#Mystery Gwen Plano

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Smorgasbord Book Reviews - Round up April 2023 - #Contemporary #Thriller Lisette Brodey, #Thriller WWII Allan Hudson, #Media #Memoir Alison Ripley Cubitt, #Mystery Gwen Plano, #Shortstories Joan Hall, #Thriller Lee Child, #Fantasy Nicholas Conley

Another very enjoyable reading month and if you missed my reviews here the round up for April. My review for All That Was Taken Set in the idyllic location of the seasonal town of Teal Beach on the Californian coast, this is a love story that grips the reader as past and present collide with devastating effect. When two damaged hearts find a connection it is assumed that there will be elements…

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Smorgasbord Christmas Book Fair 2022 - #Murder #Mystery Sharon Marchisello, #Thriller Gwen Plano, #Historical #Romance Ailish Sinclair

Smorgasbord Christmas Book Fair 2022 – #Murder #Mystery Sharon Marchisello, #Thriller Gwen Plano, #Historical #Romance Ailish Sinclair

Welcome to the Smorgasbord Christmas Book Fair with a selection of books from personally recommended authors on my bookshelf I believe will make wonderful gifts for friends, family and for you. If you are looking for a terrific murder mystery then I can recommend – Secrets of the Galapagos by Sharon Marchisello About the book Shattered by a broken engagement and a business venture derailed by…

[stacitroilo]

THE HAUNTING OF CHATHAM HOLLOW Tour Wrap-Up #bookrelease #ghost #mystery

THE HAUNTING OF CHATHAM HOLLOW Tour Wrap-Up #bookrelease #ghost #mystery #GRATITUDE

Well, the tour for our latest release, The Haunting of Chatham Hollow, is over. We had a wonderful time chatting with you and truly hope you had as much fun as we did. To those of you who missed the entire tour, I’ll have a link to all our stops at the end of this post. We hope you find a moment to visit one or more of them.To those of you who made it to a select few, we’re grateful you took the…

[johnwhowell]

Views of the Neighborhood - Guest Post by Mae Clair

Views of the Neighborhood – Guest Post by Mae Clair

I know it is a little odd to see a guest post on the day I usually run a Views of the Neighborhood. I’ve done this for two reasons. 1. My friend Mae Clair is launching a new book and I want to help spread the word. 2. I am in Phoenix this weekend with no opportiunity to capture some sights there. So I am proud to turn my blog over to Mae Clair.

Many thanks for having me as your guest today, John!…

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THE CULMINATION a new beginning by Gwen Plano

MWSA Review Pending  

Author's Synopsis The book opens with two gunshot victims medevacked to a Sacramento hospital. Both got hit during an assassination attempt at a nearby Air Force base in northern California. Admiral Joseph Parker and his friend, Julie Underwood, are in critical condition. The President of the United States, Samuel Williams, visits Parker in the hospital. They’ve known each other since Vietnam, at which time Parker had saved Williams’ life. Soon after the President leaves the hospital on Marine One, there is an attempt on his life. One of the accompanying choppers is hit by an RPG while traveling to Vandenberg Air Base. An immediate investigation ensues. Eventually links are made to China.

Nuclear heads of state meet in Reykjavik, Iceland to craft a denuclearization agreement. An alignment between Russia and the United States begins to emerge. Because of illness, President Williams must return to D.C. Vice President Margaret Adler takes his place. The negotiations result in a binding agreement, but tensions remain. At the close of the session, the North Korean leader dies of an apparent heart attack.

At the invitation of Russia’s president, VP Adler flies to Moscow to address the people about the denuclearization process. While there, she meets the president’s son, Ivan. An attraction emerges between the two, after they realize that they met in Afghanistan years before as soldiers. Ivan’s actions saved her life that day, though she lost an arm. These two become lovers and emerge as the principle characters in the story.

President Williams’ health continues to deteriorate, and VP Adler takes an active role. She represents the U.S. at the first nuclear disarmament visit in New Mexico. When the heads of state convene, tensions again mount. An eruption occurs. One of the Chinese team members kills his president and then turns his gun on Russia’s president and kills him. The Russian president’s dying word is “Family.” The visit ends with his son, Ivan, returning to Russia with his deceased father.

VP Adler becomes aware of the oppressiveness in Syria. Now acting president of Russia, Ivan and she make a humanitarian visit to an orphanage in southern Turkey, on the border of Syria. They and their teams stay at the Incirlik Air Base for an overnight visit. Their time is fraught with danger, but during this visit Margaret falls in love with a little Syrian orphan amputee and wants to adopt this little girl. Ivan loves the child as well. Upon returning to the base, Ivan and Margaret meet with Turkey’s president. Trust is fragile but inroads are made.

