Karen Docter's Blog, page 256
November 16, 2014
**Author Peek** Interview with Diane J. Reed
**AUTHOR PEEK** Interview with DIANE J. REED
INTRODUCING…Diane J. Reed.
1. What genre do you write & why?
I write everything, but right now I’m working on my new adult Robbin’ Hearts romance series that centers on Robin, a formerly rich teenager whose family hits the skids, so she turns to robbing banks to make ends meet. I wanted to write about a dynamic & feisty female teen protagonist who’s not a pliable “Mary Sue” type of character, but rather a bad ass! In this series she ages from 15 to 18, so the first book is young adult & the last 2 books are new adult.
2. If you were to choose one superpower, what would it be?
To magically make people feel deeply loved & cherished. I just wonder what extraordinary changes that would bring to the world & how much more loving people would be to one another if they felt no deficit within themselves. I honestly think it could work miracles.
3. Do you ever get stuck when you’re writing a book? What do you do to get “unstuck”?
The only time I get stuck writing a book is when I haven’t done enough research on my characters, location or the history of the period to dig my imaginative well very deep. If I do enough research, I get a plethora of ideas and can’t wait to write! But if my characters, location or time period aren’t fleshed out enough, that’s when I start hitting walls. In cases like that, I dig deeper for motivation & facts & details.
4. What is your least favorite part of writing?
Writing is the funnest part of what I do! I think my least favorite part of being an author overall is the extensive promotion & marketing you always have to do. Sometimes I have to just put that aside & believe if I do the work of writing wonderful books, the readers will come. 
5. If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare for us?
Oh, I’d go to town on fajitas with my killer guacamole & out-of-this-world cheesecake for dessert! And then I’d offer you some of my husband’s homebrewed beer. Can you tell I intend to write a cookbook one day?
6. What is your typical day like?
Shuffling kids, hustling to get them fed & off to school, maintaining my author social media, writing my heart out & then praying I have time enough to jog. Did I mention I’m president of the PTA & my husband leads Boy Scouts? Somedays it’s all I can do not to tear my hair out—but my family & writing is the best part.
7. What is most difficult for you to write? Characters, conflict or emotions, and why?
NONE of it is difficult for me to write about! I love to push everything to the edge with characters who live out loud, take risks, and leap off the page. What IS difficult for me is to write pure genre or formulaic fiction. Why, oh why, would I want to write something even remotely similar to what other authors have done? So for me, marketing is the bigger challenge because it’s harder for me to define what “category” my fiction belongs in. Originality has its price. 
8. How likely are people you meet going to end up in your next book?
You know, I don’t deliberately copy the people I meet, but I DO attract my own characters into my life! It’s uncanny. I’ll get on an airplane, and who will sit next to me for the next 4 hours? One of my characters, I swear to God. It’s almost like I manifested them in to being! So that makes me wonder if they manifested me, too…hmm, could be Kismet…
9. Tell us about your hero. Give us one of his strengths and one of his weaknesses.
Oh, how I love Creek Flynn! He is a master criminal with a golden heart up his sleeve who robs from the rich & degenerate to give to the poor people in his trailer park. But he has deep, deep wounds that he tries to overcome by being a provider to others (in a way that he was never provided for) & this causes him to shut off his heart for fear of hurting Robin if she truly knew about the abuse he suffered as a child. Yet he loves her so much that he’d do anything for her—including letting her in to the secrets of his past (which happens in Book 3 of the series).
10. Tell us about your next book & when it is being published.
Stone of Thieves, the 2nd book in the Robbin’ Hearts series was published last spring (where Robin goes to Italy with Creek to find her mother & heal her past), and the 3rd book in the series is Sherwood’s End, which will be published next month. In it, Robin & Creek return to America & Robin persuades Creek to investigate his past & his mother’s murder so he can heal as well. But those ghosts don’t want to remain undead, so in the end it becomes a haunted mystery romance.
~~~~~~~
Links to Diane’s website, blog, books, etc.
Author Website Link:
http://www.banditsranch.com
Books Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Diane-J.-Reed/e/B0071FXGOE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1413854466&sr=8-1
Robin In The Hood Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Robin-Hood-Robbin-Hearts-Book-ebook/dp/B00AK3RCZS/ref=sr_1_1_twi_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413847360&sr=8-1&keywords=Diane+J.+Reed
~~~~
BE SURE TO COME BACK to read more about Diane, her new release, and an excerpt from ROBIN IN THE HOOD, on Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench. Happy Reading!
~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Diane is giving away a paperback copy of ROBIN IN THE HOOD and the sequel STONE OF THIEVES to one lucky winner who comments on her **Author Peek** Interview or Killer Book Bench blogs. Don’t miss this chance to read Diane’s story. Thanks, Diane, for sharing your release with us!
November 15, 2014
Congratulations Week 11-03-14 Giveaway Winners!
CONGRATULATIONS WEEK 11-03-14
GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!
Karen’s Killer Book Bench with JOANNE McDONNELL!!
Giveaway: Joanne is giving away ebook copies of A TASTE OF REALITY to up to five (5) lucky winners who comment on her Interview or Killer Book Bench blogs. Thanks, Joanne, for sharing your story with us!
WINNERS ~ PETER PICK & BN100!!
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**
with MICHEL PRINCE!!
Giveaway: Michel is giving away two prizes: One reader will receive a signed paperback copy of THE GUARDIAN’S HEART and a second reader will win a Mask Necklace. Thanks, Michel, for sharing your story and favorite recipe with us!
WINNER of The Guardian’s Heart paperback ~
Samantha Stevens!!
WINNER of the Mask Necklace ~ Cynthia Woolf!!
[All winners chosen by random.org. Thank you.]
November 13, 2014
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Jennifer Zane
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL** with JENNIFER ZANE!
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, JENNIFER ZANE, and her favorite recipe for PORK GREEN CHILI!
HOT PURSUIT 3
By JENNIFER ZANE
Book Blurb
Anna Scott has given Nick everything. Her heart, her body, and the truth about her past. But every action has consequences, and now, thanks to her, Nick is in more trouble than ever. He’s running from his old boss, distracted from his undercover work, and secretly negotiating with the most powerful mafia boss in New York. She knows the only way to free him is to step into the spotlight once more and face her enemies. She is convinced that Nick must stay in the shadows to be safe, but the stubborn man isn’t cooperating. Once she learns the truth about him–that he’s really Jake Griffin–she realizes that his sense of honor and duty will get him killed. Protecting the man she loves is the only thing that matters to her now, no matter the cost.
Jake Griffin is in love with a woman on the run. The woman he knew and fell in love with was an illusion born of desperation. Anna Scott has powerful enemies and blood in her past, but neither can deny the passion between them. Grif will do whatever it takes to help her, including recruiting a notorious killer to help him. Grif will walk the razor’s edge between right and wrong, good and evil, truth and lies, because Anna Scott is everything to him now, and he’ll play any game, take any risk to save her from the monsters in her past, and from herself.
Hot Pursuit 3 is now out! If you’ve missed part 1 and 2, you can get Hot Pursuit 1 FREE until the 18th.
HOT PURSUIT 3
By JENNIFER ZANE
Excerpt
“So, Nick”—Frank paused, waiting for Nick to look at him—“this took balls…guts coming here like this.” He waved his hand in the air. “You could’ve come here for Moretti, to shoot me in my own home. Your plan, it’s pretty big. Enlisting me to help, even bigger. You could’ve just bought two tickets to Paris to avoid the hit man Monday. Instead, you come up with this scheme so Moretti’s off both your backs. Permanently.” He shifted forward in his chair so his elbows rested on his knees, his fingers steepled together. “The way I figure it, you’re either in love with Anna or you’re a cop.”
Nick froze. I froze. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Carrie whip her head around to look at her brother.
Nick pivoted his body to face me, his back to Frank. He looked at me with his dark eyes, searched my face. His lip curved up, his dimple appearing. “You’re right, Mr. Carmichael.” Nick’s gaze dropped to my mouth. “I’m in love with Anna—”
I smiled, instantly and brilliantly, tears pricking my eyes. I’d never heard anyone tell me that before. The words were new, rusty to my ears, but the swell of emotion, the overwhelming feeling of joy pumped through my body with every beat of my heart. He loved me. Nick loved me! How had that happened? I’d tried and tried to push him away, keep my distance, to protect myself, my heart from him.
