it. After I order the flowers and take care of the fittings, I’m done,” I said with pride. “This wedding is completely done and Good-to-Go.”

Five hours later, I stood in front of a mirror, enveloped in what felt like eighty yards of a chartreuse moiré taffeta laughingly called “Whipped Lime.” Between the starched crinoline underskirt, ruffled hem of the overskirt, and tufted bodice, all in a hideous yellow-green, I looked like a New Year’s Eve float depicting baby poo.

I ripped open the other boxes to find matching gowns in different odious colors sporting the names of “Pineapple Fizz,” “Mango Madness,” “Orange Frappe,” and “Passion Fruit Frazzle.” Mr. McFadden had created a theme, all right. Jamba Juice Rejects. And in moiré taffeta. When Mom called his work avant-garde, she was being kind.

The phone rang, but I was afraid to move. On top of how I looked, any movement sounded like leaves trapped in a wind tunnel. No wonder no one wore taffeta anymore, I thought. Noise pollution. One of the seamstresses answered the phone and slapped it into my frozen hand.

“Hello?” I said.

“Lee, it’s me. We need your help,” Mira said. Her voice sounded frantic and as if she’d been crying.

“Mira? Are you all right?”

“No, I’m not,” she sobbed. “Carlos is being arrested for murder.”

“What?” I said, sinking straight to the floor, buried in a mound of taffeta. “Carlos is being arrested for murder?”

“Yes, they say he murdered the thief who broke into our apartment last night. They’re taking him away,” she wailed.

“Wait a minute. What thief? What murder? Mira, what’s going on?”

She tried to tell me, but between the hysteria, coughing, and wheezing, I couldn’t understand her.

“Never mind,” I interrupted. “Hold tight. I’ll be right there.”

I struggled to my feet and thought, with the groom arrested for murder maybe this Good-to-Go wedding just Got Up and Went.



Read the Reviews!


"Heather Haven has done it again with the second in the Alvarez series. Just when I thought she couldn't best herself, she did. This, like it's predecessor, is a magic combination of mystery/suspense and humor at just the right moments that let you have a great glimpse of Lee Alvarez, her feisty attitude and her somewhat dysfunctional family. Kudos to Ms. Haven for making me thirst for the third installment of this awesome series. Long live Lee Alvarez and her investigative family."

– Ginger Simpson, Dishin’ It Out 5/5

"Wonderfully fresh and funny!"

- Meg Waite Clayton, author of The Wednesday Sisters and The Four Ms. Bradwells

"After reading Murder is a Family Business, I couldn't wait to read A Wedding to Die For, and I was not disappointed. Ms. Haven has created a wonderful ensemble cast in the Alvarez Family Murder mysteries. Liana (Lee) Alvarez is smart and funny. The book is well-paced, building the tension from the first page to the last, as she and her family stalk the killer and almost become the next victims. You'll go from edge-of-your seat suspense to rolling-on-the-floor laughter. Hang on to your derriere. If you have not read either of Ms. Haven's books, please do so. I highly recommend both."

--Rochelle Webber, author

PURCHASE A WEDDING TO DIE FOR FROM THE FOLLOWING ONLINE RETAILERS:

MuseItUp Publishing

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Heather is a story teller by nature and loves the written word. In her career, she’s written short stories, novels, comedy acts, plays, television treatments, ad copy, commercials, and even ghost-wrote a book.

One of her first jobs as a writer was given to her by her then agent. It was that of writing a love story for a book published by Bantam called Moments of Love. She had a deadline of one week and then promptly came down with the flu. She wrote "The Sands of Time" with a temperature of 102 and delivered some pretty hot stuff because of it. Later on, she wrote short comedy skits for nightclub acts and ad copy for such places as No Soap Radio, where her love for comedy blossomed. Many of her short stories have been seen in various publications, as well as 2 one-act plays produced in Manhattan.


A Wedding to Die For is the 2nd book of the Alvarez Family Murder Mystery Series and can be bought at MuseItUp Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/3twffzm and other fine ebookstores.

