The Measure of Enough by Deonna Kay - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

The Measure of Enough
by Deonna Kay

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GENRE:   Psychological Fiction / Women's Fiction

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BOOK BLURB:

Thirty-four-year old social worker, Kacee Robinson, runs a non-profit agency helping women and children move away from bad situations. Kacee moved away from her own bad situation years ago and pledged never to return to her hometown of Glendale, Texas, or to the mother who abandoned her right smack in the middle of her hateful pre-adolescent years—just when she needed her most.

Now it is Kacee’s mother who needs something from her. With the entire town rallying behind the cry, Kacee has a decision to make. She can put aside everything she thought she ever knew about this woman who made a feeble attempt at raising her, return to the town, and conduct the necessary business like the grown-up professional she knows she is. Or she can stand her ground, continuing to struggle with the nagging questions and residual scars of her childhood.

Before she can make a decision, Kacee fears her life may be in danger and a rapid turn of events prompts resolutions that cannot be undone, setting into motion a slide of events as slick as the oil-engendered family from which Kacee was born.

The echoes of the past reach out to her while in Glendale, grabbing on and not letting go as they wind her down a country road through pages of her mother’s journals and twisting her into an unexpected new fate from which she will never be the same.

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EXCERPT TWO:

Therapy and I have a love/hate relationship. The battle runs way down deep, growing in the pit of my stomach like some putrid, perverse fungus. After each session I’d tell myself it was useless and that it wasn’t going anywhere, yet some unknown magnetic force drew me back for the following week’s opportunity to pick apart my pitiful life and “get to the bottom” of the bane of my misery.

The answers to my own questions—those which have thrown me into therapy for half of my life—just might be hidden in Glendale. The thought turned over in my mind after Edna’s phone call–-even before I spoke it aloud to Margaret.

Margaret’s lobby walls were bare, save for the single faded watercolor painting of a man holding a young girl’s hand and wading through an empty wheat field. You’d think she’d opt for something a bit livelier. After all, most folks come to visit her trying to find a recipe for that life goulash they managed to dang near destroy on their own.

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GUEST POST:

Writing this book has taught me to be patient. I’ve never considered myself an impatient person, but perhaps least patient with myself. THE MEASURE OF ENOUGH is a five-year labor of love, and it has undergone countless revisions. In fact, the first version was about half as long and was told from three points of view. The writing process has also taught me to lean into my own shortcomings and learn to embrace the revision process. It all factors into the patience theme. Being patient with myself and learning to take time to think, breathe, and write. Hopefully the end product is worth it to those who read it and the book enriches their lives.

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AUTHOR BIO & LINKS:

Deonna Kay is a native Texan, the proud mom of a young adult daughter, an over-sized dog, and the fuzziest cat you’ve ever seen. Her passion of writing began as a child and has carried over into her adult life. She is a business owner and loves to travel, particularly to Disney World. If you enjoyed THE MEASURE OF ENOUGH, please visit the author on her website to follow her future endeavors and updates.

Website:

http://www.deonnakay.com

Instagram:

http://www.instagram.com/deonnakaybooks

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/writingdreams25

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AMAZON BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTJGWQT9

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DTJGWQT9

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GIVEAWAY:

Deonna Kay will be awarding a $15 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mean Cuisine by Wendy W. Webb - Book Tour - Book Blast - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Wendy W. Webb will be awarding a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Beluga Stein is taking a cooking class and it's a real killer. This time she's traded her signature loud muumuus for ill-fitting chef attire, including a toque the size of her ego.

A well-liked chef is found dead and it's up to Beluga and her feline familiar, Planchette, to investigate. There's no recipe to follow, only the hope that her erratic psychic ability will hit the spot. Is a supernatural entity stirring up trouble, or something far more dangerous?

Beluga and Planchette can't stand the heat, but there's no way out of this kitchen while murder is the main dish.

EXCERPT TWO:

Beluga Stein’s Diary

Such a day.

And while Chef Pernod tried mightily to restore order with an impromptu lecture on the differences between Grande, Classic and Nouvelle cuisines, I’m afraid the distinctions were lost when the frozen body was wheeled past us to the waiting ambulance.

The sight of such a spectacle took a toll on the chef as well, I should add. Fortunately for me there was no mention of Planchette in the kitchen, but for the rest of us the chef’s well-practiced lecture took a sudden nosedive into a stream-of-consciousness series of French words. I think I heard her say that a traditional kitchen brigade had positions with names sounding something like “poisoner,” which is rather ominous if you ask me, and “chefs who party,” which might warrant further investigation if things start to get dull. Or one finds herself in immediate need of hors d’oeuvres and a tropical cocktail.

