“Steps up several levels into an exciting category all its own. It’s thriller, cold case, mystery suspense, and police procedural, all rolled into one exciting novel. Set amidst the political drama that comes with Washington DC and the Pentagon, a current multiple murder becomes a search years in the past. With a young, hot lieutenant assigned to NCIS, and his beautiful new wife, you have all the makings of a bestseller. Nicely done, Ms. Carr!” – Review by Merry Citarella, Mystery Suspense Reviews
The Latest Best-Selling Thorny Rose Mystery Available Now!
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Join us for this tour from Jan 20 to Feb 28, 2020!
Book Title: The Nutcracker Conspiracy (A Thorny Rose Mystery #4) by Lauren Carr
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 388 pages
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: January 30, 2020
Content Rating: PG-13 (Lauren Carr’s books are murder mysteries, so there are murders involved. Occasionally, a murder will happen on stage. There is sexual content, but always behind closed doors. Some mild swearing (a hell or a damn few and far between). No F-bombs!
Book Description:
Three years ago, the nation gasped in horror when the President of the United States barely escaped an assassination attempt that left two
dead—the vice president’s wife and the attempted assassin. Even after numerous investigations proved otherwise, conspiracy theorists argue
that the assassin was acting on orders from the CIA, FBI, and every federal agency within a hundred miles of the capital.
Aspiring Author Dean Conway is the last person Lieutenant Commander Murphy Thornton wants to spend his Saturday afternoon when they end up at the same wedding reception table. While their wives tend to bridesmaid duties, Murphy is trapped listening to Dean’s latest work-in-project—completing the manuscript of an investigative journalist who’d disappeared months earlier.
“She was number twelve,” Dean says.
“Twelve?” Murphy asks.
“Twelve witnesses connected to or investigating The Nutcracker shooting have died either in an accident or suicide.”
Two days later, Dean dies suddenly―but not before sending a text message to Murphy:
“13”
Check Out These Other Thorny Rose Mysteries:
Book Description:Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers together only to be killed.
Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton, USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims, then he can find their murderer.
The case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night shift on the turnpike.
In this first installment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in Crime join newlyweds Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday to shift through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives of the Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning killer?
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“Mysteries, murder, danger, and memories that threatens their lives keeps the action and suspense at a high level and even when the answers are found, it left me wanting more.” – Review by Sherry Fundin of Fundinmental
Book Description:
After ten months of marital bliss, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton are still discovering and adjusting to their life together. Settled in their new home, everything appears to be perfect … except in the middle of the night when, in the darkest shadows of her subconscious, a deep secret from Jessica’s past creeps to the surface to make her strike out at Murphy.
When investigative journalist Dallas Walker tells the couple about her latest case, known as the Pine Bridge Massacre, they realize Jessica may have witnessed the murder of a family while visiting family at the winery near-by, and suppressed the memory.
Determined to uncover the truth and find justice for the murder victims, Jessica and Murphy return to the scene of the crime with Dallas Walker, a spunky bull-headed Texan. Can this family reunion bring closure for a community touched by tragedy or will this prickly get-together bring an end to the Thorny Rose couple?
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Murder by Perfection is a wonderful read and a perfect to escape from the challenges of a busy day. Danger, intrigue, humor, and love all take their turn in this tale which will keep you reading into the wee hours.” Review by Marilyn R. Wilson, Olio by Marilyn
Book Description:Beware: Perfection has a dark side!
Frustrated with their busy schedules, Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday attempt to find togetherness by scheduling a weekly date night. The last thing Jessica Faraday expected for her date night was to take a couple’s gourmet cooking course at the Stepford Kitchen Studio, owned by Chef Natalie Stepford―the model of perfection in looks, home, and business.
When Natalie ends up dead and Murphy goes missing, the Thorny Rose detectives must peel back the layers of Natalie Stepford’s life to discover that the pursuit of perfection can be deadly.
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Meet the Author:
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Chris Matheson
Cold Case, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!
Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.
A popular speaker, Lauren is also the owner of Acorn Book Service, the umbrella under which falls iRead Book Tours. She lives with her husband and two spoiled rotten German Shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram
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An Interview with Lauren Carr
1. Can you share a bit about your journey to becoming a writer/published author? Looking back at your childhood were there any early signs you would become an author?
I was making up stories since I could talk. My mother used to marvel at my imagination. Also, I was one of those kids who had an imaginary friend. His name was Sam. I remember him. I would tell him stories. I was telling stories to the dogs. When I would read books, a love I inherited from my mother, I would rewrite them. I’d turn The Bobbsey Twins mysteries into stories about a kidnapping.
I believe writers are born writers. It is something you are born with. You can always spot a writer. When you ask a “normal” person how their day is going, they will say, “Fine.” But when you ask a writer, they’ll set up the scene and characters, and give you a blow by blow about their day.
2. Where do you find inspiration for your storylines? For the characters you create? What kind of research do you do to help with the details?
I can get inspiration from anywhere. I confess, I watch a lot of true crime shows to get inspiration from actual murder cases. Forensics Files. Even fiction shows. I use them as a jumping off point.
