Blog Tour: CHRISTMAS IN THE CROSSHAIRS - Author Guest Post - Review - Giveaway!

Christmas in the Crosshairs (Love Inspired Suspense) by Deena Alexander

Author Guest Post:

Since it’s the holiday season, I thought it would be fun to share a delicious, easy-to-make recipe.
 

My father has baked cookies every Christmas for as long as I can remember, and my all-time favorites are his Italian Rainbow Cookies! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Rainbow Cookies

 
INGREDIENTS:
4 Eggs
1 Cup sugar
1 Cup flour
3 Tsp. almond extract
3 Tbsp. Amaretto 
2 Sticks melted margarine
Food coloring: Red, yellow, green
1 Bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 jar Apricot or Raspberry jam or jelly (whichever you prefer)
 
DIRECTIONS;
 
Preheat oven to 350
 
Beat eggs and sugar together. Add flour and stir. Add Amaretto, almond extract, and melted margarine. Beat well. Separate into three bowls (an even amount of batter in each bowl). Add one color food coloring to each bowl (until batter is desired color).

Spray three 9 X 11 disposable baking pans with non-stick spray. Pour one color batter into each pan and spread evenly. Bake at 350 for 14 – 15 minutes (cooks quickly, so watch closely and remove if browning). Remove and let cool.

Melt chocolate chips.

Once cool, spread apricot or raspberry jelly over one colored sheet. Put next sheet on top of it. Spread a layer of jelly over that sheet. Put next sheet on top. Cover top layer with the melted chocolate chips – spread thin. 

Cut into small rectangles and enjoy!

Those look absolutely delicious!

About Christmas in the Crosshairs

 Christmas in the Crosshairs (Love Inspired Suspense) Inspirational Romantic Suspense Setting – Seaport, Long Island, New York Love Inspired Suspense (November 28, 2023) Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1335597794 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1335597793 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BTJ3BSJW

A baby in need of protection— and a hitman in pursuit.

After evading an attack, defense attorney Adam Spencer is on the run from a dangerous hitman. The killer’s wife is Adam’s only hope at apprehending the criminal—until she lands in the hospital. Now he must depend on her twin sister, Jaelyn Reed, to find the answers they need…all while protecting the baby niece Jaelyn didn’t know she had. But with threats at every turn, trust may be the deadliest trap…

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

My Review:

I really enjoyed reading this Love Inspired Suspense book! Jaelyn and Adam were great main characters, and even though they had been through horrible things, I loved getting to see them find happiness. The epilogue was a fantastic ending! Overall, I would definitely recommend this romance novel!

I received a finished copy from the blog tour company/publisher.

About Deena Alexander

Deena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, where she met and married her high school sweetheart. She recently relocated to Florida with her husband, three kids, a son-in-law, and four dogs. Now she enjoys long walks in nature all year long, despite the occasional alligator or snake she sometimes encounters. Deena's love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn't sleep through the night, and she now works full-time as a writer and a freelance editor.

Author Links:

• Webpage: http://deenaalexander.com/index.html
​
• Blog: http://deenaalexander.com/blog.html
​
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeenaAlexanderAuthor
​
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeenaAlexanderA
​
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20382104.Deena_Alexander
​
• BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/deena-alexander
​
• Newsletter: https://gmail.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=d7e6e9ecdc0888d7324788ffc&id=42d52965df

Purchase Links - Amazon B&N Kobo Harlequin Apple Google Play 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

November 28 – Maureen's Musings – REVIEW 

November 28 – Just Another Teen Reading Books - REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST November 29 – Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense – SPOTLIGHT 

November 29 – Because I said so -- and other adventures in Parenting – REVIEW 

November 30 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

November 30 – Diane’s Book Journal – SPOTLIGHT

December 1 – Christy's Cozy Corners - REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST, INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

December 2 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

December 3 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 3 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

December 4 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

December 5 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW

December 6 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

December 6 – Sapphyria's Books – REVIEW

December 7 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

December 7 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

December 8 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR GUEST POST

December 8 – Angel's Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT

December 9 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

December 10 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

December 11 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host? Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today! Want to Book a Tour? Click Here

Review: Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity!

Review: Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity Elizabeth C. Bunce

In the fifth book of the Edgar Award-winning series, Myrtle Hardcastle uncovers a string of murders during a treasure hunt on a haunted Scottish estate. When her governess inherits an estate on a Scottish island, amateur detective Myrtle Hardcastle couldn't be more excited. Unfortunately, the ancestral castle is both run-down and haunted. Ghostly moans echo in the walls, and there are rumors of a cursed treasure lost on the island—an ancient silver brooch that may have cost the former lord his life. But who had the motive, means, and opportunity to kill him? And could this Scottish trip mean the end of Myrtle's plans to get her father and governess together?

Then Myrtle's investigation stirs a villain out of hiding. The estate’s boat is stolen, so there’s no escape from the island. Myrtle is forced to play a deadly game, hunting for the brooch with a thief breathing down her neck—someone who will stop at nothing to get the treasure, even if it means murder.

