Karen Docter's Blog, page 209

Bestselling Author Karen/K.L. Docter’s **4th of July** 1-Day #FREE E-BOOK Celebration!!

Bestselling & Award-Winning Author

KAREN/K.L. DOCTER’S

4TH OF JULY

1-Day Celebration!!

In honor of Independence Day and the freedom this day ~ July 4th ~ signifies for me as an American, I’m giving away #FREE E-BOOKS!! ONE DAY ONLY!! This means that only comments made TODAY, JULY 4TH, will receive a free e-book.

Comment below about what you love about living in the United States in exchange for one complimentary (1) ebook of your choice. Be sure to tell me which book you’d like to have and watch your email for my notification on how to download your e-book.

You can find the blurbs for all of my books at my Amazon Author Page at http://amzn.to/298fQ4e if you’re having a hard time making a choice.

Congratulations JULY 2016 Blog Subscriber Winner!

Time to announce the JULY 2016 #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…

ROCKERGODDESS2002…

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.

Thanks for joining me on Karen’s Killer Book Bench!!

Karen/K.L.

To avoid SPAM filters, I will be announcing this random giveaway on the blog from now on because some have not responded to my emails about winning the drawing. 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!
Winners selected by random.org.

Congratulations Week 06-20-16 & 06-27-16 Blog Giveaway Winners!!

 CONGRATULATIONS WEEK

06-20-16 & 06-27-16

BLOG GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!

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Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog  with Catherine Dilts…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Catherine is giving away one hardcover copy of STONE COLD CASE to one lucky reader who comments on this Author Peek or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Thank you, Catherine, for sharing your story with us.

WINNER: NANCY SWEETLAND!

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Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Bonnie McCune…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Bonnie is giving away one eBook copy of FALLING LIKE A ROCK to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog. Thank you, Bonnie, for sharing your story with us.

WINNER: ROSE ARBOR!

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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Karen McCullough…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Karen is giving away a signed copy of A GIFT FOR MURDER (U.S. ONLY) or an ebook copy (OUTSIDE U.S.) to one lucky reader who comments on this Author Peek or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Thank you, Karen, for sharing your story with us.

WINNER: SHELBY CULBERTSON!

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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Kimberly Dean…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Kimberly is giving away an ebook copy of COURTING INNOCENCE (http://amzn.to/28YcxMQ) to one lucky reader who comments on this Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Thank you, Kimberly, for sharing your story with us.

WINNER: COLLEEN C.!

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Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special with Cynthia Woolf…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Cynthia is giving away one eBook copy of SOPHIA to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog. Cynthia is giving away copies to all three readers who commented!! Thank you, Cynthia, for sharing your story with us.

WINNERS: COLLEEN C., GLENDA, & BN100!

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EVERYONE’S A WINNER!!!

Don’t miss the SEASON OF THRILLS BOX SET for only $.99 !!

Sale ENDING SOON!!

Five (5) full-length suspense/mystery/ thriller novels by Award-winning and Bestselling Authors JERRIE ALEXANDER, KIM CRESSWELL, K.L. DOCTER, RACHEL KENT and MARIAN LANOUETTE!! Thrills are always in season!!

Get your copy HERE:

Amazon –

Season of Thrills Box Set: 5 Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Novels by Bestselling Authors

KOBO – bit.ly/1VJAw3R

iTunes – apple.co/1huLmNC

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chapters.indigo – bit.ly/1LmlQ9y

~~~

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!

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Cynthia Woolf #recipe ~ Grandpa Ben’s Old Fashioned Tea Cakes

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s

**AUTHOR SPECIAL**

with CYNTHIA WOOLF!

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, CYNTHIA WOOLF, and her favorite recipe for GRANDPA BEN’S OLD FASHIONED TEA CAKES.

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SOPHIA

The Brides of San Francisco, Volume 4

BY CYNTHIA WOOLF

Blurb

Working long hours in a New York City bakery is not at all what Sophia Hayes had planned for her life. When her fiancé breaks their engagement her to marry her thinner, blonder, more beautiful sister, Sophia knows it is time to do something drastic, something completely unexpected. All she’s ever wanted is to have a husband and family of her own. Agreeing to be a mail-order bride seems the perfect answer.

Robert Langley has been a sailor his entire life. As Captain of the Sapphire of India, his last cargo made him a very wealthy man, but his time at sea cost him much. His wife was killed in an accident while running away with another man leaving him a widower with four young children who barely recognize their own father. A mail-order bride seems to be the ideal solution. He simply needs a willing woman to warm his bed and a compassionate woman to raise his children. Love is not an option.

Sophia’s sister is not content to leave well enough alone. When her husband dies unexpectedly, she makes her way to San Francisco to do what she has always done…take what she wants. And the moment she sets eyes on her sister’s new family, what she wants is Robert Langley.

Sophia has always believed her stunning, talented sister deserved the best in life. But this time Sophia is in love, and she’s not going to surrender without a fight.

SOPHIA

The Brides of San Francisco, Volume 4

BY CYNTHIA WOOLF

EXCERPT

Robert Langley stood in the lobby, waiting for Miss Sophia Hayes, the woman who would be his bride and the mother to his four children. And they definitely needed a mother. From the stories his own mother told him, his wife Marybeth hadn’t cared much for the children since baby Harry was borne. Robert Jr., tried to take care of the younger children—Rachel, Sara and Harry. Rachel wouldn’t have any of it and was likely to be the toughest on a new mother because she’d taken to mothering Sara and Harry. He wasn’t sure how easy it would be to wrest that responsibility from her. He hoped Miss Hayes was up to the task.

Movement on the staircase caught his attention and Robert looked up as a woman appeared. She was a vision in purple. A lovelier sight he hadn’t seen in a long time. She had raven black hair, pale skin and was curvaceous. He loved women who looked like women.

The woman started toward him. A child of about three was running in the lobby laughing at his parents trying to catch him. He tripped and fell in front of the woman. He started crying. She picked up the child, soothed him, brushing his tears away. His mother stopped and reached for the child. The woman in purple smiled and talked to him for a moment before letting him go. Then she began walking again…toward Robert.

No, she couldn’t be. He couldn’t be that lucky, could he?

“Mr. Langley?”

“Yes, I’m Robert Langley,” he told the vision with the voice of an angel.

“I’m Sophia Hayes,”

“I’m pleased to meet you Miss Hayes. My carriage is waiting if you’re ready to go to dinner.”

“Certainly.”

He held out his arm to escort her to his carriage.

She daintily placed her hand in the crook of his elbow.

He put his hand on top of hers, wishing she were not wearing gloves and that he could feel her skin, soft and warm against his bare hand.

“You look quite charming, Miss Hayes.”

“Thank you. That’s kind of you to say.”

“There is nothing kind about the truth.”

She blushed prettily.

He hadn’t thought she could get any more beautiful, but when she blushed the color was not just in her face but her neck and chest, too. He wondered if she blushed all over and what he wouldn’t give to find out.

“I’ve a favorite restaurant to take you to. It’s called Cliff House and it sits above the city on a cliff. Obvious name, but wonderful cuisine. The ride is about thirty minutes, so we’ll have a chance to get to know each other a little.”

“That sounds delightful.”

He helped her into the carriage and as much as he wanted to sit by her and perhaps kiss her, he took the seat across from her. He would restrain himself until after they were married. Soon. They would be married soon.

About Author Cynthia Woolf… 

Cynthia Woolf is the award winning and bestselling author of twenty-two historical western romance books and two short stories with more books on the way.

Cynthia loves writing and reading romance. Her first western romance Tame A Wild Heart, was inspired by the story her mother told her of meeting Cynthia’s father on a ranch in Creede, Colorado. Although Tame A Wild Heart takes place in Creede that is the only similarity between the stories. Her father was a cowboy not a bounty hunter and her mother was a nursemaid (called a nanny now) not the ranch owner.

Writing as CA Woolf she has published six scifi, space opera romances. She calls them westerns in space.

She was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends. Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she’s made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.

TITLES AVAILABLE

THORPE’S MAIL-ORDER BRIDE, Montana Sky Series (Kindle Worlds)

GENEVIEVE: Bride of Nevada, American Mail-Order Brides Series

THE HUNTER BRIDE – Hope’s Crossing, Book 1

THE REPLACEMENT BRIDE – Hope’s Crossing, Book 2

THE STOLEN BRIDE – Hope’s Crossing, Book 3

GIDEON – The Surprise Brides

MAIL ORDER OUTLAW – The Brides of Tombstone, Book 1

MAIL ORDER DOCTOR – The Brides of Tombstone, Book 2

MAIL ORDER BARON – The Brides of Tombstone, Book 3

NELLIE – The Brides of San Francisco 1

ANNIE – The Brides of San Francisco 2

CORA – The Brides of San Francisco 3

SOPHIA – The Brides of San Francisco 4

JAKE (Book 1, Destiny in Deadwood series)

LIAM (Book 2, Destiny in Deadwood series)

ZACH (Book 3, Destiny in Deadwood series)

CAPITAL BRIDE (Book 1, Matchmaker & Co. series)

HEIRESS BRIDE (Book 2, Matchmaker & Co. series)

FIERY BRIDE (Book 3, Matchmaker & Co. series)

TAME A WILD HEART (Book 1, Tame series)

TAME A WILD WIND (Book 2, Tame series)

TAME A WILD BRIDE (Book 3, Tame series)

TAME A HONEYMOON HEART (novella, Tame series)

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Links to Cynthia’s Website, Books, & Social Media:

AMAZON: http://amzn.to/295f20l

WEBSITE: http://cynthiawoolf.com/

NEWSLETTER: http://bit.ly/1qBWhFQ

I hope you enjoy the recipe Cynthia is sharing with us today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy eating!

Karen

P.S. We’re at 266 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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GRANDPA BEN’S OLD FASHIONED TEA CAKES

Note from Cynthia: This would be something Sophia might bake.

1 cup shortening or lard

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups flour

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. cream of tarter

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream shortening and sugar then add eggs. Beat well. Mix all dry ingredients; blend well. Work flour mixture into shortening mixture.  Roll thin about one quarter inch thick and cut. Bake at 400 degrees until very, very lightly browned. He always used a can to cut the cookies and the biscuits.

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Cynthia is giving away one eBook copy of SOPHIA to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog. Thank you, Cynthia, for sharing your story and recipe with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Courting Gossip (The Courting Series Book Five) by Kimberly Dean

 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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COURTING GOSSIP

The Courting Series Book Five

BY KIMBERLY DEAN

Blurb

High class escort, Genieve, gets caught in the act with a politician and gossip goes wild. Flame-haired and curvy, Genieve is used to attracting attention, but her employer, Luxxor Limited, can’t stand the heat. They task her with lying low until the scandal blows over, in the protection of the one man she’s never been able to charm: Brody Haynes.

Power player Brody fixes politicians’ problems, but keeping Genieve out of sight is a challenge. The sexy redhead is smart and her sense of humor disarms him. Brody tries to concentrate on cleaning up the mess around Senator Gunderson, but his new housemate is a big distraction. And a bored Genieve is a handful.

Stuck alone together, the stern fixer and the vivacious escort discover that opposites do attract and the best way to stay out of the spotlight is to stay under the covers. But when the whispers about Luxxor only intensify, maybe it’s time for them to give people something else to talk about.

COURTING GOSSIP

The Courting Series Book Five

BY KIMBERLY DEAN

EXCERPT

Genieve found a Keurig machine on the counter and began looking for the flavor cups. The scent of Dark Magic blend was filling the kitchen when she heard the garage door opener start whirring.

Brody was back.

Her heart began beating faster, and she fluffed her hair. She didn’t know why the guy got to her. Last night was the most time they’d spent in one another’s company. The times they’d spoken before that had been short and to the point, yet her skin always felt sensitive whenever he was around. He just filled her with an insatiable need to ruffle him up. He was just so stern, controlled, stoic… and delicious.

Oh, who was she fooling? She knew exactly why she’d kissed him.

She glanced over her shoulder when he came in through the laundry room. The poor guy looked dead tired as he loosened his tie. He dropped his keys into the bowl by the door, but came up short when he saw her.

A charge went through her when his gaze slid down her back, stuck on her bottom, and eventually drifted over her legs. She wasn’t a morning person, and today was unlike any other. It took her a while to get going, and she hadn’t gotten dressed yet. She was still wearing the same purple nightie she’d slept in… the same one she’d been wearing last night when she’d laid that lip lock on him. The skimpy little slip rode high on her thighs and slits on each side dared to go even higher. Thin spaghetti straps were all that held the thing up, and the soft material clung to her curves.

Genieve felt her slow-rising body wake up.

Her hair slid over her shoulders as she turned. She leaned back against the counter and held her cup of coffee in both hands. ‘Did you go into the city?’

He didn’t stop staring, and the heat in her belly started bubbling.

‘Sorry,’ she said as she glanced down. ‘I forgot to pack a robe, of all things.’

He nodded. He could see that.

She tugged at the short hemline, which only made the material pull tighter over her breasts. ‘I suppose I could borrow one from you, if it makes you uncomfortable.’

‘You’re fine.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Unless you’re cold.’

On the contrary. ‘It seems warm in here to me.’

And getting warmer. She took a drink of her coffee and watched him over the lip of the cup. For such a ruthless wheeler dealer, the guy certainly didn’t look the part. He’d hate to hear it, but he was a cutie. Younger than someone she’d expect in his position, fitter and hotter. How he managed to stay behind the scenes, she didn’t know. He turned her head whenever he was within spotting distance.

He came deeper into the room and put a leather folder on the dining room table. She noticed how he stood behind the back of a chair and wrapped his fingers around it.

‘Did you just get up?’ he asked.

‘A little bit ago. I caught a clip on the morning news.’ She swept the remote off the counter and turned off the television in the next room. ‘You’ve been a busy boy.’

Meet Author Kimberly Dean … 

When taking the Myers-Briggs personality test in high school, Kimberly was rated as an INFJ (Introverted-Intuitive-Feeling-Judging). This result sent her into a panic, because there were no career paths recommended for the type. Fortunately, it turned out to be well-suited to a writing career. Since receiving that dismal outlook, Kimberly has become an award-winning author of romance and erotica. She has written for seven publishing houses, both domestic and international, and has recently focused her efforts on the exciting world of self-publishing. When not writing, she enjoys movies, sports, traveling, music, and sunshine. In her mind, a beach, some rock ‘n’ roll, and a good book make for a perfect day.

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

Pre-order book (Coming July 7th): 

Kindle │Nook│Google Play│iBook│Kobo

Website:  http://kimberlydean.com

Email:  kimberly@kimberlydean.com

Twitter:  @Kdean_writer

Amazon Author Page:

amazon.com/author/kimberlydean

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**:  Kimberly is giving away an ebook copy of COURTING INNOCENCE (http://amzn.to/28YcxMQ) to one lucky reader who comments on this Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Thank you, Kimberly, for sharing your story with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Wired For Murder (Market Center Mysteries Book 2) by Karen McCullough

 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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WIRED FOR MURDER

Market Center Mysteries Book 2

BY KAREN McCULLOUGH

Blurb

Most of the time, Heather McNeil loves her job as assistant to the director of the Washington DC Market Show Center. Because she’s a good listener and even better at solving problems, her boss assigns her to handle a lot of the day to day issues that arise during the shows, exhibits, and conferences being held there.

The Business Technology Exposition at the Market Center is set to open with a major new product announcement from one of the biggest companies in the computer electronics business. Before that event, though, the president of industry-leader MegaComp has a very public argument with a man who accuses the company of stealing the concept for a technical process from him. The announcement goes off without a hitch. But when the accuser returns a phone call from Heather, she becomes an unwilling audience to his murder and later finds his body in a private section of an exhibitor’s booth.

Heather is more than happy to leave the investigation to the police, but she’s the person everyone talks to and she soon learns more than she wanted to know about the victim and all the people who really didn’t like him very much.

WIRED FOR MURDER

Market Center Mysteries Book 2

BY KAREN McCULLOUGH

EXCERPT

I let out the breath I’d been holding as the man silently snapped his pictures while Thomas Hovey rambled, demonstrating with images on the huge screen how “amazingly awesome” this new device was. He wound down by listing a dizzying array of technical terms and numbers. I heard a collective gasp from the audience, so maybe the new widget was a groundbreaker. Finally Hovey thanked everyone for coming, the lights came up, and people in the front rows dived for the door, shoving past anyone who got in their way.

I stepped back and let the first wave race by me, before I joined the crowd heading out of the room.

My stomach still hadn’t completely untwisted itself, but I couldn’t decide if I was relieved or disappointed. Maybe neither. As I reached the exhibition floor I realized I was still keyed up, still uneasy and nervous.

There was one message on my phone, from Janelle, asking me to check in at a booth near the far side. They’d had some trouble with the electrical connection there and she wanted me to be sure it had been fixed.

I was halfway across the floor when the phone buzzed again. I ducked into a corner of a booth, out of the mainstream of traffic when I saw the caller was Chase Markham.

“Hello, Chase?”

His “hello” in response sounded impatient. “You wanted to talk to me?”

“Yes, I need to—”

“Wait. Hold on a sec.”

I heard muttering on the other end and made out the words “early” and then “What are you—?” but they were cut off abruptly by a crash that sounded like something large, heavy, and metallic hitting against something else, maybe a hard floor. Then another noise so loud it had to be the phone itself being dropped. Chase’s voice still came through, but muffled and distant when he said, “Hey, what’re you doing? Wait! What? No. No!” A brief pause, then more scuffling, and the same voice said, “Stop! Why? Help!” That was almost a scream, then another yell, cut off.

A gurgling sound followed. Heavy breathing and another, even more horrible gurgling. More shuffling and scraping, a muffled thud. And then silence. A dreadful eerie silence that was the worst sound of all.

“Hello?” I said, hoping, hoping, hoping someone would answer. “Chase?” My hands were shaking.

Nothing. No sound at all now.

I almost screamed, “Chase? Is someone there? Anyone? Please, God, answer.”

No one did. It was a terrible silence.

Meet Author Karen McCullough … 

Karen McCullough is the author of a dozen published novels and novellas in the mystery, romantic suspense, and fantasy genres as well. She has won numerous awards, including an Eppie Award for fantasy, and has also been a four-time Eppie finalist, and a finalist in the Daphne, Prism, Dream Realm, Rising Star, Lories, Scarlett Letter, and Vixen Awards contests. Her short fiction has appeared in several anthologies and numerous small press publications in the mystery, fantasy, science fiction, and romance genres. She has three children, six grandchildren (plus one on the way) and lives in Greensboro, NC, with her husband of many years.

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

Order A Gift for Murder from Amazon:

http://amzn.to/28PPadj

Pre-order Wired for Murder from Amazon:

http://amzn.to/28PyDRK

Website: http://www.kmccullough.com



Blog: http://www.kmccullough/kblog



Facebook:

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

**Author Peek** Interview with Karen McCullough

**Author Peek** Interview with

KAREN McCULLOUGH!

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INTRODUCING….Karen.

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.

About myself…  I started writing seriously for publication about thirty years ago and finally reached the goal of selling a novel with my sixth complete one. In a career marked by many ups and downs, I’ve had somewhere around a dozen novels, a few novellas, and maybe a dozen or so short stories published by companies large and small. I’ve never supported myself entirely with my writing, however, so over this thirty-year span, I’ve also been a computer programmer, bookstore clerk, magazine editor, and currently a website designer/developer. I’m in the process of retiring from the website business to have more time to concentrate on writing, traveling, and spoiling my six and a half grandchildren.

1. What genre(s) do you write in and why?

I write across a number of genres, including mystery, romance, suspense, paranormal, and fantasy.

2.  What’s your favorite beverage?

Coffee, though wine is a close second.  Other than water, I don’t drink much else.

3.  If you had to listen to one song over and over again for a whole day, what would it be?

Actually I’d probably throw the player against the wall before the day was out no matter what the song, but this is a tough one. My musical tastes are eclectic. It’s kind of a toss up – Metallica’s Enter Sandman, Bob Seger doing Turn the Page (though I like Metallica’s version, too), or Judy Collins singing Both Sides Now.

4.  What is your least favorite part of writing?

The promoting. Lord, do I hate having to do any kind of marketing and promoting. It doesn’t come naturally. I just want to write stories.

5.  If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

A good question and I don’t have a good answer. I currently live in North Carolina, but I can’t say I’m enamored of the place. The main thing holding me here is my husband’s job and my oldest daughter and her two kids who live nearby. But my younger daughter, her husband, and three small children live in Indiana, though that will change soon, and my son, his wife, daughter, and bun in the oven live in Oxford, England. Probably, if nothing else drew me to any particular place, I think I might like to live somewhere in Italy.  I love Italy.

6.  Are you an avid reader? When you do read someone else’s writing, what is your favorite genre?

Absolutely yes, though I don’t have as much time as I’d like.  I read in pretty much all the genres I write, though I probably favor mystery and fantasy.

7.  Where do you get the ideas for your stories?

An idea store in Schenectady? A super-secret idea tree in the back yard? Oops, sorry about the wiseass answers, but, really, this is the wrong question. Ideas are everywhere.  I usually get two or three from the morning newspaper, some of them so strange I wouldn’t dare turn them into a story since they strain credulity. Everything I read, everything I see on the television, hear on the radio, or talk about with friends contains ideas for stories. The real question should be: how do you turn a few good ideas into a plot for a novel?  And the answer is a lot of hard work pulling things together, writing it all down, rewriting and editing it, then re-writing again until it gels. Somewhere in there the magic happens and it all comes together.



8.  Tell me about your ideal reader.

I suppose my ideal reader is a lot like myself – female, educated, smart, talented, and with a great sense of humor. Um, right. All that without the neurosis, the self-doubts, the procrastination, and the general craziness. But I write what I would like to read, as the conventional wisdom recommends, so really my ideal reader would be a lot like myself. But with more money to spend on books and time to read them.

9.  If you were to choose one superpower, what would it be?

Unlimited energy would be a fabulous thing to have. I could do all the things I need to do in a day: work, write, promote, clean, garden, connect with family members, see friends, etc., cook fabulous meal…  Okay, probably not that last one. I’m a crappy cook.

10. Tell us about your next book & when is it being published?

Wired for Murder, the second book in my Market Center Mysteries series is due to be released July 1st.  Remember what I said earlier about my career having its ups and downs? This book was a big part of those.  I sold the first book in the series, A Gift for Murder, to Five Star/Cengage in late 2009 and it was published in hardcover and trade paperback in 2011. A mass market paperback followed in 2012. Meanwhile I’d started writing the second book in the series, but it was interrupted for a long time by my mother’s final illness and death. I finally got back to it and finished in early 2015 and sent it off to Five Star. The editor accepted it and then I waited for the contract to come. And waited. And waited. I began to get a bad feeling about it late that year when no contract had come and other Five Star mystery authors were reporting delays in their book releases. Finally, earlier this year, the axe fell.  Five Star killed its mystery line. I made a few inquiries and had confirmed what I’d been hearing: publishers don’t like to pick up series that started elsewhere.

Leap of faith time. I decided to publish the book myself, and I plan to do the same with future installments of the series, which are already in progress.

Blurb: Most of the time, Heather McNeil loves her job as assistant to the director of the Washington DC Market Show Center. Because she’s a good listener and even better at solving problems, her boss assigns her to handle a lot of the day to day issues that arise during the shows, exhibits, and conferences being held there.  When Heather becomes an unwilling audience to murder during the Business Technology Expo and later finds the body, she’s willing to let the police take care of it. But she soon learns more than she wanted to know about the victim and all the people who really didn’t like him very much.

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Be sure to come back to read more about Karen and her book, WIRED FOR MURDER, Market Center Mysteries, Book 2  on Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench. Happy Reading!

~~~

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

Order A Gift for Murder from Amazon:

http://amzn.to/28PPadj

Pre-order Wired for Murder from Amazon:

http://amzn.to/28PyDRK

Website: http://www.kmccullough.com



Blog: http://www.kmccullough/kblog



Facebook:

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Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Bonnie McCune

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s

**AUTHOR SPECIAL**

with BONNIE McCUNE!

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, BONNIE McCUNE, and her favorite recipe for NEVER-FAIL CHILI.

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FALLING LIKE A ROCK

BY BONNIE McCUNE

Blurb

When you’re ‘falling like a rock,’ you’ll risk anything.

Unloved and unemployed. That’s Elaine Svoboda, after she’s sacked, then flees across country to her boyfriend who drops her flat. Teetering on the abyss of disaster, she calls an old friend who invites her to a tiny mountain town with fresh prospects. There she meets rugged, hunky Joe Richter-Leon, mayor of Falling Rock.

Maybe he can help her find a job. Maybe they can become friends, even share romance. Sparks fly immediately, but major obstacles make a new life on the ashes of the old appear impossible. Joe’s consumed with challenges like the dismal local economy and an impetuous sister. Elaine butts heads with him at every turn in the rocky road. Are her bungling attempts to help the problem? Or does she remind him of a greedy, selfish ex-wife?

Before they can build a new life on the ashes of the old, she must overcome a few obstacles like a broken ankle, an eating disturbance, his stubbornness, and her own fears. She’s smothering her hopes when a battle with a forest inferno illuminates their true feelings and desire.

Funny and frank, poignant and perceptive, when two people are “Falling Like a Rock,” they learn surrender sometimes means victory.

FALLING LIKE A ROCK

BY BONNIE McCUNE

NOSY NELLY SNOOPS WITH NO SHAME

The books that stick in my memory are those that have real people in real life situations, even if they’re fantasies or mysteries. They face problems, defeat them or are defeated by them, live, learn, change. I love immersing myself in their stories, and I laugh or cry with them. Years ago I rode the bus while reading A Tale of Two Cities,and tears streamed down my face when Sydney Carton faced the guillotine. I bonded instantly with a woman pouring over Jill Shalvis while waiting for car repairs.

In other words, I’m a Nosy Nelly. This antiquated term means someone who’s so interested in other people’s business that she sticks her nose in everywhere. Since I don’t dare indulge myself by peeping in my neighbors’ windows, I restrict myself to books. Since my life has a finite limit and I’m not a time traveler, books let me make endless trips to fascinating eras and equally entrancing personalities. Since I’m not a millionaire, I don’t spend a penny on my voyages through books.

Visual artists enable their viewers to see things in a new way. They open their eyes. In the same manner, writers enable their readers to think about the world and life in new ways. They open their minds. So my greed for knowing about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people brings me rewards in addition to entertainment. How could I learn how a soldier in Viet Nam dealt with the armed conflict except through The Things They Carried?Catch a glimpse of a future I hope we can avoid in The Hunger Games? Get a sense of the restrictions life held for a Regency belle through the novels of Mary Balogh?

“God is in the details,” and for writers, the details they include breathe life into their characters and plots. While some of us win Powerball, make the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl, or trip up the stage to accept an Oscar, the great majority of us do not. We cheer ourselves with smaller victories–winning at church Bingo, welcoming back a soldier, finishing our first 5K. That’s what I’m interested in reading about, and, not surprisingly, what I’m interested in writing about.

About Author Bonnie McCune… 

Bonnie McCune has been writing since ten, when the Saturday Evening Post rejected her poetry. Her passion is fiction and Falling Like a Rock her second novel. Her blog, “ordinary people, extraordinary lives,” shows we don’t need to be flamboyant or rich or aggressive, on television or splashed over the Internet, shrieking foul language or parading in flashy clothes, or even simply annoying, to be interesting.  For years, she entered recipe contests and once attended the Pillsbury Bake Off.  Had she been nine inches taller and thirty pounds lighter, she might have been an actress.

~~~

Links to Bonnie’s Website, Books, & Social Media:

Website:  www.BonnieMcCune.com

Kindle:  http://amzn.to/1RhzOyr

Amazon paperback:  http://amzn.to/1SNtEVN

Barnes & Noble paperback: 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/falling-like-a-rock-bonnie-mccune/1119907983?ean=9781500386474

Barnes & Noble Nook: 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/falling-like-a-rock-bonnie-mccune/1119907983?ean=2940046051728

Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/453861

Print Version Purchase Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Like-Rock-Bonnie-McCune/dp/1500386472/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1406496304&sr=8-1

Kindle Version Purchase Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Like-Rock-Bonnie-McCune-ebook/dp/B00LUB9LGW/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406496304&sr=8-1&keywords=FALLING+LIKE+A+ROCK

KOBO:

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/falling-like-a-rock

I hope you enjoy the recipe Bonnie is sharing with us today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy eating!

Karen

P.S. We’re at 265 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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NEVER-FAIL CHILI

A Note from Bonnie: Meals should be easy to prepare, adaptable, inexpensive, nutritious, and so easy children can make them. That’s my philosophy, and I’ve lived it. My children slung hash for one dinner a week from the time they were 12.  The chili recipe is an example of achieving all my aims. It also incorporates my mother-in-law’s secret to speed up the process–drop the burger into the soup in raw chunks.

 

1 lb hamburger

1 onion, chopped

Large can beans (plus small can, if desired)–chili, pinto, kidney

Choose 2 or 3 of the following:  large can of tomatoes; 16 oz tomato sauce; tomato paste; 3 large fresh tomatoes, chopped.

Several T. red chili powder

Garlic powder

Salt and pepper

Water as desired

If desired–corn, green beans, chopped green pepper, other kinds    of chilis, chopped celery tops

Also if desired, chopped cilantro, 1 t cumin

In large kettle, heat the various kinds of tomatoes and beans to the boiling point, adding water to desired soupiness.  When it starts boiling, drop hamburger in, bit by little bit, stirring occasionally.  Add everything else that you want.  Cook 45 minutes to several hours, adding water as needed.  You also can cook this a day or two before you need it, then heat it up.

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**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Bonnie is giving away one eBook copy of FALLING LIKE A ROCK to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog. Thank you, Bonnie, for sharing your story and recipe with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: The Lady Who Saw Too Much (The Sole Survivor Series) by Thomasine Rappold

 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 LADY WHO SAW TOO MUCH

The Sole Survivor Series

BY THOMASINE RAPPOLD

Blurb

Cursed with prophetic visions and desperate to atone for a death she could have prevented, Gianna York swears she will never again ignore the chance to save a life. When she is hired by Landen Elmsworth to serve as companion to his sister, Gia repeatedly sees the image of her employer’s lifeless corpse floating in Misty Lake. As subsequent visions reveal more details, Gia soon realizes her best chance to save this difficult man is by becoming his wife.

At first, Landen Elmsworth believes the fetching Miss York might be right for a meaningless dalliance, but he grossly underestimates her capacity for cunning and soon finds himself bound until death to a woman he may never be able to trust. Yet in the dark of their bedroom they discover an undeniable passion–and a capacity to forge their own destiny . . .

THE LADY WHO SAW TOO MUCH

The Sole Survivor Series

BY THOMASINE RAPPOLD

Thank you for sharing an excerpt of The Lady Who Saw Too Much. I’m excited to introduce Gia and Landen to readers who like a bit of paranormal with their historical romances.

EXCERPT

Landen stormed down the stairs and straight out the door. He walked toward the lake, his chest heaving. What the hell had he gotten himself into with this woman?

She actually believed she had visions. Prophetic visions. And she’d forced this marriage upon him as a result of these delusions. He squeezed shut his eyes, but he could not block out the picture of her, tears streaming from her desperate eyes, begging him to believe the unbelievable.

She’d come to Misty Lake to save him. If he weren’t feeling so damn sorry for himself, he might feel sorry for her.

He ran a hand through his hair, fighting the urge to yank a fistful from his head. He’d finally managed to accept their marriage and what he’d believed was her reason for tricking him into it. A young woman alone in the world and desperate for security had to do what she must to survive. That was understandable.

Gia’s reason was insanity.

The hell of his childhood felt like yesterday as he stood there, staring at the lake. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow on the rippling water. The serene picture calmed his pounding heart. His racing mind slowed as jumbled thoughts fell into place. His wife was afflicted as his mother had been….

And yet, Gia was nothing like his erratic mother. Gia was dependable, rational, and sharp as a whip. Sensitive and confident, and so damn passionate he couldn’t get enough of her. He snatched up a stone and flung it over the water so hard he nearly lost his footing. A splash sounded in the distance as he stumbled to catch his balance. Gia had seduced him into delusions of his own, into the fallacious belief there was something solid building between them—something more substantial than what they shared in their bed.

An avalanche of foolish hopes he hadn’t known he possessed crashed down on him, burying him alive. Gia had survived a terrible trauma, which was, undoubtedly, the cause of her delusions. Her words in the wake of her nightmare screamed through his head. I will never be right.

His wife was broken, and he spat a loud curse, trying his damnedest to figure out what to do.

Her parents had medicated her to combat the problem. He’d ignore it. So long as she hurt no one else, he’d bury his head in denial for as long as he could. He sighed, deflated by the depressing irony of the situation.

Like father, like son.

Meet Author Thomasine Rappold … 

A three-time RWA Golden Heart nominee, Thomasine Rappold writes historical romance and historical romance with paranormal elements. She lives with her husband in a small town in upstate New York that inspired her current series. When she’s not spinning tales of passion and angst, she enjoys spending time with her family, fishing on one of the nearby lakes, and basking on the beach in Cape Cod. Thomasine is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Capital Region Romance Writers. Readers can find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter: @ThomRappold.

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

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1UEdjiF

WEBSITE/BUY-THIS-BOOK LINK

www.ThomasineRappold.com

Facebook.com/ThomasineRappoldAuthor

Twitter @ThomRappold

Thank you, Thomasine, for sharing your story with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Stone Cold Case (A Rock Shop Mystery) 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!

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STONE COLD CASE

Rock Shop Mystery, Book Two

BY CATHERINE DILTS

Blurb

Rock shop owner Morgan Iverson’s discovery of human remains reopens a cold case and unhealed wounds in a Colorado mountain town, while her find of a rare gemstone sparks a dangerous treasure hunt.

What reviewers are saying:

Mark Baker from the Carstairs Considers blog says:

The mystery was interesting and compelling with many twists and turns before we reached the exciting climax.  I was actually intending to stop reading for the night so I could get some other things done, but when I hit the climax, I couldn’t stop.  I had to see how everything was going to work out.

Glenda Bixler from Book Reader’s Heaven says:

If you enjoy playing amateur sleuth, I highly recommend you consider Stone Cold Case. It is intriguing enough to hold your attention, yet, light enough to not get too deep into dangerous situations…at least it was until the climactic ending! Enjoy!

From J Bronder Book Reviews blog:

Although this is the second book in the series, you can easily read it as a stand-alone. If you like mysteries, look no further. The Rock Shop Mystery series is one that you have to check out.

Tiffany from A TiffyFit’s Reading Corner said:

This is a wonderful mystery with a lot of stories going on underneath the main storyline. I loved getting to know the characters and the little intricacies that made them stand out as real people.

STONE COLD CASE

Rock Shop Mystery, Book Two

BY CATHERINE DILTS

EXCERPT

Morgan wiped off her cell phone. It was undamaged, but there was no signal. Her classmates had attempted several times on the hike to makes calls, with no success. They had lost contact with civilization shortly after leaving the trailhead parking lot.

Morgan rested her hands on her hips and forced herself to breathe. Think. Trevin may not be worried right now, but soon he would realize something was wrong.

Morgan cupped her hands around her mouth. “Hello! Trevin!”

No answer.

“Hello!”

The forest muffled her voice, soaking it up like the rocky earth absorbed the rain. Morgan thought a person had to do spectacularly stupid things to get lost in the wilderness, but apparently all it took was losing your footing.

Trevin wouldn’t panic and run through the forest looking for Morgan. He had more woods-savvy than that. No, it was more likely that he would return to the parking lot to get help.

For now, the dull light of a cloud-shrouded sun illuminated the pine forest, but soon it would drop behind Temple Mountain. Morgan studied the cliff. Crumbling earth rose above her. Even dry, it would be difficult to climb. Rain saturated, it might be dangerous. The geology class had crossed a bridge during their multi-vehicle caravan up the dirt road, carpooling to the small trailhead parking lot. If she followed the stream, surely it would lead her to the forest service road. Morgan scrambled alongside the cascading water.

When she glimpsed blue through the brush, she dared hope it was a windbreaker worn by one of her classmates. Morgan abandoned the bank of the stream. She trotted across a patch of open ground, where a rock campfire ring corralled rusting tin cans.

“Hello!” She stopped abruptly, her boots skidding on the damp gravel. “Oh.”

The blue was the remnant of a tarp, faded by exposure to the elements. The shredded plastic covered a low, narrow door. If Morgan had not noticed the blue contrasting with the greens and browns of the forest, she might have hiked right by the structure.

Prospectors’ shelters dotted the Colorado mountains in varied forms, from crude sod huts to finely constructed log cabins. This dugout was somewhere in between, and in better shape than the crumbling ruins Morgan had seen. From the front and both sides, it appeared to be a rough-hewn log cabin, while the rear butted up to the hillside. If she had to spend the night in the forest, the dugout might keep her dry. The wood-shingled flat roof, layered with pine needles and fallen branches, seemed intact.

Flowers in neat mounds framed the doorway. Morgan stooped to squint at them. Rows of tiny elephant heads lined up along the stems. No one would believe her, if she survived the night to tell about them. Maybe fear was making her delusional. Morgan snapped a photo. The flash probably frightened off any woodland creatures in the increasingly dark forest. Either that, or it alerted potential predators.

The clouds released a deluge of cold, stinging rain, ending her botanical study. Morgan pulled the shreds of blue tarp to one side and peeked inside. The shelter was too dark for her comfort, but most likely perfect for spiders and centipedes. She could dig a flashlight out of her pack once inside, but for now she used the flash on her cell phone camera. A half dozen sturdy pine columns held up the roof. From the mounds of debris and expansive spider webs, she doubted a human had occupied the dugout recently. The shelter might be a disappointment in a dozen ways, but it was dry. She huddled inside the doorway, trying to think of what to do next.

Stay put. Wait for help. When the rain slowed to a drizzle, Morgan fought the urge to continue hunting for the road. Doing nothing was hard, but wandering around the forest would only make things worse. Morgan dropped her pack on the ground and unzipped a pocket, prepared for a long stay in the dugout.

Cracking branches sounded from the far bank of the creek. Morgan pushed the pack aside and peeked through the shredded strips of tarp, hoping to see Search and Rescue.

A dog barked once. A human voice muttered something that seemed to quiet the dog. Morgan strained to see through the gloom, but the sun had dropped behind the mountain, and gently falling rain muted what remained of the light. The noise of movement in the brush stopped. A step crunched in the rocky soil. Not a dog’s paw. A boot.

If Trevin or one of her classmates had found the dugout, surely they would call her name, not sneak up from the side. Through the curtain of misty raindrops, she glimpsed a bizarre combination of homeless person and mountain man, dressed in canvas, leather, and fur, creeping closer to the dugout. Definitely not one of her classmates. The dark form of the dog followed.

This had to be how Sasquatch sightings started.

Morgan edged deeper inside the dugout, groping for her pack. Footsteps crunched toward the entrance. Morgan took another step backward. Her heel landed on something hard, twisting her ankle despite her firmly laced hiking boot. She threw her arms out as she stumbled, her hands grasping nothing but spider web as she fell onto the hard packed dirt floor.

The footsteps stopped. Morgan watched the shredded tarp, knowing Big Foot had to have heard the racket of her tripping and falling. If not that, surely he could hear her raspy, panicked breathing. Silence settled over the forest. Morgan began to wonder whether he was still out there. Maybe the pounding of her heart had drowned out the sound of him leaving.

When she couldn’t bear sitting motionless any longer, her body aching with tension, she rolled slowly to her hands and knees. Her right hand planted firmly on the object that had tripped her. A blanket neatly covered the mound. If she had to spend the night here, at least she had a way to keep warm. She pushed herself to her feet. As she tugged the blanket up, a cracked leather hiking boot tipped to one side. Morgan squinted in the dim light. An aspen branch seemed to extend from the bottom of a jeans leg to the boot.

That can’t be right, Morgan thought. Why would someone put clothes on sticks?

Her mind stumbled through several explanations until the obvious answer slammed home. The rips and holes in the tattered jeans revealed bone.

Meet Author Catherine Dilts … 

To Catherine Dilts, rock shops are like geodes – both contain amazing treasures hidden inside their plain-as-dirt exteriors. Catherine caught mountain fever after a childhood vacation in Rocky Mountain National Park. Determined to give up her flat–lander ways, she moved from Oklahoma to Colorado. Her husband, a Colorado native, proposed to her as they hiked Barr Trail on Pikes Peak. Catherine works as an environmental technician, and plays at heirloom vegetable gardening, camping, and fishing. Her short stories appear in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. In her spare time, she attempts to lure wild donkeys to her property in the mountains.

~~~

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

Website/blog: http://www.catherinedilts.com/

Stone Cold Dead – Book One: Available on Kindle

Stone Cold Dead – Book One – hardcover: Amazon

Stone Cold Dead – Book One – hardcover or Nook: Barnes & Noble

Stone Cold Case – Book Two: Available on Kindle

Stone Cold Case – Book Two – hardcover: Amazon

Stone Cold Case – Book Two – hardcover: Barnes & Noble

Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**:  Catherine is giving away one hardcover copy of STONE COLD CASE to one lucky reader who comments on this Author Peek or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Thank you, Catherine, for sharing your story with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!