danger

Tomatoes, jam…and Burros??

Welcome guest author MEG BENJAMIN!

Burros. Why Did It Have To Be Burros?

photo from The Colorado Sun

Burro racing is the official Colorado Heritage Sport. Right now you may be envisioning a bunch of tiny jockeys riding tiny burros around a dirt track, but if so, you’re wrong. Burro racing is meant to recreate the frontier experience of prospectors and burros running down the trail to the nearest town to register a gold claim before another prospector could beat them to it. The race courses are long (29 miles for the Fairplay race) and rugged (up to 8600 feet for the Buena Vista race and 13,000 feet over Mosquito Pass for Fairplay). According to those who take part, the burros have a better time racing than their human companions since they like running and often enjoy the company of other burros. People, on the other hand, may fall apart.

As soon as I read about burro racing and saw the videos on YouTube, I knew I had to include it in my Luscious Delights cozy mystery series. Thus my newest Luscious Delights mystery, The Tomato Jam Murder, includes all the info on the sport and the people who run it. My heroine, Roxy Constantine, is a jam maker by trade, but she lives in the Colorado mountains in prime burro racing country. Roxy does a couple of training runs with a friend, but on the second of those runs, she stumbles across a body and a fugitive burro.

Here’s a quick excerpt:

“Hello?” I called again.

“Hello yourself,” a male voice called. I put a hand to my hammering heart then stepped back and peered up the trail. Silas and his burro were on the switchback above us. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I found this little guy wandering around, and I’m trying to find his handler. I think there might be somebody in this clump of trees.”

“Okay,” Silas said when he was level with me. “Give me the lead rope. I’ll hold onto him while you see if his owner is around.”

I handed over the rope gratefully enough and stepped into the evergreen grove. The dense thatch of branches blotted out a lot of the light.

A man was lying face down in the center of the grove. On the trail, I’d seen the bright red of the bandanna he had knotted around his neck. “Um…hi?” I said, tentatively. When he didn’t move, or give any sign that he’d heard me, I stepped closer. “Mister? Are you okay?”

Something about the stillness of that body made my throat tighten. I’d seen a few dead bodies in my time, but most of them had been clearly and thoroughly dead. This guy was just lying there. Very quiet.

You’ve got to check. You know that. I did know it, but I didn’t like it. I leaned forward and put my hand on his shoulder. I felt the cool dead flesh through his thin cotton shirt. Yanking my hand away, I stumbled to the trail where Silas waited.

“Call 911,” I gasped. “There’s a dead guy in there.”

I had a great time writing about burro racing and learning about burros in general: for example, there are guard burros who sound the alarm if approach a goat herd. And I managed to work a lot of that information into the book. If you’d like to find out more about burro racing, murder investigating, and, yes, tomato jam in The Tomato Jam Murder, check it out now. It’s available on Amazon October 20, 2025. Amazon buy link: https://amzn.to/4oj93e5

Tagline:

Roxy’s spending her summer with burros and jam, but there’s a murderer in the mountains.

Our story:

It’s burro racing season in the Rockies, and Roxy Constantine is all for it. Now if she can come up with a good recipe for tomato jam, her summer will be complete. But when Roxy finds a body on the burro race course, she’s suddenly plunged into a murder investigation. And when her innocent friend is accused of killing her ex, Roxy must challenge a corrupt police chief who wants to shut her up. Now she needs to find the real killer and save a neighboring town from a plot to ruin its mountain magic.

Meg Benjamin is an award-winning author of romance and cozy mysteries. Meg’s cozy mystery series, Luscious Delights from Wild Rose Press, concerns a jam-making sleuth based in the mythical small town of Shavano, Colorado. Her Konigsburg series is set in the Texas Hill Country and her Salt Box and Brewing Love trilogies are set in the Colorado Rockies (all are available from Entangled Publishing and from Meg’s indie line). Along with romance and cozies, Meg is also the author of the paranormal Ramos Family trilogy from Berkley InterMix and the Folk trilogy from Meg’s indie line. Meg’s books have won numerous awards, including an EPIC Award, a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Holt Medallion from Virginia Romance Writers, the Beanpot Award from the New England  Romance Writers, the Carly Crown Jewel of Books from the Mid-America Romance Authors, and the Award of Excellence from Colorado Romance Writers.

