The Silent Woman by Minka Kent - Release Day Blitz

 

Synopsis

Newlywed Jade Westmore has finally found her forever in husband Wells, a charming, successful, and recently divorced architect—only there’s one caveat. Behind the gates of their elysian estate, hidden from street view in the caretaker’s cottage … lives Wells’ first wife, Sylvie.

Three years ago, the original Mrs. Westmore suffered an unfortunate accident—and hasn’t uttered a sound since. Not a physician, psychologist, or world-renowned specialist has been able to elicit so much as a word from the silent woman … until now.

On an ordinary Tuesday while Wells was away—despite instructions to never disturb the fragile woman—Jade visited her isolated predecessor bearing a peace offering: a bouquet of white lilies. Only she wasn’t expecting Sylvie to have something for her as well: a slip of torn notebook paper with a single word scrawled in shaky black ink.

That word? Run.

About the author 

Minka Kent has been crafting stories since before she could scribble her name. With a love of the literary dark and twisted, Minka cut her teeth on Goosebumps and Fear Street, graduated to Stephen King as a teenager, and now counts Gillian Flynn, Chevy Stevens, and Caroline Kepnes amongst her favorite authors and biggest influences. Minka has always been curious about good people who do bad things and loves to explore what happens when larger-than-life characters are placed in fascinating situations.

In her non-writing life, Minka is a thirty-something wife and mother who equally enjoys sunny and rainy days, loves freshly cut hydrangeas, hides behind oversized sunglasses, travels to warmer climates every chance she gets, and bakes sweet treats when the mood strikes (spoiler alert: it’s often).

Web - https://www.minkakent.com

Goodreads - https://bit.ly/3fs42Qi

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/MinkaKentAuthor/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorminkakent/

Amazon - https://amzn.to/3wccj0E

Killing Kindness by Lisa Sell - First Chapter Read

BLURB: Summer 1992: The Six, a group of teenagers, met in a disused mill every night. They thought they were invincible until Simon, a kind young man, disappeared.

Summer 2021: The Six - minus Simon - gather at the renovated mill for his memorial. The reunion begins and a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues. The body count rises. Someone is killing kindness. It's cruel to be kind...

CHAPTER ONE

Three long, hot weeks ended in death. Teenage temperaments boiled over. Humidity slicked their skin with sweat. Blaming the heat for the group falling apart was too convenient. More than mugginess made Simon Pritchard snap.

The Six were united in a common purpose. Every summer holiday, activities took place, giving parents the chance to offload their offspring. Six sixteen-year-olds, fresh from finishing GCSEs, were the chosen ones. Selected teens earned cash helping to run Trillhaven’s holiday club alongside adult supervisors. The Six was hardly an inspired name, but the adults found it helped the assistants to bond. Being in a group made them feel elite. Those only a few years younger respected their authority.

Alex, Kat, Joe, Stevie, Erin, and Simon formed the gang of 1992. Kids hung around them, desperate to be a favourite. The adult helpers admired the teens’ work ethic while ignoring their night-time shenanigans. Young adults need to let loose, particularly when preparing for further education or work. A disused mill on the outskirts of Trillhaven became a playground. There they learnt how to tip from childhood over the cusp into adulthood. The Six discovered the joys of alcohol, accompanied by a love of music and sometimes each other. The owner of the mill watched from her cottage across the way. She stayed out of their business until she had no choice.

On the last evening of the holiday club, children danced to a DJ’s cheesy tunes. Nearly every local entertainment event was led by him. The Dorset town of Trillhaven lacked social opportunities. Everything was small, including the locals’ closed minds, overpopulated residential areas, and crammed schools. A blanket woven with community gossip and judgement spread wide over them all.

The pressure of small town life weighed on Simon. From experience, everyone expected him to be nice. If the dictionary had a visual representation of kindness, Simon’s photograph would be on display, not that he would’ve appreciated it. The young man hated his babyish face and impish grin. Sharper, more mature features might have allowed him to say no more often and for it to be accepted.

Simon’s friends believed his cup of kindness would always run over. That summer, they received it in abundance, until the boy broke. We all have darker natures we try to suppress. For a while, Simon kept his demons hidden.

Then came Friday 21 August 1992, when The Six disintegrated. Fights, betrayal, disappointment, and damning allegations signalled the end.

Kindness isn’t infinite. That night, Simon killed kindness. He might have murdered a man, too. Simon can’t tell anyone what happened. He was never seen again.

https://mybook.to/KillingKindness

Available in eBook, Kindle Unlimited, and paperback.

