Thursday, June 30, 2016

Friendly Fill-Ins - July 1st



A brand new meme hosted by Ann at McGuffy's Reader and Ellen at 15andmeowing. Each week they will post four fill-in statements. This looks like fun.

Here are my answers...

WEEK 8: July 1, 2016

1. I never thought I would miss my old job, but I do. After working there for 25 years, they unfortunately had to close their doors a couple of years ago. I think it's more like I miss the people. We keep in touch, but it's not the same.

2. Every 4th of July, I cringe for my kitties because they are scared of the fireworks.

3. If I knew how to open an animal shelter, I would take in all the animals with no place to go.


4. I have trouble with nasty people. Sometimes people can be downright mean to each other for no reason.

The Friday 56




This is a fun meme to do hosted by Freda's Voice. If you'd like to join on the fun go to The Friday 56.

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.


It's that simple.

Since I'm still reading this one, here's another quote...

First Look Celebration: Right Through Me by Shannon McKenna (Tour-Wide Giveaway)

First Look Celebration for Shannon McKenna’s Right Through Me

NYTimes and USA Today bestselling author Shannon McKenna launches The Obsidian Files with RIGHT THROUGH ME, a pulse-pounding tale of thrilling suspense and searing passion. A beautiful fugitive and a biotech tycoon with strange powers must face the lethal rage of a vicious enemy bent on their annihilation.



Giveaway


2 winners will receive a $10 Amazon Giftcard & 2 winners will receive an e-copy of choice from Shannon’s backlist!



a Rafflecopter giveaway


About RIGHT THROUGH ME:

Biotech tycoon Noah Gallagher has a deadly secret: his clandestine training as a super-soldier gives him abilities that go far beyond human. Yet he's very much a man. When Caro Bishop shows up at his Seattle headquarters with a dangerous secret agenda, his ordered life is thrown into chaos. Caro is a woman like no other—and her luminously sensual beauty cloaks a mystery he must solve.

Caro's lying low, evading a false charge of murder. She means to clear her name, and she'll do whatever it takes to survive—but seducing a man like Noah is more than she bargained for. His amber eyes have the strangest glow when he looks at her—she could swear he sees the secrets of her heart. The desire smoldering in Noah's eyes awakens her own secret hunger, but Caro has to resist his magnetic pull. Anyone close to her becomes a target. The only right thing to do is run, far and fast, but Caro can't outrun Noah's ferocious intensity—or deny the searing passion that explodes between them.


Nothing else matters—until a vicious enemy bent on the ultimate revenge puts his murderous plan into play. Noah and Caro must battle for their lives...and their love...


Find out more at Goodreads | Shannon’s Website  



Exclusive Excerpt

Welcome to the secret and dangerous world of The Obsidian Files!

I’ve always loved stories about people forced to widen the idea of what it means to be a human being, as well as stories about what it would be like to be superhuman. Now that the technology to augment, enhance, even design human beings is becoming an accepted reality, it fascinates me even more.

My hero, charismatic biotech tycoon Noah Gallagher, has a deadly secret—he’s more than human. As a teenager, he was swept up into the Obsidian program, a plan to create super-soldiers using gene splicing and nanotech. Noah led the other modified kids in a desperate rebellion. They barely escaped with their lives and went deep underground.

Now, years later, Noah’s crew now hides in plain sight, careful to mask their uncanny abilities. All except for breakaway element Mark Olund, a psychopath who uses his abilities to enrich himself. Mark is a threat Noah’s group, so when Mark’s mistress, Caro Bishop, suddenly shows up near Noah’s Seattle headquarters working as a bellydancer, Noah’s sister decides that they need a closer look at her. Preferably one using Noah’s enhanced eyes.

But no one could have imagined the effect that Caro would have on him . . .

