Top 10 Things About Jake from Murder by Munchausen Series by M.T. Bass

Sometimes what seems to be the worst thing ends up being the best thing. Such is the case in the life of Jake, the star of the Murder by Munchausen series by M.T. Bass. Find out more about him in this Top 10 by the author. Let the author know what you think and ask questions along the way as you follow the rest of the tour. You can also enjoy an excerpt, plus enter the giveaway!

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Top Ten About…Jake

Jake is the main character of the Murder by Munchausen Trilogy Series. His demotion from Robbery/Homicide into the Artificial Crimes Unit ultimately saved the career of his former work partner and now lover, Maddie, but left him to repo criminally wayward robots—until he crosses paths with the "Baron" who is resurrecting history's notorious serial killers, giving them a second life in the bodies of hacked and reprogrammed Personal Assistant Androids, then turning them loose to terrorize the city. While his flaws likely exceed a “Top 10 List,” I count these on the positive side of the ledger:

1. He absolutely, positively hates self-driving cars…and he drives a classic black convertible Mustang……and an Indian Chief Dark Horse
2. His favorite pistol is a Colt 1911 (and hates the department issued Glocks)
3. His favorite beer is Shiner Bock
4. He grills a mean Fred Flintstone steak
5. His cat’s name is Frank (like mine)
6. He reads books and hates Google, Bing, Facebook, Twitter, and pretty much the entire Internet
7. He likes flapjacks and black coffee
8. His taste in women is exquisite
9. His relationship with authority is, well, problematic
10. And his mancave is awesome

So it goes…

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About the series:

A Cyber Crime Thriller Series: Notorious serial killers digitally resurrected to live & hunt again in hacked replicants, pursued by detectives of the Artificial Crimes Unit.

Read an excerpt:

Murder by Munchausen Chapter 1 – The Warehouse

This particular Android Subject apparently went off the rails and killed a luckless pedestrian on his way to a bodega for some iced tea or bottled water to quench his thirst. A one-in-a-million occurrence, but every so often it still happens. Anyone who believes technology is infallible is a fool. The incident didn’t appear all that nefarious when first reported, but shortly thereafter the Atlas data stream went dark and patrol called our unit in. It quickly became obvious we were dealing with a malware hit, not a malfunction. The luckless pedestrian was actually not so luckless, being on what appeared to be the winning side of a particularly nasty termination suit with his ex, who we suspected had outsourced the final settlement to extra-judicial parties.

It might not make sense, but the beloved Media tags it “Murder by Munchausen.” For a price, there are hackers out there who will reprogram a synthoid to do your dirty work. The bad news: no fingerprints or DNA left at the crime scene. The good news—at least for us—is that they’re like missiles: once they hit their target, they’re usually as harmless as empty brass. The trick is to get them before they melt down their core OS data, so you can get the unit into forensics for analysis and, hopefully, an arrest.

EC’s scanner returned a hard ping. His quick double blink put his cross-hairs up on my lens and I followed his eye line to the northwest corner of the building…

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Buy Links

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About M.T. Bass

M.T. Bass is a scribbler of fiction who holds fast to the notion that while victors may get to write history, novelists get to write/right reality. He lives, writes, flies and makes music in Mudcat Falls, USA.

Born in Athens, Ohio, M.T. Bass grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University, majoring in English and Philosophy, then worked in the private sector (where they expect “results”) mainly in the Aerospace & Defense manufacturing market. During those years, Bass continued to write fiction. He is the author of eight novels: My Brother’s Keeper, Crossroads, In the Black, Somethin’ for Nothin’, Murder by Munchausen, The Darknet (Murder by Munchausen Mystery #2), The Invisible Mind (Murder by Munchausen Mystery #3) and Article 15. His writing spans various genres, including Mystery, Adventure, Romance, Black Comedy and TechnoThrillers. A Commercial Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor, airplanes and pilots are featured in many of his stories. Bass currently lives on the shores of Lake Erie near Lorain, Ohio.

