Isabel Roman's Blog, page 9

October 6, 2014

#CoverReveal: A Rogue's Deadly Redemption by @JeannieRuesch



Jeannie Ruesch wrote her first story at the age of the six, prompting her to give up an illustrious, hours-long ambition of becoming a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader and declare that writing was her destiny. That journey to destiny took a few detours along the way, including a career in marketing and design.
Her first novel, a fairy-tale like historical romance, was published in 2009, but the darker side of life always captivated her. After a dinner conversation with friends about the best way to hide a dead body, she knew she had to find a way to incorporate suspense into her writing. (The legal outlet for her fascination.) Today, she continues writing what she loves to read—stories of history, romance and suspense. She lives in Northern California with her husband, their son and an 80 pound lapdog lab named Cooper. She can be visited at www.jeannieruesch.com or found regularly on Twitter or Facebook.
Where can fans find you online?
My website is at www.jeannieruesch.com -- but most often you'll find me on Facebook or Twitte

Scandal forced Lady Lily Melrose into an untenable decision: marry the man she wanted but who wanted someone else or leave her home for America. She gambled and stayed. Now, almost four years later, Lily is ready to gamble again—on a future that means leaving her neglectful, absent husband behind.  But when a deadly adversary threatens them both, Lily realizes how little she understood about her husband—and her marriage.  She's faced with another impossible choice: leave the man she loved to face certain death or stay and fight to help him deliver on a promise he no longer remembers.
Robert Melrose was raised as the forgotten third-born son with no future—without even the label of black sheep to keep him respectable. Not content with obscurity, he cultivated his own path to power, aligning himself with London's underworld, where betrayal is deadly.  But when an accident wipes away his past, Robert can't remember who he is or what he's done. What he does know is that his wife, Lily, evokes a strong need inside—a need to prove he's better than his past.  But when his past becomes a present danger, Robert must choose: gain the trust and love of the woman intent on leaving or let her walk away from him and the danger that might cost both their lives.Enter to win a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC
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Published on October 06, 2014 01:00

October 2, 2014

Review: #Broadchurch

Gracepoint starts tonight (Thursdays on Fox at 9 pm) it's not exactly a remake of Broadchurch, but it really is. According to the people in charge, it's very, very similar but 2 episodes longer and with a different ending. We'll see. (Plus David Tennant's American accent. Hmm, weird.)

So if you're planning on watching Gracepoint and haven't seen Broadchurch yet, what are you waiting for??

What can I say about Broadchurch? You need to watch it yourself. It's only 8 episodes long and trust me, once you start you won't stop. You can't, really. I'm pretty good at figuring out the whodunit, but this one? Shocked me.

I do suggest putting the volume up if you're not used to hearing UK accents that aren't Colin Firth's, but this small town murder mystery has such real and authentic people you easily and quickly get used to it. As with all small towns, people know everything about you--except all those secrets you hid when you came to the small town to begin with.

Is it a typical small town? Are the residents of Broadchurch also typical? Of course, that isn't the point. the scenery is gorgeous but the people are what make this so remarkable. They're deeply flawed and in only 8 episodes I learned so much about them even as I tried to figure out who the murderer was.

My understanding is that season 2 is on the way. I can't wait!

5 stars.
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Published on October 02, 2014 03:30

