Playing Catch~book review

NEW RELEASE...

On the field and off the field, bartender Jeanine Jewell plays, collecting one-night stands like baseball cards. She doesn’t need a man, except to curl her toes and make her scream. She’s learned the hard way that the one who cares more is the one who gets hurt—and the last thing she can handle is getting hurt, or having anyone discover her shameful secret.

Scoring women is easy for catcher Kirk Kennedy—they don’t call him “Catch and Release” for nothing. He never goes back for a repeat performance. Being traded to a new city is an opportunity for new adventures—until he runs into Jeanine and she refuses to go home with him.

Intrigued, Kirk is determined to catch the elusive blonde and keep her to himself. When he proposes a wingman to wingwoman friends without benefits relationship, he’s surprised she accepts.

The no benefits clause soon falls by the wayside when neither Jeanine or Kirk can resist their explosive chemistry together. But despite the sparks between the sheets, they both refuse to acknowledge they’re anything more than friends.

Everything changes when Kirk discovers his past is the one Jeanine is hiding from.

Trigger Warning: The heroine was sexually abused by her foster father and has flashbacks.

Available to buy from...

Amazon.com     Amazon.co.uk 

"A truly extraordinary story that fearlessly demonstrates the transforming power and the breathless wonder that love can bring to a life in need.” - Amber on Goodreads

"I couldn't put down this serious story about love overcoming all." - Chantel on Goodreads

About the author

Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling Asian American author of dramatic romantic suspense and humorous, sexy contemporary romances. Her heroines are feisty and her heroes hot. She writes emotionally challenging stories but believes in the power of love and hope. 

Rachelle is the founder of an online writing group, Romance in a Month, an active member of the California Writer’s Club, Fremont Chapter, and a volunteer for the World Literary Cafe. She is a very happy woman and lives in California with her husband. She has won awards in multicultural and historical romance.

Sign up for her NEWSLETTER to get a FREE surprise book and her latest book news HERE!

Visit her Reader's Guide HERE

Find the author on the following sites...

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Google+   Goodreads   Amazon Author Page

Follow the tour

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY

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This was a difficult topic to write about and the author did so with compassion, intrigue and gentleness so that the reader could feel the pain, and compassion for her heroine.  This hot topic is not for the light hearted, but if the reader can get past the difficult and sensitive subject, it is a love story to be enjoyed.  This is the first book I've read by Rachelle Ayala, and look forward to reading more!  A great read and would recommend to anyone!

The Girl in the Red Pajamas

The Girl in Red Pajamas begins when two lesbians have a smack down in a Boston restaurant. After one is found dead stuffed in the back of the other’s SUV, their families line up and point fingers. Tensions mount as relatives question religious beliefs, and the police gather evidence to build a case against the survivor. Bogie McGruder becomes deeply involved in the investigation because one woman is his sister and the other, his old girlfriend.

This third book in the Pajamas Trilogy brings the series to a glorious end.

Book available from...
Amazon.co.uk     Amazon.com     Barnes and Noble

"The Girl in Red Pajamas is exciting, suspenseful, and just an excellent mystery." - Reviewed by Tracy A. Fischer for Readers' Favorite

"Chris Birdy has done it again! She has intertwined a superb murder mystery with a down to earth journey into the lives of a very loving extended family." - review from Amazon

"It was mesmerizing, fantastically written, and one of the best books I've read this year. I highly recommend it!."  -  review from Amazon

Also available
The Girl in White Pajamas
When Officer Bud the PR face of the Boston Police Department is gunned down, his brother, Bogie McGruder, returns from Palm Beach for the funeral. Since the BPD is investigating the death of one of their own, Bogie believes his trip to Boston will be a short condolence visit and a chance to meet his secret love child.

But interacting with a family fueled by alcohol and mired in scandals, Bogie is reminded why he does investigations for his Boston based company from a computer in Florida. Although Bogie wants to contact his ex-lover, Bailey Hampfield, he’s reluctant to do so since Bailey dumped him four years earlier. Knowing that Bailey had his child after she cut him loose, Bogie ponders how he can establish a relationship with the three year old daughter he’s never met. While he thinks about it, Bailey gets in touch with him and asks for protection. Someone is trying to kill her.

