Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Virtual Book Tour: The Trey Parker Story: Case of the Lost Child, Vol II by RW Reels

Good morning one and all! Please welcome author RW Reels to Full Moon Dreaming. He is here to tell us about his new release, The Trey Parker Story: Case of the Lost Child, Vol II. RW will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour via Rafflecopter. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. To find the other stops on RW's tour, go here. Don't forget to look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post!




The Trey Parker Story
by RW Reels

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:


The Trey Parker Story II: Case of the Lost Child, the second novel in this paranormal thriller series, will make readers keenly aware of the unseen world around them. After hiding away in a small farm town in the Philippines, Trey Parker is compelled to return to the States to assist Detective Landis in finding a lost child. Trey’s wife, Iris, fears that the secret government agency that monitored Trey since his Near-Death Experience and took the lives of the tenants of the Sundance Apartments will be waiting for him upon his arrival. Iris believes Trey leaving so close to her due date is reckless and that he is oblivious to the perils.

Back in Tacoma, Washington, Detective Landis is still unable to cope with the loss of his daughter and his ex-wife Jada, even as the Detective struggles with a new relationship.  Landis’s past is not so easy to escape, as Thomas Barstow attains parole and looks for the opportunity to settle the score that can only be resolved through bloodshed.
The lives and souls of all hang in the balance and divine intervention may be only the solution.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:


“I don’t think you can understand how it feels. Having a miscarriage is not the same as losing an eight-year-old child…”



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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

My infatuation with writing was born before I ever took my first breath, somewhere on the rural plains of Eastern North Carolina, nourished by the adventures of my grandmother's childhood. From the time I was only four or five years old, her memories gave flight to my imagination and fuel to my curiosities. Her stories widened my eyes to the fascinatingly bizarre in the everyday.
As a young girl, my grandmother would bring her puppy with her to stalk rabbits every morning. The two of them would chase an unlucky long-eared rascal until it escaped into a hollow at the base of a tree, and she would run a stick around the inside of the opening as though churning butter. The spell of the sound and vibration would lure the rabbit out of the tree and into her hands.

Good fiction, inventive and provocative fiction, reverberates in readers and spellbinds them. It can spur surprise, delight, discomfort, and revelation and defy reason. As a storyteller, I strive to help others solve their problems by sharing things that I have read about, heard about, and seen. But I also prize the look on people's faces when they hear the brilliant punch line of a joke, or when they experience an epiphany that knocks the logical wind out of them. These are the reactions that I live to inspire in my audiences when I write paranormal thrillers.

My obsession with the extraordinary in my writing might also, ironically, stem from my 20-year career in the U.S. Army. I can allow my mind to wander in the extraterrestrial sphere while my love for my country keeps me grounded in domestic affairs. Of all of my accomplishments, serving as a paratrooper in a Special Forces Group and a Field Artillery outfit during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm claims high rank. Few situations force a person to confront his humanity as painfully as going off to war, and this experience taught me both to accept accountability for my actions and to trust others. Eventually, I became a successful Army Recruiter and Station Commander, earning the Top Recruiting Station awards in Dallas and Seattle Recruiting Battalions. North Carolina Central University granted me a Public Service Award for my work in the local community. And currently, I serve fellow veterans as an HR Specialist for the Department of Veteran Affairs.

Other passions of mine include playing chess, photography, traveling, and indulging in my contrarian nature by instigating debate. Spending time with my wife tops the list of my life's privileges, however. Whether I am entertaining her with my emulation of Laurence Olivier as Marcus Crassus or protecting her from an elk during one of our photography excursions in the wild, I treasure her companionship and affection.

When I was twelve years old, I announced to my Aunt Becky and Cousin Tony that I wanted to write a book. They stared at me in astonishment. The world of publishing was an enigma to simple country folks in Beaufort, North Carolina in 1982. These days I am achieving my dream with the ebook, a medium through which I can express my individuality without sacrificing my voice to expectations of marketability, popularity, and deadlines. My goal is to create an opportunity for escapism that is bold and absolute.

