Christa Simpson's Blog, page 2
September 1, 2018
A fascinating mystery…
Hello Again by Brenda Novak is a fascinating mystery weaved into a chilling romantic suspense novel.
The paperback was a gift and it certainly sounded like something I would like to read.
Blurb:
SHE CAN MAKE SENSE OF A COMPLEX CRIMINAL MIND.
Evelyn Talbot, a psychiatrist at a maximum-security prison in Alaska, studies some of the world’s worst serial killers. But she’s about to meet her most elusive patient at Hanover House yet: Dr. Lyman Bishop, AKA the Zombie Maker given his fondness for performing ice-pick lobotomies on his victims. A brilliant cancer researcher, Bishop is either the most cunning psychopath Evelyn has ever encountered―or he is wrongly convicted.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CRIMINAL CAN SEE INTO HER OWN?
When a new ice-pick fatality occurs, it seems Bishop really was wrongly convicted. Except…Evelyn has a personal connection to the victim and that suggests the killer may be someone from her own past: Jasper Moore, her high school boyfriend who tortured her and left her for dead when she was only sixteen. Jasper also murdered three of her friends―and was never caught. Is he trying to send a message with this copycat crime? The only thing Evelyn knows for sure is that if Jasper is on her trail, she might not be able to escape again . . .
[image error]
Unfortunately, I started into this series with book 2 and, as a result, I wasn’t hooked the entire way through the way I would have liked to have been. I really liked Amarok, and the older woman younger man angle worked for me, but I couldn’t seem to connect with the characters and immerse myself in their story. Every time “the lower 48” was mentioned I felt excluded, like an outsider and, because of that, I was able to put the book down here and there. Mind you, the writing was good and toward the end it became a real page turner.
That was not how I thought it would end!!
What can I say? The ending was cleverly written. Now I’m curious…
4 stars.
[image error]
Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com
Interesting Fact: I considered wheeling the book against the wall after reading the last page. The pages were growing thinner but I wasnt getting the answers I wanted–a sign that by the end I was hooked.
Hit me up in the comments with your favourite thrillers of all time. I’m always looking for different fiction to read.
August 26, 2018
Writing is Art, right?!
It sounds like everyone had a great time at Tilbury’s Annual Art in the Park this year. I know I did. I even treated myself to a bowl of black cherry ice cream. Ice cream on super hot day. Yum!
[image error]
We, at Black Widow Publishing, among 125+ other creative Artisan vendors, set up our tents and tables for 2 days of fun in the sun in the beautiful Odette Park in Tilbury, Ontario. My tables were filled with paperback novels, wrapped mystery books, magnets, teasers and of course a wonderful giveaway.
[image error]
Scroll down for more pics of me and my author table, to hear about the fun we had at my table, or to watch my video announcement!
[image error]
For fun, and because I know some people are a bit shy about my bare-chested book covers, I wrapped up all the single titles and firsts in the series for a fun game of blind date with a book. Have you heard of it? What a great idea. Readers really had a lot of fun with it, and a few daring readers took a chance on a book based on the keywords that I provided. Way to go ladies for being so bold!
[image error]
[image error]
The kids especially loved the hunt for #TilburyRocks scattered through the park. That was free of charge. What wasn’t free was the large glass swan my daughter purchased from one of the vendors. My mother picked up some chewlerry for my sweet little nephew and my hubby picked up some candied almonds and a yarn mouse filled with cap nip for my kitties. After buying lunch (for them only, because I packed one), I wonder whether I profited from this event. Lol.
[image error]
No doubt, I sold lots of books, and I appreciate those who came back out on day two to tell me how much they were enjoying the books they purchased!
To my pleasure, it was the follow-up messages mere days after the show that had me excited to get writing again. I’ve had five follow-up paperback sales of the trilogy since returning home on Sunday. Five! Proof that word of mouth is everything for authors.
[image error]
This is me in action. 
January 2, 2018
The Writer’s Tag
Huge thanks to J.W. Martin for this tag! If you do anything after reading this post it should be checking out his!
https://www.jwmartin.com/the-writers-tag/
[image error]
What genres, styles, and topics do you write about?
I write primarily adult contemporary romance and dark erotic thrillers, but there are elements of romance, suspense, mystery, paranormal phenomenon, unhealthy paranoia, love, and drama in all my stories. They are written for ages 18+ and each touches on a variety of important topics.
How long have you been writing?
A long time. Haha. I co-wrote my first novel in grade four. It was a fantasy-thriller. But seriously, writing has been a life-long passion of mine. I’ve always had a diary, journal or book of poetry that I added to when I was growing up. After a brief period of “life experience” (going off to college, falling in love, marriage and the birth of two little aliens that have a striking resemblance to my husband and I), I starting writing my first series. It was in 2011 when I started considering posting my fictional works for publication.
Why do you write?
To keep my sanity. It has always been my emotional release. It’s a cost-effective form of therapy for me. It’s a way to express happiness, release sadness, direct anger, exact revenge without harming any one (except perhaps your fictional characters). You should really try it sometime. It can help you come to terms with your feelings, among other things. Who knew you could rework all that energy into fictional stories that people might actually like to read? I certainly didn’t, or I would have tried it much earlier in life!
When is the best time to write?
For years it was at night after the kids went to bed. Now they stay up until all hours of the night, so I try to squeeze in half an hour every day over my lunch hour and a couple nights a week, if I’m lucky. Saturday used to be my go-to day for writing, but my daughter’s competitive dance team practices are out of town every Saturday. From September to December she danced from 9-5. Yes, that’s 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. She also dances two other nights of the week. At least now that the Nutcracker performance has ended, I will find some reprieve. Plus, I do have a car pool partner. That still means I’m stuck in Windsor for the better part of every other Saturday… sometimes more.
What parts of writing do you love and hate?
I love…
Brainstorming;
Writing first drafts;
World Building; and
Blurb writing. (“Back cover book blurb writing???” you ask. Yes! I love it!)
I hate…
Hate is such a harsh and unnecessary word in my vocabulary, but for the sake of answering this question…
Self-editing;
Researching;
How little time I can dedicate to writing; and
My uninspiring shared work space. (I need to work on this one the most. It’s an inspiration killer!)
How do you overcome writer’s block?
I don’t get writer’s block because I currently feel like I don’t write near enough. I only write when I’m inspired by events, ideas, or sprinting over lunch. Now that I outline my stories, it’s become easier to stay on track when I do finally sit down to write.
Like J.W. said, distraction blocks are another animal entirely–like You-tube, Netflix, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, needy children, my husband, his toys, my mother… I could go on. Lol.
Are you working on something at the moment?
Yes. At the moment, I’m finishing the last chapters of my NaNoWriMo project, titled Perfectly Ruined, which happens to be the third and final book in the Destiny Series. It’s set in a fictional town in Northern Ontario where a country boy has returned to his hometown after a failed relationship only to find himself unexpectedly wrapped right up with a new girl. A firefighter, a city girl, and a country road. It’s a small town romance with a hint of heat… contemporary romance at its finest.
What are your writing goals this year?
For 2018 my goals include:
Being true to myself and respecting the entire industry and readers everywhere… I’m publishing my books wide again (Although Amazon pulled a fast one on me, and of all books for them to auto-renew in Kindle Unlimited, re-enlisted Twisted for another 90 days. So, yeah. My January 1 perma-free plans went out the window real fast. Back to the drawing board for me!);
Publish 3 novels (one is written, one is almost complete in rough draft, and the other is up in the air until I sit down and hammer out my entire year (scheduled around my family priorities).
To complete number two above, I think I just decided which series should come next. To finish and submit a book to a certain publishing company. My ultimate goal has always been to be published by a certain renowned company and get into bookstores worldwide. I’ve started the perfect three book series that I expect is just what they’re looking for. It’s three Canadian romances with alpha heros and quiet, misunderstood heroines. Book two is more complete than book one, but I have a feeling this series will practically write itself once I lay out my plan with this amazing strategy I’ve discovered. It works for me like a charm EVERY time.
That’s all, folks. I’ve not tagged any writing buddies, because I don’t want to pester any one, but I’d love to hear your answers. Answer away and leave the link to your post in the comments or PM me privately if you don’t want everyone to know all your business. Me, I’m an open book. Any questions, ask away!
Fun fact about this post: I started writing it while sitting in the dentist office waiting room while my daughter got her teeth cleaned. I didn’t know how else I would find the time! My house is undergoing serious renovations right now and my writing space has been compromised. My family is practically living out of our hallway. Lol. The floors in my dining room, living room and kitchen are in the process of being ripped out and refinished. That probably doesn’t sound like much, but when your house is as old as mine there are a lot of layers to be removed, and nails in cement are always fun. Oh yes, removing baseboard heaters, even more fun.
It only took me three weeks to finally find a quiet 5 minutes to wind up this post. 
January 1, 2018
Game of Thrones: Season One
This is a movie review and may contain spoilers. If you haven’t yet completed watching Season One of the Game of Thrones, you may not wish to read on.
My favorite character seemed to change from one scene to the next. I found myself thinking, there’s no way he’s going to be killed off so soon, but then he was. In fact, the main character deaths piled up so quickly, my jaw was on the floor and I started fearing how long my new favorite could possibly last.
What/who I liked:[image error]
The Stark children, a proud, honourable bunch. I tended to enjoy following along with them. Watching them in their discovery of why Bran Stark, both curious and adventurous, was thrown from the tower. I appreciated his journey after he became paralyzed.
Ariya Stark‘s brazen attitude. Girl power and independence, I suppose you would call it. Good stuff.
Poor Sansa Stark. She seems to be getting everything she wanted, then it was ripped out from beneath her in the most vile and disturbing of ways.
I’d like to include Jon Snow with the Stark children. Being known as the bastard son, he was the underdog, but still wore his honour like a badge as a man of the Night’s Watch. He was just as handsome and skilled as Robert. I liked them both.
My appreciation of Robb Stark grew stronger as his victories piled up. He never chose war, but he knew it was the only way. I respected his leadership.
Tyrion Lannister made for good comedic relief. He was a funny guy, dubbed the Imp due to his small stature, but he was raised as royalty, stood by his word, was intelligent and sharp as a whip. He would be the only Lannister that made this list.
[image error] Khal Drogo was one of my top picks for obvious reasons. He’s a ruthless warrior who’s never been defeated, a savage, the epitome of strength and protection. Look at him. He’s huge. With all that muscle, there’s an aura surrounding him. Confidence, is it? It’s hot AF. He doesn’t even speak English and I think that adds to his mysterious appeal.
Khaleesi was fascinating. I loved her transition with the Dothraki tribe. She earned her title and accepted many of their traditions until her husband proclaimed “he’d rape all their women.” Haha. I was offended too. It was her own doing and ultimately, after turning to witchcraft, led to a tragic ending.
What/who I didn’t like:
King Robert Baratheon is a gluttonous, alcoholic slob, who cheats on his wife with a different whore (or shall we say whores) on a regular basis and flaunts it in front of his men.
Queen Cersei Lannister was rotten to the core. It was both ironic and amusing when she was so surprised that her son was possibly nastier than her.
Prince Joffrey Baratheon is delightfully evil. His confidence and cruelty were both shocking and sickening, but it made for good television.
Something that bothered me from time to time (as a mother) is the constant explicit nature of the content. Yes, I enjoy a good horror movie and yes, I’m an erotic romance author, but I felt like I had to hang onto the volume control because there was no saying when they’d start slaughtering or screwing again, and let’s just say they are very vocal about both of these things. There’s a lot of sex and nakedness, and it could be quite hot on that scale at times, so, if you’re not looking for that kind of entertainment, you might want to look elsewhere.
The Wrap Up
Overall, I’d say season one was a hit. Shocking revelations. Dishonorable deaths. Revenge and great anticipation of what’s to come. I look forward to continuing with season two.
Have you watched the Game of Thrones? What are your thoughts?
December 6, 2017
December
Welcome to the December FREE For All & Giveaway Event December 4-8!
Click below to download these romance reads.
**Limited time offer**
My FREE offering:
Skylar has rules… Destiny has him breaking every last one of them.
Destiny is looking forward to a bit of solitude in the north to beat away the winter blues. That’s the plan. Destiny likes plans. But plans don’t always work out the way you want them to. READ MORE of the blurb or pick up your free copy today!
Enter the Love Kissed Book Bargains Giveaway here or pick up some free books:
December
Welcome to the December FREE For All & Giveaway Event December 4-8!
Click below to download these romance reads.
**Limited time offer**
My FREE offering:
Skylar has rules… Destiny has him breaking every last one of them.
Destiny is looking forward to a bit of solitude in the north to beat away the winter blues. That’s the plan. Destiny likes plans. But plans don’t always work out the way you want them to. READ MORE of the blurb or pick up your free copy today!
Enter the Love Kissed Book Bargains Giveaway here or pick up some free books:
December
Welcome to the December FREE For All & Giveaway Event December 4-8!
Click below to download these romance reads.
**Limited time offer**
My FREE offering:
Skylar has rules… Destiny has him breaking every last one of them.
Destiny is looking forward to a bit of solitude in the north to beat away the winter blues. That’s the plan. Destiny likes plans. But plans don’t always work out the way you want them to. READ MORE of the blurb or pick up your free copy today!
Enter the Love Kissed Book Bargains Giveaway here or pick up some free books:
December
Welcome to the December FREE For All & Giveaway Event December 4-8!
Click below to download these romance reads.
**Limited time offer**
My FREE offering:
Skylar has rules… Destiny has him breaking every last one of them.
Destiny is looking forward to a bit of solitude in the north to beat away the winter blues. That’s the plan. Destiny likes plans. But plans don’t always work out the way you want them to. READ MORE of the blurb or pick up your free copy today!
Enter the Love Kissed Book Bargains Giveaway here or pick up some free books:
December
Welcome to the December FREE For All & Giveaway Event December 4-8!
Click below to download these romance reads.
**Limited time offer**
My FREE offering:
Skylar has rules… Destiny has him breaking every last one of them.
Destiny is looking forward to a bit of solitude in the north to beat away the winter blues. That’s the plan. Destiny likes plans. But plans don’t always work out the way you want them to. READ MORE of the blurb or pick up your free copy today!
Enter the Love Kissed Book Bargains Giveaway here or pick up some free books:
December
Welcome to the December FREE For All & Giveaway Event December 4-8!
Click below to download these romance reads.
**Limited time offer**
My FREE offering:
Skylar has rules… Destiny has him breaking every last one of them.
Destiny is looking forward to a bit of solitude in the north to beat away the winter blues. That’s the plan. Destiny likes plans. But plans don’t always work out the way you want them to. READ MORE of the blurb or pick up your free copy today!
Enter the Love Kissed Book Bargains Giveaway here or pick up some free books:
![[image error]](https://christasimpson.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/20171207_085419873401201.jpg){kind=link}
![[image error]](https://christasimpson.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/2018-01-01-4.png){kind=link}