Visit Heather online at http://www.heatherhavenstories.com/ and on Twitter at HTTP://Twitter.com/HeatherHaven. Follow Heather's blog at: http://tinyurl.com/4nensnp .

Product Review: Swiffer WetJet

As a busy wife and mom, I was thrilled when Swiffer products made their way onto the market. They help me grab those wafts of cat fur in the corners of rooms, spend less time dusting, and now make cleaning my floors a breeze.

I've used Swiffer wet cloths in the past, but I find if I don't wash my kitchen floor often enough, the wet cloths have a hard time removing stains. Pushing hard on the wand has cracked it, so I decided to break down and purchase the more expensive Swiffer WetJet. My local WalMart carries this product for $19.99, and I had a $5.00 off coupon from our Sunday paper, which is the only reason I purchased it. I know, I'm a cheapskate. The original package came with the Swiffer WetJet, a 1.25 liter bottle of WetJet Multi-purpose solution, a scrubby strip, and two textured pads. I also picked up a package of refill pads.

This battery-operated model, uses a cleaning solution (comes in 4 different types) that is sprayed on the floor at a touch of a button. Then you spread the solution with the textured pad that picks up dirt and grime. There is a scrubby strip on the front of the unit to help remove stains.

The Swiffer WetJet does a fabulous job of cleaning tile floors. They make a special solution for hardwood floors, but I didn't pick that one up this time. I've cut the time spent washing my floor in half just by using this product. What I really like is that I'm using a fresh pad each time, so I don't have to worry about spreading germs with a used mop head. The floor also dries much quicker than using a traditional mop.

That said, I'm not ready to toss my old mop away yet. I couldn't quite figure out the easiest way to use the scrubby strip. I'll have to try my Swiffer WetJet a few more times to see if I can find a better way to move the unit to make it more effective. I'm thinking my Swiffer WetJet will be perfect to use most of the time, but during Spring and Fall cleaning I might want to drag out the mop, bucket, and liquid disinfectant.


I purchased this product to provide my honest opinions. Swiffer and The Procter & Gamble Company are not aware of this review. I received no monetary compensation of any kind to write this review.

Mystery Special Feature: Gypsy Crystal by Lorrie Unites-Struiff

Homicide Detective Rita Moldova has a secret, a crystal amulet from her Roma bloodline that allows her to see the last image a victim had seen in their eyes before they died. Now, a ritual killer is terrorizing her town and the crystal’s magic has suddenly stopped doing its job.

FBI agent, Matt Boulet, is sent to lead the task force and gives the group strange orders. Worse, Rita senses he is holding back a deep, dark secret about the killer.

When she confronts her seer mother’s advice, she learns another secret about their clan that she finds impossible to swallow.

Rita swims through a whirlpool of confusion as the investigation continues. Can Rita deny the lore of the ancients? Can she deny her growing feelings for Matt Boulet?

Read an excerpt!

Chief Lipinski rose to his feet. “Back off, people! I have my orders, too. We follow Boulet’s plan. Hank, you and Sully hand out these sketches to as many girls you see walking the streets before Della and Rita start their rounds.”


Della nudged Rita. “Guess we get our ‘Sluts R Us’ duds out of mothballs.”

Rita nodded. She would follow orders, but too many unanswered questions floated in her mind. She raised her voice. “Since he’s such a big, strong, badass, who lived to provide the sketch?”

“Me.”

The way Boulet uttered that one word made her teeth click together.

Boulet tugged down the ribbed collar of his sweater. A red scar marred the cords in his thick neck. “My partner and I were doubling him. We were too late to save the woman. He nicked me first. While I was trying to stop bleeding, he took out my partner.” He studied the floor, then his eyes hardened as he made eye contact with everyone in the room. “But now I know this bastard, and I’ll be ready for him.”

“Sounds more like a personal vendetta,” Rita said.

“Yeah, that too.” His lips pulled back with an ironic chuckle. “More than you can imagine.”




Read the reviews!

"The story itself is tightly written and quick paced."

--Lily Oak, Hellium

"Ms. Unites-Struiff carries the story into the realm of the supernatural, along with some hot scenes between Rita and Matt, to take the reader along on a wild, supernatural ride. Great read."

