Lena Diaz's Blog, page 7

Political Thrillers for Super Tuesday!

It’s Super Tuesday! If you live in one of the thirteen U.S. states and one territory* holding primaries today, chances are you will be heading to the ballot box (or a caucus) to cast your vote for the presidential candidate of your choice. Right?

In celebration of those of you who exercised your right to vote today, K&T has put together this non-partisan, recommended reading list of political thrillers.

What political thrillers would you add to our list?

If you live in a Super Tuesday state, don’t forget to vote today!

*Super Tuesday States and Territories: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming, and American Somoa

Filed under: book recommendations Tagged: political thriller, Romantic Suspense

2016 Mid-Winter MG/YA Reading List

Did you know I have my own army?

Unlike most armies of the world, mine consists of a group of young people aged 8-17 who love to read. And over the past few years, they’ve been an invaluable asset in helping me build my reading lists for kids stuck in middle school and teens just trying to survive high school.

They are my reading army.

Every year, toward the end of the school year, my reading army helps me compile my Middle Grade/Young Adult summer reading list. But since I’m getting more and more requests for updates, I’ve decided to put out a second mid-year list.

So with the help of my army, here is the Mid-Winter 2016 MG/YA list. Perfect for those winter school breaks and unexpected snow days.

Below are a few highlights, but for the entire printable list, click here for the Mid-Winter 2016 MG/YA list.

This list is not all-inclusive. And two of these books will be released next month. But what makes this list special is that every book, except for two to be released in March, has been read by myself and at least two members of my army.

(So each book has been vetted for coolness!)

For the Middle Graders, here are a few newer releases.

First up, the newest Rick Riordan book: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard.

(Amazon Blurb): Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he’s tracked down by an uncle he barely knows-a man his mother claimed was dangerous. Uncle Randolph tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .

 ~ * ~

The Case of the Missing Moonstone by Jordan Stratford (author) and Kelly Murphy (illustrator)

(Amazon Blurb): Jordan Stratford imagines an alternate 1826, where Ada Lovelace (the world’s first computer programmer) and Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein) meet as girls and form a secret detective agency!

 

Lady Ada Byron, age eleven, is a genius. Isolated, awkward and a bit rude—but a genius. Mary Godwin, age fourteen, is a romantic. Adventurous, astute, and kind, Mary is to become Ada’s first true friend. And together, the girls conspire to form the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency—a secret constabulary for the apprehension of clever criminals. Their first case involves a stolen heirloom, a false confession, and an array of fishy suspects. But it’s no match for the deductive powers and bold hearts of Ada and Mary.

 ~ * ~

From two of my favorite YA authors, here’s a wonderful new MG fantasy series: The Magisterium Series by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black.

(Amazon Blurb): Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial.  Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail.

All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him.

So he tries his best to do his worst — and fails at failing.

Now the Magisterium awaits him. It’s a place that’s both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future.

The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come . . .

And the second book in the series, The Copper Gauntlet.

(Amazon Blurb):  Callum Hunt’s summer break isn’t like other kids’. His closest companion is a Chaos-ridden wolf, Havoc. His father suspects him of being secretly evil. And, of course, most kids aren’t heading back to the magical world of the Magisterium in the fall.

It’s not easy for Call . . . and it gets even harder after he checks out his basement and discovers that his dad might be trying to destroy both him and Havoc.

Call escapes to the Magisterium — but things only intensify there. The Alkahest — a copper gauntlet capable of separating certain magicians from their magic — has been stolen. And in their search to discover the culprit, Call and his friends Aaron and Tamara awaken the attention of some very dangerous foes — and get closer to an even more dangerous truth.

 ~ * ~

For the Young Adults, here are a few long-awaited titles. A series ender, a series beginner, and all things in between!

My daughter read Winter, this yearned-for book which ends the Lunar Chronicles series, in one day. Not too surprising for her except the book has 832 pages!

(Amazon Blurb): Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend–the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters? Fans will not want to miss this thrilling conclusion to Marissa Meyer’s national bestselling Lunar Chronicles series.

 ~ * ~

The movie based on the first book in this next series, The Fifth Wave, is in theaters now. And the third book in this thrilling Sci-Fi series comes out soon. In the meantime, dive into The Infinite Sea, the second book in the series. It’s not to be missed!

(Amazon Blurb): How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

 ~ * ~

The next book is the first in a new series from mega-author Alexandra Bracken. While her first series The Darkest Minds was dystopian (speculative fiction for you purists!), her newest release Passenger is all about time travel.

(Amazon Blurb): In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles, but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods-a powerful family in the Colonies-and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, his passenger, can find. In order to protect her, Nick must ensure she brings it back to them-whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home forever.

 ~ * ~

For fans of the Selection Series, Kiera Cass’s newest title (a revised version of her originally self-pubbed book), The Siren, will be a huge hit!

 (Amazon Blurb): From Kiera Cass, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Selection series, comes a captivating stand-alone fantasy romance.

Kahlen is a Siren, bound to serve the Ocean by luring humans to watery graves with her voice, which is deadly to any human who hears it. Akinli is human—a kind, handsome boy who’s everything Kahlen ever dreamed of. Falling in love puts them both in danger . . . but Kahlen can’t bear to stay away. Will she risk everything to follow her heart?

The Siren was previously self-published; this brand-new edition has been completely rewritten and redesigned.

 ~ * ~

For fans of the Shadow Hunter series, here is the newest book in the series, Lady Midnight. (It won’t release until March 8, 2016. And although we haven’t read it yet, my army has fully endorsed it! Anything by Cassandra Clare is an auto-read!!)

(Amazon Blurb): It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.

Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…

Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?

 ~ * ~

Veronica Rossi wrote one of our favorite Sci-Fi/Dystopian series — the Under the Never Sky Trilogy. And Riders is her newest fantasy adventure release.

 (Amazon Blurb): For eighteen-year-old Gideon Blake, nothing but death can keep him from achieving his goal of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger. As it turns out, it does.

Recovering from the accident that most definitely killed him, Gideon finds himself with strange new powers and a bizarre cuff he can’t remove. His death has brought to life his real destiny. He has become War, one of the legendary four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Over the coming weeks, he and the other horsemen–Conquest, Famine, and Death–are brought together by a beautiful but frustratingly secretive girl to help save humanity from an ancient evil on the emergence.

They fail.

Now–bound, bloodied, and drugged–Gideon is interrogated by the authorities about his role in a battle that has become an international incident. If he stands any chance of saving his friends and the girl he’s fallen for–not to mention all of humankind–he needs to convince the skeptical government officials the world is in imminent danger.

But will anyone believe him?

 ~ * ~

This February 2016 release by C.J. Redwine felt like it was on pre-order forever. Since the teens loved her Defiance series, they couldn’t wait for her newest book. The Shadow Queen is a dark, fantasy re-telling of Snow White, and it was well worth the wait!

(Amazon Blurb): Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic of his own—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman—and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

 ~ * ~

We have waited AGES for The Raven King, the fourth book in the The Raven Cycle series. If you’re not familiar with this series, start at the beginning. You’ll be so glad you did!

Although we haven’t read this book yet (it comes out March 29, 2016), we’ve read the other three in the series and can recommend this book based on the quality and success for the first three.

(Amazon Blurb): All her life, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love’s death. She doesn’t believe in true love and never thought this would be a problem, but as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

~ * ~

And since the teens love novellas, here are a few from their favorite series that made the Mid-Winter 2016 MG/YA list:

~ * ~

Do you have any titles you’d like to add to the Summer 2016 list? If so, we’d love to know!

All covers and blurbs courtesy of Amazon.

All photographs courtesy of Sharon Wray. Copyright 2016

 

Filed under: book recommendations, Sharon Wray Tagged: Middle Grade books, middle grade mysteries, Middle Grade readers, YA booklists, YA readers, Young Adult books

Krista’s Fav Podcasts for Writers (And Readers)

Whether it is genre or literary, excellent fiction is rooted in the real world. In order for you, the reader, to take that leap of faith from the concrete to the virtual worlds of our stories, we, the writers, must first earn your trust that our stories have a foundation in truth, even when they take place in alien or imaginary places. So how do we find those kernels of truth?

Research. Lots of research.

One of my favorite research methods is listening to podcasts—usually in my car, while running my daily errands. (Today that proved impossible when the forecast for snow exceeded expectations so Rosie and I had the day off.)

Here are a few of my favorite podcasts paired with book recommendations.

WORKING (Slate)

Get the inside skinny on many usual and unusual professions with these podcast episodes. Titles include: How Does a Forensic Anthropologist Work? How Does an Animal Behavior Specialist Work? How Does a Club Doorman Work? Sometimes the only way for a writer to get inside the head of a character working in an unfamiliar profession is to listen to real people talk about what they do for a living, why they do it, and how it is meaningful to them. After all, it’s not the profession that makes a character compelling, it’s the character’s passion for that profession.

The Janitor’s Boy and Rising Tides

STUFF YOU MISSED IN HISTORY CLASS

Compelling romantic suspense is grounded it in real world events. As a chemistry major, I have to admit that I either forgot or missed a great deal of what I was taught in high school history class. Luckily for me, this podcast offers a range of interesting historical facts to enrich plots as well as intriguing tidbits such as Who Was the Real Professor Moriarty? I had no idea that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s character was inspired by the real life criminal mastermind Adam Worth.

All the Light We Cannot See and The Final Problem, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

THE BLACK TAPES

These podcasts are too scary for me, but if you like your mystery/suspense wrapped in spooky/scary…

The Bazaar of Bad Dream and The Dead Play On

READING LIVES

Writers are also avid readers. Listening to these podcasts gives me the opportunity to learn from writers I probably will never have the good fortune to meet, let alone engage in conversation. For instance, did you know… Iconic romance author Beverly Jenkins does not write during the NFL playoffs. She once binge-read Harlan Coben’s Bolitar series on her kindle. And she was featured in a 5-page spread in the 1995 Valentine’s Day edition of People magazine written by reporter Nancy Drew.

Night Hawk and Deal Breaker (Myron Bolitar)  and The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew)

Do you have a favorite podcast? Add to my list…please!

 

Filed under: book recommendations, Krista Hall, Writing Craft Tagged: Podcasts, Romantic Suspense

New Release by Rachel Grant – Cold Evidence

Aloha!

As you read this, I’m in Hawaii at an AMAZING author conference organized by the incomparable Violet Duke. If you haven’t read one of Violet’s steamy contemporary romances, you’re missing out!

Bragging about my trip isn’t the only reason I’m on the blog today. But as long as I’m here, take a look at the beach here in Waikiki.

COLD EVIDENCE, the 6th book in my Evidence Series, released a week ago, and the book also has scenes set on the Pacific Ocean. It’s a little colder there, in the northwest corner of Washington State, but, in my view, no less pretty. I took this picture when I was last there in November.

The frigid waters of the Pacific Northwest are about to get hot…

The only thing Navy underwater archaeologist Undine Gray fears more than facing former SEAL Luke Sevick is never scuba diving again. But when a dive on a Cold War-era US Navy submarine ends with an accidental explosion, she’s terrified of going into the deep, forcing her to beg the most experienced diver she knows to take her back to the bottom of the cold Salish Sea.

Luke wants nothing to do with the woman who destroyed his career a dozen years ago but finds it impossible to turn his back on her plea. Caught off guard by an attraction he doesn’t want to feel, he’s eager to be done with this mission of mercy. But when they dive on the wreck, he only gets sucked in deeper. Someone has been digging on the Navy sub…and it appears the explosion that almost killed Undine was no accident.

