readersalley

Author: readersalley

Murder in Palm Beach By Bob Brink

Posted on by

The doorbell rings in the home of a prominent Palm Beach citizen, quickly followed by a shotgun blast that shatters a window, cracking the calm of a cool January night. Rodger Kriger falls to the floor, mortally wounded, leaving a wife and six children.

Murder in Palm Beach: The Homicide That Never Died is closely based on a sensational, real murder that happened in the posh ocean-side town in 1976. In the thin guise of fiction, the book contains shocking new information never before made public. Author Bob Brink, an award-winning journalist, was a newspaper reporter in the locale where the assassination occurred. It made media headlines for 15 years.

An ambitious prosecutor pins the deed on Mitt Hecher, a hoodlum and karate expert. At Hecher’s trial, fellow jail inmates testify that he confessed. He is convicted and sentenced to the brutal and anarchic state prison at Raiford, where a stabbing a day and a killing a week are the “mean” average.

Judges repeatedly frustrate Hecher and several attorneys working without fees to get a new trial, as investigators pursue myriad scenarios. Meanwhile, his wife contracts a deadly disease.

Was Hecher innocent, and if so, who did it? Did the sons of a wealthy Cuban kill Kriger? Were the operators of a gambling enterprise out to get him? Was a love triangle the basis for the shooting? Did a vicious underworld figure do the bidding of a criminal gang? Was a prominent politician behind the slaying? Those are the questions seeking answers amid the exploration of issues of justice and power.

Murder in Palm Beach is the saga of a battle between a man whose swagger has sent him spiraling to the bottom and powerful, sinister forces determined to keep him there. It is a narrative of redemption wrapped in a mystery tale reeking with power, sex, and violence. It also contains a heart-rending love story.

Buy Links:

About the Author:

Bob Brink is a journalist who worked with the Palm Beach Post, The Associated Press in Chicago, Milwaukee Journal, Tampa Tribune, Joliet Herald-News, and Palm Beach Media Group (magazines). His byline has been on thousands of news stories, features, and entertainment reviews.

He has been a freelance writer for several years, and is the author of several books. To promote his current novel, MURDER IN PALM BEACH: The Homicide That Never Died, he has a website, www.bobbrinkwriter.com. From the site, he blogs on three passions: grammar, alternative health care, and socio-political issues.

Brink’s first book, A TALE OF TWO CONTINENTS: Jetting Across the Globe to Have a Baby, is a short memoir that he ghost-wrote for a woman. Almost simultaneously, he authored BREAKING OUT, a coming-of-age novel about a troubled young man. Recently, he compiled a book of short stories titled THE WAY IT WAS: Short Stories and Tall Tales.

Brink has won numerous writing accolades and several awards, including three for Palm Beach Illustrated, which won the Best Written Magazine award from the Florida Magazine Association after he became copy chief and senior writer.

He was a reporter for the Palm Beach Post when the crime that MURDER IN PALM BEACH is based on occurred. It was an enormously sensational event that was featured six years later on a national TV show, and made newspaper headlines for 15 years. A karate expert went to prison for the deed, but many doubted his guilt. A newspaper reporter spent years investigating, and made shocking discoveries about the assassination and the person behind it.

Besides dabbling in short-story writing over the years, Brink immersed himself in learning to play the clarinet and tenor saxophone. He performed many years with an estimable, 65-piece community symphonic band, and played a few professional big band gigs. He relegated music to the back seat after embarking on writing novels. He is a fairly proficient ballroom dancer and a health enthusiast.

A product of Michigan and Iowa, Brink has a bachelor’s degree in English from Drake University in Des Moines and completed graduate journalism studies at the University of Iowa.

Find Bob Online:

Books For Review – Week of June 24th

Posted on by

Jake: A Southern Crime Family Novel
By Carla Swafford
Carla Swafford
Published: May 21, 2019
Romantic Suspense

Forget the Hatfields and McCoys, in a small Southern town, the Whitfields and Tallys are the real family feud. So for some unholy reason, Jake Whitfield’s old man and Angel Tally’s grandfather wrote codicils to their wills the night before they died in a suspicious fire. The codicils require Jake and Angel to marry or lose their inheritances.

Jake feels like a man with two faces. One he presents to his brothers and the public: the criminal willing to step on anyone for a buck while mercilessly protecting the business. The other: the lonely man wanting a better life for himself and his family and working with an FBI agent to make it happen.