Someone just cut the lights. What the hell?
Noah Gallagher put down his pen and looked around, startled, as drums began to throb from the Angel Enterprises penthouse conference room’s hidden sound system.
The door to the conference room opened to a shimmery jingling sound, then a flash of fluttering purple. Everyone at the table was staring and murmuring.
Oh, Christ. Not possible. He rose to his feet, but the bellydancer was already halfway through the door, hands weaving in a hypnotic pattern. Wide, light-catching green eyes laughed at him brazenly as she shimmied straight toward him, leading with one pulsing hip.
Her eyes caught him . . . and held him.
The world narrowed down. Whatever he was going to say or do just stopped. Words were gone. Air was gone. Air didn’t matter. Nothing moved while she moved.
She had commandeered all movement with that smile. Those eyes.
He was sitting again, with no memory of doing so. His mind had gone blank.

Noah and his crew have been genetically altered and nanotech modified, with implants and neural programming, all for the purpose of creating fearless and ferocious supersoldiers. Noah fought hard to stay on top of himself and his incredible abilities, but something about Caro moves him so deeply, it compromises his hard-won self-control.

A spotlight from somewhere gilded the dancer’s body. He was enthralled by silver anklets that jingled over her small, bare feet. Gilded toenails. Shapely legs flashed between purple veils that floated from a low slung, glittering belt. The belt and top were heavy with swags of shining chains and dangling beadwork.
High, full breasts quivered, lovingly presented in the spangle-studded velvet bra. She arched back, swishing her thick fall of of glossy black hair around. Had to be fake hair, falling to well below her ass. It brushed the curve of her hips. Fanned out as she twirled.
He wanted to rip away all the scraps of filmy cloth and bling. See her bare-assed. Bare-breasted.
The deep curve of her waist was perfectly shaped for his fingers to grip. The curves and hollows of her belly and her hips looked so soft. Touchable.
His hands shook with the urge to reach, stroke. Seize.
The rush of erotic images ramped up his advanced visual processor into screaming overdrive. Even using custom designed shield specs, his AVP combat program was off and running, scrolling a thick column of data analysis past his inner eye.
The light level in this room could zap him right into a stress flashback if he didn’t protect his eyes. Plus, the dark shield strength contact lenses hid the animal flash of amber luminosity caused by his visual implants. Outsiders couldn’t be allowed to see that.
He wanted to throw everyone else out and lock the door. He wanted to gulp in the whole data flow. It was being filtered out in real time and lost forever, and it drove him . . . fucking . . . nuts.

One of Noah’s abilities is that he can see a person’s “energy signature.” His visual implants and augmented visual processing allow him to see colors and shades and subtleties that no one else can. He also has learned to interpret them. So by reading a person’s energy signature, he can sometimes also read their minds.

The dancer’s arms lifted, swayed. Her skin looked fine-grained, dewy and smooth. He inhaled her scent as she spun closer. Fresh, sweet, hot. Sun on the flowers. Rain on the grass.
Since what happened at Midlands, his senses were sharper than normal by orders of magnitude. He was reading her energy signature, right through the shield lenses. A cloud of brilliant moving colors surrounded her.
He felt hot, red. No control over his face. He was stuck here, nailed to the floor while everyone watched him watch her until the uncontrollable sensations subsided. Along with his colossal hard-on.
He had not felt this helpless since Midlands.
Her luminous green eyes met his and then flicked away, but the electric buzz of that split instant of intimacy jolted him to depths he’d never felt before.
He knew he’d never seen this woman before, and yet he recognized her.

Noah feels torn apart by feelings he has never experienced and has no tools to deal with. But in spite of the danger, in spite of his doubts, he has never wanted anything as badly as he wants to get closer to Caro—no matter the cost . . .

I hope you enjoy the mysterious and exciting new world of the Obsidian Files as much as I loved creating it! There is still so much yet to discover, so happy reading!

About Shannon McKenna


Shannon McKenna is the NYT and USA Today bestselling author of fifteen action packed, turbocharged romantic thrillers, among which are the stories of the wildly popular McCloud series. She’s also the author of the upcoming OBSIDIAN series, the first of which, RIGHT THROUGH ME, comes out in July of 2016. She loves tough and heroic alpha males, heroines with the brains and guts to match them, villains who challenge them to their utmost, adventure, scorching sensuality, and most of all, the redemptive power of true love.

