Posted in Spotlight, suspense, Thriller on February 28, 2014

nightcrawler

Synopsis

Nightcrawler is about the exploits of Sabrina Brooks, the heiress to the Brooks Chemical Company. Bree is trying to pick up the pieces after her father’s death, and is now in a position to live up to a personal commitment to use her resources to benefit the oppressed. She is intrigued by the notion of conducting a guerrilla campaign against drug gangs in New York City, and accesses top-secret archives detailing Government contracts for developmental research of chemical weapons. She uses her wizardry in chemistry to concoct weapons for her own use as a vigilante known as the Nightcrawler.

NYPD undercover officer Hoyt Wexford becomes friends with Bree, and begins to suspect she knows the identity of the Nightcrawler. Her sudden interest in a series of terrorist attacks in the New York area makes him believe she may be investigating a group called the Octagon. He tries to follow her but is too late to prevent a showdown between the Nightcrawler and the mysterious Reaper. Hoyt rescues Bree and learns her secret identity, and together they plan to stop the Octagon once and for all in preventing a chemical attack in NYC on the Fourth of July.

This is a pulse-pounding thriller straight out of world headlines, with an unforgettable heroine fighting impossible odds against fiendish arch-criminals. For suspense fans looking for some chick lit with international intrigue, Nightcrawler is one not to be forgotten.

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About the author

John Reinhard Dizon was born and raised in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn, NY. He participated in local and high school sports at Bishop Loughlin MHS, and was a key figure on the Brooklyn rock scene during the Punk Revolution of the 70’s. Relocating to San Antonio TX in the 80’s, he moonlighted as a pro wrestler before pursuing a BA at UTSA and degrees in Korean martial arts during the 90’s. He currently lives in KC MO where he is studying for his MA in English at UMKC. Mr. Dizon has been studying and writing about American and European society and culture for over twenty-five years.

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Posted in Book Blast, contest, Giveaway, romance, Spotlight on February 27, 2014

When twenty-six year old Kathleen Cooper realizes that she forfeited her dreams and aspirations of becoming a lawyer after a brash decision to run off and marry the insanely charming Aidan Cooper, she decides to regain what she lost over the course of their seven-year relationship and start fresh.

With a renewed sense of hope and determination, she moves to a different city, lands a new job, and meets the handsome Benjamin Chase in a serendipitous way.

But even with all of these changes and hopes of gaining a new life, Kathleen is still not happy with the person she sees in the mirror staring back at her. She is an insomniac. She generally has bad luck in just about everything she attempts. She’s clumsy, and even if Prince Charming fell into her lap, she would likely push him in the opposite direction, for fear of getting hurt or worse, hurting someone else. This time she can’t blame any of these things on her bad luck or her destructive marriage. This time, it’s not her heart that’s in danger. This time, she has much more to lose and everything to gain.

Will she realize her mistakes in time to repair the damage?

Will she be able to reverse her shattered self-image and discover true happiness?

Will she ever find her way back to the person she was before seven years of bad luck?

 

 

