Hiding Cracked Glass Blog Book Tour @jamescudney4 @Shalini_G26

Hi everyone! 🙂

Today I am taking part in the blog book tour for author James J. Cudney’s Hiding Cracked Glass. The blog book tour is been hosted by Shalini at Digital Reads Blog Tours (@Shalini_G26). Thank you very much to both James and Shalini. 🙂

Title: Hiding Cracked Glass

Series Name: Perceptions of Glass

Author: James J. Cudney

Publisher and Next Release Date: Next Chapter, October 8, 2020 (Yes y’all, that is today! :-))

Synopsis

An ominous blackmail letter appears at an inopportune moment. The recipient’s name is accidentally blurred out upon arrival. Which member of the Glass family is the ruthless missive meant for?

In the powerful sequel to Watching Glass Shatter, Olivia is the first to read the nasty threat and assumes it’s meant for her. When the mysterious letter falls into the wrong hands and is read aloud, it throws the entire Glass family into an inescapable trajectory of self-question. Across the span of eight hours, Olivia and her sons contemplate whether to confess their hidden secrets or find a way to bury them forever. Some failed to learn an important lesson last time. Will they determine how to save themselves before it’s too late?

Each chapter’s focus alternates between the various family members and introduces several new and familiar faces with a vested interest in the outcome. As each hour ticks by, the remaining siblings and their mother gradually reveal what’s happened to them in the preceding months, and when the blackmailer makes an appearance at Olivia’s birthday party, the truth brilliantly comes to light.

Although everyone seemed to embrace the healing process at the end of Watching Glass Shatter, there were hidden cracks in the Glass family that couldn’t be mended. Their lives are about to shatter into pieces once again, but this time, the stakes are even higher. Someone wants to teach them a permanent lesson and refuses to stop until success is achieved.  

My Review

Hiding Cracked Glass (2020) is an amazing read. It is the second installment in the Perception of Glass series and follows on brilliantly from the first book Watching Glass Shatter. What is really great about this series is the variety of characters and how they all interact with each other. The Glass family are definitely a family with drama and secrets which always works well in stories especially mysteries. Because there is so many different types of characters within the family alone, most readers will not identify or like the same characters and I think that makes things interesting.

The plot is really interesting and well-thought out. The family has gathered for mother Olivia’s birthday but the celebrations are somewhat dampened when a blackmail letter comes before. The name of who the letter is for is unreadable which kind of reminded of something Agatha Christie might do actually so I thought that was cool. The family all believe the letter was meant for them and believe themselves to be in danger which means they set about finding out more. Very intriguing plot idea. This novel has some great red herrings throughout to keep you guessing and is really a very gripping read. Sometimes it is hard to put down to be honest.

Great drama. Great mystery. Great read.

My rating: 5 stars

About The Author

Background

James is my given name, but most folks call me Jay. I live in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Moravian College, an historic but small liberal arts school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a degree in English literature and minors in Education, Business and Spanish. After college, I accepted a technical writing position for a telecommunications company during Y2K and spent the last ~20 years building a career in technology & business operations in the retail, sports, media and entertainment industries. Throughout those years, I wrote some short stories, poems and various beginnings to the “Great American Novel,” but I was so focused on my career in technology and business that writing became a hobby. In 2016, I refocused some of my energies toward reinvigorating a second career in reading, writing and publishing.

Author

Writing has been a part of my life as much as my heart, my mind and my body. At some points, it was just a few poems or short stories; at others, it was full length novels and stories. My current focus is family drama fiction, cozy mystery novels and suspense thrillers. I think of characters and plots that I feel must be unwound. I think of situations people find themselves in and feel compelled to tell the story. It’s usually a convoluted plot with many surprise twists and turns. I feel it necessary to take that ride all over the course. My character is easily pictured in my head. I know what he is going to encounter or what she will feel. But I need to use the right words to make it clear.

