Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 197

Not Your Average Interview with Megan Gaudino, ALWAYS KISS ME GOODNIGHT

If a genie granted you three wishes, what would they be? And you can’t ask for more wishes, that’s cheating! Well, right now my dream is to own a tiny house. So, I’d probably wish for a really cool, really modern tiny house that would have everything I need in it for my first wish. For my second, I’d wish for an all expenses paid trip around the world so I could hit the hot spots in every country and stay at the best hotels. And for my third and final wish I’d wish for all my books to bes best sellers, of course. Maybe throw in a movie deal or too while we’re at it.
If you could go to the past or future, where would you stay and why?I’d go in the past to anytime there were dinosaurs. I wouldn’t want to stay in that time because I need wifi and air conditioning to survive but wouldn’t it be incredible to see dinosaurs in the flesh? If I could take people with me I’d act out Jurassic Park and then that would truly be amazing.

If you could eliminate one thing from your daily schedule, what would it be and why?Driving. I hate to drive. If I could I would hire a chauffeur to take me everywhere I need to go. It’s funny because I like being in the car and going on road trips is my favorite past time, I just don’t like to be the one doing the driving.
If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it?Great but difficult question. Probably something like Why Does Nail Polish Always Chip? That’s a question I ask myself on a daily basis that a lot of other people can relate to.
Which body part would you choose to get a tattoo done?I don’t have any tattoos and I don’t know if I ever would but if I did I would want to get a couple small clusters of mermaid scales on my legs. I’ve seen a few pictures online of other women who have done it and it always looks beautiful.
What's the one thing, you can't live without?Wifi. I need wifi at all times and get irritated when I don’t have it. We live in a time where any information we want is at our fingertips so if I suddenly need to know when Britney Spears birthday is or where the nearest pizza shop is I need to be able to look it up.
What takes you out of your comfort zone?Probably anything forcing me into a big crowd. That’s why I’m not a big fan of amusement parks. I like smaller and more intimate settings so I can get uncomfortable in a huge group of people.
As a child, what did you wish to become when you grew up?This is weird but I had this notebook I carried everywhere with me when I was young. I wrote things in it like little rhyming poems and stories but on the first page I wrote my future hopes and dreams. On that page I wrote that I really wanted to be either a cop or a cheerleader. Maybe I could find a way to be a crime fighting cop superhero? Sadly, I don’t have a desire to be either of those things anymore.
What’s the best way to keep in touch with you?I can be found on all social media as @mkgaud. I’m probably most active on Instagram and Wattpad and I’m always open to messages from everybody so please feel free to drop me a line!

Book & Author Details:Always Kiss Me Goodnight by Megan Gaudino
Published by: Evernight Teen
Publication date: August 26th 2015
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Synopsis:Sophia Destino is supposed to die.

All seventeen-year-old Sophia wants is to coast through her junior year. But with her parents obsessed with her Olympic-swimming-hopeful brother, a psychic best friend with a penchant for reading tarot cards, and prophetic dreams that predict her death—that won’t be easy. As her nightmares begin to come true, Sophia finds herself dodging death and longing for the time when getting over her ex-boyfriend was her biggest problem. Until she meets Leo Knight. The mysterious stranger seems determined to keep her alive—and steal her heart. But Leo has a secret that is about to change everything and Sophia is about to learn that sometimes…your number is up
Purchase:Amazon: http://amzn.com/1772334820B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/always-kiss-me-goodnight-megan-gaudino/1122611032?ean=9781772334821
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26177724-always-kiss-me-goodnight?ac=1

AUTHOR BIO:Megan Gaudino works in a high school library by day and on her own books by night. She lives in Pittsburgh where you can find her reading, writing, and Instagraming.
Author links: https://twitter.com/mkgaudhttp://mkgaud.tumblr.com/https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14238281.Megan_Gaudino


