Candidate for Murder Spotlight

It’s election time in Spencer, Maryland, and the race for mayor is not a pretty one. In recent years, the small resort town has become divided between the local year-round residents who have enjoyed their rural way of life and the city dwellers moving into their mansions, taking over the town council, and proceeding to turn Deep Creek Lake into a closed gate community—complete with a host of regulations for everything from speed limits to clothes lines.

When the political parties force-feed two unsavory mayoral nominees on the town residents, Police Chief David O’Callaghan decides to make a statement—by nominating Gnarly, Mac Faraday’s German shepherd, to run as mayor of Spencer!

What starts out as a joke turns into a disaster when overnight Gnarly becomes the front runner—at which point his political enemies take a page straight out of Politics 101. What do you do when you’re behind in a race? Dig up dirt on the front runner, of course.

Seemingly, someone is not content to rest with simply embarrassing the front runner by publicizing his dishonorable discharge from the United States Army, but to throw in a murder for good measure. With murder on the ballot, Mac Faraday and the gang—including old friends from past cases—dive in to clear Gnarly’s name, catch a killer, and save Spencer! 

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries. The twelfth installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series, Candidate for Murder will be released June 2016.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real Gnarly) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with Lauren: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook

https://www.amazon.com/Candidate-Murder-Faraday-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B01H6NB8TK

 

Regina Shen: Endurance

In the final Regina Shen novel, the strong female protagonist continues her journey while being a fugitive not to mention a pawn in various power struggles. Rival luminaries in the World Federation wish to control her for her unique genetic cold that could possibly deter a fertility downfall across the world. Regina essentially has an eidetic memory when it comes to texts that predate the After Community Movement (ACM) year-dating system, with rising waters caused by climate change having initiated the change of temporal measurement. The rival agents seek Regina’s knowledge so they can find artifacts that predate the ACM year system, which the Department of Antiquities (DOA) then destroys.

Even so, Regina attempts her best not to allow the Federation to eliminate any more of the world’s history, while still seeking to rescue her kidnapped younger sister Colleen Shen. A significant portion of the novel’s action occurs in the Southwest Desert, whither Regina flees with a close ally, in search of a vault she can hopefully exchange for her sister’s emancipation from captivity. However, Regina is fated to endure tragedy that both devastates her but opens up new potential, although this can lead her down a precarious path close to her destiny, but farther from her sibling.

The story itself commences in the Alaska wilderness in the month of August in the Year 298 ACM, with Regina still being narrator for the majority of the novel, finding that she needs only food and water to survive, maybe a blanket due to the coldness of Alaska in contrast to the Richmond swamps where she was raised, although the action moves across North America. Overall, the conclusion to the Regina Shen tetralogy is an enjoyable one, with plenty of action and twists to keep readers on edge. As with its predecessors, a glossary is included after the main text, which clarifies terminology unique to the novel, not to mention its predecessors. As with most book series, furthermore, it’s definitely a good idea to start from the very beginning, with readers very much in for a treat in regards to this literary pantheon.

He was raised by a roaming aerospace engineer, growing up in various parts of the United States and Europe, as well as traveling through Asia. He took to stories as his anchor, including the works of Asimov, Bradbury, and Heinlein, and has been writing since age eleven.

Growing up, he was inspired by his father’s engineering work on cutting-edge aerospace projects to look to the future.

In an ideal world, Lance would find time loops where he could step out for a week at a time to read and write. Then he would return to the moment he left, without life getting in the way. Of course, since everyone would have the same ability, he suspects life would still sneak in.

Lance is also the author of short stories and novelettes.

Date Like a Girl Marry Like a Woman

Author Jessica R. Bunevacz acknowledges that romantic life can have its high and low portions, with everyone who becomes involved in a relationship having a unique idea on how they work. Despite these differences, most relationships bear the desire to love and get love in return. She writes this guide based on her own personal experiences with men and woman in her life, and presents a series of helpful guidelines to ensure that relationships don’t fall into common holes. She intends this guide to be read by women who are dating, about to marry, or are already wedded, and notes overall the importance of celebrating where one is on the journey of love.

