Windfall - Marianne Evans

It's another story from Sal's Place, folks! And another winner from Marianne Evans, I'm sure. I love this series!

If the ratings are correct, we've all gotten a bit hooked on reality TV- and the cooking shows rank right up there. Well, Ms. Evans has tied right into that craze and brought us a great story. Come take a peek...

Back Cover Blurb:

The Motown Master Chef Competition is firing up at Sal's Place! This year's battle features two combatants who dish up compelling stories as well as fabulous food.

Scott Allen was once the embodiment of cocky, self-assured arrogance. Family tragedy shattered that pattern of life and turned him straight to the salvation of a God he now serves in every way possible. Formally trained, he's head chef at Bella Toscana Bistro in downtown Detroit.

Sarah Rutherford runs the kitchen at Premiere, a steakhouse in the suburbs. Skilled through hands-on training alone, Sarah comes from humble beginnings, and worked her way up the culinary ranks via moxie and innate skill alone.

Scott and Sarah share a history as colleagues and friends, and both have dreams of winning, but only one will emerge victorious. Step up to the counter and cast your vote! But remember, this competition isn't just about winning.

Excerpt:

“For the fifteenth year running, Motown Master Chef asks the culinary question: Can high-end chefs bring their own unique spark to short-order cooking and satisfy the everyday palate?”

The emcee of the TV special, Jake Pullman, launched into further introductions; Scott battled a quivering stomach and zips of electricity that sizzled against his nerve endings. Never had he been so nervous. He waited in the restaurant kitchen, behind a set of metal swinging doors, awaiting his entry cue from Jake. Through a small oval window, Scott continued to watch the proceedings.

“This year’s edition takes place at a legendary Detroit diner, Sal’s Place, and our competition features two superb chefs with compelling stories to tell. Let’s meet them right now.”

Scott expelled a stream of air in an attempt to remain steady. He looked down, at a clean, though somewhat worn, tile floor. With a quick glance to the left, he took in his combatant for today’s taste-off. Sarah Rutherford. She adjusted her apron and seemed to gather herself as well while she shifted from foot to foot. Long brunette hair was slicked back into a smooth, shiny ponytail. She was tall and slim—with the face of a super model—or so Scott had always felt. What a stunner…

“Sarah Rutherford is the head chef at Premiere, a European-style eatery in Troy known for its inventive entrées. Sarah is participating today to both honor and support her sister, Lucia, who is a recent survivor of breast cancer. She’s definitely in this game for all the right reasons, so Sarah, come on out!”

Scott jerked to attention when Sarah fixed in place a dazzling smile and pushed through the kitchen divider. She never wavered as she strode to the front counter of the restaurant. Scott caught his breath, captured by the double-whammy of Sarah’s smile and what he knew was coming next—hisintroduction.

“Now, let’s meet Scott Allen. Scott runs the kitchen at Bella Toscana Café in downtown Detroit. He may have graduated from the renowned Poscelli Culinary School in Florence Italy, but downhome roots and affection for Detroit bring him to Sal’s Place and earn him the chance to win a ten-thousand dollar paycheck that would help fulfill his dream. And what’s that you may ask? Nothing less than establishing a restaurant of his very own.”

Review:

I refuse to publish any spoilers, but I loved this story! Two master chefs, one competition, and so much more at stake than the prize. Reality TV with heart!

What a neat perspective to this story! I guarantee you'll fall in love with these characters. Scott has a heart of gold, and is a very different man from the one Sarah used to know. And Sarah is after only one thing, winning the prize to help her sister pay her medical costs as she recovers from cancer. The end is a nail biter as you want both to win, but watch one nearly crash and burn. You gotta read it to see how it turns out.

Buy links:

http://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_46&products_id=463

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Windfall-Place-Bonus-story-ebook/dp/B00EA97BLS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375411416&sr=8-1&keywords=Windfall+Marianne+Evans

The Rising - Lynn C. Willis

I'd like to welcome a writer new to me, Ms. Lynn Willis, but she's certainly not new to the writing field.

Welcome, Lynn, I understand you were a reporter at one time.

LOL I'm a reluctant reporter, if that. I used to own/publish/edit/write for a small town newspaper. Loved writing features, but hated/dreaded real "news" writing.