Since she was small she has loved abandoning herself to the magic of a good book, and her fond childhood fantasy was that writing would be just like that, but with the added benefit of being able to take credit for the story at the end. The alchemy of writing turned out to be messier than she'd ever dreamed, but what the hell, she loves it anyway, and hopes that readers enjoy the results of her alchemical experiments. She loves to hear from her readers.

Connect with Shannon: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday - June 29th


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This sounds like a great book.

Monday, June 27, 2016

Showcase: Dead is Dead by John Lansing

Dead is Dead

by John Lansing

on Tour May 16 - June 30, 2016

Dead Is Dead by John Lansing
From the “pulse pounding” (Kirkus Reviews) writer of TV hit Walker, Texas Ranger comes a riveting Hollywood thriller that will keep you captivated until the shocking conclusion.

Retired Inspector Jack Bertolino gets his first taste of the erratic nature of Hollywood when A-list producer, George Litton, options one of Jack’s recent cases for a film.

Jack is engaged as the film’s technical advisor, which stars It Girl Susan Blake. But more importantly, he’s on hand to keep a protective eye on Susan, who’s being harassed by a disturbing cyber-stalker.

But that’s not all that starts to turn Jack’s world upside-down. When a six-year-old girl is shot dead in the living room of her family home, just blocks from where the movie is being filmed, Jack realizes there are threads connecting the movie, the murder, a brutal gang of brothers, and a terrifying body count.

Will Jack be able to find justice for the young girl and keep Susan safe? Or will this be his last and fatal trip to Hollywood?

Book Details:

Genre: Crime, Thriller
Published by: Simon & Schuster / Karen Hunter Publishing
Publication Date: May 30th 2016
Number of Pages: 345
ISBN: 1501147560 (ISBN13: 9781501147562)
Series: The Jack Bertolino Series Book 3
Purchase Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble Goodreads


Read an excerpt:

1
One

Day One

Toby Dirk snugged the smooth wooden stock of his Ruger .22 semiautomatic rifle tight against his shoulder. He sighted in on the small Mediterranean stucco house directly across the street. It was one of many vacation bungalows built in the 1950s on narrow lots. Faded pink paint, overgrown shrubs, and tufts of green grass littering the burnt lawn shouted neglect, or poverty, or renters.

In this case it was poverty. The house was clean, but the home’s decline had outpaced the Sanchezes’ bank account. Toby had known the family for years—solid people, Hispanic, struggling to put food on the table. He had no issues with their youngest boy, Juan, dealing dope.

Juan wasn’t his target.

Venice Beach these days was an eclectic mix of million-dollar designer digs and old-school bungalows from a time when rents were low and the neighborhoods were inhabited by immigrants,
blue-collar workers, street gangs, and artists. Gentrification was crowding out many of the longtime residents, but the gangs were ingrained. Their members would have to be jailed or hauled out
in pine boxes to make way for the upscale clientele looking for a “teardown.”

Toby listened for signs of life in the house he was using as cover, but the precaution was just reflexive. He knew Mrs. Montenegro wouldn’t return home from her deli until after dark.
Through her rangy bamboo hedge he had a clear shot of Juan’s driveway and front door.

Now all he needed was a target.

Tomas Vegas would be dropping off a bag of dope to his newest dealer in less than five minutes. Vegas ran his drug business with precision, just like his iron fist. You could set a clock by his
daily rounds.

Unfortunately for Vegas, he’d set up Toby’s girlfriend, Eva Perez, for a nine-month stretch on trumped-up drug and weapons charges. She’d been out on parole for three months now, but she
was changed. Damaged. Not the same free spirit. It broke Toby’s heart, and it fueled his rage.

Two men in love with the same woman. She had chosen Toby. Gotten his name tattooed on her shoulder in neat calligraphy. Had been pregnant with his child. Toby was head over heels, crazy in love.

