Category Archives: Guest Post

SNAP: I, Vampire (Kandesky Vampire #9) by Michele Drier-Review and Guest Post

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SNAP: I, Vampire (Kandesky Vampire #9) by Michele Drier-Review and Guest Post

Snap I, Vampire

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 3, 2016

Maxie Gwenoch, LA-based media star, VP for International Planning for the multi-national gossip conglomerate, SNAP, has finally agreed to marry Jean-Louis Kandesky, a 500-year-old Hungarian vampire a leader of the family that owns SNAP.

Is marriage a big change? Not as big as the fact that Maxie is now a vampire, as well. When munitions from the Kandesky Enterprises weapons plant in Slovakia turn up at the bombing of a Royal’s house in England, Jean-Louis and his “brother,” Nik, are hot on the trail of shadowy terrorist groups dealing in international weapons sales. Are the Kandesky arms being sold to terrorists groups? Should Maxie use her new-found vampire strengths to ferret out the scum?

•••••••••••

REVIEW: I Vampire, is book nine of the SNAP series by Michele Drier. This is Maxie’s story of being the newest member of the Kandesky vampire family.

We begin this tale on Maxie and Jean-Louis’s “honeymoon” in an exclusive and private chalet in the Alps. After days of mind-blowing sex, snow-filled views, peace and quiet out couple is ready to head back to reality and their very busy, albeit luxurious, lives. Maxi only a little unsure of herself, due to sometimes forgetting that her life has changed so drastically.

Jazz and Nik greet them at their Kiev home and we’re off on adventure. Author Drier uses recent headlines around the world and current issues to build an adventurous and exciting storyline. Terrorists have bombed the home of a British noble (a bit removed from the throne line…but royal none the less).

The casings found at the scene have implications for Kandesky Munitions, a huge problem for the family. This begins a story of intrigue, danger, and Kandesky style shopping for our girls, Maxi and Jazz.

With her usual and talented flair, we’re taken through plots, subplots, and things unseen. An exciting run through many exotic places as they draw out and eliminate the threats to the family. Along with all this adventure is a slow thread of romantic interest for Jazz and Nik; Maxi remembering her and Jean-Louis’s road to bliss.

If you haven’t started this series, you have some catching up to do…get started! If you’re a fan of this series, it’s another thrilling and imaginative exploit into this world. A great read, I had to stop what I was doing until I finished it! Enjoy everyone, I love this series!

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Georgianna

Guest post-White and Red

Staying interested

Writing a series is both fun and nerve-wracking.

Fun because you get to spend time with people you love and know well.

Nerve-wracking because those people have to be growing, changing, finding themselves in new situations with new challenges.

When I sat down to write SNAP: I, Vampire, I knew the main theme of the book was Maxie’s first few weeks or months as a vampire. She’d given up all she ever craved in the regular world—sun, days at the beach, food—to be with Jean-Louis in everlasting life and love.

In the world of the Kandeskys, things change. Not the Kandeskys themselves, they’re 500-or-so- year-old Hungarian vampires. For them, their days…and nights…have a continuity and sameness, safe and predictable. But because they chose centuries ago to live in the world of regulars, they face challenges they must adapt to or lose their family.

They’ve overcome their ancient enemies, the Huszar vampire family; threats from Chechen thugs who want to take over SNAP, the family’s cornerstone property, and outwitted forays from Bulgarians, Russian oligarchs and Azerbaijanis.

Now, one of their other properties, Kandesky Munitions, the Czech factories that Nik is responsible for, have been implicated in a bomb explosion at the house of one of the British Royals. Torn from their idyllic, and sex-saturated, honeymoon on the top of an Alp, Jean-Louis and Maxie must unravel the threats from a group of terrorists. ISIS? Al Qaeda? A wholly new unnamed group? Who knows.

In tracking down the thugs and arms dealers, Jean-Louis and Nik fill the cells in the basement of Jean-Louis’ Kiev house with low-level scum and fun and mayhem ensue.

I’m a news junkie, and all interesting and weird bits of trivia from around the world are grist.

I have a file (a pile?) of small pieces of paper, sticky-notes, print-outs I’m intrigued with. Every so often some of them make it into a book. This time, it was terrorist threats, from articles on the international arms trade.

The Kandeskys live in the rarified atmosphere of the world’s superrich. The possibilities of kidnapping, secret trade agreements and working with shady arms merchants are always their cost of doing business.

And terrorist groups from the Middle East and Eastern Europe are just the latest news.

Stay tuned. There will be more.

About The Author

 

FOLLOW: Website /Facebook /Twitter / Amazon

Michele DrierMichele Drier was born in Santa Cruz and is a fifth generation Californian. She’s lived and worked all over the state, calling both Southern and Northern California home. During her career in journalism—as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers—she won awards for producing investigative series.

She writes the Amy Hobbes Newspaper mysteries, Edited for Death, Labeled for Death and Delta for Death, published May 2015.

Her paranormal romance series, The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, was named one of the best paranormal vampire series of 2014 by reviewers of the Paranormal Romance Guild. SNAP: All That Jazz, Book Eight of The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, was awarded second place for best book of 2014.

The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles include SNAP: The World Unfolds, SNAP: New Talent, Plague: A Love Story, DANUBE: A Tale of Murder, SNAP: Love for Blood, SNAP: Happily Ever After?, SNAP: White Nights and SNAP: All That Jazz. SNAP: I, Vampire, Book Nine in the Kandesky Vampire Chronicles is scheduled for publication in 2015.

Box Set ebooks Vol 1-4 of SNAP: Kandesky Vampire Chronicles : Amazon.com / Amazon.ca/ Barnes and Noble/ KOBO

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Assassin’s Kiss (Watcher’s Kiss #2) by Sharon Kay-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

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Assassin’s Kiss (Watcher’s Kiss #2) by Sharon Kay-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

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Assassin’s Kiss
Watcher’s Kiss #2
by Sharon Kay
Release Date: January 12, 2016
Genre: adult,paranormal, romance

Assassin's Kiss

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 12, 2016

Warrior Scorpio finds himself alone on a botched op. No weapons, no communication devices, injured…and instantly recognized by a group of witches who want him dead.

Witch Tessa promises to marry a rival leader to save her people. But she never planned on the new prisoner in her coven. Scorpio, a rough, former mercenary makes the outrageous claim that she belongs to him.

Even from behind bars, the longer Scorpio stays, the more he unsettles Tessa and she questions all she thought she knew. Choosing him will put everyone she cares for at risk. He’s nothing like she expected, and the last thing she could dare to want.

**can be read as a stand alone**

•••••••••

REVIEW: Back from another fun journey from the wonderful and mystical realm of Torth where the twins moons light up their night sky. So many places within this realm I get the pleasure of visiting and in this book we are in the witch coven of Brownwy.

So this book picks up from Tainted Kiss where a mission goes awry and our hero, Scorpio goes missing. Injured and alone, Scorpio finds himself imprisoned at the hands of a witch coven that wants him dead. With Scorpio’s past as a mercenary, what better time for his past to catch up to him? And not only have that but, to find his mate in the midst of this group of witches that despised him? With so many missions under Scorpio’s belt, to gain the forgiveness of a whole witch coven and win the heart of his mate may be his most important mission yet.

In previous books, Scorpio was a man of few words and a cold unfeeling man with no emotion. He carries such an air of mystery that leaves you wondering what his story is and what shaped him to be the cold, lethal powerful man in Arwan’s watcher ranks.

Seeing Scorpio in action was a thing of beauty. The man is a powerful fighter and efficient killer complete with mind-numbing speed to boot. Charging dire wolves, snapping necks with his bare hands to throwing demon fire out of his hands oh my…. The only complaint was I wish I got to see how good he is with weapons but unfortunately his got taken away upon his capture initially. I was really surprised with how much I really liked Scorpio. For his hardened disposition, I expected a mean, slightly domineering man who can’t relate to others but no the man was continuing to win point after point with me. Scorpio was truly a man of honor who stayed true to his word. I really appreciated that the man used endless compassion, empathy and a world of patience to win Tessa over. Under all that hardened unemotion, is a kind, compassionate selfless man who puts others before himself. These books without fail make me fall hard for these watcher warriors of Torth. If you want selfless, kind and honorable men in your books, I suggest reaching for these books.

