Karen Docter's Blog, page 178
August 2, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Eye Candy (Real Love #1) by Jessica Lemmon
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!
~~
EYE CANDY
Real Love #1
BY JESSICA LEMMON
Blurb
Don’t trust lust at first sight. One woman chooses reality over fantasy in this friends-to-lovers romance.
Jacqueline: As an adult woman—and the vice president of a marketing firm—I shouldn’t be waiting by my office window to ogle the mystery man who jogs by every morning at 11:45. Sure, he’s a gorgeous, perfect specimen of the human race, but I can’t bring myself to hit on a total stranger. However, my best friend–slash–colleague Vince Carson thinks I should do more than talk to the guy. In fact, he’s borderline obsessive about “getting me laid.” (His words.) But the more time we spend together, the more it’s clear: The one I’m falling for is Vince.
Vince: Jackie Butler’s got it bad for some pompous, over-pumped A-hole who struts his stuff past her window. That doesn’t bother me. I know she deserves nice things. What does bother me is that she friend-zoned me big-time last year, so I can’t ask her out myself. But what if I set her up with Mr. Steroids? Then, when he breaks her heart, I can swoop in and save her like the nice guy I am. Everything’s going according to plan . . . until we share a ridiculously epic kiss. And suddenly anything is possible.
EYE CANDY
Real Love #1
BY JESSICA LEMMON
Excerpt
JACQUELINE
“Truly pathetic, Butler,” I hear behind me. It’s Vince, using my last name, per his usual.
I swirl around and peg him with a look of pure fury. He’s VP too, by the way. Did I mention that? Last year when the vice president quit, two of us were promoted to handle the workload in tandem. I guess that was better than one of us leaving the other behind.
“What does the sign say?” I bark, pointing at my ajar office door.
Vince frowns, looks at it, then reads, “Knock if this is closed.”
“And did you? Knock?” I fold my arms.
“Yes, actually.” He sticks his fingers into the front pockets of his snug, well-fitting pair of jeans. He always wears dark jeans, a black belt, and a pair of leather shoes. Button-down and tie. He gets away with denim because our company president encourages free spirits and creativity . . . in the men who work here. Meanwhile, the women are expected to look the part of the professional, so I’ll be over here in my silk shirt and pencil skirt and stilettos if you need me. Such is life as a human with XX chromosomes.
“You were too busy admiring Golden Boy to hear me.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I crane my chin, because nothing says “I’m not lying through my teeth” like a jutted chin.
Vince walks over to the window and points at a cheek-shaped smudge on the otherwise perfect glass. “What’s this?”
“I . . . fell asleep. Long night.”
He grins and a rare blush steals across my cheeks. Not because he’s attractive—though he is. In a scamplike, puckish way. Since he was always “off limits,” it’s easy to forget he might be someone I’d look at twice if circumstances were different. If he hadn’t been so completely gone for his wife when I met him. A dart of pain shoots through the center of my chest at the thought. Leslie leaving shattered him. Whenever I think about those first six months, and how angry and hurt Vince was, I want to mail her an envelope full of glitter.
No, seriously. It’s a thing. Have you ever tried to get glitter out of carpet? I have. I used to host craft night at my place. You find shiny little specks for months. Months.
“You fell asleep,” Vince repeats flatly, giving me the slowest blink ever. “When are you going to admit you have a schoolgirl crush on that muscle-bound jerk?”
“Mark is not a jerk,” I blurt.
“His name is Mark?” Vince winces. I backtrack.
“No. That’s what Kayla calls him. His name is J.T.”
“Do you know why guys use initials for their names?” He smirks, cocky.
I prop my hands on my hips and wait.
“One of two reasons.” Vince holds up a finger. “One, he’s either too lazy or stupid to spell it, or two, both names are embarrassing. Like”—he pauses, both fingers out like a peace sign as he studies the ceiling before finishing—“Judson Taylor.”
I drop my arms. “You think his name is Judson Taylor?”
“Or”—another dramatic pause, only one finger elevated this time—“Jaundice Toe . . . jam.”
I can’t help it. I burst out laughing, holding my stomach with one arm as I double over. When I recover and push my hair behind my ears, Vince is smiling, pleased with himself. This is why we’re friends. He pulls me out of my why-so-serious, and I make him talk about his feelings.
We’re good for each other.
Meet Author Jessica Lemmon…
A former job-hopper, Jessica Lemmon resides in Ohio with her husband and rescue dog. She holds a degree in graphic design currently gathering dust in an impressive frame. When she’s not writing super-sexy heroes, she can be found cooking, drawing, drinking coffee (okay, wine), and eating potato chips. She firmly believes God gifts us with talents for a purpose, and with His help, you can create the life you want.
Jessica is a social media junkie who loves to hear from readers. You can learn more at her website.
~~~
Links to Jessica’s website, blog, books, etc.
Link to Follow Tour:
http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master/eye-candy-jessica-lemmon
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34308352-eye-candy
Goodreads Series Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/204268-real-love
Buy Links: AMAZON | B & N | GOOGLE | ITUNES | KOBO
Author Links: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS
~~~
Thanks, Jessica, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
August 1, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: STONE COLD BLOODED, Rock Shop Mystery Book Three by Catherine Dilts
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!
~~
STONE COLD BLOODED
Rock Shop Mystery Book Three
BY CATHERINE DILTS
Blurb
In the third Rock Shop Mystery, Morgan Iverson’s reclusive survivalist neighbor is blown to bits. The police believe he stumbled into his own booby trap, but his granddaughter asks Morgan and newspaperman Kurt Willard to prove it was murder. After the explosion, unidentified creatures make elusive appearances near the rock shop, drawing a summertime invasion of true believers hoping to prove the existence of aliens. Meanwhile, Morgan learns that there may be more to her Triceratops than just the brow horn. Finding the rest of the dinosaur’s remains could solve both her financial problems, and the mystery of her neighbor’s demise.
STONE COLD BLOODED
Rock Shop Mystery Book Three
BY CATHERINE DILTS
Excerpt
In book three of the Rock Shop Mystery series, Stone Cold Blooded, Morgan Iverson is learning how to shoot a rifle near her rock shop in the Colorado mountains.
