Karen Docter's Blog, page 163

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: DEAD TWIN SISTER by Jack Wallen

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 [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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DEAD TWIN SISTER

BY JACK WALLEN

Blurb

Die So Fluid is back from The Dark Seduction.

Reeling from the loss of a dear friend—and working with a new manager—their special blend of rock must continue on. While recording their latest album, “One Bullet From Paradise”, a spirit from the Seduction has latched onto Grog, intent on wreaking havoc. With each recorded song the spirit gains more power until Grog’s dead twin sister is unleashed.

With the help of some powerful hand magic and the lasting spirit of her departed friend, Grog must fight back the spectral force and save the human race from damnation.

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[image error]DEAD TWIN SISTER

BY JACK WALLEN

Excerpt

ACT I

kusala
ONE

You could sleepwalk all your life and never learn how to run

Don ’t say tomorrow. Tomorrow doesn’t always come.

The headphones were tight over my ears; the metal studs through cartilage pressing into my skull served to keep me grounded by way of a nagging irritation. The sound of Drew’s guitar track had everyone in the studio caught in a brilliant fog, our heads banging now and again in a show of rock and roll solidarity. When the last note rang out, cheers exploded against the studio walls, easily invoking visions of concert halls.

Drew sat at the console, a knowing grin spread wide across his lips. There could be no doubt this was some of his best work. It all made perfect sense; Drew and I were driven by the same muse, one that threatened to punish us with a never-ending stream of heart-breaking memories, should we not deliver the goods.

That Drew delivered, there was no arguing. He’d been in rare form lately, playing as if he’d been possessed by the spirit of Ronson and McGeoch. I knew the truth to that fiction. A certain specter whispered in his ear as he played, pushing him toward some heretofore unknown perfection.

Or such was the story playing back in the cinema of my mind.

“That was bloody awful,” Drew shouted, his headphones still covering his ears, so he had no idea he’d voiced the opinion to everyone within earshot. All in attendance knew the guitarist was fucking around. A good sign, that; Drew’s sense of humor was irrevocably tied to his ego. I knew the trick of this riddle; the more he mocked himself, the more confidence he held in his work.

I tossed the man a devil horn salute. “Bloody well botched that whole number up. How in the hell am I supposed to sing to that shit?”

Drew kissed the tip of his middle finger and flew it my way. “You always find a way to make me sound like I know what I’m doing. We, of course, know better.” A wicked grin slowly ate its way across Drew’s mouth. “Your turn, princess.”

“That’s Queen to you, commoner,” I tossed my head back and shot my nose into the air. “You may kiss my ring or lick my boot; one or the other, not both.”

“You would deprive me of my only joy?” Drew winked and nodded for me to step to the other side of the glass.

It was go time.

I entered the small room, placed the headphones over my ears, stepped up to the mic, and waited to be prompted for a soundcheck. With the door to the room closed, the sensation before the music began to play was disconcerting at best—absolute silence was absolutely deafening.

Given last night’s dream, it was a gift of grand irony that we were recording ‘Tomorrow Doesn’t Always Come.’ Al’s visit could have been a premonition of things to come while standing behind the mic.

The thought of Al brought a smile to my face and a tightness in my chest.

“Ready, doll?” The sound of Drew’s voice shattered my sorrowful reverie.

I took a quick sip of water, swallowed, and offered a thumbs-up to those at the console. Shortly after, the click track kicked in, followed by Drew’s masterful intro. I’d already laid down my bass track, so I was able to sing against a wall of very Die So Fluid sound. Intro complete, I took in a deep breath and sang.

“I once told you I’m yours till the end of time but how long is that anyway? Tonight we could go down in a hail of comets, like a cosmic sundance. To the last I’ll stay. You could sleepwalk all your life and never learn how to run. Don’t say tomorrow, tomorrow doesn’t always come. Give me all you’ve got tonight. Don’t hold out for the morning sun. Don’t say tomorrow, tomorrow doesn’t always come.”

I waved my hand in the air, to cut the track short.

“Sounding glorious,” Drew announced. “You okay?”

“Sure. I just…” My voice faded to silence.

“What is it?” Drew insisted.

“Nothing, nothing. Wasn’t feeling it is all. Let’s give it another go.”

Once again, the click track led me into the number. The melody poured from my mouth, this time in perfect sync with an emotion-flooded heart.

We will wreak havoc on the world.

The track continued on without me.

“Did you hear that?” I called out into the mic.

Drew leaned into the console mic and responded. “Hear what?”

“A voice.”

“Yeah I did. Yours. Should I have heard something else?”

I tapped my headphones. “Could you play that back for me?”

Another thumbs-up from Drew and the track, including my vocals, filled my head with song. There was no other voice. I gathered my wits and responded, “Did anyone in there speak into my monitor while I was recording my track?”

All heads shook, leaving me confounded. I was certain the voice had been there and the words perfectly clear. Drew whispered in my ears, “You need to take a break?”

“I’m fine. Had another dream last night, so it’s probably nothing more than the after-effects of that.”

“Al?” Drew hesitantly asked.

I nodded to confirm his assumption.

“I’m sorry, Grogins. I miss him too.”

“Let me give this another go.”

“You certain?”

Another nod.

Another thumbs-up.

The click track returned. I wanted to sing to the stars, that I’d finally made it through the number without fucking up or hearing voices rattling my addled brain.

As soon as the final note of the song faded to silence, everyone in the booth went wild. It took a moment, but Drew finally chimed in. “Oh, fuck yeah, Grog; you’ve never sounded that good. It was absolute perfection. Brava.”

“Playback,” I requested.

The melody rose in perfect counterpoint to Drew’s fretwork. As I reached the first chorus, the voice returned, this time with a bit more menace to its tone.

I’ll cut you and gut you, my sister.

[image error]Meet Author Jack Wallen…

Jack Wallen is what happens when a Gen Xer mind-melds with present day snark. Jack is a seeker of truth and a writer of words with a quantum mechanical pencil and a disjointed beat of sound and soul. Although he resides in the unlikely city of Louisville, Kentucky, Jack likes to think of himself more as an interplanetary traveler, on the lookout for the Satellite of Love and a perpetual movie sign…or so he tells the reflection in the mirror (some times in 3rd person). Jack is the author of numerous tales of dark, twisty fiction including the I Zombie series, the Reapers series (published by Devil Dog Press), the Suicide series, the Klockwerk Movement, the Fringe Killer series, Shero, The Nameless Saga, and much more.

~~~

Links to Jack’s website, blog, books, etc.

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Jack-Wallen/e/B004MZWR3W/

Website: http://www.jackwallen.com

Blog: http://www.patreon.com/jackwallen

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jlwallen

~~~

[image error]**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: Jack is giving away a paperback copy of the first book in the Die So Fluid series, “The Dark Seduction” to one lucky reader who comments on his Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.