To Jake, marrying Angel makes sense. With her family’s help, he can fight the new criminal organization that’s moving into his town. Immersed in the criminal world, there is no hope for Angel, but her brother is still young. She will do anything to protect him from that way of life and whoever killed their grandfather, even marry a despised Whitfield. And Angel never forgot about the sexy incident with Jake in high school ten years earlier.And if she has to go along with a Whitfield-Tally marriage, she wants a replay.

Debt Cleanse
How To Settle Your Unaffordable Debts for Pennies on the Dollar (And Not Pay Some At All)
By Jorge P. Newbery
Publisher: Community Books
Self-Help

Jorge Newbery erased his debts without filing bankruptcy. Now you can, too.

Like many Americans, Newbery struggled with debt. But unlike most people, he owed more than $26 million. Creditors swarmed after a natural disaster devastated his multi-million dollar business. The stress was crushing. He needed a way out — and what he discovered will amaze you.

His breakthrough came practically by accident. One of his creditors made a sloppy legal mistake, and he battled the creditor all the way to the Missouri Court of Appeals. The court ruled that the entire debt — nearly $6 million — was “inadvertently extinguished.” It didn’t have to be paid. It was completely eliminated.

Newbery applied the powerful techniques he had learned to all his other debts. The results were astonishing. One after another, his debts were either settled or gone forever.

Now, Newbery reveals his proven debt-cleansing methods. In simple, step-by-step instructions, you’ll learn how to…

– Assert your rights and defend yourself against creditors.

– Stop making payments — and turn that to your advantage.

– End harassing collection calls.

– Dispute your debts to stack the odds in your favor.

– Uncover deficiencies that can put money in your pocket.

– Protect your assets from creditors (100% legally).

– Negotiate the best possible settlements.

– Be debt-free for life.

Debt Cleanse shows you how to gain leverage over your creditors. You can settle your unaffordable debts for pennies on the dollar – and not pay some at all.

Don’t let your debt burden you one more day. This book will set you free.

Island of Last Resorts
by Mary Ellis
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Release Date: November 1, 2019
Mystery & Thrillers

Kate Weller’s boss, Nate Price, has some exciting news: Julian Frazier, a friend of one of the agency’s wealthy clients, has invited the Nate Price Investigations team and their partners on a trip of a lifetime to his home on Elysian Island, an exclusive retreat off the Georgian coast. But there’s a catch. Frazier has written his own murder mystery script, and the PIs must work out whodunnit. As they’re about to discover, though, the murder Frazier wants them to solve is a real cold case, and there’s a killer twist that isn’t in the script . . . Unable to reach Elysian Island and her co-workers, Kate is sure that someone wants her to stay away. Can she stop a ruthless killer and uncover the truth behind a deadly game?

New Release – Contemporary Romance – Moonshine and Magnolias

Posted on by

Hotel executive Wendy Marsh puts her career on hold when she inherits half of her family’s inn. Her to-do list? It’s simple: teach her spoiled cousin how to manage Fountenoy Hall, then hightail it back to her structured, careful life in Atlanta. Romance has never been part of Wendy’s plan – so what is it about the sexy history professor researching the inn that she finds so tempting?

Rob Upshaw would be enjoying his time at the Inn at Fountenoy Hall if he wasn’t secretly hunting for a family treasure lost during Prohibition. Only a few minor inconveniences stand in his way. His uncle’s old journals are cryptic, he has only a vague description of the loot, and the beautiful, uptight innkeeper with a subtle sense of humor might hold the key to his quest. Even though Rob’s career is built on facts, he accepts he might have to lie to Wendy. But falling for her? That’s out of the question.

Moonshine and Magnolias is a Just Add Peaches novel. Each book in the series is a stand-alone, passionate and playful contemporary romance, but you’ll want more than one juicy bite.

At the same time she marries Kenton, a stroke kills his father. And then before she can tell Kenton she’s pregnant, he dies in an automobile accident. Heartbroken and burdened with the gift of the Chandler Hill Inn and Winery, she’s left with the task of making them a success. Struggling to raise a child alone while working to grow the business, Lettie makes a shocking discovery that changes everything.

Buy Links:

About the Author:

Abigail Sharpe is a Boston-bred Yankee now eating grits and saying “y’all” in North Central Florida. She dreamed more of being a stage actress or joining the CIA than being an author. While she still enjoys participating in community theater productions and singing karaoke, the secret-agent career was replaced by hours at her computer, writing passionate and playful contemporary romance.

When she’s not writing, she can be found wearing a corset and singing bawdy songs with Just Desserts, an a cappella musical comedy act, at places that won’t throw them out.

