Rosepoint Publishing

The Blogger Recognition Award

I am thrilled to announce that I was nominated for the Blogger Recognition Award before Christmas by The Cozy Pages. Surprise Christmas gift, thank you! The Cozy Pages enjoys reading, writing, coffee in the morning, and mysteries! And she posts about her odyssey on her dynamic website. She is also open to review requests, but you should check out her Review Policy to see that your genre is one she accepts. You will love her blog; read and follow.

So what’s this Award about?

Blogger Recognition Award

Once you are nominated for the Blogger Recognition Award, if you wish to accept your nomination, you must follow these rules:

Generate a post about the award.
Thank the blogger who nominated you, and provide a link to their blog.
Write a brief story about how your blog began.
Provide two pieces of advice to newbie bloggers.
Select 15 blogs to nominate.
Comment on each nominee’s blog and provide a link to the post that you created about the award.

How My Blog Began

As most of you know, I began my blog as a way to create a social media presence following the publication of my grandfather’s manuscripts. With no clue what I was doing, it took me several years to gear up and find a niche, although it seems the niche found me. I was getting a lot of free books from BookBub, but so many of those books already had a large following. Joining author groups, I was able to participate personally with debut authors. As a side benefit from participating with authors, I began receiving review requests. My posts shifted specifically to #bookblogging, #bookreviewing, and all things books from #blogtour to #booklaunch.

Blogging Advice from Me:

I continue to get more review requests than I can manage to read, and have much to learn in the way of social media promotion. Computers remain a mystery to me, but there are so many sources of information on so many platforms, that (thankfully) it’s easier than ever to find answers.

The biggest education in my growth goals was membership in the Phoenix Book Marketing and Promotion Meetup in Phoenix, Az. Laura Orsini always had wise words for us newbie bloggers, the biggest of which was to blog early, often, and intelligently, introducing us to the 30-day challenge and blog prompts. It’s tough to get your website out there. Competition is extreme. Expect to give it a lot of dedicated time and effort. Hang in there–it’s worth it!
The other two most helpful sources of growth for me has been Twitter and now Instagram (Bookstagram), replacing Facebook, where I never really caught on and probably blew my initial setup. There was more than enough push to participate in Pinterest, but that never got me any traffic and I’m still scratching my head over what the whole thing is about.
Seek other bloggers in your niche and cultivate followers or subscribers. They can teach you so much! Find a platform you can work with and search for bloggers with whom you can exchange information, guest posts, or sources of photos or graphics. You’ll need them.

As with The Cozy Pages, I feel 15 is more than I can manage with my current schedule, so I’ve provided these few below in no particular order. These are all excellent #bookbloggers who provide excellent reviews. Check them out and follow!

Adventures of a Bibliophile

Book Journey

Books Beyond the Story

Books Teacup and Reviews

Chat About Books

Clues and Reviews

Novel Gossip

The Geeky Bibliophile

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Another One Bites the Crust – a Book Review

Title: Another One Bites the Crust (A Bakeshop Mystery) by Ellie Alexander

Genre: Currently #553 on Amazon Best Sellers Rank in Kindle eBooks, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery, Cozy, Culinary

Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Publication Date: January 2, 2018

Source: St. Martin’s Paperbacks and NetGalley

Title and Cover: Another One Bites the Crust – Cover reflects bakery locale

It’s almost time for the annual Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon, and the bakery Torte is gearing up as a major supplier of Elizabethan-era treats, not only for the cast and crew, but to greet the hordes of tourists who flock to the area for the season event. Unfortunately, Antony of Antony and Cleopatra is found murdered before the curtain can rise, and Jules’s friend, Lance, artistic director of the OSF, had a rather public fight with the actor on the eve of opening night. But actors can be as ego-driven and difficult as Lance and Lance can orchestrate drama all by himself. Continue reading “Another One Bites the Crust – a Book Review”

#AmReading – Another One Bites the Crust by Ellie Alexander

Welcome to my #AmReading feature! I am highlighting an author and their book currently visible in the “Fair Weather” widget celebrating blue skies, following seas, and my Goodreads (currently reading) list.

