Showing posts with label Resurrection Garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Resurrection Garden. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Giveaway Winners Announced!



Our congratulations go out to Ellen, who won copies of the e-Books Snakes and Jails and Puppy Dog Tails and Luck of the Irish by Mallary Mitchell.

We also send out congratulations out to PoCoKat, winner of an electronic copy of Resurrection Garden by Frank Scully.

Thanks to all who participated. Look for new giveaways to be announced soon. I've got some great books coming up, so don't miss them.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Book Review and Giveaway: Resurrection Garden by Frank Scully


If you're looking for a superb historical murder mystery with a touch of romance, you'll find it in Resurrection Garden by Frank Scully.

Jake Turner is a lone drifter trying to escape a past that seems to catch up with him no matter where he goes. A veteran of the charge up San Juan Hill, he has earned a reputation that he can't shake.

It's 1904 in North Dakota, and Jake is a part-time Deputy Sheriff. When he stumbles upon the frozen, brutally murdered body of Hjelmer “Thor” Thorsgaard, he sure doesn't get a lot of help from the townsfolk to figure out who might have wanted Thor dead. Seems everyone in Badger had a reason. The guy was a liar and a cheat who abused his family. Even his wife isn't sorry he's gone.

Jake feels the yearning to move on, especially when he becomes attached to Andy, an eight-year-old orphan boy, and begins to fall in love with his friend Issac's sister, Alice. When Andy is kidnapped and almost murdered, Jake is certain that whoever is behind Thor's death wants him out of the way, and they don't care who they have to hurt to make sure that happens.

He returns to Cuba, hoping to keep those he cares for out of danger. Though he knows he'll return to trap Thor's killer, Jake has no idea what will happen when all the dust settles.

In case you've somehow missed it, I'm a big fan of mysteries and I love historical fiction. That Resurrection Garden was able to blend two of my favorite genres into a well-written, intriguing novel, is a bonus over how much I truly enjoyed this book.

Resurrection Garden is Scully's debut novel, and the first book in his Decade Mystery series. Having read this book, I can barely wait until the next one is released in June.

In this riveting murder mystery, Scully has pulled together the wildness of the West, rich descriptions, a well-developed plot, and a menagerie of complex characters to come up with a winner. I expect this kind of writing from seasoned authors, so it is always a delight when a debut novel captivates me in this fashion. Simply put, I couldn't lay the book down. I stole every waking moment, and even moments when I should have been sleeping, to read this one. Just when I thought I had this one figured out, I discovered I was only partially right. I don't mind being fooled when such a satisfying ending is involved.

Guys shouldn't let the hint of romance turn them off this one. It's subtle and is crucial to Jake's development. As expected in a book set during this time period, there are plenty of bullets flying, and the situations Jake manages to get himself in can be a bit humorous.

Lovers of westerns, historical fiction, and murder mysteries will want to grab this one.


Title:  Resurrection Garden
Author: Frank Scully
Publisher:  MuseItUp Publishing
ASIN: B004HO6A90
SRP:  $5.95

If you don't believe me, read some of the other wonderful things that have been read about this book:

“I love mysteries and usually am not a fan of the western genre, but I enjoyed the Resurrection Garden. There was just the right combination of the Old West meets mystery with a wee bit of romance thrown in. Mr. Scully’s written word allows one to feel the dust as the characters are riding away, feel the hardness of the wood beds, see the tumbleweeds roll around us. I felt as if I was right in all of the action as I was reading Resurrection Garden, whether I was recouping with Jake, or investigating. Mr. Scully’s secondary characters are fun. He provides strong visuals as well as he stimulates other senses, for example: You can even smell Andy from the months without a bath.


Resurrection Garden is both a charming western and mystery. Thumbs up!”

–Cynthia Lea Clark, Psy.D.

"It's a great western adventure with great suspense, some fast paced action scenes, wonderful small town drama, and great romance. It's an all around entertaining book."

--Life in Review

"Author Scully has done a fantastic job in creating this very realistic mystery in a by-gone era. I loved this book and I highly recommend to all mystery lovers and those who enjoy a good Western."

