Cozy Mystery on Greenhills Chats Podcast

Cozy Mystery “Dead Editor File” Review.

Watch book review of Dead Editor File in the UK via Greenhills Chats podcast. My thanks to Michelle Cobbett for reading and reviewing book one in the Taylor Browning Cozy Mysteries (available at Amazon https://tinyurl.com/yhhwn9p6 .)

“You have given me my new addiction – Cosy crime. Dead Editor File sealed my fate!” — Michelle Cobbett

For more from Michelle go to her review site: https://www.cobbettsbooks.co.uk/

Book Tour Begins Today

Thank You Itsy Bitsy Book Bits

Editor Kill Fee is officially on the road. The third in the Taylor Browning Cozy Mystery series took off today. You can find all the scoop here: https://itsybitsybookbits.com/2023/05/editor-kill-fee-the-taylor-browning-cozy-mysteries-book-3-by-gg-collins/

Watch the Book Trailer!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8dlLO5rquI

Read the Review:

Here is a new review excerpt written by @tarajohnson513 and published on Book Bub. For the entire review check out: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2330489227?utm_content=follow_alert&utm_source=social_email

“This was a great book with an interesting storyline that pulled me and from the first few pages I was hooked. I loved how the author immediately lends an air of mystery, suspense, and intrigue with the setting of Devils Road and Anita being drawn into the woods by a mysterious force. It gave me goosebumps and I could not wait to read what happened next. The characters are well rounded, lovable, and relatable. Taylor is one smart cookie who is ambitious and determined to get to the bottom of a mystery. I loved how she was relentless in getting to bottom of Anita’s disappearance and unravel the truth behind what was going on. A great book with mystery, drama, suspense, intrigue, and twists and turns that will keep you reading until the end.”

— Tara Johnson, Book Bub Member

Get your copy today https://a.co/d/epzN97r but stay away from the Mayan Death Pepper and Devil’s Road!

Book Review: Ogre Lake Nothing to Fear by Helen G. Huntley

Get Ready to Enter a Magical Place

By GG Collins (Copyright 2023)

Set during the period before the Great Depression, two brothers return from their father’s funeral only to launch into an argument that is a turning point for both. While Jeremiah tries to calm his brother’s tirade, Isaiah is seething with rage because his father left him nothing. He refers to himself as the spare who will never be as good as his brother in his dead father’s eyes.

In his torment he casts a spell on his brother transforming him into an ogre who will forever be condemned to haunting the nearby lake. That is the only place he can be in human form. If he leaves the lake, he again becomes a monster. In emotional agony, Isaiah throws his father’s portrait into the open fireplace. Soon the fire has spread to the house and Isaiah is consumed by the flames.

Carina Raison, who is a forward-thinking woman of her time – perhaps even part of the suffragette movement? – decides she needs some alone time and drives to Ogre Lake to set up camp. Because of the rumor surrounding the area, she feels certain it will be a quiet experience. After all, she doesn’t believe in ogres. But soon she runs across a man who appears to live in a cave near the lake. In a lovely scene she gives the man soap and cuts his hair and beard. From then on, Carina is a regular at Ogre Lake as she helps him unravel his past so he can have a future. Their romance blossoms from her kindness.

“Jeremiah watched as Isaiah walked through the flames as if they were nothing, parting them with a movement of his hands.”

Cawdron Darois originally came from New Orleans where he had been a detective on the police force. He moved to Connecticut to become a private investigator, leaving the craziness of the Crescent City behind. He was content to find lost pets and take photos of philandering spouses. He could sense the presence of ghosts and Louisiana was full of them. Unfortunately, Connecticut has spirits too and one came with his apartment. Except for the ghost, he lives quietly with his cat Fred. Soon he is drawn into a series of deaths originally thought to be accidents.

Enjoy Huntley’s lyrical prose as you transit the tumultuous times before the Crash. Her characters are vividly written. Huntley’s theatrical experience shines through when she describes the rooms (sets) of the mansions she creates. This transports the reader into a beautiful world not yet cognizant of the approaching global economic collapse. Carina’s love for the ogre helps unravel the murder mystery with the help of a detective, a nun and a ghost.

Note: Adult Content  

Book Review: Stone Heart by Susan K. Hamilton

Each Betrayal Begins With Trust

by GG Collins Copyright 2023

Infidelity is uncomfortable … for everyone. It’s painful for family, friends and those intimately involved. The lies, the subterfuge and the loss of integrity are felt by everyone. I think Hamilton wanted to explore this as a caveat. She succeeded. In her author’s note she said the reader might be frustrated with the principles, even angry. I was. It was as if signs were appearing everywhere telling them not to succumb, and yet …

“You’ll see it tonight. She’ll get lost in the music and get this look on her face. It says she’s right where she wants to be. That music is her world and she doesn’t need anything beyond that.”

Lauren Stone is a big-time rock star; front woman for the Kingmakers. Judging by appearances, she had everything: big house on a California beach, successful career, adoring fans. Despite this, when the group traveled to New York City to record their next album, Lauren was panicked by writer’s block. The songs weren’t coming.

