Karen Docter's Blog, page 160
March 5, 2018
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: CHRISTMAS WITH THE DRAGONS (Omega Chronicles Book 2) by Artemis Milchon
[image error]KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
~~
CHRISTMAS WITH THE DRAGONS
Omega Chronicles Book 2
BY ARTEMIS MILCHON
Blurb
It’s Christmastime. Sally’s first with her new family, and she’s determined to do it right. She wants to introduce the Omega to her favorite holiday. Enemies lurk, Mach and Turbo are fighting, her powers are growing out of anyone’s control, and the guys seem determined to be obtuse about it … but nothing gets between a dragonswan and what she wants, especially not a pregnant one.
This holiday short is a gift to our readers everywhere. Enjoy this glimpse into the world of the Omega and the continuing evolution of the dragon queen.
Reviews
“The Last Dragon was just awesome! The author’s storytelling had me hooked from the start. I highly recommend this author. I will buy books from her in the future.” — DebA from Night Owl Reviews, TOP PICK AWARD
“This is a great read for anyone who likes paranormal romances that have a diverse group of characters. I have always enjoyed the shifter stories that had different groups having to work together to achieve success.” — Reviewed by LiaL for TheRomanceReviews.com, Amazon Top 100 Reviewer
“The story had moments of sweetness and serious moments of intensity toward the end that will absolutely keep you “IN” the story. I definitely look forward to seeing what happens next as Milchon set the stage for the next Omega to find his love and salvation.” — BookChick Blog Reviews
“Dragons, water beings, shadow movers plus their enemies all blend together to make this a really great book. ” — Long and Short Reviews, given a gold star and labeled BEST BOOK
This was a great love story. — Cranky Author’s Book Blog
~~~
[image error]CHRISTMAS WITH THE DRAGONS
Omega Chronicles Book 2
BY ARTEMIS MILCHON
Excerpt
“Welcome to your home, Your Majesty.”
“You mean welcome back.” His hissing voice in her head made her long to scratch. Something in her pushed him out, uncomfortable with the intrusion.
He landed them on the ledge outside the cave where she’d stayed last time she was here. Of course, then she was with Drake, and as happy as she’d ever been to finally understand herself and her mother’s obsession with all things dragon.
Now she felt as if she had a mean case of chicken pox trying to erupt.
Tam was waiting for them when they arrived. “Your Majesty,” he bowed low.
“Get up, Tam. You know I don’t like all that bending and scraping.”
“Very well,” he rose, his eyes moving over her face. “I see your dragon is rising in power. This is excellent news, but you cannot let her loose, your Majesty, until you have delivered your shexian.”
“Shexian means baby,” she translated, her hand covering the small mound of her stomach.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Just call me Sally, please.”
“Very well, Sally. You must control the dragon side until you are safely done with your pregnancy.”
“I’m trying,” she yelled at him as the itching sensation grew.
“Talk to her,” he suggested. “This is called a quickening, a time of great change. It is why your body has altered so much of late. You feed the dragon and your young. It is bound to make some emotions difficult to handle.”
“Is that why I’ve lost so much weight? I eat constantly.”
“It takes much to feed three,” he pointed out.
“You have no idea. Not that I’m complaining.”
“Of course not, Your Majest—I mean, Sally.”
“Thank you. Can you please spread to the others they should call me Sally as well.”
“No.”
“Excuse me?”
“I apologize, Sally, but it would not be right.”
“Tam, I wasn’t raised to expect all this formality.”
“Your Majesty, I fear you ask me something beyond my power. You were the one who came and woke us from our slumber, returning our very life force. You were the one who empowered us to live our lives once more. I cannot possibly order our people not to show you their appreciation and obedience.”
“Fine, but no bowing. It isn’t required. I’d like to think we all respect each other.”
“I shall let it be known.”
A crack of thunder split the air, and in the distance she could see a burst of light. “That’s Drake, isn’t it?”
“I believe so.”
“He’s probably pissed at me.”
“For leaving Sanctuary when you are carrying his young … going through the tesseract when you had no idea if it would harm you … flying with another dragon, a young male warrior, who would be a perfectly suitable mate for you, unlike that of the traitor to all dragons.”
“I’m gonna let that knock on my husband pass, since I may need you to protect me in a few minutes.”
“Your Majesty is as wise as she is beautiful.”
“Kiss ass,” she muttered. “Were you explaining why he’s mad or preparing my indictment?”
“Just being helpful.”
Sally stared at him, noting his half smile and twinkling eyes. “Tam … do you actually have a sense of humor?”
“No, your Majesty. I do not believe such a thing to be possible.”
Drake came swooping down in dragon form, his purple and black scales glowing with a pulsing light. His eyes were bright rubies as they settled on her, and she knew without a doubt she was in deep doo-doo. Straightening her spine, she tried to do her best, ‘I’m your Queen’ look at him.
Tam laughed.
When she whirled on him with accusation, he held up both hands as a sign of peace. “My apologies, Sally. But after trying so hard to get me not to call you by your proper title, when you try and pull the ruler role on your mate, I was bound to consider it somewhat humorous.”
“I thought you said you didn’t have a sense of humor.”
“I considered it wise at the time.”
“To lie?”
“Am I interrupting or could you please pay attention to the vital matter at hand.”
Sally turned to her husband, longing to punch Tam in the head. Seriously. He was supposed to help her. “I’ll get to you in a minute,” she informed her husband.
He took one step toward her, changed into his human form without breaking his stride, and picked her up in his arms. Drake kept walking until they were inside the cave where he tossed her onto their bed. “You left me.”
“You grounded me,” she accused him. “How could you? I’m a grown woman, Drake.” Standing on the bed, she hit him in the chest. “I’m not only an adult, I’m a damn Queen. The savior of our people, and you grounded me like an errant child. I cannot believe you would even dare to be angry with me right now.”
The itching grew and she felt her skin harden. Looking down, a strange haze seemed to be gathering over her arms. “Sally-mine,” he growled.
“Being married means being equals …”
She looked up and caught her eyes in the mirror over the basin in the corner. They were amber with fiery centers as her skin continued to flash between her normal peach and a gold fog.
“Sally-mine, calm down.”
Inside her head, she heard a mighty roar. Her anger seemed to change in an instant from wanting her husband dead to just … wanting. Looking at him, she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him onto the bed, throwing him to his back. Proving he was wise, he let her. Straddling his hips, she stretched out, purring loudly as his heated, hardened frame seemed to be the perfect place to press her soft body. Their mouths fused together, lips dueling, tasting, and taking as fast as she gave. Her hand moved down to slide over his length, pressing so hard into the seam of his jeans she imagined the zipper was screaming in agony. “There is no calm down,” her voice was deeper and seemed to have an echo attached. This was when she understood that two beings were talking.
[image error]Meet Author Artemis …
WHO AM I?
I’m a reader … a dreamer … a birthday candle wisher. I’m someone who feels joy when good things happen to great people. I’m a believer in true love, three-day kisses, and butterflies in your tummy when you see that special one. I’m hope. I’m a writer of romance … for how can it possibly be wrong to put more love in the world?
I’m Artemis. Nice to meet you. Please visit me on social media and get to know my friends.
~~~
Links to Artemis’s website, blog, books, etc.
Buy Links: avalerionbooks.com
Social Media:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/artemis.milchon?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: @ArtemisMilchon
~~~
[image error]**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**
Avalerion will give away an ebook copy of CHRISTMAS WITH THE DRAGONS to one lucky commenter who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.
Thanks, Artemis, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
March 4, 2018
**Author Peek** Interview with NEVER AGAIN: A Prequel Short Story (Dangerous Secrets Book 1) Author RM Alexander
[image error]KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
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INTRODUCING AUTHOR RM ALEXANDER…
Before we get started talking about your writing, tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from, what you do for a living (if you’re not a full-time writer) what hobbies you have, etc. Whatever you’d like to share to introduce yourself.
