Brenda Whiteside's Blog, page 37
February 2, 2021
Wicked Wednesday with a Trio of Wicked Heroes by Kryssie Fortune
Hey, readers, join me in welcoming Kryssie Fortune to Discover... and Wicked Wednesday. This is one triple wicked post for you. Read on and enjoy.
Hi. I’m Kryssie Fortune. Thanks, Brenda, for letting me share not one, not two, but three wickedly attractive males with you. My poor heroine can’t choose between them. Then again, she doesn’t have to.
Gwen’s a fertile human in a post-apocalyptic world. Vampires, werewolves, and demons have become the dominant species. Thrown in a dungeon full of blood-hungry vampires, she won’t last long. Fortunately, three sexy saviors are at hand.
Gore—Berserker EnforcerGore’s seven-feet tall, with a shaved head, and more muscles than most people dream of. As a child, his family rejected him for his throwback Berserker heritage. Naturally protective, he hates injustice.
His fighting skills are legendary. He prefers hands on violence to using weapons. He calls fencing fighting for girls. A loner, he only shows his gentle side to the other members of his triad—Bronte and Plato.
The three of them have formed a vampire triad. Their bond makes them closer than brothers. He doesn’t believe he deserves a soulmate. Now he’s saved Gwen from ravenous vampires, he sees her as a vulnerability.
Standing well over six feet, Plato’s the smallest member of the triad. Lean but muscular, he uses his brain more than his brawn. His shoulder-length blond hair and charming smile win women’s hearts. Quick-witted, he wins most arguments. He’d the first to admit it if he’s wrong, though.
During his long imprisonment, he’s studied vampire law with the elders. He has a knack of finding things. That includes both facts and small luxuries to make the other prisoners’ lives better. In public, he defers to Bronte. Behind bedroom doors, the dynamic changes.
If he could, he’d give Gwen the world. Instead, he’ll kill her rather than let the dungeon’s conditions drag out her death.
Bronte—The True Vampire KingBronte masks his generous nature with a careless facade. Chosen by a mysterious birthright, he’s the rightful vampire king. It gave him the ability to mesmerize. He hates forcing his will on others, though. A skilled warrior, he’s ruthless when he needs to be. He’d rather turn his enemies into friends, and he’s kind whenever possible.
With his dark curls and piercing golden eyes, his looks make women flock to him. He’s first to recognize Gwen as theirs. Aware humans can’t survive in this dungeon, they force a mating bond on her. It strengthens them enough to escape.
After seven years without a king, the vampire clans announced a tournament to find their next king. Either Bronte wins it, or he’ll die trying.
Blurb
When she is captured and thrown into a cage filled with ravenous vampires, Gwen assumes she will be devoured. But among the horde is a huge, terrifyingly powerful berserker who has other plans for her. She will belong not only to him, but to all of the vampires of his triad, and her beautiful body will be theirs to use and enjoy as thoroughly and shamefully as they please. Gwen soon learns that her new masters will demand obedience from their little human, and it isn’t long before her defiance has earned her a painful, humiliating spanking. But even with tears still running down her blushing cheeks, her helpless arousal cannot be denied, and as she is claimed and ravaged again and again her pleas for mercy are soon lost amid her cries of pleasure.
Publisher’s Note: Claimed as Theirs is a stand-alone novel set in the same world as Taken as Theirs. It includes spankings and rough, intense sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.
Buy Links:
Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VGTLMG2/
Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08VGTLMG2/
Amazon CA
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08VGTLMG2/
Amazon Au
https://www.amazon.com.au/Claimed-as-Theirs-Kryssie-Fortune-ebook/dp/B08VGTLMG2
Website https://www.kryssiefortune.com/
Blog http://kryssiefortune.blogspot.co.uk/
Twitter https://twitter.com/KryssieFortune
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KryssieFortune
Pinterest http://bit.ly/1OGFnjc
Goodreads http://bit.ly/2kxqabJ
Amazon Author Page http://amzn.to/2hA0ZVO
January 25, 2021
Cover Reveal, The MacKenzie Chronicles #romanticsuspense #discover #dejavu
I'm deep into writing
Mystery on Spirit Mountain
, book 2 of The MacKenzie Chronicles. In anticipation of the release later this year, I engaged my cover artist, Alison Henderson, to design the cover for not only book 2 but also book 3. She's fantastic, and I am happy to announce...
Ta da! Advance Cover Reveal...and a taste of what's to come.
BOOK 1, SECRETS OF THE RAVINE, is available now.
Blurb:
When a ringer for her long-dead love walks into her life the same day skeletal remains are found at the edge of town, Magpie MacKenzie can’t ignore what the universe is telling her…solve the mystery, or become the next victim.
Lawyer Zack Peartree’s life is orderly and entanglement-free until he visits purportedly haunted Joshua, Arizona, and meets free-wheeling shopkeeper Magpie. Despite experiencing troubling visions and odd moments of déjà vu, Zack’s instantly drawn to Magpie and to the unsolved murder which troubles her so.
Using clues from her father’s past and Zack’s déjà vu moments, Magpie and Zack race to solve the mystery, avoid a murderous fate, and to discover their future…together.
BOOK 2, MYSTERY ON SPIRIT MOUNTAIN cover reveal, coming in 2021.
Early draft Blurb:
Harlan MacKenzie forms a connection to the past when he enters an old home, enabling him to brilliantly restore the premises. When he’s hired to restore the Big Purple House in Joshua, he doesn’t count on the secrets this house holds that could destroy him and his lifelong friend, Phaedra, in the process.
Phaedra has finally decided to sell the house that has been in her family for decades. She’s happy Harlan is going to be the one to bring the house back to life for the new owner. Any reason to spend more time with him and develop the relationship beyond plutonic friendship is welcomed. Little does she know the house has more meaning for Harlan than for her.
When a stranger comes to town, weaving her web of deception and bent on stealing the hidden treasure of the Big Purple house, revelations of the past implode the present, and put Harlan and Phaedra on a path that risks their future and their lives.
BOOK 3, CURSE OF WOLF FALLS, cover reveal, coming in 2022
Early, early draft Blurb:
Elidor MacKenzie has a gift she can’t return. Her ability to absorb the energy from people around her, to take on their joy but also their pain and suffering, lies somewhere between a blessing and a curse. In Joshua, her clairsentient abilities are particularly keen which has kept her away from her family and drove her from the only man she ever loved. But Elidor is back. The years spent away didn’t quiet the energies of Joshua, and this time the voices threaten her life. Can she rein in the energies and avoid disaster to take a chance and stay for love?
BUY LINKS and KINDLE UNLIMITED FOR SECRETS OF THE RAVINE:
https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Ravine-MacKenzie-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B08GPRFJBT/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secrets-Ravine-MacKenzie-Chronicles-Whiteside-ebook/dp/B08GPRFJBT/
https://www.amazon.ca/Secrets-Ravine-MacKenzie-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B08GPRFJBT/
January 20, 2021
Holding Out for a Hero by T.E. Kessler #scifi #romance
Please welcome T. E. Kessler to Discover... Have you considered there are aliens living among us? Aliens from another world? Who hasn't considered the possibility. T. E. Kessler has and it sounds like a fun read. Here's a taste...
Macy Shaw, a journalist, has become obsessed with Jelvias, a species living alongside the human. Taking advantage of her obsession, her boss calls on her to interview Narcifer, a Jelvian man over the whereabouts of the Jelvian leader, Aldarn. Ultimately, Macy falls for Narcifer until it becomes clear to her that she’s a pawn between her world and the world of the Jelvias.
An extract from chapter thirty-nine
There was a commotion behind her. Knowing Narcifer had discovered her missing and was coming after her, she pushed past Samueland began to run towards the front entrance of the hotel where the hotel’s carpark, and Narcifer’s Ranger, was located.
Behind her, the foyer doors bashed open and she turned to look; a brief second to see that Narcifer, bare-footed like her, wearing only jeans, his body and hair still wet from the shower, was pounding across the foyer after her. She turned for the doors, pushing through them, hearing but not hearing the panicked shouts and screams behind her as everyone became aware of the Jelvia in the building.
She ran towards the carpark’s gated doors and pushed through them. The last time she had been in his car was after he rescued her from the cellar, and she’d been exhausted. She couldn’t remember which floor it was parked on, and only knew it wasn’t the first.
‘Macy!’
The sound of him crying her name was partially drowned by someone screaming, but she didn’t look round. She sprinted up the stairs towards the second floor of the carpark. She had almost made it when his arm circled her waist and pulled her back against him. She struggled, kicking his shins but his hold only tightened. His breath fanned her right ear.
‘Macy, stop it.’
‘Let me go!’
‘Hey!’ someone shouted.
Macy and Narcifer looked up. A man was looking out of his car’s window, about to pull into a parking space. A woman was looking on anxiously in the passenger seat, and two kids in the rear were looking agog at them. The man’s choice of words was audible as he noticed Narcifer’s all-black eyes.
‘Help me!’ screamed Macy, and she began to kick and wriggle in Narcifer’s arms.
But screeching tyres rang in Macy’s ears.
‘There goes your hero,’ Narcifer said.
One of his hands was around her waist, the other was around her chest, flattening her breasts and pinning her arms. She lowered her head and sank her teeth into his bare arm.
He cursed and let her go. She fell to the floor, on her knees.
‘Macy!’ he said. He sounded concerned, but she jumped up and broke into a run.
She saw the Ranger and aimed the key fob at it, bleeped it open.
She ran for the door, but Narcifer was quicker. Using the full length of his body, he pinned her against the car with her face pressed against the window. He flipped her around.
‘Please, Macy, stop.’
Both were breathing hard.
She couldn’t look at him, and fixed her gaze to the centre of his chest, where it rose and fell rapidly.
‘Tell me you haven’t been hired by Johnsten to sleep with me for information,’ he said.
