Katie Hamstead's Blog, page 20

Guest Post: Playlist for Taste of Death and Honey by Sharon Bayliss

Music is one of my greatest sources of inspiration. My characters always seem to spring to life when music is playing. Perhaps it's magic!

So when I create a story, I also create a playlist of the songs that inspired me most and I love getting the opportunity to share it with my readers. Often the lyrics fit with the story or the songs simply evoke the right feelings or images. For A Taste of Death and Honey, I have a folksy, mournful playlist with strong themes of life and death. Those of you who have read the book might understand my choices. And if not, I hope you just enjoy the music!

Here are some lyrics that really stood out to me:


We came for salvation
We came for family
We came for all that's good that's how we'll walk away

Salvation Song, The Avett Brothers


It don't matter where you bury me
I'll be home and I'll be free
It don't matter where I lay
All my tears be washed away

All My Tears, Emmylou Harris


When, my, time comes around
Lay me gently in the cold dark earth
No grave can hold my body down
I'll crawl home to her

Work Song, Hozier


Well I walked into black
Said I weren't coming back
Saw my angel in blue
She tell me "This life ain't for you"
Oh, this life
Tell it to me this life, ain't for me now

I woke up feeling new
'Cause now I know this life is for you
Yes, this life
Oh, this life ain't for me now
It's for you!

This Life, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros




You can also enjoy playlists curated for Destruction and Watch Me Burn .

---
Now that you've listened, try a taste (of death and honey)!

BUY HERE

This book will grab you by the throat, challenge your mind, and turn your heart inside out. Sharon Bayliss delivers a powerful, emotional punch with her third book in the December People series. - Amy Bearce, author of  The World of Aluvia Series

When Samantha’s parents died, she lost everything. Her home. Her friends. Her hope. Then a life-loving spring witch at the children’s shelter fills her life with light and joy once again.
But like the springtime, Samantha’s happiness doesn’t last forever. Her friend dies violently in front of her, the victim of a mysterious killing spell. Furious and grief-stricken, Samantha resents her own weak spring magic. She doesn’t need life and renewal. She wants revenge…and death.
Homeless and alone, Samantha seeks shelter with her old friends, the Vandergraff family, and finds an unexpected ally in the powerful winter solstice witch, Evangeline. The girls’ anger and eagerness lead them to cast a killing spell before knowing the truth behind Samantha’s friend’s death or the identity of her killer. 
Once the spell is cast, they can’t take it back, and they must fight to stop their own curse before it takes away everyone they love.

A New Book Deal with REUTS

That's right! I signed again with REUTS who published the Cadence Duology. I was so happy working with them, that I'm doing it again.

Here is a rough description:


Adele grew up running wild around her family's property, but with the arrival of a finishing mistress from England, her wild days are over. Being the only daughter with five brothers, Adele learned to work hard, and being "finished" seems pointless in the convict colony of Sydney.
But Adele has a secret; she's in love with the handsome and mysterious drover. The problem is, he's not considered an option, especially against her older brother's stable farmer friend, Thomas, who wishes to pursue her. With the drover coming and going with the seasons, Adele struggles to maintain their romance, but when her oldest brother discovers them, he runs out the drover permanently.
Furious at her brother, Adele keeps Thomas at arms length, despite her feelings softening toward him. But there are secrets to be uncovered; who is the father of the mix raced aboriginal girl they keep hidden? And now, the father of the convict woman's unborn baby? When a note arrives hinting Thomas has fathered the children, Adele is torn and confused, and things only get worse when the drover returns to take her for himself.
It's a New Adult Historical Romance. I don't have a name for it, I'm currently calling it New South Wales, but hopefully it will be changed here soon. This should be another light, fun read here for you all soon! I'm excited!

Blog Tour: Beyond the Rising Tide by Sarah Beard

Beyond the Rising Tide
by Sarah Beard
Genre: YA Speculative Romance
Release Date: June 14th 2016
Sweetwater Books

Summary from Goodreads:

Kai met Avery only once--in the moment he died saving her life. Now when he's not using his new healing powers to help people, he watches helplessly as Avery's life is unraveled by his death. To help her, he risks everything by breaking the rules, dangerously blurring the barriers between life and death. 
Add to Goodreads



Guest Post: Facing my Fears in the Name of Book Research
I’m going to tell you something about myself: I love the ocean. And I’m terrified of it. I love strolling along the beach, watching and listening to the waves roll in. I love the feel of the water as it washes over my feet and then drags me, inch by inch, out to sea. I love stepping into the waves and then moving deeper, feeling the tug and pull of that majestic and powerful thing that is the sea. But as soon as I can’t feel the sand beneath my feet, I panic. My imagination offers up all kinds of terrifying suggestions of what creatures are lurking beneath me, or how far the sea floor is from my feet.
Despite this fear, I knew that if I was going to write a book about a surfer, I needed to try surfing. So one December afternoon when I was on vacation near Avila beach, I squeezed into a wetsuit (the Pacific is COLD in December), and carried my borrowed surfboard into the waves. I’d watched a bunch of YouTube surfing lessons beforehand and practiced “popping up” on the sand, so in theory, I knew the basics.
As I paddled out past the breakers though, I wasn’t thinking about how to choose the right wave or where to put my feet or how fun this would be. All I could think about was where the shark might be. Every time I dipped my arm in the water, I practically expected it to get chomped off by a three-foot-wide mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. Sure, there was only a 1 in 3.7 million chance that I’d be attacked, but the sharks would smell my fear and single me out, right?
Well, I finally made it past the breakers, and that’s when I paused for a minute and told myself to chill out. I’d made it this far, and I was going to surf, and I was going to have fun. And if I got eaten by a shark, at least I would die knowing that I was brave enough to face my fears. I looked out to sea at the set of waves that was moving toward me. I studied their shape and paddled over to where the swell would be the fullest. Then I turned my board shoreward while recalling all those surfing tips. When I felt the wave begin to swell beneath me, I paddled as hard as I could, then popped up to my feet.
I was standing! I was SURFING!

And then a few seconds later I biffed it and learned what it was like to have my sinuses cleaned out with saltwater. But I didn’t care, because I had surfed. I knew what it felt like now, and it was AMAZING. But even more amazing was knowing that I’d overcome a fear so that I could experience something new.


About the AuthorSarah Beard is the author of YA novels PORCELAIN KEYS and BEYOND THE RISING TIDE. She earned a degree in communications from the University of Utah and is currently pursuing an MFA in creative writing from VCFA. When she's not writing, she referees wrestling matches between her three boys and listens to audiobooks while folding self-replicating piles of laundry. She is a breast cancer survivor, a baker of sweets, a seeker of good love stories, a composer of melancholy music, and a traveler who wishes her travel budget was much bigger. She lives with her husband and children in the shadow of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. You can follow Sarah on twitter at @authorsarahb, or atfacebook.com/authorsarahbeard.
Author Links:Website│Goodreads│Twitter│ Facebook

GIVEAWAY:a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blog Tour Organized by:
YA Bound Book Tours

Review: Broken Dolls by Tyrolin Puxty

From Goodreads:
Ella doesn't remember what it's like to be human; after all, she's lived as a doll for thirty years. She forgets what it's like to taste, to breathe...to love.

She watches the professor create other dolls, but they don't seem to hang around for long. His most recent creation is Lisa, a sly goth. Ella doesn't like Lisa. How could she, when Lisa keeps trying to destroy her?

Ella likes the professor's granddaughter though, even if she is dying. It's too bad the professor wants to turn Gabby into a doll, depriving her of an education...depriving her of life.

With time running out and mad dolls on the rampage, Ella questions her very existence as she unearths the secrets buried in her past; secrets that will decide whether Gabby will befall the same fate... 


My Thoughts:
It's fitting I'd finish reading Broken Dolls the day before the sequel releases (Shattered Girls is now available) It's kind of great because it means technically I don't need to wait for the sequel, except I have a massive line up of reading material I need to see to first.
But anyway, Broken Dolls follows Ella, a little ballerina doll who lives in "the professor's" attic. She's lived there for so long she can't remember anything else, and she certainly can't remember her human life. Until Lisa becomes a doll with her, and raises endless questions for her.
This story holds great mystery throughout, and I learned to love sweet little Gabby, and wanted to know what was going on as much as Ella. But the truth... it broke my heart. I can't say too much or it will spoil the story, but in the end I felt terrible for the professor and really resented Ella.
The story is very engaging and surprising, well written and easy to follow without being predictable. I highly recommend this book.

Blog Tour: Hair in All the Wrong Places by Andrew Buckley

Hair in All the Wrong Places by Andrew BuckleyPublication Date:  June 7, 2016Publisher:  Month9Books

What has he done?
What’s happening to him?
And what on Earth is that smell?
For Colin Strauss, puberty stinks. Blackouts, hallucinations, and lapses in memory are the perils of growing up werewolf.
Worse than that, Colin worries he might have had something to do with the recent attacks on the townspeople. He may have eaten a person. It doesn’t matter that it’s someone he doesn’t particularly like. What kind of boy goes around eating people?
Foolishly, all Colin can think about is how Becca Emerson finally kissed him for the first time. Yep, hormones are afoot. Yikes!

But girls will have to wait. Collin better get himself under control before someone else ends up hurt or worse . . . dead.
Goodreads
Purchase Links:
Google Play | BAM| Chapters| Indies | Amazon | B&N| Kobo| TBD| iBooks

Author's Favorite Scene:There’s a scene around a third of the way through the book where the girl Colin has been crushing on breaks into his house in the middle of the night and wakes him up. Colin’s already started going through his changes and he’s having trouble adapting and doesn’t really know what’s going on but there’s one consistent thing in his life and that’s how he feels about Becca Emerson. I love this scene because a) Which of us didn’t have a crush in middle/high school? And b) how awesome would it have been if that crush suddenly turned up at your house in the middle of the night and wanted to hang out? (in this case it’s to visit a crime scene but still, how cool?!)
Colin’s always been convinced he’s a loser and Becca taking an interest in him is his first steps towards breaking out of his loser-dom. I know if 13 year old me had woken up to find the girl I’d been crushing on had broken into my house and wanted to go visit the scene of a recent violent murder, I’d have been ecstatic!

My other favourite scene occurs at the end of the book, which I can’t really talk about. We all had those teachers we hated in school. That one teacher who was a bully to all the students. Or the English teacher who seemed like he genuinely hated teaching. Imagine if you could get back at that teacher . . . just imagine . . . 
Andrew Buckley attended the Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film and Television program. After pitching and developing several screenplay projects for film and television, he worked in marketing and public relations, before becoming a professional copy and content writer. During this time Andrew began writing his first adult novel, DEATH, THE DEVIL AND THE GOLDFISH, followed closely by his second novel, STILTSKIN. He works as an editor for Curiosity Quills Press.
Andrew also co-hosts a geek movie podcast, is working on his next novel, and has a stunning amount of other ideas. He now lives happily in the Okanagan Valley, BC with three kids, one cat, one needy dog, one beautiful wife, and a multitude of characters that live comfortably inside of his mind.
Andrew is represented by Mark Gottlieb at the Trident Media Group.

Website | Twitter | Facebook |Goodreads
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Yes, I've Been Quiet...

You may have noticed I haven't posted much lately. It's true, and here's why!

Things are pretty quiet on the publishing front. I have my second round of edits for Myths of Mish, but my writing and reading have come to a stand still. I've been dealing with personal stuff, like, as I've mentioned before, postpartum depression. Over the last few weeks it's hit me pretty hard and I've been struggling to function in many aspects. 
I talk about PPD a lot because I feel like it's not truly appreciated for how serious it can be. Because it's a short term condition, it's often brushed aside as "it will pass and you'll be fine." Yeah, it will, but right now I feel like I'm barely keeping afloat. I'm lucky in that I don't get aggressive feelings toward my children, where there are plenty of women who do, but I do find myself slipping into dark places in my mind.
I don't want pity of sympathy, I just want people to be aware, especially around new mothers within the first eighteen months, that sometimes these women are fighting a silent battle. From personal experience, they don't want people to know they cry every time the baby wakes them up, or if they have multiple kids that they just can't handle normal everyday things those children bring to them. These women try to be strong and wear a smile in public, and often face scorn when they're not living up to the expectations of others with home keeping and other day-to-day obligations. I know there are times when I just don't even want to get out of bed in the morning.
So, right now, yes, my writing has fallen dead. But that's okay. I'd prefer to wait it out and pick it up when I'm feeling better and not write something terrible. For now, editing will do, and binge watching every anime show on Netflix to keep the creative juices flowing.

So Different and Yet Alike! Guest Post and Sale

Two Soul Mate historicals are going on sale for 99¢!!  
Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel is on sale for 99¢  May 20-May 27! 
Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel tells a story of lives unfolding in different centuries, but linked and irrevocably altered by a series of murders in 1930.  Lake City, Florida, June, 1930: Al Capone checks in for an unusually long stay at the Blanche Hotel, a nice enough joint for an insignificant little whistle stop. The following night, young Jack Blevins witnesses a body being dumped heralding the summer of violence to come. One-by-one, people controlling county vice activities swing from KKK ropes. No moonshine distributor, gaming operator, or brothel madam, black or white, is safe from the Klan's self-righteous vigilantism. Jack's older sister Meg, a waitress at the Blanche, and her fiancé, a sheriff’s deputy, discover reasons to believe the lynchings are cover for a much larger ambition than simply ridding the county of vice. Someone, possibly backed by Capone, has secret plans for filling the voids created by the killings. But as the body count grows and crosses burn, they come to realize this knowledge may get all of them killed.  Gainesville, Florida, August, 2011: Liz Reams, an up and coming young academic specializing in the history of American crime, impulsively moves across the continent to follow a man who convinces her of his devotion yet refuses to say the three simple words I love you. Despite entreaties of friends and family, she is attracted to edginess and a certain type of glamour in her men, both living and historical. Her personal life is an emotional roller coaster, but her career options suddenly blossom beyond all expectation, creating a very different type of stress. To deal with it all, Liz loses herself in her professional passion, original research into the life and times of her favorite bad boy, Al Capone. What she discovers about 1930’s summer of violence, and herself in the process, leaves her reeling at first and then changed forever.
From Soul Mate Publishing:  Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel http://amzn.to/16qq3k5
Take a look at the real Blanche Hotel and other actual locations featured in Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel!  https://www.pinterest.com/lindabennettpen/al-capone-at-the-blanche-hotel/

Confederado do Norte, 2015 Honorable Mention in the RONE Awards, is on sale for 99¢ May 27- June 3!!
Confederado do Norte available from Amazon:  http://amzn.com/B00LMN5OMI
See scenes from Brazil and other locations featured in Confederado do Norte!  https://www.pinterest.com/lindabennettpen/confederado-do-norte/

So Different and Yet Alike
At first glance, my first two novels do not appear to share any similarities. They are set in different centuries, in different parts of the world, are written in very different formats – even the styles of language employed are different due to the eras in which the books are set. Al Capone at the Blanche Hotel takes place in north Florida with dual timelines of 1930 and the present day. Confederado do Norte is set primarily in Brazil in the mid to late 1800’s. The characters speak, live, and dress in the styles of their eras and locations, with Portuguese words embedded throughout much of Confederado and “Southernisms” sprinkled liberally throughout Al Capone. After reading both, however, I believe readers may see some common threads running through the novels, the most obvious being that my stories are either set in the American South or are about Southerners far from home.
Meg, from the 1930 chapters of Al Capone, and Mary Catherine, from Confederado, are Southern girls struggling with odds stacked against them in a world that sees women as second-class citizens at best or mere possessions of men at worst. Though their lives are difficult and even dangerous at times, neither young woman indulges in prolonged periods of self-pity. Instead, they face the realities of their situations head-on with grit and determination. Both Meg and Mary Catherine are based on the women in my family who worked their way through college when girls weren’t supposed to need or acquire educations, survived the Great Depression with their spirits and honor intact, helped win World War II from the home front, and then settled into careers while raising families. They were remarkable for their abilities to deal with and overcome adversity. These were the characteristics with which Meg and Mary Catherine were imbued. They are survivors!
In both novels, I attempt to address issues that represent the uglier side of human nature, and particularly, that are part of the American South’s history and heritage. As a child in the deep South, I never really accepted or understood the way in which some people were treated. It confused me as a child and later appalled me as an adult that we were taught to love our neighbors as ourselves on Sundays, but were then expected to deal with Blacks, Jews, and Catholics in varying degrees of viciousness the remainder of the week. Themes on the devastating effects of racism and of the importance of ignoring societal norms in order to do what is morally right run through both novels. 
I could go on at length with deeper details of similarity, but the one that is nearest my heart is that both novels feature children who are brave, determined, and see more clearly than the adults around them. Jack in Al Capone guards his younger friend Zeke with the zeal of a mother tiger. Mary Catherine protects her adoptive parents at great cost to herself. They are young, but they do what is required to protect those they love.
As you have probably gathered by now, neither of these books are traditional historical romances. They both do contain strong romantic elements, but they also have suspense and themes women generally find important. Finally, probably the greatest similarity is that Al Capone at the Blanche Hoteland Confederado do Norte have as their central theme the triumph of good over evil. Not exactly original, but in reality, this has always been and continues to be the most important issue of any era.
Also by Linda:

BIO:Linda shares this about herself: "I have been in love with the past for as long as I can remember. Anything with a history, whether shabby or majestic, recent or ancient, instantly draws me in. I suppose it comes from being part of a large extended family that spanned several generations. Long summer afternoons on my grandmother's porch or winter evenings gathered around her fireplace were filled with stories both entertaining and poignant. Of course being set in the American South, those stories were also peopled by some very interesting characters, some of whom have found their way into my work.As for my venture in writing, it has allowed me to reinvent myself. We humans are truly multifaceted creatures, but unfortunately we tend to sort and categorize each other into neat, easily understood packages that rarely reveal the whole person. Perhaps you, too, want to step out of the box in which you find yourself. I encourage you to look at the possibilities and imagine. Be filled with childlike wonder in your mental wanderings. Envision what might be, not simply what is. Let us never forget, all good fiction begins when someone says to her or himself, Let's pretend."Linda resides in the Houston area with one sweet husband and one adorable German Shorthaired Pointer who is quite certain she’s a little girl.http://www.lindapennell.com/ https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLindaBennettPennellTwitter: @LindaPennell 

Blog Tour: Under Ground by Alice Rachel

Under Ground by Alice Rachel
(Under Ground, #1)
Publication date: October 30th 2015
Genres: Dystopia, Romance, Young Adult
Synopsis:
Love is a taboo, a mere fantasy— foreign, unreachable, and dangerous.
Raised in a society where women have no rights, seventeen-year-old Thia Clay holds little hope for a bright future. When her parents sell her into marriage to elite member William Fox, Thia slowly gives in to despair. William is nothing but a cruel, selfish young man with no other interest than to serve his own.
Born illegally and forced to hide from the authorities his entire life, nineteen-year-old Chi Richards is an active member of the Underground—a rebellious group seeking to overthrow the government.
Chi only has one goal—to rescue his parents from the work camp they were forced into.
Meeting Thia was never part of the plan, and neither was falling in love with her.
If caught in their forbidden relationship, Thia and Chi could face a death sentence, and when devastating secrets surface from Chi’s past, Thia has to rely on her instincts to make a choice that could save her or destroy her forever. Goodreads Amazon
Author's favorite character and why:
My favorite character in my book series "Under Ground" is my antagonist Stephen. He is also the twin brother of my main male protagonist Chi. It was interesting for me to create two characters who look exactly the same and yet are so very different that the readers can tell them apart just based on their attitudes. They have very distinct mannerisms and ways of speaking. Stephen is all darkness when Chi is the sun shining through.
Stephen was the easiest character to create and he is still the easiest to write. He has a really strong personality, a bad temper, but also a kind heart hiding underneath all the nastiness, and he is completely out of control. I do not write Stephen. Stephen writes himself, which makes the whole process so much easier. He will not follow any of my directions, even when those are in his best interest. I often try to force him to be nice, but that's apparently not going to happen.
Writing Stephen is also a painful process that often brings me to tears. If you read his novellas, you will understand why... I cannot reveal the reasons behind the heartaches he causes me. But he is truly heartbreaking.
Stephen is by far my most complex character. He cannot be trusted. He is a liar, a deceiver, and a manipulator. But in the end, he is my most beautiful creation. He is the most altruistic of all my characters, and yet one of the meanest as well.Stephen is a contradiction.
He happens to be most readers' favorite character as well... Many readers cannot choose between him and his brother Chi (who happens to be the main male protagonist). But there is no need to choose. There is no team, really. One can love them both.
There is always a switch in the readers' opinion of Stephen. Those who have read book 1 despise Stephen. Those who have read his novella love him. I wrote Stephen that way on purpose, and when readers message me to tell me that they hate Stephen, I chuckle to myself and respond, "Just wait until you read the novella... You might change your mind." ;-)
Stephen is not what he seems to be. He is more than his words and actions.
He has received the most marriage proposals out of all the characters too. *laughs* He is quite popular with the ladies. *waggles eyebrows*
I could go on about him for a very long time. All I will say is that I love Stephen almost as if he were human, but I always push the readers to form their own opinions about him. I don't want them to like him just because I do, or because they don't want to hurt my feelings.

Stephen has his fair share of haters, and that is fine. He is, after all, one of the antagonists... :-)

AUTHOR BIO:Alice Rachel is the author of the YA Dystopian ROMANCE SERIES “Under Ground.” Originally from France, Alice Rachel moved to the United States ten years ago to live with her husband, and she now also shares her home with two really old foster guinea pigs.
Alice enjoys books of all kinds and more specifically those introducing well-written antagonists and complex protagonists. Alice also loves to draw her own book characters.
The first book of her series “Under Ground” came out in October 2015, and the sequel will be out later this year.
Alice loves to interact with all readers, so feel free to send her a Tweet.
Author links:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14583678.Alice_Rachelhttps://www.facebook.com/alicerachelwrithttps://twitter.com/AliceRachelWrithttp://www.alicerachelwrites.com/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release: Between Midnight and Dawn By: Cheryl Yeko

Soul Mate Publishing
Blurb

Kyle Wade has spent over half his life seeking justice for his mother’s brutal murder at the hands of the serial killer known as C.H.K. His efforts lead him to Nicole Chambers, a woman he quickly develops strong feelings for.Now he’s torn between keeping Nicole safe, or using her as bait to capture the monster stalking her.
Follow Tour Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/vCzNSmjM6rQ Goodreads  Amazon








Nicole paced nervously, waiting for Kyle to return. She’d thrown on her workout clothes; a black pair of Capris, a long purple T-shirt with large cut-out armholes, and a black sports bra that peeked out from underneath. She was covered practically from head to foot, so why did she get so nervous thinking about Kyle seeing her in the outfit? Because he’ll be touching me, that’s why. And though not as daring as what a lot of the women wore at the club, it still showed far more skin than Nicole was used to, except when she was working out. Did this qualify? This is a bad idea. Her doorbell rang out. She took a steadying breath. Too late to back out.When she opened the door and Kyle saw her, his eyes lit with a smoldering fire. But all he said was, “Ready?” as he moved past her, greeting her dog, “Hey, Charlie.Taking a moment to close the door, and calm her jittery nerves, she turned back to him. The desire she’d so clearly recognized in his heated stare, had lessened to a more neutral expression.He nodded toward the living room, where she’d pushed the furniture out of the way, clearing a large spot in the middle. “You should have waited for me to help.”Nicole rolled her eyes. “Please. I do vacuum, you know. The furniture doesn’t move itself.”A slightly crooked smile curved Kyle’s lips as Charlie headed over to his dog bed for a nap. “Suppose not.”Her stomach fluttered. He was too damn charming for his own good. How in the hell was she supposed to resist him? No men rule, remember.Gah! What a dumb rule. What had she been thinking?Maybe that your taste in men is crap, and you needed a good long break after the last guy you dated almost killed you.Oh, yeah. That was it. Kyle moved to the center of the room, looking all too fine in a pair of tight jeans that hugged his ass. He waved her over with two crooked fingers. Her cheeks flamed, hoping he hadn’t caught her checking him out. But by the smirk on his face, she figured he had.“Now,” he said as she approached, his tone shifting to all business. “If someone tries to grab you, whatcha gonna do?”“Um. Run away?”He nodded. “That might work. But, let’s say he manages to get ahold of you. What then?”She licked her dry lips, nerves rolling around in her stomach. “Is this a trick question?”The smile that split his face stole her breath. Gone was the serious tenant-slash-police officer from her backyard cottage. The man who stood before her now was a total, flat out, hands-down,no-question-about-it, hottie. His sex appeal exploded into the room like an atomic bomb filling up every nook and cranny.And in just a minute or so, he was going to put his hands on her. Ohmygod. Trouble. Seriously. Maybe this really wasn’t such a good idea—Nicole screamed when she was suddenly grabbed and her back brought up against Kyle’s chest. One arm clamped around her waist, the other across her throat. Her natural instinct was to struggle, but he had one leg wrapped around her shins, totally immobilizing her. The heat from Kyle’s body burned her up, and she wasn’t unaware of the rising bulge against the small of her back. Excitement tickled through her.Charlie let out a little bark, but only lazily watched them. She scowled at him. Some guard dog!Mouth pressed against her ear, Kyle murmured in a seductive drawl, “If I were the bad guy, sweetheart, your pretty little ass would be mine right now.”
Author InfoMy writing career began in 2011, after my wonderful husband bought me a Kindle for Christmas and changed my world. I started reading romance novels, and fell in love with them. I decided to write one myself, and disappeared into my room over a long Wisconsin winter and wrote my debut novel, PROTECTING ROSE. I submitted to a few publishing houses and was offered a contract with Soul Mate Publishing, which I quickly accepted.
PROTECTING ROSE went on to win the 2012 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence in the romantic suspense category. Well, I was hooked.

Today, I'm a multi-published, award-winning author, and live in Wisconsin with my husband Patrick. I love to read, play piano, and spend time with family and friends. I enjoy novels with fast-paced action and steamy romance, protective alpha men and strong heroines. I belong to several writing groups, including Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Sisters in Crime.

Please sign up for Cheryl’s Newsletter, with her two BFF’s, Char Chaffin and Callie Hutton. http://www.thepowerof3cs.com/Char and Cheryl also write together under the pen name, CiCi Cordelia, Writing From The Heart.  Find us on Amazon
Cheryl is also an Acquisitions Editor for Soul Mate Publishing. As an Editor, she welcomes Romantic Suspense, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Contemporary, and Erotica. You can reach her at Cheryl@SoulMatePublishing.com
Author Links:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: A Taste of Death and Honey by Sharon Bayliss

From Goodreads:
When Samantha’s parents died, she lost everything. Her home. Her friends. Her hope. Then a life-loving spring witch at the children’s shelter fills her life with light and joy once again.

But like the springtime, Samantha’s happiness doesn’t last forever. Her friend dies violently in front of her, the victim of a mysterious killing spell. Furious and grief-stricken, Samantha resents her own weak spring magic. She doesn’t need life and renewal. She wants revenge…and death.

Homeless and alone, Samantha seeks shelter with her old friends, the Vandergraff family, and finds an unexpected ally in the powerful winter solstice witch, Evangeline. The girls’ anger and eagerness lead them to cast a killing spell before knowing the truth behind Samantha’s friend’s death or the identity of her killer. 

Once the spell is cast, they can’t take it back, and they must fight to stop their own curse before it takes away everyone they love.

My Thoughts:
**I was the lucky acquiring editor for this novel**
A Taste of Death and Honey continues following the story of the Vandergraffs. Samantha returns as well, and starts the story as she witnesses the horrific death of her girlfriend. All of this comes back to haunt Patrick and Evangeline, as it's their fault, although an accident, that the girl died.
We meet spring witches and wizards, as this is a spring based story, and old foes return when the son of Evangeline and Xavier's molester and abuser appears on the scene. Although assumed to be a foe, he turns out to be essential.
This next installment to the series will blow your mind. The emotions and the twists are powerful and unexpected. The family has their loyalties to one another tested, and love shows itself in unexpected and beautiful ways. If you've read the first two books, you definitely need to get your hands on this one... and then wait anxiously for the next!