✱✱Book Review✱✱ Blurb Blitz: Proven Innocence by Mary Rocco

 

PROVEN INNOCENCE

Mary J. Rocco

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Suspense/murder

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Cynthia Evans wakes up in the trunk of a car, no idea how she got there, only to discover she’s wanted for the murder of her husband and children. With no memory of life prior, Cynthia is sure she did not commit the crime.

Only problem is-how does she convince anyone she’s not a murderer when she is not sure who she is?

With the help of a downtrodden diner waitress, Gabrielle, Cynthia fights to prove her innocence.

One thing is clear: Rick Evans is dead. But who is the real killer?

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EXCERPT

My eyes are open, but there is no sight to see. Darknessremains. It is black—pitch black. I squint and shut my eyes to adjust to the darkness faster, but it does not help. No shadows lurk in the night for me to redirect my corneas upon. The darkness encloses me, encasing my body in its depth. My body is not upright. It is stretched horizontally across the ground. I am lying down. I try to stand, but my weak body forbids me. My left hand falls upon the surface I am lying on. The ground feels furry, almost carpet-like. I am not outside.

Where am I?

My best deduction indicates I am trapped in a restrictive box. My head has only four inches to move before hitting the top, and my legs are bent at the knees with my toes resting upon the op¬posite wall from my head. I look up and find a wall of darkness just inches above—pure darkness with no stars or moonlight.

Am I buried alive?

Every human’s worst nightmare is to be mistaken for dead and lowered six feet underground where no one can hear the perilous cries for help. I try to scream, but no sound escapes from my vocal cords. Thoughts of Edgar Allen Poe’s Tell-Tale Heart filter into my brain.

What if the people walking above can hear the faint beating of my heart from the depths below?

Get a hold of yourself!

I raise my right hand slowly to dislodge the top of my coffin. My arm shakes as it rises off the ground above my head. I am limp and exhausted. A sharp pain pulsates throughout my entire right side as I try to move. Electric shock waves run from my toes to the left side of my brain. It is not a comforting sensation, and I would rather not move ever again in my life than experience such agony once more. The only options are, however, shift my body to experience discomfort for a slight moment or lay still awaiting death. 

My head is pounding from an obtrusive headache. It is as if a jackhammer is chiseling through the right side of my outer cra¬nium. I wince in pain as I raise my hand to the right side of my head. An overbearing shockwave shoots out of my brain when I touch that area. The hair follicles are mushy, raw, and tender where they meet my skull. The hair is matted to my brain. A huge, painful lump has started to protrude underneath the skin. I am not sure how it got there. I am not sure how I got into the situation I am in at the present moment. 

My fingers are sticky from whatever substance has glued my hair to my head. I try to smell them by placing my fingers underneath my nose, but I cannot ascertain the odor. I bring my index finger to my mouth to utilize one of my other senses. It is the last one available to unveil the mysterious substance. My saliva moistens my tongue to activate my taste buds. I recognize a fluid taste mixed with a hint of salt. It is blood––my own blood. 

Why am I bleeding? How did this happen? 

Momma says: 4 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐

Proven Innocence is well done with a building tension all the way through the book. It starts with Cynthia in a dangerous situation - one that most wouldn't be able to get out of. While Cynthia seems like the main female character, Gabrielle is really the star of this show as she worked tirelessly to prove Cynthia's innocence. To be honest, a lot of things in this one require quite a bit of suspension of disbelief. But then, what is fiction if not a means of escape into someone else's problems? Proven Innocence certainly gives us that in spades. Poor Gabrielle has been beaten down by life so many times that she's pretty much given up, so to see her rise to the occasion to help Cynthia leaves you with a good feeling inside. In my opinion, Gabrielle is the character who showed the most growth, and suspension of disbelief or not, I liked how Mary Rocco accomplished that. This is her first novel, and after what I've seen here, I look forward to whatever comes next from this author. 