Del blasted a short note on a shrill whistle.
“Heads up, everyone,” he yelled to the two spectators. “Morgan’s going on the range.”
The homemade shooting range occupied an unused area of the Rock of Ages property, fenced off from the donkeys’ various paddocks and pastures, and with a berm of dirt built up against the natural slope of a low hill. Stray bullets were sure to be absorbed by dirt.
After Del gave Morgan the go-ahead, she walked to a target tacked to a straw bale in front of the berm. Morgan studied the square of paper printed with concentric circles as she approached, disappointed that the center of the target appeared intact. Then she noticed a small hole in an outer ring. She jumped in the air and whooped.
“I hit it!”
Del opened his mouth, possibly to congratulate her, but Morgan couldn’t hear his words.
An explosion rocked the air. Rapid gunfire followed. Del crashed to the ground. For an instant, Morgan feared he’d been shot.
“Hit the dirt!” Del yelled. “Somebody’s shooting!”
Morgan dropped to her knees, feeling every sharp rock through her jeans. Gravel dug into her elbows. Distant shouting ended with more gunfire. Kurt belly-crawled to Morgan.
“It sounds like a battle!” He shouted above the noise of another explosion.
“Terrorists,” Lorina yelled. “I’d bet my best horse on it.”
Morgan pulled her cell phone from her jeans pocket. Thankfully, she had signal on this part of the property. Deputy J. B. Parker answered. Before Morgan got very far in her explanation, another explosion shook the ground.
“What in the heck’s going on?” the young deputy asked.
“Gunfire,” Morgan said. “Explosions. World War Three.”
“On your ranch?”
“No, the noise is coming from north of the rock shop,” Morgan said.
“Probably old man Day’s place,” Deputy Parker said. “The Chief and I are headed that way, Ms. Iverson. Hold tight, and don’t go anywhere near Day’s property.”
Morgan relayed the gist of her phone call to Kurt, Del, and Lorina.
“Makes sense,” Del said. “If anybody around here was capable of starting a war, it’d be Eustace Day.”
Meet Author Catherine Dilts…
Catherine Dilts is the author of the Rock Shop Mystery series, while her short stories appear regularly in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. With a day job as an environmental regulatory technician, Catherine’s stories often have environmental or factory-based themes. Others reflect her love of the Colorado mountains, fishing, and running. Her story The Chemistry of Heroes was a 2017 Derringer finalist. This fall, she takes a turn in the cozy mystery series Secrets of the Castleton Manor Library. You can learn more about Catherine’s fiction at http://www.catherinedilts.com/
~~~
Links to Catherine’s website, blog, books, etc.
Stone Cold Dead , book one in the Rock Shop Mystery series
Stone Cold Case , book two in the Rock Shop Mystery series
Stone Cold Blooded , book three in the Rock Shop Mystery series
A Whale Tale, part of the Secrets of the Castleton Manor Library series
Catherine’s blog
Catherine’s website
~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Catherine will give away a copy of STONE COLD BLOODED (or Book One, Two or Three in the series, winner’s choice) to one lucky reader who comments on her **Author Peek** or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Thanks, Catherine, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
Congratulations Week 07-24-17 Blog Giveaway Winners!
CONGRATULATIONS WEEK
07-24-17
BLOG GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!
~~~
Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Charlene Raddon…
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Charlene will give away a copy of RIDE FOR A BRIDE IN WYOMING to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Thanks, Charlene, for sharing your book with us!
WINNER: LINDA MOFFITT !
~~~
14 DAYS LEFT!! You can still WIN Mari Anne Christie’s giveaway, a quill pen and powdered ink. Enter here: http://www.karendocter.com/karens-killer-book-bench-blind-tribute-by-mari-anne-christie-historicalfiction-americancivilwar-journalism.html
~~~
4 DAYS LEFT!! You can still win a copy of SUDDENLY ENGAGED by Julia London. Enter here: http://www.karendocter.com/karens-killer-book-bench-suddenly-engaged-lake-haven-3-by-julia-london.html
~~~
You’re always a winner when you pick up a Karen/K.L. Docter novel!! All stand alone, Happily-Ever-After stories. No cliffhangers!!!
Check out Karen Docter’s contemporary romance, COP ON HER DOORSTEP, True Love In Uniform Book 1, about the life and love of police officer Jake Stefani. “A love story that is sweet and spicy.” (Sheila Kilburn, Amazon reader)
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.
(Stand Alone Novel)
Amazon: http://goo.gl/bUHNMu
B&N: http://goo.gl/6uoZTd
Kobo: http://goo.gl/fd92aB
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/550634
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26183834-cop-on-her-doorstep
Check out K..L. Docter’s romantic suspense, KILLING SECRETS, Thorne’s Thorns Series Book 1 for almost 400 pages of secrets, twists, and the “kind of killer we see on the TV show CRIMINAL MINDS”! (RT Book Reviews)
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.
Amazon: http://goo.gl/b241cp
B&N: http://goo.gl/wsqVxB
Kobo: http://goo.gl/KM563U
iTunes: http://goo.gl/pg58wN
DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT MY GOODREADS GIVEAWAY!
Win an autographed copy of Killing Secrets, Thorne’s Thorns Book 1!
ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE:
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/244867?utm_medium=api&utm_source=giveaway_widget
Contest Dates: July 15 – August 15, 2017
5 Winners ~ U.S. Only
GOOD LUCK!
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!
July 30, 2017
**Author Peek** Interview with Catherine Dilts, Author of STONE COLD BLOODED, Rock Shop Mystery Book Three
**Author Peek** Interview with Catherine Dilts, STONE COLD BLOODED
INTRODUCING…Catherine.
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.
My day job sounds really cool – environmental stewardship. In reality, I cobble together data to prove a corporation’s products meet global regulations. I like to think I’m doing my part to protect the planet, even if it can be boring at times. In my spare time, I don’t exactly relax. I love running, camping, biking, fishing, arts & crafts, gardening, spending time with family, and of course, writing stories. I came from the midwestern prairies, but for over thirty years, have called Colorado home.