By the time Bogie meets Isabella, it’s apparent that he still loves the mother and adores the child. Bogie tells himself that he’s not interested in the BPD investigation into Bud’s death, but he continues to be drawn into it while trying to discover who is attempting to kill Bailey. The investigations seem to parallel each other, then intersect and become intertwined. As the story develops, Isabella, a precocious child obsessed with martial arts, slowly becomes the focus.

The underlying theme of this mystery is lies. Everyone seems to be running on lies and half truths. The only pure and true character is The Girl in White Pajamas.

Book available from...

Amazon.co.uk     Amazon.com     Barnes and Noble

The Girl in Black Pajamas

R&B Investigations is under attack. Their employee is shot in the back as he enters the building, and a hacker is trying to compromise their secure network. While the Boston police investigate the shooting, Bogie McGruder needs to find the culprit who is trying to put them out of business.

Bogie and his partner Rose Jones can’t disclose their internet problems to the cops since Bogie is a hacker himself.

Bogie McGruder returns to Boston with his four- year-old daughter Isabella. He joins up with Rose Jones’ uncle Walter who is fresh for Lompoc Prison. Bogie and Walter strengthen their firewalls while they try to determine who is behind the invasion. As the R&B team hones in on the culprit, they uncover several murders and discover a plot to wipe out the financial institutions in Boston.

While Bogie is in Boston, his extended family in Palm Beach becomes enmeshed in a sex scandal that threatens to ruin lives and careers in the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office.

Feeling like a wishbone about to snap, Bogie tries to handle problems in both cities while Isabella continues her quest for someone to teach her the Five-Point-Palm-Exploding-Heart technique as seen in Kill Bill Volume 2.

This tale of murder, revenge and greed takes the reader on a whirlwind trip from Boston to Palm Beach and back. Buckle your seatbelt!

Book available from...
Amazon.co.uk     Amazon.com     Barnes and Noble

About the Author

The Girl in Red Pajamas, the final book in the award-winning mystery trilogy has just been released. This book deals with the question: HOW MANY LIVES CAN THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS DESTROY?

Background: For almost twenty-five years, I did investigative work for small law firms conducting business in rough housing projects and crack house neighborhoods. I met with clients in every jail in the area even the now defunct Charles Street Jail and Deer Island House of Corrections. On good days, I got to take the .25 caliber handgun out of my pocket and the 9mm out of my purse and go to court. Then the real show began!

Several years ago, while sitting in a courtroom with a client, I watched as a police officer was lambasted by an attorney. The attorney was defending a young woman who crashed her car into two other vehicles before she passed out drunk behind the wheel. The occupants of the other cars were seriously hurt and the cop, a former EMT, tried to assist the injured while waiting for ambulances to arrive. The attorney questioned the cop's every move, shredded his testimony and made him seem inept.

Embarrassed, the cop returned to his seat beside me and muttered, "Everybody lies. The judges lie, the lawyers lie, the witnesses lie.." I wanted to tell him not to worry that in about five years he'd be just as good a liar as they were.

The seeds for The Girl in Black Pajamas (the first book in the series) were planted in that courtroom.

Find the author on the following sites...

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Goodreads   Amazon Author Page

Follow the book tour

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY

SIGNED BOOK Giveaway - 5 Winners!!

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This was a fun book to read, but if I had a child like Isabella, I would need multiple handlers. I don't think I could do it. This book was a little confusing to me at times, but Chris Birdy makes all the characters multifaceted and interesting. The killer is revealed to us right away, but will Bogie find out who it is? Chris Birdy keeps the reader interested even though things are evident to us, she keeps us intrigued with the story line. Great writing once again, this writer doesn't fail to keep me turning the pages. I really enjoyed, and look forward to more books from this author.

Christmas Bah Humbug????!!!

Well as far as I know, my family is a bunch of bah HUMBUGS!!! We don't have our Christmas tree or lights up yet. I have a few decorations up but not many....not many! I do have quite a bit of shopping to do, and I probably will do some this week and next.

 My family Christmas party is next Saturday, and I am still not ready for that. I don't suppose we will be staying long since Chuck is having gallbladder issues. He has his appointment the 15th, so I don't know when his surgery will be. I hope it won't interfere too much with the holidays.

 Eating is a challenge for me as the whole right of my mouth aches. It is temperature sensitive, and it really really hurts. Sometimes it doesn't pay to eat. My oldest daughter Abby, will have a heart monitor on for one month. She has been getting dizzy alot so hopefully this will give us some much needed data. She isn't thrilled but we need to rule some things out. I will write more about Abby in my other blog for all you heart moms.




 I am grateful for all the new people I have met on facebook, especially the heart moms, and also those on Twitter.


 Anyone who knows me, knows I love homemade dishes for my family and I am a recipe nut, so pass on those recipes! I also have a new work out buddy, and that would be my youngest daughter Becky. We work out at Planet Fitness together when I am not absolutely exhausted. I am going to try and go more often. Sometimes this is hard with work and trying to keep things organized and clean. That is what I should be doing more of. cleaning. That is hard when I work 6 days a week. I do love my job, but it is very demanding. I wish I was more crafty, maybe some day. So to relax I do a few things, one of which is book reviews. Currently I am reading one of James Pattersons' books and a book by Chris Birdy called The girl in Red Pajamas. Stay tuned for the review. I also love to clip coupons from time to time. I don't get to do that often either. I walk my dog for relaxation, and today is quite rainy, but we will go for a walk.

 We still have leaves all over the place. I am hoping it is good for our grass! So I am hearing!


 Last night we had a great game night with friends. Some day I will have game night here. It will be a long long long while, but I will have one. At least I am hoping to have one. Just as my husband is hoping to have his lazy boys in the basement. Name not intended to be any kind of pun of course! Well, I best get back to work getting this house straightened up for the holidays. May your Christmas and New Year be all that you dreamed! Keep dreaming, and Merry Christmas!





 Until next time




 Carole

Swindled in Paradise

Sexy sleuths Madison and Fab race to uncover the truth behind a horrific crime… before a loved one pays the ultimate price.

Beautiful Tarpon Cove has everything you’d expect from a paradise retreat: Blue waters, white sand and … murder?

With deadly secrets and dark dealings brewing beneath the surface of Tarpon Cove, Madison and Fab are caught in a race against time to uncover the truth behind the grisly murder, which may only be the tip of the iceberg….

The eighth book in Deborah Brown’s Paradise series, Swindled in Paradise will take you on a high-speed thrill ride through non-stop action, steamy romance, and dark intrigue, and leave you begging for more.

The Paradise series, are Florida Keys mysteries, “great as stand-alone reads, but they're like chips...you won't be able to devour just one!”

Available to buy from.....

Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble

"Swindled in Paradise will take you on a high-speed ride through non-stop action adventure, romance, & suspense, & leave you begging for more." 

"LOVE this book series! Each new Paradise escapade surrounds you, and the characters... they unwittingly become your extended family."

"I absolutely love Madison & Fab! Their friendship and their adventures. These two can't stay away from trouble and I love it!"

Above reviews from Goodreads/Amazon

About the Author

I've been writing, in one way or another for as long as I can remember; writing poetry, short stories, a romance novel secretly stashed under the bed and sappy love letters. Fiction should be fun. I wanted to create the perfect beach book, to make the reader laugh, cry and cheer... and then run out and tell their friends about it.

My love of reading began when I was seven, the day I opened the cover of my first Mrs. Piggle Wiggle book. Mrs. P gave lessons to other children in how to behave and to me I learned to love the written word. I live with my family and demon children aka rescue cats in South Florida.

Find the author on the following sites....

Website  Facebook, Twitter  Pinterest  Google+  Goodreads Amazon Author pages

Also available in the Paradise Series

Follow the Book Tour

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY

Win $25 Amazon.com Giftcard / Paypal Cash
(winners choice)
Open Worldwide

Ending on Tuesday 22nd December at 11.59pm EST

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The girls got it right! I can't blame them for wanting to enjoy sun, sand, in beach. Heck! Who in their right mind wants to dodge bullets, find dead bodies, and then have to work? That's exactly what the snarky Fab and feisty Madison get done. Meeting all their friends again and their boss, always looking for them to do a job, these girls take the reader on yet another adventure. Sit down, relax, and be glad you're not them as you enjoy another Fab and Madison adventure! Have a good ride, and wait for the next. That's what I am going to do, and I can't wait. Until next time. Carole

A pet for Christmas

NEW RELEASE...

Dedication 

To those who still suffer the wounds of war. 

 >>><<< 

Kelly Kennedy thought her life was finally on track. Engaged to the man of her dreams and with a baby on the way, she reassures her five-year-old daughter, Bree, that the father she picked for Christmas still loves her.

Unfortunately, war veteran Tyler Manning has been away most of the year. Recovering from PTSD isn’t easy. Rather than worry Kelly, Tyler spends his time traveling to Afghanistan to work at a children's charity he founded.

Kelly decides to distract Bree with promises of a pet for Christmas. When Tyler is taken hostage by terrorists, she finds it hard to convince Bree that they will truly be a family in time for Christmas.

A Pet for Christmas is a sequel A Father for Christmas. While it can be read as a standalone, you'll get more of the relationship aspect between Kelly, Tyler, and Bree by reading A Father for Christmas first.

Available to buy from...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble   Kobo    iBooks   GPlay

"Heartwarming story of hope and second chances.” - Ruth Davis on Book 1, A Father for Christmas

"Absolutely breathtaking love story." - Amber McCallister on Book 1, A Father for Christmas

Also Available
A Father for Christmas (A Veteran’s Christmas Book 1)

Dedication

To all the veterans who gave so much.

 >>><<<

Single mother Kelly Kennedy can't afford lavish gifts for her four-year-old daughter, Bree. Homeless veteran Tyler Manning doesn't believe he deserves a Merry Christmas.

When Bree asks Santa for a father and picks Tyler, both Tyler and Kelly vow to keep Bree from being hurt while fighting their feelings for each other.

Tyler struggles with frightening flashbacks that scare Kelly. Meanwhile, Kelly's criminal past threatens her chance for happiness. Tyler and Kelly must believe in the power of love to give Bree her best Christmas ever.

Available to buy from...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble   Kobo   iBooks   GPlay

About the author

Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling Asian American author of dramatic romantic suspense and humorous, sexy contemporary romances. Her heroines are feisty and her heroes hot. She writes emotionally challenging stories but believes in the power of love and hope. 

Rachelle is the founder of an online writing group, Romance in a Month, an active member of the California Writer’s Club, Fremont Chapter, and a volunteer for the World Literary Cafe. She is a very happy woman and lives in California with her husband. She has won awards in multicultural and historical romance.

Find the author on the following pages....

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Google+   Goodreads  Amazon Author Page

Follow the tour

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY

Win $25 Amazon.com GC / Paypal Cash
(winners choice)
Open Worldwide

Ending on Sunday 18th October at 11.59pm EST

Enter Below and Good Luck !!
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My review This book held my interest, and the characters are very relevant in our world today. A very emotional fitting book, whether you are a civilian or have a military family. It is a book everyone will like for any part of the year. The reader will find the characters in this book, Bree, Kelly and Tyler, likable, relatable, real. I highly recommend this book, I couldn't put it down.

Greed in Paradise Review

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Tears will fall, hearts will pound, and bullets will fly in Greed in Paradise...

Just when Madison and Fab think it's safe to dip their sexy bodies into the cool tropical waters of paradise, they get the shock of their lives when a friend and business partner turns up dead and they discover they've been written into his will. But nothing is what it seems, as the women find out.

There are deadly secrets brewing beneath the surface of Tarpon Cove. Come along on a steamy, thrilling adventure as the two try to find out why their friend suddenly died--seemingly, without cause.

The fifth book in the series finds our sleuths waist deep in sexual tension, flinging barbs, and dodging bullets.

Deborah Brown's Paradise series is packed with Action, Romance, Intrigue, Mystery and Suspense. Oh... did I forget to mention the humor makes for a fast and enjoyable read? These books will be difficult to put down!

Greed in Paradise, is the fifth novel in Deborah Brown's Paradise series, which can be also read as a stand alone book.

Available to buy from.....

Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk

"If you have a broken heart and want to eat a bag of Kit-Kats while wishing for someone else's life, then you need this book." 

"Well written, a wide-range of unforgettable characters, heat and sex, then add a slice of humor that makes the romp an even cheekier ride." 

"If you're lying by a pool somewhere in the Florida Keys...you'll want this book to take your mind off the mosquitoes." 

About the Author

I've been writing, in one way or another for as long as I can remember; writing poetry, short stories, a romance novel secretly stashed under the bed and sappy love letters. Fiction should be fun. I wanted to create the perfect beach book, to make the reader laugh, cry and cheer... and then run out and tell their friends about it.

My love of reading began when I was seven, the day I opened the cover of my first Mrs. Piggle Wiggle book. Mrs. P gave lessons to other children in how to behave and to me I learned to love the written word. I live with my family and demon children aka rescue cats in South Florida.

Find the author on the following sites....

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Pinterest   Google+   Goodreads 

Also available in the Paradise Series

Follow the Book Tour

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY

Win a $25 Amazon.com Giftcard or Paypal Cash
(winners choice)
Open Worldwide

Ending on Sunday 12th April at 11.59pm EST

Enter Below and Good Luck !!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

When I was younger, a much younger girl, I loved Nancy Drew!!! Who didn't love a good sleuth and a woman, or young girl at that. Bring your margaritas and swim suits and join Madison and Fabiana on a chase for the bad guy or guys. Run into trouble while your at it, as these two surely do! You'll love the meddlesome mom, (don't we all) and love Creole, the protective sort...really, or does he just want Madison? Find out with this trouble seeking, sleuthing twosome. Debroah Brown definitely sets the scene for the reader to pack her swim suit, sunglasses and flip flops to join these two for some drinks and then some! I enjoyed this book. Until next time. carole

Hotflash

What's the recipe for a happy marriage?

That's what chef Jill Morgan Storm wants to know, and according to responses to the "Marriage Satisfaction Surveys" she and her closest friends cooked up, the answer is to marry a traveling salesman who is rarely home.

And Jill certainly deserves some happiness, after everything she's been going through. Her teen-aged son, who only speaks to her in French, needs college tuition. Her crazy mother is determined to find her a man—and only brings her unsuitable ones. A pesky schoolteacher keeps annoyingly trying to fix her life. Her sous chef job is in jeopardy, and, most aggravating of all, her ex-boyfriend has absconded with her favorite skillet.

What's a single mom to do?

Faced with the answers to her surveys, she sets off to find the traveling salesman who can share her dreams. Along the way, can she find herself and a man who will claim her heart?

Available to buy from...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble    iBooks   Kobo

"Witty dialogue and wickedly funny characterizations make Kathy Carmichael’s Hot Flash a jewel among romantic comedies. Great fun!"
~ Eve Gaddy, Harlequin Superromance author

"Hot Flash is a keeper! It has heart, and I’m going to read it again. And again. Wonderfully well done! 

~ Kay James, Romance Reader at Heart

"I have never laughed or cried so hard as I have with this truly wonderful book!" 

 —Kathy Boswell, managing editor, The Best Reviews

"I highly recommend Hot Flash to anyone who loves to read romance. You will not be disappointed." —Romance Junkies

About the Author
USA Today Bestselling author Kathy Carmichael resides on the west coast of Florida with her Scottish husband, two not-so-wee sons, three cats, a part-time dog, and a huge collection of dust bunnies.

Kathy writes award-winning romantic comedies and humorous mysteries. Her Texas Two-Step romance series is a reader favorite. Kathy's romantic comedy, Hot Flash, was named by the American Library Association's BOOKLIST magazine as one of the Top 10 Romance Fiction titles for 2009.

In addition to her novels, she’s sold short stories and wrote a bi-monthly column on the business of writing for a national writing trade magazine. Kathy is also a contest judge for Writers Digest. She’s a member of the International Thriller Writers, an active member of the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters-in-Crime, Novelists Inc., the Florida chapter of MWA, is the published author liaison of the Tampa Area Romance Authors, and is an active member and past national board member of the Romance Writers of America.

Kathy loves hearing from readers.

Find the author on the following sites...

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Google+   Pinterest   Goodreads 

A special fun survey has been prepared to accompany the book. You can take the survey or read the responses HERE.

Read an excerpt from the book HERE

Follow the Book Tour

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY

Win a $25 Amazon.com Giftcard or Paypal Cash
(winners choice)
Open Worldwide

Ending on Thursday 23rd April at 11.59pm EST

Enter Below and Good Luck !!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is the kind of book, you take a bottle of wine, sit back, relax and read. We all remember singlehood, us married women. Not all of us however, have had that meddling mom, who with her best intentions meddles much to much. Hotflash is a fun book to read, with Jillian, a sous chef as the main character. While Jillians' life sprials out of control, she takes the advice of her friend Connie and decides to survey married women on what makes a happy marriage. So what does??? I was cheering for Jillian, hoping for her to find her traveling salesman, dodging her mom, work, family, and finally.......a man??? Great read, see what advice she takes, wnd which she doesn't in this lovely light hearted romance novel. It's not your mommas' HOTFLASH. Until next time Carole