It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (August 5)

This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  
The participants post the books read in the past week, the current reads and the planned upcoming reads, and often find books to add to never-ending TBR lists.

Last week, I read Private Spies by PJ Nunn.  

Private Spies, by PJ Nunn

I am participating in the Blog Tour for Private Spies on August 17 and 18, with my review and a guest post by the author PJ Nunn.  I am really looking forward to the Blog Tour of this five-kitty book.  I hope you will return to Jane Reads for these Tour Stops.

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I also read Poisoned Waters by Ermisenda Alvarez.

Poisoned Waters, by Ermisenda Alvarez

I hosted two tour stops on the Poisoned Waters Blog Tour, on August 2 and 3.  My posts featured an excerpt, Chapter One from the book, and an exclusive interview with the author.

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I am currently reading Emerald Isle by Barbra Annino.

Emerald Isle, by Barbra Annino

Lately, I haven't been able to stick to my reading plans, so I will just wait until I finish this book before picking my next book.

My new book, The Passion of the Purple Plumeria, has shipped, and should arrive tomorrow!  I will definitely read that book next!!

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Well, that's it for my Book Week.  What about you? 

What did you read last week?  

What are you reading this week?

Poisoned Waters by Ermisenda Alvarez, Blog Tour and Interview!

Blog Tour: Poisoned Waters

Welcome back, everyone!  I am again excited to be a Tour Host for the Poisoned Waters Blog Tour.  

Synopsis:

Bloody mistakes, ugly scars, and beautiful lies. A tale of corruption.

Helen Gardener is murdered on a trans-Atlantic cruise. The Diamond Royale sails from Southampton to New York with her murderer aboard. Set in the 1950s, Poisoned Waters follows the stories of seven unfortunate characters and how they are affected by her death. Was it merely an accident? Mr Phillips, the owner of the ship, and sponsor of the cruise, rules with an iron fist, in search of something or someone.

Lies spiral out of control as the suspects try to survive the final days on board. Conflicted by their sense of morals, greed, and lust, they realise what kind of people they really are. Who will rise? Who will fall? Who was Helen’s murderer?

Today's tour stop at Jane Reads includes an interview with Ermisenda Alvarez about Poisoned Waters, her new mystery/suspense/thriller book.

What inspired you to write Poisoned Waters?

I have always wanted to write a crime novel on a cruise ship. Cluedo has always been an enjoyable board game and even while playing it I would envision stories for the characters. I tried to weave Cluedo-esque themes into the crime novel and emphasised the noir and vintage ambience by placing the novel in the 1950s. I didn’t want to have to deal with the technology of the recent times, I wanted to isolate these characters and play with their unfortunate circumstances. Also, I have paid attention to TV series and noticed how often they have multiple character perspectives. This was another driving factor in having multiple main characters because it kept the plot fast but it also allowed for numerous subplots to be explored. The multiple languages and nationalities was something I added because as a Spanish Australian dating a Dutch man, I have been fascinated with multiple nationalities and the wonders of different languages.

Who is your favorite character in Poisoned Waters, and why?

From this novel, I feel like my favourite character is Sylvia. She is a flawed individual who wants more from her life than what she has so far. Trapped in a decade where women are subservient to their husbands, she struggles to find happiness there. Since she is Dutch, it was a fun challenge to slide Dutch phrases during her scenes. Another favourite of mine is Harold. His love for his wife makes my heart melt. Even though he struggles with her absence, I find him to be one of the strongest characters.

 It might be cheesy but I love all my characters for different reasons. Due to the nature of this novel, I also hate many aspects of all the characters. They are truly flawed and their dramas were entertaining to play out.

What is your favorite quotation or life motto?

