Laurel Richards's Blog, page 5
September 25, 2019
Guest Blogging with Jessica E. Subject
Release Day for Space Race!
It's release day for Space Race, both in e-book and print formats. Use the Books2Read link or visit my website at https://author-laurelrichards.blogspo... for more details.The race is on! Maxton and his family are entered to compete in the big land rush on planet Caerus. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. The problem? Everything seems to go wrong. Their secondhand ship keeps breaking down, their cousin goes missing, and someone steals half their funds. They have to turn to a staffing agency to get somebody to take a look at their shipboard computers.
When Clara accepts a temp job aboard the Merit, she figures she’ll only be on the ship for about an hour. That’s all the time she needs to run a diagnostic on the computers, but then Max shocks her with an invitation to join his team. The man is handsome and single, and participating in the competition could change her whole life. But can they win?
Although this ragtag group may not look impressive from the outside, they have strength, determination, and smarts. They’ll need all those qualities if they want to win this amazing space race.
Content: This book contains a sweet romance, a dilapidated space ship, and a great deal of running.
https://author-laurelrichards.blogspo...
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/u/mdGDqZ
September 1, 2019
Now Available for Preorder! Space Race
Space Race, my fast-paced science fiction novel with a sweet romance, is now available for preorder (releases 9/25).The race is on! Maxton and his family are entered to compete in the big land rush on planet Caerus. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. The problem? Everything seems to go wrong. Their secondhand ship keeps breaking down, their cousin goes missing, and someone steals half their funds. They have to turn to a staffing agency to get somebody to take a look at their shipboard computers.
When Clara accepts a temp job aboard the Merit, she figures she’ll only be on the ship for about an hour. That’s all the time she needs to run a diagnostic on the computers, but then Max shocks her with an invitation to join his team. The man is handsome and single, and participating in the competition could change her whole life. But can they win?
Although this ragtag group may not look impressive from the outside, they have strength, determination, and smarts. They’ll need all those qualities if they want to win this amazing space race.
Content: This book contains a sweet romance, a dilapidated space ship, and a great deal of running.
https://author-laurelrichards.blogspo...
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/u/mdGDqZ
June 19, 2019
Out Now! The Shrimp Attack
The next Cassie Wynn Mystery novel, The Shrimp Attack, is now available! Enjoy this funny cozy mystery set in small-town Florida.Murder in a crowded room. When private investigators Cassie and Mitch attend a party to kick off their town’s first Shrimp-a-thon, they don’t expect the hostess to wind up dead on the floor. Now Cassie and Mitch must account for all the guests and figure out who had a motive to kill Dr. Tanya Prasher. The doctor made a lot of enemies when she built her monstrous pink house and struck deals that hurt local companies. Is the killer a wronged businessman? An angry ex-employee? A vengeful neighbor? Or is he or she someone much closer to the victim? If they can figure out the motive for the attack, then maybe they can identify the killer.
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TB1V599
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07TB1V599
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07TB1V599
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07TB1V599
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-...
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-...
Kobo UK: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-...
iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id146...
April 16, 2019
Cover Reveal for Noodles and Noggins
My crazy contemporary fantasy Noodles and Noggins just got a brand new cover, and it's now on sale for only 99 cents!
Inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, this zany contemporary fantasy follows Alyssa Galey, who falls asleep researching vacations online and is led by her computer mouse to the Morpheus Resort. She encounters strange characters along the way, including a scholar writing his doctoral dissertation on “functional noodles” and a ruthless CEO who is likely to make heads roll. Will Alyssa enjoy her time at the resort? And will she ever get home again?
https://books2read.com/u/4DlKpQ
February 10, 2019
Quick Book Browsing: Series
For those of you who have been following this blog series, you know I started these posts following the closure of some of the smaller book vendors. Browsing for something to read on the larger booksellers’ sites can be overwhelming. You might miss out on a great book simply because the author didn’t spring for expensive advertising or because the title wound up on page twenty-five of that genre’s listings. For some time now, I’ve been posting my own recommendations within various categories. In case you missed those blog posts, you’ll find links to all of them at the bottom of this article. While there are a lot of great single title works out there, I know sometimes readers want to dive into a series. Below, you’ll find my personal recommendations for series in sci-fi and fantasy romance, paranormal romance, historical romance, humor, etc.
