Karen Docter's Blog, page 180
July 9, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench BLAST: Digital Velocity (McAllister Justice #1) by Reily Garrett
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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DIGITAL VELOCITY
McAllister Justice #1
BY REILY GARRETT
Blurb
The deadliest weapons are the ones we never see.
Keyboard prodigy, Lexi Donovan has risen from teenage orphan of the streets to complete independence with little help along the way. When a pervert threatens her friend, she sends an anonymous message to police, leading to a firefight that leaves a cop wounded.
Detective Ethan McAllister’s well-ordered life turned upside down the day an obscure text message led to a sexual predator’s identity and arrest. Since then, Callouston PD’s finest can’t trace the elusive hacker. The latest tip leads him to a brutal mutilation and a riddle indicating the identity of the next murder victim.
The dark net houses a playground for the morally depleted and criminally insane. When Lexi discovers the killer’s digital betting arena, she finds herself centered in a cyber stalker’s crosshairs, a psychopath bearing equal talent.
Street life strengthened Lexi while toughening her protective shell, but nothing could shield her from the shrewd detective forging a path to her heart.
“Digital Velocity is a fast-paced romantic suspense thriller that sophisticatedly weaves drama, excitement, grit, raw emotions and mystery. Garrett takes her readers on a journey where suspense and romance are taken up several notches as she unfolds and reveals the identity of a murderer that is on the loose. With her vivid prose, Garrett entices readers to see the bond that is brewing between Detective Ethan McAllister and his unlikely informant.” Michelle Tan, RT Book Reviews
DIGITAL VELOCITY
McAllister Justice #1
BY REILY GARRETT
Excerpt
I move frequently—but gain no distance.
I am warm, moist, and dark but give no comfort.
I can stretch and shrink, giving or taking at will, bringing both pain and pleasure with each.
“If God wanted you to tie the knot, he’d give you a near-death experience to better appreciate life, along with a craving for procreation. Then he’d smother your soul with the essence of venison, squirrel, frog legs, taters, or beer, to attract a likely counterpart from the sticks. No, wait. The latter has already happened, hasn’t it? Sorry.” Ethan narrowly kept his balance on the green-slicked, handmade bricks leading up the two-story, mauve-colored Victorian. If his 210-pound mass ended up sprawled on the steps, no doubt the picture would be splashed all over the precinct by noon with various unsavory captions.
“Maybe you should try it. The stick up your ass has to cause at least minor discomfort.” Larrick’s early-morning snark was a common greeting.
“Hey, I’m a normal guy.” Ethan glared over his shoulder.
Larrick snorted.
“Still wet from our early-morning storm. Watch your step, it’s slippery.” Scanning the myriad amorphous shadows lurking in the wood line, realization struck that he and his partner were sitting ducks if a sniper perched among the loblolly pine and oak trees lining the front and side yards.
Larrick’s reply came in equal measure of soft tones. “Either that or a large flock of birds dropped in recently to help her redecorate. Great detective work.”
“Bird droppings are—”
“Sought after for facials. Especially the Japanese Nightingale shit.” Larrick grinned.
“Only you would know that.” Ethan adjusted his tie, an acknowledgment of the apprehension filling his mind.
“Are we whispering because your paranoid gut can’t assimilate food well enough to distinguish indigestion from an outside threat? This woman lives alone, gonna think we’re a couple of perverts and liable to shoot us.”
“Word has it she’s a pacifist.”
“Fine. You’re one to talk about signs—dragging my ass to a stranger’s house at this ungodly morning hour. I love knocking on a stranger’s door and asking, ‘Lady, are you all right? We’re police detectives who received an anonymous tip that you might have a hangnail. Perhaps we could lend you a pair of nail clippers…’ then ask if she needs the gutters cleaned.” Derision and humor warred for dominance in Larrick’s tone, yet his sharp gaze continually scanned the perimeter in consideration of his partner’s unarticulated hunch. Yin and yang, they fit together, a clean-cut detective and his partner whose hair length had passed regulation specs weeks ago.
“You know this isn’t the first tip we’ve gotten, not to mention the fact that the other leads were solid and led to arrests. And while we’re at it, why don’t you step to the side? Standard police procedure when approaching an unknown situation.” Ethan turned sideways, standing by the door with his hand poised to knock on the solid oak. He hesitated. Moisture coated his palms, a rare occurrence. Scrutinizing the interior through the narrow sidelights yielded nothing more than expected. Elegantly upholstered furniture, gleaming hardwood floors, and delicate bric-a-brac adorning the thick mantle and each side table completed the sophisticated picture. “Don’t see any problem. Maybe she’s fallen and can’t get to a phone.”
“You expected an old lady brandishing her curling iron? As for leads, I get mine from three-dimensional people while you get yours from a bunch of ones and zeroes. Why can’t our IT department trace your anonymous texts further than the loony bin? Though that’s probably appropriate since your secret admirer’s last present consisted of a flower basket bigger than my TV along with fur-lined cuffs. I’ve never laughed so hard I pissed myself. I thought that was hogwash, a myth made up by old ladies.” Larrick leaned over the iron railing to peer through the window. “Can’t see squat, bottom sill’s too high.”
“As my partner, you’re supposed to have my back, not stab me in the back. You didn’t have to broadcast it through the whole department by hanging the cuffs from the sprinkler system with a bunch of roses twined in them. Now my brothers won’t let up, and I’ve been subscribed to every kinky magazine known to the publishing world. You think I should know why some whacko chose me for their personal marionette?” Ethan suppressed a shudder before his partner gained more verbal ammunition. If his suspicions were correct, his informant was in fact a beautiful enigma with waist-length, chestnut hair and an emerald gaze capable of melting steel.
“Maybe because you were the youngest to make detective? Rising star, golden boy, and all that shit.”
“No. Probably afraid your redneck ways would rub off on them, or maybe because I’m the biggest sap.” Ethan’s gut rumbled, more of a warning sign from a well-heeled intuition than hunger. “Larrick, this doesn’t feel right.” Behind him, the slide of metal on leather let him know his partner just palmed his Glock. Three years of working together circumvented the formality of dissecting gut reactions.
A creak of leather sole betrayed Larrick’s backtracking to scrutinize the surroundings. “Side windows are lower. I’ll take a look.”
“Hood of her BMW is cold. Didn’t go anywhere recently.” Larrick’s harsh whisper halted a nearby squirrel scampering up a tree, its head cocked to one side while studying the strange human interlopers.
Sunshine warmed the first spring buds on the low shrubbery bordering the walkway to complete the idyllic setting. Nothing but peace and serenity, yet Ethan’s heart hammered against his ribcage like an aggressive punk drummer. With his partner disappearing around the corner, he again scanned the perimeter while the morning’s corrupted equanimity formed a sour wad in his chest. A lazy March breeze combed its cool fingers through his short hair while the deep foreboding received with the initial text message blossomed into multiple horrific scenarios, leaving one of them a corpse, their life’s essence forming macabre shapes on gleaming hardwood floors.
“I see bare feet beyond the kitchen island. Toes up. Probably female.” Larrick’s disembodied whisper just provided probable cause. “Backup?”
Meet Author Reily Garrett.
..
Reily is a West Coast girl transplanted to the opposite shore. When she’s not working with her dogs, you can find her curled up with a book or writing her next story. Past employment as an ICU nurse, private investigator, and work in the military police has given her countless experiences in a host of different environments to add a real world feel to her fiction.
Over time, and several careers, many incidents have flavored the plots of her stories. Man’s cruelty and ingenuity for torment and torture is boundless, not contained by an infinite imagination. Witnessing the after-effects of a teenager mugged at knifepoint for a pair of tennis shoes, or an elderly woman stabbed repeatedly with a screwdriver for no apparent reason, left an indelible impression that will forever haunt her subconscious. In counterpoint, she has observed a woman stop her vehicle in severe, snowy weather to offer her own winter coat to a stranger, a teenager wearing a threadbare hoodie. Life’s diversities are endless.
Though her kids are her life, writing is Reily’s life after. The one enjoyed after the kids are in bed or after they’re in school and the house is quiet. This is the time she kicks back with laptop and lapdog to give her imagination free rein.
In reading, take pleasure in a mental pause as you root for your favorite hero/heroine and bask in their accomplishments, then share your opinions of them over a coffee with your best friend (even if he’s four-legged). Life is short. Cherish your time.
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Links to Reily’s website, blog, books, etc.
Link to Follow Tour:
http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master/digital-velocity-reily-garrett
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34518041-digital-velocity
Goodreads Series Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/203772-mcallister-justice
Buy Links: AMAZON | B & N | ITUNES | KOBO
Author Links: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS
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Thanks, Reily, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
July 6, 2017
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with ENGAGING THE DRAGON Author Kenna McKinnon #recipe ~ Frozen Nippy Cheese Salad
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s
**AUTHOR SPECIAL**
with KENNA McKINNON!