--Marilyn Meredith, author of the award-winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series 

"I found myself enthralled with this tale. The mystery was well developed and had a very satisfying resolution. It was very heartwarming to watch as Jake learned to shed his past and move forward into his future. The book moved along at a good clip and I found myself clicking the button to turn the pages on the Nook so I could read what happened next. Mr. Scully's writing style was spare and perfectly suited the tale and time in which it was set. The characters were well developed and I enjoyed getting to know them."

--Broken Teepee


Now that you've read about how terrific this book is, I'm sure you want to own a copy. Well, lucky you, because MuseItUp Publishing and Frank Scully are giving away a e-Copy of Resurrection Garden to two lucky winners.

Here are the details!

1) You must be a follower of The Book Connection to win.

2) For your first entry, visit the publisher's bookstore at https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/ and leave a comment saying which book other than Resurrection Garden you would like to read. Please be sure to include a valid email address. You cannot win if I don't have your email address.

3) One additional entry if you friend me on Facebook. Leave a comment with your profile link to show you're friending me.

4) One additional entry if you follow me on Twitter. Leave a comment with your profile link to show you're now a follower.

5) One additional entry if you follow Frank on Twitter. Leave a comment with your profile link to indicate you requested to be a follower.

6) One additional entry if you friend Frank on Facebook. Leave a comment with your profile link to show you're friending me.

7) You must be 18 or older to be eligible to win.

Deadline for entries is 11:59 PM Eastern on Sunday, March 6, 2011. Winner will be selected out of all entrants who followed the rules governing this contest.



The author paid me to coordinate a virtual book tour through Pump Up Your Book!
 I received no monetary compensation for this review.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

New Releases from MuseItUp Publishing!

The year is starting off with some great new releases from MuseItUp Publishing.

Genre: Romance Suspense

Pages: 19

ISBN: 978-1-926931-14-2

E-book price: $0.99


First Impressions aren’t always what they seem. Just ask Callie Corwin.

On a 747, Callie Corwin, buckles up for her first day as a flight attendant. The full jet carries two passengers who stand out from the others, but for totally different reasons. The handsome cowboy promises to be a pleasant distraction from her performance anxiety, but the dark-skinned gentleman a few rows back sends her up her hackles. She’s been trained on how to recognize a terrorist, and he fits the very description. Will she see jolly old England or the bottom of the sea?

PURCHASE A WING AND A PRAYER BY GINGER SIMPSON HERE!


Genre: Sci-fi


Pages: 24

ISBN: 978-1-926931-30-2

E-book price: $2.50

Crashing Time Ship.
The Space Commission hot on her trail.
French spies and flying kites.


For Dr. Sally Pescan, this can’t be good.

PURCHASE A COPY OF FLYING KITE, CRASHING SHIP BY KRISTA D. BALL HERE!



Book One in the Dragon Wars series

ISBN: 978-0-9865875-3-5

Price: $3.50

Pages: 77

Warning: Limited violence, sexual content, or language

Kellan Teague, an orphan, is whisked away from the boarding school for psions by Dr. Olivia Hutchins to take part in a military organization called The Program. She awakes to find that she has been Linked, psychically bonded to a dragon named Jericho. Jericho doesn't seem very happy to be Linked and does everything he can to push Kellan away. One of the few people to show her kindness is a guard known to her only as Drake. Kellan soon finds out that both Jericho and Drake have secrets, secrets that hold the key to her past.

PURCHASE A COPY OF KELLAN'S DRAGONS BY ANTONIA TIRANTH HERE!


Book One of The Alvarez Family Murder Mystery series

ISBN: 978-0-9865875-9-7

Price: $5.95

Pages: 183

Just because a man cheats on his wife and makes Danny DeVito look tall, dark and handsome, is that any reason to kill him? The reluctant and quirky PI, Lee Alvarez doesn't think so. But the 34-year old ½ Latina, ½ WASP and 100% detective has her work cut out for her when the man is murdered on her watch. Of all the nerve. Set in the present, Murder is a Family Business is the first in a series of humorous mysteries revolving around Lee Alvarez, a combination of Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone and Janet Evanovitch’ Stephanie Plum, and rest of the Alvarez Family, detectives all. Seemingly light and frothy on the surface, the novel nevertheless explores familial love, the good, the bad and the annoying.

