Category Archives: Interviews

Hush, My Darling by Winter Austin-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

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Hush, My Darling (Benoit and Dayne Mystery 2) by Winter Austin-Review, Guest Post & Giveaway

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 27, 2022

Sometimes, the past starts to bleed into the future…

Dark memories haunt Eckardt County Deputy Lila Dayne. Two years ago, she survived a serial killer’s attempt to add her to his growing list of victims in Chicagoland, but the fight cost her more than just time lost to surgeries and rehab. Now she’s finally beginning to connect with the people in this small section of southeast Iowa, even if she can still sense him watching her.

Sheriff Elizabeth Benoit has her sights on bringing down Eckardt County’s corruption when two bodies surface, both bearing striking similarities to the serial killer victims discovered along I-80—and one delivers a personal message for her department. Lila spirals out of control under the pressure, pushing everyone out of her life.

As Elizabeth and her deputies try to bring Lila back into the fold, the killer closes in, marking his next victim. Lila must shake free of her fears and trust those who have supported her—or the killer will finish what he started.

•••••••

REVIEW:HUSH, MY DARLING is the second instalment in Winter Austin’s contemporary, adult BENOIT AND DAYNE murder, suspense thriller series focusing on small-town Sheriff Elizabeth “Ellie’ Benoit, and former Chicago police officer turned deputy Lila Dayne. HUSH, MY DARLING can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from third person perspectives (Lila and Elizabeth) HUSH, MY DARLING follows in the wake of a possible serial killer in Eckardt County. Former Chicago police officer Lila Dayne is the newest recruit/hiree on the Eckardt County police force but Lila’s past is a mystery to Sheriff Elizabeth Benoit, a mystery that is about to upend the town, sending Lila into a spiral from which she may never return. With half the town submerged under water in the wake of a seasonal storm, an unsolved serial case and a badly decomposed body has followed Lila Dayne to Eckardt County, and with it, a message that the killer has come to finish the job. As the only known surviving victim of the I-80 killer, Lila knew it was only a matter of time before her past comes full circle, and threatens the people with whom she works, loves and plays.

The large ensemble cast is spirited, dynamic and impassioned. Most of the previous story line characters return including Sheriff Elizabeth Benoit, Deputy Lila Dayne, Deputy Rafe Fontaine, Deputy Ben Fitzgerald, Deputy Brent Meyer, and Deputy Kyle Lundquist; ME Dr. Olivia Remington-Thorpe and her husband Dr. Dominic Thorpe, dispatcher Georgia Schmidt, and former Eckardt County Sheriff Kelley Sheehan. We are introduced to former CPD detective Cecil Waterford, and Agent Tate McCall with the Illinois State Police. The relationship between the Drs Thorpe is turning messy and concerning.

HUSH, MY DARLING is an intriguing, haunting and gritty story of power and vengeance, murder and mayhem, obsession and control.The premise is tragic and edgy; the characters are broken, intense and determined.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one THE KILLER IN ME

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Danger in Rural Iowa

Did you know that in the state of Iowa, we have one of the most disturbing and long running cold case? The Villisca Ax Murders happened in June of 1912. An unknown assailant entered the home and using the owner’s ax, slaughtered the whole family and two others, then disappeared into the night. To this day it remains a mystery of who did it. As a little added fun, the house is apparently haunted. The current owner rents it out per night for those willing to deal with the paranormal.

That’s not to say, there aren’t more cold cases and murders in our Hawkeye state, we’re not immune to violence in all forms. Yes, Iowa’s bigger cities and towns typically carry the brunt of the statistics for violence one would associate with places with large populations, such as gang violence, homicides, riots, and assaults. But what some people don’t expect is that same kind of danger to occur in rural towns. Yet, it happens. Even in the far-flung corners of the state, and I live in one of those corners. When it involves humans, one can’t get far from the evil that lurks beneath.

Setting my latest series in a rural area, and then writing about the dangers that can come knocking has been fun, and an eye-opener for me. Why? Because I took that old adage “write what you know” to heart and did it. I know rural life and all its little nuances. I know of the dangers that lurk in the shadows and come to head when tragedy strikes. This is what gives my stories depth and layers. A real feast for the senses. And a reality check, because leaving your doors unlocked when you live in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by miles of crop fields isn’t always a good thing.

Programs like Murder in the Heartland on the ID network and other shows dealing with small town deaths are fairly popular with the true crime crowd—I being one of those crime junkies. Shows and podcasts such as those are good idea gleaners for me. Man, I cut my teeth on watching shows like Unsolved Mysteries and Murder, She Wrote, guess it was only a matter of time before I was pulled into writing in the mystery/crime fiction genre.

So, what’s the claim to fame murder/cold case from your state? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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A lifelong Mid-West gal, Winter rediscovered her love of her beloved Iowa with its hot summers and snowy winters. She grew up listening to the captivating stories told by relatives around the table or a campfire. Since becoming a published author, she learned a mindset of a glass half-empty personality makes for a perfect suspense/thriller author. Taking her ability to verbally spin a vivid and detailed story, Winter translated that into writing deadly romantic thrillers. Combining her love of all things rural, agricultural, and military, she’s turned her small town life upside down.

Winter Austin is graciously offering a paper copy  (USA only) of HUSH, MY DARLING or ebook copy (International) to ONE 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.

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3. Please LIKE and FOLLOW Winter Austin on  Facebook

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5. Please LIKE The Reading Cafe on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

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9. Giveaway open to USA only (paper) or international (ebook)

10. Giveaway runs from February 7-11, 2022)

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The Valentine Wager by Nan Reinhardt – Review & Guest Post

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The Valentine Wager by Nan Reinhardt – Review & Guest Post

 

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Description:
He’s a notorious flirt, so she lays down a challenge she’s sure she’ll win.

When playboy police lieutenant Ryker Lange stops Kitt Boynton for driving on the wrong side of the road, his attraction to the feisty Irish lass is immediate. Yet, despite the sizzling chemistry between them, Kitt quickly turns him down.

Kitt has moved to River’s Edge for a fresh start and is ready to focus on her new marketing job at her cousins’ winery. She’s done with players, and vows she won’t let the local sexy cop distract her, but Kitt, a flirt herself, is definitely tempted. To keep her sanity as she prepares for several Valentine-themed winery events, she and Ryker make a bet: for the next three weeks, neither of them can flirt with the other.

The game starts out lighthearted, but when the town takes sides, Ryker and Kitt must choose between winning a wager or finding lasting love.

 

 

Review:

The Valentine Wager by Nan Reinhardt is the first book in her The Lange Brothers series.  This is a spinoff from The Four Irish Brothers Winery series.  Kitt Boynton, our heroine, has recently moved to River’s Edge from Ireland, to be the marketing manager for her cousins at their winery. Kitt had a bad experience with her ex-boyfriend, who was married, and she has sworn off men.

Ryker Lange, our hero, is a police lieutenant, and when he sees Kitt driving on the wrong side of the road (she still is used to driving on the other side), he pulls her over.  Ryker, who is a playboy, is immediately attracted to the beautiful Kitt, but she brushes him off.  Ryker, despite his family and friends warning him to stay away from Kitt, as he has never allowed himself to get serious, thereby hurting many women along the way; but he is determined to win Kitt over. 

They both feel their sizzling chemistry, but Kitt recognizes that Ryker is a player, and constantly ignores his attempts.  As she helps prepare for the winery Valentine events, Kitt is fun to be with, and most of the townsfolk love her friendliness; though they both like to flirt, they make a bet. For the next three weeks, neither of them can flirt with each other, and just become friends. Who will win that bet?  Now the town has begun to place bets as to who will win. 

Kitt having been badly hurt previously, tries to convince Ryker to be friends, and hang around together with their friends; even though she does feel the attraction to him.  Ryker plays the friendship card, but finds himself falling hard for Kitt; and when his family and friends tell him how he breaks other women’s hearts, he tries to change.

This was my first book by Reinhardt, and I really did enjoy meeting all the wonderful secondary characters that were part of the previous series (Sam, Conor, Sean, Mac, Tierney, Brendan, just to name a few).  What follows is a sweet wonderful romance between a great couple in Kitt and Ryker.  Will they remain friends or open their hearts to love? Who will win the Valentine Wager?  You will have to read this book to find out.

The Valentine Wager was very well written by Nan Reinhardt, and I look forward to reading the next book in this fun series.  If you enjoy pure romances, wonderful couple, and great secondary characters, then you need to read The Valentine Wager.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for Review

 

Building and Maintaining a Setting Through a Series of Stories

Awkward title, I know, but that really is what I want to talk about—how we keep a setting and secondary characters fresh and fun through more than one series. There are lots of great examples of authors creating a place and using that setting for several series of books. Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series; Tule Publishing’s multi-author Marietta, Montana books; Marie Force’s Gansett Island series; Cheryl Brooks’s Cat Star Chronicles—ten books that all happen on other worlds, but are connected by characters who travel to those worlds; Jan Karon’s Mitford series… and, of course, my own River’s Edge stories, which will be 10 stories strong by the end of 2023.

The Four Irish Brothers Winery series took place in the same type of small town, but in those books, the setting itself has nearly become a secondary character. The little town of River’s Edge, Indiana, is inspired by the Ohio River town of Madison, Indiana, and I’ve had the time of my life populating it with quirky and fun characters.

Most of them are purely from my imagination, but friends/family may see a little of themselves in Mac Mackenzie, the Cordon Bleu-trained chef who owns the local diner and cooks amazing dishes or in Dot Higgins and her sister Mary who own the quilt shop. Guitar-playing Duane is the local sheriff and Paula Meadows owns the Bread & Butter bakery, happily keeping all the townsfolk in bread, doughnuts, and pies. Janet at the yarn shop and her sweet kitty, Fiona, were inspired by a dear friend at my church, as was Noah Barker, who owns the hardware store.

In River’s Edge, the River Walk is the place to meet-and-greet during any season. You might run into any one of the Flaherty brothers and their families on a warm summer evening or see Harley Cole, the nursery school teacher, rowing her kayak down on the river. Chances are good that Mateo Santos and his stepdad Aidan Flaherty are up on the deck of the River Queen showboat, singing lustily as they put on a new coat of white paint, scrub the decks, or wash windows in preparation for the new Showboat Summer season.

You could have a craft beer at Hutchins House, the oldest still-operating tavern on the river and have you stopped by the restaurant at the new Cotton Mill Inn? The hotel just opened in the newly renovated nineteenth-century cotton mill that overlooks the river. They’ve got a fabulous menu.

If you’re looking for a hike or a picnic among the cliffs and waterfalls of southern Indiana, the state park is just up the hill, and on the way up, you’ll pass Four Irish Brothers Winery and Vineyards. Stop in, taste some wine, and enjoy a snack on the deck overlooking the vineyards. There are several department stores and chain restaurants up on the highway, but if you looking for authentic pizza, head to Mario’s—his is the best—and check out all the great shops in town, you’re sure to find the perfect gift for that special someone. 

You get the idea—when you invent a setting in a romance novel, make it a place you’d love to be, a place where you could find your HEA (happily-ever-after). River’s Edge is a town I’d love to live in.

Craft background characters who fit in with the ambiance of your town and who are likeable. Every character is inspired by someone I know or someone I would like to know. It’s okay if they’re quirky, but remember, don’t let them take over the story. Mac Mackenzie appears in each Four Irish Brothers Winery novels and readers love him, even though he is window dressing for the real story. Giving handsome Mac a love interest in Book 2 was fun and worked so well that we’re all following along to see what will eventually happen with him and super-sophisticated Carly Hayes, who starts out as sort of a not-nice person in Book 1, but grows and evolves in Books 2, 3, and 4. The same thing is happening with a little romance that has developed between Noah and Dot. Having their own stories brings background characters to life, and you can do it with just a moment or two of interaction with your main characters.

Setting and background characters are what bring your story to life as it flows along behind the romance between your hero and heroine. It’s where you can break out of the expected storyline or personalities of your main characters and really have some fun. So don’t be afraid to let them evolve and to build on your setting and background characters as you write a series. Readers become invested and will be back for more!

 


Nan Reinhardt is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic fiction for Tule Publishing. Her day job is working as a freelance copyeditor and proofreader, however, writing is Nan’s first and most enduring passion. She can’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t writing—she wrote her first romance novel at the age of ten and is still writing, but now from the viewpoint of a wiser, slightly rumpled, woman in her prime. Nan lives in the Midwest with her husband of 48 years, where they split their time between a house in the city and a cottage on a lake.

Talk to Nan at: nan@nanreinhardt.com

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tule Publishing

 

 

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Beasts of Sonara by Shawn C. Butler-Review & Guest Post

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Beasts of Sonara by Shawn C. Butler-Review & Guest Post

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 12, 2021

They can save millions of lives, if she doesn’t kill them first

Tourist Raymond Molina finds the body of a young biologist in a Costa Rican bay—apparent victim of a shark attack—but no one knows how she got there. As Ray searches for what really happened to her, he stumbles onto the best kept secret in the natural world.

This is a secret hidden for centuries by residents of the coastal town of Sonara, protected by intelligent but violent animals unknown anywhere else on earth, and coveted by a massive biotech company that will do anything to discover the truth—no matter the cost.

And behind it all is a creature with the power to cure disease, all disease…or kill everyone on earth.

••••••

REVIEW:BEASTS OF SONARA by Shawn C Butler is an adult, speculative fiction, thriller focusing on surfing instructor Raymond Melina, and a small Costa Rican town, its’ population, and the sentient beasts with magical properties.

Three years after the death of his beloved, Raymond Melina finds himself living and surfing in the small coastal town of Sonara, Costa Rica, a town whose secrets run dangerous and deep but as the powers and people are called to perform, Raymond is pulled towards the past, a past closely connected to the family he never knew. The death of a young woman leaves too many unexplained questions, questions that can only be answered by the beasts involved, and Raymond is unwilling to sit back without first uncovering the truth. Meanwhile, Nomanity, a biotech firm out of San Jose, wants access to the beasts and their secrets but all is not well in the small coastal town of Sonara, as Raymond will discover, the past holds heartbreak and death, betrayal and guilt, and threats to the world’s population now and in the future, threats that Nomanity may want to control, for themselves.

BEASTS OF SONARA is a complex, detailed, haunting and captivating speculative-fiction story line of animal sentience, genetic manipulation, and immortality: a character driven twisted tale of family, tragedy, power and control. Shawn C Butler pulls the reader into a fascinating and intriguing tale of one small town where nobody grows old, and (almost) everyone lives to see another day.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Believability in Science Fiction is a Myth

Much has been written about believability in science fiction. We live in an age where everyone writes and publishes and there is no more gatekeeper to the digital world than a keyboard and momentary inspiration. There was nothing new under the sun long before the internet, and now a million people prove it every day. We live in the golden age of the derivative. So perhaps it’s time to dispel of one great myth about good speculative fiction–that it has to be believable. It does not and, honestly, I can think of nothing less interesting.

Speculative fiction traditionally comprises science fiction, fantasy and horror, and perhaps magical realism. All fiction is, in some sense a lie; you’re telling a story about something that never happened, never will happen, and probably couldn’t happen. With speculative fiction, the lie is bigger; in science fiction, you might have to accept that spaceships might someday span the vast space between stars; in fantasy, that elves exist and are magical; and, in horror, that monsters might be real.

What makes us read these deceptively woven threads of impossibility is not that they’re believable, but that we want to escape to a world that is far from this world–another place that does not exist, where different rules apply, and we can run through fields of man-eating plants as werewolves howl at the twin moons in dismay and confusion and alien satellites burn across the darkling sky. It is not believability we want, but a lie told with elegance and respect for our intelligence so that we feel transported rather than merely deceived.

This is pretty obvious if you think about it. No one watches Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien or even Arrival because they believe they’re based on scientific reality. The Force is just magic by another name, beaming is suicide combined with impossibility introduced for budgetary reasons (and don’t get me started on Tricorders), the face-eating alien might as well be a demon for all the logic of its behavior and indestructibility, and a language for time travel? Wondrous. Glorious. But as far from believability as feldspar is from gold. Also…spoilers?

Even if you read Hail Mary and love the hard-science wrappings, Mark Watney v2.0 is still flying around in a spaceship discovering new civilizations and saving them by being Space MacGyver. It’s cool, compelling, smart and fun reading. But believable? Not so much, and it doesn’t have to be because it’s brilliantly true-to-expectations. Which is more than good enough.

And that is really the truth of good speculative fiction; it delivers on readers’ expectations as framed by the genre and the promise made on the book cover and blurb. In the case of science fiction, this means a well-constructed world or universe based on at least passingly explained technology wherein characters behave in a manner consistent with that world. In other words, it’s not believability we seek, but consistency, credibility and wonder. Nothing is really explained in Annihilation, and who cares? It’s a wild freakin’ ride.

If you read hard science fiction, credibility is based on detailed explanations of technology and how it applies to the world occupied by our main characters (e.g., The Martian or Jurassic Park). In softer science fiction, it’s about the feel of a world defined by new but less laboriously explained technologies (e.g., Star Trek or The Broken Earth).

For sub-genres, credibility depends on more specific expectations. In time travel books, you’d better explain how traveling through time is possible and make at least a passing nod to paradoxes (e.g., Looper). For space opera, there needs to be vast political intrigue constrained by the limitations of future technologies (e.g., Foundation, A Memory Called Empire or The Interdepency). When you hear the term “true to genre,” it’s not about writing a formulaic novel by a set of rigid rules; it’s about delivering the reader what they expected, or close enough to feel you’re respecting their needs as a sentient human being. Or, and this is a rare thing, subverting those expectations with such grace and brilliance the reader is grateful for the ride (e.g., most Cormac McCarthy books, but especially No Country for Old Men or The Road).

If you look at the best science fiction of the past and today (The Time Machine, Frankenstein, Stranger in a Strange Land, Foundation, Childhood’s End, Dune, Ringworld, Broken Earth, Annihilation, etc.), literally none of it is even close to believable–it would be boring if it was–but it’s compelling, internally consistent and tells a great story. Credibility is a measure of how well you draw the reader in and keep them there, not whether you can explain how genetic engineering works in Blade Runner (hint: it makes no damn sense…and almost no one cares).

So stop trying to make your books believable. Instead, ask yourself what the reader expects, think of them as intelligent beings looking for escape and enlightenment, and then write a book that shows them respect, gives them joy, and every once in a while causes an exclamation of surprise or bark of laughter. Preferably both. If you do this with a compelling world and empathetic characters, you’re already delivering more than most speculative fiction today.

With regard to respecting your audience, nothing, and I mean nothing, will destroy your reader’s confidence in your world and writing more than inconsistency or blatant disrespect. Game of Thrones was never believable even as fantasy, but it was hella compelling as a TV series until the showrunners forgot about the rules of the universe–and the very spirit of George RR Martin’s books–and drove the show off a cliff. In contrast, The Expanse is (so far) consistent, the characters are real-ish people, and I’ve never once felt forced to swallow something absurd or ignore a glaring plot hole. Fingers crossed for the last book and season six (Please don’t screw it up. Please don’t screw it up. Please don’t screw it up). GoT lost its fans by the millions because HBO stopped caring about the story, and started caring more about how to suck money out of its nominally captive audience. So, you know, don’t do that.

Instead, write for the smart and curious child inside every reader that wants to escape to an incredible new world for a few minutes or hours, learn something new, imagine things never before seen, and generally not care whether it’s all believable or not. I don’t believe the sand worms in Dune are even vaguely plausible, but god I love that they exist on the page and in my mind. I’ll be forever grateful for that.

And my only hope is that sometimes I write well enough to make a few readers feel this same joy and gratitude for even a fleeting second of the time they’ve given me. When I wrote Beasts of Sonara, it never once occurred to me to that it should be realistic or believable. These things can’t happen. The world just doesn’t work like that. But wouldn’t it be awesome if it did?

~~Shawn C Butler~~

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Dark and Otherworldly Omnibus by Kristen Brand-Review & Guest Post

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Dark and Otherworldly Omnibus by Kristen Brand-a review & guest post

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 30, 2021

Leigh Morgan has one mission: to stop the Fae who abducted her sister from ever kidnapping another human again.

Dredarion Rath wants one thing: to disgrace his older brother and prove himself the worthier heir to Otherworld’s throne.

When their paths cross, it changes everything, and neither Otherworld nor the human realm will ever be the same.

Three romantic urban fantasy novels; one darkly enchanting volume. The Dark and Otherworldly Omnibus includes:

•••••••

REVIEW:

Poison and Honey

She hunts the fae. The last man she should fall for is a cunning fae prince.Leigh won’t stop until her sister is home! That was the promise she made to herself. So freeing the humans from the Fae kingdom of Dwencanti is Leigh’s mission in life….

The only little issue I had, was the fact we jumped straight into palace life! I would have liked a little background and possibly a flashback to her sister’s kidnapping (but being a novella we need to keep it going)!

Prince Dredarion Rath has something to prove. And if using a human to achieve it, then so be it!! He doesn’t see anything but his mission to make his mother see that he should be the next ruler and not his brother!

So we have a complex storyline that will definitely take you on an adventure. Leigh is a great character, very strong and independent. And one might say a little cold, possibly heartless (she was going to use whoever and whatever she could to free the human slaves) but I suppose being in her position you can’t really blame her! Dredarion starts off as a cold figure, I wasn’t too keen on him at first.

But as they begin to work together (well more like Leigh is working for Dredarion whilst continuing her mission) it becomes a balancing act for Leigh, she needs to keep Dredarion sweet but, keeping her own secrets from him! You know it’s going to get messy!

Next book please…..

?

Sting of Thorns

She’s been cursed by the queen of Otherworld. Now the only one who can save her is the man she betrayed.

This one starts where the last one ends, so you definitely need to read Poison and Honey first, otherwise your going to be a little lost!! And so this review is going to be a little tricky as I don’t want to spoil anything…..

Leigh was cursed in the last book (oh didn’t I tell you that in my last review?) ? Dredarion and Leigh can’t stand to look at one another let alone help each other! Why? I hear you ask!! Well….. Nope can’t do it, you’ll need to read book one to find that out (but it’s a good one I promise you) And Leigh may or may not have started a rebellion/riot/escape.

And in doing so, she’s trapped herself in the otherworld! That’s where she needs help from Mr Dark and Dangerous! But Dredarion isn’t willing to help Leigh! So what’s a girl to do??

I loved this book, fast paced action that had me flicking the pages over until the end! We also get to take Dredarion to the human world (and there are some pretty funny moments) Can Leigh and Dredarion find their way back to each other? Or will the lies and feelings of betrayal kill their feelings for one another for good?

And there is a death sentence hanging over Leigh?!

Book three please …..

?

The Cruelest Curse

When dark forces threaten Otherworld, she’ll have to join forces with her enemies to save the kingdom… and the prince.The final book in this amazing trilogy had me wanting to inhale the book, but not wanting it to ever end!

As in the last book we start where book two (Sting of Thorns) ends. But without giving anything away, you are in for the ride. So buckle up, grab your sword and let’s go help Leigh and Dredarion win their fight against evil forces that want to take over the otherworld!!

I want to tell you about everything that goes on in this book, I want to share all the ups and downs, the scary moments, the sad moments, and the moments I just had my mouth open! But I won’t, instead I’ll tell you that the action doesn’t stop!

Friends from the human world help otherworlders that would have at one time enslaved them! Magic plays a role too. (Dredarion has magic literally up his sleeves) We also have a fight scene that will have you reading with one eye! (Or maybe that’s just me) ? So can Leigh save both Dredarion and the people she once swore to avenge? There are deals to be made, alliances to form, and lovers to reunite.

?

Boxset/Omnibus, whatever you want to call it, you just need to download and read it. The author (Kristen Brand) is totally new to me, and I’ve learned to jump in with both feet now (if I don’t like it, I won’t finish it!) But it won’t be the last of her books that’ll read. She brought the whole world to life with her descriptions.

And although short stories in themselves (could have happily read them as bigger books) it does cover a lot of ground. There is so much packed into this world. I’m hoping it’s not the last we see of Dwencanti and it’s inhabitants.

If you love paranormal romance with daggers and magic, then this one should definitely go on your TBR list.

? Reviewed by Julie B

Copy supplied for review

Why Enemies-to-Lovers is my Favorite Romance Trope

All stories need conflict, and romance novels are no exception.

Maybe the conflict is forbidden love. The protagonist is from the wrong side of the tracks, or the love interest is their best friend’s brother. Maybe the couple broke up years ago and must address their past hurts before getting a second chance. Or maybe the hero got kidnapped by an evil wizard and the heroine has to go on an epic quest to rescue him.

Conflict. It’s fun.

My least favorite conflict is the contrived misunderstanding where everything would be fine if the couple just talked to each other for five minutes instead of jumping to the wrong conclusion.

My favorite is enemies-to-lovers.

The couple are fighting for different kingdoms during a war. They’re both after the same promotion in the office. One’s a superhero, the other a supervillain. Whatever the circumstances, the couple has every reason to hate each other, and yet… They just can’t deny how amazing and attractive they find one another.

That’s the conflict in my paranormal romance series, Dark and Otherworldly. The twist is that only the heroine knows they’re enemies in the first book. She’s a spy in a fae palace, her undercover mission going smoothly until she accidentally attracts the attention of a prince. Then she finds herself juggling conspiracies and battling her own growing romantic feelings until everything finally explodes.

Both metaphorically and literally. I like writing explosions.

What’s great about enemies-to-lovers is that it gives you so much conflict to work with: characters torn between duty and love, feelings of betrayal and forgiveness, a couple from very different backgrounds finding ways to meet in the middle.

It gives the characters so many obstacles to overcomes. They have to battle their own feelings. Then they have to grapple with the feelings of their friends and family who usually aren’t thrilled about them sleeping with the enemy. And then, depending on the genre, they have to test their newfound relationship by fighting the villain and saving the day.

Enemies-to-lovers is no third act misunderstanding thrown in because things had been too easy. No, it forces the characters to earn their happily ever after.

So I’m an enemies-to-lovers fan all the way. What’s your favorite romance trope? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Kristen

If Kristen Brand could have any superpower, she’d want telekinesis so she wouldn’t have to move from her computer to pour a new cup of tea. She lives in Florida with her husband, and her hobbies include reading comic books and desperately trying to keep the plants in her garden alive. An author of fantasy and superhero fiction, she writes stories with fire-forged friends, explosive fight scenes, and kissing

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The Killer in Me by Winter Austin-Review & Interview

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The Killer in Me (Benoit and Dayne Mystery 1) by Winter Austin-Review & Interview

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 14, 2021.

What price is too great to stop a killing spree?

Elizabeth Benoit ran for sheriff to wipe out the corruption in the good old boys network of Eckardt County, but she has yet to break in her shoes when a stranger’s body is found in a ravine. With her ex back in town, a new deputy detective on the edge of losing control, and a crooked ex-sheriff out for revenge, Elizabeth’s resources are stretched thin. And then the second body drops.

Fearing a serial killer on the loose, Elizabeth launches an investigation that lays bare more than one family secret: The Kauffmann matriarch is full of advice, but her progeny have a mean streak that leaves a path of destruction in their wake. The Meyer patriarch has his own agenda, and the Kauffmanns have been a thorn in his ambition for too long.

Elizabeth and her deputies are about to face off against odds that are not in their favor. Only one source can tip the scales, but will she sell her soul for his help?

••••••

REVIEW: THE KILLER IN ME is the first instalment in Winter Austin’s contemporary, adult BENOIT AND DAYNE MYSTERY murder, suspense series focusing on small-town Sheriff Elizabeth “Ellie’ Benoit, and former Chicago police officer Lila Dayne.

Told from third person perspective THE KILLER IN ME focuses on a series of murders in the small town of Eckardt County, murders in the wake of the ousting of a corrupt police department. Elizabeth Benoit’s return to Eckardt County comes with the new position of sheriff, a position in which she is hoping to dismantle years of corruption at the hands of the former people in charge but when several bodies begin surfacing in and around Elizabeth’s jurisdiction, Elizabeth needs all hands on deck in an effort to take down a potential serial killer, taking aim at the people she has sworn to protect.

Meanwhile, former Chicago PD police officer Lila Dayne, arrives in town just in time to jump head first into the first of four murder investigations but informing the families pushes Lila over the edge, bringing with it memories she won’t soon forget. Struggling to move on from a past without any closure, hoping for a much slower pace than her previous assignment, Lila’s ongoing pain and physical reminders, are too often at the forefront on her current investigation.

THE KILLER IN ME introduces the players in Winter Austin’s Benoit and Dayne Mystery series: Sheriff Elizabeth Benoit, Deputy Lila Dayne, Deputy Rafe Fontaine, Deputy Ben Fitzgerald, Deputy Brent Meyer, and Deputy Kyle Lundquist, as well as Elizabeth’s ex-husband, Delta force specialist Joel Fontaine, ME Dr. Olivia Remington-Thorpe, and former Eckardt County Sheriff Kelley Sheehan. The requisite evil has many faces.

Winter Austin pulls the reader into a complex story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, murder, mayhem, greed and extreme dysfunctional family dynamics. The premise is intriguing, haunting, twisted and tragic; the characters are impassioned and determined. We learn some of the history between Elizabeth, her ex-husband Joel, and his brother Rafe, as well as a little bit about the past events that forced Lila from Chicago to Eckardt County, a past that is likely to follow Lila wherever she goes.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

TRC:  Hi Winter and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of THE KILLER IN ME.

We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

FOLLOW: GOODREADS / Website / Twitter / Pinterest / Facebook / Instagram / Tule Author page

Winter:  I’m a long time Midwestern gal with a penchant for the macabre. Always nose-deep in a mystery/suspense or a comic book when I was growing up. I was that girl classmates looked at cross-eyed because I was weird for my small rural town upbringing. If I wasn’t reading, I was writing or dreaming of writing. I have a thing for action movies, especially if the heroine is the kick-butt one holding her own and saving the dude’s life.

 Today, I’ve raised 4 weirdos just like me, and been married over twenty years to a veteran who is now teaching. And my writing has gone from romantic suspense to full on mystery/suspense with female leads.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Winter: The deciding factor in my decision to become an author came about in the fourth grade when I earned a spot to go to a young writer’s conference with a story, that ironically, was a mystery. I was horse crazy kid who found and fell in love with Walter Farley’s THE BLACK STALLION, and upon learning that he’d written that book while in college and became an author at an early age cemented it for me. Fast forward to high school, I returned to that same young writer’s conference, and on the suggestion of an English teacher, I began to pursue that dream. It wasn’t until my twin sons were born and with nothing better to do, I began writing—a mystery. (See a theme here?)

 Over time, lots of self-learning, years of dogged determination, and few writer’s conferences more I made it. I’ve had people tell me, without having ever read a word I wrote, that I couldn’t be a writer/author because it wasn’t a legit job and I wouldn’t earn a living at it. I wasn’t out for the $$, I did it because if I didn’t it would consume me. It was also a great learning tool for my kids, as they watched me struggle through and finally succeed. It taught them to never give up, and never let anyone tell you who or what you could be.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties did you encounter writing and publishing this story?

Winter: Publishing the book was never an issue. When Tule’s editorial team saw the tidbits I had, they wanted it and the series.

Writing the story, however, was a challenge, because I hadn’t done a lot of developing on the story line and the characters, which is something I need in order to write, and that takes time. Sometimes a story needs to stew in my head for a bit before I get all the pieces together. Also, I had just decided to get my long overdue college degree right before I signed with Tule, and that meant juggling college courses along with a day job and family obligations. Then Covid hit. But that gave me more time at home to write when I wasn’t working. Eventually the book came together and here it is today.

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the premise of THE KILLER IN ME?

Winter: The premise of THE KILLER IN ME is about family dynamics, long-standing feuds, and the lines one is willing to cross. It’s the dark, dirty secrets of a rural small town come to life.

TRC:What kind of research/plotting did you do, and how long did you spend researching /plotting before beginning THE KILLER IN ME?

Winter: THE KILLER IN ME is my tenth novel that dealt with police procedure. Most of my research was done long before, but I still consult with law enforcement and forensics personnel all the time as I write. The plot, however, took me way longer than any book has before. Tule contracted the series based on a few pages and an idea of how the series might go. I usually have the ending and the antagonist in mind before I start writing, I had none of that. As I wrote it things began to fall into place for me and eventually, I figured out what I needed. Though there were a few hours lost when I was trying to find out if an ME could figure out if and how long a body had been cold, not frozen, just cold, and how it would mess with the timeline of death.

TRC: Is any of the premise based in reality or fact?

Winter: To be frank, yes it’s both in fact. You see a lot of ID network shows on small town murders and it always stems back to 3 things; Money, Love, and Hate/Envy. I chuckle every time I see some comment online about that isn’t how small towns are, most of this coming from people who have lived in cities all their lives and believe that romance novels and other venues depict how small-town life is like.

Misogynistic/Patriarchal behavior, the likes of which Elizabeth and Lila must deal with in the book, are still on full display even today. And family feuds that date back decades can be found. Murder happens. And so does corruption. We might not be in the deep south or the mountains of the east, but we have our own crime escapades here in the Midwest.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series? Will Elizabeth Benoit be the lead heroine in each of the stories?

Winter: Right now, I’m trying to finish book 2 and book 3 is contracted. I don’t know how many books this series will go, I hope a lot, but that depends all on the readers. ?

Elizabeth and Lila Dayne are the main female leads, and they will be leads in all of the books. Book 2 has a surprise new lead, female as well, but I don’t want to give it away who it is.

TRC: Believability is an important factor in writing story lines especially stories of mystery and suspense. How do you keep the story line believable? Where do you think some author’s fail?

Winter: I try to keep it as real as I can. But I also take fictional licence where I want, because I can. Reading is an escape, and just like watching a movie, I want the reader to suspend disbelief and just flow with it. I read a lot in the genres I write in, but I’m really into action thrillers where the lead characters do things that feel and seem impossible, but it works because of who that character is. Oddly enough, that old line, “truth is stranger than fiction” is true. Weird things can happen in real life, but if you were to write it in a book no one would believe you. So, take licence where you can and have fun with it. If I get too bogged down in the minute details of making it all factual, I lose the love of writing what I’m writing. I’m not doing this to teach someone something, leave that for the textbooks. Enjoy! Have fun! And pretend that just for once, a woman can be more than what the world has told her to be.

TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

Winter: Personally, for me, I love a good cover, especially for my own books. But in the end does it drive me toward a book? No. Let the meat of the story be your deciding factor. Does the back cover blurb convey exactly what I want to read? That’s where I think a lot of readers go.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Winter: It’s all character. All. The. Time. If I step in and control the story it blows up and dies. Which is exactly what has happened to me in the middle of writing book 2. I got in the way and now I’m having to unravel the mess I made. As much as I love to say my books are mystery and suspense driven, the reality is everything I write is all character driven. They dictate what I do with them.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavour?

Winter: This is where Voice comes into play. If a writer hasn’t finetuned this part of their writing process it will make the characters fall flat and the reader won’t find a way to connect with them. As a writer, you need to draw on your own life experiences, what were you feeling at this moment, have you ever been in a situation that you’re putting your characters and how did you feel at that moment.

