Ground Work for Murder by Marilyn Baron & Sharon Goldman
Give a warm welcome to Marilyn Baron & Sharon Goldman authors of Ground Work for Murder!
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding a 16X20 Signed Matted Print “Flora Blanca” by author, Florida artist Sharon Goldman, to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Tell us a little about Ground Work for Murder!
Landscape artist Alexandra Newborn dreams of a one-woman show at the Diamond Gallery. But the gallery owner dismisses her paintings as “old, tired, and dull. Lacking excitement.” Those words also describe Alex’s unhappy marriage.
Alex’s shocking reunion with her college art professor, Dominick “Nick” Anselmo—once a world-celebrated Italian artist, now a homeless lawn man—reignites their passion and fuels a creative spark for both, helping Nick recover from his wife’s death.
With Nick’s provocative sketches, art imitates life, but Alex doesn’t realize they reveal a dangerous liaison between her husband and the gallery owner. Without Nick’s knowledge, Alex arranges an art opening that includes his drawings.
When the torrid affair between Alex’s husband and his mistress is exposed, the seeds are sown for murder, mystery, and romance.
Read an Excerpt from Ground Work for Murder:
The man grabbed her hand.
“Let go!” Alex shrieked.
“Alexandra, wait.”
Startled, Alex twisted painfully in the man’s solid grip as she gave him a closer look.
“Do I know you?”
Alex focused on his face, which was vaguely familiar, and tried hard to bury the image of the rest of the man’s body, which, although she’d only been exposed to a flash of flesh, was oddly disturbing. And when she did, she got another shock.
“P-Professore Anselmo?”
The man released her hand and came out from behind the shelter of the bushes, smiled shyly, and nodded. Although she hadn’t recognized his accent earlier, there was no mistaking his identity. But the last time she’d seen him, his smile had been almost smug and his mouth had been busy doing more than smiling. She’d buried the recollection of their last encounter so deep even she wasn’t clear about the details of just how far they’d gone and how far she had been prepared to go.
It was hard to reconcile the man of her dreams with this nasty-looking person standing in front of her. Professore Dominick Anselmo had been her college art teacher, her inspiration, her secret crush, until he’d been exposed for improper behavior with his graduate assistant and expelled from the university. The scandal had rocked the Art and Architecture Department and blasted a rift in Alex’s personal world.
“Professore?” she repeated, her jittery voice rising a level. “What are you doing here?”
About the Author: Marilyn Baron and Sharon Goldman are sisters. Groundwork for Murder won first place in the Suspense Romance category of the Ignite the Flame Contest, sponsored by the Central Ohio Fiction Writers Chapter of RWA.
Marilyn Baron
Marilyn Baron writes in a variety of genres, from women’s fiction to historical romantic thrillers and romantic suspense to paranormal/fantasy. She and her sister even wrote a musical called Memory Lane.
She’s received writing awards in Single Title, Suspense Romance, Novel with Strong Romantic Elements, and Paranormal/Fantasy Romance. She was also The Finalist in the 2017 Georgia Author of the Year Awards (GAYA) in the Romance Category for her novel Stumble Stones, and The Finalist for the 2018 GAYA Awards in the Romance category for her novel The Alibi. Her novel The Siege was nominated for the 2019 GAYA Awards in the Romance Category.
Groundwork for Murder is her 24th work of fiction. A public relations consultant in Atlanta, she is chair of the Roswell Reads Steering Committee.
A native of Miami, Florida, Marilyn graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, with a B.S. in Journalism—a major in Public Relations and a minor in English (Creative Writing). She met her husband at UF and both of her daughters graduated from UF. Marilyn now lives in Roswell, Georgia, with her husband.
Find out more about Marilyn on her website: http://www.marilynbaron.com/
Visit her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Marilyn-Baron/286807714666748
Follow her on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MarilynBaron
Sharon Goldman
Sharon Goldman is an award-winning artist whose paintings are in private collections and who has exhibited in numerous galleries throughout northeast Florida, including the Haskell Gallery in the Jacksonville International Airport.
As a native Floridian, Sharon strives to create work that captures the spirit of Florida. Her colorful palette, unique cropping, and background as a designer and art director help her envision her novel compositions, which she describes as painterly realism.
Sharon has taught art school in her home studio to more than 200 students in her community. Sharon has also written and illustrated a children’s book.
Sharon is on the Dean’s Leadership Council at the University of North Florida’s Thomas G. Carpenter Library, where she gives monthly tours of one of the largest permanent art collections of regional artists in the state.
A graduate of the University of Florida in Fine Arts, Sharon had a long career in the advertising business. After having three children (now college graduates), she has more time to bring her ideas to light.
Website: http://www.sharongoldmanart.com
https://www.amazon.com/Groundwork-Murder-Marilyn-Baron-ebook/dp/B07SS5LMLN/ref=sr_1_1
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Ground Work for Murder!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Marilyn Baron, romantic suspense, Sharon Goldman, Women's Fiction by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.
The Ultimate Halloween Party Planner
There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch.”
~ Robert Brault
Halloween has a special kind of magic no other holiday has.
It teaches us that fear can be fun. The heart-pounding, spine-tingling, thrills and chills that spook us during the Halloween season get our blood pumping and act as memento mori– a reminder that death is ever present and that we should live life to the fullest enjoying each moment while we can.
Halloween offers us just that as we trek into the darkness of night to go trick or treating as a child or visiting haunted houses as an adult. Halloween offers us a moment to indulge in the decadence of too many sweets or alcohol filled drinks. It is a time of dark enjoyment. Blood-curdling screams often dissolve into laughter as we realize the fear is just make-believe. Fear, fantasy, and revelry mingle making us feel more alive than ever.