To find the truth, Undine must navigate murky waters and the unexpectedly hot undercurrents swirling between her and Luke. Worse, divers are searching for something lost in US waters during the Cold War, and they’ll do anything to keep Luke and Undine from finding it first.

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | B&N

To celebrate the release of COLD EVIDENCE, I’m offering two giveaways. The first is a Rafflecopter giveaway in which one winner will receive a green shawl with Coast Salish Hummingbird design by Doug Horne – the same shawl Luke buys for Undine in COLD EVIDENCE! Winner will also receive a signed book from my backlist – winner’s choice – and a pocket-sized Northwest Spirit notepad. Enter the giveaway here. Giveaway closes Feb 15th. International entries welcome.

The second is run by Amazon, in which you can win a print copy of COLD EVIDENCE to enter all you have to do is watch the book trailer and you’ll find out immediately if you’ve won. Giveaway closes on Feb 10th or once all prizes have been awarded. Enter here. Contest is open to US residents only and prize will be shipped directly by Amazon (book will not be signed).

Finally, if you haven’t tried the Evidence Series yet, now is your chance! The Evidence Series Box Set Vol. I: Books 1-3 is on sale for only $0.99 for a limited time! Get CONCRETE EVIDENCE, BODY OF EVIDENCE, and WITHHOLDING EVIDENCE while they’re on sale.

 

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

~Aloha

 

 

Filed under: New Release, Rachel Grant Tagged: Box set, Cold Evidence, Evidence Series, Hawaii

The FBI’s Most Wanted (Profilers, That Is)

 

AMAZON BARNES&NOBLE iBOOKS

Dr. Caity Cassidy and Special Agent Atticus Spenser are topping the most wanted profilers list at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. And I’m thrilled to report they’ve just been spotted in Dallas!

In my latest release, NOTORIOUS, our intrepid heroes rush to Texas to aid a fellow agent-turned-murder-suspect.

I’m so excited about this third installment in my Cassidy & Spenser Thrillers. There are lots of revelations in this one, including some deep secrets from Spense’s past. And I know many of you having been waiting patiently (or impatiently) for Spenser & Cassidy to make some tough decisions about their off-duty relationship. I think you’ll be pleased with how things unfold in NOTORIOUS. But no spoilers here. I love that my editor said she never saw the twists coming. I hope you’ll be caught by surprise, too!

I’ll paste the blurb for Notorious below, but first I want to THANK YOU! Because of you, my fabulous readers, Caity and Spense have had a banner year.

On December 10, FALLEN, soared to the top of the bestseller lists across all major online retailers becoming the number one bestseller in Nook mysteries. That same day, FALLEN hit the top ten mysteries on Amazon taking the number one best seller spot in psychological fiction and number two in romantic suspense! FALLEN also topped the charts at iBooks and Kobo. That was quite a day for me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Now here’s the scoop on NOTORIOUS. I hope you read and enjoy.

The woman everyone loves to hate is dead.

Dallas socialite Cynthia Langhorne is infamous for her beauty, her philanthropy, and her home wrecking–until she’s found shot through the heart and posed nude at a fundraising ball. The case is high profile, and there’s a bigger problem: Cindy is the wife of a decorated FBI special agent–the prime suspect in her murder.

When the Bureau sends FBI profiler Atticus Spenser and forensic psychiatrist Dr. Caitlin Cassidy to Texas on behalf of Dutch Langhorne, the special agent-turned-suspect, they’re suspicious of the very man whose interests they’re supposed to protect. But with a psycho hitman on their heels and a trail of evidence leading up the food chain, it quickly becomes clear this is no ordinary case. The truth points to someone–or something–larger than Spenser and Cassidy ever thought possible. Solving this case is no longer a matter of clearing Dutch’s name–it’s a matter of national security.

Published by William Morrow

Please sign up for my newsletter at CareyBaldwin.com and connect with me on Facebook and Twitter.

You can order NOTORIOUS on AMAZON BARNES&NOBLE iBOOKS and wherever e-books are sold. Print version available 4/5/2016.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed under: Announcements, Carey Baldwin, New Release Tagged: Carey Baldwin, Cassidy and Spenser Thrillers, Criminal Profiler, FBI, FBI fiction, Mysteries and Thrillers, Notorious, Profiler, psychological suspense, psychological thriller, Romantic Suspense, Romantic Thriller

Meet the Newest, Sexy Alpha Male in the EXIT Inc. Series!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | HarperCollins

It’s release day! My thirteenth published novel, NO EXIT, continues the sexy, action-packed EXIT Inc. series and introduces Jace Atwell and his tough, super-smart heroine, Melissa Cardenas.

Here’s what RT Book Reviews says about No EXIT: “The battle continues between EXIT, Inc. and their former enforcers, keeping up the intensity level and intrigue from previous installments. Finding love amongst the chaos is the real miracle.”

 

Here’s a short excerpt.

We need to think of an excuse, a cover story. What are we supposed to tell them?” Melissa asked.

A convincing reason for being here.” He snapped a large pink bloom off a nearby plant.

No kidding. Like what? I can’t think of anything.” She put her hands on her hips, exasperated that she was finally on board about how much danger they were in and now he was … gardening? “Jace, what are we going to do?”

shoved the flower into her hair over her right ear. “This. We’re going to do this.” He yanked her to him and covered her mouth with his.

just like that, the world around them faded away, leaving only the two of them. Their first kiss had been a surprise, all about discovery, awakening feelings inside her that she hadn’t felt in a long time, if ever. But this … this was consuming, ravenous, wild. This kiss seared her from the inside out, breaking her down, molding her, changing her and reforging her into someone new, someone different, someone who would never, ever be the same again.

And she didn’t want to be.

I hope you’ll give NO EXIT a try! It’s the second book in the series. The first book is also available and is called EXIT STRATEGY.

Here are some early reviews from Goodreads for NO EXIT:

This is my first book by Diaz and wow I really enjoyed every minute of it! It was fast paced and filled with non stop action that I honestly didn’t want to end.

…

It’s been a while since I have read a good romantic suspense with characters that I really enjoyed and this one just did it for me. I never got bored and I honestly didn’t want to put this down. I had no issues on keeping track with who was who and what side they were on.

…

If you’re looking for a good suspense to get your heart rate going I definitely suggest reading this book! ~ Danielle, Goodreads

 

We all know that the second installment to series are rarely better than the first, but this one blows the first out of the water…and I LOVED the first one. I have to give the author credit. This is the second book of hers that I’ve read that there is non-stop action on every page. Yes, every page. So if you’re a skimmer, don’t do it with this one. You’ll miss something important, guaranteed.

…

We as readers are thrown a twist in the first Chapter. Yep, I said it. Don’t worry though. It won’t be the first twist, turn, and jaw dropping moment in this.

 

…

I highly recommend this to any suspense, action, military reader and it CAN be read as a stand alone….but why would you? ~ Christina, Goodreads

 

To learn about all of my books, visit my website.

Filed under: about us, Celebration, Lena Diaz, New Release Tagged: Avon Books, EXIT Inc., Lena Diaz, NO EXIT, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Romantic Thriller, Series

6 Romantic Suspense Novels with Dangerous Connections

Dangerous Connections: 6 Romantic Suspense Series Starters + Bonus HEA Chapters!
***99¢ for a limited time only!***

Grab these six steamy-hot and thrilling romantic suspense series starters, all written by New York Times and USA Today bestselling and RITA award winning & nominated authors.

STOLEN FURY – the double RITA-nominated book by Elisabeth Naughton

AGAINST THE DARK – by RITA Award winning author Carolyn Crane

MORGAN’S HUNTER – by Cate Beauman

A COLD DARK PLACE – by RITA nominated author Toni Anderson

CONCRETE EVIDENCE – by Rachel Grant

WILD – by RITA nominated author Jill Sorenson

If you’ve read the rest of my Evidence Series and wanted to see a little more happily ever after for Erica and Lee, I have a treat for you!

***Bonus Alert***

The dangerous connections between each of these series are revealed in never-before-seen bonus HEA chapters at the end of each full-length novel. You’ll get a little more Erica and Lee…and find out how my series connects to the others in the set!

For added fun my 12-year-old son made a book trailer. I could spend a lot of time writing a post describing DANGEROUS CONNECTIONS, but I think the video says it all…

 *** 99¢ for a limited time only! ***

Amazon | Google Play | Kobo | iBooks | Nook
Filed under: Rachel Grant Tagged: Box set, Carolyn Crane, Cate Beauman, Elisabeth Naughton, Evidence Series, Jill Sorenson, Sale, Toni Anderson

12 Authors, $100, Free Books!

 

How would you like to win a $100 gift card from Amazon or Barnes and Noble? Plus, have a chance to win a book from one of your favorite authors? THIS IS YOUR CHANCE!

There may be a chill in the air, but your favorite romance authors can take that away by Warming Up Your Winter–from the inside out! I’ve teamed up with some fantastic writers to give you the chance to win a $100 gift card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble…and to introduce you to books you’re going to love!

 

Participating authors include:

Julia London

Maureen Child

Debra Webb

Lena Diaz (Hey, that’s me!)

Sharon Hamilton

Jill Sanders

Dana Marton

Kendra Elliot

Melinda Leigh

Cristin Harber

B. J. Daniels

Jean Brashear

 

Enter right away at www.PrizesforReaders.com.

 And GOOD LUCK!

Filed under: Lena Diaz, Winners Tagged: Avon Books, B. J. Daniels, Cristin Harber, Dana Marton, Debra Webb, EXIT Strategy, Jean Brashear, Jill Sanders, Julia London, Kendra Elliot, Lena Diaz, Maureen Child, Melinda Leigh, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Romantic Thriller, Sharon Hamilton

What It Takes to Be an FBI Profiler

Guest post by ELIZABETH HEITER

Getting inside the heads of the country’s most depraved serial killers, arsonists, and terrorists. That’s the job of an FBI profiler, and my heroine, Evelyn Baine, has been working toward the job since she was twelve years old and her best friend was abducted. Now, more than eighteen years later, Evelyn has been part of the FBI’s elite Behavioral Analysis Unit for almost two years. She’s seen some of the worst of society, and the drive to find out what happened to her best friend Cassie is what kept her going through the long days and the challenging cases.

Now, after the first two books in my Profiler series (HUNTED and VANISHED), Evelyn has done it. She’s solved the case of her career and finally resolved Cassie’s case. It’s brought her some closure…and also some doubt. Finding Cassie has been the driving force in her entire life, and now she wonders: does she still have what it takes to be an FBI profiler?

In SEIZED, my brand new release, Evelyn isn’t sure. To make matters worse, her boss has been punishing her for some of the rule bending she did on Cassie’s case by assigning her BS assignments. The latest is a trip into a remote area of Montana, to interview a convicted bomb-maker. When fellow agent Jen Martinez approaches Evelyn with a request for a profile of a local cult, Evelyn sees it as her chance to finally do her job again…and to see if this is where she still belongs.

But things quickly take a dangerous turn in SEIZED. Martinez has been insisting the Butler Compound is more than it seems – that the FBI is missing a serious threat there. But the BAU has already evaluated them as a simple group of survivalists, looking to stay off the grid, but not a concern. When the group takes Evelyn and Jen hostage, everything changes.

Inside, trapped with group of anti-federalist white supremacists, Evelyn (who’s biracial) is in danger from the start. But she soon realizes Jen is right – this group is more than just a threat to her life. She thinks the group is planning a deadly attack and only she can stop it. The problem is, she’s never been more unsure about whether she can still do her job as a profiler. If she’s right, she has to get word to the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team agents surrounding the compound.

She’s secretly dating HRT agent Kyle McKenzie, and she knows she can get a message he’ll understand, telling them to breach the compound. If she does and the FBI comes in, she knows she’ll be the group’s first casualty. If she doesn’t, the group could unleash a surprise attack that will shatter the country.

To learn more about SEIZED and AVENGED (my new Profiler short story releasing a chapter a day for free), visit my website at elizabethheiter.com. You can also follow me on Facebook at elizabeth.heiter.author and Twitter at @ElizabethHeiter.

Thanks for joining us, Elizabeth! Readers get your copy of SEIZED today: AMAZON  iBOOKS  BARNESandNOBLE

Filed under: Criminal Profiling, Guest blog Tagged: Carey Baldwin, Criminal Profiler, Elizabeth Heiter, Seized

Author Smackdown: Writers get it wrong!

Guest post by Rolynn Anderson.

Writing is a humbling career.  Every day I make presumptions and end up red-faced because I was wrong-sometimes horribly wrong-about my reckonings.  FAINT, my sixth novel, released this week, is living proof of author smackdown.  I took on Alzheimer’s, blindness, embalming, burial rituals, organ transplants, and clairvoyant dogs in FAINT, third in the funeral planner suspense series.  No wonder the novel took me two years to write!  My research on all these areas made me woozy with revelations.

 

Let’s take embalming.  Better yet, you take embalming.  Whoa!  Consider the instruments and chemicals involved, the cleaning of the corpse and plumping with injections…the make-up…the dressing.  Lordy, I even watched a ‘Do it at home’ embalming on You Tube.  I had to hide my eyes half of the time.  Among all these new learnings: Embalmers are bound by strict rules, forbidden to stray beyond their ‘normal’ tasks.  They can’t even take fingerprints off the cadaver!

 

Blindness.  Pete, a character in my novel, is a blind forensic investigator.  I’d learned about blind men and women employed by the FBI after 9/11 to analyze suspect audio tapes and I wanted to explore their skill sets.  Some of my characters were prejudiced against Pete.  New learnings: blind people are shunned in some cultures, regarded as ‘less than,’ even evil.

 

Telepathic dogs.  I was worried Elwood (Elly) a Scottie, who warns his mistress when she’s going to faint, was pushing a paranormal envelop.  New learning: dogs can be trained to alert their owners of impending seizures and insulin lows.  Elly’s skill was not a stretch, at all. 

 

Burial rituals.  Turns out every religion has a specific way to deal with the deceased.  New learning: Certain orthodox religions require mourners to kiss the corpse in an open casket, within twenty-four hours.

Sounds like fiction, huh?  I love what research turns up, pleased to see my presumptions challenged and energized by the complexity I get to add to characters and plots.  Now, with my sixth book published, I’ve learned to test each and every assumption…but I must admit I don’t mind being wrong, because I can use that new information in my story!

 

It’s your turn.  

GIVEAWAY QUESTION On what topic did your research for a book point out faulty assumptions?  A free e-book of FAINT (you choose the format) goes to a random commenter.

Here’s FAINT, my newly released third in the Funeral Planner Suspense Series.  Happy New Year, everyone!  Rolynn

 

Their dead clients refuse to rest in peace.

 

How did small-town boutique funeral planning morph into crime-solving?  Ask freelance embalmer Trudy Solomon, or Pete McDonald, a blind, forensic investigator.  They’re unearthing mysteries of the deceased for their pregnant boss, Jan Keller, while her journalist husband, Roman, is benched by a ten million dollar defamation suit.

 

A dead client goes missing, and investigating his disappearance forces Trudy and Pete to confront their fiercely independent styles.  When danger stalks them, will they blend brains, brawn and belief in one another to solve crimes and save themselves?

 

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Filed under: Author Spotlight, Guest blog, Sarah Andre Tagged: Author Giveaway, classic romantic suspense, faint, funeral planner suspense series, Rolynn Anderson