Dead Air and Double Dares by Janis Thornton - Book Review

Dead Air and Double Dares
by Janis Thornton

Dead Air and Double Dares by Janis Thornton
Cup of Tea Books, an imprint of PageSpring Publishing (18 June 2017)
Number of Pages 310
E-BOOK ASIN: B071L28F34

Crystal Cropper, editor of the Elmwood Gazette, has added incentive in finding out who killed Horace Q. Ogilvie, owner of the local radio station and the most reviled man in town. Horace turns up dead minutes before he is supposed to broadcast his next malicious editorial, designed to destroy yet another Elmwood luminary. Fortunately for the police department, Horace's list of future targets provides an abundant pool of suspects. Unfortunately for Crystal, her name is at the top!

Book Review by Nadaness In Motion

"There's not a single, solitary person in this town who Horace Ogilvie hasn't ticked off, insulted, or ruined – or at least tried to."

Dead Air and Double Dares by Janis Thornton is the second book in the Elmwood Confidential Cozy Mystery series. The book opens with Elmwood local Gazette Editor-in-Chief Crystal Cropper going on a short plane trip with the local mechanic Clip Parker and nearly crash landing near the courthouse.

The pair is confronted by none other than the town's most obnoxious person, who also happens to be the owner of the local radio station, Horace Q. Ogilvie, and who fortunately for most but unfortunately for himself turns up dead with all the evidence pointing to Clip.

"Horace Q. – that's Q as in Quackish, Quirky, and Quantifiably Disagreeable."

With so many people having so much hate for Ogilvie, Crystal has her hands full because anyone and everyone can be a suspect. And she tops the suspect list.

Although the evidence points to Clip as being the killer, particularly after his run-in with Ogilvie, Crystal doesn't believe it and rushes to clear his name. Only problem is the sheriff can't find Clip to charge him and he's not picking up his phone.

"Please, let's not call it snooping… snooping almost makes my courtesy inspection sound like meddling."

 

Dead Air and Double Dares has an array of fun, friendly, intelligent and interesting characters. There is Crystal, the protagonist, her informant and former housemaid for half the town, Gertie, and her friends. Gertie is definitely my favourite in the entire book, with her sarcasm and intelligence.

One of the things I liked, being a news editor myself, was Thornton's inclusion of some of Crystal Cropper's articles and editorials in the story, highlighting her journalistic style, news and criminal jargon. I loved it and learnt a lot from it too.

"Apparently, there had been no end to the man's malevolence. Would it have killed him to mind his own business? I thought not."

The characters in Dead Air and Double Dares are relatable, particularly Crystal who reminded me of a former manager, especially with her commitment to "real journalism". Despite the age difference, I connected a lot with Crystal. I loved the ever-skilled Gertie.

Janis Thornton has created a well-crafted and exciting mystery, with a wonderful cast of characters or better yet suspects. Thornton kept me interested and guessing till the end. Five stars for the finale and the results.

The language was simple and the imagery used was well-placed and fun. There was some character development for Crystal, particularly in the instances she couldn't wrap her mind around certain ideas or aspects. Still, Crystal is a well-developed character. Her interactions with her new part-time teen assistant were hilarious, especially when the assistant attempts to explain the internet to the sixty-something year-old Crystal, who hates technology.

"After living ninety-one years, Ogilvie could have died from any number of age-related health issues, all of the natural. But instead he died at the hand of a killer."

Overall rating: 5 stars

Note: I received a free copy of Dead Air and Double Dares by Janis Thornton through Lori Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour in exchange for an honest review for the blog tour.

About This Author

Janis Thornton is a freelance writer, personal historian, and award-winning journalist. She is the author of two local history books, Images of America: Tipton County and Images of America: Frankfort. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Indiana Writers Center, Association of Personal Historians, and the Midwest Writers Workshop Planning Committee. She lives in a small Indiana town not unlike Elmwood. Dust Bunnies and Dead Bodies is her debut cozy mystery.

Purchase Link - Amazon

Connect with Janis via her Website, Facebook and Goodreads.


