Interview with Fiona Mcvie

I'm visiting with Fiona Mcvie today and answering her questions about my background, writing, and life in general. Please stop by and comment
https://lnkd.in/dAr5B-C

Aberrancy by Su Halfwerk [Book Trailer]

My latest release, Aberrancy...where evil lives.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/540281

Book Review: Voyeurs of Death by Shaun Jeffrey

Voyeurs of Death by Shaun Jeffrey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Voyeurs of Death is made of 20 short stories, each is a stand-alone tale that won’t take long to finish.
Though not all stories are horror, they all carry a line of darkness that places them in the macabre section.
Be prepared when you’re about to read the book for a shift in perception, similar to the 3D effect in movies. It’s as though the author is straddling a line that allows him to see our world and a darker, grimmer variation of it on the other side. Examples: ‘Bugs’ and ‘Park Life.’
And even though I liked some more than others (it can’t be avoided in a collection), this book is definitely a keeper on my bookshelf.


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Book review: Deathwatch by Dana Marton

Deathwatch by Dana Marton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked Deathwatch. The length was just right, Kate and Murphy's passion took form and increased to sexual tension at a believable rate, and the ending was left open enough to let me (the reader) give it a conclusion. The author mentioned that Kate and Murphy will appear in her future work, but until then I have my own ending :)
What I loved the most though, was the writing. It was well balanced between sharing the main characters' backgrounds and the here-and-now action. No wasted words, no repeated narrative, and definitely no self pity.


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Book Review: Miss Mabel's School for Girls (The Network Series) by Katie Cross

Bianca joins Miss Mabel’s School for Girls because she must. Cursed since birth, she hopes to trick or coerce the one person who can lift it to do so.

She discovers, the hard way, the task’s toilsome nature.

I waited for the release of this book for a long time and made sure I stayed updated on its progress. This means my hopes were set too high.

The book never disappointed, it even spared a glance back at my expectations and tittered :)

A comparison to Harry Potter is unavoidable since the book is about magic and school for witches, but Miss Mabel’s stands its own ground when it comes to story line, plot, character development, and (especially) getting out of tight spots.

Bianca is not a perfect teenager but her flaws made her believable, easier to connect with, and feel concern over her fate.

I was treated to detailed and vividly described scenes with emphasis on characters’ attributes until each took shape and came to life right before my eyes.
Discoveries are dribbled throughout the book to create a sense of suspense, yet be aware that some of these discoveries aren’t necessarily truths. If you want to know more then burn the candle at night (like I did) and read more, or ignore your life to read more. 
Miss Mabel’s School for Girls was a delight to read because it kept its secrets hidden until the last moment. Even then, it held on to some.

Magic, tough girls, and an enchanting path to travel, a perfect concoction that will surly work its magic on you. 

Highly recommend it.

5 Stars

Available: Amazon.com

Book review: Domingo's Angel by Jenny Twist

Domingo's Angel by Jenny Twist
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Domingo’s Angel takes place in one of those villages whose image crop up in our heads when we imagine the perfect country life. The village is in Southern Spain and is a host to some of the most fascinating fictitious people I’ve ever read.
Angela is haunted by a secret in her past life, Domingo’s insecurities are intimidating him, Rosalba, the formidable shop keeper who knows things (and I love her,) has her own memories to deal with, Guillermo, the avaricious and flashy mayor, harbors the recollection of a dark shameful deed that has been eating at him for years.
There are many more of these people in this book, with their suffering, dreams, fears, and the fact that they had a war to dread. Yet, somehow the book is full of hope. The story carries many threads, and each one of them is tied in a neat bow by the end.

The night passed very quickly as I sat in my bed, reading Domingo’s Angel, hoping against hope that nothing bad would happen, for I felt as though I knew these people. I wanted them to be well and happy.

A fair warning: This book can compel people into time travel, will lure them into falling in love, and might break their hearts (only to mend them again.)
I totally recommend it


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Book Trailer: The Vampire Diaries Kindle Books by Alicia Dean

Author Alicia Dean wrote two books, so far :-), for Kindle Worlds based on The Vampire Diaries:

• What the Heart Wants (Vampire Diaries ~ Book 1)
• Divine Enemy (Vampire Diaries ~ Book 2)

I had the honor to design a book trailer for both.

