Body of the Crime by Jennifer Chase (VBT: Author Guest Post / Book Review)

In association with Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Publicity Tours, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the virtual book tour event for Body of the Crime by Jennifer Chase!

Author Guest Post

When is a Crime Scene Staged?

For anyone who loves writing murder mysteries or reading them. Have you ever wondered when is a crime scene staged? There are many reasons.  

The most difficult task is to recognize some of the subtle appearances to indicate that a crime scene has been staged. Fires are an example of a type of potential staged crime scene; it’s usually to cover up a previous crime that had been committed such as murder or insurance purposes for profit.

Every detective or forensic investigator must use their own subjective skills along with experience to determine if a crime scene has been staged. It’s important to preserve all evidence and document everything in proper order. Notes, sketches, and photographs are extremely helpful to help determine staged crime scenes.    

These signs from burglary and/or homicide investigations should alert detectives that something is potentially suspicious: 

• No sign of a forced entry

• Forced entry is clearly evident

• No search for any valuables is apparent

• No items have been stolen

• Only one particular item has been stolen

• Drawers have been pulled out and dumped to make it look like a “ransacked” (out of ordinary) appearance

• Drawers have been pulled out carefully and neatly stacked in order to protect certain items

• The victim had life insurance   

• Victim’s death was profitable for family members other than life insurance

To simply illustrate what a staged crime looks like, investigators must look for any evidence that appears as if it doesn’t belong.

Points of Entry

This is the most common staged crime scene element, usually an open or broken window.  Examine these areas closely and determine whether or not it’s plausible or if there are other trace evidence such as blood, fingerprints, broken glass, etc.

Weapons Left or Removed

A firearm is the most common staged crime scene weapon. Was this weapon left initially? Did it cause the injury? What’s its purpose?

Movement of Body

One of the least common staged elements is the movement of the body to a secondary crime scene. Examine the clothing, shoes, bloodstains, and hair of the victim to determine if the body has been moved and why. Rigor mortis (stiffening of joints), livor mortis (pooling of blood), blood and trace evidence, along with any type of drag marks can help assist the investigator to determine if the body has been moved.

About The Author

Jennifer Chase is a multi-award-winning crime fiction author and consulting criminologist. Jennifer holds a bachelor degree in police forensics and a master’s degree in criminology & criminal justice. These academic pursuits developed out of her curiosity about the criminal mind as well as from her own experience with a violent sociopath, providing Jennifer with deep personal investment in every story she tells. In addition, she holds certifications in serial crime and criminal profiling. She is an affiliate member of the International Association of Forensic Criminologists. 

Her latest book is the mystery suspense, Body of the Crime.


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Book Review

Body of the Crime by Jennifer Chase

Book 1: Chip Palmer Forensic Mystery Series

Publisher: JEC Press

Publication Date: May 20, 2016

Format: eBook - 397 pages

               Kindle - 1230 KB

ASIN: B01FZREEF4

Genre: Mystery / Suspense / Thriller

Purchase Link:

Amazon - Free on Kindle Unlimited 

Goodreads

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Publicity Tours.

Book Description:

Three grisly murders linked to five old cold cases, dubbed the Flower Girl Murders, pushes detectives to their limit to find a clever and extremely brutal serial killer, leaving a California town demanding justice. The District Attorney’s Serial Special Task Force retains the help of the reclusive Dr. Chip Palmer, a forensic expert and criminal profiler, to steer them in the right direction. 

Palmer is known for his astute academic interpretations of serial and predatory crimes, along with his unconventional tactics that goes against general police procedures. He is partnered with the tough and beautiful D.A. Inspector Kate Rawlins, a homicide detective transplanted from Phoenix, and the chemistry ignites between the team—turbulent and deadly. 

The Flower Girl Murders leaves three homicides, five cold cases, two seasoned detectives, three suspects, and one serial killer calling all the shots. The investigation must rely on one eccentric forensic scientist to unravel the clues to solve the case. But at what cost?

Book Excerpt:

I HATED THE CURIOUS AND often skeptical looks, which came from the audience in the gallery. I gently eased my body into the chair and faced them directly. It felt more like I was a participating target in a firing squad than a courtroom proceeding.
Shifting from side to side in the cushioned seat, I fidgeted with my tie. It was the only thing I could do under the circumstances.
I waited patiently trying not to nervously tap my fingers.
At least the chair was comfortable as I rested my forearms and hands on the armrest. It was not easy to avoid looking at the two burly sheriff deputy bailiffs stationed at the back corners of the room. They watched everyone with an extreme somber, statue-like presence. I was not even sure if they actually blinked or not.
All eyes in the courtroom fixated on me.
The room fell into complete silence. The audience readied themselves waiting for the show to begin. At least that was what I had imagined in my own mind.
I realized when the prosecutor had finally called my name to testify and the bailiff escorted me into the courtroom that I had forgotten to change my shoes. Dirt and mud had affixed deep into the crevices of the heavy-duty rubber soles, which donated little chunks of dried soil as I walked from the back of the courtroom to the witness area. There were little piles of mountain soil left behind with every stride. It looked like I had stolen shoes from a homeless person.
It was only yesterday that I had taken an extra-long walk down a wooded path that was barely passable even for the native wildlife, but I did not let the rugged terrain scare me out of adding another specimen to my collection of California sediment. In the process, my shoes sunk deep into the mud. At one point my foot had slipped from the left shoe and then plunged my sock-clad foot directly into the sticky muck.
I was all too aware of how disheveled I looked only two months before my fortieth birthday. It was not appealing. My appearance did not give the impression that I was an expert at anything, but somehow I managed to muddle through with an air of authority.
Crime scenes never lied, and it was my job to explain the scientific facts to the non-scientific community; but in the end, it was up to the jury to make the right choice of guilt or innocence. Twelve good people ultimately shouldered the justice burden, and I was just the messenger of facts—good or bad.