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meg.benjamin1/ (personal)

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063609878239 (author)

Instagram: @meg_benjamin

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@meg_benjamin

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/meg-benjamin.bsky.social

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2869971.Meg_Benjamin

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/meg-benjamin

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/megbenjamin/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Meg-Benjamin/author/B0030F12FY?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@megbenjamin1396

Website: http://www.MegBenjamin.com/

Can anything good come from the worst day ever?

 

Love, Bullets, and
a Second Chance — Will They Survive the Crossfire?

Revenge

The FBI Tampa Mystery Series Book 1

by A.M. Holloway

Genre: Clean Romantic Suspense, Mystery Thriller

Love, Bullets, and a
Second Chance — Will They Survive the Crossfire?

When FBI Special Agent Micah French joins
a high-risk pursuit through the streets of Tampa, he never expects the day to
end with his partner shot and the woman he once loved holding his partner’s
life in her hands.

Finley Herald, the surgeon who broke his heart a decade ago, now lives in
Tampa. She’s saving lives at Tampa General and possibly risking her own when a
vengeful cartel leader wages war against the agents involved in his brother’s
death.

As bullets fly, allies fall, and a trail of revenge stretches from Mexico to
Florida, Micah must navigate a storm of violence, betrayal, and second chances.

Every decision could be his last, and Finley’s reappearance threatens to
shatter the emotional defenses he’s spent years building.

This book is a gripping blend of action,
faith, and romance, where love may be the deadliest risk of all.


 **Get it for Only .99cents 8/24 – 8/26!**

Amazon * Bookbub
* Goodreads

A.M. Holloway is an author of clean murder mysteries where
crime and suspense take hold. Her catalog spans five series. A.M., who is
married, relies on her husband’s expertise in the CSI field to ensure accuracy
in her books. She was born and raised in Georgia but now lives in Central
Florida. When not writing, you will find her with her family, enjoying the
outdoors, or sitting in her favorite chair, daydreaming about her next book.

 

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon
* Goodreads

 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a $40 giveaway!

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When does a death become a murder? #MFRWHooks 

In REMNANTS OF FIRE, newspaper reporter Sara Woods is investigating a string of deaths that seem to involve the new-found, avant-garde medical facility she hopes can cure her chronic pain. Dr. Ruprei has taken such good care of Sara, that she is reluctant to believe it could be possible. But then, over dinner, she speaks with traditional-Western doctor Rick Paulsen, who suspects the clinic–and has evidence:

When the waiter brought the souvlaki and more bread. After he left, I leaned forward and put my elbows on the table. “So what’s going on here? Why did you call me?”

Rick’s blue eyes dissected me. “Because there’s something unusual about you.”

Oh, please. That was as bad as ‘What’s your sign, baby?’ “Do I seem naive enough to fall for that line?”

“Not really.” He speared a chunk of lamb and dipped it in the creamy cucumber sauce. “That doesn’t make it any less true. And I think you really care about Lily Kimball, and what happened to her.”

“Then you believe something ‘happened.’” Remembering his outburst at the hospital, I added, “You think she was killed by someone. You even know who.” I watched his face for reaction.

“I suspect. I don’t know.” He took a long drink of water, as if he were trying to swallow something unpalatable.

“But you haven’t gone to the police.” He shook his head. “Why not?”

He started to answer and then Athena swept over, wanting to make sure everything was to her dear doctor’s satisfaction. She effused with grand passion about how wonderful Rick Paulsen was, as a medical professional and as a man, her praise transparently designed to convince me, as his dinner partner and potential life mate, of his worth. He squirmed as she continued, but seemed loath to interrupt her. Once we had assured her that everything was delightful, she withdrew at last, to observe from behind the cash register.

When he didn’t answer my last question, I asked again. “Why haven’t you gone to the police?”

“You don’t understand. The police won’t be any help in this matter.”

“They’re investigating her death—”

“They’re not investigating her death! They’re just going through the motions until everyone forgets about her and they can toss her file in a cabinet, never to be seen again!” He slapped his fork onto the table, a flush of anger suffusing his face, all the way to the tips of his ears. “Just like the others.”

*****

REMNANTS OF FIRE has recently been named a finalist in the 2025 National Excellence in Story Telling (NEST) Contest! Time to check it out at one of the following sales points or order it at your local indie bookstore.

