"Storms and Scarabs" by H. R. Hobbs

EXCERPT

Storms and Scarabs

by H. R. Hobbs

Author H. R. Hobbs stops by today to share an excerpt from Storms and Scarabs, the first book in her new Time Chasers series. The book is ON SALE for only $0.99 for a limited time, so don’t miss out! 

For more books by this author, please check out my blog post on See Me and my blog post on Hear Me.

Description

A spyglass. A rare amulet. An ancient prophecy. Trapped in the past.

Moving to his grandfather’s farm was the last thing Mitch Howell wanted, but his parents did it anyway. Left on his own, Mitch sneaks into the attic of his grandfather’s house and discovers a spyglass. Curious about the spyglass and its connection to his loony great-grandpa, he doesn’t realize it’s really a portal to the past and the key to an ancient prophecy until it’s too late. Thrown back in time to Ancient Egypt with his best friend, Brock, the boys are on a quest to find their way home. But they aren’t the only ones who know the powers of the spyglass.

Can Mitch and Brock get home before the spyglass falls into the wrong hands and changes the world forever?

Excerpt

The hinges of the bus door squealed open.  Mitch knew he only needed to take two steps to enter, but his feet refused to move.  The bus driver, who could barely see over the steering wheel, stared at him expectantly, his hand resting on the door lever.

"Mitch," his sister, Alyssa, hissed in his ear.  "Don't just stand there.  Get on the bus."

She shoved him in the back, and he stepped forward.

"Morning," the bus driver said as he reached the top of the steps.

"Morning," Mitch mumbled to the floor.

Not looking up, he threw his backpack in the first empty seat, landing on top of it.  Alyssa barrelled past him.  He glared at her retreating back before he slid over and stared at his reflection in the glass of the bus window, ignoring the bright green shoots of wheat poking through the ground in a field beside the road.

His mom was right--he looked miserable.  Which wasn't a surprise to Mitch. He felt miserable.  He'd felt that way ever since they moved to Fairview.  what was surprising was that his mom even noticed.  She was so busy unpacking and helping Dad on the farm, he wasn't sure she knew he existed anymore.

[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]

Praise for the Book

“Perfect for an upper grade school or middle school aged boy. I am not a boy, and yet I also found this book to be enjoyable and it kept me turning the page even until 1am! Can't wait for the next book in the series! Love H.R. Hobbs! She is a gifted storyteller.” ~ LLM

“This is a fun read from the start, and holds the mystery and suspense throughout. It also deals well with themes around accepting and handling change in life, which is especially great for tween and teen readers. I am looking forward to book 2 of the series.” ~ Melanie

“I would have loved to have had this to read as a child. Anyone who has ever felt like an outsider growing up (and who has not I imagine) will relate to the struggle to make friends and find your place in a new setting. The imagery is great, interesting setting in ancient Egypt ... and it moves along. A terrific gift for the 8-12 year old reader in your household or family.” ~ LLC

“The mystery is what kept me going through the entire book. Mitch and Brock were so believable I thought that I was sitting right there during their adventure. I held my breath every time I though Mitch was about to find the answer to his great grand father George. Well put together and a great read for all ages. I will be recommending this story to my 12 year old nephew and my other nephews as well.” ~ foxglove1028

“The author has a real talent and a fabulous way with words. The story effortlessly unfolds with authenticity - especially in regards to the relationship the boys have and how they interact with others. The main storyline was cleverly interwoven with other subplots and life lessons that kept the story moving at a fast clip. I loved how the author had shared a fair amount of interesting Egyptian history which was delivered in an artful, natural manner rather than an info dumping overload. I can’t wait to share this book with my children and have no doubt it will be a favourite on the shelf!! I look forward to reading book 2.” ~ Corina Ann Douglas

About the Author

H. R. Hobbs is the pen name of Heather Hobbs, Amazon-bestselling author of a series of compassionate and empowering stories for middle-grade readers.

As an introvert who spent most of middle school with her nose stuck in a book, Heather empathizes with her young readers, and her mission is to ensure that they recognize and relate to her characters’ struggles with typical middle school issues such as belonging, friendship, and bullying. The first two books in her Breaking the Rules series, See Me and Hear Me, have received five-star reviews from Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews in the Young Adult category.