SCI-FI ROMANCE & FANTASY SERIES
Robotics Faction: Android Assassins Series by Wendy Lynn Clark
#android #romance
Spark Series by Autumn Dawn
#cyborg #SFR #translator #aliens #shapeshifter
The Emperor’s Edge Series by Lindsay Buroker
#fantasy #steampunk #assassin #action #romance
The Iron Seas Series by Meljean Brook
#steampunk #fantasy #romance
Claimings Series by Lyn Gala
#SFR #LGBT m/m romance
In Death Series by J.D. Robb
#SFR #futuristic #mystery #detective
Dock Five Universe Series by Linnea Sinclair
#SFR #spaceopera #telepath #war
Time-Hunter Series by Angela Knight
#SFR #romance #timetravel #futuristic
Ghostwalker Series by Christine Feehan
#SFR #psychic #military
Ghost Hunters / Harmony / Rainshadow Series by Jayne Castle
#SFR #dustbunnies #psychics #suspense
PARANORMAL ROMANCE SERIES
Elementals Series by Laurel Richards
#PNR #Elementals #urbanfantasy #shapeshifters #serpents #dragons
Psy-Changeling Series by Nalini Singh
#PNR #leopard #wolf #psychic #romance #shapeshifter
Mageverse Series by Angela Knight
#PNR #fantasy #romance #vampire #shapeshifters #werewolf #dragon #mage
Nightwalkers Series by Jacquelyn Frank
#PNR #demons #romance #Druids #lycanthropes #vampires
Shadowdwellers Series by Jacquelyn Frank
#PNR #romance #paranormal
Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by J.R. Ward
#PNR #vampire #romance
Vampire Territory Series by Allie Ritch
#PNR #vampire #romance #action
Midnight Breed Series by Lara Adrian
#PNR #vampire #psychic #romance
Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Series by Laurell K. Hamilton
#PNR #vampire #werewolf #shapeshifter #necromancer
Immortals After Dark Series by Kresley Cole
#PNR #Valkyrie #vampire #werewolf #foreseer
Dark-Hunter Series by Sherrilyn Kenyon
#PNR #vampire #werewolf #gods
MacKenzie Vampire Series by Nina Bangs
#PNR #vampire #romance
Castle of Dark Dreams Series by Nina Bangs
#PNR #romance #themepark #demon #vampire #curse #humor
Dark Series by Christine Feehan
#PNR #Carpathians #vampires #psychics #Lycans #mages #romance
Love at Stake Series by Kerrilyn Sparks
#PNR #vampires #humor
Young Brothers Series by Kathy Love
#PNR #vampire #humor
Spellbound Falls Series by Janet Chapman
#PNR #romance #gods #timetravel
Dirk & Steele Series by Marjorie M. Liu
#PNR #psychics #shapeshifters #gargoyles #supernatural #agency
Goddess Summoning Series by P.C. Cast
#fantasy #romance #mythology
HISTORICAL ROMANCE SERIES
Carsington Brothers Series by Loretta Chase
#historical #romance
Bastion Club Series by Stephanie Laurens
#historical #romance
Bridgertons Series by Julia Quinn
#historical #romance #humor
Spindle Cove Series by Tessa Dare
#historical #romance #humor
MISC. SERIES
Arcane Society Series by Amanda Quick / Jayne Ann Krentz / Jayne Castle
#historical #contemporary #futuristic #romance #SFR #PNR #psychic
Short story collections by Patrick F. McManus
#humor #comedy #outdoors
Cassie Wynn Mystery Series by Laurel Richards
#comedy #cozymystery #romance #humor
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Previous Quick Book Browsing Posts
Shifters and Shifter Romance
Sci-Fi Romance
Sci-Fi Romance (or help, I’m being chased by an alien/monster/robot!)
