On The Road Again…

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By Lynn McPherson
As another summer comes to an end, it’s time to grab hold of the remaining time and run with it. It’s been a challenging stretch and we’ve decided to do something special this year. That’s why, after much talk and contemplation, we’ve decided to hit the road. Yes folks, we’re heading out on an adventure, to see where the wind (and Google Maps) takes us.
It’s time for a family vacation!
Since we are not good at packing light, we decided to go big, try something new, with more space and more comfort. We are renting an RV. A shiny 28-foot vehicle will be waiting for us, complete with a kitchen, a bathroom and beds for four. We are driving north, completing a 1,500-mile circle. I said adventure, right?
Our first stop is The Canadian Polar Bear Habitat, whose mission it is to promote polar bear sustainability through research and educational tourism. There are four polar bears currently living in the 24-acre enclosure. It sounds fantastic. The kids are stoked. We are confident this will be a smashing success.
Next on our tour is Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes of North America. The facts surrounding the massive body of water are impressive. The shoreline, for example measures 2,726 miles (4,385 km), according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). There are hundreds of shipwrecks and loads of interesting history, worthy of research and reading. The beaches look beautiful, if cold, and it will provide endless opportunities to explore and enjoy its natural beauty and its one-of-a kind fun.
Finally, we will head to Manitoulin Island, the largest fresh water island in the world. Rich in history, beauty, and community, it is the perfect place for a final stop. Our plans include going to the beach and star-gazing, exploring and relaxing.
So, what are my final thoughts on hitting the road? What do I hope to accomplish? There are three things I want to do. The first is to have fun with the family. Second, explore new places while meeting new people. Finally, take time to appreciate the joys of a new experience.
While images of Chevy Chase and Wally World invade my dreams, I remind myself of all the fun things that are out there to see and enjoy. If anyone has suggestions for not-to-miss places along the way, please let me know.
How are you spending the last weeks of summer?
Lynn McPherson has worked for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, ran a small business, and taught English across the globe. She has travelled the world solo where her daring spirit has led her to jump out of airplanes, dive with sharks, and learn she would never master a surfboard. She now channels her lifelong love of adventure and history into her writing, where she is free to go anywhere, anytime. Her cozy series has three books out: The Girls’ Weekend Murder and The Girls Whispered Murder, and The Girls Dressed For Murder.  

Release Day for An Unfamiliar Sea!

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by Bethany Maines

An Unfamiliar Sea officially launches this week! An Unfamiliar Sea is a classic mystery with two sleuths: 28-year-old Tish Yearly and her 79-year-old grandfather Tobias.  Tish and Tobias navigate the rocky waters of living together in Tobias’s house on Orcas Island in the San Juan Island of Washington state, solve murders, and try to keep their dog Coats from getting diabetes.

This series was inspired by the time I spent assisting my grandmother before she moved out of her house, my childhood trips to Orcas Island and by those enduring one hour mystery shows like Murder She Wrote, Matlock, and Psych.  For me those shows were always about enjoying the quirks and foibles of the characters as much as the mystery. I enjoyed the puzzle of working out how someone died, but I loved seeing how the strengths and weaknesses of the detective would play out each week and how they would triumph in the end. And if you ever read any of my books, you’ll quickly realize that I like books with lots of chuckles and quick banter and these books are no exception. From Tish and Tobias arguing about condolence pie to the neighbors and who all have opinions on Tish’s dating life I try to keep readers laughing too hard to figure out the mystery (but good for you if you do!).  So if you want a mystery that makes you smile and feels like an island vacation between two covers, then please take a trip to the San Juan’s with Tish and Tobias Yearly.

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AN UNFAMILIAR SEA 
In a storm, you never know which way is home.
Tish Yearly is about to open a wedding venue on Orcas Island, in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. All she wants is to sail through her first wedding, figure out why her best friend isn’t talking to her, and tell her grandfather she’s dating someone he doesn’t approve of. But before she can get to any of that, Tish’s favorite employee turns up dead—apparently drowned in four inches of water. Now Tish, and her grandfather, former CIA agent and current curmudgeon and licensed P.I. Tobias Yearly, are wading through the suspects including a meth-cooking uncle, a brother with anger-management issues, and the mysterious island drug kingpin, who may or may not be going straight. Tish is attempting to navigate this unfamiliar sea, but she may not be able to weather the storms to find her way home.

Learn more about Tish Yearly: Dru’s Book Musings Character Interview
Buy the book: Amazon

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Bethany Maines is the award-winning author of the Carrie Mae Mysteries, San Juan Islands Mysteries, Shark Santoyo Crime Series, and numerous
short stories. When she’s not traveling to exotic lands, or kicking some
serious butt with her black belt in karate, she can be found chasing her
daughter or glued to the computer working on her next novel. You can also catch up with her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and BookBub.

Review for Bethany Maines’s The Second Shot by Juliana Aragon Fatula

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Dear Reader,

Bethany sent me an advanced copy of her new book, The Second Shot, that released October 24th. The moment it arrived, I dove in and began reading. I had no idea what to expect. I was hooked from the first chapter.

October 14, 2019

Review for Bethany Maines, The Second Shot five
stars out of five. http://bethanymaines.com/

Bethany Maines has written
many mysteries. This was my introduction to her work. Now that I’ve read The
Second Shot, I’m excited to read more of her mysteries. I have her book, Bulletproof
Mascara on my kindle. It’s next on my reading list.

I probably shouldn’t tell you
this, but Bethany Maines isn’t afraid to get dirty. She writes some amazing, sexy
love scenes. I loved the lust and romance. It was lusty but had love at the
heart of it. It’s a love story between Max, the U.S. Marshal, and Dominque, the
femme du monde. They reminded me of the characters in the tv series, Moonlighting,
of the late 80’s where Bruce Willis and Cybil Shephard are opposites who fight
and argue but are drawn to one another by sexual attraction. Max and Dominique
are enemies who end up as lovers. The result is a delicious, sexy, battle of
wits and very entertaining.

Bethany’s characters, all of
them, are smart and funny. The sarcasm in the Deveraux clan dynamics brings a
reality to the family dysfunction. And the subtle politics of the story remind
the reader of actual events of today’s leaders.

The story opens with a memory
of the main characters’ first meeting and the book ends with their happily ever
after. A love story that made me happy.

“Maxwell Ames looked across
the room at Dominique Deveraux and felt himself physically flinch at a
memory-driven whip of embarrassment.” Excerpt From: Bethany Maines. The
Second Shot.

“Dominique had to physically
restrain herself from blurting out that she loved him and his beautiful, thoughtful
brain. They were two whole weeks into dating. The L word was the kind of thing
that sent people running. And seriously, she shouldn’t be saying that. It was
only two weeks! Even if she kind of, seriously, thought that she meant it.”
Excerpt From: Bethany Maines. “The Second Shot.”

I enjoy love stories, but this
is a mystery and the suspense and thrilling who dunnit scenes had me up all
night reading until I finished the book. It was a full moon. I have difficulty
sleeping during full moons. I usually sit up writing all night. It’s something
uncontrollable and brought on by astronomical laws of magnetism, or lunar
tides, or whatever. But I didn’t want to write. I wanted to read.

I enjoyed the sex scenes more
than I expected (blush) but the fact that these two main characters were
falling in love had a huge part of my interest in their coitus. That and the
fact that interruptions kept them from fulfilling their desires. It was
suspense in the bedroom and in the sinister scenes of being ambushed, shot at,
tackled, wrestled, beaten, and ran over by vehicles.

The ending left me wanting to
find out more about what happens next to these characters. Bethany carefully
teases with just enough information to drive her readers to the next chapter
and the sequel.

Bethany Maines, new favorite
author of mine, and someone I highly recommend to anyone interested in reading
a smart, sexy, witty book on mystery, romance, and stilettos.

Some of Bethany Maine’s
novels.

Carrie Mae Mysteries

Bulletproof Mascara
from (#1)

Compact with the Devil
(#2)

Supporting the Girls: A
Carrie Mae Mini-Mystery

Power of Attorney: A
Carrie Mae Mini-Mystery

High-Caliber Concealer
(#3)

Glossed Cause (#4)

San Juan Islands Murder
Mysteries

An Unseen Current

Against the Undertow

An Unfamiliar Sea

Shark Santoyo Crime
Series

Shark’s Instinct

Shark’s Bite

Shark’s Hunt

Stand Alone Novels

Wild Waters

Tales from the City of
Destiny