Find Judith Online:

Books For Review – Week of June 17th

Posted on by

Slaved
Last Chance Series, Book 2
By A.L. Long
Published: June 2019
ASIN: B07SK9B414
Pages: 80
Genre: Erotic Romance, Romantic Suspense

“I could feel her heart beat
even though we were miles away”

Rescued from the only life she had ever known, Alannah Jackson learns what it means to be loved and not controlled. Finally able to let go of her past she begins a new life with the man who has shown her what love is. Faced with the truth, Alannah finds she can never escape her past or who she is. She will never love, only serve.

Roman’s love for Alannah is tested when he finds that she has been slaved by a man just as ruthless as Winston Nelson. Against his better judgement, he accepts Martin Holland’s offer to help retrain Alannah and he begins to question the love they shared. After Martin Holland makes it clear of his intentions, Roman stops at nothing to get her back. There is no room for another man in her life.

Contains adult content 18+

Vivi’s Leading Man
Durango Street Theatre, Book 1
By Emily Mims
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Published: April 2019
ISBN: 978-1948029902 (pb)
ISBN: 978-1948029896 (ebook)
ASIN: B07QWRLNMP
Pages: 237
Genre: Contemporary Romance

EXES AND OHS

The marriage was one of convenience. She had status and he had money. But… there was something there, and both of them felt it. After three years of him working long hours and her spending too much time at the Durango Street Theatre, Miguel Abonce and Vivienne Heiser called it quits. One year later, they are forced to work together to save or sell the theater. In the process they discover things they never knew about each other and they learn there’s more between them than burning up the sheets. They might really love each other after all.

Salvation Lost
by Peter F. Hamilton
Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine
Sci Fi & Fantasy
Release Date: October 29, 2019

All the best in humanity rises to meet a powerful alien threat in the sequel to Salvation—part of an all-new trilogy from “the owner of the most powerful imagination in science fiction” (Ken Follett).

The comparative utopia of twenty-third-century Earth is about to go dreadfully awry when a seemingly benign alien race is abruptly revealed to be one of the worst threats humanity has ever faced. Driven by an intense religious extremism, the Olyix are determined to bring everyone to their version of God as they see it. But they may have met their match in humanity, who are not about to go gently into that good night or spend the rest of their days cowering in hiding. As human ingenuity and determination rise to the challenge, collective humanity has only one goal—to wipe this apparently undefeatable enemy from the face of creation. Even if it means playing a ridiculously long game indeed.

But in a chaotic universe, it is hard to plan for every eventuality, and it is always darkest before the dawn.

New Book Release – Women’s Fiction – Change of Heart

Posted on by

Emerson “Em” Jordan always wanted a Valentine’s Day wedding. But after being dumped by her boyfriend, she spends the holiday at Seashell Cottage on the Gulf Coast of Florida with Devin Gerard, a family friend who has no interest in her or any other woman and is instead concentrating on his pediatric medical practice and continuing medical missions in Costa Rica.

Em, who’s always wanted a large family, doesn’t mind his disinterest. At thirty-two, she’s decided she doesn’t need a husband to have a child or to adopt one. First, she’s going to fulfill her dream of setting up her own landscape design business in upstate New York and has promised to continue to help run her grandmother’s flower shop.

It isn’t until Em and Devin become friends that Em realizes she might want more than friendship from him. But with his work in Miami and Costa Rica and her busy life in New York, it’s out of the question until something happens that changes everything, even a couple of hearts.

Reader Reviews

“I love how so many of Judith’s books are set at the seaside, as it always gives me a holiday feel about them. Its time to return to the Seashell Cottage for another wonderful and emotional story of love and happiness. This is a very sweet and moving story of broken dreams, friendship, family, dreams, inspiration, determination and most of all love. I enjoyed the book but did feel that the story was a little bit slow in the middle and some paragraphs were filled up with un-necessary topics to lengthen the time frame during the book. But in saying all that I did like the fact that the relationship between the two main characters was a natural one that formed over a longer time frame than most books gives us. There were so many other great and wonderful characters in this book from Em Grandmother to the gardener at Seashell Cottage that all had in some way helped in their own way to give the need help and advice to Em.“ – ReadingfortheLoveofBooks

Buy Links:

About the Author:

Growing up, books were always present being read, ready to go back to the library, or about to be discovered. Information from the books was shared in general conversation, giving all of us in the family a wealth of knowledge and a lot of imagination. Perhaps that is why I was drawn to the idea of writing stories early on. I particularly love to write novels about women who face unexpected challenges and meet them with strength.

A hybrid author who both has a publisher and who self-publishes, Ms. Keim writes heart-warming stories of strong women who face challenges and find love and happiness along the way. Her books are based, in part, on many of the places she’s lived or visited and on the interesting people she’s met, creating believable characters and realistic settings her many, loyal readers love.