           Chill bumps spread like a fierce wildfire across the surface of my skin. I couldn’t tell if Ben noticed or not. I hoped that he didn’t. He leaned slightly to his left and deposited his coffee cup onto an end table. Then it was his turn to break our intense silence, and boy, he didn’t just break the silence, he shattered it into a million pieces along with my stupid ploy and formerly bolstered, but newly absent, courage. Apparently, once Ben spoke, my smart-mouthed inner Kat disappeared in a hurry. His voice came out low and rough; each syllable that rolled off his tongue seemed to stroke me internally, causing my stomach to flip and flutter wildly.
            “Kathleen, am I the one to thank for these chill bumps, all over your skin or did something else do this for you?” As he spoke to me, he lifted his right hand and lightly brushed the backs of his long fingers down my right upper arm then swirled a light circle around my elbow and continued down the sensitive inner skin of my forearm, skating across my flesh with barely-there strokes from his nimble fingers.
             I kept my eyes cast away from his. I seemed incapable of looking directly into his eyes. I felt as if looking straight into those glowing depths of vivid blue would cause me to be swallowed up whole and pulled beneath the surface to blissfully drown in him. The fierce sexual energy that permeated the air around Ben made it difficult to breathe, and it intimidated me.  I chose not to answer him. Or perhaps I couldn’t answer him.
            “Kathleen, look at me.” His commanding tone and presence was hard to challenge even from a distance and far more grueling a task within such close quarters. I could smell him, I could feel the warmth from his body radiating outward, and I could clearly hear each breath he drew from the space between us and pulled down to fill his lungs. I felt a powerful crimson, heated blush roll through my veins. It coursed throughout my body leaving evidence of my arousal in its wake. My skin heated, and my neck and cheeks flushed into a hot red. I realized that I was helplessly adrift in a sea of desire and arousal and that battling the current would be useless. I could either embrace the journey along the formidable pull of the current, or I could fight in vain against Mother Nature, knowing that undoubtedly I would lose.
            “Look at me. Answer my question.” I lifted my eyes from the floor, but still avoided his stare.
            He extended his long index finger and placed the pad of it beneath my chin and encouraged my head to tilt back, forcing my eyes to meet his. The moment we locked eyes, my breathing halted , and I felt my stomach flip and flutter all over again with a heightened need that exceeded any feeling I had experienced before it, ever. I battled against myself for composure so that I could finally answer him. I had not the faintest idea of what I would say, but I knew I needed to say something. My eyes darted around a bit, and he released my jaw, giving me an opportunity to speak.
            Tit for tat, I thought.
            “You never answered my own question, Mr. Chase.” I made a point to emphasize his name in hopes that sounding more like his employee would bring a halt to his request for an answer. I was hoping we could end this torturous little tango that had me tied up in knots.
             No, Kat. You wish Ben had you tied up. He hasn’t done it yet.
            And with that sarcastic little jab to my sex life (or lack thereof), the inner Kat sauntered back into my head as if she had merely stepped away for a moment, but didn’t go too far.
Emma Stone as KAT Gerald Butler as BEN 

 

USA Today Best Selling Author,J.L. Mac is twenty-seven years old and currently resides in El Paso, Texas, where she enjoys living near her family. She was born and raised in Galveston, Texas. J.L. admittedly has had a long and sordid love affair with the written word and has loved every minute of it. She drinks too many glasses of wine on occasion,and says way too many swear words to be considered “lady-like.” J.L. spends her free time reading, writing, and playing with her children.

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Posted in Book Blast, contest, Fantasy, Giveaway, Middle Grade on February 26, 2014

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orphan thiefThe Orphan and the Thief

An adventure that will keep you and your kids spellbound.

Toad thought it’d be easy to steal from Mr. Edward P. Owl. Unfortunately for Toad, he isn’t the best of thieves. Caught in the act, he’s in more trouble than ever before. Now to save his hide, Toad must track down five rare potion ingredients for Mr. Owl. Or else. All Melena Snead wants is her family back, but after the Miggens Street Fire, that isn’t very likely. Orphaned and miserable, forced to work in an apothecary, she’s determined to find Milo, her missing brother. No matter what.

When Melena finds Toad ransacking her apothecary, Toad gets a nasty shock: apothecaries don’t carry Mr. Owl’s ingredients. Luckily, Melena’s willing to help, for a price.

With Melena’s pet Spit-Fire dragon and Toad’s enchanted talking beer mug, they embark on a fantastical journey, traveling the country in search of the potion ingredients. But can they gather all of them in time, what with monsters, pirates, and axe-wielding thieves? And if they do, is there an even greater danger waiting for them at the end?

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Excerpt

Panicking, Toad rushed, “Come on, Gent. There’s gotta be somethin’ that ya want! My prices are reasonable!”

“The price is your life,” Mr. Owl stated, gently placing the dragon statue upon the desk.

Mr. Ogg stopped again, his ham-sized hands falling back to his sides. Toad fell silent, too stunned to dare hope that he wasn’t about to be killed.

“Let me explain how this will work, Mr. Toad. If tonight was like any other night I would happily see your neck snapped and toss you out like the bit of filth that you are.” He gave a heavy sigh. “However, the Hickory Guard have become annoyingly tedious ever since that upstart became Captain.”

“Ya mean Dowell?” asked Toad.

“The man has become so inflated with self importance that he’s actually having me followed. Can you imagine? Me?”