Reader & Reviewer

Reading has also never left my side. Whether it was children’s books, young adult novels, college textbooks, biographies or my ultimate love, fiction, it’s ever present in my day. I read 2 books per week and I’m on a quest to update every book I’ve ever read on Goodreads, write up a review and post it on all my sites and platforms.

Blogger & Thinker

I have combined my passions into a single platform where I share reviews, write a blog and publish tons of content: TRUTH. I started my 365 Daily Challenge, where I post about a word that has some meaning to me and converse with everyone about life. There is humor, tears, love, friendship, advice and bloopers. Lots of bloopers where I poke fun at myself all the time. Even my dogs have had weekly segments called “Ryder’s Rants” or “Baxter’s Barks” where they complain about me. All these things make up who I am; none of them are very fancy or magnanimous, but they are real. And that’s why they are me.

Genealogist & Researcher

I love history and research, finding myself often reaching back into the past to understand why someone made the choice he or she did and what were the subsequent consequences. I enjoy studying the activities and culture from hundreds of years ago to trace the roots and find the puzzle of my own history. I wish I could watch my ancestors from a secret place to learn how they interacted with others; and maybe I’ll comprehend why I do things the way I do.

Websites & Blog

Website: https://jamesjcudney.com/

Blog: https://thisismytruthnow.com

Amazon: http://bit.ly/JJCIVBooks

Next Chapter Pub: https://www.nextchapter.pub/authors/james-j-cudney

BookBub:https://www.bookbub.com/profile/james-j-cudney

Social Media

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamescudney4

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesJCudneyIVAuthor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BraxtonCampusMysteries/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThisIsMyTruthNow/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jamescudney4/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamescudney4/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jamescudney4

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescudney4

Genres, Formats & Languages

I write in the family drama and mystery genres. My first two books are Watching Glass Shatter (2017) and Father Figure (2018). Both are contemporary fiction and focus on the dynamics between parents and children and between siblings. I’m currently writing the sequel to Watching Glass Shatter. I also have a light mystery series called the Braxton Campus Mysteries with six books available.

All my books come in multiple formats (Kindle, physical print, large print paperback, and audiobook) and some are also translated into foreign languages such as Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and German.

Goodreads Book Links
Watching Glass Shatter (October 2017)
Father Figure (April 2018)
Braxton Campus Mysteries
·       Academic Curveball – #1 (October 2018)
·       Broken Heart Attack – #2 (November 2018)
·       Flower Power Trip – #3 (March 2019)
·       Mistaken Identity Crisis – #4 (June 2019)

·       Haunted House Ghost – #5 (October 2019)
·       Frozen Stiff Drink – #6 (March 2020)

Giveaway

To win your free book go to (2 Winners):

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e5ee1a9220/?

Good luck everyone! 🙂

To purchase Hiding Cracked Glass by James J. Cudney go to:

Amazon Link:
https://www.amazon.com/Hiding-Cracked-Glass-Perceptions-Book-ebook/dp/B08F3YWTYX
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hiding-Cracked-Glass-Perceptions-Book-ebook/dp/B08F3YWTYX
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54399989-hiding-cracked-glass  

Best of luck to James with the book and to both James and Shalini with the rest of the blog book tour! 🙂

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Haunted House Ghost: Death At The Fall Festival (Braxton Campus Mysteries Book 5) By James J. Cudney Review!

 

 

Haunted House Ghost: Death At The Fall Festival (2019) is the fifth book in author James J. Cudney’s Braxton Campus Mysteries series.

Previously I have read the first two books in this series but when I came to continuing with this series, I couldn’t help skipping ahead to this book with the season of Halloween that is in it but I plan to return to books three and four in the future.

In this outing, the protagonist of the series Kellan finds himself with a Halloween-themed mystery on his hands after he moves into a new house which has a very spooky and mysterious history. The mystery dates back fifty years and it feels like the ghost of Prudence Grey might be haunting the house since then. But whoever is responsible for her death it seems may still be living in the town of Braxton where they have spent the last fifty years literally getting away with murder. Soon Prudence’s skeleton is found and a confession quickly is offered by a member of the community. But is all quite as it seems?