Psychics and Sci-Fi Romance
Fantasy
Werewolf Romance
Dragon Shifters
Paranormal Romance
Comedy and Mystery
Historical Romance
The Lighter Side of Vampires (though not the sunny side)
Vampire Romance with Bite
June 13, 2018
Quick Book Browsing: More Sci-Fi and Sci-Fi Romance
In The Colony, Dr. Elisa Everett makes a huge paleontology discovery on the planet of Jangala, and the next thing she knows, all of her fellow colonists are slaughtered or missing. Alexander Valerian is part of the security team already en route to Jangala and finds Elisa hiding in a ventilation shaft, gasping for air. Will they be able to figure out what happened to the colonists and get off the planet before they share the same fate?
In Fate’s Mission, warrior priest Reinn sets out on a mission to investigate a new historical discovery that could shatter everything his religious order believes in. Along the way, Fate brings him his soul mate, and Isibel’s destiny is entwined with his own. They face bombings, attempted kidnappings, and assassination attempts, and the danger only increases the closer they get to the truth.
In Stellar Affair, Ardra is kidnapped and programmed with a set of coordinates that could mean life or death for a whole planet of people, and along with that, she’s reprogrammed with memories that aren’t hers. Jack has the psychic ability to read people’s minds, and he uses this talent to try to untangle Ardra’s memories to get at the coordinates. He isn’t supposed to fall in love with her along the way.
Books I Recommend:
Lindsay Buroker's Star Nomad — has a wonderfully snarky female captain and interesting crew, with lots of action and suspense
Terminus (Fringe Worlds, #1) by Kevin Hardman – Gant Maker is a bit like a sci-fi Jack Reacher, and his companion, Erlen, makes this a fun read
Flare Shifter (T'nari Renegades–Pleiadian Cycle, Prequel Novella) by Erin MacMichael – too much insta-love as far as the romance goes, but the alien races are interesting, and the story focuses on life for a conquered and occupied people.
Claimings, Tails, and Other Alien Artifacts (Claimings #1) and the rest of the Claimings series by Lyn Gala – if you’re fine with a couple of spicy m/m love scenes, Lyn Gala does a fantastic job of creating an entire alien culture and makes the reader look at our own human cultures in a new light.
Prophecy (Prophecy #1) by Lea Kirk – although this book could have been edited better, the beginning catches the reader right away, and it’s nice to see an alien race that isn’t entirely homogenous and united.
Previous Posts:
Quick Book Browsing: Shifters and Shifter Romance
Quick Book Browsing: Sci-Fi Romance
Quick Book Browsing: Sci-Fi Romance (or help, I’m being chased by an alien/monster/robot!)
Quick Book Browsing: Psychics and Sci-Fi Romance
Quick Book Browsing: Fantasy
Quick Book Browsing: Werewolf Romance
Quick Book Browsing: Dragon Shifters
Quick Book Browsing: Paranormal Romance
Quick Book Browsing: Comedy and Mystery
Quick Book Browsing: Historical Romance
Quick Book Browsing: The Lighter Side of Vampires (though not the sunny side)
Quick Book Browsing: Vampire Romance with Bite
Movies/Shows I Recommend:
Sci-Fi: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Orphan Black (TV Series 2013–2017) – loved this series!
Fantasy: The Great Wall (2016)
June 2, 2018
The Truth Behind the Absurd
1. Throughout the Cassie Wynn series, I have two nearly identical bait-and-tackle shops, owned by former friends on opposite sides of the street: the Hook-’n-Reel Plus and the Hook-’n-Reel Pro.
Back when I was working in website design, I had the owner of an online tackle business hire me to set up his website. Let’s call his business Super Angler Pro. I was at least a month into the approved design when his manager called me and told me he wanted me to copy the format of another website. That other site was owned by a guy he knew, who did business one town over from him. It was called Super Angler Pro Shop. There was only one word difference between the two—shop—both in the company names and in the URLs. Needless to say, I explained that I would not plagiarize another site’s web design, but I did incorporate a few elements that he liked. The Hook-’n-Reels in my humorous mystery series were born. As for the owners of the Hook-’n-Reels, they were inspired by two neighbors who practically lived in each other’s pockets. There was more than a little speculation about the pair of them.