President Williams’ health deteriorates, and he steps down from the presidency. VP Margaret Adler takes the oath and is quickly brought into a world involving the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Director of National Intelligence and more. Tensions in the South China Sea continue to mount.

A nefarious conspiracy re-emerges, and concerns are raised about a cabal involving China and a plot to create a One World Government. An attack on U.S. soil seems imminent. A deadly bioterrorist attempt on multiple large cities is thwarted, as are the two incoming missiles directed to air bases in California. All roads again lead to China.

Adler works with the Joint Chiefs and prepares for war. China’s military presence in the Middle East leads to the conclusion that China wants control of all the oil. The U.S. moves carrier strike groups into the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf.

Russia had been aligned with Syria and has a large military presence in the country. It also had a tenuous alliance with Iran. However, because of the relationship between Ivan and Margaret, this alignment is now just an illusion. Russia is secretly partnered with the U.S.

Ivan, Margaret and Turkey’s president develop a plan to extricate the Syrian president and deliver him to the German officials for prosecution for crimes against humanity. They have identified Syrian leadership who will take over. This leadership reveals the location of a stockpile of chemical and biological weapons. Russian and Turkish special forces confirm this horror.

The Middle East tensions escalate. Adler informs Saudi Arabia and Israel of the plan to remove the Syrian president and the buildup of unfriendly forces. They commit to readying their military and assisting in the plan. The U.S. deploys two B-2 Stealth Bombers to the area, puts all their bases on alert, and prepares for the worst.

It becomes clear that there will be an attack by China, Iran, and their allies immediately after Ramadan. The U.S., Russia, Turkey, and allies decide to preempt this attack by one day. All will be set in motion at a launching ceremony of a new Russian destroyer at the Tartus naval base. The Syrian president will be a guest at this event, and it will be at this event that he will be detained.

The book concludes with a rapid set of events. The Syrian president is captured. China and Iran attack. Russia and Turkey discharge their S-400s, destroying Iran’s nuclear stronghold. Three Chiefs of Staff, the Russian president and Turkey’s president are together in the Command Center at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. They watch several large screens focused on the war zones. China attempts to launch nuclear warheads. These attempts are thwarted. The B-2 Stealth bombers attack, as do fighter jets. Israel joins in the retaliations.

Separately China attacks the U.S. carriers in the South China Sea. At the Command Center, Ivan decides China must be stopped. He orders the release of Russia’s Avangard, a hypersonic boost-glide missile system. The first hits China’s government headquarters, causing the buildings to evaporate. The second hits a large military base. Successive massive explosions erupt, resulting in earth-changing quakes. Unknown to all prior to this hit, the base held China’s stockpile of nuclear weapons. The destruction is profound.

The story concludes with silence in the Command Center. Everyone is shocked by what has occurred. The Russian president is distraught over the destruction. Turkey’s president consoles him by reminding him that this action may have awakened the world to the fact that we are family, that power must be used for good of all. Turkey’s president asks Ivan if he needs an example of what he means. After acknowledging that he does, Turkey’s president makes a phone call and asks that the gift be brought in. Within minutes, a little child’s voice can be heard. “Papa, papa, I knew you would come for me.” As the Russian president holds the little girl, the story ends with a quote:

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together, and a little child will lead them. Isaiah 11:6

ISBN/ASIN: ISBN-13: 978-1-947893-89-4, ISBN-13: 978-1-947893-91-7, ISBN-13: 978-1-947893-92-4

Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle

Review Genre: Fiction—Mystery/Thriller

Number of Pages: 292

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Smorgasbord Free Book Promotions 2023- Share an Excerpt from one of your published books - #PsychologicalThriller #Mystery – Redemption: A Father’s Fatal Decision by Gwen Plano

In this series beginning in August 2023, you are invited to share an excerpt of 500 words from any of your published books . This feature is for any author who has been promoted on Smorgasbord previously. Please read full details of how to participate at the end of the post. The aim of the series To showcase your book and sell some more copies. Gain more reviews for the book. Promote a…

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Smorgasbord Book Promotions - Summer Book Fair 2023 - #Mystery #Romance Lisette Brodey, #Thriller Daniel Kemp, #Thriller #Sci-Fi #Religion Gwen M. Plano

This year in the first part of the Summer Book Fair, I will be revisiting some of the new books on the shelves promotions for the last six months. It offers not just an opportunity to boost the book but also to share a follow up review. Later on in the series I will also be sharing my recommended books from the last 12 months and one of their more current reviews. Not all the books are newly…

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Smorgasbord Book Promotions - Meet the Authors 2023 - #Contemporary #Romance Stevie Turner, #'Thriller #Mystery Gwen M. Plano, #WWII #Thriller Allan Hudson