Keep up with the rest of the Tour: 

June 19 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 20 – My Journey Back – REVIEW
June 21 – Books,Dreams,Life – SPOTLIGHT
June 22 – Author Annette Drake's blog – INTERVIEW
June 23 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW
June 24 – Island Confidential – GUEST POST
June 24 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – GUEST POST
June 25 – Laura's Interests - REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
June 26 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – INTERVIEW
June 27 – Socrates' Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
June 27 – Blogger Nicole Reviews - SPOTLIGHT
June 28 – Celebrating Authors – SPOTLIGHT
June 29 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW
June 30 - Teresa Trent Author Site - CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 1 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
July 2 – deal sharing aunt – INTERVIEW
July 2 – Nadaness In Motion – REVIEW

Takhayyal writing prompt 65: Drink Me

Where will this potion take you?

Welcome back Ladies and Gentlemen, Artists, Poets, Writers, Authors, Dreamers, Friends and Family; Welcome EVERYONE to Nadaness In Motion's bi-weekly picture-prompt writing challenge Takhayyal.

The new prompt immediately reminded me of the Alice In Wonderland movie(s). I recently purchased the original novel but haven't gotten to it.

If you found a potion with the words "Drink Me" attached to it, would you give it a shot? What would happen to you?

As always, your piece can be in English or Arabic; prose, poetry, short story, flash fiction; you name it and write it.

Arabic for Imagine, Takhayyal is a challenge for writers of all ages and genres; a place to spark creativity and explore new genres.

General rules:

·        No nudity, violence, and/or abuse.

·        Leave the link to your post in comments below OR post your piece as REPLY to this post

·        Your piece MUST be inspired in some way or other by the above picture

·        Multiple entries allowed

·        It is not required but it is a nice and encouraging gesture to comment on others' pieces.

·        Feel free to add your Twitter handle (@....) so I can tag you in my tweets!

Let's IMAGINE!

Around the World in 80 Tales by Dave Tomlinson – Book Review

Book Summary

80 Stories, 25 Countries, 5 Continents, One Heck of a Ride! A journey of captivating true travel stories from that will inspire, amuse and amaze. This fascinating kaleidoscope of people, places, food and culture brings to life the colourful experiences of travelling the world on a budget!

Book Review by Nadaness In Motion

Around the World in 80 Tales by Dave Tomlinson is a contemporary journey across several continents and countries. Tomlinson says he's been to five continents and almost 60 countries, and in his book, he tells the reader about his adventures.

The book is an excellent example of travel literature. Tomlinson makes sure that the reader does tire of any of his stories by ensuring that none of his tales exceeds 500 words.

I must say the opening was a little rough for me though. The first tale in the book annoyed me because of the author’s negative comment on something religious. Awakened by a resounding Islamic prayer, the author's description of “the rudest wake-up call imaginable” irritated me. Still, I had never considered how others might view the prayer calls, so I let it slide while bearing in mind that some places might have it higher than others, especially the dawn prayer, when everything is very calm and there isn’t the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

After that first bit, the book moved smoothly and was quite exciting in certain places. Among my favourites were the stories on the Cambodian and Indian temples.

"My first experience on the Indian railway wasn't just a train journey, it was an endurance test."

Tomlinson has a thing for hiking – in fact you might get a little tired just reading about all the hiking he does. But there are other times when he recommends certain beaches, how to get there and informs the reader what each country, region or place is popular for.

One of the things I liked about Around the World in 80 Tales was the way Tomlinson gives recommendations and sometimes warnings, particularly about dangerous roads, hikes or simply areas popular with pickpockets. He also makes a lot of notes on what to do if you're travelling on a budget.

"There is something about clinging to a rope on a steep granite slope in bone-chilling wind that almost makes you question your sanity a little. The mountain is unforgiving and if you don't rise to its challenge it will defeat you." From “Climbing Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia”

In Around the World in 80 Tales, Tomlinson provides a photograph after each tale, commemorating the event or the adventure. Almost all images are his own with the exception of two or three.

The Camel safari in India’s Thar Desert is definitely one of the funniest stories in the book. Tomlinson is honest, often sarcastic and definitely lands himself in a few dilemmas and funny situations.

"In the first hotel the staff looked at me like I'd just crawled out of a swamp. I wouldn't have boarded my dog at the second one. Another didn't have any vacancy followed by one where nobody seemed to know English." – From "Trouble in the capital city of Sri Lanka"

I also liked that Tomlinson isn’t merely promoting certain places in Around the World in 80 Tales, but is rather giving his honest opinions and experiences.