Thank you for having me! I’m RM Alexander, a romantic suspense author. When I’m not writing, I’m a stay at home wife and mom who homeschools my two kiddos and a Sheprador furbaby. I adore Disney, Ghiradelli chocolate, and am a movie buff. One of my favorite movies is Pride and Prejudice (the Kiera Knightley version) and my favorite book is 11/22/63.
1. What genre(s) do you write in and why?
I write romantic suspense because it gives me freedom to really dig into some interesting subplots. I enjoy juicy stories where you kill as much about the subplot as you do the main plot. That’s what I like to create for my readers.
2. What’s your favorite beverage?
OJ
3. If you had to listen to one song over and over again for a whole day, what would it be?
Hmm. This changes. One of my favorite songs is “Stuck on You” by Lionel Richie, so I guess that’s my answer. But then, I haven’t listened to it in a while. Right now, my favorite artist is Colbie Caillat and I listen to her more often.
4. What is your least favorite part of writing?
The first draft. It’s hard, a little like giving birth.
5. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
This one is easy! LOL! Florida, because I’m a Disney nut.
6. Are you an avid reader? When you do read someone else’s writing, what is your favorite genre?
I am, and my favorite genre is romantic suspense.
7. Where do you get the ideas for your stories?
Everywhere: dreams, songs, taking a walk on a sunny day. That’s what so wonderful about writing.
8. Tell me about your ideal reader.
Anyone who likes twists and turns that keep you guessing and sweet romance.
9. If you were to choose one superpower, what would it be?
To fly. It would be so freeing to have no boundaries and no limits.
10. Tell us about your next book & when is it being published?
Colton Paine enters the Witness Security Program with one regret-leaving behind the woman he loves before telling her how he feels. He tries to settle in the new life, but can’t find a foothold. But when the same people who want him dead appear on Savana’s news broadcasts, it becomes clear leaving wasn’t the answer. He sneaks home to effort to protect her, but the question quickly becomes if he’s just put both their lives in danger.
Until Tomorrow releases on April 2.
~~~
Be sure to come back to learn more about RM Alexander’s book, NEVER AGAIN, on Wednesday’s Book Bench blog!
~~~
Links to RM’s website, blog, books, etc.
Website: http://www.rmalexanderauthor.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/RM-Alexander/e/B00HY5U1N0
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rmalexanderauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rmalexanderauth
~~~
[image error]**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: RM is giving away an ebook copy of NEVER AGAIN to one lucky reader who comments on her **Author Peek* Interview or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs.
Thanks, RM, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
March 1, 2018
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with MEADOW’S KEEP, The Gatekeepers Series Book 2 by Shanon Grey #recipe ~ Drunken Pot Roast
[image error]Karen’s Killer Fixin’s
**AUTHOR SPECIAL**
with Shanon Grey!
Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!! Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors. Introducing author, SHANON GREY, and her favorite recipe for DRUNKEN POT ROAST!!
~~~
MEADOW’S KEEP
The Gatekeepers Series Book 2
BY SHANON GREY
BLURB
Jasmine Monroe once felt like damaged goods. Not anymore. Her latent abilities, although appearing too late to save her from a brutal attack, keep her safe from anyone hurting her again. Secure in that fact, she’s moved on. Until she meets her first love’s doppelganger.
Eryk Vreeland, a misfit and an embarrassment to his upper-class/upper-crust family, is a magician. His shows are renowned, his contributions to charity astronomical, his illusions precise. Except—not everything is an illusion. Sometimes, there is real magic.
Forced together to rescue and protect a young woman, safeguards must come down and, when that happens, their attraction strengthens—beyond their control—until they can barely tell where one person stops and the other begins.
Will they surrender to a legacy or risk a disaster to stay apart?
MEADOW’S KEEP
The Gatekeepers Series Book 2
BY SHANON GREY
EXCERPT
Prologue
Jasmine Monroe hauled the suitcase out from under the bed and, using both hands, hoisted the reinforced leather case onto the mattress. With swift movements, she flipped the latches on either side of the handle. Sweat beaded and slid down the cleavage between her breasts. She twisted her shoulders and pulled the damp T-shirt away from her body, fanning it.
She threw back the lid. Inside lay a tangled mass of chains and locks, some open, some closed. She grabbed a large lock and cursed when it resisted her tug, captured by the weight of the chaos around it. Holding the closed padlock in her right hand, she narrowed her eyes, focusing on the mechanism. She heard a crackle as the current moved from her body. The shackle slipped out of the lock and twisted to the side. She upended the lock to allow the chains to fall back into the suitcase and tossed the lock on the bed.
Jasmine thrust her hand back into the mass of chains. Using the back of her left forearm, she wiped the sweat away from her upper lip. Ah, gotcha! She twisted through the chains and yanked several times. The $1,400.00 military-grade titanium padlock moved a few inches, then stopped, still attached to two heavy-duty links of metal. As before, she held the padlock and concentrated. Nothing happened. She pressed her lips together. Her obsidian eyes narrowed. As her other hand moved forward, she resisted the urge and pulled it back. No, she had to be able to do it single-handed. She felt the energy build and move into her hand. With a loud pop, the padlock’s shackle gave way. She yanked it free of the chains and, turning around, slid down the side of the bed to the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Her gaze drifted down. Through the blur of tears, she could still see the scar on her wrist. Never again would some son of a bitch chain her to anything. Never again would another person have control over her body.
[image error]Meet Author Shanon Grey…
Shanon Grey weaves romance and suspense with threads of the paranormal. She tells stories about Ruthorford, Georgia, the quintessential perfect southern town and its very special inhabitants. What started out as one story has evolved into many, each revolving around Ruthorford by request of her increasing readership. MEADOW’S KEEP is the story of Jasmine Monroe and being different in a town known for its differences. It is currently available in both digital and print from your favorite bookseller. Her other Ruthorford stories are The Shoppe of Spells, Glynda’s Dare, and Pennyroyal Christmas. She is currently working on two new releases, with anticipated release this year. Shanon publishes under Crossroads Publishing House and TOVA Publishing House and her books are available in e-format and print from most booksellers. She also supplies books for charitable causes and special occasions (signed) and can be reached easily on her Facebook page to order from her directly.
Shanon spent her life on coasts, both the beautiful Atlantic and the balmy Gulf. Hurricane Katrina taught her the fragility of life and the strength of friendship, family, and starting over.
She just found out that her son salvaged notes and pages of her original novel, Capricorn’s Child, which she thought has been destroyed with everything else. (Ironically, a neighbor found her marriage certificate in a tree.) She plans to resurrect her original novel one day.
She currently lives in Coweta County, Georgia, trading the familiarity of the coast for the lush beauty and wonder of the mountains, where her husband fulfilled her lifelong dream—to live in a cottage in the woods, where inspiration abounds.
Links to Shanon’s website, blog, books, etc.
THE SHOPPE OF SPELLS
MEADOW’S KEEP
GLYNDA’S DARE
PENNYROYAL CHRISTMAS
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2EjGawP
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2H2kXVT
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2eWRiDW
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2snzSqb
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2G357J5
Smashwords – http://bit.ly/25rqtIo
Goodreads – http://bit.ly/1SJDAfb
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ShanonGrey
Twitter – http://twitter.com/ShanonGrey
Visit Shanon Grey: http://shanongrey.com/
Contact her at sprtdldy52@yahoo.com. She would love to hear from you.
I hope you enjoy the recipe Shanon is sharing today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy Eating!
Karen
P.S. We’re at 363 recipes and counting with this posting. Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.
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ABBOTT BED & BREAKFAST DRUNKEN POT ROAST
By Shanon Grey
If you ever visit Ruthorford, one of the places deemed a “must see” is the Abbott Bed & Breakfast. The huge Victorian, with its massive wrap-around porch, is situated alone on a corner on Main Street where it has the perfect view of all the shops and the large median that runs down the middle. A hub of activity for Ruthorford and her visitors, the large dining room a frequently full, especially when its Drunken Pot Roast is on the menu. Teresa, the owner of the beautiful B & B, and a descendant herself, has graciously given permission for me to share the family recipe. Enjoy…it’s absolutely magical!