M.T. Bass Author Links

Website: https://www.mtbass.net/

Blog: https://www.owl-works.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/owlworks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Owlworks

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/mtbass

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5270962.M_T_Bass


M.T. Bass Website Links

Murder by Munchausen Trilogy Page: https://mtbassauthor.wordpress.com/murder-by-munchausen-trilogy/

Murder by Munchausen Page: https://mtbassauthor.wordpress.com/scribblings/murder-by-munchausen/

The Darknet Page: https://mtbassauthor.wordpress.com/scribblings/the-darknet-murder-by-munchausen-mysteries-2/


The Invisible Mind Page: https://mtbassauthor.wordpress.com/scribblings/the-invisible-mind-murder-by-munchausen-future-crime-mystery-3/

M.T. Bass will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Author Gail Z. Martin on crafting the fictional world of Sellsword's Oath

I love learning about the creative beginnings that led to authors' works. Today, author Gail Z. Martin takes us back to the beginnings of the series that includes Sellsword's Oath. You'll also have the opportunity to read an excerpt and then you can follow the tour for even more. Be sure to leave comments and questions along the way and then enter the giveaway!

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Sellsword’s Oath is the second book in the Assassins of Landria series. It follows the adventures of Joel “Ridge” Breckenridge and Garrett “Rett” Kennard, who are the two best King’s Shadows—elite assassins who protect the king and kingdom. Ridge and Rett are unconventional, they’re a headache to their boss, they suck at being stealthy, but they are fiercely loyal to the king and to their friends, and they will risk everything to protect the kingdom—even if doing so lands them on the ‘most wanted’ list!

The Assassins of Landria series is my fourth epic fantasy series. The other books were much more traditional—big page count, complex plot with a lot of sub-plots and plenty of characters. I enjoy those kinds of books (obviously, since I’ve written 12 of them), but I wanted to do something different with this series. So many people have told me that they enjoyed epic fantasy but didn’t read it anymore because they didn’t have time for such big books. So I decided to try a series that was shorter, fewer sub-plots, fewer characters to keep straight, but plenty of action, humor and heart. This is epic fantasy feels without the epic length.

When I got the idea of having assassins be the good guys, then I had to come up with the kind of kingdom where that would be necessary, and the kind of characters who would be likely to become ‘good’ assassins. It also meant thinking about who would be their allies and enemies, and who the ‘big bad’ would be. That led to thinking about what kind of magic exists and who is allowed to have it, and how it works. All those pieces need to work together for a book to make sense.

Creating a fictional world is one of the most fun parts of writing for me because there’s so much room to be creative!

Buddy flick epic fantasy! The second in the Assassins of Landria series from the award-winning, bestselling author of Scourge: A Novel of Darkhurst and The Chronicles Of The Necromancer books!

Wandering mystic Yefim Makary, known to his followers as the ‘Witch Lord’, disappeared before he could be accused of inciting dissent against King Kristoph. His supporters among the disenchanted aristocrats who weren’t arrested have fled or died by their own hand. The king is happy to put the matter behind him. Yet Burke, the commander of the elite King’s Shadows, doesn’t believe the threat is over, and he assigns his two most troublesome, rule-breaking—and successful—assassins to ferret out the real threat and put a stop to Makary’s plots.

Joel “Ridge” Breckinridge and Garrett “Rett” Kennard rose through the ranks of the Landrian army together, from teenaged conscripts to seasoned fighters. Together, they became the most feared team of assassins in Landria, surviving longer that most in their profession by virtue of excellent fighting skills, legendary bravado, peerless strategy, and an uncanny synchronicity.

As the threads of a new plot come together revealing disloyalty among the priests and generals, Ridge and Rett once again find themselves on the run, hoping they and their allies can figure out the Witch Lord’s latest scheme before it costs them their lives—and the king his throne.