1. How did you get started writing?
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t reading and writing fiction. In grade school, I created cartoon strips that I rolled through a cut-out cereal box, to make my own television shows. Later I moved on to plays chronicled on a tape recorder. The roles were read by older relatives, with some hilarious results. I took creative writing courses in college. When I became serious about getting published, I joined a local writing group, helped form a critique group, and attended writing conferences. My efforts began to pay off five years ago, resulting in my first appearance in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and the debut of my Rock Shop Mystery series.
2. What genre(s) do you write in and why?
I write primarily mystery, although I have dabbled in science fiction and mainstream. What drew me to mystery? No matter the genre, at the heart of every story is a puzzle to be solved. Questions must be answered. The reader wants to know what happens next.
3. What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?
I have discovered the joy of audio books from the library. I recently listened to the entire Sue Grafton alphabet series during my commute to work each day. Now I am on Lee Childs’ Jack Reacher series. Listening to books on cd prevents me from thinking about what idiots the other drivers are, or how I always seem to get caught by certain stop lights.
4. What is your favorite part of writing?
The entire process is exciting. If I had to pick a favorite, it might be the moment of inspiration, when a scene, a character, or a snippet of dialogue pops into my head. The story is all potential at that point.
5. What is your least favorite part of writing?
Any aspect that is not a part of the creative process. The business part of writing is necessary, unless you are happy to have a stack of unpublished manuscripts sitting in the bottom of your closet. I am a writer because I like being alone with my ideas. Although I love attending conferences and mystery writers’ meetings, being around crowds can be stressful for a true introvert.
6. Pick two celebrities to be your parents. Who would they be and why?
Chuck Norris because he could kick the tail of the monsters living in my childhood closet, and for all around awesomeness. Katharine Hepburn because she was the role model in her era of a strong, successful, intelligent woman.
7. Where do you get the ideas for your stories?
From life. A news story. Overheard conversation in the grocery checkout line. Environmental issues from work. The desire to make sense of a painful situation. To take revenge, in a civilized fashion.
8. Tell me about your ideal reader.
My fans tell me they appreciate the lack of profanity and racy scenes in my stories. The Rock Shop Mystery series strictly speaking does not fit the category of Christian fiction, and is definitely not preachy, but the stories are positive, and the characters attend church. My ideal reader is looking for clean fiction that tells a fun tale.
9. What is your “go to” routine that helps you get in the mood to write? Special beverage? Music? Etc.
I work a full time day job, so I don’t have the luxury of getting in the mood to write. My routine is to wake by 5 or 5:30, write or attend to writing business for an hour, then head off to work. If I don’t have too many chores or family responsibilities after work, I might get in an hour or two writing in the evening. Occasionally on the weekend or holidays, I enjoy a writing marathon. Beverage: coffee or tea. Music: I am a huge fan of Pandora, the internet radio service. I mostly listen to classical or easy listening music when writing if I need to drown out household noise.
10. Tell us about your next book & when is it being published?
The three novels in my Rock Shop Mystery series have recently been released in paperback. They are also still available in e-book. Book Three opens when Morgan’s reclusive neighbor is blown to bits. The police believe he stumbled into his own trap. His granddaughter claims he was murdered, and asks rock shop owner Morgan and newspaperman Kurt to find his killer. Their search for clues is interrupted by alien hunters, a small town election, and the annual mineral and fossil show in Denver. In book three of the Rock Shop Mystery series, a Triceratops brow horn may hold the key to solving a prospector’s Stone Cold Blooded death.
I am excited about my upcoming project, writing a book for the adorable Secrets of the Castleton Manor Library series. My addition to the series will be A Whale Tale.
~~~
Be sure to come back to learn more about Catherine’s novel, STONE COLD BLOODED, on Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.
~~~
Links to Catherine’s website, blog, books, etc.
Stone Cold Dead , book one in the Rock Shop Mystery series
Stone Cold Case , book two in the Rock Shop Mystery series
Stone Cold Blooded , book three in the Rock Shop Mystery series
A Whale Tale, part of the Secrets of the Castleton Manor Library series
Catherine’s blog
Catherine’s website
~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Catherine will give away a copy of STONE COLD BLOODED (or Book One, Two or Three in the series, winner’s choice) to one lucky reader who comments on her **Author Peek** or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Thanks, Catherine, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
July 27, 2017
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s: Garlic Pork Chops
It’s time for Karen’s Killer Fixin’s! Over the years, I’ve filled two 4-inch, 3-ring binders with my own creations as well as recipes my family and friends were willing to share with me. I simply love to cook and want to share that love with my readers. So every Friday, I share one recipe I think you and your family might enjoy. It might be a main course recipe. A cookie or baked item. Candy. Salads. Whatever strikes my eye and fancy…which today is GARLIC PORK CHOPS!
Yes, you have to turn on the oven so this might be better served when the weather is cooler. However, 25 minutes shouldn’t heat up your house too much if you’ve got a hankering for something different and EASY. Serve with cheesy, garlic mashed potatoes or a spinach salad. I keep several packages of this soup mix in the cupboard. This one’s great for throwing together at the last minute, even if it means you throw frozen chops into water to quick thaw. No, ahem, I’ve never done this before. 
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Ride For a Bride in Wyoming (Rocky Mountain Romances Book 4) by Charlene Raddon
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!
~~
RIDE FOR A BRIDE IN WYOMING
Rocky Mountain Romances Book 4
BY CHARLENE RADDON
Blurb
Marriage is the last thing on Annora Lee Bostwick’s mind when she moves to Wyoming to start a new branch of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Her focus is centered solely on saving animals…until blackmail and deceit force her to reconsider.
Buffalo Birch Struthers has no desire to marry, but must if he wants to keep his father’s ranch, and time is running out. His only option is an event scheduled for the upcoming yearly ranch competition called the Ride for a Bride Race.
Can two strangers who find themselves in an unwanted but unavoidable situation set anger and obstinacy aside long enough to fall in love?
RIDE FOR A BRIDE IN WYOMING
Rocky Mountain Romances Book 4
BY CHARLENE RADDON
Excerpt
Her hair was a light red. Not strawberry blond, nor the usual carrot red. Birch never would’ve thought of a color like red being mellow or calm, but that’s how he saw it.