When I’m writing, if I don’t feel the character’s emotions, then I know the reader won’t. Writing action scenes or fight scenes I’m practically buzzing along with the character as they are in a tense situation. I’ve bawled my eyes out during certain scenes in past books and I later learned so did my readers.

As my editor always says, when she gets a draft from me, or opens a Winter Austin book, she expects to be swept right into a Winter Austin experience.

TRC: Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

Winter: Most of the time I do, and it really depends on what’s going on in that particular scene. I have an eclectic taste in music ranging from instrumental soundtracks from TV shows and movies right up to heavy metal. But there are times I just need silence, those are rare, but they happen.

While writing THE KILLER IN ME I listened to tracts by Tommee Proffit and The Sweeplings. During the editing process I was listening to the soundtracks from Yellowstone seasons 1-3. This is a trend for me, music with singing okay while writing. Instrumental music only during editing. YouTube Music has become my best friend.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

Winter: That writing is easy. That we just sit around and the words flow right onto the page. We have all the time in the world to just daydream and write. I wish!

Writing is not easy, it’s ugly and stressful. And there are times when you put your heart and soul, blood and tears, life and death into those books, then the check comes, and you just die. Or worse, you find out people are stealing your work in some fashion or another and you just want to scream.

We are not just authors, as in my case, I’m my own agent, publicist, promoter, financer, and secretary. When I’m not working my day job or tending to family obligations, and I’m not writing, I’m promoting that next book. I’m lining up reviews. Working with the publishing team to get places. Then reaching out to potential new readers and enticing them with my books. And somehow in all of that, I need to read my writing partner’s books, and other authors’ books to keep my imagination fuelled.

This is a job. And it needs to be treated as such.

TRC: What is something that few, if anyone, knows about you?

Winter: More people are beginning to see it. I play on this card a lot because it drives interest toward my books. My daughter shows cattle. We have long been a 4-H/FFA family and her career is falling into showing and raising cattle. She works on the family farm and is building up a small herd of her own.

We travel all over the state of Iowa to show—as a unit, she, me, and my husband—and soon we’ll be traveling out of state to show. The end goal for her is to show at the Grandaddy of them All in Denver, the National Western Stock Show.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Winter: I’m writing book 2 for this series, called Hush, My Darling. And working on edits for a second book in another series for another house that is a military romantic thriller.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Winter: THE KILLER IN ME is available now at all retailers for purchase. You can hang out with me at many of the social media platforms.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Pesto, I would eat this on everything if I could.

Favorite Dessert: Peanut Butter Thumbprint cookies—you will be stabbed if you steal one from me.

Favorite TV Show: Yellowstone & Blue Bloods

Last Movie You Saw: Black Widow & Gunpowder Milkshake

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Dark all the way, baby.

Secret Celebrity Crush: Phillip Winchester & Sullivan Stapleton—have to pair them up. ?

Last Vacation Destination: My last official vacation for myself that didn’t include a trip to the Iowa State Fair was Boulder and Denver, CO with my bestie and writing partner.

Do you have any pets? Oh, yes. 2 dogs, 1 inside kitty and a handful of farm cats. Chickens—but they’re not really pets just livestock. And rabbits.

Last book you read: The Lost Ones, by Ace Atkins

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of THE KILLER IN ME. We wish you all the best.

 

 

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Seeder Shadow Wars by J. Houser-Review, Interview & Giveaway

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Seeder Shadow Wars (Seeder Wars 1) by J. Houser-Review, Interview & Giveaway

Seeder Shadow Wars
(Seeder Wars 1)
by J. House
Release Date: September 17, 2021
Genre: Young Adult, paranormal

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

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DATING AND HIGH SCHOOL: HARD ENOUGH. NOW ADD ASSASSINS.

Avoiding assassination wasn’t on Mel’s to-do list for her junior year. Learning she wasn’t human hadn’t made the list, either.

An only child with overprotective parents, Melody Walters just wants a drama-free year—and to be able to date. She gains the interest of more than one suitor, but doesn’t realize any one of them could be an enemy on the hunt. For her, the dating scene could prove deadly.

Mel discovers she’s a member of a botanical race, forced to hide their daughters in the human world until they mature enough for their powers to bloom. Something goes wrong with her blooming process, breaking her cover and jeopardizing the lives of her protectors and the large family she’d never known about.

With the enemy threat ever-looming, in a rush to master her new powers before she’s stranded in the human world forever, Mel struggles to decide who she can trust and if the sacrifice being asked of her is too great.

••••••

REVIEW: Mel is just your typical high school student. The usual dramas that come with being that age…..A possible new love interest and the fact her best friend is in love with her! See totally normal stuff.So when she finds out that she’s not human! Well, that throws up a lot of questions, and she needs answers, like now!

Finding out those answers (will make sense of the prologue) only make her life more complicated!Oh and her bitter enemy The Ivies) want her dead! Wait! She has enemies that want her dead! Could her life get anymore complicated? Well yes it can, she can also wield magic!And her parents decide to foster a child, but not a little one! No he had to be an annoying senior in her school!!

So where does her best friend Zach and her new love interest come in?Can they be trusted?Mel begins to look at everyone as a potential enemy!

Wow! That was totally different from anything I’ve read so far.What a great story.Very detailed, very meticulous and well thought out. Lots of background story (which will also make the prologue make sense)Seeders are supernaturals who give life to seeds that will eventually grow into the next generation.The bad guys are the Ivies, they want to annihilate the seeder population from existence, and by separating the next generation and hiding them from the Ivies, the Seeders can try to guarantee that it doesn’t happen.

So will Mel ignore her growing power’s? Or will she go home to Green Lands and learn more about her heritage and help in the fight to win against the enemy? But if she does that she’s going to have to leave all and everyone she knows and loves…..

And now I’m anxious to read what happens next.
It doesn’t hang on a cliffhanger, but it does leave it open to another book (which I’m hoping will be soon) ?

I’d highly recommended this book to lovers of the paranormal and the readers who like something a little different.

? Reviewed by Julie B

Copy supplied for review

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

FOLLOW : Facebook / Website / Goodreads / Instagram / Twitter /

J. Houser: I’m a debut indie author, but I aspire to be a multi-genre hybrid author. From adult sci-fi post-apocalyptic romance to young adult dystopian romance, to sweet contemporary romance… Apparently, I have a hard time not writing romance… But, I’m not good at limiting myself to just one kind of story.

TRC:Who or what influenced your career in writing?

J. Houser: I have a hard time answering this because I honestly have never been a huge reader. Perhaps it’s the ADHD, but I have a hard time just focusing on one thing. Once I get into it, I binge-read, but I have a hard time allowing myself to invest that much of myself most of the time. I wasn’t the stereotypical writer that knew as a kid they wanted to do this and constantly wrote stories and begged people to read them. My first novel was written after I turned 35. Once I realized it could be fun to write a journey that I could share with others, something clicked.

TRC:What challenges or difficulties did you encounter writing and publishing this story?

J. Houser: It’s been a TON of learning as a debut indie author. From endless revisions to losing my mind trying to work with the printer … there’s been a lot of learning along the way! I’m hoping that means future releases will go much smoother as I’ve grown so much in this process!

TRC:Would you please tell us something about the premise of SEEDER SHADOW WARS?

J. Houser: SEEDER SHADOW WARS started from a snippet of a dream I had. I had been interested in writing fantasy but wanted something different from the usual tropes. Botanical beings became a thing! Immediately, I knew it involved hidden identities and assassins, and in the mix of it all were clueless humans in their own world.

TRC:What kind of research/plotting did you do, and how long did you spend researching /plotting before beginning SEEDER SHADOW WARS?

J. Houser: I’m very much a discovery writer. I don’t plot much and I had no idea what was going to happen until I wrote it. I find it fun to join the journey with the characters. That said, I wrote the entire trilogy before moving to final edits on book 1 because I had to go back and add a lot more foreshadowing or editing of the magic system to ensure it all made sense.

TRC:How many books do you have planned for the series? Will Melody Walters be the lead heroine in each of the stories?

J. Houser: It all started out as a standalone. Then I found I needed to know more about the world and people involved. It then turned into a trilogy. And then a fourth and fifth book were written… And I have at least 2 more books planned. I might have an addiction. But my beta readers love the couples and so do I, so the series will continue as long as there’s a new unique story worth sharing. Melody Walters is still very present as a POV character in the other books of the main trilogy, but in book 2 we meet another heroine that is a little more front and center in books 2 & 3. One of the other drafted books is the love story and behind-the-scenes of Mel’s parents.

TRC:Believability is an important factor in writing and reading paranormal/fantasy story lines. How do you keep the story line believable in a genre that often crosses the line between reality and fantasy?

J. Houser: Because our heroine grew up thinking she was human, it’s easy for me to get into her head. I try my best to not have overpowered, unrealistic characters. How many teenage girls do you know that are prepared to take on assassins? I really focus on the interiority of the characters for their arcs, making the story character-driven instead of plot-driven. I try to address (throughout the series) a variety of themes like mental health and discrimination. I feel like doing so in a fantasy setting makes more serious conversations accessible. Another thing that helps with believability for me is hard magic—there have to be rules, consequences, limitations.