Read an excerpt:

The trick, when setting off gunpowder, was to be far enough away.
Ridge had never been good at that part.
He’d almost reached the embankment when he heard the shot from Rett’s matchlock. Knowing what was about to happen next, Ridge dove into the ravine, taking his chances with brambles and thickets over flying rocks and shattered glass.

Behind him, the country manor exploded in a fireball as Rett’s shot touched off the barrels of gunpowder on its roof. That would bring down the ceiling and blow the bombers on the roof sky high while trapping the traitors inside, where they’d either be killed by the blast or buried in the rubble for the king’s guards to collect.

Ridge grunted as he tumbled over roots and rocks, tucking his arms over his face and trusting his leather cuirass to take the brunt of the hits. Even so, rock dust settled like snow over the whole area, and small bits of stone pelted like hail.

To keep it all official, Ridge had nailed the letter of marque to a tree in front of the manor, after he had ensured that no one but the smugglers were inside the abandoned country house. The smugglers—and their rivals on the roof—were already in the process of setting explosives when Ridge and Rett arrived to carry out the assassination. That was a bonus, killing two sets of troublemakers in one swoop and without the personal danger of getting close enough to throw a knife or slit a throat.

He trusted Rett to stay in position, where he would be able to pick off stragglers from his vantage point high in a sturdy tree. Ridge dragged himself to his feet, brushed off the worst of the dirt, and climbed back up the slope. Once he got to the top of the embankment, he would have a good view to spot anyone who might have escaped the explosion and eluded Rett’s aim.

“Damn,” he muttered when he reached the top and saw the results.

Available on Amazon 

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About Gail Z. Martin

Gail Z. Martin writes epic fantasy, urban fantasy and steampunk for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, SOL Publishing, Darkwind Press, and Falstaff Books. Recent books include Witch of the Woods, Sellsword’s Oath, Inheritance, and Night Moves. With Larry N. Martin, she is the co-author of the Spells Salt & Steel, Wasteland Marshals, Joe Mack and Jake Desmet series. As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance including the Witchbane, Badlands and Treasure Trail series. Recent books include Loose Ends and Unholy.

Find her at www.GailZMartin.com, on Twitter @GailZMartin, on Facebook.com/WinterKingdoms, at DisquietingVisions.com blog and on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/GailZMartin. Never miss out on the news and new releases—newsletter signup link http://eepurl.com/dd5XLj Follow her Amazon author page here: https://www.amazon.com/Gail-Z-Martin/e/B002BM8XSQ On Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/gail-z-martin On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganbriceauthor/

And get a free complete short story, Catspaw, here: https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/UAjd6

Join her Facebook group, the Shadow Alliance https://www.facebook.com/groups/435812789942761/

Gail Z. Martin will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Bookish Belinda (Mail Order Brides Rescue Series Book 9) by Jo Grafford

Belinda Fairfax has an ax to grind with Colt Branson. She’s been patient — as patient as can be expected by a woman who was jilted at the altar by the only man she’s ever loved. She quietly supported his decision to travel west in search of his missing sister. She wordlessly held her tongue when he and his brother opened a mail-order bride agency — with their one-of-a-kind Gallant Rescuer clause — to help prevent any other would-be brides from suffering the way their sister had suffered.

However, Belinda draws the line at watching Colt’s brother, Jordan, fall in love and marry one of their lovely clientele. For all she knows, Colt may be courting someone, too. She breaks her silence with a letter, delivered to Headstone by the next mail-order bride. When a few months pass with no response, she decides writing isn’t enough. Without the funds to travel west to confront her former affianced, she sees no other choice but to sign one of his blasted bridal agency contracts and send herself to Arizona as a would-be bride!