She had freckles to go with the hair, and intense, green eyes with a hint of stubbornness as if she wouldn’t give an inch even if you set her skirts on fire. That glimpse of obstinacy matched the tilt of her chin and the stiff way she held herself. An uppity New York spinster no doubt hoping to snag what she’d failed to catch back home—a husband.
“She’s my cousin,” Lissette told the mayor, an arm around Miss Bostwick’s waist.
“And my bride-to-be,” Jenks asserted.
“That is impossible,” Miss Bostwick stated with emphasis.
Great thunder! Even her voice sounded pretty, like a meadowlark at dusk.
“I’m afraid this is my fault,” Lissette said. “You see, Annora’s mother wrote, asking me to help Annora find a husband. She gave me to understand that is why Annora decided to relocate here. When I saw the notice about the race, it seemed the perfect answer.”
“Why didn’t you ask me if I considered it perfect?” Miss Bostwick pulled the cat from her shoulder. “I’ve no need for a husband. I like being a spinster.”
Birch swallowed a laugh at that.
“Oh, but, Annora, I… I only want to see you happy.” Looking stricken, Lissette glanced around at their audience. “Please, can we discuss this later?”
“Good idea,” Mayor Sythes said. “I think we’ve strayed from the topic, folks.”
“Yes. Remove my name as the Ride for a Bride bride,” Miss Bostwick told him.
Lissette’s face paled. “Annora, you can’t.”
“I’d like to know why not.”
“Ladies. Ladies.” Sythes tried to get the situation under control.
Birch felt he ought to be rooting for one of the women, but didn’t know which. Miss Bostwick had a right to be angry at her cousin for putting her in such an awkward situation.
“But, Mayor,” Jenks whined, “I have a right to take my bride over to the church and get hitched. I won the race.”
Lissette’s skirts rustled as she whirled to face him. “No one expected that to happen. Birch and Hezzie always win.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that I won this time,” he retorted.
“Which means nothing to me,” Miss Bostwick said.
Birch raised his hands. “Hold on. Can I get a word in here?”
“Go ahead,” Mayor Sythes gestured him forward. “Speak up, Birch.”
“First, I had no knowledge about Miss Westbrook coming here—”
“Bostwick,” the redhead corrected, preventing the calico kitten from climbing to her shoulder again.
“—or being the designated bride for the race. In fact, I didn’t think any bride had volunteered yet.”
“I can verify when the race is to take place.” Mayor Sythes pulled a paper out of his vest pocket. “I have the competition rules and schedule with me.” Putting on his spectacles, he read, “The Ride for a Bride Race shall commence on the day following the conclusion of the ranch competition. That means the race is to be held July 30.”
“Let me see that.” Jenks snatched the paper away.
Lissette clapped her hands in delight. “This means you still have a chance to win Annora’s hand, Birch. Isn’t that marvelous?”
He wanted to puke.
Meet Author Charlene Raddon…
Charlene first serious attempt at writing came in 1980 when a vivid dream drove her to drag out a typewriter and begin writing. She’s been writing ever since. Her genre American historical romance. Originally published in paperback by Kensington Books, she is now self-published. Charlene also designs book covers and other graphic materials for authors, specializing in western, at http://silversagebookcovers.com.
~~~
Links to Charlene’s website, blog, books, etc.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071XDTV9G
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Charlene-Raddon/e/B000APG1P8
Website: http://www.charleneraddon.com
Silver Sage Book Covers: http://silversagebookcovers.com
~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Charlene will give away a copy of RIDE FOR A BRIDE IN WYOMING to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Thanks, Charlene, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
July 25, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Blind Tribute by Mari Anne Christie #HistoricalFiction #AmericanCivilWar #Journalism
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!
~~
BLIND TRIBUTE
BY MARI ANNE CHRISTIE
Blurb
Every newspaper editor may owe tribute to the devil, but Harry Wentworth’s bill just came due.
As America marches toward the Civil War, Harry Wentworth, gentleman of distinction and journalist of renown, finds his calls for peaceful resolution have fallen on deaf—nay, hostile—ears, so he must finally resolve his own moral quandary. Comment on the war from his influential—and safe—position in Northern Society, or make a news story and a target of himself South of the Mason-Dixon Line, in a city haunted by a life he has long since left behind?
The day-to-day struggle against countervailing forces, his personal and professional tragedies on both sides of the conflict, and the elegant and emotive writings that define him, all serve to illuminate the trials of this newsman’s crusade, irreparably altering his mind, his body, his spirit, and his purpose as an honorable man. Blind Tribute exposes the shifting stones of the moral high ground, as Harry’s family and friendships, North and South, are shattered by his acts of conscience.
BLIND TRIBUTE
BY MARI ANNE CHRISTIE
Excerpt
The Wentworths were founding members of the club, had contributed most of the building fund and many of the Negroes who had built it. Behind the wall to their left, on one of the frame beams, he and Edward had carved their initials when they were seven or so.
Harry’s father—Palmer Harrold Wentworth the Second, called Second since the day his son was born—came through the door from the dining room.
“You have no claim on our family history or this club. I’m sorry I gave you my name.”
His father’s tall, thin frame was tensile as a fencing foil, and his face like the dry husk of a topiary labyrinth, sharp angles and deep lines, compelling, thorny, and difficult to escape. His grey hair, the thick, wiry hair he’d passed down to Harry, and to Harry’s son, was tied in a queue and much thinner after ten years, but his suit looked exactly the same, as did the expression on his face.
“You’ll not be joining anything,” he barked. “You are a damned Yankee and a traitor to the South. Go back to Philadelphia where you belong.”
“Father. It’s lovely to see you in such good spirits.” His half-smile hid wary eyes. “I had assumed from your responses to my past infractions that the shock of my arrival might have killed you.” He raised his glass to his father’s health and took a sip.
The long veins on the sides of his father’s neck distended and began to quiver. “I am long since accustomed to your disregard for your family and position.” His tightly-wound fists were a concession to his better nature. “Your mother and sister are distraught, and you would have them ostracized rather than rein in your propensity for gossip and scandal.”
“My opinions are hardly gossip. Not a year ago, Harper’s called me a national treasure.” Harry turned to the man who had declined his cigar, now two seats away at the bar. The man stuttered and tried to look away, but Harry kept his gaze. “I’m sure you must have read a few of P. H. Wentworth’s opinions. Would you consider them gossip?”
His father was the one who answered: “Your opinions are nothing short of treason. Only your mother’s defense has kept me from calling you out already.”
“I have no such compunction,” Edward spat. Harry remembered Edward had been a hell of a good brawler in the down-rent pubs at Oxford, and he had the same look in his eye now. He might finish off hundreds of Yankees before the war was over, starting with Harry. “Unless you’d like to meet me at dawn, I’d suggest you leave.”
“I try not to do anything at dawn but read the newspaper. But,” Harry offered, “I’d be happy to meet you for supper any evening to renew our acquaintance.” Harry considered his cigar, which might not be in his hand much longer. “Either of you.”
“I am nothing but sorry we ever had an acquaintance. It’s time for you to leave.”
Harry puffed on his cigar, and waited to see if his father or Edward would be the one to bodily throw him out the front door. Before the answer presented itself, two big barmen converged and tried to grab his arms. He yanked himself away, downed the last of his drink, and thumped the glass back onto the bar. “I suppose I shouldn’t bother to come to the house.”
Harry’s father took two threatening steps toward him. “If you contact your mother or sister, I will run you through.”
Harry held his ground without flinching, but a sense of finality imbued his father’s words, such as Harry had never heard in more than fifty years of animosity between them. He drew on his cigar one last time and strategically retreated before his father decided to murder him in cold blood, in broad daylight, before witnesses.
“Anne and your grandchildren send their best,” Harry called over his shoulder. The manager handed him his coat and hat as he reached the door.
Harry had answered his own question, with less trouble than expected. If his own family would cast him out, he couldn’t count on anyone in the Confederacy remembering him fondly.
Meet Author Mari Anne…
Mari was “raised up” in journalism (mostly raising her glass at the Denver Press Club bar) after the advent of the web press, but before the desktop computer. She has since plied her trade as a writer, editor, and designer across many different fields, and currently works as a technical writer and editor.
Under the name Mari Christie, she has released a book-length epic poem, Saqil pa Q’equ’mal: Light in Darkness: Poetry of the Mayan Underworld, and under pen name Mariana Gabrielle, she has written several Regency romances, including the Sailing Home Series and La Déesse Noire: The Black Goddess. Blind Tribute is her first mainstream historical novel. She expects to release the first book in a new family saga, The Lion’s Club, in 2018.
She holds a BA in Writing, summa cum laude and With Distinction, from the University of Colorado Denver, and is a member of the Speakeasy Scribes, the Historical Novel Society, and the Denver Press Club. She has a long family history in Charleston, South Carolina, and is the great-great niece of a man in the mold of Harry Wentworth.
~~~
Links to Mari’s website, blog, books, etc.
Buy/Review Links
Universal Link: www.books2read.com/blindtribute
Mari’s Website: www.MariAnneChristie.com /
Mari Christie Social Media
Facebook Launch Party, July 28th, 2pm – 8 pm MDT: https://www.facebook.com/events/724880974366499
Author Website & blog: www.MariAnneChristie.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MariChristieAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mchristieauthor
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marichristie
Amazon Author page:
http://www.amazon.com/author/marichristie
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5055425.Mari_Christie
Wattpad (romance only):
https://www.wattpad.com/user/marianagabrielle
Bookbub:
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/mari-anne-christie
Authorgraph:
https://www.authorgraph.com/authors/mchristieauthor
Street Team:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/marismuses/
~~~
Thanks, Mari, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
July 24, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Suddenly Engaged (Lake Haven #3) by Julia London
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!
~~
SUDDENLY ENGAGED
Lake Haven #3
BY JULIA LONDON
Blurb
Single mother Kyra Kokinos spends her days waiting tables, her nights working on her real estate license, and every spare moment with her precocious six-year-old daughter, Ruby—especially when Ruby won’t stop pestering their grumpy next-door neighbor. At first glance, Dax Bishop seems like the kind of gruff, solitary guy who’d be unlikely to offer a cup of sugar, let alone a marriage proposal. But that’s exactly what happens when Ruby needs life-saving surgery.
Dax showed up in East Beach a year ago, fresh from a painful divorce and looking for a place where he could make furniture and avoid people. Suddenly his life is invaded by an inquisitive munchkin in sparkly cowboy boots—and her frazzled, too-tempting mother. So he presents a practical plan: his insurance will help Ruby, and then they can divorce—zero strings attached.
But soon Kyra and Dax find their engagement of convenience is simple in name only. As their attraction deepens, a figure from the past reappears, offering a way out. Can Kyra and Dax let go so easily—or has love become a preexisting condition?
SUDDENLY ENGAGED
Lake Haven #3
BY JULIA LONDON
Excerpt
Chapter One
Seven years later
July
Leave it to a female to think the rules did not apply to her.
The little heathen from next door was crawling under the split-rail fence that separated the cottages again. Dax, who already had been feeling pretty damn grumpy going on a year now, wondered why she didn’t just go over the fence. She was big enough. It was almost as if she wanted the mud on her dress and her knees, to drag the ends of her dark red ponytails through the muck.
She crawled under, stood up, and knocked the caked mud off her knees. She stomped her pink, sparkly cowboy boots—never had he seen a more impractical shoe—to make them light up, as she liked to do, hopping around her porch several times a day.
Then she started for cottage Number Two, arms swinging, stride long.
Dax watched her from inside his kitchen, annoyed. It had started a week ago, when she’d climbed on the bottom railing of the fence, leaned over it, and shouted, “I like your dog!”
He’d ignored her.
Two days ago he’d asked her, fairly politely, not to give any more cheese to his dog, Otto. That little stunt of hers had resulted in a very long and malodorous night between man and beast.
Yesterday he’d commanded her to stay on her side of the fence.
But here the little monster came, apparently neither impressed with him nor intimidated by his warnings.
Well, Dax had had enough with that family, or whatever the situation was next door. And the enormous pickup truck that showed up at seven a.m. and idled in the drive just outside his bedroom window. Those people were exactly what was wrong with America—people doing whatever they wanted without regard for anyone else, letting their kids run wild, coming and going at all hours of the day.