A lifelong learner and teacher with a fascination for people’s stories, Hobbs challenged herself to write in 2015 as a retirement project. She believes we all have a story to tell and encourages writers of all ages to find their voice, speak their truth and tell their story.

Recently, she began art lessons with the hopes of illustrating her own children’s books in the future.

Heather is the mother to three grown sons (who shake their heads at her antics) and grandmother to three little darlings. She resides with her husband in the small prairie town where she was born and raised.

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"Deadline with Death" by Zara Keane

GUEST POST and GIVEAWAY

Deadline with Death
(Time-Slip Mysteries Book 1)

by Zara Keane

Deadline with Death by Zara Keane is currently on tour with Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. The tour stops here today for a guest post by the author, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

Dee Flanagan loves Irish history, bad rom-coms, and red lipstick. Dead clowns, injured time travelers, and shootouts don’t make it onto the small town reporter’s Top Ten list. After the bullets stop flying in Dunleagh Castle’s courtyard, it’s up to Dee to convince people she didn’t imagine a gunfight played out between two centuries. With the body count rising, and no one willing to believe Dee’s time travel theory, she’s forced to team up with a man who’s either a bona fide fruit cake or a police officer from the year 1919. Using her expert knowledge of the Irish War of Independence, Dee sets out to solve a century-old crime, plus a modern-day murder.

Excerpt

The morning the clown croaked at my feet began with a cockfight and ended with a corpse. Neither covering the fight nor discovering the body was on my ToDo list. After five months of juggling my job at the Dunleagh Chronicle, a volunteer position at the museum, my history video blog, and looking after my grandmother, I finally had a free day.

Until I didn’t.

Courtesy of a virus sweeping through our offices, two of the Chronicle’s reporters were out sick. With press day looming, my penny-pinching editor was desperate enough to pay me time-and-a-half, and with a mountain of bills on my nightstand, I was desperate enough to agree. I swapped my cozy bed for Mavis, my scarlet scooter, and faced the elements of an Irish winter morning. 

Under different circumstances, a spin through the countryside might have been pleasant. Today’s ride was anything but. I steered Mavis through driving rain, gale-force wind, and potholes the size of mainland Europe. The crowning glory was a near collision with a herd of cattle who’d taken up residence in the middle of the road. I seriously should have held out for double pay.

By the time I pulled up outside the tumbledown farm where the cockfight was being held, the organiser had got wind that the cops were on the way. In a spectacle of flying feathers and bouncing beer bellies, both the contestants and the spectators were fleeing the coop. I dry-heaved my way through the stench of birds and unwashed men, snapped a few shots of the mayhem, and hopped back onto my scooter. I now had less than an hour to reach my desk and write an embellished account of the non-event, and Mavis and I broke several rules of the road on our return journey.

The clock in the town square chimed ten as I hung a right and chugged up the steep road that led to Dunleagh Castle. In fifteen minutes the Chronicle’s grumpy sub-editor would emerge from his lair, demanding to know why my article wasn’t on his desk. I swore under my breath and pressed hard on the Mavis’s sluggish accelerator.

At the top of the hill, the castle loomed, dark and magnificent against the stormy sky. The sight of its grey walls and tall towers never failed to thrill my inner historian, even when I was in a hurry. From its clifftop perch, Dunleagh Castle had cast a menacing glare over the harbor for the last six centuries. While most of its original outer wall was gone, and the outer courtyard had been repurposed as a parking lot, both the castle itself and its generous gardens remained intact. Today, it housed the newspaper, the mayor’s office, the museum, a small café, and several lovingly restored rooms that were open to the public. Working for a penny-pinched weekly rag wasn’t the glamorous career I’d envisioned at university, but it paid the bills—well, some of them—and I had the privilege of working within the castle walls four days a week.

I wasn’t alone in my admiration for the castle. It had earned a well-deserved place as one of Ireland’s most popular tourist attractions. Even at low season, buses braved the steep incline and disgorged tour groups in front of the wooden drawbridge.