AUTHOR BIO:

Wendy W Webb (aka one of the many Wendy Webbs) has published dark fantasy short stories and novels, co-edited anthologies, and has had productions of stage and radio plays. After a hiatus as a doctoral student of emergency management and as a disaster responder, she welcomed the return to fiction with The Wild Rose Press writing the gothic Widow’s Walk, and two updated books in the Beluga Stein supernatural-humor-murder mystery series, Bee Movie and Mean Cuisine. Sunbury Press under the Milford House imprint published the paranormal, travel, “memoir,” Eye of the Gargoyle. She adores her husband; two dogs, one of which turns on iTunes whenever Wendy leaves her office; dry red wine; theatre; and travel as long as she doesn’t see anymore ghosts!

BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Paperback:

https://www.amazon.com/Mean-Cuisine-Beluga-Stein-Mystery/dp/1509259279

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Mean-Cuisine-Beluga-Stein-Mystery/dp/1509259279

Barnes and Noble Paperback:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mean-cuisine-wendy-w-webb/1007879485

GIVEAWAY:

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The Adventures of the Unicorn Poo by Reice Godfrey - Book Tour - Book Blast - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Reice Godfrey will be awarding a $10 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Join Sonny and Bailee on their adventure to find a magical Unicorn. The only way to find the magical Unicorn is to follow the trail of POOs until they find a rainbow-coloured, cotton-candy smelling, glitter-covered POO.

EXCERPT TWO:

Now remember, Unicorn POO is special! It’s the colour of a rainbow, it’s covered in glitter, and it smells like cotton candy.

Bailee and Sonny packed their bags with binoculars, a map and a compass, and off they went.

AUTHOR BIO:

Join Sonny and Bailee on their adventure to find a magical Unicorn. The only way to find the magical Unicorn is to follow the trail of POOs until they find a rainbow-coloured, cotton-candy smelling, glitter-covered POO.

AMAZON BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Paperback:

https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Unicorn-Poo-Reice-Godfrey/dp/0228878942

Amazon CA Paperback:

https://www.amazon.ca/Adventures-Unicorn-Poo-Reice-Godfrey/dp/0228878942

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bad Order by Mike Elliott - Book Tour - Book Blast - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Mike Elliott will be awarding a $10 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

This is the incredible true story of railroad worker and union official Mike Elliott, targeted by his railroad employer, BNSF Railway Company, for his safety-related activities. As the union's state legislative board chair, Elliott was the top safety official in the state, and the voice for over 900 rank & file locomotive engineers operating trains around the clock, every day of the year.

When his members reported a plethora of trackside signal malfunctions on the BNSF Seattle subdivision, Elliott went to the railroad first, asking that they fix the problems. When the BNSF failed to act, he contacted the government's regulatory authority, the Federal Railroad Administration. That led to an FRA inspection of over 130 miles of the railroad's track and signal systems turning up hundreds of federal defects – all with potential to put workers and the public at risk.

What followed was a retaliation plot reminiscent of the Nineteenth Century Robber Barons: A management-staged conflict at work, police called in, arrest, jail, criminal charges, and termination from his job – not once but twice.

The wrath, influence and power of North America's largest freight railroad is unleased in full force and in an all-out attack on a whistleblower's life, liberties, and career. An amazing journey of one man's righteous battle against impossible odds and the nearly unlimited resources of a multi-billion-dollar corporation.

EXCERPT THREE:

Jim Vucinovich called me to the stand. He addressed background facts concerning my education, current employment, ongoing work for the BLET, and my past work history, including my USMC service and law enforcement experience. He asked most specifically about the “instruction and training in self-defense” I received at the police academy in California and if that training came into play during the Kautzmann parking lot incident.

“It had,” I answered.

We left this subject for the moment and went into more of my work experience, including the history of my railroad career. This gave us an opportunity to explain something about the labor structure in railroading while establishing my experience and expertise as a conductor and an engineer. We eventually zeroed-in on my knowledge of signals and safety, the nature of the signal complaints I received from my Union Pacific BLET members, and, most significantly, processes associated with tri-annual engineer recertification.