At the beginning, Tomlinson says that he separated the tales so that they are not all grouped by country. Having finished the book, I felt that I would have preferred reading the tales of each country separately instead of jumping from Australia to Morocco to India then back to Australia or going to Ecuador then jumping around a bit then back to Ecuador 10 tales later. However, that is just a personal preference.

Around the World in 80 Tales is a quick and light read. You don’t need to read the stories in order. The book serves as a small guide to places worth visiting – or worth skipping – depending on your taste and preferences.

Overall, I’ve found Around the World in 80 Tales by Dave Tomlinson to be exciting, interesting and most importantly informative. I highly recommend it.

(There are a few stories that contain adult content due to the nature of certain temples and you can tell those from the names given to them, but otherwise the book can be read by all ages).

There are places in the book that I would never have considered but now might put them on my list, while I’m satisfied to merely learn about others or know they are not for me.

 

Overall rating: 4 stars

Note: I received a free copy of Around the World in 80 Tales from the author, Dave Tomlinson, in exchange for an honest review. 

Purchase links for Around the World in 80 Tales by Dave Tomlinson: Amazon Kindle, Step Ahead Travel. 

Connect with Dave via Facebook and Twitter.

Hold Me by Nada Adel Sobhi - Poem

Hold me close,

Pat me on my back,

Kiss my hair,

Let me feel you close

I need you!

Calm my burning nerves,

My tempestuous emotions,

Reign in my held back tears

Or let them flow

And kiss them away

Hold Me

When no else would

Ease my shaking bones

My unknown fear

Hold me!

Let your love wash over me,

Let my burdens fall,

Shatter to the ground.

Let your light warm me,

Your understanding, engulf me,

Your love, hold me tight

Let all the masks fall,

All the hardships fade,

All the tension wither.

Hold me!

Wake me from the darkness

To your light,

Your love

My raging mind,

My shaking bones,

My burning tears

Calm them.

Calm Me.

Hold me!

And let me sleep in your arms

Until my tempest subsides,

Till I can stand on my own feet,

Till all my fears and worries wear away.

Calm Me!

Hold Me!

By: Nada Adel Sobhi

Written Saturday, 10 June at 2:20 am

Photography by Nada Adel Sobhi

The Ghost of You and Me by Kelly Oram - Spotlight & Giveaway

The Ghost of You and Me by Kelly Oram

How do you tell someone who hates you and blames you for the death of his best friend that you miss him?

From the bestselling teen and young adult author of Cinder & Ella comes a new heart-wrenching romance sure to bring all the feels.

The tragic death of Spencer Schott unravels the lives of the two people he loved most—his girlfriend, Bailey, and his best friend, Wes. Secrets and guilt from that fateful night keep both Bailey and Wes from overcoming Spencer’s loss and moving on with their lives.

Now, nearly a year later, both Bailey and Wes are still so broken over what happened that Spencer can’t find peace in the afterlife. In order to put his soul to rest, he’s given one chance to come back and set things right...even if that means setting up his girlfriend with his best friend.

With the emotional resonance of Jellicoe Road and the magical realism of The Lovely Bones, The Ghost of You and Me is a story about overcoming grief, finding redemption for past mistakes, and the healing power of friendship and love. Fans of John Green, Sarah Dessen, and Nicholas Sparks are sure to love this haunting new tale from Kelly Oram.

This is a clean young adult romance stand alone novel that reads like contemporary drama romance and has just a touch of magical realism.

Author Kelly Oram

Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen--a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat, Mr. Darcy.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 7/15/17

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top Trending Wedding Destinations in India - Travel Guest Post

  

‘Something old, something new,

Something borrowed something blue…’

Ah, the ages-old adage never fails to excite you. Though all you need is love, to tie the knot, then again, who doesn’t want their ‘big day’ to be cherished. Wedding day is the day when bride and groom do deserve the pedestal to take vows to embrace the worlds of one another. It is indeed an exciting day! And this special day deserves an exceptional venue where no one can hold back from saying ‘I Do’ at once.

The rising trend of doing something “different” on the wedding day has made destination weddings a favourite amongst the couples. Everyone is looking for a unique destination to make the day memorable! So, here are some trending destinations in India, where you get an auspicious start to a new leap in life. Go ahead, take a look!