One such bus spluttered its way up the road in front of me, moving at a painful pace. I swerved to overtake it, and narrowly missed mowing down a man who was crossing the street. He leaped sideways to avoid me, and landed in a puddle.

“Hey,” he roared, glowering at me under bushy red eyebrows, “watch where you’re going.”

“Sorry,” I said on autopilot.

The word caught in my throat when I recognised the guy I’d almost rendered road kill. Charles O’Rourke, better known as Mr. Chuckles, was a popular street performer whose clown routine delighted children and tourists alike. He was also the dude I’d kneed in the nuts the previous month. I doubted I’d make it onto his Christmas card list, but then, he wouldn’t make it onto mine.

Ignoring Mr. Chuckles’s squawks about my reckless driving and general tendency to harm his person, I zoomed into the parking lot and deposited Mavis in a free space. I pulled off my helmet and yanked up the hood of my jacket. The downpour was turning into a deluge, and the brief moment between removing my helmet and getting my hood in place was all it took to turn my hair into a sodden mess.

As I exited the parking lot, my phone vibrated with an incoming call. My hand went to my pocket on reflex, but I pulled it back and kept moving. It was wet and I was late. Whoever was calling me could wait.

Before I stepped onto the road, a second tour bus pulled up to the kerb opposite. If I wanted to dodge a swarm of geriatrics, I needed to pick up my pace. I speed walked across the road and then broke into a run. With a wave of greeting to the guard on duty, I bounded over the castle’s wooden drawbridge and entered the courtyard. The cobblestoned ground was slick with rain, and puddles formed in patches where the stones needed to be replaced. Standing beside one such puddle was none other than my good pal, Mr. Chuckles. I swallowed a groan. He must have reached the courtyard just before me. Seriously, why couldn’t I catch a break this morning? With my deadline imminent, the last thing I needed was an argument with the clown.

I surveyed my surroundings. A gaggle of elderly tourists huddled in front of the castle’s main entrance, all wearing bright orange raincoats emblazoned with the name of their nursing home. If I zigzagged past them, and ran the rest of the way, I’d be at my desk in five.

In spite of the slippery surface, I accelerated into a sprint. I’d almost reached the door when the clown stepped in front of me, forcing me to stagger to a standstill. He was dressed in his full clown regalia: baggy polka dotted pants, luminous green shirt, wide yellow sash, fire-engine red wig, and a shiny red plastic nose. The addition of a leopard print rain poncho completed the look. I tried to dodge the guy, but at that moment, the second influx of tourists trundled over the drawbridge and swarmed into the courtyard en masse, nixing the option for me to sidestep my adversary. Before I’d had time to react, Mr. Chuckles was up in my face, yelling and shaking a fist.

To the casual observer, we must have appeared a comical pair. Last time I’d checked, the average Irish male stood five-feet-nine-inches tall. I barely missed the six-feet mark. I’d inherited my considerable height, sturdy build, and masses of blonde hair from my father, an American with Swedish roots. The clown, in contrast, must have been descended from leprechauns.

The little man gesticulated wildly, jumping up and down to emphasise his points, none of which were flattering, and several of which would have required a bleep censor.

“You came through the incident unscathed.” My gaze dropped to his mud-strewn legs. “Apart from your pants.”

“I ought to call the cops on you, Flanagan,” he snarled, eye level with my chest. “You’re a menace, on and off the roads.”

[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]

Praise for the Book

“This to me is a comedic tale of a crazy and dysfunctional family with a soupcon of paranormal mystery added in for additional fun!” ~ A Wytch’s Book Review Blog

“Deadline with Death by Zara Keane is a stellar story, with fabulous characters, a marvelous mystery or two, and a setting that I adored.” ~ Baroness’ Book Trove

“Deadline with Death is an entertaining, unique and enjoyable cozy mystery.” ~ The Book Decoder

“I know this series is going to be a hit with all the cozy mystery readers out there. Comedy, murder, mystery and time travel all wrapped up in this fantastic new beginning.” ~ I’m All About Books

“This was quite a comedic cozy mystery, with a murder, a little bit of time-travel and some essence of the paranormal. All ingredients that made this quite an enjoyable read.” ~ ebook addicts