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, KENNA McKINNON and her favorite recipe for FROZEN NIPPY CHEESE SALAD!
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ENGAGING THE DRAGON
BY KENNA McKINNON
BLURB
Princess Almere felt the dragon’s hard and smooth bulk sizzle between her thighs. Oh, how she missed her husband Stannock, who was fighting a war far in the northwest.
With the princess’s husband away, her affections are challenged by Tevron, her husband’s half-brother. The reigning king is old and unpredictable, and as the power struggle in the palace intensifies, a heiress is needed to bring peace to the realm.
An old prophecy tells of Dracaena – half dragon, half human – who will rise to power and unite the realm in the Great Hall of the Four Races. As sinister plots unfold and the balance of power shifts, Almere and her companions must place their trust and friendship wisely – or perish.
Introducing Fire-Smasher…Character Interview
1. What is your name? Do you have a nickname?
Fire-Smasher. Some of the Palace men call me Big Red. I was a small dragon or drake when my story begins, laughed at for my weakness, but I grew to be the most beautiful and strongest of all. Once upon a time my nickname was “The smallest red dragon” but that changed!
2. Who is your best friend? What kinds of things do you do when you’re together?
My best friend is the Princess Almere. We ride on the winds of Gracklen through the valleys and mountains, we have picnics, and we have erotic moments we share that no one suspects.
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?
Yes, I have a father, Lockjaw, who is a huge dragon ridden by the Queen Ericaania, Almere’s mother-in-law and wife of the old King Hakor. He and my mother Faerydust taught me all I know. They taught me to recite epic poetry and to prophesy and sing.
I consider Almere and her husband, Prince Stannock, my family as well. I love them and they love me. I came into their lives as a very small red dragon, and grew to be who and what I am today, a truly awesome glittering translucent scaled mount whom Almere considers part of her family.
4. Do you have a birthmark? Scars? Where is it/are they? How did you get it/them?
I’m not aware I have a birthmark or scars, but my translucent scarlet wings are my birthright and very prominent in recognizing me. I am so proud of my dragon heritage which has taught me to fly close to the three suns of Draxxt and not get burned.
5. When you’re angry, what do you do? Where do you go? How do you deal with your anger?
I’m seldom angry, but when I am angry, it is righteous, and flames spew from my mouth. I deal with my anger by flying close to the sun in great gyring spirals and coming home to the Palace stables at last to sort it out with my father, Lockjaw, and my mother, Faerydust, both of whom are very wise.
6. If you had to make me a meal right now, without going to the store, what would you find in your refrigerator to feed us?
Of course, being a dragon, I don’t own a refrigerator, nor does any human on Draxxt as far as I’m aware. But I would find many plants in our Great Hall, and small mammals and rodents to eat. I suppose my diet would be called a Keto diet in your vernacular!
7. What’s the one thing you’re afraid of losing?
I’m afraid of losing Almere’s love and companionship. She is my very favorite and closest friend.
8. What makes you laugh out loud?
Oh, I do have a hearty laugh and laugh out loud at many absurdities. I suppose the thought of gyring through the blue sky with Almere on my back makes me laugh out loud most of all, with sheer joy and abandon. I love to stretch my wings and accompany my dear Princess on her travels throughout Gracklen and the rest of Draxxt.
9. Has anyone broken your heart? Who was s/he?
My Princess Almere is the only human or dragoness who could break my heart, and she has not. She’s loyal, loving, and caring, and even her husband Stannock or her brother-in-law Tevron could not take my place, I am sure.
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?
There is nothing more I want from life. If you read the end of our story, you will find my life is now complete. There have been wars and battles won, magic and sorcery, charms and Fairy Queens, Trolls, Picts, and other dragons, the old religion made new again, legends of how humans came to Draxxt from a planet called Earth in a metal dragon, and other stories that make me wish sometimes I could have been there at the beginning, but Dragons certainly were at the beginning, and I have the dragon collective memory that we share with all of our folk. I have my lovely Princess and her children, and I have the satisfaction of having helped win the Troll Wars, and I have my father and mother who are wise and handsome in the Great Hall. There’s nothing more I need or want. But thank you for asking.
ENGAGING THE DRAGON
BY KENNA McKINNON
Excerpt
The remaining dragons began to leave the castle, fanned out with their throbbing colored wings to darken the sky as they pulsed on air currents above the valleys beneath the King’s mountain.
“Beautiful,” Almere remarked. She never tired of the sight. The Lords who rode those mounts looked for trouble in the valleys and hills of Gracklen, looked for Picts or Trolls or signs of a scattered army returning home, any news of the northern wars along the border and the seaside. Stannock’s brother possessed no dragon now, nor did he wish to ride. He felt content as a king’s advisor and to plot and plan at Court, his greatest attribute.
“I’m afraid our enemies push always closer to the castle and the walls of the mountain.” Tevron frowned, his dark face furrowed in thought. “The Picts have exhausted the riches of the sea where they’ve lived since time began. Our land must look promising and rich to them. They’ve pushed their strong craft off the islands and made desolate the coast.”
Almere agreed. “Now it’s time for them to pluck the ripe fruit that is Gracklen.”
“We’ve always had trouble with the Picts and the Trolls.” Tevron swirled the flask of ale in his brown hands and drank.
Almere frowned. “They lived here before our people made their way from their ships into the badlands of Draxxt. They had enough in their Old Lands across the sea, but they were too lazy to work it. Instead, they chose war.”
“True,” he agreed, nodding slightly. “We should have killed them while we had the chance.”
More blood, she thought.
“They were always more powerful, but because they had no common law they were divided. Each tribe to itself. ” Tevron revealed what he knew of Pict history. “That saved us an attack from a united front.”
“Like they have now?” She sidled away from him, his presence like a magnet, strong and overpowering, almost hypnotic. How she hated him!
“Yes,” he confirmed. “They’re united under the great Troll, Mindbender. The Picts follow him, and so do the rebel Trolls, the giants of legend.”
“Why aren’t you at the wars in the northwest, brother?” she asked, scuffing her boot along the rocks at the base of the Great Hall. “Are you a coward?”
“Yes,” he confessed simply and sat down. “I’m a thinker, Almere. I know what I want. I have a plan, and it doesn’t involve war.”
“What then? We just agreed the enemy is united against us.”
“War is for bloody fools,” he spat. “I’m not a fool like my brother or his father, the King. Our mother, too, is a fool, soaring the evening skies on her beast only to rid herself of the King’s company.”
“What are you then?” Although this man frightened her, she was genuinely curious. “What would you do?”
“I would offer them land,” he said. “That’s what they want. The useless land along the coast and along the northern isles. They’d be satisfied with that if we moved our people out. Our people are outlanders, along the northwestern strip, we could move them back into the valleys where we could keep an eye on them, tax them, control them, and the Trolls and Picts could have the coast and the rough terrain northwest of that. The Picts like to hunt and fish, and the Trolls depend on the Picts. I know they’d be satisfied with that.”
Her forehead wrinkled. “For how long?”
“That’s the point. Until we grow strong again.”
“Until King Hakor passes on? Until the sick old man dies?” Almere smacked her fist on the top of a nearby wall and dislodged pebbles, which bounced down the cliff and off the side of the mountain.
Tevron smiled. “It would buy us time.”
“It would buy us only more trouble later, and they’d grow strong, and hungry, and lean, with eyes that would measure our wealth more covetously because they’d be closer. No, Tevron, you’re wrong.”
“I’m not wrong. Your husband is a fool and so is the King.”
“What have you done?” She cocked her head to one side and pursed her mouth. “Where’s Paige now with the message? I saw him saddle the red dragon early this morning. They flew off to the northwest. What are you up to now, with your sealed message from the King – what’s in it?”
Tevron wiped his mouth with a grimy hand. His thick lips curled upward. He drank again.
“Something’s wrong,” Almere decided. She sprang to the top of the wall and whistled. A nearby dragon, not Fire-Smasher, spiraled down from the eye of a sun. She threw a saddle onto his back, mounted him, and was gone before Tevron could stop her. He stared, his mouth open, as she and Moonraker melted into a gyring dot in the distance.
Meet Author Kenna McKinnon…
Kenna McKinnon is the author of SpaceHive and BIGFOOT BOY: Lost on Earth, both YA/MG sci-fi novels. A children’s chapter book, Benjamin & Rumblechum, was published by Mockingbird Lane Press on January 30, 2015. The Insanity Machine, a memoir with co-author Austin Mardon, PhD, CM; and DISCOVERY – A Collection of Poetry, were released by Authors for a Cause in 2012. All the foregoing books are presently represented by Creativia. Short Circuit and Other Geek Stories and Blood Sister (a mystery) were published in 2014/2016 and January 2015 respectively. A trilogy of paranormal/fantasy novellas has recently been released by Creativia, Den of Dark Angels. Her books are available in eBook and paperback worldwide on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, etc., and in selected bookstores and public libraries. Engaging the Dragon, an adult fantasy novel, was released in June 2017 and her WIP consists of a fantasy superhero novel tentatively called Timothy Hill and the Cloak of Power.
