Jean Murray's Blog, page 9
June 24, 2013
Blogger Book Fair ~ July 22 – 26
203 participants!Authors and bloggers, representing 417 books!
Wicked Romance will be hosting 5 Romance Authors over the event week.
Join me at 5 sister blogs.
Get ready for some super giveaways.
Spread the word!!!
Filed under: Uncategorized
June 14, 2013
CMP’s Summer Lovin Blog Hop: Grand Prize Kindle Paperwhite
Grand Prize: A Kindle Paperwhite & eBooks (including a copy of Soul Reborn)1st Prize: A $20 Amazon gift card, and a Swag Pack that contains more eBooks, bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, and more!
PLUS
Wicked Romance’s giveaway: Soul Reborn ebook + $10 Amazon GC
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Summer Lovin’ Wicked Romance Style
***
To celebrate my most recent release, Soul Awakened, I decided to open my blog spot today to my favorite sisters. Not my own sisters, whom I love dearly, but the Carrigan sisters from my Key to the Cursed series.
Lilly, the oldest and caretaker of the three.
Kit, the sexy rebel who lives her life on the edge.
And, Kendra, sweet, innocent and wicked smart.
Despite their differences, the sisters are loyal to the death, and I mean that literally. Family has to stand together when death comes knocking. They just didn’t expect death to come in the form of three sexy Underworld gods. The gods of the Underworld have taken interest in these siblings. Lilly, Kit and Kendra hold the key to their salvation. But before all the chaos, they spent their lives with sand in their shoes and traveling to distant lands.
So, let’s get to know the girls and find out about their favorite vacations destination.
Jean: Welcome, ladies. As you know, the Crescent Moon Press Authors are having a huge blog hop today to celebrate summer. Do you have a favorite summer vacation?
Lilly – Kit – Kendra (in unison): Ocean City, Maryland.
Jean: Ocean City? I was expecting something a little more exotic, considering your father, Jonathan, was an Egyptian archeologist.
Lilly: After living in a tent at the base of the great pyramids. We enjoyed something a little more….
Kit: –Normal.
Kendra: God, do you remember that beat up old station wagon dad used to pull the camper to the shore.
Jean: Boy, that sounds familiar. My family had Big Bertha. A gigantic gold station wagon with a jump seat in the back. That was before they had seat belts in the back.
Lilly: Ours had wood paneling.
Kit: So styling. NOT!
(All the sisters laugh)
Jean: So, what made your summer vacation so special.
Kendra: Being with family
Lilly: Sun and sand.
Kit: Men!!!
Lilly: Yes, twins. Lifeguards, if I remember correctly.
Kendra: So not fair. Dad, wouldn’t let me out of his sights.
Kit: He was afraid I would corrupt you, like I did Lilly.
Lilly: You didn’t corrupt me.
Jean: Sounds like there is a story there. Care to share?
Lilly: Not really.
Kit: She had a huge crush on Derek or was it his brother, Dirk? Kit shrugged. It was hard to tell them apart. Needless to say we both ended up losing our virginity that summer.
Lilly: Kit!
Kendra: You never told me that. Man, I so missed out.
Lilly: There was nothing to tell. Dirk was my summer love.
Kit: Don’t you mean Derek?
Lilly: That happened when I was nineteen. Isn’t there a statute of limitations on remembering your first love’s name. Like it really matters now that I’m married to a god. Hello!
Jean: What about you, Kendra?
Kendra: Me? Nothing as exciting as my sisters. At least not men. I loved sitting on the beach with my toes in the sand reading. I put away my research books in favor of a historical romance novel.
Jean: I enjoy paranormal romances, myself. Kit, you strike me as someone who would like to read supernatural thrillers.
Kit: I live it. I don’t have to read about it. Although, I do enjoy military romances. There is just something about a guy in a uniform.
Lilly: Second that.
Jean: I think my most memorable moments were our summer vacations to the beach. Those were the days when you could lay on the sand and just soak in the sun. Now, I would be chasing kids around all over the place. Maybe that’s why my beach memories are so special. It was a time when I didn’t have a care in the world. It would be nice to give my sons the same memories.
Lilly: Yes, those were good times for our family.
Jean: So what question should we ask our readers today?
Kendra: We’ve told them about our favorite summer vacation. How about they tell us theirs.
Lilly: What was your favorite vacation?
Kit: Or the most memorable summer vacation?
Jean: Those that leave a comment will be entered to win the Wicked Romance giveaway, plus the CMP’s Grand Prize Kindle Paperwhite giveaway. Additional entries for the Grand prize can be obtained by clicking on the rafflecopter link below.
ENTER TO WIN KINDLE PAPERWHITE AND SWAG BASKET
BY CLICKING THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY LINK BELOW
CLICK HERE: Rafflecopter giveaway
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CONTINUE YOUR TRAVELS HERE…
Shawna Romkey Author blog
Constance Phillips, A Writer’s Musings
Katie O’Sullivan
Summer Lovin’ – On Olympus…
Kate’s Blog
Kary Rader
Lindsey R. Loucks
Summer Lovin’, postcards, and maybe bookmarks
Jody A Kessler Summer Lovin’ Mountain Style
Official Website of Maer Wilson
Author Jean Murray ~ Wicked Romance Blog
Summer Lovin’ Heat
Hildie McQueen’s Author Site
Loni Lynne’s Blog Site
Author Avery Olive Blog
Wendy S. Russo
Cindy Young-Turner
Michelle Clay – The Darkside of Romance
the Marvelous Misadventures of Mrs. t
Shannon Eckrich
Filed under: Events, Giveaway, Uncategorized Tagged: cmp blog hop, crescent moon press, Jean Murray, summer lovin blog hop
June 5, 2013
CMP’s Summer Lovin’ Blog Hop: Kindle Paperwhite Giveaway
Crescent Moon Press authors are ready for summer! We’ll be blogging about our summer loves, our romances, and how much we love summer! Have you ever had a summer fling? Do you have a favorite book about summer? What’s on your summer reading list? What are some great beach reads? We’re blogging about all of it!
Visit our blogs below and enter to win some great prizes between June 14 -17.
Grand Prize: A Kindle Paperwhite & some of our eBooks to read on it!
1st Prize: A $20 Amazon gift card, and a Swag Pack that contains more eBooks, bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, and more!
Drop by our blogs below between June 14 & 17 and enter the rafflecopter!
Filed under: Giveaway Tagged: cmp's summer lovin' blog hop, crescent moon press, giveaway, Jean Murray, paperwhite, soul reborn
CMP’s Summer Lovin’ Blog Hop: Paperwhite Giveaway
Crescent Moon Press authors are ready for summer! We’ll be blogging about our summer loves, our romances, and how much we love summer! Have you ever had a summer fling? Do you have a favorite book about summer? What’s on your summer reading list? What are some great beach reads? We’re blogging about all of it!