Book Review: The Shift

The Shift by Fiona Dodwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A horrible incident costs Michael White his job, the shame that comes with it leaves him in a desperately depressing mood. His past (negative) work experience doesn't help him while looking for another job...that is until he comes to Hill Wood House, a posh private facility where the rich deposit their 'differently abled' loved ones.
And that's where the real downward spiral of Michael's life begins.

The art of painting eerily dark atmosphere in a book is one of Ms. Dodwell's fortes. I was submerged in Michael's head, his endless questions as his life unraveled before his eyes. As a reader, I felt compelled to know what/who was behind all the stalking and waited patiently for an explanation of the paranormal happenings. Both answers were delivered, and what a discovery that was.
I loved the book's haunted ambiance and the discovery of intriguing secrets. For the story's mysterious events and Michael's fear, confusion, and elaborate second-guesses, I think this length was perfect.
Another winner from Ms. Dodwell.


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Book Cover: Exile by Chris Ward

I found out that the author, Chris Ward, has done a cover reveal for Exile, book 2 in The Tube Riders trilogy, which means I can share it with you here. Chris had a clear vision of what he wanted on the cover and he communicated it in depth. It made me see Marta and find the right model for her.
Here’s the front/electronic copy cover:

And this is the print cover:

Now you can see why we went back and changed book 1′s cover. We wanted to carry this theme throughout the trilogy.

Book Cover: A remake of The Tube Riders cover

Chris Ward, author of The Tube Riders, requested a design for, Exile, book 2 in the trilogy. The cover came our really nice that he wanted the first cover to be revamped into something close to Exiles. This is the outcome.

Ebook cover

 

Paperback cover

You can buy the book from Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Tube-Riders-ebook/dp/B007LVFSP8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1348545836&sr=8-2&keywords=the+tube+riders
I will share Exile’s cover when Chris reveals it.

Guest Post by Danica Winters: Montana Mustangs in God’s Country

My guest today is author Danica Winters who'll introduce her latest release, Montana Mustangs. Stay tuned, Nymphs are involved.

Over to you, Danica.

*****

Montana Mustangs in God’s Country 

I will forever be thankful for being blessed with the opportunity of growing up in the great state of Montana.  Through many well-intended choices and a few fateful events, my life has allowed me to continue living in what the locals refer to as ‘God’s Country’.   It is easy to see why Montana has been revered with such a dignified nom de plume.  Any day of the week we are reminded exactly how small we are in the grand scheme of life.  There are days in which the only other creatures I see (aside from my own family) are the deer outside my window and the occasional wolf running through our property. 

With this wild edge of living come many pitfalls.  Just like in my latest novel, Montana Mustangs, we (just like my characters) are reminded how fickle nature can be and what a fine line we must walk in order to make it to the next day.  I’m constantly reminded that each day I’m given is a gift that must not be wasted.

When my family has gone to bed and the day has passed I find myself unwilling to lose precious moments and I always reach for my computer.  I find that the one gift I want to share with the world is my passion for the written word.  In Montana Mustangs I found that not only did I get to feed my passion in writing the book, I also had the pleasure of incorporating my love of my home state.  I tried to tap into the romance of the sweet splendor of a cool fall and the feelings of mystery which always seems to come when the timbered mountains are illuminated by the full moon. 

In this half mountain and half prairie state it is easy to see the magic in everyday life—and no time more than the spring when new life begins to peak its head up from the snow-covered ground.  It was large, but unencumbered, steps which led me to writing award-winning and nationally recognized paranormal romance.  If you like reading books which are true to life, but carry a fresh edge of magic—then I whole-heartedly recommend The Nymph’s Labyrinth and Montana Mustangs to you (the first and second books in the Nymph Series).  You will not be disappointed. 

As you read my books, please come to them with an open heart, be ready to step into my world—a world that has been shaped by the beauty of God’s Country and the hunger for great fiction.  You will be transformed.  You will escape.  You will love.

Happy Reading!

Danica Winters

Montana Mustangs
The Nymph Series Book 2

Publisher: Crimson Romance
Length: 60k words

Publication Date: May 6, 2013
Heat Level: Sensual, m/f, HEA 
Book Description:

A Nymph.  A woman with the ability to seduce at will, shift to protect, but cursed with the fate to have the man she falls in love with die a tragic death.  As one of the ill-fated nymphs, Aura Montgarten has spent her lifetime drifting from one place to another hiding from love.  Until she meets Dane. 