Note: The ingredients are approximate and can be increased or decreased to your liking, as can be what is added. It can be cooked in a roasting pan or in a roasting bag, your choice. It’s never the same but the results always appear to be outstanding. That’s the magic!
DRUNKEN POT ROAST
1 large chuck roast (depending on the family size, somewhere between 4 and 8 pounds. If you are like we are, you will find you wish you’d had more.)
2 large (or more, depending on the size of the onion and liking) Vidalia or sweet onions
1 small bag of “real” carrots, cut into chunks (you can use the baby ones, but they don’t seem to have the best flavor)
1 3-lb bad of mixed small potatoes (Yukon and Red are my favorites) (you can use any kind you like, I like these because all I have to do is wash and throw them in, plus, they are pretty)
Any other favorite things you want to add in terms of veggies. I sometimes add mushrooms, but generally stick to the above because, for hubby, the above is his favorite.
Flour for dredging meat and thickening gravy. (If using a roasting bag, I usually add about 4 – 1/8-cup measuring “thingy” that stays in my flour container)
Mrs. Dash original, Season All, Salt and Pepper, or any other seasoning you like
2 – 14.5 oz cans of Swanson’s Beef Broth (or you can use 32 oz carton, depending on roasting bag or roaster – you might have some left over in the carton but can use it to add to beef stew leftovers – I’ll get to that)
1 can about 14.5 oz Burgundy (I put a half can in each of the beef broth cans to get out all the flavor) (you can add more or less, depending on your taste or how the day has gone)
Frying pan, if you are browning the meat
Small amount of oil for browning meat if you are using roasting pan method
1 large roasting bag (use a large turkey bag to get everything in) and a pan to rest it in, or roasting pan, depending on your method of choice)
Preheat oven to 375 for roasting bag (or lower if your oven temp is slightly off. Can’t use bags in 400 or over). (You can do between 350 – 400 for roasting pan, but make sure things don’t stick to sides at higher temps)
[image error]For roasting bag: Put flour and seasoning in roasting bag and shake. Pat dry chuck roast with paper towels and add to bag. Make sure flour gets all over the meat.
Place in pan with sides to hold the bag (instructions are usually on the bag)
Add veggies
Add broth
Add burgundy
Close up bag, slit holes in top, tuck end, place in preheated oven.
Cook for approximately 3 hours, checking every hour. Being careful, I take it out of the oven and use the oven mitts to lift ends and sides to get the juice around the meat and stir the veggies. Be careful! It is extremely hot. Try to not get the liquid out of the holes.
Plating: Being careful, I slit open the bag and remove the meat to the serving plate, take the veggies out with a slotted spoon, then, if I’ve cut the bag right and can lift it to a big bowl, empty the gravy into the bowl. The flour will have thickened the gravy.
For roasting pan: Pat dry chuck roast and dredge in flour/seasoning mixture. Brown all sides of the meat in small amount of oil in frying pan. Transfer to roasting pan.
Add veggies to the roasting pan (I sometimes dredge those in the flour to get more flour in the roasting pan.)
Deglaze the frying pan with some of the burgundy and pour over roast and veggies
Add broth (depending on the size of your pan, you may want add more broth)
Add rest of burgundy
Cover with foil
Cook in over for approximately 3 hours (checking every hour to make sure nothing is sticking and everything is moistened.
[image error]Plating: remove roast to serving plate. Remove veggies to bowl with slotted spoon. Pour gravy into serving bowl or gravy boat.
ENJOY!!!
NOTE: After dinner, cut up the meat into bite-size chunks, as well as veggies, pour the gravy over and mix. It is the best beef stew. I sometimes add some frozen peas to the stew when reheating it. Let it heat thoroughly before checking the thickness. If too thick, add a little beef broth, burgundy or both. It will freeze beautifully, as well. I usually serve biscuits with the stew. My family prefers my cheese drop biscuits (Jiffy box recipe with lots of shredded cheddar cheese added.) Two delicious meals for the effort of one.
~~~
[image error]SPECIAL GIVEAWAY!! The winner gets the choice of one of three print books, The Shoppe of Spells, Meadow’s Keep, or Glynda’s Dare, signed by Shanon Grey.
Thanks, Shanon, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
February 28, 2018
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: THE CUPCAKE CAPER & SHAKEN, NOT PURRED (Undercover Cat Series, Books 1 & 2) by Kelle Z. Riley
[image error]KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
~~
[image error]THE CUPCAKE CAPER
Undercover Cat Series, Book 1
BY KELLE Z. RILEY
Blurb
Science is about solving puzzles. Why should solving a murder be any different?
Dr. Bree Watson (aka Gabriella Catherine Mayfield-Watson) is comfortable solving chemistry problems. She isn’t comfortable finding her boss dead and being a suspect in his poisoning. Now she’s juggling:
•A sexy marketing manager—who may, or may not—be a contract killer.
•A handsome lead detective whose interest goes beyond the case.
•The dead man’s cranky cat.
•A goose-chasing dog in hot water with an animal rights group.
•The search for the perfect cupcake recipe.
•And, of course, someone who wants her out of the picture.
And she thought getting a Ph.D. was hard.
SHAKEN, NOT PURRED[image error]
Undercover Cat Series, Book 2
BY KELLE Z. RILEY
Blurb
Be careful what you wish for . . .
Bree Watson traded her lab coat for a trench coat, expecting the life of a spy to be fun. But when a body turns up on her undercover mission, she’s forced to handle:
A murdered woman with more enemies than meets the eye
A hunky handler posing as her fake boyfriend
A sexy detective bent on wooing her—and wooing her away from espionage
A drop-out drug dog with a nose for trouble
Her cranky cat, curious coworkers, a cupcake challenge she can’t resist, and too many secrets, lies and cover identities to keep straight…
In the whirlwind of investigations and undercover operations, Bree develops a serious identity crisis. Who is she, really?
A spy pretending to be a chemist? Or a chemist playing at being a spy?
“A plot full of twists…a super smart sleuth…a smidgen of romance. Cupcake baking scientist Dr. Bree Watson will lure the readers in with her intelligence, and capture them with her charm.” Denise Swanson, New York Times Best Selling Author
“This new series will leave you wanting more.” Amazon Reviewer, xxxx
“A delightful and intriguing cozy mystery” NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars
“Can’t wait for the next book!” Amazon Reviewer, 5 stars
“A great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. . . willl keep you reading long into the night.” NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars
~~~
[image error]
SHAKEN, NOT PURRED
Undercover Cat Series, Book 2
BY KELLE Z. RILEY
I’m so excited to be here today, sharing my book with Karen’s readers. Writing mysteries is a great way to vent my frustrations with daily life. Any and every bad day now becomes inspiration for a character, a plot device or a situation. Forgive me if I occasionally fantasize about finding the body of a super-annoying store clerk stuffed into a shopping cart in a deserted corner of the store!
Today, I’d like to share an excerpt from my latest book: Shaken, Not Purred. In it, my chemist heroine must go undercover to try to infiltrate a suspected drug ring. Along the way she finds both murder and more romantic complications than she bargained for. Here’s a peek at her with her spy handler:
Excerpt
Bree hustled along the second-floor walkway toward her boss’s office. Officially she worked for a scientific staffing company. Unofficially, Sci-PHi was a front company for the espionage activities of Matthew Tugood and his former partner. Tugood handled spy missions through his Special Projects Division. His partner—she assumed—financed the operations using cash from his sprawling conglomerate of companies.
Bree steadied herself with a deep breath and knocked on Tugood’s door. He opened it and gave her a warm smile before ushering her in.
What Tugood’s office lacked in space, it made up for in security. The walls consisted of soundproof, and presumably, bulletproof material. They closed the main door and walked to a bookcase. Bree ducked under Matthew’s arm and tugged on a worn copy of Webster’s Dictionary. The shelves swung open, revealing a hidden elevator. Bree stepped inside.
“How did the staff meeting go with Troy?”
Bree shrugged. “The usual pompous-ass behavior.”
“Are you sorry we picked him for the role of department head? We could have promoted Kiki instead.”
Bree’s gut cramped at the thought of even more lying to her best friend. “No, Troy is easier for us to manipulate and control.” She sighed. “Today he was just miffed about not being invited to my meetings with you. He thinks you might want to promote me to his position.”
Matthew followed Bree into the elevator and the bookcase door closed behind them. The already small space shrunk to something barely larger than a test tube. A pheromone-filled test tube. As always, being near Matthew caused Bree’s pulse to speed up and her senses to go on alert. She inhaled the faint whiff of soap radiating from his clean-shaven jaw.
“So, is that all? He’s worried about his job?”
Bree swallowed. “No.” The heat from Matthew’s body wrapped around her, as potent as a physical caress. “He also thinks you want me for your lover. It’s ridiculous.”
“No, it’s not,” Matthew replied slowly. He leaned against the elevator wall, pushing farther into her space. Close enough for her to watch his eyes darken from a stormy-sky gray to deep charcoal. Her heart pounded faster and she sucked in a breath saturated with his scent. His essence. “I think being lovers would make a great cover.”
The elevator lurched to a stop. Bree pushed past Matthew to open the door. “Get over yourself, Tugood.” She fought the lightheadedness that her sudden movement caused. “Even if someone would buy that story, I doubt I could pull it off.”
“Posing as my girlfriend would strain your acting abilities?” The grin he flashed her reeked of mischief. “I think you were very convincing just now in the elevator.”
Want more? The books are available on all on-line retailers and by special order in stores.
[image error] Meet Author Kelle Z. Riley…
Kelle Z. Riley, writer, speaker, global traveler, Ph.D. chemist and martial artist weaves bits or her real life into the Undercover Cat Series books: The Cupcake Caper and Shaken, Not Purred feature a scientist-turned-sleuth who juggles mystery, romance and the search for a perfect cupcake recipe.
By day she is a full time chemist working in water treatment with multiple U.S. patents. At night she turns into an author whose accolades include finals in the RWA Golden Heart and numerous chapter contests. More information on her workshops can be found on her website.
~~~
Links to Kelle’s website, blog, books, etc.
The Cupcake Caper (Book 1 of the Undercover Cat Series)
Free excerpt: http://pxrgjl.bookhip.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LQLKTNO?ref_=pe_2427780_160035660#nav-subnav
Signed :
http://www.author-author.net/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=25743
Book Club:
http://www.author-author.net/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=25749
Shaken, Not Purred (Book 2 of the Undercover Cat Series)
Free excerpt: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/e4wyr9dwjp
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1548523836/ref=rdr_ext_tmb
Signed:
http://www.author-author.net/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=25832
Book Club:
http://www.author-author.net/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=25833
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kellezriley
Twitter: www.twitter.com/kellezriley
Website: www.kellezriley.net
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bkXs5n
Reading for Treasure Blog Link:
http://www.kellezriley.net/thanks-mom-you-were-right/
You tube Books are Magic link:
http://bit.ly/2eJVv8M
Cupcake Caper Trailer:
https://youtu.be/D7Esh-fTvvU
~~~
[image error]**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**
Compliments of Kelle Z Riley
One lucky commenter will be eligible for a custom “Grab N Go” bag. (Sorry, continental U.S. only.)
Grab & Go Bag
Be ready to go at a moment’s notice whether you’re leaving for:
A critical mission
A weekend with the girls
An escape to your own tub with a book and a cool beverage
Each gift contains spa goodies and assorted travel essentials, tucked into a one-of-a-kind package. May contain surprises like hand-crafted sewing/jewelry boxes!
No two exactly alike!
~~~
Thanks, Kelle, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
February 27, 2018
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: LYING IN RUINS (Fate’s Vultures #1) & BEG FOR MERCY (Fate’s Vultures #2) by Jami Gray
[image error]KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
~~
[image error]LYING IN RUINS
Fate’s Vultures #1
BY JAMI GRAY
Blurb
In a world gone to hell, it’s hard to tell the good guys from the bad…
The world didn’t end in fire and explosions, instead it collapsed slowly, like falling dominoes, an intensifying panic of disease, food shortages, wild weather and collapsing economies, until what remained of humanity battles for survival in a harsh new reality.
Charity uses lethal survival skills learned too early in her work as a ‘Hound, sniffing out pivotal secrets for one of the most powerful people on the west coast. Her work is deceptive, deadly, and best performed solo, which means when she has a run-in with a member of the notorious Fate’s Vultures, she has no intention of joining forces in some mockery of teamwork. The man might be sexy as hell, but she travels alone. She will accomplish her mission and she will settle a score – hopefully with the edge of her blade. But fate has other plans.
As one of Fate’s Vultures, a nomadic band of arbitrators known for their ruthless verdicts, Ruin witnesses the carnage of corruption and greed battering the remnants of humanity, and he bears the scars to prove it. Now he has a damn ‘Hound showing up in suspicious circumstances, leaving every cell of his body skeptical – and painfully aroused. The woman is trouble, and Ruin has every intention of steering clear. But when they realize they have a common enemy, Charity and Ruin will have to set aside their distrust if they want to achieve their mutual goal – justice and revenge.
Sometimes, when the world’s gone to hell, it’s better to stick with the devil you know…
“…a solid dystopian story…well written…A re-read.”
“ … proof that love can be found in the most unlikely places and no amount of denial will deter its path! Feel the heat that blossoms in a world that has become a cesspool of death.”
“Jami Gray just got marked on my watch list!”
~~
[image error]
BEG FOR MERCY
Fate’s Vultures #2
BY JAMI GRAY
Blurb
Choosing a side has never been so dangerous…
The world didn’t end in fire and explosions, instead it collapsed slowly, like falling dominoes, an intensifying panic of disease, food shortages, wild weather and collapsing economies, until what remained of humanity battles for survival in a harsh new reality.
An assassin by trade, a loner by nature, Mercy is sent to infiltrate the Cartels and unmask the identity of their new silent partner. Instead, she discovers a darker plan threatening to crumble the entire Southwest and ends up with a hefty bounty on her head. Still, she’s determined to stop the impending attack at any costs, even if it means partnering up with a member of the notorious Fate’s Vultures.
After enduring a brutal, blood soaked lesson on the savagery of civilization’s scavengers, Havoc is well acquainted with the consequences of battling predators. But as a member of the nomadic band of arbitrators known as Fate’s Vultures, he’s determined to cement the necessary allies to oust the biggest threat looming on the horizon. When an enigmatic woman crosses his path, her secrets and troubling loyalty light the fuse on an unexpected craving and his insatiable curiosity.
In order to trap a common foe and derail an impending threat, Havoc and Mercy must turn the tables to hunt a predator. Can an assassin and a mercenary find their balance on the thin line of loyalty, or will it snap under the weight of their wary hearts?
~~~
[image error]
BEG FOR MERCY
Fate’s Vultures #2
BY JAMI GRAY
Excerpt
She didn’t mind lying to get a job done, but Havoc wasn’t a job and lying to him just felt wrong. Keeping things from him, on the other hand, she could justify, for now.
Interest lit his eyes, but it was the only change she caught in his relaxed position. ‘Sounds like a story there. Going to share?’
Now he wanted to bond? Deciding he wasn’t the only one who could dig up the past, she took her turn at the shovel. ‘Sure, if you share yours.’
A muscle twitched along his jaw. ‘I’m not the one who needs to shore up their foundation.’
‘Don’t you?’ she murmured, unable to resist needling him. No need to let him know that, despite their brief time together, she did trust him, a strange, and utterly unique experience. One she had no way to rationalize Oh, she didn’t expect him to lay his life down for her, but if he said he’d help her, he would. Just like he had so far. Still, years of hard earned experience made it difficult to admit.
‘I saved your curvy ass, even brought you to Istaqa.’ The smile curving his lips set her pulse pounding. It paired with his heated gaze to create a carnal promise mixed with a dangerous dare. ‘You don’t strike me as a woman who would let a man touch her the way you let me touch you last night, not unless she trusted him at some level. So I’d say my foundation is pretty damn solid right now.’ The evil, evil man didn’t cut her any slack. ‘Wouldn’t you agree?’
Her body answered before she could find her voice, a rushing tide of lust that left her hot and achy. ‘Maybe.’ Her hand tightened on her bottle as her tongue swept over her bottom lip. Despite the heat rising under her skin, she refused to back down. ‘Doesn’t mean it will survive when the storm hits.’
He threw back his head and laughed, an honest to God laugh. It transformed his face, turning all the hard edges into something mesmerizing Caught in the wonder of it, she startled when he straightened, leaned forward and wrapped a hand around her neck and hauled her forward. The table’s edge pressed under her breasts, but the discomfort disappeared as his lips closed over hers, his tongue sweeping in to tangle with hers in an unhurried rush.
He kissed her as if he had all the time in the world. She couldn’t resist the seductive dance and joined in, taking his intoxicating flavor deep. The tart bite of the brew added a cool edge to his dark taste. Her mind tumbled trying to place the elusive combination, a mix of heat and spice as it raced through her veins, sparking a voracious hunger. When he delicately bit down on her lower lip, a soft moan escaped. Then she returned the favor soothing his abused lip with a soft swipe of her tongue. She traced his lower lip lazily before he reclaimed control of the kiss.
He drew back slowly without letting go of her neck and stared into her eyes. ‘That storm?’
‘Yeah.’ It came out in a husky whisper. Still reeling from his kiss, she sucked in air and pulled back. He reluctantly let her go, and they settled into their seats, neither one looking away.
[image error]Meet Author Jami Gray…
Jami Gray is the coffee addicted, music junkie, Queen Nerd of her personal Geek Squad, Alpha Mom of the Fur Minxes, and award winning author of the Urban Fantasy series, The Kyn Kronicles, the Paranormal Romantic Suspense series, PSY-IV Teams, and her latest Romantic Suspense series, Fate’s Vultures. She writes to soothe the voices in her head.
~~~
Links to Jami’s website, blog, books, etc.
SOCIAL:
• Website: http://www.JamiGray.com
• Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/LvoZn
• Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.com/e/B006HU3HJI
• Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/JamiGray
• Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/JamiGrayWriter
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamiGrayAuthor
• Google : https://google.com/ JamiGray
PUBLISHERS:
Black Opal Books: BlackOpalBooks.com
Muse It Up Publishing: http://museituppublishing.com
Escape Publishing: http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/
BOOK LINKS:
Lying in Ruins – Fate’s Vultures #1
• Escape Publishing: http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9781489245656
• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lying-Ruins-Jami-Gray-ebook/dp/B06XS9BSVF
• Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lying-in-ruins-jami-gray/1126450833
• iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/shadows-edge-kyn-kronicles/id482595056?mt=11 https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/lying-in-ruins/id1239412414?mt=11
• Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/lying-in-ruins
Beg for Mercy – Fate’s Vultures #2
• Escape Publishing: http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9781489255198
• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mercy-Fates-Vultures-Jami-Gray-ebook/dp/B076C9JX8X
• Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beg-for-mercy-jami-gray/1127273688
• iBooks:
~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**
Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and two giveaways!
http://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/fates-vultures-book-tour-and-giveaway
The author is hosting an Amazon Giveaway for a kindle copy of Lying in Ruins (3 winners)!
https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/b35b15b3caf2aebd
Also, enter to win a $25 Gift Card to either Amazon or B&N!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks, Jami, for sharing your books with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read these books!
February 26, 2018
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: FIXED IN THE TEMPEST by Charmain Zimmerman Brackett
[image error]KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
~~
FIXED IN THE TEMPEST
BY CHARMAIN ZIMMERMAN BRACKETT
Blurb
As her daughter heads off to college, Lisa watches as her picture-perfect life starts unraveling. Lisa’s fulfilling career vanishes overnight due to budget cuts, and her loving husband’s battle with his own personal demons threatens to ruin their once stable marriage. Forced to make tough choices, Lisa looks for second chances. Can she have it all?
~~~
[image error]
FIXED IN THE TEMPEST
BY CHARMAIN ZIMMERMAN BRACKETT
Excerpt
“I’m sorry, Lisa. You know how much we value you and your work, but look around. We are operating on bare bones, bare budget and hardly getting out a newspaper, if you could even call it that anymore,” said James Harrison, who’d been Lisa’s editor at The Times for more than 25 years. “The newspaper itself is only a shadow of what it once was. It has fewer pages, and the page size has been reduced, but you know all of that.”
James shook his head as he looked at the paper he held up for Lisa, and he sighed.
“I remember when we actually had space for copy,” he said and placed it back on his desk.
Lisa looked out over the newsroom at the reporters’ desks. Of the 30 cubicles, only six or seven had people seated at them. Empty cubicles once meant reporters were out gathering the news, but the desks they left behind showed signs of life. Stacks of newspapers, piles of reporter notepads, coffee mugs and lots of notes and messages tacked on the computer monitor meant someone was working there. Not so today. The cubicles were void of the human touch. They were stark desks with only a computer monitor and telephone at them. A few had an Associated Press stylebook and a Webster’s dictionary.
She remembered her days on the job in the late 1980s and early 1990s before Spencer had arrived. Although it was a nonsmoking worksite now, then the newsroom was filled with a thick haze of cigarette smoke from the constant puffing of chain-smoking reporters and editors. Phones incessantly rang, and police scanners emitted a low hum and chatter about the pulse of the city. Sometimes, Harrison would bellow the last name of a reporter or two after he’d hear of a possible homicide on the scanner. He’d bark instructions and make sure they knew their deadline before shooing them out the door. He got louder after the stories were turned in. Reporters looked like whipped puppies with their tails tucked between their legs after Harrison finished quizzing them about the holes they’d left in their copy. They were often sent back to call their sources at late hours much to the annoyance of their sources, but there was a gap in the story that had to be filled.
The final flurry of tension came while copy editors finished off page details and sent clerks with paperwork to the back shop where people pasted stories and headlines the page. Copy editors often uttered expletives as the back shop called notifying them their headlines were too long, or that they need to take a look at the page because a story was too long and needed cuts – literally, as the story pasted to the mock-up page was too long, and a blade would have to be used to sever the words and drop them to the floor, often to the chagrin of the reporter.
Lisa had never heard anyone yell “Stop the presses.” That scenario was fodder for movies, but she’d heard plenty of colorful phrases as an editor looked at a page proof and caught an error minutes before the page was set to print. But those days were long gone too as the nature of the newsroom had changed to its digitized space.
Even on semi-quiet days in Lisa’s young career, there was electricity in the air because reporters were working on investigative pieces in an effort to trump the city’s competing paper, The Gazette. It was a sad day when The Gazette finally folded.
On this day, there were only two writers churning out their copy as they blocked out the newsroom noise with their ear buds.
“Isn’t there anything I can do?” she pleaded. “I was hoping to ask for a full-time job in the next few months.”
“With budget cuts, the only way we are putting out local news is by overloading the few remaining staffers we have and killing the unpaid interns with stuff they can’t even handle. I had one yesterday who couldn’t even rewrite a press release. They’ve slashed the entire freelance budget, and we’ve had to freeze all open positions for the next six months, maybe longer. Even if someone leaves, those positions will be frozen as well; they immediately go dark,” he said.