Thanks, Jack, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: MURDER AT TWIN OAKS, Victoria James Mystery Novella 1 by C.Z. Brackett

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 [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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MURDER AT TWIN OAKS

Victoria James Mystery Novella 1

BY C.Z. BRACKETT

Blurb

A double murder in Bennettsville? The most excitement that sleepy town had seen in recent years was after a debutante crashed her car into the town fountain.

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MURDER AT TWIN OAKS

Victoria James Mystery Novella 1

BY C.Z. BRACKETT

Excerpt

Victoria James pulled up as close as she could to the white columned Greek Revival mansion. About a dozen cars from the local Bennettsville sheriff’s department as well as cars from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and three nearby counties surrounded the scene with their blue lights flashing in the middle of the hot Georgia afternoon.

She parked her vehicle and tried to push her way through the throng of law enforcement.

“I’m sorry ma’am, but you can’t,” started one of the deputies from another county.

“It’s o.k.,” interrupted Deputy Jefferson Hawes of the Bennettsville Sheriff’s Department, who saw her pull up. “You can’t stop Victoria James when she’s on a story. I’ll handle Ms. James’ requests.”

The other deputy nodded backed away, and Victoria smiled at Jeff.

“What took you so long, Vic?”

“Couldn’t get past all of the police cars, Jeff. What is going on?”

Jeff sighed.

“We were trying to keep this one quiet,” said Jeff.

Victoria laughed.

“Then, you‘ve failed miserably. Besides you should know you can’t keep anything quiet in this town. People know when I wash my underwear and what color it is. I got a phone call the minute three deputy cars passed Myra Evans’ house.”

“Good old Myra. God love her,” he replied.

“You know you really should hire her. I think she solves most of your cases, you know.”

“Shh. That’s between you and me, but it’s going to take a lot more than the town busybody to solve this one. And that is off the record so don’t quote me on that.”

“Mysterious, are we?”

“No, but I can’t let you leak any details on this one. That crime scene is nothing like we’ve seen before, and I’m not letting you in there this time.”

[image error]Meet Author C.Z. 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.

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Links to Charmain’s website, blog, books, etc.