Twitter: @RReels




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Wednesday Briefs: Super Trooper #36 (8.3)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

While out with Evan at Partners, Chan receives word that his parents have been killed in an accident. Devastated, he's frantic to find out what has happened to his siblings. See what's going on in this week's chapter of Super Trooper. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!


Super Trooper #36 (8.3)

“I don’t know where to look for them,” Chan confessed as they exited the emergency room. He held tightly to Evan’s hand, afraid if he let go, something bad might happen to him too. And he knew he couldn’t handle that… The children… The words began to beat a refrain into his head.  He had to find the children.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find them.” Evan’s voice was soothing and reassuring. “They would have mentioned if they were there, so they must be somewhere else, safe and sound.”

Chan prayed that was true.

When they reached his cruiser, Evan let him into the passenger side. But before Chan could slide into the seat, Evan enveloped him in a warm hug. He rubbed circles against Chan’s back, murmuring soft endearments, before he released him and rounded the vehicle to enter the driver’s side.

It occurred to Chan belatedly that his siblings had their own phones. Well, two of them did. Madhu wasn’t even three, naturally she didn’t have one. But he couldn’t very well phone either Laksha or Kamal and ask where they were. That would be very suspicious. Not to mention, he didn’t trust his voice not to sound panicky. If they didn’t know what had happened, which was likely, he didn’t want to tell them over the phone.

At first oblivious to his surroundings, he suddenly realized where they were when he recognized his parents’ subdivision. That actually made sense to check for the children at the house. If his parents had gone out for the evening, they might have engaged a babysitter, perhaps one of the teen-aged girls who lived in the neighborhood.  His theory was confirmed when they arrived to find lights on inside the house. He could make out the flickering lights of the television screen.  Someone had to be there. His maa was a stickler for making sure the television was off when no one was home.

Thank goodness they’d found them.

Chan breathed a huge sigh of relief, but the next moment, his anxiety meter rose even higher. “What am I to tell them?” He turned plaintive eyes toward Evan.

* * * *

Evan was trying to maintain a professional demeanor. He had to in order to keep Chan from falling apart. But it was hard not to get emotional while bearing witness to Chan’s suffering. He knew the ordeal was just beginning. But no matter what, he would help Chan and the little ones through it to the best of his ability.

“The truth,” he replied to Chan’s question. The truth was always best. Although they would have to watch just how much they told them. They were very young, after all, and didn’t need all the details. Pausing on their way up the sidewalk, he searched Chan’s wide mocha eyes, trying to gauge how much he could handle, seeing the pain there, the uncertainty. Squeezing Chan’s hand, he knew what he had to do.

“We’ll tell them together,” he said.

“Thank you.” Chan’s voice shook with emotion. He clutched at Evan’s hand as though it was a lifeline. “I know there are things that need to be done, but I don’t know…”

“I’ll help you take care of them, don’t worry.” The funeral home would have to be called so they could pick up the bodies. They would have to make arrangements for the funeral or whatever Chan chose to do. That could wait until tomorrow. Right now, they had to tell three children they’d just become orphans.

With his free hand, Evan brushed back a lock of unruly hair that had fallen across Chan’s forehead. “I love you,” he said. “Just remember that I’m here for you.”

“I love you too,” Chan replied. A ghost of a smile flitted across his lips. “C’mon, let’s go.”

Approaching the front door together, Chan knocked. Moments later, they found themselves face to face with a surprised-looking teenage girl.

“Did you forget your… oh, Chan, it’s you. They’re not home yet. I thought you were them.” She stifled a yawn. “Sorry, long day. Oh, won’t you come in?” She stood aside to admit them.

“Are the children still up, Mandy?” Chan asked, not moving.

