Friday, March 31, 2017

Cloaks and Mirrors by p.m. terrell - Guest Blog and Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. p.m. terrell will be awarding Celtic necklace containing the Tree of Life. USA only to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

FOR THE LOVE OF IRELAND


I began to fall in love with Ireland when I wrote Vicki’s Key, the second book in the Black Swamp Mysteries series. That book introduced Dylan Maguire, an Irishman who had only recently moved to America. I delved deep into the Irish culture, discovering their speech mannerisms, their history and their traditions. I had heard about Ireland throughout my life, as both my mother’s and father’s families had emigrated from Ireland to America. And when I had the opportunity to return there, it turned into something magical.

I had family records about a village called Ballygawley in County Tyrone but I never expected the people there to remember the Neely family. When they discovered that I was a Neely descendent, their reaction was always the same: “So you’ve come home again, have you now?” It felt as if I had been the one that had lived on the hill overlooking the valley; that I had only recently traveled to America and I was truly “back home again”.

I stood on the land my ancestors once owned. I was taken to a school upon which my family had donated the land; the school had celebrated more than a hundred and fifty years there and had only recently published a book that chronicled the gift of land from my ancestors. I was brought to a Catholic church that was also on land donated by my Protestant ancestors. And time and again, I heard stories of them and their generosity. It made me proud of where I had come from.

I stood in the middle of the cemetery where their bodies were buried; the gravestones had been damaged severely and one rumor had it that during The Troubles, the British soldiers had destroyed the cemetery because they had been told there were weapons hidden there by the IRA, though they never found any evidence of that. Ironically, the last person to die near Ballygawley during The Troubles was a Neely son, a soldier who had been killed by a roadside bomb.

I stood on the stoop of a tall brownstone and took pictures of my ancestor’s initials engraved above the door, along with the date he built it. I stood in the stables that he once owned and watched the cows in the meadows. I felt as though I had been transported back in time.

I did not want to leave Ireland. Unfortunately, when I applied to relocate there, I was told I could only receive a one-year visa and there was no guarantee it would be renewed after that. At one time, it was a haven for retirees—the fresh air, the friendly people and the breathtaking landscapes drew people home. But there are restrictions now requiring a minimum of £50,000 in an annual government guaranteed pension and they do not count income made from writing or through the internet. So alas, my dream of writing in a white cottage overlooking the sea has been dashed—for now. I will always hold out hope that someday I will truly go home again.

CIA operatives Vicki Boyd and Dylan Maguire are back in the 6th book of the award-winning Black Swamp Mysteries Series. Vicki and Dylan journey to Ireland for their honeymoon and while they are there, they agree to pick up a package from a Russian spy containing plans for Russia's latest stealth technology. But when the Russian decides to defect, they find themselves trying to get him safely out of the country. They also discover the Kremlin has uncovered their identities and now Vicki and Dylan flee across the island. With breathtaking descriptions of Ireland's rugged coast and the Northern Lights, romance and suspense come together again.

Read an excerpt:

“Nettie O’Connelly,” Jack began, “was the mother o’ nine children and a widow to boot. She lived in west Belfast within a stone’s throw o’ The Falls Road and within full view o’ the Divis Tower. It would have been the early 1970’s, so it would.” Jack shook his head. “There was violence every blasted day and night. The Catholics lived on one side o’ the road—divided by the Protestants by what is now known as the Peace Wall.”

He fell silent for a moment as he collected his thoughts. “Divis Tower was manned by British soldiers. Not much was done about violence against the Catholics—” he snorted for effect “—but violence against the Protestants, even in retribution or defense, was dealt a heavy hand. A heavy hand indeed.

“So it didn’t go unnoticed when one o’ the British soldiers stood at Divis Tower and looked down at Nettie’s home. Not once, mind ya; not twice. Every blasted day. She spent time each day washin’ and hangin’ her clothes in the yard—nine children can dirty a lot. She was still attractive, children or no; hair the color of a sunset and eyes snappin’ green. Petite thing she was.”

A gust of wind howled through the night, sounding like a woman’s protracted moan. Ciara began to paw the ground and Dougal snorted.

“We began to suspect a spy in our midst. Oh, it was a bad time, to be sure. Neighbors watchin’ neighbors. No trust, even for brothers. The slightest thing could set off the neighborhood like a powder keg just waitin’ to blow. There were brawls a’plenty. Boys gone missing overnight. Anyone suspected of cavortin’ with the Brits was dealt with severely.”

He rose and stepped to Ciara, stroking her mane in a gentle effort to calm her. “Then the ladies along the block began to notice a correlation between the colors o’ the clothes Nettie washed and hung and what happened afterward… When she washed her whites, she always seemed to leave her home at a particular time and always went a round-about ways. No one knew where she went. It wasn’t to the neighborhood butcher or grocer or any of the usual places a woman would go. Then one day she was spotted in the center of Belfast—an area declared to be accessible to both Catholics and Protestants, unionists and loyalists, which was laughable indeed.”

“So Nettie O’Connelly was a spy?” Alexei asked.

“We’ll never know, boy. That very night she was hauled from her home, right in front of her nine children. And never seen again.” Just as they thought the story was over, he continued. “My brothers were there. They told me about it afterward, I think as a warnin’ to keep my own mouth shut and my head down. They drove Nettie O’Connelly to the very spot where we were to meet the plane. Three carloads o’ men, at the least, and Nettie beggin’ for her life and for her children’s safety. A woman could scream till her throat grew bloody and not a soul would hear her out at the old lighthouse. And so it went on for hour after hour.”

Jack looked at the skies. “It would have been just about this time o’ year, I’d wager. The skies grew black around four or five o’clock and the sun wouldn’t make its appearance until nigh on ten o’clock the next morn. Long nights, they were. They said that Nettie was tortured until the witching hour approached, but she never confessed, never admitted to giving any one of us up. Not even when her children’s lives were threatened. She always maintained her innocence.” His voice grew quiet and then stopped.

After a long moment, Alexei asked, “What became of her?”

“They thought she was dead. Her body was laid out on a flat rock whilst the men debated what to do with her. Some wanted her buried, others brought out to sea. It wasn’t a night like this one, you see. There were no Northern Lights that night. No stars, not even a moon. Just a thick fog that rolled in from the sea, uncanny it was. It was so murky that the men carried a lantern from the cars to the water’s edge; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to find their way. My brothers said they set the lantern beside Nettie’s body while they huddled just a few feet away. They realized everythin’ had gone black around them and when they looked back, she and the lantern were gone.”

Jack inspected Ciara’s bridle for a moment before continuing. “It was easy to see which direction she’d gone; the lantern was bobbin’ along one o’ the paths, around the brambles and the rocks and along the ridgeline. They followed it for a bit, shoutin’ as those men did—” he nodded his head toward the east “—and then the lantern was snuffed out.”

He wiped his nose. “They continued searchin’ for her but it was too dark. Black as pitch, it was. They left sentinels along the main roads to Belfast and left others in charge o’ watchin’ her home and her children. It wasn’t until summer that they found her at the base o’ a cliff, her neck broken. It’s said they brought her body—ravaged by time and the elements—into the ocean some three hours out and dropped her overboard.”

Alexei joined the two men. “And that was the end of the story?”

“Oh, no,” Jack chuckled but his eyes held no mirth. “That was only the beginning. For it’s said that Nettie O’Connelly still haunts these parts after all these years, carryin’ her lantern at the witchin’ hour, lurin’ men to their deaths.”


About the Author:
p.m.terrell is the pen name for Patricia McClelland Terrell, the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 20 books in several genres, including suspense, historical and non-fiction. Prior to becoming a writer, she owned two computer companies in the Washington, DC with a specialty in combatting computer crime. Her clients included the CIA, Secret Service and Department of Defense. Technology is often woven through her suspense thrillers. Terrell is of Irish descent, and Ireland often figures prominently in her books as well. She has been a full-time author since 2002 and currently travels between her home in North Carolina and Northern Ireland, the home of her ancestors. She is also the founder of Book ‘Em North Carolina’s Writers Conference and Book Fair (http://bookemnc.org) and The Novel Business (http://thenovelbusiness.com).

Website: http://pmterrell.com
Blog: http://pmterrell.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pmterrell
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pmterrell.author/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/terrellpm
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pmterrell/books
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmterrell

Buy the book at Amazon

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Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Never Go Alone by Denison Hatch


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Denison Hatch will be awarding a physical copy of the Jake Rivett Series, Flash Crash and Never Go Alone, (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

THE FIRST RULE IS: NEVER GO ALONE.

"Never Go Alone is an explosive return for both Denison Hatch and his hero." - BestThrillers.com

A rash of elaborate cat burglaries of luxury buildings in Manhattan has the city panicked.

When a group of social media obsessed millennials--a loosely organized crew that call themselves "urban explorers"--are suspected in the heists, undercover NYPD detective Jake Rivett is assigned the case.

Rivett dives deep into the urban exploration scene in pursuit of the truth. But what, and who, he finds--deep in the sewers, up in the cranes above under-construction skyscrapers, and everywhere else in New York--will change not only Jake, but the city itself.

Read an excerpt:

Jake paced along the familiar corridors of One Police Plaza. He padded across the detective bullpen and past his old office. A clean-shaven man, about his own age, stared back blankly at Jake. Rivett didn’t even recognize the guy who now occupied his former workspace. That wasn’t the nature of most police departments, but it certainly was in New York. The volume of crime was astronomical and the volume of new detective recruits equally high. In fact, many beat cops spent their entire careers trying to become detectives, only to burn out or transfer out within a handful of years. Jake had once been a boy in blue as well. He’d spent the minimum time required—two years—out in a patrol car. He’d gotten his gold shield ten months after that; primarily due to the sources he’d managed to scrounge up while on patrol in Chinatown. While Jake’s ability to measure people was strong, his ability to split them open was legendary. As was his chutzpah. He was like a pit bull when it came to everything, cases not excluded. That was why, during his first few years as a detective, not a single one of his cases went unsolved. But his discipline was another thing altogether. The department was half squares and half circles, but he was four-dimensional. It was a simple as that.

About the Author:
Denison is a screenwriter and novelist. He has a number of feature and television projects in development, including his original screenplay, Vanish Man, which is set up at Lionsgate. A graduate of Cornell University, he lives with his wife and a big dog in a little house in Hollywood. He is presently working on the third Jake Rivett thriller.

Website: www.denisonhatch.com
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/denisonhatchauthor/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/denisonhatch

Purchase Never Go Alone on Amazon.
Purchase Flash Crash on Amazon

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Wild Card Undercover by Kari Lemor - Spotlight and Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Kari will be awarding a digital copy of the book on tour to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

All that glitters in Miami is not gold . . .

Lured in by a bad ex-boyfriend and the moonlight of Miami, Meg O’Hara is trapped in a nightmare situation, waiting tables for a crime boss and fearing for her life. When undercover FBI agent Christopher Shaunessy offers her a way out, she seizes it. Getting the goods on Salazar Moreno might not be easy, but she’ll do anything to be freed from her servitude and Moreno’s sexual advances, even if it means moving in with the charismatic agent.

Chris Shaunessy pretends to be Meg’s lover in order to keep her safe, but he steels his heart against further involvement. Passion has no place in the sordid world of organized crime. And yet, the closer they get to cracking the case, the stronger his feelings for the spirited waitress shine. It’s a dangerous game he’s playing, and taking Meg in his arms for real could prove a fatal misstep . . .

Read an excerpt:

Christopher Martin Shaunessy broke the surface of the pool and shook the water from his hair, spluttering, “What the hell…?”

The thin, shapely brunette sprinted out of the pool area, and he narrowed his eyes at her strange game of Peek-a-Boo. She’d kissed him passionately one second, yelled at him the next, then shoved him in the pool. The kissing part he’d liked, but he usually preferred to take a woman out on a date, or at the very least know her name, before he kissed her. Although technically she had kissed him.

Her bag floated nearby as he sloshed through the water to get out. Picking it up, he let it drip on the way to his deck chair. He dried himself off with a fluffy hotel towel then used it to prevent any more leakage from the bag. Now which way had she gone? Her room key was most likely in her bag so no need to hurry.

He glanced in the direction of Salazar Moreno, the reason he’d come to this hotel. It seemed Moreno had concluded his business. More reason to follow the brunette.

When he entered the lobby she was disappearing into the stairwell. Javier, the day manager was following, a frown on his face. What was his problem with the pretty lady? Had she pushed him in the pool, too? The sound of the third floor door opening above him echoed through the stairwell. Nice. His suite was on that floor. She’d be a sweet-looking distraction while he was here…or would she? She’d almost made him forget his goal by the pool.

When shouts echoed down the hallway, he increased his pace. The little spitfire struggled against Javier’s tight grip as he growled at her. “That’s it, young lady, you’ve been warned before. The pool and other amenities of this hotel are only for paying guests. This time I’m calling the police. You’ll be charged with trespassing.”

About the Author: Kari Lemor was one of those children who read with a flashlight under the covers. Once she discovered her mom’s stash of romance novels, there was no other genre to even consider. For years, she had stories stewing in her mind, stories of love and happily ever after. But writing wasn’t something she ever liked in school. Of course, no one ever asked her to write a story about a couple falling in love. Now that her children are grown, she can concentrate on penning tales of dashing heroes who ride to the rescue and feisty heroines who have already saved themselves.

Website: http://www.karilemor.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Karilemorauthor/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/karilemor

Buy the book at Amazon, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, or Barnes and Noble.

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Monday, March 27, 2017

It Started with a Kiss by Ella Quinn - Spotlight and Giveaway


This tour is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Ella will be awarding an Autographed ARC of IT STARTED WITH A KISS (US Only) to 5 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What is a young Worthington woman to do when the man of her dreams is not who she thinks he is?

This season, all eyes are on the Earl of Worthington’s spirited, beautiful sister, Lady Louisa Vivers. Many gentlemen are vying for her attention in and around the ton. Yet, Louisa longs for someone who can take her beyond the ballroom—a man who is worldly, adventurous, and passionate. She won’t settle for just any suitor. She wants her true soul mate—and she’ll know him when she sees him.

Is Gideon, the Duke of Rothwell, him? The moment he and Louisa meet, they share a powerful attraction. Rides at sunrise and waltzes at dusk follow. Finally, Gideon can no longer resist the urge to embrace her, and Louisa is sure he will ask for her hand. But Gideon believes he is in no position to marry. The Rothwell estate has gone bankrupt, a scandal simmers in its wake, and he has nothing left to offer. Now, he must decide if he will let pride stand in the way of true love—or if he will risk everything, and let the lady decide for herself…

Read an excerpt:

“Rothwell.”

A pair of showy dark bay horses drew even with him, followed by an extremely fashionable curricle.

“Bentley.” Resisting the urge to smile, Gideon raised his quizzing glass, reviving a long-standing joke between him and his cousin. “When are you going to learn to select decent horseflesh?”

“If you really cared,” Bentley retorted, “you would have been here to help me, and not off in Canada dressing in bearskins or whatever it is you wore over there.”

The carriage came to a stop.

“Harrumph,” Gideon scoffed. “While you are here and obviously have nothing better to do, I would appreciate a ride to Doctors’ Common.” He needed to tell Templeton about this latest development. Not waiting for his cousin to answer, Gideon climbed onto the curricle. “You may also tell me what is so urgent I must drop everything and come to Town immediately. As it is, you’ve left me kicking my heels for two days.”

Bentley started the horses, but immediately turned to face Gideon and dropped his ribbons.

“Watch what you’re doing!” He grabbed the reins from his cousin’s slack fingers.

“Blast. I forgot.”

Bentley reached for the ribbons, but Gideon shook his head. “I think I’ll keep them until you’re finished.”

His cousin heaved a sigh worthy of Drury Lane. “I am in love, and I need help convincing her to marry me.”

Gideon loved his cousin like a brother, but he had no idea how he could assist in matters of the heart. Then again . . . “Happy to do whatever I can. Who is the lucky woman?”

“Didn’t I tell you?” Bentley asked, surprised.

“No,” Gideon replied with all the patience he could muster. “I received a letter from you telling me you needed my help, but you failed to give the reason.”

“You probably don’t know her in any event. She came out just this year.”

He raised a brow, hoping to hurry his cousin along.

“Lady Louisa Vivers.” Bentley said her name as if she was the sum of all his dreams.

Hell and damnation! Could my luck get any worse?

About the Author:
Bestselling author Ella Quinn’s studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them. She has just finished her first series, The Marriage Game, and her new series, The Worthingtons, began in April 2016.

She is married to her wonderful husband of over thirty years. They have a son and two beautiful granddaughters, and a dog. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true and are now living on a sailboat cruising the Caribbean and North America. Europe is next!

Website: http://www.ellaquinnauthor.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EllaQuinnAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ellaquinnauthor
Blog: http://ellaquinnauthor.wordpress.com

Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

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Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Sheik's Rule by Ryshia Kennie - Spotlight and Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Ryshia will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

His sister's life is at stake, and despite his wealth and power, Sheik Emir Al-Nassar feels helpless. At least heading his family's security agency provides him with resources to track down her kidnappers. But when the ace profiler he's sent turns out to be K. J.—Kate—Gelinsky, Emir is furious. Finding the kidnappers' desert hideout is dangerous enough without the distraction of a beautiful woman.

But K.J. is unlike any woman he's ever known. Her fearlessness and incisive mind inspires Emir's admiration. And her compassion breaches his guarded heart. Still, rescuing his sister is a perilous mission. And allowing desire to cloud his focus could endanger them all.

Read an excerpt:

“I’m puzzled. Why did they send the video to me?” Kate murmured. “How did they know about me?”

“They’ve got some sort of inside information. Or maybe they contacted the others when they saw you at the airport.”

“How did they find out my name?”

“I don’t know,” he said looking at her in a way that had nothing to do with what she was saying.

She was unprepared when he bent and kissed her and even more so for her own reaction, for the need and want that made her put her arms around his neck and, for a few seconds, to allow herself to sink into that kiss.

It was instinctive and so very wrong. She pushed him back, her hands on his shoulders, creating a distance between them. They were trapped in an emotional situation and it was a natural human reaction to turn from trauma to passion.

He stood there for a moment then his eyes met hers and a truth seemed to pass between them. That what happened was real, as real as the tragedy unfolding around them. But now it was Tara who eclipsed all and they both knew it.

“She’ll die if we don’t get her out of there soon,” he said. “Let’s move.”


About the Author:
The Canadian prairies are my home and while the prairie landscape is blessed with beautiful blue skies, it also has four seasons that come on full throttle – especially winter and because of that I like to travel. Often on those trips, stories are born.

