The Page 69 Test: *Knot of Souls* by Christine Amsden #page69

 

 
They say if you want to really find a good book, go to page 69 (the middle and meat of the book) and you like what's there, it's definitely worth reading the whole book. For today's feature, I'm zooming in on page 69 of Christine Amsden's new urban fantasy, Knot of Souls. 


BOOK DESCRIPTION


Two souls, one body …

When Joy wakes up in an alley, she knows three things: she was brutally murdered, she has somehow come back to life … and she is not alone. She’s been possessed by an inhuman presence, a being that has taken over her dying body. That being is powerful, in pain, and on the run from entities more dangerous than he is.

Shade, a Fae prince on the run, didn’t mean to share the body he jumped into. Desperate and afraid, accused of a murder he didn’t commit, he only sought a place to hide—but if he leaves Joy now, he faces discovery and a fate worse than death.

Forced to work together to solve multiple murders, including her own, Joy and Shade discover hidden strengths and an unlikely friendship. Yet as their souls become increasingly intertwined, they realize their true danger might come from each other … and if they don’t find a way to untangle the knot their souls have become, then even the truth won’t set them free.

Knot of Souls is a stand-alone buddy love fantasy that forces two very different beings to work together … and come out stronger on the other side.




I let Joy tell me more about her life as we drove, stopping only twice to eat and pee (or, as Joy preferred to think of it, “answer a call of nature”). Now that I was convinced she’d remain in the background and hopeful that we were so different it could take years for our souls to get mixed up, I found myself relaxing and even enjoying this child of my flesh. Her brain never stopped working, which had to be exhausting, but she almost seemed to fear that if she stopped thinking, she’d stop being anything at all.
The idea amused me and helped keep my mind off of what would almost certainly be an unpleasant encounter with an ex-lover who’d probably delight in turning me over to the High Court—after I called in the favor she owed me. Lanette and I had first met in human form when she’d been a man and I’d been a woman and we’d experimented together, learning what that all meant. Afterward, she’d wanted to mate in our True Forms, an intimacy I’d never shared with any Fae—and never intended to.
We found a hotel in downtown Memphis, Joy grumbling the whole time about the cost, then I bought a large hat and a pair of dark sunglasses that would make it much harder for Lanette to describe this host body to the authorities. Joy kept nagging to know what I was doing, and when I briefly described the need for a disguise, she suggested adding a pair of high heels to mask her height and make her legs seem thinner, which I grudgingly acknowledged was a good idea.


What do you think? Would you keep reading?
 

Christine Amsden is the author of nine award-winning fantasy and science fiction novels, including the Cassie Scot Series.

Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but Christine believes great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. She writes primarily about people, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

In addition to writing, Christine is a freelance editor and political activist. Disability advocacy is of particular interest to her; she has a rare genetic eye condition called Stargardt Macular Degeneration and has been legally blind since the age of eighteen. In her free time, she enjoys role playing, board games, and a good cup of tea. She lives in the Kansas City area with her husband and two kids.

Author Links

Website https://christineamsden.com/wordpress/

X http://www.x.com/christineamsden 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Amsden-Author-Page/127673027288664?ref=hl

The Page 69 Test: *Jury Duty is Murder* by Kate Damon #page69

 

 
They say if you want to really find a good book, go to page 69 (the middle and meat of the book) and you like what's there, it's definitely worth reading the whole book. For today's feature, I'm zooming in on page 69 of Kate Damon's new cozy mystery, Jury Duty is Murder. 


BOOK DESCRIPTION


The verdict is in; a famed athlete is headed for prison. The jurors have done their job and are free to go back to their lives. But after being sequestered for four months, life as some knew it no longer exists.

HAROLD ASHMAN’s house is almost destroyed by a careless driver. Exotic dancer, CEECEE LAINE, discovers that her boyfriend is two-timing her, and she no longer has a job. Actor ALEX MANNING learns his career is down the tubes, and 72-year-old, HELEN RYDER, discovers her family is plotting to put her in an old folks home.

Then things take a turn for the worse. When former jurors start dropping like flies, CeeCee, Helen, Harold and Alex are convinced there’s a killer on the loose. Now the feuding foursome must find him before he kills them—or before they save him the trouble by killing each other.

Readers love Jury Duty is Murder:

“Hilarious and great cast!” AV_Therearenobadbooks, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"JURY DUTY IS MURDER kept me engaged.." Nancy Allen (The Avid Reader) ,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Not quite a cozy but cozy for a standard mystery" Cozy Reader Lady, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kate Damon’s Jury Duty Murder is a fun, fast paced, riddled with humor who-dun-it, told through the eyes of four ordinary, yet distinct folks who are so incredibly relatable, you’ll feel like you know them as soon as they are introduced.” Barbara Newhart, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 Jury Duty is Murder is available at Amazon.




“So are you going to conduct an investigation or not?” CeeCee asked.
“I’ll make some phone calls,” Detective Kinkwell said, his gaze seeming to be stuck on CeeCee’s naval.
“Talk to the coroner.” Achoo! “But if these deaths have been ruled accidents, there’s not much I can do unless evidence to the contrary turns up.”
“Turns up?” I was mad and I didn’t care who knew it. “In other words, unless evidence of foul play waltzes
in here and introduces itself, you refuse to get off your big fat butt.”
He shot me a penetrating look. “We have to be careful about jumping to conclusions. Palm Valley is on
the FBI’s list of top ten safest cities in the nation.”
Alex, who had been pacing back and forth, stopped in front of the detective’s desk. “So?”
The corner of Kinkwell’s mouth twisted with annoyance. “The mayor and police chief will hit the roof
if we lose our ranking. Their noses—” Achoo. “—are already bent out of shape because some of the
surrounding cities rank higher than we do.”
I was confused. “But not all of the deaths occurred here in town. Only one.”
The detective shrugged. “Even that can spoil our ranking.”
“So what does that mean?” Alex retorted with open frustration. “We ignore the fact that a serial killer is on
the loose?”  


What do you think? Would you keep reading?
 

When Kate Damon is not writing, she and her husband enjoy RVing, spending time with family and friends, raising Monarch butterflies, and playing a wicked game of bridge.

Writing as Margaret Brownley, she has published more than 40 novels and is a New York Times bestselling author. Known for her memorable characters and humor, she is a two-time Romance Writers of America Rita finalist.

Not counting the book she wrote in sixth grade, and the puzzle of the missing socks, this is her first mystery.

Website http://margaret-brownley.com/

Twitter https://www.x.com/katejuryduty

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MargaretBrownleyAuthor/ and https://www.facebook.com/p/Kate-Damon-61565155275435/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/katedamonbooks

BookBubhttps://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-damon

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4072660.Kate_Damon and https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/163681.Margaret_Brownley