My Book Review:

In Body of the Crime, Dr. Chip Palmer, a forensic expert and criminal profiler is brought in to help the District Attorney’s Serial Special Task Force investigate three murders with possible ties to a series of five cold case serial killings dubbed the Flower Girl Murders. Chip is partnered with D.A. Inspector Kate Rawlins, a homicide detective transplanted from Phoenix, to solve the murders and bring justice that the Monterey County community is demanding.

Body of the Crime is a fast-paced chilling mystery suspense thriller that will captivate the reader's attention and leave them sitting on the edge of their seat. The author weaves a complex and multi-storyline tale that is well written and interspersed with a first-person narrative from the Flower Girl serial killer that is very intriguing and keeps the reader guessing what will happen next with every clue and gripping twist and turn. The attention to detail in regard to the criminal investigation is first rate, the author utilizes her experience in the criminology and forensic areas to provide a story that diehard crime thriller fans crave. The characters are realistic, their complex personalities and interactions with each other gave the story depth and made it that much more powerful and compelling. I loved Chip and Kate's characters, their strong personalities and dedication to solving the serial killings had me cheering for them as the investigation progressed.

As a fan of mystery suspense thrillers, Body of the Crime satisfied everything that I expect to find in a really good suspense thriller. It gave me goosebumps, it made me gasp and cringe, it made me hold my breath, and most importantly it drew me into the investigations along with Chip and Kate, and left me wanting more. I look forward to reading the next installment of the Chip Palmer Forensic Mystery Series!


RATING: 5 STARS 

Virtual Book Tour

Body of the Crime by Jennifer Chase ~ VBT Event Page Link

Tour Schedule:

Monday, March 5

Book Feature & Tour Kick Off at PUYB Virtual Book Club

Book Teaser Featured at PUYB Book Teasers

Tuesday, March 6

Guest Blogging at Lynchburg Mama

Wednesday, March 7

Book Featured at C.A. Milson’s Author Blog

Thursday, March 8

Interview at The Writer’s Life

Friday, March 9

Guest Blogging at Sheila’s Guests and Reviews

********

Monday, March 12

Book Featured at La libreria di Beppe

Tuesday, March 13

Book Featured at Mello & June, It’s a Book Thang!

Wednesday, March 14

Guest Blogging at Lori’s Reading Corner

Thursday, March 15

Interview at The Pulp and Mystery Shelf

Friday, March 16

Book Review & Guest Blogging at Jersey Girl Book Reviews

**********

Monday, March 19

Book Featured at The Bookworm Lodge

Tuesday, March 20

Book Featured at Bound 2 Escape

Wednesday, March 21

Book Review at Books for Books

Thursday, March 22

Book Review at Sefina Hawke’s Books

Friday, March 23

Book Featured at Book Bloggin’ Princess

********

Monday, March 26

Book Review & Interview at tfaulc Book Reviews

Tuesday, March 27

Book Review at Rainy Day Reviews

Wednesday, March 28

Book Review & Guest Blogging at That’s What She’s Reading

Thursday, March 29

Book Review at Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin’

Friday, March 30

Book Review at Books Are Love

Modern Love by Beau North (Author Guest Post / Book Review)

In association with Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the virtual book tour event for Modern Love by author Beau North!

Author Guest Post

The Evolution of a Story

By Beau North

Thanks Jersey Girl Book Reviews for hosting me today! Modern Love is my first venture into contemporary romance, a story that is very personal to me. I started writing this story just after the death of David Bowie, as the title might indicate, as a way of processing what it’s like to lose someone you’ve never met that nevertheless touched your life in a very real way. I intended it to be a very short and fun romance, heavy on the humor and pop culture references. I never meant for it to be anything deep or meaningful.

But the story had other ideas. The more I wrote, the more fleshed-out the characters became for me. Alice had always been a bartender in my mind, but then—to my surprise—she became a recovering addict. The ex-girlfriend was originally written as an ex-boyfriend, but that never felt right either, and so the terrible Jamie came to be.

I watched the words hit him, sink in. His eyes went wide, a second later his brows drew down. He shook his head, taking on a more neutral expression.

“So you like…”

“People. I like people. I’ve had boyfriends, girlfriends, everything in between.” - Modern Love, Chapter 6

Maybe one of the biggest surprises for me came when Will transformed from how I’d originally written him, an almost-middle-aged guy of Italian descent to a half-Indian man in his early 30’s. I remember making this change, feeling that click, the satisfying feeling of just having solved a puzzle. Will became something different from what I’d originally intended. He was still self-assured, but he now carried a new awareness of himself, a feeling of otherness that set him apart from the crowd.

“Al, I grew up the brown-skinned son of an Irish Midwesterner, in a big Irish family that I never quite fit into. It gave me some insecurities.” - Modern Love, Chapter 43

It was frightening, trying to tell this story without being exploitative of bisexuality, addiction, or people of color. Allie and Will’s struggles were not my own. I had no experience with them, but I wanted readers to connect regardless. I researched exhaustively, I talked to everyone who would speak to me, who would share their experiences so that I might have a deeper understanding of the characters that were taking shape in my mind and on the page.

