Monday, February 29, 2016

**GIVEAWAY** Guest Post by author Carol A Spradling

Writing


Thank you, Debbie for featuring me on your website. There are almost as many styles of writing as there are authors, but if you ask authors what you should write, most of them will say, write what you know. While there's a certain amount of truth to that statement, I had one thought when I was given such advice. A person can always research what they don't know, especially in this day and age. Technology makes research so much easier than it was years ago. 
In my book, For Mercy's Sake, I needed to know how long a person could remain alive while buried in a coffin. That wasn't something I had personal knowledge of. I did a little research and placed my unwilling (fictional) heroine in the box, covered her with dirt, and waited. It was a good thing the hero found her in time. It did take a while for her to speak to me after those scenes were written.
In essence, I did write what I learned, so in a sense, I did write what I knew. However, I didn't allow lack of knowledge on a topic prevent me from writing a climactic scene.
But more important then facts and authenticity, to me anyway, is to write what you enjoy. When writing a book of any length, you will spend a lot of time with your characters and the life you are giving them to live. If you are miserable while writing, it will show in your story. Enjoy being with them. But beware, the characters will argue with you, and boy, can they be stubborn.
In the first book of my Rebels, Rakes, and Rogues Series, Her Scottish Rogue, I introduced a minor character named Baron Lacey. My plan for him was to be a horrible person through and through. He had other ideas. And after he and I came to terms with his storyline, it was decided that Baron needed to tell his own story. A reason behind the man, if you will. So, His Rebellious Heart, the second book in the Rebels, Rakes, and Rogues Series was born. Sometimes it's annoying when the characters are right. At least, Baron lets me take credit for his existance. ;)
Beck Montgomery, from Her Scottish Rogue in the Rebels, Rakes, and Rogues Series was as cantankerous a man as they come. He was grumpy from our first meeting. Even when I introduced Wren, our heroine for this story, he had a sour disposition. That's all right. Wren knew how to break the ice with him. And when she did, well, I'll just say he was much easier to talk with.
When writing your story, let your characters and the lives they lead become real. Don't worry about book length or what the latest literary trend is. Spend time with your characters, enjoy being with them, and write what happens when you are with them. When you've done that, you will have characters and a story that other people will want to spend time with. And trust me, all of you, the author, the characters, and the readers will have a much more satisfying experience because of it.


If you would like to see how Beck warmed up to Wren, or how charming Baron truely is, I am having a giveaway. The winner will have their choice of Her Scottish Rogue or His Rebellious Heart. Both of these books are from the Rebels, Rakes, and Rogues Series. Of course, if you'd like to see how much of a close call Anna had escaping death while buried alive, you can choose, For Mercy's Sake. The giveaway is for an e-copy Open Internatioanlly

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Showcase - Linda Goodnight - The Rain Sparrow - Honey Ridge #2

Today I'm so happy to showcase Linda Goodnight and her latest Honey Ridge Novel, The Rain Sparrow, a Harlequin release.
Enjoy!





















ISBN-13: 9780373789146
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 02/23/2016
Length: 384pp
Buy It: B&N/Amazon/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible



OVERVIEW:
Famous yet anonymous, thriller writer Hayden Winters lives a life colored by lies. Deeply ashamed of his past, his hunger for an honest relationship and dreams of starting a family remain unsatisfied, and he can trust no one with his secrets. He's determined to outrun his personal demons, but the charming old Peach Orchard Inn and a woman whose presence is as gentle as a sparrow's song stops him in his tracks. 

Carrie Riley is afraid of everything from flying to thunderstorms, and pretty much of life itself. But meeting the enigmatic writer staying at the inn emboldens her to learn everything about him. When they discover a fragile boy hiding at the inn, Hayden is honor-bound to help Carrie protect him. Soon they're led to a centuries-old mystery that haunts Hayden's sleep, and his only safe haven is Carrie. As the secrets of the past and present force their lives to become entwined, all that's left to come to light is love—if the grim truth doesn't tear them apart first.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Interview/Showcase Mo Daviau Every Anxious Wave

I'm pleased to present another new to me author who's fictional debut is a real eye opener. I'm sure when you read all about it you'll be just as excited to read it as I am.