Visit our blogs below and enter to win some great prizes between June 14 -17.
Grand Prize: A Kindle Paperwhite & some of our eBooks to read on it!
1st Prize: A $20 Amazon gift card, and a Swag Pack that contains more eBooks, bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, and more!
Drop by our blogs below between June 14 & 17 and enter the rafflecopter!
Filed under: Giveaway Tagged: cmp's summer lovin' blog hop, crescent moon press, giveaway, Jean Murray, paperwhite, soul reborn
May 20, 2013
Author Open MIC: Welcomes Declan Sands + Giveaway
Welcome to AUTHOR OPEN MIC!
Thank you to all the readers that stopped out at the Frederick Book Festival. I had a blast and the weather held out without a drop of rain crashing our party. I will be posting some fun pictures from the event and yes, you might just get to see me in my Egyptian goddess headdress. LOL!
Today, we have another special guest, Declan Sands. Declan, the author of over 40 novels, is featuring the new release to the Hoale Construction Series, a M/M romantic suspense that will not disappoint readers. Declan and I had a great discussion about why the majority of M/M readers are women. Come and weigh in on the subject. One lucky commenter will win the HOALE SERIES (3 titles). How awesome is that?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Declan Sands
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Amazon Author Page
Declan Sands writes romantic paranormal/fantasy and mystery/suspense, creating stories that celebrate the joy of love in all its forms. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories, Declan is the award-winning author of 40+ books and has been writing for over a decade under several noms de plume.
INTERVIEW
Tell us about A Hoale Lot of Trouble? Is this a stand-alone book or a series?
A Hoale Lot of Trouble is Book 1 in my Hoale Construction Mystery series. The Hoale Construction Series is based on a sexy, thirty-something, gay construction company owner with the unfortunate name of Adam Hoale and his mostly gay group of professional associates. Adam’s business partner, Maddy, is a lesbian, his realtor, Mink, is gay, and his big, loveable but angst-ridden dog Walter is…well…neutered. The mysteries in the series are tied to the places Adam and his gang flip or rehabilitate and Adam does a fairly decent job both of solving the mysteries and getting on the admittedly twitchy nerves of their friend and hetro cop with a stick up his ass, Detective Craig Clandestine, CC for short. The mysteries are fun, fast paced, and anchored by the on again, off again romance of Adam and his secretly gay lover, Dirk Williams, who is a B-level Hollywood actor.
Adam owns his own construction company. Tell us about how he got there. Did he work to the top? Or is he a gifted entrepreneur?
Adam worked summers in high school and college on a construction crew. So when he was fired from a corporate sales job in his late twenties, he decided to use his energies doing what he loved to do, instead of pursuing another job doing what he thought he should do. So he started Hoale Construction and his knowledge of business helped him make a success of it.
Something not everyone knows about Adam is that he’s very community conscious. He gives unskilled labor jobs to out-of-work people in the community so that anyone who wants to work can do such jobs as demolition, painting, and clean-up for Hoale Construction on a cash-in-hand, job-by-job basis.
What can Adam tell us about “flipping” a house?
He can certainly attest to the fact that you never know what you’re going to find when you start renovating a house. LOL In A Hoale Lot of Trouble Adam is flipping an old house in a wealthy neighborhood and finds a four-fingered hand in the wall. The discovery puts a serious crimp in his construction schedule so Adam sets out to “help” the consummate “straight” man, Detective Craig Clandestine discover why it’s there and how, decades later, someone is still willing to maim and kill to preserve the mystery.
Is Adam the “love and leave him” type or looking for something more permanent? Does he have commitment issues and flip boyfriends like he does houses?
Funny you should ask. LOL One of the threads running through this series is the powerful but challenged relationship Adam has with Dirk Williams, his long-time lover who hasn’t quite made the commitment to admitting his sexual preference and publicly claiming Adam. Adam and Dirk have known each other since high school, where their mutual attraction was limited to occasional, secretive gropings in dark places and they’ve shared a lot of pain since those first times together.
Adam is continually having to re-evaluate whether it’s worth the pain to keep working at their relationship, but something inside him just won’t let him give up. He loves Dirk and his loyalty to his friends and loved ones is one of Adam’s most endearing traits.
Without giving too much away, what secrets are the boy toy and the house hiding?
Well, I’ve already touched on the surprise in the wall, but the house also holds other surprises that cause Adam and his crew serious concern. There are signs that someone with a twisted mind once lived in the house—such as violent, disturbing drawings on the walls, covered over with a child’s wallpaper, and a horrific discovery under the rose bushes in the back yard.
The boy toy is a conundrum for Adam. Sean actually used to live in the house, but seems conflicted about his feelings for the place—alternately asking to be allowed to walk through it and then disappearing instead of going inside. As Adam uncovers Sean Buford’s heartbreaking story, he’s torn between his compassion for the man and unease over the young man’s strange behavior.
What is at stake for Adam? Is he at risk at losing something he loves?
He’s at risk of losing everything. His business, his reputation, even his life. And adding to the stress of the situation are his confusing feelings for Dirk, who has shown up apparently hoping to heal their fractured relationship.
Does it surprise you that many readers of M/M are woman?
It does actually. In fact I blogged on this very subject. Here’s part of what I wrote:
Manlove romance is arguably one of the hottest genres right now and has been for some time. Just look at the bestseller lists at any of the etailers and you’ll see that Manlove romance dominates. Women love the genre! At first glance this may seem strange. Why would women enjoy reading about love and sex between two men? Why not between two women?
Maybe these fans love stretching the envelope a bit. Maybe it’s the tang of forbidden fruit that attracts them. Or perhaps they want some insight into how the male mind works. Whatever it is, a well-written Manlove story flies off the shelves, eagerly consumed by a rabid and adoring audience.
You can read the entire post here.
What are you cooking up next? Will we see more of Adam? What can readers expect?
A Hoale Lot of Trouble is Book 1 in the Hoale Construction Mystery series. I recently released Book 3, with plans for a Christmas novella entitled, Oh! Hoaley Night!, which is scheduled for a November release. I’m very excited about this fun series and plan to keep writing it for a while yet. Blurbs for the other two books in the series follow.
*****
Blurb for Book 2: Hoaley Ill-Manored:
A 200 year old manor house, a questionable death, and a cache of stolen jewelry. Who will kill to keep their secrets?