Completing the family is Lee’s Never-Had-A-Bad-Hair-Day aristocratic mother, Lila; computer genius brother, Richard; beloved uncle “Tio;” and her energetic orange and white cat, Tugger. When this group is not solving murders, they run Discretionary Inquiries, a successful Silicon Valley agency that normally deals with the theft of computer software. The love, humor and camaraderie shared within this family are what set this series apart from others.

PURCHASE A COPY OF MURDER IS A FAMILY BUSINESS BY HEATHER HAVEN HERE!




Book One in the Decade Mystery series

ISBN: 978-1-926931-04-3

Price: $5.95

Pages: 252

Warning: Contains moderate violence, sexual content or language

Jake Turner, a scarred veteran of the charge up San Juan Hill, has been a lone drifter through much of the settling of the west. Opportunity was growing out of the newly turned sod of the North Dakota prairie in 1904 when he stopped to take a part time job as a Deputy Sheriff, expecting to move on again when the dark parts of his past catch up to him.

An investigation into a murder of a man hated by everyone has threads that lead to his best friend, Isaac. Jake is ambushed and almost killed, but is nursed back to health by Isaac. While Jake follows the clues into a labyrinth of hatred, sordid crimes and missing money he becomes attached to an eight year old orphaned boy named Andy and falls in love with Isaac’s sister, Alice. After being alone for so long with no hope or care for what tomorrow might bring, Jake finds it difficult to accept these new emotional attachments.

Jake believes in Justice, but before he had only his own life on the line. When Andy is kidnapped and almost killed, Jake knows the killers will do anything to stop him. In order to protect Alice and Andy, he must break their hearts and leave them and North Dakota behind.

Jake knows he’ll be back. So do the killers. Trap and counter trap are laid. Jake knows there will be graves. He just doesn’t know who will be in them.

PURCHASE A COPY OF RESURRECTION GARDEN BY FRANK SCULLY HERE!


 Genre: Gothic Mystery

ISBN: 978-1-926931-05-0

Price: $2.50

Pages: 31

All of her life, Elizabeth Sidham, 20, has dreamed of one day marrying into one of Britain’s elite families. It had been Elizabeth’s mother’s wish, too, even to her dying day.

When George Arbuthnot invites Elizabeth to a dinner dance at his family’s manor house, she believes that finally, her dream might come true—for he “belongs.” He is “one of them”, a member of the British Peerage.

George courts Elizabeth, encouraged and guided by his domineering mother, Catherine Arbuthnot. She is determined that he produce an heir—albeit that he has a predilection, one such that he might never marry. But that is a subject, neither mother nor her only son talk about. At his Mother’s coaching and insistence, George woos Elizabeth and the two are married.

After their honeymoon, the couple move into Heathwood Manor, the ancestral home. George’s best friend, William, who is always in the background and often present, promises to “always be a support.” And he is, to both George and Elizabeth.

But so, too, is Catherine, who still controls George’s life. She is eager for him and his new bride, to produce an heir. And dutifully, within the year, the couple have a baby, Young Will.

The birth is difficult, and Catherine, soon takes control, insisting her young, daughter-in-law keep to her bed. Catherine busily begins making plans for her grandson, the schools he will attend, the life he must live. It matters not what the couple want. Catherine knows best.

George and Elizabeth feel helpless at the domineering mother and mother-in-law’s plans. But George’s friend and secret lover, William, knows he can’t stand by and let his surrogate family suffer. He has promised himself he will be there for them . . . always. And he makes plans to fulfil this promise.

PURCHASE A COPY OF WINTER'S SOUL BY PATRICIA HARRINGTON HERE!

You'll find these and other great titles at the MuseItUp Publishing website at http://museituppublishing.com/!