July | 2021 | Book Talk & More with Kathy (2024)

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Here are the eBooks in this week’s Saturday Series Spotlight contest:

Title: Summer of Hush by R.L. Merrow
Summer of Hush Series Book One
Publisher: Celie Bay Publications LLC; 2nd edition
Genre: Contemporary, Gay, Romance
Length:

Summary:

Hush is back… and it’s about to get loud. After two years grieving the death of his best friend, Silas Franklin is back on the road with his metalcore band, Hush. With a new member, a brilliant new album, and a headlining spot on the last cross-country Warped Tour, life couldn’t be better—unless Silas could meet the intriguing music blogger known only as the Guru. Silas has followed his blog for years and feels the Guru might be the only person who “gets” him. For years Krishnan Guruvayoor has reported on the metal scene as an anonymous blogger, and he’s just landed an internship on the Warped Tour as well as a potential position with a well-respected music magazine. His best friend arranges for him to meet singer Silas Franklin—but only as Krish the Intern. Their chemistry is instant, and Krish is thrilled to get to know the man behind the music. The rock star and blogger quickly go from meet-cute to cuddle session, but secrets, overprotective bandmates, meddling media, and a terrible accident all conspire against them. Can their romance survive the summer of Hush?

Title: Brains and Brawn by R.L. Merrow
Summer of Hush Series Bok Two
Publisher: Celie Bay Publications, LLC
Genre: Contemporary, Gay, Romance
Length: 344 pages
pages
Summary:

Billy “Brains” Brennan has achieved rock stardom in not just one, but two chart-topping bands, but events from his past have him convinced he’s living on borrowed time. Brains and his brothers-in-Hush are ready to take the last cross-country Warped Tour by storm…until the actions of two drunk dudes with bad attitudes set off a chain of events that leave him incapacitated…and face-to-face with a handsome stranger who inexplicably feels like home—and not the home Brains fled at sixteen.

Chief Petty Officer Paul McNally has spent his 25-year career as a Navy Corpsman responding to emergencies and caring for wounded soldiers. When fate has him in the right place to provide aid to a fallen rock star, it sends his life spiraling on a trajectory he never planned for. Instead of concentrating on his impending retirement and a second career, he’s now playing nursemaid to a fascinating younger man…and falling in love—a fact he can’t seem to figure out how to explain to his adult son.

A health scare, band drama, and pain from both their pasts threaten to end Brains and Paul’s fledgling relationship. Fate brought them together. It will take trust, honesty, and hope to keep them together.

Giveaway

I am giving away one eBook from the Summer of Hush series-WINNER’S CHOICE. Here’s how to enter the Saturday Series Spotlight contest:

You must Do TWO of the Following:

1. Sign up for e-mail updates (below). One email daily with the day’s posts.

OR:

2. Be or become a fan of Book Reviews & More by Kathy Facebook page

OR:

3. Follow me on Twitter (@BookReviewsMore)

Make sure you have filled out the contest entry form:

4. To be eligible to enter contests on Book Reviews and More by Kathy you MUST fill out the contest entry form (found HERE). This form only needs to be filled out ONCE. Your privacy is important to me, and I will not share your information.

And don't forget to:

5. Fill out the form below by 4 PM Mountain Time Monday afternoon.

CONTEST OVER

* I am the only person who will have access to info that is submitted to me UNLESS a publisher or author has donated an eBook for the giveaway. For a prize donated by an author or publisher, I will forward your e-mail and format selection to the person responsible for distributing the eBook. Please refer to the privacy page HERE if you have questions about how your information is used. In the event the contest form is not working, please leave your book selection in the comments below.*

It’s that easy! The winner will be selected using random.org. I will e-mail one lucky winner the eBook of their choice in their preferred format. The winner will be posted HERE on Tuesday.

***The eBooks in this giveaway have been purchased by Book Reviews & More by Kathy.***

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Filed under Contest, Saturday Series Spotlight

Title: I Was a Stripper Librarian by Kristy Cooper
Publisher: Olivier
Genre: Adult, Memoir
Length: 270 pages

Summary:

No one at the library she worked at knew about Kristy Cooper’s other job.

On the surface, it seemed that being a librarian and a stripper are polar opposite jobs, but in practice Kristy found that they were not nearly as different as most people would think. Strip club customers and library patrons both produce wild stories, and you have to be good at working with people in both professions (whether your clothes are off or not).