“That’s … awful?” said Toad awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

“So, you will forgive me for not wanting to waste Mr. Ogg’s talents on you with so little preplanning.” He gave the window a casual glance. “I’m sure a guard is stationed outside somewhere and disposing of your body without detection will be troublesome to say the least.”

“Pardon me, sir,” Mr. Ogg interrupted, “but it would be no trouble.”

“Ah, Mr. Ogg! How I like you!” Mr. Owl cheered. “Always ready to break a neck. Good fellow!”

“We can stash him in one of the upstairs rooms,” Mr. Ogg continued in his deep, ocean floor voice. “I’ll make sure he won’t bleed.”

“But a body, even in such a large house, will be difficult to hide if Dowell decides to search the place, as he has been hinting at for the last fortnight. No, no, my man. We cannot afford the risk of housing him here.”

Toad sat still in his chair. It wasn’t every day that his own murder was discussed in such a light, conversational manner.

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAbout the Author

Melissa Lee LeGette has been writing seriously since she was a teen. She loves an old world vibe with a magical twist, and she puts her full focus on creating believable characters–even if they happen to be a talking beer mug. Her books are targeted for children and teens, but have been enjoyed by adults of all ages.

She lives in Georgia where she helps run a family farm, so her nails are a fright.

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Praise

[LeGette is] able to twist her unique fairy-tales to fit the imagination of children and the attention of adults. Five stars … The Orphan and the Thief is definitely worth reading! — Abigail / Goodreads Review


M.L. Legette conjures up a captivating magical tale in The Orphan and the Thief. I loved this story and I could not put my Kindle down until I finished the last page. This charming story is so good that it may very well become a classic. —
Karen Dowdall, Author of Delphi Altair: Strange Beginnings

 

Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 3/23/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Posted in Cover Reveal, excerpt on February 25, 2014

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Very Wicked Things

Book 2 of the Briarcrest Academy Series

A new adult romance from bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills

Release Date May 13, 2014

Synopsis

Born on the poor side of town…

Ballerina Dovey Beckham is a scholarship student at Briarcrest Academy, determined to prove she’s more than just a girl with the wrong pedigree. She does whatever it takes to succeed in her endgame, even if it means surrendering her body…but never her heart.

Until the day she meets him, and he rips apart all her well-laid plans. Suddenly, the girl everyone thought unbreakable might just shatter.

Born into wealth and privilege…

Cuba “Hollywood” Hudson is rich, spoiled, and a star football player. With his fast cars and superficial girlfriends, he lives the high-life, hiding his secrets from the world.

Until the day he meets her, and she offers him something he’s never tasted…love.

But once in a lifetime kind of love doesn’t come easy. When trust crumbles and doubts creep in, both will have to decide to either love or let go…forever.

Welcome to Briarcrest Academy, where sometimes, only the wicked survive.

Excerpt

Cuba’s POV

Not exactly a meet-cute…

The room closed in, making me sweat. I hadn’t talked to her in over a year, and now here we were, face-to-face. Two ex-lovers who hated each other.

I had to get away from her.

Dovey tilted her head as I stood, giving me a scathing glare. “Leaving so soon? Yeah, go ahead, cut and run. Coward.”

I ignored her and tried to get Weinstein’s attention, to let her know she could flunk me for all I cared.

“Before you go, tell me one thing, and I’ll make sure we aren’t partners in this class. You’ll be free of me,” she said.

“What?” I asked, my voice going all raspy, blocking all the words I wanted to say. They weren’t things she ever needed to hear.

“Why so cruel to me? You aren’t to the other girls you date and dump. Why single me out?”

I seethed. “And it didn’t take you long to find someone else, now did it? How is Spider? Does he get you hot like I did?”

She smirked. “He’s fine. He thinks I hung the moon. He thinks you’re an ass. I agree.”

I tightened my fists and pressed them against my thighs, swearing to myself I wasn’t responding to her bait. I swore. She was a dangerous game I didn’t need to play.

Suddenly, her face fell. Was she recalling the last time we were together? Was she remembering how I used to…

“I trusted you,” she whispered, all her anger seeming to be gone. The unsteadiness of her voice undid me, sent me right over the edge of that precarious cliff I’d been hanging on to by the skin of my teeth.