Guest Post by the Author

10 Things Readers May Not Know About Me

1. I’m a board game geek. Among my faves are Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne, Pandemic, and Azul.

2. Even though I love reading and writing mysteries with a dash of romance, romantic movies don’t tend to work for me.

3. I write in English but speak German every day - I’m Irish and currently live in Switzerland!

4. Despite not being a hearts and flowers sort of person, I met my husband on a blind date, and we got engaged within six weeks. Thirteen years and three kids later, it was the best impulse decision of my life. :D

5. When I was fifteen, I co-wrote (and submitted!) a Harlequin romance with a school friend. Its highlights included an anatomically incorrect sex scene. We were rejected. I wonder why? :D

6. I love roller coasters. Love, love, love. Put me on a tamer amusement park ride like a carousel and I immediately feel sick. What gives?

7. When I’m not reading or writing, I love to knit. My ideal rainy Sunday is spent listening to an audiobook with my latest knitting project on my lap.

8. My Keeper Shelf includes an eclectic mix of authors including Maggie Osborne, Agatha Christie, Mary Stewart, Julia Spencer-Fleming, and Georgette Heyer.

9. Dunleagh, the town in which I set the Time-Slip series, is fictional, but loosely based on real Irish towns. The closest match to the layout of Dunleagh is Kinsale, County Cork.

10. I’m scared of clowns. Absolutely terrified. And that was before I watched the TV adaptation of Stephen King’s book, It. When I had to pick a murder victim for Deadline with Death, a clown seemed the obvious choice!

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Zara Keane grew up in Dublin, Ireland, but spent her summers in a small town very similar to the fictional Ballybeg and Smuggler’s Cove.

She currently lives in Switzerland with her family. When she’s not writing or wrestling small people, she drinks far too much coffee, and tries – with occasional success – to resist the siren call of Swiss chocolate.

Giveaway

Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of Deadline with Death by Zara Keane (US only).

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"Saving John Lennon" by A. J. Gallant

EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY

Saving John Lennon

by A. J. Gallant

Saving John Lennon by A. J. Gallant is currently on tour with Silver Dagger Book Tours. The tour stops here today for an excerpt and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

A tale of love, time travel, humor, and healing hearts. The adventure of a lifetime. (Think you know how it ends? You don’t.)

In 2018, two friends discover an open door in the summer forest in Maine. It’s winter inside and they’ve never seen anything like it. When they realize that it’s 1980 on the other side, they hatch a plan to go to New York and save John Lennon.

In 1980, a stranger invades Sarah’s dreams on a nightly basis. He’s handsome and funny, but when she bumps into him in real life, she can’t believe her eyes. But his story of time travel is preposterous and it’s difficult to decipher his motives for acting so weird. He claims to be from 2018.

Can love bloom under such circumstances? Will Richard be trapped thirty-eight-years in the past?

Payton is from a thousand years in the future; he’s trying to stop Burton from time jumping because it can cause changes that could have serious repercussions. Burton has arranged for Taft and Richard to save John Lennon, but will it all go terribly wrong?

Excerpt

Friday, November 28, 1980.

A little over an hour ago Sarah and her brown-haired, brown-eyed friend Mandy were at the Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concert having a wonderful time, there was nothing quite like a great concert to make one’s heart sing. Now they were approaching Andrews Coffee Shop to get a bite to eat, both had smoked some Columbian weed and were in an elevated mood. Life was made for friends and family.

“You remind me of such a little girl sometimes,” said Sarah. “I just mean that you look a lot younger than you are. Maybe it’s because you’re natured thin as my mother says.”

Mandy shook her head. “Shut up, I’m not that skinny.”

“Remember the time you squeezed through that fence when nobody else could?” Sarah smiled knowingly.

“I was only thirteen!”

Sarah shook the hair out of her eyes. “I’m just teasing. Imagine being married to Bruce Springsteen! I love that song Born to Run. Thought he was never gonna do it, but finally the third song of the encore! Yes! Thought I was gonna have to run on stage screaming Born to Run! I wonder if they plan their encores?”