Available on Amazon

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About Jo Grafford

Jo writes sweet historical and contemporary romance stories — with humor, sass, and happily ever-afters. She loves to visit with readers in her Cuppa Jo Readers group on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/CuppaJoReaders/. To receive a personal email about each book she publishes, join her New Release Email List at JoGrafford.com or follow her on BookBub at https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jo-grafford or her Amazon author page at https://www.amazon.com/Jo-Grafford/e/B00G56XKS2.

Review of Catana Comics: Snug by Catana Chetwynd

Why bother getting out of bed when you could stay bundled up with that special someone and a book of cozy, cute comics. From the author of the bestselling Little Moments of Love comes Snug, a collection of comics that perfectly captures the honest, playful, and relatable snapshots of romantic life.

Chetwynd’s second book has the same charming and inviting style as her first and includes 50 percent new, never-before-shared comics. Snug is a celebration of the quirks and peculiarities of every one of us—and the magic that happens when we find our matching puzzle piece.

Book Links
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**My thoughts**
I fell in love with Catana Comics a while ago, because my friend and her boyfriend were constantly posting them to each other on Facebook. I was so excited to find out there was a book collection now, too! That gave me a lot of lovin' all in one fell swoop.

They really are an adorable couple. And while sometimes it gets quite mushy, and sometimes it feels like Catana is literally too attached to her boyfriend a lot, you know that it works for them. And if you've ever had that kind of relationship with your best friend, you will totally get just about every aspect of these comics.

I am not sure which one is my favorite, because I loved so many of them. I know I loved the ones about them sharing their love of food, because in a real relationship, you're not worrying about looking bad when you're eating. I love the little pranks they play on each other. And then anything to do with the animals or staying home together. I don't know, I could go on. It's just a great collection. And if you're not in a relationship like this, it gives you something to aspire to.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for fulfilling my request for a review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Author Paddy Tyrrell takes us behind the scenes of Lumina

Today we have a unique kind of guest post for you! Author Paddy Tyrell is taking us behind the scenes of Lumina in a very creative way. You'll also get to read an excerpt before you download your own copy. Be sure to let her know what you think in the comments and then check out the rest of the tour. Best of luck in the giveaway!

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The bronzite, Chrystala, is kidnapped by the Black Dragon and taken to Kuhla where the king’s sorcerer examines her to see if bronzites will be suitable fodder for their army. This is his report to the king on his tests.

Dragonlite Legacy

Strictly Secret

For the eyes of King Zheldar only

Reference His Majesty’s dragonlite experiment, I, Jaldeen, Lord Cantrek, Sorcerer to His Majesty, King Zheldar of Kuhla do humbly submit to His Royal Highness the results of my examination of our first female specimen.

The specimen was captured by Xeralith, Black Dragon of Kuhla on the fifth day of Semilan, A.L. 3025 in Lumina. The Lumans have named the creations of the Dragonlite experiment ‘bronzites’ and I will use this description for ease of reference.

Purpose and Limitations of Testing

The aim of these tests is to assess the potential for Kuhla to use bronzites as an expendable part of our armies. 

My instructions were to avoid permanent damage to the body since the specimen is to be presented as a gift to Her Majesty, Queen Dandrella. This precluded the use of certain torture instruments. 

The tests were conducted in my workshop. The specimen was retained in a cage and subjected to a series of experiments. Physical tests included acids, fire, gases, poisons, forced standing/hanging and so forth. Also no food or sleep for 3 days (typical period for forced march) and freezing temperatures for the same period (to simulate mountain conditions).

Description of Bronzite Specimen 1A

Sex: Female

Name: Chrystala

Height: 17.3 hands

Weight: 60 quartz 

Age: Undetermined. Probably 16 years (normal age of banishment from Lumina)

Birth town: Lumon

Appearance: Slim and athletic, golden skin, long auburn hair; eyes are almond-shaped and multi-faceted.

Attributes

The specimen is notably taller and more muscular than Luman or Kuhlan women. Assuming the same characteristics for the males, this will be a useful asset in battle.

