Introducing the Novellas of the Kindle Worlds Lei Crime Series, Based on the Novels of Toby Neal!

Hello Everyone! I hope that you're all having a wonderful day today. I'm delighted to introduce you all to the novellas of the Kindle Worlds Lei Crime Series. Released on October 31, 2015, each novella is set inside The Lei Crime Series of novels written by popular mystery author Toby Neal. Each author who participated in the creation of this line of novellas is a popular author in their own right - from every genre imaginable. I would advise you to grab your own copies of these novellas as soon as possible!

Hawaii is palm trees, black sand and blue water - but for policewoman Lei Texeira, there’s a dark side to paradise. Lei has overcome a scarred past to make a life for herself as a cop, but often the cases she works activate wounds and complications from her tangled family history. Lei is affected deeply by her cases even as she solves them with persistence, obsession, and intuition. She falls in love with Michael Stevens, the charismatic detective she works with, and they make a life solving crime in contemporary Hawaii with all its beauty and deadliness.

Revenge Makes it Sweeter by Julie C. Gilbert (2015)

Length: 100 pages 

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Revenge Makes it Sweeter Blurb:

Revenge is a lot of work.

When the original plan for his ex-wife goes awry, Martin Cantrell turns his mind toward a sweeter revenge: stealing their daughter’s affections. But he’s not the only one plotting, and his enemies are better at keeping to the shadows.

Meanwhile, Special Agent Marcella Scott gets a late night summons to the hospital to speak with a gunshot victim. She knows to expect almost anything, yet he still surprises her.

“Agent, if I die, save the girl."

The girl turns out to be Katelyn Cantrell. Marcella’s not the only one protecting her, and the other person has no problem killing to obtain their goals.

Can Marcella prevent an assassination and catch a killer?

Find out in Revenge Makes it Sweeter. This story comes several months before Black Jasmine of Toby Neal's original Lei Crime Series.

Hoaka Moonshine by Laurie Hanan (2015)

Length: 77 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Hoaka Moonshine Blurb:

When Dee Maltin bought the little beach cottage on Maui, all she wanted was 
to leave her memories behind. Now, fifteen years later, things are starting to go awry. Why does everyone else deny hearing the feral cats that keep Dee awake all night? What’s the smell that permeates her house no matter how much she scrubs?

Why does her strange neighbor, who hasn’t spoken to her in all these years, choose this moment to strike up a conversation? A woman shows up at Dee’s door looking for her birth mother. Is she a con artist, or just deluded? Dee searches for answers and is soon over her head in one big Hawaiian-kine mystery.

Rocky Bluff by Kim Hornsby (2015)

Length: 151 pages 

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Rocky Bluff Blurb:

Toby Neal calls Rocky Bluff "A Twisty, Fun Mystery!"

Detective Lei Texeira has just moved to Maui from Kauai with boyfriend Michael Stevens when they witness a tragic accident during a performance of The Rocky Horror Show at the local theater. A closer look suggests murder. Stevens is assigned the case but Lei can't keep her nose and her theories out of his investigation especially when she realizes that her new running partner and friend, Kali, might have been the ultimate target. Lei goes undercover in the bizarre theatrical rendition of a narcissistic transsexual and his band of weirdos, but soon finds herself a target as well.

Kali's past catches up with her and Lei and Stevens struggle to apprehend a clever killer who stays several steps ahead of the police in this game of terror. It isn't until the Iao Theater ghost intervenes and Lei finds herself conspiring with a dead woman that final clues fit together to form a bizarre mosaic of treachery.

Although it's not necessary to read the Lei Crime Series to enjoy Rocky Bluff, Kim highly recommends the Bestselling Police Procedural books by Award-Winning Toby Neal. Rocky Bluff takes place between Torch Ginger and Black Jasmine and includes a yummy and sugary recipe for Malasadas (Portuguese Donuts)

Coconut Island by J. L. Oakley (2015)
Length: 116 pages
Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Coconut Island Blurb:

Memories are dangerous.

Investigative reporter Wendy Watanabe is no stranger to mysteries, but can she handle one steeped in her own family’s history?

A box of letters from a WWII soldier stationed on the Big Island is found at the Hilo Historical Society and unlocks painful memories for Wendy’s Great Aunt Bee.

Bee’s older sister was swept away in the 1946 tsunami, but now Wendy suspects she was murdered first. As she delves into the mystery, Wendy meets a group of nonagenarians who were at the USO center on Coconut Island during the war. One is a hero. Another is a cold-blooded murderer.

When the threat turns to Bee, Wendy seeks the aid of Detective Leilani Texeira and together, the women race to catch the killer before he claims another life.

