Karen Docter's Blog, page 211

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Ready to Fall (Lovestruck Librarians) by Olivia Dade

 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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READY TO FALL

Lovestruck Librarians

BY OLIVIA DADE

Blurb

Elementary school teacher and part-time librarian Sarah Mayhew has the perfect plan: show off her cycling skills at her school’s bike retreat and attract her oblivious coworker in the process. Her end game? Fall in love. Only one problem: she needs to find someone to teach her how to ride a bike pronto. But when she catches sight of Chris Dean’s gorgeous physique, her best laid plans are about to go off track . . .

Chris is not looking for a girlfriend. He’s getting over his last one by focusing on his bike repair business. So when a feisty, sexy schoolteacher urges him to help improve her cycling skills, he does it strictly for the money. He vows he won’t repeat history, even for a blond bombshell like Sarah. But when the two find themselves alone on the road, they can’t help taking a detour straight into each other’s arms . . .

READY TO FALL

Lovestruck Librarians

BY OLIVIA DADE

EXCERPT

“Why did Helen send you here?” Chris asked.

Sarah fished a folded printout from her huge purse and slapped it on the counter. “Take a look.”

He unfolded the paper and scanned the text. Apparently, the faculty and staff of Spring Ridge Elementary School had been invited to participate in a bike retreat as part of a new fitness initiative. That still didn’t explain what she wanted from him, however.

“It’s hot enough out there to cook us like rotisserie chickens.” Sarah tapped a finger on the flyer. “I’ll be surprised if more than a dozen teachers survive the day. But at least our meat will be juicy and flavorful.”

Stifling another grin, he started making his way to the store entrance. Time to end this conversation and usher her out. “If you need a volunteer to give the bikes a tune-up or someone to sponsor the event, keep looking. I can’t. Like I said, this is a pretty new shop. I have too many things to do and not a lot of extra money.”

Instead of following him to the door, she turned around and leaned her curvy butt against the counter. “That’s not why I’m here. I need you to teach me how to ride a bike before that retreat.”

And there it was. The reason for all this. “You want to learn how to ride in three days?”

“Yes.” She smiled again, clearly pleased that he’d grasped the situation at long last.

“And you want me to teach you? Over the Fourth of July holiday? On top of my normal schedule here at the shop?”

Her smile began to fade. “Yes.”

Jesus, this had to be a joke. In what universe would Helen ever believe he’d give a grown woman riding lessons after work? Him, the man she often called the pissiest human being on the face of the Earth? Unless . . .

“Is Helen trying to set us up?” Unable to resist, he scanned Sarah’s lush body one last time. “You can tell her she got my type right. But I’m not ready to date again. Sorry.”

Sarah remained silent for a long moment, taking what appeared to be a confused look down at herself. Then she raised her head and stared directly at him.

“This isn’t a setup. This is—I mean, I am—a woman who needs to learn how to ride a bike in three days for the sake of true love.” As his mouth opened, she clarified, “Don’t worry. True love for another man. Not you.”

“True love?” he repeated.

“True love,” she confirmed.

A bitter smile curved his mouth. “In that case, you’re definitely wasting your time,” he told her. “Love is the absolute last reason I’d do anything for anyone right now.”

Meet Author Olivia Dade … 

While I was growing up, my mother kept a stack of books hidden in her closet. She told me I couldn’t read them. So, naturally, whenever she left me alone for any length of time, I took them out and flipped through them. Those books raised quite a few questions in my prepubescent brain. Namely: 1) Why were there so many pirates? 2) Where did all the throbbing come from? 3) What was a “manhood”? 4) And why did the hero and heroine seem overcome by images of waves and fireworks every few pages, especially after an episode of mysterious throbbing in the hero’s manhood?

Thirty or so years later, I have a few answers. 1) Because my mom apparently fancied pirates at that time. Now she hoards romances involving cowboys and babies. If a book cover features a shirtless man in a Stetson cradling an infant, her ovaries basically explode and her credit card emerges. I have a similar reaction to romances involving spinsters, governesses, and librarians. 2) His manhood. Also, her womanhood. 3) It’s his “hard length,” sometimes compared in terms of rigidity to iron. I prefer to use other names for it in my own writing. However, I am not picky when it comes to descriptions of iron-hard lengths. At least in romances. 4) Because explaining how an orgasm feels can prove difficult. Or maybe the couples all had sex on New Year’s Eve at Cancun.

During those thirty years, I accomplished a few things. I graduated from Wake Forest University and earned my M.A. in American History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I worked at a variety of jobs that required me to bury my bawdiness and potty mouth under a demure exterior: costumed interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg, high school teacher, and librarian. But I always, always read romances. Funny, filthy, sweet–it didn’t matter. I loved them all.

Now I’m writing my own romances with the encouragement of my husband and daughter. I found a kick-ass agent: Jessica Alvarez from Bookends, LLC. I have my own stack of books in my closet that I’d rather my daughter not read, at least not for a few years. I can swear whenever I want, except around said daughter. And I get to spend all day writing about love and iron-hard lengths.

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

Purchase links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1V1UGoM

Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ready-to-fall-olivia-dade/1122713762?ean=9781616509408

Google:

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Olivia_Dade_Ready_to_Fall?id=siSeCgAAQBAJ

Books-A-Million:

http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Ready-...

iBooks:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/read...

Kobo:

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebo...

To find the links all in one place, readers can go to either of these sites:

The Kensington website:

http://www.ekensingtonbooks.com/book....

Olivia’s website: http://oliviadade.com/books/

Social media links:

  oliviadade.com

twitter.com/OliviaWrites (@OliviaWrites)

facebook.com/OliviaDade

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

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Author Peek** Interview with Catherine Dilts

**Author Peek** Interview with

CATHERINE DILTS!

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INTRODUCING….Catherine.

Before we get started talking about your writing, tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from, what you do for a living (if you’re not a full-time writer) what hobbies you have, etc. Whatever you’d like to share to introduce yourself.

Good morning, Karen. Thank you for having me on your blog. I grew up in the West, where the first books I remember loving were Cowboy Sam early readers by Edna Walker Chandler. I settled in Colorado 35 years ago, so naturally my novel-length fiction is set in a contemporary Colorado mountain town. My short fiction appears regularly in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and reflects my experience in a factory setting as an environmental regulatory specialist. I like to include cowboy and cowgirl characters in my stories when I can, which provides an excuse to do research by horseback riding. When I’m not working the day job or writing, I enjoy gardening, camping, and fishing.

1. How did you get started writing?

My siblings and I learned the quickest way to gain the undistracted attention of adult relatives was to stage little plays we wrote. I’m sure they were awful, but the great-aunts were delighted with our attempts. The mixed drinks they imbibed while we entertained them probably softened their literary tastes.

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

I write amateur sleuth mysteries. The mystery appeals to readers because it offers a happy ending when in real life, murders may go unsolved, or lack the swift redemptive justice we would prefer. I enjoy creating bad guys and girls who deserve to be punished, and ensuring they get what’s coming to them. My stories are not romances, but typically have a romantic subplot. In my Rock Shop Mystery series, a widow must work through her grief before she can allow herself to love again.

3. What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?

I discovered that my public library carries books on cd. I am working my way through all the Sue Grafton alphabet series. Listening to murder mysteries while driving makes me cherish every stoplight, instead of chomping at the bit in frustration. “Oh, caught by the light. I’ll be late, but maybe I can finish this chapter.”

4. What is your favorite part of writing?

The terror of beginning a new project balances with the thrill of discovery as plot and characters unfold. Writing the first rough draft can be intimidating and frustrating, but I know there will be a finished story eventually, making the hard work worthwhile. Revising and editing the manuscript requires polishing and incorporating beta-reader suggestions. Seeing the finished product, whether magazine or novel, is rewarding. Having a reader tell me he or she enjoyed a story, and why, is the ultimate accomplishment. Each step has its own rewards. Can I say my favorite part of writing is the entire creative process?

5. What is your least favorite part of writing?

The business aspects of writing are my least favorite part of the process, although it is very necessary. Keeping a log of writing hours and expenses. Seeking markets. Trying to get attention for my work in a crowded marketplace, when I am not a “look at me” kind of person. I have learned that people don’t bite. Usually. So I am more likely now to tell a stranger I write fiction than I was at the beginning of this journey.

6. Pick two celebrities to be your parents. Who would they be and why?

My parents are both such quirky people. They molded who I am, for better or worse. I could not imagine having any other parents. One of my short story characters, frustrated actor and factory floor laborer Marlin Hammerbach, would like to have been the son of Sir Laurence Olivier and Dame Joan Ann Plowright, the Baroness Olivier. Alas.

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

I usually have a character or snippet of a scene pop into my head. Some grow on me, and occupy more and more of my thoughts. The idea for Stone Cold Case began on a multi-family camping trip in the mountains. The adventurous young people discovered a dilapidated hunting dugout. Branches had been placed across a narrow gully, and a blue plastic tarp hung over the entrance. Age and weather had worn it down, giving it an air of creepy decay. The kids had great fun dropping through the “roof” and sliding down the gully full of rotting leaves.

I had a “what if” moment. My imagination dreamed up a body buried under the leaves. That image stuck with me for a couple years before it worked into a story. In Stone Cold Case, the body is not found in a hunting blind, but both the blue tarp and the imaginary body became vital to the story.

8. Tell me about your ideal reader.

I truly appreciate my terrific readers. They tell me that while a steamy romance or terrifying thriller are not off their reading lists, they also enjoy gentler stories sometimes called cozy mysteries. They enjoy intelligent writing because they are smart people. Most have fallen in love with one of my characters. I don’t mind if it is one of the donkeys in the Rock Shop Mystery series, although short story character Dr. Charles Jerome Harrison runs a close second in my informal polls. My ideal reader buys my books, but I am happy when they check them out from the library, too.

9. What is your “go to” routine that helps you get in the mood to write? Special beverage? Music? Etc.

My most creative writing time is 5:30 to 6:30 am. I am least likely to be interrupted in the early morning. Sunday afternoons when I have the house to myself are great for marathon writing sessions. Classical or instrumental music via headphones is helpful when I can’t have the quiet I want. I am just too easily distracted to work in a coffee shop. Ideal beverage? Definitely coffee. My idea of heaven is writing on my deck on a summer morning. It doesn’t happen nearly often enough!

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

My most recent novel release is Stone Cold Case – A Rock Shop Mystery.

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. Fifteen years ago, prom queen Carlee Kruger vanished. When Carlee’s mother asks Morgan to investigate her death, the clues seem as convoluted as the coils on a fossilized ammonite. The hunt for the truth heats up as the local newspaper editor helps Morgan uncover the past. The rock shop’s mascot donkeys and an elderly cowboy chase after a Sasquatch look-alike who may hold the key to Carlee’s death. Whoever knows what happened to Carlee will do anything to keep the truth buried.

My most recent short story, “The Chemistry of Heroes”, appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine’s May 2016 issue.

The Marshall Gasket Company renovation hits a snag when a body is discovered under a newly poured concrete floor. The factory is plagued with thefts of supplies used in meth labs, while animal rights activists protest an art gallery display of taxidermy. Chemistry holds the solution when Dr. Charles Jerome Harrison and his young assistant Tony Gilbert once again become entangled in a murder case.

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Be sure to come back to read more about Catherine and her book, STONE COLD CASE, A Rock Shop Mystery  on Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench. Happy Reading!

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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!

Congratulations Week 05-02-16, 05-09-16, 05-16-16, 05-23-16, 05-30-16, 06-06-16 & 06-13-16 Blog Giveaway Winners!!

 CONGRATULATIONS WEEK

05-02-16, 05-09-16, 05-16-16, 05-23-16, 05-30-16, 06-06-16 & 06-13-16

BLOG GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!

[Apologies to all of my guest authors and readers for just getting to these winners announcements. My mother was in the hospital (she’s fine, thank goodness!!) and I got behind. Thanks for your patience. Congratulations to all of the winners!!]

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Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog  with Leeann Betts…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Leeann is giving away a print (US Only) or eBook (anywhere) copy of FIVE AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS to one reader who comments on this Author Peek or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs.  Thank you, Leeann, for sharing your story with us.

WINNER: BN100!

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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Laura Haley-McNeil.

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Laura will give away an e-book copy of A RING AROUND HER HEART to one lucky reader who comments on this Karen’s Killer Book Bench Blog.  Thank you, Laura, for sharing your stories with us.

WINNER: ROBIN LEIGH MORGAN!!

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Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Ruth A. Casie…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Ruth is giving away one digital copy of KNIGHT OF RAPTURE to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog.  Thank you, Ruth, for sharing your story with us.

WINNER: LORI!

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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Mariana Gabrielle…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Mariana is giving away an e-copy of one of her books (winner’s choice from her list at  www.Marianagabrielle.com/books.html) to one reader who comments on this Author Peek or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs.  Thank you, Mariana, for sharing your story with us.

WINNER: AprilR!

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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Helen Hardt…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Helen is giving away a print (US Only) copy of CRAVING to one reader who comments on this Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Thank you, Helen, for sharing your story with us.

WINNER: TAMMY HALL!

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Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with M.L. Guida…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: M.L. is offer a giveaway! If you comment on this blog and can tell us the name of the demon who wants Angelica’s and Ronan’s baby, you will enter a drawing to win a free e-book copy of A Pirate’s Obsession. Thank you, M.L., for sharing your story with us.

WINNER: COLLEEN C.!

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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Cynthia Woolf…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Cynthia is giving away an e-copy of THE STOLEN BRIDE to one reader who comments on this Author Peek or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Thank you, Cynthia, for sharing your story with us.

WINNER: TAMMY HALL!

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Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Jean Jacobsen…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Jean is offering a giveaway! Comment on this blog for a chance to win one of FIVE (5) free e-book copies of THE RELUCTANT DEBUTANTE. Thank you, Jean, for sharing your story with us.

WINNERS: JUDY TULLOCH, ROSE ARBOR, TAMMY HALL, CONNIE, MARY HAGAN!

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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Sue Star…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Sue is giving away a hard copy of MURDER FOR A CASH CROP to one reader who comments on this Author Peek or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Thank you, Sue, for sharing your story with us.

WINNER: KATHLEEN BYLSMA!

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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Jocie McKade…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Jocie is offering a giveaway! Comment on this blog for a chance to win an e-book copy of MAYSON DICKSON.   Thank you, Jocie, for sharing your story with us.

WINNER: ROSE ARBOR!

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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Kathy Clark…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**:  After Love(the first book of the series) is a story about a man who has deep emotional wounds from his past who is matched up with a K-9 partner against his wishes. Harley, the dog, is a major character in the novel, and he ends up saving his new master’s life and helping Nick find a forever-after love. So, with a nod to Harley and all dog lovers, Kathy Clark is giving away a gold-tone dog ring. It’s open, so it will fit anyone’s finger, and has an adorable puppy dog face on one side and little paws on the other. Comment on this Author Peek or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs for a chance to win. Thank you, Kathy, for sharing your story with us.

WINNER: LINDA HENDERSON!

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Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Rena Mars…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Rena is giving away a free Kindle copy of ABDUCTED in exchange for an honest review to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog. Thank you, Jean, for sharing your story with us.

WINNER: TAMMY HALL!

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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Christine Goff…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Christine is giving away one signed copy or an e-book copy (reader’s choice) of A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS to one lucky reader who comments on this Author Peek or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Thank you, Christine, for sharing your story with us.

WINNER: VONNIE HUGHES!

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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with L.A. Sartor ETAL…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: L.A. is giving away one e-book copy of SIMPLY THE BEST to one lucky reader who comments on this Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Thank you, L.A., for sharing your stories with us.

WINNER: ROBIN DRISCOLL!

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Karen’s Killer Book Bench with Mary Anne Edwards…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Mary Anne is giving away a Mobi copy of SINS OF MY YOUTH to one lucky reader who comments on this Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Thank you, Mary Anne, for sharing your story with us.

WINNER: ANGIE!

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Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Judith Hudson…

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Judith is giving away an eCopy of Summer of Fortune AND the series prequel novella, Lake of Dreams, to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog.  Thank you, Judith, for sharing your stories with us.

WINNER: JACQUIE BIGGAR!

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EVERYONE’S A WINNER!!!

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

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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!

***$.99 SALE ENDS SOON!*** Season of Thrills: 5 Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Novels by Bestselling Authors Jerrie Alexander, Kim Cresswell, K.L. Docter, Rachel Kent & Marian Lanouette

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These are full-length novels, with over 1,200 pages of exciting reading. Don’t miss out at this bargain price!!

HELL OR HIGH WATER by Jerrie Alexander

A woman in danger. A man she loves but can’t trust.

When former SEAL Nate Wolfe learns a woman from his past is in danger, nothing will stop him from protecting her. Not even her.

Dallas Child Protection Services Investigator Kay Taylor doesn’t want or need Nate in her life. But he doesn’t seem to understand the word no. He seems to also have forgotten the brand he left on her heart

When Kay is taken and sold to a monster, the devil himself couldn’t stop Nate from doing whatever it takes to find her…but will he be in time?

REFLECTION (A Whitney Steel Novel – Book One) by Kim Cresswell

Lunch with the ex-husband is not always a fun thing especially when bullets start flying and reporter Whitney Steel finds herself in the middle of a human cloning story that will rock the world…providing she lives long enough to get her byline. “A deeply emotional romantic suspense that starts bold and holds you captive to the very end.” –New York Times Bestseller, Dianna Love

KILLING SECRETS (A Thorne’s Thorn Novel, Book One) by K. L. Docter

Some secrets are better left dead. Too bad the Angel Killer’s digging them up.

Rachel James’ ex-husband is released from prison determined to reclaim her and her traumatized child, his key to the James fortune. Patrick Thorne isn’t interested in helping another of his parents’ charity cases, especially after losing his unborn son and wife to suicide. Only trust will untangle the secrets that dominate their lives, free a child of her silent prison, and save them both from a killer who stands too close.

BROKEN PIECES (Bits & Pieces Book One) by Rachel Kent

Tara Jacobs had her life completely planned. She truly did have it all after a lifetime of struggles. Unfortunately, her stepbrother arrives in town and threatens to ruin her well-laid plans with some blackmail. Tara stops at almost nothing to keep her skeletons from tumbling out of the closet.

IF I FAIL (A Jake Carrington Mystery Book One) by Marian Lanouette

Are rules really meant to be broken? Jake Carrington finds out the hard way and the answer is no! Dating Chloe Wagner was a huge mistake, and Jake should have known better—he’s investigating the murder of Chloe’s sister. Now Chloe is the number one suspect in that murder. If she’s convicted, Jake could lose not only his rank, but his career. If that’s not bad enough, he’s got a stalker on his hands, someone who’s threatening his fledgling relationship with the lovely Mia. Things are getting just a little too personal for comfort!

SEASON OF THRILLS Box Set is a value-packed, thrill ride for those who love romantic suspense, procedural suspense, detective mysteries, thrillers, and so much more!

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Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Judith Hudson

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s

**AUTHOR SPECIAL**

with JUDITH HUDSON!

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, JUDITH HUDSON, and her favorite recipe for VANIA HUDSON’S CHILDREN’S DELIGHT COOKIES.

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SUMMER OF FORTUNE

Fortune Bay Series Book 1

BY JUDITH HUDSON

Blurb

When life gives you lemons…

Maddie’s making lemonade again. Her absentee ex-husband has swooped in and invited their daughter to live with him for the summer, robbing Maddie of what’s probably their last summer together. Deciding to take advantage of the unexpected freedom, she accepts an offer for her first photography show and leaves the safety of her job at an upscale Seattle gallery for Washington State’s Olympic Mountains, hoping the rustic cabin on Majestic Lake will get her creative juices flowing.

In Fortune Bay, she finds the life she’s always wished for but never thought someone like her could have: inspiration, new friends, and the man and family she’s always dreamed of.

Until her mother shows up in town. Will the secrets of her childhood ruin her chance of happiness, again?

SUMMER OF FORTUNE

Fortune Bay Series Book 1

BY JUDITH HUDSON

Summer of Fortune, the first book in my new romantic women’s fiction series I launching today! (Cue fireworks.)

To celebrate, I’m giving away an eCopy of Summer of Fortune AND the series prequel novella, Lake of Dreams, to one lucky reader. (See Special Giveaway below.)

In each book in the series, a different person moves into the cabin on the lake in Fortune Bay. In Summer of Fortune it’s Maddie, an adult child of an alcoholic mother who has carried the childhood stigma into adulthood. Maddie comes to Fortune Bay to work on her first professional photography show, but finds a lot more than that along the way.

Although the series is not the least bit autobiographical, many incidents from my past do make it into the books, in this case, Children’s Delight Cookies. A memory from my childhood, they wrote themselves into the story as the carrier of the scent of sweet spice that indicates the presence of the ghost of Aunt Augusta who still inhabits the cabin.

Here’s a scene from shortly after Maddie moves in:

Grime coated the windowsills, so she filled a pail with hot soapy water and went to work. Soon the bathroom shone and the fridge sparkled. There was a palpable shift in the atmosphere and she could have sworn the old building heaved a contented sigh.

After washing the pretty mis-matched china, she was wiping down the open kitchen cupboards when she discovered a wooden box on the top shelf. Small enough to sit in the palm of her hand, someone had carved a scene of the lake on the top. She opened the lid and the scent of sweet spices wafted into her nostrils, clearing her head like smelling salts and making her vision strangely focused.

Yellowing recipe cards filled the box, the names written in a spidery hand: Sunday Dinner Blackberry Cake, October Relish, Children’s Delight Cookies. The names—or was it the smell? —conjured visions of a woman in an apron with flour streaked across her cheek like a character in an old movie.

Maddie didn’t have any hand-me-down recipes. Most of hers came from magazines. Her mother Cindy, who never cooked and certainly didn’t own an apron, had spent most of Maddie’s childhood on the couch, watching her soaps with a beer in her hand.

The cookies reappear many times in the story as Maddie gets to know the family of the woman who used to live in the cabin.

All well and good, until I tried my old recipe out on my family and they all agreed—vehemently—that children wouldn’t like the cookies. Raisins and cloves? Too old fashioned.

So my new daughter-in-law Vania, baker extraordinaire, went to work and came up with this new recipe. I have to admit it’s delicious, and still has the spice I needed for the story and, coincidentally, included the peanut butter that Maddie couldn’t live without.

If you too like the idea of an old-fashioned cookie with raisins and cloves, you can find the old recipe on my website at www.judithhudsonauthor.com, under recipes.

But see the new and improved version below!

About Author Judith Hudson…  

While raising her children in a village in the Pacific Northwest, Judith got her fine art degree in painting and photography. Later she combined these interests by writing the Fortune Bay series in which many of the characters, who live in a village in Washington state, are artists of some kind. And some have children. Art imitates life? You decide.

~~~

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

Welcome to Fortune Bay

www.judithhudsonauthor.com

Lake of Dreams (prequel): http://amzn.to/1thITfU

Summer of Fortune:  http://amzn.to/1Ur1DQj

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

Karen

P.S. We’re at 264 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.

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

VANIA HUDSON’S CHILDREN’S DELIGHT COOKIES

[Older version can be found www.judithhudsonauthor.com under Recipes]

Cream:

1 c. butter

1 ¼ c. natural peanut butter

Add:  

¾ c. granulated sugar

1 1/3 c. brown sugar

Beat in:

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl:

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. nutmeg

2 ¼ c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt (if you use unsalted butter use more salt)

¾ c. quick oats

Mix dry ingredients into egg and butter mixture, and add chocolate chips.

(No chocolate chips in the old version!)

¾ c. chocolate chips

Bake at 375° for 10 minutes.

Now, Vania says it is better to bake one pan at a time, and to form the cookies into little towers, so they spread into perfect circles with a nice crackle pattern on top. And hers do look lovely. I shaped mine with a fork and they tasted just as good. Your choice.

Thanks for sharing my book launch cookie celebration!

Judith Hudson

~~~

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Judith is giving away an eCopy of Summer of Fortune AND the series prequel novella, Lake of Dreams, to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog. Thank you, Judith, for sharing your story and favorite recipe with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Sins Of My Youth (A Charlie McClung Mystery) by Mary Anne Edwards

 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!

 ~~

SINS OF MY YOUTH

A Charlie McClung Mystery

BY MARY ANNE EDWARDS

Blurb

Secrets, lies, and revenge. What a deadly combination! When the owner of a local strip club is found with his throat slit, Detective Charlie McClung has only one obvious suspect: his wife’s best friend, Joan. Even though Charlie finds her clutching a bloody knife while standing over the body, he has been around long enough to know that crime scenes aren’t always as they first appear. But as other suspects become victims themselves, Charlie must delve deeper into Joan’s dark and seedy past to prove her innocence.

What people are saying about Sins of My Youth

“What do you do when the evidence points to your best friend? You drop everything. Newlywed Marion McClung’s search for the truth follows the twisted branches of a tortured family tree in Sins of My Youth. A must read.” Gretchen Archer, author of the USA Today Bestselling Davis Way Crime Capers

“Sins of My Youth is a wonderful crime story tied up with family and friends everyone wants to protect. The kind of story that make you dive into the pages and not come out until all the threads are pulled together at the end. A first-rate mystery and superb ending that will have you remembering all the clues you should have caught along the way.” — Ritter Ames, author of the USA Today Bestselling Organized Mysteries and the Bodies of Art Mysteries

“Edwards deftly reveals layers of secrets and lies in this page-turner. Charlie McClung fans will gobble it up.” — LynDee Walker, Agatha Award-Nominated author of Cover Shot

“Mary Anne Edwards manages to captivate the reader in her latest book, Sins of My Youth, written in painstakingly intricate detail, helping the reader clearly envision the various settings and the characters involved. Edwards has a gift for taming the written word into works of literary genius that play on human emotions, while inserting a sense of humor, combined with realism. Readers are strung along like puppets as new twists and turns are infused into the storyline, culminating in an ending that will leave you breathless!” — Jennifer L. Roche, author of the bestselling book Healing Ties Book One in the Ties Series & CEO of Rainbows of Happiness LLC

The Charlie McClung Mysteries have another heart racing, page turning, I can’t stop reading this book with Sins of My Youth. I look forward to reading the next book with Charlie and Marian and the McClung clan. — Shelby Culbertson, Book Reviewer

SINS OF MY YOUTH

A Charlie McClung Mystery

BY MARY ANNE EDWARDS

EXCERPT

“You stupid heifer! Do you honestly think I’m afraid of you?” The tall, aging David Cassidy wannabe with a stupid grin on his face, swaggered toward Joan Delaney, as her hand rested on a slightly curved filet knife.

The petite blonde laughed. “I’m not scared of you. You’re not dealing with the spineless infatuated girl that you used to know.” Joan wondered how she had ever found Mitch Quinn handsome and irresistible as she looked up at him; his six-foot frame towering over her barely five-foot frame. He was still in good shape but the many years of alcohol and cigarette abuse had ravaged his skin, making him look as if he were ready to retire instead of his true age of forty-six.

He stood over her, leaned down and smelled her hair. “Still miss your sweet kisses, baby.”

Joan clinched the knife lying on the preparation table behind her, wanting to carve out his rotten heart and serve it to him with a sprig of parsley. Instead, she smiled. “Well, you’ll never know how much sweeter they are now.”

She heard the kitchen’s double doors squeak. “Andrew, I ordered everyone to stay out until … this person left,” Joan’s head jerked toward Mitch.

Andrew stood his ground. Even though he’d only worked three months for Joan, he was fiercely loyal to her. She treated him with respect and kindness when most people could not see beyond his past.

Mitch studied Andrew, scowled at him, and then chuckled at the man fifteen years his junior. “Boy, you need to stop sniffing around her. She’s way out of your league, son.”

Andrew took a step forward.

Joan glared at the waiter.

He froze. His hands clenched into tight fists. “Sorry, Miss Delaney, I wanted to know if you needed any help.”

Joan smiled at the stocky man with the rough exterior and kind eyes.

Andrew relaxed.

“Pfft! Miss Delaney?” Mitch looked at Joan and chuckled, “Barbie, how many times have you been married?”

Her smile froze, anger pulled at her eyes as she gripped the knife tighter. “Andrew, thank you, but I can handle this. Go see if Marian and McClung need anything.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The waiter frowned at Mitch then pushed through the double doors, returning to the dining room of The Primrose Cottage.

As soon as Andrew cleared the doors, Joan released the knife and pushed Mitch away. “My name is not Barbie and you know it!”

The older man rubbed his chest and laughed. “Still a little spitfire.” He walked around the industrial kitchen, looking but not touching anything. “Yeah, Joan, but everyone loved Barbie, even that little boy waiter gotta crush on you. Yeah, everybody still loves Barbie.” Mitch looked over his shoulder for his ex-wife’s reaction.

She picked up the knife.

He turned around and threw up his hands, yellow teeth exposed as he faked a grimace of terror. “Hey now, no need for violence.”

“What do you want and don’t tell me after all these years it’s just a ‘hey, how are you’ visit?” She carefully placed the knife back on the cutting board with a thick filet mignon that needed to be butterflied for one of the guests who wanted it cooked well done.

Mitch scratched the stubble on his cheek. “Well, yeah, you’re right.” He moved in closer to Joan, stopping just outside of striking distance. “I’m in need of some help, not much, but I figured now that you’re the owner of this mighty fine establishment,” Mitch waved his hand around the large brightly lit kitchen, “and I hear tell your last husband … what number was he? Three?” He shrugged. “Anyway, I understand the old geezer was a bit of a cash-cow, left you sittin’ pretty high in the tax bracket, if ya know what I mean.”

“And exactly why do you think that out of all the people on God’s green Earth, I, the stupid heifer, would help you out?”

He studied a short stainless steel canister filled with frilly toothpicks, selected a blue one, and then held it up. “Do you mind? I must compliment your talents as a chef. Don’t want to waste one tiny morsel.” Mitch picked and sucked on his teeth, never taking his eyes away from Joan. “Like I was saying, I’m in a jam and I thought since we were once, you know, in love, that possibly you could remember the good times we had and help me out in this time of need.”

Joan rolled her eyes. “Is that what you call it, love? Really?” She shook her head. “What’s the matter? In too deep with your bookie?”

Mitch hunched up his shoulders, the stupid grin still on his leathery face.

“No,” she answered calmly. “Now will you please leave? I have a hundred guests out there celebrating the marriage of my dearest friends and I don’t recall you being on the guest list. Weasel your way out of my restaurant the same way you got in.”

“Yeah, I know who this party is for, acting chief of police and his mighty fine, upstanding philanthropist wife: Charlie and Marian McClung.” Mitch tapped his graying temple. “I still have connections. And I don’t think you would want your highfalutin pals knowing about your life as Barbie, now would you?”

Joan narrowed her eyes wishing her looks could kill. “How much?”

Mitch’s grin widened. “Mhm, I thought that might get that lovin’ feelin’ back. Fifty-thousand.”

A small squeak of a laugh escaped from Joan. “You must be kidding me.”

“Nope.”

“You’re serious?”

“Yep.”

“You honestly think I’m going to give you fifty-thousand dollars, just like that?” She snapped her fingers.

Mitch shrugged, “Well, I didn’t think you’d hand it to me tonight, but if you could that would be just dandy. I’m a patient and logical man. I can wait until tomorrow.”

“Boy, you’re more stupid than you look. I don’t have that kind of money lying around,” Joan chuckled. “Tomorrow is Sunday. If, and I stress if, I decide to loan you the money, I’d need to go to the bank.”

Mitch tossed the used toothpick on the floor, pulled out another blue one from the canister, then pointed it at her. “Nope. There’s no thinking about it. It’s either yes or no but I’m a fair man. I’ll give you—,” He looked at his knock-off Rolex watch. “It’s about ten-thirty now. You have until midnight to make up your mind and then it’s, hello, Mister and Missus Charlie McClung, let me tell you a story about a girl named Barbie who you know as Joan Delaney.”

“Fine! I’ll meet you outside. Go out the front entrance, turn right, and then follow the path to the third bench. I’ll meet you there at midnight with my decision.”

“I know you’ll make the right one.” Mitch walked over to another preparation station. “Hmm, I like red bell peppers.” He picked up a thin strip, winked at her, and then slid it into his mouth.

As her hand rested on the razor sharp knife, Joan watched him inspect each station on his way toward the walk-in freezer.

Mitch pulled on the heavy stainless door, a burst of frigid air smacked his face. “Ooo, nicely stocked and big enough to hold a side of beef I see.” He smirked as he nodded. “Impressive. Very impressive, Bar—, I mean Miss Delaney.”

She wanted to shove him into the freezer and lock the door behind him, leaving him in there for eternity. She knew he would never leave her alone. Mitch would bleed her dry if she gave him the money, but she didn’t want anyone to know about her life as Barbie the stripper and everything else that went on during that nightmare. There had to be a way to get rid of him permanently.

A noise from the back of the kitchen caught her attention. It came from the walk-in pantry.

Joan looked at Mitch. “You wait right there.” She jogged to the small storage room; the door was ajar. Flinging it open, there stood her newest waitress, Heather Neeley, hired two weeks ago. The young woman normally wore a constant smile as if she knew a coveted secret. Joan had wondered if Heather’s dull brown hair was pulled back too tight in the ponytail she sported. Now a look of sheer terror replaced her ever-present smile. “What are you doing here? I told everyone to leave the kitchen.”

“I was in here. The door was shut. I didn’t hear you tell everyone to leave and when I opened the door, I heard you tell Andrew to get out, I froze.” Heather shook, on the verge of tears.

“What did you hear? Anything?”

“No, ma’am. Nothing, I swear.” Heather clasped her hands in prayer against her chest. “Please don’t fire me. I need this job. My boyfriend walked out on me and my baby.” Now the girl cried. “Please, I beg you. I didn’t hear nothing.” Heather covered her face with her hands and sobbed. “Please don’t fire me. I need this job. I need it.”

Joan pulled a linen napkin from one of the shelves. “Here, dry your eyes. I’m not going to fire you.”

Heather grabbed Joan’s hands and kissed them. “Thank you, Miss Delaney. Thank you. I’ll work extra hard. You won’t regret it.”

“I know you’re a good girl. Now go straighten yourself up; guests out there need your attention. Go on.”

Heather squeezed Joan’s hands before releasing them. “Thank you.” The young girl, barely out of high school, rushed out of the kitchen, avoiding eye contact with Joan’s ex-husband.

Joan followed her out of the pantry and watched her leave the kitchen. Mitch strolled around like a health inspector. “Will you please leave my kitchen? I need to get back to my job.”

He stood in front of her. With his index finger, he tilted up her chin, his lips almost touching her. “Just one for old-times’ sake?”

Joan smelled his alcohol, cigarette-laced breath as it washed over her face. This time she grabbed the knife and held the point to his neck. A pinprick of blood bloomed from his Adam’s apple. “Get out!”

Mitch calmly backed away as he touched his neck, and then looked at the bright red stain on his fingertips. “Now there was no need for this. What would your buddies, the McClungs, think about this?” He held up his bloody fingers. “Tsk-tsk. You’re still a bad girl but not the kind of bad girl you used to be.”

“I said, get out! Now!”

Laughing, he strolled toward the set of double doors. Mitch put his hand on one of them, turned to face Joan, and with the other hand, the one with the bloody fingers, saluted her as he clicked his tongue. “I’m looking forward to our midnight rendezvous … Barbie.”

With the knife in her hand, Joan took a few quick steps toward her first ex-husband. “My name is Joan. Do you understand? It’s always been Joan!”

Mitch placed his clean hand over his heart. “You’ll always be my sweet baby girl, Barbie.” He walked out the double doors, the stupid grin still on his face.

Meet Author Mary Anne Edwards … 

Mary Anne Edwards is the author of The Charlie McClung Mysteries, Brilliant Disguise, A Good Girl, Criminal Kind, and Sins of My Youth. These are traditional murder mysteries with a touch of romance. There are six more books planned for this series. But her imagination tends to run wild, so you never know when it may end. Mary Anne was born in Mercedes, Texas. She now lives in Georgia with her husband of 35+ years and her Tuxedo cat, Gertrude. She and her husband dream of retiring in … Well, they haven’t decided yet. For years, she only dabbled in writing, but with the encouragement of her husband, she left the accounting world to write full-time. Mary Anne is an advocate for the developmentally challenged and sits on the advisory board of Rockdale Cares, Inc. She is an active member of Sisters in Crime – Atlanta Chapter. Mary Anne can thankfully say that she is a breast cancer survivor. When Mary Anne is not writing, she loves to read, and watch all kinds of mysteries.

~~~

Links to Mary Anne’s website, blog, books, etc.

Buy Links Amazon

“Brilliant Disguise” – Amazon – http://amzn.to/1Ur4rws

“A Good Girl” – Amazon – http://amzn.to/25Hsd2M

“Criminal Kind” – Amazon – http://amzn.to/1Y19mK7

Buy Links Barnes & Noble

Brilliant Disguise – http://goo.gl/vTHD3S

A Good Girl – http://goo.gl/c5KmpA

Criminal Kind – http://goo.gl/I6Yuu3

Social Media Links

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

Website: http://maryanneedwards.com/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/maryanneedwards/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MaryAnneEdwards/posts

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/maryanneedwards

Twitter: https://twitter.com/maedwards58

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Anne-Edwards/e/B00HZ28TIQ

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7791576.Mary_Anne_Edwards

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-anne-edwards

Wiselike: https://wiselike.com/mary-anne-edwards

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**:  Mary Anne is giving away a Mobi copy of SINS OF MY YOUTH to one lucky reader who comments on this Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Thank you, Mary Anne, for sharing your story with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: A Parliament Of Owls (A Birdwatcher’s Mystery) by Christine Goff

 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!

 ~~

A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS

A Birdwatcher’s Mystery Novel

BY CHRISTINE GOFF

Blurb

“A wonderfully clever, charming, and addictive series.”  — David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of Murder as a Fine Art

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agent, Angela Dimato discovers the body of a woman in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge near Denver, Colorado. Not only is the woman found in a bizarre and contorted position, her body is located within a few feet of the nest of the protected burrowing owl. Angela uncovers that the dead women is a local “soccer mom” and activist, suing the city over the encroachment of prairie dogs onto the local soccer fields. She’s made some folks mad and, with the help of local police, Angela sets out to crack the seemingly open-and-shut case of murder.

Then, in a relentless hunt, things grow stranger with the discovery of two more deaths that same morning that may have ties to the Refuge. With her trademark instinct, Angela digs toward the truth. But the investigations takes a sinister twist, putting more lives at stake, and Angela’s forced to turn to the case’s only eyewitness—a burrowing owl—for answers.

Goff’s suspense-filled writing combined with authentic Colorado locations and precise descriptions of bird life will keep Birdwatchers and cozy mystery lovers enthralled.

A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS

A Birdwatcher’s Mystery Novel

BY CHRISTINE GOFF

EXCERPT

Chapter 1

In this scene we find U. S. Fish & Wildlife Agent Angela Dimato leading a fieldtrip of sixth graders and their teachers on a tour of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. Between the questions and the children’s energy, her nerves are frayed. The bus has just pulled up to the edge of the largest prairie dog town on the Refuge and Angela has been fielding questions about the burrowing owls. Now they’re going to go look for some.

Angela issued another warning about keeping the noise down before letting the kids off the bus. “Keep your eyes open. The owls prefer abandoned prairie dog nests, so they can usually be found on the edges of the town.”

“I see one,” shouted a girl.

An owl? Angela stooped to see out the window. A prairie dog stood at attention. All of the kids squealed and rushed to that side of the bus, except Leroy. He moved in Angela’s direction.

“Inside voices!” Crawford shouted, clapping her hands. The kids quieted down.

“Let’s go.” Leroy pushed past Angela and bounded down the steps. Angela caught up to him at the edge of the road. Lifting her binoculars, she scanned the edges of the prairie dog town.

“There.” Angela pointed to the far eastside of the field. “Think of it like a clock. You’re standing on six and straight ahead is twelve. Now back off to the left. There are some owls situated at ten o’clock.”

The kids trained their binoculars in the direction she pointed.

“I see them,” Leroy cried out.

Angela set up the scope for a close-up view and let the kids take turns looking at the birds while she continued scanning the outer edges of the prairie dog town through her binoculars. When she reached the western boundary, two o’clock on her imaginary timepiece, she tightened her focus. It looked like someone was kneeling near one of the burrows, straight east of the eagle’s roost.

“Let me see that,” Angela said, commandeering the scope. No visitors were allowed in this section of the Refuge, but through the telescopic lens she could clearly see someone about three hundred yards away at the edge of the field.

“What is it?” Leroy asked.

“Stay here,” Angela ordered. “I’ll be right back.”

Leaving Crawford and Burton in charge of the kids, Angela took out across the field. She could feel her adrenalin pumping as she closed in for a confrontation. Whatever this person thought they were doing, they were going to cease and desist immediately.

“Hey, you,” she called out.

No response.

As she drew closer, the toe of her boot unearthed a bull snake that slithered away in the dirt. Prairie dogs dove for their holes, while closer to her target several pups popped their heads up to see what was going on.

From fifty yards away, Angela could tell the person was a woman from the way she was dressed. She hadn’t moved.

“Hey, I’m talking to you.”

The woman remained still.

Drawing to within twenty feet, Angela knew why. The woman was positioned with her head on the ground, knees tucked beneath her, butt up in the air. Her arms were sprawled to her sides. Her face was turned sideways, with one eye opened in the blank stare of the dead.

DARK WATERS

A Raisa Jordan Thriller

By CHRIS GOFF

Blurb

Raisa “Rae” Jordan, an agent for the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service, isn’t in Israel for more than a day before her predecessor is killed in a Tel Aviv square. Assigned to investigate the assassination of one of her own, she must also protect Judge Ben Taylor and his teenage daughter. They may be the sniper’s next target and are most certainly being threatened by a desperate cadre of terrorists with their sights set on the Secretary of State’s upcoming visit. But is an attack on the Secretary of State all that they have planned or is that just the beginning?

There are no protocols for this kind of a situation, and following the rules is exactly the kind of thing that could get the Taylors killed. To subvert an attack that could crush the fledgling peace in the Middle East, Jordan must trust her instincts and bring together a contentious team of agents from Israel, the U.S., and the Palestinian territories to uncover a conspiracy years in the making.

With millions of lives hanging in the balance, Dark Waters, Chris Goff’s explosive new thriller, is a series debut that mirrors global headlines and will have you frantically turning pages.

Meet Author Christine Goff … 

Christine Goff is the award-winning author of the Birdwatcher’s Mystery series and a new series of international thrillers. Her Birdwatcher’s Mysteries have been Finalists for two WILLA Literary Awards, a Colorado Authors’ League Award, and been published in Japan. Recently her backlist has been reissued by Astor+Blue Editions, and Book #6 in the series, A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS, comes out this month. “A wonderfully clever, charming, and addictive series,” says David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of Murder as a Fine Art. Goff’s debut thriller, DARK WATERS, published in 2015, is set in Tel Aviv amid the Israel-Palestine conflict. The Manhattan Book Review called DARK WATERS “Absolutely masterful…” Recently back from a research trip to Ukraine, Goff is diligently working on the next in the series, RED SKY, scheduled for release in 2017.

~~~

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

BOOK INFORMATION:

TITLE – A Parliament of Owls

SERIES (& Book #) – A Birdwatcher’s Mystery series, Book #6

AUTHOR – Christine Goff

GENRE – Cozy Mystery

PUBLICATION DATE – May 11, 2016

LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 158 PAGES/52,000

PUBLISHER – Astor+Blue Editions

COVER DESIGN – Didier Meresse, Kate Murphy

OTHER BOOKS IN THE BIRDWATCHER’S MYSTERY SERIES:

A Rant of Ravens – Book #1

Death of a Songbird – Book #2

A Nest in the Ashes – Book #3

Death Takes a Gander – Book #4

A Sacrifice of Buntings – Book #5

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

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Twitter

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1rdp73L

B&N:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-parliament-of-owls-christine-goff/1121371896?ean=9781941286623

Tattered Cover Book Store:

http://www.tatteredcover.com/search/site/a%20parliament%20of%20owls

IndieBound:

http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781941286623

Dark Waters by Chris Goff (Kindle):

http://amzn.to/1ZyEVK8

Dark Waters by Chris Goff (paperback):

http://amzn.to/1TZkI1V

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**:  Christine is giving away one signed copy or an e-book copy (reader’s choice) of A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS to one lucky reader who comments on this Author Peek or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Thank you, Christine, for sharing your story with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read these books!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Simply The Best: A Multi-genre collection of International Digital Award winning romances by Dale Mayer, Laurel O’Donnell, L.A. Sartor, Cynthia A. Clement, Charity Tahmaseb & Kathy L. Wheeler

 

 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!

 ~~

SIMPLY THE BEST

A Multi-genre collection of

International Digital Award winning romances

BY DALE MAYER, LAUREL O’DONNELL, L.A. SARTOR, CYNTHIA A. CLEMENT, CHARITY TAHMASEB and KATHY L. WHEELER

Thank you, Karen, for allowing me the space (I’m not kidding, this isn’t a mini post) to tell you all about an incredible opportunity for me and for your readers.

When Laurel and I came up with the idea of putting together a collection of winning books from the International Digital Awards, I thought that frankly it wouldn’t happen. But it did. And it’s been a blast to be able to not only be in the collection but to design the cover and work with these amazing women.

And now for your opportunity…you get six full novels, even the short ones are full complete stories. No novellas. And the best part all of this is 99¢

WHY you ask is it so cheap? Because we want you to be able to find 6 new authors you love and will hopefully follow through to their other books. Please check out our websites for more information as well.

So enjoy this tidbit of the six books, then rush off to your favorite e-store and pick up a copy. Links to all are below.

And for one lucky commentor, I’ll gift you a copy of the ebook.

Hugs to all,

L.A. Sartor

SIMPLY THE BEST

A Multi-genre collection of

International Digital Award winning romances

BY DALE MAYER, LAUREL O’DONNELL, L.A. SARTOR, CYNTHIA A. CLEMENT, CHARITY TAHMASEB and KATHY L. WHEELER

The novels included in this amazing multi-genre set have all won the International Digital Award!

From bestselling and award-winning authors…

HAUNTED BY DEATH by Dale Mayer

Suspense Winner

Death haunts anthropologist Meg Pearce… In her last summer before college, an innocent camping trip ended in a friend’s disappearance…and destroyed her life.

ANGEL’S ASSASSIN by Laurel O’Donnell

Historical Winner

Damien is an assassin, a man with a tortured past. Sold into slavery, he is trained to kill. Lady Aurora of Acquitaine is the epitome of purity and goodness. When Damien enters Aurora’s life, tempting her with promises of forbidden lust, he threatens to tear her peaceful world apart.

BE MINE THIS CHRISTMAS NIGHT by L.A. Sartor

Short Contemporary Winner

Children’s author Annie Hamilton’s dream of having a family resurfaces when Cole Evans moves next door with his two young boys during the Christmas season. But the lure of happily-ever-after with the brilliant scientist is overshadowed by the risk that revealing her secret will destroy this chance.

AHUNTER4RESCUE by Cynthia A Clement

Paranormal Winner

A unit of elite alien warriors, known as Hunters, crash lands on earth and their leader is torn between getting his men to safety or protecting the human woman he has bonded with.

THE FINE ART OF KEEPING QUIET by Charity Tahmaseb

Young Adult (Contemporary) Winner

No one expects the girl who has mastered the art of keeping quiet to join the speech team. But Jolia does. When a crush-worthy rival offers to coach her in secret, she can’t say no. But secrets have a price, and this one might cost Jolia everything.



THE MAPMAKER’S WIFE by Kathy L Wheeler

Short Historical Winner

A flippant proposal and an attack on her person finds one young woman married to the mapmaker who only needs someone to take control of his ungovernable child. Feelings quickly shift into something less platonic and when the enemy gains vital secrets, her suspicions land her in jail.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS…

DALE MAYER is a USA Today bestselling author known for her page turning plotlines and heartwarming characters. A prolific writers, she specializes in Romantic Suspense, but also writes thrillers, comedy, and contemporary romances. To find out more about Dale and her books, visit her at http://www.dalemayer.com .

LAUREL O’DONNELL is a best-selling author and has won numerous awards for her medieval romances, including the International Digital Award and the Holt Medallion Award. You can visit her website at http://www.laurel-odonnell.comto stay up to date on future releases.

L.A. SARTOR is a bestselling, award-winning author writing novels with a dash–or a lot–of romance. She lives in Colorado with her husband whom she met on a blind date. http://www.lasartor.com 

CYNTHIA A CLEMENT is an award-winning author who began writing when she was a teenager. Her novels reflect her love of romance, strong honorable heroes, and suspense intertwined with the intriguing and unexplained. http://www.cynthiaclement.com/ 

CHARITY TAHMASEB has slung corn on the cob for Green Giant and jumped out of airplanes (but not at the same time). She’s worn both Girl Scout and Army green. These days, she writes fiction (short and long) and works as a technical writer. https://writingwrongs.wordpress.com/ 

Award-winning author KATHY L WHEELER loves travel, fantasy football, NBA and musical theatre. As an avid reader of romance and patron of the theatre, her main sources of inspiration come mostly from an over-active imagination. Kathy writes contemporary and historical romance, from sweet to spicy. http://kathylwheeler.com/ 

~~~

Simply The Best

International Digital Award Winners

Multi-Genre Romance Collection

Amazon

Kobo

iTunes

Nook

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**:  L.A. is giving away one e-book copy of SIMPLY THE BEST to one lucky reader who comments on this Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Thank you, L.A., for sharing your stories with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read these books!

**Author Peek** Interview with Christine Goff

**Author Peek** Interview with

CHRISTINE GOFF!

 ~~

INTRODUCING….Christine.

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

I currently write in two genres—cozy and thriller. Talk about diverse. I published my first Birdwatcher’s Mystery series in 2000 and the 6th Book in that series came out in May, A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS. In 2015, I published my debut thriller, DARK WATERS, and I have a sequel due out in 2017. As for why I write both—I love the light side of the cozy. The humor and close-knit relationships. I like the genteel nature—no graphic sex, no swearing, no extreme violence. Then with the thriller I can go to the dark side.

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

Man, you would ask that. It’s so hard. I guess I lean toward flying.

3. Do you ever get stuck when you’re writing a book? What do you do to get “unstuck”?

Yes, and I’m looking for suggestions. No, when I’m really stuck it’s usually because I’ve gone in the wrong direction somewhere. I generally try going back to the last place where I really felt good about the book and start over. Sometimes it’s been hundreds of pages back, but…you just have to do it!

4. What is your least favorite part of writing ?

Deadlines. At least I say that right now. I can tell you what I really love, and that’s revision. I really enjoy having a finished project that I can start to really mold and shape.

5. If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare for us?

Steak, salad and roasted potatoes—unless you’re vegetarian. Then, I’d make a vegetable wheel (I learned how watching Rachel Rae one day when I was avoiding writing), and salad. I always serve some type of fruit for dessert. Maybe poor man’s peach cobbler or strawberries over Angel Food cake.

6. What is your typical day like ?

I’m an early riser. I get a cup of coffee first thing and turn on the news. Then I read the local paper, do the crossword puzzle and try to be at my desk by 8:00 a.m. I work until lunchtime (my husband has taken to popping home from work now that his office is 3 minutes away), and we talk while we eat. Then it’s back to my computer until Jeopardy comes on at 4:00 p.m. Sometimes I’ll tape it and keep working. Sometimes I’ll quit working earlier and go back to work in the evening. I usually spend the hours from dinner until bedtime with my husband. Then, if I have the urge, sometimes I’ll send him off to bed and go back to work. I really only sleep about 6 or 7 hours a night. Any more than that and I’m tired all day.

7. What is most difficult for you to write? Characters, conflict or emotions? Why?

Emotions, and I’m not sure why. Maybe because when I write I tend to try and put myself in my characters shoes and it can be scary to dig too deep. Sometimes it feels too sappy. And love scenes – maybe that’s why I write cozies and thrillers. In cozies the sex is way off-stage and in thrillers there’s barely time.

8. A penguin walks into your office, right now, wearing a sombrero. What does he say to you and why is he here?

“Hola, Amiga, what happened to the snow?” It seems the little fellow had taken a wrong turn in the Antarctica during migration. It happens, especially when it coincides with storms and freakish weather patterns. In the birding world it’s called a “fallout.”

9. If you could wave a magic wand, what ill in the world would you solve and why?

Oh my gosh, I have to pick one? I guess I would pick world hunger. There are just way too many people in the world who go to sleep hungry every night.

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

A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS has just been out a month and I’m just wrapping up the second book in my International thriller series. The title of the new book is RED SKY and it’s due out in 2017. The book opens with my Diplomatic Security Service agent at the scene of a plane crash in Ukraine searching the wreckage for a Diplomatic Courier, who is known to have been on board escorting a fugitive back to the U. S. to stand trial. Of course, it’s what she discovers that spins the story. Then it’s a matter of who wants what first. If the Birdwatcher’s Mysteries are doing well I have a story idea for one that takes place near the Four Corners area of Colorado—working title DEATH OF A SOUTHWESTERN FLYCATCHER.

 

~~~~~

Be sure to come back to read more about Christine and her book, A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS, A Birdwatcher’s Mystery series, Book #6,  on Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench. Happy Reading!

~~~

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

BOOK INFORMATION:

TITLE – A Parliament of Owls

SERIES (& Book #) – A Birdwatcher’s Mystery series, Book #6

AUTHOR – Christine Goff

GENRE – Cozy Mystery

PUBLICATION DATE – May 11, 2016

LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 158 PAGES/52,000

PUBLISHER – Astor+Blue Editions

COVER DESIGN – Didier Meresse, Kate Murphy

OTHER BOOKS IN THE BIRDWATCHER’S MYSTERY SERIES:

A Rant of Ravens – Book #1

Death of a Songbird – Book #2

A Nest in the Ashes – Book #3

Death Takes a Gander – Book #4

A Sacrifice of Buntings – Book #5

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

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Twitter

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1rdp73L

B&N:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-parliament-of-owls-christine-goff/1121371896?ean=9781941286623

Tattered Cover Book Store:

http://www.tatteredcover.com/search/site/a%20parliament%20of%20owls

IndieBound:

http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781941286623

Dark Waters by Chris Goff (Kindle):

http://amzn.to/1ZyEVK8

Dark Waters by Chris Goff (paperback):

http://amzn.to/1TZkI1V

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**:  Christine is giving away one signed copy or an e-book copy (reader’s choice) of A PARLIAMENT OF OWLS to one lucky reader who comments on this Author Peek or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Thank you, Christine, for sharing your story with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read these books!

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Rena Marks

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s

**AUTHOR SPECIAL**

with RENA MARKS!

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, RENA MARKS, and her favorite recipe for ONE POT SPAGHETTI.

~~~

ABDUCTED

Blue Barbarians Book 1

BY RENA MARKS

Blurb

Alien abductions are real.

I was the third female awakened aboard the spacecraft that specialized in kidnapping females. Their mission? To sell us to other galaxies.

Human female Numbers One and Two didn’t make it, but I was lucky. I was able to comprehend the instruction from Drakar, a caged abductee from the planet Blaedonia. I live only because of his warning to me not to fight the aliens who have me on the table. Together, we formulate a plan for escape for both us and the ten other unawakened Earthlings.

Lucky for Drakar, the spaceship crash-lands back on his planet. Unlucky for the Earthlings, we’ll never be able to travel back home.

We’ll have to learn to adapt.

ABDUCTED

Blue Barbarians Book 1

BY RENA MARKS

Suddenly the shackles begin to warm. It shoots a strange tingle down my forearms, like a drug that’s running through my veins.

“What are those?” Drakar says.

I’m shivering again, and my heart pounds. I twist around to make sure the gray alien is really gone. He is, and Drakar moves his large body to cover me. He can’t seem to stand when I get cold, and I’m grateful.

“You feel good,” I say. “It’s so cold.” Even as I say it, I know the sudden temperature drop is to force us to huddle together.

It works, and he rubs his large hands over me, trying his best to warm me.

“I think we’re back on your planet. They called it the barbarian’s. Blae—Blaedonia?”

He grunts.

“They’d been watching your people for information about your culture. If I heard things correctly, they have a crew of six on board. Three are mechanics. We crash-landed, and there’s damage to a rudder. The mechanics went out to survey the damage to the ship, but they need material to fix it. They were going to look, but it got dark and they returned to the ship instead.”

“Too bad,” Drakar says. “If we are on my planet, you cannot stay outside in the darkness. Night is when predators hunt. They wouldn’t last an hour.”

“It’s good that they don’t know that. Maybe they’ll rig some lamps or something and will get taken out tonight. We’ll be three down and have three to go.”

“Did you hear anything about Lucie?”

“They’ve returned her to her tube for tonight. The original plan was to experiment, see how many languages took during our transfer. But they’re hesitant to wake the others because we’re low on food. They have a plan for that, too.”

I didn’t imagine things. As I mention the food supply, Drakar’s arms tighten around me.

“They’re going to send you out to hunt.”

He exhales and his voice rings with excitement. “Good. I will contact my people. We will take over their ship and free you and Lucie.”

“But we don’t know how far away you are from your homeland. They could have crashed on the opposite end of your planet for all we know. Plus, they have a plan to make sure you don’t run.”

“What plan?”

“They’re going to tether us together and I’ll be tied to the ship. They figure you’ll feed me, and they’ll grab the kill that you return, and send you out again until there’s enough for all of us.”

He pauses. “Tether us?”

“I’m not sure what the tie is. They got it from this planet. It’s called a live tether.”

His hand is busy rubbing comforting circles across my belly. It’s kind of a turn on. I can’t believe I’m getting aroused with the strange situation we’re in. “If it is what I think, it is a parasite that attaches to our nerves. Cutting the tether tricks your mind into believing you just cut off one of your limbs. It must be cut within a day, or the parasite’s tendrils entwine permanently and you will not survive the separation.”

“And then we’ll be bound together forever?”

“Yes. Unless one of us endures the pain of removing a limb so the other may live. I will do that.”

I sigh. “They say your kind is unable to harm a mate, so they’re attaching the painful end to me. That’s why they stripped me naked. If we don’t mate tonight as insurance, the plan is off and I become the week’s supply of food.”

I could feel his growl as it rumbles in his chest, vibrating against my back.

“They cannot force me to take you,” he says. “You will be safe, Niki.”

“They can,” I whisper. “They’re checking me for semen in the morning. If none is present, I’ll be slaughtered at first light.”

He’s quiet. Talk about awkward.

His head drops to my shoulder, his mouth moves against my flesh. “Then I’ll be gentle.”

“I know, Drakar.”

I turn in his arms, trying my best to peer in the dark. “It’s just that I can’t even see you, you know?”

My shackles tingle, the sensation shooting down my arms like a spark of electricity. But it doesn’t hurt, or feel uncomfortable. It feels kind of…nice. In a strange way.

“I can see you, little human. I have night vision that you do not.”

I lick my lips. It doesn’t seem fair that I’ve never seen Drakar, but then he blows warm breath on my neck, and suddenly it no longer matters.

“How do you like to be touched?” His touch skims across my lower abdomen.

Goosebumps race across my skin and it’s not from cold. It’s instantaneous and it’s weird, but I’m aroused. Either he’s a master seducer, or the shackles on my wrists are doing something strange to my libido.

I writhe. “Drakar.”

“Niki.”

“These bracelets are doing something to me.”

“I know. I feel it, too.” His voice exudes sex. “I want you.”

“What’s happening?”

He groans. “Your arousal seduces me.” His breath is heated, and his body temperature feels suddenly warmer.

About Author Rena Marks… 

Marks is the only author who didn’t start writing at the tender age of five. Instead, it was summer of 2006 when she decided to write.

She completed four novels and published two of the four by January of 2007. She stopped writing in 2009. 

However, as of 2015, she decided to request the rights back to her novels and venture into the world of self-publishing.

A new series was started:

Stargazer Series…

In 1692, a starship carrying volunteers arrived on planet Earth to a small town

called Salem, Massachusetts. The long journey across many light years caused the

female inhabitants aboard drastic memory loss. It was already known when they

would arrive on Earth, they would have no memories of who and what they really

were. They would be as helpless as newborn lambs.

The goal was to breed with Earthlings, to prevent their own race from dying out.

If it was successful, years later more Stargazers would be sent to co-exist with the

humans on Planet Earth. 

But alas–the females were slaughtered.

In 2016, she began the BLUE BARBARIAN Series…

Book 1 starts with Niki & Drakar’s story. (See book blurb above.)

 

~~~

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

All Romance ebooks:

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-abducted-2048053-340.html

Amazon:

http://amzn.to/1UDIFIO

Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/Rena-Marks-701102223366677/

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

Karen

P.S. We’re at 263 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.

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

ONE POT SPAGHETTI

[Compliments of Martha Stewart]

Ingredients:

1 lb halved cherry tomatoes, not the smaller grape tomatoes (slice by using 2 plastic coffee can lids, one on bottom, fill with tomatoes, press the top can lid down and slice halfway through the cherry tomatoes)

12 oz linguine, unbroken, laid in pot

1 thinly sliced onion

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (slicing them thin helps them “dissolve”)

2 sprigs basil

4 ½ c water

2 tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp black pepper

½ tsp crushed red pepper

2 tbs olive oil

Parmesan cheese

Add ingredients in order to deep, flat edged skillet. Bring to rapid boil, stirring occasionally. Grate parmesan cheese.

After 9-12 minutes (depending upon pasta cook time) serve. Add grated cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil on top.

~~~

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Rena is giving away a free Kindle copy of ABDUCTED in exchange for an honest review to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog. Thank you, Rena, for sharing your story and favorite recipe with us.

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!