Tessa on the other hand was no slouch either. Tessa turned out to be an awesome witch with her own impressive abilities. I only wish to see more of her metal affinity abilities more throughout the book. After their terrible initial meeting, I was worried that Scorpio was going to kill himself trying to win over Tessa especially after reading the prologue but thankfully that was not the case because of her awesome intellect to see the bigger picture of his past actions. They made a spectacular match. I really enjoyed their physically love scenes I did but it was their emotional connection that left me breathless with awe.

I felt like Sharon had slowed the pace of this book compared to her other books with fast paced adventure but it was nice. Damien of the Vespera was a worthy villain and it was great to see the appearance of the other characters from previous books (Brenin needs a story ASAP). I really enjoyed this book and eagerly waiting for my next trip to Torth.

Reviewed by Xtina

Copy supplied by the author.

Guest Post

How music inspires my plot and character details.
by Sharon Kay

First, a big THANK YOU to Sandy for inviting me to be a guest at The Reading Café today!! I’ll be sharing the ways that music inspires my plot and character details.

We all get songs stuck in our heads sometimes. Maybe every day. Maybe it’s a song we love or maybe it’s from one of our kid’s toys and we’ll turn on anything else to get that annoying jingle out of our heads.

For me, a song stuck in my head can easily morph into a scene. And some songs hit me like a wrecking ball (eek, sorry, I couldn’t resist that one)! Sometimes a song will play out and a plot detail unfolds in my brain.

For example, with my new release, Assassin’s Kiss (Watcher’s Kiss #2), I knew that the hero, Scorpio, would be missing at the end of the previous book. I was working on that book (Tainted Kiss) and not sure exactly where I would strand Scorpio. (Yes, I stranded him. I am so mean to my characters sometimes!) Then, I was sitting at my hair salon, and Katy’s Perry’s “Dark Horse” came on the radio.

I wasn’t planning to hash out Scorpio’s plot that day, but cue the inspiration machine (and Katy singing about magic and enemies), and BAM!
I suddenly knew Scorpio would be found among witches who wanted him dead, and his mate would be among them. And that his mercenary past plus her initial judgement of him would form the central romantic conflict.

Soft pink lips moved in an ancient dialect, her voice a low, breathy murmur that made his head spin. She could be spelling him into a magical coma and he’d be okay with it.

Yay! I dashed home and started making notes and a blurb. Of course, I still had to write the entire 300 pages, but it’s easier to get to THE END when I have guideposts along the way.

I like to run on the treadmill, pop in my earbuds, and let my mind wander. This is how I ended up choosing Linkin Park’s “A New Divide” as my main inspiration for On Wicked Ground (Solsti Prophecy #4). My heroine, Alina, can manipulate the earth, so I could “see” the ground opening up. There is a big showdown at the end, so when the band describes black skies, lightning, and ashes, this fit that scene perfectly. I still get chills as the hero, Caine, tries to stop her from making the ultimate sacrifice!

Thunder clapped and the light flashed as brightly as the sun, forcing Caine to look away. With a crash and a boom, the light and Alina dropped down into the earth, leaving nothing but churned up dirt.

One day, while I was writing Wicked Waves (Solsti Prophecy #2), I was at my son’s soccer practice and “We Found Love” came on. I enthusiastically said, “I love this song! It’s Brooke and Kai’s song!” And the other moms I was sitting with looked at me and said, “Um, who?” So I need to remember that not everyone knows these characters like I do (which can be REALLY tough)!

My characters live in my head. They’re like another family. They bicker, act stubborn, and don’t listen to me all the time. Sometimes they talk or act so fast I feel like I can’t write fast enough to get it all down. But if I can find a song to capture what they’re going through, I can listen as much as I want and get each detail right. In Wicked Waves, Brooke and Kai need to escape a dungeon and the only way out is by making a hundred foot jump into a fast moving river.

Not only is this crazy-dangerous, but these two don’t like each other much at first and the area they’re stuck in is bleak and lifeless. So when I heard Rihanna’s “We Found Love,” it all clicked. They need to trust each other to survive in this wasteland. Luckily, the death–defying plunge into the river is aided by Brooke’s ability to manipulate water.

He looked down at her, his eyes flashing with a mix of emotions. “Brooke, I might be able to heal, but you…I don’t know if you will. I can’t risk it. You’re a Solsti. You’re too important.”

“Yes, Kai, I am a Solsti. The one who commands WATER.”

“Gods help us,” he muttered, but he wrapped his brawny arms around her waist. To her shock, he lowered his head and pressed a swift kiss to her lips.

So music equals scenes, which equals plot details, or sometimes even just the past events that shape my characters’ lives. Did they have a rough childhood or a dark past they had to overcome? It’s also nice to give a character a music preference. In Wicked Flames (Solsti Prophecy #3) my heroine liked eighties music, and I was able to incorporate lots of eighties rock into the book.

One last goofy detail: though I love music for inspiration—I need to write in silence! I’ll listen to the song, see the action unfold in my mind, then press pause and go write. That’s where I’m headed now! Thanks for stopping by!

~~Sharon Kay ~~

about the author

Follow: Facebook / Twitter/ Website/ Goodreads

Sharon KaySharon Kay writes award-winning fiction and can never get enough reading time. She loves winter and black coffee, and is endlessly inspired to write kick-ass heroines and the men strong enough to capture their hearts. Sharon lives in the Chicago area with her husband and son, and one weekend the idea for her Lash Watchers and tough leading ladies formed in her head, refusing to stay quiet until she put pen to paper. Her characters tend to keep her up at night, as they banter, fall in love, and slay endless varieties of power-hungry demons.

giveaway

Sharon Kay is graciously offering a paper copy of ASSASSIN’S KISS to TWO (2) lucky commenters at The Reading Cafe

NOTE: If you are having difficulties logging on to the site, refresh the page and that should clear up any problems

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please Follow Sharon Kay on Facebook.

4. Please Follow Sharon Kay on Twitter.

5. Please LIKE us on FACEBOOK and click GET NOTIFICATIONS

6. Please FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

7. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

8. Giveaway is open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from January 14 to January 19, 2016

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I Unlove You by Matthew Turner-Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

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I UNLOVE YOU by Matthew Turner-Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

 

DOWNLOAD the book for FREE Here

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 1, 2015

My name is Ausdylan Elvis Ashford, a twenty-two-year-old who leads a rather perfect life. With a steady job straight out of university, a charismatic best friend I’m in a band with, and a girlfriend I’ve loved since the moment I first gazed upon, I couldn’t ask for more. Until my perfect girlfriend, B, changed both of our lives forever.

It began with the words, “I’m pregnant,” and the realisation I’d soon guide a new life into this world. Embarking on my own journey of self-discovery, I found new meaning in love, living, friendship, and family. This should have become the greatest love story of all, but I assure you it isn’t.

Sometimes true love and unbreakable trust is built upon lies and deceit. Sometimes those you know better than anyone turn out to be strangers you don’t know at all. My name is Aus, and this is my (un)love story .

•••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: I UNLOVE YOU is a stand alone storyline that focuses on the relationship between three friends: Ausdylan (Aus) Elvis Ashford, Beatrice (B) Butterworth, and Joseph (Joey) Johnston, who for ten or more years had one another’s back, fronts and everything in between.

Told from first person point of view (Aus) using flashbacks, memories and present day I UNLOVE YOU follows the beginning of the end for our trio. Aus has been in love with B for as long as he can remember, and they have been in a sexual relationship for a number of years. But all is about to change when B announces she is pregnant, and life as they know begins to crumble and fall.

I UNLOVE YOU focuses on family, friendship, betrayal and lies. There is nothing more heartbreaking than uncovering the ugly truth; the depth to which someone will hide painful memories, burying the facts behind a fake smile, and a loving hug. The fidelity of a relationship lies not within the boundaries of the heart but lies deep within the soul where betrayal cuts like a knife leaving one’s soul to bleed. Sometimes there is no recovery; no forgiveness; no moving on. The mind is unable to comprehend the depth of dishonesty; the heart is broken, unable to repair; the soul bleeds until it can bleed no more. But sometimes the reality of life is much harder to control when innocence is lost to demons of the past.