September 30, 2014

#BookBlast The Book Blogger Platform by Barb Drozdowich @sugarbeatbc



Social Media and Wordpress Consultant Barb Drozdowich has taught at Universities and Colleges, trained technical personnel in the banking industry and, most recently, used her expertise to help dozens of authors develop the social media platform needed to succeed in today’s fast evolving publishing world. She owns Bakerview Consulting and manages the popular blog, Sugarbeat’s Books.
BakerviewConsulting (Business Site) BarbDrozdowich (Author Site) Sugarbeat’s Books (Book Blog) Facebook(Author blog)
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Blurb: Book Blogging - One of the Best Hobbies in the World!
Join thousands of book bloggers in expressing their joy of reading!
Are you a book blogger or do you want to be one? Are you having trouble handling the technical details of blogging? The Book Blogger Platform can be a "user manual" for your blog! A book written by a book blogger for book bloggers and that answers all your questions!
The Book Blogger Platform covers topics such as:
1.         What a book blogger blog needs to contain2.         A step by step guide to manipulating images and videos3.         A description of all the common features hosted by book bloggers4.         A description of the social media aspect to a book blogger platform5.         Being Social - the social aspect of book blogging
 If you are tired of always asking other bloggers questions
Let The Book Blogger Platform guide you painlessly. Over 80 color graphics lead you step by step through some of the more difficult technical issues that bloggers face.
Pick up a copy today and approach blogging with confidence!
Buy it on Amazon!
Excerpt:

from Chapter 3: Review/Promotion Policy—Review Philosophy


As I’ve commented before, some book bloggers review books and some don’t. Some book bloggers promote any book, regardless of whether or not they have read it; some don’t. These are preferences; there isn’t a right or a wrong. Since everyone will run their blog differently, I believe all bloggers need a page that outlines their review/promotion philosophy.


Authors often mistakenly assume that everyone reviews books. They also often mistakenly assume that all book bloggers operate their blogs in a similar fashion.


Because of these assumptions it is a good plan to be honest and upfront with anyone coming to your blog. Create a page—call it Review Policy, or whatever title suits you, and outline what you do on your blog. If what you do is post your thoughts about books that you get from the library and aren’t open to submissions of any sort from authors, state that. If you review submitted books, state what genre you prefer to read. Even if you think you will review all genres, be honest about what your favorites are. Also be honest about other details like length of book, heat level of romance, goriness of a horror novel, etc. For example, I refuse to read anything over 350 or so pages as I find a book longer than that overwhelming, I don’t read horror as it gives me nightmares, the sexual explicitness of a book doesn’t offend me, but I don’t want to read romances involving anything other than human beings. What are your specific thoughts? Make note of them on your Review Policy page.


If you do review, you might want to include information about your reviews. How do you format your thoughts? Do you include spoilers? Do you offer up any quotable quotes that an author can then use in promotions? Do you rate a book using hearts, stars, hopping bunnies, or flashing numbers? Do you post negative reviews? Do you post your thoughts about books that you were unable to finish reading? Do you contact the author and offer up a copy of your review before you post it on your blog? Do you post copies of your reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, or other locations?


With regards to other types of promotions, your Review Policy might include information on the types of features you are willing to post. Do you post for blog tour companies? Do you need you have read and liked a book before you are willing to put anything about it on your blog?


Lastly, you should include how you want to be contacted and what information you need to consider when featuring or reviewing a book. I know I prefer to be contacted via email, but a lot of bloggers use an embedded form that authors need to fill in to be considered. Make sure you are clear about the information you require from the author to decide about their book. If you aren’t, you may find what some authors deem sufficient leaves you with questions.


Do authors always read your review policy? No! I think there are enough people like me harping on the fact that they have to read the policy—that they need to treat bloggers as individuals—that the message will gradually get through.

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Published on September 30, 2014 01:00

