Laurel Richards's Blog, page 10
July 23, 2016
Guest Blog: Programmed To Please by Jenna Ives
Award-winning author Jenna Ives writes contemporary and science-fiction romance. She’s my guest today!
___
Thanks for hosting me today, Laurel!
A little known fact about me: When I was eleven years old, I decided I wanted to be an astronaut. But since I get sick on roller coasters, I figured space travel wasn’t really a viable career option, so I became a sci-fi author instead! (Not at age eleven, of course, although I did actually write my first action adventure story at age eleven, which was published in my elementary school newsletter…)
I write sci-fi romances with high stakes and lots of conflict. I particularly enjoy dropping my two main characters into an impossible situation, and then watch the sparks fly as they try to resist falling in love!
That’s exactly what happens in the first book of my new series The Tau Cetus Chronicles, which is called Programmed To Please.
Here’s the blurb:
Very human Tau Cetus police agent Jai Turner is sent undercover as a Beautiful Dolls sex robot in order to bring down the planet’s most notorious arms dealer, Marque Callex. The police have never been able to get close to Callex, and Jai’s assignment is to uncover information on his illicit weapons dealings that will lead to his conviction.
Reclusive arms dealer Marque Callex only accepts an invitation from Beautiful Dolls because with his deadly line of work – and the dangerous secrets he’s keeping – he can’t afford to let a real woman into his life. But neither Jai nor Marque are what they seem, and their week together has consequences neither expect.
Programmed To Please is a HOLT Medallion merit award-winner, and if the premise sounds interesting to you, here’s a short excerpt:
“Turner, I’m sending you undercover as a Beautiful Dolls sex toy.”
Police agent Jai Turner stared at her boss, Commander Talis Rainey, convinced she couldn’t possibly have heard him right. She and her partner, Leith Wyatt, had been called into his office at the end of their duty shift, and she was in no mood for a joke.
She shifted tiredly on her feet in front of his desk. “Sir?”
For an answer, Rainey leaned forward in his chair and pushed a button on the console on his desk. “Send in Mr. Carron.”
A minute later, a short man stood in the doorway. His eyes darted around nervously before taking an apparently reluctant step into the room. He was such a stereotype that Jai felt herself stiffen. Thick glasses… hair askew… frankly, all he needed was a lab coat with a pocket protector to complete the picture. Savant. Adept. Carbon-copier.
Maybe her boss hadn’t been making a joke.
Rainey cleared his throat. “This is Anson Carron. The creator of Beautiful Dolls.”
If the abrupt and impersonal introduction annoyed their guest, he didn’t show it. His eyes had locked on Jai, and were scanning her up and down in a way that felt decidedly intimate despite the generic, navy blue one-piece uniform that she and everyone else on the Tau Cetus police force wore.
“Yes,” he murmured. “I suppose I can work with this.”
“This,” Rainey said hotly, “is Jai Turner, one of my best agents. She’s human.”
The little man seemed lost in his own train of thought. “She meets his prime criteria. Of course, it would be better if I could see her without her clothes on before I make a final assessment.”
What? Jai stiffened even more. “Commander!”
Rainey let out a loud sigh, then glanced at Jai and the two men. “Sit. All of you.”
The three of them took the hard chairs arrayed around Rainey’s desk. Jai crossed her arms and legs defensively, and even Wyatt turned his chair around to straddle it. It was obvious neither one of them anticipated liking whatever the Commander might be about to say.
Rainey ran a hand through his grey-black hair and looked at the partners. “Before I start, I have one thing to say to you. Marque Callex.”
Jai gasped. “What?”
That changed everything. The infamous name had both her and Wyatt leaning forward in their chairs, now eagerly waiting for Rainey’s next words.
“You know how long we’ve been trying to get close to this guy. We may now have a chance, albeit by a very unconventional route.” Rainey nodded toward their guest. “A month ago, Mr. Carron here ran afoul of the law. And in an effort to save his neck – and his very lucrative business – he suggested a unique proposal in return for us not pursuing charges against him.”
“What kind of proposal?” Wyatt asked.
“A clever one, as it turns out.” Rainey smirked. “Mr. Carron agreed to send an… invitation… to Marque Callex, in the guise of offering ‘a select number of high-powered businessmen’ the chance to sample the latest model of Beautiful Doll for free, in exchange for their feedback on the product. In reality, Callex was the only person to get this invitation.”
Jai’s mouth set in a disgusted line. “And he accepted.”
“He did,” Rainey confirmed. “It was a gamble, but it paid off. In this supposed ‘latest model,’ clients are able to customize their girl. Callex filled out the form specifying the criteria of his ideal Beautiful Doll, and now all we have to do is fulfill his requirements.” The Commander gave Jai a pointed stare. “With you.”
Jai’s eyes went wide. “You want me to impersonate a sexbot?”
“He’s requested certain specifics,” Anson Carron spoke up. “Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Lean, athletic build.”
Jai let out a relieved breath. “Well, that rules me out. I’m brown-haired and brown-eyed.”
“Easily fixed,” her boss pointed out. “You fit the most important characteristic: athletic build. We can’t fake that, but we can correct the other things with hair dye and contact lenses.”
Jai leaned forward in her chair. “Sir, do you really believe a man who can have any model of girl he wants, would pick a B-cup and not a triple-D? For a sexbot? Come on, Commander. Are you sure Callex is even serious about this?”