Yeah, she hadn’t been the only one who’d trusted me. I’d ruined them all. Every last one. Dark thoughts assaulted me, of the blood I had on my hands.

Snap! My pencil broke and small pieces flew across my desk and into the empty space between us.

I wanted to pummel my desk until my fists bled. I wanted to punch a hole through the wall, the floor, my face.

Everything was my fault. Just mine.

She’d been collateral damage, the kind that breaks everyone involved. And I was sorry for it, but sometimes you do what hurts because it’s for the best.

But she was my kryptonite, leaving me no option but to hurt her. Again.

I didn’t think about my cruel words, I just said them. “You were a curiosity, Dovey. You weren’t the usual BA girl, and I wanted a taste. That’s all. I moved on when it got boring. Get over it.”

Author Bio

Ilsa Madden-Mills is a loving wife and mother, a loyal friend, and a teacher. When all that is done, she writes. Obsessively.

She spent several years teaching high school English, but now hangs out at home with two small kids, a neurotic cat, and her Viking husband. She collects magnets and rarely cooks except to bake her own pretzels.

When she’s not typing away at a story, you can find her drinking too much Diet Coke, jamming out to Pink, or checking on her carefully maintained chocolate stash.

She loves to hear from fans and fellow authors.

Very Wicked Things is Book 2 of the BA Series.

Very Bad Things is currently available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks.

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Author Goodreads Link to Very Wicked Things

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Posted in 4 paws, Review, romance, women on February 25, 2014

BACKFOREVER

Back Forever
By Karen Booth
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Release date: February 17, 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction
Back Forever is the sequel to Bring Me Back

Synopsis

The breakup that rocked Christopher Penman and Claire Abby’s romance was a painful test of their love. Now back together, they’re eager to embrace their future. Christopher’s band is making a run at it after a long hiatus. Claire lands a magazine job she never dreamed she could get. Only a ring on Claire’s finger and a baby on the way could make their new life more complete, and Chris is determined they’ll have everything they ever wanted.

But when Claire’s dad starts behaving strangely and her teenage daughter feels left out, Chris and Claire’s picture-perfect plans begin to unravel. Career demands, family strife, and a piece of devastating news send Claire into a downward spiral. Chris must help Claire find the good in all they’ve been through–they will have it all as long as they have each other, forever.

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Excerpt

This is from Chapter One. Christopher and Claire are in the bathroom at her house, waiting for the results of a home pregnancy test.

“Hold my hand.” She reached for me, her fingers wagging. “We close our eyes and open them on three.”

“Deal.” I stood as she did, enveloping her hand with mine. My eyes clamped shut as ordered; she began to count.

“One…Two…Two and a half…”

“Very funny.”

She giggled. “Three. Open.”

I blinked. I focused.

There it was.

One blue line.

Bugger.

I caught the sigh before it left my throat. Sharing my disappointment would only make her feel worse. I tugged her into an embrace, pressing my cheek to the side of her head. My fingers trailed through her silky hair. “Weren’t we just saying how much we like trying?”

She managed a quiet laugh, but trembled beneath my touch. “I didn’t want to say anything, but I actually thought I was pregnant.”

The admission only made me hold on tighter, never wanting to let her go. She wanted this as badly as I did and I’d talked her into taking the test. “It’s okay, darling. Really. And it’s still early, right? We could do another test in a few days if you’re still late.” I choked back intruding tears. “I love you so much, Claire. That’s all that matters.”

“I love you too. I’m just ready for this to happen. I don’t like feeling like our life is on hold.”

“Do you really feel that way?” You know she’s right. Our life is on hold.

“Yes. I hate seeing that look of disappointment on your face. I want to give this to you and it hasn’t happened.”

“I don’t want it to be more important than us.” You’re all that matters.

“You can’t deny that you want this very, very badly.”

“I don’t want it as much as I want you.” Am I the most daft man on the face of the planet? Without another moment wasted, I dropped to my knee, which hurt like hell when it thudded against the tile floor. “Ow.”

“Chris, what are you…” She looked down at me with genuine puzzlement, certainly warranted as she was in her pajamas, me in my boxer shorts, both of us in the bloody bathroom for God’s sake. Not the most glamorous of settings, but I think it works. Her lips were lovely and pouty. Get on with it so you can kiss her.