September 17, 2014

#BookBlastThe Orange Moon Affair by @AFNClarke



AFN Clarke is a full-time author, screenwriter, the son of a British MI6 operative, former officer in Britain's elite Parachute Regiment, pilot, sailor, racecar driver and father of four who's lived in Hong Kong, India, Libya, Iran, Europe, the UK, USA, and Australia. He's written seven books of fiction and his bestselling memoir, CONTACT, was serialized in a British newspaper and made into an award-winning BBCTV film.
This rich background allows Clarke to bring his own unique and eye opening experiences to his latest Thomas Gunn thriller series that are fast-paced, thought provoking and frighteningly real and have captured the imagination of readers world-wide. As he says: "For me, good books are a great way to shut out every day life, suspend normal ways of thinking, and allow yourself to be captivated by another world. That’s what I continually strive to deliver to my readers."
Books include: The Orange Moon Affair and The Jonas Trust Deception (Thomas Gunn thrillers), Contact, An Unquiet American, Dry Tortugas, Dreams from the Death Age and Armageddon (The Book of Baker Satire Series), Collisions, with more coming soon. Available from Amazon; coming soon to Nook, iBooks, and Kobo.
Connect with AFN Clarke:Subscribe to AFN Clarke’s Email List: Author Website:  Twitter Facebook PageGoodreads
Blurb: Thomas Gunn (ex-Special Forces) and his partner Julie are running for their lives. Who are they running from? And why? It all starts when Thomas decides to investigate the mysterious murder of his billionaire industrialist father. He’s shocked when his every move is blocked, especially by top levels of the UK government. But when his attempts to track down an elusive American business partner of his father’s turn lethal, he and Julie become moving targets, racing to outwit those who clearly want them dead. The danger rapidly escalates when Thomas is reluctantly compelled back into working for British Military Intelligence, exposing an international conspiracy that puts the freedom of the western world at grave risk.
But who are these ruthless conspirators that wield such unimaginable power? How are they connected to his father? And what dark secrets from the past will Thomas uncover in his relentless quest for the truth? This action-packed thriller spans the UK, USA and Europe and keeps you guessing to the very last page!
“The Orange Moon Affair” and “The Jonas Trust Deception”, the second in the series, have been hailed by the San Francisco Book Review as “fast-paced books you won't want to put down and you won't want them to finish." Available from Amazon (ebook and paperback).



KindlePaperback

Excerpt: “There’s only one way. Jump.”
“You come up here and do it.”
“Mother of Mary, just jump and stop whining.”
“Whose side are you on?”
“Listen to me. It’s deep where the water crashes into the pool. If you can jump clear then you’ll hit the pool just right. It’s either that or be caught, because no way can you get down that rock face.”
What a choice. Kill myself in the fall or be shot by the guys who were now fast on my trail. I looked back again. The buggy had reached the river’s edge and was less than two hundred metres away.
Still, I hesitated.
My mind was made up for me as a searchlight beam swept over me. The first round cracked past my ear as I launched myself into space.
The drop sent my guts up into my mouth as I tumbled in the air for an eternity, then hit the water with a stunning impact that knocked the breath out of me.
Somewhere a part of my brain was functioning as a rational logical machine. It took over and told my frozen, aching body that I had to swim away from the fall of water before I could surface. I was only under for about twenty seconds, but to me it seemed like an eternity before I felt someone grab my arms.
Everything went black as I passed out.
When I came to, I was lying on the bank wrapped in an emergency space blanket and Danny had his hand over my mouth. I could see a shaft of light playing on the surface of the pool from above and caught the intermittent sound of voices through the crash of the waterfall.

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Published on September 17, 2014 01:00

#BookBlast And Justice for Some by @joannelessner



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Joanne will be awarding a $30 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post. Please click the banner to see a list of other stops on the tour.

Dinner theater can be a death sentence—literally.

Actress Isobel Spice and her best friend Delphi Kramer are thrilled to finally have an opportunity to perform together, even if it’s just a cheesy interactive murder mystery at a judge’s lifetime achievement dinner. But when Isobel’s dramatic death scene is upstaged by a real murder and Delphi is left holding the still-smoking gun, Isobel drops the role of victim and assumes the role of detective. With the help of her precocious brother Percival and her reluctant temp agent James Cooke, Isobel peels back layers of deception to reveal a shocking abuse of power—and no shortage of suspects eager to deliver justice to a man who denied it to so many.
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Excerpt:

The gun went off with a resounding report, and Isobel Spice staggered backward with a gasp. She tried to scream, but her breath caught in the back of her throat and all that came out was a gurgling, choking sound. Her eyes widened in horror as her hands, clutching her chest, came away red and sticky. She swayed precariously for a moment, but then her eyelids collapsed, her head fell back, and her knees gave way. She sank to the ground, arms and legs splayed at unnatural angles.

All was silent.

“Okay, that was way over the top.”


 Isobel sat up in the middle of the dance floor, wiping her hands on her stained shirt. She frowned at her friend, Delphi Kramer, who was still aiming the old-fashioned-looking derringer at her.

“That’s not your call.” Isobel turned to Peter Catanzaro, the burly, broad-shouldered, perennially stubbled producer and star of Murder à la Carte. “Was it too much?”

“Are you kidding? The cheesier, the better.” Peter offered a hand and pulled her to her feet. “Shakespeare it ain’t.”

Isobel snuck a glance at Delphi, whose blue eyes grew stormy. Isobel knew Delphi prided herself on her facility with the Bard’s iambs, and she, more than Isobel, felt they were slumming doing murder mystery dinner theater. Having won her point with Peter, however, Isobel took pity on her friend and, grabbing her arm, whispered a reminder: “A hundred bucks. And dinner.”

Delphi shook her off, and the gun bumped Isobel’s arm. Isobel let out a little shriek.

“Give me the gun,” Peter ordered. “That’s why you don’t get to handle the weapons except during rehearsal and performance.”


Joanne Sydney Lessner is the author of BloodWrites Award-Winner The Temporary Detective (Dulcet Press, 2012), which introduces Isobel Spice, aspiring actress and resourceful office temp turned amateur sleuth. Isobel’s adventures continue in the novels Bad Publicity (Dulcet Press, 2013) and And Justice for Some (Dulcet Press, 2014). The Ghosts’ High Noon (Dulcet Press, 2014), an Isobel Spice short story, is available on http://joannesydneylessner.com as a free download. Inspired by the true story of the world’s most expensive bottle of wine, Joanne’s debut novel Pandora’s Bottle (Flint Mine Press, 2010) was named one of the top five books of 2010 by Paperback Dolls. Her play, Critical Mass, winner of the 2009 Heiress Productions Playwriting Competition, received its New York premiere at the Lion Theatre on Theatre Row in October 2010. She has written the book and lyrics to several musicals with her husband, composer/conductor Joshua Rosenblum, including the cult hit Fermat’s Last Tango, which received its Off-Broadway premiere at the York Theatre Company in November 2000, and Einstein’s Dreams, based on the celebrated novel by Alan Lightman. They are currently developing a musical based on Wilkie Collins’s The Haunted Hotel for the Signature Theatre Company in Arlington, Virginia. Joanne is also a regular contributing writer to Opera News.
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Published on September 17, 2014 01:00

September 16, 2014

#BookBlast Forsaken by @SarahBallance



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sarah will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Please click the banner to see a list of other stops on the tour.

Her past is back to haunt her—and this time, it’s got a gun.

When Gage Lawton finds his brother shot to death on his back porch, every shred of evidence points to one person: Gage’s ex-lover, Riley Beckett. The only gun in town that fires a bullet of that caliber belongs to her.

Certain the shooting is payback for his part in the loss of her parents, he abandons his promise to stay out of her life and confronts her, his rage backed up with a revolver. Yet when she steps through the door, all thoughts of revenge burn to ashes.

A year after Riley unwillingly walked away from Gage, she enters her home to find him sitting in the dark, gun pointed at her head. One look into those achingly familiar blue eyes reminds her how wrong she was to let him go. But now there’s more standing between them than their heated past.

A twist of fate—and a hail of sniper bullets—puts them in the cross hairs of a killer, leaving Riley with just two slim options: trust her greatest betrayer, or face a murderer alone.

This book has been previously published.