She begins with a foreword and introduction that affirm that she wrote her guide out of love, betrayal, and glory, and that people should embrace the strongest aspects about themselves. The first half of the book is about dating, which she acknowledges has its share of difficulties, and distinguishes the various types of men, including those who make everything appeal dull, those who are self-deprecating, and so on. The writer proceeds to present several overall guidelines, such as setting standards on the first date, not talking too much, being mindful of how both partners communicate, and not discussing marriage early on.

The second half is for married women, with their own guidelines such as never saying no to fornication, respecting one’s husband, having notable culinary skills, providing for oneself and the family financially, and the like. Although the target audience for the guide is clearly women, even men can benefit from the guide and a woman’s perspective on relationship and marriage advice. Bunevacz does somewhat break the barrier in terms of traditional values, forgoing in the first half saving sex for marriage, although her view on relations definitely speaks to this reviewer, even though he doesn’t have plans in the near future to tread the waters of romance.

What do you get when you mix a strict Catholic upbringing, a strong curiosity for the opposite sex, and the need to grow up quickly? If you're lucky you get an outcome like Jessica Bunevacz, the vivacious and outspoken first time author behindDate Like a Girl, Marry Like a Woman: The Polished Woman's Guide to Love, Romance, and Sex.

Born Jessica Rodriguez in the Philippines and raised by her grandparents after the separation of her mother and father, Bunevacz was thrust into the role of provider after the murder of her mother when she was fifteen. With four siblings relying on her she began work early, first as a live mannequin and later as a model, actress, talent manager and television host. The jobs not only helped her to support her siblings, but also her first two children. One of her proudest moments while working in entertainment was as the force behind a project called “Miss Ugly No More” where women were showed how they could feel and look their best. Juggling family and work Bunevacz was not content to simply sit on the sidelines while life passed her by, and dating became her favorite contact sport.

​Traveling frequently for work and fascinated by men it wasn't long before she developed a set of rules to snag them, and guidelines for how she could remain at her best without being bested by the games others were playing. It wasn't long before she became a self-proclaimed MANnizer, capable of capturing and holding the attention of whoever interested her, while also continuing to do what was in her best interest as both a mother and entrepreneur with both family and a business to protect.

A romantic at heart however she soon stopped her pursuit of “Mr. Right Now” when she met the man who was “Mr. Right”, the man who became her husband. Newly married, she found herself rethinking everything she knew and realized that the same qualities that made a woman an amazing girlfriend didn't necessarily work for a wife. Rather than wait for someone else to write a marriage manual, she retooled her dating rules for herself to apply for a life after marriage. Jessica Bunevacz is now a happily married wife and mother of three currently residing in California.

While her life has been unconventional she has no regrets, and lives with the understanding that we all have the same basic desire: to feel loved, whether it's just for one night or for an entire lifetime. Using her own life experiences as a basis she develop real-world relationship advice to help women feel more confident and comfortable whether they're dating or have already said "I do".

Connect with the author: Author Website ~ Book's Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest   ~  YouTube

Regina Shen: Defiance

In the third installment of author Lance Erlick’s Regina Shen series, which commences around two months after its predecessor Vigilance began, in the third book’s case on July 20 in the year 298 After Community Movement in the Virginia mountains, the series’ titular protagonist continues to elude Department of Antiquities agent Joanne Demarco, with the tertiary installment like its predecessors alternating between first-person sections of chapters narrated by Regina herself, and third-person excerpts focusing on Demarco’s attempts to capture Shen. The third entry confirms that “Coarse-face” is indeed Demarco’s nickname coined by Regina, alleviating some confusion this reader had with the book’s precursors.