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MUC5JE8

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/thekeyofelyon

Twitter: @CZBrackett

Website:  www.charmainzbrackett.com

~~~

[image error]**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: C.Z. is giving away an ebook copy of MURDER AT TWIN OAKS  to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.

Thanks, C.Z., for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: RUNAWAY GROOM (I Do, I Don’t Book 2) by Lauren Layne

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[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]RUNAWAY GROOM

I Do, I Don’t Book 2

BY LAUREN LAYNE

Blurb

For one charming playboy, getting cast on a Bachelor-esque reality TV show is the shock of a lifetime—until he finds love where he least expects it.

Gage Barrett’s reputation as a ladies’ man has been greatly exaggerated, but none of that matters after a drunken bet lands him on Jilted, a reality TV show that matches runaway grooms with wannabe brides. Now he’s stuck at a Hawaiian resort with nineteen women competing to drag him back to the altar—and one contestant who’s even more miserable than he is. Gage has no idea how feisty, independent Ellie Wright wound up in the cast, but it’s obvious she hates his guts. And if there’s one thing Gage likes, it’s a challenge. . . .

Ellie can’t believe she let her best friend talk her into exchanging her dignity for a glorified bikini contest. Still, she could use the exposure—her business is struggling—and she’ll probably be one of the first to get eliminated anyway. But Gage isn’t the shallow jerk Ellie anticipated—and he’s in no rush to send her home. As stolen kisses turn into secret trysts, she finds herself losing track of what’s real and what’s for the camera. With the wedding finale looming, this runaway groom is tempting Ellie to start believing in storybook endings.

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RUNAWAY GROOM

I Do, I Don’t Book 2

BY LAUREN LAYNE

Excerpt Link:

  https://static1.squarespace.com/static/502d55f4e4b04abbd82f1420/t/5a2e937471c10b8afee7a3a4/1513001845136/Runaway+Groom+-+Excerpt+.pdf

[image error]Meet Author Lauren Layne…

Lauren Layne is the New York Times bestselling author of romantic comedies. She lives in New York City with her husband.

A former e-commerce and web marketing manager from Seattle, Lauren relocated to New York City in 2011 to pursue a full-time writing career. She signed with her agent in 2012, and her first book was published in summer of 2013. Since then, she’s written over two dozen books, hitting the USA TODAY, New York Times, iBooks, and Amazon bestseller lists.

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Links to Lauren’s website, blog, books, etc.

Link to Schedule:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wRPU8YIc0NRAxnlJ7GtkOwQ5zXQUzbrtBGPurB13uxk/edit?usp=sharing

Goodreads Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33796618-runaway-groom

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | GPlay | iBooks | Kobo

Author Links:  

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | INSTAGRAM

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Thanks, Lauren, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: A DROP OF PARADISE, Bookworms & Alphas Book 1 by Alex L. Michaels

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 [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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A DROP OF PARADISE

Bookworms & Alphas Book 1

BY ALEX L. MICHAELS

Blurb

A woman of words! A man of action! One hot mess!

She needs peace and quiet. He’s a distraction.

She wants to be left alone. He’s inevitable.

She has a writer’s block. He might be the cure.

The only thing Jessica Slade wanted was some peace and quiet, and to finally finish her book.

So, a place called A Drop of Paradise was supposed to do the trick. With its stunning sandy beaches, crystal clear, aquamarine waters and tropical sunsets, it was supposed to cure more than a writer’s block. But, when an unfortunate series of events leaves her stranded on a remote island with an overbearing, arrogant, roguish, but ruggedly handsome stranger, her life starts to seem much more like the romance novels that she writes about.

Broad-shouldered Mike Stone is irresistible, sexy and cooler than a mojito in your hand, and maybe even a perfect, muscled ideal for the cover of her next novel, but not all the imagination in the world could prepare her for what can happen between two strangers on a spit of sand, when sparks start to fly and anger turns to lust.

(Additional Info: A Drop of Paradise is the first book in the series Bookworms & Alphas!

Each book is a standalone and can be read separately, although it’s recommended that the books are read in a suggested reading order.

The second book is coming out in 2018!)

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[image error]A DROP OF PARADISE

Bookworms & Alphas Book 1

BY ALEX L. MICHAELS

Excerpt

“Do you know a 13 letter word with a clue ‘stuck-up’?”

Jessica swiftly turned her head and looked at him with narrowed eyes, as he looked back innocently and with only a hint of a smile. He lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the sun and his shirt lifted, revealing a mouth watering, indecently muscled stomach. And that goddamn fly was still open!

“Look, Mister,” she said, trying to think of something appropriately insulting.

“Oh, it’s Mike,” he said, suddenly straightening up and throwing the crossword in the sand, “how rude of me not to introduce myself sooner.”

She bit her lip and looked at his extended hand, uncertain what to do next. She didn’t want to do this, even if he was the most handsome guy in this part of the universe. But as much as he irritated her, she simply didn’t want to be rude. So, after a couple of seconds, she lifted her hand and shook his.

“Encantado,” he said with a grin.

His fingers were gentle and strong at the same time, and she quickly pulled her hand away, feeling uncomfortable.

He lifted his eyebrow.

“Look, Mister Mike,” she said, trying to sound indifferent, “I really don’t want to be rude. And I’m really, really sorry that you can’t solve your crossword. But can you please stop talking to me?”

“Of course,” he said, “after you tell me your name.”

She was about to say something really impolite, but then he smiled at her and all thought evaporated from her mind. Obviously, he was used to using that smile… often and successfully. And he was so unfazed by anything she said to him, that it was almost admirable.

“My name is the person who wants to be alone,” she said finally, “okay?”

“Okay,” he said, “and what’s your real name?”

“My real name is not interested,” she said, “anything else?”

He laughed out loud.

“I don’t believe you,” he said, raising his eyebrow, “I saw you watching me earlier. You were practically drooling over me.”

“I…,” she said, as her face turned red, “wouldn’t look at you if you were the last—”

“Just kidding,” he said with a laugh, “wow, you have a nasty temper, don’t you?”

“I don’t get it,” she said, staring at him in disbelief, “are you drunk?”

“Not anymore,” he said with a grin, “but I get it, okay? You want to return to… whatever it is that you’re doing.”

She looked at him suspiciously, trying to decide if he’s serious.

“Yes,” she said firmly, “thank you.”

“No problem,” he said, “I apologize again.”

“It’s okay.”

She was counting in her head and not a minute passed when…

“What are you scribbling there, anyway?”

“I’m not scribbling,” she said through her teeth, “I’m writing.”

“Really,” he said, “like a novel?”

“Yes, like a novel.”

“What kind of a novel?”

“A horror novel,” she replied, as he leaned towards her. She closed her notebook with a snap, a second before he could see what she was writing. She looked at him with a warning, as he grinned at her.

“I like horror novels,” he said, observing her, “but I don’t think that’s what you’re writing.”

“Oh,” she said, her voice laced with irony, “you read?”

“It seems to me that I read more than you write,” he said with a grin, pointing at her notebook, “it’s not going too well, now is it?”

That’s it, Jessica thought, gritting her teeth, enough is…

“Miikeeey!”

They both turned their heads at the same time, as the brunette in a red bikini waved at him again.

“Your girlfriend is calling for you,” Jessica said coldly, “so, why don’t you just go away?”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” he said and grinned at her, “at least not anymore.”

“Well, women of the world rejoice,” Jessica murmured, rolling her eyes.

She reached for the bottle of water and took a big gulp.

“Besides,” he said, “there’s nothing in this whole world I would rather be doing right now than talking to you.”

She almost choked. She coughed and wiped her mouth, as the water started to trickle down her chin and over her beach dress.

He shifted in his chair and leaned on the palm tree behind him while looking straight at her.

“Easy there, sugar,” he said with a small smile, “your dress is getting wet.”

“Well, I can always take it off,” she said with a sweet smile, unable to stop herself, “…right, sugar?”

He grinned and lowered his eyes, then looked at her again, this time more suggestively. There was something very sensual and provocative about that look, but it was only hinted, nothing more.

“You could do that,” he said slowly, staring at her from head to toe.

She stood up, shaking the sand off her dress.

“Yes, well,” she said, her voice filled with irony, “it’s been fun, but…”

“You’re cute when you’re angry, do you know that?” he said, as she grabbed her bag and tossed it over her shoulder.

“Well, you’re annoying,” she said flatly, “and your fly is open.”

He looked at his pants, then back at her and smiled widely.

“I’m glad that you noticed,” he said with a grin, “and even more that you didn’t warn me sooner.”

[image error]Meet Author Alex L. Michaels…

Alex L. Michaels has been an avid reader since childhood and books have always been an integral part of her life. She always wanted to be a writer, but it took her a long time to get there. She writes poetry and romance novels. Her heroes are roguish and charming, while her heroines are cheeky and courageous. She is currently working on her second novel.

~~~

Links to Alex’s website, blog, books, etc.

Website: alexlmichaelsromance.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexLMichaels/

