Book Bargains for National Book Month | by Linda Brendle

In looking for an excuse to offer special pricing on my two novels, I found the perfect one – National Book Month. This month-long celebration is held each October and focuses on the importance of reading, writing and literature. The National Book Foundation created the first National Book Month in 2003.

From today through the end of the month, Tatia’s Tattoo and Fallen Angel Salvage ebooks will be 99 cents, and paperbacks will be $12.95 or less.

Tatia’s Tattoo: As a successful D.C. lawyer, Tatia’s mission in life is to destroy the sex trafficking trade in small-town America. She knows where to find it. She’s been there. Filled with tragedy, crime, redemption, and love, Tatia’s Tattoo is a story that exposes the sordid underbelly of small towns and shines a light of hope on how the evil might be defeated.

 

Fallen Angel Salvage (Tatia’s Story, Book #2): Tatia and Jesse have a perfect life in Chicago. Her testimony put Eric in prison in Texas twenty years ago. How could anything go wrong? An old black van. A missing child. Tatia and Jesse race through the city streets with a band of bikers while Johnny and Jade dig through the dark web and Detectives Nelson and Martin pound on doors. Will it be enough? Or will their daughter become another statistic?

Blessings,

Linda

Release Day: Fallen Angel Salvage

He ruined her life once; will he do it again?

The rest of the story, from the author of Tatia’s Tattoo.

Tatia and Jesse have a perfect life in Chicago. Her testimony put Eric in prison in Texas twenty years ago. How could anything go wrong?

A mysterious envelope invades their home with news of a trafficker’s parole, and a handwritten note asks the ominous question: Is Joy as brave as her mother?

An old black van. A missing child. Tatia and Jesse race through the city streets with a band of bikers while Johnny and Jade dig through the dark web and Detectives Nelson and Martin pound on doors.

Will it be enough? Or will Joy become another statistic?

P R E F A C E

THE LETTER

Thursday – 3:00 pm

Tatia stepped out the back door and stood quietly for a moment, watching her two children play tag in the small back yard. She smiled as Joy slowly jogged between the swing set and the sandbox with her younger brother in hot pursuit. Daniel lunged toward her, but she swerved at the last moment causing him to belly flop onto the soft grass.

“I almost got you,” he pouted.

Joy leaned over him and gloated, “You missed me by a mile, short stuff.”

He grinned up at her, touched her arm, and rolled away from her under the swing set. “Tag, you’re it!” he shouted in triumph.

Tatia laughed at the stunned look on Joy’s face and clapped her hands. “Nice move, Daniel! Now, recess is over, and we have a reading lesson to complete before we quit for the day. Dust yourselves off and get the mail on your way in.”

“I’ll get it,” yelled Joy as she took off for the front of the house.

“No!” wailed Daniel. “I won! I get to get it.”

“Okay, I guess you’re right,” said Joy, slowing down to let him catch up. Then, she tapped him on the shoulder. “But now you’re it!”

Tatia shook her head and went back into the house as the two tagged and shouted all the way to the mailbox. Joy must have been in a charitable mood, because a few moments later the front door slammed open and Daniel strutted into the living room with several envelopes clutched in his fist. He presented the mail to his mom as if he were handing her a dozen roses, and then headed to the refrigerator for a bottle of water.

“Joy, did you see that old van across the street?” he asked his sister. “It must have been about a hundred years old.”

“I didn’t see any old van, and I wouldn’t care if I did,” said Joy, her charitable mood long gone.

“Well, you should. The driver was staring at you.”

“There wasn’t a van and there wasn’t a driver! You need glasses!”

“That’s enough, you two,” said Tatia, hoping to restore some peace. “What kind of van was it?” she asked Daniel.

“I’m not sure, Mommy. I’ll go check.” He knelt on the couch and peered out the window as Tatia looked over his shoulder. “It’s gone now,” he said with a shrug.

“Good! Now we can talk about something important,” said Joy. “Like birthday cards! Mommy, did I get any more today?”

Tatia dismissed the uneasy feeling that tried to insinuate itself into her mind, and made a mental note to talk with Jesse about the van later. Right now, she had an almost-nine-year-old girl dancing from foot to foot, waiting for her to sort the mail. It was two days before Joy’s birthday, and she had received more mail in the last week than she had in the previous nine years. She loved the emails and ecards her mom and dad shared with her, but she loved the cards that came in the mail even more. They felt more like they belonged just to her. Tatia flipped through the small stack of envelopes and handed two of them to her daughter.