One of my favourite mottos that my dad always reminded me was, ‘Depend only on yourself.’ Sometimes, I wish I had a mentor to help me along the way. But you know what, I learnt the things I have needed so far regardless. I learnt the hard way but I will never make the same mistake again. I’ve surprised myself and I have found the self-publishing journey thus far to be one of the most challenging but also rewarding experiences for myself personally. The motto doesn’t mean so much that you shouldn’t have help or collaborate. I’m currently co-authoring an urban fantasy series so I love working with others. But I think the motto just really emphasises the need to believe in yourself and that at the end of the day, if you can’t do it, maybe you should learn how to. Gain more skills so you can become more self-sufficient and hopefully, help others too.

You design book covers, including the beautiful cover for Poisoned Waters.  How did you get into design?

Thank you for the compliment. When I was about 12 I wrote lots of Harry Potter fanfiction. A way to promote your novel online was to also include a story banner, just like a book cover but with different dimensions. At first I had someone do my covers but eventually I decided I wanted to create the art for my own. I have always loved art and I thought, why not add another skill? There are so many great graphic design forums full of young people, some amateurs and many highly talented. That’s where I practiced and practiced. In the last few years, I’ve honed in on book covers because I noticed there was a real shortage of pleasant covers amongst self-publishing authors (some are absolutely cringe-worthy). Hence, I have a free book cover page on the blog. For any author to take advantage of.

Thank you so much, Ermisenda, for being with Jane Reads today.  It has certainly been a pleasure to interview you.  

This post has been part of the Poisoned Waters Blog Tour. Poisoned Waters is a thrilling mystery set on a trans-Atlantic cruise where a murderer walks amongst passengers.

Poisoned Waters by Ermisenda Alvarez, Blog Tour and Excerpt!

Blog Tour: Poisoned Waters

Welcome, everyone!  I am excited to be a Tour Host for the Poisoned Waters Blog Tour! 

Synopsis:

Bloody mistakes, ugly scars, and beautiful lies. A tale of corruption.

Helen Gardener is murdered on a trans-Atlantic cruise. The Diamond Royale sails from Southampton to New York with her murderer aboard. Set in the 1950s, Poisoned Waters follows the stories of seven unfortunate characters and how they are affected by her death. Was it merely an accident? Mr Phillips, the owner of the ship, and sponsor of the cruise, rules with an iron fist, in search of something or someone.

Lies spiral out of control as the suspects try to survive the final days on board. Conflicted by their sense of morals, greed, and lust, they realise what kind of people they really are. Who will rise? Who will fall? Who was Helen’s murderer?

Today's tour stop at Jane Reads includes an excerpt from Poisoned Waters, the new mystery/suspense/thriller book by Ermisenda Alvarez.

High Summer Read-a-Thon, July 22 - 28

I have signed up for the High Summer Read-a-Thon, hosted by Michelle of The True Book Addict.  Will you join me?  

From Michelle's website:  I hope you will join me for the week of July 22. We will start on Monday, 7/22 at 12:00am CST and finish on Sunday, 7/28 at 11:59pm CST (adjust times according to your time zone). Read what you like during the week. I've decided it's not about quantity, but quality (although those who rock the quantity...I salute you!). So, if you have kids and want to read children's books, go for it! As always, this is a week long read-a-thon, but you can join in and read whenever it's convenient for you. It's all about being laid back and getting some reading done.

 You do not have to have a blog. You can sign up using your Goodreads, Twitter, or Facebook accounts.

If you are planning on joining me (I hope so), please sign up in the linky here. 

Cat Thursday (July 18), Cats in Christmas Trees!

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s).   Share your post in the Mr. Linky at The True Book Addict, hosted by Michelle.  It's all for the love of cats!  Enjoy!

The next two weeks will be dedicated to Christmas in July kitties. This week the theme is ....

Cats in Christmas trees!

This cat reminds me of my Maxie.  We've been fortunate that she has never attempted to scale our Christmas tree, nor did Humphrey, our visitor over the holidays.

What about you?  Have you had Christmas tree disasters caused by your cat?   