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I have dreamed of being an author since the age of ten. I have been writing and crafting stories for the last twenty years, mostly because, well you know, life… and I got in my own way. After finishing law school, graduate school, travelling the world, getting married and starting a family I figured now was the time.

I was born and raised on Long Island, New York and spent ten years in my early adulthood living carefree in New York City. I currently reside with my husband and two beautiful children in the western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, where I am a practicing attorney.

I hope to continue to publish many more novels that entertain and thrill readers.

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mary-J.-Rocco/author/B0CX13KN4Y

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The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.

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✱✱Book Review✱✱ Bound Duet by Josephine Jade

I’ve always been a walking contradiction. After all, how many people do you know who are a violin maestro AND a mafia member?

Trying to distance myself from my past mob life, I’ve accepted an artist-in-residence position at Thronewood University.

Teaching privileged, barely-adult brats isn’t my idea of fulfilling, but at least it won’t end me back in the hospital or prison.

Been there. Done that.

But there’s something going on at this school that isn’t right. A chance meeting with one of my students, Victoria Waldorf, confirms it.

She’s beautiful, but not vain. She’s innocent, but not naïve.

And she’s a pawn in a game she’s not even aware exists.

I’m the last person on earth who should be protecting her. I’m too hard, too cold... hell, too old to even breathe the same air as her.

Not to mention my past is right in the middle of this mess.

But I’m not going to let anything happen to her.

Keeping her safe means keeping her close. And like it or not, the only way she makes it out of this alive is with my ring on her finger.

A vow I take seriously.

*****
BOUND IN DEBT is book one of the Bound Duet, a dark mafia romance. It contains adult themes and situations. Specific trigger warnings can be found on the author's website.

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Momma Says: 4 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bound in Debt is my introduction to Josephine Jade, and let me just say that she does not disappoint. This book is very well written, and the characters are developed and relatable. That, in itself, is a job well done. The world the author has created here is certainly foreign to me, but the characters each have things about them that make them easily relatable - even to the average Joe, or Jane, as the case may be.

When we meet Dante, he's broken and bitter and pretty much hates life in general. He's gruff and a total jerk to pretty much everyone, especially Victoria. She is Dante's opposite in just about every way. She's younger, she's innocent, she's the light to his dark. One of my favorite things about Victoria is how she speaks her mind and stands up for herself - something she's going to need when dealing with Dante. They spend a lot of time going head to head, which creates some pretty great fireworks. In spite of, or maybe because of, those fireworks, the sexual tension between Dante and Victoria grows throughout the book, so when they come together, it's explosive.

The book is deliciously dark with a building tension. It's full of great characters, some to love and some to hate, and some bring about both feelings. This is the first book in a duet, so expect a cliffhanger. It's a pretty darn good one, too, and it definitely creates an urgency to get your hands on book two in the duet.    

I made Victoria Waldorf my wife even though she was too young, too innocent and too kind for the likes of me.

I did it to protect her.

I never planned to fall in love.

But the truth that a former mob enforcer’s weakness is his young bride has brought enemies I never even knew I had to the surface.

They’re out for blood.

If they can’t have mine, they’ll take hers.

Over my dead body.

*****

BOUND IN PROMISE is book two of the Bound Duet. You must read book one, BOUND IN DEBT, first. Both books contain adult themes and situations. Specific trigger warnings can be found on the author's website.

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Momma Says: 4 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐

This second book in Josephine Jade's Bound duet picks up where the first book leaves off. It goes without saying that this one is not meant to be read as a standalone. This story does come with trigger warnings, and I'd advise checking them just in case.

I don't often read mafia romance, but this one caught my attention, and I'm glad it did because I've been hooked from the beginning. Josephine Jade has delivered some terrific characters. That includes the baddies. I may hate them, but I'm supposed to, and they are so well done. Dante and Victoria are easier to root for than I expected, and I love that we get to see some redeeming qualities in Dante.

I'll stop there before I spoil the story. What I can say is you don't want to miss this duet. It's so well done, and this is one romantic couple that I won't soon forget. 

 

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Songs for the Deaf Virtual Book Tour

 

Speculative Fiction

 

Songs for the Deaf is a wonderful story with the unforgettable presence of Miles Curtin, the protagonist. Following his bombshell discovery, the tug-of-war within his soul creates the kind of depth and literary richness that is one of the hallmarks I look for in great writing. Mariel Hemingway, Oscar-nominated actress, author, and granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway

 

 

 

 

About the Author

Ken Silver discontinued his education for two years to pursue a career in fashion design. He then worked his way through law school designing clothing for a French fashion house and was ultimately admitted to the New York Bar, but continued to work as a fashion designer, fabric designer, and colorist.

He went on to design and build a chain of clothing stores in Canada that featured his own exclusive designs. Following his return to the States, Mr. Silver spearheaded the design and concept planning as an active partner in large-scale mixed use real estate projects in and around NYC. While doing so, he exhibited his photography in venues throughout the US, including solo shows in the gallery districts of Manhattan, East Hampton, Beverly Hills, and Carmel.

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Ask A CEO Virtual Book Tour

Hints, Tips, and Observations

 

Business, Management, C-Suite

Date Published: May 20, 2024

Publisher: Mindstir Media

 

From decorated NYPD Detective to CEO of an award-winning marketing agency, Greg Demetriou knows a thing about resilience and reinvention. When his career was cut short by a near-fatal, in the line of duty shooting, Greg needed to reimagine his life.

Never one to fear a challenge, he embarked on a new business path. With the conviction that failure was

not an option, he immersed himself in learning the insand outs and challenges of growing an organization. Though the road was not always smooth, the small print and mail business he purchased 30 years ago is now a successful, full-service marketing agency. Along the way, Greg used his passion for writing to chronicle his experiences. This book is a compilation of those works-hints, tips, and observations-put together to impart a sense of the journey and day-to-day life in the corner office.

About the Author

From New York City Detective to CEO of Lorraine Gregory Communications.  I have directed the growth of my company into a leading marketing and communications agency it is today.  LGC now boasts a client list of over 800 with an expanding market share in the digital and online marketing sphere.

 

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✱✱Book Review✱✱ Steamy Nights by PJ Fiala

 

USAT author PJ Fiala, brings you steamy, small-town romantic suspense stories, where outside forces threaten to ruin the peace and tranquility Blossom Springs was built on.

He's convinced he's discovered an ideal paradise.

She's certain she's found her new beginning...

Together, they must fight to keep their new dreams alive.

Sid Hoffman has suffered from PTSD since his time in Afghanistan. Inner peace has escaped him for years. Attending a bachelor party in Blossom Springs is a true awakening for him. Buying a garage and spending his days working with his hands has brought him more tranquility than he ever imagined.

Grace Murphy left an abusive relationship to follow her dream of owning short-term rentals. She's self-sufficient and ready to prove she has what it takes to build a thriving business and healthy life.

When outsiders roll into town and threaten their sanctuary, Sid and Grace join forces and fight to keep Blossom Springs the sanctuary they know it can be. Falling in love is the last thing these opposites were prepared for.

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Momma Says: 4 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sid and Grace may not have a lot in common on the surface except the desire to start over and the draw to do that in Blossom Springs, but their attraction is magnetic, and the chemistry makes for some swoony romance. This first in PJ Fiala's Servicemen of Blossom Springs series is an instant attraction, very fast love romance with a couple you can't help but root for. We also get a bit of suspense from a threat to the peaceful town and more specifically, Grace and Sid. I love how they handled that threat, but for me, this couple's romance is the thing I'll remember most about Steamy Nights. From their first meeting and Grace's service dog, Chiefy, coming to the rescue to the sparks between them, this couple became friends I'll visit again. This is a story about a couple around my own age, which made for a quick connection to the characters. It's a great reminder that romance isn't only for the young, and second chances do happen. I'll definitely be stopping by Blossom Springs again, and I look forward to this author's next stand-out couple.  

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The Missy Box Virtual Book Tour

Historical Fiction

Date Published: 08-24-2023

 

The Missy Box

In 1685 two ten-year-old girls cross the Atlantic, one in the hold of a slave ship, and the other at the Captain’s table of a royal Danish Ship. On St. Thomas their lives will become intertwined, along with that of Mette, the brothel keeper, and Isaac and Pundi, two other wanderers who have landed in this fomenting place at the dawn of its plantation history.

Eighty-five years later, in Copenhagen, this family story is uncovered by Maria Suhm, the way many are, through treasures kept hidden. The Missy Box gives up its secrets with tantalizing reluctance, against a backdrop in 1772 of historical scandal and conspiracy that will bring Denmark to a crisis.

The Missy Box is an imagined story based on the young life of Maria Suhm Wheelock, the wife of the second President of Dartmouth College and her great grandmother, Maria Bourdoux Lasalle, a Huguenot refugee from France.

Set in a time before the interior of American had been discovered by Europeans, the Missy Box recreates a world connected by oceans, peopled by refugees, and the kings who controlled their fates. 

 

 

About the Author

Anne Emerson is a writer and a painter in Jamaica Plain Massachusetts. Her award winning first book, Letters from Erastus: Field Notes on Grace was published by Levellers Press in Amherst MA. The Missy Box is an imagined story based on the author's 13th great grandmother, a Huguenot refugee.

 

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Griswold & Christophe Virtual Book Tour

 

Middle Grade Fantasy

 

Griswold & Christophe is “A New Fairy Tale.” It is part of a new tradition in contemporary kid’s books that makes direct and playful references to old legends, fairy tales, children’s rhymes and folk tales. You can see this in other current authors like Tom Gault and his “The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess.” Also with Jess Hannigan’s book titled: “Spider in the Well.” In “Griswold & Christophe” there are obvious references (some made by the characters themselves) to Gilgamesh the Hero, The March of the Toy Soldiers, Theseus in the Minotaur’s Labyrinth, Sleeping Beauty in the Woods, Androcles and the Lion, Oedipus and the Sphinx, The Sword in the Stone and The Adventures of Pinocchio.

 

 

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Virtual Book Tour: The Legendary Mo Seto by A.Y. Chan

Guest Post

5 musts every story in your genre should have

Writing middle grade is super fun but also tricky. It needs to contain the right balance of excitement and emotion without being too scary or sad, and it should always end on a high note. Here are five “musts” I apply to my own stories, though some can be swapped out, like a strong friendship for a parent-child relationship.

1. An Uplifting Ending: Middle grade stories should leave readers feeling hopeful and happy. Kids need to see that even after challenges, things can turn out well. This doesn’t mean everything has to be perfect, but there should be a sense of resolution and optimism.

2. An Important Relationship with a Parent or Guardian: A significant adult relationship adds depth and grounding to the story. This could also be a grandparent, or mentor. These relationships provide support and wisdom, helping the protagonist grow. If a parent-child relationship doesn’t fit, a strong friendship can also serve this role, offering companionship and loyalty, and someone to bounce around thoughts with.

3. A Middle-Grade Voice: The narrative voice should be relatable and engaging for kids in this age group. Capturing their perspective, full of curiosity and wonder, is key. The voice should reflect how kids see the world, with a mix of innocence and budding maturity, and sprinkled with a bit of humor.

4. A Moral or Lesson: Every good middle-grade story has a takeaway. It’s not about being preachy but subtly weaving a lesson into the narrative. Themes like kindness, bravery, and friendship resonate well. The moral should emerge naturally from the characters’ experiences and growth.

5. Clear Character Growth/Arc: The protagonist should undergo significant development. They might start the story shy and unsure but end up feeling more confident and brave. This growth makes the journey rewarding. It’s crucial to show how the protagonist overcomes obstacles and learns from their experiences, making them relatable and inspiring to readers.

Mo Seto, martial arts movie star! Has a nice ring to it doesn’t it? Too bad there's a height restriction to audition. But 12-year-old Modesty (Mo) Seto has never let her height get in the way before, not when she became a black belt, or when she fought the meanest boy in her class, and she’s not going to let it stop her this time! Now if only she can figure out a way to grow five inches and fool everyone at the auditions…and find time to search for her missing father (who just might be harboring a dangerous secret of his own). Join Mo on an adventure (and audition) of a lifetime and find out if powerful things really do come in small packages!

Publishers Weekly calls THE LEGENDARY MO SETO “Adrenaline pumping”, Kirkus Reviews says it “Packs a punch”, and Booklist calls it “Remarkably relatable.” Leap in and join the fun!

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Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-legendary-mo-seto-a-y-chan/1144226905

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-legendary-mo-seto-ay-chan/20699961

Excerpt

I may be small, but I am fierce. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. Over and over again. Fierce.

“Charyeot,” the taekwondo tournament referee says in Korean. Attention.

I snap my arms to my sides.

“Kyeong-nae,” the ref says. Bow.

I turn to face my opponent, Dax Washington. His dark skin glistens with sweat. We dip our heads.

I look up to see Dax towering over me, his eyes stormy.

It suddenly occurs to me how much “fierce” sounds like “fears.” Not that I’m scared or anything. I’m not.

“Sijak!” The ref throws up his hand. Begin! Immediately Dax’s large fists hammer down like a hailstorm.

Well, maybe I’m a little worried.

Dax lunges. I block his front kick with my forearm. I flinch and reel back. The ref blows his whistle, but Dax doesn’t stop. I barely have time to move before—oof—another kick nails me in the elbow.

Okay, fine. I’m totally panicking.

A. Y. Chan grew up in Canada’s Greater Toronto Area reading all the middle grade and young adult books she could get her hands on. To this day, those remain her favorite genres. After achieving her black belt in Taekwondo, she explored other martial arts, such as Wing Chun, Hapkido, and Muay Thai. These days, she continues her martial arts training some mornings, writes in the afternoons, takes long walks to muddle out plot points, and falls asleep reading.

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Website: aychanwrites.com

Simon & Schuster Author Page: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Legendary-Mo-Seto/A-Y-Chan/The-Legendary-Mo-Seto/9781665937320

Giveaway

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

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My Second Life Tour

Memoir

Date Published:   July 5, 2023

 

 

 

We all have two lives. We only get to experience living in the second after we realize we only have just one.

Simon Yeats had his first real scare in life when he was attacked by a kangaroo when he was seven years old. His first brush with the cliff-face edge of death came when he was 12. His father drove his family down the dangerous, 4WD only Skipper's Canyon dirt road in New Zealand in a rented minivan.

Including the occasions he was almost involved in two different plane flight crashes, in the same night, there have been at least a half dozen more times when the author has come within a moment's inattention of being killed.

However, none of those frightening incidents compare to what he experiences after his son is abducted to South America.

This memoir is the story of how Simon used the traumatic experiences of his life to give him strength to forge on during an incomprehensible 13 year fight to be a father to his son.

What did it take for him to get to his second life?

It took him to truly understand what fear is.

 

About the Author

Simon Yeats has lived nine lives, and by all estimations, is fast running out of the number he has left. His life of globetrotting the globe was not the one he expected to lead. He grew up a quiet, shy boy teased by other kids on the playgrounds for his red hair. But he developed a keen wit and sense of humor to always see the funnier side of life.

With an overwhelming love of travel, a propensity to find trouble where there was none, and being a passionate advocate of mental health, Simon’s stories will leave a reader either rolling on the floor in tears of laughter, or breathing deeply that the adventures he has led were survived.

No author has laughed longer or cried with less restraint at the travails of life.

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