Buy Links

Paperback at Amazon • Paperback at Barnes & Noble • Hardback at Barnes & Noble • eBook at Amazon Kindle • eBook at Apple • eBook at Barnes & Noble • eBook at Kobo • eBook at Smashwords

BLURB: Looking for a fresh start, Sara Woods takes a job as a news reporter in a small town. Her first assignment is to investigate a string of deaths, all young women her age linked to a local healing center with a strange reputation. The deeper she digs into the clinic, the harder it is to
deny links to the paranormal. Can she figure out what is going on and who to trust before it’s too late?

Watch the Book Trailer:   https://youtu.be/pWjJT2upVlo

Today’s post is part of a group of posts from various romance writers–check out the others below!

https://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=315933

Another winner mystery from M.S. Spencer!

Thanks so much Alana, for allowing me to tell your readers about my new mystery, Railroad Ties: the Marmion Grove Murders. I hope they enjoy the excerpt and long to read more!

Blurb

When Sophie Childress discovers a letter written in 1920 by the witness to a murder, she enlists Noah Pennyman—owner of the house where it took place—to investigate. Who was the victim? What did the killer do with the body—not to mention a carpetbag full of money? Together they expose a complex web of family ties and lies that has persisted through four generations in the historic village of Marmion Grove. When two more corpses are unearthed, Noah and Sophie are faced with too many victims and not enough murderers.

Railroad Ties: the Marmion Grove Murders

Mystery, cozy

The Wild Rose Press, June 11, 2025

390 pp; 89,900 words
Ebook: $5.99; Print $22.99
Theme(s): Small Town, Mystery, Humorous/Comedy, Cozy Mystery
Railroad Ties: the Marmion Grove Murders opens with the discovery of a letter from a witness to a murder. The letter fell out of a copy of Agatha Christie’s first published book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. The heroine, Sophie Childress, volunteers for the Vassar Book Sale. Now closed down, for forty years it was one of the largest and most successful used book sales in the country, raking in an average of $100,000 for scholarships. Sophie is learning to price rare books, so she recognizes the  Christie volume as a first edition, and discovers that the first printing of the first edition was actually in New York, and not London. The famous London edition of her book was released a full year after the New York one.

The letter was written in 1920, the same year as the New York release, sending Sophie and her hero, Noah, on a search for possible connections between the two events.

Excerpt: The Letter

“What’s this?” She lifted out a heavy polyethylene bag. She knew from Eudora’s instruction that the bag was archival quality. Now why was this one protected when the others weren’t? She slid the book out. “Agatha Christie. The Mysterious Affair at Styles.” Christies were a dime a dozen. Most of her works had millions of copies in print. It was unlikely this was valuable, even though it was a hardback. Maybe it was a gift. There could be an inscription or note inside. She checked the flyleaf. Nothing. She turned to the copyright page. “First edition, first printing.” Okay. New York: John Lane Publishing Company, 1920. Wait a minute. She set it down, puzzled. New York? Christie’s books were published in England. It must be the first American edition. Still, sometimes those fetched surprisingly good prices. Another thing to research at the center. As she reinserted it in its plastic bag, an envelope fell out. Yellowed and stained, it was addressed to Constable Bustwick, Montgomery County Police. No return address or stamp. She opened it.

Inside was a scrap of butcher’s brown wrapping paper. It’s a letter. The handwriting was shaky. An older person? A child? Though the date was obscured by a streak of dried ink, she could make out “April” and “1920.” The same year the book was published. She sat down to read.

Dear Constable Bustwick,

I write to you in great distress. I believe I may have witnessed a horrible act. However, I do not know if it was truly a crime, so I am begging you to investigate quietly. If I speak out publicly, I risk my position.

The event occurred two nights ago. The master and mistress had retired. I had closed up the house and returned to my room when a thunderstorm barreled through. For a time the thunder was quite loud. Lightning struck one of our cherry trees with a great CRACK. I had finally dozed off when a noise outside woke me. It was perhaps an hour past midnight. We have had problems with raccoons in the garbage pit lately, so I took my broom and went out to frighten the creatures off. It was very dark after the storm, with only the feeble light from the hitching post lantern to see by. A figure came around the side of the carriage house. He had a large bundle slung over his shoulder. Mr. Constable, I think it was a body! As I watched, he toppled it into the back seat of an automobile parked on the gravel. When he tried to close the door, a man’s hat fell out. He picked the hat up, threw it inside, and drove away.

I was terrified, but the master had left strict orders not to disturb them, so I went back to my quarters. The next morning the master and mistress had breakfast as usual. Neither mentioned a late night visitor. The stable held only their Ford Model T and the carriage. The car in the driveway had been much larger and fancier. I remember the lamplight glinting on a chrome hood ornament that resembled a flying bird.