Another One Bites the Crust by Ellie Alexander

This week I am presenting Ellie Alexander and her book Another One Bites the Crust. This is a download from the publisher and NetGalley. The book will be released on January 2, 2018 by St. Martin’s Paperbacks. Amazon classifies the novel as a mystery, thriller & suspense, culinary, and amateur sleuths and is only 316 pages.

I will be presenting my review on Sunday, December 24, 2017, and can tell you that so far it’s a cozy mystery very different than I’ve read before. In the meantime (from Amazon), here is the

Book Blurb:

Torte—the beloved small-town bakeshop run by Jules Capshaw—is set to hit the stage. But who would have guessed that murder would makes a surprise appearance?

It’s the role of a lifetime for Jules. The Shakespeare Festival has returned to Ashland, Oregon, for the season and Torte has been cast as the supplier of Elizabethan-era treats for the main event. But on the eve of opening night, a brawl between Jules’s friend Lance, the artistic director, and a strapping young thespian named Anthony almost brings down the house. . .and the next morning, Anthony is dead. Jules knows that Lance loves his drama—and his just desserts—but she also knows that murder is way off-script for him. Now it’s up to Jules to cut through a bevy of backstage betrayals and catty co-stars who all have their own secrets—before the curtain drops on someone else. . .

About the Author: (From Amazon Author Page)

“Ellie Alexander, author of the Bakeshop Mystery Series (St. Martin’s Press), is a Pacific Northwest native who spends ample time testing pastry recipes in her home kitchen or at one of the many famed coffeehouses nearby. When she’s not coated in flour, you’ll find her outside exploring hiking trails and trying to burn off calories consumed in the name of research. Another One Bites the Crust is the seventh in the Bakeshop mystery series.”

Find out more about Ellie and her books by visiting her here:
Blog: http://www.bakeshopmystery.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elliealexanderauthor
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BakeshopMystery
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_alexander

#ThrowbackThursday – Tom Lowe – Book Review

#ThrowbackThursday - Christmas time

Renee began the Throwback Thursday meme on her blog, “It’s Book Talk“ to share some of her old favorites as well as sharing books published over a year ago. Sounded like a good reason to join! I’ll be going back over some of my oldies but goodies, my favorite authors, and some of my favorite stories from authors you might not have previously experienced. Hopefully, you’ll find either a story or author that interests you and you’ll check them out.

A False Dawn by Tom Lowe This week I am highlighting Tom Lowe, another terrific, prolific author who has produced eight in the Sean O’Brien series of which I reviewed A False Dawn on Goodreads. If you don’t recognize the name of the author, perhaps you have heard of his eighth in this series, A Murder of Crows. A False Dawn, #1 of the series, was published by Kingsbridge on March 8, 2012. Lowe consistently runs approximately 4.5 stars for any of his books sold on Amazon.

Originally posted October 8, 2014 Continue reading “#ThrowbackThursday – Tom Lowe – Book Review”

Smoke – a Book Review

Title: Smoke by D. B. Borton

Genre: Currently #19277 on Amazon Best Sellers Rank in Kindle eBooks, Literature & Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Women Sleuths

Publisher: Boomerang Books

Publication Date: November 20, 2017

Source: Direct request by author

Title and Cover: Smoke – Great cover showing frame painting

Backstory during the Iranian revolution at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art sets the plot of stolen masterpieces, some of which later turn out to be fakes.

Decades later, Marge Smith, as an active agent of Quixote, Ltd. is sent to The Elms to recover from a broken leg received in a motorcycle accident when she is swept up in a geriatric production of Macbeth. The production introduces her to three friends starring as witches, each on short term in the nursing facility, when suddenly one of the witches dies unexpectedly. Continue reading “Smoke – a Book Review”

The Wild Road to Key West – a Book Review

Title: The Wild Road to Key West-The Cave of the Stars by Michael Reisig

Genre: (Historically listed as Literature & Fiction, Historical Fiction, Men’s Adventures, Travel, and Sea Adventures)

Publisher: Clear Creek Press

Publication Date: December 15, 2017

Source: ARC from Author

Title and Cover: The Wild Road to Key West – Cover continues the series brand

You know you can’t go wrong with a new offering from Michael Reisig in his Key West series and I’m excited to present: The Wild Road to Key West, The Cave of the Stars. This is the eighth of the series and finds the Hole in the Coral Wall Gang scrambling once again to duck in and out of the richly descriptive jungles of South America in one piece.

