Concrete Evidence by Rachel Grant - Review Tour and giveaway

(ROMANTIC SUSPENSE)



This post is part of a Reviews Tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One lucky commenter on the CONCRETE EVIDENCE review tour will receive a very special deck of cards created by the Department of Defense and given to soldiers who were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2007. The cards were designed to educate the troops about international laws that protect antiquities and the need to preserve and protect cultural heritage sites in the Middle East.

The trafficking of Iraqi artifacts is part of the storyline in CONCRETE EVIDENCE, and the cards make an appearance in the book. More information on the cards is available at http://rachel-grant.net/ConcreteEvidence-BonusContent.html.

Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.


A year ago she lost everything. Now she wants revenge…

Accused of stealing artifacts from a five-hundred-year-old shipwreck, underwater archaeologist Erica Kesling is determined to clear her name. She’s concealed her past and taken a job certain to give her access to the buyer of the missing antiquities. She's finally closing in on her goal when she's distracted by a sexy, charismatic intern who makes her want something other than revenge.

But Lee Scott is no intern. He's looking for the lead conspirator in an international artifact smuggling scheme, and Erica is his prime suspect. He’ll do whatever it takes to win her trust and get her to reveal her secrets, even seduce her.

As Erica and Lee struggle to conceal their real agendas, the one thing they can’t hide is the attraction that burns hot between them. When Erica’s quest puts her life in jeopardy, Lee must choose between old loyalties and a woman he never expected to fall for.



Romantic suspense is one of my favorite subgenres, and I wasn't disappointed when I picked up Rachel Grant's Concrete Evidence. I especially liked the fact that this book is based, in part, on actual events. The author's notes about the "real" story were almost as interesting as the book itself.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the relationship between Erica and Lee... I loved seeing how this relationship developed, especially knowing who Lee was from the beginning.  It was fun watching Lee pretend to be less than he was---I think at times he really enjoyed seeing just how dumb he could play his part.

The main part of the story, however, is not overshadowed by the romance--nice balance there! I like a book where I can be caught off guard by a plot twist (that makes sense), and this book provides that aspect! All in all, a very nice debut and I'm definitely looking forward to her next book.

Now, enjoy an excerpt:

In the corridor heading toward their office, anxiety slowed Erica’s pace. She wasn’t sure if she was nervous about her upcoming confession to Janice or what she wanted to ask Lee, but she brushed her fear aside. “You know JT Talon,” she said, keeping her voice casual.

“We’ve met.”

“You know him better than that.”

He shrugged.

Dammit, she wanted to know how well he knew the man. “Do we have more nepotism?”

“Is it really nepotism when you’re given the lowest job with the lowest pay?” he asked.

“It is when you’re getting paid to play Tetris.”

“The Thermo-Con searches were boring.”

She turned on her heel to face him. He stopped just short of crashing into her, and she patted his cheek. “Poor baby,” she said in a sarcastic imitation of a motherly voice. “I’m sorry your work was so taxing. Maybe after you finish your computer game, you should take a nap.”

He covered her hand with his own, rubbing her palm against the stubble he hadn’t bothered to shave. His green eyes fixed on hers, and his mouth curved in an alluring half smile. “Only if you take one with me.”

She rolled her eyes. She’d give him grief for hitting on her again, but she was the one who’d stepped close and touched him. The air thickened as his intense gaze ensnared her. Gone was the feckless intern; in his place was a compelling man she wanted to know.

She heard footsteps, breaking the spell. She tried to pull her hand away, but Lee gripped her fingers tighter.

“Well, well, well,” a familiar voice said. “If it isn’t my favorite…Cream Puff.”

She ripped her hand from Lee’s and whipped around. The last time she’d seen Jake, she’d been locked in a stinking Mexican jail cell.

Rachel Grant worked for over a decade as a professional archaeologist and mines her experiences for storylines and settings, which are as diverse as excavating a cemetery underneath an historic art museum in San Francisco; surveying a coal mining town in Kentucky; and mapping a seventeenth century Spanish and Dutch fort on the island of Sint Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles. Rachel is a four-time Golden Heart® finalist and can be found on the web at Rachel-Grant.net.

Links:

Web | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Buy Links:

Amazon | Kobo |

Music for My Soul by Lauren Linwood --Virtual Book tour and $25 Amazon gift card giveaway

This stop is part of a Virtual Book Tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Lauren will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Lauren stops in to share with us five things about herself--so settle back and learn a some things you might not have already known.

FIVE THINGS ABOUT LAUREN LINWOOD

Writers love to write about everything on the planet. Except themselves, that is.

I have great fun observing others and then taking bits and pieces of those observations and twisting them until they morph and mesh with the crazy ideas and voices in my head. I enjoy researching different eras in history, taking those dry facts and dressing them up and matching them with characters in conflict. I like nothing better than daydreaming, letting my mind wander, and then lassoing those rambling thoughts and sneaking them into my narrative and conversations my characters have with each other.

But writing about me? ME? Something that’s fun, interesting, or even embarrassing? YIKES! I don’t want the spotlight on me. Just as actors are usually shy and relish taking on roles where they can disappear into a character, I feel the same as a writer. I write about outlaws and kings, cowboys and lords, heroines who have spunk and drive and are much more clever than I ever dreamed of being.

Yet readers like to know a little about authors. Social media has changed the game. So I Facebook and tweet and even guest blog now that I’m an author. So here are some odd tidbits about Lauren Linwood.

1 – Broken Bones:

Most children that break a bone manage to break an arm or leg. As a child, I desperately wished to wear one of those cool casts on either arm and have everyone in my class sign it. But did I break a typical bone and get to wear a cast? Not even close. My break happened to be when I fell while climbing a tree. I hit the picnic table beneath the tree, then rolled and hit the bench, then finally landed on the ground. Pain shot through me like a hot knife. The doctor diagnosed a broken collarbone. You don’t get a cool cast with that injury. Instead, I was wrapped up with an athletic bandage as long and wide as a football field. My shoulders hunched. I needed to wear a shirt three sizes too big. And there was nothing to sign. Other than feeling utter humiliation at being defeated by a tree, I had nothing to show. There’s zero cool factor in breaking your collarbone.

2 – Long Live the King:

Drill team is a huge thing in Texas. My mom had been captain of her drill team, so the bar was set pretty high. I tried out and made the line and had a wonderful time dancing at football and basketball games. Then came officer tryouts. I’m a little quirky, and I wanted to stand out … in a good way. So I whipped up a routine to an Elvis Presley tune, All Shook Up. Most everyone else chose a current song on the radio, but the King had himself a pretty darn good career, so I thought I’d give Elvis a whirl. I even threw in a wink over my shoulder when he sang, “I’m in love (wink). I’m all shook up.” I’m happy to report that I made lieutenant all those years ago, making life-long friends with my fellow officers. To this day, we still get together for dinners and conversation. With no winking on my part.

3 – Giggles at the Salon:

I adore getting pedicures. It’s not all about the toes. I have fun watching the different customers come in (the writer in me is a huge people watcher). I find myself lulled by the colorful fish swimming in their tank next to the chair I always seem to sit in. I live to sit in that massage chair so I can set it to roll up and down my back, kneading away all the tension and stress locked in there. I love getting the foot and leg massage even more once my toes have been stripped of color and trimmed and buffed. It’s pure bliss to sit and luxuriate, my eyes closed, as the lotion is dribbled onto my feet and legs and I fade away to a land of contentment. Until it comes to the bottom of my feet. Every time, without fail, I start giggling. My feet are ticklish! The left more than the right. I try to hold in the laughter and squeak out a few chuckles. But then a certain place on my foot is touched, and I do a belly laugh. Yes, it’s embarrassing to have an entire salon of women whip their heads in your direction. My sheepish look and shrug are followed by more held in chuckles that finally give way to laughing aloud. As the time comes to paint my toes, I regain my poise and grab a magazine to bury my nose in. I’ve lived through another bout of the public giggles. And survived.