The premise is well structured with backstory and history between our leading characters, especially between Aus and B, but also looks at the loving friendship and support between Joey and Aus. Matthew Turner’s characterizations come through first person observations wherein Aus allows the reader into his emotional mindset as it pertains to the different roles and interactions between characters. The storyline conflict is both internal and external for Aus Ashford-life and everything it has to offer pulls the rug out from under our ‘hero’ as he must come to grips with what is and what will never be. Matthew Turner’s use of flashbacks and memories, although a very integral part of the storyline, was a little confusing at times as a number of timelines appeared to overlap (or perhaps were not delineated enough for this reader). The imagery was descriptive; the world building allowed the reader a front row seat into the day to day routines of the storyline narrator. As to the mindset of the leading character, the tone is well established in the prologue as we get a glimpse into the future wherein Aus has fallen into a personal h*ll.

Matthew Turner’s I UNLOVE YOU is an impassioned and profound look at friendship and betrayal; the emotional fall out of lies and deceit; the powerful emotion of love and the drive to be loved. I UNLOVE YOU is not a story of hearts and flowers, or a happily ever after but a story about the reality of falling in love, and letting go.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

Excerpt

 

Beatrice Butterworth is a bitch. That’s how the dream ends, me shouting and falling into a dark and eerie abyss. My eyes shoot open, and for a few seconds I’m at peace. There is no pain. There is no despair. There are no lies or deceit. There’s nothing but a soothing, calming, numbing nothingness, until everything turns against me and transforms into torture.
“Urghhh,” I groan, my head throbbing and throat dry.I close my eyes, light’s burden’s too great. My mind continues its unstable spin. Clenching my fists, I try and force my hands to my face, but I’m unable to move. I’m too heavy, far too heavy, as if something or somebody sits on my chest. What can I remember? What the hell happened? Where on earth am I?
The last thing I recall is standing outside of work, catching my breath after storming out of Tony’s office. Did I really say all those things to him? Did I tell him to sit down and shut up whilst I stood in his office? I couldn’t have. I wouldn’t have…only, I did. I remember it. I remember the white room and his drained face. It doesn’t seem real, but it is.
“What the hell?” I whisper, each word whistling through my cracked lips.Blinking, I open my eyes long enough to explore the strange place where I lay: blue and grey tiles reach up to a cracked ceiling; an extractor fan vibrates in the corner, covered in dirt and murk; and a patch of green mould encircling a brown centre. I appear to be in a bathroom, and a rather grim one at that.
I take a deep breath and focus my thoughts, but all I do is disturb my fragile stomach. I hurt, all over. Not just aches and pains of muscles and tendons, but a throbbing surge running up my left arm. I tap my right fingers against the hard, tiled floor, and run my nails along its surface to my thigh and onto my frozen skin.I hadn’t realised until now, but I’m cold; numb, even. Running my hand up and down my right side, all I find are boxer shorts, as damp and cold as my skin. “What the hell happened?” I mumble, using all my strength to roll on to my side.
The pain running up my left arm intensifies, the pounding in my head gets heavier, the rumble in my stomach an unbearable tumble. “What have you done?” I mumble again, struggling up into a sitting position and evaluating the chaos around me.
Two fallen and finished bottles of cheap whisky lay to my right, and a half-eaten burger to my left. All alone in this bare bathroom, I’m surrounded by a toilet and a sink, a cracked mirror above it. No towels, pictures, or semblance of life. No toilet roll, toothbrushes or shower. Just me and my mess, and a pile of vomit inches from my hand.
“Oh, God,” I say, edging away from it.I search the area for my clothes, but find nothing on the floor except the empty bottles and discarded burger. Cuts and bruises cover my knees and shins, and a discoloured purple patch, consumes half my left arm. At least that answers the mystery behind my throbbing pain, although how it came to be remains a riddle.
Closing my eyes, I focus and think, but all I remember is standing outside the office. I suppose I drank, but how much? I’ve suffered through horrendous hangovers before, but never like this. This isn’t me. I don’t do this. Neither do I confront my boss the way I did.
I’m not sure who I am anymore. I may not remember last night, but I remember everything else. All those moments I wish I couldn’t. All those times I wish were different.
Heaving myself onto my knees, I struggle to my feet and stumble towards the chipped and broken sink. Head spinning and body swaying, I cling to the porcelain with all my might.
“Shit,” I sigh, starring at the apparent man looking back: red-eyed, with puffy cheeks, bruised forehead and grazed chin. My hair loops around itself into knotted strands. My nose, blue and tender, even larger and more crooked than usual. Despite feeling frozen and shivering, I drip with sweat. I have chapped lips and cracked skin, and patchy stubble breaking through the surface.
“You did it, B,” I say, my eyes welling like they have so often of late. “You’ve broken me. You did this. I loved you and trusted you so much, but you’ve broken me.” I shake my head and wipe away the tears bulging in the corner of my eyes. “I hate you, B. I hate you.”

 

 

guest post

On Creating a Playlist by Matthew Turner

I‘m not sure about you, but in my opinion music and books go hand-in-hand. They both have the power to share beautiful stories, albeit in rather different ways. When it comes to my own writing, music is never far away.

It not only inspires me to write, but helps build stronger relationships with the characters I create. You can learn a lot about someone based on their musical tastes, and appreciating what the characters of my latest novel, I Unlove You, like to listen to helped me hone in on their personality and the journey they go on.

A lot of songs and artists are mentioned throughout my latest novel, and I was excited when Sandy asked me to write this because I’ve been looking forward to creating this I Unlove You Playlist for a while, complete with a teaser line to hint at why this song might be important to a particular character or scene:

  • Oasis – Wonderwall – “I don’t believe that anybody / Feels the way I do about you now”
  • The Pixies – Here Comes Your Man – “You’ll never wait so long / Here comes your man”
  • Simon and Garfunkel – The Only Living Boy in New York – “Hey, I’ve got nothing to do today but smile”
  • The Beatles – Here Comes The Sun – “Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting”
  • The Rolling Stones – Beast of Burden – “My back is broad but it’s a hurting”
  • Tallest Man On Earth – The Gardener – “I find it soothing I’m afraid”
  • The Shins – Caring is Creepy – “On rocks I dreamt of where we’d stepped”
  • The Velvet Underground – Pale Blue Eyes – “Thought of you as everything, / I’ve had but couldn’t keep”
  • Bob Dylan – Hurricane – “All of Rubin’s cards were marked in advance”
  • Elvis Presley – I Got A Woman – “Well, she’s my baby / And I’m her loving man”
  • Frank Zappa – Camarillo Brillo – “An’ I’d just love it in her room”
  • Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight – “I feel wonderful because I see / The love light in your eyes”
  • Donovan – Catch The Wind – “When rain has hung the leaves with tears / I want you near to kill my fears”
  • Damien Rice – 9 Crimes – “Give my gun away when it’s loaded”
  • Bright Eyes – First Day of My Life – “Yours is the first face that I saw / I think I was blind before I met you”
  • Cliff Richard – Mistletoe & Wine – “A time for living, a time for believing / A time for trusting, not deceiving”

Or see the playlist in Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7MZmDNGy5-xm-SE8HNwLPLoIwyVdi20Z

If you happen to like a song, I encourage you to support the artist. Like writers, they need the help of amazing people like you. In the coming weeks I’ll be delving deeper into the musical journey with a special radio-style show of this playlist to explore the roles these songs play in I Unlove You. We’ve even started linking songs to treasured books in the Merry Misfits Group – a facebook community all about removing barriers between Authors, Reviewers and Fans, take a look and you’re welcome to join in.

With that, I’ll bid you farewell, but not before I ask you one thing: if you could match any song to any of your treasured fictional characters or scenes, which song would you choose and why?

About the author

Goodreads: goodreads.com/matthewturner

Follow: Goodreads / Website / Blog /  Facebook

1st Person Bio:

My name is Matthew Turner, and I’m a British author who tends to write Coming-of-Age New Adult stories about life, love, and those wandering thoughts that roam your mind.