The Silent Woman by Minka Kent Book Review

I received a gifted copy and am providing a review. (Not my picture.)

A freak accident leaving a woman in a catatonic-like state, unable to communicate.

A husband who divorces his first wife and moves his second wife into his home.

A second wife who accepts the situation, but begins to discover things that are unfathomable.

A neighbor who befriends the second wife and, through circumstances, discovers a truth she was least expecting.

A mother-in-law who becomes an ally.

As you may or may not know, I am a huge Minka Kent “fan girl,” so when the opportunity arises to snag a copy of her book, I jump on it. The Silent Woman is no exception. I devoured this tale in three days … I thought it was that intriguing. The premise of this tale is Jade meeting Wells through the book she was researching, that being a true story based on Wells’ grandmother’s life, Viviette. Circumstances being what they were, they end up getting married which gives Jade a closer look into Viviette’s life as she was living in the same house, the house that had been in the family for decades, housing all of Viviette’s diaries. But, wait … some diaries are missing. Where did they go and why? Jade decides she wants to spend some more time with Sylvie, Wells’ first wife, who conveniently Wells lets stay in the guesthouse behind the main house, being sure to provide Sylvie the care she needs after her accident. Is that the only reason?

This book contains a bit of everything … dysfunctional family ties; lies and deceit; secrets that come to surface with the right questions being asked. There is enough intrigue to keep readers turning the pages to find out what really happened, but the bigger question underlying everything is why? Be sure to add this one to your TBR - releasing September 27, 2022.

The Damned Lovely by Adam Frost Book Review/Blog Tour

 

I received a gifted copy and am providing a review.

The Damned Lovely is a bar owned by a retired cop, Jiles. You will also meet the bar patrons – Pa, The Rooster, Slice, Lily, and Jewels who worked at the bar. There is also an “office” that is referred to as the box, where Sam (the main character) uses some space to pursue his writing career, or lack of. For some scratch, Sam also drives folks around. One evening, a new patron shows up, no one knew her name. She just sat quietly, reading her book, or so it seemed that is what she was doing. Turns out, her name was Josie Pendleton and someone didn’t like her sniffing around a couple of organizations. All Sam had left of her was the denim shirt she mistakenly left at the bar. So, Sam being Sam, and having had too much to drink, decides to figure out what really happened to Josie.

In his quest, he learns about a couple of organizations Josie was apparently involved in – Patriot Strong and Backyard Dreams. He does find out something about one of these organizations. Sam began to question whether he should give up on his quest. He decides, since Detective Pinner was seemingly getting nowhere with the investigation, to continue on, asking his questions, stirring up trouble trying to find answers.

I think we all have a little bit of Sam in ourselves. Sometimes we just cannot let things go, sometimes we get the answers, sometimes we don’t. I’m not exactly sure what genre this tale would fall into, but it is a refreshing read that doesn’t follow all the rules, so to speak, in that it is not so cut-and-dried you’ll figure out who the bad guy is.

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Damned-Lovely-Adam-Frost/dp/1643962531/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PG19JPUMSFHC&keywords=the+damned+lovely&qid=1658064612&s=books&sprefix=the+damned+lovely%2Cstripbooks%2C146&sr=1-1

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-damned-lovely-adam-frost/1141264907?ean=9781643962535

 

Find Mr. Frost:

Website: https://www.adamfrostwrites.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adam.frost.9655/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/346340.Adam_Frost?from_search=true&from_srp=true

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Afrostbite23

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedamnedlovely/

 

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Vicious Ripples by Lee Matthew Goldberg Book Review

 

I received a gifted copy and am providing a review. (Not my picture.)

This is book 4 in The Desire Card series. If you are looking for a good series to read, check out this one. It is a 5-book series based around, well, The Desire Card. The Desire Card is an organization that was founded on the premise of bringing a client’s most desired wish come true, whether it be a rare bottle of wine, an exotic trip, or even eliminating the peskiness from a client’s life. Vicious Ripples manages to tie up some loose ends from the first three books.

We find out just what lengths J.D. Storm (now Marcus Edmonton) will go to, to rid himself of The Desire Card and its tentacles leached into his life. We find out how strong Gracie (Harrison and Helen’s daughter) is. We find out just how dangerous the leader of The Desire Card, known as Clark Gable, can be and what lengths he will go to in order to protect his precious organization. There are also some specific terms randomly thrown end referencing book 1, clever!