Jealousy’s a bitch, he thought, and Vegas was about to pay the ultimate price. Three shots max, to make sure Vegas wouldn’t get up again. If all went according to plan, Toby would soon be
paddling out into the Pacific, catching the late-afternoon swells at Sunset Beach.

Toby, twenty-three, had thick, unruly strands of shoulderlength sandy hair held off his face with a black watch cap. A faint shadow of freckles dusted his high cheekbones, set in a chiseled, angular face. His lean body was sinewy with the long ropy muscles of a surfer. His blue eyes were steady and intelligent. He had tested in the top two percentile in the standardized IQ tests at Venice High, and he had been offered a scholastic scholarship to UC Berkeley. He turned it down. All he was interested in was smoking righteous bud and being an outlaw.

He and his two brothers were doing just fine in that regard. If you played by the rules, you were a sucker. It had killed his father, and he wasn’t going down that dusty trail. He didn’t buy into the
old saw that life was a bitch and then you die. Toby was sure of one thing and it guided his life choices.

Dead is dead. There was nothing else. No great beyond. No nothing. You created your own heaven and hell in the only lifetime you’d ever know, so grab life with two fists while you were young enough to enjoy it, fuck it, eat it, drink it, or smoke it.  Juan Sanchez peered out of his bedroom door and then silently closed and locked it. He could hear his mother working at the kitchen stove, banging her long wooden spoon against the aluminum pot, filled with enough black beans, garlic, onions, and rice to feed the family for three days.

Juan stooped down beside the only piece of furniture in his room besides his bed, a scarred wooden four-drawer dresser. He pulled out the tall bottom drawer and set it aside on his threadbare rug. On his hands and knees he strained reaching in, and pulled out a tightly banded roll of greenbacks he had taped to the back panel of the dresser. He slid the money into his pocket, then pushed the drawer back onto its chipped plastic runners until it closed.

Juan glanced nervously toward the door, averting his gaze from the wooden crucifix nailed to the wall over his neatly made bed. He stood sentry at his window, waiting for the pounding of
his heart to settle and his dealer to arrive.

The sound of Tomas Vegas’s baffled mufflers preceded his arrival in front of the house.

Juan hurried quietly down the hallway, unnoticed by his mother in the kitchen, and into the living room, where his sixyear-old sister, Maria, was struggling to pull a sweater over her Barbie’s head. The bright-eyed girl looked up at her brother with such love and admiration, it washed over Juan like a bucket of guilt. He grabbed the doll from his baby sister, yanked the sweater’s hole over the mop of long blonde hair, and handed it back to Maria. “Gracias, Juan,” she said with an angelic smile.  Juan returned a tight grin, nervously tapped the roll of bills in his
pocket, and steeled his nerve.

“C’mon, be a man,” he mumbled as he headed out the door.

Toby adjusted the rifle’s sight, mindful of the half-inch play in the gun’s trajectory. He had chosen his .22 because it was quiet and, from this distance, deadly as a viper. The bullets would rattle
around in his target’s chest, kill him dead, but he wouldn’t have to worry about collateral damage.

Toby started a silent mantra . . . and slowed his breathing.

As he visualized a tight cluster tearing into Tomas Vegas, an antique electric-blue Ford Fairlane glided to a stop across the street.

Young Juan Sanchez ran out of the house and reached the curb before the screen door slammed behind him.  Vegas slid out of his car with a studied cool and sauntered up to his newest recruit. With icy cool he checked out the houses behind Juan, up and then down Fourth Street toward Rose. He was preening like a fucking peacock, Toby thought.

The young men fist-bumped, exchanged a few words, and Vegas popped the trunk and pulled out a fat brown grocery bag. Juan nervously dug in his pocket for the roll of cash, and as Vegas thrust the high-grade weed toward his newest dealer, Toby let out an even breath. Now. Yet just as he squeezed off a round, a car sped by, blocking the play.

He jerked the gun at the last second. The high-velocity .22 LR load flew wide, shattering a front window. Toby instantly readjusted, fired, and then again. Vegas’s face registered surprise as he dropped the bag, ripped open his shirt, stared down at two tight holes in his chest.