a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
 

#Excerpt: WHAT MATTERS MOST by Dianne Maguire

Excerpt:It was well after 4.00pm by the time Mia plodded down the concrete steps into the car park. The flash and beep from her car as she pointed the remote always gave her a discernible burst of joy because it meant she was on her way home. On this particular occasion she also realised she had not had time all day to think about her own family. Tossing her bag onto the passenger seat before sliding behind the wheel and turning the key in the ignition, she resolved to ring Adam after dinner. In the meantime, she thought, there was a more irksome task to be dealt with. She rummaged through her bag, dug out her phone and slipped it into the hands-free carrier. She eventually found the number and dialled, the rings at the other end echoing through the car as she emerged from the car park into the fading light.
‘Leila Anderson,’ a voice answered as Mia accelerated onto the street, still shining with evidence of the day’s persistent early-spring showers.
‘Hello, Leila, it’s Mia Sandhurst,’ she said, pulling up at the traffic lights, the indicator clicking like a metronome as she waited for a young couple with a pram to saunter across the pedestrian crossing before she could turn left.
‘Hello, Mia.’ Leila’s voice registered surprise. And there was something else that was indecipherable in her tone as well.
‘I’m really sorry to intrude on your Sunday, but Eric isn’t responding to my calls. I’m a little worried. Have you heard from him?’
A brief silence was followed by hesitant, deliberate intonations — the type of response one would expect from a witness on the stand in a courtroom, or someone giving evidence to a Royal Commission. ‘Well, no … not really. Only a few emails with attached reports and letters he wanted me to type.’
‘Has he called you?’ Mia asked, her concerns curdling to suspicion, purely due to Leila’s obvious wavering.
‘No … no calls. Look, I’m sure he’s fine, Mia. He has a pretty packed schedule this trip.’
Mia turned into her street, the energetic, almost cheerful clicking of the indictor at odds with the anxiety, edged with anger, that swirled in her gut. Of course, it was Leila’s job to protect her boss, but it was not her place to shield him from his wife. ‘Mm, that’s part of the problem, I think. I didn’t get his schedule for this trip. I wonder if you would email me a copy, please.’
There was another awkward pause before Leila said, ‘Sure. I don’t see why not. And if I do hear from Eric, I’ll have him call you.’
‘Excellent — thanks, Leila. Enjoy the rest of your day. And sorry again for disturbing you, but I feel so much better now we have spoken …
‘… not,’ Mia said through clenched teeth, stabbing the end button and accelerating into her undercroft. Within seconds, she was pounding her way up the stairs and charging through the back door into her kitchen, ignoring the beep from within her bag, which signalled the arrival of a text to pour herself a large glass of chilled white wine.
Soothed by a few velvet sips, Mia slammed her palm onto the gas fire, bringing its flames to life with a deep puff, shoved a section of pre-cooked Peking duck into the oven and made an Asian salad, then took a long hot shower. Rummaging to the back of her wardrobe she dragged out her comfort clothes — elephant-sized track pants and an equally large windcheater. She relished their sense of freedom and warmth and padded in bare feet back to the kitchen where aromas of cooked duck filled the space and teased her appetite.
It was when she was taking the first sip of her second glass of wine that she remembered the text message and lifted her phone to see that there were actually two messages awaiting her.
The first was from Maggie Malloy: Rachel’s cardiac tests clear. Still refusing to engage with psych. Will be discharged tomorrow in the am. Have reported my concerns to Child Welfare.
Mia’s brow furrowed. ‘Oh no, Rachel. What is really happening in your life? Should we be worried or should we simply leave you alone?’ She resolved to visit Rachel one last time tomorrow, before she was discharged from hospital.
The second message was from Eric: Singapore deal successful. Sorry haven’t been able to return calls. Will be home Tuesday, but have another appointment that evening so no plans pls. E. His blisteringly terse tone seemed misplaced and unwarranted, especially after days of silence. ‘How astounding, Eric, that you have chosen to message me less than one hour after I phoned your secretary. What is going on?’ she muttered, her appetite immediately leaving her.


BLURB:Paediatrician and mother Mia Sandhurst is scraping to keep her marriage together after her husband of 25 years breaks her heart. Finally facing reality, Mia embarks on a series of outlandish new behaviours to make startling discoveries about herself, love and life.
But the lies and betrayal Mia endures are nothing compared to those of her 15 year old patient, Rachel Hooper.
Set on the magical coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula, What Matters Most is a story of love, family, misplaced loyalty and how our choices shape who we are.
Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/What-Matters-Most-Dianne-Maguire-ebook/dp/B00TNTXYK2/ref=twoen-20
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Dianne Maguire is a social worker turned novelist with over 20 years' experience in child welfare and protection.
She has won the Pauline Walsh Prize in the Eastwood/Hills Regional Annual Literary Awards and in 2010 she co-wrote a collection of non-fiction short stories, It's About Time, for children's charity Time for Kids.  Her articles have been published in state and national newspapers and magazines.
Although Dianne lives in Adelaide with her husband Jerome, she does most of her writing on the Fleurieu Peninsula. What Matters Most is her debut novel.
https://www.facebook.com/diannemaguireauthorhttp://www.diannemaguire.com/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Interview with Genevieve Gannon, CHASING CHRIS CAMPBELL

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?Chasing Chris Campbell is a rom com mixed with a travel book - a love story with bed bugs. It follows Violet Mason, a hypochondriac research scientist who has barely ever left her home town of Melbourne, as she chases her first love, and one-that-got-away, Chris Campbell through Hong Kong, India and Vietnam.