I took one of her hands, but failed to catch the other before it flew to her mouth. Her deep blue eyes were wide with wonder.

I cleared my throat and took a deep breath. I had one shot at getting this perfect. “Claire Abby, I love you more than I have ever loved another human being.” The words left me feeling as though my heart might burst out of my chest. “You are the most extraordinary and wonderful and frustrating woman I have ever met and I want you to be mine forever.”

She gasped. A giggle leaked out of her.

“Did you squeak, darling?”

“Maybe.” Her shoulders shook, her eyes watered. “Please, go on.”

“I want you to be mine. Forever. Even if we never get to have a child together, I’m never letting you go. That is, if you’ll have me. Claire, will you marry me?”

Her other hand dropped and she smiled in a way that left her cheeks as full as ripe peaches on a summer day, mine for the picking. Her face was such a distraction that for a heartbeat or two, I didn’t realize she hadn’t yet answered the question. I wagged an eyebrow, hoping she had no defense for that.

“Well?” I asked.

“Shhh.” Her smile returned as soon as she relaxed her lips.

“Shhh?”

“I’m savoring the moment.”

“Why don’t we savor the moment after you give me an answer?”

Review

Oh about a year or so ago I reviewed Bring Me Back.  Since I really enjoyed that book, I wanted to follow up with Back Forever to see where Chris and Claire’s lives have gone and what they are up to now that they have found each other.  I thought this was a great sequel with the story following Claire and Chris as they try to have a child, deal with issues with Richard (Claire’s dad) and of course Samantha (Claire’s daughter) and her teen issues.  These are many issues that most families have to deal with at one time or another so it was nice to see how Karen addressed these issues in the book.

I thought this book was very well written and there were several emotional parts that will tug on your heart, at least they did on mine!  I thought the characters were real (although not many of us can say we have married a rock star!) and how they handled most situations was probably how we would handle them as well.  Oh and I got a kick out of Chris’ language since he is from England and sometimes his words don’t mean the same as ours in the US!

As a side note, I found that there is a prequel to these two books called Claire’s Diary and you can read it for free on Karen’s website.

We give this book 4 paws up.

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About the Author

Karen Booth is a Midwestern girl transplanted in the South, raised on 80s music, Judy Blume, and the films of John Hughes. An early preoccupation with rock ‘n’ roll led her to spend her twenties working her way from intern to executive in the music industry. Much of her writing revolves around the world of backstage passes and band dynamics. When she isn’t creating fictional musicians, she’s listening to music with her kids, honing her Southern cooking skills or sweet-talking her astoundingly supportive husband into whipping up a batch of cocktails.

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Posted in contest, Giveaway, Spotlight, suspense on February 25, 2014

The Chase - Cover

THE CHASE by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
Bantam – Random House
On sale: February 25, 2014
ISBN 978-0-345-54308-0

THE CHASE at your favorite retailers

Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg, New York Times bestselling authors of The Heist, return in this action-packed, exciting adventure featuring master con artist Nicolas Fox and die-hard FBI agent Kate O’Hare. And this time around, things go from hot to nuclear when government secrets are on the line.

Internationally renowned thief and con artist Nicolas Fox is famous for running elaborate and daring scams. His greatest con of all: convincing the FBI to team him up with the only person who has ever caught him, and the only woman to ever capture his attention, Special Agent Kate O’Hare. Together they’ll go undercover to swindle and catch the world’s most wanted—and untouchable—criminals.

Their newest target is Carter Grove, a former White House chief of staff and the ruthless leader of a private security agency. Grove has stolen a rare Chinese artifact from the Smithsonian, a crime that will torpedo U.S. relations with China if it ever becomes public. Nick and Kate must work under the radar—and against the clock—to devise a plan to steal the piece back. Confronting Grove’s elite assassins, Nick and Kate rely on the skills of their ragtag crew, including a flamboyant actor, a Geek Squad techie, and a band of AARP-card-carrying mercenaries led by none other than Kate’s dad.