Kenna’s interests include fitness and health, volunteering, reading, writing, music, cooking for friends, and caricatures. She lives in a high-rise apartment in the neighborhood of Oliver in Edmonton, Canada. Her most memorable years were spent at the University of Alberta, where she graduated with Distinction with a degree in Anthropology (1975). She has lived successfully with schizophrenia for many years and is a member of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta and the Canadian Authors Association. She has three wonderful children and three grandsons.
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Links to Kenna’s website, blog, books, etc.
Amazon: http://mybook.to/Engaging
Website: www.KennaMcKinnonAuthor.com
Author blog:
http://www.KennaMcKinnonAuthor.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/KennaMcKinnonAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/KennaMcKinnon
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6480104.Kenna_McKinnon
LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kennamckinnon
Google+:
https://plus.google.com/118297240319245529549/posts
I hope you enjoy the recipe Kenna is sharing today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy Eating!
Karen
P.S. We’re at 321 recipes and counting with this posting. Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.
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FROZEN NIPPY CHEESE SALAD
[Yield: 6 portions]
[[“America’s Cook Book” New and Revised Edition Compiled by New York Herald Tribune Home Institute 1942, Charles Scribner’s Sons] ]
Moonraker’s favorite appetizer (Fire-Smasher’s dad) prepared by his mate Faerydust on cold winter mornings.
1 package (3 1/2 oz.) nippy cheese
1/2 cup sweet or sour cream
8 to 10 green olives, chopped
lettuce
mayonnaise
Mash nippy cheese and mix with cream. Add olives and blend. turn into 6 small paper cups, place in freezer and freeze 2 to 3 hours or until firm.
Serve on crisp lettuce; garnish with mayonnaise.
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Thanks, Kenna, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
July 5, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: The Day of the Duchess (Scandal & Scoundrel #3) by Sarah MacLean
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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THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS
Scandal & Scoundrel #3
BY SARAH MacLEAN
Blurb
The one woman he will never forget…
Malcolm Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven, has lived the last three years in self-imposed solitude, paying the price for a mistake he can never reverse and a love he lost forever. The dukedom does not wait, however, and Haven requires an heir, which means he must find himself a wife by summer’s end. There is only one problem—he already has one.
The one man she will never forgive…
After years in exile, Seraphina, Duchess of Haven, returns to London with a single goal—to reclaim the life she left and find happiness, unencumbered by the man who broke her heart. Haven offers her a deal; Sera can have her freedom, just as soon as she finds her replacement…which requires her to spend the summer in close quarters with the husband she does not want, but somehow cannot resist.
A love that neither can deny…
The duke has a single summer to woo his wife and convince her that, despite their broken past, he can give her forever, making every day…
The Day of the Duchess.
THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS
Scandal & Scoundrel #3
BY SARAH MacLEAN
Excerpt
Chapter 1
DESERTED DUKE DISAVOWED!
August 19, 1836
House of Lords, Parliament
She’d left him two years, seven months ago, exactly.
Malcolm Marcus Bevingstoke, Duke of Haven looked to the tiny wooden calendar wheels inlaid into the blotter on his desk in his private office above the House of Lords.
August the nineteenth, 1836. The last day of the parliamentary session, filled with pomp and idle. And lingering memory. He spun the wheel with the six embossed upon it. Five. Four. He took a deep breath.
Get out. He heard his own words, cold and angry with betrayal, echoing with quiet menace. Don’t ever return.
He touched the wheel again. August became July. May. March.
January the nineteenth, 1834. The day she left.
His fingers moved without thought, finding comfort in the familiar click of the wheels.
April the seventeenth, 1833.
The way I feel about you . . . Her words now—soft and full of temptation. I’ve never felt anything like this.
He hadn’t, either. As though light and breath and hope had flooded the room, filling all the dark spaces. Filling his lungs and heart. And all because of her.
Until he’d discovered the truth. The truth, which had mattered so much until it hadn’t mattered at all.
Where had she gone?
The clock in the corner of the room ticked and tocked, counting the seconds until Haven was due in his seat in the hallowed main chamber of the House of Lords, where men of higher purpose and passion had sat before him for generations. His fingers played the little calendar like a virtuoso, as though they’d done this dance a hundred times before. A thousand.
And they had.
March the first, 1833. The day they met.
So, they let simply anyone become a duke, do they? No deference. Teasing and charm and pure, unadulterated beauty.
If you think dukes are bad, imagine what they accept from duchesses?
That smile. As though she’d never met another man. As though she’d never wanted to. He’d been hers the moment he’d seen that smile. Before that. Imagine, indeed.
And then it had fallen apart. He’d lost everything, and then lost her. Or perhaps it had been the reverse. Or perhaps it was all the same.
Would there ever be a time when he stopped thinking of her? Ever a date that did not remind him of her? Of the time that had stretched like an eternity since she’d left?
Where had she gone?
The clock struck eleven, heavy chimes sounding in the room, echoed by a dozen others sounding down the long, oaken corridor beyond, summoning men of longstanding name to the duty that had been theirs before they drew breath.
Haven spun the calendar wheels with force, leaving them as they lay. November the thirty-seventh, 3842. A fine date—one on which he had absolutely no chance of thinking of her.
Meet Author Sarah MacLean.
..
New York Times, Washington Post & USA Today bestseller Sarah MacLean is the author of historical romance novels that have been translated into more than twenty languages, and winner of back-to-back RITA Awards for best historical romance from the Romance Writers of America.
Sarah is a leading advocate for the romance genre, speaking widely on its place at the nexus of gender and cultural studies. She is the author of a monthly column celebrating the best of the genre for the Washington Post. Her work in support of romance and the women who read it earned her a place on Jezebel.com’s Sheroes list of 2014 and led Entertainment Weekly to call her “gracefully furious.” A graduate of Smith College & Harvard University, Sarah now lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.
~~~
Links to Sarah’s website, blog, books, etc.
Link to Follow Tour:
http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master/day-duchess-sarah-maclean
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31307650-the-day-of-the-duchess
Goodreads Series Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/141485-scandal-scoundrel
Buy Links: AMAZON | B & N | GOOGLE | ITUNES | KOBO
Author Links: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS
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Thanks, Sarah, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
July 4, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Over The Ivy Wall (Clearwater Book 10) by Rosa Sophia
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!
~~~
OVER THE IVY WALL
Clearwater Book 10
Multi-author series, Standalone Novel
BY ROSA SOPHIA
Blurb
Her only escape is Over the Ivy Wall…
Clara Pendleton is a prisoner in her home. Always searching for new places to hide from her uncle, whose drunken attention terrifies and confuses her, she finds a tiny clearing in the back of the property near a disintegrating section of the ivy-covered wall that surrounds the estate.
Gaven Bridge has been sent to Clearwater to live with his Uncle Daniel. Never fitting in, he doesn’t believe he’ll ever meet anyone who understands him. But when he goes out for a walk in the woods, he happens upon a young lady sleeping soundly on a patch of moss.
A deep bond is fostered between them, helping Clara find the courage to change her life. When she finally decides to climb over the ivy wall and out into the world, there is no going back. Will Clara escape her horrible past, or will it destroy the love she and Gaven share?
OVER THE IVY WALL
Clearwater Book 10
Multi-author series, Standalone Novel
BY ROSA SOPHIA
Excerpt
Clara trembled as she climbed precariously over the crumbling stone wall.
Gaven held her hand, helping her over, and as she made the last step, she stumbled, falling forward against his chest. His warmth was unmistakable, the energy that flowed between them purely magnetic; she couldn’t resist him and she wasn’t sure why.
He was older than her, and Tammy would’ve been horrified to see the way Clara pressed her small hands against his narrow chest, staring into his chocolate brown eyes. She saw things in his eyes she’d never seen before—a world she couldn’t remember, pain that was just as horrific as her own.
He was a kindred spirit.
For a long moment, she stared into his eyes, and he stared back. She was so close she could’ve kissed his tantalizing, full lips. Instead, she just froze.
“You don’t have to worry about me,” he finally said. “I won’t take advantage of you.”
“Why?” Catching herself, she stammered, “I m-m-mean, w-w-what do you mean?”
“I’m not like other men. I’m all cerebral. Sex means nothing to me.”
She didn’t know why she’d said it, but the words tumbled from her lips, “I’m a virgin.” Shocked at her admission to this near-stranger, she clapped a hand over her mouth.