Rainey stroked his chin thoughtfully, and then shrugged. “Well, we’ll have our answer on Monday if he shows up at the Beautiful Dolls boudoir. Until then, prepping you for the assignment is the way we’re going to proceed. That is, if you’re agreeable.”
Jai scowled. There was absolutely no way she was going to volunteer for this. Have sex on command? Not a chance. Not even to bring down a man they’d long been after for suspected weapons smuggling. Besides, she could never pass for a sexbot. She had a heartbeat, for goodness sake!
Rainey sighed into the stubborn silence. “Do I really need to play the Joran Breaux card with either of you?”
A spark of anger shot through Jai, even as she heard Wyatt shift uncomfortably on his chair. Joran was the second – and definitely much more personal – reason they were after Marque Callex. Joran had been sent in to infiltrate Callex Industries from the inside, to discover how one of the government’s top weapons contractors was secretly diverting arms to militant countries. Joran’s cover as an employee had seemed secure until two months ago, when the police force had lost contact with him on the very day he’d scheduled a meeting with Marque Callex. Three weeks later, Joran’s body had turned up – in pieces – in a recycling center a hundred clicks away.
Joran had been Wyatt’s partner before Jai.
Jai would relish the chance to avenge the death of a fellow Tau Cetus agent, but was becoming a sex slave really the best way to do it?
Rainey scowled. “You know how long we’ve been trying to get to Marque Callex. This may be our best chance. But if you’re not up to it, Turner, I’ll find another female agent with athletic build who’s more committed to her job.”
Crap. Now Rainey was doubting Jai’s dedication to the force. Silence stretched in the room while Jai considered her options. Her very limited options. As in, none.
“I’ll do it.”
“What?”
Jai’s mouth set into a mulish line. What real choice did she have? Marque Callex needed to be stopped.
“I said I’ll do it. If this is our best – and possibly only – chance to get to him, then I’m in.”
Programmed To Please is the first in a trilogy of Tau Cetus Chronicles. If it sounds like a fun read to you, here are some buy links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Programmed-Ple...
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/progr...
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/prog...
KOBO: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebo...
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
I love to connect with readers and other authors! Hit me up one of these ways: website: http://www.jennaives.com/ ; email: jenna@jennaives.com; blog: http://fierceromance.blogspot.com/ ; Twitter @JennaIvesAuthor; or on Facebook or Goodreads!
Thanks so much to Laurel for hosting me today!
Jenna
___
Thanks for hosting me today, Laurel!
A little known fact about me: When I was eleven years old, I decided I wanted to be an astronaut. But since I get sick on roller coasters, I figured space travel wasn’t really a viable career option, so I became a sci-fi author instead! (Not at age eleven, of course, although I did actually write my first action adventure story at age eleven, which was published in my elementary school newsletter…)
I write sci-fi romances with high stakes and lots of conflict. I particularly enjoy dropping my two main characters into an impossible situation, and then watch the sparks fly as they try to resist falling in love!
That’s exactly what happens in the first book of my new series The Tau Cetus Chronicles, which is called Programmed To Please.
Here’s the blurb:
Very human Tau Cetus police agent Jai Turner is sent undercover as a Beautiful Dolls sex robot in order to bring down the planet’s most notorious arms dealer, Marque Callex. The police have never been able to get close to Callex, and Jai’s assignment is to uncover information on his illicit weapons dealings that will lead to his conviction.
Reclusive arms dealer Marque Callex only accepts an invitation from Beautiful Dolls because with his deadly line of work – and the dangerous secrets he’s keeping – he can’t afford to let a real woman into his life. But neither Jai nor Marque are what they seem, and their week together has consequences neither expect.
Programmed To Please is a HOLT Medallion merit award-winner, and if the premise sounds interesting to you, here’s a short excerpt:
“Turner, I’m sending you undercover as a Beautiful Dolls sex toy.”
Police agent Jai Turner stared at her boss, Commander Talis Rainey, convinced she couldn’t possibly have heard him right. She and her partner, Leith Wyatt, had been called into his office at the end of their duty shift, and she was in no mood for a joke.
She shifted tiredly on her feet in front of his desk. “Sir?”
For an answer, Rainey leaned forward in his chair and pushed a button on the console on his desk. “Send in Mr. Carron.”
A minute later, a short man stood in the doorway. His eyes darted around nervously before taking an apparently reluctant step into the room. He was such a stereotype that Jai felt herself stiffen. Thick glasses… hair askew… frankly, all he needed was a lab coat with a pocket protector to complete the picture. Savant. Adept. Carbon-copier.
Maybe her boss hadn’t been making a joke.
Rainey cleared his throat. “This is Anson Carron. The creator of Beautiful Dolls.”
If the abrupt and impersonal introduction annoyed their guest, he didn’t show it. His eyes had locked on Jai, and were scanning her up and down in a way that felt decidedly intimate despite the generic, navy blue one-piece uniform that she and everyone else on the Tau Cetus police force wore.
“Yes,” he murmured. “I suppose I can work with this.”
“This,” Rainey said hotly, “is Jai Turner, one of my best agents. She’s human.”
The little man seemed lost in his own train of thought. “She meets his prime criteria. Of course, it would be better if I could see her without her clothes on before I make a final assessment.”
What? Jai stiffened even more. “Commander!”
Rainey let out a loud sigh, then glanced at Jai and the two men. “Sit. All of you.”