The city was her home town and she immediately began thinking of Danny Padovano who was the high school sweetheart who got away. She had never forgotten their painful separation. He didn’t want life on the road. He wanted a family. Lauren was faced with a dilemma that many women have to confront – choosing between a career and someone she loves. This is never an easy choice. We can’t have it all. That’s a lie driven by pop psychology and pretty ads.

In spite of the protagonists agonizing over the temptation to relive something they lost, they leapt headlong into an affair – but only after Danny’s wife accuses him of “sleeping” with Lauren. The truth was they were already involved: chaste hugs, strokes of the hand, a kiss on the cheek. They just hadn’t done the deed. But high-profile celebrities cannot escape scrutiny. Fans with phones are everywhere.

When it does finally become sexual, they try to catch what they once had in their teens. While it seems wonderful to them, it makes everyone they know miserable. The other members of the group are furious with Lauren, so is Danny’s wife, his kids are affected and his devoutly Catholic parents. Absolutely no one is happy.

The music background is interesting and well done. Early on, Lauren does a television interview that is deftly written. The end is stellar. I was cheering for the Kingmakers. Hamilton did an excellent job of showing the allusion of happiness the relationship originally produces and the damage that can’t be undone. This honest depiction of betrayal will make you feel uncomfortable, but wiser.

Note: Adult Content (Sex, Drug Use, Infidelity)

Book Review from Reader’s Favorite

5 Star Book Review for Dead Editor File

Dead Editor File is the first book in The Taylor Browning Cozy Mysteries series by G.G. Collins. Prescott, the much-despised owner of Endicott Publishers, is found dead in his locked office. Taylor Browning, the mystery editor, suspects foul play and does a bit of light sleuthing. Many people had good reasons for disliking Prescott, including his ex-wife, Jessica, who surprisingly gains control of Endicott Publishers. When Taylor reads a manuscript from author Dominique Boucher, she can’t believe how similar the story is to Prescott’s death. Although warned by Detective Sanchez about her sleuthing, Taylor’s curiosity puts her in danger.

5 Stars from Reader’s Favorite reviewer Michelle Stanley. “G.G. Collins has a relaxed, unhurried writing style that allowed me to imagine the beautiful Santa Fe setting and other main features that made the story interesting.”

Find Dead Editor File at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3rNviNU

“Curiosity killed the cat,” but not in Dead Editor File. Taylor’s adorable Abyssinian cat, Oscar, doesn’t get mad but gets even whenever he feels ignored or isn’t fed on time. I don’t envy Taylor whenever he does. G.G. Collins has a relaxed, unhurried writing style that allowed me to imagine the beautiful Santa Fe setting and other main features that made the story interesting. This novel is a light-hearted cozy mystery with a likable main character, Taylor. Jim is a bit obnoxious, but so were other characters who thought highly of themselves. I also gained a bit of insight into the publishing industry from a different angle and found it interesting. The cover artwork is simply awesome and I like the font style used on it as well. Looking Glass Editor is another book in the Taylor Browning Cozy Mysteries series that seems just as appealing as Dead Editor File.

My thanks to Michelle and Reader’s Favorite.

#99cents @JustKindleBooks

Reluctant Medium #99cents 09/18/2022

Look for Reluctant Medium tomorrow at Just Kindle Books https://www.justkindlebooks.com/ . The first in the Rachel Blackstone Paranormal Mysteries. Read how Rachel began her psychic journey, however reluctantly. Meet her friends, both the quick and the dead who helped her.

Find it at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3qJtdCf

“I really enjoyed this book! This book kept me up way too late. I can’t wait for the next one!”

“Collins has done her research into Native American culture and values, and it shows. I highly recommend Anasazi Medium. Trust me. You won’t be able to put it down.”

Santa Fe reporter Rachel Blackstone bungles a Native American ritual to return the dead. Instead of the father she believes was murdered, an evil spirit returns. Worse yet, Rachel is seeing ghosts. While some are helpful, others lead her astray. Problem? She can’t always tell them apart. Where does the totem wolf fit in? She turns to a Hopi shaman and her best friend Chloe to help her solve the mystery. One thing is certain; this spirit has got to go back!

Also available in paperback:

Also available at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3dlgPoV

“Collins creates a world that breathes these legends into existence…”

Book Review: You Wish by Mark Scott Piper

Make a Wish!

Review by G G Collins Copyright 2022

High school still sucks in this well-written, fast-paced YA by Mark Scott Piper. You Wish is a book for anyone, even if graduation day exists only in your rearview mirror.

Jake Parker contemplates his lot in life, “A freakin’ nobody.” So it would seem. He sits in a “pile of rejects” while waiting his turn at bat on the baseball field. It’s the same with the girls at his school. They don’t know he’s alive. And why would they? Jake still rides a bike. With nearly two years to go before he can drive, he and best friend Lester make do in Santa Necia. And to end on a high note, his parents are now divorced.

Lester and Jake have a tree house that once passed as their secret pirate ship but having outgrown their yo-ho-ho days, the two renamed it The Snark in honor of the boat built by Jack London. They sometimes play out seafaring fantasies but guard against one of their classmates catching them fearing total humiliation.

Amazon Bestseller https://amzn.to/3C6E93O

One day while exploring the Old Addison Place, a once beautiful Victorian house now in ruins and about to be demolished, Jake finds an old ship’s lantern. His life is about to change, but will it for the better? While polishing the lamp, Jake wishes he had a pizza and abracadabra one appears on his bed.

This plunges Jake into a moral dilemma about how to best use the remaining two wishes. The boys consider the possibilities from making them all rich to world peace. Just when Jake needs it, a new friend appears on the scene. Ben Ackyack, who may be in line to inherit the Addison Place, has parked his dilapidated trailer on the estate property and befriended Jake. Little does Jake know what an important part he will play.

Ben throws a wrench in the plans for the Addison property. So much so, the police begin checking him out. Trouble is, he appears to be devoid of a past. As Ben is arrested, Jake pulls out the lantern and makes his second wish. I won’t ruin it for you, but it’s something that’s caught on video. Reporters and the FBI swoop down on Santa Necia, infiltrating every aspect of Jake’s family life. The FBI even presents Jake with a demand from the President of the U.S. regarding the third wish.

Looking for advice, Jake turns to Ben. He counsels Jake telling him he will recognize when the time is right for the third wish, “It’ll be whatever you really want. Don’t worry, you’ll know.” And when the time comes, and it is a desperate moment, he makes the right wish.

Book Review of Family: A Writing Bloc Anthology

The Definition of Family Can be Loving or Twisted

With foreword by Mike X. Welch

Writing Bloc Project Manager of Books

by GG Collins Copyright 2022

How do you define family? Is it the one you were born into or the one you chose? This inspired collection of stories expands by leaps and bounds the familial definition. An international effort – some intergalactic – each narrative takes the reader on a journey of discovery. We are surprised by what we find and encouraged to go further.

Could you change the course of your life in 30 minutes? That’s what Charlotte does in “Thirty Minutes to Life.” A stained wedding dress has led her to a dry cleaner. The bride-to-be contemplates what she wants. Wise words from a kind stranger influence Charlotte’s decision between a predictable and conformist life or one where she controls her own future. Bank or dry cleaner? A young woman realizes she can choose.

Iris plans an escape with her younger sister Lily when their mother’s boyfriend becomes abusive. She knows that the house at “l989 Redwood Lane” is considered to be haunted. That’s her planned destination. They should be safe there because everyone avoids the place. Iris packs their things along with food and they run away from home. The house on Redwood Lane holds some ghostly revelations for the girls.

The Sister of the Moon collects souls and delivers them to the Dark Goddess. Although she doesn’t normally interfere with the condemned, today Sister is offering a new family if this lass desires. The judged and damned stands on the gallows ready to drop. In “Pearls and Swine” a young woman can choose to accept her fate or serve the Dark Goddess who will demand much. Should she allow the executioner to continue or remove the noose from her neck?

If you’ve read the classic science fiction book “Logan’s Run” by William F. Nolan, “Olds” will be a special treat. Set in the future, people get 60 years on Earth and then have six months to say their goodbyes and enter the Ascension. Each person is assigned a job after being tested by the Olds. Eryn was assigned to Child-Rearing. Olds declared her partner a perfect genetic match for her and joined them in a ceremony. Eryn isn’t happy. She’s not sure her feelings matter.

Family: A Writing Bloc Anthology provides a cohesive exploration of what the family unit is complete with drama, humor and horror. These families are not all conventional, but wherever and whoever they are, the stories resonate.

Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3rCWJu3

Note: Some stories include adult content.

Book Review: The Ghosts of Manor Ren by Helen G. Huntley

By G G Collins (Copyright 2022)

Available at Amazon

At first you might think that The Ghosts of Manor Ren is just another ghost story, but there is more to it than that. Loren is a newlywed in 1945, but it is an arranged marriage and her husband Claude is inattentive at best. While he spends his time at the estate next door, Loren gets to know Manor Ren.

The lonely new wife is captivated by the sprawling three-story main house and its expansive gardens. But it is inside the mansion that claims her utmost attention. Fireplaces are being lit, furniture moved and she feels a presence. It is that presence who comforts her as she sleeps alone in the big creepy house.

It becomes more apparent that the house is alive with the past actively playing a role. Her newly hired maid senses it too. As the two women become involved with the “ghosts” in the manor, they discover all is not what it seems.

The Ghosts of Manor Ren is a delightful adult fairy tale written with romantic whimsy and a bit of truth.

Note: Adult Content

Book Review: Reluctant Medium

Author Willow Croft Reviews Reluctant Medium

My thanks to Willow for her fun and unique take on reviewing. Due to a lengthy winter storm, this is making a late appearance. And yes, I too know the carousel at Santa Fe Place is long gone, but it was still circling when I wrote the book.

Read the rest of the review at Willow Croft’s Bringer of Nightmares and Storms: https://willowcroft.blog/2021/02/17/riding-the-carousel-round-and-round-and-round-again/