“Laksha and I are watching television. Madhu’s been in bed for a long time. Kamal went a little while ago, but I suspect he’s texting his friends under the covers.” The young teen grinned. “He thinks he has me fooled, but he really doesn’t. His mother said he can stay up as long as he does it quietly.” She glanced curiously at Evan.

“Why don’t you go on home, I’ll take over,” Chan suggested.

The girl seemed hesitant to go, then nodded. “They can pay me tomorrow, no problem.”

Payment had never occurred to Evan, but then he’d never been in a position where he needed to hire a babysitter, either. “How much?” He reached for his wallet before Chan could reply, and when she mentioned a figure, he pulled out a few bills and handed them to her.

“Thank you,” she said, glancing between the two men. “Is everything okay?”

Chan shook his head. “No, it’s not. I… I can’t talk about it right now, all right? Would you like one of us to walk you home?”

“Oh no, I’m fine. We’re just down the street, you know.”

When Evan offered a second time, she declined again. “Really, it’s fine. I’m just going to grab my stuff and go.” She walked back into the house and they followed, closing the door behind them.

Laksha sat in the living room, eyes glued to the television, as they walked in. Mandy gathered her purse and books. “I’m heading out, now. See you later, Laksha.”

“Night, Mandy.” The young girl waited until the babysitter was out of sight before turning to her brother.

“Chan, what is wrong?”

 to be continued

Now go see what's happening with the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

J Alan Veerkamp



 



Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Virtual Book Tour: Moon in Bastet by E.S. Danon

Good morning!  Please welcome author E.S. Danon to Full Moon Dreaming! She's here to tell us about her new release, Moon in Bastet. She will be awarding a $10 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour via Rafflecopter. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. To find the other stops on her tour, go here. Don't forget to look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post!




MOON IN BASTET
by E.S. Danon
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GENRE:  Magical Realism, Jewish Fiction

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BLURB:

A memoir turned into thrilling fiction; Moon in Bastet is based on the life of author E. S. Danon. The story follows a fourteen-year-old girl named Eva, an orphan living in the Negev desert of Israel who is working as a custodian of Cirque Du Christianisme. Her life is controlled by a volatile drunk named Bella who favors a group of equally volatile teenage bullies over her and her own safety or sanity.

Bullied, neglected, and alone – Eva’s only friends are an odd, thirteen–year–old Sephardic boy named Jack and a small cohort of Bedouin sister-wives. On the brink of giving up on life, Eva stumbles upon a mysterious cat in the middle of the desert. Or really, did the cat stumble upon her?

Together they must fight to stay alive, win the battles thrown at them, and Eva must learn to not only lean on others but to trust in herself.

Filled with mystery, magic, and symbolism – Moon in Bastet is a story of resilience, survivorship, forgiveness, and women empowerment. This is a work filled with Jewish mysticism that can be enjoyed by people of all races, ages, and religions everywhere.

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EXCERPT:



A mosaic of moonlight drifts over the breaking waves. Designs illustrated in silvers whisper a story by the observant full moon. Anticipation rips through the midnight air as an assortment of shells wash ashore, decoration for the celebration at hand.

Several fawn play inside of a tidal pool, tripping over each other’s hooves, while various crabs scurry to find cover. The does watch from the spartina covered marshes, less willing to get involved in the gambol of their children. A lone buck stands guard near the subtle alchemy of the ocean as the moonlight shimmers off his bone-white rack.

Soft pitter-patter echoes towards the beach: red, brown, gray, and white paws scurry stealthily through the wooded oasis. Streaks of fur can be seen flashing underneath the breaks in the treetops - Evergreens, Oaks, and Pines say their hellos as the creatures of the night began to gather at the shoreline.

A menagerie of insects hurry amongst the mossy forest bottom, following the outlines of fresh animal tracks.

Worker bees open their eyes and groggily buzz from the confines of their honeycombs; each of them carrying a parcel of honey. Together they dance in unison around the honeycomb, mimicking the sound of trumpets with their wings. The Queen Bee abruptly emerges to monitor her brood before inspecting herself: Every bristle is in place, held by honey made gel. Soon, the bees follow a parade of centipedes and worms traveling below.