ISBN-13: 9781250067494
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 02/09/2016
Length: 288pp
Buy It: B&N/Amazon/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible



Overview

Good guy Karl Bender is a thirty-something bar owner whose life lacks love and meaning. When he stumbles upon a time-travelling worm hole in his closet, Karl and his best friend Wayne develop a side business selling access to people who want to travel back in time to listen to their favorite bands. It's a pretty ingenious plan, until Karl, intending to send Wayne to 1980, transports him back to 980 instead. Though Wayne sends texts extolling the quality of life in tenth century "Mannahatta," Karl is distraught that he can't bring his friend back.
Enter brilliant, prickly, overweight astrophysicist, Lena Geduldig. Karl and Lena's connection is immediate. While they work on getting Wayne back, Karl and Lena fall in love -- with time travel, and each other. Unable to resist meddling with the past, Karl and Lena bounce around time. When Lena ultimately prevents her own long-ago rape, she alters the course of her life and threatens her future with Karl.
A high-spirited and engaging novel, EVERY ANXIOUS WAVE plays ball with the big questions of where we would go and who we would become if we could rewrite our pasts, as well as how to hold on to love across time.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Interview with V. C. Chickering - Nookietown

I'm so pleased to present a debut author V. C. Chickering to my readers, her new book Nookietown looks like a lot of fun. See why she thinks Nookietown will be a "book club bombshell" and look for my review coming soon!





















ISBN-13: 9781250064813
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 2/23/2016
Length: 368 pp
Buy It: B&N/Amzon/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible



Overview

Recently divorced, 40-something single-mom, Lucy, is lonely, bored and craving physical connection. So, when her trusted long-time married friend, Nancy, begs Lucy to sleep with her husband to save her marriage, Lucy goes for it. It's such a success, the two friends invent a town-wide underground barter system whereby Nancy's married girlfriends sub-contract Lucy's divorcee friends to sleep with their husbands so they don't have to as often. It's a win, win, win- for a while. Then it all goes to hell in a hand-basket.
Laugh-out-loud funny, emotionally provocative and at times racy, Nookietown is a story of risk-taking, marriage, honesty and desire, and what one woman rationalizes in order to get what she wants.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Interview with Rhett Bruno - Progeny of Vale - Titanborn + review of his short story This Long Vigil

Please welcome a new to me author Rhett Bruno. He's here to talk about his two upcoming novels plus more about this NYC architect/author.


ISBN-13: 9781682300848
Publisher: Diversion Publishing
Release Date: 03/15/2016
Length: 230pp
Pre-Order: B&N/Amazon/Kobo/IndieBound

Overview:
In the thrilling sequel to The Circuit: Executor Rising, Cassius Vale has drawn the Circuit into open war.
After arriving on Ceres Prime, ADIM, ever the loyal companion created by Cassius Vale, is hesitant to help the Ceresians. Their hatred for his Creator will never wane and he starts to understand the danger all of Cassius’ many rivals pose. ADIM must realize the true magnitude of his abilities in order to keep him safe.







ISBN-13: 9780399594793
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: 06/21/2016
Length: 246 pp
Pre-Order It: B&N/Amazon/Kobo

Overview:
In this gritty and innovative science-fiction thriller in the vein of Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, turmoil on one of Saturn’s moons rattles Earth’s most powerful citizens—and draws one planet-hopping rogue into a fight he never saw coming.
Malcolm Graves lives by two rules: finish the job, and get paid. After thirty years as a collector, chasing bounties and extinguishing rebellions throughout the solar system, Malcolm does what he’s told, takes what he’s earned, and leaves the questions to someone else—especially when it comes to the affairs of offworlders.