--Marva Dasef, author of Missing, Assumed Dead

"Ms. Unites-Stuiff does a great job of hooking you from the beginning, and her descriptions are so great, you’ll actually believe you’re in the coroner’s office smelling the formaldehyde. You may be a naysayer when it comes to the paranormal, fantasy stuff, but this book just might make you a believer."

--Ginger Simpson, eBook Examiner

PURCHASE GYPSY CRYSTAL FROM THE FOLLOWING ONLINE RETAILERS:

Eternal Press Top Sellers

http://www.eternalpress.biz/searches.php?category=top

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Gypsy-Crystal-Lorrie-Unites-Struiff/dp/1770650415/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

Barnes and Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/gypsy-crystal?store=book


Lorrie Unites-Struiff lives in West Mifflin, PA, twenty minutes from downtown Pittsburgh. She has led writing groups in her area for the past ten years. Lorrie has many published short stories in various magazines and loves to write in many genres. A few of her stories were chosen and re-published in “The Best Of” anthologies.



Visit her website and check out what is available at http://struiff.wordpress.com/  

Simply Salsa by Janet Perez Eckles e-Book Giveaway at Linda Weaver Clarke's Blog

Hop on over to Linda Weaver Clarke's blog for your chance to enter and win a e-copy of Simply Salsa by Janet Perez Eckles.

 

What keeps women from dancing to the freedom God offers?

 

With passion and boldness, Simply Salsa exposes the lies and misconceptions that imprison women with unfounded insecurities and feelings of inadequacy. No matter the degree of adversity or pain, Janet Eckles has discovered an alternative to gloom—through the security that is only found in God’s love.

 

When women in the Bible faced tribulations and trials, they sought God’s grace. Simply Salsa illustrates how that same grace offers today’s women the opportunity to:

 

• Leave the ugly past behind and look to a fresh tomorrow


• Find peace and increased faith as you wait for answers to prayer


• Embrace God’s comfort to conquer sorrow and disappointment

With a bit of sassiness, a touch of humor, and an amiga-to-amiga style, Simply Salsa encourages women to accept God’s call to dance!

Janet Perez Eckles writes with no eyesight but with insight to help you “see” the best of life. Her passion for life shines through the stories, included in 15 books and in 20 Chicken Soup for the Soul titles, in the two books she authored and numerous magazines including Guidepost as well as in her keynote messages.

 

 

Visit Linda Weaver Clarke's blog at http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com/2011/08/interview-with-christian-author-janet.html for more information on this giveaway. Deadline to enter is August 15th!

 

Mystery Special Feature: Missing, Assumed Dead by Marva Dasef

When Kameron McBride receives notice she’s the last living relative of a missing man she’s never even heard of, the last thing she wants to do is head to some half-baked Oregon town to settle his affairs. But since she’s the only one available, she grudgingly agrees.

En route, she runs afoul of a couple of hillbillies and their pickup in an accident that doesn’t seem...accidental. Especially when they keep showing up wherever she goes. Lucky for her, gorgeous Deputy Mitch Caldwell lends her a hand, among other things. Her suspicions increase when the probate Judge tries a little too hard to buy the dead man’s worthless property.

Working on a hunch and trying to avoid the Judge’s henchmen, Kam probes deeper into the town’s secrets and finds almost no one she can trust. With Mitch’s help, she peels away the layers of prejudice, suicide, murder, and insanity. But someone in town doesn’t like her poking around, and when they show their intentions by shooting her through the police chief’s office window, the stakes are raised. Kam must find out what really happened to her dead relative before someone in this backward little town sends her to join him.
And she thought Oregon was going to be boring.

Read an excerpt!

Kam gasped and jumped down the embankment toward the creek, stumbling through the underbrush. She heard the pickup tires screech and glanced back. Scruffy had gotten out and headed down the slope behind her. She moved faster, gripping her hair spray. A strap broke on her sandal, and she kicked it off. Ignoring the brambles poking into her legs through her jeans, she moved as fast as she could, the terrain preventing her from flat out running.