The gang flips a 200 year old manor house in the beautiful, rolling hills of Brown County, Indiana. Unfortunately the house is the site of a suicide, the result of a broken romance, and is rumored to be haunted. Adam and Maddy get caught up in the story of the young couple who were torn apart by family, local events, and something sinister that still seems to be stalking the house. It might not be a ghost, but whatever it is, it has the potential to be deadly.
*****
Blurb for Book 3: Hoaley Inexplicable:
Bringing Bobby’s Gym into the twenty-first century should have been fun. But the dead guy draped over the weight machine definitely took the joy out of it!
The Hoale Construction gang has taken on the task of bringing Bobby’s Gym into the twenty-first century. But the dead guy hanging from the new lat machine is putting a serious crimp in their timeline. When Bobby becomes the number one suspect for the murder, Adam and the gang are forced to try and clear him. But who is the guy? And was Bobby really the last one to see him alive? Questions only seem to multiply the deeper they dig. Until they uncover a connection with a group of thugs who call themselves the Indiana Mobsters. Things just continue to spiral downward from there.
Where can readers find you and your books? (links, purchase and social media)
The books are available in all the usual places. To access links for ALL of the available sites, along with reviews and excerpts, you can visit each book’s page on my website:
A Hoale Lot of Trouble
Hoaley Ill-Manored
Hoaley Inexplicable
BOOK REVEAL & EXCERPT
BOOK BLURBSexy gay construction company owner, Adam Hoale, sometimes gets more than he bargained for when he flips a house!
Adam Hoale owns a construction company called, predictably, Hoale Construction. When he finds an eye opening surprise in the walls of a house he’s flipping, and a libido flaring surprise standing on the lawn, he’s willing to do the right thing with the surprise in the wall while entertaining dirty thoughts about the surprise on the lawn.
But as the world finds out what he discovered, and his new boy toy seems to be keeping too many secrets to make a relationship a reality, Adam soon realizes he may just get flipped himself if he’s not careful.
BOOK EXCERPT
Excerpt from A Hoale Lot of Trouble, Declan Sands
Adam grinned. “You want another drink?”
“Maybe just one more.”
Adam signaled the waiter over and put in their drink order. Then he looked at Sean, grinning wickedly. “How about chocolate cake?”
Sean shook his head. “Not a chance, I have to guard my boyish figure. But go ahead if you want to. I might steal a bite.” His eyes sparkled intimately, making Adam’s stomach tighten. He looked at the waiter. “One slice, two forks please.”
The waiter winked and turned away. Adam watched him walk across the restaurant and then sucked in a breath as the front door opened and a familiar face and form entered.
Dirk’s gaze found him almost immediately, as if he’d known Adam would be there. He felt a shock of surprise as their eyes met, their gazes tangling across the space.
The young woman with Dirk was draped over his arm, speaking to him animatedly. Dirk seemed to be ignoring her. His full attention was fixed on Adam.
“Is something wrong?”
Adam jerked his gaze away from Dirk and gave Sean a strained smile. “I just saw someone I knew.”
Sean turned toward the door, his sexy eyes widening. “Is that Dirk Williams?”
Sucking back a sigh, Adam nodded.
“You know him?”
Adam tried not to frown but he wasn’t entirely successful. It had always been the same. Once Dirk walked into the room, nobody had eyes for anybody else. “We were friends…once upon a time.” He stiffened his spine and asked, “Would you like me to introduce you?” Please say no, please say n—
“Sure! I’ve always thought he was so yummy. Are the rumors true?”
You mean the rumors that he’s a dick? “What rumors?”
“Oh, never mind. He’s coming over. I’ll just engage my gaydar. It almost never steers me wrong.”
Dirk led his date toward their table, the frazzled Hostess in tow. He engaged his trademark grin as he came within a few feet of the table and extended his hand. “Hello, Adam. How nice to see you again.”
He stood up and took the other man’s hand. At six foot two, Adam was close enough to Dirk’s height, about an inch taller, to look him directly in the eye. “Dirk.” Adam turned to Dirk’s fluffy decoy date, just to annoy him. “And who is this lovely lady?” He reached for her hand and bent over it like European royalty, lifting it to his lips.
She giggled prettily.
“This is Macy.” He smiled in her direction. “Macy, darling. This is my old friend, Adam Hoale.”
Macy blinked, then sucked in a breath and laughed, covering her rose petal lips with her hand. Seeing Adam’s face she stopped. “Oh. Sorry.” She blinked. “You’re not joking?”
Dirk the Dick grinned at Adam, his intense, green gaze sparking with mirth. “Nope. That’s actually his name.”
Sean stood up and offered Dirk his hand. “I’m Sean. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Williams.”
Dirk slid a lazy gaze toward Sean, his lips quirking. “Hello, Sean. Call me Dirk, please.” He held Sean’s gaze a beat longer than he should have and Adam could almost hear his date’s gaydar humming.
“Well, don’t let us keep you from your dinner.” Adam glared at him.
Dirk’s jaw flexed with irritation at the obvious dismissal, but he recovered quickly, flinging Sean another smoldering glance. “Of course. I’ll see you at the house, tomorrow, Adam.” He lifted a hand in a wave and turned away, following the busy Hostess to their table on the opposite side of the restaurant.
Adam stood there, his mouth ajar, until Sean touched his arm. “Are you all right?”
Blinking rapidly, Adam nodded and dropped back into his chair. He wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of the restaurant. But he had that damn cake coming. “I’m fine. I’m just surprised. I didn’t know Dirk was coming to look at the house tomorrow. He must have spoken to my realtor.”
And Adam was gonna choke Mink with his epaulets for not warning him.
Sean settled back in his chair, picking up his fresh drink. “Is that a problem?”
“A problem? Yes.” Then realizing what he’d said he amended, “It’s just not ready for viewing yet. I’d hoped to get farther along…”
They sipped their drinks in silence for a moment.
“So is Dirk planning on buying the house?”
Adam didn’t miss the disappointed tone of Sean’s voice. “It’s possible. I understand he’s moving back to Indy. The house will certainly fit his overblown ego when it’s done. And god knows he has the money.” Adam took a much larger sip of his wine than he’d planned, nearly draining his glass.
Sean sat forward, touching Adam’s arm. “What’s wrong, Adam. You seem worried about something.”
Adam toyed with his glass for a beat and then broached the subject of the grisly discovery in the house. “What do you remember about the house on Jackson, Sean?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, do you remember anybody making any drastic changes to it when you lived there. Like adding a wall…” Cutting up bodies into itty bitty bits and arranging them in the insulation like a grisly Picasso?
He shook his head. “Not really. I mostly just have impressions, nothing concrete I’m afraid. Why do you ask?”