When the day had almost passed and the master had not altered his normal routine, I began to feel that I’d dreamed the whole thing. Then late that afternoon I was sweeping the carriage house floor and found the glass bottle we keep the rat poison in. It lay in the floor drain, shattered. Constable Bustwick, I do not know if the broken bottle has anything to do with the body, but I fear it does. I beg you to look into it, but please, please don’t contact my master or mention my name. I pray there is a simple explanation for all this.

Sincerely, Agnes Reilly.

The letter fell out of Sophie’s hand. My God. Did this Agnes really witness a murder? And why didn’t she mail the letter? Did she mean to hand carry it, or perhaps she couldn’t find a stamp? And how did it end up in the book? She sat, fanning herself with the envelope. Hefting the volume, she quickly slipped the letter between its pages and dropped it back in the box.

I have to return to Marmion Grove anyway. I’ll ask Noah about the letter. She was ashamed to realize the thought gave her pleasure

Buy links:

Books2Read: https://books2read.com/railroadties/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Railroad-Ties-Marmion-Grove-Murders-ebook/dp/B0F38Q5HZR

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/railroad-ties-m-s-spencer/1147152800?ean=2940184496733

Apple/IBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/railroad-ties-the-marmion-grove-murders/id6744065960

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230846616-railroad-ties

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/railroad-ties-the-marmion-grove-murders-by-m-s-spencer

About the Author

Librarian, anthropologist, research assistant, Congressional aide, speechwriter, nonprofit director—M. S. Spencer has lived or traveled in five of the seven continents and holds degrees in Anthropology, Middle East Studies, and Library Science. In June 2025 she will have published eighteen mystery or romantic suspense novels. She has two children, an exuberant granddaughter, and currently divides her time between the Gulf Coast of Florida and a tiny village in Maine.

Social media links:

Blog: https://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msspencermysteries

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/msspencerauthor

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/msspencer
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/msspencerauthor/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-s-spencer

Shepherd: https://shepherd.com/search/author/21204

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B002ZOEUC8

The latest from Ella Braeme!

Knocked Up by Her Mountain Man

How can I tell the love of my life we’re having a baby if he doesn’t even remember having had sex?

After a passionate, unforgettable night with my best friend, a tragic accident leaves him with no memory of our fiery connection. As I navigate the complexities of our altered relationship, I’m grappling with an unexpected pregnancy. Going back to being best friends now is impossible. Can I reignite the spark in his heart before he learns of the baby and feels obligated to stay?

Dive into the enthralling world of Knocked Up by Her Mountain Man—a tale brimming with small-town charm and a gentle touch of steam. Experience an emotional journey towards a happily ever after in this standalone installment of the Elken Grove Mountain Men series.

♥ surprise baby ♥ friends to lovers ♥ mountain man ♥ Appalachia ♥ amnesia ♥ small town ♥

Review quotes

This is so sweet it hurts.

You will love what happens with these two and the wild love they have for each other.

This is a friends to lovers, second chance love story….but with a twist.

Excerpt of Knocked Up by Her Mountain Man

Everybody in this town is in on the big, fat secret: I’ve had sex with Finn Winslow, and he’s forgotten all about it.

As a result, they are awkward around me. I can’t even blame them. In most places, I guess, I’d be the victim of lewd comments, judging glances, and sexual innuendo. But not in Elken Grove. Here, the townsfolk offer clumsy side-glances and full-on pity.

Take this morning, for example. As usual, I write the special on the board behind the cash register. Stretching my plump, short frame, I carefully chalk today’s special. It’s peanut bar day, a favorite of our customers. Can’t blame them. Together with the sprinkles of dark chocolate and gooey salted caramel, it’s a slice of heaven.

Mr. and Mrs. Hartley, regulars for their daily coffee and pastry, come in. Mrs. Hartley stares at the board as if seeing it for the first time. She opens and closes her mouth a couple of times, reminding me of a carp. I’ve never seen a carp in real life, but this is how it must look. Mr. Hartley gently touches her arm and says to me, in a soothing voice, “We’ll have red velvet muffins, please, dear.”

There is nothing wrong with our red velvet muffins. But since when don’t the Hartleys jump at a chance to get the peanut bar?

Robin, the coffee shop’s owner, looks on, and once the Hartleys are at their usual table by the corner window, takes a closer look at the board. And that’s when I see it, too. “Peenut bar w/dark chocolate and caramel.”