When a body washes up on the shore of a rural Montana lake, police officer Dane Burke is faced with the task of finding the killer—even if it means he will be forced to put his life and heart at risk by working with a drifter.  As the truth of Aura’s Mustang-shifting Nymph ways are revealed, Dane learns exactly the amount of danger he and Aura are in, but can’t force himself to leave a case unsolved when the truth is right outside of his grasp.

When the killer decides he needs to take another victim—Dane—Aura must choose between their forbidden love and her immortal life…  Can there be life without love, or is death her only choice? 

Excerpt: 

The beam of the flashlight bounced over the ground as Dane made his way to the black pickup parked under the lone street lamp. The plates were from Arizona. She was a long way from home.

The woman stared down at a map that lay in her lap as he stepped up to the window. He tapped on the glass with the end of his metal flashlight.

She looked up and shoved the map closed as she rolled down the window. “Officer?” Her cheeks flushed.

“It’s Deputy Burke.” He pointed to his name badge.

Her overly large eyes sparkled, making him shift uncomfortably in his work boots. “Deputy.”

An odd trickle of guilt invaded him. She was suspicious, but he didn’t need to be rude—he had worked for his reputation as an even-tempered cop and he didn’t need to blow it on one good looking blonde. “Or you can call me Dane. That’s my name, Dane Burke.”

Great. He mentally groaned. Now I sound like a freaking idiot.

“Dane.” The corner of her mouth turned up in a little grin. “How can I help you? I think I already answered most of the other officer’s questions.”

He pulled a notepad out of his front pocket. “I just have a few more questions for you. Make sure we get all of our bases covered.”

She responded with a tight nod.

“Where exactly did you say you were from?”

“I’m just traveling through.”

 “From Arizona?”

Her blue eyes sparked. “Yeah. Right. Arizona.”

So this was how she was going to play it? Like she was some kind of hard ass?

A little dream catcher dangled from her rearview mirror. The blue feather attached to the circle fluttered lazily in the breeze that filtered through the open window.

He clicked his pen and wrote down the word Arizona and her license plate number in a tight scrawl. “Where are you headed to?”

“What does it matter to your case? I told the other officer everything I know. I stopped, found the hand, and I called you guys. That’s it. Nothing more.”

What was she hiding? He instinctively put on his game face. No emotion, no tells.

“Do you have a horse in the back?” He pointed at the double horse trailer she was towing behind the three-quarter ton.

She glanced down at the side view mirror. “No.”

“You moving?” He leaned back and aimed the flashlight at the trailer, but the light was swallowed by the darkness.

“The trailer’s empty.” Her eyes scanned the mirror again, sparking his inner-cop.

“You mind if I take a look?”

“Do you have a search warrant?”

The woman knew her rights. There was nothing he could do. She may not have had anything to do with the pale, bloated hand that rested on the shore, but there was no question about it, she was hiding something. And even if it killed him, he was going to find out. 

*****

The Nymph's Labyrinth

 Book 1 of The Nymph Series

Publication Date: December 31, 2012 
Publisher: Crimson Romance  
Purchase Link: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo 
Pages: 300
Book Description: *(Featured in USA Today)*

 A world shrouded in mystery and intrigue, the Sisterhood of Epione must not be exposed. 

A Shape-shifting nymph, Ariadne, is tasked with keeping the truth of her group’s existence and their ancient mysteries far out of reach of an American archeologist and his troublemaking son.  When forgotten and forbidden passions are awakened, Ariadne is forced to make a choice—fall in line and continue to be overrun and pushed down by the sisterhood, or follow her heart and put everyone’s lives in danger.

Can Ariadne have the man she loves or will the pressure and secrets of the past keep her from her heart’s desire?

About Danica Winters

Danica Winters is a bestselling author who is known for writing award-winning books that grip readers with their ability to drive emotion through suspense and often a touch of magic.  When she’s not working she can be found in the wilds of Montana working on her patience while she tries to understand the allure of various crafts (quilting, pottery and painting are not her thing).  She always believe the cup is neither half full nor half empty, but it better be filled with wine.