Twitter: @alexlmichaels_a

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/2vSpTuw

Amazon.co.uk:  http://amzn.to/2EMZgHq

~~~

Thanks, Alex, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with SECRETS HIDDEN IN THE GLASS (A Carter Island Novel) by Cate Beauman #recipe ~ Salmon Patties

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[image error]Karen’s Killer Fixin’s

**AUTHOR SPECIAL**

with Cate Beauman!

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, CATE BEAUMAN, and her favorite recipe for SALMON PATTIES! 

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[image error] Bestselling author Cate Beauman is back with her 12th full length novel and her first stand-alone title: Secrets Hidden In the Glass. 

Her multi award-winning Bodyguards of L.A. County series has over 500,000 copies sold and a 4.4 rating with 8000+ reviews.

SECRETS HIDDEN IN THE GLASS

A Carter Island Novel

BY CATE BEAUMAN

BLURB

Stained glass artist Callie Davis is in desperate need of a vacation. Burnt out and on the edge of a nervous breakdown, she’s fleeing the pressures of her career and is taking refuge on Massachusetts’ tiny Carter Island. Callie yearns for long, lazy days and pretty walks on the beach—blessed solitude and an escape from the complications of her life. Then she bumps into gorgeous Nate Carter and everything changes.

Sheriff Nathan Carter couldn’t be happier now that the height of the summer season has finally come and gone. After four endless months, tourists have packed their bags and headed for the mainland. The quiet days of autumn are about to befall the town—the way Nate and his fellow Sandersonians like it best.

But nothing ends up quite the way Nate expects when he meets the beautiful blonde with the big blue eyes. Callie’s pretty smiles hide secrets—deep, dark mysteries that could cost them both their lives if they continue digging into the past and cross a killer’s path.

The Inspiration Behind Secrets Hidden In The Glass:

I always find the process of writing fascinating—imagining words and thoughts into subsistence that had once only existed in my head. Oftentimes, the undertaking is daunting. Months of research, careful plotting, planning, character development, and revising go into every page. There are many moments of doubt and worry. On occasion, there’s even a triumph or two. But finally, you type The End and you realize you’ve created a miracle of sorts—a story to share with your eager readers who are always waiting for what’s next.

I had such fun telling Nate and Callie’s adventure. There was something extra enjoyable about bringing Sanderson, Massachusetts to life—the fictitious, tiny town on the equally made-up Carter Island. Imagine dreaming up a beachy setting that gets to be exactly what you want it to be. Add a group of intriguing (and on occasion quirky) characters. Throw plenty of steamy romance and several sprinkles of mystery and suspense into the mix and you’ve got yourself one heck of a good time.

I hope you’ll enjoy Secrets Hidden In The Glass as much as I enjoyed telling it.

[image error]SECRETS HIDDEN IN THE GLASS

A Carter Island Novel

BY CATE BEAUMAN

EXCERPT

Chapter 1 :

Callie stood next to the grease-smudged door, sucking her thumb and clutching Emily Dolly close in the crook of her arm. Tinny music played through cheap speakers as she stared at the big man sitting in a booth across the room, snoring with his chin touching his chest while the food on his plate went cold. Glancing around at empty tables and chairs, Callie recognized that she was in a restaurant. Mommy took her out to eat sometimes, but she’d never been to this place before. She flinched and her gaze flew to a set of metallic doors when a woman with bold red hair pushed them open and walked from the kitchen.

The woman stopped abruptly and rolled her eyes as she looked toward the man, who sounded like a pig. “Good grief, I need to get off this midnight shift.” The woman shook her head, grabbing a washcloth from a bucket, then wiped down the long counter top. Her dangling hoop earrings caught in the light while she hummed along with the radio and wiggled her hips in the pink skirt she wore. After tossing the cloth back into the bucket, she picked up a stack of menus and turned, gasping when she made eye contact with Callie. “Dear God in heaven,” she said as her free hand flew to her chest. “You scared me half to death.”

Callie gripped Emily Dolly tighter and stepped back, bumping into the cool glass.

The woman frowned as her gaze tracked around the room. She set the menus on a table, walked over, and crouched down in front of Callie. “Sweetie, are you alone?”

Callie tried to move farther away but there was nowhere left to go.

“You don’t have to be afraid of me.” She smiled and stroked her fingers down a lock of Callie’s long blond hair. “I work here.”

Callie stared into the woman’s green eyes while her stomach twisted and turned and felt yucky.

“Let’s see if I can find your mommy.” The woman gained her feet and walked down a short hallway, opening a door. “Hello?” She moved a few steps and turned another doorknob, doing the same thing. “Hello?”

The woman came back and pushed through the door Callie stood by, letting in the sounds of the cars driving by as she walked off into the dark. Moments later, she came back inside, hurrying over to the man in the corner, shoving on his arm. “Hey.” She did it again. “Hey, you.”

The man snorted as his eyes flew open. “Jeez, lady. What the hell?”

“Is that your little girl?” The waitress pointed in Callie’s direction.

The man turned his head, looking at Callie. “No, that’s not my little girl.”

The woman’s hand ended up on her hip. “Did you see her come in with anyone?”

He stared at Callie a second longer and shook his head. “I’m seeing her for the first time right now.”

“Well, where did she come from?”

He shrugged. “Beats me.”

The waitress walked back to Callie, crouched down again, and sent her another warm smile. “Can you talk?”

Callie nodded.

“What’s your name, pretty girl?”

She took her thumb out of her mouth. “Callie.”

“Do you know how old you are?”

She nodded again.

“How old?”

“Four.”

“Where’s your mommy, sweetie?”

Callie’s breath shuddered in and out when her tummy felt yucky all over again. “I don’t know.”

“How did you get here?”

She blinked rapidly and tears trailed down her cheeks. “I don’t know.”

“Oh, good heavens.” The woman picked her up and hugged her close. “Everything’s going to be all right.” She walked toward the metallic doors and pushed her way into the big kitchen. “Earl, call the police. I think we have an abandoned child on our hands.”

Did you enjoy the excerpt? You can read the first chapter on my website, www.catebeauman.com, or you can finish the whole book with the links below!

[image error] Meet Author Cate Beauman…

International bestselling author Cate Beauman is known for her full-length, action-packed romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County. Her novels have been nominated for the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award, National Indie Excellence Award, Golden Quill Award, Writers Touch Award, Aspen Gold Award, Heart of Excellence Award, and have been named Readers Favorite Five Star books. In 2017 FINDING LYLA was chosen as the Booksellers Best Award Winner, the Maggie Award For Excellence, and received the Holt Medallion Award. REAGAN’S REDEMPTION and ANSWERS FOR JULIE were selected as rare co-winners of the Aspen Gold Award in 2016. JUSTICE FOR ABBY received the 2015 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Gold Medal, while SAVING SOPHIE took the Silver Medal. SAVING SOPHIE was also selected as the 2015 Readers Crown Award winner for Romantic Suspense and FALLING FOR SARAH received the silver medal for the 2014 Readers’ Favorite Awards.

Cate makes her home in North Carolina with her husband, two boys, and their St. Bernards, Bear and Jack.

DO YOU LIKE FREE EBOOKS?

SIGN UP FOR CATE’S NEWSLETTER TO BE NOTIFIED OF OFFERS  AND NEW RELEASE INFORMATION

http://www.catebeauman.com/getmyfreebooks

For a limited time : new subscribers will receive a free copy of Morgan’s Hunter and Falling For Sarah, books one and two in the Bodyguards of L.A. County Series!

Links to Cate’s website, blog, books, etc.

Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.uk | Amazon.au | Kobo | Nook | iBooks

Amazon Author Page:

http://www.amazon.com/Cate-Beauman/e/B00A05KHVM/

BookBub:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cate-beauman

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/catebeauman

Social links:

Twitter: @CateBeauman

www.catebeauman.com

www.facebook.com/CateBeauman

www.instagram.com/cate_beauman_author

I hope you enjoy the recipe Cate is sharing today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy Eating!

Karen

P.S. We’re at 357 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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTE FROM CATE

A Winner Dinner – Any Time Of The Year!

Oh, how I love to cook and bake. When I find recipes that are delicious and nutritious, that’s even better! Oftentimes, life is hectic in my house. Kids and dogs and deadlines are always at the forefront, so when I’m able to put a tasty, healthy, and time-saving meal on the table, I feel quite accomplished.

Secrets Hidden In The Glass takes place on fictitious Carter Island, where fresh Atlantic seafood is available for sale straight off the boats. I thought it would be fun to find a yummy little something that Nate Carter and Callie Davis might cook up together. These salmon cakes are worth a mention—and you can eat them any time of the year. Salmon cakes with corn on the cob and a fresh garden salad in the summer or salmon cakes with mashed potatoes or brown rice and steamed broccoli in the winter. Truly, you can’t go wrong! I’ve made a couple of simple tweaks to Self Proclaimed Foodie’s interpretation of sinful salmon. I hope you’ll enjoy these as much as my family and I do.

SALMON PATTIES

From the kitchen of Chrissy Teigen

[Makes 4]

2 6-oz cans salmon (I prefer Wild Planet because the fish is sustainably caught and it’s boneless and skinless.)

1 egg

3 green onions, minced

½ cup plain whole wheat bread crumbs (can use regular bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs)

½ cup grated parmesan

½ lime, juiced

Olive oil to coat the pan

Drain the salmon and put the meat in a medium size bowl. Add the egg, green onions, bread crumbs, parmesan, and lime juice. Stir well, then form the mixture into patties that are no more than one inch thick.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, adding olive oil then patties when the oil is hot enough to sizzle a bread crumb that is thrown into the pan. Cook until golden brown (about 4-5 minutes on each side).

Serve warm or cold. (These are great to prepare on a Sunday night and pack for lunch on Monday, along with a salad).

