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We are traveling to Scotland to meet the fabulous Sharon Bairden! We will be discussing her latest release, You Need Me. I stalked Sharon through one of her besties, Noelle Holten, who has also visited the KC Reads book club. I am beyond thrilled to feature You Need Me! But if you crave more after you read it, check out her fabulous debut novel, Sins of the Father. There could be a wee surprise for this book club, so don’t miss out! Find Sharon’s bio, cover art, and link for purchase below. By day Sharon Bairden manages in a small local independent advocacy service and has a passion for human rights; by night she has a passion for all things criminal. She blogs over at Chapterinmylife and is delighted to be crossing over to the other side of the fence to become a writer. Sharon's debut novel, Sins of the Father, was published in November 2020 and is published by Red Dog Press. You Need Me, will be released on October 12th 2021, also published by Red Dog Press. Sharon lives on the outskirts of Glasgow, has two grown up children, a grandson, a Golden Labrador and a cat. She spends most of her spare time doing all things bookish, from reading to attending as many book festivals and launches as she can. She has been known to step out of her comfort zone on the odd occasion and has walked over burning coals and broken glass – but not at the same time!  ‘Your secret didn’t die with me.’
The mysterious note tucked inside the pages of a recently returned book leaves librarian, Morag McLaughlin, chilled to the bone. She knows it was meant for her. Someone out there knows her darkest secrets and they could destroy everything. Torn apart from her own family, she will stop at nothing to create a perfect new one. Why are they all so ungrateful? She’s only looking after them... Isn’t she? Click here to head to Amazon!
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We met award-winning and bestselling author David-Matthew Barnes at 4pm on Thursday, December 16th!1/14/2022 We had a great time discussing The Everlasting Gift and David-Matthew’s play, Dummy! He writes plays, short stories, novels, novellas, and poetry. He is an extremely gifted author who is making a splash in the writing and film industries! David-Matthew is also a gracious and fun person. Below, please find the cover art and link to purchase his latest release, The Everlasting Gift. This is a heart-warming Christmas story with a few life lessons for all of us. It’s beautifully written and unputdownable! Visit David-Matthew at: http://dmbarnes.blogspot.com Link for purchase here!  The KC Reads book club is thrilled to feature Annie Two Faces by Lewis Kirts! This book is a collection of ten western short stories. Lewis Kirts is an incredible graphic designer who turned her attention to writing. She has written two spectacular westerns (the other is Sendero Esperanza, a compilation of three books and the half of an epic journey spanning nearly 50 years). Kirts’ experience with horses and rural living come alive on the pages of her stories. Join us to meet her and talk about her fascinating life! Bio, cover art and link are below.  Lewis Kirts was born in Maryland, where spring smelled like mud and winter was too cold for her comfort. With dairies on the matriarch side of the family, and orchards on the patriarch side, she was raised on peaches and cream.
She credits her love of western movies to her father, and her love of reading, to the English teachers of Poolesville High. Years of working outside in Maryland had her longing for the warmer climate of Arizona. She now resides in southeastern Arizona, and after thirty years in the desert southwest, she’s finally thawing out. Click here to visit Amazon! Welcome back, Ivan! The KC Reads book club is thrilled to feature The Redhead and the Ghostwriter! We met Ivan in April 2020 right after I started the KC Reads book club. We had a fabulous discussion about his first book, Redhead in a Blue Convertible. Ivan’s writing is visceral, and he made us all laugh and cry. This was my prediction (back then) about his second book: “Ivan is working on his second book, which will be out soon! Just you wait - he’s going to drag you through all the emotions a second time.” Turns out I was right! Purchase The Redhead and the Ghostwriter and join us in conversation with the illustrious Ivan Scott: Hoarder of all office products; lover of his feisty redhead, Kim; father of two - three if you count his rat terrier; a man who handwrites his manuscripts; bourbon lover, and bowtie wearer! You won’t be disappointed. *Let’s make this a happy hour discussion! Bring your favorite beverage, and drink up the time with Ivan! Don’t forget to follow Ivan on social media: @author.ivan.scott on Instagram and Author Ivan Scott on Facebook. Cover art and summary are below:  Everyone in the beach town of Turtle Point comes to Ghostwriters, the
craziest Bookbar on the Atlantic coast, where the party doesn’t end until sunrise as people read their favorite books while sipping their favorite adult beverages. The owner, an effervescent Redhead named Sienna McCaslin, loves two things: her Bookbar and her best friend, Pulitzer Prize winning author, Jasper George, who lost his passion for writing after a personal tragedy. The only thing Jasper writes these days is his name on a bar tab since he lives life at the bottom of a bourbon bottle. Sienna is desperate to bring him back to the living, and her prayers are answered when a young woman comes to town looking for help with her manuscript. However, Sienna’s plan backfires when Jasper’s mentoring of the aspiring author takes him further away from her, and when the manuscript is finished, Jasper is offered a job at the top literary agency in New York. Sienna knows her love is in vain, so she is the one who leaves Turtle Point first by selling Ghostwriters and starting a new life in wine country. Unfortunately, Jasper realizes he loves her, but is it too late to bring her home before he loses his Redheaded girl and Ghostwriters forever? Click here to head to Amazon! The KC Reads book club is excited to feature Indelible by Laurie Buchanan. She is an award-winning author, and this book is making a b.i.g. splash! We’ll be talking about Laurie’s book, her walking prowess, and her obsession with red licorice. Bio, cover art and link are below. Find Laurie at lauriebuchanan.com Laurie Buchanan writes the Sean McPherson novels--fast-paced thrillers set in the Pacific Northwest that feature a trifecta of malice and the pursuit and cost of justice. A cross between Dr. Dolittle, Nanny McPhee, and a type-A Buddhist, Buchanan is an active listener, observer of details, payer of attention, reader and writer of books, kindness enthusiast, and red licorice aficionado. Laurie's books have won nine awards, including the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Gold Winner and the International Book Award Gold Winner. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest, where she enjoys long walks, bicycling, camping, and photography--because sometimes the best word choice is a picture.  When a sniper killed his partner, Sean McPherson was injured in the ambush. Now an ex-cop, he takes a job at a writing retreat in the Pacific Northwest. At Pines & Quill, he hopes to heal and put his life back together in the Zen-like capacity of groundskeeper and all-around handyman.
Click here to head to Amazon! From his spectacular book cover to his mystery identity, James Wallace Birch has us curious! Next up for the KC Reads book club: If You Find Emory Walden. We’ll be trying to solve the mystery of a missing person and a missing three million dollars! Join us to discuss this debut novel! Cover art, summary and link for purchase below.  Eight years ago, James’ friend Emory disappeared, leaving behind his memoirs and the promise of a hidden cache of $3 million. James published the memoir and became a famous professor. But his obsession with Emory’s disappearance destroyed his personal life. He never went to find the money.
Years later, James’ former student, Melanie, knocks on his door with a clue that Emory might still be alive. Together, they take to the road with a copy of Emory’s memoir and a taunting riddle someone sent them. Is the riddle a hint from Emory? Why is he reaching out? And what happened to the money James never went looking for? If You Find Emory Walden is author James Wallace Birch’s long-anticipated follow up to the reader-acclaimed Discontents: The Disappearance of a Young Radical. Join James and Melanie on a journey through claustrophobic cities, suburban nightmares, and wide-open roads as they chase down the riddle of the disappearance of a notorious fugitive. Follow their van life on the road. Sing along with them to early 2000s pop punk and emo bands. But don’t trust everything you read in this fascinating blend of suspense, mystery, adventure, and nostalgia. Amazon link here. The KC Reads book club is thrilled to feature Pay to Play by retired FBI special agent Jerry Williams! Join us to talk about her accomplished career, podcast, books, and her current shenanigans. Jerri’s bio, cover art for Pay to Play, and link to purchase are below. Jerri Williams-Short Bio: Jerri Williams has always been a storyteller and, after serving 26 years as a special agent in the FBI, she has plenty of stories to tell. During most of her Bureau career she worked major economic fraud investigations and was amazed at the schemes and deceptions con- artist and corrupt corporate and public officials would devise to steal other people’s money. She notes that with a gun, they can steal hundreds. But with a lie, they can steal millions. She is using her prior professional experiences with scams and schemers to write crime fiction about greed and often jokes that she is reliving her glory days by producing and hosting FBI Retired Case File Review, a true crime and history podcast where she interviews retired FBI agents about their high-profile cases and careers. Based on her experience as an FBI spokesperson, she also debunks misconceptions about the FBI and is under contract as a technical consultant for major TV networks and production companies wanting to create authentic FBI dramas and characters.  Special Agent Kari Wheeler may have made the worst decision of her life.
The deeper she digs into the new assignment she unwisely accepted, investigating corruption in the Philadelphia strip club industry, the more her work threatens everything she values most--her FBI career, her marriage, even the closely held secrets of her painful past. Her new case has her gathering the evidence to prove that a corrupt city official is accepting bribes and breaking the same adult entertainment laws he's supposed to enforced. But when Kari enters the seductive world of high-end clubs and sleazy strip joints she faces temptations too difficult to resist. Before she becomes the star of a media scandal that could sidetrack the corruption investigation and trial, the married mother-of-three must devise a counter plan to protect all at risk of being destroyed. How far will she go? Amazon link here.  The KC Reads book club has been hijacked! Because Karen will not feature herself, a hostile takeover has occurred. Purchase Housewife for 99 cents and join us on March 25th to meet Karen Crawford and talk about her newest release! This is a stand-alone book that she wrote in between books two and three in her Taryn Winter series. Find out how Erica Forsythe muscled-out Taryn to finish first! Karen’s bio, cover art, and link to purchase are below.  Karen Crawford worked in the community supervision field for 20 years. During her career, she spent countless hours with criminal offenders, delving into the details that make them tick and gaining insight about human behavior. Her passion and drive for helping people and promoting best practices in criminal justice earned her numerous awards during her tenure. She has always valued those who serve, and those who are served, in the criminal justice system. Now, she lets her imagination run wild, writing about the other side of the law. Karen lives in Northern Arizona with her husband, dogs and cat. Her two children have flown the coop.
Click here to head to Amazon. What an honor to have Simon McCleave join the KC Reads book club to discuss The Snowdonia Killings! This is the first book in his DI Ruth Hunter series, and it is a spectacular debut novel! Simon is an International Bestselling Author who lives in South Wales. Here’s his bio: Simon McCleave was born in South London. When leaving University, he worked in television and film development. He was a Script Editor at the BBC, a producer at Channel 4 before working as a Story Analyst in Los Angeles. He worked on films such as ‘The Full Monty’ and television series such as the BBC Crime Drama ‘Between The Lines’. Simon then became a script writer for television and film. He wrote on series such as Silent Witness, Murder In Suburbia, Teachers, Attachments, The Bill, Eastenders and many more. His film, ‘Out of the Game’ for Channel 4 was critically acclaimed – ‘An unflinching portrayal of male friendship.’ (Time Out) Simon is now a best-selling crime novelist. His first book, ‘The Snowdonia Killings’, was released in January 2020 and soon became an Amazon Bestseller, reaching No 18 in the Amazon UK Kindle Chart and selling over 100,000 copies. His five subsequent novels in the DI Ruth Hunter Crime Thriller Series have all ranked in the Amazon Top 30 and are Amazon Best Sellers. He has sold 300,000 books and downloads in 2020. Simon is currently in negotiations to make the Ruth Hunter books into a television series. Simon lives in North Wales with his wife and two children. Link and cover art below. Join us!  Starting a new life in Snowdonia was always DI Ruth Hunter's dream. Until a twisted killer turned it into her worst nightmare.
Detective Inspector Ruth Hunter lives with the pain of her partner’s mysterious and unsolved disappearance. About to hit fifty, the veteran police officer trades in the crime-ridden streets of London for a more peaceful life in rural North Wales. But Ruth has barely settled into her new position in North Wales Police, when the body of a brutally murdered woman is discovered…with strange symbols carved into her skin. Teaming up with an obstinate deputy, Ruth struggles to eliminate anyone from a long line of suspects. When another slain victim is discovered with the same cryptic markings, she’s forced to re-think the investigation. Has Ruth got what it takes to solve the case before the murderer attacks again? The Snowdonia Killings is the first book in the DI Ruth Hunter Crime Thriller series and set against the majestic backdrop of Snowdonia, a timeless land of Arthurian legend, folklore and myth. If you like dark police procedurals, psychologically complex characters, and shocking twists, then you’ll love Simon McCleave’s pulse-pounding debut novel. Amazon link here! If you aren’t reading with us, you’re missing out! I started the KC Reads Book Club in March, 2020 because I wanted to create a safe place for people to come together and dish about crime. Books unite us! We lose ourselves in the pages of books and find ourselves in the stories we read!
Here’s what we did in 2020: We read 14 books and met 11 authors! We read over 4,000 pages! We featured and met best-selling authors and read award-winning books! We laughed during every author discussion, and we shed a few tears along the way. We dished about crime and all things bookish. Featured Books and Authors (in the order they appeared): False Impressions by Sandra Nikolai Redhead in a Blue Convertible by Ivan Scott Diamonds, Teak & Murder by AM Ialacci 13 Steps to the Cellar by Teresa Mathews The Power of Conviction by Catrin Russell Winter Takes All by ML Erdahl Grim Secrets by Nannette Kreitzman Lost and Found in Harlem by Delia Pitts In Wisdom’s Mind by Jensen Moock The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza The Mutiny Girl by Karen S. Gordon A Wash of Black by Chris McDonald Dead Perfect by Noelle Holten Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal Thank you so much to all the authors who met with us to discuss the featured book! Dark things live in my head, so we featured a few books that were non-mystery to lighten things up now and again. We’ll continue doing this so I don’t lose the members who enjoy romance books and happy endings. Join us in 2021 for more mystery, more suspense, more heart-pounding moments and friendships built on the foundation of books! |
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