You can often find me in a coffee shop, enjoying a rich black mug of the good stuff whilst I read or write. And if I’m not doing this, I may be with my delightful son, George. He not only keeps me on my toes, but inspires me to write and make him proud each day.

Thanks for taking an interest in my pen scratching ways. I don’t see you as a reader, rather a friend in waiting. As such, please don’t be shy. Be part of this journey and say hello to me, and if you’d like to know more you can check out my site: turndog.co.

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Just Say Yes by Elizabeth Hayley – Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

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Just Say Yes by Elizabeth Hayley – Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

 

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Just Say Yes1Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
Magazine columnist Quinn Sawyer has always attracted sweet, innocent, and safe men. And something tells her it’s because she’s just as harmless. So when she starts craving a guy with an edge, she realizes she may have to get one for herself.

When her boss asks for a unique pitch, Quinn’s quest to live outside her comfort zone prompts her to suggest an idea that will cause her to break her good-girl rules. And who better than Tim Jacobs to help her push her boundaries? For a while now, Quinn’s had a hot crush on the tattooed executive chef with a checkered past. If anybody can bring out her inner rebel, he can.

It’s no surprise that with every task the two complete, the sparks between them grow more and more intense. Soon there’s no denying the attraction they each feel. But Tim’s troubled past reveals an even tougher edge than Quinn expected—which means for her, falling in love might just be the greatest rebellion of all.

 

Review:

Just Say Yes starts with Hayley on a date that doesn’t go too well. She meets up with her girlfriends later and they ask for the dirt on her date. When she tells them it didn’t go too well, they give her a hard time. She then starts wondering if she has pigeon holed herself in what she’s actually looking for in a relationship. Even more than that, she’s wondering if she really knows herself or if she’s just set herself on cruise control.

At work, she’s in a meeting where the writers pitch ideas to their boss for the next month’s magazine publication. Even though she’s been somewhat of a lackey, she finds herself offering up an idea for a story that her boss actually takes her up on. The idea? A good girl who breaks the rules, throws caution to the wind when it comes to dating. Although Quinn is shocked that their boss actually liked the idea, she is even more shocked that she is going to try and go through with it.

At a get together, Quinn ends up talking about what she is setting out to do, when Tim agrees to help her. Tim has a bit of a checkered past, but is actually looking forward to helping her out. He’s always thought she was pretty and a nice person, but knows he’d never have a shot at her with his past. She’s way out of his league………. Or so he thinks.

As they start spending time together as friends, things start to heat up. Quinn doesn’t know if she’ll truly be able to throw caution to the wind and take the chances that she wants to, but she knows down to her toes that Tim is more than the bad boy persona he projects to everyone. Once things really get going, a few things happen that leaves us wondering if they’ll actually be able to get past it in order to have a real relationship. Funny how things work out when you didn’t really know what you were looking for………

Just Say Yes is a wonderfully written story with a lot of humor (had me laughing out loud a lot!), a beautifully developed friends to lovers romance, and a few moments that had me tearing up. Quinn is a great character that is totally relatable and you’ll feel like you’ve known her all of your life. Tim is awesome as well. A little attitude, a big heart and a lot of hotness. This is the first I’ve read by this writing duo, but I’d definitely like to go back and read the first in the series and read future stories. If you’re looking for a fast read with humor, a beautifully developed romance and some steam, this is definitely for you! Well done, Elizabeth Hayley! Very well done!

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Guest Post

Built on a Hope and a Dream

Our journey as writers has been…weird. Weird in the best possible ways, but weird nonetheless. This all started with a discussion about how much we both loved Fifty Shades of Grey, and Hayley saying that she thought we could write romance. Elizabeth agreed.

So what started as a casual, off-hand comment turned into a book idea, became a planning meeting, transitioned into a super fun hobby, and ultimately morphed into Pieces of Perfect. We wrote our first book in about a month because once we started writing, we couldn’t NOT write. It’s like we’d been walking through life with part of ourselves missing. How could we have neglected this for so long?  We were writers. Yes, we were also wives, mothers, teachers, assholes, the list goes on and on. But we also, most certainly, were writers.

We started to bleed words, characters, and plot ideas. But instead of trying to stem the flow, we continued to allow ourselves to hemorrhage. Because we know that this is it–this will never bleed us dry. Rather, it will invigorate us. And from it bloomed a hope. A hope that this could all somehow be more.

So we kept going. Pieces of Perfect turned into the Pieces Series–three novels and a novella.  And when people actually bought them, we were amazed and thankful and excited. And the hope started to become something else–a dream.

We wanted this. We wanted to write stories that people would enjoy and characters they could relate to. But if we were going to strive for the dream, we were going to take it to the max fantasy: we wanted to be published.

We’ve never fully been able to grasp why being traditionally published was so important to us. A lot of authors prefer staying the indie course, and we admire them for it. Maybe we needed the validation–needed someone else to believe we were good enough. Maybe part of it was vanity. Who doesn’t want to see their novel in bookstores? Or maybe it was because we knew we could be better, but couldn’t get there on our own. Most likely, it was, and continues to be, all of these things.

But that meant that the next book had to be good enough for a publisher to want it. Enter The Best Medicine. And then enter Penguin Random House. With their help, we fixed up The Best Medicine, and created two more novels to make the Strictly Business Series: Just Say Yes and The Wedding Agreement (out in May).

The thing about a dream is that it changes every time you close your eyes. And the longer we write, the bigger our dream becomes. We don’t know what the future holds for us, but we hope it’s as exciting as where we’ve been. We hope the journey is long, and weird, and challenging. Because if it’s not those things, well then it won’t really have been a journey at all.

 

excerpt 1

 

“Quinn had been feeling pretty damn full of herself in the kitchen. But once she got into the bedroom and kicked off her sandals, she faltered for a second, chewing on her bottom lip as she looked at his large masculine bed: dark wood with a dark slate comforter. It was so not comforting. I’m about to have sex with Tim. On a bed that screams Christian Grey, if for no other reason than because it’s gray. Quinn was spiraling into a nonsensical state of self-deficiency. Tim was nearly eight years older than she was—a seasoned pro compared to her. What if she didn’t live up to his other experiences? What if he wasn’t into it? What if . . . ?

“Whatever you’re thinking about right now, stop it. Unless it’s that you don’t want to do this, in which case we’ll go back out there and have dinner.” Tim came up behind her and brought his hands up to her shoulders, sweeping her hair over one in the process so he could place gentle kisses on the back of her neck.

Quinn immediately relaxed into his touch. This was Tim. He’d opened a whole new world for her without ever once making her feel inadequate. She’d been a fool to think he ever would. “I definitely do not want dinner.”

“Then tell me what you do want.” His lips ghosted over her skin as he spoke.

“I—I want . . .” God, how am I supposed to think when he’s kissing me like that? She forced her mind to work through the sexual fog he was blanketing her in. “I want to be with you. In every way two people can be together. But I think—no, I know that I want you to lead. Show me what you like. Show me how good it can be.” It wasn’t that Quinn hadn’t had good sex before. She had, by her standards. But she was also convinced that sex with Tim would blow any previous encounter right out of the fucking water. She wasn’t interested in timid first times. She wanted epic right off the bat. And Quinn knew Tim would deliver.

“Every way, huh? That almost sounds like a challenge.”

“It is. You think you’re up for it?”

At that, Tim ground his erection against her ass. An erotic moan left her as he said, “Oh, I’m up for it.” He let her feel his hard-on through the denim of his jeans for only a moment longer before he pulled away, walked around her, and flopped down onto his side on the bed. “Strip for me, Quinn.”

Quinn felt her face heat as she looked down at herself.

“Hey.” Tim’s voice was soft as it drew her attention back to him. “I have been reliving your nude modeling for the past week. But see, that’s a memory I have to share with all those other people. Not this time. This time is just for me.”

