Slingshot by Matthew Dunn & giveaway

Genre: Thriller/Espionage

Series: Spycather #3

Publisher: William Morrow

Buy the book: Book Depository 

Source: I received an e-arc from the publisher

Master spy Will Cochrane must catch a missing Russian defector as well as one of Europe’s deadliest assassins in this action-packed follow-up to Sentinel, written by real life former field officer Matthew Dunn.

Will Cochrane monitors the nighttime streets of Gdansk, Poland—waiting for the appearance of a Russian defector, a man bearing a top secret document, who Will believes is about to step out of the cold and into the hands of Polish authorities. But suddenly everything goes sideways. The target shows up, but so does a team from Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) hell-bent on keeping the man from walking. Then, in a hail of crossfire, a van speeds into the melee and snatches the defector out from under them all. Everyone wants the man and the codes he carries—but now he’s gone and it’s up to Will and his CIA/MI6 team to find him before the Russians.

Will tracks both the missing Russian and his kidnappers, believing the defector has his own warped agenda. But soon it’s apparent that the real perpetrator could be someone much more powerful: a former East German Stasi officer who instigated a super-secret pact between Russian and US generals almost twenty years ago. An agreement, which if broken for any reason, was designed to unleash the world’s deadliest assassin.

Then Will learns that the Russians have tasked their own ‘spycatcher’—an agent just as ruthless and relentless as Will—to retrieve the document. Now Will knows that he faces two very clever and deadly adversaries, who will stop at nothing to achieve their aims.

I always van enjoy a good spy novel. For one reason it is ok to read them out of order in series. This is the third book in the series but it is not a problem in this case, but after reading Slingshot I will check out the other books in this series because I really liked this one.

Wicked Wildfire Read-a-thon

Lately I hardly can find the time to read. I am either working or sleeping and I am way behind on my reading. So when I heard of the Wicked Wildfire Read-a-Thon, hosted by April @ My Shelf Confessions, starting on the day of my vacation, I knew I had to join and try to catch up.

Since this is my vacation I am going to try and read 7 books this week, a book a day.

I will updat this post with the books that I read.

Update

Incarnate by Lawrence Weill

Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: BlackWyrm Publishing
Buy the book: Amazon
Source: I received an ecopy from Tomorrow Comes Media

What should a woman do if she believes she is the mother of the second coming of Christ? This is the problem Lara Joyner faces when she comes to believe, through her visions, through the look on his face, through her cards, and through the thousands of hidden signs she sees in nature, that her son is Christ incarnate.Incarnate is driven by this woman’s character and readers struggle between wanting to sympathize and knowing she is deeply troubled. In the end, we discover how her delusion turns many worlds upside down, as well as how faith overpowers reason. The story follows Lara and her two sons as she pushes Dale to perform miracles and save humanity. Although obviously unable to do so, he goes through the motions to protect his little brother Louis. Told alternately from Lara’s perspective (in the present tense) and from the other principles in the story, the plot follows the trials brought on by Lara’s spiraling madness, her husband’s desperate search for his family, and the children’s bewilderment and fear.

Incarnate is about Lara, amother of two, who believes her oldest son is the second coming of Christ. Her delusion makes her push him into performing miracles. 

Guestpost Bill Blume + Giveaway

Taking Comfort in Ragnarök

Readers will embrace a sad ending. You need only look to how our favorite myths conclude to see it, and when it comes to the end of the world, you'll be hard-pressed to find a religion or mythology that can outdo the Norse.

The tale of Ragnarök delivers a climactic battle of heroes and villains. We're treated to sacrifice and conflict so great that victory isn't defined by who lives and dies, but by who lives a few heartbeats longer. In the struggle between the thunder god Thor and the massive sea serpent Jörmungandr, the former wins but lives only long enough to walk a mere nine steps more.

Ragnarök is a glorious, bloody end that brings definition to every other tale in the Norse Mythology. How many times are we offered stories of Loki's mischief and the monsters he spawned and left to think, "What if the other gods had put an end to him here? Would it prevent all that horror?" How much greater do those adventures become because of where it all concludes?

As a writer, one of the earliest lessons I took to heart was to know my story's end. When I start my stories armed with the knowledge of how they will finish, they are much easier to write. I recognize those important moments even as I write them. Sometimes I also see when an element to the story won't carry its weight and slash it within minutes of putting it on the page.

Spotlight Seasons of Death by M. Mitchell & G. Yeagle

In the fall of 1969 in the mountains of eastern Tennessee, a poor backwoods farmer and his wife were brutally shot and killed by four drunken hunters, along with their three dogs, horse and two fawns. The farmer’s two young sons managed to escape but were unable to identify the killers. Now decades later, the murders of the Pender family remain unsolved. In Townsend, Tennessee, in Blount County, someone has decided to take revenge. 

Find the book on Amazon

 It’s springtime in the Smokies and despite the four murders of the previous year, tourists from every corner of the country have made the journey to Townsend, Tennessee. The hiking trails are packed, the restaurants are jammed, and the campsites are full. Vacation season is in full swing in the peaceful side of the Smokies. But then… there is another murder.

Find the book on Amazon

Gary Yeagle was born and raised in Williamsport, Pa., the birthplace of Little League Baseball. He grew up living just down the street from the site of the very first Little League game, played in 1939.

He currently resides in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife and four cats. He is the proud grandparent of three and is an active member of the Jeffersontown United Methodist Church. Gary is a Civil War buff, and enjoys swimming, spending time at the beach, model railroading, reading, and writing.

Originally from St. Louis, Marlene makes her home in Kentucky now. A mother and grandmother, Marlene has a wide range of interests including watercolor and oil painting, yet writing has always been her passion. That comes through loud and clear in her wonderful novels!

These novels reflect a genuine sincerity with very strong characters to which her readers can relate. To quote Marlene: “It took me a long time to start writing, but now I can’t stop. The stories just keep on coming.”