He walked to the back screen door and opened it. He’d installed a dog door, but Otto refused to use it. No, Otto was a precious buttercup of a dog that liked to have his doors opened for him, and he assumed that anytime his master neared the door, Dax was opening it for him. He assumed so now, stepping in front of Dax—pausing to stretch after his snoring nap—before sauntering out and down the back porch steps to sniff something at the bottom.
Dax walked out onto the porch and stood with his hands on his hips as the girl brazenly advanced.
“Hi!” she said.
She was about to learn that she couldn’t make a little girl’s social call whenever she wanted. There were rules in this world, and Dax had no compunction about teaching them to her. Clearly someone needed to. He responded to her greeting with a glower.
“Hi!” she said again, shouting this time, as if he hadn’t heard her from the tremendous distance of about six feet.
“What’d I tell you yesterday?” he asked.
“To stay on the other side of the fence.”
“Then why are you over here?”
“I forgot.” She rocked back on her heels and balanced on them, toes up. “Do you live there?”
“No, I just stand on the porch and guard the fence. Yes, I live here. And I work here. And I don’t want visitors. Now go home.”
“My name is Ruby Kokinos. What’s yours?”
What was wrong with this kid? “Where is your mother?”
“At work.”
“Then is your dad home?”
“My daddy is in Africa. He teaches cats to do tricks,” she said, pausing to twirl around on one heel. “Big cats, not little cats. They have really big cats in Africa.”
“Whatever,” he said impatiently. “Who is home with you right now?”
“Mrs. Miller. She’s watching TV. She said I could go outside.”
Great. A babysitter. “Go home,” he said, pointing to Number Three as Otto wandered over to examine Ruby Coconuts, or whatever her name was. “Go home and tell Mrs. Miller that you’re not allowed to come over or under that fence. Do you understand me?”
“What’s your dog’s name?” she asked, petting that lazy, useless mutt.
“Did you hear me?” Dax asked.
“Yes.” She giggled as Otto began to lick her hand, and went down on her knees to hug him. “I always always wanted a dog, but Mommy says I can’t have one now. Maybe when I’m big.” She stroked Otto’s nose, and the dog sat, settling in for some attention.
“Don’t pet the dog,” Dax said. “I just told you to go home. What else did I tell you to do?”
“To, um, to tell Mrs. Miller to stay over there,” she said, as she continued to pet the dog. “What’s her name?”
“It’s a he, and his name is Otto. And I told you to tell Mrs. Miller that you are supposed to stay over there. Now go on.”
She stopped petting the dog, and Otto, not ready for the gravy train of attention to end, began to lick her face. Ruby giggled with delight. Otto licked harder, like she’d been handling red meat. Frankly, it wouldn’t surprise Dax if she had—the kid seemed like the type to be into everything. She was laughing uncontrollably now and fell onto her back. Otto straddled her, his tail wagging as hard as her feet were kicking, trying to lick her while she tried to hold him off.
Nope, this was not going to happen. Those two useless beings were not making friends. Dax marched down off the porch and grabbed Otto’s collar, shoving him out of the way. “Go,” he said to the dog, pointing to his cottage. Otto obediently lumbered away.
Dax turned his attention to the girl with the fantastically dark red hair in two uneven pigtails and, now that he was close to her, he could see her clear blue eyes through the round lenses of her blue plastic eyeglasses, which were strapped to her face with a headband. She looked like a very young little old lady. “Listen to me, kid. I don’t want you over here. I work here. Serious work. I can’t be entertaining little girls.”
She hopped to her feet. “What’s your name?”
Dax sighed. “If I tell you my name, will you go home?”
She nodded, her, long pigtails bouncing around her.
“Dax.”
She stared at him.
“That’s my name,” he said with a shrug.
Ruby giggled and began to sway side to side. “That’s not a real name!”
“It’s as real as Ruby Coconuts.”
“Not Coconuts!” She squealed with delight. “It’s Ruby Kokinos.”
“Yeah, okay, but I’m pretty sure you said Coconuts. Now go home.”
“How old are you?”
“I’m a lot older than you,” he said and put his hands on her shoulders, turning her around.
“I’m going to be seven on my birthday. I want a Barbie for my birthday. I already have four. I want the one that has the car. The pink car with flowers on it. There’s a blue car, but I don’t want that one, I want the pink one, because it has flowers on it. Oh, and guess what, I don’t want a Jasmine anymore. That’s my favorite princess, but I don’t want her anymore, I want a Barbie like Taleesha has.”
“Great. Good luck with that,” he said as he moved her toward the fence.
“My shoes light up,” she informed him, stomping her feet as they moved. “My mom says they’re fancy. They’re my favorites. I have some sneakers, too, but they don’t light up.”
They had reached the fence, thank God, before the girl could give him a rundown of her entire shoe collection. Ruby dipped down, apparently thinking she’d go under again, but Dax caught her under her arms and swung her over the fence, depositing her on the other side.
Ruby laughed with delight. “Do that again!”
“No. This is where our acquaintance comes to an end, kid. I don’t have time to babysit you, get it?”
“Yes,” she said.
She didn’t get it. She wasn’t even listening. She had already climbed onto the bottom rail, as if she meant to come back over.
“I mean it,” he said, pointing at her. “If I find you on my side of the fence, I’m going to call the police.” He figured that ought to put the fear of God into her.
“The policemans are our friends,” she said sunnily. “A policeman and a police woman came to my kindergarten. But they never shot any peoples.”
Dax had a brief but potent urge to correct her understanding of how plurals worked, but he didn’t. He turned around and marched back to his cottage.
He didn’t even want to look out the kitchen window when he went inside, because if she’d come back over the fence, he would lose it.
He’d known that family was going to be trouble the moment they’d arrived a few days ago. They’d cost him a table leg he’d been working on, because they’d slammed a door so loudly and unexpectedly that Dax had started, and the permanent marker he was using to outline a very intricate pattern on said table leg had gone dashing off in a thick, black, indelible line down the leg. He’d had to sand the leg down and start again.