Of particular note is the golden color and metallic sheen of the skin – a resemblance to burnished metal. I performed a series of tests to discover its resistance to injury. 

When the skin surface is pierced with a knife the liquid that exudes is yellow and resembles lava

The skin is resistant to fire. No change to the skin surface when exposed to extreme heat. However, direct flame did eventually elicit signs of pain and I ceased before marring the skin.  

The above attribute is of prime important in battle 

On close inspection the eyes are larger than the norm and have many facets (as seen in jewelry from the mines of Coradon). There is a flicker in interior of eye resembling a flame (significance unknown). My tests would indicate excellent ability to:

identify quick movement 

see further around the body than normal 

spot movement at a significant distance

Further understanding of the make-up of the eyes would require their removal. In view of my lord’s intention to donate the specimen to Queen Dandrella, this will have to be left to a later date. 

The specimen’s back teeth are serrated and come to a point. They can give a nasty bite, as I experienced to my cost 

High ability to withstand trials of strength  

Resistant to some of the lethal or debilitating gases (swamp gas for example). Test requirements prevented me from experimenting with various poisons. This should be done at a later date 

Performed equally well in cold or hot conditions  

Mind and brain (as identified from observation – no dissection of brain at this time):

Your Majesty’s ability to touch and influence her mind is an important weapon, indicating potential to mold the bronzites to your will

Linked to this is the reaction of the dragonlites to her presence. Frenzied activity occurred when she entered the breeding pools. I am unable at this stage to gauge the usefulness of this phenomenon 

Evidence of restlessness and low attention span. Unable to ascertain if this is a peculiarity of bronzite specimen 1A or of all bronzites

Defects: there are two bumps on the specimen’s back. It is unclear whether this is a normal physical attribute or one particular to specimen 1A. 

Weaknesses: Went into a ‘shut down’ state when closely confined. I could not tell if this was accompanied by any mental stress or was a survival instinct 

Miscellaneous:

The Black Dragon reports she adjusted well to her flight 

Xeralith is able to sense her presence

The horses were afraid of her

Conclusion

The bronzites should be an invaluable addition to our armies. 

Jaldeen, Lord Cantrek

Signed: Jaldeen, Lord Cantrek

             20th day of Marisan, A.L. 3025

A generation designed by sorcery to destroy your people. Two races mired in conflict. Can a pair of outcasts unite them against an enemy who would enslave them all?

The birth of ‘bronzite’ babies in Lumina heralds the onset of war. The people take fright at the golden children and banish them from the land. A dangerous move. King Zheldar, commander of the black dragon, is attacking Luman borders. If he wins bronzite support for his army of monsters, Lumina is lost.

Davron Berates cannot share his people’s hatred of the children and, on discovering he has a bronzite brother, sets out to find him. At his side travels Chrystala. A bronzite, she has twice his strength and three times his determination.

When the black dragon kidnaps Chrystala, Davron is faced with a terrible choice: save his friend or save his nation.

Read an excerpt:

She ducked her head to protect herself – in the nick of time. Black clouds erupted from the dragonrock, awakened by their arrival. A host of vampire bats swooped in a blur upon the convoy, webbed fingers acting as wings. In their thousands, they streamed towards the Kuhlans. Courtiers and servants alike screamed in terror and ran for cover. The bats swarmed after them. They landed on heads and shoulders and hair, and clung with their claws. They spread their wings across the faces of their prey and blocked every orifice in a suffocating grip. The victims thrashed and struggled and gasped for breath. When their strength failed they collapsed onto the sand. With tiny teeth, sharp as spear points, the bats tore at Kuhlan skin and lapped up Kuhlan blood until they were satiated.

Salazai jumped down from Argentia and crouched against her flank, searching frantically for shelter. Bodies were strewn over the sand, and carts turned on their sides, dragged over by the horses in their panic to escape.