Well, I won't dwell on it for long, but I understand your previous book Unholy Covenant was based on a true story that you covered in the news at the time.

That's true. The murder in Unholy Covenant happened in my little town so I "covered" it for my paper then wrote a book about it after the trials.

Well, I'm very glad that your dislike for writing "news" did not stop you from sharing your gift with words. I thoroughly enjoyed The Rising and look forward to many more stories in the future.

Thanks for stopping by.

Now here's a peek at her latest release, The Rising.

Blurb:

A little boy, beaten and left to die in an alley. A cop with a personal life out of control. When their worlds collide, God intervenes. Detective Ellie Saunders's homicide investigation takes a dramatic turn when a young victim "wakes up" in the morgue. The child has no memory prior to his "rising" except walking with his father along a shiny road. Ellie likes dealing with facts. She'd rather leave all the God-talk to her father, a retired minister, and to her partner, Jesse, a former vice cop with an annoying habit of inserting himself into her life. But will the facts she follows puts Ellie's life in mortal danger? And will she finally allow God into her heart forever? Excerpt: “The kid’s not dead.” Despite the middle-of-the-night grogginess, Ellie Saunders bolted awake at Sergeant Jack Walker’s announcement resonating through the telephone. She adjusted the receiver cupped to her ear and shoved away the comforter. “How can he be not dead?” She swung her legs over the side of the bed. “The hospital just called. They said we might want to come down there. Our homicide victim isn’t a homicide victim after all.” Ellie brushed the tangled hair from her eyes. “What did he do, come back to life?” “Apparently.” She had meant it as a joke, but by the tone of Jack’s voice, her boss was dead serious. Ellie’s back straightened. A sudden chill wrapped itself around her, and it had nothing to do with her freezing cold bedroom. The dead kid had been found in an alley, no identification. From the looks of him, he had been beaten to death. Blood matted his blond hair into sharp clumps, and purple bruises the size of Ellie’s fist covered his little body. About four or five years old, maybe thirty-five to forty pounds, he was wearing a blue t-shirt with a red Superman emblem and green nylon shorts, no socks, and untied sneakers that were too big for his tiny feet. The brutality of his beating was hard for Ellie to comprehend—or forget. “Ellie? You there?” Jack asked. “Uh…yeah, sorry.” Her mind was reeling. That kid was dead. There was no way he could suddenly be alive. “Meet me at the hospital in thirty.” She started to ask for forty-five, but he had already hung up. She sat for a minute, trying to make some sense of what Jack had just told her. There was no way. The kid was DOA. At least he had been thirty-six hours ago. She’d worked a thirty-hour shift gathering what little information and evidence she could before falling into bed sometime after midnight. Ellie forced herself to stand and then padded to her closet. She took out a white linen blouse and a pair of dark colored jeans. She tucked her blouse into her jeans then pulled on her navy blazer. Jack would probably fuss about the jeans, but at four o’clock in the morning, this was the best she could do. She returned to the bed and pulled her holstered Glock and badge from the nightstand drawer. She wrapped the holster around her waist then instinctively touched the butt of the Glock resting at her hip. A few minutes later, she was speeding through town on her way to Burkesboro Regional Hospital. The town tucked into the foothills of the North Carolina mountains was dead at this time—much the same way the kid was hours ago. How could this kid not be dead? There was no pulse, no heartbeat. Nothing. His little body had already gone cold and stiff. And now she was supposed to believe he wasn’t dead? She’d believe it when she saw it. Maybe. That certainly leaves me wanting to know more! To celebrate, Ms. Willis is holding an all day cyber release party with give-aways, fun contests, and more. Drop by and join in the fun. The Rising release party   Buy Link:  http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/the-rising About the author: Lynn Chandler-Willis has worked in the corporate world (hated it!), the television news business (fun job) and the newspaper industry (not a fan of the word "apparently" and phrase "according to"). She keeps coming back to fiction because she likes making stuff up and you just can't do that in the newspaper or television news business. She was born, raised, and continues to live in the heart of North Carolina within walking distance to her kids and their spouses and her nine grandchildren. She shares her home, and heart, with Sam the cocker spaniel. She is the author of the best-selling true crime book, Unholy Covenant.  The Rising is her debut novel.