Welcome to the 2023 series of meet the authors. This series offers me the opportunity to not just share my personal recommendation for the author, but to also check for new books I might have missed, changes to biographies and profile photos and check links. I also I hope will introduce you to previously unknown authors to you and their books. As the curator of a towering TBR like most of you, I…

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Smorgasbord Book Promotions - Book Review - #PsychologicalThriller #Mystery - Redemption: A Father's Fatal Decision by Gwen Plano

Delighted to share my review for the latest release by Gwen Plano, a thriller with science fiction and religious elements – Redemption: A Father’s Fatal Decision  About the book Family secrets can be deadly. When Lisa visits her parents one fateful Saturday morning, she hugs her father and takes her suitcase to her childhood bedroom. The doorbell rings, and one minute later her father lies dead…

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Smorgasbord Christmas Book Fair 2022 - #Murder #Mystery Sharon Marchisello, #Thriller Gwen Plano, #Historical #Romance Ailish Sinclair

Smorgasbord Christmas Book Fair 2022 – #Murder #Mystery Sharon Marchisello, #Thriller Gwen Plano, #Historical #Romance Ailish Sinclair

Welcome to the Smorgasbord Christmas Book Fair with a selection of books from personally recommended authors on my bookshelf I believe will make wonderful gifts for friends, family and for you. If you are looking for a terrific murder mystery then I can recommend – Secrets of the Galapagos by Sharon Marchisello About the book Shattered by a broken engagement and a business venture derailed by…

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Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore Update - #Reviews - #Mystery James J. Cudney, #Memoir Liesbet Collaert, #ParanormalThriller John W. Howell and Gwen Plano

Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore Update – #Reviews – #Mystery James J. Cudney, #Memoir Liesbet Collaert, #ParanormalThriller John W. Howell and Gwen Plano

Welcome to the Friday edition of the Cafe and Bookstore with recent reviews for authors on the shelves. The first author today is James J. Cudney with a review for Legally Blind Luck (book 7 the Braxton Campus Mysteries) About the book Surprising new family members. A hidden talisman. Deadly curses. Horrific murder. Months after tragically losing a loved one, Kellan learns his relative’s death…

[sallygcronin]

Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore Update - #Reviews - #Mystery James J. Cudney, #Memoir Liesbet Collaert, #ParanormalThriller John W. Howell and Gwen Plano

Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore Update – #Reviews – #Mystery James J. Cudney, #Memoir Liesbet Collaert, #ParanormalThriller John W. Howell and Gwen Plano

Welcome to the Friday edition of the Cafe and Bookstore with recent reviews for authors on the shelves. The first author today is James J. Cudney with a review for Legally Blind Luck (book 7 the Braxton Campus Mysteries) About the book Surprising new family members. A hidden talisman. Deadly curses. Horrific murder. Months after tragically losing a loved one, Kellan learns his relative’s death…

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Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore – Author Updates – Reviews - #1960s Jane Risdon, #Mystery Amy M. Reade, #Thriller Gwen M. Plano.

Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore – Author Updates – Reviews – #1960s Jane Risdon, #Mystery Amy M. Reade, #Thriller Gwen M. Plano.

Welcome to the Wednesday edition of the Cafe and Bookstore with recent reviews for authors on the shelves. The first author today with a recent review is Jane Risdon for the 1960s Only One Woman..co-written with Christina Jones. About the book June 1968. Renza falls head over heels for heartthrob guitarist Scott. But, after a romantic summer together, they are torn apart when Renza’s family…

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Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore – Author Updates – Reviews - #1960s Jane Risdon, #Mystery Amy M. Reade, #Thriller Gwen M. Plano.

Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore – Author Updates – Reviews – #1960s Jane Risdon, #Mystery Amy M. Reade, #Thriller Gwen M. Plano.

Welcome to the Wednesday edition of the Cafe and Bookstore with recent reviews for authors on the shelves. The first author today with a recent review is Jane Risdon for the 1960s Only One Woman..co-written with Christina Jones. About the book June 1968. Renza falls head over heels for heartthrob guitarist Scott. But, after a romantic summer together, they are torn apart when Renza’s family…

[johnwhowell]

Cover Reveal - Mae Clair's End of Day

Cover Reveal – Mae Clair’s End of Day

Release Date: January 15, 2019 Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Supernatural Thriller Publisher: Kensington Publishing • Lyrical Underground Imprint

BLURB: The past is never truly buried…

Generations of Jillian Cley’s family have been tasked with a strange duty—tending the burial plot of Gabriel Vane, whose body was the first to be interred in the Hode’s Hill cemetery. Jillian faithfully continues the…