Flirting with more than danger.... Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder by @MaryCunningham #mystery #humor #giveaway

Blurb

Andi’s step-mother is a real piece of work! But is Ruby a murderer?

Andi Anna Jones, so-so travel agent/amateur sleuth, puts aside her resentment of her father’s widow and books a 60th birthday cruise to Cancun for Ruby and three friends. Never does Andi imagine the cruise will lead to the murder of a has-been lounge singer—or that Ruby will be the main suspect.

Flirting with more than danger after arriving in Mexico, Andi connects with the charming local sheriff, Manual Rodriquez. After an embarrassing night involving the sheriff, too many margaritas, and a Mariachi band, a chance to check out an eyewitness to the murder leads her to Las Vegas.

In Vegas, a mysterious meeting in the Bodies Exhibition, a body preserving in the prep-room, and an evasive owner of a dance studio, give Andi clues to help Ruby. But when Andi is mercilessly drugged and locked in a storage room, she realizes dear old step-mom isn’t the only one in jeopardy.

Excerpt

“Tell me what’s going on. Slowly, and about fifty decibels lower. Why are you in jail?”

“Well, honey, I’m not sure. Oh, I know what they’re saying, but I didn’t do anything. I swear. Well, at least nothin’ I can remember. You see, it all started on the cruise ship dance floor, quite innocently, mind you.”

“What started?” I located my slippers and shuffled to the bathroom.

“As I was saying before you interrupted, it all started on the dance floor. You know, they play such romantic music on these cruises like, Shadow of Your Smile and Mandy. Oh, don’t you just love Manilow? Well, anyway, Lenny and I were having a lovely time, and he was obviously enamored, if you catch my drift.”

I knew this was a mistake. Still, I asked, “Lenny who?”

“Why, Lenny La Mour, of course!”

I drew a blank.

“Lenny La Mour,” Ruby huffed, “The famous Las Vegas performer? He’s the reason I picked this cruise. He had his own humongous nightclub and everything. Oh, Andi Anna, don’t tell me you’ve never heard of him. Why, women my age swoon at the sound of his voice. But, I suppose your generation only has eyes for that Bon Ami person.”

“Uh, are you, by any chance, talking about Bon Jovi?”

“Well, you know who I mean.”

About the Author

Mary Cunningham, grew on the northern side of the Ohio River in Corydon, Indiana. Her first memories are of her dad’s original bedtime stories that no doubt inspired her imagination and love of a well-spun “yarn”.

Childhood experiences, and a recurring dream about a mysterious attic, inspired characters, Cynthia and Augusta Lee, for her award-winning middle-grade series, Cynthia's Attic. The setting is in her childhood home in Southern Indiana. Family stories and ancestors comprise the storylines. There are currently five books in the series: The Missing Locket, The Magic Medallion, Curse of the Bayou, The Magician’s Castle, and Legend of Lupin Woods.

Through a horrifying stint as a travel agent, the character, Andi Anna Jones, travel agent/amateur sleuth, inspired her latest adult mystery series. Book # 1, Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder was released Nov. 30, 2017. The author is currently writing Book # 2 of the series, along with another middle-grade series, The Adventures of Max and Maddie, a historical time-travel, and the biography of a former Army brat/University of Connecticut women’s basketball player who started a non-profit foundation to create scholarships for children of deployed veterans.

Cunningham is a member of The Georgia Reading Association, and the Carrollton Writers Guild.

When she gives her fingers a break from the keyboard, she enjoys golf, swimming and exploring the mountains of West Georgia where she makes her home with her husband and adopted, four-legged, furry daughter, Lucy.

Review Blurbs for Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder!

“If Evanovich's Stephanie Plum were a travel agent, she'd fit right in working this case alongside Andi, a wanna-be detective readers are sure to love.” —Regan Black, USA Today bestselling author of the Escape Club Heroes and Knight Traveler novels.

Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder...WOW. Snappy dialog, quirky characters, opens with a curious bang and yanked me through the pages. A fun, fantastic read. —Jean Rabe, USA Today Bestselling author, Piper Blackwell Mysteries.