A white wolf breaks through the trees; his body illuminated against the thick wall of forest at his back. Dozens of wolves emerge from behind him as he lets out a single howl, just before catching sight of the buck standing guard. Both alpha males nod in recognition of each other as an amber painted pup runs excitedly ahead of the pack, all too excited to meet the fawns in the tidal pool. The pup breaks through the water’s edge before tumbling down a small embankment of peat.

Flop!

She yelps with glee as water springs up all around her, turning rocks and snails upside down with her snout. Some of the does prop their heads up to inspect the noise as the fawns cautiously approach the pup.

In no time, the children are engaged in a pretend search and rescue mission with each other.

What will they find in nature’s watercolor tapestry?

The white wolf takes position next to the buck; both creatures now standing guard of their families.

Dolphins jump through the churning waves several feet away as a caravan of sea animals emerge through the crashing surf.

First come the sea turtles: Moving leathery, black boulders covered in mountainous ridges march forward, followed by mini, starburst-colored ovals. A single hawked sea turtle is the last of his kind to emerge, carrying a sand dollar - a token of appreciation - within his beak.
Next the seal pups begin wobbling onto shore, their mothers following close behind. Like watching fireworks in the sky, the pups reflect in awe of the celebration on shore from their discotheque eyes. Their mothers quickly nudge them forward, making way for the rest of the cohort.

Within moments, dozens of horseshoe crabs and whelks begin to make landfall.

Meanwhile, in the forest, Queen Bee flies ahead of her workers until noticing that her soldiers are slowing; she calls out to them, ordering them to keep moving.

The time has almost come.

A group of squirrels overhear the Queen Bee’s calls, prompting a tizzy among lofty tree branches. Mr. Snow Owl comes to attention as they frantically collect acorns. He plucks a feather from underneath his wing before flying past the squirrels and towards the shoreline.

The time is near.

Gifts begin to pile around a mound of mud within the chasms of the tidal zones: a sand dollar, the owl’s feather, and now randomly placed acorns. A garden snake slides through the mess, shedding his skin - followed by the molting of a lobster nearby.

A shadow crosses the moon then, just before various species of birds clatter to the ground below. A swan lands last with a bellow of her song, and in unison, the wolf pack returns the call. The dolphins respond to the melody by becoming more calculated in their movements, smoothing into a perfect rhythm with the songs now being sung by the ever-growing crowd of Mother Nature’s tribe.


It’s as if a drum is being played:
Boom.
Boom Boom.
Boom.
Boom Boom.

A heartbeat.

The expanding mound blooms into a large circle consisting of multiple sections. The inner circle holds the gifts, the middle circle shelters the juvenile animals surrounded by their mothers, and the outer circle consists of the older animals.

The time is almost here.

Queen Bee breaks through the woodlands and is met by a breeze. In response to her arrival, the congregation pauses briefly… only to erupt in song. The guardians at the shoreline bow their heads, kneeling onto their two front legs in order to greet the Queen Bee.

After kissing both guardians on their foreheads, she signals to her crew to make their final descent. A cloud of buzzing wings hums as they approach the middle of the circle with caution, then the inner circle. The Queen Bee ferociously shakes her wings and immediately, her workers dive down to smother the exposed mud in honey.

It is almost done.

The animals steadily move in a counterclockwise circle.
Tick.
Tick.
Tock.
The rhythm of the creatures becomes increasingly sonorous.


Off in the distance, the figure of a goat and her kid can be seen approaching.
Tick.
Tick.
Tock.
Mother goat and her child meticulously walk through the outer circle of churning animals. They are meandering through the middle circle when the wolf pup howls in excitement. Startled, the young kid topples over the hill of trinkets and slides into the patch of honey-soaked mud. Mother goat follows, spilling a drop of milk at her kid’s annoyed squeal.