~~~

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Thanks, Cate, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: MURDER EN POINTE, Grace’s Augusta Mysteries Book 2 by Charmain Z. Brackett

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 [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!

~~

MURDER EN POINTE

Grace’s Augusta Mysteries Book 2

BY CHARMAIN Z. BRACKETT

Blurb

With a diva ballerina waltzing through town for two sold-out performances, Grace Ward has to be on her toes to make sure the star’s flowers are perfect. Her delivery goes awry when she finds the prima donna dead, and another Augusta mystery lands in her lap.

~~

[image error]MURDER EN POINTE

Grace’s Augusta Mysteries Book 2

BY CHARMAIN Z. BRACKETT

Excerpt

I walked around and listened.

Silence – an eerie silence, at that.

I seemed to be alone, but for some reason, I felt like someone was watching me. I felt a shiver down my spine. I’d never heard of a phantom at this theater. I felt the urge to get out of there as fast as I could. I wanted to run.

I put my hand on the door handle and paused as I felt another shiver. That urge to run was even stronger. I knocked on the door and waited. Despite the feeling of dread, I opened the door, and what I saw as I entered the dressing room shocked me. I saw a woman lying on her back on the floor. It was Aleksandra. Wearing a beautiful, silk, Asian-inspired robe, the same leotard and tights from earlier, and a pair of pink pointe shoes on her feet, she lay motionless.

I stepped back and paused for what seemed like an eternity. Of course, it was probably only a few seconds. I couldn’t scream, but my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest. When I finally got my bearings, I placed the flowers on the makeup counter in front of the wall of mirrors and then stared into the reflection. There was something written in Russian in red lipstick on one of the dressing room mirrors. Another mirror was broken and several of the light bulbs that surrounded it were broken as well. Bloodied glass shards lay on the counter and pulverized purple eye shadow glittered on the floor. Several containers littered the carpet as though Aleksandra had entered a massive struggle right before her violent end.

I noticed a second pair of pointe shoes beside her. Saturated in blood, the shoes’ ribbons were laced around her neck, and orchid blossoms were scattered atop her still body. There was blood on her hands, which were resting by her side. It was odd. It didn’t seem like a natural position. My own hands started shaking as I took it all in. I felt dizzy. Where was my phone? I rummaged through my purse until I found it. Speed dial 2 for my husband.

“Hey, baby. I was just getting ready to call you,” I heard Drew on the other end of the call.

I continued to stare.

“Grace? Are you there?”

“Drew” was all I could say.

“What’s wrong?”

“Could you come to the dressing rooms at the Bell?”

The words seemed to be stuck in my throat. I tried to clear it.

“What’s the matter, Grace?”

“I think there’s been another murder.”

“I’m on my way.”

[image error]Meet Author Charmain Z. 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: 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LXRCE49

Facebook:

www.charmainzbrackett.com, www.facebook.com/thekeyofelyon.

Twitter: @CZBrackett

Website:  www.charmainzbrackett.com

~~~

Thanks, Charmain, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: SHIRLEY BURLY AND THE STICK OF WOOD by Scott Pixello

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[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!

~~

SHIRLEY BURLY AND THE STICK OF WOOD

BY SCOTT PIXELLO

Blurb

Meet Shirley: thirteen, half-Turkish, a little overweight and obsessed with Sherlock Holmes. Oh yes, and she’s just been told she’s ‘on the spectrum.’  Together with sidekicks Monty, Napoleon and Jasper, she starts a crime-fighting blog, aimed at her obsessive online fans, called ‘Dear Stalker…’ She’s a different kind of detective with a different skill set.  She’s about to surprise lots of people, including herself. And still be home in time for tea.

Check out Scott Pixello’s super-fun 18th novel, which critics are already calling ‘SBATSOW’. Available in paperback and ebook form.

~~~

[image error]SHIRLEY BURLY AND THE STICK OF WOOD

BY SCOTT PIXELLO

WARNING- word avalanche approaching. Non-readers take evasive action.

So, a few people have asked, ‘What’s this Shirley Burly thing all about then?’ It’s a bit difficult to describe, like lots of my books, so here’s a taste. BTW, Baba is what she calls her father and Nez is her older sister.

This is from Chapter 4, when the main character, who has taken to calling herself Shirley Burly (for reasons you’ll have to find out) starts to assemble a team to help her do some detecting (and not of the metal variety).

The doctors at the hospital had talked about using low-tech ways to organise and visualise thoughts and it did seem to help, from the target charts on the fridge to her homework timetable to the TV schedule. On one wall, she’d cleared her notice-board of boy band pictures and, now, it was covered with crime stories from the local paper and printed offline. It was a bit of a mess and looked more like a serial killer’s den than the working out of a case but that would come in time.