“Of course you are,” he said, seemingly unaffected. “You’ve never left this place before. But—” He remained silent for a long moment. Then he took her hand and began leading her along the narrow path through the woods. “Something happened to you, I can see it. You’ve never had sexual intercourse, but something has happened to you, and you don’t want to talk about it. You hide it.”
“Why do you say it like that?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, in the movies and in books, people just say sex. You talk about it like…like a textbook.”
He chuckled. “I told you, I’m cerebral. My intellect is more important to me. You know that already. You can feel it.”
“Yes, that’s true. I like it.”
He forged ahead, holding her behind him until he cleared a branch out of the way. The sun shone down, dancing over bright green foliage, brightening the forest floor.
“I don’t know why we’ve met, but I’m glad we did. You came right to me,” Clara said. “I opened my eyes and there you were. How interesting. Like in a book.”
“You read a lot, like me.”
“Yes, I love to read. One thing I’ll say for Uncle Harris, he’s always kept books in the house. The place has been in the family for several generations, and every generation added books to the library upstairs. My cousin, Tammy, and I read a lot.”
“There’s so much more to your story, Clara. I’m waiting to hear it.”
The rest of the path was clear, and they walked hand in hand for a while until Gaven complained his hands were sweaty. He seemed uncomfortable with physical contact, but at the same time, he seemed to want her near him; a fascinating juxtaposition that did not escape her.
The most mind-boggling thing was that she barely knew this man, yet he’d coaxed her away from her uncle’s property. After only two lengthy conversations, Gaven had managed to talk her into climbing over the wall and out of her prison.
She wondered if he knew how huge this was.
If he didn’t realize it, he would soon.
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“I fell in love even more with Clara and Gaven as their stories unfolded. To know where they came from, the downfall of their lives due to things beyond their control, captured my heart and mind and left me missing them once the final page was turned.”
– Crystal’s Many Reviewers
Purchase Links
Available for 99 cents only. Or FREE on Kindle Unlimited.
Available at Amazon.com
Other Books by Rosa Sophia
Be sure to also check out the sequel to Over the Ivy Wall:
ORION CROSS MY SKY
Series: Clearwater Book 11 (Sequel to Over the Ivy Wall)
Tammy Pendleton thinks sheís broken beyond repair. Sheltered by her parents, a victim of sexual abuse, she wants to escape but doesnít know how. Until her cousin Clara leads her away from the Pendleton estate, and into Clearwater.
Orion Bennett is a motor-head who works at Peteís Service Station. At nineteen, he is battling depression. But heís also suffering with trigeminal neuralgiaóthe suicide diseaseóand heís desperate to escape the pain.
When Tammy wanders into the shop one day, she finds herself strangely comforted by the scents and sounds of the garage. Although the pain they suffer is very different, they discover comfort and understanding in one another. The companionship they share has the power to heal. The question is, will they let it?
Grab your copy today for $2.99 only. FREE on Kindle Unlimited
Buy Link: Available at Amazon.com
Giveaway
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Prizes up for grabs:
$10 Amazon Gift Card
Over the Ivy Wall Signed Paperback
Orion Cross My Sky eBook Copy
Contest runs from July 3 – 15, 2017.
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About†Rosa Sophia
Rosa Sophia is the author of several novels, including Meet Me in the Garden and The House Guest (Limitless Publishing) as well as Over the Ivy Wall and Orion Cross My Sky (Sunshine Press). Rosa is an automotive mechanic, but everyone thinks she is a librarian. She lives in Florida and hopes to earn an MFA in Creative Writing one day. As a trigeminal neuralgia patient, she also writes about her condition– read Orion Cross My Sky and Meet Me in the Garden –in the hope that it will spread awareness of this rare disorder.
Official website:†http://www.backwordswriter.com/
Connect with Rosa Sophia: Facebook
Book Tour Schedule
Follow the book tour from July 3 – 15, 2017.
Discover more features, excerpts, reviews, interviews, fun facts and other extras on the tour.
To check the latest tour schedule, visit the Over the Ivy Wall Book Page at Book Unleashed.
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Thanks, Rosa, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
July 3, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Three Weeks With A Princess (The Improper Princesses #2) by Vanessa Kelly
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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THREE WEEKS WITH A PRINCESS
The Improper Princesses #2
BY VANESSA KELLY
Blurb
In Vanessa Kelly s captivating series, three young women are descended from royalty in the most improper way. But that doesn’t stop them from pursuing lives rich in adventure. . .
Lia Kincaid, illegitimate daughter of the Duke of York, comes from a long line of notorious women. Raised by her grandmother, formerly mistress to the late Marquess of Lendale, she has little hope of a respectable marriage. But the new Marquess, her childhood friend, Jack Easton, would make a very desirable protector . . . if he weren t too honorable to take her to bed.
It s bad enough being saddled with a title he never desired. Now Jack must resist the beautiful woman he desires far too much. Duty calls, and he is duty-bound to choose a wealthy bride. But then Lia makes another outrageous suggestion: asking Jack to devise some tests to find her the perfect paramour. Tests that involve flirting, kissing, and other pleasurable pursuits. Tests that, in a matter of weeks, could transform friendship into the ton’s greatest scandal, igniting a passion even duty can t deny. . .
THREE WEEKS WITH A PRINCESS
The Improper Princesses #2
BY VANESSA KELLY
Excerpt
It wasn’t like Lia to hedge. “Pet, we haven’t got all day. Just spit it out,” Jack said.
She sighed. “Very well. But please do remember that it wasn’t my idea.”
“I give you my word.”
Sitting up straight, she met his gaze. “Granny wants you to become my protector.”
That was a puzzling choice of words. “Of course I’ll protect you. Didn’t I make that clear yesterday?”
“Yes, but not my protector in a general way. She means protector in a rather specific way.”
The vague conversation began to frustrate him. “I’m not sure what else I can do to address her concerns, other than to say that I will provide for anything you need.”
She looked over at the window, shaking her head and muttering under her breath.
“Perhaps you could clarify what she means by specific,” Jack suggested.
Lia finally looked at him, her checks blazing as red as apples. “Granny wants me to be your mistress, you nodnock. She wants you to be my lover. Is that clear enough for you?”
Jack probably looked like a fish who’d landed on a bank, stunned and gasping for breath. And the entire time he stared at her, Lia glared back at him, looking furious and embarrassed. And anything but loverlike.
He finally marshaled the few wits that hadn’t been stunned into insensibility. “Clear? It’s insane. Take you as my mistress? How your grandmother could come up with such a ridiculous notion is beyond me. It’s simply laughable.”
He felt as if someone had knocked him on the head with a brick. And even more appalling, now that she’d put the idea into his head, some part of his brain—well, not his brain actually—thought there was some merit to the notion. How could it not, when she looked as she did now, her cheeks flushed, her gorgeous eyes snapping with fury, and her pretty breasts pushing up over the simple trim of her bodice with each indignant and huffy breath.
Get a handle, you idiot. He would no more take Lia as his mistress than he would don minstrel’s garb and caper about in Hyde Park.
When she crossed her arms under her chest, the movement pushed the plump white mounds up even higher over her bodice. Her scarf had slipped aside, and Jack fancied he might even see the edge of one nipple peeking out from behind the narrow band of lace. That lascivious hint sent a bolt of lust thrumming through his body to settle in his groin.
Argh. He’d never thought of Lia in that way and he was utterly horrified by his reaction.
He forced his gaze up to her face. The fury and hurt he saw in her eyes immediately dampened any misplaced ardor on his part.
“I’m sorry you find the notion so repugnant,” she said tightly. “Of course I realize I can’t hold a candle to all the fine ladies you’re accustomed to consorting with in London.”
“Good God. I don’t consort with fine ladies,” he exclaimed. “What sort of man do you take me for?”
“The regular kind. And don’t pretend you’re a virgin, Jack, or that you’ve never had an affair or slept with, well, you know.” She paused, suddenly looking uncertain. “You aren’t a virgin, are you?”
He dropped his forehead into his hand. “Lia, this is an entirely demented conversation.”
She let out a horrified gasp. “You are a virgin. Oh, dear. I’m so sorry, Jack. This must be thoroughly embarrassing for you. Please forgive me.”
He looked up with a scowl. “It is embarrassing, but not because I’m a virgin. I am not, by the way, though that is beside the point.”
“The point seems to be that you find the notion of me as your mistress hideous beyond imagining,” she said with irritation. “Well, let me tell you that I’m not exactly thrilled by the notion, Jack Easton.”
“Why the hell not?” he asked before he could stop himself. “Never mind, don’t answer that. And just to be clear I don’t find you repugnant in the least. Quite the opposite, in fact.”
She blinked. “Then there is a chance you would consider taking me as your mistress?”
“God, no!”