Thursday, February 18, 2016

**GIVEAWAY** Showcase Uncommon Stock: Version 1.0 by Eliot Peper - A Partners In Crime Blog Tour

Uncommon Stock: Version 1.0

by Eliot Peper

on Tour February 15 - March 31, 2016


Uncommon Stock: Version 1.0
by Eliot Peper

Book 1 of The Uncommon Series - Continued in Book 2, Uncommon Stock: Power Play. Mara Winkel is rock climbing, mountain biking, and 'studying' her way through school at the University of Colorado, Boulder. But when her best friend James asks her to partner with him to start a disruptive new software company she discovers that the world of technology startups is fraught with intrigue, adrenaline, soaring successes, and scorching failures. It turns out this is especially true when your technology threatens entrenched drug cartels. Mara has to juggle mysterious investors, opaque partners, critical customers, and a team that is as brilliant as it is dysfunctional until only one question remains: win or die.

Book Details:

Genre: Technothriller Published by: Previously FG Press; now Self-Published Publication Date: March 2014 Number of Pages: 231 ISBN: 9781517513214 Series: Uncommon, #1 Purchase Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble Goodreads

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

**Giveaway** Showcase - Fractured Eden by Steven Gossington A Partners in Crime Blog Tour

Fractured Eden

by Steven Gossington

on Tour February 1-29, 2016

 

Fractured Eden by Steven GossingtonWhen a doctor loses everything and is forced to start over, he finds himself in a strange town filled with addiction and mental illness. Now he must find a way to survive his dark and deadly patients … Dr. Aaron Rovsing, Family Practice Physician, is charged with incompetence and fired from his medical practice in Connecticut. After he flees and starts over in a town in East Texas, he discovers that things are not as they first appear, and soon Aaron must combat the deranged and addicted minds of the townspeople. But things take a deadly turn when he finds himself the next chosen victim of a serial killer who plans to add the doctor to his collection of skeletons. In this town of insanity and with a serial killer waiting to strike, how can Aaron manage to stay sane . . . and alive?

Book Details:

Genre: Suspense Published by: Self-Published Publication Date: November 2015 Number of Pages: 392 ISBN: 9781518804236
 Purchase Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble Goodreads


Tuesday, February 16, 2016

**GIVEAWAY** Interview with Michelle Gable - I'll See You In Paris

I'm so happy to welcome back to the blog Michelle Gable who is here to tell us about her second novel, I'll See You In Paris.
Michelle's publisher St. Martin's Press is generously offering one copy of I'll See You In Paris and Michelle's debut novel, A Paris Apartment as a giveaway. Details below






















ISBN-13: 9781250070630
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 02/09/2016
Length: 400 pp
Buy It: B&N/Amazon/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible


Overview

New York Times Best Selling Author of A Paris Apartment
Three women, born generations apart.
One mysterious book that threads their lives together.
A journey of love, discovery, and truth…
I’ll See You in Paris is based on the real life of Gladys Spencer-Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough, a woman whose life was so rich and storied it could fill several books. Nearly a century after Gladys’s heyday, a young woman’s quest to understand the legendary Duchess takes her from a charming hamlet in the English countryside, to a dilapidated manse kept behind barbed wire, and ultimately, to Paris, where answers will be found at last. In the end, she not only solves the riddle of the Duchess but also uncovers the missing pieces in her own life.
At once a great love story and literary mystery, I’ll See You in Paris will entertain and delight, with an unexpected ending that will leave readers satisfied and eager for Gable’s next novel.

St. Martin's Press is offering one copy
of A Paris Apartment and I'll See You In Paris
to one lucky entrant US ONLY
please use Raffelcopter form to enter
Good Luck!

Friday, February 12, 2016

Showcase - Midnight in St. Petersburg by Vanora Bennett

Today I'm showcasing a new to me author Vanora Bennett and her new St. Martin's Press release, Midnight in St. Petersburg.
Enjoy!





















