Kelly Cain's Blog, page 12
October 12, 2015
Release Day for Touching Fate by Brenda Drake
I’m so excited to take part in Brenda Drake’s Release Day Launch for TOUCHING FATE! Check out the book and excerpt below, and be sure to enter the amazing giveaway!
Aster Layne believes in physics, not psychics. A tarot card reading on the Ocean City Boardwalk should have been a ridiculous, just-for-fun thing. It wasn’t. Aster discovers she has a very unscientific gift—with a simple touch of the cards, she can change a person’s fate.
Reese Van Buren is cursed. Like the kind of old-school, centuries-old curse that runs in royal families. Every firstborn son is doomed to die on his eighteenth birthday—and Reese’s is coming up fast. Bummer. He tries to distract himself from his inevitable death…only to find the one person who can save him.
Aster doesn’t know that the hot Dutch guy she’s just met needs her help–or that he’s about to die.
But worst of all…she doesn’t know that her new gift comes with dark, dark consequences that can harm everyone she loves.
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Excerpt from TOUCHING FATE
The spell was broken when some partiers ran up the beach screaming and laughing. Aster turned in the direction of the noise and spotted Reese standing there. He waved. A moronic move, he reprimanded himself. Strolling up the beach James Bond-style would have been better, but instead, struggling in the sand, he headed for her. He decided if she moved toward him as well, it would be proof that she was attracted to him. Aster spun around and faced the ocean again.
Reese stopped. She was still angry with him. Just when he made up his mind to leave her alone, she started down the beach toward him.
“Hi,” she said, staring up at him. The golden specks in her eyes were like stardust glinting in the low-lying sun.
“What are you doing here?”
“Leah invited Jan, and he brought me along.”
“I see.”
“Well, I didn’t put up a struggle. I have to admit, I was hoping to see you.” He held out the aster. “This is for you. A peace offering. One simple flower can mean so much more than a bunch, don’t you agree?”
A shocked expression crossed her face, and Reese thought he had blown it. But then she gave him a sweet smile and took the flower from him. “Stolen ones are even better.”
“Well, in all honesty, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision. A gentleman doesn’t court a lady without bringing a gift.”
“So you’re courting me?” She tried unsuccessfully not to smile. It was rather fetching, her pink glossed lips twitching at the effort. “You don’t even know anything about me.”
“Well, that is the point of dating, isn’t it? To get to know each other?”
“I’m not sure.”
When the silence between them got uncomfortable, she lowered her head and picked at the stem of the flower.
“Not sure, huh?” This girl was a hard nut to crack. Reese got an idea. “How about we play a game?”
She looked back up at him. “What kind of game?”
“One where I tell you something about me, then you tell me something about yourself.”
“Sure, why not?” She twirled around and padded across the beach, lifting up sand with her toes and flicking it into the air in front of her. “You go first.”
“All right, then,” he said, keeping pace with her. “My family lives in a castle just outside of Amsterdam, complete with towers and turrets. It’s been in the family for generations. We only live in a few rooms. The rest of the place is open for tours. It helps pay for the upkeep and taxes.”
“Really?” She knotted her fingers behind her back. “Does that mean you’re royal?”
“No. But my father is a count.” He hated talking about his lineage. “It’s just a title,” he said, as if it wasn’t a big deal, which it wasn’t, at least to him.
“That’s pretty awesome,” she said.
“Now you.”
About the AuthorWebsite | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram
Brenda Drake grew up the youngest of three children, an Air Force brat, and the continual new kid at school. Her fondest memories growing up are of her eccentric, Irish grandmother’s animated tales, which gave her a strong love for storytelling.
So it was only fitting that she would choose to write stories with a bend toward the fantastical. When she’s not writing or hanging out with her family, she haunts libraries, bookstores, and coffee shops, or reads someplace quiet and not at all exotic (much to her disappointment).
Giveaway
Giveaway is 3 winners of …
Grand Prize of the Kindle + Swag Pack (US/Canada)
$50 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
$50 Amazon Gift Card (US/Canada)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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October 9, 2015
October 6, 2015
Kelly Cain’s Reviews > Never Too Late
Never Too Late
by Jo Barney (Goodreads Author)
4 of 5 stars
Read from October 02 to 05, 2015
This was an easy, quick read, but that’s not to minimize the strong themes present throughout.
Edith wakes up on Christmas morning to a dead husband who she didn’t really like all that much. She goes on a journey to figure out some mysteries her husband left behind, but instead solves some mysteries about herself she didn’t realize needed solving.
I loved the way the author handles race in this novel. Edith’s (who is white) sleuthing takes her to a predominantly black establishment and her dialogue (both internal and external) is so honest. She doesn’t try to be politically correct and that was refreshing.
This book is marketed as HenLit, and it is, but please do not let that deter you from reading if you’re not of a certain age. I don’t fall into the target audience and probably wasn’t super excited about reading it initially, but I would have seriously missed out on a wonderful book if I hadn’t decided to jump in. I can’t wait to read the other two novels she has out.
September 18, 2015
Goodreads Giveaway for Mind of the Phoenix by Jamie McLachlan
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Mind of the Phoenix
by Jamie McLachlan
Giveaway ends September 30, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/155246â¦
September 16, 2015
Querying: Choose Your Family!
Originally posted on C.H. Armstrong Books & Blog:
So yesterday I wrote about agents and editors. If you missed my post, here’s a link: Rambling Thoughts – My Querying Experience with Agents and Editors. Today I want to talk about the writing community as a whole, specifically other writers and published authors.
As a voracious reader — and someone who isn’t the least bit shy — I’ve been blessed to “meet” several well known and successful authors. It’s not unlike me to read something beautiful by an author and then have a strong “need” to let them know. So I’ll occasionally zip off an e-mail letting them know how I was touched in whatever way by their writing. I’ve been surprised to find that many of these wonderful people — regardless of how successful they’ve become — are truly kind people and often respond. I never expect a response; the e-mail is usually just to satisfy…
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September 10, 2015
Kelly Cain’s Reviews > A Thing of Beauty
A Thing of Beauty
by Bianca M. Schwarz (Goodreads Author)
Sep 10, 15 · edit
4 of 5 stars
Read from September 08 to 09, 2015
I love historical fiction set in the UK. Add in mystery and romance – even better. So I had high expectations when I began this novel.
It did not disappoint.
The heroine, Eliza, is beautiful, smart, strong, and by all accounts, should be damaged beyond belief. But it was the hero, Sir Henry, who stole the show for me. He is a proper hero: physically attractive, brave, insanely rich, but most of all, kind and good. He doesn’t give a second thought to do for others, especially Eliza in her broken state.
As the mystery unfolds, we are introduced to the author’s vivid descriptions. At the retelling of a particularly horrendous act, we are dumped into the scene – the last place we want to be. The graphic nature with how Daisie tells her story had me both angry and uncomfortable, however, it is not gratuitous. When we are finally confronted with the actual environment from Daisie’s story, even knowing the space was unoccupied, I stilled skimmed through.
I would have liked to have seen more of Sir Henry’s relationship with his daughter, Emily, earlier rather than only hearing about it. I believe the stakes would have felt higher for me. Maybe more actual involvement of Emily to the plot as well. But those are small complaints that are easily overlooked because of the overall enjoyment of reading this book.
I highly recommend to any reader.
