GEVBT Book Spotlight on... BAMBOOZLED by Barbara Barrett!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining a Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour already in progress to help shine a light on a Cozy Mystery series from author Barbara Barrett.  It's the second title in the Mah Jongg Mystery series and just reached publication this past April, so it's ready and waiting for you to devour!  Need a little more to tempt you?  Wish granted!  Ready, set, read...

Bamboozled (The Mah Jongg Mysteries)

by

Barbara Barrett

 Cozy Mysteries; 2nd in Series

Self Published (April 3, 2018)

Paperback: 272 pages 

ISBN-13: 978-1948532037

Digital ASIN: B07C9CLL4R

About the book...

Essential oils distributor Dorcas Wiley is the boss everyone loves to hate. So when she turns up dead, killed by her own trophy, disgruntled saleswoman Cathy Broderick is the obvious suspect in her murder. Despite opportunity, motive and incriminating evidence, Cathy declares her innocence and enlists her mah jongg pals—Sydney Bonner and her cronies Marianne, Micki and Kat—to help save her from the death penalty.

Hot off a recent and nearly deadly investigation, the women are cautious about putting themselves in peril again. Syd’s spouse isn’t thrilled about another mystery in their lives, either, but he can’t resist the plea of Cathy’s husband. Soon, Syd is leading the way as they tangle with grumpy salespeople, the victim’s estranged husband and boyfriend, a mysterious housekeeper, a litigious customer, an annoyed sheriff and Cathy’s own arrogant lawyer.

The women have their own issues to deal with in their central Florida town of Serendipity Springs. Kat faces a health challenge, Micki fields a mysterious inquiry from her ex, Marianne has a chaotic anniversary and Syd wrestles with her husband over who’s really in charge. But nothing puts everyday life into perspective like the moment when their investigation brings them face to face with danger.

Amazon | B&N 

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About the author...

Barbara Barrett started reading mysteries when she was pregnant with her first child to keep her mind off things like her changing body and food cravings. When she’d devoured as many Agatha Christies as she could find, she branched out to English village cozies and Ellery Queen.

Later, to avoid a midlife crisis, she began writing fiction at night when she wasn’t at her day job as a human resources analyst for Iowa State Government. After releasing eleven full-length romance novels and one novella, she returned to the cozy mystery genre, using one of her retirement pastimes, the game of mah jongg, as her inspiration. Not only has it been a great social outlet, it has also helped keep her mind active when not writing.

Bamboozled, the second book in her “Mah Jongg Mystery” series, features four friends who play mah jongg together and share otherwise in each other’s lives. None of the four is based on an actual person. Each is an amalgamation of several mah jongg friends with a lot of Barbara’s imagination thrown in for good measure. The four will continue to appear in future books in the series.

Anticipating the day when she would write her first mystery, she has been a member of the Mystery/Romantic Suspense chapter of Romance Writers of America for over a decade. She credits them with helping her hone her craft.

Barbara is married to the man she met her senior year of college. They have two grown children and eight grandchildren.

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |   Pinterest  |  GoodReads   

Subscribe Cozy Newsletter 

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 28

Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY

June 29

The Power of Words – REVIEW

Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

June 30

A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY

The Book Diva’s Reads – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY

July 1

A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW

cherylbbookblog – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

July 2

Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST

My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

July 3

Teresa Trent Author Blog – CHARACTER GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY

Mallory Heart’s Cozies – REVIEW

July 4

Varietats – REVIEW, GUEST POST

July 5 

Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST

Island Confidential – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

July 6

StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

Fiction Obsession – REVIEW

Christa Reads and Writes – SPOTLIGHT

July 7

Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – SPOTLIGHT

July 8

Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

Lisa Ks Book Review – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host? 

  Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!