TRC:Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

J. Houser: Absolutely. We all know ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ is a saying about people and not actually books. We shop with our eyes first.

TRC:When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

J. Houser: There’s some give and take, but as a discovery writer, they often tell me along the way who they are and what they’re going to do. I sometimes sit back and question a scene, asking if it’s really true to what they’d do. There have definitely been revisions along the way. In the end, when I question if their choice is the right one, I’ve been known to say ‘At some point, you have to let the characters be who they are.’

TRC:The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writers fail in this endeavor?

J. Houser: We need moments of introspection now and then. If we don’t understand the reasoning behind their actions, then we don’t care or relate. I’ve learned that a lot from beta readers. When I haven’t done a good job at showing the character’s emotions and inner thoughts, they can easily come off as careless, stupid, weak, or rude. But once we see their perspective—even if we don’t agree with their choices—we can understand it. In books from other authors that I’ve failed to enjoy, we lack that interiority, that understanding of what makes the characters tick. I feel disconnected and tend to judge the characters more harshly. Awkward prose that makes me stumble (like excessive or weird metaphors every other paragraph when describing how their heart is beating) really makes them feel more distant.

TRC:Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

J. Houser: Very rarely. I have sometimes listened to ‘study music’ to drown out other noises, but I could never write with lyrics on. I get too distracted and it takes me out of the place I need to be.

TRC:What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

J. Houser: As an indie author, I feel like there’s such a nasty stigma about self-publishing. Which is completely understandable, because I’ve read those poorly edited books out there, too… But as someone that’s utilized beta readers, critique partners, editors, etc, I’d like to believe that people could give us more of a chance to see if we’ve made the investment. We don’t all just jot down some thoughts, doodle a cover, and slap it on Kindle.

TRC: What is something that few, if anyone, knows about you?

J. Houser: That I’m absolutely terrified to be focusing so much on my publishing career, lol. I’ve quit my day job. I know that’s not the ‘smart’ thing to do. I’ve been told I’m brave. But really, it’s a combo of self-acceptance of where I’m at in my life, and absolute desperation in wanting a fulfilling, creative career. I’ve always been a good employee, but my personality and mental health don’t fair all that well in a traditional workplace. I’ve always had the drive, but not the courage, to be an entrepreneur. Creating and sharing are a major part of who I am.

TRC:Who or what influenced your path towards a young adult, paranormal story line?

J. Houser: I’m often drawn to writing YA books because I like the themes (i.e. self-discovery, navigating big changes in life) and because I tend to like things a bit ‘tamer.’ No on-page sex or tons of swearing. They say to write what you want to read. And as crazy as it sounds, as a woman in my mid-thirties—I feel like I relate to these teens after having gone through a divorce. I find myself back at square one asking, like them, ‘where to now?’ As for fantasy or paranormal… I grew up watching Star Trek and Stargate with my dad. Yeah, those are sci-fi, but it’s in the same arena. There’s a fun escapism involved.

TRC:On what are you currently working?

J. Houser: Everything and nothing? As a writer with ADHD, I’m often working on multiple manuscripts at a time. Though lately, I’ve been so occupied with learning things like formatting and marketing that I haven’t had time to just sit and write all of the stories mentally plotted in my head. Next, I’ll probably rewrite the short story that takes place between books 1 & 2 in this series that will be a preorder bonus for readers.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food
Pizza

Favorite Dessert
Chewy brownies

Favorite TV Show
I don’t actually watch TV much. I mostly binge Youtube.

Last Movie You Saw
One of the newer Disney ones… can’t remember the name.

Dark or Milk Chocolate
Depends on the mood and what it’s paired with.

Secret Celebrity Crush
I’m weird. Don’t really have one.

Last Vacation Destination
Utah to visit family for Christmas

Do you have any pets?
My mini poodle/bichon frise pup, Mia. We’re each other’s emotional support creature.

Last book you read
Book 2 in my series as I edited? lol. I think it was The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson.

TRC:Thank you J. Houser for the great interview answers. Congratulations on the release of your first novel SEEDER SHADOW WARS

J. Houser is graciously offering an ebook copy of SEEDER SHADOW WARS to two (2) 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.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

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

3. Please LIKE & follow J. Houser on FACEBOOK

4. Please sign up for J. Houser’s NEWSLETTER

5. Please LIKE The Reading Cafe on FACEBOOK .

6. LIKE The Reading Cafe on Twitter for an additional entry.

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9. Giveaway open INTERNATIONALLY

10. Giveaway runs from September 17-22, 2021

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Run Lab Rat Run (Modified 1) by Shawn C Butler-Review & Interview

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Run Lab Rat Run (Modified 1) by Shawn C.  Butler-Review & Interview

RUN LAB RAT RUN
by Shawn C. Butler
Release Date August 11, 2021
Genre: adult, dystopian, sci-fi, futuristic

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

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 11, 2021.

Media’s eyebrows were once blue for nine weeks, her bones nearly dissolved and she spent a month smelling like salted pork, but no one ate her and she never died. She came close enough to require CPR and a genomic flush on several occasions, but she’s nearly indestructible. That’s what they told her on the bad days in the lab, but she knew it was a lie.

Genetic test subjects like her usually died by thirty, and they always died in pain.

But on her 21st birthday, she’s given a chance to escape the lab—she just has to run in the deadliest race on Earth so the company that owns her can do illegal off-book testing on her. If she finishes the race, and the tests work, she and her family will be safe and she might live forever. If she doesn’t, they’ll be deoptimized and dumped back, in natural slums to starve and die. In her world, the worst thing to be is merely human.

Or is it?

••••••••

REVIEW:RUN LAB RAT RUN is the first instalment in Shawn C. Butler’s futuristic MODIFIED sci-fi, dystopian series focusing on twenty-one year old ‘Baseline’ Media Conaill.

Told from first person perspective (Media) RUN LAB RAT RUN follows twenty-one year old ‘Baseline’ Media Conaill as she is invited to participate in the Modified Marathons, the most dangerous ultra-marathon in the world for enhanced runners but Media is not quite an enhanced human, our heroine is a human guinea pig; an embryonic lab rat sold by her parents to TTI, the TrumaniTech Corporation, in the aftermath of the Chrome Wars. Flagged for exceptional characteristics, Media would become the ward of TTI, a ‘baseline’ subjected to all sorts of entry level genetic modifications. As a Beta, Media would be the one of the few early-stage human subjects but in doing so, her lifespan would be greatly affected, not expected to live beyond thirty years. In an effort to release her brother and her family from obligations to TTI, Media accepted the invitation to the marathons, marathons that would prove to be more challenging and revealing than she could have ever imagined. With each successive leg of the marathon, Media’s endurance, speed and power increase, raising red flags with the officials, competitors, and ultimately the world outside.

RUN LAB RAT RUN is a story of both speculative and science fiction wherein the modification of human DNA becomes the norm for the rich and famous, and the old ‘normals’ or non-modified humans are treated with disdain and discrimination, relegated to the slums and less than optimal living conditions. Open to the best of the best, the Modified Marathons is akin to the ‘Hunger Games’™ such that to win means to save the lives of the people back home. Working together, each team selected has a mentor, a coach, and a various modified human competitors. Many will die; aggression and individual targeting the norm; success is the exception to the rule especially in a world struggling with the affects of global warming and environmental disasters.

Shawn C Butler pulls the reader into a world of genetic enhancements and mutations, artificial intelligence, robots and implants. There are examples of anthropomorphism, super human strength and speed, backroom deals, manipulations, secrets and lies all in an effort to create the ultimate warrior –for good or evil.

RUN LAB RAT RUN is a cautionary tale; a complex, thought-provoking and twisted story of specieism and discrimination, competition, power and control. My only complaint would be the lack of background information regarding the Chrome Wars, the environmental disasters, and the history as to how and why the world of enhanced human modifications came to be.

RUN LAB RAT RUN ends on a bit of a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

TRC:  Hi Shawn and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of RUN LAB RAT RUN.

Shawn: Thanks!

TRC:  We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

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Shawn:  I’ve spent most of my adult life in the tech space, fascinated by what technology can do to improve business and human lives. But I’ve never really seen myself as a technologist. What I love are solutions; finding ways to fix things that have been broken for years. What I soon realized about the high-tech industry is that solutions are secondary to profit, and that search for profit (while a vital part of capitalism) tends to create as many problems as it solves. Sometimes more.

I think I started writing to express my frustration with this, first blogging and then long-form work. Maybe if I do this right, I won’t go back into tech…but we’ll see. When not working, I love to hike and run, travel and generally be outdoors. Also, I love ice cream. It’s a good thing I run a lot.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Shawn:  I’d guess the usual answer is that I read a lot of science fiction when I was young, and that got me started. And that’s true. But what I loved about SF compared to other genres was that it was usually focused on envisioning challenges and then finding solutions. It’s like the crime fiction of the future. Here’s the body or challenge. Here are the available tools. Here’s what happens if you solve the problem, or if you fail. The fact that the challenge is often existential—alien invasion, meteors, plagues, raging cyborgs, just makes it all the more entertaining.