In this first-hand account, Kristy describes her decision to get into stripping to make her student loan debt more manageable, overcome her introversion to learn how to hustle customers, learn about sex worker advocacy, and finally transition into full-time library work. For years Kristy hid her stripping history to fit into the mold of a respectable librarian, but as time went on, she realized this wasn’t something she should feel ashamed about. Telling these kinds of stories helps destigmatize sex work, which makes it safer for current sex workers.

Librarianship is changing, especially as the profession begins to evaluate itself through a greater anti-oppression lens. Through her unique experiences, Kristy learned that librarians can gain a lot of insight about class struggle and privacy advocacy from sex workers.

Add to Goodreads.

Purchase Links: Amazon * B&N * IndieBound

Excerpt

I got involved with a former stripper before I ever became one myself.

Lillian had gorgeous long red hair, tattoos, and wore glasses. She was working as a barista at a coffee shop in my college town, Champaign, IL. I was twenty-three and finishing off a year of f*cking around partying before moving to Ann Arbor to pursue a Master of Science in Information at the University of Michigan.

One day, I went into her coffee shop and, as I often did when ordering things, I became annoyingly indecisive about what I wanted. “I want a green tea, or wait, maybe a chai… I think I’m hungry… I’m sorry I’m wasting your time.”

Lillian just looked at me coyly. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t have anywhere else to be.” I smiled and felt more at ease as she winked.

I finally picked a chai and enjoyed the feeling as her gaze lingered on mine while she handed it to me. Then another customer popped up behind me, and I realized I had to move along, but I knew I wanted to see her again.

Later, I found out from mutual friends that she was newly single and, like me, was hitting the bars like a fiend. We formally met when our friend groups started coalescing at all the local watering holes. After our drinking group finally reached critical mass, we declared ourselves a girl gang, named ourselves puss* Control, after the Prince song, and convinced ourselves that we were a serious force to be reckoned with. Most guys quickly learned not to mess with us, because we would cackle at them or mock their ridiculous attempts to approach us. We were not the toughest or most organized gang ever, but we did at least manage to decrease the number of random guys hitting on us.

Maybe Lillian’s risqué past was part of what drew me to her. I don’t know. I had never thought there was anything wrong with stripping, but like most people, it was something I didn’t think I would ever do. At the same time though, I was intrigued with her previous job and wondered what it was like to do something considered so socially deviant and potentially stigmatizing. I had actually done sex work before, but it was working as a dominatrix one summer in Chicago. That kind of work had its own stigma, but there was no audience, I didn’t have to get naked, and I also didn’t have to be nice.

Lillian would tell me about the stage and the pole tricks that would leave calluses on her hands. There were her quirky customers, like the man that just wanted her to sit still like a doll on his lap while he spoke to her. She explained how different customers liked different looks for their strippers and how she avoided working at clubs that only featured what she considered Barbie look-alikes. Lillian described living in Baltimore and how she would walk around half-naked all night, make good money, and then go home to her apartment. It sounded so normal, like being a waitress who happened to forget to put the rest of her clothes on.

Author Bio

Kristy Cooper is a librarian single mom in Michigan. In her spare time, she fights politicians for libraries and will eventually get around to finishing writing her YA series.

Author Links: Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads * Instagram

Giveaway

Enter for your chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card!

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Filed under Blog Tour, Contest, Excerpt, Friday Feature

Title: The Night She Disappeared by Kevin O’Brien
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 496 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

For fans ofGone Girland of Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay’s domestic suspense—a gripping novel byNew York TimesandUSA Todaybestselling author Kevin O’Brien, in which “the other woman” becomes the prime suspect when the wife goes missing.

Some nightmares you can’t forget
From the depths of sleep, Seattle TV reporter Anna Malone awakens to her phone ringing. She rarely drinks, and this hangover is brutal. Why can’t she shake the feeling that something terrible happened last night? And why can’t she recall any of it?

But even worse
What Anna does remember: an awkward restaurant meal with her married lover, Russ Knoll, and his unsuspecting wife, Courtney. Russ’s phone call reveals that Courtney is missing, and as days go by with no trace, he comes under police scrutiny. Anna’s in the spotlight too, thanks to a TV rival with a grudge. Anna’s not proud of her affair, but she and Russ aren’t bad people. They’re certainly not the killing kind.