Naturally, he’d gone to investigate the source of the banging, and he’d seen a woman with a backpack strapped to her leaning into the open hatch area of a banged-up Subaru. She’d pulled out a box, hoisted it into her arms with the help of her knee, then had lugged it up the path and porch steps to Number Three. She’d been wearing short shorts, a T-shirt, and a ball cap. Dax hadn’t seen her face, but he’d seen her legs, which were nice and long and shapely, and a mess of dark hair about the same color as wrought iron, tangled up in the back of the cap. She’d managed to open the door, and then had gone in, letting the door bang behind her.
Neighbors. Dax was not a fan.
The door of Number Three had continued to bang away most of the afternoon, and Dax had been unable to work. He’d stood at the kitchen sink, eating from a can of peanuts, watching the woman jog down the front porch steps, then lug something else inside. He’d noticed other things about her. Like how her ass was bouncy and her figure had curves in all the right places, and how her T-shirt hugged her. He’d noticed that she looked really pretty from a distance, with wide eyes and dark brows and full lips.
Of course he’d also noticed the little monster, who’d spent most of the afternoon doing a clomp clomp clomp around the wooden porch in those damn pink cowboy boots.
Kids. If anything could make Dax grumpier, it was a cute kid.
He’d turned away from the window in a bit of a snit. Of course he was used to people renting any one of six East Beach Lake Cottages around him for a week or two, and usually they had kids. He much preferred the olds who took up weekly residence from time to time, couples with puffs of white hair, sensible shoes, and early bedtimes. Families on vacation were loud, their arguments drifting in through the windows Dax liked to keep open.
The cottages were at the wrong end of Lake Haven, which made them affordable. But they were at the right end of beauty—each of them faced the lake, and a private, sandy beach was only a hundred feet or so from their front porches. He’d been lucky to find this place, with its unused shed out back, which he’d negotiated to use. He had to remind himself that his setup was perfect when new people showed up and banged their doors open and shut all damn day.
Dax had realized that afternoon, as the banging had undone him, that the woman and kid were moving in—no one hauled that much crap into a cottage for a vacation. He’d peered out the kitchen window, trying to assess exactly how much stuff was going into that cottage. But by the time he did, the Subaru was closed up, and he didn’t see any signs of the woman and the kid.
He’d wandered outside for a surreptitious inspection of what the hell was happening next door when the door suddenly banged open and the mom came hurrying outside. She’d paused on the bottom step of the porch when she saw him. Her dark hair had spilled around her shoulders and her legs had taunted him, all smooth and shapely and long in those short shorts. Don’t look, those legs shouted at him. Don’t look, you pervert, don’t look! Dax hadn’t looked. He’d studied the keys in her hand.
“Hi,” she’d said uncertainly.
“Hi.”
She kept smiling. Dax kept standing there like an imbecile. She leaned a little and looked around him, to Number Two. “Are you my neighbor?”
“What? Oh, ah . . . yeah. I’m Dax.”
“Hi, Dax. I’m Kyra,” she’d said. That smile of hers, all sparkly and bright, had made him feel funny inside. Like he’d eaten one of those powdered candies that crackled when it hit your mouth.
“I wondered about my neighbors. It’s pretty quiet around here. I saw a car in front of one the cottages down there,” she said, pointing.
“Five,” he said.
“What?”
He’d suddenly felt weirdly conspicuous, seeing as how he was standing around with nothing to do. “That’s Five,” he said, to clarify.
“Ah.”
“You’re in Three. I’m in Two.”
He’d been instantly alarmed by what he was doing, explaining the numbering system on a series of six cottages. She’d looked as if she’d expected him to say more. When he hadn’t said anything, but sort of nodded like a mute, she’d said, “Okay, well . . . nice to meet you,” and had hurried on to her car much like a woman would hurry down a dark street with some stranger walking briskly behind her. She opened the door, leaned in . . . nice view . . . then emerged holding a book. She locked the door, then ran past him with a weird wave before disappearing inside.
Dax had told himself to get a grip. There was nothing to panic over.
He hadn’t panicked until much later that afternoon, when he’d happened to glance outside and had seen a respectable pile of empty moving boxes on the front porch and the little monster trying to build a house out of them.
That was definitely a long-term stay. And he didn’t like that, not one bit.
He’d managed to keep busy and avoid his new neighbors for a few days, but then, yesterday, the truck had shown up, treating him to the sound of a large HEMI engine idling near his bedroom window.
He’d let it pass, would have figured it was someone visiting.
But it happened again. Just now.
Dax was in the middle of a good dream when that damn truck pulled in and groggily opened his eyes, noticed the time. It was a good hour before he liked to get up. Was this going to be a regular thing, then? He groaned and looked to his right; Otto was sitting next to the bed, staring at Dax, his tail thumping. “Use the damn dog door, Otto,” he tried, but that had only excited the dog. He jumped up and put his big mutt paws on Dax.
With a grunt, Dax had pushed the dog aside, then staggered into the kitchen. He heaped some dog food into a metal bowl and put it on the ground. In the time it took him to fire up the coffeepot, Otto had eaten his food and was standing at the back door, patiently waiting.
Dax opened the door. He glanced over to Three. The Subaru was gone, and he couldn’t help wonder who was driving that massive red truck. A husband? A dad? Jesus, he hoped the guy wasn’t the chatty type. Hey neighbor, whatcha working on over there?
Yeah, no, Dax was in no mood for more neighbors or barbecue invitations or neighborly favors. But it was becoming clear to him that little Miss Ruby Coconuts was going to make his policy of isolationism really difficult.
Dax got dressed and went out to the shed to work. A few hours later he walked into the kitchen to grab some rags he’d washed in the sink and happened to look out his kitchen window.
The redheaded devil was hanging upside down off the porch railing of her house, her arms reaching for the ground. She was about three inches short, however, and for a minute Dax was certain she would crash headlong into that flowerbed and hurt herself. But she didn’t. She managed to haul herself up and hopped off the railing. And then she looked across the neat little lawn to Dax’s cottage.
“Don’t even think about it,” he muttered.
Ruby hesitated. She slid her foot off the porch and onto the next step down. Then the other foot. She leapt to the ground from there, looking down, admiring the lights in her shoes. Then she looked up at his cottage again.