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Special thanks to Lori at Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for the chance to bring this tour to you.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer ot snag your copy today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

A Home for Leo by Vin Vogel

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining the folks at Blue Slip Media for the final stop along their current tour featuring the latest from author Vin Vogel.  You may already know (and love!) his previous works, such as The Thing About Yetis and Bedtime for Yeti, but this time around, we're heading much further south to a destination filled with sun, sand, surf...and sea lions?  Yep, sea lions...and one of these particular "lions" is not exactly like the others.  Ready or not, here comes today's book of choice...

A Home for Leo

by

Vin Vogel

9581503902602

Two Lions

This is the story of how one little boy ended up with two VERY different families.  You see, one day a trip out to sea turned into something oh-so-much more when little Leo was lost among the crashing waves.  His family thought him gone forever, until one day some time later, on their latest trip to the shore, they saw a couple of sea lions playing with something particularly un-sea-lion-like.  GASP!  It was Leo...and yet not Leo...for time had changed the little guy and shaped his youthful mind.  Eager to have their wee one back, they welcomed him with open arms, and while Leo was also anxious to get to know his human family, things didn't go quite as smoothly as one would hope.  It seemed in finding himself, he was having to lose another part of himself again...or was he?  With a little ingenuity, a stroke of pure genius straight from the heart, and a little understanding, perhaps both families could be in the picture at the same time....

A sweet, simple story featuring a lively and original cast of characters just trying to care for their little one the best way they know how.  My stomach bottomed out when Leo went for an unexpected swim, only to warm once again when the sea lion family welcomed this flipper-less little fellow into their harem (that's a group of sea lions, in case you didn't know!).  I couldn't help but smile when little Leo and the sea lion pup were imitating each other, proving that while we're all different, we can still find common ground if we use our hearts.  Along the way, his journey is detailed with  many illustrations bursting with brilliant colors and delightful imagery that will dazzle the eye, while keeping you right in the story.  In fact, don't be surprised if you find yourself barking along with Leo in unexpected moments of exclamation!

All in all, a delightful read that will entertain wee ones while spreading a message of love and acceptance...two things this world could certainly use more of.

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About the author...

Vin Vogel is the author-illustrator of The Thing About Yetis and Bedtime for Yeti and the illustrator of Bob and Joss Get Lost! and Bob and Joss Take a Hike! by Peter McCleery, Music Class Today by David Weinstone, and Maddi’s Fridge by Lois Brandt, which won a Christopher Award. Vin grew up near the ocean and always wanted a sea lion as a pet. He also wanted to write a story about the idea of home and the feeling of being a fish out of water. When he heard about the sea lion population crisis in California, Vin knew this was the story he needed to write. After having lived for a time in New York City, Vin’s back in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he can be found with his two cats and his single-fin surfboards.

Learn more about Vin at www.vinvogel.com...and don't miss the BOOK TRAILER!

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Special thanks to Barbara and Sarah at Blue Slip Media for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now via Two Lions, an imprint of Amazon Publishing, so click on over to snag your copy today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

The Museum of Us by Tara Wilson Redd

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

First and foremost, Happy Fourth of July to all my fellow stateside friends/readers.  Here's to you and yours, and I hope your day is spend in merriment with friends, family, and in memory of all those that helped us get as far as we have today.  Now then, on to the books...

Today, we're joining Random House Children's Books for a stop along their current tour starring a NEW RELEASE title via Wendy Lamb Books.  It's the first novel from this talented writer and while it fits snugly in the Young Adult genre, I've got a feeling it will connect with readers much beyond that target audience.  So, if you're ready to discover your next potential must read, here...we...go!  Today's book of choice is...

The Musuem of Us

by

Tara Wilson Redd

9781524766870

Wendy Lamb Books

About the book...

Secrets are con artists: they trick you into letting them out. 

Sadie loves her rocker boyfriend Henry and her running partner and best friend Lucie, but no one can measure up to her truest love and hero, the dazzling and passionate George. George, her secret. 

When something goes wrong and Sadie is taken to the hospital calling out for George, her hidden life may be exposed. Now she must confront the truth of the past, and protect a world she is terrified to lose.