Everything stops.

Even the air seems to have come to a halt.

Mother goat nudges her kid back over the trench of gifts and into the middle circle where they wait.

Everything waits.

Minutes go by before even the faintest touch of a breeze can be felt. The Queen Bee’s wings twinge at the coolness; she gazes towards the inner circle’s center. The white wolf and the buck move to stand beside the Queen when enervated rumbles suddenly upset the milk and honey-soaked patch. Something is trying to break through the surface…

Without warning, peat erupts from the patch: then two budding leaves climb their way through the film.

Swan sounds her horn, signifying that the deed has been done.

The Moon child has been born.

Finally.










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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Elizabeth Danon received her B.S. in Marine Science from Stony Brook University before working as a Marine Biologist for the National Marine Fisheries Service. She traveled the U.S. Eastern Seaboard and Gulf of Mexico: collecting data aboard commercial fishing vessels and dredges.

When that didn’t pan out to be the glorified job that she expected, finding herself covered in shark snot and fish scales daily, Elizabeth became a technical writer. In her spare time, she began doing standup comedy after taking comedy bootcamp with the Armed Services Arts Partnership. At this time, she married the most wonderful man who also provides most of her joke writing material. Unfortunately, because he’s Indian he has also enabled her Maggi addiction… Like she needed that on top of her already long-standing iced coffee issues.

Her favorite show is Schitt’s Creek, as she feels a special bond to her fellow comedians - and Sephardic brethren. Growing up half-Jewish herself, Elizabeth eventually converted to being full-Jewish with Temple Israel as a student of Rabbi Panitz.

Her enriched, but complicated, heritage has been an inspiration for most of her creative writing. Being an Aries, she has always felt like a leader and has therefore integrated her feminist beliefs into her work, albeit dropping every women’s studies course that she ever elected in college.

Additionally, her writing has an unmistakable international presence. Elizabeth wanted to discover as much as she could about her Sephardic Heritage and went on Birthright, followed by her independent travels to over ten other countries… carrying nothing but a red bookbag.

Website: https://linktr.ee/esdanon
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/esdanon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/DANON.ELIZABETH.BOOKS/about/


Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Moon-Bastet-S-Danon-ebook/dp/B086LLL4T8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0
BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/moon-in-bastet-es-danon/1137305185



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Monday, September 28, 2020

Book Review: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas


Cemetery Boys         

Author: Aiden Thomas
Publisher: Swoon Reads
American release date:  September 1, 2020
Format/Genre/Length: Hardback/YA LGBT Romance/352 pages
Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

All his life, Yadriel has yearned to be recognized for what he is—a brujo. His family has been brujx for generations, practitioners of magic, able to commune with the dead and help ease them into the next life. But his family doesn’t see him that way, and he has been denied his quinces, essential to his recognition as a brujo. Much of the time, they don’t see him as a boy, either, which is frustrating. Yadriel is transgender, and he only wishes to be accepted for who he is. Is that so much to ask?

His best friend, Maritza, fashions him his own blade—a portaje. This is his conduit to the world of magic. Maritza has one of her own, in the form of a rosary. Denied his rite of passage by his family, he and Maritza decide to hold one of their own, in the old church in the cemetery where Yadriel’s family live.

The ceremony is successful but something decidedly unexpected occurs—one of their own, his cousin Miguel, has died, and all the brujx can feel it. But no one can find his body, which is troubling in and of itself. Yadriel returns home to see what is happening and learns of the search for Miguel. He wishes to accompany the other brujos but his request is denied by his father. If only his mother were here. She understood Yadriel and accepted him for who he is, without question or reservation.

Yadriel and Maritza decide to search for Miguel on their own. And that is when the next strange occurrence happens, in the form of an unexpected spirit by the name of Julian. Loud, unruly, and energetic, Julian is a force to be reckoned with. And he is about to turn Yadriel’s world upside down.

