New York Times and USA Today best selling author, Linda S. Prather, steps out of her comfort zone to bring readers a cozy novelete of crime/mystery and ghosts.
Kay Jamison had always kept an open mind about ghosts, spirits and psychics—until the dead owner of her new home showed up.
Could she solve the mystery of his death and rid herself of his annoying presence, or would her efforts reveal the secrets she was hiding and destroy her newfound peace?
Everything a detective novel should be–gripping, clever, and filled with deep characters.
Ninety-nine shovels of dirt on the grave, ninety-nine shovels of dirt…
Brilliant but troubled Detective Kacy Lang and her partner, Dave Capello, aren’t the perfect detectives, but they are the perfect team. When the body of Kacy’s twin brother washes up from the icy depths of the Chicago River she’s positive she knows who did it. The same man who buried her alive two years earlier. A killer more ghost than man as no one had ever seen his face and lived to tell about it.
Kyle had been a druggie and small time thug. He’d taken something, and someone out there was desperate to get it back. Bodies were piling up and her adoptive parents were at the top of Kacy’s list of suspects. The killer wasn’t finished, and the only thing she knew for sure… he was coming for her.
A multilayered, fast-paced archaeological dig of a mystery.
My Review:
I loved this book. I’ve become a fan Prather’s writing and each story I try to figure out who did what for what reason. The author has a way of tossing in a wrench you don’t see coming. There’s nothing better than hiding in plain sight. As with any murder/mystery book, murder does happen, and there some graphic scenes written within. I loved the book.
During her battle with illness, Lucy Ellis found solace in writing a novel about the mysterious death of Amy Robsart, the first wife of Robert Dudley, the man who came close to marrying Elizabeth I. As Lucy delves into Amy’s story, she also navigates the aftermath of her own experience that brought her close to death and the collapse of her marriage.
After taking leave from her teaching job to complete her novel, Lucy falls ill again. Fearing she will die before she finishes her book, she flees to England to solve the mystery of Amy Robsart’s death.
Can she find the strength to confront her past, forgive the man who broke her heart, and take control of her own destiny?
Who better to write about a betrayed woman than a woman betrayed?
Shades of Yellow
Excerpt 1:
‘So, you’re Stephen’s Australian granddaughter. I’ve heard a lot about you over the years.’ A flush warming her face, Lucy shook his hand and smiled back. ‘I hope Pop told you only good stuff.’
Tom laughed. ‘Yes. Only good stuff.’ He waved towards the door he had just come out of. ‘Shall we get started? We get to the Bell Tower from inside the Queen’s House.’
Lucy blinked to adjust her eyes to dimmer light when she reached the narrow spiral stairwell of Bell Tower. Knowing her good fortune to have a private tour of the tower and the ramparts, she steeled herself to surmount a demanding climb. To her relief, not long into their ascent, Tom halted and pointed out a cell with a toilet. The heavy porcelain toilet bowl and its honey-coloured wooden seat seemed to come from around the 1930’s. Lucy gulped back a giggle. Despite its obvious age, the toilet looked incongruous in its ancient setting.
‘They say this is where they planned to place Hitler in World War Two.’
Jo peered into the cell. ‘Dad told me about the plot to capture Hitler. Sounds rather mad to me.’
‘Desperate times result in desperate measures,’ Tom responded. ‘The Second World War was a desperate time for Britian.’
Lucy pretended interest in the story as she caught her breath, only to become fascinated when Jo and Tom talked about the efforts of an English witch coven to win the war.
Tom laughed. ‘Like I said, desperate times, desperate measures.’
They returned to climbing to the ramparts. By the time the three of them emerged from the stairwell to daylight, Lucy’s heart thudded hard against her chest. Wobbly and a trifle ill, she gathered the remnants of her strength and headed straight to the waist-high wall of the rampart to look out at the view of modern London, seeing again the newly rising Shard from a fresh vantage point. She prayed Jo’s attention was all on the view and not on her. Her aunt may discern she was lingering at the ramparts for other reasons than the gorgeous outlook of London.
Tom came to stand next to her. ‘I’ve served here close to twenty years and never tire of coming here.’
Jo joined them to take photos.
Relieved to no longer hearing her heart drumming loudly in her ears and feeling better, Lucy waved her hand from right to left. ‘It would have been so different in the sixteenth century.’
Tom leaned on the wall. ‘Time always changes things. Even the Tower. We can all be thankful that Victoria and Albert both appreciated England’s history so much that they rebuilt it.’
Lucy laughed. ‘Hooray for old Queen Victoria.’
‘Well, yes.’ Tom grinned. ‘But she wasn’t old Queen Victoria then, and it didn’t mean they rebuilt everything. John Taylor, the second man in charge of the rebuilding program, caused an awful stink by pulling down far too much.’
Lucy peered over the top of the wall. ‘I, for one, am happy they left some things to our imagination, like the moat. For centuries, they called it a cesspool. It was a source of illness to those who lived close by.’
‘You’re right.’ Tom returned to his soldier’s stance. ‘It destroyed the health of many of the men who drained it, too.’
‘Thank you for bringing us here, Tom,’ said Jo, recapping her camera. ‘You said you need to go back before twelve? Time for us to walk the leads before we head to our next stop, don’t you think, Lucy?’
‘Walk the leads.’ She paced along the narrow walkway and looked over her shoulder at her aunt. ‘The people of the past had such a lovely way of describing their surroundings. I adore how it describes walking the ramparts. Weird to think of Elizabeth walking here and causing time to rewrite it as Queen Elizabeth’s Walk.’
The sky was now the same shade as the stones of the Tower. The wind picked up, blowing colder. She stilled near the wall. The world around her disappeared. Her Amy in 1554 possessed her mind’s eye.
On the ramparts, Amy shifted a little away from Robert, gathering her cloak tighter around her chilled body. Below, the moat glittered as clouds broke away from the sun. Smoke from chimney stacks of nearby houses eddied in the air and tickled her lungs. The spire of St Paul’s pierced the sky. Robert rarely brought her here. But, after John confided this was the place her husband most often met with Elizabeth, Amy had entreated Rob to take her to the ramparts. Now she pretended to study the view, all the while imagining Rob holding Bess in his arms, like he had just done with her. Rob kissing Elizabeth. Telling her he loved her. The thought cut Amy’s heart into pieces.
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Author Bio:
WENDY J. DUNN is a multi-award-winning Australian writer fascinated by Tudor history – so much so she was not surprised to discover a family connection to the Tudors, not long after the publication of Dear Heart, How Like You This, her first Anne Boleyn novel, which narrated the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the elder.
Her family tree reveals the intriguing fact that one of her ancestral families – possibly over three generations – had purchased land from both the Boleyn and Wyatt families to build up their holdings. It seems very likely Wendy’s ancestors knew the Wyatts and Boleyns personally.
Wendy gained her PhD in 2014 and tutors in writing at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. She loves walking in the footsteps of the historical people she gives voice to in her books.
Please welcome George Yuhasz to my blog. Good morning, George. Shall we get started?
Please introduce yourself to those reading this blog post.
I’m George Yuhasz, author of the children’s book IMAGINE THAT: THE MAGIC OF THE MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS and most recently the thriller novel RIGHTEOUS ALLEGIANCE. Both books have won numerous awards and have received great reviews. Very grateful. My thanks to you for taking time to read about my writing and me.
Has writing always been part of your life and when did you “know” that it was time to start writing your first book?
I did not begin writing until after I retired. My professional career and family were my main focus and did not afford time for writing.
How difficult was it writing your first book?
It was a challenge to write a children’s story. However, I was inspired by my granddaughter, who is the protagonist in the book, and was driven to create a special story for her as a gift.
Have you ever wanted to give up and what stopped you?
I never thought about giving up. Not an option.
Who is the most supportive of you and your dream to be a writer?
I never dreamed to be a writer. It’s a self-motivating thing with me; I prefer to live being a writer and it’s a great life. Being creative, working with ideas and random thoughts, putting all the pieces together-exciting! As an added bonus, you meet wonderful readers and creatives like Mary Schmidt (I couldn’t resist, Mary). Much support has come to me in all shapes, sizes, and colors and has been most welcome.
Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
Having the freedom to read and write what you desire is precious. Hold it dear, fight for it if you have to.
What is the best advice given to you (book or otherwise), and by whom?
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow-from his poem “The Builders.”
Nothing useless is or low
Each thing in its place is best
And what seems like idle show
Strengthens and supports the rest
What is your target audience and what aspect of your writing do you feel targets that audience?
My target audience are those readers who are looking for something beyond being entertained by a story. Life lessons. A new approach to solving a problem. Increased awareness and appreciation of our natural world. These are just some of the things that are important to me and I hope will resonate with my readers as well.
Did the cover evolve the same way, or did you work with someone to make it come together for you?
I worked with wonderful artists/illustrators for both books who understood my goals for writing each story.
What are you working on now? Can we get a peek, an excerpt?
I am working on another children’s story and also a sequel to RIGHTEOUS ALLEGIANCE. Both projects are in beginning stages at this time.
Any last words before we wrap things up?
Someone once asked me what I value as a writer. A heavy question. My response was in effect the following: I believe holding myself accountable in bringing my best efforts to creating meaningful, thought provoking and entertaining stories encouraging love, kindness, friendship, hope, and reverence for our natural world. My profound gratitude to all who continue to support and inspire me on this amazing journey.
George media photo 2
AUTHOR BIO
George Yuhasz is a former U.S. Government intelligence officer, special agent, and contractor. He has also worked in the private sector, owning and operating his own global security and investigative consultancy. RIGHTEOUS ALLEGIANCE, a Book Excellence Awards winner, is his first novel and was an Amazon #1 bestseller. Yuhasz is also the author of the multi-award-winning children’s book IMAGINE THAT: THE MAGIC OF THE MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS (Gold medalist Wishing Shelf Book Awards). He earned a B.A. degree with a double major in international service and government from American University, and holds a M.A. degree in psychology from the University of Northern Colorado. Yuhasz is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers and is a Certified Protection Professional Life Member of the American Society for Industrial Security. He lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina.