‘What!’ Shocked, she glared at him, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. He stared back at her. He looked so tense, and his usually twinkling eyes were dry, black orbs. There was no trace of his boyish grin on his face. He looked rigid and unfriendly.
‘Have you been hired by Johnsten to use me for information of the whereabouts of Aldarn?’
‘Yes,’ she said.
A small muscle jerked in his cheek.
T. E Kessler the first of the Midlands in Great Britain, Queen of steamy sci-fi romance, Mother of the Jelvia: Not Human series, Writer of books, Ruler of the en suite, the Unburnt in the kitchen and the Breaker of promises (when it comes to diets).
On a serious note, Kessler enjoys writing sci-fi because, unlike horror, it gives the idea of being more dangerous because it could happen. Kessler also mixes it up with reality, human flaws and emotion to bring out the romance and, of course, the comedy of life in general.
Series so far…
HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO book 1
SURVIVING HER DOMINANT book 2
SPIDER book 3
…with another three books planned to conclude the Jelvia: Not Human series. Each book has its own story with satisfying endings.
Social Media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TE_Kessler
Website and Blog: bit.ly/Wise-Kessler
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kessler69
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18902601.T_E_Kessler
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/t-e-kessler
News Letter: https://bit.ly/3gihIdm
Digital stores:
Amazon: http://bit.ly/Jelvia
Hero: https://books2read.com/u/m0w0DY
Dominant: http://books2read.com/u/4AxYze
Spider: https://books2read.com/u/4jLzko
January 17, 2021
So, You Need an Escape by Randy Overbeck #getaway #vacation
MUSE MONDAY
Please welcome Randy Overbeck to Discover... We can all use an escape, and Randy can help!
Right about now—ten long months into this pandemic, still not able to do much—could you use a getaway? The vaccine is coming to you and yours soon, but in the meantime could you use a getaway? Couldn’t you just picture yourself on an sun-drenched beach, toes in the warm sand and a frosty drink in your hand? Or maybe sailing across blue green waters, waves lapping peacefully at the sides of your sailboat with the shoreline around you exploding with color?
I’m right there with you.
That’s why, when I decided to write my new series, the Haunted Shores Mysteries, I decided to set each story in a great getaway location. But not just any getaway. I mean, everyone knows about places like Hilton Head or Malibu or Daytona Beach. For my stories, I was searching for unique, even unforgettable locations that I could introduce readers to, places that would leave a lasting impression.
For me, my first choice was obvious since it’s been a favorite destination of ours for years. The setting for BLOOD ON THE CHESAPEAKE is, well, the Chesapeake Bay. Or to be more precise, the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, which I believe is one of the undiscovered gems in the country. Thousands of miles of undulating shoreline, some of the best seafood you’ll ever eat, and
sunsets over the water that would melt your sheltered, hardened heart. Not to mention the scene of variegated foliage covering she shores that can match even peak autumn in New Hampshire. If you close your eyes, you might be able to picture yourself in the middle of the Bay aboard a two-masted sailboat, rocking gently on the waters. Or you could just let my novel take you there. Here’s a brief excerpt from BLOOD.
A few stray clouds chased each other across an azure sky which turned the water to an aquamarine. A light breeze filled the two white and gold sails and stirred the water, creating only small waves which rocked the sloop gently. Across the horizon, a few white sails punctured the beautiful blue that wrapped around them. Gusts of wind filled the two triangle sails and flapped the four-square Maryland flag at the rear. Along the rock-strewn shoreline, charming Cap Cods with Adirondack chairs in front competed with two-story Colonials wearing their white clapboard siding and green sloped roofs like their Sunday best.
Don’t you wish you were standing on the deck of that sailboat right now? Well, you can almost.
For the second entry in my series, I went for something quite different, but just as intriguing in its own way. CRIMSON AT CAPE MAY is set in a quintessential resort town, with expansive white sand beaches for the sun-worshipper, a famous getaway for more than 150 years. With over a hundred unique Victorian houses and mansions—think “the painted ladies”—lining the shore and filling the streets of this quant town and you have a setting and a sight unmatched anywhere in the U.S. And, the fact that the town is the most haunted seaport on the Eastern Seacoast made it a no-brainer for the setting for my second narrative. A few pages into this novel and I promise you’ll forget the present doldrums of Covid-19 and find yourself in another place and time, one you’ll enjoy. Here’s just a sample. They crossed at the light, and Darrell took in the sight ahead of them—a near perfect, expansive sandy beach edged by crystal blue water that seemed to stretch on forever, merging with a perfect azure sky. Smudges of white dotted the heavenly canvas, and small curls of white-topped breakers were sprinkled along the waters farther out. Quiet waves gurgled up upon the sand before leaking back into the watery expanse. Throw in the meticulous architecture of all those Victorian mansions and B & B’s and you have resort few places could match.
Of course, my novels are far more than mere escape reads. Both include a cold-case murder mystery, a haunting ghost story and a bit of romance, all with some unforgettable characters.
Perhaps, one of the Amazon reviewers put it best:
“Was your vacation canceled this year? I know ours was put on the back burner, but I can recommend a great get-away that won't cost much. Read the book Blood on the Chesapeake: A Cold Case Murder Mystery. It's a vacation to a beautiful seashore with characters you'll love and some you'll hate. Of course, everyone wants a vacation with a happy ending, and I won't spoil the book for you, but you'll smile about the ending after you put it down.”—Tami A, an Amazon reviewer
If you haven’t had the chance to discover either, click any of the links below to grab your copy and escape the present.
Here are just a few things reviewers and readers are saying about these ★★★★★ and award winning novels.
· “So engrossing it had me hooked from the very first page.” ★★★★★—Nana’s Reviews, Greece
· “Overbeck’s pace is spot on and makes for a thoroughly engaging and quick read… A Gold Award Winner!” ★★★★★—Literary Titan
· “An absolutely chilling ghost story wrapped around an even scarier piece of history - or perhaps it’s the other way around. Recommended. BEST BOOK!” ★★★★★—Chanticleer Reviews and Media
· “This book was riveting and full of mystery, romance, and suspense. I could not put this book down once I was past the first chapter. I would find myself reading late into the night telling myself "just one more chapter"- just one more chapter would turn into 50 or 60 pages. Excellent book with a hint of history lessons to enrich our lives.”—An Amazon reviewer
· “Thrilling! Haunting! Convincing! Loved it as much, if not more, than “Blood on the Chesapeake!” Began reading the book on Monday and finished it at midnight on Tuesday!”—an Amazon reviewer
Purchase Links
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crimson-at-cape-may-randy-overbeck/1137088608?ean=9781509231638
https://www.bookbub.com/books/crimson-at-cape-may-by-randy-overbeck
Randy Overbeck
randyoverbeck@authorrandyoverbeck.com
@OverbeckRandy
FB: Author Randy Overbeck
BIO
Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, writer and speaker who has earned recognition in the Midwest and beyond. As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Dr. Overbeck is an active member of the literary community, contributing to a writers’ critique group, serving as a mentor to emerging writers and participating in writing conferences such as Sleuthfest, Killer Nashville and the Midwest Writers Workshop. When he’s not writing or researching his next exciting novel or sharing his presentation “Things That Go Bump in the Night,” he’s spending time with his incredible family of wife, three children (and their spouses) and seven wonderful grandchildren.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9nWiaGO-KM
January 9, 2021
Newsletter Giveaways
Four times a year, I send out a newsletter full of news about my books, writing, and publishing. You'll get the latest. AND you'll be entered in drawings each quarter, plus other great benefits I'll come up with all during the year.
QUARTERLY GIVEAWAYS
You can have a chance all year long to receive giveaways that are available only for my Quarterly Newsletter Group Members. Each quarter, I choose a loyal reader from my Quarterly Newsletter Group to receive a gift certificate. SPECIAL END OF YEAR GIVEAWAYMy stories are all about discovery. And as my special group, I have a Discover... game and giveaway just for you. In each newsletter, I'll post a challenge to you. Discover the answer and be entered in the year end drawing for a special gift basket of goodies (virtual or actual). The more times you play, the higher your chance of winning.The winner for 2020 received this:
Sign up now for my Quarterly Newsletter Group!Click here: Join Brenda's Quarterly Newsletter Group(Note: if you live outside the United States, all gifts will be in the form of gift cards
January 4, 2021
If the Training Didn't Kill You the War Might by Kathy Otten
MUSE MONDAY
Readers, please join me in welcoming Kathy Otten to Muse Monday on Discover...
Elliot and Harry, the characters in my new, historical romance short story Heart of Ash, are British pilots in the Royal Flying Corps, fighting during World War I.
While the idea of becoming a pilot seems heroic, at the time, these young pilots, many of whom were in their late teens and early twenties, were given an average of seventeen hours of instruction (expanded to fifty hours later in the war), with as little as five hours of flying experience. Approximately 8,000 pilots died during training between 1914 and 1918. If they survived training, they were sent to France to fight Germans who had better planes and were better trained.
Once stationed in France, pilots engaged in dogfights in machines made of canvas, wire, and wood. They had few instruments and would have to flip the engine off and on to slow down for landing. They flew without parachutes. Averaged together, this gave a pilot in the early part of the war a life expectancy of eleven days.
Over confidence was usually fatal, while self-doubt could give a pilot the edge he needed to stay alive. Eventually, the more flight and combat experience a pilot had, the better his chances of survival.
While these men drank together and played football, they seldom allowed themselves to grow close. Sometimes they never knew each other’s full name. Men were there and then they were gone. Speaking the words death or died aloud were avoided at all cost. Instead, when a pilot was killed, they spoke of it in obscure terms, such as, “So and So has gone west.” They believed each man had predetermined amount of luck and worried about the day that luck would run out. Nightmares were common. Nothing was more dreaded by all than burning to death. Some men kept a loaded pistol at the ready. A few chose to jump to their death rather than burn.
The plane Elliot, the hero in my story, flew was a French plane, the Nieuport 11, which had been designed to counter the Fokker Scourge in 1916, the summer my story takes place. The biggest disadvantage the Nieuport had was that it didn’t have an interrupter gear, which the Germans had in their planes, allowing the machine gun to fire through the propellor. The Nieuport had its Lewis machine gun mounted on the top wing. A cable ran from the trigger to the pilot enabling him to fire the weapon. The gun used a Foster mount system which allowed the pilot to drop the gun down to change the drum, rather than forcing him to stand in order to reload.
Another problem was that sometimes during high-speed dives, the lower wing would stagger and the fabric could rip off.
Despite the level of danger a pilot faced, to the men confined in the mud of the trenches and the terror of no-mans-land, looking up to see a plane soar through the sky was a life to envy. The newspapers glorified that notion by creating heroic Aces to encourage the people at home about the war rather than putting the focus on depressingly high statistics of infantry death rates. Thus, the myth of the heroic pilot was born.
But while the life of a pilot was easier than living in a trench, it was no less dangerous, and for the two heroes in my story, they each had to decide whether or not it was worth risking their hearts.
Blurb: In the skies over France during the Great War, the life expectancy of a pilot in the Royal FlyingCorps is measured in days. Captain Elliot "Ash" Bainbridge is certain he'll be the next pilot sent spinning to earth in a ball of fire. Not because the Germans will shoot him down, but because God will punish him for daring to love another man. When Ash met Lieutenant Harry March, their attraction was instant. But Harry hates Ash's fatalistic attitude. He believes in capturing the moment. Can Ash set aside his fear of death and take a chance on love? Or should he try to keep his heart safe from hurt forever?
December 28, 2020
Torch Song or Operatic Soprano by E. W. Cooper
MUSE MONDAY
I have a treat for you today, Readers. Please welcome my guest, E.W. Cooper, with an interesting guest post. Read on and enjoy!
I had a lot of reasons for making the heroine of my historical mystery an operatic soprano, but that’s another blog entry altogether. It would have been much better to make Penelope Harris a torch singing flapper down on her luck. Trust me—I thought about it.
Dip into the history torch singers and you will find the Queen of them all - Helen Morgan. She practically invented the torch song, slowing the beat down and hypnotizing her audiences with her control and her range. And what did Ms. Morgan want to be when she travelled all the way from Illinois with dreams of making it big in New York City? That’s right, she wanted to sing opera. In fact, she was a trained soprano who had a career before she came to New York.
A good number of articles will tell you she wanted to sing in a cabaret. Don’t believe it. She had the bug. Helen Morgan studied at the New York Metropolitan Opera and kept her act at the Speakeasies on the quiet. Until she was signed by Rogers and Hammerstein, Ms. Morgan had her eye on an operatic career.
Sopranos weren’t just popular; they drew crowds of thousands. Geraldine Farrar, a soprano at the Met, stopped traffic when thousands of her enthusiastic young female fans (called “Gerry Flappers”) flooded the streets, surrounded her car, and wouldn’t leave until she stood on the running board and sang an aria from Manon. In 1915, Ms. Farrar made the first film rendition of an opera - Carmen. It was a silent film. House managers across the U.S. reported back that the melodies were so well known that audiences sang along to the pianist – in French.
In the end, giving my heroine an aspiration to take the stage as an operatic soprano made sense. It made even more sense when you consider the operas themselves. Bloodthirsty fathers, mad daughters, secret affairs of the heart, ruin, murder, robbery, criminal activity—Grand Opera has it all. When I put Penelope together with her career and her talent, a germinating idea took flight. I started with one story which grew into another, then another until I can hardly bring myself to stop. The groundwork was all there, all I had to do was put the characters on the stage and begin to write.
It took no time at all for The Jade Tiger to take shape – a cautious young woman with good intentions and a dark past who would like nothing better than to start fresh, a former policeman who lost his heart and has no inclination to get it back from the woman he loves, and a blackmailer there to spoil both their dreams. Set in the glittering rot of excessive wealth and staggering privilege, the characters of The Jade Tiger found their rhythm and I found my story – starring an operatic soprano.
Excerpt from The Jade Tiger:
“Quand je vous aimerai?” Powerful enough to reach through the large crowd to the foyer, the voice struck all but a few in the crowd mute. She needed no announcement of quiet, no clap to silence the conversation. As Penelope cast her gaze across the crowded room, she captured their attention with a raw display of stage presence. Before their eyes, she transformed from a faceless member of New York society to a dangerous French street apache, from Penelope to Carmen. She stood with her hands loose, head bent low, eyes hidden by the shadow of her wild white-blonde hair. Her stance squared off with the crowd, facing them off as if in a knife fight. Though she sang in French, Lund heard only the English translation, as he did whenever he heard her sing Carmen. When am I going to love you?
“Damnit, she could have given me some warning!” James exclaimed. Thoughtfully depositing his empty coupe on the mantel, he crossed the room in three quick strides, took the Amazing Gilberto by the collar, and roughly deposited him on the Axminster. Gilberto rolled over backward and sat up to stare at the wild thing at Lund’s side. Penelope looked at him once and dismissed him entirely. Returning her attention to the crowd, she took them in as James’s fingers found the right keys. The room was so quiet Lund could hear her footsteps on the carpet.
With imperious carriage of careening charisma, Penelope stepped forward, walking Renee backward across the floor until she was forced to move out of the way, almost tripping on the train of her dress. Charles caught Renee before she fell, never taking his eyes from Penelope. Renee’s eyes followed Penelope with a dark hatred. And fear, Lund thought. Yes, that too.
Penelope reached the piano. When am I going to love you? My word, I don’t know. Her eyes passed over the crowd, falling here and there with deliberate review. Penelope swayed, then laughed. Perhaps never? Perhaps tomorrow? She lifted her hands to the rapt audience as if to ask, then let them fall, disappointed. She stood back, her body relaxed, and her face appeared intent as she spoke the last line. It had the finality of a death sentence. But not today, that’s for certain.
James picked out notes on the piano one at a time. Most singers rushed into the Habanera like mad dancers pounding their heels into the ground with the click, click, click of a rising tempest. Always there were drums and trumpets and loud clashes of cymbals. The beat of Penelope’s Habanera was slow. She put one hand on the piano and began again to sing. The words came out like a jeering child at first, then dangerous, cooing, then seductive. She stared at Renee and smiled wide, her teeth white against her lips. Releasing Renee from her gaze, she found Lund.
Lund stared back. He forgot to blink.
The Jade Tiger blurb:
NEW YORK, OCTOBER 1928. The Big Apple teems with the glitter of Bright Young Things, Prohibition, and scofflaws—the perfect place for Penelope Harris to start her life over.
As a former opera singer turned Shanghai nightclub owner, she’s seen and done a lot, maybe too much. With any luck, she’ll leave more than The Jade Tiger casino behind her—along with a murdered husband, a blackmailing torch singer, and Thom Lund, the former policeman who stole her heart. But Penelope has never had that kind of luck; her past is already waiting for her in New York.
When someone murders her chiseling blackmailer at an out-of-control party and Thom accused of the crime, Penelope must face down her darkest memories to prove his innocence. Is the murderer her cousin Charles, suckered into a hasty marriage by Penelope’s blackmailer? Or is it Penelope’s over-protective mother, who can’t remember a thing after a blow to the head? Or was it Thom after all, ready to commit murder to save Penelope from the blackmailer’s wicked plans?
Among the opulent mansions of the obscenely wealthy and the grit of a Hell’s Kitchen speakeasy, Penelope and Thom must navigate double-crosses, bad liquor, bootleggers, and dark, obsessive love to find the murderer before the past reaches out to put a noose around their necks.
Murder at the Met: Publish date Spring 2021:
There are two things Penelope Harris would rather do than get involved with another murder—sing opera and flirt with Thom Lund. When two tickets ensure Penelope and Thom get some precious time together at the Metropolitan opera, neither believes another murder will interrupt their romantic evening.
Fate has a different plan. Before the night is over a failed manufacturing tycoon is found dead at the bottom of a staircase, his poisoned and dying daughter nearby. Is it an accident? Suicide? Or murder? When a fellow soprano pleads for help, Penelope just can’t help her inquisitive nature.
As Penelope pulls back the cover on a diabolical crime, Lund rushes to complete the investigation of a suicide on the Gold Coast of Long Island. What they find will uncover the sordid underbelly of high society and put Penelope on the wrong side of her own gun.
FIND E. W. COOPER HERE:
Twitter: @ewc_cooper
December 16, 2020
Reading and #Reviews (Patterson, Benson, King)
I'm a writer, but I'm also a reader. Each month, I'll share with you reviews of present and past reads. My available time to read is limited because I write, but I love to curl up with a paperback or an eBook at night for the last hour of my day.
I tend to read what I write, but not exclusively. Besides Romantic Suspense, I read crime and law novels, once in a while a true story, WWII historicals, mysteries, and main stream character driven books.
Here are some of the books I've read recently or in the not too distant past. Maybe you'll discover a new book or author!
Jack and Jill by James Patterson
Crime Mystery
I really enjoy the Alex Cross series but must admit this one was not one of my favorites. He seemed to be trying to cross-sell some of the other books in the series by mentioning the villains from other stories. The way he wove together two murder stories, one about a child killer and one about Jack and Jill who are out to murder the president, was interesting. I can’t put my finger on why this one didn’t have the same punch as other Alex Cross stories. Still, it was an entertaining read, and I enjoyed it.
Blood and Silver by Vali Benson
YA Historical
This is a young adult novel about a twelve-year-old girl in 1880 Tombstone, Arizona. It’s a story of childhood friendship. It’s a story of the bravery of a young girl, Carissa Beaumont. Young readers from the ages of twelve and older will enjoy the brave adventures of Carissa. I wouldn’t recommend it for younger children as the subject matter deals with brothel life and drug addiction. It is evident Ms. Benson did her homework on the era and the city of Tombstone.
Skeletons on the Zahara by Dean King
True Life Adventure
I read this book several years ago. The story is one that remains with me today. This is a true story of twelve American sailors who were shipwrecked off the coast of Africa in 1815, captured by desert nomads, sold into slavery, and subjected to a hellish two-month journey through the perilous heart of the Sahara. This is a gripping story, at times gross with reality. But it’s a story of courage, brotherhood, and survival. In the end, what happened to those who survived is also revealed. Good touch.
December 15, 2020
Love/Hate Relationships are the Strongest of All Bonds #WickedWednesday by Jodi Rath
WICKED WEDNESDAY
Help me welcome back Jodi Rath. Always fun and this post is a treat! Think about all those wickedly trying and wickedly fun holidays with family.
The holiday season sure can bring out some extreme emotions. The family is gathered around the fireplace when Aunt Gillian pops in. Everyone yells, “Happy Holidays!” but some in the family sincerely wish good ole Aunt Gill a happy holiday, while others say it with a vengeance, remembering the time Gill one-upped them by buying little Sally her first bouncy ball. Others have that love/hate relationship with Gillian—she did marry Grandma’s son after all—Grandma knows better than anyone that Gillian is NOT good enough for her little Billy and never will be, yet Gillian did provide me, her beloved granddaughter.
Ah family . . . the good, the bad, and the ugly. In the holiday novella, Yuletide Cast of the Iron Skillet, Jolie goes for a holiday stroll through her hometown of Leavensport, Ohio every year. But this year, she is going with her beau, Mick Meiser. He is finally doing much better after his most recent MS flare-up. She’s looking forward to the double wedding coming up for her BFF, Ava, with her fiancé, Delilah, and her Grandma Opal with Tom Costello.
I nodded and took another sip of my cocoa, slurping up a marshmallow that had melted and enjoying the soft vanilla flavor mixed in with the rich chocolate.
As we walked through the park, I noticed the gazebo covered in puffy, white snow and said more to myself than Mick, “It would have been nice to see a wedding in the gazebo.”
I was referring to the upcoming double wedding with my grandma and local grocer Tom Costello, and my best friend, Ava, and Delilah. Tom was a real character. He had to be to keep up with my grandma’s orneriness. They looked adorable when they were together. Grandma Opal was not even five feet tall–stout, with tight curly black hair with lots of grays mixed in, and always with a bulldog expression on her face. She was a real spitfire. Tom was two times her size in height, with a rotund belly that hung over his leather belt, bushy black eyebrows, and I swore he colored his equally bushy black hair to a deep black.
“I’m sure the church will look beautiful, too,” Mick said.
I thought Ava was going to be the bridezilla, seeing that Ava was all things big, bold, and fabulous. But Grandma Opal gave her a run for her money, pushing Tom’s wallet to the limit. I asked my mom if Grandma had a big wedding with my grandpa, and she told me it was lackluster, to say the least.
One of the themes that run through The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series is those dysfunctional family feelings we all experience from time to time. Jolie adores her family and would drop everything in a heartbeat if any of them were to get into trouble, but they can also drive her completely batty. And she’s pretty sure the feeling is mutual.
Those universal themes that we find in books help us as readers connect with and relate to the characters in our favorite books. We are all made up of good, bad, and ugly and only family (blood relations or not—whatever form family comes in for you) accept us for who we really are, warts and all! These are the ties that bind.
Happy Holidays!
Links to purchase book:
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Yuletide-Cast-Skillet-Mystery-Holiday-ebook/dp/B085ZR2CRQ
All other e-platforms: https://books2read.com/u/mdzPwR
Moving into her second decade working in education, Jodi Rath has decided to begin a life of crime in her The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series. Her passion for both mysteries and education led her to combine the two to create her business MYS ED, where she splits her time between working as an adjunct for Ohio teachers, educational writing, marketing consultant work with authors, and creating mischief in her fictional writing. She currently resides in a small, cozy village in Ohio with her husband and her eight cats.
Newsletter link to A Mystery A Month—sign up for my monthly newsletter to receive a free Mystery a Month and a chance to win prizes for those who guess the right answers! http://eepurl.com/dIfXdb
Website: www.jodirath.com
FB Author page: @authorjodirath or https://www.facebook.com/authorjodirath/
Twitter: @jodirath
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jodi-rath
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
December 10, 2020
Ages and Stages and Being Fearless by Dee S. Knight #FearlessFriday
FEARLESS FRIDAY
One of my favorite guests, Dee S. Knight, has a great take on being fearless. And I'm with her on this one. Read and enjoy.
Taking off into the unknown...
I've been thinking this year—the year of the plague—about how life turns first one way and then another. Last year at this time did most of us worry if we ran a low-grade fever or had the sniffles or cough? Probably not. Now our thoughts would turn to COVID. What a difference a year makes, huh? But I've been thinking specifically of how age changes our perspective in so many ways.
When I was just 18 years old, my parents put me on a train in Orlando, FL and sent me alone, off to school in Fredericksburg, VA—a more than 24-hour trip. I had only been on a train once before, with my mom, and neither I nor my parents had ever been to Fredericksburg or had visited the college I would make my home for the next 3.5 years. I'd devoured the college catalogue, of course, but we'd not gone up for a college visit nor driven through the town at any point. There was no Internet, so all I had to go on as to what to expect was the catalogue itself. I didn't know anyone who was attending, either—it was a totally blank slate. Yet, I had no fear. The train trip was an adventure. Seeing my school for the first time was exciting. The thought of starting off life away from home was thrilling. I felt I had everything to gain and nothing to lose. Selfishly, I of course missed my parents but gave little thought to what their lives were like, with their only child gone so far from home.
Jump forward a few years. Jack and I were married and had "normal" jobs (that is, no longer driving a truck). I was teaching high school and he was into consulting work. Suddenly, with Jack as a consultant, I saw a lot to lose, and frankly, it made me fearful. When he changed contracts, I didn't like the accompanying change in income, the thoughts of having a hard time paying the mortgage, worry that he might not find another consulting position close to where we lived, worry about renewing my teaching contract, too, with cuts at school. Can you identify?
Fortunately, at the stage of life I am now, I'm pretty much back to being fearless. It doesn't matter much what people think or say. Jack and I still have each other to hang onto and take joy in. We have a modest but comfortable home and in a place we enjoy living. We've adopted the attitude that what happens, happens. Worry does no good and fear paralyzes. So best to be fearless, much as I was when I stepped on that train. Regardless of what goes on around us, life is still good and fearless is a great way to live it!
My heroine in The Cinderella Curse shows her own courage when she goes after her Prince Charming with great determination. Here's a taste. The book is coming soon to Kindle Unlimited!
Blurb:
All of the principals are present. Charlotte Gambrell immediately recognizes Prince Charming when she meets her boss, James Clarkson. Unfortunately, the worldly Clarkson barely knows she's alive. Charlotte's two hateful supervisors make her professional life miserable by piling on the work and never letting her forget that she has employment only at their pleasure.
Everything changes when Charlotte becomes part of a magazine shoot. The photographer, Cooper Hunt, agrees to perform duties as her fairy godfather. By day, he transforms her life by revealing to the world what he already knows, that Charlotte is an exquisite beauty. By night, he transforms her universe by teaching her about passion so she can attract her Prince. The “real” Cinderella never had it so good!
By the time Charlotte arrives at the ball, she has James on her mind and Cooper in her heart. Which man will she make her Prince?
Excerpt:
Katherine walked into her daughter’s bedroom with a warm smile for the little girl. “And who do I find here?” she asked. “Is it a rock star, a fashion model or an award winning actress?”
“Oh, mommy, you know who I am,” the girl said with a giggle. For just a moment Katherine’s breath caught and her heart overflowed with love for this four year old person. She and Cole had made this child, had conceived her in love, trust and respect, but it still seemed incomprehensible that she was as beautiful as she was, as sweet and wonderful as she was. Katherine could so clearly see Cole’s eyes and her mouth reflected in their daughter’s face, but there was more there that was a combination of them both, and therefore all Alyssa’s. Katherine had to remind herself that probably all parents felt their children were perfect and wonderful, but with their little Alyssa, she knew it was true beyond any doubt.
“Yes, I know who you are, my little love. You are queen of my heart, princess of my mind, ruler–”
“–of all I hold dear.” Alyssa finished the oft heard phrase in triumph. She had bouncy curls of brown hair that hung down to her chin, gleaming blue eyes and a pert nose. Her mouth was most often formed around a smile.
“You’re getting too smart for me, Munchkin. What story would you like to hear?” Katherine settled her daughter under the covers, and positioned herself at the head of the bed next to Alyssa’s pillow, so that the child could see the pictures in the book and also be in place to fall asleep.
“Cinderella!”
“Okay, Cinderella it is.” Katherine reached for the book from the stack of those on the bedside table and opened it to the first page. “Once upon a–”
“No, mommy. You’ve got to start with the title.”
With a small smile Katherine turned to the title page and started over. “Cinderella.” She flipped back to the story. “Once upon a time…”
Meet Dee/Anne/Jenna:
A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day,
her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex.
After a while, Dee split her personality into thirds. She writes as Anne Krist for sweeter romances, and Jenna Stewart for ménage and shifter stories. All three of her personas are found on the Nomad Authors website. And all three offer some of the best romance you can find! Also, once a month, look for Dee’s Charity Sunday blog posts, where your comment can support a selected charity.
Where to find her (them):
Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeSKnight
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeeSKnight2018
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/265222.Dee_S_Knight
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079BGZNDN
Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/h8t2y6
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/dee-s-knight-0500749
Sweet ‘n Sassy Divas: http://bit.ly/1ChWN3K