“It was bliss, it was rapture, sickly sweet like circus peanuts until they’d stopped doing the job, until I’d needed more and more to reach that feeling. That feeling of a balloon tethered by the thinnest of strings, bob-bobbing in the breeze.” - Modern Love, Chapter 9

I hope that readers will like the finished product. I hope they will find something in Alice or Will, in any of the characters and their lives that makes the reader think “this is my life. This was written for me.”

Because it was.

Book Review

Modern Love by Beau North

Publisher: Independent Self Publishing

Publication Date: July 11, 2017

Format: eBook - 192 pages

               Kindle - 1971 KB

               Nook - 396 KB

ISBN: 978-0692894798

ASIN: B072J4TXQR
BNID: 2940154445334

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Buy The Book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Goodreads

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

Book Description:

"Love at first sight wasn't meant for millennials," thinks Alice Aberdeen: art student, recovering addict, David Bowie enthusiast. Alice is among the recently dumped and only wants to keep her nose to the grindstone until she finishes her degree. Her sister has other ideas and sets her up with new-in-town Will Murphy--tall, dark, and aloof. To say it wasn't an instant attraction is an understatement: He finds her abrasive, with her sharp tongue and don't-screw-with-me attitude. She thinks he's excessively reserved, too damn serious. But the more time Alice spends with Will, the more their slow burn begins to thaw her heart. A man of two worlds, half-Irish, half-Indian, Will feels at home with Alice. He soon realizes her tough shell is hiding extensive scar tissue--from her addiction and recovery to her spectacularly bad ex-girlfriend to the loss of her mother. Modern Love isn't a story about love at first sight but learning to love yourself before being able to see the one you love.


Book Excerpt:

It was night by the time we got to the hotel near the hospital. The moon hung low and bone-bright in the winter sky, giving Will an otherworldly look, illuminating his eyes and casting his face in silver light.

He parked the Jeep and switched it off, looking at me expectantly. “You ready?”

We could have driven back to the farmhouse, but it was forty minutes away and I wanted to be closer to the hospital. Everyone had rooms at this hotel. When Deb asked if I wanted to stay with her and the twins in their room, I shook my head and told her I’d get my own room. I needed different company just then. A tremendous pressure had been building in me since we’d left Minnesota earlier that day. The need to release, to allow my control to slip in some way, was overwhelming. And who better to help me than Will Murphy?

Of course, I couldn’t bring my idiot self to say this. I couldn’t move across my seat, just a little, just enough to signal my wishes. He climbed out of the car, unaware of my turmoil. With a huff of frustration, I grabbed my backpack and followed him out of the car, across the parking lot, chalky from de-icing, and into the lobby, where I was immediately assaulted with the smell of chocolate chip cookies. Will asked the clerk, who had the kind of droopy features that always reminded me of a basset hound, for a couple of rooms. I put my hand on his arm.

“We’ll take one room, please.”

He looked down at me, surprised. “Are...are you sure?”

Was I sure? Sure as death and taxes. “Definitely.”

A hesitant sort of happiness slipped into his smile, making me strangely embarrassed and aware of what I was proposing. There was no doubt in either of us what I meant by asking for one room, and in that moment, it was like disrobing in a room full of strangers.

The clerk, clearly bored with our loaded glances, never took his eyes from his computer screen, only meeting our eyes when he handed over the plastic keycards to our room. We found the elevator and got in, Will punching the button for the third floor. When the doors closed, I stepped closer to him, resting my body against his. One of his long-fingered hands found its way onto my hip, traveling up under my coat and layers of t-shirts, stopping just above the top of my jeans. I shivered at the contact, wondering how his cold hands could make me feel so warm. He dipped his head so that his cheek rested against my neck. His breath shuddered in my ear, and I waited to feel him kiss my neck. He didn’t kiss me, only brushed his lips down my neck, back and forth. It was a torment, but a delicious one.

The chime of the elevator told us we’d reached our floor, and I bit back a frustrated scream. Will removed his hand from my waist and cupped the back of my neck, fingers kneading gently as we walked to our room. It took him a few tries with the keycard before the light flashed green and the door clicked open. It hit me that his hand had been trembling. It took me back to that moment in my bedroom months ago. Had I always affected him this way? The possibility made me feel strangely powerful. I moved, he followed. Action and reaction, the curious geometry of lovers.

I tossed my bag on the floor and sat on the edge of the bed, trying to calm my thundering heart. He stood in front of me, his long fingers grazing the line of my cheekbone. At last, after the painful, almost oppressive silence, he spoke:

“What does this mean?”

I turned my face into his hand, kissing the small mound of flesh under his thumb, the divine bit that palm readers called the Mount of Venus. My lips parted enough to taste that part of him, firm and sweet as ripe fruit. He made a sound deep in the back of his throat and I once again felt a surge of my own power, that I could create such a sound in him by simply surrendering to my own desires.

“Does it have to mean anything?” I spoke into his hand.

He sighed softly, fingers curling around my chin, tilting my face towards his. “Yeah, Al. It does.”

 The words hovered in the air between us, shapeless and unspoken, waiting to be given form.

“Allie, I—”

I pulled him down to me, pressing my lips to his, cutting off the words before they could fully be uttered. It was too much, too confusing, too painful with everything else that was happening. I felt his breath quicken as his lips parted. There was the momentary shock of sensation, the fullness of his lips, the soft heat of his mouth, the pulse-quickening feeling of his hand cupping the back of my head, his fingers buried in my hair.

I reached for his shirt, eager to feel his skin against mine. He pulled away for a second and asked me in a shaky voice if I was sure.

“I’m sure,” I said, kissing the spot on his neck just under his ear, where the vital smell of him was most potent. A strangely, heavy feeling stole into my arms and legs, and I realized that, for the first time in years, I felt intoxicated.

My Book Review:

Modern Love is an intriguing contemporary romance story that follows the unexpected relationship of Alice Aberdeen and Will Murphy.

From the day that Alice and Will meet, there is a strong connection and mutual attraction between them. Alice's personal baggage and tough exterior makes their relationship develop slowly, but Will is determined to beak down Alice's wall and teach her how to find her true self in order to allow love and happiness in her life. 

Author Beau North weaves a wonderful tale full of pain, angst, drama, humor, and tender romantic moments that easily draws the reader into Alice and Will's story. The slow building development of their relationship makes this compelling story worth the read, as their connection is put to the test by serious personal issues in their lives. You can't help but feel for Alice as she struggles with her past emotional baggage, and cheer her on as she embarks on a personal journey of self-discovery with Will's help. 

Modern Love has an intriguing cast of characters who are realistic, flawed, and easy to relate to; witty dialogue and engaging interactions; and a powerful storyline that will take you on a hauntingly beautiful journey where you will experience the full gamut of emotions.

If you are looking for a hopeful and heartwarming love story that follows the unexpected journey of two people who learn to let go of their pasts and open themselves up to a healing and loving relationship, then Modern Love is the story for you!

RATING: 5 STARS 

About The Author

Beau North is a native southerner who now calls Portland, Oregon home with her husband and two cats. She attended the University of South Carolina where she began a lifelong obsession with English Literature. In her spare time, Beau is the brains behind Rhymes With Nerdy, an internet collective focused on pop culture.


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Virtual Book Tour

 Modern Love by Beau North ~ Virtual Book Tour Event Page

Tour Schedule:

July 10 – Brianna Remus Books – Review
July 11 – Chick Lit Goddess – Guest Post & Excerpt
July 11 – Book Lover in Florida – Excerpt
July 12 – Living Life With Joy – Review &  Guest Post
July 13 – SNS Promotions and Reviews – Excerpt
July 17 – Jersey Girl BookReviews – Review, Guest Post & Excerpt
July 17 – Chick Lit Plus – Review

I Love You Today by Marcia Gloster (Author Guest Post / Book Review / Contest Giveaway)

In association with Providence Book Promotions, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the virtual book tour event for I Love You Today by author Marcia Gloster!

Author Guest Post

Thoughts on Writing

I became a writer quite unexpectedly. One day while shopping in Manhattan, I heard a song in a store that triggered a deep memory from the summer when I was 20. Seconds later I had the name of a book and the first page. I ran home and began writing. For the next six months, I wrote 12-16 hours a day. Three years later, 31 Days: A Memoir of Seduction was published by The Story Plant.

The idea for I Love You Today came to me very differently. I was discussing the first two seasons of “Mad Men” with a friend, who said, “You actually lived that life. Why don’t you write about it?” 

The novel took four years to write and edit. There were two interruptions that took me away from writing for a few weeks, and there were times when I had to take a break to think through where the story was going. 

I usually write in the morning and once I begin very little distracts me. I know most writers require quiet and solitude, but brief interruptions like the phone ringing seldom disrupt my concentration. My focus keeps me on track, and often half a day goes by before I realize how much time has passed. Sometimes, when I’m dealing with something sad or confrontational within the story, I have to push myself to write, but once I begin, it somehow kicks in. 

My advice to writers is to read voraciously. I read both fiction and nonfiction. An agent once told me that one couldn’t be a writer unless one had read a lot.

If you hit a roadblock, you either have to write through or around it, or step back and think about where you are going. In one instance I actually interviewed my character. I made coffee, sat at a table and imagined that my character and I were in a café talking. I asked questions and she answered, and suddenly it began to make sense. After our “chat” I had the next chapter. 

Also, I don’t think it’s necessary to write in a linear fashion. For I Love You Today. I often wrote a few paragraphs or even an entire chapter that I knew would occur later in the book and then worked it in when I got to that part. You have to write as you feel it—even if it’s disconnected.  

About The Author

After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design in the 1960s, author Marcia Gloster built a career in New York City as an award-winning book designer and art director. A decade later, she founded and ran a boutique ad agency specializing in fashion. Gloster is a member of the National Association of Women Artists and Studio Montclair and exhibits her paintings in the New York area. Her first book, 31 DAYS: A MEMOIR OF SEDUCTION, was published in 2014.


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Book Review

I Love You Today by Marcia Gloster

Publisher: The Story Plant

Publication Date: April 17, 2017

Format: Paperback - 392 pages

               Kindle - 1350 KB

               Nook - 1 MB

ISBN: 978-1611882438

ASIN: B01NBVZKM4
BNID: 978-1943486991

Genre: Women's Fiction

Buy The Book:

Amazon

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iBooks

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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 Providence Book Promotions.

Book Description:

Maddie Samuels is a woman of – and ahead of – her time. She knows she doesn’t belong in the kitchen, and she refuses to become trapped in a secretarial pool. In mid-sixties New York City, she’s not only determined to succeed in a man’s world, but to prove her work is as good – or better – than any man’s.

With “free love” redefining relationships with head-spinning rapidity, Maddie learns how to push the accepted boundaries of established old-boy networks while refusing to accept the all-too-pervasive harassment by men in power. And yet as a woman in love, she discovers that beliefs and actions are often very different things – especially when it comes to a man like the seductive and charismatic Rob MacLeod.

Set in the era of Mad Men, I LOVE YOU TODAY is passionate, sexy, liberating and deeply moving. With a story as relevant today as it was then, this is a novel that readers will take to their hearts and their souls.

Reviewers Are Loving I Love You Today!:

“Love, sex, lies, and advertising in the era of Mad Men. Compelling and provocative.” – James Wiatt, former Chairman and CEO, William Morris Agency

“A romp through the Mad Men era, told from a woman’s point of view.” – Pamela Fiori, author and former editor-in-chief, Town & Country

“Marcia Gloster paints an intimate portrait of life in 1960s Manhattan… Readers looking for a peek into the magazine publishing and advertising world of that era will be intrigued!” – Marilyn Brant, New York Times bestselling author

“I Love You Today pulled me right in, from the wrenching love story that could never have a happy ending, to the ultimate strength shown by the main character. An overall compelling journey.” – Andrea Hurst, author of Always with You


Book Excerpt:

Maddie exited the subway and walked a block to the Status offices, arriving just at three. The stark simplicity of the reception area surprised her: a white leather sofa and a glass coffee table stood on a small beige area rug with two matching Barcelona chairs on either side. The only color came from large fashion photos that covered the walls behind the couch and reception desk. She had expected a bit more glitz.
The receptionist was tapping rapidly on her typewriter while talking equally as rapidly on the phone. Seeing Maddie, she looked up with an impatient expression on her heavily made-up face and whispered that she’d call back. Maddie told her she was there to see Mr. MacLeod. After an appraising glance, the receptionist unwrapped a piece of Juicy Fruit, popped it in her mouth and dialed an extension. Maddie straightened her skirt, suddenly wondering if she should have worn something other than a suit.
Have a seat,” the girl said in a bored voice, indicating the couch. “His secretary will be right out.”
Maddie sat, feeling nervousness creep in and her earlier, all-too-fragile confidence beginning to fade. A few minutes later, a short dark-haired young woman in a miniskirt came in and introduced herself as Tara, Mr. MacLeod’s secretary. Maddie followed her along a corridor lined with several windowed offices on the left and a bright open bullpen area on the right where it looked like some assistants worked in different sized cubicles. On the far side she saw two more large, sun filled offices. In one of the doorways two men stopped talking and glanced at her.
Tara stopped at the second to last office, looked in and grinned. “Rob, this is Miss Samuels, your three o’clock appointment.” There seemed to be an inside joke somewhere in there, but Maddie didn’t get it. Not then.
As she walked in he stood up, buttoned his suit jacket and stepped forward to shake her hand. She caught her breath; not only was he attractive, he had bright emerald green eyes and perhaps the longest eyelashes she had ever seen. Wasted on a man, she thought, trying not to stare. Or, perhaps not. His dark brown hair was cut short with long sideburns that framed his handsome face.
She sat down on one of the metal and leather chairs that faced his desk. A large drawing board, covered in layout sheets, rolls of galleys and photo stats was to his right. On the left, flat files were piled high with books of typefaces and stock photos. The office wasn’t designed for so much furniture; there was little room to move around.
He sat back and asked her to tell him about herself. Interviews generally didn’t faze her, but this time she was unusually flustered. She began by mentioning Today’s Bride, saying that she had liked working there.
“Why did you leave? You weren’t fired were you?”
“No. Not at all. It was just becoming uncomfortable. I’m not sure it’s something I should talk about.”
Her answer seemed to intrigue him. A smile lit up his eyes and he leaned forward, elbows on his desk. “Now you have to tell me, Miss Samuels. I promise I won’t tell anyone. Was it some sort of conspiracy?”
“No,” she stammered, wishing she had never brought it up. “Nothing like that. I was very close to Joan, the art director who hired me. She was a great teacher, actually a mentor for me. I was a kid just out of art school. But after two years her husband was offered a job at Publicis, the big ad agency in Paris and they decided to move there. Before she left she tried to have me named as art director. By then I was doing half the work on the magazine anyway. But the publisher told her he had already decided to bring in a well-known art director from a rival publication.” She stopped, unsure how to proceed.
“So what was the problem?”
“Well,” she took a breath, “not only was he hiring her, but his weekly meetings with his so-called ‘investors’ were really long afternoons at the Biltmore, a few blocks away.”
He leaned back in his chair and laughed. “You had to leave because the publisher was screwing…pardon me, sleeping with the new art director?”
She bit her lip, sorry she had mentioned it and realizing she had backed herself into a corner.
“It wasn’t quite so simple. Over the first couple of months she did everything she could to make my life miserable. Suddenly I wasn’t allowed to cover photo shoots and then she didn’t even want me doing layouts. She began quietly bringing in her own team. By the time everyone realized what was going on, there wasn’t anything anyone could do about it. I spoke to the publisher who I knew liked me, but he said it was now up to her. It was out of his hands. So I resigned.” Taking another big breath, she looked at him, hoping she hadn’t said too much.
He shook his head. “Too bad. It sounds like you were happy there.”
“Yes. I was.”
He asked her to tell him more: what her goals were and did she really want a career or just a job until she found the right man to marry.
His questions didn’t surprise her; she had been asked the same things at every interview.
“Mr. MacLeod. I have no desire to be married. I’m focused on my career. I hope to be an art director one day.”
“And how do you plan to become one?” She looked back at him wide eyed. It was a question she had never been asked. “I guess I’ll just have to keep on working and learning. I’m very motivated, Mr. MacLeod. If something needs to get done, I’ll make sure it happens.”
He nodded, green eyes flashing. “I’ll bet you will. Let me have a look at your portfolio.”
As she stood up, she noticed him glance at her legs. She wondered if her skirt was too short but not wanting to appear self-conscious she stopped herself from smoothing it down. Standing next to him, she answered his questions as he leafed through the pages.
“Miss Samuels, can you leave the portfolio with me? Unless, of course, you have other interviews today.”
“Yes. I mean, no.” She wanted to kick herself. What is wrong with me? “Yes, I can leave it, and no, I don’t have any more interviews today.”
He smiled, amused at her obvious discomfort. “Good. I’d like to show it to the managing editor. I’ve already seen several potential candidates and I expect to make a decision later today.”
She thanked him and he shook her hand, holding it she thought, a bit longer than necessary.

Excerpt from I Love You Today by Marcia Gloster. Copyright © 2017 by Marcia Gloster. Reproduced with permission from The Story Plant. All rights reserved.

My Book Review:

In I Love You Today, author Marcia Gloster transports the reader back to the mid-1960s pre-feminist Mad Men era in Manhattan, where twenty-four year old budding art director Maddie Samuels is a woman ahead of the times, driven to pursue her career passions. When Maddie starts a new job at Status magazine as an assistant to art director Rob MacLeod, there is no denying the chemistry between them. Even though Maddie knows that Rob is married, they engage in a five year intense and all consuming illicit affair that inevitably leads Maggie to falling in love with Rob, while maintaining a strong determination to climb the career ladder in the male dominated advertising and publishing world on Madison Avenue.

While I thoroughly enjoyed following the intense affair of the heart between Maddie and Rob, I found myself more intrigued by the utilization of the author's past professional experience to interweave a richly vivid and powerful description of the 1960s time period, and the inner-workings of the advertising and publishing industry. This evocative women's fiction tale easily draws the reader into Maddie's journey, you can't help but get caught up in the drama, challenges, choices, and surprising twists and turns that she faces along the way.


RATING: 4 STARS 

Contest Giveaway

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Providence Book Propotions for Marcia Gloster and The Story Plant.

There will be 1 winner of one (1) $25 Amazon.com Gift Card and 5 winners of 1 eBook copy of 31 DAYS: A MEMOIR OF SEDUCTION by Marcia Gloster.

The giveaway begins on April 17th and runs through June 19th, 2017.

This giveaway is for US residents only.

Void where prohibited by law.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Virtual Book Tour

 I Love You Today by Marcia Gloster ~ Virtual Book Tour Event Page

Tour Schedule:

4/17 Guest Post @ Books Direct

4/18 Interview @ The Reading Frenzy

4/19 Showcase @ Books, Dreams, Life

4/21 Review @ CMash Reads

4/25 Interview @ Writers and Authors

4/28 Showcase @ The Bookworm Lodge

5/02 Guest post @ Hott Books

5/15 Blog Talk Radio w/Fran Lewis

5/15 Review @ Just Reviews

5/17 Interview @ BooksChatter

5/18 Review @ Bunnys Review

6/02 Review/Guest Post @ Jersey Girl Book Reviews

6/05 Review @ BookLove

Big City Heat by David Burnsworth (Author Guest Post / Book Review / Contest Giveaway)

In association with Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the virtual book tour event for Big City Heat by author David Burnsworth!

Author Guest Post

Time To Upgrade My iPhone

By: David Burnsworth

I tend to hold onto things. Sometimes that’s a good thing. Other times not so much. Take for instance my iPhone, an unlocked 5 that’s four years old. I love the size and the fact that it fits in my pocket. Oh, and that the rubber cover has protected the screen from cracking after multiple drops. It’s old enough that I had to have the charge jack replaced. Surprising enough that was only an eight dollar part. It bought me an extra year of life out of the phone. But it’s time for a replacement. The funny thing is there’s this iPhone SE that’s similar in size with upgraded internals. I’m already thinking that’s my next one.

Regardless of the title, this really isn’t about my iPhone. It’s about me not being able to part with things easily. Especially things that have been good to me. Like my last car, a Mazda Protégé. It was obvious to everyone but me that it needed to be replaced six months before I finally gave in. Instead, I bought a fresh set of tires and ignored the smoking exhaust and various squeaks and rattles down the highway. And then I bought another Mazda, and the “new” one’s now paid for and got a few more years on it, I hope, because I’m not quite ready to accept that I need a new one.

I once had a job that had started to go south. The signs, again, were there. But I toughed it out a few years too many before making the change. Glad I did and things worked out, but I might have been better served looking earlier.

The laptop I’m writing this on is ten years old. It still works fine now on its second keyboard and battery. And it has been the vehicle I used to write four books, a novella, various short stories and blog submissions, and also hosts my current work in progress. But I get the feeling that I need to back things up more often and have some money set aside for its replacement.

Confession time. I can’t wait to get my new iPhone. And I’m thinking about what I might replace my current wheels with. A nice sports car for my fiftieth birthday sounds about right. That’s more than a few years away so I would still have time to spend with my Mazda.

Is there anything you tend to hold onto?

About The Author

David Burnsworth became fascinated with the Deep South at a young age. After a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and fifteen years in the corporate world, he made the decision to write a novel. Southern Heat is his first mystery. Having lived in Charleston on Sullivan’s Island for five years, the setting was a foregone conclusion. He and his wife along with their dog call South Carolina home.


Author Website
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Book Review

Big City Heat by David Burnsworth

Book 3: Brack Pelton / Heat Mystery Series

Publisher: Henery Press 

Publication Date: PB - March 6, 2017 / eBook - April 25, 2017

Format: Paperback - 294 pages

               Kindle - 754 KB

               Nook - 473 KB

ISBN: 978-1635111996

ASIN: B01N6UQHTG

BNID: 2940157525187

Genre: Mystery / Suspense / Thriller

Buy The Book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Goodreads

Buy The Series:

Book 1: Southern Heat

Book 2: Burning Heat

Book 3: Big City Heat

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Goodreads

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 Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.

Book Description:

Lowcountry bar owner and ex-Marine Brack Pelton heads to Atlanta in the wake of a panicked 3 AM phone call. A woman is missing and Brack’s friend Mutt is in danger. Brack’s old flame, investigative news correspondent Darcy Wells, now lives there and is set to marry another man. If Brack was honest with himself, and he usually wasn’t, he’d realize that the missing woman isn’t the reason for his visit. His Semper Fi buddy Mutt can handle himself just fine.

When Brack and Mutt team up to find the woman, the Atlanta underworld revolts, the two biggest players target them, and people start dying. Most people would size up the situation, call it impossible, and walk away. But most people are not Brack Pelton. Impossible situations are his specialty. He made it through Afghanistan and when the military commanders mistook suicidal tendencies for leadership qualities they promoted him. Can Brack succeed at finding the woman, protecting his friend, and winning the girl without destroying the Capital of the South? Not since Sherman’s march across Georgia has the city of Atlanta been in this much danger.


Book Excerpt: 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me...
Psalm 23:4

Atlanta, Georgia, Wednesday night, Mid-May
Brack Pelton waited in his Porsche by a no-parking zone in a very bad part of the city and watched someone he thought he knew well climb out of an old Eldorado convertible. The man entered a ramshackle building with a neon beer mug shining through its one dirty window.
Easing away from the red-marked bus stop, Brack found a better location down the block and pulled in. Before getting out of the Porsche, he woke Shelby, his tan mixed-breed dog slumbering in the backseat, and pulled a forty-five from the glovebox. He verified a round was chambered.
Shelby licked his lips and gave a quick bark as Brack slid the pistol down the back waistband of his cargo shorts.
Patting his dog on the head, Brack asked, “Ready?” A needless question. Another bark affirmed Shelby’s stand on things.
“When we get inside, your job is to find Mutt. Okay?” Shelby licked his face. Brack knew that as long as their target hadn’t escaped out some back door, Shelby would find him. Mutt was one of his favorite people. Brack’s too. That was why tracking him like this went against everything he believed in doing.
Mutt was the one who often rode shotgun with Brack as they’d right Charleston’s wrongs. Now Mutt was the one in the crosshairs. Thanks to an early morning phone call from Cassie, Mutt’s girlfriend, a life depended on answers his friend would give. The forty-five wouldn’t come out unless trouble came up.
The barroom’s rusty screen door screeched open. Shelby darted ahead, already focused on his objective. Brack entered a time warp. Uncanny how even the sour bar wash fragrance and cigarette smoke were the same. Through the old familiar haze, he imagined Mutt standing behind a peeling Formica counter pouring drinks to patrons who could barely afford their rent. Somehow, Mutt had managed to replicate his termite-infested watering hole three hundred miles west of where his original joint stood before some spoiled neighborhood brat burned it down.
“You lost?” A very large African-American man wearing a soiled wife-beater chalking a pool cue confronted the white newcomer.
Meeting his gaze, Brack said, “No. I’m looking for a loudmouth Marine named Mutt. If he’s here drinking, the rounds are on me. If he owns this place, I’m going to beat the life out of him.”
“Big talk coming from someone in yo’ shoes,” he said. Four other men flanked him, two on each side, all with arms folded across their meaty chests. Five soiled wife-beaters in a row. A worn-out AC unit clicked and sputtered, failing to condition the polluted air in the establishment.
Shelby seemed to take longer than usual to find Mutt. Only one thing could sidetrack him. But no women had ever been present in the original Mutt’s Bar in Charleston. They’d been afraid to enter the place.
Maybe Atlanta women were different. Casually Brack removed the half-smoked cigar he’d been saving in his pocket and lit it. The only faithful friend he had left at the moment was his own adrenaline. Brack was angry at Mutt and wouldn’t mind working it out of his system on these five gentlemen facing him.
Three more joined them. Okay, these eight gentlemen.
Brack felt more gather behind him. His wayward dog better have a real good excuse for not warning him.
Taking a drag on the stogie, he exhaled a cloud of smoke to add to the carcinogenic fog. “It’s going to be a bad day for some of you.”
Chuckles echoed around the room, undoubtedly at his expense.
Mutt pushed his way through the gathering mob. A few inches over six feet, he’d replaced his boxed Afro with a close trim since the last time Brack had seen him. His clothes were of a more recent vintage, another change, and to Brack’s untrained eye, quite stylish.
“Opie, you always got to do things the hard way, don’t ’cha?” Brack couldn’t decide if he wanted to punch him or shake his hand. The fact that his friend sported a bridge that replaced his missing front teeth also caught him off guard.
Shelby was not with Mutt. From behind, Brack heard the gruff words, “You want us to take this cracker out back, Mutt?”
Mutt knew as well as Brack did that they were greatly outnumbered. But Brack figured Mutt also knew that a few of his patrons would spend the next few weeks in the hospital if things went south.
Before either of them could say anything, a husky female voice came from somewhere in the crowd. “You got the prettiest dog.”
All the men turned in the direction of the voice. Through a break in the undershirt line, Brack observed a heavyset black woman in a way-too-tight purple body suit. Clearly she’d fallen in love with his dog. Her extra-long orange day-glo fingernails scratched behind his ears.
Sitting on his haunches with closed eyes, Shelby flapped his tongue and panted in what Brack recognized as pure bliss. Two other women wearing similar attire also gave Shelby their full attention. Brack was about to get pummeled by eight or more hulks itching to right the wrongs of their world, yet his dog had managed to pick up what looked like all the women in the establishment.
The spokesman for the wife-beater ensemble said, “We ain’t finished wit you, white boy.”
Brack turned back to him. Mutt got between them. “Easy, Charlie. He’s my brother.” The men looked at each other as if Mutt and Brack could possibly be related. Of course, they weren’t in the traditional sense.
“Summertime” by Billy Stewart began to play somewhere in the room. A real classic.
Circling Shelby, the women moved their ample hips to the beat. The dog, in plus-sized heaven, spun around, not sure which lady to kiss first.
A fourth woman Brack hadn’t noticed until now came from behind the bar to stand beside Mutt. Almost as tall as Brack, with dark brown skin, a buzzed haircut, and toned figure bordering on muscular. Her inked-up arms momentarily distracted Brack.
The man Mutt called Charlie said, “I don’t care who you think he is. He ain’t got the juice to come in here talking about beatin’ you up.”
Mutt turned to his old friend. “You said you was gonna beat me up?”
“Something like that.” Brack cocked his head. “I get a call begging me to drive here from Charleston. It’s Cassie. She’s scared half to death because some men threatened her, and she doesn’t know what you do when you leave her house late at night. Put yourself in her shoes.”
The woman bartender looked at him. “You must be Brack.” Mutt interrupted. “Opie, I’ma tell you like I tol’ Cassie. What I do is my bidness. She ain’t got no right to ask.”
Charlie moved in like he was about to throw a punch. Before Brack could react, the toned female bartender grabbed Charlie by the shirt collar and said, “You really don’t want to do that.”
Mutt said, “Easy there, Tara. We all friends here.” She didn’t let go. Charlie backed off. Brack dropped what was left of his cigar on the floor, crushed it with his foot, and turned back to Mutt. “You better tell me what’s going on, or I will beat the ever-living daylights out of you.”


***
Excerpt from Big City Heat: A Brack Pelton Mystery by David Burnsworth.
Copyright © 2017 by David Burnsworth.
Reproduced with permission from David Burnsworth. All rights reserved.

My Book Review:

In the third book of the Brack Pelton / Heat Mystery Series, Big City Heat, author David Burnsworth transports the reader back to the lowcountry setting of Charleston, SC for another intriguing Brack Pelton Southern noir / mystery adventure. 

Brack Pelton is an Afghanistan war veteran and owner of the Pirate's Cove bar on the Isle of Palm. When he gets a call that his friend Mutt is in danger and needs his help finding his girlfriend Cassie's missing little sister Regan, Brack leaves his sultry lowcountry home of Charleston, SC for Atlanta. Brack and Mutt team up to find the missing woman while playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the seedy players in the Atlanta underworld. And if you think that isn't enough action for Brack, add in the reunion with his old-flame, investigative news correspondent Darcy Wells, and the heat level jacks up in ol' Hotlanta!

Author David Burnsworth weaves a fast-paced and suspenseful tale that follows Brack's investigative journey as it takes him all over Atlanta.The reader is easily drawn into this well written story with its richly descriptive plot and setting, it is filled with enough action and unsuspecting twists and turns that takes the reader on one hell of a thrilling roller coaster ride.

As a fan of Southern fiction, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this thrilling mystery. I was intrigued by Brack and Mutt's adventure. I loved Brack's gritty nature and sarcastic attitude, and I found myself cheering for him and Mutt as they embarked on another dangerous adventure. 

With an intriguing cast of characters; witty dialogue and dramatic interactions; and a richly descriptive Southern setting, Big City Heat is a classic Southern noir mystery novel that is a must read!

RATING: 4 STARS 

Contest Giveaway

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for David Burnsworth and Henery Press.

There will be 1 winner of one (1) $15 Amazon.com Gift Card and 5 winners of one (1) eBook copy of Big City Heat by David Burnsworth.

The giveaway begins on April 22, 2017 and runs through May 29, 2017.

This giveaway is for US residents only. Void where prohibited by law.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Virtual Book Tour

 Big City Heat by David Burnsworth ~ Virtual Book Tour Event Page

Tour Schedule:

4/24 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader

4/25 Review @ CMash Reads

4/25 Showcase @ Sapphyrias Book Reviews

4/26 Interview/showcase @ CMash Reads

4/26 Showcase @ Books, Dreams, Life

4/27 Showcase @ BooksChatter

5/02 Showcase @ A Bookworms Journal

5/03 Review/Interview @ Rockin Book Reviews - GIVEAWAY

5/04 Interview @ Deal Sharing Aunt

5/05 Showcase @ A Bookaholic Swede

5/08 Review @ BookLove

5/09 Review @ just reviews

5/10 Showcase/Guest post @ Suspense Magazine

5/11 Review @ Blogging with A

5/15 Review/Guest post @ Brooke Blogs

5/16 Showcase @ The Pulp and Mystery Shelf

5/17 Showcase @ Celticladys Reviews

5/18 Review @ Inside of a Dog

5/23 Review @ Bunnys Review

5/25 Blog Talk Radio w/Fran Lewis

5/26 Review/Guest post @ Jersey Girl Book Reviews