Much less than missing out on a peanut bar, Mr. Hartley would miss a chance for a stupid sexual joke. Instead, he called me “dear” and almost patted my hand. That’s how the folks of Elken Grove treat me now. I know it’s meant to be considerate, but it’s wearing thin.

Robin, taller than me, swiftly erases the offending E.

“Gimme that,” I say. “Your handwriting should not be on promotional boards.”

Robin sighs in mock relief. “She’s talking.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Lately, you’ve seemed unfocused and unusually quiet. Don’t lose your spunk, girl.”

I huff. My spunk has long since faded. For months now, everybody in this town has felt entitled to discuss intensely private matters with me. Like how sad it was that the night both of Finn’s brothers got married ended this tragically: I finally got together with the man I’ve loved for years, and that’s when the thrift store under my apartment caught fire and the building burned down. We had to jump from the second-floor window, stark naked. Finn badly injured his leg and was whisked away to the hospital and rehab. I haven’t seen him since, haven’t even gotten in touch with him. He’s got memory issues, and the doctor insisted on complete rest and no contact unless he initiates it. Which he hasn’t, but for a few texts. I know he hates writing, and his texts showed that he cared about me, but were disappointingly friendly. He is his usual carefree self, only he doesn’t remember anything about the night of his accident. Which includes having had sex with me.

But Robin is right, I’m letting myself go. I suppress a sigh and resolve to fake it until I make it. I snatch the chalk. “I’m sorry, I’ll just redo the board.”

Robin looks unconvinced. That’s what you get when you’re friends with your boss: well-meant meddling.

Meghan comes in and rattles off her order for the hardware store. As I make her coffees, and we chat about the unusually mild, but rainy March weather, I feel almost normal. When she leaves, she passes a grinning Patty Winslow in the door. My heart starts beating like a drum. I haven’t seen Finn’s mother this happy since before the night of the fire, so maybe she’s bringing good news. Perhaps I finally will be able to talk to Finn.

Patty comes straight for me. She takes my hands in hers and, with tears in her eyes, announces, “He’s coming home. He just called from the road.” A sob escapes her. “He’ll be home this afternoon.”

My knees weaken and tears well up, but my face breaks into the biggest grin ever. He’s coming home!

Patty looks around at the customers present. The Hartleys are here, and Mr. Vance is—they are the biggest gossips in town. Soon everyone will know that Finn is returning.

With a loud voice to make sure everybody hears, she declares, “I spoke with the doctor again, and he stressed how crucial it is for Finn to remember that night on his own. No one is to tell him. He needs to remember by himself.”

I’ve never understood that. Don’t doctors usually encourage patients meeting their friends and family? Talking about what happened? This feels wrong, but my formal education ended when I left high school, so I wouldn’t know anything about amnesia but for what I’ve read about since that night.

Patty turns back to me. “I’m sorry, dear. You’ll have to be patient a little longer. But the doctor is confident that, if you really matter to him, Finn will remember sooner or later.”

What if he doesn’t? Am I not important enough to be remembered?

How can I possibly tell him we’re having a baby when I’m not allowed to remind him we’ve had sex?

Read on: https://books2read.com/knocked-up-by-her-mountain-man

About the author

Ella writes sweet’n’steamy romances that are meant to provide short vacations from your everyday life. She loves to read, mostly romances, of course, and to putter around in her backyard, forever trying to turn it into a blooming garden. She’s got a dog who is helping greatly with all the garden work by supervising everything Ella does and—for the most part—not digging up her flowers.

Meet Ella

Follow Ella on Instagram @ellawritesromance

or on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/ellawritesromance.bsky.social

Sign-up to her emails and get a free novella https://ellabraeme.com/newsletter.htm

Visit the website https://ellabraeme.com

Other books by Ella Braeme

Contemporary Romance

Elken Grove Mountain Men

Butting Heads with Her Mountain Man
Her Rock Star Mountain Man
Knocked Up by the Mountain Man

Married in Windfall

Nice Enough
Anyone at Hand
Someone I Chose
Santa’s Proposal
Married in Windfall (the entire series available as paperback)

Suspense Romance

Shielded Hearts

Mountain Hideout ← free with sign-up

A different sort of Broome for Halloween

Australians and overseas tourists love Broome where much of my novel ‘Broome Enigma’ is set. A tropical, cosmopolitan town in the Australian Outback, its isolation and colorful red cliffs, white sands and turquoise ocean evoke a primeval response in visitors.