His words emboldened her. It was just for him—it had been just for him then too, if she were being honest with herself. His were the only eyes she had cared about in that entire room. But in his apartment, with just the two of them, it was different. She couldn’t claim that it was for the article, or about finding herself. In Tim’s room, with only the soft pallor of the descending sun illuminating them, she was fucking found. So she reached under her arm and drew down the zipper that was hiding there, letting the dress fall to her feet. Her white satin bra fell next. And finally, with her eyes trained on Tim the entire time, she lowered her matching thong. Quinn stood before him, summoning a confidence she knew had been hiding in her somewhere, and watched as his eyes raked over her body. His gaze was all lust and need. And something else . . . reverence maybe? Like he had every intention of worshipping her body as though it were a temple. The thought made her stand up even straighter.

Tim rubbed his cock through his pants as he took in the sight of her. But just before she felt the slightest tinge of self-consciousness, he stood and walked back toward her. His hands came and cupped her jaw. “You’re perfect,” he whispered right before he pulled her lips to his. The kiss was intense as they spilled all of their wants into it.

Quinn basked in the feeling of Tim’s tongue against hers, his piercing turning her on even more than she already was. He got that for me. And now I get to be the one who enjoys it. Her hands skated down his chest to his stomach, where she yanked his shirt up and slid her hands beneath it. Her fingers adored his runner’s body, the ridges of his hardened abdominals. He broke away from her lips long enough to pull the shirt over his head, and she took full advantage, moving up to feel his slender but muscular chest. Finally, when she felt like she was being a cocktease to herself, her hands landed on his belt, quickly unfastening it and pushing it out of the way so she could pop the button on his jeans and drag the zipper down.


 

 

About The Author

Elizabeth Hayley
Elizabeth Hayley is actually “Elizabeth” and “Hayley,” two friends who love reading romance novels to obsessive levels. This mutual love prompted them to put their English degrees to good use by penning their own. The product is Pieces of Perfect, their debut novel. They learned a ton about one another through the process, like how they clearly share a brain and have a persistent need to text each other constantly (much to their husbands’ chagrin).

“Elizabeth” lives with her husband, daughter, and nutjob of a dog. “Hayley” lives with her husband, son, and her own crazy dog. Thankfully, their children are still too young to read.

Elizabeth Hayley’s writing motto is best captured by the words of Patrick Dennis: “I always start with a clean piece of paper and a dirty mind.”

 

giveaway

Elizabeth Hayley’s publisher is offering a paper copy of JUST SAY YES to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

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4. Please FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

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7. Follow Elizabeth Hayley   on Facebook.

8. Giveaway is open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from December 11 – 14, 2015

 

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Coming Apart at the Seams by Jenna Sutton – Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

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Coming Apart at the Seams by Jenna Sutton – Review & Giveaway

Coming Apart at the Seams

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Description:
Love can take some time to break in…

Teagan O’Brien, heiress to the Riley O’Brien & Co. denim empire, is anything but a spoiled rich girl. She’s worked hard to secure her place in the family business and can hold her own, in and out of the office. Only one man has ever been able to get under her skin—sexy football star Nick Priest. Years ago they crossed the line from friends to lovers, but he left her heartbroken. Since then, she’s been determined to keep him at arm’s length—no matter how tempting he looks in his jeans…

Nick has fortune, fame, and looks that make most women hot and bothered. But he doesn’t have the woman he really wants. He knows he screwed up when he walked away from Teagan, and now that he has a second chance, he’ll do whatever it takes to win her over—no matter how tongue-tied he gets…

 

 

Review:

Coming Apart at the Seams by Jenna Sutton is the 2nd book in her Riley O’ Brien & Co. series. Teagan O’Brien is our heroine in this book; she played a big part in the first book. Teagan is now fully working for Riley O’Brien, and to her dismay, she finds out that Nick, the man she loved and lost was coming to work for the firm.

Nick Priest is a famous pro football player, who is best friends with Quinn and Cal (Teagan’s brothers), and he is also a heartrob. Nick knows he hurt Teagan years before, but he is determined win her back; all he wants is a second chance. But even if their chemistry is scorching and she can’t resist him sexually, Teagan hates him now. Nick also doesn’t talk a lot, as he has a stuttering problem, which he tries to hide. Teagan never really notices it, as Nick seems to be a one word man.

The story then flips to the past, when Teagan was in law school in Boston, and Nick is traded to the Boston team. Nick always considered Teagan his best friends younger sister, and when he sees her again, she is all grown up. He finds himself visiting Teagan often, just being friends. Teagan has a crush on the gorgeous and sexy Nick, but understands they are just friends, and they enjoy each other’s company. Their friendship was very nicely done, even though you can see that Nick is having a hard time not being turned on by the luscious Teagan. We do hear his private thoughts, which he is desperately trying to control, as he does not want to lose her friendship, not to mention all the O’Brien family members.

Then one night, both give in to their lustful feelings, with Nick leaving in the middle of the night. Teagan realizes she loves Nick, but after a week or two passes without hearing from him, she goes to see him. What Nick tells her breaks her heart, and shortly thereafter, when she tries to contact him as a friend, he does not answer her calls. Why did Nick turn her away? Will Teagan ever forgive him for breaking her heart?

What follows returns to the present, where Nick is doing everything in his power to make Teagan let him explain, and forgive him. She refuses to listen to him, and does her best to be able to work with him and still ignore that she still has feelings for him.

This was a very good, fun story, and a sweet romance. I did think too much time was spent in the past, and as much as I loved Nick, I was not thrilled with his actions at times (Sex is not the only answer to win Teagan back). I loved Teagan in the first book, and continued in this one. It was great to spend time with the O’Briens again. I look forward to the next book in this series, which is expected to be Cal’s story.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Guest post-White and Red

Communication is the Secret Ingredient
By Jenna Sutton

It’s no secret that communication is secret ingredient to long and happy relationships, especially romantic relationships. Decades of research proves that couples who communicate well are happier and stay together longer.

But just because we know how important communication is doesn’t mean we’re good at it. The health and longevity of a relationship is based on effectively communicating thoughts and feelings in ways that our partners can understand and digest.

Here’s a question for you: Do you consider yourself a good communicator? Better yet, does your romantic partner think you are?

A few years ago, Terri Orbuch, a psychologist and author of Finding Love Again: 6 Simple Steps to a New and Happy Relationship, conducted a massive study while she was at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, surveyed divorced men and women, asking them what contributed to the break up and what they would change in their future relationships.

The study found that communication style was the number one thing the study participants would change. More than 40 percent said they would communicate differently (I’m curious about the percentage who said they wished their partner communicated differently).

I find the whole concept of communication intriguing, primarily because we all communicate differently and there are different forms of communication. Verbal communication, which involves both talking and listening, is the most common, yet some people are better at expressing themselves verbally than others.

Most of us consider the ability to speak as a given. We learn to talk when we’re babies, and hopefully, as we grow older, our vocabularies expand, and we learn to speak with purpose.

For most of us, the challenge isn’t talking, but talking too much. The opposite is true for Nick Priest, the hero of my new romance, Coming Apart at the Seams. Nick has a speech impediment that makes talking difficult—a severe stutter that no amount of speech therapy can cure.

Nick’s stutter impacts every aspect of his life, from his career choice to his personal relationships. As a wide receiver in the NFL, he relies on his body to do get the job done. His ability to run, jump, and catch a ball is what makes him successful.

But when it comes to personal relationships, Nick has a hard time connecting with people. Teagan O’Brien, the heroine of Coming Apart at the Seams, is the exception. She gets him in a way that other people don’t, and they’ve known each other for a long time because she’s his best friend’s little sister.

Here’s how Nick describes their communication style: “They had established a weird conversational rhythm he’d never experienced with anyone else. He could say one word, and she’d fill in the blanks, making it easy for him to communicate with her.”

Inevitably, Nick and Teagan cross the line from friends to lovers, and he breaks her heart. But when he finally realizes how badly he messed up, persuading Teagan to give him a second chance isn’t easy because she’s stopped listening. She doesn’t “hear” him anymore.

Nick has to figure out a way to let Teagan know how he feels. Fortunately, talking isn’t the only way to communicate—there’s also non-verbal communication like kissing and touching. And he’s really, really good at those things!

How would you rate your non-verbal communication skills? I think mine are quite excellent. For example, tapping my foot to communicate my annoyance is very effective, with my husband, at least. This habit, excuse me, this skill, is one that Teagan and I share.

Coming Apart at the Seams is the second book in the Riley O’Brien & Co. series, following my debut novel, All the Right Places. If you’re looking for a book that features deep friendship, intense passion, sizzling sex scenes, life-altering mistakes, and second chances, I hope you’ll read Coming Apart at the Seams. Visit my website at jennasutton.com to read an excerpt.

 

About The Author

jsuttonauthorphotosmall

Jenna Sutton spent most of her career as an award-winning journalist covering business-related topics including healthcare, commercial real estate, retail, and technology. Nowadays she writes about hot, lovable guys and the smart, sexy women who make them crazy. It’s the culmination of a lifelong dream, and she feels so lucky to be able to do it.

Jenna has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Texas Christian University and a Master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University. She and her husband live in Texas in a 103-year-old house affectionately known as “the money pit”.

You can learn more about Jenna at the following links:
website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads



giveaway
Jenna’s publisher is offering a paper copy of COMING APART AT THE SEAMS to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please LIKE us on FACEBOOK and click GET NOTIFICATIONS

4. Please FOLLOW us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

6. Please LIKE us on TSU for an additional entry.

7. Follow Jenna Sutton   on Facebook.

8. Giveaway is open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from December 7 – 11, 2015

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Target Engaged (Delta Force #1) by M.L. Buchman-Review, Sampler Tour & Giveaway

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TARGET ENGAGED (Delta Force #1) by M.L. Buchman-Review, Sampler Tour & Giveaway

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository / BAM

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 1, 2015

Kyle Reeves was trained by his father to do one thing: be the very best. So he isn’t daunted by the Delta Force selection process—the toughest military training on earth—or when the very best woman falls into his arms.

Carla Anderson buried her heart in Arlington when she lost her mother and brother to combat. She wants nothing more than to give her all in the line of duty until she too is laid down beside them, and Delta training might just be the challenge she’s looking for. Little did she know, the true challenge was coming in the shape of a sexy, alpha-male military operative.

Surviving brutal training is just the beginning of the merciless path to Delta, but it’s also the dawn of the hottest passion Kyle and Carla have ever known…

••••••••••

REVIEW: TARGET ENGAGED is the first installment in M. L. Buchman’s contemporary, adult DELTA FORCE military, romantic suspense series-a spin off from The Night Stalkers/ Firehawks series. This is sergeants Kyle Reeves, and Carla Anderson’s storyline. TARGET ENGAGED can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Some of the previous series characters cross over in secondary roles.

Told from several third person perspectives TARGET ENGAGED follows a number of intersecting paths: the building relationship between Kyle, and Carla-the first and only woman to serve with the Delta Forces; the training and acceptance in to the military’s exclusive Delta Force program; and the take down of a drug lord in the Venezuelan cartel.

We are witness to the Delta Force training program-the hardships, tests, endurance and psychological exams that weed out the weak leaving the best of the best. Enter Kyle Reeves and Carla Anderson, along with their team including Richie, Duane and Chad. Five members of an elite Delta Forces team that go where no one else is able to go. The large ensemble cast of characters adds color, turmoil, and the possibility of several more future stories. Carla and Kyle’s personalities and characteristics are compatible, well drawn out, and thoroughly entertaining.

M.L. Buchman’s TARGET ENGAGED focuses on the South American drug cartels, and Delta Force’s take down of the people at the top. Buchman’s DELTA FORCE series is written with military precision, romance, suspense and heart stopping action focusing on the camaraderie, friendship and organized refinement of the Delta Force Team and the missions they are ordered to undertake. Once again, Buchman’s use of military jargon, lingo and technical information brings the reader into the pages, onto the front lines of the dangerous missions, and into the minds of the Delta Force members.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

guest post

This December starts off with a bang as M.L. Buchman releases TARGET ENGAGED, the first in his brand new (and action-packed) Delta Force series! To celebrate his new release, Sourcebooks Casablanca is sharing the first six chapters of Target Engaged for FREE! Click HERE to download the first six chapters and check out a special note from M.L. Buchman below.

A Note from M.L. Buchman

Dear Reader,

Welcome to my newest series: the first women of Delta Force. I can’t begin to tell you how much fun this was to write. Most of us know little more about Delta Force than the Chuck Norris movies (which leave a lot to be desired) or perhaps we only know the name. In researching my Night Stalkers series, I kept running into these guys. They are the elite of Special Operations Forces. They are at a level of SEAL Team 6, and most would argue they were even beyond that. They are the ghost and shadow warriors who helped take down drug lord Pablo Escobar, capture Noriega, were undoubtedly behind the locating of Saddam Hussein, and are the main reason that Al-Qaeda abruptly stopped being a topic in the Iraq War when over three thousand of their leaders were swept off the board. Yet the Pentagon states that they don’t exist. Fascinating.

And while they often work with undercover female operatives, no woman has yet managed to kick in the front door on one of the most arduous selection programs in the military. I decided to change that. Carla Anderson stepped forward to take the challenge. She is a not a woman out to prove she can match any man, she’s out to prove that she can beat them at their own game. And that was the first thing that I loved about writing this series.

In the Night Stalkers, the women were strong, excellent, and determined. To be a Delta Force woman, Carla had to add enough attitude and drive to plow through all obstacles which just made her so much fun. Nothing was off the table when it came to her attitude or her actions. And that was the second thing I came to love about this series launcher, Target Engaged. Being Delta Force, they really do operate outside so many bounds. They are sent to do the tasks that no one else can. To that I added the additional challenge that Robert Ludlum gave to Jason Bourne (though I’m quoting the movie): “I don’t send you to kill. I send you to be invisible. I send you because you don’t exist.” I’m pretty convinced that this is part of Delta’s mission.

It is occasionally said by retired Delta Force operators (as the on-duty ones never speak): “If we’d been sent in to take down bin Laden, you still wouldn’t know how it was done.” To bring that to life gave me a permission as a writer to run my characters into hard and strange places and be just a little gonzo doing it. But writing is a give and take, and I can’t begin to tell you how much the characters I created shaped my telling of this story. I like to think that they had as much fun as I did bringing this story to life.

I hope that you enjoy the reading even half as much as I enjoyed the writing!

M.L. Buchman (the Oregon Coast, November 2015)

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Rogue Knight (Medieval Warriors #2) by Regan Walker-Review and Guest Post

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Rogue Knight (Medieval Warriors #2) by Regan Walker-Review and Guest Post

Rogue Knight

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / BAM

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 7, 2015

York, England 1069… three years after the Norman Conquest

The North of England seethes with discontent under the heavy hand of William the Conqueror, who unleashes his fury on the rebels who dare to defy him. Amid the ensuing devastation, love blooms in the heart of a gallant Norman knight for a Yorkshire widow.

A LOVE NEITHER CAN DENY, A PASSION NEITHER CAN RESIST

Angry at the cruelty she has witnessed at the Normans’ hands, Emma of York is torn between her loyalty to her noble Danish father, a leader of the rebels, and her growing passion for an honorable French knight.

Loyal to King William, Sir Geoffroi de Tournai has no idea Emma hides a secret that could mean death for him and his fellow knights.

WAR DREW THEM TOGETHER, WAR WOULD TEAR THEM APART

War erupts, tearing asunder the tentative love growing between them, leaving each the enemy of the other. Will Sir Geoffroi, convinced Emma has betrayed him, defy his king to save her?

•••••••••••

REVIEW:

Rogue Knight begins with Emma of York hurrying home, only to discover some heavy-handed Norman Knights trying to take that which isn’t theirs, which has become all too commonplace in her beloved York. Crisis averted, this time, Emma makes her way home. She has family to see to. She has taken in twins, Finna and Ottar, whose parents were killed. She also has servants, Artur and Sigga who help her take care of the children and her home.

Sir Geoffroi is in the practice yard in Talisand when the king’s messenger rides in to see the Red Wolf. He can feel it’s not good news. When Geoffroi makes his way to the great hall, he is eventually able to see the Red Wolf, who is still recovering from an injury and not able to be up and around. King William has requested the Red Wolf and his knights head to York to try and quell any uprisings. However, since the Red Wolf is not able to go, he sends Sir Geoffroi in his stead along with his knights. As Geoffroi heads out, the words of the wise one and seer, Maugris, echo in his head. The wise one’s visions have never been wrong………

When Sir Geoffroi and his knights finally arrive in York, it doesn’t take him long to ascertain that things are not good. The people of York are angry and he fears things will only get worse. He spots a lovely woman and her hound headed into the bailey, and even though she scowls, he finds himself intrigued.

Later, as Emma dreams of death and destruction, she is awakened by yelling and discovers that the men from York are leading an uprising. When she discovers Ottar missing, she knows that he has sneaked out to be with the men leading the uprising. She also knows she has to find him and see him safe. Little did she know that decision would change the rest of her life. She had come to think that all of the Normans were barbarians, until she encounters Sir Geoffroi on her quest to find Ottar. When she does find him, Geoffroi, who recognizes her from the bailey, aids them and gets them safely back to their home. Almost unbelievably, Geoffroi comes to her aid several times throughout the havoc that has become York. With her father being one of the rebel leaders, can she trust Geoffroi with her secret? And, what of her heart? As war wages and secrets are revealed, can they find their way back to each other, even though Geoffroi would have to defy his king to do so? Well, my friends, you will just have to read it to find out. And what a wonderful read it is.

Regan Walker has once again written a wonderful story that pulls you in from the very beginning. I truly am almost at a loss for words. I feel that I repeat myself when I review one of her novels, but I just can’t help myself. The way she effortlessly weaves actual historical events and characters into her tales are inspiring. Emma of York is one of the most brave, compassionate and determined heroines that I’ve read in a very long time. The love she feels for her family, whether they are blood related or ones that she has taken into her home, leaps off of the page. Then, there is Sir Geoffroi. His internal struggles are many, and you feel every one of them. His sense of honor and loyalty is something everyone should aspire to. And, once again, Regan Walker’s world building is phenomenal. Whether we are in a field of wildflowers, trudging through the snow, witnessing a great battle or sitting by the hearth in Emma’s home, you absolutely feel like you are there. I can see it, I can smell it, I can hear it and I most definitely can feel it. The intrigue will pull you in and the beautifully developed romance will make your heart smile, but the depth with which she writes her characters will keep you coming back for more. If you’ve not read anything by Regan Walker, it is truly your loss. Well done, Regan Walker! Very, very, very well done!!

Review by Vickie M.

Copy supplied by the author

excerpt

Dear God.
She crossed herself and covered her mouth, fighting the urge to spew at the sight of so much blood and so many bodies strewn about the clearing, blood congealed on their clothing, their vacant eyes staring into space. Some of the blood had pooled on the ground to catch the rays of the sun. The metallic scent of it, carried by the wind, rose in her nostrils.

At her side, the hound whimpered.

So many.

Until the Normans had come, Yorkshire had been a place of gentle hills, forests and thatched cottages circling a glistening jewel of a city set between two winding rivers. A place of children’s voices at play, some of those voices now silenced forever, for among the bodies lying on the cold ground were mere boys, their corpses cast aside like broken playthings.

At the sound of heavy footfalls on the snow-crusted ground, she jerked her head around, her heart pounding in her chest.

A figure emerged from the trees, so close she could have touched him.

She cringed. A Norman.

A tall giant of a knight, his blood-splattered mail a dull gray in the weak winter sun, ripped off his silvered helm and expelled an oath as he surveyed the dozens of dead. The sword in his hand still dripped the blood of those he had slain. He was no youth this one, at least thirty. His fair appearance made her think of Lucifer, the fallen angel of light. A seasoned warrior of death who has taken many lives.
Had he killed people she knew? Her heart raced as fear rose in her chest.

Would she be next?

 

Guest postWhat’s in a name? Picking Character Names
by Regan Walker

Choosing my characters’ names is always a huge project. I do not choose names on a whim. I want the names to fit the characters and the story. For for my Medieval Warriors series, the names had to be right for the time period (11th century) and the setting (medieval York, England). They had to compliment the personality of the characters, too. Because there are Norman (French), English, Anglo-Scandinavian, Danish and Scottish characters, the names had to be historically accurate. Some of my characters were real figures.

Emma and Sir Geoffroi f

The French knights in both The Red Wolf’s Prize and my newest story, Rogue Knight, are all named for knights who actually accompanied William the Conqueror to England from Normandy in l066. (Yes, there is a list!) Geoffroi de Tournai, the hero in Rogue Knight, was one of them.

The Normans introduced the name “Geoffroi” to England where it became common among the nobility. It means “Peace of God.” I rather think it fits a knight who was so noble he rebelled against his king’s orders to do what was right.

The setting for my story is Yorkshire, which was Anglo-Scandinavian in culture at the time. Almost every street in the city of York had the Old Norse suffix “gata” meaning “street” and most of the personal names would have been Scandinavian, too. Hence I gave the characters from York, including my heroine, Scandinavian names, not Norman or Saxon names.

I chose to name the heroine “Emma” after Emma of Normandy, Queen Consort of England, Denmark, and Norway earlier in the century. She was also the mother of Edward the Confessor. Until 1043, Queen Emma was the richest woman in England with extensive lands in the East Midlands and Wessex. She died in 1052, a respected woman. My heroine was born in 1046 while the Queen Mother still lived.

Queen Emma and her sons being received by Duke Richard II of Normandy

Other characters in my story who populate York also have Scandinavian names: Magnus, Emma’s huge Irish wolfhound, named after a Norwegian king; Inga, Emma’s friend; and Ottar and Finna, the two nine-year-old twins Emma adopts when they are orphaned. You can see them all on my Pinterest board for the book: 

1-Magnus

Emma’s father Maerleswein is a real historic figure, a rich Danish thegn who was Sheriff of Lincolnshire until he joined the rebellion against William I in 1068. I thought long and hard before using him as a main character, but he was such an enigmatic figure with little known of his family (no record of a wife or children, yet he had to have had them), it seemed like it could work. I held true to everything we do know about him.

As in all my stories, there are real historic figures joining the fictional characters. Those I don’t have to name, but I do have to learn as much about them as I can so portray them as they truly might have been. In Rogue Knight, you’ll find not only William, King of England, but King Swein of Denmark, King Malcolm of Scotland and various Normans: William Malet de Graville, Sheriff of Yorkshire, Richard FitzRichard, the castellan of York, Gilbert de Ghent, castellan of the second castle in York, William FitzOsbern, the Earl of Hereford and Robert, Count of Mortain, half-brother to King William. All lived at the time and were, I believe, as I have portrayed them.

When I’m dealing with so many characters, I always include a character list to help readers, though they tell me they don’t have any trouble keeping track. (That’s always good news!)

~~Regan~~

About the author

Regan WalkerRegan Walker is a #1 bestselling, multi-published author of Regency, Georgian and Medieval romance. She has been a featured author on USA TODAY’s HEA blog three times and twice nominated for the prestigious RONE award (her novel, The Red Wolf’s Prize is a finalist for 2015). Regan Walker writes historically authentic novels with real history and real historic figures. She wants her readers to experience history, adventure and love.

Her work as a lawyer in private practice and then serving at high levels of government have given her a love of international travel and a feel for the demands of the “Crown”. Hence her romance novels often involve a demanding sovereign who taps his subjects for “special assignments.”

Regan lives in San Diego with her golden retriever, Link, who she says inspires her every day to relax and smell the roses.

Twitter: @RegansReview (https://twitter.com/RegansReview)
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Geronimo Hotshot (The Ben Blackshaw Series #4) by Robert Blake Whitehill-Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

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GERONIMO HOTSHOT (The Ben Blackshaw Series #4) by Robert Blake Whitehill-Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

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Geronimo Hotshot
The Ben Blackshaw Series #4
by Robert Blake Whitehill
Release Date: October 1, 2015
Genre: adult, contemporary, mystery, suspense

Geronimo Hotshot

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date: October 1, 2015

Ben Blackshaw’s wife, LuAnna, has been shot and lies in a permanent coma on Smith Island. Blackshaw has a disastrous falling out with his best friend, Knocker Ellis. Licking his wounds alone on Lethe Island, Blackshaw resolves to quit the Chesapeake. To his disgust, he soon uncovers evidence of the brutal lynching of a young black boy. Police fail to capture the murderers despite the evidence Blackshaw turns over; Blackshaw himself becomes a suspect. He deploys west to Arizona in search of the killers, and discovers an encampment of armed ranchers, along with a one-percenter biker gang, and a cult of white supremacist vigilantes who have all sworn to stop the flood of undocumented immigrants crossing the Mexico line.

