Book Review and Giveaway - Nearly Departed (An Eve Appel Mystery) by Lesley A. Diehl On tour with GreatEscapes

Nearly Departed (An Eve Appel Mystery)
by Lesley A. Diehl

Diverse characters and interesting twists made this an enjoyable light read.
~Cassidy’s Bookshelves

About Nearly Departed 

Nearly Departed (An Eve Appel Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Publisher: Epicenter Press (January 14, 2020)
Print Length: 180 pages
Digital ASIN: B083G9GDJY

Tired of sitting surveillance on insurance fraud, apprentice PI Eve Appel Egret gets her first big case, one where the outcome is important and personal. Eve’s best friend Madeleine has few relatives, so her Uncle Shamus is special, but someone is determined to kill him and has tried several times. Eve is certain she can identify who is after him, but this time she may have taken on more than even our self-confident Eve can handle. Coping with a growing toddler and a teenager, devoting time to the consignment shop and finding someone who can go undercover in a sexual harassment case all vie for Eve’s attention. Eve knows she cannot fail Madeleine. This is more than her favorite uncle’s life. His death would mean devastating loss for Madeleine and call into question Eve’s commitment as a friend and her ability as a PI.

Cows, Lesley learned as a child growing up on a farm, have a twisted sense of humor. They chased her when she went to the field to herd them in for milking, and one ate the lovely red mitten her grandmother knitted for her. Determining that agriculture wasn’t her career path, she took a job as a stripper, book cover stripper for a publishing company, that is. Now after many years as a college professor and university administrator, she has returned to the world of books and uses her country roots and her training to concoct stories designed to make people laugh in the face of murder. “A good chuckle,” says Lesley,” keeps us emotionally well-oiled long into our old age.”

Author Links

Website – www.lesleyadiehl.com

Blog – www.lesleyadiehl.com/blog

Facebook – www.facebook.com/lesley.diehl.1

facebook Author Page – www.facebook.com/Lesley-A-Diehl522270901254754

GoodReads – www.goodreads.com/3414925.Lesley_A_Diehl

• Purchase Links

Amazon – B&N – INDIEBOUND

MY THOUGHTS

This is the first book that I have read by this author. While this is part of a series (7th to be exact)  - I had no problem following along. I love Eve! She is spunky, fun and so funny. I love how the author has written this character. I love how Eve's family pitches in - Family is key! This is a light, easy read that I enjoyed very much. Well written characters, fun story line. I look forward to more from this author. 

I received a copy of this book through the Great Escapes blogging program, all thoughts are my own

Book Review: The adventures of VeggieMan By Karla Farach

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Niko starts a new school, he has no idea that he's going to find

himself in the middle of an epic battle

between the forces of good and evil.

Good, nourishing food and evil junk

food, that is.

Things are looking chaotic until

Niko gets help from Veggieman,

a super-cool superhero. Together

with his awesome army of fruits

and veggies, he helps save the

school and all the kids in it. But

the most important thing he

does is show kids that they each

have their own superpowerƒƒ‚‚ƒ‚‚"ƒƒ‚‚ƒ‚‚€ƒƒ‚‚ƒ‚‚"

one we all have and can all use. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karla Farach is the CEO of Mothers of Health, LLC, a company she founded to inspire women and mothers to adopt a healthier lifestyle. She is passionate about nutrition and wellness and is certified as a health and life coach by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Karla was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and lives in Greenwich, Connecticut, with her husband and two sons. Karla’s favorite vegetable is kale

MY THOUGHTS

This was a super cute book to read with my boys. They are 8 and 7 - and we are slowly transitioning to a more clean eating life style. While my kids love fruits and veggies -they love to snack on chips and candy. This book brought up some good discussions about healthy snacks. I love the theme of this book. Veggies and fruit have major super powers that help keep us healthy.  Beautifully illustrated pictures, entertaining story line and a wonderful life lesson. This book is a must add to your home library. I received a copy of this book through the publisher, Mascot Books all thoughts are my own

Purchase: HERE

Book Review: Wild about the Alphabet (and other tales) By: Mike Crowder

ABOUT THE BOOK

An alphabet book for those learning the alphabet, and for those who have to read it to them....

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Although already a darling of the cognoscenti, it wasn't until his actual birth in 1963 that Mr Crowder began to meet with any popular acclaim.

He was raised in Scenic Rat Town, FLA... in a barn... by wolves... possibly, apes...

Mr Crowder's advances in the science of rocket surgery cannot be ignored. He is older'n God, has an itchy spleen, and a disposition that can only be described as "bad." He and his fabulous wife currently live somewhere in the Southeast with his dogs Bo and Luke, in Rat-Town or maybe somewhere else.

His only regret in life is that it took him so long to find his lovely and capable wife, Gwen

MY THOUGHTS

This book was such a cute, fun read. I have an animal crazy 8 year old that loved reading all the fun facts about each letter. Each letter names an animal that starts with that letter, and gives some facts about it. We laughed a lot during this book. It is beautifully illustrated and written. This book has 64 pages, and is geared toward those learning their alphabet. However, I have a 1st grader and 3rd grader who loved this book also. The 1st grader was pleased that he was able to read this himself. 

I received a copy of this book through the publisher, Mascot Books all thoughts are my own. 

Book Review and Giveaway -- Dark Water By: Christy Barritt on tour with Celebrate Lit

About the Book

Book:  Dark Water

Author: Christy Barritt

Genre:  Romantic Suspense

Release Date: January 28, 2020

A FORMER NAVY SEAL HAUNTED BY HIS PAST

Colton Locke can’t forget the black op that went terribly wrong. Desperate for a new start, he moves to Lantern Beach, North Carolina, and forms Blackout, a private security firm. Despite his hero status, he can’t erase the mistakes he’s made.