Once seen, the reds of Gantheaume Point and the vast white sands and turquoise sea of Cable beach will stay in the mind.

When writing of Broome and of travel between Broome and Perth, I drew on personal memories of the area. My travel book ‘Exploring Outback Australia’, with photos and maps by my husband, Hartley Tobin, provided further prompts.

A goodlooking tanned young man we saw working in an Outback caravan park inspired the creation of ‘Broome Enigma’s’ hero Joe and the story. Dressed only in jeans and sandals and shifting around sprinklers, he looked as if he had just stepped off a film set about surfers. However, his personality did not match this image. He did not smile and had a ‘dampened down’ personality. Wondering how someone like him came to be working in a caravan park, I played the ‘What If…?’ game. In time answers formed and I came up with a hero whose past life was shrouded in mystery. This eventually led to a back story. He and the heroine Jodie set out to uncover the secrets of his past.

Early on, the title popped into my head. It fitted because the novel was set in Broome and the hero, a complex person, was a mystery, as were various layers of the story, such as the underbelly in Broome society I constructed.

I wanted ‘Broome Enigma’ to be a good read, in which readers shared the emotional rollercoaster experienced by the two main characters, especially the heroine as the book is through her point of view. As reader Jill Sutton, wrote, “I very much enjoyed joining all the characters in their exciting adventures.”

Even better if the book made readers feel good about themselves and about the world and maybe learned something they didn’t know before. As reader, Kathy McKean wrote, “I felt sad to finish the novel. I felt like I had lost some new friends that I had made and whose company I enjoyed.”

By spending time with pleasant people who have faced up to and overcome serious challenges, hopefully readers will also have insights into their own challenges, especially in their search for a special person with whom to share their life.

Many people have now read my book and many comment on the setting, Broome in 1986, when life was slower and mobile phones were not in use. (This was important to the unfolding of the story.) Those who have visited the area said it brings back memories, while others who haven’t been said they were inspired to visit.

On a working holiday in Australia’s cosmopolitan Outback town of Broome in 1986, Jodie, a young book designer and artist is open to romance and adventure.

 At the holiday village where she is staying, she meets Joe, a young man who works there. Despite the strong attraction between them, the many unknowns about his earlier life keep them apart. To try to uncover his mysterious past, they travel to Perth and back to Broome and are drawn into not only bizarre but also dangerous situations.

Is Joe the person she thinks he is, or is he some alter ego? Can Jodie and Joe stop their relationship from developing until they have answers and know if he is free to love her?

Excerpt:

A big gust of wind rocked the van and flung Jodie hard against Joe. He pushed her off.

“Joe, it’s me, Jodie! Wake up, wake up!”

“Jodie, is that you?” He threw his arms around her and buried his head in her chest.

She brushed his hair back from his sweating face. “Take it easy, Joe. Take deep breaths. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”

He stopped shaking and pulled back from her. “What’s happening?”

“It’s the cyclone. Don’t you remember?”

Another huge gust shook the van and sent Jodie sprawling on Joe’s bunk and into the wall. “Ow, that hurt!” She picked herself up and rubbed her head.

The van rocked violently again. Joe and Jodie grabbed for handholds.

“Quick, come into my bed with me, Joe. It will be safer there.” Tripping and feeling their way along the wall, the two made their way to the double bed and clambered in.

Her breathing coming in short spasms, she lay on her back and took deep breaths. The storm whined and screeched about her, and the roof creaked and scraped.

“Oh, my god, the roof’s going to take off any minute!”

Joe’s arms enveloped her. “Hush, everything will be all right. But will you be okay if we have to make a run for it?”

“Yes.” She let out a sob. “But I like our chances better in here than out there.”

Joe kissed her forehead. He pulled her closer and they lay locked against each other while the storm raged around them.

Social media links:

https://www.facebook.com/meryl.tobin.18

https://sites.google.com/view/merylbrowntobin-author

Buy links: ‘Broome Enigma’ is for sale in book stores and on over 40 websites in at least 16 countries including Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, The Netherlands, Switzerland, UK and USA.

Websites include https://www.amazon.com.au/Broome-Enigma-Meryl-Brown-Tobin/dp/1509250638

Broome Enigma by Meryl Brown Tobin | Goodreads.