Is the one you can’t remember . . .
Anna already suspected that Courtney—a successful, charming author—might have a darker side. Is she truly missing? Perhaps the sudden disturbances in Anna’s life aren’t accidental after all. But no scenario that Anna imagines can compare to the twisted game unfolding around her, one chilling piece at a time . . .

Review:

The Night She Disappeared by Kevin O’Brien is an intriguing mystery with plenty of suspense.

Seattle TV Reporter Anna Malone is relieved her current project is almost over. She has been working on a segment starring young adult author Courtney Knoll. Working with her has been very uncomfortable but Anna cannot say no to Courtney’s dinner invitation. Anna dreads the upcoming evening and her dread turns to shock when she sees Courtney’s pediatrician husband Russ at the table.

Anna has nothing against Russ but the last thing she wants to do is spend an evening with the man she has been dating and his wife. Drinking way more than she is used to, Anna has no memory of most of the previous night when she learns Courtney has gone missing. Then Anna notices someone is following her and she begins receiving menacing phone calls. What has happened to Courtney? And why can’t Anna remember what happened the night before?

Anna is a popular reporter without any close immediate family. Both her parents are deceased and her older brother Stuart has been missing for several years. She has never had a serious relationship until she meets Russ. Anna trusts Russ’s assertions his marriage is over but doubts creep in after she begins working with Courtney. Relieved the filming is finally over, Anna is surprised by her videographer George Danziger’s observations about the things he noticed when the two women were working together.

Anna does not agree with Russ’s suggestions about how she should deal with Courtney’s inexplicable disappearance. Anna does hold a few things back when she is questioned by police. However, she does not believe these details have any bearing on why Courtney has vanished. But Anna continues to be troubled by some of her choices and she then makes another decision she soon comes to regret.

The Night She Disappeared is a clever whodunit that is fast-paced and engaging. The storyline is well-written and filled with unexpected twists and turns. Despite her affair, Anna is a likable woman who is a little naïve. The various settings spring vividly to life and one place in particular eventually plays a pivotal role in current events. With plenty of tension, Kevin O’Brien brings this suspenseful mystery to an unanticipated conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Kevin O'Brien, Mystery, Pinnacle Books, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Night She Disappeared

Title: On Mission by Aileen Erin
Aunare Chronicles Series Book Three
Publisher: Ink Monster LLC
Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult
Length: 450 pages

Summary:

Sometimes my life doesn’t feel real to me.

It’s so different—infinitely better—than anything I had on Earth. I’m not running or hiding or afraid anymore. I’m not dealing with the trauma of my past. I’m not alone because I have Lorne. Every time I look into his eyes, everything else fades away—the war, the fight ahead, the fact that we have so much work to do if we want to win. I see him and I forget that SpaceTech is moving against us, but it’s not just me I’m trying to save anymore. It’s the Aunare.

And yet, the Aunare High Council isn’t listening to a word I say.

I’m the only one who seems to understand the danger that we’re up against, and that if we don’t start acting soon, it’ll be too late. I want to dissolve the High Council, but I’m not sure I should. I don’t even know if I can.But I know that SpaceTech is closing in.Their war ships are stationed at the edges of our colonies’ territory, and I can feel the fight growing closer every minute of every day.

The time for us to act is coming, and I’m not sure how much more politicking I can do. That’s not who I am. It’s not who I’m meant to be. I can only be a fighter. A warrior. A queen.

If no one else will fight with me, then I will do what I need to take down SpaceTech.

Because I’m Amihanna di Aetes, the future High Queen of the Aunare, and I won’t quit. Not ever.

Add to Goodreads.
Add series to Goodreads.

Purchase Links: Amazon * B&N * Google Play * Apple * Kobo

Excerpt

Lorne

War was here. It was only a matter of time before I officially declared it. My only hope was that in this brief window while I tried to rally our allies, Amihanna was allowed a moment to feel safe and secure. To grow her voice as a leader of the Aunare. And also give her enough time to heal from the thirteen years of horrors she’d had to endure.

She didn’t know that’s what I had been doing, and I was sure she’d be annoyed or angry at me for it, but this time was my gift to her. These few weeks of peace were hers so that she could breathe, and during that little bit of peace, I’d seen her grow more and more confident in being Aunare. I wanted that for her. I wanted to give her that, even if she’d hate me for it. Because things were going to get bad and dangerous very, very soon.