ISBN-13: 978125007943
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 01/19/2016
Length: 384pp

Buy It: B&N/Amazon/Kobo/IndieBound



Overview

Faberge jewels, the mysterious Rasputin, and a priceless violin: Each plays a part in one young woman's fight for survival, and for love, in revolutionary Russia.
St. Petersburg, 1911. Inna Feldman has fled the pogroms of the south to take refuge with distant relatives in Russia's capital. Welcomed by the flamboyant Leman family, she is apprenticed into their violin-making workshop. She feels instantly at home in their bohemian circle, but revolution is in the air, and as society begins to fracture, she is forced to choose between her heart and her head.
She loves her brooding cousin, Yasha, but he is wild, destructive, and devoted to revolution. Horace Wallick, an Englishman who makes precious Faberge creations, is older and promises security and respectability. And, like many others, she is drawn to the mysterious, charismatic figure beginning to make a name for himself in the city: Rasputin.
As the rebellion descends into anarchy and bloodshed, a commission to repair a priceless Stadivarius violin offers Inna a means of escape. But what man will she choose to take with her? And is it already too late?
A magical and passionate story steeped in history and intrigue, Vanora Bennett's Midnight in St. Petersburg is an extraordinary novel of music, politics, and the toll that revolution exacts on the human heart.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

**GIVEAWAY** Review - The Hunt by Donna Augustine

Donna Augustine is a relatively new to me author but I've really come to love her books, she's got a great imagination and skill when it comes to building improbable worlds, wonderfully strong characters and a really unique and enjoyable way of storytelling.
The Hunt is book two in her Wilds series.
Donna is offering some free audible books of The Wilds first in the series, details below,





















ASIN: B019TKWVEY
Publisher: Strong Hold Publishing
Release Date: 12/25/2015
Length: 407 KB/ 328pp
Buy it on Amazon



OVERVIEW:
Living in the Wilds isn't any picnic, but I thought I had a handle on things: avoid the beasts and I won't get eaten, avoid the waterways and the pirates won't kill me, and stab every Dark Walker I see.

That was before I found out Tiffy's friends were real and back when I’d never heard of the Skinners. Now my magic is on the fritz, and people are disappearing. Dax doesn't want me to kill any Dark Walkers, and avoiding the beasts is impossible when I live with one. Amidst all this, I've become the most wanted woman around.
 


Donna is sponsoring a #Giveaway
of several audible copies of #1 in the series
The Wilds
Please use the Rafflecopter form to enter
Thanks Donna
Good Luck!



Wednesday, February 10, 2016

**GIVEAWAY**Showcase Sage's Eyes by V. C. Andrews

Thanks to the ghostwriting of Andrew Neiderman the V. C. Andrews legend still grows. He's now been penning novels under her name for more than 26 years and hopefully will continue long into the future.
Pocket Books/ Simon & Schuster is offering one print copy for a #Giveaway, details below.
Enjoy my showcase!


























ISBN-13: 9781451650914
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: 01/26/2016
Length: 400pp
Buy It: B&N/Amazon/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible



Overview

From V.C. Andrews, bestselling author of Flowers in the Attic comes the tale of a young girl kept under the watchful eye of her adoptive parents, as if they fear who—or what—she’ll become…
Sixteen-year-old Sage is a lonely child. Her adoptive parents watch her obsessively, as if studying her for warning signs of…something. And maybe they’re right to—even she can’t make sense of the strange things she sees and hears. She possesses knowledge that other teenagers don’t, that her parents and teachers—no adult—could possibly have. So when Sage finally makes a friend who understands her alarming gift, he becomes her confidant, a precarious link to the truth about who she really is. For Sage and the alluring new boy at school share many things in common. Perhaps, they’ll learn, far too many things.

Pocket Books is offering
One print copy of Sage's Eyes
US ONLY
Please use the Rafflecopter form below to enter
Good Luck!