The three of them took the hard chairs arrayed around Rainey’s desk. Jai crossed her arms and legs defensively, and even Wyatt turned his chair around to straddle it. It was obvious neither one of them anticipated liking whatever the Commander might be about to say.
Rainey ran a hand through his grey-black hair and looked at the partners. “Before I start, I have one thing to say to you. Marque Callex.”
Jai gasped. “What?”
That changed everything. The infamous name had both her and Wyatt leaning forward in their chairs, now eagerly waiting for Rainey’s next words.
“You know how long we’ve been trying to get close to this guy. We may now have a chance, albeit by a very unconventional route.” Rainey nodded toward their guest. “A month ago, Mr. Carron here ran afoul of the law. And in an effort to save his neck – and his very lucrative business – he suggested a unique proposal in return for us not pursuing charges against him.”
“What kind of proposal?” Wyatt asked.
“A clever one, as it turns out.” Rainey smirked. “Mr. Carron agreed to send an… invitation… to Marque Callex, in the guise of offering ‘a select number of high-powered businessmen’ the chance to sample the latest model of Beautiful Doll for free, in exchange for their feedback on the product. In reality, Callex was the only person to get this invitation.”
Jai’s mouth set in a disgusted line. “And he accepted.”
“He did,” Rainey confirmed. “It was a gamble, but it paid off. In this supposed ‘latest model,’ clients are able to customize their girl. Callex filled out the form specifying the criteria of his ideal Beautiful Doll, and now all we have to do is fulfill his requirements.” The Commander gave Jai a pointed stare. “With you.”
Jai’s eyes went wide. “You want me to impersonate a sexbot?”
“He’s requested certain specifics,” Anson Carron spoke up. “Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Lean, athletic build.”
Jai let out a relieved breath. “Well, that rules me out. I’m brown-haired and brown-eyed.”
“Easily fixed,” her boss pointed out. “You fit the most important characteristic: athletic build. We can’t fake that, but we can correct the other things with hair dye and contact lenses.”
Jai leaned forward in her chair. “Sir, do you really believe a man who can have any model of girl he wants, would pick a B-cup and not a triple-D? For a sexbot? Come on, Commander. Are you sure Callex is even serious about this?”
Rainey stroked his chin thoughtfully, and then shrugged. “Well, we’ll have our answer on Monday if he shows up at the Beautiful Dolls boudoir. Until then, prepping you for the assignment is the way we’re going to proceed. That is, if you’re agreeable.”
Jai scowled. There was absolutely no way she was going to volunteer for this. Have sex on command? Not a chance. Not even to bring down a man they’d long been after for suspected weapons smuggling. Besides, she could never pass for a sexbot. She had a heartbeat, for goodness sake!
Rainey sighed into the stubborn silence. “Do I really need to play the Joran Breaux card with either of you?”
A spark of anger shot through Jai, even as she heard Wyatt shift uncomfortably on his chair. Joran was the second – and definitely much more personal – reason they were after Marque Callex. Joran had been sent in to infiltrate Callex Industries from the inside, to discover how one of the government’s top weapons contractors was secretly diverting arms to militant countries. Joran’s cover as an employee had seemed secure until two months ago, when the police force had lost contact with him on the very day he’d scheduled a meeting with Marque Callex. Three weeks later, Joran’s body had turned up – in pieces – in a recycling center a hundred clicks away.
Joran had been Wyatt’s partner before Jai.
Jai would relish the chance to avenge the death of a fellow Tau Cetus agent, but was becoming a sex slave really the best way to do it?
Rainey scowled. “You know how long we’ve been trying to get to Marque Callex. This may be our best chance. But if you’re not up to it, Turner, I’ll find another female agent with athletic build who’s more committed to her job.”
Crap. Now Rainey was doubting Jai’s dedication to the force. Silence stretched in the room while Jai considered her options. Her very limited options. As in, none.
“I’ll do it.”
“What?”
Jai’s mouth set into a mulish line. What real choice did she have? Marque Callex needed to be stopped.
“I said I’ll do it. If this is our best – and possibly only – chance to get to him, then I’m in.”
Programmed To Please is the first in a trilogy of Tau Cetus Chronicles. If it sounds like a fun read to you, here are some buy links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Programmed-Ple...
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/progr...
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/prog...
KOBO: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebo...
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
I love to connect with readers and other authors! Hit me up one of these ways: website: http://www.jennaives.com/ ; email: jenna@jennaives.com; blog: http://fierceromance.blogspot.com/ ; Twitter @JennaIvesAuthor; or on Facebook or Goodreads!
Thanks so much to Laurel for hosting me today!
Jenna
July 16, 2016
Guest Blog: Bad Day in a Banana Hammock by Stuart R. West
Today, author Stuart R. West is here to share his comedic cozy mystery, Bad Day in a Banana Hammock. As those of you who have read my Cassie Wynn Mysteries know, I love a good whodunit that makes me laugh. So without further ado, welcome, Stuart!_
Bad Day in a Banana Hammock is my first straight-up comedy. It’s a cozy mystery. Sorta. Gone are teacups, replaced by male g-strings. A femme fatale using the (false?) name of “Kat” replaces the customary kitties. Comfy chats about food are relegated to spam and fast-food burgers. But it’s a cozy, I tell you!
