Tanya Contois's Blog, page 21

Review of Hostile Witness by Rebecca Forster

Hostile Witness by Rebecca Forster (Legal Thriller)


I picked up this book because it was free and had a ton ofgreat reviews. The story grabbed me right from the beginning and although itwent through a slight lull I’m glad I stuck with it. It picked up again andfinished strong.
Josie Baylor-Bates is a criminal defense attorney, who gaveup the fast track to practice law in a small California beach town firm. An oldcollege friend asks Josie to defend her sixteen-year-old daughter accused ofmurdering her step-grandfather. Josie develops an immediate bond with the girlwho has more problems than just her legal issues. The characters were very welldeveloped, the story flowed nicely, and the author included a few surprises.Overall I thought the writing was very good and worth your time and attention.This is Book #1 of The Witness Series. The author as several other titles aswell.


Available on Amazon (currently FREE) http://www.amazon.com/HOSTILE-WITNESS-thriller-Witness-ebook/dp/B002Z7G0QO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1343765082&sr=1-1

Barnes and Noble Nook (currently FREE) http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hostile-witness-rebecca-forster/1100072705?ean=9780615595917


Lia Fairchild is awriter and the author of the novel, In Search of Lucy, and the new mysteryseries, A Hint of Murder. Look for more on her at http://www.liafairchild.com/

Joan Swan interview and giveaway

1. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?

The Phoenix Rising series would make an excellent television series. With a team of 7 firefighters, political angst, conspiracy theories, paranormal abilities and secondary characters, a plethora of fantastic storylines exist…at least enough for three good seasons. J

2. Do you have writing playlists? If so, what artists are on them?

Yes! I actually didn’t used to listen to music while I wrote. Nor did I identify songs that related to my characters or my stories…but my critique partner changed all that. Elisabeth Naughton relies heavily on music while writing and always creates a playlist for her books. She often puts all the songs on one CD and plays it in the car while toting her kids around when she’s working on a book. It’s a great way to keep your mind toiling about the story in your “off” hours.

The first book I did this with was BLAZE, the second book in the Phoenix Rising series which releases at the end of September.

I tend to love songs that tell a little story, a vinette of sorts. Artists that I typically include in playlists include Rascal Flats, Carrie Underwood, Daugherty, Evanescence, movie sound tracks and various other country-pop musicians.

3. What is your favorite way to spend your time when not writing?

Sleeping. J I don’t get enough and I absolutely LOVE sleeping. Especially afternoon naps in a quiet house. Heaven.

4. What author would cause you to have a fangirl moment if you met them?

Oh, so many!! I had a fangirl moment with Suzanne Brockmann years ago and she was so fabulously cute about it! I’d have another now. Karen Slaughter, Harlen Coben…

5. If you were writing a book based on a song, what song would it be and why?

I actually have a file on my desktop that’s entitled “Lyrics That Inspire” because I find so many great songs that create little movies start playing in my head.

Here’s a song from the list: I still miss you, by Keith Anderson and the why is because I’m a ridiculous sucker for reunion stories and tortured heroes.


I've changed the presets in my truck
so those old songs don't sneak up
they still find me and remind me
yeah you come back that easy
try restaurants I've never been to
order new things off the menu
that I never tried cause you didn't like
two drinks in you were by my side

I've talked to friends
I've talked to myself
I've talked to God
I prayed liked hell but I still miss you
I tried sober I tried drinking
I've been strong and I've been weak
and I still miss you
I've done everything move on like I'm supposed to
I'd give anything for one more minute with you
I still miss you
I still miss you baby

I never knew til you were gone
how many pages you were on
it never ends I keep turning
and line after line and you are there again
I dont know how to let you go
you are so deep down in my soul
I feel helpless so hopeless
its a door that never closes
no I don't know how to do this


I've talked to friends
I've talked to myself
I've talked to God
I prayed liked hell but I still miss you
I tried sober I tried drinking
I've been strong and I've been weak
and I still miss you
I've done everything move on like I'm supposed to
I'd give anything for one more minute with you
I still miss you
I still miss you baby

Intimate EnemiesPurchase Links: Amazon | B & N | Smashwords She is on a quest for answers; answers that could just get her killed.
Six months after the mysterious yacht explosion that killed Cassie Christo’s mother and stepbrother, authorities still have no answers to the cause. Searching for closure, Cassie returns to her childhood home on the Pacific Coast of Baja, Mexico, where she launches her own investigation into the accident. She never expected to find an adversary in the man who had once touched her heart with kindness in her darkest moment.
Rio’s been fantasizing about reconnecting with Cassie for months. But not here and sure as hell not now. As an undercover agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he’s working the biggest sting operation in all of northern Mexico, and he definitely doesn’t have time for the wild attraction he feels for Cassie.
Not only is his cover on the line, so is his heart. Because as the end of a yearlong operation draws closer, Rio knows if he tells Cassie the truth about who and what he is, it won’t only jeopardize his mission, it may result in him losing her forever. And if he doesn’t, his lies and deception could get them both killed.

Joan Swan Bio
I was never a star English student or a Literature buff, but I’ve always had a creative soul and an active imagination. Writing was a natural culmination of those two talents.
I write what I like to read: romantic suspense. I write for entertainment and escape–the same reasons I love to read. I prefer real-life language, so you’ll find profanity in my work when it fits the character. I prefer open-door sex, so my love scenes are typically hot and steamy. And because my stories involve suspense, you’ll often find violence, mystery and an inside look at the intricate world of forensics. Occasionally, I like to dabble in the lighter side of paranormal as well.
I am agented by the fabulous Paige Wheeler, founding partner of Folio Literary Management in New York. My debut novel, FEVER, releases from Kensington Brava in April 2012. Book 2 in the series, BLAZE, releases fall 2012. My editor at Kensington is the wonderful Alicia Condon, Editorial Director for Brava.
A triple RWA Golden Heart finalist as well as a double Daphne Du Maurier finalist, I am a lover of craft and closet-hoarder of writing craft how-to books.
In my day job, I work as a sonographer at UCSF Medical Center, a location with an intensity that makes me slightly insane…which works well with the writer in me. Not to mention all the character material I have access to–and I’m not talking about the patients (well…mostly).
I have been married twenty years to my own personal hero, a veteran firefighter, we have two beautiful daughters and are blessed to live in the heart of wine country on the gorgeous Central Coast of California.
To keep up with Joan's latest news & releases please visit her online:Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads
Joan is giving away 2 e-copies of Intimate Enemies. To enter leave a comment with your favorite hero and your email address.

Excerpt and cover reveal for Power by Kristie Cook

I never heard the rest of Tristan's sentence—what he didn’t want me to think. The handsome guy thought I’d nodded to him and had me by the hand, stumbling over his own feet as he dragged me to the dance area. As soon as we stepped onto the sunken floor, his hands were on my hips, pulling me close to him. For a brief moment, I forgot about all the mind signatures, the twirling lights and pounding music and could only think about how strange it was to be that close to a man other than Tristan.
But only for a brief moment. Before I could even do anything, a growl ripped through the music—or maybe just through my head—and Tristan was suddenly between the guy and me, his back to me and his arms out protectively. The drunk guy swung without even looking, and Tristan caught his wrist in mid-air. With the pain of the grip, the guy finally looked up into Tristan’s face. His eyes grew wide and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he gulped. He gave me an apologetic frown as he carefully stepped away from the dance floor.
Tristan turned back to me and wrapped his hands around my waist, pulling me to him as he swayed to the music. I looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

“You can talk to girls all night but I can’t dance once?”
His nostrils flared. “There’s a difference. His hands were all over you.”
“I had things under control.”
He leaned closer to me and growled in my ear. “I didn’t like it!”

Book birthday: Craved by Stephanie Nelson

Thank you guys for offering to spread the word about my anniversary giveaway. I was trying to think of the best way to send you guys the information, because there’s a lot of it. Below I’ve redone the setup I used on my website. July 25th marks one year since I published Craved – Book 1 in the Gwen Sparks Series. It’s been an amazing rollercoaster and has forever changed my life. I’ve met some fantastic people, learned a lot and most importantly, found something I want to do with the rest of my life—write. The support of my readers, friends and family has been amazing to say the least. To show my appreciation, I’ve put together one heck of a giveaway. Because of you guys, Craved reached #1 on Amazon’s bestseller’s list and #5 on Barnes & Noble’s bestseller’s list. Thank you guys for making my first year of being publish something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Check out what you could win below!