Lia tucked her chin down and winced. “There’s no need to yell, Jack. I’m not deaf.”
He gripped the edge of his desk and took several deep breaths, trying to steady himself. Then he pushed himself out of his chair and stalked over to the drinks cart. He poured a splash of whiskey into a crystal tumbler and tossed it back. The burn hit his stomach like a gunshot, but the jolt of heat cleared his head.
“I could use one of those,” Lia said.
“I am not giving you whiskey before you’ve had anything to eat,” Jack growled. He refused to look at her before he got himself under some semblance of control. He felt as if he’d fallen asleep and woken up in a madhouse.
“Spoilsport,” she muttered.
Meet Author Vanessa Kelly.
..
Vanessa Kelly is a USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author who was named by Booklist, the review journal of the American Library Association, as one of the “New Stars of Historical Romance.” Her Regency-set historical romances have been nominated for awards in a number of contests, and her second book, Sex and The Single Earl, won the prestigious Maggie Medallion for Best Historical Romance.
Vanessa’s previous series, The Renegade Royals, was a national bestseller. She is currently writing a spin-off series called The Improper Princesses. My Fair Princess, book 1, was named a Goodreads Romance of the Month. Vanessa also writes USA TodayBestselling books with her husband, under the pen name of V.K. Sykes.
~~~
TASTY Q & A
If you could sit and write in a different country where would it be?
England, probably the Lake District or the Cotswolds. My fantasies generally do not involve sexy guys—they involve peaceful little cottages on a hillside overlooking a beautiful lake. Oh, and tea, scones, and a nice glass of wine at the end of the day. LOL!
Co-writing: have you done it with another author, if not, would you?
I co-write with my husband as VK Sykes. We’ve written a number of books, including contemporary romances and romantic suspense. Hubby is also my critique partner for my historical romances. I enjoy the process and we work very well together—likely because we know each other’s weak spots and how to deal with them. It’s really fun to work creatively with him; plus, it keeps us busy so we don’t kill each other from boredom! I don’t know if I could actually co-write a book with another author, although I’ve worked on interconnected anthologies with other writers. I enjoyed that process, too.
Can you tell us a little about your book?
THREE WEEKS WITH A PRINCESS is the second book in The Improper Princesses Series, which is a spin-off from my previous series, The Renegade Royals. That series featured the illegitimate sons of England’s royal dukes, who fought for their rightful places in the world—falling madly in love with some pretty swell gals along the way, of course. In this new series, the illegitimate daughters of royal dukes take their turn, surmounting all the obstacles that society put in their way in that time period, and winning the hearts of their own heroes. There’s love, laughter, adventure, and just a little bit of danger to spice things up!
How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?
Aside from the fact that it’s a spin-off, THREE WEEKS WITH A PRINCESS is based on the famous movie musical, Gigi. My heroine, Lia Kincaid, is the daughter and granddaughter of notorious courtesans and is expected to follow in their footsteps. There are a few problems with that plan, however—she has no desire to become a courtesan and she’s madly in love with her childhood friend, Jack Easton, Marquess of Lendale. But events conspire to push Lia in the direction she doesn’t want to go, and Jack is pretty much losing his mind trying to stop her. Jack, unfortunately, also has big problems, which include a mother who hates Lia’s guts and a debt-ridden estate all but falling down around his ears. Needless to say, Lia and Jack have more than a few obstacles to a happily ever after!
What are some books that you enjoyed recently?
I just read a great book called BITTER SPIRITS, a paranormal romance set in San Francisco during the Roaring Twenties. The hero is a bootlegger and the heroine is a spirit medium, and they meet under very unusual circumstances: the hero is under a curse. They have tremendous chemistry and I loved the atmospheric setting. I’m halfway through the second book in the series by Jenn Bennett, and I’m enjoying it, too. I’m kind of a sucker for unusual historical settings for romance, and this one really fit the bill.
What do you like best about being a writer? What is the most challenging part?
The best part for me is writing The End. I relish having a finished book in my hands, and it’s still a thrill to know I created a new story with characters I’ve invariably come to love. The most challenging part is actually sitting down every day and getting words on the page. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes not. There are days when I feel like being lazy or reading a book, but deadlines mean butt has to get into chair, regardless of inspiration striking or not.
Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
The theme I most frequently come back to, whether I realize it or not at the time, is family and finding home. It’s just the one that sticks with me. I do have a number of characters I’d like to return to at some point, mostly secondary characters from my Renegade Royals Series. There are a pair of children in my recently released short story, THREE RENEGADES AND A BABY, who I think are demanding their own story when they grow up. So, stay tuned for that!
Can you tell us about your upcoming book?
My next book is called THE HIGHLANDER’S PRINCESS BRIDE, and it’ll be out in November. It’s Improper Princesses 3, and it moves the action to a remote castle in Scotland. My heroine finds herself trying to teach a very rambunctious family of Highlanders how to be proper gentlemen, a la Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. This book segues into my next series, which will feature the Kendrick brothers—a wild group of Highland rogues! I’m really excited to be moving in that direction.
~~~
Links to Vanessa’s website, blog, books, etc.
Link to Follow Tour:
http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master/three-weeks-princess-vanessa-kelly
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32560046-three-weeks-with-a-princess
Goodreads Series Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/172996-the-improper-princesses
Buy Links: AMAZON | B & N | GOOGLE | ITUNES | KOBO
Author Links: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS
~~~
Thanks, Vanessa, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
July 2, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: The Adventures of Juice Box and Shame (The Shamed) by Liv Hadden
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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THE ADVENTURES OF JUICE BOX AND SHAME
The Shamed
BY LIV HADDEN
Blurb
Li Nguyen, aka Juice Box, has never really had a friend. That is, until he meets the ultra cool, super mysterious Shame. Though Juice Box feels certain this is his new BFF, Shame’s dark past and nefarious entanglements get them both into serious, life-threatening trouble. It doesn’t help that Shame inadvertently pissed off one of the baddest crime bosses in Baltimore, Anna Nguyen (aka Laoban), who also happens to be Juice Box’s cousin. Shame stirred up trouble with a rival gang, putting Anna and her crew in a precarious situation. Torn between his love for Anna and his new, exciting friendship with Shame, Juice Box must choose where his loyalties lie.
Will he choose family and leave Shame out to dry, or will he choose the only friend he’s ever had, despite the danger?
~~
Love a good, twisted thriller? Catch up on Hadden’s previous book In the Mind of Revenge. Available in print and eBook through LivHadden.com, Amazon and at your local bookstore. Love Audiobooks? You can also purchase and listen through Audible.
5 stars from Foreword Clarion Reviews!
“Liv Hadden is a great discovery.” – Writer’s Digest
“A somber revenge tale, but fronted by a protagonist both absorbing and sublimely complicated.” – Kirkus Review
Praise for The Shamed Series
“Liv Hadden is a great discovery.” – Writer’s Digest
“If a cat has nine lives, Shame has 29. Liv Hadden leaves us in the dark as to whether this character is a girl or a boy. As Shame often muses, why is gender that important? It’s reflecting on issues like gender that makes In the Mind of Revenge more than just a rather exciting read.” – Reader’s Favorite
“A somber revenge tale, but fronted by a protagonist both absorbing and sublimely complicated.” – Kirkus Reviews
THE ADVENTURES OF JUICE BOX AND SHAME
The Shamed
BY LIV HADDEN
Excerpt
“Look,” Shame whispered. “I have to get out of here. That Frankenstein woman wants to perform all these crazy tests on me. I have to find Cassie, now…I don’t know how to explain it, but I need to get to her.”
I saw the pleading in Shame’s eyes, and I knew I would do it. I had always told myself when I found my best friend, I would do anything for them. I had prayed and prayed and made that promise to whatever gods might exist. I loved Anna, I really did, but Shame needed me, and I would come through no matter what.
“Well, there is this button in the big room that says ‘Open’. I have no idea what it opens, but maybe there’s a secret door in there?”
A smirk crept up Shame’s face, crinkling the largest scar in a way I now recognized as approval. I instantly felt awesome, happy to be able to help in some kind of way.
“It’s worth a shot, eh JB?”
Shame started trying to sit up, but struggled. I got up to help, careful not to overextend my bad shoulder. Eventually, we managed to both stand, arms across each other in support. We started shuffling toward the door.
“So, um…” Shame hesitated. “How’s Emma?”
I stopped walking. “She’s okay. When we came and got you, Anna made sure someone would come help her.”
Shame nodded a thank you, then we continued toward the door. When we were close enough, I put my finger over my lips to signal quiet, then slowly opened the door. I peeked over at Greg to make sure he was still asleep, then gave Shame the all-clear. At first, we slowly hobbled down the maze of hallways, but with each passing step, Shame became more and more self-reliant. Admittedly, by the time I was the one lagging behind, I was impressed. Shame was one tough SOB!