On the left side of the board she had placed a heading: ‘Team’ under which appeared the following information:

First name: Napoleon

Second name: Cat

Domicile: Anywhere he chooses

Colour: Mostly black

Favourite food: Aubergine bake with fennel sauce (sometimes)

Distinctive features: Fussy with his food. Also has a white spot on his nose, will puke if tickled.

Dislikes: Christmas trees-—will fight them to the death if challenged.

She wasn’t sure if you were supposed to describe people as ‘black’ these days (and to her, Napoleon definitely was people) but she chose to keep it listed. He was mostly black, except for his white tummy and smudge on his nose, which looked like he’d been decorating. This was unlikely as he was extremely lazy and he would struggle to help her father open the paint tins.

They let him out at night to avoid whining and scratching (the cat, not Baba). It was anyone’s idea where he went but he did, sometimes, bring back little presents, which he used to drop by her face in bed. Waking up next to a half-dead mouse, or baby bird, was just one of the parts of her everyday routine. She had given quite a lot of thought to Napoleon’s name and never shortened it. She felt he might not be impressed if she came to the door at feeding time and called out, ‘Nappy’. If she were a cat, she wouldn’t come if she was called that. However, it did mean that an even shorter version of his name, ‘Nap,’ was accurate as he seemed to spend most of his time in various stages of napping. She had opted for Napoleon, which he seemed to think meant he was a great leader. Actually, it was because he was short, tried to take over everything and didn’t like the cold much.

Next to Napoleon, appeared the second member of her support team:

Name: Monty

Second name: Python

Domicile: Glass case in adjacent room

Colour: Mostly yellow

Favourite food: Freshly killed mice

Distinctive features: Not really—he’s a snake

She was pleased with the word adjacent but had had to Google the spelling. Baba said she shouldn’t use Google for spelling (she wasn’t quite sure why) but it was the quickest thing to do.

Monty was a reticulated python. She had wondered at first if that meant he was articulated like a lorry that had a cab you could detach and connect with different trailers. But it didn’t. It meant he was covered in a veiny pattern. The thing like a lorry would have been cool though. The great thing about Monty was that, mostly, he just sat, always listened and never ever repeated her secrets to anyone else. He had the qualities of a perfect best friend.

She had gone to a local animal shelter, intending to get another dog as company for Jasper (details to follow). However, she had passed a cage with a yellow snake curled up in the far corner and when she asked, the man who ran the place said that someone had just dumped it by the side of the road. It was lucky to be alive. Pythons like this normally live in South-east Asia and the climate in Britain most of the time is more like Planet Drizzle. He didn’t say all this—just the bit about being lucky. She’d looked up pythons on the Net later.

There were all kinds of freakish horror stories about pythons swallowing dogs and even small children but it did say that most of these were unproven and that usually, if they were treated well, they wouldn’t eat you. She could identify with that. People viewed her that way most of the time, so she knew how it felt.

Monty, like her, didn’t like being handled. He could be a bit tetchy but was potentially very strong when angered. Granted, she wasn’t scaly, fork-tongued or yellow but she felt they had enough in common for the relationship to work. Dogs occasionally attacked toddlers but people still kept them as pets (dogs that is, not toddlers).

So that’s how a much younger, and considerably smaller Monty, made his home with them. He was still growing and although measuring and weighing him was now quite difficult, she occasionally did it, just in case anyone asked. She had to drape him a few times round her neck, stand on the scale and then subtract her own weight (having weighed herself first). The draping bit was getting harder as he grew longer (he was up to about 12 feet now) and heavier. Pythons weren’t poisonous; they killed their prey by constriction but she’d never had any problems with Monty. She liked to think it was because he was content but he was probably just lazy. It must take quite a lot of effort to squeeze someone to death. As much as she wished her bullies at school were dead sometimes, it had never crossed her mind to squeeze them.

Monty had been watching her, while she pondered these weighty matters. He occasionally gave a bit of a flick with his tongue, which Disney cartoons always used to suggest they were hungry. She knew it just meant he was testing the air around him. In theory, pythons ate small mammals, including cats and, more as a precautionary measure, she tried not to leave Monty and Napoleon alone together. Mind you, anyone who tried to eat that fat fur-ball would have a job.

Touching snakes always freaked other kids out, who expected them to be slimy but, as she knew, Monty’s skin was dry and smooth. Moving his bulk around to clean his cage or just to pet him, had made her strong. He needed mice to eat and sometimes she bought frozen ones from the pet shop but after Nez screamed the first time upon finding one in the freezer, she had often tried to find him some live food to eat. Napoleon helped here, bringing in a succession of dead or half-dead mice and birds, which Monty gratefully wolfed down. She giggled to herself thinking about a snake ‘wolfing’ anything.

The great thing about animals was that, unlike people, if you treated them well, they’d generally do the same to you. And they never wanted to do group work. Monty seemed a bit of a lonely creature, having no other snakes to talk to, so she took it upon herself to spend time with him and tell him about her day. She wasn’t like these batty people you saw on TV, who swore their animals talked back. She might have been on the spectrum but she wasn’t mad.

On one wall of her bedroom, there was a poster for one of her favourite John Carpenter films: Escape from New York. This was partly due to the idea of a city as a prison, which was how she sometimes felt in London but, mainly, because of the kick-ass hero, the eye-patch-wearing Snake Plisskin. It was the kind of role and name she would have chosen for herself.

She then added details about the third member of the team.

Name: Jasper

Second name: the Dog

Domicile: Basket under the stairs

Colour: Mostly yellow, often muddy-brown (from mud)

Favourite food: Ice-cream (vanilla)

Distinctive features: Scared of spiders and vacuum cleaners

He was a Labrador Retriever, like they always had on Blue Peter when they were training guide dog puppies. He never seemed to get upset, angry or impatient. Sometimes she thought he was a space alien but if he was, he certainly wasn’t here to take over the planet.

He was a Labrador but had never been out of England and he was supposed to be a retriever. She was confused by that. Whenever she threw balls or sticks for him, he would amble after whatever it was, find it and then sit. She was usually the one who did the retrieving. Still, he had a good sense of smell and had been the one to detect a gas leak in a static caravan they had hired on holiday in Wales a few years ago. If it hadn’t been for his persistent barking, they might not have woken up at all.

One reason her dad had got Jasper in the first place was to help her calm down when she had a meltdown. It had seemed to work. He was very calm and just stayed close until, the feelings went away. Strangely, touching animals—Jasper, Napoleon and Monty—didn’t seem to trigger a reaction like human contact. Around Jasper, she didn’t have as many meltdowns and when they did happen, it almost felt like they were happening to someone else.