In an idyllic suburb in Northern California, tragedy strikes the Sheppard family when Abby, the mother of three daughters and wife to Dalton, is killed in a car accident. Charlotte, the middle daughter, is in the car with her mother and survives without physical injury but remains deeply scarred on the inside.
Dalton tells Lily, his eldest daughter, that she must sacrifice long-awaited college plans and put her life on hold to take care of her sisters. Lily is torn between her devotion to family and an increasing need to find her place in the world — but how can she leave, knowing her family may crumble? Will her presence eventually cause more problems than it resolves?
The Sum of our Sorrows reveals how the aftermath of a family tragedy can precipitate sorrows never imagined. It is a tale of grief, hope, healing, coming-of-age, friendship, and survival. It is also a love story of two broken souls living through pain in search of better days and the renewal of one’s spirit.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I write characters as I hear them speak to me. Some of these stories contain non-gratuitous expletives and sexual references. This book also contains some situations that may be triggering to some readers. If this is not to your liking, please don’t read this book. Thank you.
This book is profound, and the writing is superlative. We start with love and loss and how it affects loved ones still living. Let me say right now, everyone has their own vision of Loss and how they coped, healthy or not. The one constant in this story is family and family isn’t always blood. Family includes those you want in your life. The book is epic in length, but still an easy read. I do love how hope and love of family brings everyone together in a full circle. Alcohol is not the answer to huge loss, and making your daughter into a surrogate mother isn’t real. I have one trigger warning for those who could be affected and that is one scene of attempted rape, and one of rape. The monster who did this, the rape itself, are not a full read into the scene, but the character who was raped was verbal at the time, and in severe nightmares. The actual act is not in this book. So you may not be triggered. Overall, the psychology of each character is amazing to think about. I do love a good love story and this novel has several to say the least.
In 1792, an escaped slave, raised and living as white, is discovered and forced to flee into the Great Dismal Swamp.
Barely escaping a bounty hunter, a Maroons community of fugitive slaves rescues him. Over time, Nathanial comes to accept his true identity while fighting to overcome the suspicions of his new community. Because of his pale skin, he becomes a conductor on the underground railroad, slipping runners onto ships going north. On one of his missions, fate intervenes and places Nathanial’s community at risk.
This little-known chapter in American history tells how escaped enslaved people gave their all to live free while creating a community and economy in one of the world’s most unforgiving environments.
Excerpt #1
The Great Dismal Swamp and Man
“Capricious, contradictory, and alluring” is how author Hubert Davis described this place. How does one navigate through this hell hole of nature? Assaulted by clouds of biting insects, where to step? When one’s foot does not sink into boot-sucking mud, the so called land is a sponge.
Bushes and trees sporting oversized thorns tear at skin. Dense stands of bamboo show no way forward. Occasionally, an obscure deer trail might reveal itself. Why would Mother Nature take her worst and throw it together in a 2,000 square-mile blight?
… Storms build quickly, turning a capricious environment more fearsome. It is marshland gone wild, all matted and impenetrable. Never intended for man, nature rules this place. In 1791, can desperate people be anything other than secondary players if they choose to enter?
As the author of three books, Mike’s passion is finding the little-known stories of history and bringing them to life. History in school is too often events and dates. Mike seeks to discover the people who lived those events and reveal why those individuals made the decisions they did. Ultimately, there are stories to be mined, and who doesn’t love a good story?
In his historical novel “Escape To The Maroons,” Mike tells the little-known story of 1791 self-liberated slaves who chose to struggle for survival in The Great Dismal Swamp in their determination to live free. The term Maroons delineates areas where escaped slaves fled and could not be recaptured. It’s estimated that over 2,000 survived deep in the swamp around the turn of that century.
His first book “Iva: The True Story of Tokyo Rose” describes the tragic life of Iva Toguri. Trapped in Japan during World War II, this Japanese American woman was forced to work for Radio Tokyo. Although she never participated in propaganda, the racial animus of post-war America led to her being falsely labelled as Tokyo Rose and prosecuted for treason. Through her incarceration and the ongoing discrimination heaped upon her, Iva never lost her courage and determination.
“War Angel: Korea 1950” was his second book that followed a reservist nurse thrust into the carnage of The Korean War. Serving as an operating room nurse in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, the real MASH and strength of a woman is revealed.
Mike resides with his family in the Pacific Northwest where they enjoy experiencing the outdoors.
Life on Molly is a travel and lifestyle blog. I am a normal girl with many passions. I am an explorer of new places, a learner of new languages, creator of my ambitions, blogger, and a good pal. This blog is my little corner of the world where I am able to share my adventures with you and inspire you to live a life full of purpose.
When Angels Fly 