1.   Goa

Photo by WHATKNOT, CC0 1.0

Aloha Goa! The party capital of India definitely has a lot to boast about. And there is no reason why its pristine- blue skies, shimmering seas and golden sand-beaches cannot be the witness to two love birds, tying a knot. The state has flourished a lot in past few years as a wedding destination and therefore, it lacks no luxury or necessity for the perfect wedding. One look at the bride walking down the aisle in the perfect beach setting fills the hearts with joy and ecstasy.

2.   Kerala

Photo by ravishahi, CC0 1.0

Amidst the beautiful backwaters of Kerala; in the serene dip of the Vembanad Lake and the surrounding Islands; Kerala happens to be the perfect venue to take off into marital bliss. The land is rich with cultural ethnicity and scenic abundance. Whether you want the roaring beach or the lush backwaters in the background, Kerala has it all. Shangumukham Beach, Kovalam and Pathiramanal Island offer different but all in all a perfect setting for the unforgettable wedding!

3.   Jaipur

Photo by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra, CC BY 2.0

It is impossible for a girl with big wedding plans to have not dreamt of a Prince Charming whisking her off her feet and riding into the sunset! Well, what if she could be the princess herself! Yes, this can happen in Jaipur, Rajasthan, a city with a royal past. As many majestic forts and palaces in Jaipur, now serve as resorts and wedding venues to give the love stories the most royal beginning. The forts you can chose from include Samod palace, Jal Mahal, Raj Palace, Gold Palace, Rambagh Garden, many of which were once dwelt in by the royal families.

4.   Mumbai

Photo by rooprangdecorators, CC0 1.0

Mumbai- the metro of the stars! Get married in Mumbai which accommodates some of the most beautiful wedding venues in India with the legacy of the J. W. Marriott, Leela, Four Seasons, Vivette Banquet, Kohinoor and plenty more. Choose the theme you want to go for at your wedding, and these international hotels will figure out a way to give you the perfect wedding backdrop you were looking for. After all, it is your and your families’ day, why take the burden of it on your shoulders when you have a hotel team at your service.

5.   Lakshadweep

Photo by Pexels, CC0 1.0

If you want to etch a wedding to your memory forever, why not visit the faraway lands and tie a knot amidst untouched islands and glistening ocean surrounding them, in Lakshadweep Islands. By inviting your guests to the wedding, you will also treat them with a visit to this exotic destination, covered in lush green evergreen forests. Ever thought of an underwater wedding, if not, think of it now because Lakshadweep offers you a chance to confess your desire for love till eternity form you better half, under waters.

6.   Uttarakhand

Photo by pixagod, CC0 1.0

The beauty of the snow in the background, coupled with tall pine and oak trees with snow dripping off its branches; laughs echoing off the mountains- the perfect picture to frame your happily ever after.  The mesmerizing terrains add that extra tinge of drama to your wedding, capturing the love of the moment. You can plan the event on one of the peak points overlooking alluring mountains or you can book your date with some of the most luxurious hotels in the region, like the picturesque Ahaana, enticing Gateway Resort or the alluring Savoy to mention a few.

7.   Havelock Islands, Andamans

Photo by Pexels, CC0 1.0

Apart from sandy white beaches and turquoise blue waters, the Andaman Islands also harbour some of the most beautiful eco villages and rustic hamlets in its cradle. If you and your partner enjoy the reined in beauty of the nature then I guess, the villages of the Andaman are the perfect spot. After all, there is nothing more melodious than the music of the waves in the background while you look your partner in the eye.

8.   Kanyakumari

Photo by Pexels, CC0 1.0

The southernmost ridge of the country encased with the cascading blue waters and sands splashed with rainbow colours; Kanyakumari is a land with particular significance in the mythology of the country. Seek the blessings of a Goddess who waits an eternity for her long-lost love. Kanyakumari is especially famous for the bliss that hues of sunset bestow to its beaches and a creative wedding planner can turn the location in to the most picturesque venue for the grand affair capturing some wonderful candid shots of the bride and groom.

Every soul dreams of getting married in a heavenly setting- a dream that they have nurtured for quite so long. Some want their special day to be regal, while others want to embrace the serene nature. Let your dreams soar high, because whatever your dream wedding is, India can make it happen!

About the Author:

An ardent traveller by heart and soul, Himanshu is a voracious writer who conjures up magic with his writings. Plan your perfect trips with Himanshu and his first-hand experiences, to make the most out of your dream destinations. Explore his travel stories with Pearls India Tour. Connect with Himanshu via Twitter.