He had been an unwanted puppy, rescued by a local shelter. Baba often told her the story of how he brought in the puppy, laid it next to her when she was upset (about what she had no idea) and it was like flicking a switch. She immediately calmed and felt better. After a bad day at school, a hug from Jasper was worth its weight in gold. He was six years old now. She thought about most six-year-old humans. Jasper already had the maturity of someone in their forties. Jasper barked but he wasn’t exactly ferocious. He was more a warning dog than a guard dog. In theory, he could bite someone but it was more likely he’d dribble them to death. He was a good swimmer but, unlike her, he didn’t have certificates to prove it and, unlike her again, he shed hair everywhere.

However, like her, he did have his own strange habits. The vacuum cleaner for instance. When they were turned off, he wasn’t scared of them. When they were moving, he was terrified. Ditto with the spiders. Dad had said that if they ever came across a spider doing some hoovering, Jasper would freak out but she’d said that she didn’t think that was very likely. Her dad had gone into another room and seemed to be making a laughing-type noise but she couldn’t see why.

She stood back to admire her handiwork with the board, which had now been prioritised into three parts: now, later, and much later. Homework appeared in the third section with ‘possibly never’ added in brackets.

[image error] Meet Author Scott Pixello…

Scott Pixello was born in England in 1966. Following the usual dysfunctional teenage years, he went to Oxford in the 1980s but eventually found the shopping was just not worth the 200-mile round journey and stayed at home instead. He took a degree in Manchester but was later forced to give it back. He has since published several books on completely different topics and under a different name. According to the Internet, he now divides his time between writing books on fly-fishing, running a successful contract cleaning business and acting as the lead singer of an indie band called Single Syllable (or Sin for short). Despite repeated attempts at deportation by the German government, he lives in Düsseldorf with his future ex-wife and bucking contemporary population trends, has sired 2.4 children called Thomas, Amy and Dav-. He lists his interests as numismatics, protecting his privacy and telling lies.

For newbies, there’s something for everyone in the Pixelloverse, now offering 18 titles. Those needing help with studies (Shakespeare: A Boy’s Tale), anyone expecting or dealing with children (The A-Z of Kids), fans of romance (What Love Can Do), sci-fi (Losers in Space), detective fiction (Shirley Burly), historical fiction (Jesus: The  Wilderness Years or any of the Keith Ramsbottom series), anyone needing a lift (Gothic  Girl or Luke, I am Your Father), lovers of animals (Rainbow) or anyone who’s too clever for their own good (Smart School)- need look no further. All Amazon ratings are 4* or above.

~~~

Links to Scott’s website, blog, books, etc.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shirley-Burly-Stick-Scott-Pixello-ebook/dp/B0789X7QXN/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1513449814&sr=1-1&keywords=scott+pixello

Blog: http://www.pixelloverse.wordpress.com

~~~

Thanks, Scott, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: THE TRICKSTER’S LOVER (An Urban Fantasy Romance with the Norse God Loki: Book One of the Loki Series) by Samantha MacLeod

[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!

~~

THE TRICKSTER’S LOVER

An Urban Fantasy Romance with the Norse God Loki

Book of the Loki Series

BY SAMANTHA MacLEOD

Caroline Capello doesn’t take chances.

A graduate student at the prestigious University of Chicago, Caroline dedicates her carefully-planned life to the serious, academic study of mythology.

Until a god shows up in her bedroom.

Loki, the enigmatic and irresistibly sexy Norse god of lies, appears late at night in Caroline’s apartment, cuts her clothes down the middle, and rocks her studious world in ways she couldn’t even imagine. The next morning, she’s convinced it was a dream–until she sees her clothes on the floor, cut in two.

When Loki’s appearances stop as suddenly as they began, concern for her lover forces Caroline to risk everything in an attempt to reach Val-Hall, the ancient home of Óðinn’s army. Once there, she must put all she has learned to the test.

If she fails, there’s far more than Loki’s life at stake…

About the Book

The Trickster’s Lover by Samantha MacLeod

Series Loki #1

Genre Adult, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Publisher Vestal Valley Press

Publication Date September 6, 2016

 

About Author Samantha MacLeod…

Samantha’s work has been described as, “breathtakingly lyrical stories that breathe new and unexpected life into the old gods and the mortals who cross their paths.”

Born and raised in Colorado, Samantha MacLeod has lived in every time zone in the US, and London. She has a bachelor’s degree from Colby College and an M.A. from the University of Chicago; yes, the U. of C. really is where fun comes to die.

Samantha lives with her husband and two small children in the woods of southern Maine. When she’s not shoveling snow or writing steamy sex scenes, Samantha can be found teaching college composition and philosophy to undergraduates who have no idea she leads a double life as an erotica author.

Author Links

    

 

This promotion is brought to you by Pure Textuality PR.

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: ABOUT THAT KISS (A Heartbreaker Bay Novel) by Jill Shalvis

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[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]ABOUT THAT KISS

A Heartbreaker Bay Novel

BY JILL SHALVIS

Blurb

When love drives you crazy . . .

When sexy Joe Malone never calls after their explosive kiss, Kylie shoves him out of her mind. Until she needs a favor, and it’s a doozy. Something precious to her has been stolen and there’s only one person with unique finder-and-fixer skills that can help—Joe. It means swallowing her pride and somehow trying to avoid the temptation to throttle him—or seduce him.

the best thing to do . . .

No, Joe didn’t call after the kiss. He’s the fun time guy, not the forever guy. And Kylie, after all she’s been through, deserves a good man who will stay. But everything about Kylie makes it damned hard to focus, and though his brain knows what he has to do, his heart isn’t getting the memo.

… is enjoy the ride.

As Kylie and Joe go on the scavenger hunt of their lives, they discover surprising things about each other. Now, the best way for them to get over “that kiss” might just be to replace it with a hundred more.

~~~

[image error]ABOUT THAT KISS

A Heartbreaker Bay Novel

BY JILL SHALVIS

Check out the entire first chapter of ABOUT THAT KISS on Jill’s website at:

http://jillshalvis.com/books/about-that-kiss/#excerpt

[image error]Meet Author Jill Shalvis…

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes warm, funny, sexy contemporary romances and women’s fiction. An Amazon, BN & iBooks bestseller, she’s also a two-time RITA winner and has more than 10 million copies of her books sold worldwide.

~~~

Links to Jill’s website, blog, books, etc.

