It's getting hot enough in New Mexico that we'll need to head to the mountains for cooler hiking. But this spring I took friends out to the desert to see some "secret" petroglyphs – rock art that isn't part of a park or otherwise marked. I particularly like this dramatic face. This is probably hundreds of years old.

Mistake of the day: “Now here's a book that has clues and bad guys vs goof. Its fun and I enjoyed the places that are real in New Mexico.” That’s from a review of Valley of Gems: A Southwest Adventure Romance. I assume the reviewer meant bad guys vs good, not goofs!

Valley of Gems: This quest will change her life.

Rebecca Westin is shocked to learn the grandfather she never knew has left her a bona fide buried treasure – but only if she can decipher a complex series of clues leading to it. The hunt would be challenging enough without interference from her half-siblings, who are determined to find the treasure first and keep it for themselves. Good thing Rebecca has recruited some help, in the form of a green-eyed charmer determined to show her that a desert adventure can be sexy and fun.

Action and romance combine in this lively Southwestern adventure, complete with riddles the reader is invited to solve to identify historical and cultural sites around New Mexico. (This book was originally published as The Dead Man’s Treasure.) See the Treasure Hunting Romantic Suspense series page on Amazon US or Amazon UK and start the series for only 99 cents!

Bear Bear continues to entertain us. Here he is practicing his high kicks. I can't even get that range of motion when I'm awake.

Question of the day: So should I be using an incognito browser window to research poisons, or would that just look MORE suspicious?

Actually, I assume that if "the authorities" checked my browser, they'd either figure out I'm a writer or be so confused they'd pretend they never saw it. Along with murder weapons for my mysteries I’ve been researching everything from llamas and ostriches to small planes and geology surveys for the Accidental Billionaire Cowboys sweet romance series. And that doesn’t even count the Sweet Home Alabama romantic comedy novels my brother and I wrote – available at various ebook retailers and in paperback – or my Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series on Amazon US or Amazon UK with all the cat café stuff. then there’s the education publishing I do, which brings us to a . . .

Bonus voice recognition mistake of the day: “[species] may lose their habitat when forests are cut down or rivers are damned.” Um, there's a difference between damming and damning. When the devil is the engineer, he uses Styx and stones.

Books on My Radar:

Read Between the Wines Cozy Mysteries Boxset (Books 1-3), by Dani Simms: “When Avery Parker returns to her hometown after her husband's unexpected death, she finds solace in taking over her parents’ vineyard. This three-book boxset unravels the dark secrets lurking as Avery works to bring justice to victims of local crimes. Join Avery, her golden retriever, Sprinkles, and new friends as they uncork, sip, and solve small town murders in Los Robles!" Reviewers call the series charming and praise the characters and plotting. For limited time, the box set is only 99 cents or free in Kindle Unlimited.

The Path of Silence, by Edita A. Petrick: "Meg Stanton rides a desk in the cold case unit with the Baltimore PD. Her day starts with parent-child struggles, a dire need for coffee, and a neurotic partner. It ends with a dead body on the hood of her partner’s car, the first of a string of self-destructing bodies, all fitted with pacemakers that make them vulnerable to the killer. Who could callously use people as guinea pigs for an ingenious new weapon? And how many people will have to die before Meg finds answers?” Reviewers say it has a unique premise and plenty of twists.

Haley and the Yeti (Love Tucson Book 1), by Laura Langa: "Haley Kineman is stepping out of her comfort zone, moving to sunny Tucson, Arizona, and shooting for the stars—literally. When she’s not working as a phlebotomist, Haley strives to meet her celebrity crush who’s filming locally. Haley enlists her grumpy next-door neighbor’s help. All ‘Yeti’ wants is to quietly develop software in his home office, but Haley drags him on her sight-seeing, thrift-shopping, iguana-saving adventures. Should Haley stick to her star-studded plan, or is a real love story closer to home? A grumpy/sunshine, friends to lovers, closed-door romance."

The Cat That Winked by Anna McClure Sholl: “This whimsical story of a cat saving his owner when she has to take in her orphaned granddaughter will make you laugh, smile, and ache at times. The cat’s subtle trickery has a fun twist—this cat can read fortunes. This updated and abridged version of Anna McClure Sholl’s 1908 classic is sure to surprise and delight, as well as inspire a whole new generation of readers to fall in love with fairy tales all over again.” One for the cat lovers! Only $1.99 for the Kindle and also in paperback.

Find More New Books and Authors!

Romance and Adventure: Need some new summer reads? Check out this group! It's full of romance and adventure and romantic adventures (such as my treasure hunting romantic suspense in the Southwest, Desert Gold).

Free Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense: These stories introduce you to amateur detectives, female sleuths, tough guys, crime bosses, and killers. You’ll find many options, from cute to cozy to creepy. Each is free with newsletter sign-up! (Unsubscribe any time.)

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PS: If you don’t have “The Case of the Missing Monkey and other short mystery stories,” Lions and Love at the Cat Café, or “22 of the recipes mentioned in Kris Bock’s Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series,” go here (free).

Bonus ferret pic: Bear Bear being dramatic.