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Friday, July 31, 2020

Charming the Shortstop by Sophia Summers

About the book He’s not looking. She’s been burned. But sparks fly, and they decide to go on a date. Just this once.

When professional baseball player Axel Diaz travels back to Belltown University for a friend’s wedding, he’s not planning on bringing a date. Until he meets Brighton West, the flight attendant who he can’t get off his mind. Although dubbed “Cold Axe” by some of his female fans, Axel asks Brighton to be his date to the wedding, all the while wondering why of all times and places he is breaking his no-dating streak. But the more he gets to know Brighton, the more he realizes she may be the one woman who can melt his cold heart.

Welcome to Belltown! Six baseball players meet in the college town of Belltown, Massachusetts, becoming best friends, their lives intertwining as they each get called up to the Major Leagues.

Follow Sawyer, Cole, Axel, David, Ryker, and Levi in these six swoony sports romances.

Visit us on Facebook: Swoony Sports Romances

Belltown Six Pack Series:
Hitching the Pitcher
Falling for Centerfield
Charming the Shortstop
Snatching the Catcher
Flirting with First
Kissing on space

And I thought . . .I just can't get past the word Charming on this one this was a super easy read because it was just a sweet story the characters Axe and Brighten are both likable and Charming.
 I was left hoping that the sub characters Axel's little sister and his mom Brighton's mom and her bestie Gabe to read thier stories.
 Charming  the Shortstop was just an enjoyable read I think the thing I like the best about it was there was no drama there was a little hint of drama because Axel's  little sister is a teenager but other than the teenager drama there was no on again off again relationship no EX in the picture no one trying to steal a boyfriend or anything like that it was just straightforward.
Just a Sweet Love Story I'm always a fan of Sofia Summers and she continues to charm her way into my reading list if you enjoy a good sweet romance check this one out. 

Buy the book 
Amazon

I received a complimentary copy. 
My review will appear on Amazon and Good Reads. 

Charming the Shortstop will be promoted on social media 
and featured in additional posts here and My Journey Back-the-Journey Back blog. 

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Pinto-I Read Book Tour

PINTO by M.J. Evans
About the book 

In 1912, four men, calling themselves the “Overland Westerners,” decided fame and fortune awaited if they embarked on the longest horseback ride in history. Their goal was to visit all forty-eight state capitals over the course of three years and complete their journey at the San Francisco World’s Fair on June 1, 1915. Facing rugged roads, raging rivers, thieves and near starvation, the men went through seventeen horses. Only one horse completed the entire journey…Pinto, a little horse with a heart as big as the whole country! This is Pinto’s account of his arduous adventure.



AUTHOR INTERVIEW: M.J. EVANS, author of PINTO! And IN THE HEART OF A MUSTANG
Hello and Welcome to the My Reading Journey.

Before we get into the books here's a few easy questions I hope they are easy! 

 What is your favorite snack to munch on while reading or writing? 
Hot Chocolate with whipping cream…I’m drinking one right now!  

Chocolate nuts yes or no? 
No…I prefer fruity desserts.  
Dark Chocolate or Milk Chocolate?
 Milk if it has to be chocolate. 

 When you travel is there a favorite place you like to stop and eat? Do you have  hobby that you like to source when you travel?
 I’m not a fast food fan. I like to seek out the local favorites. We look up restaurants on “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” for recommendations. 

 I am enjoying Pinto you did so much research do you have any idea how many hours  you spent researching?
 I didn’t keep track of the hours, but it was hundreds. I worked on it for two and a half years!  


What/where was the coolest place you visited while researching? The best place was a little history museum on Bainbridge Island, WA. After my experience just showing up in Oklahoma City and finding out that even the research librarian was not aware of the collection they had stored in the basement, I decided it best to call ahead. The curator at the Bainbridge Island museum was so excited that I was coming. They have a permanent exhibit on the Overland Westerners and a driftwood sculpture of Pinto outside. When I got there, they were ready for me. They had set up a table with a computer for me to use. They had the old journals out for me to read. They had boxes of files stuffed with information. They even provided a volunteer to help make photocopies and put files on a flash drive. One of the curators gave me a tour of their display.   