   Website | Blog | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook |

Other Titles by Danica Winters:

Love Under the Christmas Tree

A Christmas Miracle

The Vampire’s Hope

Curse of the Wolf

An Angel’s Justice

Coming Soon from Danica Winters (2013):

Winter Swans (Crimson Romance) 

Book trailer: Abducting Casey by Cheryl Yeko

Romantic Suspense

Coming Soon

Title: Abducting Casey
Author: Cheryl Yeko
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing
Book Summary:
Kidnapped:
Held captive somewhere in the mountains by men intent on blackmail, Casey Gillette soon discovers her only chance to survive is to trust the one man among her captors who seems different from the rest. He protects her from the other men and vows to keep her safe.

Undercover Cop:
As an undercover cop, Matt Sash has had to make plenty of tough calls in the field before, but this may be his toughest one yet. Only days away from taking down a jihadists group plotting to bomb Chicago, he's thrust into the role of protector to the beautiful woman being used as a pawn in the deadly game.

With Time Running Out:
A desperate race ensues to stop an act of terror and save the woman he loves.

Author website: http://www.cherylyeko.com

Buy link: http://www.soulmatepublishing.com

Book Review: His Leading Lady by Paula Martin

His Leading Lady by Paula Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jess seems to have spent most of her life being there for others, especially her twin sister, Lora. It's no wonder she agrees to step in and become Lora when her sister disappears, leaving the director of the play under a lot of pressure.
Kyle is in a difficult situation, his leading lady has disappeared, but she has a twin sister, one who looks exactly like her.
Will he dare replace his leading lady or will he wait for Lora's return?
I've come across this book several times on the Internet, and every time its title made me pause and wonder. I was very intrigued by the idea and the excerpt did it for me.
Reading His Leading Lady was like unwrapping a gift and discovering it right in every way. The story was told smoothly; Jess and Kyle were perfect together, even Lora was loveable once the reason behind her disappearance was revealed.
Each of them was real with his or her own set of doubts, insecurities, and triumphs. Mostly, I loved the masterful way each scene was abstractly painted giving me the opportunity to fill in the rest of the details. I have decided that Lora has a small white round rug in her living room. Don't ask me why :-)
His Leading Lady is a book I intend to visit again...it's one of those very precious tales.


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The Story of Scraps of Paper by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Author Kathryn Meyer Griffith is with us today to share the backstory of her latest release, Scraps of Paper.

****

I’ve been writing for over forty-one years and have gone through a lot of frustrating or downright infuriating situations with publishers and editors.  Since 1981 I’ve had eight of them. I’ve suffered 4% royalties, dreadful covers, bad editing and shoddy proof-reading, confusing statements, late royalty payments (or nonexistent ones) and other near-criminal acts committed against me by publishers and editors I’d so naively put my trust into over the years. Now days I like to look back at those occasions, write about them; smile or even laugh over them, though they weren’t so funny when they were happening. This is one of those smiling times…because the conception, writing, publishing and, finally, self-publishing of my murder mystery Scraps of Paper has had such a long vexing journey.

On January 15, 2013 I self-published it as an eBook, for the first time, on Amazon Kindle Direct, after waiting ten long years as it languished beneath a terribly unfair hardback contract with Avalon Books that had a sell-off limit of 3,500 hardcopies. Ten years where they claimed it barely sold (no joke…their asking price was ridiculously high at $26.00) and that it didn’t sell one copy in the last two years of its contract–though the book was on sale everywhere on the Internet. I never received one royalty statement and had to beg in yearly emails to be told how many copies had sold that year. Of course, since the totals never got near the 3,500, , they said, I would get no royalty statements. And I never did. Not one. Ever. Last month my book was finally mine again and I was free of that atrocious contract and now, after a revision and commissioning a new stunning cover from my cover artist Dawne Dominique, I’ve released it into the world without the publisher’s shackles to imprison it. Fly little bird, fly!

Originally I wrote it be the first of a series set in this quaint, quirky little town I tongue-in-cheek called Spookie. I mean, most of my books before were horror novels and I was basically considered a horror writer, so the town’s name was the tip-of-the-hat to my horror roots. It’d be my first venture into that genre, which I’d always loved. Sherlock Holmes. Murder She Wrote. Detective Frost. Miss Marple. I wrote it and then, quickly after, a second in the series All Things Slip Away for Avalon Books. I got a modest advance up front for each one.