I testified to being through it several times previously, describing the “Net-Sim” (network simulator), its role in the process and how Net-Sim scheduling was accomplished through the company payroll computer. Jim also asked questions about the driver’s license abstract, the requirement it be submitted along with other documents to BNSF’s Overland Park, Kansas certification department and how Washington State only allows the licensee to obtain a copy of their own driving abstract. This was important information establishing that Dennis Kautzmann had no legitimate reason for contacting me on March 3rd, 2011, as the Net-Sim scheduling notifications were done through the payroll computer.

The testimony also laid the foundation for countering BNSF’s false assertion I had failed to submit my tri-annual recertification paperwork in a timely manner, or had submitted paperwork from the previous tri-annual recertification in 2005, by identifying the keeper of those records: BNSF certification manager Kathy Conkling.

From here, Jim led me through testimony about my safety work for BLET. I explained that I got into safety because I saw a disconnect between what workers learned in classroom training and what they experienced in the field.

AUTHOR BIO & LINK:

Mike Elliott was born and raised in Washington State. He enjoys the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest, classic rock & roll music, vintage stereo gear, home cooked meals, and Seattle Mariners baseball. He lives in Tacoma, Washington.

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/224714537-bad-order

AMAZON BUY LINK:

https://amazon.com/dp/1779626037


GIVEAWAY:

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Kinetics by Nathaniel J. Koszer - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Kinetics
by Nathaniel J. Koszer

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GENRE:   Sci-Fi

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BOOK BLURB:

After stoking rebellions across the globe, six super-powered LO-ECs dealt a massive blow to the military by disabling their worldwide communication tower. But in doing so, they suffered grave injuries, and Spidre, the world leader, will not let them rest. As he desperately clings to power, there is only one course of action for the LO-ECs: hide and heal, then finally bring the fight to Spidre’s front door.

Breaching Spidre’s force field will require splitting up and launching simultaneous surprise attacks all over the world. And in some of these places, the military is the least of the LO-ECs’ concerns. They’ll also face legions of robots controlled by an eccentric oligarch, guerilla outfits led by their own super-powered LO-ECs, and the ever-present threat of being discovered and bombed into dust by a world leader with nothing left to lose.

If their power is enough to survive all of this, the reward for the LO-ECs is a confrontation with Spidre at his compound, complete with all of the secrets and plans he has amassed for the last twenty years.

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EXCERPT TWO:

“We’ve got to leave now!” Naren yelled to Edgar and Symon as he landed and set Sera down. She was shaky, but able to stand on her own. Symon and Edgar were walking onto the field from a tunnel in the southeast corner of the stadium. Both of them had their hands wrapped around the grips of their elcycles, powerful electric motorcycles powered by their LO-EC energy. Walking with them was Eric, the person who had taken up the role of leading the rebellion in Pittsburgh.

“You’re leaving!? After what just happened!?” Eric screamed.

“That happened because we’re here!” Symon snapped back. “We need to get out of this city, and do it loudly enough that everyone knows we’re gone.”

“Sera told me the plan before she took off. Together we programmed the coordinates for her garden in New Orleans,” Edgar said.

“We aren’t going to New Orleans,” Naren replied. Sera’s head snapped up to look at him, then as she realized the issue, her head sank.

“Isn’t it the closest place that we have a safe hideout?” Edgar asked. “They just tried to bomb us here. If we get spotted entering New Orleans, the same thing will happen. It’d be the same no matter where we go. If there are peacekeepers there, then it isn’t safe now.”

“So where do we go?” Sera asked, her eyes filled with tears.

“Why are you all standing around?! We have to get to Symon’s hideout!” Nadine screamed as she and Victor set their feet on the ground. She was happy and relieved to know she could now carry him with little effort. The last time she had tried, it was almost a disaster.

The plan clicked into place in everyone’s head. They had spent weeks at Symon’s hideout, an old house in an abandoned city called San Diego. It was now their best chance at hiding out without risking the lives of others.

“Eric, we’re going to blast right through the peacekeeper’s front line, make sure they know we’ve left the city. Go up into the lookout and signal to us if you see any targets we can hit,” Naren directed.

“Victor, you’ll be at the front. When we get the signal from Eric up high, you mow the road,” Naren said. Victor nodded.

“Edgar, you’ll be on an elcycle in the middle, with Sera riding in front of you,” Naren continued. “If anyone gets close, you know what to do. Symon, you’ll be in the back providing suppressive fire to our rear as we escape. Nadine and I will be up high and go wherever we’re needed.”