Warning: Prepare to get caught in a crossfire of profanity, danger, and desire. Intense violence may trigger the desire to wear body armor…and take it off. Very, very slowly.

Buy Links:
Samhain Publishing
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
iTunes/iBooks
Google Books
Amazon UK
Amazon CA
Now enjoy an excerpt:

The evidence had been right in front of him. He didn’t want to believe it, but he couldn’t deny it either. Not until he saw her reaction for himself, and he wasn’t going to do that unarmed. He reached for her, feeling the charge of their connection long before his fingers grazed her skin. A hint of blue peering from beneath her thick lashes caught his attention. She was watching him.

Frozen by her beauty—by all she meant to him and everything he tried to tell himself she didn’t—his thoughts left him. He fell closer, his hand dipping to her jaw line. Tracing the familiar contours of her face with a fingertip came as naturally as breathing.

“Riley…” The tangle of emotions in his chest loosened. The evidence was unmistakable, but she couldn’t have done it. Not the Riley he knew.

Contentment drifted behind those thick lashes. For a single moment the last twelve months of hell wasted away, and she was his again. His name spilled from her lips, soft and sweet, like no time had passed. God help him, he wanted it to be true. He’d give anything to go back to the day he lost her and change it all.

She reached for him, and when she drew him in he didn’t—couldn’t—resist. Her arms circled his neck, her fingers tangling in the hair she always said was too long, and every bit of the fight fled his traitorous heart. He forgot the cold, hard floor. He forgot why he had waited in her living room, untouched whiskey taunting him, tempering his rage.

He forgot murder.


Sarah and her husband of what he calls “many long, long years” live on the mid-Atlantic coast with their six young children, all of whom are perfectly adorable when they’re asleep. She never dreamed of becoming an author, but as a homeschooling mom she often jokes she writes fiction because if she wants anyone to listen to her, she has to make them up. (As it turns out, her characters aren’t much better than the kids.) When not buried under piles of laundry, she may be found adrift in the Atlantic (preferably on a boat) or in search of that ever-elusive perfect writing spot where not even the kids can find her. To learn more about her work in contemporary, historical, and supernatural romance and romantic suspense, please stalk accordingly.

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Published on September 16, 2014 01:00

September 10, 2014

#BookBlast For Love of Livvy by J.M. Griffin @mycozymystery


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding winner's choice of an eBook from Lachesis Publishing to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Please click the banner to see a list of other stops on the tour.

NOTE: THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE FREE EVERYWHERE IT'S SOLD! Why not pick up your copy today?

After her favorite aunt is found dead and an alarming box is mysteriously left on the doorstep of her aunt’s house now legally hers, Lavinia Esposito wants explanations. But, having cleared the package of explosives, the local cops are dumbounded by the precious stones which came without an explanation, just an address─her Aunt Livvy’s. Frustrated by the cops’ refusal to share their theories, criminal justice instructor Lavinia Esposito, a.k.a. Vinnie, takes investigation matters into her own hands. Vinnie is soon dragged into situations beyond her control, finding herself in hot water with the law, the crooks, and her Italian father. Willing to put her life at risk to find out what really happened to her beloved Aunt Livvy, and why jewels would be addressed to her aunt, Vinnie plunges ahead with her usual tenacity, bravery, and keen wits to solve and survive this mystery.
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Now enjoy an excerpt:

In the living room, I paced while awaiting the arrival of the state police. Within minutes a sleek, grey Crown Victoria pulled up to the curb out front and a tall, lean trooper got out. Broad shouldered and well built, he walked with assurance and a certain amount of swagger.

I stepped into the open door entry and watched him saunter through the front gate onto the walkway. He stared at the package and then at me.

“Did you call about this box, ma’am?” Keen hazel green eyes traveled over my face and down my body.

Craggy features, sculpted from granite, faced me and I felt my blood run hot as the breath caught in my throat. What was this about? I gazed at him admiring the neat package wrapped in the trim uniform.

“I did. Bill MacNert from the fire station thought it would be a good idea since it was mysteriously left on the doorstep. He checked to see if it was ticking, but it isn’t.”

“Are you Lavinia Ciano?” The trooper’s glance strayed from the name on the wrapper to me as his eyes showed a glint of humor and his mouth twitched.

Could that humor be over the name? I wondered, as I said, “No, my name is Esposito. Livvy was my aunt.”

Our eyes held and my heart pounded. I licked my parched lips and then glanced away.

An oversized van idled up behind the patrol car and the trooper glanced back. Two men stepped from the vehicle dressed in heavy gear and acknowledged him.

He turned to the lead man, mumbled a few words and then stared at me again. If this was an action film, I would have expected Bruce Willis to jump out of the truck announcing he was about to kick someone’s ass.

This wasn’t an action film, but a real life situation instead. The two guys angled through the front gate and hitched their gear as they hauled a peculiar looking lidded barrel toward the front door. By this time, a few neighbors had taken notice of the activities. Several people straggled along the sidewalk across the street to watch.

You’d think it was a freakin’ sideshow. I smiled and waved. Nobody responded, they just continued to gawk. A little excitement for them on an otherwise dull Sunday, I guessed. The trooper stood aside and watched the crowd, but said nothing.

The overdressed bomb guys corralled the box between them. With delicate finesse they lifted and stowed it into the metal container, loaded it into the truck and drove off. I stared in disbelief. Hell, I wanted to know what was in the package. I had a right to know, didn’t I?


J. M. Griffin is a student of the human condition, wielding the written craft to stimulate the imagination much like she wields her paint brush. The pages are a blank canvas on which J.M. draws vivid characters. J.M. is the author of the popular Vinnie Esposito mystery series featuring the sexy sleuth Vinnie Esposito and the engaging Deadly Bakery mystery series featuring the sassy baker/sleuth Melina Cameron. J.M. lives in rural Rhode Island, a state she considers colorful and interesting.

Author links:
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Published on September 10, 2014 01:00

September 9, 2014

#CoverReveal: An Intimate Murder by @SVerdickCase


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions to show off the cover for AN INTIMATE MURDER by Stacy Verdick Case.

Stacy will award a signed ARC of An Intimate Murder (US only) to THREE randomly drawn winners via the rafflecopter at the end of this post.

Check out this awesome cover!


Now find out about the book:

A Catherine O'Brien Mystery.

When Jonathan and Susan Luther are murdered in their home, St. Paul homicide detective Catherine O'Brien and her partner Louise discover this isn't the first time the Luther family has been visited by tragedy. Is it a case of bad family luck or is there something more?

Here's an excerpt!

“Way to go, O’Brien.” Bob Shackelford leaned over my shoulder and tapped the newspaper. “Front page. I think that’s a first for you. Usually your tirades are limited to interoffice email. You’re really stepping up in the world.”

“Thanks, Shackelford. Say, you oughta have that growth looked at.”

“What growth.”

I pointed to his head. “Oh, never mind, it’s your face.”

“Haw, haw, O’Brien. Very childish”

He was right but it was the best I could manage on limited coffee.

He lifted the paper from my desk and unfolded it in mid-air. “At least the story appears on the bottom half of the front page. Hardly anyone looks at the bottom half.”

The headline read, Saint Paul Police Defensive Over Botched Investigation. Under the headline was a photo of me in front of Pam Hind’s house. The photographer had snapped the photo while I was speaking. My lips curled back from my teeth and I was pointing into the crowd. I looked like KC when he sees the neighbor’s cat on our porch.

Shackelford tweaked the edge of the paper. “It took me a whole ten seconds to skim down far enough to see this article.”

I snatched the paper from his hands and began to read.

