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DYING DECLARATION

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Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers is FBI Forensic pathologist and special agent with an uncanny sixth sense for bringing murders to justice.

During a vacation in Belize with her young son, Joey, Cat gets a phone call from her boss. Young prostitutes are being picked up, murdered and left for dead in the Florida Everglades. The first victim does not fit the killer’s modus operandi. She was a legal secretary working for the Fort Lauderdale based international law firm, Black and Knight.

As Cat investigates this and other deaths, they lead back to the firm’s henchmen and to its partners. With the help of another firm employee, Cat discovers a secret web of murder, illicit drugs, prostitution, sex trafficking, corruption and more. The firm’s partners intend to kill anyone who can lead the law back to them, including Cat.

As the body count grows, powerful people will make decisions that will change lives. Decisions that will destroy families. As Cat uncovers the conspiracy, only one partner, the mastermind, will become Cat’s ally. She will walk away, after seeing that the others are brought to justice.

BORN ON THE BEAUTIFUL TROPICAL ISLAND of Jamaica to a Jamaican father and a French mother, Solange Ritchie (then Solange Levy) immigrated to the United States at age eleven. Since then, she has become a dynamic force for change. Fed up with thrillers that start with a fizzle and longing to see more powerful women as lead characters, Solange decided to create her own characters. Despite the demands of a busy legal career, she accomplished her ambitious goal by rising each morning to write before work, dedicating her weekends to writing, and even spending her vacation time writing. Solange is fortunate to have traveled to over 19 countries in her lifetime.

Words have always been Solange’s passion – now so more than ever.

Solange achieved a successful writing career while doing “last minute trial,” mostly in Southern California. Dubbed “the Case Saver,” Solange handled intense legal motions that either make or break a case, especially in the areas of business, labor, and employment law. In 2014, she received the State Bar of California’s Solo and Small Firm’s Section’s highest award, the Myer J. Sankary Attorney of the Year Award. It is given to only one attorney each year in California.

When Solange was just thirty-seven years old, her first husband, John, died due to gross medical negligence at a leading Southern California hospital. This life-altering experience helped shape her into the person she is today. She began writing creatively to deal with the stress of his hospitalization and his death.

Solange’s first psychological thriller, The Burning Man, featuring FBI forensic pathologist Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers was published in 2015. Her second novel in the series, Firestorm, was released to critical acclaim, on May 15, 2018. Dying Declaration is the third novel in the Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers series. Bomb Blast is Solange’s fourth novel in the series. Solange plans at least two more books in the Dr. Catherine Powers series. A fan of things that go bump in the night, Solange has also penned a Southern Gothic novel called Fiona’s Box, which will be released shortly.

Solange lives in Southern Florida. She enjoys traveling, writing, gardening, time with her family, as well as good food and conversation. Solange is available for speaking engagements. She especially enjoys talking with book clubs. To receive her Sunday blog post, Notes from Solange, just go to her author website, http://www.solangeritchie.com, and leave your e-mail address. Nothing negative or political is ever posted. Her author website, www.authorsolange.com, includes a blog, reviews, recipes, events, and the latest on Solange’s adventures. Solange welcomes your comments, reviews, and suggestions, and invites you to contact her at:

Author website: http://solangeritchie.com

Legal website: http://solangeritchielaw.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/solange.ritchie

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/solange-ritchie-5276486

Twitter: @solangeritchie and @solangeauthor

THE TWENTY ONE YEAR CONTRACT 

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Kathleen Gray—talented, a little wild, at times rebellious, but always popular—has a fun, easy life in rural Somerset, with a doting family.

Suddenly, they are gone, everything is changed, and she has only Uncle Jack. Try as he might, he cannot be father and mother to her—he has a business to run and his own life to manage.

Kathleen takes a chance and becomes Kate Westfield, fending for herself in London, with a new life built on her hopes and dreams and new friends. She could hardly have imagined that one of those friends has a shoebox full of answers.

L.B. Griffin was born and raised in the UK. She is married and came out of retirement when she received a contract for her debut novel. Griffin loves to write stories to touch people’s hearts, She draws upon social issues that are often hidden in deep drawers but readers can identify with. Her women don’t see themselves as courageous, strong, or survivors, but they certainly are.

Her debut, Secrets, Shame, and a Shoebox has received superb 5 star reviews, amongst them Whispering stories and VINE VOICE reader/blogger Michelle Ryles, singing high praise: ‘Incredibly well-written, Secrets, Shame, and a Shoebox is a magnificent debut. It’s a poignant, disturbing and a heart-warming page-turner that has left me chomping at the bit to continue Harriet’s story.’

The sequel, and also standalone – The Twenty-One-Year Contract, is already receiving fantastic five star reviews such as: VINE VOICE “This book will have you laughing, crying and cheering.”

L.B. Griffin continues to turn silent stories into courage, hope, and survival. Be warned, she is a self-confessed chocolate-raisin and strawberry addict!

Author Links:

Instgram www.instagram.com/lynngriffinauthoruk

Facebook www.Facebook.com/lynngriffinauthor/

Twitter www.twitter.com/lbgriffinauthor

Website www.wifeinthewest.com

RED HOT MURDER

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Charlie Kingsley’s tea customers have two things in common:

They rave about her teas.

AND they have a knack for attracting trouble.

There’s never been a connection between the two … until now.

One night, one of Charlie’s customers passes out, only to wake up to her fiancé dead in her home and no memory of what happened the night before.

But one thing she DOES remember is drinking a cup of Charlie’s tea.

Charlie knows it wasn’t the tea, but everyone else is suddenly blaming her, so she has no choice but to get to the bottom of this mysterious death.

A USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author, Michele taught herself to read at 3 years old because she wanted to write stories so badly. It took some time (and some detours) but now she does spend much of her time writing stories. Mystery stories, to be exact. They’re clean and twisty, and range from psychological thrillers to cozies, with a dash of romance and supernatural thrown into the mix. If that wasn’t enough, she posts lots of fun things on her blog, including short stories, puzzles, recipes and more, at MPWNovels.com.

Michele grew up in Wisconsin, (hence why all her books take place there), and still visits regularly, but she herself escaped the cold and now lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading, hanging out with her dog, or watching the Food Network and imagining she’s an awesome cook. (Spoiler alert, she’s not. Luckily for the whole family, Mr. PW is in charge of the cooking.)

Author Links

Website – https://mpwnovels.com/
Facebook – facebook.com/michelepwauthor
Linked In linkedin.com/in/michelepw
Twitter – twitter.com/michelepw
Instagram – instagram.com/themichelepw
Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/books/red-hot-murder-charlie-kingsley-mysteries-book-6-by-michele-pariza-wacek

 Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: Ten Steps from Baker Street

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Mystery

Date Published: 03-01-2023

Publisher: Tekrighter, LLC

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Return to the streets and alleys of Victorian London, where the game is afoot once again! The Great Detective, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, and his steadfast companion Dr. Watson are back for ten new cases, spanning the length of the quintessential detective’s illustrious career. Beginning while Holmes was still a green investigator in Montague Street, this collection encompasses the 1880s and the 1890s, up to the dawn of the new century.  Walk with Holmes as he puzzles over the problem of a drunken teetotaler, celebrates an old English Christmas at the Red Lion, tracks down the Camberwell poisoner, and experiences the horror in King Street. If you’ve been pining for new traditional, canonical Sherlock Holmes tales, Ten Steps from Baker Street is the collection you’ve been waiting for.

About the Author

Thomas A. Burns, Jr. is the author of the Natalie McMasters Mysteries. He was born and grew up in New Jersey, attended Xavier High School in Manhattan, earned B.S degrees in Zoology and Microbiology at Michigan State University and a M.S. in Microbiology at North Carolina State University. He currently resides in Wendell, North Carolina with his wife and son, four cats and a Cardigan Welsh Corgi. As a kid, Tom started reading mysteries with the Hardy Boys, Ken Holt and Rick Brant, and graduated to the classic stories by authors such as A. Conan Doyle, Dorothy Sayers, John Dickson Carr, Erle Stanley Gardner and Rex Stout, to name a few. Tom has written fiction as a hobby all of his life, starting with Man from U.N.C.L.E. stories in marble-backed copybooks in grade school. He built a career as technical, science and medical writer and editor for nearly thirty years in industry and government. Now that he’s retired to become a full-time a novelist, he’s excited to publish his own mystery series, as well as to contribute stories about his second-most favorite detective to the MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories.

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Beginning of Arrogance

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Beginning of Arrogance
A Paladin’s Journey
Book One
Bryan Cole

Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Fat Paladin Incorporated
Date of Publication: June 30th, 2022
ISBN: 9780228868682
ASIN: B0B5JJ338K
Number of pages: 410
Word Count: 125,476
Cover Artist: Vilenko Vujicevic

Tagline: Paladins are nothing but trouble

Book Description:

Paladins are nothing but trouble. Stories about paladins are everywhere, noble warriors riding magic steeds into battle against terrible foes. Champions of their gods. Heroes to everyone, except those who already have everything. Paladins are notorious for upsetting the balance of power, to the detriment of any who don’t worship their deity.

So when Krell is called to service by the capricious god of the seas and skies, ReckNor, those with wealth and power can’t help but be concerned. ReckNor hasn’t called a paladin in years, and his nature is ever-changing and erratic. The fact that Krell is also an uneducated nobody with a stubborn streak as wide as the sea turns their concerns into fear.

All of which matters less than the threat clawing its way from the waves, ready to turn the ocean red with spilled blood…

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Excerpt:

Gerrard fell back and walked beside Krell for a moment.

“So, Krell, how do you know about the Forge Father and all that? Never heard you say anything like that before, you know?” Gerrard smiled up at him.

Krell laughed. “It’s true enough, Gerrard, that my education could best be described as lacking. Most people say I don’t know anything. I grew up alone, you see, so nobody taught me anything useful. I had to learn it all myself.”

Gerrard looked at him questioningly. “Alone how? I can’t see humans, even as insane as they often are, abandoning a youngling to grow up alone.”

“Oh, I had a family. Still might, somewhere, maybe. But I was lost at sea when I was young. Not sure how young. Washed up on an island somewhere and spent a bunch of years surviving.” Krell looked up at the sky. “My memories there are… poor. Can’t remember much, but I remember the cold, the loneliness, and the hunger. Those stand out in my mind.” Krell shook his head and frowned.

“Olgar taught me basically everything I know, aside from how to survive alone. Whatever knowledge I have is thanks to him, and one thing he made sure I knew well was who all the gods and their followers are. Paladins apparently spend a lot of time in conflict with faiths other than their own.”

“Ah,” said Gerrard, nodding in agreement.

Krell shrugged and looked back at Gerrard. “Whatever else I am, Gerrard, I’m a survivor. Maybe that’s why ReckNor chose me to be a paladin. Maybe he wrecked the ship on purpose to see if I had what it took. Maybe he didn’t. Either way, I hear the call. My blade is in his service, my will is his will. His voice thunders in my head, making his will known to me.”

“Wow. You know, Kraven’s right, you are intense!” Gerrard walked along in silence for a few minutes next to him. Then he turned and said, “That sounds really hard, having another voice in your head all the time.”

Krell laughed. “Nah, it’s really easy. When he tells me something, I do it. When he doesn’t say anything, I do whatever I want.”

Gerrard frowned. “I thought paladins had all sorts of rules they had to follow.”

Krell grinned at him. “You’re thinking of followers of Hieron the Honorable, lord of justice. There’s a big temple of his in Heaford, just up the coast, where the duke holds court. I’ve never met one of his followers, but apparently he loves calling paladins, and they’re pretty common in that faith. Most paladin stories are about paladins of Hieron.”

“Not common in ReckNor’s faith, though?”

“Not remotely. Apparently, Olgar can’t remember the last time ReckNor called one. He’s… well, most people think he’s insane, and that if you don’t appease him, he’ll destroy you. A cult of sailors and the mad. That he’s temperamental enough that even if you appease him, he still might destroy you. Which is all… somewhat true, I’d say.”

Ahead, Tristan laughed. “You’re telling me you think your god is insane?”

Krell shook his head. “No, but temperamental? Absolutely. Appease him or else, which is how his faith works. Sailors and those who live and work on the sea pay homage, though for many, it is out of fear. He’s often thought of as a survival-of-the-fittest sort of god.”

Krell noticed they were all looking at him now. Orca looked unhappy, Kraven appeared to be controlling his laughter, and Tristan and Gerrard were looking at him like he was dangerous.

“So… what does ReckNor teach, then?” asked Gerrard. Krell thought about it, and Tristan looked like he was dreading an explanation. Better to keep things simple for now, he thought.

“Basically two things. The first is that the seas and skies are his, so make offerings when you use them and he’s happy. The second is that he takes joy in the freedom of choice.” Krell went silent, and they walked on for a few moments before anyone said anything.

“I thought you were going to drone on incessantly about your god and how great he is all the time,” said Tristan. Krell looked at him and smiled.

“I’m a paladin. If you want that, go talk to Olgar. I’m here to show the faith of ReckNor through action, not through words.” Thunder rumbled in the distance as if on cue, adding ominous weight to his words.

Gerrard snorted. “Did ReckNor just add some thunder in the background to make you sound more intimidating or dramatic or something?”

Kraven laughed, and Krell joined him. Orca said, “That’s ridiculous!” at the same time Krell said, “Probably!”



About the Author:

Bryan Cole is the author of the Paladin’s Journey series. New to the writing world, he spent years working in the enterprise software space, focused on quality assurance and delivery of software applications. Which is weird, because that has nothing to do with writing fiction.

For that, we need to go back – way back – to his first experience with Dungeons and Dragons. His friend Chris brought over the box set for Myth Drannor, eager to play. Together, they realized they had no idea what they were doing, because neither of them owned a copy of the Players Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, or the Monster Manual.

From those incredibly awkward beginnings, a lifelong passion for epic science fiction and high fantasy adventure was born. Everything from his grade 4 teacher letting him stay after school to play a video game where you were the wizard on a quest, defeating monsters by answering math problems, to some truly memorable movies like Willow that showed him a world bigger and more exciting than the real one.

Of course, Star Wars and Star Trek have had a major influence on him. Want to get in good with Bryan? Lead with a Star Wars meme.

From one of the good movies. Otherwise, your plan will backfire.

Bryan is also an avid gamer, and enjoys video games, board games, and tabletop roleplaying games.

These days, he lives in Toronto with his wife and daughter, and his adorable cat.










Obedience

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Obedience
Ties That Bind Series
Book One
Liza Snow
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Date of Publication: April 4th 2023
ASIN: B0BXJZFW6S
Number of pages: 617 pages
Word Count: 155000
Cover Artist: MiblArt
Tagline: He’d searched a lifetime for the perfect student.
She’d always dreamed he’d be her teacher. Together they’ll

soar in the silks.
Book Description:
Cassandra
Growing up, I was mesmerized by a man soaring the skies.
The greatest silk aerialist in the world, Chandler Moreau.
He was once my lifeline, the dream I clung to after my parents died. I’ve always
believed he was my destiny. To join him at the Dreamers Academy. To perform
for him.
To soar with him.
He’s more than I ever imagined. Far more than a mentor. When I am high in the
silks, turning, flying, falling, he’s my lifeline once again. Twisting my heart and
my body into knots like the knots of his beloved Japanese rope bondage, Shibari.
I don’t want to live without him. With each lesson, each touch, I crave more. Only
he can satisfy me. And only he can destroy me…
But I must keep him safe from the past that relentlessly follows me.
Chandler

She is my protégé, the student I’ve been waiting to take under my wing for my
entire career. Someone with whom I could share my lifelong journey in my
family’s circus, Cirque du Lys.
I never intended to fall in love with the student I was supposed to protect—from
myself and the demons that lurk in my shadows. But sometimes fate has other
plans.
Cassandra, my beautiful butterfly. I know she’s off limits. Forbidden. Still, I want
her in my life. My heart. My bed.
My grandfather’s taunting words still linger.
Mieux vaut plier que rompre.
Adapt and survive.
It’s what we must do. Cassandra and I share a history that entwines us more than
the silks we’ve spent our lives mastering ever could.
There are secrets from the past that must never be told. And truths that could
destroy what we’ve just begun…

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/6oKPIEIwyAk
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3JBCeaA

About the Author:
A bestselling independent author from
Florida, Liza has been putting romance
books into her readers hands for over a half
decade and has loved every minute of it.
Liza lives with her husband, her two dogs
and her cat, ten minutes from the beach. When she isn’t writing, you can often find
her walking and enjoying outside, with a coffee and a book in hand.
Website: http://www.lizasnowauthor.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lizasnowauthor
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/lizasnowauthor
Newsletter: http://bit.ly/3yBrJhm

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The Storm Darkens

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She stopped in front of Kari and knelt. Despite the darkness of her eyes, they gleamed with untold levels of cruelty. Kari had always seen such evil inside of Raven, yet she had never imagined things like this.

“I want you to ask a different question, Kari. I want you to ask yourself, what are you going to do to stop me?”


About the Author:

Valerie Storm was raised in Tucson, Arizona. Growing up, she fell in love with everything fantasy. When she wasn’t playing video games, she was writing. By age ten, she began to write her own stories as a way to escape reality. When these stories became a full-length series, she considered the path to sharing with other children and children-at/heart looking for a place to call home.