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This is a story that hides its depth within the simple pleasures often found between the pages.  It's a tale of how one tragedy, one accident acted as the Zero Point for the shattering of a heart and mind into so many pieces as to be unrecognizable by the "owner" until things began to slip too far...almost out of reach.  It's a story that many readers AND writers will find themselves in, to some degree, allowing that deeper connection to be made, a necessary "evil" for the challenges our leading lady must face to become her own hero, face her own destiny, and reclaim her life.  It'll haunt and amuse, try and confuse, perplex and leave you to ponder, but ultimately, its true colors come shining through, leaving behind much more than we at first thought was possible with truths unable to be denied...and yet filled with a beauty all their own. 

After the crazy work week(s) I've had and the severe lack of free time cutting into my extracurriculars, I think I actually feel closer to Sadie than I would otherwise.  Seriously, in my half lucid state at the moment created by having to adult, it seems easier to make those connections.  I mean, fact...I'm an avid reader.  Fact...I love to escape into other worlds because let's face it, the majority of the real one...sucks.  Also fact...I know the difference between reality and fiction....I've never had an imaginary friend, nor have any "book boyfriends" ever taken their best qualities combined and tried to make any leap from the 2D to the here-and-now...and while life can certainly be traumatic to every one in its own way, I've never been one drawn to things that would harm others or myself.  A vivid imagination is a powerful thing and can get us through a lot of difficult times, but knowing where fantasy ends and reality begins, understanding that pretending is fun but should not be an alternative to living, needs to be a solid stone in its foundation...as is the knowledge that WE ARE NEVER TRULY ALONE.  There are always those out there willing to help "seek and find" our true selves and while the road may not be paved in yellow bricks, or traversed by a majestic steam locamotive, it doesn't make it any less worth the journey.

Recommended read for Young Adult fans of all ages.  The author really places you in the story, in the moment, for better or worse, allowing you to take your own journey with Sadie, both near and far, while staying grounded in the reality of your own life.  She celebrates the joys of being a reader, writer, or otherwise creative mind, while also emphasizing that "to live would be an awfully big adventure".

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About the author...

Tara Wilson Redd, a graduate of Reed College, grew up all over the United States, including in St. Louis, Seattle, and Central Oregon. An impenitent dilettante, she is interested in everything, but especially language, travel, and animals. When she is home from her adventures, she lives in Washington, DC, where she works in libraries. The Museum of Us is her first novel. Visit her online at tarawilsonredd.com.

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Special thanks to Kathy at Random House Children's Books for the ARC for review as well as the chance to bring this tour to you.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now via Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, so be on the look out for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.  Be sure to check out the rest of the stops on the tour as it makes its way through the blogosphere for more bookish fun...

Here's to Happy Endings                                   6/25/2018

Reading Teen                                                     6/26/2018

Take Me Away to a Great Read                        6/27/2018

Take Me Away                                                   6/28/2018

PageTurners                                                      6/29/2018

Picture Books to YA                                           6/30/2018

Jessabella Reads                                               7/1/2018

Quite the Novel Idea                                          7/2/2018

The Reading Cafe                                              7/3/2018

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers                    7/4/2018

Selina Falcon                                                      7/5/2018

Booklish Lifestyle                                                7/6/2018

Such a Novel Idea                                               7/7/2018   

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

TLC Book Tours presents...WHEN WE FOUND HOME by Susan Mallery - SPOTLIGHT + EXCERPT!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining TLC Book Tours for a stop along the first portion of their three part tour featuring the next release from author Susan Mallery.  If it's not already on your radar, MAKE ROOM because it sounds like another MUST READ...which I'll be telling you more about next week, stay tuned! Anywho, back to the matter at hand.  Today's stop is going to highlight the pending release via HQN Books AND give you a taste of the novel with a SPECIAL EXCERPT!  Ready...set...READ!