When we got to the big empty space, I went straight up the stairs to the small brick room. Butterflies erupted in my stomach, my nerves starting to catch up to me. What if this opened something else? What if it didn’t open anything and we got caught? Ten thousand what-ifs attacked my brain, paralyzing me.
“You okay up there?” Shame murmured.
“Yeah, I’m good,” I lied. I took a deep breath, and let the exhale propel me forward. Without thinking, I pressed the Open button. Nothing happened. I started to feel panicked. I tried to think quickly, unwilling to deliver bad news to my best bud.
“Try the power button.”
I nearly jumped out of my skin. As if from nowhere, Shame had appeared behind me. On my second glance, I was shocked by the transformation. From the time we’d left the hospital hallway to now, Shame had miraculously become healthier than ever. I realized I was starting to stare, so I turned back around quickly and tried to remember what I was doing. When I got my bearings back, I realized turning the power on was the logical first step. I tried not to let my face flush in embarrassment, but I mean, c’mon—it was so obvious.
A dozen lights started blinking on, as well as the screens. Within seconds, one of the screens showed a live video feed of the room below. In the top right corner was the word “HANGAR”. Suddenly, everything about that room made a thousand percent more sense. It was big and empty because it was a garage for a plane or helicopter. I had drawn the conclusion Anna must have owned the building—did she also own a plane?
Before I had time to digest that, Shame reached around me and pressed Open. Sun began to stream into the room. On the video feed, I could see the far wall silently folding up at its creases. Instantly, I felt really stupid for not figuring all this out much sooner.
Shame pat me on the back, then practically leapt down the stairs and darted toward the door. I ran down as quickly as I could, suddenly aware Shame was in nothing but a hospital gown. We’d have to fix that pronto. When we were both outside, all we could see was a lot of concrete and the highway off in the distance. Wordlessly, we both seemed to agree moving toward the highway was our only choice. As we started to run, an alarm went off in the back of my mind. I was about to get into some deep shit. I knew I should stop, go back and go home. I knew I wouldn’t be safe anymore, and that Anna couldn’t keep forgiving me.
I kept running anyway.
Meet Author Liv Hadden.
..
Liv Hadden has her roots in Burlington, Vermont and currently resides in Georgetown, TX with her partner and two dogs, Madison and Samuel, where she is an active member of Writer’s League of Texas. Her 2016 release In the Mind of Revenge received high praise from Blue Ink Reviews, Writer’s Digest, Kirkus Reviews, indieBRAG and five stars from Foreword Clarion Review.
Incredibly inspired by artistic expression, Hadden immerses herself in creative endeavors on a daily basis. She finds great joy in getting lost in writing and seeing others fully express themselves through their greatest artistic passions. It’s no wonder she teamed up talented tattoo artist Mo Malone (who scribed a majority of Hadden’s body work) to create her latest release The Adventures of Juice Box and Shame.
Malone has been making art since she was a kid. Offered a tattoo apprenticeship while obtaining a B.F.A. in Sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth University. Malone briefly diverted from tattooing to be an elementary and middle school teacher, an experience she greatly enjoyed, but ultimately came back to her artistic roots. She has tattooed at Rick’s Tattoo in Arlington, Virginia (where she got her start), Iron Age Studio in St. Louis, Missouri and Triple Crown Tattoo in Austin, Texas where she met Hadden.
A lover of travel, her craft has taken her all over the world, to include a dozens of tattoo conferences spanning from New York to Moscow. You can now find Malone back in St. Louis at Ragtime Tattoo. She has recently joined Evil Prints to expand into screen-printing, and when she’s not working her magic in the art world, you can find her feeding her adventurous spirit BMXing at her local skate park or wandering the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Q&A with Author Liv Hadden and Illustrator Mo Malone
I love the Comic Book vibe and illustrations you’ve incorporated into The Adventures of Juice Box and Shame! Can you tell readers what inspired this theme for your thrilling novella?
Liv Hadden: I grew up around comic books because my brother loved them. Some of that rubbed off on me! I was reading a Deadpool comic before bed one night. When I woke up the next morning, I had this vision of Juice Box and Shame on the cover of a comic book called The Adventures of Juice Box and Shame. I was so excited about the idea, I knew I had to make it real.
Mo Malone: I also grew up reading comic books when I was a kid. My dad would take my brother and me to a local comic book shop on a fairly regular basis and I was always excited to add to my collection. I always found the artwork to be striking and dramatic. It impressed me how line weight, perspective, and color theory can further the emotion and storyline of a comic. I was very excited when Liv asked me to join her on this project.
Liv, can you tell us a bit about Juice Box’s perspective in this book. How does it differ from Shame in your 2016 release, In the Mind of Revenge?
LH: Unlike Shame, Juice Box is an eternal optimist. He’s one of those people that manage to maintain a heart of gold no matter what adversity gets thrown his way. Where Shame sees despair and a downward spiral, Juice Box sees excitement and adventure. He’s definitely living in his own little world, one where he’s larger than life and there’s good in everyone.
Liv, how did you find Mo Malone, and inevitably end up partnering with her on this project?
LH: I knew I was going to need an artist to pull off the comic book theme, and Mo popped into my head immediately. We met years ago when she started tattooing my entire back. Through that process, I got to know her and see what she was capable of. She’s a brilliant artist and a wonderful woman – she seemed like an obvious choice.
Mo, did you ever think you would contribute to publishing a book?
MM: I have always wanted to contribute artwork for a book and I’m elated with joy that I get to team up with such a talented and overall amazing person as Liv!
How has it been working as a ‘team’ with a co-author/illustrator, versus flying solo?
LH: As far as the writing goes, not too much different, other than having someone’s eyes on my drafts immediately. As a reader of the series herself, she was able to give me perspective I wouldn’t have had access to so early on. She caught some things and helped me fine-tune the characters, which was very helpful. It’s been amazing for me to see her bring the characters to life in her drawings. I love seeing her interpretations of things. It’s a good check for me to see if I’m illustrating the story well with my words.
MM: It can be a bit of a daunting task. To find that balance of vision between author and illustrator, you want to make sure you both are on the same page. Having Liv’s guidance through the drawing process has made it much easier to ensure that I carry out her vision for the book.
Mo, how quickly did you dream up your illustrations from Juice Box and Shame? Was there any specific part of In the Mind of Revenge that really influence how you saw these characters?
MM: It was quite helpful having already read a book that included these characters. I think we all paint a picture in our mind, when we read. And Liv is so descriptive, that it came pretty naturally. It was important for me to choose scenes from each episode that would further the storyline and keep the reader guessing what might happen next.
What do you think will surprise readers most about The Adventures of Juice Box and Shame?
LH: Some things that weren’t revealed in In the Mind of Revenge get addressed. For some, it will be obvious, for others a surprise. There’s also a hint as to where to story will go from here!
Liv, you talk about some medical procedures in your story, as well as some of the advancements humans have made in metal. What was the most interesting thing you learned while researching for the book?
LH: I came across a type of metal that can disintegrate bullets on contact! As of now, it primarily has military applications, but I had to ask myself, “What if we could replace human bones with this material?” The answer was intriguing and lead me to some very exciting plot items for the future.
I know you’re still hard at work on your second full book in The Shamed Series – can you give us a little teaser on what readers can expect in your next installment?
LH: I am getting so excited about this one! It’s evolving into something intricate and exciting. I’ve grown a lot as a writer, and I think that will be apparent to readers of book one.
Here’s what I’m willing to reveal now: there’s a good reason Shame is so emotionally erratic, obsessive, quick to aggression, and physically resilient…and it’s not schizophrenia or any other mental illness as some have guessed. I’m going to leave it here – thrillers are best when you don’t know much!
Liv, your release hits right around the 2017 Denver ComicCon, which you will be featured at this year. I hear you’re also working on a SCIFI story – much different than your thrillers. Can you tell us a little about that – and how it differs from The Shamed Series?
LH: Yes! The story, CROSSFADE, tells the tale of Agent Milo Kayd, a hybrid agent of espionage, who puts her ultimate goal and the fate of an entire race on the line when she accepts her deadliest mission yet. It’s an adult science-fiction novel (space opera) that I had a blast writing! I’m submitting it to agents as we speak, waiting for the right one to bite.
Writing CROSSFADE was more complicated than writing In the Mind of Revenge because it takes on multiple perspectives and character arcs. In the Mind of Revenge really only focuses on Shame’s POV and journey, whereas CROSSFADE covers several converging journeys. It took a lot of work and learning for me to ensure consistency in the plot and the characters. At times it was daunting, but I enjoyed the challenge and am definitely a better writer because of it.
There’s a lot of action and conspiracy in CROSSFADE, which is quite similar to In the Mind of Revenge. I do think if you enjoyed the narrative voice and fast-paced movement of In the Mind of Revenge, you’d enjoy the style of CROSSFADE.
