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Thursday, July 9, 2020

Blue Magnolia by W.F. Ranew - Book Tour - Book Review - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hi, lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host by W.F. Ranew and his new book, “Blue Magnolia”!  For other stops on his Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with W.F. and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!


Blue Magnolia
by W.F. Ranew

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GENRE: Mystery-Thriller

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BLURB:

PI Red Farlow dives headfirst into a hornets' nest of extremists. His new client, Hank Tillman, only wants to get a shot at country music stardom. While playing in a Georgia bar, Hank—known as Cowboy to his fans—stumbles into trouble. The kind that kills. PI Red Farlow steps in to help him.

Hank’s song, Redneck Devil, attracts the attention of a violent group called the Blue Magnolia. Its leaders want him to perform at their next hate rally. There's another, darker reason the Blue Magnolia wants Hank in its fold.

An elderly patient in a Florida insane asylum reveals a decades-long secret that devastates Hank. It’s the worst kind of fake news.

Can Farlow root out the truth? The PI has his own problems as he confronts a hired killer face-to-face.

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EXCERPT THREE:

As he connected the amp to the microphone, foot pedal, and other electrical components, someone walked up to him.

“Can I get you a Coke, sweetie pie?” the tender young voice behind him asked.

Hank turned to see a divine presence. He couldn’t say anything for a moment because he started trembling. Did her beauty do this to him? Or perhaps the way she gently touched his shoulder and bent over slightly, revealing her ample cleavage right there in his face? Yes, those things made him quiver at that moment. Her perfume, her hair, everything about her tossed him up, down, and all over the place. He didn’t think he could stand up. He just squatted there, right knee on the floor, and nervously fiddled with the amp.

Shy Hank. Shaky Hank. What-the-hell-do-I-say-now? Hank.

Finally, he uttered, “Uh . . . ah . . . yes ma’am, please. A Coke. Yeah, that would be fine. Thank you.”

Sybbe smiled down at him. She turned and walked to the bar. She swayed, undulated, bounced, all in a graceful way. She asked the bartender for the soft drink, a big one, and cocked her right hip wide out with her left foot resting on the foot railing, and looked back across the room at Hank.

She winked.

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MY BOOK REVIEW:


I am a huge fan of country music and mystery books, so I was so excited to read this book!

This book allows the reader to fully immerse in the Southern culture and way of life.

This book follows the story line of Hank “Cowboy,” Tillman and his ups and downs of trying to make it as a big country music star.  Hank often finds trouble or trouble finds him sort of say.  This leads to Hank getting into many bar fights and ending up in jail.  His cousin, Mary Ellen, is supportive of Hank and often bails him out.  While on a phone call to her mother, Mary Ellen discusses trying to prevent Hank’s messes instead of cleaning up after them.  Her mother suggests hiring PI Red Farrow to attend Hank’s gigs and help keep him away from mischief.  But when Hank’s latest song draws the attention of the Blue Magnolia madmen, his level of danger is about to skyrocket, and he will need Red now more than ever.  No spoilers here!!  But you definitely will want to read this book and find out what happens!!

This book featured an interesting and intriguing story line with many elaborate plots and very detailed scenes.

This book was written with a strong, gritty, rough, and rowdy kind of vibe.

I really liked that the author used real places in his book.  For example, many of the bars and clubs featured are actual places in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee.  I love being able to recognize locations and possibly even visit those landmarks in the future. 

I also really liked that the author included actual music lyrics in the book.  While Hank was singing and writing songs those lyrics were featured, which made the singer seem more credible and realistic.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to connect with any of the characters.  This book strongly portrays Hank as a good ol’ Southern boy, but I didn’t find him come across that way.  At the beginning of the book it states that Hank has just recently had his THIRD DUI CRASH, which caused him to lose his truck and his driver’s license.  Sure, that sounds like a celebrity alright, but this all happened before Hank’s big break.  And personally, I don’t think “good people,” drink and drive, get into bar fights, and constantly end up in jail.  Sorry to be blunt, but I found Hank to be a selfish, irresponsible, drunk jerk!

I liked Red for the most part and enjoyed reading his case notes that were featured throughout the story.  I would be interested in possibly reading one of his other cases going forward as it seems he will be a main character in additional books in this book series.

I also enjoyed and appreciated the author’s depth of research that was thoroughly highlighted in this book.  His awareness of the music industry, bar scene, and Southern history and culture – all added insight and authenticity to the story.

However, I have to admit that I found the writing style a bit confusing.  There were many times I had to re-read several passages as it either didn’t make sense, felt awkward wording, and/or displayed improper tenses.

For example, the book mentions Hank going to jail for 24hrs.  Then his cousin, Mary Ellen, bailed him out and got him a lawyer, who settled the case by paying a fine.  Afterward, Cowboy headed back to Georgia.  Then the next chapter starts with Hank calling his cousin, Mary Ellen to tell her he’s in jail and needs her help for the exact same situation he already mentioned was solved.  I had to go back and start both chapters over because I thought I missed something, but I didn’t.  It just made no sense!  Then there’s odd wording such as, “Hank smiled his smile…” (Ranew 173).  And “The August he was eight…” (Ranew 15).  Also, “Before going to meet the Nashville cops, Red peeked into the private dining room and saw everyone, save Hank, was there for the celebration.” (Ranew 170).  I don’t know what “save Hank,” means in the middle of that sentence.  I felt it should have been the word, “except,” or something along those lines.  There is also lots of wording using the name “the man,” which refers to several different characters.  One man reference is a drunk bar patron, one man is a man at a bus station, one man is a CEO, etc.  It felt weird and confusing to keep reading the same reference to multiple characters.

This book is Book Two in the Red Farlow Mysteries Book Series.  This book can be read as a standalone.

All in all, there were just a few hang-ups for me, but overall, I still enjoyed reading this book and would still recommend it.  I think all mystery fans and thriller readers will like this book too!  So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading - you won't be disappointed!

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**

Did you find this review helpful?
If so, please, please, please mark it as helpful on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R3815CQXPMPG7F

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AUTHOR BIO:


W.F. Ranew is a former newspaper reporter, editor, and communication executive. He started his journalism career covering sports, police, and city council meetings at his hometown newspaper, The Quitman Free Press. He also worked as a reporter and editor for several regional dailies: The Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle, The Florida Times-Union, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Ranew has written three previous novels: Rich and Gone (Tirgearr Publishing), Schoolhouse Man and Candyman’s Sorrow. He lives with his wife, Dr. Lynn Ranew, in Atlanta and St. Simons Island, Ga.

Find W.F. Ranew Online at the links below.

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CONNECT WITH W.F.:

Website:

Blog:

Email:
WFRanew@gmail.com

Facebook:

Twitter:

LinkedIn:

Tirgearr Publishing Author Page:

BookBub Book Page:

Goodreads Author Page:

Goodreads Book Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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BOOK BUY LINKS:


Amazon Kindle eBook:

Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:

Kobo eBook:

Tirgearr Publishing eBook:

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

W.F. will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.



**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

10 comments:

  1. W.F. ~ Good morning! Welcome to FAB! It is so great to have you here! Congrats on your new book and good luck on the book tour! I enjoyed reading and reviewing your book, thanks for providing the copy! :)

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  2. Did you have to do any research when preparing to write your book?

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I do a lot of deep dives before I start writing and all along the way. My perspective and history from living many years in the South prepped me for writing about the characters and stories in all my books. Thanks for your comment.

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  3. It's been great getting to discover your book and share with the readers in my family. Thank you and thanks for the giveaway. 

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  4. New author for me, sounds good!

    ReplyDelete