Bio

A former secondary teacher, Australian writer Meryl Brown Tobin has published 22 books, including a novel, travel book, educational puzzle books and poetry books, and hundreds of poems, puzzles, short stories, articles, cartoons and comic strips. A guest on Ch7’s children’s TV program The Book Place, she and a presenter read her children’s picture storybook LEFTY.

Apart from family and home, her interests include travel, bushwalking, conservation, current affairs and social justice issues. The Tasmanian Tiger fascinates her, and she’d love to prove it is not extinct.

Things I do when I should be writing…

Lately, I confess I’ve fallen into a hole of creating pictures of characters from my stories with AI. Granted, I am in a tenuous position with this confession, because I am obviously not happy that some authors are creating whole books with AI that are now in competition with my own. But I will say that there are no competitions in play here–I already have a cover for the book and won’t use these pictures commercially, other than to occasionally bring attention to my little twaddles.

For example, in TENDER MISDEMEANORS, a romantic suspense from The Wild Rose Press, my heroine is an officer with the Bureau of Land Management, which gets her into all sorts of trouble with the less-than-law-abiding characters in the story. But–fun fact–she is a full time RVer, living in an RV with her pet iguana at the edge of a national park in Montana. Here’s the story the book tells:

Caryn Orlane has law enforcement in her blood; her father was a cop, and his father, too. She’s a federal agent in northwest Montana, protecting the old forests and keeping the peace.

Levi Bradshaw also believes in protecting the forests, but has a very different MO. He’s the leader of a group of eco-warriors, determined to save the trees of the Bitterroot by legal—and illegal—means.

When they meet in the woods at gunpoint, their encounter ignites a spark of interest, despite operating on opposite sides of the law. When their worlds turn on them, they only grow closer. If they don’t work together, can either survive?

( For more info– book trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlVFvMZw0a0&t=63s and general links, etc. here: https://alana-lorens.com/tender-misdemeanors/)

While I did like seeing Caryn as her weekend self, I couldn’t forget she is also all business. So here she is then:

Previously I’d done a feature post on Levi Bradshaw, her nemesis-turned-lover, so don’t think I’m being unfair! Check it out: https://alana-lorens.com/2023/04/12/meet-levi-bradshaw-from-tender-misdemeanors/

Okay–back to writing now. I hope. 🙂

Get ready for a wild ride!

 A tenacious TV reporter has 48 hours to illegally enter Cuba, find
her sister, and avenge her mámá. Don’t miss the
spine-tingling sequel to Emmy-award winning journalist Linda Hurtado
Bond’s immersive thriller, All The Broken Girls.

All the Missing Girls

by Linda Hurtado
Bond

Genre: Thriller,
Suspense

Once
you enter their world, there is no escape…in this gripping and
undeniably chilling thriller from Emmy-award winning journalist Linda
Hurtado Bond.

As a crime reporter for a Tampa TV news
station, Mari Alvarez knows when an investigation enters dangerous
territory. But with her estranged sister missing and almost no
information to go on, Mari can’t trust anyone but herself to find
the truth. Now she has just 48 hours to sneak into Cuba undetected,
track down her sister…and pray to her orisha that she’s not too
late.

This is nothing like reporting in her neighborhood,
though–a place she knows like the back of her hand. In Havana she
has no contacts and only an ice-cold trail of cryptic clues. When
Detective Tony Garcia offers to help, Mari puts aside her instincts
and tries to let someone in. But soon they’re caught in a maze of
lies, deception, and an undercurrent of the island’s own
witchcraft, a sinister Brujería.

Every lead draws Mari
further into this world of shadows, especially when her sister isn’t
the only young woman who’s gone missing. Each step pushes Mari and
Tony toward a revelation they never saw coming. And as they close in
on the horrifying truth, one thing becomes clear…no one will let
them leave Cuba alive.

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Also by the Author: 

All the Broken Girls

Get it on Amazon

 Linda Hurtado Bond is an award-winning journalist for Tampa’s Fox 13
by day and author of romantic thrillers by night. She has won 13 Emmy
awards, numerous Society of Professional Journalist and Associated
Press awards, as well as a Florida Bar and an Edward R. Murrow award.
A breast cancer survivor, she’s also active in the Tampa community
with The American Cancer Society, Hooked on Hope, and The Shoot for a
Cure, raising money and awareness any chance she gets. She’s the
mother of five, four athletes and an adopted son from Cuba. She has
passion for world travel, classic movies and solving a good mystery.

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Reviews coming in–do you have your copy yet?