A daring heist and a deadly chase lead Nick and Kate from Washington, D.C., to Shanghai, from the highlands of Scotland to the underbelly of Montreal. But it’ll take more than death threats, trained henchmen, sleepless nights, and the fate of a dynasty’s priceless heirloom to outsmart Fox and O’Hare.

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ABOUT JANET EVANOVICH

Janet Evanovich_PhotoJanet Evanovich is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, the Lizzy and Diesel series, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and Trouble Maker graphic novel, and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, as well as the Fox and O’Hare series with co-author Lee Goldberg.

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ABOUT LEE GOLDBERG

 Lee Goldberg_PhotoLee Goldberg is a screenwriter, TV producer, and the author of several books, including King City, The Walk, and the bestselling Monk series of mysteries. He has earned two Edgar Award nominations and was the 2012 recipient of the Poirot Award from Malice Domestic.

 

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Posted in Book Blast, contest, Giveaway, romance on February 25, 2014
hishometowngirl-bookblitz

 







He’d always managed to best her…

Jodi Chapman will do whatever it takes to get top care for her autistic son. If that means going home and convincing local farmers to sell their land, so be it. Even if her biggest opponent, childhood rival Daniel Gleason, is equally determined to convince farmers to buy into his co-op plan. And he’s not playing fair.

Facing off against Daniel is the last thing Jodi wants. The attraction that’s always fueled their competitiveness is as strong as ever and just as distracting. But with both their futures on the line, and years of distrust between them, how can they ever be on the same side?

 

 PREORDER

 

The sliding doors opened with a hiss and they stepped out into the cool, midmorning drizzle. Daniel breathed in the smell of exhaust and couldn’t wait to get home, away from all this concrete. He needed to strategize. Regroup and think about how he’d handle this new, unflappable Jodi.

She raised an eyebrow and gave him a measured look. “Where are you parked?” Her stroller’s plastic wheels swerved along the parking lot’s asphalt.

So she was letting his accusation go, her self-possession unnerving him. Gone was the girl whose passion had once swept him away from his everyday life, her white-hot temper later imploding it. How things had changed. At least the temporary cease-fire meant he could find out her plans. Stop them before she put them in place. For that matter, the drive home might soften her up with a tour down memory lane.

“I’ve got a ground-level spot,” he said, raising his voice so it’d be heard over a plane’s roar.

“Great. The sooner Tyler gets his nap the better.”

“Are you working right away or having some R & R first? I’ll show you some of the old sights.”

“I have to check in with my boss, then I plan to—” She stopped and shoved wet, frizzing hair from her face. “Why am I telling you this?” Her eyes roamed over him, mystified. Suddenly she looked like the girl he’d known years ago, the one who’d once worn her heart on her sleeve and had captured his.

“Because we used to be friends, Jodi Lynn.”

“Friends?” She snorted and shook off the water collecting on the stroller’s canopy. “And don’t call me Jodi Lynn.”

“Would you prefer ‘ma’am’? Is that what country folks are supposed to say when a city girl comes to town?”

“Knock it off, Daniel.” She nudged him, and the warmth of her bare shoulder through his thin shirt nearly burned.

“That’s Mr. Gleason to you,” he joked to hide the response her touch ignited. Careful, he warned himself.

Jodi shot him a level look, then picked up speed when her son started to kick again, his voice sounding like a teakettle about to boil. No wonder. Daniel would scream, too, if he was strapped in when he could walk instead. Parking lots were unpredictable, but with a firm hand and a sharp eye the little guy could have had his freedom.

“So why are you here instead of one of my aunt’s neighbors?” she asked once they halted beside his muddy blue pickup. The misting rain had only streaked the dirt.

“We’re all neighbors, and neighbors help each other.” He tossed her expensive-looking suitcases into the open bed, an echoing thunk sounding when plastic met metal. “In case you forgot.”

“I haven’t. I’m helping my old hometown get a fair deal that will improve their lives.” She spoke without looking up at him, her movements practiced and efficient as she swept up her thrashing son and secured him in the child seat she’d detached from the stroller, buckling him into the center of the truck’s continuous front seat.

“If you want something, use your words, Tyler,” she told her son.

The boy screamed and pounded his fists against the dashboard, but Jodi slid in beside him, looking as if it was any other day. And for her, maybe it was.