4 – I actually got an idea for a book (A Game of Chance, coming out in 2014!) from an experience with my husband. We met and became friendly over several months and when we both found ourselves free at the same time, he asked me out. The first date went well, so I was looking forward to the second one. My doorbell rang and I went to answer it, glad that he was on time since he’d been late the first date (almost a deal breaker in my book).

I opened the door and saw the cutest guy standing there. I wondered if he knew my roommate because I sure hadn’t seen him before. Then he smiled. WOW!!! It was my date!!! He’d told me of interviewing for and getting a new job. Gone was his center part and longer hair, replaced by a side part and much shorter hair. Vanished was the mustache which I wasn’t wild about, but we’d only started going out, so I hadn’t voiced that opinion just yet. But that smile? I’d know it anywhere. Thank goodness I hadn’t embarrassed myself and let him know I had no idea who he was for a few seconds.

But fast-forward and that incident became the germ of an idea, how someone could alter his appearance with a change of hair and shaving a mustache. Suddenly the idea for a hero was born, one bent on revenge for his best friend’s death. He changes his appearance and goes after the villain. Thanks again to my hubby for planting that seed in my brain long ago. BTW – he never grew the mustache back – thank goodness! He’s much cuter without it.

5 – Variety is the Spice of Life

I have very eclectic tastes. Most people would think a romance writer loves nothing but romance novels, soft ballads, and rom-coms. Not me!

My ipod has a mix of Elvis (naturally), the Beatles, the Eagles, Kanye, Hootie and the Blowfish, Panic at the Disco, Barry Manilow, and Boston. Kelly Clarkson might be followed by Train, Tom Petty, Styx, then Fall Out Boy. Aerosmith goes hand in hand with the Partridge Family, Michael Buble, or Pink. I love all kinds of music.

The same goes for books. I read about serial killers and detectives who chase them, then switch to a cozy mystery, YA, or a biography. I enjoy historical fiction and best sellers and everything from classics such as The Scarlet Letter or Pride and Prejudice to The Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mockingbird. What’s most important to me is a great plot with interesting characters, no matter what the genre.

So that’s Lauren Linwood in a nutshell.

As the third wife of an abusive French vineyard owner, Madeleine Bouchard hasn’t produced the expected heir after three years of marriage. Fearing he plans to kill her, she flees during a trip to England. Unable to make her way home, she joins a troupe of traveling mummers and reinvents herself as the only woman troubadour in the land, captivating audiences with both song and story.

Nobleman Garrett Montayne’s fascination with Madeleine causes him to pay the troupe to bypass their next stop in order to journey to his estate. Though he suspects Madeleine of being a thief with dark secrets, love blossoms between them under the magical moon of summer solstice.

But Madeleine’s past is about to catch up with her, as her husband is set to arrive to conduct business with Garrett. Madeleine determines to free herself from her loveless marriage and make a new life with Garrett, no matter what the cost.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Garrett tied Ebony to a tree and entered the forest. He’d spent many hours in these woods over the years and knew them better than anyone at Stanbury.

He found her immediately. She’d managed to pull herself partially onto the bank, but the rest of her remained in the stream. Though late June, the water was cold. No telling how long she’d been in it.

He ran to her, seeing she was unconscious. He lifted her out from the water, her skirts heavy and clinging to her. Her chilled body was deathly pale and still.

For a moment he thought her dead. Then she gasped. Her eyes flew open. Garrett saw the pain and fear held in them.

“’Tis all right, Madeleine, I’m here.” He brushed the wet hair from her brow. Her skin was so cold. He must warm her. He couldn’t lose her as he’d lost Luke.

She moaned. “Not again. Please, not again.”

Garrett lifted her shoulders and placed her head upon his lap. “What ails you, Madeleine? What’s hurt?” he asked gently, as he stroked her clammy cheek.

“’Tis broken,” she said bitterly.

“What?”

“My leg.” She began laughing hysterically. Garrett tried to calm her but didn’t succeed. Finally, her laughter subsided into weeping.

“’Twill be all right, Madeleine,” he assured her. “We’ll get you back to Stanbury. You’ll heal.”

She stared into his troubled eyes, her own a stormy color. “Heal? I’ll never be whole again.”

As a child, Lauren Linwood gathered her neighborhood friends together and made up stories for them to act out, her first venture into creating memorable characters. Following her passion for history and love of learning, she became a teacher who began writing on the side to maintain her sanity in a sea of teenage hormones.

Lauren’s novels focus on two of her favorite eras, medieval times and the American Old West. History is the backdrop that places her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire and yearning for one another grows into the deep, tender, treasured gift of love.

Lauren, a native Texan, lives in a Dallas suburb with her family. An avid reader, moviegoer, and sports fan, she manages stress by alternating yoga with five mile walks. She is thinking about starting a support group for Pinterest and House Hunters addicts.

Keep in contact with Lauren through her various sites:

www.LaurenLinwood.com
http://laurenlinwood.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/laurenlinwood
https://twitter.com/LaurenLinwood
laurenlinwood@gmail.com

BLAME IT ON THE BRONTES and BANKING ON TEMPERANCE by Becky Lower -- Author Interview

Today I want to welcome Becky Lower to the blog to talk about her newest releases, Blame it on the Brontes and Banking on Temperance. Thanks, Becky, for answering my prying questions!

Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

I write historical romances and contemporaries. I love reading Regency romances, but could never buy into all the strict codes of conduct and titles that the British impose upon themselves. My first love has always been American history, and the events, both large and small, that have shaped this country. So I began searching for little events that would have affected the lives of the people living through them. I didn’t want something large, like the Civil War, but what about the period leading up to it? What happened in the decade prior to the Civil War that ultimately led the North and South to pick up arms against one another? It didn’t happen overnight, and the little events kept being piled one on top of the other until war was the only outcome. That’s what I wanted to explore. In between writing a research-heavy historical, I like to, as someone once said, cleanse my palate with a contemporary. I like to write about small-town romances, since I grew up and now again live in a small town in the Midwest. There is still research to be done when writing contemporaries, but not nearly as much as with historicals.

What research (or world-building – for fantasy/paranormal/Sci-fi) is required?

I think you have to build a world for every book, not just for fantasy or paranormal. I like to immerse my readers in a setting, be it 1856 St. Louis or a modern-day Maine coastal town. I want them to feel the grit in their teeth when a sandstorm blows through town in long-ago St. Louis, or to taste the salt air as they walk through fog-laden streets on the east coast. In order to accomplish that, I do a lot of research about what life was like in St. Louis is 1856, for example. I went to St. Louis and walked the old streets near the river. I bought journals kept by the women who went west on the covered wagons, I checked into all the events, large and small, that happened that year. When I wrote my most recent contemporary, I leaned on my sister heavily for advice, since she had lived on the Maine coast for years. I had to get the color of the rocks correct, the texture of the sand, everything. One of the characters in the book is a jewelry maker, using sea glass for her necklaces and bracelets. So I took a class in jewelry making and learned the history of sea glass from the instructor. I never know where the next story idea will come from.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

Regardless of whether we’re talking about my hero/heroine from the 1800s or present day, the big takeaway from all my story lines is that it’s never too late to grab for the brass ring and experience true happiness.