Even though my books are character driven, the murder mystery always comes first. Since I write a number of different series, I then have to decide which series is a better fit for the mystery. For example, the mystery in The Nutcracker Conspiracy had to go to the Thorny Rose series because that series is placed in the Nation’s Capital. There was no way I could have placed a conspiracy involving an attempted assassination on the president in the resort town of Deep Creek Lake.
I’ll get a germ of an idea and bounce it off other writers. Then I will think on it while working on other things. Sometimes I’ll think about a storyline for weeks, or months, or even years. The plotline for my next work in progress, the next Mac Faraday, is one that I have turned over in my mind for more than a year.
I’ve been asked if I write down story ideas. The answer is no. Someone once asked Stephen King that. He said that if he wrote down his ideas, he would have a journal of bad ideas. I have found that to be true.
The good plotlines will stick with you. I’ve been inspired with what I thought was a great idea only to have it fade away and disappear. That’s why I don’t’ start writing a book until I have everything sorted out in my head.
3. How does the writing process work for you? Do you schedule a time every day, work madly when inspiration hits or ?
I make time for writing. I love to write, and it is something that I look forward to every day. Since I took over iRead Book Tours, that is basically my day job. Writing is my escape. I dive into the world of my characters and shut everything else out.
I’ve worked with a number of writers and I tell them that if you want to be an author, you need to make time for your writing. There are always going to be chores and family and duties and jobs that can fill up your time until you find you have no time left to write. Granted, if you have a full-time job and a family, there will be things that you have to take care of. But there are also time thieves that will eat up time that you could otherwise spend writing. I cut out television. Time in the evening that others would be watching television shows, I spend working on my next book.
4. As an author – what do you enjoy most about writing process? What feels like a chore?
Working out the murder case. Figuring out the entire plotline of how the murder was committed and then how my detectives solve the case—that I enjoy the most. I also enjoy editing the book. I know that sounds weird, but when I read through it after having written it and seeing everything coming to life is a kick.
The chore is getting the words on the page after I have put everything together. I enjoy writing the first half of the book because at that point, everything is still coming together. But by the time I reach the last half, the book is written in my mind. It’s done for me. Then, I still have to type the words out on the page and that is a chore. Sometimes, I feel like my own typist.
5. What’s next for you as an author? Do you have any new books in the planning or writing stage?
The next Mac Faraday mystery! This is book fourteen—Came Upon a Midnight Murder. This will be released this summer. It will have a Christmas theme to it. So look for Christmas in July—or June. We’ll see.
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Jan 20 – Working Mommy Journal – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Jan 20 – StoreyBook Reviews – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / author interview / giveaway
Jan 20 – #redhead.with.book – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Jan 20 – redpillows – book spotlight / guest post
Jan 21 – My Reading Journeys – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / author interview / giveaway
Jan 21 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 22 – Jypsylynn – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Jan 22 – eBook Addicts – series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 23 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Jan 23 – Leels Loves Books – book review of A Fine Year for Murder
Jan 24 – Bookmark and fork – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Jan 27 – Christa Reads and Writes – book review of Murder by Perfection
Jan 28 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Jan 29 – 411 on Books, Authors, and Publishing News – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Jan 30 – Library of Clean Reads – series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 30 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of Kill and Run / giveaway
Jan 30 – 411 on Books, Authors, and Publishing News – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Jan 31 – fundinmental – series spotlight / giveaway
Jan 31 – redpillows – series spotlight
Feb 3 – b for bookreview – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 3 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – book review of the Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 4 – Christa Reads and Writes – book review of the Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 4 – Blooming with Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 5 – Leels Loves Books – book review of Murder by Perfection
Feb 5 – Celticlady’s Reviews – series spotlight / giveaway
Feb 6 – Dab of Darkness Book Reviews – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / author interview / giveaway
Feb 7 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Feb 7 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Murder by Perfection
Feb 10 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 11 – Laura`s Interests – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Feb 11 – eBook Addicts – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 12 – FUONLYKNEW – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 12 – Leels Loves Books – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 13 – Casia’s Corner – book review of Kill and Run
Feb 13 – I’m All About Books – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 14 – Pause for Tales – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 17 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
Feb 18 – Bookmark and fork – series spotlight / giveaway
Feb 19 – JBronder Book Reviews – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Feb 19 – Literary Flits – book spotlight of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 20 – Svetlana’s reads and views – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 21 – Divas With A Purpose – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post
Feb 24 – Laura`s Interests – series spotlight / giveaway
Feb 24 – My Devotional Thoughts – series spotlight
Feb 25 – Peaceful Pastime – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 25 – Svetlana’s reads and views – series spotlight
Feb 26 – Mystery Suspense Reviews – book spotlight of the Nutcracker Conspiracy / author interview
Feb 26 – Celticlady’s Reviews – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Feb 26 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / guest post / giveaway
Feb 26 –fundinmental – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 27 – My Devotional Thoughts – book review / author interview / giveaway
Feb 27 – Read and Review – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Feb 28 – Nighttime Reading Center – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Feb 28 – Casia’s Corner – book review of The Nutcracker Conspiracy
Feb 28 – Adventurous Jessy – book review of the Nutcracker Conspiracy / giveaway
Enter the Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Buried Under Books 
Thank you so much for inviting me to Buried Under Books to talk about THE NUTCRACKER CONSPIRACY. Here’s wishing everyone luck in the giveaway for the Amazon Gift Card!
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