Daniel felt his resistance weaken until he caught himself. Her “fair deal” would only benefit Midland, not her former community. They’d either have to abandon their land or become corporate drones, working for a Midland paycheck. No. Jodi was the enemy. No matter that she made him remember good times he’d rather forget.

If he couldn’t convince her that this was personal, not business, remind her of the good times she’d had here and the people she’d cared about, then he needed her gone before she wrecked havoc on his home and his heart.

She’d done the latter the last time she’d left town. He’d be a fool to let her do it again. He wouldn’t let himself, or his town, fall for Jodi Lynn Chapman.

No ma’am.

Karen Rock has adored romance since receiving Harlequin Presents books from her grandmother each summer. She formed her Young Adult writing partnership, J.K. Rock- pseudonym for the CAMP BOYFRIEND series, with her sister-in-law and Blaze author, Joanne Rock in 2011. When Karen heard of a call for submissions to Heartwarming, Harlequin’s latest line, she was inspired by the possibilities of writing unforgettable, deeply romantic, tender love stories that mothers would feel comfortable sharing with their daughters. When she’s not writing, Karen loves scouring estate sales for vintage books, cooking her grandmother’s family recipes, hiking the ‘high peaks’, and redesigning her gardens. She lives in the Adirondack Mountain region with her husband, daughter, and two Cavalier King cocker spaniels who have yet to understand the concept of “fetch” though they know a lot about love.

 

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GIVEAWAY #1

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

-$50 Amazon Gift Card

-SIGNED copy of HIS HOMETOWN GIRL by Karen Rock

2nd & 3rd PRIZE WINNERS

-SIGNED copies of HIS HOMETOWN GIRL by Karen Rock

GIVEAWAY #2

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

-$25 Gift Card (Amazon or B&N)

-Shadow’s Curse by Alexa Egan

-A Cursed Embrace by Cecy Robson

-His Reluctant Rancher by Roxanne Snopek

-Free Fall by Karen Foley

To enter: Pre-order a copy of HIS HOMETOWN GIRL on Kindle or Nook!

Email a copy or picture of your receipt to karenrock@live.com along with

Your name:
Your email address:
Blog you found the contest on:

You’ll be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to either Amazon or Barnes and Nobles (your choice) as well as the four books in the prize picture.

LAST DAY TO ENTER IS FEBRUARY 28!

Posted in 5 paws, humor, Review, Spotlight, women on February 24, 2014

Color-me-bad-300

Synopsis

An original short story by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sharon Sala links to her full-length contemporary women’s fiction novel, The Curl Up and Dye.

The novella centers around the four women who run the Curl Up and Dye hair salon and their relationships with the quirky customers of small-town Blessings, Georgia. Their meddlesome efforts at match-making run awry, but there’s always another makeover just around the corner.

Review

Excellent novella to introduce us to the characters of Blessing. Everything changes when Patty Jane, the pastor’s wife, discovers that her husband is cheating on her. She wises up and decides she is not putting up with it and dumps him, gives his “floozy” a new hairdo and decides to change her look and her life. Her actions cause the other women in town to take a look at their own relationships and many find out there are things they never would have guessed.

There is a sneak peek into The Curl Up & Dye which is the new book released this month (Feb 2014). Definitely one I am going to have to pick up. Gotta love a small town!

I give this 5 paws!

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curl up and dye

Synopsis

In The Curl Up & Dye (February 2014) no piece of gossip can get past the sassy women who run the Curl Up & Dye salon. As patron LilyAnne Bronte declares she’s finally ready to move on 11 years after the death of her fiancé to the war in Iraq, the women of the salon take matters into their own hands. Sala explores the hopelessness within LilyAnne that’s all too relatable, and reveals with honest humor and cutting emotions the realities young American women must face when they lose a partner and try to move on. It’s Sala’s soulful writing that will make readers want to befriend LilyAnne and join the ladies of the Curl Up & Dye in in helping her find love again.