When We Found Home

by

Susan Mallery

HQN

About the book...
Life is meant to be savored, but that’s not easy with no family, limited prospects and a past you’d rather not talk about. Still, Callie Smith doesn’t know how to feel when she discovers she has a brother and a sister–Malcolm, who grew up with affection, wealth and privilege, and Keira, a streetwise twelve-year-old. Callie doesn’t love being alone, but at least it’s safe. Despite her trepidation, she moves into the grand family home with her siblings and grandfather on the shores of Lake Washington, hoping just maybe this will be the start of a whole new life.

But starting over can be messy. Callie and Keira fit in with each other, but not with their posh new lifestyle, leaving Malcolm feeling like the odd man out in his own home. He was clever enough to turn a sleepy Seattle mail-order food catalog into an online gourmet powerhouse, yet he can’t figure out how to help his new sisters feel secure. Becoming a family will take patience, humor, a little bit of wine and a whole lot of love. But love isn’t Malcolm’s strong suit…until a beautiful barista teaches him that an open heart, like the family table, can always make room for more.

In this emotional, funny and heartfelt story, Susan Mallery masterfully explores the definition of a modern family—blended by surprise, not by choice—and how those complicated relationships can add unexpected richness to life.



Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

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~~~ EXCERPT #12 ~~~

Chapter Four

MONDAY MORNINGS WERE CALLIE’S FAVORITE TIME OF the week. From eight until eleven, she could be anyone she wanted. A princess, an astronaut, or just some housewife filling a few empty hours. The cats at the shelter didn’t care about anything but the fact that Callie changed out their litter boxes then spent time brushing them.

There was no way she could have a pet herself, but working at the shelter allowed her to get a little feline love in her life. There were plenty of head butts and purrs, as if the cats were thanking her for what she’d done.

When she’d first applied to volunteer, she’d been delighted not to find the ever-present felon question on the application. She’d taken the orientation class and had offered to clean out litter boxes. Not glamorous work, but satisfying all the same.

She liked coming in and finding out one of the older cats had finally found a good home. She was happy to work with the more crabby residents, taking extra time with them. On the first Monday of every month, she carefully slipped a twenty-dollar bill into the volunteer collection can by the locker room. It wasn’t much, but it was a significant part of her weekly spending money and the most she could do.

When Callie finished her shift, her T-shirt was covered in cat hair and she had an impressive scratch on her arm from a new kitty. He might be upset now, she thought as she washed her hands before leaving, but if he was still around next week, she would win him over.

She signed out, then started for the bus stop. She’d barely made it halfway across the parking lot when she became aware of a sleek black car keeping pace with her.

The vehicle was too nice to belong to the kind of criminal who would want to steal her battered secondhand backpack and there were plenty of people around should she want to scream and run. Even if she got abducted, someone would probably capture it on video.

With that not-very-comforting thought uppermost in her mind, she stopped, turned to the vehicle, put her hands on her hips and yelled, “What do you want?”

The car came to a stop beside her and a woman in her midthirties rolled down the window. She was well dressed and looked concerned.

“Oh, crap. I scared you, didn’t I? I’m sorry. I was on the phone with my kid who’s trying to convince me he’s sick enough that he can’t take his history test and I totally wasn’t paying attention. I’m the worst. I’m sorry. Are you Callie Smith?”

Callie relaxed. “Who are you?”

“Shari Martin. I’m a lawyer.” The dark-haired woman grinned. “I stopped working to have kids and let me just say, getting back into the real world isn’t easy. Word to the wise, don’t do it. Children are not worth the trouble.” She shook her head. “Look, there I go again. This conversation isn’t about me at all.”

Shari got out of her car and handed Callie a business card. “I really am who I said I am. I need to talk to you. Can I buy you a cup of coffee?”

Callie’s radar went on alert, even as she told herself she’d done nothing wrong. She’d served her time, lived in the halfway house the exact number of days she was supposed to, filled out all the paperwork and didn’t have so much as a jaywalking ticket.

“What is this about?”

Shari’s friendly expression softened. “Your grandfather on your father’s side. He’s been looking for you, hon. I’m hoping he’s found you.”

Callie felt her legs go weak. “That’s not possible. There is no…”

No father? Of course there was a father—she hadn’t hatched—but what she knew about him was sketchy at best.

Her mother had met a charming salesman at a convention. She’d been one of the models, as much on display as the product she was selling. Jerry Carlesso had walked over, smiled and introduced himself. According to Callie’s mother, that had been the end of it. She’d fallen wildly, madly in love. Three months later, she’d turned up pregnant and Jerry had taken off.

He hadn’t wanted anything to do with his daughter. He’d sent child support on and off, had never visited. Callie knew next to nothing about him. As for a grandfather, there was no way.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said firmly, raising her chin.

“So the name Jerry Carlesso doesn’t mean anything to you?”

Callie had a bad feeling her expression gave her away.

Shari nodded toward her car. “There’s a nice little place about three blocks from here. We’ll have coffee and split a Danish. That way neither of us have to count the calories. I’ll talk, you’ll listen, then you can make up your mind about what you want to do.”

Callie thought about how she finally had her life together. Okay, things weren’t great, but she was doing fine. She was saving money, working her jobs and in time, she would figure out how to be more than what she was with the albatross of her conviction hanging around her neck. She didn’t need anyone, ever. That had become her rule to survive. She was completely and totally on her own.

Only when Shari held open the passenger door, she found herself walking toward the car. Before she could get her scrambled thoughts together, they were pulling out on the street and then it seemed silly not to go in and get coffee and a Danish and hear Shari out.

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About the author...




Susan Mallery is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of books about the relationships that define women’s lives—romance, friendship, family. With compassion and humor, Susan keenly observes how people think and feel, in stories that take readers on an emotional journey. Sometimes heartbreaking, often funny, and always uplifting, Susan’s books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list, thanks to her ever growing legions of fans.

Critics, too, have heaped praise on “the new queen of romantic fiction.” (Walmart) Booklist says, “Romance novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling,” and RT Book Reviews puts her “in a class by herself!”

Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month, January of 1992. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool’s Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.

Susan lives in Seattle with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a tattletale toy poodle. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Animals play a big role in her books, as well, as she believes they’re an integral component to a happy life.


Website | Facebook | Twitter




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Special thanks to Lisa at TLC Book Tours for the chance to bring this promotion to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, THIS TOUR, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is set to celebrate its BOOK BIRTHDAY July 10, 2018 via HQN, so mark your calendar or pre-order your copy today! Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more exclusive excerpts and then tune in for the review tour to see just how the adventures between the pages went!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!



RABT Book Tours presents... APPLE OF MY EYE by Christine Barfknecht - EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY!

Apple of My Eye
by
Christine Barfknecht
Psychological Suspense

Date Published: 08-04-2018

Laurie Brandon isn’t crazy. It’s a bout of panic that has her muttering indecipherable sounds and crying out like a mad woman, an attack brought on by her infant daughter’s sudden disappearance from the town’s annual Apple Festival. Not insanity. She needs help to save Emily. Someone has to see that, do something.

But her recent history of psychosis coupled with witness claims that Emily was never at the festival with Laurie isn’t helping her credibility. Neither is recent suspension from her job as a school teacher over stability concerns. Perhaps most damaging, though, is Laurie’s insistence that her ex-husband, Jake, had something to do with the child’s disappearance. Any sane person knows a dead man can’t run off with a baby.

The town sheriff believes Laurie is, at best, unreliable and possibly something much worse. But Laurie knows what she saw. She knows other things, too, details too hard to believe and even harder to accept. Now, she needs to convince someone – anyone – that Emily is in danger before the sheriff locks Laurie away permanently.

Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Smashwords 

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EXCERPT

Chapter One

Laurie

September 18, 2018

I’m not crazy. I know what I saw.