Find Judith Online:

Books For Review – Week of June 10th

Posted on by

For Fox Sake
Fetish Alley, Book 1
Susan Mac Nicol
Boroughs Publishing Group
LGBTQIA, Romance

Contemporary M/M Romantic Suspense

The Places You’ll Go And The Things That You’ll See

Former SAS soldier, Clay Mortimer, the M in M&W Investigations, had thought he’d seen it all. But when his ex calls and asks for a favour Clay is intrigued, and then a bit surprised. He and his partner, Tate Williams, have a robust and imaginative sex life, but the things they see and learn in Fetish Alley take their understanding of human behaviour to the next level. Tate’s take is part kid in a candy store fascination, part shocked. At the end of the day, all good detective work requires an open mind and the skill to ferret out the truth. Still, the layers of deceit and avarice they encounter are more than par for the course, particularly from people who are not keen about outsiders to the world of Fetish Alley.

Simon Grey and the March of a Hundred Ghosts
Charles Kowalski
Excalibur Books
Release Date: August 1, 2019
Middle Grade, Teens & YA

Japan, 1620: A mysterious shipwreck has left cabin boy Simon Grey stranded in an unfamiliar, dangerous land.

He hoped that a long sea voyage would provide some relief from his “gift” of seeing ghosts everywhere on land. Instead, he finds that his ability draws him into the shadowy world of yokai, the spirits and monsters that roam Japan by night. Together with the mysterious Oyuki, daughter of an English sailor-turned-samurai, Simon must earn the yokai’s trust and help, while staying one step ahead of the Shogun’s guards and an evil sorcerer determined to discover the “secret” of Simon’s powers.

As they struggle to stay alive and find a way home, Simon and Oyuki deal with friends and foes from both sides of the grave.

“Simon Grey and the March of a Hundred Ghosts” is a gripping fantasy adventure that will appeal to fans of Percy Jackson and Young Samurai.

Simon Grey and the March of a Hundred Ghosts will be available in print and ebook formats upon its release.

Mrs. Morris and the Ghost
by Traci Wilton
Kensington Books
Kensington
Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: July 30, 2019

Charlene Morris knew Salem, Massachusetts had a spooky reputation. But when she decided to open her B&B there, she expected guests—not ghosts…

A grieving young widow, Charlene needed a new start—so she bought a historic mansion, sight unseen, and drove from Chicago to New England to start turning it into a bed-and-breakfast. On her first night in the house, she awakens to find a handsome man with startling blue eyes in her bedroom. Terror turns to utter disbelief when he politely introduces himself as Jack Strathmore—and explains that he used to live here—when he was alive. He firmly believes that someone pushed him down the stairs three years ago, and he won’t be able to leave until someone figures out who. If Charlene wants to get her business up and running in time for the Halloween tourist rush, and get this haunting houseguest out of the way, she’ll have to investigate. Though truth be told, this ghost is starting to grow on her . . .

YA Fantasy – Songlines

Posted on by

“We belong to the earth, Lainie-Bug. We were sent here in human form for a reason. If you don’t know what to do, then just be human.”

Right. Like that was ever a simple thing to do.

Simple would be finishing high school without that desolate music trickling through the cracks in my dreams, making me too tired to study.

Simple would be telling Noah his girlfriend smells like last week’s dim sims without second-guessing my own reasons for not liking her.

Simple would be keeping the mining company from trespassing on our sheep farm.

Perhaps for a human, those things would be simple. No wonder I could never quite get the hang of it. Then again, a simple life would have never let me feel the flames of the sacred spinning sword, or breathe the fragrance of the Garden, or sink my teeth into the Living Fruit from the Tree of Life…

Reader Reviews

“An interesting combination of environmental concerns, teenage drama (in the best way), theology and fantasy adventure” – Aurealis Magazine

“This blend of Australian heart and spiritual soul easily captures a reader’s interest” – Just Write For Kids

Buy Links:

About the Author:

Carolyn Denman lives on a farm on the outskirts of Melbourne. She has a science degree, far too many pets and a fear of the ocean that makes her Mauritian mother roll her eyes. She enjoys writing spec-fiction novels, playing games with her horse and frightening hairdressers with the concept of the forthcoming Singularity. As well as writing stories for Aurealis and Andromeda Spaceways magazines, Carolyn is also the author of the YA Australian fantasy series The Sentinels of Eden.

Songlines, Sanguine and Sympath are available now through Odyssey Books and all the usual online bookstores. The final book in the series, Shamar, is due for release in June 2019.

Find Judith Online: