Bestselling Author Delilah Devlin
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Archive for 'mystery'



Love small towns? Aliens & ghosts? A touch of mystery? Get LITTLE GREEN DREAMS!
Tuesday, December 12th, 2023

Dear Readers and Friends,

My little happy-place project is finally here! It’s not bounty hunters or Navy SEALs. It’s a lot closer to home than that in more ways than I can describe.

I hope you’ll all take a chance on a fun, small-town story, with a touch of mystery, paranormal, and science fiction. I’d love for you to pick up a copy and read it. And if you have time after you’ve done so, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a review. Reviews aren’t for me; they’re for other readers who need to know about your experience with the story. I can say it’s sexy, fun, and exciting, but readers believe other readers.

Happy Reading!
~DD

Little Green Dreams

A tabloid reporter seeks the truth behind an alien abduction claim made by a woman whose husband disappeared, although the truth may destroy his chances to woo her beautiful daughter…

Sometimes, Joe Franchetti hates his job at the National Informer, especially when he’s assigned to cover stories involving aliens from another world. When he is sent to investigate the story of a woman in rural Arkansas who claims aliens abducted her husband, he vows to debunk her story, no matter how much the truth might hurt her attractive daughter.

Sandra Billingsley has a problem. Her stepfather is missing, and her mother is the prime suspect in his disappearance. In addition to protecting her eccentric mother from a possible murder investigation, now she must contend with a national tabloid reporter set on exposing her mother as a murderess or a madwoman.

While the investigation turns up more suspects and the local townspeople scheme to profit from the “alien invasion,” Joe and Sandra work together to unravel the mystery, knowing their attraction is doomed to end in pain when the truth is revealed.

Get your copy now!
Also in print!

GUNN’S MISSION is here! Gunn and Maddie are waiting for you!
Tuesday, October 17th, 2023

What on earth do polar bears have to do with a Brotherhood Protector’s story? Well, you’ll just have to check out Gunn’s Mission to find out! And there’s more to learn about this unusual mission at the top of the world!

When I began fiddling with an idea for my next BP story, I had to choose an international setting, but you know, I was kind of bored with the same ole-same ole, so I hit upon something I was pretty sure hadn’t been covered in that big world. I think I found it. You can read it as a standalone story, no problem, but you could also pick up copies of the entire Team Eagle series and really immerse yourself in their journeys. There’s also a murder to solve and dangers awaiting our hero and heroine, both natural and unnatural. Plus, you know how cold it can be up there… Sexiness does ensue. Enjoy!!

Gunn’s Mission

Gunn's Mission

After surviving a catastrophic helicopter accident that left him scarred and unable to continue serving on the Teams, former Navy SEAL Gunnar “Gunn” Nielson is settling into life as a Brotherhood Protector in the Yellowstone, Montana, office.

When a request from the U.S. government arrives for a protection detail for someone with extensive cold-weather experience, Gunn, born and raised in Minnesota, is tapped for the job. He soon discovers that he will be the lone protector for a group of scientists working at a research facility on a floating island in the Arctic Ocean.

After discovering that one of her team members was murdered, Facility Chief Maddie Russo is grateful for Gunn’s expertise. Thinking the murder might have been committed by someone trying to interfere with a military-sponsored study, she and Gunn have to keep her team safe as the work continues.

Maddie and Gunn grow closer as the weather turns colder and the threats to the facility and its inhabitants continue.

Check out all the Team Eagle books!

Order your copies here!
Booker’s Mission
Hunter’s Mission
Gunn’s Mission
Xavier’s Mission
Wyatt Mission

Celebrate Dictionary Day! (Contest)
Monday, October 16th, 2023

UPDATE: The winners are…commenters 1-8! Congrats, all!
*~*~*

Yes, I’ve said it before—I am a word nerd, a true logophile, a “lover of words.”

When I was a kid, I loved finishing my reading assignments because then I could go to the front of the class and read through the very large dictionary my teacher kept open on a podium. I loved learning new words and finding out their etymology (their origins). I studied Latin for four years during junior high and high school and loved it because I learned even more about the origin of everyday words. So, yes. I’m a complete nerd, and I was meant to be a writer and editor—it just took forty years for me to discover that!

Today is an unofficial holiday: Dictionary Day. It’s a celebration of Noah Webster, born on October 16, 1758, who is best known for publishing An American Dictionary of the English Language. It’s the great-grandfather of today’s The Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

If you’re a word nerd like me, check out the Merriam-Webster website! There, you have access to their on-line dictionary and thesaurus, plus you can play word games and pick out gifts for the word nerds you love! You can even subscribe to “Word a Day” and MW will send you a new word to love every day. There’s also a phone app you can download!

So, do you love words and dictionaries? Do you have a favorite word? For a chance to win a downloadable book on my backlist, comment below!

Also, don’t forget…

Releasing tonight after midnight…

Gunn's Mission

Pre-order the eBook now!
Or order your print copy now!

Lynda Rees: Heart of the Matter (FREE Read!)
Friday, June 3rd, 2022

Due to fan requests for FBI Agent Reggie Casse to have her own series and find a love interest, the Reggie Chronicles were born last year with Hart’s Girls, Reggie Chronicle 1. Reggie’s struggles and successes in life continue with the launch of Heart of the Matter, Reggie Chronicle 2, launching 6/1/22. It will be followed by Magnolia Blossoms, Reggie Chronicle 3, launching 7/1/22. eBooks and Print are available. They will launch in audiobook format near the end of this year, so stay tuned.

You can get Leah’s Story, the preamble to The Bloodline Series, FREE by becoming a VIP at:
https://preview.mailerlite.com/t1a6j6

Thank you for reading. Don’t forget to leave a review. You are so dear to me and greatly appreciated. I hope you enjoy my books, and we become great friends. Stay in touch.

Heart of the Matter, Reggie Chronicle 2 

By Multi-Award-Winning Author, Lynda Rees, The Murder Guru

FBI Agent Reggie Casse and fiancé, U. S. Marshal Shea Montgomery, want a quiet but memorable wedding. Shea’s WITSEC witness, a corpse with a unique tattoo, a missing baby, and a kidnapping at their reception lead to an international ring selling items money shouldn’t be able to buy and a wedding no one can forget. Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum meets James Patterson’s Alex Cross in rural Kentucky racehorse country.

Special Sale: To celebrate the launch of Heart of the Matter, Reggie Chronicles, there’s a limited-time sale on Hart’s Girls, Reggie Chronicle 1. Get the link: Hart’s Girls eBook by Lynda Rees – 1230004964384 | Rakuten Kobo United States

Lynda Rees
WEBSITE:  Books – Lynda Rees, Author (lyndareesauthor.com)
BOOKBUB:  Heart of the Matter (Reggie Chronicles Book 2) by Lynda Rees – BookBub
GOODREADS:  Author Dashboard | Goodreads
YOUTUBE:   https://youtu.be/_y0bNTYSfxs

Liese Sherwood-Fabre: Exploring Sherlock Holmes’ French Roots (Contest)
Wednesday, April 20th, 2022

UPDATE: The winner is…Beverly!
*~*~*

I want to thank Delilah for giving me the opportunity to share about my new release, The Adventure of the Purloined Portrait, the fourth case in my Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes series. It’s available for a special price ($2.99) for a limited time.

This series offers an origin story for Sherlock Holmes. The original tales had little about his past other than his father was named Siger, he had a brother named Mycroft, and his ancestors were country squires. He also tells Watson his grandmother was the sister of the French artist Vernet, which gave him “art in the blood.” As Sherlock matures through this series, he develops his skills as he solves mysteries at the family estate, London, and now France.

In The Adventure of the Purloined Portrait, the Holmes family travels to Paris to visit their French relatives along with some purpose known only to Sherlock’s mother. The true reason for the trip becomes apparent almost immediately when they witness a murder on their first night in the city. A carriage runs down the artist of a compromising sketch of Sherlock’s mother. The hunt to bring the killer to justice sends Sherlock into parts of the city off the beaten path and into danger.

In addition to a visit to the Louvre (after all, their ancestors had paintings hanging there), the evidence sends them to such sites as the Mont-de-Piété (now the Crédit Municipal de Paris), the state-run pawn shops; the Hôtel Drouot, an auction house; the headquarters of the Surete (the French equivalent of Scotland Yard); and Montmartre, a sleepy village on the outskirts of the city in 1868. As I completed my research for the book, I found myself longing to return to the city to actually visit the places I’d only read about in books or online. Even Montmartre, a place I’d visited before, now holds new meaning to me.

I’m giving away a $5 Apple or Amazon gift card (winner’s choice) to one randomly selected person leaving a comment. Let me know of your interest in Paris. Do you want to visit the City of Lights? What would be on your list of sites there? If you have visited the city, what did you enjoy the most?

The Adventure of the Purloined Portrait

A long-buried secret. A stolen portrait. The artist’s murder. Can Sherlock discover the connection between the three before he’s stopped permanently?

Sherlock can’t shake his apprehension about a family trip to Paris. His mother’s unflappable confidence vanished months ago, and her anxiety has set the whole family on edge. His greatest fears are realized when they witness the death of one of Mrs. Holmes’ former suitors.

As Sherlock seeks to unravel the reason behind the artist’s murder, he unearths a long-buried secret about his mother and survives several attempts to keep him from getting to the truth.

Can he bring a killer to justice before he’s buried with these hidden secrets forever?

Excerpt from The Adventure of the Purloined Portrait:

I stared over the ship’s railing and spoke to my brother Mycroft without glancing at him. “I feel this trip may be a mistake.”

I saw him turn toward me from the corner of my eye. “The crossing’s almost over. You’ll feel better when you get on dry land.”

“That’s not what I meant.” I glared at him. “Mother hasn’t been herself since Easter. Out of the blue, she announces we’re going to Paris while you’re still recovering from a gunshot wound. And she’d been distracted even before that.”

Mother had always been the family rock. I’d rarely seen her rattled, but even granite can break under pressure.

During our Easter holiday in London, she appeared preoccupied by matters she never explained to me or my brother. At the time, I’d put it down to concern over my father’s efforts to invest in a business venture with an old school chum as well as Mycroft’s wounding at the hands of our kidnappers. Both, however, were now behind us. The investment had produced a modest return, and I saw no lingering problems related to Mycroft’s injury. All the same, we’d barely arrived home from school before she’d packed our trunks and shuffled us all off to Newhaven for the steamship ride to Dieppe.

“I do believe bringing the entire family is a ruse,” he said after his own inspection of the sea.

“Including Uncle Ernest in the trip did surprise me.” Her brother rarely left the estate or his workshop. “Perhaps she thinks it will do him some good. They report being happy growing up there.”

He glanced at the smoke trailing the ship. “If she was so happy there, why doesn’t she show it?”

I ran through all the scenarios—from something as benign as a sudden bout of nostalgia to a fatal illness calling her back to see her French relatives one last time—and shook my head. “Without more information, I would only be speculating. You yourself have said that can be counterproductive. Whatever the reason, something has truly unnerved her.” I turned back to the ocean, seeking any indication of the coastline. “And whatever it is lies in Paris.”

Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09RN27KPT
BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-adventure-of-the-purloined-portrait-liese-sherwood-fabre/1140803032
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-adventure-of-the-purloined-portrait/id1604426329
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-adventure-of-the-purloined-portrait
Other: books2read.com/u/mZZjzD

About the Author

Liese Sherwood-Fabre knew she was destined to write when she got an A+ in the second grade for her story about Dick, Jane, and Sally’s ruined picnic. After obtaining her PhD, she joined the federal government and worked and lived internationally for more than fifteen years. Returning to the states, she seriously pursued her writing career, garnering such awards as a finalist in RWA’s Golden Heart contest and a Pushcart Prize nomination. A recognized Sherlockian scholar, her essays have appeared in scion newsletters, the Baker Street Journal, and Canadian Holmes. She has recently turned this passion into an origin story series on Sherlock Holmes. The first book, The Adventure of the Murdered Midwife, was the CIBA Mystery and Mayhem 2020 winner.

Visit her at:
Website: https://www.liesesherwoodfabre.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lsfabre
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liese.sherwoodfabre
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/liesesf
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5758587.Liese_Sherwood_Fabre
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/liese-sherwood-fabre
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Liese-Sherwood-Fabre/e/B00810INE6

You can keep up with all upcoming events and books by signing up for her newsletter. When you do, you’ll get a FREE short story.
https://www.liesesherwoodfabre.com/contact.html#newsletter

Bernadette Jones: Living the Dream, An Author’s Life
Wednesday, February 16th, 2022

We all have dreams. Some are easier to achieve than others. Finding a new apartment. Getting a different job. Owning your own home. Moving to a warmer climate. Getting your degree. Becoming an author. Becoming a movie star. Becoming a millionaire.

Many of these things are completely within our control. Many are not. Life circumstances affect the resources available to us when we go for our dream.

I was raised by a father in a time when most dads were not the primary caregiver and the sole financial provider. This gave me a different perspective than that of friends who had two parents to share the responsibilities. We moved often which gave me the experiences of seeing the differences and similarities of regional towns and communities. We lived in the North, South, East and West. One of my most important and defining lessons learned is that not all families are blood-related.

As a writer, I am drawn to the characters whose life arc maybe wasn’t traditional (in truth, the white picket fence is not as common or as perfect as we think). Life is messy and hard, and fraught with challenges. It is also full of hope, joy, and passions.

I write romantic suspense. Not world-saving drama like James Bond or Mission Impossible, but certainly world-altering for my characters. Characters who have been challenged by day-to-day existence and find a partner willing to share the journey when perhaps they’d given up hope. Characters who are not defined by where they came from but by the principles they hold as true. Everything isn’t always easy and there is often a price to be paid and dangers to be overcome.

I believe that you should never give up! It is never too late to go for your dream. I spent many years learning and practicing my craft while working, raising a family, and caring for others. Dreams can come true when we’re willing to work for them and keep believing. Don’t give up.

A Better Man, my upcoming release due out early April is the story of JackDaniels Vaughn a man who started his life on the wrong side of the tracks and Breezy Richards who was disowned by her family for not living up to their standards. When a stalker threatens Breezy’s life she’s forced to trust someone else. Falling in love may be the complication that costs them both their lives.

This will be my fifth book in the Aspen Gold Series. Although all books in the series are standalone you might also enjoy my others as friends tend to stop in for a visit.

A Better Man

About the Author

Romantic Suspense Writer, Never Give Up-er, First Wives Club-er, Lifelong Dream Achiever & Mom

Bernadette Jones writes romantic suspense and mystery novels. Her books are filled with strong heroes and heroines who are looking for an equal partner in their search for answers, justice and love. The love is everlasting, the romance steamy and the suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat. With a personal belief in the power of the chosen family her characters are bound to their circle of friends regardless of the cost or danger and most often a book of their own!

After a career in corporate writing and living all over the country, she’s decided to settle down and put pen to paper doing what she loves. Living the dream in her NYC apartment with her canine companion, she’s bringing her stories and characters to life.

If you’re interested in learning more and being the first to hear about new releases, visit her website at BernadetteJones.com.

Getting the word out to new readers is difficult in the indie market. One of the best places for you and other readers to keep up with new releases is to follow me on BookBub, a reader’s site for new books. I would greatly appreciate it if you would follow me and if you enjoy my books leave a review (it doesn’t have to be long). https://www.bookbub.com/profile/bernadette-jones

Please sign up for my newsletter to keep up with contests, ARC requests and much more! https://www.bernadettejones.com/newsletters

Many, many thanks to Delilah Devlin for all she does to help other authors!

Brenda Whiteside: Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll (Contest)
Monday, September 28th, 2020

UPDATE: The winner is…bn100!
*~*~*

The 1960s were turbulent and passionate and colorful. Since the first time I put pen to paper, about thirteen years ago, I’ve wanted to write a story set in those vibrant days. But until recently, every time I tried, my efforts seemed weak and whimsical at best. And then I visited a town I’d all but forgotten about.

In the Black Hills of central Arizona (yes, I said Arizona), Jerome hangs on the side of a mountain as it has since the mining days of the 1800s. Once known as the wickedest town in the west, Jerome all but died out in the 1950s. The population dipped to under 100 people. Then the hippies discovered the abandoned homes and buildings and settled in to create a ghost town full of art and wine. No new buildings are allowed within the city limits unless they are constructed on existing foundations and must resemble the surrounding buildings. Jerome looks much like it did in the 1920s.

Me in a haunted hotel in Jerome

I love this place. Jerome became my fictional Joshua. The inspiration came alive for me, and The MacKenzie Chronicles resulted.

In the pages of the first book, Secrets of the Ravine, I was able to tell a 1960s story of those early hippie settlers that has an impact on the mystery that unfolds in today’s world. Each of the three books will tell the story of one of the MacKenzie siblings whose parents met in the 60s hippie heyday, stayed in Joshua, and raised Magpie Muse MacKenzie, Harlan Muse MacKenzie, and Elidor Muse MacKenzie. Dad Frank Harlan MacKenzie is an artist of metal and wood. Mom Susie Muse is a mystic, empath, aura reader, with all of the wonderful mind-expanding fascinations of the 60s. Their children have inherited both artistic abilities and mystical talents in varying degrees. Those gifts will help them solve murder and mystery in each book.

Do you believe in intuition? Empathic vibrations? How about clairsentience (“clear feeling,” describes someone who receives intuitive or psychic information through their tactile sense and emotions)? I do and have had some real-life experiences. Care to share yours with us? Please do. We’d love to hear.

Contest

I’d like to invite you to read the first chapter of Secrets of the Ravine. Find it on my web site here: https://brendawhiteside.com/secrets-chapter-one.

Give me a one or two-sentence review right here, and I’ll enter you in a drawing to receive an eBook. No matter what you think, you have a chance to win. Let’s leave it open for a week, and I’ll draw a winner on October 5th out of those who comment about the first chapter.

Secrets of the Ravine

When a ringer for her long-dead love walks into her life the same day skeletal remains are found at the edge of town, Magpie MacKenzie can’t ignore what the universe is telling her…solve the mystery, or become the next victim.

Lawyer Zack Peartree’s life is orderly and entanglement-free until he visits purportedly haunted Joshua, Arizona, and meets free-wheeling shopkeeper Magpie. Despite experiencing troubling visions and odd moments of déjà vu, Zack’s instantly drawn to Magpie and to the unsolved murder which troubles her so.

Using clues from her father’s past and Zack’s déjà vu moments, Magpie and Zack race to solve the mystery, avoid a murderous fate, and to discover their future…together.

BUY LINKS:
https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Ravine-MacKenzie-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B08GPRFJBT/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secrets-Ravine-MacKenzie-Chronicles-Whiteside-ebook/dp/B08GPRFJBT/

About the Author

Brenda Whiteside is the author of suspenseful, action-adventure stories with a touch of romance. Mostly. After living in six states and two countries—so far—she and her husband have decided they are gypsies at heart, splitting their time between Central Arizona and the RV life. They share their home with a rescue dog named Amigo. While FDW is fishing, Brenda writes.

Visit Brenda at https://www.brendawhiteside.com
Or on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/BrendaWhitesideAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendawhitesid2
She blogs and has guests: https://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003V15WF8
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3972045.Brenda_Whiteside
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/brenda-whiteside
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendawhitesideauthor/