Posted in Middle Grade, Spotlight on March 14, 2015

benjamin

 

Synopsis

WARNING: Do not read if you hate talking dinosaurs.

DOUBLE WARNING: This book contains adventure and castles and nightmares and far away lands.

TRIPLE WARNING: Do not read this book while riding roller coasters.

What happens when you wake after a night of dreaming to find your favorite dinosaur character from your favorite TV show talking to you in your bedroom?

You and the dinosaur panic!!!

After nine year-old Benjamin Buckingham calms down, he chooses between chasing after the dinosaur into a secret world or… going to school. What Benjamin finds is an imaginative world with castles filled with people who create dreams. But, Benjamin discovers something else, something awful, something treacherous. An evil castle creates nightmares and the ruler of this castle wants to destroy all the dreams. Benjamin begins a quest to save a kidnapped king and finds talking animals, magical castles, and frightening monsters along the way. Will dreams survive? Will nightmares be destroyed? Will dinosaurs continue talking forever?

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About the Author

Gregory Gershwin was born in Pennsylvania and studied English Literature at Brown University under the mentorship of the late Robert Creeley. He now lives in New York City where he runs a very successful company that sells umbrellas to Tyrannosaurus Rex of all shapes and colors. He was previously the owner of a dating app which helped over 3,000 Stegosaurus find romance and love. And before that, he worked with a Brontosaurus to launch a successful Tex-Mex restaurant in Brooklyn. Contact him at gregory.gershwin@gmail.com.

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Posted in romance, Spotlight, women on March 13, 2015

i regret everything

 

Synopsis

Life is an often-confusing mixture of heartache and hilarity, or so prove Seth Greenland’s appealing characters in this tenderly comedic story of modern love. Imbued with Greenland’s signature wit, I Regret Everything confronts the oceanic uncertainty of what it means to be young and alive.
Jeremy Best, a Manhattan-based trusts and estates lawyer, leads a second life as published poet Jinx Bell.  To his boss’s daughter, Spaulding Simonson, at 33 years old, Jeremy is already halfway to dead.  When Spaulding, an aspiring 19-year-old writer, discovers Mr. Best’s alter poetic ego, the two become bound by a devotion to poetry, and an awareness that time in this world is limited.  Their budding relationship offers them the possibility of enduring love, or the threat of tragic loss.
A skilled satirist with a talent for biting humor, Greenland creates fully realized characters that quickly reveal themselves as complex renderings of the human condition – at its very best, and utter worst. I Regret Everything explores happiness and heartache with a healthy dose of skepticism, and an understanding that the reality of love encompasses life, death, iambic pentameter, regret, trusts and estates.

Praise

“Edgy and sweet, witty and wise, I Regret Everything is rollicking good fun. It’s also, in the end, a deeply moving love story between two unforgettable characters discovering what it means to truly be alive.”– Maria Semple, author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette
“Greenland hits all the right notes … a poignant story of dreams and the way they can crash into the reality of the dreamers.” – Booklist
“Greenland, a former writer for the TV show Big Love, has a clear and snappy handle on the New York City worlds of M.F.A.s, M.F.A. dropouts, and poetry workshops, as well as their counterpoint in the Sutton Place penthouses of wealthy clients.”– Publishers Weekly
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About the Author

Seth Greenland is a novelist, playwright, and a screenwriter. He was a writer-producer on the Emmy-nominated HBO series Big Love, is an award-winning playwright, and the author of the novels The Angry BuddhistThe Bones, and Shining City, which was named a Best Book of 2008 by the Washington Post. Greenland lives in Los Angeles with his family.
Posted in Spotlight, suspense, Thriller on March 12, 2015

Ribbons of Death bannerRibbons of Death 2

 

Title: Ribbons of Death
Author: Edita A. Petrick
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Pages: 371
Genre: Suspense Thriller
Format: Paperback/Kindle

The ancients believed that once in a Blue Moon a child with Peacetaker powers is born. Such child, when grown to maturity, can seed murderous madness in people’s minds by merely walking amongst them. A simple amulet activates the Peacetaker’s powers. When a horribly scarred man knocks on the door of Stella Hunter’s ramshackle cottage in upstate Montana, she lets him in. What’s there to lose? The book critics killed her chances to warn the world about myths and legends behind the myths and legends.