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

I don’t think so, but I do have an American Indian ancestor, so I keep a dreamcatcher in my study where I do my writing. I think it helps me come up with unique story lines.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

I like to think of myself as a linear pantser who follows a vague plot outline. Kind of a hybrid, I guess. I use Blake Snyder’s Save The Cat beat sheet when I think of an idea. I write out the various beats just to see if the story line is strong enough to craft a 70,000 word book from. Then, I put the outline away and never look at it while I’m writing. I like to go back to the beat sheet when I’m done and see how many of the original beats actually made it into the final product. Sometimes I follow the outline pretty closely. Sometimes it veers off course almost from the beginning. I never know. That’s part of the fun.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

A huge calendar—one of two that I use to keep myself on track. Even with both of them, I show up early or late for appointments, or forget them altogether much of the time.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

The fourth book in my historical series is scheduled for release from Crimson Romance in September or October of this year. I have another contemporary that I just finished, and am currently shopping it around. And I just started working on the fifth book in the historical series. Nine books are planned for the series—one for each child in the large Fitzpatrick family. I do intend to stop it there, although some of my readers are pulling for books to be written about their favorite secondary characters, so who knows?

Do you have a question for our readers?

If you could go back in time to any era and any country, where would you go and what century would you live in?

Becky Lower has traveled the country looking for great settings for her novels. She loves to write about two people finding each other and falling in love amid the backdrop of a great setting, be it present day coastal Maine or on a covered wagon headed west in the 1850s. Contemporary and historical romances are her specialty.

Becky is a member of RWA, NEORWA and Savvy Authors. She has a degree in English and Journalism from Bowling Green State University, and lives in an eclectic college town in Ohio with her puppy-mill rescue dog, Mary. Visit her website at http://www.beckylowerauthor.com.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beckylowerauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BeckyLower1
Blog: http://beckylowerauthor.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.beckylowerauthor.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6159227.Becky_Lower
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/authorbeckyl/

Sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronson, each in her forties, are in Puffin Bay, ME for their mother's funeral and to sink their claws into the fortune each expects to inherit. But their mother has other plans. Her substantial fortune won't be divided until the trio return to their childhood home and live together for a year.

It's a request that pits sister against sister but could unite them in a common goal to find the friendship they shared as children, to create a family jewelry business and to win over the men of Puffin Bay. They have a year to figure it all out.

                                               Amazon

Basil Fitzpatrick was born into a life of privilege. In 1856, at 23 years of age, he is the owner of the St. Louis branch of the family banking business. He has his pick of the ladies and life by the horns. Temperance Jones and her family are far from privileged. Her father is a circuit-riding preacher from Pennsylvania. But the rumblings of a war between the North and the South force the preacher to move his family to Oregon rather than to take up arms against his fellow man. However, hardship and sickness have slowed their pace, and they are forced to spend the winter in St. Louis, waiting for the next wagon trains to leave in the spring.

Basil is drawn to the large family the moment they roll into town, partly because they remind him of his own big family in New York. But also because of the eldest daughter, Temperance. She is a tiny, no-nonsense spitfire who is bent on fulfilling her father’s wish to get the family safely to Oregon. Basil is only interested in finding a mistress, not a wife. He knows if he allows Temperance into his heart, he is accepting the obligation of her entire family and their quest to settle in Oregon. He wants Temperance like he has wanted no other, but the burden of her family may be too much for him. And he can’t have one without the other.

                                                 Amazon                                                BN.com

Hidden by M. Lathan -- Virtual Book tour and $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card giveaway

This post is part of a Virtual Book Tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen commenter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Sixteen-year-old Leah Grant has given up on being normal. She’d settle for stopping the voices in her head, intrusive visions of the future, and better odds of making it to her seventeenth birthday.

That’s the thing about pretending to be human in a world where magic used to exist – at any moment, her cover could be blown and she’ll be burned to death like the rest of the witches.

Everything changes when she loses control of her powers and flees the orphanage she grew up in. She desperately wants to be invisible but finds her face plastered on every news channel as humans panic over the possible resurgence of her kind. And now the hunters won’t give up until they find her.

Making friends for the first time in her life and falling in love with one of them drives her to discover why she is unlike any being she’s ever met – human or otherwise. The dangerous powers inside of her that would repel Nathan, her new, handsome reason for living, are priceless to some. The locked up forever kind of priceless. And to others, they are too dangerous to allow her to live.

Let’s hope she can stay hidden.

Enjoy an excerpt:

A far second to oranges, the song I sang in the shower every night had a way of soothing me. More than anything, it made me tired enough to fall asleep. With Whitney gone, I didn’t have to whisper it.

The stars are out,
It’s time for bed.
Now close your eyes,
And rest your head.
May angels shield you with their wings,
As you dream your little angel dreams.

I didn’t recall composing that song, but apparently, I used to think I was good and perfect like the angels. I knew better now.

I stepped out of the shower and tugged a brush through my unruly brown tangles. I stared into the mirror over the sink as I started the song again. My skin screamed winter. I should be a warmer tan; I looked less creepy in the summer. Maybe that was why the girls had been digging into me so hard. I looked rather witchy. The unease that made them mock me was probably their souls warning them, urging them to notice I was different and dangerous.

At my worst, it feels like the fire that could easily shoot from my palm is raging inside of me. My heart picks up, more than when I’m scared. It pounds, I can’t hear. My blood dances, taunting me, begging me to hurt whoever’s hurt me. And I know that I can. I feel that I can.

But I don’t. I breathe and pray and let the magic cool.

M. Lathan lives in San Antonio with her husband and mini-schnauzer. She enjoys writing and has a B.S. in Psych and a Masters in Counseling. Her passion is a blend of her two interests – creating new worlds and stocking them with crazy people. She enjoys reading anything with interesting characters and writing in front of a window while asking rhetorical questions … like her idol Carrie Bradshaw.

Website: mlathan.com
Twitter: @hiddenseries
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/hiddenseries/

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Lost Souls by Delilah Devlin - Virtual Book tour and giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Delilah will be awarding a handmade pendant (made by her—examples here: http://pinterest.com/delilahdevlin/things-i-ve-made/) and a signed ARC of the prequel book, Shattered Souls to a randomly drawn commenter at every stop. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Delilah chose to share five things with us that are not common knowledge... I hope you enjoy her list as much as I did!

Five Things We Might Not Know About Delilah Devlin

Five? Hmmm... Let me think...

1) Well, I’m ex-Army. Did you know that? I spent over 14 years active duty and then another 7 in the Guard. I was in the Middle East during Desert Storm. I entered the Army on a whim—and because a really cute Captain sat with me in the student union and flirted with me long enough to get me to sign up for some ROTC classes. I was hooked—on the uniform and the adventure. What other college kids got to rappel and orienteer on weekends? The fact I was really good at everything helped keep me hyped. I was an expert marksman, top of the class in academics, and I was made the battalion commander of our unit—the first female ever to make that rank. When it came time to sign on for real, I said I’d go active—if they sent me to Europe. I did grow up, eventually. War and hard work can take the shine off the adventure, but I’ll never regret everything I learned.

2) I’m a hoarder—of all things supernatural/mythological—books, paintings, toys, statues, fortune-telling teacups... I have to have my “props” around me when I write.