This book is a treasure!  A fascinating glimpse, not only into the world of brujx and Dio de los Muertos, but also transgendered teens as well. There aren’t many books with transgendered protagonists. Yadriel is wonderful as he tries to navigate the hazards of living among people who don’t understand and can’t see him for who he is. It must be hard when your own family denies you, and because of that you can’t even participate in the same rituals the others do. Yadriel’s own uncle, Catriz, is left out of things as well, not having enough spirituality, apparently, to be considered one of them. Together, uncle and nephew are the family outcasts, the black sheep.

Yadriel’s best friend Maritza is spunky and spirited, and understand Yads, as she calls him, better than anyone. She makes him a portaje, forges it herself despite not being encouraged to do such things because of her gender. But the one who steals the show starting from his first appearance is Julian Diaz, aka the ghost with the most. He is difficult at times and extremely stubborn, but there is just something about him that Yadriel can’t resist. Plus Julian accepts Yadriel immediately, no questions asked.

If Yadriel can release Julian’s spirit, he can prove to his family that he is indeed a brujo. But before Julian agrees to this, he has conditions of his own that Yadriel has to meet. Carrying these out won’t be easy.

This book is full of fun and flavor and wonderful characters. It made me laugh and it definitely made me cry. It was recommended to me by my daughter and I was so happy she did. I got it from the library, but I ordered my own copy now, to add to my library. I can’t say enough good things about this book. It’s a supernatural story, it’s a romance, it’s a mystery, it’s a coming-of-age story, but most of all it’s a book about people just trying to live their lives.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to read.

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Wednesday Briefs: Super Trooper #35 (8.2)

 Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Chan feels as though he just stepped into a nightmare. How can his parents be dead, how? What will he do now? See what's happening in this week's chapter of Super Trooper. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Super Trooper #35 (8.2)

Chan had never been more grateful for Evan’s strength than he was at that moment, standing at the front desk inside the emergency room. If it hadn’t been for Evan, his arm securely about Chan’s waist, he would have probably collapsed. He thought he still might before the night was done.

Would this night ever end? Like a nightmare on a never-ending loop, the words kept replaying inside his mind. There’s been an accident. Your parents are dead. Your parents are dead. Dead…dead… dead…

Surely this was just a joke, a very sick joke. One in exceedingly bad taste. Hadn’t he just seen them two days ago? He and Evan had gone to dinner in their home. His mother had made her usual excellent meal, but right now he couldn’t remember what she’d made. Was it curry?  Tika masala? Or maybe it was something Italian. Lasagna? Thoughts went round and round in his head like the balls in a pinball machine. Suddenly it seemed important that he remember what his mother had served. That he think of anything but…

He came back to the present with a start. What was Evan saying? He gave him a confused look. And when had the doctor joined them? If the doctor was here, then surely everything was all right, wasn’t it?

“Can I see them now?” he asked. He wanted his parents to know he was there for them, and would be until they recovered from whatever had happened. Accident, didn’t they say?

Was he imagining it or did the doctor give him a funny look and look at Evan? He forced himself to focus, to rewind the conversation and listen to what was being said, even though his heart told him not to. He had the sudden urge to close his eyes and pretend the world didn’t exist but he fought against it as being ridiculous. And just then everything came rushing back to him with a sharp pain such as he’d never felt before in his entire life.

They were dead. Maa and pita were actually dead.

“We’ll contact you tomorrow as soon as we can make arrangements,” Evan was saying.

Chan shuddered and Evan tightened his hold.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” the doctor said to Chan. Chan swallowed the sudden lump in his throat just as a thought struck him. His eyes widened in terror and he thought his heart just might stop beating.

“T-the children….” he stuttered. “Did they… are they….” He couldn’t bring himself to complete the thought, but he had to know. What had happened to his brother and sisters? Had he lost them too?

“Children?” The doctor consulted the chart in his hand, then looked up, confused. “There were no children, just two adults.”