With a wave of dizziness, I hunch forward, my head hanging low, my palms pressing against a cool, hard surface. The evening sky blackens before my eyes and the chill in the air raises goosebumps on my arms despite my fleece lined sweatshirt. I can’t think straight, can barely breathe.

The silhouette in the darkness…that posture, poised to take action…

I didn’t need to see a face. I’d know that stance anywhere. But it isn’t possible.

I chew on my lip, try to gnaw the panic away. It has to be possible. I saw with my own eyes.

I can’t just stand here and wait, need to do something, find help. No one will believe me, though. It’s hard enough for me to believe me. It won’t help that everyone seems to think I’m out of my mind.

A tingling sensation shoots through my head like a strike of lightning and heat spreads through my body, starting in my head and washing through my chest. My heart beats so fast I fear it will burst. I remind myself to breathe. It’s just a panic attack. I’ve had plenty before and right now, it’s no wonder. Soon it will be over. I’ll be back to normal, get help, make someone believe me. Someone will help. They have to.

Breathe in, one, two, three. Out, one, two, three.

A fog settles in my head, sprinkling over my mind like chalk dust. I find myself gasping, my heart racing faster and harder. This symptom is new. I blink, trying to focus on the brick surface of the street but it’s a blur. The dust is growing thicker, an eraser materializing, brushing over my mind and randomly choosing which memories to wipe away.

Not my memory. I must remember.

My palms slide farther over the surface of…a table, counter…I’m not sure, but it’s rough like a sheet of unfinished wood. I lean hunched over it, struggling to breathe as I peer beneath my arm to look behind me.

Emily. My sweet baby girl.

She sits in her stroller, kicking her feet and cooing at the plush doll in her chubby fist. Cold flushes her cheeks pink, but the fleece bonnet tied beneath her chin keeps her head warm.

She’s here. She’s safe. I think. I’m not entirely sure. The fog is getting thicker, her image waving in and out as if it may not be real. I have no way of knowing. In this state, I can’t trust my eyes.

Maybe I can’t trust what I saw before either.

No. That was different. Not panic induced. Real.

A high-pitched shrill slices my skull, piercing my eardrums before fading to a crackle. Light flashes, then dozens of white stars appear.

“Laurie?” A voice slices through the static.

I force myself to stand up straight and blink. Lights swim before a backdrop of blackness and voices echo around me. Screaming. But in a happy way. The scent of grease lingers in the air, mingling with a sweet and spicy smell, like sugared cinnamon.

The lights twirl and I blink again. A Tilt-a-Whirl spins, masses of people passing in front of it. My eyes are drawn to one man, not because I know him but because he looks like a marionette, his arms outstretched, pulled by strings. My gaze follows the threads to four little dogs, Teacup Pomeranians, the kind Jake would never let me have.

“Ankle biters. Useless yippers.” I hear the rage in his voice, the unwarranted anger I’d become accustomed to. “Food for real dogs, that’s what they are.” That’s my translation, the clean version with every other word removed.

“Laurie, are you okay?” That voice again, soft and feminine, though drowning in background music.

I bring my vision in, notice a woman standing on the opposite side of a counter before me. I know her, Rochelle, a good friend of my mother’s. Two pies sit on the counter between us and she holds a wad of bills in her hand. A cool breeze brushes my skin, whisking the aroma of the pies toward me. Apple.

A memory washes over me, replacing Rochelle’s current image with one of her in my mother’s kitchen from many years ago. I see Rochelle pressing dough into pie tins, hear my mother counting with me as I measure sugar and sprinkle it over a huge bowl of sliced apples. “One…two…”

I’m five years old and wearing my favorite apron. Mom made it for me, complete with an embroidered apple on the chest. In front of me mom’s apple shaped clock ticks on the wall. Except for Christmas it’s my favorite time of year, being with mom in the kitchen and baking pies for the festival.

I blink, focus on Rochelle. Present day Rochelle. I remember. The Apple Festival. I’m in a booth selling pies to support the school. I brought Emily. My friend, Josie, came too. I look beside me, but Josie isn’t there. She must have stepped away.

