These books all won our Book of the Month in 2023.
Now they’re vying for the 2023 Book of the Year!
Poll runs from January 15 – January 21, 2023.
Book of the Year 2023
January 15, 2024 By 6 Comments
These books all won our Book of the Month in 2023.
Thoughts about the Book by Dean L. Hovey – Guest Blog and Giveaway
January 10, 2024 By 3 Comments
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dean L. Hovey will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
I made a research trip to the Black Hills and visited the sites where “Western Justice” is set. Seeing the Vore Buffalo Jump and visiting with the non-profit chairwoman was exciting and interesting. Our visit to the Aladdin General Store was fun and funny. The two women working there were overflowing with information and suggestions.
If you’ve never heard of me, you should check out the reviews of my books on Amazon and Goodreads. My books have good reviews. The Doug and Jill Fletcher characters are engaging and fun. I spend a lot of time researching the technical and geographic details, adding texture to the plots.
As for a muse, Jill Fletcher speaks to me, often dragging me out of bed at ungodly hours of the morning, insisting that I record the upcoming events. My wife often finds me at the computer, with a cup of coffee, when she gets up. Her usual question is, “How long have you been up?” I often answer, “About twenty pages.”
As for criticism, I know that people have different interests, tastes, and tolerance for violence and profanity. The criticism I hear most often is, “Bad guys don’t use proper English.” Another is, “Why do you end the romantic scenes with the closing of the bedroom door?” I write in complete sentences, and yes, even my bad guys use proper English. As for the end of romantic scenes, I’ve decided not to invent the new genre of “Mystery Erotica”. I prefer to let my readers imagine what happens after the door closes, rather than writing salacious sexual scenes.
When human remains are found at the Vore Buffalo Jump, the short-staffed local sheriff’s department requests assistance from Park Service Investigators Doug and Jill Fletcher.
ATV tracks lead the investigators to the victim’s boots and a hunting blind constructed on the edge of the Black Hills National Forest. With more questions than answers the Fletchers find themselves pulled into the community dynamics of tiny Aladdin (population 15) where the café and general store are the hub of information for the county.
The surprising identification of the victim only opens more questions about him, and his connection to the location of his murder. When the Fletchers follow up on the few leads provided by John Doe’s identification, they unwittingly open a can of worms.
Enjoy an Excerpt
Drawing a sharp breath, she reached into her back pocket for her cell phone. Punching 911 into the keypad, she waited two rings before the dispatcher answered. “Crook County emergency services. How can I assist you?”
Having not considered what she was going to say when the phone was answered, Peggy stated what came to her mind. “I’m looking at a dead body. Could you send someone over to fetch it?”
“Is the body human?”
Peggy cocked her head to examine details that became clearer as he eyes adjusted to the shadows behind the building. “It appears so.”
“You can’t tell?” The dispatcher asked.
“It’s complicated. It’s kind of tangled in some brush partway up a hill.”
“Do you need an ambulance?”
“No, this soul is well past the ambulance stage.”
“Where are you, ma’am?”
“I’m standing behind the Vore Buffalo Jump Museum building.”
“Where exactly is that?”
“It’s along the interstate, between the Beulah and Aladdin exits.”
“I’ll dispatch a deputy to your location. The nearest officer is in Hulett, so it might take him the better part of a half hour to get there, if he’s through with lunch.”
“There’s no rush. Whoever this is, isn’t going anywhere.”
About the Author:
Dean Hovey is a Minnesota-based author with three mystery series. He lives with his wife south of Duluth.
Dean’s award-winning* Pine County series follows sheriff’s deputies Floyd Swenson and Pam Ryan through this police procedural series.
Dean’s Whistling Pines books are humorous cozy mysteries centered on the residents of the Whistling Pines senior residence. The protagonist is Peter Rogers, the Whistling Pines recreation director.
In Dean’s latest series his protagonist, a retired Minnesota policeman, is drafted into service as a National Park Service Investigator after a murder at a National Monument.
* “Family Trees: A Pine County Mystery” won the 2018 NEMBA award for best fiction.
Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for January 10, 2024
January 10, 2024 By 4 Comments
Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.