Do you have a favorite character?
There’s a smart aleck lawyer named Harry who she meets along the way. He was fun to write.
Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of the novel at all?Not really, no. I have one character who initially seems to be only a minor player, then later becomes quite important, but I had planned it that way. I’ve previously said I don’t plan my novels, I just get stuck in, but I always have an idea in my head of what it’s going to look like in the end. My handbag, computer desk, work desk and bedside table are all usually littered with little pieces of paper covered in hastily scrawled ideas that eventually become part of a novel.

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?Very much so. I first started submitting manuscripts for a young adult novel when I was living in a share house in Canberra. Whenever I sent out a manuscript I included a stamped, self-addressed postcard for them to post to acknowledge they had received it. They were always the same postcard – a koala – that I had bought in bulk one day when buying other office supplies. My housemates had no idea why I was constantly getting the same post card sent to me again and again. Particularly since none of them had anything written on them. I’m glad I took the slush-pile route though. I think it was good for my development as a writer. I picked up a lot of valuable tips.

How long before you got your offer of representation/your first contract? Was it for your first novel?It took ages. I had three half-offers for my first novel Husband Hunters, including one print deal, but they all fell over once the publishers took the book to acquisitions meetings. That was heartbreaking. By the time it was good enough for a publisher to sign, I had finished my second novel, Chasing Chris Campbell, so they bought them both at once!

What factors influenced your decision to go with a particular agent or publisher?I started with the big five (which back then was the big six) with the plan to try smaller publishers if they al said no. I was lucky HarperCollins said yes. I knew my project was firmly on the “commercial” side of the industry and that some smaller publishers wouldn’t be interested in it.

Are you currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books or do you have manuscripts that you will self-publish? Are you doing both?HarperCollins have the right of first refusal on my next book, but I don’t have a deal with them yet. I think I would be reluctant to self-publish, just because I know how hard it is to attract readers even with the support of a major publisher. Many amazing authors make a success of it, but I know it is a hard road.

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?I don’t belong to a critique group, but I do have a mentor. I also have a lot of wonderful beta readers and in the past I have paid for manuscript appraisals and professional editors. I think using professional readers and willing friends while you’re developing your work is a winning combination. They come at the work from different perspectives.

What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?
I need silence. I am amazed by writers who work with music in the background. I feel like the lyrics would interrupt my thoughts.
Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?
Chasing Chris Campbell is available on all digital platforms: ibooks, Google books, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and directly from HarperCollins.
What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?I do as much as possible. I’m addicted to Twitter (@gen_gannon) and Facebook. I also use Instagram. It can be tricky representing a book on a visual platform like Instagram, but it can be fun coming up with creative options.

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?Yes! But it’s nice to do something different. I also love feedback from readers on blogs and through forums like GoodReads. It’s amazing to read people’s responses to the characters. It’s great motivation to see people engaging with my stories.


BLURB:Violet is saving money: living on rice and beans and denying herself chocolate eclairs all in the name of saving for a home deposit. Once they save enough, she and Michael can buy a house, settle down and live happily ever after. But when Michael does the unthinkable, Violet is forced to rethink her life choices.    A chance encounter with Chris Campbell (first love, boy-next-door, The One That Got Away) spurs her into travelling to exotic locations she never dreamed she'd explore - Hong Kong, Vietnam, Varanasi - on a quest to catch up with Chris and lead a life of adventure. Armed with hand sanitiser and the encouraging texts of her twin sister Cassandra, will Violet find true love before it's too late? Or will the nerve-wracking experience of travelling send her back to Melbourne in search of safety and stability? Can she work out what she really wants before she is left with nothing?
Amazon buy link:Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Chris-Campbell-Genevieve-Gannon-ebook/dp/B00RKU7QNM/ref=twoen-20

AUTHOR Bio and Links:Genevieve Gannon is a Melbourne-based journalist and author. She wrote stories for music and fashion street press magazines while at university before moving to Canberra to do a journalism cadetship.
In 2011 she joined the national news wire, Australian Associated Press, where she covered crime, politics and entertainment. Her work has appeared in most major Australian newspapers including The Age, The Australian and The Daily Telegraph.
She currently lives in Melbourne where she is a court reporter. At night she writes romantic comedies
https://twitter.com/gen_gannonhttps://www.facebook.com/GenevieveGannonAuthor/timelinehttp://www.genevievegannon.com/

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better the chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2015/08/vbt-chasing-chris-campbell-by-genevieve.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

#Review: THE ASSASSIN by Pamela Dumond

4 of 5 stars
This is the second book in the Mortal Beloved Time Travel series. Once again we're following Madeline's adventures as she time travels to the distant past to deliver messages while trying to connect with Samuel in each timeline. The more she interacts with him in the past, the greater the chance he'll remember their connection in the present.
Most of the book takes place in Portugal in the 1300s. She is tasked with delivering a vital message to save the love interest of the prince. However, outside forces are plotting against the lady and Madeline does not realize that they are both in mortal danger. I loved Madeline's inner voice especially when she was trying to convey the proper words for the time period. The author does a good job of fleshing out Madeline even more in the present time frame and again in the past. The plot moved along at a nice pace and there were a few twists and turns thrown in. As this is only the second book in the series, there is a cliff hanger at the end, but at least some of the most important questions are answered. Ms. Dumond has a flair for writing and fans of time traveling stories will enjoy this one. Recommended.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Amazon buy link:http://smile.amazon.com/Assassin-Mortal-Beloved-Travel-Romance-ebook/dp/B01117YZI8/ref=twoen-20 


Book & Author details:The Assassin by Pamela DuMond
(Mortal Beloved, #2)
Publication date: July 5th 2015
Genres: Time-Travel, Young Adult
Synopsis:“All the excitement of Outlander if it was a YA series.”THE ASSASSIN IS the anticipated sequel to the YA Time Travel romantic thriller — THE MESSENGER.The Messenger has been optioned for Film/TV.The Assassin will be featured in Glamour UK Magazine September 2015 edition.
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Time Traveler. Messenger. Beloved. Spy.“I was a Messenger: I kept the memory of all our encounters, our lives, like a locket that brushes the skin and bones covering my heart. But Samuel was a Healer: he didn’t time travel. His kind lived, died, re-incarnated, and he didn’t retain memories from his past lives. Every year I landed in required starting our relationship over: from ashes, from scrap… Every place I journeyed had beauty as well as darkness; all my time-travels were bittersweet.” ~ Madeline.
Madeline’s a Messenger: time traveling across lifetimes and delivering messages that could change one life or many. When she discovers that her true love, Samuel, is alive in present day, but doesn’t remember her from their past, she journeys to a deadly royal conflict in medieval Portugal hoping to rekindle his memory. Mortal assassins as well as dark-souled time travelers seek to kill her. Will Madeline and Samuel be together again in life—or only in death?
THE SEEKER (Mortal Beloved, Book Three) publishes Winter 2015/2016.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oN0vJjfcbE&feature=youtu.be


Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24180925-the-assassin?ac=1
Purchase:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Assassin-Mortal-Beloved-Book-Two-ebook/dp/B01117YZI8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436973576&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Assassin+by+Pamela+DuMondB&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-assassin-pamela-dumond/1122248774?ean=2940150850910
Purchase book 1 - The Messenger:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Messenger-Mortal-Beloved-Romance-ebook/dp/B007T07YU8/ref=la_B0049J16NS_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388771202&sr=1-5B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-messenger-pamela-dumond/1112924256?ean=9781480038929
AUTHOR BIO:Pamela DuMond is the author who discovered Erin Brockovich’s life story, thought it would make a great movie and pitched it to ‘Hollywood’.

She writes romantic comedic mysteries, romantic YA time travel and New Adult romance.

Her book The Story of You and Me was a Quarterfinalist in the Amazon Breakout Novel Award (ABNA) 2014 in Romance.

Cupcakes, Pies, and Hot Guys was a Quarterfinalist in ABNA 2013 in Mystery .

She’s addicted to TV shows — The Voice and Reign. The movies Love Actually and The Bourne trilogy (with Matt Damon — not that other actor guy,) make her cry ever time she watches them. (Like — a thousand.)

When she’s not writing Pamela’s also a chiropractor and cat wrangler. She loves reading, the beach, working out, movies, TV, animals, her family and friends. She lives in Venice, California with her fur-babies.

She likes her coffee strong, her cabernet hearty, her chocolate dark, her foods non-GMO and she lives for a good giggle.

Author links:https://www.facebook.com/pameladumondauthor/timeline/https://twitter.com/Pamela_DuMondhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4430293.Pamela_DuMondhttp://www.pameladumond.com/



a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Excerpt: STARGAZING by Bernadette Marie

Excerpt:“Bethany?” he called as if they were old friends.
She felt the blood drain from her head. She didn’t know him did she?
He moved quickly around Mrs. Talbot and straight to her. “Hi, sorry, had to get away from her. I’m Kent. I know you’re Bethany. I’m a big fan. Not a stalker kind of person at all, just a big fan. I’m thankful for the water. That is for me right?” She nodded and handed him the glass. “Thanks,” he said as he took the glass and began drinking. “She’s weird, that woman,” he whispered. “Thanks for saving me.”
“Do I know you?” she asked softly.
Kent took her arm and led her to the table at the front of the room. It was obviously a tactic to keep people from coming up to him, by keeping her close.
“No. Sorry.” He set his water on the table and held his hand out to shake hers. “Formal intro now. Kent Black.”
“Bethany Waterbury.”
“I really like your work. I saw you the other day. I didn’t know it was you, but I saw you.”
She narrowed her eyes on him. “You saw me?”
“You were having coffee with some man. I think he was your brother.”
“How do you know that?”
His cheeks flushed and he wiped his hand over his forehead. “Oh, well, the coffee shop was full. I saw you looking for a table. I was going to invite you to sit with me. You sat with some man and then when you left, you smiled at me, and then said something to him about having lunch with Dad.”
God, he was a crazy mess too, this man who kept her up all night.

BLURB:Author Kent Black is enjoying his chart topping success and living freely wherever his travels take him. But when he meets the illustrious Bethany Waterbury his wanderlust subsides and the thought of a steady future begins to take over.
Kent believes in happily ever after, but the burden of Bethany’s past might be too much for him to embrace —unless true love is more powerful than a Hollywood tragedy.
Buy Links (also available on pre sale)AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014K23122iTUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/stargazing/id1034602607?mt=11KOBO: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/stargazing-5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AUTHOR Bio and Links:Bestselling Author Bernadette Marie is known for building families readers want to be part of. Her series The Keller Family has graced bestseller charts since its release in 2011, along with her other series and single title books. The married mother of five sons promises Happily EverAfter always…and says she can write it, because she lives it.
When not writing, Bernadette Marie is shuffling her sons to their many events—mostly hockey—and enjoying the beautiful views of the Colorado Rocky Mountains from her front step. She isalso an accomplished martial artist with a second degree black belt in Tang Soo Do.
A chronic entrepreneur, Bernadette Marie opened her own publishing house in 2011, 5 Prince Publishing, so that she could publish the books she liked to write and help make the dreams of other aspiring authors come true too.Bernadette Marie is also the CEO of Illumination Author Events.
Where you can find Bernadette Mariewww.BernadetteMarie.comhttp://www.5princebooks.com/bernadettemarie.htmlwww.facebook.com/authorbernadettemariewww.twitter.com/writesromanceinfo@bernadettemarie.com
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better the chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2015/09/book-blast-stargazing-by-bernadette.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

#Review: THE KING'S SISTERS by Sarah Kennedy

  3 of 5 stars

In The King's Sistersauthor Sarah Kennedy once again brings us back to Tudor England and the fate that has befallen Catherine Havens Overton. Catherine is a wealthy widow serving at Richmond Palace in the house of Beloved Sister Anne of Cleves. It's 1542 and Henry's young queen Catherine Howard has been beheaded for treason. Suspicion and danger hang on every word and in every corner, but Catherine is in more peril than most as she hides a secret. She has attracted the attention of the power hungry Martin David Martins and she must use her wit to stay one step ahead of the foul man.

I have read The Altarpiece, the book that introduced us to Catherine Havens and thoroughly enjoyed it. This third book, however, dragged considerably at the beginning. I understand that the mood of the house and that of England had to be conveyed, but nothing really happened until 40% into the book. Snippets of what had happened to Catherine since the first book were revealed and I think if I had read City of Ladies, I would have been more invested in Catherine's character. When the action finally started, my interest in Catherine's fate was piqued. Without going into any spoilers about the fate of the characters, I was not pleased that this book ended on another cliff hanger. 

Ms. Kennedy clearly has researched Tudor England well and while I appreciated that, I was not very interested in the day-to-day drudgery of the kitchen maids which took up too much of the beginning of the story. I would recommend reading both of the previous books before reading this one as it will allow the reader to fully immerse oneself into Tudor England.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Amazon buy link:
TBA

The Altarpiece
Amazon buy link:
http://www.amazon.com/Altarpiece-Cross-Crown-Sarah-Kennedy-ebook/dp/B00BPTY0PG/ref=twoen-20 

City of Ladies
Amazon buy link:
http://www.amazon.com/City-Ladies-Cross-Crown-Book-ebook/dp/B00PHG1RTU/ref=twoen-20 