About the Author

Beloved by her brethren of fans, Sharon Sala, who also writes under the name Dinah McCall, has 99 books in print, is published in four genres: romance, young adult, western, and women’s fiction, and has sold more than 1.5 million books. Her books have appeared on USA Today, New York Times, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists 47 times, and have been published in many different languages. Sala was the 2011 recipient of the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Posted in Cozy, Monday, mystery on February 24, 2014

good clean murder

Synopsis

Living on her own for her first time, Bible school student Jane cleans houses to make ends meet. But being independent brings big trials, like falling for a handsome professor, dealing with an obnoxious roommate, and then there’s the dead bodies…

Who knew being housekeeper to wealthy owners of a Roly Burger franchise would mean sweeping up clues to their death, while ministering to the needs of their heirs?

This is one big mess that Jane is intent on cleaning up before things get even worse.

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Get this for FREE on Amazon (as of 2/23)

Other Books in the series:

Dirty Little Murder

Bright New Murder

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Posted in 4 paws, fiction, humor, Review on February 22, 2014

brain

Synopsis

What if the most influential book in the history of mankind was not a religious or spiritual book but a satire of a self-help book written by a crazy person? All Daniel Waterstone ever wanted to do was write the great American novel and change the landscape of modern literature forever. He has two literary books in print but no one’s buying. His agent won’t even accept his latest masterpiece which he poured his soul into: apparently, it’s not commercial enough. In a final act of desperation, under the pseudonym of Charles Spectrum, he writes a feverish satire on a Transformational, Self-help best-seller that’s currently topping the charts. Intended as a parody, “How to do Amazing Things Using Only Your Brain,” similar to the best-seller, contains crazy and hilarious exercises on how to increase one’s brain power.  Instead of being published as satire, however, it hits the shelves with all the other serious pop psychology, self-improvement books. It becomes a huge hit. People all around the world are doing unbelievably zany exercises to improve themselves. Even crazier still: they’re getting results. Readers are levitating, bending spoons and seeing into the future. Daniel becomes one of the most desired talk show guests and is soon lionized by agents and publicists. Seminars are organized and what was intended as a joke takes on a huge life of its own.  To complicate things further, Daniel falls in love with a beautiful woman who adores him as Charles Spectrum, the guru. If she was informed of his earlier incarnation as a penniless, failed author, would she still love him? Daniel knows that at some point he must choose between the celebrity author gravy train or, being true to his self and to his art, return to the pits of poverty, obscurity and perhaps, worst of all, most likely lose the woman of his dreams.

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Review

I thought this book was quite humorous and was a good insight into what people will find “enlightening” and that what makes a best seller that everyone clamors to purchase. I like how Daniel came to realize that what this best seller for him became was not what he wanted. Sure the money was good, but he has a conscious. Although he was rather uptight about writing only good literature and obviously that wasn’t going to pay the bills.  Daniel’s friend Mavis was correct that people read to escape for the most part and that is what makes a good book.  It is a shame that in Daniel being so wrapped up in himself and his life that he didn’t really get to know Mavis until it was too late.

Daniel even managed to find love but it took him awhile to even realize what was right in front of him.  I think that is a good image of most people today, they don’t take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves.

We give this 4 paws up

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About the Author

Dermot is an Irish writer now living in the US. As a playwright, Dermot is a recipient of the O.Z. Whitehead Award which was co-sponsored by Irish Pen and the Society of Irish Playwrights. A fictional account of a dream therapist who is stuck in a dream from which he cannot awaken, with his debut novel, “”Stormy Weather,” novelist Dermot Davis has deftly crafted a minor literary masterpiece,” (Midwest Book Review).
His second novel, “Zen and Sex,” is a witty and ironic first-person look at love and relationships as seen from the confused eyes of twenty-four-year old Martin who falls in love with Frances, a woman fourteen years his senior. Winner of two indie author awards and perhaps because it provides a no-holds-barred look into the mind of a man and his uncensored thoughts, it was suggested by the Kindle Book Review that, “every woman should read it as marriage counseling.”

Winner of the 2013 USA Best Book Awards for humor, Dermot’s third novel, “Brain: The Man That Wrote the Book That Changed the World,” is “an entertaining farce about modern society; a deft, fast-paced tale that will leave self-aware readers giggling,” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). Coming “Highly Recommended” by the Midwest Book Review, who also called it, “ironic, iconoclastic and pure entertainment from first page to last,” the book poses the question of whether an author should write from the heart or write only books that he thinks will sell. I suspect that this novelist is trying to do both…

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