In 2011 I won my city's writing award, and was the first romance writer to do so since its inception. In 2013 my romantic suspense was a semi-finalist in the Kindle Book Awards. Published in historic romance and paranormal romance as well as romantic suspense, in February 2016, my first novel was published by Harlequin Intrigue.

There’s no lack of places to set a story as my imagination and the too long prairie winters may find me seeking adventure. The memories of those worlds both near and far, the words of a stranger, the furtive look one man gives another, often become the catalyst for a suspenseful story with a deadly villain and an intrepid hero and heroine who must battle for their right to love or even their right to live.

When not dreaming of other stories, I can be found scouting out a garage sale or two, dusting off my roller blades or just thinking about the next adventure that may be miles away or in my own backyard.

My website: http://www.ryshiakennie.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryshiakennie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author.RyshiaKennie
My blog: http://ryshia.blogspot.ca

Buy the book at Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, or Harlequin.

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Second Chance Marquess by Jessical Jefferson - Spotlight and Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jessica will be awarding a $25 and a $50 Amazon or B/N GC to two randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

When Wilhemina Turner’s younger sister runs off with a young Lothario, she has no choice but to turn to the notorious rake who broke his promise and her heart, for assistance. George Bartlett, the Marquess of Chesterton, hasn’t forgotten the woman who hurt him so many years ago, but can’t deny her request, knowing that his brother’s reputation, and fortune, is at risk. A series of misfortunes leave the straight-laced widow and committed bachelor stranded, sharing both close quarters and old secrets. But when morning comes, will this unlikely pair find a second chance at love?

Read an excerpt:

“Fine.” He looked away first, turning his attention back to the items he’d collected upon his desk. “If you want to join me, then you may.”

She squared her shoulders and stood a bit straighter having won their duel of wills. “Good.”

Without another word or a single glance, Chesterton left the room.

Not one to be left behind, Wilhelmina hurried after him, through the study and up the stairs.

“Where are we going?” she asked once they’d reached the top, breathless from the burst of activity.

He strode down the corridor, seemingly unaffected by the brisk climb. “To my bedroom.”

She immediately stopped. “Your bedroom? Why ever would we go in there?”

Chesterton turned back to her, one sardonic eyebrow arched high. “To change,” he answered. “You didn’t expect me to head out in this, did you?” He turned and continued toward the room, looking back at her before entering. “Are you coming?” he asked, voice smooth as warm chocolate.

This wasn’t the first time she’d been lured into George’s bedroom. He’d been an earl, the courtesy title bestowed upon him at birth, but more than that, he’d been a gentleman. Apparently, he’d lost that when he’d inherited the Marquisate. His bedroom was no longer an inviting sanctuary, and this invitation was not one of love as it had once been, but a lewd proposition, tenderness replaced by cruelty, as he watched expectantly for her reaction.

“I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” she stuttered, trying in vain to remain calm and collected as he started to untie the sash about his waist holding his robe closed. He let it fall to the ground and the robe opened, revealing his chest and torso in all its naked glory.

And it was indeed glorious.

She quickly averted her glance, whipping her head around and staring attentively at the painting on the wall.

“Is something the matter, Mrs. Turner?”

She was not about to play this game. She didn’t have the time, and he didn’t deserve the enjoyment it would undoubtedly bring him to see her suffer so. And most importantly, she couldn’t play because she knew good and well that she had no chance of winning.


About the Author:
Jessica Jefferson makes her home in Almost-Chicago with her husband, two young daughters, French bulldog Lulu, and English bulldog Pete. When she's not busy trying to find middle-ground between being a modern career woman and Suzy-Homemaker, she loves to watch "Real Housewives of [insert city here]" and performing unnecessary improvements to her home and property.

Jessica writes Regency-era historical romance with a modern twist where she invites her readers to fall in love with romance again.

http://www.JessicaJefferson.com and http://www.embracingromance.com
Like me at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-Jefferson/545243542195152
Follow me at https://twitter.com/authorJessicaJ
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7376474.Jessica_Jefferson
Amazon Author Page- http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Jefferson/e/B00GI20W2K
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authorjessicaje/

Buy links: http://www.amazon.com/Jessica-Jefferson/e/B00GI20W2K Buy the book at Amazon. It's currently on sale for only $0.99.

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Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Outcome by Barbara Ebel


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Barbara Ebel will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Fierce weather stalks Karen Puno and her dog, Putt-Putt, as they flee their home and reach the barrier island’s bridge where both their destinies change. Karen is about to give a woman named Jennifer Barns a gift that she’s been praying for … a new liver.

As a cascading medical crisis begins, it interlocks the lives of Karen and Jennifer’s college-aged children, an anesthesiologist, a crafty surgeon, and a feisty pilot involved with the organ harvest procurement.

Will Jennifer live through the heart-stopping surgical tension in the O.R.? Will Putt-Putt find shelter from the devastating storm and circumvent the horrific events that befall him? From tragedy to triumph, Outcome is an intense, heart-wrenching, and climactic novel.

*****

Has it been a long time since a book made you cry, or cheer, or make you regret finishing the last page?

If it has, then put OUTCOME on your reading list. It’s an emotionally-charged novel about the families, health-care team, and pilot involved with a liver transplant. Keep a box of tissues within reach. You’ll also need them for the heartbreaking yet glorious plight of the donor’s dog who goes missing in the original disaster.

*****

This is a totally new edition of Outcome which was first published in 2011.

Read an excerpt:

For three months, Jennifer considered the black pager an extra appendage. She slept, ate, and went everywhere with it and changed the batteries once a month for peace of mind. She didn’t have the energy but, if she did, she wouldn’t take a trip away from the Kentuckiana area. If that little box beeped, she had a bag ready for the hospital with fresh pajamas, a lightweight robe, slippers, and new toiletries.

The gorgeous July day had given Jennifer, Johnny, and Amelia an excuse for an excursion and yet still be in southern Indiana. They drove along East Market like bears escaping from a winter den.

“I’m sorry I didn’t take you here when you were little,” Jennifer said when they reached their destination and squatted in exposed fossil beds. “I brought kids on a school trip here last year. I want to show you this before …”

“Hey, Mom,” Johnny said, “nothing’s going to happen to you.” He tried clearing his sinuses with a good sniffle. “You’re going to get your transplant and the results are going to be like magic.”