Unforeseen Danger by Patricia Logan (2015)

Length: 104 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Unforeseen Danger Blurb:

Kaua'i Detective, Jack Jenkins, has just settled into married life with his new wife Anuhea and he loves his job in the laid back island paradise. When he hears his brother Lane, an undercover LAPD cop, has gone missing while on assignment, he flies to the mainland to help locate him.

Jack immediately rubs Lane’s partner Brennan the wrong way. Brennan has no need of his help, and he fears his intrusion will put Lane in even more jeopardy. Jack is not easily swayed when it comes to protecting family and when Bren finally realizes he’s not going to be able to shake the tenacious detective, the men vow to find a way to work together.

As Jack plunges into the unfamiliar world where Lane’s gone undercover, from the biker bars of the Inland Empire to the gay bars of West Hollywood, he uncovers evidence that perhaps Lane has more secrets than he’s been prepared to face.

With unforeseen danger lurking around every corner, Brennan and Jack form an uncommon brotherhood with one goal, taking down the bad guy...while getting Lane out alive.

(Unforeseen Danger takes place after Rip Tides, Book 9 of the Lei Crime series)

Of Rainbows and Butterfly Wings by Ron Logan (2015)

Length: 67 pages
Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Of Rainbows and Butterfly Wings Blurb:

Fifteen years ago…

Before he was Maui County Medical Examiner, Dr. Phillip Gregory was a recently divorced assistant medical examiner who moved to Hawaii and fell in love with a gorgeous woman named Amy Kawela.

Then, she disappeared without a trace, proving his lousy luck in finding life-long love. 

Present day… 

A woman who looks a lot like Amy winds up on his table. Shaken by the likeness, Phil leaves the lab in the capable hands of his longtime friend, Dr. Leslie Tanaka, and flies to Honolulu to voice questions he should have asked ages ago. Why did Amy leave him? What really happened to her? Is the dead woman Amy?

He’s finally seeking a truth that’s always torn his heart out. The answers could free him of his burdens, or they could kill him.

Can he discover the truth, survive long enough to tell the tale, and finally find the true love his life’s been lacking?

Of Rainbows and Butterfly Wings takes place between Rip Tides and Bone Hook.

Dead Flow by Malcolm Aylward (2015)

Length: 104 pages 

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Dead Flow Blurb:

MURDER IN PARADISE! Gabriella (Gaby) Texeira, Lei’s cousin from California, is assigned the case after a local hula dancer is found murdered in a brutal, ritualistic style killing. As the body count continues to rise, Gaby tries to recruit reluctant Polynesian antiquities expert, Jake Kahanamoku, to help locate and stop the killer before any more lives are taken. Lei and Michael make an appearance in Dead Flow, as well as cameos by Marcella Scott, her partner Matt Rogers, and Lei's faithful dog Keiki.

Dead Flow takes place between the Lei Crime Novels Shattered Palms and Dark Lava.

From Goodreads: "If you love a great story with crime, drama and romance, I highly recommend you read this book.

Tough Choices by Terry Ambrose (2015)
Length: 93 pages
Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Tough Choices Blurb:

Even paradise has a dark underbelly...

Marty Fitch is busted by the cops when he accidentally undermines the arrest of a Honolulu drug lord. Marty resolves to fix the problem he's created - as soon as he gets out of jail. His cousin, Pono Kaihale, is on temporary assignment with HPD and bails Marty out. He also makes Marty promise to keep out of police investigations. 

When Marty sees a way to take down the drug lord, he can't stop himself. Now, he's operating in a world he knows nothing about, where lies are the norm, retribution is swift, and danger lurks around every corner. The only thing keeping Marty out of jail - and the morgue - is his skill at parkour. With the cops, a drug lord, and even his cousin hunting him down, Marty must make the most difficult choices of his life to survive. 

Tough Choices occurs between Books 3 and 6, Black Jasmine and Shattered Palms.

Ti Leaves and Moon Cakes by A. J. Llewellyn (2015)

Length: 83 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Ti Leaves and Moon Cakes Blurb:

Can Abe trust Tony with his life...again?

In this follow-up to Coffee and Kukui Nuts, Maui explosives expert Abe Torufu wants his sister Meleny’s wedding to go off without a bang on the beach at Waikiki. But before the kahuna can bless the big day with a traditional ‘awa and ti leaf ceremony, a suspicious buoy washes ashore, threatening to wreck the celebration. Not only that, but a shocking photo snapped by Abe’s date for the wedding, his Lieutenant, Cherry Joy Omura, reveals a surprising face in the crowd.

When somebody starts taking potshots at Abe, he once again joins forces with U.S. Marshal Tony McCracken to track down a master criminal. Can Abe keep his shirt and his underpants on this time? Can he figure out why he offered Cherry Joy a date involving moon cakes? And most of all, can he get to the er, bottom of why he hates Tony’s new boyfriend?

May you read well and often

Mike Hartner - I, Mary

35. I, Mary by Mike Hartner (2015)
The Eternity Series Book 3
Length: 255 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 16 October 2015
Finished: 29 October 2015
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Dorothy at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 10 September 2015
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Mary Crofter has spent the majority of her life on the water. Since the age of two, she has felt the call of the sea, and has always had an affinity with the ocean that most people could never understand. Her first trip aboard a ship was when her parents, James and Rosalind Crofter, sailed from her birthplace of Kilwa in Tanzania to Portsmouth, England. This was shortly after Mary's first birthday in 1635.

At the age of twelve, Mary is finally allowed to realize her greatest dream in life - she becomes an honorary crew member on one of her father's trading ships. Mary is absolutely delighted to be given such a chance, but she still has her doubts. While she has been on several trips from Portsmouth to London and other ports as well, Mary knows that she still has a very long way to go before she is accepted entirely.

Despite having such an affinity with the water; and sailing with her parents, will Mary be able to survive on the water? Will people ever take her seriously as a sailor? Is a girl truly competent enough to sail with a crew of men? Mary only knows that she will never know the answers to these questions for certain unless she takes the plunge.

And yet, once she does, will Mary ever tire of the sailor's life? Will there ever come a time in her life when she will want to come off the ocean and eventually settle down? And if she does settle down, will the lure of the ocean ever prove strong enough to draw her back?

I must say that as with the previous two books in the series, I absolutely loved I, Mary by Mike Hartner. In my opinion, the plot  was well-developed and fast-paced; and I was drawn into the story right from the beginning. The characters were extremely likable, and I connected with them all rather quickly.

I'm not sure if there will be a sequel to this book, but I certainly hope so. I'm invested in each of these characters and the time period, and avidly want to know where the story will go from here. I give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

May you read well and often

Christine Amsden - Madison's Song

34. Madison's Song by Christine Amsden (2015)

Length: 271 pages 

Genre: Paranormal Romance 

Started: 28 September 2015

Finished: 27 October 2015

Where did it come from? Many thanks to Christine Amsden for sending me a copy of this book to read.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 11 July 2015
Why do I have it? I like paranormal romance and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Being raised in a family that views magic as inherently evil - in a town where magic rules supreme - Madison Carter once believed that learning that she was adopted was the only knowledge that could truly shock her. As a child, her father had always told her that her musical talent wasn't a magically-gifted affinity, but a devilish curse that she must never use. Her friendship with Cassie Scot may have given Madison the needed strength to defy her adoptive father and become an elementary school music teacher; but nothing could have possibly prepared  her for learning the true identity of her birth father, or for being kidnapped by an evil sorcerer.

Madison has been terrified of Scott Lee ever since the night that he saved her life - then melted into a man-eating monster right in front of her. She actually hasn't had a good night's sleep since her rescue, and the nightmares that plague her aren't only about her kidnapping. The werewolf may be ruled by the moon, but Madison's nightmares definitely are not.

Despite her own fears, when Madison's brother Clinton is bitten by a werewolf, she knows that there is only one man who can possibly help him. He is the one man who frightens Madison to the very marrow of her bones, all the more so because even in her nightmares, he thrills her. Now Madison must swallow her fear, and turn to Scott Lee for his help. Clinton's very life may depend on it.

Together for the first time since that terrible night, Scott and Madison drive to Clinton's apartment. Learning from Clinton's roommate that he hasn't been there for close to a week - and hasn't been seen anywhere else in the community - Madison begins to worry that her brother has completely vanished. Frantic now, she must overcome her fears and discover her inner strengths if she has any hope of finding her missing brother and saving him.

Madison may feel utterly alone as she struggles with her internal demons, but she is not the only one who is fighting them. Scott's inner demons are entirely too real for him; too literal. And they have him utterly convinced that he will never be worthy of the woman he loves - that he will never deserve her love, no matter what he does.

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. This is a standalone companion to the Cassie Scot Series - and while I loved the character of Cassie Scot - I often found myself wanting to know more about the character of Madison Carter. In my opinion, Madison was such a poignant character to watch throughout this story.

She was so painfully shy and had such a low self esteem at first, that I felt sorry for her situation. I must say that I never felt sorry for Madison as a character, and was delighted to see her development throughout the story. I give this book a definite A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

May you read well and often

Book Spotlight For Twisted Sisters by Kimber Leigh Wheaton

Hello Everyone! I hope that you're all having a wonderful day today. I'm so glad to welcome award-winning Paranormal Mystery author Kimber Leigh Wheaton author of Twisted Sisters - Book 2 of The Orion Circle Series - to Emeraldfire's Bookmark. This is also my twenty-third Book Spotlight post ever, but I still hope that I do Twisted Sisters by Kimber Leigh Wheaton justice.

About Twisted Sisters:

It’s a child’s toy - what could go wrong?

While playing with a spirit board, two sorority sisters summon the vindictive spirits of three women brutally murdered by a psychopath. Join Logan, Kacie, and the rest of the Orion Circle as they delve into the disturbing events of the past to find the key to freeing the spirits.

But this isn’t any ordinary haunting. These ghosts were banished before, and now they have returned more powerful than anyone could have imagined. Anger breeds hatred and hatred leads to darkness - these phantoms are on the verge of losing their last spark of humanity and becoming completely lost to the shadows.

Can Logan and Kacie convince the tortured souls to embrace the light and move on, or will the spirits succumb to the hypnotic pull of evil, leading to an eternity of torment and suffering?

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Meet Kimber Leigh Wheaton

Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a bestselling YA author with a soft spot for sweet romance. In addition to writing, she works as an editor for two publishers, as well as select indie authors. She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs and lots of dragons. Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, video games, superheroes, villains, and chocolate - not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!) Winner of the 2014 Rising Star Award at the BTS Red Carpet Awards in NOLA and a Silver Medal for YA Mystery/Horror in the 2015 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards.

Connect and Socialize with Kimber!

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Amazon Author Page 

May you read well and often

Introducing Devil and the Deep by Megan Tayte!

So, I was delighted to learn that Megan Tayte recently released Devil and the Deep - the fourth book in her young adult fantasy series - The Ceruleans Series. I actually had the pleasure of reading the first book in the series - Death Wish by Megan Tayte back in June of 2015, and here is my review. This is a series that I definitely look forward to reading more of in the future, and I would advise you to grab your own copy as soon as possible!

Meet Megan Tayte

Once upon a time a little girl told her grandmother that when she grew up she wanted to be a writer. Or a lollipop lady. Or a fairy princess fireman. ‘Write, Megan,’ her grandmother advised. So that’s what she did.

Thirty-odd years later, Megan is a professional writer and published author by day, and an indie novelist by night. Her fiction - young adult romance with soul - recently earned her the Self Publishing Review's Independent Woman Author of the Year award.

Megan grew up in the Royal County, a hop, skip and a (very long) jump from Windsor Castle, but these days she makes her home in the village of Standish, Greater Manchester. She lives with her husband, a proud Scot who occasionally kicks back in a kilt; her son, a budding artist with the soul of a palaeontologist; and her baby daughter, a pan-and-spoon drummer who sings in her sleep. When she’s not writing, you’ll find Megan walking someplace green, reading by the fire, or creating carnage in the kitchen as she pursues her impossible dream: of baking something edible.

Devil and the Deep by Megan Tayte (2015)

Length: 314 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Devil and the Deep Blurb:

STORM CLOUDS ARE GATHERING, AND THEY WILL RAIN BLOOD. 

Scarlett is living her happy-ever-after, back in the real world. Only the ‘happy’ part is proving problematic.

For starters, there’s the isolation. Being a Cerulean among humans is fraught with risk, so her time with people can only be fleeting. Which means being with Luke but not being with Luke.

Then there’s her Cerulean light, her power over life and death. Less awesome talent, as it turns out, and more overwhelming responsibility. And it comes with rules – rules that are increasingly difficult to obey.

But what’s really pushing Scarlett to the precipice is something much bigger than herself, than her life in the cove. A force to be reckoned with:

Blood.

When long-buried truths are exposed, will Scarlett keep her head above water - or will she drown in the blood-dimmed tide that is unleashed?

May you read well and often

Introducing The Last Vampire by Kathryn Meyer Griffith!

I'm delighted to tell you all that Kathryn Meyer Griffith's EPIC EBOOK Awards  *FINALIST* for 2012 - the horror novel The Last Vampire - was recently rereleased earlier this month with a totally redesigned cover. I'm happy to say that I had the pleasure of reading Ms. Griffith's 2012 EPIC EBOOK Awards  *FINALIST* horror novel - The Last Vampire - back in December of 2010! Here is my review.

Meet Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Since childhood I’ve been an artist and worked as a graphic designer in the corporate world and for newspapers for twenty-three years before I quit to write full time. But I’d already begun writing novels at 21, over forty-two years ago now, and have had twenty (ten romantic horror, two horror novels, two romantic SF horror, one romantic suspense, one romantic time travel, one historical romance and three murder mysteries) previous novels, two novellas and twelve short stories published from Zebra Books, Leisure Books, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Damnation Books/Eternal Press; and I’ve self-published my last five novels with Amazon Kindle Direct and my dinosaur novels are my best-sellers.

I’ve been married to Russell for thirty-six years; have a son, James, and two grandchildren, Joshua and Caitlyn, and I live in a small quaint town in Illinois, which is right across the JB Bridge from St. Louis, Mo. We have three quirky cats, ghost cat Sasha and Cleo, and live cat Sasha (Too), and the five of us live happily in an old house in the heart of town. Though I’ve been an artist, and a folk singer in my youth with my brother Jim, writing has always been my greatest passion, my butterfly stage, and I’ll probably write stories until the day I die…or until my memory goes.

2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *FINALIST* for my horror novel The Last Vampire - Revised Author’s Edition ~ 2014 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *FINALIST* for my thriller novel Dinosaur Lake.

Connect and Socialize with Kathryn!

Website * Facebook * Goodreads * Amazon Author Page

The Last Vampire by Kathryn Meyer Griffith (2015)

Length: 419 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon and Audible!

The Last Vampire Blurb: 

Emma, watching the world disintegrate around her, finds herself alone, her family dead, and fighting off an unnatural hunger as she becomes one of the undead. Defying her unwanted destiny, she is determined to resist the bloodlust and loss of humanity she feels, and deny the need to kill and feed on human blood, for as long as she can bear it. But she is so hungry and the night calls...

May you read well and often

Joyce DiPastena - An Epiphany Gift For Robin: A Short Medieval Christmas Story

33. An Epiphany Gift For Robin: A Short Medieval Christmas Story by Joyce DiPastena (2011) (Revised Author's Edition 2015)
Length: 18 pages
Genre: Short Story
Started/Finished: 10 October 2015
Where did it come from? From Amazon
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 14 July 2015
Why do I have it? I like short stories and had read and enjoyed The Lady and the Minstrel by the same author in the past.

The Marcel family is perhaps the poorest family living among all the peasants who farm the baron's land in twelfth-century England. Many would call the serfs who work for Lord Beckford nothing more than chattel, no better than the oxen that plow his lordship's fields. And indeed, as the baron and his household feast on Christmas goose, all seated around a blazing Yule log, Arthur and his family; his loving, yet long-suffering wife Mariot, and their three children - nine-year-old Gilbert, seven-year-old Robert, and four-year-old Charlotte - shiver together in the cold.

In a time when serfs are not meant to love or to dream of a brighter future, Arthur Marcel dares to do both. Twelve days after Christmas - on the gift giving day of Epiphany - he will make a tremendous sacrifice. And Arthur Marcel's simple act of love and kindness will subsequently change the future of one of his family members forever.

I must say that I have actually read this book twice - once in August, and the other in October. I always love reading the background stories of certain characters and this one was no exception. I had already read The Lady and the Minstrel by Joyce DiPastena back in June of 2015 - and it was really wonderful to meet up with some of these characters again, this time as children. I give this short story an A!

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Reading Wrap-up For September at Emeraldfire's Bookmark

Hello everyone out there and I hope that you all had a terrific reading month for yourselves. I am known as Emeraldfire around the Internet and this is my new personal reading blog.

Anyway, I started out September with about two hundred unread books lying around the house and ended the month with...umm...uncountable amounts of books unread. All of the books that I acquired this month came from authors and Amazon.

Let me try to break down the influx for you:

Changes to the TBR pile

Read from my TBR pile (Yes! I am a reading machine :))
- The Avalon Relics: Lilith Links by J. L. Clark
- The Search For the Stone of Excalibur by Fiona Ingram

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! :))
- Emma by Jane Austen
- Owlet by Emma Michaels
- I, Mary by Mike Hartner
- Forget Me Not by Megan Tayte
- Wild Blue Yonder by Megan Tayte

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))

- The Search For the Stone of Excalibur by Fiona Ingram

Well, there it is...the breakdown! All in all, a very good reading month for me, considering. Here's a further breakdown:

Books Read: 2
Pages Read: 668
Grade Range: A!

So, there you go! The reading month that was September. I hope that you all had an equally good reading month; if not a little better. :) See you all next month! :)

May you read well and often