Here, this explains it better:
Zach wakes up with no memory, no phone, and no clothes except his stripper g-string. And oh yeah! There’s that pesky naked dead guy in bed next to him. Problem is Zach’s not gay. Or a murderer. At least, he doesn’t think so. Only one person can help him, his sister, Zora. Of course Zora’s got problems of her own—she has three kids at home and is eight month’s pregnant with the fourth. So she’s a bit cranky. But that’s not going to stop her from helping her brother. With kids in tow, the siblings set how to find the true killer, clear Zach’s name, and reassure Zach he’s not gay.
Full disclosure time: I wrote the book on a dare. A writer friend dared me to pen a book about a vapid male stripper involved in a mystery. I did it. But it’s his sister that’s proving to be the fan favorite. Zora is a very pregnant, very irritable ex-detective who knows her stuff and ain’t afraid to use a gun. Forget about getting her husband dinner on time...the game is afoot!
“An hilarious murder mystery romp. Ride along with Zach and Zora on this most entertaining of mysteries.”
-Heather Brainerd, author of the Jose Picada, P.I. mystery series.
“A fun, quirky whodunit so full of wild antics, it will keep you guessing...when you’re not giggling.”
-Heather Greenis, author of The Natasha Saga.
“Bad Day in a Banana Hammock will have you wiping up tears of hysterical laughter.”
-Suzanne de Montigney, author of the Shadow of the Unicorn series.
Buy it here:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Banana-Hammock-...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Banana-Hammo...
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Banana-Hammock-...
__
Excerpt:
Zora stared into the dryer, stuck in the deep knee bend of advanced pregnancy. Unable to get up. Of course that’s when the doorbell rang, the way it always seems to happen. Her knees wobbled, unsteady, threatening to dump her over. In her condition, she felt less than athletic.
“I’ll get it,” screamed Nikki, her six year old. Always ready to open the door to strangers, but can’t open and shut a clothes dryer. Maybe if Zora installed a TV above it.
By the time Zora rolled onto her side and negotiated the six-point maneuver necessary to get to her knees, the real screaming started.
Nikki. Justin caterwauled alongside her.
Eight months pregnant or not, Zora bounced to her feet.
Hold on, kids! Mom’s coming to the rescue!
She looked hurriedly around for the closest potential weapon and grabbed a bottle of stain remover. Hey! Any old port in a storm! Bottle in hand, she hustled down the hallway.
Nikki stood in the open doorway, still yelling at the top of her lungs. Her hands were fastened over her four year old brother’s eyes, not so much his screaming mouth. Zora took one look over her daughter’s head and joined the line-up, her hands slapping down over Nikki’s eyes. Figures. Zora’s brother Zach stood outside wearing nothing but a fur coat, a golden thong and a stupid, shameless grin.
“What in the…what now, Zach?” She turned her linked entourage away, shushing them.
“Oh my God, Zora, you’ve gotta help me! I’ve had the worst day! My wallet and phone and pants are missing, and I’m not gay, and I woke up next to a dead guy, and I just spent 45 minutes singing the EZ Brite song with a cab-driver, and he can’t sing at all, and—”
“Wait, wait, wait.” Like a traffic cop, Zora stuck her hand up. Zach could never tell a story for his life. Or keep it together in a crisis. Something she’d come to expect from him over the years. “Back up a minute. What’s this about a dead guy? No…wait…” She bent over, lightning ripping up and down her spine. “Kids, it’s just Uncle Zach. I need to talk grown-up stuff. Go do your homework.”
“It’s summer, Mommy!”
“Well go play, watch TV, torture the neighbor…whatever you do all day.”
They scampered off at a dangerous inside sprint, singing the EZ Brite song. “EZ Brite takes out the greeennn…”
“Get in here, Zach! Before the neighbors see you!” Still holding the stain remover, she wagged him in. Then thumped him in the head with the bottle.
“Owwww, dammit! Why’d you do that?”
“Because I know you and I know this isn’t gonna be good.”
“Come on, sis.” His grin blossomed into a face-wide smile, one that never worked on her. “I didn’t do anything. Really.”
“Yeah, right.”
He jacked a thumb behind him. “Um, I sorta told my cab driver you’d pay him. Please? Cash only, Bennie doesn’t like plastic. You know I’m good for it.”
Good for nothing, more like. With a sigh, she grabbed her purse.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Banana-Hammock-...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Banana-Hammo...
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Banana-Hammock-...
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Author Links
Blog: http://stuartrwest.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StuartRWest
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stuartrwestw...#
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Stuart-R.-West/...
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Google+: https://plus.google.com/1019342002841...
July 14, 2016
Cover Reveals: The Sand Castle Calamity
I'm on Cover Reveals today with an excerpt from my humorous romantic mystery, The Sand Castle Calamity. https://coverreveals.blogspot.com/201...
July 9, 2016
Interview with Bryce from BRYCE (Galactic Defenders) by Jessica E. Subject
I’ve got guest author Jessica E. Subject here, sharing a character interview from her si-fi romance Bryce. Welcome, Jessica.
_
Here is an interview with Bryce, the hero from BRYCE. This takes place right after he travels to Earth to hunt the Erebus and finds the only woman he’s ever loved. He sent her to a safe house, and has just finished hunting down all the Erebus in the area.
Jessica: Hello, Bryce. Thank you for speaking with us today.
Bryce: Cosmos! How did you get in here? Where is Pollux with the cleanup crew? You’re going to need a memory wipe.
Jessica: Don’t you worry about me. I already know all about the Erebus. Though, I’m curious what they were doing on Earth. Have they ever been spotted this far from the Alliance territory before?
Bryce: No. This is the first time. We thought we had them under control for once, but now they’re spreading, traveling farther and farther away.