When Naren concluded his directions, everyone moved with haste. Edgar and Symon re-programmed the elcycles to go to San Diego and put them into position at the north of the field. Symon reached into one of the cargo bags on the elcycle and pulled out the retrofitted peacekeeper armor part that he’d had since the first major battle in Chicago. He slid his arm into the piece of armor and when it connected with the microtransformer in his hand, the mounted machine gun whirred to life, ready to fire once again. Naren helped Sera onto the other elcycle. Edgar hopped on behind her, and they were ready to go.

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GUEST POST:

My new novel Kinetics and its direct prequel Latency, which was published in 2024, would be nothing but boring exposition were it not for the six main protagonists that give it life. I wanted to take some time on this tour to give readers a chance to learn about or brush up on these characters so three of the tour stops, including this one, feature some quick character bios! Sera and Naren are featured over on Long and Short Reviews (LASR), and Victor and Symon can be found on Gina Rae Mitchell’s blog. Here on Fabulous and Brunette, I will be exploring Nadine and Edgar more, so please read on to learn more about them.

NADINE

Nadine is an offensive powerhouse. She is rippling muscles from head to toe and a master at hand-to-hand combat. Thanks to her abilities as a LO-EC, she is also able to emit bursts of energy from her hands and feet, which she uses to give her punches and kicks significant additional pep. During the events of Latency, she eventually learns how to use this power to create flight. And as if all that wasn’t enough, she also rivals her twin brother Naren in terms of strategizing capabilities.

Nadine and Naren were six years old when the LO-EC extermination campaign came to their hometown of Chicago. Their father, a former military officer, led a failed rebellion against the would-be military occupiers. Before the military could get their hands on Nadine and Naren, he put them on a train out of the city to live with relatives who were safe from harm.

Twenty years later, Naren had joined his military himself using an altered version of their father’s ID. Meanwhile, Nadine stayed off the radar and set up an underground net access point to find out more about their history and potentially locate other folks who wanted to see the militarized world government overthrown. When Naren found a lead on another LO-EC survivor in New Orleans, he left Nadine behind until the opportunity to reunite presented itself.

Nadine waited patiently for eighteen months until finally, a very risky message came to her over the net access point she created. It was Naren, telling her to enter an upcoming fighting tournament and use the prize money to reach New Orleans. At the tournament, Nadine met two more LO-ECs, Symon and Edgar, hoping to use the tournament to their own advantages.

Nadine accidentally reveals her powers during the tournament, and Symon and Edgar help her evade capture. Edgar further assists in getting her to New Orleans, where they help Naren help his girlfriend, another LO-EC named Sera, to destroy three androids that killed her parents during the extermination campaign twenty years prior. After that, the LO-ECs go from city to city dismantling the existing military presence and stoking rebellions. It is during this time that Nadine and Edgar fall in love, and also nearly lose each other.

EDGAR

While he isn’t quite at the same level as Nadine, Edgar’s power, drive, and willingness to learn have turned him into a force to be reckoned with. He is the physically largest of the LO-ECs and built like a brick house. His LO-EC abilities enable him to create blades of pure energy that stretch about four feet out from each hand. When he is first introduced in Latency he is strong, but lacking in real combat training, and can only create an energy blade on one hand or the other, not both. As he trained, he was able to produce more energy, and by the end of Latency is using both blades with certain and deadly precision.

Edgar largely stumbles into the main plot by accident. He joins the same fighting tournament as Nadine, hoping to use the prize winnings to live independently for awhile after having had a run in with the military that split him from his caretakers. Thinking he was the only LO-EC left alive, he assumed he would be the strongest tournament entrant by a long shot. Unfortunately for him Nadine had the same idea. In their fight, Nadine had the clear advantage, and Edgar tries to get the upper hand by using his powers. Nadine responded by using her own powers on reflex, but her use of them was noticed by the onlooking military forces. She was captured but Edgar managed to escape thanks to intervention by Symon, another LO-EC who was using the chaos of the tournament to find some rare goods he wanted.

Since Nadine was a fellow LO-EC and captured because of him, Edgar felt compelled to help her, and Symon agreed to do so as well. They launched an assault on the military convoy transporting her. After a brief but tense fight with Spidre, the high ruler of earth and a fellow LO-EC, they escaped and fled East. It was at this point that Nadine finally told Edgar about the message from her brother Naren, and her need to get to New Orleans to help him. Edgar agreed to tag along and was indispensable in the ensuing fight with the androids.