Today’s topic is: A Celebrity I’d Like to Meet
Poetry From My Heart by Paul Guerin – Spotlight and Giveaway
January 9, 2024 By 1 Comment
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Paul Guerin will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
“Poetry: writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound, and rhythm.”
“Poetry: a literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm.”
Poetry means different things to different people. For me, it is all about feelings. If it captures the emotions of the reader, a poem will resonate and fill the soul. It can mean everything to one person and not much at all to another. The mood of the reader, and no one else, determines the outcome.
For example, love poems are wonderful when you are in love, and their passion is amazing. If you are facing adversity, however, love poems likely will just annoy you.
In this second book, Poetry from my Heart: The Journey Continues, I have again divided the poems into categories which will fit your mood no matter what you are experiencing at the time you choose to explore them. There should be something for everyone, whether you are in love, out of love, hurt, lonely, angry, abandoned, or facing other challenges in your life.
Poetry has a healing power that nurtures the soul and quietens the mind and so I hope that whatever your situation is in life, you have found something here that helped you safely on your own journey.
Enjoy an Excerpt
Puppy love
I met her in my fifteenth year
And threw caution out the door
I had no doubts, I had no fear
I hoped there would be love and more
Her hair was blond, her eyes were blue
Her smile was sunny bright
I hoped that she would love me too
I felt unsure but thought she might
I spent my summer days with her
Playing on the ocean shore
And there I felt my feelings stir
My heart and soul expecting more
I was enchanted by romance
There was nothing I couldn’t do
I was lost in youthful first love dance
I thought my feelings must be true
Those summer days came to an end
And we went our separate ways
But my longing for her never ceased
Her memory burned throughout my days
And then one day along my way
With another boy she came
There was nothing much that I could say
So I wished her well and hid my shame
It was my first romantic show
Puppy-love filled up my heart
I had to love and let her go
It was my role, I played my part
Back then I thought she broke my heart
But those feelings weren’t real
It was just a youthful small-bit part
That taught me love and how to feel
About the Author:
Paul Guerin is an Irishman. He was born in September 1946 in Castletownroche, a small townland village in County Cork, Eire.
It was there in Castletownroche that his romantic imagination was sparked as he came to love and appreciate the magic of his surroundings. Those early experiences were the genesis of his poetry that emerged in later life.
As a young adult, Paul lived in London, England, where he became a chartered accountant.
At age 25, restless for adventure, Paul moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where he still resides today.
Paul is happily married and is a proud father and grandfather.
Paul writes poetry as the inspiration comes to him. As long as his mind, body and soul are willing companions and his spark of inspiration remains alive, he will continue to write.
This book is Paul’s second publication in his Willing Heart series. His first book was published in the Spring of 2022 and is called Poetry from My Heart: A Journey through Feelings. The book reached #1 on Amazon’s Kindle chart in British Poetry and #2 in Poetry Anthologies November 2023.
Buy the book at Amazon.
The World Council by Norm Meech – Spotlight and Giveaway
January 8, 2024 By 1 Comment
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Norm Meech will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Ricky Montgomery had just graduated high school in June 1976 and was enjoying life as an 18-year-old teenager. He was hired by the Dawson City Police Force, and after graduating from police college he was assigned to work as an undercover operative in a motorcycle gang.
Ricky, although happy, was struggling living his double life as a cop and biker. Then it happened: during a biker war, Ricky’s life was saved by agents from the World Council (TWC). TWC was created by the world’s leaders to prevent manmade disasters from happening and to liaise with aliens who have been monitoring mankind for hundreds of years. TWC’s mandate, with the assistance of aliens, is to ensure mankind’s continued existence.
TWC is a highly secretive organization, whose agents have the ability to travel through time, to change history, and to take lives to save lives. Ricky becomes a TWC agent and discovers that TWC’s command staff is making unethical decisions, hiding secrets about aliens and trying to reduce the world’s population through biological warfare. Ricky teams up with other agents and tries to save mankind and the world from disaster.
Enjoy an Excerpt
Just as I turned and looked outside, the van’s side door slid open and two masked men with guns opened fire. I yelled to everyone, to get down as I hit the floor. There were shards of broken glass and bullets flying everywhere.
Although the barrage of gunfire only lasted a few minutes, it seemed a lot longer, like time had slowed down. One of the Devils who was packing a gun was able to return fire and the van disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. I looked around and most of the people were starting to get up off the floor. All except for a couple.
Then I realized that Vicky was still on the ground and there was blood pooling beside her. My God, she had been shot! I yelled for someone to call an ambulance and to get me some towels. I got the towels and applied pressure to her midsection. I looked around for help but there wasn’t any. The other waitresses were helping one of the Devil’s members and another waitress who had also been shot. Hammer and the other guys took off knowing that the cops would be showing up soon.
Sure enough, in a matter of minutes ambulances and a ton of cops arrived at the bar. The ambulance attendants started working on Vicky and the cops pushed me off to the side, telling me to stay back, let them do their job. Obviously none of the cops or ambulance people knew we were undercover. I was judged to be a low life biker and my “old lady”, a waitress, was also judged to be the lower part of society. They allowed me to ride in the ambulance with Vicky, only after I gave some uniform cop our names and addresses. They worked on Vicky all the way to the hospital and they told me that she was in critical condition when they wheeled her into surgery.
It suddenly hit me like a truck. It did not matter who I was, a biker or a cop. We are all humans and Vicky did not deserve this. She was only 23 years old and she was a beautiful person. I knew she understood the risks of being a cop, especially an undercover cop, but she was harmless. She had stepped up to the plate, she had warned me, she had my back. Besides saving me, she probably had saved a lot of other people in that bar. I was so emotional and confused; I was holding back tears and I was so full of anger I did not know what to do. Who could I call? It could not get out that she was a cop! I called Christine to tell her what had happened.
About the Author: Norm Meech has been retired for nearly two years, capping a distinguished forty-four-year career in policing. He fondly recalls the camaraderie of work friends forged during his tenure and the unique experiences as a police officer.
While missing aspects of his former profession, Norm keeps himself engaged by maintaining fitness and pursuing various hobbies. Additionally, he channels his creativity into writing, aiming to produce a book annually. His latest work delves into science fiction, inviting readers to ponder questions about the existence of aliens, unidentified flying objects, government involvement in secret conspiracies, the potential for time travel, and the impact of human activities on the planet. Norm hopes readers enjoy the fictional stories he crafts, sparking contemplation and curiosity.
Buy the book at Amazon.
Canada’s Kiddie Geography and History in ABCs by Marena Woodsit – Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway
January 5, 2024 By 2 Comments
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Marena Woodsit will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Who said geography and history can’t be fun? Marena Woodsit’s new book, Canada’s Kiddie History and Geography in ABC’s, points out various interesting facts and places in an easy-to-read style (H for history, G for geography) that will captivate children of all ages. A map and legend of the great country of Canada can help pinpoint where much of the facts take place along with fun and real life characters.
Enjoy an Exclusive Excerpt
LETTER Y
G= Geography
H= History
G- Y: stands for Yonge Street, the longest street in the world. It starts in Toronto Ontario and goes all the way to Rainy River Ontario which is over one thousand kilometres away.
H- Y; represents the Yukon/Klondike goldrush of the late 1800s along the Klondike River in Canada’s far north. Communities were set up for miners searching for gold who would move their entire families there to stay.
About the Author 
Ms. Woodsit, a retired teacher, has been writing for fun for years and is now publishing children’s books. During her time as a teacher she felt students needed more basic facts about their country, such as learning we had a queen, that the capital of our provinces and territories weren’t known and what some of our natural resources and wonders were. She has also helped with composing lyrics to a number of songs with her songwriting and performing friends. She loves travelling, swimming and taking care of her animals.
Buy the book at Amazon, Amazon CA, Booktopia, Barnes and Noble, or Walmart.
My Take on Critique Groups by Curtis Maynard – Guest Blog and Giveaway
January 4, 2024 By 2 Comments
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly drawn winner will receive a $25 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
I am in several groups on social media and have long learned that if you have a hundred people in a group, You can ask them for an opinion and you will get at least thirty differing opinions. I basically just group all the opinions together and try to go with the most popular ones. This actually happened recently when I asked for opinions on the cover of my latest novel. I ended up with a similar cover that most liked.
Critique is a good thing to a point. You have to balance out all the differing opinions and find a medium that works best for you. In my cover for example, All of the opinions, and all of the debate, a 5 minute modification made nearly the whole group happy. I wonder if I had started with that cover, if the same situation would have happened but reverse.
In the end I realize that most people love to critique even if it’s a minor thing. I try my best to listen and be open for ideas to improve. Sometimes you can make the majority happy and sometimes you can’t. In the end you have to be happy with the end result yourself.
When the Riggs family in Mobile, Alabama, faced the mysterious death of their adoptive daughter Shantel Thompson, they never imagined her ghost would linger for decades…
In Curtis Maynard’s heart-stopping paranormal thriller, ‘The Ghost of Shantel Thompson,’ a new family, fifty years later, grapples with a haunting legacy where the line between life and death is hauntingly thin.
Just as they begin to settle into their new life, their own young daughter is gripped by chilling visions of Shantel. It’s not just fleeting shadows—she’s entangled in a vengeful spirit’s relentless quest for justice, a quest that spans generations.
As whispers from the grave reveal long-hidden secrets, this new family faces a terrifying truth: some ghosts refuse to be silenced. Now, they must confront the mystery of Shantel’s death before her ghostly agenda consumes them all.
Dare to uncover the truth? ‘The Ghost of Shantel Thompson’ awaits to send shivers down your spine
Enjoy an Excerpt
Hours drifted away as they immersed themselves in the accounts of the murder day, meticulously examining interviews with the neighbors. It was during this exhaustive search that Sarah stumbled upon an article that sent a shiver down her spine. Her face turned pale, and she repeated the word “no” in disbelief.
Concern etched on his features, Damian inquired, “Honey, what’s wrong?” His worry grew as he witnessed his wife’s deteriorating condition.
Handing him the article, Sarah whispered, “Read it. It’s about the little girl who was murdered. She was adopted, just like Alicia. And look at the name. Shantel.”
Damian’s trembling hands held the article as he absorbed its contents. Shantel had been ten years old, the exact age their daughter had been when they had adopted her and moved to this very town. The uncanny similarities between the two girls sent a chill down his spine.
“D-Damian?” Sarah attempted to regain her husband’s attention, her voice quivering. “Damian?”
“I’m sorry,” he replied, placing the article down. “It’s just… It hits too close to home. I mean, what are the odds that we would move into the very house where she was killed?”
“And the name, Damian. Shantel. How could Alicia possibly know about her? We never disclosed the fact that a murder had occurred in our home,” Sarah lamented.
“Do you think she found out from someone else?” Damian posed the question, searching for answers.
“Who, Damian? She hardly leaves the house, except to go to school. Yet somehow, she learned about Shantel. Unless… never mind,” Sarah dismissed a fleeting thought, her anxiety evident. “I’m letting my imagination run wild again. I’ve watched one too many horror movies,” she chuckled nervously, masking her unease.
About the Author: 
Curtis Maynard is an independent filmmaker, screenwriter, and author passionate about suspenseful storytelling. Enthralled by the paranormal, his mysteries and thrillers feature everything from hauntings and visions to cryptic messages from beyond the grave. Curtis currently resides with his wife and son in Alabama, a setting rich with inspiration for his novels and short films. He hopes his stories will leave you spellbound, disquieted, and suspicious of the slightest shuddering shadow.
Free at Amazon.
Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for January 3, 2024
January 3, 2024 By 1 Comment
Each Wednesday, Long and Short Reviews hosts a weekly “blog hop”. For more details on how to participate, please click here.
Today’s topic is: Hobbies I Used to Enjoy
Sam Time by Donna Balon – Q&A and Giveaway
January 2, 2024 By 5 Comments
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Are the experiences in this book based on someone you know?
My grandmother told me about her experience riding in a horse drawn carriage. The horse sometimes took a bathroom break in the middle of a busy cobblestone road to my grandmother’s embarrassment. I created a similar chapter scene that takes place in New York City.
How did you come up with the name of your publishing company?
I thought about it for weeks. The difficulty was finding a term that wasn’t already used with “press,” “publish,” or “media”. I searched for Latin words, star names, elements, and precious metals. Everything was taken. Because I live in Las Vegas, Nevada, I often thought of Desert “something”. “Moon” and “Foothills” and so many other words were taken. Then “day” popped into my head. Desert Day Press sings.
What is your favorite and least favorite punctuation?
I like the em dash—for emphasis. The comma is a troublesome child, but I respect it. My least favorite is the ellipsis. It’s often misused in casual writing. It implies incompleteness and laziness.
How do you select books to read?
Friends in book clubs, podcasts, and editorial suggestions by bloggers.
When do you like to write and for how long?
I’m a morning person for doing anything. But writing often spills into the afternoon. I don’t write based on a fixed time. Rather I stop when I’m satisfied I’ve completed enough for one day.
When her fiancé is away on business, lonely Samantha Hunter despairs and absorbs herself in historical research. Her nighttime dreams being so vivid, Samantha believes she’s traveling to a past century. As she navigates the Victorian era rules of dos and even more don’ts, she charms Ulysses S Grant while struggling to maintain her present-day romance.
Enjoy an Excerpt
During the night, Samantha had a vivid dream. She was in a rural town wearing her Victorian-style dress. The weather was cool so she wrapped the crocheted afghan around her shoulders. And her sockless feet were cold in her slip-on shoes.
The few men she saw were in worn, soiled work clothes and walked with purpose. The so-called roadways were not paved but dirt paths. No cars or trucks, but horses and carts. A few wooden one-story buildings scattered here and there.
This must be a dream in which the clock has been turned back, Samantha thought. But where am I?
She strolled, aware she had not seen any other women. Pulling the afghan around herself snugly, she walked with her head tilted down to avoid catching the eye of any man in whatever this place was, glancing up often to learn more of her surroundings.
Then two women hurried toward her, each carrying a wooden bucket of water. Their cotton dresses hung to their ankles, with full skirts gathered at the waist of fitted bodices. Plain white cotton bonnets covered their heads, and shawls were wrapped around their shoulders. They looked at Samantha disapprovingly. Her dress was too fancy for this rural town. Moreover, she wasn’t wearing a bonnet or hat; a bare head was a means of solicitation by prostitutes. She hugged her body with the afghan, which served as a shawl to hide her uncorseted torso.
The dream seemed authentic. Despite her uneasiness, she thought, Enjoy the dream. If I don’t like it, I’ll wake myself up.
Around a corner, she spotted a few men in uniform. Soldiers. Maybe the army. This might be a small town next to an army fort, Samantha guessed. Still, not a good place for a woman.
About the Author: 
Author Donna Balon debuts Sam Time, a novel well-researched and professionally edited by quality talent from the publishing industry. Donna resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her husband.
Precious Burdens by Avery Sterling
January 1, 2024 By 7 Comments
Precious Burdens by Avery Sterling
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical Romance
Rated: 5 stars
Review by RoseSarafina di Ramonicci sets sail for America as the promised bride in an arranged political marriage.Taken prisoner at sea, she clashes with her captor and demands freedom, only to discover he is planning her future husband’s demise, with her as a pawn in their deadly feud. The challenge of escape tests her loyalty to family, human decency, and love.
Captain Nye Tarquin is a dangerous man. Left to die on the streets of New Orleans, he swears retribution on the man responsible. When he makes Sarafina part of his plan, he isn’t prepared for the fiery vixen aboard his ship, nor his desire to claim her as his own. When passion overtakes honor, he’s torn between his heart and his need for justice.
What fun this book was! It reminded me a bit of the old pirate romances I used to devour as a teenager…the excitement of a swashbuckling hero who would sweep his captive off her feet and offer her true love.
I fell in love with Nye right along with Serafina…and I joined her in wanting to smack him for being so stubborn about things at times. The relationship between them and their banter back and forth really made this book. I do love me a good character driven book, and this book has great characters.
There were twists and turns aplenty along with plenty of action, great secondary characters, wonderful dialogue, and did I say how much I loved the main characters?
I would love to see this as a movie, from the beginning where the drive for revenge is born to the very end– Netflix, are you listening?