Jessica: How do you feel about this?
Bryce: I’m worried. There are many more galaxies in this area of the universe that have no idea that there is life beyond their own planet. That makes for a much more dangerous situation. Not only do we have to hunt the Erebus, but we have to make sure the species that live there aren’t away of them or us. Speaking of which, where is Pollux?
Jessica: Wait! I’m not a threat. I want to ask about Lindsay now. Or, I guess you know her as Princess Lalia.
Bryce: I don’t want to talk about her right now.
Jessica: Why not? Didn’t the two of you have a relationship? I heard you told other Defenders that you loved her. That’s not usual for someone from Kalara.
Bryce: How do you know so much? Yes, we had a relationship, and it ended when she left Hemera. I had no idea she came here, and she obviously loved someone else, and had a child with them.
Jessica: Do you think there is a chance you could get together again?
Bryce: I’m not sure why she’d want me. She’s lived here for years without making any attempt to contact the Alliance. Plus, when I did find her, I was so distracted at seeing her again that I let an Erebus kill the man she loved here.
Jessica: But, what if you did have a chance? Do you still have feelings for her?
Bryce: I was distracted at seeing her again, so obviously I do. I did love her, but even if I did have a chance to be with her again... Cosmos! I don’t know. [looks behind me] Pollux, there you are. I need a memory wipe here right away.
Jessica: I get it. I’m outta here. [runs for the door]
____
A dedicated Defender…
Bryce fell in love once, but after Lalia was ripped away from him, he locked his heart from feeling anything for anyone else. Instead, he devotes his life to the Galactic Alliance, killing every bloodthirsty Erebus he comes across.
A shunned princess…
Lalia Comosova fell in love with the wrong man. When her parents learned of her transgressions, they sent her to Earth to hide her error in judgment from the rest of the kingdom.
A second chance?
When these lovers are reunited after many years apart, they have a chance to find happiness together. But fate steps in and threatens to rip them apart as it did years ago.
____
EBOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/BRYCE-Galactic...
Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/BRYCE-Galact...
Amazon Canada – https://www.amazon.ca/BRYCE-Galactic-...
Nook – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books...
Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
iBooks – https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/...
Kobo – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebo...
PRINT BUY LINKS:
Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/Bryce-Galactic...
Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bryce-Galact...
Amazon Canada – https://www.amazon.ca/Bryce-Jessica-E...
CreateSpace – https://www.createspace.com/6359389
__
AUTHOR LINKS:
Website - http://jessicasubject.com
Newsletter - http://eepurl.com/eX1Zw
Twitter - http://twitter.com/jsubject
Facebook Page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica...
Facebook Reader Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/17588...
Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jessicasubject/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jessicaesub...
Google+ - https://plus.google.com/u/0/100079570...
Amazon Author Page - http://amazon.com/author/jessicasubject
Goodreads Page - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Authorgraph - http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/js...
_
Here is an interview with Bryce, the hero from BRYCE. This takes place right after he travels to Earth to hunt the Erebus and finds the only woman he’s ever loved. He sent her to a safe house, and has just finished hunting down all the Erebus in the area.
Jessica: Hello, Bryce. Thank you for speaking with us today.
Bryce: Cosmos! How did you get in here? Where is Pollux with the cleanup crew? You’re going to need a memory wipe.
Jessica: Don’t you worry about me. I already know all about the Erebus. Though, I’m curious what they were doing on Earth. Have they ever been spotted this far from the Alliance territory before?
Bryce: No. This is the first time. We thought we had them under control for once, but now they’re spreading, traveling farther and farther away.
Jessica: How do you feel about this?
Bryce: I’m worried. There are many more galaxies in this area of the universe that have no idea that there is life beyond their own planet. That makes for a much more dangerous situation. Not only do we have to hunt the Erebus, but we have to make sure the species that live there aren’t away of them or us. Speaking of which, where is Pollux?
Jessica: Wait! I’m not a threat. I want to ask about Lindsay now. Or, I guess you know her as Princess Lalia.
Bryce: I don’t want to talk about her right now.
Jessica: Why not? Didn’t the two of you have a relationship? I heard you told other Defenders that you loved her. That’s not usual for someone from Kalara.
Bryce: How do you know so much? Yes, we had a relationship, and it ended when she left Hemera. I had no idea she came here, and she obviously loved someone else, and had a child with them.
Jessica: Do you think there is a chance you could get together again?
Bryce: I’m not sure why she’d want me. She’s lived here for years without making any attempt to contact the Alliance. Plus, when I did find her, I was so distracted at seeing her again that I let an Erebus kill the man she loved here.
Jessica: But, what if you did have a chance? Do you still have feelings for her?
Bryce: I was distracted at seeing her again, so obviously I do. I did love her, but even if I did have a chance to be with her again... Cosmos! I don’t know. [looks behind me] Pollux, there you are. I need a memory wipe here right away.
Jessica: I get it. I’m outta here. [runs for the door]
____
A dedicated Defender…
Bryce fell in love once, but after Lalia was ripped away from him, he locked his heart from feeling anything for anyone else. Instead, he devotes his life to the Galactic Alliance, killing every bloodthirsty Erebus he comes across.
A shunned princess…
Lalia Comosova fell in love with the wrong man. When her parents learned of her transgressions, they sent her to Earth to hide her error in judgment from the rest of the kingdom.
A second chance?
When these lovers are reunited after many years apart, they have a chance to find happiness together. But fate steps in and threatens to rip them apart as it did years ago.