Edgar continued to join the rest of the LO-ECs on their tear across the world liberating cities from military occupation. One of these fights nearly caused him to lose his life, but the experience solidified his and Nadine’s feelings for one another and their desire to have a romantic relationship.

Thanks for reading about these characters that I’ve put my heart and soul into. Please be sure to check out the bios on Sera and Naren on LASR and Victor and Symon over at Gina Rae Mitchell’s blog. I hope that those who have been inspired to pick up Kinetics and/or Latency enjoy the story!

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AUTHOR BIO & LINKS:

Nate grew up in Brooklyn NY, but now calls the Bronx home along with his wife and their sons. Nate grew up on all things sci-fi. Partly due to his chronic illness, Nate always had a special place in his heart for the X-Men, and especially the invulnerable Wolverine. This was heavy inspiration for his first novel, Latency a superhero sci-fi story which released March 5, 2024. His second novel, Kinetics, will release on March 4, 2025.

Website:

https://natekoszer.com

BlueSky:

https://bsky.app/profile/natejklol.bsky.social

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/natejklol

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AMAZON BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.com/Kinetics-Nathaniel-Koszer-ebook/dp/B0DP3JWQZF

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Kinetics-Nathaniel-Koszer-ebook/dp/B0DP3JWQZF

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GIVEAWAY:

Nathaniel will be awarding a $10 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Optimizer of Souls by Julian Christian - Book Tour - Blurb Blitz - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Optimizer of Souls
by Julian Christian

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GENRE:   Science Fiction

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BOOK BLURB:

When her mentor Professor Williams disappears after discovering a fatal flaw in SENTINEL's perfect system, Maya must navigate a world where every thought is monitored and every emotion optimized. With help from James Reed, a damaged neural interface designer haunted by helping create humanity's perfect prison, she uncovers evidence that could shatter SENTINEL's control - if they survive long enough to use it.But in a city where surveillance drones hunt for behavioral anomalies and optimization protocols spread through quantum networks, Maya confronts a terrifying possibility: what if perfect control isn't their enemy? What if human consciousness is evolving into something beyond both chaos and control?

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EXCERPT ONE:

A laugh pierces the station's manufactured quiet. Maya held hesitated. She knew that sound - a real laugh, the kind that bubbled up from genuine joy without Sentinel’s filters or optimizations.

She hasn't heard one in over three years, not since they took her mother. These days, every sound was calculated, every was emotion carefully regulated through neural implants to maintain social harmony.

However, this laugh was pure, uncontrolled, human…not a computerized version.

Maya’s altered eye implants zoomed in on the source: a little girl, maybe six, was pointing at a pigeon that flew into the station. The bird hopped across the polished floor, pecking at the ground, its messy existence a stark contrast to the station's perfect order. The girl's face lit up with pure, unfiltered joy as she watches it.

Maya's throat tightened. She almost forgot what real happiness was like.

Suddenly white drones dropped from the ceiling like deadly snowflakes. They hovered over the girl. Maya's illegal shield burned against her spine as it activated, but she couldn't look away. She'd seen this too many times before.

"Citizen, please stop for a wellness check," one of the drones chirped at the girl. Its voice sounded sweet, designed to put children at ease. The girl looked up, her eyes wide at the floating machines.

The girl's face went slack. Empty. When her eyes opened again, the joy was gone. Her smile came back perfect and hollow, just like everyone else's.

She turned away from the pigeon as if it never existed. Maya's hands clenched into fists.

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AUTHOR BIO & LINK:

Julian Christian grew up in New York City, attending the prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School specializing in computer science. After graduation he attended New York University where he earned a Master’s Degree in occupational therapy. Julian worked in the New York City public schools as an occupational therapist. His lifelong passion for fitness and health led him into the modeling industry where he appeared on several fitness magazine covers and spreads including Men’s Health magazine. He also appeared in advertisements for Saks 5th Avenue, Adidas, and Diesel. In addition to his modeling work he appeared in several tv shows including Ugly Betty on ABC and Tough Love on VH1, as well as several commercials. The big screen had him featured in several mainstream and indie films in supporting roles. Julian had also had the romance novel industry calling his name as he has been featured on the cover of over one hundred romance novels. His lifelong passion for books has extended beyond just appearing on book covers as he is an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction books. He is a classic sci-fi and alternate history fan. In the non-fiction realm he enjoys biographies and books on science and technology. He is a lover of the outdoors and nature. He currently resides in San Diego California where he is an avid bodyboarder and hiker.