Officer Catherine O’Brien, a seven-year veteran of the Saint Paul Police Department, gave an impromptu press conference outside the house of Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Luther who were murdered inside their Saint Paul area home Tuesday morning.

Officer O’Brien, stumbled drunkenly down the sidewalk, scolded the media, and referred to the press as “vultures” after attempts to question the officer about the path of the homicide investigation. This outburst is just the latest in what has become a pattern of denial and hostility by the Saint Paul Police Department and crime lab when questions regarding investigative procedures arise.


Stacy Verdick Case was born in Willmar, Minnesota. After a brief stint as a military brat, where she lived in Fort Sill Oklahoma and Fort Campbell, Kentucky, her family moved back to Minnesota.

Stacy has written all her life earning a High School Writer Award and a Daphne Du Mauier Award for excellence in Mainstream Mystery/Suspense.

Stacy currently lives in a suburb of St. Paul with her husband of twenty-years, her five-year-old daughter, and their two cats.

An Intimate Murder is the third book in the Catherine O’Brien series.

Visit Stacy on the web
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Published on September 09, 2014 01:00

September 4, 2014

#BookBlast: A Gentleman and A Rogue by @StephBurkhart


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Stehphanie will be awarding $25 GC to Amazon to a randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post during the tour. Click on the banner to visit other stops on this tour.

Lady Keira Russell is destined to bring compressed natural gas to Britain. Her inner courage and mental toughness rarely falter – except when Prince Edmund Windsor is involved.

Edmund of Wales is from the future. His last jaunt through history muffed up the time line. Now, he's here to set it straight and win Keira's heart.

For Keira, if it isn't one obstacle, it's another. Queen Victoria has sponsored a competition to find a cleaner fuel source than coal. Keira's father is trying to build a windmill and the Ridgecrofts are working with gasoline. Then there's Edmund, whose sensual kisses and heated stares distract her down to her bones.

Keira has a choice: trust Edmund's notorious mischief-making or put her faith in Queen Victoria to make the right decision, but if Keira makes the wrong choice, the future of Great Britain will be changed forever.

BUY LINKS FOR A GENTLEMAN AND A ROGUE:

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK
ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS
BARNES and NOBLE


Enjoy an excerpt:

Richard pursed his lips. "All right, then. I have orders to take you, Alice, Grayson, and Jonas back immediately."

"That ought to be fun -- especially Jonas. He's helping Keira's father build a windmill." "Petrol and electricity are the future."

Edmund grimaced. "No, they aren't. Alice and I tried to tell you -- Keira's compressed natural gas powers our future." His voice filled with conviction.

"Ever since we were children--"

"History changed when Grayson came with Alice. He's here to fix it now."

Keira held up her hands. "Now, boys, let's not raise our voices. I have a feeling you've had this conversation before and came to no resolution."

"That's true," Edmund conceded. Richard nodded.

Edmund glared at his brother. "I'm not leaving. Alice and I have every intention of setting history straight."

Richard sighed.

"Besides, the only way to get back to the future is for us to warm our coin necklaces in our hands. You can't do that for us."

"Ever heard of an override switch?"

"No." Edmund's eyes narrowed. He didn't like the sound of that.

"Professor Byron gave me one."

A sinking feeling descended into the pit of his stomach. "What other tricks do you have up your sleeve?"

"That's telling."

Exasperated, Edmund raked a hand through his hair. "Think this through, Richard. No, better yet -- listen to your instincts."

His brother chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"I had an interesting conversation about instincts today with Jocelyn."

Keira tilted her head slightly, a curious expression crossing her face. "Do you know Jocelyn well?"

"I'm staying with the Dunkirks."

"I can't imagine Lord Ridgecroft meeting the suitable test with his goggles and cigars," said Edmund.

"Actually, I find Jocelyn and her father very refreshing."

"So, Richard, what are you going to do?" Edmund asked.


Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. She was born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire. She served 11 years in the US Army and currently calls Castaic, California her home. Stephanie was married in Denmark in 1991 and has two young sons. She adores chocolate and is addicted to coffee. She writes paranormal, contemporary, and steampunk romance and has two children's books published with 4RV Publishing.

FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:

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Published on September 04, 2014 01:00

September 3, 2014

#BookBlast Return to Me by @M_MacKinnon



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Melissa will be awarding $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $10 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn host. Please click the banner to see additional stops on the tour.

Archaean bounty hunter Marek Coinnich isn't particularly fond of Engels. In fact, he prefers them dead. But to save his injured brother, he must enter the manor of an Engel enemy. Marek finds himself enthralled by the slave girl nursing his brother back to health. When his enchantment with her lands them in a compromising position, he refuses to let the young beauty pay for the misunderstanding with her life.

Brynn of Galhaven prefers to keep to the shadows. When she is ruined by an outsider, she barely escapes with her life and finds herself left alone in an unforgiving land. Through her struggles to survive, Brynn discovers a world she never imagined and never forgets the enemy Archaean who stole her heart.

Marek can’t deny his desire for Brynn, but these are wartimes, and she is the enemy. And though love knows no prejudice, the world in which he lives isn’t nearly as forgiving.


Now enjoy an excerpt:

It was the scream that caught his attention, the sound of pure terror. A woman’s ultimate terror — he’d heard it many a time throughout his hardened life. For a quick moment, Marek’s eyes shifted in search of the treeline instead of the soldier he battled. The swing of an Engel sword narrowly missed his shoulder and sent him staggering backward on his heels. Marek barely escaped the bone-crushing blow. The soldier advanced on horseback, whereas Marek battled on foot. Regaining his stance, he blocked the Engel’s next blow with only seconds to spare. He couldn’t focus — he worried for her safety. Damn woman. He was going to get himself killed.

Marek was torn between the two battles. Did he attempt to fight the man he engaged, praying Brynn could fend off her attacker until he could reach her, or did he make a run for her, hoping to surpass his own battle? Given another few minutes, Marek would slay his opponent. Another scream sent him reeling. The Engel held a blade high above her.

Damn, she won’t be afforded another few minutes. He was out of time, and no risk was greater than that of her life. Narrowing his eyes, Marek charged his opponent and wrenched him to the ground. The soldier, caught off guard, slid from the saddle, dropping his weapon. With one swift jerk, Marek’s sword slid along the man’s throat, severing it. A wild fray of blood spurted at the sky as the body slumped to the ground. Marek spun on his heels to race across the field.

Losing his footing to the slick mud, he skidded to his knees, realizing he’d never make it to her side in time. The soldier would have the dagger in her chest before he could intercept. Marek fumbled for the protruding handle of the knife still wedged in his boot. Finding it, he pulled the blade from its sheath. With his heart racing and his hand oddly trembling, he whirled the knife into the back of the soldier’s skull. .


Melissa grew up surrounded by dragons, fearsome creatures, and damsels in distress from the wonderful world of make believe. She soon found her ideas on paper, littering her desk with world maps and character biographies. Study hall was used not for homework but for writing. Although she pursued a career in theater, the written word never left her. Melissa now leads a full life with her husband and children (five amazingly adorable clones to be exact), though she still finds time to write in her “spare time”. She sports a Military Wife badge of honor, and is lucky enough to have her own knight in camo armor.

Melissa enjoys writing everything from sexy, sword-toting heroes to spit-out-your coffee funny romantic comedies. Her passion lies within the ancient walls of fantasy and historical romance, where anything is possible.

Melissa MacKinnon: http://melissamackinnon.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaMacKinnon602?fref=ts

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/melissa.mackinnon.author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/M_MacKinnon

AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE | GOODREADS ESKAPE PRESSSMASHWORDS  | KOBO | ITUNESBOOKSTRAND GOOGLE PLAY | ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS

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Published on September 03, 2014 01:00