About the Author:
Barbara's Ebel's writing draws heavily from her experience as an anesthesiologist. As a physician, speaker, and former chemist, she sprinkles credible medicine into the background of her fiction where plots and vivid characters take center stage and her O.R. scenes shine.

She penned the Dr. Danny Tilson novels before the Annabel Tilson novels DEAD STILL and DEADLY DELUSIONS. Her Dr. Danny Tilson novels have received a multitude of accolades including but not limited to: Collateral Circulation was the National Indie Excellence Award 2015 Finalist for medical thrillers and Operation Neurosurgeon was the top finalist for best-selling medical mystery books in 2012. (Best Selling Books' blog announced on PR Buzz Press Release Wire, Chicago, IL).

You may find more information about her and her books at: http://barbaraebel/weebly.com Her twitter handle is: @barbaraebel

In addition to her adult writing, she has illustrated and penned a children's book series called Chester the Chesapeake. The books developed during her philanthropic visits with her therapy dog, Chester. The dog books continue to inspire adults and children alike. Along with her husband and four pets, 'Doctor Barbara' lives in a wildlife corridor in middle Tennessee. You may find Chester at: http://dogbooksforchildren.weebly.com

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A Human Element by Donna Galanti - Spotlight and Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Donna will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Evil comes in many forms…

One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next. Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite in her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a madman, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together. But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test. With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his, and she has two choices—redeem him or kill him.

Read an excerpt:

She planted her feet shoulder-width apart, and facing the woods, commanded its inanimate objects to obey her wishes. Her hands danced in fury as rocks and branches flew through the air toward one another.

She stripped off her sweater and turtleneck, now damp with sweat. The sun hit the lake from the treetops burning off the fog, shooting millions of sparkles across the water toward her. But Laura closed her eyes to the beauty and fought her war with evil.

The sounds of her battle echoed around the lake as wood and stone broke against each other. She was a creature of nature and hypnotized in the darkness of her mind as she fought. She shrieked with bitter triumph.

Then exhaustion overcame her and her rage drained away. She sank to the ground, weeping. The pain of her many losses overcame her. How could she win against something she didn't even know? But she did know one thing. She and this killer had to be connected. Just as she was connected somehow to the man she sensed deep in the earth here all those years ago. She rose up on her knees and threw back her arms wide open in protest, her chest reaching out toward the sky.

"Just come and get me you bastard! I'm ready!" She opened her eyes and squinted from the sunlight now all around her.

"Laura," a voice called softly from behind her.

She jumped up and turned around to see Ben standing by the shoreline. The adrenaline that had surged through her body disappeared. She felt weakness crash over her in waves. She couldn't form words to say. Tears still streamed down her face.

She reached out a hand to him and it shook. She stared at it as if it weren't part of her body and she tottered on her feet. Ben lunged toward her and caught her before she fell.


About the Author:
Donna Galanti is the author of the paranormal suspense Element Trilogy (Imajin Books -http://www.imajinbooks.com/ ) and the children’s fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series (Month9Books -http://www.month9books.com/ ). Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill (http://www.thebigthrill.org/) - magazine and blogs with other middle grade authors at Project Middle Grade Mayhem (http://project-middle-grade-mayhem.blogspot.com/search/label/Donna Galanti) . She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. Donna enjoys teaching at conferences on the writing craft and marketing and also presenting as a guest author at elementary and middle schools.

Visit her at www.elementtrilogy.com and www.donnagalanti.com.

Website: http://www.elementtrilogy.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheElementTrilogy
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DonnaGalanti
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/donnagalanti
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5767306.Donna_Galanti
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donnagalanti/

Purchase books 1 and 2 in the Element Trilogy

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Friday, March 17, 2017

Kangaroo Dreaming by Sally J. Smith and Jean Steffens - Guest Blog and Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sally J. Smith & Jean Steffens will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Five Things You Might Not Know About the Authors


Jean:
1. I tend to read several books at a time—one in the car, another on my nightstand, and a different one in my purse. That way I always a great one at hand when I need it.
2. Love going to the movies, especially suspense and thrillers. Horror movies freak me out.
3. Going out for high tea at some cozy little tea room with my girlfriends is the best—tiny tea sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, big fancy hats—so much fun.
4. I watch TV in bed while eating popcorn (not popular with my husband).
5. I hate to exercise, so I just walk my dog instead.

Sally: 1. I sang backup at a recording session once, and I rocked it!
2. I’m dying to get a racy tattoo, but know I’d take massive heat from EVERYone (yes, especially Jean), so I’ve taken it off the agenda—for now anyway.
3. I used to own and operate a travel agency and just had to go all around the world for my work—a real shame, right?
4. I LOVE celebrity gossip and have a hearty helping every day for breakfast with my morning coffee.
5. If my family didn’t keep me from it, I’d probably be one of those dog-hoarding ladies—just love ‘em all—the more, the merrier, I say.

Digby Sloan, Aussie private eye, loves his mum, and is loyal as a Queensland Heeler. Now he’s in London handcuffed to a kangaroo.

Kangaroo Dreaming, a valuable aboriginal totem, must make it safely to a London museum for exhibition, and Digby is the one in charge. But within hours of his arrival, the roo is stolen and the curator is murdered.

His bosses blame Digby for the theft and insist he stay to help London Metropolitan recover Kangaroo Dreaming. That’s all well and good, except the lead cop keeps getting in Digby’s way. The case puts everyone in peril, including Digby Sloan, who might not make it back alive to the Land Down Under to find out if he even still has a job.

Read an excerpt:

I rode him as hard as I could straight across the clearing and headed dead-on for the pond in the center of it.

Falstaff’s heavy breath smoked the air. His body beneath me was soaked in sweat. The white of his wild eyes shone in the night. He carried me straight toward the water.

“Now!” I yelled in pure reaction, shifted my weight, and leaned.

Falstaff’s direction changed with such a jolt it wasn’t hard for me to do what I had to do.

The momentum launched me off his back. I was an unguided missile. My arms and legs flailed everywhere.

I slammed against the dark water, but it may as well have been a concrete slab. The wind blew from my lungs. Every inch of me cried out in pain.

The frigid pond waters closed over my head. I sank like a stone.

I headed for the slimy bottom. No. Up. Go up. I fought for the surface, pushed, kicked, and clawed. But there was no strength in my arms or my legs. No breath in my body. My tortured lungs were in agony. My brain was fuzzy. My body numb. I couldn’t see.

Sweet Mary, Mother of God.

I was drowning.


About the Authors:
Sally J. Smith and Jean Steffens, are partners in crime—crime writing, that is. They live in the Valley of the Sun in Arizona, awesome for eight months out of the year, an inferno the other four. They write bloody murder, flirty romance, and wicked humor all in one package.

Website: http://www.smithandsteffens.com
Email: smithandsteffens@cox.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Smith-and-Steffens/406147242823342?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmithSteffens

Amazon Author Pages:
https://www.amazon.com/Jean-Steffens/e/B006S2X1ZU/
https://www.amazon.com/Sally-J.-Smith/e/B006S2W1SI

The book is on sale for $0.99 at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

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Thursday, March 16, 2017

First Comes Desire by Tina Donahue/I Wanna Be Loved By You by Heather Hiestand


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding digital copies of both books on tour to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

On a lush, secluded island, one passionate adventure leads to another….

Diana Fletcher means business. The beautiful, innocent, reverend’s daughter has traveled all the way to a tropical island off Madagascar on a mission: To find her brother—and to punish the man who drove him to a life of piracy. But when she comes face to face with the enemy in question, the handsome, powerfully seductive man is not at all what Diana expected…

Tristan Kent never intended to harm Diana’s brother. A man of humble origins, Tristan claims he tried to save him from another ruthless captain. Diana is desperate to believe he is telling the truth…and that the intoxicating desire that escalates between them is true as well. But can she trust him? Or is Tristan’s story—and his heart—nothing more than fool’s gold? Amid the haze of sensual delights and soaring ecstasy Tristan has in store for her, all will be revealed…

For a young woman swept into international adventure, romance can’t be far behind…

The 1920s are in full swing when Sadie Loudon leaves her grandfather’s stodgy vicarage, and she dreams of the glamour and excitement she’s seen on the silver screen. But before she even begins work at the storied Grand Russe Hotel, she is ushered into London’s glittering nightlife by a handsome young businessman intent on introducing her to the pleasures available to a Bright Young Thing. Is it a fleeting romance…or something even more intriguing?

Les Drake is on the lookout for Bolsheviks when he encounters sweet, sexy Sadie. A British Secret Intelligence agent, Les has more experience with the seedy underside of the city than with innocent chambermaids, but he can’t deny that Sadie tempts him. Using her as part of his cover seems like a brilliant plan until the danger of his assignment threatens what has suddenly become a love he can’t bear to lose…


Enjoy an Excerpt from I Wanna Be Loved by You:

Les glanced between the two women. His gut told him that they were not compatible. Sadie was too fresh and uneducated to appeal to this cosmopolitan refugee. Not like the young wife from Acton who was desperate for a friend. When Glass had given him orders he hadn’t accounted for Sadie’s youth. She was only a chambermaid, after all.

“What time is the rally?” he asked Semyon in Russian.

He responded in kind. “In an hour. Will I see you there?”

Les nodded. “I need to pay a couple of sales calls on bookshops here and then we will go to the docks. Will your wife come along?”

Semyon nodded and took his own bowl of soup off the tray. “She is very political.”

“Mrs. Rake is not educated in these matters.” Les spooned up the last couple bites of his borsht. There likely wouldn’t be time for food later.

“She’ll learn,” Semyon said. “What is her background?”

“Orphan,” Les said, not wanting to reveal more.

“English through and through, right?”

Les nodded and put his and Sadie’s bowls on Semyon’s tray, then poured overbrewed tea from the pot into his empty cup.

“Why did you marry her? Money?”

Les was glad they were still speaking in Russian. He let his gaze peruse the length of the skinny brown bow detail on Sadie’s cream dress. The ribbon slid down her chest between her breasts, revealing their buoyant shape underneath the thin fabric. He glanced back at Semyon, who smirked.

“A young man must have his pleasures,” Semyon said.

“Your wife is very beautiful,” Les told him. Sadie’s eyes went to him. The color matched the stormy sea now. He realized he had missed an exchange between her and Irina Kozyrev. When he glanced next to him he saw Irina was putting the nesting doll together, then, when at last the matryoshka was back together, she put the doll into the gift box and placed the lid on top, then slid it into her handbag.

Shocked, he let his hurt show as he moved his gaze back to Sadie.

She shook her head slightly, as if warning him of danger. Next to her, Semyon was devouring his soup. Sadie pushed a plate of brown bread to him and he took a piece without looking up.

Les stared at his erstwhile wife. Had she given Irina the dolls because she was afraid of her, or was there some deeper game? What had the girl sensed about her role here? Irina set her handbag on her lap, her lips curving with genuine satisfaction. With a last look at Les, Sadie deliberately moved her attention to the other woman, smiling.

Irina laughed.

Sadie had done the unexpected and turned the assassin’s daughter into an ally, it seemed.


About the Authors:
Tina Donahue is an award-winning, bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for Kensington, Ellora’s Cave, Samhain Publishing, Siren Publishing, Booktrope, and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. Three of her erotic novels (Adored; Deep, Dark, Delicious; Lush Velvet Nights) were named finalists in the 2011 EPIC competition. Sensual Stranger, her erotic romance, was chosen Book of the Year 2010 (erotic category) at the French review site, Blue Moon reviews. The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for her erotic romance Lush Velvet Nights. Deep, Dark, Delicious (erotic romance) received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition. Take Me Away (erotic romance) captured second place in the NEC-RWA contest. And The Yearning (erotic paranormal) was honored with an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition. She’s featured in the 2012 Novel and Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company.

Website: http://tinadonahuebooks.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonahueTina1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tinadonahue

Buy the book at Amazon, iBooks, Google, Kobo, or Barnes and Noble.

Heather Hiestand was born in Illinois but her family migrated west before she started school. Since then she has claimed Washington State as home, except for a few years in California. She wrote her first story at age seven and went on to major in creative writing at the University of Washington. Her first published fiction was a mystery short story, but since then it has been all about the many flavors of romance. Heather’s first published romance short story was set in the Victorian period and she continues to return, fascinated by the rapid changes of the nineteenth century. The author of many novels, novellas and short stories, she makes her home in a small town with her husband and son and supposedly works out of her tiny office, though she mostly writes in her easy chair in the living room.

Website: http://heatherhiestand.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heather.hiestand
Twitter: https://twitter.com/heatherhiestand

Buy the book at Amazon, Google, Kobo, or Barnes and Noble.

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Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Taming the Texas Beauty by Jody Vitek - Guest Blog and Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jody Vitek will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Do Romance Writers Do Research?


Thank you for having me here today to talk about romance writers and research. I’d like to make clear that this is my opinion and how I’ve done research for my stories. Every writer should be researching something about their story. You can’t know everything. Okay, so I know there are people out there who do, but they are rare.

I remember writing papers for school using the encyclopedia or go to the library for research. Boy, how times have changed. The world-wide-web is an amazing and wonderful invention for writers—we don’t have to leave our homes to do research. A large number of us are introverts. To be honest, we love the quick availability of a computer because it saves us valuable writing time. Oh, and you can’t forget how wonderful email is for communicating with a possible subject matter expert.

My latest release, Taming the Texas Beauty, and the prior book, Texas Two Step, are set in Dallas, Texas. I’ve never been to Texas. I relied on Google Maps to help me with research. It’s amazing what you can get from the Earth view. If you go to the street level, it’s as if you’re standing there in person. I’ll get to how the Earth view helped me in the next paragraph. Also, a great mechanism is the Search bar in maps for seeking businesses in the area. I mention several restaurants, businesses, and locations in my books. Some are fictitious or contain part of the real name. If I didn’t use the map, the stories wouldn’t have a realistic feel to them. It’s one thing if you make up your own town or city. But when you name a real, major downtown area, you’d better get things right, or a reader will call you on it. While working on these books, I saved my locations to help keep things straight. You don’t want to say a restaurant is in one location and then say it’s in another, later in the story. I wanted to share my Dallas map so you could see how I use the map. Unfortunately, Google Maps doesn’t allow sharing maps with saved locations.

Let’s talk about my hero, Ryan Rogers, in Taming the Texas Beauty. Ryan works for the Dallas Police Department, as a Police Detective. They’re dealing with a string of robberies targeting the wealthy. Hmm, where are the 500+K homes located? Again, writing about a factual city I needed to do research. To learn about the area and see photos of the houses, I searched realtor sites for homes in my price range. I plopped the address of said home for sale into the fabulous map search, and voila, I knew the location. This is where I would switch to the Earth view. I could see the house from the street and draw my descriptions from there. At one point Ryan and his partner look for a home to set up a sting operation. I used this same research method to write how the house would work for a robbery.

As for the law enforcement research, that’s where I could have some things wrong when it comes to the Dallas PD. I reached out to the PIO of the police department via email and never received a response. None. A similar thing happened when I wrote Florida Heat. So, what’s a writer to do? I had the organizational chart and lists of departments of the police department, prior to contacting them. There’s a lot of information available on their site. But not descriptive info I wanted or needed to know for my story. Law enforcement agencies operate differently around the country. This is where I’m lucky, to a degree. My husband happens to work for a local sheriff’s office. Your sheriff’s office is a different creature than your police departments. But the law is the law, so I sought help from my husband. Without him, I would have inaccurate information in my books. I’ve written scenes, then consulted with my husband, and had to rewrite the scene, and anything that may have been affected by the changes made. Sometimes when I’ve asked for his help, he’ll answer my question but say that they, the police department, may handle it differently. I use the information from him because he’s the closest thing I have for a more accurate answer. We watch several police shows on TV, and I’ve gathered information for my books from them as well. I owe a lot to my husband for having patience with me and answering my questions.

There is so much more that I had to research for this story, as well as my other books. I could go on forever about what I did for this, that, and the other, but I’ll spare you. Just know that writers don’t simply sit down and write what they want without doing research. We talk to people, search the Internet, read books, or even visit a destination. In my opinion, those who write historical romances have a bigger job of doing research. If you’re wondering how an author wrote a character, scene, chapter, or whatever, reach out to them and ask. We love to talk about our books to our readers.

Leave me any questions you have in the comments section. Thank you for visiting today.

Two years ago, Ryan Rogers was attracted to Stephanie Lockhart, but as the detective who brought down her criminal brother, getting close to her was out of the question. Now, ready to restart the relationship, he discovers her salon is connected to a series of high-end robberies.

In spite of losing her brother because of Detective Rogers, Stephanie hasn’t forgotten their attraction. It could be happily ever after when they meet once again…until she and her salon are implicated in crime, sending her world spiraling out of control.

Read an excerpt:

“We need to talk to Stephanie.” Vergas’s voice softened. He remained silent while running a hand through his hair.

“If you want, I can call the salon and see when she’d be available to talk to us.”

His stomach tightened. He didn’t answer her, as his thoughts focused on Stephanie. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he skirted into the right lane.

“I’ll make the call. Ryan, she’s not a suspect, as of today, but you need to—”

“I know what I need to do, Vergas,” he snapped. He flexed his fingers gripping the steering wheel several times, then rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. I’ll talk to her as soon as I can.” He exited the highway and entered the concrete jungle, putting them a block from the salon. Taught muscles screamed for relaxation.

“Is that why you’ve been quiet?” Vergas’s calm kept his frustration at bay.

“Yeah.” City traffic and lights held his focus. He wasn’t in the mood to talk. Monica got the hint, and for that he was thankful.

This development had him realizing his feelings for Stephanie were more concrete than he’d originally thought. His stomach sank. They couldn’t rule Stephanie out as a possible suspect. She owned the salon. Like her brother, she could easily be involved in illegal activities. Ryan couldn’t believe she’d be like her brother. Yet, she did have a connection to the wealthy through her parents. Surely, they belonged to the same clubs and groups as many of their victims. Maybe she was involved.


About the Author:
Jody Vitek is a multi-published author with Satin Romance, an imprint of Melange Books, LLC. She has been a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Midwest Fiction Writers (MFW) since 2001 and is a Provisional PAN member of RWA.

Born and raised in Minnesota, Jody remains close to home living with her husband of twenty-five plus years, three children and a cat named Holly. Growing up, she enjoyed reading V.C. Andrews’ the Dollanganger series, starting with Flowers in the Attic, S.E. Hinton, and Stephen King to name a few. Today her tastes run across the board in fiction and non-fiction, in all genres.

She has traveled throughout the United States, to the Bahamas and Cancun, Mexico. Between watching her youngest son playing soccer, maintaining one of the many scrapbook albums, gardening and being the COO of the Vitek household, she writes contemporary romances.