8 Signed Paperbacks

13 Ebooks

$100 Amazon Gift Card

$20 Barnes & Noble Gift Card

Plus swag (postcards, boomarks, magnets, mousepads from multiple authors!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

Possibilities of Amy by Jaye Frances

Thank you, Tanya, for having me back on All Things Books with my new coming-of-age romance novella, The Possibilities of Amy. It’s a story inspired from a personal experience—the discovery of a “secret love.” It happened during a high school reunion, when a past and nearly-forgotten classmate re-introduced himself, and then divulged his feelings for me over a glass of merlot. Although it had all the ingredients to qualify as one of the most embarrassing moments of my life, it was far from awkward. It took me back to the days of Friday night football games, dances in the gymnasium, and all those Saturday nights I spent at home, just waiting for the phone to ring. After reminiscing for an hour or so, we said goodbye and the night became another memory—one I knew I had to write about. 
 
In The Possibilities of Amy, the main character, David, is a shy high school senior, infatuated with the new transfer student, Amy. But unable to find the courage to approach her, he waits in torment, hoping for the just the right opportunity. When he finds out that his pals also have their sights set on Amy, he does his best to keep his fantasy romance a secret. Not an easy task, especially when your best friends are devising plans of conquest, and hatching a scheme to determine who will be the victor of the spoils.

In the following excerpt, David finally overcomes his shyness. Shoring up his confidence with nervous energy, he joins in a classroom discussion, hoping to open a conversation with Amy.

Here’s an excerpt:

The girl on my right began flipping through her paperback study guide as if it were a deck of playing cards. “Well, most of us think The Merchant of Venice is a porno script. On a more personal note, I’ve decided on pizza for dinner.” She hesitated for a moment, and then added, “Oh, and Amy’s not sure about anything.”

Her unexpected jab at Amy caught me off-guard, and without thinking, I nervously repeated it. “Not sure?” I froze as I heard the challenge in my voice. I had to say something else, something that would soften my unintended but apparent arrogance. With as much concern and sincerity as I could muster, I turned to Amy. “Why is that?”

The group fell quiet. In the wake of what should have been tremendous pressure, I was surprised how calm and unaffected I felt.

Amy looked up, as if suddenly aware that the group’s attentive silence was focused on her. She brought a hand to her face, allowing her fingers to hover over soft, flawless lips. As they lightly settled against her cheek, her pastel blue eyes seemed to gaze directly into mine, and then deeper, as if making sure I was really there, ready and listening.

To look at her—just to look—gave me such a sense of quiet fulfillment. Even if I never touched her, or sat this close to her again, I would always remember her face, poised to speak, to answer my question.

“I didn’t say I wasn’t sure, and I’m not disagreeing,” she began. “I just thought it was interesting how Bassanio offered his wife to Antonio—not as payment, but as a gesture of gratitude, of friendship. Know what I mean?”

Her voice was soft, compelling, and she had returned my question with another. Our dialogue had begun. So simple, so easy. I felt a sudden rush of excitement.

Then it struck me. What the hell was she talking about? I hadn’t read the assignment.

“Do you think that was common practice?” I tried to sound interested, hiding my confusion. “I mean, do you think a friend might have been obligated to make that kind of offer?”

Amy’s expression turned thoughtful. “Oh, I see. Because a real friend would also have been obligated to decline. I didn’t think of that. What else?”

What else? What do you mean, what else? That’s it. That’s all I’ve got.

Here’s a brief synopsis:

Amy is the ultimate trophy girl—gorgeous face, killer body, and a vivacious personality. But there’s something else about her, something that makes her even more special. Amy is new. A transfer student from out of state, she’s starting her senior year without knowing a soul. And that means she’s up for grabs, available.

Infatuated from the moment he sees her, David is determined to meet Amy, and if the fates are willing, to spend the rest of his life with her. But his shyness prevents him from approaching her—until his friends devise a contest to determine who will be the first to prove their manhood by seducing her.



 Jaye Frances is the author of The Kure, a paranormal-occult romance novel, The Possibilities of Amy, a coming-of-age story of high school romance, and The Cruise-All That Glitters, a humorous adult satire about a single guy hoping to have a romantic encounter at sea. Her upcoming work, scheduled for a Summer 2012 release, is titled The Beach, a sci-fi fantasy about a man who is given the opportunity to receive his ultimate wish and lives to regret it. She is also a featured columnist for the NUSA SUN magazine. Born in the Midwest, Jaye readily admits that her life’s destination has been the result of an open mind and a curiosity about all things irreverent. When she’s not consumed by her writing, Jaye enjoys cooking, traveling to all places tropical and “beachy” and taking pictures—lots of pictures—many of which find their way to her website. Jaye lives on the central gulf coast of Florida, sharing her home with one husband, six computers, four cameras, and several hundred pairs of shoes. For more information, visit Jaye’s website at www.jayefrances.com, or Jaye’s Blog at http://blog.jayefrances.com

Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13551398-the-possibilities-of-amy

My Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/jayefrancesauthor

Link for The Possibilities of Amy on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Possibilities-of-Amy-ebook/dp/B007LPVXIA/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332085581&sr=8-1-fkmr0


The Possibilities of Amy is Available Now
in kindle eBook on Amazon for only $.99


You can also download the book to your cloud reader, computer, Smartphone, and tablet with one of Amazon’s FREE reading apps. Here’s the link:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=sa_menu_karl3?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

One Kindle version of Possibilities of Amy by Jaye Frances is up for grabs. To enter leave a comment with your name and email address. The giveaway will close on July 28, 2012

Using Pinterest by Lia Fairchild

If you’re on Facebook, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Pinterest. Or, at least you’ve seen some posts by your friends and thought “WTH is this Pinterest thing?” Well, after telling myself I didn’t have time for another app, I finally took the plunge and joined in. So what’s it all about? Picture a wall in your kitchen. You decide to put up a bulletin board and post a bunch of your favorite recipes on it. Each recipe you find, you “pin” to your board from somewhere on the internet or your computer. Then you decide to create another board of your favorite books and start pinning those up. Each “board” is a separate category and each “pin” is a picture on the board. Your pictured pin can be uploaded from your computer or link via a site on the Internet. On Pinterest you will see everything from celebrities, models, and babies, to food, fashion, books and décor. You can create as many different boards as you like, and add pins in those categories to each board. And like Facebook, your friends can “like,” “comment,” or “repin” any of your pins. There is a main page that pops up when you first open the site and there you can see all the latest pins. I have to admit it seemed confusing at first, but the concept and execution is very simple. Let’s go through the process from start to finish. Let’s say you create a board called “Beautiful Book Covers.” First select “add pin” in the upper right hand corner and then you go to Amazon, your computer, or wherever you find those covers. (Note: if you have more than one board while pinning make sure the drop down menu is on the board you want to pin to). When you’re done pinning all your selections to your board you can choose to create another board or you can look for other people’s pins to repin to your board. You could have a friend that has a “Favorite Books” board. You notice an incredible looking cover they’ve pinned that you’d like to add to your “Beautiful Book Covers” board. So, you just hover across the top of the picture and select “repin.” This lets you add that pin to your board. (Note: If you pulled your pin from The Net then when people click on the picture it will lead them back to where you got it.) When you first get started, I suggest you click on “Find Friends” located in the upper right hand corner pull down menu. It should give you a list of your Facebook friends that are on Pinterest as well. Then you can go to their pages to get some ideas and you can “follow them” as well. You also have the option to “invite friends” that are on Facebook but not on Pinterest yet. A menu on the left hand side of the screen will report activity to you similar to Facebook. Here the main page of Pinterest: http://pinterest.com Here’s mine; a work in progress to give you an idea: http://pinterest.com/liafairchild/Good luck and happy pinning! Lia Fairchild is a writer and author of “In Search of Lucy” and the murder mystery series “A Hint of Murder.” Look for more about her and updates on her next book at http://www.liafairchild.com/ or follow her on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/#!/liafairchild

Broken

Watching my heart bleed,
As crimson drops trickle from the slice,
I have to comprehend,
How it must fill your soul with a unsatisfying glee,
For the strings laced around your fingers,
They pull, whip and possess,
Every action of mine is beyond my control,
While the trace of yourself still lingers,
Perhaps you realize that I can never leave,
How my trail always returns,
Causing my presence to shatter others,
So broken am I, forever alone to grieve

~Dominique Weldon


Wow, this is my first poem in about months! I know you can't really forget how to 'write' something, but I kinda have... I just need some more practice, in the meantime, I'm going to keep doing weekly poems:3

Website
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Deviant Art

Promo for The Nameless Prince by Dominick Domingo

Seth Bauman has issues. His Mom split ten years ago, right after his birth, and guardian Uncle Troy won't discuss the past. Seth's only friend is Mexican immigrant Elena, whom he must walk home from school through Silverlake's gang-ravaged streets. When Elena is abducted by local gang 'the Mayans,' Seth has no choice but to follow the Boatman of the L.A. River into the sprawling network of sewers and metro tunnels concealing Mayan headquarters. To Seth the great labyrinth unfolds as a magical realm called 'the Interior,' whose residents immediately deem him the 'Nameless Prince' of prophecy, sent to save them from peril.
    To find Elena, Seth embarks on an odyssey of riddles and self-discovery. Only in 'Interia' is it safe to discover the truth about his past, and the forgiveness that will set him free. In rescuing Elena he rescues his own innocence. In fulfilling prophecy by learning his name, Seth discovers the greatness that lies within.

Excerpt and purchase link: Book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcYISQLNEFM


About the author:

Dominick Domingo is a veteran Animation Artist (Lion King, Pocahontas, Hunchback, Tarzan, Fantasia.) who's illustrated YA books for Penguin, Random House, Lowell House, Disney Publishing, Hyperion Books, and Harcourt. Developing original screenplays as a filmmaker led to a growing writing resume. To capitalize on it, Dominick recently penned a collection of Narrative Nonfiction essays titled "Jesus Shoes," two of which have been included in anthologies. One of the essays, 'L'Epiphanie,' was awarded the 2011 Solas award in the humor category for 'Best Travel Writing.' The Nameless Prince represents Dominick's foray into Young Adult urban fantasy. He'd be happy to retire as a full-time author. He lives in the Silver Lake neighborhood of L.A., surrounded by hipsters.

Author web site: Author blog:   http://www.dominickdomingo.com
IMDB page:  LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dominick-domingo/0/841/905
Author Interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY37r94SJj4&feature=relmfu

Review of Fever by Joan Swan

Dr. Alyssa Foster will admit to a bad boy fetish. . . But when she finds herself face to face with a convicted murderer with a ripped body, a determination for freedom and an eye on her as his get out of jail free card, Alyssa knows she's in deep trouble. . .. Not just because Teague Creek is a prisoner desperate for freedom, but because his every touch makes her desperate for more.A man with a life sentence has nothing to lose. . .Teague Creek has one shot at freedom, but his plan to escape with a hostage develops a fatal flaw: Alyssa. On the run from both the law and deadly undercover operatives who know of his strange abilities, he needs to avoid trouble, but every heated kiss tells him the fire between them could be just as devastating as the flames that changed him forever.




Fever by Joan Swan starts with a bang with a serious case of mistaken identity that sets the stage for a sizzling hot romantic suspense novel that will leave your pulse racing. The character of Teague Creek is the token bad boy with a rough exterior that hides his gentler side. The way each of the characters play off one another and their dialogue is just one of the things that I love about this book. I found myself liking the characters Alyssa and Teague more and more as the story progressed because Alyssa was not afraid to fight back at all and while Teague does certain things most people wouldn't do, I was able to understand the reasoning behind his actions. I mentally applauded when Luke and Teague overcame their differences and worked together to stop Zasser, someone from Teague's past who is ruthless and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. The relationship between Alyssa and Teague proves that the line between love and hate is indeed a thin one.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fever-joan-swan/1103264824?ean=9780758266385

http://www.amazon.com/Fever-Joan-Swan/dp/0758266383/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1336838177&sr=8-2

All Things Books has a new website

Hi everyone,

I am so lucky to have so many people who follow this blog and I hope that you all will follow us to our new website www.allthingsaboutbooks.com. to keep up with our author interviews, guest posts, and upcoming giveaways!

<3 Tanya