-summary and cover via Goodreads

Review: This book was absolutely wonderful! My heart felt so full after finishing it. I loved getting to read about all the characters who returned in this book, and getting to meet all the new ones, as well. The mystery was really well written, and while I figured out part of it, I didn’t guess everything, which is always fun in a mystery novel. The setting was fantastic. And the ending!! I had such a big smile on my face, with a certain event that happened (no spoilers, but I think avid fans of the series will be as happy as I was while reading.) at the end. I would happily read many more Myrtle books! Overall, I loved MYRTLE, MEANS, AND OPPORTUNITY, and I highly recommend the Myrtle Hardcastle series to anyone who enjoys a good mystery, with wonderful characters!

I received an ARC from the publisher.

Blog Tour: The Wake-Up Call - Review!

The Wake-Up Call by Beth O'Leary

Two hotel receptionists—and arch-rivals—find a collection of old wedding rings and compete to return them to their owners, discovering their own love story along the way.

It’s the busiest season of the year, and Forest Manor Hotel is quite literally falling apart. So when Izzy and Lucas are given the same shift on the hotel’s front desk, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and see it through.

The hotel won't stay afloat beyond Christmas without some sort of miracle. But when Izzy returns a guest’s lost wedding ring, the reward convinces management that this might be the way to fix everything. With four rings still sitting in the lost & found, the race is on for Izzy and Lucas to save their beloved hotel—and their jobs.

As their bitter rivalry turns into something much more complicated, Izzy and Lucas begin to wonder if there's more at stake here than the hotel's future. Can the two of them make it through the season with their hearts intact?

-summary and cover via Goodreads

Review: This was a lovely read! I really enjoyed the plot. I thought Izzy and Lucas were wonderful! The ending was my favorite part! Overall, I would definitely recommend this adult romance!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Review: Case of the Bleus!

Review: Case of the Bleus by Korina Moss

What in the bleu blazes is happening in Yarrow Glen now?

Cheesemongers from across the Northwest have come to the Sonoma Valley for the Northwest Cheese Invitational. As owner of the local cheese shop, Curds & Whey, Willa Bauer loves it. The event showcases custom cheese creations, and it’s the perfect time to gather with old colleagues to honor her former boss, the late and grate cheese legend, Max Dumas. He was famous for journeying into the wild bleu yonder to where he aged his award-winning custom Church Bleu. Only Max knew the recipe and location to his beloved cheese, and many are eager to have these revealed at his will reading.

But instead of naming someone to inherit his cheese and its secrets, Max stuns everyone with one cryptic clue. When a fellow cheesemonger dies under mysterious circumstances––the woman they all thought would get the secrets to Max's prized possession––everyone falls under suspicion. Willa adores Church Bleu as much as the next cheese connoisseur, but it’s not to die for . Is a killer trying to get away with murder...and the cheese?

-summary and cover via Goodreads

Review: This was another five star read from Korina Moss! The Cheese Shop Mysteries are one of my favorite cozy series, and I absolutely loved this newest book. I don't want to say too much about the mystery aspect, but I will say I thought it was really well written, and I loved the treasure hunt part of it! And the personal lives of all the characters got a little advancement in this book, which I really enjoyed.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Review: It Found Us!

Review: It Found Us by Lindsay Currie

From the author of Scritch Scratch and The Girl in White comes a new spooky mystery about a girl detective who must decode a series of ominous clues tied to a century-old tragedy to find a missing teenager before it’s too late…

Twelve-year-old Hazel Woods has always had an unusual knack for sleuthing. Some may call it snooping, but all she really wants is to solve mysteries around town. So, when she not-so-accidentally overhears her brother Den planning to sneak into the cemetery at night for an epic game of hide-and-seek, she decides to secretly tag along. This seems like the perfect opportunity to investigate the claims that the cemetery is haunted.

But the moment the game ends, Hazel realizes something is very, very wrong. From her hiding spot in the bushes, she overhears that her brother’s best friend, Everett, is missing. Everyone else was found by the seeker but there’s no sign of Everett anywhere. It’s as if he just . . . vanished

Hazel and Den are determined to find Everett before it’s too late. But as they begin to unravel the terrifying clues that started appearing since that night in the graveyard–eerie whispers that sound like someone counting, the intermittent smell of smoke, and the cold, lost presence that follows them everywhere, she’s not sure what they are dealing with. But Everett needs more than search parties and scent-tracking dogs to find him, especially if his disappearance is tied to the history of the cemetery, and the lost, century-old spirits that might still be trapped there.

-summary and cover via Goodreads

Review: This was another wonderfully spooky Middle Grade book from Lindsay Currie! Hazel was a great main character, and I thought it was so fun that she loved solving mysteries, and being a sleuth. (It had young Nancy Drew vibes!) There were lots of genuinely creepy moments throughout the book. The reason behind the hauntings was so well written, and made me cry, but I won't share anything else about that, because I don't want to spoil anything. Overall, I loved this book, and I highly recommend it!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.