Website: www.jodyvitek.com
Email: info@jodyvitek.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jody-Vitek-Author/142820225824162
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JodyVitek
Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, or Satin Romance.

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Tuesday, March 14, 2017

The Good Spy Dies Twice by Mark Hosack - Spotlight and Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Mark will be awarding a $30 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

"The Good Spy Dies Twice," the cryptic final words from a condemned death row inmate draw Jake Boxer, the one-time king of cable news, out of retirement, setting him on a collision course with a deadly global conspiracy involving his secretive wife, a depraved New World Order, and the "guests" at a posh Alaskan ski resort. Everyone is a suspect. Part spy thriller, part whodunit, "The Good Spy Dies Twice" is the first book in Mark Hosack's explosive new thriller series, Bullseye. Called "an undeniably spry and rousing espionage tale" by Kirkus Reviews.


Enjoy an Excerpt

Panting (he was an audio guy, not an athlete), Brody reached the fence. He put a hand on it and felt his arm spasm uncontrollably in one long, sustained, hot pulse.

The same type of electric shock that had knocked him off the second fence was once again rushing through his fingers and into his arm. He crumpled to the ground with a new, yet familiar, scream on his lips. Luckily, he fell backward, and the weight of his body jerked his hand away from the fence, breaking the electrical current.

Lying in the snow, his arm shook violently for several seconds, and Jesus, his heart—it was skipping beats like a rock skimming a lake. He looked back at the fence. It was just fifteen feet high, and slouching in parts where the support poles were bent, or in some cases missing. It was old, a relic of a bygone era. Totally unassuming.

Or so he’d thought.

Somehow, there was now electricity coursing through it, electricity that hadn’t been there when he’d first scaled it, just minutes earlier.

Someone had turned on the juice, and that meant someone was watching him.

When he first parked his car, he’d counted two fences from the road.

Two fences between him and the rumored Soviet installation.

No problem, he’d thought. The fences were falling apart—he could easily climb them. But now here he was, stuck in between them. Like a rat in a cage.

With his stomach in his throat, Brody cradled the audio recorder.

Okay, so he’d recorded a sound that just might change the world, but as several headlights appeared in the road just beyond the now-electrified fence, as dark silhouettes of bulky Russian men poured out of the cars and hurried through the snow toward him, he found himself asking a much more personal question:

Was it also a sound worth dying for?


About the Author:
Mark Hosack is the author of THE GOOD SPY DIES TWICE (Book 1: The Bullseye Series), and IDENTITY (Simon & Schuster). He also wrote on the web series SEQUESTERED for Sony Crackle, the screenplay for GIVE 'EM HELL, MALONE (Thomas Jane, Ving Rhames), and he both wrote and directed the award winning independent film PALE BLUE MOON. Mark lives in Los Angeles with his wife and a brood of gremlins that insist on calling him Dad.

Website: http://www.markhosack.com
Newsletter: http://www.markhosack.com/newsletter
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markhosack
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mark.hosack

Audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/The-Good-Spy-Dies-Twice-Audiobook/B01MY99FAD.

THE BOOK IS ON SALE FOR $0.99 DURING THE TOUR.

Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, or Kobo.

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Thursday, March 9, 2017

Fighting Love by Melissa West - Guest Blog and Giveaway



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding digital copies of the books on tour to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Single dad Zac Littleton has always tried to make lemonade from life’s lemons, and striking a bargain with Sophie Marsh is no different. A relative newcomer to town, she needs his help convincing the locals to try her Fresh Foods Organics produce—and Zac needs to satisfy his preteen daughter’s pleas to get out and have fun. Fake-dating Sophie will kill two birds with one stone, at least for a while—unless he gets addicted to the sweet pleasure of his beautiful competitor’s company…

Sophie can’t stand Zac. Or maybe she simply can’t stand Littleton Farms beating her in sales every week. It’s true that pretending interest in Zac and his sculpted biceps and devilish smile is a lot easier than she expected, and much more tempting, too. But despite their all-natural attraction, Sophie’s past has left her wary of any man—even one as charming as Zac. Besides, he’s got trust issues of his own. If anything real can blossom between them, it’s going to take a whole lot of patience, persistence…and passion.

Read an excerpt:

Grabbing the phone book that was still delivered to her door every three months, despite the fact that nobody needed a phone book anymore or even looked at one, she flipped through the names until she found the one she was looking for. She dialed the number before she could chicken out.

The phone rang three, then four times, and it was then that Sophie realized the time and that maybe they were both sleeping and she was going to ruin the little girl’s day tomorrow and maybe she had a test and now she would fail and it would all be Sophie’s—

“Hello?”

“Oh my God.”

“Well, actually, most people call me Zac. Or ‘Hey, dude.’ But sure, you can go with God.”

“I wasn’t calling you God.”

“But you were calling me.”

Sophie stomped her foot and cursed to herself, except she must not have kept it to herself, because the next thing she knew, Zac was laughing. Loudly. A full-body kind of laugh, the kind that rumbled from deep within a person.

“What?”

“You call me, and then you get mad because I called you out on calling me? What sense does that make? Ah, right. About as much sense as you thinking you were going to win that bet today.”

“I can’t stand you.”

“Man, not many people admit to hating God, but whatever works for you, honey.”

“I didn’t call you God.”

“Sure you didn’t.”

“Oh my God!”

“See.”

“I’m hanging up now.”

“All right, but you won’t have any resolution to whatever made you call if you hang up.”

Sophie’s temper boiled over, her fingers and toes and stomach all tensed for a fight. She’d never met a man who behaved as arrogantly as Zac, and suddenly she regretted every positive thought she’d ever had about him.

“I called to ask how you cheated.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” He chuckled softly, the sound so delicious she almost sighed—before yelling at herself to pull it together. Once again, she wished Zac had some horrible habit that would make her less attracted to him. Maybe he smoked. No, no way did he smoke. Not with super white teeth like his. She’d have to find something to secure this hate before it turned into something really dangerous.

Like a crush.


About the Author:
Melissa West writes heartfelt Southern romance and teen sci-fi romance, all with lots of kissing. Because who doesn't like kissing? She lives outside of Atlanta, GA, with her husband and two daughters and spends most of her time writing, reading, or fueling her coffee addiction.

Website: http://www.melissawestauthor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaWestAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MB_West

Buy the book at Amazon, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, or Barnes and Noble.

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