The mystery side of this story is great with numerous twists and turns which keep you turning the pages. I didn’t work out the mysterious murderer so that’s always something great for mysteries. The author fantastically put in many red herrings to push the reader off the scent of the real killer which always makes for a fun read. The book had a very Agatha Christie feel to it especially the gathering of the suspects at the end for the big reveal and the use of acting out the paranormal which as a major Agatha Christie fan I enjoyed reading in a contemporary book. Kellan’s grandmother Nana D was back. She is one amazingly fierce, honest, cool woman and I love her and seeing what she is getting up now is always a highlight for me in this series. Very fond of her indeed. Constance is a new character I met and I liked her too so I’m looking forward to seeing how she gets on in future books. It was also great to read the romantic element to the story and a joy to finally see Kellan and April together. I think they fit together wonderfully and am also looking forward to seeing how their relationship progresses in books to come.There was also a lot more of Kellan’s young daughter Emma’s personality showing through in this book and she seems a cool, strong, caring young girl. There was also many references to Halloween which was cool as it’s one of my favourite seasons.

All in all this is a great Halloween read and a great catch-up with all the gang. Completely holds your interest throughout. There is a great array of suspects and investigators and a really strong plot with no loopholes.

 

A joy to read and perfect for Halloween.

 

To purchase Haunted House Ghost: Death At The Fall Festival By James J. Cudney go to:

 

And for more about James J. Cudney and his work go to:

https://jamesjcudney.com

https://thisismytruthnow.com/

 

 

Broken Heart Attack (Braxton Campus Mysteries #2) By James J. Cudney Review!

 

 

Broken Heart Attack (2018) is the second book in author James J. Cudney’s Braxton Campus Mystery Series. After reading the first book in this series a little while back I have been looking forward to continuing the journey with protagonist Kellan and his grandmother Nana D.

At the beginning of this book, Kellan’s life has changed a lot and he finds himself in a difficult position while trying to do what is best for his young daughter Emma. But soon he is distracted by his grandmother running for office in the town in Pennsylvania and the murder of Gwendolyn Paddington who literally falls into him and dies during Braxton’s production of Shakespeare’s King Lear. Soon it becomes apparent that the older lady has been poisoned after someone or some people put cocaine in her medication. Reluctantly Kellan takes on the case, though he doesn’t like to call them cases, and when he begins looking into what happened to Gwendolyn he puts tremendous effort into getting justice for her and her memory. His search leads him into the lives of the Paddington family where he finds so many suspects that it makes both his and the readers’ heads spin.

My favourite character in this series is Nana D. There is many great characters here with many different personalities who different people will take to. But for me personally I think without her, there would be certainly something missing in the series. She brings great humour and spunk to proceedings and makes me smile every time she enters a scene. Her back-and-forth dialogue with Kellan is very natural and I always enjoy their scenes together. Their relationship is a huge part of this series and it is written brilliantly.

The mystery in this book is filled with intrigue. There is so many people who could have done it and so many twists and turns. I didn’t figure out who the killer/killers were so that’s always great in a mystery. I did find the scene where the killer/killers was found out maybe slightly too easy. The build up to it was great but the actual finding out did feel a little contrived. It felt a little convenient which was a pity. But the overall mystery plot was did very subtly and otherwise it worked very well.

Alongside the mystery in this book there is much romance and some of these romances also have a mystery element to them. Firstly Kellan has three women to choose from. I’m not sure which way Cudney is going to decide in further books in terms of where Kellan’s love life is going but I hope Kellan ends up with the Sheriff April. Their interactions with each other always have a suited quality but also a meeting your match vibe too which I find very enjoyable to read. There is a lot of chemistry there where I don’t feel any chemistry between Kellan and the other two women in his life. The other two romances in this story were tied to the case in some way and one I worked out, the other I didn’t. I found the way the second was so subtly brought together very impressive. But I liked both couples and think they suit beautifully.

A gorgeously written follow-up in this cozy mystery series and I look forward to book 3!