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Showcase-Review The Ramblers by Aidan Donnelley Rowley blog tour

Welcome to my stop on The Ramblers by Aidan Donnelley Rowley blog tour. Enjoy the showcase plus my review!





















ISBN-13: 9780062413314
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: 02/09/2106
Length: 400pp
Buy It: B&N/Amazon/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible



Overview

For fans of J. Courtney Sullivan, Meg Wolitzer, Claire Messud, and Emma Straub, a gorgeous and absorbing novel of a trio of confused souls struggling to find themselves and the way forward in their lives, set against the spectacular backdrop of contemporary New York City.
Set in the most magical parts of Manhattan—the Upper West Side, Central Park, Greenwich Village—The Ramblers explores the lives of three lost souls, bound together by friendship and family. During the course of one fateful Thanksgiving week, a time when emotions run high and being with family can be a mixed blessing, Rowley’s sharply defined characters explore the moments when decisions are deliberately made, choices accepted, and pasts reconciled.
Clio Marsh, whose bird-watching walks through Central Park are mentioned in New York Magazine, is taking her first tentative steps towards a relationship while also looking back to the secrets of her broken childhood. Her best friend, Smith Anderson, the seemingly-perfect daughter of one of New York’s wealthiest families, organizes the lives of others as her own has fallen apart. And Tate Pennington has returned to the city, heartbroken but determined to move ahead with his artistic dreams.
Rambling through the emotional chaos of their lives, this trio learns to let go of the past, to make room for the future and the uncertainty and promise that it holds. The Ramblers is a love letter to New York City—an accomplished, sumptuous novel about fate, loss, hope, birds, friendship, love, the wonders of the natural world and the mysteries of the human spirit. 

Monday, February 8, 2016

Jennifer Dawson's Unraveled Blog Tour - Excerpt - Showcase - #Giveaway


Welcome to my stop on Jennifer Dawson's Unraveled tour!
Scroll down and get to know a bit about Unraveled and the rest of Jennifer's Undone Series
There's a #Giveaway too!



Unraveled by Jennifer Dawson
Series: Undone #2.5
Adult Contemporary Romance
Heat Level 4
Release date: January 19, 2016
Purchase links:  Amazon|B&N|Kobo |iTunes














Synopsis:
Valentine’s night.  Three women. A hot new club where anything can happen. 

After a life changing tragedy Layla Hunter is finally happy.  Michael Banks has pulled her back from the dead and given her a love she’d thought was lost to her forever.  Now, all she wants is to return the favor and give him the one thing she swore she’d never do again. 

Jillian Banks is up for absolutely anything and her smoking hot fiancé, Leo Santoro, is determined to give it to her.  After exploring her fantasies in the privacy of her own home, Jillian’s ready for more and Leo is going above and beyond to make her happy.  In return, she’ll do anything to make him proud. 

Ruby Stiles isn’t sure what she’s doing at a sex party at one of Chicago’s most anticipated new clubs. Currently she’s blaming it on curiosity. All she wants is to disappear into the background, only her emotions have decided to go on a roller coaster ride and the last thing she expects is for Chad Fellows to pick up the pieces. 

Sometimes even the best laid plans unravel…



Friday, February 5, 2016

Interview with Darynda Jones - The Dirt on Ninth Grave

I'm so excited to welcome Darynda Jones to the blog to chat about her latest Charley Davidson tale, The Dirt on Ninth Grave.

Enjoy!





















ISBN-13: 9781250074485
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 01/12/2016
Length: 336pp
Buy It: B&N/Amazon/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible



Overview

I see dead people. No wait. I take that back. I see people I want dead.
—eCard
Charley Davidson is living in New York City as Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she begins to realize she can see dead people, she’s more than a bit taken aback. Strangers who enter the diner where she works seem to know things about her…Then she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. An enemy that will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. And the diner’s devastatingly handsome fry cook, who vows to protect her even though he seems to be lying with every breath he takes. But in the face of such grave danger, who can Jane/Charley/whoever she is trust? She will find the truth even if it kills her…or the fry cook. Either way…

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Interview with Martine Bailey - A Taste for Nightshade

Please welcome back to the blog Martine Bailey. She was here last year to talk about her debut novel, An Appetite for Violets and she's back now to chat about her new release A Taste for Nightshade. See what Martine has been up to in the past year.





