But once the man pushes a book smudged with bloody fingerprints across the table, Stella sees a glimmer of hope. She may re-establish her credibility within the scientific community and vindicate her ‘peace-taker’ theory. She may also be murdered by anyone standing next to her if her theory is correct because the ancient curse is anything but extinct. In fact, the ancient curse has a new attitude….

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About the Author

By profession, I’m an engineer and ten years ago, I left a corporate job to concentrate on writing. It was perhaps the scariest thing I’ve done. Of course, there were other considerations at the time, life, kids, economy and my mother who was battling cancer. I wrote as means of staying grounded because I had to hold it together. There was no one else to pitch in. There wasn’t a single moment that I didn’t have doubts about whether what I was doing was the right thing or not, but doubts come and go, while the need to write goes on forever. Since 2005 I’ve published 5 books and this year alone I have 6 new ones coming out. I live in Toronto with my family and our two pets – wheaten terriers. And whenever I’m tempted to look back, and start second-guessing my past decisions, I sit behind the computer and start another book. At least for me, that’s a cure-all.

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Posted in excerpt, Giveaway, Inspirational, self help, Young Adult on March 11, 2015

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ITGIRL4LIFE 8

Title: ITGIRL4LIFE
Author: Tamara Branch
Publisher: Heart Project Publishing
Pages: 98
Genre: YA/Self-Esteem
Format: Paperback/Kindle

Writer, artist and speaker, Tamara Branch serves up 40 bite-sized chapters on how to build unshakable self-confidence, honor your life, and shine bright in the world, in ITGIRL4LIFE: How to bring out your special something and so much more. Packed with sage advice, life-changing insights and affirmations to help you soar, ITGIRL4LIFE offers ideas, tools and principles that you can reference and build upon, supporting you in becoming your best. Get ready to fall in love with your own wisdom, beauty and strength.

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Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club on Goodreads.

Excerpt

YOU have IT. IT is the GREATNESS you were born with. IT is that unique special something that is all yours. Nothing and nobody can take IT away from you. IT is not something that you have one day and lose the next. IT is not fleeting. IT is not temporary. IT does not depend on the judgment or approval of others. IT is here to stay. Your job is to tap into IT. Your ITGIRL4LIFE adventure starts NOW. It’s about loving yourself, being authentic, taking charge and making a difference. You will need a great attitude, an open mind, the desire to grow and expand, the courage to create the life you want and the willingness to be your best self.

Are you ready? Your special something and so much more is right this way.

About the Author

Tamara Branch“I believe in the power, beauty, strength and amazing potential of girls. I believe girls deserve to feel extraordinary. I believe that when girls shine their light, they are unstoppable!”

– ITGIRL4LIFE by Tamara Branch

Tamara Branch is from New York, born and raised in the Bronx. She is thrilled to share her first book release, ITGIRL4LIFE, kicking off the ITGIRL4LIFE self-esteem movement to empower girls to stand up, stand out and shine bright in the world.

Tamara has worked as a professional model and actor for almost two decades. She strutted down the runway for designers Calvin Klein, Donna Karen and Christian Dior, acted in a few independent films, co-hosted PBS New York’s education series, “What’s up in Technology” and appeared T.V. commercials and print ads for Levi’s, Old Navy, Hershey’s, Colgate, Kellogg’s Special K, Revlon, Hanes, Nike and many others. A Penn State alumnus and lifelong student of personal development, Tamara is deeply passionate about uplifting the human spirit.

After graduating from Institute for Integrative Nutrition, studying under Deepak Chopra, Dr. Andrew Weil and some of the top health and wellness experts in the world, she was inspired to raise the bar on her own ‘self care’ and support others in living more vibrantly. She is an abstract artist and teaches a dynamic dance class, where she gets to fuse her varied background, having trained in everything from jazz, ballet and modern to Afro-Caribbean and Salsa.

Tamara was recently asked to become a Female Visionary Author guest blogger for The Brave Heart Women Global Community.  She’s a SAG/AFTRA member since 1998, a member of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and is represented by Abrams Artists Agency.

Tamara currently lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband of seven years and offers ITGIRL4LIFE workshops to assist girls on their self empowerment journey.

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Giveaway

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Posted in 5 paws, Giveaway, Review, suspense on March 10, 2015

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in her blood

 

Synopsis

Alexandra McCormick’s great-grandmother was a brutal serial killer in the early 1900’s. With her mother currently serving time in prison for murdering Alexandra’s stepfather, Alexandra decides to do her college research paper on whether or not the tendency to commit murder or other violent crimes may be passed on genetically.

Her research takes her to Savannah, Georgia, a city built upon its dead. There, she meets Chad Greenway, whose ancestor is Alice Riley, the first woman hanged in the state of Georgia. Alice was hanged for killing her abusive master. As a freelance writer, Chad agrees to help Alexandra with her research provided he can write a story about her quest. Soon it seems everyone Alexandra meets winds up murdered.

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Review

Next time you are looking for a good psychological thriller, definitely give this one a try. Alex is a woman with a troubled past but an interesting thesis idea – is there a “killer” gene? Chad is a descendent of a serial killer, but does he believe in her theory? Then there is Dumpster Dave – a psychologist that chooses to live in a shelter to help those in need.

The plot twists and turns and when I thought maybe I knew who was killing the people Alex met while in Savannah, a twist in the story would happen and I would suspect someone else. I think I suspected several of the characters at different times in the story…but not once did I get it right.

Well worth the read!   We give it 5 paws up

pawprintpawprintpawprintpawprintpawprint

 

About the Author

gv trentG. V. Trent also writes as Gayle Trent and Amanda Lee. She typically writes cozy mysteries, and this is her first foray into the psychological mystery. She hopes you’ll enjoy it.

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Giveaway

$50 Amazon gift card

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Posted in Giveaway, Historical, romance, Spotlight, Western on March 10, 2015

mk audio book
GALLAGHER’S PRIDE

Book One of the Montana Gallaghers

Audiobook read by Philip Ormond

Brenna Cameron was a on a quest of discovery. Ethan Gallagher was on a quest for revenge. Together they would discover a second chance. From the Scottish Highlands to the Montana frontier, experience the first book in a series about a family in search of peace, hope, and love on a wild land.

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GALLAGHER’S HOPE

Book Two of the Montana Gallaghers

Audiobook read by Philip Ormond

Isabelle Rousseau sought a new beginning. Gabriel Gallagher sought what he didn’t know was missing. Together they would discover hope in unlikely places. Return to the beloved town of Briarwood with this frontier romance about second chances and finding love in the face of overwhelming odds.

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GALLAGHER’S CHOICE

Book Three of the Montana Gallaghers

Audiobook read by Kathryn Fields

Ramsey Hunter finally had a family to call his own. Eliza Gallagher now knew what it meant to risk it all. Together they had a chance to find peace at last. Danger, adventure, and heartwarming romance will sweep you away in Gallagher’s Choice, the unforgettable third book in MK McClintock’s Montana Gallagher series.

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MK Mc

Praise for the Montana Gallagher series

“The Montana Gallagher Collection is adventurous and romantic with scenes that transport you into the wild west.” – InD’Tale Magazine

“This series is spell-binding. Once you start it you cannot put it down.” -Jacqueline Clark, Amazon Reviewer (on the Montana Gallaghers)

I could not put this book down. It is a riveting book, from beginning to the end. The book is filled with adventure and big surprises. -Kelly from Kelly’s Thoughts on Things (on Gallagher’s Pride)

Ms.McClintock chisels out characters that root themselves deep in your heart, where they’ll stay forever more. It’s rich in historic detail and keeps you captivated til the last page. -Molly at Reviews by Molly (on Gallagher’s Pride)

“MK has written a book that grabs the reader’s attention and refuses to let go.” -Suzie at The Bunny’s Review (on Gallagher’s Hope)

“A good story can have a little bit of romance, a little bit of adventure, and a little bit of mystery all rolled up into one. Ms. McClintock’s Gallagher’s Hope delivers all that and more.” -Rebecca at A Book Lover’s Library (on Gallagher’s Hope)

“I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to the Gallagher’s story. The Gallagher family has warmed my heart, and they have become like a second family. Ms. McClintock kept the action stampeding at an all time high in the conclusion of the Gallagher’s story.” -Rose Harness, Amazon Reviewer (on Gallagher’s Choice)

 

mkAbout the Author

MK McClintock spins tales of romance, mystery, and adventure inspired by the heather-covered hills of Scotland and the majestic mountains of home. With her heart deeply rooted in the past and her mind always on adventure, she lives and writes in Montana.
-2014 RONE Award-Nominee for “Alaina Claiborne”

-Crowned Heart for Excellence from InD’Tale Magazine for “Blackwood Crossing” and “The Montana Gallagher Collection

Want more? Visit her website for interviews, free bookmarks, a Montana photo gallery, recipes from MK’s kitchen, and more reader extras.
Genres: historical romantic westerns, historical romantic mysteries, western short stories

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$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 3/31/15

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 and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Posted in fiction, Giveaway, Historical, Holocaust, Spotlight on March 9, 2015

A Life of the Twentieth Century

 Tour Schedule for A Life of the Twentieth Century

Synopsis

A Life of the Twentieth Century is the story of Aya, who lived through the loss of her parents before the age of 3. At the age of twelve she was sent to a boarding school in Budapest, that closed after one year, because the Nazi army marched into the city.

Aya was left totally alone to face the Nazi occupation, and to experience all the horrors of the war. She faced many life threatening situations, such as prison, bombardment or even the possibility of being executed on the spot, without really comprehending the gravity of it all.

The end of the war was supposed to mean liberation, the return of hope and freedom for most people, however it didn’t happen for Aya, who was part of a youth group on her way to Palestine. The destination of this youth group was to reach Italy and the Jewish Brigade. They crossed the Alps on foot from Austria to reach Italy.

As they reached their destination Aya met a soldier from the Jewish Brigade, who was supposed to be her Hero, her Saviour, but turned out to be the devil incarnate. From day one, this soldier of the Jewish brigade took control of Aya’s life when she was only 15 years old.

After divorce, destitute and once again alone, she had no direction and almost no hope, when from deep inside her a small voice said; go back to school. It took all her courage to apply to university, where she was accepted and after 5 year was granted a B.A. and a Diploma of Teaching. She spent the rest of her life teaching, and as she contemplated her life she said to herself that if she had had all the choices in the world, she would have chosen teaching.

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About the Author

Irene EvenIrene Even was born in Hungary. As a child she lived through the Second World War, using false papers to survive. After the war, she immigrated to Palestine, lived in a Kibbutz, then later married and immigrated to Canada with her family. She returned to Israel to teach English and remained there for twenty-two years. Having written her memoir, A Life of the Twentieth Century, she now lives in retirement in Montreal.

 

 

 

 

 

Giveaway

One of 10 ebook copies of  A Life of the Twentieth Century or a $10 Amazon gift card / Open internationally. Ends March 21

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Posted in Cozy, Guest Post, Monday, mystery, Spotlight on March 9, 2015

I will be reviewing this book in the next month or two but wanted to share it with you before then because it sounds like a fun book and I think you should pick it up and read it!

out from under

Synopsis

Three small town, middle-aged women with big town dreams open up The Pea Pod Girls’ Investigations. Gigi VanWey, the Amazon Queen, Tallulah Dewy Townz, the pint-sized rebel who can open a can of whoop ass, and Babs Rosencrantz, the Jewish Guru, had no idea how much trouble they could stir up with their first case. These extremely resourceful women are three peas in a pod who know how to get a job done.

Their first client, trophy wife and recovering-sugar-daddy-addict Cyndi Lou Montgomery, wants to find out how one minute she’s watching the Douglas County 4th of July celebration and the next, waking up in the Douglas County Prize Bull Barn in a most un-lady-like situation. Now Cyndi is being blackmailed, and given specific instructions to follow.

The Pea Pod Girls didn’t know that a home explosion, being shot at, missing evidence and unwanted help from the new town sheriff, Jackson Lee – who, by the way, is so hot you could fry an egg on his fine ass – would be part of the job.

The case comes to a head when the Pea Pod Girls set a trap for the blackmailer at the annual Midnight Madness Costume Ball.

Will the Pea Pod Girls be able to solve the mystery before the clock strikes midnight?

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I asked if the authors would contribute a little something to let us know how they collaborated on this book and what brought them together.  This is what they told me:

The three of us met at work at our local juvenile center in town. Dee and Suz were there first and Mel came along a few years later. We all worked in different departments and had different duties, but we found each other through a mutual love of Halloween. From then on, our friendship grew. We went for lunch weekly and met outside of work for fun. At one of our lunch meetings, Suz mentioned that she had to go pick up a car for her daughter in San Francisco, CA. She was planning to make the trip alone, since her daughter was unavailable due to her college schedule. Suz didn’t want to drive back alone, so Dee automatically piped up and said, I’ll go with ya!” It didn’t take much coaxing to get Mel to go too.

During the planning stages of our trip you never would have known we were adult women. We secretly orchestrated our departure as if we were teenagers planning to sneak out to a kegger. We planned our trip and flew from Wenatchee to Seattle, then from Seattle to Oakland. From then on, we were going from one place to the next. We had one day to explore Frisco, the next day was spent in wine country, and then a family function. The next thing we knew, it was time to get our road trip started. We headed out from Frisco and drove to Portland, OR. On this trip back to Wenatchee, the Pea Pod Girls were born. We totally lost track of time as we started discussing how we grew up, what our dreams were and shared life experiences. One of the things we all found that we had in common was that we have never fit in with our peers. We also discovered that we were all very loyal and trust was important to us. We had no time or interest in gossip or negativity. This solidified our bond with each other and we decided we needed a name for our new-found exclusive group. Ideas were thrown around like The Green Bean Girls, The Rutabagas and The Beets. Mel came up with The Pea Pod Girls which was like an epiphany; we are three peas in a pod. It is not very often that you find friends that are like family and we do not take that for granted. We do not abuse our friendship in any way. It is very valuable to us.

On our way home, we talked about writing down all the adventures we had while on our trip. Our memories made us laugh so we thought they might make others laugh too. When we got back home, Dee gave us all Pea Pod Girl journals and asked us to write down memories of our trip in our perspective. Dee took the first step and started the story of the Pea Pod Girls Investigation Agency. When she read it to us, we loved it and thought the idea of writing was a good one. We shared ideas with each other when we met for lunch or coffee and discovered that writing was fun and we liked it. We made three goals: Write a book, publish the book, and make a movie from the book directed by Clint Eastwood.

From then on, we were bound and determined to reach our goals. We all had the same goal in mind so there was not much disagreement during the writing process. The only things we can remember disagreeing on are the use of a certain word in a sentence. Sometimes we would go back and forth again and again searching for the right word. If we didn‘t agree, we would vote and majority ruled. We are so in tuned with one another, that we would be synchronized in our thoughts and complete each other’s sentences. Writing evoked so much laughter not only from the material we wrote but from the writing process itself. We found it to be therapeutic. When we wrote, each of us were assigned a main character to establish. The characters are fictitious, but still took on some of our personality traits. We enjoy keeping our readers guessing as to “who dun it” and hope our readers can identify with our characters. When we develop a character, we try to create pictures in the reader’s mind. We want to provide a cheap vacation for the reader and we want to make them laugh and feel good after reading our book. We are happily ever after girls, damn straight!

Just thinking about it, the three of us were the most unlikely friends. Suz is from an upper class family, she is a big city girl whose Jewish background has been influential in her life. You could say she’s an intellectual. She has a Master’s Degree. She comes across as very proper and composed. She is very worldly and loves to travel. She is also very giving and kind. She has a direct connection to the universe and physical and emotional balance is important to her. She visits with psychics, has her palm and charts read, and believes in energy healers.

Mel is a small town country girl that came from a poverty-stricken family with a history of drug abuse and domestic violence. She rose above the cycle with the help of her Christian background and is a survivor. She is a high school graduate and loves learning. She is very smart and doesn’t take shit from anybody. She is not the most tactful person, but always wants the best for all in situations. She is creative and is open to new experiences and learning new things. She is silly and has a hidden diva that comes out with the Pea Pod Girls. She is a strong, spiritual woman who is down to earth and accepting of others. She loves her family and friends and would do anything for them.

Dee came from a lower middle-class, blue collar home. She grew up in an abusive environment that was compounded by alcohol abuse. She is college-educated and struggles with learning disabilities. She is super creative, almost to the point of driving herself crazy. She has notebooks full of ideas written down for future books. She is not afraid to say what needs to be said. Dee is funny, silly, and goofy but also very smart, loving, and generous. She is eccentric and ok with who she is. Dee is determined and always has a plan A…B…C…and even D when necessary. She is a dreamer that takes the steps to make her dreams happen and encourages others to do the same. She is a great communicator and cares for those around her. She is a spiritual woman who was raised Catholic. After a near death experience, her faith was brought to a deeper spiritual level.

These three, middle-aged women working full time and raising families persevered and came out from under their circumstances and proved to themselves and everyone around them that dreams do come true.

About the Authors

Melanie Donithan, Dee Middleton-Taylor, and Suzanne Curry

Mel, aka Pea Pod Girl Number One, is a forty-something mother of two. She works in the legal field in her hometown of Wenatchee, WA, and is a member of Write on the River.

Dee, aka Pea Pod Girl in the Middle, lives in Wenatchee with her husband Glenn and American Bulldog Abbee. She has a BS in Corrections and has worked in the criminal justice field for more than 28 years. She expresses her abundance of creative energy through writing mysteries, drawing, remodeling her home, sewing Pea Pod costumes, and cooking

Suz, aka Pea Pod Girl Number Three, lives with her husband Dennis in Tucson, AZ, where she enjoys watching sunsets, practicing tai chi, painting, and Skyping on a regular basis with Mel and Dee. Suz has a Master’s degree in school counseling and has worked with at-risk youth and families for the past 20 years.

The longtime friends are hard at work on Book 2 in the Pea Pod Girls Series. This is their debut novel.

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Posted in Adventure, excerpt, Giveaway, romance, suspense, Time Travel on March 8, 2015

 

 

Sex. Coffee. Time Travel. by Elle Brooks
Romance / Adventure / Suspense
Date Published: Jan 20, 2015
(Time Frame Series Book Two)

In Book Two, Adventure-Romance author Lesley Meryn has her ‘second date’, a little bit of Time Travel, with the volatile yet seductive scientist Miles Sherwood. She wakes up to a spring day in 1765 Yorkshire. Miles should be there, waiting for her, but he’s nowhere to be found.

Circumstances spin rapidly out of control. Someone keeps trying to kill her new Eighteenth Century companion and self-appointed protector, Mick Kenning, a handsome and hunky stableman at the New Inn. Lesley helps him to foil these clumsy, but persistent and mysterious attempts on his life.

As the days pass, Miles remains missing. The clock is literally ticking down the days. She has less than two weeks to find him or she may be trapped in the past. Has Miles fallen victim to the very real dangers of an earlier time?

Complications multiply with the appearance of an elusive, badass, Highwayman. With a hefty price on his head, agents of the Crown have arrived at the New Inn to track him down. For Mick it’s personal, he despises the Highwayman. The Highwayman, not satisfied with jewelry, and coins, stole away the woman Mick once loved.

Will Lesley find Miles in time? What has happened to him? Will Mick ever find out who wants him dead? Will he ever find out why?

Balancing between high adventure, sword fighting, fisticuffs, pistols, and daggers, Lesley must use her wits, imagination, and every trick from her own books to find Miles, survive the Eighteenth Century, and return to her own time.

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Excerpt

“Nah gawp ah missen,” the driver muttered darkly.

“W-what? Are you talking to me?” Lesley stammered, confused at his sudden flash of glowering anger. What had she done wrong? What the hell was he saying?