Author Bio

Aileen Erin is half-Irish, half-Mexican, and 100% nerd–from Star Wars (prequels don’t count) to Star Trek (TNG FTW), she reads Quenya and some Sindarin, and has a severe fascination with the supernatural. Aileen has a BS in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles, and spends her days doing her favorite things: reading books, creating worlds, and kicking ass.

Author Links: Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads * Instagram

Giveaway

Enter for your chance to win:

Kindle Basic
$25 Amazon gift card
Signed copy of On Mission
Pair Constellation Earrings
5 eBook Copies of Off Planet

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Filed under Blog Tour, Contest, Excerpt

Title: A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones
Sunshine Vicram Series Book Two
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 416 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

From theNew York Timesbestselling author Darynda Jones comes the second novel in her laugh-out-loud Sunshine Vicram mystery series,A Good Day for Chardonnay.

Running a small-town police force in the mountains of New Mexico should be a smooth, carefree kind of job. Sadly, full-time Sheriff—and even fuller-time coffee guzzler—Sunshine Vicram, didn’t get that memo.

All Sunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind that starts with coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven). Turns out, that’s about as easy as switching to decaf. (What kind of people do that? And who hurt them?)

Before she can sayiced mocha latte, Sunny’s got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial killer and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction years prior. All evidence points to a local distiller, a dangerous bad boy named Levi Ravinder, but Sun knows he’s not the villain of her story. Still, perhaps beneath it all, he possesses the keys to her disappearance. At the very least, beneath it all, he possesses a serious set of abs. She’s seen it. Once. Accidentally.

Between policing a town her hunky chief deputy callsfour cents short of a nickel, that pesky crush she has on Levi which seems to grow exponentially every day, and an irascible raccoon that just doesn’t know when to quit, Sunny’s life is about to rocket to a whole new level of crazy.

Yep, definitely a good day for chardonnay.

Review:

A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones is a hilarious mystery set in a small town in New Mexico (my adopted home state!) Although this newest release is the second mystery in the rollicking good fun Sunshine Vicram series, it can be read as a standalone. But I highly recommend the first book in the series, A Bad Day for Sunshine.

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram is on possibly the worst blind date ever when she is called to the seen of a stabbing at her long-time crush Levi Ravinder’s bar. The victim is Keith Seabright who lives off the grid and also happens to be one of Levi’s friends. Sunshine also learns Levi was injured in the course of trying to prevent the three suspects from fleeing the scene. During the investigation, Sunshine is shocked when she discovers a connection between Keith’s stabbing and an old unsolved case of hers when she worked for the Santa Fe police department.

Sunshine is surprised when Levi’s uncle Wynn reaches out to her from assistance. Wynn is currently in prison serving his sentence for a murder he says he did not commit. Although Sunshine is suspicious about what he is really up to, she decides it is in her best interest to help him.

Sunshine’s fifteen-year-old daughter Auri convinces her friends Cruz and Sybil to help her prove her theory about a long unsolved serial killer case. She is certain she knows the killer’s identity and she is determined to bring justice to the families of the victims. Auri finds the evidence she needs but she has second thoughts about her plan. Unfortunately, she has set in motion a plan that puts herself and others in harm’s way.

A Good Day for Chardonnay is an action-packed mystery with a sassy heroine and an outstanding cast of secondary characters. Sunshine is a smart, sarcastic woman who has a great, yet imperfect, support system. She has a wonderful relationship with Auri who is too smart for her own good. Levi is an enigmatic man whose ingenuity has proven beneficial to his family and the townspeople. The investigation into Keith’s stabbing is interesting and takes many unexpected twists and turns. Darynda Jones brings this intriguing mystery to an edge of the seat conclusion. The abrupt ending will leave readers impatiently awaiting the next installment in the marvelous Sunshine Vicram series.

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Filed under A Good Day for Chardonnay, Contemporary, Darynda Jones, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, St Martin's Press, Sunshine Vicram Series, Suspense

Here are the eBooks for this week’s Winning Wednesday contest:

Title: Bayou Beauty by Lexi Blake
Butterfly Bayou Series Book Four
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 336 pages

Summary:

Love returns to Louisiana’s Butterfly Bayou in a new small-town contemporary romance sure to charm hearts, fromNew York Timesbestselling author Lexi Blake.