What did that mean? He glanced at Evan, whose own eyes widened in sudden comprehension.

“If they weren’t with your parents, where would they be?”

That was a very good question. One Chan needed answered immediately. “We have to find them,” he said, concern edging his voice. “Now.”

“We will,” Evan said confidently. “I promise you that.”

Chan knew he meant what he said. He trusted Evan with his whole heart, and he’d never needed him more than he did at this very moment.

to be continued

Now visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them!

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Blurb Blitz Tour: Dead in that Beach House by M. Glenda Rosen

Good morning everyone! Please welcome M. Glenda Rosen to Full Moon Dreaming. She is here to tell us about her new release, Dead in THAT Beach House. She will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour via Rafflecopter. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. To find the other stops on her tour, go here. Don't forget to look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post!




Dead in THAT Beach House
by M. Glenda Rosen aka Marcia Rosen



~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Mystery

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

August 21, 2020, A Senior Sleuths Mystery, “Dead In THAT Beach House,” Published by Level Best Books is the third in the series and available at your local book store, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. This series of murder and mayhem is written in a modern noir style with charming, witty, deliciously clever soft-boiled sleuths.

***

Once we had arrived in the Hamptons, settled in and I felt comfortable, I began to add small amounts of poison to the evening cocktails. It was from the oleander flowers. I had planted them carefully behind the barn in Ames. After only weeks, they were falling ill, listless, crying to go back to Ames. They felt too sick at the beach house. It was simple.

I know you must think I’m a monster. But, really, they felt very little when I strangled them to death thanks to the poison in their system. When they were dead, I filled my library with books about murder and witchcraft. The note I leave for whomever might find them might explain what happened...

The Senior Sleuths, Dick and Dora Zimmerman, much like Nick and Nora Charles from the Thin Man series, and their cozy group of interesting, quirky friends take on crooks and murderers while dealing with an outrageous case of elder abuse.

Later: “Shall we say invitations are mandatory?”

“Absolutely, dear. We wouldn’t want anyone to miss the fun”

“They’re either belligerent, arrogant, or simply annoyed,” Zero whispered to Cloud as the so-called guests arrived. They were all murderers and those who had committed crimes against the elderly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:



For over a century the Hamptons had been a magnet for artists and writers. The views, the sea, the sunsets drew them into natures web. But, The Sunset Development Group didn’t care about any of that. They were aggressively attempting to buy up numerous parcels of prime land facing those views. 

For years THAT Beach House they wanted stood alone on slightly over an acre of land, isolated behind sand dunes where it had been built for a fraction of a cost of what it was worth today.

For the last dozen years the law firm of Gibbons and Corbett, told them,  “No, it is not possible to buy it until the 99 years is up as stated in the owners trust and will.”
   
 The original owners and law firm had been left a substantial amount of money for yearly taxes and minimal upkeep on the outside of the property, but it was clearly decaying inside. 

It really didn’t matter if the house rotted and was reduced to rubble. It was the land that was worth a fortune to developers.
***

The house had originally been built by Lily’s great, great uncle, James Sinclair.

“I never met him. My uncle Willie said he was not a very nice man. I never knew what they meant by that.”

It would be discovered one of the decaying bodies found was his wife. The other two skeletons, two female were found by the police were in an upstairs bedroom on top of a tattered beige lace bed cover. They were his wife’s sisters.

All three 100-year old murder victims were proven through the coroner’s examination to have been strangled to death after first being poisoned. Aunt Alice and Uncle Willie
Not that being shot in the head at close range was any less despicable.



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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

For over 25 years, owner and founder of a business/marketing and public relations agency and consulting firm in New York City, The Hampton’s and Albuquerque, New Mexico where the company served as advisors to a wide range of national, regional and local clientele including major pharmaceutical companies. The agency provided a special expertise to the healthcare industry including: hospitals, nursing homes, senior centers, medical facilities, non-profit healthcare organizations and literally dozens of healthcare providers.  It was the second largest public relations firm in New Mexico when sold. The agency was built on Marcia’s business experience as owner of two-day care centers for ten years in upstate New York.