“That was so totally amazing!” Mandy shouted, getting a few looks from passers-by. “Too bad Carl had to do something with his father? What is it with him and his old man anyway?”

“Stupid fishing trip in Florida; said his father wouldn’t let him get out of it.” Sarah had the munchies and couldn’t wait to eat something good, even after the popcorn they ate she was still hungry. “His father’s grooming him to take over the business when his Dad turns fifty, I guess he wants to retire while he’s young enough to travel the world; drives a BMW so they have money. Not that I care too much about that, but it’s better to have it than not have it.”

Mandy imagined herself in England. “That sounds so cool. Have the money to go anywhere you want. Everyone should be rich enough to travel.  I’ve always wanted to see Europe. See Buckingham Palace. I wonder if they have tours?”

Sarah nodded. “I have no idea. But it definitely takes money to travel. I can see myself in a cabin on the beach in Hawaii, surrounded by palm trees. Waking up to the sound of ocean waves. Going to sleep to the sound of ocean waves. Tropical birds singing as I drink my morning coffee.”

“Cool. Go swimming every day. Doing it on the beach under the light of the moon. So how are you two making out?” asked Mandy.

Sarah looked surprised. “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I caught Carl looking at engagement rings in an expensive catalog, but he quickly closed it. Tried hard for a diversion so I let him get away with it. I guess he wants it to be a surprise.”

Mandy squealed with delight. She knew that Carl’s parents were rich and he would be a wonderful catch. “Oh my God, are you serious? You think he’s really going to ask you to marry him?”

Sarah shrugged. “Maybe.”

Mandy occasionally had weird vibes from Carl, saw the way he looked at other women when Sarah wasn’t looking, but it wasn’t something that she wanted to bring up, especially not now. “Don’t you think you should wait a year or two? Really get to know him? Of course, you could take him for half his money if it comes to that and you could take me to England.”

Again Sarah shrugged. “I don’t think I can say no. That would be the end of it. Maybe we’ll be engaged for a year or two if it happens?”

“You know,” said Mandy, “it puts a lot of pressure on a woman when the guy asks will you marry me. If the woman is ready that’s one thing, but if it’s too early in the relationship she’s almost forced to say yes even if she’s not sure. It should always be the woman asking the guy. That should be the rule. Women have more to lose, and there’s always a chance that she ends up alone with the kids.”

“Women do get the shitty end of the stick in a lot of ways. We even get paid less for doing the same job. That’s because guys do most of the hiring and they can do whatever the hell they want to do. Carl and I have been together less than a year.” It was making Sarah think. It would be the biggest decision yet, and making the wrong one might have unpleasant ripples for the rest of her life.

“What are you gonna say?” At twenty-one, she thought Sarah might be too young to get married. It would certainly change their bond. She thought they would likely drift apart, maybe not at first but it probably wouldn’t take too long. She’d be running in different circles. Of course, it was all just a guess.

“I’m leaning toward yes.”

As they approached the restaurant, they both saw him simultaneously in the booth in the window; Carl was kissing another woman and it definitely wasn’t platonic. Sarah turned and ran crying with Mandy trying hard to catch up with her.

In a second Sarah’s life was again turned upside down.

“Asshole!”  Mandy screamed.

[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]

Praise for the Book

“Reading something by A. J. Gallant is like sticking your hand into a mystery bag, you never know what will pop out! This time, I have to say, he did not disappoint as he piles on the quirky humor, a little history and tosses in a few off the wall characters that make Saving John Lennon pure entertainment from start to finish! A cast of interesting characters, a beginning that runs backwards, a middle that is laugh-out-loud funny and even a guy from the future! Are they all trying to save John Lennon or will saving him interrupt the timeline continuum and catapult the world into devastation? Prepare yourself for Richard and Taft, two of the most unlikely time travelers ever! Actually, don’t even look for swashbuckling heroes, instead get ready for a FUNtastic escape from this reality and just go with the flow!” ~ Dianne

About the Author

A. J. Gallant is the bestselling author of several book series, including Of Knights and Wizards series, Dracula Hearts series, and Detective Olivia Brown Mysteries.

The author has two cats that make him rise at 5 each morning to keep him on his toes.

Giveaway

Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

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