It was 2002. I’d come out of a lengthy publishing dry spell. My seventh paperback novel, Zebra’s The Calling, a ghost story with an ancient Egyptian theme, had come out in 1994. Then they dumped a lot of us mid-list horror writers, me included, saying horror was dying; and for eight years I couldn’t sell another book. Well, living my life got in the way during some of that time. I’d lost my long-time good-paying graphic artist job in 1994 and had to find another one. The pay was a lot less. No good for my budget or my standard of living, which really fell. I went from one of five bad jobs to another over the next six years…each worse and lower paying than the one before.  Each more demanding. I needed to make money. No longer could I live with pie-in-the-sky literary dreams. I had to face reality. So I stopped writing for a while.

When I finally came up for breath and my head was back on straight again I decided to write something different…a mystery. I’d always loved mysteries.  I began writing Scraps of Paper. About a woman, an artist named Jenny, whose husband has been missing for two years, and who’s just learned he’s been dead all that time–a victim of a gone-wrong mugging. She begins a new life and moves to a small town full of fog, quirky townspeople and mysteries. And right away she’s drawn into one of her own when she buys, renovates, a fixer-upper house and uncovers hidden in it scraps of paper written by two young children who once lived there with their mother, and who supposedly drove away thirty years before and were never seen again. The town thought they simply went someone else; began a new life. But Jenny suspects they never left the house; suspects they’d been murdered. Then she finds three graves in the back.

Of course, with her history of a missing husband she develops the overpowering urge to find out what happened to them. The scraps of paper she continues to find makes the bond, the desire, stronger. She forms a friendship with an ex-homicide cop, Frank, and together they try to solve the mystery. Only thing is there’s someone still living in the town that just as desperately doesn’t want them to. Someone who’d kill to keep the murderer’s identity secret.

When done I was proud of it. Thought it was good. I sent it to Avalon Books in New York. They loved it and bought it. I signed the contract, though I didn’t like some of the things in it. But I was desperate. I hadn’t had a book published in so long and, as my mom always said, beggars can’t be choosers.  I sold them the second in the series, hoping it’d help sell the first. They got great reviews. But I came to regret signing both those contracts more as every year went by because I never received one penny more for either book for the next ten years. I know, it sounds impossible. But it happened to me. I’m sure it happened to a lot of their authors. Probably one of the reasons Avalon Books sold themselves lock-stock-and-barrel to Amazon Publishing in June of 2012 and, without their authors’ knowledge or permission, including mine, sold away their authors’ contracts from under them as well.  I guess you live and learn. I was just lucky Scraps of Paper’s contract had run out. I took the book back.

But, all that is in the past, and my revised Scraps of Paper-Revised Author’s Edition is now available, on sale for $3.99 (much better than $26.00), at Amazon Kindle here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B1W4A2K   And I hope people will have the chance to read it this time around and like it.

***

About Kathryn Meyer Griffith...

Since childhood I’ve always been an artist and worked as a graphic designer in the corporate world and for newspapers for twenty-three years before I quit to write full time. I began writing novels at 21, over forty years ago now, and have had seventeen (ten romantic horror, two romantic SF horror, one romantic suspense, one romantic time travel, one historical romance and two murder mysteries) previous novels, two novellas and twelve short stories published from Zebra Books, Leisure Books, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Damnation Books/Eternal Press and Amazon Kindle Direct.

I’ve been married to Russell for almost thirty-five years; have a son, James, and two grandchildren, Joshua and Caitlyn, and I live in a small quaint town in Illinois called Columbia, which is right across the JB Bridge from St. Louis, Mo. We have three quirky cats, ghost cat Sasha, live cats Cleo and Sasha (Too), and the five of us live happily in an old house in the heart of town. Though I’ve been an artist, and a folk singer in my youth with my brother Jim, writing has always been my greatest passion, my butterfly stage, and I’ll probably write stories until the day I die…or until my memory goes.

All Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s Books available at Amazon.com here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Kathryn+Meyer+Griffith

                                                                                    

Novels and short stories from Kathryn Meyer Griffith:

Evil Stalks the Night (Leisure, 1984; Damnation Books, 2012)

The Heart of the Rose (Leisure, 1985; Eternal Press Author’s Revised Edition 2010)

Blood Forge (Leisure, 1989; Damnation Books Author’s Revised Edition, 2012)

Vampire Blood (Zebra, 1991; Damnation Books Author’s Revised Edition, 2011)

The Last Vampire (Zebra, 1992; Damnation Books Author’s Revised Edition 2010)

You Tube Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZU77j_q4S8

Witches (Zebra, 1993; Damnation Books Author’s Revised Edition 2011)

The Nameless One (short story in 1993 Zebra Anthology Dark Seductions; Damnation Books Author’s Revised Edition, 2011)

The Calling (Zebra, 1994; Damnation Books Author’s Revised Edition, 2011)

All Things Slip Away (Avalon Books Murder Mystery, 2006…Amazon Kindle Direct ebook & paperback 2013)

Egyptian Heart (The Wild Rose Press, 2007; Author’s Revised Edition, Eternal Press 2011) My self-made

You Tube Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cogCNYKzPqc

Winter’s Journey (The Wild Rose Press, 2008; Author’s Revised Edition, Eternal Press 2011)

You Tube Book Trailer address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZYCs2DVhHg

The Ice Bridge (The Wild Rose Press, 2008; Author’s Revised Edition, Eternal Press 2011)

You Tube Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28HZqu-my1g

Don’t Look Back, Agnes novella & bonus short story: In This House (2008; ghostly romantic short story out; Eternal Press 2012) You Tube Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3q9rZryFMo

BEFORE THE END: A Time of Demons (Damnation Books 2010) 

You Tube self-made Book trailer with original song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0-U9c2Lwfo

The Woman in Crimson (Eternal Press 2010)

You Tube Book Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcRBvDI5G4Y

The Complete Guide to Writing Paranormal Fiction: Volume 1 (I did the Introduction)

4 Spooky Short Stories (Amazon Kindle 2012)

Telling Tales of Terror (I did the chapter on Putting the Occult into your Fiction)

Dinosaur Lake (from Amazon Kindle Direct 2012)

Human No Longer (Amazon Kindle 2013)

Scraps of Paper –Revised Author’s Edition (Avalon Books Murder Mystery, 2003; Amazon Kindle 2013)

My Websites:

http://www.myspace.com/kathrynmeyergriffith (to see all my book trailers with original music by my singer/songwriter brother JS Meyer)

http://www.bebo.com/kathrynmeyerG

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1019954486

http://www.authorsden.com/kathrynmeyergriffith

http://www.goodreads.com/profile/kathrynmeyergriffith

http://www.jacketflap.com/K.griffith

http://www.shoutlife.com/kathrynmeyergriffith

http://romancewriterandreader.ning.com/profile/KathrynMeyerGriffith 

http://www.romancebookjunction.ning.com/profile/kathrynmeyergriffith

Book review: The Merzetti Effect by Norah Wilson

The Merzetti Effect by Norah Wilson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In need of a source of income, Ainsley falls for Dr. Delano Bowen's easy offer of a job and protection. Not knowing you're special is one thing, finding out that what makes you special puts you on every rogue vampire's hit list is another.
There isn't a dull moment in this book. Every word, twist, and situation served a purpose. Really loved reading Delano and Ainsley's love story edge by danger, but also was grateful for the sample given at the end of Aiden's story.
Great book. I have no clue how I missed Norah Wilson's work for so long!


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Book review: Killing Jenna Crane by Lynette Sofras

Killing Jenna Crane by Lynette Sofras
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The plucky and spirited detective Jenna Crane is a character concocted by author Ellis Crawford. Beside followers and fans, Jenna had believers in her, which was more than what Ellis' ego could take.
When I picked up Killing Jenna Crane I didn't know what to expect. I'm familiar with the author's masterfulness of story-telling, but plot wise I was in the dark. Every page was a discovery of a new angle to the story. There are several layers to this book and I enjoyed peeling away each...when Ellis dug deeper for the truth, the story took me with him even as his world crumpled around him.

My favorite character is Ellis, despite his shortcomings. He possessed an aliveness that brought him to life...perhaps it was in the manner in which he dealt with matters that were dramatic, or romantic, or mysterious, or downright creepy.

I enjoyed reading Killing Jenna Crane and can't recommend it enough to others.

View all my reviews

Latest Cover Art by Novel Prevue

As promised, here the latest cover arts designed by Novel Prevue

The Man Who Built the World by Chris Ward

Killing Jenna Crane by Leynett Sofras

Sarah Jane by Suzanne De Board

I've been tagged: I've Got The "LOOK"

Hello, lovely peeps. I'm so thrilled to have been tagged by the magnificent Lynette Sofras with "You've got the LOOK." Lynette is not a magician, although some might argue (I'm one of those) that this is exactly what she does with her fiction.