Screaming, Juan dove behind the safety of the Ford.

Loose buds of marijuana spilled onto the street.

Tomas Vegas fell to his knees and keeled forward face-first, stone-dead, in the gutter.

Toby Dirk madly grabbed for the spent shells, palming two from the thick grass. Where was the third one? A primal wail drifted from the target house and chilled him for a beat. Why the hell would anyone shed tears for Tomas Vegas? he wondered as he army-crawled toward the back of the Montenegro house. He had to get out of there before the shit hit the fan. When he was hidden
from view, he jumped to his feet and leapt the chain-link fence.

Toby dropped the butt of the rifle into a Whole Foods bag he had stationed in the rear for that purpose. He held the warm barrel discreetly under his arm, close to his body, looking like he’d
just gone shopping. He walked swiftly up the hill, being careful not to run, but flying with adrenaline. He tossed the bagged rifle into the rear compartment of his matte-black ragtop Jeep, covered it with a spare wetsuit, jumped in and fired up the engine. The sound of a distant siren could be heard, along with the plaintive screams of a woman. Still puzzled by this reaction—who would cry for a drug dealer?—Toby Dirk sucked in a lungful of air, clicked on Bob Marley, cranked up the volume, and powered away from the scene of his crime.

Two

Jack Bertolino stood behind a large hedge, trying for inconspicuous, and watched a team of heavily armed LAPD narcotics detectives pound toward the front door of a modest California ranch
protected with security bars on all the exposed windows.

Jack tensed, despite himself. An ex-NYPD inspector, standing down, not invited to the party. In his twenty-five-year career as a narcotics detective Jack had personally served hundreds of
warrants on drug and money-laundering cells. And now he was
a casual observer.

The first detective carried an electronic battering ram that he wedged in the front door jamb and splintered the door frame. The second officer ran past him, smashed in the door, and edged inside the house with his bulletproof shield leading the way, shouting “Police! Down on the ground!”

The operation was textbook perfect, until it went dangerously wrong.

The third detective, a young male, got to the front door, weapon raised, and froze in his tracks like a deer in the headlights. A female detective right on his heels, concerned for her ex-posed men, shoved him to one side and entered the house, cocked and loaded, shouting for the occupants to get down on the ground! Now! Now!

The young officer shook off his fear, and as he was about to enter the fray, two LAPD black-and-whites came screaming up the street, sirens wailing, horns blaring, light bars flashing.

The cars blew past their location—and a man on a loudspeaker yelled, “CUT!”

“What the fuck, Kenny?” the female actress said to the first AD, who followed her out of the house. Susan Blake glanced at Jack with raised eyebrows and he gave an imperceptible nod of approval, careful not to overstep his bounds with the director.

Susan stripped off her vest, shook her shoulder-length chestnut-brown hair with an angry toss of her head, and strode across the crabgrass toward the director.

Jack stepped out from behind the hedge and started walking toward the camera crew, who were set up across the street. They were shooting a master for Done Deal, a new movie starring the
next big female star.

Susan Blake had flawless skin, gray-blue eyes, zero body fat, the musculature of a gymnast and moved with the fluid grace of a dancer. Not yet a household name, she was enjoying strong buzz
in the industry, and with two films in the can, she had the full weight of the studio behind her.

Jack kept his eyes on the star as he approached one of the off-duty motorcycle cops hired for security and crowd control while the crew was filming on a public street. The man clicked his
phone off as Jack approached.

“A shooting couple of blocks over,” he said to Jack. “They think it’s gang-related, drive-by, possible drug deal gone bad, whatever.

Killed a banger and a six-year-old girl. Fuckin’ Venice. Hell, we’ll probably get a meal penalty this way. Make some overtime.”

Jack didn’t like the cop’s attitude but didn’t push it. He understood cops could get inured to violence if they were in long enough. He said “thanks” to the veteran and walked toward the female star, who was huddled with the director, Henry Lee.