Reisig always sets a frantic pace in chapter one that will continue through his latest adventure. This one begins with the rescue an old friend, Captain O’Neal now of the South Florida DEA. He has tangled in the Venezuelan jungles with a powerful gem-mining warlord, Santiago Talla. They discover Arturio, who is given to unhealthy games of Russian Roulette in the local bar. He knows the area and becomes their guide. Continue reading “The Wild Road to Key West – a Book Review”

#AmReading – Smoke by D B Borton

#AmReading - Smoke by D. B. Borton

This week I am presenting D. B. Borton and her book Smoke. I received a direct review request from the author. The book was released on November 10, 2017 by Boomerang Books. Amazon classifies the novel as a mystery, thriller & suspense, and women sleuths and is only 306 pages.

I will be presenting my review on Tuesday, December 19th, and can tell you that so far I’m finding the book a hoot. In the meantime (from Amazon), here is the

Book Blurb:

Late one night during the fiery days of the Iranian revolution, two figures slip into the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art and steal twelve of the world’s most valuable paintings. Here’s what the thieves don’t know: most of the paintings are fake. Decades later, when she ought to be enjoying a sedate retirement from the field, Marge Smith remains on active duty as an agent of the secretive Quixote, Ltd. But now that she’s broken her leg in a motorcycle accident, her bosses have sent her to a nursing home to recover. She doesn’t know why, but she doesn’t think it has anything to do with the geriatric production of Macbeth she’s been inveigled to take part in—until one of the witches drops dead in the middle of opening afternoon.

Called in to work on a theft recovery, Marge is surprised to discover the surviving witches across the conference table, and astonished when she’s handed a list of stolen paintings to recover. She knows these paintings; she once stole them herself. Now Marge has several problems to solve. Who stole the paintings and how can she get them back? Are they the real paintings or another set of fakes? If they’re real, how did they end up in a house in suburban Washington, D.C.? Was the third witch murdered for them? And how soon can she ditch the crutches?

About the Author: (From Amazon)

D B Borton - author “D. B. Borton teaches English at a Midwestern liberal arts college. She has published eleven mystery novels in two series, the Cat Caliban series and the Gilda Liberty series. As an academic writer she has published work on film, women’s ghost stories, and girl detectives.

“A native Texan, Borton became an ardent admirer of Nancy Drew at a young age. At the age of fourteen, she acquired her own blue roadster, trained on the freeways of Houston and the broad stretches of oil-endowed Texas highway, and began her travels. She also began a lifetime of political activism, working only for political candidates who lost. She left Texas at about the time everyone else arrived.” ©2017 Virginia Williams I Love Likes and Comments--Please Share!

Stowed Away – a Book Review

Title: Stowed Away (A Maine Clambake Mystery) by Barbara Ross

Genre: Currently #30 on Amazon Best Sellers Rank in Kindle eBooks, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery

Publisher: Kensington Books

Publication Date: To be released December 26 2017

Source: Kensington Books and NetGalley

Title and Cover: Stowed Away – Cover promises cute cozy mystery

I love it when the cute and compelling book cover delivers on its promise to be a fun, sweet little ride. This sixth book in the series also makes you envy what appear to be a gorgeous Maine, Atlantic Coast blue skies, fair winds location and seaward lifestyle. And you know I’m all over that!

This little romp in the Maine Clambake Mystery series by Barbara Ross features versatile and capable Julia Snowden as protagonist and amateur sleuth. She is low-key, perceptive, and quick to catch any nuance. She is part of the Snowden family that offers an annual sail and clambake to their little tourist retreat on Morrow Island twice a day for the summer season. During the off-season, she is part owner of a little diner with Quentin Tupper in Busman’s Harbor, Maine. Continue reading “Stowed Away – a Book Review”