ISBN-13: 9781250056924
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: 01-12-2016
Length: 464



Overview

Manchester 1787. When budding young criminal Mary Jebb swindles Michael Croxon's brother with a blank pound note, he chases her into the night and sets in motion a train of sinister events. Condemned to seven years of transportation to Australia, Mary sends him a 'Penny Heart'-a token of her vow of revenge.
Two years later, Michael marries naïve young Grace Moore. Although initially overjoyed at the union, Grace quickly realizes that her husband is more interested in her fortune than her company. Lonely and desperate for companionship, she turns to her new cook to help mend her ailing marriage. But Mary Jebb, shipwrecked, maltreated, and recently hired, has different plans for the unsuspecting owners of Delafosse Hall.
A Taste for Nightshade is a thrilling historical novel that combines recipes, mystery and a dark struggle between two desperate women, sure to appeal to fans of Sarah Waters and Carolly Erickson.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Showcase Review - The Ballad of Rosamunde by Claire Delacroix

The Ballad of Rosamunde was a story that was a long time coming for me. When I first read Claire's The Snow White Bride in 2005 I was devastated with the deaths of Tynan and Rosamunde ill-fated lovers and hoped she'd give her readers closure. Finally in 2010 she published the short story The Ballad of Rosamunde in The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance Anthology and I finally breathed a sigh of relief. There are several ways to read Rosamunde's tale and they're listed below. I hope you enjoy my showcase and review of the audible edition of The Ballad of Rosamunde!


ASIN: B00Z7EG1Q6
Publisher: Deborah A Cooke
Release Date: 06/08/2015
Length: 1 hour and 35 minutes

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
Buy It: Amazon/Audible


Also available in the Jewels of Kinfairlie Boxed Set- And is included in the 2014 release of The Snow White Bride and in Claire's short story collection Beguiled







Overview:
A pirate queen trapped in the realm of Faerie, Rosamunde can be freed only by true love. The man she loved is lost to her forever, so she believes herself doomed. Padraig, long in love with Rosamunde, believes his life worthless since she disappeared. When he hears of her capture by the fey, he is determined to set her free, but can Rosamunde put the past behind her and learn to love anew?
This short story was previously published in the anthology The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance but appeared edited due to space constraints. This version contains the whole story. Rosamunde is a secondary character who appeared in The Jewels of Kinfairlie trilogy.


Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Interview with Anne Girard - Platinum Doll

Please welcome new to me author Anne Girard to the blog. She's here today to chat about her new release about the Hollywood blond bomb shell, Jean Harlow, Platinum Doll.


























ISBN-13: 9780778318668
Publisher: Mira
Release Date: 01/26/2016
Length: 368pp
Buy It: B&N/Amazon/Kobo/IndieBound/Audible



Overview

Set against the dazzling backdrop of Golden Age Hollywood, novelist Anne Girard tells the enchanting story of Jean Harlow, one of the most iconic stars in the history of film
It's the Roaring Twenties and seventeen-year-old Harlean Carpenter McGrew has run off to Beverly Hills. She's chasing a dream—to escape her small, Midwestern life and see her name in lights.
In California, Harlean has everything a girl could want—a rich husband, glamorous parties, socialite friends—except an outlet for her talent. But everything changes when a dare pushes her to embrace her true ambition—to be an actress on the silver screen. With her timeless beauty and striking shade of platinum-blond hair, Harlean becomes Jean Harlow. And as she's thrust into the limelight, Jean learns that this new world of opportunity comes with its own set of burdens. Torn between her family and her passion to perform, Jean is forced to confront the difficult truth—that fame comes at a price, if only she's willing to pay it.