3) I dabble in everything I read about. I read tarot cards (takes me forever!), interpret runes, read tea leaves, scry, draw down the moon, cast spells... If I can’t make it real for me, how will it feel real to you? And I love to learn and try new things. I’m a perpetual student of the occult and all religious persuasions. I’m “eclectic” that way. What I try and enjoy or gives me a “spark” becomes mine, whether it’s Asatru or Buddhist. Oh, and my tarot cards are The Sun and The World. When I hold an entire deck and ask for just one card to tell me where I am, those are the cards I pull most consistently.

4) I live in alternate worlds.

I used to be married. I think the thing that killed the romance for me was one day when I mentioned how hard I found it to concentrate at work when my other world came knocking. My husband gave me this sharp-eyed look and asked me what the hell I meant. I told him about the daydream I’d been having for a week. Walking between meetings, I’d sink into that other world. Driving home, I was always surprised when I pulled into the driveway—because I’d been somewhere else. He told me he thought I had a screw loose because he didn’t daydream—at all. Unless he was walking through a problem in his mind, he wasn’t pulled into his imagination. I never knew that there were people who didn’t live in alternate universes.

5) I work in a basement office with no windows—and I love my writer’s cave. It’s filled with everything I need—my props and my coffee pot. Books fill the shelves on two walls. Office supplies (a fetish of mine) fill another wall. My corner desk is large and cram-jam-packed with pens, my snail collection, an ushabti, a crystal ball, a gemstone skull, white rabbit bookends that enclose the books on my current must read list, my purple leather Filofax, my Pez ménage (Snow White, Iron Man, Cinderella) and my carnelian tree (for creative energy). My coffee cup tree is overfilled with cups that mean something to me and my filing cabinets is decorated with magnets from places I’ve traveled. On top of the filing cabinet is my dancing James Brown doll, who sings “I Feel Good” at the tap of a button, a paper-mache shark swallowing a man (or woman, sometimes, I think she’s me!), and an assortment of candles and incense burners. My cave resonates with energy. All I have to do is breach the portal in the morning, and my mind is jettisoned to another place.

Now are you convinced I’m crazy? I think writers have to be in order to be intensely creative. We’re schizophrenic in a productive way. :)

Fan favorite Delilah Devlin delivers her second paranormal romantic thriller featuring unforgettable heroine, Caitlyn O’Connell. This time, the psychic PI joins her police detective ex-husband to find a demon pulling women into the past to commit their murders in a seedy Memphis hotel.

Private Investigator Caitlyn O’Connell is tapped by Memphis PD to discover who has been using a Memphis hotel as his killing ground. Women are going missing, and their bodies are found inside the walls of the hotel. But the bodies themselves? They appear to have been murdered in the distant past. With ghosthunters and cops crawling all over the crime scene, Cait and her detective ex-husband Sam Pierce race to find the demon responsible before he kills again.

Until recently, award-winning romance author Delilah Devlin lived in South Texas at the intersection of two dry creeks, surrounded by sexy cowboys in Wranglers. These days, she’s missing the wide-open skies and starry nights but loving her dark forest in Central Arkansas, with its eccentric characters and isolation—the better to feed her hungry muse!

For Delilah, the greatest sin is driving between the lines, because it’s comfortable and safe. Her personal journey has taken her through one war and many countries, cultures, jobs, and relationships to bring her to the place where she is now—writing sexy adventures that hold more than a kernel of autobiography and often share a common thread of self-discovery and transformation.

Delilah Devlin is a prolific and award-winning author of erotica and erotic romance with a rapidly expanding reputation for writing deliciously edgy stories with complex characters. Whether creating dark, erotically-charged paranormal worlds or richly descriptive historical stories that ring with authenticity, Delilah Devlin “pens in uncharted territory that will leave the readers breathless and hungering for more…” (Paranormal Reviews) Ms. Devlin has published over 100 erotic stories in multiple genres and lengths.

She is published by Atria/Strebor, Avon, Berkley, Black Lace, Cleis Press, Ellora’s Cave, Harlequin Spice, Kensington, Running Press, and Samhain Publishing.

Website: http://www.delilahdevlin.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DelilahDevlinFanPage

Dixon's Place by William Corradini -- Reviews Tour and Giveaway

(Non-fiction, Animal lover's, Human interest story)

This review is done in conjunction with the author's virtual tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. William will be awarding a $10 Wild Child Publishing GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. so comment here today for your chance to win! Click the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.



When Bill and Meghan Corradini, an affluent and self-described spoiled young couple, decide they want ducks to adorn the pond they plan to build at their dream home, neither of them can imagine the mayhem, heartbreak and joy that will ensue.

Bill decides to purchase a couple of ducks but when there are just three left, he cannot abandon the third sibling, so all three come home with him and are promptly named after players for his beloved college team, the Oregon Ducks—despite the fact that all are female. He and Meghan set about spoiling and pampering their ducks, lavishing them with love.

Unfortunately, despite precautions, tragedy strikes and it changes Bill and Meghan in a profound way. Bill tells Meghan that he wants to make a difference in the lives of abandoned, abused and neglected animals. They decide to devote their time and resources to doing just that.

Along the way, both mature and their bond is deepened and strengthened as they face numerous emotional trials, most revolving around the animals they rescue and usually end up adopting. Within short order, one animal becomes two and the additions to their household multiply. Their lives are irreversibly changed and enriched.

In caring for these animals, Bill and Meghan discover their purpose in life, serve as examples to their friends and family and realize their deep capacity for love—both for the animals they work with and for each other. Their story is inspiring and never dull. It will resonate with animal lovers everywhere.


As an animal lover, I looked forward to reading this book.  And I have to say I enjoyed every bit. I was a bit hesitant for a couple of reasons. First, I knew from the blurb something awful was going to happen to put the rest of the book into motion (and it does... and I cried like a baby), and the first chapter is all about the humans in this story, and tells quite honestly how spoiled and self-centered they are.  The writer makes no bones about it, and in fact has a checklist at one point to emphasize the point.  I wondered how I would ever come to like reading about folks who were so clearly removed from my own.

Don't worry, I did.  And I bet you will, too.

Honestly, animals can change the hardest heart, and our protagonists are hard-hearted, just selfish.  But, boy howdy, does that change.  It's not (entirely) overnight, but I was amazed at just how much of a 180 degree turn they do.  And it started with three ducklings.

The author has such a way with words.  He doesn't waste them, but he's not brief either.  I imagine parts of this were terrifically difficult to write as it's not always a flattering picture, but he does it without flinching.  The only time I had trouble was in dialogue, where he seems allergic to contractions (unless they actually talk that way, which would also seem odd).  Every time it happened, it jolted me.  Thankfully, it wasn't often

There is a depth of emotion here when it comes to the animals.  It surprises the protagonists, but not me as much (as I know how animals can change lives).  I admit to not being a huge bird fan when it comes to pets, though this book changed my mind a bit.

All in all, a completely enjoyable read and one I'm glad I read.  Worthwhile, interesting and very tidily compose.  Well done, Mr. Corradini!

4.5 Flowers - This was a very good book! I'd recommend it to my friends.

Now enjoy an excerpt:

It wasn’t difficult to identify their hangouts, as we would find wet spots along with multiple rabbit pellets. Fortunately, due to rabbits’ rapid digestion and diet, the pellets give off no odor whatsoever. I even watched Bear Grylls on Man vs. Wild say you can eat these pellets, as he started to munch them like raisins. I was never in the British Special Forces nor did I get paid to put disgusting things in my mouth, so I have passed on this advice to this point. We placed a litter box by the fireplace and another one in Meghan’s office and that seemed to do the trick. There would be the occasional accident, but they used their litter boxes most of the time. They were better trained than Meghan’s purebred “show dog lineage” mutts.

Lesson number two—rabbits love to chew shit, especially wood. The unfortunate thing about this little nugget is that the interior of our house is almost nothing but wood. Kitchen cabinets, window ledges and frames in breakfast and living areas, cabinets and shelves in living room, floor, dining table, hutch—everything wood. We had two options: remove either the wood or the bunnies or give them other things to chew on. We bought them all kinds of wood and cardboard toys. We surrendered our woven baskets.

We even bought them, from Rabbitrescue.org, a three- level, cardboard castle. This castle was something else. It had miscellaneous shapes for windows at every level and an easy step to get from floor to floor, including the balcony on top. Fortunately, the floors were replaceable, as Myron chewed his way from the balcony to the second floor. You want reprieve from a bad day, try watching two bunnies sticking their heads out of a cardboard castle and stay in a bad mood.

William Corradini, 42 years old, lives in Keller, TX with his wife of 10 years, Meghan. He is a sales manager at Staples Advantage where he has been for over 13 years.

William grew up on a ranch in Eastern Oregon and he spent most of his youth around farm animals, dogs, cats, parrots and any other four-legged furry, fuzzy creatures that decided to call their ranch home.

William has lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for 20 years and for much of that time had adopted the ‘city life style’. He had all but rejected his roots and his interests in animals. This all changed in 2008-and it started with him buying three ducks.

Barnes and Noble (Nook): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dixons-place-william-corradini/1114877257?ean=2940016274164
Wild Child Publishing: http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/memoir-c-109/dixons-place-p-416.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dixons-Place-ebook/dp/B00BXWTE38/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1365074485&sr=1-1&keywords=dixon%27s+place

Close Up Magic by Michelle Garren Flye - Virtual Book tour and Magic Gift Basket giveaway

This post is part of a Virtual Book Tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Michelle will award a Magic Gift Basket, including a copy of "Magic for Dummies" by David Pogue to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour (US only), and one commenter at every stop will win a $5 Amazon GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Michelle chose to share five things with us that we might not know about her. How many of them can you identify with?

Five Things About Myself You’d Never Guess

I’m a pretty open person. What you see is what you get. But like everybody else in the world, there are hundreds of things about me you’d never guess. Here are five of them:

1. I’m a total introvert. I love people, but being around them wears me out. Even the people I’m closest to have to back off and let me be every now and then. Being in a room full of strangers is a nightmare for me.
2. I don’t like dogs. I’m a cat person. You’d never guess this because I OWN two dogs (that I love) and am currently catless. But as a rule, I’m not a dog person at all.
3. I still get crushes. Yep. I’m forty-three years old, have three kids and have been married (to the love of my life) for eighteen years, but I still get crushes. Of course, my hubby doesn’t have anything at all to worry about because my crushes are mostly on characters in books, movies and television. Christian Bale’s Batman, for instance. Captain Jack Sparrow. Castiel in Supernatural. They can all make my heart go pitter-pat. And serve as inspiration for my heroes!
4. I can’t swim very well at all and I don’t foresee myself learning. It’s too embarrassing admitting I can’t swim and floundering around in the pool while somebody tries to teach me.
5. I’m not a good employee at all. I’m conscientious but I tend to get to the point where I think I know more about how to run a business than my boss does. I know this about myself, but I can’t seem to fix it. I work best when I work for myself. At least then there’s nobody but me to blame!

So that’s it. Five things about me you’d never guess! Here’s a bonus fact: This was one of the hardest articles I’ve had to write in quite a while.

Do you believe in magic?

Reporter Stacey Matthewson has made a living writing sensational stories that knock celebrities off their pedestals. Now she's got a hot lead on an even hotter magician who's mystifying Las Vegas with his new show--the problem is, she's had a crush on him for years. How can she write a story that might ruin him, especially when he proves himself to be so much more than she'd ever dreamed?

Magician Andre Hawke has a knack for making things disappear, but when it comes to his brother's drinking and gambling, he's got a problem. Hiring the sexy reporter who threatens to blow away his carefully wrought illusion might be the answer to his problems...or she might bring on a whole new set of them.

Stacey’s never believed in magic, and Andre doesn’t know who to trust anymore. Can passion overcome their inhibitions, or will betrayal stem the tide of love?

Now enjoy an excerpt:

Stacey’s heart gave an odd thump, but she was prepared for that, too. She’d watched countless videos of his stage performances on Youtube, and she knew his reputation for womanizing. The Great Andre--on stage and in the sack, evidently. She summoned her best flirtatious smile, but his next words caught her off guard enough so she faltered. “Who exactly are you and how the hell did you get back here?”

She’d paid off a security guard but he didn’t have to know that. “I snuck in. I wanted to catch you before the show.” She fluttered her eyelashes and lowered her gaze, on cue as usual.

“Are you here to see the show, then?” He didn’t release her hand, his eyes intense on hers when she looked back.

“Of course I am.” She shot him a smile. “I can’t wait, actually. I’ve been a fan ever since I saw you at the Clemson Theater in New York a few years ago.”

“I remember that show.” His smile widened, revealing perfect teeth for a moment before softening again into a sensual curve, and his gaze flickered to her mouth.

“It’s obviously taken you to bigger and better things.” Her chest felt tight and she found it hard to breathe. Was he going to kiss her? Dear God, she felt paralyzed. Was this really just desire or did he actually know enough magic to hold her immobile while he considered whether or not to kiss her? Or did she want his kiss so bad she was willing to sacrifice what was left of her career to get it?

Michelle Garren Flye is the award-winning romance author of five novels. Her most recent novel, Where the Heart Lies, has been described as an “engaging novel with charming and likable characters” and a story that “will make you believe in love and second chances.”

Michelle placed third in the Hyperink Romance Writing Contest for her short story “Life After”. Her short stories have been published by the romance anthology Foreign Affairs, Opium.com, SmokelongQuarterly.com and Flashquake.com. She has served on the editorial staffs of Horror Library Volume 1, Horror Library Volume 3, Butcher Shop Quartet, Butcher Shop Quartet II and Tattered Souls.

Michelle has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is the mother of three and lives in North Carolina with her husband and their rapidly growing collection of pets.

Connect with Michelle Garren Flye online:

Website: http://michellegflye.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michelle-Garren-Flye/132688623422175
Twitter: https://twitter.com/michellegflye
Amazon Author Central: http://www.amazon.com/Michelle-Garren-Flye/e/B006QG88WY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Quiet on the Set by Jessica Lave - Virtual Book tour and $20 GC Giveaway

This post is part of a Virtual Book Tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jessica will award a $20 Fandango GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click on the tour banners to see the other stops on the tour.

Jessica opted to share five things about herself we'd probably never guess. I completely enjoyed this list!! Take it away, Jessica!

Who I Am: The Nerdy, Loner, Half-Canadian, Righty TV Addict

“Writer” is one of the primary concepts I identify with, but there are many more things I love, things that I relate to, and things that make me me. I’ve spent a lot of time lately talking about my writing, my process, my habits, and everything to do with being a writer, but here are a few things you probably wouldn’t guess about me:

1. I love comic book superheroes.

If you know me, you know I’m a nerd for comic book superheroes, but if you don’t, I probably don’t look the type to be into men in tights and capes. The Tim Burton Batman films came out when I was a kid, and since then, I’ve always loved the stories, the villains, and the mythology of it all. I didn’t grow up with the actual comic books—those were popular before my time and they were still considered mostly a “boy thing” when I was growing up—so I can’t debate whether the movies are true to the original comic books, but I enjoy them either way. Aside from the incredible Batman/Dark Knight films from Christopher Nolan, I really enjoyed the latest X-Men reboot, but they are putting out some pretty tough competitors these days!

2. I didn’t go to my prom.

I actually didn’t attend any dances during high school. I’m a major introvert in general, and I’m claustrophobic to boot, so voluntarily putting myself in the middle of a noisy, crowded room seemed like a bad idea at the time. I don’t regret not going—I have a feeling I would have sat on the bleachers the entire time playing Snake on my phone—but I always think of that scene in Pretty in Pink where Iona (Annie Potts) is telling a story about her friend who missed her prom. I don’t get that terrible feeling like something is missing and I can’t figure out what it is, but if I ever do, I may decide to blame it on that missed “once in a lifetime” teenage social engagement…

3. I’m half-Canadian.

I was born in Denver and have lived in Colorado my whole life, but my mother is originally from Canada, as well as the rest of her side of the family. For some reason, this information is terribly surprising to people—maybe because I don’t wear fur hats or speak with a Canadian accent—but I like this part of my history. I haven’t traveled very extensively in Canada, but I have wonderful memories of time spent there with my grandparents and my mom’s side of the family.

4. I can write with my left hand. (I’m a very dominant righty normally.)

This one is kind of silly how it started: I watched My Left Foot with Daniel Day Lewis with one of my babysitters when I was a kid and I thought it was so cool how he had learned to write with his foot. I decided I wanted to learn, too! I never could commit to learning to write with my toes, but I do switch off hands when I’m writing sometimes, which came in especially handy in school. If my right hand got tired from too many notes, I’d switch and practice with my left. It’s not as neat as my right hand’s writing is, but it’s quite legible. Before I got my laptop, I used to write everything in longhand, so there are quite a few pages lying around written with my left hand. It’s not a necessary skill, but it has its useful moments: I can shoot pool and bat left-handed in baseball as well.

5. I’ve never seen an episode of The Office.

I’m a major filmophile and television addict so this usually comes as a surprise even to people who know me! It seems most people I know who watch primetime TV at all have at least seen one episode, but I just haven’t. Not because I don’t like the actors or the premise or anything—I’d probably love the show if I had started watching from the beginning—but I just haven’t gotten around to it with all the other shows I watch. Eventually, I’ll pull up season one on Netflix and catch up, but until then, I’ll have to remain out of the loop on all the inside jokes among fans of the show.

When her screenplay gets accepted to a local LA film festival, 23-year-old Rylie Cates heads to Tinseltown, where she is thrust into the spotlight as her career takes off.

As she struggles to live up to her newfound success, Rylie meets the people who will become her friends, her guides to the city and the movie business, and ultimately, her “LA family.”

Despite her best intentions, deciphering the politics surrounding her new career proves difficult, and she unwittingly makes a few enemies on her path to success.

Confronted by scheming studio executives, philandering movie stars, and the perpetual lure of the bottle, Rylie relies on her new friendships to help her navigate life, love, and business in Hollywood.

Now enjoy an excerpt:

A little background: This scene is from “Chapter 2: Relationships.” Rylie has just arrived in LA to assist in the filming and production of a short clip from her screenplay, which has been accepted to the Jones Film Festival. Sharon Howard is a member of the film festival committee, and she has pulled Rylie aside to discuss Rylie’s career and the future of her screenplay, Gansevoort:

‘Let me see if I follow: I’m expected to wait six months for an offer on this script, twiddling my thumbs, when I could possibly have an offer, a decent one, by the end of the week?’ Rylie said. ‘I mean, no disrespect, but if we’re being blunt here.’

‘You know, I didn’t expect a kid fresh out of college from Maine to be so cutthroat.’

‘I’m only being reasonable. If this is gonna be it, if I’m going to be a screenwriter, I can’t sit around for six months. I’m gonna have to go back to poah backwahds Maine in the meantime, unless I can find some work, which—in this economy—isn’t that likely. If I sell this script to a studio, it will probably hold me over until I write another one. Or maybe I’ll even win a prize at the film festival. This is only a script, after all. It’s not a filmed-and-ready-for-distribution movie, so even if I do shop it around, the odds of it getting made before the festival are slim to none.’

‘You think you know so much. You haven’t been in this town for ten minutes,’ Sharon said, softening her tone. Rylie almost thought Sharon was preparing to threaten her.

‘I read a lot,’ Rylie said. ‘I know it’s not a substitute for experience, but it’s enough to know that you’re trying to pull something here. I don’t know what it could possibly be, but if you’d enlighten me, maybe I’ll consider what you’re asking.’ She was nervous as hell—her hands were shaking underneath the table—but she knew she had to be strong, ruthless, and straightforward to get what she wanted done.

By day, I work in a cubicle tending to an e-commerce website. By night, I blog, I review television shows and films, and occasionally, I settle down long enough to write a novel. I’ve always had a diverse set of interests, which has led me to study everything from ethics to yoga to film, but the one thing that has stayed consistent is my enthusiasm for writing. Writing is my way of bringing all of my interests together—I may not be able to speak six languages, pick the lock on a door, or cook a five-course meal without a recipe, but I can write about a character who can, and that’s the next best thing!

Visit me on my website:
http://www.jessicalave.com/

Follow me on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/jessinsists

Connect with me on Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6428146.Jessica_Lave/

Buy the paperback from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Set-Jessica-Lave/dp/1482794586/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364606566&sr=1-5&keywords=quiet+on+the+set

Buy the ebook for Kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/Quiet-On-The-Set-ebook/dp/B00C2JP4PS/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364514591&sr=1-4&keywords=quiet+on+the+set

Buy the paperback from CreateSpace:
https://www.createspace.com/4209363

DARK MUSICALS TRILOGY by Laura DeLuca - Virtual Tour and Giveaway

This post is part of a Virtual Book Tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Laura will be awarding to a US Only Winner: a signed copy of Phantom with original cover, crystal geode, rough crystal point, stone pendant, sterling silver pentacle pendant, mini Buddha figurine, smudge stick with abalone shell, 2 Gothic style key chains, incense set with leaf holder and lavender purification bath salts to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. The Rafflecopter is at the end of the post. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The “Phantom” was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting. She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play that was her obsession. When her high school drama club chooses “Phantom” as their annual production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle and the target of a sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the play as their calling card.

Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like her character, she is torn between her two co-stars—Tom the surfer and basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist.

Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen both on and off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are hurt in true phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca receives notes and phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn bringing to life the twisted character of the phantom? Or in real life are the roles of the hero and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust, but she knows she’s running out of time as she gets closer and closer to opening night. Only when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty first century phantom finally be revealed.

When Justyn and Rebecca set off for the New York School of Performing Arts, they think their dreams are about to come true. To their dismay, they aren’t in high school anymore, and the competition is steep. Rebecca must compete against accomplished singers for a role in the production of Demon Barber, including a stunning Gothic diva with her sights set on Justyn.

It doesn't help that things keep disappearing from their apartment or that Rebecca's father refuses to accept that Justyn is an essential part of her life. Yet, all this seems minimal in comparison to the serial rapist terrorizing the campus.