2. In The Clam Festival Murders, I had Cassie describe the following: “Travis had a girlfriend at one time, although he dumped her after she was arrested for burglary. She had been working for the local pharmacy, but they fired her once they found out she was stealing prescriptions. I guess she was pretty steamed about it, because she came back the next night, broke the window with a brick, and tried to help herself to the cash. She might have gotten away with it, too, if she hadn’t tried to make off with the whole register…She electrocuted herself when she cut through the power cord with a pair of scissors.”
Well, news stories make up a lot of my inspiration. In 2005, an ex-employee broke into an appliance store, set off the alarm, cut herself on the broken glass, and then electrocuted herself trying to cut the cash register’s power cord with scissors. This caused her hood to fly back and framed her nicely for the security camera. Oh, and she was later picked up at the hospital when she went in for stitches for her cut.
3. There’s an ongoing feud between two politicians in my series, Bert Sterling and Craig Maxwell: “In July before the election, Bert Sterling called the police alleging that Craig Maxwell had threatened his wife, Brandy, with a nine iron after their Golden Retriever defecated on Maxwell’s lawn. Maxwell denied the charges and said it was a three-wood…Then Maxwell accused Sterling of committing battery…when the man slung a gin and tonic in his face during an altercation at the Yacht Club. This time, they actually went to court, where the judge ruled that this did not constitute battery. Sterling claimed he never did any such thing. It was a Tom Collins.”
These characters were based on two real-life politicians who lived directly behind one another and who made the small-town papers. I’ll call them Peterson and Roberts. In 2004, Roberts claimed Peterson committed battery by spitting wine in his face. Peterson claimed it was water and that he didn’t spit it in the man’s face. In 2006, Peterson called the police alleging Roberts threatened his wife with a broom. Peterson said it was a rake and that he never threatened anyone with it. Roberts claimed Peterson’s bulldog attacked and killed his Chow Chow. Peterson denied it, and no one could find an incident report. 2007 continued in this vein, with false police reports, etc. Politicians are always good sources of drama.
4. In The Fish Fry Fiasco, Cassie shares a fish story about a suspect named Gator Lee Ross: “On one of Gator’s fishing outings…he hauled up a seven-foot tiger shark. Unprepared for such a large catch, which was almost half the size of his boat, he was in serious trouble. The shark was thrashing angrily, threatening to bite Gator, whack him with its tail, or capsize the boat in the commotion. Gator…grabbed his half-empty bottle of Atocha Gold Rum and braved the shark’s gnashing teeth to pour booze down its throat and into its gills. I guess he thought he could stun it or mellow it out by getting it drunk. When that didn’t work, Gator then tried to beat the creature to death with the empty rum bottle, but he couldn’t even knock it unconscious. In the end, he fell back on his alligator wrestling skills. He grabbed the nearest beach towel and covered the shark’s head before wrapping it up and hightailing it back to the dock for reinforcements. With help, he was able to get the animal off his boat and into the water, at which point the shark swam off with nothing more than a slight buzz.”
In real life in 2009, a fisherman landed a six-foot shark, which began thrashing around in the boat. The guy dumped 100-proof Captain Morgan on the shark’s eyes and gills to stun it and then tried to beat the shark to death with the bottle. He finally wrestled a trash bag over its head.
5. Also in The Fish Fry Fiasco, Cassie picks up some security equipment for a good price. She says, the “high-end security store was robbed by a bunch of teenage kids right before I got there. Ironic, isn’t it? In all fairness, his equipment did its job. The thieves were caught on no less than twenty cameras with clear shots of their faces and the license plate of their getaway car.”
In 2007 in Texas, burglars hit a security equipment store and were caught on tape by seventeen cameras, which got good shots of their faces and their getaway car.
6. In The Sand Castle Calamity, Cassie mentions, “Ever since the South Americans pumped steroids into weasels and groomed them to pass as teacup poodles, anything is possible. They can be very convincing, too. One buyer didn’t even know he’d been duped until he took his weasel to the vet.”
In fact, I saw a news report in 2013 about an Argentinian who was breeding ferrets, pumping them with steroids, fluffing them with hair product, and then selling them as toy poodles. True story.
7. Perhaps the oddest element I put into The Sand Castle Calamity was the historical tour Mitch and Cassie take with her parents. In it, they visit a compound that used to belong to Zebediah Cross, a contemporary of Thomas Edison who was likewise fascinated by electricity. “During one of his experiments with high voltage, Zebediah accidentally electrocuted himself. He was knocked unconscious, at which time he was said to have been contacted by a nature spirit that told him he was the new messiah…Guided by divine inspiration, Zebediah Kross founded a new religious order called Krossianity and became a leader to those he later called his Krossbearers. He preached a life of hard work, communism, and celibacy. Zebediah also taught that the world as we know it exists like a pearl inside a giant clam shell—a clam shell that encompasses the entire galaxy…The Krossbearers built homes like this one and formed their community here in the 1890s…Hoping to expand his influence…Zebediah ran for the position of county commissioner…An argument with other officials turned into a terrible fight, and Zebediah was beaten with a gun…He died a few days later from his injuries, though before he passed, he promised his followers he would rise again. The Krossbearers stood vigil for weeks until the health inspector told them they had to bury the body. Then they built a tomb for him on the beach. Unfortunately, a severe storm struck shortly after that, and the tomb was torn open. Zebediah’s body was washed out to sea…They were able to recover the body a week later, and he was relocated to a cemetery farther inland. Zebediah’s son, Ted, was granted leadership, but he chose instead to pursue work as an artist.”
Believe it or not, most of this absurd history resembles the life and death of Cyrus Reed Teed, who was born in 1839. A contemporary of Edison, Cyrus was electrocuted during an experiment, and while unconscious, he claimed to have been visited by a divine spirit who informed him he was the new messiah. He changed his name to Koresh and founded Koreshanity. He believed that we all exist inside a sphere and are held in place by centrifugal force, not gravity. He preached alchemy, celibacy, and communism, among other things. Cyrus established a commune in Estero, Florida, and several members did run for county government positions. During an argument with some locals, Cyrus was pistol whipped and never fully recovered. He died two years later but promised to rise again. His followers kept watch over his body until it decomposed so much the health inspector demanded they bury it. They put the body in a tomb on the beach, and it was washed out to sea during a hurricane. Despite his preaching strict celibacy, he left behind a son, Douglas, who became an American Impressionist painter.
So you see, there is plenty of humor in real life, and some of the oddest parts of my writing are based on truth, not just my weird imagination. If you want to try my Cassie Wynn Mystery series, you can find the books at Kobo, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Amazon, Books-A-Million, and other stores. They’re available in e-book and trade paperback.
Amz: https://www.amazon.com/Laurel-Richard...
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?que...
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/cass...
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/la...
BAM: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Clam-F...
June 1, 2018
Out Now! The Lobster Trap
After their honeymoon, private investigators Mitch and Cassie take on a new case on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Rudy Cannelli was run over by a boat while diving for a giant lobster, and now he’s convinced someone is trying to kill him. He hires Chase Investigations to track down his would-be killer, but unfortunately, everyone from his ex-wife to his lawn man has a reason to want him dead. Can Cassie and Mitch identify the culprit in time to save their client? Will they get a nice dinner out of the bargain, or is the promise of lobster a trap to get them to take this case? Join Cassie and Mitch as they expand their PI business into new territory and try to find justice for a victim who isn’t dead…yet.https://author-laurelrichards.blogspo...
April 20, 2018
Looking for Something to Read?
Sci-Fi Romance
Sci-Fi Romance (or help, I’m being chased by an alien/monster/robot!)
Psychics and Sci-Fi Romance
Fantasy
Comedy and Mystery
Paranormal Romance
Shifters and Shifter Romance
Werewolf Romance
Dragon Shifters
The Lighter Side of Vampires (though not the sunny side)
Vampire Romance with Bite
Historical Romance