Reaching out, he grabbed my hand and pulled me to him for a quick, rough kiss. It was filled with a tenderness and need I’d never felt before. His hand at the nape of my neck held me in place, even after he pulled back and stared into my eyes. He was breathing hard, his eyes dark.
“—and I’m also a cop.”
What? What had he said? My smile fell, but the tears remained, slid down my cheeks. Now they fell out of something other than happiness. “You’re a…” I swallowed past the lump in my throat as I pulled back out of his grip.
“Cop.” Nick took my hand as if he needed a lifeline, but I yanked it away.
About the author…Jennifer Zane.
Jennifer Zane has lived all over the country–from Georgia to Maryland, New York to Colorado. including an exciting five years in Montana. Her time in Big Sky country was the basis for this book. When she’s not writing, she savors the insanity of raising two boys, is figuring out how many meals she can make with a pressure cooker, and teaches a pretty mean karate class. She currently lives with her family in Colorado.
~~~
Links to Jennifer’s website, blog, books, etc.
I love to hear from readers!
http://www.jenniferzane.com
http://www.facebook.com/jenniferzanew...
http://www.twitter.com/jenniferzane
Email: jennifer@jenniferzane.com
Hot Pursuit 1- FREE 11/15-11/17
http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Pursuit-1-Romantic-Suspense-ebook/dp/B00MVK5VTM
Hot Pursuit 2
http://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Romantic-Suspense-Jennifer-Zane-ebook/dp/B00N5B4ZD4
Hot Pursuit 3
http://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Romantic-Suspense-Jennifer-Zane-ebook/dp/B00N6715NK
Hot Pursuit 4- Out 12/15!
http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Pursuit-4-Romantic-Suspense-ebook/dp/B00NMMPOGS
I hope you enjoy the recipe Jennifer is sharing with us today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy eating!
Karen
P.S. We’re at 170 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PORK GREEN CHILI
Now, a recipe I love!!!
In honor of fall, here’s a crockpot special. It’s yummy and filling and warm. I like it with rice, topped with cheese and sour cream.
Ingredients:
1 pound diced pork (whichever cut you like — shoulder, chops, loin)
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons dark chile powder
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, diced
3 cans (10 ounces each) chicken broth
1 can (32 ounces) whole tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3-4 fresh roasted green chiles or 1 can (8 ounces) diced green chiles
3-5 jalapeño peppers, diced with seeds (remove seeds to bring down the heat factor)
Tortillas
Shredded cheese
Directions:
Brown pork on all sides in oil over medium high heat. Add cumin, chile powder, oregano, garlic powder, onion and broth.
Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour. Crush tomatoes with potato masher in another pan. To tomatoes and their juice, add tomato paste, green chiles and jalapeños. Combine tomato and pork mixtures.
Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 hours (or place in a slow cooker up to 8 hours), until pork is very tender. Serve with warm tortillas and shredded cheese.
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**
November 12, 2014
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: White Fire 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!
WHITE FIRE
Timewalker Chronicles Book 5
By MICHELE CALLAHAN
Book Blurb
Ajax, The Lost King of the Immortals, sacrificed everything but his memories. After the Time Crux, the loss of his beloved Queen, and a horrifying defeat at the hands of the Triscani horde in the war on Itara, Ajax’s loyal crew played a desperate gamble…to go back in time and try to change things. But they trusted the wrong man, and Ajax has spent the last seven hundred years locked in a prison with no key. The battle approaches at long last, yet he remains weak and tortured, a prisoner to his own dark power. He didn’t simply lose to the evil Triscani…he became one of them.
The Triscani spent centuries searching for Emma Lawson’s soul. Their evil Hunters did everything they could to destroy her family’s bloodline before she was ever born. They know who she is, so they hunt her. They know the power she yields, and they fear her. They know The Lost King will do anything to save her, and they would use his love to destroy him.
But Emma is human, not Immortal. She might be dangerously attracted to the newly freed Ajax, but her first priority is saving Earth from two warring Immortal races. Ajax believed himself in love with his Queen, but the woman he remembers no longer exists. This Timewalker will defy destiny, and she’s not going to play by anyone’s rules but her own.
WHITE FIRE
Timewalker Chronicles Book 5
By MICHELE CALLAHAN
Excerpt
Dark green eyes devoured her with their gaze from the other end of the bar. He had gorgeous hair that shone like polished mahogany in the bar’s faint light. A deep shade of brown, it was just long enough to frame his face, and just long enough that she could wrap her hands in it and not see them again until she released him.
He was Itaran. An Immortal. Emma was sure of it. She’d seen enough of the gorgeous males growing up to know power when she saw it. The knowledge had been hard-won, as both Bran and her parents had been determined to keep her as far from the Immortals on Itara as they could. Which she’d always thought was a cruel joke. They expected her to rule the Immortals one day, but never see one? Ridiculous.
She was a jumper. And curious. And she’d taken her chances on more than one occasion, jumping to the few cities on Itara where she knew she’d be one more human among many, lingering in places where the human government and the Itaran mingled. Straining for a glimpse of the elusive Immortals. Humans outnumbered them on Itara, by about a hundred thousand to one, which just made catching a glimpse of one in person equivalent to a human in this Portland karaoke bar meeting a rock star or famous actress in person.
In other words, nearly impossible, if you were a normal, everyday citizen.
She wasn’t. And neither was the male sitting across the bar, staring at her like he knew, like he could see her through the wig and contacts.
The Mark on her ankle sent a jolt of pain through her leg, like she’d just been stung by a bee. She jumped in her seat. Scared. Surprised.
No.
Not now. She wondered what the Immortal would do if the Triscani walked in. Help her? Or walk away?
She was afraid she was about to find out. Too bad, really. He was hot. Smoking hot. Tangle me up in the sheets and not get out of bed for a week hot. Not that it would do her any good. No, her whole life, the only thing her parents or Bran had told her was that she had to wait, meet the Lost King, fall in love, save the world, and live happily ever after. Not once had her dad said, “Go hook up with a smoking-hot criminal in a bar and have some fun. It’s all right, honey. Just get it out of your system.”
Shit. She had to get the hell out of there. Now. She’d have to take her chances with the Hunters. If she waited for the human bartender to try to take her home, she was afraid she’d be in deep, deep trouble with that sexy Itaran across the bar. She couldn’t touch him, even accidentally. If her Mark jumped onto his ankle, there was no way she could get it back unless he chose to reject it, and her. And if not? Lifelong commitment to an Immortal criminal, one who was most likely linked to a Triad on Earth? Marriage from hell wouldn’t even come close to an apt description.
He had to be living here. Which meant he was in exile, a criminal condemned to the chute. The Itarans had few absolute laws, and only two punishments for their people. Execution by Angel’s Fire at the hands of the House of Judgment, or shot off into a trans-dimensional portal like an egg down a tube. Destination? Permanent exile on Earth. Earth was their freaking penal colony.
If he lived here, he’d arrived via option number two. Which meant he’d survived the other Immortals already here, and joined one of the dangerous and very territorial Immortal ruling Triads. From what Bran told her, they made the human mafia look like kindergarten bullies.
Bran had explained it all to her years ago, said she needed to know everything if she was going to rule with her Lost King. Said she needed to know what she’d be up against if she survived the battle with the Triscani.
But there was no King here, just a sexy-as-sin Immortal criminal, two run-of-the-mill Triscani Hunters, and the other, the patient one, the captain. The evil being who stalked her dreams and called her name while she slept. He was close. She could feel his anger and frustration. Maybe he couldn’t deal with the fact that she continued to elude him. And she would again.
Time to get the hell out of here. Four Immortals at one damn bar was waaaaay over her limit…
About the author, Michele Callahan…
Michele Callahan is a car-pool mom who often makes emergency trips to the store for chocolate, coffee, or a Twix candy bar. She suffers from a dangerous case of sci-fi/fantasy fever and never turns down an opportunity to sit through a Star Wars, True Blood, Attack on Titan, or Matrix marathon. Her favorite things in books; hot heroes, superpowers, freakish things that can’t be explained by modern science, and true love! She is the author of the Timewalker Chronicles and The Ozera Wars (an erotic space opera series).
~~~
Links to Michele’s website, blog, books, etc.
Website http://michelecallahan.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/michele.callahan.142
Twitter @michelecallahan
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4893545.Michele_Callahan
Newsletter: https://www.robly.com/subscribe?a=27d5f0bc62bebc97e84907198364c4aa
~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Michele is giving a complete 5 book digital set of the Timewalker Chronicles 1-5 to one lucky winner who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Don’t miss this chance to read Michele’s latest release. Thanks, Michele, for sharing your newest release with us!
November 11, 2014
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: The Bullet Catch by John Gaspard
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!
THE BULLET CATCH
An Eli Marks Mystery
By JOHN GASPARD
Book Blurb
Newly-single magician Eli Marks reluctantly attends his high school reunion against his better judgment, only to become entangled in two deadly encounters with his former classmates. The first is the fatal mugging of an old crush’s husband, followed by the suspicious deaths of the victim’s business associates.
At the same time, Eli also comes to the aid of a classmate-turned-movie-star who fears that attempting The Bullet Catch in an upcoming movie may be his last performance. As the bodies begin to pile up, Eli comes to the realization that juggling these murderous situations — while saving his own neck — may be the greatest trick he’s ever performed.
THE BULLET CATCH
An Eli Marks Mystery
By JOHN GASPARD
Excerpt
Until the sound of the bell alerted me to the arrival of a customer, I had spent the better part of the next morning fumbling with a deck of cards in my hands, trying not for the first time to unlock the secret of the Center Deal. The Center Deal is a fabled card move in which the magician deals a selected card not from the top or bottom of the deck, but from the center. It’s a sleight that had always stymied me and I take only a small amount of solace in the knowledge that I am far from alone in my inability to master the move.
I set the cards down and looked up to see who had come in, expecting to recognize one of the two dozen or so customers who still frequented our brick and mortar shop as opposed to doing all their magic shopping online. Instead I was greeted with the image of a complete stranger who also, oddly enough, looked vaguely familiar.
He was somewhere in his thirties and he wore a baseball cap pulled down over his eyes, which were covered with dark, expensive-looking sunglasses. A mop of dirty blond hair jutted out from under the hat in a random and reckless fashion. He wore a faded Minnesota Twins jersey and even more faded jeans, but the footwear peeking out from beneath his pants cuffs appeared pointed, textured and rich – alligator perhaps, or maybe from a species higher up on the endangered list. If someone had made a pair of boots out of a Komodo dragon, I thought, this is what the result might look like.
“Is anyone else here?” he asked in a hoarse whisper.
“Depends,” I said, calculating how much cash was in the register and which nearby magic prop might best be employed as an impromptu weapon.
“Eli, it’s me. Jake. Jake North.” He pulled off his cap and the dirty blond mop came with it. The glasses came off next, and it was then I was able to put the name with the face.
“Jake? What are you doing here? In disguise? I’d heard you were in town…”
He cut me off, looking around again to double check for others in the vicinity. It’s a small shop and that didn’t take long. “Have you got a few minutes? To talk?”
“Sure. Absolutely. What’s going on?”
Even though we were clearly alone, he still leaned in close and spoke just above a whisper.
“I need your help,” he said “Someone is trying to kill me.”
#
“Okay, start at the beginning.”
We had taken a corner table at the coffee shop down the street and settled in with our respective purchases – black coffee for me and a double-soy mocha latte grande for Jake. His precise and arcane instructions to the barista had slowed the process considerably, but with his order in hand he seemed less on edge. He was still in his disguise, which I was convinced was calling more attention to him than if he had just gone with his normal look. But you know actors and their innate ability to add drama to any situation.
“All right,” he said, his voice a soft whisper, “So, I’m back in town making a flick.”
I nodded. “Sure, I heard something about that. Some low-budget thing, right?”
“Low by Hollywood standards, sure, but it’s a real movie and my agent thinks it could be my ticket out of TV and onto the big screen.”
Being in films full-time had always been Jake’s dream. He and I had met in high school, and although we hadn’t traveled in the same circles, our circles did have points of intersection. We’re both performers. His path had put him in all the plays at school, while my path put me in all the talent shows. His real break came when he was cast as the lead in a TV series called “Blindman’s Bluff,” a comedy about a lout who pretends to be blind to impress a girl and then must continue the ruse indefinitely. It hit new lows on the bad-taste index, even by cable standards, and was known for its equal servings of disabled jokes, ethnic slurs and crude sexual puns and peccadilloes. So of course it was a huge hit.
“Anyway,” he continued, sucking some of the foam off the top of his coffee, “the movie is a biography of a guy with whom I’m guessing you’re at least slightly familiar: Terry Alexander.”
I nodded slowly, surprised to hear that name after all these years. I certainly knew the name of Terry Alexander. Any magician with a heartbeat was familiar with the life – and death – of Terry Alexander. “Sure,” I said. “Infamously known as The Cloaked Conjurer.”
“Yes. And also infamously known as one of the dozen or so magicians who have died while attempting to perform The Bullet Catch.”
“In South America somewhere, wasn’t it? Peru, I think?”
Jake shook his head. “Ecuador. Toward the end, he was basically doing his act in a traveling circus.”
“Wow. His career certainly took a nose-dive.”
“Apparently that’s what happens when you go on national TV and start exposing magic’s greatest secrets.” He added a dramatic flourish to those last three words.
‘Magic’s Greatest Secrets’ had been a series of television specials in which The Cloaked Conjurer revealed the inner workings of some of the best magic illusions of all time. Magicians, of course, were outraged at his flagrant disregard for the code of ethics that binds all magicians: the promise to never tell lay people how the trick works. Terry had broken that sacred pledge and had pretty much been blackballed out of the business from that point on. In desperation he had returned to his traditional magic act and took gigs wherever he could, finally ending up doing a second-rate act in third world counties.
“He got work, though, because he was one of the only performers willing to do The Bullet Catch,” Jake continued, “and that got him work in those far-flung performance venues.”
“Until someone killed him.”
“Yes. Until someone killed him. While he was doing The Bullet Catch.”
Jake had a distant look in his eyes. I tried to pull him back. “And you play Terry?”
“Yes,” he said, snapping back into the conversation. “It’s a challenging role. The script is lousy, so we’re diverging from it at every point possible. But I think, in the end, I will have created a fully-rounded character with layers and depth.” He took a big gulp of what I was sure was still pretty hot coffee, but he showed no reaction to it. “But what’s got me more concerned – much more concerned — is that I’ll have to do The Bullet Catch.”
“But it’s a movie,” I said. “I mean, you don’t have to do it for real. Right? They have stunt guys and CGI and editing tricks.”
“I know, I know,” he said with no real conviction. “But I just have this gut feeling…” His voice trailed off. I wasn’t sure what to say to help him out.
“Certainly they’ve got experts working with you on this?” I finally offered.
“Oh, yeah,” he said quietly. “I trained with some of the top magicians in LA for six months. I can do Terry Alexander’s whole act, start to finish.”
“So why are you so concerned about this one part of the act?”
“Right now, this flick is just a blip on Hollywood’s radar. A little Indie about a famous, unsolved crime. But,” he said with a mix of anticipation and dread, “If I actually died while doing The Bullet Catch?”
“Yeah?” I didn’t like where this was heading.
“Then it will be a hit. A monster hit.”
#
“You’ve developed some real chops,” I said, genuinely impressed.
Our coffee was cold and I had steered the discussion away from Jake’s fear of dying and asked him how he was doing the rest of the magic in the movie.
“The producers found some guys at The Magic Castle in LA,” he said, casually dropping the names of three well-regarded magicians. Training from any one of them would have produced outstanding results and I was curious to see what he had learned from this trio of masters. I handed him the deck of cards I always carry and asked for a demonstration.
Jake took the deck tentatively at first, then executed some nearly flawless moves – a slick top change, a false shuffle I hadn’t seen before, and some flashy card flourishes that skirted the sometimes thin line between magic and juggling. His work was impressive and he was clearly well-trained, but it was all done by rote. He lacked the craft to be able to deviate and improvise. However, he handled the cards well and comfortably, and for those moments I believed he might actually bring Terry Alexander to life on screen. If he didn’t die trying.
“So what makes you think your life is in danger?”
“Well, it was small things at first,” he said quietly. “Like when I found out they weren’t working with my LA trainers on The Bullet Catch. Those guys know their stuff, but the director said he had another resource in Las Vegas. Turns out the guy the director got is just a buddy of his from college. He runs a shooting range, but has no real training in this. But the thing that really unnerved me was when I saw the shooting schedule. They had scheduled the filming of The Bullet Catch scene last. Dead last.”
“Is it the last scene in the movie?”
“Yes and no – it’s all told as a flashback from the moment the bullet is fired from the gun. That might change in the editing, who knows. But these things are hardly ever shot in order. And that’s the very last scene I’m going to shoot. Last day, last scene, last shot.”
“A coincidence?”
“Maybe. But then I was at the director’s house in California, doing a read-through of the script with some of the cast, and I noticed a DVD box on the TV. He had been watching ‘The Crow.’”
I shrugged. “I’m missing the connection.”
“The actor Brandon Lee died while making ‘The Crow.’ He was shot when a prop gun misfired. It was tragic, but it didn’t hurt the film one bit. Some people say it helped to make it a hit.”
“And you think the same thing could happen here?”
“Hey, if your job was to sell a movie about Terry Alexander, you’d probably have a pretty tough time of it. Sure, it’s an unsolved mystery: Who killed Terry Alexander? But the downside is there’s no stars, no pre-sale name value to the property, it’s low-budget and under the radar. But if the lead actor gets shot and killed while in the process of recreating the scene where the main character got shot and killed…”
His voice trailed off and then he added, “That’s a film people are going to want to see. Hell, if I weren’t dead, I’d want to see it.”
About the author, John Gaspard…
In real life, John’s not a magician, but he has directed six low-budget features that cost very little and made even less – that’s no small trick. He’s also written multiple books on the subject of low-budget filmmaking. Ironically, they’ve made more than the films. His blog, “Fast, Cheap Movie Thoughts” has been named “One of the 50 Best Blogs for Moviemakers” and “One of The 100 Best Blogs For Film and Theater Students.” He’s also written for TV and the stage. John lives in Minnesota and shares his home with his lovely wife, several dogs, a few cats and a handful of pet allergies.
~~~
Links to John’s website, blog, books, etc.
Find the book here:
http://henerypress.com/books-humorous-mystery-series-book/the-bullet-catch/
My author website:
https://www.facebook.com/JohnGaspardAuthorPage
My other website:
http://fastcheapmoviethoughts.blogspot.com
~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: John is giving away a paperback copy (US only) of THE BULLET CATCH to one lucky winner who comments on his **Author Peek** Interview or Killer Book Bench blogs. Don’t miss this chance to read John’s new story. Thanks, John, for sharing your newest release with us!
November 10, 2014
Karen’s Killer Book Bench *Triple Treat*: The Mythean Arcana Series by Linsey Hall
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!
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000032_00037]](http://www.karendocter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Braving-Fate-Ebook.jpg)
**The Mythean Arcana Series launches with three books**
BRAVING FATE (Book One)
SOULCERESS (Book Two)
ROGUE SOUL (Book Three)
By LINSEY HALL
Book Blurbs
Braving Fate (Mythean Arcana Series, Book 1):
In a world of chaos, a warrior queen is reborn
Bookish academic Diana Laughton has been having terrible dreams. Dreams of battle, dreams of blood… dreams so vivid she’s living them both day and night. When demons and portents invade her quiet life, she wonders if she is going mad. Or if perhaps she’s remembering a past life she had no idea existed…
In the midst of betrayal, he must protect her
Immortal Guardian Cadan Trinovante loved and betrayed Britain’s warrior queen Boudica two millennia ago. Now he is tasked with protecting mortals whose lives affect the fate of humanity. His latest assignment is Boudica herself, reincarnated and reborn into a woman with no idea of her past or her fated future. Though in the sexy form of Diana Laughton, it’s possible Cadan has once again met his match…
Thrown together in a shadowy world that exists alongside our own, Diana and Cadan must not only fight the demonic forces that want Diana dead, but also a past and a passion that has lasted centuries. To succumb to seduction could be fatal. But as evil from the underworld unites against them, their only hope could be each other.
Soulceress (Mythean Arcana Series, Book 2):
A man desperate to save his soul
Three hundred years ago, Warren sold his soul in exchange for the safety of his people. He lives immortal and inhuman, a life in the shadows, hiding his secrets. Until now, when he finally has the chance to reclaim his soul after three centuries of suffering…
A woman forced to live as a renegade
Esha is a soulceress, an immortal who drains the magical powers of others. Shunned by everyone she meets, she’s a rogue mercenary who hunts evil for a living. The only man she cannot harm is Warren, whose secrets intrigue her and whose body sparks her desire…
An evil power that can destroy them
Esha is the only person who can help Warren reclaim his soul. But what begins as a simple quest soon becomes a deadly battle, one in which choices will be made and secrets revealed that could tear them apart. As Esha and Warren uncover their passion, they must defeat the evil forces unleashed against them before time runs out…
Rogue Soul (Mythean Arcana Series, Book 3):
It’s her last chance at freedom…
Andrasta, Celtic goddess of victory, has fled the cold, sterile wasteland of Otherworld for the steamy South American jungle. It’s only a matter of time before the vengeful gods catch and punish her – unless she can convince the man she betrayed two thousand years ago to help…
And only her enemy can save her
Born in Otherworld to the life of a god, Camulos went rogue centuries ago. He’s living on the banks of the Amazon, boxing in bare-knuckled fights. The gods believe he’s dead – until Ana finds him. Ana, the woman who gave him nothing but trouble, and the woman he could never forget…
Even the gods have secrets
Thrown together, Ana and Cam must evade the wrath of the gods and a return to the living death of Otherworld. But as they flee through the jungle – and as their passion ignites – they find themselves at the heart of an ancient secret. One that could kill them both and extinguish their souls forever…
BRAVING FATE
Mythean Arcana Series, Book 1
By LINSEY HALL
Excerpt
Editor’s Note: To maintain this site’s PG-13 rating, some language has been edited.
Prologue
Central England, AD 60, eve of the Roman conquest of Britain
The woman he loved lay dying in his arms. Blood spilled over her breast, trickling from the dagger she’d sunk into her chest. Drops of blood hitting the dirt floor of the stone roundhouse echoed hollowly in his ears, amplified by the dawning knowledge of what he’d done. What she’d done. What they’d done.
“Why, Boudica?” His heart and voice were breaking. “Why do this?”
She shuddered in his arms, her broken body cold and fragile with looming death, but no less fierce than when she’d fought on the field of battle the previous dawn. She was their warrior queen, the force that had drawn thousands of British Celts together to revolt against Roman occupation, and he her top general.
She was his love. The one bright spot in the miserable spectacle of blood and death his life had become.
Boudica drew a harsh breath that rattled in her wounded chest and glared at him, her eyes alight with hatred.
“Why?” It was clear she would have screamed it if she could. Another faltering breath. “After your betrayal, you ask me why?”
“Betrayal? I did it for you.”
Her bitter laugh died on a cough. “I thought you knew me. I was wrong. You only know what you think me to be. I’m a warrior, the leader and symbol of our beaten land. I led my people in battle for our lives, our homes, our freedom.” She paused to catch her breath. “But we’ve lost. Irreparably.”
His jaw clenched, his chest aching with the weight of their past and his future. For she would die this night, her future forever erased. Because of him. Because he hadn’t been able to protect her. As he hadn’t protected his village and family before he’d joined her.
“The Roman dogs are at our door.” She coughed. “My daughters dead at their hands. Our lands stolen. Why would I live when capture is inevitable and my very life will be used as leverage? My head will be on a pike in Rome before summer’s end. More likely, they’ll use me against our people.” She raked him with a scathing glance and coughed again. Blood marred her colorless lips. “What would you do, O great warrior?”
“The same.” His throat burned. Capture was inevitable. And unbearable. Now, with the final battle lost and thousands of their families and allies dying in the fields around them, the fate that awaited her at the hands of the Romans would be worse than death, not only for her, but very likely for her people as well.
He’d tried to save her from this, but she hadn’t let him. He would have committed any deed, no matter how terrible, to save the woman who’d changed his life when he’d met her a year ago. But Boudica was a warrior first, his woman second. And she would die believing he had betrayed her.
She coughed, her pallor more pronounced. “And yet you would deny me my honorable death?”
“I love you. I’d do anything to save you.”
“And I thought I loved you,” she whispered. And as her eyes closed, the enormous life force that had propelled Boudica, Celtic Queen of the Iceni, evaporated.