Consumed by fear and obsessed with revenge, Rebecca and Justyn start living the story of Sweeney Todd—both on and off the stage.

Excerpt

Rebecca unwound the silver ribbon. When she lifted the lid, she found two matching pendants, each laced to a long hemp chain. They were shaped sort of like seashells, with an endless spiral pattern that looped out from the center as the chambers grew larger. They were dark brown in color with a few hints of tan along the edges. The stones had been polished and smoothed on both sides, but when she lifted them, she could see that the two pieces fit together perfectly. She swore the halves fought to snap together, like magnets in her hand. There was an energy pulsing and vibrating within the stones that even a novice witch like Rebecca could feel.

“They’re beautiful,” Rebecca whispered as she ran her hand along the intricate grooves.

“It’s an ammonite.” Justyn lifted one of the pendants, brushed her hair to the side, and hooked the clasp around her neck. His breath tickled her skin as his hands moved with graceful dexterity, giving her goose bumps despite the humid August night. “They’re actually fossils that are millions of years old, named after Ammon, an ancient Egyptian deity. When they’re divided in half, they’re perfect mirrors of one another. Some cultures believe that if the two halves are given to lovers, it will bind them together forever. When made into necklaces, they’re often called soul mate pendants.”

“Wo-wow,” Rebecca stuttered. As usual, the sentiment behind Justyn’s gift was even more beautiful than the gift itself. It left her a little flustered. “That’s amazing. How do you know all this stuff?”

“You don’t spend eighteen years living with Darlene without learning a thing or two.”

Rebecca laughed. Justyn’s mother Darlene was definitely something special. EMT, exotic belly dancer, and Wiccan High Priestess were only a few of the titles she claimed. Rebecca knew she was a fountain of earth-based knowledge after years of studying the Craft. As Darlene’s new apprentice, Rebecca greedily dipped into that knowledge herself as often as possible.

“It’s beautiful,” Rebecca repeated, too overcome with emotion to think of anything more eloquent to say. “You certainly know how to make things interesting.”

“Like I told you on our first date, I try not to be boring.” He winked at her. “So … are you going to put mine on for me?”

“Oh yeah … sorry.”

Rebecca giggled as she lifted the hemp chain. She wasn’t nearly as graceful as Justyn. She almost dropped the necklace in the sand three times before she managed to get the clasp locked. When she finally had it secured, he placed his hand over her heart, where the ammonite lay. He did the same with her hands, lifting them to his chest. His dark eyes had lost all glimmer of humor. He met her gaze with a stare filled with genuine emotion. Beneath her fingers, she could feel the gentle, steady rhythm of his heart beating in perfect tune with her own.

“Our love will span both space and time. In this life and the next, you shall be mine. All eternity I will be by your side. For a love so strong cannot be denied. Spirit and flesh merged into one. So mote it be, for all days to come.”

When he was done with the recitation, he kissed her. Not just a gentle brush, but a deep, passionate embrace that left her throat tight and her heart pounding with a familiar yearning.

“I’ve never heard that poem before,” she said once she’d caught her breath. “Who are you quoting?”

Even in the moonlight, she could see him blush. “I guess I was quoting myself. It was really more of an incantation than a poem though. These necklaces are meant to be a symbol of our love, and it seemed a little spell work could only add to the power of the stones. There is power in words, Becca. Just like there is power in nature.”

“You mean, you wrote that?”

He nodded, but his eyes twinkled, and the playfulness was back in his voice. “Well, actually, I just made it up as I went along.”

“Wow. Actor, singer, and now an improv poet slash chant writer. Is there anything you can’t do, Lord Justyn?”

He smiled and tilted her chin so he could look into her eyes. “I can’t stop loving you.”

About the Author:Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the editor of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Player, and Demon.

http://authorlauradeluca.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/authorldeluca
www.facebook.com/authorlauradeluca
http://pinterest.com/authorldeluca/
http://www.goodreads.com/authorlauradeluca

If you haven't read the first book in the series, now is a great time to get your copy. To celebrate the release of Demon, Phantom is now on sale for only $1.99 exclusively on Amazon!

Demon can be bought at Amazon  Smashwords   BN

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Joker's Wild by CL Kraemer - Review tour and giveaway

(Mystery Novella)

This review is done in conjunction with the author's virtual tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. C.L. will be awarding an eBook copy of her novella Meadows of Gold to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour so comment here today for your chance to win a cool prize!



Four brothers raised in the Northwest.

Two choose to stay and pursue life in Oregon. Two are seduced by the promise of Hollywood.

Life throws the Palmer brothers an ugly curve when two are killed in preventable accidents. Even more upsetting is the lack of justice in the trials of the perpetrators.

The remaining brothers will find justice using a shared passion of all the participants--motorcycle poker runs.


First let  me say that Ms. Kraemer is a very talented wordsmith.  Her attention to detail in descriptions and her scripting of scenes really places you right in the midst of the story and helps it play out like a movie in your mind. 

Joker's Wild had a fascinating premise and I really enjoyed the idea behind the plot. However, it was extremely complex, and I think the short length actually made it have less impact than it might have had if the story had been longer.  I would have liked to see more character development and more build up to the actual climax. Additionally, I had some trouble following a few things, and didn't understand others (like why did they go to such lengths to ensure certain riders got jokers?  It didn't seem to matter in the end at all ... but it's possible I just missed something since I'm not familiar with poker runs).

Still, as noted, the author clearly has talent, and I'd happily select another book by her.  Never once during this story was I tempted to stop reading.  She had me hooked, her talent is inarguable, and the only thing lacking here was pages.

3.5 Flowers - This was a good book. I liked it.

Now enjoy an excerpt:

2004

The squeak of his teeth against each other reverberated in Joey's ears.

"Joey? Joey!"

The plaintive cry brought his attention back to the moment. Kandace, Kandi, O'Connell ripped her hand from his, rubbing the appendage and pushing her bottom lip into a formidable pout.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You nearly crushed my fingers!"

He resumed glaring across the courtroom at the dapper figure vigorously shaking the lawyer's hand.

"Joey! What is your problem?" Kandi sidled up to the man, running her hand along his muscled arm.

He slowly pivoted her direction, staring in disbelief.

"Do you think he got what he deserved?"

The couple glanced at the defense table. Corey "Slide" Rigby grinned at the mob of young females clustered near the waist high, wooden retainer separating the spectator section from the main body of the courtroom. Bentley Wellington IV snapped his briefcase closed and looked up at the Hon. Scott Fournier, currently vacating the bench; few noticed the slight nod passing between the two.

Joey surveyed the growing mayhem in the courtroom.

"I need to get some fresh air." He powered through the writhing mass of humanity trying to grab the attention of the action adventure star and marched to the open colonnade.

Kandi scrambled to keep up with his strides, dodging the gauntlet of pushing cameramen and reporters shoving microphones in her face and shouting questions at her.

Joey steered them to the side of the building away from the media circus.

"Damned vultures." He reached around to his hip pocket and withdrew the round tin whose impression was permanently stamped on all the back pockets of his jeans. Twisting the lid, he snagged a pinch of brown flakes between his thumb and forefinger. Using his middle finger, he tucked the flakes inside his bottom lip.

"I really wish you'd give that up. It's disgusting." Kandi wrinkled her nose.

"I suppose your herb habit is any better?"

Kandi sniffed. "It's medicinal."