~~~
Links to Liv and Mo’s website, blog, books, etc.
Find Liv Online: livhadden @livhadden @livhadden livhadden
Find Mo Malone Online: @mo_malone
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2tzsPKr
Amazon Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Juice-Box-Shame-Shamed/dp/0692910727/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1499024972&sr=1-1
~~~
Thanks, Liv & Mo, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
Love to Read? Enter To #WIN 96 Summer Scorchers Contest ~ $100 Gift Card Grand Prize!!
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Enter this amazing contest #ThatBookRocks
[July 1 – July 31, 2017]
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July 1, 2017
Congratulations JULY Blog Subscriber Winner!!
Time to announce the JULY 2017 #WINNER of my Monthly Blog Subscriber Giveaway, where special readers can win a read or coffee – two of my favorite things—on me!!!
And the winner is…
elissasfantasyworld…
Congratulations! You have won a $5 gift card from Amazon or Starbucks (your choice)! I’ll contact you privately to arrange for delivery of your gift.
Dear Readers,
If you missed this month’s giveaway, you can still subscribe to my blog at http://www.karendocter.com/ to get my blogs delivered straight to your email and be entered EACH MONTH into a random drawing for #FREE $5 gift card. On the first of each month, I’ll draw one name at www.random.org from all of my subscribers to receive the card.
More wonderful perks to subscribing to my blog? The blogs, when they appear in your Inbox, are pretty and easy to read. You can discover new authors, recipes and reader fun…and many of the authors sponsor GIVEAWAYS just for commenting!
If you’re only in the mood to receive my Special Release Alerts, you can subscribe to my mailing list instead. This is NOT a newsletter, but the occasional Karen/K.L. Docter news release.
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To avoid SPAM filters, I’m announcing this random giveaway on the blog so that all current subscribers will know who won. If your name is announced and you don’t hear from me and can’t find an email in your SPAM folder, please contact me at kldocter@yahoo.com. Thank you!
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June 29, 2017
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s: Shortbread Cookies
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 SHORTBREAD COOKIES!
I haven’t made these cookies in forever but now that I’ve come across the recipe again, I’m going to have to make some. I found this recipe when my children were young. They were great cookies for the littlest ones, especially when they were teething. They are delicious and practically melt in your mouth. I recommend making a double batch. They’re THAT good!
I hope you enjoy today’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy eating!
Karen
P.S. We’re at 320 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.
SHORTBREAD COOKIES
[Serves 4-5]
1 1/4 cup flour
3 T. sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Mix with pastry cutter. Press into ball. Knead one minute until smooth. Roll out 1/4-inch thick. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 325 degrees for 14-16 minutes. Cool on a rack and store in airtight container.
Happy Eating!
June 28, 2017
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Mind Virus by Charles Kowalski
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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MIND VIRUS
BY CHARLES KOWALSKI
Blurb
Robin Fox, peace-loving professor of world religions, wants only to leave his dark past as a military interrogator behind him. But when an unknown suspect tries to disperse a deadly virus in downtown Washington, Fox is unwillingly drawn back into the shadowy world of intelligence.
The FBI and CIA automatically suspect Islamic terrorists, but Fox digs deeper to discover the far more frightening truth: a global conspiracy to eradicate all religion from the face of the earth.
From Washington to Jerusalem, from Rome to London, Fox must use all his wits in a perilous race to stop a psychopathic mastermind from unleashing worldwide devastation.
Reviews:
“Charles Kowalski takes a frightening idea to its logical (and terrifying) conclusion. The kind of pulse-pounding, adrenaline-pumping adventure tale that I associate with the best of Clive Cussler, Frederick Forsyth, and Ken Follett. If this book doesn’t have you flipping pages long into the night, see your doctor. You may already be dead.”
— Jeff Edwards, bestselling author of Sea of Shadows and Steel Wind Rising
“A fast-paced thriller that will keep you breathless and wanting more. Robin Fox is one of the best heroes to come along in quite a while.”
— Leo J. Maloney, author of Termination Orders and Arch Enemy
“A fiendishly clever stew of mind games, bioterror, and a new breed of extremist malice. Mind Virus is one heck of a ride.”
— Barry Lancet, award-winning author of The Spy Across the Table
MIND VIRUS
BY CHARLES KOWALSKI
Excerpt
WASHINGTON, D.C.
SATURDAY, MARCH 28
The coroner’s report confirmed that Thom had died of cyanide poisoning. The news claimed the top spot on all the networks, and even the BBC gave it airtime, right after a fire in the chapel of Windsor Castle. Thom’s name had clearly been known far beyond the Oberlin College campus.
The president of USAtheists called a press conference. “The murder of Thom DiDio is a tragedy and an outrage. Whether he was killed because of what he believed, or because of whom he loved, is irrelevant. What matters is that the world has lost a great intellect and a great humanitarian, and his blood is on the hands of religious fanatics.”
Fox flinched at the incendiary last line. That’s not how Thom would talk. But if the man needed to lash out, Fox could scarcely blame him.
He and Emily had worked with the FBI to help create a composite sketch, which was now being broadcast regularly on television. But so far, it had yet to yield any leads.
“Any progress with Harpo?” Fox asked once he was back in the incident room at FBI headquarters.
Adler shook his head. “We kept him under observation last night. Gave him a box of books, as you suggested, but he didn’t read any.”
“What did he do?”
“Just lay on his bed.”
“The whole time? You never saw him perform salat?”
“Sorry?”
“Say his prayers facing Mecca?”
“Well, he’s been in a cell without windows. He has no way of knowing what time it is, or which way Mecca is.”
“John, even at Gitmo, we showed the detainees at least that much courtesy. We gave them copies of the Qur’an, a qibla sign to point the way to Mecca, and even played a recording of the adhaan at the proper times.”
Adler shrugged. “If you want, you can take it up with the FBI; this is their turf. Now, the technician has him all hooked up, and they’re waiting for you in the interview room.”
The room held Harpo, Kato, Malika, the technician, Fox, and the extra guard he had requested. The polygraph apparatus, the projector, and a tripod-mounted video camera were crammed into the little space that remained. There was barely room to take a deep breath.
Fox kept a close eye on Harpo, and the readout from the polygraph. Harpo’s breathing was very steady and regular, three seconds in, five seconds out. Fox suspected that he had been trained in ways to “beat the box,” to fool a lie detector.
“Do you speak English?”
Fox watched the readout. It showed no variation in his blood pressure, heart rate, or galvanic skin response, either then or when Malika tried him in Russian and Chechen.
“Are there six people in this room?” This was a control question, to show what his vital signs looked like at baseline, after he was over his initial nervousness.
“Are you an American citizen?” No change in his vitals for that either, nor for the Eastern European equivalents.
“Can you hear me? Testing? One, two, three? Four, five? Six, seven?” Then, with a little extra emphasis: “Eight, eight?”
No variation. That diminished the likelihood that he was a white supremacist. The number 88, if letters were substituted for the numerals, became “HH”—a code for “Heil Hitler.”
“All right, let’s try some names. Do you know A.J. Muste? George Fox? Gene Hoffman?” These were control questions. All those names were peace philosophers, whom Fox thought it highly unlikely that he had ever heard of.
“Venera Goridze?”
No change in the readout. No flicker of recognition on his face.
“Do you realize that if you answer our questions, the prosecutors will be much less likely to ask for the death penalty?”
That finally got to him. The readout showed a slight increase in his vital signs. A normal fear reaction to the threat of death? Or excitement at the prospect of martyrdom?
And they had also established that he understood English. They would have no further need of Malika’s services. It was just as well; the smell of her perfume in that confined space had been a little overpowering.
“You know, it must be awfully boring for you, cooped up in a cell all that time,” Fox continued. “I’ve put together a little video for you. I’m curious to see how you’ll like it.”
He put in a DVD that he had made, a montage of various clips garnered from the Internet. It began with innocuous natural scenes—flowers, mountains, waterfalls—with a background of soothing classical music.
Then came the scenes meant to show his reaction at times of emotional arousal. A battle scene from a movie, with loud explosions and bursts of gunfire. There was a slight rise in his vitals—the startle reflex—but he soon reverted to baseline, and stayed there as the video switched back to the control images.
A clip of a shapely blonde model sliding a gossamer silk robe off her shoulders to reveal her lingerie, and then reaching behind her back to unfasten her brassiere. Fox kept his eyes fixed on the readout, ignoring the stern look he got from Kato and the blush on Malika’s face.
Such an image would usually provoke an involuntary response in any red-blooded young male, but Harpo showed no more reaction than at baseline. Clearly, he was very well trained.
The control images again, this time alternating with others meant to provoke an emotional response. A sermon by the Reverend Hill. A cross being set alight by white-robed Klansmen. A muezzin intoning the call to prayer from a minaret. The second plane crashing into the World Trade Center. A speech by Osama bin Laden. A speech by President Obama, announcing the death of Osama bin Laden.
Then came the part that Fox had wanted extra protection for: a clip from a back-alley YouTube video making a mockery of the prophet Mohammed. For this one, he stepped out of Harpo’s reach, anticipating that he might jump up and attack even if he had to drag the entire polygraph apparatus behind him.
Harpo showed no inclination to move. The readout showed no reaction. If he was indeed a fanatical Muslim, he had a level of mental discipline worthy of a Zen master.
Fox stepped out of Harpo’s field of view again. “All right, we’re done. You can turn it off now,” he told the technician, while gesturing that he should keep it going. “Very interesting, don’t you think? These results indicate…” He put in a dramatic pause, then looked at Harpo and enunciated ominously: “N-S-R.”
Harpo’s shoulders relaxed slightly, and he let out a long breath. It was barely visible when you looked at him, but it showed up on the readout. A well-concealed sigh of relief.
Fox’s suspicions were confirmed. “NSR” meant “No Significant Response,” but there was no way Harpo could know that unless he had studied polygraphy.
Even so, the results were remarkable. The most common technique for beating a lie detector involved focusing on some frightening or exciting image after every question, to cause an artificial jump in the vital signs. The goal was to bring up the baseline, creating so many false positives that the polygrapher would have trouble distinguishing them from significant responses. Harpo had done the opposite, bringing everything down to a level where hardly any reaction was perceptible. How much mental training had he had to undergo in order to do that?
When Harpo had been disconnected and returned to his cell, Fox went back to the conference room to watch the video, together with Kato and Adler. The first time through, Fox kept his eyes on the readout. Neither the Klansmen nor President Obama did anything for Harpo; he appeared to feel no particular animosity or affinity toward either. The most noticeable reactions came with the images of the Reverend Hill’s sermon, the muezzin, and the Twin Towers.
They played the video again, this time concentrating on his face, looking for microexpressions—facial reactions that may be as brief as one twenty-fifth of a second, but are almost impossible to suppress. Harpo was very good at keeping his face impassive, but not perfect. He could have won big at poker but was not quite ready to stand guard at Buckingham Palace. With the Reverend Hill’s sermon, his upper lip curled in a slight but unmistakable expression of scorn.
Fox thought he noticed a very slight microexpression at one point, during the clip mocking Mohammed. It was so unexpected that he thought he must be imagining it, and backed up the video a couple of times to make sure.
“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” he asked.
“Maybe,” Kato said in a voice that sounded as mystified as he felt. “That looks like Action Unit 12A, neutralized.”
“Which means?” asked Adler.
“A trace contraction, quickly suppressed, of the zygomaticus major and risorius.”
“In English, please?”
“She said,” Fox translated, “that he was hiding a smile.”
Meet Author Charles Kowalski.
..
Charles Kowalski is almost as much a citizen of the world as his fictional character, Robin Fox, having lived abroad for over 15 years, visited over 30 countries, and studied over 10 languages. His unpublished debut novel, Mind Virus, won the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Colorado Gold Award and was a finalist for the Adventure Writers’ Competition, the Killer Nashville Claymore Award, and the Pacific Northwest Writers’ Association literary award.
Charles currently divides his time between Japan, where he teaches English at a university, and his family home in Maine.
Mind Virus is scheduled for publication by Literary Wanderlust on July 1, 2017.
Other novels and short stories by Charles Kowalski:
“Let This Cup Pass From Me”
“Arise, My Love”
“The Evil I Do Not Mean To Do”
~~~
Q & A
Can you describe what your book is about in one sentence?
A peace-loving religion professor, striving to atone for his crimes as a military interrogator, must help stop deadly biological attacks on the world’s great pilgrimage sites on their holiest days.
Why did you write Mind Virus?
The idea came about in response to the “New Atheist” movement, and the way its icons—Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, David Silverman, the late Christopher Hitchens—proclaim that all the world’s problems would be solved if we could just get rid of religion. Living in a very secular country, I often hear this sentiment echoed, to the point where I began to wonder: What if someone were to carry this idea to its extreme, and decide religion must be eradicated by violent means if necessary? It started out in a satirical, tongue-in-cheek vein, putting atheists in the shoes of Muslims, always under suspicion because of the acts of a few extremists (“Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to carry books by Christopher Hitchens through airport security”), but the more I wrote, the more frighteningly plausible it felt.
How do you develop your plots and characters?
Everything begins with “What if…?” In this case, the question was, “Everyone is always talking about terror in the name of religion; could there be terror in the name of atheism?” From this question flows the rest of the plot and the characters. It was easy to develop Robin Fox; he’s the person I might have been if my life had taken a slightly different turn. As for the other characters, they may be loosely patterned on a real person, or a composite of several. If a minor character doesn’t seem sufficiently well-developed, I ask myself: if I were an actor, how would I play this character? How would I see the story from his or her point of view, since in our own minds, we’re always the central character of any story we appear in?
What was your favorite part of writing Mind Virus?
Following in my protagonist’s footsteps in Israel, Vatican City, and England.
Give us some insight into your main character. What does he do that is special? What are his character flaws?
One reader described Robin Fox as “Indiana Jones meets Sherlock Holmes: brilliant, moral, instinctive, with uncanny powers of perception.” Having seen a great deal of the world as the son of a Foreign Service officer, he is multilingual, culturally adaptable, able to survive in just about any country, but never completely at home anywhere. After his traumatic experience in Iraq, he is passionately committed to peace and nonviolence, to the point where he sometimes hesitates when decisive action may be called for.
Tell us about the conflict in this book. What is at stake for your characters?
There are many layers of conflict. The main one, of course, is the race to stop the villain before he can start a worldwide epidemic. There’s also the undercurrent of tension between Fox and his CIA counterpart, John Adler, and Fox’s anxiety that the more he cooperates, the deeper he’s dragged back into a chapter in his life that he wanted to keep closed forever. And to top it all off, there’s danger to the woman for whom Fox secretly harbors an impossible love.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating Mind Virus?
I learned a great deal about the subtle art of interrogation. Stories of “enhanced interrogation techniques” (a code word for torture) dominated the news during the Iraq War, but the best interrogators would probably dismiss those as crude and ineffective. Good interrogators have to be keen students of psychology and talented actors, capable of improvising themselves into whatever role will help them earn the subject’s trust. Fox summed it up when he reflected, “In any interrogation, the most important questions are the ones that aren’t asked. Who is this person? What does he want most? What does he fear most? Once you know the answers to those, the field is won.”
Mind Virus seems to have some technical aspects that appear to require some expertise or background in the field. How did you come by this information? (Is it in your background, or did you just do research?)
Mind Virus was a very research-intensive book. Very little in my own background prepared me for it, so I read everything I could get my hands on and consulted everyone willing to share their experience and expertise with me.
What makes your book different from other books in your genre?
Mind Virus isn’t the typical thriller that pits the infallible West, led by the invincible United States, against the dark forces of Islam. It paints the world in more shades of gray (though perhaps not fifty!). And Fox is quite different from the standard-issue action-adventure protagonist; he’s a reluctant hero, tormented by remorse and self-doubt, who always prefers nonviolence over violence when he has a choice.
What is your writing process?
I’m a plotter. I can’t start a manuscript without a clear idea of how the story is going to go. Once I have the plot in mind, I write the scenes I’m inspired to write, in no particular order, and often in layers: dialogue first, then narration, and finally description. And of course, however carefully I plan, there are always surprises, and the finished product is never quite what I had envisioned at first. I find that telling a story isn’t like carving wood or stone, it’s more like cultivating a bonsai. You’re not working with a slab of lifeless material but with something living, and you can try to direct it into the shape you want, but you also have to pay attention to the way it naturally grows.
What other projects are you working on?
I have other Robin Fox novels in the works, the next one set in my adopted homeland of Japan. I’m also working on a standalone thriller featuring an archaeologist who, in the course of an undercover operation to recover artifacts stolen from Iraq, finds evidence that she is descended from an extraterrestrial race tasked with saving humanity from an impending disaster.
Any last thoughts?
I hope you enjoy Mind Virus—and if you do, please help spread it!
~~~
Links to Charles’ website, blog, books, etc.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2tGZCue
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/charles.kowalski.5245
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CharlesKowalski
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/ author/show/16788302.CharlesKowalski
Official Website: https://charleskowalski.com/
Purchase Link through his Publisher:
http://www.literarywanderlust. com/
About Literary Wanderlust
Literary Wanderlust publishes well-written novels and short story anthologies in the romance, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and thriller genres, as well as obscure history and research topics. Visit us at www.literarywanderlust.com.
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Thanks, Charles, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