“I’ve heard. Do you know of anything else I could do?”
“The magazine division has had its share of setbacks lately. I’m hanging in here with hopes of retiring in the next few years, if it doesn’t all collapse before then,” he said. “I wish there was something I could do. I know you can write circles around these kids in your sleep. If I had a job I could offer you, I would.”
“Thanks, James. At least you called me in and told me face to face. It’s better than an email or text message,” she said and shook his hand as she walked slowly out of the newsroom.
[image error]Meet Author Charmain Zimmerman Brackett…
Charmain Zimmerman Brackett grew up in a picturesque Southern neighborhood filled with front porches and retirees. Her closest companions in her childhood and teenage years were the characters she found in the pages of books. In college, her love of literature, language and writing led her to pursue a degree in English. She has spent the past 28 years writing for several newspapers and magazines in the Augusta, Ga. area. In 2008, a story in a series she wrote on returning wounded warriors received second place at the Department of the Army level in the Keith L. Ware journalism competition. She has written three young adult novels, The Key of Elyon, Elyon’s Cipher and Elyon’s Light. Her debut novel, The Key of Elyon, received the 2014 Yerby Award for Fiction. Her fourth novel, Fixed In The Tempest, is inspirational contemporary fiction. Under the name of C.Z. Brackett, she writes the Victoria James mystery series. Her first children’s book, Little Pearl’s Circus World, won the Georgia Writers Association’s 2015 Georgia Author of the Year Award in the children’s category. It’s based on the true story of her great-grandmother, Pearl Clark LaComa, who began performing with her father’s circus, the M.L. Clark and Son Combined Shows when she was only 4. Brackett lives in Augusta, Ga. with her husband, Bret. They have three children, Jessica, Jeremy and Allie and a 7 year-old rescued papillon named Danni.
~~~
Links to Charmain’s website, blog, books, etc.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2BSfQr0
Paperback: http://amzn.to/2FyMAFI
Facebook:
www.charmainzbrackett.com, www.facebook.com/thekeyofelyon.
Twitter: @CZBrackett
Website: www.charmainzbrackett.com
~~~
[image error]**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: Charmain is giving away an ebook copy of FIXED IN THE TEMPEST to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.
Thanks, Charmain, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
February 25, 2018
**Author Peek** Interview with LYING IN RUINS (Fate’s Vultures 1) & BEG FOR MERCY (Fate’s Vultures 2) Author, Jami Gray
[image error]KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
~~
INTRODUCING AUTHOR JAMI GRAY…[image error]
Before we get started talking about your writing, tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from, what you do for a living (if you’re not a full-time writer) what hobbies you have, etc. Whatever you’d like to share to introduce yourself.
I hit the earth at an Air Force base in Florida, then bounced over to vegetation encrusted vistas of Oregon, before sliding into the desert climes of Arizona. As much as I loved Oregon, I didn’t realize how much I’d miss the sky until the trees took over. There’s just something about wide open skies and streets laid out in a logical manner (not being diverted because of an old growth tree) that says home to me. As for the heat, eh, that’s why I have central AC.
As much as I’d love to write full time, there are these little things called bills that require I punch a clock, which I do for my alma mater, Arizona State University. I work in one of their Executive Education units with a focus on public administration. When not working, I manage a husband affectionately known as Geek Lord, my two mini-adults referred to as the Prankster Duo (Son 1 and Son 2), while being herded by my black and white rescue labs, who answer to the Fur Minxes. All together, they manage to keep me quite busy.
1. How did you get started writing?
I was eight and had just returned from watching Star Wars at the drive-in theater (yes, the one where you park the car and the clumsy speaker hangs on your window). When I went to bed that night, I spent a couple of hours re-writing the story so Han Solo would have a kick ass female to be with instead of the whiny Princess Leia. Years later, my parents got an electric typewriter so the six teenagers who were in typing class could practice their emerging skills. Needless to say, I took it over and we became inseparable.
2. What genre(s) do you write in and why?
My stories tend to fall under Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance and Romantic Suspense. Think of it as a mix of magic, love and mayhem. As an avid reader I would gorge on fantasy and murder-mysteries from my school and local libraries, but when I hit high school I started sneaking my mom’s romance novels out of the house.
After stumbling through life and entering the big bad world as an adult, both my writing and reading tastes evolved. Now my characters (magical and non) suddenly became harder to hurt (emotionally and physically) while their relationships became crucial to my stories. A therapist would have a field day with this, but my stories shifted to heroines who didn’t need a hero to ride to her rescue. Sometimes it was more satisfying if she rumbled up to rescue him from a psycho on her Harley, only to discover that together they could take on the shuffling zombie horde or band of psychos.
3. What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?
Well, once I get my tunes on my hour and fifteen minute commute becomes a writer’s brain storming session. Generally if I’m in the midst of a book, I’m honing character motivation or plot twists or planning out a conversation filled with witty repartee (which is a lot harder than you think). If there’s no book in progress, I’m pondering ideas for the next one. Most of the time it keeps me from creating chaos on the roads or turning the ride home into a battle scene from Mad Max.
4. What is your favorite part of writing?
Best thing—readers who take time out of their lives to pick up your stories, fall in love with them, and then actually share that experience with you. Writing is a solo endeavor, so when a reader tells me how much they enjoyed a story, it makes my entire week!
5. What is your least favorite part of writing?
My least favorite thing, is finally getting a solution to that scene/character motivation/plot line you’ve been hung up for EVER while you’re in the shower—with shampoo in your hair and knowing you have to jump out and write it down before you FORGET IT. This happens more than you want to know.
6. Pick two celebrities to be your parents. Who would they be and why?
Helen Mirren, mainly because she comes across as a great mix of compassion and tough love. She has no problem telling you exactly what you need to hear, whether you like it or not. Not to mention her sense of humor is freakin’ fantastic.
Gary Sinese—something about all that quiet dignity and his continual example of serving your fellow human, and that smile that tells you, yeah you got this, but if you stumble, I’ll be there to help.
7. Where do you get the ideas for your stories?
Most of my ideas begin with a character type and as I get to know that character, the situation they’re facing starts to come into focus, then the challenges raise their ugly heads and we’re off with a story. I’m a big believer in asking, “What if?” and you’d be surprised at how often that simple question will send you off into a fabulous new world with the most interesting characters.
8. Tell me about your ideal reader.
Basically if you enjoyed Romancing the Stone, binge watching Supernatural or NCIS, or like the thrill of Criminal Minds or Mindhunter, I’m guessing you’re someone who enjoys non-stop adventure, complex characters, intriguing romance, and otherworldly settings. With that being said, have I got books for you.
9. What is your “go to” routine that helps you get in the mood to write? Special beverage? Music? Etc.
I’m a fairly structured person, so when it comes to writing, I have to stick to my routine. This means I have to write almost every day to a specific word count. I’ve found I have to get the daily things that hover around of my plate so I can focus, then it’s just me, my keyboard & screen, music, and coffee.
10. Tell us about your next book & when is it being published?
Out in January 2018 my most recent release is BEG FOR MERCY, the second in my romance suspense series, Fate’s Vultures. Set in a future where civilization is crawling back from near ruin and humanity fights to hold on to their new reality, the series focuses on a band of vigilantes who think the future is worth fighting for, so they stands as shields for those without, warriors born and bred.
It all starts with LYING IN RUINS, which follows Ruin and Charity:
On a mission to retrieve a kidnapped child, a woman skilled in secrecy crosses paths with a nomadic vigilante bent on revenge. Despite their mutual distrust, the unlikely pair joins forces to hunt a common enemy. Together they must survive the predators picking through the desiccated remains of civilization. What will tear them apart first—their suspicions or their enemies?
BEG FOR MERCY follows with Havoc and Mercy’s story:
To trap a cunning and illusive predator, a protector forged in a blood soaked history must partner with the cynical heart of a betrayed assassin. Can the wary pair forge a bond of loyalty before suspicions and betrayals tear them apart?
EXPOSING VEX (late 2018) and FEAR THE REAPER (2019) will complete the series.
~~~
Be sure to come back on Wednesday’s Book Bench blog to learn more about Jami Gray’s Fate’s Vulture’s series books, LYING IN RUINS and BEG FOR MERCY!
~~~
Links to Jami’s website, blog, books, etc.
SOCIAL:
• Website: http://www.JamiGray.com
• Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/LvoZn
• Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.com/e/B006HU3HJI
• Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/JamiGray
• Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/JamiGrayWriter
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamiGrayAuthor
• Google : https://google.com/ JamiGray
PUBLISHERS:
Black Opal Books: BlackOpalBooks.com
Muse It Up Publishing: http://museituppublishing.com
Escape Publishing: http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/
BOOK LINKS:
Lying in Ruins – Fate’s Vultures #1
• Escape Publishing: http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9781489245656
• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lying-Ruins-Jami-Gray-ebook/dp/B06XS9BSVF
• Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lying-in-ruins-jami-gray/1126450833
• iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/shadows-edge-kyn-kronicles/id482595056?mt=11 https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/lying-in-ruins/id1239412414?mt=11
• Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/lying-in-ruins
Beg for Mercy – Fate’s Vultures #2
• Escape Publishing: http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9781489255198
• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mercy-Fates-Vultures-Jami-Gray-ebook/dp/B076C9JX8X
• Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beg-for-mercy-jami-gray/1127273688
• iBooks:
~~~
Thanks, Jami, for sharing your books with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read these books!
February 23, 2018
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with HARD SCOOP, Cauley MacKinnon Mysteries Book 1 by Kit Frazier #Recipe ~ Kit’s Knock You Naked Central Texas Salsa
[image error]Karen’s Killer Fixin’s
**AUTHOR SPECIAL**
with Kit Frazier!
Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!! Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors. Introducing author, KIT FRAZIER, and her favorite recipe for KIT’S KNOCK YOU NAKED CENTRAL TEXAS SALSA!!
~~~
HARD SCOOP
Cauley MacKinnon Mysteries Book 1
BY KIT FRAZIER
BLURB
Banished to the “Dead Beat” at the Austin Sentinel after sleeping with her boss, Cauley MacKinnon is eager to shed her dubious title as the Obituary Babe and put her new journalism degree to good use. When her childhood friend Scooter Barnes, exotic pet store owner and former Dallas Cowboy, threatens suicide, she sneaks into the crime scene and manages to talk him out of it. But Scooter is later found dead and everyone — a hot FBI agent, a menacing one-eared maniac, the Argentinean mafia, and a flirtatious customs agent — wants the scoop on what he told Cauley in his last hours. Up to her eyelashes in dead bodies, Cauley gets mixed up in a Texas-sized hunt for Scooter’s killer and also manages to fall for a couple of cuties involved in the murder case.
[image error]Meet Author Kit Frazier…
Wrangling baby tigers, swimming with jaguars and interviewing three Texas governors—with the pictures to prove it—Kit Frazier admits she’s participated in some once-in-a-lifetime adventures.
“If you see a chance, take it,” says Kit. “And while I’ve done—or participated—in some amazing things, the one I’m proudest of is when I meet readers who tell me my books make them laugh. Especially during tough times.”
As the managing editor of a regional magazine, I Kit says she’s met some of the most interesting and at times, eccentric people. “I love writing about Austin, Lake Travis and Central Texas, but the newspaper that publishes the magazine frowns on fiction, my first love. So, obituary writer Cauley MacKinnon, my alter ego was born.”
Cauley is the hell-on-high-heels obituary writer in Scoop (Midnight Ink, Sept. 2006) and Dead Copy (May 2007), A MacKinnon Christmas (Nov. 2009), and the upcoming Morgue File.
“This is the hardest, most emotional book I’ve ever written,” Kit says. “Cauley has misgivings she’s known Detective Jim Cantu her whole life–or she thought she did.
“He’d been a savior to the young girl who’d witnessed the murder of her father. But when her childhood hero guns down a man in cold blood and leaves his pregnant wife and three children behind, Cauley’s got a choice. Destroy the legend she’d grown to love–or find the man she never really knew?”
Kit’s blog (www.kitfrazieronwriting.com) is just the beginning of her adventures, with foundations laid for her YouTube channel on writing, publishing and publicity, along with a vlog with her eccentric, ridiculously funny friends. “Kind of like Sh*t Southern Women Say), centered on the outrageous lives of fallen Southern Belles and the men they play with and stay with,” Kit says, “And of course, the men who just flat out need killin’.”
Links to Kit’s website, blog, books, etc.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2EMyXpl
Email Kit: kitfrazier@gmail.com
Life, Love & the Occasional Dead Body
I hope you enjoy the recipe Kit is sharing today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy Eating!
Karen
P.S. We’re at 362 recipes and counting with this posting. Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.
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[image error] KIT’S KNOCK YOU NAKED CENTRAL TEXAS SALSA
4 ripe tomatoes and quartered (I use Roma, but use what you’ve got)
• 1 Vidalia onion, peeled and quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 jalapenos, stemmed and seeded (If you’re more adventurous and your tongue can take it, substitute 1-2 habanero or serrano peppers.
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2-3 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 15 ounce can crushed san marzano tomatoes
• 4.5 ounce can diced green chiles (mild, medium, or hot, and I often use poblano or Hatch chilies when they’re in season)• Note: You can add 1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro. (I don’t, because some folks have a genetic reaction to cilantro, that makes it taste like dish soap)
Directions
1. Place the fresh tomato quarters, onion quarters, garlic, peppers, lime juice, cumin, sugar, and salt (and cilantro if you’re so inclined) in your favorite food processor and pulse those babies until they’re coarsely crushed to your taste.
2. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and green chiles. Give it a few more pulses until mostly smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.I do serve with fresh, restaurant-style white tortilla chips, but I also use this salsa on eggs, in migas (scrambled eggs with tortilla chips) and just about anything that needs a little kick.*Note: If your salsa’s a little too spicy—don’t drink water—it just makes the heat worse. Drink some cold milk or eat some yogurt! Your tongue’ll be cooled down in no time.
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[image error]**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: Kit is giving away an ebook copy of HARD SCOOP to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.
Thanks, Kit, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
February 21, 2018
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: HALF-BREED by Anna L. Walls
[image error]KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
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HALF-BREED
BY ANNA L. WALLS
Blurb
When Slave Master Patro first laid eyes on the child’s ice-blue eyes, he knew he would be the most sought-after slave on the market. The fact that he didn’t seem to be able to talk was a minor frustration.
Canis couldn’t tolerate the collar though. It not only contained his body, it strangled his soul. When this turmoil turned dangerous, Patro agreed to free the boy, but there were conditions, conditions Canis couldn’t hope to meet, not if he wanted to be truly free.
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[image error]
HALF-BREED
BY ANNA L. WALLS
Excerpt
This man was quite gentle, almost as gentle as Gem. He took great care of Canis’s bruises. He helped Canis take his clothes off and laid them aside.
“Well, look at you; you can’t be more than five. How old are you?” When Canis didn’t answer, he went ahead with the bath. He quickly dipped water from the river and soaped him down. The late day was still warm and the man found a spot of sunlight, but being wet was still really cold.
When Canis’s body was washed, the man wrapped Canis’s tunic around his shoulders and had him bend over so he could wash his hair. When he was satisfied, he helped Canis dress again and then they went back to the camp. This whole ordeal left Canis baffled. His experience with baths was now two, and they couldn’t possibly have been more different, one from the other. As he thought on it, he figured he didn’t really like water much; it was fine for drinking – and maybe washing some, but so much as was in the river – it made him uneasy, almost as if it might reach out and smother him.
When they returned to camp, they found it already set up and organized. As soon as he was within reach, Gem went to work on his matted hair again. She’d only just started when Patro came up to them.