“We’ve been tearing some stuff down…” He watched the younger man carefully for a reaction. He didn’t see one. “One wall in particular. It seems to have been put up after the house was built…way after. The house is a hundred years old. But the type of insulation in the wall is something that has only been available since 1986. So we know the wall was added much later. Probably in the nineties.”
Sean seemed to be thinking about Adam’s question. “In 1995 I would have been only ten…” He shook his head. I vaguely remember some construction, but I couldn’t tell you the details. Unfortunately I’m one of those people who only remembers the traumatic events from his childhood.” He slanted Adam a curious look. “What’s so important about when the wall was added?”
Adam briefly considered lying to the other man, but that wouldn’t get him what he needed so he decided to be straight with him. “I’m afraid we found something in that wall today, when we started to tear it down.”
“Oh really? What?” Sean looked only mildly curious.
Adam held his gaze as he said, “The skeleton of a four fingered human hand.”
Curiosity turned to alarm in the sexy blue eyes. Sean leaned forward, lowering his voice. “You what?”
Adam nodded. “It’s true, I’m afraid.”
Sean’s handsome face darkened. “You’re lying! Why are you lying to me?”
Adam felt his eyes go wide with surprise. He’d expected a range of different emotions…but anger hadn’t been on the list. “I assure you, it’s true. What do you know…?”
Sean pushed his chair back and stood. The chair tottered on its two back legs for a beat and then settled to the floor. By the time it landed, Sean was already heading across the restaurant, toward the exit.
Adam stared after him, shocked. What the hell had that been about?
As the restaurant door whooshed shut behind his date, Adam slid his gaze toward a distant table and a curious, green gaze.
Dirk lifted an eyebrow and Adam shrugged.
“Would you like your cake to go, sir?”
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
ARe
Smashwords
COPY OF the FULL SERIES: Hoale Construction
TODAY’s QUESTION
Question: If you were given the choice of reading M/F or M/M romance on a rainy Sunday afternoon, which would you choose and why?
For a chance to win the complete Hoale Construction series (all 3 titles) respond to this question in a comment below (Don’t forget to leave your email address so we can notify you if you win!)
For extra chances to win: RAFFLECOPTER
CONGRATULATIONS goes out to….
Sweetpea
Filed under: Author Open Mic, Guest Author Tagged: adam houle, construction worker, declan sands, giveaway, m/m, new release
Author Open MIC: Welcomes Declan Sands
Welcome to AUTHOR OPEN MIC!
Thank you to all the readers that stopped out at the Frederick Book Festival. I had a blast and the weather held out without a drop of rain crashing our party. I will be posting some fun pictures from the event and yes, you might just get to see me in my Egyptian goddess headdress. LOL!
Today, we have another special guest, Declan Sands. Declan, the author of over 40 novels, is featuring the new release to the Hoale Construction Series, a M/M romantic suspense that will not disappoint readers. Declan and I had a great discussion about why the majority of M/M readers are women. Come and weigh in on the subject. One lucky commenter will win the HOALE SERIES (3 titles). How awesome is that?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Declan Sands
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Amazon Author Page
Declan Sands writes romantic paranormal/fantasy and mystery/suspense, creating stories that celebrate the joy of love in all its forms. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories, Declan is the award-winning author of 40+ books and has been writing for over a decade under several noms de plume.
INTERVIEW
Tell us about A Hoale Lot of Trouble? Is this a stand-alone book or a series?
A Hoale Lot of Trouble is Book 1 in my Hoale Construction Mystery series. The Hoale Construction Series is based on a sexy, thirty-something, gay construction company owner with the unfortunate name of Adam Hoale and his mostly gay group of professional associates. Adam’s business partner, Maddy, is a lesbian, his realtor, Mink, is gay, and his big, loveable but angst-ridden dog Walter is…well…neutered. The mysteries in the series are tied to the places Adam and his gang flip or rehabilitate and Adam does a fairly decent job both of solving the mysteries and getting on the admittedly twitchy nerves of their friend and hetro cop with a stick up his ass, Detective Craig Clandestine, CC for short. The mysteries are fun, fast paced, and anchored by the on again, off again romance of Adam and his secretly gay lover, Dirk Williams, who is a B-level Hollywood actor.
Adam owns his own construction company. Tell us about how he got there. Did he work to the top? Or is he a gifted entrepreneur?
Adam worked summers in high school and college on a construction crew. So when he was fired from a corporate sales job in his late twenties, he decided to use his energies doing what he loved to do, instead of pursuing another job doing what he thought he should do. So he started Hoale Construction and his knowledge of business helped him make a success of it.
Something not everyone knows about Adam is that he’s very community conscious. He gives unskilled labor jobs to out-of-work people in the community so that anyone who wants to work can do such jobs as demolition, painting, and clean-up for Hoale Construction on a cash-in-hand, job-by-job basis.
What can Adam tell us about “flipping” a house?
He can certainly attest to the fact that you never know what you’re going to find when you start renovating a house. LOL In A Hoale Lot of Trouble Adam is flipping an old house in a wealthy neighborhood and finds a four-fingered hand in the wall. The discovery puts a serious crimp in his construction schedule so Adam sets out to “help” the consummate “straight” man, Detective Craig Clandestine discover why it’s there and how, decades later, someone is still willing to maim and kill to preserve the mystery.
Is Adam the “love and leave him” type or looking for something more permanent? Does he have commitment issues and flip boyfriends like he does houses?
Funny you should ask. LOL One of the threads running through this series is the powerful but challenged relationship Adam has with Dirk Williams, his long-time lover who hasn’t quite made the commitment to admitting his sexual preference and publicly claiming Adam. Adam and Dirk have known each other since high school, where their mutual attraction was limited to occasional, secretive gropings in dark places and they’ve shared a lot of pain since those first times together.
Adam is continually having to re-evaluate whether it’s worth the pain to keep working at their relationship, but something inside him just won’t let him give up. He loves Dirk and his loyalty to his friends and loved ones is one of Adam’s most endearing traits.
Without giving too much away, what secrets are the boy toy and the house hiding?
Well, I’ve already touched on the surprise in the wall, but the house also holds other surprises that cause Adam and his crew serious concern. There are signs that someone with a twisted mind once lived in the house—such as violent, disturbing drawings on the walls, covered over with a child’s wallpaper, and a horrific discovery under the rose bushes in the back yard.
The boy toy is a conundrum for Adam. Sean actually used to live in the house, but seems conflicted about his feelings for the place—alternately asking to be allowed to walk through it and then disappearing instead of going inside. As Adam uncovers Sean Buford’s heartbreaking story, he’s torn between his compassion for the man and unease over the young man’s strange behavior.
What is at stake for Adam? Is he at risk at losing something he loves?
He’s at risk of losing everything. His business, his reputation, even his life. And adding to the stress of the situation are his confusing feelings for Dirk, who has shown up apparently hoping to heal their fractured relationship.
Does it surprise you that many readers of M/M are woman?
It does actually. In fact I blogged on this very subject. Here’s part of what I wrote:
Manlove romance is arguably one of the hottest genres right now and has been for some time. Just look at the bestseller lists at any of the etailers and you’ll see that Manlove romance dominates. Women love the genre! At first glance this may seem strange. Why would women enjoy reading about love and sex between two men? Why not between two women?
Maybe these fans love stretching the envelope a bit. Maybe it’s the tang of forbidden fruit that attracts them. Or perhaps they want some insight into how the male mind works. Whatever it is, a well-written Manlove story flies off the shelves, eagerly consumed by a rabid and adoring audience.
You can read the entire post here.
What are you cooking up next? Will we see more of Adam? What can readers expect?
A Hoale Lot of Trouble is Book 1 in the Hoale Construction Mystery series. I recently released Book 3, with plans for a Christmas novella entitled, Oh! Hoaley Night!, which is scheduled for a November release. I’m very excited about this fun series and plan to keep writing it for a while yet. Blurbs for the other two books in the series follow.
*****
Blurb for Book 2: Hoaley Ill-Manored:
A 200 year old manor house, a questionable death, and a cache of stolen jewelry. Who will kill to keep their secrets?
The gang flips a 200 year old manor house in the beautiful, rolling hills of Brown County, Indiana. Unfortunately the house is the site of a suicide, the result of a broken romance, and is rumored to be haunted. Adam and Maddy get caught up in the story of the young couple who were torn apart by family, local events, and something sinister that still seems to be stalking the house. It might not be a ghost, but whatever it is, it has the potential to be deadly.
*****
Blurb for Book 3: Hoaley Inexplicable:
Bringing Bobby’s Gym into the twenty-first century should have been fun. But the dead guy draped over the weight machine definitely took the joy out of it!
The Hoale Construction gang has taken on the task of bringing Bobby’s Gym into the twenty-first century. But the dead guy hanging from the new lat machine is putting a serious crimp in their timeline. When Bobby becomes the number one suspect for the murder, Adam and the gang are forced to try and clear him. But who is the guy? And was Bobby really the last one to see him alive? Questions only seem to multiply the deeper they dig. Until they uncover a connection with a group of thugs who call themselves the Indiana Mobsters. Things just continue to spiral downward from there.
Where can readers find you and your books? (links, purchase and social media)
The books are available in all the usual places. To access links for ALL of the available sites, along with reviews and excerpts, you can visit each book’s page on my website:
A Hoale Lot of Trouble
Hoaley Ill-Manored
Hoaley Inexplicable
BOOK REVEAL & EXCERPT
BOOK BLURBSexy gay construction company owner, Adam Hoale, sometimes gets more than he bargained for when he flips a house!
Adam Hoale owns a construction company called, predictably, Hoale Construction. When he finds an eye opening surprise in the walls of a house he’s flipping, and a libido flaring surprise standing on the lawn, he’s willing to do the right thing with the surprise in the wall while entertaining dirty thoughts about the surprise on the lawn.
But as the world finds out what he discovered, and his new boy toy seems to be keeping too many secrets to make a relationship a reality, Adam soon realizes he may just get flipped himself if he’s not careful.
BOOK EXCERPT
Excerpt from A Hoale Lot of Trouble, Declan Sands
Adam grinned. “You want another drink?”
“Maybe just one more.”
Adam signaled the waiter over and put in their drink order. Then he looked at Sean, grinning wickedly. “How about chocolate cake?”
Sean shook his head. “Not a chance, I have to guard my boyish figure. But go ahead if you want to. I might steal a bite.” His eyes sparkled intimately, making Adam’s stomach tighten. He looked at the waiter. “One slice, two forks please.”
The waiter winked and turned away. Adam watched him walk across the restaurant and then sucked in a breath as the front door opened and a familiar face and form entered.
Dirk’s gaze found him almost immediately, as if he’d known Adam would be there. He felt a shock of surprise as their eyes met, their gazes tangling across the space.
The young woman with Dirk was draped over his arm, speaking to him animatedly. Dirk seemed to be ignoring her. His full attention was fixed on Adam.
“Is something wrong?”
Adam jerked his gaze away from Dirk and gave Sean a strained smile. “I just saw someone I knew.”
Sean turned toward the door, his sexy eyes widening. “Is that Dirk Williams?”
Sucking back a sigh, Adam nodded.
“You know him?”
Adam tried not to frown but he wasn’t entirely successful. It had always been the same. Once Dirk walked into the room, nobody had eyes for anybody else. “We were friends…once upon a time.” He stiffened his spine and asked, “Would you like me to introduce you?” Please say no, please say n—
“Sure! I’ve always thought he was so yummy. Are the rumors true?”
You mean the rumors that he’s a dick? “What rumors?”
“Oh, never mind. He’s coming over. I’ll just engage my gaydar. It almost never steers me wrong.”
Dirk led his date toward their table, the frazzled Hostess in tow. He engaged his trademark grin as he came within a few feet of the table and extended his hand. “Hello, Adam. How nice to see you again.”
He stood up and took the other man’s hand. At six foot two, Adam was close enough to Dirk’s height, about an inch taller, to look him directly in the eye. “Dirk.” Adam turned to Dirk’s fluffy decoy date, just to annoy him. “And who is this lovely lady?” He reached for her hand and bent over it like European royalty, lifting it to his lips.
She giggled prettily.
“This is Macy.” He smiled in her direction. “Macy, darling. This is my old friend, Adam Hoale.”
Macy blinked, then sucked in a breath and laughed, covering her rose petal lips with her hand. Seeing Adam’s face she stopped. “Oh. Sorry.” She blinked. “You’re not joking?”
Dirk the Dick grinned at Adam, his intense, green gaze sparking with mirth. “Nope. That’s actually his name.”
Sean stood up and offered Dirk his hand. “I’m Sean. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Williams.”
Dirk slid a lazy gaze toward Sean, his lips quirking. “Hello, Sean. Call me Dirk, please.” He held Sean’s gaze a beat longer than he should have and Adam could almost hear his date’s gaydar humming.
“Well, don’t let us keep you from your dinner.” Adam glared at him.
Dirk’s jaw flexed with irritation at the obvious dismissal, but he recovered quickly, flinging Sean another smoldering glance. “Of course. I’ll see you at the house, tomorrow, Adam.” He lifted a hand in a wave and turned away, following the busy Hostess to their table on the opposite side of the restaurant.
Adam stood there, his mouth ajar, until Sean touched his arm. “Are you all right?”
Blinking rapidly, Adam nodded and dropped back into his chair. He wanted nothing more than to get the hell out of the restaurant. But he had that damn cake coming. “I’m fine. I’m just surprised. I didn’t know Dirk was coming to look at the house tomorrow. He must have spoken to my realtor.”
And Adam was gonna choke Mink with his epaulets for not warning him.
Sean settled back in his chair, picking up his fresh drink. “Is that a problem?”
“A problem? Yes.” Then realizing what he’d said he amended, “It’s just not ready for viewing yet. I’d hoped to get farther along…”
They sipped their drinks in silence for a moment.
“So is Dirk planning on buying the house?”
Adam didn’t miss the disappointed tone of Sean’s voice. “It’s possible. I understand he’s moving back to Indy. The house will certainly fit his overblown ego when it’s done. And god knows he has the money.” Adam took a much larger sip of his wine than he’d planned, nearly draining his glass.
Sean sat forward, touching Adam’s arm. “What’s wrong, Adam. You seem worried about something.”
Adam toyed with his glass for a beat and then broached the subject of the grisly discovery in the house. “What do you remember about the house on Jackson, Sean?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, do you remember anybody making any drastic changes to it when you lived there. Like adding a wall…” Cutting up bodies into itty bitty bits and arranging them in the insulation like a grisly Picasso?
He shook his head. “Not really. I mostly just have impressions, nothing concrete I’m afraid. Why do you ask?”
“We’ve been tearing some stuff down…” He watched the younger man carefully for a reaction. He didn’t see one. “One wall in particular. It seems to have been put up after the house was built…way after. The house is a hundred years old. But the type of insulation in the wall is something that has only been available since 1986. So we know the wall was added much later. Probably in the nineties.”
Sean seemed to be thinking about Adam’s question. “In 1995 I would have been only ten…” He shook his head. I vaguely remember some construction, but I couldn’t tell you the details. Unfortunately I’m one of those people who only remembers the traumatic events from his childhood.” He slanted Adam a curious look. “What’s so important about when the wall was added?”
Adam briefly considered lying to the other man, but that wouldn’t get him what he needed so he decided to be straight with him. “I’m afraid we found something in that wall today, when we started to tear it down.”
“Oh really? What?” Sean looked only mildly curious.
Adam held his gaze as he said, “The skeleton of a four fingered human hand.”
Curiosity turned to alarm in the sexy blue eyes. Sean leaned forward, lowering his voice. “You what?”
Adam nodded. “It’s true, I’m afraid.”
Sean’s handsome face darkened. “You’re lying! Why are you lying to me?”
Adam felt his eyes go wide with surprise. He’d expected a range of different emotions…but anger hadn’t been on the list. “I assure you, it’s true. What do you know…?”
Sean pushed his chair back and stood. The chair tottered on its two back legs for a beat and then settled to the floor. By the time it landed, Sean was already heading across the restaurant, toward the exit.
Adam stared after him, shocked. What the hell had that been about?
As the restaurant door whooshed shut behind his date, Adam slid his gaze toward a distant table and a curious, green gaze.
Dirk lifted an eyebrow and Adam shrugged.
“Would you like your cake to go, sir?”
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
ARe
Smashwords
COPY OF the FULL SERIES: Hoale Construction
TODAY’s QUESTION
Question: If you were given the choice of reading M/F or M/M romance on a rainy Sunday afternoon, which would you choose and why?
For a chance to win the complete Hoale Construction series (all 3 titles) respond to this question in a comment below (Don’t forget to leave your email address so we can notify you if you win!)
For extra chances to win: RAFFLECOPTER
Filed under: Author Open Mic, Guest Author Tagged: adam houle, construction worker, declan sands, giveaway, m/m, new release
May 17, 2013
Frederick Book Festival ~ Gods, Myths, Magic and Supernatural Panel Discussion
E-ventplex the Home of the Great Frederick Fair
797 East Patrick Street
Frederick, MD 21075
Event Date: Saturday, May 18, 2013
Event Time: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
If you’re busy on Saturday, stop by Barnes & Noble at the FSK Mall on Friday, May 17, 2013 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Some of our featured authors will be there for a signing.
**********
Panel Discussion, 4-5 pm (TENT B):
Gods, Myths, Magic and the Supernatural
History is rich with opportunity, an author’s playground and a reader’s delight. This diverse panel will discuss the implications of using gods, myths, magic, and supernatural elements in their writing. From inspiration and research to the written word, find out how they do it…
Author questions:
Introduce yourself, the genre you write and most recent release.
Where do you gather the inspiration for your book and why? (specific time period, historical event, myth, legend etc…)
What elements can be found in your writing?
One or two interesting facts you discovered while conducting your research for the book.
Historical accuracy or breaking new boundaries? What can readers’ expect?
Describe the rules for your world?
Conclusion: Open floor for readers’ questions and answers session.
Panel Host/Member:
Jean Murray
Bio: In her pursuit of a nursing degree, Jean Murray aspired to see the world and joined the Navy. At the end of 2011 she said a heart-breaking goodbye to her Navy family and retired after twenty years of military service. Although her dreams of writing full time have yet to come true, she continues her writing journey and draws inspiration from her travels abroad. She enjoys spending time with her family and of course, writing about the “Carrigan sisters and their mates, Gods of the Underworld,” to bring you the next installment of the Key to the Cursed series.
Author Jean Murray brings a wonderful new spin to the paranormal world with her Egyptian Underworld gods. She broke ground in the paranormal romance genre with Soul Reborn and now continues the Key to the Cursed journey with Soul Awakened, Soul Unbound and Soul Unleashed.
You can learn more about Jean at:
Web Address: www.jean-murray.com ; http://www.keytothecursed.com
Blog Address: www.wickedromance.wordpress.com
Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJeanMurray
Twitter: http://twitter.com/wickedromance
Panel Members (alphabetical order):
Dana Marie Bell
Bio: Dana Marie Bell wrote her first short story when she was thirteen years old. She attended the High School for Creative and Performing Arts for creative writing. When her parents moved out of the city and placed her in a Catholic high school for her senior year she tried desperately to escape, but the nuns held fast. She’s now a USA Today best-selling author.
Dana lives with her soul-mate and husband Dusty, their two maniacal children, an evil ice-cream stealing cat and a bull terrier that thinks it’s a Pekinese. She also suffers from a rare inflammatory arthritis and can be seen walking with a cane or tooling around in her mobility scooter. Her condition was the inspiration for Belle’s hip injury in Steel Beauty.