What is your favorite part research or actual writing? 
In the case of Pinto I must say “the research.” It was amazing reading all those journals and living through the trip with them. The journals contained information that isn’t in the book because I only included the events that involved the horses. So, I know much more about the men than I was able to put in the book. With my non-fiction trail guidebooks for equestrians titled “Riding Colorado,” it would be the research as well. I love riding on the trails in the Colorado Mountains. With my other books, I would say the writing. It is fun to get the stories out of my head and onto the paper. (Actually, it’s onto the screen!)  

If you could go(watch) to any Equestrian event which one would you go to and why? 
The OLYMPICS! How awesome would it be to watch the Dressage and Jumping at the Olympics! I did get to attend the World Equestrian Games in 2004. I was in heaven (except it was in Las Vegas which is probably the opposite of heaven!)  What Equestrian event/discipline that you have not participated in would want to learn? I grew up competing in 3-Day Eventing. Now I only jump for fun and I focus on Dressage. However, one discipline that I think would be fun, though I have never tried it, would be side-saddle. It looks so elegant. I live in Parker, Colorado…one of the “horse-towns USA.” We have nearly every discipline here. However, side-saddle is one we do not have.   

 How many horse books do you have on your shelf?
 Some of you will be jealous to know that I have a collection, nearly complete, of first edition books by Marguerite Henry! I grew up reading and re-reading “Gone With the Wind,” “Black Gold,” “Misty,” and “Born to Trot,” among others. Of course, I have a few copies of “Black Beauty,” my inspiration for the voice in “Pinto!” “The Black Stallion” and “My Friend Flicka” are there, too. I have several fiction titles by current authors that I have met at events like the “Equus Film and Arts Festival.”  Along with the fiction, I have dozens of non-fiction books like “The Horseman’s Encyclopedia,” “Classical Dressage,” “Dressage for the Not So Perfect Horse,” and many, many more. I have a library at my house and two of the shelves are nothing but horse books!  

 I am glad you are touring with I Read Book Tours. What is your favorite part of being on tour? 
Getting to do author interviews like this. When I am home, alone, just writing, it is easy to wonder if anyone will even read my work. It is fun to communicate with a real person.  

Where can readers find you? Book signings? Signing at events? 
In an ordinary year, I attend dozens of events. These include school visits, book clubs, book festivals, book award ceremonies, holiday gift fairs, and author conferences. I always sign books at the National Western Stock Show in January in Denver to give you one example. I keep a list of these events on my website: www.dancinghorsepress.com. I love going to events and meeting readers, especially young readers. However, this year has been so sad as, one by one, all of my scheduled events have been canceled and no new ones have been added. The last event I attended was way  back on February 28th when I signed books at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo. Oh…one of the book clubs that I was supposed to visit had me do so on zoom so I guess that sort of counts. It’s not the same, though.   

Can you share with the readers what you are working on?
 I am holding my breath awaiting the print proof of my new book: “Mr. Figgletoes’ Toy Emporium.” It is a fantasy for middle-grade set in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Yes, I went there. The story is a combination of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” and the biblical story of Abraham negotiating with the Lord to save Sodom. Here is the cover:    


  
Thanks for chatting it up! 

Thanks for the fun questions!

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PINTO by M.J. Evans

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Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany-Great Escapes Book Tour


About the book 
In this charming new cozy mystery series from nationally bestselling author, Vicki Delany, a New York City expat-turned-Cape Cod tea shop owner must solve the murder of a local real estate developer to help her feisty grandmother out of a jam . . .

As the proud proprietor and head pastry chef of Tea by the Sea, a traditional English tearoom on the picturesque bluffs of Cape Cod, Roberts has her hands full, often literally. But nothing keeps her busier than steering her sassy grandmother, Rose, away from trouble. Rose operates the grand old Victorian B & B adjacent to Lily’s tea shop . . . for now. An aggressive real estate developer, Jack Ford, is pushing hard to rezone nearby land, with an eye toward building a sprawling golf resort, which would drive Rose and Lily out of business.