As a reminder to those unfamiliar with the literary pantheon, climate change has melted Earth’s icecaps, flooding coastlines and turning many continents into deserts, with Regina and her family residing on the outer portion of a wall designed to hold back rising waters. As such, Regina and her clan have lived on swamplands and islands, living on things such as pre-ACM literature forbidden by the Federation and its Department of Antiquities. Regina leaps beyond the wall in search of her sister Colleen, and ultimately finds that her DNA might hold the key to stop forthcoming human extinction, with Regina visiting a doctor and one of her friends, Yvonne Cordoba, to have a procedure to confirm this.

Meanwhile, Demarco continues to deal with rivals that threaten her tenure as Chief Inspector, all who wish to control Regina, with a forthcoming referendum to determine who will become the new World Premier. Like prior books, Defiance has received comparisons to other dystopian literature such as the Hunger Games trilogy and the Maze Runner franchise, allusions that are indeed accurate, given Defiance’s bleak futuristic setting, and is consequentially highly recommended to those who enjoyed its predecessors, with helpful glossaries after the main text identifying individuals, organizations, and certain terms. As with most book series, moreover, it’s definitely recommended to start at the very beginning of the literary pantheon to get the most out of the stories.

He was raised by a roaming aerospace engineer, growing up in various parts of the United States and Europe, as well as traveling through Asia. He took to stories as his anchor, including the works of Asimov, Bradbury, and Heinlein, and has been writing since age eleven.

Growing up, he was inspired by his father’s engineering work on cutting-edge aerospace projects to look to the future.

In an ideal world, Lance would find time loops where he could step out for a week at a time to read and write. Then he would return to the moment he left, without life getting in the way. Of course, since everyone would have the same ability, he suspects life would still sneak in.

Lance is also the author of short stories and novelettes.

Connect with the author:  Website   Twitter   Facebook   Goodreads

Regina Shen: Vigilance

In the first sequel of author Lance Erlick’s series featuring Regina Shen as protagonist, which critics have compared to other dystopian youth fiction such as the Hunger Games trilogy, two years of training have elapsed for Regina, after which she seeks to leap beyond the barrier into the World Federation in search of her sister Colleen, although fate has different plans in store for her. As in the book’s predecessor, the Federation has condemned Regina and her family to live outside the barriers sheltering the country from rising waters caused by climate change, with Regina avoiding capture during her training.

The Federation yearns to use Regina’s distinctive DNA in want of supposedly saving the human race from its downfall, although she would rather perish that assist those that kidnapped her sibling. Department of Antiquities Inspector Joanne Demarco continues her pursuit of Regina, although she has a new rival who wishes to use Regina to her own advantage. During her adventure, Regina consumes written word forbidden by the Federation, with her consequential distinctive knowledge making her something of an outcast to her peers, although it helps her reach a University beyond the walls, and she finds that life within the Federation isn’t necessarily any better than that outside.

Most of the sequel’s action occurs at the University, where Regina befriends a few Professors that shield her from the Department of Antiquities agents. Aside from Regina’s first-person narration, there are frequent third-person excerpts focusing on the rival Antiquities Investigators, which consequentially keep the story fresh, with the action very rarely letting down. Ultimately, the first Regina Shen sequel is a good one, with endearing heroes and villains, although there are occasional errors in the print version that the editor overlooked such as a reference to “the Demarco’s trunk,” and it can be easy to forget the characters certain nicknames refer to such as “Coarse-face.” Even so, the second book is easily recommended to fans of the first.

 

He was raised by a roaming aerospace engineer, growing up in various parts of the United States and Europe, as well as traveling through Asia. He took to stories as his anchor, including the works of Asimov, Bradbury, and Heinlein, and has been writing since age eleven.

Growing up, he was inspired by his father’s engineering work on cutting-edge aerospace projects to look to the future.

In an ideal world, Lance would find time loops where he could step out for a week at a time to read and write. Then he would return to the moment he left, without life getting in the way. Of course, since everyone would have the same ability, he suspects life would still sneak in.

Lance is also the author of short stories and novelettes.

Connect with the author:  Website   Twitter   Facebook   Goodreads