 

To purchase Broken Heart Attack (Braxton Campus Mysteries #2) by James J. Cudney go to:

 

And for more about James J. Cudney and his work go to:

https://thisismytruthnow.com/

 

Academic Curveball (Braxton Campus Mysteries #1) By James J. Cudney Review!

 

 

Academic Curveball (Released October 15^th, 2018) is the first book in author James J. Cudney’s Braxton Campus Mysteries series and the third book I have read by the writer following on from his amazing novels Watching Glass Shatter and Father Figure.

 

This book is told from the POV of the protagonist Kellan Ayrwick who is 32 and a single father. He returns home to Pennsylvania following his father’s retirement and finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery (Like you do! J) when he finds not one but two murder victims. What really drives this book along so well is Kellan as a character and telling the novel from his POV gives readers a chance to really get to know him and root for him. Alongside Kellan, I really quite liked his grandmother and their interactions together were great to read. In the book his father’s donations to the athletics program in the college is under fire as a blogger is reporting that these dealings are somewhat biased and shady. This, alongside his father’s weird behavior, causes Kellan to wonder if he indeed has anything to do with the murders. Add into this his entire family has connections that could cast suspicions and you’ve got a hot bed of wondering and guessing about each of them and their possible involvement in murder.

 

This book is filled with intrigue, witty dialogue and an array of characters that are easy to like while others are easy to not like which adds quite a lot of depth and reality to the plot. There was plenty of red herrings to throw readers off the scent and I didn’t see the outcome of who the killer/s was which is obviously one of the key elements of a mystery book. Very solid writing which sweeps readers as much into Kellan’s life as the mystery plot.

 

All I can say is roll on book 2!

 

To purchase Academic Curveball (Braxton Campus Mysteries #1) By James J. Cudney go to:

 

And for more about James J. Cudney and his work go to:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17128817.James_J_Cudney

Father Figure By James J. Cudney Review!

 

Father Figure (2018) by James J. Cudney is the second book by the author following on from his first novel Watching Glass Shatter.

The book centres mostly around Amalia Graeme and Bianna Porter. Firstly Amalia grows up in rural Mississippi. Her mother is a tyrant (trust me, she is a million per cent unlikable) and verbally and physically abuses her daughter. I liked Amalia’s father and brother but as for her mother she drove me up the wall reading the sections with her. However that shows her mother was written well. Her dominant and power-crazed streak came through very much and makes the reader root even more for Amalia and her freedom. Secondly Brianna Porter who lives in New York City and is raised by a single Mum Molly and badly wants to know who her father is so she can move forward with her future. In addition Brianna is trying to figure out her sexuality and is falling for her best friend Shanelle.

 

This book has many of Cudney’s signature trademarks like family dynamics and a mystery element. In this novel the reader is swept along on a journey to find out who Brianna’s father is and it is told from different points of view and from different time periods. You get a real sense of the main characters’ backgrounds and how they come to be the people they are when the novel begins. It’s very tightly pieced together and all the elements tie up wonderfully at the end which is no small feat considering there was a lot packed into this novel. So many of the twists I didn’t really see coming either which is great in mystery. The emotions of the characters are very well-developed and there is definitely a feeling of one never stops learning in life no matter what age but you gather more ways to cope better as you go along. This book deals with family, identity, sexuality and the search for fulfillment and contentment. There is a fantastic array of characters and each add very much to the overall plot. My favourite was Shanelle. She was so strong, fierce and has no fear and I loved that about her. Also in Brianna’s parts, the book is set in the early 2000s when I was growing up and the elements like music were spot-on which made me smile.

 

Another great job by James J. Cudney who is fast becoming one of my new favourite authors.

 

To purchase Father Figure by James J. Cudney go to:

 

For more about James J. Cudney and his work go to:

https://jamesjcudney.com/

https://thisismytruthnow.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17128817.James_J_Cudney

 

For my review of Watching Glass Shatter by James J. Cudney go to:

https://culturevultureexpress.wordpress.com/2018/02/20/watching-glass-shatter-by-james-j-cudney-review/