Tempers are already steaming, but things really get sticky when Ford is found dead at the foot of Rose’s property and the police think she had something to do with his dramatic demise. Lily can’t let her grandmother get burned by a false murder charge. So she starts her own investigation and discovers Ford’s been brewing bad blood all over town, from his jilted lover to his trophy wife to his shady business partners. Now, it’s down to Lily to stir up some clues, sift through the suspects, and uncover the real killer before Rose is left holding the tea bag.

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Friday, July 24, 2020

Character Interview feat Folly At The Fair by Kari Bovee-I Read Book Tour

Folley at the Fair by Kari Bovee

Character Interview Annie Oakley


1)      When did you learn to shoot?

My daddy taught me how to shoot a shotgun when I was about six years old. Gosh, I could barely hold the thing up I was so tiny. I never was much of a girly girl. I always wanted to be outdoors. So, daddy indulged me and often took me out with him to shoot squirrels and rabbits and birds. After he died when I was about eight years old, my shooting became a necessity to help my mother put food on the table.

2)      I read in a biography that you lived in a poorhouse for a while. How was that?

It isn’t one of my fondest memories. My mother sent my older sister and I to the Darke County Infirmary so we could learn how to cook and sew and keep house. The idea was to farm us out to other families to work to help bring home money. I, of course, didn’t particularly enjoy the domestic pursuits, but I did what I could to help Mother.

3)      Were you farmed out to another family?

Yes, to a family of wolves. Not really, mind you, but that is what it felt like it. I’d rather not talk about it. It was a painful period in my life. Kari BovĂ©e wrote a novella about the experience titled Shoot like a Girl. I’ll let you get the details from that.

4)      How did you meet Frank Butler?

Frank traveled around doing shooting exhibitions and sponsoring shooting contests. When folks around North Star heard he was coming to Greenville to sponsor and partake in a contest, they encouraged me to enter. I had garnered quite a reputation in the area as a crack shot, and sold much of the game I shot to the local mercantile. But, when I heard the purse was $200, a veritable fortune to me, I had to enter for the chance to win. My family was in dire straits and we were at risk of losing the farm. That money would really help, so I entered. Frank and I went head to head for about twenty rounds. Finally, I missed and he won. He says I let him win, and maybe I did, but…

5)      What’s it like working it the Wild West Show? I hear you can outshoot any of the men, Bill Cody included. Do they resent that?

You might think so, but they all have shown me nothing but respect, and I truly appreciate it. The Colonel—that’s what we call Mr. Cody, pays all of us a fair wage, men and women, white people, foreigners and Indians equally, which is rather unusual in this day and age. No, the only time I’ve been shown any kind of resentment is from other women in the show, namely Lillian Smith and Twila Midnight. It saddens me that we women can be more support for one another, but I guess they have their reasons for resenting me.
6)      I heard you performed for Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and his wife Princess Alexandra. What was that like?

It was an amazing experience. The Princess even invited Frank, my sister Hulda and I to stay at Buckingham Palace for a while. I’d never seen such splendor! And, the Queen’s stables were most impressive. They even allowed Buck to stay in the stables while we were there. However, after a few days of life at the palace, I was ready to get back to the camp at the Earl’s court. I feel so much more comfortable sleeping in the tent I share with Frank. All of that pomp and circumstance was a little too much for me!

7)      Speaking of Buck, tell us about your relationship with him.


Oh! Buck is the one true constant in my life. I love my husband more than life itself, but Buck is like a part of my soul. We were bonded early on. I first encountered him when I lived with the wolves. For a time, he truly was my only friend, and in turn, I saved him from . . . well, let’s just say I saved his life. We have been true to one another ever since. There is something so special about the unconditional love we receive from animals, isn’t there? 