"Right, and I'm a virginal school girl."

The crowd in front of the building began buzzing until the sound engulfed the immediate area. Cameramen and reporters started spreading across the lawn and down the side corridors of the building, edging toward the couple.

"Must be the star making his appearance," Joey stepped off the concrete walkway onto the manicured lawn and peered at the building's facade. The wide sidewalk in front of the judicial edifice was a sea of reporters clutching microphones aimed in the direction of a podium.

When the action hero stepped up to the provided mike, multiple voices vied for the attention of the man.

The actor flashed his best on-screen smile to the mob and raised a hand.

"I'll get to all your questions--later. Right now I need to give credit where credit is due…"

Joey curled up one corner of his mouth and turned from the scene. A familiar form caught his attention, and he slowed his gait as he watched Bentley Wellington IV casually slip from the gathered insanity.

Odd. I've never seen him relinquish the limelight. He shadowed the lawyer, ducking behind the columns when the man glanced over his shoulder. As Bentley neared the main building, a side door swung open and Judge Fournier stepped into the breezeway. Joey darted to a pillar near the pair. He watched as the lawyer reached into an inner pocket of his suit coat and retrieved a bulging sealed envelope. He started to hand the packet to the judge, glancing Joey's direction.

Joey slipped behind the post, holding back a well chosen swear word.

"I believe this is yours. I found it in my briefcase this morning."

The crinkle of paper tickled Joey's ears. Another familiar voice reached him.

"Uh, oh, oh my. I'm so sorry."

Kandi. He couldn't help himself; he peeked around the support. She was rising slowly and handing the envelope to the Judge with one hand, her opened cell phone in the other.

"No problem, miss. What are you doing here?" The tone of the question was tinged with suspicion.

"Isn't this the door to the ladies' room?"

Joey stuck his crooked forefinger between his front teeth and resumed his hiding spot. He could imagine her big green eyes, luminescent in the refracted light of the windows as she ran her pink tongue over her plump melon tinged lips.

Silence permeated the moment.

One of the men cleared his throat.

"No, ma'am. The public entrance is back down the breezeway and to the right. I'm sure one of the reporters will be glad to direct you from there."

He could hear Kandi giggle. "I'm so directionally challenged. Thank you."

The click of her heels on the concrete echoed against the building. Joey held his position.

"Do you think she knows?" The voice sounded like the lawyer's.

"No. She's too dumb. Did you see her…assets?"

Joey ground his right fist into his left palm.

"Yeah. That'd sure look good on the back of my Fatboy."

Both men laughed and the tension filling the air dissipated.

"You doing the Jay Leno ride?"

"Naw. The in-laws are in town and I'm going to have to pretend to be a good husband."

"Better you than me. Maybe we can sneak in a quick ride to Donna's Hideaway on Sunday."

"I might be able to finagle my way free for the afternoon. I'll get hold of you by Sunday morning."

"Not too early. Unlike you, I have no wife…"

"Currently."

"…yeah, whatever. So I plan on hitting the clubs on Saturday night. Don't call before ten."

"It's going to take us a couple hours just to get there."

"Yep. That's why it's called a road trip."

The sound of footsteps ricocheted back to Joey, and he ventured to peek from behind his column.

He was about to walk toward the front of the building and locate Kandi when a pair of hands grabbed his side.

"Boo!"

He snapped around, arm cocked, hand fisted.

Her eyes were wide and rounded, her face devoid of all color.

"Christ, Kandi. I nearly hit you!"

"S-s-sorry."

She wiggled her cell phone back and forth in front of him.

"I got pictures of the envelope," her sing-song announcement reminded Joey of his six year old nephew.

"Terrific. You have pictures of a white envelope stuffed with…"

"Money." Kandi closed her eyes. "My favorite."

"… strips of paper cut in the shape of dollar bills."

"WHAT?!" Kandi's eyes popped open.

Joey put his hand over her mouth and snugged her to him. "Shhh."

The two legal figures standing near the undulating crowd of reporters soon disappeared into the mass.

Joey peeked from behind his stanchion and swore under his breath. His gaze fell to the furious green eyes trying to burn a hole through his head.

"That's the story they would tell anyone who asked. You don't think they'll admit to an exchange of money? And face it, sweetheart, you're not a very reliable witness."

"OUCH!" He whipped his hand from her mouth. "That hurt!"

Kandi stepped away from him. "Then don't put it where it doesn't belong." She stomped toward the parking lot.

Joey caught up with her and slipped his hand through her arm, turning her to face him. He pulled her wiggling body to him and caught her lips beneath his own. The maneuver worked. He felt her relax.

Breaking off the kiss, he put his lips next to her ear. The floral smell of her shampoo tickled his nose and he pulled in the fragrance.

"Sorry, Babe. We just need to be smarter than they are."

She looked up into eyes brimming with pain and gently kissed his chin. "I know. We'll think of something."

"Right now, I'm in the mood for a road trip. Feel like going to Donna's?"

"I was hoping you'd want to ride. I traded shifts with Ally, so I don't have to be back to work for two glorious days."

The pair headed to the parking lot, avoiding the gaggle of television crews intent on getting the first scoop in the Alex Palmer vs. Corey Rigby wrongful death suit.

Joey swung his leg over the bike and backed it out into the street. Kandi stepped on the peg and flipped her leg over the backrest. Pushing the button to start the bike, Joey gave the throttle a full twist. The engine roared to life, echoing off the surrounding towering high-rises as the back tire spun in place filling the parking lot with billowing, acrid white smoke.

Recognizing the maneuver, Kandi wrapped her arms around Joey's waist and clinched shut her eyes.

The motorcycle screeched out of the lot, leaving a black rubber streak on the pavement. When the smoke cleared, the bike and its occupants were nowhere to be seen.

~ * ~

Corey Rigby stepped back from the microphone and searched the crowd for his lawyer. He stood at the podium alone. Cameras zoomed in to feature his pale, sweating face. Abruptly, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the courthouse.

The gauntlet had been slammed down with smoking force.

C. L. Kraemer is a wanderer, a way of life started when her father served in the U.S. Marine Corp. She’s carried on the tradition seeing most of the continental United States as well as Hawaii and Alaska.

Three contemporary romance novels written under the nom de plume, Celia Cooper: Old Enough to Know Better; Sun in Sagittarius, Moon in Mazatlan; and If Only were gifts from the writing gods. A fourth novel, Cats in the Cradle of Civilization, written as C. L. Kraemer is her first venture to the mystery genre. Wings ePress, Inc. is the publisher of these four offerings.

Healthy Homicide, the October 2008 launch book for a new publishing house, RoguePhoenixPress, picks up the torch again in the mystery world. In February 2010, she contributed writings to two Valentine’s Anthologies at RoguePhoenixPress: A Valentine Anthology, with The Lending Library and A Different Kind of Valentine with The Prize.

She completed the base story in a Dragon fantasy series, Dragons Among Us, for RoguePhoenix Press. The second in the series, Dragons Among the Eagles, was released June 2011.

Meadows of Gold, another faerie story, was released March 2011 as part of A St Patrick’s Day Tale. A novel based on one of the first mass shootings, which took place in Salem, Oregon in 1981, Shattered Tomorrows, was released August 2011. Currently in the works for publication is a commuter book featuring a motorcycle poker run, Joker’s Wild, and the third in the dragon series, Dragons Among the Ice.

For more information, visit:

www.celiacooper.com

www.clkraemer.com

Buy at: www.roguephoenixpress.com