The concept of this tagging is to take my latest work in progress or current manuscript and search for the word "look" then post some of the surrounding text/paragraphs and tag 5 authors.  
I chose Avenger, book 2 in my "sweet" paranormal romance trilogy, Unsettled.

In Avenger, Luke is the spirit hunter dispatching rogue spirits back to the Laymour. Laymour is the Northern Star in human lingo, it's also where spirits await judgement. They either go to Hell or get a second chance to rectify their errors through reincarnation. Needless to say, spirits destined for Heaven, never pass the Laymour.

Avenger is scheduled for a January release, and since I don't have the cover art yet, I'm sharing Luke's image as he will appear in the coming-soon-book trailer.

Blurb:

Luke has two purposes, hunting spirits and avenging his own death.

Pru has one goal, to return to her body, especially now that Luke is interested in her. Her memories of his shady past haunt her and keep her on guard around him.

Ignoring his teen infatuation with Pru, Luke looks for ways to exorcise her, while she must face the fact that she might never be united with herself again.

Amidst rogue spirits, ferocious drug smugglers, and unbendable celestial rules, Pru and Luke’s love demands a sacrifice that can snuff out their rekindled romance before it has even begun.

When Luke has to decide between his conflicting desires, which path will he choose?

And will the sacrifice be worth it?

Excerpt:

“Luke?” Pru blinked, not believing her eyes. Occasionally, memories of her teen crush pushed through her mind for no reason and she used to push them back. She couldn’t do that now,  those memories were in the front seat because he was standing right in front of her.

He just had to develop a voice that dripped awesomeness.

Pru shook her head. What’s wrong with me?

Luke gawked at her, his hands tucked casually into pants pockets. Pru had the impression he wasn’t as nonchalant as his appearance implied for meeting the girl who—according to him at the time—qualified to enter a mind-fuck contest.

“What are you up to?” He barked at her.

Definitely tense. She chose to ignore his rudeness. “You can see me?” She rushed toward him then halted as memories of previous attempts to touch others surfaced in her head. They were nasty experiences that left her reeling with emotions alien to her.

“Are you looking for a place to stay?”

She tucked a runaway strand of hair behind her ear and frowned. “What do you mean?”

Slowly, he said, “Are you up for a stay?” His voice had an edge to it, one she didn’t trust.

Eyes narrowed, she said, “I’m not homeless. Your hostility doesn’t make sense.”

He lowered his head and shook it. Perhaps if she explained her situation, he might know what she should do. “I guess I should be grateful for meeting someone. It’s been very lonely. No one to speak to—”

“And no one to possess.” A vein throbbed in his jaw.

She took a step back. “Possess?”

“Since I’m the only living person who can see you, I suggest you drop the innocent act.”

People gawked at him and changed paths as they neared him. It didn’t seem to bother him that others thought he was talking to himself.

Pru laughed, pointing a finger at herself. “You think I’m dead?”

“I know you’re dead,” he said through gritted teeth and pulled his hand from his pocket. “Time to send you home.”

Home was too far away, way beyond her lifeline’s limit. An ache pulsed in Pru’s chest and birthed a fury that paralyzed her with its intensity. Instead of facing her, Luke swiveled about, his gaze following a woman pushing a baby stroller. Pru ceased to exist for him and that infuriated her even more. She stomped a foot. “You don’t even know where I live.”

He kept looking at the other woman.

“I’m talking to you, Luke. Look at me.”

He tilted his head as though tuned to something else. Finally, he said, “Yeah, I see that.” His eyes flicked back to Pru. “I’ll have to give this one a rain check then.” Smirking, Luke lifted his hand and saluted her. “Catch you later, sunshine.” With that, he followed the other woman.

“Don’t call me that,” Pru shouted and dashed after him. After few strides, her breath caught and her steps faltered. Like a lasso, the invisible lifeline tightened around her mid-section, constricted her chest, and snatched her back.

She had overstepped her boundaries.

I hope you like the excerpt. 
It's time to pass on the torch to 5 authors who I believe do possess The Look. They are:

• Jenny Twist
• Tori L. Ridgewood
• M. Allman 
• Cheryl Yeko
• Alicia Dean