“Grab a margarita and hold on tight; you're in for a wild ride.”

—Karen MacInerney, Agatha Award nominee and author of the Dewberry Farms Mysteries

“Charming, lively, and unpredictable, Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder excels in a vivid story mystery fans will relish.”—Diane Donovan, Senior Editor Midwest Book Review

Buy Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076N6KBM3

Barnes and Noble Nook:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/margaritas-mayhem-murder-mary-cunningham/1127355519?type=eBook

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/756600

Half price through the end of July as part of the Smashword's Summer Sale!

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Mary_Cunningham_Margaritas_Mayhem_Murder?id=0jU8DwAAQBAJ

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/margaritas-mayhem-murder

Find Mary on Social Media

Website: https://www.marycunninghambooks.com

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/marycunninghambooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryCunningham

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marycunningham1/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/367223.Mary_Cunningham

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BLNEK4

Mary will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Two sexy new releases you won't want to miss! #Erotica #StripClub #Virgin @LarryArcher

I’m excited to announce that my new erotic novella Hot Brides in Vegas is out now! This funny, sexy over-the-top romp set in Larry Archer’s fictional (or not so fictional!) world of The Fox’s Den strip club in Las Vegas – Sin City!

Meanwhile Larry has a book out, too, which you can buy now at Smashwords or Amazon. 

 

Larry’s story, Nina, The Fallen Ballerina, is a sexy tale about a beautiful young woman who trained all her life to be a ballerina. But as she grew up, she realized that she was never going to achieve her dream. 

Ballerinas are typically small tiny girls, and as Nina grew into a picture of her mother, she was tall and lanky, not ballerina material at all. Frustrated, Nina threw herself into her college studies and graduated with an MBA at age twenty-four.

Yet once again she was thwarted in her dreams. Working in an office with a sexist boss, she found herself unfulfilled and unhappy.

Just when things couldn’t get any darker, she discovered a job listing for exotic dancers at The Fox’s Den. Could this be her destiny? She asked herself as she interviewed with the club’s manager Linda.

Here’s the blurb for my book.

Francesca Torelli’s tycoon father is throwing a lavish Las Vegas wedding for his only child. Her fiancé Jake and his buddies set out for a stag night, exploring the fleshpots of Sin City. Meanwhile, Fran and her bridesmaids Laura and Chantal are stuck at the resort under the watchful eye of her stern Aunt Giulia, who has promised her brother that Franny will come to the altar a virgin.

Frustrated and annoyed by these double standards, the young women hatch a plan to escape their chaperone and have some fun of their own. With the help of a susceptible concierge, a butch ex-cop limo driver and a scandalous French couturiere, they find their way to The Fox’s Den, the most exclusive—and outrageous—gentlemen’s club in the city. Owner Larry Archer and his crew of strippers, bouncers, voyeurs and sluts are more than happy to welcome the delectable trio as contestants performing at the club’s famous Amateur Night.

The gleeful permissiveness of the Den challenges the women’s assumptions and undermines their inhibitions. Complications ensue when Jake and his groomsmen arrive to find Fran in the midst of her strip act. Then Aunt Giulia crashes the party, determined to save her virgin niece, and things get really sticky—both figuratively and literally.

Will love triumph? Will Francesca be drawn over to the dark side? Is there a difference?

And of course, the excerpt – not by any means the most graphic, but enough, I think, to give you a taste of what to expect:

Not Chantal, too! Laura watched in dismay as her statuesque friend played with the obviously eager redhead. Meanwhile, Francesca moaned and squirmed on the couch, the face of the Asian girl planted firmly in her pussy. What was it about this place? Was it something in the water, or the air?

She rose from her chair, feeling desperately uncomfortable. A hand snagged her ankle.

“Don’t go!” Jeanette flashed her a hopeful smile. “Let me make you feel good, too.”