“Yer claht’ead, Ah’ll skelp yer arse!” He leaned his massive bulk over her as a huge gauntleted hand seized her by the shoulder, shook her, and then released her, tossing her backwards a few feet.

Lesley stumbled but did not fall. She stood her ground as he came to her again. He pulled back his arm to deal her a blow. When he struck out at her, she ducked out and away, and the momentum took him stumbling awkwardly past her.

When he turned to face her again, his sword was drawn, his face fixed on hers mottled with rage. He slyly glanced about the yard, to be certain that there was no one else about. Lesley felt a drop in her stomach that had little to do with her brain-pounding hangover nor the aching soreness she felt with every move. It became obvious in an instant the man was foul-tempered and a bully. But, he was slow and his movements clumsy and he was too confident in his bigger size and strength. She eyed the lethal sword as he waved it around with a distinct lack of finesse, threatening her, expecting fear to cow her before him. But, her years of training with Gilles galvanized her instincts. She knew how to protect herself.

“Is this a blood sugar problem or are you just this incredibly stupid?” Lesley commented drily as she backed off even more, her eyes flickering from side to side, looking for something she could use to defend herself. Making him angrier would actually work in her favor.

It worked.

The man gave an enraged roar, and lunged at her with the sword. Lesley spun away much as a bullfighter, and reached out with one hand for a long pole that rested against the Inn building. She flipped the pole with a flourish into en garde and when he came for her again, she parried the blow away with authority, and then twirled the pole to answer with a riposte that caught him with an audible crack on the side of his head. He staggered slightly to the side, shaking his head.

They stood there frozen, each watching the other. Dazed, he brought his hand up to the place where Lesley had struck her blow. He stared at the smudge of blood and then snarled at her.

She broadened her stance and stood ready to defend herself again. She felt as though she were one throbbing hurt, and the only thing keeping her up, keeping her going, was the shock of adrenaline surging through her body. Fight or flight. Only this was real. She swallowed, realizing that this fight had serious consequences; she was not playing. She trusted in her years of training with Gilles. They would serve her well here. She could not lose.

“Lesley!” Mick called out and her attention was diverted momentarily as she saw Mick running from one of the smaller outbuildings. Following closely behind was a shorter, slim, dark-haired young man.

The driver took advantage of the distraction and came in again with the sword. Lesley instinctively parried with authority, returning a sharp blow to his substantial belly.

“How do you like that, you great hulking pile of shit?” Lesley spat at him. Her pain and frustration were propelling her to places she should not have been going, making her say things she should not have been saying, and doing things she should not have been doing.

Mick stopped short, and could do nothing more than watch as the huge man came in once again. Lesley sidestepped, angling the pole much as a lance, driving the end sharply up into his solar plexus, his own weight and momentum doing most of the work for her, pulling the pole from her hands. With a great surge of effort she twisted, extending a long leg to boot him in the small of the back, at the same time, wresting his sword from his grasp, disarming him as he went down.

When he rolled heavily over onto his back to face her again, she stood there above him, his own sword held raised in both her hands, pointed directly between his eyes.

“What is your name?” she asked of him softly. The man muttered something indistinct. “Your name?”

She took a step closer swinging her boot up to rest lightly on his broad barrel chest. The man’s eyes grew wider as the point advanced even closer, mere inches from his eyes.

“Albert Quince,” he replied in a sullen whisper.

“Listen to me well, Albert Quince, and take heed of what I say,” Lesley went on quietly, pressing her boot a bit further into him for emphasis. “I think that you would do well to consider before you decide to take on someone who is so obviously smaller and weaker than yourself. For as you can see you never know just who you might be dealing with. Do I make myself clear?”

The man gawped at her in shock for a few long seconds and then glanced over to Mick, who could only stand there staring at the two of them.

“Do I make myself clear?” she asked again, softly enunciating each word. She felt as though she had taken on a character in one of her own books. She then realized that she could make good use of some of the dialogue as well.

“Aye,” he grunted reluctantly.

“Good.” Lesley stepped back as she re-directed the sword, driving the point into the soft ground just south of the man’s crotch. “For if there be a next time, I’ll make damned sure that you are qualified as a gelding.”

About the Author

Elle Brookes grew up in Los Angeles, California, but lived in Jamaica for three years when she was a Peace Corps Volunteer. She moved to San Francisco and studied at the California Culinary Academy, and went on to become a private chef to a well-known L.A. based television production company.

From an early age Elle was a voracious reader of adventure stories and from elementary school through high school, she started writing her own stories of places foreign and exotic.  She studied Art History and continued writing in college, focusing on short stories.

A dedicated and passionate traveler, Elle has explored river caves in Jamaica and Costa Rica, hiked glaciers in New Zealand and Iceland, and done dogsledding in Greenland and Iceland. She’s danced a fa’a Samoan haka and slept in a fale on the island of Savai’i in Samoa, hiked in the northern mountains of Thailand along the border with Myanmar in the Golden Triangle, and in Haiti, she witnessed a white goat ceremonially sacrificed to Erzuli Freda by a powerful Houngan. For a time she did Performance Driving in Southern California, and has years of study and experience dedicated to fencing, theatrical combat, archery, and horsemanship.

Elle currently lives in the central highlands of Costa Rica with her dog Pixie, and her hedgehog, Quiller.

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Giveaway

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Posted in Book Blast, excerpt, Giveaway, romance, women on March 7, 2015

Leaving Liberty cover

Leaving Liberty by Lisa Mondello

There’s been a storm brewing in Liberty Calvert’s life. But she didn’t know just how strong it would be until Texas Ranger, Jackson Gentry, came to Liberty, Texas. Her already fragile life will be changed forever if he learns the truth. Her head tells her that the best thing for all of them is for Jackson to leave Liberty as soon as his investigation wraps up. But her heart is telling her this is the one cowboy she wants to spend the rest of her life loving.

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Praise for the book

“I can truly say that I love this series of books. Can’t get enough of them and I hope they continue. The characters and plot are totally believable and hold your interest. Thank you and keep them coming!” Amazon Reviewer

“Lisa Mondello is one of my favorite authors . I loved this book. All should read.” Amazon Reviewer

Excerpt

The refreshing feeling of swimming in the pond was long gone. Libby’s skin was still hot and electrified from being so close to Jackson during the ride back to the house.

When she turned to leave the tack room, Jackson dragged her into his arms.

“Hold on a second,” he said.

Her legs melted beneath her and the only thing holding her upright was Jackson. In his arms she felt small and whole and special in a way she’d never known.

Libby had dated men over the years. She’d thought she’d been in love once. But nothing had ever felt like this.

Jackson pulled her closer, pressing her chest against his. But she didn’t feel the sensation she’d expected with the contact.

She fought all the usual fears she’d had about what it would be like to be with a man and just allowed herself to feel. Would he know the difference in her? Would it matter? She didn’t want to think about it. Instead, Libby focused on the feel of Jackson’s arms wound tightly around her body, and the stirring she felt in her belly, as she pressed herself up against his hot skin.

His strength and the gentleness of his hands as his fingers dug into her hair. When he finally bent his head and his mouth covered hers, it made it easy for Libby to forget the struggles she’d been facing. Oh, it would be so wonderful to stay in Jackson’s arms, she decided. Nothing could hurt her there.

Jackson pulled away to gaze into her eyes and take a deep breath, but it only left her wanting more of him. Everything inside her screamed that this was so right.

“I’d wondered what it would be like to taste you,” he said, looking down at her with a smile that stole her breath away.

Leaving Liberty authorAbout the Author

New York Times and USA TODAY Bestselling Author, Lisa Mondello, has held many jobs in her life but being a published author is the last job she’ll ever have. She blames the creation of the personal computer for her leap into writing novels. Otherwise, she’d still be penning stories with paper and pen. Her popular series include FATE WITH A HELPING HAND, which features the award winning ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU, TEXAS HEARTS and DAKOTA HEARTS. Writing as LA Mondello, her romantic suspense, MATERIAL WITNESS, book 1 of her Heroes of Providence series made the USA TODAY Bestsellers List and was named one of Kirkus Reviews Best Indie Books of 2012.

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Ends 3/31/15

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 and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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