Sylvie Martine was prepared to take Washington D.C. by storm, but she put that dream on hold when her beloved hometown of Papillon, Louisiana, needed her most. Now Sylvie’s the mayor of the tiny town on the bayou that holds her heart. But for Sylvie, this can only be a pit stop on the way to bigger and better things. The last thing she needs is an old love to resurface and threaten her goals.

Rene Darois’s whole life has been about serving his family—no matter how much it hurts. He’s used to sacrificing for his large extended family and the company his grandfather created. But he can’t believe the latest demand: he needs to find a wife and quick or he could lose it all. It would be a horrible situation. But he has just the solution: his high school sweetheart. Sylvie is everything he wants in a wife—smart, funny, and caring—and he planned to woo her anyway.

Now he just has to convince Sylvie that their love is worth it all, or he and the bayou will lose her forever.

Title: It’s Raining Men by Julie Hammerle
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 400 pages

Summary:

Don’t drink and text.

Even on the cusp of forty, I had to learn that the hard way. After discovering my best friend, who I was supposed to grow old and single with, got engaged, I drowned my loneliness in one too many Old Fashioneds and woke up with thirty-nine responses from every available man in my phone. Yup, I even texted my plumber…and he turned me down.

Apparently, my liquor-infused text said that while I don’tneeda man, maybe I’d be down for a constant sidekick for movies, plus-one invites, and dinner on the table after my grueling shifts as a concierge doctor—till death do us part…and was anyone in?

Through the absolute mortification of thirty-seven rejections, shockingly, I realize two men have said yes. Behind Bachelor Door #1 is Rob, my old high school crush: the comfortable, dependable boy-next-door. Behind Bachelor Door #2 is Darius, the exciting, flashy news reporter about to hit it big. Does this mean I’ll have to get out of my yoga pants and actually go on dates now?

Dax, the local bartender who got me into this disaster in the first place—remember the Old Fashioneds?—can’t believe I’ve given up on finding true love. What does a tattooed, broody twentysomething know about carving out a future for yourself, anyway?

Too bad the further into this hot mess I get, the less I know about whoIam. And I’m going to have to figure out exactly what I need if I ever want to find a true happily ever after.

Title: Refuge by Mel Bossa
Publisher: JMS Books, LLC
Genre: Contemporary, Gay, Romance
Word Count: 71,244 words

Summary:

Being the country’s Attorney General’s only son comes with a lot of scrutiny, but Henley has managed to avoid attention by keeping a low profile. His life is safe, organized, and lonely. Until inland terrorists turn his world upside down and he discovers he’s much tougher than he thought he was.

When the terrifying ordeal is over, Henley is left with hand tremors and a need to make some changes in his life. He seeks out the one man he hopes can give him some answers.

After more than a decade on the police force, all Mason has to show for the risks he took is a bunch of scars, a bad knee, a cabin in the woods, and two giant black dogs he loves more than humans. Then the Attorney General’s posh son shows up to thank him, and suddenly Mason’s battered heart starts hoping again.

Can Henley’s love turn Mason’s luck around and chase the shadows away?

Wednesday is contest day on Book Reviews and More by Kathy. Three lucky winners will win the eBook of their choice! Here’s how to enter:

You must Do TWO of the Following:

1. Sign up for e-mail updates (below). One email daily with the day’s posts.

OR:

2. Be or become a fan of Book Reviews & More by Kathy Facebook page

OR:

3. Follow me on Twitter (@BookReviewsMore)

Make sure you have filled out the contest entry form:

4. To be eligible to enter contests on Book Reviews and More by Kathy you MUST fill out the contest entry form (found HERE). This form only needs to be filled out ONCE. Your privacy is important to me, and I will not share your information.

And don't forget to:

5. Fill out the form below by 4 PM Mountain Time Friday afternoon:

CONTEST OVER

* I am the only person who will have access to info that is submitted to me UNLESS a publisher or author has donated an eBook for the giveaway. For a prize donated by an author or publisher, I will forward your e-mail and format selection to the person responsible for distributing the eBook. Please refer to the privacy page HERE if you have questions about how your information is used. In the event the contest form is not working, please leave your book selection in the comments below.*

It’s that easy! The winners will be selected using random.org. I will e-mail the winners the eBook of their choice in their preferred format. The winners will be posted HERE on Saturday.

***The eBooks in this giveaway have been purchased by Book Reviews & More by Kathy.***

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