Laura shook off the stripper’s grasp. “No—thank you. I—I’ve never—I’m not…”

“Are you sure?” The naked blonde licked her full lips. “It’s really no big deal…”

“NO.” Stumbling a bit in her haste, Laura made a beeline for the door, yanked it open, and ran into the corridor. Straight into a hard-muscled chest in a tight black tee.

“Hey!” said Steve, grabbing her forearm to steady her. “Are you okay?”

Heat raced through her at the casual touch. “Yes.” A whiff of his manly scent reached her. “No.” She gazed up at him—he was so tall that it was a stretch—and saw the friendly concern in his blue eyes. “I’m fine. Just needed to get out of the dressing room for a while.”

“You seem upset.” His eyes narrowed, and now she read something else in his expression. Lust.

Her breath caught and her cheeks burned. He wanted her.

“Are Katie and the other girls up to their usual antics?” he asked. He had not released his hold on her arm. “I guess a classy lady like you isn’t used to that sort of thing.”

“Some classy lady,” she responded with a forced chuckle. “In an hour or so I’m planning to take my clothes off in front of a crowd of strangers.”

“I can hardly wait.” His deep voice sank to a sexy near whisper. He snaked his other arm around her waist to pull her against his hard body. “I haven’t been able to think about anything else, not since you walked in the door of the club.”

He tried to bend down and kiss her. The mismatch between their heights was too great. After an awkward moment trying to adjust, he gave up. Instead, he lifted her right off the floor, bringing her face level with his.

“I’ve been thinking about this, too,” he murmured, before his mouth claimed hers.

Oh, god! He was a fantastic kisser! Warm, firm, not too wet, not too dry—just right! His tongue teased the seam of her lips. She opened eagerly, sucking it into her mouth, tangling it with her own.

He tasted like black coffee and salt. Even now, at five o’clock in the afternoon, he was perfectly clean-shaven, with no annoying stubble to irritate her skin. She relaxed in his grip, completely comfortable even though her feet were six inches off the floor. Somehow she knew he’d never drop her.

The kiss went on and on. She didn’t want it to ever stop. Laura closed her eyes, drowning in the smell, the taste, the feel of him. Such strength!

Finally, his lips slid away from hers. “Damn, but this is tough to keep up.” He lowered her to the ground, making sure she was stable on her spiky heels before letting her go.

She searched his handsome face. He looked desperate.

“If I don’t have you right now, woman, I’m going to explode.” He half-dragged her across the hall, throwing open the door in front of them and pushing her before him into the dim space.

Get your copy now!

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077JRMGJF/

Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077JRMGJF/

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/758698

Barnes and Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-brides-in-vegas-lisabet-sarai/1127452565?ean=2940154622568

Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/th/en/ebook/hot-brides-in-vegas

Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36588255-hot-brides-in-vegas

New #Romcom from hilarious Julia Kent! (@JKentAuthor #romance #laughs)

About the Book
 
Now, you know my mama’s a gambler (sweeper, whatever....), so I guess I got to blame her for a little of this.

When the band got invited to do a big gig here in Las Vegas, I was so excited. Really excited. And when we got here, I was dazzled.

A little too dazzled. I blame the lights and the money and does Vegas pump a scent through the entire town that makes you think you’re a winner, or what?

Because I gambled all our money away. And by “our,” I mean the band’s money. All of it. Every dang cent.

Only no one knows. They’d kill me. So I have to find a way to make all that money back.

I have an idea. I got a good body and a smart mind.

(Quit laughing).

I can do this. I can fix this.

Really.

It’s just gonna get a little weird for a while.

Random on Tour: Las Vegas is the 9th book in Julia Kent’s New York Times bestselling Random series. When the band performs in Vegas, anything goes – including Darla’s dignity and all of the band’s savings. When a savior appears, though, there’s a trade-off for being rescued. A big one. How far is Darla willing to go?

Oh, please. It’s Darla. Like you have to even wonder...

This book is told from the point of view of Darla, Trevor and Joe.

Buy links

Amazon US: http://smarturl.it/rotlvazn

Amazon UK: http://smarturl.it/rotlvuk

Amazon AU: http://smarturl.it/rotlvau

Amazon CA: http://smarturl.it/rotlvca

Nook/BN: http://bit.ly/2vmMJt8

iBooks: http://apple.co/2vTLBdO

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2v1WTOG

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2wcl2AD

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2hteCd6

Excerpt

“Did you hear about the woman who died by suffocating on a guy’s penis?” I asked, all out of the blue. That’s how my brain worked sometimes, and hell if I understood it. Given any set of crises, I could compartmentalize and let at least one loose strand of gray matter float off in the wind, brought back by a breeze with a strange little factoid tucked away in the outback, coming forward to be uttered out of my no-filter mouth.

Plus, I needed time for the brain’s back burner to figure out how to give them an answer that fully conveyed my apologies and regret for being so stupid. Given that, why not distract them with a huge-dick story?

Trevor and Joe groaned in unison. They knew how I worked.

“He was from Peters, Ohio, wasn’t he?” Joe asked.

“I’ll get beer. We’re going to need it if this is one of her stories,” Trevor said, standing up and shaking his head as he and Joe exchanged a look I didn’t understand.

“No, not from Peters,” I said. “Trust me, if a guy back home had a cock that big, I’d know about it. Or have been dead long before I met you.”

They both froze, then slowly turned to look at me.

Oops.

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire). She lives in New England with her husband and three sons in a household where the toilet seat is never, ever, down

Social Media Links:

Website: http://jkentauthor.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jkentauthor

Release blitz organized by Writer Marketing Services.

Some Things to Do in Las Vegas

By C.R. Moss (Guest Blogger)

Hi from C.R. Moss, a Las Vegas local! In light of the Erotic Authors Association’s Inaugural Conference coming here in September (http://eroticauthorsassociation.com/EAA/conference/about-the-conference/) I’m doing a few blogs that revolve around this fascinating city. This blog post, like it states in the title, features some activities people can do when they visit. Please note, this list isn’t all inclusive, and no, I have no affiliation with the hotels/casinos/restaurants/etc I mention. They’re just places my friends and I like have been to.

Check out the bars ~ Whether you drink or not, it can be interesting to watch what goes on around the bars in this town. Casinos have their bars out on the gaming floors and usually nearby you can watch some free entertainment – bands, dancers, Elvis impersonators. Harrah's has a piano bar with Dueling Piano Twins and there’s live entertainment at the outdoor Carnaval Court Bar & Grill where you can also see some flair-style bartending. My friends and I like to hang out at McFadden’s at the Rio. Then, of course, you have the nightclubs and themed venues like Red Square with its private vodka vault and famous frozen icebar. At Bellagio, you can enjoy high tea at the Petrossian Bar. LAX has a gothic feel to it. There’s a Tequila Bar at Bally's. And at Dick’s Las Resort Bar insults flow like the liquor does.

White balls or black rocks ~ Go golfing or have a spa day. There’s an abundance of golf courses in the valley just as there are many spas on and off the strip. And with plenty to choose from you’re sure to find a place that fits your budget.

Experience the Experience ~ Downtown has the Fremont Street Experience. http://www.vegasexperience.com/ There’s an overhead canopy housing 12.5 million LED modules which, after the sun goes down, puts on animated shows. Plus, there are two stages for live performances and sometimes you’ll see a film crew shooting scenes for a television show or movie. DH & I were able to see a scene from CSI being filmed.