“It looks like there’s one from Alicia at school and another one from Grandma and Grandpa G. How many is that from them anyway?”

“Seven! One every day for a whole week! What about that one? Is it for me?” she asked pointing to the plain white envelope Tatia was staring at curiously.

“No, it’s addressed to me, and it doesn’t have a return address or a stamp.”

“Probably a bill,” said Joy, and she took her cards to the couch to read them.

Tatia opened the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of notebook paper. On it was taped a small article from the Cameron Morning Telegraph dated the previous Sunday.

Cameron, TX. After serving twenty years of three concurrent sentences for murder, aggravated statutory sexual assault, and human trafficking, Eric Hall was paroled from the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville this week. His conviction was the first of several that resulted from the testimony of a very brave young woman, later identified as Tatia Robins in her book, Groomed for the Streets. These convictions freed Cameron from the human trafficking trade that had plagued our city for years.

Below the article was a short, hand-written message:

I wonder if Joy is as brave as her mother.

Buy at Amazon | B & N

Ebook available soon.

Blessisngs,

Linda

Cover Reveal: Fallen Angel Salvage by Linda Brendle

He ruined her life once; will he do it again?

The rest of the story, from the author of Tatia’s Tattoo.

Tatia and Jesse have a perfect life in Chicago. Her testimony put Eric in prison in Texas twenty years ago. How could anything go wrong?

A mysterious envelope invades their home with news of a trafficker’s parole, and a handwritten note asks the ominous question: Is Joy as brave as her mother?

An old black van. A missing child. Tatia and Jesse race through the city streets with a band of bikers while Johnny and Jade dig through the dark web and Detectives Nelson and Martin pound on doors.

Will it be enough? Or will Joy become another statistic?

A heart-pounding crime thriller unlike any Christian novel you’ve read.

Projected Release Date: July 16, 2019

Cover Design by Brianna Snyder, Spyder Design, http://www.thespyderdesign.com

Blessings,

Linda

Tatia’s Tattoo is available in paperback on Amazon. Due to technical difficulties, the ebook is not currently available but will be back soon.

Reluctant to read Tatia’s Tattoo? Read this brief post.

Some people have expressed reluctance to read Tatia’s Tattoo because of the subject matter – sex trafficking in small-town America. Following are some excerpt from a Facebook conversation with a recent reader:

 

Very good! 5 stars so far. I’m about half way through. I didn’t get my nap in today because I couldn’t put the book down.

 

I’m not done, but already find myself looking forward to the sequel.

 

I really like your writing style, not too wordy.

 

Being a victim of abuse myself, I was a little worried going into it, being a book about sex trafficking. A lot of writers these days go for shock value. But you’ve handled those bits and pieces very tactfully and I appreciate that.

 

Thank you for being respectful and not making us that are victims re-live it and proving that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

You can read the Preface and the first two chapters by clicking HERE and then clicking Download a Sample below the book cover. There is also a buy link there.

 

You can also find it at AMAZON.

Blessings,

Linda

#MysteryExchange Treasure Hunters #Romance + #Suspense by @Kris_Bock

Kris Bock’s Southwest Treasure Hunters novels mix action and adventure with romance. The stories explore the Southwest, especially New Mexico. Each novel stands alone, with a new main couple, and is complete, with no cliffhangers.

The Mad Monk’s Treasure

“Smart romance with an ‘Indiana Jones’ feel.”

A legendary treasure hunt in the dramatic – and deadly – New Mexico desert…. Reviewers give it a 4.6 star average. Get this romantic adventure for only 99 cents or FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

 The lost Victorio Peak treasure is the stuff of legends – a heretic Spanish priest’s gold mine, made richer by the spoils of bandits and an Apache raider. When Erin, a quiet history professor, uncovers a clue that may pinpoint the lost treasure cave, she prepares for adventure. But when a hit and run driver nearly kills her, she realizes she’s not the only one after the treasure. And is Drew, the handsome helicopter pilot who found her bleeding in a ditch, really a hero, or one of the enemy?

“The story has it all – action, romance, danger, intrigue, lost treasure, not to mention a sizzling relationship….”

Get The Mad Monk’s Treasure on Amazon.

 

The Dead Man’s Treasure

“The Dead Man’s Treasure is fast-paced and a perfect read for the weekend. I highly recommend this one.”

Rebecca Westin is shocked to learn the grandfather she never knew has left her a bona fide buried treasure – but only if she can decipher a complex series of clues leading to it. The hunt would be challenging enough without interference from her half-siblings, who are determined to find the treasure first and keep it for themselves. Good thing Rebecca has recruited some help.

Sam is determined to show Rebecca that a desert adventure can be sexy and fun. But there’s a treacherous wildcard in the mix, a man willing to do anything to get that treasure – and revenge.

Action and romance combine in this lively Southwestern adventure, complete with riddles the reader is invited to solve to identify historical and cultural sites around New Mexico.

“I can’t say enough how much I loved this book! It has mystery, adventure, danger, romance, and above it all family remains a huge theme.”

Get The Dead Man’s Treasure on Amazon – free with KU.

 

The Skeleton Canyon Treasure

“A wonderfully suspenseful light romantic read filled with the old Southwest, treasure, characters you’ll love and an amazing cat.”

Camille Dagneau – beautiful, brilliant, and prickly – isn’t quick to trust, especially when a strange man has broken into her machine shop at night. But Ryan MacAllister insists he’s merely looking for his missing uncle, who has disappeared while hunting for a lost treasure. He believes Camie is the key to finding the treasure, and his uncle. Camie can ignore the attraction she feels, but she won’t pass up the chance for an adventure.

The pair set off with Camie’s feisty cat Tiger to track down the clues in the missing man’s journal. Graveyards, steep cliffs, and creepy caves don’t intimidate Camie, but she’ll need to trust Ryan to overcome all the challenges that stand in their way. A man’s life is on the line and time is running out, but her heart may be the one thing Camie is not willing to risk.

“If you like strong women and adventure, you’re going to love this.”

“The Skeleton Canyon Treasure is a light, breezy action/adventure/romance that’s perfect for summer reading.”

Get The Skeleton Canyon Treasure on Amazon – free with KU.

 

Excerpt from The Mad Monk’s Treasure:

Among all the legends, all the fact and fiction, one story stood out. The Victorio Peak legend had it all. A Franciscan priest and a swindler. Torture, murder, a government cover-up. Where was the truth, among all the stories? Erin wanted to find out. Over time, and with Camie’s encouragement, she’d started to take the treasure hunt more seriously. It wasn’t so much for the treasure itself—that would most likely belong to the government or the landowners. But it would make her reputation, open up new job opportunities—change her life in ways she hardly dared dream.

She touched the book gently. The pages were falling out; she didn’t want to risk carrying it around. Instead, Erin snapped a picture of the petroglyphs with her phone. That would be enough to show Camie for now.

The timing was perfect; she just had to turn in grades and field a few tearful last-minute requests for extensions, and she’d be done for the semester. What better way to spend the summer, than hunting for buried treasure?

Erin shook her head. Who would’ve thought that she, the quiet, studious girl who’d spent her entire adult life in academia in one way or another, would be planning such an adventure?

Erin wheeled the bike around the front of her house and mounted. At the corner, she paused and looked both ways. The long frontage road was dangerously narrow, with a cement wall on one side and a ditch on the other. Fortunately, traffic was normally light, and at this time of day the road lay empty. Erin pushed off, still grinning from her find. She rode on the right side, by the ditch, instead of facing traffic, because it was just too frightening to ride alongside the wall when a car passed.

She’d gone a block when she heard the hum of a car engine as it pulled out from a side street behind her. She rode along the very edge of the pavement, even though the car would have plenty of room to pass her without oncoming traffic.

Erin glanced over her shoulder. The black SUV 20 feet behind her hadn’t bothered to pull out into the road at all. Jerk. When would drivers learn to share the road with bicyclists? Erin pulled onto the two-foot wide gravel strip between the pavement and the ditch. She couldn’t stop without risking a skid, but she slowed so the SUV could pass.

The engine roared. Erin glanced back again.

Black metal bore down on her. Her heart lurched and the bike wobbled. This guy was crazy! She whipped her gaze forward, rose up in the seat, and pumped the pedals with all her power, skimming along inches from the ditch. He was just trying to scare her. She’d get his license plate and—

She felt the bumper hit her back tire. The bike seemed to leap into the air, and she went flying. The dried mud and weeds of the ditch seemed to rise up to meet her.

She didn’t even have time to scream.

 

Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Whispers in the Dark features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest ruins. What We Found is a mystery with strong romantic elements about a young woman who finds a murder victim in the woods. In Counterfeits, stolen Rembrandt paintings bring danger to a small New Mexico town.

Fans of Mary Stewart and Barbara Michaels will want to check out Kris Bock’s romantic adventures. “Counterfeits is the kind of romantic suspense novel I have enjoyed since I first read Mary Stewart’s Moonspinners.” 5 Stars – Roberta at Sensuous Reviews blog

Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.

Kris Bock Blog

Kris Bock on GoodReads

Kris Bock on Facebook

Kris Bock on Twitter

Kris Bock on Pinterest

Kris, thank you for a quick tour through your Southwest Treasure Hunters novels. I know many of my readers have added them to their to-be-read lists. Best of luck with them, and thanks again for stopping by.

Blessings,

Linda

 

Book Review: Factor Man by Matt Ginsberg

5 Stars

About the book:

Ginsberg takes readers on a digital thrill ride where the protagonist holds the key to the most revolutionary and powerful technology since the atomic bomb. This mysterious character, who calls himself Factor Man, is set to change the world with a single algorithm, making him (or her) one of the smartest, richest and perhaps one of the most wanted person on the planet. By factoring larger numbers, Factor Man claims to be able to break the public key encryption that could shut down the internet. The press wants to interview him. The Chinese Government wants to kill him. And the FBI wants to protect him. But first they have to find him!

My review:

Several weeks ago I received an email from a publicist offering me a complimentary digital copy of Factor Man because I make no secret of the fact that I love a good thriller. There were no strings attached to the gift, but I am happy to recommend this unique novel to anyone who enjoys a puzzling mystery that will give your brain a good workout.

The story begins when a mysterious character who identifies himself/herself only as Factor Man contacts a reporter named William Burkett. Through a series of emails, he lays out his four-year plan to turn the worlds of higher mathematics, Cyberspace, and high finance upside down, and he offers Burkett exclusive rights to the story. Through these emails, the author cleverly educates those of us whose math education stopped at plane geometry and whose knowledge of the Internet is informed mostly by Abby and McGee of NCIS fame so we can understand the rest of the story.

Once the groundwork is laid, the story moves into the real world as more people are introduced into Factor Man’s scheme. What was at first believed to be a hoax by a crazy mathematician looking for his fifteen minutes of fame becomes an international happening that can either usher in a new era of peace and prosperity or send the world economic and political systems crashing back into the dark ages. The final segment of the story is full of FBI, CIA, and other agencies as well as spies, contract killers, and suspense that kept me up until the wee hours to find out what happened.

Matt Ginsber is a highly intelligent man with a wide variety of interests. I’m very glad that one of his interests was writing an amazingly entertaining story, and I’m hopeful that he’s interested in writing another one soon.

About the author:

Matt Ginsberg got a doctorate in astrophysics from Oxford when he was 24. He quickly came to his senses, however, switching to artificial intelligence and teaching at Stanford for a decade. He’s been on the front page of the New York Times and, surprisingly, was happy about it. He’s been a political columnist and published playwright, and constructs crosswords for the Times. He has written about a hundred technical papers. And one novel.

Find Matt Ginsberg on his website.

Buy Factor Man on Amazon.

Blessings,

Linda

Book Review: Roachville by Marianne Germain

About the book:

Translator Annika Roy is bored with life and just going through the motions when a mysterious artefact comes crashing into her lonely existence, forcing her to interact with the outside world again.

But there’s danger there, and Annika must decide whether to follow the handsome but shady Kenneth Tann on his obsessive quest, or to trust an enigmatic mother-daughter duo and their two aborigine bodyguards.

It’s a journey from the mundane to the weird—on a road with twists, turns, and more than a few bumps.

My review:

Roachville by Marianne Germain grabbed my attention from the beginning and is largely responsible for my antisocial behavior during family gatherings the last few days. This mystery with a touch of the paranormal kept me looking for moments when I could open my Kindle and see what happened next. Annika Roy, the quirky, sarcastic main character and her group of equally fascinating friends added humor, romance, and suspense to this fun read. For my old-fashioned taste, the author could have included less pot and alcohol, but I appreciated her restraint in leaving most of the details of the few intimate moments to my imagination. I would not hesitate to recommend Roachville, and I look forward to more of Ms. Germain’s work.

About the author:

95% translator, 5% writer, Marianne Germain lives with her partner, their 2 daughters, one dog and a cat, in a small village in the South of France. She likes music, tennis and her electric bike.

Find the author on Facebook and Twitter

Buy Roachville at Amazon 

Blessings,

Linda