Goodreads Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35069559-about-that-kiss

Goodreads Series Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/series/169076-heartbreaker-bay

Buy Links:   AMAZON | B&N | iBOOKS | KOBO | GPLAY

Author Links: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

~~~

Thanks, Jill, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations Week 12-18-17, 12-25-17, 01-01-18, 01-08-18 & 01-15-18 Blog Giveaway Winners!

[image error] CONGRATULATIONS WEEK

12-18-17, 12-25-17, 01-01-18, 01-08-18 & 01-15-18

BLOG GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!

~~~

[image error]Karen’s Killer Fixin’s BONUS with Vivienne Savage…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Vivienne is giving away a paperback copy (U.S. Only) of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, the first book in their Once Upon a Spell series to one lucky reader who comments on their Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog.

Thanks, Vivienne, for sharing your book with us!

WINNERS: LORIH824!!

~~~

[image error]Karen’s Killer Fixin’s with Ja’nese Dixon…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Ja’nese will give away a copy of CARAMEL SURPRISE, Ready for Love Series Book 1 (Kindle version) to three lucky readers who comment on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.

Thanks, Ja’nese, for sharing your book with us!

WINNERS: KATHLEEN BYLSMA, BN100 & EILEEN AW!!

~~~

[image error]Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Leeann Betts…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Leeann is giving away a print (U.S. Only) or ebook copy, winner’s choice, of PETTY CASH to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.

Thanks, Leeann, for sharing your book with us!

WINNER: PERRIANNE ASKEW!!

~~~

[image error]Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Luna Davers & Amanda Adams…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Luna is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card  to one lucky reader who comments on her **Author Peek** Interview or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs.

Thanks, Luna & Amanda, for sharing your book with us!

WINNER: YVONNE CRUZ!! 

~~~

[image error]Karen’s Killer Fixin’s with Luanna Stewart…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Luanna is giving away an ebook copy of LOVE AND MAYHEM, the first book in the series  to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog.

Thanks, Luanna, for sharing your book with us!

WINNER: LINDA B!

~~~

[image error]Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Sophia Knightly..

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Sophia is giving away KISSED BY YOU, the book that precedes LOVED BY YOU, to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs.

Thanks, Sophia, for sharing your book with us!

WINNER: NISHA TISSOO!! 

~~~

[image error]Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Donna Schlachter ETAL…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Donna is giving away a print copy (U.S. Only) of A BOUQUET OF BRIDES COLLECTION to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.

Thanks, Donna, for sharing your book with us!

WINNER: CONNIE LEE!!

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[image error]Karen’s Killer Fixin’s with Anya Summers..

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Anya is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.

Thanks, Anya, for sharing your book with us!

WINNERS: GLENDA!! 

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[image error]Karen’s Killer Book Bench with John Gaspard…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: John is giving away an Audible copy of one of the first three Eli Marks books, THE AMBITIOUS CARD, THE BULLET CATCH, or THE MISER’S DREAM (winner’s choice) to one lucky reader who comments on his Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.

Thanks, John, for sharing your book with us!

WINNER: HELEN RODIN DRAKE!! 

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[image error]Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Charmain Z. Brackett…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Charmain is giving away an ebook copy of MURDER UNDER THE MAGNOLIAS to two lucky readers who comment on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.

Thanks, Charmain, for sharing your book with us!

WINNERS: HELEN RODIN DRAKE & BONNIE GONZALES!! 

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DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THESE BOOKS!! [image error] KILLING SECRETS, Thorne’s Thorns Book 1 by Bestselling Author K.L. Docter.

Blurb: Some secrets are better left dead.

Rachel James’ ex-husband is released from prison determined to reclaim her and her little girl — the child is his key to controlling the James fortune. Frightened, Rachel flees to Denver with the child who hasn’t uttered a word since her daddy went to prison.

Contractor Patrick Thorne wants nothing to do with another of his parents’ charity cases. He failed his own wife so abysmally she took her own life as well as his unborn son’s. After two years, it’s time to concentrate on the bid he’s won and the saboteur trying to destroy his construction firm.

There is no room for trust in either of their hearts. But trust is all that will untangle the secrets that dominate their lives, free a little girl of her silent prison, and save them all from a serial killer who stands too close.

(All Karen/K.L. Docter novels have HEAs, no cliffhangers.)

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2iFFWmg

B&N: http://goo.gl/wsqVxB

Kobo: http://goo.gl/KM563U

Google Play: http://goo.gl/mogQqs

iTunes: http://goo.gl/pg58wN

[image error] COP ON HER DOORSTEP, True Love In Uniform by Bestselling Author Karen Docter.

Blurb: In the six years since her husband was killed by S.W.A.T., Carrie Padilla has spent long hours at work, rebuilding a life for herself and her son. The little time she has at home is spent keeping her eight-year-old son out of trouble, but he is all too eager to try to be the man in the house. When a handsome cop shows up on her doorstep, her errant son in tow, Carrie’s heart stutters. The sexy Italian cop sets off all kinds of bells in her system, and she knows there’s only one thing she can do to save what is left of her family, her husband’s memory, and her heart…avoid her new neighbor at all costs.

S.W.A.T. officer Jake Stefani already lost one little boy to gang violence, the dead boy’s older brother is missing, and Jake’s not about to let the same thing happen to a neighbor’s son. He drags the youngster home only to discover much more than a passing interest in the boy’s beautiful, but wary, mother. Forced to take a leave of absence after a bust goes awry, Jake can think of nothing better to occupy his time than to keep Carrie and her son safe, and locate the missing teen who holds the key to taking the gang off the streets, once and for all.

But Jake doesn’t count on his stubborn, intriguing neighbor distracting him from his job, or the passion that flares between them. He doesn’t expect her amazing son to steal a piece of his heart. Jake is ready to risk everything for Carrie, body and soul. But it’s not all up to him. If their new love is to survive, Carrie will need to be strong enough to see the man’s beating heart behind the badge, to look beyond the pain of her past, and decide that loving again is worth the risk.

[All of Karen/K.L. Docter’s books are HEA. No cliffhangers.]

Buy Links:

Amazon US: http://goo.gl/bUHNMu

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cop-Her-Doorstep-True-Uniform/dp/0988258668/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497628797&sr=8-1&keywords=cop+on+her+doorstep

B&N: http://goo.gl/6uoZTd

Kobo: http://goo.gl/fd92aB

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26183834-cop-on-her-doorstep

HAPPY READING!

All giveaway winners chosen by random.org from reader comments with the exception of Rafflecopter giveaways which are determined and announced offsite by publisher/authors. Thank you!