You can learn more about Dana at:
Website: http://www.danamariebell.com
Blog: http://danamariebell.blogspot.com
Twitter: @danamariebell
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dana-Marie-Bells-Fan-Page/185916691436341
Laura Kaye
Bio: New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller Laura Kaye is the author of a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Laura grew up amidst family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses, cementing her life-long fascination with storytelling and the supernatural. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day. Laura is represented by Karen Solem of Spencerhill Associates.
You can learn more about Laura at: http://laurakayeauthor.com
Meg Lacey
Bio: Meg Lacey wrote her first novel in the sixth grade, but her fiction writing career didn’t last. She went into theatre for a bachelor and masters in acting/directing. She ended up in media as a writer-producer.
Over the years, she has been an actress, director, producer, creative director, CEO, copywriter, creative dramatics teacher, mime, mom, college instructor, and a school bus driver. She established two creative marketing/media companies, working as a V.P. and as CEO, working in all media: network cable programming to corporate initiatives; to video, games and interactive websites.
Her past and current books are all available online.
You can learn more about Meg at:
Website: www.meglacey.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/meglaceybooks
Loni Lynne
Loni Lynne is a stay at home mom, domestic goddess, U.S. Navy Veteran and lover of all things vintage/shabby-chic/Victorian and antique. From china cups and tea sets to lace doilies crocheted by hand (her grandmother made the best) she believes a touch of femininity never goes out of style. Growing up all over the country she’s been lessed with experiencing a good deal of culture and lifestyles. Much like her personality, she has eclectic tastes in what she likes to read and write. There is no ‘one’ genre in which she settles for. God and fate have been big influences in her life. Both have taken her to places she never thought she’d be, both in the physical sense and in the spiritual. Everything happens in time for a reason. Sometimes you just have to… Believe in Fate
Her debut novel, Wanted: One Ghost, releases in June 2013.
You can learn more about Loni at:
http://www.lonilynne.com/index.html
Twitter: @lonilynne1
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com\lonilynne
Carrie Ann Ryan
Bio: Carrie Ann Ryan is a bestselling paranormal and contemporary romance author. After spending too much time behind a lab bench, she decided to dive into the romance world and find her werewolf mate – even if it’s just in her books. Happy endings are always near – even if you have to get over the challenges of falling in love first.
Carrie Ann’s Redwood Pack series is a bestselling series that has made the shifter world even more real to her and has allowed the Dante’s Circle and Holiday, Montana series to be born. She’s also an avid reader and lover of romance and fiction novels. She loves meeting new authors and new worlds. Any recommendations you have are appreciated. Carrie Ann lives in New England with her husband and two kittens.
Carrie Ann loves hearing from readers. Visit the links to the left to contact her.
You can learn more about Carrie Ann at:
Filed under: Events Tagged: featured authors, frederick book festival, gods, magic, myths, panel discussions, supernatural
Frederick Book Festival, May 18 ~ Featured Author Laura Kaye
We are in the home stretch for the Frederick Book Festival – Saturday, May 18th from 9am to 6pm. There over 40 featured authors, which I personally can’t wait to meet – Children’s books, Young Adult, Steampunk, Romance, Paranormal…. the list goes on. There will be author panels, book signings, kids corner, book seller, food vendors. ALL DAY FUN!!
And, IT’S FREE to the PUBLIC!
Event Location:
E-ventplex the Home of the Great Frederick Fair
797 East Patrick Street
Frederick, MD 21075
Event Date: Saturday, May 18, 2013
Event Time: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
If you’re busy on Saturday, stop by Barnes & Noble at the FSK Mall on Friday, May 17, 2013 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Some of our featured authors will be there for a signing.
Let me introduce you to some of the featured authors that will be there Saturday!
*************
[image error] Click to view slideshow.
FEATURED AUTHOR
Laura Kaye
New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller Laura Kaye is the author of a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Laura grew up amidst family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses, cementing her life-long fascination with storytelling and the supernatural. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.
Look for Laura at the following panels:
10am, Dive Into the World of eBooks with Entangled Publishing, Tent B
11am, For the Love of Paranormal, Tent B
2-4pm, Featured Author Book Signing, Bookseller Tent
4pm, Gods, Myths, Magic and the Supernatural, Tent B
Author Website: http://laurakayeauthor.com/ , http://laurakayeauthor.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/laurakayewrites
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurakayeauthor
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/laurakaye
BOOK INFO
She’s the only one who can see through his golden boy façade to the broken god within…
Chrysander Notos, Supreme God of the South Wind and Summer, is on a mission: save Eurus from his death sentence and prove his troubled brother can be redeemed. But Eurus fights back, triggering vicious storms that threaten the mortal realm and dangerously drain Chrys.
Laney Summerlyn refuses to give up her grandfather’s horse farm, despite her deteriorating vision. More than ever, she needs the organized routine of her life at Summerlyn Stables, until a ferocious storm brings an impossible—and beautiful—creature crashing down from the heavens.
Injured while fighting Eurus, Chrys finds himself at the mercy of a mortal woman whose compassion and acceptance he can’t resist. As they surrender to the passion flaring between them, immortal enemies close in, forcing Chrys to choose between his brother and the only woman who’s ever loved the real him.
Title: South of Surrender
Author: Laura Kaye
Series: Hearts of the Anemoi #3
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: 400 pages
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Imprint: Entangled Select
ISBN: 978-1-62061-033-6
Purchase from Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/d6x2mzz
Purchase from Barnes &Noble: http://tinyurl.com/boovg89
Add to GoodReads: http://tinyurl.com/c2d756e
Filed under: Events Tagged: featured author, frederick book festival, laura kaye, NYT bestseller, paranormal romance, usa today bestseller
May 16, 2013
Frederick Book Festival, May 18th ~ Featured Author Meg Lacey
We are in the home stretch for the Frederick Book Festival – Saturday, May 18th from 9am to 6pm. There over 40 featured authors, which I personally can’t wait to meet – Children’s books, Young Adult, Steampunk, Romance, Paranormal…. the list goes on. There will be author panels, book signings, kids corner, book seller, food vendors. ALL DAY FUN!!
And, IT’S FREE to the PUBLIC!
Event Location:
E-ventplex the Home of the Great Frederick Fair
797 East Patrick Street
Frederick, MD 21075
Event Date: Saturday, May 18, 2013
Event Time: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
If you’re busy on Saturday, stop by Barnes & Noble at the FSK Mall on Friday, May 17, 2013 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Some of our featured authors will be there for a signing.
Let me introduce you to some of the featured authors that will be there Saturday!
*************
Click to view slideshow.
[image error]
FEATURED AUTHOR
MEG LACEY
Over the years, Meg has been an actress, director, producer, creative director, CEO, copywriter, creative dramatics teacher, mime, mom, college instructor, and a school bus driver. She’s established two creative marketing/media companies, as a V.P. and as CEO, working in all media: network cable programming to corporate initiatives; to video, games and interactive websites. Meg is published with Harlequin, Imajinn Books, Samhain Publishing and now Entangled Publishing. Learn more about Meg and her books on her website or at any online bookstore. Look for her new books, Something’s Cooking from Entangled Publishing, 8/13; The Sparrow and the Hawk, out now. The Sparrow and the Vixens Three, 11/13, and Million Dollar Mistake, 9/13.
Website: www.meglacey.com
Email: meg@meglacey.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/meglaceybooks
BOOK INFO
Book Released: 9-30-12
The Sparrow and The Hawk, Meg Lacey
Imajinn Books,
ISBN# 978-1-61026-097-8
BOOK BLURB
Saving the world from evil and chaos is hard, but falling in love is even harder.
Jillie Harte, the Sparrow, a film maker, is an agent for NAS (Normal, Abnormal, Strange) Agency. She must find The Carmaletta Choker before it destroys the world.
Griff Ryland, aka the Hawk, Jillie’s new cameraman, needs to retrieve the choker. As a shapeshifter, he feels certain of success. But he doesn’t bargain for a sassy, sexy redhead—and for his urge to settle their differences in bed.
Read Excerpt:
www.facebook.com/meglaceybooks
Filed under: Events, Uncategorized Tagged: featured author, frederick book festival, meg lacey, the sparrow and the hawk
May 15, 2013
Frederick Book Festival, May 18 ~ Featured Author Linda Alexander
We are in the home stretch for the Frederick Book Festival – Saturday, May 18th from 9am to 6pm. There over 40 featured authors, which I personally can’t wait to meet – Children’s books, Young Adult, Steampunk, Romance, Paranormal…. the list goes on. There will be author panels, book signings, kids corner, book seller, food vendors. ALL DAY FUN!!
And, IT’S FREE to the PUBLIC!
Event Location:
E-ventplex the Home of the Great Frederick Fair
797 East Patrick Street
Frederick, MD 21075
Event Date: Saturday, May 18, 2013
Event Time: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
If you’re busy on Saturday, stop by Barnes & Noble at the FSK Mall on Friday, May 17, 2013 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Some of our featured authors will be there for a signing.
Let me introduce you to some of the featured authors that will be there Saturday!
*************
[image error]FEATURED AUTHOR
LINDA ALEXANDER
Growing up starry-eyed amid the ’70s, Linda Alexander began writing of well-known movie and TV stars, soon figuring out how to work fascinating details into biographies and novels. Since the early ‘80s, she’s written for magazines, newspapers, and websites. Credits include Soap Opera Update, Spotlight, Baton Rouge Advocate, Washington Times, and she has appeared on The Oprah Show. With six books now on the market—4 biographies, 2 dark, sexy suspense novels—and a few more due this year, characters live large in her head 24/7, forever talking to her. She always talks back, and conversations are always entertaining. She’s an adjunct faculty member at her local community college with a popular course, “Getting Into Character: How To Develop Your People.”
Linda’s made her biggest mark writing about classic Hollywood stars. In 2008, she published the life story of Golden Era movie star, Robert Taylor, Reluctant Witness: Robert Taylor, Hollywood, & Communism. In 2011, her current publisher, BearManor Media, brought out A Maverick Life: The Jack Kelly Story. Kelly co-starred in the ‘50s – ‘60s, still wildly-popular TV western, Maverick. Due in 2013: re-publication, with photos, of her Robert Taylor biography, as well as I Am Mr. Ed: Allan “Rocky” Lane Revealed, biography of the well-established B-movie cowboy actor who voiced TV’s infamous talking horse, Mr. Ed. Contact Linda at lindajalexander@gmail.com, and on Facebook or Twitter.
Watch for Linda at the following panel:
“Through the Looking Glass: Reflections on the Publishing Industry
and Self-Publishing” panel.
BOOK INFO
Jack Kelly, the man, was a child performer, son of New York model, Nan Kelly, brother of actress, Nancy Kelly, brother-in-law of actor Edmond O’Brien and cinematographer Fred Jackman, Jr. From 1957 until 1962, Jack Kelly, the actor, played James Garner’s brother on the TV show, Maverick. Truth is, he was on the show longer than Garner … and women would often say he was the reason they kept coming back for more. They still say that, even though the show’s been in re-runs for decades.
He was also a child star in the late 1930s, drove A Crooked Road with Mickey Rooney in 1954, went to Hell and Back with Audie Murphy in 1955, and took a trip to the Forbidden Planet in 1956 with Leslie Nielsen. In the late 1960s, he was on the cutting edge of Sale of The Century as the host, was able to Get Christie Love in 1975, and helped babysit the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew in 1977. Between the late 1950s and early 1970s, Jack Kelly played on virtually every episodic TV show that ever aired. All of this before he pseudo-retired from the small and large screen and served as a city councilman, and then the two-term mayor, of Huntington Beach, California. He was also a newspaper publisher.
Jack loved, and was loved by, some of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. He became a husband, and he would probably tell everyone that his greatest joy ever was in being a father.
A Maverick Life: The Jack Kelly Story is the first biography ever written about this underrated, talented actor, performer, bon vivant, and politician. The book covers his life from his earliest days through to his untimely death.
Jack Kelly really LIVED.
*****************************
Linda J. Alexander
lindajalexander@gmail.com
http://www.lindajalexander.net/
http://www.authorsden.com/lindajalexander
http://www.twitter.com/lindaalexander
http://www.facebook.com/lindajalexander
A Maverick Life: Fans of Jack Kelly … on Facebook
COMING 2013 from BearManor Media
:
I AM MR ED … ALLAN “ROCKY” LANE REVEALED
Out November, 2011:
A MAVERICK LIFE: THE JACK KELLY STORY
http://tinyurl.com/Jack-Kelly-pre-order
… one of BearManor Media’s bestselling books!
PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED:
RELUCTANT WITNESS: ROBERT TAYLOR, HOLLYWOOD, & COMMUNISM
Filed under: Events Tagged: & communism, a maverick life: the jack kelly story, bear manor media, biographies, classic hollywood stars, featured author, frederick book festival, hollywood, linda alexander, movie stars, reluctant witness: robert taylor