About the book 
She never misses a target. But unless she can solve this murder, she’ll become one… Chicago World’s Fair, 1893. “Little Sure Shot” Annie Oakley is exhausted from her work with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. But when a fellow performer scuffles with a man who threatens her harm, she has to keep her eyes peeled. And when the heckler is found dead under the Ferris Wheel, Annie won’t rest until she proves her defender is innocent. Before she can rustle up any clues, an old friend asks Annie to protect her young daughter. And as more bodies turn up around the grounds, she’s going to need all her sharpshooting skills just to stay alive. Can Annie live up to her reputation and put a bullseye on the killer? Folly at the Fair is the third book in the Annie Oakley Mystery historical fiction series. If you like strong heroines, Wild West adventures, and suspenseful twists and turns, then you’ll love Kari Bovee’s fast-paced whodunit.

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FOLLY AT THE FAIR by Kari Bovee
To read reviews, author interviews and guest posts click here

Thursday, July 23, 2020

The Sheriff's Baby Bargain by Susan Lute-Goddess Fish Promotions





About the book
She's just what the doctor ordered... but never knew he needed

U.S. Marshal-turned-Sheriff Taylor James can trace her family back to the original thirteen Marshals appointed by George Washington. She's good at her job, but once they find out she's the local law, she can't get even one of her dates to stay past the appetizers. Her plan? Convince good friend and hot neighbor Dr. Gabriel Adams to give her dating lessons since his dance card is always full.

A survivor of childhood leukemia with no guarantee his remission will last, Gabe lives by two rules: Don't get emotionally involved and don't let his well organized life spiral out of control. When he's given a baby, with his name on her birth certificate, he needs Taylor's help. But dangling dating lessons in exchange? If that will get the dedicated sheriff to lend a helping hand, could it be a bargain worth making?

And I thought 
A super great read.  I really didn't know what to expect when I was offered the spot on this tour.  
I didn't realize this was a Sweet Clean story and for that I was pleasantly surprised.  Susan Lute was a new author to me.  I am 
glad I got this chance to read this book.

I loved all the characters.  Taylor and Gabe are fun and charming. 
Friends that are slowly moving into a relationship that they don't intend on are suddenly thrust into a situation that has them growing closer without intending to.  
When baby Rose is left to Dr. Gabe by her teenager mother Taylor and Gabe begin caring for Rose  and making bargains on how to make that happen as Dr. Gabe searches for a couple to adopt the baby. 
There were a couple of parts that were predictable. . . what happens to the baby's mom . . .and where she ends up. 
 And well the ending because it was a love story Yes Dr. Gabe and Taylor get together in the end making this a Happy Ever After. 

I really enjoyed reading The Sheriff's Baby Bargain and have the 
rest of this series on my TBR list. 

I received a complimentary copy. 
My review will appear on retail sites and Good Reads.
The Sheriff's Baby Bargain will be promoted on Social Media
and on My Journey Back-the-Back blog outside this tour. 

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To read excerpts, more reviews and enter the Giveaway stop over at Goddess Fish Promotions.  Click here

Monday, July 20, 2020

Death by Windmill by Jennifer S. Alderson -Great Escapes Tour w/ Giveaway



Excellent character development, a murder mystery that keeps one guessing and a free (virtual) trip to Amsterdam make Death by Windmill a must-read book of this year.
~The Book Decoder
Since I love to travel the world, I especially love these tour guide mysteries. Alderson writes the perfect amount of location details that make readers believe he/she is right there, in a museum, having High Tea, or dodging a killer through gigantic turning windmills. I give this book FIVE stars.
About the book 
A Mother’s Day trip to the Netherlands turns deadly when a guest plummets from a windmill. Was it an accident or a murder? For Lana Hansen, the answer will mean freedom or imprisonment for someone close to her…

Wanderlust Tours guide Lana Hansen and her mother, Gillian, haven’t seen eye to eye in over a decade, ever since Lana was wrongly fired from her job as an investigative reporter. So when Lana’s boss invites Gillian to join her upcoming Mother’s Day tour to the Netherlands, Lana is less than pleased.