____
EBOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/BRYCE-Galactic...
Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/BRYCE-Galact...
Amazon Canada – https://www.amazon.ca/BRYCE-Galactic-...
Nook – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books...
Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
iBooks – https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/...
Kobo – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebo...
PRINT BUY LINKS:
Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/Bryce-Galactic...
Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bryce-Galact...
Amazon Canada – https://www.amazon.ca/Bryce-Jessica-E...
CreateSpace – https://www.createspace.com/6359389
__
AUTHOR LINKS:
Website - http://jessicasubject.com
Newsletter - http://eepurl.com/eX1Zw
Twitter - http://twitter.com/jsubject
Facebook Page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica...
Facebook Reader Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/17588...
Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jessicasubject/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jessicaesub...
Google+ - https://plus.google.com/u/0/100079570...
Amazon Author Page - http://amazon.com/author/jessicasubject
Goodreads Page - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Authorgraph - http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/js...
July 1, 2016
New Release: The Sand Castle Calamity
Cassie and Mitch are newly engaged, and it’s time to meet the in-laws. When environmentalist Herb Flores turns up dead beneath a sand castle, though, they have to balance investigative work with family obligations. With suspects like a board president, a female bodybuilder, and the Chief of Police, identifying Herb’s killer is a risky business. Throw in their families, a high-maintenance cat, and sand sculptures, and the town of Fatmire, Florida, just got more interesting.Humor, mystery, and romance collide in the Cassie Wynn Mystery series.
E-book
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Sand-Castle-Ca...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sand-Castle-...
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/Sand-Castle-Cal...
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/d/ebook/San...
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-s...
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebo...
Kobo UK: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-...
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/317272689...
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id11...
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Sand-Castle-Ca...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sand-Castle-...
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/Sand-Castle-Cal...
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/1532841884/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-s...
Books-A-Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Sand-C...\
June 15, 2016
Guest Blog: Barbara's Redemption by Diane Saxon
Today I have author Diane Saxon guest blogging with me, sharing her new book, Barbara's Redemption. Welcome, Diane!
Black Hawk pilot Captain Barbara Lynn Perry is running scared. Witness to an event too horrible to think about and too dangerous to talk of, she finds herself alienated from a world she has always had faith in.
With her Special Forces brother missing, she has only one other person to turn to. When her friend Flynn Swann isn’t available, Barbara is left with no choice but to trust the man Flynn sends to save her.
Psychiatrist Dominic Salter’s information from her superior officer’s file is that Barbara has gone rogue. Despite the damning evidence, every instinct tells him he’s dealing with an honorable woman, one who single-handedly saved Flynn from torture and a sure death. Dominic’s challenge is to delve his way beneath her tough, defensive attitude and coax the truth from a woman who’s too frightened to reveal her dark secret.
In his brand new facility containing a state of the art Dreampsych Transcender he’s experimenting with, a machine far beyond a simulator, Dominic has to gain the trust and confidence of Barbara while he resists the hard pull of attraction to this kick-ass woman.
Betrayed by a member of his staff, events take a sinister turn, and the pressure is on in a fight against time for Dominic to persuade Barbara to put her trust in him and reveal the truth before matters are taken out of his hands.
Order Links
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Barbaras-Red...
Amazon.Com: https://www.amazon.com/Barbaras-Redem...
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebo...
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/barb...
Excerpt
Her eyes flew open in a frenzied panic at the touch of a hand on her shoulder.
She surged to her feet and a red haze covered her vision from the violence of her memories. She knocked the dark figure above her onto his ass and spared him a brief, pitiful smile. She leaned in to appreciate the quick flash of surprise when he realized she’d relieved him of the gun he’d had tucked in his holster, neatly concealed under his thick cable-knit sweater. She held it to his temple. Ice formed to protect her heart. Self-preservation was paramount.
“It’s okay, Barbara. It was only a dream.” Her vision cleared while she stared into his tranquil features. “You’re safe, it was only a dream.”
But it wasn’t a dream. It was a memory, and nothing about it was okay.
Calmer, she scanned his face. Eyes soft as a rain-filled sky overflowed with empathy.
Barbara brought her face close to his. She’d seen fear many times and with varying degrees, but there was no fear from Dominic, just an innate patience as he waited for her to make her move.
Her mistake was touching him. She reached out her free hand and curved it around the back of his neck. The heat of his skin penetrated her iciness, warming the palm of her hand to remind her she was human and she held a human life at her mercy.
Not yet ready to acknowledge that humanity, she leaned in, her nose almost touching his. “What’s a good professor like you doing with a gun?”
The corner of his mouth kicked up as he kept his unwavering gaze on her. “Security. We have some very expensive equipment here. I am licensed.”
“You weren’t very secure, were you, Professor?”
“Dominic.”
“Yeah. That shit. Get me to call you by your name, we start to bond. Well, I’m not ready to bond, Prof.”
His low rumbling chuckle vibrated through her fingers. The guy had some balls to be able to laugh, even if it was a forced one. He leaned back on his elbows so she had to either let go of her hold on his neck or go with him. She rolled onto her knees so they pressed against his chest, surprised at the hard muscle she found there. Her position was a little precarious if he decided to flip her over, but she was still the one holding the gun to his head.
She gnawed at her bottom lip as she contemplated her options while the psychiatrist stared with endless patience in his deep, fathomless eyes until she made up her mind. With a regretful cluck, she shuffled back off Dominic’s body to rest on her haunches by his side. She should probably give him the benefit of the doubt.
She turned the gun around, offered him the handle, and as he took it, a thought occurred to her. “Is it loaded?”
His genuine smile spread wide, lightening his dark features as he sat upright to tuck the gun into its holster.
“It is.”
She came to her feet and offered her hand to help him up, unreasonably pleased when he took it and rolled to his feet, keeping a firm grip on her. His palm should have been damp with sweat. Instead it was warm and dry. There was no softness to it, which was contrary to the rest of the image he portrayed.
“So, what do we do now, Professor?” She tilted her head to look up at him. It wasn’t difficult for anyone to be taller than she was, but he didn’t have the imposing height many of the soldiers she knew had. He was nowhere near as tall as the gorilla he employed, who probably topped six feet four. No, the solid professor was most likely just around the six feet mark, wide shoulders, his muscles were pretty well defined. She’d bet money he didn’t spend all day behind a desk in his cozy little gray-knit cardigan. She raked her gaze over him. He was a man of action.
Disappointed at the cool emptiness he left behind when he removed his hand from hers, she watched, intrigued, as he turned his back, apparently unconcerned that she could just whip the gun from him again. She’d made her point; he’d shown his trust. She didn’t feel the need to test him any further. It puzzled her why he should feel the need to carry a gun for security when the facility wasn’t commissioned and the only guest was her.
She studied him as he leaned over the desk, her opinion of the gentle professor evolving. There was definitely no need for him to carry a gun. Unless he knew something she didn’t. Unless Strachan had contacted him.
When he turned back, he held her file in one hand, his glasses in the other. “I think we can get to work. Come on. This way.”
Where to Find Diane Saxon
Author Website: http://dianesaxon.com/
Author Blog: http://www.dianesaxon.com/blogspot.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordianes...
Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diane_Saxon
Goodreads Author: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Author Amazon Profile Page: http://amzn.to/IVkWnn
About the Author
Diane Saxon lives in the Shropshire countryside with her tall, dark, handsome husband, two gorgeous daughters, a Dalmatian, one-eyed kitten, ginger cat, four chickens and a new black Labrador puppy called Beau, whose name has been borrowed for her hero in For Heaven's Cakes.
After working for years in a demanding job, on-call and travelling great distances, Diane gave it all up when her husband said “follow that dream”.
Having been hidden all too long, her characters have burst forth demanding plot lines of their own and she’s found the more she lets them, the more they’re inclined to run wild.
Previous Books:
Loving Lydia -Atlantic Divide Book 1
Bad Girl Bill – Atlantic Divide Book 2
Finding Zoe - Atlantic Divide Book 3
Flight of Her Life
Flynn’s Kiss – Disarmed & Dangerous Book 1
Short Circuit Time
For Heaven’s Cakes
Banshee Seduction – Montgomery’s Sin, Book 1
Black Hawk pilot Captain Barbara Lynn Perry is running scared. Witness to an event too horrible to think about and too dangerous to talk of, she finds herself alienated from a world she has always had faith in.
With her Special Forces brother missing, she has only one other person to turn to. When her friend Flynn Swann isn’t available, Barbara is left with no choice but to trust the man Flynn sends to save her.
Psychiatrist Dominic Salter’s information from her superior officer’s file is that Barbara has gone rogue. Despite the damning evidence, every instinct tells him he’s dealing with an honorable woman, one who single-handedly saved Flynn from torture and a sure death. Dominic’s challenge is to delve his way beneath her tough, defensive attitude and coax the truth from a woman who’s too frightened to reveal her dark secret.
In his brand new facility containing a state of the art Dreampsych Transcender he’s experimenting with, a machine far beyond a simulator, Dominic has to gain the trust and confidence of Barbara while he resists the hard pull of attraction to this kick-ass woman.
Betrayed by a member of his staff, events take a sinister turn, and the pressure is on in a fight against time for Dominic to persuade Barbara to put her trust in him and reveal the truth before matters are taken out of his hands.
Order Links
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Barbaras-Red...
Amazon.Com: https://www.amazon.com/Barbaras-Redem...
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebo...
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/barb...
Excerpt
Her eyes flew open in a frenzied panic at the touch of a hand on her shoulder.
She surged to her feet and a red haze covered her vision from the violence of her memories. She knocked the dark figure above her onto his ass and spared him a brief, pitiful smile. She leaned in to appreciate the quick flash of surprise when he realized she’d relieved him of the gun he’d had tucked in his holster, neatly concealed under his thick cable-knit sweater. She held it to his temple. Ice formed to protect her heart. Self-preservation was paramount.
“It’s okay, Barbara. It was only a dream.” Her vision cleared while she stared into his tranquil features. “You’re safe, it was only a dream.”
But it wasn’t a dream. It was a memory, and nothing about it was okay.
Calmer, she scanned his face. Eyes soft as a rain-filled sky overflowed with empathy.
Barbara brought her face close to his. She’d seen fear many times and with varying degrees, but there was no fear from Dominic, just an innate patience as he waited for her to make her move.
Her mistake was touching him. She reached out her free hand and curved it around the back of his neck. The heat of his skin penetrated her iciness, warming the palm of her hand to remind her she was human and she held a human life at her mercy.
Not yet ready to acknowledge that humanity, she leaned in, her nose almost touching his. “What’s a good professor like you doing with a gun?”
The corner of his mouth kicked up as he kept his unwavering gaze on her. “Security. We have some very expensive equipment here. I am licensed.”
“You weren’t very secure, were you, Professor?”
“Dominic.”
“Yeah. That shit. Get me to call you by your name, we start to bond. Well, I’m not ready to bond, Prof.”
His low rumbling chuckle vibrated through her fingers. The guy had some balls to be able to laugh, even if it was a forced one. He leaned back on his elbows so she had to either let go of her hold on his neck or go with him. She rolled onto her knees so they pressed against his chest, surprised at the hard muscle she found there. Her position was a little precarious if he decided to flip her over, but she was still the one holding the gun to his head.
She gnawed at her bottom lip as she contemplated her options while the psychiatrist stared with endless patience in his deep, fathomless eyes until she made up her mind. With a regretful cluck, she shuffled back off Dominic’s body to rest on her haunches by his side. She should probably give him the benefit of the doubt.
She turned the gun around, offered him the handle, and as he took it, a thought occurred to her. “Is it loaded?”
His genuine smile spread wide, lightening his dark features as he sat upright to tuck the gun into its holster.
“It is.”
She came to her feet and offered her hand to help him up, unreasonably pleased when he took it and rolled to his feet, keeping a firm grip on her. His palm should have been damp with sweat. Instead it was warm and dry. There was no softness to it, which was contrary to the rest of the image he portrayed.
“So, what do we do now, Professor?” She tilted her head to look up at him. It wasn’t difficult for anyone to be taller than she was, but he didn’t have the imposing height many of the soldiers she knew had. He was nowhere near as tall as the gorilla he employed, who probably topped six feet four. No, the solid professor was most likely just around the six feet mark, wide shoulders, his muscles were pretty well defined. She’d bet money he didn’t spend all day behind a desk in his cozy little gray-knit cardigan. She raked her gaze over him. He was a man of action.
Disappointed at the cool emptiness he left behind when he removed his hand from hers, she watched, intrigued, as he turned his back, apparently unconcerned that she could just whip the gun from him again. She’d made her point; he’d shown his trust. She didn’t feel the need to test him any further. It puzzled her why he should feel the need to carry a gun for security when the facility wasn’t commissioned and the only guest was her.
She studied him as he leaned over the desk, her opinion of the gentle professor evolving. There was definitely no need for him to carry a gun. Unless he knew something she didn’t. Unless Strachan had contacted him.
When he turned back, he held her file in one hand, his glasses in the other. “I think we can get to work. Come on. This way.”
Where to Find Diane Saxon
Author Website: http://dianesaxon.com/
Author Blog: http://www.dianesaxon.com/blogspot.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordianes...
Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/Diane_Saxon
Goodreads Author: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Author Amazon Profile Page: http://amzn.to/IVkWnn
About the Author
Diane Saxon lives in the Shropshire countryside with her tall, dark, handsome husband, two gorgeous daughters, a Dalmatian, one-eyed kitten, ginger cat, four chickens and a new black Labrador puppy called Beau, whose name has been borrowed for her hero in For Heaven's Cakes.
After working for years in a demanding job, on-call and travelling great distances, Diane gave it all up when her husband said “follow that dream”.
Having been hidden all too long, her characters have burst forth demanding plot lines of their own and she’s found the more she lets them, the more they’re inclined to run wild.
Previous Books:
Loving Lydia -Atlantic Divide Book 1
Bad Girl Bill – Atlantic Divide Book 2
Finding Zoe - Atlantic Divide Book 3
Flight of Her Life
Flynn’s Kiss – Disarmed & Dangerous Book 1
Short Circuit Time
For Heaven’s Cakes
Banshee Seduction – Montgomery’s Sin, Book 1
June 3, 2016
New Release: The Fish Fry Fiasco
The Fish Fry Fiasco (A Cassie Wynn Mystery, Book 2) is out now and available from Amazon, ARe, Omnilit, and other booksellers. Get it in print or e-book.Cassie and Mitch are back, and their new PI firm, Chase Investigations, has its first big case. Roman Ricardo, owner of Roman Tackle and the sponsor of one of the biggest fishing tournaments in town, has been murdered. Someone slipped a lethal amoeba into Roman’s nasal spray. Now Mitch and Cassie have to figure out who did it, and their list of suspects grows as they investigate the people who last came into contact with the victim. With Mitch’s dad in town, they have some extra help, but father and son don’t exactly see eye to eye. Will Chase Investigations be able to catch the killer?
E-book
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Fish-Fiasco-Ca...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fish-Fiasco-...
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/Fish-Fiasco-Cas...
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebo...
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/314668071...
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id11...
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Fish-Fiasco-Cas...
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fish-Fry-Fia...
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/Fish-Fry-Fiasco...
May 22, 2016
Cover Reveals: The Clam Festival Murders
I'm on Cover Reveals today with my humorous romantic mystery, The Clam Festival Murders. Come check it out at http://coverreveals.blogspot.com/2016...
May 19, 2016
Interview with Mitch and Cassie from The Clam Festival Murders
Read an interview with Mitch and Cassie from my humorous romantic mystery, The Clam Festival Murders. I'm on Annette Mardis's blog at http://www.annettemardis.com/blog/the...
May 16, 2016
Meet Cassie Wynn
Don't miss the interview with Cassie Wynn--heroine of my new humorous romantic mystery, The Clam Festival Murders--on Romance Lives Forever: http://romancelivesforever.blogspot.c...