She heard the crashing of bushes behind her and put on more steam. She knew the pickup would have reached her car by now, but she’d be coming up on the passenger door, slightly downhill from the driver’s side. She switched the hair spray to her left hand and pawed into her purse for the keys. Finding them, she dropped the bag on the ground to free her hands and kept moving.

When she reached the Chrysler, the driver had already skidded down the embankment and was standing on the driver’s side. Thin compared to the other man, but his arms were solid muscle under the tats. She rushed to the passenger side, jerked open the heavy door, dived in, slammed the door and hit the lock button on the key fob.

The driver pounded the window with his fist. The scruffy one had caught up and pulled on the passenger side door handle. Kam hit the panic button on the fob. The deep and seriously loud Chrysler horn went off with honking bursts. Both men jumped back from the car.

The driver yelled, “I’ll fetch the rifle.” He scrambled to climb up the embankment.

Kam’s heart almost stopped. Even the shatterproof windows wouldn’t stand up against a hunting rifle. She looked around the car wildly, her breath coming in sharp rasps, and then launched herself over the console and into the rear. Sweat ran from her armpits, soaking her blouse. She ran her shaking hands across the top of the seat back hunting for the latch. She hoped the Chrysler had fold down back seats. If she could just reach the tire iron, she’d have a weapon. If this stupid car even had one that is.

She felt the latch pin, grasped it and pulled it up. It clicked. She grasped the seat back in both hands and pulled it down. On her belly, she crawled halfway into the trunk searching for the spare tire well.



Read the reviews!

"I could not put this story down until the last word was read! I give Missing, Assumed Dead thumbs up!!"
 
--M. McDannell, Amazon Reviewer
 
"In addition to the Oregon setting, which I enjoyed, this action-packed mystery is rich with colorful characters, a tight plot, and a warm romance. Recommended!"
 
--L.J. Sellers, author of the Detective Jackson mysteries
 
"Action packed, suspenseful, with a good dose of mystery. Ms. Dasef had me hooked from the first page through to the end. Highly recommend this read!"
 
--Elizabeth Bonecher-Brenaman, Amazon Reviewer
 
PURCHASE MISSING, ASSUMED DEAD AT AMAZON OR MUSEITUP PUBLISHING!
 

Marva Dasef is a writer living in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a fat white cat.  Retired from thirty-five years in the software industry, she has now turned her energies to writing fiction and finds it a much more satisfying occupation.  Marva has published more than forty stories in a number of on-line and print magazines, with several included in Best of anthologies. She has several already published books and a few more scheduled for 2011 and 2012 from her super duper publisher, MuseItUp.


Visit Marva online at http://marvadasef.com/ or her blog at http://mgddasef.blogspot.com/. You can find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/MarvaDasef or Twitter @Gurina. Visit her author page on MuseitUp Publishing's website.

A Killing in Antiques by Mary Moody Giveaway at Debbie's Book Bag

Debbie's Book Bag is running a lot of great giveaways right now. Check out this one where she's giving away a copy of A Killing in Antiques by Mary Moody.

Treasure hunting is not for the faint of heart. Luckily, Lucy St. Elmo, owner of Cape Cod's St. Elmo Fine Antiques, has more than enough heart. Her tracking skills are what she needs to improve - or else the wrong man could be convicted of a one-of-a-kind murder...

It's time for Brimfield, the largest outdoor antiques and collectibles show in all of New England. This is one event Lucy wouldn't miss for the world. Armed with determination, a keen eye, and her trusty supercart, Lucy is ready to make a killing. But she never expected there would be a killing at Brimfield! Or that the victim would be her longtime friend, well-known antiques picker Monty Rondo - strangled with a strip of lace.

While Brimfield is still buzzing with the news, Monty's partner, Silent Billy, is arrested for the crime. Lucy's certain that Billy is innocent. So while combing the market for treasures, she starts collecting clues to clear her friend's name. But she'll have to work fast to restore his reputation before a killer comes calling her name...

This one caught my eye because I love cozies, and because I've always lived in Western Mass. If you think you would enjoy it too, http://debsbookbag.blogspot.com/2011/08/review-and-giveaway-killing-in-antiques.html for more information. Deadline to enter is August 17th.