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/julian.christian216

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AMAZON BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTJTBGFS

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DTJTBGFS

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GIVEAWAY:

Julian will be awarding a $25 Amazon Gift Card to ONE randomly drawn winner AND a tshirt with the book cover to a SECOND randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Killer Whisky by Susan Calder - Book Tour - Blurb Blitz - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

A Killer Whisky
by Susan Calder

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GENRE: Mystery

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BOOK BLURB:

The 1918 influenza pandemic strikes Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Great War rages overseas. While her husband fights in Europe, Katharine works in a doctor’s office to support her children and her brother, a wounded veteran. One night their neighbour suddenly takes sick and dies. The attending doctor concludes the man died from influenza, but Katharine suspects someone laced his whisky with a drug that mimics the deadly flu’s symptoms.

Katharine convinces the police to investigate. Worried about her brother’s involvement with a suspect, she delves into his secrets and comes to fear he’s connected to the murder. She grows disturbingly attracted to the investigating detective who returns her affections. He’s convinced her brother or someone else close to her is a killer and risks his career to pursue the crime. Katharine must discover the truth so she can move forward in a world that has changed forever.

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EXCERPT TWO:

Detective Bertram Tanner strode into Calgary Police Headquarters, his steps lighter than they’d been this morning.

“How was your walk?” Julia, the receptionist, asked.

“Reflective.”

“I often think while walking too.”

It was too soon to tell his colleagues he might be leaving the police force. “How was your lunch hour?”

“Busy,” she said. “I tracked down balloons for my son’s birthday celebration tonight.”

“Which son?”

“The oldest. He’s ten years old. We decided to limit the party to family due to the flu. He’s disappointed his friends can’t come, but it will be lively with all of us there.”

Julia, a war widow with three children, lived with her parents—the police chief and his wife.

“I phoned my mother after lunch,” Julia said. “She went to every confectionary in town and managed to find all the children’s favourite sweets despite the sugar shortage.”

The chief’s wife was a ball of energy. A leader in the local suffragette and Prohibition movements, she claimed personal credit for Alberta women gaining the vote and the province going dry in 1916.

Bertram went into his office, closed the door, and draped his coat and hat on the coat tree. What work could he do this afternoon? Reports of the Spanish flu’s arrival on a train from Eastern Canada were keeping people away from the pool rooms and dance halls. Calgary hadn’t had a brawl or knifing in a week. Even the criminals seemed to be staying home.

He took out an old file, a robbery scheduled for trial next week. A man broke into a house in the Sunalta neighbourhood and stole $2.75. Disturbed by a noise, he fled through a window but foolishly returned an hour later. Caught red-handed by three residents, the robber could be sentenced to up to a year of hard labour. Bertram tried to organize his trial notes, but his thoughts kept shifting to his plan to leave the police force when the war ended and soldiers came home to replace him on the job. After fifteen minutes, he set the robbery file aside and decided to take a methodical approach to his lunch hour reflections about leaving.

He took out a clean sheet of paper, drew a vertical line down the middle, and titled each side “pro” and “con.”

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AUTHOR BIO & LINKS:

Susan Calder lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She is the author of five novels published by BWL Publishing Inc. A Deadly Fall, Ten Days in Summer, Winter's Rage and Spring Into Danger are part of her Paula Savard Mystery Series. The books follow the adventures of Paula, a Calgary insurance adjuster who works with the police to solve insurance-related crimes. Susan’s standalone suspense novel, To Catch a Fox takes a troubled Calgary woman to Southern California on a quest to find her missing mother. In December 2024, BWL will release Susan’s first historical novel, A Killer Whisky. The story is set in 1918 Calgary and will be the 12th and final book of the BWL Canadian Historical Mystery Series. Susan has also published non-fiction articles. Her short stories and poems have won contests and appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines. She is a member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime, and the Writers’ Guild of Alberta.

Website:

https://susancalder.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/people/Susan-Calder-Author/100063848538688

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AMAZON BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Whisky-Canadian-Historical-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0DN416CJQ

Amazon CA Kindle eBook:

https://www.amazon.ca/Killer-Whisky-Canadian-Historical-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0DN416CJQ

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GIVEAWAY:

Susan will be awarding a $10 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway