Karen Docter's Blog, page 251

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Unexpected Eden, An Interview with Rhenna Morgan

 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!

INTRODUCING…RHENNA MORGAN.

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.

Thanks for having me here today, Karen!

I’m from Tulsa, Oklahoma and, while I’d love to claim I’m a full-time writer, I actually spend my days working as an IT Application Development and Support Manager.

Translation: I herd creative people much the way a person would herd cats. Which is kind of funny when you consider that, after trying to keep my developers on track with their deliverables, I promptly head home and unleash all the same creative insanity on my books.

My top hobby—not surprisingly—is reading. Specifically, romance. It’s what got me into this whole writing biz. I love the thrill of meeting someone special and falling in love. Being able to check my brain at the door and visit new worlds and new characters. Nothing beats turning the last page of a book and feeling a little wistful that it’s over. Or thinking about the emotions and nuances of a character days after you’ve set aside a particular book.

1. What appeals to you about the genre that you write?

The unexpected. I love the idea of new worlds and magical possibilities. Surprises are rampant in the fantasy and paranormal genres. As a reader and a writer, I love exploring them. I’m also partial to contemporary settings because of their relationship to my own reality.

2. Are you a plotter or a pantser (one who writes “by the seat of your pants”)?

I’m a plantser. (AKA – Both!) I’ve never been diagnosed with OCD, but let me tell you…my pantry is extremely well organized with all labels facing front in perfect harmony. I’m not comfortable diving into a book without a pretty solid outline of where I’m headed.

That said, my muse comes up with some killer ideas when I’m mid-flight. So when he talks (and yes, my muse is a man), I listen.

3. What is your favorite part of writing?

I enjoy the editing phase the most. Taking the first draft (and all consequent phases) and honing it. Much the same way I’d imagine a sculptor tackles a big lump of clay.

4. If you had to give up writing and do something else, what would you do instead?

Ha! I’d find a way to read books for a living. Whether it’s editing them or marketing them, I’d definitely find a way to stay tied to the publishing industry—romance in particular.

5. What’s your favorite meal of the day? 



Dessert!

Okay, so that’s a bit of a cheat, but seriously…life is too short not to have it at every meal. I also recommend eating it first.

6. Which are your favorite characters to write, the female characters or the male characters? Why?

I think it depends on the character. I tend to write men easier than women, unless the woman in question is…um…a little less girlie? (Which would make a lot of sense if you knew me.) Oddly, the easiest characters for me to write are the bad guys. I have no idea why, and frankly, I try not to think about it too much. I’m sure it says something bad about me…

7. If you had a superpower, what would it be, and how would you use it?

What a loaded question to ask a fantasy romance writer!

In a nutshell, I’d like to be Myren (the race that inhabits Eden in my books). I wrote them with all the superpowers I wish I had—telepathy, telekinesis, the ability to fly, and wielding the elements.

8. Many writers dream of having the ideal location to write. If you could live anywhere in the world or live a particular lifestyle, where would you be answering these questions right now?

Right here…

Seriously, any place with peaceful sounds and lots of wind would make me happy, but this would be ideal.

9. Do you have any rejection stories to share? Reviews that meant something special to you?

Yep, one of each.

Rejection-wise, I’d say my first was the most important. I’d gone to RWA, scored loads of requests for my manuscript, and went home with all kinds of glamorous acceptance fantasies dancing around in my head.

When the first “no” came back, I cried all night. But that was the beginning of the real journey for me. The motivation I needed to learn what it took to gain a “maybe,” and then a “yes.”

The best review? The very first five star I received from a complete stranger. They said they stayed up until 3am to finish reading it and that they couldn’t wait for the next one.

That review—and the others I’ve seen like it since—made every edit, and the tears that sometimes went with them, worth it.

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

 Please provide links to your website, blog, books, etc.

Unexpected Eden is the first in a four book series—The Eden Series. The next one is Healing Eden. It’s Galena and Reese’s story and is slated for publication with Kensington’s Lyrical Press in winter of 2015.

I’ve just put the finishing touches on book three, Waking Eden, and will tackle the last, Eden’s Deliverance, in the next month or so.

UNEXPECTED EDEN
The Eden Series #1
BY RHENNA MORGAN

Blurb

Most people believe Eden no longer exists. Lexi Merrill’s about to learn they’re wrong. A hard-working bartender with a self-sufficient backbone and a wary nature, she knows pickup lines like a second language. So, when Eryx Shantos barges into her world with too-smooth words and a body to back it up, she locks up her libido and vows to keep her distance.

Eryx has other ideas. As king of the Myren race, Eryx is duty-bound to enforce the laws preventing exposure of their existence to humans. Yet The Fates have led him through his dreams to Lexi, a temptation he doesn’t want to resist. The question is, is she Myren, or human – which makes her forbidden fruit?

When Eryx’s nemesis tags Lexi as his next target, Eryx insists on taking her home where he can keep her safe. Lexi had no idea “home” would mean the one-and-only land of creation…or that she’d trigger a prophecy that could doom her newfound race.

About the author, Rhenna Morgan…

Rhenna Morgan writes for the same reason she reads—to escape reality.

Yes, her life rocks—two beautiful little girls, a great husband, a steady job, and the kind of friends that would take you out back if you hurt her. But, like most women, she’s got obligations stacked tight from dusk to dawn. So, when the world gets her down, she slips into something…less realistic.

Romance is a must. So is a steamy romp (or four). Nothing thrills her more than the fantasy of new, exciting worlds, strong, intuitive men, and the sigh of, “Oh if only that could happen to me.”

So, if you’re picking up one of her books, expect portals into alternate realms and men who’ll fight to keep the women they want. Romantic escape for the women who need it.

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

 Link to Follow Tour:
http://www.tastybooktours.com/2014/10/unexpected-eden-eden-series-1-by-rhenna.html

Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23269158-unexpected-eden?from_search=true

Buy Links Amazon  |  Barnes  |  iBooks  |  Kobo  |  ARe

Author Links: Website  | Facebook  |  Twitter  | Goodreads | Google+

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Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Chimera Born by Michele Callahan

 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!

CHIMERA BORN
Timewalker Chronicles Book 4.5
BY MICHELE CALLAHAN

Blurb

Aron of Itara, Forbidden Son, has been a prisoner of fate since before he was born. Captured as a child by the evil Triscani, it’s been centuries since he’s felt the sun on his face or the tenderness of a woman’s touch. Determined to help humanity break the elusive but powerful Itaran Triads’ hold on Earth, Aron escapes with one goal, to find the one man who can help him save humans from an eternal prison. After that, he’ll fight to the death, but he’ll never go back in the cage.

Zoey Williams watched her sister die at the hands of monsters, and no one believed her. She’s spent the last five years using her journalism skills to track aliens, investigate paranormal activity, and hunt for answers. But she got too close to the truth, and now it’s not just monsters hunting her, but her own people. Zoey doesn’t believe she needs a guardian, but once Aron finds her he can’t leave her to the vicious hunters that would turn her to ash or to the power-hungry humans who seek to silence her. In fact, he discovers that he doesn’t want to leave her at all….

CHIMERA BORN
Timewalker Chronicles Book 4.5
BY MICHELE CALLAHAN

Excerpt

“What are you boys up to?” Zoey Williams whispered the question to herself where she lay sprawled across a cold boulder, careful to keep her body flat to the ground. Her forest camo would keep her hidden from the air. She couldn’t afford to create a profile for one of the perimeter patrols to see from the ground.

She’d worked too long and too hard for this story. Tracked one of the soldiers for weeks, followed him, stalked him, and bribed several friends to get his phone and credit card records. The man she tracked was an ex-Navy S.E.A.L.

Some “ex”. The man was still in a uniform. Still carried a weapon and gear and reported to someone at Fort Carson. And most telling of all? He still disappeared for days or weeks at a time.

But, according to the government, the man didn’t even exist. If not for her informant, she never would have discovered him or his team. Her blog had brought her some strange bedfellows, and some terrifying allies.

This time, the file her anonymous friend sent to her had led her here, to this man and this mountain. She’d tracked the soldier for the last few months. Every time something crazy hit the tabloids about alien sightings, portals, other dimensions, or UFOs, this guy disappeared for a while.

He was an asshole. She knew that much. Dropped the F-bomb like it was his favorite verb, snarled at everyone he talked to, and was one of the most self-contained and brutally efficient people she’d ever followed. He was also suspicious as hell. He’d nearly caught her twice.

And in the years she’d spent as a journalist in her previous life she’d become very good at not getting caught. Very good at being a fly on the wall, unseen and unnoticed. Unfortunately, that skill had cost her everything, her identity, her family, her “normal” life.

She’d survived, and this mountain estate was her prize. There was something here, something inside the house that broadcast energy like a radio station pumping out hard metal music. Nothing shy or soft about this place. It screamed to be heard.

The energy pulsed through her body in waves, painful staccato bursts like ice needles piercing her heart.

Zoey ignored the sensation and continued taking photos of the soldiers, the house, the vehicles’ license plates, everything she could document would go up on her blog. The more she had, the more people would believe her.

She needed the world to wake up! A year ago she’d been like the rest of them. Blind. Helpless. Safe in her dream world and ignorant of the truth.

The truth. Such a small word to carry so much power.

Setting her camera aside, Zoey double-checked the antireflective cover on her binoculars and scanned the surrounding hills once more. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was coming her way. Something powerful and very, very evil.

Movement. There! To her right and a bit farther up the adjoining swell of hillside.

She focused in and her heart froze, skipped a beat, shocked back into a frantic rhythm when she saw him.

God, he was beautiful. Dark hair that fell past his shoulders, a bare chest chiseled to perfection and abs any elite athlete on the planet would kill for. But his beauty wasn’t what stunned her.

It was the blood. And the chains. And the fact that he was moving straight toward her at an inhuman pace.

That and the terrifying creatures she spotted moving like dark water down from the higher terrain behind him. They glided like dark shadows weaving through the pine trees, so dark and fast a normal girl would’ve convinced herself they were nothing more than tricks of shadow and light.

Those things. Here.

Holy shit. She was in serious trouble.

“Careful what you wish for, Zoey-girl.”

The memory of her sister’s laughing voice echoed in her mind and brought the pain of the last few months screaming to the surface. Those things were not going to take one more life, not while she breathed. Not while she had blood in her veins and a knife in her hand.

Scrambling to her feet, she forgot all about hiding. She pulled her knife free and raced toward the bleeding man. Why didn’t he run or yell for help? Maybe he hadn’t seen them yet.

Oh, God. They were on him.

“Look out!” She shouted a warning but knew he’d never hear her. The man’s desperate roar filled her legs with an extra shot of adrenaline. The surge was just enough to overcome the paralysis of the memories that followed on the heels of the creatures’ sickening screams. Farther down at the base of the slope the guards sent up the alarm, she felt them scrambling and running. None of them were close enough to help the chained man.

Only her.

Running all out, she leapt over rocks and dodged thirty-foot pine trees. Rocks and twigs rolled beneath her feet and twisted her legs as she ran. Dried pine needles cushioned her steps and the hard branches of wild brush tugged at her clothing, tangled and yanked at the hair threatening to escape her knit hat and scratched her hands and face as she shoved her way through them. She ignored the sting and ran with her forearms raised in front of her face to protect her eyes. Faster. Faster. She had to help him. Those things couldn’t kill him. She wouldn’t watch them kill another human being. Not again. Not today.

Terror clogged her throat but she ran. Her camera and binoculars bounced painfully against her chest and back like forgotten baggage. She lost sight of him behind a clump of trees and pumped her arms and legs harder, racing around it. Faster. She had to go faster.

Eerie silence greeted her as she skirted the last tree and caught sight of the man up ahead. Beneath his grip, the last remnants of what she assumed were the alien creatures floated away in the wind like soot from a fireplace. Dust. They were no more than dust. And he had destroyed them with a touch…

The man didn’t turn to look in her direction. He flexed his hands and stared at the blood that covered his arms. Deep lines creased the corners of his eyes, not from age, from suffering. He looked young and strong, gorgeous as a god, except for those haunted eyes. The manacles rubbed him raw at his wrists and feet. Around his neck, another thick band wore his flesh away. Dried blood mixed with fresh beneath the metal restraints and remnants of the red fluid coated his body.

He looked like he’d just escaped from hell. Literally.

The man moaned in pain and collapsed, unconscious, his large frame crumpled to the ground like a pile of human rubble, and she knew she was going to do whatever she had to do to save him…

About the author, Michele Callahan…

Michele Callahan is a full-time science geek and writer who often makes emergency trips to the store for coffee, pickles, or a Twix candy bar. A confirmed sci-fi nerd, she studied human anatomy, physiology and chemistry before working in the medical field for over a decade. She then returned to her first true love…writing. Michele suffers from a dangerous case of sci-fi/fantasy fever and never turns down an opportunity to sit through a Star Wars, Star Trek, True Blood, LOTR or Matrix marathon. Her favorite things in books? Courageous characters (whom she loves to push to their limits), superpowers, true love, and freakish things that can’t be explained by modern science. Her mother, an English Lit teacher, inspired her love of books and reading, and Michele is eternally grateful.

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

Chimera Born: Timewalker Chronicles Book 4.5
http://goo.gl/pC6Bim

Twitter: twitter.com/MicheleCallahan  or  @michelecallahan
Facebook: facebook.com/michele.callahan.142
Website: michelecallahan.com
Goodreads: goodreads.com/michele_callahan 
Email her at michele (at) michelecallahan.com

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**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**:  Michele has two fabulous giveaways!

1) The First Three Timewalker Chronicles (ebook format) to anyone who joins my New Release Alerts by Saturday, Jan 31, 2015.

2) One complete set of books to date (6 books) to one person who leaves a comment and answers the following: What would you do if you found in injured Immortal on the side of a mountain? Would you take him home? To the hospital? Would you run away? (Remember, he’s gorgeous, but you DID just watch him kill two scary creatures…)

Set includes: Red Night (Book 1), Silver Storm (Book 2), Blue Abyss (Book 3), Black Gate (Book 4), Chimera Born (Book 4.5), White Fire (Book 5), Chimera’s Kiss (Book 6 Coming March 12)

Be sure to answer Michele’s question on Monday’s interview or Wednesday’s Book Bench blogs for a chance to win a collection of six wonderful books, and don’t forget to sign up for her New Release Alerts! Don’t miss the chance to read these wonderful stories. Thanks, Michele, for sharing your story with us!

 

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Her Highland Fling by Jennifer McQuiston

 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!

HER HIGHLAND FLING
Second Sons #2.5
BY JENNIFER McQUISTON
Avon Impulse

Blurb

Let the Games Begin…

William MacKenzie has always been protective of his Scottish village. When Moraig’s economy falters, he has the perfect solution to lure wealthy Londoners to this tiny hamlet: resurrect the ancient Highland Games! But for this to work, William knows he needs a reporter to showcase the town in just the right light.

A female journalist might be a tolerated oddity in Brighton, but newly minted reporter Penelope Tolbertson is discovering that finding respect in London is a far more difficult prospect. After receiving an invitation to cover Moraig’s Highland Games, Penelope is determined to prove to her London editors just how valuable she can be.

Penelope instantly captures William’s heart, but she is none too impressed with the gruff, broody Highlander. However as she begins to understand his plans, Penelope discovers she may want more from him than just a story. She’s only got a few days…but maybe a few days is all they need.

HER HIGHLAND FLING
Second Sons #2.5
BY JENNIFER McQUISTON
Avon Impulse

Excerpt

Fling (n.): “Vigorous dance” (associated with the Scottish Highlands), from 1806.

“Period of indulgence on the eve of responsibilities,” first attested 1827.

From the  Online Etymology Dictionary

 

Chapter One

Moraig, Scotland, 1843{/H1}

All the world hated a hypocrite, and William MacKenzie was no exception.

But today that trouser-clad hypocrite was his brother, James, which made it a little hard for William to hate him like he ought.

As James sauntered to a stop beneath the awning of Moraig’s posting house, his laughing gaze dropped to William’s bare knees and then climbed northward again. “If you’re trying to make a memorable impression,” he sniggered, “all that’s missing is a good breeze.”

“You are late.” William crossed his arms and tried to look menacing. “And I thought we agreed last night we would share this indignity.”

“No, you agreed.” James shoved his hands in the pockets of his trousers and offered up a shite-eating grin. “I listened and wisely withheld a formal opinion.”

William bit back a growl of frustration. For Christ’s sake, he knew well enough he looked like a fool, standing in the thick heat of early August, draped in the MacKenzie plaid. And there was no doubt he would be teasing James unmercifully if the reverse were true.

But today they were both supposed to look like fools.

And James had a far better set of legs.

As though summoned by his brother’s fateful words, a ghost of a breeze stirred the wool that clung to William’s sweat-moistened skin. He clapped a hand down over his sporran, ensuring the most important parts remained hidden. “You live in Moraig, just as I do,” he pointed out to his errant brother. “You owe it to the town to help me make a proper impression for the reporter from the London Times.”

“Oh, aye, and I will. I had thought to say something properly memorable, such as ‘Welcome to Moraig.’ ” James raised a dark, mocking brow. “And we shouldn’t need to put on airs. The town has its own charm.”

“Well, the tourists haven’t exactly been flocking here,” William retorted, gesturing to the town’s nearly empty streets. Hidden in the farthest reaches of Scotland—far enough, even, that the Atlantic coast lapped at its heels—the little town of Moraig might indeed be charming, but attempts to attract London tourists had fallen somewhat short. If William had anything to say about it, that was going to change, starting today.

The only problem was he should have said it a half hour ago.

He took off his Balmoral cap and pulled his hand through hair already damp with sweat. While he was willing to tolerate looking like a fool in order to prove Moraig was the perfect holiday destination for Londoners seeking an authentic Highland experience, he still objected to having to look like one alone. “We’ve an opportunity to get a proper story printed in the Times, highlighting all Moraig has to offer.” He settled the cap back on his head. “If you have an issue with the plaid, you could have at least bestirred yourself to put on a small kilt.”

James burst out laughing. “And draw attention away from your bonny knees?”

As if in agreement, a series of catcalls rang out from a group of men who had crowded onto the sidewalk outside the Blue Gander, Moraig’s inn and public house.

One of them held up his pint. “Lovely legs, MacKenzie!”

“Now show us your arse!”

William scowled in their direction. On another day, he might have joined them in raising a pint, but not today. Moraig’s future was at stake. The town’s economy was hardly prospering, and its weathered residents couldn’t depend on fishing and gossip to sustain them forever. They needed a new direction, and as the Earl of Kilmartie’s heir, he felt obligated to sort out a solution. He’d spent months organizing the upcoming Highland Games. It was a calculated risk that, if properly orchestrated, would ensure the betterment of every life in town. When David Cameron, the town’s magistrate, had offered to invite a reporter up from London, it had seemed a brilliant opportunity to reach those very tourists they were aiming to attract.

But with the sweat now pooling in places best left unmentioned and the minutes ticking slowly by, that brilliance was beginning to tarnish.

William peered down the road that led into town, imagining he could see a cloud of dust implying the arrival of the afternoon coach. The very late afternoon coach. But all he saw was the delicate shimmer of heat, reflecting the nature of the devilishly hot day.

“Bugger it all,” he muttered. “How late can a coach be? There’s only one route from Inverness.” He plucked at the damp collar of his shirt, wondering where the coachman could be. “Mr. Jeffers knew the importance of being on time today. We need to make a ripping first impression with this reporter.”

            James’s gaze dropped once more to William’s bare legs. “Oh, I don’t think there’s any doubt of it.” He leaned against the posting house wall and crossed his arms. “If I might beg the question . . . Why turn it into such a circus? Why these games, instead of, say, a well-placed rumor of a beastie living in Loch Moraig? You’ve got the entire town in an uproar preparing for it.”

William snorted. “Sunday dinners are enough to put this town in an uproar. And you know as well as I that the games are for their own good.”

Though, God forbid his nolly-cocked, newly married brother lift a hand in the planning.

Or be bothered to put on a kilt, as it were.

William could allow that James was perhaps a bit distracted by his pretty wife and new baby—and understandably so. But given that his brother was raising his bairns here, shouldn’t he want to ensure Moraig’s future success more than anyone?

James looked up suddenly, shading his eyes with a hand. “Well, best get those knees polished to a shine. There’s your coach now. Half hour late, as per usual.”

With a near groan of relief, William stood at attention on the posting house steps as the mail coach roared up in a choking cloud of dust and hot wind. Scrawny chickens and stray dogs scuttled to dubious safety before the coach’s barreling path, and he eyed the animals with a moment’s concern, wondering if perhaps he ought to have tried to corral them into some hidden corner, safely out of sight.

But it was too late now.

A half hour off schedule. Perhaps it wasn’t the tragedy he’d feared. They could skip the initial stroll down Main Street he’d planned and head straight to the inn. He could point out some of the pertinent sights later, when he showed the man the competition field that had been prepared on the east side of town.

“And dinna tell the reporter I’m the heir,” William warned as an afterthought. “We want him to think of Moraig as a charming and rustic retreat from London.” If the town was to have a future, it needed to be seen as a welcome escape from titles and peers and such, and he did not want this turning into a circus where he stood at the center of the ring.

As the coach groaned to a stop, James clapped William on the shoulder with mock sympathy. “Don’t worry. With those bare legs, I suspect your reporter will have enough to write about without nosing about the details of your inheritance.”

The coachman secured the reins and jumped down from his perch. A smile of amusement broke across Mr. Jeffers’s broad features. “Wore the plaid today, did we?”

Bloody hell. Not Jeffers, too.

“You’re late.” William scowled. “Were there any problems fetching the chap from Inverness?” He was anxious to greet the reporter, get the man properly situated in the Blue Gander, and then go home to change into something less . . . Scottish. And, God, knew he could also use a pint or three, though preferably ones not raised at his expense.

Mr. Jeffers pushed the brim of his hat up an inch and scratched his head. “Well, see, here’s the thing. I dinna exactly fetch a chap, as it were.”

This time, William couldn’t suppress the growl that erupted from his throat. “Mr. Jeffers, don’t tell me you left him there!” It would be a nightmare if he had. The entire thing had been carefully orchestrated, down to a reservation for the best room the Blue Gander had to offer. The goal had been to install the reporter safely in Moraig and show him a taste of the town’s charms before the games commenced on Saturday.

“Well, I . . . that is . . .” Mr. Jeffers’s gaze swung between the brothers, and he finally shrugged. “Well, I suppose you’ll see well enough for yourself.”

He turned the handle and then swung the coach door open.

A gloved hand clasped Mr. Jeffers’s palm, and then a high, elegant boot flashed into sight.

“What in the blazes—” William choked on his surprise as a blond head tipped into view. A body soon followed, stepping down in a froth of blue skirts. She dropped Jeffers’s hand and looked around with bright interest.

“Your chap’s a lass,” explained a bemused Mr. Jeffers.

“A lass?” echoed William stupidly.

And not only a lass . . . a very pretty lass.

She smiled at the men, and it was like the sun cresting over the hills that rimmed Loch Moraig, warming all who were fortunate enough to fall in its path. William was suddenly and inexplicably consumed by the desire to recite poetry to the sound of twittering birds. That alone might have been manageable, but as her eyes met his, he was also consumed by an unfortunate jolt of lustful awareness that left every inch of him unscathed—and there were quite a few inches to cover.

“Miss Penelope Tolbertson,” she said, extending her gloved hand as though she were a man. “R-reporter for the London Times.”

He stared at her hand unsure of whether to shake it or kiss it. Her manners might be bold, but her voice was like butter, flowing over a body until it didn’t know which end was up. His tongue seemed wrapped in cotton, muffling even the merest hope for a proper greeting.

The reporter was female?

And not only female . . . a veritable goddess, with eyes the color of a fair Highland sky.

Dimly, he felt James’s elbow connect with his ribs. He knew he needed to say something. Preferably something that made the ripping first impression he’d planned.

He raised his eyes to meet hers, giving himself up to the sense of falling.

Or perhaps more aptly put, a sense of flailing.

“W-welcome to Moraig, Miss Tolbertson.”

About the author, Jennifer McQuiston…

A veterinarian and infectious disease researcher by training, Jennifer McQuiston has always preferred reading romance to scientific textbooks. She resides in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, their two girls, and an odd assortment of pets, including the pony she promised her children if mommy ever got a book deal. Jennifer can be reached via her website at www.jenmcquiston.com or followed on Twitter @jenmcqwrites

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

Link to Follow Tour:
http://www.tastybooktours.com/2014/12/her-highland-fling-novella-by-jennifer.html

Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22836685-her-highland-fling

Buy Links Amazon  |  Barnes  |  iTunes  |  Kobo

Author Links: Website  | Facebook  |  Twitter  | Goodreads

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Author Peek** Character Interview with Prince Aron of Itara, CHIMERA BORN

**AUTHOR PEEK**
Character Interview with Prince Aron of Itara
CHIMERA BORN: Timewalker Chronicles Book 4.5
By MICHELE CALLAHAN

Editor’s Note: Michele Callahan was out of the office the day I wanted to interview her, but I ran into Prince Aron of Itara, her hero (how can a prince be anything but a hero?) from CHIMERA BORN. Cheeky blogger that I am, I dared to ask him a few questions.

INTRODUCING…PRINCE ARON OF ITARA, Forbidden Son, ‘The Unbroken’.

1. What is your name? Do you have a nickname?

My name is Aron of Itara. I was born of the Queen’s line, a forbidden son who should have been killed in the cradle. I am one of three prophesied triplets born on Earth because my mother was hunted on our home world. But still, they found us when I was young man. They murdered my mother and my sister, took my brother, and have held me captive for a very long time. I am known here as “The Unbroken.” My enemies both worship and fear me. They want me to give in to my darkness, to rule them, to be their King. But I will not allow them to break me. I will not become what they are. I would rather die.

2. Who is your best friend? What kinds of things do you do when you’re together?

I do not have friends. I have spent centuries in darkness. Long ago, before I was captured, I was very close to my twin brother, Prince Ajax. Until today, I did not know where he was, or even if he was still alive. But today, his female discovered my prison and gave me the power to escape before she vanished once more.

3. If you have a family, how do you get along with them? If you don’t, are there people in your life that you consider family? How do you get along with them?

I do not have family, not any more. But there is one, a human female who found me in the wild and helped me. Triscani Hunters were sent to capture me and return me to my eternal prison. Zoey is the reason I am still free, the reason I survived. For her, I would kill kings. For her, I would willingly die.

4. Do you have a birthmark? Scars? Where is it/are they? How did you get it/them?

I did not, until I met Zoey, the human reporter. She Marked me with the Shen, and now I am hers. She is young and courageous, a human descendant of a people long forgotten. She will wield their power. Every moment I can feel it growing inside of her. She doesn’t truly understand what she’s done to herself, or to me. Nor do I. I only know that I want her, and I will do anything to keep her safe.

5. When you’re angry, what do you do? Where do you go? How do you deal with your anger?

When I’m angry, the darkness threatens to overcome me. I do not give in to anger, fear or hate. When I kill my enemies, I take their souls and leave their bodies a pile of ash.

6. If you had to make me a meal right now, without going to the store, what would you find in your refrigerator to feed us? 

I am Immortal, human. This question is irrelevant. I enjoy food, but I do not need to eat. You will have to provide for yourself. I do not have a home or a table at which to host you. Perhaps Zoey will take pity on you and feed you from her food stores.

7. What’s the one thing you’re afraid of losing?

Self control. If I fail to control my darkness, all of humanity will suffer.

8. What makes you laugh out loud?

I do not laugh. Not anymore. I remember dancing with my mother when I was a young boy of four or five. I laughed much that day, but that was hundreds of years ago.

9. Has anyone broken your heart? Who was s/he?

My heart broke when my mother died and my siblings were taken from me. I have been alone, surrounded by enemies, for centuries. Until today. Until I escaped and Zoey found me on the side of the mountain. She dares to think I can be something different. She hopes while I cannot.

10. What’s the one thing you want out of life that you don’t think you can have? Why can’t you have it?

Freedom. I am cursed, a forbidden son of Itara. My power feeds on darkness. I resist, but the power of my curse builds with the soul of every enemy I slay. I am not free to live, or dream, or love. I belong to the darkness to which I was born. Eventually, that darkness will claim me. I do not hope for a different fate. Hope is the most insidious and painful curse of all.

~~~~~~~

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

Chimera Born: Timewalker Chronicles Book 4.5
http://goo.gl/pC6Bim

Twitter: twitter.com/MicheleCallahan  or  @michelecallahan
Facebook: facebook.com/michele.callahan.142
Website: michelecallahan.com
Goodreads: goodreads.com/michele_callahan 
Email her at michele (at) michelecallahan.com

~~~~

BE SURE TO COME BACK to read more about Michel, her new release, and an excerpt from CHIMERA BORN, on Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench. Happy Reading!

~~~~

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**:  Michele has two fabulous giveaways!

1) The First Three Timewalker Chronicles (ebook format) to anyone who joins my New Release Alerts by Saturday, Jan 31, 2015.

2) One complete set of books to date (6 books) to one person who leaves a comment and answers the following: What would you do if you found in injured Immortal on the side of a mountain? Would you take him home? To the hospital? Would you run away? (Remember, he’s gorgeous, but you DID just watch him kill two scary creatures…)

Set includes: Red Night (Book 1), Silver Storm (Book 2), Blue Abyss (Book 3), Black Gate (Book 4), Chimera Born (Book 4.5), White Fire (Book 5), Chimera’s Kiss (Book 6 Coming March 12)

Be sure to answer Michele’s question on today’s interview or Wednesday’s Book Bench blogs for a chance to win a collection of six wonderful books, and don’t forget to sign up for her New Release Alerts! Don’t miss the chance to read these wonderful stories. Thanks, Michele and Prince Aron of Itara, for sharing your story with us!

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Cate Beauman

 

Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL**
with CATE BEAUMAN!

Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!! Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors. Introducing author, Cate Beauman, and her favorite recipe for BEEF BROCCOLI STIR-FRY!

Cate Beauman is back with the eighth installment in her bestselling romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County. Reagan’s Redemption is on sale now through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo, and more!

~~

REAGAN’S REDEMPTION
Book Eight in The Bodyguards of LA County Series
BY CATE BEAUMAN

Book Blurb

Doctor Reagan Rosner loves her fast-paced life of practicing medicine in New York City’s busiest trauma center. Kind and confident, she’s taking her profession by storm—until a young girl’s accidental death leaves her shaken to her core. With her life a mess and her future uncertain, Reagan accepts a position as Head Physician for The Appalachia Project, an outreach program working with some of America’s poorest citizens.

Shane Harper, Ethan Cooke Security’s newest team member, has been assigned a three-month stint deep in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, and he’s not too happy about it. Guarding a pill safe in the middle of nowhere is boring as hell, but when he gets a look at his new roommate, the gorgeous Doctor Rosner, things start looking up.

Shane and Reagan encounter more than a few mishaps as they struggle to gain the trust of a reluctant community. They’re just starting to make headway when a man’s routine checkup exposes troubling secrets the town will do anything to keep hidden—even if that means murder.

Buy it now!

REAGAN’S REDEMPTION
Book Eight in The Bodyguards of LA County Series
BY CATE BEAUMAN

The Inspiration Behind Reagan’s Redemption:

I’ve wanted to tell Reagan and Shane’s story for quite a while now, but I kept putting it off, knowing where the weeks of research would take me. Reagan Rosner is a doctor, which is great for her but not so much for me as the writer. Unfortunately, I’m a bit of a hypochondriac who is afflicted with White Coat Syndrome. Typically, I stay as far away from anything “medical” as possible, but for Reagan’s Redemption I had to dig deep and conquer a personal demon or two. There were many days where I cringed, watching how-to videos on IV insertions and blood draws and hyperventilated my way through more than one resuscitation tutorial, but I did it, making Reagan’s character all the more stronger for it.

After the days of dreadful research, I really knuckled down and got to work. I had so much fun with this story. Reagan is kind and dedicated and Shane extremely funny. This couple complements each other well, which is perfect because they’ll face more than their fair share of trouble in Black Bear Gap, Kentucky.

I hope you enjoy Reagan and Shane as much as I enjoyed writing them!

~ Cate

Excerpt

The front door opened and closed. “Shane?”

“Down here.”

Reagan hurried in, her eyes full of excitement. “How are things going?”

“Good. Faith is clean, eating, and will hopefully be sleeping in the next couple of minutes.”

“I can take a turn. I know I’ve been gone for awhile.”

He shook his head. “We’re fine. Looks like you’ve had a run today.”

She smiled. “Two patients—one ear infection and a strep throat.”

“Good stuff.”

She nodded, sitting on the edge of the mattress. “That’s not the best part. I was talking with Jodi, Josiah’s mother, about her gardens—trying to break the ice a little. She was telling me how she grows some of the best corn around but constantly has trouble with her beans. Apparently, Sue Anne’s family seems to have the opposite issue.” She swiped her hair behind her ear. “Anyway, while Jodi was talking, I got this idea. I was thinking we could organize an evening where families can get together here at the clinic and swap fruits and vegetables for a bigger variety of healthful foods—kind of like a farmer’s market. We can offer some simple snacks and drinks, and I’m hoping I might be able to throw in a few nutrition facts while we’re at it. There are so many kiddos with bad teeth. They’re drinking too much soda.”

“Sounds like you’ve got a plan. Go get ‘em, tiger.” He liked seeing her like this—her eyes bright, her hands punctuating certain words as they spilled from her mouth, caught up in her own enthusiasm.

“I will.” Her smile dimmed as she touched Faith’s toes peeking out from the blanket. “But I don’t know how many people will come.”

“So you won’t have standing-room only on your first try.”

She licked her lips. “They’re afraid.”

He frowned. “Who?”

“The people here. They’re frightened by either me or the clinic.”

“Why do you say that?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. That was the sense I got when I spoke with Jenny’s mother and then again with Jodi.”

He remembered Mrs. Hendley’s weird spewings about heeding warnings and staying away, but she also seemed like a bit of a whack job. “I don’t know, Doc. When I look at you ‘intimidating’ isn’t exactly the first word that comes to mind.”

“Maybe not to you, but they were certainly uneasy. Maybe I’m trying to make sense of an unusual situation, but I don’t think so. Both women kept looking toward the trees, like they were being watched or something.” She shuddered. “It gave me the willies.”

“We’ll keep an eye on the situation, but things have been pretty low key so far.”

She nodded. “I just really want this to work. I can help this town if they’ll let me.”

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

The Unofficial Reagan’s Redemption Soundtrack

Here are a few of the songs that I had on “repeat” while I created Reagan and Shane’s story! You can listen to them on my website www.catebeauman.com.

The soundtrack, of sorts, for Reagan’s Redemption:

Devil Town by Tony Lucca
So Easy by Phillip Phillips
Not A Bad Thing by Justin Timberlake
Science and Faith by The Script
Daylight by Maroon Five
Hazy by Rosi Golan ft. William Fitzimmons
Get Out by Casey Abrams
First Flight Home by Jake Miller
Human by Jon McLaughlin
Have A Little Faith In Me by Jewel
Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran
Parachute by Train

About the author…Cate Beauman.

Cate currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, their two boys, and St. Bernard’s, Bear and Jack. She is the author of the best selling romantic suspense series, The Bodyguards of L.A. County. Before her career as an author, Cate worked in special education for 12 years.

“I’m a pretty lucky girl; one day I woke up and my entire life changed. I saw the light, so to speak, and decided I was going to be a writer. Now, five years later, I’m working on my ninth novel, Answers For Julie, which I plan to release during the summer of 2015. I’m remain so very grateful for the support and success that I have had. Thank you!” – Cate

~~

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

SIGN UP FOR CATE’S NEWSLETTER TO BE NOTIFIED OF NEW RELEASES AND MONTHLY GIVEAWAY OFFERS

http://www.catebeauman.com/#!newsletter-sign-up/c9td

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

Social links:
Twitter: @CateBeauman
www.catebeauman.com
www.facebook.com/CateBeauman
www.goodreads.com/catebeauman

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

Karen

P.S. We’re at 181 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.

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

BEEF BROCCOLI STIR-FRY

Hi Karen! Thank you for having me back. Killer Fixins is always one of my favorite places to visit! I would love to share with you a family favorite recipe… ~Cate

I love meals loaded with all sorts of vegetables, but my kiddos don’t always share the same enthusiasm. Luckily, I found this recipe on-line a few years ago and adapted it to make it more my own. This ultra delicious stir-fry is a winner with everyone in my house. There is a bit of prep-work, so we tend to save this dish for a Saturday or Sunday meal. Plate the beef, broccoli, mushrooms, and saucy goodness over a bed of white or brown rice, and you have quite a treat!

Beef Broccoli Stir-fry:

3 Tablespoons of cornstarch, divided
2 Tablespoons water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. sirloin, sliced into stir-fry-sized pieces
Olive oil
4 cups washed and dried broccoli florets
1 small onion, sliced
8 oz. package baby portabellas, sliced
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Fresh ginger root, minced (approximately 1 Teaspoon)

Make and set aside: Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch. Mix until well combined.


Combine 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of water, and minced garlic. Stir until smooth. Add beef to the mixture and toss until well coated.


In a skillet or wok, over medium-high heat, stir-fry beef in a small drizzle of olive oil until beef is browned. Remove and keep warm.


Stir-fry onion and mushrooms in the same pan used for the beef. Add broccoli when mushrooms cook down and cook for 4-5 minutes longer. Return beef to pan and add soy sauce mixture, stirring through the meat and vegetables for about two minutes.


Serve over rice and enjoy!

~~~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Playing Dirty by HelenKay Dimon

 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!

PLAYING DIRTY
Bad Boys Undercover
BY HELENKAY DIMON

Blurb

As an elite Alliance agent—the joint undercover operation of MI6, the British Secret Intelligence Service, and the CIA—Ford Decker lives for the adrenaline. But when he befriends sexy property manager Shay Alexander in hopes of finding her cousin, a known national security threat, Ford crosses the line, getting to know her better . . . in bed.

After being burned by her last relationship, Shay wants to take things slow. Yet she can’t keep her hands off the drop-dead gorgeous hottie who’s moved into her apartment building. So when Ford’s identity as an undercover agent is exposed, his betrayal cuts deep. Shay never wants to see him again, but Ford can’t let her go, not when her life is still in danger. He will sacrifice everything to protect her, then be prepared to walk away from the only woman he’s ever loved, even if it breaks him.

PLAYING DIRTY
Bad Boys Undercover
BY HELENKAY DIMON

Excerpt

“Are you looking for pity?” She slipped her hand into his hair, as she always did. Something about the length, as if he were growing out a military cut, appealed to her as she wove the softness through her fingers.

His eyebrow lifted. “If that would work.”

“You’re getting there.”

She’d been so sure he was former Army—or something—and asked him about it the first week.

Nothing in his renter’s agreement talked about military service, but she got the vibe. Service members moved in and out of DC all the time. She got the routine, and recognized the straight stance and assured conversation. And he had the confident walk and toned body down.

He’d listened to her assessment and laughed it off, insisting his smartass ways would have gotten him kicked out on the first day. She pretty much agreed with that.

“I’m willing to do almost anything to lure you into bed,” he said in a heated voice.

“Interesting.” And more than a little tempting. After all, he was an expert with that tongue, and not just for talking.

He pulled her in closer, wrapping her in his arms and pressing his chest against hers. “Next time we’ll have to schedule in some phone-sex time while I’m gone. Imagine me ordering you to touch yourself. Pretty damn hot.”

Her heart did a little jig at the thought. Saying “next time” meant whatever they had wasn’t going away. For now, knowing that but little else was enough. Soon she’d need more. “You gotta tone down this sweet-talking or it will go to my head.”

Before she could laugh, he lowered his head and treated her to a welcome home kiss that had her wanting to tie him in a chair to keep from leaving again. Hot and firm, he took control and dragged her under. His hands rubbed up and down her back as his mouth crossed over hers. When that sweet tongue slipped inside and met with hers, she dug her fingernails into his shirt. Almost bit through the cotton to hit skin.

He pulled back just far enough to stare down at her. The room spun and she held onto his shoulders to keep from falling down as babble filled her brain.

“What?”

“I can spit-shine my lines until they’re clever but we both know you’re the gatekeeper.”

She wasn’t exactly sure what he was talking about but she liked the sound of it. “Damn right.”

“And I am your sex slave.” His voice dipped low until it skidded across her senses.

She clenched her fingers even tighter against his shoulders. Had to clear her throat a few times before finally spitting out a word. “Nice.”

Those strong hands slipped down her back to land on her ass. “The green
light is totally in your control.”

His touch had her stretching up on the tips of her toes to brush her lower body against his. Not her most subtle move but then nothing about them being together was. They’d shifted from simmering to raging heat from the beginning. Skipped right over the get-to-know-you phase on the way to the bedroom.

She knew about his job and tried to keep a handle on his erratic schedule. His renter’s application included his social security number, which led to his impressive credit score and the glowing report from his last landlord in Virginia. The rest remained a mystery . . . except for the information she found in a few hundred Internet searches trying to make sure he wasn’t a wanted serial killer. Or married.

A woman had to be smart about these things. She refused to feel guilty about the dating recon after hearing one horror story too many from her friends. A guy with a hidden wife and an anger complex here. A guy who liked to wear women’s bikini underwear over there. Then there were the looking-for-money types. Yeah, no thank you.

Playing coy wasn’t her thing, and the attraction between them sparked on the initial walk through the condo had burst into full flame by the time she handed over the keys. He’d asked her out a few weeks later. She refused. Two days later he brought pizza over and they’d been seeing each other ever since.

Seeing as in sex. Lots of sex. The guy might work with computers but he knew his way around a woman’s body. Hands, tongue, mouth . . . lord.

After a rocky last relationship, the physical play with him and limited dating contact due to his work schedule appealed to her. It didn’t matter that the need to know more about him kept picking at her. She’d vowed to turn off her preference for being prepared for anything and just let things unfold without trying to steer them.

In that spirit: “I thought you were blowing out my pipes.”

He chuckled in the middle of nibbling on her ear. The sound was so rich and deep, so sexy it hit with the force of a superpower. “I would love to do that, yes.”

She felt his arms around her waist with hands caressing her ass and the back of her thighs through her jeans. The dual blast of touching and closeness had her breath stuttering in her chest. She inhaled and caught his scent, the same hint of black pepper she associated with his soap.

Unable to resist his face and that firm chin, she smoothed her fingertip around his mouth, letting the stubble of hair tickle her skin. “You should be resting from your boring conference and long flight.”

“That is not what I had in mind when I came over here.”

“My pipes, right?” She’d given him a key and the alarm code before he left on his latest trip. He’d been in and out working on the steps to the front door of the building. The argument about needing to get to the supply closet without tracking her down proved compelling. And the idea of him spending his first few hours back in DC fixing the plumbing problem she mentioned on his way out was just about the sexiest damn thing ever.

“Do your pipes need blowing?” He kept a straight face.

She had no idea how. “You make everything sound dirty.”

“Give me ten minutes and I’ll show you how dirty I can be.”

There it was, the flirty talk that drove her doubts away and had her handing over keys even though a little voice inside her head told her to be more careful. But there was no need to fight it. She didn’t plan to make him wait or work for it. Those days were behind them, and they had passed fast.

That left only one thing. “I have two words for you.”

One of his eyebrows lifted. “Which are?”

She leaned in until her mouth hovered over his. “Green light.”

He pulled back as his gaze searched hers. “You sure?”

Since she’d been giving him the go sign pretty much from the beginning and he’d been speeding ahead with her, his hesitation now struck her as odd. But those knowing hands skimming along her sides let her know he was ready when she was.

The answer was now.

About the author, Helenkay Dimon…

HelenKay Dimon is a former divorce attorney turned full-time romance author. Odd transition, right? She has sold over thirty novels, novellas and shorts to numerous publishers, including Kensington, Harlequin and Penguin, Samhain, Carina Press, and HarperCollins. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named “Red-Hot Reads” and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. But the best part of the job is never having to wear pantyhose.

~~~

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

 Link to Follow Tour:
http://www.tastybooktours.com/2014/12/playing-dirty-bad-boys-undercover-1-by.html

Author Links: Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter |Goodreads

Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22043162-playing-dirty?from_search=true

See the Series on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/127877-bad-boys-undercover

Buy Links : Amazon  |  Barnes  |  iTunes  | Kobo

~~~~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: A Man Around The House by TR Fischer

 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 MAN AROUND THE HOUSE
BY TR FISCHER
Renaissance Press

Blurb

A mountain of problems and painful memories have Tara Jones in their grip. The moment she graduates, she plans to escape her small town and make a fresh start. On the way to her nursing final, Tara watches in horror as a car crashes in front of her. The driver is the same man who bribed her for a haircut a few days before. The one she can’t stop thinking about.

Bo Michaels is not looking for female entanglements. He’s too busy chasing a real estate deal he believes will catapult his career. After totaling his car, Bo wakes up in the hospital with a metal contraption holding his leg together. No walking, no weight-bearing, no nothing—for six weeks. Estranged from his family and having no close friends, Bo turns to Tara for help.

Tara reluctantly agrees to care for Bo in her home. The money she’ll make might enable her to pay off a debt to a frightening man who won’t leave her alone. Neither the nurse nor her patient anticipate the lightning that strikes their hearts. Just as a fragile bond develops between them, the town and shadows from the past threaten to destroy it.

A MAN AROUND THE HOUSE
BY TR FISCHER
Renaissance Press

Excerpt

Bo watched Tara leave. Shoulders slumped, hands in her pockets. Her entire demeanor had changed when the other guy showed up. Bo jogged to his car. He caught up with her around the corner and lowered his window. “Tara. Let me give you a lift.”

She stopped. Seemed to consider. “It’s just a few blocks.”

He opened the passenger door. She sighed, came over and climbed in. “Thanks.”

“Sure.”

“Turn left two blocks down.”

“You okay?” Bo glanced over.

Tara released a long breath. “No.”

Bo waited for more.

“Turn right. Go one more block. It’s the one on the corner with a turret and a white picket fence.”

He parked in front, cut the engine. “What’s going on?” He wanted to touch her, but the set of her jaw held him back. That and the way she’d reacted to the guy at the diner. It was like she’d become a different person. The sparkle he’d witnessed all afternoon had vanished.

Tara stared out the windshield. “Trust me, you don’t want in. My life is like customer service at Wal-Mart the day after Christmas when nothing works out. I appreciate the ride.” She felt along the door for the handle, making a frustrated noise in her throat when she didn’t find it.

Bo reached across and opened the door for her. Tara moved to get out. He couldn’t leave her this way. “You sure you don’t want to talk?” He put a hand on her arm.

“I have stuff to do. Have a good drive home.” She pasted on a lame smile. “Thanks, again.”

Bo watched Tara enter the gate and move up the walk, the weight of the world on her slender shoulders.

About the author, TR Fischer…

TR Fischer grew up in and around Boulder, Colorado. After moving to California and sampling life in San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles, she and her husband returned to the Denver area. That didn’t satisfy, so the city dwellers took up raising buffalo in the Colorado Rockies, along with their four rambunctious children. Each day is an adventure, on and off the page.

~~~

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

  

Read the first chapter for free at www.TRFischer.com

Purchase links:

Paperback

Kindle e-book

Nook e-book

My blog: TRFischer.blogspot.com
Here you can find a blend of posts about my books, my life and my interests.

My website: www.TRFischer.com

~~~~

**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**:  TR is giving away a PDF copy of A MAN AROUND THE HOUSE to a lucky reader who comments on her Interview or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Don’t miss the chance to read this story! Thanks, TR, for sharing your stories with us!

 

Karen’s Killer Book Bench: **Author Peek** Interview with Amanda Berry

 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!

 

INTRODUCING…Amanda Berry.

My name is Amanda Berry. I write contemporary series romance for Harlequin Special Edition. I currently live near Charleston, South Carolina, but grew up in the Midwest. I have a dog and two cats that mostly get along. My hobby is knitting which I got back into a few years ago after a long hiatus.

1. How did you get started writing?

When I was little, our next door neighbor was a writer. I dabbled in writing throughout my childhood and even took some courses during college, but ended up a CPA instead. When my husband got the opportunity to take an overseas assignment, I quit my job and wrote full-time while living in Sheffield, England. Occasionally I still dabble in accounting.

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

I write contemporary series for Harlequin, but I also write paranormal and long contemporary romance. Harlequin’s line is very home and family oriented. My Ward Brothers series really helped me go deeper with my writing. My long contemporaries are more light with the feel of a romantic comedy. My paranormal romances go from dark to light depending on the story. Though I haven’t published either the long contemporaries or paranormal romances, I look forward to in the future.

3. What is your favorite part of writing?

Drafting and plotting. The initial creative energy that comes to life when you are fresh into the story is amazing and exhilarating.

4. What is your least favorite part of writing ?  

Editing and revising. It’s very hard for me to change once I have the story set. It usually takes a day of crying and going through the grief cycle before I finally admit that it needs to change and just go ahead and do it.

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

All over the place. From TV shows to news to movies to going into my own background as a small town girl. Most of the stories come from the characters themselves though. I may have a plan when I begin to create them but once they are developed they tend to run their own story.

6. What is it that makes your writing different from all the others in your genre?

Wow that’s a stunner of a question. Every author has their own voice and own background that they bring to a story. I think every author is unique in their own way. I think it’s hard to know what makes myself unique though.

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

I love reading. Historical romance, hands down, is my favorite genre. My latest favorite that is an autobuy is Sarah MacLean. I especially love reading it because I know I don’t have the patience to do the research to write it.

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

His Small-town Sweetheart is out in paperback today and out in digital February 1st. Reunited childhood friends come together in a love story that proves you can go home again. This is the final book in the Ward Brothers series (previous books are Father by Choice and One Night with the Best Man). Sam’s story develops through the other two, but you can read His Small-town Sweetheart on its own. Sam is one of my favorite heroes and my favorite book so far. Nicole is the perfect woman to pull Sam out of his shell.

HIS SMALL-TOWN SWEETHEART
BY AMANDA BERRY
Silhouette Special Edition

Blurb

Best Friends…Forever

Twenty years ago, Nicole Baxter left the only home she knew—and the boy who shared all her secrets. Now, with nowhere else to go, she’s back in Tawnee Valley to figure out her next move—and cry on her old friend Sam Ward’s shoulder. Except the gentle dreamer has become a brooding loner who’s gearing up to sell the place he loves most.

When Nikki moved away, Sam lost the best friend he ever had. The beautiful, elegant woman who comes home is a world away from the tomboy with pigtails and skinned knees. And he’s no longer the dreamy kid who believes in happy endings. Until Nikki starts to convince him they share the same dream: a future together right here in their own backyard…

HIS SMALL-TOWN SWEETHEART
BY AMANDA BERRY
Silhouette Special Edition

Excerpt

At one point they’d known each other’s secrets and fears, but now they were little more than strangers. All Sam knew about her life now was what she’d told him. It was more of an outline than the complete picture. How much would she expect him to share? How much was he willing to share?

“Did you find a new best friend after I left?” Nicole took a drink of her beer and stared up into the canopy of leaves. The stars twinkled beyond the leaves. The moon didn’t overpower the stars, the way streetlights did.

“No.” There was no secret in that, just a fact. “I had a group of friends in high school but never got close to any of them.” Not like he’d been close to her. Because he lived out on the farm, it made it hard to connect with his friends, and with his chores, he didn’t always have time.

“Do you still see any of them?” Her voice was soft in the darkness, not quite a whisper, like they were sharing secrets and not just talking about what happened between then and now.

“Every once in a while, someone comes to town to visit their folks or something.” The truth was, everyone moved away after graduation. It was rare to find anyone in Tawnee Valley between the ages of twenty and thirty who wasn’t married with kids.

“I tried my hardest to fit in at my new school,” Nicole said. “Mom insisted I start dressing like a girl since I wasn’t living on a farm anymore. I made a few friends, but I couldn’t tell them any secrets without someone spreading it around school. I certainly couldn’t make blood pacts or belch in front of them.” Nicole bumped his shoulder with hers.

“You were the one who wanted to do the blood thing.” He took a swig of beer. It had been a while since he’d drunk alcohol, probably since Brady’s wedding.

“Only because I saw it in a movie.” They sat quietly for a moment. “Do you think we would have stayed friends if I hadn’t moved?”

Sam took a deep breath and followed a shooting star across the sky. “Honestly? I don’t know. It wasn’t too long after you left that I started looking at girls differently.”

“Like they grew horns and tails?”

He smiled slightly. “You know what I mean.”

“Of course, but it’s much more fun to tease you.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Who knows what might have happened between us if I’d stayed?”

About the author, Amanda Berry…

Between walking her Jack Russell-beagle mix, petting her two cats and driving her two kids all over creation, Amanda Berry writes contemporary romance novels (thanks to a supportive husband). A Midwest girl stuck in the wetlands of South Carolina, she finds inspiration in her small-town upbringing. A list of her current releases and backlist can be found at amanda-berry.com.

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

Website:  amanda-berry.com

Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/amanda.berry.52

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/amandasberry

Buy Links:

http://www.amazon.com/His-Small-Town-Sweetheart-Harlequin-Special-ebook/dp/B00O92RQNO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421115380&sr=8-1&keywords=his+small+town+sweetheart&pebp=1421115380259&peasin=B00O92RQNO

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-small-town-sweetheart-amanda-berry/1119883823?ean=9780373658701

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Don’t miss the chance to read this story!
Thanks, Amanda, for sharing your story with us!

 

**Author Peek** with TR Fischer

**AUTHOR PEEK** Interview with TR FISCHER

INTRODUCING…TR.

First, a little about me … I’m a native of Colorado, but spent six years in various parts of California in my early adult years. I’ve done a wide range of things to earn a living, including being a hair stylist, a 911 operator and police dispatcher, a bank teller, a real estate admin, a full-time mom and am now a buffalo and rancher who also writes fiction. I’ve been married to the same great guy for a long time, and we have four children who make our life fun and interesting.

I began writing fiction several years ago. After many fits and starts, I finally completed my first novel in early 2014. The second one only took a few months and I just completed the first draft of the third. I love writing and teaching others how to write fiction.

1. How did you get started writing?

I like to stay busy. My husband began commuting out of state for work and all the kids were in school, so I was looking for something interesting to do. I woke up one morning after a vivid dream and—though I dream all the time and never felt the need to record anything—felt compelled to write it down. It was an emotional scene and I thought it would make a great beginning to a book or a movie. Later, I decided to create an outline for a book. I realized I had a great deal to learn if I was actually going to follow through, so I took a writing class and read every book I could find on how to write fiction. From there, I have been involved in a few writing groups to get feedback.

2. What genre do you write and why?

My first book, Prey For Me, is a high-octane suspense with a touch of romance. The next, A Man Around The House, is a romantic comedy with suspense. My work-in-progress is a romantic drama with elements of suspense. So I’m kind of eclectic, but can’t seem to stay away from romance and suspense. I like to put two “regular people” in situations that test them and see what happens. It’s probably also due to the fact that I love to read both romance and suspense, especially when the story involves interesting characters and a plot full of surprises.

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

I frequently listen to audio books since I have little time to actually read. If I’m not doing that, I often think about my plot or characters or just enjoy the scenery. I live in a rural setting that offers a lot to enjoy.

4. What is your favorite thing about writing?

That’s a tough one, because I love the whole process. I guess I’d have to say the research. I get to meet interesting people and learn about what they do and how they think. It always provides great writing fodder that I never would have thought up without having had the experience.

5. What is your least favorite part of writing?

Marketing and promotion. I realize both are unavoidable, but I’m not a real “sales-y” person. It’s difficult for me to say, “Hey! Buy my book!.” But, I do want to keep the power bill paid and stay in my home, so here I am: visit my website and check out my first chapters for free. Then, buy my books and tell everyone you know about them!

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

My dad would be Clint Eastwood, because he’s just so dang cool. My mom would be Lucille Ball because she was so funny.

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

Everywhere. Most of my stories begin with a scene that comes to me. If it’s compelling, I write it down and begin to ruminate on it while out for a walk or doing mundane tasks. Often, as the storyline develops, I do research on the topics I’m unfamiliar with and that process gives me snippets of things like how people in a given profession or walk of life speak—this helps with writing dialogue.

The truth is, I’ve been thinking up stories since I can remember. My imagination is always turned all the way up, so I think of more ideas than I’ll ever have time to write. Once I decide on a particular story, then I work on the characters. I’m not easy to please as a reader, so I strive to create stories and characters that will satisfy others who don’t want cookie-cutter plots and characters in the books they choose to read.

8. Tell me about your ideal reader.

Mostly women, though I’ve had a few guys write reviews and tell me in person that they loved both of my books. So, women who like suspense, humor, and unlikely romantic relationships. My books are clean enough for teens as well.

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

I used to need that, but I haven’t had to do anything to “get in the mood” for a long time. Now that I can look back, I can see I had great trepidation about the very idea of writing a book. It was intimidating! When I wrote A Man Around The House last year, the story just poured out of me. It’s been the same with my new project. I put several months into research and plot planning, but the actual writing took about five weeks.

10. Tell us about your next book and when it will be released.

I just completed the first draft of my latest book, which is as yet untitled. The story involves a female delivery driver who is struggling to get past a big loss in her life, a former army medic who came home from Afghanistan to find out that the war cost him a great deal at home, and a child whose only caregiver suddenly disappears.

I don’t have a firm release date, but I’m hoping for spring 2015. I’ll post the date on the home page of my website. If you want a sneak peak at the first pages once they are ready, sign up for my email list on my website.

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

  

Read the first chapter for free at www.TRFischer.com

Purchase links:

Paperback

Kindle e-book

Nook e-book

My blog: TRFischer.blogspot.com
Here you can find a blend of posts about my books, my life and my interests.

My website: www.TRFischer.com

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BE SURE TO COME BACK to read more about TR, her new release, and an excerpt from A MAN AROUND THE HOUSE, on Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench. Happy Reading!

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**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**:  TR is giving away a PDF copy of A MAN AROUND THE HOUSE to a lucky reader who comments on her Interview or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Don’t miss the chance to read this story! Thanks, TR, for sharing your stories with us!

Congratulations Week 01-05-15 Giveaway Winner!

 

CONGRATULATIONS WEEK 01-05-15
GIVEAWAY WINNER!!

Karen’s Killer Book Bench with GREG SANDORA!!

Giveaway: Greg is giving away an ebook copy of GABBY, ANGEL OF GOD, to a lucky reader who comments on his Interview or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Thanks, Greg, for sharing your story with us!

WINNER ~ BN100!!

 

[All winners chosen by random.org from reader comments. Thank you.]