Jack didn’t hire out as a glorified bodyguard/technical advisor as a habit. In fact, he still wasn’t comfortable with the title of private investigator. Jack Bertolino & Associates, Private Investigation looked fine on a business card, but didn’t come trippingly off his tongue.

If not for his bum back, caused by an accidental fall doing cleanup at Ground Zero, he’d still be on the force. Simple as that.

As it was, the accident left him eating Vicodin-Excedrin cocktails to stay off an operating table. Jack’s doctor promised him that the third operation would be the charm, but after two failed
attempts and months of painful rehab, Jack Bertolino was a nonbeliever.

George Litton, the head of Epoch Studios, had just paid Jack an embarrassingly large sum of money to sign off on the film rights to the kidnapping and sex trafficking case Jack had broken
wide open a few months earlier.

Jack loved to negotiate with Hollywood types. On the force, if he had said no to the dollar amount of a pay raise, they’d say fine and pass him over. Every time he said no to the studio’s offer, they
upped the ante.

Finally, Tommy Aronsohn, Jack’s good friend and lawyer, advised him to accept before they rescinded what he coined “the deal of a lifetime.” Jack didn’t argue the point. Litton phoned Jack at home before the ink was dry and explained his dilemma. The studio wanted Susan Blake to play the lead in the movie.

Susan Blake, the new “It Girl,” grew up in NYC with a brother and a “stage father.” A child actress who became an overnight success after fifteen years of small parts, commercials, and knocking on doors. Her father, a frustrated actor himself, pushed his kids into the business and managed their careers.

A renowned New York theatrical agent discovered Susan in a Broadway production of Rent and signed her on the spot. The man used his formidable power to open doors for her in New York City and Los Angeles, and Susan delivered. After winning critical accolades playing Juliet at Shakespeare in the Park, and then Kate in Taming of the Shrew at the Longacre, she started to
land small roles in important films. The powers that be decided she was ready for prime time and threw the full weight of the agency behind her, grooming her for stardom.

Her meteoric success in show business also brought out the crazies. An Internet stalker had been harassing Susan Blake. Since the studio already knew Jack, they suggested he sign on as her
bodyguard, and technical advisor, while she was in Los Angeles. Jack approached Susan and Henry Lee, a diminutive man who wore a perpetual self-satisfied look on his face.

“How did we do?” Henry asked Jack, confident in the answer.

“She was all in. I wouldn’t want to be the cop that screwed the pooch on her watch.”

“I agree.”

Susan took the compliment in stride. Jack hammered home the notion that even with all the prep in the world, every time you went through the door, you didn’t know what was on the other side, you didn’t know if you’d get shot in the face. That’s one hell of a motivator.

“Glad you’re on the team, Jack. Great work, Susan. Take twenty, we’ll reset and go in for your close-up.”

“Thanks, Henry.” Susan raised her eyebrows and nodded for Jack to follow her. Their not-so-subtle movement together tracked by the crew.

“Something about a man wearing a gun,” Susan said to Jack.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think that was a come-on line,” Jack deadpanned.

“You wear the gun, I’ll bring the cuffs. Now, that’s a come-on line.”

She got no argument from Jack.

“You told me you cooked Italian,” Susan challenged, enjoying herself. “Are you ready to put your money where your mouth is?” Jack was about to fire off a clever response when Susan stepped back awkwardly. Her smile faltered and the color drained from her face.

“What’s wrong?”

“He’s here,” she said, deadly serious.

“Who’s here, Susan?”

Susan paused before speaking, the silence filled by a passing car accelerating. “The man who’s been stalking me.” Jack spun in place, spotted the black SUV already reaching the end of the block, about to turn. Jack pounded the pavement after it, but by the time he reached the corner, the side street was
empty. Jack’s breath was ragged, his back was tight, and he was pissed off as he walked back to Susan. This was the first time the stalker had made an appearance on his watch.

The off-duty motorcycle cop had pulled up beside the star to check things out, and Jack addressed him, “Keep your eyes open for a black Ford Explorer. Couple of years old. The driver could
be trouble. Too far away to ID the plate.”