#Excerpt: DOS ANGELES by Michael O'Hara

Excerpt:Shining her light through the opening she saw what appeared to be a fully equipped home office. It had a desk with a computer, a printer, a multi-line phone system and custom-built shelving holding an array of accordion files and cardboard storage boxes. On entering she found an illuminated light switch she quickly turned on.
With the room now brightly lit by a series of overhead spots, the first thing she noticed was one of the storage boxes had fallen off a shelf and it was lying face down on the carpeted floor. Alongside it was a banded stack of dollar bills. Turning over the box Maria was shocked to see it was filled with more wrapped bundles of cash. But the bills weren’t ones—they were all hundred dollar Benjamins.
Almost tripping in her haste to see what was in the other boxes, she took another down, placed it on the floor and quickly removed its fitted lid. It, too, was filled with packets of hundred dollar bills. Like a pirate sifting through a chest of precious Spanish doubloons, she quickly determined there was close to a hundred thousand dollars in just that one box.
It had to be a sign, she told herself. She had suffered and endured so much over the last two months. There had been days when she didn’t know if she even had the inner strength to carry on. Now—with this amazing stroke of good fortune—she finally had some hope again.
But first she would have to get all of the money out of the house.
And once she did… where in the world would she go?


BLURB:In his debut case Paco quickly learns he will be the fall guy if he doesn't track down the young immigrant who allegedly stole a small fortune from a sleazy Hollywood producer secretly laundering money for a notorious drug cartel. Paco's frantic search takes him on a roller-coaster ride through a shadowy place he calls Dos Angeles a city within the city and a virtual country unto itself.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:Emmy nominee Michael O’Hara-- who has written and produced some of the highest-rated television movies and miniseries in recent memory – is adding author to his resume with the August, 2015 the publication of his first novel,  Dos Angeles.
The book, featuring a bilingual and bicultural private eye named Paco Moran, centers around Moran’s desperate search for a beautiful young Latina immigrant who stole ten million dollars from the mob. In a pre-publication review American Book Award winner Peter Quinn said: Paco Moran’s debut in Michael O'Hara's Dos Angeles is fast-paced, finely crafted, and full of surprises. It's noir fiction for the 21st century, a helluva ride from the first page to last. Here's hoping O'Hara brings Paco back very soon. I can't wait!
A former award-winning journalist and NBC Vice President of Media Relations, O’Hara made an auspicious debut as a writer/producer with “Those She Left Behind,” a critically acclaimed family drama that continues to be the highest-rated TV movie (25.1/38 share) on any network in over twenty years. It starred Gary Cole and Colleen Dewhurst (who won an Emmy Award for her performance). That success was followed by the widely praised NBC movie “She Said No” which won an American Women in Radio & Television Award for Best Television Dramatic Special.
O’Hara next wrote and executive produced “Switched at Birth,” the blockbuster NBC miniseries that earned an Emmy nomination as Best Dramatic Special and remains the highest rated (22 rating/33 share) miniseries on network television since its initial telecast over two decades ago. He was also the writer and executive producer of “Murder in the Heartland,” a celebrated ABC miniseries which garnered a Casting Society of America Award and two Emmy nominations. Right after that he created and executive produced the first of 22 “Moment of Truth” movies for NBC, establishing one of the most successful film franchises in TV history.
O’Hara also wrote “She Woke Up Pregnant,” the pilot for ABC’s ‘Crimes of Passion’ franchise. It scored an impressive 13.4 rating and 21 share, making it the highest-rated ABC movie of the year. He went on to write “One Hot Summer Night,” another ‘Crimes of Passion’ thriller that was ABC’s highest-rated Thursday night movie of the season. Other producing credits include two CBS projects: “Twilight Zone – Rod Serling’s Lost Classics” and “A Child’s Wish,” which was filmed in the Oval Office and featured a cameo appearance by then President Bill Clinton. In addition he wrote and executive produced NBC’s “In His Life: The John Lennon Story” and “1st to Die,” a two-part NBC miniseries based on the best-selling novel by James Patterson.
Overall O’Hara has produced four miniseries and 33 Movies of the Week. Besides his Emmy nomination, other honors include: a Christopher Award (“A Child’s Wish”); a Prism Award (“The Accident”); a Humanitas Award nomination (“Heart of a Child”); a National Easter Seal Society Award (“To Walk Again”); an International Health & Medical Film Award (“Heart of a Child”); and the Media Award from The National Council on Problem Gambling (“Playing to Win.”)
Michael-ohara.com https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14203330.Michael_O_Harahttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Dos-Angeles/1143487899001779
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better the chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2015/09/book-blast-dos-angeles-by-michael-ohara.html






 

#Review: THE TAMING OF MALCOLM GRANT by Paula Quinn

   5 of 5 stars
This is the first book I've read by Paula Quinn so I was not familiar with Malcolm Grant. Luckily, that made no difference in this book. His reputation was teased out in the book and it became clear from the beginning that he was a sexy rake who enjoyed women and could leave them in a heartbeat. That is, until he meets blind Emma Grey. Her quiet presence and her never quit attitude begins to thaw the rugged Highlander's heart.

I absolutely adored Emma. She was fierce and intelligent and not the least bit meek despite being blind. Though she couldn't see with her eyes, the world around her opened their secrets to her skilled hands. Ms. Quinn does a fantastic job of giving us a heroine who is inspiring, brave and romantic. Her interactions with Malcolm are priceless and she can leave the handsome rake flustered with just a hint of a smile. There were a couple of good twists and turns along the way that only added to the enjoyment of this book. I plan of reading more of Ms. Quinn's Highlander stories. Highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchanged for a fair and honest review.

Amazon buy link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RTY0BPE/ref=twoen-20

Interview with A.G. Henley, THE FIRE SISTERS

Why don’t we start off with you telling us a little about yourself.Thanks for having me! I SO appreciate bloggers for the good work you do to help authors get the word out about their books, and you’ve been especially kind to me. Thank you!
So, I’m a YA author with a now complete (hooray!) series of dystopian/post-apocalyptic books. The Brilliant Darkness series begins with The Scourge, a 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist, and includes The Defiance and the just-released The Fire Sisters . There are also two novellas in the series. The series features a blind girl who believes she’s mysteriously protected from flesh-eating creatures called the Scourge, but she hasn’t been tested—until now.
I’m also a psychologist, which makes my workweek an interesting mix of fantasy and heart-wrenching reality.
What is your favorite comment from a fan that really lifted your spirits? I LOVE my readers, and I have such nice ones. They are incredibly supportive. One comment that has always stuck in my brain came very early after I first published The Scourge in January 2012. I was not planning to self-publish, but at the time I couldn’t interest an agent in my writing. I thought no one would buy or read my book.
A woman, an early reader, said she was so engrossed in The Scourge that she read while trying to do her housework, and while changing her baby’s diaper. I was thrilled that the initial response was that the book was hard to put down. I see that as a primary goal for an author: to make you lose sleep, because you can’t stop reading : ) Consider that fair warning! You can see her actual comment here, third one down on the left:http://www.amazon.com/The-Scourge-ebo...
How did you come up with such a great idea for a story?I initially came up with the idea of people trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world full of swamps. I figured they’d move up into the trees. But, what if half the people moved up and wouldn’t share with the other half? That’s how the two main groups in The Scourge, the Lofties and Groundlings, were born. (The swamp idea kind of fell away, although water is very important to the story.)
Then, I thought, what if the main character, a Groundling, was blind? And THEN, I thought, and what if there were zombie-like creatures that only she was protected from, due to her blindness??? And that was it. Fennel and the Scourge were born.
Your characters have a ways of getting themselves into so many bad situations and some causes problems for those around them. Which character(s) gave you the most problems when trying to write their story?Hmm, I’m not sure any of them gave me problems. I LOVE creating characters. They usually just jump into my head fully formed!
Who was your favorite character to write? I’m attached to my two mains, Fennel and Peree. It was so fun to build their relationship from scratch. But the most fun to write was Moray. He’s a bad guy, really, but he has heroic, good guy moments. I really tried hard to write him so that you couldn’t classify him, so he wouldn’t be black and white. I hope I succeeded right through The Fire Sisters.
Do you feel there will be a spin-off or prequel in the future?Hmm, this is it for NOW. Funny you should mention a spin-off, though. I did try to leave the ending somewhat open for a few characters, and there are many more questions about the world of the Scourge…
What are you working on now? Has a new story started to bring itself to life?Thanks for asking! I’m writing a YA time travel short story right now for an indie anthology that will release in March. I met a group of women writers here in Denver who all write YA and are mostly indies. We have done a few writing retreats together, and at the last one someone said, “Why don’t we publish a short story anthology?” So, Tick Tock: Seven Tales of Time came to be! It’s so much fun to write a new character in a new world. I could totally see this leading to its own series down the road…
I’m also revising a novel I wrote last year that is YA speculative fiction. It will be a duology, if all goes as planned.
   Book & Author Details:The Fire Sisters by A.G. Henley
(Brilliant Darkness #3)
Publication date: September 25th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis:Fennel and Peree are finally where they’ve worked ceaselessly to be: together and safe from the Scourge in the protected village of Koolkuna. But on the day of their partnering ceremony the children of the village are stolen away—Fenn’s loyal companion, Kora, among them.
Fenn wants to bring the children home, especially as the villagers seem to blame Peree and her for the tragedy. Only since the death of her own family, she’s terrified that a wrong move on her part will lead to the loss of others she loves.
Despite her apprehension, Fenn and Peree join a small search party led by rival Kaiya, the one person who stands a chance of finding the children thanks to her mysterious past. As they travel away from the safe waters of Koolkuna and into the Scourge-infested wilds, Fenn endures Kai’s scorn, her subtle designs on Peree, and the squabbling of the group. But nothing in her life so far has prepared her for the fierce warrior women who will steal others’ children to preserve their own existence—the Fire Sisters.
If Fenn is to survive the threat of the Scourge, rescue the children from the Sisters, and have a hope of making a life with Peree in Koolkuna, she must face her fear of failure and loss and become the leader she’s destined to be.
Read THE FIRE SISTERS, the thrilling conclusion to the bestselling young adult fantasy Brilliant Darkness series! There are three novels and two short stories in the series. The first novel, The Scourge, was a finalist for the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Award.
RECOMMENDED SERIES READING ORDER:
The Scourge
The Keeper (novella)
The Defiance
The Gatherer (novella)
The Fire Sisters   Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23126188-the-fire-sisters?ac=1
Purchase:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Sisters-Brilliant-Darkness-Book-ebook/dp/B014VF94F6/ref=twoen-20
AUTHOR BIO:A.G. Henley is the author of the BRILLIANT DARKNESS series. The first novel in the series, THE SCOURGE, was a finalist for the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Award.

A.G. is also a clinical psychologist, which means people either tell her their life stories on airplanes, or avoid her at parties when they've had too much to drink. Neither of which she minds. When she's not writing fiction or shrinking heads, she can be found herding her children and their scruffy dog, Guapo, to various activities while trying to remember whatever she's inevitably forgotten to tell her husband. She lives in Denver, Colorado.
Author Links:http://www.aghenley.com/https://twitter.com/AG_Henleyhttps://www.facebook.com/AuthorAGHenleyhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5622429.A_G_Henley


 

#Excerpt: HOOKAH by Cameron Jace

Excerpt:"Have you ever jumped out of a plane in a parachute, down to meet up with people who’d take selfies of your blood on their faces for breakfast?I am doing it right now. And guess what, it’s nighttime, so not only am I free-falling, but I am also doing it in the dark. That’s what I call a bonus.Throwing away the Pillar’s goggles, I hear the plane explode in midair above me.Oh my god, this is for real!“I’ve always wanted to blow up my employees,” the Pillar shouts all the way down. I am not sure how I can hear him. “But you’ll be fine. Just pull the red lever when I tell you to.”In spite of all the madness, I feel unexpectedly fine up here in the air. Fine is an understatement. I feel euphoric. I want to feel like this every day. It’s ridiculous how much I am enjoying this, although I may get face-palmed by the earth in a few seconds.Mary Ann, also known as Alice Wonder, 19 years old, dead and gone. I imagine the scripture on my grave says. But who cares? She was mad anyways.Suddenly I realize that the madness hasn’t started yet. Not at all.Down below, I can see something glittering. The vast land where we’re landing is nothing but an endless field of ridiculously over-sized mushrooms.Big mushrooms growing everywhere, whitening up the black of the night.

Book & Author Details:Hookah by Cameron Jace
(Insanity #4)
Publication date: September 28th 2015
Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis:A Plague Scarier than Death
Alice and the Pillar have to stop a Wonderland Monster who’d lashed out an incurable disease onto the world. Their biggest challenge is that the world loves this monster so much.A Cure Larger than Life
The only way to save the world is to travel to the other side of the globe, and peek into one of Lewis Carroll and the Pillar’s darker pasts.A Truth Madder Than Fiction
This time, the price of saving the world is too high. Alice will have to live with the consequences of the maddest logic of the world surrounding her.Will Alice find who the Pillar really is? What he wants? Is she brave enough to handle the one Wonderland Monster she’d thought was a good friends? And even so, is the world ready the truth?
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25869874-hookah?ac=1
Purchase:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013JAUABG/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_ca-20&linkCode=as2&camp=15121&creative=330641B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hookah-cameron-jace/1122573052?ean=2940152110012
Get book 1 (FREE): Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Insanity-Mad-Wonderland-Cameron-Jace-ebook/dp/B00HFE668Y/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/insanity-cameron-jace/1120829312?ean=2940046426687
Insanity 4 is available for pre-order http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013JAUABG

AUTHOR BIO:  Cameron Jace is the bestselling author of the Grimm Diaries and Insanity series. A graduate of the college of Architecture, collector of out-of-print books, he is obsessed with the origins of folk tales and the mysterious storytellers who spread them. Three of his books made Amazon's Top 100 Customer Favorites in Kindle 2013 & Amazon's Top 100 kindle list. Cameron lives in California with his girlfriend. When he isn't writing or collecting books, he is playing music.

Sign up for his mailing list here: http://bit.ly/1sxp3p1
Author links:http://cameronjace.blogspot.ca/https://www.facebook.com/camjacehttps://twitter.com/cameronjacehttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/995289.Cameron_Jace
a Rafflecopter giveaway