The crushing weight of grief squeezed the breath out of his lungs. Collapsing over her, the black night swallowed his roar of pain. He would have vengeance.
Chapter One
Cadan Trinovante jerked awake, the sheets tangled in his fists. He ignored the vibrating phone that had awakened him from the nightmare and stared at the wide wooden rafters supporting the ceiling above him, struggling to catch his breath. Of all the memories that had faded in his two thousand years of life, the memory of Boudica’s death was the one that never had.
Guilt tugged at him and he reached for the phone.
“Cadan,” he said as he glanced at the clock on the bedside table. The gleam of Edinburgh’s streetlights shone on hands pointing toward one a.m. The yells of revelers stumbling from pub to pub filtered in through the open window.
“Cadan, it’s Warren.”
Cadan merely grunted in response and walked to the window. He listened with half an ear as he stared out at the gothic spires of Edinburgh’s churches and the soot-blackened stone of the surrounding buildings. They rose tall and narrow, pressed cheek by jowl on either side of the sloping cobblestones of the city’s oldest street. Cadan shut out the cool night air and the sound of fading revelry.
“You’ve a new assignment,” Warren said. “Can you be here in an hour?”
Finally. He needed something to keep his mind off the past. The damn dreams had been hounding him more often lately and he was ready to forget, to slip back into work.
“Aye, I’ll see you by two,” he said.
Damn it. He could still hear the revelers below. Living for so long was wearying, but listening to others take such joy in life was just salt in the wound.
In less than an hour, he strode through the great iron-sheathed wooden doors of a building on the campus of the Immortal University. The eyes of the eerie stone gargoyles who guarded the entrance followed him as he entered the cool halls of the Praesidium, named over a thousand years ago when Latin was still the language of education.
F*)king Latin. F*)king Romans.
He dragged a hand through his hair. The short drive to the outskirts of Edinburgh where the university was located hadn’t fully banished his dreams.
His footsteps were soundless on the marble floor of the wide, familiar hallway. It was a habit he’d never broken, though there was no need for stealth here. Terrible, unforgivable things happened when you let your guard down. But this was the safest place for a Mythean in Edinburgh since it was hidden from the prying eyes of mortals, who shouldn’t know of the existence of the supernatural beings who walked among them.
He pushed open the old oak door at the end of the hall and entered his friend’s office, a book-filled room lit by a small fire that smelled of autumn. Warren looked up from his cluttered desk and leaned back in his chair.
“Cadan, thanks for coming in so early.”
“No’ a problem,” Cadan said. He sank into an old leather chair across from Warren’s desk. “Who’s it this time?”
As one of the few Mythean Guardians in the world, it had been Cadan’s responsibility for nearly two millennia to protect those mortal or supernatural beings deemed important to the fate of humanity.
Warren glanced down at a rumpled piece of paper. “Looks like a Celtic warrior.”
Interesting—a man who’d been alive for as long as he. “Why’s the bloke need protecting if he’s made it this long? Destiny just revealed to him?”
And why haven’t I met him before? Though he didn’t get out much, Cadan knew, or knew of, nearly all the Mytheans in Great Britain. The ones who hadn’t gone rogue, at least.
“Well, that’s where it gets a little strange. The warrior hasn’t been alive. The soul has just been reborn.”
“A reincarnate? They’re damn rare. Doona think I’ve ever actually met one.”
“It doesn’t happen very often,” Warren said, picking up the Slinky on his desk and fiddling with it.
Why wouldn’t Warren meet his eyes? The claws of nerves crawled up Cadan’s back, little pinpricks sinking into his skin that wouldn’t shake loose. It took him off guard; he hadn’t felt that in centuries.
“I’ve spoken briefly to Aerten about it.” Warren finally glanced at him, but looked away almost immediately.
Shite.
“What does the goddess of fate have to say about it?” He hadn’t seen her in ages. Hell, he’d only seen her a few times since she’d offered him a spot in the Praesidium. Whether he should thank her or curse her was something he hadn’t figured out yet.
“That only select souls are reborn. Those who were so strong in life that their souls never left this plane.” Warren set the Slinky down. “Their souls wait in stasis until humanity needs them. At that point, they’re brought back to perform a task that only they can accomplish.”
“So, I’m going to be protecting a child who will save the world?” A cold sweat broke out on his skin. Killing and guarding adults—no’ a problem. But dealing with children was something he was entirely unqualified for after being alone for two thousand years. F*)k, what a mess.
“No’ exactly,” Warren hedged. “Apparently with Druidic reincarnation, the soul is reborn in another person, but the person doesn’t become conscious of their previous life until they reach the approximate age at which they died originally.”
“Shite, they develop split personalities?”
“Ah, no’ exactly.” He paused, seemingly unaware that he’d grabbed the Slinky again and was juggling it faster and faster. “They doona survive that long. Once they remember who they are and complete their fated task, they die.”
“Die? That’s some shite luck.”
“Aye. The tragedy that took the soul too early the first time follows it. History is destined to repeat itself, after all. You need to protect the reincarnate until the fated task is complete, longer if you can.”
That would be a challenge, but then, he liked a challenge. “Do we know what this guy’s task will be, once he regains his memory? And where is he, anyway?”
“Doona know the task, but Aerten has prophesied that a catalyzing event will spur the memory of the reincarnate and lead them to Arthur’s Seat, likely today or tomorrow. That’s where you’ll meet.” Warren hesitated before continuing, finally meeting Cadan’s eyes. “And the warrior isn’t a man.”
Cadan’s breath stuck in his throat and a chill broke out on his skin. Nay, it couldn’t be. “Who is it, Warren?”
“It’s Boudica.”
About the author, Linsey Hall…
Linsey Hall is the author of the Mythean Arcana, a sexy paranormal romance series. Before becoming a romance novelist, Linsey was an underwater archaeologist who studied shipwrecks in all kinds of water, from the tropics to muddy rivers (and she has a distinct preference for one over the other). Her books draw upon her love of history, travel, and the paranormal elements that she can’t help but include. Several of her books may or may not feature her cats.
~~~
Links to Linsey’s website, blog, books, etc.
Author Email: LinseyHallAuthor@gmail.com
Website: www.linseyhall.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HiLinseyHall
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LinseyHallAuthor
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8588556.Linsey_Hall
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/HiLinseyHall/
Braving Fate Amazon Purchase Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Braving-Fate-Mythean-Arcana-Book-ebook/dp/B00O27QLAU/ref=la_B00OF7Y6CC_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414938215&sr=1-1
Soulceress (Book 2) Amazon Purchase Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Soulceress-The-Mythean-Arcana-Book-ebook/dp/B00O4CPOUQ/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1KNDRFWBGD8X1WC5W5K8
Rogue Soul (Book 3) Amazon Purchase Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Rogue-Soul-Myth...
~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**
November 9, 2014
**Author Peek** Interview with John Gaspard
**AUTHOR PEEK** Interview with JOHN GASPARD
INTRODUCING…John Gaspard.
1. What genre(s) do you write in and why?
I’ve heard the word “Cozy” used a lot, but I prefer Light Comic Mysteries, which I think is a better description of the genre. I write this type of mystery because it’s my favorite to read.
2. What’s your favorite beverage?
An Egg Cream – chocolate syrup, a touch of chocolate milk and seltzer. The best beverage in the world.
3. If you had to listen to one song over and over again for a whole day, what would it be?
Elvis Presley’s “A Little Less Conversation (JXL Re-Mix).” But now let me ask this question: Why are you making me listen to the same song over and over?
4. What is your least favorite part of writing?
Poofing. Proofng. Proofing.
5. Are you an avid reader? When you do read someone else’s writing, what is your favorite genre?
I have so little time for actual reading, but drive time has made me an avid listener to books on CD. While I often use this time to listen to other Light Comic Mysteries, I also listen to biographies, classics and humor.
6. Where do you get the ideas for your stories?
Long walks are the best source for inspiration. And although it’s a cliché, first thing in the morning and the last thing at night before falling asleep often produce the most interesting inspirations.
7. Tell me about your ideal reader.
My books are really written for me – for my sense of humor and my interests. As I get older and my memory gets worse, I hope to enjoy the books spoiler-free!
8. Tell us about your next book & when is it being published.
The new book is the second in the Eli Marks mystery series: “The Bullet Catch.” It will be released by Henery Press on November 4, 2014.
Here’s the brief description:
Newly-single magician Eli Marks reluctantly attends his high school reunion against his better judgment, only to become entangled in two deadly encounters with his former classmates. The first is the fatal mugging of an old crush’s husband, followed by the suspicious deaths of the victim’s business associates.
At the same time, Eli also comes to the aid of a classmate-turned-movie-star who fears that attempting The Bullet Catch in an upcoming movie may be his last performance. As the bodies begin to pile up, Eli comes to the realization that juggling these murderous situations — while saving his own neck — may be the greatest trick he’s ever performed.
~~~~~~~
Links to John’s website, blog, books, etc.
Find the book here:
http://henerypress.com/books-humorous-mystery-series-book/the-bullet-catch/
My author website:
https://www.facebook.com/JohnGaspardAuthorPage
My other website:
http://fastcheapmoviethoughts.blogspot.com
~~~~
BE SURE TO COME BACK to read more about John, his new release, and an excerpt from THE BULLET CATCH (An Eli Marks Mystery), on Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench. Happy Reading!
~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: John is giving away a paperback copy (US only) of THE BULLET CATCH to one lucky winner who comments on his **Author Peek** Interview or Killer Book Bench blogs. Don’t miss this chance to read John’s new story. Thanks, John, for sharing your newest release with us!
November 6, 2014
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Michel Prince
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **AUTHOR SPECIAL** with MICHEL PRINCE!
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, MICHEL PRINCE, and her favorite recipe for CLAM CHOWDER!
MASK OF FIRE
A Red Hot Treats Story
By MICHEL PRINCE
Book Blurb
Barton Nuril has attended the Harvester’s Gala for more years than most. He’d given up the dream that a woman would want him for more than copulation until a dark haired beauty he dubs Fire fights to get him in bed. Even as those from his province plot to take down the establishment and all its traditions, Barton for once, is discovering love may exist.
Abigail Stone knew the Rules chapter and verse. Even as others perverted their purpose, Abby stayed true and attended the Harvester’s Gala to find her soul mate. Just as she feels she’s found him the fates step in between omens and a battle no one could have foretold Abby is sure her choice is doomed. Will she see beyond her traditions and still stay within the rules to find love?
Can love ignite when one believes it no longer exists and the other fears the fates have doomed the union?
MASK OF FIRE
A Red Hot Treats Story
By MICHEL PRINCE
Excerpt
Editor’s Note: To maintain this site’s PG-13 rating, some language has been edited.
Barton scrubbed his fingernails with a brush to get out any dirt missed by the clerics during his last cleansing. He needed to keep his focus on Fire at this moment. It’s not like he could strap on a dozen weapons and take out this rebellion singlehanded. Besides, Fire’s blue eyes looked as if they were going to burst with tears but a minute ago. Once he agreed to help, she calmed. She needed him in this moment, and he would be there for her; not because it was his duty, but because she actually needed him.
“Did you get images?” Fire asked the cleric as she ran water in the basin.
“You didn’t tell us to.”
“Right and you don’t have protocols for trauma care.”
“Not really.”
“Take them now. You have mobile imagers correct?”
“Yes.”
The cleric rushed from the room , and Fire began scrubbing up to her elbows.
“Hopefully he hasn’t hit anything big. My surgical rotation wasn’t my favorite.”
With the patient sedated Fire looked to the images on the screen. Barton watched as she sized up the damage and the best way to extract the foreign object. In the field he would have given the man a strap of leather to bite and yank, but then again they tended to have evac vehicles in bound within minutes of any injury. For the first time in a decade he missed his stupid communicator and the shit talk from the guys.
Above them the ceiling trembled from the movement in the foyer , and a third explosion let them know they were fully trapped. Even the line to the Central City of Remaldy had been destroyed.
“Someone will come for us won’t they? The armies?” Fire asked as she began to extract the shard. Her blue eyes pleaded with him to tell her she’d be safe.
“At some point. The ones that aren’t here are in space monitoring for off planet attacks.”
“What of the ones here? Couldn’t they—”
“The male soldiers are all in loin cloths, the female ones…”
“Right.” Fire returned to her analysis.
Time, place, and opportunity. Barton had questioned everything in his life. Inside he felt the drive to war and f*(k, but he was duty bound and suppressed the urges. Now with Fire his control was waning.
Fear crept across Fire’s face , and he wanted to pull her into his arms and cradle her. Strange to feel that way when women no longer wanted that from a man. Protection came from within, wasn’t that what a woman had once told him? He believed she must have been a soldier the way she acted. Strong, confident… Not like Fire. Fire had a spark to her that told of the danger that could befall him if he dared to love her. It told of the way her touch could scorch him if she held on too tightly. Yet, he wanted the burn, the brand that could only come from a woman who loved him.
But was he too late? Had her mark already been made?
She looked at him as sweat beaded on her forehead. The skin between her eyes knitting together reminded him of his own frustrations.
“Clamp,” she called, and Barton came out of his head in time to pass her the instrument.
The glass had been removed and now she was cutting off blood flow from a squirting vein. Her fingers glided inside the man’s stomach, but her eyes were locked on his. There was a disconnect he hadn’t felt from her before, and he knew although her eyes were locked on him, she might as well be blind. She was using her hands for sight.
“Barton, I need you.” No sweeter words had ever been said from such full lips. “Where my finger is I need you clamp then hold the vein so I can resect it and create a graft.”
Barton shook himself from his perverted thoughts and focused on the job at hand. Saving a life. Here he was with a belly open in front of him and blood gushing, and all he could think about was Fire and the feel of her skin. He followed her hand and clamped the second bleeder off.
“This is it,” she said. “I need your full focus.”
“You’ve got it.”
“I… I…” She began to stutter. He realized she did that right before she took a chance. Like she wasn’t as sure of herself once her decision was made.
“Fire, I’m here for you.”
She seemed to calm at his words until she swiftly reached for a scissor-like tool and quickly snipped at the side of his face. A loud buzz came from his mask as it floated, then fell on the side of the patient. The cleric nurses gasped, but Fire took it in stride.
“Tradition or not I need to know where your eyes are at to do this.”
About the author…Michel Prince.
Michel Prince is an author who graduated with a bachelor degree in History and Political Science. Michel writes new adult and adult paranormal romance as well as contemporary romance.
With characters yelling “It’s my turn damn it!!!” She tries to explain to them that alas, she can only type a hundred and twenty words a minute and they will have wait their turn. She knows eventually they find their way out of her head and to her fingertips and she looks forward to sharing them with you.
When Michel can suppress the voices in her head she can be found at a scouting event or cheering for her son in a variety of sports. She would like to thank her family for always being in her corner and especially her husband for supporting her every dream and never letting her give up.
Michel has been awarded Elite Status with Rebel Ink Press in 2013, the service award for her local RWA chapter Midwest Fiction Writers and is a Pro member of RWA. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, cat and new puppy.
~~~
Links to Michel’s website, blog, books, etc.
You can follow Michel on Facebook, Twitter or at her website.
I hope you enjoy the recipe Michel is sharing with us today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy eating!
Karen
P.S. We’re at 169 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CLAM CHOWDER
4- 6 ½ ounce cans of MINCED clams
6 to 8 medium potatoes
4 large carrots
½ bunch of fresh parsley
2 to 3 cups of half and half
pepper
½ cup butter
1 medium onion
Melt butter in a large pot.
Dice onions and sauté.
Drain juice from clams into butter and onions.
Dice carrots and add to the pot and let simmer.
Peel and cut up potatoes into a ¼ inch pieces add to pot.
Finely cut parsley and add to pot. (I use the magic bullet to make it really fine)
Add ½ and ½ until veggies are covered.
When potatoes and carrots are soft rinse clams and cook for 5 minutes.
Add pepper to taste.
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**
Michel is giving away two prizes: One reader will receive a signed paperback copy of THE GUARDIAN’S HEART and a second reader will win a Mask Necklace. Comment on her Killer Fixin’s blog for a chance to win one of these great prizes, and don’t miss this chance to read this great story. Thanks, Michel, for sharing your stories and recipe with us!
November 5, 2014
Karen’s Killer Book Bench Character Interview: Seduced By A Sinner by Cynthia Woolf
Seduced by a Sinner
by Cynthia Woolf
This is the third book in the Destiny in Deadwood series but you can also read it as a stand alone.
Quick Facts
Release Date: October, 2014
Genre: Historical Romance. Western
Formats to buy: Paperbacks and all ebook formats
Book Synopsis
Zach Anderson is a desperate man. He needs to find a killer before the man destroys Zach’s entire family. He also must convince one Lily Sutter, the woman he loves, that she loves him and wants to marry him.
Neither task is an easy one.
Lily Sutter is a sinner. Just ask anyone in Deadwood. She had a baby out of wedlock and she doesn’t deny it. She was seduced and left by one man; she refuses to be taken in by another. The fact that Zach makes her blood boil and her heart race, just by being near, has nothing to do with anything.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
INTERVIEWING CHARACTER, ZACH ANDERSON
Hi Zack! How are you?
I’m looking forward to our interview! I can’t wait to get to know you a bit more.
1. So Zack, tell us when did you get to Deadwood? Do you like living there?
I came to Deadwood with my brothers in 1876, about 2 years ago. Living here is shall we say interesting. There is no law and things can get a bit dicey sometimes.
2. Can you name one of your favorite moments since you got there?
That’s easy. My favorite moment of my life, not just since I got here, is meeting Lily Sutter.
3. Who do you get along with best in your family?
That’s a hard one. I would have said Jake, but I had to use my gun to get him to go somewhere. He wasn’t too happy with me at the time. I think he’s forgiven me now.
4. What things make you happy?
Being with Lily and Gemma makes me happy. There is no more joy for me then being with them.
5. What things make you angry?
When you put my family in jeopardy, any part of my family, I get angry and you’d better watch out.
6. What is your bigger fear?
My biggest fear is losing Lily.
7. Do you think the author portrayed you accurately?
I think the author portrayed me accurately. I’m pretty much the badass she says I am.
8. What do you think about the author?
I love her. I wouldn’t exist without Cynthia Woolf.
9. Do you keep your promises?
I always keep my promises. All a man really has is his word and if he doesn’t keep it when he promises someone something, then he has nothing. All the money in the world can’t help him, if he can’t keep his word.
10. For the sake of ladies’ curiosity… Do you have a birthmark? Where is it? What about scars? How did you get them?
I have a scar down the side of my face from my eye to my lips. I was knifed by a man named Richard Jordan. I’ll pay him back for that scar.
Excerpt:
Thursday, June 28, 1877
Zach reined to a stop in front of the Deadwood mercantile. He was looking forward to seeing Lily, but more importantly, Lily had a spare room and he needed someplace to live. Hopefully, she’d be willing to rent to him.
He probably should get a bath and a shave before he talked to her, but he was just too dog-tired. Over the past three weeks, he’d chased Jordan to Cheyenne and then southwest toward Denver. Always behind him perhaps only minutes, but still behind. Only getting close enough once in Cheyenne, to have seen him. Jordan could have killed him then, but Zach had seen him at the last moment and avoided most of the intended damage. The knife only cut him from below his eye to his mouth. It could have slashed his throat. Bleeding like a stuck pig afterwards, Zach had to find a doctor and get stitched up. By then, he’d lost Jordan and didn’t find him again until just outside Deadwood. Jordan was returning to Zach’s home. Returning to the scene of his crime, when he stabbed Ellie, returning to finish what he’d started but Zach would not allow him to hurt his family.
The problem was finding him in the throng of people that now occupied Deadwood. Thousands of people had come and more were on their way. Looking for the same kind of riches that he and his brothers had been lucky enough to find. They’d struck the mother lode with the gold claim that Lily Sutter had sold them.
He should go next door and get cleaned up, especially if he hoped to have any chance of convincing Lily about the room. She wouldn’t want a boarder who was as dirty as he was. He would ask her for meals, too. He needed them and sharing a meal, spending time together at her table, would be a good chance to get to know more about her and Gemma. The little girl needed a father but until the threat that Jordan presented was eliminated, until Jordan was eliminated, he couldn’t think about that. Couldn’t think about a family of his own.
They’d been in Deadwood for ten months, nearly a year before he left to go after Jordan and he’d been trying to court Lily all that time to no avail. She was having none of it. In all his thirty-eight years, he’d never been turned down by a woman. But she said he was a Yankee and too handsome for his own good and wouldn’t have more than a passing friendship with him.
Well, he wasn’t too handsome now, not with the scar on his face from Jordan’s knife. Red and angry, the wound still had the stitches. He needed to see Doc Cochran to get them out, today if possible, after he’d bathed. Then he could get a shave afterward and there wouldn’t be any stitches left for the razor to catch on.
He dismounted and tied the horse’s reins to the hitching rail then noticed a new bathhouse next door to Lily’s store. The sign said ‘Bath, shave and haircut’ five dollars. He went in there first. The old man, Richardson, was there working.
“Good day, Richardson. I’d like a bath now and a shave later.”
“You can do the bath but you have to pay Miss Lily,” he said, the few strands of long gray hair combed over the bald patch on top, though not covering it very well. “And then bring the token back here. She’s the one who does the shaves and haircuts since Sam left. You have to come back later for that, after she closes the store.”
“Alright, let’s just do the bath. Good and hot. I’ll go get the token. I haven’t had a good bath in weeks and am looking forward to this.”
Zach walked next door to the mercantile. The bell sounded as he entered. The one customer in the store took one look at Zach, and left hurriedly, keeping her face turned and her hand over her mouth as she passed.
“Be right with ya’ll,” said Lily.
He walked up to the counter. “No hurry,” said Zach, his voice still gravelly from lack of use.
Lily’s head snapped up and she stared. “Zach. Is that you?”
“In the flesh.”
She came around the counter. “You’re injured.” Reaching up toward the jagged cut on his face, she pressed her lips together, a gentleness crossed her features before she rallied and the starch came back. “You’re a mess. Where have you been? Why didn’t you say goodbye?”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Other books in the series:
Redeemed by a Rebel
Healed by a Heart
The Author
Cynthia Woolf is the author of six historical western romance books and one short story with more on the way.
She was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.
Cynthia was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.
Cynthia loves writing and reading romance. Her first western romance Tame A Wild Heart, was inspired by the story her mother told her of meeting Cynthia’s father on a ranch in Creede, Colorado. Although Tame A Wild Heart takes place in Creede that is the only similarity between the stories. Her father was a cowboy not a bounty hunter and her mother was a nursemaid (called a nanny now) not the ranch owner. Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she’s made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.
WEBSITE – www.cynthiawoolf.com
GIVEAWAY:
- International
- Win a $50 Visa GC thanks to author Cynthia Woolf
November 4, 2014
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: A Taste of Reality by Joanne McDonnell
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 TASTE OF REALITY
Book One of the Reality Bites Trilogy
By JOANNE McDONNELL
Book Blurb
When Rosie and her friends discover that Melbourne’s nights are ruled by a secret society of vampires, their lives are changed forever.
The death of a single vampire ignites the fanatical wrath of a pure-blood, who actively hunts the teenagers. Faced with the fight of their lives, they discover that one of their friends is “not quite human” and Sorin, an enigmatic man who demands their trust, is clearly obsessed with Rosie.
Battles are fought, lives are lost, and the final explosive conflict leaves the teenagers distraught and confused. Only one thing is clear–life will never be the same–nor will death.
A TASTE OF REALITY
Book One of the Reality Bites Trilogy
By JOANNE McDONNELL
Excerpt
Excerpt from Rosie’s diary.
I wish I could write this so that if anyone else ever picked it up it would self-destruct. I can’t do that, so let’s just hope I can hide it well enough until I decide to destroy it myself.
So–why am I writing about this if it’s so personal? Well, my therapist has been on my back for ages to do it. He said that this would be a good way of getting things off my chest, a good way of talking about things–without talking. It sounded a bit dicky to me, but I finally tried it and you know what? He was right.
I like my therapist. I call him the dark side of Santa, DSS for short. He’s big and fat and miserable. He has thick shoulder length wavy hair and the biggest, bushiest black beard I have ever seen. So you see why I call him the dark side of Santa, but besides that, he’s kinda cool. I promised him I’d write about “The event” as we refer to it, one day, and today is that day. This is for you DSS.
Mum had been freaking out big time; the Mulligans were due to arrive in half an hour and she had only just realised that dad had forgotten to buy the wine. Mum met Jenny Mulligan about four months before “The event” when she walked into the shop where mum worked. Jenny was beautiful, successful, funny and really, really nice. Her and mum had hit it off instantly and when Jenny invited mum for a cup of coffee in her lunch break, their fate was sealed. If there is such a thing in this world as soul-friends, then mum and Jenny Mulligan were it.
After a few dinners over at Jenny’s place it was finally our turn to play host, and as I said… mum had been freaking out. She had been planning this night for weeks, and had spent the two days prior to the “Royal visit” cleaning and preparing a sumptuous feast for Jenny and her husband Brad. Everything had been going to plan until mum realised that dad had forgotten to buy the wine.
Robby, my little brother, sat down on the sofa next to me and we waited for mum to go ballistic. The conversation went something like this.
‘How could you forget the wine?’ mum shouted.
Robby poked me in the ribs and whispered, ‘this is gonna be a good one.’ Watching mum and dad fight was one of our favourite sports, as long as they weren’t fighting about us.
Dad tried to defend himself, ‘give me a break luv, I’ve been running around all day for you.’
‘You’ve bee…you’ve been running around all day. That’s rich that is!’
‘Oh for God’s sake Beth, I’ll go back out now and get your bloody wine. What do you want?’
‘It’s on the list!’ mum yelled at the top of her voice, ‘or are you too stupid to read now?’
Whoa, Robby and I looked at each other; we’d never heard her call dad stupid before. At this point we thought it was time for us to slip out of the room; we didn’t make it.
‘Where do you two think you’re going?’ Mum immobilised us with her glare.
We looked at dad for help but didn’t get any. We were on our own.
‘Rosie, go and finish setting the table then go and get changed. Robby–you go with your dad; he might need your help with his list.’ The implication of that last comment wasn’t lost on anyone.
‘Do I have to?’ Robby whined.
Dad spoke up for him, ‘Let the boy stay at home Elizabeth. I’ll go and get your wine.’
I remember thinking to myself; you shouldn’t have said that dad.
‘My wine!’ Mum was off again. ‘It’s not my wine. It’s the wine I asked you to get for our guests, and no. He can’t stay at home. He’ll just end up making a mess again.’
Mum turned and stomped out of the room, shouting over her shoulder, ‘they’ll be here in twenty minutes!’
I looked at dad and said, ‘she really went off the deep end this time.’
He just smiled and said, ‘She’ll get over it Rose-Bud. Tonight’s important to your mum and you know how she gets sometimes. So– I’ll take Robby, we’ll get the damn wine and then everything will be back to normal.’ He turned to Robby, ‘come on son, grab your coat and we’ll be back before you know it.’
As he walked past me, dad placed his hand on my unruly red curls and ruffled my hair. As usual I pretended that I didn’t like it with a drawn out, ‘Daaad, stop it.’
But I loved it, and he knew it, he was my dad.
***
The Mulligans had arrived and been there for more than fifteen minutes, but there was still no sign of dad and Robby. Mum was livid. I could tell, but she hid it well from our guests. Thirty minutes after the arrival of the Mulligans mum’s anger was fading and the first traces of worry were beginning to show on her already frayed nerves.
She moved constantly from the dining room to the kitchen and back again, tweaking this or straightening that, and apologising profusely for her husband’s tardiness. Her perfectly coiffed hair was beginning to look worse for wear as she kept pulling strands down and twirling them in her fingers, a nervous habit of hers. I remembered I giggled to myself because I thought she looked like Medusa, with thin, red squiggly snakes sticking out from her head.
Ten minutes later the doorbell rang and mum froze. Dad never rang the doorbell. Even if he had forgotten his keys, he never, ever rang the doorbell. He would walk around to the back door, which was rarely locked, and before he came in he would knock his familiar knock on the back door. Knock, knock–kncokknockknock–knock, knock.
I still had no idea what was going on, but I’ll never forget the atmosphere in the house that night. It’s really hard to explain; the best I can do is this. Imagine the anxiety you feel before you open an exam paper for your worst subject. As you open the paper, you still cling on to the weak hope that the questions will be based on the one lesson you actually paid attention to but, after scanning through the questions you realise you are doomed. All you can do now is to try not to step on your hope, which is now lying shattered on the floor underneath your chair.
Then mum opened the front door and our lives changed forever.
Two police officers were standing on the door-step looking professional, sympathetic and serious all at the same time. When they asked to come in mum’s knees buckled. Luckily for her Jenny and Brad had walked up behind mum and Brad caught her before she hit the floor.
I still didn’t know what was going on, a bit naive I know, but other than the police asking, Mrs Gardener, can we come in? No one had said a word. Besides, when you have a near-perfect life, you don’t expect it to come crashing down at the ring of a doorbell.
Jenny helped mum onto the sofa and sat next to her, holding her hand tightly while the police officers talked.
I stood in the doorway, apparently forgotten, as my brain tried to make sense of the words that my ears were pushing into my head.
I am so sorry…the man ran a red light….nothing that Mr Gardener could do…the driver of the other vehicle was drunk… your husband and your son….they were both killed instantly…killed instantly…killed!
I let out a stifled sob and Jenny’s husband came over to me and wrapped his strong arms around me. It felt nice. Then he lifted his hand and placed it on my head.
‘NO!’ I screamed as I slapped his hand away and ran upstairs nearly blinded by the tears that were pouring down my face.
About the author, Joanne McDonnell…
Born in north-east England in 1963, I was raised in a normal loving family. Went to a normal school, earned a reputation as a normal, average student and developed in the normal way. But there my normality stopped.
I have always had an overactive imagination, during the day I’d spend hours at a time talking and playing with my pet duck, a duck I might add that did not exist. While at night, my vivid dreams transported me into dark and often scary worlds.
My imagination was further fuelled by the many books I read, and yes, I was one of those kids who stayed up well after bedtime, huddled under the bed covers with a torch, reading just one more chapter, until there were no more to read. My obsession with books lessened a little when I turned eleven, and my parents gave me a very special gift; my first camera. It was a Kodak pocket camera and it became my new best friend.
Skipping ahead, I left school at the age of 16, safe in the knowledge that there were two things in life I would never, ever do. One, I would never work in a factory. Two, I would never work in a shop. So you can imagine my excitement when I got my first full-time job, in a factory. I found myself clipping threads from make-up bags, though not an overly challenging job, it awarded me with ample time to think. After 12 months of devoted clipping, I moved to Scotland for a year where I waited tables and worked behind the bar, before heading back to Blyth, my home town.
It was then that an exciting opportunity presented itself to me in the shape of a twelve month work visa for Australia, where I learned the ins and outs of working in MacDonald’s and other service oriented jobs. At the end of that period, just like the migrating swallow, I returned to Blyth. Of course I needed a job and soon found myself once more working in a factory. This time making components for car ignition locks.
I was twenty one when I returned to Australia, this time as permanent resident, and I’m pleased to say that I was able to avoid factory work. This time I got a job in a shop, (so much for life planning). But as it turned out, this was a good thing. I undertook some tertiary education, and made a career for myself, working my way from check-out-chick to store manager within 6 years. Until, nineteen years after my arrival in Australia, I met the man of my dreams, got married and quit my job to help my husband with his IT business.
So, how have my life experiences led me to writing a book? Well I guess my love of reading, evolved into a love of writing, which merged with my love of photography, and in a way that was my first introduction to storytelling, albeit visual. For most of my adult life I have been writing, telling stories and creating visual art. However, it wasn’t until my husband was offered a full time position with a company he had been consulting for, that I was given the gift of time. This gift allowed me to delve into the recesses of my mind and scrape out some of the characters, ideas and stories that I had buried there over the years. This luxury of time, for indeed it was a luxury, enabled me to bring some of my ideas life.
Oh, and as you can see from my planned 250 word biography, (I’ll save you counting, there’s over 600) I seem incapable of sticking to a plan, and I simply love to write.
~~~
Links to Joanne’s website, blog, books, etc.
http://www.joannemcdonnell.com.au
http://albawolf.blogspot.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/JoanneMcDonnellAuthor
http://www.amazon.com/Taste-Reality-Bites-ebook/dp/B00I0UXA7C
~~~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Joanne is giving away ebook copies of A TASTE OF REALITY to up to five (5) lucky winners who comment on her Interview or Killer Book Bench blogs. Don’t miss this chance to read Joanne’s new story. Thanks, Joanne, for sharing your newest release with us!