CRUEL CHARADE has been out one whole week, and the five-star reviews are piling up! Check out some of these:

5.0 out of 5 stars Page-turner with a Great Twist Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2024

Bet

If you like a good legal thriller with an engaging protagonist, you will enjoy Cruel Charade. In this latest offering in the lady lawyer series by Alana Lorens, Bettina Lenard wakes up in a Florida swamp and tries to figure out how she got there and who wants her dead. Unfortunately, there are many possibilities. It could be one of several former clients, a drug kingpin she has crossed, or maybe her ex-husband.

This book is fun, but it’s instructive, too. In addition to the mystery, Cruel Charade is also an accurate description of the journey to diagnosis for a woman with an autoimmune disease, from her husband assuming she is faking pain to cover a drinking problem, to a line of doctors who have no clue how to help her and little interest in trying. The reader has sympathy for Bet but doesn’t pity her. She is a strong, capable woman dealing with an illness that she doesn’t let define her.

The story skips around in time, which can be a bit confusing at first, but stick with it because you will get into the rhythm as you read on. Cruel Charade is a page-turner with a great twist. It’s the perfect book for a weekend at the beach or a me-time treat.

Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2024

The Everglades

CRUEL CHARADE by Alana Lorens is exciting with plot twists and turns that will keep you reading through the night. The story revolves around the murder attempt of attorney Bet Lenard who has lost everything in a bitter divorce. She finds comfort with her dearest friend and a new therapist. Written by juxtaposing the past with the present is intriguing and makes you really think when putting the story line together. It boils down to, can Bet figure out who tried to kill her before they try again? A great read all the way to the unique and surprising end. I highly recommend this book.


July 15, 2024

The doctor

There is a lot going on in this story. It’s all about Bet Lenard, and the story is in her POV, but it goes back and forth from present time to her past so you get all the reasons behind what’s happening in the back story. Bet is nearly killed in the Everglades in a car fire. She barely gets back from that before other things start happening. As a criminal lawyer, she’s often worked with dangerous people, but she’s not sure who is doing this to her—and there are a lot of possibilities, including her ex-husband.

There’s enough going on in this story that you definitely will not get bored – right up to the last page! Just when you think everything is solved, you turn the page and… it’s not! Nicely done. The only thing that kept me from giving this five stars was the back-and-forth in past/present. Not one of my favorite types of writing, but overall, the story is excellent.

Recommended.

June 29, 2024

The husband

I really enjoyed my review copy of Cruel Charade, a crime thriller by Alana Lorens. The story begins when Miami attorney Bettina (Bet) Lenard, wakes up in a spectacular WTF situation. Someone is out to kill Bet and, given the criminal element she and her not-so-ethical attorney ex-husband have represented over the years, that would-be killer could be anyone. Bet has to stay one step ahead of the killer’s attacks; while battling debilitating pain from an undiagnosable illness, keeping her estranged kids safe, and eluding a mob boss intent on forcing her to work for him. This unusual protagonist is one reason Cruel Charade kept me interested. Bet is a flawed person who doesn’t have all the answers, but she’s doing her best to navigate personal relationships while solving the case. I really loved Bet’s deadpan sense of humor, fashion sense, and foodie sensibilities. I enjoyed the inventive way she got herself out of jams. Cruel Charade is an engaging story with characters that feel real, in a setting that came alive in a sensory way (I really want to try that Cuban coffee). The action kept me hooked. The end satisfied and left me smiling.

  Miami attorney Bet Lenard has had a rough year. She’s battling an unknown illness that drives her to drink to cope with her pain. Her lawyer husband has divorced her and taken the best part of their business, their home and their children.

On the night of May 16, 1996, Bet finds herself in the Everglades in the middle of the night, drugged, lost and next to a burned car with a dead body in it. Hoping she’s hit bottom, Bet must drag herself out of her living hell and discover who tried to kill her. Was it her ex-husband, not satisfied with stealing everything that mattered? An angry client, unhappy with the outcome of their case? Her best friend’s husband, livid that Bet’s restraining order kicked him out of her life forever? Police officers fuming that Bet helped a client convict a dirty cop who was their friend? She has no idea.

As she tries to sort out the motives behind her would-be killer, even more suspects come to light. The only thing keeping Bet sane is her relationship with her therapist, who encourages her to struggle and survive, despite everything that’s gone wrong. How will Bet discover the truth and bring her enemy to justice before they strike again and, this time, succeed?

What are you waiting for? Get your copy here:

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