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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Diners, Dives & Dead Ends (A Rose Strickland Mystery) by Terri L. Austin (Author Guest Post / Book Review / Contest Giveaway)

In association with Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours, Jersey Girl Book Reviews welcomes Terri L. Austin, author of Diners, Dives & Dead Ends (A Rose Strickland Mystery - Book 1)!







Author Guest Post


Hello, Jersey Girl readers! And thank you, Kathleen, for having me on your blog today. It’s a pleasure to be here!

My name is Terri L. Austin and I’m the author of Diners, Dives & Dead Ends. My humorous mystery debut features heroine, Rose Strickland. Rose is a former rich girl who turned her back on her wealthy parents and their overbearing ways to strike out on her own.

Rose was fun to write. She’s a complex character and a girl you’d want as your BFF. She’s loyal to her friends—a quirky bunch—smart, and hard-working. She hasn’t quite figured her life out, but she’s trying. I wanted a likable heroine who’s a bit of an underdog, but has a lot of heart. I like to think Rose fits the bill.

The secondary characters in Diners made me laugh out loud. Roxy was a blast to write. Inspired by the Loli girls my daughter saw on her trip to Japan, Roxy follows her own path. And it’s sometimes a strange one. Then there’s Ma, Rose’s boss. She’s a sassy senior who likes to hang with her girls. And that’s fine. As long as she doesn’t break a hip while she’s doing it. Axton, an affable stoner with a secret, is Rose’s friend from her old life. And then there’s the smoking hot bad guy who makes Rose forget she’s a good girl.

Blurb:

As a struggling waitress and part-time college student, Rose Strickland’s life is stalled in the slow lane. But when her close friend, Axton, disappears, Rose suddenly finds herself serving up more than hot coffee and flapjacks. Now she’s hashing it out with sexy bad guys and scrambling to find clues in a race to save Axton before his time runs out.

With her anime-loving bestie, her septuagenarian boss, and pair of IT wise men along for the ride, Rose discovers political corruption, illegal gambling, and shady corporations. She’s gone from zero to sixty and quickly learns when you’re speeding down the fast lane, it’s easy to crash and burn.


I love to hear from readers! Seriously! Some of my writer pals and I host a book chat every Wednesday on Little Read Hens on FACEBOOK. We’d love for you to come chat with us!



About The Author


Terri L. Austin lives in Missouri with her funny, handsome husband and a high maintenance peekapoo. She loves to hear from readers. She and her writer friends have a book chat every Wednesday on Little Read Hens on FACEBOOK. Check it out and join in the conversation!


AUTHOR WEBSITE
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HENERY PRESS - PUBLISHER
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Terri L. Austin ~ Diners, Dives & Dead Ends ~ Virtual Book Tour Page ~ Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours



Virtual Book Tour Contest Giveaway

Win A $10 Amazon Gift Card

Contest Dates: Nov 12 - Dec 3


Everyone who leaves a comment on Terri L. Austin's Diners, Dives & Dead Ends Virtual Book Tour Page On Chick Lit PLus Blog Tours will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases their copy of Diners, Dives & Dead Ends before December 3rd and sends their receipt to Samantha@ChickLitPlus.com, will get five bonus entries.



Book Review


Diners, Dives & Dead Ends (A Rose Strickland Mystery - Book #1) by Terri L. Austin
Publisher: Henery Press
Publication Date: July 12, 2012 (eBook) / July 17, 2012 (Paperback)
Format: Paperback - 333 pages / Kindle - 696 KB / Nook - 1 MB / Kobo
ISBN: 1938383001
ASIN: B008L5E54I
Genre: Cozy Mystery / Chick Lit


BUY THE BOOK: Diners, Dives & Dead Ends
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
KOBO


Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.


Book Description: 


As a struggling waitress and part-time college student, Rose Strickland's life is stalled in the slow lane. But when her close friend, Axton, disappears, Rose suddenly finds herself serving up more than hot coffee and flapjacks. Now she's hashing it out with sexy bad guys and scrambling to find clues in a race to save Axton before his time runs out.

With her anime-loving bestie, her septuagenarian boss, and a pair of IT wise men along for the ride, Rose discovers political corruption, illegal gambling, and shady corporations. She's gone from zero to sixty and quickly learns when you're speeding down the fast lane, it's easy to crash and burn.

Part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection, if you like one, you'll probably like them all! Diners, Dives & Dead Ends is the first book in the Rose Strickland humorous mystery series.


Book Excerpt:


I walked back inside and scooped up Axton’s backpack, taking it into the kitchen with me. As I opened the swinging door, the smoky tang of bacon grew stronger. My boss, Ray, scrubbed the grill, and the dishwasher, Jorge, clinked plates as I moved past them into the pantry. I dropped the bag at my feet. It weighed a ton.

I sat on my haunches and unzipped it. So help me, if Ax stashed his pot in here, I was flushing it. But as I dug into the pack, I found it drug free—unless you counted the flannel shirt that almost gave me a contact high after one whiff. There was also a hardback copy of The Hobbit, two tech magazines, a laptop, a small tool kit, and a rectangular computer doodad the size of a deck of cards. Nothing unusual. At least not for Axton. I wondered why he left this with me. What the hell was going on?

I stuffed everything back inside and took a case of syrup off the shelf. I removed the restaurant-sized bottles of imitation maple goodness and stuck the backpack in the large box, closed the lid, and hoisted it back in place. Then I made some room next to the salsa and decided the condiments could play nice for a couple of days.

Roxy found me a minute later, with my hands on my hips, staring at the syrup box. “You must be really bored,” she said.

“Yep.” I followed her out of the pantry and into the dining room.

“Do you want to do something tonight or are you studying?” She walked over to the windows and pulled down the shades.

“I’m going to study with Janelle, go to bed, then get up and do it all over again. It’s glamorous, I know.” I lifted a shoulder. “But that’s just how I roll, my friend.”

“Your life kinda sucks.”

Sadly, she was right. Truth was, my life had become pretty predictable. My classes were beyond boring and I spent weekends either drinking watered down beer with Roxy or watching sci-fi movies with Ax. Sometimes when I got really wild, I did both at the same time. Not exactly living on the edge.

My name is Rose Strickland—Rosalyn to those who named me. I inherited my blue-green eyes from my dad, my A-cup boobs from my mom, and my blonde hair from them both. Where I got my wicked sense of humor and independent spirit was anyone’s guess, but the last two traits pissed my parents off to no end.


My Book Review:

Twenty-four year old Rose (Rosalyn) Strickland is a full-time waitress at Ma's Diner and a part-time college student from Huntingford, Missouri, who is trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life. Rose grew up in a wealthy family, but when she wouldn't lead the lifestyle that her parents thought was appropriate, her parents insisted that she leave their home and make her own way in the world.

Axton Graystone is Rose's childhood friend and the one person who helped her get on her feet. He's a lovable stoner, sci-fi and techie geek, who works in the IT department of the local community college. One day he stops in at the diner and is acting weird and very nervous, he asks Rose to keep his backpack for a few days in a safe place. When Ax disappears, Rose knows that he got himself into trouble and she's determined to find him. Rose and a motley crew of friends embark on a zany adventure to locate the missing Ax, only to have a hunky bad guy in tow and a town full of secrets ... what else can happen when your world revolves around Diners, Dives & Dead Ends?

Diners, Dives & Dead Ends is a fun story that has an entertaining mixture of chick lit and cozy mystery. In her debut novel, author Terri L. Austin weaves a humorous tale told in the first person narrative by Rose Strickland, who takes the reader along for the ride on a crazy adventure to find her missing friend Ax. This fast-paced story has a lot of twists and turns that easily engages the reader and keeps them guessing what will happen next, while also providing a lot of laugh-out-loud moments that will keep you in stitches. I really enjoyed the author's writing style, she provides a story that is just plain fun to read, it has a great balance of humor and intrigue.

The author creates a zany cast of characters who are realistic and fun to get to know. Rose is a sassy girl with an independent spirit and wicked sense of humor. I loved how the author made the story come alive via Rose's voice. I found myself snickering and thoroughly enjoying Rose's sassy attitude, it felt like I was sitting on the couch next to Rose as she talked about her adventures. I loved the cast of secondary characters: Roxy, Ma, Joe, Dane, Steve, Eric and the hunky bad guy aka Bossy Jackass. Their quirkiness, witty dialogue and engaging interactions made the adventure that they went on so much fun to follow. The author does a great job of describing the characters and their personalities, you can visualize what they look and sound like. I also liked how the author weaves in a few interested suitors for Rose, while throwing in some family drama into the mix as well.

Diners, Dives & Dead Ends is a delightful cozy mystery that is full of mad cap zany adventurous fun and sly humor that will keep you thoroughly entertained. This is the first book in the Rose Strickland Mystery Series. I look forward to reading about Rose's next adventure in Last Diner Standing, the second book in the series that is scheduled to be released on December 3, 2012.


RATING: 4 STARS ****








13 comments:

  1. Just wanted to say, I also loved this book and really enjoyed your review! Terri is so funny. Can't wait for her second book, which I believe comes out next week!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Larissa! I'm so happy you laughed!

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    2. Hi Larissa! Thank you for stopping by and leaving your kind comments. I really enjoyed this book too, and can't wait to read the 2nd book. :)

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  2. Thanks for being in the tour - I'm looking forward to the next one!

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    1. Hi Samantha! Thank you for the opportunity to host Terri's virtual book tour event. :)

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  3. This is a great read, I was laughing at times and then could not turn the page fast enough at other times. Great book Terri, I am looking forward to what is next!

    Julie Gallo
    Editorial Intern
    Henery Press

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    1. Hi Julie! Thank you for stopping by and leaving that great comment for Terri! :)

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  4. Thanks, Samantha and Julie! Rose is a fun character!

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  5. Congrats on 4 stars, Terri! Rose is such a great, likeable character and she was cracking me up while I was reading! :)

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    1. Hi Alicia! I loved Rose's character, that spunky girl had me in stitches! Thanks for stopping by and leaving such a nice comment for Terri. :)

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  6. Thanks, Alicia! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

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    1. Hi Terri! Thank you for the opportunity to read, review and host your virtual book tour event. I really enjoyed the book, and Rose rocks! Can't wait to read the second book. :)

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  7. Love the cover, sounds like a really fun series.

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