In parallel, I blog about ultra-running and long distance day hikes. It was kind of inevitable that I’d try to blend science fiction with the outdoors at some point. Run Lab Rat Run is that point.

TRC:  What challenges or difficulties did you encounter writing and publishing this story?

Shawn:  Run Lab Rat Run is based on three things. First, advances in genetic engineering that I see deriving from CRISPR—leading inevitably to designer babies. Second, ultrarunning super-athletes. And third, the Barkley Marathons, a real race that drives incomprehensibly fit and fantastic athletes to miserable fates. Finding a way to combine all three in a way that would appeal to the average SF reader was difficult. Most of us don’t care much about lactate thresholds or fartlek training. And I didn’t want the result to be a caricature future where silly people do silly things just to make the story interesting. I think I got it right, but we’ll see.

TRC:  Would you please tell us something about the premise of RUN LAB RAT RUN?

Shawn:  Recent developments in genetic engineering mean that we’ll have the ability to eliminate many genetic diseases within a few years. Soon after that, it’ll be possible to genetically alter animals almost at will. And then human modifications will follow. The rich will travel to less regulated countries and come back pregnant with enhanced babies. Monetary class and genetic caste will be inextricably linked.

Run Lab Rat Run is about the resulting hierarchical world, where the “modified” rule over impoverished and nearly obsolete “natural” human beings. It’s like Gattaca, with a lot more rules and a deadly race in the middle—a race that gives one company CEO the chance to do illegal tests away from corporate oversight, and one runner the chance to earn her freedom. If she doesn’t die in the process.

TRC:  What kind of research/plotting did you do, and how long did you spend researching /plotting before beginning RUN LAB RAT RUN?

Shawn:  I don’t write hard science fiction, but realism is important to me. So I researched enough to have a general working knowledge of all salient topics, and then asked more intelligent people to read what I’d created so it didn’t sound ludicrous. RLRR research was more about the history of racial discrimination and caste systems than about genetics, but I spent a good deal of time on both. A few months, probably, with a lot of ongoing research as I wrote the book.

TRC:  How much of the story line is based in science fact vs science fiction?

Shawn:  When I sat down to write RLRR, I wanted a book that was science fiction only in the sense that it was a possible view of our near future. All of the technology and technical advances are meant to be predictions of what I think will happen. They are not fantastical, but all based on what’s occurring today projected forward. The world of RLRR is meant to be the real world, just 50+ years from now.

I believe we are headed toward a class system based on levels of genetic and technical modification, and that designer babies will be here much sooner than we think. This is the Pandora’s Box opened by CRISPR and related genetic engineering systems.

The sole exceptions to my rule about realistic technologies in the book are the Black Hole Drones, which rely on a flight technology that seems fanciful at best.

TRC:  Believability is an important factor in writing and reading science fiction / speculative fiction. How do you keep the story line believable in a genre that crosses the line between reality and fantasy?

Shawn:  I guess the question is what you mean by “believable.” Run Lab Rat Run is based almost entirely on projected technology, so it’s not hard in this case. Other things I’m working on are a little more fantastical, but to me believability is about internal consistency and respecting the reader. Build your world completely and honestly. Tell your story without factual lapses, leaps of faith and plot holes, and I think most readers will come along for the ride. I never thought the world of, say, The Expanse was objectively believable, but once I accepted the world as defined, I was on board for the duration.

TRC:  Is RUN LAB RAT RUN part of a series or a stand-alone. ?

Shawn:  RLRR the first in a trilogy about this particular protagonist and snapshot in future time, but it’s also part of a larger Modified meta-series that starts “today” with Beasts of Sonara (due out later this year). The trilogy of RLRR can be read on its own, or with other books in the Modified universe, but it doesn’t matter what order you read them in.

TRC:  Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

Shawn:  I do. I’ve bought a lot of books over the years, and with many of them the cover was definitely part of the decision process. I don’t know if I’d every have read Larry Niven as a kid if not for the fantastical PAJ cover art. It’s not everything, of course, but it undeniably helps.

TRC:  When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Shawn:  I think this has a lot to do with the planner vs. pantser question. I’d like to be more of a planner, doing nice outlines like bumpers the characters obey. But honestly, I write almost randomly to see what happens (including what the characters do), and then see if there’s a plot there. It’s not the most organized model in the world, but I get really bored and distracted following strict outlines.

TRC:  The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

Shawn:  This is different for all of us, but to me it’s about getting readers invested in a character or situation so they feel a connection to them. The stakes must feel personal, like of the way people attach themselves to football teams or other sports. And that only works if you create realistic people with character and flaws in situations with real stakes.

I suspect some writers fail at this when they make something so unrealistic or poorly structured that it’s impossible to sustain believability, and thus lose their trust and connection to what’s going on in the book. I remember thinking this about the book It, when the kids end up having an orgy in the sewer system (spoiler?). It was just so bizarre and unnecessary that it ruined my confidence in the author, the story and the characters. Not like Stephen King cares, of course, but what the heck?

TRC:  Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

Shawn:  I have in the past—usually techno, EDM or classical. I find music with lyrics distracting and for some reason a bit melancholy. Now I primarily try to write in coffee shops with ambient noise to help me concentrate, and forego the music. Also seems a bit less lonely. I don’t think the music ever impacted the storyline, but it might have impacted the energy level in some passages.

TRC:  What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

Shawn:  I don’t know. Maybe the modern one is that most of them make money. It seems like almost no one does unless they’re very lucky. A second misconception is that any one “type” of person makes a good or bad author. Anyone, man or woman, Black or white, straight or gay, can write a great novel in any genre. I love seeing more diversity in what’s coming out.

TRC:  What is something that few, if anyone, know about you?

Shawn:  I once ate an entire raw white onion and chased it with a quart of orange juice. The result was like Coke + Mentos, except in my stomach and with more acid. When I exhaled, it smelled like burning plastic. It was not a pleasant experience. Not my brightest moment. Also, I am the Highlander.

TRC:  Who or what influenced your path towards science fiction?

Shawn:  I don’t know if it was a specific person or thing. When I was a kid, I’d stay up all night on weekends watching horror movies and science fiction. Then I read all the SF I could get my hands on, meaning the usual classics like Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, Niven, etc. It was just what I loved. When I started writing, it never occurred to me to write anything else. I read a lot of mystery back in the day, too, so I’ll probably try my hand at mysteries in the future.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Shawn:  I’m polishing Beasts of Sonara, which is due out in November. This is the first book in the modified universe, and a very distant prequel to RLRR. After that is a stand-alone sci-fi horror novel that’ll be…different. I can’t wait to see that one in print.

TRC:  Would you like to add anything else?

Shawn:  I can pretty much guarantee you Run Lab Rat Run is the best ultrarunning science fiction novel you’ll ever read.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food

Salt and things covered in salt, with guacamole. And salt.

Favorite Dessert

Ice cream, German chocolate pie or hot cinnamon rolls.

Favorite TV Show

The Expanse? Honestly, any great bit of art whether it’s social commentary like Flea Bag, fantasy like the first season of Penny Dreadful or the first six seasons of Game of Thrones, etc. My favorite changes daily.

Last Movie You Saw

The last good movie was Palm Springs. Lots of nonsense since then.

Dark or Milk Chocolate

Yes, as long as they’re European.

Secret Celebrity Crush

Anna Kendrick. Not really a secret. Anna!!! Such a nerd, I am.

Last Vacation Destination

Denali National Park in Alaska.

Do you have any pets?

I have several house plants with minimal needs—pathos, the house cats of the plant world.

Last book you read

Hail Mary by Andy Weir, like everybody else. That’s great science fiction. Before that I had a weird month where I read all of the Jack Reacher novels. Still not sure what that was all about.

TRC:  Thank you Shawn for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of RUN LAB RAT RUN. We wish you all the best.

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A Terrible Fall of Angels by Laurell K Hamilton-Review & Giveaway

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A Terrible Fall of Angels (Zaniel Havelock 1) by Laurell K Hamilton-Review, Interview & Giveaway

A TERRIBLE FALL OF ANGELS
Zaniel Havelock #1
by Laurell K Hamilton
Release Date: August 17, 2021
Genre: adult, paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 17, 2021

Meet Detective Zaniel Havelock, a man with the special ability to communicate directly with angels. A former trained Angel speaker, he devoted his life to serving both the celestial beings and his fellow humans with his gift, but a terrible betrayal compelled him to leave that life behind. Now he’s a cop who is still working on the side of angels. But where there are angels, there are also demons. There’s no question that there’s evil at work when he’s called in to examine the murder scene of a college student—but is it just the evil that one human being can do to another, or is it something more? When demonic possession is a possibility, even angelic protection can only go so far. The race is on to stop a killer before he finds his next victim, as Zaniel is forced to confront his own very personal demons, and the past he never truly left behind.

The first in a new series from the author of the Anita Blake and Merry Gentry series.

•••••••••

REVIEW:For those of you who’ve read other works by her, this is different from what your use to.

Angels that walk among us and Demons that no longer hide in the shadows!

Unhappy with the life he life was going, Zaniel Havelock left the College of Angels, walking away from all his friends and everything he’d had become comfortable with. But the one he he couldn’t seem to give up was his ability to communicate with the angels.He now uses those said talents to aid him in his job in the police force, but it’s a branch not many get on. It’s the paranormal unit of the police force. Zaniel works alongside colleagues with different faiths and special skills (psychic’s mainly) This task force is charged with keeping the peace between humans/angels/demons. And it’s not an easy thing to do most days.

So we have a new case for Zaniel to work…..At first glance it’s a case for homicide, but upon closer inspection there seems to be an angelic side to this case.

Could an Angel have killed the victim? Why?

We also have demons to contend with, and like angels there are demons that are different from their kind. What are they up to? And when they start doing things they shouldn’t be able to do, Zaniel has no choice but to reach out to old friends. But with old friends come the old betrayals and secrets, and it’s those secrets that he’s keen to see kept buried!!

There is a religious tone to this book, but not enough to put me off from reading it. And with a new book/series comes the obligatory backstory and world building, which happens to be one of my favourite parts in a book.

Now It makes a change to see a male in the lead in this authors work, it’s usually a kicka$$ female. And the use of bedroom antics is missing too. It seems to be focusing on the detective work rather than orgies and bed hopping! a story a lot good versus evil. About personal choices and how the wrong choice can take you down a path that’s hard to turn from. It’s a murder/mystery story with an angsty romance thrown in (Zaniel is married!)

So who did kill our victim? Is there something more going on? I’m hoping we don’t have to wait too long for the next book out.

Copy supplied by the publisher

? Reviewed by Julie B.

TRC:  Hi Laurell and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of A TERRIBLE FALL OF ANGELS.

Laurell: Thank you so much, I’m so excited to finally be able to share the book with readers.

TRC:  We would like to start with some background information. For our followers who do not know Laurell K Hamilton, would you please tell us something about yourself?

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Laurell: I pioneered the genre of Urban Fantasy which would become Paranormal with the Anita Blake series and then the Merry Gentry series. I also created the idea of reverse harems, though I preferred the term hisem. I write mysteries set in alternate modern America where the supernatural is a given. In the Anita Blake series, it would be like waking up tomorrow with vampires, zombies, shapeshifters and more are real, and everyone knows about them. Anita starts out as a consultant for the local police and a vampire hunter because vampires are considered too dangerous to be imprisoned. If they kill someone, a warrant of execution is issued and a vampire executioner hunts them down. Anita also doesn’t date vampires or any supernaturals at the beginning of the series. Twenty-eight books later, a lot has changed.

For Merry Gentry, Celtic myth and folklore is real and the fey were kicked out of Europe after the last Great War in the 1700s. President Thomas Jefferson offered them a new home here in America where they used the indigenous site of the Cahokia mounds in Illinois as their new fairy mounds, their sithens. For those who aren’t familiar with the Cahokia, it was an abandoned site long before America was a country. Merry is the first faerie princess born on American soil, but when A Kiss of Shadows begins, she’s hiding from her relatives int the Unseelie court because there were too many assassination attempts. She’s in Los Angeles working as a private detective for Grey’s Detective Agency that specialises in supernatural problems, magical solutions.

TRC:   What challenges or difficulties did you encounter writing and publishing your first book? The new series?

LAURELL:  The book that launched my career, Guilty Pleasures was the first Anita Blake novel. It was rejected over two hundred times, because in the late 1980s there was no market for mixed genre. The fact that vampires in my world weren’t secret but just legal citizens and known to everyone were the reason a lot of horror editors rejected it. I got some lovely rejection slips. Horror editors thought it was fantasy, who thought it might be science fiction, who thought it was mystery. A lot of editors loved the book, but they couldn’t figure out how to market it, so they passed. This was before self-publishing or online publishing was really an option if you wanted a career. Admittedly it was also a time when there were enough traditional publishers to have two hundred separate rejections from major houses. Times have changed a lot since Berkley first offered me a contract for the first three Anita Blake Novels. As for publishing my newest book, A Terrible Fall of Angels, there was no problem with my publisher because I’m one of their bestselling authors with two bestselling series already under my belt. It’s my 41st novel.

TRC:  Would you please tell us something about the premise of A TERRIBLE FALL OF ANGELS?

LAURELL:  The powers of Heaven and Hell have a treaty to prevent Armageddon, which is publicly known and part of history. This treaty saved the world from the final battle that would have ended everything as we know it. There are rules about how many demons can come up to Earth and what they can and can’t do to torment humans. Detective Zaniel Havelock and the other members of the Metaphysical Coordination Unit are part of a group that literally polices the angels and demons that come into contact with the mortal world. The nickname for their unit is the Heaven and Hell Squad. They are also called in when other supernatural crimes happen, but Zaniel’s ability to communicate with angels makes him the go-to expert whenever Celestial beings are involved.

How many books do you have planned for the ZANIEL HAVELOCK series?

LAURELL:  Between four and thirteen. Of course, when I started the Anita Blake series, I thought thirteen and I’m working on book twenty-nine, so I won’t really know until I get there.

TRC:  What kind of research/plotting did you do, and how long did you spend researching /plotting before beginning A TERRIBLE FALL OF ANGELS?

LAURELL:  The sticky note with the first line of the book was up on my office wall for almost ten years. I hadn’t been reading, watching, or even thinking about angels at the time, at least in the front of my head. I’ve learned to pay attention to my subconscious and those signals from my muse, so I started searching for nonfiction books about angels, rereading Biblical teachings or insights about the angelic and other world religions. A lot of people forget that when you speak of angels, messengers of God, for Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, you’re talking about the same angels. I also researched the lives and folklore around the saints and prophets. As I was finally sitting down to write Zaniel’s story I found books on modern new age and magic about angels. The changing attitude towards them from Biblical times to now was fascinating to me both as a person and as a writer.

TRC:  Do you plan a cross-over story line between the new series and your Anita Blake series?

LAURELL:  No, though an interview question from the local Kirkwood Library did give me an idea where all my universes could collide. I don’t think I’ll do it, but it’s intrigued me.

TRC:  Do you have plans to continue the Anita Blake series or are you going to concentrate on ZANIEL HAVELOCK?

LAURELL: I’m currently writing the next Anita Blake novel and I have no plans to stop writing Anita.

TRC:  Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

LAURELL:  I think covers have become even more important in the age when so many people decide what to read from a thumbnail image online.

TRC:  When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

LAURELL:  I’m a character driven author. I’ve thrown out entire plots, and up to a third of a novel because a character had a better idea.

TRC:  The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writers fail in this endeavour?

LAURELL: Robert Frost said it years ago, “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.” If the writer doesn’t care deeply about what they’re writing how can they make anyone else care? A lot of writers make the mistake of jumping on trends and writing what’s hot without giving themselves a chance to find their own unique voice as a writer. Even if the writer makes a living or a career out of imitating a style that’s not truly their own, they are still cheating themselves and the readers. They cheat themselves by having missed the stories and worlds that only they could have written. They cheat the readers because if you are only imitating someone else’s voice/world/character then it shows. It can be fun, but it’s never as good as the original. It’s like the difference between a masterpiece and a good copy. The imitation never moves you as much as the original art. Some part of you knows a fake when you see it or read it.

TRC:  What is something that few, if anyone, knows about you?

LAURELL:  I’m a huge Disney fan.

TRC:  On what are you currently working?

LAURELL: The twenty-ninth Anita Blake novel, but I will have to stop briefly to finish a short story I’m writing for the anthology, No Game for Gentlemen. I’m also making notes on the next Zaniel Havelock book, and the next Merry Gentry novel.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food – tea

Favorite Dessert – cupcakes

Last Movie You Saw – the new Suicide Squad

Dark or Milk Chocolate – Milk

Last Vacation Destination – Florida Keys

Do you have any pets? – Two cats, two Japanese chins, all rescues.

Last book you read – The Wizard’s Butler by Nathan Lowell

TRC:  Thank you Laurell for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of A TERRIBLE FALL OF ANGELS. We wish you all the best.

LAURELL: Thank you for inviting me.

Laurell K. Hamilton is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series and the Merry Gentry, Fey Detective series. With more than 40 novels published and 20 million books sold, Laurell continues to create groundbreaking fiction inspired by her lifelong love of monster movies, ghost stories, mythology, folklore, and things that go bump in the night. She lives in St. Louis with her family. In her free time, Laurell trains in Filipino martial arts with a specialization in blade work. Learn more online at laurellkhamilton.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

Laurell K Hamilton’s publisher (Penguin/Random House)  is graciously offering a paper copy of A TERRIBLE FALL OF ANGELS to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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