“I’ll check out the neighborhood.” The motorcycle cop powered down the street and made the right-hand turn.

Jack turned to Susan. “Was it him?”

“I’m fine, Jack,” she said, evading the question. “I’m sorry, I’m probably wrong, it could’ve been anyone.” She was acting strangely, no longer scared. “No, Jack, I’m not sure it was him.”

“I want you to sit down with a sketch artist.”

“Really, Jack. There’s no need to overreact.”

“Overreact?” Jack said tightly. “I was hired to protect you, but I need some help here.”

“Okay, Jack,” Susan said, lowering her voice but unable to hide a flash of anger. “Please, I’ve got a scene to shoot. We’ll talk later,” and she strode away.

What was that all about? Jack watched Henry raise his hands in a question that went unanswered. Susan Blake stormed past her director, banged up the metal steps of her mobile home, and slammed the door behind her.




Author Bio:

John Lansing, started his career as an actor in New York City. He spent a year at the Royale Theatre performing the lead in the Broadway production of "Grease," before putting together a rock ‘n’ roll band and playing the iconic club CBGB.

John closed up his Tribeca loft and headed for the West coast where he landed a co-starring role in George Lucas' "More American Graffiti," and guest-starred on numerous television shows.

During his fifteen-year writing career, Lansing wrote and produced "Walker Texas Ranger," co-wrote two CBS Movies of the Week, and co-executive produced the ABC series "Scoundrels."

John's first book was "Good Cop Bad Money," a true crime tome he co-wrote with former NYPD Inspector Glen Morisano.

"The Devil's Necktie," his first Jack Bertolino novel, became a best seller on Barnes & Noble and hit #1 in Amazon’s Kindle store in the Crime Fiction genre. Jack Bertolino returns in John’s latest novel, “Dead Is Dead,” the third book in his detective series.

A native of Long Island, John now resides in Los Angeles.

Catch Up with John:
author's website author's twitter author's facebook



Tour Participants:






Giveaway:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours for John Lansing. The giveaway begins on May 15th and runs through June 30th, 2016.
There will be TWO (2) winners for this tour. One winner will receive one $15 gift card from Amazon.com (US Only) the other winner will receive Dead is Dead by John Lansing - US Residents may choose either an eBook copy or a Physical version however Winners outside the US will only be eligible for an eBook version.
a Rafflecopter giveaway




Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours


 

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Sunday/Monday Posts: June 26th and 27th





The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

If you'd like to participate with The Sunday Salon, it is now a Facebook group.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is a meme with a new host!  It's now being hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. This is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I'm also linking to  Stacking The Shelves which is hosted by Team Tynga's Reviews.

Friday, June 24, 2016

The Friday 56




This is a fun meme to do hosted by Freda's Voice. If you'd like to join on the fun go to The Friday 56.

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.


It's that simple.

This week I'm reading...

Friendly Fill-Ins - June 24th



A brand new meme hosted by Ann at McGuffy's Reader and Ellen at 15andmeowing. Each week they will post four fill-in statements. This looks like fun.

Here are my answers...

WEEK 7: June 24, 2016


1. My feelings get hurt easily these days. I have no idea why.

2. I am excited about going on vacation in September. I always love going on vacation with my husband.

3. My kitty cat's meals come first, then I have mine. Like I have a choice? They'd claw me to death if I didn't feed them first. LOL

4. One time, I let my cat wake me up to eat at 5 am; that's why she now does it everyday.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Review: Caught Read-Handed by Terrie Farley Moran


Genre:
Cozy Mystery

Format:
Paperback

Publisher:
Berkley Prime Crime Mystery

Release Date:
July 2015

Waiting on Wednesday - June 22nd


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This sounds really good. I used to love the Waltons TV show and this author was one of the kids on it. I'm looking forward to reading this and, of course, I still have to read her first book which I have.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Review: The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand


Genre:
Women’s Fiction

Format:
Audio

Publisher:
Macmillon Audio

Release Date:
September 2012

Book Giveaway Winner



The winner of If You Left by Ashley Prentice Norton is....

Sue F.


Congrats to Sue!

Thanks to all who participated.

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Sunday/Monday Posts: June 19th and 20th





The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

If you'd like to participate with The Sunday Salon, it is now a Facebook group.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is a meme with a new host!  It's now being hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. This is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I'm also linking to  Stacking The Shelves which is hosted by Team Tynga's Reviews.

Friday, June 17, 2016

Spotlight/Q&A: The Sisters by Claire Douglas


About the Book

Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: May 31, 2016

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Friendly Fill-Ins - June 17th



A brand new meme hosted by Ann at McGuffy's Reader and Ellen at 15andmeowing. Each week they will post four fill-in statements. This looks like fun.

Here are my answers...

WEEK 6: June 17, 2016


1. The best brand of coffee is Dunkin Donuts.

2. I refuse to buy 2 liter soda unless there is a sale or a coupon. Anything over $1 is too much to me.

3. I am inspired by all the great bloggers out there who are doing a fabulous job with their blogs. As I travel the blogosphere I see all these beautiful, creative blogs. Such hard working and creative people out there.

4. Whenever my alarm clock goes off on a work morning, I groan and push the snooze button. .

The Friday 56




This is a fun meme to do hosted by Freda's Voice. If you'd like to join on the fun go to The Friday 56.

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.


It's that simple.

This week I'm reading...

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday - June 15th



"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by one of my favorite authors - Lynn Cahoon. I'm currently enjoying her latest book in her A Tourist Trap series. I'm sure this new series will be just as good. It sounds like it will be anyway.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Spotlight/Print Book Giveaway: If You Left by Ashley Prentice Norton




About the Book

Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Mariner Books / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Release Date: June 14, 2016

Monday, June 13, 2016

Spotlight: Mr Jones & Me by Lindsay Marie Miller



About the Book

Genre: New Adult Romantic Thriller, #2 in Jones Series
Publisher: Lindsay Marie Miller
Release Date: June 20, 2016

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Sunday/Monday Posts: June 12th and 13th





The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

If you'd like to participate with The Sunday Salon, it is now a Facebook group.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is a meme with a new host!  It's now being hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. This is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I'm also linking to  Stacking The Shelves which is hosted by Team Tynga's Reviews.

Friday, June 10, 2016

Friendly Fill-Ins - June 10th



A brand new meme hosted by Ann at McGuffy's Reader and Ellen at 15andmeowing. Each week they will post four fill-in statements. This looks like fun.

Here are my answers...

WEEK 5: June 10, 2016

1. I used to love to eat donuts, cake and cookies, but now it repulses me. Well, it doesn't really repulse me but I'm on Weight Watchers so I don't eat that stuff anymore.

2. I would never eat broccoli, but now I love it. Another result of Weight Watchers. I now love broccoli.

3. I always cry during sad movies.

4. Watching The Big Bang Theory always makes me laugh.

Thursday, June 9, 2016

The Friday 56




This is a fun meme to do hosted by Freda's Voice. If you'd like to join on the fun go to The Friday 56.

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.


It's that simple.

This week I'm reading...

Blog Tour: Mrs. Odboddy Hometown Patriot by Elaine Faber (Review/Tour-Wide Giveaway)



About the Book

Genre: Mystery, #1 Mrs. Odboddy Mysteries
Publisher: Elk Grove Publications (January 21, 2016)
Paperback: 258 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1940781136
E-Book ASIN: B01AYKYXJ4

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday - June 8th



"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This is one of the first cozy mystery series I fell in love with. I'm very behind on the series, but I do plan to catch up. Believe it or not, this is the 19th book in the series! You know I can't resist a book with a cat on the cover :)

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Sunday/Monday Posts: June 5th and 6th





The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

If you'd like to participate with The Sunday Salon, it is now a Facebook group.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is a meme with a new host!  It's now being hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. This is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I'm also linking to  Stacking The Shelves which is hosted by Team Tynga's Reviews.