I highly recommend reading this series in order to get a better sense of the characters. Series in Order: Immoral Origins, Prey No More, All Sins Fulfilled, Vicious Ripples, Desire’s End. Now, to get my hands on book 5!

All The Broken Girls Book Review/Blog Tour

 

I received a gifted copy and am providing a review.

Marisol Alvarez (Mari – “rhymes with sorry”) is a crime reporter who has just returned after a two-week suspension. Her first ‘welcome back’ assignment was less than exciting to her, that of reporting on a baby sloth. She’s a crime reporter! She decides that she needs to just go with it because she needs her job; she has bills to pay. Her photographer, Orlando (called O) is assigned to go with her, just like he did before her suspension. Naturally, on the way to Busch Gardens, they see police cars, lights, the whole thing. Mari decides they need to investigate. O warns her against it. She doesn’t listen. She sees the two girls, she sees the scene, she takes it upon herself to do what she’s not supposed to do. In the process, she gives her bracelet to one of the girls; she constantly forgets and constantly reaches for it, then she remembers.

Time and time again, O has covered for her until he can’t anymore. Mari keeps digging and digging and keeps coming up with theories. Along comes Hoodie Hannibal, at least that’s what she calls him, and she finds out he’s one of those people who blend in, one of those people you don’t see. He definitely adds some creep factor to this tale. El Jefe (her boss) keeps telling her to stay away from the crime scenes, keeps warning her, until he runs out of patience, and she runs out of a job. She just does not stop, she keeps looking, keeps searching. She shares her theories with Detective Antonio Garcia (Tony) who finally realizes that Mari just may be on the right track and could be valuable in helping solve these crimes. The current crimes also tie into one of years past, that of Marisol’s mother.

The writing is quite good in this tale. The personalities tend to jump off the page, as if you actually know them. In this tale, you have a police procedural, a reporter’s doggedness no matter the consequences, a bit of attraction, cold cases, some sketchy background characters, a sister relationship that is hanging by a thread, an Abuela Bonita (Mari’s grandmother) who watches over her, crime clues that coincide with other cases, and so much more. Definitely a good read.

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Girls-Linda-Hurtado-Bond/dp/1649372140/ref=tmm_mmp_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1658064232&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-the-broken-girls-linda-hurtado-bond/1139985517?ean=9781649372147

 

Find Ms. Bond:

Website: https://www.lindabond.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlindabond

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/linda-bond

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8343348.Linda_Bond

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorlindabond

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlindahurtadobond/

 

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Immoral Origins by Lee Matthew Goldberg Book Review/Blog Tour

 

I received a gifted copy and am providing a review.

I don’t read blurbs. I like intriguing covers. I like titles of books that lead you to believe what a book is about. I mean … Immoral Origins, it doesn’t get much more intriguing than that. So, having not read the blurb, I opened the cover. Totally not what I was expecting. This book had me from the get-go and I finished it in a day.

Jake Burnam, a young man living in the late 1970s, in a poor neighborhood. His parents were doing the best they could for him and his brother, Emile (who had some major health issues), with his dad working two jobs and his mom working a part-time job. Jake, at heart, was a good guy and did what he could to help, but with the mounting medical bills it just wasn’t enough. He went to a party one evening with his friend, Maggs, and met a lady who called herself Marilyn. She then introduced him to her boss, Gable. This led Jake to become entwined with an organization called The Desire Card, a company based on making dreams come true. Whatever you could imagine and wished for, they would make happen. The money was good, too! Jake could finally help his family.

Maggs, Jake’s best friend for his entire life, also introduced him to his boss, Georgie. Georgie and The Desire Card were on opposing teams, so to speak, but Jake couldn’t let them know he was working for both of them. And … working for both of these organizations led Jake down a path he thought he would never go.

The writing is raw, the writing is honest, the writing is what you might find from the thinking of a young man living in these circumstances. I found this to be an intriguing read that held my attention and I really didn’t want to put it down. If you like books that take you back in time and involve a couple of opposing mafia-type organizations with a young man at odds with himself, this will certainly fit the bill. Book two is Prey No More.

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Immoral-Origins-Suspense-Thriller-Desire/dp/1685490859/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1658063726&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/immoral-origins-lee-matthew-goldberg/1141468208?ean=9781685490850

 

Find Mr. Goldberg:

Website: http://www.leematthewgoldberg.com/

Facebook (author page): https://www.facebook.com/LeeMatthewGoldberg

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lee-matthew-goldberg

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8001634.Lee_Matthew_Goldberg

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeeMatthewG

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leematthewgoldberg/

 

Interested in your own book tour?

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