But everyone hides deadly secrets, including a biologic Weapon of Mass Destruction, the bizarre shoot-down of a Customs and Border Protection helicopter, and the disappearance of its crew. The vigilante camp itself is surrounded by a raging wildfire. Blackshaw teams with Del, an Apache member of the Geronimo Interagency Hotshot Crew, who was detailed to battle the blaze. Together they patrol in on the gathering of monsters. Part of their treacherous journey takes Blackshaw and Del through a cavern system of strange, wondrous, and lethal beauty. In the end, fire and hate threaten to consume everyone; the light of the inferno reveals that Blackshaw might be no better than the quarry he hunts.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: GERONIMO HOTSHOT is the fourth installment in Robert Blake Whitehill’s adult, contemporary Ben Blackshaw suspense series focusing on retired Navy SEAL Ben Blackshaw. Although this is the fourth book in the series, GERONIMO HOTSHOT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any previous information will be revealed where necessary.

Told from several third person perspectives the storyline advances the series one month. Ben’s wife had been injured in the previous storyline (TAP RACK BANG) and currently remains in a coma; our hero is unable to consider the future without his wife and embarks on another solo adventure to Bisbee, Arizona where racist bigots and white supremacists find themselves involved in a high tech drug war with the FBI, Customs and Border Patrol, a former sheriff, a murderous motorcycle gang, and the possibility of a biological weapon of mass destruction. Raging wildfires add another dangerous dimension to the equation wherein Ben Bradshaw finds himself trapped between the fires and his imminent death.

The lynching and murder of a young African American boy finds Ben on a mission to locate the people responsible and the connection to a religious cult known as the Pure Nation Comitatus wherein the leader presents himself as The Messiah. On a cross country journey from Smith Island on the Chesapeake Bay to the drought riddled forests of Arizona, Ben will come in contact with several people whose connections to and information about the PNC sparks a new sense of dread and urgency in our hero. A local Native American will follow Ben on his journey in the hopes of retribution and revenge.

GERONIMO HOTSHOT is a storyline with several intersecting paths, graphic violence, murder, action and adventure. From racism, prejudice, drug trafficking and murderous vendettas GERONIMO HOTSHOT looks at cult and culture; society, social inequality and community; race relations and ‘new age religion’ wherein people are seeking direction from a charismatic leader who demands obedience and proof of loyalty.

The numerous colorful and dynamic characters drive a good portion of the storyline as the build up follows several plotlines that will intersect and merge throughout the course of the novel. One thing is for sure: Ben Blackshaw is not your stereotypical hero-more of an anti hero-but a man who will command your respect and interest. There is intrapersonal conflict for Ben; and intergroup conflict between the PNC, biker gangs and the former local sheriff. The backdrop of the Arizona forests is a major player throughout the story.

GERONIMO HOTSHOT is an intriguing, enthralling and intense topical storyline. Robert Blake Whitehill will seduce your mind into a world of retribution and revenge. The destructive nature and powerful control of cults, drug trafficking and gangs are central to the storyline premise wherein the ill-fated machinations of the Messiah, the sheriff, and the drug lord will see reprisal and retaliation in the form of Ben Blackshaw and the FBI. Prepare to be pulled into a dark and destructive storyline.

Reading Order
1. Deadrise
2. Nitro Express
3. Tap Rack Bang
4. Geronimo Hotshot

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

guest post

Amateur Editors and Rewrites: From Hard Lessons to High Praise
By Robert Blake Whitehill

In film making, the editor assembles the movie from the raw footage gathered during production. In the newspaper business, an editor has the overall shape of the day’s edition in mind when recommending changes to the articles, and laying out their positions. In writing novels, there are different sorts of editors, and they can all make your book better, or make you crazy, depending on your point of view.

Every reader with an advance copy of your latest manuscript is also an editor. Every moment of the story, every word choice gets a subconscious yay or nay of judgment from the reader about the work. The reader might not realize this process is going on if you know your business, tell an interesting, well-structured story, and have done a few passes over the work by yourself before handing it off.

What happens if the reader finds a typo, or doesn’t like something in the story? The reader is pulled out of the story. Something got a nay. A professional editor will tell you exactly what the problem is with fine strokes of a red pen, or clever notes in an annotated .pdf file. An amateur reader/editor will identify trouble, or perhaps a specific issue. As writer, you might not agree that the noted point is a problem. That is always your choice.

Don’t overlook your readers’ concerns. They might not be able to articulate issues with the specific clarity of a professional editor, but their inner story-tellers are wired to flag problem areas. It is up to you to determine if the reader’s note relates to the exact place they mention, or if it is referred pain from a structural issue elsewhere in the manuscript. The reader is not at fault for missing your genius. Trust the reader’s judgment. Examine the area of concern closely. Nothing seems amiss? Next, examine what has come before that problem area in the manuscript. Still all good? Examine what comes after the place your reader planted that red flag. Yes, not providing certain information soon enough in the story might leave your reader confused. You cannot afford that.

The amateur editor will help you make your manuscript better. As an author, you must learn to interpret an amateur editor’s remarks to fully exploit their great value. Remember, amateur means doing a thing for the love of it. Quite possibly it is not for the love of reading that your editor has taken on your work. It is likely the reader has accepted your manuscript out of love for you. Respect that this affection can lead you to the truth of your best work.

~~Robert Blake Whitehill~~

About The Author

Follow Robert: Facebook / Website / Twitter /

Robert Blake WhitehillRobert Blake Whitehill was born into a Quaker family in Mardela Springs, just outside Salisbury on Maryland’s Eastern Shore peninsula. The family home lay next to the pond that powered a colonial-era relic, the Barren Creek Mill. He grew up sailing the Chesapeake Bay, and one of her most beautiful tributaries, the Chester River.

After graduating from Westtown School Whitehill stayed in Pennsylvania to earn his B.A. in creative writing at Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges. Later he trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. As with David Mamet, exhaustive studies of the best English language drama for the stage and screen transformed an aspiring actor into a passionate writer.

An early focus on feature screenwriting earned Whitehill film festival wins at the Hudson Valley Film Festival, and the Hamptons International Film Festival where he also received an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship for his script U.X.O. (Unexploded Ordnance). His feature script Blue Rinse, co-written with Andrea Shane is currently under option with producer Bill Jarblum (Charley Bartlett, The Little Traitor, Cloudburst), with Olympia Dukakis to star, and Thom Fitzgerald slated to direct.

While writing many highly rated episodes of Discovery/Times Channel’s The New Detectives, Daring Capers, and The Bureau, he served as the Vice President of Independent Film Acquisitions for the groundbreaking Centerseat.com, developing and managing their Independent Film Channel.

His first thriller in the Ben Blackshaw series, Deadrise, was named by Cyrus Webb to the Conversations Book Club Top 100 Books of 2012. His second book in the series, Nitro Express, was named to the Conversations Book Club Top 50 Books of Fiction of 2013.

Movie studio HatLine Productions is optioning the first two books, as well as the third title in the series, Tap Rack Bang, for development into feature films.

Whitehill lives in New Jersey with his wife and son. For a number of years, he has worked with the Montclair Ambulance Unit as an emergency medical technician.

When not sailing, or knocking around the sky in a Cessna 152, Whitehill is a contributing writer to Chesapeake Bay Magazine.

giveaway

Robert Blake Whitehill is graciously offering a signed paper copy of GERONIMO HOTSHOT to FIVE (5) lucky commenters at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

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5. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

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7. Please FOLLOW us on GOODREADS for an additional entry.

8. Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY.

9. Giveaway runs from October 1-6, 2015

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