“Don’t do it, you little monster. Don’t you dare do it.”
Ruby was off like a shot, headed for the fence.
Meet Author Julia London…
Julia London is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than forty romance novels. Her historical titles include the popular Desperate Debutantes series, the Cabot Sisters series, and the Highland Grooms series. Her contemporary works include the Lake Haven series, the Pine River series, and the Cedar Springs series. She has won the RT Book Club Award for Best Historical Romance and has been a six-time finalist for the prestigious RITA Award for excellence in romantic fiction. She lives in Austin, Texas.
~~~
Links to Julia’s website, blog, books, etc.
Link to Follow Tour:
http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master/suddenly-engaged-julia-london
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33223928-suddenly-engaged
Goodreads Series Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/161030-lake-haven
Author Links: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS
~~~
Thanks, Julia, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
July 23, 2017
**Author Peek** Interview with Mari Anne Christie’s BLIND TRIBUTE Character, Palmer Harrold Wentworth III
**Author Peek** Interview with Mari Anne Christie’s BLIND TRIBUTE Character, Palmer Harrold Wentworth III
INTRODUCING…Palmer Harrold Wentworth III.
1. What is your name? Do you have a nickname?
Palmer Harrold Wentworth III; P.H. Wentworth III to my global readership; Palmer to my wife and mother; Harry to everyone else.
2. Where were you born? Where have you lived since then? Where do you call home?
I was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1804, which I left in my early adulthood to travel the world as a newspaper correspondent. I covered 10 wars on five continents for the Charleston Messenger, before I finally settled in Pennsylvania as an editor at The Philadelphia Daily Standard.
3. If you have a family, how do you get along with them? If you don’t, are there people in your life that you consider family? How do you get along with them?
I have a wife, Anne, and three children, though my son, Robert, died at Antietam. My twin girls, Fleur and Belle, are divided in their opinions of me. I also have family still in Charleston, both blood relations, who are upset by my continued commentary on the conflict, and chosen family who are decidedly warmer. It is difficult to know how they fare as the war draws closer.
4. What’s the one thing you’re afraid of losing? Why?
Once, I would have said “the ability to write,” and given current circumstances, I suppose I am expected to say “my life,” but in truth, I fear very little anymore. Once a man has faced his death and rebirth, there is little more to frighten him.
5. You’re doing intense spring cleaning. What is easy for you to throw out? What is difficult to part with, and why?
It would be difficult for me to part with the family heirlooms in my keeping, and impossible to discard my years’ worth of journals. Everything else is window dressing, easily replaceable.
6. Do you have a secret? If so, who do you need to keep the secret from and why?
After years as a newspaper reporter, I can say one thing with surety: If one means to keep a secret, one does not speak of it to anyone.
7. What makes you laugh out loud? What makes you cry?
I find my own legend heartily amusing fiction. As for tears, newsmen don’t cry.
8. It’s Sunday morning. What are you doing? Give details.
I read the newspaper each morning before daybreak. Once, I attended church every Sunday, first with my parents and then with my wife, but it has been several years since the last time I attended. I have been known, on occasion, to make an appearance at the Free Quaker Meetinghouse on a First Day morning, but I do not make a habit of it. The best Sundays—the best days—are spent writing.
9. Has anyone broken your heart? Who was she?
My daughter, Belle.
10. What’s the one thing you want out of life that you don’t think you can have? Why can’t you have it?
I will never have another chance at romantic love—I mean, just look at me! Though I cannot say I will miss it. My mistress has always been my pen, and she, at least, has never failed me.
~~~
Be sure to come back to learn more about Mari’s novel, BLIND TRIBUTE, on Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.
~~~
Links to Mari’s website, blog, books, etc.
Buy/Review Links
Universal Link: www.books2read.com/blindtribute
Mari’s Website: www.MariAnneChristie.com /
Mari Christie Social Media
Facebook Launch Party, July 28th, 2pm – 8 pm MDT: https://www.facebook.com/events/724880974366499
Author Website & blog: www.MariAnneChristie.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MariChristieAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mchristieauthor
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marichristie
Amazon Author page:
http://www.amazon.com/author/marichristie
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5055425.Mari_Christie
Wattpad (romance only):
https://www.wattpad.com/user/marianagabrielle
Bookbub:
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/mari-anne-christie
Authorgraph:
https://www.authorgraph.com/authors/mchristieauthor
Street Team:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/marismuses/
~~~
Thanks, Mari, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
Congratulations Week 07-10-17 Giveaway Winners!
CONGRATULATIONS WEEK
07-10-17
BLOG GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!
~~~
Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Mary Anne Edwards…
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Mary Anne is giving away a mobi copy of Flirting With Time (Winner must have a Kindle email address) to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench. Thanks, Mary Anne, for sharing your book with us!
WINNER: ROBIN DRISCOLL !
~~~
You’re always a winner when you pick up a Karen/K.L. Docter novel!! All Happily-Ever-After stories and no cliffhangers!!!
Check out Karen Docter’s contemporary romance, COP ON HER DOORSTEP, True Love In Uniform Book 1, about the life and love of police officer Jake Stefani. “A love story that is sweet and spicy.” (Sheila Kilburn, Amazon reader)
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.
(Stand Alone Novel)
Amazon: http://goo.gl/bUHNMu
B&N: http://goo.gl/6uoZTd
Kobo: http://goo.gl/fd92aB
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/550634
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26183834-cop-on-her-doorstep
Check out K..L. Docter’s romantic suspense, KILLING SECRETS, Thorne’s Thorns Series Book 1 for almost 400 pages of secrets, twists, and the “kind of killer we see on the TV show CRIMINAL MINDS”! (RT Book Reviews)
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.
Amazon: http://goo.gl/b241cp
B&N: http://goo.gl/wsqVxB
Kobo: http://goo.gl/KM563U
iTunes: http://goo.gl/pg58wN
DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT MY GOODREADS GIVEAWAY!
Win an autographed copy of Killing Secrets, Thorne’s Thorns Book 1!
ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE:
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/244867?utm_medium=api&utm_source=giveaway_widget
Contest Dates: July 15 – August 15, 2017
5 Winners ~ U.S. Only
GOOD LUCK!
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!
