Tag: Book Blogger

Indie Spotlight: Book Review: Wildcard by Gail Meath

BonnieReadsAndWrites19 Comments

Indie Spotlight is my attempt to help Indie authors with the daunting task of marketing. It’s the biggest job they have and I am happy to help. You can help too by sharing this with all of your social media followers. Below is a book description, author bio, and book review of Wildcard by Gail Meath

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Niagara Falls, 1923. Traveling out of the city isn’t PI Jax Diamond’s cup of tea, but when he and Laura along with their courageous companion, Ace, head to Niagara Falls on their honeymoon, they’re on cloud nine. That is, until Jax carries his new bride over the threshold, and there’s a corpse in their bed that looks to have been there since the dawn of time.

A ten-year-old unsolved murder sets off a string of others with victims plunging to their deaths over the falls, and all the evidence is pointing to nightclub owner and their good pal, Orin Marino, as the killer.

Jax, Laura, Ace, and friends risk their lives trying to solve a crazy riddle and stop a killer before the next victim takes the plunge. But every step forward sends them two steps back. It’s a wild and crazy ride with twists, turns, and belly flops in this fun and fast-paced 1920s cozy thriller.

Easily reads as a standalone.

BOOK REVIEW

In this eighth book of the Jax Diamond series, Jax and Laura’s honeymoon in Niagara Falls takes an unexpected turn when they find out their good friend Orin Marino is in town, and then that he is accused of murder. Jax and Laura immediately start to investigate with the help of a wealthy hotel owner, their clever German Shepherd, Ace, and their friends Tim and Carla. When another body turns up, things get more confusing than ever.

Orin has long been my favorite character, so I was thrilled to see a book with him on the cover, and to get a peek at his backstory right away. The mystery is full of twists and turns, and I did not see the end coming. The story is engaging and will keep you guessing the whole time. Orin, always a great friend to Jax, Laura, Tim, and Carla, is suddenly in need of a friend himself, and they all drop everything to come to his aid. I loved the mystery, Orin’s determination to protect his friends, and, of course, Ace’s contributions as well. Cozy mystery lovers will enjoy this book. It can be read as a standalone. I also recommend the whole series.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gail Meath is the author of the multi-award-winning Jax Diamond Mysteries, a fun 1920s series about wise-cracking PI Jax Diamond, his courageous German Shepherd partner, Ace, and Broadway star Laura Graystone, as they, along with a crazy group of friends, solve some of the toughest crimes in New York City. She is alternating that series with her new 1930s Golden Age of Hollywood mysteries series, Stone & Steele, starring Vivian Steele, a widow seeking justice, and Preston Stone, a playboy vigilante.

In both series, the author challenges readers to identify the villains before she reveals them:)

Gail also has a list of other award-winning historical romances, westerns, and fictional biographies of true heroines. She lives in a small village in Upstate New York with her husband and sweet Boston Terrier, and she spends loads of time with her grandchildren.

PURCHASE LINKS

WILDCARD ON AMAZON |WHOLE SERIES ON AMAZON

* Kindle Unlimited Subscribers can read each book in the series for free.

* All books in this series can be read as standalones.

BEFORE YOU GO

If you read the book, please be sure and leave a review on Amazon. It helps Indie authors so much. A review does not have to be a masterpiece. Just a sentence or two about how the book made you feel will make an author’s day and help their books succeed.

Book Review: A Fashionably French Murder By Colleen Cambridge

BonnieReadsAndWrites7 Comments

This is Book 3 in the “An American in Paris” cozy mystery series. I did this review for The Historical Novel Society.

BOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)

If there’s one art the French have mastered as well as fine cuisine, it’s haute couture. Tabitha and Julia are already accustomed to sampling the delights of the former. Now fashion is returning to the forefront in Paris, as the somber hues of wartime are replaced by vibrant colors and ultra-feminine silhouettes, influenced by Christian Dior’s “New Look.”
 
Tabitha and Julia join a friend for a private showing at an exclusive fashion atelier, Maison Lannet. The event goes well, but when Tabitha returns later that evening to search for a lost glove, she finds the lights still on—and the couturier dead, strangled by a length of lace. The shop manager suspects that a jealous rival—perhaps Dior himself—committed the crime. Tabitha dismisses that idea, but when another body is found, it’s apparent that someone is targeting employees of Maison Lannet.
 