If Canis had been less cold and more agile, he’d have moved out of his easy reach. As it was, Patro merely rested his big hand on his forehead. “Fevered,” was all he said. He shook his head and handed Gem a can of cream. “Work this into his hair, it should loosen the matting some. We might have to cut some of that out, though.” Then he lifted Canis’s chin so he was forced to look him in the face. “Those are the most remarkable eyes I’ve ever seen. Drink a lot of water, boy. I want you to finish that jar before you sleep.” He brushed Canis’s cheek. “You’ll make someone a fine collector’s item when you grow up.”
[image error]Meet Author Anna L. Walls…
I grew up a rancher’s daughter hoping to inherit the ranch and run a riding school for city kids. However, my brother bought the ranch from our parents in order to avoid an inheritance tax and I ended up joining the army, marrying my fisherman husband, and moving to the wilderness of Alaska where I raised two wonderful boys. One of them gave me an old laptop computer and now I’m a published author. Go figure.
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Links to Anna’s website, blog, books, etc.
Blog: https://annalwalls.blogspot.com/
Website: https://www.annalwalls.com/
Purchase any of Anna’s books through her website or from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Anna-L.-Walls/e/B002E1FOBIor Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/AuthorAnnaWalls
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[image error]**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: Anna is giving away a signed copy (U.S. Only) of HALF-BREED to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.
Thanks, Anna, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
February 20, 2018
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: DRIVING WHISKEY WILD, Bullet Whiskey by Melissa Foster
[image error]KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
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[image error]DRIVING WHISKEY WILD
Bullet Whiskey
BY MELISSA FOSTER
Blurb
A captivating new sexy standalone romance by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Foster.
Special Forces veteran and Dark Knights Motorcycle Club member Bullet Whiskey lives to protect his family, their bar, and the residents of his small hometown. He’s rough, unapologetic, and haunted by a secret, painful past. He’s also a master at keeping people away, and when his sister hires gorgeous and sweet Finlay Wilson to help expand their biker bar, he knows just how to get rid of her.
After losing her boyfriend and her father, Finlay moves back to her hometown to be closer to the little family she has left. She needs her temporary job at Whiskey Bro’s to get her catering business off the ground, and she’s determined not to let the gruff, arrogant mountain of a man Bullet Whiskey scare her off.
Finlay is everything Bullet has never wanted. She’s afraid of his dog, afraid of motorcycles, and sweet enough to give him cavities, but as she weaves her way into the hearts of everyone around him, he’s powerless to resist her charms. Passion ignites, but trust doesn’t come easily, and when their pasts collide, Bullet finds out the true meaning of protecting those he loves.
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[image error]DRIVING WHISKEY WILD
Bullet Whiskey
BY MELISSA FOSTER
Excerpt
Finlay smiled and waved as she slipped into the dingy bar. “Hi. Am I interrupting?” From the scowl on Bullet’s face, she was not only interrupting, but she’d somehow pissed him off. Well, good for him. Let him be angry, the big, tattooed bully. What kind of man comes up to a woman at a wedding and says,Hey, sweetheart, whaddaya say I take you for a ride on the Bullet train?
She smoothed her sundress over her hips, trying to gather her wits about her. Bullet train. She had no doubt he had a train in his pants. The man was larger than life in too many ways to count, and when he set those cold, dark eyes on her, she swore they ignited right in front of her. Lordy, now my pulse is racing. She’d been thinking of that flash of heat ever since the wedding, and she couldn’t deny that it scared her and turned her on in equally frustrating measures. If she were honest with herself, she’d thought she was too damaged after losing Aaron to ever feel this type of spine-tingling excitement over a man again—and the fact that she felt it around a guy like Bullet scared the heck out of her. But this was not the time for honesty. She needed to pull herself together so she didn’t make a bad impression.
Dixie pushed past her massive brother to greet her. “Not at all! I’m glad you made it in.” She gave Finlay a quick hug and then glared at Bullet. “Right, Bull? Aren’t we glad she made it in?”
He lifted his chin in a half-cocked greeting before stalking around the bar and busying himself pulling bottles from shelves. Was he upset that she’d refused his magical penis ride? If so, he was going to have to get over it, and fast.
“Don’t pay attention to him. He had a rough night.” Dixie waved a hand as if Bullet didn’t matter.
Finlay forced a smile, knowing the big oaf mattered a heck of a lot. She’d grown up in Peaceful Harbor, although she was several years younger than the Whiskeys and she hadn’t known them then. She’d moved back into town two months ago, hoping to put down roots near her sister, Penny, after leaving to attend college in Boston nearly a decade ago. Penny had filled her in on the Whiskeys when she’d accepted the catering job for their friends’ wedding. Apparently, the Whiskeys and their motorcycle gang owned her small hometown. Only, according to Penny, it wasn’t like the stories she’d heard about bikers causing a ruckus or scaring people. No, the Whiskeys were known to be good folks, and apparently their gang was more of a club. She didn’t know the difference, but understood that they protected the community, keeping crime down and helping with bullies—except, apparently, for their own big, pushy son. From what Penny had said, they might look intimidating, but beneath all those tattoos and dark leather, they were kind, caring, generous people. She’d noticed that at the wedding, and in the weeks since, as she’d seen Dixie, her other brothers, and their parents around town. They were all as nice as could be. The jury was still out on big, bad Bullet.
But if she was going to spend any amount of time in his presence, he needed to respect her. This was why Penny had pushed her to take this job, wasn’t it? Because she’d been hiding behind her past, living a safe, comfortable, lonely life for so long she’d all but forgotten how it felt to be hit on? And how to handle it. Well, that ended now. She straightened her spine, the way she’d learned to do in culinary school, when top chefs came in to teach and they’d ream the students for the smallest errors. There was no room for thin skin in catering—and she’d be darned if she’d let Bullet Whiskey intimidate her one bit.
“It’ll be fine,” she assured Dixie, and walked directly behind the bar to the mountain of a man who was trying his best to ignore her. Every step made her heart beat faster. Holy moly, she hadn’t remembered him being that tall. She was only five three, but even though she had heels on, he was well over a foot taller than her.
She reached up and tapped Bullet’s shoulder. It was like tapping stone covered with a black leather vest. He turned slowly, his broad chest and massive arms suddenly taking up all the extra space. She stared up at him. His dark beard and eyes gave him a menacing look. She swallowed hard, steeling herself to say her piece. In the next second those angry eyes turned even hotter and hungrier than they’d been at the wedding.
Her traitorous insides flamed.
Oh boy. She was in way over her head. This man probably got everything he wanted from women with that look. He cast some sort of spell with his leather wrist cuffs, scary-looking silver and black rings, and go-ahead-just-try-to-mess-with-me attitude.
Forcing her sternest expression, she said, “Bullet, if we’re going to work together, I expect you’ll let what happened at the wedding go and get behind me on this project.”
He cocked his head, his lips curving up in a wicked smile that brought goose bumps to her entire body as he said, “I’m happy to get behind you anytime, sweetheart.”
[image error]Meet Author Melissa Foster…
Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and new adult romance with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented–perfect beach reads for contemporary romance lovers who enjoy reading about wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines.
Links to Melissa’s website, blog, books, etc.
Link to Tour Schedule: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LQOSEkjf0DZRzKM8ohke6esZ_nByOLxS2ossX1qOPmg/edit?usp=sharing
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36240512-driving-whiskey-wild
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/204908-the-whiskeys
KINDLE ➜ http://smarturl.it/DWW_Kindle
KOBO ➜ http://smarturl.it/DWW_Kobo
NOOK ➜ http://bit.ly/2yVGGgS
GPLAY ➜ http://bit.ly/2y7SugC
iBOOKS ➜ http://apple.co/2yUXpAG
PAPERBACK ➜ http://smarturl.it/DWW_Pb
Author Links: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS
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Thanks, Melissa, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
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