"Waiting On" Wednesday (July 17), The Iggy Chronicles

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that readers are eagerly anticipating.

This week, my pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

The Iggy Chronicles, Volume One: 

A Chet and Bernie Mystery eShort Story, 

by Spencer Quinn

SERIES SYNOPSIS:

Meet Chet, the wise and lovable canine narrator of the Chet & Bernie Mystery Series, who works alongside Bernie, a down-on-his-luck private investigator. Chet might have flunked out of police school (“I’d been the best leaper in K-9 class, which had led to all the trouble in a way I couldn’t remember exactly, although blood was involved”), but he’s a detective through and through.

Readers will be instantly captivated by Chet’s doggy ways and his endearingly hard-boiled voice. Full of heart and occasionally prone to mischief, he is intensely loyal to Bernie, who, though distracted by issues that Chet has difficulty understanding—like divorce, cash flow, and child custody—is enormously likable himself, in his flawed, all-too-human way. There’s genuine suspense and intrigue, combined with humor and deep insight into the bond between dog and man. From a dog’s-eye perspective, crime has never been so much fun.

I couldn't find a blurb about The Iggy Chronicles, so instead, I give you three author interviews about the book, from the blog on ChetTheDog.com:

“Last summer we had A Cat Was Involved,” Admin says. “I hear there’s another e-story in the works for this summer.”

“I hear the same thing,” says Spence.

“Do we have a title?”

“Two possibilities at the moment.”

“Yes?”

“Iggy in the Wind is one. The other is The Iggy Chronicles, Volume 1.”

“I gather the subject matter concerns Iggy.”

“Say no more.”

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“I understand there’s a new e-short story coming in August,” Admin says.

“The Iggy Chronicles, Volume 1,” says Spence.

“I’m assuming that Iggy, Chet’s best pal but a virtual prisoner in the Parsons’s house for just about the whole series, gets loose at last?”

“I’m not authorized to reveal any details.”

“Huh? Authorized by whom?”

“The IRS now has an Authorizing Division that governs the actions of authors. The accountant says not to upset them.”

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Admin: Is it true that Iggy is in fact the hero of this new e-story?

Spence: I really don’t want to give too much away.

Admin: But supposing, for the sake of argument, that Iggy does turn out to be the hero. I’m wondering how Chet might take that.

Spence: I really don’t want to give too much away.

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 THE IGGY CHRONICLES, the ebook short story, goes on sale August 13th.

Teaser Tuesday (July 16), Too Much Blood

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Too Much Blood, by Jane Bennett Munro

The synopsis (from Goodreads):

It is the middle of the night when pathologist Toni Day receives a call from the coroner informing her that the notoriously sleazy local attorney, Jay Braithwaite Burke, has just been found dead in his Mercedes in the middle of a snowy interstate. Unfortunately, everyone at Perrine Memorial Hospital where Toni works knows Burke. Over the years, he managed to talk nearly the entire medical staff into investing into his hedge fund. After it was revealed they had all foolishly invested in a Ponzi scheme, the feds moved in and he disappeared. Now, two months later, Toni is about to perform his autopsy.

It is no secret around town that many might have wished the attorney dead, including Toni and her husband, Hal. As she delves into Burke's autopsy, Toni already knows they have few clues to go on; when she learns the man bled to death, she suspects it was a homicide. To complicate matters further, Burke's partner also dies in suspicious circumstances, and Burke's widow and children are left homeless by a series of house fires. With a brutal schedule and doubts about her husband's faithfulness, Toni's life is already complex enough.

But when a mysterious illness casts a bloody pall over the holiday season, Toni must rely on her pathological expertise to unmask a killer and rescue herself and everyone she loves from a bloody death.

The teaser (page 136):

"Okay," I said.  "And we don't want to run into somebody we know because ...?"

"Because we don't want anyone to think we're having an affair."

"And we don't want to do that, do we?" I said.  "Because we're just two friends having lunch and talking about murder."