Meanwhile, Tabitha’s Grand-père and Oncle Rafe are in the midst of their own design-related fracas, as they squabble over how to decorate their new restaurant. And there are strange break-ins at a nearby shoe store—but are the crimes related? It’s up to Tabitha to don her investigative hat and find answers before someone commits another fatal fashion faux pas.

BOOK REVIEW

1950. Tabitha Knight is back in the third book in the An American in Paris series.  This time she is visiting an up-and-coming Parisian fashion house with her good friend Julia Child when she discovers the body of the designer, Madame Lannet. Unable to resist an urge to investigate, she soon stumbles on yet another body, and it is not long before she’s once again crossing the path of Inspecteur Etienne Merveille, who is well aware of her sleuthing tendencies.   Romance is also in the air, and Tabitha finds herself attracted to Inspecteur Merveille against her better judgment.  While rescuing a feral cat with a broken tail, she also meets Monsieur Héroux, the veterinarian, and they make plans for a date as well.  Tabitha’s grand-père and his long-time partner also bring fun to the story, as they are fighting over how to design their new restaurant, and they take her to Dior to select a custom gown.

This is another great book in the series.  Julia Child, as always, steals the show with her over-the-top personality.  She injects joy, food, and humor whenever she is a part of the story. The author has obviously done her research well and captured Child’s character in a charming way.  The mouthwatering descriptions of delicious French food add to the delight, and I learned a lot about making crepes through Julia’s instructions to Tabitha.  The mystery is compelling with an unexpected ending, and adding the glamorous fashion industry into the mix makes this a winner.  Fans of cozy mysteries will love this book and the whole series.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google | Kobo

Top Ten Tuesday: Ways In Which My Blogging Habits Have Changed.

BonnieReadsAndWrites22 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. The topic this week is “Ten Ways That My Blogging Habits Have Changed.”

1. My Indie Spotlight feature started out as Self-Published Saturday back in 2021, and then it became Indie Weekend. I just recently changed it to Indie Spotlight because I am retired and I don’t need to wait until the weekend anymore. All of them have the same goal: To celebrate and share Indie books.

2. My first review was a Two-Star back in October 2020! Although I do post some bad reviews sometimes, I now usually use my blog to celebrate good books. The exceptions are when a book I didn’t like is really expensive and popular, and I want to warn people before they spend the money. John Grisham’s supposed sequel to The Firm comes to mind.

3. My graphics are way better. I started using Shutterstock a few years ago, and I think I provide more eye-catching posts now.

4. I change my blog background seasonally, but I started putting clocks in all of my background pictures in maybe 2022. That is a nod to my love of time-travel fiction.

Book Header Bonnie Reads and Writes with white letters over a red background. A red and white clock wearing a Christmas hat is on one side.
A Thanksgiving cornucopia is on the left, and the banner reads Bonnie Reads and Writes in red. An old gold clock sits on top of a book to complete the banner.

5. I only had a little over 3,000 views in 2020. Now I am just about 100 views away from 100,000. That is despite having a down year last year due to moving, retirement, and Hurricane Helene.

6. I have had over 45,000 visitors to my blog since 2020. I’ll do a celebration post when I pass 50,000 visitors.

7. I was very focused on Netgalley reviews for a long time. Now I only have 12 books on my Netgalley shelf. A lot of my reviews now come from The Historical Novel Society and from Indie authors. I’m also about to embark on a “Reviewing the Classics” journey.

8. My logo has changed a lot. Thanks to Author Gail Meath for my latest, and best, logo.

There are six logos that have been used for Bonnie Reads and Writes, with the most recent one being a woman with auburn hair and a green shirt sitting in front of a pile of books. There is a blue background, with Bonniereadsandwrites.com at the bottom.

9. I feel like my reviews are better written now. Reviewing for The Historical Novel Society has helped with that.

10. The best change is the friendships. I’ve made some very dear friends who I met via this blog.

I am so thankful for this blog, and the opportunity to share my thoughts with all of you, and that will never change.

How about you? How have your blogging habits changed?