Check out nature ~ Inside the Las Vegas city limits: Spring Preserves - http://www.springspreserve.org/ Outside Las Vegas: Valley of Fire - http://parks.nv.gov/vf.htm; Red Rock - http://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/; Spring Mountain Ranch - http://parks.nv.gov/smr.htm; Hoover Dam - http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/

Check out the casinos’ features ~ Fountains and Gardens at Bellagio: The fountains are a show of water, music and light. The Conservatory & Botanical Gardens contain gorgeous plants, flowers and trees in spectacular arrangements. The Tower at the Stratosphere: At 1,149 feet above the city, I think the best view is at night. For more info visit: http://www.stratospherehotel.com/Tower See the cats at the lion habitat in MGM Grand or the tiger exhibits at the Mirage. Speaking of the Mirage don’t forget to visit the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. There’s the shark reef at Mandalay Bay http://www.mandalaybay.com/entertainment/shark-reef-aquarium.aspx & at the Luxor there are two exhibitions: Bodies and Titanic. Those are just some of the features in the many casinos. And, don’t forget the wonderful shows the casinos have available.

Walk or drive the Strip ~ If you’re going to walk the strip, be sure to carry water and wear a good pair of walking shoes. Seeing the distances between casinos is deceptive. Everything looks closer than it really is. The casinos are huge and going from inside one casino to outside on the strip to go to another takes some time. The best time to go walking, during the hotter months, is after the sun sets. The heat dissipates some and the lights come on. Oh, and if you’re walking, just ignore the sales people asking if you want free tickets to a show or money to gamble with, etc. They’re usually working for the time shares and to get the freebies you’ll have to sit through a sales pitch. Also don’t take the cards the men are slapping and flicking. They’re usually advertising ‘escort’ services. To drive the strip if it’s your first time, I suggest either using mass transit or finding a friend with a car who doesn’t mind driving and not looking at the sights. Be sure to allot plenty of time for the drive up and down the strip. For more transportation info and tips on walking visit: http://off2vegas.com/transit.html

Eat ~ With all the different buffets, cafés, restaurants, pubs, etc. on the strip and off, be sure to get your fill!

Feeling sexy? ~ There are a number of strip clubs and I know of at least one that has a section for women to watch men dance. There are hotels that offer ‘European Bathing’—pools that are for people 21 and over where women can sunbathe topless. Or if you want to take in some sexy culture, check out the Erotic Heritage Museum: http://www.eroticheritagemuseumlasvegas.com/

Some Q&A revolving around me and Las Vegas

Q: Do you base stories in Las Vegas?

A: Sure do! And, come September, my writing partner and I are due to have a co-authored story out through Evernight Publishing. An erotic contemporary romance with cowboys, ‘Wild West Weekend,’ is set on a fictional ranch in a town right outside of Las Vegas. Yee-haw! For info on that story (and future stories in the series) visit: http://doubledranchtales.blogspot.com/

Q: Don’t you miss the snow, rain, change of seasons?

A: Um, no. If I want to see snow, I can look at the mountain ranges and see the snowcapped peaks or go up Mt. Charleston and experience it firsthand. Rain, well, we get that here. In fact, back in December it rained for a few days straight. As for the change of seasons, they happen here, too. In the spring the trees in my neighborhood sprout beautiful pink and white flowers. In the fall, they’ll change colors. It gets cold here (we had one of the chilliest New Year’s on record last year) and it snows (take a peek at my facebook pictures.) In the spring our vehicles get covered with the green-yellow sheath of pollen.

Q: But it gets so hot there. How do you deal with it?

A: I deal better with the summers here than I did back east. Truly, there is something to be said for the dry heat. I don’t have to deal with sitting still and being soaked anymore just because it’s ninety-some degrees out with ninety-some percent humidity. A friend of mine said this about the differences in heat: for the hot southwest it’s like turning your oven on to 125 degrees, and once it’s heated, opening the door and feeling the blast of hot dry air. For back east, it’s like stepping in to a sauna. Granted, I’ve become so acclimated to the weather here that when the humidity creeps above 20% I can tell.

Thanks for joining me here today & reading my post about Las Vegas. :)

Happy Reading, C.R. Moss

An eccentric and eclectic writer, C.R. Moss pens stories for the mainstream and erotic markets, giving readers Worlds of Possibilities. Visit her site at: www.crmoss.net

Find her on ~ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CRMoss.author

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/crmoss

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/C.-R.-Moss/e/B002DBE49W

More links here:http://www.crmoss.net/Links.htm