Good morning! Today I’m super excited to be hosting a spot on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Academic Curveball, the first in the Braxton Campus Mystery series by my friend, James J. Cudney! It’s not only a terrific book but it’s my friend’s terrific book! That makes it extra special!
About the Book
Academic Curveball (Braxton Campus Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Independently Published (October 14, 2018)
Paperback: 281 pages
ISBN-10: 172877876X
ISBN-13: 978-1728778761
Digital ASIN: B07HMYSQFH
Purchase Link: Amazon
Synopsis
When Kellan Ayrwick returns home for his father’s retirement, he finds a dead body in Diamond Hall’s stairwell.
Unfortunately, Kellan has a connection to the victim, and so do several members of his family. Soon after, the college’s athletic program receives mysterious donations, a nasty blog denounces his father and someone attempts to change students’ grades.
Someone is playing games on campus, but none of the facts add up.
With the help of his eccentric and trouble-making nana, Kellan tries to stay out of the sheriff’s way. But who is behind the murder?
Review – 4.5 stars out of 5
This book is a terrific start to a brand-new cozy mystery series. I love everything about it!
The main characters are a lot of fun. They’re well-rounded, well-thought-out, complex, and full of personality. I just love Nana D!
The settings and other descriptions were very well done. James tends to be more wordy than I would normally like with descriptions, but somehow he makes it all work without it being boring and dragging the story down.
The plot line was intriguing. I did have an idea of the villain before the end of the book but it was still a well-planned plot with plenty of red herrings and if you weren’t paying close attention to the subtle clues, the villain will come as a surprise.
All in all it’s a wonderful start to a new series and the second book is just as terrific! I do recommend reading the series in order as there are interpersonal things that are not going to make sense if you don’t.
About the Author
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 with a degree in English literature. I spent fifteen years building a technology career in the retail, sports, media, and entertainment industries. I enjoyed my job, but a passion for books and stories had been missing for far too long. I’m a voracious reader in my favorite genres (thriller, suspense, contemporary, mystery, and historical fiction), as books transport me to a different world where I can immerse myself in so many fantastic cultures and places. I’m an avid genealogist who hopes to visit all the German, Scottish, Irish, and British villages my ancestors emigrated from in the 18th and 19th centuries. I frequently blog and publish book reviews on everything I read at ThisIsMyTruthNow via WordPress.
Writing has been a part of my life as much as my heart, my mind, and my body. I decided to pursue my passion by dusting off the creativity inside my head and drafting outlines for several novels. I quickly realized I was back in my element growing happier and more excited with life each day. My goal in writing is to connect with readers who want to be part of great stories and who enjoy interacting with authors. To get a strong picture of who I am, check out my author website or my blog. It’s full of humor and eccentricity, sharing connections with everyone I follow—all in the hope of building a network of friends across the world.
When I completed the first book, Watching Glass Shatter, I knew I’d stumbled upon my passion again, suddenly dreaming up characters, plots, and settings all day long. I chose my second novel, Father Figure, through a poll on my blog where I let everyone vote for their favorite plot and character summaries. It is with my third book, Academic Curveball,, the first in the Braxton Campus Mysteries, where I immersed myself in a college campus full of so much activity, I could hardly stop thinking about new murder scenes or character relationships to finish writing the current story. Come join in the fun!
List of Books & Blog
Watching Glass Shatter (October 2017)
Braxton Campus Mysteries
Academic Curveball – #1 (October 2018)
Broken Heart Attack – #2 (November 2018)
Flower Power Trip – #3 (Early 2019)
Websites & Blog
Website: https://jamesjcudney.com
Blog: https://thisismytruthnow.com
Social Media Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/James-J.-Cudney/e/B076B6PB3M/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamescudney4
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesJCudneyIVAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BraxtonCampusMysteries
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/james-j-cudney
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamescudney4
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jamescudney4
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescudney4
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jamescudney4

Thanks for joining me today! If you wish to visit other stops on the tour, please click on the banner below to visit the main tour page!
Valerie,
This was such a wonderful post. You had baseball bats! And such awesome graphics. You put in so much time to make it amazing. Thank you very much. I treasure our friendship! 🙂
J
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You’re more than welcome. 🙂 I treasure our friendship too. I’m so thankful we’ve gotten to know each other!
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Thank you for your review on ” Academic Curveball” by James J. Cudney and for being part of the book tour.
I’d love the opportunity to read this great sounding book. Love the cover!
2clowns at arkansas dot net
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I wish I would have filled out for this tour, but the bright side of it is I won this book on Goodreads, I was so excited when I seen that I had won. Thanks so much for sharing your post Valerie. Have a wonderful day 😉
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I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 🙂
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