A WIDOW WITH SECRETS

For the past year, Elise Oliver hasn’t been able to shake the feeling that there’s more to her husband’s death than she was told. When she finds a hidden box of his personal possessions, more questions—and suspicions—arise. The only person she trusts to help her is her husband’s best friend, Colton Locke.

THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE

Someone wants Elise dead. Is it because she knows too much? Or is it to keep her from finding the truth? The Blackout team must uncover dark secrets hiding beneath seemingly still waters. But those very secrets might just tear the team apart.

Click here for your copy!

About the  Author

USA Today has called Christy Barritt’s books “scary, funny, passionate, and quirky.”

A Publishers Weekly best-seller, Christy writes both mystery and romantic suspense novels that are clean with underlying messages of faith. Her books have sold more than two million copies, and two are currently being developed as movies.

Christy’s books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery, have been twice nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, and have finaled for both a Carol Award and Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year.

She’s married to her prince charming, a man who thinks she’s hilarious–but only when she’s not trying to be. Christy’s a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who’s known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado.

Christy currently splits her time between the Virginia suburbs and Hatteras Island, North Carolina. She loves spending time with her husband, her two sons, and her four dogs.

For more information, visit her website: www.christybarritt.com.

More from Christy

Dark Water is the fourth series in the Lantern Beach Universe. When I created the fictional island of Lantern Beach, NC, I had no idea how popular it would be. I’ve fallen in love with the people there, and they feel more like friends than fictional characters.

Dark Water is about a group of former Navy SEALs who band together to former an elite private security firm. But they all share secrets, as well as guilt over the death of their SEAL leader. In order to move on, they must find answers.

I introduced Colton Locke in the last book of the Lantern Beach PD series—Plan of Action. I knew he needed his own book and that I wanted to develop his character more. That turned into a four-book series featuring Colton and three of his friends. Blackout contains suspense, mystery, and romance—all of my favorite things!

My Thoughts

Dark Waters is the first book in a new series. The debut book sets the series out on a break necking pace. It is full of twists and turns and leaves you turning pages to keep trying to figure it out. The book starts off with Elise fighting for her life during a home invasion. You have to wonder if she is being targeted due to her deceased husband. Colton runs a security firm, and has a past that he can't shake. So much went wrong during a op back when he was a SEAL. His firm, Blackout is assigned to protect Elise. Colton remembers Elise's husband from his SEAL days. Can he help protect Elise? Will they figure out who is after her? Most importantly is any of it connected with the botched SEAL mission? 

Well written characters. Suspenseful story line. This does have connections to some of her previous books - but this can be read as a standalone. This book will keep you guessing - I will be checking out the next book in the series. 

I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit Blogging Program, all thoughts are my own. 

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, May 1

For Him and My Family, May 1

Reading Is My SuperPower, May 2

Blogging With Carol, May 2

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, May 2

KarenSueHadley, May 3

Read Review Rejoice, May 3

All-of-a-kind Mom, May 4

Genesis 5020, May 4

Through the Fire Blogs, May 4

She Lives To Read, May 5

deb’s Book Review, May 5

Remembrancy, May 6

Britt Reads Fiction, May 6

Emily Yager, May 6

Betti Mace, May 7

Hookmeinabook, May 7

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 8

Splashes of Joy, May 8

Inklings and notions, May 8

Simple Harvest Reads, May 9 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Just Your Average reviews, May 9

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 10

Pause for Tales, May 10

Because I said so– adventures in parenting, May 10

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 11

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, May 11

Ashley’s Bookshelf, May 12

Spoken from the Heart, May 12

Lights in a Dark World, May 12

Blossoms and Blessings, May 13

CarpeDiem, May 13

With a Joyful Noise, May 14

Live. Love. Read., May 14

Little Homeschool on the Prairie, May 14

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Christy is giving away the the grand prize package of a signed copy of Dark Water and a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/fa62/dark-water-celebration-tour-giveaway

Book Review: And the Monkey Lets Go: Memoirs Through Illusion and Doubt by Scott Hunter - Courtesy of Mascot Books

About the Book
Scott Hunter should be dead: Alcohol. Pot. Mescaline. Acid. Cocaine. You name it, he did it to excess. Like many young Americans who came of age in the 1960s, he told himself it was all part of life’s grand adventure. Truth was, he couldn’t face the secrets that were consuming him.

Beginning with pharmaceutical LSD at two seminaries, Scott searched for an awakening. His journey took him to Thailand, where he taught English as a Second Language and studied Vipassana meditation. He was an attendant at a Massachusetts State School for developmentally-challenged children, drove tractor trailers, farmed organically on a hippie farm, lived in a teepee, and studied mantra meditation. He became a vagabond (read: homeless) exploring politics and poetry.

Eventually, he found recovery from drugs and alcohol in the AA and NA programs, and uncovered the reasons for his addictions. In And the Monkey Lets Go, Scott writes about his life with clarity and humor, each milestone serving as an ultimately revelatory story about what it means to unearth the truth about yourself.

My Thoughts

So, this book came along right when I needed it. My mother, who has been an alcoholic for as long as I can remember, is finally sober. It's been a very frustrating journey. One that has been filled with broken relationships, lots of tears and anger. This book helped me understand what my mother has been going through trying to get sober. My mother almost died recently, and that was the wake up call. 

I have come from a long family history of alcoholics. I choose not to drink often because of it. 

Reading this book, the author takes us on his journey. He shares his struggles with various addictions, the brokenness of his past, the hurt, the flaws, the demons he has battled. It is also a story of hope - to how he overcame the battle and how his life turned around and fell into place. I enjoyed this book. I will be sharing this with my mother to aide in her journey. 

I received a copy of this book through the publisher, Mascot Books, all thoughts are my own.