So that was how it would end. She would die here in the desert, her blood sucked dry. She shielded her face with her hands and peeked through her fingers, unable to stop herself from watching the slaughter. Lord Cantrek stood alone amidst the destruction and, arms outstretched, he chanted words of magic, his voice pounding the sands in time to the beat of her heart. Transfixed, she watched a twisting funnel of wind appear in answer to his call, sucking up sand and dust as it whirled over the desert.

Buy for 99 cents!

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About Paddy Tyrrell

I was raised in Kent, the garden of England, and lived in an Oast House whose round rooms were once used for drying hops. Must be why I’ve enjoyed a drink ever since!

At university, I fell in love with medieval French writing, discovered The Gormenghast Trilogy, and became hooked on fantasy.

I have sailed down the Yangste, survived an earthquake in Cairo, and picnicked in the Serengeti. My travels for work and pleasure have inspired my fantasy world. I now live in France with a naughty Australian Labradoodle, a jealous cat and a squash mad husband. Our two huskies, Ice and Sapphire, are sadly now gone but are transformed into wolves and immortalised in my book. Lumina is my debut novel and the first in a trilogy.

Facebook URL http://facebook.com/thedragonlitelegacy
Website: https://www.paddytyrrell.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/paddyty

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Paddy-Tyrrell/e/B08284GP1Q

Paddy Tyrrell will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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M. Ferguson Powers, author of Counting on Trust on her writing journey

All of us who are writers have traveled along this path in our own way, each with our own unique story. Today, author M. Ferguson Powers shares hers with us. You can also take a peek inside of her book Counting on Trust and then follow the tour for even more. Be sure to leave comments and questions along the way. Best of luck in the giveaway!

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My journey to becoming a writer

My background and experience have played a big role in all my novels, but especially Counting on Trust.

My academic background included a bachelor’s degree in bacteriology from Pennsylvania State University, a master’s in experimental psychology from George Mason University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

After graduation, I taught microbiology, headed a university office of research, and served as executive director of two university-business partnership centers.

I became interested in writing during my academic career and saw it as a way to highlight important issues of our time in a fictional story format. I have been writing for over 15 years, since before my retirement from faculty life. I published my first novel Each Unique and Fascinating in 2012. My second work was OrcaSpeak which is actually the sequel to my latest novel Counting on Trust. Both of the earlier stories take place in the Pacific Northwest and involve themes of love intermixed with eco-activism.

Counting on Trust evolved out of my interest in globalization and its impacts, especially with regard to China and its relations with the U.S. This started when I accompanied my husband on a trip to China in 1978 with a delegation of faculty members from the University of Pittsburgh. At that time, China was just opening up to the West.

The idea for a story about corporate intrigue came while my husband and I were living in Nebraska. There was a lot of research on GMO foods being done at some of the universities there. We lived on a small lake, and I decided to invent a company, Omniprotein, that was doing research on GMO fish. The theft of this company’s intellectual property by a Chinese general kicks off all the subsequent action.

As its title implies, the book is all about trust. One of my biggest inspirations has been the work of Jane Austen. I appreciate the way she deconstructed relationships and the social norms around romance and marriage in her day. A major intention in writing Counting on Trust was to use the personal stories of the characters to explore how privacy, intimacy and trust are changing in our technology driven society. The book follows three couples of different ages and backgrounds, each struggling with issues of trust. I wanted to draw a good picture of how easily trust can be broken and how difficult it can be to restore that trust.

In this suspense-charged, touching novel, Counting on Trust, information is stolen from a U.S. genetic engineering company (Omniprotein) by an employee promised payment by a Chinese general who wants to profit from selling the company’s technologies in the military region of China he commands.

• To force quick payment the thief attacks fellow employees and threatens to continue until his money arrives. Will his next targets be: young lovers, computer geek Gabriel and gorgeous biologist Selena, who are discovering loving sex while trying to overcome post-traumatic effects of Selena’s girlhood rape.