Rochelle is still staring at me, her eyes wrinkled with concern. I force a smile and straighten my back, pulling myself off the countertop. “I’m fine,” I tell her. “Just getting a migraine.” I can’t tell her the truth. Everything I love is already in jeopardy; Emily, my job. Thanks to Jake, rumors of my supposed insanity spread over town as quickly as softened butter over a slice of bread.

I’m fine. I am. Postpartum psychosis, the doctor called it. My-wife’s-an-effing-nut-case, Jake called it.

Ex-wife. Almost. He forgets that part.

As I blink my thoughts away and hone in on Rochelle, I can’t help wondering what she thinks of me. Does she believe I have a migraine or is she waiting for the right moment to make an emergency call to the mental hospital?

“You scared me for a minute there,” Rochelle says, handing me the bills in her hand. “Keep the change. For the school.”

I force another smile and take the bills from her, my hands trembling with the aftereffects of my attack. I’m still trying to get my bearings, breathe in and out, slow the hammering of my heart.

Rochelle hoists her purse on her shoulder, a huge tan bag that causes my shoulder to ache just looking at it. “You sure you’re all right?”

I nod and force my mind to focus. My name is Laurie Brandon. I’m a second grade teacher. I’m in Jackson, Ohio at the Apple Festival. My hometown. I glance at the surface of the street where the booth sits, the brick street confirming my location. A few blocks away, lights illuminate the water tower hovering over the town, painted red to resemble an apple and embellished in a green leaf with a pipe protruding from the top as the stem.

I live on Mountain Valley Road. My parents are Gary and Paula Barreau. Emily is nine months old.

My heart rate slows and my body relaxes, the routine stabilizing me. I take a deep, long breath. I’m okay. Everything is fine. I’ll call the doctor in the morning. The medication she gave me has been working well. It’s just the extreme stress, my psychopath-almost-ex-husband worsening my psychosis, if that makes sense.

I remember. There’s more. I let out a gasp.

“I can tend the booth for you if you want to head home to lie down,” Rochelle offers.

I don’t hear Emily behind me. It shouldn’t surprise me. I can barely hear Rochelle over the crooning country band a block down the street. Still, I spin on my heels to check on my daughter.

She isn’t there.

My eyes shoot left to right so fast the plywood walls of the booth seem to flail. Emily… She was there just a moment ago in her stroller, wasn’t she? I saw her. I looked behind me, under my arm… I thought she was there.

My heart races again, my stomach turns, fog swirls in my brain. I can’t help questioning myself, replaying the day through my mind to make certain I brought Emily with me. I picture Josie in the booth and Emily right behind us in her stroller, just like I saw her earlier.

It was today, wasn’t it? My breathing grows faster, intensifying the dizziness. I’m not sure. The fog needs more time to clear. I force a deep breath. In, one, two, three. Out, one, two, three.

“Laurie?” Rochelle’s voice jumbles with my thoughts.

I just need a moment to get through this and then everything will make sense. Maybe I’m remembering another day. It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened.

In, one, two, three. Out, one, two, three.

But I spot something on the street. I lean in, force myself to study it, make sure of what I see.

There is no mistaking; it’s Emily’s soft pink doll. If she wasn’t here, where did the doll come from?

The next scream I hear rolling over the crowd is my own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the Author

Christine Barfknecht has a passion for weaving the darkest bits of the human psyche into page-turning fiction. She’s been crafting stories since before she printed her first word and credits her overactive imagination to a lifelong love of reading. She seeks out books that keep her hiding beneath the covers at night or turning pages long after her eyes begin to cross, and strives for those qualities in her own writing.

Christine lives in rural Wisconsin with her husband, children, and pets where she is also a virtual bookkeeping entrepreneur. In addition to reading and writing, she enjoys gardening, crafts, time with family, and traveling. APPLE OF MY EYE is her debut novel.

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