What could be worse than spending ten days with her estranged mother? Lana is about to find out…

The tour begins on a high note when the majority of guests bond during their visit to the Keukenhof flower gardens and a cruise around the picturesque canals of Amsterdam.

Despite her initial reservations, Lana thinks this might be the best group she had ever led. Until she discovers one of her guests—a recent retiree named Priscilla—is the person who destroyed her career in journalism.

All Lana can see is red. But circumstances dictate that she figure out a way to lead the tour, make peace with her mother, and not murder her guest. She doesn’t know whether she can handle the pressure.

Lana needn’t worry. Shortly after their fight, Priscilla falls off the balcony of a historic windmill at Zaanse Schans. Was she pushed or simply careless? The investigating officers suspect murder—and topping their suspect list is Lana’s mom!

Can Lana save Gillian? Or will her mother end up spending the rest of her days in a Dutch prison?
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Larceny at the Library by Colleen J. Shogan-Great Escapes Tour


About the book 
Congressional staffer Kit Marshall is excited to attend a historic event displaying the contents of Abraham Lincoln’s pockets the night he was assassinated at the Library of Congress. The next day, a senior librarian is dead and several invaluable artifacts are missing. Kit’s husband Doug discovers the body and immediately becomes a suspect in the death and theft. Kit springs into action once again to figure out who is responsible for the crimes. Her sleuthing takes her to the DC Public Library, the National Portrait Gallery, Ford’s Theatre, and the most ornate, beautiful rooms at the Library of Congress. At the end, Kit must put her own life on the line to retrieve her most valuable possession, which goes unexpectedly missing as she hunts down the killer.

And I thought
Lovin' this series.  Each book in the series is written as a stand alone but if you start this series you'll want to read them all.  Jump in anytime each book  will have you turning the pages.
Colleen Shogun gives the reader a a great cozy mystery with some twists and turns that left this reader trying to figure it all out.  
I enjoyed the characters. Kit the main character is becoming an accomplished sleuth since there always seems to be murder happening around every corner.
I love the Washington setting and the little background into what happens on the Hill.
Waiting for Kit's next adventure.

I received a complimentary copy.
My review will appear on retail sites and Good Reads.
Buy the book 
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Thursday, July 16, 2020

Five Before Rome by Gabriel Valjan-Spotlight-I Read Book Tours-Spotlight

FIVE BEFORE ROME by Gabriel Valjan

About the book 
These five novellas precede Roma, Underground, the first novel in the Roma Series. Meet the five men, who form the team around Bianca, and learn about their personal history, their respective parts of Italy, and why they each have a stake in the fight against organized crime.

And I am thinking
Still turning the pages.  I regret letting this one get past me and not finishing in time for my scheduled post.  I am turning the pages
at 'break neck speed'.  Which isn't because I am late that is just how you read this series.  

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FIVE BEFORE ROME by Gabriel Valjan
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Signs in the Rearview Mirror by Kelly Smith Book Tour & Guest Post ...

Sunday, July 12, 2020

Book Spotlight-Vangie Vale And The Larcenous Lava Cake -Great Escapes Tour w/ Giveaway




About the book

I never thought Edward would come back…
 When the court case against my ex was finished, I thought we were finished, too. But it turns out, it was only the beginning.

The Larcenous Lava Cake is book four in The Matchbaker Mysteries, a new cozy culinary mystery series from USA Today Bestselling Author, R.L. Syme.

RECIPE INCLUDED: The Larcenous Lava Cakebook 

And others are saying 
The story takes all kinds of unexpected twists after that leading to a surprising ending. A must read for fans of cozies with a culinary flair to them.
~Books a Plenty Book Reviews
This was really and engaging mystery because you want to find out what trouble Vangie has gotten herself into (I’m not going to give you any spoilers). Definitely a great read and a great series.
~A Chick Who Reads
Although Vangie’s actions were sometimes ill-advised and the plot a bit far-fetched, the surprise twists kept the pages turning.
~Cassidy’s Bookshelves
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