• Company president, Eleanor, who’s determined to keep some privacy and intimacy although her job’s high profile and her husband, Charley, has just had prostate cancer surgery.

• Venture capitalist, John, who plans to duplicate Omniprotein’s facility in China and reunite with his ex-wife, fashion designer Ziyi, who returned to Shanghai after their only child died.

The personal stories of these couples explore how privacy, intimacy and trust are changing in our social-media age. They paint a compelling portrait of our time.

Listen to an excerpt:

Excerpt – Disturbance - https://www.facebook.com/countingontrust/videos/391102768302904/

Audio Book Buy Links

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About M. Ferguson Powers

Themes of novels by M. Ferguson Powers reflect the author’s varied interests, including preservation of the natural world and its creatures;

Challenges of building and maintaining loving relationships in a culture with decreasing respect for personal boundaries and privacy

Influences of globalization on world events and how the U. S. and other nations relate to one another

Public policy issues such as controlling the military-industrial-political complex and requiring the health care industry to be more respectful of its clients

The need for cooperation across governments, cultures, and societies to address global challenges such as climate change

Developments in business and university administration and management

Powers has taught microbiology, headed a university office of research, served as executive director of two university-business partnership programs, and co-authored two books on university administration. She has a bachelor of science degree in bacteriology from The Pennsylvania State University, a master’s in experimental psychology from George Mason University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

She lives on an island near Seattle with husband David R. Powers and their two shelties. Her first novel, Each Unique and Fascinating, about a bullied young girl whose father has gone to war, was published in 2012. OrcaSpeak, a novel of relationships and suspense, was published in 2013, and its prequel, Counting on Trust, was published in 2017.

Website: http://www.mfergusonpowers.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Counting-on-Trust-452725141841646/

A randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter will receive a digital and an audio copy of the book. Follow the tour for more chances to win!

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Rachel (Once Upon a Church House) by Jo Grafford

Rachel Giordano and her older sister have always been fiercely competitive. This time, however, both are in love with the same man. When a compromising situation forces him to offer his hand in marriage to her sister, Rachel is shattered and purchases a one-way ticket to Mountain Springs to interview as their church choir director.

Ridge Carson hasn’t had it easy since the day he was born. Following a false accusation that earned him some jail time, he’s trying to carve out a new life for himself as the general manager of a sawmill. Unfortunately, there’s a saboteur in their midst, wreaking the kind of havoc he fears will eventually cost him his job.

Ridge is instantly drawn to the lovely newcomer in town. It’s clear she’s nursing old wounds — something he knows a thing or two about. He finds himself doing everything he can to help her find a fresh start, knowing a woman like her isn’t likely to find much to admire in a man like him.

ONCE UPON A CHURCH HOUSE is a sweet and inspirational historical western romance series with a dash of magic and time travel.

Pastor Zach Shepherd feels called to plant a church in rural Mountain Springs, Idaho, a place his friends warn him is unredeemable. However, he’s a firm believer in miracles and scoffs at their dire predictions of his pending failure. He quickly sizes up the renegade collection of mostly male town folk and determines what they need (in addition to salvation) is a woman’s touch to straighten them out. Throwing on his matchmaker hat, he prays God will send a few saved and sanctified women his way to get the first marriages rolling. He specifically prays for the kind of women legends are made of — from the Bible days — never dreaming how swiftly nor how thoroughly his prayers would be answered!

Available on Amazon

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About Jo Grafford

Jo writes sweet historical and contemporary romance stories — with humor, sass, and happily ever-afters. She loves to visit with readers in her Cuppa Jo Readers group on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/CuppaJoReaders/. To receive a personal email about each book she publishes, join her New Release Email List at JoGrafford.com or follow her on BookBub at https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jo-grafford or her Amazon author page at https://www.amazon.com/Jo-Grafford/e/B00G56XKS2.