I have always loved Halloween. I felt the magic from an early age and grew up craving that magic every day of the year. I surround myself with things that many save just for the Halloween season: pumpkins, witches, skulls, vampires, fangs…these dark beauties adorn my walls and shelves keeping the spirit of Halloween alive in my heart every day.
Throwing a Halloween party is a great way to showcase your love of the holiday and have fun with themes, decorations, and costumes. I created The Ultimate Halloween Party Planner to help people get organized and plan a spooktacular event.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Halloween, Roxanne Rhoads, The Ultimate Halloween Party Planner by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
DRAGON’S REVENGE by Author CJ Shane
Check out the book spotlight on Dragon’s Revenge : A Letty Valdez Mystery by CJ Shane.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. C.J. Shane will be awarding his original artwork – an ink drawing of ocotillo on handmade paper in a wooden frame ready to hang with hooks and wire. Size of frame: 6 1/2″ by 8 1/2″ (U.S. ONLY), via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Tell us a little about Dragon’s Revenge:
When Tucson private detective and Iraq War vet Letty Valdez is hired to investigate a murder, she immediately finds herself targeted by a violent criminal. To find the killer, Letty turns to an old memoir of life in late 19th century Tucson. Clues in in the memoir, with its tale of love between two immigrants – one, an Italian widow, and the other, an exiled Chinese revolutionary – launch Letty on a suspense-filled struggle to find answers, to stop the murderer – and to stay alive!
A peek between the pages of Dragon’s Revenge:
from the memoir:
Mama agreed to sing at the rededication of the cathedral. She considered this a great honor and a spiritual responsibility. She wanted to do well to show her respect and devotion. Because of this, she began practicing every week as she had time, even though the rededication was six months away. She liked to climb a ladder up onto the flat roof of our adobe house and sing there. I asked her once why she went up on the roof.
“It’s the right place to talk to God and that’s what I’m doing when I sing. Singing here helps me to be strong.” Mama said. Mama was very religious. She talked to God a lot. She also talked to Jesus, the Virgin, and all the saints. Me, I never had much use for all that.
She was up on the roof one day when Drago came up the street with his cart. When Mama didn’t appear at our front door, he entered the gate to the side yard hoping to find her at the outdoor ovens. It was then that she began singing. Drago moved into the yard and stepped away from the adobe wall so that he could see her on the roof.
Mama stood straight upright, her long skirts moving slightly in the breeze. Her hands were clasped in front of her. She took another deep breath and out came that glorious mezzo-soprano, full and textured, subtle, rich with emotions I was too young to identify but would later know, emotions like passion and longing. Tendrils of curly dark hair escaped from the knot on her neck. Her northern Italian skin, pale like a pearl, glowed in the sunlight, and her dark eyes sparkled. My mama was a beautiful woman and she sang like an angel.
Drago stood transfixed in our garden, his hands at his side, his head bent upward to watch her. He was utterly still, utterly silent. I know this because I was hiding high in the branches of a tall mesquite tree behind him where he couldn’t see me. I was supposed to be doing my chores but I, too, liked to watch Mama when she was singing.
Drago stood for the longest time listening to Mama. I was watching Mama but when I looked at Drago, I saw that tears were running down his face.
I think that was the day that Drago fell in love with Mama, the day he first heard her sing.
About the Author:
C.J. Shane is a writer and visual artist in Arizona. In addition to her mystery fiction, she is the author of eight nonfiction books. Her first fiction book, _Desert Jade: A Letty Valdez Mystery_, (11-2017) is a finalist for Best Suspense-Thriller novel, New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards.
Learn more at https://www.cjshane.com/
https://www.cjshane.com/dragons-revenge.html
Rope’s End Publishing: https://www.ropesendpublishing.com/fiction.html
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/29448.C_J_Shane
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-shane
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ropes-End-Publishing-329334338020782/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Buy Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Revenge-Letty-Valdez-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07KQQL5F2/
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/910170
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dragons-revenge-c-j-shane/1129915766?ean=9780999387450
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dragon-s-revenge-a-letty-valdez-mystery
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dragons-revenge-a-letty-valdez-mystery/id1445245747?mt=11
I hope you enjoyed learning a little about CJ Shane’s Dragon’s Revenge. Good Luck with Dragon’s Revenge!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Letty Valdez Mystery, CJ Shane, Dragon's Recenge, Mystery, Suspense by Tena Stetler with 3 comments.
Christmas in July Celebration – What Fun!
I’m celebrating Christmas in July. Although around here, its only been a few weeks since we had snow. LOL
Calling all holiday-themed readers! What a way to cool off. It’s more than evergreens and twinkly lights at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven’s third annual Christmas in July Fête. 44 Christmas-themed books featured plus a chance to win one of the following:
Enter to win a $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $25 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $15 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $10 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
I’m thrilled to be a part of this event. My book, A WITCH’S HOLIDAY WEDDING, will be featured on July 30th. Wait until you read what I love most about Christmas. You won’t want to miss it. Mark your calendars for the kick of my 99 cent sale beginning July 12th (for a limited time, on A WITCH’S JOURNEY (you’ll enjoy reading about Pepper’s Fourth of July festivities) and A WARLOCK’S SECRETS (a magical adventure you’ll never want to end)!
Bookmark N. N. Light’s Book Heaven’s third annual Christmas in July Fête and be sure to tell all your friends!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Witch's Holiday Wedding, Christmas In July, Prizes and Fun, Tena Stetler by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