Parallel to founding and running her agency, Marcia was also an active advocate and advisor for women's economic development and success. Along with Betty Friedan, she was honored by the City of New York in celebration of Women's Empowerment Day for "helping thousands of women advance their careers and succeed in starting their own companies."  She was also honored as the East End Women’s Network’s 20th annual “Woman of the Year,” and nominated for New York State“ Women of Distinction Award. In New Mexico her agency received awards and accolades for the many volunteer services it provided.

She has served on numerous organization boards including, The New York Women’s Agenda, Columbia Hospital Breast Cancer Initiative, American Cancer Society, Venture Fund for Women, The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, PULSE (helping to prevent medical errors), Boardroom Bound Alliance and others over the past twenty years.

Marcia presently lives in Carmel, California and is planning on moving back to Albuquerque early 2021 or end of 2020.   She has author clients in New York City, Atlanta, Albuquerque, Long Island, the Hamptons and Vancouver.

Facebook: @MarciaGRosen
Twitter: @WriterMysteries
Instagram: @mglendarosen
Pinterest: marciaglendarosen
www.creativebookconcepts.com
https://www.amazon.com/Dead-THAT-Beach-House-Sleuths-ebook/dp/B08FCY3R93




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Sunday, September 20, 2020

Book Review: Twentieth Century Boys, Vol 3: Hero With a Guitar by Naoki Urasawa


Twentieth Century Boys, Vol 3: Hero With a Guitar      

Author: Naoki Urasawa
Publisher: Viz Media
American release date: June 16, 2009
Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/manga/paranormal/200 pages
Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Kenji is baffled as to why the dying homeless man proclaimed him to be the one who has to save the world? Who is he but a lowly shop owner, and what can he do to save anyone when he’s clearly made a mess of his own life?

Things are starting to come back to him, though, as Kenji begins to connect the dots, as he realizes that what is happening mirrors the story he wrote so long ago, as a child. A tale told among friends about super heroes saving the world from a deadly menace. How can it be coming true now? And why?

Kenji tries to talk to each of his friends, but after they unload their tales of woe on him, he doesn’t have the heart to involve them in what is going on. In pursuing Donkey’s student, whom he is unable to find, he learns about a concert being given by The Friends, and his blood runs cold. He knows he has to be there, so tells his mother to watch Kanna and heads to the concert. There he ends up on stage and comes face to face with Friend. Well, relatively speaking, as Friend is hiding behind a mask. But his words are clear and strike distinct fear in Kenji.

Kenji almost forgets about his class reunion. Maybe he’ll recognize Friend among the attendees. Or at least gain some clues as to which kid wore a mask. But he doesn’t recognize a lot of his former classmates after so many years. Yukiji doesn’t make the reunion because she has to work at the airport. But someone else shows up who recognizes Kenji, and as they catch up, Kenji remembers things he’d forgotten, such as who the kid in the mask was, and what the next target in the story was. But can he stop the next disaster from taking place?

He has a sudden premonition that his niece Kanna is in trouble, and races to save her, but from what… or who…

Things are really happening in this volume of Twentieth Century Boys! When I read what Kenji learned at the Friend concert, I literally gasped! Imagine how he must feel, wondering if he is crazy or is there someone out there following the plot of a story written when Kenji was just a child? But if he’s right, and that’s what happening, then the fate of the world could very well be at stake.

This volume is action packed and exciting. I love the artwork a lot, as well as the story. Kenji is not your typical hero, in that he is an ordinary man with an ordinary job and an ordinary life, who thinks he’s accomplished nothing of note in that life. He fails to realize how special he really is, what a good man he is, but I have the feeling a lot of people will know about him before this tale is through.

Seeing Friend for the first time, albeit behind a mask, was very interesting, his surprise announcement even more so. Can’t wait to see what happens next!